THere be four Heads of Reasons by which the absolute necessity of a Religious Correspondency between the Godly Party of this Common-wealth and forraign Protestants may be made manifest 1. The first is taken from the truth of our Christian Religion whereof we make profession 2. The second from the present sad condition of the Churches 3. The third from the universall danger of the Publique States of Protestants 4. The fourth from the peculiar and weighty Engagements under which the Godly party of this Nation doth stand for the performance of this duty more then any people of the world Of the first IN the truth of our profession of Christianitie there be four things which oblige us mainly to maintain a Religious Correspondency with our Brethren of the same profession in forraign parts 1. First the Substantials wherein the truth of the Profession doth consist 2. Secondly the Ends for which the graces and gifts of God are given to us in the truth and received by us 3. Thirdly the Means by which we may attain to these ends 1. The truth of our profession doth consist in the soundness of the Doctrine of Faith and in the holiness of the life of the professors Tit. 1. 1 3 8 9. to advance and maintain both these towards one another and towards all men the professors of Christianity are obliged by the speciall commandment of God concerning the communion of Saints which consists not onely in the conjunction of Beleevers to strive together for the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. Jude 3. but also in a reall endeavour by prayers to strive one for another Eph. 6. 18. and in the communication of their gifts and graces to provoke one another unto love and to good works Heb. 10. 24. Now these endeavours cannot possibly be put forth by us except â—ome Religious Correspondency for the maintaining of Truth and Holinesse be intended and upheld amongst Protestants therefore such a Correspondency is absolutely necessary to be minded by us and if we mind it not it is evident that we come short of a fundamentall duty and fall under the guilt of breaking the Communion of Saints of neglecting the fight for the faith and of carelesnesse to provoke others unto love and good works which God will certainly require at our hands if we continue to do so having so great cause and so much opportunity to do otherwise 2. The End for which God doth give the gifts and graces of his Spirt unto the Saints is that the members of the body of Christ should profit thereby one towards another 1 Cor. 12. 7 and that they should trade therewith to gain more graces for themselves Luk. 19. 12. 13. Mat. 25. 14. but it is no more possible to do this without maintaining an intercourse of spiritual Correspondency one with another then it is possible to the dis joynted member of a natural body to conveigh blood and nourishment each to other Therefore a course of religious Correspondency is absolutely necessary for this cause also and if this be not intended Gods aime in giving his gifts unto his Saints and Churches is not fulfilled and he will certainly deprive such of the gifts which they have received who continue under the guilt of not making a right use thereof For if the end of Gods giving should be answered by our receiving then we are bound in conscience to receive grace onely for the advancement of his glory 1 Cor. 10. 31. and of our mutual edification 1 Cor. 14. 26 Rom. 14. 19. and 15. 2. and if these two Ends are so subordinate one to another that God cannot be glorified otherwise by us then by this that we bring forth much fruit one towards another Joh. 15. 6 for our good cannot reach to him as David saith Psal 16. 2. but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent ones in whom ought to be all our delight ibid. v. 3. then it will follow that the main use of all grace is the improvement thereof towards others But it is not possible to intend this improvement of our goodnesse towards the Saints for mutuall edification except we use means to know one anothers spirituall condition by some course of spirituall Correspondency therefore such a Correspondency is wholly necessary to be setled and entertained if we will not deprive God of his glory and the Saints of the interest which they should have in us by the right use of our Talents towards them 3. The Means by which these Ends are to be attained is to endeavour to keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace which we are commanded and by many reasons exhorted to do Eph. 4. 3 4 5 6. Now this endeavour being the effect immediately flowing from Charitie which is the chief edifying grace as appeareth by 1 Cor. 8. 1. chap. 3. p. totun Ephe. 4. 15 16. And seeing Charity cannot be maintained nor edification advanced nor the unity of the Spirit upheld except there be an eddeavour put forth to take notice of one anothers state therefore a Correspondency for mutual intelligence in spirituall matters tending to unity and peace in the profession of the Truth is a thing absolutely necessary amongst such as intend sincerely to uphold the Truth of the Gospel-profession or if they intend it not it is evident that they come short of the fundamentall duty of the life of Christianity by neglecting the means of mutual edification wherein God is chiefly glorified and such as continue in this neglect and order not their way aright in the profession of the Gospel shall never see the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. Of the Second THe present condition of the Churches comes under a two-fold Consideration the one is in respect of themselves the other is in respect of their common Adversaries The Churches considered within themselves are found to be in their particular relations not onely for the most part at a distance and strangers to each others affairs but many of them are even at open defiance and opposition to one anothers welfare which is the more to be blamed and lamented not onely because this behaviour is directly oppoâ—â—te to the truth of the profession of Christianity to Gods end in giving and our dutie in receiving gifts and graces and to the means appointed to reach the ends we are bound to prosecute but because this mis-behaviour seems to me even contrary to common sense and reason so that it may be wondered at how it fals out amongst intelligent men that their understandings in fundamental matters of Faith being so fully consonant their affections should be so far dis-sonant and again in matters of duty their conscience being for the main bound up to one and the same Rule which is the word of God how they should be at so much division and strife about the application of that Rule unto lesser matters Furthermore it is no small wonder unto me that they having the
to do it will have much to answer before God Therefore such a Correspondency is absolutely necessary to be intended and maintained not onely for the advancement of the Truth of the Gospel in serving Christ with one shoulder against Antichrist but in respect of outward safety and the securing of our Naturall and Spirituall Rights and Liberties to our selves to our Brethren and to our Posterity Of the Fourth NOw if it hath been Convincingly made out both upon Spiritual and Rational grounds that for the advancement of Christs Kingdom in the world and for the outward safety and Preservation of the Churches a Religious Correspondency is absolutly necessary unto them then an Enquiry may further and ought also to be made of two things First to whom chiefly the procurement of this Correspondency doth belong Secondly How it may be procured and obtained amongst the Churches And to answer these Queries I conceive we may say thus first in the Generall That the procurement of this Correspondency doth chiefly belong to those who stand most in need thereof for their own welfare and safety and who have most eminently engaged themselves to undertake the procurement of it And that the way to procure it amongst the Churches can be none other but a Christian endeavour to live and converse with other Professors in the communion of Saints which is not to look to our own things alone but that every one should look also to the things of others and in the consideration of others to Phil. 2.4 Heb. 10.24 provoke them unto love and to good works This much in Generall but then to Answer the first Query in particular I conceive it may be truly said That the Godly Party living in this Common-wealth doth stand in more need of this Correspondency for the welfare of their Cause and for their own safety then any other Churches do and that this same Party hath more eminently Engaged it self towards God and Men to undertake the procurement of this Correspondency then any other Churches have done And to make out both these Assertions to be truths I shall briefly offer these Considerations First in respect of the need which they stand of it it is in my apprehension thus The Godly Party of this Nation hath been led forth in a peculiar way of acting against the world and against Antichrist which others have not been acquainted withall This acting hath set them in opposition not only to the world and Antichrist in a more direct way then others but also put them at a distance from their Brethren themselves who partly by reason of their weakness partly for want of that information which we should have given them partly because they have been prepossessed with false and injurious Informations against us are for the most part so offended at us that they scruple to own us as Brethren and look upon us rather as Apostates from the Cause and cut of from all Relation towards other Protestants in their esteem we are a new thing start up and standing alone by our selves Now to be in such a condition seemes to be for us very unsafe for if our Enemies be able without any controule to represent us unto the world and to the Professors of the Gospell as Monsters of Men and if we take no thought how to vindicate our Cause from false aspersions towards our Brethren and towards Men of impartial judgement the Cause of Christian and civill Liliberty which we have undertaken and maintained hitherto cannot prosper but must needs at last miscarry in our hands For the prosperity of the Cause is nothing else but the gaining of Godly Mens Affections at home and abroad to it and if we make no Appilcation to our Godly Brethren and Neighbours to set them right and inform them of the truth of our Cause and Proceedings and to interest them to Correspond with us upon a Gospel account how can our Proceedings be successeful how can our Cause be justified and how can we promise safety to our selves when our professed Enemies together with our misled Neighbours shall joyntly conspire and rise up against us I know and am confident that the Cause will prosper in Gods hand and that he will carry it on and preserve the Instruments thereof who follow him in his way but I do not see any ground to believe that he wil do it without the ordinary Gospel Means of propagating the Truth and of maintaining the Communion of Saints If then he doth intend to preserve us and to make use of us any further in this his work I am very confident that he wil set us in the way wherunto he hath promised to give a blessing which is the way of Brotherly love in a Religious Correspondency towards the rest of the Churches professing his Name in the Truth By how much then our undertakings are more resolute and destructive to the course of the world by so much they are the more difficult to be carried on therefore we stand the more in need of the help and concurrence of the Godly every where to carry it on with us to a good issue And by how much our present Leaders in the Cause are less interessed in the Godly Party abroad by so much if they desire to provide in Gods way for the success of the Cause and for their own safety therein they should the more apply themselves to advance a Gospel-interest towards all the Professors thereof and maintain with them to this effect a Religious Correspondency therein For as a man that is in a fight doth not make use of any one of his members alone but all the members of his body are set in a posture to concur supply mutual strength as standing in need of each others help so in this conflict of the Body of Christ against the Powers of the World and the subtilty of Antichrist as all the Churches are aimed at and assaulted so they stand in need of one anothers help and that part of the body which is most violently assaulted standeth most in need of the assistance of the rest for its safety Now it is without all doubt that the Godly Party of this Nation is most in the eye of the Enemie and when the Universal breach which is near at hand between Protestants and Papists shall be made it will be most violently put at therefore it doth stand most in need of help and is bound for its own safety in a Gospel way to endeavour to receive it But the matter of Danger wherein we are more then others is not the onely reason which doth oblige us to procure this Correspondency more then others but the Engagement which lies upon the Godly Party of this Nation more eminently then upon others to procure it is another obligation binding us thereunto This Engagement is eminently apparant in three Declarations of the State First In the Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome published by the Parliament Anno 1641. Secondly
In the National League and Covenant of both Kingdoms Thirdly and Lastly In the Declaration of this present Parliament published the 12th of July this year 1653. In the Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome at the latter end thereof the Clause obliging the Godly Party which then did manage Publique Affairs to mind a Correspondencie towards for raign Protestants is expressed in these words We will labour by all offices of Friendship to unite the Forraign Churches with us in the same Cause and to seeke their Libertie Safety and Prosperity as bound therunto by Charity to them and by wisdome for our own good for by this means our own strength shall be increased and by a mutuall concurrence to the same common End we shall be able to procure the good of the whole body of the Protestant Profession This is as solemne a Promise fully and expresly obliging them to seek this Concurrence and Correspondency as can in so few words be expressed In the National League and Covenant the last words thereof engage also deeply those that did swear it to desire affectionately as in the presence of God and consequently when opportunity should be to endeavour sincerely this That the success of our proceedings may be deliverance and safety to all Gods people and an encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under and in danger of the yoake of Antichristian Tyrannie to oyn with us in the same or like Association and Covenant to the Glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of Christ and the peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdomes and Common-Wealths This profession being made in presence of God with a hand lifted up unto Heaven by the Godly Party of both Nations as it is conscionably to be minded so it cannot reach the End for which it was made to give an encouragement to other Christian Churches to assert joyntly with us their Gospel Liberty except we endeavour to maintain a Religious Correspondency with them In the Declaration of this present Parliament which is addressed in expresse terms To all Gods people as well in Neighbour Page 2 Nations as in this the professions are more zealous and large to this effect then any of the former For declaring a great expectation of the breaking forth of the Kingdome of Christ Page 3 in all the earth they manifest their faith and hope to this effect That God will not suffer his people here to deal falsely with him in Page 4. his Cause till he hath accomplished his great worke and brought about his great Ends whereupon their earnest prayer is put up unto Page 6. him that God would unite their hearts to himself that they may be one amongst themselves and with all the people of God who are members of the Body of Christ and that they may be fitted and used as Instruments in the hand of God for amore full and clear revealing of the Lord Jesus and a right promulgation of the blessed Gospel and the true interest of his Kingdom and the advance thereof that oppressing yoaks may be broken and all burthens removed that his Tabernacle may be fully raised up and his Temple built by his Spirit that all his people may have one lippe one heart one Page 7. consent one shoulder to how down and worship him that the envie of Judah and Ephraim may be taken away that they may be one in one sold with one Shepheard that the Swords and Speares may be turned into plough Shares and pruning hookes and the earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Now where such professions are so solemnly and so largely in a publique way addressed unto God and all his people in this and in Neighbour Nations and made in a manner the chief matter which is aimed at in this present Parliament what can be conceived more obliging towards the Undertaking of the work If therefore we should put forth no endeavours to perform this Duty whereof we acknowledge our selves so fully convicted by so many Professions and Vowes and Prayers and Declarations will it not be a guilt lying so much the heavier upon us in the day of our accounts by how much the more we have engaged our selves unto it Certainly God will not be mocked and if after so many Protestations in times of distresse and Deliverances since obtained and Successes given in to inable us to perform our Vowes and Engagements we should undertake nothing towards the discharge of this Duty which lyeth so eminently upon us our guilt will suddenly overtake us and the punishment thereof if not prevented by some attempts sutable to our Engagements will be fearful and severe Therefore that it may be prevented the second Querie should be laid to heart viz. How a Religious Correspondency may be procured and maintained between the Godly Party of this Nation and the Forraign Protestant Churches Now to answer this Querie it is not my scope at this time I onely do intend to shew the necessity of laying it to heart by those who shall think themselves concerned in finding some resolution thereunto and as it shall please God to move their hearts and open their inclinations to set forward in their way this Design if they will acquaint me therewith I shall not conceal my thoughts from them which I shall conceive conducible unto this End and Purpose which herewith I commend to the providence of God and the prayers of Godly Souls and having discharged my Conscience for mine own part thus far in this matter I shall wait for the hand of God to lead those that love him further and remaine for Sions sake as in all these troubles I have been all along without partiality according to my ability Their faithful Servant in the Communion of Saints FINIS