the way of true peace and unity in the true church of christ in all humility and bowels of love presented to them / by william dell. dell, william, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing d estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the way of true peace and unity in the true church of christ in all humility and bowels of love presented to them / by william dell. dell, william, d. . p. - . printed for giles calvert, london : . reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the way of true peace and vnity in the true church of christ , in all humility and bowels of love presented to them . by william dell , one of the least and unworthiest of the servants of god , in the gospel of his dear son. psal. . . i am for peace ; but when i speak , they are for war. utrum nos schismatici sumus an vos , nec ego nec tu , sed christus interrogetur ut indicet ecclesiam suam , august . contr . liter . petil. l. . c. . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle , at the west-end of pauls near ludgate . . to the honourable the commons of england assembled in parliament . it is written , that the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ : and now when all almost , that is great and honourable , and noble and royal , and wise and learned , is found against this counsell and design of god ; how highly are you hon●ured of him , and how happy are you , that you yet are found for it ? you after a manifold apostacy and def●ction of many of your members , seem yet to remain as pillars in the house of our god ; yet you seem to be , among those called and chosen , and faithful ones , that now continue with the lamb , who is king of kings and lord of lords , in his engagement against , and conquest over the ten-horn'd beast : and to turn aside , from this work , would be , to give up your selves to double ruine , to wit , both from heaven and earth . and therefore the lord make you faithful , that you may do this work for god , and to fulfill his word ; and not for your selves , and to fulfill your own ends. and now as you are busie about the peace of the kingdom , to settle and establish that upon a right and sure foundation ; so god hath engaged my heart , to meditate the peace of the church . and though i have excluded your power from having a hand in this work , yet i have not , in any measure , wronged you , as you shall perceive , but rather endevoured to preserve you , from dashing your selves , against that rock , against which , all the ignorant and unwise rulers and kingdoms of the world , both have and yet shall , dash themselves in peeces . it shall be your wisdom to be built up , together with the church , on christ ; but it would be your confusion , to go about to build the church on your selves and your power ; seeing this building is too weighty for any foundation , but christ himself . your power will do well in the kingdoms of the world , but not in gods kingdom , which is christs inheritance , from the beginning to the end . you shall be happy , to be subject in it , but none must be lord or law-giver here , but christ himself . let not the devil who in these last times , hath in many places translated the mystery of iniquity , from the ecclesiastical kingdom of the clergy , into the temporal kingdom of the magistrate , any longer keep it there ; seeing , it will be as pernicious in this , as in that : for it will be , no less dangerous an evil , for the magistrate to make himself lord and law-giver in the church , then for the pope , or general councel , in all the kingdoms called christian ; or for the archbishop , or national assembly in particular kingdoms . men have commonly thought , that to preserve the godly in worldly peace and prosperity , is to preserve the church ; whereas , to preserve them in faith , hope , love , in union and communion with christ and the father , in and through the spirit , this only is to preserve the church ; and this oft-times , is better done by christ , whose work only it is , in affliction , then in prosperity . wherefore do you look to the care of the state , and trust christ with the care of his church , seeing he is both faithful and able to save it perfectly . the peace of the church lies in christ only , and no part of it out of him , no not for a moment ; and this their peace , christ is able to preserve in himself , in the midst of the most cruel and desperate evils of the world . now what the true church of christ is , and wherein its peace and unity lies , is here in some measure declared , for the good of the faithful every-where , and particularly for your good ; lest you being glorious instruments in the hand of god , for one work , should miscarry in another . and this i have done , through god , not because i was worthy to do it , but because , it was worthy to be done . for why should the church , any longer be ignorant of the things that belong unto its peace ? and why should the members of it , any longer lie as scattered bones , dry and dead , and not gathered up into the unity of a living body ? and who could longer indure , to see unskilfull physitians , under pretence of healing the church , wound it still deeper ; and under pretence of procuring its peace , hurry it into endless dissentions and divisions ? in this case of necessity , i could not but speak , both out of duty and love , and i hope none of you will despise to hear , who consider , that god , when he layes aside the wise and prudent , chooses babes and sucklings , to perfect his praise , out of their mouths ; that so he himself , may be the more glorified and admired , in his weak and mean instruments . now let his praise be above the earth and the heavens ; and let him give you the honor that all his saints have : and this is his hearty desire , who humbly writes himself your servant in the gospel , william dell. to his excellency the lord general fairfax , and the honorable lieutenant-general cromwel , together with the councel of vvar. the presence of the lord having turned your course backward like iordan , from what it was a year ago ; and all former inchantments and divinations used against you , being dissolved , through the renewing of the same presence of god with you . after a manifest with-drawing of it ; and you through a blessed necessity , being now doing that work of god , which once you had little minde to , viz. the procuring the peace of the kingdom , by subduing the great enemies of p●ace , and removing all the enmity against peace , that was inwrapped in our very laws , and degenerated constitution of the kingdom : i thought good , whiles you are thus busie about the peace of the kingdom , which is a peace without you , to put you in minde of the true peace of the true church , which is a peace within you , and an eternal peace , as the former is but a temporal ; for what advantage will it be for you , to have peace among men , & to want peace with god ? to do the work of god in the world , and to be destitute of the work of god in your own hearts ? to destroy the enemies to worldly peace , and yet to maintain in your own hearts the corruptions of unrenewed nature , which are the enemies of heavenly peace ? take heed therefore , that your present employments , do not so over-ingage you in this world , that you neglect the world to come : take heed , lest by seeking your selves , you have your reward here : but do the work of god , for god ; and whilst you act for god , live in him , and let him be your reward , and not the creature . and now here in this dicourse , shall you see a better peace and agreement , then you are striving for , ( though your work also be excellent and glorious ) even such a peace and agreement , of which christ himself , is the immediate author and prince , and which he communicates , not to the world , but to them he chooses out of the world , even the peace of god in iesus christ , by the spirit , which hath its foundation in christ ; and its influence into each communion of saints , all the world over : and this peace can no more be brought about by your sword , then by the magistrates scepter ; and therefore take heed , lest you now , having power in your hands , to another purpose , should so far forget your selves , as to do that your selves , which you have condemned in others . therefore suffer the word only , to be both scepter and sword in the kingdom of god , and let the true church remain free , in the freedom which christ hath conferr'd upon it ; or else , the lord , whose own the church is , will as certainly in his due time , take the sword out of your hands , as he hath done the scepter out of the magistrate's , and throw you into one destruction with him . but i am perswaded better things of you , though i thus speak , and even such things , as are suitable to the light of the gospel , and to the vertues and graces of christ and his spirit , which have been hitherto ( and i hope , will yet still be ) very manifest , not only in you honorable ones , who have the chief conduct , but also in very many of the councel and army besides . and upon such a gathering together of gods people , and saints , ( let the world ( if it please ) still laugh at that word ) who can but think , he hath some choice and singular work in hand for his own glory ? the lord god almighty hath already done great and wonderful works by you , and is yet doing greater , if you will continue to beleeve and obey ; and in all these things he only is to be exalted , and not you. for hath not that day of the lord of hosts dawned ? yea the morning of it is already gone forth , which is upon every one that is proud and lofty , and upon every one that is lifted up , and he is to be brought low and the lord alone is and must be exalted , in this day . now the lord cause you to dwell and continue in that church , which is the body of christ , and habitation of god , and give you peace with those that are reconciled to god by christ , and to one another in christ , by the spirit ; in which union and communion , i remain . your assured servant , w. d. to the reader . such are the noises of waters , and thundrings , and earthquakes among us ; and so great and continued are our shakings and confusious , through hatred and love , hopes and fears , joyes and sorrows , triumphs and indignations , that there is no silence in heaven , for so much as half an hour . wherefore , though i 〈…〉 here , touching so sweet and glorious a thing , as peace , and 〈◊〉 ●eclare from the very word ( or else i had said nothing ) wherein the true peace of the true church consists ; and also , how the faithful , and churches , may preserve that peace , in their communion with one another , which they have , in the son , and in the father : yet mens heads and hearts are now so full , that it is to be doubted , but few will regard it . notwithstanding , considering that there is among us , an election of grace , and a flock of christ , who both know , and will hear his voyce at any time ; i thought good to speak this in their behalf , for whose profit all the creatures of god were made in the world , and all the gifts of christ are given in the church . and though i am very conscious , of my rudeness of speech , in this discourse , as also of my weakness and infirmity in many things , having not yet attained to a perfect man , and to the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ ; and so dare not say , that every jot and tittle here , is of the pure river of water of life , without any humane mixture ; yet they that are spiritual , and able to judge , will own all in it , that is of the word and spirit of truth , and will not reject silver tryed four or five times , because it is not tryed seven times . and what is weak and imperfect in it , the true church of christ ( for whose dear sake and love i have spoken all this ) seeing it is , as luther speaks , the queen of mercy , whose very bowels , are meer compassions and forgivenesses of sins , will easily pass it by , and forgive it . and as for men , haughty and high in their own spirit , contemning and disdaining any thing that agrees not to their palate ; i do as easily despise their censure , as they lightly pass it . it is enough , that i seek the glory of jesus christ , the son of the living god , and the welfare of that church , that is his body ; and for the rest , let me become as vile as the apostles were made to the world , who were counted the filth and off souring of all things ; or as mr baily , rutherford , bastwick , pryn , love , or any other of my old enemies in parliament and city , not worth the naming , have sought to make me . all whom , unless god give them repentance to life , i cite , as once hierom of prague did his enemies , in the like cause , to appear within a few years , before the most high and righteous judge , jesus christ , to answer all that they have done wickedly , if not maliciously , against his name , truth , gospel , spirit , people ; and that under the form and pretence of godliness . and now well knowing , that the more any thing is of christ , the more enmity and opposition it will meet with from the world , and from the worldly church . i commit christs own word and cause to his own care and protection , who lives and reigns for this very purpose , to uphold his own despised truth , against the glorious , but deceitful doctrines of men ; and to make all his enemies his foot-stool . and so waiting in this assured hope , if thou love christ , i remain , thine in him , vvilliam dell. the contents . the introduction . pag. the gospel propounded , is neither , . between the church and the world , p. . nor between the spiritual and carnal children of the church . ibid. . but between the faithful , or true children of the true church . p. the true church described . p. the true church of god , differs from the churches of men , in . particulars . from p. to p. how this church may be known . p. how we may be joyned to it . p. the church a great mystery , as well as christ. p. seven bonds of this churches vnity . viz. ibid. . one body . p. : one spirit . p. one hope of our calling . p. . one lord. p. . one faith. p. . one baptisme . p. . one god and father of all , who is above all , through all , and in all . p. these seven bonds are sufficient , for the vnity and peace of the church , without any additions of mans devising . . how the true church of believers , thus made one by god , may be preserved one , in their communion among themselves . p. to this end , they must know , some things otherwise , then yet they do . ibid. particularly , they must be instructed touching the government of the church . ibid. this government is twofold . . immediate , and this also is twofold . . the government of gods speciall providence . p. . the government of his spiritual presence . p these two governments the true church never wanted in any age , nor in this . p. . mediate . this also is christs government , and not mans . p. and it is christs ordering all things by the faithful , among the faithful , in reference to the communion of saints . ibid. this is drawn forth into several particulars , which are these . . to whom christ hath committed the power of ordering and managing all things in the true church . and here , . to whom the keyes of the church are given . . what they are . . what kinde of power it is , which the true church hath ; set down , in . particulars . . what is the extent of this power . . what is the outward instrument of it . ibid. . what the true church can do , by virtue of it . and this comprehends these particulars . . it can gather it self together . . it can appoint its own orders . what rules it is to observe herein . . it can choose its own officers . and here , . what officers are to be chosen . . out of whom . ibid. . by whom . what the true church , as the case now stands , is to do , in point of chusing officers . p. and if need be , can reform them , p or depose them . p. . it can call its own councels , if it need any . ibid. certain reasons why the church may now well want councels . p. and if it will have any , what rules it is to observe touching them . p. it can judge of all doctrines , both of its officers and councels . p. and thus the judgement of beleevers is to be rectified in these things , for the preserving peace among themselves . . the practice of the true church is to be rectified in other things . the practical rules that are more absolute and general in the way of peace , are these . . that the true church keep it self , distinct from the world . p. . that the true church content it self , with its own power , for its own affairs . p . that the true church do not fetch or force men unto it , against their wils . . that the true church make void , the distinction of clergy and laity , among christians . p. . that the true church keep equality between christians and churches . p. . that the true church keep the officers of the church , in subordination to the community . p. . that all true christians and churches , do take christ alike , for their head , and do not set up visible heads or ring leaders , to themselves of men , no not of the best men . p. . that the true church keep out all error in doctrine . p wayes by which this may be effectually done , without the help of the magistrate . p. the great question , touching the magistrates power to keep out error , answered . p. . that the true church , do not inforce uniformity , in outward orders and discipline . p. practical rules for peace more special and occasional in point of difference , among the faithful . here the weight of things , is to be first considered . if the things wherein beleevers differ , be circumstantial and ceremonial only , then there are , . rules to be observed for the preserving peace . p. if the things wherein they differ be points of doctrine , yet such are not absolutely necessary to salvation , then there are rules to be observed for the preserving of peace . p. if the doctrine wherein the difference lies , is such as is absolutely inconsistent with true faith and salvation , yet then , . the person is to be heard . p. . if after full hearing , it is manifest to be a doctrine contrary to the faith of gods elect , then the true church ought , to condemn the doctrine . p. to excommunicate the person . ibid. and this is the last punishment the true church can inflict . p. the conclusion of all . ibid. the way of true peace and vnity , in the true church of christ . having now for a long time time together observed with a said heart and troubled spirit , the grievous differences and dissentions , among the faithful and churches of christ , and perceiving also , that there is yet no healing of this error , many or most of them not clearly understanding , wherein their true peace and unity ought to consist ; and so , are still prosecuting former , with later mistakes , till their wound is become almost incurable ; i found my heart inclined and engaged by god , to propound to others , that way of peace , which my self have learned from the word . and this i desire to do , not that i might seem to be something , or be accounted of , any more , then the meanest of all gods people , being indeed unworthy to minister , so much as a cup of cold water , to the church , the spouse of christ , much less so incomparable a treasure as the word of god is , in comparison of which , all the world is not to be mentioned ; but meerly out of love and compassion to the infirmities of my brethren , whom i see walking in the light of their own fire , and in the sparks , which they themselves do kindle , whereby they are in great danger to lie down in sorrow ; whilst in the mean time they neglect the true light , which alone is to shine in the kingdom of god , till all ignorance and darkness be done away . and as my end and scope is , to bring all men , from all humane doctrines , and conceptions of carnal wisdom and prudence , to the word of god ; so i desire all men that are spiritual , and able to judge , to allow of no more in this discourse , then they shall finde agreeable to this word ; and what ever the word of god in the true sense and meaning of it , shall disapprove or condemn ; so far , let them also disapprove and condemn with it , as i my self also do ; knowing well , that no word ought to have any place in the church of god , but the word of god , which alone carries light , life , righteousness , wisdom and power , sufficient and enough in it self , to do the whole minde and work of god in his church . wherefore what i have freely learned , i shall freely communicate , desiring every one to regard his own salvation , seeing now after so clear a discovery of truth , he can have no cloak , nor the least excuse for his sin . now that he that reads may understand , it is necessary for me , speaking of the unity and peace of the church , to tell you now at first , that i intend not to propound any way of peace , either between the church and the world , or else between the carnal and spiritual children of the church , as having learned no such thing out of the word of god. first , not between the church and the world : for the lord never intended any reconciliation and agreement between these , in the spiritual and eternal things of the kingdom of god ; for these , are two distinct seeds , and sorts of people ; the one from beneath , the other from above ; the one the seed of the woman ; the other the seed of the serpent ; and between these two , god hath put such an emnity , that no man can take away . wherefore they , who never minding these two different seeds ; between whom god hath put such irreconciliable enmity , would make all the people of one or moe whole kingdoms a church at once , and would reconcile all of them together , in the things of god , and in the ways of his worship , according to devices and methods of their own ; these men know not what they do ; for they walk in the darkness of their own hearts , and not in the light of the word ; which shows us clearly , that it is as possible to reconcile michael and the devil , as the angels of both . . neither secondly , do i finde any way in the world , to reconcile all those together , who are commonly called the visible church , seeing even among these , there are two distinct sorts of children , as paul teacheth us ; one sort of those , that are born after the flesh , as ishmael and esau ; and another of those , who are born after the spirit , as isaac , and iacob : and there is as great enmity between these in the church , as between the former in the world ; for they that are born after the flesh , are always persecuting them that are born after the spirit , but never agreeing with them . now of these two sorts of christians , one makes up the body of christ ; the other , the body of antichrist . the spiritual children , make up christs true body , as it is written , he gave him , to be the head over all things , to the church which is his body ; for these being born of the spirit , do also partake of the spirit , and so are the true flesh of christ , as all that flesh is , in which the spirit dwels ; and these all worship god in the spirit , and have no confidence in the flesh , that is , in no fleshly forms , ceremonies , or worship . the carnal children of the church make up antichrists true body : for as christs body consists of spiritual christians , so antichrists of carnal ; for antichrist sets up in the temple of god , as well as christ ; and as christ get his body together of spiritual christians ; so antichrist gets his body together of carnal christians : and these have a form of religion , or godliness , but they have no spirit or power in that form : yea , under the form of godliness they exercise the greater power of ungodliness : and christ and his spirit , and all their things , are nowhere more opposed , then by those in the church , who have the letter of the word , but want the spirit of it , being taught of men only , and not of god. so that , all that part of christianity , that is destitute of the spirit , and hath the name only , and not the anointing of christians , this makes up the body of antichrist . and now there can be no more agreement , between these two bodies , of christ and of antichrist , that is , between spiritual and carnal christians , then between christ and antichrist themselves , the heads of these bodies . and as i finde nothing in the word , so neither do i propound any thing for an agreement here : for to go about to reconcile there , where the father never intended , nor the son never undertook any reconciliation , would not be a work of wisedom , but of weakness . so then the way of peace i shall speak of , is between the children of peace , touching whom god hath promised , that he will give them one heart , and one way ; and for whom christ hath prayed that they all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they also may be one in us : and these are the elect made faithful , called to be saints , and sanctified through their calling ; and these are the true church of god. the peace then i seek by this discourse , is the peace of the true church : wherefore i shall first declare the church it self , whose peace i seek ; and then after declare , wherein this churches true peace and unity lies ; and also how it may be preserved among themselves , it being first wrought by jesus christ. for the church it self ; what i have learned touching it , i shall speak plainly , and something largely , because the right understanding hereof is so absolutely necessary to our present business , and yet there are very many , and very great mistakes and mis-apprehensions touching it , even among the faithfull . the right church then is not the whole multitude of the people , whether good or bad , that joyn together in an outward form or way of worship ; for in this church there are whoremongers , idolaters , thieves , murderers , and all sorts of wicked and unbelieving persons , which are so far from being the church of christ , that they are the very synagogue of satan , and children of the devil , and therefore i shall not speak of this church . but the church i shall speak of , is the true church of the new testament , which i say is not any outward or visible society , gathered together into the consent or use of outward things , forms , ceremonies , worship , as the churches of men are ; neither is it known by seeing or feeling , or the help of any outward sense , as the society of mercers , or drapers , or the like ; but it is a spiritual and invisible fellowship , gathered together in the unity of faith , hope and love , and so into the unity of the son , and of the father by the spirit ; wherefore it is wholly hid from carnal eyes , neither hath the world any knowledge or judgement of it . this true church is the communion of saints , which is the communion believers have with one another : not in the things of the world , or in the things of men , but in the things of god ; for as believers have their union in the son , and in the father , so in them also they have their communion ; and the communion they have with one another in god , cannot be in their own things , but in gods things , even in his light , life , righteousness , wisdom , truth , love , power , peace , joy , &c. this is the true communion of saints , and this communion of saints is the true church of god. now this true church of god , differs from the churches of men , in very many particulars , as follows . . members come unto the churches of men , either of their own minds , or else by the perswasion , or by the forcing of others ; and so , but after the will of man ; but none come to this true church but from the drawing of god the father , and his own calling , according to his own purpose . . in the churches of men ; members are admitted through an outward confession of doctrine ; but none are admitted into this true church , but through a new birth from god and his spirit , joh. . except a man be born again , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ( which is the right church of the new testament ) for that which is born of the flesh is flesh , and so remains without in the world ; but that which is born of the spirit is spirit , and so hath entrance into the true church . . in the churches of men there are more wicked then righteous ; but in this true church of christ the people are all righteous , not one excepted , as it is written , thy people shall be all righteous , isa. . for they all have their iniquities forgiven them , and they are all redeemed and washed with the blood of the lamb. . in the churches of men , the people for the most part , are onely taught of men , who are their heads and leaders , and whose judgements they depend on , and follow in all things ; but in the right church , the people are all taught of god , as isaiah saith , thy children shall be all taught of the lord : and christ saith , they shall hear and learn from the father : and iohn saith , the anointing they have received , teacheth them all things . . in the churches of men , the greatest part are hated and rejected of god , as being strangers and enemies to christ ; but in the true church all the members are dear to god , as christ is dear ; and loved of god , as christ is loved , as being one flesh and spirit with him . . the churches of men are of mens building , contriving , framing , fashioning , beautifying : but the true church is built onely by christ , as it is written , zach. . . the man whose name is the branch , he shall build the temple of the lord , even he shall build it : and again , math. . vpon this rock i will build my church : the true church is such a building , which neither men nor angels can frame , but christ alone . . the churches of men are all of them more or less the habitation of antichrist , who ( as paul saith , thes. . . ) as god sitteth in the temple of god , that is , not in the true temple of god , but in the churches of men , which arrogate to themselves that name and title ; shewing himself that he is god : for antichrist always dwels there , where men have a form of godliness , denying the power : but the true church is built together , to be the habitation of god , in the spirit , ephes. . . and again , cor. . . yee are the temples of the living god , as god hath said , i will dwell in them , and walk in them . . the churches of men are as large as men will make them ; for they that have chief power in these churches , interesting themselves in wordly magistrates , through their favour and help , make their churches as large as the magistrates dominions : thus the church of rome was made of as large extent as the dominions of the emperour , and of other princes , in whom the pope had interest . and so likewise , the church in other kingdoms , was made as large as the dominions of the temporal magistrate ; and all under their power , must be forced to be , of their church : but the true church , which is the kingdom of the son , is onely the preparation of the fathers kingdom , and so will admit no more into it , then the fathers kingdom will admit into it ; the sons kingdom , and the fathers being of a like latitude and extent ; and so the sons kingdom is no larger then the fathers , nor the fathers then the sons : the fathers kingdom will not receive any into it , that have not first been of the sons kingdom ; and the sons kingdom will not admit into it , what the fathers kingdom will not , after receive ; but the son delivers up , his whole kingdom to the father , and the father receives it all , without any exception . now from hence these three things are evident . . that the kingdoms of england , scotland , &c. are not the church , but the world , as well as the kingdoms of france , spain , hungary , &c. but in all these , and all other kingdoms , the faithful who are taken into union and communion with christ , and with one another in him , they are the church , and not the kingdoms themselves . . in particular assemblies , whether parochial or congregational , all the company that meet together bodily , and have outward communion in outward ordinances , are not the church ; but those among all these , that meet together in one faith and spirit , in one christ and god ; for herein only stands the true communion of saints , and the true church of the new testament is to be judged hereby , and by no outward things whatsoever . . that it belongs not to magistrates and worldly powers , to say , which is the church , and , which is not the church ; who do belong to it , and who do not ; but it belongs to christ onely to point out his own church , seeing he onely knows it , and it onely stands by his election and collection , and not by mans . . the churches of men knit themselves together into such societies , by some outward covenant or agreement among themselves : but the true church is knit into their society among themselves , by being first knit unto christ , their head ; and as soon as ever they are one with him , they are also one with one another in him ; and are not first one among themselves , and then after one with christ : so that the true church is a spiritual society , knit unto christ by faith , and knit to one another in christ , by the spirit and love ; and this makes them infinitely more one , then any outward covenant they can engage themselves in : the union wherein god makes us one , passing all the unions , wherein we can make our selves one . and so when some believers perceive the grace that is given to others , they presently fall into one communion , without any more ado . wherefore they that are of the church , the body , cannot deny communion to them that are in true union with christ , the head , when they do perceive this grace . for this is considerable in this matter , that we are not first one with the church , and then after one with christ : but we are first one with christ , and then one with the church , and our union with the church flows from our union with christ , and not our union with christ , from our union with the church : christ , ioh. . prays , that they all , that is , believers , may be one in us : so that our union is not first among our selves , and then with the son , and with the father : but it is first with the son , and with the father , and then with one another in them : and christ is the door through which we enter into the church , and not the church the door , through which we enter into christ : for men may joyn themselves to believers in the use of all outward ordinances , and yet never be joyned to christ , nor to that communion which believers have in christ ; but a man cannot be joyned to christ , but he is joyned to all believers in the world , in the communion they have with christ , and with one another in him ; which upon all occasions he enjoys with them , wherever he meets with them . so that the true church is knit up together into one body and society , by one faith and spirit ; the churches of men by an outward covenant or agreement onely . . the churches of men have humane officers , who act in the strength of natural or acquisite parts , who do all by the help of study , learning , and the like : but in the true church , christ and the spirit are the only officers , and men onely , so far , as christ and the spirit dwel and manifest themselves in them : and so when they do any thing in the church , it is not they that do it , but christ and his spirit in them , and by them : and therefore saith paul , seek ye a proof of christ speaking in me ? which to you wards is not weak but mighty : who ever is the instrument , christ is the only preacher of the new testament ; and that which is the true gospel , is the ministration of the spirit ; for holy men spake as they were moved by the holy spirit ; and were first anointed with the spirit , before they preached : iudas who preached the word , and was not anointed with the spirit , proved a traitor to christ ; and who ever preach the word without the spirit , are the successors of iudas , and also traitors to christ. . the churches of men have the government of them laid on mens shoulders , whether single persons , as pope or archbishop ; or combined , as the general councel , or a national assembly ; but the true church , hath its government laid only on christs shoulders , as the prophet fore-told , isa. . vnto us a child is born , a son is given , and the government shall lie on his shoulders : and zech. . . he shall build the temple of the lord , &c. and he shall sit and rule upon his throne : for none can rule the true church , but he that built it . for if the church be gathered together in christ , as the true church is , christ is alwaies in the midst of them ; and if christ is ever present with them , his own self , how cometh it to pass that christ may not reign immediately over them ? wherefore the true church , reckons it sufficient authority , that they have christ and his word , for the ground of their practice ; and what ever they finde in the word , they presently set upon the practice of it , and never ask leave either of civil or ecclesiastical powers ; but the churches of men will do nothing without the authority of the magistrate or assembly , though it be never so clear in the word of god : for in their religion they regard the authority of men , more then the authority of god. . the churches of men , are still setting themselves one above another ; but the assemblies of the true church are all equal , having christ and the spirit , equally present with them and in them : and therefore the believers of one congregation cannot say , they have power over the believers of another congregation , seeing all congregations have christ and his spirit alike among them , and christ hath not anywhere promised , that he will be more with one , then with another . and so christ and the spirit in one congregation , do not subjected , neither are subject to christ and the spirit in another congregation : as if christ and the spirit in several places , should be above and under themselves . but christ in each assembly of the faithful is their head , and this head they dare not leave , and set up a fleshly head to themselves , whether it consist of one or many men : seeing antichrist doth as strongly invade christs headship in many , as in one man ; in a councel , as in a pope . lastly , the churches of men , the gates of hell ( which are sin and death ) shall certainly prevail against ; but the true church of christ , though the gates of hell do always fight against it , yet they shall never prevail against it ; as christ hath promised , mat. . . vpon this rock i will build my church , and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it . in these things among other , the true church of christ differs from the churches of men : by which we may clearly see , that the true church is not an outward and visible society or corporation , neither can it be pointed out by the finger , loe here , or loe there , seeing it is not confined to any certain place , time , or person , but it is wholly a spiritual and invisible society ( as i have said ) that is assembled in the son and in the father , who are the true pale and circumference of this church , and out of whom , no part of it is to be found . now hereupon it will presently be said , if the true church be invisible , as you have affirmed , then , . how shall we know it ? . how can we joyn our selves to it ? to both which , i hope , i shall return a clear answer : and first to this question , how shall we know the true church seeing it is invisible ? i answer ; just so as christ the head is known , is the church his body known , and no other way ; now christ is known , . by the revelation of the father ; when peter confessed christ to be the son of the living god , christ told him , that flesh and blood had not revealed it to him , but his father : now the members of christ can no more be known , without this revelation of the father , then christ the head of these members , seeing the apostle hath said , that as he is , so are we in this world ; so that he had need of other eyes then the world sees withal that would discern the true church , and of another revelation then any that flesh and blood can make . . christ was known by the spirits resting on him , ioh. . . and i knew him not ( said iohn baptist ) but he that sent me to baptize with water the same said unto me , vpon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending , and remaining on him , the same is he which baptizeth with the holy spirit ; and i saw and bare record , that this is the son of god. after the same manner the church of christ is known , to wit , by the spirits comming and remaining on it : so that whatever people have received the spirit of christ , of what sort or condition soever they be , they are the church of christ ; and they that are destitute of this spirit , are not of the church . . christ was known by the works he did , ioh. . . if i do not the works of my father , believe me not ; but if i do , though you believe not me , believe the works ; that ye may know , that the father is in me , and i in him . and thus also is the true church known , by doing the works of christ ; seeing christ hath said , he that believes in me , the works that i do shall he do , &c. and thus the body of christ , is known by its living the life of the head , which is the life of faith and love ; and the members of christ are known , by their doing the works of the head . thus then you see , that though the true church be spiritual , and cannot be known by our outward senses , yet we have certain tokens of her spiritual presence ; whereby we may reckon , that in this or that place , there be certain of her members . as by a natural example ; though the soul of man in it self be spiritual and invisible , and cannot be discerned by any of our senses , yet may we have sure tokens of its presence , by the effects and operations of the soul , in that body wherein it dwels ; as the exercise of reason , understanding , discourse , &c. so likewise the true church which is invisible in it self , may yet be known by some certain signs , as by the word of faith , which sounds nowhere but in the church , through the inspiration of the holy spirit ; as also by the life of christ ; and presence and operations of his spirit , &c. and thus you see how the church , though it be spiritual , may be known . well , but how can we be joyned to such a spiritual and invisible church ? i answer , is not christ a spiritual and invisible head ? and how canst thou be joyned to such a head ? sure our joyning to christ , the head ; and to the church , his body , is of one nature ; and that which joyns us to christ , the head , will assuredly joyn us to the church his body . now through faith and the spirit onely , are we joyned to this head ; and through faith and the spirit onely , are we joyned to this body ; and we cannot be of this spiritual body and society , but by being taken up into one faith and spirit with them : and so it is no more a difficult thing to be joyned to the true church , because it is spiritual and invisible , then to be joyned to christ himself upon the same account ; that is , it is no more difficult to be joyned to a spiritual and invisible body , than to a spiritual and invisible head ; and all acknowledge christ to be such a head , and all must acknowledge the church to be such a body . if any shall say that they cannot presently agree to these things , because they have had far different apprehensions of the church heretofore : i desire all such to consider , that if the true church were onely an outward and visible society and corporation of men , that were to be governed by outward and visible officers , according to outward and visible forms and orders , there would then be no great mystery in the church ; for these things lie within the easie reach of every mans reason : but now , whole christ is a great mystery , hid from ages and generations ; that is , not onely christ , the head of the church , but also the church , the body of christ , ephes. . . this is a great mystery , but i speak concerning christ and the church : and this latter mystery ( though both indeed make up one and the same mystery ) of the church , or christ the body , can no more be known by humane sense or reason , then the former of christ the head ; the revelation of the father , and the anointing of the spirit , being equally necessary , for the right knowledge of both . and , as antichrist hath had his mystery of iniquity , in opposition to christ the head , in setting up a visible and carnal head , instead of the invisible and spiritual : so also , he hath had his mystery of iniquity , in opposition to the church the body ; in erecting a visible and carnal body or church , instead of an invisible and spiritual : for without all peradventure , the head and the body must be sutable each to other ; and of the same kinde and nature : and so , as a visible and carnal head , the pope , was in no measure sutable to an invisible and spiritual body , the true church ; so likewise a visible and carnal body , or church , made and constituted by a mixture of civil and ecclesiastical laws and power , is in no measure sutable to a spiritual and invisible head : but what a kinde of head the true christ is , such a kinde of body or society the true church is , and both are spiritual and invisible . and as the lord in the former age , hath been pleased to reveal to the church , the mystery of the head , after a long time of its obscuring and darkning , under the reign of antichrist : so now we wait in hope , that he will in this present age , reveal the mystery of the body , which hath been no less obscured then the former ; that so , the whole mystery , of whole christ , may both be known and accomplished among us , according to the riches of his glory , by the gospel . wherefore all the faithful are desired , as occasion serve● , to make known , what god hath taught them in this matter , to supply , what is here spoken , weakly and imperfectly . and thus having declared what the true church of christ is , and rectified some ancient and general mistakes touching it , i shall now proceed to make known from the clear and evident word , the true and onely bonds of the churches union , peace and agreement , as the apostle hath delivered them to us , by the spirit , ephes. . , , . there is one body and one spirit , even as yee are called in one hope of your calling ; one lord , one faith , one baptism . one god and father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in you all . where note in general , that among all these bonds of the churches unity , the apostle makes not so much as any mention of uniformity ; indeed the rhemists ( being through the just judgement of god blinded ) from this very place , urge and press vniformity ( which is the very word they use ) as being the great and mighty engine , first to advance the mystery of iniquity to its throne , and after to preserve it there . but it will appear anon by the apostles doctrine , that no conformity or vniformity , are any bonds of the true churches peace and union ; seeing the church , is such a kingdom , as is not preserved in its peace , by any outward forms and orders , as the kingdoms of the world are , but by inward principles : wherefore i shall proceed to speak of those spiritual bonds of the spiritual churches unity , which the apostle names ; and they are in number , seven ; the first whereof , is , one body . there is one body , saith paul ; the right church of christ is but one body consisting of many members ; and this is not a natural or political , but a spiritual body , even the body of christ. paul in several of his epistles , takes pleasure to set forth the unity of the church by this similitude ; as in rom. . , . as we have many members in one body , and all members have not the same office ; so we being many , are one body in christ , and every one members one of another . and again , cor. . . as the body is one , and hath many members ; and all the members of that one body , being many , are but one body , so also is christ : where he cals the body , by the name of the head , both making up one christ. now this unity of body , comprehends believers of all ages , and of all sorts . . of all ages ; for all believers that hath been in the world heretofore , or now are , or shall be hereafter , do all make up but one body of christ , though born and brought forth of god in several times and ages of the world ; as in a natural example , a childe is not born all in a moment , but is brought forth by degrees ; and though one part be born , and another not yet born , this doth not hinder unity of body in the child ; so the bringing forth the church into the world in several ages , doth in no wise hinder this unity of body . . as this unity of body , comprehends believers of all ages , so also of all sorts and conditions , iews and gentiles , bond and free , &c. all which are made one body in christ. paul in ephes. . . speaking of jews and gentiles , saith , that christ of these twain ( who differed as much as mankinde could ) he hath made in himself , one new man : for christ melting these two , by his spirit , which is as fire , causes each to depart from himself , and makes both together , one new man , or body of christ in himself ; and thus makes peace : for as long as men remain different bodies , or men , there is no peace amongst them ; but when christ makes them one body in himself , he makes peace between them ; unity of body being a most necessary bond of peace in the church ; as the apostle testifies , col. . . let the peace of god rule in your hearts , to the which ye are called , in one body . now from this unity of body in the true church we may note very considerable things , all to our present purpose . . that unity of body in the church , flows from unity of head : for here the members do not first conspire into an unity of body among themselves , and after choose a head to their body ; but first , these members are united to the head , and then to one another in , and with the head ; and so because there is but one true head , christ : there is but one true body , the church . . as the members of the natural body , are born such , through a natural birth , before they do or can exercise any acts or offices sutable to such members , and do not first exercise such offices , and then after are made such members ; as for instance , the eye doth not first see , and then or therefore , is made an eye in the body ; or the ear first hear , and then or therefore is made an ear in the body : but the eye , is first born an eye in the body , and then sees ; and the ear is born an ear , and then hears , &c. so in the spiritual body of christ ; each christian hath his membership , meerly from a new or spiritual birth , and hath his office from his membership , and not from any action or operation of his own , before he was a member . in this spiritual , as in the natural body , the eye is born an eye , and therefore it sees , and the foot is born a foot , and therefore it walks , and each believer , is only that , which he is through a new birth , and cannot be placed , in such and such an office by men ; no more then men can place , a seeing eye or walking foot in the natural body , but they must be born there , ere they can be there . each member in the true church , is born in his place and office by god , and is not placed there by man , and when the church perceives this grace in its members , it suffers them to exercise those places and offices in the body , in which god hath produced or brought them forth , by his spirit . . this unity of body , stands well with a difference or distinction of members , and the difference of members , doth not hinder , but help the unity of body : for saith paul , the body is not one member , but many , and if they were all one member , where were the body ? and therefore in the body , there are diversity of members , and each member hath its several form and office ; if the whole body were an eye , where were the hearing , and if the whole were an ear , where were seeing , smelling , walking , &c. so in the unity of christs body , there are diversity of members , with diversity of gifts and offices ; and so one hath the word of wisdom , another the word of knowledge , another the word of faith , another the gift of healing , &c. every member in this body being in office , and having received the spirit to profit withal . and so again , rom. . . having then gifts differing , according to the grace that is given to us ( he speaks of all the members of the body , which have some or other gifts , given to them ) if it be prophesie , let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith ; if ministry , let us wait on our ministring ; or he that teacheth on teaching , or he that exhorteth on exhortation , &c. so that in the true church , unity stands with diversity , but in the false , unity will not stand without uniformity . . in this true church , or one body of christ , notwithstanding diversity of members and offices , there is still an equality among them all ; seeing all alike make up one body ; in which regard one member is as necessary to the body as another , and no member can say to another , that i contribute more to the making up of the body then thou ; the most honourable member , cannot say thus to the most mean , not the apostles themselves to believers among the gentiles ; for we are the body of christ , as well as they , and they are the body of christ no more then we : wherefore no member , for diversity of office , is to lift up himself above another member , who is as necessary as it self , to the making up the body , and also is every whit as useful in its place . . as in the natural body , each member is contented with its ●wn place and office in the body : so is every member through the grace given unto it , contented with its place and office in the spiritual body , and not one either envies or despises another . . the members of the natural body , do not each live to them selves , but all of them serve one another , and each of them serves all ; as the eye sees for the foot , and the whole body , and the hand works for the eye , and the whole body , &c. so among believers , none lives and acts for himself only , but each believer serves all , and all serve each one in love . . members that are united into one body , have a true sympathy with one another , both in good and evil things , cor. . and whether one member suffer , all the members suffer with it , or one member be honoured , all the members rejoyce with it . . among the members of the body , there is no law of force , but only a law of love ; no member compelling another , but each member serving another by love : and if one member be infirm , the rest help it , and do not reject it : the more they care for it , and do not the more despise it . and this now is the first bond of the true churches unity , vnity of body . now they break this first bond of unity , that either live out of this one body of christ , or else live in it , but not as members . . they that do content themselves , in joyning to some outward and visible society and corporation of men , though called a church , and think that by being knit to them in wayes of outward worship , and ordinances , they live in the unity of the church , when as yet all this while they live out of that one body , that is born of the spirit , which is the onely true church , and body of christ : he that lives out of this spiritual body , though he live in the most excellent society in the world , yet he breaks the unity of the church , not living in one body with it . and thus many break the churches unity , that never think on it . . again , they break this bond of the churches unity that live in this one body , but not as members ; and such are they , who having got the advantage of the magistrates power , will needs lift themselves up above their fellow members , and exercise authoritative , coercive , domineering power over them , whereas the very apostles themselves , were not lords of the church , but fellow-members with the faithful ; living in one body , and under one head with them , and so did all by love and perswasion , and nothing by force and violence . now those members that exalt themselves above their fellow and equal members , what do they else but usurp the place of the head ? and so break in sunder the unity of the body , which stands in the unity of the head ? he that in a single or combined unity ▪ sets himself up above other believers , by giving laws , and by prescribing and commanding forms and rules to those that are every way his equals , he advances himself as another head besides christ ; and so anti christ is nearer to us then we are aware ; and many men that are so forward and fierce , to make and enforce rules and orders , colourably to procure the churches peace , they are the first men that do themselves break this first bond of the churches vnity , to wit , vnity of body , which makes all believers equal members , equally subject to one head. the second bond of the true churches unity , is , one spirit . there is one body , and one spirit , saith paul ▪ and through unity of spirit , they become one body . now as the body of man consists of many members , and but one soul comprehends , quickens , moves , and governs all these members , making the eye to see , the hand to work , the foot to walk , &c. so the body of christ , which is the church , consisting of many members , hath yet but one and the same holy spirit , which comprehends , quickens , moves and governs them all , and brings them into a most near and intimate society together , and inables each member , to its several office , according to its place and use in the body of christ. and as a member , being cut off from the body , the soul doth not follow it , to cause it to live out of the unity of the body : so he that is divided from the true body of christ , the spirit , doth not follow him to make him live single by himself ; and so neither is the body of christ without the spirit , nor the spirit of christ without the body . and as the same soul in several members , acts severally , and yet is but one and the same soul in all ; so the same holy spirit in several believers , works severally , as it pleaseth , and yet is but the same holy spirit in them all . so that the whole body of christ , that is all believers in the world have but one and the same holy spirit in them , and this unity of spirit in the church , is one strong bond of its peace . among mankinde in general , and more nearly among kindred , there is unity of flesh , but because there is difference of spirit , there is much envie , hatred , strife and variance in that unity of flesh ; but now the members of the body , are not only one flesh , but one soul or spirit too , and so there is always peace and agreement between them . and so the true church of christ is not only one body , but one spirit too , and this makes it one indeed . for as this spirit , is the love and connexion of the father and the son ; so it is also our love and connexion in the father and the son ; and as the father and the son live in unity of spirit , so all believers live the unity of the same spirit in them . now they on whom the spirit was first given , after christ was glorified , had also with the spirit the gift of tongues , the spirit given being for the communion of the church , & so they spake with the tongues of all , the church having through the communion of the spirit , its society and consociation : for he that speaks by the spirit in the church , where all are one spirit in christ ; he speaks with the tongues of all ; and when a believer hears another speak , it is , as if he himself did speak ; and when one speaks , it is , as if all spake ; for he speaks in the unity of spirit with them , and so speaks the same doctrine of the gospel and minde of christ , which they all have equally heard and learned from god. hence it is evident , that it is nothing to have the outward form of a church , even as our souls could wish ; except there be , inwardly in that church , the spirit of christ ; for it is not unity of form will ever make the church one , but unity of spirit : that church then that is destitute of the spirit , in its laws , orders , constitutions , forms , members , officers : what true unity can that have , in all its uniformity ? and this is the second bond of the true churches vnity ▪ vnity of spirit . now they break this bond of the churches unity , that live in their own spirits , and not in christs ; for they that live in a different spirit from the true church , what unity can they possibly have with it ? they then that live in their own humane reason , understanding , thoughts , councel , wils , ends , they live quite and clean out of the unity of this church , yea , in direct enmity against it ; seeing our own corrupt and earthly spirits , are most contrary to the holy and heavenly spirit of christ , in which the church lives . wherefore we may learn hence , what to judge of those men , that cry out much for the peace of the church , and yet themselves , neither live in , nor are led by , the spirit of the church ; but either by their own spirits , or antichrists . . they that labour to joyn men into one body with the church , that are not one spirit with it , do marr the peace of it : for as unity of spirit in the church is the bond of peace , so diversity of spirit is the breach of peace , and therefore to preserve the peace of the church , none are to joyn themselves to this one body , that are not of this one spirit . . they that being of the church , do any thing in it by their own spirits , and not by christs , prejudice the peace of the church ; for the true church is such a body which is to have all its communion in the spirit . and therefore when any pray or prophesie , or the like , in the strength of natural parts , or humane studies and invention onely , and do not pray and prophesie in the spirit , they break the unity of the church ; for the faithful have communion with one another ; onely so far forth as the spirit is manifested in each . now if any shall say , how may i know christs spirit in these acts and duties from a mans own ? i answer , that as by the word of god we can judge of all other words and doctrines ; and as by the faith of christ we can judge of all other beliefs , so by the spirit of christ we can judge of all other spirits ; and can know where is the same spirit , and where is a different or a contrary spirit ; as the members of the body can judge of the one-ness of spirit that is among themselves . the third bond of the true churches unity , is , one hope of our calling . even as ye are called in one hope of your calling : as all believers are called by one calling ( which is the inward and effectual voyce of god to the soul , by his spirit through the gospel ) so they are all called into one blessed hope of obtaining the kingdom and glory of god. and no one is called to this hope more then another , or hath more interest or share in it then another . fishes that live in the sea , though some be greater , and some less , yet none hath more interest or share in it then another ; but all being alike produced in it , enjoy it alike : and creatures that live on the earth , though some be greater , and some less , yet all enjoy the sun and ayr alike ; and yet nearer , the members of the body , though of different quantity , form and office , yet all have alike interest in the head and all its senses , and in the soul and all its faculties : so all the faithful enjoy christ alike , and in him the spirit and the father ; and no believer hath more interest in christ and god , then another . so that all the faithful are called to the same things , and god gives not more , nor better things to one then to another , but he gives immortality , glory , eternal life , the kingdom of heaven ▪ which is the inheritance of the saints , or which is all one , himself , alike to all , and makes all to sit alike in heavenly places in christ ▪ and in the father . all the faithful then are equally called to an vnity of hope , and none can hope for greater or better things then another . it was a very carnal thing in the mother of zebedee's children , to desire of christ , that one of her sons might sit at his right hand , and another at his left hand , in his kingdom , where all alike sit at his right hand , and none at all at his left . indeed in the kingdoms of men , some have greater estates then others , and are in higher honour and authority ; and this breeds envie , and emulation , and strife , and distances , &c. but in the sons kingdom , and in the fathers , all that are counted worthy to dwell therein , do alike inherit all things ; all things are yours , saith paul : and he that overcomes shall inherit all things ; saith iohn : and the least believer hath no less , and the greatest hath no more ; and this causes unity and peace among them . we see what a strong bond of peace and agreement , unity of hope is in them that travel together , that fight together , that labour together ; and so much more in them who are equally called by god to the kingdom of god. and this , is the third bond , of the true churches vnity : vnity of hope . now they break this bond of the churches vnity , that live out of this hope of the church , whose hope is in earthly , carnal , base things ; who pretending to be christians , yet live onely in the hopes of men , in hopes of worldly profit , honour , preferment , and the attaining and enjoyment of the things of this life , which they , according to the eagerness of their hopes , prosecute mightily , by all ways and means . these men , i say , break the vnity of the church : for what true vnity can they have with the true church , that live not in unity of hope with it ? seeing worldly hopes carry men one way , and the hopes of believers carry them another : carnal hopes make men leave god for the world ; and the hope of saints makes them leave the world for god : wherefore they that differ in their hopes , which are their ends , must needs differ in their ways and works ; and so he that lives out of the hope of the church , lives also out of the unity of it . the fourth bond of the true churches unity , is , one lord . the right church hath not many lords , but one ; and this one and only lord , is the lord iesus christ : and so all the subjects of this kingdom are fellow servants to one lord , to whom they do owe equal obedience ; and this also is a strong bond of vnity . for when there are divers lords , there are divers minds , and wils , and ends , and so divers laws ; and these breed divisions , and dissentions , and wars among men ; but where there is but one lord , there is also but one law ; and where people live by one law , under one lord , unto whom all are equally subject , this breeds peace and union . now the lordship of the church , is the royal prerogative of christ , and no creature must presume to arrogate this honour to himself ; seeing unto the very angels he hath not put in subjection this world to come , whereof we speak . and for men , christ hath charged his own apostles ( who if there were any difference among believers , might undoubtedly challenge the preheminence ) i say , christ hath charged even them on this sort , matth. . . be not ye called masters , for one is your master , even christ ; but he that is greatest among you , shall be your servant : that is , you may and ought to be servants to one another , but not masters : and this same doctrine the apostle iames preacheth , iam. . . my brethren ( saith he ) be not many masters , knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation : it is not fit for brethren , who are equal among themselves , to make themselves masters over one another . christ also hath spoken again , so plainly to this matter , math. . that one would wonder , that ever the beast , or his image , should dare to arrogate to themselves , lordship over the people of god , in so clear a light ; ye know ( saith christ to the twelve ) that the princes of the gentiles exercise dominion over them , and they that are great exercise authority over them : but it shall not be so amongst you : he speaks it peremptorily ; that some believers should not exercise dominion and authority over believers ; no not the greatest over the least , all being fellow servants alike , under one lord. wherefore they that are puffed up in their hearts against their fellow servants , might better think thus with themselves , why christ is our lord , as well as theirs , and is as much over us as over them ; and we are not over our fellow servants , nor they under us ; but both of us are equally under christ , and christ is equally over us both ; and so christ hath given us the same laws , he hath given them ; to wit , that we should believe in him , and love one another ; and he expects the same obedience from us , as from them ; and so we are not to command one another ; but are all alike to be commanded by him . it was the evil servant , that beat his fellow servants upon hopes of the delay of his masters coming . and this is the fourth bond of the true churches vnity , vnity of lord. now they break this bond , of the churches vnity , that either make themselves , or others , lords over the church , besides christ , and parcel out this one kingdom of the son to many lords , to the great dishonour of christ , and dis-union of the church . the pope was the first that professed himself to be the general master in the whole church of god : and after the pope , a general councel took this honour to it self ; and by degrees , this last became as hard , yea , a harder taskmaster to the church , then the former . after , when particular kingdoms fell off from the pope and his antichristian church , the mystery of iniquity , was not by this means wholly dissolved ; but only was contracted and brought into a less compass ; for then the archbishop made himself general master of the church in each particular kingdom , as the pope before had done in all ; and after the archbishop rises up a national assembly , as the general councel after the pope ; and each of these in their courses , usurp lordship over the church of christ , to the sad dissolution of its unity . most evident then it is , that during the time of the apostasie , the church hath been most miserably lorded even amongst us ; for the priest he lorded it over the people , the arch-deacon over the priest , the dean over the arch deacon , the bishop over the dean , and the arch-bishop over the bishop ; under which woful bondage the church cried out , as isa. . o lord our god , other lords besides thee have had dominion over us . and is this bondage of the church now eased , by casting off those strange lords ? yea , do not men rather seek to encrease it , by setting yet stranger over it , whose names are so full of mystery , that the common people cannot understand them ? for now they would have the classical presbytery set over the congregational , and the provincial over the classical , and the national over the provincial ; for so it is voted , that it is lawfull and agreeable to the word of god , that there be a subordination of congregational , classical , provincial and national assemblies for the government of the church : now here is mystery , and nothing but a certain rising up into the old power , under a new name . and mark how they prove this subordination of congregational , classical , provincial and national assemblies , to wit , by that scripture , mat. . where it is written , if thy brother trespass against thee , and will neither hear thy admonition nor councel , nor the admonition and councel of other brethren , tell the church ; that is , the congregation of the faithful . now from this place they prove the fore mentioned subordination of assemblies , just as the pope once proved himself to be above the emperour , to wit , because it is written , gen. . that god made two great lights , the sun to rule by day , and the moon by night . now if this might be brought about , which they design , the church would be so far from being eased of its strange lords that it should have them exceedingly multiplied ; for what is a national assembly , but an archbishop multiplied ? and what a provincial assembly , but a bishop multiplied ? and a classical , but a dean and arch deacon multiplied ? and thus the former lords being removed , they would in their stead , cause the church to swarm with classical , provincial and national lords , and would by no means suffer christs own kingdom to return to his own lordship and dominion . and thus whilest they by secular power , seek to enforce these ecclesiastical lords over the church , they absolutely break in pieces the unity of it , even whilst they bear the simple people in hand , that they above all other men seek to preserve it : seeing the plurality of lords , is alwayes the cause of schisms and divisions in the church , which can never be one but under one lord , the lord jesus christ. the fifth bond of the true churches vnity , is , one faith . the true church of god hath but one faith , wrought by one spirit , apprehending the same christ , or the same living and eternal truth of god. so that abraham , and moses , and david , and all the prophets , and all the apostles , and we who now believe , and all that shall believe hereafter , all have , and do , and shall live in the same mystery of faith ; that is , believers in all ages , do not live their own lives , but all live the life of christ in their own soul and bodies , each one receiving equally from christ ; the life of christ , which they all live alike in him , being one with him ; as the branches live equally , the life of the vine ; and one branch , lives it not more then another . through faith then every christian is carryed out of himself , and all his own things into christ ▪ whom he apprehends with all his fulness , for his own ; and in this faith , all christians are equal , and none hath a better or worse faith then another . so that in regard of faith also , there is among the true church unity and equality . for all believers have one and the same faith , of the operation of god , wrought by the same spirit , which raised up christ from the dead ; and that faith which the spirit works , neither sin , death nor the devil can possibly prevail against ; and so the faith of the operation of the spirit , is altogether invincible in all the faithful . among true christians , some are not justified by faith , and some by works , but all are saved through faith , without the works of the law . among true christians , one believers faith doth not apprehend one word , and anothers , another word ; but the faith of each , and of all apprehends one and the same word of truth and life , which is christ himself , yesterday , and to day , and the same for ever . among believers , one doth not live his own life , and another christs , which indeed would make them very different and unequal , but all live christs life alike , and none their own . and thus is the whole church knit together in vnity of faith. now this unity of faith is mightily able to preserve peace among believers , notwithstanding diversity either of inward gifts , or outward works . . vnity of faith preserves peace , notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts , inasmuch as we are not made members of christs body , through such and such gifts , but meerly through faith ; and so he that hath one or a less gift , is equally a member of christ , through his faith , with him that hath another or a greater gift ; and so unity of faith , which makes us all one body in christ , is to keep us one , notwithstanding diversity of gifts and operations ; and diversity of gifts are in no wise to divide where there is unity of faith . further , among them that believe , where there is the more gift , there is only the more labour ; but there is not another , or a better christ ; and where there is the less gift , there is the same christ , equally enjoyed through faith : he that had five talents given him , brought in five that he had gained ; and he that had ten , ten : but he that brought in most talents , had not more of christ then he that brought in fewer ; and he that brought in fewer , had not less of him , then he that brought in more ; but each having christ alike by faith , brought in the exercise of his several gifts . and so unity of faith is to keep us one , notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts . and secondly , it is to keep us one , notwithstanding diversity of outward works . for unity of faith makes all believers righteous alike , though they differ in outward work ; for in christs kingdom each ones righteousness is reckoned by his faith , not by his outward works . and therefore paul , heb . . having reckoned up many excellent works of the fathers , doth not enjoyn us to follow their works , but their faith , saying , whose faith follow , considering the end of their conversation ; seeing the unity of the church stands in unity of faith ; and there may be unity of faith in diversity of works ; for faith uses freely any outward laws , manners , forms , works , so farr as they may tend to the mortifying of our bodies , and the edifying of our neighbours ; wherein faith also will judge for it self , and will suffer no body to judge for it : and in all change of works , faith is the same , and changes not ; and the church still remains one , through unity of faith , in the midst of variety , and diversity of outward works . and therefore where men are accounted christians for such and such outward works sake , and this unity of faith is not taught and received , there the gates of hell do certainly prevail . and this is the fifth bond of the true churches unity , vnity of faith. now they break this bond of the churches unity , that live out of this faith of gods elect , seeing it is written , that the just shall live by faith : and therefore they that live by sense in the things of the world , or by form in the things of god , they live out of this faith and unity of the church . . they that live by sense in the things of the world , break this bond of the churches unity ; even such as minde , and affect , and love , and desire earthly things , and have all their joy , comfort , sweetness , satisfaction , support and confidence in the creature ; these live out of the unity of the church ; seeing the life of sense is clean contrary to the life of faith : faith carrying us to live in god out of the creature , and sense carrying us to live in the creature out of god. . they that live by form in the things of god , whether it be called conformity , as the prelates called it ; or vniformity , as the rhemists do also break this bond of the churches unity . for to live upon this or that form of religion , or worship , so as to think our selves good christians therefore , and others evil , that shall live otherwise , is to fall apparently from the faith of the church , seeing faith doth not live upon this or that form of religion , but it lives on christ only in every duty ; and whatsoever form it may use for a help to the infirmity of the flesh , yet in the use of forms it lives above forms in iesus christ , and his fulness . the sixth bond of the true churches unity , is , one baptisme . the true church , which is the body or flesh of christ , hath but one and the self same baptism , by which it is purified ; which is the baptism of the spirit : for the apostle speaks here of that baptism wherein the whole church is one ; which is not the baptism of the sign , which hath often been altered and changed , but the baptism of the substance , which comprehends all believers , and all ages , and under several and various dispensations ; and was the same before christs comming in the flesh , as since ; believers both of the iews and gentiles , of the old and new testament , drinking all alike into one spirit , though these more plentifully then those : so that , though many have wanted the baptism of water , yet not one member of the true church , hath wanted the baptism of the spirit , from whence our true christianity begins . now this baptism of the spirit , is the onely baptism that hath power and efficacy to make christians one : for through the baptism of the spirit it is , that the church is made one body , as paul saith , cor. . . for by one spirit we are all baptized into one body , whether we be iews or greeks , whether we be bond or free , and have been all made to drink into one spirit : the true church , drinks all into one spirit ( as ye have heard ) and not into many ; and through one spirit are baptized into one body , and not into many ; and believers are never truly one , till they partake of this one baptism . now this baptism of the spirit , as it is but one , so it is administred onely by one christ ; as iohn baptist witnesseth , math. . . saying , i indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ; but he that cometh after me is mightier then i , whose shoes i am not worthy to bear , he shall baptize you with the holy spirit , and with fire : for as none can give the son but the father , so none can baptize with the spirit but the son ; for this is christs proper and peculiar baptism from the throne of his glory , and no mans whatsoever ; this he hath reserved in his own power , and hath not given it into any mans power . and this is the sixth bond of the true churches unity : one baptism . now they break this bond of the churches unity , that content themselves onely with the baptism of water being destitute of the baptism of the spirit ; and so remain in the uncleanness of all their old corruptions and lusts , and in all the filthiness and pollutions of flesh and spirit ; by reason of which they can have no true peace and agreement in heart , and spirit , and nature , with those who are cleansed from these pollutions , and are washed and justified purified and sanctified in the name , and by the spirit of god ; for what agreement can there be between them that live in all the corruptions of sinful men , and them that live in the renewing of the holy spirit ? so that it is not the washing of water but the washing of the spirit , that is the true ground of the true churches unity ; and they that want this baptism of the spirit , though they have been baptized with water never so much , live quite and clean out of the unity of the church . the seventh bond of the true churches unity , is , one god and father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in you all. and this , though it be last named , yet it is the first fountain and original of the churches unity , even one god and father of all . the true church is a kingdom of brethren , who have all , one god and father , from whom all receive alike the divine nature ; which being one and the same in all , without any difference , makes them all one , and equal , that are born of god. for among these , none have a better father then another ; nor none hath a more excellent nature then another , but all receive the same nature from the same god and father ; and so are brethren in the lord ; and this also is another strong bond of unity . for they having all one god and father ; first , all are alike dear to him , because all are alike born of him , and so he loves not one more or less then another , but comprehends all in one and the same love with iesus christ. and this truly known , will restrain believers from wronging one another , when they know , that such are every whit as dear , to god , as themselves ; and that god hath as great and tender love to them , and care over them . secondly , all are alike near to us , because of this one god and father ; and so among true christians there can be no such divisions , and factions , and sidings , as among worldly people ; because one christian is not nearer to us then another ; and so we do not take part with one against another , but all are alike near to us : and so without any respect of persons , we embrace all that are born of god , with an equal love , and seek the good of each one , yea , of every one as well as any one . now this god and father of the church , he farther describes that he is , . above all ; the father is above the children , and they are not above one another , but he is above them all , ruling and over-ruling them ; and so they are not to live in their own wills , which might cause difference , but in their fathers will , which causes unity ; and thus his being above them all , keeps them in peace ; whereas we see , where children live without due subjection , having no body above them , as it falls out sometimes among orphans , there they are often unquiet and grievous to one another : but god is above all his children , and so keeps them in due subjection to him and in quietness and love with one another , daily composing their differences through his unity . . he is , through all ; as having communicated to all his own nature ; and so according to this nature of his , which he hath communicated to all alike , and all alike possess , he is through them all . and hereupon they all must needs be one , because god never differs from himself , but his nature is at unity with it self in all , in whom it dwels ; and brings them all out of the differences of their natures , into the unity of gods. . he is , in them all. god is such a father as hath his presence in all his children ; he hath a special presence in them , dwelling in them after the maner he dwelt in christ , though not in that measure ; for god dwels in christ and christians otherwise then in the rest of the creatures ; to wit , by communicating his nature to them through his union with them : and wherever god communicates his nature , there he is present most truly , powerfully , and gloriously indeed : and such a presence of god in his church as this , keeps it in constant and unchangeable unity : for how can they who have god thus dwelling in them , and who again thus dwell in god , be at odds among themselves ? and this is the seventh bond of the true churches unity : one god and father , &c. now they break this bond of the churches unity , who have not this one god and father of the church to be their god , and their father , who will needs call god father , and yet are none of his children ; who will be of the church of god , and yet are not born of god ; and so live according to their own natures , and not according to gods ; all these , i say , break the unity of the church , seeing we can no longer live in peace , then this one god and father is above us , and through us , and in us . all they then that will needs be members of the church through outward profession , and yet are none of this spiritual brotherhood , as having no descent from this heavenly father , they break this unity of the church , even all the children that are onely born after the flesh , and so still live according to the natures of men , and are not born of the spirit , to live after the nature of god. these now are the seven bonds of the true churches true unity and peace ; and there is no other bond of unity necessary for the church , besides these : for if there had , the apostle being guided by the spirit , would never have omitted it . and therefore the more are they to blame , who making a great noise , and lifting up their voyce on high for unity , peace and agreement in the church , yet do wholly neglect these seven bonds of the true churches unity ; and cry up one instead of them all ; and that is external vniformity . so that now among them , one body , and one spirit , and one hope of our calling , and one lord , and one faith , and one baptism , and one god and father of all , are nothing at all to the churches unity , but their uniformity is all in all ; and whoever breaks that ( which yet they have no scripture of god to enjoyn , no nor once to name ) he is the man , with them , that breaks the churches peace ; and so , antichrist-like , they have exalted their single uniformity above this seven-fold unity of the church , and so have ( as much as in them lies ) made the word of the spirit void , through their carnal ( that i say no more ) traditions . for a man may break all these seven bonds of the churches unity , and yet be a very good member of their church , if he onely observe their uniformity ; but if he break this , he is a schismatike and an heretike , and not worthy to live in their account , though he live in all the bonds of this true and spiritual unity . wherefore to escape these snares , let all believers know assuredly , that these seven bonds named by the apostle , which are all spiritual , and of god , and not one of them carnal , or of man , are the onely bonds of the true churches true unity ; and that whoever of their own minds presume to add to thes● , are guilty of adding to the word of god , themselves being but wretched creatures ; and so involve themselves in all the curses written in his book , among which death and hell have their place . and let us further know that whoever do combine together to make themselves one , out of the fore-named unity , though they call themselves the church never so much , yet they are but sects , and schismes , and divisions , and factions rent from the true church of god : for such men choose and frame to themselves some singular way of worship , form , order , &c. whereby they think they excell other christians , and so cause the simple and ignorant ( which are the multitude of people ) to follow them ; especially having countenance of worldly authority ; by which means both they and their followers , depart from the true unity of the church : for when , this seven-fold spiritual unity is neglected , christianity is torn in pieces , into as many sects as the world and devil please , till there be no footsteps left , either of faith or love . so that whatever these men pretend , most certain it is , that all confedaracies in the church , of outward orders forms , rites , laws , ceremonies , disciplines , which are necessarily enforced by the secular power , seduced by the ecclesiastical , will never hold the church together ; but all these are , and have proved , and will prove , rather a wall of partition in the church , then a bond of union ; and if they seem to work union , yet it is no other then the mingling clay and iron together , which no pains nor art can perfectly compound . for all peace and union in the church , knit by other bonds , then are here named , is no spiritual union , neither will it stand . and therefore dear christians and believers , seeing we have seven bonds of unity , all of gods own making , to make us one , let not diversity of forms and rites , which are but sorry things of mans making , separate and divide us : but seeing each of these bonds are able to make us one , how much one , should all of them together make us ? and thus having shewed from the word , how all christians and believers are made one by god ; the next thing , i shall aim at , is , to shew how they may continue one among themselves , in reference to that communion they have with one another , whilst they sojourn in this world , flowing from the former union ; that so all darkness and mistakes , which now , even many believers are grievously inwrapped in , may be dispelled and done away , and we may live in this pure and perfect union with one another in god , making all outward things subservient hereunto , and none of them prejudicial . and to this purpose i conceive , we are , . to know some things : and both otherwise then yet we seem , either to know or do them . and . to do other things : and both otherwise then yet we seem , either to know or do them . . to preserve our peace we have in christ , we must be instructed aright , in the matter of the churches government , because the mistake in this thing is so great a cause of controversie and division among us at this day . for if the true church hath its true government , without any such forms and laws and power , as is now so earnestly contended for , there is no reason we should fall out and divide for these things . now the government of the church , is two fold . . there is that government , which god exercises immediatly by himself . and . that government which he exercises mediately , and by the faithfull . the first of these , that is , gods immediate government , is also two-fold : . the government of his speciall providence . . the government of his spiritual presence . the first sort , of gods immediate government of his church , is the government of his special providence , and this is a most strange , wonderful and glorious government . this was that government of god , over the church of israel , when he took his own nation , out of the midst of another nation , by temptations , signs , wonders , by a strong hand , and a stretched out arm , and great terrours , when he led them through the red sea , and through the wilderness , in paths that were not trodden , when he fed them with bread from heaven , and water out of the rocks , when he suffered no man to do them wrong , but reproved even kings for their sake , and through multitudes of enemies and oppositions , led them into the land of canaan . thus , god led that church , from bondage to liberty , from tribulation to quietness ; from a sordid condition , to honour and renown ; from a strange land , to a land , of inheritance ; and from slavery to a kingdom . and this was a glorious government indeed ; standing in gods immediate conduct from heaven , far above all humane councels , wisdom , stratagems , or any thing else of mans contriving and acting : and this government of god is so far beyond all humane apprehensions that according to this , it is said , his way is the sea , and his path in the great waters , and his footsteps are not known . and is not this kinde of gods government , of the spiritual church of the new testament , every whit as wonderful and glorious , as was that of the visible church of the old testament ? for though the beginning of it was small and low in the world , yet did it receive encrease with the encrease of god , and was preserved , maintained and enlarged in the world , notwithstanding all the rage and cruelties of the persecuting heathen emperours , for three hundred years together ; and ever since , god himself hath taken the conduct of this church , and hath carryed it through difficulties , distresses , reproaches , prisons , torments , deaths to ease liberty comfort , joy , salvation , glory , life , happiness ; and this hath been gods glorious government of the church hitherto . and at this present time the church of god wants not this government , among all the troubles , confusions , wars , and desolations of the kingdom , but god is now as near his true church as ever , and supports it , and comforts it , and guides it as a skilful pilot , in such sort , that though the flouds lift up their voice and billows against it , yet they cannot sink it ; for the lord on high is mightier then the mighty waves of the sea : and so still , even at this day , the lord leads his flock through the midst of wolves and lyons , yea through the midst of devils , in admirable and invincible safety , and gives them light in darkness , councels in difficulties , and success in all attempts , above and beyond , both all the power , and all the expectation of the world . now note here , that this kinde of government of the church , god doth not mannage , according to the wisdom and thoughts , no not of his very people , but wholly according to the councel of his own will , and the thoughts of his own heart : doing things , that they must not know yet , but must know afterwards ; yea , such things as for the present seem absurd , and absolutely destructive . and this is the usual way and order of gods governing his saints . that of luther , on gen. . is worth our minding here . i ( saith he ) have often endevoured to prescribe certain wayes and methods to god , which he should use in the governing of his church . ah lord ( said i ) i would have this to be thus done , in this order , with this event . but god did altogether contrary to what i did desire . then again thought i , why , my councel is not differing from the glory of god , but it will make much for the sanctifying of thy name , the gathering and encreasing thy kingdom , the propagating the knowledge of thy word ; and to be brief , it is a most excellent and profitable design . but god no doubt laughed at this wisdom of mine , and said . go to now , i know thee to be wife and learned , but this was never my manner , that either peter or martin ( meaning himself ) should teach , or form , or govern , or lead me . for i am not a passive , but an active god , who use always to lead , govern , form . now ( saith he ) it is very grievous , that our wisdom should be only passive , and that we are commanded to mortifie and slay it ; and therefore many , who could not endure this mortification , have fallen horribly . and thus this kinde of gods government , is wholly according to his own wisdom and councel , and wholly without , yea contrary to ours . and thus we are in some measure acquainted with the government of gods special providence , over his church . . the second sort of gods immediate government of his church , is the government of his spiritual presence , or gods government within us . for the right church , is the city of god , and hath god in the midst of it , being built and framed , and that according to every part of it , by the spirit , to be the habitation of god ; this is the temple of the living god , as god hath said , and god is in it of a truth : and if any would know what this church is called , the name of it is , the lord is there . and so the whole guiding and ordering of this church , depends wholly on god , who dwels within it . for god will not dwell in his own church , and sit still , whilst others that are without it , shall govern it ; but the government of the right church , lies on his shoulders , who is immanuel , god with us , and in us . and so this government of the church , is one of the invisible things of god , in the church : christ who fils it , governing it , by a most present and powerful , but invisible influence ; leading it into truth , by the spirit of truth : into patience , by the spirit of patience ; into love , by the spirit of love ; into power , by the spirit of power ; into humility , meekness , patience , heavenly mindedness , and into the fulness of all righteousness , by that spirit , which contains all these graces in it self , and works them in all those , in whom it dwels . in this government we hear the voice behind us , saying , this is the way , walk in it , when we turn either to the right hand , or to the left . in this government we have not outward laws to order us , as the kingdoms of the world have , but an inward law written in our hearts by the spirit of god , as god hath said , i will write my law in their hearts , and in their inward parts ; and this law , is the word of life ; for the living church or body of christ , can only be governed by a living word , which is called , the law of the spirit of life . and according to this government also , god guides the true church wonderfully , the soul not seeing the ways and councels of god , whereby he forms and fashions the church , according to his own minde , and good pleasure , clean contrary to humane reason and judgement ; for he brings them to mourning , to bring them to comfort ; brings them to despair , to bring them to faith ; to death , to bring them to life ; yea , even to hell , to bring them to heaven : leading his chosen people after such a manner , that nothing would follow but faith , which looks not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen . and thus , when the soul is in the midst of many fears , woes , agonies , temptations , till it feel in good earnest , the true sorrows of death , and pains of hell , and in this darkness sees no beam , nor the least glimmering of light ; and wants all counsel , and knows not which way to turn it self : then christ comes and manifests himself to the soul , and counsels , and directs , and comforts it , and leads it into the path of life , and redeems it from all distress , subduing the world , and the devil , and sin , and death , and hell under it ; yea , and carrying it into all the fulness of god. now these two sorts of governments , to wit , the one of his special providence , and the other of his spiritual presence , the true church never wanted in any age : and in this present age , when the prelatical government hath been dissolved for several years together ; can any christian think , that the right church of christ hath been without all government ? nay , all this while it hath been governed most powerfully by his special providence , and most sweetly by his spiritual presence : so that neither the world , nor the devil have been able to prevail , neither against its grace nor comforts : and for an outward , formal , visible , enforced government , after the manner of civil corporations , or worldly kingdoms ; the true church can as well want such a government at all times , as at any time ; yea , and it is best without it , as being farthest removed from the tyranny of men , and more immediately under the government of christ , its onely king and law-giver . and therefore they that are so violent for an outward and visible government of the church , after the manner of the kingdoms of the world ; i do heartily wish , that if it be the good pleasure of god , they might sometime or other be exercised with temptations of despair , and with the sence of the wrath of god , and everlasting burnings : for by this means their idle and vain thoughts and speculations of governing the church of god by humane power and methods , would soon vanish , and they would soon give over to trouble themselves , and the faithful , about things that have neither power in them to free from eternal death , nor to procure eternal life . and thus much for that two-fold government of the church , which god himself exercises immediately in and over it ; whereof we must not be ignorant , if we desire to preserve the peace of the church , both in our selves and others . now besides this immediate government of god , there is another sort of government of the church , which christ exercises mediately by the church : and this also is christs government , and not mans ; and men who have not known not understood the former government of christ , have mistaken this also , through the same unbelief ; wherefore , they not so much as minding the former government of christ , which is immediate , and by himself , have made this mediate government of the church by man , to be all ; and this also , i say , they have understood most grossly and carnally , and not according to the word , but according to their own ignorant and seduced hearts . i shall not trouble the reader with their particular mis apprehensions in this matter ; seeing it is far more profitable to content our selves with the plain and evident truth , then to enquire after variety of errors . wherefore letting alone their darkness , i shall onely endeavour that the light of the word may shine unto us in this matter , that herein also we may be taught of god , if it be the will of god. this mediate government then of christ , in the true church , i conceive to be nothing but this , christs ordering all things by the faithful , among the faithful , in reference to the communion of saints . now because many christians desire instruction and light in this matter , i shall be willing to hold forth to them that measure of knowledge , which i have received herein ; being desirous also to learn my self of them that can teach me better by the word . and that i may proceed the more distinctly , i shall propound several things , to which i shall speak in order ; and they be these : . to whom christ hath committed , the power of ordering and managing all things in the true church , in reference to the communion of saints . . what kinde of power this is which the true church hath . . what is the extent of this power . . what is the outward instrument of it . . what the true church can do , by vertue of it . and this comprehends these particulars . . it can gather it self together . . it can appoint its own order . . it can choose its own officers ; and if need be , reform them , or depose them . . it can call its own councels . . it can judge of all doctrines , both of its officers and councels . and all these things i reckon needful for the true church to know , for the preserving among themselves that peace and unity they have in christ. they first thing then is , . to whom christ hath committed the power of ordering and managing all things in the true church , in reference to the communion of saints . i answer ; he hath given it to the true church it self , as formerly described , even to each and all the members of it : for as natural power belongs to all natural men alike , so spiritual power ( which is the true church-power ) to all spiritual men alike . christ in a believer is the root of true church-power ; and because christ dwels in all believers alike , through unity of faith : therefore all believers partake alike of spiritual and super-natural power ; and no one partakes of this power more then another , any more , then he partakes of christ , more then another ; but christ in them all , is the self-same power of god , to do all things that are to be done in the kingdom of god. and according this sense , that place in math. . . is to be understood ; where christ saith to peter , and i will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth , shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth , shall be loosed in heaven . the pope and papal church , under colour of this place , have made great merchandise , and have exceedingly abused , and cheated the nations , for many hundred years together ; but the light of the gospel hath shined forth , and the days of their traffique are at end : and yet since , others have been trucking with the world , by their false interpretations of this place , and have thought to use it , to their great advantage ; but the day hath so far dawned , that their shadows also , are flying away . but not to keep you longer , from the words themselves ; peter had said to christ , thou art christ , the son of the living god : and christ replyed to peter , blessed art thou , for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee , but my father which is heaven ; and then adds , vnto thee will i give the keys of the kingdom of heaven , &c. that is , not to peter as an apostle , or minister , but as a believer , who had the revelation of the father , touching the son : and so also , they are given equally , to each faithful christian , who hath the same revelation with peter , as also to the whole communion of saints . and so , these keys are not given to any particular person or persons , consisting of flesh and blood , or imployed in such or such an office ; but that man , whoever he be , that hath the revelation of the father , he it is , to whom these keys are given , and to none else : and so they are given to each believer in particular , and to the whole church of believers , in general . but what are these keys , about which , there hath been so great a do in the church ? i answer , they are not any outward ecclesiastical power whatever , that men have devised , to serve their own turns withal ; but to pass by the many false conceits , wherewith many former and present writers , have and do still trouble the church ; iohn doth tell us plainly , ioh. . . what matthew means by the keys of the church . christ ( saith he ) appearing to his disciples after his resurrection , breathing on them , said , receive the holy spirit [ here are the keys of the kingdom of heaven ] and then adds , whose sins ye remit , they are remitted ; and whose sins ye retain , they are retained ; that is , when ye have received the spirit , then you have received the keys , to binde and loose , to remit and retain sin , and that not according to your wils , but wholly according to the minde , and will , and direction of the spirit . and so , christ then before his ascention , gave these keys , truly to his disciples , but more solemnly and fully at the day of pentecost ; when the spirit was given by christ glorified : and after , the gentiles , who by the preaching of peter received the spirit , even as the apostles did , they also received these keys ; and so all , that have received the spirit , have the keys of the kingdom equally committed to them , and the power of binding and loosing by the ministration of the spirit . and so these keys , appertain not only to greater congregations of christians , but to the very least communion of saints , as christ hath promised , where two or three are met together in my name , there am i present in the midst of them : where we see , that two or three , gathered together in christs name have as much power , as peter , and all the apostles ; because christ , is equally present with these , as with those . again , christ hath commanded , that if the offending brother , will not hear the admonition of two or three other brethren , the offended brother should tell the church , mat . . now the church , is not the officers , but the congregation of the faithful , seeing men are not of the church through any office , but only through faith . and by all these things it is evident , that the power of church-government , that is , the power of acting and ordering all things , among the faithful , belongs to every faithful man alike , in the congregation of the faithful . . what kinde of power this is , which the true church hath . i answer in general , that it is a power sutable to the church or kingdom , whereof it is the power : now as the church we speak of , is that church , which is born of god , and of the spirit , and so is not at all of this world ; so the power , that is agreeable to this church is the power of god , and his spirit , and not at all of this world ; that is , it is not any civil or secular power ; i may add , nor any ecclesiastical power ( according to the common understanding it ) that hath any place in the true church , but meerly a spiritual and heavenly power , without any conjunction or mixture of the other ; seeing christs power is perfect , and every way sufficient for his own kingdom , and christs kingdom is gods kingdom , as well as the fathers : and so men may as well carry worldly and secular power , into the fathers kingdom , as into the sons , seeing this , is no other then the kingdom of god , though it be among men , and no other then the kingdom of heaven , though it be upon earth ; which hath not been understood nor considered by them , who have been so busie to being secular power into a spiritual kingdom , as if christs own power , in his own kingdom , were either weak or imperfect . more particularly , this true power , of the true church , is ( as i said ) christs power in the faithful , which is , the self-same with christs power in himself ; and so , . it is not a power of violence , but a power of influence , even such a power as the head hath over the members , and the soul over the body ; it is not a coercive , but a perswasive power , a power that makes men willing that are not willing , and doth not force the unwilling , against their wils . . this power is humble , and not proud , as worldly power is ; for the power of the world , sets men over others , but the power of the church , sets men under others ; i ( saith christ of himself ) am among you as one that serves : and again , he that will be the chief among you , let him be the servant of all . . this power , is for edification , and not for destruction ; as paul acknowledges , again and again , that the power the lord gave him , was this , and no other power , viz. not to cast men out of their native kingdoms , but to translate them into gods kingdom ; not to take away their outward liberties or estates , but to bring them into the liberty and inheritance of the saints ; to bring men to eternal life , and not to destroy men , by temporal death . . this power , seeks the good of others , more then its own , yea good of others , with the neglect of its own : so moses was not busie , to have a most rebellious people , blotted out of the book of life , but rather desired , his own name might be blotted out of that book , that ( if it had been the will of god ) theirs might have been written in . and paul desired that himself might be separated from christ , that his brethren and kinsmen after the flesh , might have been united to him . and if this power seek the good of others after this high rate , even to the neglecting , as it were , and laying aside their own eternal good , how much more to the neglecting and laying aside their temporal good , their worldly profits , advantages and dignities ? . this power , doth not make others suffer , to enlarge the church , but suffers it self , to bring this about ; so christ , as wickliff saith , through his poverty , humility and suffering injury and death , got unto him , the children of his kingdom , and not by force ; and the martyrs enlarged the church of christ by dying themselves , and not by causing others to die ; the blood of the martyrs , being the seed of the church . . this power , only acts to a spiritual end , salvation , and only according to spiritual laws ; but not , to any temporal and worldly ends , according to civil and humane laws . and thus you see , that this true church power , for the nature and quality of it , both in general , and in particular , differs very much , both from the apprehensions and practise of the most of our ecclesiastical men . . what is the extent of this true church power ? i answer ; that this power extends it self full as far as the church , but no further : for what hath the church to do , with those that are not of the church ? what have we to do ( saith paul ) with them that are without ? for church power , which is spiritual , is no more sutable to the world , then worldly power , which is fleshly , is sutable to the church . the power of the church , which is christs power , onely reaches so far as christs kingdom ; that is , the people that are born of god , and his spirit . true , church government reaches as far as christs and the spirits effectual influence and operation , but no further ; that is , to all that are willing , but to none that are unwilling . as nothing hath more troubled the church , then to govern it , and give it laws after the manner of the world , by secular force and power ; so nothing hath more troubled the world , then to govern it , and give it laws , after the manner of the church , by the aforesaid compulsion . wherefore as the government of the world is not to be spread over the church ; so neither is the government of the church to be spread over the world : but as the world and the church are distinct things , in themselves , so they are to be contented with their distinct governments . . what is the outward instrument of this power ? i answer , the word only , which is the only scepter and sword of christs kingdom , to govern his people , and subdue his enemies . christ himself the head of the church , used no other instrument to govern his people by , but the word or the preaching the gospel of the kingdom , and declaring what he had heard from his father ; and at his departure out of the world , he told them , that as his father had sent him , so did he send them , and no otherwise ; that is , to do all in the church by the power of the word , and nothing by the power of the world . and so , the true church doth all in it self only by the gospel ; by the gospel it bindeth and looseth ; by the gospel , it remits and retains sin ; by the gospel , it quickens to life , and wounds to death ; by the gospel , it receives in , and casts out ; by the gospel , it works faith , renues the life , acts , orders , guides and governs all things ; and that church that hath another scepter and sword besides the word , that hath orders , and constitutions of men , to govern by , and plurality of votes in classical , provincial and national assemblies to binde and loose by ; that have their own laws and orders to be their scepter , and the authority of the magistrate to be their sword in their kingdom ; i say , if these be the ways and instruments of their governments , assuredly the church they boast of , is another church then christs , and is no other in very deed , but a kingdom of sin and darkness , and death ; and when its form of godliness , which it hath put on to deceive , shall after a few years vanish away , it shall return into the shape of its first beginning . and therefore let us know , whatever rules , orders , or humane inventions , men do study and devise to govern their churches by , the true church of christ shall ever be known by the scepter and sword of the onely gospel preached in it , which is fully sufficient for the regiment of the church ; else christ were an imperfect law-giver : and all those that do affirm , that the votes , determinations , rules and constitutions of councels , are better for the well ordering and governing the church , then the pure and naked word of the gospel , by the ministration of the spirit , in my judgement they speak blasphemously . let us now hear what luther saith to this purpose ; christians ( saith he ) ought to be governed by that word , and no other , whereby they are made christians , that is , free from sin ; and this is , only by the pure gospel of god , without the addition of councels , doctors , fathers . for what is it to govern christians by that word , which though they keep , yet neither do they become christians , nor continue such ? nay , they cease to be christians , and lose christ. and of this sort is every word besides the gospel : and salvation reigns in us , not by the laws of men , but by the power of christ. farther , they that are not christians , are to be restrained other ways , then by the traditions of men ; for these are to be let alone ; and as paul saith . we are not to mingle with them . there is the secular sword , there is the magistrate for these , and it belongs to him to restrain those that are evil , from evil deeds , by the power of the sword . but the bishop , or overseer , governs christians without the sword , only by the word of god ; seeing it is certain , they are not christians , except they be spontaneously good ; and such they are made by the force of the spirit of faith ; as paul saith , rom. . as many as are led by the spirit of god , they are the children of god. what madness then is it to urge them that are willingly good , with the laws of the evil ? and yet , saith he ; there are not a few light and vain men , that think that the business of the gospel , is to be promoted with weapons and cuffes . and the same luther , in his epistle to the christians , and preachers of erphurd , saith , consider in your minde , with what sword , i subdued the papacy , and the whole state of religious men , who before were dreadful to all ; of whom it was said , who shall fight with the beast , that hath power to make war with the saints , and to overcome them ? and yet ( saith he ) i never touched them with so much as one of my fingers ; but christ destroyed and overthrew all that detestable kingdom , by discovering their iniquities , by the spirit of his mouth , that is , by the word of the gospel . in which passages of his ( besides what is spoken before ) it is apparent , that there is no other instrument of the true churches power , but the word of the gospel , which is the only scepter and sword of christs kingdom . . what the true church can do by vertue of this power . now the true church by the power it hath received from christ , can , . gather it self together , when , and as often as it pleaseth . the company of believers have power to gather themselves together for their mutual good , instruction , preservation , edification , and for the avoiding or preventing of evil , and that without the consent or authority of any extrinsecal and forraign power whatever ; else christ were not a sufficient founder of his church . and if every free society , not subjected to tyranny , hath power in it self to congregate and come together , as conveniency and necessity shall require ; as is evident in all civil corporations , and in all fraternities and meetings of love ; much more hath the church of christ , which is the freest society in the world , power to meet together into a communion of saints , though it be without and against the consent and authority , of the powers of the world . and thus the disciples , immediately after christs resurrection , though the people and rulers were wholly set against them , did often meet together among themselves , though privately , and christ himself came and stood in the midst of them , and finding them in that way of communion , said , peace be unto them : and so by his own presence did both justifie and encourage such meetings . and after , the apostles , with other believers , to the number of an hundred and twenty , met together in an upper room , to pray , and to choose an apostle in the stead of iudas , act. . and at the day of pentecost they all met again , act. . though the elders of the church , and rulers of the state , were utterly against their meetings . and again , act. . peter and iohn , after the threatnings of the rulers and the iews , went and met with their own company , which was now mightily encreased by the ministery of the gospel , and declared to them all things that god had done by them , and the rulers had done against them ; whereupon all of them joyned together in the praise of god , for the success of the gospel , against the power of the world . and again , act. . the church of its own accord met together to chuse seven deacons ; and a multitude of other instances , might be produced . by all which it appears , that the church of believers hath power of it self to appoint its own meetings , as conveniency or necessity shall require for the good of the church . and therefore none are to presume to deny the church , this power which it hath received from him , that hath all power in heaven and in earth : neither ought the true church to suffer this power to be taken from them , which they have received from so good a hand ; but still to use their own christian meetings , though the powers of the world never so much oppose them , as the apostles and believers in their time began , and as believers after , for years continued , notwithstanding the barbarous cruelties of the persecuting emperours . . as the church of the faithful , hath power from christ to meet together ; so , secondly , to appoint its own outward orders : for the church whilst it dwels in flesh and bloud , uses some external rites , by which it is neither sanctified in soul or body ; but they are things meerly of outward order and decency : and these things each church or communion of saints may order by it self , according to the wisedom of the spirit ; so it observe these rules . . that they do all things in love , seeing all laws without love are tyranny ; and so whatsoever is not from , and for love , is not to be appointed ; and if it be , it is again to be abolished ; seeing no text of the scripture it self , if it build not up love , is rightly interpreted . they are to do all things for peace , and all outward orders in the church , must be to procure , and to preserve peace among the faithful , and not to break it . they are most unhappy and pernicious orders , that do not only offend a few of christs little ones , ( which it self is a sad thing ) but do grieve , disquiet and prejudice the peace of the generality of the faithful . . they must do all things after the wisdom of the spirit , and not after the manner of the world : seeing the church is not to be ordered according to the manner of the world , but rather against it ; as the apostle saith , be not conformed to this world . . they must appoint nothing as of necessity : for there is no more pestilent doctrine in the church , then to make those things necessary , which are not necessary : for thus the liberty of faith is extinguished , and the consciences of men are ensnared . we doubt not but believers may order any outward things for their own good , so they do not impose them necessarily on any ; as if the observing of them were righteousness , and the omission of them sin . and so the church after all its orders , it is to leave indifferent things as it found them ; that is , free , and at the liberty of the faithful , to observe , or not observe , as they shall see cause , or judge convenient . for all these kinde of things are indifferent in their own nature ; and god regards no more the manner , and form , and time , and circumstances of spiritual duties , then the manner , and form , &c. of our eating , and drinking , and working , and marrying , and trading ; for all which , it is sufficient , if they be done in christian wisdom and discretion , without being tied necessarily , to a set and unchangeable form . . they may perswade their orders ( if they see cause ) by the spirit of love and meekness , but must not enforce them , upon pain of secular punishment , or church censure ; as those use to do , that make themselves lords and tyrants in the church . for these outward things the church can order , onely for the willing , but not for the unwilling . and so , if some believers shall think good , upon just grounds , to do otherwise in these outward things , then the generality of the church , yet ought the church to be so far from censuring them , that it is to entertain communion with them notwithstanding any such differences . for when christians are knit to christ , by faith , and do receive and walk in his spirit , all other things are indifferent to them , to do , or not to do ; to use , or not to use , at their own freedom and christ onely being sufficient for all his ; whatever is besides christ , is a perishing thing ; and so is so far from being to be imposed , that in it self it is not to be valued . now if the church do appoint any outward orders , these rules it is to observe ; yea , the spiritual church doth always observe them and never made rules in it self , upon other terms , then are here set down . but on the contrary , the carnal church , or churches of men , they especially trouble themselves about these outward things ; and of these they make laws , and constitutions , yea , sin and righteousness ; and by these things they judge the church , and the members of christ : in such sort , that they that will submit to their rules and impositions , shall be the church of christ ; but they that will not , shall be reckoned hereticks and schismaticks . and hereby they declare , that they are fallen from the power of godliness , to the form , and from the substance of religion , to the circumstances ; inasmuch as they advance empty forms and shadows , in the place of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy spirit . and to these we may say , with peter , why tempt ye god , in putting such a yoak upon the disciples and members of christ ? and though this kinde of church , will with these things still be troubling us , and biting us by the heel , yet in the power and prerogative of the seed of the woman , we will , by degrees , bruise its head , till at last we break it quite in pieces , now one thing more i shall adde , touching the churches power to appoint its own orders , as conceiving it very necessary to be known ; and that is this : that the true church hath power to appoint these outward orders , not for it self onely , but also for its officers ( which also are part of it self ) and it is not to suffer its officers to frame or impose such on it . for the church is not the officers , but the officers are the churches ; as paul hath taught us , saying to the church , all things are yours , whether paul , or apollos , or cephas . and so the officers are the churches , and are to be ordered by it , in these things , but are not to order it . and if the officers of the church , forgetting that they are servants , shall presume by themselves to order outward things for the church , without the church , as now is done ; the church still remains above the officers , and hath power to interpret , change , or wholly take away all those things , as it sees occasion : to wit , so far as they are a stumbling block to the weak , and a grief to the strong , and tend to work division among the faithful . presumptuous officers are they , and know not where christ hath set them , who instead of being ordered by the church , go about to order it , and make themselves the lords of the church , being but the servants of it . . the true church hath power to chuse its officers , and if there be cause , to reform them , or depose them . the church hath power to chuse its own officers . true indeed it is , that as in the natural , so in the spiritual body , every member is in office ; and that the ministry of the new testament , being the ministration of the spirit , is common to all that have received the spirit . wherefore , if every believer , hath received the spirit to profit withall , and hath power and priviledge , as opportunity serves , and necessity requires , to speak the word , that the power and vertue of christ may be declared through them all : there is no doubt , but any community of christians may , by a common consent , chuse one or mo , to speak to all , in the name of all . agreeable to this is that of paul , tim. . . where he commands , that the office of teaching be committed to faithful men , who are able to teach others . where the apostle , contemning all superfluous ceremonies and pomp of ordaining , onely seeks , that the ministers may be fit and able to teach , and without any more ado , commits the ministry of the word unto them . more particularly in this matter we shall require after these three things , . what officers are to be chosen ? . out of whom they are to be chosen ? and , . by whom they are to be chosen ? for the first , what officers are to be chosen ? paul teaches us this , saying , they must be faithful men , apt and able to teach others . for as among natural men in the world , they that have most natural power and abilities , are fittest to be the officers : so among spiritual men in the church , they are fittest to be the officers , that have most spiritual power , that is , such in whom christ and the spirit are most manifest ; and of this , the faithful of all sorts are iudges . wherefore no natural parts and abilities ; nor no humane learning , and degrees in the schools , or vniversities ; nor no ecclesiastical ordination , or orders , are to be reckoned sufficient to make any man a minister , but only the teaching of god , and gifts received of christ , by the spirit , for the work of the ministry , which the faithful are able to discern and judge of . out of whom these officers are to be chosen ? and that is , out of the flock of christ , and nowhere else . indeed antichrist bringing in humane learning , instead of the spirit , chose his ministers onely out of the vniversities : but the right church chuses them out of the faithful ; seeing it reckons no man learned , and so fit to speak in the church , but he that hath heard and learned from the father . moreover it is plain , that as natural power is founded on a natural gift , and he must needs be a man , that is capable of humane power ; so supernatural power is founded on a supernatural gift , and he must needs be a believer , that is capable of this spiritual power : and so a man must needs first be of the church , ere he can have any power or office in it . wherefore all unbelievers and carnal men are so far from having any power in the true church , that they have no place in it ; and are so far from being officers , that they are not members : for they that neither have , nor know spiritual power themselves , how can they exercise it among others ? . by whom they are to be chosen ? and that is , by the congregation , or community of believers : for if every free society hath power to chuse its own officers , much more hath the true church this power ; being ( as is said ) the freest society under heaven . and so the true church is not to have officers thrust over them by others , but is to chuse them its self . if any object against this , that paul commanded timothy and titus to appoint elders ; and that paul and barnabas , act. . . did chuse elders in every church with prayer and fasting . and therefore it may seem , that the congregation hath not power to chuse its own ministers , but that some chief ministers must appoint other ministers in each congregation . to this i answer : that if there were any ministers among us , that did hold the place of the apostles , living and acting evidently in the vertues of christ , and in the knowledge and power of the spirit , i would not doubt to allow them as much authority , in ordaining ministers , as paul and barnabas , or any of the other apostles had : but since it is very evident , that very few of these have the spirit of the lord upon them : how should they have authority to appoint ministers , who cannot themselves be reckoned believers , or spiritual ? but secondly , if they were true ministers , through the anointing of the spirit , yet could they not appoint ministers in other congregations , without their own consent and approbation , but those whom the whole church chuses , they are to commend to god by prayer ; and if they should refuse to do this , yet he who is chosen by the church , is sufficiently its minister , through the churches choice alone . neither did paul , or barnabas , or timothy or titus , appoint any minister , by their own single authority , without the consent of the church ; as may appear by those scriptures , tim. . and titus . where paul saith , the overseers , or elders , as also the deacons , or ministers , should be blameless and unreproveable . now neither timothy , nor titus , knew of themselves who were blameless in those places , but onely received the testimony of the church , which chose them to that office . further we see , act. . that the twelve apostles together , did not , by themselves , appoint any to a lower office , to wit , to be deacons , without the churches own choice of them : but say the twelve to the multitude of the disciples , look ye out among your selves seven men of honest report , full of the holy spirit , and wisedom , whom we may appoint over this business . and those whom the church chose , the apostles confirmed . wherefore if it were not lawful for the apostles , at their own pleasure , to appoint men to minister so much as alms to the necessities of the poor , without the choice and consent of the church ; much less was it lawful for them to appoint any , among believers , to the hard and difficult work of the ministry , without their own choice and approbation . by all which it is clear , that the congregations of the faithful have power in themselves , according to the doctrine of the gospel , to chuse their own ministers . and therefore seeing the true church of god cannot possibly be without the word , seeing it is born , and nourished , and encreased , and strengthened , and preserved , and comforted , and perfected by it : and seeing the generality of the clergy of these times , are ignorant of the mystery of the gospel , and destitute of the spirit ; it must come to pass , that either the church must perish for want of the word , or else ( according to what we have heard ) believers must meet together , as they can conveniently , up and down the kingdom ; and such meetings must chuse one or mo fit persons , from among themselves , to be their elders in the lord , and then by prayer to commend them to the work of the ministry , and so to acknowledge them for their pastors . and there is no doubt , but what believers met together in the name of christ , do in this matter , it is done through the working and approving of god himself . and besides this way , i see no other , how ( in this great defection of the clergy ) the church may have the true word of god restored to their meetings and assemblies again . now this thing that is so directly cross to the way and working of antichrist , for many ages together , and is so opposite to fathers , schoolmen , councels , doctors , antiquity , custom , and the general practice of the kingdom , cannot be hoped to be accomplished at once , but by degrees , as the lightnings of the gospel shall enlighten the world , and the spirit shall be poured forth . and therefore in this matter , let some begin , and the rest follow , as this practice shall be cleared up to them from the scriptures . for none are to be forced in this matter ( if authority should entertain this truth ) but the spirit is to be allowed its own liberty , to blow , when and where , and on whom he listeth . neither ought this to trouble any , if all do not presently agree with them ; it is sufficient , if at first a few begin , whom others may follow afterwards , as god shall perswade them . now as the church hath power to chuse its officers ; so if they prove evil , it hath power , either , . to reform them . or , . to depose them . . it hath power to reform them , if so be that they may be brought to repentance and amendment : yea , as all the evils of the church do commonly first flow from the officers , so the reformation of it is first to begin with them . and who shall reform the officers of the church but the church it self ? seeing the officers will be sure to tolerate one another in their vn-gospel and vn christian courses , against the life of christ , and true practice of the word , because it is their own case . wherefore seeing the generality of the present clergy , are arrived to this height of evil that they will not be contented to be servants , but will needs make themselves lords over christs flock , plotting and striving to procure and maintain their ecclesiastical state by secular power , seeing they have left off to preach christ , and the gospel , and onely preach of state-affairs , raging and railing against the most just and necessary proceedings of the supream authority of the kingdom , as not sutable to their designs ; seeing they are daily depraving the sayings and writings of men more righteous then themselves ; yea , and dare cast a veil of their fals expositions over the very scriptures , to darken them , and make them as sack-cloth to the world , that the glory of the father , and the minde of christ , might ( if it were possible ) be wholly obscured ; yea , seeing they are become so vile , that they had rather christ himself , with his gospel , and true church , should all perish , then that they should suffer the least diminution of their power , dignity , riches , dominion and tyranny : what remains , but that the societies of christians should meet together to reform these evil officers ? and whereas they are now met to reform the church , it is far more necessary , and would be far more profitable , for the congregations of the faithful , to meet together to reform them , if yet they be capable of reformation ; which i confess is much to be doubted , seeing they sin against so clear a light . . if the officers of the church prove incorrigible , the church hath power to depose them , seeing they have no indelible character , whatever the romish church affirms . wherefore as the true church hath power to chuse its ministers , and to continue them , as long as they remain faithful in their work ; so also it hath power to remove them , if they forsake the truth and power of the gospel . for as in civil societies , not subjected to tyranny , officers that prove evil , are moveable by them that made them ; so likewise the church hath power to remove , if it see cause , this spiritual officer ; yea , the spiritual officer is so much the more moveable then the civil , by how much the more he is intolerable , if he be unfaithful : for the civil officer can onely hurt in the things of this life , but the spiritual in the things of eternal life . wherefore the church hath the greatest necessity to remove him , and chuse another ; seeing this salt , when it hath lost its savour , is good for nothing , but to be cast upon the dunghil . and to this , worthy mr tindal , a blessed martyr , witnesses , saying , if they ( that is , the ministers ) err from the word , then may whosoever god moveth his heart , play paul , and correct him ; and if he will not obey the scripture , then have his brethren authority by the scripture , to put him down , and send him out of christs church , among the hereticks , which prefer their false doctrines above the true word of christ. . the true church hath power to call its councels . if the church of the faithful stand in need of a councel , it may call one , if it pleaseth , and it hath power so to do : and the councel is not to call and appoint the church as is now done , but the church is to call and appoint the councel ; and the councel is to have its authority from the church , and not the church from it . and for the world , it can no more call the councels of the church , then the church can call the councels of the world ; the councels of the church and the world , being as distinct , as the church and the world themselves are . now i said , the church , if it need a councel , may call one ; because the church of believers now seldom needs a councel , seeing all things are so clear in the word of god , with which the faithful are so well acquainted . there are many other causes why the right church may very well be without councels ; as , . because councels , as the manner was , were either called or congregated by the pope , a meer vsurper in the church ; or by secular and worldly princes , who advanced themselves to the same power in the church , though upon another account . and according to their ends and designs , councels for the most part , have been guided and pointed . . because they have , for the most part , been made up of bishops and ecclesiastical men , who have onely sought the interest and advantage of the clergie , to the prejudice of the body of christianity ; by which means they have set up their own kingdom and tyranny over all other christians . . because , being gathered and met , they have especially medled with outward rites and ceremonies ; and touching these , have made binding and coercive laws , to the overthrow of christian liberty , and the ensnaring and enslaving mens consciences . . because if they have medled with doctrine , they have rather perverted and obscured the clear word of the gospel , then truly explicated and unfolded it . . wherein they have done well , yet this evil hath always gone along with it , that they have made people rather look to men then unto god , and that in the very things of god ; and to take divine things from them , by a humane faith , rather then from god himself , and his immedia●e word , according to the faith of gods elect : and so have given forth themselves in their opinions and judgements , as a foundation to the church , in the stead of iesus christ. . because , they always determine the things of god , by the plurality of votes , and do not weigh but number the suffrages , and so the greater part , still overcomes the better ; and the many that are called , carry the vote against the few that are chosen ; whereby it comes to pass that the truth is subdued , and error is established , by a plausible authority . . because such councels , commonly ●ttribute to themselves , infallibility ; and so , set themselves up , as a peremptory rule , by which the whole church , must walk , and none must presume to say to them cur ita facitis ? why do ye so ? though they do never so ill . they say , they cannot be judged , by any other christians , because they are subject to none , bu● all other christians are subject to them , and are to be judged by them : they say , they may pronounce all other schismaticks , and hereticks , but no body must pronounce them so , though they be so . and after they have once drunk of this cup of abomination , what hope can there be , that any thing hereafter , should be done right among them ? . and lastly , because after so many councels , things have not been the better , but the worse in the church , through their means : for it is not dead laws and orders , wrtten by men , will do the true church any good ; but the living law of god , written in their hearts , by the spirit , as god hath promised to do , saying , i will write my law in their hearts , and put in it their inward parts . for as the law of sin hath been written in our natures , to corrupt us ; so the law of the spirit of life , must be written also in our natures to reform us . wherefore , after all their decrees , laws , rules , orders &c. the church commonly hath been so far from being bettered , that it hath become more ignorant of the word , superstitious , formal , prophane then before . all these things being seriously considered , the church may very well want councels . now if any shall say . yea , but had not the church a councel in the apostles times , as we see act. ? and did not they order and decree matters in the church ? i answer , the church had a councel then , but far differing from the councels now adaies ; for , . that councel was not called , nor packed together by secular power , but freely met together , by the general consent of the church of the faithful : for by the believers at antioch , it was agreed , that paul and barnabas should go to the apostles and elders at ierusalem , about the matters in controversie . . this councel did not consist only of the apostles and elders , but of the brethren also , and whole church ; and the whole church , as well as the apostles and elders , did agree and order what was done in that matter . . that free councel , consisting of the apostles , elders and brethren , did not determine any thing by their meer power and authority , but debated the business by the word & by the word concluded it : and so it was not the authority of the councel did any thing , but the authority of the word , that did all in that matter ; as you may see in the fore named place . and in these regards that councel differs from ours . now if notwithstanding all this , the church upon some occasions , desire a councel ( for herein ( as in all other outward things ) it is free ) it must minde these things . . that it hath power it self to call one , as the primitive church had . and what men can object against this , of worldly princes calling them ; let them not say , what they did , but what they ought to have done . . as the church it self is to chuse its councel , so it is to chuse it , out of its self ; for the councels of the church are to be chosen out of the church , and not of the world ; out of the faithful , and not out of unbelievers . for the natural man that neither knows nor savours the things that be of god , can be of no use here ; but he must be able to know the word of god from the doctrines of men and to separate the precious from the vile , that is employed in this matter . and so the natural , carnal and litteral man must be declined here , where the things are wholly spiritual and divine ; and the spiritual man onely , who speaks spiritual things by a spiritual rule , must be heard and regarded ; and so a man must first be of the church , ere he can be of the councel . . as the church is to chuse men out of it self , for its councel , so likewise it is to chuse brethren , as well as elders ; and ecclesiastical men are not to meddle alone in the matters of the church , and to thrust out other christians , as if they were necessarily to be concluded in , and by them . . in chusing elders and brethren to this work , great care is to be had , that they chuse not men of worldly power or place , lest worldly power , and authority , and honour , might seem to bear sway in the things of the kingdom of god : but they are rather to make choyce of men destitute of these things , that it may appear , whatever they do , is done only by the clear evidence of the word , and influence of the spirit , and so onely by the law of love , all secular power and force being excluded . . the church hath power to judge of all doctrines , and that both of its officers and councels . the clergie and ecclesiastical men have been wont to challenge to themselves the knowledge and judgement of doctrines , and have excluded ordinary christians from it ; whereas in truth , the judgement of doctrine belongeth to the people , and not to the ministers . and all christs sheep have power to judge of the doctrine the ministers teach , whether it be christs voyce , or a strangers , iohn . and christ commanded them to take heed of false prophets , which come to them in sheeps cloathing , being inwardly ravening wolves , mat. . and the apostle commands them , to try the spirits , whether they be of god : and hath said , let one or two speak , and the rest judge , cor. . &c. by which , with many other scriptures it is evident , that ministers are not to judge of doctrine for the people ; but the people are to judge of the doctrine of the ministers , and according as they find it to be of god , or not of god , to receive it , or reject it . for every one is to be saved by his own faith , and not by another mans ; and so is to take heed how he hear the things of faith at his own peril ; and he is not ( if he will be wise to salvation ) to take up things on trust , in a matter that concerns , either his eternal life , or eternal death . . as the church is to judge of the doctrine of its officers , so also of its councels : for the church judges of them , and their doctrine also by the word , and doth not take all , that they determine for truth , to be certain and unquestionable : yea , in the first councel of the apostles , act. . other churches and christians had both liberty and power , to try both the doctrine and spirit of the very apostles , in that matter , and were not to swallow it down whole , as they say , because the apostles had determined it , and they were holy men ; but the faithful were to judge , whether or no , they had judged according to the word , and if not , they might have resisted them , as paul did peter . and paul gives this liberty to christians ; yea , we have it from christ himself , whether paul had allowed it or no , to try the very apostles themselves , and the very angels of heaven , whether they bring the right word or no : for christ , commanded the apostles , to teach the nations , to observe and do , whatsoever he had commanded them , and nothing else ; and saith paul , if i , or an angel from heaven , bring you any other doctrine , let him be accursed . so that the church hath power , to examine , try and judge , the doctrine of the apostles and angels , much more of other men , who have not received such an anoynting , neither do live in so clear a light of god. and thus i have declared , the things , which seemed to me both convenient and necessary , for the true church to know , for the preserving of that peace among themselves , which they have in christ. now as the judgement of the church , is to be rectified in these things ; so the practice of it , is to be rectified , in other things , for the preserving it in peace . the things wherein the practice of the church , is to be rectified in the way of peace , are either , . more absolute and general . or , . more special and occasional , in case of difference among the faithful . among the things that are more absolute and general , which are to be done , to procure and preserve the peace of the church : these nine things , that follow , have not the least place . . practical rule for peace . . the true church is to preserve it self distinct from the world : and is neither to mingle it self with the world , nor to suffer the world to mingle it self with it . for if the church and the world , be mingled together in one society , the same common laws , will no more agree to them , who are of such differrent natures , principles and ends , then the same common laws , will agree , to light and darkness , life and death , sin and righteousness , flesh and spirit . for the true church are a spiritual people , being born of god and so they worship god in the spirit , according to the law of the spirit of life , that was in christ , and is in them : but the carnal church , is of the world , and only savours the world , and so will have a worldly religion , forms , orders , government , and all worldly as it self is . now whilst these two are mingled together , what peace can there be ? for what fellowship hath righteousnesness with unrighteousness , and light with darkness , and christ with the devil ? and so what agreement have believers with unbelievers , or the true church with the world ? wherefore it is not the way of peace , to mingle the church and the world , but to separate them , and to keep them distinct ; that those that are of one nature and spirit , may be of one communion among themselves : and this way of peace god himself teacheth us by paul , cor. . . saying come out from among them my people , and be ye separate : for to separate the church from the world in its communion of saints , is the only way to preserve peace in both ; seeing the church will best agree with it self , and the world with it self . the second rule . . the church being thus distinct from the world , is to be contended with its own power , for its own affairs ; and is not to introduce , or entertain any power in it , that is not of it . wherefore , the true church , being such a kingdom as is not of this world , stands in need of no worldly power ; and being a spiritual and heavenly kingdom , is only to have and exercise a spiritual and heavenly power ; seeing this power alone , and by it self is able to accomplish the whole good pleasure of god in the church , and to work all the works in it , that god hath to do . and so , it is strongly to be suspected , that those men , that dare not commit the success of their business to christs power alone , but will call in secular power , over and above , to help them : i say , it is more then probable , that they have underneath some secular end , seeing christs power alone is fully sufficient to do all things that are necessary and profitable for his kingdom . besides , this worldly power never works peace , but always disturbances in the church , putting all things out of gods way and method , into mans , and working mans will rather then gods ; yea , mans will against gods ; and it is wholly contrary to the very nature of the church ; and how then can it agree with it in any thing ? if any shall reply , that worldly power doth well in the church , because it keeps down many profane persons that would not be kept down by the word . i answer ; that so far as such profane ones are governed by worldly power , they are of the world , and not of the church ; and worldly power had better govern them in the world , it s own proper sphear , then in the church , which is beyond their line ; especially seeing the church hath power enough in it self , to govern those that are of it ; and they that will not be governed willingly in the church , as christians , let them be governed against their wils , in the commonwealth , as men . for the government of the church is over men , as christians , as spiritual ; but the government of the state is over men , as men , as natural and carnal . the first of these governments belongs to christ , and the latter to the magistrate ; and if the magistrate be faithful in his office and headship , there is no doubt to be made of christs faithfulness in his . but now , if the magistrate will not content himself with his own kingdom and power , but will needs intrude on christs also ; and not reckoning it enough to govern men , as men by his worldly power , will also by the same power , be tampering with the very church : this both renders him troublesome to the faithful , and the faithful troublesome to him : him troublesome to the faithful , in that he uses a power over them , that is neither sutable to them , nor their affairs ; and them troublesome to him , because in gods kingdom , as they hear not the voice , so neither do they obey the command of a stranger the pope he arrogates both swords to himself , when neither belongs to him , and therefore in due time shall perish by both , and if the magistrate shal assume to himself power of both kingdoms , christs , and the worlds , when of right but one belongs to him , to wit , the worlds , and not christs ; it will be very dangerous , lest by encroaching on christs kingdom , he lose his own . let the magistrate therefore use his power in the state , and let him suffer christ to use his power in the church , seeing his presence is alwayes there ; and then there will be quietness in both , but else in neither ; seeing christ will as assuredly trouble the magistrates kingdom , as the magistrate trouble his . the third rule , is , not to bring or force men into the church , against their wills . the kingdoms of the world are unquiet , because many that are unwilling , are under those regiments ; but christs kingdom is therefore quiet , because all the people in it are willing ; and none of them are forced in , but all are perswaded in , as it is written , god perswade japhet to dwell in the tents of shem : that is , the gentiles were to be perswaded , and not forced into the church . and so christ commanded his disciples to go and teach all nations , and not to offer them outward violence ; and to perswade peace , but not to threaten or enforce it . for such is the nature of the church , that inward perswasion is required nowhere , more then here . for none may be compelled to the faith against their wils , and god will be loved with the whole heart ; and also hypocrisy is a sin chiefly hated of god. whereby it comes to pass , that the whole manner of governing the church must have this scope , that they that are perswaded , may be first called unto it , and after kept in it , upon the same account . and so , the more this manner shall be free from dominion , so much the more fit it is to govern , increase and confirm the church . and this way onely was used as long as the apostles lived , and those that succeeded them in the same spirit ; and that unquestionably for years after : yea , and when the church came to be countenanced by worldly authority , yet this same freedom still was allowed ; of which i shall produce a few testimonies . i read , that constantine the emperour would have no man enforced to be of one religion more then another . also the same constantine , in his epistle to his subjects inhabiting the east , saith , let no man be grievous one to another : but what every man thinketh best , that let him do . for such as are wise , ought thorowly to be perswaded , that they onely mean to live holily , as they should do , whom the spirit of god moveth to take their delight and recreation in reading his holy will ; and if others wilfully will go out of the way , cleaving to the synagogues of false doctrine , they may at their own perill . as for us , we have the worthy house of congregation of gods verity , which he , according to his own goodness and nature , hath given us . and this also we wish to them , that with like participation and common content , they may feel , with us , the same delectation of minde . and after , let no man hurt , or be prejudiciall to his neighbour , in that wherein he thinketh himself to have done well . if by that which any man knoweth , or hath experience of , he thinketh he may profit his neighbour , let him do the same ; if not , let him give over , and remit it till another time . for there is a great diversity between the willing and voluntary embracing of religion , and that whereunto a man is forced and constrained . i read also that ethelbert king of kent , being converted to the faith , ann . . after his conversion , innumerable others dayly did come in , and were converted to the faith of christ , whom the king did especially embrace , but compelled none ; for so he had learned , that the faith and service of christ ought to be voluntary , and not coacted . the church then , at first , consisted onely of the willing , and such as were perswaded unto it by the word , till antichrist began to prevail , and then they fell from perswading to forcing ; and they no longer went about to make men willing , by the word , but to get power from the kings of the earth , to force them against their wils . and this main piece of the mystery of iniquity , was perfectly brought forth by boniface the third , who was the first that used these words in the church , volumus , mandamus , statuimus , ac praecipimus , we will , we require , we appoint , we command : which is not the voice of the true ministers of christ , but the true voice of theeves and murderers . and from that time the peace of the church decayed apace , when there were moe unwilling forced unto it , then willing perswaded . and true peace will never be restored to it again , till men shall abandon the power of force , and onely use the perswasion of the word , that the church may consist onely of a willing people . the fourth rule , is to make void the distinction of clergy and laity among christians ; for the clergy or ecclesiastical men have all along , under the reign of antichrist , distinguished themselves from other christians , whom they called the laity ; and have made up a distinct or several kingdom among themselves ; and separated themselves from the lay in all things ; and called themselves by the name of the church ; and reckoned other christians but as common and unclean , in respect of themselves . whereas in the true church of christ there are no distinctions , nor sects , nor difference of persons ; no clergy , or laity ; no ecclesiastical , or temporal ; but they are all , as peter describes them , pet. . . a chosen generation , a royall priesthood , a holy nation , a peculiar people , to shew forth the virtues of him that called them out of darkness into his marvelous light . and so all christians , through the baptisme of the spirit , are made priests alike unto god ; and every one hath right and power alike , to speak the word ; and so there is among them no clergy or laity , but the ministers are such who are chosen by christians , from among themselves , to speak the word to all , in the name and right of all ; and they have no right nor authority at all to this office , but by the consent of the church . and so presbyters and bishops , or ( which is all one ) elders and overseers in the church , differ nothing from other christians , but onely in the office of the word , which is committed to them by the church ; as an alderman , or common councel man in the city differs nothing from the rest of the citizens , but only in their office , which they have not of themselves neither , but by the cities choice ; or as the speaker in the house of commons , differs nothing from the rest of the commons , but only in his office which he hath also by the choice of the house ; and thus , and no otherwise , doth a minster differ from other christians , as paul saith , let a man so esteem of us , as of the ministers of christ and dispensers of the mysteries of god. but antichrist , he hath cast out the simplicity of christian people , and brought sects into the church , dividing it into clergy and laity : and this distinction , they have made visible by their garments , disguising their clergy in their habit from other christians , that they might appear holier then they , and of another order from them . and this distinction , hath proved a seminary of implacable discord , and heart-burning in the church ; for hereupon , the clergy have prefer'● themselves above others christians , and have exercised authority and coercive power and domination , and very tyranny over them , and have made themselves their lords , and given them laws , rules , forms , orders , after their own mindes , and agreeable to their own advantages , and would not so much as suffer them to judge , whether they were agreeable to the word of god or no ; as if other christians were their subjects , slaves , vassals , yea very dogs . and hence again , the laity ( as they called them ) have envied and maligned them , and hated and opposed them , and as they could get power , have been subduing them , and have looked upon them , as men of a d●fferent sect and interest from themselves , whose prosperity , was their ruine , and whose power , was their inslaving : and all this was to the making void christian brotherhood and communion . wherefore the right church , to preserve in it the peace of christ , must admit of no such distinction of laity and clergy , but all christians must equally remain it it , kings , priests , and prophets unto god. the fifth rule is . to keep equality in the curch , and that both between christians and churches : for this also is an excellent way to preserve peace . . to keep equality between christians . for though according to our first nativity , whereby we are born of men , there is great inequality , some being born high , some low , some honourable , some mean , some kings , some subjects &c. yet according to our new or second birth , whereby we are born of god , there is exact equality ; for here are none better or worse , higher or lower , but all have the same faith , hope , love ; the same god , christ , spirit , the same divine nature , the same precious promises ; the same incorruptible crown , and inheritance of saints in light . and therefore saith paul , speaking of this true church , there is neither iew nor greek . nor bond nor free , nor male , nor female , but all are one in christ iesus . indeed in the world , and before men ( i say again ) there is distinction of persons , and inequality ; but in christs kingdom , and before god , all believers aae equal : and this equality preserves peace . but when in this kingdom , some will be advancing themselves above others , like diotrephes , that would have the preheminence ; and some will be striving to sit at the right hand , and some at the left , whilst they leave others to sit at the footstool ; this is that which breeds difference among the very disciples , who envied zebedees children for such a desire . and therefore christ , to preserve peace , forbad lordship in his church , and commanded service and tells them , that the nature of his kingdom , is not to place men one over another , but one under another , and that the greatest must be the least ; the greatest in the way of the spirit , must be the least in the way of the flesh . . as equality among christians is to be kept for the preserving of peace , so also among churches : for all churches are equal , as well as all christians ; and there is no church can set it self before , or above another ; all being sisters of one mother ; beams , of one sun ; branches of one vine ; streams ▪ of one fountain ; members , of one body ; branches of one golden candlestick ; and so all equal in all things . wherefore there may , and ought to be a consociation of churches , but no subordination , which makes void at once , both equality and unity . and so that church , or those churches that will set themselves above other churches that are their equals ; as the classical above the congregational , &c. they are the breakers of christian peace and unity ; and the unskilful vote of the assembly for the subordination of churches , was not a way to make peace , but to mar peace in the church of god. moreover , no church can be subjected to another , but christ who is present in it , and is king and lawgiver , is subjected too ; which no true church will either require or allow . for if the true church will not subject the word of god , which they have received , to any men or angels , but will judge all by it , and will suffer none to judge it ; much less will they subject christ the lord of all , to any other power or authority ; for so they should dishonor and disanul their head. where two or three are met in christs name , christ himself is among them , and the head of them ; and so they can submit to no body else , seeing christ hath made no greater , nor surer promise of his presence , to any body then to them . the sixth rule , is , to keep the officers of the church in subordination to the whole church or community ; and not to suffer them to get head over it : seeing the very nature of ruling the church , is not dominion , but service . we reade , act. . . that when peter had preached in the house of cornelius , a gentile or heathen , the church of the circumcision , to whom peter was minister , contended with him , that he went in to men uncircumcised , and did eate with them ( for as yet they knew not that the gentiles were to be called ) and peter wa● fain to give an account to them of the whole matter , and to shew them , that he was warned of god in a vision , to do so , &c. and this was a sign , that peter was a servant of the church , and in subordination to it , and no lord over it . and after , vers . . when the church at ierusalem heard , that the grecians at antioch had received the gospel , they sent barnabas to antioch to forward and perfect the work. and also the church at antioch sent forth paul and barnabas , to the work of the ministry in divers towns and countries . all which are an evident sign , that the church was above the officers , and not the officers above the church . now this also will preserve peace in the church , to keep the officers in their proper place , and to let them remain as servants in the church , which christ hath commanded ; and not to let them grow up to be lords and masters , which christ ( knowing the evil and inconvenience thereof ) hath forbidden . for if the officers get above the church , though they be never so good , they are masterful and troublesome ; and though never so bad , yet will they get a party in the church for themseves , and so work disturbance ; but if the church remain as it ought , above the officers , it quits them when they grow evil and unruly , and chooses better in their stead , and so preserves union . whereas fixed and unmoveable officers , when they do degenerate , are the causes of all disturbances and confusions , both in church and state. the seventh rule , is , for all true christians and congregations to take christ alike for their head , and not to set up visible heads , or ring-leaders to themselves , of men ; no not of the best men . for whilst some said , we are of paul ; others we of apollos ; others , we of cephas ; they were all in this matter carnal , and divided , both from christ , and among themselves ; whilst several , set up several heads , whom they especially owned , and after whom they were called . whereas each that believed , by the ministry of paul , or apollos , or cephas , were through the same faith and spirit with them , as neer to christ as themselves were ; and so were not to set up a fellow member , as a head , to the division of the body . i say , each believer , and communion of saints hath christ equally for their head , and so ought not to set up , any outward or visible head for them to joyn to ; for this is to rend the body in pieces , and to work great division and distraction among the faithful . and therefore i conceive it is a mistake among some brethren , to call the congregations of christ , by the names of men , though godly and eminent ; and to say , mr. such an ones church , or mr. such an ones church ; and so to put the church under several heads , which works distinction and division ; whereas they should rather say , the church of christ , in such or such a place ; it being , wherever it is , one church , under one head and governor , iesus christ. and therefore let us know , that it is part of the mystery of iniquity for the church , or faithful , to have one or moe visible head● to go to , not being contented with christ alone . and though this hath been , and will be , the practice of the carnal church : yet the spiritual church and people , do only own , and have recourse to christ , their true and spiritual head. and so they all , living as one body , and members one of another , under one onely head , live all in invincible peace and unity ; whereas difference of outward heads and ringleaders , alwayes breeds difference and divisions among christians . the eighth rule , is , for the true church , to keep out all error in doctrine ; seeing this breeds , not onely division , but confusion and ruine also in the church . wherefore the congregations of christ must be the more careful and watchful in this matter . when some false apostles taught at antioch , that , except christians were circumcised after the manner of moses , they could not be saved ; which was a most dangerous error against christ , and the gospel ; the whole church , first , at antioch , and presently after , at ierusalem , met together to keep it out : which accordingly , through god , they did . so that what ever doctrines are evidently against the word of truth , and gospel of our salvation , the church is to take care to keep them out , as it loves its own peace and unity . now if any say , by what means may the church be able to keep out error ? i answer , it may certainly keep out . error by these means . . let the church suffer none to teach among them , that are not themselves taught of god ; though they have never so great natural parts , and never so much humane learning . for , when they are the teachers that are taught of god , they will only teach the truth , which they have heard and learned from god : and the line of every mans teaching must extend no further . but when they teach , that are not so taught , they will in many things vary from the truth , as it is in iesus ; yea , and under a form of sound doctrine , will give forth an unsound and false sense , to the deceiving of many that are weak and simple ; and so under pretence of christ , will utter the voice of a stranger , and endanger the mis-leading of some sheep for a time . let the faithful examine every thing that is taught by the word of god , and not receive doctrines upon trust , from their teachers , who , through the reputation of their learning and holiness , may easily lead them unawares into error . and therefore let the church compare the present doctrine , preached and printed , and generally received , with the doctrine of the prophets and apostles , which without doubt is sure and certain , seeing those holy men of god , spake as they were moved by the holy spirit : and whatever doctrine shall be found contrary to , or different from , that doctrine , let them reject it as reprobate silver ; seeing the church is to be built upon no other foundation of doctrine , then that of the prophets and apostles . and though , through gods especial goodness , the doctrine of the gospel be again revived among us , at this present time , yet ought we not to sit down content with the present state of things ; but to search and see if our present doctrine do not yet err from the primitive purity and brightness of the gospel , and that in many considerable points ; and whether some , or many corruptions do not yet remain among us , to be purged out , by the light and truth , of the apostles doctrine . wherefore to conclude this thing , let us know , that the church cannot possibly keep out error , longer then it precisely keeps it self to the bare and naked word of god , and tries all doctrines of their teachers by it . . the church , that it may be able to keep out errors , must desire of god , the spirit which he hath promised ; that this spirit of truth may lead them into the true and spiritual knowledge of the word , and understanding of the minde of christ. for no man can make any right iudgement of the word he hears of reads , without the teaching of the spirit . and by this anointing , as we shall be certainly taught , which is truth : so also we shall discern which is error , and that by so clear and true a light , that we shall not mistake . wherefore christians must take heed , that they do not think , with carnal people , that the ability to judge of divine truths and humane and antichristian errors , depends upon humane learning , arts and sciences ; for thus it will come to pass , that they judging themselves unable to judge of matters of religion , will wholly leave the judgement of them , to those whom they conceive after this manner learned : whereby they leave open a wide door through which the teachers may bring in all sorts of errors upon them . but believers must know , that the gift of the spirit onely , without all humane learning , is sufficient to teach us perfectly , which is truth , and which error ; and to make us able , to judge of all doctrines of men and angels ; and that all humane learning in the world , without the spirit , is not able to do this . and so a poor , plain , country man , by the spirit which he hath received , is better able to judge of truth and error , touching the things of god , then the greatest philosopher , scholar , or doctor in the world , that is destitute of it . another notable means to keep error out of the church , is to restore in it , that most antient gospel ordinance of prophesying , which , how much soever , it have been out of use during the reign of antichrist , yet is no other then the very commandment of the lord , as paul witnesseth , cor. . where he saith , when the whole church is met together , ye may all prophesie one by one , that all may learn , and all may be comforted ; and adds vers . . if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual , let him acknowledge , that the things i write unto you , are the commandments of the lord wherefore brethren labour that ye may prophesie . so that prophesying in the church , is gods own commandment , as every prophet and spiritual man must acknowledge . now this divine ordinance of prophesying , is three wayes helpful , to keep out error . . for first , when one man only speaks in the church , and no man is suffered to speak besides him , as he is very subject to be puffed up , and to conceit , that wisdom onely dwels with him ; so he i● more ready to vent the thoughts of his own heart , & to speak the dreams and visions of his own head . but when he knows the word of god is not come to him only , but to others also , and that they have wisdom and spirit , to speak in the church , as-well as he , this will both keep down his pride , and make him careful what he speaks , when he knows , there are those present in the congregation , that are able to reprove his darkness by light . and this prophesying , is a strong bit and bridle in the jaws of error , that it cannot run that race in the church , it doth desire . . when one man only speaks , and the doctrine he preaches proves to be erroneous , as it is ordinarily in the common ministry of the kingdom , it comes to pass , that error is not onely preached , but also goes away uncontrouled , and no way is left for the restraining error proportionable to that of propagating it ; no body being permitted to speak , to keep the people from the poison of it . and thus whilst the liberty of publike speaking is permitted onely to one man in a congregation , and to onesort of men in the kingdom , any error may suddenly be spread over the whole kingdom ( as we see by daily experience ) without any sufficient and proportionable remedy to prevent it . but now , when the right or power of prophesying , is allowed to the whole church , the minister can no sooner vent any error , but there is some believer , or other , whose heart god shall move , ready to convince it by the word of god : and so , error is as soon discovered , and detected , as it is published ; and as soon destroyed , as it is detected ; the word of god , though from a private christian , being more mighty to destroy error , then error can be , to uphold it self against the word . prophesying is a most useful means to keep out error , in this regard , because it gives the church light , how to chuse faithful teachers out of its own children , when it stands in need of any supply in this kinde . seeing through the exercise of prophesying , the church knows and discerns which of its members are most spiritual , and most clearly taught of god , in divine things ; and who have received the most excellent gifts from christ ; and so are most fit and able to hold forth the word of life , in most evidence and power of the spirit , that so the church may be supplied with pastors of her own sons , and not seek out after unknown persons ; nor be constrained to use mercenary men , who have been brought up to preaching , as their trade to live by ; whereupon , but few of them , can be expected to be other then hirelings , who will make their ministry serve their own advantage , and frame the scripture to sound such doctrine , as may best serve their own turns . and in these three regards the use of prophesying helps the church to keep out error . now if any shall object against this , that it may seem very rash and absurd , after an able , learned man hath spoken in the church , for an unlearned mechanick presenly to rise up and speak . i return this answer ; that the true people of god are all taught of god ; and the true church is a kingdom of prophets , through the anointing of the spirit ; and so , they esteem not that , to be learning in the church , which is from man , but onely that which is heard and learned from the father ; and so they neither reckon him that hath humane learning , to be learned here ; nor him that is destitute of it , to be ignorant . yea farther , in this society , god will have him , who is most unlearned , according to humane literature , to speak , that the vertues of christ may the more evidently appear in the saints ; and the knowledge of heavenly and divine truths , may not be attributed to gifts , parts , learning or studies , but onely to his spirit , which can even in a moment , teach the ignorant , and make the simple , wise ; and open the mouthes of babes and sucklings , yea and of the very dumb , to perfect his praise by . whereas when a man of great parts and learning , speaks with wisdom and knowledge in the church , this is commonly attributed to his wit and study , and so god loses all or most of his praise ; but if a plain , ignorant man , shall speak spiritually and divinely , and hold forth the mystery of the gospel in a clear light , then men must needs acknowledge god to be the author , of such grace , and say , god is in him of a truth ; and so , god is acknowledge the author , of his own gifts , and he himself is admired in his saints . it will be again objected . yea but if every one have liberty to speak in the church , will not this breed great confusion and disturbance ? i answer , no , not in the true church , which are a people met in the name of christ , and who have christ himself present in the midst of them , and so every one demeans himself answerably to the presence of christ , that is , in the wisdom , meekness , and modesty of the spirit . and there also every one speaks , not after the rashness of his own brain , but according to the revelation of god , as it is written , if any thing be revealed to another , let the first hold his peace ; so that no man is to speak here , but by revelation , or an inward teaching and discovery of god. and where men speak thus , as the true church is to speak there can be no confusion , but most excellent order and decency . yea. god himself , who is not the author of confusion , but of peace in all the churches of the saints , he hath appointed and commanded prophesying , as the way of peace ; and therefore do not thou dare to say , it is the way of confusion , seeing god knows better how to order the affairs of his own church then thou doest . wherefore , seeing prophesying , is gods ordinance in the churh , for the peace of it ; if any sort of men , shall , nowithstanding what hath been said , still attribute to themselves a proper and incommunicable ministry , or the onely power to speak in the church ; i shall but use the apostles words to them , and so pass on from this thing ; what ? came the word of god onely unto you ? and is it to come out onely from you ? nay , it is come to every believer as well as to you ; and it is also to come forth from all them , unto whom it is come ; seeing they cannot but speak what they do believe . . the last means i shall name , whereby the true church may keep errour out of it self , is , to exercise its power in judging doctrines ; as paul commandeth , cor. . . let the prophets speak , two or three , and let the rest judge . if they that publish doctrine , should also be judges of it , and the people be bound to subscribe to their judgement , error would not only , by this means , have opportunity to be vented , but would also be established and confirmed , without the least contrad●ction . but now god hath appointed it otherwise in the church ; for whoever speak there , the hearers are to judge of the truth of the doctrine ; and accordingly are either to receive it , or reject it , having power to do either as they see occasion : and so errour cannot prevail in that church where the faithfull have liberty to judge of all doctrines , and do exercise that liberty . but where they , that publish doctrine , are also the judges of it , and the people are bound up to the doctrine of the teachers , and may not question or contradict it , there errour reigns , as in its proper kingdom . and thus , by these means , errour may certainly be kept out of the church , that the church may live in truth and peace . but here now a great question wil be moved , and that is this , whether the magistrate hath not power to suppress errour by the sword ; and whether the church may not use this remedy against errour , as well as all those before named . i answer ; that many men of great eminency , have attributed such a power to the magistrate ; and have done him the honour , besides his throne in the world , to erect him a throne in gods kingdom , at the least equal to christ ; thinking that religion would soon be lost , if he should not uphold it . and to make this good , they have produced many scriptures of the old testament ; which seem to arm the magistrate against the authors and spreaders of errours . but i desire the wise-hearted to consider , whether as clear scriptures may not be produced out of the old testament , to prove , that temporal power in the world belongs to ecclesiastical men , as that spiritual power in the church belongs to worldly magistrates . and to this purpose ( because i would not be too large in this matter , now ) i shall desire him , who hath a minde to be instructed , to reade and weigh the reply of the french prelates to the lord peters ; which he may finde in fox his book of martyrs , vol. p. . wherefore , seeing the scriptures of the old testament , are every whit as strong , to give ministers power in temporal matters , as magistrates in spiritual ; it is without all question , the only sure and safe way to determine this cause by the new testament , or the doctrine of christ , and the apostles , by whom in these last dayes god hath spoken fully to the church , and after whose doctrine there is no other word to be expected . and because herein i finde no such power given to the civil magistrate , to judge and determine in spiritual matters , therefore i conclude , he hath none . now if any shall say , this is a great wrong to the magistrage , to thrust his power out of the church , and to confine it to the world . i answer , that to make the church and ecclesiastical kingdom , standing in outward laws , orders , authority , dignity , promotion goverment , all which are to be granted , established , and managed by state power , and yet to deny the magistrates authority and influence into these things , which flow from his own power , and consist in it , and by it , this is to streighten and to wrong him indeed . but to declare the true church to be a spiritual kingdom as christ hath made it , and not at all of this world , but the very kingdom of heaven upon earth , and thereupon to deny him power in it , is no more to prejudice the magistrate , then to deny him power in heaven . seeing the sons kingdom which is heaven on earth , is to be as free from worldly and humane power , as the fathers kingdom which is heaven in heaven : christ being to be all , in all , in this , as god is to be all in all , in that . and so to deny the magistrate , that power which christ never granted him , is no wrong to him at all ; but to grant him , and gratifie him with such power , would be a great and intolerable wrong , to the truth and church of christ , as in many other things , so in this present matter , we are speaking of , as you may see , in the following particulars . for the putting the power of the sword into the magistrates hands , to suppress errour , is attended with these evils . . hereby the magistrate is made a iudge of doctrines , and hath power given him , to pronounce which is truth , and which is errour , being yet no more infallible , yea everywhit as liable to erre , as the meanest of the people . and what magistrate is there , that hath the power of the sword , but will uphold his own religion and judgement to be the truth , though never so false , and will sentence what ever is contrary thereunto , to be errour though never so true ? and so the truth and word of god , which only is to judge all , and it self to be judged of none , by this means is made subject to the judgement of vain man , and shall either be truth or errour , as he pleases to call it ; and errour , when it pleaseth the magistrate , shall be adorned , with the glorious title of truth ; and shall have his authority to countenance and uphold it . and how great a prejudice , this hath been , and is to the truth , and how great an advantage to errour , it is very easie to judge . now if any shall say , that the magistrate may not judge of doctrine by himself , and use his sword accordingly , but he may take to him the councel and advice of godly and able ministers , as now of the assembly , and so may judge and punish , according to their judgement . i answer ; is it fit , that the magistrate in so great matters should be blinde folded himself , and see onely by other mens eyes ? again , if the magistrate judge , according to the judgement of the ministers , and depending more on their knowledge then his own , shall draw his sword against whomsoever they shall perswade him ; what higher honour doth he attain to in all this , then to become their executioner ? yea , if he punish amiss he may prove a very murderer pilate , in this case , may be a sea-mark to all the magistrates in the world , who following the councel and judgement of the high priests , put the son of god himself to death , as if he had been the son of perdition : which , i say , may serve , for a sufficient warning , to the end of the world , to all magistrates , that they confide not on the judgement of the clergy , but that they be sure themselves , in what they do . . the putting power into the magistrates hands , to suppress error by the sword , gives him full opportunity to destroy and slay the true children of god , if at any time he shall mistake , and judge them heretikes . for what power men ignorantly allow a godly magistrate , against true heretikes : the same power , will all magistrates arrogate to themselves , as their just due against all those that differ from themselves in matters of religion , though their judgement who so differ from them , be never so true . and thus the magistrate , who is a most fallible judge in these things , instead of tares , may pluck up the wheat ; and kill the faithful , instead of heretikes , at his own pleasure , till he have destroyed all the faithful in the land . wherefore , let all christians take heed , how they favour the magistrates with this power , to punish those , whom he judges heretiks : for if he shall change his minde , as he easily may , seeing he is but a man , or if another shall succeed him , of another minde , that very sword may be sheathed in their own bowels , which now they draw forth against other mens . . when the magistrate assumes power to himself , to suppress error , this makes ministers negligent in studying the scriptures , the magistrate doing that by force , which they ought to do by the word and so saves them their labour : for when once the ministers , shall have so far interessed themselves in the magistrate , as to procure him , to call for the goaler and executioner , against whomsoever shall oppose their doctrine , they will then need no great pains to study the word , that they may be able to convince the gainsayers , and perswade the rebellious , seeing the magistrates sword , at all adventure , is to defend their doctrine ; and all the objections against it , either from reason or scripture , the hangman is to answer . and so the pastors having their work , as they conceive , thus done for them , to their hands , do commonly betake themselves to ease and idleness , and to the prosecution and injoyment of worldly things , and grow careless , and negligent of the scripture , and word of god , whereupon error steals in apace upon the teachers themselves , whereby , by degrees they corrupt , and seduce very many . and thus whilst the magistrate thinks to chase out error before him , one way , he lets it in behinde him seven wayes . . this takes men off , from the certain means to destroy errors , which is the word , and leads them to that , which can never destroy it , which is the sword of the magistrate ; and so the devil here in hath a notable stratagem ; for he fears not all the swords , and halters , and weapons , and prisons in the world , to destroy error withall , but as securely contemns all these things , as leviathan a bulrush ; and yet doth earnestly stir up the world , to use these things against him , and his errors as the only meanes to subdue him . whereas the only thing he fears , is the word of god , which is that mighty power , than can binde the devil , and destroy his kingdom , and break down all his strong holds of errors and heresie , and he is in no sort able to stand out against the power thereof . wherefore in his great cunning , he causes men to lay aside this , that is able to prevail against him , and to go to the sword of the magistrate , which will do him no harm . and thus the sword of the magistrate , presuming to lift it self up against error , instead of the word of god , is so far from destroying error , that it upholds it ; and strengthens satans kingdom , whilst it seems to destroy it . by these things it appears , how great an error and evil it is , for any to attribute to the magistrate or for the magistrate to assume to himself , power to suppress error by the sword . if any shall yet demand , whether the magistrate can do nothing at all , towards the suppressing of errors ? i answer , this he may do ; he may and ought , and if he be a godly man , he will countenance and encourage faithful ministers ( that are called of god , and anointed by the spirit ) to this work of the gospel ; and having done this , he need not trouble himself any farther ; for the word preached , will do all the rest . and let it not be doubted , but if the truth of god do enter the lists against error , it will be infinitely able to prevail of it self alone , without calling in any power , or borrowing any weapons from the world . the ninth rule , is . by no means , to inforce vniformity , in the outward orders and discipline of the church . for such vniformity , hath been in all ages , not only the hinderance , but the very break neck , of the churches peace and unity . now because this is so vehemently and strongly urged by the unskilful builders of this age , i shall the more fully acquaint the reader with the state of this business , from the very beginning of the gospel ; and show when this part of the mystery of iniquity , first invaded the church of god. most manifest it is , that the apostles and disciples of christ , were only intent about the doctrine of salvation , and so accordingly preached and pressed nothing but faith in christ , and love to all the saints ; as being the only necessary things , which christians were to regard ; and for all outward rites , and ceremonies , and forms , wherein christ had made them free , they commanded them , to stand fast in that liberty . and so they gave no heed , nor regard , to the observation of dayes and times , neither bound the church , to any ceremonies or rites , except those necessary things mentioned , act. . to wit , things strangled , and blood , which was then ordained by the holy spirit , not without urgent and necessary cause . for when the murdering and blood of infants , was commonly laid to the charge of christians by the heathens , they had no other argument to help themselves , but their own law , by which they were commanded to abstain from the blood of common beasts , much more from the blood of innocent men . and therefore that law seemeth to be given by the holy spirit , and also for the same end , to be continued in the church , so long as the cause thereof , that is the persecutions of the heathen gentiles continued . and besides these , we reade of no other ceremonies or rites , which the apostles greatly regarded , but lest such things free , to the liberty of christians , every man to use therein his own discretion , for the using , or not using thereof . whereupon , as concerning all the ceremonial observations of dayes , times , places , meats , drinks , vestures , and such others , of all these things , neither was the diversity among men , greatly noted , nor any vniformity greatly required . thus christian liberty prevailed in the church , and christian men did not much struggle about indifferent things , till the asians and romans , began to dis-agree about easter-day : to compose which controversy , polycarpus , a godly martyr , went to rome ( ann . . and in the reign of antoninus pius ) to anicetus , then bishop there : and though these two , to wit , polycarpus and anicetus , differed in their judgements and opinions in this matter , yet they still retained christian communion , and avoided all breach of peace . afterwards , in the reign of commodus , the christians enjoying some respite from pesecution , began to contend again among themselves , about the ceremony of easter ; and neither yet did the difference prevail so far , as to break the bond of love and communion of brotherly life : though they of the west , pretending the tradition of paul and peter ( which yet indeed was the tradition of hermes and pius , and not theirs ) kept one day ; and they of asia , pretending the tradition of iohn , kept another . after this , victor , bishop of rome , rose up a great stickler in the controversy of easter , and would needs have excommunicated the churches of asia for not yielding to his judgement ; to whom iraeneus writing , touching the diversity of outward things , used by the primitive christians , hath these words , notwithstanding the variety of ceremonies among the former christians , they all kept peace among themselves ; and we ( saith he ) still retain it ; and the difference of our fasting , commends the unity of our faith . and thus the doctrine of christian liberty remained sound and entire , till this victors time , which was ann . . and he earnestly endeavoured to draw , or rather inforce , the churches of asia to his opinion . and then began the vniformity of keeping that feast to be first required , as a thing necessary ; and all they to be accounted as heretickes and schismatikes , who dissented from the judgement of the bishop of rome . now against this judgement of victor , polycrates and many other bishops and brethren of asia , declared ; and the matter had burst out into a great flame , had not some godly men of those times , brought forth the word of god to quench it . among whom iraeneus , as eusebius relates , speaks to this effect , that the variety and difference of ceremonies , is no strange matter in the church of christ , when as this variety is not onely in the day of easter , but also in the manner of fasting , and in divers other usages among the christians . for some fast one , some two dayes , some more ; and others counting . hours both day and night , reckon that for their full fast day . and this so divers fashion of fasting in the church , began not in our time , but in theirs who lived before us . and yet notwithstanding they with all this diversity , were in unity amongst themselves ; and so be we : neither doth this difference of ceremonies any thing hinder , but rather commend the agreement of our faith . and he bringeth forth the examples of the fathers , of telesphorus , pius , anicetus , soter , eleutherius , and such others , who neither observed the same usage themselves , nor prescribed it to others ; and yet notwithstanding kept christian charity with such as came to communicate with them , though not observing the same form of things , which they observed ; as well appeared by polycarpus and anicetus ; who although they agreed not in one uniform custom of rites , communionem tamen inter se habuerunt , yet had communion with one another . and thus iraeneus , in his practice answering his name , perswaded the peace of the church , notwithstanding diversity of forms and rites : and so christian liberty was still preserved in the church , against the tyranny of vniformity , till the nicene councel . and farther , socrates , the writer of the ecclesiastical history , who lived after the dayes of theodosius , speaking of the fasting before easter , saith , the christians that dwell at rome , fast three weeks continually before easter , besides the sabbath , and the sunday : but those that dwell in illyria , and all greece , and alexandria , fast six weekes before easter . and speaking of the severall sorts of fasting in severall churches , saith , and because no can bring forth any commandment written of this matter , it is plain , that the apostles left this fast free to every mans minde and will , that no man might be compelled by fear and necessity , to do that which is good . and in the same chapter , he relates many several forms and usages in several christian churches , and concludes that matter , thus ; but , saith he , to commit to writing all the rites of churches that are used in each city and country , as it would be very troublesome , so hardly could it be done . and yet further ; i finde that austin , who was sent into england by pope gregory , ann . . among other questions to the pope , propounds this as one : that seeing there is but one faith , how it should happen , that the customes and ceremonies of churches should be so divers ? and gregory returns this answer , the custom of the church of rome , what it is , you know ; wherein you have been brought up from your youth : but rather it pleaseth me better , that whether it be in the church of rome , or in any french church , where ye finde any thing that seemeth better , to the service and pleasing of god , that ye choose the same , and so infer and bring into the english church ( which is yet new in the faith ) the best and pickedst things , chosen out of many churches . for things are not to be beloved for the place sake , but the place is to be beloved for the things that be good . wherefore such things as be good , godly and religious , those choose out of all churches , and induce to your people , that they may take root in the minds of english men . so that yet you see , the church was not enslaved by any enforced vniformity , but kept its own christian freedom , till antichrist grew up to more heighth , and got the secular power of princes , to do what he listed in the church ; and then he , and his clergy , made laws of all that seemed good in their own eyes , and enforced men to them , against their wills . and thus he reigned for many hundred yeers together , till the determinate time of the apostacy began to be fulfilled ; and then god poured forth his spirit upon some chosen servants of his , to oppose antichrist , as in other parts , of the mystery of iniquity , so in this also of uniformity . among others who after the general falling away , opposed this vniformity , was iohn gerson , chancellor of paris , who lived about an . yeers before luther , and in many things received much clear light from god : he in his sermon before the king of france , in the name of the vniversity of paris , pro pace & unione graecorum , in his th . consideration speaks thus ; men ought not generally to be bound by the positive determinations of popes ( and it will as well hold of all others , who arrogate to themselves an ecclesiastical supremacy , whether they be councels or assemblies ) to hold and believe , one and the same manner of government , in things that doe not immediately concern the truth of our faith , or of the evangelical law. and he saith , this consideration well taken and understood , would be the principal key , to open a door of peace , between the greeks and latines , who differ in many outward forms and rules : as in baptisme ; the latine church saith , i baptize thee ; the greek , baptizetur servus christi , let this servant of christ be baptized ▪ and in the supper ▪ the latine church used unleavened , the greek leavened bread , &c. and herein he spoke as a christian , that said , quaelibet provincia abundet sensusuo , let every province abound in its own sense . note also ( saith he ) that a good prince , permits divers laws and customs , of divers of his subjects , so they be not evidently against the law of nature : and not to do so , would often be the destruction of the commonwealth as the lord of arras , a city of picardie , was wont to say , that flanders would be governed otherwise then france or burgundy . and this consideration ( saith he ) rightly understood ( to wit , not to press uniformity in the church , but to let the church use its liberty in these things ) would be an excellent beginning of the reformation of the church , notwithstanding the contradiction of many of the court of rome . luther also , that chosen vessel of christ , did clearly oppose this evil of vniformity : he thus delivers his judgement touching vniformity of ceremonies : if one church will not follow another , of its own accord , in those outward things , what need is there that it should be compelled by the decrees of councels , which presently are turned into laws and snares of souls . and therefore let one church freely imitate another ; or let it be suffered to use its own way , so that unity of spirit be preserved in faith and the word , though there be variety and diversity in the flesh , or elements of the world . again , the same luther , after he had set down a form of celebrating the supper , for the church of christ , at wittingberg , concludes thus , in quibus omnibus cavendum , ne legem ex libertate faciaemus , &c. that is , in all which we must take heed , that we make not a law , of liberty ; or constrain them to sin , who shall either do otherwise , or shall omit some things , so they permit the words of blessing to remain entire , and do all act here in faith. for these ought to be the rites of christians , that is , of the children of the free-woman ; who may keep them willingly , and of their own accord , having power to change them , when , and as often as they will. and therefore there is no cause , that any should either desire , or establish , any necessary form , as a law in this matter , whereby he may either ensnare , or trouble mens consciences . and therefore we read not in the ancient fathers , or primitive church , any example of any such rite , but onely in the romane church . and if so be they had established any thing for a law in this matter , we ought not to have kept it ; quod legibus hic obstringi , nec possent , nec debent ; because these things neither could , nor ought to be bound by laws . moreover , if divers men shall use a diverse rite , let none either judge or contemne another , but let every one abound in his own sense , and let us all favour and judge the same things , though for forms we act diversly : and let each rite please others , lest by diversity of rites , follow diversity of opinions and sects , as it came tō pass in the church of rome . for outward rites , though we cannot want them , as neither meat nor drink , yet they commend us not to god , but onely faith and love commend us to him . and therefore let that of paul take place here , that the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness , peace , and joy in the holy spirt ; and so no rite nor form is the kingdom of god , but faith within us , &c. and at the end of the same form , for the church of wittenberg , which he writes out for nicholas hausmannus , a godly minister , he saith , which copy , either you or others may follow if you please ; if not , we willingly give place to the anointing , being our selves to receive from you , or any others , more profitable things . these things he spake like a christian indeed , and we acknowledge the voice of christ in him ; as in others , that act these things peremptorily , and command and inforce them by secular power , we are sensible of the voice of strangers , and of such strangers , as are theeves and murtherers . melancton also , perswades certain christians to unity , who differed in vniformity , in these words . seeing we do agree among our selves in the chief articles of christian doctrine , let us imbrace one another with mutual love ; and let not unlikeness , and variety of rites and ceremonies , [ and bucer quoting this place , adds , no nor of ecclesiastical government ] disjoyn our minds . upon all these testimonies , which these godly men give from the light of the word , which we acknowledge in them , it is evident , that all forms are to be left free , to the faithful and congregations of saints , and when any shall set down any form , the congregations of the faithful may use them , so far forth as they please ; or may add , or alter , or wholly reject them ; and no laws are to be made in this matter , ( which the secular power should inforce ) to insnare consciences , and to infringe christian liberty , and to straighten the spirit in those in whom it dwels , and to obscure the vertues of christ in his people . wherefore it is most evident , that they are most horribly mistaken , that now urge external vniformity on the church , as the only means of vnity , who scarce minding , i am sure not naming one body , one spirit , one hope of calling , one lord , faith , baptism &c. to make the church one , do earnestly and fiercely labour for one outward form , and order , one directory , one confession , one catechism , one discipline , [ and to have these things of their own devising inforced on the church , by the power of the state ] as the onely means their hearts can find out , to make the church one . but the seers , are blinde in this matter , and the prophets prophesie false things . for if the unity of the church , stand onely or chiefly in vniformity , what woful division will be found in it ? for the fathers before the flood , lived in one form , the fathers after the flood , in another ; the believers under the law in an other ; the believers under the gospel in another ; yea these being free from all forms , used any , according to the wisdom of the spirit : christ himself , and iohn baptist , who both lived in the same time , observed no vniformity between them ; for iohn lived retiredly in the wilderness , and came neither eating nor drinking ; and christ lived in the frequency of the world and did both eat and drink . and their disciples observed no vniformity ; for iohns disciples fasted oft , and christs not at all , in those days . besides , at first , the believing iews used another form , then the believing gentiles : and after among the gentiles , the greek church used one form , the latine another ; and several churches under both several forms ; and so the church on earth , according to the infirmity of the flesh , still uses some or other form ; and the church in heaven , is without all form . now then , if we shall have no vnity , but where is vniformity , what an earthquake of confusion and division will this make through the whole church of god in all ages , and under all gods own dispensations in the world , yea through the whole church in earth and heaven ? wherefore , i dare be bold to affirm , that imposed and inforced vniformity , is one of the greatest enemies , to the true churches unity , that antichrist himself could devise . and therefore , let not the true church suffer it self to be reduced under this bondage again , through specious pretences of reformation ; but let the church know , it may use what forms seem good to it self ; and that its true unity stands , in being one body , and one spirit , &c. as hath been before declared . and thus onely , the church in all ages is one ; yea thus onely the church in earth and heaven is one . and therefore , i desire the faithful to know , that vniformity is to be kept out , or if it be brought in , it is to be cast out , for the preserving of peace in the church . for , that god might make iews and gentiles one , he abolished the laws of commandments contained in ordinances , ephes. . . whence it is evident , that god so highly valued , the peace of the faithful , that to bring this about , he repeals his own institutions , and dissolves his own outward ordinances . now if the ceremonies of gods own ordaining , were to be made void , rather then to continue to the prejudice of the churches unity : how much more any ceremonies , or outward rules of our own or other mens devising ? let him that reads understand . and these are the practical rules , in the way of the churches peace , that are more absolute and general . and now we hasten to the rules that are more special and occasional , in case of difference among the faithful . in which case , we are necessarily in the first place to consider , the weight of the things , wherein they differ ; to wit , whether those things be such , as are necessary to salvation , or no. if they be not such things as are necessary to salvation ; then first , they are either things ceremonial and circumstantial ; or secondly , very truths themselves ; yet such , wherein a christian may for the present erre without danger of salvation . if the difference be in circumstantial and ceremonial things , we should minde these things to preserve peace . . that we ought not to contend for vanities ; nor to trouble our selves and the church of god , with trifles , and things of no weight or moment at all . it is a wonder to us in these days , that the ancient christians should so earnestly contend about the day , on which easter , as they called it , was to be celebrated , and upon difference herein , should divide into sects as they did ; seeing there always shone light enough in the gospel , to declare this to be a slight circumstance not worth the minding . the apostle exhorts the philippians , to strive together for the faith of the gospel , but no where for the form of it , in one thing or other . . we ought not , for contrary mindedness in these things , to avoid christian converse and communnion with one another ; for strangeness of christians in these cases , both breeds and increases suspitions and jealousies , & causes , that we harbour hard thoughts , brother against brother , and it takes away all opportunities of conference , and of understanding and perswading one another , and so of reconciliation . . in these things , whereof neither commend us to god , we are not to condemn one another : for to condemn one another for every difference in judgement , produces innumerable sects in the church ; then which nothing can be more destructive to the peace of it ; seeing such deadly enmity arises among sects as we see by daily experience . and therefore , that rash judgement , that produces these sects , is the great enemy to the peace of the church , and the great advancer of the devils work of division . . let us know , wherein the essence of gods kingdom stands , to wit , in righteousness and peace , and joy in the holy spirit , in faith and love , &c. and not in outward ceremonies and orders ; and where the power and substance of gods kingdom is , let us be contented , though there 's a difference in form and circumstances . let us take careful heed , that we do nothing against the power and substance of godliness , under pretence of the form and circumstance . the highest good in the church , is salvation in christ ; and the end of all gifts , given to all apostles , prophets , evangelists , pastors , teachers , is to bring us all to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the son of god. and if so be that this be done , the church is not to be troubled with other things ; yea , all other things are to give way to this . where the heavenly things themselves are present , we ought not in these dayes of grace and truth , to contend about the shadows of them . . in case men differ in judgement , in these circumstantial things , such as are in present power , ought take care especial , . that they do not entertain men into the communion of saints , that are onely of one judgement : but that every one to whom the keys of the kingdome of heaven are given , may have free liberty to go in and out , and finde pasture . it is a most antichristian thing to make another key to the kingdom of heaven , or true church , besides that which christ hath given ; for then it will soon come to pass , that christs keys will not be sufficient without mans also ; yea , soon it will come to pass , that mans key shall be sufficient , without christs ; that is , it will not be reckoned sufficient for men to be believers , and to have received the gift of the spirit , to make them of the church , unless they also conform to the judgements of such and such men ; but to be of their judgements , will be enough to make them of the church , though they be destitute of faith , and the spirit . and thus , by making another key to gods kingdom , besides the key that christ hath given , and so to let in those that should be kept out , and keep out those that should be let in ; this must needs be avoided as extreamly prejudicial to the peace of the church . . they must take care that they do not prefer christians to places of publike ministry and imployment , that are onely of one judgement , but that they dispose of them alike , to godly men , of either judgement ; lest otherwise , many smell the design of antichrist underneath ; which is , that none shall buy , or sell , or have any place in the church , or universities , but only such as have taken a certain mark into their foreheads and right hands . and though the outward mark of the mystery may change , yet the inward minde and meaning of it doth not change with the change of form . . if one sort of christians be not to be admitted as members , or preferr'd as officers in the church more then another , much less is one party to be destroyed for another ; for thus would satan also be a prince of peace , who would destroy christs kingdom to exalt his own , that he might possess all quietly and alone : but christs way is to reconcile those that differ in these things , and of twain , to make them one new man in himself . and so we shall be like christ , if we seek to bring both into one , in love , and not to destroy either , by force . these rules are to be observed , as means of peace , if the things be circumstantial . now if they be very truths , wherein christians differ , yet such , wherein they may erre , without danger of salvation , then these rules are of use . . to hear them speak their judgements , with freedom , and not to condemn them , unheard ; for thus mayst thou soon condemn the innocent , and make thy self guilty . . to understand fully , what thy adversary means , before thou contend against him ; lest if thou want this wisdom and patience , thou oppose not so much his judgement , as thy own conceit . much better is it , calmly to hear a mans minde , from himself , then hastily to guesse at it ; yea , to conclude it is so , before thou hast heard him speak . if thou canst but have patience to hear him relate his own minde , perhaps in the end , thou shalt understand , it differs little from thy own , in substance . . reproach not any thing thy adversary speakes , with this , that thou never heardest it before : for this may not so much discover his error , as thy ignorance ; and that which seems to thee a new error , if it be truly examined by the word , may prove an old truth . and if thou wilt needs condemn whatever savours of novelty how shall the truth we yet know not , be brought in ; or the errors , that yet remain with us , be purged o ut ? be not over confident in what thou holdest , upon thy own judgement , or other mens , strengthened from multitude , custom and antiquity ; for men have erred most grossely , even in those things , wherein they have thought themselves most certain : and therefore , prove all things , that thou mayst hold fast that which is good . it is much better to hold fast the truth , upon clear grounds from the word , then upon the strongest presumptions of thy own heart . . in these differences make the word the iudge , and not men . the word of god is the sole and perfect judge , in all the things of god. and therefore one said well , qui ponit legem judicem , ponit deum qui autem addit hominem , addit & bestiam : that is , he that makes the law judge , makes god judge ; but he that makes man judge , makes a beast judge ; for every man is brutish in his knowledge : and then only are we sure of any thing , when we have the word of god for it . neither is it sufficient to take the word in any fashion , for iudge in these matters ; but we must necessarily attain the knowledge of it , by the teaching of the spirit ; seeing we see so many differences of judgements among men , that make use alike of the same outward word for their rule . now though all have the same outward word , yet all are not of one minde , except they attain to one spirit ; for paul saith , cor. . that only the spirit of god knows the things of god : neither doth mans sense , or reason , understand the things of the spirit , but the spirituall man judgeth all things . and hence it follows , that we can onely judge aright of divine truths by the word , and we can onely judge aright of the word , if we have the spirit , to be the interpreter of it to us . . if thou canst not prevail with him , by the word , that he should agree with thee , wherein he differs ; then observe that moderate and christian rule of paul ; where he saith , as many as be perfect , be thus minded ; if any be otherwise minded , god shall also reveal this to him : and so let us wait with patience , till god of his good pleasure shall please to teach him , as he hath been pleased to teach us ; because , without this teaching , he can never know it aright , though thou teach him never so much . . and lastly , when in many inconsiderable points of religion , we cannot agree with many that are truly faithfull , nor they with us ; let us , according to pauls rule , leave the finall judgement of these things to the due time appointed of god ; as paul hath said , — iudge nothing before the time : and if you ask , what time this is ? christ hath told us , saying , if any one bear my word , and believe not , i judge him not ; but the word that i have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day . for the things of god are so far beyond the sense , reason , knowledge , judgement and discerning of all the men in the world , that many times the purest things are reckoned vile , and the most spiritual things , carnal ; and the very highest things of the mystery of god and christ , but conceits or errors ; and therefore it is fit , that the judgement of these things , which are so far beyond humane comprehension , should be deferred to the last day , gods judgement being better in his own time , then in ours . now in case the doctrine , wherein we differ , be such as is absolutely necessary to salvation , and without beleeving which , men can have no interest in christ , yet even in this case , . hear them speak , and be rather confident , that the truth of god will prevail over their error , then fearfull , that their error will prevail against the truth ; and so strive not , for secular power , to shut up mens mouths , and to restrain mens writings , though they speak and print things that seem never so contrary to the truth of god , and doctrine of the gospel for if men have not liberty to divulge their doctrines publikely , they will spread them privately , to infect and corrupt many , ere it can be known or prevented ; and if men vent errors publikely , if there be as publick liberty , to preach the truth ; i doubt not the success of the truth against it at any time , with all that belong to god. and it is the only gospel way , to conquer error by the truth , and all humane , yea , and devilish doctrines , by the gospel , which is the ministration of the spirit , and therefore so mighty , that all false teachers and false doctrines , must needs fall down before it ; seeing , stronger is that spirit , that is in it , then that spirit that is in the world , which is its own spirit , and the devils . and if the gospel of christ , have given already , such proof of its power , in former times , when the whole world lay in horrible ignorance , and error , & darkness covered the earth , and gross darkness the people ; and yet the gospel alone without any conjunction of earthly power , of states and kingdoms with it , did binde the devil , and cast him out of his possessions and dominions , and overthrow all false religions , men had received from their fore-fathers , through many generations ; and changed the manners , customes , opinions , religions , and very natures of men , and utterly dispelled errrors and heresies of all sorts ; i say , seeing the gospel , hath already given such large testimony of its power , and made so great a conquest of the world , when it was wholly under the power of the devil ; i see no reason , that we should now so doubt the power of it , as to suffer no man , to say any thing , but what likes us , or what is indeed agreeable to the word ; as if error should have now gotten more power , to make void the word , then the world power to make void error . wherefore , if the word be suffered , to have free passage , i dare rest on that alone ( and so dare all , that have felt the power of it , in their own hearts ) for the conquering and destroying , all errors and heresies whatsoever in the true church of god. and now it would be profitable to hear what some other men , who have walked in the same light and spirit , have said in this matter . zuinglius ( in his book , quoted in the margent ) speaks thus , haec unica , eaque sola via est , qua ad concordiam proxime perveniri potest , &c. that is , this is the one and only way , whereby we may most suddenly attain to concord ; if whatsoever things may be , or are commonly said for any opinion , or against it , be freely propounded in the churches , so that the people be allowed , free judgement in all these things . for god , who is not the god of discord , but of peace , nevers suffers those who are gathered together in his spirit , to erre or be deceived . and if this way were observed , we should shortly see the churches of christ , enjoying sweet peace and concord . but now as often as there are some princes and cities , that would have the doctrine of the gospel free to all , presenly there are others that would stop and hinder the course of it , and so long there must needs arise great discords and dissentions . and hence i would have you judge whether you or we , are departed from the church of god , and the doctrine of it . for we suffer those writings that proceed as well from you , as from the papists , to be openly and freely read , and read again ; and the evils which are taught in them , we slay by the sword of the spirit , which is the word of god ; but you think , all this business may be dispatched , with publick edicts and commands . and therefore do you be judge , whose cause is most to be suspected ; ours , who suffer the doctrine of our adversaries to be published in our churches , and overthrow them by the word : or yours , who reproach our doctrine before the simple people , as heretical ; in the mean time by your good will , neither suffering them to read it nor understand it . thus far he . luther also , in his epistle to frederick and iohn , dukes of saxony , speaking against that spirit , which he cals spiritus alstetinus , a proud , haughty , enthusiastical spirit , that despised faith , and love , and the cross , and the whole scriptures , as low things , not worth their minding , and gloried in strange revelations , and superlative holiness which they had , above other believers : and these enemies of the gospel , especially were gathered together in alsteta ; and luther writes to the dukes , in whose province this town was , to this purpose touching them : quod vèro praesentis interest negotii , nolim ab illustrissimis d. v. praedicandi officium praecludi cuiquam , &c. that is , but for what pertains to our present business , i would not , that the office of preaching should be denyed to any , by your most illustrious lordships ; but let there be granted to them free liberty to preach , and let them exhibite the best proof of their learning . for i said , by the testimony of paul , it must needs be , that there must be sects ; and the word of god must strive , and wage war in camps . and therefore it is evident in psa. . that the evangelists are called armies ; and that christ in the psalms is called more then once , the king of armies . now if their spirit be a right and approved spirit , it will easily subsist before us without all fear : and so if our spirit be right , as we hope it is , it will fear neither them , not any body else . but if they transgress the bounds of the gospel , and will not contain their hands , but will do their work with violence , it is the duty of your most illustrious lordships , when they grow fierce and seditious , to repress them , or to banish them out of your dominions ; saying , we will easily grant to you , to fight with the word , for the proving and examining which is true doctrine : but we will restrain the fierceness of your spirits , and contain your hands ; for these things belong to our magistracie . and therefore they that will not herein obey , let them depart the country : for ( saith he ) we who are ministers of the word may preach , but we must do no violence ; and daniel hath witnessed , that antichrist shall be destroyed without hands ; and isaiah saith , that christ shall fight in his kingdom with the spirit of his mouth , and the rod of his lips , &c. also albertus , duke of borussia , when the great controversie fell out , between andreas osiander , and morlinus , and other ministers , touching the righteousness whereby a christian is made righteous before god , he would not forbid either side , either the pulpit or press ; but left them free to both alike , and desired them to forbear reproaches one against another , and to debate the business quietly by the word of god. likewise the bohemians , in a certain exhortation of theirs , to kings and princes , to stir them up to the zeal of the gospel , subscribed by procopius and conradus , and other captains of the bohemians , have these words ; they say ( that is the papists ) it ought not to be suffered , that we should be heard , in confessing our faith . now , how may that be proved by the holy scripture , since christ heard the devil , as is written , mat. ? and they are not better then christ nor we worse then the devil . if they be righteous , and have the truth with them , as they say they have , and we be unrighteous , why do they fear ? since the truth ought not to be afraid of falshood ; and zorobabel declared , that truth is of all things the most mighty , and overcometh all things . for christ is the truth , john . i am the way , the truth ; and the devil is the father of lyes , john . therefore if the pope and his priests have the truth , let them overcome us with the word of god : but if they have lyes , then they cannot long abide , in all their presumption . wherefore , we exhort and beseech , all the imperial cities , all kings , princes , noble-men , rich , poor , for gods sake , and for his righteousness , that one of them , write hereof to another , and that there may be some means made , how we may commune with you safely , and friendly , at some such place , as shall be fit , both for you and us : and bring with you your bishops and teachers , and let them and our teachers fight together with the word of god , and let us hear them ; and let not one overcome the other by violence or false subtilty , but only by the word of god &c. by all which it appears , that let mens doctrine be what it will , they ought to be heard , and convinced by the word , and not presently to be silenced , and subdued by force . now secondly , if upon hearing and debating things by the word , it shall clearly appear , that our adversaries hold such things , which are so false and erroneous , that they cannot be reckoned believers and members of christ , that hold them ; not can retain those doctrines , without unvoidable damnation ; then in this case , the true church , hath authority from the word , to do these things . . to condemn the doctrine . . to excommunicate their persons . . the church ought to condemn the doctrine , as contrary to the gospel , and to that eternal and unchangeable , and most clear and certain truth , which christ hath heard from the father , and delivered to his church ; which is the faith once given to the saints , and never to be altered . and so to tell the people , what doctrine it is ; even such , as carries in it an utter enmity to christ and his spirit ; and so consequently death and damnation ; and that therefore they are to take heed of it , as they love eternall life , and would void eternall death . and thus christ condemned the doctrine of the scribes , and of the pharisees , and of the sadduces , and bid his disciples , beware of them ; and paul , the doctrine of hymeneus and philetus , which did e●t as a canker , &c. . the church in this case , may also excommunicate the person ; yea , though he should be silent and not seduce others ; seeing believers 〈…〉 have no true 〈…〉 the word of life , in which all the true communion of the faithfull stands . wherefore such p●●sons may justly be cut off from the society of the faithfull . but herein also , these rules are to be observed ; to wit , . that this censure be not proceeded to , for every varying from the truth ( as is already said ) but for denying such truths , or holding such errors , as make a man incapable of salvation . . that this be not done , till all other wayes have been tryed , to reclaim him . . that this be done , not by two or three persons , but by the whole church , or communion . . that it be done , not by their own , but by christs authority , who is alwayes present in his church , as the head of that body ; and that it be done , not by any humane passion or violence , but by the efficacy of the holy spirit , who is alwayes present among believers , as the spirit of those members . and this excommunication thus regulated , is the last punishment the church can inflict , by the warrant and authority of christ : and it cannot imprison any , or banish them , or fine them , or put them to death : for we must not expound that place of paul , hareticum hominem devita , as hugo charensis did , to take a heretike out of his life ; but him that is a heretike , we must avoid , we must not kill ; the former being christs rule ; the latter , antichrists . now these things have i spoken and propounded to the faithfull and churches of christ , wherever the providence of god shall cast this book , which may travel farther on this errand , then weak flesh can do : and i so propound them all , as being most ready , my self , to hear from any what they can propound in more light 〈…〉 in these matters , they will ye● 〈…〉 over and preserve peace and vnity in the true church of christ : the desire of which , through gods goodness , is much stronger in my heart , then any private interest or respect of mine own . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cor. . . ●cclesia regi●a misericordiae , cujus viscera sunt merae miserationes & remissiones peccatorum . cito vos omnes , ut respondeatis mihi coram attissimo & justissimo iudice , post paucos annos . notes for div a -e the peace propounded , is , . not between the church and the world . . nor between the carnal and spiritual children of the church . spiritual christians make up the body of christ. carnal christians the body of antichrist . peace between the children of p●ace . what the right church is not . what it is . how the church of god differs from the churches of men . how the true church may be known , though spiritual and invisible . quest. . answ. how we may be joyned to the true church , though invisible . the church the body , as well as christ the head , a great mystery . the church just such a body as christ is a head. wherein the unity of the true church lies . the right church is one body . this one body comprehends believers of all ages . of all sorts . many things to be considered from the churches unity of body . cor. . who break this bond of the churches unity . the right church is one spirit . who break ●his bond of unity . quest. answ. the right church have one hope of their calling . who break this bond of unity . the right church hath one lord. who break this bond of the churches unity . the assemblies vote for their government . the right church hath one faith . unity of faith preserves peace . . notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts . . notwithstanding diversity of outward works . who break this bond of the churches unity . who break this bond of unity . the right church hath one god , and father of them all . the true church is a kingdom of brethren . where all are , . alike dear to god. . alike dear to us . this one god and father of the true church , is , . above you all . . through you all . . in them all . who break this bond of unity . there is no other bond of the churches unity besides these seven . it is a wicked thing to cry up uniformity in the stead of this unity . how the union which god hath wrought among believers , should be preserved in the communion , which they have here in this world , with one another . to preserve that peace among our selves we have in christ. . we must know some things otherwise then we do . particularly the churches government . church government two fold . immediate , mediate . gods immediate government two fold . . the government of his special providence . ego saepe certas rationes conatus sum deo praescribere , quibus uteretur , in administratione ecclesiae , &c. luther . in gen tom . . fol. . the government of his spiritual presence . the church never wanted this two-fold government of god in any age. it were to be wished , that they that are so busie about outward orders in the church , were themselves acquainted with inward temptations . the mediate government of the church is christs , and not mans. what the mediate government of the church is . the particulars contained in this mediate government . church-power given to the whole church alike . math. . . explained . the keys , given to all tha● have the revelation of the father . quest. answ. what the keyes are . the true power of the true church , is a spiritual and heavenly power . cor. . . — . christs power extends it self to the whole church , but no further . the word the only outward instrument of church power . christiani eo verbo , & non alio regi debent , quo christiani , id est , liberi à peccatis siunt ; hoc est , solo evangelio dei puro , sine additionibus conciliorum , doctorum , patrum , &c. luther . epist. ad carol ducem subaudiae tom . . f. . quae ergo insanta est . spontance bonos urgere legibus malorum ? sunt uon parum multi , leves & futiles homunciones , putantes rem evangelicam gladio & pugnis esse promovendam . ibid. reputatè animo , quo gladio ipse papatum , &c. what the church can do through the power it hath received from christ. it can convene and meet together , as often as it pleaseth . . it can appoint its own orders . rules to be observed in the churches appointing its orders . nunquid ecclesia per mundum gubernanda est , & non potius contra morem mundi , eo quod scriptum est , nolite consormari huic seculo ? jo. gers. decl. viror . ecclesiast , the carnal church minds outward orders more then the power of godliness . the church is to appoint orders for its officers , and not its officers for it . . to chuse its officers . what officers the church is to chuse ? . who chuses them . object . answ. hi profecto non venient in concilium , ut judicentur ab ali●s , ut emendent ea quae ipsorummet conscientia , adeoque totus mundus emendanda esse clamat , sed omnes alios jud●care & subjugare ; suam illam potentiam retinere ; & quicquid ipsorum obstat libidini conculcare , è medio tollere conabuntur . bullinger . ep ad edward sext . tindal . practise of popish prel . p. . . can call its councels . certain reasons why the true church may very well want a councel . nam quid expectemus ex generalium conciliorum determinationibus , docent ●os proxima aliquot seculorum exempla , jam ind . ab an●is quandragintis aut amplius . quo enim crebriora cei●re concilia , tanto magis invaluit superstitio , & error in doctrina , abusus in ritibus , superbia , luxuries , avaritia , omnisque corurptio in docentibus , vel sacerdotibus , denique soedissima omnis disciplinae obliteratio . bulling . epist ad edvard . sextum . object . answ. rules to be observed in calling a councel . ex ejusmodi coetu . i.e. fidelium , delig●ndi erunt h●mines ad concilium ; hoc v●ro esset pulcherrimum conciliū , q●od ab ipso spiritu sancto regeretur . in hanc sententiam & lyra scriptum reliquit , ecclesiam nō aestimandam esse ex summis illis , aut spiritualibus ordinibus , sed ex verè credentibus . luth. libel . de notis verae eccles . tom . . f. . the church is to keep it self distinct from the world . the true church is to be contented with its own power , for its own affairs . object . answ. the true church is not to force men unto it against their wils . ea est ecclesiae natura , ut nusquam magis requiratur interna persuasio . nam & ad fidem nemo co gi potest invitus , & deus toto se corde vult amari , & denique hypocrisis peccatum est imprimis deo exosum . quo fit , ut toto ecclesiae gubernandae ratio , hunc scopum habere d●beat , ut in ecclesiam vocentur plurimi persuasi , & in ecclesia continc●ntur non aliâ ratione . itaque quo magis ea ratio aberit ab imperio , hoc magis est apta , reg●nde , augendae & confirmande ecclesiae chamter . de oecumen . pontific . secundum hanc itaque nostram voluntatem , sano ac rectissimo judicio decrevimus , nemini prorsus d●negandam esse potestatem , christianam observantiam v●l religionem eligendi ac sequend● ; sed unicuique dandam esse hanc facultatem , ut animum suum illi religioni addicat , quam ipse sibi competere putat , quo nobis deus consuctam in omnibus diligentiam & probitatem praestet . euseb l. . c. . fox . vol. . p. . fox vol. . p. . the true church hath no distinction of clergy and laity . gal. . . equality among churches christ the head , is subjected in the subjection of any true church that is of his body . the true church keeps its officers in subordination to it self . regendae ecclesia ratio , n●n imperium est , sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . all true christians and churches take christ alike for their head. the true church keeps out all error in doctrine . quest. answ. the wayes whereby the true church keeps out error . object . answ. cor. . quest. whether the magistrate hath power to suppress error . answ. object . answ. quest. answ. quest. answ. the true church doth not inforce uniformity , in outward orde●s and discipline . fox vol. . pag . iraen & mebex . l. . nihilo tamen minus omnes illi , pacem inter se retinuerunt , & retinemus etiamnum ; & jejunii dissonantia , fidei concordiam commendat . euseb. l. . c. . socrat. l. . c. perspicuum est , apostolos liberam potestatem in eadem , cujusque menti & arbitrio permisisse , ut quisque nec metu , nec necessitate inductus , quod bonum sit ageret . verum omnes ecclesiarum ritus , qui in singulis urbibus regionibusque usurpantur , scriptis mandare , ut valde laboriosum est , ita vix aut ne vix quidem fieri potest . iohn gerson against uniformity . homines non non generaliter astringi debent , per determinationes positivas paparum , ad tenendum & credendum , unum eundemque gubernandi modum , in rebus quae non proxime respiciunt , vel si●e medio , fidei nostrae veritatem , vel legis evangelicae luther against uniformity . si una ecclesia alteram non vult imitari externis istis , quid opus est conciliorum d●cretis cogi , quae mox in leges & ammarumlaqueos vertuntur ? initetur ergo altera alteram libere , aut suis moribus sinatur scui ; modò unitas spiritus salva sit in fide & vero , quantumvis sit diversitas , & v●rietas in carne & elemento mundi . cujus exemplar sicubi & aliis placuerit imitari licet : sin minus , i●●ctioni libenter locum dabimus , parati , a vobis & quibusvis aliis , commodiora accipere . melancton against uniformity . cum de praecipuis articulis doctrinae christianae in ter nos co●stet , complectemur nos mutuo amore , neque dissimilitas & varietas rituum & ceremoniarum , disjungere debet mentes nostras . rules to be observed to procure and preserve peace in the church , when the faithfull differ , among themselves . the weight of things wherein they differ , is to be considered . rules to preserve peace when the difference among the faithfull is in circumstantial things . . to be contented with the substance of gods kingdom in the faithfull . to take care in these three things of great importance . . that they equally admit men of different judgements in these things , into the communion of saints . . that they equally use and imploy them . . that they do not destroy the one , to uphold the other . if the faithfull differ in very truths , but such as are not absolutely necessary to salvation , they must observe these rules to preserve peace . phil. - , . if the difference be in doctrine , absolutely necessary to salvation , what the faithfull must do in this case . zuingl . respon . ad libel . strethionis , tom . . f. . luther . farrag . epistol . tom . . s. . lu●hers rule , how the magistrate shall deal with the ministers ; to wit if they contain ●hemselves within the bounds of the gospel , to suffer them ; but if they raise seditions and disturbances , to suppress , or banish them . albertus duke of borussia . me●ch . adam . in vie● osiand . the bohemians . fox . mortyrolog . vol. . p. . esdr. . . if the doctrine after hearing of it be found damnable , the community , is . to condemn the doctrine . . to excommunicate the person . rules to be observed in excommunication . excommunication , the churches last punishment . conclusion . communion of churches, or, the divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils constituted in order according to the scriptures as also the way of bringing all christian parishes to be particular reforming congregationall churches, humbly proposed as ... a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties the presbyterians and the congregationals ... / written by john eliot. eliot, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) communion of churches, or, the divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils constituted in order according to the scriptures as also the way of bringing all christian parishes to be particular reforming congregationall churches, humbly proposed as ... a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties the presbyterians and the congregationals ... / written by john eliot. eliot, john, - . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church polity. christian union. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion communion of churches : or , the divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils , constituted in order according to the scriptures . as also , the way of bringing all christian parishes to be particular reforming congregationall churches : humbly proposed , as a way which hath so much light from the scriptures of truth , as that it may lawfully be submitted unto by all ; and may , by the blessing of the lord , be a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties , the presbyterians and the congregationals . as also to prepare for the hoped-for resurrection of the churches ; and to propose a way to bring all christian nations unto an unity of the faith and order of the gospel . written ▪ by iohn eliot , teacher of roxbury in n. e. psal. . ●… that ye may try the things that are excellent . john . try the spirits . cambridge : printed by marmaduke iohnson . . preface . although a few copies of this small script are printed ; yet it is not published , onely committed privately to some godly and able hands , to be viewed , corrected , amended , or rejected , as it shall be found to hold wright in the sanctuary ballance , or not . and it is the humble request of the author , that whatever objections ; rectification , or emendati●…ns may occurre●… , they may be conveyed unto him ; who desireth nothing may be accepted in the churches , but what is according to the will and minde of god , and tendeth to holiness , peace , and promotion of the holy kingdome of iesus christ. the procuring of half so many copies written and corrected , would be more difficult and chargeable , then the printing of these few . i beg the prayers , as well as the pains of the precio●…s servants of the lord ▪ that i may never have the least singer in doing any thing that may be derogatory to the holiness and honour of iesus christ and his churches . and to this i subscribe my self , one of the least of the labourers in our lords vineyard , john eliot . communion of churches : or , the divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils . chap. i. prolegomena ; or , things premised . i. there be two holy publick societies famous in the gospel : . a church of believers . . a council of churches . a church of believers , is a company of visible sainte combined together , with one heart , to hold communion in all the instituted gospel-worship , ordinances and discipline , which christ hath sitted for , and given unto a particular church . such a company are frequently called a church . see a few places : acts . , & . . & . , . cor. . , , , &c. a council , is a society of particular churches in communion , by their representatives , for their well-being , and well-ordering all things among them , by mutual , counsel , in truth , peace , and holiness . our pattern is , that great council , acts . which consisted of two churches , in an ordinary way expresly agreed , to give and take counsel : and it is le●… as a standard and pattern , ●…ow the great ordinance of counsel is to be used and managed for the well-being of churches , to the worlds end . ii. the constitution of both these buildings or societies , are eminent and observable in the gospel . the first of these , viz. a church of believers , is first instituted by christ himself , and afterward put in practice by the apostles ; matth. . . thou art peter , and upon this rock i will build my church the rock confessed is christ : christ confessëd , is the foundation of the visible church ⸫ peter confessing , is an hewn stone , squared to the foundation * ; a believer made ecclesiastically visible , sitted for church-building and fellowship . a company of such confessors , or a company of these confessing believers , . have power to joyn together into a gospel church-state , as they did acts . , . continued with one accord : so acts . . . they have power to call officers , by whom they become an organick body , and sitted to administer and enjoy all instituted worship : acts . , . peter stood up in the midst of the disciples ; and they appointed two . acts . . brethren , look you out men . acts . . by bolding up bands made elders . . by the ministry of these officers , the church doth actually enjoy such ordinances as are instituted by christ , for their edisication ; both directive , in word , sacraments , prayer , singing of psalms , and collections : acts . . they continu●…ct stedfastly in the apostles doctrine , and sellowship , and in breaking of bread , and in prayers . col. . . teaching one another in psalms and hymns ▪ &c. ; ●… cor. . , . every first day lay by it self , &c. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the neuter gender , as well as masculine , and is so to be read , because they had two distinct collections ●…t that time ▪ the collection for ierusalem was by it self , a publick , not a private collection . corrective : cor. ●… . . when gathered together , deliver to sa●… . iii ▪ the administration of , and participation in all these ordi●…ances , ( while we are in this flesh , and state militant ) are in full of variety of difficulties and temptations , especially where churches are numerous , that the work cannot long be carried on ( a while it sometimes may , viz. while the churches are under the eye of an adversary , and when there be elders eminent in piety , humility and ability ) without stated help . the help which the lord hath instituted , is counsel . when antiech had trouble in some points of doctrine , the remedy which the holy ghost applied , was counsel ▪ given them by a formall council , acts . when corinth wanted help in a point of discipline , the apostle doth help , by ministring counsel unto them , cor. . , , . and he counselleth the church to excommunicate the man , the sinner . excommunication is a sharp rod , made up of seven most severe and terrible twigs ; or a strong purgation , compounded of seven violent ingredients ; viz. . he is cut off from visible communion with christ in the church . . he is cut off from familiar communion with the saints in worship . . he is cast out of the usual walk of the spirit . . he is cast out of the house of god , as unsavoury salt , or a loathsome thing that doth offend . . he is thrust out of the paradise of god , from eating the tree of life , viz. christ in the sacrament of the supper , where the spirit sitteth as in his sealing-office . . he is cut off from familiar civil communion with the saints ; he may not be invited to eat with them . . he is delivered to satan , and that by the sentence of christ , through the hand of his spouse the church and all this to be inflicted upon a brother . ah! who trembles not to minister such a pill , to lay on such a rod ? and therefore it had need to be managed and administred with all care , fear , and clearness . and all this sheweth , and much more might be produced to shew , what need there is of counsel ; which , after thirty or forty years experience in the way of congregational churches , in fulness of liberty , we finde more and more need to insist upon , and that in such a fixed and ordered way , as that thereby men may be tyed to attend unto counsel . iv. a council is constituted acts. . where the wisdome of the holy ghost hath given us a pattern of the least , and of the greatest councils , as our n. e. divines have well observed . there cannot be a less council then that was , for there were but two churches mentioned ; and there cannot be a greater , and more compleat one , because there were the greatest counsellors , a most compleat pattern , even the apostles of jesus christ ; teaching , that if there be but two churches , they may enjoy the ordinance of mutuall counsel , though more incompleatly . but if there he many churches , then they are to be ordered according to the pattern of comblning churches into compleat councils . of which in the next chapter . v. christ , who hath all power , mat. . . hath derived all ecclesiastical power first unto the apostles , that they by institution mi●…ht distribute the same unto several offices in the church . hence ▪ as all church-officers , especially elders , and more especially teaching elders , are ordinary successors of the apostles , in their several branches of church power : so councils of churches are their eminent ordinary successors , in point of counsel , and that in several respects . first , because in councils there is most light , and nearest to infallibility : and the more compleat , the better ; though the most compleat council may erre , because they have not a promise of infallible assistance . secondly , because when the apostles themselves had constituted churches , they did guide and counsel them how to use their power ; as paul did the church of corinth , cor. ●… , . the apostle did not act the censure himself : and so is that of paul to be interpreted , tim. . . i have delivered to satan ; viz. as i did the incestuous corinthian , by giving such counsel to the church , whereof they were members . in thus doing , councils succeed the apostles . vi. inasmuch as councils are publick assemblies , and that not onely ecclesiastically publick , but civilly also , when they are held with openness and boldness . hence , civill authority hath influence , by law and command , to give allowance unto such assemblies ; and so they have an extrinsecall efficiency in calling councils : but the intrinsecall and proper efficients of a council , are the churches , who elect and send messengers to that end . vii . the members constituent of a council , are church-messengers . the persons sent ought to be elders , of both orders , teaching and ruling ▪ to represent the whole church ; or in defect of ruling elders to represent the people , faithful brethren ▪ eminent in holiness and wisdome , who are as elders : acts . . certain other of them ver. . chosen men , chief men among , the brethren . ver. . being prophets also themselves . and the reason hereof is , because , as the temptation of learned men , is to affect a prolacy over the people : so the temptation of the fraternity , is to affect a morellian democracy . and therefore the wisdome of god hath by institution ballanced all ecclesiastical councils with members of both sorts , that may ballance each other , by number at least , though not in weight , yet enough to prevent any prevalency of a temptation , either to subjugate the churches under any prelatical usurpation of the learned ; or to elevate and intoxicate the fraternity , to affect any inordinate power : which rather , and more effectually te●…ds to enervate and evacuate government , then to preserve any lawful and just liberty of the brotherhood . the end of the churches sending these messengers , is to manage the ordinance of counsel in due order . viii . the organick parts of a council , whereby they are enabled to manage their affairs in prudence and order , are moderators , ●…nd notaries : the choice of whom is the first act they do , to compleat themselves to be fit for action . it may sometimes edifie , to change moderators every new session , part●…ly to train up each other unto that special work of christ , in the management of the affairs , and in caring for the publick welfare of all the churches ; and also to take trial of mens gifts , spirit and abilities unto that high service ; that so , when there may be special need , they may know who is most fit to manage the council at such ●… time , for the glory of god , and for the most effectual edification , and publick well being of the churches . though moderators may be often changed , it is not fit : that the notaries should be so often changed . ix . the power of ecclesiastical councils is onely dogmatical , or doctrinal : power of censure is by the lord fixed in the church ; and hence , when any appeal unto a council , it is for further and more clear light from the scripture , and for conviction thereby , but not for the exercise of any juridical power . chap. ii. of the gospel-measuring-reed by the number twelve . i. seeing particular congregations in gospel-order , are churches ; and these churches , for their well-being , need to hold and exercise communion by councils : and one church ( as antioch ) may need the greatest and highest counsel . hence in such places where , through the riches of the grace of christ , churches are numerous , it will be necessary , that the management of these councils should be in order , according to the pattern of compleat councils , acts . for multitude unordered , by ●…ow much the greater they are , the greater is their cumber , and unaptness to operate in order unto their end . lesser bodies are more readily ordered , and have a greater aptitude to be active in their order unto their end . ordo anima rerum . ii. order is one of the beauties of heaven , and so it is of the churches . let all things be done in order , cor ▪ . . ierusalem is a city compacted , psal. . . and the more orderly bodies are , the better are they compacted . bodies that are compacted , are so ordered by number and measure : the new ierusalem is the most glorious city that ever shall be on earth ; and we see that it shall be compacted by number and measure , rev. . , to . and the foundation number is twelve , as appeareth ver . . the wall of the city had twelve foundations . and this number twelve is multiplied by twelve , as appeareth ver . , . it is square , twelve every way , which amounteth to one hundred forty and four . iii. the twelve tribes in the old testament , and the twelve apostles in the new , do make that number famous in the churches , and fundamental in ordering and compacting of churches into ecclesiasticall combinations of councils . the twelve tribes compacted in order , was the most beautiful , and heart-ravishing camp , that ever the worlds eye did look upon , numb . . , , . the twelve loaves of shew-bread , did represent the whole visible church before god in the temple . the twelve precious sta●…s in the breast-plate of the high priest , shew , that i●… such a number christ is pleased to order and represent the whole militant church before his father in heaven . and according to this type , rev. . . the whole visible church is ordered , multiplied , and ●…ealed in this number . and rev. . , . the twelve tribes are the twelve gates , and the twelve apostles are the twelve foundations of the new ierusalem . ●…hat glorious visible gospel-church , ezek●… ●… . which is called iehovah-shamniah , is ordered by the number twelve , according to the twelve tribes of israel , as the typicall and of canaan was . iv. in the perfect pattern ( f●…r the word is a perfect rule ) which the holy ghost ▪ hath left us , acts . as there is a ground ▪ work for the least of councils , in the two churches ; so of compleat councils , in the twelve apostles . for , though herod had killed iames with the sword , acts●… ●… . ●… . his martyrdome did not remove him out of the foundation , but rather six him in it : and the apostles were most of them killed for the testimony of iesus , before iohn had his revelation , and yet we finde them all written in the foundation of the new ierusalem . and therefore what should hinder , but that in the ordering of compleat councils , we should lay our foundation in the number twelve ? and all the orders of councils should be raised and compacted by that number , even from the bottom to the top . v. and unto this order and number we may the ●…ather be induced , because here will be the twenty four elder●… , who do wait upon , and worship the holy majesty of god in all the churches upon earth , as he hath pleased to reveal himself , rev. . where the presence of god among the churches is reve●…led : first , with his glorious angels next him , represented by the four living creatures , according to ezek. . & . and secondly , with the communion of churches about him , represented by the twenty four elders , who do represent all the churches on earth , in communion : as will anon appear . vi. for when twelve churches are combined to hold communion together , the least number that one church must ( by institution ) send forth to that first council , must be one teaching elder , and one ruling elder ; and then , this society of churches is represented by twenty four elders strictly . and when twelve of these first councils shall , with consent of the particular churches , elect and send forth ▪ one teaching , and one ruling elder , the ablest and fittest among them , to constitute a provincial council ; that council will be strictly the twenty four elders , representing all the churches in that province , concurring in the election . and when twelve provincial councils shall , with like consent , send forth from each of them one teaching , and one ruling elder , the most holy and able among them , to constitute a national council , they will still be strictly the twenty four elders , representing the whole nation , in their ecclesiastical state , before the lord. and when twelve national councils shall send forth , in like manner , from each of them , one teaching , and one ruling elder , the most holy and fit among them , to constitute a●… oecumenic●…l council ( or by what other less term it may be thought meet to call it ) they will still be strictly the twenty four elders , representing before the lord all the churches in all those nations , concurring in the election . and why may not this ascent , and representation of all before the lord , be part of the meaning of that text , rev. . , , , , ? vii . and this point is the more to be ●…eeded , because gods visible respect unto , and acceptation of any people , is according to the good aspect and condition of their representatives ▪ there may be much ▪ drose in a parish , a province , a nation , and in the world ; yet if they have good representatives before the lord , and if they carry the lords matters well , in his sight , that doth obtain , through christ , a favourable acceptation of , and dispensation towards all that are so represented . and he hath instituted representatives of the church on earth : aaron represented all israel on his breast before the lord , exod. . . and a council consisting of messengers of churches , the glory of christ , do represent the churches who send and constitute that council , acts . oh! how happy were it for any people , to be in such visible instituted order on earth , as that they may be ( through christ ) acceptably represented before the lord ! for god is so well pleased to see his people in order , as that he will dwell in that place , and call it by his own name . iehovah-shamniah ; especially when they are civilly , as well as ecclesiastically in good order represented before him. viii . furthermore , this is to be considered , that though the twenty four elders are so called , by the least number that they can be , by this constitution ; yet , according as the riches of gods grace is more abundantly poured out , they may be more in number , though under this constituting denomination . for , one church may send forth ●…ing elders , as antioch sent forth paul and barnabas , and ruling elders , or brethren proportionably . so likewise upon the same ground , when there be more eminent lights in any of the councils ( as through grace it is like often to be ) they may send more then one to the provincial , or national , or oecumenical councils ▪ but still they are the twenty four elders , because that is the foundation number . ix . what if i should illustrate this point by that of the apostles ? who are often in scripture called the twelve apostles , and yet there were more apostles then twelve : for who doubteth but that paul , who was none of the twelve yet he was an apostle , and a chief apostle , a great foundation ; and barnabas was an apostle also , acts ▪ . and cor. ●… . . but twelve is the foundation number , and therefore they are so denominated . x. again , though twelve churches be the lowest number of the first combination , yet they may be more then twelve , when the pourings out of gods grace shall be inlarged ; yea , they may be any number under twenty four churches . if then twenty three churches should be in a combination , their messengers sent to the first council will be a great number ; but still they are the twenty four elders before the lord , by their fundamental constitution . so a like number of provincial councils , and a like number of national councils , though their messengers are many , yet they are still the twenty four elders , growing up , through grace , and increasing unto more orders of councils , for the greater glory of christ. and when ( through grace ) there shall be twenty four churches , or first councils , or provincial , or national councils ▪ then they must be compacted into two orders of those councils , because twelve is the foundation number , by which they are multiplied , and compacted . and when this is done , they are reduced to be twenty four elders strictly ; the foundation number . as in the order of that civill government set up by moses ; the orders of ten , and of fifty , &c. are denominated b●… the least and constituting number : though those orders may consist ( when they are full of people and blessing ) of many more , even any number under twenty and an hundred , &c. but when ten are become twenty , and when fifty are become an hundred , then they must be multiplied into more orders , because these numbers are foundation numbers , by which the orders of the government are multiplied and compacted ; and when that is transacted , they are reduced unto their foundation numbers . so it is here in the ecclesiastical orders of government , the least number of a compleat stated first council , is twelve churches , whose least number of messengers are twenty four ; and by these numbers they are denominated , though they may be more churches in a combination , and more messengers from some of the churches : and so it is in all the other orders of councils . for a little further illustration of this point , i shall propose and answer six questions , which may let in a little further light into this frame , and remove some objections . quest. . may a church perform any ecclesiastical acts by messengers , or representatives in their name ? answ. yea. doubtless they may ; they may consult , and agree to give counsel , in such cases as may be presented for that end , touching either faith or order , as it appeareth acts . quest . may a church elect by messengers or representatives , when themselves cannot be present where such election is performed ? answ. a●… act of election may be transacted by some of a society ; yea by a few in behalf of the rest , when they have their consent , and a calling so to act . for instance , if a lesser number of a church be necessarily absent from an act of election performed in a lawful assembly , they are all involved in the act of the major part : this is without controversie fo●… here some onely elect , and all are engaged . again , if the major part be necessarily absent , and fond a lesser part , or a ●…ew , with their express consent to do an act o●… election , it hath the like force and validity . the royal ar●… which chose david to be their king , ●… chron. . were farre the lesser part of the people , but they were 〈◊〉 , and elected for them , and did perform it as affectually as if the whole people had been present ; and david was king , not onely over the representatives , who did actually chuse him , but over all the people , who did elect him by their representatives . if the parties s●…nt to transact an election , do act according to their heart who sent them , they will not object , for had they been there present , they would have done the same : but if the parties sent to elect , do not elect according to their heart , they may justly question their act , and consider of their apologie ; but that doth not nullifie the act in point of order . when political bodies , whether civil or ecclesiastical , are multitudinous , and remote from the place of action , either all cannot act , or if they do , it must be by representatives . quest. . may a church elect elders or messengers out of another church , unto a publick and common service of christ and of the churches ? answ. yea , they may : for the great collection of the gentile churches , which paul carried up to ierusalem at his last going thither , was an act of many churches : and paul , with those that went with him to present it , were chosen by the churches unto that service , cor. . . and there were many more churches contributors , then there were messengers sent to carry it . acts . . there were but seven or eight in pauls company , but all the churches of galatia , corinth , asia , and macedonia , were contributors . therefore many churches chose messengers who were none of their own particular churches , unto that publick and common service of christ , and of the churches . again , the ready subjection of all the churches about antioch , and other places , acts . . unto the decrees of the council at ierusalem , doth probably speak , that , as the trouble by those questions , was a common case in all the churches ; so they had some fore-knowledge , concurrence , and consent ( after consent sure enough they h●…d ) in the mission of paul and barnabas ( teaching elders of antioch , acts . . ) unto ierusalem , to the apostles and elders about that matter . again , seeing the rule of communion of churches doth impose upon elders a degree of care of all the churches , especially of those within their ordered communion ; it doth also give unto all the churches , a mutual interest in each others elders , hence , when they chuse any of the elders within the compass of their order , they chuse those , who , in some respect , are their own , in whom they have an ecclesiastical interest , especially unto this publick service of counsel . quest. . may many churches elect a ●…ew of their elders unto some publick and common service ▪ wherein all the churches so electing are interessed ? answ. yea , they may : for all the churches of asia , galatia , macedonia , &c. did elect a few to accompany paul in carrying their contributions unto ierusalem : and it is expresly said , that from the churches of asia there were but two sent ▪ acts . . and we know there were at least seven churches in asia , rev. ●… . quest. . when two , or a few elders are chosen by many churches unto some publick and common service of the churches , do they represent all the churches who did elect them unto that service ? answ. yea , they do so : for when many churches ( by paul's ordering ) sent a few messengers to corinth , cor. . . to fetch their contribution , to be carried ( among the contribution of many other churches ) unto ierusalem , by the hands of paul , and a few others , chosen by the churches unto that service , ●… cor. . . these few messengers did represent all the churches who sent them : so as that what the church of corinth should transact afore them , is expresly said to be afore all the churches , viz. who sent them , cor. . . quest. . these orders of councils , first , second , third , representing fewer or more churches , are they a divine institution ? answ. touching the first councils , consisting of immediate messengers of churches sent for that end , it is out of question that these are a divine institution , acts . the great difficulty is ▪ touching the second and third orders of councils , and so higher , unto the highest oecumenical council , whose members are chosen immediately by councils , yet with the express consent of every particular church : not immediately by the churches , but by their representatives . touching these , in way of humble proposal i affirm , that they are a divine institution . . because their foundation , formation , and constitution , is deducible from the word of god , as appeareth by laying together the foregoing questions , and answers thereunto , with what hath been said before . . because this multiplying of order upon order , seemeth to be typified in the ascents and degrees in ezekiels temple ; and by the multiplication of the number twelve in the new ierusalem , rev. , &c. . because if there be not this multiplying of council above council ( above , i say , not in any ●…●…cal power , but in order and extent ) then it doth not yet appear that there is any way or expedient , whereby there should be a general and equal communion of all the churches in a nation , wherein every church shall be , by their own act and consent , interessed and concerned . much less can there be a●… equal communion of churches , of several nations . for , if several nations should need and desire to hold communion of councils , who shall chuse the persons or instruments , by whom this communion shall be held and acted ? if princes chuse them , it is not a regular ecclesiastical council . if churches chuse ▪ and send them ▪ shall some churches onely chuse them , or all the churches ? ●…f some onely ; who ? and why they , and not others ▪ and how can their act interest and oblige all ? if all the churches must chuse , then immediately , or ●… delegates : immediately , it is unfeizible , especially to act in knowledge and prudence ; but mediately by their confidents and representatives they may . the same may be said of the communion of all the churches in a nation or province , where elections must ●…e performed by representatives . in which way , a general and equal election is attainable ; and without it , it doth not yet appear that it is attainable . now that several nations ought to hold communion , and also all the churches in a nation , it doth appear in these scriptures : isa. . , , . zeph. . . cor. . ●… . & . , . of which see more in synod at boston . this being commanded by god , and as yet no way or expedient appearing , whereby it may be duely acted , we are at a great loss . therefore the lord opening this way , which is so attainable ▪ and not without scripture light , what i●… the churches should set upon the tryall of it , and see how the lord may appear unto his servants therein ? as for the episcopal way of government , alas ! that is most remote from this ordinance of communion of churches . chap. iii. of the constitution of four orders of councils . i. when twelve churches , or any other number under twenty ●…our ▪ shall agree to hold communion in a council for mutual help , and shall send forth messengers at least two from every church , and they of both orders of elders , or in defect of ruling elders , brethren eminent in piety and wisdome , who are as elders , to manage the ordinance of counsel in the behalf , and for the benefit of all the churches herein combined . these do constitute the first order of a compleat council ; the first ascent of the glorious temple ; the first row in compacting the new ierusalem . these are the twenty four elders before the lord , representing all the congregations which sent them . it is both needful and attainable , that these councils should meet once every moneth . ii. when twelve of the first order of councils , or any other number under twenty four , shall , with the express consent of all their particular churches , agree to hold communion in a council for mutual help , and for the benefit of all the churches combined ; and to that end , shall send forth from among themselves , at least one principal and eminent teaching elder , and one ruling elder , to manage the ordinance of counsel , in a provincial synod , in the behalf , and for the benefit of all the churches herein combined : these do constitute the second order of councils . these are a provincial council ; these do represent very many churches , and all the people in them , with their express consent , and yet they are but twenty four elders , so denominated by their least and constituting number , though the numbers represented be very great ▪ according to rev. . , , &c. these all are church-messengers , sent forth to manage the ordinance of counsel , though immediately sent forth by the first councils , with the express consent of all the churches combined . these are the second row of churches compacted by the number twelve ; the second row of 〈◊〉 in the temple , of equal dimensions to the ▪ first , and built upon the first , standing upon the same bottom and foundation , the twelve apostles . it is both needfull and attainable ▪ that these should meet quarterly ▪ iii. when twelve provincial councils , or any other number under twenty four , shall , with the explicite consent of the first councils , and with the explicite consent of the churches , who are in this combination ▪ agree to hold communion in a council for mutual help ; and to that end , shall send forth from among themselves at least one principal teaching elder , and one ruling elder , both eminent in holiness , wisdome , and all fitting abilities , to manage the ordinance of counsel in a national synod , in the behalf , and for the benefit of all the provinces , first councils , and particular churches herein combined : these do constitute a third order of councils . these are a national council ; these do represent a whole nation of churches , and all the people of the land ; and yet they are but twenty four elders , as rev. ▪ ●… , , . though all creatures concurre , and are combined in the work ; all are represented before the lord in twenty four elders . these are all of them church-messengers , sent forth to manage the ordinance of counsel ; but they are immediately sent forth by the provi●…iall councils . iv. as the first councils consist of the most choyce persons in all the churches ; so the provincial councils do consist of the most choyce instruments in the respective provinces ; and the national council doth consist of the most choyce persons in all the nation : who pass through so many ecclesiastical elections , before they arrive unto this high and ●…oly service . they pass under an opportunity of being called out from among all the choyce iewels of the nation , who are in ●…n ecclesiastical order and capacity . it will be both needful and attainable , that these should meet once in a year . v. when twelve national councils , or any number under twenty four , shall agree , with the explicite consent of all the churches , passing and arising through all the orders of councils , to hold communion in councils for mutual help ; and to that end shall send forth , at least one teaching , and one ruling elder , men eminent in holiness and abilities for so high a service , to constitute an oecumenical council ▪ and there to manage the ordinance of counsel ▪ in the behalf , and for the benefit of all the churches and councils herein combined : these do constitute a fourth order of councils . they are an oecumenical council , and represent all the churches in those nations before the lord vi. twenty three nations met in one council , will be a great glory to christ , and by what hath yet been in the world ▪ may be called oecumenical . yet when the kingdomes of this world , shall become the kingdomes of our lord , and of his christ , i know not but there will be councils above this . nay ; why may there ▪ not be twelve ascents in combining all the world ? rev. . , . but i leave it to the lord. at present this is the top , and uppermost order of councils ▪ and somewhat higher then we can yet well descry : but faith in the promise can see all the world in the gospel order of iesus christ. and now the lord jesus is triumphing in his militant glory upon earth , with his twenty four elders about him , in ecclesiastical visible order . and now the whole militant body , fitly joyned together , and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth , according to the effectual working of the measure of every part from christ , maketh increase of the body , unto the edifying of it self in love , ephes. . . vii . furthermore consider , that though i have proposed but three orders of councils within the nation ; yet in populous nations there may be a 〈◊〉 of provinces , into chief provinces and sub-provinces . if a nation be divided into ( at least ) twelve ecclesiastical provinces , and every one of these divided into ( at least ) twelve sub-provinces , and every one of these into ( at least ) twelve precincts of first councils ; then they will have four orders of councils within the nation . and three such ascents will combine all the world into the holy breastplate of our great high-priest the lord jesus , in an oecumenical council ; or three ascents in one nation , and four such ascents in the combination of all the world , doth in li●…e manner make up the holy breastplate of christ : which council may meet in ierusalem , if the lord will ; and if that be so literal a meaning of sundry texts that way looking . and when that council shall agree of universal dayes of fasting or feasting before the lord , upon iust occasion ; oh! what glorious dayes will those be , when all the world shall appear together before the lord in such acts of worship ! viii . and as an eminent preparatory to these glorious dayes ( when christ shall be king over all the earth , when there shall be one lord , and his name one , zech. . . and when the lord shal accomplish that prophesie e●…e . . , . and i will set up one shepherd over them , and he shall feed them even my servant david , he shall feed them , and he shall be their shepherd ; and i the lord will be their god , and my servant david a prince among them : 〈◊〉 lord have 〈◊〉 it . when christ shall rule all the world , both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs , by the word of his mouth ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the hand of saints , even holy and religious kings , princes , and chief rulers ) oh that the lord would p●… it into the heart of some of his religious and learned servants , to take such pains about the holy hebrew language , as to fit it for this universal glorious use ! considering , that above all languages spoken by the lip of man ( by reaso●…●…f i●… trigra●…macall foundation , and other regular cons●…erations , for the multiplications of all sorts of words ) it is most capable to be enlarged , and fitted to express all things and action●… , all motions and notions that our human●… intellect is capable of ( to speak no higher of i●… ) . in this ●…ortall life . considering also , that it is the invention of god himself , and it is the purest language on earth , not as yet defiled with the scurrilo●… froth and some of carnal wits in writings . considering also , what is promised to be in th●…se dayes , that way looking , zeph. ●… . ●… . i will turn to the people a pure language : and when egypt is converted , it is expressed by this , that they shall speak the language of cana●… ▪ isa. . ▪ when all the world do obeisance to christ disjunction , then all languages shall see my glory . isa. . . but when they do it conjunctim , in what language better then in it , in which god first spake unto man ? how shall all flesh see the glory of the lord together , isa. ●… . . unless there be an universal language ? and what one fitter then that , which it pleased our lord jesus to make use of , when he spake from heaven unto paul●…o ●…o his first conver●…ion , acts●… ●… . ▪ ●… . i saw a light from heaven ; and heard a voice speaking unto me , and saying in the hebrew tongue , saul , saul , &c. chap. iv. the order of electing all th●…se councils ; with consideration of the time of their duration , and of the times and place of meeting . i. the election of the first council is severally performed in euery particular church combined in 〈◊〉 society ; wherein there seldome is any variety of choice , and therefore no difficulty in the action : so that it may be performed either by lifting up of hands , or by a silent vote , when their silence is the sign of their concurrence . i●… there be two teaching elders , the church may send them ●…oth , if they see good , as antioch sent paul and 〈◊〉 , who were two teaching elders of that church , acts ▪ . ●… . and according to the number of teaching elders , whom they send , the like number of ruling elders , or 〈◊〉 brethren ▪ they are to send , and astociate with them . ii. this act of the churches election must be diligently , religiou●…y and sol●…nly attended and performed , a●… being 〈◊〉 and esse●…tially requisite , both for the constitution of all councils , and for the obligation of all churches unto obedience ▪ this act of the church hath reference ▪ not onely to the constitution of the first council , but also of all the rest . for 〈◊〉 ▪ churches are the efficient causes of council●… ▪ none are to be chosen 〈◊〉 a prouincial , national , or oecumenical synod , but such as were first chosen by some particular 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a first 〈◊〉 ▪ and ●…o 〈◊〉 on the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to order . hence 〈◊〉 it must be carefully and expressedly put into th●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the churches election . that 〈◊〉 are chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the ordinance of 〈◊〉 in all the orders of it , both in provincial , national , and oecu●…e ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even unto th●… highest point : for though all that are th●…s elected and sent by the churches ; are not to be elected and sent to provincial , national , and oecumenical councils , yet some of them are to be sent , and all of them are to elect and send . and therefore when the church doth elect and send them to this first council , they are , by this act of the church , impowered to carry on the ordinance of counsel , through all the orders thereof , ev●…n to the top branch , either by electing others , or being ●…ected themselves , unto those services of christ , and of the ●…ches . iii. the time of this election , is to be upon the sabbath immediately preceding the stated time of the first councils ▪ monethly meeting : and then are they to be sent forth with the prayers and blessing of the church . iv. the provincial council doth consist of the choycest instruments in all the first councils , by whom they are chosen and sent with their prayers and blessing : every first council electing the most holy , learned , and able elders , both teaching and ruling , tha●… they have , who are most fit to promote and attain the end●… they are sent for , viz. so carry on the ordinance of counsel in a provincial synod , both by themselves , and by chusing such as may further promote the same in a national council , &c. v. the time of this election , is to be in that session of the first councils , which doth immediately precede the stated quarterly time of the provincial councils meeting . vi. the order and manner of this election may be this : the moderator of that session may first put this to vote , whether they will send bu●… one ▪ or more then one teaching elders ▪ for by the good providence and rich grace of christ ▪ there may be s●…ndry able and eminent lights in one first council , and such , as that it were a publick injury and detriment to the cause of christ , if they be not sent . this provided , that according to the number of teaching elders , a like number of ruling elders be also sent with them . the manner of election may be by papers , if they see meet ; which the moderator and notary are to take , and number , and manifest who are chosen : and such as are chosen , are by the notary to be recorded . vii . the national council doth consist of the most choice , ●…oly , able , and eminent lights in all the provincial councils , by whom they are chosen , and sent forth with their prayers and blessing . every provincial council chusing the most holy and able elders , both teaching and ruling , that they have among them , to constitute a national council , and to carry on the ordinance of counsel , in that high and holy service of christ , and of all the churches in the nation ; ye●… and among other nations if need be , and when there is a calling thereunto . viii . the time of this election , is to be in that session of the provincial councils , which doth immediately precede the stated time of the annual session of the national council . the order and manner of their election , may be in all respects according to the forementioned election in the provincial synod . ix . an oecumenical council , is to consist of the most holy and eminent lights in all the national councils , combined in this holy ordinance of mutual counsel ; and may readily be ordered by this standard , when the lord shall in the riches of his grace , give opportunity to exercise the same . touching the duration of these councils . x. every one of these councils doth continue in being , until , according to order , a new election be made ; the new election doth antiquate the old . hence , as the primitive church had apostles alwayes in being , for their help ; so there be at least three orders of ecclesiastical councils , ever in being in every populous christian nation , who must at the stated times , and may at any ●…it time meet , when the affairs of christ , and of any of the churches do need , and duely call for the same . and when christian nations shall be thus combined , there will be an oecumenical council ever in being : yea , and when all the world shall be combined , there will be a great oecumenical council ever in being ▪ to order all ecclesiastical affaires , in unity , holiness and peace , all the world over . xi . a principal objection ariseth against this fixing and stating of councils ; viz. that although pro-renascent councils are a divine ▪ remedy , when troubles arise , as it was at antioch , who also then finished the council , when the present work was finished : but of fixed , stated , and permanent councils we have no example , nor doth there appear any ground i●… scripture to bottom them upon . ans. the primitive churches had a stated and perm●…nent way of counsel eminently , and more then our stated and permanent councils can be , for they had the apostles and evangelists constantly among them . and though they had fixed elders in every church , yet they did need the visitations , and frequently made use of the counsel of the apostles and evangelists , who were the permanent councils of the primitive churches . and though it hath pleased the wisdome of our great lawgiver , to give us but one example of an ordinary council , and that he hath done , to be our perpetual guide in our ordinary way ; yet there be many examples of the churches need of , and frequent use of the apostles and evangelists counsel , whom they had alwayes with them , or knew when and where to repair unto them for their help . and we finde by much and long experience , that our reforming churches do stand in as much ( if not more ) need of constant and stated councils , as the primitive churches did ▪ of the constant presence of the apostles and evangelists , alwayes for their directive , and often for their corrective ●…elp . we finde by experience , that our churches do oftener need the directive help of councils , then the corrective , and in both respects together we need them to be always in being . many good works for the promotion of the gospel and kingdom of jesus christ do stick long in the birth , and languish : yea , oft miscarry and vanish for want of the help of councils . sundry churches also , and remote places , ly long in the dark , without food and help , for want of the orderly care of setled councils ; every bodies work is no-bodies . but when all churches are in order , all know where their work lyeth . disorders likewise , and insuperable distempers , by long ●…retting and burning in the bosom of sundry churches , to the great dishonour of god , and scandal to the saints , for want of stated councils : some or other refusing ( in the time of their temptations ) to submit themselves unto the remedy , especially having that advantage , that without their consent , a pro-renascent council may not be called ; or if called by some onely , they have the less opportunity of doing good , and are in the more danger of doing hurt . nor can it be said that there is no example nor ground of stated and permanent councils in the holy scriptures , seeing the apostles and evangelists were so , and more , unto the primitive churches . hence also it was enough to give us one p●…tern of an ordinary council , there was no need for the continuation thereof , whilst the apostles and evangelists did survive . object . but doth not this strengthen the argument for bishops , and such like superintendents over the churches ? for so they a gue . ans. were there a like example in an ordinary way , set down in scripture , for this work to be done by any one man not extraordinarily called , as there is for a council , then their argument would have force with it ; but such ●… pattern , or precept for it , is not to be found . and the way of councils , ( which is clearly instituted ) is sufficient to attain the end , as we have found by pracious and pienteous experience : though we are still defective , in that we have not our councils stated , and we do finde great inconvenience by reason of that defect . xii . these councils , in the time of their duration , may multiply or cut short their sessions , as need may require , according as the business of the churches , and affairs of christ may be more or less pressing and urgent . xiii . there be two sorts of their meetings , sta●…ed ▪ occasional . the stated meetings of the first councils are every moneth ▪ and what if it should be on the ●…irst third day of the week , in every month , through the year ? the stated meeting of the provincial councils , are once every quarter : and what if two of them be the first third day after the sun touches the middle point of the summer and winter solstices ? and the other two , the first third day after the sun is in the vernal and autumnal equin●…ial ▪ with this consideration , that if the sun touch any of these points upon the third day of the week , then that is the day of meeting ; if on any other day , then the third day after . the stated meeting of the national council , is once a year , and best in the spring : and what if it be the last third day of the first moneth called march ? xiv . the law of the constitution doth call all these councils to meet at the stated times , without any other order or appointment . xv. it is very requisite that some eminent man preach a publick lecture , on the day of the meeting of every council , ●…o draw many saints together , and to raise a strong breath of prayer , and to put the greater solemnity upon so holy a work . xvi . occasional meetings may be multiplied either by intricacy of cases , variety of opinions , troublesomeness of persons , danger of churches , gross scandals that cannot proceed to censure , because of some obstruction , without the help of counsel . such occasional meetings ▪ if foreseen , may be appointed by the council before they rise ; if not foreseen , then they must be called by the moderator then in being , and the notary , by letters under either of their hands , where distance of place requireth it . xvii . the place of meeting for these councils , and especially of the first councils is not to be limited , or tyed to any one place , because there be sundry considerations about the place , whereof one may be prevalent at one time , and another time another : sometimes the age , and unfitness for travel of some eminently useful person ; sometimes the common conveniency for all : sometimes it may edifie to meet in that church where the chief trouble may at the present be , ard yet this not alwayes so , because the troubles of antioch were heard and setled at ierusalem , where the best and ablest counsel was to be had , with the least trouble and inconveniency unto any . chap. v. the generall work of all ecclesiasticall councils . these ecclesiastical councils are to do for all the churches in an ordinary way , what the apostles were to do in an extraordinary way . the care of all the churches doth lye upon them , which appeareth both in the manner of their constitution , and end of their meeting . yea , they are to do for all the world what lyeth in them , as the apostles were to do , matth . go , and teach all nations , &c. i. hence , first , if there be any heathen people that yet know not christ , it is a work well-becoming any of these orders of councils , and all of them in their harmony , to seek out , and send forth sit labourers to such a work and service of christ , to carry the gospel , and preach jesus christ unto them ; to gather and plant churches amongst them . and it is the duty of particular churches , unto whose society such instruments , chosen by the councils , do belong , by fasting and prayer , and imposition of hands , to send them forth unto that work ; as the church of antioch did unto barn●…bas and saul , when they were extraordinarily called , and sent forth unto such a work as we are now speaking of , acts . , . and this will be one holy way of improvement of church-treasuries raised by voluntary contributions , to spread and propagate the gospel to all the world. ii. if there be any among the professing nations that sie in darkness , and in the region of the shadow of death , and see no light , ( and too many such dark corners there be , in the land of zebulon and naphthali , mat. ▪ , . ) who have none to bring the glad tidings of light and life unto them , at least , none that do it : it well becometh the vigilance of these councils , to provide and send ●…it instruments unto them , by whose labours , the light ( through grace ) may arise , and shine among them . and it is the duty of the churches to send forth such persons with their prayers and blessing , as abovesaid . iii. if there be any sister-church that hath no breasts , ( which , by death or other means oft falleth out , where churches are numerous ) it is a special and proper care of the ecclesiastical councils , to take a prudent , pious , and speedy course for their supply : it being a matter that hath a great tendency to the well-being not onely of that church , but of the councils also , into whose communion ●…ll elders are received . and unto this point of their care and duty it doth belong , sometimes to remove lights from one candlestick to another , where the gifts and labours of some special instruments may be most fruitful , to the glory of god , and the publick good of religion , and all the churches . but this is to be done with all wisdome , tenderness , and evidence of scripture-light , that it is the will of god , and for his glory so to be ▪ that so the church concerned may yield it as an act of obedience to christ , for whose sake they should be willing to pluck out their right eyes , and give them unto christ , in obedience as unto the apostles , so unto coun●…ils their ordinary successors . iv. as the care of all the churches dyeth on the ecclesiastical councils , so especially the care of those churches which are in combination together , and whose communion they do act , and towards whom their first trust and care is to be exercised , for their well-being on earth , and for the furtherance of their eternal being in the kingdome of heaven , and in all for the glory of christ : and in particular to take care that there be general directions for publick worship , and all other ecclesiastical administrations , and conversation ; and for catec●…ism , and platform both of doctrine and discipline . v. if any errour or heresie arise , or be by any evil instruments openly or secretly buzzed and infused , or any way ●…ented and diffused , to ●…azard the infecting and poisoning any of the people : it is a special care of these councils to take up the matter , to clear up the light of the case by the word of god , and in due order to settle the cause . and suppress the errour , by counselling the church to whom the person belongeth , to a due exercise of discipline , if need be . vi. if any controversie , or doubtful disputation arise in any of the churches , about any point of religion ▪ either in faith or order ; because all difference of opinion is apt to breed aliemtion of affection , and give entrance to satan , and grief to the spirit of love and peace : it concerneth the councils , with all care and prudence , in due order to settle and si●…nce such a controversie . vii . if any strife or division arise among any , either person●… , or parties , or churches , or towns , or magistrates ; because all strife is of satan , and dangerous , and the higher the worse : therefore it ought to be the care of all the councils , speedily to reconcile ( in an ecclesiastical way , as to their spirits and affections ) all such strife ▪ with all care refusing to in●…erpose , o●… meddle with the civil cause , if any be , leaving that to be decided in civil order , according to the ordinance of god. viii . if there arise any difficulty in any of the churches about election of officers , administration of censures , admission of members , education of youth , or in such like cases ; ( and when do all these vigorously proceed without difficulty ? ) it is the duty and care of these councils , by the evidence of the light of the word of god , so to advise and counsel these churches , as that they may proceed to act in due unity , good order , and in the power and peace of the gospel . ix . because the pious and prudent management of the publick stock of prayers and pra●…es , is a point that greatly doth concern the church militant : and because all the great motions in the world are steered and man●…ged by divine providence , according to the prayers of the churches , and of the saints ; hence it is a great service of christ , and of the churches , for all the councils to order and present matter of prayers and thanksgiving , and also to order and guide the times and seasons of publick fastings and thanksgivings . the management of the great wheel of publick prayers ▪ as to the presenting of matter , and ordering of seasons , lyeth within the care and guidance of the councils , by whose pious prudence , all the churches will be led on in an united spirit of prayer , both for matter and seasons ▪ but abandoning the an●…ichristian stinted forms and ti●…es . x. if colonies , or new towns are to be erected in wildernesses , or any unhabited places in the world ; and people appear ready in their mindes to undertake such a design : it is a singular point of wisdom and love , to manage such a design religiously , so as that god may go with them , and dwell in the midst of them . and therefore it is necessary that they have the ministry of gods word , and some other godly persons with them , who ●…ay carry on church-work among them . and this care belongeth to the councils , to order , guide , and provide for them . xi . when parishional congregations are to be called up unto reformation ; and when officers are to be ordained among them , where none were before ; and when , by addition of churches unto the communion , councils are to be multiplied : these ( and such like ) are blessed births , and very well-pleasing to christ ; and o●… how well it becometh these ecclesiastical councils to midwife forth such births as these ? xii . when a whole church or the major part thereof , do remove their dwelling●… , and transplant themselves into some other pl●…ce ; great care is to be had , that christ may go with them that go , and that christ may tarry , and not depart from them that tarry : the care of the holy and ●…oving management of such a design , doth much concern , and well become the holy care of the ecclesiastical councils . chap. vi. concerning the particular works of all the orders of councils : and first of the first order . when a council of the first order is met at the stated time , and in the place agreed on , and have compleated themselves by chusing moderator and notáries , and have commended their work , their churches , and all the government , civil and ecclesiastical , &c. unto god in prayer ; then i. the moderator , with the co-attestation of his associate ruling elder , doth first declare the present state of the church where they do minister , and who have sent them , to act communion of councils with the sister-churches here represented , in this council . the present state of the church he doth declare , in these five points , in answering to these five questions : . whether they walk together in truth and love ? truthing it in love , eph. . . . whether peace ruleth in their hearts , and braves it among them ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , col. . . . whether they walk in holiness of life , evangelically unblameable ? luk. . . . whether the lambs of the flock be diligently ●…ed , and trained up for christ , in the nurture and admonition of the lord ? joh. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , my little lambs . the care of the lambs , is one third part of the charge over the flock of god. . whether the lords-day be reverently , religiously and strictly observed by all ? rev. . . isai. . . the affirmative of these questions , ( in gospel measure , and endeavour , though not without infirmities ) declared by him , and co-attested by his associate ruling elder , is to be accepted , with all thankfulness unto god , for the present good estate in christ , of that church ; and the notary is to record the same to the praise of christ jesus . ii. the moderator is to call upon all the elder●… in order , to declare , with the co-attestation of their associate ●…uling elders , the state of all the churches , touching the same five questions . all whose reports are distinctly to be recorded , as the present good estate , in christ , of all those churches , to stand as a monument of gods mercy to future ages : and to be presented upon record unto the provincial and national councils . iii. if all the churches walk in an evangelical measure of truth , peace and holiness , and have no cause that laboureth among them , for want of help●…d ●…d counsel ; then the moderator is to declare to ●…e praise of god , that the work of this present session , as touching their own churches , is finished . iv. but if there be any difference ▪ or strife , or any difficul●… case in any of the churches , there opened by the elders : the matter is first to be put , and resolved into a question or questions , according as the state of the case doth require : and those questions recorded , as matter for the council to give advice in , unto that church from whence they came . also it must be provided , that the party , or parties concerned in the case , or cases , be present , both at the ●…ating of the questions , and discussion thereof , and at the application thereof unto the particular case ; and that he or they have competent liberty to discuss , argue , answer , or wha●… ever is requisite , to finde out and clear up the truth . the answer to the questions , and the application thereof ( so far as may stand with due reverence to the church and glory of christ ) are to be recorded . v. if there be any case which the elders see cause not to produce themselves , or do refuse , th●… any broth●…r concerned may , yea though it reflect upon the elders themselves . or in case of male-administration : or if any already censured appeal for further light and conviction : or if any deserving ce●…sure , do appeal from the church for cle●…er conviction , and the church seeth cause to defer proceeding unto censure , ( as sometimes it may be ) upon his appeal : or whatsoever the case or trouble be ; only all such proposals by any of the ●…ernity , must be with due reverence , humility , and in the fear of god. vi. if any other person or persons whatever , have any question or case , in matters of religion , to propose unto the council , they in the next place may have liberty in a reverent and orderly manner , to propose the same , and it is to be considered and answered . also any other matter concerning the publick good of the churches , and promotion of religion , may be discussed and ordered , as fastings , feastings ●…ropagation of the gospel , and the like . vii . if business so multiply , that one day sufficeth not to fi●…ish the work , the council have liberty to appoint other times , so of●… a●… they need , within the moneth : and if they finish not in that moneth , it must be left on record how the case standeth , and so to be presented to the council that shall be chosen for the next moneth , which ordinarily , in this order , will be the same persons , or ( at least ) most of them . viii . if any case prove too hard for them to resolve , or if they be con●…iderably divided in judgement , then the case is to be transmitted to the next provincial council , and ●…ecorded so to be , with the reasons of transmitting the sa●… . ix . if they agree in counsel about any case or point of religion , in faith or order : and if any person or persons , or church concerned therein , do not accept of their counsel and judgement ; he , or they , have liberty to appeal to the next provincial council ; provided , that if the council advise the church to proceed to ce●…re , they are to follow that counsel , notwithstanding his appeal , and not to 〈◊〉 sin to ly upon their brother ; for if it were in the appeala●… power to stop the clear process of a gospel-medicine to his soul in gross scandals , some would never come under the soul-medicine of christ jesus , or not so soon as were meet : but he may appeal higher , for all actions of the churches and councils , are ●…ble to a review , until it come unto the highest . and his appeal ▪ with the reasons and manner thereof , are to be recorded . x. every first council , in the sessions immediately foregoing the quarterly time of the provincial councils meeting , must chuse from among themselves , at least one teaching elder and one ruling elder , to be sent unto the provincial synod , as members of the same , there to represent the first councils ( who chose and sent them ) and all the churches with them combined : and to carry on the ordinance of counsel among them , according to due order . xi . unto these thus chosen for the provincial council , are to be delivered in writing , first , a note of the present state of all the churches combined with them . secondly , a note of such cases as are transmi●…ed to the provincial council , if any such be . and thirdly , a note of such appeals as are made unto them , if any such be : all these , being first read , are then delivered unto them . and thus they are sent with their prayers and blessing . xii . when all these elders do return to their own churches , they ●…re ( so far as in prudence is meet ) to relate the particular state of all the churches , the acts of the council , the persons chos●…n for the provincial council , the cases transmitted , and appeales ; or so much as may give them a general view of the publick state of the churches and affaires of christ , as matter of continual prayers , praises and obedience in all the churches . the particular works of the provincial council , the second order of councils . the provincial council being met at the stated time , and in the place agreed on , moderators and notaries chosen , the work blessed , as in the council of the first order ; then . the moderator , with the co-attestation of his associate ruling el●…er , declareth the present state of the first council that sent them ; as also the present state of all the churches combined in that council , which he delivereth in writing , and may be now read in this council . then he delivereth in writing such cases as are transmitted to them , and such appeales as are made unto them , if any such be ; these being also read in the council , are kept in order by the notaries . the notaries are to record the present state of that council , and the general good estate of all the churches , referring unto the records thereof now presented . . the moderator is to call upon all the elders , in order , with their associates , delegated from all the first councils , who are all to do as the moderator did , declaring the state of the councils , and of the churches , delivering their writings to the notaries , which are all read , and recorded . . the notaries are to produce , when called for , all the papers which present any business or work unto the council , either by transmission , or by appeals : which are orderly to be discussed . care being taken , that all persons concerned be present , and have free and competent liberty to argue , answer , object , dispute , or what else may be requisite for finding out of the truth . . if there be no cases transmitted , nor appeals from any first councils , then the business of the lord , touching all their churches , is ( with glory and praise to christ ) so soon finished as mentioned . . if any person or persons whatsoever , have any questions or cases concerning religion , & ecclesiastical affairs of christ , now they have liberty , in due reverence and order , to propose the same to be discussed and answered . and if work multiply , the council may either tarry together , or multiply their sessions , so oft as they see cause , in their quarter . and what cases they have unfinished , they are to leave them upon record for the next council . . if there be any case too difficult for them , or that they be considerably divided in judgement in , then that case is to transmitted to the national council . the notary is to record it , with the reasons thereof . . if any counsel or judgement agreed on by this council , be not accepted or acquiesced in , by the party or parties concerned ▪ he or they may appeal unto the national council , for further light ; and the notaries are to record it , and the reasons thereof . provided , that if this council advise the church to proceed to censure , they may so do , if they see cause , notwithstanding his appeal . . those provincial councils which do immediately forego the stated time of the national councils meeting , are each of them to chuse , at least , one teaching , and one ruling elder , according to the manner aforesaid , who are to be representatives of these provincial councils , and of all the first councils , and churches with them combined , in the national council ; who are chosen to carry on the ordinance of counsel in that order . . the notaries are publickly in the presence of every council , to deliver in writing unto them who are chosen for the national council , . the present state of all the first councils , and of all the churches combined with them . . all the causes that are transmitted by them unto the national council . . the appeals , if any such be . all these , being first read , are delivered to them : and so they are sent with their prayers and blessing . . if these councils foresee any future sessions this quarter , they may now agree upon the same : if any fasts or feasts are to be kept by all their churches , they may now agree upon it , and propose the causes thereof . . when these elders do next meet in their first councils , they must prudently and faithfully report the good state of all the rest of the first councils in the province , and of all the churches combined with them , and all other weighty affairs fitting to be communicated , that so they may relate them to their churches , that these things may be mutter of joy , praise thanksgiving , prayer , and obedience in all the churches . the particular works of the national and highest ecclesiastical council within the nation . the national council being met at the stated time , and place agreed on , compleated and blessed ; then . the moderator , with the co attestation of the ruling elder his associate , is to declare unto them the present good estate of that provincial council which sent them , as also the state of all the first councils , and particular churches with them combined ▪ also he declareth such cases●…s ●…s are transmitted by them unto this council ; and such appeals as are made unto them , as part of the present●… business of this council . all these things to be delivered in writing distinctly , unto the notaries , who reade them all , and then record the present good estate of that province , and all the councils and churches therein combined ; as also the matters that are from them dilated unto the present council . . the moderator calleth all the rest of the provincial representatives in order , who are to make the like declaration ●…s the moderator hath done , with the co-attestation of their associate ruling elders . all their papers are to be delivered to the notaries , who are to reade , and then record them distinctly , with the present ecclesiastical state of all the provinces in the nation , whose representatives do there appear , & make declaration thereof before the national council . . the notaries are orderly to propose all the matters ▪ presented by the provincial councils , when the moderator requireth the same . care being had , that the persons concerned be present , and have free and competent liberty to argue , answer , object , in due , reverent , and modest manner , and to do what may be necessary for the finding out of the truth . . if there be no cases transmitted to them , nor appeals , the affairs of all the churches in the nation are presently issued , with glory and praise to the lord iesus , the king of peace . . if any other person or persons within the nation , or of any other nation , have any cases or questions about religion , they may now have liberty of proposing the same , to receive an answer . . if any cases of difficulty be such , as that they cannot obtain an issue , and resolution satisfactory , then the case must be recorded , and stay untill by further consideration and discussion , god shall please to reveal further light therein , because there is no higher council to appeal unto for light , within the nation . and in such casés , so the apostles did walk , and teach the churches to walk , phil . , . let us therefore as many as be perfect , be thus minded : and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , god shall reveal even this unto you . nevertheless , whereunto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule ▪ let us minde the same things . but if the matter be of due weight and worth , then either by transmission or appeal , it may ascend unto an occumenical council . . if any person or persons , whose opinion or practice receiveth a judgement , with counsel and advice in reference to the person or persons concerned , and he or they rest not therein , as to peace and order ; then if he or they ( be they many or few ) be not already under church ▪ censure ; the church to which they belong , are to proceed ( according to the determination of this council in the case ) unto their censure , as the church of corinth did upon the advice of paul , cor. . , . for the healing of their soules , and bringing of them unto repentance , and good order . which being effected , the end of all this acting , both in conviction and correction , is attended . and thus , within the compass of one year , the whole order of ecclesiastical discipline hath its course , and that in a most difficult case . . but yet if he or they rest not , such are high disturbers , and must be suppressed by civil power . and in civil order , he that doth not submit unto and rest in ( as to peace and order ) the sentence of the supreme power , is guilty of a capital offence , and ought to be put to death , by the law of god , deut. . , , , . and the reason is ; because order is better then any of our lives . it is a greater good to preserve order , then to preserve the lives of the wilfull and obstinate violaters thereof . and the loss of order and peace in ecclesiastical government , in the way of the churches , is of greater consequence , then the loss of their lives . zec. . , . . all things that are to be commended or committed to civil authority , either from the churches , or in behalf of the churches , and religion , are to be resolved , and acted by the national council . where great care is to be had , to keep a clear distinction , betwixt civil and ecclesiastical power , and not to meddle , or in the least , intrude or intrench upon civil authority . the usurpation of antichrist upon the civil authority , must ever keep the ecclesiastical councils in a vigilant fear of that aspiring pride : a worm too apt to breed and grow in the breasts of learned , and eminently gifted men , if there be not a vigilant spirit of mortification , and humble subjection unto order . it will be necessary that an appointed committee of this national council be alwayes ( some or other of them ) resident near unto the supream civil authority ; that they may speedily have notice of all occurrences , that may have respect unto , or concern the ecclesiastical affaires of the churches : and may receive commands from authority , about fastings or feastings , according to the well or ill being of the affaires of the nation , or the churches , either at home or abroad ; and may call together the whole council , if there be any cause that it should be so , &c. . such publick fasts and feasts as concern all the churches in the nation to solemnize , which are not first commanded by civil authority , why may they not be appointed and agreed on by the national council●… such publick sins as are to be bewailed ; such mercies as are to be i●…plored for our churches , or for the nation , or for forreign churches and nations ; such motions and designes of spreading and propagating religion as are in hand , &c. these are to be presented to all the churches as matter of prayer , both ordinary and extraordinary . . when these members of the national council return unto the provincial councils , whose delegates they ( immediately ) are , they are to report unto them the state and affaires of all the churches in the nation , and in forreign nations also and they are to report them to all the first councils . and they unto all the churches , as matters of prai●…e , and prayer to god , and of incouragement to obedience unto government . and that this communication of ecclesiastical affaires may be the more readily expedited : . all the first councils , or some one of every council , may meet that day seven night after the provincial councils meeting to hear the affaires of all the province . and some of the provincial council may be there , to declare the affaires of all the churches in the province . . so likewise the provincial councils ( or some of every provincial council ) may meet that day seven-night after the session of the national council , to hear the affaires of the whole nation , and some of the national council may be there to give information of all things ●…ing to be communic●…ted . but experience will put men upon the best w●…y of order in these things . the p●…rticular duties of the oecumeni●…al council i pass in silence ; i leave them to their consideration , whose happy 〈◊〉 it shall be , to see those gl●…rious times , when such councils shall be called . notwithstanding these publick orders of councils , it is lawful for any person , or parties , or church , to take any private ●…unsel , that he or they will or c●…n obtain , according to god , 〈◊〉 they ●…ay have occ●…sion . chap. vii . concerning the way to bring every christian parishional congregation to be an explicite reforming congregational church . i. every parishional congregation , who solemnly renouncing all their sins and evils , both personal and ●…cclesiastical , shall willingly ( by what wayes , means , or motives soever thereunto induced ) submit themselves and their children to the government of christ , in gospel-order ; and particularly to be guided in the common concernments of religion , by the holy advice of the forenamed orders of councils ; and do ( by their pious and prudent counsel and concurrence ) orderly elect all officers , both elders and deacons , among themselves , and promise for themselves and their households , to walk in the christian exercise of all gods ordinances , according to rule , in the faith and order of the gospel : that parish , or so many of them as shall herein concurre . is to be owned a particular reforming congregational church ; and is to be received into the communion of the churches in this order of government . they delivering this act of theirs in writing , unto that first council with whom they associate , there to be recorded . ii. it may , by the good blessing of god , greatly promote rel●…gion , and the reformation of particular churches , if such of the godly gentry of the land , who are not in civil authority , would please to do that honour to christ , to subject themselves to his service , in accepting of the offices of ruling elders and deacons , in the ●…urches of jesus christ. it would much strengthen the hands of church-government , and be no small honour to themselves ; and they will hereby render themselves great in the kingdome of heaven . iii. by the ordinance o●… 〈◊〉 prudentl●… exercised , both publickly in the church , and in private houses , all t●… church are to be trained up unto a competency of knowledge in jesus christ. iv. special ●…are is to be had in the training up of youth in the good knowledge of god , made manifest to the church by their publick account , answer , or confession thereof ; a●…d unto an explicite acknowledgement of christ , with sub●… and engagement of themselves unto the c●…urch , wherein they give up themselves and their children unto god , to be ruled by religion , in the faith and order of the gospel . which done , their children are to be baptized . v. upon the due evidence of some hopeful reall work and change of heart by faith and repentance , duely manifested to the church , whereby the persons concerned may be in charity conceived able to examine themselves , & ●…o discern the lords body in the sacrament , and spiritually to judge of a spiritual cause , such ought , by the church , to be received unto communion in the sacrament of the lords supper , and such males unto voting in the church ; because ordinarily , such as are able to discern christ in the sacrament , are also able spiritually to discern of a spiritual cause , and thereby capable to vote , in such cases wherein the fraternity is called to voting in the church . chap. viii . touching the maintenance of these councils . i. though it be meet that all their necessary charges be born for them ; for who goeth on a warfare at his own charge ? yet it is in no wise meet that any profits or revenues should be annexed unto any of the councils , from the lowest unto the highest . worldly profit , power and splendor , are beneath the spirit and aim of the gospel of jesus christ. onely the notaries place , being a service of much ●…bour , pains and diligence , it is me●…t that some consideration be had for some convenient recompence for their labour . ii. if any godly minded christian , out of a love unto , and zeal for the honour of the kingdome of jesus christ , should desire to give , and annex maintenance unto any of these forenamed councils , more then conveniently to bear their charges ( as noble constantine did for the worldly splendor of the bishops ) it ought not to be permitted , but religiously opposed : for it will certainly prove an inlet of great corruption , ambition , avarice , and strife , unworthy and unfit persons will endeavour to br●…be themselves into places , more for the wages , then for the work. iii. the honour of the service , and the glory of christ that is upon the messengers of the churches , these are i●…separable from the work , and are as much as flesh and blood ( we being in the flesh , and state militant ) will be able to weather , and keep from running ●…ground upon . but revenue and profit are separable from the work , ●…d must be religiously and earnestly ▪ kept off ▪ it being a wor●… that will surely ▪ corrupt ● this blessed work , and glorious service of iesur christ. iv. a small revenue will maintain the government of churches by councils , even in a great nation , in comparison of the vast revenues which the antichristian hierarchy hav●… fa●…ed and inriched themselves withall : which also hath advantaged them to arrogate unto themselves , and 〈◊〉 civil authority . and by these carnal 〈◊〉 unto the church , religion hath been corrupted , most men have been damned , and ●…ew saved . therefore the church ought now , in our reformation and res●…rection , to despise the world , and ▪ not to suffer great revenues to be annexed unto this part of the kingdome of christ especially . v. the religious meetings of councils , must be 〈◊〉 of all meetings of all men , throughout the nation : for they are many shining lights met together , and all men will mark what they do , and one inch of ex●…ss in them who a●…e the center , will be an ell in the people . hence they must strive to be patterns to all men . . in gravity : not full of mi●…th , laughter and jesting . ●… . in sobriety : no excess in drinking wine and strong drink . . in moderation of diet , ornaments , or any pomp. . in sedu●…ity , and diligence : it is the lords work , and cursed be he that doth the work of the lord negtigently . . in all holiness of discourse and behaviour . . in patience and meekne●… of spirit , in all matters . . in care for the publick cause of christ , and welfare of 〈◊〉 the churches , the chief care of all which doth firstly and chiefly ly upon the moderators . vi. great care is to be had of the first councils , that there may be some grave and exemplar e●…ers in every one of them , because according to ou●… custom , there may be sundry that are young , raw , and weak , and need to be trained up unto the gravity , prudence , and holiness of the affaires of christ his ecclesiastical kingdome . care is also to be had , that grave , sober , and pruden●… ruling elders may be sent , such as may be an awe unto gr●…en and young schollars , where need may be . care is also to be had , that they stay no longer then necessary business , and just imployment holdeth them , that there may be no temptations like company-keeping in vanity , and smoaking away their precious time . vii . their entertainment may be d. ordinary at ●…oon , and d. at night , provided they be necessita●…ed to tar●…y ●…ll night , otherwise their charges are but their dinner and horse ▪ mea●… . for the defr●…ying of which charge , the deacons of that church where they meet , may be authorized so to order the matte●… with the deacons of all the churches in that combination , as that the charge shall be by them defrayed , and not put to the accompt of any of the elders . and by the same hands some recompence may be given to the notaries , for their labour and service . for the supply of which charge , the voluntary contributions of every church will be such a treasury , as will never know want , so long as religion , and love to christ remain and rule among them . viii . the provincial councils will be more choice and grave assemblies , and their treatment must be with more respect and reverence : but their expences with the like moderation and sobriety . it is to be supposed that these dwell more remote , are fuller of work , and must tarry longer . if the state entertain these , and allow them li. a session for their four stated sessions in a year ; and li. for the notaries , it will not be a great charge . and if the national council have li. per annum for their attendance and notaries . one thousand pound per annum will suffice for a great nation where they may be in twenty ecclesiastical provinces . and this charge will be less then the the revenues of some one bishoprick . the design of antichrist was to pamper the flesh ; the design of christ is to morti●…ie it , and to honour grace . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ⸫ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heads of agreement assented to by the united ministers in and about london, formerly called presbyterian and congregational approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) heads of agreement assented to by the united ministers in and about london, formerly called presbyterian and congregational howe, john, - . [ ], p. printed by r.r. for tho. cockerill ... and john dunton ..., london : . largely the work of john howe. cf. dnb. "licensed and entred according to order" reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng presbyterian church -- relations -- congregational churches. christian union -- england -- london. congregational churches -- relations -- presbyterian church. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion heads of agreement assented to by the united ministers in and about london : formerly called presbyterian and congregational . licensed and entred according to order . london : printed by r. r. for tho. cockerill , at the three legs , and iohn dunton at the raven , in the poultrey . mdcxci . the preface to the reader . endeavours for an agreement among christians , will be grievous to none who desire the flourishing state of christianity it self . the success of these attempts among us , must be ascribed to a presence of god so signal , as not to be concealed ; and seems a hopeful pledg of further blessings . the favour of our rulers in the present established liberty , we most thankfully acknowledg ; and to them we are studious to approve our selves in the whole of this affair . therefore we declare against intermedling with the national church-form : imposing these terms of agreement on others , is disclaimed : all pretence to coercive power , is as unsuitable to our principles , as to our circumstances : excommunication it self , in our respective churches , being no other than a declaring such scandalous members as are irreclaimable , to be incapable of communion with us in things peculiar to visible believers : and in all , we expresly determine our purpose , to the maintaining of harmony and love among our selves , and preventing the inconveniences which humane weakness may expose to in our use of this liberty . the general concurrence of ministers and people in this city , and the great disposition thereto in other places , persuade us , this happy work is undertaken in a season designed for such divine influence , as will overcome all impediments to peace , and convince of that agreement which has been always among us in a good degree , tho neither to our selves nor others so evident , as hereby it is now acknowledged . need there any arguments to recommend this vnion ? is not this what we all have prayed for , and providence by the directest indications hath been long calling and disposing us to ? can either zeal for god , or prudent regards to our selves remissly suggest it , seeing the blessings thereof are so important , and when it 's become in so many respects even absolutely necessary ; especially as it may conduce to the preservation of the protestant religion , and the kingdoms weal ; a subserviency whereto , shall always govern our vnited abilities , with the same disposition to a concurence with all others who are duly concerned for those national blessings . as these considerations render this agreement desirable , so they equally urge a watchful care against all attemps of satan to dissolve it , or frustrate the good effects thereof so manifestly destructive to his kingdom . therefore it's incumbent on us , to forbear condemning and disputing those different sentiments and practices we have expresly allowed for : to reduce all distinguishing names , to that of united brethren : to admit no uncharitable jealousies , or censorious speeches ; much less any debates whether party seems most favoured by this agreement . such carnal regards are of small moment with us , who herein have used words less acurate , that neither side might in their various conceptions about lesser matters be contradicted , when in all substantials we are fully of one mind ; and from this time hope more perfectly to rejoice in the honour , gifts , and success of each other , as our common good . that we as united , may contribute our utmost to the great concernments of our redeemer , it 's mutually resolved , we will assist each other with our labours , and meet and consult , without the least shadow of separate or distinct parties : whence we joyfully expect great improvements in light and love , through the more abundant supplies of the spirit ; being well assured we herein serve that prince of peace , of the increase of whose government and peace , there shall be no end . this agreement is already assented to by above fourscore ministers , and the preface approved of . heads of agreement assented to by the united ministers , &c. the following heads of agreement have been resolved upon , by the united ministers in and about london , formerly called presbyterian and congregational ; not as a measure for any national constitution , but for the preservation of order in our congregations , that cannot come up to the common rule by law established . i. of churches and church-members . . we acknowledge our lord jesus christ to have one catholick church , or kingdom , comprehending all that are united to him , whether in heaven or earth . and do conceive the whole multitude of visible believers , and their infant-seed ( commonly called the catholick visible church ) to belong to christ's spiritual kingdom in this world : but for the notion of a catholick visible church here , as it signifies its having been collected into any formed society , under a visible human head on earth , whether one person singly , or many collectively , we , with the rest of protestants , unanimously disclaim it . . we agree , that particular societies of visible saints , who under christ their head , are statedly joined together for ordinary communion with one another , in all the ordinances of christ , are particular churches , and are to be owned by each other , as instituted churches of christ , tho differing in apprehensions and practice in some lesser things . . that none shall be admitted as members , in order to communion in all the special ordinances of the gospel , but such persons as are knowing and sound in the fundamental doctrines of the christian religion , without scandal in their lives ; and to a judgment regulated by the word of god , are persons of visible godliness and honesty ; credibly professing cordial subjection to jesus christ. . a competent number of such visible saints ( as before described ) do become the capable subjects of stated communion in all the special ordinances of christ , upon their mutual declared consent and agreement to walk together therein according to gospel rule . in which declaration , different degrees of expliciteness , shall no way hinder such churches from owning each other , as instituted churches . . tho parochial bounds be not of divine right , yet for common edification , the members of a particular church ought ( as much as conveniently may be ) to live near one another . . that each particular church hath right to chuse their own officers ; and being furnished with such as are duly qualified and ordained according to the gospel rule , hath authority from christ for exercising government , and of enjoying all the ordinances of worship within it self . . in the administration of church power , it belongs to the pastors and other elders of every particular church ( if such there be ) to rule and govern : and to the brotherhood to consent , according to the rule of the gospel . . that all professors as before described , are bound in duty , as they have opportunity , to join themselves as fixed members of some particular church ; their thus joining , being part of their professed subjection to the gospel of christ , and an instituted means of their establishment and edification ; whereby they are under the pastoral care , and in case of scandalous or offensive walking , may be authoritatively admonished or censured for their recovery , and for vindication of the truth , and the church professing it . . that a visible professor thus joined to a particular church , ought to continue stedfastly with the said church ; and not forsake the ministry and ordinances there dispensed , without an orderly seeking a recommendation unto another church . which ought to be given , when the case of the person apparently requires it . ii. of the ministry . . we agree , that the ministerial office is instituted by jesus christ , for the gathering , guiding , edifying , and governing of his church ; and to continue to the end of the world . . they who are called to this office , ought to be endued with competent learning , and ministerial gifts , as also with the grace of god , found in judgment , not novices in the faith and knowledg of the gospel ; without scandal , of holy conversation , and such as devote themselves to the work and service thereof . . that ordinarily none shall be ordained to the work of this ministry , but such as are called and chosen thereunto by a particular church . . that in so great and weighty a matter , as the calling and chusing a pastor , we judg it ordinarily requisite , that every such church consult and advise with the pastors of neighbouring congregations . : that after such advice , the person consulted about , being chosen by the brotherhood of that particular church over which he is to be set , and he accepting , be duly ordained , and set apart to his office over them ; wherein t is ordinarily requisite , that the pastors of neighbouring congregations concur with the preaching-elder , or elders , if such there be . . that whereas such ordination is only intended for such as never before had been ordained to the ministerial office ; if any judge , that in the case also of the removal of one formerly ordained , to a new station or pastoral charge , there ought to be a like solemn recommending him and his labours to the grace and blessing of god ; no different sentiments or practice herein , shall be any occasion of contention or breach of communion among us . . it is expedient , that they who enter on the work of preaching the gospel , be not only qualified for communion of saints ; but also that , except in cases extraordinary , they give proof of their gifts and fitness for the said work , unto the pastors of churches of known abilites to discern and judge of their qualifications ; that they may be sent forth with solemn approbation and prayer ; which we judge needful , that no doubt may remain concerning their being called to the work ; and for preventing ( as much as in us lieth ) ignorant and rash intruders . iii. of censures . . as it cannot be avoided , but that in the purest churches on earth , there will sometimes offences and scandals arise by reason of hypocrisie and prevailing corruption ; so christ hath made it the duty of every church , to reform it self by spiritual remedies , appointed by him to be applied in all such cases ; viz. admonition , and excommunication . . admonition , being the rebuking of an offending member in order to conviction , is in case of private offences to be performed according to the rule in mat. . v. , , . and in case of publick offences , openly before the church , as the honour of the gospel , and nature of the scandal shall require : and if either of the admonitions take place for the recovery of the fallen person , all further proceedings in a way of censure , are thereon to cease , and satisfaction to be declared accordingly . . when all due means are used , according to the order of the gospel , for the restoring an offending and scandalous brother ; and he notwithstanding remains impenitent , the censure of excommunication is to be proceeded unto ; wherein the pastor and other elders ( if there be such ) are to lead , and go before the church ; and the brotherhood to give their consent , in a way of obedience unto christ , and unto the elders , as over them in the lord. . it may sometimes come to pass , that a church-member , not otherwise scandalous , may sinfully withdraw , and divide himself from the communion of the church to which he belongeth : in which case , when all due means for the reducing him , prove ineffectual , he having hereby cut himself off from that churches communion ; the church may justly esteem and declare it self discharged of any further inspection over him . iv. of communion of churches . . we agree , that particular churches ought not to walk so distinct and separate from each other , as not to have care and tenderness towards one another . but their pastors ought to have frequent meetings together , that by mutual advice , support , encouragement , and brotherly intercourse , they may strengthen the hearts and hands of each other in the ways of the lord. . that none of our particular churches shall be subordinate to one another ; each being endued with equality of power from jesus christ. and that none of the said particular churches , their officer , or officers , shall exercise any power , or have any superiority over any other church , or their officers . . that known members of particular churches , constituted as aforesaid , may have occasional communion with one another in the ordinances of the gospel , viz. the word , prayer , sacraments , singing psalms , dispensed according to the mind of christ : unless that church with which they desire communion , hath any just exception against them . . that we ought not to admit any one to be a member of our respective congregations , that hath joined himself to another , without endeavours of mutual satisfaction of the congregations concerned . . that one church ought not to blame the proceedings of another , until it hath heard what that church charged , its elders , or messengers , can say in vindication of themselves from any charge of irregular or injurious proceedings . . that we are most willing and ready to give an account of our church proceedings to each other , when desired ; for preventing or removing any offences that may arise among us . likewise we shall be ready to give the right hand of fellowship , and walk together according to the gospel rules of communion of churches . v. of deacons and ruling elders . we agree , the office of a deacon is of divine appointment , and that it belongs to their office to receive , lay out , and distribute the churches stock to its proper uses , by the direction of the pastor , and the brethren if need be . and whereas divers are of opinion , that there is also the office of ruling elders , who labour not in word and doctrine ; and others think otherwise ; we agree , that this difference make no breach among us . vi. of occasional meetings of ministers , &c. . we agree , that in order to concord , and in any other weighty and difficult cases , it is needful , and according to the mind of christ , that the ministers of several churches be consulted and advised with about such matters . . that such meetings may consist of smaller or greater numbers , as the matter shall require . . that particular churches , their respective elders , and members , ought to have a reverential regard to their judgment so given , and not dissent therefrom , without apparent grounds from the word of god. vii . of our demeanour towards the civil magistrate . . we do reckon our selves obliged continually to pray for god's protection , guidance , and blessing upon the rulers set over us . . that we ought to yield unto them not only subjection in the lord , but support , according to our station and abilities . . that if at any time it shall be their pleasure to call together any number of us , or require any account of our affairs , and the state of our congregations , we shall most readily express all dutiful regard to them herein . viii . of a confession of faith . as to what appertains to soundness of judgment in matters of faith , we esteem it sufficient , that a church acknowledge the scriptures to be the word of god , the perfect and only rule of faith and practice ; and own either the doctrinal part of those commonly called the articles of the church of england , or the confession , or catechisms , shorter or larger , compiled by the assembly at westminster , or the confession agreed on at the savoy , to be agreeable to the said rule . ix . of our duty and deportment towards them that are not in communion with us . . we judge it our duty to bear a christian respect to all christians , according to their several ranks and stations , that are not of our persuasion or communion . . as for such as may be ignorant of the principles of the christian religion , or of vicious conversation , we shall in our respective places , as they give us opportunity , endeavour to explain to them the doctrine of life and salvation , and to our uttermost persuade them to be reconciled to god. . that such who appear to have the essential requisites to church-communion , we shall willingly receive them in the lord , not troubling them with disputes about lesser matters . as we assent to the forementioned heads of agreement so we unanimously resolve , as the lord shall enable us , to practice according to them . ; finis . advertisement . the reasonableness of reformation , and the necessity of conversion ; the true methods of making all men happy in this world , and in the world to come ; seasonably discoursed , and earnestly pressed upon this licentious age. by j. f. a sincere lover of his native countrey , and the souls of men. printed for tho. cockerill , at the three legs in the poultrey . in twelves , price bound , one shilling . the true and only way of concord of all the christian churches the desirableness of it, and the detection of false dividing terms / opened by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the true and only way of concord of all the christian churches the desirableness of it, and the detection of false dividing terms / opened by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . [ ], , p. printed for john hancock ..., london : . "the third part of schism" has separate paging. errata: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union -- great britain. schism. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the true and only way of concord of all the christian churches : the desirableness of it , and the detection of false dividing terms . opened by richard baxter . london , printed for john hancock at the three bibles in popes-head-alley , over against the royal exchange in cornhil , . act. . . it seemed good to the holy ghost and to us , to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things . rom. . , . the kingdome of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness , and peace and joy in the holy ghost : for he that in these things serveth christ is acceptable to god and approved of men . tim. . , . i charge thee before god and the lord jesus christ , who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdome , preach the word , be instant in season and out of season . act. . . whether it be right in the sight of god , to hearken to you more than unto god , judge ye . thes . . , . they please not god and are contrary to all men , forbidding us to speak to the gentiles that they might be saved ; to fill up their sin alway : for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost . mr. jones of the 〈…〉 soveraign , p. . id fit quod jure fit : 〈…〉 but great lords of nullities , by the exemption of the will and soul from , and the frown of heaven upon all bruitish injustice and force . read him also p. . the preface ; to the honourable and reverend dr. george morley , late lord bishop of worcester , and now of winchester : and dr. peter gunning , lord bishop of ely. it is now about eighteen years since you and many others were appointed by his majesties commission with divers of us who desired some reformation of the church discipline and worship , to consider what alterations of the liturgy were necessary and expedient for the satisfaction of tender consciences , and the restoring and continuance of peace and vnity to the churches under his majesties protection and government . his majesties gracious declaration about ecclesiastical affairs , had before shewed so much of his wisdome and care to attain this unity , as we thought had almost done the cure ; the differences about church government and most of the rest being thereby as we hoped fairly ended : as ( with the help of the reverend dr. sparrow now bishop of norwich , and dr. pierson now bishop of chester ) you maintained that no alteration was necessary to these ends , so i with others endeavoured to prove the contrary : but since , the said declaration being dead , such alterations were made as greatly increased our impossibility of conforming : we never treated with you for presbyterian government , or independent , but for vnity and peace ; nor did we herein offer you any worse than arch-bishop vshers form of the primitive episcopal government , ( which i had declared my judgement of before in print ) ; and i never heard of the name of episcopal presbyterians , or presbyterian archbishops till of late . and we thankfully accepted much less than that form , as granted in his majesties foresaid declaration . as i doubt not but you still think that your way was best for the healing of the church and land ; so i know that i have greatly incurred both your displeasures for what i have said and done against your way . one of you shewed it in a printed letter long ago , which when i had answered i cast that aside for peace , ( believing that the opening of so many mistakes in matter of fact , would not be easily born : ) the other of you since told me , that he would petition authority that we might be compelled to give our reasons ; as if we kept up a schism and would not tell why ! i rejoiced at the motion , and offered to beg leave on my knees to do it . since then your mr. walton in his life of bishop sanderson hath called me by name to remember our debate aforesaid . i know not of any two men living , that i am now more obliged to give an account to of my continued dissent , than unto you . my judgement is not in my own power nor in yours . many are dead who were in that consultation : you and i by gods great mercy are yet alive , and may review our actions before we come to the bar of god , which is like to be speedily to me , and to you it cannot be far off , especially to the elder of you ; so that i suppose that all three of us are really beyond the motives of any personal worldly interest : what is this world to us who are taking our farewel of it for ever ? all the doubt then remaining is , whether your terms or those desired by us , are the true way of love and concord ? and which are the true causes of schisms , and the attendant evils . i doubt not but you still think that the good which you have done doth far weigh down all the direct and accidental hurt . what that good is , you know better than i : dr. heylin in the life of arch-bishop laud tells us what some accounted then most desirable ; and how much more desirable it is to open the church doors so wide as that moderate loyal romanists may come in , as they did in queen elizabeths first years , and to reconcile them by nearer approaches or concessions , rather than to go further from them to unite with a few inconsiderable puritans , whose principles are against the power and wealth of the church , we have often heard from others : as also that the ejection of the near two thousand non-conforming ministers , was the churches deliverance from them that would have done more hurt within , than they can do without . the converted priest mr. smith , in his narrative of the popish plot , dedicated to the king , nameth more reasons , which i will not name , which some were moved by . for my part , as with fear i foresaw , so with grief i see , so many hundred ministers under the restraints and penalties which you know of , of whom i have better thoughts than you have : believing from my heart , by the acquaintance which i have had with very many , that notwithstanding the faulty former actions of some few of them , and the unjustifiable scruples of others , you cannot name that nation under heaven out of our kings dominions , which hath this day so many ministers , more sound in doctrine , heart and life , and liker to further mens salvation , than those that in england have been silenced and cast out . name that countrey if you can ! and i believe that christ hath given us no supernumeraries of such useful men ; but if all faithful ministers conformists and non-conformists were employed and encouraged , they would be still too few to do the work upon the ignorant , ungodly and vicious which is to be done . and considering how many souls a faithful minister may hope to edifie and save , i consider then how many thousands are like to be losers where such are lost and wanting . it grieveth my soul to see what advantage satan hath got in england , against that christian love which is the life and character of christs disciples , and to cause wrath , envy , hatred and strife , when god saith , he that hateth his brother is a murderer , and no murderer hath eternal life in him , joh. . . it grieveth me to see preachers against preachers , and churches against churches , and in press and pulpit , learning and oratory imployed to render brethren odious , and keep up a heart war against each other , and all this ( o fearful ) as in the name of christ , and as for the safety of the church and kingdome . to see families against families , and father against son , and as guelphes and gibelines cities and countreys in their ordinary discourses ( at the least ) accusing , contemning , and reproaching one another ! it grieveth me to think how much first the honour , and then the success of the ministry on both sides is hereby hindered , and what temptations some have to further injuries which i am loth to name : and how by all this the wicked and infidels are hardened , the weak are scandalized , the papists are encouraged to despise us all , and many turn to them , scandalized by our discord , sects are advantaged , the church and kingdome by divisions weakened , and the king denyed the comfort which he might have in a loving , united and concordant people . i believe that you dislike all this as well as i : all the question hath been and still is , which is the true way of cure. and one would think that . the nature of the thing , and . the experience of all the christian world , . and our own new experience these seventeen or eighteen years , might resolve men of lower parts than ours ! is there no better way to the churches concord , than that which must cast out either such men as you or i , and that so many ? can a wise physicion ( a true peace-maker ) find out no remedy which may better avoid the foresaid evils ? o what a loss had england in the removal of such healing men , as bishop vsher , hall , davenant , brownrig , &c. far was i and am i from liking any former injury to such men , by covenant or abuse . but it hath been ever the just misery of the persecutors of worthy men , to have the stone fly back on their own heads , and to be themselves undone by striving to undo others , while they first make , and then stir up a multitude of enemies for their own defence , who else would be friends and live in peace . i am fully perswaded that in this book i have told you a righter way of christian church concord ; more divine , sure , harmless , and comprehensive , fitted by christ himself , to the interest of all good men , yea of the church and all the world . i offer it first to you , that you and posterity may see what it was that i desired ; and that if i here err you will faithfully detect my errour , that i may repent before i die , and may leave behind me the recantation of this and all my other mistakes and miscarriages , as i intend to do upon just conviction . but do it quickly or else i am not like to see it : and i purpose not to provoke you by any confutation , but to improve your evidence for my self . and to answer the earnest demand of our reasons by you the lord bishop of eli , i have also published an historical narrative of our case and judgement in another book called , the non-conformists plea for peace . if ( much contrary to my expectation ) you should be convinced that these terms of vnity and concord , are righter than those which you ( above all men that i know ) have effectually helpt to bring us under , i humbly crave that you will use as much earnestness and diligence to procure the churches concord by promoting them , as you did for that which you then thought righter . i have here opened those reasons which made me believe that the fourteenth and fifteenth chapter to the romans decideth our controversie ; and is to be understood as i then maintained . if it prove the necessary truth which is here offered you , i beseech you see that prejudice resist it not . it would be a happy work could we procure the reviving of christian love , unity and concord , that all christs servants might strive together for the hallowing of gods name , the promoting of his kingdome and the doing of his will with love and concord as it is done in heaven . and when instead of worldly wealth and grandure we are contented with our daily bread , and instead of cruelty to the innocent or weak , we bewail our own sins , and forbear and forgive one another , and instead of tempting men to the evil of wrath , and making battering cannons and tearing engines of schism , we cease to be over-wise in our own conceits , and to judge , despise and ruine others , then we shall be in a hopeful way to this : we shall then receive him that is weak even in the faith , ( much more about our lesser matters ) even as christ received us , and not to doubtful disputations ; and he that pleaseth god by that in which his kingdome doth consist , will be also approved by us ; and we shall better learn what that meaneth , i will have mercy and not sacrifice , and that none of our church power is given for destruction but for edification ; and so we shall not condemn the guiltless , nor smite the shepherds and scatter the flocks , and then hunt them about as schismaticks , and see the mote of dissent from a formality , ceremony or word , in their eye , while we see not this great beam in our own . how joyfully should we die , might we leave behind us by our endeavours a healed church and nation , and see first this desired unity , which would be the strength , ease and joy of ministers and people , king and subjects , and a hopeful pattern to the divided churches abroad to imitate . if you will not contribute your help hereto , those will who shall have the honour and comfort of being the blessed instruments of our concord , if god have so much mercy for us . i once more repeat to you the pacificators old despised words , si in necessariis sit vnitas ; in non-necessariis libertas , in utrisque charitas , optimo certe loco essent res nostrae . pardon this freedome , and accept this account of the reasons of all his former and later dissent from your judgement , words and way , to nov. . . your unfeigned well-willer , richard baxter . a premonition . reader , upon the review of this book i find some things , which may be to some an occasion of offence , if this premonition prevent it not . i. some may think when i say [ diocesan prelacy , arch-bishops and patriarchs are not to be made necessary to universal , or subordinate church concord , as being uncapable terms or means thereof ] that i speak against the lawfulness of all episcopacy , when i speak but against such necessity of that sort . know therefore . that i meddle not with the question , whether every particular church ( of pastor , and people associate for personal church communion , such as ignatius describeth ) should have a bishop with his presbyters and deacons . . nor with the question whether these should have arch-bishops over them , as successours to the apostolical and other general overseers of the first age , in the ordinary continued parts of their office . . nor whether patriarchs , diocesans and lay chancellours as officers of the king , exercising under him such government of the church as belongeth to kings ( according to our oath of supremacy ) be lawful , to which in such exercise all subjects must for conscience sake submit . . nor whether it was well done ( or of divine appointment ) that about temporal matters as well as church controversies , the bishops were chosen arbitrators by the ancient christians , and so did that which christian magistrates now must do , till upon the conversion of princes and states the said power of externals circa sacra fell into their hands . . nor yet if diocesans become the sole bishops ( infimi ordinis ) over many hundred parishes , all the bishops and parish churches under them being put down , and turned into curates and chapels ( partes ecclesiae infimae speciei ) , whether a minister and every subject ought yet to live quietly and peaceably under them . it is none of these that are the questions which i decide . ii. in my confutation of mr. dodwell , some may mistake me , as if i denied that our religion had come down to us by a continued succession from the apostles , or that the ministerial office in specie , or that the vniversal church had ever been without a true ministry or religion : i have proved where our church was in all ages before luther , in my second book against johnson alias terret : nor do i say what i do , to avoid deriving our ministerial succession from rome : for history puts me out of doubt , that the multitude of uncapable popes and schisms will prove a far greater interruption of canonical and legitimate succession at rome , than can be proved of england , and perhaps than hath happened to almost any other church in the world . and i am fully satisfied that the present church of england as national , deriveth its succession from the ancient brittish and scottish church , and not from rome ; and that christianity was the religion of england long before gregory , or augustine the monks days ; and that notwithstanding gildas his smart reproofs , when the brittish and scottish clergy and people disclaimed all obedience to the pope , and would not so much as eat or lodge in the same house with gregory's clergy , the persons were better , or at least their doctrine and religion more sound , than that which rome did afterwards obtrude . and as the blood of this nation though called english , will upon just consideration be found to be twenty , if not an hundred fold , more british than either roman , saxon or norman , so the ordination of the bishops is derived so much more from the brittains and scots than from rome , as that augustine the monks successours were afterward almost quite extinct , only one wini a simonist being left in anno . the rest of the bishops being all of brittish ordination : all which with much more of great importance is so fully proved ( after usher ) by m. t. jones of oswestree late chaplain to the duke of york , in an excellent historical treatise hereof , called [ of the heart and its right soveraign ] that i am sorry that book is no more commonly bought and read . but withal i must say that this our certain succession disproveth the papists and mr. dodwells plea , for the necessity of their sort of episcopal canonical uninterrupted succession : for ( as the bishops of denmark have their succession but from bugenhagius pomeranus a presbyter his ordination , so ) aidan and finan that came from scotland out of columbanus monastery , were no bishops as beda and others fully testifie : and after beda and others , mr. jones hath cleared it , that it was not only the northern bishops that were ordained by aidan and finan and dhuma , but that the bishops of the whole land had their ordination derived from them and such as they , and those whom they ordained : so that the denying of the validity of the ordination by presbyters , shaketh the succession of the episcopal church of england ; and proveth it on that supposition , interrupted : and if they derive it from rome , it will be as much shaken . iii. in perusal i find that i have more than once mentioned some things in this treatise , and the repetition may be an offense to some . to which i say , . that this is usual in controversies , where several objections and occasions call for the same material answer . . but i confess it is the effect of my hast and weakness : and it is my judgement while i think that i write no needless books , that i should rather write any one that is truly useful with such imperfections of manner and style as only so far disgrace the author , than for want of time , to leave it undone , to the loss of others : but if it be needless , it is a greater fault to write it , than to write it no more accurately . my dear friend , and judicious brother mr. john corbett hath newly published a small book to the same purpose with this , of the true state of religion and interest of the church , with a discourse of schism , which i commend to the reader as much worthy of his perusal , and which if written on the hearts of rulers , and teachers and people according to its certain truth and weight , would heal us all . the lord forgive our heinous sins which deserve that he should excommunicate and forsake us ; and save england from english men , and save us all from our selves , our most dangerous enemies , and christians and pastors and friends from one another . for as mr. jones his welsh proverb saith , though thy dog be thy own , trust him not when he is mad . iv. i hear some say of my book that cometh out with this ( of the case of the non-conformists ) and may say of this , that . it is unseasonable to mention our own differences when we are called to unite against the papists : . and that too hard-accusations of conformity are intimated . i answer to the first , . that it is never more seasonable to write for vnity than when we are most obliged to unite : though indeed it can never be unseasonable . and to take non-conformists for heinous schismaticks and call on magistrates to silence and imprison and ruine them , is not the way to unity ; nor consisteut with it ; and therefore to deprecate such unpeaceable ways , is the necessary work of a peacemaker . . i have waited in vain these seventeen years for a fit season ; and with me in likelyhood it must be now or never : for there is no doing it in the grave ; and i dare not die , and leave it undone on pretence that it was not seasonable . to the second i say . i have professed that i write not to accuse conformists ; but if men accuse us as enemies to order , obedience and peace , and as fit for silencing and utter ruine , and tell the world falsly that it is but things indifferent that we deny obedience to , and call on us to tell them what it is that we fear if we conform ; and when we tell them , they make this also our crime because they think themselves accused , what remedy have we against such men ? . i love and honour all good and pious men that conform ; for i consider how variously the same thing is represented to and apprehended by men of various educations , converse , and advantages ; so that the same sin materially heinous may formally be much less in some than in others ; as was paul's ignorant unbelief and persecution : or else , saith the papist answerer of the three books for the jesuites loyalty , most princes must be most heinous sinners that make wars against each other , in which multitudes are killed , when both sides cannot have a just cause , unless the supposition that their cause was good by mistake , excuse them . the contents . the first part. the reasons for christian vnity and concord , after the nature of it described : and how much may be hoped for on earth . chap. . the text opened : the doctrines named : the method proposed . page chap. . the nature of vnity : and this vnity of the spirit opened . p. . chap. . the necessity and benefits of this vnity and peace to all men . p. . chap. . the vnity of the spirit is the welfare of the church . p. . chap. . this vnity is for the good of the world ( without the church ) . p. . chap. . it is due to the honour of christ and amiable to god. p. . chap. . what obligations are on all christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord , and to promote this unity and peace . p. . chap. . what sort and measure of vnion may or may not be hoped for on earth . p. . chap. . that christ who commanded our vnion hath himself prescribed the terms . p. . chap. . no humane terms not made by christ or his spirit extraordinarily given to the apostles are necessary to the being of particular churches , but divers humane acts are necessary to their existence . p. . chap. . the danger of the two extremes : and first of despairing of concord , and unjust tolerations . p. . chap. . the sin and danger of making too much necessary to vnion and communion . p. . chap. . to cry out of the mischiefs of toleration and call for sharper execution , while dividing snares are made the terms of vnion is the work of ignorant , proud and malignant church destroyers . p. . the second part. the terms of concord . chap. . in general , what are the true and only terms of church concord , and what not . p. . chap. . instances of gods description of these terms in scripture . p. . chap. . the true terms of catholick vnion and concord more particularly described , as the chief means of hope for the churches peace . p. . chap. . what are the terms necessary for the continuance of this communion ; and what are the causes of abscission and excommunication . p. . chap. . what are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the sacred ministry . p. . chap. . what is necessary to the constitution , administration and communion of single churches . p. . chap. . what are the necessary terms of concord of those single churches with one another , in the same kingdome , or in divers . p. . chap. . what is necessary to the civil peace and concord of christians , and what is the part of the christian magistrate about religion , as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein . p. . chap. . objections answered about toleration especially . p. . chap. . a draught or specimen of such forms as are mentioned for approved and tolerated ministers . p. . the third part. of schism . especially the false dividing terms of vnion , and other causes of schism . chap. . what schism is : and what are its causes and effects . p. . chap. . the true preventions and remedies of schism . p. . chap. . more of the same : twenty things necessary hereunto . p. . chap. . the catholick church will never unite in the papacy . p. . . what the papists opinion is of the terms of vnion . . the fifth monarchy opinion of campanella de regno dei , and some other papists , that it is really an vniversal kingdome which is claimed by the pope . . the christian world will never unite in one pope . chap. . the catholick church will never unite in patriarchs or any humane church officers or forms of government . p. . chap. . the catholick church will never unite in general councils , as their head , or necessary center or terms of concord . p. . chap. . the catholick church will never unite in a multitude of pretended articles of faith not proved certainly to be divine , nor in subscribing to or owning any unnecessary doubtful opinions or practices . p. . chap. . the catholick church will never unite by receiving all that is now owned by the greek or latine church , the abassine , armenian , the lutherans , or calvinists , or in a full conformity to any divided party which addeth to the primitive simplicity in her terms of concord . p. . chap. . the pretended necessity of an uninterrupted successive ordination by diocesan bishops will never unite the churches ( but is schismatical ) mr. dodwells book hereof confuted . p. . chap. . none of these terms will unite a national church , associated churches , nor well any single church : though by other means a competent vnion may be kept in some churches , notwithstanding some such schismatical inventions , as lesser diseases destroy not nature . p. . chap. . the severity and force of magistrates denying necessary toleration , and punishing dissenters from uncertain unnecessary things , will never procure church vnion and concord , but division . p. . chap. . excommunicating and anathematizing in such cases will not do it . p. . chap. . any one unlawful uncertain doctrine , oath , covenant , profession , subscription or practice so imposed , will divide . p. . chap. . vnlimited toleration will divide and wrong the church . p. . chap. . the catholick church will never unite in a reception and subscription to every word , verse or book of the holy scripture as in our translations , or any particular copy , nor otherwise known , but some will still doubt of the divine authority of some parts . p. . chap. . the church will never unite in any mens commentaries on the bible . p. . chap. . a summary recital of the true terms of concord , and of the causes of schism . p. . — id quod natura remittit invida jura negant . ovid. errata . in the first and second parts . page . line . for more read as , p. . for affecteth r. asserteth , p. . l. . dele with , p. . l. . for in r. is , p. . l. . r. above , p. . l. . r. to their , p. . l. . r. placeus , p. . l. . r. condemn . in the third part. page . line . read sin , p. . l. . r. ariminum , sirmium , l. . for faith r. force , p. . l. penult . for me r. men , p. . l. . for mutual r. mental , p. . l. antip . r. wotton , p. . l. . r. councils , p. . l. . r. saravia , spalatto , l. . r. didoclave , p. . l. . r. pope , p. . l. . r. persidis , p. . l. . for the r. de , p. . l. . for no r. not , p. . l. . r. rulers , p. . l. . for that r. the , p. . l. . for it r. is . the first part. the reasons for christian unity and concord : what it is : and how much may be hoped for on earth . chap. i. the text opened , and the doctrines and method proposed . ephes. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . endeavouring ( or carefully or diligently studying ) to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace . had not the distempers of the minds even of religious persons , and the long and sad divisions and distractions of christians assured me that this text is not commonly understood and regarded , as the apostles vehement exhortation , and the importance and reason of the matter do bespeak ; yea had not the long bleeding wounds of the church , made by its pastors and most zealous members , still cryed out aloud for pity and help , i had not chosen this subject at this time . but after the complaints , and exhortations and tears of the wisest and best men since the days of christ , after the long miseries of the church and the long and costly experience of all ages , the destroying spirit of division still possesseth the most , and maketh some of the possessed to rage and foam & tear themselves and all that are in their power ; it haunteth the holy assemblies and disquieteth the lovers of unity and peace , and by the scandals which it raiseth it frighteneth children and unstable persons out of their religion and their wits . and therefore after the many books which i have written for vnity , love and peace , and the many years preaching and praying to that end , i find it yet as necessary as ever to preach on the same subject , and to recite the same things , and while i am in this tabernacle which i must shortly put off , to stir you up , that after my decease you may have it in remembrance ( pet. . , , . ) and could i persuade the churches of christ to seek by fasting and fervent prayer , the dispossessing of this distracting spirit , ( by which only this evil kind goeth out ) our languishing hopes might yet revive . if paul found it necessary to cry down division , and plead for unity so frequently and so vehemently as he doth , to those new planted churches of rome , corinth , ephesus , galatia , philippi , thessalonica , &c. which had been founded by the means of miracles , and had so much of the spirit of unity and community , and had apostles among them to preserve their peace : what wonder if we that are much ignorant of the apostles minds , and of the primitive pattern , and have less of the spirit , have need to be still called upon to study to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace ? they that preach twenty or an hundred sermons for purity , and scarce one with equal zeal for vnity and peace , do not sufficiently discern that purity and peace are the inseparable fruits of the wisdom from above , which live and die together , and with them the souls and societies of believers . this famous church of ephesus is it which paul act. . had so long laid out his labours in ; even publickly & from house to house , night and day with tears : which was famous for its greatness , and the open profession of christ ; where even the price of the vain unlawful books which they openly burnt came to fifty thousand pieces of silver . * this is the church that first of the seven is written to by christ , rev. . whose works , labour and patience , even without fainting , were known and praised by the lord † ; which proved and disproved the false apostles ; which hated the deeds of the nicolaitans : and yet paul saw cause , act. . . to foretell them prophetically of their temptations to division ; that they should be tryed by both extreams as other churches were and are ; that on one side grievous wolves or church tyrants should enter not sparing the st●ck , and on the other side , of themselves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples ( by schism & separation ) after them . and to this excellent church he seeth cause here to urge the persuasives to the vigilant ▪ preservation of vnity , in this chapter . having in the three first chapters instructed them in the high mysteries of election , redemption and the fruits thereof , and magnified the riches of grace in christ , and the spiritual knowledge thereof , that we may know what vse he principally intended , he here beginneth his application , . with a moving reason from his person and condition , v. . [ i the prisoner of the lord ] as if he should say [ as ever you will regard the doctrine and counsel of your teacher , and christs apostle , now i am in bonds for the doctrine which i preach ] . with words of earnest request [ i beseech you ] . with the matter of his request , . in general , that [ they walk worthy the calling wherewith they were called ] beza need not have avoided the vulgar and proper translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and put quod convenit for worthy ; for worthiness can signifie nothing but moral congruity . . specially this worthiness consisteth in the holy and healthful constitution of their souls and the exercise thereof : in their inward disposition , and their answerable practice . . the inward qualifications are . [ all lowliness ] . [ meekness ] . [ love. ] . the fruits of these are , . long-suffering : . forbearing one another : . and studying to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace : ] which vnity is particularly described in the terms and reasons of it which are seven . . one body . . one spirit . . one hope . . one lord. . one faith . . one baptism . . one god and father who is above all and through all and in them all ] but negatively , not in an equality of grace in all the members ; for that is various according to the measure of the gift of christ , the free benefactor . i must pass by all unnecessary explication , and the handling of the many useful lessons which offer themselves to us in the way : such as these following . doct. . it should not depreciate the counsels of christs ministers , that they are sent or written from a prison or bonds , but rather procure their greater acceptance : when they are not imprisoned for evil doing , but for preaching or obeying the gospel and law of christ , it is their honour , and the honour of that doctrine which they suffer for : why else keep you days of thanksgiving and commemoration of the martyrs ? on the persecutors part christ is evil spoken of or blasphemed , but by the sufferers he is glorified , and therefore he will glorifie them . i was once blamed for dating a book [ out of the common gaol or prison in london ] as if it reflected on the magistrate : but i imitated paul , and mentioned nothing which the rulers took for a dishonour , as their actions shewed . doct. . beseeching is the mode and language of wise and faithful pastors , in pleading for vnity and against schism in the church . for they are not lords over the flocks , but helpers of their faith : they have no power of the sword , but of the word . they rule not by constraint , but willingly , nor such as are constrained by them , but voluntiers : it is not the way to win love to god , to pastors or to one another , to say , love me or i will lay thee in a gaol : stripes are useful to cause fear and timerous obedience , but not directly to cause love. and hated preachers seldom prosper in converting or edifying souls , or healing disordered , divided churches . doct. . though grace find us unworthy , it maketh men such as walk worthy of their high and heavenly calling : that is , in a suitable conversation , answerable to the principles of their faith and hope . christianity were little better than the false religions of the world , if it made men no better . if christ made not his disciples greatly to differ from the disciples of a meer philosopher , he would not be ●hought greatly to differ from them himself : the ●ruits of his doctrine and spirit on our hearts and lives are the proofs and witness of his truth : we wrong him heinously when we live but like other men : and we weaken our own and other mens faith , by obscuring a great evidence of the christian verity . and those that are of eminent holiness and righteousness of life , are the great and powerful preachers of faith , and shew men by proofs and not only by words that christ is true . doct. . lowliness is a great part of christian worthiness , and a necessary cause of christian vnity and peace . this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but the same thing which paul elsewhere ( act. . . ) tells this same church , that he practised towards them exemplarily himself . lowliness of mind containeth both low and humble thoughts of our selves , and low expectations as to honour and respect from others ; with a submissive temper , that can stoop and yield , and a deportment liker to the lower sort of people , than to the stout and great ones of the world . as mat. . to be poor in spirit is to have a spirit fit for a state of poverty , not in love with riches , but content with little , and patient with all that poor men must endure ; so lowliness of mind , is a disposition and deportment , not like the grandees of the world , but suited to low persons and low things , condescending to the lowest persons , employments and indignities or contempt that shall be cast upon us , a proud high-minded person , that is looking for preferment and must be somebody in the world , is of a spirit contrary to that of christianity , and will never lie even in the sacred edifice , nor be a healer , but a troubler of the church of christ , and must be converted and become as a little child , before he can enter into the kingdom of heaven , mat. . . and indeed only by selfishness and pride have come the divisions and contentions in the church , even by those that have made it the means of their domination to cry down division , because they must have all to unite in them , in conformity to their opinions , interests and wills . a humble soul that can be content to follow a crucified christ , and to be made of no reputation ( phil. . . heb. . , , . ) and to be a servant to all , and a lord of none , and can yield and stoop and be despised , when ever the ends of his office do require it , is a christian indeed and fit to be a healer . doct. . meekness or lenity is another part of christian worthiness , and a necessary cause of vnity and peace . though in some this hath extraordinary advantage or disadvantage in the temperature of the body , yet it is that which persons of all tempers may be brought to by grace . a boisterous , furious or wild kind of disposition , is not the christian healing spirit . if passion be apt to stir , wisdom and grace must repress it , and lenity must be our ordinary temper : we must be like tame creatures , that familiarly come to a mans hand , and not like wild things that flye from us as untractable : otherwise how will such in love and peace and sociable concord , ever carry on the work of christ ? doct. . love to each other is a great part of christian worthiness , and a most necessary cause of vnity and peace . of which i hope to say so much by it self ( if god will ) as that i shall here pass it by . it being the very heart and life of vnity . doct. . long suffering or a patient mind not rash , or hasty , is another part of christian worthiness , and a necessary cause of vnity and peace . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath more in it than many well consider of : i know it is commonly taken for restraint of anger by patient long-suffering : but i think that it chiefly signifieth here and elsewhere in pauls epistles , that deliberate slowness and calmness of mind which is contrary to passionate haste and rashness : when a passionate man is hasty and rash and cannot stay to hear another speak for himself nor to deliberate of the matter and search out the truth , nor forbear revenge while he thinketh whether it will do good or harm , or what the case will appear in the review ; this longanimity will stay men and compose their minds , and cause them to take time before they judge of opinions , practices or persons , and before they venture to speak or do ; lest what they do in haste , they repent at leisure : it appeaseth those passions which blind the judgment when wrath doth precipitate men into those conceptions , words and deeds , which they must after wish that they had never known . hasty rashness in judging and doing , for want of the patience & lenity of a slow deliberating mind , is the cause of most errors , heresies and divisions , and of abundance of sin and misery in the world . doct. . bearing , supporting and forbearing one another in love , is another part of gospel worthiness , and needful means of vnity and peace . doubtless to forbear each other patiently under injuries and provocations is a great part of the duty here meant ; but both beza who translated it [ sustinentes ] and the vulgar latine which translateth it [ supportantes ] seemed to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth something more . while we are imperfect sinful men , we shall have need of mutual support and help , yea we shall be injurious , provoking and troublesome to each other : and when christians ( yea church pastors ) are so far from supporting and sustaining the weak , that they cannot so much as patiently bear their censures , neglects , or other effects of weakness , unity and peace will hardly prosper , much less if their spiritual nurses become their chief afflicters . doct. . vnity of the spirit is most necessary to the church of christ and to its several members , though their measures of grace be divers . doct. . the bond of peace must preserve this vnity . doct. . this vnity consisteth in these seven things ; . one body , . one spirit , . one hope , . one lord , . one faith , . one baptism , . one god. doct. . this vnity must be studied carefully , and diligently endeavoured and preserved , by all the faithful members of the church . these last doctrines being the subject which i design to handle , i shall speak of them together in the following order . i. i shall tell you , what the vnity of the spirit is which is so necessary . ii. i shall tell you , what necessity there is of this vnity , and what are its happy fruits . iii. i shall open the seven particulars in which it doth consist ; and defend the sufficiency of them to the use here intended in the text. iv. i shall open the nature and terms of counterfeit unity . v. i shall open the nature and mischiefs of the contrary ( division . ) vi. i shall shew you what are the enemies and impediments of this unity . vii . i shall shew you , what are the study and endeavour , and the bond of peace , by which this unity must be kept . viii . i shall conclude with some directions for application , or use of all . chap. ii. the nature of vnity , and this vnity of the spirit , opened . . what unity in general is , and what this vnity of the spirit in special , i shall open in these following connexed propositions . . i must neither here confound the ordinary reader by the many metaphysical difficulties about unity ; nor yet wholly pass them by , lest i confound him for want of necessary distinction . . unity is sometimes the attribute of an vniversal , which is but ens rationis , or a general inadequate partial conception of an existent singular being : and so all men are one as to the species of humanity ; and all living things are one in the genus of vitality : and so of bodies , substances , creatures , &c. it is much more than this that we have before us . . some think that the word [ one ] or [ unity ] signi●ieth only negatively an vndividedness in the thing it self : but this conception is more than negative , and taketh in first in compounds that peculiar connexion of parts by one form , and in simple spiritual beings , that more excellent indivisible essentiality and existence , whence the being is intelligible as such a subsistence as is not only undivided in it self , but divisible or differenceable from all other existent or possible beings , so far as it is one . . passing by the distinction of vnum per se & per accidens , and some such other , i shall only further distinguish of vnity according to the differences of the entities that are called one : where indeed the difference of things , maketh the word one of very different significations . . god is supereminently and most perfectly one , as he is ens , being : no creature hath vnity in the same perfect sort and sense as god is one. he is so one as that he is perfectly simple and indivisible : and so as that he cannot be properly a part , in any composition . . therefore god and the world , or any creature are not compounding parts ; for a part is less than the whole : and that which is less is not infinite . . yet god is more intimate to every creature than any of its own parts are : no form is more intimate to the matter , no soul to the body , no formal vertue to a spirit , than god is to all and every being : but his perfection and the creatures imperfection is such , as that creatures can be no addition to god , nor compounding parts , but like to accidents . . the same must be said therefore of christs divine and humane natures . the schoolmen therefore say that christs soul and body are parts of his humane nature : but his godhead and manhood are not to be called parts of christ : because the godhead can be no part of any thing . . when paul saith that god is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all in all things , he meaneth not that he is formally all things themselves ; but yet not that he is less , or is more distant from them than the form ; but is eminently so much more , as that the title is below him : so he is said here , eph. . . to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] the father of all , above all , and through all , and in us all : and cor. . . it is said that the same god worketh all in all , as to the diversity of operations : he is the most intimate prime agent in all that acteth ( though he hath enabled free agents to determine their own acts morally to this or that , hic & nunc , &c. ) for in him we live and move and have our being ; for we are his offspring , act. . . somewhat like this must be said of the special union of christ and all true believers : as to his divine nature , ( and so the holy ghost ) he is as the father , intimately in all , but more than the form of all or any : but he is specially by relation and inoperation in his members , as he is not in any others : so col. . . christ is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all in all , that is to the church : and so i conceive that it is in a passive or receptive sense that the church is said to be the fulness of him that filleth all in all , eph. . . whether it be spoken of christs godhead only , or of his humane soul also , as being to the redeemed world what the sun is to the natural illuminated world , i determine not : but which ever it is , christ filling all in all , the church is called his fulness as being eminently ●possessed and filled by him , as the head is by the humane soul more than the hand or other lower parts . . the trinity of persons is such , as is no way contrary to the perfect vnity of the divine essence ; as the faculties of motion , light and heat in the sun , and of vital activity , intellection and volition in man , is not contrary to the unity of the essence of the soul : ( yet man is not so perfectly one as god is . ) . the vnity of a spirit in it self , is a great image or likeness of the divine vnity ; as having no separable parts , as passive matter hath , but being one without divisibility ; even one essential vertue or vertuous substance . . the most large extensive vnity ( as far as spirits may be said to have extension or degrees of essence ) is likest to god : and the unity of a material atome is not more excellent than the vnity of the material part of the world , made up of such atomes . ( whether there are such atomes physically indivisible i here meddle not , but the shaping of an atome into cornered , hollow and such other shapes , is to common reason a palpable contradiction . ) . whether there be any one passive element ( earth , water or air ) any where existent in an vnion of its proper atomes , without a mixture of any other element , is a thing unknown to mortals . . so is it whether there be any where existent a body of the united atomes of the several passive elements without the active . . the mixt beings known to us do all consist of an union of the passive and active elements ( or of these united . ) . we perceive by sense what vnion and division of passive matter is , which hath separable parts : but how far spirits are passive ( as all under god are in some degree , ) and whether that passivity signifie any kind of materiality as well as substantiality ; and how far they are extensive , or partible , or have any degrees analogous to parts , and so what their vnity is in a positive conception , and how spirits are many , and how one , and whether there be existent one universal spirit of each kind vegetative , sensitive , and intellective , and whether they are both one , and many in several respects , with many such like questions , these are all past humane certain knowledge in this life : many it is certain that there be : but whether that number here be quantitas discreta , and how they are individuate and distinguishable , and how 't is that many come from one or two in generation , are questions too hard for such as i. . but we see in passive matter , that the parts have a natural propensity to vnion , and the aggregative inclination is so strong , as that thence the learned dr. glisson ( lib. de vitâ naturae ) copiously maintaineth that all matter hath life or a natural vital self-moving vertue , not as a compounding part , but as a formal inadequate conception : in which though i consent not , yet the aggregative inclination is not to be denyed ▪ all heavy terrene bodies hasten to the earth by descent , and all the parts of water would unite ; and air much more . . the grosser and more terrene any body is , the easilier the parts of it continue in a local separation ; you may keep them easily divided from one another , though they incline to the whole : but liquids more hasten to a closure ; and air yet much more . . whether this their strong inclination to vnity be a natural principle in the passive elements themselves , or be caused by the igneous active part which is ever mixed with them , and whose vnity in it self is more perfect ; or whether it principally proceed from any spiritual substance which animateth all things , and is above the igneous substance , i think , is too hard for man to determine . . but so great is the union of the whole igneous substance that is within our knowledge , that we can hardly tell whether it have divisible separable parts , and more hardly prove that there are any parts of it actually separated from the rest , even where by termination and reception in the passive matter there is the most notable distinction . the light of the sun in the air is one , and that light seemeth to be the effect of the present substance of the solar fire , and not a quality or motion locally distant from it : a burning-glass may by its receptive aptitude occasion a combustion by the sun-beams in one place which is not in another . but those beams that terminate on that glass are not separated from the rest . as there are in animals fixed spirits which are constitutive parts of the solid members , and moved spirits which carry about the humours , and yet these are not separated from each other : so the earth it self , and its grosser parts , have an igneous principle still resident in them , as fire is in a flint , or steel , and indeed in every thing : and this seemeth to be it which many call forma telluris : but that all these are not contiguous or united also to the common solar fire , or igneous element , is not to be proved . the same sun-beams may kindle many things combustible and light many candles , which yet are all one undivided fiery substance , though by the various receptivity of matter , so variously operating , as if there were various separate substances . and as all these candles or fires are one with the solar fire in the air , so are they therefore one among themselves : and yet not one candle ; because that word signifieth not only the common fire , but that fire as terminated and operative on that particular matter . the stars are many : but whether they be not also one fiery substance , diversifyed only by contraction and operation of its parts upon some suitable receptive matter ( or contracted simply in it self ) without separation from all other parts , is more than we are able to determine . . they that hold that non datur vacuum , must hold that all things in the world are one , by most intimate conjunction or union of all the parts of being : and yet distinguishable several ways . . we constantly see a numerical difference of substances made by partible receptive matter , when yet the informing substance in them all , is one in it self thus variously terminated and operating : so one vine or pear tree hath many grapes or pears numerically different ; and many leaves and branches and roots ; and yet it is one vegetative substance which animateth or actuateth them all ; which consisteth not of separated parts : and that tree which is thus principled , is it self vnited to the earth , and radicated in it is a real part of it , as a mans hair is an accident , ( or as some will call it , an accidental part ) of the man , or the feathers of a bird : and consequently the forma arboris or its vegetative spirit , and the forma telluris are not separated , but one. and we have no reason to think that there is not as true an union between that forma telluris , and the forms or spirits of the sun , stars , or other globes of the same kind , as there is between the spirits of the earth and plants . so that while vegetative spirits are many by the diversity of receptive or terminative matter , ( and perhaps other ways to us unknown ) yet seem they to be all but one thus diversifyed , as one soul is in many members . . seeing the noblest natures are most perfect in vnity ( and the basest most divisible ) we have no reason to think that the vital principles of the divers sensitive animals ( meerly such ) are not as much one as the divers principles of plants or vegetables are . . and as little reason have we to think that there is no sort of vnity among the divers intellectual substances , seeing their nature is yet more perfect , and liker to god , who is perfectly one . . it is not to be doubted but the vniverse of created being is one , consisting of parts compaginated and vnited , though the bond of its vnion be not well known to us . . but it is certain that they are all vnited in god ( though we know not the chief created cause of unity ; ) and that though it be below him to be the informing soul of the world , yet is he more than such a soul to it : & of him , and through him and to him are all things , who is all things in all things , above all and through all and in us all ( as is aforesaid ) : and being more intimate to all things as their proper form , is the first vniting principle of all being , as he is the first cause and the end of all . and yet it is above the creatures to be accounted parts of god ; for they are not his constitutive parts ( who is most simple ) but slow from him by his causal efflux , and so are by many not falsly called , vna emanatio divina , or a continued effect of one divine creative or efficient volition ; all one as in and of and to one god , and as compaginated among themselves , and yet many by wonderful incomprehensible diversities : ab uno omnia . . god is said to be more one with some creatures than with others , as he operateth more excellent effects in one than in others , and as he is related to those effects : but not as his essence is nearer to one than to another . . accordingly his vnion with the intellectual spirits , and souls of men is said to be nearer , than with bodies , and his communion answerably : but that is because they are the nobler product of his creating or efficient power and will. . and so he is said to be more vnited to holy souls than to the unholy , to the glorified than to the dammed ; because he maketh them better , and communicateth to them more of his glory and the effects of his power , wisdom and love. as the sun is more united to a burning-glass , or to a place where it shineth brightly , or to some excellent plant which it quickneth , than to others . . accordingly we must conceive of that vnion ( before mentioned thes . . ) of christ with believers here , and with the glorified hereafter , as to his divine nature ; which may well be called mystical , and is of late become the subject of some mens contentious opposition , and is matter of difficult enquiry to the wisest . and yet it is hard to say that in all their hot opposition any sober men are in this disagreed : for . it is by such commonly confessed that the spirit of christ doth operate more excellent effects on believers than on others , and on the blessed than on the damned ; even making them liker unto god. . and that this holy spirit is by covenant related to them , to operate for the future more constantly and eminently in them than in others . . and that this spirit proceedeth and is sent from the father and the son to do these works . . and that christ is related to each believing and each glorifyed soul , as one in covenant self-obliged ( or a promiser ) thus by his spirit to operate on them . . and that he is thus related to the whole church or society of such persons , whereof each individual is a part . so that all this set together telleth us , that every believing and every glorifyed soul is said to be united to christ in all these several conjunct respects ( as to his godhead ) . in that he eminently operateth grace and glory in them , that is , holy life , light and love , by the holy ghost : and this he doth ( as god doth all things ) per essentiam , and not as distant by an intermediate vertue which is neither creator nor creature : as the very sun-beams touch the illuminated and heated object . . by a moral-relative union by covenant to that individual person , to do such things upon him . ( as husband and wife are united by covenant for certain uses . ) . by a political relative vnion , as that person is a member of the church or political body , to which christ is united by promise as aforesaid : who denieth any of this , and who affecteth more ? . and then our vnion with christs humane nature ( besides the general and special logical vnion , as he is a creature , a man , of the same nature with us ) can be of no higher or nearer a sort : but differeth from the former , so far as the operations and relation of a created medium differ from those of the creator : that is , . the humane nature is honoured and used by the divine , as a second cause of the foresaid effects of grace and glory on us . . the humane nature ( being of the same species with ours ) is by a law , obligation and consent , related to each believer and to all the church , as the root , and chief medium , administrator and communicator of this grace and glory ; and so as our relative head in the foresaid moral and political sense , communicating those real benefits . . and christ in his humanity is the authorised lord and governour of all inferiour means and causes , by which and grace and glory is conveyed to us ( as of angels , ministers , word , sacraments , changing providences , &c. ) . but whether his own humane soul per essentiam & immediatam attingentiam , do operate on all holy souls , and so be physically also vnited to them as the sun is to the quickened plants or animals , i told you before , i know not yet , but hope ere long to know . . christs divine nature is united to his humane , in a peculiar sort , as it is not to any other creature . but it is not by any change of the divine : but by that peculiar possessing operation and relation , which no other created being doth partake of , and which no mortal can comprehend ; of which i have said more elsewhere . * . all creatures as such are united in god as the root or first cause of nature : all believers and saints are united in christ as the head of the church , as aforesaid ; and in the holy spirit as the principle of their sanctification . . the political relative union of such saints among themselves , is intelligible , and sure ; as having one god , one head , one holy spirit : but ( as i said before ) how and how far their very substance is one , by an unity analogous to physical continuity ( like the solar light , &c. ) and how far and how they are substantially divers ; and how and how far the spirit of holiness doth in a peculiar manner unite the substances of holy souls among themselves , ( by analogie to the illuminated air , &c. ) and how all souls and angels are individuate and distinguished , i say again is past our reach . . seeing vnion is so naturally desired as perfection by all creatures known to us , it is great mordinateness and folly to fear lest death will by too near an union end our individuation . . and as things sensible are the first known by man in flesh , and we see that among them union destroyeth no part of their substance ; but a sand or atom is the same thing in union with others as it would be if separate , or solitary , and a drop of water hath as true and much existing substance in the ocean , as in its separate state , and so of a particle of air ; we have reason to conclude no worse of the ingneous element , nor yet of sensitive or intellectual spirits : for . how far they are passive and partible ( being many ) we know not . most of the old fathers , especially the greeks ( as faustus regiensis cited them in the book which mammertus answered ) thought that god only was totally immaterial or incorporeal ; and it must not be denyed that every creature doth pati à deo , is passive as from god the first cause ; and many philosophers think that all passivity is a consequent or proof of answerable materiality ; and many think that we have no true notion of substantia , besides relative ( as it doth subsist of it self and substare accidentibus ) but what is the same with materia purissima . . but supposing all this to be otherwise , spirits being true substances , of a more perfect nature than grosse bodies , as they are more inclined to union inter se , so there is as little if not less danger that they should be losers by that union , than that a drop of water should be so : for the perfection of the highest nature , must needs be more the perfection of all the parts ( physical or intelligible ) than the perfection of the lowest : and the noblest inclineth not to its own loss , by desiring union which to the lowest is no loss . . it is called in the text [ the vnity of the spirit ] . as it is one species of spiritual grace which all the members are endowed with , which is their holiness , or gods image on them which is called , the spirit in us , because it is the immediate and excellent work of gods spirit : as the sun is said to be in the room because it shineth there . . as the spirit is the efficient cause hereof . . and because this one spirit in all the members inclineth them to vnity ; even as the soul of every animal inclineth it to preserve the unity of all its parts , and to abhor wounding and separation , as that which will be its pain and tendeth to its destruction , by dissolution . . the holiness , or spiritual qualification of souls , which is called the spirit , is holy or divine , life , light and love , or the holy disposition of the souls three natural faculties , vital power ( or activity ) vnderstanding and will. as all men have one species of humanity , so all saints have this one spirit . . though quickning ( by holy life ) and illumination be parts of sanctification ( or this spirit ) , yet the last part [ love ] is the compleating perfective part , and therefore is oft called sanctification specially ; and by the word [ spirit ] and [ love ] is oft meant the same thing . and when the spirit is said to be given to believers , the meaning is , that upon and by believing the wonderful demonstrations of gods love in christ , the habit of holy love is kindled in us . . this holy love which is gods image , ( for god is love ) usually beginneth at things visible , as being the nearest objects to man in flesh ; and as we see ●od here as in a glass , so we first see the glass , before we see god in it ; and accordingly we first see the goodness and loveliness of gods blessings 〈◊〉 us , and of good people , and of good words and actions ; but yet when we come up to the love of god , it is h● that is the chiefest object , in whom all the church by love is centred : so that we thenceforth love god for himself , and all his servants and word as for his sake and impress on them . and our vnion by love would not be perfect , if it united us together only among our selves , and did not unite us all in god and our redeemer . so that the vnity of the spirit is the love of god in christ and of all the faithful , ( yea and of all men so far as god appeareth in them ) to which gods spirit strongly enclineth all true believers ; including holy life and light , as tending to this vnity of spiritual love. . therefore love is not distinctly named after , among the particular terms of vnity , as faith and hope are ; because it is meant by that word [ there is one spirit . ] . the love and vnity of christians as in one church , supposeth in nature a love to man as man , and a desire of the vnity and concord of mankind : as christianity supposeth humanity . . but experience and faith assure us that this humane love and vnity is wofully corrupted , and much lost ; and that though mans soul be convinced by natural light , that it is good , and have a general languid inclination to it , yet this is so weak & uneffectual , as that the principles of wrath and division prevail against it , and keep the world in miserable confusion . . it is the predominancy of the corrupt selfish inclination which is the great enemy and destroyer of love and vnity . . christianity is so far from confining all our love to christians , that it is not the least use of it to revive and recover our love to men as men ▪ so that no men have a full and healed love to mankind , and desire of universal vnity , but believers . . the purest and strongest love and vnity is universal . and it is not genuine christianity if it do not incline us to love all men as men , and all professed christians as such , and all saints as saints ; according to their various degrees of amiableness . . love and vnity which is not thus universal , partaketh of wrath and s●hism . for he that loveth but a part of men , doth not love the rest ; and he that is vnited but to a part ( whether great or small ) is schismatically divided from all the rest . . but love to all , must not be equal to all , nor our vnity with all equal , as on the same terms , or in the same degree . as the goodness of meer humanity , and the meer profession of christianity is less , and so less amiable , than is the goodness of true sanctification ; so our love and vnity must be diversified . all the members of the body must be loved , and their unity carefully preserved : but yet not equally ; but the head as an head , and the heart as an heart , and the stomach as a stomach , and all the essential parts as essential , without which it is not a humane body : and all the integral parts as such , but diversely according to their worth and use : the eye as an eye , and a tooth but as a tooth . goodness being the object of love , and love being the life of our vnity , it varieth in degrees as goodness varieth . . that love and vnity which is sincere in kind , may be mixt with lamentable wrath and schism ( as all our graces are with the contrary sin in our imperfect state : ) not but that all christians have an habitual inclination to vniversal love and vnity ; but the act may be hindred , by the want of due information , and by false reports and misrepresentations of our brethren , which hide their amiableness , and render them to such more odious than they are . . sincere and genuine love and vnity hath an universal care of all mankind , and is very apt to enquire and take knowledge how it goeth with all the world , and specially with all the churches : for none can much love and desire that which they mind not , or take no thought of . and this is the chief news which a true christian enquireth after , whether gods name be hallowed , his kingdom come , and his will be done on earth , as it is done in heaven : and of this he is sollicitous even on his death-bed . . the vnity of the spirit inclineth men to mourn much for the sects , schisms , divisions and discords of believers ; and to smart in the sense of them , as the body does by its wounds . and they that bewail them not , are so far void of the vnity of the spirit . . the vnity of the spirit helpeth a man greatly to distinguish between wounding and healing doctrines , wounding and healing courses of practice , and between wounding and healing persons , even as nature teacheth us to discern and abhor that which would dismember or divide the body , as painful and destructive . . therefore holy experienced christians who have most of the vnity of the spirit , are most against the dividing impositions of church tyrants , and also against the quarrelsom humour and causeless separations of self conceited singularists whether dogmatical or superstitious ; who proudly overvalue their own conceptions , forms and modes of worship and doctrine , and thence aggravate all that they dislike into the shape of idolatry , antichristianism , false worship , or some such hainous sin , when the beam of self-conceit and pride in their own eye , is worse than the mo●e of a modall imperfection of words , method or matter , in anothers eye . . the vnity of the spirit inclineth men to hope the best of others , till we know it to be untrue : and to take more notice of mens vertues than of their faults , and love covereth such infirmities as may be covered ; & beareth with one anothers burdens , while we consider that we also may be tempted . . the vnity of the spirit teacheth and inclineth men to yield for peace and concord to such lawful things ( whose practice doth truly conduce to unity : ) yea and to give up much of our own right for unity and peace . . this love and vnity of the spirit inclineth men to vigorours endeavours for concord with all others ; so that such will not slothfully wish it but diligently seek it : they will pursue and follow peace with all men , heb. . . as far as is possible , and as in them lieth , rom. . . they that are true peace-lovers are diligent peace-makers , if it be in their power and way . . this love and vnity of the spirit , will prevail with the sincere , to prosecute it through difficulties and oppositions , and to conquer all : and it teacheth them at the first hearing to abhor back-biters , and slanderous censurers , who on pretence of a ( blind ) zeal for orthodoxness or piety or purity of worship , are ready to reproach those that are not of their mind and way in points where difference is tolerable : and when children that are tost up and down and carried to and fro , ( eph. . . ) with every wind of doctrine , are presently filled with distast and prejudice , when they hear other mens tolerable opinions , forms and orders aggravated , the right christian is more affected with displeasure against the self-conceited reproacher , who is employed by satan ( though perhaps he be a child of god ) against the love and vnity of believers . . the more any man hath of love and vnity of the spirit , the greater matter he maketh of vniversal vnity , and the more zealous he is for it . a small fire or candle giveth but a faint and little light and heat , and that but a little way . but the sun ●light and heat extendeth to all the surface of the earth , and much farther ; and that so vigorously as to be the life of the things that live on earth : so strong love is extensive . . the more any man hath of love and the vnity of the spirit , the more resolved and patient he is , in bearing any thing for the furthering of vnity . if he must be hated for it , or undone for it ; if his friends censure and forsake him for it ; if church tyrants will ruine him , he can joyfully be a martyr for love and vnity ; if dogmatists condemn him as an heretick , he can joyfully bear the censure and reproach . if blind superstitious persons charge him with luke-warmness , or sinful confederacies , or compliance , or corrupting gods●worship , or such like as their errour leadeth them , he can bear evil report , and to be made of no reputation , and to be slandered and vilisyed by the learned , by the zealous , by his ancient friends , rather than forsake the principles , affections and practice of universal charity , vnity , and peace . . though perfection must be desired , it is but a very imperfect unity which can be reasonably hoped for on earth . . there must go very much wisdom , goodness and careful diligence , to get and keep vnity and peace in our own souls , ( it being that healthful equal temperature and harmony of all within us which few obtain ) and most have a discord and war or disquiet in themselves . but to have a family of such is harder , and to have a church of such yet harder ; and much more to have a kingdom of such , and a conjunction of such churches ; and most of all to bring all the world to such a state : and they that have a war in themselves , are not fit to be the peace-making healers of the church ( in that degree ) . . yet as every christian hath so much concord and peace at home as is necessary to his salvation , so we may well hope that by just endeavours , the churches may have so much , as may preserve the essentials of christianity and communion , and also may fortifie the integrals , and may much encrease the greatness and glory of the church , and much further holiness and righteousness in its members , and remove many of the scandals and sinful contentions , which are the great hinderers of piety , and are satans advantages against mans recovery and salvation : this much we may seek in hope . . despair of success is a an enemy to all pacificatory endeavours , and low and narrow designs shew a low spirit , and a little degree of holy love and all other uniting grace . . an earnest desire * of the worlds conversion , and of the bringing in the barbarous , ignorant , infidels and impious , to the knowledge of christ , and a holy life , doth shew a large degree of charity , and of the vnity of the spirit , which would fain bring in all men to the bond of the same unity , and participation of the same spirit . . the most publick endeavours therefore of the good of many , of churches , of kingdoms , of mankind , are the most noble and most beseeming christianity , though it 's possible that an hypocrite may attempt the like , to get a name , or for other carnal ends . . and it is very savoury and suitable to the vnity of the spirit , to hear men in prayer and thanksgiving , to be much and fervent for the churches , and for all the world , and to make it the first and heartiest of their requests , that gods name may be hallowed , his kingdom come , and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven , and not to be almost all for themselves , or for a sect , or a few friends about them , as selfish persons use to be . . a very fervent desire of vnion con●ined to some few , that are mistaken for all or the chief part of the church , with a ●ensorious undervaluing of others , and a secret desire that god would weaken and dishonour them , because they are against the opinions and the interest of that sect or party , is not only consistent with schism , ( as i said before ) but is the very state of schism ( called heresie of old ) : and the stronger the desire of that inordinate separating unity is , as opposite to the common vnity of all christians , the greater is the schism : even as a bile or other aposteme or inflammation , containeth an inordinate burning collection or confluence of the blood to the diseased place , instead of an equal distribution . chap. iii. ii. the necessity and benefits of this unity and peace . ii. the necessity and excellency of the vnity of the spirit and peace , will appear in these respects . . for the good of the particular persons that possess it . . for the good of christian societies . . for the good of the uncalled world . . for the glory and well-pleasing of jesus christ and of the father : of these in order . . for the good of each particular person that possesseth it . . it is the very health and holiness of the soul , and the contrary is the very state of sin and death . what is holiness but that vniting love by which the will adhereth to god and delighteth in his goodness as it shineth to us in his works , and specially in christ and in all his members ( and in a common sort in all mankind ? ) and what is the unholy state of sin and death , but that con●ractedness and retiring to our selves , by which the selfish person departeth from the due love of god and others , and of that holiness which is contrary to this his selfishness ? so far as any mans love is contracted , narrowed , confined to himself , and to a few , so far his soul is indeed unsanctified and void of the vnity of the spirit , or the spirit of vnity . if a man lived in banishment or a prison uncapable of doing others any good , yet if he have that love and spirit of unity which inclineth him to do it if he could , this is his own health and rectitude , and acceptable unto god. little do many religious people think how much they do mistake unholiness and sin it self , for a degree of holiness above their neighbours ! when they contract and narrow their christian love and communion to a party , and talk against the churches of christ , by disgraceful and love-killing censures and reproaches , as being not holy enough for their communion ; this want of the spirit of love and unity , is their own want of holiness it self . it was the old deceit of the pharisees , which christ the messenger and mediator of love condemned , to think that holiness lay more in sacrifices and ritual observances , and in a strict keeping of the sabbaths rest and such like , than in the love of god and all men : and the lesson that christ twice set them to learn was , [ i will have mercy and not sacrifice . ] he hath most grace and holiness who hath most of the spirit of love and unity . . it is the souls necessary qualification for that life of true christianity which god hath commanded us in the world . it is this inward health which must enable us to all our duty . . without this spirit of vnity we cannot perform the duties of the first table unto god : our sacrifices will be as loathsome as theirs described isa . . and isa . . if we lift not up pure hands without wrath , and wrangling ( or disputing ) ( for so i would rather translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , tim. . . than [ doubting ] ) our prayers will not be acceptable to god : though it be christs worthiness for which our prayers and services are accepted , yet there must be the subordinate worthiness of necessary qualification in our selves . for christ himself hath annexed specially the express mention of this one qualification in the lords prayer it self [ forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us ] and he repeateth it after , [ for if ye forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will forgive you your trespasses ; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your heavenly father forgive you ] mat. . , . love is here included in [ forgiving ] as a cause in its effect : and christ rather nameth [ forgiving ] than [ love ] , because men may pretend to that act which is secret in the heart , but if it should not work in the necessary fruits ( of which forgiving others is one ) it would be but a vain pretence . and here i intreat the reader to consider a while the singularities of this passage of christ . . that men that must trust in christs merits and mediation , must yet be told of such an absolute necessity of a condition or qualification in themselves . . that forgiving others as an act of love , is singled out as this qualification . . that this condition must be put into the very prayer it self , that our own mouths may utter it to god. . that it must be annexed to this one petition of [ forgiveness ] rather than any of the rest , where men are apt to confess their own necessity , and where many are readiest to think that gods mercy and christs merits and mediation must do all without any condition on their part : they that know that [ their daily bread ] and [ deliverance from temptation and evil ] must have some care and endeavours of their own , are yet apt to think that the forgiveness of sin needeth nothing on their part but [ asking and receiving . ] . that christ should after single out this one clause to repeat to them , by urgent application . and yet how little is this laid to heart ? and indeed the first word in the lords prayer [ our father ] teacheth us the same lesson , how needful a qualification love and vnity are to all that will come to god in prayer : he that teacheth us that to love our neighbour as our selves is the second summary commandment , and even like to the first , which is love to god ( for it is loving god in his likeness on his works ) doth here call us in all our prayers to express it , by praying for our brethren as for our selves . o that men of wrath and wrangling were truly sensible what affections should be expressed by that word [ ovr father ] , and with what a heart men should say [ give us ] and [ forgive us ] and how far [ vs ] must extend beyond [ me ] and beyond [ our party ] or [ our side ] or [ our church ] in the dividers sense . i tell you if you will be welcome to god in your prayers or any other religious services , you must come as in vnion with christ and with his universal church : god will receive no one that cometh to him as alone and divided from the rest ? as you must have union with christ the head , so must you have with his body : a divided member is no member , but a dead thing . little think many ignorant persons of this , who think that the singularity and smallness of their sect or party is the necessary sign of their acceptance with god : because they read [ fear not little flock : ] as if [ a little flock ] must separate from christs little flock , for fear of being too great ? and as if his flock which then was but a few hundreds must be no greater , when the kingdoms of the world are become his kingdoms ? yet such have there been of late among us , who first became ( as they were called ) puritans , or presbyterians when they saw them a small and suffering party . but when they prospered and multiplyed , they turned independents or separatists , thinking that the former were too many to be the true church . and on the same reason when the independents prospered they turned anabaptists ; and when they prospered , they turned quakers , thinking that unless it were a small and suffering party it could not be the little flock of christ . as if he that is called the saviour of the world , would take it for his honour to be the saviour only of a few families or villages , and his kingdom must be as little as bethlehem where he was born . should they take the same course about their language , and say , that it is not the language of canaan but of the beast , if it grow common , and so take up with a new one , that it might be a narrow one , the folly of it would discover it self : and what is the excellency of a language but significancy and extensive community ? and what greater plague since adams sin hath befaln mankind , than the division of tongues ? as hindering communication , and propagation of the gospel ? and what greater blessing as a means to universal reformation could be given men , than an universal common language ? and what is the property of babel but division and confusion of tongues ? and doth not all this intimate the necessity of a union of minds ? while we keep in the vnity of the body and spirit , we may , we must strive for such a singularity , as consisteth in an excellency of degree , and endeavour to be the best and holiest persons , and the usefullest members in the body of christ . but if once you must separate from the body as too good to be members of so great or so bad a society , you perish . god will own no church which is so independent as not to be a member of the universal ; not any person who is so independent , as not to come to him as in communion with all the christians in the world . we must not approve of the faults of any church or christian , and so communicate with their sin by voluntary consent : but disowning their sin , we must own them as christs members , and have communion with them in faith and love , and holy profession of both ; and while we are absent in body , must be as present in spirit with them , and still come to god as in communion with all his church on earth , and offer up our prayers as in conjunction with them , and not as a separated independent thing . . and as our vnity is part of our necessary fitness for duties of holy worship , so is it also for duties of the second table , that is ; of justice and charity to men : and this is evident in the nature of the thing . no man will be exact in justice till he do as he would be done by : and who can do that who loveth not his neighbour as himself ? what is our unity but our love to others as our selves ? and how can we do the works of love without love ? it is divided self that is the cause of all the unmercifulness and injustice in the world . unity maketh my neighbour to be to me as my self , and his interest and welfare to be to me as my own , and his loss and hurt to be as mine : and were he indeed my self , and his welfare and his hurt mine own , you may judge without many words how i should use him ; whether i should shew him mercy in his wants and misery ? whether i should rejoice with him in his joy , and mourn with him in his sorrows ? whether i should speak well or ill of him behind his back ? and whether i should persecute him , and undo him ? whether i should defame him and write books to render him odious , and to perswade the rulers that he is unworthy to have the liberty of a christian or of a man ; to preach , to pray , to be conversed with , or to live ! would not uniting love make a wonderful change in some mens judgements , speeches and behaviour , and make those men good christians , or good moralists at least , who now when they have cryed up morality , and charity and good works , would perswade men by the commentary of their practice , that they mean malignity , cruelty , and the propagating of hatred and all iniquity ? where there is not a dominion of love and unity , there is a dominion of selfishness and enmity ; and how well these will keep the commandments which are all fulfilled in love , how well they will do good to all men , especially to them of the houshold of faith , and provoke one another to love and to good works , it is easie for any man to judge . once alienate mens hearts from one another , and the life will shew the alienation . . this unity of spirit ( and spirit of unity ) is our necessary preservation against sins of commission ( as well as of omission as aforesaid ) , even against the common iniquities of the world : love and unity tyrannize not over inferiours , contrive not to tread down others that we may rise , and to keep them down to secure our domination : they oppress not the poor , the weak , or innocent : they make not snares for other mens consciences , nor lay stumbling-blocks before them , to occasion them to sin , nor drive men on to sin against . conscience , and so to hell , to shew mens authority , in a thing of nought . had this ruled in ahab and his prophets , michaiah had not been smitten on the mouth , nor fed in a prison with the bread and water of affliction ; nor had elijah been hunted after as the troubler of israel : had this unity of spirit ruled in jeroboam , and in rehoboam , one had not stretcht out his hand against the prophet , nor the other despised experienced counsellours , to make heavier the burdens of the complaining people . had it overcome the selfishness of the kings of israel , their calves and high places had not engaged them against the prophets , and been their ruine . had it prevailed in the kings of judah and their people , jeremy had not been laid in the dungeon , nor had they forbid amos to prophesie at the kings chapel or his court , nor had they mocked the messengers of god , and despised his prophets , till the wrath of the lord arose and there was no remedy , chron. . . had this spirit of vnity been in the persecuting jews , they would not have counted paul a pestilent fellow , and a mover of sedition among the people , nor have hunted the apostles with implacable fury , nor have forbidden them to preach to the gentiles that they might be saved , and have brought gods wrath upon themselves to the uttermost , thes . . , . had this vnity of spirit prevailed in the nicolaitans and other hereticks of old , they had not so early grieved the apostles , and divided and dishonoured the primitive church , nor raised so many sects and parties among christians , nor put the apostles to so many vehement obtestations against them , and so many sharp objurgations and reproofs : nor had there been down to this day a continuation for so many hundred years , of the churches woful distractions and calamities by the two sorts of afflicters , viz. the clergie tyrants on one side , and the swarms of restless sectaries on the other . and if the spirit of vnity ruled in the people , there would he less rebelling , repining and murmuring against governours , but subjects would render to all their dues : tribute to whom tribute , custome to whom custome , fear to whom fear is due , and honour to whom honour , rom. . . they would owe nothing to any man but to love one another , v. . for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law : for this , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not bear false witness , thou shalt not covet , and if there be any other commandment , it is briefly comprehended in this saying , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . love worketh no ill to his neighbour : therefore love is the fulfilling of the law , v. , . love is long-suffering and kind ; love envyeth not : love vaunteth not it self ( or is not rash ) nor is puffed up , doth not behave it self unseemly ; seeketh not her own , is not easily provoked ( or siercely angry ) , thinketh no evil , rejoyceth not in iniquity , but rejoyceth in ( or with ) the truth : love beareth ( or concealeth ) all things , believeth all things , hopeth all things , endureth all things , cor. . , &c. did the vnity of the spirit and love prevail , it would undo most of the lawyers , atturneys , solicitors , proctors : it would give the judges a great deal of ease : it would be a most effectual corrector of the press , of the pulpit , of the table talk of calumniators and backbiters ; it would heal factious preachers and people , and many a thousand sins it would prevent . in a word , love and vnity are the most excellent law. they are a law eminenter : for it is to such that the apostle saith , there needeth no law : that is , no forcing constraining law which supposeth an unwilling subject : for what a man loveth , ●e need not be constrshained to by penalties : and men need not many threats to keep them from beating or robbing or slandering themselves : and did they but love god and the church , and their neighbours , and their own souls , as they do their bodies , piety and justice and concord and felicity would be as common as humanity is . as the best physicions are most for strengthening nature , which is the true curer of diseases , so he that could strengthen vnity and love , would soon cure most of the persecutions , schisms , reproaches , contentions , deceivings , over-reaching , rash-censuring , envy , malice , revenge , and all the injuries which selsishness causeth in the world . . the vnity of the spirit is necessary to the fulness of our joy , and the true consolation of our lives : a private selfish spirit , hath very little matter to feed his joy ; even his own poor narrow and interrupted pleasures : and what are these to the treasures which feast the joy and pleasure of a publick mind ? if love vnite me as a christian to all christians , and as a man to all the world , the blessings of christians and the mercies of all the world are mine . when i am poor in my own body , i am rich in millions of others , and therefore rich in mind : when i am sick and pained in this narrow piece of flesh , i am well in millions whose health is mine : and therefore i am well in mind : when i am neglected , abused , slandered , persecuted in this vile and perishing body , i am honoured in the honour of all my brethren , and i prosper in their prosperity , i abound in their plenty , i am delivered in their deliverances ; i possess the comfort of all the good which they possess . object . by the same reason you may say , that you are holy in their holiness , and righteous in their righteousness , which will be a fanatical kind of com●ort to ungodly persons . answ . he that is himself unholy and unrighteous , hath not this vnity with holy righteous persons : he that hath not the spirit , hath not the unity of the spirit : this frivolous objection therefore goeth upon a mistake , as if this vnity were common to the ungodly . but to those that have the spirit of unity indeed , the comfort of all other mens holiness is theirs , and that in more than one respect . . by some degree of causal participation ; as the common health of the body is extended to the benefit of each particular member ; and the common prosperity of the kingdom , doth good to the particular subjects : goodness in all men is of a communicative nature ; as light and heat are : and therefore as a greater fire , much more the sun , doth send forth a more extensive light and heat than a spark or candle ; so the grace of life in the vnited body of christ , doth operate more powerfully for every member , than it would do were it confined to that member separatedly : as in the holy assemblies we find by sweet experience , that a conjunction of many holy souls doth add alacrity to every one in particular : and it is a more lively joyful work , and liker to heaven , to pray and praise god with many hundreds or thousands of faithful christians , than with a few . i know not how the conceit of singularity may work on some , but for my part gods praises sung or said in a full assembly of zealous , sincere and serious persons , is so much sweeter to me than a narrower communion ( yea though many bad and ignorant persons should be present ) that i must say that it is much against my will , when ever i am deprived of so excellent a help . . and as efficiently , so objectively a holy soul by this unity of spirit hath a part in the blessings and graces of all the world . he can know them and think of them ▪ ( so far as he is one with them ) with such pleasure as he thinketh of his own . for what should hinder him ? do we not see that husband and wife are pleased by the riches and honour of each other , because their vnion maketh all to be common to them ? are not parents pleased to see their children prosper , and every one delighted in the wellfare of his friend ? what then if all the world were as near and dear to us as a husband , a child , or a bosome friend ? would it not be our constant pleasure to think of gods blessings to them , as if they were our own ? a narrow spot of ground doth yield but little fruit , in comparison of a whole kingdom , or all the earth : and he that fetcheth his content and pleasure from so little a clod of earth as his own body , must have but a poor and pitiful pleasure in comparison of him that can rejoice in the good of all the world . it is vniting love , which is the great enriching , contenting and felicitating art . ( an art i call it as it is a thing learned and practised by rule , but more than an art , even a nature as to its fixed inclination . ) . and vnion maketh other mens good to be all ours , ( as efficiently and objectively , so also ) finally : as all is but a means to one and the same end in which we meet : it is my ends that are attained by all the good that is done and possessed in the world . they that have one holy spirit , have one end . the glorifying of god in the felicity of his church , and the perfection of his works , and the fulfilling and pleasing of his blessed will in this his glory , is the end that every true believer doth intend and live for in the world : and this one end , all saints , all angels , all creatures are carrying on as means . if i be a christian indeed , i have nothing so dear to me , or so much desired as this pleasing and glorifying of god , in the good and perfection of his works : this is my interest : in this he must grati●ie me that will be my friend : all things are as nothing to me , but for this : and in this all the world , but specially all saints are continually serving me : in serving god they are serving me ; while they serve my chiefest end and interest . if i have a house to build , or a field to till , or a garden to dress , do not the labours of all the builders and workmen serve me , and please me , while it is my work that they do . this is no fancy but the real case of every wise and holy person : he hath set his heart and hope upon that end , which all the world are joyntly carrying on , and which shall certainly be accomplished . o blessed be that infinite wisdom and love , which teacheth this wisdom , and giveth this vniting love to every holy soul ! all other wayes are dividing , narrow , poor and base : this is the true and certain way for every man to be a possessour of all mens blessings , and to be owner of the good of all the world . they are all doing our heavenly fathers will , and all are bringing about the common end which every true believer seeketh . it is this base and narrow selfishness and inordinate contractedness of spirit , and adhering to individual interest , which contradicteth all this , and hindereth us from the present joyful tast● of the fruits of unity which we now hear and read of . yea i can dye with much the greater willingness , because ( besides my hopes of heaven ) i live even on earth when i am dead : i live in all that live , and shall live till the end of all . i am not of the mind of the selfish person , that saith , when i am dead , all the world is dead or at an end to me : but rather , god is my highest object : his glory and complacency is my end : these shine and are attained more in and by the whole creation than by me : while these go on , the end is attained which i was made for : and i shall never be separated living or dead from the universal church or universal world : so that when i am dead , my end , my interest , my united fellow-christians and creatures will still live . if i loved my friend better than my self , it would be less grief to me to be banished than for him to be banished : and so it would be less grief to me to dye , than for him to dye . and if i loved the church and the world but half as much more than my self , as my reason is fully convinced there is cause , it would seem to me incomparably a smaller evil to dye my self than that the church or world should dye . as long as my garden flourisheth , i can bear the death of the several flowers , whose place will the next spring be succeeded by the like : and as long as my orchard liveth i can bear the falling of a leaf or an apple , yea of all the leaves and fruit in autumn , which the next spring will repair and restore in kind , though not those individual ▪ what am i that the world should miss me , or that my death should be taken by others or by me , for a matter of any great regard ? i can think so of another , and another can think so of me : but unhappy selfishness maketh it hard for every man or any man to think so of himself . did unity more prevail in men , and selfishness less , it would more rejoice a dying man , that the power , wisdom and goodness of god , will continue to shine forth in the church and world , and that others shall succeed him in serving god and his church when he is dead , than it would grieve him that he must dye himself . yea more than all this , this holy unity will make all the joyes of heaven to be partly ours . even while we are here in pain and sorrows , we are members of the body , whose best part is above with christ ; and therefore their joyes are by participation ours , as the pleasure of the head and heart extendeth to the smallest members . would it be nothing to a mother if all her children , or to a friend if all his friends , had all the prosperity and joy that he could wish them ? the nearer and stronger this holy unity is , the more joyfully will a believer here look up , and say , though i am poor or sick or suffer , it is not so with any of the blessed ones above : my fellow christians now rejoyce in glory : the angels with whom i shall live for ever are full of joy in the vision of jehovah : my blessed head hath kingdom and power and glory and perfection . though i am yet weak and must pass through the gates of death , the glori●ied world are triumphing in perpetual joyes ; their knowledge , their love , their praises of god , are perfect and everlasting , beyond all fears of death or any decay or interruption . unity giveth us a part in all the joyes of earth and heaven : and what then is more desireable to a believer ? . and in all that is said it appeareth that unity is a great and necessary part of our preparation for sufferings and death : without this men want the principal comforts that should support them : they that can fetch comfort neither from earth nor from heaven , but only from the narrow interest of themselves , are like a withering branch that 's broken from the tree , or like a lake of water separated from the stream , that will soon dry up : a selfish person hath neither the motives to right suffering , nor the truest cordials for a dying man. something or other in this sinful self will be still amiss ; and a selfish person will be still caring , fearing or complaining : because he can take but little pleasure , in remembring that all is well in heaven , and that if he were nothing , god would be still glorified in the world . therefore the more selfish true christians are , the less is their peace , and the more their hearts do sink in suffering : their religion reacheth little higher than to be still poring on a sinful , confused heart , and asking , how should i be assured of my own salvation ? when a christian that hath more of the spirit of unity , is more taken up with sweeter things , studying how to glorifie god in the world , and rejoycing in the assurance that his name shall be hallowed , his kingdom shall come , and his will shall be done , yea and is perfectly done in heaven : that which is first in his desires and prayers , is ever the chiefest in his thanksgivings , and his joyes . chap. iv. the vnity of the spirit in the welfare of the church . ii. as the unity of the spirit is the personal welfare of every christian , so is it the common interest of the church , and of all christian societies , kingdoms , cities , schools and families : and that in all these respects . i. unity is the very life of the church ( and of all societies as such ) . the word life is sometime taken for the living principle or form , and so the soul is the life of a man , and the spirit as dwelling and working in us , is the moral or holy-spiritual life of the soul , and of the church as mystical : and sometime life is taken for the vnion of the said vital principle with the organical body , or matter duly united in it self : and so the union of soul and body is the life of a man ; and the vnion of the political head and body is the life of political societies : and so the vnion of christ and the church is the life of the church ; and the union of the members among themselves , is ( as the union of the parts of the organical body ) the necessary dispositio materiae , without which it cannot have union with the head ; or the effect of vnion with the vital principle , and so the union which is essential to the church . as that is no body whose parts are not united among themselves , nor no living body which is not united to the soul ( and in it self ) ; so that is no church or no society which is not vnited in it self ; and no christian society or church which is not united unto christ . it is a gross oversight of them that look at nothing but the regeneration of the members , as essential to the church , and take vnity to be but a separable accident . yea indeed regeneration it self consisteth in the vniting of persons by faith and love to god and the redeemer and to the body of the church : and if vnion be life , then division is no less than death : not every degree of division : for some breaches among christians are but wounds : ( but to be divided or separated from christ , or from the universal church which is his body , is death it self : and even wounds must have a timely cure , or else they threaten at least the perishing of the wounded part . ) ii. unity is the health , ease and quiet of the church and all societies , as well as of each person : and division is its smart and pain : and a divided disagreeing society is a wounded or sick society ; in continual suffering and disease : but how easie , sweet , and pleasant is it , when brethren dwell together in unity ? when they are not of many minds , and wills and wayes ; when they strive not against each other , and live not in wrangling and contention , when they have not their cross interests , wills and parties , and envy not or grudge not against each other : but every one taketh the common interest to be his own ; and smarteth in all his brethrens sufferings and hurts : when they speak the same things , and mind the same interest , and carry on the same ends and work ? o foelix hominum genus si vestros animos amor quo coelum regitur , regat , saith boetius . many contrivances good men have had , for the recovering of the peace and felicity of societies : and they that despaired of accomplishing it , have pleased themselves with feigning such societies as they thought most happy : whence we have plato's common-wealth , moor's vtopia , campanella's civitas solis , &c. but when all is done , he is the wisest and happiest politician , and the best friend and benefactor to societies and to mankind , who is the skilfullest contriver , and best promoter of uniting love . i know that this is ( like life in man ) a work that requireth more than art : but yet i will not say hoc non est artis , sed pietatis opus , as if art did nothing in it : it is gods work blessing mans endeavours . even in the propagation of natural life , though deus & sol vivificant , god is the quickener , and fountain of all life ; yet man is the generator ( even if it prove true that the soul is created ) : and god will not do it without the act of man : so god will not bless churches , and kingdoms and families , with vniting-love , without the subordinate endeavours of man : and the skill and honesty of the endeavourers greatly conduceth to the success of the work : men that stand in a significant capacity ( as rulers and publick teachers do ) may do much by holy art to promote vniting-love in all societies ; by contriving an vniting of interests , ( and not by cudgelling them all into the same temples or synagogues as prisoners into a jaile ) ; and by diligent clear teaching them the excellency and necessity of vnity and love , and mischiefs of dividing selfishness : but of this more after in due place . all the devices in the world for the felicity of societies which tend not unto vnity , and all wayes of vnity which promote not love , are erroneous and meerly frivolous : and all that are contrary to love are pernicious , whatever the contrivers pretend or dream . iii. unity is the strength and preservation of societies , and selfishness and division is their weakness , their dissolution and their ruine . as in natural , so in political bodies , the closest and perfectest vnion of parts , maketh the firmest and most durable composition . what is the strength of an army but their unity ? when they obey one general commander , and cleave inseparably together , and forsake not one another in fight , such an army would conquer far greater multitudes of incoherent separable men : when every souldier thinketh how to shift for himself , and to save his own life whatever become of others , a few run away first , and shew the rest the way , and they are quickly all made conquered fugitives : when they that resolve [ we must all stand or fall together , and we will not live or escape alone ; it is more the army than my life that i would preserve ] these are seldom overcome by any policy or power . what is the conquest of an army , but the routing and scattering of them ? the strength of composed bodies lyeth in the great number of parts most inseparably conjoyned . small cities and republicks are made a prey to potent princes , because they are insufficient for their own defence , and are hardly vnited with their neighbours for mutual preservation . an united flame of many combustibles consumeth all without resistance ; when divided sparks and candles have no such power : divided drops of rain are easily born , when united streams and floods bear down all before them . he can break a single thread , that cannot break a cord that is made of multitudes . and though the chief strength of the church of christ be not in themselves , but in their god and head , yet god fitteth every thing to the use that he designeth it to , and maketh that creature , that person , that society strong , which he will have to be most safe and durable , and to do the works and bear the burdens that require strength . though we have all one god and christ and spirit , yet are there great variety of gifts and graces ; and as there are strong and weak christians , so there are strong and weak churches and common-wealths . o what great things can that church or kingdom do , which is fully united in it self ! what great assaults can they withstand and overcome ! but the devil himself knoweth that a kingdom or a house divided cannot stand , matth. . , . and therefore by some kind of concord ( whatever it is ) even satans kingdom is upheld : and by discord it is that he hopeth and laboureth to destroy christs kingdom . and he that would have christs kingdom to be stronger than the devils , must do his part that it be more united , and less divided . all living creatures perish by the dissolution of parts : what concord and discord do in kingdoms and all societies , he must be stupidly ignorant that knoweth not after so long experience of the world . therefore they who agree in errour , are hardliest convinced ( which is the roman strength ) and they take their own concord for an evidence of truth : and those that disagree and divide and wrangle , are apt to be drawn at last to suspect if not forsake that truth in which they are agreed . concord corroborateth even rebels and thieves in evil , much more the servants of god in good . * o unhappy people of god ( saith hierome in psal . . ) that cannot so well agree in good as wicked men do in evil ! but , by his leave , there is more unity and concord among all christs true servants , than among any wicked men : else the devils kingdom would be stronger and perfecter than christs . obj. but this of jeromes is a common saying , and common experience seemeth to confirm it . how unanimous were the sodomites in assaulting the house of lot ? and what multitudes every where agree in ignorance and enmity to the godly ? and how divided and quarrelsome are the religious sort ? ans . the question whether christs kingdom or satans hath more vnity and concord , requireth a distincter kind of answer ; which is , i. unity is one thing , and similitude is another . . active concord or union of excellent coherent and cooperative natures , is one thing , and negative non-repugnancy of dead or baser creatures is another . . as there is a great similitude between incoherent sands or drops of rain , so is there between ungodly men : they are very like in their privations and ungodliness : but this is no vnity at all . but the faithful are not only like , but vnited , as many drops in one ocean , or as many candles united in one flame , or many sun-beams in one sun and aire . . all these sands , or dust or dead bodies , quarrel not among themselves , because they are unactive beings , whose nature is to lye still ; while parents and children and brethren may have many fallings out : and yet there is that vnity in parents and children , inclining them to the loving communion of each other , which is not in the sand or dust or dead . and so wicked men in some cases have not those vital principles which are necessary to an active quarrel , and yet may have far less vnion than the godly in their scandalous discord . swine and dogs will not strive or fight for gold or lands or lordships , as men do ; nor asses for the food or delicates of men ; nor yet for our ornaments or gay cloathes : brutes never contend for preheminence in learning , nor fall out in argumentation as men do ; because their faculties are as dead to all these things : and that which moveth not , doth not strive : so wicked men strive not who shall please god best , or who shall be soundest in the faith , or the greatest enemy to sin , which is the commonest cont●ntion of good men , ( while some of them mistake some sins for no sins , and some take those to be sins that are none * ) but brethren that oft fall out , have yet more vnity , than strangers that never think of one another , or than fellow-travellers that quietly travel in the way . godly persons are all closely united in one god , one christ , one faith , one hope , one bond of love to one another , one mind , and one design and work , as to the main . there is no such vnion as this among the ungodly . it 's true , that they all agree by way of similitude , in being all blind , all bad , all worldly and fleshly , all void of gods spirit , and all enemies to the godly : but so all dead carkasses agree in being dead , and all toads agree in being toads and poysonous : and yet when the fable feigneth the belly and the hands and feet to fall out , because the hands and feet must labour for the belly , they had then more vnity than several carkasses , ●oads or serpents that never fall out : yea if a gowty foot be a torment to all the body , it hath yet more vnity with the body than another mans foot hath that putteth it to no pain . but yet the perfectest vnity hath also ●ase and strength , and safety . things united are durable . death when it creepeth upon decaying age , doth it by gradual separations and dissolution : the fruit and the leaves first fall from the tree , and then one branch dyeth , and then another : the combined parts of our nutritious juices are first loosened , and then separated in our decaying bodies ; and then the pained parts feel the ill effects : the hair falleth off ; the teeth ●ot and fall out : and we dye by degrees , as by a coalition of parts we lived by degrees in our generation and augmentation ; saith boetius , * omne quod est , tam diu manet & subsistit , quam diis sit unum ; sed interit & dissolvitur quando unum esse desierit . we live while we are one : we dye when we cease to be one : and we decay when by separation we hasten towards it ; and we grow weak when by looseness we grow more separable . therefore all loosening opinions or principles , which tend to abate the love and vnity of christians , are weakening principles and tend to death . schisms in the church , and feuds or wars in the commonwealth , and mutinies in armies , are the approaches or threatnings of death : or if such ●evers and bloody fluxes prove not mortal , the cure must be by some excellent remedy , and divine clemency and skill . discordia ordinum est reipublicae venenum , saith livy . for ( as salust . saith ) war is easily begun ( as fire in the city easily kindled , ) but to end it requireth more ado . and the ●nd is seldom in the power of the same persons that began it ; much less will it end as easily as it might have been prevented . it 's like the eruption of waters that begin at a small breach in the damm or banks , but quickly make themselves a wider passage . prov. . . he that passeth by and medleth with strife which is not to him , is like one that taketh a dog by the ears . prov. ▪ . the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water : therefore leave off contention before it be medled with ( or exasperated or stirred up to rage . ) as passion inclineth men to strive , rail or some way hurt , so all discord and division inclineth men to a warring depressing way against others ; as gregory saith * [ when perverse minds are once engaged ad studium contrarietatis , to a study of contrariety , they arm themselves to oppugne all that is said by another , be it wrong or right ; for when the person through contrariety is displeasing to them , even that which is right , when spoken by him is displeasing . and when this is the study of each member , to prove all false or bad that another saith or doth , and to disgrace and weaken one another , what strength , what safety , what peace , what duration can be to that society ? iv. unity is also the beauty , and comeliness of the church and all societies : perfect unity without diversity is proper to god. but ab vno omnia : that all the innumerable parts of his creation , should by order and vnity make one universe or world ; that all the members of the church of christ , of how great variety of gifts , degrees and place soever should make one body , this is the divine skill ; and this order and vnity is the beauty of his works . if the order and vnity of many letters made not words , and of many words made not sentences , and of many sentences made not books , what were their excellency or use ? if many notes ordered and united made not harmony , what were the pleasure of musick or melody ? and how doth this concord make it differ from a discordant odious noise ? the unity of well-ordered materials is the beauty of an edifice : and the unity of well-ordered and proportioned members , is the symmetrie and beauty of the body ▪ it delighteth mans nature more to read the history of loves , and amiable concord ( which is the charming snare in tempting lust●books ) than to read of odious and ruinating discords : and no doubt but the many histories of sinful discord , and their effects are purposely recorded in scripture , to make it the more hateful to all believers : this is the use of the recorded malice of cain to abel , of the effect of the babel division of tongues ; of the disagreement of the servants of abraham and lot ; of the envy of josephs brethren , and of esau's thoughts of revenge against jacob , and of jacobs fear of him ; of the discord of laban and jacob ; of the bloody fact of simeon and levi , and jacob's dying detestation of it and his curse ; of the two hebrews that strove with each other , and one of them with moses ; of the israelites murmurings and mutinies against moses ; abimelech's cruelty against his brethren ; of the tribe of ephraim's quarrel with jephta ; and the israelites with the benjamites and their war ; of the envy of saul against david , and his pursuit ; of his and doegs cruelty against the priests ; of absoloms rebellion against david ; of joabs murders and his death ; of solomons jealousie and execution of adonijah ; of rehoboams foolish difference with his subjects , and the loss of the ten tribes , and jeroboam's reign ; of the continual wars of juda and israel ; of the many malicious actions of priests and people against jeremiah , amos and other prophets and messengers of god ; of the persecuting cruelty of herod against christ and the infants , in his jealousies about his crown ; of the jews malicious and foolish opposition to christ , of christs disciples striving which should be the greatest , and the aspiring request of james and john ; of the short dissention of paul and barnabas , &c. are not all these , unpleasant histories to us , and written to make dissentions odious ? to this end it is that we have the sad history of the early contentions between the jewish and the gentile christians about circumcision , and the law , and the reconciling assembly , act. . to this end we have the sad history and sharp reproofs of the factions and sidings among the corinthians ; of the false apostles envy raised against paul among the corinthians and galatians ; and of those that preached christ out of envy and in strife , to add affliction to his bonds , phil. . of the many heresies that rose up even in those first churches to trouble , desile them and disgrace them ; to this end we have the abundance of sharp rebukes of contentious persons , and such as strove about words , and genealogies and the law ; and the reproofs of many of the asian churches , rev. . & . and the odious description of the hereticks , pet. . & jud. &c. not only as corrupters of doctrine , but in a special manner as separatists and dividers of and from the christian churches . to this end we have the sad predictions that two sorts should arise and tear the churches , act. . grievous wolves that should not spare the flocks , and some of themselves that should speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them . to this use we have so many vehement obtestations , and exhortations against discord and divisions ; even in those times of vigorous love and concord : such as cor. . , &c. & . &c. phil. . , , &c. . , , . and abundance such , of which hereafter . and even those that by their master are taught not to be too forward in seeing the mote in anothers eye , must yet be intreated to mark them that cause divisions and offences and avoid them ; and whereas they that were such , pretended to be the most excellent servants of christ , and to speak more sublimely and spiritually , for greater edification and advancement of knowledge than the apostles did , it was no ill censoriousness to judge , that being the causes of divisions and offences , contrary to christs doctrine of love , vnity and peace , they did not serve the lord jesus ( whose great and last command was love , which he made the nature and character and badge of his true disciples ) but by those good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple and deceivable . here there are four words especially to be noted : . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we translate good words , is commonly translated flattery ; but as beza well noteth , it signifieth a speaking of things that are plausible in themselves for some good that is in them , and that are pretended to be all spoken for the hearers good ; as satan pretended when he tempted eve ; yea , perhaps to be necessary to their salvation , or to make them the most knowing and excellent sort of christians . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth both to bless them as ministers do that desire their happiness , and to praise them and speak well or highly of them : and so almost all sects and divided bodies are gathered by flattering the hearers into a conceit that thus they shall become the surest and most excellent christians ; and all others are far inferiour to them . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it is the hearts of such hearers that are deceived , and not their heads or reason only or chiefly : for the good words first take with them by moving their passions or affections ; and then the praise , fair promises and speeches kindle a kind of secret spiritual pride and ambition in the heart , as satans words did in eve to be as gods in knowledge : and the heart thus infected and puft up promoteth the deceit of the understanding . . and this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , hominum minime malorum , as beza translates . it is not simple fools , but such simple persons as we call harmless or innocents , ( as the vulgar latine translates it ) , well meaning men , or not ill men : people that fear god and have good desires and meanings , are for want of judgement and watchfulness overcome by dividers . and on the contrary , the amiable examples of vnity and concord , and their happy effects , are recorded in scripture , to make us in love with them : but none so eminent as that of the first christians . it is very remarkable , that when christ would shew the world the work of his mediation in its notable effects , and when he would shew them the excellency of his disciples about the common world , and of his church under the gospel above that under moses law , he doth it by shewing them in the power and exercise of vniting love. love was it which he came to exercise and demonstrate ( his fathers and his own ) : love was that which he came to kindle in their souls , and bring them to possess and practise : perfect love is the perfect felicity which he hath promised them : love and unity are the matter of his last and great command : these are the characters of his genuine disciples , and of the renewed divine nature in them : it was love and vnity which must in them be the witness of christs spirit and power , to convince the unbelieving world ; and therefore it is love and vnity which is the matter of his last excellent prayer for them : john . , , , . & . , . & . . john . , . & . . and all these his preparations , precepts , examples , and prayers , were accordingly exemplified in the wonderful love and concord of his followers . when the day of pentecost was come , in which the holy ghost must be most eminently communicated to them , they were all with one accord in one place , acts . . the apostles had an vnanimity and concord before , proportionable to the measure of their grace , which was preparatory to their reception of the eminent gift of the spirit , which increased their unanimity . and v. , , , , , . the three thousand that were suddenly added to the church , continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship , and in breaking of bread , and in prayers : and all that believed were together , and had all things common , and sold their possessions and goods , and parted them to all men as every man had need : and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple , and breaking bread from house to house , did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart , praising god , and having favour with all the people . ] what greater demonstration could be given that christ is the great reconciler , the messenger , gift and teacher of love , the prince of peace , and the great vniter of the divided world , both with his father and himself , and with one another . in this text acts . and marvellous example , you see the design and work of the great reconciler : when men fall out with god , they fall out with one another : when they depart from the only center of vnity , they can have no true unity among themselves : when they lose the love of god , they lose the love of man as for gods sake and interest . and he that cannot see and love god in man , can see nothing in man that is worthy of much love : as he that loveth not a man for his soul and its operations , more than for his body , loveth him not as a man : and few have any great love to a dead corpse . cicero could say , it is your soul that we speak to , and converse with : were that departed we should speak to you no more . god is more to every man , than his soul : if god were not their life and amiableness , all men would be unlovely loathsome carkasses : therefore wicked men that cannot love god and goodness , can love none thoroughly but themselves and for themselves , or as bru●es by a low or sensitive kind of love : for it is self that they are fallen to from god and man : and yet while self is carnally and inordinately loved instead of god and man , it is but destroyed and undone by that inordinate idolatrous love : and he that loveth himself to his own destruction ( with a love more pernicious than anothers hatred ) doth love his friends but with such a kind of killing love : ( as i have seen some brutes kill their young ones with the violence of their love , that would not suffer them to let them alone . ) thus all love to man , saving a pernicious love , doth dye , where the love of god and goodness dieth : and cain giveth the world the first specimen or instance of depraved nature , in envy and wrath , and finally in the murder of his brother , and undoing himself , by setting up and adhering inordinately to himself . but when christ reconcileth god and man , he reconcileth men to one another : for he teacheth men to love god in man , and man for god , with a holy , noble , reasonable kind of love : and so to love all men , as far as god hath an interest in all : and to love all christians with an eminent love , as god is eminently interessed in them . and this is christs work on the souls of men ; and much of his business which he came for into the world . and therefore he would have his first disciples to give the world such a specimen of love in this extraordinary way of community : for as extraordinary works of power , ( that is , miracles ) must be wrought by the first preachers of the gospel , to shew christs power , and convince the unbelieving world ; so it was as needful that then there should be extraordinary works of love , to shew christs love , and teach them the great work of love which he came to call and bring men to : for the first book that christ wrote , was on the hearts of men , ( which no philosopher could do ) ; in fleshly tables he wrote love to god and man by the finger of his spirit , ( many a year before any book of the new testament was written ) . and as his doctrine was [ love one another ] and [ love your enemies , forbear and forgive , &c. ] so his first churches must extraordinarily exemplifie and express this doctrine , by living in this extraordinary community , and selling all , and distributing as each had need : and afterwards their love-feasts did long keep up some memorial of it : for they were the first sheet , as it were , of the new book which christ was publishing : and , love was the summ of all that was imprinted on them : and their practice was to be much of the preaching that must convert the world . christ was not a meer orator or teacher of words : and , non magna loquimur , sed vivimus , was the profession of his disciples : he came not meerly to talk , and teach men to talk ; but to do , and teach men to do ; even to do that himself which none else ever did , and to teach his followers to do that which no other sort of men did in this world : but this leadeth me up to the next use of unity . v. the spirit of unity and love is the great means of the churches increase : there is a twofold augmentation of the church : . intrinsick and intensive ; when it increaseth in all goodness , and hasteth to perfection : and it is this vital principle of vniting love , or the spirit of vnity , which is the immediate cause of this . . extensive , when the church is enlarged , and more are added to it : and it is a life of vniting love among christians , that must do this as much or more than preaching : or at least , if that preaching which is but the effect of knowledge , produce evangelical knowledge in the hearers , yet a life of love and vnity is the adapted means of breeding love and vnity , the life of religion in the world : light may cause light ; but heat must cause heat ; and it must be a living thing that must generate life , by ordinary causation : that which cometh from the head , may reach the head , and perhaps the heart , but is not so fit to operate on hearts as that which cometh from the heart . undoubtedly if christians did commonly live in such love and vnity among themselves , and shew the fruits of common love to all about them , as their great master and his religion teacheth them , they would do wonders in converting sinners , and enlarging the church of jesus christ . who could stand out against the convincing and attractive power of uniting love ? who could much hate and persecute those that love them , and shew that love ? this would heap melting coals of fire on their heads . our saviour knew this when he made this his great lesson to his disciples , and when he prayed ( joh. . , , , . ) over and over [ for them which should believe on him , through the apostles word , [ that they all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they also may be one in us , that the world may believe that thou hast sent me : and the glory which thou gavest me i have given them ▪ that they may be one even as we are one : i in them , and thou in me , that they may be made perfect in one , and that the world may know that thou hast sent me , and hast loved them as thou hast loved me ] . o when will christ revive this blessed principle in his followers , and set them again on this effectual way of preaching , that love may draw the world into the churches vnity ? some look for new miracles for the converting of the now-forsaken nations : what god will do of that kind we know not ; for he hath not told us : but holy vniting vniversal love is a thing which he hath still made our certain duty ; and therefore we are all bound to seek and do it : and therefore we may both pray and labour for it in hope : and could we but come up to this known duty , we should have a means for the worlds conversion , as effectual as miracles , and more sweet and pleasant to them and us . obj. but why then is the world still unconverted , when all true christians have this love ? ans . . alas , those true christians are so few , and the hypocrites that are selfish worldlings are so many , that the poor people that live among professed christians , do judge of christianity by those false professours , who are indeed no christians : men see not the hearts of one another . thousands of ungodly persons , for interest , education and custome take on them the name of christians , who never were such indeed by heart-consent . when these counterfeit christians live like infidels , men think that christians are no better than infidels : for they think they must judge by the greater number of such as go under the christian name . but if the world could tell who they be that are truly christians at the heart , they would see that they have that spirit of love , which is not in unbelievers . . and alas the love and vnity even of true christians is yet too imperfect , and is darkened and blemished with too much of the contrary vice : were christians perfect christians , they would indeed be the honour of their profession . then love would be the powerful principle of all their works ; which would taste of its nature , and , as it is said of wine , judg. . . it cheereth god and man , so i may say , god and man would be delighted in the sweetness of these fruits : for with such sacrifice god is well pleased , heb. . . but alas what crabbed and contrary fruits , how soure , how bitter do many distempered christians bring forth ? if it will increase the church , and win men to the love of christianity , to be reviled or persecuted , to be contemned and neglected , to be separated from as persons unworthy of our-love and kindness , then christianity will not want propagaters : the pouring out of the spirit , was the first planting of the christian church : and where there is most of love , there is most of the spirit . as there needeth no forcing penal laws , to compel men to obey god so far as love prevaileth in them ; so if love were more eminent in the church pastors and professors , that they preached and ruled and lived towards all men in the power of sincere and fervent love , there would be less pretence for all that violence , oppression and cruelty , which hath been long exercised by the worldly clergy , and so much the more odiously by how much the more the sacred name of religion hath been used for its justification or excuse . vi. uniting love is the glory and perfection of the church : and therefore there will be in heaven much greater love , and much nearer unity , than there is of the dearest friends on earth , yea greater and nearer than we can now distinctly understand . and again i say , that they that in thinking of the state of separated souls , do fear lest all souls do lose their individuation , and fall into one common soul , do foolishly fear a greater vnity than is to be expected . ( and yet nothing else about the souls immortality is lyable to a rational doubt : for , . it s substance certainly is not annihilated : . nor its formal essential virtues lost , by mutation into some other species ; . nor doth the activity of such an active nature cease , . nor will there want objects for it to act upon ) . were it well considered that love is as natural to a soul as heat is to the sun , that is , an effect of that act which its very essence doth perform ; . and that our unity is an unity of love ( voluntarily performed ) it would much abate such selfish fears of too much unity : for who ever feared too much love ? too extensive , or too intensive ? too large , or too near a union of minds ? and as the beloved apostle saith , that god is love as a name which signifieth his essence , why may not the same be said of souls , which are his image ? that a soul is love ? not that this is an adequate conception of a soul ( much less of god ) ; but of the partial or inadequate conceptions , it seemeth to be the chiefest . the sovl of man is a pure ( or spiritual ) substance informed by a virtue of vital activity , intellection , and volition , ( which is love ) , informing ( or animating ) an organical body for a time , and separable at the bodies dissolution . and as the calefactive virtue is the essence of the fire ( though not an adequate conception of its essence ; for it is a pure substance formally indu●d with the virtue motive , illuminative and calefactive ) and the act of calefaction is its essence as operative on a due recipient ) ; so love is the souls essence in the faculty or virtue , and its essence as operative on a due object , in the act : which act though the soul exercise it not ad ultimum posse by such a natural necessity as the fire heateth , yet its nature or essence immediately exerciseth it , though in a fre●r manner : yea , some acts of love quoad specificationem , though not quoad exercitium are exercised as necessarily as calefaction by the fire : yea more , though now in the body the exercise by cogitation and sense be not so necessary , we cannot say that in its separated state it will not be so : yea yet more , even in the body the love of a mans self and of felicity , or pleasure , seemeth to be a deep , constant or uncessant act of the soul , though not sensibly observed . and if love be so far essential to it , the perfection of love is the souls perfection , and the exercises of love are the chief operations of the soul : and consequently the perfection and glory of the church ( which is but a conjunction of holy persons ) consisteth in the same uniting love , which perfecteth souls . and indeed vniformity in circumstantials , and in external polity were but a carkass or image of unity without uniting love which is its soul : as much external union in good as we are capable of , doth advantage vnity of spirit : but all union in evil , and all in unnecessary circumstantials , which is managed to the diminution of christian love , are to the church , but as the glory of adorned cloathing , or monuments or pictures to a carkass : and the church-tyrants that would thus unite us , and sacrifice love and the means of it to their sort of vnity , are but like the physician that prescribed a sic●man a draught of his own heart blood to cure him ▪ the inquisitors that torture mens bodies to save their souls , are not more unskilful in their pretended charity to save men , than is he that hindereth or destroyeth love , while he seeketh the churches unity in humane ordinances by fraud or fear : when they have killed any church by love killing snares and practices , and glory that it is united in papal power , splendor and decrees , it is but as if they cut all a mans nerves , or cast him into a palsie , or killed him , and gloried that they have tyed his limbs together with strings , or bound them all up in the same winding-sheet and coffin . that edifieth not the church , which tendeth not to save , but to destroy mens souls . chap. v. this vnity conduceth to the good of the world ( without the church . ) § . . the chief hopes of the heathen and infidel world consist in their hopes of being brought into the faith and church of christians : and as god addeth to the church such as shall be saved , so the means that our charity must use to save them , is to get them into this ark . the measure of their other hopes , or what possibility there is of their salvation i have elsewhere plainly opened : it sufficeth us here to remember , that no man cometh to the father but by the son , and that he is the saviour of his body , however he be called also the saviour of the world . § . . and as in nature it is the principle of life in the seed and womb , which is the generating cause of formation and augmentation of the soetu● ; and it is the vital powers in man , which maketh his daily nourishment become a living part of himself , and causeth his growth ; so is i● the spirit in the church , that is gods appointed means to quicken and convert the infidel world . and it is those christian countreys which are adjoyning to mahometans and heathens , that should do most to their conversion : who have far easier means than others by proximity and converse to do it , and therefore are under the greatest obligations to attempt it : as also those remoter countreys that are most in amity and traffick with them . § . . and as instruction by evidence must do much , so this vniting spirit of love must do a great part of this work ; and that both as it worketh inwardly on our selves in the communion of saints , and as it worketh outwardly by attraction and communication , to draw in and assimilate others . § . . i. the churches vnity of spirit doth fortifie and fit it for all its own offices in order to the conversion of the world : all parts are better qualified for the work , by that wisdom , goodness and life which they must work by : and each member partaketh of the common strength which their unity causeth . an united army is likest to be victorious : their routing is their flight and overthrow : and the army or kingdom that is mutinous or in civil wars , or not unanimous , is unfit to enlarge dominion , and conquer others : they will have wor● enough at home . § . . were but christian princes and people united , as they would be a terror to turkish and other infidel oppressors ( and in likelihood easily able to vanquish them ) so they might easily contribute their endeavours to instruct and convince these infidels with probability of greater success , than any attempts have yet had upon them . they might with greater advantage send out and maintain men of learning and other fitness to perform it . the eastern christians by divisions were broken off from the greeks : the greeks by division ( and wickedness ) fell into the hands of the turks : the divisions of the western nations furthered their conquest , and hindred the greeks recovery : the divisions of the military forces lost palestine and frustrated their vast labours and expences : lost also armenian aids , and destroyed the hopeful beginnings of the conversion of the tartarians . the division of christian princes , hath set up the papal kingdom as the umpire of their feuds . that which hath done so much to destroy churches and kingdoms , and hath murdered many hundred thousand christians , and gone far towards the extirpating of true christianity out of much of the ( formerly christian ) world , must needs unfit us all to recover the world , and convert unbelievers . § . . and were but christian preachers and pastors united , instead of their pernicious church-destroying contentions , how great things might their united diligence have done ! if all the mischievous unskilful proud wrangling , and worldly ambitious strife by which the christians were divided into nestorians , eutychians , monothelites , phantasiasts , donatists , novatians , and their anathematizers , &c. had been turned into an united force and diligence , by light and love to have converted infidels , what a happy case had the world been in ? and what blessings had that part of the clergy been , that now have left their names and history to reproach and shame ? § . . ii. and as efficiently , so objectively and morally the vnion of christians tendeth to convert the world , as it is notorious that their divisions have hindered their conversion . men commonly suspect them to be deceived or deceivers , that do not agree among themselves . they that reverence united christians , despise them when they see them fall into divisions , and learn of themselves to condemn them all , by hearing them revile and condemn each other . christ had never made it so great a part of his prayer to his father , that his disciples might be one , even as the father and he were one , to this end [ that the world may know that the father sent him ] if this their union had not been a special means of convincing unbelievers . and this was not by a political union of the rest of his disciples under some one of them as the governing head of all the rest : for no such head was set over them by christ , nor ever claimed or exercised any such authority : but it was a holy union of minds in knowledge and faith , and of hearts in love , and of life in their published doctrine and their communion and conversation . the common sun-light maketh all mens sight ( whose organs and vi●ive faculty are sound ) to agree : and though a man hath two eyes , they see unitedly as if they were one ▪ the more united fuel make one fire , the more powerful it is to kindle on all other combustible matter near it . when many ministers of the same or several churches agree , it much availeth to procure the belief and obedience of their flocks . and when pastors and people agree , it strongly inviteth the reverence and consent of those without . by wilful dissensions we are scandals and snares to unbelievers , and if christians live not in unity , love and peace , they rob the world of a great appointed means of their conversion : and they who for so doing do justly exclaim against persecutors and hinderers of the gospel , should also remember how much they participate in that guilt , while the love of christians to one another is made almost as needful as preaching to the winning of mens love to faith and holiness . § . . as in the solemn singing of psalms , the harmony of concenting well tuned voices , inviteth the hearers to joyn with them by delight , when bawling confusion and discord ( one singing one tune and another another ) is loathsome and tiresome and driveth men away : so would the sweet concent of christians have won unbelievers to the love of christian faith and piety , when their divisions and wicked lives have had contrary lamentable effects : wo to the world because of offences , and wo to them by whom offences come . chap. vi. the vnity of christians is due to the honour of christ , and is pleasing and amiable to god. § . . it is not only miracles that are christs witness in the world . the spirit of prophecie also is called his witness , rev. . . and if many prophets should all say that they speak from christ , and speak contrary things , and charge each other with falshood and deceit , would this be to his honour or to the credit of their testimony ? it is the great concord of the prophecies , promises and types of the old testament with the history and doctrine of the new , and the great concord of all the writers of the new testament among themselves , which greatly facilitateth our belief both of the old and new. and all infidels who accuse the scriptures of untruth , do accuse it also of contradictions : and if they could prove the later , they would prove the former . § . . and the spirit of holiness as it regenerateth and sanctifieth sinners from generation to generation , is no less a witness of the truth and love and glory of christ , than prophecies and miracles : the same spirit that is the author of prophecie and sacred doctrine , is also the author of believers renovation to the image of god. and illumination is not the least or last part of this sanctifying work : christ is the light of the world , and his word and spirit are given to enlighten blinded minds , and to bring them out of darkness into his marvellous light , and from the power of the prince of darkness and from doing the works of darkness , to the father of lights who giveth wisdom liberally to them that ask it , that they may walk as children of the light . light is usually called glory : heaven is the place of the greatest light and greatest glory : and heavenly wisdom in believers , is much of their glory here begun , in which their father , their saviour and their sanctifier is glorified . whatever therefore obscureth or diminisheth this sacred light in saints , opposeth that glory of god and our redeemer which must appear and shine forth in them . the holy learning of his disciples is the honour of the heavenly teacher of the church : all true believers are taught of god : were they no wiser , nor no better than other men , where were the testimony and the honour of their teacher ? and who would believe that he were a happier teacher than philosophers ? or that he were the true saviour of the world that doth not save his own disciples from sin and folly ▪ no wonder that god hath no pleasure in fools , and that the foolish shall not stand in his fight , when they are such a dishonour to christ and him : what fellowship hath light with darkness ? and who knoweth not that disagreement proveth ignorance and errour , in one party at least ? when they hold and plead for contrary opinions , both cannot be in the right . and when this is but in dark and difficult matters , of no great influence on our hearts and lives and future hopes , it is tolerable ; and no more to be wondered at , than that we are yet but imperfect men in flesh , and in this low and darksome world : but when it amounteth to that which maketh christians judge it necessary to anathematize one another , and to cast out each other from their communion as intolerable , and perhaps to seek one anothers destruction , do they not loudly proclaim their shameful ignorance to the world ? § . . i know that discipline must be exercised and the precious separated from the vile , and this especially for the honour of christianity . for if the church be as a swinesty , and the clean and unclean , the sober and the drunken , the chaste and the fornicators equally members of it , such a society and their religion will be contemned . for sin is a reproach to any people . but casting a felon or murderer in jaile doth much differ from a civil war. for the church to cast out the impure that repent not , is necessary to their honour ; but to divide and subdivide among themselves is their reproach , though the dividers have never so fair pretences . § . . i know also what pretences against heresie , &c. the dividing sects have had in all ages . they have pretended that they only being the true church , the condemning and rejecting of all others was necessary to the churches honour : but is it indeed to the honour of the christian name , that so great bodies for so many ages have continu'd to condemn and anathematize each other ? that the greek church condemneth the western , and the western them ? that the eastern and southern are separated from both ? and the western christians so divided among themselves ? who that is not a stranger to man and history knoweth not that it hath been to exercise a dominion over others , and also to extol the skill of their understandings , as speaking rightlier than others , when they strove about ambiguous words , that very much of their anathematizing hath been used ? and when the pope hath anathematized the patriarch of constantinople , he hath anathematized him again : yea so hath the patriarch of alexandria also . and when the three parties ( the orthodox , the nestorians and the eutychians ) for so many ages have continued anathematizing each other , the dishonour falleth on them all in the eyes of beholders , and no party recovereth their honour with the rest . § . . undoubtedly it is they that god shall make the blessed instruments of restoring the necessary means of concord , and thereby of reviving christian love and peace , that will be the chief and honourable agents for the repairing of the honour of the christian church , if ever it be repaired in this world . all parties seem agreed in this , even they that most foolishly and cruelly tear and distract the church , that it must be love and concord that at last must heal it , and recover its glory if ever it be healed . and how much christ is pleased to see his servants live in love and peace , his office , his nature , his many and vehement commands do tell us . chap. vii . iii. what obligations are on all christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord , and to promote this vnity and peace . § . . from what is already said it is easie to gather , that many and great obligations are on all christians to be promoters of concord and enemies of discord and divisions . i. the many and express commands of christ in scripture do oblige them . this is no dark or controverted point , written in words which are hard to be understood , but plainly uttered and often urged : yea when several of gods commands are mentioned , this is still preferred before most others that can be imagined to stand in competition against it : as the uniting love of god is called the first and great command , so the uniting love of man is called the second like to that , and the summ of the second table , and the fulfilling of the law. it is not mentioned as an accident of the new creature , but as an essential part ; not as the high qualification of some rare christian , but as that which is necessary and common to all that are the living members of christ : not only as needful to some inferiour uses , but as necessary to all the great ends of our religion , preferred before sacrifice and all the rituals , and not to be dispensed with , on any pretence . § . . ii. no man therefore can be an obedient servant of christ that seeketh not to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace : if he that breaketh one of the least commands and teacheth men so to do , shall be called least in the kingdom of god , what shall he be called , and where shall be his lot that breaketh the greatest ? § . . iii. the love of god our father and of christ our redeemer doth oblige us : for if he that loveth not his brother whom he se●th daily , cannot love god whom he never saw ; how much less he that loveth not the multitude of believers , and so great an interest of god in the world , as is that unity and concord of the body of christ ? and if he that doth or doth not good to one of the least of the servants of christ , is supposed to have done it or not done it to himself , how much more he that doth or omitteth that which christ and his whole church is so much concerned in ? § . . iv. the love of our own souls obligeth us , considering how many and great impediments discord doth raise against all grace and duty , and against our holiness , comfort and salvation : and how much christian love and concord do conduce to the preservation of all grace , and to the attainment of glory : all men in true concord are our helpers , and all men in discord are our hinderers , and tempters . how fair and easie is the way to heaven among true loving and agreeing christians ? and how hard is it where divisions and contentions take place ? § . . v. the love of our neighbours souls obligeth us to this : that which is best for us is best for them . alas , carnal minds deceived by sin need not to have the way to heaven made harder , nor to be tempted by the discords of christians to despise them : their own malignity and the devils temptations , when we have done our best may suffice to deceive them and undo them : every christian should be a helper to the salvation of all about him , and a souldier under christ , to fight against satan as he is the great divider and destroyer . as ever therefore we pity the souls of sinners , and would not be guilty of their damnation , we should keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . § . . vi. our love to the church and sacred ministry doth oblige us . our discords unsay too powerfully what christs ministers say , when they set forth the power of grace , and the excellency of christianity ! all the opposition of the arguments and reproaches of quakers or malignant prophane enemies is of far less force against the gospel , than the discords of professed christians . the labours of many worthy ministers have been hindered , and their hearts even broken with such sinful and scandalous divisions ; when the enemies hit us in the teeth with these , we are ashamed and cannot deny the fact , though we can deny their false conclusions . how much of the designs of satan and his agents have lain in dividing the servants of christ ? some of the moderate and peaceable emperours in the more flourishing state of the church and empire , by the discords and mutinies of factious christians were made a-weary of their crowns : yea some of those that the hasty hereticating orthodox party too hastily pronounced hereticks and heretical ( such as theodosuis junior , zeno , anastasuis , justinian , &c. ) were tired out with labouring in vain to keep the christian bishops in peace , and by historians are recorded to be men of better qualities than the bishops : and one of them ( anastasius ) laid down his crown and told them he would not be the ruler of such contentious and unruly men , till the necessities of the people brought them to remorse , and to intreat him to continue emperour , and promised to cease their mutinous contentions . and what the divisions in the church of rome did to shame and thus far abase the papacy , is past all doubt : when there have been in many generations sometimes two and sometimes three called popes at once ; when some kingdoms owned one and some another , and when they often fought it out , and ( as victor the third and many another ) got their pretended right by victory , not by the word but by the sword ; when one pope for forty years together lived in france at avignion , and the other at rome ; when they fought it out with many emperours and kings ; when italy was kept by them many ages in divisions and bloody wars ; and when the very citizens of rome and their popes were put to fight it out at home in their streets ; and when the popes have excommunicated the people of rome it self ( where then was the church of rome ? ) all this church history recordeth to their perpetual shame . and have not the dissensions between luther and carolostadius , and zuinglius , lutherans and calvinists , to name no more , been a reproach to the reformation ( as i said before ) . as we love the church then , and as we regard the honour and success of the ministry , and would not have christs house and kingdom fall or be shaken or disgraced by our sinful discords , let us keep this spiritual unity and peace . § . . vii . and indeed experience is not the least of our obligations : a danger never tryed , is seldom so cautelously avoided as those into which we have formerly fallen , and out of which we have narrowly escaped . they that have read church-history , what the factions and heresies of the bishops and people have done from the dayes even of the apostles to this day : yea , they that have but seen and felt what religious discords have done in this generation , even at home in england , scotland and ireland , and yet do not hate such discord as death , and love peace and spiritual unity as life and health and safety , they are hardened past all excuse . chap. viii . what sort and measure of vnity may not , or may be groundedly hoped for on earth . § . . the prognosticks in diseases are needful to direct physicians in their attempts : he that either pretendeth to cure incurable diseases , and thereby doth but torment the patient and hasten death , or else will hastily prevent the crisis , or will open inflammations before the time , may be called a physician or surgeon , but will prove a hurtful or pernicious enemy . some diseases will admit of no better than palliating and delay : some that are curable , are made mortal by temerarious haste . who will break the egg to get the chicken before it is ripened by nature for exclusion ? yet hath the church had too many such midwives that will hasten abortion and untimely birth , and cannot stay till natures time ; such mischievous surgeons as are presently lancing unripe apostemes : it is of mischievous consequence to expect such concord , and accordingly set upon the hastening of it , which certainly will never be : and it is of great and necessary use , to know how much , and what vnity may be expected , in the church militant , and what not . § . . i. negatively : i. it is certain that christians will never be all of one stature or degree of grace . the apostle hath fully opened this , cor. . and here eph. . and rom. . & . and elsewhere . some will be of more blameless lives , and some more offensive : some will be more fruitful and useful in the church than others ; some will have greater gifts than others for that end : some will be more patient and meek , and others more passionate and hot : some will be more considerate and prudent , and some more rash and of indecent carriage : some will be more humble , and condescending , and abhorr pride much more than others will do : some will be more zealous , and some more frigid or luke-warm : some will be much more heavenly , and make less of earthly things than others : some will be more self-denying and patient under sufferings , and some will too much seek their own transitory things , and with greater impatience bear both crosses from god and injuries from man : some will be more cheerful and rejoyce in god , and the hope of glory , and others will be more sad and timerous and heavy : some will have a strong faith , and some a weak : some will have assured sealed hopes , and others will be doubting of their salvation : but in nothing will there be more certain and notable difference , than in mens knowledge and conceptions of spiritual things . undoubtedly there is scarce a greater difference of visages , than there is of intellectual apprehensions : nay , perhaps the likeness of all mens faces is greater than of their understandings . some will still know little , ( and none very much , but ) others comparatively much more : some that know much in one kind , will be ignorant in others : and as all men are not of the same trade , nor all scholars prosecute the same studies , but some excell in one thing , and some in another , and some in nothing , so in religion such proportions and differences of understanding there will be . § . . no observing man that converseth with mankind one would think could be ignorant of this : and yet the talk and actions of too many church-leeches in most parts and ages of the christian world , hath shewed that they did not well understand it . if universal , constant , undenyable experience be not enough to prove that it is so , and hath been so , and therefore will be so , let the certain causes of it be considered . . men are born of much different intellectual complexions , and degrees of capacity : some are ideots or natural fools ; some are half such : some are very flegmatick and dull of wit , and must have long time and teaching to learn a little ; and of memories as weak to retain what they learn : some have naturally strong wits , and as strong memories . if these be bred up in the same house , will they therefore have the same knowledge and conceptions ? § . . . and as men naturally differ in quickness and dulness of wit , so they do in the temperature of all their humours and bodies , which accidentally will cause great difference in their minds . a sanguine man hath usually other thoughts and perceptions than a phlegmatick man ; and a phlegmatick man hath other thoughts and sense of things , than the cholerick have : and the melancholy man differeth from them all , and often from himself . as these tempers variously affect the phantasie and the passions , so consequently , they do usually the intellect and the will. § . . . the countreys that men are born in , it not by the air and soil , at least by the great diversity of languages , laws , governments and customs , do make much difference in mens conceptions : as we see by experience in the difference of many nations . § . . . the very sins or merits of parents may do much to the hurt or benefit of children ; partly by corrupting or bettering their bodily temperature , and partly by gods curse or blessing on their souls : as i have fully proved in my second disputation of original sin. § . . . and were there no other cause of different conceptions than the different education of children by their parents , it would make a very great difference in the world . when one is brought up in learning , and another in barbarism ; one in reading and hearing gods word , and another in contemning and deriding it : one is taught to reverence gods name and truth , and another to blaspheme them or despise them : one is taught one religion and another another : one is taught to lay all his salvation on that which another is taught to abhorr . and it is not only in divers lands , but in the same cities , towns and streets , yea , among men that publickly profess the same religion in name and generals , that this difference is found . § . . . and if parents make no difference , yet schoolmasters often will : with their grammar learning , one teacheth his scholars to deride such or such a party of christians as hereticks , heteroclites or anomalous ; and others say the same of others , as they themselves do like or dislike : and boyes usually take deeply their masters dictates , especially if they be cunning and malignant , and such as the devil and flesh befriend . § . . . and it is no small difference , that company and converse cause : even among children and servants in families , and boys at school : from whom they are as apt to receive ill impressions as from evil teachers . and therefore variety of company in youth , is like to breed variety of sentiments . § . . . and the different books which they read , will make the like difference : while one writeth against that which another proclaimeth to be excellent , and necessary , and all set off the matter with such plausibility and confidence as young and unexercised persons are unable to see through and perceive the error . § . . . and when they go abroad in the world , the difference among those that they converse with all their lives , may well be expected to cause much difference in their thoughts . if they be set apprentices , one falls into a family of one mind , and another of another : and so if they be servants : and their friends and companions will occasion as much : and if they marry , the different judgements of husbands and wives may do the same . § . . . and especially when differences in religion have already got possession of all mankind ( in some degree ) and they set themselves to enquire after the nature of these differences , and being at first unskilful are unable to try and judge aright , they must needs fall into great variety of judgements . § . . . and the great difference among preachers and pastors of the church will be as powerful a cause of discord to youth and learners , as almost any of the rest : while one preacher condemneth that as a dangerous errour , and frighteneth them from it as a heinous sin , which another extolleth as necessary truth or duty . and yet thus it is in many particulars even where men profess the same religion : witness the many loads of books that are written by the papists against each other ; as the dominicans against the jesuites , and the jesuites against them ; the jansenists against both , and their odious charges of highest false doctrines and crimes in their provincial letters , and the jesuits morals : gulielmus de sancto amore and his partners against the fryars ; the secular priests against the regulars , such as watson in his quodlibets , and abundance more such like : and in what countrey almost or city do not preachers in some measure differ , and breed diversity of senses in the people ? which paul foretold even in the purest times and church , that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them . besides the grievous wolves that should enter and devour the flock , act. . . it must be that heresies must arise , that they that are approved may be made manifest . in corinth some were of paul , and some of apollo and some of cephas , and they had such divisions as shewed them to be much carnal ; at rome they judged and despised one another about meats and drinks and dayes : rom. . & . and some caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned , rom. . , . in galati● they had judaizing teachers that troubled them . and at antioch some taught them that except they were circumcised and kept the law of moses they could not be saved , act. . , &c. in asia some churches had nicolaitans , and such as taught them to eat things offered to idols , and to commit fornication , and the woman jezabel that seduced them : and some had such as diotrephes that received not the brethren and cast out those that did , and prated even against the beloved apostle with malicious words : divers churches had perverse disputers , about the law and genealogies , and such as strove about words that profited not , but to the subverting of the hearers : and some whose doctrine fretted like a cancer , who subverted whole houses , whose mouths were to be stopped : and the colossians had such as were for humane ordinances , touch not , taste not , handle not , and for worshipping angels , and prying into unknown things : col. . and paul telleth the philippians that some preached christ , not sincerely but in envy and strife to add affliction to his bonds , whom yet he silenced not , but rejoyced that christ was preached even by such : and he foretelleth timothy that in the later dayes much false doctrine should be vented , and even then he had none like minded to timothy that naturally sought the churches good ; but all sought their own ( too much ) and the things of jesus christ too little . and the apostle john met with such as he would not have christians bid good speed to , nor receive them into their houses ; and james was put sharply and largely to reprove such as in conceited wisdom would needs be masters , and had the envious wisdom which is from beneath , and is earthly , sensual and devilish , producing strife , confusion , and every evil work , jam. . and could it then be expected that all christians be of the same opinions in all things ? § . . . but now this temptation to differences of judgement is grown much greater , in that the christian world is so publickly and notoriously divided into different parties . the greeks are one party ; the armenians and georgians somewhat differ ; the syrians and the abassines and copties in egypt and other eastern and southern countreys , are of divers sentiments in many things : the papists differ from all ; and the protestants from them ; and too many divisions are among themselves ; which i need not name . and can it be expected that in such a world , particular christians should be sound without their personal differences ? § . . . and the variety of governments , an● laws , will also produce the like disagreements . while one prince or state is of one mind , and another of another ; one is a papist , another a protestant , one a lutheran and another reformed , one a greek and another against all sorts of christians ; and in the same kingdom in one age the prince is of one mind , and in the next his successour of another . and this must needs cause disagreement in the subjects . § . . . and even the variety of gods providences will occasion diversity of thoughts : when some are in health and some in sickness , some in wealth and some in poverty , some high and some low , some favoured and preferred , and some persecuted , imprisoned , slandered and distressed , whence different impressions will arise . § . . . yea mens different trades and callings will occasion different impressions ; whilest their business leadeth them several wayes and into several companies , and altering employments . § . . . and almost all men have some different interests ; the teacher and the hearer , the landlord and the tenant , the souldier and the countrey-man , the buyer and the seller , the master and the servant , the ruler and the subject , which will occasion different inclinations . § . . . and men have great difference of temptations , and provocations , from satan and from men : some satan tempteth one way , and some another ; some are abused and provoked by one sort of men , and some by another ; some are called out to disputes with one sect , and some with another : and when they are engaged they usually bend all their studies one way , and little consider what may be said on the other side , or of other matters ? § . . . and when once a man hath received some one great opinion , true or false , it draweth on abundance of consequences , which those that received not that point did never think of . § . . . and some have much more time and leisure to study , and happy counsellours to help them . and some follow hard labour and have little leisure to read , hear or think , or else live retiredly where they have little notice of affairs , and miss the help of sound and faithful counsellours and helpers . § . . . lastly , gods own grace is free , and given to men in great diversity ; some that have the same spirit have more illumination , and some less , as the apostle at large declareth , cor. . and elsewhere . there is one glory of the sun , and another of the moon saith paul ; and as one star differs in glory from another , so doth one man in gifts and understanding ; and the face of the whole creation sheweth that god delighteth to make a wonderful diversity in his works ; scarce two stones in the street , two sheep , two beasts , two birds , two fishes , two trees , &c. so like , but we may know one from another by their differences : no nor two sons of the same parents , or two of the off-spring of any animals . and is not all this joyned to the constant experience of all ages , enough to prove , that even among christians , and good and tolerable christians , yea among all , there will still be differences in degrees of knowledge and virtue , and consequently discords in some matters of religion , higher or lower more or less ? § . . ii. it is therefore certain that while there will be discord in judgement , there will be also discord in professions , and in practice . for honest mens professions and practices will agree with their judgements in the main . even paul and barnabas will part when their judgements lead them so to do when men have not the same measure of skill and accurateness in expressing their own minds , and in speaking properly , grammatically , logically , significantly , agreeably to the thing spoken , nor the same skill in defining , or distinguishing , or sitting the true sense of words , they will really differ , and they will verbally differ , and seem to most unskilful judges , to differ really when they do not . § . . it is not therefore to be expected that if some men think that long doctrinal confessions formed in mens private words , or liturgies or other humane formes , have nothing in them untrue , or evil , or which all men may not consent to , therefore all others must think so too , and say as they : who can think that in many thousand uncertain words , all men can and must be of the same mind , and approve them all alike ? or that honest men can lye , and say that they assent to what they do not ? § . . and if mens judgements differ about matters of practice , in essentials , integrals or accidents , their practice will accordingly differ . he that judgeth a thing unlawful will not do it , if he fear god and be truly conscionable . had images been lawfully used in places or exercises of gods worship , yet it was inhumane and unchristian in those bishops and councils who cursed from christ all that were of the contrary mind , and pronounced it an intolerable heresie , and ejected and silenced dissenters , and raised wars and bloodshed for such a difference : much more unchristian was it for the roman pope to rebel against his proper prince , the greek emperour , and alienate the western empire from him , to the french , on that account , and to excommunicate and depose emperours as hereticks called iconoclasts , as if imagery had been an article of faith , or a necessary universal command of god : for how can that be a heresie that is not a plain denyal or subversion of any necessary article of faith or practice ? and sure no such for images is in the creed or decalogue . § . . the same i may say of many other religious practices : as st. paul speaketh of meats and drinks and dayes , rom. . & . so must we say of all things that are of no greater necessity : if men in all these must be brought to uniformity and practising in the same mode , it must be either by argument and perswasion , or by force : the first we are sure will never do it , in all things , though it may in many : all the twenty reasons before mentioned prove it ; and many hundred years experience much more ; it is certain to all save blinded persons , that all christians will never be in all things of a mind , about lawful and unlawful , duty and sin : and 〈◊〉 , that force will never do it : st. paul saith of things indifferent , that he that doubteth is damned if he eat , because he eateth not of faith : for whatsoever is not of faith is sin . ungodly persons that have no true conscience may go against their false consciences for worldly ends , and wilfully sin for fear of men ; but so will no true christian , unless in the hour of such a temptation as peters , by a fall from which he will rise again to a stronger resolution than he had before : no sound believer will sell his soul to save his flesh , nor hazard heaven by wilful sin to save his interest on earth . so that this way of forcing men to practise contrary to their consciences , in points in which good and tolerable christians differ , will but make up churches of wicked men that have no conscience , joyned with one party that is therein agreed . and i shall shew you in due place , that they will never devise what to do with the conscionable dissenters , that shall not be far worse than a charitable and peaceable forbearance . § . . iii. it is certain that there will never be so great concord , as that all disputings , opposition , and passionate and injurious words and writings will cease among all sorts of christians ; no nor among all that are honest and upright in the main . for as long as one taketh that for a dangerous errour or sin which another taketh for a necessary truth or duty , men will ( even on gods account ) think ill of one another , and in some measure speak ill as they think . they that know that they must not call evil good and good evil , nor put darkness for light , and light for darkness , will abuse and injure one another in things where they confidently err : a lutheran , though pious , will speak and dispute against a calvin●● , and a cal●inist against a lutheran ; and so of many other parties . and though it is greatly to be wished that all christians had humble thoughts of their own understandings , and would stay till they know well what they say , before they talk much against things or persons , and though it be so with wise and eminently sober humble men , yet with too many it is far otherwise , and like so to continue . perverse disputings and shameful backbitings , and speaking evil of things and persons not understood , have such unhappy causes in the remnants of dark corrupted nature , that they seem to be like to live till a golden age or heaven do cure them . talking and writing against one another even of the same religion , yea praying and preaching against one another must be expected in some degree : i would i need not say , silencing and persecuting one another ; yea excommunicating and anathematizing among the worser sort of men ; such usage as nazianzen had from one of the famous general councils , and such usage as chrysostom had from such bishops as theophilus alexand. and epiphanius and a council of other bishops , and such as abundance of excellent men in most ages have met with in the like kind and way , may be expected again till bishops and all christians become more wise and resined persons . § . . ii. but ( affirmatively ) there is yet an excellent sort and degree of unity and concord to be sought with hope among christians , worthy of all our utmost labour : yea there is a true and excellent unity and concord which all true christians do already enjoy : consisting in the following things . § . . i. all christians ( truly such ) believe in one god ; and believe the incomprehensible trinity , and believe gods essential attributes and grand relations to man. they believe that he is infinite in immensity and eternity and perfection , even a most perfect spirit , life , vnderstanding and will , most powerful , wise and good , the creator and preserver , the governour and the end of all , of whom and through whom and to whom are all things ; in whom we live and move and have our being ; most holy and true and merciful and just ; whom we are bound to believe and trust and love and serve , and obey and praise with all our heart and mind and strength : and perfectly and everlastingly to see , love and praise him , ( to please him and be pleased in him ) in glory , is the end and happiness of saints . § . . ii. all true christians believe in one mediator between god and man , jesus christ , the eternal word , god , and one in essence with the father , incarnate , assuming the whole nature of man , conceived by the holy ghost , born of the virgin mary , and was holy , harmless , undefiled , separate from sinners , fulfilling all righteousness , and overcame the devil and the world , and gave himself a sacrifice for mans sin , by suffering a cursed death on the cross , to ransome us and reconcile us unto god ; and was buried and went to the departed souls in hades , and the third day rose again from the dead , having conquered death : and having declared the new covenant or law of grace , and commanded his apostles to preach the gospel to all the world , and promised them to send the holy spirit , he ascended into heaven before their faces : the said covenant of grace is summarily this [ that whereas all have sinned and come short of the glory of god ; sin by one man entring into the world and death by sin , and so death and condemnation passed upon all , in that all have sinned ; god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life ; that is , god freely giveth to lost undone sinners himself to be their reconciled god and father , jesus christ to be their saviour , and the holy ghost to be their sanctifier , if they will believe and trust him and accept the gift , and will in serious covenant ( which baptism celebrateth accordingly ) give up themselves to him , repenting of their sins , and consenting to forsake the devil , the world and the flesh as opposite to god , and sincerely ( though not perfectly ) obey christ and his spirit to the end , according to the law of nature and his gospel institutions , that so they may overcome and be glorified for ever . ] and they believe that christ will come at last in glory and judge all men according to his laws and to their works ] . § . . iii. and they all believe that the holy spirit , being god and one in essence with the father and the son , proceeding from the father and ( or by ) the son , is the great witness , agent and advocate of christ , before , at , and after his coming into the world incarnate ; by his gifts of prophecy , miracles and sanctification , convincing sinners and drawing them to repent and believe , and dwelling in believers as an operating cause of divine life and light and love , thus uniting them to god in christ their head , and to each other in faith and love , by which they are gathered to him as his church or body , having the forgiveness of their sins , and the adoption of sons , and right to the heavenly inheritance ; and living in holy communion on earth , their souls at death are received to happiness with christ , and their bodies shall be raised , and soul and body glorified at the last with jesus christ and all the blessed , in the perfect vision , love and joyful praise of the most glorious jehovah . § . . and as i. all christians agree in this belief , so also ii. they all solemnly in and by the baptismal covenant , and their holy eucharistical communion and other duties profess the consent of their wills to these relations to god their creatour , redeemer and sanctifier , and to his church or body , and their thankful acceptance of the foresaid gifts : and they profess and express their seeking-desires hereof , according to the contents of the lords prayer . § . . iii. and as to practice they all agree in professing and promising obedience to christ , according to the law of nature , the decalogue and all his written laws , so far as they understand them , and their desire to learn them to that end . § . . all sincere christians agree in the true and hearty consent to all this ; and these are the true saved church of christ , called invisible , because their hearts-consent is invisible . all other baptized and professing christians with them , agree in the profession of all this ; and are called the church-visible , their profession being visible . and all this being truly included in baptism , which is our entrance into the catholick ( or universal ) church , in this before described consisteth our catholick communion in christs body , as spiritual or invisible and as visible . § . . ii. but besides this universal church-union and communion , for order and advantage to our great end , god hath instituted the order of christian assemblies or particular churches ; which are to the vniversal church as cities and corporations to a kingdom : which are the noblest and most priviledged parts of the kingdom ; but yet not essential parts , but eminently integral : for it may be a kingdom without them , and would be if they were all disfranchised and laid common . and if apostles and evangelists as itinerant preachers , convert and baptize men , they are part of the church universal before they are gathered into distinct societies under proper pastors of their own . the eunuch act. . was baptized into no particular church , but into the universal only ; and so were many others : and meer baptism as such without any additional contract , doth no more . if thousands were converted in america , or cast there without pastors , they were parts of the universal church , if baptized professing christians . and before the apostles ordained any fixed bishops or pastors of particular churches , the church universal was in being though small . § . . but these particular churches being a great part of christs institutions , and necessary not only by precept , but as a means to the well-being of the universal , and the edification of it and the particular members ; it must be endeavoured , and that with good hope of success , that there may so much particular church-vnion be obtained and maintained as shall much conduce to its great and excellent ends . that is , . so much as that in them , god the father , son and holy ghost may be publickly , solemnly , and constantly confessed , by sound doctrine , holy worship , and holy discipline and conversation . . so much as that hearty christian love may be exercised and maintained , and christians edified in communion of saints . . so much as that god shall accept them , delight in them and bless them , their converting , edifying and comforting souls , hearing their prayers and praises , and owning them by his ministry , covenants and grace , and differencing them from the people that do not thus confess and worship him , and promoting hereby their salvation . and if this much be attained , it is not to be vilified for want of more , nor blotted with reproachful names ; but acknowledged with thankfulness and praise . § . . iii. and yet there is a further degree of concord to be hoped for and endeavoured , and that is the concord of these particular churches with one another : that they may all profess , . the same faith , and necessary doctrine ; . and the same love to god and one another ; . and the same hope of life eternal , . and may offer to god the same necessary and acceptable sort of worship , viz. by preaching and applying his holy word , recorded in the holy scriptures , preserving and reading them , calling upon his holy name by confession , prayer , thanksgiving and praises , and holding respective communion in the use also of the sacraments of his covenant ▪ and exercising in some measure such holy government and discipline , by pastors overseeing their several flocks , as he himself by his institution hath made universally necessary . and all this , though not in perfection , nor every where with the same degree of purity and care , yet so far , . as that gods word and ordinances be kept up in soundness in all parts and respects necessary to salvation ; . and as may tend to the edifying of the churches by love , and concord in necessary things , and their mutual help by counsel , and strength by that concord , . and the avoiding of pernicious feuds and divisions . § . . the means by which this is to be done , . by communicatory letters ; . by synods , . and by civil governours , is after in due place to be explained . thus much of christian vnity and concord may be well hoped for upon just endeavours here on earth : but neither perfection in these , nor those unnecessary terms of concord which some have long taken to be necessary . § . . and indeed so much as may be hoped for , is so very hardly to be obtained , that if we trusted not to gods extraordinary grace , more than to any natural probability that appeareth to us in man , we should be ready to despair that ever christians should live long in so much peace and concord : and though the great difficulty must not kill our hopes , it must much quicken us to strenuous endeavours : of which more anon . satan is so great an enemy to it , and every sin in man is so much against it ( as every disease in the body is against its ease and peace ) , and the multitude and malignity of sins and sinners is so great , and the very healers so few and faulty and unskilful , and do so much against their own desired ends , that instead of accusing the providence of god , we should thankfully wonder that there is so much peace and concord as there is , and that all men live not as enemies to each others in continual war ; or that the devouring pikes leave so many of the lesser fish alive , and the weak and innocent are not wholly a prey to the oppressors . chap. ix . that christ himself who commanded the vnity , love and concord of christians , did prescribe the necessary terms . § . . if it be once proved , that christ himself hath prescribed the conditions or terms of christian union and communion , what remaineth to christians , but to enquire what are those terms ? whereas for want of that necessary supposition , while men think it is left to them , no man knoweth who should do it , and the pope prescribeth his terms , and others prescribe their terms , and almost each sect hath different terms . § . . that christ did prescribe them , i shall prove i. antecedently , à causis , ii. consequently , ab effectis ; iii. by proving the necessary exclusion of any other competent prescribers . § . . i. antecedently it is proved from . the universal necessity of the thing , . and from the office of christ to do things of such universal necessity , and his faithfulness therein . § . . . there are few christians so ignorant or inconsiderate , but will confess that the vnion of christians is necessary , not only to the edification and well being , but to the very being of the church , ( both universal and particular . ) for what is a church , but many christians united and associated for church-ends ? pull all the bricks or timber of the house asunder , and it is no house : pull all the planks and parts of a ship asunder , and it is no ship : pull all the leaves and sentences of a book asunder , and it is no book : pull all the parts of a mans body asunder , and there remaineth no body of a man , considered formally , but only materially , and in their aptitude to re-union at the resurrection . an army disbanded and dissipated , is no army . and certainly it is no church , that hath not church-unity of parts . . and all that believe in christ , believe that he came into the world to call and gather his church , and to save them ; and that he sent his word , his ministers and spirit to this end . he is the principle of life to the church his body ; who first by aggregation uniteth them to himself and one another , and then is their constitutive and governing and quickning head . it is his undertaken office first to make all his own members , and then to govern , preserve , edifie and save them . and how can christ make his church , without uniting the members ? can he build his house , and never set the bricks , stones or timber together ? can you make a clock or watch , without adapting and uniting the parts ? and can christ gather , build , compaginate and unite his church , and not so much as tell men ( either pastors or people ) what are the conditions and terms of union , and the cement or solder that must unite them ? § . . and all christians confess christs sufficiency for his office , and his perfect faithfulness in performing it . he wanted neither power , wisdom , nor love ( or will ) to gather his own church or body : he was faithful as moses in all gods house . and he that fulfilled all the righteousness of the law , and whatever was imposed on him as a humbled satisfier of justice , surely no less fulfilled all that belonged to him as the grand administrator , and benefactor , and executor of gods mercy and his own will , and as head over all things to his church , eph. . , . § . . nay , as he was the king and law giver of the church , who was to give them all their vniversal laws ( binding all men ) could he be supposed to have done this faithfully , if he had left out the very terms of church-unity and concord , when such unity is essential to the church ? did he send the apostles to disciple and baptize all nations , and be in gods house ( the church ) as paul calleth timothy [ pillars and bases of truth ] yea , foundations , and master-builders , that must gather his church out of all the world , and yet never tell them what a church is ? that is , how the parts must be united ? as he is the teacher of the church , did he never teach them so necessary a thing , as what essential church-unity is ? these are such imputations against christ , as seem to deny him to be christ ; as he would deny god to be god , that would deny his providence and government of the world . § . . christs law is to be both the rule of our actions and his judgement . and if he have left out so great a point as the essentiating terms of church vnion , what momentous acts of our lives are left to be ungoverned and unjudged by the laws of christ ? § . . above all men those are bound to consent to what i say , who hold that christs laws have not left so much as a ceremony undetermined , and that nothing may be added or diminished in his worship . how much less then hath he left the essentiating terms of church-unity unprescribed ? § . . ii. and consequently ab effectis we find , that christ did it . . he plainly declared what maketh a christian . . he declared how all christians should live in love and concord . . and how the coalition of these christians maketh his church . § . . i. it had been strange , if he that came into the world to make men christians , had never told men what a christian is . and if he that sent his apostles to make christians , had set them to do they knew not what , and never told them what a christian is , and consequently what they must perswade men to . and if he that promised justification , pardon , adoption and glory to all true believers ( that is , to true christians , ) had yet never told them how they may know that they are such ? and that he that commanded so much christian duty , publick and private , and required christians to suffer so much for his sake , and to look for a reward in heaven , should yet never tell them what christianity is ? if christ made christianity , ( that is , the laws and description , objects and principle ) then he made a determinate thing : if not , hath he left it to man to make christianity ( objectively ) ? then how shall we know to whom he gave this power ? and how many several species of christianity ( or faith ) may be made in the world ? § . ii. it is evident in scripture , that christ sent his apostles , and that he taught them what to preach , and particularly that he matth. . , . said [ go and disciple me all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , the son and the holy ghost ] teaching them to observe all things whatever i commanded you . ] and it is certain , that a baptized person was then accounted a christian , and baptism was their christening ; and that this was the church entrance , and visible symbol of a christian and church-member : and that all christs church hath so accounted of baptism to this day : and true tradition is in no one point so full and constant as in this . and moreover the very nature of the thing it self declareth it . is not he a christian that believeth according to the sense of the institution , in god the father , son and holy ghost , and by a solemn vow and covenant devoteth himself to him as his god and father , his redeemer and saviour , and his sanctifier and comforter , and the witness of christ ; and that hereupon hath right to justification , adoption , and the heavenly inheritance : who is a christian , if this be not ? § . . the sense of the catholick church is so notorious in this , that i think there is little disagreement about it . the papists confess it : the protestants confess it : see but vossii theses de baptismo , and davenant de bapt. and especially gatakers ammadversions on that of davenant : all confess , that all the antient churches held , that to the duly qualified receiver , all sin was pardoned in baptism , and the person put into a state of life : and therefore was a member of the church . § . . ii. and that christ commanded all christians to take each other as brethren , and to live in love ; and that all men by this were to know them to be his disciples , is so fully revealed in scripture , that it is needless among christians to prove it . iii. as also that such christians united to him their head , are eo nomine his church ; and living in this love , live as the members of his church must do . § . . and here three things are to be noted , . that what was done by the holy spirit as given extraordinarily to the apostles as founders or architects of the church , to lead them into all truth , was truly done by christ himself ; the holy ghost so extraordinarily given being his promised agent . . that yet this work of instituting baptism as the terms of church-union , he would not leave to the spirit in the apostles , but was the immediate author of it himself . . but yet two things hereabout he left to the apostles , . to explain to the baptized the true sense of the general words in the baptismal covenant : . and to institute part of the terms of particular church order and vnity : who accordingly setled ( or ordained ) elders , bishops or pastors , in every particular church , which at first was for the most part in every city ( or great town ) where the gospel was received by any competent number ; and after they added deacons and deaconesses or widows ad melius esse only , and they taught them by word and writing to observe all that christ commanded . § . . iii. and as i have proved , . that it must be done , . and that christ did it , so . it is part of our proof , that no other did it or could do it . . no other had authority to institute church-essentials , and to give such necessary universal laws . . no other came early enough to do it , but as his ministers after christ had done it . . no other had wisdom and fitness enough for it ; nor were fit to agree to make church essentials . . de facto history proves they did it not . . to undertake it , is to invade christs office . the apostles themselves found it done to their hands : much less can any ordinary pastors since prove any authority from god , or any true capacity in themselves for such a work . § . . and if any pretend to it , they must be such as lived before christ had any evangelical church ( that is , of the same species as hath been since the institution of christian baptism ) or such as have lived only since . the former came not in as competitors : the latter were too late to be the do●●s of that which was done before . union is essential to the church in general : the necessary terms of union are essential to it in specie as the christian church : for necessarium est sine quo res esse non potest : it 's no christian church , without the necessary terms of church union . and therefore before those terms were first made or instituted , there was no church of that species : and after there was such a church , and consequently such terms of its union , none could make them , they being made before . if any that came after did or shall hereafter attempt to make such terms , it must be new ones , and not the same that constituted the first church : and then their church will be new , and not of the same species as the first . indeed god did make new laws of administration , and so may a kingdom , without changing the constitution : but not new constituting terms : governing laws which follow the constitution , are not to make the kingdom a kingdom , or the church a church : but to preserve the church and its order , and promote its welfare : and the oath of allegiance maketh a man a subject , without subscribing to the governing laws : but as a subject he consenteth to live under those laws : and if he break them , he is punishable according to them , and for breaking some of them , may be cut off : and for some crimes a man may be excommunicate . but yet excommunication must be distinguished : that which totally cuts a man off from the church , must be but a sentence upon proof that he hath first morally cut off himself : lesser crimes must be punished with the lesser excommunication , which is but a suspension , and that which paul speaketh of , thess . . . yet take him not for an enemy , but admonish him as a brother . § . . by all this it is most evident , that christ himself the institutor and maker of his church , hath made the terms of essential catholick vnion ; and that we have nothing to do herein , but to find out what are the terms that he hath made , and not to enquire what any men since have made or added , as being not authorized thereto . chap. x. no humane terms , not made by christ , or his spirit extraordinarily given to the apostles , are necessary to the being of particular churches : but divers humane acts are necessary to their existence , and administration . § . . divers men speak diversly of this matter : . some say that no form of the polity of particular churches is of divine institution , but that god hath left all the forming of them to the will of man. . others say , that no form of them is lawful but what is of divine institution . and of the first , some say that christ instituted the papal form , and some say general councils , the summam potestatem to the universal church , and left it to them to form particular churches . others say that magistrates are to do it : and others that the diocesane bishops of every nation in national or provincial synods may do it . but all agree that the form of particular churches must be made , by some that had authority from christ to do it . § . . of the second sort ( who hold no form of a particular church lawful , but what is of divine institution ) some hold that only a diocesan church ( that hath many congregations and altars ) is of divine institution , and that the parochial are not churches but oratories or chapels , or parts of a church : others ho●d that only parochial churches ( of one altar or associated for personal communion in presence ) are of divine institution : some that both diocesane and parochial churches are of divine institution ; and some that these and provincial , national , patriarchal ( and the papal ) are of divine institution : thus do mens judgements vary . § . . a third sort hold that god hath instituted some church forms besides the universal , and left men to make others : and here some think that god instituted patriarchal , and left them to make the diocesan and parochial : some hold that god instituted only the diocesan and left them power to make the patriarchal and the parochial : some hold that he made only the parochial ( i mean single societies associated for present personal communion ) and left them by voluntary associations to make the greater over them . § . . among these opinions let us first try whether christ hath instituted any church form besides the universal , and . what that is . i. and . if christ hath instituted a holy christian society for ordinary holy communion and mutual help in gods publick worship and holy living , consisting of pastors authorized and obliged to teach , and guide , and speak for the flock in gods publick worship and administer his sacraments according to christs word , and of a flock obliged to hear them , learn , obey and follow such their conduct to the foresaid ends ] then christ hath instituted a form of a particular church , and its policy . but the antecedent is true , as shall be proved : and the consequent or major is proved , à definito ad denominatum ; this definition containeth the essentials of a church . no man can deny that to be a christian church which hath this definition . § . . here still it is supposed that the spirit in the apostles , who were designed to be founders and master-builders , and to gather and order churches , and teach them to observe all christs commands , was christs promised agent ( as tertullian calls him ) and that christ did what the spirit did by the apostles in their proper work , to which he was promised them as their guide ; as it is aforesaid . § . . and that christ and his apostles instituted sacred ordinary assemblies of christians for holy worship and communion , is so clear in the new testament that it were vain to prove it . § . . and . as notorious and past doubt it is that the end of these assemblies was such as is here mentioned ; . and as plain that such pastors as are here described were set over all these congregations , and authorized and obliged to the foresaid work , that is under christ the great teacher , priest and ruler of the church , to teach them gods word , to intercede under christ for them to god , and from christ to them in prayer and sacraments , &c. and to guide them by that called the keyes of the church , discerning whom to receive by baptism , whom to reprove , exhort , comfort or absolve , act. . . act. . tim. . tit. . and many other places shew this . § . . and it is no less plain that the people were bound to continue in their doctrine , communion and prayer , and to obey them in that which they were commissioned to do : heb. . , , . & . , . thes . . , . tim. . . & . and many other places ; so that the form of such churches as consist of such congregations and their pastors is past all denyal and just doubt . § . . and as to all other church-forms ( classical , diocesan , metropolitical , provincial , national , patriarchal and papal , it is these only that fall under reasonable doubt and controversie . and . for classical churches , i can say but this , . that the general commands of holding christian love and concord , and doing all to edification require such churches as live near together to be helpers to each other , and that counsel and correspondency is necessary hereto , which the churches have still laudably exercised by synods : and if these associations for order-sake be agreed on , as to stated times and numbers and bounds , it is but the circumstantiating of a known duty : and if any will call this a distinct policy or church-form , i contend not against their liberty of speech , while we agree de re : but i judge it perillous to give the same name to such an assembly or . association as to a church of christs institution ; lest it seduce men to think that the word is not equivocally used . if the agents of several kingdoms met at a common dyet , i had rather not call them a superiour kingdom , were their meeting never so necessary . an assembly that is the pars imperans of one body politick , having legislative power , is one thing ; and an assembly of agents or princes for meer concord and strength and help of distinct kingdoms , schools , armies , &c. is another thing . and i know no proof that such councils must be ordinary , or at stated times and places , but sometimes that is best , and sometime not , as the case standeth , as even the papists confess . and when they begin to degenerate from a council for concord to a majesty or highest governing power , it 's time to cross their claim and interrupt the occasions of it . § . . and if men at such classes , and councils choose one to keep order as a moderator , yea if they fix him , it is but the circumstantiating of the assemblies work : but if he will claim hereupon a distinct order , office , and proper political church relation , so as hence to make himself the regent part of a species of a church , yea and claim this as of god and unalterable , i cannot justifie such a church-form . § . . this holds as to the presidents of all ranks of synods , classical , diocesan , metropolitical , provincial , national or patriarchal . to use them as presidents of councils for concord is one thing ; and to use them as the pars imperans , or the constitutive heads of a distinct church - species is another . arch-bishop vsher told me himself his judgement , that councils were but for counsel and concord , and not for the government of each other or any of the members ; and that they had no proper governing power either over their minor part , or over any absent bishops : though each bishop was still the governour of his own flock , and their power over their flocks was exercised with the greater advantage by their concord in councils . dyets and councils of distinct independent bishops are not distinct forms of policy or churches . § . . and if this hold true , that the councils themselves are not thereby rectors of a distinct political society , but for concord of many , then it will follow that a president of such a council , whether diocesan , provincial , national or more general , is not as such a rector of the bishops under him and their people , but only the orderer or guide of the modes and circumstances of the council as such . and therefore could the pope prove a right to preside in general councils ( orbis romani , vel orbis terrarum ) which he cannot , it were no proof that he is regent head of the church universal . the same i may say of the other presidents . § . . if it hold that god instituted only congregational or parochial churches ( as for present communion ) then it must needs follow that none of the rest instituted by man , have power to deprive such single churches of any of the priviledges granted them by christ : and therefore whereas christ hath made the terms of catholick communion himself , and hath commanded all such to worship him publickly in holy communion under faithful pastors chosen or at least consented to by themselves ( which many hundred years was the judgement of the churches ) , no humane order or power can deprive them of any of this benefit , nor disoblige them from any of this duty , by just authority . § . . nay seeing that the universal church is certainly the highest species , none hath authority on pretence of narrower communion in lower churches , to change christs terms of catholick communion , nor to deprive christians of the right of being loved and received by each other , or disoblige them from the duty of loving and receiving each other . humane power made by their own contracts , cannot change christs laws , nor the priviledges or forms of christs own churches . § . . they that say that these several church species are of god , must prove that god instituted them ; and that can be only by scripture : or else that he gave some power to institute them since scripture times : which till they prove , none are bound to obey them , at least when they over rule christs own institutions . § . . to devise new species of churches without gods authority and impose them on the world ( yea in his name ) and call all dissenters schismaticks , is a far worse usurpation than to make and impose new ceremonies or liturgies . § . . dr. hammond ( dissert , cont . blond . & annot . in act. . & pass . ) affirmeth that it cannot be proved that the order of subject presbyters was existent in scripture times ; and consequently holdeth that bishops had but single congregations ( as ignatius speaketh with one altar ) . now if diocesans , metropolitans , provincials , patriarchs , or pope as constitutive of church-species were made after , either these new churches were made by the bishops of parochial churches , or by those that were no bishops or pastors of any churches at all ( for the apostles were dead , and no institution of these but scriptural can be truly proved . and other churches besides the catholick and parochial , or single , ( distinct from a compound of churches ) there were then none . ) for the lower to make the higher churches , is that which they will not grant , who grant not that presbyters may propagate their own species ; and deny that power ascendeth ab inferioribus . and that men of no church , made all these new church - species is no honour to them . § . . two contrary opinions herein now reign : one of the papists that think christ instituted the pope with power to make inferiour church species . that other is , that christ or his apostles instituted diocesans , giving them power both as rulers to make parish churches ( or chapels ) under them , and by contract or consent to make the highest species over them , ( provincial , national , patriarchal , and say some papal . ) but as to the papists so much is said against their supposition that it 's not here to be confuted : and it 's certain that single church order was constituted by no pope , and that all the apostles had power thereto . and as for the latter , which affirmeth the lower degrees to make the higher , we still want the proofs of their authority so to do : of which more afterwards . § . . as for them that say that it is magistrates that have power to make new species of churches , i grant them that whatever alterations of church-orders may be made , magistrates may do much in them . the power of princes , and the guidance of pastors , and the consent of the people have each herein their special place : but what these alterations or additions are which they may make , is the chief question : both the catholick church , and single church assemblies being instituted by christ are not left to them . the circumstantiating of other assemblies and associations are left to them , to be done according to gods general law : but that making new political societies that are properly called churches , or religious bodies consisting of the pars regens , & pars subdita , is left to them by christ , i never saw proved , any more than the making of new sacraments . but if that could be proved , yet that these humane churches or their makers may change those that are of divine institution or deprive them of their priviledges , or forbid them commanded duty , cannot be proved . § . . and it is certain , . that if princes or bishops or the people did institute diocesan , or metropolitan , provincial or patriarchal churches , they may yet make more and other species : and who knoweth how many new forms of churches we may yet expect ? . and they that made them , upon good reason may unmake them , or alter them when they please . § . . but though the legislator and not the subjects be the institutor of the vniversal and particular church-policies , yet men are the constitutive matter , and mans consent and faith is the dispositio materiae without which the form is not received : and mans welfare is part of the final cause ; and ministers are the instruments ( and gods word written and preached ) for the gathering of churches by such qualification of the persons , and also of revealing the institution of christ , and investing of particular persons in their church-relations . § . . by all this it appeareth that as it belongeth to christ to institute the political species of churches ( though circumstantiating may be left to man ) , at least undoubtedly of the vniversal and of the single species , so it belongeth to christ and not to man to institute and describe their terms of union : for this is the very institution of the species : and we are not to receive humane church-policies without good proof of mens authority to make them , and impose them . chap. xi . the danger of the two extreams : and first of despairing of any concord , and of unjust tolerations . § . . some men having seen the christian world so long in sects and contending parties , do think that there is no hope of vnity and concord , and therefore that all should be left at liberty : and others think that there is no hope but on terms so wide as shall take such as christ receiveth not , nor would have us receive . and on such accounts there were very early great contentions about the qualifications of the baptizers and baptized , and the validity of baptism , and about re-baptizing . as to the baptizers , some thought that only priests should baptize ( none appropriated it to bishops ) : some thought lay-men might baptize in case of necessity , and some thought that women also might do it : and some thought that though women or lay-men might not do it lawfully , yet factum valet , being done , such should not be re-baptized . and some thought that those that were baptized even by priests that were schismaticks , ( or as they called them hereticks when they separated from common concord and communion ) must be rebaptized . and they thought that if they were baptized in such a schismatical ( or heretical ) society , by whomsoever , it was not into the true church . in this case cyprian and the african bishops with firmilian and his collegues , were in the wrong , when the bishop of rome was in the right . and the donatists thought they were but of cyprians mind : for it seems they had there the greater number of bishops ; and the greater number went for the church , and the less for hereticks : and so they called themselves the church ( though out of africa the number against them , or that meddled not in the quarrel was far greater . ) and all this arose but by the contests of two men for the bishoprick of carthage , some following one and some the other . § . . this errour of cyprian and the donatists , arose . from their not sufficiently distinguishing the church universal , from the associated churches of their countrey ; nor well considering that baptism as such is but our entrance into the universal church , and not into this or that particular church . . by an abusive or equivocal use of the name [ heretick ] their doctrine being true of hereticks strictly so called , who deny in baptizing any essential part of christianity , but false of hereticks laxly so called , that are only schismaticks , or deny only or corrupt some lower doctrines , precepts or practices of religion . § . . therefore the council of nice truly decided the case by distinction , decreeing the re-baptizing of some ( as such as the paulinists baptized ) and not of others . that is , all that had not true christian baptism consisting of all the true essentials , were to be re-baptized , and not others , whatever particular church they were of . § . . hereupon also among the roman doctors , it hath been a great debate , whether the priests intention was necessary to the validity of baptism : the true answer to which is this . it is one question what is necessary to the justifying of the priest , before the church ? and another before god ? and another question what is necessary to the validity of baptism to the receiver before the church ? and another before god ? and so i answer . supposing that no man shall suffer for anothers fault , but for his own : . if the priest profess and intention to baptize in general , and express it in the true words of baptism , his act ex parte sui is valid coram ecclesiâ though he dissemble . . if the priest dissemble , his act is a crime and shall be punished by god. . if he profess not to intend to baptize the person , or to intend it in general , but to corrupt it in the essentials , it is as a ministration invalid coram ecclesiâ and should be done again . . if the adult person baptized profess baptismal consent dissemblingly , it is valid baptism coram ecclesiâ as to what the church must do upon it , but invalid as to what god is to do as the performer of the covenant . . if the person baptized do not so much as profess consent , or profess not to consent , nor to intend to be then baptized , it is no baptism before god or the church . . if he profess to be baptized in general , but deny any essential in particular , it is not the true christian baptism , but must be better done . § . . when any came in so great errour as that the church scarce knew whether it was an essential part of faith and baptism that was denyed , it made the controversie hard about their re-baptizing . many thought that the photinians and arians denying christs godhead as of the same substance with the father , denyed an essential article , and were to be re-baptized if they so entred at first : our socinians are much worse , that deny christs godhead in a fuller sence . and how doth he believe in christ that believeth him not to be god , which is most eminently essential to him ? § . . they that are over-bold in altering christs terms of church union and communion , making them less or more or other , if they knew what they do , would find themselves more concerned in these controversies of baptizing and re-baptizing , and consequently greater corrupters , than they have thought . § . . to think that church vnion is impossible is to deny that there is any church , and consequently any christ . to think that necessary concord in communion is impossible , is so great a disparagement to the church , as tempteth men by vilifying it to doubt of christianity : for if christians cannot live in unity of faith and love and converse , what is their christianity ? and such despair of concord will make men suspend all endeavours to attain it : for despair useth no means . § . . and to take into the church of christ such as want the essentials , and christ would not have received , is to corrupt his church , and bring in confusion , and such as will dishonour him , and will be more hurtful in the church than they would be without : like rebels in a kingdom , or mutineers in an army , or enemies in a family : the nearer the worse . § . . it is for this use especially that christ hath committed the church keyes to the pastors : and the key of entrance is the chief . therefore he that judgeth who is to be baptized , exerciseth the chief act of the church keyes : and he that baptized was held to have the power of judging whom to baptize : which was never denyed to the presbyters , till after for order some restrained them . § . . it is a strange contrariety of some pastors to themselves , who judge that all infants of heathens , jews , turks or wicked men are without exception to be taken into the church , if any ignorant christian will but offer them , and say over a few words ; and the adult also if they can but say over the creed by rote , and a few words more ; and thus fill the church with enemies of christ ; and yet when they are in , deny them communion unless they will strictly come up to many humane unnecessary impositions ; as if far stricter obedience to men ( perhaps in usurpations ) were necessary , than to jesus christ . § . . how far infidels , catechumens , or heretical or schismatical assemblies may be tolerated in the world about us by magistrates , is not here to be enquired , but hereafter : but that the churches themselves should not corrupt their own communion by taking and keeping in uncapable persons , the nature of the church and discipline , and its ends , and the reproof of the churches , rev. . & . and the judgement of the universal church do tell us . chap. xii . the sin and danger of making too much necessary to church vnion and communion . § . . addition to christs terms are very perillous as well as diminution : when men will deny either church entrance or communion to any that christ would have received , because they come not up to certain terms which they or such as they devise . and though they think that christ giveth them power to do thus , or that reason or necessity justifieth them , their errour will not make them guiltless : imputing their errour to christ untruly , is no small aggravation of the sin . § . . nor is it a small fault to usurp a power proper to christ : to make themselves law givers to his church without any authority given them by him : their ministry is another work . § . . and it is dangerous pride to think themselves great enough , wise enough , and good enough , to come after christ and to amend his work , and do it better than he hath done . § . . much less , when they hereby imply an accusation against him and his institutions , as if he had not done it well , but they must amend it , or all will be intolerable . § . . and indeed mans work will be like man , weak and faulty and full of flaws , when gods work will be like god , the effect of alsufficience , power , wisdom and love. § . . and the merciful lord and saviour of the church , that came to take off heavy burdens and intolerable yokes , will not take it well to have men come after him and as by his authority , to make his easie yoke more strait , and his light burden heavy , and to cast or keep out those that he hath redeemed and doth receive , and to deal cruelly with those that he hath so dearly bought , and tenderly loveth . § . . and indeed it is ofter for mens own interest , and dominion , to keep up their power and honour of superiority , that men thus use the servants of christ , than truly to keep clear the church , and to keep out the polluters . § . . but when it is done by too much strictness and as for church-purity , yet this also hath its aggravations : for men so far to forget themselves , that they are servants and not lords , sinners that have need themselves of mercy , unfit to be too forward to cast the first stone , to seem more wise and holy than christ , is but specious offending him . § . . and as spiritual priviledges excel temporal , so is it an aggravated tyranny , to deprive christs servants of benefits so precious , and so dearly bought . as it was not with silver and gold that we were redeemed , so neither for the enjoying of silver and gold. communion with christ , his body and blood and his saints in his ordinances , is a blessing so great , that he that robs such of it that have right to it , may answer it dearlier than if he had rob'd them of their purses : o what then hath the roman usurper done that hath oft interdicted whole kingdoms of christians , the use of holy priviledges and duties ! § . . little do many men , that cry up faith and orthodoxness and catholicism and obedience , and cry down heresie , schism , errour and disobedience , believe how much guilt lyeth on their souls , and without repentance how terrible it will prove , to be charged with the cruelties which they have used to good christians , in reproaching them and casting them out of the church , and destroying them as hereticks and schismaticks , that should have been loved and honoured as saints . but some men cannot see by the light of the fire , till they come so near it as to be burned . § . . these self-made or over-doing terms of church-union and concord , will prove the certainest engines of schism ; and none are so heinous schismaticks , as they that make unnecessary terms of union , and then call all schismaticks that consent not to them . for . these are the leaders of the disorder , when other sort of schismaticks usually are but followers : . these do it by law , which is of most extensive mischief , even to all that are subject to them , when others do it but by local practice , extending but to those that are about them , or the particular assemblies which they gather . . these make the schism unavoidable , when private seducers may be resisted : for it is not in the power of good men to bring their judgements to the sentiments of every or any dictator , or yet to go contrary to their judgements . ilicitum stat pro impossibili . . these aggravate the crime by pretending power from god , and fathering schism on so good a thing as government , and causing it as for unity it self . . they condemn themselves by crying down schism , while they unavoidably cause it . § . . and this over-doing and making unnecessary termes , unavoidably involveth them in the guilt of persecution ; and when they have begun it , they know not where to stop . suppose they decree that none shall preach the gospel , or assemble for holy communion in publick worship , but those that subscribe or swear or promise or profess or do , somewhat accounted sinful by the persons commanded , and not necessary indeed , however esteemed by the imposer ( who yet perhaps calls it but indifferent ) . it is certain that no honest christian will do that which he judgeth to be sin : it is certain that other mens confident talk will not make all men of their minds , to take all for lawful which they take for such : what then will the imposers do ? they will make strict laws to punish severely all that disobey : for say they , our commands must not be contemned , nor disobedience tolerated : so do the papists as to the trent oath , &c. so did charles the fifth , a while about the interim ; and so many others . these laws then must be executed : the pastors must be cast out ; the preachers silenced ; they still believe as daniel did about praying , and the apostles about preaching , that god commandeth what men forbid , and it is a damnable sin to forsake their calling and duty , no less than sacriledge , and cruelty to souls , and deserting the church and worship and cause of christ ; and the people will still believe that no mans prohibition can excuse them if they forsake gods publick worship and comply with sin . the prelates will say that all this is but errour , wilfulness , and rebellion , and they can prove the contrary . their words will not change the judgement of dissenters . the pastors and preachers then must be fined , imprisoned or banished for preaching , and the people for publick worshipping god : when they are fined they will go on : when they are out of prison they will return to their work : nothing is left then to remedy it , but either perpetual imprisonment , banishment or death . when this is done , more will still rise of the same mind and continue the work that others were disabled to perform : and the prelates that cause this will be taken by the suffering people for thorns and thistles , and grievous wolves that devour the flocks , and the military ministers of the devil : the indifferent common people knowing their neighbours to be conscionable men of upright lives , will become of the same minds , and look on the persecutors as the enemies of good men and of publick peace , that do all this by pride and domination . the ungodly rabble of drunkards , prophane swearers , adulterers , and such like , for the most part hating godliness and strict living , will cry up the prelates , and triumph over the sufferers : and thus the land will be divided ; the prelates and other prosecutors with the dirty malignant rabble of the licentious will make one party , and these will call themselves orthodox and the church ; the sufferers and all that pity them and like them better than the persecutors will be the other party . the conjunction of the debauched and malignant rabble with the prelates and their party will increase sober mens disaffection to them , and make men take them for the patrons of impiety : and how sad a condition must such churches be in ! to say nothing of the state concussions and diseases that usually follow . whatever ignorant men may dream , these prognosticks are most certain , as any man that can discern effects in moral causes , may see , and as history and sad experience prove to all men of reading , observation and understanding . § . . and in pastors of the church , this will be a double crime and shame ; because . it is their office to gather and edifie christs flock , and not to scatter and afflict them : . because they should most imitate christ in tender bowels , gentleness and long-suffering , bearing the lambs in their armes , and not breaking the bruised reed , nor quenching the smoaking flax : nurses or mothers use not to kill their children for crying , nor to turn them out of doors because they are unclean , nor to cut their throats to make them swallow bigger morsels , instead of cutting their meat : much less to cast them off for obeying their father . . because it is supposed that they best know the will of christ , and should be best acquainted with the wayes of peace . and therefore should understand rom. . & . him that is weak in the faith receive ; but not to doubtful disputations . the kingdom of god is not meats and drinks , but righteousness , peace and joy in the holy ghost : and he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god , and approved of men , that is , of wise and good men , but not of proud persecutors , rom. . , . wherefore receive ye one another as christ also received to the glory of god. rom. . . if the people were schismatical and inclined to fall in pieces , the guides and builders should soder and cement them , and as pillars and bases in the church which is the house of the living god ( as timothy is called ) should bear them up that they fall not by division . § . . in a word , whoever will impartially read church history , especially of the councils and popes , shall find that the self-conceited usurpation of proud prelates , imposing unnecessary devices of their own ( professions or practices ) on the churches , and this with proud and fierce impatience toward dissenters , and usurping a legislation which christ never gave them , hath been the great cause of much of the hatred , schisms , persecutions , wars , rebellions against emperours and kings , false excommunications , interdicts , and the disgrace of christistianity , weakning of the church , and hindering the conversion of jews and infidels , and been a chief granado , thunderbolt or wild-fire , by which satan much prospered in storming of the church . chap. xiii . to cry out of the intolerable mischiefs of toleration , and call for sharper execution , while dividing snares are made the terms of vnion , is the work of ignorant , proud and malignant church-destroyers . § . . to tolerate all evil that pretendeth religion , is to be no friend to religion , government or peace . to tolerate no error in religion , is for no prince to tolerate himself , his wife , his child , or any one subject : and to pretend to this , is to crave self-destruction ( neque enim lex justior ulla est , &c. ) and to proclaim himself ignorant , yea grosly ignorant , what is a church , a pastor , a government , a christian , or a man. § . . multitudes of books are written for and against toleration : they that are lowest usually write for it ( even jer. taylor 's liberty of prophecying before he was a bishop , was thought a commendable or tolerable book ) . but most are against it that are in power , and think they can force others to their wills . but it is wise and just and impartial men , that are here the discerners of the truth , whose judgements are not biassed by interest or passion , nor blinded by unacquaintedness with their adversaries or their cause , or perverted by using only one ear and one eye . he knoweth not mankind , who knoweth not how greatly ( not only the common gang , but ) even learned men , yea , and zealous religious men , are to be suspected in their evil characters and reports of those that they are speaking against as adversaries . it grieveth me to know and think , how little most adversaries in this case are to be believed . § . . to describe the due bounds of toleration is far from being impossible , or very difficult to an understanding and impartial man : but to stop the mouth or rage of contradicters , and to reconcile the multitude of ignorant , proud , tyrannical , uncharitable , interessed , factious , partial men to such certain measures , is next impossible , and never yet even among the clergy was attained , since the spirit of infallibility , simplicity and love departed , and the spirit of darkness , pride and malignity in most places got the upper hand . § . . many and many books of this nature i have lately read , that cry down liberty and toleration , and call for greater severities , and describe those whose ruine or sufferings they plead for , as ignorantly and falsly , as if they talkt of men at the antipodes , whom they had never seen , and as if they had never heard their cause ; and as cruelly , as if they had been preaching to souldiers , and confuting john baptist , or preaching a visitation sermon to bonner or gardiner : and yet the falshoods or injuries set off , with so great confidence , and well composed words , and zeal against schism , and error , and especially for the church and government , that it grieveth my soul to think , how difficult such men do make it , to strangers that must know all on trust from others , and men of other business , that cannot have while to search into the truth , to escape deceit and the consequent mischiefs : zeal for piety is not more abused by sectaries , than zeal for themselves , and their power and wealth , called zeal for the church and truth and order , is abused by bad domineering men . or else the world had not been embroiled by the clergy these twelve hundred years at least , nor rome arrived at its pernicious greatness , and power to destroy . § . . and let mens different religions or opinions be never so many and notable , yet every where the same plea against toleration is used , and the same arguments seem good for every party that is in power . in japan and china , and heathen lands , they can copiously declaim against the mischiefs of tolerating christianity : the papists think tormenting inquisitions , and burning christians , and murdering thousands and hundreds of thousands better than to tolerate protestants . the lutherans cry down the toleration of calvinists : what need i name more ? as the papists say , that every sect pleadeth the scripture , so we may say , that every powerful party , be their cause never so false , cry out against tolerating others , though in the truth . § . . and doubtless concord even in perfection is so desirable , that it 's easie for a man to set forth the beauty and excellency of it : and discord is so bad , that it 's easie to declaim against it : but for him that causeth it , to do it , is self-condemnation . and for him that falsly describeth the cause , and justifieth the schismatick , and accuseth the innocent , to write books and preach sermons against schism and toleration , is but delusion tending to their own shame , and others deceit and ruine . § . . and he never was a good musician , builder , watch-maker , nor good at any art or science , that thought all diversity was discord : he that would with zeal and learning write a book to prove that a lute or organs must not be tolerated , if each string and key be not of the same sound ; or that all the parts in a clock , watch , building , &c. must be of the same shape and magnitude , or all men of one language or complexion , &c. would scarce get so much credit as most of our hereticaters do , when they call for fire and faggot and jaylors , as more meet and able confuters of error than themselves . § . . the men on whom they cry for vengeance , either are really religious , or not : if not , it 's a marvel that they are not of the accusers mind , being supposed to follow the upper side : it 's possible that some advantage may turn a man that hath no religion , out of the kings high-way , into some sectarian cottage , especially in some storms : but it 's very rarely that gain goeth not for godliness , and the way of reputation , ease and profit , for religion , with such as indeed have none at all . but if they are seriously religious , they take it as from the law of the almighty , the king of kings and lord of lords ; to whom all men are less than the vilest worms to us : and they take it to be that which they lay their salvation and everlasting hopes on ; believing that god will bear them out , and if they dye for it , will reward them with the crown of glory : they believe that they shall be damned in hell for ever , if they break gods law , and obey man against him : and in this case it should not be hard to reasonable men , especially bishops and teachers , to know what means and measures are meetest to be used with such men ; and when he that must suffer , hath flesh that is as unwilling to suffer as other mens , it should be considered how far satan useth the flesh for his interest , and how far the pastors of the church should take part with it ; when as st. paul saith , he that doubeth is damned if he eat , because he eateth not of faith . § . . there is no heed to be taken by mens crying out against error or schism , to discern who is the erroneous or schismatick . none more cry out against them than the guilty : who condemneth error and schism more than the papists , and who are greater causes and authors of them than the pope ? as our common prophane rabble are so great hypocrites , that they live quite contrary to their baptismal vow , and the religion which they nominally profess , and yet commonly cr●●ut against hypocrisie , and call all men hypocrites that seem to be serious in living as they vowed and profess ; even so the greatest schismaticks and hereticks , partly in blindness , and partly to avert both men and conscience from accusing themselves , do usually first cry down schismaticks and hereticks , and perhaps preach and write most vehemently against them . i take a man to be never the more orthodox , catholick , or of the true church , for crying up the true church , catholicism and orthodoxness , and crying down the contrary , and accusing others . § . . i have long observed with the best judgement i have , that usually those divines that write most for peace and reconciliation of hot contenders , are men of clearer judgement than others , and usually see further into the cause , than either of the fierce contending parties : though the turks in policy give some liberty to christians , as a necessary preservation of their empire ; and the socinians have much pleaded for peace and concord , partly by necessity for themselves , and partly from common light of reason ; yet among real reformed christians , the greatest judgement is found in the greatest pacificators : such as le blank , amyrald , phaceus , camero , lud. crocius , bergius , martinius , calixtus , dallaeus , blondel , vsher , davenant , hall , morton , chillingworth , and such others : darkness doth best fit the spirit of contention . § . . there is nothing in humane actions that is free from inconveniences ; especially actions of publick consequence . and the collecting and aggravating of such inconveniences , and making tragical exclamations thereupon , without looking to the mischiefs that men imagine must be the remedy , or seeing the evils on the other side , is the common practice of these church-mountebanks . how easie is it to say [ if we be not all of one religion , it will cherish contention , bring ministers into contempt , scandalize the weak , harden the enemies , raise factions , shake the peace of kingdoms ] and more such like : how easie is it to say [ if men be tolerated to break the laws , and gather conventicles , souls will be poysoned , error propagated , christianity disgraced , &c. ] when in the mean time . their course tendeth not at all to make men of one religion : . nay , they plead for that which is the great divider : where do fire and banishment or prisons cause true faith , or make men think that their persecutors are in the right ? is there any thing in the nature of the thing so to perswade men ? nay what more inclineth men to think that other mens opinions are false , than to feel that their practice is hurtful ? all will say , do men gather grapes of thorns , or figs of thistles ? by their fruit they may be known . if it be forcing some to dissemble , and destroying the rest , that they mean , by [ making men of one religion ] thus saith tertullian did the heathen persecutors : solitudinem faciunt & pacem vocant . but . this will not do : france , ireland , belgia , and queen mary in england cryed it in vain : god will still have some that shall be seriously religious , and shall fear him more than man , and not sell their souls to save their bodies : if you have no hope of making men to be of one religion , but by making them to be of no religion ( as all are that fear not god more than man ) your hopes are vain as well as wicked . there is so full testimony given to the world , that there is a god and a life to come , that still some men will believe it , and will think whither they must go next , and therefore will not forsake their religion through fear , seeing that is to forsake their god , and their salvation . . and if you could accomplish it , it were not worth your labour : if all the princes on earth should force their subjects to be of one religion , it would be their own : and then five parts of six would be heathens and mahometans , and of the sixth part a third or fourth would be papists , and above two parts of the other three would have foul corruptions , for which they would be sharply censured by the rest . is it not better that in congo , china , &c. christianity is tolerated , than that they had all continued of their one religion ? and so is it that the turks do tolerate the greeks and other christians . and i think if spain had both papists and protestants , it were better than to have but papists only ; and if the swedes , danes and saxons did tolerate the more reformed , it would do more good than harm . if prelacy were banished out of scotland and england , many would think it better to tolerate it . § . . it is certain , that unity and concord is most desirable ; and as certain that these over-doers do destroy it , while they lay it upon impossible terms . . the most desirable concord is in common perfection of wisdom and holiness : but it 's certain it will not be , nor are any perfect . . the next desirable concord is in such high degrees of wisdom and goodness , as that all christians be strong and excellent , and err not notably in a word , ceremony or mode : but it is certain , this is not to be expected . . the next degree desirable is , that all should be so far teachable and perswadeable , as to yield to every truth ▪ and lawful imposition , when reason is set before them : but it is certain this is not to be expected : and he that denyeth it , knoweth not man. § . . a peace-maker therefore must understand . what concord is already among all christians , and what is of necessity to communion with the church universal : . and what more is necessary to communion in a particular church . . and what more is necessary to the association and concord of such particular churches : . and what is necessary only to eminency , praise and special encouragement : . and what is necessary to meer humane neighbourhood and converse . and accordingly he should study , . how all men may be used like men , and all peaceable men as peaceable : . how all christians may be used as christians : . how all the members of particular churches may hold such concord as the ends of their society require : . how all such churches may keep such love and correspondency as tendeth to the good of all . . and how eminent christians may be used according to their worth : . and how heresie and sin may be suppressed without contradicting any of these ends . § . . if once unnecessary terms of unity and concord be taken for necessary , even multitudes of honest well meaning men , will hence bend all their strength to do mischief : they will think that all peace-makers must promote these terms : and all must be used as schismaticks that are against them : and so all the fore-mentioned accusations , cruelties and persecutions will ( alas ) go for the work even of peace-makers : and so the common engine of church-division and persecution and discord , will be preaching and writing against schism , and crying up peace , and aggravating dissent as a heinous crime , even when it is a duty , and making all odious as far as they can that are not of their mind . the second part. the terms of concord . chap. i. in general , what are the true and only terms of church-vnion and concord , and what not ? § . . the true works of a peace-maker consisteth , . in finding out the true and necessary terms of concord , and discerning the evil and insufficiency of the false terms : . in finding out the meet and necessary instruments and helps : . in discovering the hinderances and enemies : and . in faithful prosecuting his known duty . and the first is not the least . § . . having proved what christ himself hath already done in instituting the terms of unity and concord , i shall here further shew , i. in general what these terms are and must be , and what not . ii. what texts of scripture describe them . iii. particularly and distinctly what they are . iv. i shall answer some of the objections that are made against them . and v. the false terms shall be detected and confuted in the third part. § . . i. in general , the terms of catholick unity and concord , necessary to all christians must be and are , i. only things great and needful , ii. only things true and sure ; iii. only things plain and intelligible : iv. only things of gods institution or authority . v. and but few and not very many as to matter of knowledge and belief . § . . if they were not such , mans known incapacity would make them unfit to be any means of the intended end : and this is fully proved by all the foregoing proofs of unavoidable diversity that will be found in men : and i will here add yet more profs that concord is so very difficult as that it will not be had on any stricter terms : and when all is done it will be very imperfect in this life . § . . the great difficulty of concord doth further thus appear . . it cannot be expected but that the greatest part of men will be of low capacity , and partial , and ignorant , and therefore uncapable of understanding higher terms than these . . the greater number , or too many will be bad , though their profest religion be good : and bad men will be still self-troublers , and troublers of others : there is no peace saith my god to the wicked : they are like the troubled sea that casteth up mire and dirt , isa . . piety and true concord must grow together . there will be in christs kingdom things that offend and men that work iniquity : there will be pastors and people that are worldly , covetous , lovers of themselves , lovers of pleasures more than of god , proud , boasters , haters of those that are good , striving who shall be greatest : and these will be unfit materials in the building , as to full unity , peace and concord . . yea there will be satans souldiers and bitter enemies to true piety in the ministry and all ranks of men : in the same houshold as he that was born after the flesh did persecute him that was born after the spirit , even so , saith st. paul , is it now ; and so it will be . the first born man was a murderer of his own brother , because his works were evil and his brothers good . . and christ saith that the rich shall hardly enter into heaven ; and yet we see the rich will be the rulers : it hath been so and will be so , and must be so . and if they are as usually bad as christ and his apostles tell us , then bad men will rule : and operari sequitur esse : as men are , they will do : great men will have worldly selfish interests clean contrary to the interest of christ and his doctrine : and how great influence rulers have as to concord or division is easily known . . and hitherto the pastors of the churches have been , alas , such as gregory nazianzen , isidore pelusiota and many others have described ( to say nothing of gildas or salvian , or the sad characters that most parties give of one another , and the accusations that afflicters bring against those whom they afflict , and which the sufferers give of them . ) if paul then must say , all seek their own , and not the things that are jesus christs , no wonder if it be so now ; and that even general councils have sadly anathematized one another , and thousands of bishops or pastors have been cursed from christ by the rest . and how much power proud turbulent ignorant and worldly pastors have to hinder the churches concord , hath been found by too long and sad experience . . and mans nature is sensual and slothful , and it will cost so dear , by long and hard study to be wise indeed , and by mortification and self-denyal to be truly good , that few are likely to attain it . . and education , company , friends , and false writers and teachers will still cherish faction and discord in the world . . and distance and disacquaintance will leave open mens ears to back-biters , slanderers and false reports . men will think it uncharitable not to believe such , e. g. as learned historians , doctors and their pastors are . . and the wars and cross-interests of princes and states have hitherto by jealousies fomented divisions in the church . . and the false wayes and termes of concord will be kept up in opposition to the true , and will not be the least impediment . . and lastly , even the wise and good that must be the peace-makers , are such but in part , and have in them too much of the folly , errour and sin of others , which will hinder their work , yea and make them also troublers of themselves and others . § . . these being not doubtful conjectures but certain prognosticks , the remedy must be suited to the patients capacity . and i. necessary essentials all christians are and must be agreed in : but unnecessary things such as i have described are never like to be commonly united in , nor is it necessary that they should : it seemed good to the holy ghost and to the apostles to impose nothing on the church , but necessary things , act. . it was the deceivers and false teachers which would have done otherwise : against whom st. paul doth copiously and zealously dispute , in his epistles to the romans , corinthians , galatians , colossians , &c. to pretend that as necessary which is not so , or to command that as necessary and causelesly to make it necessary which is not so in it self , and which we may easily know will never be so judged of , nor received by all , is but to rack and tear the church , and do mischief for an unnecessary thing . § . . ii. as it is certain that nothing but truth can be fit matter for the churches concord , so it must be certain truth : that is , not only such as whoever believeth is not deceived , but such as may be discerned by ascertaining evidence by all sober willing christians ; not only such as the learned may be sure of , but all that must take it as certain in their profession ; for no man must make a false profession , and say he is certain when he is not . not that all that may be called certainty must needs exclude all doubting ; but that the assent be prevalent against such doubting : nor do i mean that it must be certain by natural evidence ; it is enough if it be so by divine revelation : and if any be so weak that they perceive not some necessary revealed truth to be certainly so revealed , they must be put on no more than to say , [ i do , though not with certainty , believe it . ] and no probability must be imposed on mens profession , when there is notable danger on the contrary side , if they should mistake . § . . iii. therefore the terms of union must be only things plain and intelligible to all sober willing minds : for all persons of dull wits and diverting business cannot attain such certainty or firm belief of things which they cannot underst●nd : belief without understanding is but a dead notion or name , or rather a contradiction . § . . as for the popish doctrine of implicite faith , it is no true belief of any thing but that general verity in which they say the particulars are implicitely contained . we must all believe implicitely in god , that is , that whatever god revealeth is true : but he that believeth no more but this , is falsly said to believe other things ; for he may believe this , who never understood that god revealed any thing in particular : he that never heard of christ or the resurrection may believe that all gods revelations are true : but to call this , an implicite belief of christ and the resurrection , is but to equivocate , and call that believing a thing , which is no believing of it : if they hold that to believe that the church ( that is , the pope and his councils ) is infallible in acquainting us with matter of faith ] is all that is necessary to salvation , though they know not what the particulars are , let them say so plainly , and not call this a believing of other things , or a believing in jesus christ , or his gospel . § . . iv. and it is only things of divine authority that can be the necessary terms of universal unity or concord , supposing the necessary media of bringing them to mens notice : had we lived in the time and place where christ and his apostles did preach and work their miracles , it had been one thing to determine what were then preached as the necessary articles of faith , and another thing , how we come to hear , know and understand them : it must have been by our ears , eyes and intellects , that we knew and perceived what was said and done . and so now standing at the distance of many ages , certain history , or tradition must bring that to our notice , which our eyes and ears would then have brought to it : but still the law and terms of vnion are no less divine , whatever means do help us to understand them : and as for them that will make humane terms seem necessary to catholick vnion or communion , that they deceive themselves and others and shall never attain the end , but tear the church by such ill engines , is easily thus proved . § . . the catholick church never did or will agree what humane power it is to whom this work belongeth : whether it be a pope or council , or some universal monarch , or a council of princes by agreement ; never such a thing was , or will be . popes and councils were but in one empire , the chief ecclesiastical governours under the emperours civil government ; and not over the world ; nor was there ever such a thing as a general council of all the christian world , but only general as to one empire : nor did any of these councils take on them to make constitutive terms of the universal church or its union ; but only to preserve , declare and expound them , and to make subordinate governing canons . and if they had undertaken more , no wise man can imagine that all christians will therefore confess the right of such a claim , and so submit to it . the proof of their authority will be so obscure , that as such as i cannot see it , so there will be so many no wiser than i am , as that the exclusion of all christians that are but of our size will never stand with catholick unity . and if it were possible to satisfie all the present age , . that some have such authority from god , . and who they are , . and how far it extendeth , yet still such will succeed them in whom the uncertainty and dissent will be revived . what needeth there more proof than mans incapacity and the experience of so many generations ? all christians agree in christianity : all christians never agreed on any human● terms of unity ; pope , council , or monarch . one empire hath pretended to agree in councils , but have been so far from it , as that they have been the occasion of their greatest disagreements ; witness even the great ones , const . . ephes . . & . calcedon , which some blessed and some cursed for many generations after ; and that at constantinople that made the decree de tribus capitulis divided even the roman church so far as that for one hundred years a great part of it renounced the roman bishop , and set up another patriarch against him . and abassia and other extra-imperial churches were never under the roman or imperial government . § . . v. and that the terms of catholick unity must not be very many things is evident from the foresaid incapacity of the most to comprehend many things ; and also from the confession of almost all sorts of christians : even the papists who have advanced the christian religion to the monstrous magnitude of their vast and numerous decrees of councils are forced yet to make them almost all unnecessary under the name of implicite belief , and do narrow the necessary articles of the christian faith almost to an annihilation , while they agree not whether it be necessary explicitely to believe the life , death , resurrection , mediation , judgement , yea or being of christ himself , or any more than that there is a god and an infallible church : of which see francisc . de sancta clara his deus , natura , gratia , at large . and those of our selves that eject ministers and christians for dissenting from some of their own impositions , are yet contented to admit such as submit to themselves , upon very low terms of christian knowledge , to the sacraments and communion of the church . and indeed he knoweth not man , who knoweth not , that universal unity and concord will never be had upon the terms of many , dark , uncertain , humane , or unnecessary things , but only on the terms of things few , sure , plain , divine and necessary . chap. ii. some instances of gods description of these terms in the words of the sacred scriptures . § . . i have before proved , that christ instituted the terms of catholick unity in scripture , and have cited some texts on the by . it will not be amiss for conviction to set divers texts together , which will fullier open the terms themselves . § . . the words of the institution of baptism before mentioned are the most convincing , matth. . , . [ go ye and disciple all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you , and lo , i am with you alway even to the end of the world . ] here christ himself sendeth his messengers , and prescribeth them their work , and maketh the terms of baptism the entering and constitutive terms of his church which they were to gather : but the administring or governing terms are larger , even teaching them all things which christ hath commanded them . and this was a law not only for that age , but to the end of the world . § . . it is the same in sense which reduceth all the terms to [ believing in jesus christ ] as including belief in the father and the holy ghost , john . . as many as received him , to them gave he power to become the sons of god , even to them that believe on his name . john . , , , , . whosoever believeth in him shall not perish , but have everlasting life : he that believeth on him is not condemned — he that believeth on the son , hath everlasting life . john . . this is life eternal , that they might know thee the only true god , and jesus christ whom thou hast sent . john . . ye believe in god , believe also in me . john . , , . now are ye clean through the word that i have spoken to you , abide in me and i in you , &c. see john . mark . . preach the gospel to every creature : he that believeth and is baptized , shall be saved , and he that believeth not , shall be damned . it will be needless to repeat all words to the same purpose , matth. . . he that offendeth one of these little ones that believe in me , it were better a mill-stone were hanged about his neck , &c. and yet must bishops curse such from christ , and excommunicate them ? mar. . . john . , . & . . & . , . & . , . & . . & . . & . . . & . , . & . . & . , . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . , . & . . & . , , . & . . & . . acts . . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . . & . , . & . . & . , . and all these believers ( no doubt of no hard numerous humane articles ) lived in love and communion , acts . . & . . so rom. . . the righteousness of god by faith in jesus christ is unto all and upon all them that do believe , for there is no difference , & . , . abraham is the father of all them that believe , and righteousness shall be imputed to them all : rom. . , . if thou confess with thy mouth the lord jesus , and shalt believe in thy heart that god raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved : for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness , and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation , gal. . . & . . heb. . , &c. & . . & . . john . . & . , , , . § . . other texts that add repentance to faith , speak but the same sense , adding the express mention of the terminus à quo , as well as of that ad quem : as mar. . . luke . , . acts . . & . . & . . & . . & . . matth. . . luke . . acts . . & . . & . . & . . tim. . . pet. . . luke . . & . , . cor. . , . § . . christ himself the law giver and judge doth oft in his explications lay his acceptance of men on a few great , plain , sure necessary things : he summeth up the whole law into the two great commands , the first and the second like unto it , even the love of god and man : and when he tells one that had lived soberly and justly , that yet he lacked one thing , luke . it is but this plain great necessary duty , to prefer his heavenly reward , and hopes , and christ to bring him to it , before his wealth and prosperity on earth : this was not a great volume of hard opinions , but one plain and necessary duty , not hard to know , but hard to an unbelieving worldly heart to be willing to do . so in his great sermon on the mount , matth. . it is not many dark opinions or small ceremonious practices that he pronounceth blessedness on , but the pure in heart , the poor in spirit , the merciful , the peace-makers , and such as suffer for righteousness sake : and in all his most excellent sermons and prayers , john . & . & . & . & . & . & . & . what have you but our common catechism truths ? which of the controversies of contenders , or what nice opinions are there decided or propounded ? nay , he himself oft distinguishing tells men , that god will have mercy and not sacrifice , and reproveth the pharisees that were strict in tything mint , annise and cummin , and neglected the great matters of the law , mercy , truth and justice , and that troubled the church with their ceremonies , and worshipped god in vain with their traditions , teaching for doctrines the commandments of men , matth. . yea , when he describeth the judgement to come , it is not many hard opinions that he layeth life and death on , but on loving , relieving , visiting his members , yea , the least of his members , yea , himself in them : and he condemneth those that do it not even to the least : what then shall they suffer , that interdict and anathematize kings and kingdoms , and hereticate great part of the church of christ ; yea , the pope and his councils of military bishops that have risen to their greatness , and conquered the christian nations by this art of anathematizing or cursing kings and subjects from christ . § . . we find christ preaching also to divers single persons , as to nathaneal , to the samaritan woman , john . to the blind man , john . to the canaanitish woman and others ; and he never went beyond these few , plain , divine and necessary terms . § . . and he sent out his disciples to preach but the same doctrine that he had done ; even to repent and believe the gospel : and devils were subject to them that preached this short plain truth ; who i fear are the masters of many that spin a finer web . and john baptist went but the same way : and among the counsels which he gave to the many sorts that flocked to him , see whether any of our engines of heretication and division and silencing are to be found . all the four gospels are strangers to such things . § . . and the very controversal epistles of st. paul that were written to confute seducers , were written by the same spirit , and go the same way . the summ of all is , repentance towards god , and faith towards our lord jesus christ : the doctrine of faith in christ , and the abrogation of the burdensome ceremonious jewish law , and that the gentiles ●ere not bound to keep it , is the summ of his doctrine . 〈◊〉 summeth up all the law in love , rom. . ●●d in living soberly , righteously and godly in the ●orld , following the spirit , and mortifying the lusts of the flesh , living a holy and heavenly life in love and unity and peace . and whereas pride and ignorance then began the dividing way , and condemning christians for tolerable differences , he oft and plainly reproveth and confuteth this : but most fully and purposely to the romans , chap. . & . him that is weak in the faith receive ye , but not to doubtful disputations ( or not to judge his doubtful thoughts ) instancing in differences about meats and dayes ; let not him that eateth , despise him that eateth not ; and let not him which eateth not , judge him that eateth ; for god hath received him : who art thou that judgest another mans servant ? to his own master he standeth or falleth : yea , he shall be holden up , for god is able to make him stand . let every man be fully perswaded ( or assured ) in his own mind : he that regardeth a day , regardeth it to the lord , &c. but why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother ? for we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of christ . let us not therefore judge one another any more ? but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block in his brothers way — if thy brother be grieved with thy meat , now walkest thou not charitably : destroy not him with thy meat for whom christ dyed . — for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost . for he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god and approved of men . let us therefore follow after the things that make for peace , and things wherewith one may edifie another . for meat destroy not the work of god. all things indeed are pure , but it is evil for that man that eateth with offence . i is good neither to eat flesh , or drink wine , nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or ma●● weak — and he that doubteth is damned if he eat , be●cause he eateth not of faith : for whatsoever is not 〈◊〉 faith is sin . ch. . we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak , and not to please our selves : let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification . for even christ pleased not himself , &c. now the god of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to christ jesus : that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie god even the father of our lord jesus christ : wherefore receive ye one another as christ also received us to the glory of god. § . . i know not what can be spoken more plain and home to the case in hand , and the humane unnecessary impositions which have so many ages torn the churches of christ : and yet all this is nothing to the imposers . the different exposition of this one part of scripture hath had a great hand in the calamitous distractions , silencings , imprisonments , scatterings that have been exercised in many nations of the world . the controversie lyeth here : the one side say , that all this was spoken by st. paul only of such things indifferent as the church had not setled by any law , and would not so settle ; but that it 's nothing to such as the church either hath or will so command : this opinion hath carried it in england and other nations of the world . being once commissioned to plead this cause by his majesty among others , i then presumed to say , . that st. paul here writeth not only to the laity , but to all the roman church ? that therefore he writeth ( as christ , rev. . & . to the angels of the seven churches , ) to the rulers of the church as well as to the people . . and therefore he forbiddeth those rulers what he forbiddeth others ; and so forbiddeth them the imposing of any thing contrary to this his full determination . . yea himself was an apostle and a church-governor of as great authority as those that he wrote to ; and these his words signified his own judgement and what he would do himself . yea they were as good a law , as any the romans could make that he wrote to . therefore when an apostle by the spirit of god , shall write thus plainly and peremptorily to priests and people thus to tolerate and receive each other , he that now expoundeth it with an [ except the church otherwise , decree ] maketh this the sence [ i do by all these great reasons charge and perswade you not to judge , despise or reject one another unless you decree to do it ; or not to make such rejecting laws , unless you make them . ] and the holy ghost speaketh not in the holy scriptures at this rate . § . . yea i prove from the arguments used by st. paul that he extended his speech to the clergy or rulers as well as to the people , and so forbad them making such laws : ( and indeed the knack of making church-laws , ( without the holy ghost in apostolick persons ) was not as then learnt and used by the churches ) : . because st. paul argueth from universal reasons : . and from moral and necessary arguments , and . speaketh by the spirit and apostolical authority . § . . i. his reasons touch not only some singular persons and case , but the case of all churches in all ages : he argueth from the difference between well-meaning christians as weak and strong , as doubting and as assured , as mistaken and as in the right , as in danger of being damned if they act doubtingly , and of stumbling and being offended , &c. now such weak , mistake● christians in such matters ever have been , and ever will be , and so the reason from their case and necessity will hold in all countreys and ages to the end . § . . ii. and many great and pressing moral reasons that all christians are bound by are here heaped up . . one is from christian love to brethren . . another from humane compassion to the weak . . another is from gods own example , who receiveth such , whom therefore we must not reject . . another is from gods prerogative to judge ; . and another from his propriety in his own servants . . another is from our having no such judging power in such cases . . another is from gods love and mercy that will uphold such . . another is because what men do as to please god , must not be condemned without necessity , but a holy intention cherished , so it be not in forbidden things . . another is that men must not go against conscience in indifferent things . . another is from christs dreadful judgement which is near , and which we our selves must undergo , and must be that final decider of many things which here will not be fully decided . . another is from the sin of laying stumbling-blocks and occasions of offence . . another is from the danger of crossing the ends of the death of christ , destroying souls for whom he dyed . . another is that it will make our good to be ill spoken of . . another is that the kingdom of god , or the constitution of christianity and the church lyeth in no such matters , but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost . . and another that christ is pleased in this without the other , and god accepteth such . . another is that such are approved of men , that is , this righteousness , peace and holy joy without agreement in such ceremonies and by-matters , beareth its own testimony for approbation to the judgement of all impartial men ; humanity and christianity teach us to love and honour such . . another is from our common obligation to live in peace with all . . another is from our obligation to do all to the edifying of one another . . another is because gods work else is destroyed by us . . and our own lawful acts are turned into sin when they hurt another . . another from the obligation that lyeth on us to deny our own liberty in meat , wine , &c. to avoid the hurting of another that is weak . . another is from the damnation of such as are driven or drawn to act doubtingly . . another is from the special duty and mercy of the strong that should bear the infirmities of the weak . . another is from the common duty of pleasing others for their good and edifying . . another is from the example of christ himself that pleased not himself . . another is from gods patience to us . . another is from our great obligation to imitate christ . . another , because indeed this is the true way to love and unity , that with one mind and one mouth we may glorifie god , while we lay not our concord on impossible terms . . another is in the concluding precept , because christ receiveth us and it is to gods glory : therefore we must thus receive each other . if all these moral arguments signifie no more than this [ receive and tolerate such till you make laws against it ] i cannot understand the argumentations of god or holy men . § . . iii. and to conclude , paul spake by the holy ghost and by divine authority himself , and his words recorded are part of christs law indited by the spirit ; and no man that cometh after him or to whom he wrote , had power to contradict or obliterate it . all this methinks should satisfie men of the meaning of so full a decision of an easie case about things indifferent , which it's strange that so many yet for nothing do oppose : and that the authority of an apostle in sacred scripture , the peace of the church , and the souls and peace of all dissenters and doubting persons , should seem so contemptible to them , as not to weigh down their humour and domineering will , in an unnecessary and indifferent thing ? but it is the nature of sin , especially pride , to be unreasonable and unpeaceable , and the troubler of the soul , the church , the world . § . . the same apostle in the epistles to the corinthians , . c. . v. . &c. importuneth them to peace and unity , and sharply reprehendeth their divisions ( . c. . ) he desireth them to be perfectly conjoyned in the same mind , and in the same judgement . but what are the terms and means of such a union ? is it that they all unite in cephas ( peter ) or in one patriarch or pope ? or that they adhere to men with greater estimation ? no , but contrary . it is this that divided them , while one was for paul , and another for apollos , and another for cephas : he calls them to unite in christ alone , and not to think of men above that which is written , nor to be puffed up for one against another , nor to take any pastors as the lords of their faith , but as ministers of christ and stewards of his mysteries , given for their good , and helpers of their joy and edification : c. . & . he tells them that neither is he that planteth any thing , neither he that watereth , but god that giveth the increase : and he that planteth and he that watereth are one : c. . v. , , . and in case of eating things offered to idols , as to so much as was lawful in it self , he chargeth them to deny their liberty when it will be a stumbling-block to the weak , and tells them that he will never eat flesh while the world standeth , if it make his brother to offend : c. . . telling them that when they sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience , they sin against christ ; v. . and he himself would labour for his bread , and not take a lawful and due maintenance from them , when he saw it would hinder his success , c. . and would rather dye , than any should make void this his glorying , v. . to the jews he became as a jew , to gain the jews , and to the weak he became as weak to gain them , and was made all things to all men that he might by all means save some , v. , , , . his rule is , give no offence to jews , or greeks or to the church of god : even as i please all men in all things , not seeking my own profit , but the profit of many that they may be saved , c. . v. , . their divisions at the communion he reproveth , ch . . not caused by ceremonious impositions , but their own partiality and selfishness . the great difference among christians in gifts and strength he largely openeth , c. . to shew them that all this must stand with unity , and that yet there must be no schism in the body , but the members must have the same care one of another , v. . yea the less comely parts must have the more care , v. , . and ch . . , , . he giveth us this sum of the gospel which he preached [ moreover brethren i declare to you the gospel which i preached , which also you have received , and wherein ye stand , by which also ye are saved if ye hold fast what i preached , to you , unless you believed in vain : ( are not here the terms of christian unity and salvation ? ) for i delivered to you first of all that which i also received , how that christ dyed for our sins , according to the scriptures , and that he was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures , and was seen , &c. whence our resurrection is proved . here is nothing but the common articles of the creed ; and this was the gospel . indeed st. paul is an anathematizer too , but it is not of men that differ about words or humane forms , but of all them that love not the lord jesus christ , cor. . . § . . the same apostle sharply reprehendeth the faults of the galatians ; but what is it for ? not for differing about things unnecessary , but for making such necessary that were not : for which he wisheth those cut off that troubled them . and he concludeth all with this uniting true canon , c. . v. , . [ for in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision , but a new creature : and as many as walk according to this canon ( or rule ) , peace be on them and mercy and on the israel of god : i can any thing be plainer ? no , say the battering canoneers , [ as many as walk according to this canon , but conform not to all our canons or decretals , let them have no peace or mercy , but be cut off from the isreal of god ] ; so contrary is the papal spirit to christs . and paul there giveth also this rule and the reason of it : c. . , . [ brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault , ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness , considering thy self lest thou also be tempted : bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of christ : and because he knew that self-esteem and contempt of dissenters lay at the root of impatience towards others , he addeth [ if a man think himself to be something ( to whom all must needs consent ) when he is nothing , he deceiveth himself . ] § . . the same apostle to the ephesians accurately openeth the terms of christian unity and church concord in my text ; purposely describing both the end , the instruments and the terms : so that i know not how we could have desired more . the end is [ for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , to a perfect man , to the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ . that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive ; but speaking the truth in love may grow up in him in all things which is the head , christ , from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part , maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in love . ] can all the canons in the world attain more concord and higher ends than these exprest ? and the instruments are the gifts which christ gave to men , even to apostles , prophets , evangelists , pastors and teachers , and the loving endeavours of all believers . § . . and the terms of all this union and concord are these seven , . one body , ( of christ the only head , that is , all true christians in the world ) . one spirit ( given by christ to quicken , illuminate and sanctifie and confirm and comfort them . ) . one hope of their calling ( that is , the glorious coming of christ and our heavenly glory . ) . one lord ( the king , head and saviour of the church . ) . one faith , ( that is , christianity , expressed in the churches creed or common profession . ) . one baptism , ( that is , one solemn entrance into the church and covenant of god in the publick profession of this one faith . ) . one god and father of all , who is above all , and through and in us all . ] but all this consisting in various degrees of grace and gifts , ch . . v. , , , , , , . these are gods own terms of christian unity and concord , sufficient in their kind , but judged insufficient by the ignorant , proud , tyrannical church-tearing spirit . and to shut out false anathematizing , he concludeth with pronouncing [ grace to all them that love our lord jesus christ in sincerity ] whoever condemn them . § . . the same apostle leaveth the same canon to the philippians , c. . v. , . though some preached christ not sincerely but of contention , supposing to add affliction to his bonds , so far was he from silencing them or forbidding men to hear them , that he rejoyced that christ was preached , though in pretence and contentiously . and ch . . , , . he most vehemently importuneth them to be like minded , of the same love , of one accord , and of one mind : but how can that be , and on what terms ? [ let nothing be done through strife and vain glory , but in lowliness of mind , let each esteem other better than themselves . not say [ say as i say or be silent . ] look not every man on his own things , but every man on the things of others ( and not tread down others that you may be great ; nor think of your own case and reasons only . ) let this mind be in you which was also in christ jesus — who being in the form of god , thought it not robbery to be equal with god , but made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant , &c. this is the pastors pattern . let him that is greater than christ refuse to stoop so low . and his canon for the concord is ch . . , , , . to confess our selves imperfect , seekers of perfection , pressing forward for the prize . [ let as many as be perfect be thus minded ( this is your measure here ) and if in any thing you be otherwise minded , god shall reveal even this unto you : nevertheless whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule , let us mind the same thing . ] as if he said , while you agree in true christianity , take it for granted that you will all have imperfection , for i have so my self , and therefore there will be different judgements in tolerable cases ; but let this be your canon ; notwithstanding such difference , while you press towards perfection , walk by the rule of christian love , in searching after the will of god , and mind with concord the great things which you are all agreed to pursue ; and bear lovingly with each other in lesser differences , and god in this way will teach you more . § . . the same doctrine he delivereth to the colossians , reprehending those that would lay christian faith or concord on their will-worship , worldly rudiments and ordinances , touch not , taste not , handle not , after the commandments and doctrine of men , in things which have a shew of wisdom , in voluntary humility and neglecting the body ; in worshipping angels and intruding into unseen things , vainly pufft up by fleshly minds : and instead of this he exhorteth them to hold the head christ , who is the true wisdom and bond of unity , and believe that in him they are complete ; and to take heed lest any spoil them ( of their faith love and concord ) by philosophy ( pretending greater subtilty ) and vain deceit , after the traditions of men , and after the rudiments of the world , and not after christ , in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily , in whom we are compleat . ] and he instances in some such snares , [ let no man judge you in meat or drink , or in respect of an holy day , or new moon , or of the sabbath , which are a shadow of things to come , &c. ] that is , let no man bring you under such laws , and lay salvation or unity and concord on them . and ch . . he largely sheweth that in the new man there is neither greek nor jew , circumcision or uncircumcision , barbarian or scythian , bond or free , but christ is all and in all : and that the true bond of perfection is charity by which the peace of god must rule in their hearts that are called into one body ; and the subordinate canons are [ bowels of mercy , kindness , humbleness of mind , meekness , long-suffering , forbearing one another , and forgiving one another , if any man have a quarrel against any , even as christ forgave you , so do ye . ] § . . if any say , these are not precepts for church-governours but for subjects : i answer still , they are the precepts of the holy ghost by an apostle that had more authority than any of our church-governours , and that to all the churches about their common duty , unity and interest , binding them and binding us , even all the churches . § . . it would seem tedious to recite all other texts to the same purpose : his prohibitions of vain disputes and janglings about the law and genealogies , and his confining men to the common doctrine of christianity , and his warning men to preach no new or other doctrine , may be seen in the epistles to timothy and titus . § . . and it is much to be observed , . that all the hereticks of those times pretended to greater wisdom and curiosity than the christian churches had , and by such pretences brake their concord , as may be seen in all the epistles , especially col. . & jam. . . and yet that whenever the apostles or christ himself , rev. . & . censure any such hereticks to be forsaken and cast out , it is never for any little matter , but for denying some common article of the faith ( as christs incarnation , the resurrection , &c. ) or for some gross wicked doctrine and practice , ( as fornication and eating things offered to idols , or rebelling against rulers , &c. ) which shews what then were the terms of church unity , and by what canons they were governed , by gods appointment . § . . i will add that one great warning of paul , which summeth up all , . cor. . . a prophesie of the deceit and corruption of the churches ; [ would to god you could bear with me a little in my folly ( as proud corrupters account it ) and indeed bear with me : for i am jealous over you with godly jealousie ; for i have espoused you to one husband ( and not to usurpers ) that i may present you as a chaste virgin to christ : but i fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled eve though his subtilty ( flattering her with the hopes of higher knowledge ) so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in christ . ] christianity is not a snare for mens wits , but a way to their salvation : it is a plain and simple thing though most mysterious : . it consisteth of simplicity of doctrine , a few , great plain and necessary things , and not of philosophical curious subtilties , though it forbiddeth not but encourageth the utmost improvement of reason and true learning , especially for method , elucidation ▪ and defence . . it is a simple and spiritual worship that it commandeth , for god is a spirit and will be so worshipped in spirit and in truth . the schismaticks contended whether in this mountain or at jerusalem ] but christ rebuked that contention . . and it is a simple sort of government or discipline that christ hath instituted ; commanding him that will be greatest to seek his preeminence in being most useful and humble , as a servant unto all , and not as the rulers of the world to be called benefactors and gracious lords , not as lording it over gods heritage but as examples to the flock : not smiting with the sword , but leaving force to civil magistrates . . and it is a simple conversation that christ by his law and example hath prescribed , and his servants used : this was paul's rejoycing , the testimony of his conscience , that in simplicity and godly sincerity , not in fleshly wisdom , he had his conversation in the world , cor. . . wisdom must go with innocency : but it is not worldly carnal wisdom , but such as consisteth in knowing god in christ ; to be wise to salvation . § . . now this fourfold christian-simplicity ▪ paul foresaw the serpent on pretence of finer wit and subtilty would draw the church to forsake , till ( as erasmus saith ) it became a point of wit to be a christian : and this would be ( and hath been ) the corruption of the churches . . the simplicity of doctrine is turned by councils and by other dictators into multitudes of unnecessary and uncertain notions , to say nothing of the false ones . in the clear discovery of the sence and method of the sacred doctrine , we must use our greatest skill and accurateness : but salvation , peace and concord is not to be laid on the fine elucidations , and numerous articles of mens wits . . the simplicity of christian worship is corrupted , and turned into such pageantry of ceremonies and formalities ( to pass by much worse ) that spiritual worshippers find it exceeding unsuitable to them , in much of the christian world . . and how far and dolefully the simplicity of church-government or discipline is lost , in more places than the papal kingdom , needs not many words to tell him , that can compare things old and new . . and what wonder if the honest simplicity of conversation perish with the rest , and carnal interest and fraud and falshood , and oppression reign by carnal wisdom ? thus hath the subtile serpent corrupted the churches by drawing them from the simplicity that is in christ . chap. iii. iii. the true terms of catholick vnity and concord more particularly described , as the principal means of hope for the churches peace . § . . the false terms having been the engines of schism and church-distractions , it is the opening of the true terms that must be the cure , with which i shall begin , because rectum est index sui & obliqui . and here are distinctly to be laid down , i. what are the terms of entering into christian catholick church-vnity and communion ? ii. what are the necessary terms of continuing it ? and what are the causes of abscission either by apostasie or excommunication ? iii. what are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the sacred ministry ? iv. what are the terms necessary to the constitution , administration and communion in single churches . v. what are the terms necessary to the concord of such single churches among themselves as associated or corresponding for mutual help . vi. and what is necessary to the civil peace and concord of christians , in kingdoms , cities and families . of these in order . § . . i. nothing but baptism truly received is necessary to entrance into the state of vnion with the visible church called catholick or vniversal . § . . i before shewed that christ himself instituted the terms , in the institution of baptism , and that herein all christians are agreed . the proof of this is so full that nothing but gross ignorance or wilfulness can make it a matter of doubt . . in the fore-cited institution ; . in the constant judgement and practice of the universal church , through all places and ages since the institution of baptism to this day . . that baptism hath been still used , no one that knoweth church history can deny . . that it hath been used to this end , to be the entrance into the church universal and visible christian state , is an undenyable . about infant baptism the anabaptists doubt ; but they also deny infants to be christians or church-members : and we prove to them both together , by christs command to disciple nations baptizing them : they confess that baptism is the church-entrance as well as we . . and all that are truly baptized persons are christians or visible church-members , till they revolt or are cast out , all the christian world from the dayes of the apostles are agreed . . and as all visible covenanters in baptism have been taken for visible christians , so all sincere heart-covenanters have ever been supposed by the church to have by baptism a sealed and delivered pardon of sin , and right to adoption , and everlasting life . all this is so evident that it is labour in vain to prove it , that this hath been the constant consent of the christian world , and so continueth to this day : and all that are christians are still in all countries thus baptized . § . . and if baptism be the common symbol of christianity , and the common making of a visible christian , then it must needs be the constitutive term or qualification sufficient to mens first church-vnion and communion : which is commonly confessed . § . . if there be any place for contention here , it must be only about the validity of mens received baptism : . as to the minister and his part : . as to the mode and ceremonies : . as to the qualification of the receiver or baptized . § . . i. as to the first , though all be not agreed in point of duty who should baptize , yet so great a number of the christian world are agreed as to the validity of baptism received de necessitate medii , that the dissenters are so few as that we need not fear any great disagreement hereabout . the very romanists maintain the validity not only of the baptism received by hereticks and wicked priests , and silenced and suspended priests , but also of lay-men , yea of women : but de officio all are agreed that where it is possible a lawful minister of christ should do it . only a few anabaptists say that it must be only one that was baptized at age himself : and one or two singularists ( whether in ignorance or design i know not ) think it the aptest medium to unchurch the reformed churches , that they have no true priests for want of due succession of ordination , and consequently no true sacraments , because god owneth no acts but such as are commissioned or appointed by him ; and consequently no covenant ; and consequently no covenant - promise and benefits , of pardon , justification and salvation : but this is after at large to be detected and confuted . § . . the great difficulty is of the necessary qualification of the baptized : and there . the anabaptists keep out infants : but besides baptism and church-membership , they deny them no offices that their age is capable of : and they are ready to receive them all by baptism as soon as they come to the use of due understanding : and these delayes are but few in comparison : and . the ancient churches compelled none to be baptized , but only received them that voluntarily came , or were duly brought . . and if men will stay without or keep their children out , they wrong themselves and theirs , but this breaketh no unity of the christian church . § . . there have been also factious persons that tye the validity of baptism to their sects : such as were specially the donatists , supposing that their prelates had the truest call and power ; and that all others were sectaries or hereticks , and therefore their baptism null and void and to be iterated : but though in other arrogancies some follow them to this day , yet few if any in the nulling of baptism . § . . but a greater and longer stir there hath been about creeds and professions required as tests to excuse men from heresie . but yet it is to be noted , that few of them by these altered the form of baptism , but there took up with the ancient creed , ( the apostles and the nicene or constantinopolitane ) and required no more ; but only imposed the rest on bishops , priests or other afterwards . § . . and is there now any cause of discord here ? . all christians have been made such by baptism from the apostles dayes till now . is there any thing in the world that ever came down to us by more certain , uniform , consenting tradition ? the very same words of baptism which christ did institute are every where used to this day : and if all ages and countreys have still baptized persons as believers , or christians , and yet be not agreed what christianity is , or what the faith is that baptism requireth , it will be a strange incredible shame to them . but even hierome and hillary that cry out of their new creeds , do tell us that in baptism the old one was still used , to which they did appeal . and though the greeks and latines differ about their filióque , and some small new clauses are found in the creed that were not in the old copies which are now found on record , they are not so factious or vain , as to nullifie baptism by any of those differences . for the creed is but part of the exposition of baptism , and baptism is true baptism , if no other creed or words were used but it self . . and there are few christians yet that will refuse any of the truly ancient creeds ; of which more anon . § . . . it is true that there are some humane ceremonies which some churches adjoin to baptism , and by others are rejected or omitted . the most of the ancient churches used the tasting of milk and honey , the wearing of a white garment , and chrisme : and now some use the transient image of the cross as a symbol of our engagement to a crucified christ ; which others omit as taking it to be so far participant of the nature of a sacrament of the covenant of grace , as that it is an usurpation of christs prerogative , for any men without his institution to appoint : but yet all these churches that differ in these ceremonies agree that the validity of baptism dependeth not on them . whether they be used or omitted , the person is nevertheless baptized . § . . qu. but what is it that is necessary to the being and validity of baptism ? answ . this was partly answered before . . it is necessary to the validity of it in foro ecclesiae , that both the baptizer and the adult baptized ( or the person that is authorized to covenant for the infant ) do profess to intend real baptism , and not to do it in jeast or to other ends : and it is necessary to its efficacy to pardon and salvation , that this profession of the baptized be sincere , and that he do it from the heart : and it is necessary to free the baptizer from gods displeasure that his intention be sincere . . it is necessary that the words of baptism be such as express all the essence of it ; such as are those of christ which all christians use [ i baptize thee in the name of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost . ] and that no contradictory words which nullifie these be added . . it is necessary to the validity of it in the judgement of the church , that the adult person , ( and the parent or pro-parent for the infant ) do seem or profess to understand all the words of baptism , so far as is essential to it : for ignorantis non est consensus . . it is necessary to the validity of it to real pardon and salvation that he not only seem to understand it , but really do so . . it is accordingly necessary that the person consent to all the essence of the covenant , that is , seem and profess to do it , to the church , and really do it , to satisfie god , and obtain pardon and life by it . . it is not absolutely necessary to the validity , that the creed or any other profession be used , by the baptized , besides the words themselves [ i believe in god the father son and holy ghost , and give up my self to him in this baptismal covenant . ] because understanding and consent may be expressed by those words . . but it is usually necessary to the bene esse , or the best performance of baptism that the adult person ( or the parent of infants ) do in larger words profess his understanding , belief and consent to baptism : and it is best that these words be not too many nor too few , and that they be for the most part one unchanged form ; lest ignorance or heresie deprave baptism by change and variety of words . . to this end the churches of christ have still used the creed as the summary form of profession of faith , as the lords prayer is a summary form of our desires , and the decalogue of our rule and profession of practice . but because assent is supposed to imply consent to the particulars assented to , though but generally professed , therefore the church hath more rarely omitted the creed in the profession of assent , when yet they have accepted of a more general profession of consent to the covenant , and promise of obedience . . but if the adult do before-hand as a catechumen learn the creed , lords prayer and decalogue , and give the pastor a satisfactory account of his competent understanding of them , then that may be supposed , and only a general profession of faith , consent and subjection , be used at the time and in the words of baptism . and so much of the constitutive causes of baptism . § . ii. though no more than baptism be essentially necessary , because so great a work should be well done ; and ignorance and errour are very common , it is meet that the church require [ an understanding assent to the common articles of the creed , and an understanding consent to the lords prayer and decalogue ; and in general to all that he understandeth to be gods word , belief and sincere obedience . ] and therefore that the adult person , ( and parent of the infant ) be one that hath before been catechized or examined herein . ] § . . though i consent to ger. vossius and others that there is no proof at all that the twelve apostles made the twelve articles of the creed respectively , every one making one , as some have feigned ; and though i deny not what he and bishop vsher and many others say , of the two or three articles being not found in the most ancient copies or records , and though i verily consent to parker de descensu and many others , that the words of baptism were the first creed , and that the creed was brought in by degrees as the exposition of the baptismal profession , and that at first it had but three articles [ i believe in ( and give up my self to ) god the father , son and holy ghost ] , yet i take the creed in the sence at least to be of necessary use to the ends now mentioned , and i think we may say so much as is of greatest antiquity to be divine and the word of god , and a special part of his word more necessary to be believed than many other parts . § . . for , . though we receive not the pretended traditions of rome or any church that shall be obtruded on us without proof , or as accusing the scripture of insufficiency ; yet we never denyed that the apostles preaching was gods word before they wrote it , and as well as their writing . it being eight years after christs ascension ( as is commonly supposed ) before the first part of the new testament was written by st. matthew , and near an hundred years after his incarnation that the last was written by st. john ; and only four or five of the twelve apostles having left us any of their writings , it were intolerable to deny that the constant preaching of them and all the rest to their death , was not done by the inspiration of the same infallible spirit as their writing was , and so was the word of god. § . . . and it is certain that baptism was then as common as christians , and that nothing was sooner done by the apostles , nor more constantly , nor with greater concord and concent , than discipling persons and baptizing them : for this was the summ of their first appointed work , in which christ promised to be with them to the end . § . . . it is certain that the apostles did administer baptism as wisely and holily according to christs will , as any that ever did come after them : and therefore that they did not take up with mens bare saying of three words [ i believe in god the father , son and holy ghost ] without understanding what they said : all following ages cathechized or examined the adult before baptism , and to this day we would take the contrary course for an abuse : therefore no doubt but the apostles did it and appointed it . § . . . and this is plainly implyed in the scripture when believers are all said to be inlightned , and translated from darkness to light , and to know god and jesus christ as being life eternal , eph. . . act. . . joh. . , &c. and to be wise to salvation ; and indeed when they are said to believe : for believing supposeth understanding : and when peter saith that baptism saveth ; not the washing of the filth of the flesh , but the answer of a good conscience towards god. and when all the christians in the world as far as we have any notice from the apostles dayes , have been baptized after profession of faith , we have no reason to doubt , but that the apostles used and appointed the requiring of it . § . . . in doing this , it is no doubt but what they required of the confessours from their mouths was short and plain , or else those multitudes of men and women who were in a short time baptized , would neither have had capacity nor time to do it : but the words of the teachers and baptizers in explaining the said articles were large , and many : for we find that it was their common preaching work . § . . . it is most probable ( by the reason of the thing and the history , act. . and elsewhere ) that at the first no form of words was required and used besides the form in baptism , but that the people being instructed in the sense of those words , thereupon professed understanding , belief and consent . ( and no more is essentially necessary ) but that after a creed in terms was the common form which was used by professors in order to baptism : . because so many thousands being baptized , the matter being short , and meerly divine , they could not be supposed to be left to much variety of expression : divine , great , necessary things must be spoken with so much caution as may avoid errour , heresie , corruption and abuse : and if every ignorant man and woman were left to use only words of their own devising to express the christian faith , it would be of confounding and dishonourable consequence . . and the great care that then was used that all christians might be of one faith and speak the same things , and that the heresies then arising might be suppressed , doth imply that this necessary means was then used by those that commanded that all be done to edification and unity and in order . . and many expositors think that this creed is it that paul meant by the depositum and form of wholsome words to timothy . . but the fullest proof is universal historical tradition and consent of the christian churches , who have ever used catechizing and the creed as the profession of faith , in order to baptism , and this as from the apostles , without the least notice of any other original of it : there is some difference in words between that recited by irenaeus , and two recited by tertullian , and that which we now use , and some little difference between that of marcellus in epiphanius , and that of aquileia in ruffinus , and ours now used : and the forming of the nicene creed in other words doth shew that the churches took not themselves to be so tyed to the same words of the former creed as not to alter any part of them : and it is supposed that before the nicene creed , the greek church had a creed that had as much of the words of the nicene as of that called the apostles . and no doubt it was the wisdom of the apostles and the churches , not to lay too much on particular words , and make them seem essential to baptism or more necessary than they were : and to this day if any in other words exprest the same thing , he may be baptized . but ad melius esse and for concord and safety the churches that still agreed in words of the same sence , and mostly the same words as to all that explained the essentials of christianity , found it more and more needful to agree in every word , and leave men no room for dangerous diversity ( though over and above they may explain their minds . ) from whence it was that so great contentions have risen about some single word , as the nicene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the latines filióque , lest the creed should be altered at the will of man , and the christian faith seem to be an uncertain mutable thing . § . . by all this it is evident that the church must make baptism the term of christian catholick unity and concord as necessary ad esse , and the creed as needful and apt ad bene esse ordinarily . § . . there is a controversie raised ( as aforesaid by donatists and other sectaries , so ) now by the papists , whether the person baptized must not also own , . the ministry in general , . the particular minister that baptizeth him , . and the particular church into which he is received ; . and subject himself by profession to such pastoral power . to all which i shall distinctly answer . § . . i. to the first , . what is connoted is not alwayes a necessary part of the contract : a man cannot be baptized but he must know that some one hath power to baptize him . . it is more needful of the two that the apostolical office and power be known and believed than the successive ordinary ministry : because the belief of the truth of the gospel more dependeth on their testimony , as commissioned and qualified with those extraordinary gifts of the spirit which are its seal and proof . . it is of great use to our faith and obedience to understand that christ hath settled an authorized ministry to preserve and preach his word , and administer his sacraments , and guide his churches to the end of the world , and he that knoweth not this wanteth an integral part of christianity , and a great and needful help to his edification and salvation . . yet none of these are absolutely necessary to the essence of christianity : if any lived where the ministerial office were not known , or should by misleading so far err as to think that any judicious christian , or any christian magistrate , or master of a family , might preach and administer the sacraments , if yet this man believe in god the father , son and holy ghost , as his creator , redeemer and sanctifier , and be accordingly devoted to him in baptism , this man shall be saved , notwithstanding his ignorance or errour about the ministry , yea though he knew not of the office of the apostles , but took them for lay men . for the promise is , that whoever believeth in christ shall not perish , but have everlasting life , joh. . , . by what means soever he was converted to the faith : it is not only , [ he that is converted by a priest shall not perish ] nor is it ever said [ he that believeth in the apostles or priests shall not perish ] , but he that believeth in christ ( which essentially includeth the belief in the father and the holy ghost . ) and therefore paul calleth them carnal as guilty of schism that said i am of paul , and i of cephas ; because they were not baptized into the name of paul or cephas , but of christ : and he thanketh god that he had baptized few of them , lest they should say that he had baptized them into his own name . and yet are the apostles foundations or bases and pillars in the church , because christ used them as the first great keepers of his word and seals , and the means of converting unbelievers , and it 's hard and rare to believe in christ without knowing and believing that they were his commissioned ministers . § . . ii. but , though it be a duty to choose a true minister to be baptized by , yet it is not at all necessary to the validity of baptism to know that the baptizer is such : indeed not one of many can be sure , as not having seen his ordination , nor knowing of his necessary qualifications : many things may deceive them , and all baptism by lay-men is not null , as the fathers held , and the papists now hold and confess . § . . iii. and as to reception into a particular church , i have proved before that it is no work of baptism as such , but a consequent act ( in order of nature alwayes , and oft of time . ) the eunuch , act. . was baptized into no church but the universal . there be some few rigid mistaken brethren called independents in new england that think indeed that all baptized persons must be baptized into a particular church , but others even of that party are wiser herein . it is very fit that every one that can , be a member of some particular church : but some cannot ( as travellers , merchants , ambassadors , &c. who reside among infidels only , and those that live in countreys where the pastors by tyranny refuse to admit any to their communion who will not say or do some unlawful thing . ) but yet baptism as such is no such thing , nor hath such an effect . much less is it a profession that such a particular church is sound . § . . iv. and as to subjection to the clergie , it is true that baptism essentially subjecteth us to christ ; and this includeth an obligation to obey him in all things which we know to be his law ; and it is true that just obedience to the guides of the church is his command : but it followeth not that every man knoweth this , nor that every disobedience unchurcheth us : it is his command that we pray continually , and in all things give thanks , and that we speak not an idle word , and use not vain jeasting , &c. but it nullifieth not christianity that we culpably offend in one of these : nor doth our baptism contain our promise that we will never sin , nor that we will obey a command which we understand not : but that we will be christs subjects and obey him sincerely , so as that when we fail by weakness we will renew our repentance . christ also commandeth every child , subject , wife , servant to obey their parents , princes and magistrates , husband and master ; and he that is baptized bindeth himself also to obey these laws sincerely if he know them . but it followeth not that it is essential to baptism to oblige us to subjection to parents , husbands , masters , but only to christ who commandeth us to obey them . even as subjects take not an oath of allegiance to every justice , constable , or messenger , but only to the king , who yet commandeth us to obey his judges , justices , constables , &c. § . . to pretend that baptism as such doth subject men to the bishop of rome , or to the bishop of alexandria , antioch , paris , london , or to the pastor of a single church , is a perverting the sence of it , and to be answered as the apostle did others , were ye baptized into the name of paul ? chap. iv. ii. what are the terms necessary for the continuance of church-communion ? and what are the lawful causes of abscission or excommunication ? § . . it is granted that as there is somewhat more necessary to the continuance of our pardon , justification and right to glory , than was to our first reception , so also to our continuance as members of the catholick church : that is , the bare profession of faith and consent and subjection , or covenanting with christ for future sincere obedience , is enough to our first reception by baptism : but some performance of this covenant is necessary to our continuance . the reasons are , . because the covenant or promise is necessary , not meerly for it self , but for the performance-sake , to engage us to do what we promise . . and as a known false covenant is null as to the benefit of the covenanter , though not as to his obligation , so at the entrance a mans word is his credible profession ; but if he by notorious wilfulness violate this word or promise in any essential point , he then so far nullifieth his verbal profession as to his benefit , and proveth his covenanting to be false . and therefore all disciplined churches do cast out gross impenitent violaters of that covenant , in such essential parts . § . . but what is such violation , and for what fin men are to be cast out , is a difficult question in some instances . . i take it for a sure rule that no man is to be further cut off from the universal church by sentence , than he first morally departeth or cuts off himself . for the pastors have not their power for destruction but for edification : and their office is subservient to christ , who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them , even to seek and to save the lost . they are not to be hurtful but helpful to mens souls . § . . . he therefore that apostatizeth or denyeth any one essential article of christianity , cuts off himself first , and is to be declared by the churches sentence to have so done , if he repent not : if he timely repent , it must prevent the sentence . § . . . whatever sin amounteth to an evident refusal of promised subjection to jesus christ , cuts off the sinner morally from christ , and if he prevent it not by repentance , he is to be sentenced accordingly by the church ; who do but thus declare who depart from christ and cut off themselves . § . . . every sin is not a renouncing of our allegiance or subjection to christ , nor to be censured by excommunication . . there are sins of meer infirmity or imperfection in duty ; as imperfection of sincere faith , love , hope , obedience , prayer , &c. . there are sins of sudden passion and surprize which the will habitually abhorreth , and the sinner quickly repenteth of . . there are sins of ignorance which a man knew not to be sins . . there are sins of meer forgetfulness . . yea it is not all presumptuous sin that is a renouncing of our subjection : a faithful man knoweth that the least sin should be avoided , and he may know that vain jesting or idle words are a sin ; and he may be often guilty of these by some degree of presumption , that is , he may be tempted to think that all men being sinners , such a sin may stand with grace , and for want of due excitation not fear it or fly from it because it is a little one , as he would do from perjury , murder or some greater sin : no small evils or danger doth so much suscitate the soul to resist and avoid it as a greater doth : no man is so careful to avoid the prick of a pin as of a sword : this want of suscitation through the smallness of the thing , maketh less resistance and so some degree of presumption in all men . § . . . no one act of sin sufficiently repented of , is matter for a just excommunication , be the sin never so great ; for the penitent are pardoned : if the repentance be before the excommunication , it preventeth it : for the first part of discipline is to perswade the sinner to repentance , as being intended for his recovery and salvation : and excommunication is never just but when the sinner will not repent . as under the law of innocency death was the wages of any sin , but under the gospel faith and repentance are the remedying conditions ; so accordingly though adam was cast out of paradise for the first sin , none are to be cast out of the church for any sin meerly as a sin , but as not repented of by a believer . i say not that this is the magistrates rule in punishing the body , but the pastors in excommunicating . § . . . yea the time and means of admonition for bringing the sinner to repentance must be competent , and such as are suitable to a rational hope of his repenting , and not as some lay chancellors do , if a few rough words make them not repent , presently excommunicate him ; nor pro forma to say thrice i admonish you , i admonish you , i admonish you ] and then [ i excommunicate you . ] it is not a jeasting matter , nor to be past as hastily as angry word . the sinner must be gravely and seriously told of the evil of his sin , and if it be something which he taketh for no sin , he must be convinced by scripture proof , and must be heard speak for himself with patience ; and if he hear not a more private admonition , he must be reproved before the church , that many may consent for the more authoritative conviction , and for the warning of others , and that the church may thereby clear themselves as not consenting to the sin , cor. . and the excommunication is only to pass at last , when repentance justly seemeth hopeless . § . . but yet there is much difference herein to be made in respect of the difference of sins and of persons : . a sin of errour or ignorance , or controverted , as also a smaller sin , requireth a longer time of patience for the sinners conviction before he be judged to be impenitent : but a notorious sin against the light of nature , or plainest proof , and of most scandalous consequence , must have shorter time of patience : yet so much as that the sinners passion may be over , and he may have leisure well to consider of the evil , and of the churches reproof . § . . as gravity , convincing reason , compassion and patience are certainly necessary , so it seemeth very convenient at least that when the sinner is admonished before the church , the congregation joyn with the pastor in earnest prayer to god for his conviction and repentance , and if that prevail not at once , in tolerable cases to do it again , before the sinner be cast out : ye ought to mourn , saith st. paul , cor. . men will not cut off a corrupt member of the body hastily , nor till flat necessity , nor without sense of pain . § . . it is not every sin that a man repenteth not of , that is a just cause of excommunication : for there is no man living that hath not some sins which he no otherwise repenteth of , than as in general he hateth all sin so far as he knoweth it : for every man hath sins of ignorance , and every man hath some degree of errour , and some faithful men have more than others , and take some sins to be duties or no sins ; and some have darker minds than others that are hardly convinced and cannot perceive the force of an argument against the prejudice before received . and some are educated where some sins are praised , and converse with such persons as by their parts and interest in them harden them in their errour ; how many thousand zealous papists , nestorians , eutychians , greeks take others for hereticks by mistake , and perhaps by words and actions wrong or persecute them , and never repent of it , because they err ? how many lutherans slander calvinists , and they the lutherans , and papists and protestants oft make each others matters seem otherwise than they are ; yea so do conformists and nonconformists , anabaptists and padobaptists and most that disagree , and yet repent not , thinking that to be true that is not , and so that they do well ? § . . therefore two things must concur in the sin that deserveth an excommunication from catholick communion . . that it be such as some call a mortal sin , that is , not a sin of meer infirmity and ignorance , which may consist with sincere love to god and holiness , and subjection to the government of christ , but a sin which in an impenitent person proveth the absence of such subjection and love : and the mark of this is , that it be a sin which is so much in the power of the will , that no one can keep it that is sincerely willing to leave it , and which must be known to be sin by all that are truly willing to know it : a sin that men may know if they are willing , and had rather keep than leave . . and that it be unrepented of , and such as due information and perswasion with patience , do not bring the sinner to repent of . a heinous , mortal , wilful sin unrepented of . § . . by this it appeareth , who is to be sentenced cut off from the catholick church , and who not . none but those that first really depart , because the sentence must be true and just : and this departure is either direct , by apostasie , renouncing god the father , the son or the holy ghost , or some essential part of godliness or christianity : . or indirectly , when men deny not any of these in words , but in works do that which is evidently inconsistent with them , and may be so discerned by any willing mind . § . . and hence it appeareth , . that the number of these is greater than the pastors that cast off true discipline do acknowledge . that is , all those that are guilty of living in such sins as the common light of nature detecteth to every willing mind , ( such as are fornication , adultery , drunkenness , perjury , malignity , persecution , slanderous preaching or speech , hating others , especially for good , &c. ) and are obstinate in refusing to repent and amend . and , alas , how great a number live in our churches never excommunicated nor publickly admonished who lye in such sins and will not repent ? the papists priests themselves conform by unjust oaths and professing to assent and consent to many decrees and canons of councils which are false and sinful , and by many other sinful practices . their very persecution of men better than themselves on false pretences of heresie and schism , is a crime that many were they truly willing might soon know . drunkenness , whoredom , lying , perjury , prophane swearing , cursing and slandering , covetous and proud oppressing , and many such like , yea even professed saduceism and infidelity and deriding serious godliness , are all too common in the world ; yet few of all these are ever excommunicated . § . . . yet hence also it is plain that the commonest sort of excommunications for these thousand years at least have been but the acts of carnal tyrannical usurpation like a plague or publick war or fire to the churches . viz. i. anathematizing men for a dark ambiguous word or phrase , though inept , and though in the obvious sence by undiscerned consequence it might be inconsistent with the essentials of religion , is tyrannical and unjust . § . . . when the words only are bad , and the man doth not so mean them , this is no heresie in the man. if that word which signifieth god , or heaven , should in another language , or by mis-information be used to signifie , satan or hell , and so have opprobrious epithers annexed , this were no blasphemy or errour in the man. for he used the words as significations of his mind : and they are not natural but arbitrary signs . else all unskilful speakers would be hereticks : yea all men would be damned ; for there are few words but are ambiguous , or of many sens● and are good in one sence and bad in another . § . . . and as amesius hath well noted , there is so harmonious a connexion between all the moral parts of religion , that if you deny any one , by consequence it will overthrow the rest : and every errour ( though not in history , topography , genealogy , chronology , &c. yet ) in morality wrongeth yea subverteth the foundation . § . . . and ( not only davenant , morton , hall , but ) all peace-making divines are agreed that unseen consequences are not to be taken for a mans judgement , rather than the contrary truths which he professedly owneth . § . . for instances , i will over-pass the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and not resolve the controversie whether eusebius caesariensis proved by d. petavius and others to have been indeed an arian , after all his great labours in his history , his praeparatio & demonstratio evangelica , ought to have been cut off from the catholick church : or whether constantine justly chid alexander as well as arius for their contention ? nor whether hilary justly blamed the making of new creeds , beginning with the nicene ; nor whether justin and all the rest of the ancient fathers whose words petavius citeth as speaking as the arians , should have been excommunicated . doubtless the denyal of christs godhead is the denyal of his essence . but there be subtile school-men that think the word [ substance ] is spoken of god but equivocally or metaphorically , yea some and no small men or number say the same of ens it self , which yet the scotists contradict them in : and many choose rather to call god a pure act , than a substance : and these men think that they that know not what substance meaneth as spoken of god , should not excommunicate men for denying christ to be [ of the 〈◊〉 substance ] unless they better understood the subject : and they think that damascene that subtilly calleth god [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] must needs be as guilty as they that denyed christ to be [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] ; and that where there is no substance , there is no [ same substance ] and therefore thinking that some men mean the same word heretically , and some well , they wish that the word had never been put into a creed , which must be the test of all church-members : though the word be true . § . . but there are abundance of other heresies that i may safely instance in , as philastrius * yea and epiphanius have described them . i am ashamed to mention some ridiculous heresies in philastrius , ( as calling the stars by the names of living creatures , and other better . ) and divers in epiphanius are not much worse . but i will speak only of three or four that have made the greatest divisions in the church . § . . i. cyprian with his african councils with firmilian judging for the re-baptization of those baptized by hereticks , was judged a heresie , which their countreymen the donatists followed : yet augustine saith that cyprian was no heretick for it . and indeed , it had been but justly distinguishing of men called hereticks , as i before said the council of nice did , naming the paulinists , and all had been ended . but if not , this was no ju●● cause of excommunication . § . . ii. the same i may say of the unhappy controversie of the time of easter ; about which victor and polycrates strove ; wherein irenaeus so much reproveth victor , as most wise and good men ever since have in their judgements done . § . . iii. and truly i think on several accounts that the novatian heresie was not such as deserved excommunication from the catholick church , though they sinfully separated from those concordant particular churches , which by advantage got the name of the catholick . for . wise men are not agreed what the heresie was : but the skilfullest agree that it was not a denyal of pardon before god in another world , to the penitent , but only of church-pardon and admittance to communion : and some of their accusers told them that their first founders denyed such church-pardon only to those that denyed christ or lapsed against christianity in time of persecution ( good christians that came out of prisons being too unwilling to receive those when the storm was over , that had saved themselves by denying the faith ) , and that the denyal of it to other criminals came in after by degrees on supposed parity of reason . . and i find it confessed by their adversaries that the wicked lives of the catholicks occasioned this addition ; and that the novatians were otherwise orthodox , and of better lives than most of the orthodox . . and i find that the proudest and worst bishops ( such as nestorius ) were their sharpest adversaries , and that the best lived lovingly and as brethren with them : chrysostom once threatned their bishop in constantinople , but went no further , and recalled it at the next word . atticus and proclus kindly kept peace with them . and though socrates and sozomen are by many accused as being novatians , for speaking well of them , i see no reason to believe it ; unless every man that chooseth rather to speak truly of dissenters , than maliciously and slanderously , be therefore of their opinion . but if it were so , it would be so much the greater honour to the novatians , with them that discern , that we have no ancient church-historians that write more credibly than socrates and sozomen ; or in whom the footsteps of veracity may by a stranger be easilier discerned : if their historians are truest , it 's like they were not the worst men . and to say , [ let men be never so pious , such an opinion cuts them off from christ ] deserveth indignation rather than confutation . § . . iv. nestorius himself was so turbulent an enemy to heresie and toleration , that while he would needs be an orthodox persecutor he fell under the reputation of being a most damnable heretick : his zeal arose against the supposed heresie of calling mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the mother or parent of god ; but he never denyed that she was the mother of him that is god : hereupon cyril ( as turbulent a man and more , if isidore pelusiota and other good men say true ) charged him with asserting two persons in christ , as well as two natures : which his own express words deny : and who best knew his own opinion but himself ? on the other side the nestorians accused the cyrilians of heresie , as confounding the two natures , and blasphemously making a creature god , and saying that god was but so many months or so many years old . though the extraordinarily learned david derodon have written to prove nestorius orthodox , and cyril an eutychian heretic●● yet truly it is evident in the history and their 〈◊〉 that they meant the same thing , and strove but about words , and skilful speaking , in which cyril carryed it by his greater learning , and by nestorius his succeeding st. chrysostome in the hatred of the court. plainly , one spake of the concrete , and the other of the abstract : one of him that was god , and the other of the godhead , and both true : nestorius spake formally ( that is , strictly , for denominatio est à formâ ) and cyril materially : nestorius said , mary was not the parent of the deity or of christ as god , but only of the humanity and partly of the union ; and therefore was not aptly to be called the mother of god , but of christ , who is god ] : cyril said that mary was not the cause or parent of the godhead , but yet because of the union of the two natures was to be called the mother of god : and is it not evident that they strove but about words ? which sophronius in council after plainly opened , and could not be heard . o doleful ! that two mens sinful striving who should be judged to speak best , while they meant the same thing and did not know it , should set most of the christian world under anathema's and in a flame of wrath and mutual condemnation to this very day ! but suppose some difference had been in their sence , was it any renouncing of christianity and such as cut them off from christ ? § . . v. cyril so carryed it by wit and grandeur , and the countenance of the court that all went for right that he had said . and he had said ( as is yet visible in his writings largely cited by derodon , ) that christs natures were two before the vnion ( as if the humane had existed before ) and afterward but one . eutyches imitated him , and was accused for it otherwise : dioscorus honouring his predecessour cyril took his part , thinking 〈◊〉 which carryed it then would carry it now : but the court and stream was changed and he was deceived : and when they had fought it out and flavian bishop of constantinople was mortally hurt , eutyches went for the heretick , and yet the name of cyril was honoured still as orthodox . and now that church war was revived , which drew streams of consecrated blood , and shook the empire , and dolefully continueth to this day . the banished eutychians prevailed in the east and south , and even beyond the empire as far as ethiopia ; and the abassines , copties , and others are called by many eutychian hereticks , who know not what that heresie is , but only honour the names of cyril and dioscorus , and condemn those that condemned them ; and being now , from a later propagater of the party called jacobites , are the greatest number of christians in those countreys . and thus the pride and contention of prelates under pretence of zeal against heresie and errour , have set the meer names of differing leaders to be the means and marks of schism to this day . § . . and that still it was the same thing that they meant , will appear to a diligent reader of the history , and the contenders words : the undenyable truth is ( as nazianzene before lamented ) few bishops were learned understanding men , but such as the more ignorant sort of our curates , and too many of them worldly , proud and factious , following the court and those patriarchs that were most able to promote or eject them , after christian emperours had once made them the rulers of the countreys and the judges of all christians even in secular affairs : and when one sophronius or few others opened the case rightly to them , they either understood it not , or bawl'd it down and set up a cry , away with the hereticks . the eutychians following cyril spake u●ntly ; and said [ christ had two natures before the union and but one after , because united , and union maketh one of two . ] but it is apparent ( as derodon hath proved ) that cyril ( and so his ignorant followers ) did not think that christs humane nature did exist before the union , and so that ever they were divided , but that in order of nature the existence is intelligible before the union , and so that they were but one as being undivided , not denying them to be still distinguishable , and so to be what nestorius and the orthodox meant by [ two ] as being distinct but not divided . § . . and derodon hath also proved that cyril ( and so the eutychians ) when they called them [ one ] did mean [ one person ] mistaking the sense of the word [ nature ] and meaning by [ nature ] the same that the orthodox meant by [ person ] . and so the opening of two words , would have ended all their controversie , and proved that they meant the same thing and knew it not ; that is , . distinguishing between [ one undivided ] and [ one undistinguished ] . . opening what they meant by nature and person : but , alas , this was no work for those famous general councils , but to cry out [ anathema to nestorius , anathema to eutyches , anathema to dioscorus ; holy leo , holy cyril , &c. ] these were their arguments . and dioscorus as bad as his adversaries or worse , excommunicated leo the bishop of rome , and went the anathematizing way : and so much of religion was placed in cursing one another , that there were scarce any bisops in the world that were not cursed by one another . § . . vi. and the difference between the greeks and latines about the words [ hypostases & personae ] had almost come to the same extremity : when hierome himself that liked ●ot [ three hypostases ] was accused of heresie , and was fain to fly to his baptismal creed for refuge , and to prove that he was a believer because he was baptized . but * one wiser than the rest had the unusual good success as to convince them that by the two words it was the same thing that they meant , and did not know it . § . . vii . the next calamitous anathematizing fell out about the owning or disowning of the council of chalcedon , because of the foresaid nestorian and eutychian quarrels : and so doleful was the case , that it became the test of the orthodox in one countrey to curse or anathematize that council , and in another to curse all that did not receive it . especially when one emperour was for one side , and the next for another , the cursing varyed accordingly , for the most part . § . . but that which added grievously to the calamity was , that the same bishops that under one emperour cursed the council , under the next cursed those that owned it not , and thus most scandalously anathematized themselves , even one party this year , and another the next . i say nothing but what binius and baronius and such others say . § . . viii . the next sad anathematizing was about the monothelites : they that said that christ had but one will and one operation were cursed as monothelite hereticks , and they that said he had two were cursed by the monothelites : and these were no narrow petty sects , but emperours and great general councils were for them . binius saith , that the council of constantinople called quin sextum that made the trull canons , were monothelites , and yet that they were the same bishops that had constituted the fifth council , so that those also were monothelites ; and in the reign of philippicus he saith a council of the monothelites was so great that there were besides the rest innumerable bishops out of the east . and these and their adversaries kept on the cursing trade of religion , one side cursing under one emperour , and the contrary under the next . § . . and ( o doleful case ) even these also seem fully to me to contend about nothing but bare words , and really agreed and did not know it , partly following the stream for worldly interest , and partly having not skill enough to explicate ambiguous words and state the controversie . who knoweth not that ever read any metaphysicks , how many senses the word [ one ] or [ vnity ] hath ? and how the same thing in several respects may be said to be one or two ? and was this discussed in any of these councils ? which ? where ? and when ? . two things may concur to one effect , where , say the subtilest philosophers , materially they are two causes , but formally and properly but one ; all set together make but one cause ( being ejusdem generis ) and are but many parts of that one cause , though many things : and so some called christs wills one as being but one cause in these school-mens sense of the same effect . for the deity operateth only per essentiam and hath no effect in god himself . . and as voluntas and operatio signifie the internal principle of the effect , no one can doubt but christ had two ; for the divine essential will , and the humane faculty or act , were not the same principle or thing : but objectively they are one ; that is , the divine nature or principle and the humane do will the same thing , and contradict not one another . . and the controversie is the same as the former with the eutychians : christ hath but one will as opposite to divisions ; one as not divided : but two as intellectually distinguishable . two as denominated à principiis from two natures ; one as . from one person , and . as undivided , and . as terminated on one object . i doubt not but had this been thus opened to them , all the sober men would have said , we are all agreed in it . and yet this wordy difference maketh the name of an anathematized heresie to this day . § . . ix . the next cursing difference arose about ● question whether christs body on earth was corruptible or no ? o the unhappy spirit of self conceited anathematizing prelates ! the affirmers were called corrupticolae and reproached as blasphemers of the christ , and the worshippers of that which was corruptible . the denyers were called phantasiasticks and made hereticks , the affirmers getting the last prevailing vote ; and alas , the emperour justinian out of his great zeal for the honour of christ , proved one of the hereticks , and is so branded to this day ; yea and persecuted the corrupticolas as hereticks . where will hereticating , cursing and persecuting stop or end ? and yet one word of just distinction had ended all this , had it been duly used and received . christs body was potentially and as to the natural quality of flesh lyable to or capable of corruption : but not actually corrupted , and not corruptible in respect to gods decree , that it should not actually corrupt . and yet even holy hilary pictav . held not only this errour but somewhat more ; his words are so bad i am loth to cite them . § . . x. the next lamentable schism and cursing arose from the decree of the constantinopolitan council de tribus capitulis . the cursing one another for owning or not owning the council of chalcedon still continuing ; and learned theodoret with theodore of mopsuest and ibas having been formerly by dioscorus ephesine council condemned and deposed as nestorian hereticks , and the council of chalcedon having restored them upon their just subscriptions , a crafty eutychian perswaded the emperour , that he might reconcile all the eutychians to the council of chalcedon , if he would but condemn some ill words in the writings of these three bishops ; which the emperour called a general council together presently to do . the one half the bishops absent thought this was a condemning in part of the chalcedon council ; and vigilius bishop of rome being then at constantinople refused to subscribe , and after excommunicated menna the patriarch ; the emperour caused him to be dragg'd through the streets by a rope , to reconcile him : the flames of the church were by this council much increased , and by condemning three dead mens writings , the living were more engaged in a doleful war. at last pope vigilius consented to the council ; whereupon a great part even of the western churches and italy separated from and renounced the pope , and chose them another patriarch ( at aquileia ) to be their chief church-ruler in his stead . and this continued about an hundred years , till sergius reconciled them : so far was the universal church even then from taking the pope or church of rome for the head , or any essential part of the church-universal . and all this was about the exposition of some doubtful words in three mens writings : and can any sober man now think that the right or wrong exposition of every mans , or those three mens writings , was a thing that salvation lyeth on ? or that these are the terms of christianity and church-membership ? § . . it would be but matter of shame and sorrow to go on , and add the later and more shameful instances of anathematizing , especially about images , several emperours and councils hereticating each other . what an engine the pope and prelates made cursing men from christ , to get dominion over emperours and kings , to subdue kingdoms , and to turn love and peace into wrath and wars and bloodshed and pernicious divisions : to recite their damning of loyalty under the name of the henrician heresie : their damning all that ( about transubstantiation ) renounced not the belief of all their senses and rational perception of sensate things ; and that renounced not also the belief of all the sound mens senses in the world , and consequently the belief of god : as he is the god of nature , making his revelation to our understandings by our senses ; making it necessary to salvation to take god for the deceiver of the senses ( or apprehensions by sensation ) of all the world . how they have decreed the burning or exterminating of all others , that do not thus believe transubstantiation , and deposing temporal lords that will not exterminate them , and absolving their subjects from their oaths and allegiance , and giving their dominions to others . did i but recite to you how ridiculously they hereticated gilbert porretane and some other learned men , and how such exposed the councils of bishops to scorn by detecting their ignorance by some questions which they could not answer ; should i tell you what work their long and numerous schisms , and two or three popes at once made for the great councils of constance and basil ; and also what work those councils made themselves , it might melt the heart of a lover of christianity into grief and tears . § . . i conclude this , that the hereticating and cursing men for doubtful words , or want of skill in aptness of expressions , yea or for errours which consist with saving faith in christ , is so far from being a means of the churches good , that it hath been the grand engine of satan to exercise tyranny , excite hatred and schism and rebellions , and do most lamentable mischiefs in the world , and therefore carefully to be avoided . § . . ii. and what i have said of words , i may partly say of actions : anathematizing men for doubtful actions , or for such faults as consist with true christianity , and continued subjection to jesus christ , is a sinful church-dividing means . § . . more particularly i shall shew after in the third part of this book , that it is not all the same things that make a man uncapable of present communion in this or that single or particular church , or in a compound church , diocesane , metropolitane , provincial or national ( or imperial ) which make him uncapable of continuing in the universal church . much less doth every continued disobedience to a bishops or councils canons or commands make him excommunicable from the church universal . § . . but most abominable was it in the roman popes and prelates , to shut up all churches , interdict whole kingdoms , and excommunicate the innocent people , because a king displeased them , or denyed them subjection or obedience . and as old robert grosthead bishop of lincoln in his epistle to pope innocent iv. recorded by matth. paris , truly tells them , it is the work of satan , and next antichristianity one of the greatest sins in all the world , thus to silence christs ministers , and hinder the preaching of the word of god , and the exercise of his publick worship : which it concerneth all unjust silencers to consider . § . . but yet somewhat more tyrannical and abominable is it , for one man , the bishop of rome , to damn all the church of christ on earth that will not be his subjects as the vicar-general of christ , and own his usurpation , and so to cut off and damn the far greatest part of the christian world . but the best is procul à jove , procul à fulmine , the remote churches feel it not , and do but deride it , and to the nearer parts his thunderbolt doth not kill all so many nor kindle so many fagots as once it did ; nor is any one ever the more condemned by god for such papal condemnations . § . . but when i speak of particular church-communion , i shall shew , that there is some lawful suspension ( called by some the minor excommunication ) which cuts not a man off from communion with any church , much less from the universal or from christ . § . . not approving of or practising a doubtful or indifferent humane form of liturgy , or ceremony or circumstance or mode , is no just cause of cutting off a man from the universal church ▪ because notwithstanding that , he may be a true christian and a member of christ and his church , and therefore must not falsly be declared to be none . § . . not taking this or that man to be ones bishop or pastor who is obtruded , yea or justly set over that church , nor yet particular acts of disobedience to him meerly as such , are no good proofs that a man is no true christian or member of christ and his church ; and therefore are no just cause to sentence or declare him none : for the sentence must be true . many things in such cases may cause a man to err , which do not unchristen him or cut him off from christ . § . . the disowning and refusing some humane forms of profession of faith , called creeds , or some doubtful ( though lawful ) subscriptions , promises , declarations , covenants or oaths ( much less false ones ) are no just causes of excommunicating that man who professeth all the essentials of christianity , and whatever is necessary to salvation . § . . the condemning of some such humane creeds , articles , forms , covenants , promises or oaths , though unjustly , is no just cause of such excommunication ; because all men being known to be fallible , a good christian may mistake another mans ( or many mens ) words : and the misunderstanding of a man ( or many men ) may stand with christianity , piety and salvation . § . . it is not all that maketh a man uncapable of local communion with this or that particular church which unchristeneth him , or maketh him uncapable of continuing in the church-universal , as shall be after proved . § . . nay a man may be a christian in the universal church , who is a member of no particular church , as is before shewed : as . some newly baptized , as the eunuch , act. . . some christians that live among infidels , where is no pastor or church : as if one were now converted in any heathen land , or cast there after ; or called as an embassador or merchant to live there . . some poor vagrant persons that have no dwelling ; as pedlars , tinkers , and such others that go from place to place : and some others . § . . therefore if a man should so far err as to think that he were not bound to be a member of some particular church , it may consist with his being a member of the universal church . § . . some few brethren called independents , think that none are members of the church-universal but those that are members of some particular church : but it is but few of them , and they are mistaken : as corporations are the most regular parts of the kingdom , but not the whole kingdom ; so particular churches are the most regular parts of the universal church , but not the whole : as hath been proved by instances . § . . yea ( though we need lay no stress on this ) i doubt not but in cases of necessity an open profession of christianity , and entring into the covenant of god , doth make a man a christian even without baptism it self . as if a bible or good book or speech convert a man among infidels where there is no one to baptize him : st. peter saith , it is not the outward washing that saveth , but the answer of a good conscience to god ( in the holy covenant . ) and it is a dishonourable doctrine against god and christianity to say that god layeth his love and mans salvation so much on a ceremony , as to damn or deny an upright holy soul for want of it , or to give grace to none but by that ceremony , though it be of gods institution . i am sure st. paul saith , else were your children unclean , but now are they holy , cor. . . and if holy before baptism , ( because the parents are so and do devote them to god and god accepts them ) then baptism doth but solemnize this dedication and invest them . it is the solemn covenanting with god , that is the chief part of baptism , and is it which the ancient churches meant , when they pleaded for the necessity of baptism to salvation ; though it is , no doubt , a duty , where it may be had ; and the thing signified is necessary to salvation . § . . the keyes of admission and exclusion as to the church universal , and salvation are not given absolutely to the pastors , but only to exercise on qualified persons : and every man herein hath more power as to his own entrance or ejection than the pastors have : they do but judge a man to be what he is , according to christs law , and not what he is not : no man can make a man a christian without himself , nor unchristian him without himself : nor can all men and devils do so much to it as himself : god hath not put our salvation or damnation so much in any ones power as our own . § . . a false and unjust sentence of excommunication doth no more to damn a man than a false absolution doth to save him : but till the falshood is known , others for order sake must avoid the person , if it be done by a just power , and not notoriously abused to the subversion of order or the church ; otherwise not . but the injured person is still a member of the catholick church ; and is not disobliged from his communion with it , and publick worshipping of god , because a pastor unjustly forbiddeth him : though he must give all due satisfaction , and seek his right in a regular way . chap. v. iii. what are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the sacred ministry ? § . . the schisms in the church are far more among the clergy than the people , and have been mostly exercised by bishops militating against each other , and anathematizing each other as hereticks or as not submitting to the challengers of superiour jurisdiction : or else in the bishops silencing christs ministers for not obeying them as they expect : hard words for want of an equal skill in speaking , and jurisdiction or superiority through pride and a carnal mind , contended for by the clergy against each other , have torn the church , and confounded states , and been the shame of christianity in the eyes of infidels , and brought us to the low and broken state that we are in . § . . the great cause of all this hath been the introduction of ignorant or bad men into the sacred pastoral office. and the remedy doth not yet seem very hopeful to us : and operari sequitur esse : as the man is so will he do . a good tree will bring forth good fruit , and è contra . an ignorant man will err : an erring man will do evil and not repent : none will do more mischief against the churches peace , than an erring ruler , that can do it , and thinketh that he ought to do it : worldly men will prefer their worldly interest , before the interest of christianity and mens souls : the carnal mind is not subject to the law of god , nor ( while such ) can be : but the proud while they will not obey god , will rage against the best that obey not them . read church-history , and you 'll see it proved . § . . such as the choosers are , such ordinarily the chosen are like to be : god and the ancient churches set three locks to this door , for the safety of the church ; that so great a matter should not be disposed of without a manifold consent : . the person to be ordained and the ordainers were made the judges who should be a minister of christ in the church-universal , as being qualified by god thereto . ii. the people and the ordainers were to choose or consent who should be their pastors in particular . the people and the presbyters chose the bishop : and the bishop and people consenting , chose the presbyters . iii. the magistrate was judge whom he would countenance or tolerate . but gods law was the rule which all these were to observe in judging . § . † . but all men are corrupt , and some more than others : and they like those best that are likest themselves , or at least most agreeable to their interest and desires . this chain hath been long broken : sometimes the bishop of rome hath claimed the choice of bishops , and given the bishops the choice of the presbyters : sometime he hath given the people the choice of their bishops , but claimed to himself the power of investing and instituting them . sometime emperours and kings have used this investing power , leaving still the people to choose . in england now the king really chooseth all bishops , commending them to the dean and chapter pro formâ : and the bishop only chooseth whom he will ordain a minister in specie : and one called the patron chooseth who shall be the parish priest , and the bishop must institute and induct him ; but according to the law , and the choosing and consenting liberty is wholly taken from the people . § . . . how the popes formerly chose and yet choose where it is in their power , i need not tell them that know history and the world : nor yet what presbyters such bishops chose : nor is it any wonder that such choosers served their own interest , nor that the chosen serve it . . how princes , and patrons and prelates have chosen , history tells us : and christ who saith , how hard it is for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven , teacheth us to expect that ordinarily rich men should not be the best ( to speak softly ) . and the rich will rule ; and will choose according to their interests and their appetites . . and when the people had their choice , in some places they chose hereticks or ignorant men : in other places they chose vitious men : in most places they followed the court or great men , whenever they interposed : and too often divided from each other by disagreement , or caused tumults in the choice . and then what wonder if the sacred office was corrupted to the doleful detriment and danger of the churches , when the choosers were but such as these ? § . . the things necessary to the sacred ministry ( bishops or presbyters ) are i. either to the being , ii. or to the well-being ; iii. or to the exercise . § . . i. to the being are necessary , i. a true efficient cause . ii. the true constitutive causes . iii. a due terminus or end. § . . i. the true efficient cause here is necessary to the effect , it being the fundamentum of the relation . and this is , . primary ( or principal ) which is jesus christ the lord redeemer , and the churches king and head : . instrumental ; and that is , the law of christ , which is as a charter to the church , first telling the choosers , and receiver what to do , and then giving the power and imposing the obligation on the person chosen , consenting and ordained . § . ii. the necessary constitutive causes are i. matter ( or the subject . ) ii. the necessary disposition of that matter : iii. the form ; as in physical beings it is so , so relations have somewhat answerable . § . . i. the subject or matter is a man : ii. the necessary disposition is , . that it be a male and not a woman . . that he have the use of reason , or natural wit and speech . . that he be a christian . . that he have necessary abilities for the essentials of the office-work . and those are ; . the understanding at least of the essentials of religion and ministry . . a will to perform the work of the ministry . . ability of utterance to do it , and all the necessary executive power . § . . iii. the form of the office is , . in general authority and obligation conjunct : . in special authority to perform the office-work , and obligation to perform it . which work is , . to be a teacher under christ the chief teacher . . to be a priest or intercessor , to guide the church in worship and speak in their name and on their behalf to god , and intercede for them , and as from god to administer his seals or sacraments . . to rule the church and particular believers in things spiritual , not by force or sword , but by opening and directive applying gods word , and exercising the church keyes , as judges who is to be received or cast out , loosed or bound according to the word of god. the form consisteth of these parts . § . . iii. the end or terminus of the sacred office ; that is , of the authority and obligation , is , . proximately , the work to be done . . the necessary objects of that work ; . particular persons ; . infidels and ungodly men to be converted , . christians and godly men to be edified . . societies . . the church●universal to be increased and edified . . particular churches to be taught , and guided and led in worship and discipline . . the necessary effects ( here named ) to be intended . all that i have named and no more is necessary to the being . § . . about all these there are divers errours brought in by the arrogance and ignorance of men , which hinder the concord and peace of christians : and i. about the efficient cause . too many falsly perswade the world that the ordainers are the efficient causes of the power or office : yea that their intention can alter the species instituted by christ , in the conveyance of it to this or that person : as if when christ and his apostles have described the office in its parts , and commanded that a bishop or presbyter be chosen and ordained to such particular work and ends , an ordainer might now give him half this power without the rest : and when he maketh bishops or presbyters they shall have no more power than the ordainer was willing , or intended , or did particularly express : than which nothing is more false . for it is gods law , that is the specifier and donation , and the ordainer doth but ministerially invest and deliver possession of what the law gave , and commanded him to deliver . the kings law or charter giveth power to the citizens to choose a major , and describeth all his power and work , and ordereth the recorder to swear him and deliver him the insignia . here now , . the electors do but determine of the person to receive the power , but do not at all give it . . the king by his charter as the instrument giveth it : it results hence as every jus à titulo seu fundamento juris . . the recorder only ministerially delivereth possession by investiture . now if the recorder or choosers shall say , [ we choose you or deliver you power as major according to the kings charter , but you shall have but so much less ] than the charter giveth , this diminution is a nullity ? for they have no power to choose another kind of major than that described in the charter , nor to make his power more or less ; but he may exercise what the charter giveth . let them not deceive men by making a verbal strife of it . if they will call either electing or investing [ a giving of the power ] i will not contend against their liberty of speaking as unfitly as they list , if they will but well explain it . but the thing is plain and sure , that . the election doth but determine of the receiver , . and that the investing act is but a ministerial publick delivery of a right which resulteth immediately from the charter or law of christ : if a bishop say [ i ordain you to the office of a presbyter ] the scripture must tell us what that is . if the bishop say [ take the office of a presbyter , but preach not , or only preach and administer the sacraments , or do both , but you shall have none of the church keyes , or power of discipline ] it is null , as to the restraint . there is no contract freer than that between a husband and wife , as to the choice of persons . and yet when a woman chooseth a man for her husband , it is not she that ( properly ) giveth him the ruling power ; she did but choose the receiver ; god by his law is the giver : if she bargain with him that he shall not be her governour , it is null because against gods law : and so it is in the present case . if the power of ordination and church government can be proved to be setled by christ on the presbyters either conjunct with the bishop or alone , he that ordaineth a presbyter by virtue of christs institution , cannot deprive him of that power by his own will and act , by saying , you shall have no such power : for god is the describer and the giver . § . . yea some would perswade men that the very office of presbyters is of humane institution ; as some papists in the council of trent would have had it pass that christ having made the pope , the pope maketh the office of bishops , and they hold their power from him , so some prelates would have it believed that christ only instituted the order of bishops , and that bishops made the order of subject presbyters , and that after scripture-times ; there being none till then existent , but the word [ presbyter ] in scripture , everywhere signifying only a bishop . which those that are against the distinct order of bishops thankfully accept , and say that indeed subject presbyters having no ordaining power are a humane invention since scripture-times , and that god instituted no such order : but the difference , is that these say man had no authority to do it , and bid the other prove by what authority it was done , and where the bishops had such power given them to make a new species , order or office of sacred ministers ; but the other say that it was well done : but proof is all . § . . and here come in many other church-distracting contentions : as . whether any bishops ordination be valid that holdeth not his power from the pope ? . whether he be a true bishop that is not canonically ordained by three bishops ? . whether he be a true bishop that is not chosen or consented to by the people and presbyters of his church ? . or if he have but the minor part ? the rest not being allowed or called to choose ? . or if the major part be against him ? . or if three neighbour bishops be for him and ordain him bishop , and many more be against it , or forbid it ? . whether he be a true presbyter that is not ordained by a bishop of distinct and superior order : and whether an uninterrupted succession of such ordination is necessary ? . whether he be a true bishop that is ordained only by presbyters ? . whether he may be a true bishop or presbyter that hath no ordination ? . or he that hath no election but the kings or the patrons , nor other proved consent of the people ? . whether he be a true bishop or presbyter that the king alloweth not or forbiddeth ? . whether the ordination of hereticks be null ? . whether the ordinations of prohibited , degraded or excommunicate bishops be null ? abundance of such controversies ignorance and faction have torn the churches with . § . . i. as to the first i need not answer it to any but papists , and as to them , i and others have said enough that is unanswered . § . . ii. as to the second , where the churches agree to take none for a bishop that is not ordained by three , four or more , that person cannot be the bishop of that particular church which by such agreement doth refuse him : not for want of any thing necessary to a valid ordination , but for want of the consent of the people or subjects that are to receive him : for he cannot be their pastor against their will. but the ordination of one may make a man a minister in the church-universal , unfixed ; and to a particular church , if the receivers of him do consent . § . . iii. as to the third , election oft signifieth the first determining nomination distinct from after consent : this is not necessary to the office or power : but consent is necessary at least to the exercise : and therefore to the office which is for that exercise . if people were as much under princes for choosing guides for their souls , as a daughter in her fathers house is under her father for the choice of a husband ( which yet i never saw proved to be so ) , yet as he can be no husband to her without her consent , though she culpably deny consent , so is it here : he can be no pastor to them till they consent . § . . iv. and v. in all societies where consent is necessary , the consent must be either of all or of the most , or else they will divide . § . . vi. to the sixth , the question of the validity of the ordination dependeth not on it ; but on the peoples acceptance and consent : if ten bishops ordain one man bishop of a church , and three ordain another to the same church , and one a third ( as sometimes there have been divers ordained popes ) that only is the true bishop whom the church which he is to be over , consenteth to . other decisions will not serve . § . . vii . i will answer this largelier by it self in the third part : here i only say , . so far as any ordination is necessary , the ordination of a bishop is necessary : but the question 〈◊〉 what a bishop is ? if he be defined by the power of ordaining alone , some think there is no such : because by the old canons the presbyters were to joyn in ordination . others think that when none else are there , any one presbyter may ordain alone . if he be defined by the power of ordaining simply , or of having a negative vote in ordaining , the doubt is whether every presbyter have not power to ordain , as in nature the propagation of its own species is common to all living things . either ordination is a governing act of superiority , or a propagation of the species . if the later , presbyters may do it . if the former , then bishops cannot ordain bishops as such , nor arch-bishops ordain arch-bishops , nor patriarchs ordain patria●rhs , nor any one ordain a pope : and yet of old deacons and presbyters were made popes , that were not before so much as bishops , formosus being the first bishop of rome that had been a bishop before , and therefore condemned and executed dead , the canons forbidding any to remove from one seat to another , saith arch-bishop vsher , [ jerome ad evagr . assureth us that at alexandria from the dayes of st. mark till demetrius the presbyters made their bishop , ergo they may make presbyters : they that can do the greater can do the less . ] and dr. hammond concluding that there is no proof that in scripture-times there were any subject presbyters distinct from bishops , maketh it hard to be proved that there should be any such at all ; and whether the making of a rank of presbyters that have no power of ordination be not a changing of scripture order and a sin ? yet even subject presbyters ( made since scripture-time ) concurred in ordinations , and do partly to this day . . if a bishop be described by his actual superiority over presbyters , then saith the foresaid dr. hammond , there was none in scripture-times . . if a bishop be described by being over a church compounded of divers parish churches , ( or congregations that have altars ) there can none such be proved to be in the world for about two hundred years after christ , ( besides apostles and itinerants , whose province was indefinite and not a particular church ) not of long after saving at rome and alexandria . there was none such when ignatius's epistles were written . . but if the chief or only pastor of a single church ( that hath unum altare ) yea of a city church , be to be called a bishop , then multitudes now called meer presbyters have been such bishops , and have ordained . and as to a negative vote in ordaining , that ( if it were proved it self ) proveth no distinct order or office , but for order-sake a prerogative in the same office . the question is yet undecided even among schoolmen and bishops , whether a bishop and presbyter differ only grad● ( as the foreman from the rest of the jury , or a justice of quorum or a chief judge or justice , from the rest ) or also ordine or specie , ( as a justice and a constable . ) saith arch-bishop vsher with bishop reignolds and many other bishops , ad ordinem pertinet ordinare ; and they are ejusdem ordinis ; which others deny . § . . but not to anticipate my fuller answer to this case , i briefly answer , that gods law or charter giving the ministerial power to the duly qualified receiver , no ordination doth more than to determine ( with the peoples consent ) who is the qualified receiver , and for the sake of order , and the churches notice , to declare his right and solemnly invest him . and god hath not appropriated this declaring and investing power , so to their prelates distinct from presbyters ( that i ever found ) as that the church should receive none but of their ordination . what men decree is one thing , and what god ordaineth is another . where an order is setled by men according to gods allowance and general rules , there the people should caeteris paribus receive him that is most regularly commended to them . but if they receive one less regularly sent them , if he want nothing necessary to the being of the office , he is their pastor who is so received by them . when justices of the peace did marry the people in england , the marriage was valid before god , as truly as when the clergy did it . the same is a sufficient designation of the recipient person in some times , places and circumstances , which is not at others . and when the person is but determined of and consented to , gods word authorizeth him . § . . viii . the answer to the seventh question serveth to the eighth : they were true bishops whom the presbyters made at alexandria ; and those in the north of england who ( as beda saith ) were made by scots presbyters . § . . ix . he may be a true bishop or presbyter that in cases of necessity hath no ordination at all : ( much more he that is ordained but by presbyters ) the proof lyeth in these things set together . . as is said , gods law or charter giveth the right or power to the duly qualified , determined and chosen person : but in cases of necessity a qualified person may be determined of and chosen without any ordination : therefore he may have the right or authority without . . such necessity there may be in several cases : as . if by good books men be converted among infidels where no bishop or ordained minister can be had : they must not therefore forbear church-assemblies and publick worshipping god , and baptizing . . in case that many christians be banished or cast upon forraign lands where no minister is to be had . . in case that persecutors banish or destroy all ordained men , and will suffer no other to come among them , or them to fetch ordination . . in case that all the bishops or ordainers turn either hereticks or tyrants , and will ordain none but on some sinful terms . . in case that men living under bishops do forge orders and pretend that they are ordained when they are not , and the people know it not : their acts now are of full authority or validity to the innocent people , though god will condemn the pretender for his sin . this case i have oft known my self , and in my youth lived under such as was after discovered . and the opponents themselves here confess that presumption may serve turn to the people , when they cannot detect it . and indeed few people in england know any otherwise than by presumption that their bishops or pastors are ordained . and if it were true that presbyters ordination were null , yet when the ordained after great study believeth it valid , and the people cannot know the contrary , here is a presumed title both to the ordained and the people ; that is , valid administrations and receptions without ordination . § . . . and indeed the like cases prove it by parity of reason . ordination to the ministry is but like coronation to a king , or publick marriage to consenters , or like listing and the sacramentum militare to a souldier , or like publick authorizing to a physicion , a school master , &c. and not all so much as baptizing to make a christian : but an hereditary or elected king , is a king before his coronation ; and marriage privately contracted and publickly professed , is valid before god before the solemnization by a minister , and in case of necessity without it : and a souldier may be truly such by contract without colours or oaths : and a man may be a lawful physicion or school-master in case of necessity without a license or publick authorizing . yea one may be a christian before god , yea and before men , that openly professeth and voweth the baptismal covenant , though in case of necessity ( when either a minister or water cannot he had ) the washing be wanting . and we are not to feign god to make a difference here without proof , or to lay more stress or an outward act of man and point of order than he doth . § . . . and as to the nature and use of the thing , order is for the sake of the thing ordered , and the persons for whose good it is ; and therefore not to be set against them . § . . . and christ himself hath oft taught us this way of judging : when he bids us , go learn what this meaneth , i will have mercy and not sacrifice . and when he oft reproveth jews and samaritans for striving about circumstances , setting them against spiritual worshipping of god ; and when he saith , the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath ; and paul when he saith , all things are yours , whether paul or apollos , and let all be done to edification . all which tell us that the end is a certain canon to the means , and to be preferred ; and that morals must be preferred before rituals , and rituals never set against them . and methinks they should be of this mind that deny the scripture to have unchangeably fixed all rituals ; and yet confess that morals are fixedly determined . § . . . and even popes have been taken for popes upon election before consecration : and arch-bishops with us have no superiours to consecrate them , but such inferiours as promise them obedience at their own consecration . § . . x. to the tenth question , there be some called erastians who hold the king to be so mixta persona like melchizedeck , as that he is also the chief priest , and hath the chief power of ordination , and that he might administer the sacraments if he would , and that his appointment is an ordination , which the people are bound by reception of the person to consent to . there are others that think that though the investing act must be performed by a bishop , yet he is bound by the kings choice and command to do it , as a minister of god and the king. but as i never saw either of these well proved , so very few comparatively receive them , and therefore they will never unite the churches . and christs giving the power of the keys himself to the apostles and their successours in the ministry , seemeth to me to contradict them . sure i am that christs church hath not thus been founded or edified : and yet magistrates have a great and honourable part even in the government of the church , i speak not for all those popish councils and canons which nullifie all ordinations of bishops either chosen or presented by civil rulers or great men that are secular ; nor of those that pronounce even a pope an usurper that is so introduced : but of the councils and practice of the sounder ages that were still against this . . however if clergy and people were proved to be bound to consent to whomsoever the prince shall choose , yet till they do consent , he is no bishop to them : you may ( could that be proved ) prove them culpable for not consenting , but not prove him their bishop ; as the scripture , and all church custome and canons and reason shew . § . . xi . to the eleventh case i answer , that the priests or people sin who disobey a lawful command of the king ( and not otherwise . ) but sin or not sin , it nullifieth not the ordination or priesthood , meerly that it is against the will of the prince . all the bishops and priests in the world ( or most ) were made against the will of princes for three hundred years : and christ gave the keyes to other hands . § . . xii . and xiii . to the twelfth and thirteenth cases i answer together , if a heretick whose denyal of an essential of christianity is notorious and maketh him equal to an apostate , ordain , his act is null as without all authority ; and the mans priesthood or episcopacy is null , if he have not a sufficient cause and proof of it besides or without this : the same i say of one excommunicate for such a cause . but if the heresie be only a schism or some lower errour consistent with christianity and priesthood , or the excommunication only on such a cause , then the ordination ( in sensu passivo ) is not null , meerly on that account that it was done by such a heretick or excommunicate man ( as is commonly agreed on ) . but yet if this bishop or presbyter be ordained by a heretick or excommunicate man of a lower order , to this or that particular church , caeteris paribus the people may see reason to refuse him ; and consent to another that hath a better ordination ; ( unless in a church so corrupted that the ordainers and excommunicators authority is not to be regarded and help up , ( which hath too oft faln out . ) but regularly none ought to ordain a man to any church before the election or consent of the flock , though it may serve ad esse officii , if the consent come after . but if three bishops ordain one man to be bishop of such a church , and three others ordain another to the same , that is the true bishop quoad esse , which the church to which he is ordained doth accept , by their consent before or after . yea though it were the worser party of bishops that ordained that man. § . . as to the point of successive-right-ordination uninterrupted from the apostles , i hope afterward in due place to prove , that to the church universal such there hath been de facto in all the necessary parts : but that to any particular church , or any individual persons ministry , such uninterrupted course of ordination in being , notice or proof , is utterly unnecessary : and that the papacy hath no such to shew . § . . to conclude , to the being of the true relation of a bishop or presbyter , is necessary only , . the subject , which is a qualified christian man , sufficiently notified and offered . . the fundamentum relationis , christs law or charter giving him his power and obliging him to his work . . the mutual consent of pastor and flock in the relation to a particular church , is partly dispositio subjecti , and partly as it is gods means , a modus fundandi or conditio tituli . . the terminus of one ordained to the gathering of churches sine titulo or not to any particular church , is objectively first men unconverted to be called , and next men converted to be edified : and as effects , the work to be done and the good to be done by it . and in those ordained to particular churches , it is the work and the effect on them . . the correlate is , . christ to whom we are related as his ministers , as the efficient of our office ; . the people to whom we are related as the end ; and that . we are ministers to the world to be converted , . to the universal church to be edified , . and mostly to particular churches to be guided . . the relatum then is , such a person authorized and obliged to teach , worship and rule under christ the prophet , priest and king of the church the foresaid flocks or christians to the foresaid ends . § . . ii. so much for what is necessary to the being of the sacred office : now what is necessary to the well being . and indeed , though the essential unity of the church lye not upon this , yet the peace and concord of it doth , and that so much as that no other means without this will attain it : and the want of what is necessary ad bene esse in the ministry and bishops , is it that hath caused the common calamities . § . . and i. nothing is more wanting hereto than better qualifications in the persons : . that there be a strong wit , and good acquired gifts of knowledge , and a strong and lively faith from divine illumination , and good acquaintance with the oracles of god : a pastor or teacher should not only know the essentials of christianity , which every christian knoweth , but also the integrals and many accidents . and both essentials and integrals should be known by him by a more clear , distinct and orderly understanding , not only above the vulgus s●delium , ( common christians ) but above the better sort of the flock . and some store of natural and common knowledge called learning is needful hereunto : but especially more illumination , faith and holy wisdom , and skilfulness in matter , senc● and method of the word of god. § . . where gods word is not by the teacher clearly understood and firmly believed , and he is not well acquainted with the work of his office , it is not any formalities of ordination , consent or titles that use to make up these defects as to the success . to say what god can do , is little to this business : he can make an ass to preach to balaam : he can work by fools and ignorant men and hereticks : but scripture and all the common experience of ages assureth us that it is not his ordinary way , and that he rarely blesseth such with great success , but worketh according to the qualifications of the instrument and the receivers . and let a mans ti●les and ordination be what they will , weak men will do weakly , and ignorant men will do ignorantly , and erring men will do erroneously , and the gospel will be wronged , the people will be hurt or losers , and enemies will deride and scorn . § . . when aristotle saith that wise men are by nature to rule , and fools and ignorant persons to be ruled , he meant not i suppose that this gave wise men formal power ; but that this was the materiae dispositio receptiva ; as gold and silver are to be the kings coyn , but are not so quâ talia : so only wise christians are receptive matter of ministerial power , and the wiser the better . and when one appeareth to be of eminent wisdom above all the rest , caeteris paribus , the ordainers and people are directed and bound by god to choose that man. and what scruples soever rise about his ordination , usually god worketh by excellent worthy men , and as light cannot be hid , so holy wisdom will be known and valued . § . . . but love or holiness is necessary ad bene esse as well as wisdom : heat causeth heat : and we have need of sacred heat as well as of light. love kindleth love : a pastor should excel the flock in love to god , to christ , to holiness , to gods word and work , and to all the peoples souls , and should speak all from the zeal of love : as the nurses milk should have the warmth of nature . cold heartless preachers usually reach not the heart and have but cold● and small success . here also god worketh usually according to the means : and how can he be taken for a sound believer of so great over-whelming things , as we have to speak of , that speaketh only of them sleepily and coldly ? § . . . and as wisdom and zealous love , so executive activity , but especially , taking utterance is necessary to the well-being of the sacred-office , and the success . though it be not the tricks of vain humane art and affectation which must do our work , yet is it a free and moving utterance of holy wisdom , faith and love. and words are not all : holy example of living in blamelesness , justice , humility , self-denyal , meekness and patience must be our work : and diligence in doing all the good we can . what examples are there this day among us of one or two holy , humble , meek and patient and unwearied labourers , even in a silenced , suffering and low condition , men of no extraordinary parts , but with ordinary parts of extraordinary labour and patience , that whole countreys have cause to bless god for : i will venture to name three such , . mr. john eliots in new england , that hath translated all the bible into that most barbarous language , preached to the indians about forty years , and gathered divers churches among them . ( and verily i would the jesuites had never done worse work than what they did ( with several fryars ) in congo , china , japan , &c. which is their greatest honour . ) . mr. john dury , i hear yet living , who hath these fifty years or near been employed in reconciling the lutheran and calvinist protestants , not without success , as helmstadt , breme , hassia and other places know ; though much more might have been expected if the wars of princes and the obstinacy of contentious divines had not hindred . . our mr. thomas gouge , an ejected silenced minister , who hath set up about fourscore schools in wales , for thousands of scholars , given away many thousand books to them , relieved many poor honest ejected ministers , got the bible , the practice of piety , the whole duty of man printed in welsh , and visiteth the counties there ( though aged ) once a year . gods work must be done as our trade and business and not on the by , as taking up the place and time which mens fleshly and worldly interest and work can spare . had the church such men enow as i have described , and as some have been ( such as cyprian , nazianzene , basil , chrysostom , atticus , proclus , hierom , augustine , ambrose , martin , salvian , &c. and such as melancthon , bucholtzer , bucer , phagius , musculus , martyr , calvin , beza , vrsine , olevian , paraeus , camero , placeus , molineus , dallaeus , blondel , chamier , sadeel , le blank , &c. and such as we have had many in england , jewel , grindal , field , reignolds , vsher , morton , hall , davenant , chillingworth , hildersham , dod , ball , bradshaw , gataker , &c. and such as yet through gods great mercy we have many , ( i say had the world enow such as these , the light would scatter the dismal darkness , and they would carry on christs interest in the churches , against the opposition of usurpers , hereticks and contenders : for even a few such have broke through armies of philistines to fetch men the sacred waters of life . and it is not scruples and quarrels about their ordinations or such like as would frustrate their endeavours . § . . ii. it is greatly needful to the well-being of the ministry and the success , that doctrine be kept sound : and therefore , . that the christian simplicity be retained , and many subtile and curious decisions be not made necessary : a few great , necessary certain truths , are easilier preserved than multitudes of uncertain controverted niceties . . it is needful that such as are ordained ministers , be tryed men , of sound understanding in that which they must teach and do , and therefore that both the ordainers and the hearers try them . this account of their understanding is better than the imposing of humane forms upon them for subscription : not but that teachers should know more than the flock , that is , than the essentials ; nor that i presume to condemn all the churches that impose their confessions to be subscribed in their own and not in scripture-words , while they keep only to necessary certain things : but i shall afterward prove , that this way , though tolerable , is not best , but unnecessary and dangerous , . the scripture affording us apt words enow to form our confessions in , which are past controversie ; . and there being no probability of bounding mens impositions of this kind , when once they set upon this way ; . and most confessions of that nature now extant having some needless words which other churches or good christians do dissent from : . and the ancient creeds understood ( which the ordainers must try ) and the old catechistical verities being sufficient to this use . . and there being means of restraining men from preaching and vending heresies which are more safe and congruous . . i add therefore that a certain confession containing the certainest and needfullest integrals of religion should or may well be drawn up as a law , forbidding all upon meet penalties to preach or speak against them ; without any subscribing , promising or professing . . and upon proof of the violating of such a law , and preaching against such articles it is sufficient that both the church and the christian magistrate in their several ways may judge them , and by just penalties correct them ( of which more after in due place . ) for it is very hard so to form long confessions ( beyond the old creeds , lords prayer , decalogue , and the general belief of scripture ) and this not in scripture-terms , which shall not have some words , which sound and honest ministers cannot assent to , ( without lying , which they will not do ) : but to silence many words which yet we conceive true , and forbear speaking against some things which yet he cannot profess assent to , there are very few sober men but will do . and an errour never spoken or written hurts not others , nor is to be judged being not known ; non apparere here is as non esse . and if it be vended , the person may be judged as well as if he had sworn , subscribed or promised . and they that will tell us yet what evil may befall secret whispering errours without out such oaths , subscriptions or promises , do by this over-doing dangerously undo ; and lest man should be man and the church imperfect , on pretence of avoiding a possible unavoidable hurt , they will set up knaves that will say any thing , shut out honest men , and necessitate divisions , confusions and persecutions , where they can never stop on this side banishing or killing , or continued imprisoning multitudes of faithful men , and never the more attain their ends . sound doctrine may be kept up as far as is to be hoped , by the aforesaid means . § . . iii. it is greatly needful to the well-being of ministry and church that gods publick worship and sacraments be kept pure . not that any thing done by man will be void of imperfection , but that it be such as is acceptable to god , honourable to religion , and profitable and suitable to the flock , and to good men . to which end , . christian simplicity here also is necessary ; that it be not corrupted or clogged with things uncertain , needless , curious , nor yet much defective , not confused , disorderly , much less erroneous , superstitious , ludicrous , undecent , false or prophane . . it is needful that men to be ordained be tryed and known to be such as can speak to god and men without such unsufferable mis-performance . . and that they be responsible to the church and magistrate for what they say and do . of liturgies i am to speak in the third part : only here . i add that fit words , and spiritual life , are the body and soul of worship , and one must not be pleaded against another , nor any by formality mortifie holy worship and turn it into a carkass or a lifeless image ; nor yet on pretence of spirituality condemned the frequent use of the same words ( commonly called forms ) whether prepared by the speaker who best knoweth what he needeth , or agreed on by the churches in fit cases and measures , for greater concord . § . . iv. it is needful to the well-being of the ministry and churches that all pastors in their places be not only allowed to use christs true discipline , but that it be expected and really done in every church ; and that this discipline be neither cast aside , nor corrupted and turned into malignant war against the good , nor into tyranny and usurpation . § . . what this discipline is , is opened before : it is described by christ in matth. . if thy brother trespass against thee , tell him his fault between thee and him , if he hear thee thou hast won thy brother . if he hear thee not , take with thee two or three : if he hear not them , tell the church : if he hear not the church , let him be to thee as a heathen or a publican ] serious convincing admonition must be used ( with due patience ) to bring a sinner to repentance . and more publick admonition after private ; and the person sentenced unfit for christian communion , when refusing all he sheweth himself utterly impenitent . and he must be reconciled , absolved and received when he giveth the church just proof of his true repentance . § . . . it is a great corruption of this discipline , when it is exercised by lay-chancellors or other lay-men , to whom the keyes of the church-government were never committed by christ . § . . . it is a great corruption when it is done only by an officer of another species than christ ever instituted . § . . . it is an usurpation and corruption when it is done by the pastor of some other church , and not by the proper pastor of the church where the sinner liveth . such is papal usurpation , when the bishop of rome will be judge in london . § . . . especially when such a pretender liveth far from the place , where persons and actions are not half known , and that only by great charge and travel . when the pastor and people of the present church may easily know all , and it belongeth to them , who are executively either to communicate with him or avoid him , which distant strangers have no opportunity or occasion to do , further than by declared consent . § . . . it is a heinous corruption of it to excommunicate men in a prophane worldly manner , without wise , serious , patient endeavours to apply gods word to the sinners case and conscience , to bring him to true repentance and amendment . § . . . and it is yet more heinous abuse , to excommunicate the faithful , for a fearful avoiding sin in some imposed oath , covenant , profession , promise , subscription , or unnecessary ceremony or form ; and especially withal to retain in church-communion multitudes of infidels , adulterers , fornicators , perjured persons , drunkards , railers , slanderers , oppressours , hereticks , scorners at piety , &c. and it 's yet worse to cast out men for not subscribing to some lye , false doctrine or wicked thing , or for refusing down right heinous sin . and yet worse is it , to make discipline an engine to dethrone kings and embroile , confound or subdue kingdoms , and enslave the earth . § . . the lower first degrees of church-government , which is but doctrinally to teach men and reprove them , all pastors must use , or they omit the essential work of their office . but the full prosecution of it to excommunication or publick repentance is rather needful to the well-being than to the being of the churches and ministry : especially when the christian-magistrate doth his part . no doubt but the magistrate may admonish a sinner , and command him to make publick confession in the church , and may shame the impenitent , and forbid familiarity with him , yea and church-communion when the case is notorious or judged by the pastor : but it is the pastors office to judge of his crime , impenitence , and repentance , in order to excommunication and absolution ; and herein the magistrate is not to take on him the pastors work , but to command the pastor and people to do their duties . § . . iii. so much of the necessaries to the being and well being of the ministry . as to the exercise , it may be gathered from what is said . there is further necessary to it : . natural ability , possibility , liberty and opportunity ; and the peoples acceptance , consent and reception . . and as to the well-being and success , . the great diligence and skill of the minister ; . the forwardness and teachableness and zeal and concord of the flock ; . the concord of the ministers and neighbour pastors ; . and the countenance and encouragement of faithful magistrates will much promote it . chap. vi. iv. what is necessary to the constitution , administration and communion of single churches ? § . . by [ single ] and [ particular ] churches i still mean those that are compounded of many christians , but not of many churches . and i take not the word [ church ] in any of the la●e senses , ( for civil , or occasional meetings , or societies , or for every religious concourse of christians , as a synod , an accidental day of fasting and prayer , &c. ) nor for a meer community or neighbourhood of christians , nor for a christian kingdom or city , governed by the magistrates sword : but for a proper church as political consisting of pastor and flock . § . . when the apostles ordained them elders in every church , act. . . it signifieth that they setled these elders as the proper fixed church-guides of those churches ; not that they had no ministerial power elsewhere , but that this was their proper special charge or province . as a licensed physicion that hath a particular hospital or city , is a physicion every where that he cometh , and not breaking order may exercise his art , but he may not invade another mans hospital or province , nor is bound as the other is to medicate that hospital , &c. so a minister of christ lawfully invited , may preach and administer sacraments , yea and discipline in any other church pro tempore , not as a lay-man , but as a minister in office . but he is not bound to take the charge of another mans flock , nor may intrude disorderly , but as a helper or on just call . § . . titus is appointed to ordain such elders in every city , which is all one as in every church : not that every city then had a church ; nor that he was to ordain elders in the cities that had no churches : nor that he was forbidden to ordain elders in countrey villages : nor that he was tyed either to ordain many elders in every church or city , or yet to ordain but one in one city , or one church . but because de facto there were few or no villages then that had christians enow to make a church of desirable consistence , therefore they were congregate commonly in cities and great towns , where the christians of the neighbour villages joyned with them . § . . every such single church then by the apostles order had their own pastor ( one or more ) and every such fixed pastor knew his proper charge and flock . and in the time when the epistles of ignatius were written , every such church had one bishop over the other elders , and usually some fellow elders and deacons , and a single undivided church was known by these notes of unity [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. in every church there is one altar ( or altar place , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) and one bishop with his fellow presbyters and deacons ] whence mr. mede well noteth the certainty that then no church of one altar was denyed a bishop , and no bishop had more churches with an altar than one . that is , no other assembly for stated communion . § . . yet occasional and subordinate communion parts of a church may hold : those called independents deny not but that in persecution or for want of a large room , the same church may meet by parts in several places at once : and all confess that a parish church may admit of chapels and oratories , where distant and weak persons may frequently meet , that yet sometimes must come to the parish church . and families that have sick persons may communicate with neighbours joyning with them . but these are not churches but parts of such . § . . god hath not said just how many persons must make a single church , no more and no less , determinately : but he hath given us sufficient notice to guide us by the work and end , and by his general precepts and examples . § . . a single church is a society of christians of divine institution , consisting of one pastor or more as the guiding part , and a competent number of private christians as the guided part , associated by consent for personal presential holy communion and mutual assistance , in holy doctrine , holy worship of god , holy order , and holy conversation , for the edification , preservation and salvation of that church , and the welfare of the church universal of which it is a part , and the glorifying and pleasing of god our creator , redeemer and sanctifier . § . . to open the parts of this definition observe , . that as in defining a sacrament , so in defining a church , we mention the divine institution , because it is not human sacraments or humanly-invented churches that we treat of . § . . . note that only christians make a christian church ( as is oft said ) professed christians the visible church , and sincere heart consenters the mystical regenerated saved church . § . . . it is not any other company of christians , but a society or governed association that we speak of as strictly called a church . § . . . the pastors and flock are the essential constitutive parts : it may be a community without a pastor , but not a policie , or ecclesiastical society . while the pastor liveth it is such a church in esse existente : when the pastor is dead , it is an existent community , and virtually and morally a political church , because by the law and the peoples resolution another is to be seasonably chosen . as an elective kingdom in the interregnum is virtually and morally a kingdom : but if the purpose of chosing a successour be changed , the kingdom and so the church is dissolved , or changed into somewhat else . § . . . it is indifferent to the being ( though not usually to the well-being ) of a church , whether it have one pastor or many . § . . . the number of the people though not precisely determined must be competent to the ends of the society : if it be greater or smaller than is necessary to the ends , it is no church of this defined species : as logicians say of the subject of other relations : if a boat or ship be no bigger than a spoon , it is not a boat or ship , but equivocally : and it may be so big as to be no boat or ship , when it is uncapable of the ends. a family is too small to be a city : and a kingdom or the world is too big . dispositio materiae est necessaria ad receptionem formae . § . . . it is impossible to be a church without the cement of consent , professed or cordial : if many be forced into a temple not consenting , it is a prison , and they are not a church . if they consent only to meet on other occasions , or for some occasional act of religion , it is not thereby made a church . if they be commanded to consent and do not , and if it only be their duty , it maketh them not a church , but only proveth that they ought to be one . no law or command maketh a church without consent . but this consent may be divers waies expressed : the plainest & most obliging way is best ; but is not absolutely necessary : in some times and cases it may be more needful than at others : especially at the first gathering and forming of a church : sometime ordinary communion or attendance specially of persons born in that church , may signifie necessary consent . it 's pity then that men should be so weak as some , to make express covenanting of each member with the church and pastor necessary , and others to deride it ; when it is laudable ad bene esse but not necessary ad esse . but some signification of consent is necessary ad esse , that is , a consent to be a member of the society , and submit to the pastor , and hold communion with the church to the ends in the definition . and the plainer this is exprest , it is the fitter to satisfie the church and oblige the person . but whether the consent be signified by words , writings or deeds is undetermined . no man can have the great priviledges of a member either of the universal or particular church against or without his will and consent : and no minister not consenting can be a pastor to any . the relation of a church member consisteth in a right to great benefits due to no refuser or unwilling person , and in obligation to duty contracted by consent , besides the obligation of gods command . we can no further prove any company of christians to be a church than we can prove that they consent to church relation for church ends. § . . christianity it self consisteth in a believing consent to the covenant of grace ; and as no man is a christian nor hath right to christ and his saving benefits without consent , so no man can have right to the sacraments that seal and deliver this covenant and benefits without consent : no christian in his wits is for the baptizing of any adult person that consenteth not ; and the lords supper is a seal of the same covenant , and no more due to non-consenters than baptism . and as it is not enough to say [ i am willing to be baptized , but not by a minister , or not in the order appointed by christ ] so it is not enough to say [ i would have the sacrament and communion with the church , but i will not submit to the ministry , doctrine , worship or discipline of that church ] . for this is as great a contradiction as to say [ i will be a servant to you , but i will not work or obey but only have my wages ] or [ i will be a soldier , but i will not fight but be paid ] . he that will have communion with the church , must consent to the ministry , worship and discipline of that church in which communion consisteth . § . . and if a minister shall be so imposed on , as that any man or woman may come when they please , and force him to give them the sacrament of communion , without consenting to take him for their pastor , or to be taught or guided by him , ( yea or give him satisfactory notice that they know what the sacrament is , or who christ is ) he is a slave and not a pastor : baser than any school-master , philosopher , or physicion , that are not forced to take a scholar , pupil or patient against their will , or that will not take them for their teacher or physicion , and obey them . § . . yet if on this pretence any bishop or pastor will impose unnecessary covenants , promises or professions on the church or any christians , and make their wills a law , and oblige men to give them any other belief or obedience than truly belongeth to the pastoral office , and so will set up a tyranny instead of a christian ministry , they are not herein to be obeyed , lest we be guilty of the corruption . § . . yea if every integral part of the pastors power and the peoples duty be put into such promises or contracts , and the people required to profess their consent , as a necessary condition of their communion , it is sinful tyranny , contrary to gods law and common reason and the constant practice of the primitive church . christ himself requireth unto baptism no other consent as necessary , save to the essentials of religion . a thousand integrals may be unknown to the baptized , and are so to most christians : it is our duty never to think , speak or do amiss ; but christ maketh not such duty necessary to our baptism , christianity or church communion . it is the duty of every member of a single church , to hear , believe and obey the pastor in many things where the best may fail . to excommunicate a man therefore for not subscribing or professing assent to some unnecessary doubtful form , for not being convinced by a lay-chancellours sayings in a doubted case , or for not paying the court fees , or for not appearing the day that one is summoned to appear at the chancellours court , and such like , are but tyrannical schismatical acts . the king himself is satisfied with the oaths of allegiance and supremacie , and doth not require all the subjects , no nor the wisest lawyers or judges , to swear , subscribe or profess , that they assent and consent to all the laws of the land . § . . . the great controversie of the age and many ages , is about the true and formal difference between the lowest species of churches , which is called a particular or single church , and an association of churches or a compound church : that we may not confound them , nor make a meer gradual difference in the same species to pass for a specifick difference . and there is more lyeth on this than most observe . and therefore i determine it here in the definition . . it is commonly granted that there must be christian assemblies fixed for ordinary communion in gods worship . . and it is agreed that these assemblies cannot be held without the officiating and conduct of ministers of christ , authorized to teach and administer the sacraments ( though there be also another sort of assemblies , even for some religious exercises , which may be held by princes , judges and other lay-men . ) . and it is by grotius and many others manifested , that christ formed his churches more to the similitude of the synagogue than the temple state of order and worship . . and it is agreed that though apostles , evangelists , and other itinerant preachers might gather sacred assemblies where they came , and were as transient temporary pastors to them , yet the apostles were guided by the spirit to settle elders in every church , as is proved before . but here men make a great and distracting controversie , . whether this first church-species may not consist of many congregations , yea , many hundreds or thousands ? . and whether every church of the lowest species must have a bishop ? § . . to decide this controversie i do in the definition express the specification of this church relation from the end , as all such kind of relations must be . it must be a fixed association of christians [ for personal presential communion and assistance in holy doctrine , worship &c. ] this definition is necessary and herein sufficient . . it is necessary that a difference be noted between a single church and a composition of churches : because , . several ends shew us that they are not univocaly called churches but are of several sorts . . the first is past controversie of divine institution : the other are by some men taken for divine , by some for lawful humane , and by some for sinful inventions , and additions to gods appointed order . things that so much differ must be differenced . . it is sufficient as . assigning the true specifying end , . and avoiding all extreams . . it assigneth the true end : for that churches of such a sort , for that end were settled by the apostles , none deny : . it justly differenceth them from all other societies : . there may be occasional meetings of part of a church , for want of room , or liberty , in private houses , chapels , or oratories ; independents , presbyterians and diocesans grant this : but these still acknowledge themselves to be but parts of a larger society consenting to the same specifying ends ; and assembling sometimes with that larger body and sometimes apart , by reason of impediments , ( age , weakness , distance , weather , persecution &c ) : and though a parish ( as many ) have far more than can meet at once together , yet , . still the ends of the association is for that sort of communion : . some of a family may meet one day and some another and some a third . . every error and corruption altereth not the species of the church : the individuals that fail and absent themselves make not parochial communion to be another thing for other ends . a parochial church then is the lowest and first true species of churches . . and this distinguisheth it from all compound churches , which are not for present ordinary communion in publick worship and discipline , but only for distant communion by officers , delegates or letters . . a synod is for consultation , and not purposely congregated for ordinary communion in worship , and the churches which send their bishops or pastors thither have not personal presential communion one with another ever the more ; but only mediate by delegates or officers . they may dwell a thousand miles or more from one another . if all the schoolmasters in several kingdoms should hold provincial , national , or much larger synods for agreement in teaching and governing their schools , this would not confound such a synod with a school , as if they were of the same species of society . . this distinguisheth a single church from the papal pretended universal policy ; and from a patriarchal church , and from a provincial , and a diocesan church in the sense now used : for these are compounded of several single churches ; and they are not a society at all associated for ordinary personal presential communion in gods worship and holy living : only they are all under one general governour , not using to meet themselves nor ever seeing one another . now if to be under one absent general bishop be that which specifyeth a single or particular church , then all that called the roman catholick church is but one single church , compounded of no churches : or one patriarchal or provincial or national church , were the lowest species , and a single church , and so the diocesans were none . but if that which maketh it a single church of the lowest species were that no bishop is under them , but that they are under one sole bishop , then . if all england had but one bishop ( as many tell us all abassia hath but one called the abunah ) or if a patriarch put down all the bishops under him , this church of his would be but a single church . . and then there would be no such thing as a church associated for personal presential communion , which i have proved that the apostles by the spirit settled . § . . those that tell us that a diocesan church is the first or lowest species of divine institution , do either mean by a diocess such a society as we now call a parish , associated for presential communion , or a church made of many such associated under one bishop : if the first , they differ only about the name , in which they go against our common use , and are not intelligible by the vulgar . though in old church writers a diocess is sometimes taken as greater than a province and sometime as less , and a parish and a diocess are sometimes used for the same , and sometime not , yet that diversity of naming hindreth us not from knowing the difference of the things , either as defined , or as commonly now denominated a parish church and a diocess . and if their meaning be to prove that single churches essentiated by their association for present personal communion , are not of gods institution , no intelligent impartial christians will believe them , who understand the scripture and the state of the primitive churches , and the reason of the thing . did men believe this , they would believe that christ had instituted no church order or form at all ; much less being to be said for the rest than this . and even those few that say that no form of church government is settled by god , do yet grant that setled congregations for ordinary worship and mutual help with their guiding pastors are of divine right ; and so confute themselves ; unless they mean only that pastoral government of compounded churches is not jure divino . § . . and some called presbyterians distinguish between a worshipping church , and a governed church , and tell us that the lowest governed church should consist of divers worshipping churches . it may sometime contein divers subordinate by-meetings as chapels for them that must needs be oft absent from the full assembly : but that it must have many such , or that it must or may have many full settled worshipping churches , that personally communicate still distantly only in their several parishes , is contrary to scripture , antiquity and reason ; and denyeth the first instituted church form . thorndikes first books which fetch the reason of church government from assemblies , were far truer than his later , in which he seemed to dream of a humane universal policy . § . . either a bishop as distinct ( in order or degree ) from presbyters is necessary to the being of a church of divine institution , or not : if not , then it may be a church without such a bishop , and have accordingly the rights of a church ( in the proper political sense now intended by the word [ church . ] ) and then the old sayings would not be true , . of ignatius that [ to every church there is one altar , and one bishop with his fellow presbyters and deacons ] . of cyprian , that ubi episcopus ibi ecclesia : . of hierome and others , ecclesia eft pl●bs adunat a episcopo . if yea , then . our parish priests are true bishops , or else the parish churches are no true churches , but chapels , as wanting an essential part . . and then there are no churches in england of the lowest species ( for present communion , &c. ) . and then it will be hard to confute them that say , no form of church government is jure divino or instituted of god. . and the form of government being the specifying form of the policy or church , it will follow that god hath instituted no churches but the universal as headed by christ . . and if you will confess to the separatists that we have no churches of gods institution , you will never heal their separation . § . . i am therefore past all doubt that if it can be proved that a bishop is necessary to every true church , that every parish should have a bishop , and if arch-bishops be good and meet , the diocesans should be their arch-bishops . and that deposing the parish bishops and churches is a heinous corrupting crime . but if bishops be not necessary to a church as such , the case is otherwise . § . . it is therefore of great importance that single churches be neither too great nor too small . if too small , they will want . the honour of fulness , . and the cheering help of praising god in great assemblies , . and the mutual counsel and vigilant help of many , . and the safe guidance of many presbyters ( or a bishop and presbyters ) which a few people cannot expect . and if it be too great , it will . hinder the comfort of those that want room in the church assembly , . or cause the church to degenerate into another sort of society . it is best therefore that it should be as great as that all the people who are constant worshippers of god on the lords days may meet in one place , where they have liberty , chapels or lesser meetings being allowed to the aged , weak , sick or very distant ; yet all that are able coming sometime to the common church . § . . the first degenerating of single churches grew . out of the ambition of the pastors to , extend their power as far as they could ; . and out of a desire in the people to see their assemblies as honourable for greatness , number , and concord as they might ; . and out of a conceit that one city should have but one bishop and so be one governed church . and hereupon at alexandria and rome they began to have several fixed chapels in the same city and neighbour villages , and the bishop to send curate-presbyters to them as he pleased , yet so that at first they communicated frequently in the bishops church . after that these presbyters were fixed and gave them the sacraments where they came : after that they were tyed to come to the bishops church for communion but at easter , whitsontide , or some great and rare seasons : after that they were so many and far off , that they were no more obliged to come at all , or to hear or see the bishop , but only to be distantly ruled by him , and their presbyters . then many countrey parishes got bishops : but the city bishops disagreeing with them , long after got them down . § . . were it true that every city in the old sense should have a bishop and but one , it would follow that every corporation or great town or borough ( called market towns ) in england should have one ; the word [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] signifying such of old . and were it so , and the countrey parishes adjoyning made chapels and distributed accordingly to the several towns , it would be like the old state of the church about three hundred and four hundred and five hundred years after christ , and much better than it is , though not as it should be . § . . . the remote ends are mentioned in the definition , viz. the right worshipping and obeying god , the welfare of the church-universal ( for the parts all contribute to the perfection of the whole ) ; and the glory and pleasing of god are the common ultimate end of all . § . . by all this it appeareth what is necessary to make a particular church , and to make a man a member of it : and that it is not necessary hereto that the person be a member of a compound church , diocesan , provincial , patriarchial , national or papal ( whatever it be to some of these on any other accounts ) : nor yet that he make any unnecessary profession , promise or covenant . § . . but to the actual communion with such a church in exercise , the nature of the thing maketh it necessary that the people consent and be guided by their pastor in the circumstances belonging to his office , which are necessary in genere ( to be some way determined ) but not necessary in specie vel individuo ( this rather than that ) . for instance : they that will have communion in publick worship , must meet in some capacious place , at some day , some hour : if any one will not come to that place , at that time appointed , he separateth from that communion in that act . the scripture must be read in some translation , some order . if any say i will not communicate with you unless you use another translation , another order ( without verses , and chapters ) or read some other parts , he so far separateth from that church : in singing psalms if he will not joyn in that version , that psalm , that tune which the church useth , he so far separateth : if he will not hear the preacher unless he change his text , his method , or use notes , or no notes , and so in such cases will not follow but lead , he separateth so far : for all cannot be leaders , and be of one mind . but if the minister will say , [ you shall not communicate with us unless you will swear , or say , or do some unnecessary thing ] it is he then that is the divider , and unjustly casteth out a christian . chap. vii . what are the necessary terms of concord of these single churches with one another , in the same kingdome or in divers . § . . that they be under the government of a christian magistrate is necessary to the well-being or great advantage of them , though not to the being , of which more in due place . § . . that they live as neighbour churches in unity of faith and love , and avoid all things contrary , and to their power help each other according to need and opportunity , is their duty . § . . it is necessary that they agree in all things necessary to the communion of men as members of the church universal , mention'd before ; and in all things essential to particular churches . § . . if any one excommunicated justly for heresie , apostasie , or impenitence , in any crimes , shall offer to defile and endanger any other church by intrusion or deceit , the church which cast him out is bound by the laws of love and concord , to send notice to such endangered neighbour churches of the person and his case , to prevent their hurt : and unless the church that cast him out have criminally forfeited their credit , other churches are bound by the law of charity to take their sentence as probably just , and not to receive the ejected person , till he have either proved his sentence unjust , or profess repentance . not that they are bound absolutely to exclude him and deny him audience ( though yet they claim no superiority over the church that excommunicated him ; ) but as neighbours and parts of the same church universal , they must hear both sides before they deny any christian communion that claimeth it ; at least when his allegations have great probability of truth , and seem to weigh down all that they have received against him . and they may absolve the criminal upon a just profession of true repentance , but such a prosession will not stand with a refusal to confess in the same church where the man sinned , without some special probable reason ; it being that church which is most wronged by the scandal , and hath heard the causes . § . . if any church ( in the same kingdom or another ) be accused of violating the christian faith , or of any crime which christians are bound to disown by avoiding the criminal , it is the duty of the accused church to be ready to satisfie the offended churches , by answering the accusation ; not as to rulers by the reasons of obedience , but as to christian neighbours by the rule of common equity and love , and for the preservation of unity and peace . § . . if the charge be but general , ( that the church is guilty of heresie or unsoundness in the faith ) it is the duty of the accused church to send to the offended the profession of their faith and religion , which need to be no more than this , which the offended ought to take as satisfactory . we hereby profess that we stand to our baptismal covenant , fiducially believing in god the father , son and holy ghost , our creator , redeemer and sanctifier , and give up our selves to him accordingly in these relations , believing the articles of all the creeds in which the universal church ever agreed , and desiring the things contained in the lords prayer , and consenting to obey the ten commandements as delivered to us in nature and by christ ; and we profess our obligation and consent , to believe , love and obey all that we do or shall understand to be the revealed word of god , even the sacred canonical books of scripture , and in this common belief , and love and practice , to livein the communion of the unniversal church of christ : renouncing the devil , the world and the flesh as they are enemies to any of this , and all doctrines , desires and practices , contrary hereunto , so far as unfeignedly to endeavour to res●●t and overcome them , and when we 〈◊〉 and sin , to rise by true repentance ; and all this in hope of the love of god the father , the grace of the son , in our pardon , justification and adoption , and the communion of the holy ghost , and of the perfection of these and of our selves with the church in everlasting glory . this may be briefly exprest in baptism and to present persons that may receive our explications where they doubt of our understanding or sincerity : but to distant suspecting persons or churches , such largeness is useful ; and this is enough . § . . but if any particular heresie or crime be charged on a neighbour church , it is not to be believed without proof , nor they to be disclaimed till the charge be sent to them , and their defence be heard ; and herein they ought to offer satisfaction to the offended church , . by denying the charge if false ; . by explaining words and actions which are ambiguous and to be suspected : . in controverted cases , by renewing the foresaid profession of all that is necessary explicitely to be held , and promising to renounce any opinion or practice as soon as they perceive it contrary thereto ; . and in all cases of words or deeds expressly contrary to gods doctrine or law , or which they shall be convinced to be sinfull , to confess the errour or crime , and humbly crave the prayers of the church for pardon , and profess their purpose of future reformation . ] this is the means , and this is enough for the offenders satisfaction : and if the errour be no real and discerned denyal of any necessary article of faith , but an undiscerned remote consequential contrariety , with which the professed holding of that particular necessary article which they seem to overthrow may stand , that church ( or person ) is not to be rejected from communion , or hereticated . for instance , if a church be accused to be nestorians , or eutychians , or monothelites , their answer ought to be [ mary is the mother of christ who is god , and in that sense , of god , but not of the deity , or as god ] . and [ christs na●ures , wills , and operations , are two as distinct , but not two as divided . ] but if they have not so much ( easie ) skill to explain themselves , but say rudely as nestorius [ i will not say that god was two or three months old ] or as cyril and eutychius and dioscorus [ christs natures were two before the union , but since one and not two ] , if withal they prosess that they believe christ to be true god and true man in one person , and do not destroy , deny or confound the godhead and manhood or any other essential point of faith or religion , they ought not to be hereticated or rejected . § . no church hath power or duty to deny any other communion to another church or person , but such as they had power to grant them . but to remote persons or churches , never seen by them ( as in other lands or countries ) they can grant them no presential local communion but only mental : therefore they can eject them from none but mental : they cannot take from them what they never had nor are capable of : but we in london never had local communion with them of vienna , paris , rome , &c. nor ever saw them . all therefore that they can do is to account those hereticks or wicked or apostates , whom before they accounted good christians , and to declare that they own them not as fellow christians , and would not communicate with them , did they live among them ; and to warn others that are in danger of them to avoid them , and this not as an act of government over them , but of common christian duty for the honour of our common religion and in charity to others . the just renouncing of mental or local communion by equals , or neighbours , much differs from a governing commanding excommunication , forbiding other churches as their subjects to communicate with such on certain penalties ; which is the usurpation of popes , patriarchs and some others who claim such governing power without proof . chap. viii . vi. what is necessary to the civil peace and concord of christians , and what is the part of the christian magistrate about religion , as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein . § . . the contentions of the world here call us to resolve these several doubts , . who it is that should have the power of the sword or magistracy ? . how it is to be used towards all men as men in society ? . how it is to be used for the service of christ and good of the church ? in encouraging some and tolerating others , and keeping peace among them all ? § . . it is here supposed that the subject is understood , and that we are agreed what the magistrates power is , at least de re , though not de definitione vel de nomine : that is , it is the power of governing by the sword , that is , of making laws , and judging according to them , and executing them by outward force on mens bodies or estates . and so it is contradistinguished from the power called ministerial , pastoral , priestly or ecclesiastical ; which is the gathering and guiding of christian churches by gods word preached , expounded and applyed . the nature of each and their differences i have formerly opened in a small treatise written purposely on that subject to end the erastian controversie . ( and bishop bilson fuily openeth them in his excellent book of christian obedience &c. ) the magistrate hath power forcibly to seize on offenders estates and bodies , to imprison , mutilate , scourge , strike and kill them that deserve it , and to make laws and judge men unto such punishments . the ministers of christ or pastors of the churches have no such power but only to declare gods laws to the people , and convert and baptize the wicked unbelievers , and teach them the word and will of christ , and guide them in publick worship , and communion , and judge who is capable thereof , and to require the people in the name of christ to love and receive the worthy , and to avoid the unworthy , and to resolve the peoples particular doubts , and by personal application to pronounce and declare gods acceptance of penitent believers , and his promise to save them , and his decree to condemn the ungodly , unbelievers , impenitent and hypocrites . § . . this difference is commonly acknowledged by the generality of sober christians : but one schismatical writer against schism , will needs call this pastoral power coactive , coercive , or forcing also , though he confess that it is not a power to touch mens bodies or estates ; that so by casting out all differencing names , he may hide the acknowledged difference of the power , and execution . and his reason for this errour de nomine is , [ because , suspension and excommunication are executed on the involuntary , and compel those that believe the power , and fear them , to obey . ] where , . the word compel containeth the confusion ; compelling the mind by meer argument , being not the compelling by corporal force which we are speaking of : . and every man that chideth , reproveth or threatneth a sinner , usually doth it to the involuntary : and if he believe him and yield , he will obey : and if you argue from his future danger or suffering , it is the fear of it that moveth him : but the fear of gods declared threatnings , is not the same as the fear of mans stripes , imprisonments , unless &c. . and excommunication worketh on no mans body further than it worketh on his conscience to make him a voluntary agent . if you denounce damnation against him , it moveth him no further than he believeth you as applying to him the word of god. if you forbid him to be present or take the sacrament , and he refuse to obey , you may not forcibly thrust him out , without the magistrates consent , but only suspend your own act of delivery , or depart : if you command the people to avoid him , they will no further obey you than they perceive gods authority in your words , and are convinc't in conscience of their duty : and every sermon may thus compel men : and all that judge the sentence unjust and powerless , will despise it . § . . . there are four or five opinions about the possessors of this forcing power by the sword or violence : the first of them that say , it belongeth to all magistrates christian and unchristian . the second of them that say , it belongeth only to christian magistrates : the third of them that say , it belongeth to orthodox magistrates or catholick only and not to hereticks : the fourth of those that say , that the judicial part in cases of religion belongeth to the pope , prelats or presbyters , and the executive only to the magistrate . the fifth of those that say that both judicial and executive belong to the pope , prelats and priests : i may add a sixth of them that say , it is radically in the people . § . . . as to the first , it is undoubtedly true , if you distinguish between the office , power , and the aptitude of the person to perform it . the office of a supreme ruler is the same in all , but all are not equally capable of performing it . that is , it is the same as described by gods command of their performance . as he commandeth infidels to believe and communicate with the church , but not to communicate before they believe ; so he commandeth infidel princes to believe and to govern the christian affairs : but to govern them as they are capable . the common laws of nature , justice and peace among christian subjects , an infidel prince may and must see executed : the laws of christ revealed supernaturally , he ought to understand , believe and execute : but till he understand and believe them , he cannot execute them . and therefore wants the disposition and ability to do what he had command and authority to do ; but to do it only in the due manner , to which his sin disableth him : and so his power is in him incomplete . § . . i confess it is a very hard question , how an atheist can be said to have any governing right from that god whom he denyeth , any more than a constable from the king from whom by rebellion he revolteth : and also since all power in heaven and earth is given to christ , how an infidel that renounceth him can be said to be authorized by him . and i can no otherwise resolve it , than by distinguishing of a king or ruler , that is such simpliciter , and one that is such but secundum quid : . one that is tolerated in the place by god the soveraign , and one that is also approved : . one that the people are bound to obey only in tantum for civil order , peace and safety ; and one that they must obey in matters of religion , and whom god will not condemn as an usurper in part . the case is much the same as that : how far subjects that are necessitated to live under a foolish prince must obey him ; which is , . so far as it is no wrong to another : . so far as is necessary to the due honour of the office which he possesseth : . so far as is needful to the common peace , order and safety , and to our own , and to the ends of government ; but so as still to desire a better , and by just means to endeavour it , but not by sin , or that which is worse to the common-wealth than his foolishness is . § . . ii. the same answer mutatis mutandis will serve to the second : a heretick truly so called or a wicked man , or persecutor hath radical remote power to all a princes work ; but he hath immediate full power to no more than he can do according to gods laws : and in so much he is to be obeyed , and in nothing that is against them . § . . iii. the office of orthodox rulers is the same fundamentally and radically : but their full nearest power is greater because their capacity is greater . but yet even they are never to be obeyed against the laws of god , which give them their power and limit it , and are theirs and their subjects highest rule . § . . iv. the papists commonly , and many prelatists , and some presbyterians say , that about causes of heresie , or church communion , the church is to judge and the prince to execute the churches judgement . but with great difference : some presbyterians only say that the magistrate ought upon the bare judgement of the church to force the excommunicate person from the assembly if he intrude : and the independents will say as much as this : and indeed this is but to keep peace ; it being due to a family that none intrude against their will : but yet as a prince or judge may right a servant , child or wife , so may they the excommunicate , when it is proved that they are wronged ; and therefore may to that end re-examine the cause . but other presbyterians and diocesans say that when the church hath excomunicated a man , the magistrate is bound to force him by imprisonment , fines , or corporal penalties to repent and be reconciled : and the papists say that men judged hereticks he must burn or banish : which is all false , as shall be proved in the third book . § . . v. the fifth sort hold , that as melchizedek and christ were both priests and kings , so it should be now : and some say ( before confuted ) that every king is the chief priest ; and others that the chief priest should be king ; and that the pope is the universal monarch having both swords , spiritual and corporal : but as to the execution , bishops are to obey him in excommunicating hereticks ( that is , his adversaries ) and kings in killing or banishing , otherwise he may depose both kings and bishops : but against this more in due place . § . . vi. as to the radical power of the people i have said so much against it in my christian directory in confutation of richard hookers ecclesiastical policie , that i need to add no more . in my political aphorismes i more fully opened this . i conclude with the common christian judgment , that the civil magistrate only hath the power of ruling by the sword . § . . ii. as to the second case , how the magistrates power is to be used towards all men in common , i answer in short , . all are agreed that the good of the commonwealth is the end of government , as the terminus of a relation which essentiateth it : it is not government univocally but equivocally which is not for the common good , really or visibly , intentionally , really or pretendedly . § . . . every true member of the common-wealth hath a right to a part in this common good , till he forfeit it . § . . . every member hath not an equall right because all have not equal capacity or worthiness . § . . . it is as hard a question : how far an atheist or infidel is a rightful member of a common-wealth , as how far such a one may be a rightful governour . and , . it is certain that as to obligation he is a subject of god and man , and bound to obey : as an atheist king possessing the place is bound to rule well , and smneth by not doing it : . it is certain that as a man , he hath a fundamental conditional right to the priviledges of a good subject , that is , if he will be such a one . . a negative not-knowing god or christ , much differeth from a positive denying him , rebelling and opposing : as catechumens that know not god or christ are not anathematized as deniers and opposers are ; because they are teachable , and coming towards the church , though not of it ; so in a christian commonwealth , such are members in a large sense , secundum quid , and forfeit not their lives , liberties or estates , but are only candidates as to the rewards and preferments and special priviledges of worthy members , who either rule or have a voice in choosing rulers . but being willing to learn to know god and christ , they should with love and kindness be encouraged and drawn on . . but in a kingdom of such as know not god or christ they must have rule and priviledges because there are no fitter to have them : but such a kingdom is to god no otherwise his subjects than such a person before described is . . but those that after sufficient instruction deny and oppose god as god , do forfeit the protection and common liberty of subjects in a kingdom , that confesseth god ; and those that deny christ in a christian kingdom and oppose him as christ , do forfeit the common protection of christian subjects : but wise men think that because the deity is of natural revelation by all gods works to all men as men , and christ only of supernatural revelation by the gospel and the work of faith more difficult , therefore the opposers of a deity , forfeit their lives if they continue obstinate ; but the enemies of christ only forfeit their place in a christian commonwealth and should be banished if obstinate : as the meer ignorance of him , keepeth such out of the church till they believe : but then denying or opposing christ deserveth ejection with anathema . § . . . all men then must by the magistrate be used as men according to their natures , and not as bruits , and therefore must be instructed and ruled by laws of reason , and led towards christianity and the hopes of future felicity : and if they sin against the laws of humanity , they so far forfeit the priviledges of humanity ; or are to be punished as the ends of the society require . § . . iii. to the third question , how magigistracie ( or the sword or forcing power ) is to be used , for christ and for his church , and on christians as such , who is to be rewarded , punished or tolerated for the churches vnity and edification and preservation . i answer , i. in general ; men should be used as men ; christians as christians : the weak as weak ; the strong as strong , and the eminently wise and good as such : the criminal as criminal . and all this with chief respect to the laws of god and the common good . § . . ii. more particularly , . negatively : . the magistrate cannot make men believers by the sword : he cannot make the ignorant wise , nor the wicked godly at the heart . § . . . he ought not to force men to lie , by professing themselves to be what they are not , or to know or believe or do what they do not : therefore he may not make a law that all men shall be compelled to profess themselves christians , or godly persons , or any that are not such indeed ; and therefore none must be compelled to it , because no man knoweth who are such : but every man must be the voluntary professor of his own faith and piety . § . . . he ought not to force the weak to profess that they are strong , or know or believe more than they do : either to profess those measures of wisdom , those articles of faith that are not essentials , or those measures of affection or practice which are proper to strong christians : and for not professing such things , or covenanting accordingly he may not deny them any priviledges belonging to christians as such , but only such as are proper to wiser and stronger christians . § . . . princes and other magistrates may not make themselves the lictors or executioners to the clergie , to punish men with fines , imprisonment , banishment or death eo nomine because they stand excommunicate by the clergy , without trying whether it was rightly or wrongfully done , and whether the crime be such as should be so punished by them . excommunication if just is it self a dreadful punishment , & no man is to be punished for being punished . if it be for not repenting , . he must first be sure that it was a crime : . and that god hath appointed this way to force men to repentance : . and that such forced repentance must go for true . but when the excommunication is unjust , the magistrate must not second it with oppression : it is enough to be so much wronged by the clergy , more should not be added for that cause , nor must the magistrate suppose the clergy to be unerring , and so lay by the person of a judge himself and become the blind executioner of their sentence . § . . ii. affirmatively ; the christian magistrates office is , [ to promote the common good of the people , and their salvation , and the pleasing and glory of god , by preserving and promoting piety , love , justice and peace , even mens obedience to all the laws of god , in nature and scripture . § . . therefore as the means , . he must promote to his power the due publication or preaching of the gospel , and the subordinate means that are needful thereunto : . he must by just means restrain and punish the gross violators of gods laws ; and must encourage the obedient and good . § . . therefore , iii. he must deal differently with his subjects as they differ ; according to this common distribution : they are i. not christians who are . enemies of the church , or of christianity . . neglecters of christianity . . candidates or catechumens seekers . ii. christians who are to be considered as . personally qualified , and so they are . eminently wise , good and strong . . of a middle sort or degree . . ignorant , culpable and weak . . relatively as being . only christians of the universal church and no particular , . not yet entred into particular churches . . separated from them . . cast out of such only . . in particular churches , which are either . consociate viz. under . the pope . . diocesans . . presbyteries . . independent , and diverse . . opposites and adverse . . in their practice , which is either . laudable , to be encouraged and promoted . . tolerable . . intolerable . i shall therefore briefly shew how each of these sorts are to be used by a wise and righteous christian prince or other magistrate : though somewhat is said already to the first . § . . i. the enemies and opposers of christianity are , . to be wisely and soberly restrained from any effectual dangerous hindering of it : by moderate means if they are moderate , and by greater severity if they be violent and inhumane . . as far as obstinacy maketh them uncapable , light and love should be used to win them with the example of our better lives : in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves , if god peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth , that they may escape out of the snare of satan , tim. . . § . . ii. the neglecters of christianity are to be instructed and excited : and therefore , . by perswasion , . or necessary moderate penalties , constrained only to hear what can be said for it . § . . iii. the seekers or willing candidates are to be clearly and skillfully and patiently taught , and encouraged by love . § . . iv. eminent christians are to be made the teachers and rulers of the rest ; and to have praise and best encouragement . § . . v. the middle sort of christians must be governed and instructed , with encouragement to grow , and the body of a christian common-wealth well ordered will be most of such . § . . vi. the ignorant , faulty and weak must be pityed and gently used , but as children , under more teaching , restraint and necessary rebukes , than better men . § . . vii . those that are not yet entred into any particular churches communion , under any known particular pastor , if necessarily such ( as persons that have no dwelling , but wander up and down , as pedlars &c. ) are to be pityed and suffered , if we cannot help them to better . those that being baptized only into the universal church ( as wanderers children &c. ) and are not come to knowledge or desire , should be taught , and perswaded into church order as a second sort of catechumens : those that are hindred by the disorder or persecution of the place and times , must be pityed and patiently born with . § . . viii . those that separate from one or other particular churches if by some great crime , and abuse must be used according to their fault as is after shewed about practice : but if either by tolerable weakness , or outward necessity they depart but from one church , they must be received into others : if from all particular churches ( as some called seekers ) and not from the universal , they must be used as the seventh sort ( those not yet entred . ) § . . ix . those that are cast out unjustly must be pityed and allowed entrance into another church : those that are cast out justly must . remain under that penalty and shame till they repent ; . and also be further used according , to their crime ; whether murder , fornication , theft , perjury , &c. as the law punisheth such offenders : if it befor infidelity or apostasie , they must be used as the churches deserters or adversaries , as aforesaid , and restrained from opposing it . § . . x. the papists should be used as men and as the faultier and weaker sort of christians , but so as , . may secure princes from being unwillingly subjected to a foreign usurper or being abused by him or his agents ; and as may secure the people from the efficacy of their laws , for burning , killing and exterminating them : . and so as they may be soberly restrained from such seducing and hurting the souls of others as is after proved to be intolerable . § . . xi . diocesans that are as arch-bishops and destroy not parish churches , episcopacy and discipline , are to be numbred either with the promoted or tolerated party as they are taken by the rulers for the best or second . but those that would unchurch parish churches and make them but chapels , and set up only one tribunal for the discipline of many hundred parishes , and thereby make discipline impossible , and deprive particular churches of the rights given them by the spirit of christ in his apostles , or would silence and persecute faithful ministers , or oppress the flocks , should be restrained from such abuse and tyranny by the prince . § . . xii . the very same i say of the synods and classes of presbyters , whether provincial or national . § . . xiii . churches are not to be discountenanced meerly because they are so independent , as not to be over and under each other in a regimental way , no more than scholes of grammer or philosopy or other sciences or arts : but the magistrate must make them dependent on him as his governed subjects ; and must exhort them to that dependence on each other as is necessary to their mutual help and peace ; and moderately urge them hereto for religion sake . § . . xiv . adverse , contentious , militate churches , must be restrained from abusing one another , and destroying christian love and peace : and justices of the peace should keep peace among them and correct railers , slanderers and peace-breakers . § . . xv. but the main care concerneth practice ; and here the sound in faith , the charitable , the peaceable and of good conversation , should be promoted , praised and maintained , with special favour and approbation . § . . xvi . the meerly tolerable ( as to doctrine , charity and conversation ) should be defended and kept in peace . § . . xvii . the intolerable must be suppressed or restrained according to the quality of their offence . § . . to these great ends ( as campanella , would have every sovereign to have three sorts of councils under him , one for learning and religion , another for civil affairs and another for war , so ) it may be wished however that the prince have a council that shall specially take care of religion and the necessary subservient learning : and that there be drawn up three several catalogues or laws for these various ranks of christians : that is , i. the foredescribed necessary parts of christianity and communion , ( the baptismal covenant , creed , lords prayer and the essentials of ministry and communion ) which all tolerated ministers shall subscribe to or profess , having also testimonials of their competent abilities , piety and peaceableness . ii. some of the great sort of integrals added , that are needful , plain and certain , and therefore it is best in the very words of scripture which all agree to , and this to be consented to by the approved and preferred ministers , who shall have the temples and publick countenance and maintenance . iii. a catalogue of doctrines of so great use as that none be suffered to preach or privately dispute against them ; and a catalogue of sins , which none may commit : and those that break either of these laws , and subscribe not to the essentials first mentioned to be judged intolerable ( till reformed ) in the ministry . who shall be judged intolerable in the commonwealth , the first rank of enemies here considered sheweth . and what private members shall be tolerated in the churches may be gathered from what is said , viz. those that joyn with the tolerated ministers , and violate not this last prohibiting law , by incorrigible opposition to the truth here intimated , or by wicked or unpeaceable behaviour . § . . it is here supposed that the catalogue imposed on the approved maintained ministers be not of too many things , nor of any , but great and sure : and they that will needs stretch it to the utmost of plain and certain truths , need no other catalogue of the third rank : and were it not that men are very inclinable to overdo in rigor against dissenters , i should rather leave out the third catalogue ; and that which the tolerated be forbidden to preach against , should be but the same catalogue which the approved must subscribe , and so two will be enough , so be it that all unpeaceable preaching as to the manner be restrained by the justices of peace . § . . this rule the antient churches followed : and when they suppressed the intolerable heresies , they tolerated the novatians even in constantinople : and the worst bishops were most against their toleration ( as nestorius and such like ) , and the best dealt gentliest and lovingly with them , and thereby did more for the peace of the church than the overdoers . the lordly turbulency of theophilus and cyril with epiphanius's silly passion , set all on a flame against chrysostome and his joannites , which the wisdom and peace of two peaceable patriarchs soon quenched . § . . that the integrals to be subscribed by the approved ministers be not too many , is requisite , . because it is not many things that are necessary to be preached : read the preachings or doctrine of christ and his apostles , and you may soon see this : and they need to subscribe no more than they need to preach . . because else overdoing will be undoing ; and unavoidable dissent will cause divisions and distractions . and for the same reason it should be written if possible in the very words of scripture , which though some deride , is of great moment : because nothing more tendeth to avoid division by dissent : for all are agreed of the truth of the scripture , and even they that understand not the words confess them to be true , and take not the liberty to except against them as they will against the words of fallible men . the objections against this are answered after . § . . penalties must not be equal , as offences are not equal : as the approved are not ejected for every fault , so the tolerated are not to be silenced for every fault . a prophane swearer payeth twelve pence an oath : and some faults of preachers are not worse : but some are so great at first , and others by the addition of impenitencie and incorrigibleness , as that they forfeit their toleration . § . . those are to be accounted intolerable who do more hurt than good , and whose silencing and suppression will do more good than harm . all men are faulty and do some harm : and few are so bad as to do no good : but that which prevaileth , must prevail in the judgement of the magistrate . and yet when the suppression of a hurtful person will do by accident much more hurt to the church or commonwealth than the doth ( as it may fall out ) he is not to be so hurtfully suppressed . § . . those therefore are intolerable in the ministry , . who through ignorance or disability are utterly insufficient for the necessary acts of the office ; and so will marr and disgrace the work appointed them , and make religious exercises scorned . . those that are hereticks in a strict sense , that is , that deny any article of faith or practice necessary to salvation , or preach that which plainly overthroweth it . . those that are against or utterly corrupt any necessary part of church-order , or of the publick worship of god ; so as that god accepteth not worship so corrupted , or that it tendethto more hurt than good to the assembly . . those that will not profess the essentials of christianity , ministry and church communion . . those that live such scandalous and wicked lives as disgrace the ministry , and do more hurt than they do good . . those that will not promise and perform necessary diligence in the work of the ministry which they undertake , but idly neglect the flock . . those that by malignity and misapplication of truth , turn their preaching or discourse to the reproach of serious godliness , making people think that it is needless , or hypocrisie . . those that will not promise and perform subjection to the supream governours of the kingdom or republick . . those that will not forbear such reviling of tolerable dissenters , as tendeth plainly to destroy love and peace , and to turn publick assemblies into stages of malignant strife . . those whose religion or opinion is for burning , destroying or exterminating either all dissenters , or the innocent or tolerable , while they call them hereticks ; or that are for the subjecting of kings or states or people to foreign usurpers , or for giving such a foreign usurper power to excommunicate , depose , or murther kings or temporal lords , and absolve their subjects from their oaths of allegiance , or force them to destroy or exterminate their innocent or tolerable subjects ; and that exempt the clergy from subjection to kings . § . . the approved , tolerable and intolerable thus distinguished and thus used by the magistrate , will best answer the ends and interest of christianity , and the laws of christ , and will do as much to preserve love , unity and peace as is on earth to be expected which all other contrary ways will unavoidably violate . chap. ix . objections answered . § . . . some object against any restraint in religion , and the countenancing and preferring of one sort before others , and say that the magistrate should equally tolerate all , or else he will discontent those that are but tolerated , and much more those whom he useth as intolerable ; but this is so unchristian and unreasonable that i think it needless to say much against it . few men that believe there is a god and a life to come , and that religion is mans duty and interest , can believe that god hath appointed government for no higher ends than our bodily peace and safety . if men once believed what divers popes have written , that the office of the priest excelleth the kings , as far as the soul excelleth the body , and as the sun excelleth the stars ; it would cause religious people to set as light by kings , as they do by these worldly things which kings have power over . § . . . obj. but each party think themselves in the right , and kings and parliaments are fallible , and if they trouble those that are in the right , they are persecutors : if others , yet they shall be accounted so . answ . being is before thinking : either the king is in the right , or the sufferers : if they are in the right , either their cause is evident and such as a willing diligent person may understand , or not . if it be clear , the prince is a persecutor that troubleth them . if it be too hard for him , he is unfit to be an active man against them ; for he cannot do it in faith and therefore sinneth , and may be a persecutor for ought he knoweth . if he or they be ignorant through wilfulness or negligence , it will not excuse them . if their cause seem clearly good to them , and clearly bad to him , one of them must needs be sinfully erroneous ; and it is the erring party that god is against , who will be the final judge . § . . . obj. but it is a thing that princes and statesmen are ignorant of : they are not bred up in the study of religion : bishops and clergy-men are liker to understand such matters , and it is their work . ans . . god hath commanded that kings and all rulers study his word : as justices should know the kings laws , the king and they should know gods laws . it is as truly their office to rule by them , as it is the ministers to teach and guide by them . government by the sword and church government by the word and keys are to be exercised according to the same law of god ; and both have their use about causes ecclesiastical , in which we swear the king to be supreme as to that part which is to be done by the sword or corporal force . . this objection long used by popes and their prelates hath been sufficiently confuted by themselves : church history putteth us quite past doubt that it went ill with the church while the clergy had all the power of religion : it hath been popes and prelates and priests that have worse corrupted religion and disgraced the church and embroiled the world in religious quarrels and schisms , than ever emperors and kings have done . thirteen hundred years lamentable experience confuteth such thoughts as many have and as i have sometime been tempted to my self , how well it would go with the church if the disposal of all matters of religion were rather in the hands of the bishops and clergy , than of kings and parliaments . nay rarely are any magistrates so hot for persecution and religious cruelty as the bishops and clergy or those that are stirr'd up by them , against dissenters or one another . the doleful devastations and schisms about nestorianism , eutychinnism , and such like , were caused more by the bishops than the magistrates : and though constantius and valens did much against truth and peace , it was by their clergies instigation . he that will consider the lives of constantine m. theodosius senior , and theodosius junior , a●astasius , &c. and of charles , otho , the henries and others since in the west , will see how much ado the emperors had to keep the prelates from schisms , and confusions : and he that readeth but the laws of the spanish , french and english kings , will see what ado kings had to keep the bishops and priests from filthy fornication and utter corruption of their function . § . . . obj. but if princes meddle with pastors , preachers and religion , when far more of them are bad than good , and erroneous than in the right , it must follow that more good will be hindered by them than evil , and in most places the best will be persecuted by them , and the worst approved and preferred . answ . . and was it not so , and worse under the popes and their prelates ? let their own historians judge . . nay it hath been ill clergy men that have instigated princes to do most of the chief to the church that they have done . . this tells us the calamitous case of mankind , but not at all how to help it . . this argument should urge princes to amend , but not to neglect their duty for fear of doing it amiss . by the like argument in moscovy they have put down preaching , saying , most will preach amiss . and others put down all praying save the reading of imposed words , saying that most else will pray amiss . and so these would restrain princes from governing bishops and preachers and matters ecclesiastical , saying , else they will do most amiss . . but it is supposed that princes have their councils ; and as they consult with lawyers in matters of law , and with souldiers in matters of war , and with physicions in matters of that profession , so they will consult with divines ( as they are called ) in matters of divinity and religion . § . . obj. . but religion is to be perswaded and not forced , which will but make hypocrites . ans . we cannot force men to know or believe ; and we ought not to force them to lie : but they may be restrained from doing notorious mischief , and constrained to hear that they may learn. § . . obj. . but that which you think wrong seemeth right to them , and every mans conscience is his law , and he must obey it , and whatsoever is not of faith is sin . ans . . none but the atheist or irreligious take all . religion to be uncertain : man is naturally animal religiosum , made to serve god in order to future happiness : and religion were no religion if a man could have no satisfactory notice of its truth . . no mans conscience is his law no more than it is the law of the land . it is but as his eye in reading it , a discerner of the law. and mistake is not discerning . . no man ought to take evil for good , nor to do evil because he thinketh it good ; but first to use means for information , and then to judge better , and then to do better . . though whatever is not of saith is sin , yet whatever is of errour is of sin too and not of faith . and we are not for forcing men against their conscience to any thing unnecessary , or any thing which they are uncapable of , but for restraining them from that mischief which an erring judgement leaveth them to , and putting them on necessary duty which they can do : should they not be forced to feed their children if their consciences be against it ? or to pay their debts , or their taxes , tythes and other dues ? § . . obj. . on the other side some ( and more ) will say that any toleration of diversity in religion , especially of assemblies , is contrary to the unity and harmony which should be among christians , and will cherish heart-burnings , and cause differences in the state , and foment seditions and rebellious , no discord having worse effects than those about religion . answ . . to tell us that men are dark and selfish and proud and passionate , and therefore contentious , and that this is the calamity that sin hath brought on all the world , is but to tell us what we all must know : but what 's that to the cure ? all sin , and all discord is contrary to our desired concord , and is our reproach : but shall no sinners therefore be endured ? ye suffer fools gladly , saith st. paul , seeing you yourselves are wise . . will your way of violence make this better or far worse ? will men that really have any religion forsake it for fear of any thing that you can do against them ? it is not religion if it set not god above man. when they suffer by you , will they like you or your opinions the better for hurting them ? or the worse ? if ever you let them out of prison , will they not come out more alienated by exasperation ? if you force the timerous or hypocrites to dissemble to save the flesh , will they not hate you and your doctrine the more as that which soul and body are both oppressed by ? and will not their sufferings move compassion in the people , and your cruelty alienate those that else would never have forsaken you ( what a shameful thing is it to hear and read mens tragical outcries against necessary toleration ( which christianity and humanity plead for ) while they are the causes of that which they exclaim against , and are furiously making it tenfold worse ? ) if diversity in religion be such an evil , cause it not by your unnecessary laws and canons , and making engines to tear the church in pieces , which by the ancient simplicity and commanded mutual forbearance would live in such a measure of love and peace , as may be here expected . are men liker to hate you , or to plot rebellions for being gently used as men , or cruelly like slaves or dogs ? nay slaves are freemen in comparison of those that are dissenters from the pope , if he get them in his power . though it be but for refusing to deny belief to all mens senses , and consequently to gods natural revelation . if you can cure all mens errours , do it ( but begin at home ) . but killing is not curing in the sense of wise physicions or patients . your way cureth errour as the man that was angry with the looking-glass for shewing him his ugly face , did cure it by breaking it into twenty pieces , and then it shewed him twenty ugly faces for one . there are no tolerated sorts among us here that are more accused by all for seditiousness and rebellion when they once got some seeming strength , than the anabaptists and the people called the fifth monarchy men . but have they ever ( even at munster ) made any such horrid slaughters in the world as the great enemies of toleration have done ? did they ever murder people that lived peaceably at once , as the frish papists did ? or forty thousand if not ( as some say ) twice as many , as they did at the french massacre ? or so many thousands if not millions ( say some ) as were kill'd of the albigenses and waldenses in france , piedmont , italy , germany , &c. or did they ever use christians as the inquisition hath done ? or did they ever use emperors as henry the fourth and fifth , and frederick were used ? or kill two kings successively ; as henry the third and henry the fourth of france were killed . nay did ever the novatians , yea or the furious prelatical donatists make such bloody work as hath been made by bishops , councils and emperors for the suppressing of dissenters ? what hath been done at alexandria , antioch , constantinople , jerusalem , rome , i have elsewhere shewed . the late publisher of his travels in egypt ( vaneslup a roman , they say a jesuite ) tells us that egypt is deprived of her ancient sort of inhabitants , destroyed for following dioscorus , and that justinian killed no less than two hundred thousand of them . i believe not his number . but if this be true , the tyrannical hereticaters are the pikes in the pond , and a far more bloody and devouring sort of men , than most of those that they destroy as intolerable . . but it is not yet divers religions that is the subject in dispute : every different opinion or practice , or diversity in some small point in religion , is not a divers religion . he knoweth not what religion is that thinketh that there are as many different religions as there are controversies among religious persons . in a word , bear a little or you must bear more . § . . obj. . but the tolerated will seduce the ignorant , and poison souls : and therefore are no more to be tolerated than murderers , souls being more precious than bodies . answ . . who have poisoned the church and souls with more errors and more palpable , than the papists who are most against toleration ? . the meerly tolerated being discountenanced by authority , have less advantage to deceive men than the approved if as erroneous . . we plead for restraining men from poisoning souls by dangerous doctrines , and not for tolerating that . but every dissenter or mistaking person is not such a poisoner of souls . . the tolerated speaking in publick are more responsible and more easily convicted of their fault , than those that do it secretly where there are no witnesses ; and this your violence cannot hinder . . as their errors will be openly known , so you have advantage openly to confute them , and to keep the people right . § . . obj. . but dissenting teachers will unsay what the approved teachers say , and hinder their work , and steal the hearts of the people from them , and make their calling bur densome to them . answ . . they are to be restrained from preaching against any great sure necessary doctrine or practice . . christ never sent out his ministers with a supposition that none should contradict them ; but with that light and strength which which was to overcome contradiction . do you so debase and disgrace your selves and your religion , as to think or say that it cannot prosper if any be but suffered to speak against you ? . doth the work of christ afford you no more comfort , than shall leave you thus burdened if any will but gainsay you ? how unlike christs ministers or christians do you speak ? . have not you that have sound doctrine , gods promise , the rulers countenance , maintenance and honour , much more to support you , than they that are supposed to have none of these ? . if you tolerate not their open preaching , their secret endeavours , and your seeming cruelty together , will alienate more from you , and make you not only neglected but abhorred . § . . obj. . the number of the erroneous will increase by a toleration . answ . and the number of the ungodly that will say , swear , or do any thing for worldly respects ; will increase by your mistaken way of suppressing them . . it is better that tolerated honest christians erring in tolerable cases do increase , than that they be banished or destroyed , and a worldly ministry thereby lift up , abhorred by the religious , and heading the malignant and prophane against all serious piety . . violence and tyranny against good men for tolerable error , hath already increased that same error more than wiser means would have done , and hath introduced worse . . we have found where i lived ( in worcestershire and the neighbouring counties , warwickshire , staffordshire and shropshire ) in the late times of liberty in religion , that an unanimous , humble , able , diligent ministry frequently and lovingly consulting and all agreeing , did more effectually suppress heresie , error and schism , than violence ever did or would have done . the next parish to me had , a grave , learned , sober anabaptist , b. of d. that had great advantages ; and yet almost all our flocks were kept from the infection : in my own charge ( a great parish of many thousand souls ) where i was above . years , we had no one separate assembly , nor one sectary that i remember , save two or three apostate infidels ( or socinians ) and two or three papists . a faithful agreeing ministry with the advantage of a good cause , we found sufficient to shame all the sectaries , and frustrate most of their endeavours , and to keep the people unanimous and right . § . . obj. . if every one that will may set up for a preacher and gather a congregation , or if the ignorant people shall all choose their own teachers , we shall have ignorance , error and confusion . answ . . i told you that every one that will may not turn preacher . the tolerated are to pass their proper tryal as well as the approved , before they receive their toleration . . the churches commonly chose their own bishops or pastors for near a thousand years after christ , or had a negative consenting voice at least : and many canons did confirm it , yea and decrees of the popes themselves : yea when the popes and emperours in germany ( the henries &c. ) strove about the investing power , it was yet granted that the people should have their electing or free conrsenting power continued . and no man can be really their pastor till they consent : and your contrary course will make worse work . . our way is of all other the safest : two or three locks keep the churches treasure safest . we say , none shall be approved but by three parties consent , nor tolerated but by two or three . the ordainers are to consent to him as a minister , and the people as their minister ; and the magistrate as a tolerated minister : or if any unordained be tolerated ( which i determine not ) at least the people and the ruler must consent , and that upon a just testimonial of his ability , piety and fitness for such toleration . . and yet we speak this but of pastors ; not denying but teachers , and catechizers may be imposed on children , infidels , and others that are not in communion with any particular church . § . . obj. . you would have the church articles , at least for the tolerated , in scripture phrase : and what 's the phrase without the right sence ? how easily may hereticks creep in under such phrases as several men put several sences on ? answ . . is there not truth enough in all the bible in intelligible words necessary to salvation and church communion ? is the scripture as insufficient as the papists make it , without their supplemental traditions or decrees ? and had not the holy ghost skill to speak even things necessary in tolerable intelligible phrase ? who are they that are wiser to reform it ? . almost all words are ambiguous and may be diversly understood : your own invented expositions will be as liable to be wrested by hereticks as the scripture . it is ridculous presumption to talk of making any law , profession or articles that a false heretick may not subscribe to . . but there is another remedy against them : while they conceal their heresie , they are no hereticks in the judgment of the church . non apparere here is as non esse , when they divulge it , the judicatures must correct them . it 's vanity to dream that the law is faulty as long as it is but such as men can break : or that any law can be made which none can break : but as they break them , they are to be judged . . and we must not rack and divide the good , for fear of such letting in the bad . the churches concord and peace is of more regard than the keeping out of some secret heretick : yea of old he was not called a heretick that did not separate from the church . all good men agree to the word of god , but all will not agree to every word of yours . § . . i conclude , in humane affairs there is nothing without imperfection , weakness and incommodity : and to pretend the cure of these by impossibilities , or mischiefs , is the way of such as these thirteen hundred years have been the true schismaticks and distracters of the church . chap. x. a draught or specimen of such forms as are before mentioned , for the approved and the tolerated ministers . § . . tthis chapter should have gone before the ninth : but i thought to pass it by , lest it seem presumptuous . but the observation how ordinarily men miscarry in this work , hath perswaded me to run the hazard of mens censures . § . . . the form to be subscribed by the approved ministry . i a. b. do seriously as in the sight of god profess , that as i have been in baptism devoted by the sacred ▪ covenant to god the father , son and holy ghost , renouncing the devil , the world and the flesh , so far as they are his enemies ; so i do unfeignedly believe in god the father , son and holy ghost , and consent still to that covenant , in hope of the grace and glory promised , obliging my self to continue by the help of that grace , in faith , love and sincere obedience to the end . more particularly . § . . i. i do unfeignedly believe . that there is one only god an infinite spirit of life , understanding and will , most perfectly powerful , wise and good ; incomprehensibly three in one , and one ( essence ) in three ( called persons or subsistences by the church ) , the father , the word and the spirit , of whom and through whom & to whom are all things , he being the creator , preserver , governour , and the ultimate end of all : our absolute owner , our most just ruler , and our most gracious and amiable father and benefactor . . i believe that this god created all the world , things invisible and visible ; and made man in his own image , forming a fit body , and breathing into it a spirit of life , understanding and will ; fitted and obliged to know , love and serve his creator , giving him the inferior creatures for this use , making him their owner , their governour and their end , under god : but specially forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge , on pain of death . . the woman being tempted by satan , and the man by the woman both fell by wilful sin , from their holiness , innocency and happiness , into a state of pravity , guilt and misery , under the slavery of the devil , world and flesh , under gods vindictive justice and the condemnation of his law. whence sinful , corrupted , guilty and miserable natures are propagated to all mankind : and no meer creature is able to deliver us . § . . ii. i believe that god so loved the world , that he gave his only son to be their saviour : who being god and one with the father , took our nature , and became man ; being conceived by the holy ghost , born of the virgin mary , named jesus the christ ; who was perfectly holy , without sin , fulfilling all righteousness , and being tempted overcame the devil and the world , and after a life of humiliation , gave himself a sacrifice for our sins , by suffering a cursed death on the cross , to ransome us and reconcile us unto god , and was buryed , and descended to hades , and conquering death , the third day he rose again : and having sealed the new covenant with his blood , he commanded his apostles to preach the gospel to all the world , and promised the holy ghost : and after forty daiesascended into heaven , where he is god and man , the glorified head , over all things to his church , all power being given him in heaven and earth , our prevailing intercessor with god the father , to present us & our service acceptable to god , and communicate gods grace and mercies unto us ; to teach us , govern , protect and judge us , and to save and bless and glorifie us . § . . . by the new testament , covenant or law of grace , god through the aforesaid mediation of jesus christ , doth freely give to fallen mankind , himself to be their reconciled god and father , his son to be their saviour , and his holy spirit to be their sanctifier and comforter , if they will accordingly believe , and accept the gift , and by faithful covenant give up themselves to him in these relations ; repenting of their sins , and consenting to forsake the devil , the world and the flesh so far as they are enemies to god and their salvation , and sincerely to obey christ , his laws and his spirit to the end , bearing the cross and following him though through sufferings , that they may reign with him in glory : all which god will faithfully perform . § . . iii. i believe that god the holy spirit proceeding from the father , and from ( or by ) the son , was given to the prophets , apostles and evangelists , to be their infallible guide in preaching and recording the doctrine of salvation , and to be the great witness of christ and his truth , by his manifold divine operations . and that he is given to quicken , illuminate and sanctifie all true believers , and to save them from the devil , the world and the fleshes temptations , from sin , and from spiritual misery . and that the holy scriptures indited by this spirit , are to be believed , loved and obeyed as the word of god. § . . . i believe that all who by true consent are devoted to god in the foresaid baptismal covenant , and so continue , are one sanctified church or body of christ , and have communion in the same spirit of faith and love , and have forgiveness of their sins ; and having one god , one christ , one spirit , one faith , one baptism , and one hope of heavenly glory , are bound to keep this unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , in the doctrine , worship , order and conversation and mutual helps , which christ hath by himself or his apostles commanded , avoiding uncharitable contentions , divisions , injuries and offences . and that the baptized covenanters and external professors of the foresaid covenant consent are the visible church universal , and such as we must have outward communion with , though only the sincere believers and consenters shall be saved . § . . . i believe that at death the spirits of the justified go to happiness with christ , and the souls of the wicked to misery . and that at the end of this world , christ will come in glory , and will raise the bodies of all men from death , and will judge all according to their works : and that the righteous shall go into everlasting life , where being perfected themselves , they shall see god , and perfectly love and praise him in joy , with christ and all the glorified church : and that the rest shall go into everlasting punishment , where their worm never dyeth and their fire is never quenched . § . . ii. as i believe thus in god , the father , son and holy ghost , according to the sacred scriptures , and the creeds and constant profession of the universal christian church , so i do unfeignedly continue to give up my self presently , absolutely and resolvedly , to this god my creator , redeemer and sanctifier , according to the covenant of grace : that i may be resigned to the will of god my owner , and obey the will of god my ruler , and please and rest in the will and love of god my father , the chiefest end and infinite good : and renouncing all idols and enemies of god and this his covenant , i consent though with the cross to follow christ the captain of my salvation to the death , desiring still more of the love of the father , the grace of the son , and the communion of the holy spirit , and hoping for the promised glory ; all which i pray for according to that prayer which christ hath left to be the summary directory of our desires : our father which art in heaven , &c. § . . iii. according to the foresaid belief and consent , as god hath obliged me , i do by covenant oblige my self , by the help of his grace , sincerely to obey this god , my creator , redeemer and sanctifier , according to the law of nature , summed up in the two great commands , of loving god with all our hearts , and our neighbours as our selves ; and in the ten commandments as the law of christ explained by him , with his superadded precepts and institutions : by all which i am bound , to take god only for my god , by believing , fearing , trusting , loving and obeying him ; to avoid all idolatry of mind and body : to worship god according to his law , by learning and meditating on his word , by believing-holy-fervent-prayer , thanksgiving and praise , and the holy use of the sacrament of his body and blood : i must reverently and holily use his name , and not by perjury or otherwise profane it : i must keep holy the lords day , especially in holy communion with the christian assemblies , in the publick worship of god , and thankful commemoration of christs resurrection , and our redemption : i must if i be a superiour , faithfully and holily govern my inferiours ; and as an inferiour i must honour and obey my parents , magistrates , and other superiours in power over me . i must not wrong my neighbour in thought , word or deed ; in his soul , his body , his chastity , estate , right or propriety ; but must do him all the good i can , and justly give to all their own , and do as i would be done by , as loving my neighbour as my self : according to the decalogue , god spake all these words saying , i am the lord , &c. § . . . and as the special duty of my office as in the sacred ministry , i do consent and promise sincerely to perform that office for the flock over which i shall be placed , or whereever i am called to exercise it ; teaching them the doctrine of the sacred scriptures , especially the greatest and most necessary parts , which i have here professed , and nothing contrary thereto , so far as by diligent study i can discern it : exhorting them to live by faith in love to god and man , and in the joyful hope of heavenly glory ; in humility , self-denial , temperance , patience , justice , diligence and fruitfulness in all good works : to be loyal and obedient to their superiours , teachable to their instructors , haters of sinful divisions and contentions , and lovers and followers of peace : to seek first the kingdom of god and its righteousness , to mortifie the flesh , and not to overlove this world ; to repent of sin , to resist temptations , to prepare for death and judgement ; most carefully to please , and quietly trust the will of god : and in the publick celebration of the sacraments , and all the worship of god , and guidance of the flock , the same word of god shall be my rule ; to which also i will sincerely endeavour to conform my whole conversation ; not following after vain-glory , or filthy lucre , or lording it over the heritage of god , but seeking to please and glorifie christ , in my own and their salvation . § . . and as i expect my part in the benefits of godly and peaceable government , so i do profess to believe , and promise to teach and practise accordingly , that there is no power but of god , and that rulers are gods ministers for good , not for destruction but edification , to be a terrour to evil doers , and a praise to them that do well : and this under christ , to whom is given all power in heaven and earth : that we must pray for kings and all in authority , that we may live a quiet and peaceable life , in all godliness and honesty : that subjects must obey their rulers in all things lawful belonging to their office to command ; and not resist , rebel or be seditious : that they must give honour , reverence and tribute to whomsoever they are due : and all this not only for fear of man , but in conscience as hereby obeying god. the renunciation . and as i have thus unfeignedly professed my belief , my consent and promised practice ; so i heartily renounce all doctrines , desires and practices contrary to any part of this profession : and if by errour i hold or shall hold any thing contrary thereto , as soon as i discern such contrariety i will renounce it . especially i renounce atheism , polytheism and idolatry of mind or body : all infidelity , antichristianity and false christs : profaneness , ungodliness , and malignant enmity to god and holiness : all contempt of gods spirit and his word : all serving the devil , the world or the flesh as enemies to god or holiness : all selfishness , pride and hypocrisie , perjury and taking gods name in vain , superstition , profanation of gods holy day , and contempt of his publick or private worship : all rebellion against my parents , prince or other rulers ; all murder , adultery and fornication , theft and deceit , lying and false witness bearing , and all other injury against the life , health , chastity , estate , or reputation of my neighbour ; all sinful discontent with my estate and coveting that which is anothers : and whatever is impious , uncharitable or unjust ; from all these i desire to be free . particularly to approve my fidelity to my rulers , i renounce all doctrines and practices of rebellion , sedition or schism : i believe not that subjects may take up arms or use any force or conspiracy , to violate the rights , authority or persons of those in supreme power over them : i believe not that by any laws of god or man the bishop of rome hath the right of governing all the world , or all christian kings and kingdomes , nor the king or kingdome of england , in particular , in matters secular or religious ; nor that it is the duty of this kingdome or the king , to subject themselves unto him and obey him : nor that the said bishop of rome hath any true authority or right , to impose oaths on kings or other temporal lords , or otherwise oblige them to judge their subjects to be hereticks , who deny the popes universal supremacy over all the churches on earth , or who deny that the universal church hath any visible head but christ ; or who believe that the truly consecrated bread and wine in the sacrament of the lords supper remain true bread and wine after the consecration , or that believe they are not to be adored as their god , nor the wine to be denyed to the laity communicating : nor may the pope oblige kings or any others to exterminate , burn or kill or punish any such as hereticks , nor excommunicate kings or temporal lords for not doing it ; nor depose them being excommunicated , nor give their kingdomes or dominions to others , nor authorize any to kill them , or to raise arms against them , and to invade their countreys by hostility : nor hath he right or authority to forbid kingdomes or countreys the publick celebration of gods worship , or holy christian communion ; nor to oblige any rulers or others to destroy any as hereticks or judge them such , because they are so judged by the pope or councils ; and i believe not that the clergy are exempted from obedience to the secular powers , or from being judged and punished by them , by any laws of god , or any valid laws of man , not made or consented to by the said powers : and i unfeignedly believe that if any pope , or council how great soever do decree , or assert any of these things which i have hereby renounced and disclaimed , or shall hereafter decree or assert any of them , they err , and sin against god in so doing , and are not to be believed therein , nor do oblige any thereby to obey them . and all this i profess as in the sight of god my judge without fraud or dissimulation in the sincerity of my heart . the errours which men should be restrained from preaching or propagating are innumerable , and not necessary to be all put into a subscribed or professed renunication , so they be actually forborn . i will recite part of a catalogue of false and doubtful dangerous points , not fit to be published by preachers . i. of the nature and acts of god. . the god is corporeal or material . . that god is essentially only in heaven , or in some finite space . . that god hath parts and is divisible . . that god hath the parts or shape of humane bodies , head , face , eyes , hands , feet , &c. properly so called . . that god is the universe or whole world , or that he is meerly or properly the soul of the world , as his body ; and so but a part of the world . . that god or any essential of god , is really new , changeable or finite . . the god can suffer hurt , or hath proper real grief and passion . . that god knoweth not all that hath been , is , or will be , and all that is intelligible . . that gods own essential perfection , goodness , and love is not the ultimate and chief object of mans love , to be loved chiefly for himself as most amiable , and above our selves and all things created , but that he is only or chiefly to be loved as our benefactor , or as good to the creature ; and so that man is gods end , and his own chief and ultimate end , and not god mans chief and ultimate end . . that god is the first and chief , or any proper cause of sin ; or that god doth by efficient premotion as the first cause predetermine every mans mind , will , tongue and members , to every forbidden act that is done , as it is determined to and specifyed by the object with all its forbidden circumstances and modes : and so to every lie , perjury , hatred of god and goodness , murder , &c. that is committed . . that god ruleth the world only as an engine by physical motion , and doth not rule any free agents by moral means as precepts , prohibitions , promises , &c. in any acts , saving as these are parts of his physically necessitating motion . . that god may or ever doth lie ; or by his inspiration , or his works of nature or providence , necessitate innocent persons de facto , or oblige any as a duty , to believe that which is false . . that god hath so committed the affairs of this world to angels , or any creatures or natural means , as not to mind them , or particularly govern and dispose of them himself . . that god is essentially or virtually absent from the effects which he causeth . . that god hath not power to do any more or otherwise than he doth , though he would . . that gods will is not the fountain , and the measure of all created good : or that things are not good because they are willed by god. . that gods proper and absolute will , desire and decree may be disappointed and not come to pass . . that somewhat of or in the creature , may be a true or proper cause of somewhat ( not only relative , but ) real in god , or make a real change on god. . that god hath no vindictive , or punishing , and no rewarding justice . . that god may be formally conceived of and comprehended by man , and not only known analogically and as in a glass . ii. of the blessed divine trinity . . that there are three gods , or three divine essences or substances . . that the trinity are but three names of god , or three relations of him to the creature . . that they are three parts of god. . that the three persons are one god only in specie , as abraham , isaac and jacob are one man , because they have but one humane sort of nature . . that one person in the trinity is in time or dignity before or after other , or greater or less than other . . that in the trinity there are three fathers , three sons , or three holy ghosts . . that the doctrine of the trinity is contradictory or impossible to be true . . that it is unnecessary to be believed or preached . . that there are no impressions or notes of the trinity on the soul of man , or any other known works of god. . that the works of creation , redemption or sanctification are no more eminently or otherwise ascribed in scripture to any one person in the trinity than to the other . that creation is no otherwise ascribed to the father , than to the son and holy ghost , nor redemption to the son , than to the father and the holy ghost , nor sanctification , consolation and sealing to the holy ghost , than to the father and the son , and so that they are not hence relatively distinguishable to us and by us at all . iii. of the person of jesus christ . . that christ is but a creature , or not eternal ; or not of the same divin● essence as is the father . . that christ hath no humane created soul , but the divine nature was to his body instead of a soul . . or that a superangelical created nature , united to his divine nature was instead of a humane soul to his body . . that christs body was not derived from the virgin mary , but only passed through her , as water through a channel . . that the mother of christ alone was as much the cause of his soul and body , as our fathers and mothers both are of ours . . that the virgin mary was not the mother of him that was god and man. . that she was the mother and actual cause or procreator of the godhead , and of christ as god. . that jesus christ was two persons , a divine and humane . . that he had not two distinguishable natures , viz. the divine and humane . . that he had not two distinguishable understandings , wills , and operations . . that the body of jesus christ was incorruptible in and by its own nature and constitution , and not only by its union with the deity , and by gods will , decree and preservation . . that he was begotten by joseph or some other man. . that christs humane nature , soul or body , suffered no real pain , nor was capable of suffering any . . that he was not of the line of david after the flesh . . that he had original sin , guilt or vitiosity . . that christ is not now god and man in heaven . . that the glorified body of christ is now formally flesh and blood , so called univocally as ours , having the same formal constitutive essence * . . that every priest maketh bread and wine by the consecration in the eucharist to become no longer bread and wine , but the very body , flesh and blood of christ , or that god so maketh it , or the priests speaking those words : and so that all the consecrated bread and wine since christs days till now are made christ's flesh and blood , and yet his flesh and blood no whit increased . . that all believers are by union part of the natural person of christ . . that the humane nature of christ is now the godhead , or is become a proper part of the second person in the trinity as such . ( and here presumptuous men must take great heed of medling too far : some scholastick divines say , it is errour to say that christs humane nature is a part of his person ; because his person was perfect from eternity , and the divinity cannot be a par. of any thing : others say that it is erro● to say that the humane nature is no part of christ 〈◊〉 seeing it is no part of the divine essence , or nature , therefore it is a part of his person : others say that it is only an accident of christ : some think that if it were not for fear of the clamours of ignorant hereticaters that will call it nestorianism , it were soundest and safest to say , that the word person is equivocal : and that as it is taken for the second eternal person in the trinity , the humane nature is no part of it : but as it is taken relatively for the person of the mediator , the humane nature is a part . and so that christ hath two persons , but not univocally but equivocally so called . ) iv. of the holy ghost and the holy scriptures . . that the holy ghost is but a creature , or not god of the same essence with the father and the son. . that the holy ghost is but the angelical nature or species ; and as the diabolical nature and many devils are called singularly [ the devil , ] so the many angels are called [ the holy spirit . ] . that the immortal part of man called his spirit , is the essence of the holy ghost . . that the holy ghost as operative on man , is not a valid witness of the truth of christ and christianity in the world . . that the holy ghost did not impregnate the virgin mary , or that christ was not conceived by him . . that adam had not the holy ghost , or true holiness . . that the prophets spake not by the holy ghost ; or that their prophecies are of private interpretation , that is , objectively to be interpreted , of such private persons and things as they immediately spake of , and which were but types of christ or grace . . that the holy ghost in the prophets was not the spirit of the redeemer , and sent by him . . that the miracles of christ and his apostles were not wrought by the holy ghost . . that the holy ghost may set the seal of true uncontrolled miracles to a lie . . that the canonical scriptures were not indited by the holy ghost , as infallible records of the divine will. . that they are but for a time , till a perfecter law is made , called , [ the law of the spirit . ] . that they are imperfect without the supplement of roman tradition , as part of the rule of faith and life . . that they were but occasional writings , never intended for the universal law or rule of faith and holy living . . that there are in the true original , as they came from the apostles , some errours . . that in the present received originals there is any errour inconsistent with true saving faith and practice . . that we are not bound to believe the holy scriptures to be gods word , but by the authoritative proposal of the church of rome , that is , a general council subject to the pope , or called or approved by him as authorized thereto by christ : or that we must believe that the pope or council are authorized by christ , before we are bound to believe in christ himself . . that the scriptures are not intelligible in necessary things , till the church , council , pope or fathers expound them to us . . that the scriptures have no such im●●ss or excellency , by which they manifest themselves to be of god , supposing necessary conveyance and ministerial explication . . that we must not understand any text of scripture , but as the consent of ancient fathers expoundeth it . . that the spirit now given to po●● , councils , or to individual christians is as much the rule of faith and life , as 〈◊〉 holy scriptures : or that the spirit is not given now to us 〈◊〉 to teach us to understand , believe , love and practise gods word indited by the more emmen● inspiration of the apostles and prophets ▪ ●ut also to inspire us as infallibly to know more than is revealed in the scripture , and that as needful to salvation : or that it is not so much the spirit extraordinarily inspiring the apostles , as the spirit as inspiring ourselves , which is every mans rule of faith and life . . that the light which is in heathens , infidels , and all men , is this spirit , and sufficient rule . . that men must believe the scripture without reason for their believing it : or must believe it to be gods word without seeking any proof that it is his word . . that it is meritorious to believe the scripture to be gods word , without knowing any proof or reason of it , this being an infused faith , and proof making it but acquired . . that we must believe gods word no further than we have evidence of truth from the nature of the matter revealed . . that mahomet is the paraclet promised by christ . v. of the creation . . that this world was from eternity , and not made in time . . that an evil god made this earth , or a middle god between the perfect god and the evil one ( as old hereticks variously spake . ) . or that such an evil , or middle god made the body of man. . or that such an evil , or middle agent made the woman . . that god made sin , and death and disorder before sin deserved them . . that when god had made this world , he left it to the government of certain angels , who fell and necessitated man to fall . . that the world is gods body , and he the soul of it , and no more . . that the world came by chance , or by a fortuitous conflux of atomes , and was not made by gods wise and powerful word or action . . that there is nothing in the world but matter and motion , and the various shapes of matter caused by motion : or at least , nothing but god and matter and motion , and its modal effects . . that the world is infinite , as being made by that infinite god , who made it as great and good as he was able , and therefore infinite in his own similitude . vi. of angels and spirits , and heaven . . that men can certainly tell the space , number and order of all the celestial regions , orbs , or spaces , and the number of angels , or when the first were made . . that this world or earth was made by angels only . . that the fallen angels were necessitated by god to sin , and to tempt man. . that god hath so left to angels the government of this world , as not to govern it himself , save by such leaving all to their free contingent action . . that all that which scripture ascribeth to the holy ghost is done only by angels . . that we may know which are our guardian angels . . that men may choose their own guardian angels or spirits . . that we must pray to angels though we see them not or have no special notice when they hear us . . that angels lusted after women and begat giants of them before the deluge . . that they fight with each other for the government of the kingdoms of this world ; ( even the good angels among themselves . ) vii . of man , as man , in his nature and first state . . that mans soul is god , or part of god. . or is only a part or act of an universal soul of the world , and is no singular or individual substance in each one . . that the soul is but a quality , motion or action of a higher agent . . that the soul is mortal and dieth with the body ; being either annihilated , or asleep , or sunk into a meer potentia ; or hath no knowledge , will , sense or action ; or is swallowed up in the universal soul so as to lose its proper or numerical existence . . that mans soul is of the same species as the bruits . . that mans spirit only is immortal and continueth after death , but not his soul . . that mans soul or spirit was from eternity . . that it was made before this earth , and sinned in a former body , and was thrust for punishment into this body and world . . that the souls departed of men , are sent back into beasts , or at least into other men , and so are oft born . . that mens souls are fallen angels . . that adams soul was made first male and female before it was incorporate . . that adams body was the cloathing that god made him after he sinned , having no body before . . that neither soul nor body was made after gods image ( as epiphanius ill affirmeth ) . . that mans vital faculty , intellect , and will , are but accidents of his soul . . that the soul is moved but as an engine by an extrinsick cause , and hath not any essential self-moving form or power . . that no man can do more or less or otherwise than he doth , because god as the first mover necessitateth all his actions . . that the will hath no habits , but a meer power and liberty . . that adam and eve had no holiness , or holy inclination to love god as god and to obey him , but a meer neutral possibility . . that adam had not help or strength sufcient , or necessary power to have forborn his first sin . . that man was made only to be an inhabitant of earth , as angels are of heaven ; and is not capable of an higher habitation . viii . of sin , original and subsequent . . that god is as much the cause of all sin , as he is of darkness and such other privations : and that he made adam sin ; or that he irresistibly predetermineth every ones will to every forbidden act which it doth . . that the devil irresistibly necessitated adam to sin , and so some superior cause did the devils . . that sin is not only the occasion of much good , but a proper cause , and as such is decreed , willed and caused by god. . that god made a covenant with adam , that if he sinned , all that came of him should be reputed sinners , farther than they were really seminally in him , and by natural in-being and derivation were partakers of his guilt , and corruptions ; and so that god made them sinners by his arbitrary imputation , when naturally they were not so . . that original sin necessitateth every sin of omission or act which ever after followeth in the world . . that sin being a meer privation , all are by nature deprived of all moral good , and so all are equally evil , and as bad as those in hell , notwithstanding any thing that the redeemer hath done to prevent it . . that infants have no original sin ; no guilt of adams sin , and no sinful pravity of nature . . that infants have no participation of guilt of any nearer parents sin , but adams only , and god doth not inflict any punishment on children for their fathers sin , because of their derived guilt by nature . . that therefore infants have no need of a saviour to suffer for their sin , nor of a pardon . . that infants need not the holy ghost to sanctifie them , by killing any sinful pravity or inclination in them . . that sin was not the cause of death . . that sin deserveth not hell , or an everlasting punishment . ix . of redemption and the covenant of grace made to adam and noah . . that god made no promise , covenant or gift of grace to adam after his fall . . that god made the covenant of grace only to adam and the elect , and not to all mankind in him , no not as it is a conditional covenant . . that all except the elect , or most or many at least are still under that first covenant of innocency made with adam , as prescribing to them and requiring of them sinless innocency or perfection as the only condition of their salvation ; as if god still said to sinners , i will save you if you are not sinners . . that the covenant of grace was made only to and with christ , and no other . . that there was and is an eternal covenant of redemption made between god the father and the son , which is neither gods essence , a divine person or decree , but a proper covenant . . that god gave no grace , pardon or salvation by covenant , till christs incarnation . . that the same faith objectively considered , was necessary to salvation under the first edition of the covenant of grace as under the last , viz. to believe that jesus the son of mary is or must be the messiah , and that he must die for sin , and rise again and intercede in heaven , and return to raise us and judge the world . . that christs disciples were not in a state of justification till they believed all this . . that all men shall not be judged as they believed and kept ( or brake ) the condition of the covenant in that edition which they were under , but all according to the tenor of the last edition . . that no faith in god as gracious and merciful to sinners , and as pardoning sin , was necessary before christs incarnation . . that god before did pardon sin without any respect to the future sacrifice , and merit of christ as mans redeemer . . that no souls were glorified or received to heaven and happiness , till christ's resurrection , but reserved in some limbus till then . x. of the covenant made with abraham , and moses law , and the israelites . . that abraham was the first true believer , or the first to whom a promise or covenant of grace was made . . that the covenant of grace was made to no other people in the world , but the israelites were gods whole visible church on earth , and did not only add to them a covenant of peculiarity . . that this promise to abraham and his seed in whom all nations of the earth should be blessed , extended no way to the believing gentiles . . that all heathens children that were circumcised were certainly saved , if they died before actual sin . . that moses law bound men to no spiritual duty , nor promised any future reward or happiness after this life . . that moses law was given by an evil god or evil angel. . that moses law was the same as the law or covenant of perfect innocency first made for adam . . that all the world was bound to keep moses law as such even the judicial and ritual parts of it . . that under that law god gave no grace to obey him . . that the converted jews are still bound to keep moses law. . yea and all converted gentiles now : . that we are bound to form our church government according to the mosaical or jewish . xi . of redemption by christ incarnate ; and the gospel or last edition of the covenant of grace . . that christ brought no more grace than was as ordinarily given before his incarnation . . that he was habitually or actually a sinner , guilty of original or actual sin . . that christ was properly reputed a sinner by god , or a proper sinner by imputation , in that he took our sin to be his own , or god took him to be guilty of the fault of all our sin ; and not only one that undertook to bear the punishment deserved . . that christ was as guilty of our sin as we were of adams . . that christ was habitually or actually holy , and fulfilled all righteousness in the legal person of every elect person , or of every true believer , so that the law therefore judgeth them to have been what christ was , or done what christ did therein , they doing it in him . . that christ was not a satisfying sacrifice for sin . . that christs satisfaction and merit were not sufficient for their proper use and effect , without our satisfaction and merit to make up their defect . . that christ was not the saviour of the world , or that god did not so love the world as to give his only son , that who ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life . or that god hath made no such promise or grant to all to whom the gospel cometh , that if they repent and believe in christ they shall be pardoned and saved : or that this conditional universal pardon was no fruit of christs death . . that none but the elect have any mercy purchased by the death of christ , nor are bound to be thankful to him for any such . . that christ suffered the same pains of hell , hatred of god , and torment of conscience , which all the elect should else have suffered . . that christs righteousness and sacrifice are not the true meritorious cause of our righteousness , pardon , justification and salvation . . that christ must be oft really sacrificed . . that christ at his last supper did make the bread and wine become his real body , then living ; and that it was broken and his blood shed by himself really before he was crucified by the jews . . that christ felt no real pain ( as st. hilary pic●av . ill said ) . . that christ died not but another in his shape . . that christ took not his body into heaven . . that all power is not given to christ , nor are kings and magistrates his ministers , nor hold their power by him . . that christ is no law-giver , and made no law. . that he is not our sufficient intercessor with god , by whom we may have access and acceptance . . that christ sendeth not forth his spirit to be his agent and witness to the end of the world , in sanctifying his elect . xii . of faith , repentance and sanctification . . that faith , repentance , holiness and obedience are not necessary in us to our salvation , because christ was righteous for us , and repented and believed in our stead . . that believers are under no law of god. . that he may be pardoned and saved who forbeareth only the outward acts of sin through meer fear , and is absolved by a priest , though he love sin better than holiness , and had rather keep it than leave it . . that loving others , and doing them good and no harm is all the love of god and holiness that is necessary to salvation . . that faith and repentance are of nature or by meer natural power and free-will , and not the gift of grace through christ . . that god giveth grace equally to all till good improvers make a difference . . that men may be holy in the restored image of god without the grace of the holy ghost . . that men need not the spirit of god to help them to pray or preach . . that the sins of sanctified persons , are not judged by god to be theirs ; and that he seeth them not and hateth them not , nor punisheth them with any correcting punishment . . that they that have the spirit need not study for matter , method , words or affection . . that they are perfect , or their duties perfect who have the spirit , because all the spirits works are perfect . . that the day of grace may be so past with some , as that sincere faith , and repentance , and a changed will that loveth holiness , and consenteth to the covenant of grace , may be rejected of god , and unavailable to salvation . xiii . of justification and pardon . . that god forgiveth the deserved punishment of no sin , but requireth it of the sinner himself , and remission is only the destroying of sinful dispositions and preventing future sin , and not forgiving the punishment of what is past , or will be . . that christ's sacrifice and righteousness is not the meritorious cause of our pardon , justification , adoption and salvation . . that christ is not the lord our righteousness , or made of god to us , wisdom , righteousness , sanctification and redemption ; nor we made the righteousness of god in him : or that it is not the righteousness of god by faith in jesus christ , which justifieth us . . that christ suffered for his own sin , being either actually a sinner , or our sins made properly his own sin , ( in the guilt of culpability , and not only of punishment ) before he suffered for them . and so that he was by real imputation or divine reputation , the greatest atheist , infidel , malignant , murderer , adulterer , &c. in the world , these sins being in their forms , or culpable guilt translated from all the elect on him . . that all the elect were justified from eternity , or before they were born , or while they were no true believers , by that justification which the scripture meaneth when it saith we are justified by faith . . that the elect are justified by the law of innocency made to adam , or the law of works made to and by moses to the jews ; because they were legally in christ fulfilling them , and did perfectly fulfill them in him . . that the sense of the law of innocency was , [ thou or christ for thee shall be innocent and obey perfectly to the end , or die ] . . that the gospel covenant or donation is not gods justifying instrument , gift or law. . that god reputeth us to have been perfectly innocent from our birth to our death ( or at least since our believing ) because we were so legally in christ , and yet reputeth us such sinners as need a saviour , and christ suffered for our sins , though we were so innocent . . that the elect have no need of pardon at all , because they are perfectly obedient by imputation . . that at least we need no pardon of any sin committed since we believed , save only of temporal correction . . that pardon and justification actually remit all sin at once that is yet to come , ( and is yet no sin ) as well as that which is past and present ▪ . that pardon and justification are perfect as soon as we believe . . that therefore no true penalty , no not corrective is inflicted or remaineth after our first faith . . therefore to such none of their wants of grace or communion with god , nor permitted sin , nor suffering nor death , are any true punishments for sin , for the demonstration of paternal justice . . that therefore no believer must pray for the pardon of sin ( it being perfected already ) nor seek for it of christ by faith . . that therefore there is no further condition or means to be used by us for pardon of new sins , or for fuller pardon . . therefore there is no other or perfecter justification at the last judgement . . that faith is not imputed to us for righteousness . . that against the false accusations [ that we were impenitent , infidels , ungodly , hypocrites ] we need no personal repentance , faith , piety or sincerity , to justifie us as the righteousness contrary to this accusation , but only the imputed righteousness performed personally by christ himself . . that we shall not be judged according to our works , nor in any respect justified before god by our works , nor is st. james so to be understood , nor christ that saith , by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemned . mat. . . that men are justified by the works of the law of moses or of innocency , or some other works , which must be joyned to the righteousness of christ , to make it sufficient to its proper part or office ; and are not only subordinate thereto . . that we are justified by faith , only in our consciences ; as knowing that we are otherwise justified before god. . that we are justified only by inherent righteousness ; and that pardon of sin and acceptance for christs merits and mediation , is none of our justification at all . . that a man unjustified must believe that he is justified , that thereby he may be justified ( taking justification in the same sense ) . . that god doth not make men just before he sentenceth them just . . that christ justifieth only by his priestly office and not by his judicial sentence . . that we are justified by no act of faith , but only by the act of resting on ( or also accepting ) christs imputed justifying righteousness . . that being perfectly justified by the first act of faith , we are never after justified as to continuation , by any act after that first instant . . that to expect justification by believing in god the father , or the holy ghost , and in christ as christ , in his person and whole office of a saviour , and not only by the foresaid single act , is to seek justification by works , reprehended by paul , or unlawfully . . that faith or repentance are not by gods gift or promise made any conditions necessary to be done by us , through his grace , that we may have right to christ or pardon or justification . . that our believing in christ is of equal impossibility to us as our personal perfect innocency . . that to believe heaven , and that god will glorifie us for the sake of christ , and as a rewarder of them that diligently seek him , is no act of that faith which justifieth ; as a condition of justification or salvation . . that it is all mens duty to believe that they are elect . . that justifying faith is only a full assurance that we are elect . . that true faith is inconsistent with doubting or imperfection . . that it is unlawful to trust to any thing in us or done by us as a means or condition of pardon or salvation , though but subordinate to christ . . that no meer death-bed faith or repentance is accepted to salvation or pardon , because good works are part of the condition . . that there is no degree of pardon given by god to any but the elect that are saved . . that all praise that is ascribed to any thing in our selves or done by us , or to any subordinate act of man , as a means to our salvation or final justification , is a dishonour to god and our saviour , and derogateth from his glory . xiv . of baptism . . that baptism was instituted only for the first times , or for reception of infidel countreys when converted , and not for to be continued in christian countreys and churches . . that outward baptism by water will save the adult that have not true repentance , and faith and sincere consent to the baptismal covenant . . that all the children of infidels , heathens , hereticks or wicked men are certainly saved , if they be baptized and have godfathers professing christianity ( though those godfathers be wicked hypocrites , and take not the infants by adoption or otherwise as their own , nor really intend to educate them as they promise ) and if they die before they actually sin ; and that this is certain by the word of god. . that all the baptized are delivered from all culpable pravity of soul , or inherent sin . . that it is certain that all baptized infants of what parents soever , have special grace infused into their souls by the holy ghost in baptism . . that baptism entering all into the catholick church , obligeth all the baptized to the bishop of rome as the supreme head or pastor . . that the infants of believers dedicated to god are holy only as legitimate and not bastards , but are not as a holy seed under promise to be entered into the church and covenant of god by baptism ; but all baptized in infancy must be taken as no visible christians till they are rebaptized . . that none that sin grosly after baptism , are upon their repentance to be received into the communion of the church . . that it is not necessary to baptism of the adult that they make any covenant , promise or vow to god , nor to the baptism of infants that parents or proparents devote them to christ by entering them into an obliging vow or covenant . . that baptism was not instituted to invest the baptized in his right to pardon and life , but only to enter him into the visible church , where as a disciple he may learn how to come to such right and pardon hereafter . . that the adult duely baptized have no right to the communion of the church , though they profess to continue their covenant-consent , and none disprove the truth of their profession , unless they have some higher qualification and title . xv. of the lords supper . . that the lords supper is but an ordinance for young or carnal christians ; but they that have the spirit must live without it , as being above outward signs and ordinances : and so of the lords day . . that the bread broken and wine poured out to be eaten and drunk , are not the representative sacramental body and blood of christ delivering us the real benefits of his sacrifice , to be received by faith . . that after the words of consecration duly uttered , there remaineth no true substance of bread or wine , but all is turned into the very body and blood of christ . . that the wine may justly be denyed the laity , and they be required to communicate by receiving only the bread consecrated ; or the body of christ , as they call it , without the other half of the sacrament . . that christs flesh and blood is really and properly sacrificed by the priest . . that ordinarily the priest is to partake alone and the people only to be spectators . . that the consecrated host being christs body is to be adored as very god. . that this sacrifice is to be offered by the priest for the living and the dead , and to ease the pains of purgatory . . that god himself here deceiveth the soundest senses of all men , making that to be no bread or wine which their senses and intellects of things as sensate , apprehend as such . . that it is heresie and deserveth extermination or death to deny these things of the sacrament , and to believe our senses that there remaineth true bread and wine after consecration . . that unbelievers and wicked men in the eucharist , truly eat the real body of christ . . that the bare receiving of the sacrament , though without true faith and repentance , will procure pardon of sin from god , and salvation . xvi . of the church . . that the church of christ , as visible , is lost or ceased , or hath been lost since the apostles days , so that there was a time when christ had no visible subjects and disciples . . that the church differeth from heathens and infidels only in opinion , and not in real holiness . . that only the clergy or rulers are the church of christ . . that christ hath instituted a vicarious visible head of all the world , or of all the church on earth , under himself , to whom all christians must be subject , as their chief pastor . . that this head , or universal church monarch is the bishop of rome : or else a general council . . that this head or chief ruler ( pope , council or both ) hath universal legislative power , to make laws obliging the whole world , or the whole church . . that this head is made the judge to all christians , what shall be taken for articles of faith , and what for heresie ; and all are bound to believe such judgement , or at least to acquiesce in submission to it . . that no one is bound to believe the scripture or the christian verity , but for or upon the proposal of the pope , council or both . . that such judgement and proposal is certain and infallible . . that this church and its authority must be believed to be given by christ , before men can believe in christ himself . . that this pope , council or both have power from christ to excommunicate such as deserve excommunication throughout all the world , and to judge who deserve it . . that the pope hath power to call general councils out of all christian churches or nations on earth and to preside in them , and to approve or reject and invalidate their decrees . . that all churches are bound to send bishops or delegates to ●uch councils , if required by the pope . . that a general council approved by the pope is infallible in all points of faith ; else not . . that the pope , or council , or both may judge all christian kings , and depose such as they judge deserve it , and give their countreys to others , and disoblige their subjects from their oaths of allegiance . . that they may interdict gods worship to whole countreys and kingdomes , and the clergy must obey such interdicts . . that whom they or the clergy judge hereticks , all are bound to avoid as hereticks , be they never so falsly judged such . . that at least in ordine ad spiritualia the pope hath power over princes and their crowns . . that the clergy owe not obedience to princes , nor may be judged by them . . that the universal church can have no errour in any point which god hath revealed in his word . . that the universal church hath erred , or may err in points essential to christianity , or absolutely necessary to salvation ; ( and so become no church , and christ no king or head of it . ) . that no one is a member of the universal church , who is not a member of some particular church . . that none are in the universal church who are not the subjects of diocesan bishops . . that a man not baptized by one that hath ordination from a diocesan bishop , is no member of the universal church . . that a member of the visible church cannot be certainly known , because it cannot be known what is essential to a christian , seeing it depends on the sufficiency of the proposal of truths , which cannot be known of many or most . xvii . of gods worship , preaching and ministers , and his day . . that there are more gods than one , and several countreys may worship their several gods. . that if we keep our hearts to god , we may bow down before images as idolaters do . . that it is not necessary that we actually love god above once a year , or once a month , or week at most . . that if we fear gods wrath , and love one another , we may be saved without any other love to god. . that no higher love to god is necessary , than to love him for our selves and others , as a benefactor and means to the creatures good . . that gods word is not to be trusted as infallibly true . . that because god will be spiritually worshipped , outward bodily worship is not necessary to spiritual persons . . that he that loveth , trusteth and serveth god so , as yet he loveth , trusteth and serveth the flesh and the world and sinful pleasure more prevalently , may yet be saved without more . . that outward worship without inward love and holiness may serve to salvation . . that we may give divine worship to angels , or glorified souls , or to the cross or images . . that if prayer move not or change not gods will , it is needless to use much prayer . . that it is lawful to require the people to pray and praise god in an unknown language , instead of words which they understand , and such prayer and worship they must preferr or use if the pope , or bishops command it . . that any man may make himself or become a pastor or teacher of the church in office , who thinketh himself fit , without mans election , or ordination . . that none are true ministers of christ who are not sent by the bishop of rome , or some authorized by him , or ordained by such . . that no ministers are owned as such by christ , nor are the sacraments administred by them valid , that are not ordained by diocesans , or by such as had an ordination themselves by an uninterrupted succession from the apostles down by diocesan bishops ; ( or a canonical succession . ) . that all ministers ought to cease preaching the gospel , and all churches or persons publick worshipping god , who are forbidden by the pope ( as some say ) or by bishops ( as others say ) or by the king or magistrate ( as others ) . . that it is sinful for presbyters to preach ( say some ) or to pray ( say others ) publickly in any other words , save those that are written down for them or prescribed , by the authority either of pope , council , bishops or civil magistrates . . that it is sinful to instruct the people , or to pray to god or praise him , in a form of words premeditated , or prescribed by any other , or agreed on in councils . . that it is sinful to joyn with any pastor , who speaketh any unlawful words , in preaching , prayer or other ministration . . that it is unlawful to hold communion with any church , where scandalous sinners are present , or are tolerated members . . that men may lawfully change the essential or integral parts of gods commanded worship , by diminution , or additions of the like . . that spiritual men are not bound to be members of particular churches , or put themselves under the guidance of any pastors . . that all the people are bound to believe all that to be gods word which the bishop , or priests tell them is so . . that the people are bound to do in gods worship whatever bishops ( or other rulers ) command them , without examining and judging whether it be agreeable to the law of god. . that pope , bishops or priests can forgive sin even as to the punishment in another life , by immediate pardoning power in themselves , and not only by preparing men for pardon , and offering and declaring it , and delivering it ministerially by application from gods word , and in order hereto judging who are capable of consolatory and sacramental applications . . that god pardoneth in heaven all that the priest pardoneth on earth , though erroneously and by mistake . . that god will condemn to hell , all that an erring or malicious pope , bishop or priest condemneth . . that it is lawful to separate from and disown communion with all parties of christians differing in things not necessary to gods acceptance , except that one party which we judge to be rightest or allowed by the higher powers . . that the first day of the week was not separated to divine worship in commemoration of christs resurrection , by the spirit of christ in his apostles , or is not to be observed to that holy use , any more than any other day . . that it is lawful to swear unnecessarily , and to use gods name lightly and vainly in our talk . . that perjury is lawful for our safety , or in obedience to man. . that popes , councils or bishops can dissolve the obligations of our vows to god , or oaths of fidelity to princes , though the matter be lawful and good , and otherwise god dissolve them not . . that all oaths and vows are to be interpreted as not binding us longer than it is for our commodity or safety . . that we may take oaths imposed in words whose common sense is false or sinful though not otherwise expounded by the imposer , because in charity we must suppose always that our rulers mean nothing against gods word , or their own , or the peoples good . . that it is unlawful to break any vow or oath which was unlawfully imposed on us by man , or unlawfully taken by our selves , though the matter of it be good or lawful . . that no vow bindeth us to that which we were bound to before . that all vowing is sinful ; and all swearing when lawfully called , for the attesting truth and ending strife . xviii . of our duty to our rulers and pastors , and their duty . . that christianity so nullifieth all natural and civil relations or obligations , that children , subjects and servants owe nothing to parents , rulers or masters , but what they are bound to in meer justice and gratitude to them as benefactors , or by voluntary consent and promise . . that parents owe nothing for their children but bodily provision , and not to educate them in godly and christian doctrine and practice . . that princes may seek their own pleasure and wealth against the common good , or above it . . that they may lawfully make war upon neighbour countreys , only to enlarge their power or dominions , or satisfie their pride , passion or wills . . that they , or bishops , may fine , imprison , banish or put to death all subjects that are not of their religion , or may compell all to those ways of worshipping god , which they shall judge best , be they right or wrong . . that gods laws are not obligatory to kings and kingdomes . . that princes or people may preferr their worldly interest before the interest of religion , souls and god ; or may set them in opposition against it . . that princes must imprison , or otherwise punish such as are excommunicated and not absolved by the clergy , without knowing whether the cause be just or unjust , by their own exploration . . that princes may break oaths and covenants when their interest requireth it . . that subjects have no liberty or propriety in any thing , either life , wives , children , or estates , but what is at the meer will of princes to dispose of as they please . . that it is lawful for subjects to disobey the authority and commands of the higher powers , because christ hath freed us from subjection to men . . that all governing authority is originally in the people and by them given to rulers on what terms they please . . that therefore the people may depose any princes where they see cause , or may call them to their bar and judge and punish them , having themselves the highest governing power . . that if princes injure the people , the people may therefore rebel , take arms against them , and depose them . . contrarily that no people may defend their lives , houses or posterity , nor the chastity of their wives , by resisting any tyrants , or against the will of rulers , that have no true authority to destroy them . . that subjects may break their oaths of allegiance , whenever their own worldly ends require it , or if the pope disoblige them . . that if one king wrong another , the wronged king may destroy all the others innocent subjects . . that no war is lawful . . that it is lawful to defame and dishonour princes if they are sinners , though the contempt tend to disable them from necessary government . . that none but sanctified persons have true governing power or dominion . . that children are bound to obey their parents , subjects their princes , and servants their masters , in nothing but what they think is wisely or justly commanded them , though it be good or lawful in it self . . that parents may not teach children forms of catechism or prayer ; nor command them any duty which the child will but say is against his conscience , nor restrain him from any sin which he pleadeth conscience for . . that christian parents in want may ●ell their children for slaves to idolaters or infidels , for supply . . that children may disobey their parents in any matters of religion , if the pope , bishop or priest so command them . xix . of duties to our equals or neighbours as such . . that no man is bound to love another but for his own sake , and so far as he is beneficial to him . . that we are not bound to do another a greater good to the least hurt to our selves . . that men are not bound to love and preferr the common good of multitudes , of their countrey , or the world , before their own commodities or lives . . that no killing of malefactors is lawful by laws and judgement . . that it is lawful to kill our enemies , for meer private revenge , or to prevent some evil to our selves , though they are innocent . . that it is lawful to have many wives at once . . that it is lawful to put away wives , or for wives to depart , whenever their fleshly or worldly interest seemeth to require it . . that it is lawful to commit adultery , at least by the husband or wives consent . . that fornication is no sin , or no great sin . . that it is lawful when our need doth urge us , to rob , steal , defraud or oppress others . . that restitution or reparation is no duty . . that it is no sin to deceive another by borrowing when we are unable and unlikely to repay , and do conceal this . . that it is not a duty for them that are able , to labour in some lawful useful calling , for their own maintenance and the common good . . that it is lawful to lie for our commodity when it hurts not others . . that it is lawful by backbiting , slandering and false witness to disgrace our enemies , or be revenged on them . . that it is lawful for judges knowingly or rashly to pass unjust judgement against the innocent or just , and for advocates or others to promote it . . that it is lawful for the poor to covet other mens goods , and for men to desire and endeavour to draw from others whatever seemeth desirable or needful to our selves . . that it is no sin to love the world , flesh and life , better than god , christ , grace and glory . . that it is no sin to be discontent and impatient in our sufferings , nor a duty to deny our fleshly pleasure , profit or reputation , and life , for god and for spiritual and everlasting benefits . . that it is no duty to love our enemies , forgive wrongs , and forbear each other in their infirmities and provocations . xx. of death , judgement , heaven and hell. . that the souls of believers go not to christ and happiness , nor the souls of the wicked to misery before the resurrection of the body at the last judgement . . that there is no resurrection of the body ; at least of the wicked or of infants . . that christ will not come in glory to judge the world . . that we shall not be judged according to what we have done in the body . . that the faithful shall not be justified and judged to life everlasting . . that the wicked shall not be condemned to hell , or everlasting punishment with the devils ; but without holiness men may see god and be saved . . that no man can know that he hath certain right to salvation . . that there is a fire of purgatory where those that after shall be saved must make penal satisfaction for some of their sins , and from which the popes pardons , and masses and other mens merits may deliver souls . . that the justified shall not live in glory with god and jesus christ and the angels and the triumphant church . . that there is an aereal life of trial before the final judgement , where the justified and wicked souls shall again live under conditions of yet winning or losing their heavenly glory . . that the devils and damned shall all be delivered at last , and either be saved , or have another life of tryal . and the glory of the blessed also will have an end , and they must by revolution be tryed in flesh here again . . that it is not a duty to seek first the kingdome of god and its righteousness and lay up a treasure in heaven , and there have our hearts and conversations ; and thence to fetch our motives and our chiefest hopes and comforts , under all the sufferings of this transitory life , and the expectation of our certain change . this or such a catalogue of dangerous doctrines is not to be renounced by ministers , but to lie before the church rulers to tell them what to forbid ministers to preach , and moderately and wisely to rebuke or restrain the offenders as wisdome shall direct them , according to the quality of the persons and the offence , and their frequency , obstinacy , or impenitency in offending . not that every one should be ejected or silenced that holdeth or preacheth any one such errour ; but only those who consideratis considerandis , are found to do more harm than good . the third part of schism : or the false dividing terms and means of unity and peace . chap. i. what schism is , and what are its causes and effects . sect. i. schism ( or divisions among christians ) is by the common confession of all christians a sin against god , and a dishonour , and hurt , and danger to the church , but especially to the guilty : but what it is , and who are the guilty , men are not so much agreed on : each party laying it upon the other , and one taking that for damnable schism , which another taketh for his greatest duty : and while the guilty are no better known , the division is continued , and few repent . sect. ii. schism or division ( or rents ) among christians is considerable . i. as to the agents , when it is by . many . . few . . the pastors or rulers , . the people ; either . the learned . . the ignorant . ii. the terminus ; as it is dividing . in a church , and not from it . from their government . of one . of more . few . many . sound . . unsound . . from the universal church . . communion . from a church iii. the act : as . in kind . in degree , which both are either . inward . of mind . dividing opinions . of doctrines . of faith . practice . worship . . conversation . . of persons , by consent . . ignorance of necessary means of unity . . of will and passion . wrath and uncharitableness . to things . . persons . . love to . division . dividers . outward , by . words . of persons . single . rulers . people . collective : the church . things of . doctrine . practice . towards god . towards men . deeds . separating . morally by merit . actually . promoting schism . drawing others . resisting . uniting persons . uniting means doctrine acts iv. the effects . on christians . single . the dividers . others , viz. . pastors . people . weak . strong . collective . that church . other churches . church . state . families . on those without . unbelievers . . enemies . all these things should here distinctly be considered . a large scheme of the causes , nature and effects of schism and contentions , with the remedies , &c. i have prefixed to my book called . catholick theology . sect. iii. of all the sins that men charge on one another , there is none used by accusers more partially , and less regardably , than the charge of heresie and schism ; the words usually signifying no more but that the accused differ in judgment from the accusers , and are not so obedient to them in matters of religion as they expect : insomuch that whoever can but get uppermost , or get the major vote , doth usually make it his advantage to call himself orthodox and catholick , and all dissenters hereticks and schismaticks . by which means heresie and schism are greatly promoted , while many that else would hate and oppose them , are tempted by this usage , to take the words to be but proud mens reproach of the innocent . sect. iv. the full opening of all the parts of schism , will be a work so long as may tire the reader : i will therefore first give some notice of them transiently and briefly , and then examine some things that are by others supposed to be the causes , and shew how uncapable divers means are of being terms of real union and concord , which some men venditate as the only or necessary terms . sect. v. . a schism made by many , is in some repects worse than by few , and in some not all so bad . the sins of many hath more guilt than of one : their ill success is like to be greater : those will fall in with the multitude , who would despise a singular tempter . the donatists prevailed in africa by their number : it seemeth by their bishops in their councils , that they were the greater part : it is not impossible for the far greater number to be the schismaticks . but yet the guilt of singularity is more upon a single separatist , or few , that dare separate from the whole , or most of the churches . sect. vi. . the bishops and pastors are liable to the sin of schism , as well as the ignorant people : yea , as mutinies seldom happen in an army , at least to any great danger , unless they be headed by some commander ; so seldom hath there been any heresie or schism in the church , of which some bishops have not been the leaders , or chief promoters , since bishops were great in the world at least ; and before , they , or some elders were the chief . to instance in paulus samosit . apollinarius , novatus and his followers , maximinus , and the donatists , nestorius , dioscorus , severus , and the multitudes more , which church-history mentioneth , and which made up the councils at ephes . . arrinene , sinnium , milan , divers at constantinople , alexandria , and multitudes more , would be but to suppose my reader a stranger to such history , which here i must not do ; for then i cannot expect that he should take my word . sect. vii . it is a far greater sin in bishops and pastors to be schismaticks , than in the people , because they are supposed to know more the good of concord , and the means , and the mischiefs of schism , and the causes and remedies : and it is their office to be the preachers of unity and peace , and to save the people from the temptations which would draw them into such guilt . sect. viii . bishops and pastors have greater temptations to schism than the people , and therefore have been so frequent in the guilt : especially pride and covetousness in them hath stronger faith. and . striving who shall be greatest , and have rule ; . who shall be thought wisest and most orthodox , have been the cause of most of the schisms in the world : and . sometimes , ( especially with the presbyters and people ) it hath been who shall be thought the best and holiest persons : but the two former have done much more than this , goodness being that which corrupt nature doth not so much contend for , or the reputation of holiness , as for greatness and wisdom , the commoner baits of pride . therefore controversies , and power , and riches , have been the usual matters of dissension . sect. ix . . true learning tendeth to prevent and end controversies , which ignorance cherisheth ( as it did with the egyptian monks , that turned anthropomorphites . ) but a smattering in learning , which amounts not to solidity , and a settled mind , is the common cause of heresies and schism , while praters must needs be taken for wise , and to know more than others , while they know nothing as they ought to know . sect. x. . yet when the very matter of a dividing heresie is laid upon much learning , or subtle notions , or any words or things very hard to be understood , it seldom spreadeth far , and liveth long : because it must cost men dear to understand it ; and humane nature is slothful , and multitudes will not be at long and hard study to know what is right or wrong : therefore such as the rosie crucians , behmens , &c. do but little harm . sect. xi . . it is not only separating from the church , but causing divisions and contentions in a church , which in scripture is reproved as sinful schism : and indeed this is the commonest acception of the word , as may be seen , rom. . . cor. . . & . . & . . matth. . . luk. . , . cor. . . they that by ill doctrine , or abuse of each other ; or causless quarrels , do disturb the churches peace , and cause disaffection , murmurings , and unbrotherly distance , are guilty of schism , though they separate not . sect. xii . . separating from a church is sometimes a greater , and sometime a less fault than dividing in a church , and sometime no fault , but a duty : it is a greater fault . when the church is by the separater falsly accused of greater crimes ; . and when it tendeth to greater hurt . it is a less fault when a man removeth from one church to another , though causelesly , yet with less accusation of that church , and less detriment to the common cause . it is no fault when there is just cause , and it is done in a just manner . sect. xiii . . separating from the universal church ( which is the universality of christians as headed by christ ) is separating from christ , and ever damnable , and is apostasie . sect. xiv . but to separate from some accident or integral part of the church universal , is not to separate from the church : to differ from christians in any thing essential to christianity , is to apostatize , or separate from the whole church , and so it is ( à materia ) to renounce the universality of christians : but to differ from the whole church in some accident or integral , is not to separate from it . sect. xv. to separate from any one church , upon a reason common to all , is so far to separate from all ; and upon a reason that is against the essence of all , it is to separate from all as churches . sect. xvi . to separate from any church by denyal of some one essential part of christianity , though all the rest be confess'd , is heresie in the strict sense , and apostasie in a larger sense : and to deny all christanity , is apostasie in the strict sense : but the ancient christians called it heresie , when men separated into distinct opposing bodies as parties , from the generality of christians , for the cherishing of any dangerous errour . sect. xvii . it is lawful to separate from particular churches in all the degrees and cases following . . it is lawful to abate our esteem of any church or pastor , as they are less worthy , or more corrupt or culpable , and to value more the more worthy . sect. xviii . . it is lawful to remove ones dwelling from one city or parish to another , for the just reasons of our worldly affairs , and thereby to remove from other churches : and it is lawful to do the same for the good of our souls , when one minister is bad , or less fit for our edification , and one church more corrupt and culpable , and others more sound and pure , and their communion more conducible to our salvation . sect. xix . . parish bounds being but humane institutions for order sake , it is lawfull to be of a church in a neighbour parish , instead of ones own parish church , in case we have the allowance of the higher powers ; or without that , in cases of true necessity , or when consideratis considerandis , the benefit is evidently greater than any hurt that it is like to do . for no man hath power to bind me to that which is to the danger or detriment of my soul , unless ( at least ) some greater notorious interest of the community require it . if my parish have an ignorant , unsound teacher , or a weak , dull , dangerous , or unprofitable , careless , or scandalous , vicious pastor , yet tolerable rather than to have none , or judged tolerable by the rulers ; and the next parish have an able , holy , faithful pastor , by whom i am more abundantly edified ; i am not bound by mans commands to trust the conduct of my soul with the former , or to deny my self the benefit of the latter , when i cannot remove my dwelling : for mens power is not to destruction , but to edification ; and order is for the thing ordered , and not against it . my soul is more christs and my own , than the rulers . and i am not unthankfully to neglect the helps offered me by christ ( who ascended to give gifts to men for the edifying of his body ) merely because a man commandeth me so to do . sect. xx. . even pope nicholas and some of the popish councils forbad all men to hear mass from a fornicating priest : protestants should not be less strict : and it is as lawfull to depart from the parish-priest for being a drunkard , a scorner at godliness , a persecutor , an insufficient guide of souls , as for being a fornicator . and many councils forbid me hearing hereticks . sect. xxi . . there is so great difference between teachers and teachers that are tolerable , that some by unsuitableness are to some persons almost equal to none : some that preach only in high language fit for learned ears , and withall never speak to the people singly in any private oversight , do little or no more good to some of the ignorant , than none : and god useth to work on souls by means , and according to the aptitude of means : and therefore heathens that have no preachers are unconverted . and men are not to forsake the ordinary helps and hopes of their salvation for parish-order , or mens commands : christ twice sent the pharisees to learn the meaning of [ i will have mercy and not sacrifice . ] souls are better than ceremonies , as the redeemer of souls will judge . sect. xxii . . where we cannot joyn with any congregation without sin , imposed on us , by profession , subscription , covenants , oaths , declaration , practice or omission , it is a duty not to joyn with such . sect. xxiii . . when the pastor is an usurper , and hath no true title to that place , it is no schism to desert him : by many canons of councils , and it seemeth to me by scripture , the bishop is an usurper who hath not the consent of his flock , and of the ordainers . much more he that is utterly intolerable by insufficiency , heresie , tyranny , wickedness or malignancy against that piety which he should promote . sect. xxiv . . where one diocesan bishop hath many hundred parishes under him , which have no other bishop , and so are not taken for churches but for chappels or parts of a church , ( by them that take a bishop to be a constitutive part of a church ) there he that goeth from his parish , but not out of the diocese , nor separateth from his diocesan , doth not separate from that particular church , as they esteem it . sect. xxv . . if the temples and tythes be given to a priest or bishop not lawfully called , nor consented to by the flocks , and another be lawfully called , whom the magistrate casteth out of the temples and tythes , or denyeth them to him , it is the peoples duty to adhere to the pastor that is justly called : and it is not alwayes a duty to adhere to him whom the magistrate imposeth , nor a sin to withdraw from him . the churches met against the magistrates will above three hundred years . sect. xxvi . . if a lawfull bishop or pastor be set over the flocks , and either magistrate or synod unjustly depose him because he refuseth some heresie or sin , and set up another in his stead , especially , one justly suspected of unsoundness , the people are not hereby disobliged from their first pastor ; nor obliged to the latter : but yet if the latter be tolerable , the magistrates countenance may be so great an advantage to the one , and disadvantage to the other , especially in case of persecution , as may make it their duty in point of prudence for the first pastor and people to consent to the change. and the same is to be said of the abusive deposition by a synod . sect. xxvii . . if the parish minister be lawfully called , and the pishop not so , he that separateth only from the diocesan and not from that parish-church , is not guilty of schism : the same i say of separating from an unlawfull arch-bishop or metropolitan . sect. xxviii . . if the species of the office , church-policie or form be unlawfull , it is a duty to separate from that species : on which account we separate from the papal church , the species of an universal church as headed by one man without christs institution being unlawfull ; though we separate from no material part of christs own universal church , as such , and so related . and as the mass sacrifice seemeth to be of another species than christs sacrament ; so the mass-priest seemeth to be a new species of office ( and unlawfull ) the case of patriarks and other church-offices and forms of mans invention , is after to be spoken of . sect. xxix . . there is a great deal of difference between the several local separations of men , according to their several reasons and mutual separations : no meer local separation without the mental is schism , or sin . a man can be but in one place at once , and is locally separate or absent from all churches in the world save one . sect. xxx . he that separateth from a true church , accusing it to be no true church , caeteris paribus , is of the highest degree of separation , except that which is from all , or from many . and he that separateth as falsly accusing the doctrine , worship , discipline or conversation of the church to be such as that a good christian may not lawfully hold communion with them therefore , is in the next degree of schism : but he that withdraweth from one church only for a greater convenience or profit , or for purer doctrine , worship , discipline or practice in another , is guilty either of no schism , if he have just cause , or of little , if he have not just cause ; while he no further accuseth the church . sect. xxxi . to separate unwarrantably from a pure and sound church , is a worse schism ( caeteris paribus ) than to separate from an impure , unsound , maculated and undisciplined church . and to separate from many ( caeteris paribus ) is worse than from one . sect. xxxii . if the magistrate cast true pastors and churches out of his favour , and out of the temples and tythes , and forbid their meetings , and persecute them unjustly , it is schismatical in any to call these men schismaticks , and to deny communion with them , as holding and calling them unlawful conventicks , as long as it is not so . to separate from a prohibited church may be schism , as well as from an allowed one , when it is unjust . sect. xxxiii . . to separate in mind from the doctrine of faith , or in heart from the love of truth , worship , or brethren , is dangerous mental schism in those that ordinarily assemble with them . sect. xxxiv . and all dividing opinions , and doctrines , and practices , tending to open schism , are schismatical according to their degree ; such are false accusing thoughts of the churches doctrine , the ministers preaching , the churches worship , order or government , or of the persons of the pastors or the people . sect. xxxv . . secret ignorance or unbelief of necessary things , is inconsistent with that internal union that maketh the church mystical . negatives may be schism as well as positives . sect. xxxvi . . it is also internal schism , when men hate , or love not gods word and worship , and the communion of saints , and the servants of god , but love pleasures , sin , deceivers and dividers better . sect. xxxvii . . censuring , reviling , slandering , defaming rulers , teachers or people , or other churches of christ , by tongue or writing , in pulpits or in common talk , especially by published false invectives , is schismatical : of which many controvertists and disputants are guilty , and many that reproach oppressed churches and persons , are schismatical , in calling others schismaticks and hereticks . sect. xxxviii . . printing , preaching or publishing heresies , or any false dividing doctrines , is in its degree schismatical . sect. xxxix . . making ones self uncapable of communion , and doing that which deserveth excommunication , is a rending ones self morally and by merit from the church . sect. xl. . causeless renouncing communion with true churches , especially also setting up anti-churches unwarrantably against them , is schism , according to the degrees before described ; yea to hold churches in other countreys uncapable of communion , and unjustly condemn them as hereticks , is schism . sect. xli . . the more men draw with them into schism , the more caeteris paribus it is aggravated : and the leaders and zealous promoters are most guilty . sect. xlii . . it is aggravated schism to oppose reconcilers , or the healing doctrines and practices that are the proper means of unity , and to reproach , vilifie or resist them . sect. xliii . . the greatest and commonest schism is by dividing laws and canons , which causelesly silence ministers , scatter flocks , and decree the unjust excommunication of christians , and deny communion to those that yield not to sinfull or unnecessary ill-made terms of communion : and persecution , and excommunications in the executing of such laws , are schism in its virulent exercise . sect. xliv . . it is therefore schismatical to deny necessary toleration of dissenters , and liberty for such to worship god in several places , who by unavoidable difference of judgement in things tolerable , cannot without violence to their consciences meet in the same place . for instance , suppose the parish-churches have the use of organs , and some cannot be perswaded but it ●s sin : as the rest will not be deprived of the musick ●for their sakes , so it is unjust and schismatical that they should be denyed leave to worship god elsewhere without it . so if a church will cast men from the sacrament , because they dare not sit , or stand , or kneel , and will not allow them otherwise elsewhere to receive it . there is no possibility of concord without tolerating some differing persons and assemblies . sect. xlv . . the worst schism being that which is a separation from the universal church , it followeth , that the most schismatical church-tyranny is that which unjustly excludeth men from the universal churches visible communion ( for from the spiritual they cannot ) such are , . the anabaptists , that undisciple all infants : . those that deny christendome to such as dare not use or receive the transient image of the cross as the engaging dedicating symbol of christianity , or the children of such whose parents dare not so present them , nor yet commit the covenanting for them to men called godfathers instead of themselves . . the seekers , that say , all the visible church is lost . . but the greatest schismaticks are the pope and papists , who unchurch all the christian world save the sect or subjects of the pope . to cut off christs members from his body visible , or deny men their place in the universal church , is a far heinouser schism than to cast them out of , or rend them from a particular church only . . and the same guilt is on them that by unjust excommunications pretend to cut men off from the church universal : especially by unjust hereticating whole parties , countreys or kingdoms , or interdicting whole kingdoms gods publick worship , as the pope hath often done . and especially , when on such pretences they excommunicate kings , and raise warres in kingdoms , and embroil the christian world in blood . sect. xlvi . the greatest causes of schisms , i have opened in the foresaid scheme , and the preface to my cathol . theologie , viz. i. for persons , . a contentious clergy , . unwise and wicked rulers , . the deceived people . ii. for qualities , ( ) remotely , . selfishness and worldliness in hypocrites : . hasty judging of things not well understood ( the common vice of mankind . ) . slothfulness in students . ( ) neerly : . pride , or want of self-acquaintance : . ignorance and error : . envy , malice and bitterness . iii. the instrumental engines of schism are , . in general , corrupt departing from the christian simplicity : . particularly : . from simplicity of doctrine by dogmatists words and notions : . from simplicity of practice by superstitious additions : . from simplicity of discipline by church-tyranny and dividing laws and impositions . sect. xlvii . the mischievous effects of schism i have also there named . . the corruption of doctrine by wranglings . . the corruption of worship by faction , partiality and wrath . . the corruption of discipline by tyranny or partiality . . self-deceit by false zeal : . the destruction of holiness and a heavenly conversation . . the destruction of love , and the life of wrath , and manifold injuries . . the corrupting and undoing of civil rulers , by oppression , partiality , injustice , persecution , and warres . . exposing the innocent to slanders , hatred and persecution . . hardening the ignorant , unbelieving and ungodly to their perdition . . hindering the success of the gospel . . corrupting the churches , weakening them , shaming them , and strengthening their enemies , and drawing down gods judgments on them . . shaking the civil peace , grieving good rulers , teachers and people . . cherishing all vice , and hindering all men of the comforts and benefits of peaceable communion with god and one another . whoever are guilty of true schism or divisions , are guilty of all these consequent mischiefs in a respective degree . chap. ii. the true preventions and remedies of schism . sect. i. to tell men what should be done for unity , and peace , and for salvation , is far easier than to bring men to the practice of it . and as it is hard to prevail even with one man , for all the requisites hereto , so if most of the christian world were so happy as to be thus qualified , yet as one diseased part doth trouble and endanger the whole body , so the rest of the world by their badness would keep up common disquietments and troubles ; so that it is no more a perfect concord , than perfect knowledge and holiness , which we can hope for in this world. sect. ii. . it is presupposed , that christ the great peace-maker hath done much ( and most ) to this work already . he hath reconciled us to god ; he hath made himself the center of our unity : he hath given us sound doctrine to lead us out of dividing darkness : he hath made us such just and holy laws , as all tend to unity , love and peace : he hath left us his own perfect and imitable example : he hath prescribed the just terms of our unity and peace : he hath made love , and meekness , and forbearing , and forgiving , and all healing principles and practices , the conditions of his promises , and the great duties and marks of his disciples : he hath disgraced and strictly forbidden all dividing qualities and actions ; all uncharitableness , censuring , wrath , malice , envy , backbiting , evil-speaking , discord , contention , revenge , &c. he hath threatned to shut out the guilty from his kingdom : he hath instituted church-discipline to shut them out of his church till they repent : he poured out the spirit of love and concord , miraculously at first on his disciples , making them of one heart and mind , even to a voluntary community of their goods : he prayed that they all might be one in him : he hath appointed his ministers to preach up love , concord and peace throughout the world : he hath instituted particular churches for the exercise of love , concord and holy communion : he giveth to all true christians the spirit of love and peace , and every one hath so much of these ( as a new nature ) as they have of his spirit and saving grace . all this and more hath christ done himself for his peoples unity , love and peace . sect. iii. . under christ the chief instruments of concord must be the faithful ministers of christ , whose duty hereto i have before described . particularly , . they must be men of more eminent knowledge and gifts than the higher sort of the flock : or else if the people once perceive that they are equal to them , they will despise them , and turn preachers , and set up for themselves : . and then such ministers being not able to deal with sectaries and hereticks , will betray the cause of god , and the adversaries will carry away the hearers : and it will be easie to bring such persons into contempt , and then the truth will suffer with them : god fitteth men to do the work that he will bless them in : not that every congregation must needs have such an eminent man ; for a great light will shine to other parishes , and an able man in one parish may be ready to help the next , and to confute gainsayers , and may keep up the credit of the ministry : but it is such that must preserve the unity and concord of believers , and preserve the church from schism . sect. iv. . and if ministers do not also live in holiness , justice , charity , free from fleshly lusts and pleasures , and unspotted of the world , as freer than other men from a proud , a worldly and a covetous mind , dividers will despise them , and ignorant people will suspect the cause for their sakes , and many unsetled well-meaning persons will fall from them , and turn to them that they think live a more strict and pious , and humble and charitable life . the ministers life as well as doctrine is needful to remedy schism . as men fly from a carrion or a stinking place in the house , so will the people from priests of a corrupt conversation . sect. v. . and it is necessary , . that a preacher be skilled in the particular controversies that the church is in danger of : . and that he skilfully , zealously and frequently preach up the necessity and excellency of unity , love and peace , and the sin and danger of the contraries : that men may by right reason and the fear of god , be taught to make as much conscience of these as they do of other great duties and sins , and may not be without preserving fear . sect. vi. . and it is specially necessary , that a preacher know how to deal with the persons as well as with the cause : and that is not to rail at them , and render them shamefull and odious whom he would win , nor publickly to expose them to contempt , much less to slander , abuse or oppress them ; but with evidence managed with meekness , love and tenderness to convince them , and make them feel that all cometh for their own good , from unfeigned love ; as musculus won the anabaptists by feeding and relieving them in prison , till they sought to him for instruction , and were disposed to hear it . nature flyeth from hurtful things and persons : had the enmity been put at first between the woman and the serpent , eve had not been so easily seduced . too many bishops and preachers go about to cure schism as a man would bring birds to the net , or fishes to the bait , by shouting and throwing stones at them ; or as one would get the swarm of bees into the hive by beating them ; or as one that would get a wife by deriding and railing at her ; or as a physician that would get practice by mocking his patients instead of medicining them . men know better than so , how to bring an oxe to the yoak , or a horse or dog to hand , or to tame any bird or beast that is wild and frightful . it 's true , that as a malefactor is hanged for the good of the common-wealth rather than his own , so a desperate seducing heretick or divider may be justly rendered as contemptible as he deserveth , to keep others from being deceived by him : but all that we hope to win must be otherwise used . reproach and disgrace maketh the medicine so bitter ( which should be sugared ) that with one of many it will not go down . scorn and reviling is the way to drive them further from us . sect. vii . . and ministers patience with tolerable dissenters , while they worship god with some difference from them , in their own assemblies , is a necessary prevention of worser schism . thus some peaceable bishops kept peace and love with the novatians , when others by contrary means made more schisms ; ( as epiphanius saith audius by intemperate foolish opposition was driven from the church : ) what hurt will it do me , to let people hear another teacher , whom they preferre before me , and can more profit by ? if i am for organs , for images , for crossing , &c. what hurt is it to let others meet and worship god without them ? but when preachers have not personal worth to keep up their reputation , and then rail at those that do not value them , they do but make themselves more vile : and when they are so proud , that if people leave them , and preferre another , they cannot bear it , but think to remedy it by making odious or vilifying those that undervalue them , they do but as all proud men do , even cross and more debase themselves , and make that a schism which was but a personal neglect . sect. viii . . and the christian magistrate must be a principal instrument of remedying schism . and very much may he doe by wisdom , moderation and right means , which i have mentioned before ; when wrong wayes do but increase the schism . sect. ix . . and the ancient and wisest sort of good christians must be great instruments herein ; they must be examples to the younger of love , peace and concord : they must oft tell them how good and amiable a thing it is for brethren to dwell and meet together in unity , and open the sin and danger of division . age , grace and experience mellow and sweeten the spirits of ripe christians , when the young are green and harsh and sowre . sect. x. but among all these there are some men in all ages , whom god stirreth up to a special zeal for christian concord ; and though the state of the place and times which they live in , or their own weakness , may make some of them propose some terms which in better times would be unreasonable ( as erasmus , cassander , wicelius , and others did ) yet it is that healing spirit that must be a prime mover in all the work , if ever concord be obtained : such have been mel●ncton , musculus , bucholzer , junius , job . ger. v●ssius , camero , ludovicus capellus , placaeus , testardus , am●raldus , blondell , dallaeus , the breme and british divines at dort , and by their means , the decrees of the synod are pacificatory ; calixtus and his associates johan . bergius , conrad . bergius , ludov. crocius , iselburge , archbishop usher , bishop hall , bishop davenant , dr. ward , dr. preston , mr. whately , mr. fenner , chillingworth , and many more : but before all , john dury and mr. le blanke . as some men that study the revelations or chronologie , or genealogies , &c. are readier in those particular subjects , than other men though of greater parts ; so they that study the churches peace , and the concord of differing christians , usually are fitter for that work than others . sect. xi . there is one sort of men that have written many things excellently for peace , even the socinians , who being hereticks , have thereby done much harm . divers of them have laid down in general those rules and terms which might much have furthered the churches peace , if the same things had been written by men of name and reputation . what acontius was , or what rupertus meldenius was , i am not sure ; some say they were socinians , and some deny it : but i am sure , if they were heretical , their excellent precepts for love and peace may rise up in judgment against orthodox persecutors , schismaticks , and revilers : many that are known to be socinians , have written much for peace ; and satan hath made great advantage of it , to bring all earnest motions for peace into suspicion : so that a man can now scarce write for the retreat of church-warriours , and for the quenching of our consuming flames , but he is presently suspected to be guilty of some heresie , and to have specially need of charity or toleration himself ; like the fox , that having lost his tail , would have all foxes tails cut off . or if it be about any point that papists are concerned in , that a man calleth men from erroneous extremes , to truth and peace , he is presently suspected to be of the mind of cassander , wicelius , grotius , or such as they : even jacob behmens writing so much for love , and against wrath , hath made some suspect a treatise that is written for any extensive christian love : could satan but engage a man of ill fame to preach and write fervently for any fundamentall point of religion , i am afraid with many it would make it suspected . sect. xii . it is also of great moment for the preventing or remedying of schism , to choose a sit season to manage the remedies . were not men very proud and selfish , the fittest season would be times of civil peace and prosperity : and indeed a common peace of many countreys will hardly be well prosecuted in any other times ; because it needeth sedate minds , and quiet entercourse , and friendly communication ; which warrs and exasperations are against : nor is it a fit time to heal a particular person , when he is fined , imprisoned , persecuted , or oppressed : for his sense and passion will stop his ears , and drive him further from those that he suffers by : ( so far are they mistaken who take violence and severity to be the way ) . but yet pr●sperity hath greater hinderances of love and peace than sufferings : for then usually the lovers of the world ( called in scripture the enemies of god ) as they strive most for wealth and power , do obtain it ; and being made lords and prelates , they think there is no sure and honourable peace , but by all mens submission to their wills and dictates : pride never knoweth the way of peace , but trusteth to insulting passionate violence , which cureth schism , as brandy will do a burning feaver : which may rarely be lodged in such frigid matter as may accidentally cure it , which ordinarily would kill : and a schismatick may be such a timerous worldling , as that suffering may drive him into outward complyance : but conscience so respecteth god , as to count man and all that he can do as nothing . religion is a worshipping and obeying god as god : and whoever preferreth any mans power or interest before him , so far hath no true religion at all . but if a sufferer be to be cured , it must not be by him by whom he suffereth , but by another that pitieth him and lamenteth his sufferings . but usually pride and carnal confidence in prosperity hinder men from that condescension and moderation which is absolutely necessary to love and peace : wantonness and contention are the usual fruits of greatness , fullness and worldly ease : so that civil peace and religious are too often strangers ; and being dryed in the sun-shine we are crumbled to dust . and it is gods ordinary way to cast contentious wranglers into the furnace , and melt them till they may be cast into one mold : ridley and hooper were reconciled in prison . when men that fell out are all taken captives by a common enemy , they are sooner reconciled . when men all suffer for the same common cause , and are together in gaols , or banishment , or reproach , then go trie whether they will hearken to peace . it was the great shame of the english fugitives in qu. maries dayes to fall out at frankford in their exile . in a word , both prosperity and adversity have their proper helps and hinderances of concord ; but usually , times of common civil peace , are the hopefullest times to treat for a common religious peace ; but for smaller quarrelling parties , common suffering is a better time . sect. xiii . whoever will be the instruments of healing schisms , must necessarily preserve his reputation with those that he would heal , or at least with the common sort of religious persons : for if once he be commonly ill spoken of , the best things which he saith , will be despised : if he be a prince , if he be commonly reputed a sound and a good man , all that he doth will have a good interpretation : but if he be taken either for an enemy to piety , or to the doctrine which prevaileth , all that he doth will be suspected for acts of malice . constantius is praised by hilary himself and many others , for a man of laudable disposition and conversation ; and yet his being for the arians , made all ill taken that he did , and he did much that deserved it : theodosius junior and anastasius were very pious emperours , and great lovers of peace , and strenuously laboured to have kept the bishops from schism and church-warrs ; but being supposed to favour most that party which the others called hereticks , all that they did was ill interpreted , and suspected to be in favour to the hereticks . it is therefore very necessary that a peace-making prince be down-right honest and impartial , and shew himself conscionable in all his actions , and a lover of mankind , and injurious to none , but a special favourer of the good , and an enemy to wickedness , debauchery and malignity in all . for this will make people love and trust him , without which nothing will be done . and what i say of princes , i must say of pastors and preachers : if a man be never so zealous for concord , if he be commonly supposed to be an ignorant man , or a wicked man , or an unconscionable crafty politician , or a heretick , or dangerously erroneous , or one that is partial , or hath any ill principles or designs , or a persecutor , or whimsical fanatick , all his endeavours are like to do but little good : the general love and honour that arch-bishop usher , bishop davenant , dr. preston , mr. gataker , mr. fenner , mr. watton , dr. stoughton , &c. had with all sorts of sober men in england , made those conciliatory , moderating principles to be regarded , which from other men have been received with suspicion , if not contempt and scorn . sect. xiv . were there no more said of all this subject but that of rupertus meldenius cited by conradus bergius , it might end all schisms if well understood and used , viz. si in necessariis sit unitas , in non-necessariis libertas , in utrisque charitas , optimo certe loco essent res nostrae . unity in things necessary , liberty in things unnecessary , and charity in both , would do all our work . sect. xv. or briefly , all must be done , . by the light of reason and sacred truth adapted to the understandings of the people , and seasonably proposed with good advantage to convince them . . by the love of pastors , rulers and dissenters , heaping coals of fire on their heads . . by the power of magistrates , encouraging men of truth , piety and peace , and restraining men from propagating intolerable errors , and all sorts from violating the laws of humanity , christian sobriety and charity , and the publick peace , and not permitting them on pretence of religion openly to revile and abuse each other , so as to keep up mutual hatred and diabolical calumny , and by licentious tongues to wrong each other . these few things would better heal the churches , than all the violent and compound medicines which worldly jug●ers and unskilful mountebanks have long tryed in vain . chap. iii. more of the same subject ; twenty things necessary in all that will deliver the church from schism . sect. i. because this dividing spirit goeth not easily out , i shall repeat and summe up the common duties of all men that will herein successefully serve the church : for it is not every man that is fit for so excellent a work , though every man be bound to it in his place : the sad experience of the world assureth us , that hitherto few skilful and effectual physicians have been found . sect. ii. in short , all men that will promote the churches concord , whether magistrates , pastors or people , must observe all these following things , as the necessary means , which if they be wanting , yea but one of them , the churches will be so far disquieted , and diseased . . the foresaid simple terms of union must be understood and received , and false and ensnaring terms must be avoided . . magistrates must preferre christs interest before their own , and see that their own lyeth in preferring his : and must value conscionable upright men , though dissenters in tolerable cases , and not encourage their unconscionable enemies . and must keep peace among the clergy and among all . . men must be taught to place their religion in worshipping god in spirit and truth ; and to study the power and practice of godliness , sobriety , justice and charity , more than opinions , self-exalting or will-worship : and to love their neighbours as themselves , and do as they would be done by . . men must learn of christ to see the amiableness of sincerity and holiness under many differences and weaknesses , and so love what is amiable , and bear with what is tolerable , and pardon what is pardonable in all : and to receive the weak , even in the faith , but not to doubtfull disputations : and to speak more of the good that is in upright men than of the evil : yea never speak evil of any man till they be certain of the truth : nor then till they be well satisfied , that it is like to do more good than harm . . men must labour to know themselves , and be acquianted with their own fallibility and defectibility , mutability and insufficiency , and to remember how much they have to be pardoned and tolerated , and so to cast the first stone at themselves ; to fly from pride , and know how unmeet they are to be the rule of all mens judgments and practices , or to seem so wise , as that none shall be tolerated that differ from them , nor speak publickly to god , but in the words which they prescribe . . men must not be too strange to one another , nor keep too distant ; for neerness and acquaintance reconcileth , and distance cherisheth false reports and suspicions , and men take liberty to hear , think and speak ill of strangers behind their backs , which familiarity would cure . . none but volunteers must be taken for true christians , nor admitted to holy communion , to receive the seals of pardon and life . . to use more a friendly discoursing way for convincing dissenters , than disgracefull , passionate , militant disputations , ( though dangerous seducers must be confuted by necessary disputation . ) . to abhorre envy and emulation ( the off-spring of selfishness and pride ) and not to grudge at other mens esteem , that are preferred before us ; especially that preachers and pastors envy not the preference of other teachers , nor murmur at their liberty , honour or success ; but rejoyce with paul , phil. . that christ is preached , though it be by contentious men , that do it in envy and strife , to adde affliction to the afflicted . . to dread persecution and unjust violence to men of conscience , and not to force them to sin and damnation , by bearing down conscience in unnecessary things . . to be well furnished with holy reason and love , and for ministers to be confined to the use of these , from all use of violence by the sword ; and kept to their proper work and government by the word and church-keyes . . to rebuke and frown away malignant and religious calumniators , whisperers , censurers and backbiters . . to teach the people wherein the uniting substance of religion doth consist , and what a sin it is to be censorious and separate causelesly from others , and represent their different opinions , modes and circumstances of worship unjustly odious , to stirre up other mens hatred and separating distastes : and how great a sin and danger schism or division is . . to avoid all needless novelties and singularities , and to keep to vincent . lerinensis's measure , of holding to that which hath ever been received as necessary by the whole church , and was the primitive faith and religion . . to avoid contending about meer ambiguous words , and ever to agree of the sence of all the terms before you enter on further disputation : and to suspect such ambiguity in all debates . . as magistrates must be just and impartial , so people must be taught to obey them under christ , in all lawfull things belonging to their office , and that as a part of their obedience to god. . peace-makers must be men of piety and blameless lives , that may honour their works , and not by scandal harden adversaries , nor lay stumbling-blocks before the weak : and such as study to do good to all . . they must submit to men of the lowest and weakest ranks , and not despise them , and the strong must bear the infirmities of the weak , restoring the fallen with the spirit of meekness , remembring that they also may be tempted . . they must not expect such a degree of concord on earth as is not to be expected , lest for want of it they be tempted to murmur at god , doubt of religion , and make the breach wider by unjust severities against the weak . . when any are accused of heresie or scandal , they must be ready with patience to give satisfaction to others , to the churches , to rulers , to equals , or inferiors , referring them to their profession of faith , and answering what is charged on them , and willingly amending what they are convinced is amiss . but all this and much more i have formerly written in a book called , the cure of church-divisions . chap. iv. popery ( or the papacie ) will never unite the church . sect. i. i come now to prove the insufficiency and ineptness of the terms of union which many men have devised , and obtruded on the churches : repeating , that few things more divide , than false means of uniting , while these engage men to set against all that cannot yield to them . and i shall begin with the terms of the papal party , as being the chief pretenders . sect. ii. the papists think , that the way of union and avoiding schism is , for one man , the pope of rome , to be taken for the universal vicar of christ on earth , even the governing head under christ of all the christians on earth , yea , and of all the world , in order to make them christians ; and that the church on earth is one such politick body , of which christ is the invisible head of influence , and the pope is the visible head as to government : and that none are of the visible church that are not the popes subjects , and that they that refuse such subjection are schismaticks or hereticks or infidels : and that all that own christ , should be compelled by sword or torment to own the pope as his vicar general . sect. iii. campanella , de regno dei , openeth the mystery of the fifth monarchy , and alledgeth the texts that are brought for it , as intending christs reign on earth by the pope as his viceroy : and indeed it is an universal kingdom or monarchy which they plead and strive for , under the name of the universal church : but in this they greatly differ , whether the pope have the universal power of both swords , or but of one , that is , both civil and ecclesiastical , and be really the king of all the world : and herein they are of three opinions as to the subject of this power , and of three opinions as to the degree . sect. iv. as to the possessor of this authority , . one party say that the summa potestas is in th●● pope ; . another saith , it is in the pope presiding in a general council , or in the pope and council agreeing ; . and another party hold that it is in a general council alone , yet so as that the pope is the head of the universal church , as the chief prelate , and ordidinary governour , though subject to the legislative and judicial power of the council . sect. v. and as to the degree of power , . some hold that the pope is the monarch of all the earth , having the chief power of both swords , and that the world is his kingdom , as gods vicegerent . . others hold , that he hath directly only the ecclesiastical power , but indirectly and in order to spirituals he hath also the temporal power ( of the sword ) : or , as the most hold , that in his own territories he hath both powers as to personal exercise ; but in other kingdoms , he can himself only execute the church-power , but he may command kings to execute the power of the sword for religion , according to his and his bishops decrees : and may force them to it by anathema's , and releasing their subjects from the bonds of fidelity , and giving their kingdoms to others : as some say , that the king may not be personally judge in the courts of justice , but he may make judges , and force them to their duty , and depose them if unworthy . this differeth little from the former : the monarchy is nevertheless absolute , though kings be the popes officers or lictors . . but some few hold that the pope and bishops have no power of the sword at all , nor of forcing kings to use it ; the controversie was hotly handled when popes and emperors were in warrs : the volumes written on both sides are published by goldastus , to which william barkley and some others in france have added more . sect. vi. rightly therefore doth the geograph . nubiensis call the pope a king ; the name of a church maketh not a difference in the thing : there be some that think that all kings should be also priests , and the popes will grant it so far as to hold , that all bishops should be magistrates , and the chief priest be univer●al king● cardinal bertram in biblioth . patr. saith , god had not been wise , if he had not set up such a monarch under him over the world. and in 〈◊〉 seu bulla sixti quarti philippo palatino rh●ni in ●rehero , vol. . pag. . you may see their claim in these words : [ universos christianos principes ac●omnes christi fideles requirere eisque mandare vice dei , cuius locum quamvis immeriti tenemus in terris . ] to require all christian princes , and all faithful christians , and to command them in gods stead , whose place on earth we hold , though unworthy . ] the twelfth general council , viz. at the laterane , sub innoc. . and some at rome under greg. . and many others , put this claim of theirs past doubt . sect. vii . now that the universal church will never unite in the roman papacy , i prove undeniably as followeth : . because christians will never unite in an agreement to forsake the scriptures as gods word and law : where they will still find that he never instituted such a roman monarch . the papists contrary assertion will never convince the world , when the book it self is open before them . they will there find no one man that ruled all the rest ; no one to whom appeals were made : no one that ever claimed such a power ; much less that settled any such at rome ; or that ever a word was left by christ to direct the church to center in the bishop of rome : nor that ever the apostles preached this to the churches , which they must needs have done , had it been essential to the church catholick , or half as necessary as the papists make it . sect. viii . . because in scripture , christians will ( not only find nothing for it , but ) much against it : which many volumes having largely proved , ( chamier , whitakers , white , and abundance more ) it would be vain here to repeat . i commend to the english reader now but dr. challoners small book , of the catholick church . sect. ix . . because , were it but as dark and doubtful and uncertain as common reason and disputers experience proveth it , the universal church can never unite in a thing which so few can see any certainty in , or evident proof of . sect. x. . because the greatlyest reverenced general councils are against it , limiting the popes power to his diocese , as nice first doth ; and declaring him to be national , and of humane institution as being bishop of the imperial city , and advancing constantinople , from the same reason as doth the council of chalcedon : of which i have largely written against terret . sect. xi . . because the greek church hath ever held the papacy to be of humane institution : proved briefly ; . because they ever held the popes power to stand on the same foundation with the other patriarchs : but they ever held the other patriarchs to be of humane institution ; which needs no proofs to men of reading . . because they set up constantinople first next him , and then equal to him , and then above him : which they had never done , had they taken the papacy to be of divine institution : for they never pretended any such foundation for the bishop of constantinoples power ; and they were never so desperate as to set up mans ordination above gods. . because they took his power to be limited by the laws of the empire , and him to be subject to the emperours : all which is known to men that know church-history . sect. xii . . because the common reason of mankind will still discern that a humane monarchy of all the earth , is a dream and impossibility ; and that no man is naturally capable of exercising such a power . sect. xiii . . because while baronius , binius , crab , surius , and other histories of the councils are extant , and platina , anastasius , and other histories of the popes , and while all the old church-history is extant , and all the german , french , italian , belgick , english , and other later histories , the horrid wickedness of popes , and the mischiefs they have brought upon the world , and the blood they have shed to settle their kingdoms , will be known to mankind , and will not suffer men universally to believe that god ever made such governours essential to his church , or necessary to its unity . sect. xiv . . because kings and states will never become all so tame and servile , as to resign their kingdoms so far to an universal monarch , and to become his subjects , especially after the sad experience of his government . sect. xv. . because if the people were never ●o blind , there will in all generations arise wise and learned persons , who will know all these things , and never consent to popery . sect. xvi . . lastly from experience : the universal church now doth not , nor ever did unite in the roman papacy , and therefore never will do . that now they do not , is past doubt with those that know the papists are but the third or fourth part of the christian world. bishop bramhall saith they are but a fifth part . the great empire of ethiopia , the christians in egypt , syria , mesopotamia , that are falsly called by them nestorians and eutychians or jacobites , who parted from the greeks upon the ejection of diosecrus by the council of chalcedon , the armenians , circassians , mengrelians , georgians , those scattered in the persian empire , the greeks scattered throughout the turkish empire , the empire of moscovie , the kingdoms of sueden , denmark , england , scotland and ireland , the subjects of the dukes of saxony , brandenburgh , lunenburgh , hanover , osnaburgh , holstein , the prince of hassia , the palsgrave of the rhine , ducal prussia , curland , transilvania , all the protestant free cities in germany , dantzick , and others tolerated in poland , those in hungary , some in walachia and moldovia ; belgia , called the low-countreys , with friesland , embden , geneva , &c. the protestant cantons of helvetia ; those in rhoetia , in piedmont , &c. and those tolerated in france : our plantations in the west-indies or america , viz. new-england , virginia , barbados , bermudas , jamaica , and the rest ; all these are christians that unite not in the pope , nor are subject to him . i know they say that these are hereticks and schismaticks , and no parts of the church : but that is too easie a way of arguing , and no cure at all for christians discord . by this way of reasoning they may prove that all the christian church or world is united in the pope , if he had but ten subjects , because all the rest are no part of the christian church or world : as a mad man proved that all the world was his , because he thought his house and land was all the world. but christ will not so easily lose his church , nor be disputed out of his inheritance by so gross a fallacy : if you argue [ none are parts of the christian church but the popes subjects : all the popes subjects unite in the pope : ergo , all parts of the christian church are united in the pope , ] you must prove your major to christ better than ever you did , before he will be so deposed from his kingdom , and lose those whom he so dearly bought . the bishop of constantinople , alexandria , ephesus , canterbury , may say the like , that none are christians but their subjects , but this is it that i say the world of christians are not united in . sect. xvii . and as it is so now , it was so in the last age : and though some of them cheat women by telling them that all the christian world before luther were united in subjection to their popes , they must burn all their own church history and councils , and make men ignorant of what is past in former ages , before this will be believed by men that can read latin and greek ; certainly they do not believe it themselves : they cannot though they would : was all the west subject to the pope , when so many hundred thousand were murdered for being against him ? when the bohemians were so persecuted by warrs ? when spain it self hath been accused of such heresie ? when most of germany stuck to the emperours , and despised the popes ? when france and england have been censured and interdicted by him , and obeyed not his interdicts ? when for many ages most of italy hath been a field of warr , and fought against him ? when rome it self hath so oft driven him away ? but especially when upon the constantinopolitane decree de tribus capitulis , pope vigilius was forsaken by much of italy and the west , and all his successors for about an hundred years , and the patriarch of aquileia set up as their head instead of rome , till sergius after reconciled them ? and all this while were not the greeks , moscovites , armenians , syrians , abassines , and all the rest before mentioned in asia and africa , &c. from under the pope ? i have oft asked , and ask again , was all christendome subject to the pope , of whom their melchior canus saith ( lecd com. cap. . fol. . ) that not only the greeks , but almost all the rest of the bishops of the whole world have fought to destroy the priviledges of the church of rome ; and indeed they had on their side the arms of emperours , and the greater number of churches : and yet they could never prevail to ab●●gate the power of the one pope of rome ? ] was all the christian world under him , when their raynerius saith , ( cont . wald. catal . in bibl. patr. to. . p. . ) [ the church of the armenians , and ethiopians , and indians , and the rest which the apostles converted , are not under the church of rome ? ] was all the church under him before the turks conquered the greeks ? when the greek church alone , and the rest in the eastern empire , were twice as many as all the western churches : and abassia , and all in the east and south without the empire , were also from under him ? yea and when their own jacobus de vitriaco writeth ( histor . orient . c. . ) who dwelt at jerusalem , [ that the churches of the easterly parts of asia , alone , exceeded in number the christians either of the greek or latine church . ] and their brochardus , that lived also there , saith , that [ those called schismaticks by us , are far better men than those of the roman church . sect. xviii . if they say , that at least for the first six hundred years all the church was governed by the pope ? i answer , it is more probable which marnixius and many protestants affirm , that for the first six hundred years there was not one papist in the world , that is , one that took the pope to have the governing power over all the church on earth . the oft cited words of gregory the first and pelagius plainly shew , that they abhorred the claim : the pope was from the year . till . and after the first bishop in the roman empire , . under councils and emperours ; . not ruling the other patriarchates , but sitting before them in councils ; . and this by m●ns ordination , only in one empire ; . and had no rule in any of the extraimperial churches in the world : even here with us the britains rejected them , and the scots would not eat or converse with them . the abassine empire was never under them , nor those of india and persia : and the councils in which they had the first seat were but of one empire , as is after proved . and as for the first three hundred years under pagan emperours , their own writers confess the church of rome was little set by ; that is , it had no governing power over the rest , nor is there any pretence to think they had . the first that talk'd very high , was leo the first , who called himself the head of the catholick church : but by [ catholick ] was then meant usually the churches in the empire only , and by head he meant the prime bishop in order , but not the governour of all : nor was his claim , if he meant any , more approved , by the churches in that age. though the council of chalcedon highly applauded him and his epistle , as an advantage to carry their cause against dioscorus ( who had excommunicated the pope ) and took him for the prime member of their council , yet they thought meet in their canons to declare , that it was but by humane , mutable right in the roman empire . let them shew us if they can , when and where the universal church on earth ever subjected themselves at all to the pope . much less can they bring any pretense of it for the first three hundred yeas : had they any meeting in which they agreed for it ? did they all receive laws , ordination or officers from rome , or from its emissaries ? if we were so foolish as to believe that his precedence in general councils was a proof of the popes monarchy ; yet it 's easie to prove . that for years there was no general council ; . and that it was not the pope that presided at nice ; . and that those councils were but imperial , and not truly universal . but if all the church ever had been subject to the pope , as being at first ( except abassia ) almost confined to the roman empire , it doth not follow , that it will ever be so again when it is dispersed into so many kingdoms of the world : the jesuites at first were all under the king of spain , and the mahometans at first all under one prince , but they are not so now : is it likely that ever all christian , mahometan and heathen kings will suffer all their christian subjects to be under the government of a foreign priest ? but their own writers agree , that the apostles at first were dispersed into many countreys besides the roman empire , and that ethiopia was converted by the eunuch mentioned acts . initially ( its like before rome , ) and fullyer by st. matthew : and you may see in godignus , alvarez , damianus a goez , and others , full evidence that they were never subjects to the pope of rome . i conclude then , . that rome is not owned this day as the head of unity by all christians : . that it never was so taken for the governing and uniting head ; . and that the reason of the thing fully proveth that it never will be so . i may adde , that indeed it is not known among themselves who are the consenting subjects of the pope , or members of their church : it is indeed invisible , or a church not knowable . for , . they are not agreed , nor ever like to be , what is the essential qualification of a member of the church : or what that faith is that must make a member : some say , it must be the belief of all the creed explicitely ; others , of some few articles ; others , that no more is necessary ad esse than to believe explicitly that god is , and that he is a rewarder of good works , and to believe that the church is to be believed : of which see fr. a sanct. clara in his deus , natura , gratia. . and their forcing men into their church with tortures , fire and sword , leaveth it utterly uncertain who are consenters , and who are in the church as prisoners , to save limbs and life . and if they ever recover england , scotland , ireland , germany , and the other reformed churches , it must be by the sword , and warrs , and violence , and never by force of argument : and if they should conquer us all ( which is their hope and trust ) it will not follow , that men are of their minds , because they cannot or dare not contradict them , no more than because they are dead . experience , reason and scripture then do fully prove to men that are willing to know the truth , that the universality of christians will never be united to the roman papacy : yea , that this papacy is the greatest of all schisms , . by setting up a false head of union ; and . by cutting off or renouncing three parts of the christian world , even all christians except the subjects of the pope . chap. v. the vniversal church will never unite in patriarchs , or any other humane form of church-government . sect. i. whether or how far such forms may consist with union , is a question that i am not now debating , any further than shall be anon intimated by the way . but that they will never become the bond of union , or be received by all , and that to make any such thought necessary to universal unity , is schism , i am easily able to prove . sect. ii. and this needeth no other proofs than what are given against uniting in the papacy , in the former chapter . as , . patriarchs and other humane institutions being not of god but man , the whole church can never unite in them , . because they will never all agree that any men have true authority given them by god , to make new church-officers and forms that shall be necessary to the unity or concord of the church universal . . they will never agree who those men are that god hath given such power to , if they did suspect that such there are . a prince hath no power out of his dominions . . they will never agree , that if man made such forms or offices , they may not unmake them again if they see cause ; or that their acts bind all their posterity never to rescind or change them . . they will never find that all the christian world ever agreed herein , and so in all posterity is obliged by their ancestors . . much less will any ever prove that the institution was divine . sect. iii. if any say , that the apostles settled this form by the spirit , the universal church will never believe it : for , . no scripture saith so : . no true credible history saith so : . if the apostles settled patriarchs , it was either as their own successors , or as a new office : and it was either by joynt consent , or man by man , each one apart : but . had they settled them as their successours , they would have settled twelve or thirteen ; but there were but five settled at all , besides some new petty patriarchs ( as at aquileia when they cast off rome . ) . no writer tells us of any meeting of the apostles to agree of such a form. . no nor that ever they settled them . . history assureth us that they were settled only in one empire , and not in the rest of the world. . and that the emperour and councils of that empire made them . . and therefore when they were at first but three they added at their pleasure two more , constantinople and jerusalem . . and none of all these pretend to apostolical institution and succession but antioch , that claimeth to be st. peters first seat , and rome to be his second , and that but as bishops , ( when that also is a frivolous pretense . ) alexandria claimeth succession but from st. mark , and jerusalem from that st. james who ( saith dr. hammond and others ) was none of the apostles , and constantinople from none at all , though above the rest . councils ( as constant . and chalced. ) professing that the fathers and princes made them what they were . sect. iv. it is certain , that the christian world is not now united in patriarchs , nor ever was , nor ever will be . the patriarchs of the rest of the empire are all now broken off from the church of rome : constantinople , alexandria , antioch and jerusalem , are all against him : the east had four , and the west but one , and are now at odds condemning each other . the rest of the world have none , and had none . and it is commonly confessed , that as men set them up , so men may pull them down again . yea , even in the old empire many churches were from under all the patriarchs , as is commonly known . sect. v. and how should these patriarchs unite all the church ? it must be either by meeting or at distance . as for their meeting , princes that are some mahometans , and some christians , of divers interests and minds , will not suffer it : and neither by meeting or distance can we be secured that they will agree , when even under one emperour that laboured to unite them , they were among their clergy like the generals of so many armies , distracting ( and at last destroying ) the empire by hereticating and persecuting one another . those that have divided and undone that empire , are never like to unite the christian world. sect. vi. and what i say of patriarchs , i say of all humane forms of churches or church-government ; and so of such an episcopacy as is not necessary to the being of the church . there are here three distinct questions before us : . whether the pastoral office be necessary to church-unity ? . whether parochial episcopacy be necessary to it ? . whether diocesan bishops distinct from archbishops be necessary to it ? and you may adde a fourth , whether archbishops be necessary to it , ( not disputing now the lawfulness of any of all these ? ) sect. vii . . of the first i have spoken before : no doubt but christs universal church hath ever had teachers and pastors as the most noble organical part ; and a body may as well be without a stomack , liver or lungs , as the church be without them . and to a particular church as political , organized , or governed , they are a constitutive part . but i have before shewed reasons to doubt whether yet it be necessary to salvation to every individual christian to know that the ministry is an instituted office , and to own such : but this little concerneth our cause . sect. viii . . parochial episcopacy , that is , the preeminence and government of one presbyter called a bishop over the rest in every single church , was early introduced to avoid the discord of the presbyters and the flock : in the time when ignatius's epistles were written , he tells us , that every church had one altar , and one bishop with his fellow-presbyters and deacons . whether this was of apostolical institution , or a humane corruption , is disputed in so many volumes ( by petavius , sancta clara , faravia , whitenitto , downham , hammond , hooker , bilson , &c. on one side : and gersom , bucer , beza , cartwright , salmasius , didoclane , jacob , blondel , parker , paul baine , &c. on the other , ) that i think it not meet here to interpose my thoughts . but that it is not essential to a church , and that all the church will not unite in it , appeareth as followeth . sect. ix . . they are not united in it now : the reformed churches in france , belgia , helvetia , and many other parts , are against such bishops as necessary , and a distinct order . and in england , scotland , and ireland , new-england , &c. they are by some approved , and by others not . . former ages have had many pious christians against them , especially in scotland , and among the waldenses . . the school-men and other papists are not themselves agreed , whether bishops and presbyters are distinct orders . . the church of england even while popish denyed it , and said they were but one order , as you may see in spelman aelfreds laws or canons . . hierome and eutychius alexandrinus tell us how and why episcopacy was introduced at alexandria , and that the presbyters made them there . . the scots were long governed without them , ( as major and beda tell us . ) and their presbyters made the first bishops in northumberland ; as pomeranus a presbyter made those in denmark . . almost all the churches in east and west as far as i can learn , have cast off parochial bishops ( of single churches ) and in their stead set up diocesans over multitudes of parishes without any bishops under them , but curats only . . while there is no hope of all agreeing whether it be a divine institution , and that of essential necessity ) there is no probability that ever the universal church will unite in them . . the diocesans we find will never yield to them . . the reception of them will not unite the church were it agreed on , it being more and greater matters that they differ about . i confess that the ancient reception of them was so general , and the reason of the thing so fair , that i am none of those that accuse such episcopacy as unlawfull or schismatical , but rather think it conduceth to prevent schisms : but , . i am satisfied that it will not be agreed to by all , . nor serve for universal concord were it agreed on ; . and that it is schismatical to make them more necessary than god hath made them , and to cut off christians or churches that cannot receive them . sect. ix . diocesan episcopacy ( by which i mean a single bishop over many hundred or score parishes and sacred assemblies that have altars , and are large enough to be single churches , or at least many such , without any bishops under him of those churches ) will much less ever unite the universal church , however it hath obtained over very much of the christian world . for first more churches by far at this day are against it , than against parochial episcopacy , and more volumes are written against it ; and men have a far greater aversness to it , as more dangerous to the church . sect. x. . it is contrary to the scripture institution , which set up bishops in all single churches , ( whether the same with presbyters i now dispute not , but they were such as then were received ; ) and those that think such single , or parish , or city bishops necessary , will never agree to put them all down . sect. xi . . they turn all the parish-churches into chappels , or meer parts of one church , and unchurch them all , in the judgment of those that take a bishop to be essential to a church : and all will not agree to unchurch all such parishes . sect. xii . . it maketh true discipline as impossible , as is the government of so many score o● hundred schools by one schoolmaster , or hospitals by one physician , without any other schoolmaster or physician under him , ( but ushers and apothecaries ; which all christians will not agree to . sect. xiii . . it is contrary to the practice of the primitive churches , and casteth out their sort o● parochial bishops , as i have elsewhere fully proved . . from the testimonies of many , such as that o● ignatius before cited . . from the custom of choosing bishops by all the people . . and of managing discipline before all the church . . by the custom mentioned by tertulli●● and justin martyr , of receiving the sacrament onely from the hand of the bishop , or when he consecrated it . . by the custom of the bishops onely preaching , except in case of his special appointment . . in every church the bishop sate on a high seat with the presbyters about him . . the bishop onely pronounced the blessing . . many canons after , when the churches grew greater , command all the people to be present , and communicate with the bishop on the great festivals . these and many more evidences prove , that in the primitive times the bishops had but single churches , and every altar and church had a bishop . sect. xiv . . the very species of the old churches is thus overthrown , and the old office of presbyters therewith , which was to be assistant governors with the bishop , and not meer preachers or readers . and all these changes all christians will not agree to . sect. xv. . especially the sad history of councils and prelacy will deter them from such concord ; when they find that their aspiring , ambition and contention , hath been the grand cause of schisms and rebellions , and kept the church in confusion , and brought it to the lamentable state in east and west that it is in . sect. xvi . . and constant experience will be the greatest hinderance : as in our own age many good men , that had favourable thoughts of diocesans , are quite turned from them , since they saw two thousand faithful ministers silenced by them ; and that it is the work of too many of them to cast out such , and set up such as i am not willing to describe : and such experience after-ages are like to have , which will produce the same effects . when experience persuadeth men , that under the name of bishops , they are troublers , persecutors and destroyers , they will account them wolves , and not agree to take them for their shepherds . it will be said , that good bishops are not such : it 's true , and that there are good ones no sober man doubteth : but when years experience hath told men , that the good ones are few , in comparison of the bad ones , ever since they had large dominions and jurisdictions : and when reason tells men , that the worst , and most worldly men , will be the most diligent seekers of such power and wealth ; and that he that seeketh them , is liker to find them , than he that doth not ; and so that bad men are still likest to be di●cesans : and when the divided , scattered , persecuted flocks , find that the work of such men , is to silence the most conscionable ministers , and to be thorns and thist●es to the people , though they wear sheeps cloathing , men will judge of the● by their fruits , and the churches will never be united in them . sect. xvii . . the greatest defenders of episcopacy say so much to make men against them , as will hinder this from being an uniting course . i wi●l instance now but in petavius , and doctor ham●●d who followeth him , and scolus , who saith , 〈…〉 clara led them the way : these hold , that the ap●st●●s setled a bishop without any subject sort of presbyters in every city and single congregational church : and doctor hammond ( annot. in act. . & dissertat . adversus blondel ) saith , that it cannot be proved that there were any subject presbyters in scripture-times ; but that the word presbyter every where in scripture signifieth a bishop : and if so , . men will know that the apostolical form was for every congregational church to have a bishop of its own . . that no bishop had more setled congregations than one : for no such congregation could worship god , and celebrate the sacrament of communion , as then they constantly did , without a minister ; and one bishop could be but in one place at once , and so without curates , could have but one assembly . . and men will be inquisitive , by what authority subject presbyters , and diocesan bishops and churches were introduced after scripture-times ? in which they will never receive universal satisfaction . if it be said that the apostles gave bishops power to make a subject order of presbyters , and to turn parish or congregational churches into diocesan , and so to alter the first forms of government , when they were dead ; this will not be received without proofs , which never will be given to satisfie all : nay , it will seem utterly improbable , and men will ask , . why did not the apostles do it themselves , if they would have it done ? was not their authority more unquestionable than theirs that should come after ? if it be said that there were not qualified men enow , it will , . be asked , were there not like to be then greatest choice upon the extraordinary pouring out of the spirit ? . do we not find in corinth so many inspired gifted persons in one assembly , that paul was put to limit them in their prophecying , yet allowing many to do it one by one ? and acts . there were many prophets and teachers in antioch : and at jerusalem more , and at ephesus , acts . and at philippi , phil. . , . there were many bishops or elders ; and such deacons as stephen and philip , &c. would have served for elders , rather than to have none . . doth not this imply , that after-times that might make so great a change , may also do the like in other things ? . and that diocesans and subject presbyters be but humane institutions , and therefore men may again change them ? . doth it not dishonour the apostles , to say that they setled one form of government for their own age , which should so quickly be changed by their followers into another species ? all these things , and much more , will hinder universal concord in diocesans . sect. xix . yet i must add , that there is great difference between diocesans both as to their government , and their persons , whence some churches may comfortably live in concord under them , though 〈◊〉 be divided and afflicted under them . . some diocesans have diocesses so small , that discipline is there a possible thing : others ( as ours in england ) have some above a thousand , some many hundred , or score parishes , which maketh true discip●●● impossible . . some diocesans exercise the church keys of excommunication and absolution only themselves . othe●● delegate them to presbyters , ( and thereby tell the people that presbyters are capable of them . ) others ( which is the case with us in england ) do commit them to lay-chancellors , who excommunicate and absolve by sentence , commanding a priest to publish it . . some diocesans may , if they please , allow the parish-priest to be episcopus gregis , and to exercise so much of his true office in his parish , as shall keep up some tolerable purity , order and discipline , themselves receiving appeals , and being episcopi pastorum . 〈◊〉 this is rare , i know none such : but they leave the parish-priest no power so much as to suspend his own act in administring baptism , or the eucharist , or pronouncing decreed excommunications or absolution● when it is against his knowledge and conscience , no though the people profess that they take him not for their pastor or guide at all , or refuse to speak with him in case of ignorance , suspected heresie or scandal . . some diocesans are learned , good and holy men , and set themselves to promote godliness , and encourage the best ministers : such we have had in england , ( as grindall , jewel , usher , and many more excellent men. ) but others , in jealousie of their places , power and interest , suspect and set themselves against painful preachers , and strict men , especially if they dissent from them , and take them for dangerous enemies , and persecute them , and countenance the ignorant rabble , to strengthen themselves against them : so that particular concord will be promoted by some diocesans , but universal concord will never be so attained by them . sect. xx. there are many learned divines , who think that forms of church-government are mutable , and not necessary to all times and places : and that as prudence may change other rites , circumstances and orders , so it may do this : and some papists are of this mind ; read card. cusanus de concordia , and gorson de auferibilitate papae ; and the italian bishops at trent , were for the dependance of bishops on the pope , as the maker of their order , or giver of their power . and if so , it is not capable of being necessary to catholick unity , which may it self be changed . and most protestants and papists hold , that men may turn diocesan bishops again into parochial , if they saw cause . and all confess , that man may set up bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in every city , which in the old sense was in every great town , like our corporations , or market-towns , which is greatly different from the roman , or the english , or the french , or the italian diocesses . sect. xxi . yea , there are very learned divines , that think no form of church-government is jure divino , or of divine determinate institution ; so though doctor edward reynolds , late bishop of n●rwich ; and doctor stillingfleet doth not only think so himself , but hath cited great and many patrons of that opinion , and brought a great many of arguments for it in his irenicon : be these in the right or wrong , no man of this opinion can believe any one form of government necessary to the unity of the church , or fit to be the terms of universal concord . and it is certain that some will still be of their opinion ( besides those that account diocesans unlawful . ) chap. vi. the vniversal church will never unite in general councils as their head , or as necessary to vnion . sect. i. those that are not for the absolute sovereignty of the bishop of rome over all the world , do yet many of them think that they are very moderate men , if they hold but the superiority of councils above the pope , or limit the popes power to the advice and consent of councils ; taking them to be necessary to unity : but the contrary is very easily proved ; much more their insufficiency . sect. ii. . it is certain , that the church had union before there was any general council : the first at nice was years at least , if not more after the birth of christ . there is none pretended to be before that , by any judicious men . they that instance in the consultation of the apostles , elders and brethren at jerusalem , acts . may easily see reason to convince them , that those were but the apostles , elders and brethren , that were ordinarily then resident at one city and church : and such as pretended not to be governours of all the apostles , elders and brethren who then were absent , about the world . the popes and his cardinals may say they are a general council ; but who will believe them ? these at jerusalem were not sent from all the churches , but one of the churches sent to them , as fittest to advise them , and as being men most certainly , and eminently inspired by the holy ghost . it 's true that christ and his apostles had a governing power over all the church : and if they will impose on us no other sort of general councils as so necessary , but such as have such office , power and infallibility , and dwell together in one house or place , and are not sent from other churches as their representatives , and can prove such a power , we shall submit to such a council . pighius hath said enough of that novelty , and against the governing power of general councils : that which was not essential to the church years , is not so now . sect. iii. . if general councils be the necessary means of union , it is either for their laws , or their judgment ; and it is either past councils , or present ones , or both . . if it be the laws of past councils , then one council that can make laws enough at first , may serve without any after-councils : and if it be enough that there have been general councils , why is not the church united by them ? then it is no matter if there never be any more . and why may not christs own laws serve for church union ? . but if it be present councils that are necessary for laws or judgment , then the church is now no church without them . sect. iv. . there is now no general council in the world , and yet the church hath essential union . nay , as it is long since there was one ( in their own account ) so we know not whether ever there will be more : the interest of the pope being against it . sect. v. . the great disagreement that is about councils in the christian world , proveth that they can never be the terms of universal agreement . . it is not agreed who must call them . . nor out of what christian countries they must come ; whether all , or but some ; and which ; the papists saying that three parts of christians may be absent , or have no right to send , being hereticks or schismaticks ; and others think papists to be hereticks , schismaticks , and antichristian . . nor what number are necessary to make a council . . nor in what countrey they must meet . . nor what their work is . . nor what power they have . . nor how far they are to be believed . . nor which are to be taken for approved councils , and which not . . nor what to do if they contradict each other , or the pope , or the scriptures . . nor whether any more councils be necessary , than what are past already . but the papists themselves hold , that they are not the stated head , or governing power of the church , ( else there were now no church , because there is no general council ; but as a consultation of physicians in extraordinary 〈◊〉 of the churches maladies . sect. vi. . it is certain , that the univer●●● church was never united in their subjection to councils ; yea , that even at the greatest councils called general , at nice , constantinople , ephesus and chalcedon , and the rest , there were not delegates from all the churches without the empire ; nor did they all subject themselves unto them : yea , it is certain , that there never was an universal council of the church throughout the world : but that they were onely called general , as to one empire , and so were but as national councils ; this i have elsewhere proved at large , in my answer and reply to johnson for the churches visibility . . by the names that did subscribe the councils : one johan : presidis at nice , is an exception there easily answered . . because the roman emperor called them ( whatever papists say against it to the ignorant ) who had no power but of the empire . . because no summons was sent to any ( much less to all ) out of the empire , as history acquainteth us . . they were all under the five patriarchs , and the metropolitanes of the empire : the abassines subjection to alexandria , was since the revolt of dioscorus . . we read of no execution of their canons out of the empire , by either casting out bishops , or putting them in . . theodoret giveth it as the reason , why james bishop of nisibis was at the council of nice , because nisibis then obeyed the roman emperor , and not the persian , hist. sanct. pat. cap. . . the emperors oft decided their differences , and set civil judges among them , to keep order and determine , and corrected them , and received appeals , and cognisance of their proceedings ; all which , and more , prove evidently , that they were but universal as to that one empire , ( ●ay rarely , or never so much ) and not as to the world . sect. vii . it is probable , if not certain , that there never will be an universal council ; unless ( which god forbid ) the christian society should be reduced to a small and narrow compass , when we are hoping its increase : for , . the differences who shall call them , and the rest before named , are never like to be agreed . . turks , heathen and nations in war against other , or hating christians , will never all consent and suffer it . . the jealousie that christian princes have of papal tyranny , will never let them agree , to send their subjects to it : the case of the abassines , greeks , armenians , moscovites , protestants , &c. proveth this . . the distance is so vast , that the east and west indians , and ethiopians , cannot come so far to answer the ends of a general council . . should they attempt it , their number must be so unproportionable to the nearer parts , that it would be no true general council , to signifie by votes the churches sense . . they could not all meet and consult in one room , if they were truly universal . . they could not all understand each other , through diversity of language . . their present difference , and old experience , assureth us , that they would fall altogether by the ears , and increase the schism . . they would not live to get home again so far , to bring and prosecute the concord . . the people and priests at home would not agree to receive them . sect. viii . yea , it is certain , that it would be a most heinous sin to call a true universal council , worse than an hundred murders . for , . if young men came in no just proportion , it would but mock the world , and prepare for heresie , or tyranny . if experienced aged men came from america , ethiopia , armenia , &c. and the antipodes , the voyage and labour would murder them . . their losses would be unspeakable to their churches . . yea , their absence so many years , would be to their churches an unsufferable loss . . the benefits were not like to countervail the loss : ( if they did not hurt by differences , or error , or tyranny , it will be a wonder . ) sect. ix . the sad history of councils too fully proveth , that they have been so far from being the causes of concord , and preventers or healers of schisms , that they have been one of the most notorious causes of division and distraction . having proved this in a peculiar treatise , ( a breviate of the history of bishops and councils , ) i must not here repeat it . the council of nice did best : but as constantine was fain to keep peace among the bishops in person , and burnt their numerous libels against each other , so wise men think he might another way have better suppressed arianism , and prevented the many contrary and divided councils , which this one did by one word occasion , and have prevented the persecutions which valens and constantius exercised : and had the time of easter been left at liberty , perhaps it had as much made for peace . what the first council at constantinople did , the sad case , and sadder description of gregory nazianzene tell us , whose character of the bishops ( not arians as some talk ) should not be read without tears by any , whence he learned the danger of councils , and resolved never to come to more . what all the bastard councils did at ariminum , sirinium , alexandria , milan , &c. i need not tell . and what schism and bloodshed was occasioned by the first and second council at ephesus : yea , what streams of blood , desolation , schism , and many ages deplorable enmity and confusion were caused by the council of calcedon , i need tell no one that hath read church history . it is true indeed , that the nestorians and eutychians were condemned in these , and the m●nothelites in many following : but whether mutual understanding might not have made a better end , i appeal to a thousand years experience , and to the nature of the heresies there condemned , which seem to be much formed in and by ambiguous words , which a good explication might have better healed , than anathema's and bloodshed . of this i spake before ( and often . ) the nestorians said , that mary was not to be called the mother of god , but of christ . the orthodox said the contrary : when the orthodox never meant that she begat the godhead , and the nestorians never denied that she begate him that is god. where then is the difference but in words , one speaking of the abstract ( deity ) which the other never meant ? the nestorians were charged with holding two persons in christ , instead of two natures : which yet nestorius plainly denieth , but cyril charged it on him by consequence , because he refused the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the foresaid account ; thinking that denomination a ratione formali , is most apt . and it seems one took nature in the same sense , as others took person , meaning the same thing . the eutychians asserted one nature only , but they meant that christ had but one nature , as undivided , ( which the orthodox granted ) but denied not that the godhead and manhood were distinct . and what was the difference then , but whether the undivided godhead and manhood should be called one nature , or two ; which truly in one sense was two , and in another one . the like was the monothelites heresie ( for and against which were many councils ) about one or two wills and operations , no more disagreeing than as aforesaid , about the sense of [ one ] and [ two. ] and had not a wise explication , and patient reconciliation , done better service , than cursing did , whose doleful effects ( hatred , hereticating and schism ) continue to this day . should i come to the councils about images , and that at constantine , that decreed the tribus capitulis , and the multitudes since that have deposed emperors and kings , raised wars , set up popes , and anti-popes , &c. alas how sad a history would it be , to convince us that councils of bishops have caused most of the schisms , church-tyranny , rebellions and confusions in the christian world . and if the popes have been restrained , or deposed , or schisms at rome partly stopt by any , the flame hath quickly more broke out ; and condemned popes have oft got the better of them : and if one council hath said , that the pope is responsible , another hath determined the contrary : if basil and constance decreed , that a council be called every ten years , it was not done , but was a mockery in the event . in a word , councils of bishops have been but church-armies , of which at first the patriarchs were generals , and afterwards popes and emperors , and came to fight it out for victory , the sequel being usually schism and calamity . and must this be the only way of universal peace ? chap. vii . the vniversal church will never unite in many pretended articles of faith , not proved to be divine : nor in owning unnecessary doubtful opinions or practices as religious , or worship of god ; notwithstanding the pretense of tradition . sect. i. i need say no more for proof of this than is said in the first part. if preachers say that this or that is an article of faith ; if popes say it ; if councils say it , this saying will never unite all christians in the belief of it . it is no belief of god whose object is not revealed by god , and perceived so to be , and received as such . that the sacred scriptures are written by divine inspiration , christians are commonly agreed ; but that popes , prelates or councils speak by divine inspiration , even when they expound the scriptures , all christians neither are agreed , nor ever will be ; and till a man perceiveth that it is god that speaketh , or that the word spoken is gods word , he cannot believe it with a divine faith , which is nothing but believing it to be gods word , and trusting it accordingly . god is true , but men are lyers , rom. . sect. ii. before we can receive any thing as truth from man , we must have evidence that it is true indeed : and that must be , . either from the nature of the thing , and its causes ; . or from some testimony of god either concomitant ( as miracles were ) or subsequent , ( in the effects ; ) . or from our knowledge of the veracity , authority , inspiration and infallibility of the instrument or speaker . if therefore any church or company of men shall tell us , that this is a divine truth or article of faith , no more of the world can be expected to believe them , than are convinced of it by one of these three proofs : the first is the case of natural revelation , and not now questioned : the second none but the church of rome do plead for their own belief , viz. that they work miracles , and therefore are to be believed in whatever they affirm to be the word of god. knot against chillingworth , and others of them do ultimately resolve their faith , or their proof of the truth of their religion into the miracles wrought in the church of rome , by which god testifieth his approbation of their assertions : other christians that may have more miracles than papists , yet resolve not their proof of christianity into them , but lay more stress on other evidence , and particularly on christs and his ministers miracles attesting the holy scriptures and gospel to be of god. and when we can find just proof of the papists miracles , we shall be willing to study the meaning of them : but hitherto we have not found such proof . if any council in rome , france , germany or england shall say , these are divine revealed truths , and as such , you must believe , subscribe or swear to them , the world will never agree in believing them , when no sober man is bound to believe them , but as humane , uncertain and fallible witnesses , according to the measure of their credibility . sect. iii. long experience fully proveth this : no age of the church did ever agree in articles of meer humane assertion ; ( for that had been but a humane faith. ) that which the council of nice said , was denyed by the councils at sirmium , ariminum , &c. that which the council at ephesus the first , and at chalcedon affirmed , they at the council of ephesus the second denyed : that which the monotholites under philippicus ( innumerable bishops saith binius ) affirmed many other councils condemned : that which the council at nice the second decreed for images , was condemned by many other councils : that which the councils at ●isa , constance and basil decreed to be articles of faith , the council at florence and others abhorre . much less will a provincial synod , or a convocation , or a parliament be taken by all the christian world to be infallible . sect. iv. and indeed the obtruding of ●alshoods , or uncertainties on the churches , is a notorious cause of schism : for what can you expect that men of sobriety and conscience should do in such a case ? discern the certainty of the thing they cannot ; nor can they believe that all must needs be true , that is said by a synod , a convocation or a parliament : and they dare not lie , in saying they believe that which they do not : and to take all for schismaticks that dare not deliberately lie , or that set not up 〈◊〉 men as lords of their conscience instead of god , is schismatical , unchristian and inhumane . and as mens mere wills ought not to rule their understandings , nor the will of synods , of bishops , or others , to be the rule and measure of our wills , so though we were never so willing to believe all to be true that councils of bishops or princes say , 〈◊〉 are not our understandings in the power of our 〈◊〉 . we cannot believe what we list . to know or believe without evidence of truth , is to see without light . false hypocrites may force their tongues to say that they believe this or that at the command of man ; but they cannot force themselves indeed to believe 〈◊〉 . how then can a book of articles or the decrees of a council , or the laws of a prince , bring the world to any unity of belief , in things not evidently of god ? sect. v. what i say of divine faith , i say of points of religious practice : for though all things believed be not to be done , yet all things to be done as commanded by god , must first be believed to be commanded by him : and to believe and do , is somewhat more than only to believe . sect. vi. but it 's one thing to say , this is gods command ; and another to say , this is our command . the first none will agree to , that see not evidence to believe it . the second is , . either according to gods command ( to drive men to obey it . ) . or beside his command . . or against his command . . those laws of men which are according to gods laws , those only will obey who discern them so to be , on that account : therefore it must be in evident cases , or they will be no measure of concord as such . . those that are but besides gods laws , men should obey , so far as they can find that the commanders have power from god to make them ; and how few such will be matter of universal concord ? . those that are against gods laws , no good christians will knowingly consent to . sect. vii . and i have before truly told them , what great diversity of capacities and understandings there be in the world , so that even in common matters that are still before our eyes , at least in many or most , few persons long agree : in matters of fact at any distance , or matters of prudence , husband and wife , parents and children , master and servants , daily differ : mens faces scarce differ more than their understandings : it is only in few , plain , easie things , that all men are agreed : and are ever all christians like to agree in many humane , dark opinions ? or will it be taken for certain to all men , because it is so to some of clearer understandings ? or because a self-confident imposer vevehemently asserteth it ? they know not themselves , they know no man , that presume to unite the church this way . sect. viii . therefore the popish numerous decrees de fide , are but so many engines of schism made on the pretence of declaring points of faith. if they were articles of faith before , they may be mani●est to be so in the divine revelation , that is , the holy scriptures : but for the council to tell a man , [ this or that is in the bible , but we cannot shew you it there , nor can you find it if you search , but you must take our words as infallible : ] this is not a center that the christian world will ever unite in . and if it be an article of faith , either the church held it before the council declared it , or not : if they did , then it was known without a councils declaration . and what need a council to declare that which all the church did hold before , and was in possession of ? but if not , then either it was an article of faith before , or not . if it was , then the church before held not that faith , and so was heretical , corrupt , or wanted faith , and so by their own reckoning ( who will not endure the distinction of essentials from the rest ) was no church . if not , then the council declared that to be an article of faith , which was none : it must be such , before it can be truly declared such ; else a false declaration that it was such , did now make it such : but if they had openly professed , that by declaring it an article , they meant the making one , they must prove , . that they are prophets , and have new revelations even of faith. . and that the scriptures were not sufficient measures of the churches faith to the end of the world . . and that the churches faith is alterable and crescent , and the old church had not the same faith which the present church hath . and will the christian world any more agree in such absurdities , than in a quakers of familists professing , that he speaketh by inspiration ? if the members of the council before they came thither , were no wiser nor honester than other men , nor their words more credible , how shall we know that when they are there , they are become inspired , and their words are gods own words ? but if it be said , that they neither make new articles of faith , nor declare what is in scripture by exposition , but declare the verbal tradition of the apostles ; i ask , . if so big a book as the bible , contain not so much as all the churches creed ; . where hath this traditional faith been kept till now ? if by all the church , then it was held , possessed and known before that declaration : if but by part of the church , then it was but part of the church that had the true faith , and one part was of one religion , and another part of another . and which part was it that kept this tradition ? and how come we to know that they were righter than the rest , that had it not ? if it was rome only , then they had a faith different from the rest of the churches ; and how shall we know that they are not as true and sound as rome ? but how hath this tradition been carried on , and kept right ? was it by writing , or by word ? if by writings , why are they not cited , seen and tryed ? other men can read as well as popes and councils : if unwritten , was it by publick preaching , or private talk ? if the former , then it was commonly known and declared , before the council declared it . if by private talk , how shall we be sure , . that they were honest men that would keep private the publick faith , especially being preachers that by office were to publish it . . and that it hath been well remembred and carried on without alteration . and were it preached or whispered , mans memory is so frail , and words so uncertain , that for the church , or a piece of the church to carry down from the apostles from fathers to children so many articles , ( more than are in all the bible ) and so hard and mysterious , and by many now controverted , and this not by writing , and to be sure that no mistake hath been made by oblivion , or misexpression , this is a thing that the church will never unite in the belief of . and was it in a set form of unchangeable words , that all these articles ( or expositions ) were carried down till now , or not ? if yea , we should have had that form deliver'd us , as we have other forms ( the creed , lords prayer , &c. ) if not , how shall we know that the fathers and children had the same understanding of the matter , and changed not the faith by change of words ? and it 's like that all the churches , since the apostles , delivered not these articles down in the same words , when in several countries and ages they spake not the same language . and it is a wonder that they would never write their faith , for their children to learn , when the jews , deut. . and . were commanded to teach their children , by writing the law upon the very posts of their houses , and their gates : and it is a greater wonder , that parents and children should through so many generations and countries have so unerring sur● a memory . and it is strange how their own commentators come to differ about the sense of thousands of texts of scripture , if the churches tradition have publickly and notoriously delivered down the meaning of them . if not , how councils come to be the infallible commentators , and declarers of the sense of scriptures . but if really such men believe themselves , it will be long before either by fraud or force , they can make all others believe such things . sect. ix . gods wisdom appointed a few great and necessary things to be the terms of the churches unity and love ; but ignorance and pride , by pretences of enmity to error and heresie , have plagued and torn the churches by decrees and canons , and led us into a labyrinth , so that men know not where they are , nor what to hold , nor what the christian religion is , nor who are orthodox , and who are not ; so great a work it is to understand such voluminous councils , and then to be sure that they are all right , even when they condemn and damn each other . that which hath been the chief cause and engine of division , will never become the means or terms of the unity or concord of all the churches : but such are the multitude of unnecessary , uncertain humane decrees , laws and canons of faith and religion , whatever the proud and ignorant say to the contrary . chap. viii . the vniversal church will never vnite , by receiving all that is now received by greeks , latines , armenians , abassines , lutherans , calvinists , diocesane , presbyterians , independants , erastians , anabaptists , or in full conformity to any of the present parties , which addeth to the primitive simplicity in her terms of communion or concord . sect. i. i must expect that the evil spirit which hath long torn the church , and made multitudes tear themselves , and foam out reproach , yea , and blood against each other , will presently meet the very title of this chapter , with a charge of pride against the writer , and say , what are you , that you should know more than all the churches in the world ? and pre●ume to charge them all with so great error , as not to know the terms of christian concord , nor the way of universal peace ? but i answer , . is the church now united in any of these terms or ways ? are they all papists ? are they all of the greek church , or armenian , abassine , & c ? are they all lutherans , or calvinists , & c ? if not , why should you conclude that ever they will be ? or that any of these are congruous terms of concord , and that the same that doth not heal , will heal them ? will not christians be the same as now ? sect. ii. they never were united on any of these terms . i have proved that they were never all papists . and it will be easily granted of the rest ( that they were never all greeks , lutherans , &c. ) and that which never did unite the church , never will do . sect. iii. if you think all must be united in any of these wayes , which of them is it ? and why that , rather than any of the rest ? . must they all be of the greek opinions ? you see that the papists condemn them for schismaticks : and other churches lament their manifold corruptions : and the eastern countries long since divided from them . we have here in london a greek church new built , and tolerated ; and their work is done so ignorantly and unreverently , that they have usually not twice the number of the officiating or present priests who join with them . . must they all be papists ? never was more policy and cruelty used to propagate and prop up any church under heaven ; and yet they cannot prevail for universal subjection . nay , many kingdoms and countries are fallen from them , while they used such means to keep them , insomuch that by many of the soundest churches , they are taken for no better than antichristian hereticks . and even the greek church separateth from them , and pronounceth them schijmaticks , and excommunicates them every year ; and they can never obliterate the history of their horrid schisms and usurpations , and inhumane butcheries , which will alienate many from them . will all the world ever agree to the dominion of one usurper ? will they all believe the monster of transubstantiation ? will they all agree , that all the senses of all men are deceived , who think that they see and taste bread and wine , and there is none ? and that it is necessary to salvation , to renounce all our senses , and the scripture , that oft calls it bread after the consecration , cor. . will all agree , that god , who cannot lie by supernatural revelation , is the father of all the lies to sense , that perceive real bread and wine , and deceiveth them all by his natural revelation ? will all men believe . that every lying , fornicating , proud and covetous priest , even many thousands of them , can work miracles at their pleasures every day in the week , by making bread no bread , and turning it into flesh and 〈◊〉 . and that there are visible accidents without a subject , even , a round nothing , a white nothing , a sweet nothing , &c. and that there are no substantial s●●ns in that sacrament of the thing signified ? and that christs true flesh was broken , and his blood shed by himself in the sacrament , before it was broken and shed on the cross ? and that two general councils , who decree as de fide , that christ hath not now flesh in heaven , hath yet heavenly flesh in the sacrament . i know that augustine retracted somewhat as an oversight that looked that way : but two general councils ( that at constantinople , called the th general by some , and that at nice d ) which damned one another about images , yet agreed in this , that christ hath not flesh in heaven . the words are , ( bin. p. . defin . . ) [ siauis non confessus fuerit dominum nostrum jesum christum post assumptionem animatae , rationalis & intelle●●●● carnis simul sedere cum deo & ●atre , atque ita quique rursus venturum cum paternâ majestate , judicaturum v●vos & mortuos , non amplius quidem carnem , neque incorporeum tamen , ut videatur ab i●s a quibus conpunctus est , & maneat deus extra crassitudinem carnis , anathema . and in this they say , that the constantin . council which they are condemning , was in the right ; so that they anathematize the church of rome , which think that christ hath flesh in heaven , and in the eucharist , which they deny , yet saying that he hath a body . and let those that would pervert the word [ crassitudinem ] note , that he doth not distinguish of christs flesh and ours as two sorts , and say , extra carnem crassam , but , deny him to have flesh , and say , extra crassitudinem carnis , as an essential property of flesh : and one of these councils the papists own . will all christians agree that every priest must first make his god , and then eat him ? or that he must communicate alone without communion with the people ? or that he must worship bread and wine as his god ? or that he may give a half-sacrament of bread without wine , contrary to christs institution , the apostles doctrine , cor. . and all the churches constant practice till of late . and that instead of a commemoration he offereth a real present sacrifice for the quick and dead ? will all agree to their image-worship ? why then did so many councils condemn it ? will all agree that the assemblies pray in an unknown tongue ? he is mad with errour who believeth that ever the church universal will receive all these and the rest , which pretended infallibility maketh to be uncurable errours in the impenitent roman sect. . and briefly as to the rest , there is no calvinist believeth that ever all the churches will receive the lutherane consubstantiation or church-images ? nor any lutherane that believeth that ever all the church will be of the way called calvinism ; a name even here in england honoured by many ( that yet disown it as a note of schism , ) and reproached with the bitterest scorn and accusations by others . indeed the behmenists , the quakers and some anabaptists have said , that all the churches would at last ( and shortly ) be of their mind ; but few others believe them , nor have cause . sect. iv. that which hath divided the churches will never be the cement of their concord : but every one of these parties as sects , by that whence others denominate and oppose them , have done something to divide the churches : what the greeks , arm●●ans , nestorians , eutychians or jacobites have done , the papists and others tell you at large : what the abassines do , by their baptizings , and other fopperies , i need not declare . what the papists do above all o●●ers , i have opened before . what the anabaptists do , by differing from almost all other christians , is known . what the diocesans have done in councils , and by silencing others , &c. enow have shewed . what independents and their way have done towards divisions and separations , it is in vain in this age in england to recite : and many wise men think , that the presbyterians over violent rejecting of all episcopacy , setting up unordained elders , and national churches as headed by national assemblies , &c. are divisive and unwarrantable ; as the same men think their making by the scots covenant the renouncing of the prelacy to be the test of national concord , also was . and who can think that erastianism , deposing the true use of church-government , as it hath begun , will not still more divide than heal ? sect. v. i deny not but universal concord may take in almost all such parties : but not as such , by receiving any of their errours , but as christians , who agree in the common essentials of faith and piety . we can unite with sober anabaptists , but not by becoming anabaptists . christïanity is our religion , and with all that hold the essentials of christianity , we can hold essential unity : and with those that hold the integrals most purely , we have more and neerer concord than with the rest , that have more errours : and if any of these parties be sounder than the rest , we love and honour them above the rest , and preferre their assemblies for our local communion . but though my parlour or bed-chamber be a cleaner part of my house than my kitchin , or my co●-house , i will not say therefore that the whole house must be a parlour or bed-chamber ; or that the hand and the foot are no parts of the body because they are not the head or heart ; or that all the body must be an eye or one of the noblest parts : st. paul hath taught me better than so , cor. : we must expect that each party should labour to propagate that which they take to be the truth : but to force all to their sayings , or persecute or cast off all dissenters , is schismatical , whatever be pretended . chap. ix . the pretended necessity of an uninterrupted canonical or episcopal ordination will never unite the church , but is schismatical : mr. henry dodwells s●hismatical treatise against schism considered and confuted . § . . because the city of rome hath not been conquered and kept by infidels , nor christianity thence ejected , the papists think that they excell other churches in an uninterrupted succession of ordained pastors ; and therefore they bend their wits to prove this necessary to every true church , and then to prove others to be no true churches or ministers of christ that want it . and because they think that our pastors can prove no such continued succession , unless as derived to us from rome , and that to acknowledge such a derivation , is to acknowledge them a true church , on which we have and must depend , therefore they most earnestly manage this argument against us as their strength . sect. ii. and there is lately a young unordained student of trinity-colledge neer dublin , come out of ireland , to propagate this and such like doctrines in london ; to which end he hath lately written a large and wordy volume , as if it were only against the non-conformists : which being new , and the most audacious and confident attempt that ever i knew made against the reformed churches , by one that saith himself he is no papist , and being the mo●t elaborate enforcement of the papists grand argument on which of late they build their cause , i think it needful to the readers satisfaction not to pass it by , though it will not stand with the order of this undertaken work , nor with my want of leisure , to write a particular answer to all the words of so exceeding prolix and tedious a discourse . sect. iii. i have oft handled this case already , especially in my disput . of church-government , disp . of ordination ; and in my ecclesiastical cases in my christian directory , and that more largely than i must here doe : and the reader that would see more , may read the protestants cause fully vindicated against cornelius jansenius ( a stronger adversary ) by gisb. voetius in a full volume de desperata causa papatus . but i shall here first briefly assert the truth . sect. iv. . christ and his spirit in his apostles have already instituted and described the office of the sacred ministry , and determined what power and what obligations to the work it doth contain ; and what the work is to which they are designed : so that it is not left to any church now to make or amend , or change the o●●●ce : what it is i have described in the second ●art . sect. v. . christ also , and his spirit in his apostles , have told us what are the necessary qualifications of such as shall receive this office , and be received into it : viz. what is necessary to the being , and what to the well-being of a minister of christ . and consequently who are utterly uncapable ; so that men may by canons enforce the execution of these canons of christ , and may instruct each other how to understand them ; but they cannot make a pastor of an uncapable unqualified person , no more than they can make currant coin of forbidden mettal , or meat of stones , or a wife of a male ; ●orma non recipitur nisi in materia disposita ; as he that must profess physick , or philosophy , or law , or grammar , or musick , must be tolerably qualified to do what he professeth , or else he is but equivocally called a physician , philosopher , lawyer , musician , &c. whatever title , licence , or commission he hath : so is it here . sect. vi. . god hath told us in scripture , that these special qualifications are christs own gifts , conferred on men for the work of the ministery , ephes . . , , , &c. cor. . and that the qualifying men thus , is gods calling them to the office , and the holy ghost is said to set them over the church by his special gifts . sect. vii . . but for preserving order , and avoiding usurpation , god hath described how these qualifications shall be discerned and judged of , which is called the external call ; which is , . that the person shall discern them in himself , viz. competent faith and knowledge , willingness and desire , and ability for utterance and practice : for he that thinketh not himself capable , cannot consent ; and he that consenteth not , is no minister . but no man is to be the sole judge of his own fitness ; else the most self-conceited would be the invaders of the office. . therefore the senior pastors are ordinarily to try them , and judge of their fitness , and by ordination invest them , by delivery , with the power . . the peoples need of them , must make them capable of the correlation , and their consent is necessary to their reception : for no man can be a teacher to those that will not hear , nor a pastor to those that consent not to take him for their pastor . sect. viii . . the person r●c●ipient being truly found and determined of , gods own law doth of a self give him his power , and oblige him to his work . as it is not left to the ordainers , to judge whether the churches shall have pastors or nene , or what the power and works of the office shall be , nor what qualifica●ons shall be necessary to reception ; but only to discern who are the men that god chooseth , and maketh most receptive , and so to discern gods will , which is the person , and declare it and invest him ; so it is not the ordainer nor people that have the office or power to give to him that they ordain and choose , but it resisteth directly from christs concession in his law : as a woman chooseth her husband , and the minister celebrateth marriage for order sake , but gods law giveth the husband his power over the wife . and as in a corporation or city , the king by his charter saith , [ every year on such a day , such persons shall choose a man thus qualified , to be their mayor , and the recorder shall swear him and invest him , and i hereby grant him , thus chosen and sworn , such and such power , and command him to do thus and thus . ] here the electors do but determine of the qualified recipient person , and the recorder invest him , but his power ariseth immediately from the kings char●er : and if the choosers or invester say it shall be more , or less , or other , it is null that they say , and shall not infringe or change his office. sect. ix . now it is supposed , that if a point of order be omitted ; if the election day by fire or plague , or war , be overpast ; if the recorder be dead , or refuse his office , that this doth not totally null the charter : one chosen a week after , in case of necessity , may have the power : or if that years election should hereby be made void , the charter is not void , but will the next year authorize the person chosen . interruption will not hinder this . and if one that had not a just election , or investiture , should intrude this year , the charter will authorize the next notwithstanding : or if the recorder that invested the last was an intruder , the next may yet be truly authorized : or if the charter were , that every former mayor shall invest the next , it would not hinder a succession , if a former had usurped : for the charter still reviveth it , and is supposed to appoint such means as are sufficient , if a circumstance fail . so is it in the present case : if a bishop were an usurper , conterfeiting his own ordination ; or if a presbyter pretend himself a bishop , or to have ordaining power when he hath not , or if an unjust choice be made , the next man hath still a due way of entrance ; yea , and want of such a point of order , when it is not fraudulently contemned or refused , nulleth not the office power . order is for the thing ordered , and for the common good , and not to be pretended against it . if the pharisees that sate in moses chair were to be heard , and the high-priests that were then unlawfully called ( out of the true line , and buying the office of the romans for money ) were to be submitted to in their office , much more a christian pastor truly qualified by god , and chosen by the flock , and approved by senior pastors , though there were some point of order wanting . sect. x. yea , in case of necessity were there no ordination , but just qualification and election , it wou●d not nullifie the office ; nor hath god promised that no place shall fall under such necessity : for christ hath taught us , that he will have mercy , and not sacrifice ; and that the sabbath was made for man , and not man for the sabbath ; and paul and apollo are for the church . and as in physick , or soldiery , or re●● of the poor , that must be done by the law of nature , which cannot be done according to all the points of an ordering law of man ; so is it here : it is meet for the safety of mens health , that none practise physick but a licensed physician ; but in cases of necessity , ( when physicians are wanting ) every one that hath skill may use it , and an able man may be a physician unlicensed , rather than see men perish whom he may help . it hath been my own case : in a great and poor town where was no physician , came an epidemical plurisie ; had they been neglected , most had dyed ; necessity constrained me to advise them , and they all recovered : thereupon their poverty and importunity constrain'd me to practise physick many years ( only gratis ) and god by it saved the lives of multitudes ; should i think , in this case of necessity , that i sinned , because i took not a licence , ( which resolving not to continue the practice , i could not do : ) so i have known some skill'd in law , that have help'd many by council , though they were no lawyers . so none may take up arms as a soldier without the king's commission : but in case traytors and rebels suddenly endanger king and kingdoms , or enemies invade the land , every man is a soldier by the law of nature ; which also enableth every man to defend his life , purse , house , parents , neighbors , against thieves and murderers . the law of the land ordereth , that the poor be kept by the parishes from begging , and that we relieve not beggars otherwise . but if the parishes through poverty or uncharitableness neglect them , the law of nature bindeth us to relieve them , rather than see them perish . all laws , for the meer ordering of any duty , suppose that the duty must be done , and that as tendeth to its proper end , and not that on pretence of order it be undone . if the coronation of a king be not performed regularly , he is king nevertheless by inheritance , or election ; and he is king before his coronation . marriage is valid before god , by mutual consent , before the matrimonial solemnization ; and where this cannot be had , it is no duty . if a priest would not marry persons , unless they will make some unlawful promise , or do some unlawful thing , it is lawful ( and may be a duty ) to marry themselves , declaring it publickly to avoid scandal , unless the severity of the law of the land do accidentally make it unlawful : and in some countries the sinful course of priests may make this an ordinary case . and no reason can be given , but that here it may be so . sect. xi . many cases may fall out in which no ordination , by imposition of hands , or present solemnity , may be necessary to this office. . in case a company of christians be cast upon a remote island , where no ordainer can be had , and yet some of them are qualified persons : it is sinful for them to forbear gods publick worship , therefore they must choose the fittest person to perform it , viz. preaching , prayer , praise , baptizing , and the lords supper : and that election sufficiently designeth the person , that from christs charter shall receive the ministerial power , and be obliged to the duty ( if he consent . ) . in case the person be remote , and the ordainers and he cannot meet , or persecutors , or tyrants , or other accidents , hinder their meeting , he may be authorized by letters , without any other ordination : it is well known that this hath of old been practised , and bishops have sent such letters of ordination , to those absent persons that have fled from ordination , and so made them bishops . and it being but the designation of the recipient person on whom christs law shall confer the office , that they have to do , there is no reason to be given why they may not do it effectually by writing . . in case that death or persecution hath left none to ordain , that are within reach of the person to be ordained : if ordination by diocesanes were ordinarily necessary , yet in those kingdoms or countries where there is none , it cannot be had ; as in new-england , and lately in britain , in belgia , helvetia , and other countries . some may say , you ought to go for it , though as far as from america hither , and to seek it beyond the seas , and in other lands , or stay till it may be had . but i answer , . in some countries the governors will not suffer diocesane ordination . . words are soon spoken , but to sail from america hither , and that for every man that is to be ordained , is not soon done ; some have not health to bear it at sea ; some have not money to pay for the voyage charge . . it is a sinful loss of a years time , in which they might do god much service . . a years voyage by sea to and fro , may hazard their lives , and so frustrate all their end . . some princes and states forbid their subjects to be ordained in foreign lands , as we forbid romish ordination , lest it draw a foreign power on them . . it is not lawful to deny god his publick worship , and our selves the benefit , by so long delay . . it is contrary to the temper of the gospel , which ever subjecteth ceremony , rites and external orders , to morals , and to mans good , and the great ends. . and it is a wrong to the honour of the divine nature , for men to feign , that the great , wise , and merciful god , layeth so great a stress upon a ceremony , or rite , or outward order , as to damn souls , and deny his own worship , where it cannot be had . . and this ordination is not necessary , in case the ordainers be grown so wicked , or heretical , as that they will ordain no good and orthodox men , but only such as are of their own sinful way . . and in case the ordainers require , as necessary , any one unlawful thing , subscriptions , profession , vow , or practice . if any say , that god will never permit us to fall under such necessities , they must prove it ; and experience disproveth it . sect. xii . and if in all such cases no ordination be necessary , much less is diocesane ordination necessary in all cases and places : as , . in countries where no diocesanes are , or are near . . in countries where they or their ordination is not endured by the governors . . in countries where the people being in judgment against it , will have no pastor so ordained : it is not better to have none at all . . in countries where wars do hinder it . . when the diocesanes themselves will not venture to ordain , for fear of suffering for it . . in countries where the bishops are so corrupted , that they refuse all that are truly fit . . or where they refuse all whom the people either choose , or will consent to ; and the bishops and people cannot agree on the same man. . or wherever the diocesanes impose unlawful covenants , promises , professions , subscriptions , vows , oaths , or practices , without which they will not ordain . on some or other of these accounts , a romanist would not be ordained by a greek , or protestant , or armenian , &c. and a greek , or protestant , would not be ordained by a papist ; supposing something to be unlawful . . but when a parochial bishop may be the ordainer , in such cases , the validity will not be denied by most episcopal divines . . and it is truly as valid in such cases , when , . senior presbyters , . that are authorized by the magistrate , . especially that are chief pastors in cities , and have curates under them , do ordain , though some deny to call them bishops . . as the erastians think that the christian magistrate may design the person , by the peoples consent , without any other ordination ; so musculus and some other protestants think , that a fit person designed by the magistrate , and accepted by the people , need not question his call to the office ; and it 's hard to disprove them . . if the opinion of many papists , and protestants hold true , that a bishop differeth not from a presbyter in order ( or office ) but in degree , as the foreman of a jury , or the president of a synod 〈◊〉 colledge , or council of state , &c. then i see no reason but the magistrate may make a bishop of a presbyter , as he may make a president of a colledge , or a mayor of a corporation : for then the difference being but in the accidents of the office , and the king being governor of the church , as far as the sword is to govern , and specially the determiner of meer accidents and circumstances , circa sacra , why may he not set one presbyter in degree above the rest ? did not all the strife of emperors for the power of investing bishops , signifie this much against the popes opposition ? both sides granted that the people and clergy were to be the choosers of a bishop . and it was the old canon , that no bishop should remove from seat to seat ; so that only presbyters , and no former bishops , were made bishops of any particular city , ( or deacons , or subdeacons sometime at rome . ) by which it appeareth , that the emperors power of investiture amounted to a negative voice , in the making of a bishop . the kings of israel sent levites to teach the people , and solomon chose who should be the high-priest : and when the romans after sold the office , christ bids the cleansed lepers , go and shew themselves to the high-priest , and offer , &c. sect. xiii . the case of the reformed churches nullified by the papists , and whose ministers office and authority is denied by them , is as followeth . i. the old bohemians and waldenses had different degrees of pastors , of which the superior were called conseniors and seniors of one order , who presided among the elders , but took not the government of the flocks out of their hands , nor ruled without them , and were chiefly above others in judging what elders ( or ministers ) were to be removed from lesser places to greater : whose form of government , most like the ancients , you may see at large in the descriptions of lascitius and commenius . ii. the churches called lutherane , ( denmark , sueden , saxony , &c. ) have for the most part some episcopacy called superintendency ; but their bishops take not the power of the keys from the pastors of the several parishes . and they take not the power of ordaining to be proper to the bishops : for the bishops of denmark were made such by bugenhagius pomeranus a presbyter ; which they suppose doth null their successive power . and the english have diocesane bishops and ordination by them , and as good a succession , at least of regular ordination , as rome hath had . iii. the churches called presbyterian in holland , france , scotland , and other countries , have ordination by a synod of the pastors of particular churches , of which some are the chief pastors of cities , and have curates , or assisting presbyters , and therefore are such bishops as the scripture , ignatius , tertullian , yea , and cyprian describe : so that , . they think that as in generation a man begetteth not an ape , or dog , but a man , and an hors● begetteth an horse , and every thing propagateth its own species ; and as physicians make physicians , and lawyers make lawyers , &c. so pastors make pastor● as far as belongeth to an ordainer ; that is , preparing and determining the receiver whom god shall give the power to , and oblige to the duty of that office . . but yet in the same order they think they have a true episcopacy as to degree , first , in the foresaid city pastors that have curates ; secondly , in the president of the synod . . and they think that those writers , papists and protestants , are in the right , who expound the word [ presbytery ] which laid hands on timothy , of a session of presbyters , and therefore that such have power to ordain . . and they think that if after their faithfullest search , they should in this be mistaken against their wills , god will not therefore disown their churches , ministry and worship , no more than he will reject the prayers of private christians for their errors and imperfections . iv. those that at present are called nonconformists in england , who were ( about ejected and silenced , anno . aug. . ) . many of them , ( yea , most that were above years old ) were ordained by bishops , ( of whom i am one . ) . the generality of the rest lived , when by the rulers that had such possession as they could not resist , diocesane ordination was forbidden , and another set up , and we heard not of five bishops in england that did ordain , and hardly knew how to procure it of these . and the oath of allegiance might have cost both the bishop and the ordained their lives , or liberties at least , in the times of usurpation . . they were ordained by a classis , or synod of ministers , of whom some were chief city pastors that had curates , ( which saith grotius , de imper. sum. pol. were a sort of bishops ) and they had a president . . some were not satisfied with this , and were secretly ordained by the deposed bishops . . some desired confirmation of their ordination aforesaid by the synods , from such bishops as owned it , and had it ( from bishop usher at least , of others i am uncertain . ) . the generality of them that had any parsonages or vicarages , or any endowed cures in england , from the year , till the time that the westminster assembly was dissolved , had a formal authorizing instrument of approbation from the said assembly , or national synod ( chosen by the parliament ; ) of which the catalogue in their ordinance sheweth us , that divers bishops were , by the parliament , chosen members . if any or all refused to be there , the countrey ministers knew not that , but justly took them to be parts of the synod : and though this was not an ordination by imposition of hands , they supposed that it was as valid to authorize them , as the acts before-mentioned of some ancient bishops , who ordained absent men. and the main body of the late ejected ministers ( very few excepted ) were thus called , confirmed , approved , and put in , having also the consent or election usually of the patron , and the people , and the then rulers . sect. xiv . and there were many that in those times were only ordained deacons , and took the synods letters of approbation , for the substance of an ordination to be presbyters , but wanting the formality , submitted to diocesane ordination , when the diocesanes returned ( of whom dr. manton was one . ) yea , divers submitted to be re-ordained by the diocesanes that had been ordained presbyters before . this is the nonconformists case , except some few independents , that were not for formal ordination , at least so much as the rest : yet even of them , such as had benefices in anno , , , had the synods approbation . sect. xv. to all this i must add , that by the diocesanes silencing multitudes of those ministers , whom the most religious accounted the most able , holy , powerful preachers ( in the days of queen elizabeth , king james , king charles i. besides the silenced in the beginning of king charles ii. ) the people that were most serious in matters of religion , were ( except a few ) so alienated from the diocesanes , that most of the stricter religious sort , would not choose a minister that was for them and their ordination , and so it would have made a more dangerous schism than was made . sect. xvi . and as to the present state and practice of the nonconformists , ( premising that i speak only of meer nonconformists as such , and not men of other principles and parties that conform not , as jews , turks , socinians , papists , familists , quakers , &c. ) let it be understood , . that they take all the parishes and congregations of true christians that have true pastors to be true churches of christ : and they take such ministers as conform , to be notwithstanding that true ministers , though culpable ; and therefore they separate not from any such churches as no churches , or from such ministers as none . . they take particular churches associated under diocesanes , archbishops , and nationally under one king , and represented in one convocation or synod , to be still true churches , and such as may be lawfully communicated with ; and these diocesane , provincial and national associations to be laudable as they are meer associations for concord , and though culpable in some other respects , yet such as good christians may lawfully live under submissively , and in peace . . they think it lawful to preach and administer the sacraments in the parish churches , and have these years been cast out , and kept out much against their wills , and laboured , and hoped , though in vain , for restoration . . it is not communion with any christian church in faith , love , or holy worship , or any thing of gods institution , no nor any thing of mans commanding , but what they believe god hath forbidden them , which they deny . to deny to take many covenants , oaths , professions , or to do some practices which upon their best enquiry they verily believe to be great sins , this is not separating from any thing of god. . they do not depart from the churches , but are cast out . the ministers are silenced and ●●●cted , as they verily believe , for not sinning and hazarding their souls . ministers and people are expresly by the canon of the church , excommunicated ipso facto , ( which is sine sententia judicis ) if they but say that there is any thing in the conformity , which a good christian may not with a good conscience do : the canon is visible and plain ; so that they cannot possibly avoid being cast out , and think that the ejecters are the schismaticks . . when they are thus cast out , or driven away , they yet hold distant christian communion with all christians in one universal church , one spirit , one lord , one god , one faith , one baptismal covenant , and one hope , ephes . . but local communion they can have but in one place at once ; and none are said to separate from all the churches , where they are not present . . the king by his licence allowed them for a time to hold their own assemblies ; and the conformists themselves swear the oath of supremacy , and take the king to be supreme governor in all causes , and over all persons ecclesiastical and civil : and yet then accused the licensed of schism . . though there be some things in the liturgy which the nonconformists dare not declare assent and consent to , ( and therefore suffer , ) yet they hold it lawful both to join in hearing , prayer and sacraments with the parish churches and conformists , in the lords days worship and use of that liturgy ; and many of them do so ordinarily : and others do not hold it unlawful , but are hindered by preaching themselves where they can , which they dare not forbear : and the people that hold it lawful , yet hold that better is to be preferred when they can have it . and he that preferreth a minister which he findeth most edification by , doth not therefore separate from all others , because he is absent from them . . the nonconformists have in their appointed treaties for concord , offered to use the liturgy with some emendations , and to submit even to the present archbishops , bishops , and other parts of the church-government , as is expressed in the kings declaration about ecclesiastical affairs . by which ( visible in print ) it may be seen how far they were from separating inclinations , but it could not by the bishops , be accepted . . but it is true withall , that many of the common people having constantly preferred that which they thought they were bound to prefer , and seeing their former pastors cast out and silenced , thought they ought notwithstanding to adhere to them , and grew into so hard thoughts of the bishops that silenced them , ( about at once ) that they are more alienated than before from them and their assemblies ; as chrysostoms joannites were at constantinople , till the kindness of atticus and pr●●lus brought them back to the old publick church . sect. xvii . it is commonly confessed by their sharpest accusers , that the nonconformists do well to forbear all that can be proved to be sinful : and if they prove not conformity sinful , they are content to suffer as real schismaticks . sect. xviii . we all agree of the necessity of a continued succession in the universal church , of the same faith , religion , and ministerial office which we profess and possess : we have no one new article of faith or religion , nor any that have not continued in the church ; we have no new office : but that the office and administrations cannot pass as valid , unless the particular minister can prove , that he had canonical ordination from one that had the like , and he from one that had the like , and he from another that had the like , and so up to the apostles ; this we suppose irrational , schismatical , false , and of malignant tendency against the church and interest of christ . sect. xix . mr. henry dodwell is the man that hath newly and copiously promoted this schismatical error , in a book pretended to be against the nonconformists schism , but disowned by the conformable doctors themselves , ( many of them . ) and indeed , notwithstanding the tedious wordiness of it , it hath little in it , in comparison of jansenius long ago , fully answered by voetius . and though i told him over and over first , that if he did not answer voetius , and my dispute of ordination , we should take him but to labor in vain , as to our use , yet hath he taken no notice of either of them at all . if he intend it in any following book , it is but fraudulent to send out this great volume first , to do his work before he gave any notice of what is already said against him . must we write the same things as oft as men arise that will repeat the arguments so oft confuted ? sect. xx , his design and schismatical doctrine is thus laid . . that the ordinary means of salvation , are , in respect of every particular person , confined to the episcopal communion to the place he lives in , as long as he lives in it . . that we cannot be assured that god will do for us what is necessary for salvation on his part , otherwise than by his express promises that he will do it . . therefore we must have interest in his covenant . . therefore we must have the sacrament by which the covenant is transacted . . these as legally valid , are to be had only in the external communion of the visible church . . this is only the episcopal communion of the place we live in . . the validity of the sacraments , depends on the authority of the persons by whom they are administred . . no ministers have authority of administring sacraments , but only they that have their orders in the episcopal communion . . this cannot be from god , but by a continued succession of persons orderly receiving authority from those who had authority to give it them , ( viz. bishops ) from those first times of the apostles , to ours at present . . that the holy ghost is the instituter of this order , and to violate it , by administring without such ordination , is to sin against the holy ghost , the sin that hath no other sacrifice , and promise of pardon . . that the ordained have no more or other power , than the ordainers intend or profess to give them . . that it is certain , that the bishops of all former ages intended not to give presbyters power of ordaining or administring out of their subjection : ergo they have it not . sect. xxi . this , and a great deal more to this purpose , is his matter . to gather all the confusions , contradictions and absurdities of that wordy volume , would be tedious , and little profitable to the reader ; only these three things in general i tell such as may be in danger of infection by it . . that he never agreeth with his adversaries of the state of the question , nor so much as explicateth the terms , nor doth any thing beseeming a disputant , to make himself understood . . that not only by denied ( false ) suppositions , he maketh all his discourse useless to the nonconformists , but also at the first giveth them their cause , and confirmeth them . . that while in his preface he disowneth popery , it is the very sting of their argumentation which he useth : and that which yet by consequence overthroweth not only the churches , ministery , sacraments and salvation of the protestants , but of all christians on earth , and of none more certainly , than of the papists : all which i undertake , when called , to prove . sect. xxii . it were tedious to mention all his ambiguous confounding terms : for a few ; . he that layeth so great a stress on episcopacy , never tells us what he meaneth by a bishop ; when he ought to know , that with the chief of his adversaries the controversie is very much in that : for ( as grotius de imper. summ. pol. and many others ) they take the chief pastor of every parish-church ( especially that hath curates under him ) for a bishop ; at least if he be pastor of a city , or town so called of old ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) when others deny him to be a bishop that hath not many altars or parishes under him . , some take him for a bishop that is but the prime presbyter , or different from the rest but gradu , non ordine , call'd episcopus praeses : and others deny him to be one , unless he differ gradu , as another officer in specie . . some take him to be a bishop , that hath no presbyter , but deacons under him , and that in a single assembly ( as doctor hammond on act. . & dissertat . ) others deny him to be one , that is not over presbyters . . some take him to be no bishop , that is not elected or consented to by the people , ( and the clergy , if there be any ; ) others hold him to be one , that hath the consent of neither , but only the pope , or the archbishop , or the king electing and imposing him , and some bishops consecrating him . . some hold him to be no bishop , unless three bishops consecrate him ; others say , one may make him bishop . . if three bishops consecrate one , and 〈◊〉 another , he tell● 〈…〉 that church ▪ 〈…〉 see examine● 〈…〉 church , against 〈…〉 sect. xxiii . 〈…〉 repeateth the necessity of being in , an 〈…〉 by it ; when he must need● 〈◊〉 that th● 〈◊〉 or definition of it , is the very first point of 〈◊〉 between us and the papists . by the tenor of his discourse , the reader may suspect that he meaneth some universal society of men on earth , under some one visible humane head , either monarchical , or aristocratical , or democratical , a sovereign who is ●ersona civilis , and pars imp●rans constitutiva . but , if so , protestants ( we at least ) deny any such , thinking this the prime essential difference between us and the papists , ( the second being whether the pope or his council be this head ; ) and he never tells who this supposed head is . so he frequently talketh of necessary communion with a particular church , and never tells us what he meaneth by it : nor can i gather often , whether he means a diocesane church , or a provincial , or a national . but i perceive that he meaneth not a parochial ; when yet he knew that the adversaries take those for particular churches . sect. xxiv . . so he oft talks of the necessity of successive canonical ordination , and never defineth either ordination , or canonical ordination ; when he must know that some take imposition of hands to be essential to ordination , and some deny it , and hold that letters may do it on the absent , besides other differences . . and some take those to be obligatory canons , which others contemn as of no authority . the papists are not agreed what canons are valid : and the dissenters and this disputer are not agreed in england : many , besides dr. heylin , say , that the popes canon law is yet in force in england , except some particulars that were cast out : others believe not this ; what is said against the authority of the english canons , i will not recite . . and some take it for canonical ordination , if it be done by one bishop and presbyters ; others say no , unless by three bishops . . some say it is not canonical , without the clergies and peoples election or consent , ( as aforesaid ) and others find it necessary to their cause to deny this . sect. xxv . he calls men oft to catholick unity , and never tells us what it is , or how it may be known abundance more such ambiguities make his disputes to me unintelligible . sect. xxvi . or if he be to be understood in these and such like , then he goeth all along by a begging of the questions , which are denied . . he should have rather proved , than taken it as granted , that those are not bishops , whom we hold to be such . . and that it is not the visible church , which we take for such . . and that it is not a particular church , which we take for such . . and that it is no regular ordi●●tion , which we take for such . . and that it is no catholick unity , which we take for such : and so of the rest . sect. xxvii . . he supposeth that there is but one episcopal communion in the places where men live ; or never tells us , if there be divers bishops , which it is whose communion is so necessary : when he knoweth that grotius thought that of old churches were formed in imitation of the synagogues , and that one city had divers churches and bishops , as well as divers synagogues . and dr. hammond thought that rome , antioch , and other cities , had two churches and bishops , one of jews , and another of gentiles ; and that peter and paul had two churches at rome : and he knoweth , i suppose , not only that there were novatian bishops in the same cities with the orthodox , but that oft and long , constantinople , anti●ch . alexandria , and many other places , had two at once by their divisions , but none of them so long as rome . but perhaps he taketh it to be enough to catholicism , or the validity of ordinances , if we be subject to the species of bishops , and so to any one that is consecrated rightly or wrongly ; and so that in schisms both are true bishops . but lest he deny this , i will spare to recite its consequents . sect. xxviii . . he in his preface , and all along , supposeth , that no unlawful thing is 〈…〉 the nonconformists , as necessary to their ministry or communion ; which will as much satisfie them , as if he had told them , that lying , perjury , covenanting deliberately against gods precepts , and for the corrupting his sacred doctrine , worship , order , and discipline , are lawful things . did he ever hear them , and confute their reasons ? sect. xxix . . in short , he never proveth , but beggeth , . that when gods word describeth the sacred ministerial office , yet the ordainers will and words can alter it . . that the chief pastors of particular churches , ( even cities that had all of old their several bishops ) are not true bishops , unless men purpose them to be so in ordination . . that presbyters who ordain with bishops , may not in cases of necessity ordain without them ; or if they do , it is a nullity . . that in cases of necessity , ability , consent , election and opportunity may not design the person that shall receive authority and obligation directly from gods law , without other ordination . . that any church on earth can prove an uninterrupted succession of canonical ordination , by bishops themselves so ordained . . that such a succession is necessary ad esse officii . . that the covenant of grace secureth not true penitent believers of pardon and salvation , where they cannot have the sacrament . . that the sacrament is null as to mens pardon and salvation , if the priest be not truly called , or have not successive episcopal ordination . . that if a presumptuous title ( as ●e saith may yet make all valid when men seem episcopall● dained , and are not ; whether able godly men ordained by such like city pastors or presbyters in a synod , and chosen by religious people , and solemnly dedicated to gods ministery in the face of the congregation , have not a better presumptuous title , than notorious ignorant and vicious men , that say they were ordained by a bishop , when their orders were forged , ( of which sort there have been many ? ) . whether he can prove that it is not anabaptistry , to baptize all again that are baptized in the reformed churches , that have no diocesanes ? . whether he abuse not gods word and churches , in feigning all such reformed churches , to live in the sin against the holy ghost , for serving god without a succession of episcopal ordination ? . why is it that i cannot intreat him to answer voetius , de desperata causa papatus , that hath long ago confuted jansenius , a far stronger adversary than he ? nor my dispute of ordination twenty years ago written , and yet unanswered ? when ▪ i tell him we have not leisure to write over the same things , as oft as men provoke us to it . sect. xxx . i will now cast before him these following notes . . what proof hath he of sacraments ( besides sacrifices ) before abraham's days ? and was there then no pardon of sin ? . were women damned that were not circumcised ? or were the uncircumcised children in the wilderness none of the church ? . were not infants in the covenant of grace , before circumcision entered them , into the covenant of israels peculiarity ? . why did abraham think there had been fifty righteous persons in sodom ? and in every nation he that feareth god , and worketh righteousness , is accepted of him , acts . . though sacraments under the gospel convey greater benefits , can he prove that it placeth greater necessity of them , than the law did ? . seeing christ was not baptized till about thirty years old , was he not holy , and the churches head before ? . can he prove that the apostles were ever baptized ? or were they not before true christians ? . the apostles had not the lords supper till near christs death , and yet had part in him before . . was paul of this mans mind , that said , he was not sent to baptize , but preach , and thanked god that he had baptized so few . . is not that promise true , that whoever believeth , shall not perish , but have everlasting life ; and that the pure in heart shall see god , & c ? and will want of a sacrament then frustrate all ? . he presumeth to say , that god is obliged to make good the sacraments of those that have but a presumptuous ministery , seeming to have episcopal ordination , when they have not . and is not the reason as strong from the peoples impossibility of avoiding the danger , when they can have no sacraments , or none but from ministers that had not episcopal ordination ? . what if the succession have been interrupted long ago in armenia , egypt , syria , or elsewhere ? are all damned that were born since ? or which way shall particular persons there remedy it , they cannot send to europe for ordainers ? . if laymen ( as frumentius and edesius ) convert persons in india , are they all damned that dye after conversion , for want of an ordained priest , and sacraments ? . if baptism give the first sanctifying grace , then none but unholy persons are to be baptized ; and that is impenitent , unconverted infidels , or wicked men . . it is confessed that the lords supper is for confirming men in the faith they had before : and are not both the sacraments of the same general nature ? one to declare and confirm our initial faith , and the other our progressive . . the sacraments are to christianity , what solemn matrimony is to marriage ; which is valid before god upon private consent , but is necessary for order , and preventing fornication , to satisfie men : ou● church title ordinarily depends on baptism , but god knoweth and accepteth heart consent . . god saith , else were your children unclean , but now are they holy , cor. . . therefore it is not the sacrament that first maketh them holy . and the seed of the faithful have such promises as we make good against the anabaptists . . children may dye before they can be baptized , and are they by that natural necessity damned ? . if a man live where the priests will not baptize , or give the lords supper , but on condition that we profess some falshood , or commit some sin , ( as in the church of rome , ) must we commit that sin , or be damned , for want of the sacrament ? . doth not this lay a necessity upon all the protestants in italy , spain , france , austria , batavia , portugal , yea , mexico , peru , &c. to leave their countries , and travel to some land where they may have sacraments without sinful conditions , and may have it from men of right successive ordination ? and how shall all these be able so to travel ? and where will they find that land on earth that will answer their expectation , and can and will receive them all ? . what if a thousand honest weak men mistake , and think , that the things imposed as necessary to their sacramental communion , are great sins , and it be not so , ( as our doubts against conformity are thought to be mistakes , yea , the anabaptists error : ) can he prove that all such are damning errors , for want of sacraments ? . gods oath is also to confirm our faith : and if a man may be saved that be●ieveth gods 〈◊〉 , and knoweth not of his oath , why not he that believeth it , and knoweth not of the sacrament ? . doth not his doctrine make the priests the absolute lords of all mens souls , that can deny salvation to any , or all men , by denying them the sacrament ? is this the sense of their having the power of the keys ? . is not this abuse of tibi dabo claves , and the office of key-bearing , the knack by which popes have subdued kings and kingdoms . . is not the argument which this man manageth against the reformed churches , to prove them ●o churches , and to have no ministery and sacrament the achilles of the papists , in which is their chief co●fidence , but often baffled ( as by voetius against jar●nius aforesaid . ) . nay , the papists themselves are far more moderate than this man ; for they take a laymans baptism , yea , a womans to be sufficient to salvation , when this man denieth it of all the most learned and holy pastors , that have not uninterrupted episcopal ordination . . bishops have too oft conspired to corrupt gods sacraments , ( witness the lateran council sub innc. . ) and to interdict kingdoms , and oppress princes and people , and may do so again : and have the people no remedy against them ? . a minister justly ordained , and unjustly suspended , or silenced by a bishop , hath more authority than laymen , and their sacraments are not nullities by the romanists confession . . is not this mans doctrine far grosser than cyprians , and the africans , ( yea , the d●natists ) that denied the validity of heretick baptism . . a lay-chancellor , in these mens judgments , useth the keys of excommunication and absolution validly , and yet are not the sacraments or ordination of the reformed churches aforesaid valid ? . surrogate priests , by the bishops consent , validly excommunicate , that are no bishops . . no people can be sure by this mans rule , that they have sacraments , or shall be saved , ( except by fa●lible presumption ) not knowing that their priest hath uninterrupted successive ordination . . when your presumptuous ordination is discovered to be null , must all the people be re-baptized ? . the church of england giveth none the lords supper till years old . doth it become absolutely necessary to salvation , just at that age , and not before ? . the burial office pronounceth all saved that never communicated , so they be baptized , and not excommunicate , nor kill themselves . . what work would this man make for rebaptizers , if all the protestan●s of all nations must be re-baptized , that have not the foresaid ordination ? . is it suitable to the description of god and his grace in scripture , to believe that he layeth all mens salvation upon sacraments performed by men ordained , as he describeth ? . are not we reproached silenced ministers , as like to be good protestants as such men as this , that say , that , . the reformed churches that have not episcopal ordination from uninterrupted succession , are no true churches . . have no true ministers . . nor true sacraments . . nor part in the covenant of grace . . nor hope of salvation by promise from god. . that their ministery and sacraments is the sin against the holy ghost . . that the church of rome hath this uninter rupted succession ( as he tells me . ) . that , as will hence follow , the french protestant : were better turn papists , than be as they are . sect. xxxi . there are as many and greater objections that i should lay before him , about his doctrine of an universal church-policy , and that sort of episcopacy which he rather supposeth , than proveth necessary , and such other points : but i will no more tire the reader herein . sect. xxxii . all the definition of the protestant religion that i can extort from him , is , communicating with the church of england , and those that it holds communion with . . and so did the papists , saith dr. heylin , in the beginning of queen elizabeths reign , till the pope forbad them . . the church of england never renounced communion with the reformed churches , which he renounceth . . a particular church is no standard of religion : nor england more than the rest . sect. xxxiii . if he renounce communion with all these reformed churches , and with the romans also , what a separatist is this man , and how narrow is his communion , and into how small a number hath he reduced the universal church ? if neither papists , nor any churches that have not ordination from uninterrupted succession , be parts of the catholick church , it is very little , if not invisible . sect. xxxiv . he thus teacheth almost all the christian world , instead of love and concord , to unchurch , unchristen , and condemn each other : the romans , on such accounts , already unchurch all the rest . the rest will far more easily prove , that simony , heresie , uncalled popes , uncapable ones , and manifold schisms have oft interrupted his described succession at rome : and so turks and heathens have matter given them against us all . already by such kind of schismatical principles , there are few parts of the church on earth , that are not by others unchurched , and unchurch not others : but yet it is but few of them that have proceeded to that anabaptistical height , as to nullifie all their sacraments , and to expect that almost all the christian world should be again baptized . yea , this is far more schismatical than common anabaptism : for the anabaptists with us re-baptize not them that were baptized at age by such ministers as this writer , and such others degrade ; much less do they damn almost all the christian world , or other reformed churches , and say , they have no part in gods covenant of grace , and promise of salvation , and that they sin against the holy ghost , as this man doth . chap. x. none of these terms will unite a national church , or any associated churches , nor well any single church : though by other means , a competent vnion may be kept in some churches , notwithstanding such schismatical courses . § i. the same reasons which prove that none of these terms will ever unite the universal church , but that all are fitted to promote divisions , will prove also , that they tend of themselves to the dividing and distracting of all lesser church societies and communions : though yet we do not deny , but de facto , a particular church may easilier agree in an error , or be kept in some concord under the same pastor , where a sin or error prevaileth , than the universal church on earth can . as the church of rome may agree in popery , but all the christian world will not : and as a great part hath agreed in arianism , ( called christians , ) and a great part in nestorianism , and to this day in eutychianism , and in the m●n●thelites error , and a great part for image-worship ; and as now many churches of the protestants agree in consubstantiation and church-images , and many in rejecting prelacy , and many in asserting it ; but all agree not in any of these ( though the eldest sort of episcopacy , for ought appeareth , almost all in many ages did acknowledge and agree in : ) but yet that which never united the universal church , but tended to discord , will have everywhere usually no better a tendency . § ii. yet i have before enumerated divers particulars , which are needful and useful to the concord of a particular church , which are not so to the universal : as that all the members have the same numerical pastors , the same translation of the scriptures read to them , the same versions and tunes of psalms , when they meet together , the same place and day , and hour of meeting : because these in the nature of the thing are necessary to concord , and avoid discord and confusion . and if divers churches associated , or all in a kingdom , or divers kingdoms , can agree in the same convenient modes and circumstances ( as the same translation of the bible so far as they have one language , the same day of easter , anniversarily to commemorate christs resurrection , as they do weekly on the same first day , and some such like ) it will be laudable , so it be done by voluntary consent , as a thing of convenience , and not of necessity , and without tyrannizing over one another , or persecuting or despising those that differ , or turn it into an engine of rents and schism , by making it necessary to their communion , which is the unhappy end of most humane impositions of indifferent unnecessary things . he that thinketh he hath hit on the fittest ceremonies , ●ites or modes , is seldom ever content with liberty to use them , but he must force all others if he can to his way , and take away the liberty of all that differ from him : we see it by sad experience , that men think their forms and ceremonies cast out , if all may not be compelled to use them , though many think them sinful ; and they had rather have none of them , than have them upon terms of meer liberty ; lest they be disgraced by the disuse or contradiction of those that do forbear the● . and such men are never content with union and concord in gods own institutions , and in circumstances that are in genere necessary . § iii. but some men are stiff in the schismatical opinion , that though churches of many kingdoms may charitably differ in ceremonies , and indifferent things , yet none in the same kingdoms should be suffered so to differ ( of which i spake before . ) but , . christ hath given us no such different measures of our charity , forbearance or communion . . the old churches were quite of another mind , as socrates and sozomen shew in several instances . and it is known that in the same empire , every bishop had power to use his own liturgy , and other modes , ( as i instanced in the canon that requireth every man to bring his form first to the synod to be tryed , and in the contention between basil and the church of neocesarea , and the strife about gregories and ambrose's liturgy , and such like . ) . it was the pastors and people of the same church of rome , that st. paul giveth the precepts of forbearing and receiving dissenters in things indifferent to . and still mark , that he wrote not only to the laity , but to the rulers , ( as is evident , ) and therefore forbiddeth them such narrowing impositions ; being himself also a chief pastor , ( an apostle ) and so declareth his own judgment , as one that would himself make no such uncharitable impositions . § iv. we deny not but some churches have a while continued in laudable concord , notwithstanding such ensnaring impositions . but , . it hath been but for a time , and this worm hath fretted them , and it hath ended in their great detriment at least . . and it was not by these means , but by better causes , notwithstanding these diseases : so that as we answer the question , whether a papist may be saved ? so do we answer the question , whether such churches may have prosperous concord ? viz. . if the essentials of christianity in papists , and of communion in such churches , be practically held , so as to be more powerful than their contraries . . but not by their contraries , but by overcoming them , one may be saved , and the other have peace ; even as we answer the question , whether a man may live that taketh poyson , or hath the leprosie ? . not if it be prevalent according to its malignant nature . . but yea , if it be overcome by natural strength or medicine . § v. chillingworth ( our powerfullest disputant against the papists ) hath fully laid down the true principles of christian concord ) and the causes of schism , even the making more necessary to salvation or communion , than is necessary indeed . and the famous hales , though too bold , and sometime going a step too far , hath said more against these true causes of schism , with great truth and reason , than the authors of it can well bear . but wisdom is justified of all her children . chap. xi . the severity and force of magistrates , denying necessary toleration , and punishing the refusers of unnecessary uncertain suspected things , will never procure church vnity and concord , but in time increase divisions . § i. hales of schism , speaking of having two bishops in a diocess , saith ( pag. . ) neither doth it any way savor of vice or misdemeanor ( instancing in austin's doing it ignorantly ; ) their punishment sleeps not , who unnecessarily and wantonly go about to infringe it . the most pious and wise church historians extoll the two peaceable bishops of constantinople , that quietly bore the novatian bishops by them , and ge●t●y reduced chrysostom's followers the joannites ; and d●spraise nestorius , and such other turbulent prelates that persecuted them , on pretence of zeal against error , and some of them proved more erroneous themselves . § ii. this crying out for the drawing of the sword against those that differ in unnecessary things 〈◊〉 a great dishonour to the persons that tell men how conscious they are of their own insufficiency for their proper work ; and a reproach to the power of the keys , as if it signified nothing without the sword : and in all ages , men of ambition , and insufficien●●y and uncharitableness , have been thus calling to the magistrate to do all , when yet in general claim they have set themselves far above him , as being for the soul , when he is but for the body . § iii. but experience hath still confuted them , and that which one age ( or year ) thus built , the next hath ordinarily pull'd down . not but that orthodox pious princes are an unspeakable blessing to the church , and the want of such are ordinary causes of sin , distraction , and misery : but such must know and do their proper work , and not serve the pride and humor of ambitious ignorant clergymen , nor be their lictors or executioners , nor lend them the sword to execute their wills . § iv. constantine defended the orthodox ( yet offended greatly at their unpeaceableness , and at last tempted to favor some arians , meerly because being suppressed , they were the greater pretenders to peace ; ) but his son pull'd down what the father had set up . one emperor suppressed the eutychians , another set them up , and others proclaimed and endeavoured pacification . one emperor pull'd down the mon●thelites , and another set them up . one emperor pull'd down church-images , and another set them up , and general councils changed with them . and so on in many other instances . if this forcing course were now generally taken , how many kingdoms would fare the better for it ? or now do ? not four sixth parts of the world that are heathens : nor above the fifth part of six that are mahometans : not most of the other sixth part that are papists : the presbyterians like it not in england : the prelatists are not for it where the presbyterians rule . how few countries are just of our mind ? and therefore in how few would it please us , or accommodate us . § v. and those that are of the same mind in the main , yet rarely long agree in all things . i have before proved , and the notorious state of mankind proveth , that there is such a wonderful diversity of mental capacities and apprehensions , that the best will never all agree in any , but few plain certain things . to endeavor by right means to bring all men to be wise , and to agree in all right thoughts , affections and practices , is very good : but he that will resolve to tolerate no errors , ( much more dissent about suspected unnecessary things ) shall be a heinous oppressor of mankind , even of christians for being but men . how few subjects must such a prince expect to have , that will cut off all that are not of one intellectual complexion ? § vi. and , as is aforesaid , when men think that god obligeth them to dissent , the more honest and conscionable they are , the more resolutely they will bear all sufferings , and never yield to man , against the conscience of their duty to god ; so that if you begin to punish such , there is no ending , till you have killed them , banished them , or kept them close prisoners . and let all sober magistrates think , what counsellors such clergymen are to them , that would have them , . choose out the most conscionable and religious for their punishments . . and not cease till they have destroyed them . § vii . and doth not this tend to drive out true conscience and religion from the land , when men that have no conscience , shall pass for the obedient laudable subjects ? and such being capable still of preferment , shall possess the churches , and be rulers of the rest ; and then what can we expect , but that such will use religious dissenters as their enemies , and reproach them with all malicious names ? and o what a state is such a land in ! § viii . and ( you are not infallible , councils have erred ) what if it should prove , that these you destroy are in the right , and you must be judged of god as persecutors ? let not spleen or pride make you fearless of such a sin and judgment . § ix . yea , if they should prove in the wrong , yet you may be persecutors , if the error be such that good men should bear with in each other ; and god is the avenger of all the wronged and oppressed . and it is not disregardable that they do and suffer all for him , though they mistake , as paul saith , rom. . he that eateth , eateth to the lord ; and he that eateth not , to the lord he eateth not : it is god that he intended to obey and please . and one hath need to look well about him , before he destroy such . i dare say , that that man hath truly no religion , that preferreth it not before the pleasing of men , and all worldly interest ; for religion is our devotedness to serve and please god : and god is not taken for that mans god , that preferreth any thing before him , ( as i said before . ) § x. however it is certain , that thus to set princes in a constant conflict against conscionable godly men , is liker a war against god and conscience , than any way to peace and concord . the law will not yield , and conscience will not yield ; and god will keep up a succession of conscionable men in the world , when popes and persecutors have done their worst : and humane frailty and sin will keep up a succession of so much weakness , as that the best , much more the weakest , will have vain scruples , ignorance and errors , which prisons or penalties will not cure ; yea , usually greatly increase the malady by exasperation ; and wise men will foresee a probability of the end , before they begin . hypocrites may yield to save their skins , but the truly conscionable will not : for to yield to what they think to be sin , is , in their judgment , wilfully to choose damnation . § xi . let not the clergy tyrants still cant their vain objection , [ then conscience will be a pretence for any villany , which was not made to be a cloak for sin . ] for it is not liberty for any villany that we are pleading for : who knoweth not that abused reason is the pretence and plea for almost all villany in the world ? what then ? must not reason be regarded ? the use and honor of it kept up , while man is man ? and all men have leave to plead reason in their cause : and yet not all tolerated that reason is pretended or abused for . and what reason is to man , that conscience is to religious men. some evils are so great and inconsistent with the publick good , that it is better all those were banished or destroyed , who pretend either conscience or reason for them , than that they should be tolerated ; and these are intolerable evils . but what man thinks that it is so with all error or faults ? much less with all things indifferent , which some men have a mind to exercise their mastership in commanding . put first the question to sober conscionable men ; is it more to common good , and interest of honesty and conscience , that all the persons in a nation be imprisoned , banished or killed , that dare not swear , say and practise all that is imposed on them , than that the impositions be altered or they forborn ? § xii . and i must again say ; that this church-tyranny , as most other sin , is most against the own●rs of it : for if the faults of godly men that scruple to subscribe to popes , patriarchs , diocesanes , synods , liturgies , or ceremonies , are not to be tolerated , how much less a proud and persecuting clergy , or such as abuse or exclude church-discipline , or by sloth , or ungodly carnal lives , do wrong their office , and betray the flock ? § xiii . and again i remember them , that pastors must govern the flock , much like as men do their wives : and let men but try how far weak and passionate wives must be tolerated by them that will not do or suffer worse , and here practise accordingly . chap. xii . excommunicating and anathematizing in any of the foresaid cases , is schismatical , and not the way to peace . § i. there need not much more be said of this ; it is already proved , that christ himself hath in his law , made the terms of the union and communion of his members : as the same nature that formeth all our members in the womb , is also the placer and uniter of them : therefore that which is contrary to christs terms , yea , which is none of them , cannot prove the true terms and means of concord . § ii. indeed no man ought to be excommunicated otherwise than by ministerial declaration and judgment , how far he hath first departed from union , and cut off or excommunicated himself . an impenitent fornicator , drunkard , persecutor , doth cut off himself from the favor of god , and his part in christ , and the rights of his true church : therefore the pastors may declare that he doth so . and if it become a controversie either de facto , whether he be such an one ; or de jure , whether this be true ; the pastors are the proper judges , so far as to resolve the consciences of the flock , whether they must avoid that man , or communicate with him . and this i think the rational mr. hales would not have denied , though in his treatise of the keyes , he asserteth only a declarative , and denieth a judicial power : for his reasons shew that he only meant , that the church hath no efficient judgment to cut off any man from christ or his body , further than he first cuts off himself . and far be it from any friend of the church to say , that it is the bishops office to undo souls , and to separate any from christ , save only by declaring and judging that they wilfully separate themselves ; and therefore requiring the people to avoid them , and binding them over to answer their sin at the bar of god : the rest is the devils work , and the impenitent sinners , and not the pastors of the church . § iii. and what is said against the magistrates unseasonable force , will mostly hold against such undue excommunication . . if the person believe that he is cast out for not forsaking his duty to god , he will rejoyce that he is counted worthy to suffer for righteousness sake , remembring that christ said , they shall cast you out of their synagogues : and this will bring no man to repentance . § iv. and , . then the pastors will fall under the imputation of tyranny and persecution , and be taken to be haters and hinderers of conscionable men , and grievous wolves that devour the flock . § v. and , . the parties excommunicate , will think that this doth not excuse them from the duty of worshipping god ; and therefore they will assemble by themselves for such worship ; and there they will think , that they are a better church than those that cast them out ; and perhaps may excommunicate their excommunicaters , as the bishop of alexandria and constantinople have done by the bishop of rome : or , more likely , despise their censure , and go on , unless the sword be drawn to suppress them , ( to which only such excommunicaters use finally to trust : ) and then what will follow , i have shewed before . § vi. and indeed we need no greater proof of the ineffectualness of excommunication in such cases , than the open confession of the users of it ; who , if they have not an act for horning ( as they call it in scotland ) or to imprison the excommunicate , or punish him by the sword , confess that their sentence will be contemned : which is most true . § vii . yet sad experience further assureth us , that papal anathematizings , yea , and those of general councils , have been no small cause of schism , confusions and rebellions : the history of this would fill a volume . alas ! what did the councils of ephesus , constantinople , chalcedon , and many others , by their anathemas ? the state of syria , egypt , and abassia , &c. of those called jacobites and nestorians , tells us to this day : and these thunderbolts have been the popes great engines , to beat down kings , and batter kingdoms . it is the admiration of the world , next to the success of ignorant mahomet , that a company of old usurpers ( many of them successively being notoriously wicked men , and so judged by councils , and their most flattering historians ) should conquer christian kingdoms and empires , by sitting at home , and ●ursing men , and telling them , [ st. peter is angry with them , and will keep them out of heaven , if they be not obedient to the pope . ] but men that will be the slaves of sin , deserve to have their reason so forsaken , to make themselves the slaves of subjects . § viii . yet we are far from thinking , that just excommunication is of no use ; god would not have the church of christ to seem no better than the world ; it is a society gathered out of the world by the sanctifying word and spirit , and as holy devoted to the most holy god. and he would have the church visible , to be visibly the womb of the triumphant church , or the sheepfold of christ , containing such as have a seeming or visible right to salvation , however hypocrites do intrude : and therefore the keys of the church should be much of kin to the keys of heaven , so that he that is taken in or shut out , may seem to the christian judgment of probability to be taken into , or shut out of a right to salvation . and therefore as impenitent wicked men should not be deluded in vain hopes , by being received to church communion ; so neither should godly men , for pardoned or tolerable infirmities , be shut out of the church , while god continueth their visible title to salvation ; much less a lay-chancellor , or a bishop , excommunicate christs members , for not paying their fees , or for not kneeling at the sacraments , or for not submitting to unnecessary impositions , or for holding such things unlawful , or such like . this way will never heal our breaches , or unite the churches . chap. xiii . any one vnlawful , vncertain doctrine , oath , covenant , profession , subscription , or practice , so imposed as necessary to communion , will be a dividing engine . § i. this is proved in what is said before : for a conscionable man will not wilfully and deliberately commit one sin , to save his liberty , estate or life ; though many sins be worse : for he that wilfully commits one , virtually committeth many : and , as st. james saith , breaketh the whole law. § ii. yea , though the matter of the sin seem little , a believer will not think it a little sin , to do it deliberately , and stand to it by covenant consent . the high places among the jews seemed no great matter ; but a good man would not have covenanted never to endeavor any reformation of them . § iii. a peaceable man will live quietly in a church that hath many sins and errors ; but he dare not deliberately own or justifie the least . i should communicate with no church on earth , if i thought all the ministers or peoples sins , yea , all the faults in their prayers , or doctrine , or discipline , were made mine by it ; i will live peaceably with a church that hath a faulty doctrine , liturgy and discipline in things tolerable ; as if it were lay-chancellors power of the keys , or diocesanes too large churches ( infi●●●● speciei : ) but i will not profess , that i assent , consent to , and approve all these faults , or any one of them ; nor will i covenant never to endeavor in any place and calling to reform them , nor justifie all that are guilty of them . § iv. if one sin of davids in numbring the people , was so sorely punished ; and one sin of achans , of the bethshemites , of uzzahs , of uzziahs , of josiahs , of ananias , and saphiras , yea , at first of adam and eve ; if one false article of the arians so troubled the church of christ ; and one error about images in churches , so corrupted the church , and made such sad work in councils and kingdoms , a wise man will not wilfully own one sin . § v. and indeed christ hath determined , that he that breaketh one of the least of his commandments , and teacheth men so , shall be called the least in the kingdom of god , matth. . as he that truly believeth god in one thing , will believe him in all which he knoweth to be his word ; so he that obeyeth him truly in one thing , will obey all that he knoweth to be his command , whoever be against it . § vi. and it is dangerous for a mortal worm to set his law or will against his makers , and destroy or punish a man for obeying god ; sufficient means should be used first to convince all men , that the thing is evil , and that it is not god that doth command it ; else it is a setting up ones self above god , and against him , and saying , you shall not obey god , but me : but when death cometh , can you save either your self , or him , from the justice of that god , whom both you should have obeyed ? chap. xiv . vnlimited toleration will wrong and divide the church . § i. all sober men are so far agreed in this , that i need not say much of it ; no doubt there are intolerable errors and sins . and though mr. hales and others say , it is not heresie , unless it be wilful , and we seldom know the wilfulness of another ; yet in truth , . it is not only formal subjective heresie , which maketh the man an heretick , which we must resist and restrain , but also material objective heresie ; whatever be the divulgers mind . . and also there is a wilfulness which is privative , when the will doth not its duty to discover truth and error , as well as a positive willingness to err ( which augustine saith , that few or none can have : ) and no mans will is wholly innocent in any culpable sin or error . § ii. doubtless mans conscience is not properly his lawmaker , nor his law , ( though some unaptly say so ) but only his discerning of that which is his law ; no more than the lawyers eye , or reason , or skill , is the law of the land. and therefore to have an erring conscience , taking that for gods law which is not , is a sin ( where it was possible to know it . ) § iii. and therefore gods law is not suspended , but violated by mans error ; god hath not as many sorts of law as men have opinions of it , or consciences in error . if a man should think that god bindeth him to kill , steal , slander , &c. this would not make any of these no sin , but it would be no small sin in him , that would father such wickedness on the most holy god , and on his law. if an erring conscience think that god forbiddeth our duty to princes , parents , children , neighbors , justice , charity , &c. this would not dissolve any of his obligations , but be an added sin in slandering god : far be it from any sober man to think , that the magistrate must let all men do all the evil which they will but pretend god and conscience for . § iv. nor is the papal doctrine true or tolerable , that priests onely are for mens souls , and princes but for their bodies , and temporal concerns ; and so that the priest is as much higher than the prince , as the soul is than the body . indeed the minister of christ is to manage only the word , which worketh on the soul by the way of sense , and not of the sword ; but yet it is to be finally for the good of souls , that the magistrate useth the sword : as the voice toucheth the ear , so doth the sword the flesh for the benefit of souls , either the sinners , or other mens . and verily he that saith otherwise , and placeth the bonum publicum , which is the end of government , meerly in the bodies prosperity , dishonoureth and debaseth magistracy , and setteth princes lower than priests , parents or friends . godly men that believe the vanity of things transitory and corporeal , would have as low an esteem of the means , as of the end , and so of all civil rules , if they believed this . but he that is the king , as well as the great high-priest of the church , for holy ends , and for mens salvation , hath made princes his officers subordinate to him for those ends , as well as pastors . i will not stand here to confute one or two scotish divines that have written against me , for saying , that princes and magistrates are now the mediators officers , and have their power from him , into whose hands all power in heaven and earth is given . sober thoughts in wise christians will save me that labour . § v. and he that saith , by me kings reign , and will have kings to be the churches nursing-fathers , will not take it for an excuse of their neglect , to say , we were authorized onely for mens bodies : it is not equally for all that have bodies , nor for bodily ends , but to see to the execution of gods law , by their bie subordinate laws ; and gods laws all look to higher ends. § vi. and he that said , they are the ministers of god to us for good , meant true and durable good , no doubt : and when he saith , that they are a terror to evil doers , he meaneth such as is contrary to the well-doing which they must encourage . and is piety and christianity none of that ? he doth not except blasphemy , idolatry , opposition to god , christ , holiness , heaven , justice or charity , from the number of evil works , which are the worst of them . it is therefore certain , that princes may and must punish many sins against the first table , and such against the second as would shelter themselves under pretence of conscience . § vii . but all the doubt is , what bounds here to set , where it is so dangerous to go too far . and it is one of the most necessary cases of conscience , which a christian prince hath to study and resolve ; in which he must neither hearken to a proud , envious , idle , worldly clergy , nor to injudicious zealots , nor to licentious hereticks , but avoid extreams . § viii . in short , what i have before said , decideth the case . . he must tolerate no one sin how small soever , which is within his cognizance and jurisdiction , which he can indeed cure by righteous means , which will do more good than hurt . . thoughts , heart sins and secret sins are not within his cognizance . . to do the work of parents , pastors , tutors , or physicians , is no part of the office to which he is appointed and authorized . . but he may drive on all these to do their duties by due means . . it is unlawful to seek to cure a lesser evil , with a greater : that is to be numbred with the things which the prince cannot do , which he cannot do by lawful means , or such as do more hurt than good . . the mischiefs before enumerated against the princes safety and honour , and against love , and justice , and conscience , and religion , are so great , as that no severity must be used which procureth them , and doth not a greater good . . the punishing of small faults by great punishments , is injustice , and unlawful . . abundance of infirmities , and humane frailties and errors , are such as must be endured , so they be but by doctrine , love and gentle reproofs , rebuked and disowned , without punishments ecclesiastical or corporal ; else there will be no love or peace . . preachers must not be suffered to persuade men from the faith , love or obedience of god in christ , against any article of the creed , or petition of the lords prayer , or precept of the decalogue , or any essential part of the christian religion . . if such speak a damnable error or heresie by ignorance or heedlesness , they must have a first and second admonition , and they 〈◊〉 repent . but if they forbear not upon . admonition , they do it studiously and wilfully ; and such are to be silenced till they reform , because the preaching of one that opposeth an essential point of religion , will do more harm than good , except among heathens , or where no better preachers can be had . . it will not be unmeet for the rulers to draw up either a catalogue of integral points of religion of great moment , which all shall be forbidden to preach or dispute against ; or else a catalogue of errors contrary to such , which none shall have leave to propagate : but it is not every one that violateth the law , that is to be forbidden to preach christs gospel ; but lesser pecuniary mulcts , may be sufficient punishment to many ; and the bare denying them preferment or maintenance , and casting them among the disowned that are but tolerated , may be better punishment , and more effectual in case of tolerable faults , than the more severe . . rulers should do much more to restrain from evils , than to constrain to religious duties : and those evils are of these sorts . first , such as blaspheme god. secondly , such as draw the hearers souls into damnable error or sin. thirdly , such as tend to overthrow the honour and safety of the governors . fourthly , such as tend directly to breed hatred in men against each other , and kindle the fire of contention and enmity . fifthly , such as draw men from the common duties of justice towards neighbors , or relations , into fraud and injury . . it is the greatest part of the magistrates duty about religion , first , to see gods own laws kept in honour . secondly , and to keep peace by church justices among clergymen and people , that are apt to take occasion from religion , to abuse and calumniate one another . . yet rulers may and must compel persons that are grosly ignorant or erroneous , to hear what can be said against their error , and for their instruction : as parents ( so magistrates ) may compel children ( and subjects ) to be catechized , and to hear gods word ; and may compel them to hear such teachers as have the rulers licence , either as approved , or tolerated to teach . . men ought not to be compelled to receive the sacraments of baptism or the lords supper , by the sword or force ; because it is to receive a sealed pardon of sin , and donation of christ and life ; which no unwilling person hath right to , or doth receive : for to say i am unwilling , is to say i receive not ; and so the reception of the outward sign is hypocrisie , prophanation , and taking the name of god in vain . . yet those that being baptized , and at age , avoid communion , are , after admonition , to be taken for revolters so far , and to be declared such as so far cast themselves from the communion of the church : and the christian magistrate may well deny them many priviledges in the commonwealth , which he should appropriate to sound persevering christians . . places in government , trust , burgess-ship , and votes in elections of governors , and such like , are best appropriated to the approved part of christians , and some the tolerated ; but never granted to apostates , proper hereticks , or any that are intolerable . . pastors of the churches should not be constrained to give the sacrament of baptism , or the lords supper , to any one against their consciences ; because , first , it is their office to be judges , who is to be baptized , and to communicate . this is the power of the keys . secondly , if they may not judge of the very act which they are to perform , they have not so much as that judicium discretionis , which belongeth to every man as a man , and so must act brutishly . thirdly , if they may administer against conscience when they think it sin , the same reason would hold for all men to sin , whenever a ruler commandeth them that judgeth it no sin : what bounds shall be set against absolute blind obedience ? fourthly , whereas the objection is from inconveniences , as , [ then every pastor may deny men sacraments . ] i answer , . so every tutor , physician , &c. may abuse his trust . . therefore men must have care whom they choose and trust . . there are better remedies than sinful slavery in the minister , even consulting with synods of ministers , or where bishops rule , appealing to them . . the persons that expect the sacrament , may have it from some other pastor that is willing . it is a less inconvenience that a single person remove , or else communicate in another assembly , than that the pastor , whose office is to use the church keys , be enslaved to sin against his conscience . . we suppose that of ancient right , the church is not to have a pastor over them , whom they consent not to : therefore if the church find themselves wronged by the pastors fact , they have their remedy . they may admonish the pastor , and if he hear not , tell the bishop , synod or magistrate ( for i am not now determining the case of superior bishops , but tell what is the actual remedy where such bear rule : ) and if he hear not the church , synod , bishop or magistrate , they may desert him , and choose a fitter pastor , and yet neither excommunicate nor silence him , but the same man may be more sutable to another flock which will desire him . they that object inconveniences in this motion , should consider , first , that a mischief and sin is worse than an inconvenience . secondly , that there is nothing desirable here without inconveniences , which may furnish an unwise contender with objections . thirdly , that they that cry up the canons and traditions , custom or judgment of antiquity , bishops , councils , fathers , and the catholick church , should not hastily set their own wit or authority against them all , who for , if not nearer years after christ , did not only judge that bishops must come in by the peoples election and consent , but that he was to be accounted an usurper , and no bishop of theirs , that had it not . fourthly , and we have reason to think st. cyprian , and the carthage council of bishops , as wise as the objectors , who , in the case of martial and basilides before described judged , that the people ought to forsake an uncapable scandalous pastor , though other bishops ( even he of rome ) absolved him : and that the chief power of choosing or forsaking was in them , and if they did otherwise , it was not the contrary sentence of bishops that would excuse them before god. it is easie to say [ st. cyprian erred , and we are in the right and this would overthrow all government : ] but neither the persons that object , nor their reasons , have ever yet seemed to me sufficient , to make me prefer their judgment even in this before cyprian , and the african fathers . xi . in all probability free sacraments administred by such ministers of christ as by the christian magistrates licence are either approved or tolerated , would heal most of all the discords about religion in england , i mean , sacraments not constrainedly , but freely given and received . i shall tell you why i think so , by instances . . the thing call'd strict presbytery , [ with a power of classes and national assemblies , composed of ordained and unordained elders , as a judicature , whose excommunication is to be enforced by the magistrates sword ] is approved by few of my acquaintance in england : but those that prelatists cal● presbyterians here , commonly are ministers that desire but the exercise of so much of their proper office , and the freedom of a christian and a man , as not to be forced to administer sacraments against their knowledge and conscience to the uncapable , because a lay-chancelor or a diocesane that knoweth not his neighbours and flocks so well as he , shall say that they are worthy , and command him to renounce his knowledge in obeying them . and if god had made all such ministers to be only the lay-chancellors , or the diocesanes agents or servants , to baptize , and give the lords supper only in the chancellors or bishops name as a messenger , and if it be done amiss , that not we , but the chancellor or bishop should answer it to god , then we could joyfully thus obey them . but while we believe , that we must answer our selves for our own actions , and that we must baptize , and give the lords body and blood , in christs name , and not the bishops , we dare not obey men before god , nor renounce our own judgment in the matters of our own office and trust : therefore it would satisfie us , had we but freedom in our ministerial action , not to go against our conscience , however blind malice would make the world believe , that it is some papal empire , even over princes , that we desire . nay , we desire , that if the magistrate will allow us parish-churches , and maintenance , and countenance in our work , that any person that cannot remove his dwelling without great detriment , and cannot be satisfied in our order of worship and communion , but can receive more edification from another minister , may have leave to join in communion with any other approved or tolerated church , keeping the laws of loyalty and peace : why should i envy anothers desires or benefits ? or think it hard , that any can profit more by another , than by me ? or why should i be against it ? and we desire ( not that the people may be ordainers , or church-governors , or have the power of the keys , but ) that if any flock cannot be satisfied , after full hearing , to rest under the conduct of our ministery , they may freely choo●e another , and remove us . and for my own part , as i never did , so i wonder how any ingenious minister can obtrude himself on any people , and pretend to be their pastor against their wills . as my conscience condemneth it as against god and them , so i confess my prudence is against it for my self , and i am not so base as to endure such a life . . and as for the party called independant , i have reason to think that it is the main of that toleration which they desire . for mr. philip nye , who led them more than any one man known to me , did purposely write to prove , that the christian magistrate may set up teachers , all over his dominions , whom the people , upon his command , are bound to hear : but that to take any for their pastors , he thought they might not be compelled . . and even the anabaptists would be contented with the same liberty , if they be but near as peaceable as mr. tombes was , who wrote for even par●chial communion , and persuaded the anabaptists to it : though few so far followed him , most , i think , would be contented with free sacraments , in which i include the eucharistical lords-day worship . § x. and what harm will this do , where love prevaileth , and where pride and envy make not 〈◊〉 priests to think all wrong them , that do not adore or idolize them , or give them more than is their due ? what harm will it do me , if an hundred of my parish hear and prefer another man , by whom they can profit more than by me ? what if they worship god in other ( sound ) words , or in cloaths of another make or colour , as long as they are restrained from reviling , and the breach of peace ? are they any better in my auditory with censuring or dissenting ●●dgments , hearing me against their wills , than where they can freely join in love and peace ? if a bad or weak minister grudge at all that go to an able conformist in the next parish , few wise men will think that he doth it more for god , or for his brothers soul , than for himself : and yet that person breaketh the canon that goeth to the next parish , as well as he that goeth to a nonconformist . and why should we be more impatient with this man , than with that ? § xxi . the pamphlets that are spread abroad for rigor and severity of late , under the pretence of conformity , do many of them savor so rankly of church-tyranny , and a bloody mind and principles , and are made up of such reasons , as give us just cause to suspect , that more of them are written by papists , than some think . i instance in one called , [ a representation of the state of christianity in england , and of its decay and danger from sectaries , as well as papists . printed , for benjamin tooke . ] in which the sta●e of religion here is unworthily slandered , and the follies of some few , such as the quakers , pretended to be the state of our religion , and words beseeming mad-men , ( which we never hear ) fathered on those that he please● to call sectaries ; and they are represented as 〈◊〉 of the creed , lords prayer , and commandments , and what not , that is reverend , good and holy , and the papists much preferred before them saying , [ that for one infallible old gentleman at rome we have thousands of hot spirits in england , that pretend to more of the divine perfections than ever he did : for if the holy ghost doth personally indwell in sectaries , then they are personally possessed with all the glorious attributes of the godhead , pag. . and . the idolatry of the papists will be as excusable at the great day of accounts , as the unreverent rudeness , and superstitious sowreness of the sectary . and p. . the gross usurpation and invasion of the priestly office by sectaries , to erect churches , &c. throws more dirt upon the christian religion , than the grossest errors in the roman church , &c. answ . . i know none so worthy of the name of sectaries as the papists , that damn all christians save themselves , and feign themselves onely to be all the church . . it 's like by these sectaries , he meaneth those that are not re-ordained , or have not ( uninterrupted ) episcopal ordination . and if all such reformed churches are so much more dirty and injurious to christianity , than the grossest errors of the papists , it 's better be of the papal church , than of them . . doth pretending to the help of gods spirit in praying , and preaching , and living , arrogate more than pretending to papal infallibility in the office of an universal monarch , and judge of the sense of all gods word ? the word [ personal ] i have heard used by none but this , and such accusers : but what he meaneth by it , who can tell ? first , if it refer to the person of the receiver , how can the holy ghost dwell in any man , and not dwell in his person ? secondly , if it refer to the person of the holy ghost , what christian , before this man , did ever doubt , ( that took the holy ghost to be god ) whether the person as well as the essence of the holy ghost , be every where ? doth not the scripture say , that the holy spirit dwelleth in believers ? rom. . . cor. . . tim. . . &c. and god dwelleth in us , joh. . . , . and that we are an habitation of god by the spirit , ephes . . . is gods word worse than popery ? or is not this to reproach god and his word , and spirit , more than the reformed churches do by not having bishops , who are accused by mr. dodwell , to sin against the holy ghost ? thirdly , but if [ personal ] should mean the mode and title of union , as if by hypostatical union like christs , the holy ghost and believers be made one person , who are those sectaries that hold such a thing , who shew the state of the english religion ? and this is one of the men that cry out against toleration , and tells us , that [ there can be no stability of government in england , till there be a settlement in religion ; no settlement of religion , but by uniting affections ; no uniting affections , but by unity of religion . ] and so on : therefore rulers must force all to be of one religion . next to the thought of the heathen and apostate nations case , it is one of the saddest to me , that rulers and people that have too little studied such matters , should lie under the temptation and horrid abuse of clergymen , that write and talk at such a rate as this man doth . . will he maintain , that there is no union of religion , wherever men are not of one opinion , form or mode , in every circumstance , rite or ceremony , or every accident or integral of faith ? are any two men in the world then of one religion , any more than of one visage or slature , & c ? . if this man had rulers that differed from him , as much as he doth from the nonconformists , would he , and could he , presently change his judgment ? or would he falsly profess a change , lest he should not be of one religion with his prince ? or rather must it not be he , or such as he , that must be the standard of that one religion to all ? . doth he believe , that prisons or flames will make men of one affection ? would such usage win himself to love the judgment and way of those that he suffered by ? . or if men of many opinions and affections be forced into the same temple as a prison , doth their corporal presence make them of one religion and affection ? it is a doleful thing to hear preachers of the gospel cry out for blood , flames , or prisons , to make whole kingdoms of one religion , confessing how unfit they are to do it themselves , who have undertaken the office that should do it : woe to the princes , church and people , that have not wit and grace to escape the snares of such ignorant tyrannical counsellors . abundance more such pamphlets have lately endeavoured to destroy love and peace , and infect the land with malice and cruelty . § xii . the roman doctrine and laws for exterminating , and burning hereticks , is the top and perfection of this hypocritical wickedness , which murdereth gods servants , and depopulateth countries , on pretence of charity , unity and government . and when so many princes became guilty of serving this bloody clergy , ( that never knew what manner of spirit they were of ) it was gods wisdom and justice to permit the same councils of bishops , and the same popes , to decree their deposition , which decreed their subjects extermination ( lateran . sub innoc. . ) what can be more contrary to nature ? to humane interest ? or to the doctrine , example , and spirit of christ ? and whose blood is safe , while such blood-sucking leeches are taken for the rulers of the world , and the physicians of souls ? § xiii . all this , i perceive , is on occasion of objections , but superadded to what i fullier said before , part ii. chap. . but i still say , that toleration must have its due bounds , and not extend to intolerable doctrines , practices or persons . to proceed then , every one that will , must not be tolerated to be a publick pastor and preacher , no not of the truth . for some insufficient men may by that manner bring a scandal or scorn on the sacred doctrine and worship of god ; and taking gods name profanely and in vain , is worse than silence : much less should men be suffered to preach or dispute down anys point of christian faith or duty . § xiv . in a word , the prince that will escape the dangerous extreams of licentiousness , and oppressing persecution , must . . have an eye to the holy scripture , and apostolical institution , and to the law of nature together , as his rule . . he must make the true publick good , which lieth in mens spiritual welfare , his end . . he must make the promoting of obedience to god and his laws , the chief work of his office and of his own laws . . he must abhor and avoid all carnal interests , contrary to the interest of christ , and mens souls . . he must do all with caution from a spirit of love , and a care to preserve mens fear of god. . he must take heed of partiality , or hearkning to the counsel either of atheists , prophane men , or of an ignorant , proud , and cruel clergy : and must hearken to wise , pious , considerate , peaceable and experienced counsellors , and avoid the examples both of rehoboam , and of jeroboam , and be neither an oppressor nor a corrupter . § xv. and to conclude , good and wise men may well know their duty , whom to silence and eject , and whom to tolerate , if they are but true to god , by this one rule : they may , by hearing all the case and knowledge of the persons , discern whether that mans preaching , consideratis considerandis , is clearly like to do more good or harm : and do accordingly . but then they must not judge of good and harm , by carnal sinful lusts and interests , and by the counsels of selfish partial men , but by wise and just reason , guided by the word of god. § xvi . and in all doubtful cases , choose the safer side ; and when the danger of overdoing is the greater ( as in case of persecution ) rather do too little , than too much : and prefer not ceremonies before substance , nor tything mint , annise and cummin , before love , truth and judgment , and the great things of the law : and be sure that you learn what this meaneth , i will have mercy , and not sacrifice , ] that you may not condemn or accuse the guiltless . chap. xv. the catholick church will never unite in a reception and subscription to every word , verse , or book of the holy scripture , as it is in any one translation , or any one copy in the original now known . § i. this needeth no other proof than the reason of the thing , and common experience . . all translations are the work of imperfect fallible men ; we have none made by the spirit as working infallibly in the apostles , ( unless , as some think , the greek of st. matthews gospel be a translation . ) the pretences of inspiration of the seventy two that are said to be the authors of that greek translation of the old testament , is not yet agreed on in the church ; nor whether it was more than the pentateuch which they translated . the authority and reasons of hierome still much prevail . sect. ii. and the vulgar latine , most valued by the papists , is yet so much matter of controversie between them , that when sixtus quintus had stablished a corrected edition , clement the th altered it in many hundred places after . sect. iii. and all protestants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own translations , english , dutch , french , &c. and in the same church of england , we have the publick prescribed use of two different translations of the psalms , one sometime directly contrary to the other , as yea and nay , and one leaving a whole verse which the other hath . sect. iv. and we know of no man that pretendeth to be sure that he hath a copy of the hebrew and greek text , which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or first draught : and the multitude of various readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly so perfect a copy : all therefore have the marks of humane frailty , which cannot be denied . sect. v. and no wise and good man should deliberately deny this , and so justifie falsly every humane slip . but yet there is no such difference among copies or translations , as should any way shake our foundations , or any point necessary to salvation doth depend upon : for in all such points they all agree . sect. vi. object . but if copies and translations differ and err , how can we make them our rule of judgment ? answ . i say again , they agree in as many things as we need them for , as a rule of judgment : and where they differ , it being in words of no such use , and moment , that hindereth not our being ruled by them where they agree . the kings laws may be written in divers languages for divers countries of his subjects : and verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating use ; no more than the king himself doth lose his authority , if his hair turn white . sect. viii . object . . but what then , must all subscribe to , if not to all the bible ? have you any other measure or test ? answ . we must subscribe , that we believe all gods word to be true , and all the true canon of scripture to be his word , and that we will faithfully endeavor to discern all the canon : and we must expresly subscribe to the essentials of christianity , of which before and after . sect. viii . it was a considerable time before many churches received the epistle of james , the d of peter , that to the hebrews , the revelation , &c. and no doubt they were nevertheless true christians : and if now any believe all the essentials of religion , and should doubt only whether the canticles , or the epistle to ●i●●mon , or the two last of john , or that of jude , were canonical , he might for all that be a true christian , and more meet to be a bishop , than synesius was before he believed the resurrection , or neclar●us before he was baptized , &c. sect. ix . the churches are not fully agreed to this day about the canonical books of scripture ; more than the papists call some books canonical , which we call apocryphal . and it is said that the abassines , and syrians have divers not only as ecclesiastical , but as canonical , which we have not , nor know not of : though we have good cause to judge best of our own received number , ( by the proof well produced by bishop consins , and many others ) yet have we no cause to unchurch all churches that differ from us . sect. x. no church therefore ought to cast out all ministers that doubt of some words in any translation , or copy , or of some verse , chapter , or book , who hold the main , and all the necessary doctrines . no such test was imposed on the primitive christians : and it 's sad to hear the report that even the sound and humble churches of helvetia , should lately make it necessary to the ministery , to subscribe to the antiquity of the hebrew points ; though it may be a true and useful assertion . chap. xvi . the catholick church will never unite in the subscribing to any mens whole commentaries on the bible . § . i. this is yet more evident than the former . . they do not at this day , nor ever did agree in any mens commentary : they have great respect to the commentaries of some of the ancients , and others , but subscribe them not as infallible : though the trent oath of pope pius , swear men not to expound the scriptures otherwise than according to the agreeing exposition of the fathers ; it is well known , . that they never told and proved to us , who are to be taken for fathers , and who not . . it 's known that few of them have written large commentaries , and fewer on all the bible , if any . . that they oft differ among themselves . . and the best have confessed their own errors . . and more have been found erroneous by others , and are by us at this day . . yea , they have cast out , and condemned one another ; as the case of nazianzene , epiphanius , chrysostom , theophilus alexand. cyril , and theodoret , and many more besides origen sheweth . . the papists ordinarily take liberty to differ from the commentaries of divers of the most renowned of the fathers . . and the learnedst men of the papists themselves do differ from one another . . and no general council that pretend to be the judge of thesense of the scripture , durst ever yet venture to write a commentary on it . . no nor any pope ; nor any by his appointment , or a councils , is written by any other , and by them approved as infallible . by all which , and much more , it is evident , that subscribing wholly to any commentary , will never unite the churches of christ . sect. ii. and no wonder , when that , . god hath composed the scripture of such various parts , as that all are not of the same nece●sity or intelligibility ; but some are harder than the rest to be understood , and many hundred texts are such , that a man that understands them not , may be saved . . and pastors as well as people , are of various degrees of understanding , and all imperfect , and know but in part . sect. iii. yet are good commentaries of great use , as other teaching is ; but not to be subscribed as the terms of the unity or liberty of the churches . sect. iv. nay , those particular expositions which general councils ( the pretenders to deciding judgment ) have made , are not to be subscribed as infallible , as i have before proved by the quality of the men , and by their many errors , and contradicting and condemning one another . chap. xvii . a summary recital of the true terms of concord , and some of the true causes of schism . the sum of all that is said of schism and unity , is this . § i. schism is an unlawful separating from one , or many churches , or making parties and divisions in them , and is caused usually , either . by unskilful , proud church-tyrants , dogmatists , or superstitious persons , by departing from christs instituted terms of concord , the christian purity and simplicity , and denying communion to those that unite not on their sinful or unnecessary self-devised terms , and obey not their ensnaring canons or wills ; or malignantly forbidding what christ hath commanded , and excommunicating and persecuting men for obeying him . . or else by erroneous proud self-conceited persons , that will not unite and live in communion upon christs instituted terms , but feigning some doctrine or practice of their devising to be true , good and necessary , which is not ; or something to be intolerably sinful that is good or lawful , do therefore cast off their guides , and the communion of the church as unlawful , on pretence of choosing a better necessary way . § ii. . the necessary means of unity and church concord , are these . . that every catechized understanding person , professing repentance , belief and consent to the baptismal covenant , and the children of such dedicated by them to christ be baptized . and the baptized accounted christians having right to christian communion , till their profession be validly disproved by an inconsistent profession or conversation ; that is , by some doctrine against the essence of christianity , or some scandalous wilful sin , with impenitence after sufficient admonition : and that no man be excommunicated , that is not proved thus far to excommunicate himself : and that the catechized or examined person be put upon no other profession of belief , consent and practice , as interpreting the sacramental covenant , but of the articles of the creed , the lords prayer and decalogue , understood ; and the general belief of , consent to , and practice of all that he discerneth to be the word of god. . that in church cases and religion , i. the magistrate have the onely publick judgment whom he shall countenance and maintain , or tolerate , and whom he shall punish , or not tolerate nor maintain : and never be the executioner of the clergies sentence , without , or against his own conscience and judgment . ii. that the ordainers ( being the senior pastors , or a bishop or president with other pastors , which is to be left to the concurrent judgments of themselves , and the people ) be the judges of the fitness of the ordained person to be a minister of christ , and the said pastors in their respective particular churches , be the key-bearers , or judges , who is to be baptized , and admitted to communion in the church , and who not ; and not constrained to baptize , or to give or deny communion there , by the judgment of others against their consciences , ( though in case of forfeiture , or just cause , they may be removed from that church , or from the sacred office. ) iii. that the people of that church be the private discerning judges , who shall be their pastors , to whose conduct they will trust their souls ; if not so far as to be the first electors , at least so far as to have a free consenting or dissenting power ; and they be not forced to trust their souls with any man as a pastor against their consciences : and that every man be the private discerning judge of his own duty to god and man , and of his sin forbidden ; and of his own secret case , whether he believe in god and christ , and purpose to obey him , or whether he be an atheist , or infidel , or secretly wicked , and so fit or unfit for baptism and communion ; so that though he be not to be received without the judgment of the pastors , yet he may exclude himself , if conscious of incapacity ; and therefore that none be forced by corporal penalties or mulcts , to be baptized , or to communicate . . that the christian magistrate make three sorts of laws , one for the approved and maintained churches and pastors ; another for the tolerated ; and a third sort for the intolerable . i. and that a sufficient number of the ablest , soundest , and worthiest ministers , be made the publick , approved , maintained preachers and pastors . and where parish bounds are judged necessary , that all persons living in the parish be constrained to contribute proportionably to maintain the parish ministers , and temple , and poor ; and to hear publick teaching , and to worship god , either in that or some other approved or tolerated church , within their convenient reach or neighborhood . ii. and that the tolerated ministers ( tryed and licensed ) have protection and peace in the publick exercise of their ministery , though not approbation and maintenance . iii. but that the intolerable be restrained by sutable restraints . . that the approved and maintained ministers be put to subscribe their belief of , consent to , and resolved practice or obedience of all the sacred canonical scriptures , so far as by diligent study they are able to understand them ; and more particularly of the christian religion summarily contained in the sacramental covenant , and in the ancient creeds received by the universal church , the lords prayer , and the decalogue , as it is the law of christ , and expounded by him in the holy scriptures : and that they will be faithful to the king and kingdom ; and as ministers will faithfully guide the flocks in holy doctrine , worship , discipline and example of life , labouring to promote truth , holiness , love , peace and justice , for the salvation of mens souls , the edification of the church , and the glorifying and pleasing of god our creator , redeemer and sanctifier . and that the said maintained ministers be tyed by the regulating laws which determine only such circumstances as in genere are necessary to be agreed in for uniformity , and common harmony : as of time , place , parish bounds , what translation of scripture to use , what version of psalms , what decent habit , &c. not put to profess approbation of all these , but required to use them , and censured if they do not . . that the tolerated ministers subscribe all the same things , except these last regulating laws for circumstances of order . . that either a catalogue of errors and sins be drawn up in the law which no minister shall preach ; or else it be left to the judges to discern when any is proved to preach against any necessary article of his subscribed profession : and it is meet that the catalogue prohibited to the maintained ministers , be larger than that prohibited to the tolerated , some errors being tolerable , which are not approvable . and it is not the first fault that should suspend or silence either of them , but obstinacy after a first and second admonition . yea , many lesser errors must be punished only with congruous mulcts , or rebukes , or after that with loss of maintenance , that are not to be punished with silencing . . that no other test , profession , covenant , subscription or promise be required of any , as necessary to ministery or communion , which may become dividing snares and engines : but only that where papal tyrannies , or any other usurpers , claim it dangerous to the church and kingdom , the essentials of that papacy or usurpation be expresly renounced by all that will have maintenance or toleration ; yet not on this pretence making every claim of patriarchs , archbishops , bishops , councils , or synods of presbyters , which others think to be a usurpation , to be so dangerous as the papacy , and so the renunciation of them as necessary ; because such existent persons claim not such power , nor make such laws , for deposing kings , and murdering or exterminating dissenters : which if they do , they must be expresly renounced : else the keeping out usurping practice is enough . . the christian magistrate must keep peace among all , both the approved and tolerated , and not suffer any unpeaceable preaching or disputes ; which tend to destroy love , and quietness ; nor suffer railing calumnies against each other , to be published or printed . § iii. . particular churches and their pastors should be so far associated , as is necessary to their mutual peace , concord and strength : and therefore should keep frequent synods for correspondency to these ends ; and by messengers and letters also keep up their brotherly concord . . but whether these associations of single churches should be headed by diocesanes , metropolitanes , archbishops , primates , patriarchs , most think is a matter of meer humane prudence . . but certainly the magistrate must see , that neither the synods , nor their heads or presidents tyrannize ; 〈◊〉 instead of assemblies for concord , become an aristocratical or monarchical church-government ; nor force not any to approve of them , or such humane forms of churches ; much less that they infringe not the rights and liberties of the churches formed by the institution of christ and his apostles . § iv. yet more briefly , . approving the be●● . . tolerating the tolerable . . sacraments fre● , 〈◊〉 not forced . . the intolerable restrained . . the test of toleration being this , whether such tolerated worship do more good or hurt in true impartial judgment . . magistrates keeping all in peace ] would heal us . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e jam. . . act. . , , , &c. act. . . * see beza's conjecture of the summe , in loc . † rev. . , , , , . pet. . * in methodo theologi●e , part. . rom. . . & . cor. . & . gal. . , , . * such as now worketh in mr. eliats in new england , and mr. thomas gouge in england towards the welsh , & in many worthy ministers who suffer the reproach and persecutions of men because they will not consent to be as lights put under a bushel . rom. . , . gal. . , , . mark . , . luke . , . * sicut noxium est si unitas desit bonis , ita perniciosum est si sit in malis : perversos quippe unitas corroborat dum concordant , & ta●to magis incorrigibiles quanto unanimes facit . greg. moral . l. . * see whateley's notable di●course of this in his carecloth . doct. . * de consol ▪ philos . l. . * moral . l. . gen. . , . & . . &c. . . & . . & . . & . . & . , &c. & . & . & . exod. . . & . . & . . numb . . , , . judg. . & . & . sam. . & sam. . & . & . king. . &c. chron. . . mat. . & . luke . act. . , &c. & . , . cor. . & . &c. prov. . . & . . & . . jer. . . & . . & . . & . . ezek. . ● , . & . . notes for div a -e of this i have written at large in my last confutation of johnson , which is the true church ; or for our churches perpetual visibility . pet. . , . see what i have recited out of philastrius in my book against johnson called [ which is the true church ] in the end . * greg. nazianzene . see mr. d●dwill . this second may be spared , if the third be well done . and instead of both may well be a catalogue of doctrines erroneous or doubtful which none shall preach or propagate , of which after . see more against the magistrates overdoing in the third part. a. the form common to all christians . mat. . . mark . . i. assent . heb. . . cor. . . mat. . . joh. . . psal . . . gen. . . heb. . . luk. . . psal . . . deut. . . isa . . . ge. . act. . . gen. . . chron. . . luk. . . joh. . . mat. . . & . . gen. . rom. . . & . . gen. . . eph. . . i joh. . . joh. . , . tim. . . luk. . . rom. . . joh. . . heb. . . mat. . . heb. . . joh. . . gal. . . cor. . , . act. . . & . . eph. . . luk. . . act. . . heb. . , . eph. . , . rom. . , . joh. . . & . , , . luk. . . mat. . , mark . , . joh. . . joh. . , . joh. . , , . gal. . , . & . . pet. . , . luk. . . tit. . . pet. . . mat. . . heb. . . luk. . . rev. . . joh. . . eph. . . & . . tim. . , . joh. . , . rom. . . gal. . . tit. . , . heb. . . tit. . , . rom. . . heb. . . cor. . mar. . . joh. . , . eph. . . to . rom. . . act. . . rom. . & thes . . , . rom. . , . joh. . . to . pet. . . mat. . , . cor. . . rom. . . gal. . , , . joh. . . cor. . , , . act. . . act. . . thes . . , . joh. . , . mat. . . matth. . thes . . , , . rev. . ii. consent and desire . rom. . . joh. . , . deut. . . rom. . . heb. . & . , . isa . . , . & . , , , . rev. . . luk. . , . cor. . , , . pet. . , . pet. . , . pet. . , . tit. . , . mat. . . iii. practice . act. . . ps . . , . deut. . . chron. . . cor. . , . mat. . , , . jo. . , , . jo. . . jo. . , . mat. . , . psal . . , , . & . . & . . & . . tim. . . cor. . , &c. psal . . . jam. . . exod. . , . rev. . . rom. . col. . . deut. . . rom. . , . sam. . . rom. . , . luk. . . mat. . , . jo. . , . eph. . , , . thes . . . lev. . . prov. . . psal . . . mat. . . & . . b. proper to ministers of the gospel . act. . , &c. jo. . , , . tim. . , . tim. . . & . , , , , . & . , , . & tim. . , , , . tim. . , , , , . tim. . to the end . tim. . , , . tit. . & . & . thes . . , . mat. . . heb. . . cor. . , . mat. . , , , , . cor. . , to the end . cor. . . mat. . , . mat. . , . isa . . . pet. . , , , . c. special duty to civil rulers . rom. . , &c. mat. . . tim. . , , . pet. . , , , , , . pet. . , . rom. . . . col. . , , . jam. . , , , , . jud. , , . * see the s●●ond council● 〈◊〉 ●citing and app●●●ing th● former general council of 〈◊〉 : which in other things they opposed , yet both condemned this opinion . notes for div a -e see all this fally proved in my books against j●hnson , of the visibility of our church , especially in my last called [ w●ich is the true church . of this more before . see my last book against johnson of this . see sir thomas overbury's late plea for toleration , in answer to ataxiae obstaculum , renouncing unlimited toleration . reasons for vnitie, peace, and love with an answer (called shadows flying away) to a book of mr. gataker, one of the assembly, intituled, a mistake, &c. and the book of the namelesse author called, the plea, both writ against me : and a very short answer, in a word, to a book by another namelesse author called, an after-reckoning with master saltmarsh, and to master edward his second part called, gangrena, directed to me ... / by john saltmarsh ... saltmarsh, john, d. . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing s ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) reasons for vnitie, peace, and love with an answer (called shadows flying away) to a book of mr. gataker, one of the assembly, intituled, a mistake, &c. and the book of the namelesse author called, the plea, both writ against me : and a very short answer, in a word, to a book by another namelesse author called, an after-reckoning with master saltmarsh, and to master edward his second part called, gangrena, directed to me ... / by john saltmarsh ... saltmarsh, john, d. . [ ], - p. printed for giles calvert ..., london : . issued in: some drops of the viall. . "imprimatur iohn bachiler, may , "--t.p., verso. errata on p. . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. marginal notes. eng gataker, thomas, - . -- mistake. edwards, thomas, - . -- gangraena. ley, john, - . -- after-reckoning with mr. saltmarsh. baxter, richard, - . -- plea for congregationall government. christian union. protestants -- england. a r (wing s ). civilwar no reasons for unitie, peace, and love. with an answer (called shadows flying away) to a book of mr gataker one of the assembly, intituled a mi saltmarsh, john c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion reasons for vnitie , peace , and love , with an answer ( called shadows flying away ) to a book of mr gataker one of the assembly , intituled , a mistake , &c. and the book of the namelesse author , called , the plea : both writ against me . and a very short answer , in a word , to a book by another namelesse author , called an after-reckoning with master saltmarsh ; and to master edward , his second part , called gangrena , directed to me . wherein many things of the spirit are discovered , of faith and repentance , &c. of the presbytery : and some things are hinted , to the undeceiving of people in their present ministers . by john saltmarsh , preacher of the gospell . acts . . sirs , ye are brethren ; why do ye wrong one to another ? london , printed for giles calvert , at the black spread-eagle at the west end of pauls . . reader , in this answer to master gataker , i conceive thou hast a taste of the true notion both of the sweetnesse and glory of the gospell . imprimatur , iohn bachiler ▪ may . . to the right honourable , the lord maior , aldermen , and the common-councell of the city of london . right honourable , many who call themselves ministers and prophets of god accuse us of heresie and schism before ye . but i hope ye will take notice they are but men as we are , and of like passions with us ; neither apostles , nor prophets of the first baptism , or gifts of the spirit . yet if the priests and elders , or any oratour , as tertullus ▪ accuse paul to festus or agrippa , he cannot but a●swer for himselfe . i have but few words to speak to ye ( noble citizens ) that ye would in that spirit which is of god , judge the doctrines of men , and single them from traditions , customes , councels , synods , interests . ye are bid to try the spirits whether they be of god ▪ or no . try whether it be according to god , for some ministers , and thse not apostles , to call others hereticks who beleeve not as they beleeve : what will become then of the strong and weak christian , of the children , fathers , and young men ? trye whether they ought to p●ea●h to ye to suppresse all but themselves ; since they are not infallible , but may erre ; and where is the remedy then , if they erre ? who shall judge the iudges ? try whether this make for unity of spirit , to allow no more fellowship nor brotherhood then in forme and practice . and what will they have ye do if formes should alter ? for states may change : england hath done so . try whether this make for the glory of christians , to persecute or banish ( as they would have ye ) all but themselves . may they not as well tell ye that god hath made england only for men of the presbytery or one opinion to live in , and worship in : and where find they that ? trye whether some by their daily invectives from presse and pulpit against independents and others , bring not in the popish designe in another forme , to divide the godly party , both presbyterian and independent , and so to ruine all . try if all such doctrine as they commonly preach and write to ye , resolve not it selfe most into their own interests , profits , place power : and what doth the scripture and histories tell ye of that ? and now i have done ; praying for ye , that ye may be still a free city , and not disputed by the miscelany of logick and divinity of some , into bondage . that ye may be still populous , and not your streets growing with grasse through any unneighbourly principle of persecution , which must needs lose ye many , and much resort from this famous city , under the name of hereticks , not letting such live beside them . that ye may be a peaceable city , and not raised up and dashed by any breath of men against the other and greater part of your selves , the parliament . england hath long enough broken it selfe against its own walls : let it now be our strength to sit still , and to stand still and see salvation . and since the lord hath let the most of the successe of the presbytery , which is so much desired , come thorow the hands of those and that army whom they have told ye over often were hereticks ; let this be but taken notice on by ye , what god hath told ye in the successe of that army ; and i trust ye will never regard the messengers by whose hands the presbytery in a kind came , by beating them out of doores . thus rests he , who would rejoyce in your peace , prosperity , and gospell-unity , john saltmarsh . reasons for vnity , peace , & love . the nations and kingdoms of the world shall bring their glory to christ , and be at peace with all his , according to the prophesies , isai. , , . revel. . . isai. . . and how happy is that nation or kingdom which shall be first in this truth , and have rather a peace of prophesie , than policie , a peace of god , than man . how happy shall this kingdom be to fulfill any of this prophesie , of peace to one another , and to the saints . that all kingdoms , and nations , and princes , and people , prospered according to their love to christ , and his : pharaoh for ioseph , ahasuerus for mordecai , artaxerxes for nehemiah and the people of the iews ; and those nations have been ever nations of bondage and tyranny to themselves , which became so first to the saints . that ierusalem hath been ever a burdensome stone , and a cup of trembling to all that oppressed her , and the stone cut out of the mountaine without hands , too mighty for all the mountaines of the world : and the bloud of the saints , where-ever spilled , and whereever found in literall or mysticall babylon , never left crying , till that very place had bloud given them to drink for in her was found the bloud of the prophets . that the true peace indeed , is more spirituall and comprehensive then men usually think it , and takes in severall natures , nations , people , languages , of every tongue and kindred ; so , severall spirits , consciences , judgements , opinions ; not a peace only of such or such an opinion ; not a peace only of such or such a society ; of such or such a body ; not a peace of presbytery only , nor independency only , nor anabaptisme only , but a peace of all , so far as that all , or many may be one , which is that unity of spirit in the bond of peace . that true peace is an enemy to all selfish interest , and selfish preservation , and selfish unity , or selfish peace ; because that when unity , peace , preservation , gathers up from that common interest peace and unity , to which they are appointed by the law of creation , and institution , and becomes only their own , and not anothers , their own peace , their own unity , their own preservation , they breaking that law of the spirit , and communion of their first creation , each perishes in their single , private and unwarrantable way of saving themselves ; and the eye saith unto the hand , i have no need of thee , and the head to the foot , i have no need of you . that there is no such impossibility of being one under divers opinions , as we are made beleeve , no more then there was for those that eat flesh , and those that eat herbs ; for those that regarded a day , and those that regarded it not ; for those that used milke , and those that eat stronger meat ; for those that were zealous of the law , and those that were more in the gospell , to be one , or together , or to please one another to edefication . did paul bid the eaters of flesh call the eaters of herbs , hereticks ? or them that regarded a day , the others that regarded it not , hereticks ? or them that were zealous of the law , them that were of the gospell , heretickes ? or thus ; flesheaters , and day-regarders , and legalists ? as we doe , presbyterians , independents , anabaptists . that there is so much in every one of these , wherein they appeare to stand in need of one another , that the presbyterian cannot say , i have no need of the independent ; nor the independent , i have no need of the presbyterian ; nor either of them say , we have no need of you anabaptist : for , the presbyterian may need the independent , because he is for a purer communion of saints then he ; they both the anabaptist , because he baptizeth beleevers , as the apostles alwayes did : they both the seekers , because none of them have these ordinances by the first patterne in the word , as by apostleship and baptisme of spirit : nor these the presbyterians , because there may be some gift , some power of the spirit , some principle of administration in them , which may help the body , and the common-wealth , or parliament . all these , because they are all members of the same state . that love is the more excellent way revealed , then either the way of gifts , or ordinances , and therefore no gift or ordinance is to be preferred before love : love neither envies , nor vaunts , nor behaves it self unseemly , but beareth all things , and hopeth all things : and this is that love which is of god , and extends it self as god , and comprehends and embraces men ; not as this man , or that man , meerely ; not as a man of this , or that opinion : but because it is love from the fountaine of infinite love , it flowes upon all , and hath a kind of peace with all , and loves all : god is love ; and therefore just and unjust good and bad , are taken into something of him , seeing he giveth to all things l●fe and breath , and all things : and the more this love is amongst men , the more they love as god , and the more large in love , and universall in love . that love which is only to one kind , is but low , narrow , and naturall , the meer love of creatures as creatures ▪ but that love which can love those of other kinds ; as presbyterian , anabaptist , independent , is not that love of a creature only : so as the more we love any that are not as we are , the lesse we love as men , and the more as god . that the first and most glorious and spirituall unity is that of spirit ; and therefore things that are outward , formall , and perish with using , nor any ordinance , were ever made an hinderance to that unity : let not christians think they cannot be one , nor in any communion of spirit , till they be like one another in the body first , and in the ordinance first , which it may be they never shall be , for we see god hath hid outward ordinances deepest from discovery ; so as they that find most , find but pieces and parcels , and one one part , and another another part , and another another part , all finde not all , because all should not want one another , and we find these things last , because there was lesse need : how many hundred yeares from christ , and nothing of these ? yet christ was knowne , and some of the more spirituall glory of christ : and if christians should not be one , till they be like one another , how little would the peace be ? even as little as that unity they contend for : and what peace would it be , but that of flesh and forme , the peace of ordinances , not of spirit . i desire this may be considered , that according to the first patterne , the baptisme of the spirit , or gifts and ordinances ▪ were together , never asunder , from the apostles times to the falling away : and let there be a word held out for ordinances by themselves without the like gifts , or else let us be in more unity of spirit then we are . christians are truly so alike , and so one and the same , as they are one in christ in union and spirit , one in god , as they partake of the divine nature of the image of christ , as they are branches in the same vine , members in the same body : so god loves all his , as they are of him , born of the incorruptible seed , being the glory of the second adam , quickned by that life , that eternall life : god looks not nor loves not , as men are presbyterians , or independents , or anabaptists , we commonly love so , who begin to love at the outward man before the inward : god loves us first as in christ , and loves us because in christ ; god loves according to the figure of himself in us , and so we should love one another , if we will love according to god : let papists love papists only , and prelates love prelates only , because they are so ; let us love according to that of spirit , we discerne by the same spirit in each , according to that of love , faith , meeknesse , patience , purity , faithfulnesse , glory , which are the fruits of the spirit : let us love , as we judge , and that is in spirit , as spiritually discerning according to fruits of righteousnesse and holinesse , not according to this and that forme which is carnall : for as he is not a jew , which is one outwardly , no more is he a christian , which is one outwardly , circumcision and christianity is not of the letter , but of the spirit ; so as loving thus , we should not thinke nor speake against these , and these , because they are not presbyterians as we are , because they beleeve not as we beleeve , and think not as we think . were it not madnesse to fight , because we are not like one another in the face , in feature , in complection , in disposition , in a word , because we are not alike in body ? and what were it lesse to fight with one another , because we are not alike in the spirit , in soule , in judgement , in conscience , in opinion ? if the whole body were the eye , where were the hearing ? if the whole were hearing , where were the smelling ? the lesse we endeavour this bond of peace , the more we shall take in new fuell to our old fire , the more advantage and opportunity will be opened to let in the old remainders of the war amongst us , which shall be as a train of powder to kindle us into new contentions ; and thus new divisions will spring out from the ashes of the old , and those whom we conquer one day , will be conquerors amongst us another day , and we shall not know them from some of our selves , and all our victories and conquests will be but the enemies design of recruiting our misery ; they whom we subdue , finding the veine of enmity running through presbytery and independency , will soone gird themselves to battle in those notions , and we shall never want enough of presbytery and independency , till they undo us after our own fashion : and if they cannot kill us as cavaliers and malignants ; in this new way , they may kill us as presbyters and independents . and surely they will have so much iesuitisme , as never to let us starve for heeticks and schismaticks : the iesuits run commonly over to the lutherans , and raile there against calvinists and so they never want matter for division in germany ; it is the great design of conclaves and popish councels , to practice upon states in their own religions and customes , and to turne us back into popery , by being protestants amongst us , and to raise up new troubles by changing the old , and by transfiguring their enmity ; satan himselfe can be an angell of light , when he cannot passe as a power of darknesse , and where works he thus but in the children of disobedience ? and brethren , let us not let our enemies in at back-doores , of presbytery and independency : let us not undo our selves when god would save us : let us see that these workings are but the old designe in a new forme . the last reason is : people are not wholly undeceived in their present ministers . and to that end consider , . that these ministers who tell them thus , and preach thus , are neither as aaron was nor as the prophets were , nor as the apostles were , nor have such an infallible gift , nor spirit of discerning , so as their words and sermons are no more to be beleeved then the words of the scripture proves ▪ and people are to trie all and to trie spirits , and so trust , and now ( friends ) not beleeve sermons too suddenly , because their sermons are not very scripture , but interpretation to their light , and light may be darkned with carnall reason and interest . . that these ministers who preach so for presbytery through bloud and persecution now , did but a few yeers since preach as confidently for the service-book , for bishops , or against the presbytery , & our brethren of scotland . . that these ministers that preach nothing but presbitery , government , and divine right , yet never tryed it in their lives , nor lived in the experience of it , but have it by report , and by idaea , or modell , or landship from other countreys , and some specious scriptures . . that these ministers who would presse the covenant against popery and episcopacy root and branch , yet will be content , though bishops be unlawfull , to say the bishops hands which ordained them are not ; and that bishops could make them ministers of christ , though they were antichrist themselves , and that episcopacy could make a lawfull ministery . . that these ministers who preached against deanes , and archdeacons , and prelates , as unlawfull , can be content very well with their maintenance ; their tythes are not popish , nor the profits nor revenues are not against covenant : ( people ) look a little into these men , that hold there is no popery in any thing that makes them rich , or maintaines them : is this the doctrine of the crosse , and selfe-deniall ? . that these ministers who preached against pluralities , yet now a mastership of a colledge , and a great living or two of some hundreds a yeer , with chaplainships , as they commonly have , and two or three great lectures in conjunction with a great living , is not plurality , nor must be accounted so : nay , for a presbyter to have two livings is no plurality now , but for a prelate to have them is undoubtedly so . by the same tenure the prelates formerly lived at court , and in lords houses , and held livings , as they in the assembly , now , by their attendance there . . that these ministers who pretend to so much light and certainty of truth ; yet after two yeers reasoning and proofe , have not been able to prove their way of government from scripture ; so as there are so many excellent quaeries propounded from the honourable parliament , which lye unanswered , unlesse the ministers intend to resolve the parliament some other way , by making the tumults more , and their answers lesse ; for their books and sermons speak no lesse . was ever reformation , but where the red dragon is in the pulpit , preached for in so much bloud ? and i pray ( friends ) are all things so true as they tell you ? our greatest and wisest counsell can see no such thing in it yet : and since you expect your government from the parliament , i pray go not before them in your judgements , but stay and examine as they do . . that the mystery of the popish ministery hath ever been to lead the people , and stir up the people , either by merit , or martyrdome , or ministery : and therefore the poore sou●es of england had given away all their lande once to monks and friers , and would all fight for the holy land , and the kings and princes their power to do with as they pleased : and all was , as the priest said , for religion too , all as the holy church said : and now merit , martyrdome , and ministery carry all before them yet , in some measure , though not in so much : england hath seen so much , as to take much of their lands again , and tythes again from the ministery ; and the parliaments have seen so much as a little to debate religion with the synods : and this parliament hath seen more , by how much they have reasoned , disputed , quaeried with their ministers : when did ever england see so much liberty before ? when durst parliaments talke with their ministers till now ? and ( friends ) let not the old popish things of merit , martyrdome , and ministery , carry us away as they did . i remember an excellent saying reported of generall lesley to our nobles and gentry , when they were ready to fight for bishops , to this purpose , shall we lose our bloud for so many fat swingers ? and i pray , are not these the sons of the swingers according to ordination , ordained and called by bishops ? is our bloud too good for bishops , and not for presbyters , as some think ? . that these ministers who seem to close with those whom they so lately called , and preached against as malignants and cavaliers , yet cannot love them , or use them otherwise then in designe to help up with the government , and then leave them , und persecute them under the same notion with us as hereticks , using them now , as the israelites did the gibeonites , as hewers of wood , and drawers of water ; and then what will become of these poore soules , who having helped up the presbyters into the roome of the bishops , to be sure they shall neither have common-prayer-book , nor surplice , nor bishops , nor sacraments ; for the directory shall keep out the common-prayer-book , and presbyters shall keepe out bishops , and elders shall keep out all communicants of such and such sins , and vniformity will keep out conformity : and if ye hope for better , by the bustle and differenc●s , and sideings ; issues and successe are in gods hand , not in ours : ye may know when ye begin , but not when ye end ; and they will be first in the presbytery , before ye in the prelacy . therefore consider things . . that these ministers , though some of them were old non-conformists , and have a power of god in them , ( which i desire to love under any forme ) yet according to their interests they are not so , nor to the flesh they are not so , and it is their old man i write against , not their new ; so far as they are men , and so far as they are persecuters , so far as they are lovers of gaine , not of godlinesse , so far as they are accusers of their brethren , so far as they are in the forme of godlinesse , not in the power : therefore consider , these men are not all spirit and truth , we are not to call one of them iubiter , nor the other mercurius ; they are men of like passions with us , and ye ; and the worst i wish ( saving their humour of persecution ) is that the lord would make them love us in the spirit , and we shall in all love allow them their formes . to mr. gataker . sir , i hope i shall answer all things materiall in your book ; but your margin i shall not meddle with : i observe , you commonly in all your books fill that with things , and authors , of little value to christ crucified ; as in your last leafe , where you quote sophecles the poet , comparing your selfe to an old prancing horse . i should not rebuke your yeers , but that i find you comicall and poeticall ; and for my part , i am now ashamed to own those raptures , though i am young , having tasted straines of a more glorious spirit ; how much more you that are old , and call your selfe a divine , ought not to have any fruit in those things ? i hope i shall be in no more passion with you , than with your brother of the assembly , mr ley. i write to edifie , not to conquer ; nor to teach others , but that we may be all taught of god . john saltmarsh . to the author of the plea for the congregationall , or ( as he should have said ) parishionall government . sir , a word to you the author of the plea . you have so entangled and wrapped your selfe in the congregationall and church-principles , as if you meant to engage me at once against your presbytery , and the dissenting brethren . but that spirit which makes me oppose you , makes me discerne your designe , and so i hope i shall single you from them ; though you have cloathed your selfe in their apologeticall narration , yet i must deale with you as your self , and your brethren , not as theirs ; and it is but a little i have to say to you . but why no name ? is your divine right so questionable , that you will not own it ? or are you one of them that sit too neare it to commend it with open face , and think you may better , and more modestly do it in disguise , and without a name ? had i not some reason to suspect it came from some of that sort , i had passed it by with as little noise as it came abroad : and i have but little to say to you now ; i cannot stand long wrangling in things that grow clearer and clearer every day , for the day breaks , and the shadowes flie away . shadowes flying away : or , a reply to master gataker's answer to some passages in master saltmarsh his booke of free-grace . master gataker . ( ) that he was traduced by one master john saltmarsh , a man unknown to him , save by one or two pamphlets , as witnessing to the antinomian party . ( ) that he must unbowell and lay open some of the unsound stuffe . ( ) that some think they have found out a shorter cut to heaven . ( ) that my inferences upon his words are not true , nor as he intended : as if a protestant with a papist disputing about the masse , should say the controversie is not concerning the nature of sacraments , &c. answ . to the first , ●hat you were traduced by me : let not you and i be judge of that : both our books are abroad ; and i have quoted your words to the very leafe where they are . your meaning i could not come at ▪ the deep things of the heart are out of the power of anothers quotatior . for my selfe unknown to you but by two pamphlets : i take your sleighting : i could call your treatises by a worse name then treatises ; for i knew one of them some yeers since , that of lots , wherein you defended cards and dice-playing : and it had been happy for others as well as my selfe , in my times of vanity , had you printed a retractation . i beleeve you strengthened the hands of many to sin . i know you love ancient writers well , by your margin and quotations . and i pray remember how augustine honoured truth as much by confessing errours as professing truths . what fruit should you and i have of these things whereof we are now ashamed ? for your witnessing to the antinomian party against your will : is that your fault , or mine ? nor am i to judge of your reserves , and secret senses , but of words and writings . nor is it an antinomian party i alleadge you to countenance : but a party falsly traduced and supposed so : a party called antinomian by you , and others , and then writ against : a setting up hereticks to deceive the world , and then telling the world such and such are the men . you may make more by this trick , then you find so . to the second , that you will lay open the unsound stuffe : i shall not be unwilling , i hope , to be told my failings : but i must look to the stuffe you bring in the roome of mine , and entreat others to trye the soundnesse of yours it is not my saying , that mine is sound , will make it better ; nor your saying it is unsound , can make it worse . let every ones work be proved , and then he shall have whereof to boast . to your third , of some finding out a shorter cut to heaven then some former divines : i know not what you meane by shorter cuts . the papists find a way , they say , to heaven by works , some protestants by jesus christ and works , and others by jesus christ alone , and make works the praise of that free grace in jesus christ : and is that a shorter cut then theirs , as you call it ? or rather , a clearer revelation of truth ? methinks your expressions have too much of that which solomon cals frowardnesse in old men . argue , and prove , and bring scripture as long as you please , but be not too quarrelsome . but i shall excuse you in part , because you tell us you are not yet recovered from sicknesse : so as i take this , with other of your books , as part or remainders of your disease , rather then your judgement ; and the infirmity of your body , not the strength of your spirit . but why chose you not a better time to trie truth in , when you were not so much in the body ? to the fourth , that nothing lesse was intended by you : i undertook not to discover your intents to the world . you might have don well to have revealed your selfe more at first , that i might not have taken you to be more a friend to truth then i see you are : forgive me this injury , as the apostle saies , if i accounted you better then you desire to be . love hopeth all things , and beleeveth all things . and paul it seems was better perswaded of agrippa then there was cause , and quoted some of the heathen poets better then they intended them , as it seems i have done with you ; that being the greatest thing you lay to my charge . master gataker . ( ) that our antinomian free grace is not the same with that of the prophets in the old testament , and the apostles in the new . ( ) that in saying the old testament was rather a draught of a legall dispensation , then an evangelicall or gospell-one , was to taxe the ministery of the prophets for no free-grace . ( ) that in saying the ministers now by the qualifications they preach , do over-heat free-grace as your poore soules cannot take it , doth make the prophets , iuglers and deluders of the people . answer . to your first , that our antinomian free grace , is not the same with the prophets and apostles : why do you tell us of antinomians , of prophets and apostles free-grace ? it is not the free-grace of any of these : free-grace is of god in jesus christ ; prophets and apostles are but dispencers of it , and ambassadours of it , and ministers of it ; and yet ambassadours not in the same habit : the prophets preached grace in a rough and hairy garment , or , more legally ; the apostles in a more clear and bright habit , in the revelation of the mystery of christ : the law was given by moses , but grace and truth by iesus christ . i could as easily say , master gatakers free-grace , and the legalists free-grace , as he sayes our antinomian free-grace ; but such words and reproaches make neither you nor i speake better truth . to your second , that in saying the old-testament straine was rather legall then gospell , taxes the ministery of the prophets for no free-grace : that is according to your inference only . because the spirit sayes , the law was given by moses , therefore will you put upon the spirit , that moses taught or gave out nothing but law● because i say , the old testament was a legall ministration , therefore do i say there was no free-grace in it ? or doe i not rather say , therefore it was free-grace legally dispenced , or preached , or ministred ? would not such inferences be bad dealing with the spirit , and will it be faire dealing with me ? i wonder you who pretend to write against me , as having not dealt justly with your sense , will deale so unjustly with mine , and commit the same sin your self , in the very time of your reproving mine . you may see what this logick hath brought you to , to deceive your selfe , as well as your neighbour . can you cast out my mo●e , and behold , a beame in your own eye ? i have printed all you quoted : let the reader judge from this and compare it with the rest of my book . the whole frame of the old testament was a draught of gods anger at sin . — and god in this time of the law appeared only as it were upon tearmes and conditions of reconciliation : and all the worship then , and acts of worship then , as of prayer , fasting , repentance , &c. went all this way , according to god under that appearance . and in this straine ( saith he ) runnes all the ministery of the prophets too , in their exhortations to duty and worship , as if god were to be appeased and entreated , and reconciled , and his love to be had in way of purchase by duty , and doing , and worshipping : so as under the law , the efficacy and power was put as it were wholly upon the duty and obedience performed , as if god upon the doing of such things , was to be brought into tearmes of peace , mercy and forgivenesse ; so as their course and service then , was as it were a w●rking for life and reconciliation . do not these words and termes inserted , as it were , and , in the way , and , as if , and , is it were , cleare me from such positive and exclusive assertions of free-grace as you would make me speake ? to the third , that in saying the preachers with their qualifications over-heate free-grace , i doe by that make the prophets deluders of the people , &c. i answer : that way of preaching the prophets used , pressing , as you say ▪ repentance , reformation , humiliation , and with commination , and the law , &c. was but according to the way , and method , and straine the spirit taught them under the old testament : but if the prophets should have held forth jesus christ under the new testament , and when christ was manifested in the flesh , with such vails over him , and so much law over him , as they did before , they had sinned against the glory of that ministration , as well as some of you , who bring christ back againe under the cool shadow of the law , and make that sun of righteousnesse that he warmes not so many with the love of him as he would doe , if ye would let them behold with open face as in a glasse the glory of the lord , and if you would give his beams more liberty to shine upon them ; doth not the ministration of the spirit exceed in glory ? nor were the prophets deluders of the people then , because it was the peoples time of pupillage , and being under bondage ; they were shut up under the law till faith came ; they were under tutors and governors till the time appointed : so as that was truth , and right dispensation in them to preach so much of the law , of curse , and judgement , &c. as they did ; and of repentance and reformation in that straine they did : but in ye who pretend to preach christ come in the flesh ; ye who pretend to be preachers in the kingdome of god , and so greater then the greatest prophet , then he that was more then a prophet ; in ye , such preaching were delusion , because it were not as the truth is in christ , nor according to that glory of the gospell , to that grace revealed , to that manifestation of christ in the flesh , to that ministration of glory ; but rather to those deceitfull workers the apostle speaks on , to those that troubled them with words , subverting their souls , who preached law and gospell , circumcision and christ . master gattaker . ( ) that we gird at those that bid men repent , and be humbled , and be sorry for sinnes , and pray , &c. as legall teachers . ( ) that christ preached repentance , humiliation self-deniall , conversion , renouncing all in purpose : this is not the same gospell with that they preach , as in free-grace , pag. , , , , , , . answer . to your first , for our girding at those that bid men repent , and be humbled , &c. as legall teachers : if ye presse repentance and humiliation legally , why wonder ye at such words as legall teachers ? will ye doe ill , and not be told of your faults ? must we prophesie smooth things to you , and say ye are able ministers of the new testament , when we are perswaded that truth is detained in unrighteousnesse ? we blame not any that bid men repent , or be sorry for sinne , &c. be humble , &c. if they preach them as christ and the apostles did ; as graces flowing from him , and out of his fulnesse , and not as springings of their owne , and waters from their fountaines ; as if the teachers , like moses , would make men beleeve they could with such rods and exhortations , smite upon mens hearts as upon rocks , and bring waters out of them , be they never so hard and stony . we agree with you , that repentance , and sorrow for sinne , and humiliation , and self-deniall , are all to be preached , and shall contend with you , who preaches them most , and clearest : but then , because iohn said repent , and christ said repent , and peter said repent ; are we to examine the mystery no farther ? know we not that the whole scripture in its fulnesse and integrality reveales the whole truth ? and must we not looke out , and compare scripture with scripture , spirituall things with spirituall , and so finding out truth from the degrees , to the glory and fulnesse of it , preach it in the same glory and fulnesse as we find it ? we heare christ preaching before the spirit was given , repent ; and we find , when the spirit was given , christ is said to give repentance to israel , and forgivenesse of sinnes ; and shall we not now preach jesus christ , and repentance in jesus christ the fountaine of repentance , the author of repentance , and yet preach repentance , and repentance thus , and repentance in the glory of it more ? the apostle in one place saith , beleeve in the lord iesus christ , and thou shalt be saved ; and in another place , he is the author and finisher of our faith ; shall we not now preach iesus christ first ? and iesus christ the fountaine , and iesus christ the author of faith and beleeivng , and yet preach faith ; yea and thus preach faith , faith in the glory , faith in the revelation of it , faith from christ , and faith in christ ? one scripture tels us godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation , &c. and another tels us , they shall look on him whom they have peirced , and they shall mourne for him , &c. shall we not now preach sorrow for sin took from christ , christ piercing , and wounding , and melting the heart ; christ discovering sin ▪ and powring water upon drie ground ? this is sorrow for sin in the glory of the gospell . one scripture bids , he that will follow me , let him deny himselfe , and take up his crosse . another saith , it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure , and i am able to do all things through christ that strenghneth me . shall we not now preach christ our strength , and christ our selfe-deniall ? and is not this selfe-denyall in the glory of the gospell ? so as the difference betwixt us is this ; ye preach christ and the gospell , and the graces of the spirit in the parts as ye find it : we dare not speak the mystery so in peices , so in halfe and quarter revealings ; we see such preaching answers not the fulnesse of the mystery , the riches of the gospell , the glory of the new testament : we find that in the fulnesse of the new testament , christ is set up as a prince , as a king , as a lord , as a crown and glory to every grace and gift : nay , he is made not only righteousnesse , but sanctification too ; and so we preach him . whereas to preach his riches without him , his graces by themselves , single , and private ; as , repent , and beleeve , and be humbled , and deny your selves , ye make the gifts lose much of their glory ; christ of his praise , and the gospell of its fulnesse . to the second , of your alleadging my book in such and such pages , as another gospell from christs : i shall print them as you quote them ; and with them , i desire these things to be considered , together with the other parts of my booke , and the scope of it , which you have detained in unrighteousnesse : all these i freely open to the judgment of all who are spirituall . master gataker . ( ) that john , christs , and his apostles method were all one for matter and manner ; for they all preached faith and repentance ; and yet we are ●a●ed for these things as legalists by this author . ( ) john and the rest preached life and salvation upon condition of faith , and repentance , and obedience . ( ) where we find faith only preached , it is because we have but the summaries or heads of their sermons . answer . to the first , that i taxe you for preaching faith and repentance ; a● the apostles did , and john did , as legalists . nay , i tax ye only because ye preach it not as they did , according to the full revelation of it in the new testament ; but you preach it only as you find it in their summaries , and in the briefe narration of their doctrine ; and this you ought not to do , if you will preach according to that glorious analogie of the gospell : and to this , i shall only bring in your own words to convince you , and so from your own mouth condemn you . you say of the apostles , we have but summaries of them , as in acts . . and . . and you knowing this , preach only by their first methods and summaries , not looking to the revelation of the mystery , which the apostle saies is now made manifest . and for iohns manner of preaching , his preaching is to be no more an example to you then his baptism . you know the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater then he . to the second , that faith , repentance , and obedience , were conditions of life and salvation . why keep you not to the forme of wholesome words in scripture ? where doth the scripture call these conditions of salvation ? they that are christs , do beleeve , and repent , and obey ; but do they bele●ve repent , and obey that they may be christs ? hath not god chosen us in him , & predestinated us unto the adoption of children in jesus christ ? but i know you wil say , that when the apostles did beleeve , repent , and obey , it is by consequence as much as a condition , and the same with a condition . but answer : the interpreting the spirit thus in the letter , and in consequence , hath much darkned the glory of the gospell . when some of christs disciples took his words as you do , under a condition , except ye eat the flesh of the son of man ▪ &c. the words , saith he , that i speake , are spirit . consider but what 〈◊〉 you bring the gospell into : first , you make life appearing to be had in the covenant of grace , as at first in the covenant of works ▪ do this , and live ; so beleeve , repent , obey and live ; thus runs your doctrine : nar can you with all your distinctions make faith in this consideration , lesse then a worke , and so put salvation upon a condition of works againe . is this free-grace or but you say faith is a gift freely given of god ; and here is free-grace still ▪ but i pray , is this any more free-frace respectively to what we do for life , then the covenant of works had ? all the works wrought in us then , were freely of god , and of free-gift too , as arminius well observes in the point of universall grace ; and we wrought only from a gift given . either place salvation upon a free bottom , or else you make the new covenant but an old covenant in new tearmes ; in stead of do this and live ▪ beleeve this and live , repent and live , obey and live : and all this is for want of revealing the mystery more fully . to your third , that where we find faith only preached , and so salvatio● made short work ; that it is because we have but the summaries . i agree with you that we have but the doctrine of the apostles , as johns , of whom it is said , he spake many other things in his exhortation to the people : it is true , we have much of what they said , and we want much ; yet we have so much , as may shew us , that according to the work of salvation in us , faith is the worke which gives most glory to god : abraham believed , it is said , and gave glory to god ; they that beleeve , give glory ; and faith of all the works of the spirit , is the glorious gospell-worke ; christ cals it the worke indeed , this is the worke that ye beleeve : so as the only reason why we heare so much of faith in the gospell , is not only and meerely as you insinuate , because we have but their sermons in summaries , and because of another reason of yours , drawn from the qualification of some they preached to , that had other gifts , and not faith ; but because faith is of all spirituall encreasings in us , the most gloriously working towards christ , faith goes out , and faith depends , and faith lives in christ , and faith brings down christ , and faith opens the riches , and faith beleeves home all strength , comfort , glory , peace , promises . and faith hath so much put upon it , as becomes a stumbling stone , and a rock of offence , to many : justification , imputation of righteousnesse is put upon faith ; salvation upon faith as christs bloud , is put upon the wine ; the cup that we blesse , is it not the communion of the bloud of christ ; and christs body upon the bread , the bread that we breake , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? and yet neither the wine nor the bread , is his bloud or his body , no more then faith is either justification or righteousnesse ; but such a work as goes out most into him , and carries the soule into him who is righteousnesse and justification to us . the word were no mystery , if it were not thus ordered , and things so mingled , that the spirit only could discerne and distinguish ; do not the papists stumble at works ? and why ? because they see not faith for works : and do not others stumble at faith ? and why ? because they see not christ for faith ▪ do not some say that the words , world ; and all , and every man , makes some stumble at the election of some , and so conclude redemption for all . master gataker . ( ) that christ and his apostles never preached free-grace , without conditions and qualifications on own parts , rom. . . mat. . . &c. ( ) christs bloud or wine is not to be filled out too freely to dogs and swine , to sturdy rogues . ( ) that saying , promises belongs to sinners as sinners , not as humbled , &c. and all that received him , received him in a sinfull condition , is a creeping to antinomianisme . ( ) that god may be provoked to wrath by his children , and david and peter made their peace with god by repentance . ( ) that god loves us for his own graces in us ; god is as man , and as a father is angry and chastiseth his for sin . ( ) faith is not a perswasion more or lesse of christs love , all may have that , men may beleeve too suddenly , as simon magus . ( ) christ bids us repent , as well as beleeve ; yea , first to repent , we are to try our faith , cor. . . john . . ( ) that he clogs men with conditions of taking and receiving , as well as we of repenting and obeying . ( ) the summe of this mans divinity is , men may be saved whether they repent or no , whether they beleeve or no . answer . to the first , that christ and his apostles never preached free-grace , without conditions , &c. on our parts : i answer , they preached faith , and repentance , and obedience : but how ? first ; in degrees of revelation , the gospell came not all out at once in its glory : they preached them , but how ? not in parts , as we have their doctrine , as you confesse they preached them ; but all along in the new testament there is more of their glory and fulnesse revealed concerning them ; so as the degrees of revealing , the parts or summaries of their sermons , the fuller discovery in the whole new testament , are those things you consider not , and they are the things we only consider , and so dare not preach the gospell so in halfes , in parts and quarters as you do , and yet will not beleeve you do , which is so much worse , ye say ye see , and therefore your sin remaineth . to the second , christ bloud is not to be filled out to rogues and dogs . take heed you charge not christ for being with publicans and sinners , you may upon this ground say he preached false doctrine because he said , he came not to call the righteous , but sinners . what , were all of us in our unregenerate condition sinners or righteous persons ▪ unholy or holy ? men of faith or unbeliefe ? or not rather deall in trespasses and sins , till quickned with christ ? to the third . that saying , promises belongs to sinners as sinners , and not humbled , &c. i pray , to whom doth all promises belong first , but to christ ? and from whom to us , but from christ ? and what are the elect , and the chosen in him , before they are called or beleeve , but sinners as sinners ? do you look that men should be first whole for the physitian , or righteous for pardon of sins , or justified for christ ; or rather sinners , unrighteous , ungodly ? while we were yet sinners christ dyed for us ; he dyed for the ungodly . christ is the physitian , the righteousnesse , the sanctification , and makes them beloved that were not beloved , and to obtaine mercy that had not obtained mercy , and saints who were sinners , and spirituall who were carnall . so as we looke at christ and the promises comming to men in their sins ; but those men were beloved of god in christ , who suffered for sins before ; so as they begin not now to be loved , but to be made to love ; god begins not to be reconciled to them , but they begin to be reconciled to him ; the love of god being shed abroad into their hearts by the holy ghost , which is now given unto them . so as we looking at persons as chosen in christ , and at their sins , as borne by christ on his body on the tree , we see nothing in persons to hinder them from the gospell , and offers of grace there , be they never so sinfull to us , or themselves , they are not so to him who hath chosen them , not to him in whom they are chosen : and this is the mystery , why christ is offered to sinners , or rogues , or whatsoever you call them , they are , as touching the election , beloved for the fathers sake : i speak of men to whom christ gives power to receive him , and beleeve on him , and become the sons of god ; and christ findes them out in their sins , and visits them who sit in the region and shadow of death , and them that are darknesse , he makes light in the lord . to your fourth , that god may be provoked to wrath by his children . i pray , can god be as the son of man ▪ is there any variablenesse or shadow of change in him ? can he love and not love ? doth he hate persons or sins ? is he said to chastise as fathers , otherwise then in expressions after the manner of men ; because of the infirmities of our flesh must we conceive so of god as of one another ? can he be provoked for 〈◊〉 done away and abolished ? hath christ taken away all the sin of his ? hath he borne all upon his body or no ? speakes he of anger otherwise then by way of allusion and allegory , as a father &c. and is that , he is a father after the fashion of men ? or speaks he not in the old testament according to the revelation of himselfe then , and in the new testament of himselfe now , only because our infirmity , and his own manner of appearing which is not yet so ; but we may beare him in such expressions , and yet not so in such expressions , but we may see more of him and his love , and the glory of salvation in other expressions , and not make up such a love as you commonly do of benevolence and complacence . did david and peter , as you say , make up their peace with god by rapentance : is there any that makes peace but one jesus christ , who makes peace through the bloud of his crosse ? can repentance make peace ? or obedience make peace ? is there any sacrifice for sin , but that which was once offered , even he that appeared in the end of the world , to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe ? and was not this called by the apostle , one sacrifice for sins for ever ? repentance obedience , &c. may make way for the peace made already for sin , that is , in such workings of the spirit , the love of god in the face of iesus christ , may shine upon the soule more freely and fully ; and the more the spirit abounds in the fruits of it , the more joy and peace flows into the soule ; and the more the soule looks christ in the face , so as peace with god is not made but more revealed by the spirit in obedience and love , &c. to your fifth , that god loves us for his own graces in us . i thought he had loved us too in himselfe , and from that love given christ for us , and yet loved us in christ too ; can any thing without god , be a cause of gods love ? doth god love as we love one another , from complexions or features without , or loves he not rather thus ? god is love , and therefore we are made , and redeemed , and sanctified ; not because we are sanctified therefore he loves us ; we love him , because he first loved us ; he loved us , because he loved us , and not because we love him ; not because of any spirituall complexion or feature in us ; because of his image upon us , that is but an earnest of his love to us , that is only given us , because he loved us ; he loves us from his will , not from without : for though we are like him , yet we are not himselfe , and he loves us as in christ and himselfe . whereas you say , god is as man , and as a father ; i hope you meane not as in himselfe , but as in his wayes of speaking and appearing to us , and if so , we are agreed : but your taking things more in the letter , then the spirit , makes your divinity lesse divine , and your conceptions more like things of men then of god : this makes the gospell so legall and carnall , when we rise little higher then the bare letter or scripture , not the inspiration by which it came all scripture being given by inspiration . to your sixth , that faith is not a pers●sion more or lesse of gods love , and that all may have that . i pray mistake not , can all beleeve from the spirit ? can all be more or lesse spiritually perswaded ? do i speake of any perswasion of christs love which is not spirituall ? deceive not your selfe , nor your reader , nor wrong not your author ; or do i speak of faith abstracted from all repentance , obedience , &c , why deale ye thus ? when you say men may beleeve too suddenly , because i presse men to beleeve , and you instance in simon magus ; was he blamed for beleeving too suddenly , or for mis-beleeving ? because he beleeved the gifts of the holy ghost were to be bought with money ? can any beleeve too soon ? if some mis-beleeve , or beleeve falsly , what is that to them that truly beleeve ? shall the unbeliefe of some make the faith of god without effect ? god forbid : can christ be too soon a saviour to us ? can the fountaine be too soon opened for sin ? can the riches of christ be too soon brought home ? paul counts it an honour to be first in christ : salute andronicus and ●unia , who were in christ before me , and the church in priscilla's house , and epenetus , who were the first fruits of achaia unto christ . to your seventh , that christ bids us repent as well as beleeve ; yea , first repent . yea , but will you take the doctrine of the gospell from a part , or summary of it , as you say , and not from the gospell in its fulnesse , and glory , and revelation : will ye gather doctrines of truth , as ruth for a while did gleanings , here one eare of corne , and there another ; and not rather go to the full sheafe , to truth in the harvest and vintage ? will you pluck up truth by pieces and parcels , in repentance , and obedience , and selfe deniall ? and not reveale these as christ may be most glorified , and the saint● most sanctified , and these gifts most spiritualized and improved ? will ye preach doctrines as they lie in the letter , or in their analogie and inference of truth ? the papists preach christs very flesh and bloud to be in the wine : and why ? but because they looke but halfe way to the demonstration of truth in the spirit , they shut up christ in one not●●● and not in another , and so loses the truth by revealing it in that forme of words which is too narrow for it , and too short of the height , and depth , and length of it . you say , we are to try our faith : so say i too , if you would not pick and choose in my book , to make me some other thing then you find me : but you mean , we must try our faith for assurance , as your other words imply ; and so far i say too , but you will not heare me speak : but you would have the best assurance from tryall ; but so far i say not as you say , is that the best spirituall assurance that is from our own spirits in part , or from gods alone ? from our own reasoning , or his speaking ? can a spouse argue better the love of her friend from his tokens and bracelets , or from his owne word , and letter , and seale ? one of the three that beare witnesse on earth is the spirit , and in whom , after ye believe , ye were sealed with that spirit of promise . can any inference or consequence drawn from faith , or love or repentance , or obedience in us so assure us , as the breathing of christ himself , sealing , assuring , perswading , convincing , satisfying ; i will hear what god the lord will say , for he will speak peace to his servants : a saint had rather hear that voice , then all its own inferences and arguments , which though they bring something to perswade , yet they perswade not so answerably till the voyce speake from that excellent glory . to your eighth , that i clog men with conditions of receiving , as well as you of repenting , &c. i answer , i preach not receiving as a condition , as you do repenting . i preach christ the power , and life , and spirit , that both stands and knocks , and yet opens the doore to himselfe . i preach not receiving as a gift , or condition given or begun for christ , but christ working all in the soul , and the soul working up to christ by a power from himselfe . and if you would preach repentance and obedience as no other preceding or previous dispositions , we should agree better in the pulpit then we do in the presse . to your ninth , that the sum of my divinity is , that men may be saved whither they repent or no , or beleeve or no . i answer , should i say to you , the sum of your divinity is this , that faith , and repentance , and obedience , are helps with christ , and conditions with christ to mans salvation ; and that salvation in not free , but conditionall ; the covenant of grace is as it were a covenant of workes ? should i do well in this to upbraib you and those of your way ? say not then that i thinke men may be saved that never repent nor believe : why do you thus set up and counterfeit opinions , and then engrave our names upon them ? could not i piece up your book so ( if i would be unfaithfull ) as make ye appeare as great an hereticke as any whom you thus fancy ; because i preach not repentance , or faith as you do ; because i make all these as gifts from gods love in christ , not as gifts to procure us god , or his love , or christ ; because i make all these the fruits of the spirit , given to such whom christ hath suffered for , to such whom god hath chosen in him ; because i preach faith , and repentance , and obedience ▪ in that full revelation in which they are left as in the new testament , and not in that scantling of doctrine , as they are meerly and barely revealed in the history of the gospel , or acts of the apostles , onely where the doctrine is not so much revealed as the practise , and the story in summaries ; because we preach thus , therefore we are all antinomians , hereticks , men not worthy to live . brethren must ye forbid us to preach , because we follow not with you , because we preach not the law as ye do , nor faith as ye do , nor repentance as ye do ? therefore do we not preach them at all . we preach them all , as we are perswaded the new testament and spirit will warrant us , and as we may make christ to be the power of all , and fulnesse of all , as we may exalt him whom god hath exalted at his own right hand . and we wish that ye and all that heare us , were both almost , and altogether as we are , except in reproaches . conclvsion . from the page to the last , all your replyes amount not to any thing of , substance , but of quarrelsome and humorous exceptions ; and i shall , i hope , redeem my time better then in making a businesse of things that will neither edify the writer nor the reader : there are some things you might ( had you pleased ) raised up into some spirituall discourse , as that of works , and signs for assurance , &c. but you say of your self ( how becoming such a one as you i leave ) that you were like an old steed which neighs and prances , but is past service ; so as i must take this of your age and infirmity , as a fuller answer , or supplement to what you faile in against me . there are two or three things more observable then the rest : . that you tax me for saying , that the markes in johns epistles and james , are delivered rather as marks for others , then our selves to know us by ; and i affirme it againe , not as you say , excluding that other of our selves , but as i said , rather markes for others , though for both in their degrees , and kindes of manifestation . so in james . . where he saith , by workes a man is justified , not by faith ; so in vers . . . all which set forth works a signe to others rather then our selves . so in john . . hereby know we , we are passed from death to life , because we love the brethren ; compared with ver. . . shewes , that it is a love working abroad in manifestation to the brethren ; and yet i exclude not any evidence which the fruits of the spirit carry in them , as in my book , which yet you alleadge to that purpose , after you have been quarrelling so long with it , pulling my treatise in pieces to make your selfe worke , and then binde it up againe after your owne fashion . for your story of your lady , and your fallacy , that she might as well conclude her selfe damned because she was a sinner , as one that christ would save because she was a sinner , and durst you thus sport with a poor wounded spirit , that perhaps could see little but sin in her selfe to conclude upon ? know you not that christ came to call sinners , to save sinners ? and durst you make use of your logick to cast such a mist upon the promises to sinners ? suppose one should aske you how you gather up your assurance , now you are an old man ? how would you account to us ? would you say , such a m●asure of faith , so much obedience , so much love to the brethren , so much zeale , prayer , repentance , and all of unquestionable evidence ? but if we should go further , and question you concerning your failings when you writ in the behalfe of cards and dice , of the common-prayer-book ; if we should aske ye of your luxuria●cy in quotations in your books and sermons ; whether all be out of pure zeale , no selfishnesse , no vain-glory ? whether all your love was without bitternesse to your brethren of a diverse judgement , whom you call antinomian , &c. whether you preached and obeyed all out of love to iesus christ , and not seeking your own things , not making a gaine of godlinesse ? whether all your fastings and repentance were from true meltings of heart , sound humiliation ; or because the state called for it , and constrained it ? whether your praying and preaching was not much of it self , of invention , of parts , of art , of learning , of seeking praise from men ? oh , should the light of the spirit come in clearnesse and glory upon your spirit ; oh! how much of self , of hypocrisie , of vanity , of flesh , of corruption , would appeare ? how would all be unprofitable ? for my part , i cannot be so uncharitable but to wish you a better assurance then what you and your brethren can find in your own works or righteousnesse : for , it is not what we approve , but what god approves is accepted . and i am perswaded , however you are now loth , it may be to lose reputation by going out of an old track of divinity , as luther once , yet when once your spirit begins to be unclothed of forms of darknesse and art , of self-righteousnesse , and that you with open face behold the glory of the lord , you will cry out , wo is me , i am undone , for i have seen the lord ; and lord depart from me , for i am a sinfull creature ; and , what went i out to see ? my owne unrighteousnesse ; or rather , a reed shaken with the winde . an answer to a book intituled a plea for congregationall government : or , a defence of the assemblies petition , &c. you write thus : ( ) that the independents confesse you a true church and minstery . ( ) those that are ordained by bishops , may be true ministers ; else how am i a preacher , or they true ministers ? ( ) succession is not necessary to the essence of a true ministery . ( ) if no true ministery , no true baptisme . ( ) must not there be persons ordaining , and persons ordained ? and so the dissenting brethren held . ( ) that you abuse the assembly in ●●ing their humble advice touching the divine right of a congregationall presbyteriall , and not of the other . the independents assert a divine right there , and in synods too , as they do : they hold a divine right in one as well as the other . ( ) their ordination by bishops though it should be null , yet they have all you can alleadge necessary to a preacher . ( ) parishes here are but as in new-england , as in jerusalem , antioch . ( ) some of the dissenting brethren hold synods an holy ordinance of god , and this assembly so to be . ( ) if no presbyteries must be of divine right , because not infallibly gifted , this concludes against presbyteries and ordinances . ( ) if you would have them content with a mixed power partly prudentiall , because of their mixt ●●ointing , you contradict that pure one you plead for . ( ) the apostles , and elders , and angels of the churches of asia were not infallible as in divers practices . ( ) to say the apostles did advise in place of the written word , is little lesse then blasphemy . ( ) the presbyterians in france , and scotland , and the netherlands , do 〈◊〉 so imbroyle kingdoms . the feare of excommunicating parliaments and kingdoms , is but a bugbeare . ( ) they aske not of the state an ecclesiasticall power , but a liberty to exercise that power . ( ) hath christ said , that in a sound church , church-officers shall excommunicate , and in an unsound , the magistrate shall do it ? ( ) he may in time say as much against equity and justice living upon voyces in assemblies , as against truth . answer . to the first , that the independents confesse you a true church and ministery . you are not to prove what others confesse or hold you to be , but what you are indeed , according to truth . nor do i contend with those that hold you so , but with you that hold your selves so ; as the spirit to the laodiceans ; thou sayest thou art full &c. and , behold , thou art poore , &c. to the second , that they ordained by bishops , are true ministers as the independents , and i a preacher , for all that ordination . if you meane that the bishops ordination makes not one for ever a false or antichristian minister , i grant it , because it is no marke to them that renounce it : babylon is no more babylon to them that are gone out of it . but what is this to your ministery or ordination , who are yet under the marke and babylonish ordination ? renounce it , come out as the spirit cals ye , and then your being antichristian is no more to ye , then to the ephesians that they should be lesse light because they were once darknesse , or lesse alive because they were once dead . to the third , that succession is not necessary to a true ministery , it is both true , and false , in severall acceptions . when there was a true power , they ordained others , and others them . there was succession . but that being lost under antichrist , so far as visibly to derive it to us , there can be no such true visible succession appearing . and yet you that pretend to stand by the first power , must prove your succession , if you will prove your power . to the fourth : if no true ministery , no true baptism . for that as you please : i dare not exalt the truth of your baptism above that of your ministery , no more then you . to the fifth : the dissenting brethren hold there must be persons ordaining and ordained , as well as we . ye● , but do they hold bishops ordaining , and presbyters ordained by bishops , and presbyters of their ordaining , ordaining others as you do ? to the sixth , of my unjust citing the assemblies modell or humble advice : and that there is no more divine right asserted in the congregationall presbytery then in the classicall , &c. which is done so by the dissenting brethren . i answer : let the modell be printed to the world , to end the difference betwixt you and me . and for the divine right of the one and the other , i am of your mind ; they are able to prove both alike of divine right that is in their presbytery : the one is no more of divine right then the other , and neither of them of any . and for the dissenting brethren , it is not them , but you i deale with . why come you under their shadow in a storme , and yet will let them have no liberty under yours , but would turne us all abroad as hereticks and schismaticks . to the seventh : though the ordination by bishops be null , yet they have the other necessaries to a preacher . will ye undertake for the assembly they shall stand to this , that all their former ▪ ordination by bishops is null ? if so , we are agreed : if not , all their other necessaries are no more then ahabs peace : what peace , saith jehu , so long as the whoredoms of thy mother iezebell are alive ? so , what ministery , so long as the whoredoms of babylon yet remaine ? to the eighth , that the parishes are but as in new-england , as in ierusalem , &c. i pray forbeare this ; it is too manifest an errour . are the parishes of england and churches of ierusalm one and the same , so discipled , so constituted ? were all of ierusalem and antioch reckoned for christs congregations , as all parishes are ? to the ninth , that some of the dissenting brethren hold synods ordinances of god , and this assembly so . i know some of our brethren for the presbytery hold infant-baptism unlawfull , and antichristian , and hath better defended it then any yet whom i have read , hath answered it . and for this assembly to be an ordinance of god , i thought that had been but an ordinance of parliament , and stood by that power by which they were called by at first : yet deny not but that consultations for holy ends , about the things of god , are lawfull by the word . to the tenth , that presbyteries , because not infallibly gifted , are of no divine right , and so concludes aga●nst all presbyteries and ordinances . yea , against all your presbyteries to be of divine right as the first . but our question is rather whether the first was any such presbytery as you now affirme : and for ought i see , you can no more prove the truth of the presbytery then in the sense you take it , then your presbytery to be one with it , one only in divine right , not in divine power or gifts . and how are these things sutable ? to the eleventh , that i contradict the pure government i plead for , by pleading for yours as prudentiall . it were true indeed , if i pleaded it in mine own behalfe . i plead it occasionally for them , who will needs have what the state cannot in conscience allow them , and yet will not practice any other but what the state shall give them ; and so trouble both the state and their own consciences , and would cast a snare upon both . brethren , if ye will needs have the state to allow ye your presbytery , why are ye not content with what they can allow ye ? if ye will have a divine right which they cannot allow ye , why do ye trouble them , and sit down under a bondage of your own making ? but how justly is this yoke come upon you , who would have brought a worse upon your brethren . to the twelfth , that the first presbyters , and apostles , &c. were not infallible as in divers practices . what is this to the truth and gifts they taught and taught by ? they failed as men , but not as apostles : they erred as they were peter and paul , but not as moved by the holy ghost . take heed by opening the apostles failings to justifie your own , you speake not worse blasphemy then you name in me , and make that glorious word of scripture questionable which they preached , like the words that your selves preach from that scripture . to the thirteenth , that to say the apostles did advise in place of the written word , is blasphemy . what blasphemy is it to say , that the same word which they writ and preached ; the same spirit spake in them , and spake ▪ the same truth in them which writ in them ? and is it so with any of your ▪ presbyters ? therefore till the same spirit speak truth in them so as in the first presbyters , will they challenge the same right , the same power ? will they have a divine right acted by a spirit lesse divine then the right ? to the fourteenth , that the presbyterians in france , scotland , and the netherlands , do not embroyle kingdoms . there is good reason : in france they cannot if they would . i wish you would walke under the magistrate as they do , and as your dissenting brethren here , and not make him serve you , and in the netherlands , do you as they do there , and leave your brethren to the like liberty that is in that state , and they will not grudge ye your presbytery amongst your selves . for scotland they are brethren i wish no worse to , then truth , and peace , and power above their ministers . to that of excommunicating kingdoms being a bugbear . you do well to say so , till ye be established : but you that dare so capitulate with states , whom ye are called to advise in things onely propounded , what more may be expected upon all your principles , i leave to be judged . to the fifteenth , that they aske not of the state a power , but a liberty to exercise that power . well : and will ye trouble the state no further ? will ye not intreat them to punish such a one , and such a one , whom ye judge an hereticke and a schismaticke ? to fine and imprison , when you have done with them at excommunication ? may the state be quiet if they say to ye , go all that are so perswaded as you are , and worship and practise as your dissenting brethren and other saints , and trouble not us to provide for your tythes , and rule for you in things of your own cognizance over consciences . but you would onely have liberty from them ; your power is of christ . but you cannot so cleare things as you thinke . if your power and liberty respectively to your selves and the magistrate be so distinct , why have ye mingled them and confounded them all this while ? why make ye the truth and power ye have from christ , wait so at parliament-doores , as master case said ? if the powers on earth will not do for christ , as you would make the people beleeve , why do not ye your selves more for christ ? is it better to obey god or man ? thus the more ye would single your selves in your power and right from the magistrate , the more your practice makes an argument against ye . to the sixteenth , that i should say , in a sound church , church-officers shall excommunicate and judge of offences ; and in an unsound the magistrate , and the inference there : i answer , i spake and writ so , according to your principles , not to my owne . nor can i see how you can chalenge such a one , entire , and simple . discipline exclusively to the magistrate , upon no more true , pure , and scripture-principles then your present presbytery is . and i conceive the powers on earth , or in the world , have to do in every government that is more of the world then of christ : for if ye exclude them from a part in that government which is partly prudential , and of man , you exclude them from off part of their owne kingdome , which is theirs by inheritance , and of more divine right then i conceive yours to be . and whereas you would make us beleeve you stand onely in a pure gospel strength and power , and desire no more of the magistrate but liberty : can this be so in truth , when all is esteemed invalid and nothing , if the magistrates power doth not actuate the ministers power ? i know you may distinguish of powers scholastically , and spheres of working for those powers , and so tell the magistrate and us , he doth but act in his sphere , when he acts in yours , and indeed acts yours , making it to be stronger then it is in it selfe . but is not his civil power that which puts life , as you think , into all your presbytery ? yet he must think he doth but as a magistrate still , as if so be that the magistrate were made to be rods in the hands of the church , and swords to be drawn by them , and iron whips at their girdles . we are not now as aaron and moses : we are not a kingdom of israell , nor a church of israel ; though too many of you have preached the old testament more then the new ; for what advantage , let the magistrate judge . to the seventeenth , that he may in time say as much of justice living upon voyces in assemblies , as of truth ; and so to be a mystery of iniquity . these are but infirmations to the magistrate , and ghosts of jealousie which you raise . and to put an end to such feares ; when i make church and state , magistrate and ministery , gospell laws and civill to be both one , then challenge me for that opinion : but i have learned , that christs kingdom and the worlds have a severall policy ; and that may be a law in the one , which is not to the other . and now is it your inference , or my principle , wrongs the magistrate ? an answer in few words to master edwards his second part of the gangrena , and to the namelesse author of a book , called , an after-reckoning with master saltmarsh . master edwards , the difference betwixt ye both , is this : you set your name to more then you know , as hath been well witnessed ; and this man dare set his name to nothing : you sin without shame , and your partner is ashamed of what he doth . sin is too powerfull in you against truth , because you shew your selfe : and truth is too powerfull for him , because he hides himselfe . master edwards , i shall answer you in these few words : but first , the lord rebuke thee , even the lord . . if the image of christ be in any of those you so persecute ; how can you answer it to jesus christ , to cash any dirt on the glory of him ? . if god be in any of those you are so much an enemy to ; how will you answer it to fight against god , any thing of god ? . if any of those be the children of the heavenly father , or the little ones of the gospell , it were better that a milstone were hanged about your neck , and you cast into the sea : so christ tels you . . what is it to sin against the holy ghost , but to hate the light once known ; or to blaspheme the works of the spirit ? and you once professed to me you had almost been one of those whom you call hereticks . oh take heed of that sin ! there is no more sacrifice for that . and how if the works of those you so judge , be wrought in the spirit ? shall you ever be forgiven in this world , or in that to come ? read the words , and tremble . . doth not the word bid you restore those that are fallen , in meeknesse , and tell your brother his fault , first betwixt you and him ? and you never yet came to any of them that i could heare of ; but print , proclaime , tell stories to the world of all you heare , see , know . is christ in this spirit ? is the gospell in this straine ? will this be peace to your soule hereafter ? . solomon tels us , that a man may seem faire in his own tale , till his neighbour search out the matter . and how dare you then take all things at one hand , and not at anothers ? how dare you have one eare open for complaints , and faults , and crimes , and the other shut against all defence ? did ever justice do this ? did you ever call for their accusers face to face ? did you ever traverse testimonies on both sides ? and dare you judge thus , and condemne thus ? shall not the judge of heaven and earth make you tremble for this injustice ? shall he not make inquisition upon your soule for this bloud ? . it is any other ground or bottome you stand on in this your way of accusing the brethren , but paul you say named some , and the fathers named some so , and calvin , as you told me the other day when i met you ? and was there ever crime without some scripture , or shadow of the word ? did not canterbury on the scaffold ▪ preach a sermon of as much scripture and story for what he did , as you can for yours , if you should ever preach there ? he thought ye ill hereticks , as you do us ; he thought he might persecute you , as you do us ; and he had a word from john baptist for his manner of death , and a word from the red sea and israelites for his death , and enemies ; and a word from paul for his changing laws and customes : and for his crime of popery , he had a word from them that feared the romanes would come and take away their government . thus satan and selfe can paint the worst kind of sin . poore soule ▪ is your conscience no better seated then in such aiery apparitions of scripture , and failings of fathers ? do not you heare the prayers of those soules you wound , pleading with god against your sin ? are you not in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity ? is not your spirit yet flying ; when none pursues you ? are not your dreames of the everlasting burning , and of the worme that never dies ? have you no gnawings , no flashings , no lightnings ? i am afraid of you . your face and complexion shewes a most sadly parched , burnt , and withered spirit . me thought when i called to you the other day in the street , and challenged you for your unanswerable crime against me , in the third page of the last gangrena , in setting my name against all the heresies you reckon , which your own soule and the world can witnesse to be none of mine , and your own confession to me when i challenged you : how were you troubled in spirit and language ? your sin was , as i thought , upon you , scourging you , checking you , as i spoke . i told you at parting , i hoped we should overcome you by prayer . i beleeve we shall pray you either into repentance , or shame , or judgement , ere we have done with you . but oh might it be repentance rather , till master edwards smite upon his thigh , and say , what have i done ? for your anagram upon my name , you do but fulfill the prophesie , they shall cast out your name as evill , for the son of mans sake . and for your book of jeeres and stories of your brethren ; poore man ! it will not be long musick in your eares , at this rate of sinning . for the namelesse author and his after-reckoning ; let all such men be doing , for me : let them raile , revile , blaspheme , call hereticks : it is enough to me , that they write such vanity they dare not own . and now let me tell ye both , and all such pensioners to the great accuser of the brethren , fill up the measure of your iniquity , if ye will needs perish whether we will or no . i hope i rest in the bosome of christ , with others of my brethren : raile , persecute , do your worst , i challenge all the powers of hell that set ye on work , while christ is made unto me righteousnesse , wisedome , sanctification and redemption . and i must tell ye further , that since any of the light and glory of christ dawned upon me : since first i saw that morning-star of righteousnesse , any of the brightnesse of the glory in my heart , that heart of mine which once lived in the coasts of zebulon and nephtaly , in the region and shadow of death , i can freely challenge ye , and thousands more such as ye , to say , write , do , worke , print , or any thing , and i hope i shall in the strength of christ , in whom i am able to do all things , give you blessings for cursings , and prayers for persecutions . finis . pag . line . for antichristian , read great corruption . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- rom. . . iohn . , . notes for div a e- cor . . , . mr seam●n , mr. v●●●● , mr. hill , mr segwick , &c. acts . . matth. . . . ● . luk . . luk. . ● . mat. . , . mat . . marke . . acts . . p. , , . see p. . rom. ● . , . ephes. . pag. , , . pag. . pag. , . pag. . rom. . rom. . . heb. . . & . rom. . rom. . , . ephes. psal. pet. . pag. . pag . . pag. . pag. . mr tombes . schism detected in both extreams, or, two sorts of sinful separation the first part detecteth the schismatical principles of a resolver of three cases about church-communion, the second part confuteth the separation pleaded for in a book famed to be written by mr. raphson. baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) schism detected in both extreams, or, two sorts of sinful separation the first part detecteth the schismatical principles of a resolver of three cases about church-communion, the second part confuteth the separation pleaded for in a book famed to be written by mr. raphson. baxter, richard, - . [ ], , [ ], p. printed for tho. parkhurst ..., london : . attributed to richard baxter. cf. bm. "the second part against schism being animadversions on a book famed to be mr. raphson's" ( p. at end) has special t.p. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng raphson, -- mr. christian union -- england. schism. church -- catholicity. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion schism detected in both extreams . or two sorts of sinful separation . the first part detecteth the schismatical principles of a resolver of three cases about church-communion . the second part confuteth the separation pleaded for , in a book famed to be written by mr. raphson . rom. . . receive ye one another as christ received us , to the glory of god. london : printed for tho. parkhurst , at the bible and three crowns in cheapside , near mercers chappel . . the dangerous schismatick clearly detected , and fully confuted ; for the saving of a distracted nation from that which would destroy christian love and unity . occasioned by a resolver of three cases about church-communion . by richard baxter a catholique christian , who is against confining christian love and communion to any sect how great soever . mark . . he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved . john . . by this shall all men know you are my disciples , if ye have love one to another . john . . he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in god , and he in him . rom. . . , . him that is weak in the faith receive ye , but not to doubtful disputations : for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness and peace , and joy in the holy ghost : for he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god , and approved of men. london , printed for thomas parkhurst at the bible and three crowns at the lower end of cheapside near mercers-chappel , . the english schismatick , detected and confuted : occasioned by a resolver of cases about church communion . chap. i. saith the resolver , § . . the church is a body or society of men separated from the rest of the world , and united to god and to themselves by a divine covenant . a. he saith this is the plainest description he can give : that is not the fault of his auditors or readers . . as to the genus , a community of equals without rulers is a body : but i suppose he meaneth not such . . is it enough that it be of men ? sure now they should be christians ? . many are separated from the rest of the world , secundum quid , that are no christians ; some in one respect and some in another , and none in all respects . . vnited to god , is an ambiguous word , no creature is vnited to him perfectly so as to be thereby what he is , god , in the created nature . only christ is united to him hypostatically in his created nature . all are so far united to him in natural being , as that in him they live and move and have their being : and the nature of man is one sort of his image : all things are united to him as effects to their constant efficient . the church should not be defined without any mention of christ : the churches union with god is by christ . . christ himself as head is an essential part of the church , and should not be left out of a definition , thô the meer body may in common speech be called the church , as the people may be called a kingdom . . will any divine covenant serve ? or must it not be only the baptismal covenant ? . is it called divine only as made by god , or as commanded by god and made by man , or as mutual ? certainly gods law and offered or conditional promise is most frequently called his covenant in scripture ; and this uniteth not men to god , till they consent and covenant with him . their own covenant act is necessary hereto : and that is a divine covenant , only as commanded , and accepted and done by gods assisting grace . . the form of a church is relative , and the terminus is essential to a relation . it is no definition that hath not the end of the association : therefore this is none at all ; and so the beginning tells us what to expect . this description hath nothing in it ▪ but what may agree to divers forms of society , and so hath not the form of a church : and if he intended not a definition , but a loose description , i would a defining doctor had had the chair , during this controversie . let us try this description upon a mahometan kingdom , army , or navy , or suppose them meer deists . . such a kingdom , army , or navy may be a society . . of men. . separated from the rest of the world secundum quid & ad hoc ( and none are separated from it simpliciter & ad omnia : e. g. no man is separated from the common humanity , no deist from any but atheists , and no christian in believing a god and the law of nature and nations . ) . they are vnited to god so far as owning a god and worshipping him amounts to , besides the union of the creature with the creator in whom he liveth , &c. and no unregenerate ungodly christian is united to him savingly . . they are united among themselves . . this is by a covenant : . and by a covenant divine , as to command , approbation and object . it is god that they covenant to own and obey : the common profession of the mahometans , is , there is one god , and mahomet is his prophet . it is divine in tantum as commanded . for god commandeth all men to own him ; to believe that god is , and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him : and god so far approveth it : st. james saith , ( thou dost well ) to him that believeth there is a god , much more that is professedly devoted to him . let us by this examine the jewish church : jews now may be . a body , . of men , . separated from the rest of the world , even in religion and church pretensions . . united to god as creatures , as men , as the corporal seed of abraham , and as professing belief , love and obedience to god , as their god. . strictly united among themselves : . by a covenant , . which god once commanded , and still approveth so far as they own god. let us consider whether this description take not in , those in every nation that fear god and work righteousness , that never heard of christ , ( being thus combined . ) and whether the kingdom of god , be not larger than his church : joyn the head and tail of this mans book together , and by the head ( the description ) for ought i see , jews , mahometans , if not almost ; all heathens , are the church : but at the end , i think none on earth is the church : at least none that separate from a pair of organs , or an ignorant curate ; nor can any man know who . page . § . . he explaineth his word [ body ] as opposed to a confused multitude . a. but a community of equals , that have no governours , may have order , and be no confused multitude . and he himself after pleads over much for ●●●●necessity of rulers . p. . § . . and in many places , his confusion and grand errour is repeated , that the christian church is but one : p. . we know no church but what all christians are members of by baptsme , which is the vniversal church ; p. . there is but one church , of which all christians are members , as there is but one covenant ; p. . if there be but one church and one communion , of which all true christians are members , &c. p. . i am no otherwise a member of any particular church , than i am of the vniversal : p. . it 's a schismatical notion of membership that divides the christian church into distinct memberships , and therefore into the distinct bodyes : and. p. . and often he saith , those churches which are not members of each other , are separate churches and schismaticks . a. i had hoped that no man but mr. cheny had talkt at this rate . i. it 's agreed on , that there is but one universal church : the contrary is a contradiction . . it is agreed , that there is no lawful particular church which is not a part of the universal . . that whoever hath just union and communion with a true particular church , hath union and communion with the universal : . that all men in their worship of god , should accordingly perform it ( and do all that they do ) as men in that relation to the universal church : none of this is controverted . ii. but i had hoped never to have heard any but seekers say , that there are not many lawful particular churches , distinct from the whole and from one another , though not disjunct in the common essentials . for the proof of the contrary , . i begin with that which i expect should be most powerful ; the mans own after-confessions , to which he is oft brought . pag. . distance of place and the necessities and conveniences of worship and discipline , has divided the church into several parts and members , and particular churches , &c. so pag. . pag. . all christian churches ought to be members of one . more fully p. , . this is ad hominem , yea and nay is his resolution . . but i 'le bring other arguments that prevail more with me . the sacred scriptures oft tell us of many churches , therefore there are many . act. . . the churches had rest ; and . . confirming the churches ; . . so were the churches established in the faith ; rom. . . all the churches of the gentiles : so ver . . cor. . . so ordain i in all churches ; . . neither the churches of god ( have such custom ; ) . . as in all the churches of the saints ; . let your women keep silence in the churches . so . . . & cor. . . the grace of god bestowed on the churches of macedonia : . whose praise is in the gospel through all the churches . so . , . and . . . the care of all the churches ; . . inferior to the other churches . gal. . , . thes . . . thes . . . rev. . . to the seven churches , ver . . . angels and candlesticks of the seven churches . and . , , , . and . , , , . and . . his concordance might have shew'd him all these in order , phil. . . no church communicated with me ( concerning giving and receiving ) but ye only . the dispute now must be , whether the apostles or this resolver be to be believed : they say there are many churches , parts of one ; he saith , there is but one , and it 's schismatical to divide it into distinct memberships or bodyes , &c. it 's no schisme here to say , i am for paul and the holy scripture : let who will believe the contradictor . . my next argument is this : where there are many political societies , consisting of christian pastors and people , professedly associated for the ordinary exercise of those relations as such , in holy communion , in christian doctrine , worship , order and conversation , for edification in true faith , hope , love and obedience , and the glorifying of god therein . there are many distinct true churches , parts of the church universal ; but on earth there are many such societyes , &c. ergo , &c. either the controversie is de re or de nomine ( for we called separatists use to separate these . ) . if de re ; let the existence of the thing defined be tryed by scripture , reason and common experience : . if de nomine ; forma quae dat esse dat nomen : here is the true specifick form which is found in many single churches , ergo the name of such single ( or individual ) churches is due to them . . again ad hominem , from the consequences : . if there be not many single churches in the universal , then there are not many patriarchal , national , provincial , metropolitical , diocesan , or parochial churches : for non entium non datur numerus : many nothings is a contradiction multae sunt ergo sunt ; ab est tertij adjecti ad est secundi valet argumentum . but if there be not many , then . all the parish churches in england being but one , and not many , a patron can have right to present to no one as a church , more than to another . . then the parson , vicar or curate is no more the parson of one church than of another ; nor bound to no more care and duty ; for there is but one . . then no one is bound to go to one parish church more than another ; for there is but one . . then the temple and tithes belong no more to one than another . . then no bishop is the proper bishop of one diocesan church , more than of another . . then all the revenues of the bishop of london , are no more appropriate to one church than to another . . then you owe no more obedience to the bishops of one diocesan church than another : . then you make the king no more head or governour of the church of england , than of another . . then a diocesan oweth no reverence to a metropolitane chruch ( if there be none such . ) . then many churches cannot have communion nor send bishops to councils ; ( if there be not many ) . and the charge of separation from a church that is no church , is a contradiction . . i adde , from parity of reason , if many distinct subordinate societies may make one civil body politick , so they may one universal church : but the antecedent is undoubted . if it be learnedly said with mr. cheny , that one whole cannot be part of another whole ; one may attain the perfection by that time he hath worn the breeches but a few years , to know that a whole family may be part of a whole village , and a whole vicinage be part of a whole city , and a whole colledge be part of a whole university ; and a whole city part of a whole kingdom ; and a whole kingdom part of the whole earth . and if it be objected , that the names of the whole and parts are here divers ; but a church and a church are the same name . i answer , at the same age one may learn that the same name proveth not the sameness of the things named ; and that ex penuria nominum the genus and species , the totum and parts have oft equivocally the same name , with the addition of just notes of distinction . sometimes an academy of many school is called schola , and so are the single schools therein : the city of london is a society ; and so are the societies of merchant-taylors , drapers , mercers , &c. therein . § . . but these churches must be members of one another , or they are schismaticks . a. . how can that be , if they be all but one . . this is also above or below the ferula age . they are no members of one another , but all members of the whole : yet how oft have we this with the sting of schisme ( as damning as murder of adulter ) in the tail of it . the hand is not a member or part of the foot , or the foot of the hand , or the liver a member of the lungs , &c. but each one of the man : if ever i were a schoolmaster again , i would perswade may boyes , that a is not a member of b , nor b of c , &c. but each of the alphabet ; and that one leaf of their book is not a member of another , but both of the book ; and if they were ripe for the university , i would perswade them that exeter colledge is not a member of corpus christi , nor that of lincoln , &c. but all of the universitie of oxford . and i think that bristol is not a member of exeter or gloucester , &c. but all of england ; and that the company of stationers are not part of the society of merchants or drapers , &c. but all of london . what a priviledg is it , that a man may believe this about any such thing without schisme and damnation ! and how dreadful to fall into such church-mens hands that in their case make it schisme , separation and damnation . but there is a remedy . § . . but he hath reason for what he saith : p. , . [ indeed it is extreamly absurd and unreasonable , to say , that the christian church , which is built on the same foundation , &c. who enjoy all priviledges in common , should be divided into as distinct and separate bodies , thô of the same kind and nature , as peter , james and john are distinct persons — it 's absurd to say , that where every thing is common there is not one community . ans . let us not swallow this without chewing : . whether all be extreamly absurd and unreasonable which such doctors call so ; i am grown to doubt as much as whether all be schism which schismaticks call so : ipse dixit is no proof . . what the meaning of this great , decantate word [ separate ] is ; must anon be enquired : but , may not churches be distinct and not culpably separate ? he confesseth afterwards both local distinction and separation . . how far are the vniversal church and particular churches distinct ? as whole and parts ? must the world at last learn that whole and parts are not distinct ? if you take it for absurd to distinguish a man from a body , or from a liver , hand or foot , dissenters do not ; nor to distinguish a colledge from an university , a house from a street , a street from a city , &c. but how are the particular churches distinguished one from another ? reader , so constantly do such men fight with themselves , that it 's meet to ask , whether they that thus say there are not many distinct churches , do not assert a far wider difference between many , than those they dissent from . we affirm that there are many , and that they differ not in specie , but numero , as colledges , cities do among themselves ; but these men , after all this , hold not only a numerical , but a specifick difference , even as parochial , diocesan , provincial , patriarchal , national ; at least presbyters and diocesans differing ordine vel specie with them , the church denominated from them must do so too . § . but he confirms it . [ peter , james and john , thô they partake of the same common nature , yet each of them have a distinct essence and subsistence of their own , and this makes them distinct persons ; but where the very nature and essence of a body or society consists in baving all things common , there can be but one body . ans . i hope it s no culpable separation to distinguish things as differing specie & numero ; and this is the doctors meaning , if his words are significant : and the common way of expressing it would have been , [ peter and john differ numerically but not in specie ; but two churches differ neither specie nor numero . ] and . reader , whereas he said before , that the church is not divided into distinct bodies , as james and john , &c. ] did you think till now , that james and john , and the doctor , and the several bishops had not been distinct parts of the church in their distinct natural bodies ? . and why may there not be distinct politick bodies , or compound in one whole as well as natural ? certainly , all things corporeal save attomes are compounds : a muscle , a hand , a foot , parts similar and dissimilar in man are all compounded of lesser parts . if many students may make one colledge , why may not many colledges make one university ? it 's strange if a doctor deny this . . but let us consider of his reason , and enquire . whether the church have all things common . . whether the very essence of it consist in this . i. it is granted that the whole essence of the genus and species is found in every individual of that species , natural or politick ; but did we ever hear , till mr. cheny and this doctor said it , that politick bodies differ not numero as well as natural ? the kingdom of england and of france are two ; the church of rome and constantinople long strove which should be uppermost , but who ever said that they were not two ? ii. have they all things common ? dissenters would have excepted wives and husbands , ( thô the canons called apostolical do not ; ) why should the essence of a church lie in this , and not the essence of a city or kingdom ? tories in ireland would have all common ; merchants and tradesmen , knights , lords and princes here would not . but it 's no schism here also to distinguish simpliciter & secundum quid , propriety and the use of propriety : there is no community without propriety : men have first a propriety in themselves , their members , their food , the acquests of their labours , their wives and children , and goods . and they consent to community to preserve this propriety , because every man loveth himself : and yet they must use their propriety , ( even of life ) for common good , because all are better than one : but if they had no propriety they could not so use it for the common-wealth . and i never conformed to the doctrine that denyeth propriety in church members and particular churches , and thought all simply common . i 'le tell you what particular churches have to individuate them , not common to all . . they consist of individual natural persons , many of which as much differ from many other persons , ( those in england from those in spain ) as one man doth from another . . their graces and gifts are numerically distinct ( faith , hope , love , &c. ) from those of other churches thô ejusdem speciei . . england and france , london and oxford , have churches of different place and scituation : . but the formal individuating difference is their nearest relation to their several pastors ; as several kingdoms , cities , schools are numerically distinct by their distinct kings , maiors , school-masters , so are several churches ejusdem speciei . . thess . . , . know those that are among you and over you in the lord , and esteem them highly in love for their works sake . as every mans wife , children and servants must be used for the common good , and yet are not common , one mans wife and children are not anothers ; so the bishop of london , of oxford &c. must govern his church for the good of the universal ; but he is not the bishop of gloucester , norwich , paris , rome . these are differences enow to constitute a numerical difference of churches : paul distinguisheth the bishops of philippi , ephesus ▪ &c. from others . do you yet see no priviledges that one hath proper , and not common to all ? none that make a difference in specie , but both ●●●●umerical and gradual . . all churches have not bishop jewel , bishop andrews , doctor stillingfleet , doctor sherlock to be their teachers : air churches be not taught all that 's in this resolver . . all churches have not men of the same soundness nor excellency of parts : it was once taken for lawful to account them specially worthy of double honour who laboured in the word and doctrine , and to esteem men for their works sake . paul saith of timothy , i have no man like minded . if those that heard not a sermon in many years differed not from your congregation , why do you preach ? i am reproached in print for telling the world this notorious truth ; that i lived till ten years old , where four men , four years hired successively were readers and school-masters ; two preached ( as it was called ) once a month , the other two never : two drank themselves to beggery . after i lived where many parishes about us had no preachers : the parish that i lived in , had a church with a vicar that never preached , and a chappel with a parson eighty years old , that had two livings twenty miles distant , and never preacht : his son a reader and stage-player was sometime his curate : his grand-son , my school-master , his curate next that , never preacht in his life , but drunk himself to beggery . one year a taylor read the scripture , and the old man ( the best of them all ) said the commmon-prayer without book ( for want of sight . ) the next year a poor thresher read the scripture . after that a neighbours son ( my master ) was curate , who never preacht but once , and that when he was drunk , ( in my hearing ) on mat. . come ye blessed , and go ye cursed ; ] the saddest sermon that ever i heard . these things were no rarities : now my assertion is , that the church that had such as austin , chrysostome , jewel , andrews , and such worthy men as london now hath many , had priviledges distinct from these , ( and many the like ) that i was in . if you say that every bishop and preacher is as much the bishop and preacher to all other single churches , as to that which is his title ; then . he must be condemned for not teaching them all . . then he may claim maintenance from them all . . then he may intrude into any mans charge . . then no church is unchurcht for want of a bishop , for any one bishop is bishop to every church in the world ; and so ubi episcopus ibi ecclesia , signifieth but that church and bishop are on the same earth ; and ecclesia est plebs episcopo adunata may be verified if there be but one in the world. . and so mr. dodwell and such are self-confuted before you are aware : geneva , holland , and all presbyterians are true churches , for they have all bishops ; e.g. the bishop of london is bishop to them all : for if one man be no more a member of one single church than of another , and so no more a subject to one bishop than to another , then one bishop is no more pastor of one church than of another . . and how can you magnifie the church of england for a wise , learned , pious clergy above other churches , if all priviledges be common , and they have no proper pastors of their own . . do you think that the church , e. g. of hippo , that was in austins dayes , was the same numerical single church with that which is there now , ( were there any ) or with the diocesan church of london ? if not , then at least distance of time , and change of persons maketh divers particular churches ; and it 's no more against the unity of the church universal to have divers particular churches in it in the same age , than in divers ages . in short , diversity of matter and form maketh a numerical diversity ( as of natural , so ) of politick bodies of the same species : but the churches of ephesus , smyrna , thyatira , philadelphia &c. were of divers matter and form numerically ; ergo they were divers political churches . sure god doth not commend laodicea for philadelphia's church virtues , nor condemn the church of philadelphia for the other churches sins . and if the angels be bishops , why are some bishops praised as the bishops of such churches , and the bishops of other churches threatned . but i confess this is a ready way to end the controversies between the bishops of several churches which shall be greatest , if they be all but one . but i hope that when the bishop of rome and his church was corrupted , it is not true that every bishop and church fell with him , ( or with any that hath turned to mahumetanism . ) to be no longer on this , ( which i thought no prelatist would ever have put me on ) if these men speak not notoriously against scripture , against the constant language of canons and fathers , historians and lawyers , and all antiquity , and all christian countreys and divines , ( yea , even those that at trent would have had only the pope to be of immediate divine right ) then i know not any thing by reading . and if poor nonconformists must be put to defend themselves against such singularities , and be schismaticks unless they will differ from all the christian world of all ages , there is no remedy . § . but p. , . he tells us , [ that a church is made by a divine covenant — god only can constitute a church : such persons , if there be any so absurd , are not worth disputing with , who dare affirm the church to be an humane creature , or the invention of men . — and no church can depend on humane contracts ; for then a church would be a humane creature and constitution , whereas a church can be founded only on a divine covenant — . who would think but this man were a nonconformist , that talks so like them ( e. g. amesius in medul . theol. ) against humane church forms ? but what then will bishop bilson , and almost all other bishops and christians be thought of , who affirm patriarchal and metropolitical churches ( and many of the diocesane ) to be but humane constitutions and inventions . and if these be not worth the disputing with , it seems , that you differ from them more than separatists do : and then were not all these schismaticks ? and then , are not you a schismatick if you communicate with them ? yea , your mr. dodwel himself maketh diocesan churches to be a humane creature ; and a. bishop bromhall much pleadeth for mans power to make patriarchal churches ; and so do such others . . but is it true that humane contracts make not a church ? ans . not alone : but i think that all churches are made by mutual contracts , and humane is one part of that which is mutual . . as to the vniversal church , . god as legislator and donor , instituteth the species of covenanting by baptism , and therein he commandeth mans consent to his offered covenant ; and conditionally promiseth to be our god : but , conditionale nihil ponit in esse : this much maketh no christian , nor church . to command a man to be a christian , and conditionally to promise him life if he will be one , proveth him not to be one ; else all were christians that reject an offered christ . . but when man consenteth and covenanteth with god , then gods conditional gift becomes actual and efficacious , the man being a capable recipient , and not before : and in this it is the contract that is the fundamentum relationis ; but a single promise is not a mutual covenant or contract . so that it is no wiser divinity to say , gods covenant and not mans consent , covenant or contract with god , doth make christians , and the universal church ; than it is sober reason to say , that gods institution of marriage or magistracie only doth make the relation of husband and wife , without their covenanting consent , or doth make common-wealths , without the consent or covenant of sovereign and subjects . did this doctor think that voluntariness is not as necessary to the relation of christianity as to the relation of prince and subjects ; yea , or of husband and wife ? if he do , he is shamefully mistaken . baptism delivereth men possession of pardon , grace and right to glory ; and can men have this against their wills ? one would think by the doctrine and course of some men , that they could force men to pardon and salvation ! if i believed that their force could accomplish this , i would never call it persecution . if they can force men to be true christians , they may force them to be justifyed and saved ; and then they are very uncharitable if they do not : let them then cease preaching and disputing us to their opinion , but bring us all to heaven whether we will or not . yea the self-contradictor , playing fast and loose , confesseth p. . that no man at age can be admitted to baptism , till he profess his faith in christ , and voluntarily undertake the baptismal vow : and is not that humane covenanting ? yea , he knoweth that the liturgie maketh even neighbours or strangers , vow and covenant , both in the name of the child and for the child . and so necessary doth the episcopal church think humane covenanting , that without this no child must be baptized publickly though the parents would covenant , and that they can neither for love nor money ( for many poor men hire godfathers ) get any one ( much less three ) who examined , will seriously purpose to perform the covenant for the child 's holy education which they make . ii. but is not humane covenanting a cause of single church relation as well as of universal ? i see no cause to doubt it ; and i am sure that the church for a thousand years ( before and since popery came in ) have declared him no bishop that comes in without consent of clergie and people ; which consent is their covenanting act . to make a single church , manifold consent goeth to the fundamentum relationis . . god commandeth single church officers , order and consent , and promiseth them his blessing where they are met : the lord and his angels are among them : no command is vain , and without a virtual promise . . to this a threefold humane consent is needful , ordinarily : . the persons called . . the ordainers ( when it may be had . ) . the peoples . he that formerly , from the apostles dayes , for a thousand years , should have said , that neither the covenanting , that is the consent of the pastor , or people , or ordainers , is necessary to the fundamentum of a single church relation or form , would have been taken for a wild-brain'd schismatick at least . § . but saith this doctor ( and another of them ) [ p. . but the independent church covenant between pastor and people , is of a very different nature from this : vnless any man will say , that the voluntary contract and covenant which the independents exact from their members , and wherein they place a church state , be part of the baptismal vow ; if it be not , then they found the church upon a humane covenant ; for christ hath made but one covenant with mankind which is contained in the vow of baptism ; if it be , then no man is a christian but an independent . ans . alas for the church that is taught at this rate ! . i never saw what independents do in this case ; but i think none of them that are sober own any other sort of church but the universal , and single churches as members of it , and therefore require no contract but . to the covenant of baptism or christianity . . to the duties of their particular church-relation . . and nothing is here of necessity but manifested consent ( which is a real contract ) but a clearer or a darker , an explicite or implicate consent differ only ad melius esse . . is not god the author of magistracy , marriage , &c. and is it any violation of gods part , if rulers and people , husband and wife be covenanters by his command ? . is it any renuntiation of baptism to promise at ordination to obey the arch-bishop and bishop , and to take the oath of canonical obedience ? is it not still exacted ? are not the takers of it obliged ? are not covenants imposed on all that will be ministers in the act of uniformity ? are not multitudes kept out and cast out for not making these covenants ? quo teneam nodo , &c. how should one deal with such stippery men ? good mr. zachary cawdry that wrote to have all men to covenant submission to bishops and parish ministers , did not dream that it was any violation of baptism . . do not men owe duty to their pastors which they owe to no others ? if not , put them not on it : why are you angry with them for going from you ? why doth the canon suspend those that receive them to communion from another parish that hath no preacher ? why are we ruined for not covenanting as aforesaid ? if yea , then is it against baptism to promise to do our duty ? . but hath god commanded or instituted no covenant but baptism ? yes sure , the matrimonial at least ; and i think ordination is covenanting for the ministry : did not the apostle acts . . ordain elders in every church ? if you would have [ by suffrage ] left out of the translation , no sober man can doubt but it was by the peoples consent ; and was it without their consent that titus was to ordain elders in every city ? could any then come otherwise in ? did not all churches hold and practise this after , and was it none of gods institution ? if so , god requireth us not to take any of you for our bishops or pastors : who then requireth it ? what meaneth paul when he saith , they gave up themselves to the lord and to us , by the will of god. . can the wit of man imagine how it is possible without consent , for a man to be made the pastor of any flock ? who ever ordained a man against his will ? or for any man to have title against his will , to the proper oversight and pastoral care of any one pastor , or the priviledges of any church ? if any think they may be cramm'd and drencht with the sacrament , or that an unwilling man may have a sealed pardon and gift of salvation delivered him , he will make a new gospel . and how any particular pastor is bound to give that man the sacrament ordinarily , that consents not ordinarily to receive it of him , i know not . no man is a member of any city , or any company of free-men in the city , but by mutual consent ; and the oath of allegiance and supremacy to the king maketh not the oath of a citizen as such or of a member of a company as such , unlawful . . doth this doctor think that he ever yet proved to sober men , that the covenant aforesaid , of godfathers and godmothers , to make christians , and members of the universal church , is more ( or so much ) of gods institution , than the contract or consent between bishops or pastors and people to make a single political church ? . if it follow not , that no man is the kings subject that sweareth not to the city ; it will not follow , that none is a christian , but an independent , or church-consenter . . how are your parish or diocesan church members known to your selves or any others ? are all that dwell in the parish or diocess your church members ? then atheists , sadducees , hobbists , and all vicious men and thousands that never communicate , are such : yea those that you call separatists . if it be every transient communicant , have you a proper pastoral care of every travellers soul that so communicates with you ? you after plead that his very ordinary communion maketh him not a member , if he be unwilling to be one . and is not his consent then necessary ? or if ordinary communion be the test ( how few then of great parishes are of the church ) yet that is because such communion signifieth their consent to your over-sight of them . § . but it 's much to be approved which p. . and oft he saith , that to be taken into covenant with , god , and to be received into the church is the very same thing , as to the universal church . by which all his gross schismatical accusations after wards are confuted . no , man then is out of the church that is not out of the baptismal covenant , either by not taking it , or by renouncing some essential part of it ? and when will he prove , that to take him , rather than dr. bates that was cast out , to be a teacher or pastor at dunstans , or to take this man and not another to be the lawful bishop or priest , and to obey him in every oath and ceremony , is an essential part of the baptismal covenant , or of christianity ? but ; such a rope of sand , as mr. dodwell and this man tye together , to bind men to their sect , will serve turn with some that know not who speaks truth , by any surer way than prejudice . § . his doctrine of separation and gathering churches out of churches is anon to be considered : but whereas he addes , p. . [ these men convert christians from common christianity , and the communion of the vniversal church to independency . ] ans . my acquaintance with them is small , save by reading their books : and there are few men of any common denomination ( episcopal , or other ) that are not in many things disagreed . but i must in charity to them say , that as far as i can judge by their writings or speech , he palpably slandereth them ; and that none that are grave and sober among them do separate their churches from the common christianity or the universal church , any more than the company of stationers , ironmongers , &c. are separated from the city of london , or london from england , or trinity colledge from the university of cambridge or oxford . i never met with man , and i am confident never shall do , that doth not take his independent church to be part of the universal , and dependent as a part on the whole . if belying others stopt at words , the wrong were small : but when it 's made but the stairs to hatred and destroying , it 's his way to cure schism that is commonly painted with horns and cloven feet . if a man come from a countrey village and be made by covenant a citizen of london , how prove you that he renounceth king or kingdom ? but he saith , p. . those who wilfully separate from the corporation to which the charter was granted , forfeit their interest in the charter . ans . what reader doth this man presume upon that will not ask him , how he proveth . that gods law or charter to his church doth not require them to congregate in distinct single churches ( as london charter doth to erect several companies , and the universities several colledges ? ) . and that god hath not in his word given order or command for such single churches : but that the apostles and titus by fixing elders to their several churches and cities , separated from the universal church ? . and that their subordinate churches have not need of distinct subordinate consent and duty : and that our diocesan churches all separate from the universal ? did he think these things need no proof at all ? it may be he will say that the diocesan depend on the vniversal , but the presbyterian or independent do not . i answer , dependance is either that of subjects on soveraign or magistrates for government , or that of a community of equals for communion . in the former respect they depend on none but christ as universal soveraign , nor on any foriegners for governments : in the latter , they depend on all true churches for communion : and doctor hammond and most diocesans hitherto have said that diocesan churches are thus far independent or national at most . and if any be for a forreign jurisdiction , in charity before they perswade england to it , they should procure them a dispensation from all the oaths , that have sworn all this kingdom against endeavouring any change of government , and against a foreign jurisdiction : for some fanaticks now dream that per is the mark of the beast , and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( which is the number of his name , is nominal as well as numeral , and refers to [ ch-urch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( and ) s tate ] ( for as for them that find a mans name in them , i abhorr their exposition more . ) § . p. . [ god ( saith he ) hath not made any covenant in particular with the church of geneva , france or england , &c. a. . god hath made one general law , for christians congregating with their fixed elders or bishops in particular churches all the world over : and his command is not without promise of being with them to the end of the world ; and that promise becometh a promise to every church so congregate . god hath not made distinct laws or promise to every christian : but the promise to justifie all believers justifieth each single person when he believeth . if the king should make one common law to command all his subjects that are freeholders to live in corporations or hundreds , described with their priviledges , those priviledges would be all theirs that are so incorporated : as one charter may priviledge every london company , diversified by subordinate agreements . . and that god who will have them thus incorporated and distributed into several single churches , doth covenant ( or promise ) according to their demerits to each . do i need to recite the peculiar promises and threats to the seven asian churches , rev. . and . which are covenants to them ? § . next pag. . he will tell us what communion is , and in many words , it is to tell us that communion is nothing but vnion : i know that quoad notationem nominis , communion may signifie , vnion with others : but they that write politicks have hitherto distinguished . vnion and communion , taking communion for actual communication , or exercise of the duties of men in union ? but to speak cross to other writers on the same subjects and give no reason for it , and to confound vnion and communion , is one part of this edifying resolution . § . . pag. . [ our communion with the church consists in being members of the church , which we are made by baptism , ] ( saith he . ) then the baptized are still in communion with the church , till their baptism be nullified : and hath he proved us apostates ? § . . pag. . should any man who is no member of the church , nor owns himself to be so , intrude into the church and communicate in all holy offices , it 's . no act of communion , &c. a. i thought communicating ordinarily in holy office , had gone for an owning of communion : if it do not , would you would tell us how to know who are of your church . § . . p. . saith he ( church-communion does not consist in particular acts of communion , which can be performed among those who are present and neighbours , but in membership : now as a member is a member of the whole body ( not meerly of any part of it , &c. ) all the subjects of england who never saw nor converst with each other , are members of the same kingdom . ] a. . that word [ meerly ] hath more craft than justice or honesty : meerly signifieth only i suppose ; and if he would make his reader think that they that are for single church peculiar membership and consent , do take themselves to be [ meerly or only ] members of those single churches , and not of the universal , it is shameless injury . . will he ever draw men to conformity by making them believe , that because they owe common communion to all christians , therefore we owe no special duty to the bishops , priests , churches or neighbours where we are setled ? do the men of one colledge , school , corporation , owe no more duty to that than to all others ? do the free-holders of bedford-shire choose knights for middlesex ; or the citizens of oxford choose officers in london ? these seem strange resolutions to us . . but doth he remember that [ if communion consist not in acts , of communion to such , but in membership even with the distant , ] then he that is baptized , and no apostate , and performeth no other acts of communion to the bishops , parson or people where he liveth , than he is bound to perform to them a hundred or thousand miles off , is no separatist . methinks this favours separation too much . § . . pag. . when he denyed any divine covenant to make us members of particular churches distinguish't from the universal ( as all national , diocesan and parochial are , as parts from the whole ) he presently confuteth all again , saying [ the exercise of church communion , as to most of the particular duties and offices of it must be confined to a particular church and congregation ( for we cannot actually joyn in the communion of prayers and sacraments , &c. but with some particular church . ] a. oportuit fuisse memorem , — . reader , doth not this man here confess that there are particular churches ? . if these be not distinct from the whole , then each particular is the whole . . if the exercise must be in particular churches , must not men consent to their relations and duties ? is it a sin to promise duty ? . sure it is not meer place , but a mutual relation of pastors and people that distinguisheth these churches . the presbyterians preach't once in the same places that you do , and yet you take them not for the same church pastors . if one from york or cornwall come into your pulpit without consent , do people stand as much related to him as to you ? some men are of extraordinary sufficiency to resist and conquer the clearest evidence of truth . but he addes [ every act of communion thô performed to some particular church , is and must be an act of communion with the whole catholick church . ] a. and who denyeth this ? no sober independent or presbyterian that ever i met with . it 's a weighty truth . § . . p. . saith he [ praying , and hearing and receiving the lords supper together doth not make us more in communion with the church of england than with any other true and orthodox part of the church , thô in the remotest part of the world. ] a. i think that 's not true : with the remotest parts you have only catholick communion with the church universal : in england and london you have that and more ; even special subordinate communion with your own king , bishop and flock . . and hath not the church of england such communion in obedience to its own laws ; ( as the act of uniformity , ) convocation and canons , which you have not with all abroad ? do your bishops in convocation make canon laws for all the world ? do you swear canonical obedience as much to the bishop of paris , or haffnia , &c. as to your ordinary ? do the canons of all churches impose our liturgy , or ipso facto excommunicate all that affirm any thing in it , or our ceremonies or church government , to be against gods word ? sure this is a peculiar kind of communion . . if not , why are all the nonconformists cast out that offer to officiate and communicate on such terms as are common to all sound churches ? pag. . saith he [ there is nothing in all these acts of communion which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular church than to the whole christian church . ] a. what , neither in these acts nor any other ! then we are no more bound to hear you , or maintain you as our pastor , than to hear and maintain the whole christian church . § . . p. . saith he [ there is no other rule of catholick communion for private christians , but to communicatee in all religious offices and all acts government and discipline with christians those with whom they live . a. . elsewhere you added [ sound and orthodox : ] else they that live with arians , socinians , papists ( in spain , france , italy , &c. ) are bound to communicate with them in all religious offices and obey them . . this concludeth , that where presbytery or independency is the way of the place where we live , all must thus communicate and obey . the king and custom then may make any way to become our duty . . if you tell us that it 's only with the sound and orthodox , you were as good say nothing , unless you tell us who must judge that , whether the people themselves , or who for them . . but if this be the only rule for private christians , what shall they do , e. g. in aethiopa , egypt , syria , and many other countreys where the churches are such as general councils and other churches judge hereticks or schismaticks ? and what shall they do , when at antioch , alexandria , constantinople , &c. one party is uppermost ( by the judgment of councils and prince ) one year , and another contrary party the next . and what shall they do where the prince equally tolerateth both , and it 's hard to know which is the more numerous ? as in zeno's and anastasius reign , &c. and what shall they do when many churches in one city are of divers tongues , as well as customs ? have the greeks , french and dutch in london no rule of catholick communion but communicating in all offices with the english , and obeying all your bishops court ? § . . p. . saith he [ distinct and particular churches ▪ which are in communion with each other , must have their district bounds and limits , as every member has it's natural and proper place , and situation in the body . ] a. why may not the greeks ; dutch and french live in communion with the churches london though they live dispersedly among them ! in brandenburg , hassia , and many free cities , and belgia , where lutherans and calvinists ( as called ) live together , and own each other as brethren , why may not both be churches of christ ? § . . p. , . a great deal more he hath of the like , making schismaticks at his pleasure . [ this is plain in the case of the presbyterian and independent churches and those other conventicles — they are churches in a church , — nothing can justifie the distinction of christians into several churches , but only such a distance of place as makes it necessary , &c. p. . distinct churches in the same place can never be under the same communion . a. these things are repeated so oft , and the word [ separate ] so deceitfully rolled over and over , that i will answer all together under his third case at the end. § . . p. . see how openly he recanteth most aforesaid : there is a sence indeed wherein we may be said to be members of one particular church considered as distinct from all other particular churches : but that principally consists in government and discipline . every christian is a member of the whole christian church , and in communion with it , but he is under the immediate instruction and government of his own bishop and presbyters , and is bound to personal communion with them ; and this constitutes a particular church , in which all acts of worship and all acts of discipline and government are under the direction and conduct of a particular bishop . ] a. omitting that he seemeth to make the parochial churches no churches , but parts of one , here he saith all that he seemed to write against , and that those that he reproacheth hold , allowing the difference of the extent of churches . and is it edifying to read such a discourse , that saith and unsaith by self-contradiction ? and he adjoyns . p. how by agreement patriarchal and national churches are made ! and is not agreement a humane contract ? chap. ii. of his first case . § . . page . his first case , whether communion with some church or other be a necessary duty incumbent on christians : ] and he thinks the resolution of this is as plain , as whether it be necessary for every man to be a christian : for every christian is baptized into the communion of the church . a. in this i know no christian adversary to him : but it being the vniversal church that he giveth his proof of necessary communion with , it 's odde to say , we must have communion with some church or other : as if there were more than one universal church . . but we grant more , that all that can well , should be also members of some single church . § . . p. . he saith [ external and , actual communion is an essential duty of a church-member ( meaning a christian . ) ] a. . and yet before he denyed that communion lay essentially in this exercise , but only in vnion ; yea and nay is his custom . . some few christians ( as those that live where such communion cannot be had without sin , &c. ) are not bound to it ; therefore it is not true that it is essential to universal church-membership . and i think sickness endeth not the essentials , that disableth men . . note reader , that by this mans doctrine we are all unchristened and damned if we do not gather into disallowed churches , if we be unjustly cast out of the allowed ones : for all must be church members that will be christians , and an unjust excommunication cannot disoblige us from christianity , nor bind us to consent to be damned . now read the th th th th , &c. canons of the church of england , which ipso facto excommunicate all that affirm any thing in their liturgy , articles , ceremonies or government sinful , and answer spala●●●●ensis arguments against excommunicating ipso facto , and prove all this just , and you may prove what you will just . but you see where he layeth the controversie : if any be excommunicated without sufficient cause , or by lay civilians to whom god never gave that power , or by such bishops or pastors as have no just authority for want of a true call or consent ; or if any unlawful thing be made necessary to communion , all such persons must by his own confessions hold church-communion whether these imposers will or not ; for all christians are bound to be of some church . § . . p. , . he saith that [ none but publick prayers are the prayers of the church properly , and acts of communion , that is , such as are offered by the hands of men authorized and set apart for that purpose , &c. ] ans . who would have thought that we are more for the liturgy than he ? i undertake to prove , that all the responsal prayers , and all the litany prayers , in which the minister names but the matter to them , and the people make it a prayer by speaking the petitioning parts , are all the publick prayers of the church , and so are all the petitioning psalms spoke or sung by the people , and not only that which is offered by the priest : i do not think that he believeth what he carelesly saith here , himself . but the independents are stiffer for his first thesis ( of the necessity of church-communion ) than he is , his unfit words i pass by . chap. iii. of his second case . § . . the next question of occasional communion as distinct from fixed , he turns out of doors , as if there could be no such thing , and it 's very true as to the church universal ; but as to visible , actual communion with this or that particular church , it is not true . . a traveller of another country , who on his journey communicateth with every church where he passeth , is not a fixed member of that church : for , . the pastor or bishop hath not that peculiar charge of him as of fixed members . . he is not bound where he passeth to take such notice of the lives of communicants or pastors , and to admonish the offenders , and tell the church , as fixed members are . . he hath not the right in chooseing pastors or deacons as the fixed members have . . an itinerant bishop in transitu is not their fixed bishop ; ergo an iterant lay-man is not a fixed member . the same i may say of one that is a fixed member of another church in the same city , and cometh to that only to signifie universal communion , or neighbourly ; which , though he deny to be lawful , i shall further prove anon . and the same i may say of those that dwell where there is no fixed single church at all , for want of a pastor , but they congregate only when some strange minister passeth through the town . chap. iv. his third case . § . . page , . he resolveth his third case : [ whether it be lawful to communicate with two distinct and separate churches ] negatively , and saith , [ it is contrary to all the principles of church communion , as any thing can possibly be ; it is to be contrary to our selves , it is communicating with schism : that the presbyterian and independent churches have made an actual separation from the church of england he hath evidently proved ; — and they are schismaticks , and to communicate with them is to partake in their schism ; and if schism be a great sin , and that which will damn us as soon as adultery and murther , then , it must needs be a dangerous thing to communicate with schismaticks . and p. . there cannot be two distinct churches in one place , one for occasional , and another for constant communion , without schism . ] ans . to save those that are willing from the poyson of these schismatical doctrines , lapt up in confusion by men that abhor distinction , or understand not what they say ; i will first lay down that truth that he fights against , with convincing evidence , and then shew you the mischief of his false doctrine and application . § . . the confusion of these words [ church , communion , separation and schism ] which every one signifie divers things , is the chief means to blind ▪ and deceive his reader ; whether it do so by himself i know not . i. the word church signifieth sometime the universal church ; sometime a single organized church as part of it , and sometime humane combinations of such single churches ; and that into diocesan , classical , provincial , patriarchal , national , and papal . ii. the specification and nomination of churches is from the formal cause , and the proper government is that form : and the individuation is from matter and form , but principally from the form . iii. the union of pastor and flock in relation makes that which is a form aptitudinal ( as the soul to the body ) to be the form in act ( as the union of soul and body ) and gods command and consent with the consent of the necessary relate and correlate cause that union . iv. union is in order to communion , which is primary by the exercise of the formal powers on the matter , and secondary by the action of all the parts according to their several capacities and offices . v. the union of the church is of divers degrees . . the formal union of the head and body , which maketh it essentially the [ christian church . ] . the vnion of the parts among themselves as christian , which maketh them a body capable of union with the head. . the union of the parts as unequal organized , the official with the rest , which maketh it an organized body , fit for its special use and welfare . . union in integrity of parts , which maketh it an intire body . . union in due temperament and qualities , which maketh it a healthful body . . unity in common accidents , which make it a comely beautiful body joined with the rest . but , . union in mutable accidents is unnecessary and impossible . vi. these several degrees of union are found in bodies natural and politick . . the union of soul and body makes a man , and an embryo before it be organized . . the union of the body maketh it capable of the souls further operation . . the union of the organical , chief parts , ( as heart , lungs , &c. ) to the rest make it a true humane body compleated to the nutriment and action of life . . that it have hands and fingers , feet and toes , and all integral parts , makes it an intire body . . the due site , temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound body . . comely colour , hair , action , going , speech , &c. make it a comely body . . to have all parts of equal quantity and office , would make it uncomely : and to have the same hair , colour , &c. is unnecessary at all . . the union of king and subjects as such makes a kingdom . . that the people be agreed ; for one conjunct interest and government maketh them a community capable of politie or government . . that there be judges , maiors and justices , and subordinate cities of societies , maketh it an organized body , in which kingly government may be exercised to its end , the common good . . that no profitable part be wanting , ( judge , justice , sheriff , &c. ) maketh it an entire kingdom . . that all know their place , and be duly qualified with wisdom , love , justice , conscience , obedience to god first , to the sovereign power next , to officers next , &c. maketh it a found and safe kingdom . . that it be well situate , fertile , rich , eminent in learning , skill , &c. maketh it an adorned beautiful kingdom . . that all be equal in power and wealth is destructive ; and that all be of one age , complexion , calling , temper , degree of knowledge , &c. is impossible : and that all have the same language , cloathing , utensils , &c. is needless at least . vii . jesus christ is the only universal soveraign of the church , both of vital influence and government ; nor hath he set up any under him , either monarchical , aristocratical , democratical , or mixt , pope , council , on diffused clergy , that hath the power of legislation and judgment as governing the whole chorch ; but only officers that per partes govern it among them , each in his province , as justices do the kingdom , and kings and states the world ; nor is any capable of more . viii . to set up any universal legislators and judge , ( pope or council ) is to set up an usurper of christs prerogative , called by many a vice-christ or an antichrist ; and as bad as making one man or senate the soveraign of all the earth ; and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign jurisdiction in this land , is to endeavour to perjure the whole kingdom that is sworn against it in the oath of supremacy , and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of government in church or state in the corporation oath , the vestry oath , the militia oath , the oxford oath , with the uniformity covenants : and if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the kingdom to all these oaths against if , i doubt whether all the powers of hell can devise a much greater crime against clergy , cities , and all the land. good reason therefore had doctor isaac barrow to write against it as he hath done , and to confute mr. thorndike , and all such as of late go that pernicious way , by the pretence of church union and communion . as if one universal soveraign and legislator and judge , were not enough to unite christs kingdom , or man could mend his universal laws , and could not stay for his final judgment ; and churches and kingdomes might nor till then be ruled without one humane universal soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves . xi . to be a true believer or christian , ( or the insant seed of such ) devoted to god the father , son , and holy ghost , according to the sense of the baptismal covenant , uniteth each member first to christ himself directly , and consequently to his body or church ; and this coram deo , as soon as it is done by heart consent ; and coram ecclesia , regularly , as soon as he is invested by baptism ; which baptism , when it may be had so , is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized minister or deacon ; but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a lay-man , the ancient christians took it not for a nullity , much less if the baptizer was taken for a minister by mistake , being in his place ; and if no baptism can be had , open covenanting is vallid . x. the papists ( and their truckling agents here ) have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction : to make themselves masters of the world , they would perswade us , that sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie , and that god saveth none ( by any known way and grant ) but by his covenant sealed by the sacraments ; and that he authorizeth none to administer this covenant but prelates and their priests , and none can validly have it from other hands : and so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way , heaven and hell , salvation and damnation are at the will and mercy of such prelates and priests . but unhappily they cannot retrieve their old opinion , but maintain that lay-men and women may baptize in necessity validly , and that baptism puts one into a state of salvation . xi . as he that swears and keeps his allegiance to the king is a subject and member of the kingdom , though he be no member of any corporation ; so , though he disown a thousand fellow subjects ; yea , though he deny the authority of constable , justice , judge ; so he that is devoted to christ truly in the baptismal covenant , is a christian , and a member of the universal church , though he were of no particular church , or did disown a thousand members , or any particular officer of the church . xii . all faults or crimes are not treason : a man that breaketh any law , is in that measure culpable or punishable : but every breach of law , or wrong to fellow subjects or justices , as it is not treason , so it doth not prove a man no subject ; though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable : and so it is in the case of our subjection in the church to christ . xiii . to own christs instituted species of church officers is needful to the just order , safety and edification of the church ( as to own the courts of judicature , justices , &c. in the kingdom ) but to own this or that numerical officer as truly commissioned , is needful only to the right administration of his own province . xiv . as christ did his own work of universal legislation by himself and his spirit eminently in the apostles and evangelists , who have recorded all in scripture , so he settled churches to continue to the end associated for personal communion in his holy doctrine , worship , order and conversation with authorized ministers , subordinate to his administration in his prophetical , priestly , kingly and friendly relations . and thô these may not always or often meet in the same place , their neighbourhood maketh them capable of personal presential communion , as men that may know and admonish each other and meet by turns , and in presence manage their concerns ; which differenceth single churches of the lowest order from associated churches of men , that have communion only by others at distance . xv. as logicians say of other relations , the matter must be capable of the end , or it is not capable of the name and form ; so is it here : e. g. it is no ship that is made of meer sponge or paper , or that is no bigger than a spoon ; it is no spoon that is as big as a ship : one house is not a village , nor one village a city , nor a city a meer house . so twenty or an hundred or a thousand parishes associate , cannot be a single church of the first or lowest order , being not capable of mutual knowledge , converse or personal present communion : nor are two or three lay-men capable to be such a church , for want of due matter . but supposing them capable , thô a full and rich church have advantage for honour and strength , yet a small ▪ and poor one is ejusdem ordinis as truely a church ; and so is their pastor , as hierom saith of rome and eugubium ; so alexandria and mijuma , &c. gregory neocaesar was equally bishop of nineteen at first , as after of all save nineteen in the city . xvi . if the apostles have successours in their care and superiority over many churches , it will prove that there should yet be men of eminent worth to take care of many churches , and to instruct and admonish the younger ministers : but it will neither prove . that they succeed the apostles in the extraordinary parts of their office. . nor that they have any forcing power by the sword. . nor that one church hath power over others by divine right ; for the apostles fixed not their power to any particular churches , but were general visitors or overseers of many : yet if the same man who is fixed in a particular church , have also the visiting admonishing oversight of many as far as was an ordinary part of the apostles office , and be called an archbishop , i know no reason to be against him . xvii . there be essential and integral acts of the sacred ministry instituted by christ : these none may take the power of from any ministers , nor alter the species or integrity of the office , by setting up any such superious as shall deprive them of that which christ hath instituted , or arrogating the like uncalled . but as in worship , so in order and church government , there are undetermined accidents : as to choose the time and place of synods , to preside and moderate and such like : and these the churches by agreement , or the magistrate may assign to some above the rest : and if the magistrate affix baronies , honours , revenues , or his own due civil forcing power , and make the same men magistrates and ministers , whether we think it prudent and well done or not , we must honour and obey them . xviii . some call these humane accidental orders , forms of church government , and affirm ( as bishop reignolds did , and dr. stillingfleet in his irenicon and many excellent men by him cited ) that no form of church government is of divine command . which is true of all this second sort of government which is but accidental aud humane ; but not at all of the first sort which is divine and essential to christ himself first , and to pastors as such by his appointment ; so that the essential government of the universal church , by christ , and of each particular church by pastors specified by him ( if not of supervisors of many as succeeding apostles and evangelists in their ordinary work ) are of unalterable divine right . but the humane forms are alterable : such i account . the presidency and moderatorship and accidental government of one bishop in a single church over the other presbyters , deacons , &c. . the accidental government of a diocesan as an archbishop over these lowest bishops and churches . . and the superiority of metropolitans and patriarchs over them , so it be but in such accidentals and within the same empire , not imposing a forreign jurisdiction . these tota specie differ from the divine offices . xix . all these single church being parts of the universal are less noble than the whole , and are to do all that they do as members in union with the whole , and to do all as acts of communion with them . xx. the general precepts of doing all to edification , concord , peace , order , &c. oblige all the churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these ends : and synods are one special means , which should be used as far and oft as the ends require : and if national metropolitans and patriarchs order such synods , i am not one that will disobey them . but if on these pretences any would make synods more necessary than they are , and use them as governours , by legislation and judgement over the particular bishops by the use of the church keyes , and will affixe to them or metropolitans , besides an agreeing power and the said government in accidentals , a proper church government by making and unmaking ministers or christians , excommunicating and absolving as rulers by the said keyes , it may be a duty to disown such usurpations . as the king would disown an assembly of princes any where met that would claim a proper government of him and his kingdom ; thô it were much to be wisht that all christian princes would hold such assemblies for the concord and peace of christendom . xxi . the essentials of faith , hope and loving practice , essentiate the church objectively : and these are all summarily contained in the baptismal covenant , explained in the creed , lords prayer and decalouge ; and all with much more , even integrals and needful accidentals in the sacred scriptures , which taking in the law of nature , are gods universal law. xxii . there is no church on earth so sound and orthodox as to want no integral part of christian religion : proved : there is no man on earth , much less any multitude , so sound as to want no integral part : but all churches consist only of men ; and therefore if all the men be so far defective , all the churches are so . it is not their objective religion generally and implicitely received that i mean , but their subjective religion , and their explicite reception of the objective . the scripture is our perfect objective religion in it self , and as an object proposed , and in general and implicitely we all receive it . but as a man may say , i believe all that 's in the scripture , and yet be ignorant of the very essentials in it ; so a man may explicitely know and believe all the essentials and more , and yet be ignorant of many integrals . all things in scripture proposed to our faith , hope and practice , are the integrals of our religion : but no christian understandeth all these proposals or words of scripture : therefore no christian explicitely believeth them all , or practiceth all . to hold the contrary , is to hold that some church is perfect in understanding , faith , hope and practice , without ignorance , errour or sin : that is , not to know what a man or a christian on earth is . xxiii . much less do all churches agree in unnecessary indifferent accidents , nor ever did , nor ever will or can do . xxiv . the measuring out churches by limits of ground , parochial or diocesan , is a meer humane ordering of a mutable accident , and no divine determination : and if all were taken for church members-because they dwell in those precincts , it were wicked : but if it be but all in those precincts that are qualified consenters , it is usually a convenient measure : but such as in many cases must be broken . xxv . if a church with faithful pastors be well setled in a place first where there are not more than should make up that one church , it is not meet for any there to gather a distinct church ( thô of the same faith ) without such weighty reason as will prove it necessary , or like to do more good than hurt : . because love inclineth to the greatest union ; . because a great church is more strong and honourable than a small , if the number be not so great as to hinder the ends. . and the ancient churches kept this union . xxvi . if magistrates make such laws about church accidents as tend to further the churches welfare , or are so pretended , and not against it , we must obey them . but if they wiil either invade christs autherity or cross it , by making laws against his , or such as are proper to his prerogative to make , or invade the pastors office , and the churches proper right given by christ , or determine accidents to the destruction of the substance ( the church , doctrine , worship or ends ) these bind the consciences of none to obedience ; but christ must be obeyed , and we must patiently suffer . xxvii . self-interest , self-government and family-government are all antecedent to publick government , which ruleth them for the common good , but hath no authority to destroy them : no king or prelate can bind a man to do that which would damn his soul , nor to omit that which is needful to his salvation : all power is for edification : they are gods ministers for god. xxviii . as it belongs to self-government to choose our own dyet , and cloaths , and wives , and physicians , ( thô we may be restrained from doing publick hurt on such pretences ; ) and it belong to family government to educate our own children , and choose their tutors , callings , wives , &c. so it more nearly belongs to self-government to choose the most safe and profitable means of our own salvation , which no man may forbid us ; and to avoid that which is pernicious or hurtful ; and to family-government to do the like for our children . xxix . it is false doctrine of those late writers who tell us , that only sacraments sanctifie or give right to salvation : the whole tenor of the gospel tells us that men are brought to faith and repentance , and to be christians , and godly men , and by faith to be justified , by the preaching of the gospel : and that gods word is his appointed means of salvation , which his ministers must preach skilfully , instantly , in season and out of season , to that end : and if the gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost . xxx . the gospel saveth not like a charm , by the bare sound or saying of the words ; nor the sacrament like an amulet ; but as a moral means ( specially blest by him that instituted it ) to work on man as man , by informing his mind , perswading his will and exciting his affections , as men are wrought on in other cases ; ( which methinks those called arminians should least deny , who are said to lay more of the spirits operation on moral suasion than their adversaries ; yea and those that account it fanaticism to expect any other gift of prayer from the spirit but what is given morally by use . ) and the contrary doctrine feigneth god to work even constantly by miracle : and as the papists make every mass-priest a miracle worker in transubstantiation , so do they that make the bare saying over the words and doing the outward acts in the sacrament , to save us ex opere operato , and the pastoral teaching and oversight of an ignorant drunken lad or reader to be ( near ) as great a help to salvation , as the ministry of a wise skilful , holy and exemplary pastor , and the clear affectionate preaching of gods word : and that tell us ( as mr. dodwell ) how sufficient a man is to administer the sacramental covenant that understands what a covenant is in matters of common conversation . xxxi . if a wise : and skilful and conscionable ministry be as needless to edification and salvation as some men pretend , it is as needless that they should study to be such , and vain to glory that they are such , and that the church of england hath such a ministry , and vain to expect that men should pay them any more respect than i owed my master that never preacht but once , and that drunken ; ( and divers very like him . ) or that they should use this as an argument to draw men to hear them . xxxii . if the king or law should settle a physician of his ( or a patrons ) choice in every parish , it were well done if it be but to have help at hand for volunteers : bui : if he command all to use them and to use no other before them or against them , where unskilful or untrusty men are placed , no man is bound to obey this command : no mens law can dissolve the law of nature , nor disoblige a man from a due care of his life , nor bind him to cast it away upon obedience to ignorant or bad and treacherous men. and a mans soul is more precious than his health or life ; and he is bound to greater care of it ; and is no more to trust it on the will of his superiours how vast is the difference between an ignorant rash physician or pastor , and one that is wise , experienced and trusty ? they that scorn men for going for greater edification from one to another , do not so if a man prefer a skilful physician to one that kills more than he cures ; or a skilful and careful tutor for his son , yea or a farrier for his horse . xxxiii . if one preacher be not for edification to be greatly preferred before another , then one book is not : and so it 's no matter what book they read or value ; and what a student will this make ? and what a trade for the booksellers ? and why then should their own books be so valued ? and why then do they silence hundreds or thousands and forbid them to preach on pain of ruine , ( thô no false doctrine be proved against them ) if they think not that the difference is very great . xxxiv . when councils hereticated and condemned thousands or hundreds of priests and bishops , whom christian emperours and princes owned as orthodox , they did not then think every patron , prince or prelate a competent judge with what pastor men should trust the conduct of their souls : nor did they think so that forbad men hearing fornicators : nor cyprian that required the people to forsake basilides and martial ( & peccatorem praepositum . ) xxxv . so full was the proof given in the book called , the first plea for peace , that the church from the beginning denyed princes and magistrates to be entrusted with the choice of bishops , or pastors to whom the churches were bound to trust the conduct of their souls , that he who denyeth it , is not worthy to be , therein disputed with . and yet we doubt not but they may force infidel subjects and catechumens to hear sound and setled preachers and catechists ; and may dispose of the tythes , temples and many other accidents of the church ; and may drive on pastors and people to their duty . xxxvi . it is false doctrine that two distinct churches may not be in the same precincts or city ; this being a meer accident which abundance of cases make unnecessary and unlawful : which i shall prove . that which is no where commanded by god , is no duty : but that there shall be but one church ( or bishop ) in the same precincts , is not commanded of god , ergo , &c. ( divine of gods making . ) they own the major in the case of indifferent thing . if they deny the minor let the affirmers prove any such command . we grant a command of love and concord , and a prohibition of all that is against them . but in many instances , to have several churches in the same precincts , is not against them . if they fly to the canons of foreign councils , the reason of them we shall weigh and duely regard ; but they were national , and had their legislative power only from their own princes and their counselling power only from christ : and we disown all foreign jurisdiction . xxxvii . in all these cases following ( and more ) two churches may be in the same precincts ( yea and a city . ) . in case that several bishops are called justly to dwell in the same city , or diocess , and many of their flock be with them , e. g. many bishops of england dwell long , yea mostly in london or in london diocess : e. g. the bishop of eli dwells in the parish of st. andrews holbourn : qu. whether there he be a subject to dr. stillingfleet as his pastor , and bound to obey him ? or whether many out of his diocess ( thousands ) may not as lawfully dwell half the year in london as he ? and whether when he preacheth to them , he do it not as their bishop ( in london diocess . ) and so of many other bishops that here reside . xxxviii . . either our parish churches are true churches , or not . if not , the separatists are so far in the right ; and separate not from true churches eo nomine because they separate from them . if yea , then many churches are in the same city and diocess . ( of their agreement and dependance on the fame bishop i shall speak anon . ) xxxix . . in case that in one city , there be resident stranges , that are sent on embassies , or live for merchandize , or flee from miseries , and are the subject of other princes , whose laws and customs they are under , e. g. at frankford , hamburgh , middleburgh , dantzick , constantinople , there have been english distinct lawful churches : and in london there are dutch and french churches : and if the king allowed a swedish church , a danish church , a saxon church , &c. with their several bishops , who is so weak as to need proof that this is lawful , and they true churches ? xl. . in case men of different language are not capable of mutual converse by personal communion or help : as dutch , french , italian , greeks , germans , &c. grotius and dr. hammond ( oft in dissert . and annot. ) do maintain that peter at rome had a church of jews , and paul a church of gentiles : and that the like distribution of churches of jews and gentiles , there was at antioch , alexandria and other places : and by this they salve the contradictions in church history about the succession of linus , cletus and clemens : and the apostles setled not a sinful church way . xli . . yea grotius maintaineth that the apostles setled the churches at first not like the jewish priesthood , but in the order of their synagogues ; ( de imper. sum . patest . and in annot. ) and that as there were divers synagogues in a great city with their archisynagogus and elders , so there were divers churches in a city with bishops and presbyters . xlii . . when there are a greater number of persons in one city or precinct than can have any just personal knowledge and communion , and more than any one bishop with his presbytery can perform the needful pastoral oversight to , it is lawful and a duty , to gather another church in that city or precinct : but this is truly the case of many great cities , though worldly wisdom have at rome , and other places oft denyed notorious evidence and experience . he that will gather up all the duties that dr. hammond saith were charged on the bishops ( in his annotations on all the texts that name elders and bishops ) if he can believe that any bishop can perform the tenth part of them to all in the diocess of london , york , lincoln , norwich , &c. i will not dispute against him if he maintain a bishops ubiquity , or that at once he can be in twenty places . but if they say , that what then was commanded them to do personally , they may do by others , i say , that if they may change the work , they may change the power , that specifieth the office ; and so it is not the same office in specie instituted in scripture : and then lay-men may have power to preach and administer sacraments , and do the office of priests , and yet be no priest ( as civilians do of bishops ) which is a contradiction . certainly if there be more scholars in the city than one master can teach and rule , it is no schism to set up more schools and schoolmasters , but a duty . and if the lord mayor on pretence of city government should put down but as great a part of family government , as those diocesans do of parochial church government , who allow none under them to be truly episcopi gregis , and have the power of their church keyes , i think that it were no schism to restore families so that the city might have more than one ( entirely . ) xliii . . if the soveraign power upon politick or religious reasons should determine , that e. g. dr. a , and dr. b , and dr. c. shall all be bishops in london , to such volunteers of clergy and laity as shall choose each of them to be their bishop , and this without altering their dwellings , no man can prove it sinful ; and of his reasons the king is judge . xliv . . if the bishop or clergy of a city , diocess or nation , do agree by law or canon to admit none to the ministry or communion that will not commit a known sin deliberately as the condition of his communion , it is a duty to congregate under other pastors in those precincts . this is confest : if they should not only hold any errour , or practise sin , but require men to subscribe and approve it , and say it is no sin , no man ought to do this ; nor yet to live like an atheist : , and forsake all worship because men forbid him , if it were but to subscribe one untruth : but alas , this is no rare case : in one emperours reign all were anathematized that subscribed not to the council of chalcedon , and quickly after all that did , or that would not renounce it : the same division and changes were made by the councils against and for the monothelites , de tribus capitulis , images , &c. and when all men living have many errours , and the church of england disclaimeth her infallibility , and yet will receive no minister that will not subscribe that there is nothing in her books contrary to the word of god , the case is hard . but when all the things mentioned in the plea for peace are proved lawful , we shall be more yielding in this case . xlv . . if true and sound christians mistakingly think one or many things to be heinous sins , ( as perjury , lying , renouncing obedience to god , and repentance , &c. ) which are things indifferent , but of so great difficulty that most learned and godly and willing men cannot discern the lawfulness and agree , and yet are not necessary nor just conditions of ministry or communion , and so it is the imposer that entangleth them by difficulty in their disseut , it is not lawful for these men therefore to forbear all church worship , but must use it as they can . xlvi . . if any church unjustly excommnnicate such men ; or others , they must not forbear all church order and worship because men so excommunicate them . no man must sin to escape excommunication ; and every man in the world is a sinner : , and therefore all the world must be excommunicated , if all sinners must be so . as i before said , the times oft were when almost all the bishops in the empire were excommunicated by one another : councils and popes have oft excommunicated some for trifles and some for truth and duty . and such must not therefore renounce all church worship and communion . the church of england do by their standing law ipso facto excommunicate all ( as aforesaid ) that affirm any thing to be repugnant to gods word or sinful , in their whole church government , articles , liturgy and ceremonies , and so to stand till they publickly revoke this as a wicked errour . now many lords and commoners in parliaments , have spoken against some of these particulars ; and some out of parliament : many ministers have done the like when the king commissioned them to treat for alterations ; and many when the accusations or demands of others have called them to give a reason of their actions . some have maintained that it is repugnant to gods word that lay civilians should have the decretive power of the keyes , and that the parish minister must cast out of communnion all that the lay doctors or chancellors excommunicate , and all that dare not receive kneeling , and that they should deny christendom to all that scruple the englisn sort of god-fathers covenants , and the transient symbolical image of the cross , with abundance such things : now all these are ipso facto excommunicate . and thô they be not bound to avoid the church till this be applicatorily declared , yet actually excommunicate they are , and that by a higher authority than the bishops ; and they know the churches decree ; and the priests are sworn to canonical obedience ; and he that will not tempt them to be forsworn , nor come into a church that hath excommunicated him , seems therein excuseable : but must he therefore renounce the church of god ? xlvii . . if the people are so set against one bishop for another , as that half being for one and half for the other , and both orthodox , they cannot be perswaded to unite in one . a council at rome determined in the case of paulinus and flavian at antioch , that both of them should hold their distinct churches , and so live in love and peace . and though one or both parties in this were mistaken sinners , so are all morral men , who yet must not live like atheists . xlviii . . an undetermined accident must be so determined as most serveth to do the greatest good and avoid the greatest evil : but whether divers churches shall promiscuously live in the same city or diocess or parisn , is an accident not determined by god , and either way may be for the greatest good , as circumstances vary . e.g. when in a church half cannot consent to condemn the words of theodoret , theodore mopsuest , and ibas , and half will condemn them with the council ; if these can serve god quietly in love and peace in different congregations , but cannot endure one another in the same , it is most for the churches peace that they be permitted to joyn with those of their own mind . when one pope declared that it 's sound doctrine to say [ one of the trinity was crucified , ] when another had declared that it is not sound doctrine , they that held with one pope , and they that held with the other might both be true churches in different assemblies : when justinian raised the bloody controversie between the corrupticolae and the phantasiastae , wise men thought both sides were true churches : yea and so did many wise men think of the orthodox and nestorians and many eutychians . xlix . . it 's a common case under turks and heathens , that they give liberty of conscience for christians of all parties : now suppose that in aleppo , in constantinople or elsewhere , there be ( partly for countrey sake and partly for language , but most for different judgments ) one church of armenians , one of greeks , one of english-men , &c. what law of god makes only one of these to be a true church , and which is it ? l. . suppose that the setled church e. g. in holland , sweden , saxony , is for presbytery , or for an episcopacy that arose from presbyters ordination , or that had none or a short liturgy , and the prince would tolerate english men ( as frankford did ) to set up a church of the english form and liturgy , i think few prelatists would deny it to be lawful . li. i omit other instances , and come to the matter of separation , which word serveth this man and such other in so general and undistinguished a sence , as would make one think he were of mr. dodwell's mind , that words in dispute have but one signification , which all are bound to know that use them . even a bell by the same sound sometime signifieth a call to church , and sometime a funeral , and sometime joy ; but [ separate , separate ] is rung over and over with these men , as if it signified but one thing . . he that heareth half the sermon and service , and goeth out of church , doth separate at that time from the rest . when a protestant heretick was doing penitence with his faggot at st. maries in oxford , and the fryer was preaching , a mistaken voice in the street made them think the hereticks had set the church on fire , and they separated from the preacher , one fryer stuck by the belly that was going out at the window ; the door being wedged with the crowd , a boy that saw it open above their heads , got up on their shoulders , and went on 'till he slipt into a monks cowl , and there lay still 'till the monk was got out , and felt something on his back , and thinking it was an heretical devil , began to conjure him in the name of father , son and holy ghost , to tell him what he was , and the boy cryed , o good master i am the bakers boy , &c. quaere , whether this was schismaticks separation . at walsall in stafford-shire , mr. lapthorne ( known to me in his iusty age ) who had been a non-conformist , but thought it an honour to be converted by a king , and gloried that king james in conference changed him ; but being as rustick a thunderer as father latimer and more , he was wont to let fly without much fear ; one mr. martin in the parish accounted the greatest enemy to puritans , when he heard what he liked not , would goe out of church ; one day ( in a path way where mr. lane had rode a little before ) pelting crabs with a pole , the ground opened and swallowed him and his pole , that they could never be found ( being a cole-mine long on fire ; ) ever after that , when any one would goe out of church at a blustering passage , mr. lapthorne would call to him , remember martin ; quere , whether all these were separating schismaticks ? but this is too far off : in dunstans west , where dr. sherlock , preacheth , when i was licensed : twenty , years ago , at christmas , as i was preaching , some lime or stone fell down in the steeple with the crowd , the church being old and under suspicion , they all thought it was falling , and most ran out in tumult , and some cast themselves headlong from the gallery for hast ; when they were quieted and came in again , the boyes in the chancel broke a wainscot skreen with climbing on it , and the noise made them run out again ; one old woman going out , cryed , it 's just with god because i took not the first warning , lord forgive me , and i 'le never come again : quere , whether these , or at least this resolving woman was a schismatick , and separated from the catholick church ? if not , there is some separation that is not so bad as murder ; and methinks the doctor should forgive it for the success ; for the parish hereupon resolved to pull down the church and build it new , a far better fabrick where the dr. now preacheth ; and it drove me away that i preacht there no more ; whether this new church built where the old one had possession before , be not a schismatical separatist , i leave to him . lii . . local separation without mental can make no culpable schism ; for nil nisi voluntarium est morale ; if a man be imprisoned or be sick and cannot come to the church , it is innocent separation ; i have been at no church this half year , much against my will , o that god would heal me of this separation ! liii . . if it must be mental separation that must be culpable , then it is diversified according to the mental degree and kind ; and no man separateth from the universal church who separateth not from somewhat essential to it ; to separate from its integrals or accidents may be culpable , but it 's no separation from the church , no more than every breach of the law is a separation from the kingdom . liv. . some separate as to place , locally and not mentally , some mentally and not locally , and some both : he that daily observeth the outward communion of the church , and yet taketh it for no church , or denyeth its faith , hope or essential duty , separateth indeed . all those men that live unbelievingly , atheistically , wickedly , that in their converse prate against the scripture and immortality of the soul , and that hate and persecute serious godliness , are damnably separated from christ , and therefore from , the catholick church , and are so to be esteemed so far as this is known , thô when , it is unknown , the church can take no notice of it . lv. . it being only humane laws and circumstantial conveniences that make it unmeet to have divers churches bishops living promiscuously in the same parishes , cities , dioceses or nations ; where laws and circumstances allow it , it is no unlawful seperation . lvi . . he that liveth in forreign lands ( christian , mahometan or heathen ) where various churches live promiscuously ( greeks , armenians , protestants , papists , &c. ) is no schismatick , if he choose which he thinks best , and be absent locally from the rest , condemning them no further than they deserve . lvii . . he that removeth into another diocess or parish for his worldly interest , seperateth without fault from the church he was in . lviii . . it is a lawful separation to remove ones dwelling , because the minister is ignorant , unskilful , or otherwise bad , and this for the better edification of his soul , and the use and help of a more able faithful minister , even law and custome and reason do allow it . lix . . thô the canon . and . forbid ministers oft to give the sacrament to strangers that come out of other parishes , even where no preaching is , yet those many sober people that use this in london , are not taken to be schismaticks , as bad as murders : many that are esteemed the most sober religious conformists do ordinarily goe from their own parish churches , some ( in martins and st. giles's parish , &c. ) for want of room , and some for more edification , to dr. tillotson , dr. stillingfleet , dr. burnet , dr. fowler , mr. gifford , mr. durham , mr. hornech and such others , and communicate with them ; and thô these are called by the late catholicks by the name of dangerous trimmers , i think even dr. sherlock will think it more pardonable than murder , if they come to him . lx. . if the king and law should restore the antient order that every city , that is , every great incorporate town in england should have a bishop , ( yea or every great parish ) and that the diocesans should be their arch-bishops , and our new catholicks should tell the king and parliament that they are hereby unchristened schismaticks , as dangerous as adulterers of murderers , for gathering churches within a church , i would not believe them . lxi . . if ( e.g. at frankford , zurick , lubeck , hamburgh , &c. ) a church is settled in the lutheran way , and another in the bochemian way , described by lasitius and commenius , ( which is a conjunction of episcopacy , presbytery and independency ) or a church that had no liturgy , or none but that which the french protestants and dutch have , would it be damning schism , for such as cox and horne at frankford to set up an episcopal church in the english mode , and with their liturgy , and so far to separate from the rest ? lxii . . if it be true that john maior , fordon , and others say that presbytery was the government of the church of scotland before episcopacy was brought in , was the introduction of episcopacy by palladius a damning schism by separating from the former , or a reformation ; is just reformation schism ? lxiii . . when the church first set up patriarchs , metropolitans , general councils , monasteries , parish churches distinct from cathedrals , organs , new liturgies , and multitudes of ceremonies , this was a departing or separating from the contrary church way which was there before , was it therefore schism ? lxiv . . when socrates tells us of some countreys that had bishops in the countrey villages ( like our parishes ) was it a damning schism to separate from this custome , by decreeing that even small cities should have no bishops , ne vilescat nomen episcopi ? or when the chorepiscopi were put down , where they had been ? lxv . . if a man separate not from any thing essential to the church of england , he separateth not from that church , though he refuse that which is its accidents , or some integral parts : we are charg'd with separating from the church of england , as if it were a matter of fact beyond dispute , and scorn'd for denying it , even by them that will not tell us what they mean by the church of england , or by separation . by the church of england we mean the christian kingdom of england , or all the christians in england , as living in one land , under one christian king who governeth them by the sword , which includeth their concord among themselves in true christianity ; we are christians , we profess agreement in christianity with all christians we are under the same king as they are , and profess subjection , and take ; the same oaths of allegiance and supremacy ; yea , we are not charged with differing in any thing called doctrinal from their thirty nine articles ; but we disown certain late covenants and oaths which are not twenty three years old , and the subscription to one canon about the innocency of all in their liturgy ; now either these new oaths , covenants and canon , liturgy and ceremonies are essential to the church of england , or not ; if yea , then , . it 's a poor humane church , made by them that made these oaths , liturgy and ceremonies . . and then it 's a new upstart church , and no man can answer the papists where it was before luther , or before henry . yea , if its essentials were made by this king and parliament , . then the present church is no older : but if these things be indifferent , or not essential to the church , then to separate only from these , is not to separate from the church . if it be said , that for the sake of these we separate from the church it self , and therefore from its essence ; we abhor the accusation , and challenge them to prove it : if we separate from the church essentially , it is either locally or mentally ; not locally , for we are yet in england , nor is local distance only a sin ; not mentally , for we own it for a true christian kingdom , called a national church , bound to serve christ in love and concord to their power : we deny not the king to be the governour , nor christians to be christians , no nor the particular churches and ministers to be true ( thô culpable ) churches and ministers , nor their sacraments to be true sacraments ; we profess to hold with them one catholick body , one spirit , one god , one chirist , one faith , one baptism ( in the essentials ) and one hope , and are ready to promise to live in concord with them in all other things , as far as will stand with our obedience to god ; so that we separate not from the church of england as such , but from some of its accidents , which we dare not be guilty of . lxvi . . the same i say of a parish church ; he that locally removeth , e. g. from a church that hath organs , to one that hath none , separateth from a pair of organs , but not mentally from the church , unless the organs be its essence . lxvii . . they that are for the true antient episcopacy , ( e. g. as much as arch-bishop vsher's reduction which we offer'd did contain ) but dislike the lay civilians power of the keyes , and officials , surrogates , arch-deacons government , &c. do not separate from the church as episcopal , but from the humane novelties which they disown . lxviii . . if a parishioner fall out with his priest , and they goe to law about tythes , glebes , words , &c. and the suit be long , and the man dare not communicate with him believing that he hateth him , thô the animosity should be culpable , being but personal , his going from-him to another church is not separating from christ ; ( for i hope that even mr. dodwell himself will not say that every priest is christ . ) lxix . . ex quovis ligno non fit mercurius , surely there is some qualification essential to the ministry ; if a man want that qualification , it is a duty to separate from him as no minister , e. g. when i came to kederminster , ( after my subjection to six or seven worse ) i found the vicar , one reputed ignorant of the fundamentals , ( he was brought in by sir henry blunt a papist ) who preacht but once a quarter , which most thought he might better have forborn , and his curate mr. turner at mitton preacht once a day , whom i found ignorant of the catechism principles by conference , and he confest he had but one book , musculus common places in english , and he said some of that to the people , and they took it for a sermon ; he lived by unlawful marrying , infamous for drinking and quarrelling ; he that had taken these for no ministers , and separated from them , had not thereby seperated from christ or his church catholick . lxx . . if it prove as hard to know who is the true pastor in a competition of pretenders , as it was to know which was the true pope , when there were two or three , ( above twenty times ) or whether , e. g. optandus was true bishop of geneva that knew not letters , or whether duke heriberts son consecrated in infancy was arch-bishop of rhemes , or any other infant consecrated be a bishop , ( officiating per alios , surrogates , chancellours , officials , &c. ) it is not here a separation from christ to separate from either of the pretenders : he that mistaketh not , is not liable to the charge , he that mistakes , doth not erre in an article of faith , but in a difficult point of humane title , and the qualification and right of a single man ; and my opinion is , that if such a title were tryed before our judges or king , and they should mistake and give judgment against him that had right , this were no separating from christ , nor proof that they are infidels . lxxi . if the case of two contending bishops or presbyters come before a general or provincial council , and they mistake and give it to the wrong , and so separate from the right , i do not think that thereby they separate from christ or the church catholick , e. g. the constantinopolitan council first gave the church of constantinople to nazianzene , and after judged him out as having no right ; if by this they separated from christ , they that take them for the catholick church representative , must say that the catholick church separated from christ and it self . when another council wrongfully deposed chrysostome , and separated from him , and cyril alexandr . perswaded the continuance of it , did the universal church separate from it self and christ ? if a general council which should be wisest , be excusable from damning schism , whenever it misjudgeth and separateth from a rightful bishop , sure every lay-man and woman that doth the same , doth not separate from christ . if it prove that a general council deposed nestorius as unjustly as david derodon thought , or dioscorus as unjustly as others thought , or flavian as unjustly as the orthodox think , this proveth them guilty of some schism , but not of separating from the universal church . when menna of constantinople , and the pope excommunicated each other , when a synod in italy renounced vigilius , and all his successors were an hundred years deposed from their primacy , and a patriarch at aquileia set up in his stead for a great part of italy , because vigilius subscribed to a general council , de tribus capitulis , this was schism ( some where ) but not separating from christ . lxxii . . if a man in england should think that all the old councils were obligatory , which decree that he shall be taken for no bishop that comes in by the choice ( yea or mediation ) of courtiers , princes or great men , or any that have not the true consent of clergy and people , and thereupon should conclude that bishops , deans , prebends , &c. so chosen and imposed are lay-men and no true bishops and pastors , this were a separating from those persons , but not from christ and the vniversal church , when as mr. thorndike saith , that till the right of electing bishops by the clergy and people be restored , we need look no further for the reason of the contempt of episcopacy here . so if a man think that god never trusted every ignorant wicked man that can but get money and buy an advowson , to choose those pastors to whose conduct all the people are bound to trust their souls , ( and the bishop to admit them for fear of a quare impedit , if they have but a certificate and can speak latine ) this is not damning separation . lxxiii . . if a bishop set up a seeming convert , really a papist ( e. g. mr. hutchinson alias berry , or one of them that lately confessed themselves papists , ) the people that find by experience what the man is , are not damned schismaticks for not taking him for their pastor , or for going from him . if godfrey goodman bishop of gloucester was a papist , did he separate from christ that separated from the diocesan church of gloucester , while he was an essential part ? or that did not implicitely trust all the priests that he ordained ? lxxiv . . if in a cathedral church one withdraw from their service , because of their difference in singing , ceremonies , &c. from the parish churches , thô it be the bishops church that he separateth from , it is not as a church , nor from any thing essential to it , e. g. miles smyth bishop of gloucester ( the famous hebrician , and chief in our bibles translation ) declared and performed it , that he would never come more to his cathedral , because the dean ( in lauds time ) kept up the altar . qu. whether he separated from himself or his church ? vbi episcopus ibi ecclesia : who were the separatists ? they that followed the bishop , or they that separated from him and kept to the ca●●●●hedral ? the same i say of williams bishop of lincoln that wrote against altars . lxxv . . if faithful pastors and people are setled in concord , and the higher powers make a law to depose and eject them without just cause ( as multitudes were in many emperours dayes , and multitudes by the interim in germany in charles the fifths time ; and multitudes in the palatinate by ludovicus , and in too many other countreys ) those that leave the temples and tythes to the magistrate , but cleave to their old pastors in forbidden meetings ( called conventicles ) supposing the pastoral relation not dissolved ( as the joannites clave to chrysostom ) do not thereby separate from the catholick church : had the power been lawful that set up another way , when dr. gunning kept up his meetings at exeter house , it had not been a separation from christ that he then made . lxxvi . . if the law command all to take one man for his pastor , and a parent command his child , or a husband his wife to take another and not that , and the child or wife know not which should be obeyed , and whether the choice belong more to the domestick , or the publick government , it is not a separating from christ , which way ever such an one shall go . lxxvii . . yea if i should think that self-interest and self-government bind me rather to choose a pastor for my self , than to stand to such a choice by prince , patron or prelate , which i think intolerable , as well as ( against their will ) i may choose a wife , or a physician , or a tutor , or a book , or my daily food , this is not separating from the universal church . lxxviii . . if owning the same diocesan make them of one church who differ more than nonconformists and conformists do , then owning the same christ , faith , scripture , &c. maketh them of one catholick church who differ less . but , &c. jesuites , dominicans , jansenists , and all the sects of papists are taken for one church , because they own the pope and councils . in england the diocesan conformists are taken for one church , thô some of them are as much for a foreign jurisdiction , as arch-bishop laud , arch-bishop bromhall , bishop gunnings chaplain , dr. saywell , mr. thorndike , dr. heylin , and many more , have manifested in their words and writings . and some that subscribe the articles of general councils erring in faith and against heathens salvation , and against free will , and for justification by faith only , &c. do shew that they differ in the doctrines of religion , ( unless the sound or syllables be its religion ) while one and another take the words in contrary sences . some are for diocesans being a distinct order from presbyters , some ( as vsher and many such ) deny it : some hold them to be of divine right , and some but of humane ; some think the king must choose them , some rather the clergy and people ; some hold them independent , others rather subject to the arch-bishops and convocation ; some think all that bear office in their church government are lawful , others think lay-civilians government by the keyes unlawful ( and so are ipso facto excommunicate by their own canons ; ) some that promise canonical obedience to their ordinary , take the judges of the ecclesiastical courts for their ordinaries ; and others only the bishops ; some think they are sworn to obey their ordinaries , if they rule according to the canons ( and so to pronounce all excommunicate that the canon excommunicates , if commanded ; ) others think otherwise , that they are judges themselves whether the canons command licita & honesta ; some take the pope to be antichrist , and the church of rome no true church ; others think otherwise . many more ( arminian and other ) such differences there are , and yet all of one church , both catholick , national , diocesan and parochial ( oft : ) much more are those nonconformists that differ from the church in nothing but what the imposers call indifferent . lxxix . . if one that prayeth in the litany against false doctrine and schism , and readeth the conformists telling him of the danger of it , should ; verily think that dr. s. printeth and preacheth false doctrine , and such as plainly tendeth to serve satan against christian love and peace , and to the most schismatical dividing and damning of christians , should hereupon separate from him for fear of schism and false doctrine , and go to a safer pastor , i think it were not to separate from christ . lxxx . . if a bishop in any diocess in london should openly write or plead for a foreign jurisdiction , and we are told that none are true ministers that depend not obediently on the bishop , he that for fear of the law , or of personal or common perjury , should separate from that bishop and his numerical diocesan church , doth thereby neither separate from the catholick church , nor from the church of england . as if the kings army should have a colonel that declared himself an obliged subject to the king of france and bound to obey him , the regiment may forsake that colonel . yea if the general of the kings army should give up himself in subjection to the enemy or a foreign power , and say , i will take a commission from the turk , and my officers shall only obey me , and the soldiers obey them , were not this an army of traytors or rebels , though none but the general took a commission from the enemy ? so if the bishops should all take commissions from the pope , or declare themselves subjects to a forreign jurisdiction , it were no separating from christ , to separate from them all , in loyalty to christ , and to avoid national perjury and schism . lxxxi . . if a man think that he is bound to use all christs instituted means of salvation , and live in a church that wilfully omitteth any one of them , e. g. either infant baptism , or singing psalms , or praying , or preaching , or the lords supper , or all personal care , and discipline to exclude the grosly intolerable , to resolve the doubting , &c. he that in obedience to christ goeth to a church and pastor ( in the same diocess or city ) that omitteth none of these , is no damned schismatick . lxxxii . . he that is unjustly cast out of the church , and by its very laws excommunicated ipso facto , is no damned or sinful schismatick for worshipping god in a church that will receive him : nor any one that is denyed communion unless he will sin ; much more if they should prove half as many and great sins as the nonconformists have said they fear ( in the first plea for peace , &c. ) lxxxiii . . if a foreigner that doth but half understand our language , withdraw to a church and pastor whose tongue he understands , obeying god and nature is no damning schism . lxxxiv . . if one that is erroneously conceited of the obligation of general councils , should think it a sin to kneel at the sacrament on any lords day in the year , or any week day between easter and whitsuntide , because tradition and the twentieth canon of the first council , and that at trull , &c. do forbid then to adore kneeling , this separating on that account to another congregation is not damning . if it be said , that mr. thorndike and others tell us that it is not necessary that we do the same things which the supream catholick power commanded , but that we subject our selves to the same power which may change their own laws . i answer , . the asserting of that universal soveraignty is the greatest crime and heresie of all . . by this it seems that our religion is very mutable , and very uncertain , and a man hath need to take heed of obeying any old canons , till he know the mind of the present church ; ( and who those be , and how to know it . ) . but what if the same man read dr. heylin ( of sab. ) telling him that this custome against adoration-kneeling continued a thousand years , and was never revok't by any true general council , but changed by little and little by mens practice : and what if he question who those changers were , and whether their practice was rebellion at first , and whether they had power to repeal the canons of the greatest councils without a council . sure they that are for such councils universal soveraignty , when they have cast men into these shares , should scarce tell them that they are damnable schismaticks , for joyning with such churches as obey these councils , rather than with those that mine men for not disobeying them . lxxxiv . and now reader if thou art one that thinkest of these things with christian sobriety and impartiality , i appeal to thee whether if i should be of the mind of mr. dodwell , and such self-conceited resolvers , i should not write my own condemnation , and be one of the grossest schismaticks that any history hath mentioned , unless ever there were any man so mad as to hold himself to be all the church : yea , when he no more distinguisheth of separation and schism , but involves almost all christians in his condemnation , and tells us that schism will damn us as soon as adultery and murder , is it not obvious for all men to infer that we are as odious as adulterers and murderers ? and doth he not preach christians into the hatred of each other ? and can any wonder if rulers should think the punishment of murderers is not worse than we deserve ? it is not new-gate only , but tyburn that these healing men do seem to assign us ; it would be too tedious to look over all these again , and shew you how great the number is that these men damn , and how few on earth in any age they excuse from being so far like murderers . lxxxv . . it seems to me that he virtually damneth all christians on earth as such schismaticks ; for it is most certain that all men have sin , and culpable imperfection in knowledge , will and practice ; and if any say , that he hath no sin , he is a lyar , saith st. john ; and it is certain that all two persons on earth have many errours , and many differences from one another ; it is certain that the love and duty of christians towards each other is culpably defective in all men : it is certain that no man living is so perfect in knowledge as to know all the indifferent things in the world , which may be imposed , to be indifferent ! and long and sad experience hath told the church , that both gross errours and sins , and things called truths or indifferent , which few can be sure of , may be imposed . what follows from all this , but that all men on earth may easily fall under the imputation of disobedience to prelates , and so be excommunicate , and then they have their choice ( when no man is perfect , and they cannot change their mindes ) . whether they will be damned as excommunicate and practical atheists that give over all church worship ; . or as damnable schismaticks , for worshipping god in churches when they are excommunicate ; . or as persidious lyars , that will make false confessions , professions and promises , to get off an excommunication . when mr. dodwel numbers those with schismaticks that [ suffer themselves to be excommunicate , ] if they have no other means in their power to hinder it , it seems these great enemies to absolute reprobation , do think all christians being unavoidably born to imperfection of knowledg , are as unavoidably born to damnation whenever prelates or priests please thus to precipitate them . lxxxvi . . particularly , . the first and second canons ipso facto excommunicate all that say [ that any manner of obedience and subjection within his majesties realms and dominions is due to any usurped and foreign power : ] by this all papists and all pretended protestants ( such as dr. barrow confuteth ) who hold any manner of obedience and subjection due to pope or foreign councils , are excommunicate . . those that say that the book of common prayer containeth any thing in it repugnant to the scriptures are , ipso facto excommunicate . which now by the new laws are interpreted of the present books . . in this all are excommunicate who say , the mis-translations ( in psalms , epistles or gospels , of which many instances have been given ) to be any thing repugnant in the scripture . . and all that say , it is against the scripture to deny christendom to all infants that have not such vowers in their names and for their education as we call godfathers , and godmothers , thô the parent ( who is forbidden it ) offer his child by sponsion . . and all that say it is against scripture to deny christendom to all that refuse the covenanting transient images of a cross . . and all that say that it is against scripture for all ministers to profess [ that it 's certain by gods word that baptized infants ( without exception ) so dying are undoubtedly saved ] when no word of god is cited that saith it , and adding to gods word is dreadfully threatned , and when it 's certain that all ministers are not certain of any such thing ( and i think no one . ) . all are ipso facto excommunicate that say , it is against gods word to deny church communion in the sacrament to all that dare not take it kneeling , for fear ( thô mistaken ) of breaking the second commandment by symbolizing with idolaters , that are seeking to reduce the nation to their sin , and that live round about us . . all are excommunicate that say it is against scripture to pronounce all saved that are buryed , except the unbaptized , self-murderers and the excommunicate , while thousands of sadducees , hobbists , infidels , papists , perjured , adulterers , drunkards , &c. dwell among us . . by the fifth canon all are ipso facto excommunicate that say , [ any of the armies are in any part erroneous , or such as they ( perhaps as doubters ) may not with a good conscience subscribe to , ] and cousequently all the aforesaid conformists that think the sence erroneous while they subscribe those words and snall affirm , e. g. that canons are made necessary to salvation , thô the matter cannot be proved by scripture , contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . say , any thing in athanasius creed may not be subscribed . such as bishop taylour that against art. . deny original sin. those that say contrary to art. . that the word [ no power ] excludeth common natural power , or maketh nature to be grace . those that write against our being accounted righteous , only for christs merits , and say that another subordinate righteousness is named many hundred times in scripture , contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . say , that works done before the inspiration of the spirit may make men meet to receive grace . those that with dr. hammond write for works that are not commanded but counselled , and free-will-offerings , contrary to art. . all they that take infants and new baptized persons to have no sin , contrary to art. . all that say , that after we have received the h. ghost , we cannot depart from grace given , contrary to art. . those that deny the doctrine of election , in art. . those that say , any on earth may be saved by diligent living according to the light of nature , without knowing the name of christ , contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . reject that description of a visible church , which reacheth to such as our resolver damneth . all that contrary to art. . say , that the church [ may not enforce any thing to be believed for necessity to salvation , besides the scripture ] even those that say , it 's necessary to salvation , by avoiding schism to believe that all imposed tyths , covenants practices , and ceremonies are not sin . all that contrary to art. . say , that general or other councils may be gathered without the command and will of princes , and deny they may erre , and things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority , unless it may be declared that they are taken out of holy scripture . those that deny art. . that those are lawfully called and sent into the ministry , who have publick authority given them in the congregation , to call and send ministers into the lords vineyard , are chosen and called hereto , ( for want of canonical succession . ) those that contrary to art. . would have gods worship performed to them that understand not the language , to avoid the schism of having many churches in a city . those that take confirmation or penance , or the other three for sacraments of the gospel contrary to art . those that contrary to art. . would not have it believed to be the peoples duty , who know the offences of bad ministers , to accuse them . all that contrary to art. . are against infant baptism , as agreeable to christs institution . all that contrary to art. . say , the body of christ is given and taken and eaten in the sacrament otherwise than in a spiritual manner by faith. all that say , that in some wise the wicked are partakers of christ in the sacrament , contrary to art. . all that contrary to art. . say , there is other satisfaction for sin besides christs blood. all that say , that men justly excommunicate may be reconciled and received by the multitude without open penance ( which is ordinary ) contrary to art. . all that contrary to art. . think that a general council may ordain such traditions or ceremonies as shall in all places be one or the like : and that every particular or national church may not abolish those ceremonies or rites which the general council or colledge ordained . many things in the book of homilies [ especially against peril of idolatry ] are blamed by many conformists , contrary to art. . all that contrary to art. . say , that the book of ordination wants some things necessary . all that contrary to art. . think that pope or foreign bishops have any jurisdiction by right in this land : and all that ( by mistake ) say , the king hath not chief power in all his dominions , meaning in france , of which he professeth to be king , and we so call him even in our prayers to god. all that say , contrary to art. . that it is not their duty liberally to give alms , according to their ability . all that contrary to art. think men in conforming may swear upon trust of their superiours words , without judgment , and true understanding of justice and truth . a●●●●l these are already ipso facto excommunicated by this one canon , and if they elsewhere worship god , are called separatists and schismaticks , in danger of damnation , as adulterers and murtherers are : and how grea●●●● a number are these ? . all are ipso facto excommunicate by the sixth canon , who affirm , that the rites and ceremonies of the church of england , by law established , are superstitious , or such as ( now commanded ) men who are zealously and godly affected , may not with a good conscience approve , use and subscribe as occasion requireth . that is , all that thus mistake kneeling at the sacrament , on the reasons aforenamed , to be against the second commandment , or that judge so of the surplice , or that think the gross , as described by the canon and liturgy , hath all the essentials of a humane unlawful sacrament of the covenant of grace . and all that are against the rites of godfathers that never owned the child as theirs , to be the only sponsors in its name , and to vow its christian education ( when i never knew one living that so much as made the parents believe that he intended it : ) and all that think the words of the liturgy ( making imposition of hands an assuring sign of gods gracious acceptance ) make confirmation a humane unlawful sacrament , and say so . all these are cut off . . by canon seventh all are ipso facto excommunicate that affirm , that the government of the church of england , under his majesty , by arch-bishops , bishops , deans , archdeacons , and the rest that bear office in the same , is repugnant to gods word ; that is , all bishops , ministers , noblemen , gentlemen or people , that say that it is against gods word for lay civilians or chancellours to govern by the church keyes , excommunicate or absolve : and all that think it unlawful for surrogates that are not bishops but presbyters , either as a cryer pro forma to pronounce all excommunicate or absolved who are so decreed by the lay chancellor , or else for them ( or a priest-chancellour ) to govern a diocess by the keyes of excommunication and absolution being no bishops ; and all that think it sinful for archdeacons , commissaries , officials , &c. who are no bishops , to exercise the same government by the keyes over so many pastors or churches , or for a bishop . to do his office by others that are no bishops , any more than a priest by those that are no priests ; or for a diocesan with his lay court , to govern many score or hundred churches under him , without any subordinate bishop in those churches , that is , to set up the name and shew , and make christs discipline impossible : or for lay chancellors or surrogates to publish excommunications in the bishops name , which he never knew of , nor tryed the cause : or for such chancellours to oblige all parish ministers to publish all their excommunications which are agreeable to these canons . what quality and number they are of that call any of this sinful , i pretend not to know : but they are all now excommunicate men . . the eight canon ipso facto excommunicateth all that affirm that the form and manner of making and consecrating bishops , priests and deacons hath any thing , repugnant to gods word , &c : ] that is , all those that hold bishops and presbyters to be the same order ( contrary to the words of that book . ) which yet even the church of england while papists declared in king aelfriks canons ( see spelman : ) and all such as thorndike , who say the people and clergy should choose their bishops ; or that say the peoples consent is necessary to the pastoral relation to them , and that the old canons for this are in force . . the ninth canon ipso facto excommunicateth the separatists . . the tenth canon excommunicateth all that affirm [ that ministers that refuse to subscribe to the liturgy , &c. and their adherents may truely take to themselves the name of another church , not established , by law and dare publish that this their pretended church hath long groaned under the burden of imposed grievances , by the church of england , and the orders and constitutions therein by law established . ] ( ipso facto is not here . ) this reacheth to all that confine not gods church in england to the party that subscribe and their adherents : if any say , that if such as blondel , rivet , amesius , or any other the most learned , holy , peaceable men that dare not subscribe as aforesaid , should with any christians worship god together , and that these are a true church ( though he judge them faulty ) and that these canons are grievances , such are to be excommunicated : ( though it be gross schism in others to confine not onely the purity but the verity of a church to their own party : ) for such to feel and groan loud here is excommunication . . the eleventh canon much to the same purpose requireth the excommunication of all that affirm that any subjects in england may rightly challenge the name of true and lawful churches besides those allowed by law , though the king should license them . . the twelfth canon ipso facto excommunicateth all , that make rules and orders in causes ecclesiastical without the kings authority , and submit to them , e. g. all that without the kings authority agree to turn the table altar-wise , to require people to kneel at the rails , or to bow toward the alter or east , or to set up organs , &c. all these are now excommunicate by an authority above the bishops , which no bishop or priest can dispense with ( but only forbear to publish and execute it , but not nullifie it ) no nor absolve any that publickly repent not of it as a wicked errour . . by canon fourteenth , if any minister shall diminish any part of the orders , rites , ceremonies , prayers , &c. inregard of preaching or any other respect , or shall adde any thing in matter or form , ( e. g. if he let the parent express the dedication of his child to god , or lay any charge on any parent ) he breaketh the church law , and so far separateth from it . . by canon fifteenth when twenty or thirty thousand are commanded to come to a church that cannot receive six thousand , and the alleys and pewes are wedg'd so that they cannot all kneel , yet all that kneel not at the prayers , and all that say not audibly the confession , lords prayer , creed and responses , disobey the laws of the church , and so far separate from it . . when twenty thousand persons are commanded to come in more than can , if ten thousand of them ( or any number ) should come to the church-yard or porch , to shew that they are not presentable , but would get in if they could , the nineteenth canon commands to drive them away . . the liturgy and canon . &c. bind all under the penalty of the law to receive the sacrament thrice every year : if a secret infidel , sadducee , hobbist , socinian , or any heretick say , i am not able to change my judgment , which is inconsistent with the sacrament , or if one whose conscience tells him of the guilt of adultery , and that he is not resolved to confess and forsake it yet ; or one that by melancholy causelessly feareth unworthy receiving to damnation ; i say , if any of these will avoid the charge of schism , they must run upon worse , till grace recover them , which is not at their command . and yet all notorious offenders are prohibited it canon . and particularly the perjured : and if the tenth part so many be perjured in england in city and countrey , as many fear , it 's a very great number that are uncapable of comm-union with the church . . by canon twenty seventh on pain of suspension no minister must wittingly administer the communion to any but such as kneel , or to any that refuse to be present at publick prayers , &c. so that all that kneel not in receiving are rejected , and if they worship god elsewhere , must be taken for schismaticks , as dangerous as adulterers or murderers . . the twenty eighth canon forbids admitting strangers to communion , and commands sending them home to their parish churches : it 's disobedience to violate this . . the twenty ninth canon forbids urging parents to be present when their children are baptized , and admitting them to answer as godfathers for their own children ; and any godfather to make any other answer or speech than the prescribed . . the thirtieth canon describeth the cross as a sacrament , as seemeth to us . . by the thirty sixth canon no man must be a minister that subscribeth not that the book of common prayer and ordination contains nothing in it contrary to the word of god , and that he himself will use no other form in publick , prayer and administration of the sacraments : by which all that refuse this , or that use the forms made and imposed by the bishops on occasions of publick fasts and thanksgivings , seem all to be under disobedience to the church . . by canon fourty ninth no person not licensed as a preacher , may in his cure or elsewhere , expound any scripture , or matter or doctrine , but onely shall study to read plainly the homilies : so that all ministers before licence to preach , all school-masters , all parents , or masters , that do expound to their schollars , children or servants , the meaning of baptism , or of any article of the creed , any petition of the lords prayer , any one of the ten commandments ( to fit them for confirmation , or salvation ) otherwise than by plain reading the homilies or church catechism , doth disobey the law of the church : and so do all tutors in the universities that expound any scripture , matter or doctrine to their pupils , before they are examined or approved by the bishop ; or any judge on the bench or justice that presumeth to do it to the hearers , or any friend or neighbour in discourse : for it is [ no person whatsoever not examined and approved by the bishop of the diocess . ] how few in england separate not from the church as far as this disobedience amounts to ? if by [ no persons ] be meant only [ no ministers ] it 's hard enough , that ministers may not be allowed out of the church what lay-men are allowed . . all those that deny not the validity of baptism or the lords supper when they are done by an unpreaching minister , but yet think that a man utterly unable to teach otherwise than by reading , may not lawfully be encouraged in so high a function , ( any more than a man in physick or school-teaching that hath not necessary skill , or is utterly illiterate , ) and thinks it a sin to consent to take such an ignorant fellow for the pastor of his soul if he can have better ; if this man , i say , go to the next parish church for sacraments , he is to be suspended first and next excommunicate : specially if he should judge that ignorant reader , no true minister for want of necessary capacity . . surplices , hoods and tippets are made the matter of obedience , canon fifty eighth . . by canon thirty eighth no minister must refuse or delay to christen any child ( without exception ) according to the form of the common prayer , that 's brought to church to him on sundaies or holy-daies , though the parents be both jewes or heathens or atheists or sadducees : the minister must be suspended that refuseth it . . the seventy first canon suspendeth all ministers that preach in any private house ( except to the sick or impotenti n time of necessity . ) by which had paul here preached publickly and from house to house , or timothy in season and out of season as dreadfully adjured , or christ preacht as he oft did , they must be suspended : and every minister that preacheth to his family . and no doubt , repeating his sermon , is preaching the same again . . all ministers must be suspended and then excommunicate , that without the bishops licence appoint or keep any solemn fasts publickly or in private houses , other than by law appointed , or be wittingly present at any : though it were in time of plague , or when divers of his neighbours are sick or troubled in conscience , or in preparation to a sacrament , or on some great occasion in noble-mens houses and chappels : he is not to be trusted to fast and pray with his own flock or friends , or come among them , lest being excommunicate he be a damn'd schismatick . the same prohibition is for holding meetings for sermons called exercises : which arch-bishop grindall was zealous to set up , ( q. was he then a schismatick ? or is the damning dangerous engine made since ? ) . by canon seventy third if any ministers meet in any privat ehouse ( as many did by consent in . and . ) to do any thing that any way tends to impeach the common prayer or any part of the government and discipline ( e. g. to petition king or parliament for the least reformation of it ) he is excommunicate ipso facto . . canon seventy fourth brings all ministers apparel under church laws , for the shape . . canon seventy sixth excommunicateth all that voluntarily relinquish their ministry , and use themselves as a lay-men . and man having free will , that is done voluntarily , which is done in obedience to mens command : and yet we are ruined in the world , if we will not leave our ministry , at their command . . it 's tedious to go over all the rest : i end at the end of them . canon . excommunicateth all them that affirm that the synod is not the true church of england by representation : that is , . all that take it for the church real and not representative , lest they make the diffused church ( people and all ) to be chief church-governours , while convocations govern but as their representatives . . all that say , that it is only the bishops and not the presbyters in convocation that are the governing canon-making church . . all that say that the clergy represent not king , nobles , parliaments , laiety , and that these are true parts of the church of england . all these are ipso facto excommunicate . . the . canon excommunicateth them that deny the canons obligation of absent dissenters , which yet even many papists deny of councils canons . . the last canon excommunicateth all that contemn these canons , as taking them to be the work of a company of persons that conspired against religious godly men . all this huge catalogue are here excommunicate . . if any part of all this be schism , mr. dodwell ad this man seem to teach separation from the church of england : or if the late silencing , hunting and ruining of two thousand ministers were schism , and as bad as bishop taylor in duct . dubit . mr. hales of eaton , chillingworth , &c. say of the like , then these men make all the church of england to be in as damnable a state as adulterers and murderers . yea they make all damnable schismaticks that hold communion with the church of england ; for that is their sentence on them that communicate with schismaticks ; viz. that they are guilty of their schism . . they unchurch and damn the churches of corinth , galatia , laodicea , ephesus , smyrna , &c. in the apostles dayes : for the scripture tells us of many guilty of schism in all these , and yet the rest communicated with them ; for the scripture speaks more of schism in a chruch , than of schism or separation from a church , rom. . . cor. . . & . . & . . mat. , . luke . , . i cor. . . jam. . , . and yet no one was commanded to separate from those churches ; no not from those that had heresies among them , such as denyed the resurrection , and taught fornication , and eating things offered to idols , that were drunk at the sacrament or love-feasts , nor those that had jewish schismaticks , who talkt like ours , act. . except ye be circumcised and keep the law of moses , ye cannot be saved . the churches were not all unchurcht and damn'd that communicated with such . yea peter was guilty of encouraging them in schism , that would not eat with the christian gentiles , but he was not unchristened by this . . they separate from or unchurch almost all the ancient churches in the dayes of the most famous emperours and councils . for i have manifested past doubt that they almost all did hereticat●●●● or separate from one another . it was schism either in victor to excommunicate the asian bishops , or in them to deserve it and be excommunicate . the owning or disowning several councils , specially that of calcedon and that at constde tribus capitulis , &c. was the schism of almost all the imperial churches ; one part condemning the other . and if either were in the right , it salves not the case with them : for most of the same men that went that way call'd the right in one princes reign , went contrary in the next , and so condemned each other round ; especially about images adoration . . hereby they cut off that succession of that sort of ordination , which they say must be uninterrupted , while it came down from churches excommunicated by one another , or make the proof of it impossible . . they separate from all the greek church at this day , as guilty of schism , both in their succession from schismaticall bishops , at constant . alexand. antioch , jerusalem , &c. and in their excommunicating not only the church of rome for a wrong cause ( the filioque , but other churches , and for divers acts of schism . . they must by their principles separate from the abassines , aegyptians , syrians , and all the eastern and southern churches that are called jacobites , and nestorians : for councils and other churches condemn them : and they condemn the councils of ephesus , and calcedon , and all since : and they must separate from and condemn the churches of armenia , georgia , circassia , &c. because they separate from others , and are separated from . . their principles utterly unchurch the church of rome , . especially because it is guilty of the greatest schism on earth , by setting up a false church form and head : . and because they schismatically condemn and unchurch three parts of the church on earth , even all save their sect : . and for their many other schismatical doctrines and practices : . and as being condemned by the greek protestants and most churches , and separated from by the church of england which they own . . they separate in principles from all or near all general councils ( save the first ) as having separated from other councils and condemned them , and being again condemned by them . . some of them condemn and separate from all the protestant churches that have bishops , in sweden , denmark , germany , transylvania , &c. because they had not their ordination successively from bishops but presbyters at the reformation : and because they have been guilty of schism against others . . the principles of mr. dodwel and his associates condemn the church of england , as schismatical , . those that claim succession from rome , whose own succession hath been oft and long interrupted , by incapacities and schisms . . for holding communion with those protestant churches which these men call schismaticks . . they condemn and separate from all the churches called presbyterian in france , holland , geneva , scotland formerly , and those in helvetia that have no bishops ; tho some would threat kindness on them by saying that they would have them and cannot ? and why cannot they ? . their principles make the bishop of oxford , bristol , &c. schismaticks : for their dioceses are churches taken out of churches , being lately parts of other dioceses . . and they condemn all the parish churches in england as churches distinct from cathedrals : for they are all churches gathered out of churches : at first the cathedrals were the only single churches : next monasteries were gathered ; and next our parish churches . and the parish church of covent-garden , is a church taken out of a church . . their principles damn st. martin that separated to the death from all the bishops synods and them that were near him ( save one man ) because they perswaded maximus to use the sword against priscillian gnosticks , and brought men of strict religion under suspicion of priscillianism : and sure the ruined persecuted protestants here , are more orthodox than the priscillians . and they damn gildas that told the english clergy , that he was not eximius christianus that would call them ministers ; ( do they not disgrace the many churches dedicated to the memory of st. martin , if he be a damned man ? ) i doubt they damn paul and barnabas for local angry separating from each other : whatever they do by peter and barnabas for the separation blamed gal. . . if all are schismaticks that here conform not , all those called conformists are such , that conform to the words in a false sence . . they separate from all that obey the twentieth canon of the nicene council : and from all that obey the councils that forbid communicating with a fornicating priest : and from all that obey the councils which nullifie the episcopacy of such as are obtruded by magistrates , or not consented to by the clergy and people . and many more such . abundance more instances of their separation , and damnation , i might adde : in a word , i think then principles are , as i first said , for damning and separating from all men living , for all men living are guilty of some sort and degree of schism , that is , of errours , principles or practices in which they culpably violate that union and concord that should be among christians and churches : every defect of christian love , and every sinful errour , is some degree of such a violation . all christians differ in as great matters as things indifferent : and no man living knoweth all things indifferent to be such : and these men distinguish not of schism , nor will take notice of the necessary distinctions given ( in the third part of the treatise of church concord , ) and solutio cont●●●● causeth pain : nor do they at all make us understand what sort of separation it is that they fasten on , but talk of separation in general , as aforesaid . lxxxvii . they seeme to be themselves deceived by the papists in exposition of cyprians , words de vnit. eccles . vnus est episcopatus , &c. but they themselves seem to separate from cyprian as a schismatick , and consequently from all the church that hath profest communion with him , and with all the councils and churches that joyned with him : for cyprian and his council erred by going too far from the schism and heresie of others , nullifying all their baptisms , ordinations and communions : and for this errour they declared against the judgment of the bishop of rome and other churches ; and they were for it condemned as schismaticks by the said bishop : and here is a far wider separation than we can be charged with . . and cyprians words came from the mind that was possest with these opinions , and are expressive of his inclination . . yet they are true and good , understood as he himself oft expounds them ; the bishop of oxford citeth some instances , many more are obvious , in which he opposeth the bishop of rome , saying , that none of them pretendeth to be a bishop of bishops ; and limiting every man to his own province , and saying that they were to give account to none but god , with much the like . but in what sence is episcopacie one ? . undoubtedly not as numerically in the personal subjectum relationis : one bishop is not another ; if you should say paternity is one , none believe that one mans relation of paternity is anothers . the relation is an accident of its own subject , as well as quantity , quality , &c. . nor doth any man believe that many bishops go to make up one bishop in naturals . . nor did ever cyprian hold or say that all bishops go to make up one politick governing aristocracie , as many go to make one senate or parliament , that hath a power of legislation and judgment by vote as one persona politica . he never owned such a humane soveraignty . but episcopatus unus est , i. in specie , all bishops have one office ; . objective : as the catholick church is one , whose welfare all bishops ought to seek : . and so finaliter as to the remote end ; and are bound to endeavour concord . . and as effects , all are from one efficient institutor . as it may be said that all official magistracy in england is one : . as from one king or summa potestas : . as described by one law , and as justices of one species : . as all their cities and counties and hundreds are but part of one kingdom , whose welfare all are for : . and as they are all bound to keep as much common concord as they can ; if any mean more , they should ten us what ; if any mean that all bishops make one numerical universal government , they are heinous schismaticks , and the kingdom is sworn agaisst their judgment : and these men damn them in damning schismaticks . the truth is , cyprian de unitate , ecclesiae ( leaving out the papists additions ) is a good book and worthy , to be read of all ; and take cyprian's description of the epispcopacy of the church which we must unite with , and the nature of that union , and we would rejoyce in such . but if cyprian had lived to see 〈◊〉 arians or donatists the greater number ; or any sect after 〈◊〉 themselves the church because that princes set them up , and had seen them depo●●●●e chrysostome and such other , doubtless he would never have pleaded the unity of episcopacy for this , but have judged as he did in the case of martial and basilides ; nor did he ever plead for an universal humane soveraignty . lxxxviii . if we are damned schismaticks , i can imagine no pretended manner of separation in which our schism consists , but first , either local as such . . or mental , as such . . or local , caused by mental . if local , as such be it : all christians are schismaticks , for being locally separated from others , and absent from all churches ; and places save one . if mental separation be it , either all mental division is such , or but some only ; if all , then all mortal men are schismaticks , as differing in a multitude of things from others ; if it be not all , what is it ? is it all difference in the essentials of christianity ? we grant it ; and we are charg'd with no such thing . is it all difference in the integrals or accidents ? so do all differ that are not perfect . is it all want of love , or all vncharitableness to one another ? all on earth have some degree of it ; and those are likest to have most , that do as the bishops did against the priscillianists , bring godly people under reproach , on pretence of opposing heresie ; or that seek the silencing , imprisonment , banishment or ruine of men as faithful as themselves : for our parts , we profess it our great duty , to love all men as men , all christians as christians , all godly men as godly , all magistrates as magistrates , &c. is it for our separating in mind from any principles in specie necessary to communion in the church universal , or single churches ? let it be opened what those principles be : we own all christianity , and all ministry of gods institution , and all his church ordinances : we own bishops over their flocks , let them be never so large , so they be capable of the work and end , and alter not the true species ; and we submit to any that shall by the word admonish pastors of many churches of their duty , or sin , or seek their good . nor do we refuse obedience to any humane officers set up by princes , to do nothing against christs laws , not nothing but what is in princes power in the accidents circa sacra . is it because we disown any numerical rulers ? we own the king and his magistrates , we own all that we can understand to be true pastors ; and if we are in doubt of their calling , we resist them not , unless obeying christ before them be resistance : but our accusers loudly profess , that usurpers are not to be owned ; and if they go on the ground , that he hath right that the prince is for , we would know , whether that hold in turky , in italy , spain , france , or only in england , or where ? if it be where princes are orthodox , do they make all the people judges of their princes orthodoxness ? and we would know , whether every bishops and priests right , as a true minister , called of god , and set over us , be necessary to salvation , to be believed or known by all the people ? if it the , wo to us , that ever such men were set over us , whose right we cannot know : what abundance of things go to make a bishops or priests right known ! . that he hath capable sufficiency . . that he is a just bishop , that 's chosen by the king , the dean and chapter obediently consenting , & that the clergy's and peoples consent is unnecessary . . that the diocesan species ( over multitudes of churches without any subordinate bishop ) is of christ , or lawful . . that their work , according to the canon , is lawful . . that all our patrons have right to chuse pastors for all the people . . that they are true pastors over them that consent not . . that if they prove worse far than martial and basilides , and be owned by the bishops as they were , the people may not forsake them ( plebs obsequens divinis praeceptis , ) which saith cyprian have most power to chuse or refuse . is every christian bound on pain of damnation to know all these , and then to examine and judge bishops and priests accordingly ? or if they mistake one or more mens commission , do they therefore separate from the catholick church ? if so , what a case was the east in by the difference between chrysostome and his competitors ? photius and ignatius and hundreds others ? and france , about the archbishops of rhemes , when he was put out that deposed ludovicus . and when an infant was put in , and oft besides ? what if the alexandrians , when athanasius was banisned by , constantine himself , were half for him , and half against him ? or basil at caesarea was put down , and hundreds more , or when theodosius first and second and martian , and valentinian , and zeno , and anastasius and abundance more , set up and pull'd down , and set up again against each other ? what , i say , if the people now mistooke who had the best title ? is this separating from the catholick church ? when the interim cast out hundreds in germany ; when ludovicus cast out multitudes in the palatinate , and half the people stuck to the ejected , persecuted pastor , and the rest to the magistrates choice , which of them separated from the universal church ? is every priest the vniversal church , or an essential part of it ? then it dyeth when he dyeth , and apostatizeth when he doth . how many ages in above duplicates or schisms , was the world uncertain which was the true pope ? suppose , e. g. arthur jackson , edmund calamy , and many such were placed in their incumbency , by the bishops , patrons and parish consent , according to the law of christ and the land , and by a mew act of uniformity they be all turned out , the flock not consenting , nor any bishop accusing , trying or deposing them ( save in legislation , ) and some of the parish think this dissolveth not their relation to him , and they cleave to him as before , without any change save of place and tythes , and others forsake such a one , and follow the magistrates choice , may not both these be still of the catholick church ? if not , i know where the old canons laid the charge and danger . it 's wonderful selfishness in those men , that if they can but get into the seat , take it for granted , that all must own their right on pain of damnation . and what if in any such land , the prince change his mind , or the next differ , and put down all these same men , and set up such as differ from them more than we do , is it damning schism for any of their people still to adhere to them ? lxxxix . do you find that mr. dodwel , dr. saywel , dr. sherlock , or any of these men , do , in pulpit and press , ingenuously tell the people the truth of the case , when they liken men as schismaticks to murderers for danger ? did you ever hear them say , [ the canon , which is the churches voice and law , doth excommunicate you all that do own your opinions against conformity , and commandeth us not to admit you to the sacrament , and yet to pronounce your excommunication for not taking it : we confess they have been holy and learned men that have thought many things imposed unlawful ; and therefore we wonder not if it be not in your power to change your judgment , no more than to be perfect in knowledge ; and we confess if you are unjustly excommunicated , or any of the things made necessary to communion be against gods word , then it is the church that guilty of schism , but because this is not so , we accuse you of schism , even of separating from the vniversal church , and from salvation . xc . i do admire , that never any one of them would be prevail'd with to prove the canons excommunications ipso facto lawful , when even papists have scorn'd all such doings ; and when the learnedst of all their own admired men , that were for comprimising matters with rome , even mar. ant. de dom. spalatensis de rep. eccl. hath so confidently , copiously and strenuously damn'd it : christ would have none excommunicate , whatever the crime be , without impenitency after due admonition for repentance , but these canons ipso facto condemn and excommunicate godly men , without ever admonishing them , or calling them to repent , or hearing or seeing them : nothing is necessary but the proof of the fact , and then the law is instead of a judge ; and to oblige the people to avoid them , it must be published . if this and all things named in the first plea for peace , be sinless , studying and disputing is not the way to know what is sinful . xci . but , saith the resolver , [ christ hath but one body , and to be a member of two separate and opposite churches , is to be contrary to ourselves . ] ans . but i had hoped your catechized boyes had known , . that one body hath many parts . . that particular churches are parts of this body , as corporations are of the kingdom . . that all the parts are imperfect , and made up of none but sinners . . that every good man is partly bad , and so contrary to himself . that churches may be so far separate as to be distinct , and yet not so far as to be contrary or opposite . . that they may be opposite in accidents and integrals , that are one in specie in essentials . . that a man may own several churches , and communicate with them for that which they agree in , and yet not own both , ( or either perhaps ) in that which they are opposite in . . that there being somewhat opposite in all men and churches on earth , you damn your selves for communicating with them . . that a man may have more communion with the church which he locally separateth from , even for sin , than with that which he is present with . e. g. a congregation or nation of men of eminent sanctity and order , sound doctrine and worship , may , by humane frailty take some one falsehood or uncertain thing to be necessary to ministry or communion ( as they say some churches unhappily of late reject all that own not the antiquity of the hebrew points ) i cannot have local communion with that church , for they will not receive me , unless i subscribe either a falshood , ( or that which i judge false ; ) but yet i highly honour and love them , and have mental catholick communion with them , when perhaps necessity may make me locally join with a church of far worse men and order , that will impose no sin on me . . and i would advise these men , did they not despise my advice , for the church of englands sake , and their own , to retract their errours , and not lay such a snare before the people . should you say in the pulpit , [ if the church be guilty of any schism by her impositions , ( oft-named ) excommunications and silencing of christs ministers , and afflicting good people without just cause , then i , and all that communicate with it and me , communicate in the guilt of schism , and are all in as much danger of damnation by it as adulterers and murderers ] tell not your hearers this , for if you do , some will think you bid them separate or be damned , and only make a doubt whether most men have noses or not . xci . qu. but is not the inference true ? ans . no , it 's false : there are twenty cases in which . one may be guilty of schism and not be a schismatick , as denominated from what predominateth : . and as many in which he is not at all guilty that communicateth with the guilty . and let the world ( that is sober and awake ) judge now whether these men or we be the greater schismaticks , and which more condemneth or separateth from the church of england . we say that all churches have some degree of schism , and so hath the church of england , as it hath imperfection , errour and sin ; but that it is not therefore no church , nor is it unlawful to communicate with it ; all christians and churches must not be separated from that are guilty of some degree of schism . if any will turn these serious matters into jest , and say , as dr. saywell , that they will receive greeks , lutherans , &c. that come to their communion , his serious readers will tell him , that so will most sects receive those that approve of their communion and come to them : joyning with you signifyeth that they are of your way therein ; but will you go to their churches and communicate with them ? you will receive the damned schismaticks if they come to you , when yet you make it damnable to joyn in their meetings with them . this quibbling beseems not grave men in great matters . to conclude , reader , god having allowed more legislative power to men in things secular than in religion , i may say this case is like ours in debate . i. some judges and lawyers say , that the oath of allegiance makes a subject in this kingdom ; that the renouncing or violating it by treason , or rebellion , or deserting the kingdom , overthrows the relation . but that other particular faults or quarrels against neighbours , justices , judges , yea the king himself , are punishable according to the laws , but are not all rebellion , nor dissolve subjection , nor oblige the subjects to renounce civil converse with each other ; though some contempt and obstinacy may outlaw them . such is our judgment of church relation and communion , which need not rehearse . ii. suppose a sect of lawyers and judges arise , that say , no men are the kings subjects , but are rebels , that break any of his laws , that shoot not in long bows , that bury not their dead in woollen , that swear prophanely , that eat flesh in lent unlicensed , that have any unjust law-suit , that wrong any neighbour , that oppress any poor man , all these are rebels ; yea all that plead opposite causes at the bar , and all judges that judge contrary to one another , and all that misunderstand any point of law and practice accordingly , and all that besides the oath of allegiance do constitute marriages , families , schools , societyes by any other covenants of their own , and all that are of different cities and companies , parts of the kingdom , or all whose justices , mayors , sheriffs , &c. differ from one another in any point of law and practice : or all that obey not every constable and justice ; or that go to divers justices in the same precincts , or that go from one justice to another to avoid unrighteous judgment , or that go from the physician of the place for health , and from the schoolmaster of the town for greater edification , or that travel beyond sea for knowledge , yea all that understand not every word in the law , that may concern them : if any say , none of these are the kings subjects , but rebels , opposite to him and one another , and deserve to be all hang'd as murderers , and so are all that have communion with them ; quaere , . whether these men are for the unity of england ? . and are friends to the king that deprive him of all his subjects ; as much as those that would have him have no subjects , that be not of the same age , stature , complexion and wit. . and whether they are friends to mankind ? . and whether they . condemn not themselves if they live not as anchorets , out of humane society . . and whether that nation be not by infatuation prepared for destruction that would believe them , and would hate , scorn and ruine them that are of the first mentioned opinion , according to the saying , quos perdere vult jupiter , hos dementat . as to the more dangerous doctrine now threatning this land , that would subject england to a foreign jurisdiction , on pretence of a necessity of either an universal church monarch , or church-parliament senate or council , or of all the church on earth represented by patriarchs or metropolitans , or that plead for subjection to them , under the name of communion , they require a distinct answer . but dr. is . barrow , and mr. beverley's catholick catechism , have effectually done it . finis . the second part against schism : being animadversions on a book famed to be mr. raphson's . london : printed for tho. parkhurst , at the bible and three crowns in cheapside , near mercers-chappel . . to the reader . reader , when i had written the first of these discourses , i came after to know more of the authors judgment , by another book against me ; which i also answered , but it lyeth by unprinted . i also wrote , for the use of some private friends , my reasons for communion with those parish-churches who have capable ministers , which many importuned me to print ; but that also is yet undone : but a book famed to be mr. raphsons coming out , i thought it my duty to animadvert on that , and to bear my testimony against schism on both extreams , left i be guilty of partiality , and of the sin and suffering of many that may be deceived by them . if these two be not overmuch discouraged , the other two against both the extreams may come hereafter . the second part against schism , &c. the reasons of mr. raphson , and such others , against going to the parish-churches , considered . the matter of his book , as against persecution , is very considerable ; the stile is very close and pungent : his doctrine against communion with the churches that use the liturgy , is that which i examine . the sum of it is , . that kneeling at the reception of the sacrament , and the use of the liturgy , are unlawful . . that they are false worship , and idolatry . . that the places where they are used , are idol-temples . that to joyn there in them , is to partake in idolatry . . the proof of all this is by this argument ; worship not institute , is not lawful ; but kneeling in receipt of bread and wine , is worship not instituted by christ : therefore not lawful ; therefore not pleasing , p. , . to which , by way of motive , he addeth , p. . how many once in the separation , are returned back to the vomit they once cast up , and wallow in the mire of a worldly worship ? &c. is compliance in idol-temples , going to dan and bethel , bowing to baal , sitting , or drinking with the superstitious inacts of religious adoration , a witness for , or against defection ? are you turned as silly sheep ( that once were called shepherds ) , to bleat after other shepherds , that christ never sent , nor bid you go after them , &c. looks it not like a declining of the camp of christ , the work of the gospel , and setting your face towards babel , & c. ? is scandal of no weight with you , & c. ? how dare you venture your souls to sit under means that he says shall not profit you ; and which is worse , lies under his curse ? jer. . . mal. . . with more such . either this writer knoweth how ill he dealeth with his reader , or not : if he do , it 's a double fault : if not ( which i think ) , it 's a doleful case , that every well-meaning man , that can but be confident in his ignorance and error , and father it on god , should become such a snare to them that cannot see through his pretences , and should himself suffer for sinning , and call it the cause of god , and condemn all that sin not as confidently as he ; and hereby harden his afflicters , by shewing them his weakness , and impenitently justifying his sin . if he would not have ensnared his reader , he should first have opened the meaning of the words of his question , that they might know how much of the dispute is material , and how much only about words . . and then he should have so proved his assertion and accusation , as might satisfie a good conscience in a matter wherein god , the church , and souls , are so much concerned ; and not have poured out accusations by way of motives , upon unproved and false suppositions . i find but one argument , which i shall now answer plainly : his major is , [ worship not instituted , is not lawful ] ans . . the word [ worship ] in general , signifieth , . any thing done in honour to another ; and so all our obedience to god is worship : it is to his glory that we must do all . i suppose that this he meaneth not . . any immediate act or expression of the honour and reverence of the heart . if this be not it that he meaneth by worship , i know not what he meaneth . this worship , as within , is the secret act of the soul ; as exprest , it is the act of the body . of such worship there are two sorts : one sort is made necessary , statedly , by god's commanding it in particular . to this no man must add the like , or from it diminish any thing so commanded , either pretending god's authority , or his own . the other sort is but the subordinate ordering of the former , and is but the manner of doing it . this god doth not institute in particular , but only give man a general rule , how to choose it himself ; which is , that all be done in love , and to edification , decently and in order . either this latter sort is to be called worship , or not : if it be , then it falls under his opposition : if not , then , . he must give us a definition of worship , which shall exclude it ; and so worship must be somewhat else than the direct or immediate acting or expressing honour to god : and then who knows what he meaneth by it ? . and then when we plead for mens making none but this , he should to avoid deceit , confess that the controversie is only of the name ( whether modes and circumstances of god's instituted worship , may be called worship ) , and not at all of the thing ( whether it be lawful or not ) : this had been like a christian teacher . now i answer , . to his first proposition : . worship which is neither instituted particularly , nor in the general , appointing man how to choose it , is unlawful , . and to invent worship without god's allowance , contrary , or of the same kind , as if he had not done his part , is unlawful . . but for man to choose and use such worship as is but the right ordering of god's institutions , is commanded by him , and a duty ; and therefore not unlawful . . as to his minor , or second proposition , i answer , kneeling at the sacrament , and communicating with parish churches that have tollerable ministers , are not instituted of god in particular , but the genus of them is instituted , and we commanded to choose our selves , according to god's general rules , to the best of our understanding : and so they are our duty , and not unlawful . i give the instances of these two sorts of worship : first , god hath instituted , that our minds worship him , in believing , and receiving all his gospel revelations , and trusting them ; and in desiring all things petitioned in the lords prayer , and in consenting to all commanded in the scriptures ; and in dedicating our selves to him cordially in baptism , and renewing it in the lords supper , in commemoration of christ's death , till he comes . he hath instituted the corporal expresions of all these ; that we confess christ in all the necessary articles of faith ; that we ask the petitions of the lords prayer ; that we perform the commands of the decalogue towards god , and all others in the scripture . these are the instituted worship which none must alter . secondly , the manner and ordering which is the second sort ( which i leave every one to call worship , or not , when they have defined worship ) which man may , and must chuse himself , without any particular institution of god , contain such acts as these . . undetermined gestures of reverence and honour in time of publick worship . as to be uncovered , or put off the hat at prayer , or the lord's supper . this we do directly in honour and reverence to god , whom we there worship ; and therefore it is it self a subordinate act of worship . so to stand , or kneel at prayer , and not to sit . though in scripture we read of sitting , standing , kneeling , and prostration : yet no one of these is made necessary by institution : yet are they subordinate acts of worship , expressing our inward worship of god : and the reason why being uncovered , or kneeling , are now chosen , is not a particular institution , but because the custom of the country hath made them the most congruous expression of our inward worship : when as paul tells us , that then and there it was a sharne for a man to be covered : and the whole church for many hundred years forbad all kneeling , in adoration , on the lord's days . and more , to these i add , the gesture of the adult in baptism , whether they shall be baptized kneeling , to signifie humble reception , or not , is left to choice . so is the gesture in singing psalms : if any think , that speaking to god by prayer , praise , or thanksgiving in psalms , should in honour to god be done standing , or kneeling , rather than sitting , it is no addition to god's institution . and that we commonly use sitting in psalmody , and not when we pray in prose , is meerly because custom maketh one more offensive than the other . the same i say of the gesture of preaching , which some do sitting with their hats on , and others stand to avoid a seeming dishonour of gods name and service . also , some holy nonconformists i have known , that would rarely name god but with their hats put off , or bowing their heads ; or with hands and eyes lift up towards heaven . ( old mr. atkins at tipton near dudley , did thus use to shew such reverence , when he named god , that would strike reverence into those that saw and heard him : and hath oft affected me more than a sermon . ) this was external worship , not instituted in the particulars , but in general of reverence to god. . another instance is in vows to god , which are acts of worship : but for the matter of them , several things may be vowed which are not particularly commanded , but onely in the general . and for the form or words , i do not think that mr. raphson can shew me all that vow called the covenant , in any particular institution ; and yet i conjecture , that he taketh it not to be idolatry , nor unlawful . . another instance is , in things devoted and offered to god the scripture in general saith , honour god with thy substance , and with the first fruits of thy increase . and that christians at first sold all , and laid at the apostles feet ; which yet peter tells ananias he might have chosen not to do . and for many hundred years after , they brought their weekly donations for the ministers , sacraments , and poor , to the altar , and offer'd it first to god : and so paul would have the corinthians give their collections as to god , for the saints . but no institution told them how much they should give , but the general rule . . another instance is , the length or degree of outward worship : if i pray two hours rather than one , it is an act of honour , or worship , not particularly commanded . so whether men shall in publick read one chapter , or two ; sing one psalm or two , or more , is undetermined by god . another is about set days and hours for worship ; as to keep a yearly thanksgiving for deliverance from the powder plot ; the spanish invasion ; for the reformation , &c. so also fasts , and what days lectures shall be kept , and what hour : and what day and hour the lord's supper shall be administred ; which are circumstantial acts of worship . . another instance is in the choice of psalms and hymns : the use of davids are lawful , and so are others : but no institution tyeth us to one , but leaveth us to chuse . . another instance is in the tunes and metre of psalms , which we use as subordinate acts of worship . it is but lately that the churches used metre and melody of tune ; but prose read with a loud voice : yet i hope we are not idolaters for our metre and melody : which i may say also of church musick , which david used , and we may do , where it 's edifying ; but it 's no institution now . yea , when paul directs the church to use psalms , hymns , and spiritual songs ; which is for singing with grace in our hearts to the lord , and therefore it is worship , which some men must indite and make . . another instance is , in the versions of the psalms of david ; where among many we may chuse which seems best . . another instance is , in the publick and private reading of the scriptures translated : where every word is the work of man : god wrote it not in english , but in hebrew and greek ; but man translates it , some well , and some defectively ; yet i hope , an english bible is not an idol . . so also the dividing the scriptures into chapters , and verses , which are the works of man , is no idolatry . . and another instance is , the method and words of sermons and prayers : whether a minister shall preach by way of doctrine , reason , and use ; or otherwise : and expound by way of paraphrase , or otherwise ; what words he shall use , god hath not instituted in particular ; but mens invention maketh these , some suddenly , and some beforehand . . another instance is , the use of helps , or written words ; whether one shall use notes in preaching , and read them , or not ? whether the words of a prayer shall be written , and read , or not ; god hath not determined . and so books of catechism , publick confessions : prayers , meditations as formed ; are all the works of man , and no idolatry . and if parents impose words of prayer on their children , it is no sin ; as deut. . and shew . . another instance is in the form of ordination , when the words and many circumstances are undetermined . imposition of hands is a iawfu sign : and so is doing it by a writing , or by meer words , without that imposition ; some receive it kneeling , some standings ; some by one form of words , some by another , &c. some from one ordainer some from many , &c. and none of these determined by institution . . the same is true of discipline ; the form of words for admonition , for absolution , for excommunication , for the penitents confession and request , are left to humane wisdom , so the matter and manner be regulated by the general law. and they that say , that god hath instituted , that the church shall be governed necessarily by fixed classes , with appeals to national synods , and that here a major vote hath governing power over the lesser part ; yea , and that these must be made up of two sorts of elders , of which one sort are un-ordained , or are not authorised to administer the word and sacraments , do but add to the word of god , if they say these national assemblies are the supreame church-power ; what law of god did ever institute , that a minister , or classis , e.g. in geneva , breme , scotland , is not as much subject to the decrees of a larger council of many nations ; and that the synod at dort had not as much power as a lesser at hague : or a synod of many nations as much as one in scotland ? but if ( as by parity of reason they must ) they say , that general or large councils are the governours of national assemblies , as they are of classis and presbyteries : then they bring us under a foreign jurisdiction , which the kingdom is sworn against ; and i think they are papists , but of the french sort , who make general councils superior governours of the universal church . and if they determine the bounds of church-power , by the magistrates laws , and yet damn erastians , they seem in ignorance to deal too hardly with themselves . . another instance is , in the place of publick worship : god hath not determined where the assembly shall meet : where the pulpit , font , table , &c. shall stand . and if great and lofty structures , called temples , be built , purely to shew how we honour god , and religion : as constantine , and others after him , did at constantineple , alexandria , jerusalem , over the grave of christ , and all over the empire : this actual expression of honour to god , is cultus modalis & secundarius , a subservient sort of worship , and no idolatry , but lawful . . the same i say of church utensils : if for the honour of god and religion , the pulpits , and tables have ornaments of silk , cups , and trenchers , and flaggons of silver ; the font and seats have some special neatness , &c. this is left to man's determination , without any particular institution , and is no idolatry . . and if as judges and lawyers have distinguishing habits , the ministers have so , ( officiating , and at other times ) to no worse end ( or manner ) than the said utensils are put ; i know no institution that is crost by it , nor that forbids it . . another instance may be of speaking in the assembly , whether it shall be one minister , or two , or three . whether lay-men may not be interlocutors by questions , yea , and sometime preach and pray , &c. god hath not particularly determined , but left to human choice . . many good christians knowing the lord's day to be an instituted day of thanksgiving for the greatest mercies , do as an act of honour wear their best cloathes , and feast themselves and the poor accordingly that day : this is lawful , by the general law ; but not particularly instituted by god. . professing signs in our covenantings with god , and confessing of our religion , are left to be chosen onely by the general laws of edification , and order . when a nation , or church , or person renew their covenant with god , and their confession of faith , it may be done ( when the ruler demandeth their consent ) either by word or by subscribing , or by lifting up the hand , or by standing up , or by bowing the head ; for these are all , or most found in scripture instances ; yea , sometimes they fell by prostration to the ground : yea , and so they oft did in receiving a charge or message from god , by his ministers . i will add no more instances ; these are enough . if yet it be said , that none of these be acts of worship : i again answer , . then do not by slander call them so , and say still , that man's inventing or using these , is using false worship , if they be no worship , they are no false worship . confess then , that it 's but a bare name that you charged with idolatry : for its onely such things as these that we would add . . but de nomine , if an action done directly to honour god be to be called worship ; some of these at least may be called secondary subordinate worship : but if you appropriate the name to gods stated ordinances , these must not be called worship ; but the manner , order , circumstances , or accidents of worship . but call them what you will , they are but what god alloweth , and the general of them he commandeth . i need not say much to his applicatory words . . to return from separation , to love and union , is as fitly called , a returning to their vomit , as returning from drunkenness and fornication , to sobriety and chastity may be so called . repentance is casting up our sin. . the names of bowing to baal , dan and bethel , babylon , idols , &c. are as easily used by quakers , ranters , familists , &c. against all god's church and worship : and they were worn so thread-bare by the railing separatists ( then called brownists ) , against the old learned godly nonconformists , that they turned to the speakers reproach . and i suppose he knoweth that the scots were called as bad , and worse , by the army that conquered them in , &c. . that sitting or drinking with the superstitious in arts of religicus adoration , is a sign of defection . this would make all backsliders who so sit and drink with him , and such as he , who is so superstitious , as to turn sin into duty , and duty into sin , and falsly father laws on god : yea , that is worse than superstitious , as is after manifested . . superstition is an offering somewhat as pleasing to god , which is not pleasing to him . all christians havesome degree of this in matter or manner ; for we know but in part , and prophesie in part , &c. and so no christians must joyn with others . but must they not give over all religious duty themselves , seeing their own defects more defile them than other mens ? . christ doth not disown all imperfect worship that hath some superstition : and we must receive one another as christ receiveth us . . it was superstitious persons that paul commandeth christians to receive to communion , rom. . . thus he condemneth the apostles , and the churches then , and the scripture it self . . it is dreadful revolting to choose rather forbearance of all church communion , than to communicate with our parish churches , when better cannot be had , and men are not forced to any sin themselves . and he that will communicate with none that sin in preaching , prayer , sacraments , shall communicate with none . it is a gross service of satan and popery , to fight against love and unity , and bring all the publick assemblies under disgrace , as unlawful , that popery may take possession unresisted . . his words of [ silly sheep bleating after any shepherd , &c. ] are but a net to catch silly souls . it 's the common trap of the papists , to put ignorant people to prove the calling of the ministers , or forsake them . they that preach the gospel , and do the office ( tho faultily ) , and are in possession , have a calling sufficient to justifie the. hearers , when it may not be enough to justifie themselves : a better call than the high priests that christ did send men to . . as to the argument of scandal ; it is of dreadful weight to deter a tender consience ( as from conforming to sin , so ) from his groundless separation , and war against unity and love. . that god saith such means shall not profit ; yea , curseth it , is a slander against god and scripture , and all the church on earth that 's known ; by perverting and misapplying the text. i shall now better prove the lawfulness of using such things as these , than he hath proved it unlawful . . that which no low of god , or valid law of man , forbids , is not unlawful : but the use of the things forementioned , no law of god , or valid law of man forbids : therefore the use of the things forementioned , is not unlawful . he that will say that there is any such law , must shew that law , and prove his affirmative : but let him take heed of adding to god's law : a false prophet that fathered a false message from god , was an heinous sinner . is it not worse falsly to father a law on him ? perhaps they will say , that god forbids , adding or diminishing : i answer , he doth so : therefore let them take heed of it , who say his law forbids that which it never forbad , but in general commandeth . if we must not add to the laws of the land , yet the bookbinder that covereth them , and the lawyers and judges that expound them , do not add thereby to the law. when the hearers bowed , and prostrated themselves in reverence to god , they did not by this add to the law ; nor yet when they made a vow uncommanded , or a free-will-offering : and i think it was no sinful addition to the law , for the publican to smite his breast , and look downward ; and when jeremy said , no man smiteth on his thigh , and saith , what evil have i done ? the meaning is not , no man idolatrously giveth god false worship . and i think , that they that rent their clothes to express their repentance , did not add to god's word , nor yet do it as necessary worship , tho joel says , rent your hearts , and not your garments . some object , that christ's sitting at the sacramental supper , is a law to us , forbidding any other gesture . but this author professeth , that all the actions of christ , or his apostles , are not laws binding us to do the like : if they be , we break many such laws ; as when we do not eat a full meal before the sacrament , when we do it not without women , only to a family , or to twelve , only to teachers , in an upper reom , in an inn , or private house , and that we do not lie along , leaning , as they did ; especially when we take it not at supper-time , and turn the lord's supper to a breakfast or dinner . the apostles brake no law when they differed from any of these , which were but occasional circumstances . it 's said by some , that christ's example binds us to a table-gesture : but . that may be convenient , and yet not necessary : the bare example binds us not to it . . if it did , that were but like the general law ; let all be done to edification , and in order ; and binds to no one sort of gesture at all : for then when they eat standing , it would bind us to stand ; and if they eat kneeling ( as labourers oft do at harvest-work in the fields ) , it would bind us to kneel ; if they eat lying , as the jews did , it would bind us to that : and so this would but tie us to the custom of the countrey . but in feasting with god , we may sometimes do it more lowly than in a common table-gesture , and break no law. when mary was , it 's like , on her knees , washing christ's feet with her tears , if he had offered her bread or wine , it 's like it had been no idolatry so to take it . but the grand objection is , that we worship bread and wine ; which can be no better than a slander , when the very liturgy and doctrine of the church , not only renounce transubstantiation , but the very real presence of christ's body , which yet many thousand protestants believe . object . but you kneel before the bread and wine , and make it a mediate object of adoration , contrary to the second commandment . answ . . we neither make any image , nor invent this medium , nor yet symbolize with idolaters , while we renounce the very object ( transubstantiate bread ) which they adore , and therefore break not the second commandment , no more than we do in kneeling in lawful prayer , because they kneel in praying before images , or to angels . . an object of worship is either a meer motive exciting object , or else a terminative mediate worshipped object . the first is more than lawful : for we should be moved and stirred up by the works of god , even by our meat and drink , by sun and moon , and all that we see , to worship god : and this is properly but the object of our thoughts , and the motive of our outward acts : and the sacrament is no more . but if we did direct our worship terminatively to the bread and wine , as a mediate object , by which it should pass to god , this were to break the second commandment , like image-worship . there are many instances in scripture , of people that have bowed to god before the prophet , moved by his word and presence , who yet break not the second commandment , nor idolized the words or prophets : so joshua fell down to the angel , josh . . we give thanks for the meat that stands before us on the table , as a motive-object ; and we may do it on our knees : is this an idolatrous worshipping of our meat ? i have many a time seen a miserable beggar , when one hath given him money or meat , fall down on his knees , and take it , saying , i thank god and you ; did this make the giver his idol ? how sad is the case of ignorant young christians , whose consciences must be racked or cheated by such sophistry , because their wits be not ripe enough to find out the deceit ? ii. another argument : that is not unlawful which god commandeth us in general to choose and do , and so alloweth in the particulars : but such are the twenty things before mentioned , &c. god commandeth us to do all things in love , and concord , and order , to edification . this must needs reach to the undetermined circumstances . we cannot worship god publickly at all , but it must be in some words , in some gestures , in some time , in some place ; nor profess our faith , and covenant-consent , but by some sign : and so of the rest . if you choose no one , when god hath tied us to none , but bid us choose to edification , we break his general law. if you can prove that we choose amiss , the fault will be , not that we choose , but that we choose not better . iii. that is not unlawful which christ and his apostles did before us without blame , and belongeth also unto us . but such is the use of such modes and circumstances of god's instituted worship , which are left variable , and free to occasional choice , &c. what christ did , i shall speak more anon . paul hath his [ not the lord , but i ] ; signifying , that the thing was not determined by a law , rom. . he judgeth circumstantial differences such as should not break communion , when yet they that kept days , or kept them not ; and they that did eat , or not eat , did it as to the lord. and did he bid them not judg each other for idolatry ? or say , rom. . , . that idolaters were acceptable to god , or approved of men ? or rom ▪ . or bid them receive idolaters , as christ received us ? he regulateth their church-meetings , how many shall speak at a meeting , and by what course and order ; and that women shall be vailed , and not men ; and that they salute each other with an holy kiss , &c. not by a law that setleth the particulars , but by the general law of doing all in order , and to edification ; and pleadeth not institution , but the custom of the churches , which is alterable , as the signification of such acts are . and st. james will have the elders anoint the sick with oyl for recovery , which yet bindeth not us . the papists use this as an institution , as they do imposition of hands in confirmation : they say in ordination , receive the holy ghost , and breathe on the person : they wash the feet of one another in imitation of christ : and yet these men condemn them in this , as superstitious , for imitating christ and his apostles , and scripture-examples , and cry down popery , and at the same time call us idolaters , for going beyond scripture-institution . the same i say of their keeping lent , in imitation of christ's forty days fast , &c. is it idolatry both to follow , and not to follow scripture-examples ? to all the rest i add one instance more : swearing by appeal to god , is a most solemn act of worship : but the sign of taking an oath , is left free to convenient choice . abraham's servant did it by putting his hand under his thigh : was this a common law , or institution ? others did it otherwise : we do it by laying our hand on the book , and kissing it . these . are neither sinful additions , or idolatry . the memorial of god's works , and mens covenants , were kept , sometime by pitching stones , sometime by pillars , sometime by set days ( as the feast of purim , ) sometime by laying up the ensigns ( as goliah's sword , &c. ) and all these lawful , and no ido : latry . iv. lastly , i will unveil these mens doctrine of separation , and then judg whether it be the doctrine of christ , which is a law of love , and union , and peace ; or the wisdom from above , which is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , &c. . it is false , that all such secondary modal worship , is unlawful , which is not instituted by a fixing law. . it is deceit not to distinguish these different things . . the charge of [ false worship ] unexplained , is meer deceit : . worship is so far [ false ] , as it is contrary to the rule . every sermon , prayer or sacrament which we administer , hath faultiness and sin , and is so far [ false worship ] . . but worship offered god on pretence that he instituted it when he did not , or that man hath authority to command the like , is yet worse false worship . . and the worship of false gods or idols , is yet worse than that , and abhorred of god. . his making all faulty circumstances , such as he nameth , to be idolatry , because false , as he calls it , is yet more sinful , and of mischievous importance . . so is it to make the churches idols temples , where they do kneel at the sacrament , and use the liturgy . . so is it to feign falsly , that god calleth men to come out from such , and be separate , because he calleth them out of babylon ; falsly adding to the laws of god. . by his doctrine he maketh christ an idolater ( which imention with horror ) : for he . used circumstances riot instituted before , or by himself : he preached on a mountain , in a ship , &c. not commanded : he commended mary for anointing him , washing his feet with tears , wiping them with her hair , not instituted in particular : he commended the publican for smitinig on his breast , standing far off , not looking to heaven , without particular command : his custom was to go to the synagogue-worship : he from his childhood performed temple-duties and service : he commanded the lepers cleansed to go to the priests , and offer their due , and his disciples to hear the scribes and pharisees in moses chair , &c. and yet . the high priests were not of aaron's line , according to institution . . they bought the office of heathen romans . . they had it not for life , according to institution . . doctrine , worship , discipline and manners , were heinously corrupted , so that the hearers were to beware of the leaven of their doctrine , and not to imitate their lives . . they were bitter enemies of christ , and persecutors : yet christ never bid his disciples to separate from any thing but their errors ; but saith , they shall cast you out of the synagogues . and doubtless christ committed no sin ; nor can we be so holy as he . . he condemneth abraham , and all the jewish church of old , that used such things that were not instituted in worship , as is before mentioned in swearing , &c. . he maketh the apostles idolatrous that used the like . . he maketh the primitive churches idolatrous , and the scriptures to approve it . for they used such uninstituted things : yea , the romans were guilty of differences in god's service , and despising and judging each other for them ; the corinthians were carnal in making parties and divisions , they defrauded each other , and went to law before heathens . they had fornicators , judaizing envious slanderers of paul , heretical deniers of the resurrection ; such as eat in idols temples , or of their sacrifices : were drunk at , or before the sacrament . the galatians are yet sharplier charged : almost all the seven churches rom. . and . had nicholaitans , or jezabels doctrine , which god hated : and no christian is called to separate from the communion of any one of all these ; but commanded to amend , and live in unity , without divison . . he condemneth as idolaters all the churches on earth , for six hundred , if not one thousand years after the apostles ; not one church christian , or heretick ( as far as any history tells us that i have found ) did ever deny such things , as he calls false worship , or idolatry . they all ●ent further than our parish churches do . at baptism they used the white garment , tasting milk and honey , chrisme or anointing the forehead , crossing ; they adored onely standing , and not kneeling , every lords day , all as significant ceremonies : no one church or person is said to scruple these ; i think they did not well : but god rejected not their worship . . he maketh all , or near all the churches on earth , idolaters , at this day : all on earth , save the protestants are far grosser in their liturgies and ceremonies than the english : of the protesants , sweden , denmark , saxony , and all the lutherans , have liturgies , crossing , ceremonies , church-images , consubstantiation . the helvetians are such as are called erastians , making the magistrate , the onely ruler , and sacraments common . geneva , and france , yea and helland , have their liturgies and some rites . . he condemneth presbyterians , independents , anabaptists , and all dissenters that are here called protestants . for they have al many of the foresaid uninstituted things : they put off the hat in church at prayer . they stand up at the blessing ; they use uncommanded gestures at sacrament ; they use psalm-versions , metres , tunes scripture-translations , divisions into chapter and verse , never instituted particularly . the scots used a governement by classes , national assemblies of various elders , ruling by vote , instead of meer consulting for concord , uncommanded . . i humbly propose it to consideration , whether by consequence ( which he seeth not , nor owneth ) do not deny christ , and all the gospel , and work of mans redemption : i challenge him to name me one church on earth for many hundred years after the apostles , that had not that which he calls false worship and idolatry : suppose this were but in a few ages , as the second , third , or fourth century : then a temple of idols , and company of idolaters , is no true church : and if at any time there was no church there was no head of the church : no kingdom , no king : no wife , no husband , that is no christ . how much more , if he make all , or near all the church idolaters to this day , and himself with the rest ? . if it be a heinious sin to bear false witness against a neighbour , or to slander one man , what is it to slander and back-bite all the church on earth , and christ himself ? . is it not a work of satan to destroy love , and to render almost all christians odious ? and doth not he do so , that calleth them idolaters ? is not this preaching men , into the hatred of each other ? do we owe no love to any christians , but such as is due to idolaters ? is not the fruit of the spirit otherwise described ? . doth he not deny that communion of the saints , which is an article of the creed ? and tempt weak christians into sinful separations , divisions , slanders , judgings , murmurings , envies , which are the fruits of the flesh ? . doth not this directly destroy the church by dissolution ? when there is none to be owned or joyned with , that hath not somewhat which he calleth false worship . and is not separating the materials , destroying the house ? . doth he not directly rush into the sin which , he condemneth adding to god's laws , and saying he forbids what he forbids not ? yea , fathering on him laws more rigorous than the jewish , as disowning christ's church as idolators and false worshippers ? . i add , such wofully harden men in that which they themselves suffer by , and which they call enmity and persecution , and make more conformists while they deny it , than r. b. whom he frivolously talketh of , ever did ( except it be a conformity to truth and goodness . ) for when men read and hear others confidently rage against truth and duty , by rash presumptuous ignorance , they judge of all our dissent by this : and while many run into this guilt , it seems to justify their afflicters : and it tempteth weak persons to suffer for sinful separation as evil doers , thinking it is for truth . oh with what grief will understanding men see christians together , as in a state of enmity by mistakes . to see some at once require from others , things good and necessary , things lawful but unnecessary ; things necessary in their genus , but not this more than that , and some things sinful , as if they were all almost alike . to see those whose senses are not exercised to discern things that differ , misled by the words and reverence of men , to swallow some sins as excellent duties , and fly from things lawful ; yea , oft from great duties , as odious sins , and suffer rejoyeingly for sinning against god , and condemning all that sin not as they do ; yea , even all , or almost all the churches on earth ; yea , and calling them idolaters for being wiser and better than they , who alas , do in all things shew themselves to be ignorant babes , and who speak evil of that which they understand not and then to see others revile , and hate , and ruin these mistaking christians by a far more dangerous mistake ; as if religious fear of sin , were an unsufferable thing , and such were intollerable hypocrites , and conscience were a disgraceful thing ; and as if themselves and all mankind were not liable to worser errors , than to take some lawful things for sin , when they see unlawful things stand near them , or among them . but of all this , i have oft spoken , and now only say again , that if those justly called separatists , and who think parish communion under honest ministers to be idolatry , or unlawful , will but without prejudice read what is written to prove it lawful by the old godly , judicious non-conformisits , especially ball 's trial of separation , mr. hildersham mr. bradshaw , dr. ames , mr. cartwright , mr. gifford , mr. john paget , mr. brightman , mr. rathband , &c. they will need no more to save them from this scandalous schism : but if peter withdraw or separate from the gentiles for fear of offending the jewish christians , and barnabas be led away with the dissimulation , paul must oppose it to their faces : and i that have seen what the spirit of division hath done , and read that god never blest unnecessary separation , will imitate paul. and if this world be uncurable , the lord prepare me for that world where love and unity have no enemies . finis . admirable and notable prophesies vttered in former times by . famous romain-catholickes, concerning the church of rome's defection, tribulation, and reformation / written first in latine, & now published in the english tongue, both by iames maxwell ... maxwell, james, b. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc . estc s ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) admirable and notable prophesies vttered in former times by . famous romain-catholickes, concerning the church of rome's defection, tribulation, and reformation / written first in latine, & now published in the english tongue, both by iames maxwell ... maxwell, james, b. . [ +] p. printed by e.a. for w. harper, and t. harper, and are to be sold at their shop in s. paules churchyard, london : . title within illustrated border. imperfect: lacks all except t.p. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -- controversial literature. christian union. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion admirable and notable prophesies , vttered in former times by . famous romain-catholickes , concerning the church of rome's defection , tribulation , and reformation . written first in latine , & now published in the english tongue , both by iames maxwell a researcher of antiquities . london , printed by e : a. for w. harper , and t. harper , and are to be sold at their shop in s. paules churchyard . anno dom. . an epistle for true love, unity, and order in the church of christ, against the spirit of discord, disorder and confusion &c. recommended to friends in truth, chiefly for the sake of the weak and unstable minded ... / by anne whitehead, mary elson. whitehead, anne, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing w estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an epistle for true love, unity, and order in the church of christ, against the spirit of discord, disorder and confusion &c. recommended to friends in truth, chiefly for the sake of the weak and unstable minded ... / by anne whitehead, mary elson. whitehead, anne, - . elson, mary, or - . p. printed by andrew sowle, london : . reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an epistle for true love , unity and order in the church of christ , against the spirit of discord , disorder and confusion , &c. recommended to friends in truth , chiefly for the sake of the weak and unstable minded , for information and encouragement in our christian unity and society , held in the spirit of christ , both in faith and practice . by two servants of the church , according to our measures , anne whitehead , mary elson . but god hath tempered the body together — that there should be no schisme in the body , but that the members should have the same care one for another , cor. . london , printed by andrew sowle , and are sold at his shop in devonshire new-buildings , without bishops-gate , . an epistle for true love , unity & order , &c. dear friends ; whom the lord hath called out of the world's ways and manners , and chosen to himself , and found faithful according to the proportion of faith , and measure of his grace received , how to walk , oh! let us hold fast that which we have received , that none may take our crown : oh! let us keep to our first love , let us do our first works , and be rightly zealous for the lords honour ; and so with a good conscience towards god , and in the sweet spirit of peace , seeking good one toward another , as good examples and wholesome paterns in our practices . oh! let us keep our good order in the truth , and unity of the spirit , even as we received of christ jesus in the beginning , that we should walk in the light , as he is in the light ( so shall we have fellowship one with another ) which light is one in us all , & the one only true & living way , leading to the knowledge and living obedience of the one , true and living god , that in his own living spirit of truth , we might worship him , and in all wholesome service hold forth his holy & reverend name to be one in us all , who are gathered into it , serving the lord with one heart , one soul , one mind and one consent . — and in the beginning of our day , you that were then born and brought forth in the truth , you know the harmony of our unity was our beauty and comliness , yea , our strength and compleatness , so far as we had obtained then ; and so 't is now , blessed be the lord , can we with one heart say , who by his heavenly power have been from the beginning kept upon his everlasting foundation of true unity , held in his spirit , which is the bond of our peace , to this very day and time , in which the lord hath suffered blindness , in part , to happen to some , through their own neglect of watchfulness , and declining their first love by the enemy's subtilty prevailing , who came out amongst us , and had a part in the belief and discovery of the way of truth ; but now , some only have the sheeps clothing , and others have lost that too , who through a prejudiced mind are alienated from that unity of spirit and bond of peace , in which we keep our wholesome practices , which we have received in the unity and order of the gospel of peace , and truth of christ jesus , in the fellowship of the spirit , in bowels of mercy , being like-minded , and of one accord , in whatsoever things are true , just , honest , and of good report ; not that we should think of them only , but be in the practice of them , ( as we are ) and feel the god of peace with us therein , who are confirmed in the testimony of christ jesus , the one guide , way and rule we are to walk after , where all speak one thing , that there be no dissention amongst us , but to be knit together in one mind and in one judgment ; this we have received of christ jesus , one lord , ring and only law-given , that we might walk so in subjection to his rule and government , that all things might be done decently and in order ; for our god is the god of order , in all the churches of his saints , and not the god of confusion , blessed be his name ; but to our burden and grief , we find among some , a contrary spirit that will not subject to unity in wholesome practice , amongst as , and that will needs interpole to destroy unity in same places , and obtrude it self to confound our wholesome order and practices received amongst us , as a church and people . and through this contrary spirit , and prejudiced mind , the accuser of the brethren is broken out , under a sp●●●ous pre●ence , crying out . liberty of conscience , liberty of conscience , in opposition to those needful , convenient and wholesome practices exercised amongst us , in outward things , to which we are called , as a people that are distinguished from the world 's dark ways and corrupt manners , in keeping our consiences void of offence towards god and man , in keeping both in the power and form of godliness . now that the simple may not be enshared , nor the weak unstable minded deceived , not the unwatchful at unawares overtaken , through the crafty insinuations of this accusing , opposing , dividing spirit , that is at work in this our day , to confound order , against the peaceable government of christ , amongst his people ; therefore in duty to the lord , and to clear my conscience , for the sake of those before-mentioned , are these few lines writ ; wherefore in humility of soul , as before the lord , i beseech you , tender ones , in seriousness , and fear towards god , weigh the matter : this dividing , accusing , prejudicial worker , would introduce a belief , that an apostacy is entring , and we are gone from the beginning , or first principle , and the power lost ; and new forms are setting up , and imposition on consciences , and the like . and amongst whom is all this , say they , but amongst us who are in unity of spirit , both in faith and practices , with sincere mind towards god , are preserved in subjection , peaceably in unity , and wholesome comely order that speaks forth our god to be the god of order ; and 't is amongst these , and such that they imagine this fearful imposture , and atbitrary rule , imposing prescriprions and laws on the tender consciences of the weak , is now gotten up to exercise , and so the liberty of the tender conscience is lost . and you say , they are entangled with a yoke of bondage again , who would divide the heritage of god at this day . pray friends , let us in this consider whether these in this blindness , which god hath suffered through their prejudiced mind , justly to happen in them , by which are they not putting darkness for light and light for darkness , while they are striving in the ●●●●ness of their wills to rule , placing their own wills for conscience , and would have a liberty therein , which christ never set free to any that are in a perverse , gain-saying , opting , willful spirit , void of the reason of truth , and the fellowship that is in it and so are led by a misguided conscience ; for we never understood that conscience to be rightly guided , that was not renewed and regulated by the light of christ iesus , which is one in all consciences , and leads into the s●●●ness of mind , not only in faith , but also in sound judgment and practice ( and in the testimony of christ jesus hath been confirmed in us ) the true re●●●●●er and guide of the conscience void of offence ; but now where self-will is put for conscience , 't is sensibly felt to be a gross mistake . and such are ( in christian charity ) to be pitied and better informed , and indeed much travel hath been for that , so that the mis-led in a contrary judgment might be helped and reduced back into unity and our peaceable fellowship , in our wholesome practices , in the outward affairs of truth ; but that which adds to our sorrow , that though they still ery , the tender consciences , yet woful experience demonstrates it far otherwise , where prejudice hath so hardned , that there is not so much softness left for the reason of truth to take impression , or to receive that which pertains to love and good works , which is one end and product of our meetings , distinctly and respectively the men friends , who discharge their places , to whom the godly women always give the pre-eminence , as brethren and women friends in their places , not seeking rule over one another , but that we may be furtherers of one anothers joy , and be each others crown of rejoycing in the lord , meets in the fear of the lord , as in the light of christ jesus in our consciences , we received , so to walk and do according to the order of his spirit , in which christ is present in our so meeting together ; and the faithful can feal to the testimony of it , to the glory of his name forever . but wherein doth this great and heavy imposition on tender consciences consist ? one thing is , say some , womens meetings are imposed : why do you compel any contrary to their freedom ? no ; all are left to the measure of truth in them , which is one and the same in all consciences ; but informing , instructing and exhorting , that every one be found in the unity of our duty , according to our measure of the light of christ jesus , received to walk in it , as members of his body to discharge our office , and servants in christ family to do our service , as the good women of old were helpers in the work of the gospel , in such things as are proper to us , as visiting and relieving the sick , the poor more especially and destitute amongst us , that they be helped , a also the poor widdows , and fatherless orphans , that the distressed in all things be rightlyanswered , the children at nurse be rightly educated , and well brought up , in order to a future well-being in the creation . again , we being met together , the elder women to instruct the younger to all wholesome things , loving their own husbands and children , to be discreet , chaste , sober , keeping at home , that the word of god we profess be not blasphemed , &c. with many other matters pertient to us , as a meeting whom the lord blesseth with his power and presence , to sustain and bear us up against all our opposers . again , it is imposition ( saith the workers of dissention ) for marriages to offer their intentions to the consideration of the womens meeting . but pray consider , in the reason of truth , a marriage hath an equal concern in the woman , as in the man ; and 't is as reasonable to consider the women may have as near a concern in that matter with the woman , as the men on the other part. and farther 't is said , ' t is imposition to go more than once to the brethrens meeting . but say we , that are in our wholesome practices in these matters , and our consciences bear us witness in the sight of god , our eye is to the honour of his truth therein , therefore cannot encourage or allow people we are concerned with , to hasten or run together in marriage , without due care and weightiness , and that we are satisfied they are clear in all things touching their marriage , as they ought to be , and for which end there ought to be a special care over young people , to whom the aged had need to be examples , both of gravity and good order , that christ's yoke be not cast off by either , nor any false liberty of the flesh set up , encouraged or soothed among us ; wherefore when they have proposed their intentions to one meeting , for them to consider , 't is but reasonable they have time to make inquiry and search into the the matter , so as they may be satisfied , that all things are sweet & savoury , that so far aswe can , we may be approved of by all in such publick affairs . yea , but you will have such to come the second time , who are known to be clear . yea , 't is but reasonable that such should manifest their patience and subjection , as good examples to others , in these needful and wholsome practices , that are of good report . and therefore we cannot approve such in their willful endeavours , to confound the unity of our order in this matter , under pretence of a burden to their conscience ; for it was no burden to come once ; for that meeting in it self being good , just , honest , and of good report , answering the light of christ jesus , which is one in all consciences , as well in the ignorant , blind , mis-guided and erring , because they will not be informed , the light is the same there to reprove and inform , as it is in the conscience ruled and guided by the light : therefore pray consider how that can contract a burden , ( viz. ) the going twice to such a meeting , as before-mentioned , how it can cause a burden on the conscience that is rightly informed , though it may be weak , but rather contradicts the self-will that brings bondage , and blinds the consciences : and are not such rather by their opposing will justly under the reproof of the church , and that endeavours may be , that the understanding of such be opened , and brought to a better information in their consciences ? for from the beginning we believe god's witness in all consciences is one , and its reproofs of one nature and tendance , and its instruction● tending to one and the same end , and leads all , as they are guided by it , into one way which allows of no false liberty . yea , but you are gone from the beginning ; for you had not this way in the beginning , say the opposers . pray consider , above tweny six years ago , in the south parts we were a very little handful of people , gathered into the belief of the light of christ jesus ; so as it is that very principle of life in us , that we through obedience to it might come to know god , as it is eternal life to know him , and rightly to worship him in his spirit , and to be led by him into all truth , and in testimony of his own spirit , in these our practices , which since the lord hath called us to , as we are a people called and gathered by the lord. pray consider , i speak the truth of my knowledge , and my conscience beareth me witness in what i have or shall say in this matter , according to my small portion and measure , in the unity of the grace received ( i give god the glory , in humility of soul before him , for my preservation to this day ) for pray consider , through the smallness of number , in the beginning , we were not so capable as now for order in outward affairs , nor was there then such occasion as now , but then the grace of god grew amongst us , and the mighty arm of his power was manifested , by which many were gathered to believe in the light of jesus christ , it being that , and no other name given under heaven , by which men must be saved . now in our little measure of faith , in this one way , one name , one truth , we were as in a threefold cord of god's love , joyned together ; and as we encreased in number , then occasion begun of services , of several kinds , which we were called in the truth to consider of , which are not so proper here to mention , but this one of marriage . before we were or could be gathered into the order of men & womens meeting : upon the weight of the matter , a necessity did appear , that friends in the unity of the spirit and wisdom of god should consider of a way wherein this matter might be transacted among our selves , in wholesome savoury order , as the truth might in no wise be scandalized , but the testimony of truth born in it to the world : the most convenient method then seen , for truth 's sake , was , that persons declared their intentions in our publick meeting ; after friends were satisfied in their marrying , they took each other in the publick meeting : but after our meetings grew more numerous , and also disorderly spirits began to get up , which were not subject to the truth , such would intrude in to our meetings , to take each other ; so then a necessity in truth required a further method , for a more particular and strict care in this case : in all which we are not gone from the light and power of god , and first principle ; but in these and other things we have been in our good order and practices , and sweet fellowship managed by it ; and i hope the tender in conscience will consider , that are impartially minded , that 't is no imposition to inform and perswade the ignorant and willful to subject in this or any other matter , that is honest , just , savoury and of good report , and lawful to conform to , in the unity of love to practise , being no other but what is consonant to the conscience , swayed and regulated by the light of jesus christ , in which is the true liberty of the conscience , whether weak or strong : for i hope all will conclude , that if the weak , in their little measure of light , be kept conformable to the truth , that by the light they cannot be led in their little measure to oppose the strong in their greater measure ; and may see further , that 't is not reasonable in truth ; for the light cannot contradict it self , and 't is the same in the strong as in the weak ; but 't is greatly to be lamented at this day , that to any that have known the lord , and at any time fellowship among his people , the cross of christ should become so ineffectual , that such blindness is happened , that they should put self-opposing-will for a tender conscience : i do not say , they know it ; but whether they do or no , i pray god open their understandings , and subdue that perverse wilful spirit and cross selfish-humor , that works in opposition to a general good and peaceable subjection amongst the people of the lord and church of christ . surely these , though they may cry , liberty of conscience , and pretend for tender consciences too , yet they are not fit subjects for that liberty that christ redeems to , and sets free in , to serve him with a conscience purged from dead works ; nay , they that set themselves , in their wilful prejudiced opposition , against our peaceable practising in the church of god ; whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are just , whatsoever things are pure , whatsoever things pertain to love , whatsoever things are of good report , phil. . . in which the god of peace is with us now ; that which is opposing our unity therein , would affright the simple ones with amazing expressions of imposition , &c. on weak consciences , and going from the spirit of life and power into the form ; but blessed be the lord that we have kept our habitation in the power , and held our unity in that spirit that gives us life , thereby to live to god , and not to our selves , to serve him in that form of godliness , which the power hath brought forth amongst us , to live in the unity of , and in his spirit , the foundation of our preservation , in peace and consolation to this very day ; and the faith of such remains firm in god's everlasting power , even as we received in the beginning of the breaking forth of the day of the lord , in which his ancient arm and excellent everlasting name was revealed , which is above every name , into which a number was gathered to believe and meet in , and the lord was there , and is to this very day in the midst of them , as thousands , and ten thousands can speak to the testimony of it ; oh , glory , obedience , and everlasting dominion be ascribed to his honourable and everlasting name over all forever ; for the kingdom of our god and his christ , on whose shoulders the government is laid , shall prevail through all clouds of opposition , and mists of thick darkness , that have risen out of a misguided understanding , through a prejudiced mind , even to ensnare the weak and simple , and deceive the unstable soul , drawing from our christian unity , which is purely held in the spirit . and so , inasmuch as the envious worker is suffered to proceed , that would even raze out the foundation of christ's kingdom and government , under which his subjects do only own their christian freedom and true liberty of conscience ; and whatsoever may be insinuated to the contrary , by the enemy of our souls well-fare in the particular , and the churches peace in the general , which god may suffer , it is for the tryal of our patience , and manifestation and confirmation of our faith and love one to another , and that it is in the election in christ jesus which cannot be deceived , whereby we are strong in the lord , and in the power of his might is our confidence , that all shall work together for good to the called , chosen and faithful , according to his purpose in christ , and effectual working of his grace ; and that the lord in his power and due time , will arise to clear the innocency of his people , and confound and lay waste all that which works in opposition to the prosperity and unity of his truth , and peaceable government of christ in his church , which is formed in the power of god. so all glory we ascribe to the one pure power , in which we believed in the beginning , as the foundation of christ's government and kingdom that shall never have end . anne whitehead . a true information of our blessed womens meeting ( for we are blessed , and the lord hath blessed us , praised be that everlasting arm of power , that gathered us in the beginning to be a meeting ) betwixt or and twenty years ago . thus it was , after the word of eternal life and salvation , and light of christ jesus in the conscience , had been preached in this city , for some time , many there were that received the report , and was convinced of it , many poor as well as rich ; and oft times sickness and weakness came upon many poor ones , and many distressed and troubled in mind , when the judgments of the lord were upon them ; and they would oftentimes desire the servants of the lord to come unto them , such that had a word in season to speak to them : and our dear friend george fox , that man of god , for so he is , the lord has made him a blessing in his hand to many , praised be the lord forever , he was many times sent for to many that were sick and weak in this city , and when he came to behold their want of things needful for them , some scarcely clothes to cover them , or food to eat , or any one to look to them in their distresses and wants : the consideration of it was weighty upon him , and he was moved of the lord to advise to a womans meeting ; and in order thereunto , he sent for such women as he knew in this city ; of which there are many living to this day , that can testifie to the same , who keep the meeting in the faith of that power that gathered us together ; blessed be the lord forever who makes willing , and gives strength to answer his requirings in all things . and when dear g. fox declared unto us what the lord had made known unto him by his power , that there should be a womans meeting , that so all the sick , the weak , the widdows and the fatherless , should be minded and looked after in their distresses , that so there should be no want amongst the lords people , but that all distressed ones should be minded and looked after : i can truly say , we had an answer of god in our hearts to his testimony , and my soul was refreshed at that time , and my heart tendred , with many more of my sisters , in the sensible feeling of that everlasting life and power of the lord , and his universal love that had moved in his dear servant , to call us to this work ; and we joyned with him in the power of god in it : and so we appointed a meeting , and after we had met for some time , we considered which way we should answer the necessities ; and it arose in the hearts of some friends , that we should have a conveniency , that so all the faithful might offer as unto the lord , not knowing what one another offers ; that so from him they might expect their reward ; and it was concluded upon accordingly by the meeting . and there were found among us some that were unworthy , that we could not relieve out of that which was provided for the faithful ; and yet they were such that frequented our publick meetings , and looked unto us for charity ; and we could not send them empty away ; so we considered , and had a weekly gathering for them , that it might be fulfilled , as it is written , do good unto all ; but especially to the houshold of faith. and after some time of our meeting together , their came two of the brethren from the mens meeting to us , when we were met together , expressing their unity with us , and also did declare the mind of the mens meeting , ( viz. ) that they would be ready to help and assist us in any thing we should desire of them for truth 's service : and so in some time it was agreed upon , in the unity of the truth , that the men friends should pay the poor friends rents , and find them coles , ( such as we relieve , that were faithful ) and put out such poor friends children , as we should offer to them ; and this has been done almost from the beginning of our meeting to this day ; besides many other services that fall in by the way , that cannot be omitted by us : and thus the work of the lord has been carried on and prospered by the arm of his everlasting power , magnified be his name forever , who has found us worthy , and made us willing to answer whatsoever he requireth of us , according to the measure received of him . and this i do declare , that it was the same everlasting quickning power that first visited us by the spirit of judgment and of burning , and wrought in our inward parts mightily , even as the little leaven in the three measures of meal , to purifie and to cleanse , to purge out and put under all that was contrary to the lord , and to make us habitations fit to do his will , that gathered us and made us a meeting , and the same has been with us to this very day , blessed and magnified be his name forever . and i have a word in my heart to say unto you all back-sliders , obstructers , opposers ( & such as countenance them secretly ) of this our heavenly order of men and womens meetings , which the lord by his power has set up , and hath given wisdom according to true knowledge , to act in the church of christ : you that have despised dignities , and speak evil of the servants of the lord , such that faithfully have laboured amongst us from the beginning , which the lord hath found worthy of double honour , giving some of them odd names ; alas poor people ! what will become of you , except you repent ? consider and see , whether some of you could not once have plucked out your eyes to have done them good ? oh what is the matter now ! has not the serpent deceived you , and made you to eat of the forbidden fruit , and let in the spirit of enmity that sows dissention , and makes division in the heritage of god ; i do say , the lord's controversie is with you , and your end will be miserable , except you come to repentance ; which my soul hath often desired for you : for i do well know , and the lord hath sealed it upon my heart , that that spirit which hath opposed the blessed unity and order of truth , in these our men and womans meetings , shall never prosper , nor they who are in it , inwardly to god , without repentance ; although outwardly they may make never so great a shew with high words and notions . but saith the opposing spirit , we are not against your meetings in london ; but we have no such need in the countries . doubtless christ's churches in the countries are one and the same as in the cities , of which he is head of his churches there as in london ; and surely his members have the same office and service in kind and quality , although it may be not so much in quantity , which is reasonable for the impartial minded to consider . and now , my dear friends and sisters , in the blessed truth of our god , you that have kept this our meeting for many years , and some of you from the first day the lord gathered us together , and made us a meeting , i do believe that you with me can truly say , that we have felt the drawings of the father's love from time to time to this our meeting , and his blessing is amongst us ; insomuch as we , dared not to suffer any of our own occasions to hinder us from this our service , to which the lord hath called us , but many times have pressed through the croud of much business ; and many things that would have hindred , but we dared not to give way unto it , but in faithfulness answer the lord's requirings : the lord hath been with us of a truth from time to time , his living powerful presence has been truly witnessed amongst us , to the refreshing of our immortal souls ; which is a true confirmation to us , that the lord owns us in this our service . and i can truly say , i had true breathings to the lord in the behalf of our younger women , as they come to be settled in the world amongst us , that they may be affected with the work and service of our meeting as truly as we have been , and are to this day , and that they may be heirs of the grace of god with us . and this i can truly say , i have felt the zeal of the lord to arise in my heart , sometimes in a meeting , and sometimes upon my bed against this wicked spirit , that hath sought to lay waste and bring to nought our blessed meeting and heavenly society and order , which hath been set up amongst us ; and a true sence hath been upon me of our dear friends up and down the nation , of their great tryal and exercise that hath been upon them , because of this wicked dividing spirit , and especially in my native country ( viz. ) wiltshire : and this was the first moving cause in the power of god in my heart , to cast in my mite as my testimony to that everlasting universal blessed power , which the lord hath made me a living witness of , according to my measure : and this i can say , the more opposition we have had against our womens meeting , the more we have increased in the power of the lord , and he hath blessed our endeavours and services ; and therefore friends , be not discouraged , but go on in the work and service of the lord in his power ▪ to his glory , who hath honoured his daughters of abraham and sion , in his heavenly work ; and therefore we cannot but serve the lord in our generation , and be valiant for his truth upon earth , and our desires are , that all our fellow sisters in the lords truth may do the same every where throughout the whole earth , where the lord hath gathered them , so that all may live to the praise and glory of god , amen . and though we are absent in the body , yet present in spirit with all the faithful , with the spirit joying and beholding your spiritual order in the spirit , and stedfastness of your faith in christ jesus , the second adam , the lord from heaven , in whom our peace and rest is . mary elson . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e joh. . . phil. . . cor. . . & . cor. . . catholick communion doubly defended by dr. owens, vindicator, and richard baxter and the state of that communion opened, and the questions discussed, whether there be any displeasure at sin, or repentance for it in heaven : with a parallel of the case of using a faulty translation of scripture, and a faulty lyturgy. baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) catholick communion doubly defended by dr. owens, vindicator, and richard baxter and the state of that communion opened, and the questions discussed, whether there be any displeasure at sin, or repentance for it in heaven : with a parallel of the case of using a faulty translation of scripture, and a faulty lyturgy. baxter, richard, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas parkhurst ..., london : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng owen, john, - . christian union -- great britain. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion catholick communion doubly defended : by dr. owens vindicator , and richard baxter . and the state of that communion opened , and the questions discussed , whether there be any displeasure at sin , or repentance for it in heaven . with a parallel of the case of using a faulty translation of scripture , and a faulty lyturgy . gal. . , , . when peter was come to antioch , i withstood him to the face , because he was to be blamed . for before that certain came from james , he did eat with the gentiles : but when they were come , he withdrew , and separated himself , fearing them which were of the circumcision : and the other iews dissembled likewise with him , insomuch that barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation . acts . , . they which were of the circumcision contended with him , saying , thou wentest in to men uncircumcised , and didst eat with them . jud. . these speak evil of those things which they know not . london , printed for thomas parkhurst at the three bibles and crown , at the lower end of cheap-side , near mercers-chappel . . that the primitive churches had some responsal forms ( which our psalms in meeter , and tune , do now supply without offence or disorder ) and that it is the declining of zeal , and the badness of men , that is become their disgrace , and not the forms ; for the use of men of both extreams ( passing by cyprians sursum corda ) i shall recite an evidence out of chrysostom , on cor. . pag. . when we begin to say — the people answer [ with thy spirit , ] shewing that they so spake of old ; not moved by their own wisdoms , but by the spirit . but i speak not now of my self : but the church is now like a woman , which is fallen from her ancient prosperity ; and in many places retaineth only the symbols ( or tokens ) of that ancient felicity ; and sheweth only the cases ( or boxes ) and cabinets ( or tills ) of her iewels ( or ornaments , ) but is deprived of her riches . the church is now like such a woman . and i speak not this only as to ( her loss of ) gifts ; ( for if this were all , the matter were the less , ) but also as to life and virtue . when in the fourth century the old custom is thus reported , it must be very ancient : and this sheweth that zeal then caused the peoples responses ; and were they now used by good men with the like holy zeal , they would be less scrupled . the contents . sect . . the vindicators healing concessions and silence . sect . . what catholick communion is , which i plead for in positions . sect . . our doctrinal differences . i. what knowledge souls in heaven have . ii. whether those in heaven ( yea , god ) be not displeased with sin . aff. iii. whether there be no repentance in heaven . aff. iv. whether it be true that doing what a law requireth so far as the intention is moved by the law , is a justifying of it , and that submitting to any law on consideration of its penalties , is so far to justify the preceptive part , and not so great an evil as the penal . neg. sect . . short strictures on his words for the use of the vindicator . sect . . a parallel , or comparison of the case of using a faulty translation of gods word ( as christ and the apostles did the septuagint ) with that of using a faulty lyturgy . sect . . an expository advertisement about naming men. the consent of dr. owens vindicator to the catholick communion , defended by richard baxter . sect . . sir , your book called , a vindication of dr. owen , i find containeth four distinct parts or subjects . i. a vindication of dr. owens personal worth : which you and i agreeing in , i have nothing in that to say against you . ii. your consent to the main of the cause which i defend , and your dissent from the persons whose words i confute : of this i shall thankfully take notice . iii. your blaming of me for my naming the dr. and for my manner of defence against his arguments . iv. your dissent from me in certain doctrinals . having dismist the first , as to the second , i thank you , . that you profess your self a hearty friend to all good men , and to the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . . i thank you that you say , p. . [ i do not pretend in what follows to maintain against you that it is unlawful to use a form of prayer , or comply with an imposed lyturgy , or under some circumstances to joyn in the use of ours in worship . ] neither shall i undertake to justify altogether the arguments you have printed as dr. owens , in order to refuting them . . i am pleased that you expound the doctors words , p. . as signifying only , [ it is not lawful for us to go and joyn in publick worship by the common-prayer , ] he doth not say it is not lawful for any : and for ought you know this [ us ] whom he concerned in it , might be a very few to whom this manuscript was imparted , and they might be under such circumstances as your own resolutions oft in print would discharge from that worship as a duty . ] were i never so well able to prove from this , and the doctors many printed writings , that he meant more , i would not now do it . i only here desire the men and women that have been with me , and profest that they thought the doctors arguments to be unanswerable against the lawfulness of joyning in the use of the lyturgy , to take notice of what his worthy vindicator saith . . you grant , p. . that you [ conceive that the author doth not mean by these words , [ because that worship itself — is not lawful ] that it is simply unlawful , which must render it so at all times , and to all persons , under what circumstances soever : but that taken with all its modes , as well as matter , and the manner , severity , and universality of its imposing , it is so : besides , it is not said that according to the rule of the gospel it is unlawful , but [ according to the rule of the gospel it is not lawful , [ which may fairly be construed thus ; the rule of the gospel doth not authenticate , or warrant it ; and i think it ought to be so construed : it being the defect of the rule , not its opposition , which he lays the great stress of his cause upon . remember reader , that i was mistaken that thought not-lawful , and unlawful had been all one , and that the doctor said not that the joyning in the lyturgy as aforesaid , was unlawful , but only not lawful , not as in opposition to the rule , but without it , ( and so are the circumstances which i named . ] . when he saith [ it is not in our power to make use of any part of it as we shall think fit . ] and i maintain that though man hath not put that in our power , god hath put it in our power to joyn in the good part of tolerable publick worship , without owning the faults ( or else we must joyn with none ; ) you deny not this , p. . but say that he meant it of mans giving us power ( which i never denyed . ) but it is god that we serve . you say [ when men pray , they bid us pray — in extempore prayer , both are required to what is good . ] true : and i may joyn with the good in an extempore prayer , without owning any evil in it . indeed you say , p. . [ the mass is not more twisted in all the parts of it by law , than the lyturgy , nor left less to our power to pick and choose : if this union do render the far greater pollutions , the idolatry , and heresy of the mass infectious to the whole worship , who can prove that the pollutions of other worship , when we are likewise commanded not to distinguish or divide , doth not in their kind and degree diffuse the taint alike . ] ans. god is the master of his worship : i do what he bids me , tho man contradict it : if god bid me hear and believe the scripture , and man say , hear also , and believe the apocrypha , i will openly profess i obey god , and you , no further than you contradict not god : rather than not hear the scripture , i will hear also the apocrypha , but not believe it to be gods word . but if they bid me also hear the alcoran , i will withdraw . . it is not the conjunction , but the kind of the thing joyned that maketh it unlawful : an honest weak man , an antinomian , an anabaptist , a presbyterian , or whoever you dissent from in tolerable cases , may mix his opinion , and faulty expressions and methods , with his prayer and sermon , as intimately as evil is mixt in the mass , and yet you will not refuse communion with him : it is lawful to drink beer that hath bad water mixt , rather than none , but not to drink that which hath poyson equally mixt . to p. . i think if a turk pray against idolatry , murder , &c. that prayer is materially good : but as to goodness from a holy principle , no hypocrites is good . the insufficiency of my answer you no way manifest , till you prove that i must joyn with all that is in publick worship , or with none . . pag. . you say [ doth he say a word of owning parish churches , and worship . ] ans. if you or he say nothing against these , we shall leave the diocesan case to others : but if you be the man that i have lately privately written to , i doubt not but i have proved to you , that parish churches that have good ministers , are true particular churches , and those ministers true pastors , and that any bishops holding the contrary , doth not disprove it . . when you recite my words , describing the cause i plead , viz. [ i have written over and over , that i persuade no man either to , or from a publick church , till i know his circumstances ; and that i doubt not but it is one mans duty , and another mans sin . ] you add [ i believe dear sir , that though this concession may displease those who may best bear it , it may reconcile you to most of those that are called dissenters . ] if so , those dissenters it seems by you do not much differ from me : but i think ten to one of the people accounted commonly dissenters through england , are of my mind , and are for parish-worship rather than either none or worse . but by dissenters , i suppose you mean those of the doctors mind , or your own : and if so , i thank you for your own charity and reconciliation : but if you did not know them better than i , i should doubt that your said friends are not altogether so reconcileable . sir , you add , p. . [ and if ( as you allow ) the practical determination depends on the circumstances of the persons , you reduce the controversy to a far narrower room , than was by most supposed : and every one being best capable of understanding his own circumstances , it will not bear great heat or importunity from another . ] but whence came those wrong suppositions of the most ? if after years communion in the parish churches , i venture on the censorious so far as to give my reasons for my own practice , and defend those reasons , and that practice against contrary writings , and such wise men as you are so reconcilable , and see how narrow the controversy is , whence comes it that most think it to be what it is not , against such frequent plain expressions ? you and i may conjecture at the cause . your conclusion is a pious profession of that love , and the main principles of that concord for which i write . . you wisely leave the vindication of the doctors words , when it cometh to the case which i oppose him in : as [ that neither god , nor good men will allow of , judging our profession and practice by any reserves of our own ; ] when i have proved that our reserves against owning mixtures of evil , are necessary in all communion . . you vindicate not his words , that [ he that joyns in the worship of the common-prayer , doth by his practice make profession that it is wholly agreeable to gods mind and will. and that to do it with other reserves is hypocrisy , and worse than the thing itself , without them . . you vindicate not his grand argument [ religious worship not divinely instituted and appointed , is false worship , ] without excepting any secondary sort of worship . . you defend not his saying [ that there is nothing accidental in the worship of god : and that every thing that belongs to it is part of it , or of its subsistence . ] . you defend not that , [ because outward rites and modes of worship divinely instituted and determined , do become necessary parts of divine worship , therefore such as are humanly instituted and determined , are thereby made parts of false worship . ] what work would this argument make ? if all outward modes are false worship , when determined by men , if divine determination would make them necessary . . you do not vindicate that [ all prayers and praise in church-assemblies , meerly as such , are prohibited by the lyturgy , ] unless you do it by denying parish-churches . . you do not defend [ that the lyturgick worship was in its first contrivance , and is in its continuance , an invention , or engine to defeat , or render useless the promise of christ to his church , of sending the spirit in all ages to enable it to the due discharge , and performance of all divine worship in its assemblies , and therefore unlawful to be complyed with . that the very being and continuance of the church , without which it is but a dead machine , lyeth on this . doth this speak only of the english lyturgy , which is not years old , think you ? when next he tells us , that [ it 's the way of worship by a prescribed lyturgy , and that it was insensibly brought in ( when in several ages the church had lived without it ) and that to render the promise of christ , and the work of the holy ghost in the administration of gifts useless . . you defend not that [ hence followed a total neglect of all the spirits gifts in the said administration — nor that [ this produced all the enmity — of the said work of the spirit , which the world is now filled withal — that it ariseth from hence alone . nor that the worship treated about , consists wholly in the institutions , and on the authority of men , and therefore is false worship — and to renounce the kingly office of christ in the church . nor that [ it belongs to the faithfulness of christ to appoint and command all things in the church that belong to the worship of god — in the forms and modes of them — ( doth this speak only of the english lyturgy . ) — nor that liberty to use gifts in prayer and preaching , is ridiculously pretended , & they are excluded in all the solemn worship of the church . . you defend not that [ this practice ( joyning in the lyturgy ) condemns the suffering saints of the present age , renders them false witnesses of god , and the only blameable cause of their own sufferings . ] and if all the nonconformists that . gave their testimony for a reformed lyturgy , were not saints , at least they have been sufferers : and doth not this as much make them false witnesses ? and if both you and we were mistaken , i am confident you will not justify all that we suffer by , and say we are the only blameable cause ? as if every such mistake were worthy of all the punishment undergone ? nor will you think that every good mans opinion must be justifyed , which he suffereth for , lest he be made the only cause . . you defend not that [ all the promises , aids of the holy spirit , with respect to the prayer of the church , whether as to the matter of them , or ability — or the manner — are rejected and excluded by this form of worship . ] — . you defend not , i hope , that your church covenant is to observe — nothing but what christ commandeth in the worship of god. . nor that [ the practice inquired into contains a vertual renunciation of our church state , and of the lawfulness of our ministry , and ordinances therein . ] if you do , it is no renunciation of ours . i thank you that you defend none of all these . for truly they be not things indifferent , but if they be not true , they are of confounding , dividing , unpeaceable consequence . sect . . iii. as to the third thing , which taketh up most room , viz. your blaming me , . for using the doctors name , . for the manner of my confutation , i say distinctly . . i confess i think that the name of christ and religion , and its honour is to be preferred before all mens : and i had many years ago heard a conformable preacher before a very honourable , and learned auditory , charge the nonconformists with holding that [ a thing lawful in itself , in gods worship , becometh unlawful , if it be commanded by the magistrate . and that forms and liturgies were unlawful , because they be not made in scripture by christ. ] and i have read too many such charges : and i always answered that we were slandered . . i quickly heard that the manuscript was commonly spread , and he that brought it me , said , he believed a thousand were confirmed by it against going to the parish churches and lyturgy . . several of my friends and acquaintance had got it , and told me they thought it unanswerable . and all named the doctor as the author . . i was suddenly told of a very able conformist that was going to answer it , and i feared he would lay it on us all . . i made no doubt but pulpits and press would loudly say , these are the nonconformists principles : and if i denyed it would cite the doctors paper and name . . i knew divers of his printed books have the same opinion of the unlawfulness of imposed forms ; what now should i say against such reporters of the nonconformists opinions ? must we all bear the accusation of so many errours , and be published with scorn and contempt to be such , to make us odious to all , rather than one man should be confuted . i purposed at first to conceal his name , till i saw that all took notice of it , and none denyed it , ( and after ( i conjecture it is your self ) that in the letter to me affirmed it . ) i know that multitudes of men of name , learning , and power , scorn us as they do the quakers , as believing them that say [ we make all this noise and schism as a distinct party , and suffer silencing , and imprisonment , because we will not communicate with the lyturgy which the martyrs owned : ] i dare not suffer the innocent to lie under such a slander for one [ or many ] mans name ; we gave them our publick testimony to the contrary , . and . if a few that would not come in then , and be seen among them that pleaded the cause of the old nonconformists , have now by our distempers got so many of their mind as that we must be ) thought intolerably to wrong them , if we ( necessarily ) give our reasons against them , and shall pass their excommunicating sentence against the cause of the old non-conformists , and yours , i cannot be one that shall betray the truth and cause of catholick communion ▪ by silence ▪ at such a time , when the erroneous expect that their opinion should be so necessary to our union , that none must contradict it . therefore your saying that you have met with none that approveth my writing , if it were for the cause , as well as my faultiness , will make me see the greater necessity of bearing my testimony against them ; epidemical diseases most need physicians , if not to cure the sick , yet to preserve the sound . paul wanted not love nor prudence to peter , when he not only reproved his temporizing separation to his face , but left it with his name on record to all generations , when they were both dead . christ had immediately before abundantly honoured , and praised peter , who yet for his miscarriage speaketh to him , as he did to the devil , get thee behind me satan , &c. mat. . and yet the miscarriage was done in love to christ , by a prime and dear disciple ; and his name must be thus left under this most sharp reproof , to be read from age to age by all . iames and iohn were choice disciples , and yet their ambition , and their uncharitable zeal for christ , must be recorded with their names , as men that desired they knew not what , and knew not what manner of spirit they were of . we are not so much better than they , as the passions of some applauders intimate : christ will not be more tender of our names , than of his cause , and the good of souls . if david will cause gods enemies to blaspheme , his sin shall be punished in the sight of the sun , though the sharpest part of the punishment be pardoned . but as for my naming the dr. and your intimation , that it 's long of me that he is named as the author of those arguments , i further say , . is not a man named openly , till his name be printed ? was not the uncontradicted report , ( still continued ) a publication . was there no publication of names till years ago , when printing was invented ? . all that i yet desire , is to be able to deny it to be his , that the next man that hits the non-conformists in the teeth with it , as the doctors , may but be told it is not his : if you can and will but tell me that you believe it not to be his , that i may have but so much to say , i will thank you , and make it publickly known . either the cause and arguments are true , or false : if true , defend them . if false , are they not dangerous in so great a cause ; and at such a time , when they tend to drive hundred thousands from all church worship and communion , and to persuade men into scandalous suffering for ill doing . i think it laudable in you to honour the doctor , and if you be the man i conjecture you are , i think it 's specially incumbent on you ; as to your hints of suspicion of my sense of old differences , if i know my heart , i forgave , and fully put up all personal quarrel long ago : but the national concerns made so deep a wound in my heart , as never will be fully healed in this world : but this leads me to the second part of your reproof . ii. i do but tell you my reasons for naming the doctor , but i undertake not to justify either that , or the manner of my writing , from mistake , imprudence , or other such faultiness : i suppose you to be a man whom i take from my heart to be far wiser , and better than my self : and therefore , as i thank you for your gentle , friendly reprehension , so i profess that my very esteem and reverence of your judgment maketh me suspect that i have done amiss , when i see it not in the cause itself : that i could have defended the cause of love and communion against those arguments , without taking notice of the author , and without wronging the non-conformists who will be charged by his name i did , and do wish ; but i thought it could not well be done . if in this i mistook , i ask pardon of god and man ; for so i must do for my sins known and unknown . and as to the manner of my writing again , i say , i am convinced that all that i do is faulty , and cannot but have some favour of the ignorance , and imprudence , and forgetfulness , and other faults of the author . i read over your animadversions , and , . i see at present some words of my own , that i much more blame my self for writing , than you for blaming . . what i yet see not to be faulty , your authority shall make me yet suspect , and further consider . . i see very many passages , where i am confident the mistake is yours , sometimes mistaking the matter , and sometime my words . what good will it do the reader , or you , or me , to give the world an account of all these , and to drown the cause in abundance of self-defending words ? indeed i have neither time nor mind to write a book now for my self-defence . the greatest affliction i have by this controversy as personal , is this diverting of my thoughts so near my last hours from things more agreeable to my case : and far be it from me to be confident in justifying my ( faulty ) writings , when i am going to the judge that will take that for an aggravation of my sin . but i durst never forsake publick communion , nor my own work , because i cannot have one , and do the other without fault : i am suspicious there may be more faults in me and my writings , than either i discern , or you , or any such have told me of . and if i could prove that your mistakes are the ground of your accusation , i see by your noting my numbring the mistakes in matter of fact , in the private letter to me , how you would take it . therefore , instead of writing for my self , i will give the reader this concession and advice . readers , i think it is little of thy concern to know whether i be wise or unwise , good or bad , or whether i did well or ill in naming dr. o. or whether the manner of my writing be much , or little to be blamed : on condition you will agree with me in the cause of love and concord that i defend , lonly then intreat you , that what imprudence , unskil fulness , rashness , or other faults you find in me or my writings , you will the more carefully your selves avoid them , and do better : and if you judge me to do ill , when i do my duty , and think very hardly of me for being against your way , i unfeignedly forgive you ; and if you forgive not me , i can bear that . i was aware that i should be ill spoken of by many whom i love : and i am not ambitious to be ill spoken of : if folly make me exercise self-denyal , it is for somewhat that i thought had been better then all the love and praises which i deny . i flatter no party , and i look to gain by none : i have gathered no church to depend on for kindness , nor is the fear of displeasing them a by as to my judgment . and if it be otherwise with any , i think , were they like to have need of men in this world as short a time as i , they would make as little of mens good or ill thoughts and words as i do , except for the sake of other men . therefore reader , think of all the rest what you see cause , so you will but agree in the cause that i am defending : that is , i. that god is love , and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in god , and god in him , joh. . ii. it is the prayer of christ that all who shall believe may be one , that the world may thereby be brought to believe that the father sent him , jo. . , , . and that they must love one another , even as he hath loved them , by which it is that all must know that they are his disciples , jo. . , . iii. this love must extend to all that are of one body , one spirit , one hope , one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god and father of all : and this unity of the spirit must be kept in the bond of peace , eph. . . and if it be possible , as much as in us lyeth , we must live peaceably with all men , rom. . . iv. christians must love one another with a pure heart , fervently , pet. . . with a love which suffereth long , and is kind , envieth not , is not easily provoked , thinketh no evil , beareth all things , believeth , hopeth , endureth all things , rom. . v. yet must they not be so tender of each others honour , as of gods , nor justify the sin of any , nor make mens names a snare to draw the weak to sin , nor think that love and peace can be justly vindicated without gain-saying the errours which oppose them , nor that christ broke the law of love by his sharp rebuke of peter , that tempted him to forbear the work of love ; nor by rebuking the hurtful zeal of james and john , nor by being angry with those that forbad little children to come to him ; nor paul by withstanding peter in his separation . vi. christian love must extend to those that differ from us , though faultily in cases of tolerable infirmity , so as not to judge or despise them , but to receive them to our communion , as christ receiveth us , rom. & . approving all so far , that serve god in that which his kingdom doth consist in , rom. . , . vi. all christians must earnestly oppose divisions , and sects , and sidings with strife and envy as a sign of carnal men , and must labour to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment , and to glorify god with one mind and mouth , cor. . . & . , &c. and must not forsake the assembling of themselves , heb. . . vii . it is by love that the whole body of christ must edify itself , and win , and overcome their adversaries , even those that curse , and hate , and persecute them , as god doth good to the just and unjust , love being the most powerful conquerour of hearts , eph. . , . matth. . , &c. viii . no excellency of one party above others , nor no faultiness of any christians , must be pretended against any duty of love and communion ; but we must not sin for communion with any . ix . though we must not by profession , word , or subscription own the sin of any church , we must join in their communion in the worship of god , with those whose worship is mixt with sin in matter and manner , so it be not sin that is by its evil predominant against the good of the duty , to make the work rejected of god ( like poyson in our food , which makes the hurt greater than the good ) because else we must neither worship god our selves , nor join with any in the world : all the works of sinful men being mixt with sin . to deny this , is virtually to separate from all the christian world . x. therefore our bare presence is no signification that we approve all that is done in that assembly . the very nature of christian communion is a profession of the contrary ; we being bound by god to communicate in good , and not to own the evil : and if men command us to own all that they there do , their command cannot bind us against gods , nor make our presence a profession that we obey them against god : it being god that is the master of us , and our work . and christianity itself being a profession that we obey god before man. else man by commanding us to own some ill word , or circumstance , might drive us from all christian communion . if men should command us in our private meetings , to do it for an ill end , or an ill principle ( as in obedience to usurpers ) we must not therefore forbear all private meetings , nor will our bare meeting signify our obedience to such commands . if the pastor of a single church ( or many associate ) tell the people , your meeting must be to own e. g. anabaptistry , antinomianism , presbytery , erastianism , separation , &c. this binds them not either to own it , or to withdraw , without some greater reason . he is no master of their faith. xi . nor will the bare knowing beforehand that the pastor will say or do somewhat unlawful , make our presence guilty of approving it . we know before-hand that we and all men are sinners , and shall sin in what we do : and we may suppose men will speak as they think : and as we know not but any man may speak amiss till we hear what he saith , so when we know that the pastors have tolerable errours , and will vent them , it will not make us guilty of their sin , nor bind us to depart : we meet to own christianity , and not all that the man will say or do ( known or unknown ) i know before that i shall have many faults in my own prayer ( disorder , dulness , &c. ) which i do not own , though herein i am guilty . xii . yet no man should prefer worse before better , if all things set together , it be better indeed to the person at that time . xiii . god hath by his son iesus , and his apostles , instituted all that in doctrine , discipline , worship , and conversation , which is obligatory , or necessary universally to all the church , over and above , what is required by the law of nature . and no man or men have power to add any thing of universal obligation . xiv . god hath by nature and scripture obliged men themselves to choose and determine divers subordinate expressions , significations , modes , circumstances , or accidents of this universal religion , which are not themselves meet for an universal , and unchangeable , obligation , but local , temporary , and mutable : some of which every man may choose for himself , some the present pastor must choose , some the associated pastors may choose , and some the magistrate may choose . these must be added to the universal duties , so far is such addition from being sin : i have often named many particulars ; as the translation of the scripture , which to choose : the version of the psalms in rithme , or metre , the common use of new made hymns , the dividing the scripture into chapter and verse ; the words of sermons ; their method ; the particular text to be chosen ; what chapters to read ; at what hour to begin ; how long to preach ; in what words to pray , whether the same oft , or changed ; whether fore-studied , or not , whether written , or unwritten : whether studied , and written by our selves , or by others ; where the place shall be , where the pulpit , font , table , &c. shall stand ; what ornaments they shall have , linnen , silk , silver vessels or otherwise ? whether we be bare-headed , or covered at prayer , sacrament , &c. whether we shall kneel , stand , sit , or be prostrate at prayer , &c. what distinctive garments pastors shall use . by what signs of consent and obligation men vow , and swear , whether by putting the hand under the thigh , lifting it up , subscribing , laying it on the book , kissing the book , &c. what catechisms to use , with many more such . god hath commanded men to choose such things as these by the rules of edification , love , peace , concord , order , decency , winning those without , &c. xv. these may be called worship in a sense subservient to gods ordinances of worship ( as we worship men , by putting off the hat , kneeling , bowing , &c : ) but if any will not call it worship , they must not call it false worship , nor pretend that the controversy is any more than about the bare name . xvi . they that feign such things as these to be sinful additions , and an invading of christs office , and denying his faithfulness , &c. condemn the scripture that commandeth such determinations , and contradict the law of nature , and the practice of all churches on earth , and would exterminate all gods worship , which cannot be performed without some such determinations . xvii . as god hath not tied us to words in prayer or preaching ( though he have recorded many forms in scripture ) but left all to choose what words , time and circumstances make fit ( by book , or without , ) so the conveniences , and inconveniences both of set forms , and of free speaking , are on each part so great and undenyable , that we have no cause to censure that church which useth both ; that is , which agreeth on a set form , to shew what the church professeth to own , if the minister should blutter out any errour or undecency , and yet not restrain ministers from the due use of free speech . xviii . it is a great sin out of a fond conceit of the excellency of either way , above it 's due value , to think & speak with unjust vilifying of the other way , when god hath tied us to neither alone : it is contrary to knowledge , love , peace , and concord , out of a self-conceitedness , peevishness , or false prejudice received from others , to think , and speak worse of other mens words in prayer , than they deserve : and to frighten the ignorant from lawful communion , by calling that sin , or false worship , that is not so . xix . not medling with ministers subscribing , declaring , swearing , nor with the discipline , by-offices , baptizing as by our sort of godfathers covenanting without the parents , crossing , and undue application of words at burial , and such like ; i know nothing in the common lords-day worship spoken in the name of the church , which a godly christian may not joyn in , with the exercise of the spirit of prayer with faith and comfort ; if prejudice , and false apprehensions of it , affright him not , or put not his soul out of relish with it . ( as on the other side prejudice distasteth many too much with the faulty methods and words of many mens extemporate prayers . ) xx. there are so few churches on earth that worship god without all set lyturgies or forms as are next to none . and there are very few in all the world so good as the english lyturgy , and that have so few faults : which martyrs composed , and joyfully used . and it is unchristian to renounce communion with any one church , for a reason that is common to all , or almost all . it being contrary to the communion of saints in one body , and far worse than to slander any single man. xxi . it is great self-condemnation in them that cannot bear to be censured , nor scarce be contradicted , yet thus to censure almost all the church . xxii . they that think that conforming ministers are guilty of great sin , must consider what diversity of education , company , and interest may do , even on men of conscience , and that we have all our sins . and it 's sinful uncharitableness to think , and speak worse of them than they deserve , and to talk against all , for the faults of some . xxiii . so great is gods mercy to this land , in yet giving many godly able ministers to the publick churches , that it is sinful ingratitude to overlook or deny it , though many others be never so bad . xxiv . the religion that keepeth possession of the parish churches will be the national religion : mourn therefore before god , that ever any men professing godliness , should either labour to get all sound protestants to desert the parish churches , or that any such have been against the restoring of nonconformists , by that called a comprehension , which was but the withdrawing of such impositions as these very men thought sinful ; and all this , lest it should diminish the number and strength of the private churches . by this we see what we are doing against our selves , if god save us not . xxv . they that say conformists convert no souls , take on them to know that of thousands which they know not : and forget that before . there were few but conformists to convert them in the land , and that all the westminster assembly , save eight , were such . and that the parliament kept near in the ministry , that all conformed on aug. . . xxvi . in most counties of england , many hundred persons to one must have church communion in the parish churches , or have none at all : and to renounce all church worship and communion , rather than joyn in the parish churches , and with the lyturgy , and to persuade all to do so , is almost to draw the land to live like atheists : and is so pernicious to souls , that no good christian should favour it . and it is a-gross breach of the covenant , which renounceth prophaneness , schism , and all that is contrary to godliness . xxvii . so much are papists angry at protestant ministers that keep them out of the parish churches , reviling them as trimmers , supposing that conventicles can do them less harm , that all that love the protestant religion , should do their best to encourage all such orthodox men , and to strengthen the protestant interest in the parish churches , and not joyn against them with the papists , however it be with other intents and minds . xxviii . so great is the peace and comfort of many parishes , where the publick ministers , and all the religious people live together in love and amity , that it loudly tells us how much better that is , than to study to render each other odious , or vile , and excommunicable . xxix . such use of godly publick ministers may well stand with the best improvement we can make of the private help of others . xxx . if we would win any that we think worst of , yea , or ease our selves , it must be by love to them , and not by condemning them on controvertible accounts , or by causeless singularities . xxxi . it is lawful to have transient communion with an occasional assembly of christians that are no fixed church , nor the minister the fixed pastor of any particular church . xxxii . it is lawful to have transient communion with a church of strangers or neighbours , without taking an account of the calling of their pastors , or of their discipline . xxxiii . when we have right to gods ordinances , if many intrude that have no right , when we cannot hinder it , we must not therefore forsake our right , or gods worship . xxxiv . though we must prefer better before worse , that worse may be best to us at that time and place , when we cannot have better without more hurt than benefit to the publick or our selves . among many ministers , weak and strong , all cannot hear the best , nor must renounce the weaker . to live under the countenance of government under an honest minister of mean parts in peace and concord , though he use the lyturgy , is more to the common advantage of religion , and to the profit of most particular souls , than to hear an abler man , with the distraction of disturbers , and to be fined , and lie in prison on no better a cause . xxxv . it is not only the law of man that maketh the foresaid parish communion a duty , but it is gods law of love , concord , peace , and universal communion , if there were no constraining law of man. xxxvi . they that constantly refuse communion in the publick churches while it is commanded , and while many write to prove it sinful , and many are in prison , and ruined for refusing it , are justly to be interpreted to hold it to be unlawful , unless they openly profess the contrary , and give some better reason for their forbearance . xxxvii . to hold that any congregations are such , whose worship is faulty , but such as god forgiveth , and accepteth , but that it is unlawful for us to joyn with them , lest it make us guilty of their sin , this ( though it should be erroneous , and uncharitable , and sinful ) yet is not to excommunicate that congregation as no church , or no christians . but to say of any congregation , that they want any thing essential to christianity , or to make them capable to be loved as christians , or that their worship of god is idolatry , or so bad , as that god accepteth it not , the evil of it being greater than the good , ( as poyson in our food ) and on this reason to declare that no good christian should communicate with them , this is to excommunicate such congregation , as far as one church may excommunicate another , which is but by such renouncing their communion . xxxviii . there is no history that i have seen or heard that tells us of any churches on earth that for many hundred years together did worship god without a lyturgy as faulty as ours : to make them all idolaters , and such whose worship god cursed and accepted not , is to make them no true churches ; and if christ had no church , he was no head and king of it , and so no christ. xxxix . the use of faulty lyturgies is no worse than the use of faulty translations of the holy scripture , which yet christ and his apostles ordinarily used , ( of which i shall say more anon . ) xl. i have before proved how faulty the priests calling was in christs time , and the temple and synagogue worship , and the pharisees long lyturgies , on pretence whereof they devoured widows houses , and their corrupt doctrine ; and how great the faults were in the churches of corinth , galatia , ephesus , sardis , laodicea , thyatira , pergamos , and those that james wrote to , from which none were commanded to depart : and to condemn christ or his apostles , as favouring , or using sinful communion ▪ is worse in christians than it was in the pharisees . these are the principles , and this is the cause for which i write : and i cannot defend it without opposing those that openly militate against it . if the woman of tekoah could have told david that any one had held , or hindered her son from killing his brother , she would not have called him unpeaceable . it was hard measure that the striving israelite offered to moses , that said , who made thee a prince , and a iudge over us ? intendest thou to kill me , as thou killedst the aegyptian ? and all for saying , wherefore smitest thou thy fellow ? if we could as charitably judge of a godly man that differs from us , as of our selves , and most esteemed partners , how much sin should we avoid ? but reader , agree with me in this cause of christian love and concord , and then think of me and my writings what thou seest meet . the question is not which of us is the wisest , or hath done best , but how we should all please the god of love and peace , and avoid the evils which have long threatned us , and which with grief i must say , our mistakes , and miscarriages in religion have brought upon us , and are like to increase . many seem like a ship of passengers , whose pilot hath cast them by errour on the sands or rocks ; and some that pity them as they are sinking , tell them that their pilots mistake hath endangered them , and they must take better advice ▪ and instead of accepting help , they revile the helpers as injurious , unpeaceable , dishonourers of their wise and faithful pilot. and if far worse be not yet at hand , free-grace must wonderfully frustrate this prognostick . sect . . iv. but somewhat , reverend sir , you oblige me to say about my supposed doctrinal errours , which you have found in my praises of dr. o. ( had i dispraised him as much , you might have found more . ) i said , that [ i doubt not but his soul is now with christ , and though heaven have no sorrow , it hath great repentance , and that dr. o. is now more against the receiving of this mistake than i am , and by defending it , you far more displease him than me . ] here my supposed errours are three . i. that i suppose him to know so much in heaven . this being but played with as in jeast , i answer the more briefly to it in earnest . . i am not of the socinians mind , that lay the soul as in nuda potentia to sleep till the resurrection : nor do i believe that souls in paradise with christ , are more ignorant than they were in the body . . and therefore i think the doctor knoweth what he wrote , and did on earth , and is not fallen into forgetfulness . . and that he knoweth into whose hands he gave those papers , and what mind the men were of , and how they were received while he lived , if they have been so long extant as you seem to intimate , and that they were justifyed then . . and if the saints shall judge the world , and be like , or equal to the angels , i do not think that the concerns of this life are any more below their regard , nor more impertinent to them , than to the angels : nor that they live as unconcerned strangers to earth ( when a sun-beam can reach so far . ) the souls under the altar , that cryed how long , knew that their blood was unrevenged on earth . . nor do i believe that christ , with whom they are , and the angels that here attended them , are so strange to them , as to tell them nothing of the earth . but lest you feign that i suppose them to have news-books , gazetts , or post-letters hence , i only advise you that justly extol his learning , and wisdom on earth , not to bring him too low in heaven , in comparison of us imprisoned sinners , nor make him an ignoramus : and then we will but agree , that if he know of our faults here , he is against them , but if he think you are all changed since he died , there is mistake in heaven . it followeth not that souls in heaven know nothing by angels , because they know not all things : nor that of themselves they know not what a man here may know by common reason , that the effects will be like the cause , and his many friends that owned his mistake on earth , will some of them yet own them . i can but be sorry ( for i am not so presumptuous as to think to change your judgment ) if the contrary supposition be [ your best weapon ] against the popish superstition of praying to saints : for all this i will hope that you do not pray to dr. o. for so much as you believe he knoweth , nor yet feign him stark ignorant for fear of praying to him ? do you think he hath forgotten the ●ase of england ? or will you pray to him to intercede for it . ii. my second supposed errour is , that the saints in heaven have any displeasure : and this is said to be [ a contradiction to the generally received opinion of all that you have met with . ] i doubt not but your acquaintance is large , but i perceive it is not with all sorts of men . i am sorry they should generally deny so great and clear a truth . . let us examine the controversy , as of the matter , and . as of the name [ displeasure . ] . complacence is the first act of the will upon good as good , before it come to election of compared goods , ( which is usually de mediis : ) displicence is its contrary , and its object is evil as evil. one is called volition , or willing , the other nolition , or nilling . as pleasedness , and displeasedness are in the passions , and signify ioy and trouble , we have nothing here to do with them , ( having expresly excluded sorrow ) but as they are in the will. i thought till now , that all sober divines had been agreed ( protestants and papists ) that not only in saints and angels , and christ as man , but in god himself ( who is most remote from imperfection ) there is complacence , and displicence , willing , and nilling , which though in creatures that have accidents , they really differ as acts , yet in god who is most simple , they are ( say the subtiler part of the school doctors ) but the essence of god by extrinsick denomination from relation of the effects , differenced from the essence simply considered , and from each other ; or as the scotists formaliter , or as the thomists ratione ratiocinata ; but none deny these to be in god. i suppose that volition or complacence you deny not : as to displicence or nolition , answering the judgments dislike , i prove that it is in heaven , in god and creatures . . if the will of god , angels , and spirits , have any act about evil , it is displicence , : but some act about evil they have , ergo , &c. for the major , if they have any act , it is displicence , or complacence , for the will hath no other primary acts before election , ( even frui & intendere , presupposing this complacence : ) but god and good spirits have no complacency in sin or evil as such : ergo they have a displicence : aut placet aut displicet , being the first in nature . that god or spirits at least have some act of will about evil as such , is commonly agreed : else all the sin and evil in the world would come to pass , without any act of god , or good spirits in heaven about it : sure they that for predetermination have written so many volumes , ( and one against me ) are not of that mind . they say this is to feign god , and all in heaven asleep , or having nothing to do with earth : i have my self proved indeed ( with others ) that god hath no volition or complacency of evil as such , but a displicence i have proved . . if god have no displicence as to sin , then there is no effectual impediment to it , but all the world would be drowned in wickedness : for the creature would presently run into evil . but sin is restrained — if any in excess of subtilty say , that nolitions are not in god , but volitions of the good , are instead of nolitions of evil , this is bold , and at least the language unfit , and reductively these volitions are nolitions of their contraries . and however none of this can be feigned of souls . . if god be not disp'eased with sin , then his prohibitions are no signs of his displeasure ; any more than his commands . but , &c. . then his judgments and execution in hell , are no effects of his displeasure . . then christ came not to reconcile us to a displeased god , nor is he any more displeased with persecutors then saints , nor with cursing than with blessing ▪ nor with any man for doing it . . if the subtilty which i have taken notice of in my catholick theology , asserting volitions without nolitions in god , were defensible , it would , as i said , be of no truth as to creatures ; if souls in heaven have no displicence against sin , how is their will holy in the image of god , that hateth iniquity ? devils love sin ; stones , and brutes neither love , nor hate it . saints in heaven hate it , and love it not : meerly not-loving it is not their full holiness . . if saints there are not displeased with sin , how can they glorify christ for dying for it , or god for punishing it . . or how can they be everlastingly thankful to christ for saving them from it . . what a change must they impute to christ that came so low , and suffered as in a sort forsaken , to destroy the works of the devil , and now hath not so much as the least displeasedness with sin . . then christ and saints there are no more displeased at persecution , prophaneness , murder , adultery , then at piety and love. . then it no more displeaseth souls there , that they here sinned , then that they did well : pauls mind is much changed then about his persecution . the best is , though you and yours are offended with me , it is not displeasing to dr. o. if he know it . but if your reason be , because that all displeasedness hath some suffering of the mind , or trouble , . as to my meaning you know i excluded sorrow . . and it is not true that you suppose . pure displicency of the will in god , and the blessed , hath no trouble : it is not exercised in a body that hath a heart , or head troubled by commotion of the blood and spirits , nor yet in an imperfect soul that hath hurting passions . it is the pure perfection of the will ; and nothing but its aversation from sin ; and contrary to love : love and hatred are names that may well here be used , but complacence , and displicence being the same , sound as less to signify passion . and if there be passion in heaven , ( which you cannot disprove ) it might be without diminution of felicity . ii. but i am not hopeless that you will deny none of all this as to the matter , but turn all into a quarrel at words , and say that the name of displeasure is not fit for any act of god or saints , or angels in heaven : if that be the worst ( which is bad enough ) let us next try that wordy controversy . i. by scripture . ii. by school divines . iii. by common practical divines . i. scripture use of words in sacred things is our best dictionary . he that is our great teacher , knoweth how to speak : if you dislike his words , methinks you should not accuse men of errour , and that against the common sense of all that you meet with , for imitating god , and speaking as he doth : and that at the same time when you are defending one that would have no mode , or accidentals in worship used , which god prescribeth not . if by my words i must be justified , or condemned , i hope god will not condemn me for speaking as he taught me , no more then for doing as he bid me , though all your party should do it ▪ and i can bear their condemnation . the hebrew phrase which we translate by displeasing god or man , is oft [ it was evil in his eyes ] which speaketh a positive act of the understanding de malo : and that there was no answerable act of the will , let him say that dare . prov. . , . rejoyce not when thy enemy falleth , and let not th● heart be glad when he stumbleth , lest the lord see it , and it displease him — ] no , say you , fear not that any in heaven should be displeased . gen. . . the thing that he did displeased the lord , wherefore he slew him . num. . . when the people complained , it displeased the lord — his anger was kindled — sam. . . the thing that david had done displeased the lord , ( murder , and adultery . ) no , say you , god is not displeased with any sin , there is no displeasure in heaven . chr. . god was displeased with this thing , therefore he smote israel . psal. . . o god — thou hast been displeased . isa. . . the lord saw it , and it displeased him . zech. . . . the lord hath been sore displeased , or displeased with displeasure — i am very sore displeased with the heathen — i was but a little displeased . psal. . . o lord rebuke me not in thine anger , neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure . psal. . . he shall speak to them in his anger , and vex them in his sore displeasure . deut. . . moses saith , [ i was afraid of the great anger , and hot displeasure wherewith the lord was hot against you to destroy you . ] i am sorry that you all differ from moses . and expositors suppose that when god is said to have no pleasure in fools , or in wickedness , &c. eccl. . . ps. . . it signifieth displeasure . but the scripture ascribeth to god not only displeasure , but hatred , which signifieth the greatest displeasure , deut. . . psal. . . the wicked , and him that loveth violence , his soul hateth , isa. . . mal. . . psal. . . thou hatest all the workers of iniquity , & . . thou hatest wickedness , rev. . . . the doctrine of the nicolaitans — which i also hate , zech. . . amos . & . . jer. . . o do not this abominable thing which i hate , isa. . . prov. . . & . . i thought those that overstretch [ esau have i hated ] would not have denyed all displeasedness in god. but if i should go further , and cite all the texts that ascribe even anger and wrath to god , and say he is angry every day , &c. and that his wrath shall punish the wicked , i suppose it would do more to weary the reader , that knoweth this already , than to convince your party . ii. but my d appeal is to the accurate scholastick writers , because i suppose you will say that the scripture speaketh popularly , & after the manner of men. ans. ( or else it must not speak to men. ) but here i should much more confound most readers , if i should call them to metaphysicks , or metaphysical writers ; i should cite to them many sheets out of aquinas , scotus , ockam , durandus , bonaventure , and all their followers , who commonly ascribed displicency , as well as complacence to god. if you need witness in this case , read them , and seek it , and pardon me for not abusing the reader with such citations . iii. the same i say of the consent of practical protestant divines . i do not think the reader would forgive me , if i should prove that luther , calvin , melancthon , bucer , and all the forreign reformers , and all our martyrs , and english divines , episcopal , presbyterian , and ( whatever you say against it , to their injury ) independants also ascribe displicence to god : sure they that translated the bible did . and surely the writings of hildersham , dod , greenham , rogers , preston , sibs , bolton , whateley , allen , and hundreds such , are far from disowning such expressions . but methinks i should not need to suppose you to object that it is not god , but man that you speak of : no , i will not abuse you so much as to suppose that you take man to be more perfect , and less passive then god. indeed displicence , and complacence in god , are active ad extra , and signify but the perfection of his will , and exeuntèr , the expressions and effects , and no passivity : but all creatures are passive as well as active , and they are receptive ab objectis , both in their ideal conceptions , and their appetites : and therefore displeasure in a far grosser passive sense , must be ascribed to the creature , then to the creator : and yet without any diminution of felicity . and . it is certain that christ himself was much displeased with sin on earth , mark . & . . and surely he is not any less perfect , nor more reconciled to sin in heaven . he was displeased with it , when he died for it : and is his will changed since to favour it ? yea , if you should say that [ sin is nothing , and therefore no object of a divine act ] of nolition , or hatred , but god is said to will or hate it , only because he doth not will or love it , but punish it ; yet the church hath long ago condemned the monothelites as hereticks , and determined that christ hath two wills and operations : and therefore as man , his knowledge and will must have somewhat of passivity , though not of pain . . and it 's strange that christ is made our captain , and manageth a war against satan in the world , and michael and his angels are engaged in it , and yet have not the least displeasure against sin and satan . . and that christ hath such terrible threatnings against sin and sinners , even everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels , the worm that never dieth , and the fire that is not to be quenched , and that he shall come in flaming fire , rendring vengeance , &c. that all they might be damned that obeyed not the truth , &c. that the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness , and unrighteousness of men , &c. that fiery indignation shall devour the adversaries , all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him , and he will say , those mine enemies that would not i should reign over them , bring hither , and slay them before me : depart from me all ye that work iniquity , &c. and yet hath not the least displeasure at sin or sinners . that most of the world must lye in hell , and feel no effects of christs displeasure , because he hath none . and angels and saints are not perfecter than christ , but are of his mind , and are displeased with sin , and persecutors , and devils in conformity to christ. the saints in heaven have not forgotten their former sins : the remembrance of them hath some effect : it is not pleasedness with the evil ; therefore it is displeasedness ; they are not ignorant of all the wickedness , injustice , violence , persecution , and blood-shed on earth , and all the sufferings of the just : they love not this with complacency : therefore they hate it with displicence ; or else they are senseless neuters . do the angels pour out the vials , do the souls under the altar pray for revenge , are the heavens and the holy apostles and prophets bid rejoyce over babylon , rev. . . and yet none of them so much as displeased at babylons sin , or the churches suffering ? sure you do not so far disagree from us in all this , as to deny the matter : i hope it is but a false conceit of the unfitness of the word : and if the word [ displeasure ] do displease you , why would not so accurate a reprover once tell us what word it is that he would have used instead of it ? we that are accused , know that [ nolition , displicence , aversation , hatred ( or as campanella calls it disamor ) are words of the same signification as to the will , answering dislike in the understanding , ( yea , dislike oft signifieth both . ) if you cannot bear these , sure you are less patient at the words [ wrath and anger of god ] &c. what is it that you would have ? even nothingness is an object of nolition to the blessed ; for they are averse to annihilation , so that the quibble that malum est privatio , will be here of no use to you ; for what is more displeasing than privation ? dear brother , i am so far from perceiving any conviction in your accusation in this matter , that i must say that you have in this made your self to me what dr. o. did in the case of concord . you constrain me to bear my publick testimony against you , when you pretend herein to speak the mind of so great a number of your acquaintance , when i remember the sermons that are commonly talkt of , and the collections made by the friendly debater , and many such others , i look to hear e're long from prefs and pulpits , [ that the nonconformists teach that no rebellion , treason , perjury , or wickedness is at all displeasing to god ▪ to christ , to angels , or to any saint in heaven ▪ though they call adulterers , murderers , and such others to repentance , and mourning for sin , and separate from others as too bad for their communion , indeed at the same time they tell all the wicked , neither god , nor any in heaven is displeased with them . ] fore-seeing this scandal , i humbly address my self to such accusers with this answer following . [ take not verbal differences for real : no doubt but this persons errour is meerly verbal : all mens studies go not one way : it 's like he is not vers'd in philosophers , and schoolmens writings , that use displicence and complacence for meer nolition and volition , hatred , or aversation , and love. and though he knew that scripture , and christian writers commonly speak that which he accuseth , he was someway byassed to think that i used the same words in a worse sense than scripture , and all writers do ( though i excluded sorrow : ) and his interesting in his errour , [ the general received opinion of all that he hath met with ] doth but signify what sort of men , and how few he hath met with , or how few writers on such subjects he hath read , and remembred , ( for doubtless he doth not knowingly abuse them . ) and when did all the protestants , or nonconformists chuse him to represent them ? why is not my word as valid on the contrary , who remember not one man , protestant , or papist , or heathen that is for the immortality of the soul , that is , of the opinion which he expresseth ; except those few that hold that non datur verè malum , there is no evil in the world , but all that we call sin and punishment is good , and miscalled evil by us in darkness , but all willed by god , and those in heaven ? yet even hobbs , and peter sterry confess a good fort of evil. and i doubt not but this brother is against what he speaketh himself . and to stop your censures , let me ask you , if one mistaker accuse us all , whom we never authorized to represent us , doth this lay so great a blot on us , as an erring council of bishops doth on the clergy , whom they represent : and yet how great a number of councils have falsly reported the doctrine of the church . i will stop your mouth now but with the last words of sulpitius severus . history . [ ac inter nostrios perpetuum discordiurum bellum exarserat : quod jam per quindecim annos faedis dissentionibus agitatum nullo modo sop●ri poterat ? et nunc cum maximè discordiis episcoporum turbari ac misceri omnia cernerentur , cunctaque per eos odio : aut gratiâ , metu , inconstantia , invidia , factione , libidine , avaritia , arrogantia , somno , desidia essent depravata , postremo plures adversum paucos bene consule●tes infanis conciliis & pertinacibus studiis certabant : inter haec plebs dei & optimus quisque probro at que ●●dibri● habebatur . ] read the author , lest you think i made these words for our times . and of their captain bishop he saith , [ certe ithacium nihil pensi , nihil sancti habuisse definio : fuit enim audax , loquax , impudens , sumptuosus , ventri & gulae plurimum impertiens , hic stultitiae eo usque processit , ut omnes etiam sanctos viros quibus aut studium in erat lectionis , aut propositum erat certare jejuniis tanquam priscilliani socios in crimen arcesseret . ] ( and yet saith that the persecution of the priscillianists did but increase them . ) pardon this digression , by which you may see that if you be not responsible for all that councils , and the major part of bishops say or do , much less are we for the verbal errour of one or a few men , though fathered by them on many ▪ whereby they necessitate these our open disclaimings of their words . iii. my third supposed errour is much like the former , saying , that [ though heaven have no sorrow , it hath great repentance . ] in this [ all protestants ] are ( falsly ) said to be against me . here also the errour is either verbal or real . and , . he knows that as to the word all protestants own the scripture , which ascribeth repenting to god himself , exod. . . deut. . . psal. . . ier. . , . & . . . ion. . , . gen. . . iudg. . . sam. . . sam. . . am. . , . ioel . . ier. . . it 's true that this is not spoken of god , as if he had any mutability as man hath ; but god being infinitely more perfect then man , the phrase is further fetcht , and less proper of god then of man : therefore it is not the name that he blameth , seeing he owneth the word of god. ii. and if it be not the name , but my sense of it , do you find where he proveth any wrong sense that i express , or doth he give a better ? i said in a book [ there is not such a thing as grief or sorrow known in heaven . ] the vindicator citeth this as if it were contrary to , [ there is no sorrow , but displeasure and repentance : ] if he mean not that [ no sorrow , and no sorrow ] are contradictions , he need to have gone no further then the present sentence for it . and if he had proved that [ no sorrow , ] and displicence , or repentance are contradictions , he would have done that against the scripture itself , which he intended not , nor can do . he hath prevented my labour in transcribing other authors that use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usually for a meer change of the mind , purpose , and practice , without any signification of sorrow , and he appealeth to scripture use of the words : but is there any thing besides sorrow , that by all his words he labours to exclude ? and did not i expresly exclude it : and yet is this reverend man thus puzled at this as a dangerous doctrine ? doth he attempt in one syllable to blame any thing but the word ? when i excluded his misliked sense ? and he will not deny the ordinary use of the word as without sorrow ? but let us willingly take the scripture use : which speaketh of repentance in heaven , and on earth . it is not repetance on earth that we have now to treat of : and do you think its a good argument that there is no repentance in heaven without sorrow , because there is none on earth without it ? but even on earth , repentance is either the act of the intellect , and will , alone , or an act of these joyned with divers passions . it is sometime so largely taken , that the passions of grief , shame , and fear , and specially anger against our selves , are parts of it : but in all common authors , and ordinary use , and even in scripture , it is taken for the change of mind and will , the passions being but effects , or concomitants of it . to repent , in the common and prime sense , is but to change our mind and will , and wish we had not done what we did . when a thing was well done of us , and yet sped not well , we repent and wish we had not done it for the sake of the event : but we blame not our selves for the act , nor grieve for that , but for the event . but usually we have cause of sorrow , as well as of repentance , and must joyn them together . but where the gospel frequently promiseth repentance , pardon , and life together , and preacheth both repenting and believing in order to present joy , there is little mention of the sorrow in the converts , save for the murdering of christ , or some great sin . and sorrow , and repenting are distinguished in scripture as two things , cor. . , . i rejoyce , not that ye were made sorry , but that ye sorrowed to repentance — for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation , not to be repented of . ] is the sense [ godly sorrow worketh godly sorrow ? ] no , but a change of mind and life , heb. . . it is not called [ repentance for dead works , ] but [ from dead works , ] as speaking the change , rather than the grief . exod. . . lest the people repent when they see war , and they return to aegypt : hence sear is the moving passion , and repenting is wishing they had not left aegypt , and returning is the effect . i am readier to think that sorrow is no part , but an adjunct of repentance in the strictest , properest sense , then that it is no repentance without sorrow : sure the specifying faculties of man are the intellect and will ; and i think the specifying acts of rational true repentance ; are the acts of the same faculties , and sorrow is but such an adjunct as shame and anger at our selves are . but it is repentance in heaven that is our subject : and i have cited you texts enough which speak of gods repenting : and do you believe that he hath sorrow ? you 'l say , that 's but metaphorically spoken ? ans. no more is knowledge , or will , or any such act that we can speak of god : but if it be not a name unmeet to be spoken of god ; are souls there greater , or happier then he . but we find no talk in scripture of any in heaven repenting , save god : no wonder : how little hath god told us of the particular state and action of separated souls , before the resurrection ; when it pleaseth god so sparingly to mention their present state , ( yea , and their immortality in the old testament ▪ ) shall we feign that he must tell us of all their thoughts ? but all these acts of repentance souls in heaven have . . they know more of their sins both as to the matter and evil , then ever they did on earth . . they own their culpability , that is , that they are the souls that committed these sins , and deserved death and hell for them . . they know the goodness of all the ways that are contrary to their sin . . they love all that good , and hate all their sin more than they did here . . they wish they had never committed them . . if it were to do again , they would not do it . this is proper true repentance : either you deny the things , or but the name . if the thing , which of these deny you . . if saints in heaven know not sin better then they did here , heaven is to them as dark as earth . . if they know not that they themselves were the subjects , and actors of these sins , they are ignorant , or erroneous . . if they know not that gods way is better than sin , they are brutish . . if they love good , and hate evil no better then here , then they are no better . . if their will do not wish that they had not done it , then their will is not holy and averse to sin : either they review it with approbation , ( which you believe not ) or with dislike , or senselesly with no act of will. if with dislike , and displicence , as before is proved , that hatred , or aversation contains a wish , they had never done it . else david , peter , paul , &c. were better men on earth then in heaven : for here they wisht they had not been guilty of murder , persecution , &c. and if they wish it not there , their wills are more unholy than here . perhaps you 'l say , it 's a vain wish of an impossibility ? ans. no such matter : i talk not of a prayer , or a desire that factum non factum fiat ; but a vellem or mallem me non peccasse : i had rather i had not sinned : and that is not vain , which is the wills perfection or holiness itself . . and that they would not do the like again , i need not prove . i were a greater dishonourer of heavenly felicity , if i denyed any of these , then you feign me to be . i doubt not but those aforesaid that are disposed to obloquy , will take occasion from your words ( yea , the papists from your entitling all protestants to it ) to say [ the nonconformists ( or the protestants ) hold that murder , rebellion , perfecution , and all sin is so small a matter to their saints in heaven , that they do not so much as repent of it , or will or wish they had never done it . therefore they either justify it , or are neuters to it . ] they say that the mother of lombard , gratian , and pet. comestor being a whore , said she could not repent of the fornication that had begot three such sons : if any say that the saints in heaven do not so much as wish , or will that they had not sinned , because christ is glorifyed by saving them from it , they pervert the gospel doctrine of grace , and would teach the justifyed on earth to be impenitent . but if you return to wordy quarrels again , and say all these acts ought not to be called repentance , if they have not sorrow . . i durst not so make my self master of languages , against the use of all the world . . and against the scripture that speaketh of gods repenting . . nor against etymology . . and against the nature of the case . men in flesh have sin and danger , and bodies lyable to sensible commotion of spirits , and so to grief . those in heaven are not such : they have no cause of grief , and yet have renewed faculties of mind and will , which disgust sin , and hate it , and are turned from it to a contrary love and life . even here , if a man by his own sin and folly had shut up himself twenty years in a dungeon , or put out his eyes , and never seen the light , suppose this man suddenly delivered into the light , and he would not stay to mourn for his former state , but the sudden joy would exclude sorrow : and yet his change would be a true repentance for what he did . but as you have wronged all protestants by fathering your errour on them , you have made it my duty to vindicate them with my self . but i am grown such a prodigal of my reputation with men of such a judging disposition , that i will cast away a little more of it on your censure . the scripture speaketh so much more of our glory after the resurrection , then before , and purposely keepeth us so low in our knowledge of the particular state of souls before , and calvin , ( whom i suppose you take not for an heretick ) for all his treatise against the sleep of souls , did think the difference was so great between the state of the separated souls , and that at the resurrection , that i must profess my ignorance to be so great , that i am uncertain whether this first state do set all the blessed so high , as that no thought is consistent with it , that hath the least degree of suffering . for , . i know that all creatures are passive . . if felicity be imperfect till the resurrection , it must be privatively , or positively , or both . if privatively , how can i prove that nothing positive may concur , when privation is as bad . . i think that protestants mostly agree , that christs own soul , while his body was in the grave , was in paradise , in joy , and yet in a state that was partly penal , as it was a separation from the body by death . and that all souls in heaven are happy , and yet in a state partly penal in heaven itself , as they are separated from the body , and short of the resurrection : for not only the minute of dying , but the state of death is penal , to a soul that desireth a return to the body : and yet heaven may be to it unconceivable felicity . i only hence conclude , that we must not take on us to know more than we do of separate souls , nor to make a measure or manner of blessedness for them of our own heads , nor to apply every text to them that is spoken of the state after the resurrection : there is enough besides to feast our joyful hopes . iv. some few other practical doctrines we differ about , as where pag. . you say [ i doubt not to affirm that doing that which a law requires , so far as the intention is moved by the law , is a justifying of it . and submitting to any law on the consideration of its penalties , is so far a justifying its preceptive part , as not so great an evil as the penal . ] ans. i first premise that this is little or nothing to the cause i pleaded for : for whereas you say [ none that i know of say it is a duty simply , or without any dependence or human sanction . ] i have largely told you that taking publick communion to be but do facto , what it is , and the lyturgy as commonly used , i take it to be a duty to hold such communion ( where no better at least is ) though there were no human sanction , but voluntary concord ; and this by vertue of gods great commands of glorifying him with one mind and mouth in unity , love , and peace ; not an immutable duty , but a duty rebus sic stantibus . it is in obedience to gods commands more than mens , that i have gone to the parish churches ; and would have gone as much , if the law had not commanded it , but only had deprived me of better . but as to your undoubted affirmation , i am as much past doubt that it is not true as you unlimitedly express it . the intention may be moved by a law for the effects . or consequents sake , and not justify the law , but only justify the act of the subject : yea , it may be moved by the formal authority of the law-giver , exprest by his law , and yet not justify the law. ioseph and mary were taxed with others by augustus law : they were moved by that law , and its effects to pay the tax : and yet justifyed not the law , nor decided the case , whether it were by right or usurpation : all conquered people by unjust war , may obey a taxing law : the israelites might obey the philistines , that forbad them smiths , and swords , &c. they may labour , and travel , and pay taxes , moved by unjust laws , and yet not justify the law , but only their own acts. when christ sent peter to take a fish with money in his mouth , and pay tribute , the law moved his intention , because of the offence that would follow the breaking of it : and yet his answer intimateth that he justified not the law : if he carried his cross at their command , that justified not their command . if he bid us give our coat to him that sueth us for our cloak , if the law be against us , it proveth not he bids us justify the law. if a confessor go to prison , or banishment , or to the gallows , or fire without resistance , to do this as moved by the law , is no justifying of the law. if the protestants in france should pay each man a yearly tribute for liberty of conscience , or the christians under the turk pay pos●-mony , moved by the law , this justifieth not the law. i am persuaded your church would gladly pay somewhat for liberty of worship , and yet not justify the law that required it . if the law required us to meet for gods worship at an inconvenient place or time , or to use a version of psalms in meeter , or a translation of scripture that is not the best , he that useth these in obedience to this ( because concord in these according to law , is better then a better version , translation , hour , place , with discord , and because obedience may do more good then better circumstances would without it ) yet doth not hereby justify the law. if the law bid you appear before justices or judges that are bad men , and unjust , you may obey the law , and not justify it . dear brother , i will not aggravate your errour by its ill consequences : but you and i tell the world , what need all men have of pardon in our mistakes , even when we are most confident . . and as to your second affirmation , it is not true without limitation , [ that submitting to a law , on consideration of the penalties , is so far a justifying its preceptive part , as not so great an evil as the penal . ] this is confused work : the pr●ceptive part of the law is actus praecipientis , the commanders act ; the instances before mentioned tell you that this may be obeyed for the penalty sake , when yet the evil of the command , or law , is sinful , and so worse than the penalty or obedience , which are not sin : forgive me for telling you that you should have distinguished the preceptive part of the law from the matter commanded by it , and the evil of the law and law-maker , from the evil of the obeyer ; and then only have concluded that he that obeyeth a precept only to avoid the penalty , professeth the penalty to be worse then his act of obedience . but he doth not make it worse then the law , or the law-makers sin . if a law did command me to appear before a lay-civilian , who useth the keys of the church , and this on pain of death , or imprisonment , i may be moved both by precept and penalty to appear , as being better then either refusal , or penalty , and yet not think that the law or precept is a less evil in itself , or its ends , to the law-maker , or the publick ? ( whether this thought be right or wrong , is nothing to our question ) so if i were by law commanded to joyn in the lyturgy , on pain of death , or imprisonment , or being deprived of all other church worship , i may think this law worse than my sufferings , and yet think my obedience to it my duty . yea , if a law bid me play with childrens bubbles , or any such trisling , on pain of death , the case would be the same . and if any should take occasion by your confident judgment to refuse to obey , wherever he may not justify the preceptive part of the law , the effect would be worse then of my naming dr. o. sect . . i told you i have no leisure to write books for my self now : thus far i have written for truth , and love , and unity . as to all your charges against my self , i say again , i will not justify my self : my naming dr. owen , which is so heinously taken , i have told you the occasion of . to which i truly add , . i did it as a distinctive note , that the readers might know what it was that i answered . . and i that use to put my name to my writing , never dreamt that it would have been taken any worse to name him , than to confute a writing that by common , uncontrolled supposition bore his name . had i thought it would have been taken so ill ( while the super-conformists bear far more ) it 's two to one but i had forborn it . and now it 's done , i am yet but little wiser , when i think of the publick cause fore-described , i am ready to think it should weigh down all your contrary reasons : when i feel in my self an inward averseness to strive with any by ungrateful words , and hear from you how ill it 's taken , then i dislike it : and my own selfish lothness to be the object of the hard thoughts , and talk of so many of you , is some byass to my judgment . i wholly follow the rule you mention , to choose that which doth most good , and least hurt : and truly the reverence of your own , and some others judgment , telling me that it doth more hurt than good , doth turn the scales , and make me repent that i named the doctor . and i leave your charges against me to their best advantage , to the reader , though my inclination is much to open the mistakes . i may give a brief touch to your self , for your information , which i expect not should affect the reader , suppose your book to lie open before you . pag. . . if you thought them not good enough to be his , nor intended for publick view , why did you wrong him so much , ( and the people much more ) as to divnlge them with his name ? pag. . do good men take it for a priviledge to hurt the church uncontradicted ? . the more are displeased with truth , the greater is the disease that needeth it . . to be zealous for love , against hatred , and its causes , is not so bad as to need to be quenched . it is zeal for a sect against unity , which , corrupt nature is for . . i doubted not but guilt would be impatient . it was your party that wronged , his name , by divulging that which you now take for his disgrace . pag. . it 's wisely done not to own the cause i oppose , and yet not let men know whether it be for fear of the law , or because you are against it . o that i could have fore-known , that i might have confuted his arguments without his name , and displeased no body ? i thought you had taken them for his honour , and not his disgrace , when so many value them . pag. . . if they are true , they are his honour : if false , why should i suffer them to do mischief . . i named not mr. ralphson , till all said he openly owned his books in prison . had you rather all that worship god in parish churches , were persuaded that it is idolatry , than mr. ralphson should be confuted by name ? i hope you have better reasons for concealing your own name ; to do mischief un-named , is not worth pleading for . pag. . if the work be faulty , why do you not joyn with me to save men from it ? and why did your private letter own it his , conjunct with fame ? and not one man yet that i hear of , denyeth it . . i offered you to stop it . . is it disingenuity in me to tell you of twenty untruths in your private letter ( and many notorious , ) and ingenuity in you to be offended for being told of them , rather than for writing them ? this is to comply with the world , that taketh the detecter only for the sinner . . is a defensive confutation of errour , dealing severely ? . agreeing copies confute you . to confute errour is not worse then to own or defend it . pag. . if it be so heinous to confute it , why did you divulge it ? pag. . my reasons for love and concord were long before considered . . i had heard of them long in many hands , though till then i never saw them : and you say you saw it a year before . . it 's strange so knowing a man should think that bad arguments , with a valued name , are not dangerous ! yes , even against common sense , as those for transubstantiation . to confute your self , you add , that [ on all sides peoples opinions are mostly , and most strongly mastered by affections , and it 's beyond all our power to cure the disorder . ] and yet is there no danger from names ? pag. . [ must all appearance of enmity , and bitterness , be laid aside , and love used , &c. ] and yet must we let men excommunicate one another , and call all to mutual avoidance , without contradiction ? let churches and christians be taught to damn each others persons , and worship causelesly , and take each other for idolaters , for fear of breaking love and peace . . do you believe that dr. owens name was not known with them before ? . mr. warners came out since , which i compared with mr. ralphsons . . can you tell why i was to name dr. o. in my cure of church divisions , or his books : i told you great reasons against it , what now you call a brave advantage , would have been otherwise called by yours . i was not inclined to note a little evil among much good : if you cannot see the doctors arguments there answered by me , i cannot help that : must. i transcribe them to convince you . pag. . d●r . . [ obj. where hath god given any men power to prescribe & impost forms for others , or commandea others to obey them ? ] read the answer , pag. , , . at least not on ministers , p. . christ hath given gifts to all his ministers , and commanded them to use them : they use them not , when they use imposed forms . so pag. . p. . of approving of sin , and signifying consent by joyning . more fully , p. . ( and in my christ. direct . ) if you never found these arguments ( there answered ) in dr. o. book , i cannot help that , others have . pag. . i thought you had known how usual it is to speak to the second person , in answering books many hundred years old ? if not , you have free leave to take it for my folly : i 'le not contend with quakers , whether we should say [ you ] or [ thou ] nor with you , whether it be better to say [ him ] or [ you. ] you say , it displeaseth him not . pag. . if numbring mens errours , used to do hurt , be worse than committing , or defending them , i mistook . pag. . i consent that you do so by me , so you speak nothing but truth . . repentance is a hard work , and the impenitent impatient ; therefore we all suffer what we do . pag. . my pleas for peace have been all ill taken by the other side : and which of you therefore were so offended at them . . i am sorry that you seign the healing parliament to have disowned our repentance : i preacht to the parliament but once , and it was for repentance : i have oft publickly accused my self ; and i hope i break not the act of oblivion by it : they forbad reproaching , and troubling one another , but not remembring our sin , nor seeling when we suffer , nor asking what caused it , to stop the like again , if not for a cu●e . but , dear brother , do you not know that it was your divulged writing that rubb'd upon the sort , and broke the act of oblivion , if this be breaking it ? did it not tell what work the imposing the lyturgy had made , against [ reformation ▪ for ignorance , rtviling , and reproaching the spirit sit up ungifted ministers , made great disolations in the church , silencing painful ministers , ruining families , destroying souls &c. ] do you think this broke the act of oblivion , or is condemned by the healing parliament , or doth nothing break it but on one side . look on both sides , and tell me how such arguments misused , should be answered , but by shewing that there was danger , and ill effects also on the contrary extream . did the parliament forbid one side only this commemoration ? i pray you if but one side may be called to repent , let it be us , that we may be forgiven . pag. . if you know not that the principles of separation were the great cause ( in armies , and elsewhere ) of the subversions , and confusions , which brought us to what we have felt , i do : and you would not at once live under the fruit of it as we now do , and i yet make so light of it , as to take it for a noli me tangere , if it had cost you as many painful days and nights , as many ungrateful disputes , as many groans and tears , and as much blood as it hath done me : and how little is my part to that which england , cotland , and ireland hath suffered , even by that cause conjunct with pride , and ambition , these sourty years ? if i may not have leave to say as bradford , repent o england , you should give me leave to repent my self , that ever i preacht one sermon with any byass of overmuch desire to please persons of the accusing separating humour . pag. . i said of our late overturnings in england , that all this is publickly known : many late volumes on both sides record it : were it but whitlocks memorials , it were enough : the nations ring of it ( and i have ost lamented it heretofore ) and you mistaking all this , seign me to say , that the passages debated in dr. owens papers , and his words , were all known before ; and so bestow many reproofs upon a fiction of your own . pag. . you would put such terms upon me in dispute , a veron devised to put on the protestants . i must oppose his doctrine only as in the syllables written ▪ accidentals in worship , signify you think at least an integral part. doth [ in ] turn accidents into parts ? are accidents parts , because inherent ? ] are not your quality , quantities , immanent acts , passions , &c. inherent ? is not kneeting , putting off the hat , methods , translations , meeter , tunes , &c. in the worship of god ? and is it unlawful , because in it ? if it be therefore a part of worship , you must conclude that either all these are unlawful , or that it 's lawful for men to make parts of gods worship . . are all things duly belonging to it , parts of it ? i believe you own none of this your self . pag. . the doctors th argument was , that this [ practice condemneth the suffering saints of the present age , rendring them false witnesses of god. ] i answered ; [ let us not stand to any dividing principle , or cause , lest the saints be blamed , that have fathered it in god. ] i used the word [ saints ] but as repeating his own phrase : and this you make to have better become the observator . is not this partiality ? may the argument use a term which the answerer may not repeat ? and , dear brother , is it not a sad case , if among the many ill causes fathered on god , any , or all of them should say , [ we must not repent , ●or amend , lest we be blamed as false witnesses of god. pag. . sir , if telling me of any sin that ensnareth souls , be using me more scornfully then the most virulent adversaries , spare me not , but use me so : wo to me , if repentance become odious and intolerable . but i must stop , lest i cross my purpose of not writing for my self , but you . the conclusion of all is , dear brethren , the longer i study the gospel , and the longer i live in the world , the more fully i am convinced that love is the great work of the spirit , and the men that love most , are the best men , and those the worst , that have least love : and i would write in golden letters as my motto , god is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him : and if christians loved no more than others , they would be no better than they : and that love desireth union and familiarity ; and that censoriousness , contempt , and flying from each other , both signify , and breed hatred . could we but so live as to make all our enemies believe that we heartily love them , it would conquer their enmity , and tie their hands , and tongues , by reconciling their hearts . i know many at this time , to whom god marvellously performeth that promise , blessed are the meek , for they shall ▪ inherit the earth . no winds root up the grass , which overthrow the oaks . humility and love would conquer all the world . these overcame philosophy , and empire at first . power may overcome bodies , and argument stop mens mouths , and yet more enrage them unto enmity : but love conquereth hearts : love the conformists , if you would do them good , or preserve your self from evil : not that all men must be loved alike , nor sin loved for the persons sake ; but every one according to the measure of his amiableness . young christians are usually like young fruit , harsher , and sourer than the mellow fruits of holy ripeness , and experienced age . who would think , that did read the epistles of iohn , whom jesus loved , breathing out love , love , love , that this very man had three times offended christ , by sinning against love. first , by ambitious desiring to be above his fellows : secondly , by offering to call for fire from heaven against the refusers of christ : thirdly , by forbidding one to cast out devils , ( and do good ) in christs name , because he followed not with them , ( like those that now would have some faulty men forbidden to preach . ) love groweth as grace groweth . if my confuting the principles and practices that are fitted to destroy love , by censures , contempt , and unjust alienation be interpreted as contrary to love , let but the censurers love so much the more , so it be christians as such , and not a dividing party only , and i have my end . sect . . a comparison of the use of a faulty translation of the scripture , and a faulty lyturgy . in queen elizabeths days the bishops translation of the bible , and that called the old one being faulty , were only in use . king james procured a better , but the lyturgy still retained , the old one . suppose a law were made that only the old faulty translation be used ; many refuse it , and suffer for it ; the parliament cometh and establisheth the new translation , and swear all men to promote it as a part of reformation ; we are in possession of it for sixteen years : then a law is made that all shall go to prison that use any but the old ; two thousand break this law , and use the new , and suffer part of the penalty , and shift from the rest as long as they can . at last the state is resolved to suffer them no longer , but , in prison they shall lie : hereupon many suffer imprisonment , many die there . some few in london keep up secret worship with the new translation , and others go to the churches ▪ where the old is used . in the countries there is not past one minister in twelve or twenty miles that keeps up a meeting in the use of the new one . the few that yet do , say , that [ to use the old one , or joyn with such as do , is covenant-breaking , and false worship , and unlawful , and a going back from reformation . ] some that live in countries where none in twenty miles openly use the new one , come to r. b. for counsel ; he desireth them to bring one of the contrary judgment , and judge when they hear both : he tells them , that , . they should keep up the new translation as far as they can in gods publick worship , while the hurt will not be greater than the benefit . . that when they have no publick church or worship to joyn with , but what useth the old one , they should rather joyn with such than none ▪ as also when they cannot have the new one without more hurt than benefit . . and that while they can have the new one , they should not renounce communion with the churches that use the old one , as separating from it as unlawful , but only disown the faults of the old one , while they disown not the communion of the churches in the use of it . the other say● . that it is a cursed thing to offer god a worse , while we have better . . that we are sworn against it . . that it is false worship , and obeying man before god. . that we do but keep our possession , which they would put us out of , and it's ▪ they that separate from us , and not we from them . . that we keep to gods word , which is the only rule . and therefore communion with the old translation is unlawful , and we should rather suffer death . r. b. answereth , i. . that it is a cursed thing to give god no publick worship , because we cannot have the new ▪ translation , and to live like atheists ▪ if we cannot have what we would . none ▪ is worse than the old. family vvorship without church vvorship , is worse than an old translation ▪ . and that it is not we that offer god ▪ the worse before the better ; it is they that exclude the better , which we protest against , having not our choice . ii. that he that sware to give over all church vvorship , unless he have the new translation , swore wickedly li●e an atheist ; and he that swore to communicate with no ▪ church that used the old translation , swore wickedly like a schismatick ; and he that swore that gods providence should never return him to a necessity of using the old ▪ swore blasphemously ▪ as if he could have governed the world against god. iii. that all worship is so far false as it is faulty ; that to forsake all publick worship when we cannot have the better translation , is to be righteous unrighteously , over much , and too little , and to disobey both god and man. iv. keep your possession as long as you can without more hurt than good . i am not one that ever strove to take it from you . but do your brethren in prison enjoy publick worship ? you 'l say , they do better . it 's easier bearing their imprisonment , poverty and death , than your own . but what shall ten parts of the kingdom do , that must have the old translation or none ? you 'l say , i suppose , they may give over all church worship as impossible , and take up with family worship . but stay , . must you not first prove the old so bad , as that no-church worship is better ? have you proved this ? . will not your reason prove , that we must also separate from you ? have not weak ministers as bad faults as a weak translation ? . what 's become then of your saying , we had possession ? have they possession of better that have none at all ? or , will you be without all , because you had once possession of better ? and will it excuse your ungodliness , that you can lay the blame on them that dipossest you ? or if they be schismaticks for so using you , doth it follow that you are none , if you persuade all to separate from all gods church worship rather than joyn where the old translation is used . v. gods word is the rule ; but only a general rule for words , modes and circumstances . to love god and our neighbour , and the unity of the church , are his greatest commands . go learn what these mean : to violate these , and forsake all church worship , if you cannot have the best translation , is not to keep to the rule , but most grosly to violate it in the greatest commands against many scripture admonitions , which vehemently urge you to love and unity . but , good friend , if really christ and scripture be your guide , i desire no more ; tell me , and lay by partiality ; did not christ and his apostles use both in the synagogues , church . meetings , and writings a faulty translation of the old testament , and as bad as ours ▪ deny it if you can for shame . though sometimes they varyed , they mostly used the septuagint , according to which our faulty ▪ translation of the old testament is made , as it differs from the hebrew . is this no consutation of you ? yea , christ and the apostles used it the rather ▪ because it was in common use . . and are you sure that among so many greek differing copies as we have of the new testament , that you use and follow none but the best . i would add a similitude , supposing that we had just possession of the publick church-place● & tythes , & they are taken from us , & we can blame them that did it , and say over and over , we had possession , and therefore it is unlawful to meet in worse rooms , for god must have the best ; will this hold when you cannot keep possession ? ▪ will you rather worship no where ? this is no better than if you would tell all men , they should die rather than eat brown bread , if force take all other from them , because it is unjustly done , and they had possession of better . good friends , keep your possession for me ; but i own not the famishing of all that are dispos●e●sed . if you do , i do not . obj. but this case is unlike to that of lyturgies . answ. . the scripture is gods own word : a mis-translation maketh that to be his word that is not ; which sure is a tenderer matter than in what words we speak our own minds to god. ●ure a depravation of scripture is more than a ceremony : were lyturgies such an alteration of gods own words , you would more plausibly accuse them . one that said , god said this or that , which he said not , was worse tha● one that spake his own words undecently to god. to say , this is gods word , which i● not , is indeed adding to it ; but so it is not to speak words as our own . how much the septuagint differs from the hebrew , how many verses it leaveth out , how many additions and alterations it maketh , is commonly known . christs and the apostles use of this , was no approbation of its faults , much less their presence in the synagogues ▪ when others read moses and the prophets in them . and the psalms in the septuagint ▪ translation were part of their lyturgy . for man to speak faultily is no wonder : it hath a more plausible pretence for separation , to say that men corrupt the word of god. and yet when it is but such an effect of humane imperfection , it is no just pretence . but yet a word more ; qu. . do you think that the pharisees and scribes had so much of the gift of extemporate prayer , that they could , and did use to make long prayers , as if it were by the spirit extempore ? say so , and you will disgrace the doctors arguments , that lay so much on this manner of praying . no doubt but it was forms and lyturgies that they used ; yet when christ condemneth them for praying in the streets to be seen , and using long prayer for a pretence to devour widdows houses ; qu. . did christ speak one word against them as forms or lyturgies ? did he want zeal or knowledge ? q. . had they not been good in themselves , what cloak could they have made for so great evil ? qu. . did christ or his apostles ever forbear the synagogues for the sake of these long lyturgies ? come friends , there is no end , nor much hope in disputing against fixed prejudice , and wrong confident conceits , how clear soever the light be against it . hold your judgment , and i shall hold mine , till god irresistibly reconcile us ; and if you cannot forgive me , i can forgive you , but not own the guilt of your mistakes , and the effects . i have too much already of my own , i had rather you accused me , than conscience , for wilful contracting any more . the lord save us from our enemies , but more especially from our friends , and all their temptations , and above all , from our selves . it amazeth me to hear wise and godly men say , [ it is popery that is coming in upon us ; ergo , let us all forsake the parish-churches , quasi die . the enemy will take the city within these few years ; ergo , let us all go out of it to day . like him that killed himself for fear of dying some years hence . dementation goeth before perdition . who knoweth not that the religion of the parish-churches is like to be the national religion ? and shall we persuade protestants to leave them all ? passion provoked by some mens badness , hath too much conquered love to conformists in some mens minds , so that they scruple not too uncharitable opinions and words of them . this is contrary to christian love. i doubt not but there are hundreds of godly conformable ministers in england , on aug. . . seven thousand or more did conform , that had been kept in , in the parliaments time ; were all those seven thousand tolerable the year before , and ungodly the next year ? many conformists now in london were taken for very good men in . at once the other extream , most study to get them out ; and shall we also call all men on pain of hazarding their souls to forsake them ? a very great church-man above years ago was heard say to his brethren ; the non-conformable puritans are snakes : we have the law against them , and can tread them down when we will : but it is the conformable puritan that is the devil of england , to be cast out : and shall we second this , and that as in opposition to it ? grace is lost as far as christian impartial love is lost . and they that lose religion themselves , which lyeth in love , are like to be no good keepers of it in the church . if a good man that we value become a danger to the truth , we are angry if his errour be but contradicted , lest his name be blemished : but some dare say the conformists are all false , ready to betray the church to papists : who nowdo far more to keep them out then we do . this is against iam. . . if there be any such conformists high or low , i am none of their advocate ; god will find them out , and judge them : but i am confident that it is also conformists ( by the advantage of their possession ) that will do more to stop their desired success , than nonconformists can do . i am sure bishop iewel , usher , morton , hall , downame , davenant , &c. were far from popery . and what man living hath written stronglier against it , than dr. isaac barrow , ( against whose book a doctor hath newly dasht his reputation , as a bubble against a rock : and what the bishop of lincoln , the bishop of hereford , dr. peter moulin , dr. stillingfleet , and many more have done , is known . your mr. mat. m●ad once commended a conformist for a benefice to me , with these words , [ i take him to be the holiest man i know , ] i have loved him the better ever since for his candor , charity , and impartiality . sect . . an expository advertisement about naming faulty persons . as all men ought to have a just regard of their own and their neighbours reputations ; so the over-much tenderness of the guilty and the proud , doth make it a matter of much difficulty ; for an impartial man to know whether , and when he should name , or make known the persons whom he doth oppose or blame : though the resolution seem easie both to them that have no charity to caution them , and to them that will do no duty , that displeaseth others . being called to review my own practice , in this i shall give the world an account ; first , of my judgment in it , and then of my doings . i. i take such a nomination to be a duty in these cases following . . in case of necessary defence of the truth , against some dangerous errour of some men otherwise pious and tolerable , the greatest pillars of the church have usually named them . i hope all those iudaizers that paul so sharply writeth against , were not in a state of damn●tion ▪ doubtless peter and barnabas were not , gal. . nor i hope demas , nor all the rest that he saith were not like-minded to timothy , but sought their own and not the things of jesus christ ▪ and i hope the like of diotrephes , much more assuredly of iohn that blamed him , though that beloved disciple is thrice named as culpable ( seeking to be greatest , and offering to call for fire from heaven , and forbidding one to do miracles in christs name . ) and peter oft , and once tremendously ( matth. . ) rebuk't by christ. the sins of noah and his sons , lot and his wife and daughters , sarah , abraham , isaac , iacob and his sons , moses , aaron , miriam , many judges , eli , david , solomon , rehoboam , asa , hezekiah , iosiah , and many more , are left on record in scripture , with their names , by him who is love it self , and hareth uncharitableness . and though we believe not all that bernard , walaf ; strabo , and such others , though good men , believed of peter bruis , henricus , and other albigenses , waldenses and bobemians , much less all that tho. waldensis saith against wickliss ▪ the wisest reformers have seen cause to mention some of their mistakes . luthers first mistakes while he disowned not the papacy , and his after sharpness , against carolostadius , and zuinglius , are recorded by many that dislike them , as he recordeth his distaste of those aforesaid , and many more whom he dissented from . all that are contradicted by name are not taken by sober men to be graceless or intolerable . swenkfeldius was a man of honour , and his character was , that he had [ an honest heart , but not a regulated head ; ] and yet the generality of reformers cryed down his errours and sect. the calvinists write for communion with the lutherans , and the moderate lutherans love the calvinists , & yet they write against each other by name , as too many volumes openly shew . george major was a wise and good man though schlusselburgius , and such others , number him and his followers as hereticks , as ca●●vi●● doth the calixtines . nicholas gallus , and am●sdorsius were noted divines and century writers ▪ though they so used major , and maintained that good works are not necessary to salvation ; for which wiser men did write against them . mat. flac. illyricus ( the chief century writer ) was a learned zealous protestant , and yet many more than melancthon and beza have left as a blot upon his name , that he was so fierce against ceremonies , and unpeaceable , and that he maintained that original sin is the substance of the soul. andrew osiander was a very learned protestant ▪ high in favour with his prince , yet he and all his followers greatly opposed by the orthodox reformers , for maintaining that we are justified by gods essential righteousness made ours . and fu●ccius sped the worse for following him ( though it was for state-councils that he died . ) how high a character doth melancthon , and many other the greatest divines give of hubertus languetus , as an honourable , learned , pious , excellent man ; and yet it 's now scarce denyed , but it was he that ) wrote iunius b●●tus ( though it was long falsly charged on beza , and the noble ●● plessis . ) doubtless cassander , erasmus , wicelius , and gr●tius , were men of great worth ▪ that yet for peace owned the roman church and corruptions , so far as is not to be justified or overlookt . all the germane prophets or fanaticks that chr. beckmans exercitations name ▪ and copiously confute , were not ungodly or intolerable men . whatever the pa●●c●lsians , weig●lians , and many of the rest were , i know not ; but sure th●ulerus was a godly man ; and grotius commendeth iohn ar●di and his followers as men of piety and peace : and notwithstanding his vain affected words , iacob behmen seemed a pious man ; and i loved many of his chief followers in england , of my acquaintance , because their spirit and writings were all for love and peace , ( and their difficult gibberish made me fearless of their multiplying , or ever doing any great hurt . ) and the papists quite out-do us in naming their opponents , and their errours , and yet not renouncing communion with them , but keeping them in the bosom of their church ; as whole loads of books written by the schoolmen , and several sects and orders against each other shew : and specially the controversies between the seculars and regulars , sharply handled by watson . in his quodlibits , and divers others : and newly peter walsh , that calls himself valesius , and s●rjeants , and his blaklows controversies tell us more . but none more than the jesuists and jansenists : did we differ about half as many and weighty points as are recited in the iesuites morals , and their charge against the iansenists , we should scarce think each other fit to be members of one communion . and naming opponents is oft necessary to make the reader know what books we write against for distinction sake . . and there is yet another great cause of naming faulty men both ( otherwise ) godly and heretical . the duty of a publick or national repentance oft requireth the mention of publick sins and sinners ; ( specially if they be our own ) god long forbeareth the publick national sins of ancestors , to see if posterity , ( who are the same na●ion , though not the same persons ) will prevent his judgments by repentance : in which case they must confess their own , and their fore fathers sins . this was the due practice of the church of old , as psal. . & . and many other shew ; and the prayers of ezra , daniel , and others : they named many , and bewailed more of their national and fore fathers sins ▪ and if they do not , christ will name them for them , as he did the blood shed from abels till zach●rias , and will revenge all together on the impenitent generation matth. . it was not to call dead men to repentance , that all the forementioned faults of good and bad men are recorded in the scripture : but it is partly for the exercise of national repentance , and partly for a warning to the living , that good mens names tempt them not to sin ▪ yea that shaming them is a mercy to us all to this day , is evident , in that where god recordeth any sin , without laying some reproach upon it , satan maketh a snare of it , to persuade us it is no sin . what abundance have been emboldened to lie , because the midwives in egypt , and davids lies are recorded without adjoyned reproof . polygamy is pleaded for as lawful by that reason ; and the jews did so by divorce ; and some by drinking to excess , or overthrow of reason : all of us take it for a duty to bewail the nations resistance of reformation , and cruelty to the martyrs in q. mary's days , and such like as part of our national humiliation . . when pernicious deceivers endanger the church , by their sophistry and reputation , especially by publick writings which survive them . god hath named in scripture simon magus and elymas , and the party called nicolaitans , whom his soul hated , and largely described many throughout the new testament , especially epist. to gal. col. pet. . iude , rev. . & . and all that were faithful to the true faith did of old name with detestation the ebionites , cerinthians , gnosticks ; valentinians , basilidians , manichees ▪ priscilianists , and arians , sabellians , paulinists , &c. and since the reformation , the soberest reformers named with zealous renunciation the names of not only such as caesar vaninus , and pomponatius , valent. gentilis , servetus ( whom they burnt ) but also those captains of sedition , that were the heads of dangerous sects . tho ▪ muncers case they commonly mention with detestation ; and ionn of leydens , and the rest at m●nster as worse . ( and yet leo juda tells us with what marvellous constancy knipperd●lling endured his flesh to be pulled off by pieces with red hot pincers , scarce groaning or expressing grief ▪ ) the case of david george , the father of the libertines ( as beza calls him ) and henry nicols's ▪ ( the father of the familists ) multitudes recite with detestation . ii. but there are many things that stand up against this duty , and turn men from it , or make it doubtful in particular instances . . one is the great abuse of it by the antients , and the mischiefs done by that abuse ▪ it calleth for greatest grief to read it , and to feel the fruit of it to this day , which while i have recited out of the councils and church-history , many cannot bear it . the case of the easter contention in all the christian world , even in brittain tells it us : the shameful catalogue of hereticks in philastrius , yea many in epiphanius tell it us : so do the controversies with the audians , novatians , donatists , the nestorians , eutychians , monothelites , the tria capitula out of theodorite , theodore mops. and ibas : the image controversies , the corrupti●ol● , and phantasiasts , and many more such : and since the heat of the lutherans , ( such as marbachius , heshasius , westphalus , gallus , ambsdorsius , and lately calovius , and many still ) against the calvinists ; the over-violent usage of the remonstrants in holland , the strife at the city of frankford , between the conformists , and nonconformists ; the violences , and reproaches of episcopal , presbyterian , independants , erastians , and anabaptists against each other in england , with the evil means , and long continuance , and woful effects . the scots covenants excluding from their publick union there and here , all the diocesan divines and party , even such as usher , morton , hall , davenant , &c. these great abuses of over-doers , and dividers , make many charitable men think , that it is best to mention no mens faults at all , save u●ter enemies . . and another grand dissuasive , is the certain abuse that bad men will make of it : malignant spit-fires do already write books full of palpable lies against other men ( of which i have had a notable part : ) and in common speech and reproach ▪ make many that they converse with , believe these lies ? and if we call each other to repentance , or confess our own sin , impudent malice will turn it to a common scorn , and say , they are all alike , and worse than they confess . . and another hinderance is , that we think controverted cases are not matter of censure : and these are controversies . . but the greatest impediment of all , is the natural selfishness , pride and impatience that is in all , so far as they are unmortified , and unhumbled , and interessing god and his truth , and cause , more deeply than is just , in the interest of our selves , our parties , and our opinions . to these four cases i briefly say , . the avoiding of the contrary extream , hindered not god and good men from mentioning diotrephes , demas , the nicolaitans , and all aforesaid . . if we shall omit all duty that men will abuse , we shall do none , or next to none . repentance is most honourable ▪ except innocency : and they would reproach men less , if they more confest their sin themselves : and a true confession is a true description of the case , and shameth them that make it worse then it is , or lay the fault of the guilty on the innocent . . what heresy or sin almost is not controverted ? satan will make a controversy of all , if that shall serve : arrianism is a sad instance , and socinianism , which is much worse , and popery is more disputed for than they all . . god hateth the proud , and will abase them , and pardoneth none but the penitent , and he that sinfully saveth his credit , shall most lose it : repentance is a great , hard , necessary work , we can easily call other men to repent . iii. having told you my judgment , i will as this worthy brother adviseth , yet further review my own actions . i am one of those that have formerly imitated austin in some confessions , and retractations ; but i cannot make every scornful expectants opinion my measure , nor retract all that every extream'd opposer , or dissenter doth dislike . and i am one that long , and very dearly endeavoured to have prevented those overturnings , which i bewail : and at that time i thought them a sin so great , as i will not now describe , and took in the prognostick of their consequents , in which i have only been thus far mistaken , that gods wonderful mercy hath hitherto made them much easier then i expected : i mentioned them most openly and plainly then , to convince the guilty , and save the tempted ; and i have oft since made some mention of them , not to call the dead to repentance , but the societies in their humiliations , and the nation , and to preserve the living from the guilt of participation , and imitation . but i find that some much mistake me , and think that all the persons that i have named , i mention as intolerable , or make them worse than they are , and equal the better with the worse , yea , make the welsh itinerants worse then ignorant , vicious , meer readers . all this is far from my words and thoughts . when clement writer wrote two books against the scripture , the ministry , and me , i answered him modestly in my book , called , the unreasonabless of infidelity : the ranters i detested : the quakers , when they bitterly reviled me , i gave free leave to dispute with me in my congregation as long as they would : the seekers , that said , scripture , church ministry , and sacraments were all lost , till new miracles restored them , i dealt with peaceably : but i confess i took all these for such as were as unfit for my communion , as they thought me for theirs , and mischievous to the souls of men. but i never thought of as equal with these the persons that i then wrote against , as antinomians , nor those that i now name on such accounts . i know that the libertines opinions called antinomianism , by too near consequence subvert the gospel . but i believe that the good men did not see such consequences , but believed the fundamentals , wh●ch they so subverted , and erred through ignorance , and unskilfulness , and confusion in managing disputes , and zeal for free-grace , drew them in the dark to injure , and dishonour it : these erroneous men , for ought i know , might love god through christ more then i ; and if so , they were so much better men then i. amesius saith , that theology is so connext , that every errour by consequence overthroweth the foundation : if that be so , who is not guilty of it ? i write here against no man as episcopal , presbyterian , independant , erastian , or anabaptist ; but only against hating one another on such accounts , and doing those things by alienation , excommunication , opposition , or other aversation unnecessarily , which signify detestation , or want of love , or tend thereto . as to the men named by me , take not the knowledge of their opinions from me , but from their publick books : mr. erbury , prince , lilburn , and such others have spoken too loud by the press : i think much better of mr. saltmarsh , w. sedgwick , den , hobson , &c. and yet better of mr. powell , cradok , lloyd , whom i named , whom you may know in print : [ the last , by a dialogue between martha and lázarus , about his soul , and letters to mr. erbury . ] that which i say of such , i fully believe ; that is , . that the dr. greatly mistakes in his intimations , as if lyturgies had been the only cause , or at least greater than they were , of a defective ministry , when so many of its greatest adversaries have been so faulty , and defective . . because those errours may be dangerous to the hearers , which god forgiveth to the ignorant speaker , i assert , that sound doctrine read out of notes or books , is less hurtful to the hearers , then dangerous practical erro●r delivered with fluent extemporate fervency , and that when calvin , hildersham , and such great , and holy men , prayed usually in the pulpit by a form , they failed not of the spirits help , so much as they that extempore pray erroneously . and that mr. phil. nye spake not mistakingly , when ( to me ) he wish't that the publick congregations in wales had good sermon books read to them , ( though men should call them homelies in contempt ; not to put down preaching , but where it 's wanting : and that a very excellent ministry beyond sea , use publick lyturgies , and pulpit forms : and excellent holy men in england long used the english lyturgy , from whom i never would have separated ; even such a. bishops , and bishops , as granmer , parker , grindal , abbot , u●her , &c. ridley , hooper , farrar , iewel , &c. such holy teachers as bolton , whately , preston , sibs , crooke , bifield , and abundance like them ; men of such rare learning and piety , as davenant , gataker , stoughton , bishop miles smith , dr. field , &c. and i do not believe that the westminster assembly were all , save eight ministers , void of the spirit , or unfit for communion , while they used the lyturgy : nor yet that of the that were in the publick churches in . or . the that conformed ▪ aug. . . were suddenly made insufficient , if they were sufficient before , ( though i meddle not with the question , whether they did well ▪ ) and yet against the contrary extream , i say , if many thousands be not in heaven ▪ whom bishops have excommunicated , and thought intolerable , yea , whom great councils have called hereticks , wo to those bishops that are worse than they . i conclude with thanks to my reverend monitor , and tell him , that i would sain ( whose censure soever i undergo , ) avoid both their sin , who undervalue mens piety for tolerable errours , & condemn those that are better than themselves , ( & themselves by consequence much more ; ) and theirs who in honour of good mens names , extenuate their dangerous errours ▪ and practices , and hinder publick repentance , forgiveness , and deliverance , by hiding , or smoothing over publick sins . but being my self lyable to forgetfulness , when i remember what answer a false argument calls for , and what notice young people need for their preservation , i am sometime less sensible of the impatience of the partial , and mistaken , and how much harder it is to bear blame , then to deserve it , and how ill the effects of their impatience may be . therefore while i stand to the rule that he mentioneth , if i have by ignorance , hast , or any other cause , done that by naming , or confuting any , which hath truly a greater tendency to do hurt , than to do good , i repent of all that 's so said and done , and ask forgiveness of god and man. and if any be unhumbled for the publick sins of the land , or any party of their minds , which have dishonoured god and our religion , and hardened adversaries , and brought us all into distress , and threaten yet worse to all the land , and our posterity , the lord humble them before it be too late . and if any that are far worse themselves , take advantage from any mens errours , misdoings , or confessions , to feed their own , and others malice , to reproach piety , to oppress ; or calumniate the innocent , and lay the faults of a few that got military advantages , upon them that were furthest from the guilt , yea , on the nation , and the protestant cause , the day is at hand , that god will vindicate the just , and stop the mouths of false accusers , with as great severity at least , as we can well desire . and delay is no violation of his promise : though he stay long , he will avenge them speedily , luke . and he knoweth that their day is coming : and then we shall say , it was the fittest time . post-script . reader , the sight of a book of one mr. edw. petit , called , visions of government , calls me to tell you , that all his reviliu● language needs no reply , or confutation : but his story about major iennings , how i stood by while he was wounded , and encouraged it , and took the meddal from about his neck is already by me confuted before my defence of the history of councils : which i have made known to mr. l'estrange , and major iennings . and though the rector of burton , in the life of dr. heylin , publish it with major iennings affirmation , i do here again , as in the presence of god , take a voluntary oath , that it is false ; and that i was not near him at that time , nor never saw the man in my life ( unless i might see a man unknowingly in a congretion , or distant croud , nor did i see any wound him , nor take any meddal of him : but that in the house where i was , i heard the soldiers tell how they wounded , stript him , and took his meddal ( laughing at a silly soldier that called it a crucifix : ) and the man that took it , offering it to sale , i gave him eighteen pence for it , and some years after sent it major iennings freely ; which it seems made him think , and rashly affirm falsly , that it was i that took it from him . as for the rest of the diabolism of that book , and his , and others uncessant charges from one book retracted so many years ago , and accused by my self , consenting to the oxford men that burnt it , it doth but tell the world , what furious , implacable wrath in the engaged enemies of love and peace can do , and sheweth itself more effectually then any other can . ( as do three others that have taken the like course . ) finis . the great necessity of unity and peace among all protestants, and the bloody principles of the papists made manifest by the most eminently pious and learned bishop usher ... ussher, james, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing u estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the great necessity of unity and peace among all protestants, and the bloody principles of the papists made manifest by the most eminently pious and learned bishop usher ... ussher, james, - . [ ], p. printed and sold by j. wallis ..., london : . reproduction of original in yale university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union -- anglican communion -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the great necessity of unity and peace among all protestants , and the bloody principles of the papists made manifest . by the most eminently pious and learned bishop usher , sometime lord primate of ireland . heb. xi . iv . — he being dead , yet speaketh . london : printed and sold by j. wallis in whit 〈…〉 . cor. . vers. : we being many , are one bread , and one body : for we are all partakers of that one bread. other entrance i need not make unto my speech at this time , than that which the apostle himself presenteth unto me in the verse next but one going before my text : i speak to wise men . the more unwise might i deem my self to be , who being so conscious unto my self of my great weakness , durst adventure to discover the same before so grave and judicious an auditory ; but that this consideration doth somewhat support me , that no great blame can light herein upon me , but some aspersion thereof must reflect upon your selves , who happened to make so evil a choice ; the more facile i expect you to be in a cause , wherein you your selves are some ways interested . the special cause of your assembling at this time , is , first , that you who profess the same truth , may joyn in one body , and partake together of the same blessed communion : and then , that such as adhere unto false worship , may be discovered and avoided : you , in your wisdom , discerning this holy sacrament to be , as it were , ignis probationis , which would both congregare homogenea , and segregare heterogena , ( as in philosophy we use to speak ) both conjoyn those that be of the same , and disjoyn such as be of a differing kind and disposition . and to this purpose have i made choice of this present text : wherein the apostle maketh our partaking of the lords table to be a testimony , not only of the union and communion which we have betwixt our selves , and with our head , ( which he doth in the express words , which i have read ) but also of our dis-union and separation from all idolatrous worship : as appeareth by the application hereof unto his main drift and intendment , laid down in the . and verses . the effect therefore of that which st. paul in express terms here delivereth , is the communion of saints : which consisteth of two parts , the fellowship which they have with the body , laid down in the beginning ; and the fellowship which they have with the head , laid down in the end of the verse : both which are thus explained by st. john , that which we have seen and heard , declare we unto you , that ye also may have fellowship with us ; and truly our fellowship is with the father , and with his son jesus christ , john . . let them therefore that walk in darkness , brag as much as they list of their good-fellowship : this blessed apostle assureth us , that such only as do walk in the light , have fellowship one with another , joh. . , . even as they have fellowship with god , and jesus christ his son , whose blood shall cleanse them from all sin . and to what better company can a man come , than to the general assembly , and church of the first born which are inrolled in heaven , and to god the judge of all , and to the spirits of just men made perfect , and to jesus the mediator of the new covenant : and to the blood of sprinkling , which speaketh better things than that of abel ? heb. . , . no fellowship ( doubtless ) is comparable to this communion of saints . to begin therefore with the first part thereof , as the apost . in gal. . . . maketh our being baptized into christ , to be a testimony that we are all one in christ : so doth he here make our partaking of that one bread , to be an evidence that we also are all one bread , and one body in him . and to the same purpose , in chap. . following , he propoundeth both our baptism and our drinking of the lords cup , as seals of the spiritual conjunction of us all into one mystical body . for as the body is one , ( saith he ) and hath many members , and all the members of that one body , being many , are one body : so also is christ. for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body , whether we he jews or gentiles , whether we be bound or free : and have been all made to drink into one spirit . cor. . . . afterwards he addeth , that we are the body of christ , and members in particular , ibid. v. . and in another place also , that we being many , are one body in christ , and every one members one of another . rom. . . now the use which he teacheth us to make of this wonderful conjunction ( whereby we are made members of christ , and members one of another ) is twofold : . that there should be no schism in the body . . that the members should have the same care one for another , cor. . . for preventing of schism , he exhorteth us in ephes. . , . to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace : and to make this bond the firmer , he putteth us in mind of one body , one spirit , one hope , one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god and father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in us all : by this multiplication of unities declaring unto us , that the knots whereby we are tied together , are both in number more , and of far greater moment , then that matters of smaller consequence should dissever us : and therefore that we should stand fast in one spirit , with one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel , and in nothing terrified by our adversaries , phil. . , . but howsoever god hath thus marshalled his church in a goodly order , terrible as an army with banners : yet , such is the disorder of our nature , that many , for all this , break rank , and the enemy laboureth to breed division in gods house , that so his kingdom might not stand . nay , oftentimes it cometh to pass that the watchmen themselves , cant. . . who were appointed for the safeguarding of the church , prove , in this kind , to be the smiters and wounders of her : and from among them who were purposely ordained in the church , for the bringing of men into the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , eph. . . even from among those , some do arise , that speak perverse things , to draw away disciples after them . act . . thus we find in the ecclesiastical history , that after the death of julian the apistate , questions and disputes concerning matters of doctrine were freshly set afoot by those who were set over the churches . whereupon soz●men maketh this grave observation : that the disposition of men is such , that when they are wronged by others , they are at agreement among themselves ; but when they are freed of evils from abroad , then they make insurrections one against another . which as we find to be too true by the late experience of our neighbour churches in the low-countries : so are we to consider with the wiseman , that what hath been ; is now , and that which is to be , hath already been , eccles. . . and be not so inquisitive , why the former days were better than these ? for we do not enquire wisely concerning this . ibid. . . when like troubles were in the church heretofore , isidorus pelusiota , an ancient father , moveth the question , what a man should do in this case ? and maketh answer , that if it be possible we should mend it , but if that may not be , we should hold our peace . lib. . epist. . the apostles resolution , i think , may give sufficient satisfaction in this point , to all that have moderate and peacable minds . if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , god shall reveal even this unto you : nevertheless , whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule , let us mind the same thing . phil. . . . it is not to be looked for , that all good men should agree in all things : neither is it fit that we should ( as our adversaries do ) put the truth unto compromise , and to the saying of an achitophel , whose counsel must be accepted , as if a man had inquired at the oracle of god. we all agree that the scriptures of god are the perfect rule of our faith : we all consent in the main grounds of religion drawn from thence : we all subscribe to the articles of doctrine agreed upon in the synod of the year . for the avoiding of diversities of opinions , and the establishing of consent touching true religion . hitherto , by gods mercy , have we already attained ; thus far therefore let us mind the same thing ; let not every wanton wit be permitted to bring what fancies he list into the pulpit , and to disturb things that have been well ordered . i beseech you brethren ( saith the apostle ) mark them which cause divisions and offences , contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned , and avoid them . rom. . . if in some other things we be otherwise minded , than others of our brethren are ; let us bear one with another , until god shall reveal the same thing unto us : and howsoever we may see cause why we should dissent from others in matter of opinion ; yet let us remember , that this is no cause why we should break the kings peace , and make a rent in the church of god. a thing deeply to be thought of by the ismaels of our time , whose hand is against every man , and every mans hand against them ; who bite and devour one another , until they be consumed one of another ; who forsake the fellowship of the saints , and by a sacrilegious separation brake this bond of peace . little do these men consider , how precious the peace of the church ought to be in our eyes ( to be redeemed with a thousand of lives ) and of what dangerous consequence the matter of schism is unto their own souls . for howsoever the schismatich secundum affectum ( as the schoolmen speak ) in his intention and wicked purpose , taketh away unity from the church ; even as he that hateth god , doth take away goodness from him , as much as in him lieth : yet secundum effectum , in truth , and in very deed , he taketh away the unity of the church only from himself : that is , he cutteth himself off from being united with the rest of the body ; and being dissevered from the body , how is it possible that he should retain communion with the head ? to conclude therefore this first use which we are to make of our communion with the body : let us call to mind the exhortation of the apostle : above all things put on love , which is the bond of perfectness , and let the peace of god rule in your hearts , to the which also ye are called in one body . col. . . . behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity : ps. . . what a goodly thing it is to behold such an honourable assembly as this is , to be as a house that is compact together in it self , ps. . . holding fit correspondence with the other part of this great body , and due subordination unto their and our head ! such as wish not well to the publick good , and would rejoyce at the ruin of our state , long for nothing more , then that dissensions should arise hete , betwixt the members mutually , and betwixt them and the head. hoc ithacus velit , & magno mercentur atridae . they know full well , that every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation ; and every house divided against it self , shall not stand : matth. . . nor do they forget the politicians old rule ; divide & impera , make a division , and get the dominion . the more need have we to look herein unto our selves ; who cannot be ignorant how dolorous solutio continui , and how dangerous ruptures , prove to be unto our bodies . if therefore there be any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , fulfil our joy : that ye be like minded , having the same love , being of one accord , of one mind ; and doing nothing through strife or vain glory . phil. . , , . remember that as oft as we come unto the lords table , so oft do we enter into new bonds of peace , and tie our selves with firmer knots of love together : this blessed communion being a sacred seal , not only of the union which we have with our head by faith , but also of our conjunction with the other members of the body by love . whereby as we are admonished to maintain unity among our selves , that there be no schism or division in the body : so are we also further put in mind , that the members , should have the same care one for another . for that is the second use which st. paul teacheth us to make hereof , in cor. . . which he further amplifieth in the verse next following , by the mutual sympathy and fellow-feeling which the members of the same body have on with another for whether one member suffer , all the members suffer with it ; or one member be honoured , all the members rejoyce with it . and then he addeth : now ye are the body of christ , and members in particular : shewing unto us thereby , that as we are all concorporated ( as it were ) and made copartners of the promise in christ : so we should have one another in our hearts , to die and live together . cor. . . and hereupon is that exhortation in heb. . grounded : remember them that are in bonds , as bound with them , and them which suffer adversity , as being our selves also in the body : it being a perilous sign that we be no lively members of that body , if we be not sensible of the calamities that lie upon our afflicted brethren . we know the woe that is pronounced against such as are at ease in sion , and are not grieved for the affliction of joseph , amos . , , . with the judgment following . therefore now shall they go captive , with the first that go captive . we know the angels bitter curse against the inhabitants of meroz . curse ye meroz ( said the angel of the lord ) curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof : because they came not to help the lord , to help the lord against the mighty . judg. . . not as if the lord did stand in need of our help , or were not able , without our assistance , to maintain his own cause , but that hereby he would make trial of our readiness to do him service and prove the sincerity of our love . if we hold our peace and sit still at this time , deliverance shall arise to gods church from another place , esther . . but let us look that the destruction do not light upon us and ours . i need not make any application of that which i have spoken : the face of christendom , so miserably rent and torn , as it is at this day , cannot but present it self as a ruful spectacle unto all our eyes , and ( if there be any bowels in us ) stir up compassion in our hearts . neither need i to be earnest in exciting you to put your helping hands to the making up of these breaches : your forwardness herein hath prevented me , and instead of petitioning ( for which i had prepared my self ) hath ministred unto me matter of thanksgiving . a good work is at all times commendable : but the doing of it in fit time , addeth much to the lustre thereof , and maketh it yet more goodly . the season of the year is approaching , wherein kings go forth to battel , sam. . . the present supply and offer of your subsidy was done in a time most seasonable : being so much also the more acceptable , as it was granted not grudgingly , or of necessity , but fr●ely , and with 〈…〉 mind : god 〈…〉 giver : and he is able to make all grace abound towards you , that ye always having all sufficiency in all things , may abound to every good work . cor. . , . and thus being by your goodness so happily abridged of that which i intended further to have urged from the conjunction which we have with the body : i pass now unto the second part of the communion of saints , which consisteth in the union which we all have with one head. for christ our head is the main foundation of this heavenly union . out of him there is nothing but confusion ; without him we are nothing but disordered heaps of rubbish : but in him all the building fitly framed together , groweth unto an holy temple in the lord ; and in him are we builded together an habitation of god through the spirit , ephes. . , . of our selves we are but lost sheep , scattered and wandring upon every mountain . from him it is , that there is one fold , and one shepheard , ( joh. . ) god having purposed in himself to gather together in one all things in christ , both which are in heaven , and which are on earth , even in him , ephes. . . this is the effect of our saviours prayer , joh. . . that they all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they also may be one in us , &c. i in them , and thou in me , that they may be made perfect in one . and this is it which we find so oft repeated by st. paul : we being many , are one body in christ , rom. . ye are all one in christ jesus , gal. . . and in the text we have in hand : we being many , are one bread , and one body . why ? because we are all partakers of that one bread : namely , of that bread , whereof he had said in the words immediately going before : the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? cor. . . under the name of bread therefore here is comprehended both panis domini , and panis dominus ; not only the bread of the lord , but also the lord himself , who is that living bread which came down from heaven , joh. . . for as st. peter , saying , that baptism doth save us , pet. . . understandeth thereby both the outward part of that sacrament , ( for he expressly calleth it a figure ) and more than that too ( as appeareth by the explication presently adjoyned : not the putting away of the filth of the flesh ) even the inward purging of our consciences by vertue of the death and resurrection of jesus christ : so st. paul here making the reason of our union to be our partaking of all this one bread , hath not so much respect unto the external bread in the sacrament ( through he exclude not that neither ) as unto the true and heavenly bread figured thereby ; whereof the lord himself pronounceth in john . . . the bread that i will give , is my flesh , which i will give for the life of the world : and ( to shew that by partaking of this bread , that wonderful union we speak of , is effected : ) he that eateth my flesh , and drinketh my blood , dwelleth in me , and i in him . joh. . . it is a lamentable thing to behold , how this holy sacrament , which was ordained by christ to be a bond whereby we should be knit together in unity , is , by satans malice , and the corruption of mans disposition , so strangely perverted the contrary way ; that it is made the principal occasion of that woful distraction which we see amongst christians at this day , and the very fuel of endless strifes , and implacable contentions . and forasmuch as these mischiefs have proceeded from the inconsiderate confounding of those things which in their own nature are as different as may be : for the clearer distinguishing of matters , we are in the first place to consider , that a sacrament taken it its full extent comprehendeth two things in it : that which is outward and visible , which the schools call properly sacramentum , ( in a more strict acception of the word : ) and that which is inward and invisible , which they term rem sacramenti , the principal thing exhibited in the sacrament . thus in the lords supper , the outward thing which we see with our eyes , is bread and wine , the inward thing which we apprehend by faith is , the body and blood of christ : in the outward part of this mystical action , which reacheth to that which is sacramentum only , we receive this body and blood but sacramentally ; in the inward , which containeth rem , the thing it self in it , we receive them really : and consequently the presence of these in the one is relative and symbolical ; in the other , real and substantial . to begin then with that which is symbolical and relative : we may observe out of the scripture , which saith , that abraham received the sign of circumcision , a seal of the righteousness of the saith which he had being uncircumcised ; that sacraments have a two-fold relation to the things whereof they be sacraments : the one of a sign , the other of a seal . signs , we know , are relatively united unto the things which they do signify ; and in this respect are so nearly conjoyned together , that the name of the one is usually communicated unto the other . this cup is the new testament , or , the new covenant , saith our saviour in the institution of the holy supper , luke . . this is my covenant , saith god in the institution of circumcision in the old testament , gen. . . but how it was his covenant , he explainerh in the verse immediately following ; ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin ; and it shall be a sign of the covenant betwixt me and you . so words being the signs of things , no sooner is the sound of the word conveyed to cur ears , but the notion of the thing signified thereby is presented unto our mind : and thereupon in the speech of the scripture nothing is more ordinary , than by the term of word to note a thing . we read in sam. . that the philistines were afraid and said , god is come in the camp. ver . . when the israelites brought thither the ark of the covenant of the lord of hosts , which dwelleth between the cherubims , v. . and yet was that no other but this relative kind of presence whereof now we speak : in respect whereof also the shewbread is in the hebrew named , the bread of faces , or , the presence bread . we see with us , the room wherein the kings chair , and other ensigns of state are placed , is called the chamber of presence , although the king himself be not there personally present . and as the rude and undutiful behaviour of any in that place , or the offering of any disrespect to the kings pourtraicture , or to the armes royal , or to any other thing that hath relation to his majesty , is taken as a dishonour done unto the king himself : so here , he that eateth the bread , and drinketh the cup of the lord unworthily , is accounted guilty of offering indignity to the body and blood of the lord. cor. . . in this sort we acknowledge sacraments to be signs ; but bare signs we deny them to be : seals they are , as well as signs of the covenant of grace . as it was therefore said of john the baptist , that he was a prophet , and more than a prophet : matt. . . so must we say of sacraments , that they be signs , and more than signs ; even pledges and assurances of the interest which we have in the heavenly things that are represented by them . he that hath in his chamber the picture of the french king , hath but a bare sign ; which possibly may make him think of that king when he looketh on it , but sheweth not that he hath any manner of interest in him . it is otherwise with him that hath the kings great seal for the confirmation of the title that he hath unto all the lands and livelihood which he doth injoy . and as here , the wax that is affixed to those letters patents , howsoever for substance it be the very same with that which is to be found every where , yet being applied to this use , is of more worth to the patent , than all the wax in the countrey beside : so standeth it with the outward elements in the matter of the sacrament . the bread and wine are not changed in substance from being the same with that which is served at ordinary tables : but in respect of the sacred use whereunto they are consecrated , such a change is made , that now they differ as much from common bread and wine , as heaven from earth . neither are they to be accounted barely significative , but truly exhibitive also of those heavenly things whereto they have relation , as being appointed by god to be a means of conveying the same unto us , and putting us in actual possession thereof . so that in the use of this holy ordinance , verily as a man with his bodily hand and mouth receiveth the earthly creatures ; so verily doth he with his spiritual hand and mouth ( if any such he have ) receive the body and blood of christ. and this is that real and substantial presence , which we affirmed to be in the inward part of this sacred action . for the better conceiving of which mistery , we are to inquire , first , what the thing is which we do here receive ; secondly , how and in what manner we are made partakers of it . touching the first , the truth which must be held , is this : that we do not here receive only the benefits that flow from christ ; but the very body and blood of christ : that is , christ himself crucified . for as none can be made partaker of the vertue of the bread and wine to his bodily sustenance , unless he first do receive the substance of those creatures : so neither can any participate in the benefits arising from christ to his spiritual relief , except he first have communion with christ himself . we must have the son , before we have life , joh. . . and therefore eat him we must , joh. . . ( as himself speaketh ) that is , as truly be made partakers of him as we are of our ordinary food , if we will live by him . as there is a giving of him on gods part ( for unto us a son is given , esa. . . ) so there must be a receiving of him on our part ; for as many as received him , to them gave he power to become the sons of god. joh. . . and as we are called by god unto the communion of his son jesus christ our lord , cor. . . so it we do hear his voice , and not harden our hearts by unbelief , we are indeed made partakers of christ , heb. . . this is that great mistery ( for so the apostle termeth it ) of our union with christ , whereby we are made members of his body , of his flesh , and of his bones , eph. . , . and this is that eating of the flesh of the son of man , and drinking of his blood , which our saviour insisteth so much upon , in joh. . where if any man shall demand , ( that i may now come unto the second point of our inquiry . ) how can this man give us his flesh to eat ? joh. . . he must be ware that he come not pre-occupied with such dull conceits as they were possessed withal , who moved that question there ; he must not think that we cannot truly feed on christ , unless we receive him within our jaws : for that is as gross an imagination as that of nicodemus , who could not conceive how a man could be born again , unless he should enter the second time into his mothers womb : joh. . . but must consider , that the eating and drinking which our saviour speaketh of , must be answerable to the hungring and thirsting , for the quenching whereof this heavenly banquet is provided . mark well the words which he useth , toward the beginning of his discourse concerning this argument . i am the bread of life , he that cometh to me , shall never hunger ; and he that believeth in me , shall never thirst . but i said unto you , that ye also have seen me , and believe not . joh . , . and compare them with those in the end : it is the spirit that quickeneth , the flesh profiteth nothing : the words that i speak unto you , they are spirit , and they are life . but there are some of you that believe not . now observe , that such as our hungring is , such is our eating . but every one will confess , that the hunger here spoken of , is not corporal , but spiritual : why then should any man dream here of a corporal eating ? again , the corporal eating , if a man might have it , would not avail any thing to the slaking of this hunger , nay , we are expresly told , that the flesh thus taken ( for so we must understand it ) profiteth nothing , a man should never be the better , nor one jot the holier , nor any whit further from the second death , if he had filled his belly with it . but that manner of feeding on his flesh , which christ himself commendeth unto us , is of such profit , that it preserveth the eater from death , and maketh him to live for ever , joh. . , , , . it is not therefore such an eating , that every man who bringeth a bodily mouth with him may attain unto : but it is of a far higher nature , namely , a spiritual uniting of us unto christ , whereby he dwelleth in us , and we live by him . if any do farther inquire , how it is possible that any such union should be , seeing the body of christ is in heaven , and we are upon earth ? i answer , that if the manner of this conjunction were carnal and corporal , it would be indeed necessary that things conjoyned should be admitted to be in the same place : but it being altogether spiritual and supernatural , no local presence , no physical nor mathematical continuity or contiguity is any way requisite thereunto . it is sufficient for the making of a real union in this kind , that christ and we ( tho' never so far distant in place each from other ) be knit together by those spiritual ligatures , which are intimated unto us in the words alledged out of joh. . to wit , the quickening spirit descending downward from the head , to be in us a fountain of supernatural life ; and a lively faith ( wrought by the same spirit ) ascending from us upward , to lay fast hold upon him , who having by himself purged our sins , sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high . first therefore , for the communion of the spirit , which is the ground and foundation of this spiritual union ; let us call to mind what we have read in gods book : that christ , the second adam , was made a quickening spirit : cor. . . and that he quickeneth whom he will , joh. . . that unto him god hath given the spirit without measure , joh. . . and of his fulness have all we received , joh. . . that he that is joyned unto the lord , is one spirit , cor. . . and that hereby we know that we dwell in him , and he in us , because he hath given us his spirit , joh. . . . . by all which it doth appear , that the mistery of our union with christ consisteth mainly in this : that the self same spirit whch is in him , as in the head , is so derived from him into every one of his true members , that thereby they are animated and quickened to a spiritual life . we read in ezekel . of four living creatures , and of four wheels standing by them . when those went , ( saith the text ) those went ; and when those stood , these stood : and when those were lifted up from the earth , the wheels were lifted up over against them . he that should behold such a vision as this , would easily conclude by that which he saw , that some invisible bands there were by which these wheels and living creatures were joyned together , howsoever none did outwardly appear unto the eye : and the holy ghost , to give us satisfaction herein , discovereth the secret , by yielding this for the reason of this strange connexion ; that the spirit of the living creature was in the wheel , exek . . . from whence we may inferr , that things may truly be conjoyned together , tho' the manner of the conjunction be not corporal : and that things distant in place may be united together , by having the spirit of the one communicated unto the other . nay , if we mark it well , we shall find it to be thus in every of our own bodies : that the formal reason of the union of the members consisteth not in the continuity of the parts ( tho' that also be requisite to the unity of a natural body : ) but in the animation thereof by one and the same spirit . if we should suppose a body to be as high as the heavens , that the head thereof should be where christ our head is , and the feet where his members are : no sooner could that head think of moving one of the toes , but instantly the thing would be done , without any impediment given by that huge distance of the one from the other . and why ? because the same soul that is in the head , as in the fountain of sence and motion , is present likewise in the lowest member of the body . but if it should so fall out , that this , or any other member proved to be mortified , it presently would cease to be a member of that body ; the corporal conjunction and continuity with the other parts notwithstanding . and even thus is it in christ ; altho ' in regard of his corporal presence , the heaven must receive him , until the times of the restitution of all things , act. . yet is he here with us alway , even unto the end of the world , matt. . . in respect of the presence of his spirit ; by the vital influence whereof from him , as from the head , the whole body is fitly joyned together , and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth , according to the effectual working in the measure of every part . which quickening spirit if it be wanting in any , no external communion with christ or his church , can make him a true member of this mistical body : this being a most sure principle , that he which hath not the spirit of christ is none of his , rom. . . now among all the graces that are wrought in us by the spirit of christ the soul ( as it were ) of all the rest , and that whereby the just doth live , habak . . . rom. . . gal. . heb. . is faith ; for we through the spirit wait for the bope of righteousness by faith , saith st. paul to the galatians . gal. . . and again : i live , yet n●t i , but christ liveth in me ; and the life which i now live in the flesh , i live by the faith of the son of god , who loved me , and gave himself for me , gal. . . by faith it is , that we do receive christ : joh. . . and so likewise christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith . eph. . . faith therefore is that spiritual mouth in us , whereby we eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood , that is , ( as the apostle expresseth it without the trope ) are made partakers of christ , heb. . . he being , by this means , as truly , and every ways as effectually made ours , as the meat and drink which we receive into our natural bodies . but you will say , if this be all the matter , what do we get by coming to the sacrament ? seeing we have faith , and the quickening spirit of christ before we come thither . to this i answer : that the spirit is received in divers measures , and faith bestowed upon us in different degrees ; by reason whereof our conjunction with christ may every day be made straiter , and the hold which we take of him firmer . to receive the spirit not by measure , joh. . . is the priviledge of our head : we that receive out of his fulness , joh. . . have not our portion of grace delivered unto us all at once , but must daily look for supply of the spirit of jesus christ. phil. . . so also , while we are in this word , the righteousness of god is revealed unto us from faith to faith , rom. . . that is , from one degree and measure of it to another : and consequently we must still labour to perfect that which is lacking in our faith , thes. . . and evermore pray with the apostles , lord increase our faith , luke . . as we have therefore received christ jesus the lord , so must we walk in him , rooted and built up in him ; and stablished in the faith , colos. . , . that we may grow up into him in all things , which is the head. ephes. , . . and to this end god hath ordained publick officers in his church for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministery , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , unto a persect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ , eph. . , . and hath accordingly made them able ministers of the spirit that quickeneth , cor. . . and ministers by whom we should helieve , even as the lord shall give to every man , cor. . . when we have therefore received the spirit and faith ( and so spiritual life ) by their ministery , we are not there to rest : but as new born babes we must desire the sincere milk of the word , that we may grow thereby , pet. . . and as grown men too , we must desire to be fed at the lords table , that by the strength of that spiritual repast we may be inabled to do the lords work , and may continually be nourished up thereby in the life of grace , unto the life of glory , neither must we here with a fleshly eye look upon the meanness of the outward elements , and have this faithless thought in our hearts , that there is no likelihood , a bit of bread , and a draught of wine should be able to produce such heavenly effects as these . for so we should prove our selves to be no wiser than naaman the syrian was , who having received direction from the man of god , that he should wash in jordan seven times , to be cleansed of his leprosie , kings . . . replied with indignation , are not abana and pharpar , rivers of damascus , better than all the waters of israel ? may i not wash in them . and be clean ? but as his servants did soberly advise him then : if the prophet had bid the do some great thing , wouldest thou not have done it ? how much rather then , when he saith to thee , wash and be clean ? so give me leave to say unto you now : if the lord had commanded us to do some great thing , for the artaining of so high a good ; should not we willingly have done it ? how much rather then , when he biddeth us to eat the bread , and drink the wine that he hath provided for us at his own table , that by his blessing thereupon we may grow in grace , and be preserved both in body and soul unto everlasting life ? true it is indeed , these outward creatures have no natural power in them to effect so great a work as this is , no more than the water of jordan had to recover the leper : but the work wrought by these means , is supernatural ; and god hath been pleased , in the dispensation both of the word and of the sacraments , so to ordain it , that these heavenly treasures should be presented unto us in earthen vessels , that the excellency of the power might be of god. cor , . . as therefore in the preaching of the gospel , the minister doth not dare verba , and beat the air with a fruitless sound , but the words that he speaketh unto us are spirit and life ; god being pleased by the foolishness of preaching , to save them that believe : so likewise in the administration of the lords supper , he doth not feed us with bare bread and wine , but if we have the life of faith in us , ( for still we must remember that this table is provided not for the dead , but for the living ) and come worthily , the cup of blessing which he blesseth , cor. . . will be unto us the communion of the blood of christ , and the bread which he breaketh , the communion of the body of christ ; of which precious body and blood we being really made partakers , ( that is , in truth and indeed and not in imagination only ) altho' in a spiritual and not a corporal manner , the lord doth grant us , according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man , that we may be filled with ad the fulness of god. eph. . , . for the sacraments ( as well as the word ) be a part of that ministration of the spirit . which is committed to the ministers of the new testament , cor. , . forasmuch as by one spirit , ( as before we have heard from the apostle ) we have been all baptized into one body , and have been all made to drink into one spirit . cor. , . and thus have i finished the first part of my task , my congregatio homogeneorum , ( as i call it ) the knitting together of those that appertain to the same body , both with their fellow-members , and with their head : which is the thing laid down in the express words of my text. it remaineth now that i proceed to the apostles application hereof unto the argument he hath in hand , which is segregatio heterogeneorum , a dissevering of those that be not of the same communion ; that the faithful may not partake with idolaters , by countenancing , or any way joyning with them in their ungodly courses . for that this is the main scope at which st. paul aimeth in his treating here of the sacrament , is evident both by that which goeth before in v. . wherefore my deatly beloved , flee from idolatry : and that which followeth in the . ye cannot drink the cup of the lord , and the cup of devils ; ye cannot be partakers of the lords table , and of the table of devils . whereby we may collect thus much , that as the lords suprer is a seal of our conjunction one with another . and with christ our head ; so is it an evidence of our dis-junction from idolaters , binding us to disavow all communion with them in their false worship , and indeed , the one must necessarily follow upon the other ; considering the nature of this hainous sin of idolatry is such , that it can no ways stand with the fellowship which a christian man ought to have , both with the head , and with the body of the church . to this purpose , in cor. . , . we read thus : what agreement hath the temple of god with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living god , as god hath said , i will dwell in them , and walk in them , and i will be their god , and they shall be my people . wherefore come out from among them , and be ye separate , saith the lord , and touch not the unclean thing ; and i will receive you . and in colos. . , . let no man beguile you of your reward , in a voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels , intruding into those things which he hath not seen , vainly puft up by his fleshly mind : and not holding the head , from which all the body by ioynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together , increaseth with the increase of god. in which words the apostle sheweth unto us , that such as under pretence of humility were drawn to the worshipping of angels , did not hold the head , and consequently could not retain communion with the body , which receiveth his whole growth from thence . answerable whereunto the fathers assembled out of divers provinces of asia in the synod held at laodicea , ( not far from the colossians ) did so solemnly conclude , that christiana ought not to forsake the church of god , and go and invocate angels , and pronounced an anathema against any that should be found to do so , because ( say they ) he hath forsaken our lord jesus christ , the son of god , and given himself to idolatry : declaring plainly , that by this idolatrous invocation of angels , a discession was made both from the church of god , as they note in the beginning , and from christ the head of the church , as they observe in the end of their canon . for the further understanding of this particular , it will not be amiss to consider what theodoret , a famous bishop of the ancient church , hath written of this matter in his commentary upon colos. d . that is , they that defended the law ( saith he ) induced them also to worship the angels , saying , that the law was given by them . and this vice continued in phrygia , and pisidia for a long time : for which cause also the synod assembled in laodicea the chief city of phrygia , forbid them by a law , to pray unto angels . and even to this day among them and their borderers , there are oratories of st. michael to be seen . this therefore did they counsel should be done , using humility , and saying , that the god of all was invisible , and inaccessible , and incomprehensible ; and that it was fit men should get gods favour by the means of angels . and this is it , which the apostle saith ; in humility , and worshipping of angels . thus far theodoret , whom cardinal baronius discerning to come somewhat close unto him , and to touch the idolatry of the popish crue a little to the quick , leaveth the poor shifts wherewith his companions labour to obscure the light of this testimony , and telleth us plainly , that theodoret , by his leave , did not well understand the meaning of pauls words : and that those oratories of st. michiel were erected anciently by catholicks , and not by those hereticks which were condemned in the council of laodicea , as he mistook the matter . as if any wise man would be perswaded upon his bare word , that the memory of things done in asia so long since , should be more fresh in rome at this day , than in the time of theodoret , who lived years ago . yet must i needs confess , that he sheweth a little more modesty herein than bellarmine his fellow-cardinal doth ; who would make us believe , that the place in revel . . where the angel saith to st. john that would have worshipped him , see thou do it not , i am thy fellow-servant , worship god : maketh for them ; and demandeth very soberly , why they should be reprehended , who do the same thing that john did ? and , whether the calvinists knew better than john , whether angels were to be adored or no ? and as for invocation of them , he telleth us , that st. jacob plainly prayed unto an angel , in gen. . when in blessing the sons of joseph , he said , the angel which delivered me from all evil , bless those children . whom for answer we remit to st. cyril , ( in the first chapter of the third book of his thesaurus ) and intreat him to tell us , how near of kin he is here to those hereticks , of whom st. cyril there speaketh . his words be these : that he doth not mean ( in that place , gen. . . ) an angel , as the herbticks understand it , but the son of god , is manifest by this : that when he had said , ( the angel , ) he presently addeth , ( who delivered me from all evils . ) which st. cyril presupposeth , no good christian will ascribe to any but to god alone . but to come more near yet unto that which is idolatry most properly : an idol ( we must understand ) in the exact propriety of the term , doth signifie any image ; but according to the ecclesiastical use of the word , it noteth such an image as is set up for religious adoration . and in this later sence we charge the adherents of the church of rome with gross idolatry : because that contrary to gods express commandment they are found to be worshipers of images . neither will it avail them here to say , that the idolatry forbidden in the scripture , is that only which was used by jews and pagars . the apostle indeed in this place exhorting christians from idolatry , propoundeth the fall of the jews in this kind before their eyes : neither be ye idolaters , saith he , as some of them were . cor. . . . and so doth he also add concerning another sin , in the verse following : neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed . as well then might one plead , that jewish or heathenish fornication were here only reprehended , as jewish or heathenish idolatry . but as the one is a foul sin , whether it be committed by jew , pagan , or christian : so if such as profess the name of christ , shall practise that which the word of god condemneth in jews and pagans , for idolatry , their profession is so far from diminishing , that it augmenteth rather the hainousness of the crime . the idols of the heathen are silver and gold , the work of mens hands , saith the psalmist , and so the idols ( of christians , in all likelihood , mentioned in the revelation , are said to be of gold , and silver , and brass , and stone , and of wood ; which neither can see , nor hear , nor walk . the description of these idols ( we see ) agreeth in all points with popish images : where is any difference ? the heathen , say they , held the images themselves to be gods , which is far from our thought . admit , some of the simpler sort of the heathen did so : what shall we say of the jewish idolaters , ( of whom the apostle here speaketh ) who erected the golden calf in the wilderness ? can we think that they were all so senseless , as to imagin that the calf , which they knew was not at all in rerum natura , and had no being at that time when they came out of egypt , should yet be that god which brought them up out of the land of egypt , exod. . . and for the heathen : did the romans and grecians , when they dedicated in several places an hundred images ( for example ) to the honour of jupiter , the king of all their gods , think that thereby they had made an hundred jupiters ? or when their blocks were so old , that they had need to have new placed in their stead ; did they think by this change of their images , that they made change also of their gods ? without question they must so have thought , if they did take the very images themselves to be gods : and yet the prophet bids us consider diligently ; and we shall find that the heathen nations did not change their gods , jer. . , . nay , what do we meet with , more usually in the writings of the fathers , than these answers of the heathens for themselves ? we worship the gods by the images . we fear not them , but those to whose image they are made , and to whose names they are consecrated . i do not worship that stone , nor that image which is without sense . i neither worship the image nor a spirit in it ; but by the bodily portaiture i do behold the sign of that thing which i ought to worship . but admit they did not account the image it self to be god , ( will the papist further say ; ) yet were those images set up to represent either things that had no being , or devils , or false gods ; and in that respect were idols : whereas we erect images only to the honour of the true god and his servants the saints and angels . to this i might oppose that answer of the heathen to the christians : we do not worship evil spirits : such as you call angels , those do we also worship , the powers of the great god , and the ministers of the great god : and put them in mind of st. augustines reply : i would you did worship them ; you should easily learn of them not to worship them . but i will grant unto them , that many of the idolatrous jews and heathens images were such as they say they were : yet i deny that all of them were such , and confidently do avouch , that idolatry is committed by yielding adoration to an image of the true god himself . for proof whereof ( omitting the idols of micha , judg. . , . and jeroboam , kings . . , . which were erected to the memory of jehovah the god of israel ; as also the athenians superstitious worship of the unknown god , act. . . if , as the common use of idolaters was , they added an image to their altar : ) i will content my self with these two places of scripture ; the one whereof concerneth the jews , the other the heathen . that which toucheth the heathen , is in the first chapter of the epistle to the romans : where the apostle having said , that god had shewed unto them that which might be known of him ; and that the invisible things of him , that is , his eternal power and godhead , was manifested unto them by the creation of the world , and the contemplation of the creatures : he addeth presently , that god was sorely displeased with them , and therefore gave them up unto vile affections , because , they changed the glory of that uncorruptible god , into an image made like to corruptible men , and to birds , and four-footed beasts , and creeping things . whereby it is evident , that the idolatry condemned in the wisest of the heathen , was the adoring of the invisible god , whom they acknowledged to be the creator of all things , in visible images fashioned to the similitude of men and beasts . the other place of scripture , is the of deuteronomy : where moses useth this speech unto the children of israel . the lord speak unto you out of the midst of the fire : yee heard the voice of the words , but saw no similitude , only ye heard a voice , verse . and what doth he infer upon this ? take ye therefore good heed unto your selves , ( saith he in the . verse ) for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the lord speak unto you in horeb , out of the midst of the fire . lest ye corrupt your selves , and make you a graven image , the similitude of any figure , the likeness of male or female , the likeness of any beast that is on the earth , the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air , the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground , the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth . where we may observe : first , that god , in the delivery of the law , did purposely use a voice only ; because that such a creature as that , was not to be expressed by visible lineaments , as if that voice should have said unto the painter , as eccho fayned to doe it the poet. vane , quid affectas faciem mihi ponete , pictor ? si mihi vis similem pingere , pinge sonum . secondly , that when he uttered the words of the second commandement in mount sinai , and forbad the making of the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above , or in the earth beneath , or in the waters under the earth ; he did at that time forbear to shew himself in any visible shape , either of man or woman , either of beast in the earth , fowl in the air , or fish in the waters beneath the earth : to the end it might be the better made known , that it was his pleasure not to be adored at all in any such forms ; and that the worshiping of images , not only as they have reference to the creatures whom they do immediatly represent , or to false gods , but also as they have relation to himself ( the true god , who was then speaking unto them in the mount ) did come within the compass of the idolatry which was condemned in that commandment . in vain therefore do the romanists go about to perswade us , that their images be no idols : and as vainly also do they spend time in curiously distinguishing the several degrees of worship ; the highest point whereof , which they call latreia , and acknowledg to be due only unto god , they would be loth we should think that they did communicate to any of their images . but here we are to understand , first of all , that idolatry may be committed by giving not the highest only , but also the lowest degree of religious adoration unto images : and therefore in the words of the commandment , the very bowing down unto them , which is one of the meanest degrees of worship , is expresly forbidden . secondly , that it is the received doctrine of popish divines , that the image should be honoured with the same worship , wherewith that thing is worshipped whose image it is : and therefore what adoration is due to christ and the trinity , the same by this ground they are to give unto their images . thirdly , that in the roman pontifical published by the authority of clement the . ( to omit other testimonies in this kind ) it is concluded , that the cross of the popes legate shall have the right hand , upon this very reason , quia debetur et ●atria , because the worship proper to god is due to it . now whether they commit idolatry , who communicate unto a senseless thing , that worship which they themselves confess to be due unto god alone : let all the world judge . they were best therefore from henceforth confess themselves to be idolaters : and stand to it , that every kind of idolatry is not unlawful . their jesuite gregorius de valentia will tell them for their comfort , that it is no absurdity to think that st. peter , when he deterreth the faithful by name ab illicit is idolerum cultibus ( st. peter calleth them , that is , abominable idolatries ) doth insinuate thereby , that some worship of images is lawful . john monceye the frenchman in his aaron purgatus ( dedicated to the late pope paul . ) and in his questions propounded to visorius , stretcheth yet a strain higher . for howsoever he cannot away with the name of idols and idolatry ; yet he liketh the thing it self so well , that he undertaketh to clear aaron from committing any error in setting up the golden calf , and laboureth to purge laban , and micha ; and jeroboam too , from the imputation of idolatry : having found indeed , that nothing had been done by them in this kind , which is not agreeable to the practice of the roman church at this day . and lest the poor people , whom they have so miserably abused , should find how far they have been misled , we see that the masters of that church do in the service books and catechisms , which come unto the hands of the vulgar , generally leave out the words of the second commandment that make against the adoration of images : fearing lest by the light thereof , the mistery of their iniquity should be discovered . they pretend indeed that this commandment is not excluded by them , but included only in the first : whereas in truth they do but craftily conceal it from the peoples eyes , because they would not have them to be ruled by it . nay , vasquez the jesuit doth boldly acknowledge , that it plainly appeareth by comparing the words of this commandment , with the place which hath been alledged out of deut. . that the scripture did not only forbid the worshipping of an image for god , but also the adoration of the true god himself in an image . he confesseth further , that he and his fellow catholicks do otherwise . what saith he then to the commandment , think you ? because it will not be obey'd it must be repeal'd , and not admitted to have any place among the moral precepts of god. it was ( saith he ) a positive and ceremonial law : and therefore ought to cease in the time of the gospel . and as if it had not been enough for him to match the scribes and pharisces in impiety , who made the commandments of god of none effect , that they might keep their own traditions : that he might fulfil the measure of his fathers , and shew himself to be a true child of her who beareth the name of being the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth ; rev. . he is yet more mad , and sticketh not to maintain , that not only a painted image , but any other thing of the world , whether it be without life and reason , or whether it be a reasonable creature , may ( in the nature of the thing , and if the matter be discreetly handled ) be adored with god , as his image ; yea , and counteth it no absurdity at all , that a very wisp of straw should be thus worshipped . but let us turn yet again , and we shall see greater abominations than these . ezek. . . we heard how this blessed sacrament , which is here propounded by the apostle , as a bond to unite christians together in one body , hath been made the apple of strife , and the occasion of most bitter breaches in the church : we may now observe again , that the same holy sacrament , which by the same apostle is here brought in as a principal inducement to make men flee from idolatry , is by our adversaries made the object of the grossest idolatry that ever hath been practised by any . for their constant doctrine is , that in worshipping the sacrament they should give unto it , ●atriae cul●um qui vero deo debetur , ( as the councel of trert hath determined , ) ' that kind of service which is due to the true god ; determining their worship in that very thing which the priest doth hold betwixt his hands . their practice also runs accordingly : for an instance whereof we need go no further than to sanders book of the lords supper ; before which he hath prefixed an epistle dedicatory , superscribed in this manner : to the body and blood of our saviour jesus christ , under the forms of bread and wine , all honour , praise , and thinks , be given for ever . adding further in the process of that blockish epistle : howsoever it be with other men , i adore thee my god and lord really present under the forms of bread and wine , after consecration duly made : beseeching thee of pardon for my sins , &c. now if the conceit which these men have concerning the sacrament , should prove to be false ( as indeed we know it to be most absurd and monstruous ) their own jesuit cosler doth freely confess , that they should be in such an error and idolatry , qualis in orbe terratum nunquam vel visus vel auditus fuit ▪ as never was seen or heard in this world . for the error of them is more tolerable , ( saith he ) who worship for god a statue of gold or silver , or an image of any other matter , as the gentiles adored their gods ; or a red cloth lifted up upon a spear , as it is reported of the lappians ; or living creatures , as did sometime the egyptians ; than of those that worship a piece of bread . we therefore who are verily perswaded that the papists do thus , must of force ( if we follow their jesuits direction ) judge them to be the most intolerable idolaters that ever were . nay , according to their own principles , how is it possible that any of themselves should certainly know , that the host which they worship should be any other thing but bread ? seeing the change doth wholly depend upon consecration duly made , ( as sanders speaketh ) and that rependeth upon the intention of the priest , which no man but himself can have notice of . bellarmin , disputing against ambrosius catharinus , one of his own brethren , that a man hath no certain knowledge of his own justification , can take advantage of this , and alledge for himself , that one cannot be certain by the certainty of faith , that he doth recive a true sacrament ; for as much as the sacrament cannot be made without the intention of the minister , and none can see another mans intention . apply this now to the matter we have in hand , and see into what intricate labyrinths these men have brought themselves . admit the priests intention stood right at the consecration , yet if he that baptized him failed in his intention when he administred that sacrament , he remaineth still unbaptized , and so becometh uncapable of priesthood ; and consequently , whatsoever he consecrateth is but bread still . yea , admit he were rightly baptized too : if either the bishop that conferred upon him the sacrament of orders , ( fot so they hold it to be ) or those that baptized or ordained that bishop , missed their right intention ; neither will the one prove bishop , nor the other priest ; and so with what intention soever either the one or the other doth consecrate , there remaineth but bread still . neither doth the inconvenience stay here , but ascendeth upward to all their predecussors : in any one of whom if there fall out to be a nullity of priesthood ( for want of intention , either in the baptizer , or in the ordainer ) all the generation following , according to their principles , go without their priesthood too ; and so deliver but bread to the people , instead of the body of christ. the papists themselves therefore , if they stand unto their own grounds , must needs confess , that they are in no better case here , than the samaritans were in , of whom our saviour saith , ye worship ye know not what , joh. . . but we know , that what they worship ( be the condition or intention of their priest what it will be ) is bread indeed ; which while they take to be their god , we must still account them guilty of spiritual fornication , ' and such fornication , as is not so much as named amongst the gentiles . these then being the idolaters with whom we have to deal , let us learn first how dangerous a thing it is to communicate with them in their false worship . rev. . . for if we will be partakers of babylons sins , we must look to receive of her plagues . secondly , we are to be admonished , that it is not sufficient that in our ownpersons we refrain worshipping of idols , but is further required , that we restrain ( as much as in us lieth ) the practice thereof in others ; lest by suffering god to be dishonoured in so high a manner , when we may by our calling hinder it , we make our selves partakers of other mens sins . eli the high priest was a good man , and gave excellent counsel unto his lewd sons : yet we know what judgment fell upon him , because his sons made themselves vile , and he frowned not upon them , ( that is , restrained them not ; ) which god doth interpret to be a kind of idolatry , in ' honouring his sons above him . the church of pergamus did for her own part hold fast christs name , and denied not his faith : yet had the lord something against her ; because she had there them that held the doctrine of balaam , who taught balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of israel , to eat things facrificed unto idols , and to commit fornication . so we see what special notice our saviour taketh of the works , and charity , and service , and faith , and patience of the church of thyatira : and yet for all this he addeth , notwithstanding , i have a few things against thee , because thou sufferest that woman jezebel , which calleth her self a prophetess , to teach and to sedue my servants to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed untoidols . revel . . in judges . god telleth the children of israel , what mischief should come unto them by tolerating the canaanitish idolaters in their land. they shall be thorns in your sides ( saith he ) and their gods stall be a snare unto you . which words contain in them the intimation of a double danger : the one respecting the soul , and the other the body . that which concerneth the soul is : that their idols should be a snare unto them . for god well knew that mans nature is as prone to spiritual fornication , as it is to corporal . as therefore for the preventing of the one , he would not have a common harlot tolerated in israel , lest the land ss●ould fall to whoredom , and become full of wickedness , levit. . . so for the keeping out of the other , he would have provocations taken away , and all occasions whereby a man might be tempted to commit so vile a sin . the bodily danger that followeth upon the toleration of idolaters , is : that they should be in their sides , that is , ( as in another place it is more fully expressed ) they should be pricks in their eyes , and thorns in their sides , and should vex them in the land wherein they dwelled . now in both these respects it is certain , that the toleration of the idolaters with whom we have to do , is far more perilous than of any other . in regard of the spiritual danger , wherewith simple souls are m●re like to be insnared : because this kind of idolatry is not brought in with an open shew of impiety , ( as that of pagans ) but is a mistery of iniquity , a wickedness covered with the vail of piety ; and the harlot , which maketh the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of this formcation , is both gilded her self , and presenteth also her abominations unto her followers in a cup of gold . rev. . , . if we look to outward peril , we are like to find these men , not thorns in our sides to vex us , but daggers in our hearts to destroy us . not that i take all of them to be of this furious disposition , ( mistake me not : i know a number my self of a far different temper : ) but because there are never wanting among them some tutbulent humours , so inflamed with the spirit of fornication , that they run mad with it ; and are transported so far , that no tolerable terms can content them , until they have attained to the utmost pitch of their unbridled desires . for compassing whereof , there is no treachery , nor rebellion , nor murther , nor desperate course whatsoever , that ( without all remorse of conscience ) they dare not adventure upon . neither do they thus only , but they teach men also so to do : arming both pope , and bishops , and people , and private persons , with power to cast down even kings themselves from their thrones , if they stand in their way , and give any impediment to their designs . touching the popes power herein , there is no disputing : one of them telleth us , that there is no doubt , but the pope may depose all kings , when there is a reasonable cause so to do . for bishops , cardinal baronius informeth us by the example of dacius the bishop of millayn , his dealing against the arrians , that those bishops deserve no blame , and ought to suffer no envy , who roll every stone , ( yea , and rather than fail , would blow up stones too ) that they may not live under an heretical prince . for the people , dominicus bannes , a dominican priar , resolves that they need not , in this case , expect any sentencing of the matter by pope , or other ; but when the knowledge of the fault is evident , subjects may lawfully ( if so be they have sufficient strength ) exempt themselves from subjection to their princes , before any declaratory sentence of a judge . and that we may understand that the proviso which he inserteth of having strength sufficient , is very material ; he putreth us in mind , that the faithful ( the papists he meaneth ) of england , are to be excused hereby , who do not exempt themselves from the power of their superiors , nor make war against them . because that generally they have not power sufficient to make such wars against princes , and great dangers are eminent over them . lastly , for private persons , we may read in suarez , that an heretical king , after sentence given against him , is absolutely deprived of his kingdom , so that he cannot possess it by any just title : and therefore from thence forth may be handled altogether as a tyrant ; and consequently , he may be killed by any private person . only the jesuit addeth this limitation : that if the pope do depose the king he may be expelled or killed by them only to whom he shall commit that business . but if he injoin the execution thereof to us body , then it shall appertain to the lawful successer in the kingdom : or if none such be to be found , i● shall belong to the kingdom it self . but let him once ●e declared to be a tyrant ; mariana ( suarez his country-man and fellow jesuit ) will tell you better how he should be handled . that a tyrant ( saith he ) may be killed by open force and arms , whether by violent ●●eaking in into the court , or by joyning of battel , is a matter confess'd : yea , and by deceit and ambushes too , as ehud o● in killing eglon the king of the moabites . indeed it ●●uld argue a braver mind to profess open enmity , and publikly to rush in upon the enemy of the common-wealth : ●ut it is no less prudence , to make advantage by fraud and ambushes , because it is done without stir , and with less dan●er surely , both publick and private . his conclusion is , that it is lawful to take away his life , by any art whatsoever : with this proviso 〈…〉 be not constrained either wittingly or unwittingly to be the cause of his own death . where the tenderness of a jesuits conscience is well worth the observing . he maketh no scruple at all to take away the mans life : only he would advise that he be not made away , by having poyson conveyed into his meat or drink , lest in taking hereof ( forsooth ) he which is to be killed , should by this means have some hand in procuring his own death . yet poison him you may , if you list , so that the venom be externally applied by some other , he that is to be killed helping nothing thereunto : namely , when the force of the poison is so great , that a seat or garment being infected there with , it may have strength to kill . and that such means of poisoning hath been used , he proveth by divers practices of the moors : which we leave to be considered of by fitzherbert , who to prove that squires intention of poisoning q. eliz. in this manner , was but a meer fiction ) would perswade us that it is not agreeable to the grounds of nature and reason , that any such thing should be . thus we see what pestisent doctrine is daily broched by these incendiaries of the world : which , what pernicious effects it hath produced , i need not go far to exemplifie ; this assembly and this place cannot but call to mind the memory of that barbarous plot of the powder-treason . which being most justly charged to have exceeded all measure of cruelty ; as involving not the k. alone , but also his children , and the states of the kingdom , and many thousands of innocent people in the same ruin : a wicked varlet ( with whose name i will not defile this place ) steppeth forth some years after , and with a brazen forehead bideth us not to wonder at the matter . ' for of an evil and pernicious herb , both the seeds are to be crushed , and all the roots to be pulled up , that they grow not again . and otherwise also , for a few wicked persons it falleth out oftentimes that many perish in shipwrack . in the later of which reasons we may note these mens insolent impiety toward god : in arrogating unto themselves such an absolute power for the murchering of innocents , as he that is lord of all , hath over his own creatures ; the best of whom , if he do enter into ●udgment with them , will not be found righteous in his 〈◊〉 . in the former , we may observe their deadly ma●… toward gods anointed . which they sufficiently dec●●re will not be satisfied but by the extirpation of him and all his roal progeny . and whereas for the discovery of such wicked spirits ; his majesty in his princely wisdom did cause an oath of a●legiance to be framed ; by the tendring whereof h● might be the better able to distinguish betwixt his lo●al and disloyal subjects , and to put a difference betwixt a seditious and a quiet-minded romanist : this companion derideth his simplicity , in imagining , that that will serve the turn , and supposing that a pap●st will think himself any whit bound by taking such an oath . see ( saith he ) in so great oraft , how great simplicity doth bewray it self . when he had placed all his security in that oath , he thought he had found such a manner of oath , knit with so many circumstances , that it could not , with , safety of conscience , by any means be dissolved by any man. but he could not se , that if the pope did dissolve that oath ; all the tyings of it , ( whether of performing fidelity to the king , or of admitting no dispensation ) would be dissolved together . yea , i will say another thing that is more admirable . you know ( i believe ) that an unjust oath , if it be evidently known , or openly declared to be such , bindeth no man ; but is void ipso facto . that the kings oath is unjust , hath been sufficiently declared by the pastor of the church himself . you see therefore , that the obligation of it is vanished into smoak : so that the bond , which by so many wise men was thought to be of iron , is become less than of straw . if matters now be come unto this pass , that such as are addicted to the pope , will account the oath of allegience to have less force to bind than a rope of straw ; judge ye wether that be not true which hath been said , that in respect not of spirituall-infection only , but of outward danger also to our state , idolaters may be more safely permitted than papists . which i doe not speak , to exasperate you against their persons , or to stirr you up to make new laws for shedding of their blood . their blindness i do much pitty : and my hearts desire and prayer to god for them is , that they might be saved . onely this i must say , that ( things standing as they do ) i cannot preach peace unto them . for as john said to joram , kings . . . what peace , so long as the whoredomes of thy mother j●zabel , and her witchcrafts are so many ? so must i say unto them : what peace can there be , so long as you suffer your selves to be led by the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth , who by her sorceries hath deceived all nations , and made them drunk with the wine of her fornication ? let her put away her whoredoms out of her sight , and her adulteries from between her brests ; let her repent of her murthers , and her sorceries , and her idolatries : or rather , because she is past all hope , let those that are seduced by her cease to communicate with her in these abominable iniquities ; and we shall be all ready to meet them , and rejoyce with the angels in heaven for their conversion . in the mean time , they who sit at the helm and have the charge of our church and common-wealth committed to them , must provide by all good means , that god be not dishonoured by their open idolatries , nor our king and state indangered by their secret trecheries . good laws there are already enacted to this purpose : which if they were duly put in execution , we should have less need to think of making new . but it is not my part to press this point . i will therefore conclude as i did begin : i speak as to wise men ; judge ye what i say . finis . the country's concurrence with the london united ministers in their late heads of agreement shewing the nature and advantages of a general union among protestants : in two discourses ... / by samuel chandler ... chandler, samuel. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the country's concurrence with the london united ministers in their late heads of agreement shewing the nature and advantages of a general union among protestants : in two discourses ... / by samuel chandler ... chandler, samuel. [ ], , [ ] p. printed for john dunton ... and john salusbury ..., london : . advertisement: [ ] p. at end. reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church -- unity. christian union -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the country's concurrence with the london united ministers in their late heads of agreement : shewing the nature and advantages of a general union among protestants . in two discourses , delivered before an assembly of ministers in the county of southampton . by samvel chandler , author of the excellency of the christian religion . london , printed for iohn dunton at the raven in the poultry , and iohn salusbury at the rising-sun over against the royal exchange in cornhil , . to the reader . the late happy union between two prevailing parties among us , is a fit subject of joy and thankfulness : that differences , which have been managed with too much heat for so many years , should now be so happily composed , and the contending parties should mutually condescend and concur together in so fair an agreement , is a blessing we have reason gratefully to acknowledge ; that the country should so readily and unanimously agree with their brethren in the city on the same terms , and throughout the whole nation there should be such a willing consent to lay aside those distinguishing names and terms which have hitherto so miserably divided us : these things afford sufficient matter for praise , to that god who rules the hearts of men , and stills the ragings of the people . i have long waited that some abler pen should publickly express the countries sense of this great mercy ; i said , days should speak , and multitude of years should teach wisdom : but there is a spirit in man , and the inspiration of the almighty giveth them understanding , iob . , . being invited by my brethren to preach before them on this occasion , i composed the following meditations , and have now made them publick for more general use . i hope the honesty of the intention will attone for the weakness and unskilfulness of the manager . i am willing to believe that irenicums will now be more acceptable than they have hitherto been in this wrangling , divided age , and the sons of peace will be no longer liable to reproach and scorn . o how happy would it be if this union were more extensive , and an end were put to that ceremonious war that hath infested our borders ever since the reformation ! god seems by his providences to make way for such a glorious work ; he hath not long since ( by putting us in mind of our common danger , ) inclined us to be more favourable one towards another : he hath by surprizing providences exalted to the throne a prince of known piety and moderation , who hath placed such in the episcopal chairs as are men famous for their healing truly christian spirits ; happy endeavours have been used for stopping that inundation of wickedness and prophaness , which hath so wofully overrun our land. all these are happy preparations for a general union , and blessed presages , that god hath yet designs of mercy towards us , and will not suffer our enemies to prevail against us . let us all therefore help on so good a work by our hearty prayers , holy lives , and endeared love : let us maintain an unity in love and affection , though we arrive not at uniformity in rituals , and the ceremonial parts of religion . in a word , to conclude all with the expressions of excellent bishop hall , let us be at peace with our selves , and at war with none but hell and rome . that these discourses may be some way useful for the advancement of love and peace , is the hearty earnest prayer of a lover of peace and truth , samuel chandler . thes. . . and be at peace among your selves . notwithstanding the frequent commands of our lord to love and unity , and the earnest calls and persuasions of all his apostles ; yet how apt we are to forget and overlook them all , our unpeaceable strifes and censorious uncharitable contentions , are too sad a witness . though our god be the god of love , and our saviour the prince of peace , and love be the last legacy and earnest request of our dying redeemer ; yet he that beholds the bitter malice and envy , wrath and unchristian jars of the professors of the same faith , and followers of the same blessed jesus , must needs think it his great duty to attempt the reviving that love which is very much decayed , and that charity which hath almost forsaken the earth : when we see the blood , and feel the smart , and hear the noises of professed christians , armed with malice and spite against each other , 't is the duty of every messenger of peace to sound a retreat from this unnatural war , and persuade the furious combatants to cease those strifes , and forbear those hot contentions which do so much dishonour god , disparage religion , grieve our friends , and make such ridiculous sport for our enemies . that therefore i may endeavour to allay these unnatural heats and disorders , i have chosen the words read ; and if st. paul had any reason in those early ages of christianity , ( when love most flourished , and christians were most peacefully united together , ) to call upon them to be at peace among themselves ; surely we have now far greater occasion to do so , since christianity is broken into so many odious fractions and by-names , and every little difference is apt to provoke our anger , and cause our passions to boyl up to too excessive heights . god hath indeed highly favoured us by his providence , by now calming our spirits , removing our jealousies and mis-understandings one of another , and reconciling those differences which have unhappily divided us many years : so that now we can strengthen one anohers hands in the work of our lord , and glory in the title of united brethren : we are now come together solemnly to testify our thankfulness to god for this happy union , which many of us have long sighed , and prayed , and waited , and laboured for in vain . suffer me therefore to shew you the nature and excellencies of peace , and direct my self and you to those gospel methods whereby our happiness may be continued and promoted ; be at peace among your selves . for the connexion of these words , we need look back no further than ver . . where the apostle having persuaded the thessalonians to a due respect to their ministers and spiritual guides for their works sake , exhorts them here as a means to this , to be at peace among themselves ; as if he should have said , unpeaceable disorders will grieve your ministers hearts , detract from that just esteem , which is due to their office , and render their labours often useless and unsuccessful ; therefore be at peace among your selves . the words are plain and easie in themselves , and need rather an hearty meditation , and diligent improvement , than any laborious explication . the observation i shall raise from the words is this , that it is the duty and should be the practice of christian churches to be at peace among themselves . in handling whereof , i shall use this method . . explain the nature of peace . . shew the advantages of peace in christian churches . . add some directions for the better maintaining and promoting it . . the nature of peace . . peace implies a command over irregular passions ; ungovernable lusts are the great makebates and dividers ; he that hath not attained a government over his passions , is unprepared for peace . selfishness and pride , covetousness and ambition , envy and malice and revenge are the bitter fruits that grow upon the stock of our ill natures , and are the sad occasion of all the disturbances in church and state , and have rendered christendom a field of blood. 'till these lusts are therefore subdued , and we have gained a victory within , outward peace is impossible ; he that cannot rule his own spirit , will never long live at peace with others . an angry man will stir up strife , prov. . . be ye therefore angry and sin not , eph. . . let not your anger boyl up to any sinful excesses . . peace implies hearty love ; 't is very hard and difficult long to maintain peace with those we do not heartily love , and utterly impossible to keep it up with those we hate ; peace without love is is no better than politick dissembling , and peace with hatred an insidious cover of enmity . love is the only sure and lasting bond of peace , and hatred the fountain of discord and violence : if we would therefore forbear and forgive one another , and let the peace of god rule in our hearts , we must above all things put on charity as a rich robe , our best ornament , and the proper livery of christians . this is indeed the distinguishing badg of christ's true disciples , whereas the disciples of the pharisees were known by the broadness of their phylacteries , and enlarging the borders of their garments ; and of iohn baptist's , by their leanness , contracted by austerities , much fasting and abstinence : christ would have ● known by their undissembled love , unfeigned kindness , and obliging condescensions for each others good . . peace implies a diligent performance of all offices of justice and humanity ; we must not love in word and tongue only , but in deed and in truth , john . . justice is the guardian , and humanity the nurse of peace ; the only sovereign remedy to prevent disorders , and put an end to strife . punctual observance of contracts , truth in our words , and sincerity in our promises ; injuring none in their estates by fraudulent incroachments , or in their good names by slanderous reports , is a great conserver of peace , and keeps off those contentions which otherwise will unavoidably arise . a tender compassion to those in want , and hearty readiness to advice and assist , relieve and comfort one another according to our particular exigencies and wants , is also very necessary in order to the advancing peace among brethren . . peace implies courtesie and respectfulness ; this is not only an argument of a generous education and good reading , but also a great ornament of religion , and required of every christian : christ indeed came into the world to sweeten our passions , calm our natures , abate the sourness , and polish the roughness of our humours . a sour look , sullen spirit , and scornful carriage , is very unbecoming a christian , is the indication of a mind averse from peace , and provokes disdain in others : but on the contrary , respectful gestures , courteous language , civil salutations , and an affable behaviour , are accompanied with such winning charms as few can resist : and when a mans ways thus please the lord , they will please men too , and our very enemies will be at peace with us , prov. . . . peace implies candid and favourable opinions ; rash censures , uncharitable surmises , severe reprehensions , and unkind misconstruction of our neighbours actions , tend mightily to provoke wrath , and stir up strife : whereas equity in our censures , mildness in our reproofs , putting the best construction upon , and making the most favourable interpretation of our neighbours carriage and behaviour , is the surest way to conciliate peace and promote it . christianity indeed teacheth us to be very severe in observing our own sins , but very favourable in reflecting on the miscarriages of our neighbours . let others usurp god's prerogative that they may do the devils work , turn searchers of hearts , that they may become accusers of the brethren . the true christian hath so much to do at home , that he hath very little leisure to look abroad ; is so imployed in covering his own deformities , that he hath not time to gaze on the nakedness of others ; hides his neighbours faults with the mantle of love , and makes all possible allowances that the nature of the action will bear ; will not conclude a sin from an inevident sign , as eli from hannah's fervency concluded her drunkenness . if our neighbour be overtaken with a fault , the peaceable christian will not from one particular act conclude an habit , nor call that a mortal plague , which may be only one of the spots of god's children : nor will he pre-judge a scandalous sinners future state , but pity and pray for him , and seek to win him to repentance . . peace implies restraint of pragmaticalness ; if we would be quiet and at peace , we must mind our own business , thes. . . those that impertinently meddle with things beyond their sphere of activity , are disorderly walkers , thes. . . out of their proper rank and station , are like him that taketh a dog by the ears , prov. . . may only irritate the anger of others , and cause them to turn upon them and bite them . he is therefore no peaceable minded man , that plays the bishop in another diocess , pet. . . general . the advantages of peace in christian churches . . this renders the church most like to god ; he is the god of peace , the father of mercies , and not only full of love , but love it self , iohn . . he is all that is good in the most eminent degree , but he is love in a more especial and peculiar manner ; though all his attributes be infinite , yet his love and goodness is peculiarly sovereign . the best description we can frame of him in our minds , or whereby we can represent him to others , is , that he is omnipotent , alwise , immutable goodness ; under the old testament , a dispensation of terror , when the riches of divine love were not displayed , yet even then he accounts his goodness as his greatest glory , and the most charming beauty of his nature . and now what better way is there for his church to be like him , than to be at peace and abound in all mutual offices of kindness and love ? . peace is the churches greatest beauty and ornament ; 't was this commended christianity of old ; hence christian were called not christiani , but chrestiani , from a greek word signifying their benignity and sweetness of disposition : and se● how the christians love one another was a common proverb in th● mouths of heathens themselves what can be more glorious than to behold the most harmoniou● union and communion of saint● in the pleasant ways of true wisdom and goodness ! rage and fury may be the excellencies o● beasts , but peace and love is th● ornament of men. how calm is the mind , how serene the countenance , how chearful the discourse , how sweet the sleep , and how full of content is the whole life of the peaceable minded man ! how lovely a melody in the ears of god and men , doth an assembly of such christians make when united together in acts of religious worship ! how much more pleasant are the smooth and even ways of peace , than the rugged paths of discord and contention ! is it not much more delightful to behold the heavens smiling upon us with a serene and chearful countenance , than frowning with clouds , or big with storms and thunder ? is it not much more sweet to sail in a quiet and calm sea , than to be tost about with a tempest , and be continually in fear of every rolling unruly wave ; to hear harmonious sounds , than grating janglings ; and to dwell in a well , governed city , than in a wild and savage wilderness ? peace is the way to the truest pleasure , and indeed is itself the greatest felicity : hence the angels in their holy anthem , when they wished the greatest happiness to men , knew not how better to express their sense , than by saying , on earth peace , good will to men , luke . . . peace is the churches strength ; peace is the sinew of society , as mony is of war ; the cement that holds the parts together , and distinguishes the congresses of men from herds of beasts , or which is as bad , the tumultuous confusions of the rabble . christian churches might be immortal , did they not kill themselves by divisions ; the deepest wounds have been given to christianity in the houses of its pretended friends , by heresies and schisms , rending and tearing the unity of the body . he must be a great stranger in the history of the church , who knows not that it flourished while it walk'd in love , and injoyed peace among its children ; but the adding to the foundation the wood and hay , and stubble of their own inventions , and dividing thereupon , gave occasion to the rise of turk and pope , and all the dismal consequences thereof . divisions stop'd the progress and cramp'd the growth of christianity , and hath so of reformed christianity to this day : the most successful policy of our enemies whereby they have done us the greatest mischief of all , hath been by fomenting , incouraging and cursedly improving our intestine feuds : we have foolishly put weapons into their hands , or rather been destroying our selves , while they have look'd on with scorn and laughter . were we but peacefully united among our selves , we should quickly dishearten our enemies , and laugh at all the attempts of rome and france and hell for our ruin and destruction . peace would be a mighty bulwark to defend us , and would better prevent the invasions of our foes , than all our wooden walls on the sea , or fortresses and castles by land. . peace tends to the comfort of the church ; there can be no comfortable communion of saints , no bearing each others burdens , no communicating the experiences of the workings of gods spirit in one anothers souls , of the answer of our several prayers , and various methods of god's dealings with us in his different ways of discipline and comfort , so long as we are at variance among our selves . when souls groan under the burden of sin and guilt , never was drink so welcom to the thirsty traveller , as the converse of truly spiritual christians to restore such in the spirit of meekness , and speak peace unto them from the scripture and their own experience . but where divisions are , this cannot be had , or if it be in some measure , is often confined to an inconsiderable party , and each particular division wants the assistance of the rest ; so that the breach of their catholick love and communion necessarily makes a breach in their comfort , and hinders the mutual sympathizing assisting and comforting one another . . peace tends to the increase of the church ; when our lord repeated his petitions for unity , he twice alledgeth one and the same reason , that the world might know that god had sent him ; john . , : as if the union and love of his followers were the strongest proof of the divinity of their master , and the powerfullest perswasive to jews and heathens to acknowledge and receive him for their lord and saviour ; as if his excellent doctrin ▪ admirable precepts and extraordinary miracles would not do without it ; and indeed though instruction be necessary , and people perish for want of knowledge ; yet instruction without example will do little good , and no example is more open to observation than that of peace and love , and the want thereof in the preachers of truth makes the best doctrin in their mouths suspected , hardens the wicked in their sin , and tempts many to atheism : if you speak with disagreeing tongues , unbelievers will say you are mad , and sit down in the seat of the scorner , to allude to cor. . . . peace is a great means of edifying by the means of grace : the apostle in eph. . . speaks of the close and intimate union of the body of christ , as a necessary means to receiving increase from christ , and edifying it self in love ; and col. . . being knit together in love , is laid down as a means to the full assurance of understanding , to the full practical perswasion of the truth , and excellency of the gospel ; and the want of this render'd the solemn assemblies of the corinthians fruitless and barren , cor. . . st. paul chargeth them with a sad miscarriage in their spiritual traffick , growing worse in the use of what should have made them better , the holy supper of the lord ; and the reason is given ver. . i hear there be divisions among you . divisions abate the fervency of our prayers , blunt the edge of our devotions , seize on the vitals of christianity , evaporate the life and power of religion in impertinent squabble ; and unless almighty grace prevent , will quickly spread like a gangrene , so as to eat out the heart thereof . . peace in christian churches is an emblem of heaven ; the more that part of the church which is militant here below doth abound in love and peace , the more it resembles that part which is triumphant above : this is indeed the great difference between angels and devils , heaven and hell ; the devils have great degrees of power and knowledge , perhaps not much below what angels have ; but angels and glorified saints abound in love , sweetness benignity , and live in the joyful uninterrupted exercise of mutual endearments ; whereas a spirit of malice and envy , hatred and revenge , is the very complexion of satan , and temper of hell. but o how happy will it be to dwell in that society , where there 's no mistake or envy , ignorance or prejudice , or carnal interest to occasion the least jar or discord , but all pure peace , seraphick love and perfect harmony , as with god , so also between themselves ; where the strange fire of misguided zeal is extinguished by the more powerful flames of heavenly love , and the unhappy names of dividing sects are no more known ; where dark and deep mysteries , little doubtful truths , and ambiguous words and phrases no longer occasion any brawls or contentions ; where luther and calvin and all the saints of god perfectly accord together , speak the same language , join in the same praises , and pleasingly entertain and embrace one another , with all the endearments of intimate friends and companions . and as we long for this blessed state , so 't is our great duty , and will be our happiness to let down as much of heaven on earth as we can , to anticipate our future joys by an enlarged love towards all saints , and being at peace among our selves . iii. general . directions for the maintaining and promoting of peace . . remove the causes of unpeaceableness ; the effects will not be taken away , except the causes cease . this disease will prove mortal , and still torment us , except the fuel that feeds it be taken away ; except that generation of vipers be slain , which hath for so many ages torn out the bowels of our common mother , the church , we must never expect our wide breaches will be healed . i shall therefore take a short view of those distempers , that have so miserably infected us , that the discovery may help to their cure , and restore the primitive healthful temper of christianity ; and while i mention the achans that have sickned our camp , and infected our israel , i beseech you , that you would cast them out of your hearts , and have no fellowship with these unfruitful works of darkness . be ashamed of complaining for want of peace , if you wilfully cherish that poysonous brood , that will otherwise prove your ruin . . unmortifyed sin. ungodliness is the great divider ▪ and till we are partakers of the same sanctifying spirit , 't is impossible we should love as brethren . 't is as possible for the wolf to lie down with the lamb , as for wicked men to love the truly godly . while we will not work in the same vineyard , nor walk in the same way , nor chuse the same imployment , nor delight in the same spiritual duties , how can it be possible to agree together ? 't is a vain thing to pretend agreement in articles of faith , while we will not lovingly agree in practical holiness . 't is highly unreasonable for wicked wretches to rail against christians ( like ahab against elijah ) as troublers of israel , when they themselves are the grand incendiaries : these men , like nero of old , cast firebrands into the sanctuary , and then lay their guilt at true christians doors : they hold the most damnable errors , and practical heresies , and thus render union impossible : they pretend pity to the wounded church , and yet throw away the salve and plaister that should cure it : they complain that the garment of christ is rent , and yet throw away the needle that should sow it up : they pretend to be grieved to see the spiritual building shaking , yet throw away the lime and mortar , the pins and the nails that should cement and join the parts together . thus do they who cry up love and unity , and yet hate holiness wherein christian union consists : to hear an ungodly man , who is really of no religion at all , but against the life and practice of all , cry out of the many ways of religion among christians , is as if a blackmoor should blame another for a spot in his face , or a murderer rebuke a man for an angry word , follow peace therefore with all men , and holiness , without which no man shall see the lord , heb. . . . pride : this we find already arraigned by the wisest of men as the great makebate and troubler of the world ; prov. . . only by pride cometh contention . as this is true of civil strifes , so more especially of religious or rather irreligious jars and contentions ; men are so wise in their own conceits , that they are angry with every one that is not of the same level , and impatient of contradiction ; while many are very hot in exclamations against the political antichrist , they observe not this antichristian temper in themselves ; they are justly offended at others for usurping god's prerogative , sitting in his throne , and claiming a title of infallibility ; but do not these fools envy the pope , and like adam desire to be god's that their name may be honour'd , and their will be done through the earth ? let us therefore entertain an humble suspicion of our own understandings , remembring that an over confident persuasion of our own knowledge is a certain sign of ignorance , and he that thinks he knows most , is commonly most mistaken : 't was not for nothing that the wisest of men doth so frequently give that caution , be not wise in thy own conceit , prov. . . . . . censoriousness : the censorious backbiter is the devils minister to preach down love , abate charity , and exhort to the hatred of the brethren . have not our unnatural heats been owing to this original ? are not we too apt to censure those that agree not with us in every punctilio , and readily take up an evil report against them ? is not this contrary to the lovely grace of charity , which thinketh no evil , misconstrues not the actions and intentions of others , rejoyceth not in iniquity , but believeth all things , and hopeth all things , is unapt to believe ill without apparent grounds , and hopes as long as there is any reason for hope ? . undue admiration of particular persons or parties : this was the corinthian error that divided and miserably shattered that flourishing church ; one liked the powerful plainness of paul , another the eloquence of apollos , and a third the perspicuity of peter , and a fourth was above all outward ordinances , pretending to the immediate teachings of christ. upon this , they vilified all others , except those that they had set up for an oracle : we may suppose them disputing one with another after this manner . one , i am of paul , did you ne'er hear paul preach ? how clearly doth he unfold the deep mysteries of salvation ! how sweetly doth he display the unsearchable riches of christ ! how convincingly doth he argue , and how excellently doth he direct in the way to salvation ! as for apollos , he guilds over his discourses with specious eloquence and gaudy bravery ; but paul shews the truth in the plainest dress , which best becomes her ; and as for cephas , he is indeed fit to catechize weak and ignorant christians , but he tells me nothing but what i knew before ; they therefore shew themselves men of small judgment , that are for apollos or cephas ; i am for paul. another i am of apollos : let who will be for paul and cephas , could i sit alway under apollos his ministry , how happy should i be ? how movingly doth he preach , with what a happy fluency doth he insinuate himself into his hearers , and by his pathetical eloquence almost constrain attention ! one while he cloaths his speech in a silken dialect , dips each word in a tear , and steeps each phrase in hony , that he may win on his auditors ; another while , he breaths out flames and terrors , and causes the stoutest heart to quake and tremble . as for paul he is rude in speech , homely in his expressions , and hath no majesty nor presence in a pulpit : i admire therefore their ignorance that are for him ; i am for apollos . a third , i am for cephas : how doth he stoop to the lowest and meanest capacity ! doth not preach about such deep mysteries as paul , nor with such flaunting eloquence as apollos , but feeds us with the sincere milk of the word , and teaches so plainly that the most ignorant may understand him : i wonder therefore he is no more followed , and that paul and apollos are preferred before him : i am for cephas . thus we may suppose the corinthians might jangle among themselves , for which st. paul so sharply reproves them ; and may not we take his reproofs to our selves ? are not we apt to heap up to our selves teachers , and have mens persons in admiration , so to value some , as unreasonably to scorn and slight others , forgetting that they are all the servants of christ , deputed and sent by him , that in much wisdom and mercy hath given them various gifts for the edification of the church ; that as one is eminent in some respects , so in others 〈◊〉 brethren may exceed them 〈◊〉 must consider they all preach 〈◊〉 same doctrin , and direct to the same way to salvation ; and it is more the fault of our own corrupt hearts , than of the minister , if we profit not by their labours . . be much in contemplation of the love of god in christ : this will blow up a holy flame of love to him and all his members ; when we remember how dearly and tenderly christ loves all his saints , this will constrain us to lay aside all wrath and bitterness , and live in peace ; such a glorious precedent must needs be a cogent argument , and can hardly be resisted . love and peace is the very image of our heavenly father , the copy christ hath set us , and the lesson he hath written for our learning in lines of his own blood. an hearty love to god will engage us to be at peace with the whole fraternity of christians , and love them without dissimulation . . make the great design of religion yours , viz. the advancement of holiness , and recovery of the image of god in the souls of men : remember religion is not designed meerly to fill your heads with airy notions , to tip your tongues for discourse , or enable you to talk plausibly for the truth ; that it consists not in little speculative opinions , or ceremonious trifles ; but the great design of it is to direct us in the government of our passions , subduing our lusts , and conquering the impediments that hinder our recovery and salvation . in a word , religion consists in a penitent return to god by faith in christ , and obedience to his gospel ; let us take this to be our main business , then we shall have so much work to do at home , that we shall have little inclination to pry into the infirmities of others , or quarrel with them . that man would be esteemed by all as bereav'd of his wits , that should be picking causless quarrels with his neighbours about a chip of wood , or a broken hedge , when a fire in his house is consuming his goods and children . we all stand on the borders of the grave , and confines of eternity ; our great business is to quench the flames of lust , which otherwise will prepare us for everlasting burnings , and therefore surely we should not waste our precious minutes in strife and contention . . avoid extreams in disputable points . every truth lyes in the middle between two falshoods , and he that goes far from one is apt to slip into the other . after all the confidence and boast of disputers , there will be uncertainty in lesser points , and when we travel in uncertain roads , 't is best to chuse the middle ; here we may be sure to meet with charity and peace , and very probably truth in their company . the great occasion of our differences hath been that men have look'd so much at the evil of one extream as to forget the error on the other side ; like an ignorant physician , who to cure a man of a dead palsie casts him into a phrenzy . i dare with some confidence affirm , that most of those disputes , that are so hotly agitated among protestants , are in the extreams , and consist more in words than things , because the curse of babel has so confounded our languages , that though our sentiments are much the same , we understand not one anothers meaning : and if men would but hearken to calm dispassionate reason , they might soon find out such healing reconciling principles , as would quickly make us one among our selves , and a terror to our romish adversaries . let the apostles counsel be in this sense therefore obeyed , phil. . . let your moderation be known unto all men. . avoid unpeaceable dividers ▪ those who make it their work to soment differences , and stir up strife , and sow seeds of discord among brethren , are said to be an abomination to the lord ; take upon them a very ill imployment , and carry on a design quite contrary to the gospel of peace and therefore are to be avoided that they may be ashamed : i speak not this of my self , but the apostle paul is very earnest in the same advice , rom. . , . now i beseech you brethren , mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrin which ye● have learned , and avoid them ; for they that are such serve not our lord iesus christ , but their own belly , and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple . . frequently joyn together in the same exercises of religious worship : when christians come together in the same assemblies , this naturally tends to abate their strangeness , calm their spirits , remove unreasonable jealousies and suspicions , and inclines them to a cordial endeared love. this was one great means of promoting that hearty affection , which was among the members of the primitive church , they continu'd stedfastly in the apostles doctrin and fellowship , and breaking of bread and prayer : acts . . and the same method would retrieve that love and peace , the want of which hath crumbl'd us into parties , and been the unhappy occasion of so many woful effects . did we but more frequently resort to the house of prayer , more diligently hearken to , and more faithfully improve ministerial instructions , more readily submit to pastoral discipline , more carefully watch over one another , and more tenderly advise , and reprove , and edifie one another ; more solemnly pray with and for one another , and more constantly celebrate that uniting ordinance , the lords supper , together , we should soon see the blessed peaceful effects of so doing . did neighbouring churches counsel each other , and maintain mutual correspondences for the advancement of love and holiness , occasionally communicate together , when convenient , and look upon themselves , not as divided bodies , or carrying on separate interests , but all united under the same head , acting according to the same rule , and for the same end , this would engage us to mutual offices of peace , and we should readily comply with the apostle's counsel , eph. . . keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . many more directions might be added , but these , if well practis'd , would quickly extinguish those heats and animosities , which have made earth so like to hell ; and produce those heavenly fruits of peace , which might create a paradise here below , make the church , which in a very sad sense is now militant , nearly resemble the church triumphant . and now men and brethren , what remains , but that we put in practice the duties recommended ? then might we hope our land would become a goshen , not only in respect of spiritual light , but also of its freedom from those locusts and caterpillars , dividing lusts , that have so long wasted and consumed us . blessed be god that he hath in so great a measure heal'd our breaches , and thus far united us together : may not we hope , that this is but the beginning of what god designs for us , like the dawning of the morning in order to a perfect day ? may not we hope , that those glorious times are hastning , when the lord shall be one , and his name one ; zach. . . and that that promise is near its accomplishment , ier. . . i will give them one heart , and one way , that they may fear me for ever , for the good of them , and of their children after them ? may not we hope , that the philadelphian state , which some expect , now draws nigh , when brotherly love shall flourish , and be more enlarg'd . how happy would it be , if this union were yet more extensive , if the name of reformed christian were only known , and all those divided names laid aside , whereby we have been unhappily distinguish'd ! by mutual compliances and condescentions this is no impossible task . and who knows but this beginning may issue in so happy a conclusion ? this may well be the subject of our wishes , and earnest constant prayers . john . . a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another , as i have loved you ; that ye also love one another . among all the advantages of the christian religion , wherein it exceeds the defective rules of pagan philosophy , and obscure institutions of moses , there is nothing wherein it more excels than in the doctrin of love and charity ; a duty which is urg'd in the plainest words , and pressed by the strongest arguments , and made not the high qualification of some eminent saints , but a necessary essential part of the new creature : a duty not only necessary to some inferior uses , but to all the great ends of religion , and not to be dispensed with on any pretence : a duty that is made the badg and character of christ's disciples , and that which our dying redeemer strictly charged his followers to observe ; as in the text , a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another . our saviour knowing the time of his departure was near at hand , in this chapter gives his disciples an admirable instance of his condescending love in stooping to that servile office of washing their feet : and this he did on purpose that they should imitate him , and not think the lowest offices of charity for their brethrens good , too mean and base for them . afterwards having given the sop to iudas who went out with an intention to betray him , he tells his disciples of his speedy separation from them ; and lest they should be too much cast down at hearing of his departure , he tells them that he should be glorified , and god the father in him ; i. e. that he should give great discoveries of his deity , and god the father would discover the unsearchable depths of his wisdom , inconceivable heights of his love , and infinite strictness of his holiness and justice by his death , and advance him straightway to the highest degrees of glory : and then being filled with an affectionate love to them , he speaks as an indulgent father to the sons of his love , little children , yet a little while i am with you , ver . . and as if he should have said , o my disciples whom i love with no less ardent affection than a father doth his darling and tender infant ; there remains but a small space wherein i shall make my abode with you in the flesh , therefore as i said to the hardened iews , whither i go , ye cannot yet come : one request and command i your dying lord leave with you , let my love to you be the rule and measure of your love to one another . a new commandment i give unto you . there is some difference among expositors concerning the sense of this expression . some render it this renewed commandment , this command that hath been almost obliterated by the corrupting doctrins of the pharisees , and false glosses of the jewish teachers , i now by my doctrin and example renew unto you . some by new , understand most excellent : thus we read of a new song , a most excellent song , of new wine , of the most delicious sort and kind ; q. d. whatever commands you neglect , be sure to comply with this the most excellent of all . subjects take care to observe the new commands of their princes ; let your careful obedience to this be as if it were newly promulged : so others understand it . a new commandment , say others , because we must be still renewing it ; owe no man any thing but to love one another , rom. . pay all your debts , but this debt ▪ of love you must be always paying and yet always owing . i rather think it is called a new commandment , because it is expounded after a new manner , directed according to a new rule , and required in higher measures and degrees than ever before ; for though this duty was not wholly unknown to mankind before , yet never was it so taught or encouraged ; never was such an illustrious example given of it , nor such weight and stress laid upon it in any former institution ; and special measures of assistance proper to gospel times are vouchsafed to work it in our hearts . so that it is as if our saviour should have said , whereas it hath been said ▪ by them of old time , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self , i give you a new rule , as i have loved you , so love one another , after a more indearing manner than the iews , that the world may see the excellency of my doctrin above that of moses love ; bear an hearty esteem one for another , and imploy your selves in mutual offices of kindness , as acknowledging one another to be brethren and fellow disciples . as i have loved you ; though you cannot love one another to such a degree , yet testify your love by such instances , and to such degrees as your nature is capable of . this is the meaning of the text ; christ came into the world to demonstrate and exercise his father's love and his own : love he came to kindle in the souls of men , and therefore gives us this excellent commandment . the words being thus explained , the observation i shall raise from them is this , that the last and great command of our dying saviour , is , that christians should love one another , as christ hath loved them . in handling of which i shall observe this method : . i shall inquire who are the objects of this love. . in what respects must we love one another as christ hath loved us . . make some practical improvement of the whole discourse . . the objects of this love. . there is a common love due to men as men ; all men are god's workmanship , bearing his natural image , and capable of being serviceable to his glory : thus , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ; all men are our neighbours , as partakers of the same nature and capable of the same happiness . special love to christians doth not diminish , but enlarge our common love to men : wherever we see any part of gods image , we must love it . our saviour when he beheld that rich young gentleman , mark . . he loved him ; he could not but be well pleased with his morality , though he was displeased he went no further . thus all the footsteps of divine goodness must be lov'd : vertue even in an heathen is to be admired : this will constrain us to pity , pray for , and h●lp all in distress , according to our ability . we must not be like the unconcerned priest and merciless levite in the parable , luke . . who passed by the wounded man , and would not relieve him , but like the good samaritan , who spoke comfortably to him , supplied his wants , and bound up his wounds . . there is a love due to enemies . other mens faults and sins against us , give us no dispensation for the non-payment of this great debt of natures law , loving all of the same kind . christ came to mortifie all inclinations to rage and revenge , and commands affections and words , and actions of kindness and benignity , to those that have expressed the contrary unto us : we must love our enemies , mat. . . be cordially affected towards them ; wish them all the good in the world ; especially when they most need , the good of their souls ; their conviction , reformation and amendment . other mens enmity must not pervert or blind our judgments , or hinder us from discerning what is amiable in them ; nor must it corrupt our affections , or hinder us from loving what is truly lovely . we must bless them that curse us . not render reviling for reviling , but give them friendly courteous words , though they rail against us . we must do good to them , feed and cloth them , if hungry or naked ; rescue them if in danger ; comfort them if in distress , and all without the least tincture of malice or revenge . we must pray for them : forgive them our selves , and pray to god to forgive them too . thus did our saviour ; in the midst of his dying agonies forgets not this testimony of his love to his imbitter'd adversaries , and with a generosity beyond example , pleads excuses for their sin , saying , father forgive them , for they know not what they do , luke . . . there is a special love due to all whom we charitably hope to be true christians . to this we are directed by the text. whoever makes a seemingly serious profession of faith and holiness , and doth not disprove it by a contrary practice , is to be allow'd the name and special love of a christian. 't is gods prerogative to see the heart ; 't is our duty to observe the life ; and he that makes a credible profession , and doth not live in wilful sin is charitably to be esteemed as a member of christ. though he differ from us in many points , yet if he holds the foundations of the christian faith , and manifests the grace of god in his life , 't is uncharitable for us to judge he is not the object of gods special love , and therefore it is unreasonable he should not be the object of ours . though he be weak in parts and gifts , subject to many passions and infirmities consistent with real grace ; though his profession reach not to that heigth as to make him eminent , and his conversation be not so exact as to make you confident of his sincerity , yet if he profess to be a true christian , and live not in any sin , which is the certain mark of an unbeliever , he is to be lov'd as christ hath loved us . gods love indeed is guided by infallibility , he loves none with a special affection but sincere penitent believers ; but our love must be guided by our own weak and fallible discerning . where we see the fruits of piety in mens lives , we must judge of the truth of their graces according to the probability which those signs discover . though all be not so eminent in grace as peter , iames and iohn , yet as the weakest disciples it sincere are accepted by god , so ought they to be embrac'd by us . christ will not break the bruised reed , nor quench the smoaking flax. nor ought we to despise the babes in christ , but love them as members of the same body , and heirs of the same inheritance . . in what respects must we love one another , as christ hath loved us ? ans. not in all respects ▪ christ so loved us as to purchase grace and glory for us . but we are not capable of thus loving one another . we cannot pay down a valuable satisfaction for our own sins , much less can we super-erogate or purchase pardon for others . our own oyl must be perfum'd with the incense of christs merits , before it can make our faces shine before god ; and we have so little for our selves that we have none to spare for our brethren . christ alone paid down a compleat satisfaction for them and us ; nor can we love our brethren with an equal degree of love to what christ did . he had not the spirit by measure , but the fulness of the godhead dwelt in him ; and therefore he lov'd us without any sinful mixture or imperfection ; but our love as well as other graces admit of very great defects . the word ( as ) therefore doth not denote equality in degree , but likeness in kind . our love to one another must bear some likeness and resemblance of christs love to us . . in the inward properties of it . . in the outward expressions of it . . in the inward properties of it . . our love must be sincere and unfeigned as christ's was . christ did not hypocritically pretend love , or dissemblingly feign affection to us , but sincerely lov'd us . his protestations of love were all real and hearty ; not in word and in tongue only , but in deed and in truth . thus ought our love to be without dissimulation , rom. . . a pretended disciple indeed may like iudas kiss and betray , make large protestations of kindness to the saints , and under this pretext of affection hide a malicious heart , and contrive their ruin . but the true christians professions of love as well as prayers to god proceed not from feigned lips. . our love to one another must be fervent as christ's was . 't was love incomprehensibly great and ardent , that brought our lord from heaven to earth , carry'd him through the difficulties of poverty , reproach and scorn , enabled him to bear the contradiction of sinners , and the pain and shame of the cross ; herein christ as well as god the father commended his love towards us , rom. . . rendred it great and admirable beyond all expression or parallel , in that while we were yet sinners christ died for us . we must act according to this pattern , love one another with a pure heart fervently , pet. . . our love must not be cold and indifferent , frozen or congeal'd ; but we must entertain a fervent affection one for another . . our love must be prevailing as christ's was . christ lov'd us above gold or silver , or earthly pomp and greatness , above his own temporal ease and delight ; and was ready to wade through storms and dangers , and difficulties for our sakes . so must we love our brethren , above our carnal interest , honour , wealth and pleasure . thus moses evidenc'd his love to the people of god by forsaking the dazling honours and bewitching pleasures of pharaoh's court , and chusing affliction with them rather than sin. thus must we be willing to renounce our own ease and liberty for their sakes , when god and his honour calls . nay we must love them better than the nearest ungodly relations . christ lov'd those that were related to him in the spirit , far better than the nearest ungodly relations according to the flesh. there is indeed a natural sensitive love and propension towards near relations , and we are ordinarily bound in the first place to provide for them , supply their wants , and give them these outward effects of our love : but still we must have a higher rational esteem of the godly and value their graces above the most lovely natural perfections of others ; and the best must be prefer'd in point of honour , though others may be prefer'd in point of maintenance . . our love must be impartial and universal as christ's was . he did not confine it to his own countrymen the jews , and die to procure pardon , grace and glory for them only , but for us gentiles also , while he was upon earth : the faith of the centurion , and importunity of the canaanitish woman ( tho' aliens from the common-wealth of israel ) attracted his esteem and admiration ; and where-ever he beheld the grace of god and image of holiness , he lov'd it . 't is very observable , he is more sharp and severe in his invectives against the pharisees than any other persons ; because of their stingy narrow spirit , confining religion to their own particular sect , and scorning and despising all that were not of their own party ; as if all the rest of mankind were in a reprobate damnable state. our christian love must thus resemble our saviours . it must be enlarg'd to all saints , to the whole fraternity of christians . to be partial in our love is a sign 't is unsound ; to make our own opinions the shiboleth to distinguish between a true and counterfeit christian , is very unreasonable . where there is a profession of the baptismal covenant , the essentials of the christian faith , and a life in some measure answerable ; we must love such as christians , not withstanding their mistakes and erroneous principles in lesser points . we justly condemn the church of rome for confining salvation to themselves , and damning all the world besides : let us take heed how we condemn our selves by contracting the church of god into a narrower compass , lest we censoriously damn those whom christ will save , and perhaps place on higher seats of glory than our selves . we know who it was that said , lord , i thank thee , i am not as this publican , when he was really in a far worse condition : our love to a party must not blind our judgments , or pervert our affections as to all the rest : keep up therefore an impartial universal love to all professed . christians as such , and hate a dividing spirit . take heed how you ▪ stigmatize those with the name of hereticks , who shall stand at the right hand of christ ; and take not up the devils accursed imployment to become accusers of those that are really your brethren . . our love must be proportion'd to the degrees of their grace , as christ's was . christ , that certainly knows who are most furnish'd with divine grace , must needs love these with an higher degree than others of a lower form and classis in christianity . st. iohn who it seems had the most ardent love and eminent degrees of grace among the apostles , was his peculiar favourite and darling disciple , had the highect , place next his lord , lay in his bosom , according to the custom of those ▪ eastern countreys , which was to lye and not to sit at meals , and is call'd the disciple whom iesus loved , john . . christs love was not a fond unaccountable passion , but the result of his reason and judgment . because he lov'd him best we may therefore justly conclude he was really above the rest in piety . thus must our love be proportion'd : some are but weak christians , and we can have but small and doubtful perswasions of their sincerity : others are stronger , and we may be more confident as to them . the one must be lov'd as christians , but the other with an higher degree , as bearing more lively representations of the holy god : we must not respect the persons of any , but their goodness ; and love those best that are really so . this property will discover the hypocrisie of many , who will bear with holiness in a lower degree , and speak well of those who ( though godly in the main ) are too remiss and careless in their conversations , but swell with rage and malice against those that are most eminent for piety . what doth this temper shew but a graceless heart ? if we bear not the highest love to the best christians how dwelleth the love of god in us ? alas ! can infinite perfect holiness be lov'd by him , that loves not the best representations of it , that this imperfect ▪ state affords ? if the light of the moon , which is not without its spots , doth offend us ; how can we bear the far more resplendent brightness of the sun it self ? how unmeet is he for the communion of angels and perfected spirits , that is not pleas'd ; much more that is offended with the highest degrees of holiness in this state of imperfection ? the true christian having a prevailing love to god , will love his image where-ever he finds it ; and where it is more clear and unsullied , and drawn out in more beautiful characters , his love will be proportionably greater and more affectionate . . our love must be compassionate and sympathizing . christ could not refrain from weeping when he beheld ierusalem , where was the then visible church of god , and laments her foreseen destruction : when peter . deny'd him not once , but thrice , with curses and imprecations : he did not disregard him , as he might justly do , such a perfidious servant ; but though he was unconcern'd for himself , and silently bore the slanders of the witnesses ; yet he manifests his concern for peter ; by his compassionate looks , testify'd his sorrow for his sin , and drew not his eyes away till he had look'd him into repentance . nay , tho' our head be now in heaven , yet he hath a compassionate sense of the extremities of his members , and accounts all the affronts , persecutions and reproaches offer'd to them , as done to himself . thus when saul ( then a persecutor ) breath'd out nothing but blood and slaughter against the churches , he cries from heaven , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me , acts . . he is a merciful faithful high-priest that is touch'd with a feeling of our infirmities , and bears a compassionate love to all his members in misery : and the same mind ought to be in us that was in him ; we ought to sympathize with our fellow members in distress , and remember the afflicted , as being our selves in the body , heb. . . liable to the same tryals and parts of the same mystical body of christ. if any member be in pain , all the rest are discompos'd , and when some of the members of christ are discompos'd , 't is natural for the rest to sympathize with them , and be compassionately sensible of their trouble . thus we are commanded to weep with them that weep , rom. . . to bear one anothers burdens , and so fulfil the law of christ , gal. . . . our love must be constant and abiding as christ's love was ; christ's love to us was not for a small space of time , but lasting and uninterrupted , he loved his own , and he loved them to the end , john . . and the nearer his end appeared , the higher marks of his love did he give them ; the failings and miscarriages of his disciples did not remove his love , or cause him to withdraw his affection ; their ignorance and unbelief after all his teachings and instructions , their fiery unseasonable rage against the samaritans , their pride and ambition , rashness and cowardise , and the base perfidiousness of peter did not incline him to lay aside his thoughts of love , or leave the work of our redemption unfinished ; but he still loved them to the death : thus must we love our brethren , overlook their failings , pass by their infirmities , admire what is lovely , and neglect what may cool our affections . this new commandment must be every day renewed by us ; this is a lesson we must be always learning , and a duty we must be always imploying our selves about . we must still be abiding in our love , till we enter among that happy society , where all sins and unlovely imperfections shall be done away , and we shall always solace our selves with pleasing views of the divine purity and holiness , and the numerous pictures and representations of it among angels and glorified saints . . our love to one another must resemble christ's love to us in the outward expressions of it . . in the intimacies of our friendship and familiarity one with another ; christ so loves all true christians , as to enter into the strictest bands of amity with them ; he is nearly united to them as their head and husband , and calls them his friends and his spouse ; he is the head and they are the members ; the vine , and they are the branches ; the foundation , and they are the building ; the root , and they are the fruit. the communications of his grace , the quickening assistances and influences of his spirit are imparted to them ; he writes his law in their hearts , and causeth them to run in the way of his commandments ; sanctifies their natures , pardons their sins , prevailingly intercedes for them , and prepares them by grace for glory : he hath communion with them in his ordinances , familiarly converseth with them in his sacraments , and is continually sitting them for that happy fellowship with father son and holy spirit which glorified saints injoy . while he was on earth , he selected some few persons , prepared them by grace for his society , and then made them his familiar friends . to them he clearly revealed the mind and will of god ; to them he unfolded the mysteries of his love , and commands of his father ; to them he explained what was spoken to others in parables ; these he blessed with his heavenly discourses and pious instructions with the special tokens of his love , and familiar expressions of his friendship . indeed he did entertertain a iudas in his family , but he made a strict profession as well as the other disciples , and was not known to be hypocritical by any but christ himself ; and had not the wisdom of god designed by his means to bring about the great work of our redemption , no doubt but this son of perdition would have been discarded and disown'd . he did indeed eat with publicans and sinners , but though for this he was falsly accused as their friend and companion , yet he was not so ; he eat with them as their physician , and not as their companion ; did not own them for his friends , but sought by his holy discourse and obliging carriage to make them so : and the same mind ought to be in us that was also in him . though christianity allows not moroseness and incivility towards others , yet all needless familiarity with wicked men is forbidden : our eyes ( with davids ) ought to be upon the faithful in the land , psal. . . to delight in wicked company may justly fill us with doubts of our own sincerity ; we may know we are passed from death to life , if we love the brethren , john . . and we have just reason to fear we are yet in a state of death if we delight in the ungodly . common civilities may be paid to wicked men , but special friendship is to be reserved only for those who we hope are the friends of god. if we love god above all , surely we shall associate most with them that may warm our hearts , and raise our affections , and provoke us by their example to an holy imitation . we ought to imitate the royal psalmist , who was a companion of all them that feared god , psal. . . the poverty and meanness of such did not lessen his delight ; he priz'd a saint in rags , beyond a wicked man though cloathed in princely robes , or imperial purple . we ought to have a friendly regard to all true christians ; and though some because of their eminency in grace , suitableness to our temper , neighbourhood , and the like reasons , may be our more intimate friends : yet must not we despise any because of their meanness , but as we have opportunity ▪ give them the special tokens of our friendship too . vile persons must be contemned , and scandalous professors must especially be avoided ; but our intimate acquaintance ought to be the servants of god ; and the more holy any are , the more ambitious should we be of their friendship and converse . . in our hearty prayers one for another . christ was very earnest in his prayers for true believers ; they were the peculiar objects of his love , and purchase of his death , and therefore he prays for them in a peculiar manner : for peter , he prays for strengthening confirming grace , luke . . and he put up a famous prayer for his . disciples , and all that should believe on him , iohn . that they might persevere in the faith , live in unity , increase in grace , and at last be translated to heaven , and abide with him in glory . and he hath laid a special obligation on us to do likewise . hence in that excellent form and directory of prayer , mat. . . he teaches us to say , our father , intimating that if we would gain acceptance for our selves , we must come to god as in union with christ and his universal church . our prayers must not be only for our selves , but for the whole church of god throughout the world ; we must hold communion with all christians in faith and love , and an holy profession thereof ; and while absent in body , must be as present with them in spirit , and still beg of god for them a freedom from the same spiritual evils , and enjoyment of the same spiritual priviledges we would desire for our selves . if the psalmist under the old law pray'd for the peace of ierusalem , psal. . . . , . and makes such solemn protestations never to forget her ; surely it is our great duty ▪ now the church is surrounded with enemies so potent and numerous , never to forget spiritual zion , but always be mindful of our ierusalem . if the legal priests and watchmen were bound to be god's remembrancers , and give him no rest till he establish and make ierusalem a praise in the earth , isa. . , . then surely it is the duty of spiritual watchmen under the gospel , to put up their petitions with fervour for the distressed christian churches and servants of god. we ought with the apostle to give thanks to god always for all saints , and make mention of them in our prayers , eph. . . be compassionately sensible of all their troubles , and continually bow our knees before god , that all his dealings may tend to their good ; that their lives may be a credit to their profession ; and that their faith and love , and patience and humility , and self-denial , may be effectual to convince unbelievers , enlarge the kingdom of grace , and add new inhabitants to the kingdom of glory . . in forgiving one another . christ so loved us , as to forgive all the injuries and affronts we have offered to him ; pardon of sin is the great purchase of his death . and though our sins be more numerous than the hairs of our head , and exceed the sands of the sea for multitude , yet if we sincerely repent of them , we may be assured they shall be forgiven . and as christ doth thus testify his love to us , so must we testify our love to one another : have they wrong'd and injur'd us ? we must not bear a spirit of revenge , but freely forgive them : god will not forgive us except we forgive others , mat. . , , . where god pardons any , he gives them a heart to forgive others . that servant in the parable was very disingenuous , who when his lord forgave him ten thousand talents , cast his fellow servant into goal , and would not forgive him an hundred pence . mat. . . and are not we guilty of the same disingenuity , who when we know what numerous talents god hath forgiven us , cannot pass by a small injury of our brother against us ? this act of christian love you see is strictly required , and a special degree of it ▪ is due to true christians above all others . we are bound indeed to forgive enemies while continuing and remaining such , so far as not to return evil for evil , to entertain no revengeful thoughts , and perform all general offices of justice and charity towards them . but a friend and true christian that hath offended us , and returns to his fidelity , must be forgiven and again treated and entrusted as a friend , if he gives sufficient evidences of his sorrow and repentance for former faults : for is he the friend of god , and shall he be esteemed as our enemy ? is god reconciled to him , and shall we still retain our enmity against him ? surely if god be his reconciled father , we ought to be his reconciled brethren also : account him no longer an enemy , but a brother beloved , philem. . . in our alms and bounty to the necessitous . christ though he himself lived on the charity of others , and had not a sufficient supply for himself and disciples , yet we find he did out of that small pittance give something to the poor ; for in this chapter iudas who was the steward of christ's family , bore the bag , and was to disburse mony for those uses for which his lord designed it : when he went out after his receiving the sop , the disciples thought he was gone either to buy provisions for the approaching passover , or to give something to the poor , john . ; thereby implying it was our saviour's custom to give to the poor . and if he thus loved his poor members , surely we ought to do so likewise : those who have a fruitless love to others , have but a fruitless faith to themselves : they who pretend love to their brethren , and yet relieve them not according to their ability , their professions of religion are vain : we are bound indeed to supply the wants of all , even of strangers and enemies , according to our ability and opportunities . but to true christians , we are bound to open our hands more wide , and be more liberal and bountiful : do good to all , especially to the houshold of faith , gal. . . god hath made us but stewards of the earthly blessings we injoy , and given us our stock of worldly goods , that we might lay them out on those whom providence hath made the objects of our charity ; he interprets that as done to himself , which is done to his servants and christ's distressed members . christ is resolved at the day of judgment to insist on this duty more than on any other . the true christian is himself devoted to god , and therefore will devote all he hath to him ; will honour him with his substance , and the first fruits of his increase ; expend the blessings received , to cloath , feed and supply the naked , hungry and distressed . if god hath intrusted him with many talents , he will not be so unreasonable as to think he hath therefore liberty given to pamper his lusts , or gratify his fleshly appetite ; but like a wise steward will seek out fit objects for his charity ; and seeing his lord redeemer out of that little which he had , gave to the poor , will imitate his great example . and because much is given , will be proportionably liberal and bountiful . . in our counsels and admonitions : christ was very frequent and earnest in his pious counsels and instructions , he did not only heal the diseases of mens bodies , but the chief design of his coming was to free the sons of men from all their spiritual maladies and distempers . throughout his whole life he was still explaining to men the whole will of god , and to his disciples more plainly than to others , mat. . this evidence of brotherly love we ought to give also . 't is not only the duty of ministers , but of every private christian in his station , to counsel and instruct his brethren , to inform the ignorant , and seek their conversion ; tell them their duty and danger , and shew them how they may flee from the wrath to come . and it will be their wisdom and interest thus to win souls to christ , and save sinners from death and hell. this must we do to the most vicious as we have opportunity : but as we owe a special degree of love to fellow christians , so we are especially to counsel and admonish them : to advise them in difficulties , explain what they do not understand , endeavour to impart our light to them , to increase their knowledge , make additions to their grace , and further their happiness . he that loves his brother will seek to help his ignorance , rectifie his mistakes , free him from error , and communicate his own experiences to preserve him from sin , encourage him in duty , and make his passage to heaven more pleasant and delighful . . in kind and friendly reproofs . christ frequently gave this testimony of his love to his disciples , reproved the smallness of their faith , pride and ambition , and unbecoming passions , and the like sins . thus must we also act : smooth flattery is an argument of hatred , and neglecting reproofs when necessary is a piece of negative flattery ; but a smart rebuke is oftentimes a great argument of love , le●it . . . when therefore we see our brother erring from his way , we must seek by moderate reproofs to stir up his dying graces , and bring him back to his duty . here indeed much christian prudence and discretion is necessary : we are too apt to aggravate the failings of others , and extenuate our own far greater offences . therefore let us be more ready to behold our own stains , than the lesser spots of others , and first cover our own nakedness before we cast the stones of reproof at our brother . neither must we reprove upon bare rumors and suspicions , without certain knowledge of our brothers offence : this is to shoot the arrow before we see the mark . if we are not certainly assur'd either from our own personal knowledge , or the undoubted testimony of credible witnesses , that our brother is guilty , our reproofs will be but slanders , and our charity in offering the cure will not be half so great as our uncharitableness in believing the disease . neither must we reprove sharply for small offences , for every unvoluntary slip and failing : to dip our reproofs in gall and satyr upon every little miscarriage , is a piece of impertinent officiousness , and shews we are very much in love with the office. further , our reproofs must be seasonable , prov. . . when our brother is most calm and sedate , his passions hush'd and still , and his reason reseated on the throne , as water falling on a red hot iron only causes a great deal of noise and disturbance , so reproofs just upon the very act of sin , when our brothers passions are in disorder , will only cause him to fume and fret the more . moreover our reproofs must be given in gentle language , gal. . . rebukes in reviling words look like the upbraidings of an enemy , and not like the kindness of a displeased friend . nay , let not your reproofs be before others , lest it alienate thy brothers heart , and make him suspect 't is hatred and not love that puts thee upon this ungrateful imployment ; but let them be between him and thee alone , with all the secresie and privacy possible : that he may see 't is thy love that urgeth thee to this office of kindness ; and good men will hearken and endeavour to amend whatever is amiss , psal. . . rebuke a wise man and he will love thee , prov. . . . in dying for one another . the greatest testimony of christs love was his dying for us , iohn . . rom. . . hereby perceive we the love of god , in that he laid down his life for us , and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren , iohn . . if christ who was so much exalted above us in glory and majesty , did lay down his life for us , much more ought we to dye for our brethren , who are of the same mould by nature , partakers of the same precious faith by grace , and heirs of the same inheritance in glory . if christ dyed for enemies and strangers , slaves to satan , and rebels against heaven , surely we ought not to account it hard to dye for friends link'd to us by the nearest bonds of union , members of the same body , and belonging to the same glorious head ; seeing christ did not account his life too dear for us , we ought not to account this command an hard saying , or burden too difficult to be born . but this duty is only to be perform'd when we are specially call'd to it , and the publick good of christianity requires it ; to lay down our lives without such a call is to become murderers of our selves , and may be to the wrong , and not the benefit of our brethren : for thereby we are incapacitated from doing them any further service in this world. the great instance wherein we are to lay down our lives for our brethren is , when we are call'd to seal the truth with our blood. the glory of god and spiritual good of our brethren ought to be so dear to us , that we ought willingly to sacrifice our lives , rather than by any base and sinful compliances harden unbelievers , unsettle weak and wavering christians , or grieve the hearts of confirm'd saints . . some practical improvement . i shall conclude all with a word of exhortation . . to my brethren in the ministry . i have taken upon me the office of putting you in remembrance of your duty . we all call our selves the messengers of peace , and ambassadors of the god of love , and are now come together to testifie our love to one another . let us now therefore take up an unanimous resolution , that we will live together as united brethren , and imitate the great example of our lord redeemer , who hath given us our commission . let us not be strange or shy , or suspicious one of another ; harbour any envy , ill-will or hard thoughts ; take up any evil reports , or hearken to the tales of whisperers and backbiters , who make it their business to sow seeds of discord among brethren : while we all profess the same holy religion , worship god after the same manner , and pursue the same design of winning souls to christ ; why should we be angry or displeas'd , if perhaps we have not the same sentiments in some lesser matters of difficulty ; any more than because we are not of the same age , stature or complexion ? why should we envy one anothers parts , or gifts , or success ; or be offended because perhaps the assemblies of others may be larger than our own ? it ought to be our joy if our lord and masters work be carried on by others better than by our selves ; and we ought to embrace our brethren for their piety , warmth and zeal , and be highly pleas'd that god makes them glorious instruments for the conversion of souls . the apostle paul could say that though some preached christ out of envy and strife , phil. . , . yet christ was preached , and therein he did rejoice ; yea , and would rejoice : we all preach christ , and i am perswaded none of us with contentious spirits : let us therefore rejoice in one anothers success in the work of the ministy ; and make it our business to strengthen one anothers hands in the service of our lord : let not our love be complemental and ceremonious , but let it be real and hearty , as becomes the ministers of christ : let it be express'd in all the instances forementioned , by the intimacies of our friendship , by our earnest and hearty prayers ; by a readiness to forbear and forgive one another by our kind counsels and admonitions , communicating to each other that light and knowledge we think we may have gain'd in the mysteries of religion , by our friendly and gentle reproofs one of another , if there be occasion ; by our hearty faithfulness in informing each other of our faults , and directing how we may best discharge the work of the ministry committed to us . these , my brethren , are the great duties god expects from us ; and the obligations of christianity forcibly engage us to the performance of them . as we have therefore begun to do thus , let us hold on , that our union together may be for the advancement of the kingdom of christ , and enlargement of the gospel , and an earnest and happy presage of a yet larger and more extensive union among all the faithful ministers of christ throughout the land , and ( if it be gods will ) throughout the whole christian world. . to the people , and indeed to us all in general . let us all be perswaded to the practice of this duty . the plague of uncharitableness hath dangerously infected the generality of christians , and therefore it concerns every messenger of peace to cry aloud and perswade men to love and union . this was the dying command of our lord and saviour , and shall we neglect it ? how can we expect the legacies and benefits he hath bequeath'd , if we omit the commands he hath given ? that must be a very unnatural son that despises the last words and commands of his father pronounced with his dying breath ; and are not we very unnatural if we neglect the dying admonitions of our dear redeemer ? when men are just departing out of the world , and ( especially good men ) they use not to spend their breath about trifles , but speak what they apprehend of greatest moment , and what they desire may be more especially regarded . our lord jesus did not trifle with us when he was leaving the world : and therefore seeing this was one of his last commands , we may be assur'd he laid great weight upon it , and earnestly desired it might be principally observed by his followers . nay , he himself makes it the distinguishing character of his disciples whereby they may be known from all the rest of the world. by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another , john . . do you therefore shew your respect to your dying lord , and make it appear to the world that you are his true disciples by a constant unintermitted exercise of love to one another . finis . books lately printed for john dunton . practical discourses on sickness and recovery , in several sermons , as they were lately preached in a congregation in london . by timothy rogers , m. a. after his recovery from a sickness of near two years continuance . — his treatise intitled , early religion . the vanity of childhood and youth . by daniel williams minister of the gospel . the life and death of the renowned iohn eliot , the first preacher of the gospel to the heathens in america . written by mr. cotton mather . mr. barkers book , intituled , flores intellectuales , or select notions , sentences and observations . collected out of several authors . mr. lees joy of faith. casuistical morning-exercises , the th volume . by several ministers in and about london ; preached in october . books printed for , and sold by john salusbury . the certainty of the worlds of spirits ; fully evinced by unquestionable histories of apparitions and witchcrafts , operations , voices , &c. proving the immortality of souls , &c. by richard baxter . an end of doctrinal controversies , which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication , without much disputing . by richard baxter . in octavo . a rational defence of nonconformity : wherein the practice of nonconformists is vindicated from promoting popery , and ruining the church ; imputed to them by dr. stillingfleet , in his vnreasonableness of separation . by gilbert rule , minister of the gospel . in quarto . the harmony of the divine attributes , in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the lord jesus christ. by t. cruso . in twelves . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e iames . . col. . , , . iohn . . gal. . . heb. . . pet. . . mat. . . rom. . . iames . . exod. . , . eph. . . . prov. . . psal. . . mat. . . gal. . . phil. . , . jam. . ● . eph. . . cor. . , . psal. . . rom. . . cor. . . . . iohn . , . eph. . , . prov. . , . notes for div a -e ver. , , , . ver. , . psal. . . mat. . . bishop tillotson's sermon on this text. thes. . . cor. . . heb. . , . mark . . philem. . col. . . pet. . . luke . . cor. . . luke . . , . eph. . . iohn . ● . ioh. . . psal. . . cor. . . luk. . . ium . . . iohn . . mat. ▪ . prov. . . iam. . . mat. . . . . luke . , . bishop hopkins serm. on lev. . . irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them / by jeremiah burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them / by jeremiah burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for robert dawlman, london : mdcliii [ ] running title: heart-divisions, the evill of our times. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. includes bibliographical references. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union. theology, doctrinal. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion irenicvm , to the lovers of truth and peace . heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them , and endeavours to heal them . by jeremiah burroughes . opinionum varietas & opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . london , printed for robert davvlman . mdcliii . to the reader . whether the fiery tryall of contention , or of persecution be greater , is hard to determine ; god hath wrought to free us from the one , we have brought upon our selves the other . every man is angry that others are not of his minde ; we have been so divided , that it is the infinite mercy of god that our enemies have not come in at our breaches , and divided all among themselves , before this time . were our divisions onely betweene the good and bad , they were not so grievous . chrysostome sayes , it is better to be hated for christ , then to be beloved for him . how much better then is it to be hated for christ , then to be beloved for sinne ? the reason he gives of that strange assertion of his , is , if thou beest loved for god , it is an honour to thee , and thou art a debtour for that honour ; if thou beest hated for him , god is a debtour to thee , he owes honour to thee , for so he is pleased to be to his poore servants . but our divisions have been and still are between good men , even gods diamonds do cut one another ; good men cause afflictions to good men ; every man is plotting , working , winding for himselfe . every man strives like apelles and protogenes who shall draw the subtilest line to attain his owne ends , but few strive who shall draw the straightest , who shall in the most direct course work himselfe and all his wayes to god and publique good. who can meddle with this fire that is kindled among us , and not burn his fingers ? a mans good affections happily may be approved , but his prudence will be questioned . but what i finde luther writes in an epistle to his friend nicolas gerbelius in the like case , shall satisfie me , cupio ego inveniri christi & ecclesiae suae fidelis , si prudens esse non potuerim minister : i desire howsoever to be a faithfull minister of christ and his church , if i cannot be a prudent one . the standing in the gap is more dangerous and troublesome then the getting behinde the hedge , there you may be more secure , and under the winde , but it is best to be there where god looks for a man. that which pelopidas said to his wife taking her leave of him as he was going out of his house to the warres , is a speech worthy of all men in publique place : she comes weeping to him , and prayes him to look well to himselfe ; he answers her , my good wife , it is for private souldiers to be carefull of themselves , not for those in publique place , they must have an eye to save other men lives . it may be when you are going about a work that hath hazard and trouble in it , your wives or some friends of yours will with great affection desire you , beseech you , to have a care of your selves , that you bring not your selves into trouble or danger , oh take heed of that , rather never meddle , let others doe that work if they will ; you should answer , it is for private men to take care of themselves , but men in publique places are called to look to the publique , that it suffers not through their neglect some come into the gap , not to make it up , but to keep it open , yea to make it wider ; the lord deliver me from such a spirit : god knows i had rather die , then be a cause of so great an evill . what this endeavour of mine may work in mens hearts , god knowes . if it meet with a son of peace , i hope it will speake peace , it will establish peace in such a heart : if with a son of strife it may worke ad modum recipientis . that which is intended to be an irenicum , may prove to be a polemicum , a bone of contention . those things which god himselfe ordaines for union ( the sacraments ) are by mans corruption made the occasion of the greatest contention in the christian world . no marvell then that what comes from mans sincerest intentions and best endevours be turned quite crosse . like enough these leaves may meet with some boisterous reader , that may beat them one against another , that may pry and picke to finde that in them which is not , looking thorough the contradictions of his owne spirit he may think he sees the like here . let the lines be never so straight , yet he will wrest and pul them what he can to make them lye crosse . i am so far from being sollicitous that they are so indeed , that the speciall thing i desire of thee is the laying one thing to another , the comparing one thing with another . remember what the subject is , divisions , differences . i have in it to deale with various spirits , opinions , wayes : remember the scope is to seeke the composing of them what i can . if you see me now neare to the one side , and by and by neare to the other , which yet are very wide from one another , be not rash to judge , that i am off my center ; reade on , and see what the issue may come to . this path of mine hath beene upon sharpe stones , cutting shels , and pricking thornes ; yet thorough the helpe of the shooe of the preparation of the gospel of peace , i doe not finde my feet cut . peace is pretious to me , i feele the sweetnesse of it ; i am willing to do what i can to honour it . the publique jarres , contentions , disturbances abroad in church and common-wealth are very grievous . they say there are in the world such things in families also . i have brought here some water : if my line had been longer , my bucket had beene fuller . you have here what i delivered : some things are added , especially quotations of authors and histories . when they grow to be many i thinke them fitter for the presse then the pulpit . i was the more willing these things should come forth to publique view , because otherwise what other men apprehended to be my minde , would be put into their owne words , and so rendred in an evill appearance . but will printing help ? the boldnesse of this age is such , as not onely to make a mans words sound otherwise then when they came from him , and so traduce him ; but confidently to averre that there are such things written in such bookes , of such men , which never yet came into their thoughts , much lesse into their pen. with what boldnesse hath it been said and printed againe and againe , that i in that book entituled , the glorious name of god , the lord of hosts , did call the earle of essex the lord of hosts . surely the sight of these men is extramittendo , not intramittendo , they send forth species of their owne dyed with the evill of their hearts , and then they say they finde them in such a book . no man can finde that name given by me to him . i indeed endeavoured to encourage him in his worke , because the lord had made him the lord of our hosts , which is no more then the lord of our armies . the utmost that ever was said or writ comes but to this , that god had put a name upon him that came neare to his , but never mentioned without some difference from it . an abuse in this kinde , though not altogether so high , i have had from the anti-apologist ; he quotes many places in my lectures upon hosea , he sets downe the pages , wherein he sayes , i have contrary to what is in the apology preached for that way you call independent . would any man but thinke , when he sees the booke named in print , the lecture , the very page mentioned , but that the thing is true , it is to be found there ? but to this day it hath never come to my eares that ever any man hath found such things there but himselfe . are those the places ? let moderate and quiet spirited men looke into them , and they shall finde nothing there but what the generality of presbyteriall brethren , yea i thinke i may say every one , who is not either prelaticall or very violent , will acknowledge to bee truth , and if so , i am free . but we shall have another time for this . at this time i would gladly that this treatise might meet with no spirit exasperated , but in calmnesse and quietnesse , let what is here be examined . that god that can create the fruit of the lips to be peace , can make the fruit of the pen to be so . my aymes are peace , which i shall never cease endeavouring and praying for , who am thy friend , glad of any opportunity for thy good , jeremiah burroughes . heart-divisions the evill of our times . hosea . . their heart is divided , now shall they be found faulty . chap. i. the text opened , and sutablenesse of it to our times , shewed . no marvail though israel be charged , ver . . to be an empty vine , seeing their heart is divided . heart-division will cause emptinesse of good , both in mens spirits , and in church and state. the least dividing of the heart , in any one part from another , if it be but by the prick of a pin , is deadly ; a great gash in the head is curable . there may be much difference in mens opinions without any great hurt , if this difference gets not to the heart ; but if once it gets in there , the danger is great ; now shall they be found faulty , now shall they be guilty ; or as some , nunc delinquent , now they will offend ; as if heart-division contracted the greatest guilt , and by it men were the greatest delinquents of any . the word signifies also to perish , to be made desolate , so arius montanus , desolabuntur . heart-division is a desolating sinne , by the judgment of god upon them for it , they shall be convinced in their own consciences , and in the sight of all men , that they were guilty ; that by such a sin as this , they had bound themselves over to the justice of god , & those desolating evils that came upon them , were the righteous judgments of god upon them for those divisions that were amongst them . men wil not be convinced of their sin , till gods judgement is upon them for it ; and then their consciences will , and others shall see that god is righteous , and they are vile and sinfull before him , even in such things that before they pleaded for , or at least could not be brought to own their own guiltiness in . when thunder and raine came upon the men of israel in their wheat harvest , and they were afraid they should dye , sam. . , . then they could say , we have added unto all our sinnes this evill to aske us a king. the lord convince us of , and humble us for the sinfulnesse of our divisions by his word , that desolating judgments be not upon us to convince and humble us . their heart is divided . this heart-division is either from god , or from one another . their heart is divided between god and their idols ; they would not cast off the worship of god wholly , that was too much ; they loved their idols , but they must not have all : to divide between god and them they thought was faire . their hearts were also divided one from another ; and just it is with god , that those who divide from him , should divide one from another . king. . you may see what wofull divisions there were amonst them , king against people , and people against king , civill wars . their king comes upon one of their owne towns , and smites it , and rips up all the women that were with child in it , and all because they opened not to him . o the rage and cruelty of men of proud spirits , when they get power into their hands ! for then their pride swells , being blown up with the flatteries of such as are about them : as if they were such gods upon earth , as they might doe whatsoever they pleased , and the lives , estates , liberties , comforts of all must lie under their feet , and must submit to their lusts and humours . you shall find further in the whole chapter , there was nothing but conspiring , mischieving , and murthering one another . in their church state there was nothing but factions and rents one from another ; some were for the true worship , some for the false . and amongst the false worshippers there were divisions too : some were for the calves that jeroboam set up at dan and bethel ; some were for baal : great contention there was between these . you know the story of jehu an idolater , yet destroying the worshippers of baal and his idols . the jewes of old understood this text of these heart-divisions amongst themselves , as well as of their divisions from god , which appears by a notable tradition of theirs , st. jerom in his comment upon these words , relates : whereas ( says he ) the scripture , king. . tells us , that hoshea was the last king of israel , and in his time israel was carryed captive ; yet vers . . it is said , he did not evill in the sight of the lord , as the kings of israel that were before him . now the jewes put this question , why was not israel carryed captive with their king , when they had the worst king , but rather when things seemed to goe something better then before ? god yet chooses this time . the answer they give , is , because in former times the people might pretend , they could not tell how to help what they did amisse in the matter of worship ; indeed they worshipped the calves , but they were forced to it by the tyranny of their kings , it should be the losse of all they had if they did not : but ( say they ) in the days of hoshea there was more liberty given then before . now those who would , might goe up to jerusalem to worship , and that they say is the reason of that expression , that hoshea did not evill as other kings had done ; but when they came to have more liberty , they fell to wrangling amongst themselves , ( which is an usuall concomitant of liberty ) now their division rose high , some would to up to jerusalem to worship , others would not ; those that went up , cryed out of those who went not ; and those who went not , vilified those who went. now their hearts are thus divided , now shall they be found guilty . the desolating judgment must now come . this is the time for their captivity . now he gives them up to the enemie . god was exceedingly provoked with their contentions one against another at this time . what ? ( says god ) when i was in some way of favour towards them , when i took off ( in great part ) the yoke of bondage that was upon them , that sore oppression that was before , none of them ( a while since ) dared goe to jerusalem to worship , and now their governours are more moderate , their oppressing courts are downe , there is more liberty in the land for my true worship , and do they now fall out , contemn , divide , wrangle one with another ? let them goe into captivity , let the enemy come in upon them , my soule takes no delight in such a crooked perverse generation as this is . our condition seems to parallel with theirs very much , we lately were under sore and cruell bondage , nothing was more dangerous then the worshipping god in his own way , wee were under hard task-masters , oppressing , undoing courts ; the lord hath in a great measure delivered us , it is the unthankfulness , the sinfull distemper of mens spirits that makes them say , what is done ? it is as ill with us as ever it was ; no , we have much ease , such liberties , as were our fore-fathers raised out of their graves to see , they would admire gods goodness , and bless him with meltings of heart ; but we spend that strength in siding , wrangling , contending , quarrelling , vexing , opposing one another , that we should spend in magnifying , blessing and praising the name of god for that mercy we enjoy . we are a divided people , whose hearts are divided , and heads too , and hands too ; peace and unity seems to be flown from us , and a spirit of contention and division is come upon us : king & subjects are divided , parl. is divided , assembly is divided , armies are divided , church is divided , & state is divided , city is divided , country is divided , towns are divided , families divided , godly people are divided , ministers almost every where are divided ; yea , and what heart almost is there at this time but is divided in it self ? the thoughts , the counsels , contrivances , endeavours , ways of men , almost of all men , how are they divided ? o blessed saviour ! are these the times thou speakest of , wherein five should be in one house divided , three against two , and two against three ; the father against the son , and the son against the father ; the mother against the daughter , and the daughter against the mother ? oh woe to us ! wee find it so amongst us , and yet there is found no healing ; we are broken , and there is no binding up : it is with us as it was with ezek. . . briars and thorns are with us , and we dwell among scorpions . o lord , what is this thy curse at this time upon england ? bryers and thornes shall it bring forth : we are rending and tearing , and devouring one another , while the adversary stands before us ready to devour us : ephraim is against manasseh , and manasseh against ephraim . a fire is come out from abimilech , and devours the men of sechem ; and fire comes from the men of sechem , and devours abimilech ; yea , there is a fire kindled in our owne bowels , it rises from our selves . ezek. . . fire is gone on t of a rod of her branches , which hath devoured her fruit , so that shee hath no strong rod to be a seepter to rule , this is a lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation . this is amongst us at this day , and how long it shall continue , god onely knows . what this people were in their divided condition , that we are ; and what does this threaten , but that we should be as they a while after this were ? namely , a people given up to the rage and fury of the enemie , which the lord forbid . there is a great out-cry of our divisions , and while we cry out against them , wee still encrease them ; we are angry with men rather , because they are divided from our selves , then because they are divided from the truth ; we are angry because every man is not of our own mind , & does not as we do . there was a great deal of doe in luthers time about the seamless coat of christ . granvillian the emperours deputy in a speech he made to the citizens of wormes , beseeches them for the death of christ , and for all loves , that they would amend our lords coate , which is rent and torn on every side . when luther laboured to bring reformation to the rule , they bad him take heed that he did not rend the seamless coat of christ ; and because they talked so much of the tunica inconsutilis , they were called the inconsutilistae , the seamelesse men : and what a stirre hath there been in out-cryes against men that would not yeeld to every thing that was enjoyned ? o they rent the seamlesse coat of christ . i remember musculus in a tract he hath de schismate , hath a witty and pious note upon this , the souldiers ( saith he ) would not divide the seamelesse coat of christ ; but what made them to be so carefull of it ? was it out of respect to christ , that they were so unwilling it should be divided ? no , but out of respect to their owne advantage , every one hoping it might fall to his share , therefore say they , let us cast lots for it ; so , saith he , men would not have christs coat divided , they would have no division in the church ; but what do they aime at ? their own advantage , that they might enjoy quietly their owne ease , honour , and means , that they might have none to contradict them , but that the streame may run smoothly and wholly with them , what a fine brave thing were this ? and because they see they cannot doe this while their ways are looked into and crossed , therefore they make such an outcry against the dividing the seamlesse coat of christ . but certainly , till our hearts be otherwise then yet they are , all our out-cries wil not serve our ends , the stilling our divisings . did we less divide between god and our own ends , our own way● , we should not divide so much one from another . wherefore let us first turn our thoughts to consider a little of this division between god and other things , and the evil of it . chap. ii. the evill of dividing between god and any thing else . this people would give god something , and their idols something , and so think to please both , king. . . they feared the lord , and served their idolls . thus judah in the days of josiah , zeph. . . sware by the lord , and by malcham ; swearing is a part of gods worship , therefore no humane instituted religious ceremony ought to be joyned with it , no more then with the sacrament , or any other divine worship , no creature should share in it , but they joyned malcham , that is their king. the worship and service proper to god hath been too much divided between god and the kings of the earth ; but here it 's probable is meant their idoll , to which they gave a kingly power over them , their idoll moloch had his name from hence . i have read of redwald king of the east saxons , the first prince of his nation that was baptized , in the same place worshipped christ , and set up an altar to worship his idols . many mens spirits lye like that haven , acts . . towards the southwest and northwest , two opposite points : surely their spirits must needs be very winding and crooked which lye towards such opposites . this dividing with god is very wicked ; what communion hath god with belial ? how can you partake of the table of the lord , and the table of devills ? cor. . . and lest they should thinke it a light thing thus to divide with god , hee adds , vers . . doe we provoke the lord to jealousie ? are we stronger then he ? it is a great provoking of god , and a fighting against him , thus to divide in his worship . to think that god should accept of such a dividing , is to make him cruel , like that harlot , king. . . who was content to have the child divided , let it be neither mine nor thine , but let it be divided . gods worship is as deare to him as any child can be to the most tender-hearted mother in the world . when darius would have divided with alexander , no , sayes alexander , there can be but one sun in the firmament . if we will be dividing with god , he will cast off all . king. . . it is said , they feared the lord , and served their idolls ; but vers . . it is said , they did not feare god , god accounted a divided feare no feare at all . verse . it is said , they left all the commandements of the lord their god , and made them molten images . if they give any part of gods honour to molten images , he acknowledges no honour at all given to him , he accounts all his commandements to be left . so jer. . . they have done nothing of all that thou commandest them to doe : and vers . . the children of israel and the children of judah have onely done evill before me . god is infinite , and hath all excellency in him , therefore he must have the whole heart ; idols doe not challenge so much , because they have not an universall excellency , a piece of worship is enough for them ; our hearts , estates , liberties , all wee are or have , are more gods then our owne . cyrus tooke babylon by dividing the river : the devill soon surprizes us , if he can but divide our hearts . the reason why heathen rome rejected christ from being of the number of their gods , when such a thing was tendred to their senate , was , because ( say they ) if we receive him to be a god , he will suffer none of our other gods ; if we take in any other new god , we may yet retain still our old ones ; but if we take this jesus , all our old ones must be abandoned . many at this day reject christ upon this ground . the romanists since thinke they can take in christ for a god , and yet divide between him and other gods ; their religion is made up of divisions between god and their graven images ; between christ the mediator , and saints and angels ; between the word , and their owne traditions ; between divine institutions , and humane inventions . king. . . why halt ye between two opinions ? wee must not be voluntary cripples to halt between two . why are you dismembred in your hearts and your opinions ? so josephus in his history mentioning that place . that is observable , when the prophet put that question to them , the text saith , the people held their peace , their mouths were stopped , they had not a word to say for themselves . if any thing be pretended for this dividing , it is that trouble may be prevented : exactnesse in religion , through reformation , giving up our selves wholly to god and his truth , hath a shew of bringing much trouble with it . hence men winde and shift about , and doe what they doe by halves . it was a notable speech of calvin to those who were offended with troubles they met with in the work of reformation , if wee could be content with halfe a christ , ( sayes he ) our worke would more easily goe on , we could soone bring about what wee would have , we should not meet with so much opposition , but nothing but a whole christ will serve our turne . but it is necessary that all things be reformed at once ? no : affirmative precepts doe not binde to all times , but negative doe ; therefore it is necessary at all times , that there be no mixture of evill with any good we doe , that our mediocrity be not medium participationis , but medium abnegationis , between two extreams , which are evill , but not partaking of any evill ; no good thing is moderated by mixture of evill , but by removing from it something that is evill , that hath already mingled it selfe with it . but must god have all our hearts , so as we may not let them out at all to any thing else ? if wee let out our hearts to any thing but in subordination to god , then we divide between god and that thing sinfully ; but though we do let out our affections to other things , yet if it be in subordination to god , so farre as god is in those things , and we may be led nearer to god by them ; this is no dividing between god and other things , but an uniting all in god , and enjoying god in all . the saints are instructed in this mistery of godlinesse , they know how to give god the whole heart , and yet to enjoy the comforts of wives and children , and estates , and callings , as much as any in the world ; they have that heavenly skil to unite all in god , and enjoy god in all , god is all in all unto them in their enjoyments of all good whatsoever ; but if our hearts be let out to any thing otherwise then thus , they go a whoring from god , and will certainly vanish in their own folly . this is contrary to that singlenesse , to that onenesse of heart promised as a blessing of the gospel . many of you complaine of barrennesse , here is the reason your hearts are divided ; were the stream of your hearts wholly after god , it would runne strongly , and bear down opposition before it , you would be fruitfull in all the wayes of holinesse . how fruitful and gloriously usefull would men in publike place be , if their hearts were single and one for god ; did they only care to honour god in their duty , and leave the care of protection of , and provision for themselves and state to god ? let not mens hearts be cut , be divided with their cares and fears about consequences and successes ; their wisdom should be how to work all about for god , not how handsomely to contrive that god may have part , and themselves part . the more fully we give up our selves , our ends , designes to god , the more securely may we sit under gods protection , care , and blessing . many of the good kings of judah had their hearts for god , but yet they let the high places stand ; their politick wisdom divided their hearts between god , and their fears of disturbance in the state ; if they should raise their reformation so high , by this their division , their hearts lay flat , the worke was neglected . but chron. . . jehoshaphats heart was lift up in the wayes of the lord , he tooke away the high places and groves , he sought to the lord god of his father , and walked in his commandements , not after the doings of israel , vers . . but did he not bring disturbance to the kingdome by this his zeale ? no , vers . . therefore the lord stablished that kingdome in his hand , and all judah brought to jehoshaphat presents , and hee had riches and honour in abundance . and vers . the feare of the lord fell upon all the kingdomes of the lands that were round about judah , so that they made no warre against jehoshaphat . vers . . jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly . let our hearts be for god alone , for god alone is enough to satisfie our hearts , to supply all good unto us for ever . there is infinite reason our whole hearts should be for him , he is willing his whole heart should be for us . jer. . . yea i will rejoyce over them to do them good , and i will plant them with my whole heart , and with my whole soule . chap. iii. heart-divisions one from another . when they divided from god , then they divided from his people , they would not joyn with his people in the way of his worship , only such as set their hearts to seek the lord god of israel , went to ierusalem to sacrifice to the lord god of their fathers , chr. . . only those whose hearts the lord touched ; but others for their owne carnall ends would not joyn with them , they saw trouble attended that way ; and having divided themselves from god & his people , it was gods curse upon them that they should be divided one from another ; if you be divided from the truth , what can hold you together ? truth is a single , simple , plain thing , but error is various , and ensnarls it self with infinite contradictions : if people goe out of the plaine path of truth , they wander up and down god knows whither , intangling themselves in bryars and thornes , so as they cannot extricate themselves : as those ten tribes which at first divided from iudah only in their subjection to the house of david , and in their worship at ierusalem , but after they denied all scripture but only the . books of moses : they were exceedingly given , and generally addicted unto sorcery , magick , and witch-craft , in which they grew more and more notorious till christs time . this is intimated in that blasphemy of the jewes against our saviour , thou art a samaritan , and hast a devil , taxing him with the practice of that people , who commonly being witches , had familiar spirits attending on them , for otherwise they knew he was no samaritan , but a galilean of nazareth : they were also exceedingly divided amongst themselves . epiphanius recites four severall sects of them , the ossens , sebuaeans , gorthenians , and positheans ; truth is the bond that keeps to unity , but errour is wilde , you know not where to find it , nor your selves if you give way to it : our present times will be a testimony of this to all future generations . the wild and unruly divisions of our times is to be the subject of the future discourse . i am not ignorant nor unsensible of the difficulty , the trouble , the danger there is in medling with such a subject at such a time as this . he that meddles with the divisions of the times , may expect to be divided himself , to have his name , his repute , to be cut asunder and thrown this way and that way : it is an unthankfull work to meddle with a divided people ; a man may with as much safety put his hand into a nest of hornets . a learned man being once asked why he did not write his judgment about the controversie of his time , answered , to what purpose ? it would not help the cause , but much hazard him that should meddle . that which one once said to luther , when he was about interessing himself in seeking reformation , sounds in my ears , when i first thought of having to do with this argument , o luther , rather get you into your cell , and say , lord have mercy upon us . it is a great part of the skil of a minister to divide the word aright ; but this skill of his will be put to it , when he comes to divide the word amongst a divided people , to give every part its portion . i should never have ventured to have chosen a text on purpose for such an argument ; but seeing providence hath brought it so fully into my way , i shall now venture upon it , with my heart cast and fixed upon that promise , pro. . . the uprightnesse of the upright shall guide him . i shall cast what i intend into this mould : . the causes of our divisions . . the evill of them . . cautions about them , that we may not make an ill use of them . . remedies or cures of them . the causes of our divisions . the principal cause from without , is the devil , he seeks to keep his own kingdom free from divisions , but seeks nothing more then to cause divisions in the kingdom of christ . the mahumetans , who worship a cursed impostor : the pagans , who worship the sun , moon , and stars : the aegyptians , who worship onions , leeks , cats and dogs , never had such divisions amongst them as the worshippers of jesus christ have had , and have at this day amongst themselves ; for all the former are the devils kingdom , which he seeks to keep at peace ; but he is that envious one who sows the seeds of division in the kingdom of christ ; hence those who foment divisions amongst christians are called devils , tim. . . the wives of deacons must not be slanderers : the word may be translated devils : women are most liable to the devils temptations this way , because they are weak , and are in danger to run away with sudden apprehensions without due examination ; and what can foment division more then slandering , so far as any , especially in the church , hath a hand in causing or fomenting division , so farre as she is a devil in scripture-language , the part of the devil is acted by them . i remember cajetan hath a note upon that place in the gospel , where the devils being cast out of the man , who had a legion in him , prayed christ that they might not goe out of that region ; why would they not go out of that region ? says cajetan ; he gives this answer , the devils have certain places to which they divide their work , such devils to such a place for such a service , and such to another for another service ; now these devils were loath to be displaced of their region , though they were cast out of the man , having further work to do in that place : if this be so , surely the devills that are appointed to cause and foment divisions and dissentions above all regions , love to be in the region of churches , for no where do divisions such hart as there , and at this time especially ; for now the devils see they cannot prevail to get men to their old superstitious vanities ; but some reformation there wil be , they now seek to mingle a perverse spirit of division amongst men , hoping they shall prevail here , though they could not hold their own in the former . god put enmity between satan and the saints , but it is the devil that puts enmity between saints and saints . when we hear fearful thundring , and see terrible storms and tempests , many people say , that ill spirits are abroad ; surely these blustering storms of contention are raised and continued from evill spirits : but the truth is , all the devils in hel could do us no great hurt in dividing us from god or from one another , were it not for the corruption of our own hearts : wherefore as the lord says to israel , perditio tua ex te , thy destruction is from thy self : so may we now say of england , divisio tua ex te , thy division is from thy selfe . the causes of our divisions from our selves , may be referred to three heads . . dividing principles ; sometimes our divisions come down from our heads to our hearts . . dividing distempers , sometimes they go up from our hearts to our heads . . dividing practises , and these come from head and heart , they foment and encrease both . we will begin with dividing principles : except some care be taken of the head , it will be in vaine to meddle with the heart , to cry out against our heart-distempers ; the chief cause of many of our divisions lies here : it is to little purpose , to purge or apply any medicine to the lower parts , when the disease comes from distillations from the head . chap. iv. dividing principles . the first , there can be no agreement without vniformity . this principle hath a long time caused much division in the church . the right understanding wherein the weaknesse and falsenesse of it lyes , will help much to peace , to joyn us sweetly together . in the substantials of worship , unity is necessary ; there all are bound to go by the same rule , and to do to the uttermost they are able , the same thing . but the circumstantials of worship have a two-fold consideration : they are either such , as though but circumstances to some other worship , yet have also in themselves some divine worship , some spirituall efficacie , something in them to commend our service unto god , or to cause some presence of god with us , or to work us nearer to god , by an efficacy beyond what they have in them of their owne natures . as for instance , time is a circumstance , but the lords day hath a worship in it commending our service to god , and an efficacie to bring god to us , and raise us to god : this not from any naturall efficacie of the time , but from gods institution . now in such circumstances as these , there ought to be uniformity ; for these have institutions for their rule , and are not at mans liberty to be altered as he thinks best in prudence ; but there are other circumstances which are onely naturall or civill , subservient to worship in a naturall or civill way ; they are conversant about worship , but have nothing of worship in them , but are meerely naturall or civill helps to it . when we worship god , we do something as men as well as worshippers ; hence we have need of some naturall or civill helps . as for instance , when we meet to worship god , wee being men as well as christians , must have a conveniency of place , to keep us from the weather , to know whether to resort ; and of time to know when . there must be order : many cannot speak at once to edification ; modest and grave carriage is required of us , as a society of men , meeting about matters of weight . in these circumstances , and other of the like nature , there is no worship at all , there is no spirituall efficacie , there are only naturall or civill helps to us , while we are worshipping ; therefore for these circumstances , humane prudence is sufficient to order them . the right understanding of this takes away a great prejudice that many have against such as desire to keep to divine institutions , not onely in substantials , but in the circumstantials of worship ; they thinke it an unreasonable thing , that divine institution should be required for every circumstance in worship ; this hath bred a great quarrel in the church : and well may it be thought unreasonable , if we required institutions for circumstances in worship , which are but naturall or civill helps , and have no worship at all in them , for that indeed were endlesse , and a meer vanity . certainly institutions are to be required onely in things that are raised beyond what is in them naturally , in tendring my respects to god by them , or expecting to draw my heart nearer to god , or god nearer to me in the use of them . the contention about uniformity is much encreased for want of a right understanding of this difference in the circumstantialls of worship ; did we understand one another in this , wee might soon have peace as concerning this thing . in these latter sorts of circumstances we must also distinguish . there are some that must of necessity be determined , as time and place ; it is therefore necessary , there should be an uniformity in these , in all the members of every society respectively , that they agree to meet in the same place , at the same time , naturall necessity requires this : but naturall necessity requires not the binding of severall churches to uniformity in things of this kind . the urging uniformity beyond the rule in such things , hath in all ages caused wofull divisions in the church . eusebius tells of victor , bishop of rome , about two hundred yeares after christ , broke off communion from all the churches of asia , for not keeping easter the same time he did . the controversie was not about easter , but onely about uniformity in the time . never hath there been greater breaches of unity in the church , then by violent urging uniformity . but further ; there are other naturall civill circumstances , which need not at all be determined ; though there be a liberty and variety in them , yet order and edification is not hereby hindered . as for instance , in hearing the word , one stands , as constantine was wont constantly to do ; another sits ; one is uncovered , another is covered ; one hath one kind of garment , another , another ; yet no rules of modesty or gravity are broken . now if any power should violently urge uniformity in such like circumstances , and not leave them as christ hath done , here they make the necessity of uniformity a dividing principle , upon these four grounds . . this is a straitning mens naturall liberties , without satisfying their reason . . this hath been the in-let to almost all superstitions in the church ; first the plea hath been for decency and order , then there hath been stamped a humane institution to raise things higher . . the urging such things , when there is no reason seen in the nature of them ; why this rather then that , makes men fear there is some religious respect put upon them already . . here is a stretching the power of authority beyond the limits of it , which man naturally is very impatient of , not knowing how far it may yet further be extended . as for the practice of church-governors , or civill going beyond their bounds , we shall speak to in the third head. i have read of solyman the great turk , when he was advised by a mu●hty to compell those of divers religions in his dominions to mahumetisme ; looking out of his window into his garden , where there was great variety of flowers and herbs , said , as the variety of flowers and herbs seeme very delightfull , so the diversity of religions in my kingdome is rather usefull then burthensome , so it be those who professe them live peaceably . i am not of his mind for the variety of severall religions , of which further by and by ; yet certainly in the varity of the practices of brethren in such things as wee are speaking of , tuned with brotherly love one towards another , there will be a sweet harmony , when violent urging uniformity in such things will cause a harsh discord in the churches . when the fore-named victor of rome , with those who joyned with him , caused wofull divisions in the church by standing so much upon uniformity , urging there could be no peace without it , by it they brake the peace of the church . iraeneus and others in the same time pleaded for the peace of the church , to be procured by yeelding to difference of practice in such things , in the name of all the brethren in france under his charge , he writes to victor , and those who joyned with him , and tells them of the variety of practises of divers brethren in times before them , which was very neare the apostles times , who yet were at unity one with another . they who were bishops ( sayes he ) before soter , of that sea which now thou governest , as anicetus , pius , higinus , telesphorus , xixtus , were at unity with them of other churches , although their observations were various , and polycarpus being at rome in the time of anicetus , varyed in divers things from him . although polycarpus had ( says he ) what he did from john the disciple of our lord , with whom he conversed , yet would he not perswade anicetus to the same things , but left him to the way of his owne church , and they communicated lovingly one with another , and parted in a brotherly way . cannot men walke peaceably in a broad way , though they do not tread just in one anothers steps ? what though there be some distance in their walke , one towards one side , the other towards the other side of the way ; must they needs fall out , because they are not in the same path , when the way is broad enough ? indeed if they went over a narrow bridg , they must not take that liberty to go abredth ; if they keep not close to one anothers steps , if they step at a distance , they may fall into the river . thus in matters of divine worship , we must look to it , that we walk exactly in the same steps ; if there we presume to take liberty , wee may soone fall ; but in circumstances of an inferiour nature , there may be difference without division . we must not here take upon us to be wiser then christ . melancthon in an epistle to some brethren of differing minds ( cited by gersom bucerus ) perswades to unity thus : seeing ( saith he ) wee agree in the principall articles of faith , let us embrace one another with mutuall love , the dissimilitnde and varity of rights and ceremonies , ( i will adde , sayes bncerus ) and of ecclesiasticall government , ought not to disjoyn our minds . chap. v. the second dividing principle : all religions are to be tolerated . this is a divider indeed . there is a great outcry of this but what is the scope of it ? it is to exasperate mens spirits against the toleration of any thing . some think there must needs be a necessary dependance between tolerating some things conceived errors , and tolerating all things ; and if it were not for the fear of the one , there would not be such ado about the other . but i hope i shall clearly shew there is no such dependence ; but as this is a dividing principle , that all things should be tolerated , so the other is as truly dividing and false , that nothing should be tolerated . there is nothing makes more stirre amongst us at this day , then this principle of absolute liberty in matters of religion . conscience presses me to speak what i shall find to be the mind of god in this thing : the wantonnesse of mens spirits , their extream boldnesse about the matters of god , and christ , is such , as should cause our hearts to tremble ; such horrid blasphemous things are amongst us , owned and professed with so much impudence , and their practice strengthned by this principle , that there is to be an absolute liberty in the things of religion , that our duty to god , our love to , and care of the preservation of religion , calls us to set our selves against such a false , sinfull , dangerous disturbing principle as this is . this principle is strengthened by two positions ; both which are dividing as well as the principle it selfe . first , that magistrates have nothing to do with men in the matters of religion . secondly , conscience is a tender thing , and must have liberty ; nothing must be done to men , who plead their consciences for what they do . first , wee shall shew the principle it selfe to be a dividing principle ; then the mistakes in those two assertions , that uphold this principle : as they strengthen the principle , so they strengthen division . the principle is dividing ; for , first , it is an abhorring to nature . is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world , that men should suffer that god to be blasphemed , whom they honour ? and that nothing should be done for the restrayning any , but to aske them why they doe so , and to perswade them to doe otherwise ? there hath ever been as great a contestation amongst people about religion , as about any thing , exod. . , . pharaoh bade moses sacrifice in the land : but moses said , it is not meete so to doe ; for we shall sacrifice the abominations of the aegyptians : loc , shall wee sacrifice the abomination of the aegyptians before their eyes , and will they not stone us ? though they had leave of the king , yet the people would not endure it . secondly , it is against the light of scripture , deutr. . . if thy brother the sonne of thy mother , or thy sonne , or thy daughter , or the wife of thy bosome , or thy friend , which is as thine owne soule , entice thee secretly , saying , let us goe and serve other gods , which thou hast not knowne , nor thy fathers , thou shalt not consent unto him , nor hearken to him ; neither shall thine eye pitty him , neither shalt thou spare him , nor conceale him : but thou shalt surely kill him ; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death , and afterwards the hand of all the people . let not any put of this scripture , saying , this is in the old testament , but we finde no such thing in the gospel ; for we find the same thing , almost the same words , used in a prophesie of the times of the gospel , zech. . . in the latter end of the . chapter , it is prophecyed that those who pierced christ , should looke upon him , and mourne , &c. having a spirit of grace and supplication powred upon them . chap. . . there shall now be opened a fountaine for sinne and for uncleannesse . vers . . it shall come to passe , that he that takes upon him to prophesie that his father and his mother that begate him , shall say unto him , thou shalt not live , for thou speakest lyes in the name of the lord : and his father and his mother that begate him , shall thrust him through when he prophesieth . you must understand this by that in deut. the meaning is not , that his father or mother should presently run a knife into him , but that though they begat him , yet they should be the means to bring him to condign punishment , even the taking away his life ; those who were the instruments of his life , should now be the instruments of his death . thirdly , it is a dividing principle , because by it the reines are let loose to all kind of wantonnesse , and spirit of opposition , in the matters of religion . men naturally are wanton in nothing more then in the things of religion ; and corrupt spirits are bent upon , and pleased with opposition in these things , above any other : for being things supposed to have an excellency in them , and above reason , and so liable to contradiction from men of corrupt minds , if there be nothing to restrain men from opposing one another in them ; the wantonnesse and pride of mens hearts will carry them forth to infinite jarrings , contentions , and divisions . if it be said , christ hath left spirituall meanes to helpe this . it is answered , christs spirituall meanes are to work in a spirituall way upon the heart to change it , and secondarily upon the outward man ; while christs means are working thus , externall means may keep evill from breaking forth in the outward man ; christ hath not left the outward man at absolute liberty to do what it will , till spirituall meanes be made effectuall to the heart , especially considering if you grant this liberty , men may choose whether any of those spirituall means of christ should at all come at them . the first position that upholds this dividing principle : magistrates have nothing to do in the matters of religion . it must be granted , that a magistrate is not an officer of jesus christ the mediator in his mediatory kingdome . there is a two-fold government that christ hath : . one as he is god equall with the father , together with the father , ruling heaven and earth . . another , as he is god and man , mediator , in a peculiar kingdome of his that he hath by way of dispensation from the father . now the magistrate is an officer of god , both the father and the son , in the generall government of the world . but he is not the officer of christ , in that kingdome of his that he hath by way of dispensation from the father , that regnum mediatorum , as divines call it : no , though he be a christian magistrate , there are no officers of that , but such as are by divine institution set down in the word ; his christianity doth only adde unto him further ability to execute the work of his office in a better manner , it adds no new authority to him : an infidell magistrate converted to christian religion , is thereby better enabled to performe the duty of his place then before , but he had the same authority before ; it was his sinn , he did not use his authority now as he is able to do ; though he be a christian who is a magistrate , yet the power of his magistracy belongs to another kingdom , different from that the second person hath as he is christ the mediator . but doth not this then exclude him from the exercise of any power in the matters of christian religion ? no , for god in the exercise of his power governing the world , hath a speciall ayme at the promoting the kingdom of his sonne christ the mediator : therefore magistrates exercising this power of god , ought to ayme at these ends , that god himselfe aymes at in the exercise of his own power , that is , to be usefull to christs government in his church , and for the good of his church : god in all his wayes , from the beginning of the world , hath aymed at the setting up his son to be king upon his holy hill , at the promoting of the glory of him who is god-man : and if his ministers doe not make use of their power to this end , when this kingdome of his sonne comes to be revealed to them , he will require it at their hands . the power that god invested magistrates withall in matters of religion in the old testament , is so full and cleare in that which god gave to the kings of judah and israel , that to name particulars would almost make a volume ; i find many who write about this subject , spend most of their strength here , but i wholly forbear mentioning instances in this , because it is granted by all that they had power ; but the argument from thence to the power of magistrates in the times of the gospel , prevails little with those who hold this dividing principle we are now speaking of . for they tell us that their power was typicall , they in the exercise of such a power were types of the kingly power of christ , for we find glorious promises of dominion and stability made to christ in the persons of many of those kings . . they tell us , that it is no argument , because priests and levites had in time of the law power in temporall things , in ordering the affairs of the state ; therefore ministers should have civill authority now : so neither is it an argument , because magistrates had power then in spirituall things , therefore our magistrates should have the like now . . they tell us that the church and common-wealth of the jews were mixed in one ; hence to be a stranger from the church is expressed by being a stranger from the common-wealth of israel , ephes . . . and therefore their magistrates were church-officers as well as civill . . that the people of the jews were brought up in a more servile way then christ would have his church , in the times of the gospel , brought up in : compulsion therefore in matters of religion was more sutable to their condition , then it is to our jerusalem which is free . . the whole church was then bound to be under the same state-government ; the laws of their state were by divine appointment ; their kings were chosen by god ; but now christ chuses his church out of all nations of the earth , and leaves them to the severall governments , lawes , officers of severall nations for their civill state. . i confesse were there nothing but meerly examples or laws from the old testament to confute this dividing posi●ion , to an examining eye the argument would hardly be cogent or satisfactory , only so far as there is a common reason and equity in them , and so all the judiciall bind now as well as they did then . . so far as the new testament approves of for the times of it , what was formerly done in the old. the strength of the argument from the power of magistrates in the old testament , lyes in these two . first , there is a common reason and equity , what ever the strength of such kind of arguing be from one spirituall ordinances to prove another , yet without all question , it is strong enough from one civill ordinance to prove another , though it be conversant about spirituall things . it is the dictate of nature , that magistrates should have some power in matters of religion . the generality of all people have ever thought it equall . it hath been ever challenged in all nations and common-wealths . the heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed , but punish such as were guilty thereof by the power of the magistrate . socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods . ly surely there is a common equity , for there is a necessity of it as truly now as there was then . i cannot argue the being of spirituall ordinances from our need of them , not thus there is such an institution , for the church hath need of it ; but rather thus , i find it in the word to be an institution , and therefore the church hath need of it . but in naturall or civill things this way of arguing is strong enough ; there is need of such a help , and therefore we should seek to have it . now sure the need we have of such a power , is exceeding great , we were in a most miserable condition if we had no externall civil power to restrain from any kinds of blasphemies and seducements . the condition of the jews , o how happy was it in comparison of ours , if this were denyed us ! for if any one of theirs did blaspheme god , or seek to seduce any from him , they knew w ht to do with him , besides perswading him to the contrary ; but if any should seek to seduce the wives of our bosoms , children of our bodies , friends as dear to us as our own lives , into those wayes that we think in our consciences will undo their souls to all eternity , yet wee must only desire them they would not do so , we must only admonish , and seek to convince them , or reprove them , but restrain them we cannot : if the deliverance of us from the pedagogy of the law hath brought us into this condition , our burden is greater in this thing then any that the law laid upon our fore-fathers . hath christ delevered us from one burden to lay a greater upon us ? must we now see those who are dearest to us drawn into the wayes of eternall destruction , and stand and look on , but no way left to help them , or our selves , unlesse wee can perswade to the contrary ? surely our condition is very sad : have we not cause to say , lord let any burthen of the ceremonial law be laid upon our necks rather then this ? if there were a company of mad men running np and downe the streets with knives and swords in their hands , endeavouring to mischief and kill all they met with , and we must doe nothing to restraine them ; if we could perswade them to doe otherwise , well and good : but that is all we can do for help ; what a dangerous thing were this ? the case is the same , when those who are mad with damnable heresies , run from place to place , seeking to draw all they can from the truth ; if we have no means of help but arguments , it is ill with us : surely god hath not put his people into such a sad condition as this is , he hath provided better for his people then thus . thirdly , wee find in the record of scripture mention of heathen magistrates , who had nothing but the light of nature to guide them , interessing themselves in matters of religion , and this the holy ghost relates in way of commendation of them for this thing . the argument from these examples cannot be avoided , as that which is taken from the practice of the kings of judah . we read ezra . . artaxerxes interposes his power in matters of religion , and ezra blesses god for it , whosoever will not doe the law of thy god , and the law of the king , let judgement be executed speedily upon him . and in the next words , ezra blessed god , who put it in the heart of the king by these and other means , to beautifie his house . the making such a law was one notable meanes whereby the house of the lord came to be beautified . thus also nebuchadnezzar , dan. . . i make a decree that every people , nation and language , who speake any thing against the god of shadrach , meshach , and abednego , shall be cut in pieces , and their houses shall be made a dung-hil , &c. this the scripture records as a worke of the kings repentance . the king of nineveh , jonah . by the decree of his princes and nobles , proclaims a fast , and commands every one to cry mightily to god , and to turne from his evill way . further , let us see how the holy ghost justifies this power of the magistrate in the times of the gospel : first , in the prophesies of the times of the gospel : secondly , in divers places in the new testament . for prophesies , the fore-named place , zech. . . cannot be put off : isa . . . kings shall be thy nursing fathers , and queens thy nursing mothers . the protection of their civil peace is not sufficient to give them such a denomination of nursing fathers and mothers . esay . . the sonnes of strangers shall build up thy walls , and their kings shall minister unto thee : they shall not only be favourers of them , but as kings they shall minister to them , even by their power : so rev. . . the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to the church : there is such a time coming . this surely is more then meerly to protect their outward peace . in the new testament , rom. . . he is thy minister for thy good . pet. . , . submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the lords sake , whether it be to the king as to the supream , or unto governours , which are sent for the punishment of evill doers , and the praise of them that doe well . now seeing the scripture speaks thus generally , for thy good , and for the punishment of evill doers , and praise of them that doe well , non distinguendum ubi scriptura non distinguit , except the nature of the thing require , why should we distinguish where the scripture doth not ? you will say , the nature of the thing spoken of will require that it must be restrained to those things that belong to his cognisance . such a limitation must of necessity be granted ; therefore it is true that the magistrate cannot command every good thing , nor punish every evill ; the abstruse controversies in religion come not under the cognisance of a magistrate , as a magistrate ; only such things as are against the rules of common justice and equity , and the common light of christianity , where he is to govern christians , for he is to enjoyn and punish such things only as if he were not ; the community of people which sets him up , ought to enjoyn and punish , for he hath his power from them : but of this more in the next principle . if you shall say , but those scriptures speaking of civill magistrates , wee must understand them to be meant onely of civill things . the magistrate hath his appellation civil , because the power that he exercises is civill , the things that he do are civill ; he cannot do the works of a church-officer , by all the power he hath , as administer sacraments , and the like ; but this hinders not the use of his civil power , and the doing of external acts upon the outward man , subservient to spiritual good ; indeed what he doth , hath not any spirituall efficacy in it , for then it were worship . though he cannot work in a spirituall way upon mans soule , by his power , it is not an ordinance set apart by god to that end , yet he may by the exercise of his power upon the outward man , restrain it from the externall act of evill , or bring it to an externall good ; his power still that he exercises is civill , yet ordered to the help of spirituall good , either removendo prohibentia , or applicando media externa , or cohibenda a malo externo ; removing outward things that hindered , applying outward means , or keeping from outward evils . whatsoever commandement requires any duty , requires us to make use of all things that may help us to the performance of that duty ; if there be any civil , naturall , spiritual helps , we are bound to make use of all . only here lies the great doubt , whether hath god appointed the use of the magistrates power to be a helpe to the things of religion ? hath god made this to be an ordinance for the spirituall good of people ? that it is by god an ordinance for their civill good , is plaine out of those scripture before mentioned ; but how doth it appeare that ever god intended it to be an ordinance for their spirituall good ? what naturalnes there is in any thing , it hath it from god , for nature is gods worke , if there be a naturalness in it to work upon the outward man , for the furtherance of spiritual good ; this is from god : if i should use it to work upon the inward man expecting a spirituall efficacy , then i make it an ordinance to my self , and sin against god , presuming to put more in a creature of his , then it was appointed to . in this consisted the evil of ceremonies , they were used in a spirituall way , to work upon the heart of man , by vertue of that institution that man put upon them , beyond what god in their natural power ever put into them . but how can naturall and externall things be helps to things spirituall and divine ? any mans reason , yea sense may tell him , that the taking away externall hindrances , and the putting upon externall use of divers things , may keep from much evill , and further much good that is spirituall and divine ; though it cannot reach to the spiritualnesse and divinenesse of that good , yet it reaches to the externall action , without which that divine and spirituall good cannot be . wherefore seeing the new testament sets out the power of magistrates , and requires submission to them in such generall termes ; from this we may draw such a conclusion , therefore the lord intended to leave christians for their subjection to magistrates , to the light of nature , & to the equity of the generall rules that were in scripture before time ; if god should say , ye are christians , see you part not with that liberty christ hath purchased for you ; we may give this account , lord we found in thy word that once thou didst make use of the power of magistrates in matters of religion , & in the new testament there was nothing revealed to forbid their power in them ; nay lord , thou toldst us there , that thou hast appointed them for our good , and to be a terrour to evill workes in the generall . from thence we gathered , that in our yeelding to their power , it was thy will we should make use of those generall rules in stripture wee found before the times of the gospel , & of the light of nature . being also perswaded it was thy mind we should make use of all the naturall helps we could for our spirituall advantage , & we found it recorded in thy word that thou didst allow of the exercise of such power in the things of religion , even to those who had only the light of nature to guide them and being the use of it reached only to the outward man , we did not see a necessity of a speciall institution for this , knowing what naturalness it had in it , to be an externall help was put into it by thy self , therefore we made use of it . god will accept of this account . add yet a consideration or two . . when the apostles were convented before civil authority about matters of religion , we never find that they pleaded for themselves , you have no power to meddle with us in the things of religion , they belong to jesus christ only who is our king , & to that government he hath set in his church ; no , their plea was only the justness of their cause , that what they professed and preached was the truth of god , they did it in obedience to god. . if all men be bound to improve all the abilities , gifts , talents they have for the propagation of the gospel , the magistrates are bound to improve those which are peculiar to them ; if a man hath more wisdom then others , or a greater estate , or more friends , he is to make use of all these for helps to the furtherance of religion ; if then a man hath more power then others , he is to improve that likewise , not onely by countenancing what he conceiveth to be right , but by all other means according to the dictates of reason , not forb●● by scripture . but we have often heard that of tertullian urged ; if it be therefore said it is lawfull because the scripture doth not forbid , it is therefore unlawfull because the scripture doth not command . ans . in the matters of gods worship this rule is to be urged , but not in matters civil or natural , though in their way subservient to worship , their reason may guide very far . but you will say , what ? will you then make the magistrate a judge in all causes of religion ? he may be a wicked man , a heathen , and yet a true magistrate . ans . whatsoever he be , yet he may be a judg in matters of fact , & so far as reason may go in matters of right , he may judge whether you do not go against your owne principles , either in your profession , acts of worship , or in the wrong you do to your brother ; yea , he may judg whether your very principles be not contrary to the common light of the knowledg of god , that god hath given to men , and to the rules of humane justice . a magistrate who is not skilfull in physicke or navigation , yet he may judg physitians and mariners , if they wrong others in their way . chap. vi. the second position , conscience is a tender thing , and must not be medled with . certainly conscience is a very tender thing ; and as men must take heed how they offer violence to their own consciences , so to the consciences of others ; it is such a thing as is not in subjection to any creature in heaven or earth , only to god himself . gerrard reports out of the histories of france of a king of navarre , writing to his nobles , used this expression , the rule over consciences and soules is left to god alone : and of a king of polonia , who was wont frequently to say , that god had reserved three things to himselfe : . to make something of nothing . . to know things future . . to rule over conscience . maximilian the second used to say , there was no tyranny more intollerable then to seeke to rule over consciences . henry the third , king of france , as the last pangs of death carried him into another world , had this speech , learn of me that piety is a duty of man unto god , over which worldly force hath no power ; this was spoken in the same chamber where the councell was held about that fatall bartholmew day , in the year . but for all this , the devill must not be let alone , though he be got into mens consciences , god hath appointed no city of refuge for him ; if he flies to mens consciences , as joab did to the horns of the altar , he must be fetched from thence , or falne upon there . something may be done to men to keepe them from evill , and to reduce them , notwithstanding the plea of their conscience . but what may be done to a man in such a case ? first , any man that pleads his conscience , may be required to give an account of his conscience ; it is not enough for him to say , his conscience puts him upon such a thing , or keeps him from such a thing ; he must give an account of the grounds upon which his conscience goes . the world requires us to give an account to every man of that hope that is in us , if he requires it in a due way ; wee are bound to give no offence neither to the jew nor gentile : it is against the light of nature , that men in a society should do things of which they need give no account to any whatsoever . secondly , due enquiry is to be made , whether the devill be indeed in the conscience , it may be you shall finde him in some other room of the soule , only he pretends to that as his sanctuary , hoping to escape better there then any where else ; if he should be found in a mans will , he thinks he should be soon hunted out with violence , he could not scape there ; but he hopes men will deal more tenderly with conscience ; therefore either thither he will get , or at least he will give it out he is got in there , hoping you will enquire after him no further , when it is given out he hath taken refuge there , as a malefactor searched after ; it may be is lurking in some house not far from you ; but that you may either not search , or cease searching ; he causes it to be given out , that he is got into some strong castle , or some other countrey where there is little hope to come at him . but how shall it be known , whether the devill be in a mans conscience or not ? conscience is an inward roome , who can see into it , what , or who is there ? it is a very hard thing to give a judgment , but these notes may help us much in discerning . first , if i see a mans owne private interest is much engaged in what he pretends conscience for , this may be enough to raise suspition , though it can be no determining rule ; for a man may in some things have his conscience put him upon that where there is much of his owne interest ; but this brings him under much suspition , if the thing be not exceeding clear to the view of every man. secondly , if in the course of a mans life , he appears not to be much under the command of his conscience , but can take liberty as he pleases ; if indeed a man in the generall course of his life appears to be very conscientious ; we had need take heed how we meddle with such a man in a way of opposition , except the evill we see now in him be very clear and grosse ; but that man , who in the common course of his life , can trifle with his conscience , hath deprived himselfe of the benefit of this plea , as a man may forfeit the benefit of his freedome in the city by misdemeanour : so the benefit that otherwise might be had of such a plea may be forfeited by such loosenesse of life . thirdly , when the account a man gives cannot in any rational way be judged such , giving allowance to all his weaknesses , as should probably mis-lead him so grosly , as is apparant he is mislead . we must grant , that those may be reasons to one which are not to another ; but when they appeare so grosse , as after all allowances to weaknesses , they cannot in any common understanding reach to such a conclusion , we may at least suspect very much , that the evill of this man lies not in his conscience , but some where else ; yet we should not do well to be too hastly and violent with such men ; it may be a man for a while may be so over-powred , that he is not able to render a rationall account of his wayes , but wait a while , and deal with him tenderly in love ; consider his personal disabilities , his temptations , give him all the allowance you can ; if one means prevail not to shew him his error , try another ; if at one time you do no good upon him , see what may be done at another ; consider , is it not possible , that even such weak things may appear to the conscience of a man that hath so many weaknesses , and lies under so many temptations , to be for the present such grounds as he cannot without sin deny ; and if so , you had need deale tenderly with such a man , except the grosseness of the evill requires severity . ly . if a man be proud and turbulent in his carriage , by that you may know the devill is rather in the will then in the conscience ; though an erroneous conscience may cause one to hold fast an errour , yet it does not put upon proud , scornfull , turbulent behaviour : when a man by reason of his conscience ( it may be the weaknesse of it ) differs from his brethren , hee had need carry himself with all humility and meekness , & self-denyal in all other things ; he should be willing to be a servant to every man , in what lawfully he may , that thereby he may shew to all , that it is not from any wilfulnesse , but meerly the tenderness of his conscience , that he cannot come off to that which his brethren can doe , whom yet he reverences , and in his carriage towards them , shews that he yet esteems them his betters ; but if a man that is weak , very much beneath others in parts and graces , shall carry himselfe high , imperious , contemning and vilifying those who differ from him , and be contentious with them : there is great reason to think , that the corruption is in the will rather then any where else ; if there should be some conscience yet in these men , their heart-distempers may justly forfeit their right of pleading their consciences . those who oppose them , if they doe it in a christian way , may justifie what they doe before god ; if god should call them to an account , and say , why did you deal so with such men who professed they were put upon what they held and did , by their consciences ; if they can answer thus , lord thou knowest we were willing to have dealt with them in all tendernesse , if we could have seen conscientiousness in their carriage ; but we saw nothing but scornfulness , pride , imperiousness , turbulency , conceitednes , we could see nothing of the spirit of jesus christ acting them in their way ; this their carriage perswaded us , that the sinfulnesse was got rather into their wills then their consciences . ly . when a man is not willing to make use of meanes to inform his conscience , not of those meanes that are not against his owne principles , but goes on peremptorily and stoutly : surely , when we see many of our brethren differing from us , our respect to them should gain so much at least from us , that if there by any means left unused , for the further trying our opinions , or informing our judgements , we should make use of that meanes , a conscientious heart will doe so . the sixt note added , will seale up all ; when a man by reason or scripture is so put to it , as he must either renounce his errour , or flye from some of his own principles , he will rather deny his principles , then yeeld himselfe convinced of his errour ; yea , when those principles are of great moment . the man that doth thus is the man spoken of , tit. . . that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , condemned of himselfe , an heretick after the first and second admonition reject , because he is selfe-condemned ; wee must not reject every man that erres in every little thing , no not after two or three admonitions , that was a prelatical , tyrannicall rule , but he must be an heretick , and erring so grosly , as he is self-condemned in his errour , and such a man suffers not for his conscience , when he is rejected , but for sinning against his conscience . but who can know when a man is condemned of himselfe ? the judgement of a mans owne conscience is a secret thing . this is the strength of this hold the devil gets into , he thinks he gets so deep , that you cannot get to it to find him out , and as for gods displeasure who knows their consciences , these men will venture that . but by this scripture , tit. . it is clear , that a mans conscience may be so far seen into , as there may be a judgment passed upon a man , that he is a self-condemned man : to what purpose otherwise serves this scripture ? it is not like this heretick would acknowledg that he was self-condemned , but yet the apostle makes this the ground why he should be rejected ; as if he should say , you see he wil go against his own principles , against what his conscience tells him is truth , meerly to maintain a wicked heresie that he is infected withall ; let him therefore plead what he will , reject him , for his own conscience condemns him , and god is greater then his conscience , and knowes all things . the third thing that is to be done to a man who pleads his conscience for evill , is , the great snare and danger he brings himself into , is to be declared to him , that by giving way to let evill into his conscience , he puts himself into such a condition , as whatsoever he doth , he must needs sin against god , so long as he holds his errour : evill gets into the consciences of many very easily , because they think the dictates of their consciences will be sufficient to bear them out in what they doe ; but they are deceived , for an erroneous conscience does not bind , you sin notwithstanding your conscience bids you do it ; and if you goe against this erroneous conscience , you sinne too ; what a miserable snare is this ? you had need look to your selves then , and take heed what you let into your consciences . the fourth thing is , to charge him , and if it be in a matter of consequence , to adjure him in the name of god ( who is the searcher of the hearts of men , and will judg them at the great day accordingly ) that he deals plainly and sincerely , not to dare to put a pretence upon that which he knows his conscience cannot justifie him in ; if there be indeed any conscientiousness in the man , this will startle him . but it may be this will not prevail , wherefore in the fifth place , whatsoever a man holds , though his conscience be never so much taken with it , yet if it cannot stand with the power of godliness , but destroys it , if this man be in a christian society after all means used to reduce him , if he still perseveres in it , he is , notwithstanding his conscience , to be cast out of the society of the saints ; this is not a little matter , if a man hath any conscience in him , it cannot but be a dreadfull thing to him : if poyson be got into a glass , and you cannot wash it out , the poyson and glass too is to be thrown into the sinck : such a man as this is , with the conscience that he hath , is to be thrown upon the dung-hill . if a man by his wickedness cuts himself off from the mysticall body of christ , the church may cut him off from his visible , he hath forfeited his church-priviledger . sixtly , if the errour with the profession of it be destructive to the state , and he cannot be reclaimed , he may likewise be cut off from it , or at least deprived of the priviledges of it , and benefits by it , notwithstanding his plea of conscience . this justifies the cutting off jesuites and priests , who teach people that the crown is at the dispose of any forraign power , by which also subjects may be freed from their allegiance . a reverend divine of ours , in a treatise upon the powring out of the . vials , interprets the turning of the rivers into blood ; the execution of justice even to blood upon the romish emissaries , the jesuites and priests , who come from the see of rome , to take people off from their allegiance . ly . what ever pretence of conscience a man hath , yet this cannot excuse him in any matter of apparant injustice done to his brother in his estate or goods : as suppose a man pleads conscience in the point of community of goods , yet if he take away his neighbours goods by violence , his conscience cannot deliver him from the stroak of justice . the papists pretend conscience for their murthers , for the catholique cause , but this delivers them not out of the hands of justice ; if a man pleads conscience that he is bound to marry more wives then one , and the like . eighthly , a man may bring himself under both civill and ecclesiasticall sword , not only for sins destructive and injurious to our brother , but for sinns against god , if they be also against the light of nature , as blasphemy and grosse idolatry : though the sunn be down , if you allow your servant a candle to work ordinary work by , and he put it out , he cannot plead he could not work , because it was dark : man at first had sun-light to work by , but our sun is down , yet we have the candle of the light of nature ; if we sinn against that , our darkness can be no plea for us : and if he be a professed christian , and sins against the common light of christianity , which he cannot but see , except he will shut his eyes , he is to be dealt with as a man that sins against the light of nature . though such as are not christians cannot by violence by compelled to profess christian religion , yet notwithstanding any plea of their conscience , they may be restrained , & that by violence , if other means will not do it , from an open blaspheming christ , and the scriptures , or doing any acts of open dishonour to them● acts of open dishonour to god done by any whomsoever , as they are abominable , so such as have loved god and christ , have accounted them unsufferable . i suppose you have heard or read that notable story we have in the book of martyrs , of one gardiner , though we undertake not to justifie his practice as allowable in an ordinary way , he being but a private man , yet there were little question to be made of it had he been a magistrate : he being a merchant in portugall , seeing the cardinall offering the hoast , though it were in the presence of the king and his nobles , yet he runs to him and snatches it out of his hand , and throws it under his feet ; if the king himself had done this , who would have condemned it ? notwithstanding any mans conscience , he may be kept from endangering the salvation of others , no mans conscience can set him at liberty to hurt other● . those who strengthen others in dangerous soule-damning principles , may be taken from them , the light of nature teaches it . in some cases , a private man may himselfe use violence to restraine men from evill ; if a man should come to seduce my wife , or childe , in a matter i know will endanger their souls , if i could have no help by the magistrate , i might if i had power keep him off : and what i might do by mine own strength , in case there were no magistrate , i may call in the help of a magistrate to do for me , when there is a magistrate . but you will say , you speak all this while of the restraint of men from dangerous grosse evils ; but what if the evils be of lesse moment , can there be nothing done to men for the restraining them from such ? ye● , a man may be put to some trouble in those wayes of evill , that his conscience puts him upon , so farre as to take off the wantonnesse of his spirit , and the neglect of meanes : in times of liberty there is very great wantonnesse in mens spirits , they stand as in an equall ballance to receive truth or errour ; every little thing casts the ballance in many mens spirits , as interest in a friend , esteem from such men of repute in some , in others the credite they conceive there is in being able to speake further to a businesse then other men , to have a further insight into it then others , and a thousand the like ; now to help against such temptions , if there be some trouble laid in the way , of that which is apparently evill , so as men shall see there is something to be suffered in that way ; if there be no more graines of trouble then may help against this wantonnesse and neglect of meanes , i see no reason why any should be offended at this ; indeed if there be a mistake , and the trouble be put into the wrong scale , if it be layd in the way of truth , let the sinne be upon those who dare venture upon their mistakes ; or if so much be put into the scale as will not ballance only against wantonnesse , and neglect of meanes , but will be a sore temptation to decline the trueth , and rather embrace that which is evill , then to endure so much trouble ; this is very displeasing to god : if a man be asleep at a sermon , his friend may pull his hand , yea he will not be offended though he give him a nip perhaps : but if he should strike him with a staffe on the head , so as to make the blood come , or cut his flesh with his knife , this would not be borne . one step i think may be gone farther . suppose a man be not wanton , but serious , and neglect no meanes to informe his conscience , and yet hee cannot yeeld , what shall bee done to such a man ? though such a man should be dealt with in much tendernesse and love , yet in such things as by his weaknesse he makes himselfe lesse serviceable to the common-wealth , or church , then other men , who have more strength ; he may be denyed some priviledges and benefits that are granted to others . i instance in that opinion of some anabaptists , who deny the lawfulnesse of war ; suppose their consciences after much seriousnesse in the use of means , cannot be satisfied ; yet seeing by this error of theirs they are made lesse usefull in the state then others , they should not think it much though they be denyed many priviledges and accommodations that are granted to others , who venture their lives for the preservation of the state. if a mans body be weak , he cannot help it , yet by it he is not so usefull as others , why should he think much that he hath not whatsoever others by strength are able to attain to ? suppose a man should have such a principle in his conscience , that the k. hath an absolute arbitrary power ; though it be his conscience , yet by it he is disinabled from imployment and preferment in places of trust . so for the church , suppose the government of it by prelats had been lawfull , ( which now we know was not ) there had been no evill in denying to those who in conscience could not submit to it , their preferments of deanries and prebends , and the like . but lest what i say in this should be abused , you must understand this denyall of places of profit or honour to men , because of that which their consciences will not suffer them to yeeld to , onely such places , as the tendernesse of their consciences in such a point makes them unfit to manage , if because their consciences differ from you in one thing , you will take advantage against them in other things that have no dependance upon that wherein they differ from you , and make them suffer in those things too , you now ( to say no worse ) begin to grow neare to a way of persecution and tyrannie over your brethren , which christ , is displeased with . wee accounted it in the bishops not neare , but come up to tyrannie and persecution , when they would not suffer such as could not conforme to their church-discipline and ceremonies , not so much as to teach children the grammar , or to practise physicke , or to preach christ in places where there was no preaching , but people lived in darkenesse , perishing for want of knowledge . what dependance had these things upon their discipline and ceremonies , supposing they had been right ? yes , they would foment their errours by this meanes . but seeing there was no dependance between their errours , ( if you wil call them so ) & these things , to deny the church and common-wealth the benefit of the gifts and graces of men , upon such a pretence that they will abuse their liberty , wee thought it was hard dealing , yea no lesse then persecution . suppose a man differs from his brethren in point of church-discipline , must not this man have a place in an army therefore ? though he sees not the reason of such a discipline in the church , yet god hath endued him with a spirit of volour , and he understands what military discipline means ; must he not have a place in a colledg to teach youth logick and philosophy ? may be not preach jesus christ to poor ignorant creatures ? if you feare he will divulge his opinions , surely some other course may be taken whereby he may suffer as much as such a fault comes to ; but therefore to deprive church and state of what abilities god has given him , which might be very usefull to them , and that before any such fault is committed , for fear it may be committed ; the softest word i have to expresse my self against this , is , it is very hard dealing with your brethren . i have now gone to the uttermost line i can in shewing what is to be done to a man that pleads his conscience in things which we conceive are not right : i would now speak a word or two to men who have to deal with their brethrens consciences , and then to those who plead their consciences for their freedome . to the first . let those who have to deale with mens consciences , first take heed they do not vilifie and slight mens consciences , do not scorn at the plea of their consciences . what , this is your conscience ? your conscience forsooth will not suffer you . woe to them who offend one of these little ones ; it were better that a mil-stone were hanged about his necke , and he were cast into the bottome of the sea , matth. . . it is his conscience , and perhaps better informed then thine , and more tender ; thou hast it may be a corrupt conscience , thy conscience is broke by thy sinning against it , or otherwise it is loose or benummed , no quicknesse in it , thou canst swallow down greater matters , therefore thou wonderest at those who are so nice-conscienced , who stand upon small matters ; what if at the great day christ shall own these to be truly conscientious , and honour them for obeying the voyce of their consciences in small things , for not daring to offend them in any thing , where wilt thou appear ? what is like to become of thee then ? or if their consciences be weak , not rightly inform'd , yet christ expects thou shouldst seek to heal , to strengthen them , not to jeer and scorn them ; that fearfulnesse of theirs to offend christ , though in the particular they may be mistaken , shall be accepted , when thy boldness and ventrousness in taking thy liberty shall appear to be thy folly . . take heed in your dealings with such , you make them not suffer more then christ would have them suffer ; do not abuse your power over them , so as to cause them to complaine justly to god of conscience-oppression ; conscience-oppression is the most fearefull oppression ; of all the cryes in the world , the cryes caused by it come up most swiftly to god. when an oppressed soule shall get alone , and make his moane to god ; oh , lord , thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts , thou knowest the desires of my soule in uprightnesse to know thy will ; i can freely and comfortably appeale to thee . thou knowest what a sad affliction it is to mee , that my judgement should be different from my brethrens , whose parts and graces i prize farre beyond mine owne . thou knowest also there is no meanes for further reformation , but i have been willing to make use of it as i was able , and what ever other helpe thou shalt make knowne to mee , i am ready to make use of it , that i may not be led aside into errour : and if thou wilt be pleased to reveale thy minde further to me , i am ready to submit to it . i should account it a greater happinesse then all the comforts in the world can afford , to know what thy minde is in such and such things ; but lord , as yet i cannot doe this thing , except i should sinne against thee , thou knowest it : yet thou knowest also , that i desire to walke humbly and peaceably with my brethren , and in all meekenesse , submissenesse , and quietnesse of spirit , together with all diligence , i will waite till thou shalt further reveale thy minde to me . but lord , in the meane time i find rigid dealing from my brethren ; their spirits are imbittered , their speeches are hard , their wayes tomards me are harsh , yea lord there is violence in them ; lord , thou knowest my spirit is not such as to need any such carriage of my brethren towards me ; i am not conscious to my selfe ( no not when i set my selfe most solemnly in thy presence ) of stifnesse , wilfulnesse in my way ; the least beame of light from thee , would presently turne my spirit what way thou wouldst have it goe . such a moan to god would prove a sadder business against such as shall occasion it , then if such men had strength and spirits to answer bitternesse , harshnesse , and violence , with bitternesse , harshnesse , and violence . let me also on the other side speak to them who plead their consciences . first , take heed you rest not in this as an empty plea , setting it as a bulwark against any thing that shal be said to you : why , it is my conscience , and who hath to do with my conscience ? and so think you need look no farther , nor give any other account to your brethren then this : this is to abuse your conscience , and the indulgence of god , and the respect he would have men shew to the consciences of his people ; this is a hardning conscience against the truth , no true tenderness of it . secondly , if conscience be such a thing as none must have the power over it but god , such a thing wherein thou hast to deal so much with god , thou hadst need keep it very clean ; it is above all creatures , next to god , take heed of defiling it , oh keep it pure : unclean consciences are good enough to prostrate to men , but consciences reserved for god need be kept unspotted and very clean . doves love white houses , the holy ghost loves a pure conscience . thirdly , thou wilt have none to commaud thy conscience , let conscience then command thee ; if thou wilt rebell against thy conscience , it is just with god to suffer men to tyrannize over thy conscience . when you complain of men seeking to have power over your consciences , lay your hand upon your heart , and say , have not i rebelled against my conscience ? i have resisted the power of it over me , just therefore it is that others should seeke to bring it under their power . chap. vii . they who are for a congregationall way , doe not hold absolute liberty for all religions . but for all that hath been said , are there not yet a sort of men , who though they would colour over things , & put fair glosses upon their opinions and ways , saying they would not have such an absolute liberty as to have all religions suffered , yet do they not come near this in their tenets and practise ? doe not men in a congregationall way take away all ecclesiastical means that should hinder such an absolute liberty as this ? for they hold , every congregation hath sole church power within it selfe , and they are not tyed to give any account to others , but meerly in an arbitrary way , will not this bring in a toleration of all religions , and a very anarchy first , i know none holds this , and how farr men in a congregationall way are from it , shall appear presently . in the clearing of this thing , i shall not argue for one side or other , i shall only shew you that there is in effect as much means to prevent or subdue error , heresie , schisme in the congregationall way , ( which you call by another name ) as there is in that way , other brethren endeavour to hold forth . i am not here to plead what is right , what is wrong , but onely to shew you the difference is not great , so far as concernes this thing ; what one holds , the same the other holds in effect ; if this be done with clearness , then the great out-cry against that way , as fomenting divisions by opening a gap to all kind of liberty , will i hope be stilled , and your hearts in some measure satisfied . i confesse were it , as many of you are made to believe , that that way gives liberty , or at least hath no helpe against all errors & heresies , it must be acknowledged it were a means of most fearfull divisions , and in no case to be tolerated . but certainly you will find it far otherwise . this argument i am now about , ( namely , how far brethren agree in a matter of so great moment , and in that which they are by some thought most to disagree in , and their disagreement most feared , as a matter of dangerous consequence ) i know cannot be an unpleasing argument to you , although we cannot be ignorant that there is a generation of men that are vexed when they hear how near their brethren come to them in way of agreement , it serves more for their turns to have the distance wide , they would keep open the wounds , yea widen them , but god forbid there should be such a spirit in you . wherefore for your help in this thing , these two things are to be premised . . that the only way the church hath to keep downe errors or heresies is spirituall ; as for other means they are extrinsicall to the church ; this all acknowledge : as for subjection to the magistrate , if he pleases to interpose , to that both they and we must yeeld . . the vertue of spiritual power works not upon the outward man , by its prevailing upon conscience ; therefore so far as men are conscientious , so far it works , and no farther . now then see what difference there is in the congregationall way from the presbyterian , for the prevailing with mens consciences , to reduce to the trueth those who goe astray from it . first , those in the congregationall may acknowledg that they are bound in conscience to give account of their ways to churches about them , or to any other who shall require it ; this is not in an arbitrary way , but as a duty that they owe to god and man. secondly , they acknowledge that synods of others ministers and elders about them are an ordinance of jesus christ for the helping the church against errors , schismes , and scandals . ly . that these synods may by the power they have from christ admonish men or churches in his name , when they see evils continuing in , or growing upon the church , and their admonitions carry with them the authority of jesus christ . fourthly , as there shall be cause , they may declare men or churches to be subverters of the faith ; or otherwise according to the nature of the offence , to shame them before all the churches about them . ly . they may by a solemn act in the name of jesus christ refuse any further communion with them , till they repent . sixtly , they may declare , and that also in the name of christ , that these erring people or churches are not to be received into fellowship with any the churches of christ , nor to have communion with one another in the ordinances of christ . now all this being done in christs name , is this nothing to prevail with conscience ? you will say , what if they care not for all this ? that is as if you should say , what if they be not conscientious ? what if nothing can prevaile with conscience ? i demand , what can any church-power do more to work upon mens conscience for the reducing them from evill ? you will say , they may doe all this with more authority then the congregationall way will allow . we need not contend about the word authority : but , how much higher is an act of authority in the church , then for the officers of christ to act in the name of christ ? if you say , private brethren may admonish , and declare in the name of christ . this is more then if any private brethren should doe the same thing ; for a synod is a solemne ordinance of christ , and the elders are to be looked on as the officers of jesus christ . but our brethren say , there is one meanes more in their way then the congregationall way hath , that is , if the sixe former will not worke , then synods may deliver to satan . in this very thing lies the very knot of the controversie between those who are for the presbyteriall , and those who are for the congregationall way , in reference to the matter in hand , namely the means to , reducing from , or keeping out errours and heresies from the church , in this lyes the dividing businesse ; but i beseech you consider what a punctum we divide here , and judg whether the cause of division in this thing be so great as there can be no help , and whether if an evil spirit prevail not amongst us , we may not joyne ; for , first , consider , what is there in this delivering to satan ? which is a seventh thing that our brethren thinke may hopefully prevail with mens consciences , when the sixe former cannot . yes , say they , for by this they are put out of the kingdome of christ into the kingdome of satan , and this will ter●ifie . this putting out of christs kingdome must be understood , clave non errante , if the synod judges right , not otherwise ; yes , this is granted by all . then consider , whether this be not done before , and that with an authority of christ by those former six things ; for hereticall congregations , or persons are judged and declared in a solemn ordinance , by the officers of christ gathered together in his name , to be such as have no right in any church-ordinance , to have no communion with any of the churches of christ : now if this judgement be right , are not such persons or congregations put out of the kingdome of christ , and put under the power of sathan consequently ? but they are not formally and juridically delivered up to satan ? what ? shall we still divide , as to devour one another , for formality and juridically , when those termes are not at all in scripture , seeing we agree not in the substance of the thing , which may as really and fully prevaile with conscientious men , as if formality were observed ? especially , if we consider , secondly , that it is a great question amongst our brethren , whether this traditio satanae were not apostolicall , peculiar to the power of apostles , so as ordinary elders had it not : and if it prove so , then non-communion will prove the utmost censure the church now hath . but thirdly , if some brethren rise to a seventh degree , and others stay at six , which yet have such a power over conscience , that if they prevaile not , the seventh is no way likely to prevaile : why should not the apostles rule quiet us all , phil. . , . whereunto we have already attained , let us walke by the same rule : if in any thing you be otherwise minded , god will reveale even this unto you . if we have attained but to six , and our brethren have attained to seven , let us walk together lovingly to the six ; if god shall after reveal the seventh ( we will promise to pray and study in the mean time ) wee shall walke with them also : why must it needs be now urged with violence , so as to divide else ? and although we hold not the seventh , yet there is an ingredient in the sixt , that hath in it the strength of the seventh ? for wherein lyes the strength of the seventh above the rest ? is it not in this ? that it is the last meanes christ hath appointed in his church to worke upon the heart , this consideration hath much terrour in it : now those in the congregationall way say , that this is fully in the sixt , wherefore that it is as terrible to their consciences as the seventh can be to the consciences of our brethren , and that upon the same ground . and consider now , my brethren , whether the congregationall way be such , as if it be suffered , there will be no helpe to reduce an erring or hereticall church , but all religions , arrianisme , mahumetisme , any thing must be suffered . surely men doe not deale fairly , in raising such mighty accusations upon such poor and weak grounds ; this great aspersion , and huge out-cry , that these men would have all religions suffered , and in that way , there is no help against any heriticall congregations , moulders and vanishes away before you . let no man yet say , all this that hath been said is nothing . if you be conscientious who hear them say so , your owne breasts must needs suggest an answer ; surely these things would be very much to me , to prevaile with my conscience . but what if congregations refuse to give account of their wayes ? what if they will not shew so much conscientiousnesse , as to regard admonitions , declaring against them , withdrawing communion from them ? so we may say , what if they will not regard your delivering them up to satan , but will go on still ? you will say then , you will complain to the magistrate , his power must come in to assist , to make them regard what the church doth . but now you have no further help from any intrinsicall power the church hath ; and as for subjection to the magistrate , there we are upon equall ground , if he will interpose , he may assist and second the sentence of judging men subverters of faith , of withdrawing communion from them in the one , as well as the sentence of giving men up to satan in the other ; and we must still be subject here to suffer what is inflicted , if we cannot do what is required ; onely we do not go so far as some do , in this one thing , whereas they lay a law upon the consciences of magistrates , that they are bound to assist with their power the decrees of the church , taking cognisance only of the fact of the church , that they have thus decreed , not enquiring into the nature of the things , we dare not lay any such bond upon the magistrates conscience . but say , that he is to assist the church both upon the knowledg of what the church hath done , and the knowledg of the nature of the thing , seeing every private man hath this power to be judg of his own act , it were a great misery upon those who have power over men , to be denyed this power . if it shall be said , but surely they do not agree so far , they do not come up to these six things mentioned . to that i answer , i do not in these deliver only mine own judgment , but by what i know of the judgments of all those brethren with whom i have occasion to converse by conference both before and since ; i stand charged to make it good to be their judgements also ; yea , it hath been both theirs and mine for divers years , even then when we never thought to have enjoyed our our own land again ; and if it be so , then let the lord be judg between us and our brethren , for those lowd and grievous out-cryes there hath been against us in this thing . but if the difference be so little , why doe they not come in ? we come as far as we have light to guide us , we dare not step one step in the dark ; if we do , we shall certainly fall into sin ; whatsoever else we fall into , what ever the thing be to others , it would be our sin , if there were no other reason , but because we venture in the dark . we sayl up to our brethren as far as we can see the line of truth , and beyond it we dare not venture in the least . the controversie is not about little or great trouble , or inconvenience ; if it were , such a charge might well make us blush , the inconvenience or trouble is little , yet a few men wil not yeeld to their brethren , who are many , for peace sake , but the controversie is about sin : now whether that be little or great , the difference cannot but remain , if one part shall urge upon another that which to them is sin , as to acknowledg any one thing to be a power of christ , which he cannot see christ hath owned in his word , must needs be ; therefore the way to peace , is not the necessity of coming up one to another , because the thing is little , but the louing , and peaceable , and brotherly carriage of one towards another , because the difference is but small . chap. viii . the third dividing principle , that nothing which is conceived to be evill , is to be suffered . this is the other extream ; some think all things should be suffered , and they are loose , and cause divisions on the one hand ; others thinke nothing is to be suffered , and these are rigid , and cause divisions on the other hand ; if any thing be conceived evil , either in opinion or practise , if instructions and perswasions cannot reform , there must be means used to compell : this is a harsh and a sowr principle , a disturbing principle to churches and states , to mankind . this principle seldome prevails with any but those who have got power into their hands , or hope to get it . this must needs be a dividing principle . first , because of the infinite variety of mens apprehensions about what is good or evill , scarce three men agree any long time in their apprehensions of some things to be evil ; if then nothing that is conceived to be evill must be suffered , there must needs be continuall opposition between man and man. this subjects the generality of men to suffer for many things which they can see no evill in , but are perswaded is good ; this raises an animosity against those by whom they suffer ; though a man can subject his body and estate to another , he cannot subject his reason to another : in the common ways of justice men are punished for those things , which if they be guilty of , they cannot but acknowledg themselves to be worthy of punishment , as in theft , murder , drunkennesse , &c. and for the fact , they are tryed in such a way , as they cannot but acknowledg is fit in reason to be subjected to ; and therefore , though they suffer much , yet they will yeeld it without disturbance . but if this principle prevails , every man almost is made lyable to punishment for thousands of things that he can see no reason why he should be punished : it is very hard to bring mens spirits to yeeld in such things . but you will say , may not men be punished for things that they see no reason why they should be punished ? for many malefactors may easily escape thus ; guilt will quickely blind men , they will see no reason why they should be punished . it is not what men say they see no reason for , or what it may be they indeed see no reason for ; but what men cannot see reason for , though they should bend their understandings , and strength to the uttermost ; yea , what the generality of man kind , and of that community of which a man is , cannot possibly see reason for , it is impossible for the generality of mankind , & the community of any church or state , though they should be never so diligent to find out what is good , and what is evill , yet to be able to understand every thing that is evill , to be so . if you will have laws made against all things , that such as are in authority conceive to be evill , then you must give them power to judge , not only by the rules of common justice and equity , and punish for the breach of them , but by the apprehensions that their own raised parts shall suggest unto them , and to punish men for not being raised to that height of understanding themselves have ; but this power is more then is fit to be given to any men upon earth . this would bring tyranny both in state and church . for first , from whence is the rise of all civill power that any man , or society of men , are invested with ? is it not from the generality of the men , over whom they have power ? is it not the power which they themselves had , and which they might have kept amongst themselves ? for who can say , that a democracy is a sinfull government in it selfe ? true , god establishes it upon particular men by his ordinance , after it is given to them by the people , but the first rise is from them ; and if so , then they should make no law to bring those men under punishment , who gave them their power , but such a law as these men may possibly come to understand , to be equall and just , for they act their power : and it must be supposed , that they never intended to give a power beyond this . those who give power , may limit power ; they may give part to one , part to another ; they may limit the matter about which the power shall be exercised , it shall goe so far , and no further ; the utmost limits cannot goe beyond these rules of justice which they are capable to understand . hence it is , that all men in our law , are tryed per pares , by their peers , because it is to be supposed , that they are to be accounted offenders and to be punished ; only so as those who are equall with themselves , shall judg them worthy ; and this likewise is the reason that courts are in publique , no man is to be shut out , because all men that will may behold the tryall , and justifie the proceedings of justice against offenders : it must needs be supposed then , that the rules by which the judges go , must be the rules of common equity and justice , that all men may understand ; beyond what these rules will reach to , the civill state is not to punish , not every thing that men of deep judgements and strong parts , may apprehend to be evill . the power of the church likewise extends not to the punishment of every thing , that either may by the governours of it , be conceived to be evill , or that is indeed evill . as the rise of the civil power shews , that only such things are to be punished by it , as are against the common rules of justice and equity ; so the rise of church power will shew , that only such things as are against common rules , such things as some way or other appeare to be against conviction , and are obstinately persisted in , are by church censure to be punished . the rise of church power is indeed different from the rise of the civill , yet agrees in this , that it limits the church , as the rise of the civill doth the civill power . the power of governors in the state arises from the people , and they act their power that the common-wealth gives to them : but the governours of the church have not their power from the members of the church , but from christ ; neither do they act in the name of the church , but in the name of christ . it is true , the members of the church do design such men to such an office ; but being designed , now they are invested with the power of jesus christ , they exercise his power , and do act in his name , not in the name of the church . you will say , seeing the church chooseth their officers as well as the common-wealth theirs : how doth it appeare , that the officers of the church doe not exercise the power of the church , as well as the officers of the common-wealth , the power of the common-wealth ? these two things shew the difference clearly . first , the officers of the common-wealth can do nothing by their power , but that which the common-wealth may do without them , if they were not ; they might have kept their government in a democracy , and if they had pleased , done any act of power by a major vote : but it is not so in the church ; if the church be without officers , they cannot doe that which belongs to officers to do , they can have no sacraments amongst them , neither can they have any spirituall jurisdiction exercised amongst them ; only brotherly admonition , and with-drawing from such as walk disorderly , for their own preservation . ly . the members of the church cannot limit the power of their officers , so as the common-wealth may the power of their● : but if once a man be chosen to be an officer in the church , all that power that ever any in that office had since christs time , in any church in all the christian world , or ever can have to the coming of christ again , falls upon him : if a man be chosen a pastor , he hath as full power as ever any pastor had upon the face of the earth , or can have by any pastorall power : the church cannot limit him , and say , you shall be a pastor for such ends and purposes , but no further : the same may be said of the ruling , none upon earth ever had , or can have more power of ruling , then this man who is chosen into that office. it is not thus in the state , all kings have not the like power ; in some countries kingly power reacheth so far , in others further , according to the variety of the lawes of the countries , the agreements between them and the people : all dukes , all states , all parliaments have not the same power . now then , the rise of the power of church-governors rising from jesus christ , and they doing what they doe in the name of christ , therefore they cannot punish any evill beyond what christ would have punished . you will say , what evills would christ have punished , and what not ? christ would have no evill punished that is repented of ; if it be a known evill , then it must be repented of particularly ; if it be a 〈◊〉 of ignorance , christ forgives it upon a generall repentance , although a man should never be convinced of it all his dayes ; yet , says christ , i discharge him of all these , supposing the rise of his ignorance be not some wilfull neglect : but if it be a sinn committed through wilfulnesse , or continued in obstinately , then sayes christ , i will have this man smart for such an offence ; now comes in the power of the church-officers , to doe in the name of christ what he would have done : but if they goe further , then they exercise a tyrannicall power , if they will punish every thing which they conceive to be evill , whether committed through ignorance and weaknesse , or wilfulnesse and obstinacy , in this they take upon them a higher power of punishing then christ ( according to the tenor of the gospel ) exercises . for my part , sayes christ , i goe but thus far with my power ; if i see any of my church sin through weaknesse and ignorance , labouring to understand and do my will , and mourning that they know no more , they do no better , i wil passe by all ; but if any shall appear wilfull and obstinate , i will deale severely with such a one . if you say , if men have meanes of knowledge and strength , and yet continue ignorant and weake , should not such be dealt with as wilfull and obstinate ? no , says christ , i do not goe by any such rule , for i have revealed my will in my word , i labour by my spirit and ministers to convince men , yet i see after all meanes i use , there are many , who meerly through their weaknesse are not convinced , i pitty them , i deal gently with them , i pardon them . those then who will go further , they will punish for every evill ; and if they use means to convince them , and they be not convinced , they will judge them obstinate , and proceed against them accordingly ; these challenge and exercise not the power of christ , but antichrist . if christ should deale so with them , as they deal with their brethren , it would go ill with them ; if christ should say , whatsoever i see evil in you , i will not suffer it in you ; if you are ignorant notwithstanding means of light , i will deal with you as wilfull and obstinate , and never leave inflicting punishment upon you , till you be convinced , and do reform ; could any of you stand before christ dealing thus with you ? take heed of exercising that power over your brethren ( and that in christs name ) that you would not have christ exercise over you . both the civill state and church must take us as wee are faln from that integrity of our first creation , not as we came first out of gods hands : god the creator may ( indeed ) punish us for not knowing or doing what is our duty to know or do , because he once made us perfect ; but man must not do so , man must deal with his fellow-creatures , as men imperpect ; one man cannot require of another that perfection not only of heart , but of externall conversation , that god may , yea god-man our mediator lookes upon us in a state of imperfection , and deals with us accordingly , and thus he would have all do who have to deale with his people in his name . but you said before , all things must not be suffered ; now you say , some things must be suffered : tell us then what must not , and what must . i am perswaded most of you yeeld to the falseness of both these dividing principles ; you verily believe all things must not be suffered , and yet you think it were too harsh to affirm that nothing is to be suffered ; only here lyes the difficulty , what must , and what must not be suffered . this hath been the unhappiness of pleading for toleration of any thing , yet of the very mention of it , that men presently cry out , and say , we would have every thing tolerated . i confesse it is very hard to cut here right in the joynt ; were i sure that none would blame or oppose what i shall deliver in this ; but those who are willing to interess themselves in such a knotty business as this , and to be helpfull to us in the understanding how to untye such a knot , what ever such opposers should prove otherwise , i should not feare them for being too numerous . what i have , i shall present unto you . chap. ix . rules to know in what things wee are to beare with our brethren . first , though men be known to erre in judgment in things not fundamentall nor destructive ; yet if after such knowledg of them , they would keep their judgments to themselves , so as not to hurt others , or disturb the peace ; most men of moderate spirits , if not all , hold that such men are not to be punished either by church or state : but though this be yeelded to , yet the practices of many are against it , they have wayes to draw forth mens judgements , though they would conceal them , and when they have drawn them forth , they make them suffer for their judgments these . ways . first , by requiring men to subscribe to things which they suspect are against their judgements ; they invent articles , which if put to them , they know will pinch them , and draw forth their judgment , which when they come to know , they make them as articles of accusation against them . surely such dealings as these are very harsh . but you will say , blessed be god , we hope we have done with forcing men to subscribe . god grant that we never meddle with any thing answerable to that tyranny ; heretofore we groaned under the drawing out mens judgements , and then the punishing them for them . secondly , if such things be put into oaths , which though a man should not hold in every clause , yet he may be godly , and a good subject , and urge such oaths with violence under penalty , what is this but to punish a man for his judgment , though he would keep it to himself ? ly . by propounding questions to men , when they come to the choice of , or admission to any place of preferment , to draw forth their judgments , such questions as concerne not at all the qualification of men to such places , & then deny them those places , either because they are unwilling to answer ; or if you will needs have them answer , they discover their judgements different from yours , is not this to make men suffer for their judgments , though they would live peaceably , keeping them to themselves ? here is not that suffering of brethren that christ would have . ly . in things controversall and doubtfull amongst godly and peaceable men , though there should be a declaration of difference of judgment , and some different practice , yet there is to be a forbearance of compulsory violence ; we must not be to one another in such things as these are , as that gyant we read of , who laid upon a bed all he took , and those who were too long , he cut them even with his bed , and such as were too short , he stretched them out to the length of it . verily this is cruelty , god hath not made men all of a length nor height ; mens parts , gifts , graces differ ; mens tempers , apprehensions , educations are various : and if there be no suffering one another in things not clear , all the world must needbe quarrelling , there wil be strengthning interests , sidings and opposings one another continually , except not only mens bodies and estates , but their very souls also be brought under sordid slavery . our brethren of scotland writing against the tyranny of prelats , when they were under it , in that book , entituled english and popish ceremonies , have this passage : if the error of conscience be about things unnecessary , then it is tutior pars the surest & safest way , not to urge men to do that which in their consciences they condemne . and the ministers of the protestant churches in france , giving their judgments , de pace inter evangelicos procuranda , how peace amongst the protestants in germanie may be had , set forth by duraeus , say thus : a let all matters controversal be brought into such a certain model , as may give satisfaction to both parties ; and that if it be possible , framed out of the very words of scripture : and let no man require any thing else of his brother . zanc. in praecep . . hath this notable speech : b that which i say ( says he ) is diligently to be observed , that those who would stir up princes to have all people , kingdomes , common-wealths , which ( not overthrowing the fundamentalls of religion , differ from them in any thing ) condemned of heresie , excluded from friendship , driven out of their territories , these are no friends , says he , either to their princes or to the church of christ . many thinke they doe great service to christ , the church and state , if they can stir up magistrates to suppress whatsoever they conceive are errors ; it may be their hearts are upright in the main , they aym at peace , but certainly they cause much disturbance in church and state. bishop davenant in a little book , entituled , his exhortation to brotherly love amongst churches , the ninth chap. hath this title , that brotherly communion between churches evangelicall , is not to be cut asunder , because of divers opinions about questions controversall . and in the beginning of the . chapter , this is to be premised , the bonds of the brotherly communion of christian churches ought not to be dissolved upon every difference of opinions , but only for the denying or opposing fundamentals . here see the moderation of a prelate . thus cyprian of old delivered his opinion , and practised it accordingly , differing from many of his brethren , but withall professeth , that he meant not to prescribe or give lawes to any ; that he would not contend with any of his collegues , so as to breake divine concord , and the peace of our lord ; that he was farre from judging or censuring any of his brethren , or cutting off from his communion any that were of a different minde ; and that in such case none ought to constraine his collegue by tyrannicall violence , ( therein glancing at the violent proceeding of stephen to whom he wrote ) to a necessity of believing or following what he thinks meet . this modesty and charity of cyprian is very often and very deservedly commended by st. augustine , says d. potter , an episcopall man. that this may go down the better , or at least that mens spirits may be in some measure moderated , take these following considerations . first , this contending about every difference of opinion , & urging our brethren with what we conceive right , in matters of controversie , crosseth the end of christ in his administration of differing gifts to his church , and humane society , and his revealing truths in a different way , some more darkely , some more clearly ; christ could easily have given such gifts to all , or revealed all truths so clearly , that every man should have been able to have seen every truth . surely christ did not disperse gifts , and reveal truths so differently , to that end , that there might be continual matter of strife and contention in his church , and in humane societies ; not that there should be provocation to the exercise of cruelty one upon another , but rather that there might be the exercise of love , charity , forbearance , meekness , long-suffering of one towards another ; christ bids us , charges us to be at peace amongst our selves . if we should say , o lord jesus , wouldst thou have us be at peace one with another ? there are many things in thy word , that we and our brethren have different apprehensions of ; for though ( blessed be thy name ) the great necessary things of salvation be clearly revealed , yet many other things are so dark to us , that through our weakness we cannot all of us see the same thing . now is it thy mind , o blessed saviour , that one man , who conceives himself to understand the truth , ( and that it may be rightly ) compell another to his judgement ? and dost thou also require , that wee must not bring our judgments to our brethrens till thy light brings them ? how then is it possible that we should be at peace one with another ? do not all divines say , there are some things in scripture wherein the elephant may swimm , some things where the lamb may wade ? matters of discipline are acknowledged by all , not to be revealed with such clearnesse , but that truly conscientious , upright , diligent men may not be able in many things to see the mind of christ in them . and to what end hath christ done this think you . ly . compulsion in such things as we are speaking of , is to straine justice so high , as to make it summa justitia , which is the degeneration of it : as physitians say of the uttermost degree of health , it is a beginning of sickness : if justice be wound up a peg too high , it breaks : though justice were to be managed by the most holy , wise , self-denying , and meek men upon the earth , yet there would be much danger in winding it up to the highest ; for it is administred by men full of infirmities , to men full of infirmities , therefore god will not have it strained too high , he will rather have charity to be above justice , then justice to be above charity . this i have out of luther , though he was a man of a fiery spirit , he could tell how to contend where there was cause ; yet in an epistle that he writes to the divines of norimberg , upon occasion of dissentions risen amongst them , he hath this passage , judgement must serve , not rule over charity ; otherwise it is one of those four things that solomon says troubles the earth , namely , a servant ruling , or the maid heire to her mistresse ; if therefore you would have peace sayes he , charity must rule over justice , you must not suffer justice to rule over charity . ly . if men goe upon this principle , they will be in danger of opposing truth as well as falshood , and compelling to falshood as well as to truth ; for in matters doubtful & controversal amongst good and peaceable men , it is not easie to have any such grounded confidence , as to be out of all danger of mistake ; there is more confidence needfull in a thing that we impose upon others , then in what we practice our selves ; if a thing be to us rather true then otherwise , we may lawfully do it ; but this is not enough to be a ground for the imposing it upon others , who cannot see it to be a truth ; in such a case we had need be very sure . the weak drislings of our probabilities , guesses , & opinions , are not enough to cause the stream of another mans conscience to stop ▪ yea to turne its course another way ; especially considering , that in such things we have oftentimes misgiving thoughts our selves ; yea , and not long since we were confident , that what wee now condemne was true ; and what we now are ready to enjoyn others , we then did as confidently condemn . there must be great care taken , that when we seek to pluck up tares , wee plucke not up the wheat also ; this may be understood of things , of truths and falshoods , as wel as of persons ; we may be mistaken in the one as well as in the other . pluck not up the tares . christ does not sorbid casting out any wicked men from the church ; but as hierome hath it , in those countries tares were very like the wheat ; therfore take heed , says christ , what you do in plucking up ; when you have to deale with men whose condition is any way doubtful , be sure they be hypocrites , or else meddle not with them , do not pluck them up upon every surmise , because you think they are not right , for then you may pluck up a wheat as well as a tare , he may prove to be a godly man ; therefore you had better let tares grow ; if you do but thinke that such men are not right , you were better let them continue in the church , then by venturing upon them , to be in danger to pluck up the wheat . thus in respect of things good or evill , there are some things apparently evill , they are rather thistles and bryers , then tares , we may freely pluck up them ; but other things , though perhaps they may prove evil , yet they have some likeness to good , so as you can hardly discern whether they be good or evill . now saith christ , take heed what you do then , do not out of eagerness oppose all evill , to get out every tare , pluck out some wheat too ; what if that you oppose with violence as evill , prove to be good ? you had better let forty tares stand , then pluck up one wheat . fourthly , if men take this power upon them , to compell men to do whatsoever they conceive good , and to deny or forbear whatsoever they conceive evil , they take more power upon them then ever the apostles took . the government of the saints under the apostles , was a great deale more milde , sweet , gentle then this . the rule the apostles went by , phil. . . was , let therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded ; and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , god shall reveale even this unto you ; neverthelesse , whereunto wee have already attained , let us walke . if any should be otherwise minded then i or the other apostles , god will reveale it in due time , we will not force him , only let us walke up to what we have attained . this rule , zanchy , saith augustine , would repeat a thousand time ; and chrisostome hath a good note upon this place , he does not say , god will bring them to it , if they be otherwise minded , but god wil reveal it , noting the love and goodness of god to those who are otherwise minded , excusing them that it was not through wickedness , but for want of knowledg that they did otherwise , acts . where the apostles and elders were met together , the furthest they would take upon themselves , was to lay no other burden but those necessary things . the false teachers put a yoke upon them , which was such a burthen , that neither they nor their fore-fathers could bear , v. . yet it was no juridicall authority that these had over them ; surely the yoke they put upon them , in the judgments of all was but doctrinall : but for us , say the apostles , we finding what the mind of the holy ghost is , dare not yoke you as they did ; all that we burden you with , is these necessary things , no church-officers , no synod can go further then this , but certainly every matter in controversie amongst godly and peaceable men cannot be conceived to be necessary . rom. . is a very usefull place for this , him that is weak in the faith receive , but not to doubtfull disputations ; receive him , though he understands not all you do ; do not trouble him , neither with nor for doubtfull things : one believeth he may eate all things , another who is weake eateth herbes ; let not him that eateth , despise him that eateth not ; neither let him that eateth not , judge him that eateth , vers . . one man esteemeth one day above another , another esteemeth every day alike ; let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde . upon this he gives generall rules , to doe all to the glory of god ; all these people were not in the right , for a man not to eate flesh out of conscience , when the thing was not forbidden , certainly was a sin ; or to make conscience of a holy day , which god required not , was a sinne : now the apostle did not come with his authority , and say , i will make you leave off keeping such days , or you shall eate , or to abstain thus as you do , is evill , and it must not be suffered in you . no , the apostle lays no apostolicall authority upon them , but tells them , that every man must be fully perswaded in his own mind , in what he doth ; and who art thou that judgest another mans servant ? the lord hath received him . and yet the governors of the churches in the primitive times might upon much stronger grounds have stood upon such a principle , then any governours of the church now can ; there was lesse reason why they should suffer any difference in opinion or practice amongst them , then why we should suffer differences amongst us ; for they had men amongst them immediately inspired , who could dictate the mind of christ infallibly , they could tell them the certaine meaning of any scripture . the burden of being under the determinations of such men in points of differences , had not been so great as subjection to any governors now in such cases would be ; our differences are usually about the meaning of such or such scriptures , in which both sides think they have the right , & profess one to another , as in the presence of god the searcher of all hearts , that if they could but see the meaning of such a scripture to be so as their brethren believe it is , they would soon agree : and yet though there were in those primitive times such meanes of reconciling differences more then we have , yet there was much mutual toleration amongst them ; they used no compulsive violence to force those who through weakness differed from them , to come up to their judgments or practice . yes , it is also more tolerable in papists , not to tolerate any difference in opinion or practice , because first , they believe they have an infallible judg to decide all controversies . ly . they hold implicite faith in the judgment of their clergie , to be sufficient warrant to justifie the belief or practice of the people , or of any particular man , and yet they suffer differences in opinions and practices amongst them ; they have their severall orders of their monks , priests , friars , jesuites , they differ very much one from the other , and yet agreeing in the root , they are suffered , supposing those two helps to union ; they have an infallible judg , and implicite faith ; wee have cause either to admire at their moderation in their mutuall bearing one with another , or at the disquietness , the rigidness of spirits amongst us , who cannot bear with far lesser things in their brethren differing from them ; for we professe , we know no such externall in fallible judg , upon whom we may depend ; neither dare we warrant an implicite faith . we teach men , that every man must be perswaded in his own heart , must see the rule of his own actions , must give an account of his own way to god : now what can men that have the most gracious & peaceable spirits , you can imagine , doe in such a case ? before they believe or do what their brethren believe or do , they must see the authority of the word to ground their faith or actions ; and for the present , though sincerely willing to know gods mind , and diligently laborious to search it out , yet they cannot see it : and yet according to this sowr , rigid principle , they must be forced to it by violence , what is it but to command the full tale of brick to be brought in , where no straw can be had , if this be not ? straw might be had in egypt by seeking for it ; but here , after the most carefull and painfull seeking for it , yet it cannot be had . ly . by this principle , the finding out of much truth will be hindered ; it will stifle mens gifts & abilities in arguing and discoursing about truths . we know fire is beaten out by striking the flint . although differences be very sad , yet the truth that comes to light by them , may recompence the sadnesse . you cannot beat out a place for a window to let in light , but you must endure some trouble ; children will think the house is pulling down , when the window is beating out , but the father knows the benefit will come by it : he complains not that the dust and rubbish lies up and down in the house for a while , the light let in by it will recompence all . the trouble in the discussions of things by brethren of different judgments may seem to be great , but either you or your posterity hereafter may see cause to blesse god for that light hath been , or may be let into the churches by this meanes ; men of moderate spirits doe blesse god already . but if according to this principle , the governors of the churches must suppress whatsoever they conceive not to be right , to what purpose should should there be arguing and discussing of severall judgements and severall ways ? you will say , those who are the governours , they , or those whom they call to consult with , may argue and discusse , but not others . is not this to deny the church the benefit of the gifts and graces of thousands of others ? the church may soon receive as much prejudice by this , as the trouble caused by some differences comes to . sixtly , this lays a great temptation to idleness and pride before the guides of the church : men are naturally subject to sloth , and may not this principle suggest such a temptation as this ? what need we take care or pains to search into truths , to be able to convince gain-sayers , to c●r●y things with strength of scripture & reason , seeing we have power to compel men to yeeld to us ? and men who can do least by reason and scripture , are many times strongest in their violence this way , this strength must come in to make up their other weaknesse . but it may be conscience will not let them compell men presently ; it will tell them they must seek first to convince men : but because the seeking to satisfie other mens consciences in things differing from us , is a troublesom work , the temptation that this principle presents , may at least prevail thus far , that seeing besides means of conviction by arguing they have another help at hand to keep down error , namely , compulsory violence , making men who differ from them , to suffer for those things ; therefore not to trouble themselves very much in the way of seeking to convince , but for their owne ease to rid their hands of such a burthensom work , to cast the trouble , and lay heavy burdens upon their brethren , this is easie for them to do , though hard for their brethren to suffer ; but the tables may turn one day , wherein the sufferers shall have the greatest ease , & the inflicters the sorest burthen . but god forbid that their brethren should lay it upon them , though it were put into their power to do it . the temptation to pride is not less , neither are mens hearts lesse prone to this . if it prevails , what domineering is there like to be of one over another , yea of some few over many ? if they judg in things never so doubtful , all must yeeld , at least for their profession and practice . this is a great power to be given to men over men in matters of faith and godliness . this is lording it over gods inheritance . it is observable , when the church was in the lowest condition , this power was highest ; the power of making canons in doubtful things to bind under penalties : and when this power was lowest , as in the primitive times , then the church was highest . seventhly , this will be a means to bring grosse ignorance upon the face of the churches & of the world : for , first , if men shall not be suffered to profess or practice otherwise then governors in church or state shall determine , they will not take pains to find out the truth themselves , but rather take things implicitely , which is the easiest way ; they wil think it to little purpose to take pains in examining things , when after all is done , they must be bound up at least in their profession and practice , to what either is or shall be determined by those who have power of rule in their hands . our late prelates designe was to bring in ignorance , that they might with the more freedom rule over us as they pleased ; and in nothing did they drive on this design more , then in the practice of this power , which they took to themselves to command things doubtful and controversall , and by violence to urge their commands upon people : by which , had their power continued , gross ignorance would soon have bin spread over the face of the land . from whence hath come the gross ignorance of popery , but from the prevailing of this principle ? by which the people have been brought in such subjection under their guides , that they have lost their understandings in the matters of religion . if it be said , but wee will take care that those men who shall be consulted withall , and those men who shall have power in their hands to determine , shall be wise , understanding , godly men , and then the danger will not be so great . suppose those men who for the present have such power , have attained to the highest measure of of knowledg and godliness that can be imagined to be in any men upon the earth , yet the people are under this temptation , to neglect the getting of knowledg themselves ; and it may be the rather , because those who are appointed to determine things , are so understanding and so conscientious ; now these people growing ignorant ; when these knowing and godly men who are now in place , shall be gone , who shall choose other in their places ? i suppose it to be the opinion of most of you , and of the godly in the kingdom , and in all reformed churches , that either the body of the church , the people must choose their officers , or at least , that none must be put upon them without their consent . well then , if the people through the prevailing of the former temptations grow ignorant , is it not like they wil chuse such guiders and leaders as themselves are ? or if they shall not chuse , yet their negative voyce will have such an influence into the choise , as it is very probable , that in a generation or two , blind guides will be brought in , and so the blind leading the blind . and when by this ignorance hath prevailed and gotten head in the church , there is almost an impossibility ever to get it out again ; this brings men into the dark , and locks and bolts the doors upon them . hence men by pleading for this principle , may bring themselves and their posterity into greater bondage then they are aware ; for although now while they have the power in their own hands , it may be well with them ; yet hereafter others may have the power , and then it may prove ill enough ; they may then complain of what they now plead for ; though now the guides of the church may be good and holy , yet they may live to see such a change , or at least their posterity , that such a principle acted by such men as they may be under , may wring them ; yea , it is the more strange , that men should plead so much for this now , when as the soares of their neckes , caused by the bondage under it a while since , are scarce yet healed . eightly , there is yet a further danger in this , not only that men will neglect truth , but there will be a strong temptation to resist and reject truth ; if god begins to dart in any light into a mans spirit , that appears to crosse what hath been determined of for opinion or practice under a penalty ; the corruption of a mans heart will entice him to turne his minde from that light , not to let it into conscience or heart , lest it prevailing , should put him upon such ways wherein he is like to suffer . this hath been common in former times ; many have hid their eyes from those truths that would have kept them from enformity , because they fore-saw what sad consequences would follow , if their consciences should not suffer them to conform . but you will say : this supposes that some things will be urged that is contrary to truth , which is uncharitable to suppose . although in matters fundamentall , there is no feare that godly able men wil erre , yet let charity be stretched to the ful latitude of it , and reverence of men in place raised to the uttermost height ; yet if they will meddle with such things as are doubtful and controversal amongst godly and peaceable men , and force them upon others ; that confidence of theirs that shall put them out of feare of erring , shall be to me a ground of great fear , that they will erre . but some will acknowledge , that some liberty should be granted in things thus doubtfull and controversall , to men who are indeed conscientious , godly and peaceable men ; but if this be yeelded too , then men who are not conscientious , but of turbulent and corrupt spirits , will abuse it . we have given rules to find out those who onely pretend conscience , and if by those , or the like , it does not appeare , but that men are indeed conscientious in their way , we should judg charitably of them ; you think much if those be not admitted to communion with christ and his saints , when they professe godlinesse in word and life , and nothing appears to the contrary ; why then should you think much to tolerate those as conscientious , who professe it in words and life , and nothing appears to the contrary . bishop davenant in that exhortation to peace before quoted , as one meanes for peace , gives his opinion thus , because it belongs only to god to teach the hearts of men , it is our duty alwayes to make the best interpretation of things , and to presume of every one where the contrary appeares not by manifest signes , that hee is kept from assenting by his conscience rather then by obstinacy . as for the peaceablenesse of mens dispositions , let it be judged from their carriages in other things of as great moment , wherein the temptation for the attaining their owne ends is as great , yea far greater then here : do they not carry themselves in as peaceable , gentle ; self-denying way as any ? mr. parker upon the crosse , cap. . sect . . pleads for himself and others , who could not yeeld in some things enjoyned them , when they were accused of pride , contempt , unpeaceablenesse ; what signes , sayes he , doe men see in us of pride , contempt , unpeaceablenesse ? what be our caetera opera , that bewray such a humor ? let it be named wherein we go not two mile , where we are commanded to goe but one ; yea , whether we goe not as many miles as any shooe of the preparation of the gospel of peace will carry us : what payment , what paine , what labour , what taxation made us ever to murmure ? survey our charges where wee have laboured , if they be not found to be of the faithfullest subjects that be in the land . wee deserve no favour ; nay , there is wherein we stretch our consciences to the uttermost to conforme and obey in divers matters : are we refractory then other things ? as balaams asse said to his master , have i used to serve thee so at other times ? and whereas it is said , that some will abuse such liberty at this : it is answered , surely those who are peaceable and conscientious , must not be deprived of what sufferance christ allowes them , because others who are in the same way , are , or may prove turbulent , and do or may not appear truly conscientious . this is as farre beneath the rule of justice , as no sufferance in any thing conceived erroneous , is above it . thirdly , whatsoever errours or miscarriages in religion the church should bear withall in men , continuing them still in communion with them as brethren , these the magistrate should bear with in men , continuing them in the kingdome or common-wealth , in the enjoyment of the liberty of subjects : grant what possible can be granted to the magistrate in the extent of his power about religion , to be custos utriusque tabulae ; yet certainly no man can imagine , that this his charge reaches further then the charge of the church : that he is to be more exact in his oversight of these things , then the church is to be ; for what ever the power of the magistrate be in these things , yet to the church especially are the oracles , the ordinances , the truths of god committed . the charge of the spirituall estate of men especially belongs to the church : now the church is to beare with men in their infirmities , though they be ignorant of many things , yea after means used for information . no church must cast off any from communion with it , but for such things that all the churches of christ ought to cast them off for . this is generally held by our brethren , if a man be rightly cast out of communion with one church , he is thereby cast out of all ; if this be so , then surely many things must be suffered before we proceed to cast out a member , it must not be for every errour or miscarriage . thus bishop davenant in his rules for peace , those may not be cut off from communion with particular churches who remaine joyned to the catholique church . yea , b none is to be cast out of communion , but for that which if whole churches were guilty of , we must refuse communion with , yea with all the churches in the world , if they could be supposed to be so far left of christ , as to be guilty of the same thing ; if this be so , when a church is about casting any out of communion , it need be wary , and not presently fall upon him , because there is something evill in him ; and if the church should be so , the civill magistrate much more , whose care of a mans spirituall estate is not so immediate and full as the churches is . from what hath been said these . consequences are clear : first , articles or rules for doctrine or practise in matters of religion to be imposed upon men , should be as few as may be ; there is a very great danger in the unnecessary multiplying them : this in all ages hath caused divisions , and exceeding disturbances in the churches of christ . i finde an excellent passage in an epistle of isaac causabon to cardinall perron , which hee wrote in the name of king iames by his command , c the king ( saith he ) thinks that the things that are absolutely necessary to salvation are not many , therefore his majesty is of that mind that there is no shorter way for peace , then first by severing necessary things from things that are not necessary , and then to labour a full agreement in those ; but as for things not necessary , let them ( sayes he ) be left to christian liberty . and againe , these necessary things are few , and the king thinks this distinction to be of so great moment to lessen the controversies which this day doe so exceedingly trouble the church , that all who study peace , should most diligently explicate , teach , and urge this . god hath so graciously ordered things for the body , that things necessary for life are not many , nor costly ; the greatest stir in the world is about things not necessary . so for the soule . a second consequence from what hath been said , is ; we see hence who is most for peace ; one professeth what he is convinced of to be a truth and a duty , if it be not necessary , he is not to force it upon his brethren , though he had never so much power in the church or state to back him . the other holds this principle , that whatsoever he thinks to be a duty , he must force it upon his brethren , not only by the power of the church , but he must call in the power of the magistrate to back him in it . but doe not men in a congregationall way urge upon others their owne conception● and practices , according to the power they have , as much as any ? for if men will not enter into covenant , if they hold another kind of government in the church differing from them , they will not receive them , nor communicate with them . i would all our controversie lay here , surely wee should soon agree . whosoever doth as you say , cannot be justified in so doing ; some men it may be through an earnest desire of promoting what they conceived to be the mind of christ , have been too rigid in their dealings with their brethren . what hath been said , will shew the evill of their practice as well as of others . as for entring into covenant , it is true , there is such a practice in the congregational churches , and a covenant either explicite or implicite , i think all acknowledg : that is , there must be some agreement to joyne those together in a body , who formerly were not joyned , to make them to be of such a society , to have power in it with others for the choise of officers in this congregation , and to be under the care & charge of those officers more then members of another congregation : what shall joyn them , if not at least some mutuall agreement to joyn in one body for such spirituall ends as christ hath appointed this body for , the very nature of a society that is embodyed , carries this with it ; and any farther then this i know none requires as necessary . indeed the more explicite this agreement is , the more is the edification . surely there is no christian but will acknowledg that the more one christian opens his heart to another , and binds himself to walk in the ways of christ with another , the more comfortable it is , and helps to edification : and upon this ground doe the congregationall churches practice this . suppose any godly man shall come and desire to joyn with any of them , but withall tell them , that for his part he yet cannot be convinced by any thing he can find in scripture that this way of convenanting is required ; if the church cannot satisfie such a man ( being godly ) in their practise , yet desire to know of him whether hee be willing to joyn with them in all the ordinances of christ , so farre as he knows , a meere affirmative to this is a covenant sufficient to joyne him with them . the more fully he expresseth this to them , it would be the more acceptable . now then why is it that there is such a noise every where in exclamations against church-covenant , when it is nothing but this , which how any gracious heart upon due consideration can be against , i cannot see . and this is not only our present opinion , but that which ever since we knew any thing in that way , upon all occasions , we have held forth . but what do you say to the other ; if a man who you believe is godly , yet not being convinced of your way of government , but rather thinks the presbyteriall government to be the way of christ ; would you receive such a man into communion with you ? if any godly man whose conscience is not satisfied in that way of government , yet is so cast by providence as he cannot joyne with those churches where there is that government he thinks to be christs ; and because hee is desirous to enjoy what ordinances of christ he can , therefore tenders himself to one of these congregationall churches : such a man should be received to these ordinances he sees to be christs , if there be nothing else against him , but meerly because after all due means , yet through weaknesse he cannot see christs minde in some other ordinance . christ doth not lay so much upon the ordinance of government , as to exclude all his saints all their days from all other church-ordinances , if through weakness they cannot be convinced of that . now let one who is in a congregational way , and connot see christs mind in the presbyterial government , yet come to one of those churches , and say , he would gladly in all his ways see the mind of christ , and enjoy all his ordinances , but he cannot see that a minister who takes only the charge to feed by word and sacraments one congregation , yet should with others have the charge of ruling an hundred or more ; and till he be convinced otherwise , he cannot in his practice acknowledg that government to be christs , would you yet receive such a one to communion with you in all other church-ordinances ? if you would , i make no question then but if we well understood one another , and were of quiet spirits , we might live together in peace . let not miscarriages in particular men or churches in thing● of this nature , hinder our peace ; what we say ought to be suffered in us , we professe to be our duty to suffer that or any thing of the like nature in others : and where there hath not been that brotherly and christian forbearance as ought to be , there hath been sinne committed against christ : but let not this hinder brotherly and christian agreement amongst our selves , or any other churches of christ . ly . evills that are small or uncertain , or come by accident , must rather be suffered , then any good that is great , certain , and per se , should be hindered . we must take heed that in our zeal to oppose evill , we hinder not a greater good : if opposition of evill lies so far out of your reach as you cannot come at it but by hindering much good , you must be content then to let it alone . lastly , if the evils be such as only can be removed by super-natural means , we must not use violence for the removing of them , though god hath such authority over us , as hee may justly punish us for not doing that which we are unable to do by the strength of nature ; yet one man hath no such authority over another . the power that god hath given a magistrate , is but a naturall help at the most , & therefore it can go no farther then to help us in a naturall way , to do what we are able to do by a natural power ; when it hath gone so far , there it must rest . i shall refer the learned to zanchy upon the fourth comment , where they may see more about this . chap. x. the fourth dividing principle , division is the best way to maintaine dominion . this is machiavels principle , divide & regna . when division is got into such a principle as hath not only in the bowels of it , that is something to foment it by what may be drawn from it ; but when the principle carries division in the very face of it , not collaterally , or by consequent avowing it , but directly & immediately justifying it , then it grows strong indeed , who can stand before it ? when this is brought down to the people , it is expressed by that proverbiall speech , it is good fishing in troubled waters . the divisions of the times are our advantages . some mens ends are best served , when church and state are most divided . they never had such comings in as now they have . it is true , it may be desired that men in evil things should not agree , that they may be like the witnesses that came against christ , who could not agree in their testimony . paul cast a bone of dissention between the pharisees and sadduces . but when men love division , and desire the continuance of it ; first , to maintain that which is evill ; secondly , to aime at their owne ends , not regarding what publike mischiefes come , so their own private advantages may be served ; not caring what house be on fire , so their eggs may be rosted , if they may have some poor , pedling , private benefit by them . ly . not caring what the divisions are , whether against good , or against evill , so be it their turn may be served : this is abominable , and cursed is that man that wishes for , or rejoyces in , or seeks the continuance of divisions , for these base ends . yea that man is not worthy to breath in so good a land as england is , who would not willingly lay downe his his life to cure the present divisions and distractions that are amongst us , who would not desire with nazianzen , as formerly jonah , to be cast into the sea himself , so be it all might be calm in the publique ? oh cruell , hard-hearted man , who for his own private advantage is not sensible of the woful miseries of church and state , yea of that dreadfull dishonour to the name of god , caused this day by our sad divisions , miserable distractions● just it were that such a man should be separated to evil , and that his name should be blotted out from under heaven . but if things were setled in church and state , some men should not have such liberties as now they have , therefore they are willing enough to have our differences continued , their plot is to lengthen them out . first , that which thou callest seeking to lengthen out divisions , it may be god now accounts , and will another day call seeking after the nearest union with himselfe , and the firmest union of his saints . secondly , the liberties these men seek for , are either evill or good ; if evill , oh how dearly do they buy that which is evill , with bringing the guilt of all that evil that comes from our divisions upon themselves ; you need not wish any enemy more evil upon his head then this ; certainly such a man hath load enough upon him . but if those liberties they seek be good , or but supposed by them to be so , why then should they feare a right setling of things ? what ever is good , can be no enemy unto good . that scripture , rom. . . is enough to keep their hearts from fearing , the right ordered power of authority , especially from fearing it so farre , as by the feare of it , to be driven into such a desperate guilt of wickednesse as this is , to desire or endeavour the continuance of such publique mischiefe for their own ends . rulers , saith the text , are not a terrour to good works , but to evil ; wilt thou then not be afraid of their power ? doe that which is good , and thou shalt have praise of the same . surely then the power was as formidable to any thing a christian heart could suppose good , as now any power is like to be that we have to deale with . thirdly , it is a sign of a very poor , low , unworthy spirit , to think that any in whom thou hast any perswasion there is any feare of god , or interest in christ , should have no higher thoughts for their support and encouragement in what they conceive good according to the mind of christ , but such as the hopes or desires of continuance of such wofull evils in the divisions of church and state raiseth in them , if they did believe that christ took no more care of them then so , but left them to such miserable supports as these are , their condition were sad indeed . ly . if such basenesse of spirit as this is , were ruling in them , which hath in it the malignity of all the dregs of an evil spirit , surely you would find it working in them in some other thing , save only in that wherein they differ from you . for certainly it is impossible but that man that is so left of god to such dregs of evill , must needs break out to some other vile evils in a little time . it were strange if such horrid wickednesse of a mans heart should break out in nothing else . the lord therefore be judg between his servants and those men , yea those men professing godlinesse , who have such hard thoughts of them ; and the lord convince them of all their hard speeches , and hard writings in this thing . chap. xi . the fifth dividing principle . that every man is bound to professe and practice alwayes what he apprehends to be truth . this hath the greater strength , because it comes under a shew of exact godlinesse : i do not mean an hypocriticall shew , but an appearance to mens consciences . it is very dividing : for , first , if while many things lye in mens owne thoughts , they cause much strife within themselves ; their reasonings are very divers : though they have all the some tincture from the same affections , and are swayed by the same ends then when these things come abroad , before others , who have not the same reasonings , nor the same affections , to give them such a tincture , but reasonings and affections running quite another way , nor the same ends to sway them , but quite different to poyse them a cross way , there must needs be much strife , such divisions as will be hard to reconcile . if men sometimes can hardly prevail with their own thoughts to agree , notwithstanding the sway of their own affections and ends ; how are they like to agree with others , whose affections and ends are so various from theirs . secondly , if men doe presently professe and practice what they conceive to be right , they must necessarily professe and recant , recant and professe ; for in many things , what they apprehend to be true at one time , they suspect , yea see cause to deny at another ; and what confusion & disorder would there be in matters of religion , if continually by some or other there should be profession of things as true and good , and calling the same things presently into question , yea within a while denying and renouncing them ? and if not so , then . if a man hath once made profession of what he conceives to be a truth , differing from others , if it proves to be a misapprehension , there lies a great temptation upon him to stand out in it , to strive to make it out to the utmost ; for nothing is more contrary to a mans nature , then to acknowledg himself to be mistaken in his understanding , and to lye down in the shame of rashnesse and inconsideratenesse in his actions ; therefore whatsoever mens own thoughts be within , in their own spirits , they had need take heed what they doe , when they come to make open profession , and practice what they apprehend , and engage themselves thereby to maintaine ; there are not many who attaine to augustines self denyall , to publish retractations to all the world . now if a man through the strength of this temptation , shall still retaine what he hath made profession of , and others shall see his weakenesse , joyned with wilfulnesse ; they must oppose him in it , and so contention and division is like to rise higher and higher . in regard therefore of the great usefulnesse of this point , and the difficulty of the right understanding it , i shall endeavour to speak to it under these three heads . first , to shew wherein profession is necessary . secondly , wherein men may keep in , what they think they understand to be truth , so as not to professe or practise it . thirdly , i shall propound some rules of direction , to shew in what manner a man should make profession of what he conceives to be truth , though it be different from his brethren . for the first . certainly profession in some things is very necessary . rom. . . with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse , and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . confession is here joyned to believing , as necessary to salvation . this i conceive to be the meaning of those places which hold forth the necessity of baptisme , he that believes and is baptized , shall be saved . augustine in one of his sermons de tempore , sayes , wee cannot be saved , except wee professe our faith outwardly for the salvation of others . and christ , mar. . . sayes , whosoever shall be ashamed of him and of his words , in this adulterous and sinfull generation , of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed , when he comes in the glory of his father with his holy angels . and it is observable , that they follow upon those words , what shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world , and loose his owne soule ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soule ? as if christ should say , if you would not lose your soules eternally , look to this , make profession of the truth , as you are called to it ; though you live in a wicked and an adulterous generation , yet be not ashamed of me before them ; for if you be , your souls may goe for it eternally . zuinglius in his third epistle , says , we may as well with a dioclesian worship before the altar of jupiter and venus , as conceale our faith under the power of antichrist . now though profession be necessary , yet in what cases we are bound to professe , and in what not , is no easie matter to determine . zuarez , a man of great judgement , yet falling upon this question , when a man is bound to make profession of the truth , sayes , we cannot give rules in particular , when there is a necessity of profession , in regard of the good of our neighbour , but it must bee determined by the judgment of prudence . but though the determination be very difficult , yet we may assert these five cases to bind us to profession . first , when the truths are necessary to salvation , and my forbearance in them may endanger the salvation of any , the salvation of the soul of the poorest beggar , is to be preferred before the glory , pomp , outward peace and comforts of all the kingdoms on the earth ; therefore much before my private contentments : in extream danger of life there is no time to reason what in prudence is fit to be done , but save the mans life if you can , and reason the case afterward . secondly , when not profession shall be interpreted to be a denyall , though in case of a lesser truth ; i must not deny the truth , the least truth interpretative , i must rather be willing to suffer , then the truth should suffer by me so farre : this was daniel's case , when he would not cease his praying three times a day , neither would he shut his windows , though it endangered his life . a carnall heart would say , why might not daniel have been wiser ? he might have forborn a while , at least he might have shut his windows . no , daniel was willing to venture his life in the cause , rather then he would so much as by way of interpretation , deny that honour that he knew was due to god , thirdly , when others shall be scandaliz'd , so as to be weakned in their faith by my denyall ; yea , so scandalized as to be in danger to sin , because they see me not to professe ; in this case we must venture very far , we should take heed of offending any of the saints , so as to grieve them , but when the offence comes to weaken their faith to occasion their sin , there we should venture very far to our own outward prejudice , rather then so to offend them . fourthly , when an account of my faith is demanded , if it be not either in scorn to deride , or in malice to ensnare , but seriously , so as the giving it may be to edification , especially in a way of giving a publique testimony to the truth , pet. . . be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you . if to every one , much more to mag●strates . fifthly , so far as those whom god hath committed to my charge for instruction are capable , at some time or other i must manifest that truth of god to them that may be for their good according as i am able . yet this duty of profession being a duty required by an affirmative precept , though we are bound alwayes , yet not to all times , semper , but not ad semper , we must alwayes keep such a disposition of heart , as to be in a readiness , rather to give testimony to any truth of god , if called to it by god , then to provide for our ease or any outward comfort in this world , so as we may be able to appeal to god in the sincerity of our hearts , to judg of that high esteem we have of his truth . lord if thou shalt make known to me now or any other time , that thy nature may have any glory by my profession , of any truth of thine , whatsoever become of my outward peace , ease , or content , i am ready to do it for thy names sake . there is a time , says hugo , when nothing is to be spoken , a time when something , but there is no time when all things are to be spoken . there are sixe other cases wherein you are not bound to professe . first , when you shall be required in way of scorn , or to ensnare you ; this were to cast pearls before swine . ly . you are not bound to make profession of a truth to those who are not able to receive it , whose weaknesse is such , as they cannot understand it till they be principled with some other truths . i have many things to say , sayes christ , but yee are not able to beare them . so st. paul , hast thou faith ? have it to thy selfe ; he speaks in the case of doubtfull things , which will trouble weak ones . ly . when mens hearts appear so corrupt , that there is apparant danger of abuse of truths , to the strengthning them in th●ir lusts , there are precious truths that many ministers cannot speak of before people without trembling hearts ; and were it not that they believed they were the portion of some soules in the congregation , they dared not mention them . ly . when your profession of some truths will take off mens hearts from other that are more weighty and necessary . the rule of the apostle , rom. . . holds forth this ; receive not those men who are weake in faith to doubtfull disputations ; this may hinder them in the great things of the kingdome of god , righteousnesse , peace , joy in the holy ghost , vers . . as if the apostle should say , let them be wel established in them ; but these doubtfull disputations will hinder them in such things as these are . fiftly , when my profession at this time in this thing is like to hinder a more useful profession at another time in another thing . prov. . . a foole uttereth all his mind , he that is wise keeps it in till afterward . it was the wisdome of paul when he was at athens , not presently to break out against their idols , hee staid his due time , and yet all the time hee kept in his uprightnesse in the hatred of idolatry as much as ever . sixtly , when our profession will cause publick disturbance , and that to the godly , the disturbance of mens corruptions who will oppose out of malice , is not much to be regarded . when it was told christ the pharisees were offended , he cared not for it , but he made a great matter of the offence of any of his little ones . when men who love the truth as well as wee , shall not only be against what we conceive truth , but shall be offended , and that generally at it ; if we have discharged our own consciences by declaring as we are called to it what we conceive the mind of god , we should sit down quietly , and not continue in a way of publique offence and disturbance to the saints . the rule of the apostle will come in here , let the spirit of the prophets be subjects to the prophets : wee should wait till god will some other way , or at some other time have that prevaile in their hearts and consciences of his people which we conceive to be truth , and they are now so much offended at . there could never be peace continued in the church , if every man must continually , upon all occasions , have liberty openly to make profession of what he apprehends to be a truth ; never have done with it , though the church , which is faithfull , and desires unfeignedly to honour christ and his truth , be never so much against it . in divers of these cases the consideration of that text , eccl. . . is very sutable ; be not righteous over much , neither make thy selfe over wise , why shouldst thou destroy thy selfe ? amongst other things this is included in the scope of the holy ghost ; when you apprehend a thing to be a truth , do not think that you are bound all times , upon all occasions , to the utmost , profess , practise , promote that truth , without any consideration of others , being carried on with this apprehension , it is a truth , come of it what will ; whatsoev● becomes of me , whatsoever trouble shall follow upon it , i must and will professe it ; and publish it again and again to the death : in this you had need look to your spirit , in this you may be over-just , and make your self over-wise ; though there may be some uprightnesse in your heart , some love to christ and his truth , yet there may be mixture of your own spirit also ; you may stretch beyond the rule ; this is to be over-righteous , to think out of a zeal to god and his truth , to goe beyond what god requires . it is true , at no time , upon no occasion , though thy life , and all the lives in the world lay upon it , thou must not deny any the least truth , but there may be a time when god doth not require of thee to make profession of every thing thou believest to be a truth . you will say , this tends to loosness , to lukewarmness , to time-serving ; men pretending and pleading discretion , grow loose and remisse , and so by degrees fall off from the truth . vers . . let men take heed of that too ; be not over-much wicked , neither be thou foolish . as you must be carefull not to goe beyond the rule , so take heed you fall not off from it ; so you may grow wicked and foolish , yea very wicked , over-wicked , god will meet with you there too : wherefore vers . . it is good thou shouldst take hold of this , yea also from this withdraw not thine hand : take both , be carefull of thy self in both , but especially mark the last clause of the . vers . he that feareth god shall come forth of them all . the feare of god possessing thy heart , will help thee in these straits ; thou shalt by it be delivered from being ensnared by thy indiscreet , sinfull zeale , and it shall likewise keep thee from bringing misery upon thy selfe , by falling as farre on the other hand , to looseness and time-serving . the fear of god will ballast thy soul even , it will carry thee on in a way that shall be good in the eyes of the lord , and of his saints . there is a natural boldnes , and a mixed zeal in many who are godly , that carries them on in those ways that causes great disturbance to others , and brings themselves into great straits and snares ; and these men are very ready to censure others of nesse and loosenesse , who do not as themselves do ; but this scripture reproves them , shewing that it is not through fleshly wisdome , and providing for ease that is the cause others do not as they do , but the fear of god in a right way ballasting their spirits ; god will own his fear to be in their hearts , ordering them aright , when thy disorderly , mixed zeale shall receive rebuke from christ . but doth not christ say , hee came into the world to witnesse to the truth , and is not every truth more worth then our lives ? that man who in the former five cases wherein profession is shewed to be our duty , shall witness to the truth , he shewes that truth is indeed precious to him , and gives that testimony to the truth , that he was born for , although in the six latter he shall forbear . but when these latter cases shall fall out , how shall the truth be maintained ? will it not suffer much prejudice ? . christ will not be beholding to mens weaknesses for the maintenance of his truth . . if every man according to his place to deliver his own soule , shall declare ( observing the rules we shall speak to presently ) what he conceives to be the mind of god , though he shall not either in words or practice continually hold forth the same , yet thereby the truth is maintained . . the truth is maintained , by forbearing that practice which those opinions of men that are contrary to the truth , puts them upon , not doing as they do is a continual witnesse against them , and so a witnesse for the truth , & this is a christians duty at all times , although i must never upon any ground do that which my conscience sayes is in it selfe sin , in the least thing , yet i am not ever bound to do that which my conscience says is in it self good ( as it may fall out ) in some great things . a thing in it-self evill can never be made my duty to do , what ever circumstances it may be cloathed with , what ever good i conceive may be done by it ; but a thing in it self good , may by circumstances attending of it , be such , as at this time it is my duty to forbear it , so that in not doing it i cannot be charged of a sin of omission , of not living according to what my judgment and conscience is convinced of to be truth , and good . that we may understand yet further our duty of profession so as we may cause no divisions by it , let these five rules be considered for the ordering of it . first , we must be wel grounded in fundamentals , before we make profession of other truths ; seldome or never have you known men who in the beginning of their profession of religion have laid out the first of their strength in controversies , but that they have vanished & come to nothing in their profession . be first well rooted in the faith , in the great things of godlinesse , ●he absolute necessary things of eternall life , and then thy searching into other truths of god which are for thy further edification , will be seasonable . ly . take heed that what thou dost be not out of affectation of novelties , which men naturally have itching desires after . it is very pleasing to the flesh , to convey such things to others , to be the first that shall bring to others , things which before they understood not , whatsoever the things be . as there is much wickedness in raising up old errors , as if they were new truths ; so there is much vanity in bringing forth old truths in novell and affected phrases , as if men desired to be thought to find out some new thing that yet hath not been , or is very little known in the world , when indeed upon examination , when it is uncloathed of its new expressions , it proves to be the same old truth , that ordinarily hath been known & taught , and so the man appears to be no knowing man , more then ordinary . take heed of this vanity of spirit in the holding forth of truth , especially when in publike you speak of gods truths , speak of them with reverence of the name of the great god , as the oracles of god , clearly , plainly , not in obscure , uncouth , unknown expressions , as the oracles of the idols were wont to be delivered in . . whatsoever is differing from others who are godly , is not to be held forth and professed without serious examination : we may venture more suddenly upon those things which are generally received of the saints ; but if they be differing , then we had need examine them over and over again , with a jealous eye over our own hearts , and to take heed to our spirits , & how we behave our selves in such things wherein we are like to go away so much differing from so many of our godly , able brethren . wee must take heed of publishing any such things rawly , undigestedly , lest we wrong the truth of god , and make the profession of it become ridiculous . if the thing be true to day , it will be true to morrow . . we must not think it enough boldly to assert things , but according to the rule of the apostle , pet. . . we must give an account , . with meekness ; we must not do it in a passionate , froward way , not with our affections hurrying and tumultuous ; not after a contentious manner , as if we desired victory rather then truth ; but with quietnesse and composednesse of spirit . we must not think it much to bear contradiction from others , yea though it should arise to contemptuous carriage against us , and with fear , that is , either in respect of our selves who make the profession , or in respect of those before whom we make it . for our selves , we must not do it in a conceited way , not in a high , arrogant way , with foolish confidence in our selves , in our own apprehensions and abilities , but with feare , manifesting our sensibleness of our own weakness , vanity , and nothingnes : . in respect of those before whom the profession is made . we must manifest our due , reverent esteem of them ; no unbeseeming behaviour , no scornfulness , lightness , contempt , if it before magistrates , especially then whatsoever they are in regard of their persons , yet reverentiall respects ought to be given to them in respect of their places ; and if they be men of worth , learning , graces , publike use in the church or state , that respect that is due to their worth , is to be manifested also in our carriage towards them . grace teacheth no man to be unmannerly , rude , scornfull , furious , or foolish . . if you would make profession or practice any thing differing from others who are godly and judicious , you should first acquaint those who are most able , with what you intend , and not go to youths , & women , and weak ones first , seeking to promote what you apprehend , by possessing your hearts first with it , and to get them to be a party for you ; this is not the way of god. if god hath revealed some new thing to you , you have some new light that is not yet made known to your brethren , which not only by profane men , but i fear by some who are godly , is in a profane manner scorned at ; and it were wel if none of those who pretend it , did not give some occasision : were not the temptation to the despising of that expression , yet you should first goe to those who are most able to judg , acquaint them with what apprehensions you have , and see whether they cannot make it appeare to you that you are mistaken ; if not , they may confirm you in the truth , that you may go on in it with the more confidence . if churches were setled as they ought , i should think it very ill for any minister to preach any thing not ordinarily received by the saints , before they have acquainted other elders , yea some of other churches with it , if out of an eager desire to be formost in venting some new thing , they shall do it meerly from themselves , they may be meanes to raise and engage themselves in woful disturbances before they are aware . that common union and fellowship that there is between elders and churches , requires mutual advise and consultation in matters of difficulty , though to lay a law upon them to advise in every thing , be it never so clear , would be hard . chap. xii . the sixth dividing principle . what is in it selfe best must be chosen and done , not weighing circumstances , or references . this brings much trouble to the churches ; yea it causeth much trouble in the spirits and lives of many truly godly . it causeth men to break the bonds of their callings , of their relations , of their publique interests , therefore certainly it must needs be a dividing principle . some men whose calling is only to a private employment , yet having some gifts , and having used sometimes in their families to take a scripture , and speak something out of it ; upon this they think it is a better thing to be exercised in preaching gods word , then to fit in a shop all day , at some meane worke , or selling out wares , therefore they thinke they are bound to give over their callings , which they look at as too low , mean things , and be preachers of the word , not regarding those due ways that christ would have men come into such an employment by . although i do not think , but that tradesmen , who have good knowledg in the scripture , and are gifted by god to speak the word to people for their edification , when there is a want of able men , who have been all their lives preparing for such a work , and are set apart for it , rather then people should continue in ignorance , and so perish ( if those who are able and fit to judg , shal judg them meet for such a work ) they may be employd to make christ known to them ; yet for every man that takes himself to be a gifted man , and it may be is so judged , by some who are willing to flatter him , to take upon him of himselfe , or by the advice of two or three of his friends , to leave his other employment for the work of the ministry , because that is a more noble and excellent work ; this is not a way of god , but a way of confusion and disorder . again , it is in it selfe a better thing to enjoy a ministry of the most eminent gifts and graces , then one of lower ; but if this should be made a rule , that a man who is under a pastor , who is faithfull , and in some good measure gifted , upon another mans coming into the countrey that is more eminent , he should forsake his pastor , and joyn to the other ▪ and if after this still a more eminent man comes , he should leave the former and joyn to him ; and by the same law , a pastor who hath a good people , yet if others be more likely to receive more good , he may leave his own people , and goe to them , what confusion and disorder would there be continually in the church ? men must consider , not only what the thing is in its own nature , but what it is to them , how it stands in reference to their relations . if you be joyned to a pastor , so as you believe he is set over you by christ , to be a pastor to you ( not because the bishop hath sent one , or an old usurer dyes , and leaves the patronage of a living to some ostler or tap-wench in an alehouse , and he or she shall send one by vertue of their right to the patronage , this cannot tie a mans conscience to depend upon him for the ordinances of christ all his days , in case he cannot remove his dwelling , but if you cannot but look upon the man as the pastor that christ hath set over you . ) though this man hath meaner gifts then others ; and it would be more comfortable to you to have another pastor ; yet this is not enough to cause you to dise●t him whom christ hath set over you ; and if people may not leave their pastors , because others have more eminent gifts , then surely pastors must not leave their people , because others have more eminent livings . to instance yet further , that you may see how this principle disturbs mens spirits : many being in the works of their calling , have some thoughts come into their mind , that prayer is a better work , more noble and spirituall then to be employed as they are ; therefore they must needs presently leave their worke , and go toe prayer : how many have been perplexed with temptations this way , by which their lives have been made very uncomfortable ? prayer in it selfe is better , but is it better at this time for me , all things considered ? am not i about that which god hath called me to do ? by this principle many decive and trouble themselves , in respect of their souls ; as some by a conceit of the like nature , deceive & bring great trouble to themselves in respect of their bodies ; some who have sickly bodies , their flesh is decayed , they think such and such things have most nourishment in them , such things are hot , and full of spirits , and juyce , therefore they will eate and drink altogether such things , leaving their ordinary dyet ; by this means th●y many times overthrow their bodies : for though a man wants flesh , yet the way for him to have it , it may be is not to take nourishing things , but purging ; and though he be troubled with faintness , it may be the way to get good spirits , is by eating ordinary dyet , and cooling his body , that so some distemper may be cured , and he may get his veyns filled with good blood , and spirits got from it , rather then by drinking hot waters that are full of spirits , which perhaps burns his heart , and dries his body , that there is no good blood generated from his dyet . it is not enough therefore to say the thing is in it selfe better , but is it better in all the references i have , and it hath ? is it better in regard of others , in regard of the publique , for the helping me in all my relations ? may it not help one way , and hinder many ways ? if a physitian should come to a man , and see his disease is hot , and sho●ld therefore presently cool him by giving him water , the man may like it for the present ; why is it not better to be cool , then so burning hot ? but thus the physitian discovers his folly , and the patient loses his life . a physitian in prescribing some physick had need have forty considerations in his head at once , how one part stands affected to the other , of what yeers the man is , of what complexion , how long the disease bath been upon him , what was last done to him , &c. so it should be in the duties of religion , a christian who desires to walk orderly , to beautifie and honour his profession to enjoy communion with god , & peace in his own soul , and be useful to the publique , had need have his wits about him , not presently to fall upon a work , because it is now presented as good to him in a single consideration ; he must compare one thing with another , and see what it is in all its references ; or otherwise he will but enterfeir , hee will but hack and hew , and bungle , and disturb himselfe and others in the ways of religion , he will make religion tiresome to himselfe and others , he will be in danger in time to cast off strictnesse , and to grow so much the more loose then others , by how much more streightned he hath been in a disorderly way then others . i believe some of you have known those who in their young time have been very strict and tender ; whatsoever they have conceived to be better then other , they have presently followed it with all eagernesse , never considering circumstances , references , or consequences , but the thing is good , it must be done ; yet being wearied with this , they have after grown loose , in as great an excesse , the other way ; yea , it may be have vanished and come to nothing . chap. xiii . the seventh dividing principle ; it is obstinacy for a man not to be convinced by the judgement of many , more learned and godly then himselfe . the making this to be the rule to judg obstinacy by , hath in all ages caused great divisions by exasperating the spirits of ●●en one against another . in times of popery what rage did it raise against men who were most conscientious ? the generality of men thought they did god good service , in persecuting those who would not yeeld to the judgment of others , who had the repute of learning and piety ; and those who were conscientious , could not yeeld to their determinations , not seeing the truth of god in them , and this made the stir . vvhile men appear obstinate , by the rule of christ we are not to bear with them ; and this principle sets thousands of godly peaceable men in the seat of the obstinate , these cannot in conscience yeeld , and others cannot but in conscience oppose them ; what reconciliation then can there be hoped ? either men must captivate their consciences , cause them in a sordid way to bow down to slavery , or else there must needs be continuall division and opposition where this prevailes . i confesse such a principle as this is would make for union amongst those who either think they need not , or through carelesnesse regard not to searth out truth , but with an implicite faith take in all that shall be imposed upon them , who think ignorance of gods mind and conscience slavery , to be no great evil ; this is never urged with violence , but either by those who have given up their consciences to be serviceable to the ease and content of the flesh , or those who have , or hope to have power in their hands , to bring others in subjection to them . because the right informing our judgments in this , may much conduce to peace , i shall endeavour , . to shew you what due respect is to be given to mens judgments who are learned and godly . . yet not so much as to make their judgments the rule to judg men obstinate , if they differ from them . . vvhat then should be the rule ? by what should we judg a man to be obstiate ? for the first , certainly much respect is to be given to the learning and godlinesse of men . there is a great delusion in many mens hearts , that makes them thinke it to be halfe popery , to give any respect to learning ; although the abuse of learning hath done much evill , against that much hath been and may be said ; but i dare avow this , that never since the beginning of the world could a man be found to speak against earning but an ignorant man ; neither is it like , nay i may aver , it is impossible that any but such will be found to the end of the world : learning hath so much of god in it , that it never had nor will have any enemy but ignorance . . tim. . . give attendance to reading , to exhortation , to doctrine . ver. . give thy selfe wholly to them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , be in them . and when we see grace added to learning , it should adde much to our esteem of such a man ; it is the orient pearl in the gold ring , it is a great testimony to a way , that it is the way of good men , prov. . . that thou maist walke in the way of good men , and keep the paths of the righteous . the judgement and counsell of such is to be received with very great respect , especially if the eminencie of their grace appears in the tenderness of their spirits , that we may see much of the feare of god in them . ezra . . now let us make a covenant , according to the counsell of my lord , and of those that tremble at the commandement of our god. and when not only some few godly men are of this mind , but when it is that which god hath sealed in the hearts of the saints generally , very high respect is to be given unto it . wherefore he that differs in his judgment from wise , learned , godly men , had need first , spend much time in prayer and humiliation before the lord. there is a notable expression of basil , cited in an appendix of an epistle of luther to the ministers of norimberg , who were at variance one from another : he who will separate him selfe from his brethren , had need consider many things even to anxiety ; he had need break his sleep many nights , and seeke of god with many teares , the demonstration of the truth . ly . you must even then when you cannot subject to their judgments , preserve due reverence in your heart , and shew due respects to men of learning and grace according to their worth . we have a notable relation of that holy man. mr. greenham , in a letter of his to the bishop of ely , in whose diocesse he lived ; the bishop seeking to bring him to conformity , objected thus unto him , why will not you yeeld ? luther approved of these things , are you wiser then he ? his sober and gracious answer was , i reverence more the revealed will of god in teaching that worthy instrument of god , mr. luther so many necessary things to salvation , then i search into his secret will , why hee kept backe from his knowledge other things of lesse importance . ly . if those things wherein we differ from the judgments of learned and godly men , be not matters of duty , they only may bring us to some suffering , we should silently yeeld for peace sake , and out of respect to them not opposse . ly . in all things wherein you may have any helpe from them , you should repair to them , and desire to partake of the benefit of those gifts and graces god hath bestowed upon them . ly . in all things wherein you can agree , you should be the more carefull to manifest all possible observance and respect to them , in blessing god for any help he grants to you by them , either in making known his truth to you , or at least in further confirming you in it by them . ly . and in what still your consciences will not suffer you to agree with them , you are to take it as your affliction , and to account that way you are in to want a great lustre , and most desireable encouragement , in that so many learned and godly mens judgments and practices are against it . we are to raise our respects to men of learning and godliness thus high ; but if we should go so high , as to give up our judgment and consciences to them , we should in honouring them , dishonour christ , yea they would account themselves to be dishonoured . such as are truly godly and wise , do rather account it their honor to carry a loving respect to those who differ from them , then desire that men should , blindfold , before they see their grounds , follow them . prelaticall spirits indeed account it their honour to force men to be of their mind ; it is their glory that they can say to the consciences of men , bow down before us . a gracious spirit abhors the thought of such a tyranny . this to high raising respects due to learned , holy men , hath been very hurtfull in the church , prejudicial to the souls of men , but especially to the honour of christ . i will give you an instance . erasmus was no novice , yet how dangerously he was taken with this , will appear by a strange expression of his , in an epistle hee wrote to one bilibaldus : how far the authority of the church prevails with others , i know not ; but with mee it hath that power , that i could be of the opinion with arrians and pelagians , if the church did but allow that which they taught . this you will say is a strange expression , coming from a learned man , and one too , not addicted to the church that then was in that excess as others were ; how then did this conceit prevail with men more weak , who gave up their consciences to others through their blind superstition ? wherefore secondly , though great respect is to be given to men holy and learned , yet not such , that a man must be judged obstinate , if hee submit not to their judgments and determinations . for , first , if a man should believe or do any thing before he sees some other grounds besides their judgments or examples , though the thing were in it selfe never so good , yet it would be sin to him . if indeed this were enough to answer christ , lord , i am a poore weake man , i cannot find out thy truths my self , therefore i seeing learned godly men to be of such a judgement , and doing such things , i thought it too much presumption for mee to differ from them , therefore i also believed it to be true , and practised accordingly . this were an easie way for people to agree , and it might well be judged obstinacy to gainsay . but this account christ will not take , for he tells us , whatsoever is not of faith , is sinne , and the judgments and practices of godly learned men , he never made to be the rule of faith . ly . if god in revealing his mind to men , alwayes did it according to the proportion of their gifts and graces , then it were too much boldnesse for any to differ from those who are most eminent ; but experience tels us it is otherwise , as god causeth his rain to fall upon one field , and not upon another ; and as the wind blows where it lists , so are the workings of the spirit of god upon men . although hee reveales to all his saints whatsoever is absolutely necessary to salvation , yet for other truths , a man of eminent parts shall know one , another of weaker shall know another . david was a man as eminent for parts , & was filled with the spirit of god as much as nathan , both in regard of prophesie and godliness ; yet sometimes that was revealed to nathan , which was kept hid from david . when the book of the law was found , and read before josiah , they send to huldah the prophetesse , yet there were prophets in the land at that time . but you will say , is it not more likely that men of learning and piety , should know what is right , and what is not , better then others ? true , it is more likely they should ; but god many times doth things which we think are not likely ; that which is the most unlikely to us , god many times chooseth as best to serve his ends . thirdly , if there were no other reason why a man of weaker parts should differ from other , then because he is conceited of his parts , thinks himselfe more able to understand then those who are far his betters , then there would be more liberty to deale severely with him : but being ●here may be this reason ; why men who are weak , yet differ from those who are eminent , christ hath laid this charge upon them , that they must not believe or practice any thing in the matters of religion , but what they shall see ground for out of his word . if a man shall be jealous of himself , fearing lest his own understanding should mislead him ; and in the use of all meanes he can , seeks to god , and yet cannnot see from scripture the ground of those things learned and godly men have determined , and having received such a charge from christ not to alter his judgment or practice , till in the use of these meanes he should receive further light from him ; what would you have this man do ? if he yeelds to you , he sins against the charge of christ and his own conscience ; if he doth not , either now or after such a time you prefixe him , alter his judgment and practice , you judg him obstinate , and in the name of christ deale with him as such ; do not you by this make that bond that christ hath laid upon him ( to do all he doth from a principle of faith ) heavier then christ would have it . fourthly , the more learning , the more godliness men have , the more pains they take in finding out the truth ; there is the lesse ground to judg those obstinate , who differ from them , because they differ . you will say , how can that be ? for if men be very learned and godly , and take much pains to finde out the truth , there is the more reason we should believe their judgements more then our owne . we must indeed honour them , then , the more ; but yet the exquisitenesse of their learning , the eminency of their godliness , the industry of their labours , for the finding out of truth , may excuse those from obstinacy who cannot see into the ground from the word , of all that they are able to see ; for is it not more then probable , that men who are weak and exceedingly beneath them , should through meer weakness be unable to see the rule of scripture in those things which they have got the sight of , by the help of their great learning , godliness , and indefatigable labours ? can it be , that men who have not attained to that eminencie , who are not able to take so much pains in searching , that they ( though they have their help added ) should be able to attain to what these men so eminent and industrious have attained to ? can they in a few months come to see that which they have been studying , and debating one with another divers years before they could see it , can they be satisfied in their consciences of the mind of christ , when these eminent men , for a long time could hardly satisfie one another ? yea , it may be after all the helpe of their learning , godliness , and painfull labours , they look upon many things but as probable , as more likely to be so then otherwise , they have not a plerophory in their own hearts ; and shall those who doe not see ground enough for the foot of faith to settle upon , be judged , and dealt with as obstinate ? because they yet are not of their mind , ( god forbid . ) fifthly , there is much danger in making this to be the rule ; for if to go against the judgment of godly and learned men be obstinacy now , ere long it may come to this , that to goe against those in place , who have power in their hand , shall be obstinacy , whatsoever they be ; for who dare question their learning and piety ? whatsoever miscarriages these shal be in after ages in bringing men unlearned & ungodly into place ; yet those must be judged as gulty of obstinacy who are not of the same judgment they shall be of , and into what a case then have we brought our selves . if you shall say , true , our case would be sadde , but we must venture it , there is no helpe , better an inconvenience then a mischiefe . but here will be not an inconvenience only but a mischief ? in civil things this indeed must be ventured , for there we are not bound to understand the reason and ground of all things ; but if nothing appeare to be contrary to the rules of justice and piety , we are to submit ; but in the matters of religion it is otherwise , we must understand the ground of all from the word ; therefore those who shall lay downe such a position , that we may deal with these men as obstinate , by the ordinance of christ , who after two or three admonitions shal not be of the same judgment , and do the same things that learned and godly men determine , do bring the church into greater bondage then they are aware of . ly . learned and godly men yet have flesh as well as spirit , & private engagements do often sway much even with them : here with us we know how the greater number of learned and godly men goe , but in new-england the greater number of learned and godly men goe another way . lately the greater number of learned and godly men in old england did judg submission to prelaticall power in the church , and practice of ceremonies , and use of common-prayer to be lawfull , i hope it is not so now . ly . if it be alwayes obstinacy not to believe or practise what they judg should be believed and practised , then sometimes it will be obstinacy not to believe and practise a contradiction ; for we know some learned and godly men determine one thing , some determine the contrary ; yea , oftentimes they are contrary to themselves . ly . it is against the rule of the apostle , try all things , keep that which is good , abstain from all appearance of evill . if after the tryall of prophesie , there be but an appearance of evill , we are not bound to abstain . ly . we know by our own experience , we have differed from many more learned and godly men then our selves , and yet our consciences did excuse us before god , that we did it out out of obstinacy , that if our lives had lain upon it , wee could not for the present have helped it . but if wee shall not judge men that goe against the determination of those who are most able to judge , then every man may do what seems good in his owne eyes , and so there will be nothing but confusion . not so neither , though this be not the rule to judg men to be obstinate by ; yet men may by some other rules be judged to be so , and dealt with accordingly ; as those by which we judged , whether the evill be in a mans conscience or in his will , especiall these four . first , if the thing wherein men differ , be against the common principles of christianity ; then such as will take upon them the profession of christianity , doe involve themselves in the guilt of obstinacy , if they goe against those things . secondly , in other things , if their carriages be turbulent , and altogether unbeseeming a christian differing from his brethren . thirdly , where there is neglect of those means of reformation , which he hath nothing to say against . fourthly , if he so crosses his own principles , that he appears to be self-condemned . chap. xiv . the eighth dividing principle . if others be against what wee conceive to be truth , wee may judge them going against their owne light . this is a worse , a more dividing principle then the former ; it is worse to make our judgments the rule of other mens actions , then other mens judgements the rule of our actions : this makes men who differ , to have exceeding hard thoughts one of another , it causeth a mighty spirit to rise in them one against another . a man cannot judg worse of another , then this , that he goes against his owne light . of all things conscientious men knows not how to bear this ; yet how ordinarily will men who are weak , judg those that are strong , because they cannot see into the reasons of their actions ? therefore those that do them , must needs do them against their own light : if they see another mans garb , and manner of converse , and way , to be differing from their owne , they presently judge him sinning against his own conscience , to be acted by by-ends to doe what he does meerly out of cunning and craftinesse ; this is from the pride and sowrnesse of mens spirits . this is farre enough for you to goe in judging your brother , were i in his condition , should i doe as hee doth , i should goe against my light , i should act by by-ends ; but therefore to conclude that he goes against his light , and acts by by-ends , is very sinfull . many carnall men thinke , if they should make such a shew of religion ; if they should doe such things as such and such men do , it would be hypocrisie in them , and they judge truly , because their principle would not beare out their practice ; but therefore to judge all that do such things to be hypocrites , we account to be a very wicked thing . if thou hadst any spirit of humility or wisdome in thee , thou wouldst rather think , it may be hee sees what i do not , i am to look to mine own heart and wayes , by what principles i goe my self : men who are weake , and can see but a little way into things , must take heed they censure not others , who know how to manage businesses better then themselves ; some may do that acceptable to god , that thou couldst not doe without an evill conscience : the same honesty and sincerity may continue in a man , though in true wisdome and discretion he applies himself diversly , according as occasions are divers ; as the hand remaines the same , whether closed into a fist , or extended abroad , or bended this way or that way as occasion serves . wherefore for your direction in this , take these five rules . first , we are bound to give the best interpretation upon our brethrens actions we can , if they be not apparently ill ; we should not do as the logitians , sequi partem deteriorem , but incline to that which may any way be conceived or hoped to have any goodnesse in it ; we must rather wrong our selves by thinking too well of them , then wrong them by thinking too ill of them . this would help exceeding much to peace . secondly , we should rather be jealous of our selves then others , knowing more of the evils of our own hearts then we can do of any others . thirdly , if we know certainly we are right , and others not , our hearts should rather be taken up with admiring and blessing gods goodnesse to us for what he shewes us , then in censuring our brethren for what he hath denied them . ly . we must remember , that not long since we were our selves of another mind , & yet we sinned not against our light . ly . we must consider also , that in other things our brethren see what they do not , and we would be loath to have such measure from them , that they should judg us , going against our light , and to be acted by by-ends in that wee differ from them . we must grant that liberty to our brethren we would have our selves ; that is not to be involved in the judgments of others , but try all things , and keep what god makes known to us to be good ; this liberty , sayes luther , paul hath given me , & i will stand to it , i wil not suffer it to be captivated . the ninth dividing principle . rules of prudence are sufficient to guide us in naturall things and civill affaires , and may as well suffice us in spirituall and church-affaires . a great part of our divisions about church-affairs comes from this principle : if god would help us with right apprehensions about t●is , our divisions would in a great measure vanish . those whose consciences are taken with a contrary principle , namely , that there must be institutions for all things that are properly ecclesiasticall and spirituall , they cannot yeeld to any such thing , till they see the stamp on , an institution upon it : others who think because prudence is enough to order civill affairs , there needs no institution for these things , they think such as stand for them to be too rigid and stiffe in their way . it divides also upon this ground : in the corrupt estate of the church ( such as ours yet is ) if we binde to institutions , we shall be sorely pinched with many things that will be very troublesom to us , but if we go according to the rules of common prudence , we may decline , or alter what would pinch , & take up what may be commodious for us : hence the principle is very desirable , if it can be maintained , men will strive hard before they wil lose it ; and on the other side , god is looked at as a jealous god , who will not suffer a mans wisdome to share with him in the things of his worship , which are spirituall and holy , to appoint and leave out as may be most commodious for the freedome of them from trouble , therefore they dare not yield to any ordinance that is beyond civill , but upon some institution of christ in his word , and this divides . now for your help in this : as god hath given two lights to the world , the sunne , the grater to rule the day ; and the moone , the lesser , to rule the night : so he hath given two lights to man , to guide his course ; the scriptures the greater , to guide man , especially in his spirituall condition , in those more immediate references he hath to god , for his worship and enjoyment of communion with him : the other the less , the light of reason , to be his guide in naturall and civill things , in the ordering his life for his naturall and civill good ; and though it is true , religion makes use of reason , and we have help from the scriptures in our natural and civill affairs , yet these two lights have their distinct speciall use , according to those distinct conditions of man. when i say , we must have scripture , and in it institutions for those things which are spirituall , and properly church-affairs , i mean whatsoever is made use of for the drawing my soule neerer to god , or god neerer to me ; or for the tendring up my homage to god , beyond what it hath in the nature of the thing , put into it by god ; for that i must have an institution , i must not frame any such thing to my self ; if i make use of any thing of mine own , for such an end that i may worship god by , or that god might convey some spirituall efficacy to me in the use of it , because it is a thing that i thinke as fit for such an end , as other ordinances i find in the word , and yet have not an institution for it ; in this i sinne against christ the lord , who alone hath power to set apart the use of what he pleaseth , for the tendring up homage to god , or the conveighing of any spirituall efficacy from god into the hearts of his servants . mans naturall and civill good is not so high , but reason and prudence will reach them ; but for such things as these are , all the reason & prudence in the world lies too low , they can not without sinfull presumption attempt the putting any thing of their own in the place of these : therefore there can be no other officers in the church , to act by any spiritual power , then what we find in the word ; no new ordinances , no new courts erected , no kind of authority , no extent of authority any further then we find in scripture : the proof is evident , all church ordinances are for spiritual ends , to work by a spirituall efficacy , beyond what is naturall or civill ; and the efficacy of the power of government consists much in those who govern ; if they have not their charter to authorize their power and the extent of it , it loses its efficacie , though it be otherwise managed with never so much wisdom and justice ; the same act that is an act of justice in one , is murther in another ; yea , the same mans act done within such limits is an act of justice , and if done beyond those limits , it is murther . but you will say , surely there is use of reason and prudence in matters spirituall ; how far may their use extend ? to the doing of these two things . first , by reason i may compare institutions , and argue from one institution to another , and so find out institutions that lie more in the da●k , by others which are more apparent . though the thing that i gather be not terminis in scripture , yet if i gather by necessary consequence from an institution , one or more , it hath the force of an institution in it : if i make reason to be the basis , the ground of my consequence , it wil never rise up to that height as to raise an institution ; but if i make some other institution the basis of my consequence , then it may . secondly , when i have found out an institution , then reason & prudence comes in to help to manage this in a fit and com●ly way , applying it to fit persons and times , making use of fit seasons , due order , and whatsoever naturall or civill conveniences may further the due administration of it . the prelates abused that scripture , let all things be done decently and in order ; for they joyned institutions of their own to gods , to make them decent and orderly : but that scripture only shews you when you have an institution of christ , you are to apply by the use of reason and prudence , what natural or civill helps you can , for the better managing this institution of his . from hence we have an answer to that objection is made against many things done by those who are in a congregationall way ; what institution have they for many things they do ? what for their covenant ? &c. though there be no text of scripture holds forth this in terminis , yet it is grounded upon other institutions , plainly held forth in scripture . first , it is clear in scripture , that besides the catholique church there are particular churches , saints imbodied , under such officers , who are so officers to them as they are not to others : these people can look upon this man as their pastor , and this pastor upon this people in a peculiar relation ; they may do some acts of power over one another in their congregation , which they cannot do over others in another congregation : now then it follows , they being a body , must needs have something to joyne them together ; and the least thing that can be to joyn them , is the manifestation of their assent to joyn for those ends for which christ hath appointed such a body ; and what is their covenant , but this ? onely some manifest their assent more largely , some more briefly ; i know nothing more is required , but to manifest their assent to joyn with that body , to set up all the ordinances of christ so far as they know . if there be any other thing done in their churches wherein they make further use of reason and prudence , then in the two fore-named things , they cannot justifie it , but must acknowledg it evill . the tenth dividing principle ; or rather vaine conceit . every difference in religion is a differing religion . vvhat do you hear more ordinary then this , how many religions have we now ? shall so many religions be suffered amongst us ? we cannot tell now what religion men are of ; upon this apprehension they oppose such as differ from them in some few things , with all the violence they can , as men bringing up new religions , and would take away their religion from them ; how can they possibly accord with men that are of a different religion from them ? surely we are more afraid then hurt ; though our differences be sad enough , yet they come not up to this , to make us men of different religions . we agree in the same end , though not in the same means ; they are but different wayes of opposing the common adversary . the agreeing in the same means in the same way of opposing the common enemy would be very comfortable , it would be our strength , but that cannot be expected in this world . livie in his story of a great battail between hannibal and scipio , sayes , that at the joyning of the armies , the shouting of scipio's men was farre more terrible then the shouting of hannibal's , because scipio's men were all romans , their shouting had all the same tone : but hannibal's army was made up of men of severall countries , so that in their shouting there was variety of the tones of their voyce , which was not accounted so formidable a shout as the other . it is true , our adversaries do not look our opposition to them having so much diversity in it , so formidable as they would if we were all but one in our way of opposing them ; but stil we are all shouting against the common enemy ; although therefore the terrour upon our adversary would be greater , if our shout were more uniform ; yet we hope the victory may be as sure . souldiers who march against a common enemy , all under the same captain , who follow the same colours in their ensign , and wear them upon their hats or arms , may get the day , though they be not all cloathed alike , though they differ in things of lesse concernment . revel . . . we read of the saints standing upon a sea of glasse , which had fire mingled with it . mr. brightman interprets this sea of glass , the doctrine of the gospel , more clear , more transparent then the doctrine of the law , which , he sayes , was resembled by the sea of brasse that solomon made ; but there is fire mingled in this sea of glasse , that is , saith hee , there are contentions & divisions in the church , where this doctrine of the gospel is taught : but yet mark what follows , they got the victory over the beast , and over his image , and over his marke , and over the number of his name , and had the harps of god in their hands , and sang the song of moses , &c. men who are in a crowd , tread one upon another , yet they all make to the same door , they would all go the same way : godly people are divided in their opinions and wayes , but they are united in christ ; though they may be divided from such a particular society , yet they are not divided from the church ; it is with the saints here , as with the boughs of trees in time of a storm ; you shall see the boughs one beat upon another , as if they would beat one another to pieces , as if armies were fighting , but this is but while the wind , while the tempest lasts ; stay a while and you shal see every bough standing in its own order and comeliness , why ? because they are all united in one root ; if any bough be rotten , the storme breaks it off , but the sound boughs come into their former place . these times of division may break off men whose spirits were before unsound , they will never come in to joyne with the saints again so as they seemed to doe in former times : but within a while when this gust is over , others may come in and shew themselves to be all united in , and receive sap from the same root . chap. xiv . dividing distempers , the lusts of mens hearts . these divide us not onely from god , but from one another . this i learne , sayes luther , from mine owne experience , that i have more cause to feare what is within me , then what is without . what ever others do to divide us would prevail little , were it not for the lusts of our hearts within . vapours that are got within the earth , are the cause of all earthquakes , they rend and tear : the winds , storms , and tempests without never move it . ill humours within the body , disturb more then the ayre without . james . . whence are wars and fighting amongst you ? are they not hence , even from your lusts ? whence come they ? the answer is soon made , do you not see plainly that they came from your lusts ? yet were this question put to some of us , whence are all our divisions ? some would answer , such kinde of men are the cause of them , and others would answer , nay but such men cause them . we all put off the cause of our divisions from our selves ; few would give saint james his answer , they are from hence , even from our lusts . there would not be such evill distillations from the head , if it were not for the malignant vapours that arise from the stomach . the curing the heart will sooner cure the head , then the curing the head will cure the heart : whence are wars ? even from your lusts . the apostle doth not here condemn wars simply , this was the error of the old manichees , raised up again by some amongst us ; especially as the wars are looked upon under that notion , raised for religion . they seek to weaken our hands in these wars , by telling young people who have newly given their names to christ , and therefore desire to be guided by the word in all they do , whom god hath used under himself to be the strength of these wars , that they have no warrant to fight for religion . to whom our answer is , that we have a civill right to the outward peaceable profession and practice of our religion ; wee have the laws of the land for it , and for the maintenance of this right wee fight . there can be no reason given why our civil right we have to our religion , may not as wel be maintained by the sword , as our civill right to our houses and lands . this answers all objections against the maintenance of religion by the sword , from the practice of the christians in the primitive times , who never sought to maintain religion thus . we say their case was not the same with ours ; they never had any civill right to the profession and practice of religion in the countreys where they lived , as we have . the wars meant in this text are contentions , jars , divisions amongst christians ; though they did not take up the sword one against another , yet there were many quarrells , jarrs , and divisions amongst them , these came from their lusts . the lusts of mens hearts are very quarrelsom . storms and tempests are here below in this impure muddy part of the world , in the higher part all is serene , calm , and clear . cor. . . for yee are yet carnall ; how do's he prove that ? whereas there is among you envying , and strife , and divisions , are ye not carnall and walke as men ? strifes and divisions do manifest mens hearts to be very carnall . august . upon that place , gen. . . where god required abraham to take beasts and birds for sacrifice , the beasts were divided , cut asunder , but not the birds : thus ( says he , by way of allusion ) carnall brutish men are divided one from another , but not the birds , not those who are more spirituall , more celestiall . ye walke as men , sayes the apostle , yee should not walk as men , ye should walk as it becomes those whose condition is raised above the condition of men , as it becomes christians the redeemed ones of the lord ; you say , can flesh and blood endure this ? can any man living beare this ? what if flessh and blood , what if a man cannot ? a christian may , a member of jesus christ who is god-man , may . chrysostome in one of his sermons to the people of antioch , brings in gods gracious dealing with cain , as an example for them to imitate , in their carriage towards those who carry themselves ill towards them ; he brings them in also replying , god indeed was gentle and patient toward cain , for hee is god , he is above all passion , but we are but men ; he answers them , therefore did the son of god come down , that he might make you as near as may be to god. the scripture sayes , the saints are made partakers of the divine nature ; therefore do not say , we are but men . you must not walk as men , but as those who are endued with the divine nature . it is a great charge that the holy ghost layes upon the corinthians , that they walked but as men ; yet many come short of the lives of men : they rather walk as doggs , as tygers , as wolves . gal. . . the fruits of the flesh are hatred , variance , emulation , wrath , strife , seditions , heresies , envyings . all these are the causes or workings of divisions : surely our divisions are the fruits of the flesh . we see it in nature , the more spiritual any thing is , the more it unites ; and the more gross the substance of any thing is , the lesse it unites ; the beames of the sun are of a kind of spirituall nature , therefore thousands of them will unite in puncto , but it is not so in other things ; spiritual hearts in this are like the sun beams , though thousands of them live together , they will unite in one so long as they continue spiritual . the three thousand converts , act. . joyned with one accord , with one single heart : we find it now by experience , so long as there be but a few in a church , they agree well , but usually when they come to be numerous , dissentions rise amongst them ; this is an argument that the hearts of men are not spiritual , still much flesh remains . brackish water ascending to the heavens , is sweetned , it comes down sweet from thence ; thus those things which have trouble , which have an aptnesse to breed divisions , yet spirituall heavenly hearts having to do with them , they turn the nature of them , they work spirituall advantage out of them . the higher fire ascends , the more it unites ; the flame that is broad at the bottom , as it growes high , unites to be as the point of a needle . when the hearts of christians keep below , and have a great deal of smoak amongst them , they do not so unite ; but when they can get up high , o what close , single-hearted union is there 〈◊〉 a crooked and a right line cannot joyn , but two right lines will joyn in every point . the lusts of mens hearts cause divisions many wayes : first , they are mens own , therefore they will contend for them ; nothing is a mans own , so much as his lusts ; man aims wholly at himselfe in satisfying his lust : a dog will barke , and bite , and flye in a mans face to preserve his own whelps . secondly , mens lusts blinde their judgements ; perit judicium cum res transit in affectum ; when the heart is tainted , the judgement is soone blinded ; if the beame of the scale you weigh by , be not straight , the scale that hath the light weight may weigh down the heavier ; if our hearts be crooked , warping to any sinfull lust , what weight soever there be in any arguments to convince , the scale will goe according to the warping of the heart , the conclusion will follow the worser part . ly . mens lusts weaken their spirits , so as they are not able to heare any thing that comes crosse to them ; women ; children , sick people , who are weakest , fall out most with one another ; things that are rotten cannot hold together , every little touch breaks them asunder ; that which is sound hath strength to hold one part to another . fourthly , in mens lusts there is confusion , they cannot be kept in order , therefore they must needs cause disturbance , not onely in mens owne spirits , but to all that have to deale with men acted by them ; where there is confusion , there cannot be union ; when there is right order in an army , though the men be never so numerous , never so differing in other respects , yet if they keep their ranks , they are all but one ; but if put to a rout and confusion , then the bond of unity is broken , and every man divides from another to shift for himself . in mens lusts there are contradictions ; no vertue is contrary to another , but vices have nothing but contrarieties and contradictions in them . mens lusts oppose and fight against one another in mens hearts ; no marvail then when there are such stirs within , though they break forth into quarrels and contentions without : if a man be quarrelsom in his family , no wonder if when he comes abroad , he quarrels and contends with his neighbours also . sixtly , in mens lusts there is violence , violence and peace cannot stand together . isa . . . god promises peace , and there promises , that violence should be no more heard in their land. mens lusts are boisterous and unruly , especyally when they have been acting a while ; at the first venting they seem to be fair , but after a while they grow outragious : violent and boisterous dispositions are unfit for society . you shall find in experience men who seem to be of weake spirits , of softly tempers , very remisse in what they do ordinarily , yet let the lusts of these men be engaged in any cause , to any side , o how violent and impetuous will they be ! they care not what they say or do , they will divide from god , from the publique , from their dearest friends , from their neerest relations , from what themselves have made profession of heretofore , from their credit , profit , from their own peace , from any thing , and all to serve a lust engaged in such a businesse ; it is a dangerous thing to have a mans lust engaged , nothing can stand against an engaged lust , a man runs on head-long , he will break his conscience , he will desperately endanger his eternall breaking , to maintain the engagement of his lust . ly . in the lusts of mens hearts there is an antipathy against god , against his wayes , purity of his ordinances , his saints . gen. . . i will put enmity between thee and the woman , between thy seed and her seed . in antipathy the opposition is , . in the nature of the things , therefore it s deeply rooted , it comes not in accidentally ; you may find two sheep fighting upon some accident , but the natures are not opposite , like the wolfe and the sheep . . the cause of this opposition is secret ; wicked men have their spirits rise against the godly , but they are not able to say why : the husband loved his wife while she was carnall , now god hath turned her heart she is more obedient then ever , she seeks to give him content in all things more then before , she is more usefull to him in all occasions , more faithfull , every way more lovely then before , only she is godly now , and was not so before ; but his heart is now quite off from her , he dares not say that it is for her godlinesse , if he hath any conviction himself , but so it is that now he looks upon her with an evil eye , & an estranged heart : so a wicked father or mother , who loved their child exceedingly , before god was pleased to work upon him , yet now the child is more dutiful then he was , but the heart of the father or mother is taken off from him , can hardly endure him , ready to take any exception against him , their countenances are lowring and sadd towards him , they can give no reason for this their change , but as they were wont to say of christians , such a man is a good man , but he is a christian . bonus vir caius seius sed christianus , non amo te , i love you not , but i can give no reason ; hoc tantum possum dicere , non amo te , all that i can say is this , that i do not love you . . it is a setled , constant opposition : this hath been in all generations the great cause of division between the men of the world , and the saints , and still it continues the same ; you may see the same spirit of the old opposers of godlinesse and godly men , working in our days ; the names of things may be changed , but the same kind of men for the same things are opposed and hated now in the same manner as in former generations . . it is very strong , ungodly men are exceedingly imbittered against the saints . ezek. . . because thou hast clapped thine hands , and stamped with the feet , and rejoyced in heart , with all thy despight against the land of israel : this spirit of bitternesse and indignation that was in them against the people of god , is seminally at least in all wicked men . ly . the enmity of antipathy is incurable , it can never be taken away , except one ceases to be in its nature what it was ; there can be no compounding things that are so contrary , one of them must cease to be , or turned into another nature , or else the ●pposition will be everlasting . the great divisions amongst us are those that are between the seed of the woman , and the seed of the serpent ; some division ▪ there are between those who are the seed of christ , but the great stirs in the kingdom come from the evill spirit there is in the seed of the serpent against the godly in the land. in the beginning of the parliament , when mens liberties and estates being involved in one , there was good agreement , all men rejoyced , generally the countenances of those who were not popish and prelaticall , were serene , they had comfortable aspects one upon another ; but when those whose spirits were opposite to the power of godlinesse , saw how the godly amongst them rejoyced , how their heads were lifted up , how their hearts were filled with hopes of good dayes , wherein religion should be countenanced and honoured ; that antipathy that was in their hearts against the ways of god , boy-led in them ; though they were glad that they should be freed from some burdens , yet to see those whom they hated in their hearts , to rejoyce so much , they could not beare , but their spirit rose against them , and in opposition to them they have raised these stirs , they have made these woful distractions that are amongst us . lastly , the lusts of mens hearts are the cause of our divisions , because god requires every man according to his place to make opposition against them ; the cause of the strife lyes not in those who oppose them , they do but their duty ; but in in those who nourish such lusts within them ; yet we finde it ordinarily , that those who are most corrupt will cry out against those who oppose them in their wicked wayes , as the cause of strife and divisions , as if they were the troublers of israel , whereas indeed themselves , the wicked lusts of their own hearts are the troublers of israel , those who oppose their lusts desire all good to their persons . i remember augustine in his book about the unity of the church hath this passage , the son doth more grievously persecute his father by living naughtily , then the father him by chastising him duely . sarahs maid did more trouble her by her wicked pride , then shee her maid by her deserved correction . those men who are most faulty , are the men who are to be charged to be the greatest troublers in church and state. thus in the generall , mens lusts are the cause of divisions ; but let us enquire into the particular lusts of men , which wee may also charge : wee shall find these dividing distempers to be as many as the dividing principles : as the philosopher speaks of four cardinall vertues , so the first four that i shall name i may call the four cardinall vices , these are pride , self-love , envy , passion or frowardnesse ; all the other distempers that cause divisions , have the poyson of these four at the root of them . these are the chariot wheels of the furies , or the four horses that drawes them up and down hurrying from place to place . chap. xvi . the pride of mens hearts the great dividing distemper . pride is the greatest master of mis-rule in the world , it is the great incendiary in the soule of man , in families , in townes , cities , in all societies , in church and state : this wind causeth tempests to arise . prov. . . onely by pride comes contention . the holy ghost singles out pride , as the only cause of all contentions , because it is the chief ; though there be many in a ryot , the whole usually is laid upon the ring-leaders . pride is the ring-leader to all ryots , divisions , disturbances amongst us . prov. . . proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath . pride may be well indicted for the great common barrettor in all towns , and cities , and kingdomes , it makes wofull troubles wheresoever it comes . mathematicians make this a rule to know when a thing is exactly round , and when it is exactly plaine ; round things will not touch but in puncto , if you lay plaine things together , they will touch in every part of them . proud hearts will joyne only in some things that concern themselves , but plain hearts will joyn in every thing wherein god may have glory , and their b●ethren good . g●uty swoln legs keep at distance one from another ; bladders that are blown up with wind , spurt one from another , they will not close , but if you prick them , and so let out the wind , you may pack a thousand in a little room . wee finde this by experience , when god gives us most successe in our armies , then are we most divided , then every man begins to look high , and to be sharking for himself ; and when the lord discountenances our armies , and brings us low , then we think and speak ways of accommodation , then we bewaile our divisions with some brokenness of spirit : as it is with souldiers when they are fighting against the common adversary , then they can agree well enough ; but when they come to divide the spoile , or be put into their garrisons , then they fall out : when we lye under the danger of the same common calamity , then we can agree ; but when we come to share for our selves , then our spirits swell one against another . we read in scripture of the mannah that god gave his people ; such was the nature of it that the heat of the sun melted it . you wil say , how could it then endure the heat of the oven ? for they baked it in the oven ; yet so it was , of a strange kind of nature , that it could bear the heat of the oven , and not the heat of the sun . even of such a temper are our hearts ; the heat of the sunne of prosperity dissolves us , causes us to runn one from another , but the heate of the fire of affliction bakes us , brings us , and settles us together ; it makes us to be one , it takes away our rawnesse , it consumes many of our ill humors , and so composes our spirits into one . the stupidness of our hearts is such , as we do not make our brethrens case , who suffer the rage of these wars , our owne ; but we for the present having some more liberty then formerly , we are lifted up , and in the pride of our hearts push at our brethren , and smite our fellow-servants : if the dogges be at a little distance from us , though we even heare the cryes of our brethren who are worried by them , yet we foolishly blesse our selves in our present ease , enjoyments , and hopes , as if our flesh must be spared , our estates , our liberties and enjoyments must be continued , yea raised , whatsoever becomes of others . oh sinfull vaine spirits , befooled and hardned with their pride ! but what are the severall workings of pride that make such a stir in the world ? first , a proud man thinks himself too great to be crossed , shall i beare this ? i will make you know what it is to doe such things against me ; he thinks it a great dishonour to him to beare any thing , therefore he must needs quarrel and contend , if it be but to shew what a man of spirit he is , or to shew that he is a man of such worth , as whatsoever others beare , yet it is not fit for him to bear it ; it is but reason that such a man as he should make men who will presume to crosse him , to yeeld to him , to stoop under him . now when one proud man thinks it a dishonour for him to put up wrongs from another who it may be is as proud as himself , and he thinks it a dishonor for him to put up wrong , what peace can there be ? some wrongs must be put up , but proud men will never agree who shall begin . secondly , because his spirit swells so big , he thinks every thing that crosseth him to be very great ; his sufferings are great to him according to what great thoughts he hath of himself , according to the excellency or meannesse of any person : so are his sufferings to be reckoned , sufferings of a man in eminency are judged according to his eminency and place ; if a mean man suffer the same things , they are not accounted so great ; now whether a man be great really , or in his owne apprehension , it s all one in regard of his esteem of his sufferings , he thinks himselfe therefore intollerable , because they are against himself . dan. . . is it true o shadrach ; meshach , and abednego ? do not ye serve my gods ? that which you have in your books , is it true ? arius montanus translates , nunquid de solatio : what , is there desolation made ? what , you to oppose the command of a king ? if this be suffered , what desolation must needs follow ? add indeed the root from whence the word comes , signifies desolari , to make desolate ; why ? was it a desolation that these three poor innocent men made , because they would not , nay , they could not do as this proud k. would have them ? w ht made him thus to aggravate the offence , but meerly the pride of his heart ? he thought that any thing cross to his command was a most hainous offence , a thing most horrid in the very mention of it , no lesse then the utter undoing of all things . pride ever aggravates any thing done against its owne mind . this in dan. that montanus turns , nunquid desolatio , buxtorfius translates num de industria ; what on purpose ? you doe it on purpose to provoke me ; thus proud men and women in their families , whatsoeuer children or servants do amisse ; what ? you do it on purpose to anger me , do you ? when the winde comes crosse the streame , the waters rage : so does the will and affections of a proud heart , when any thing crosseth it . ly . pride makes men swell beyond their bounds ; the way to keep all things in union is for every man to keep within his bounds , the swelling beyond tends to the breaking all in pieces . hab. . . he is a proud man , neither keepeth at home , who enlargeth his desire as hell , and cannot be satisfied . if any humour of the body goeth beyond its bounds , it brings much trouble to it , the health and peace of the body consists in the keeping of every humour within its vessell and due proportion . ly . pride hardens mens hearts . dan. . . his minde is hardned in his pride . if you would have things cleave , you must have them soft , two flints will not joyn ; the spanyard hath a proverb , lime and stone will make a wall , if one be hand , yet if the other be yeelding , there may be joyning , and good may be done , not else . ly . pride causes men to despise the persons , actions , and sufferings of others , nothing is more unsufferable to a mans spirit then to be vilified . a proud man despises what others do , and others what he does , every man next to his person , desires the honour of his actions . if these two be contemned , his sufferings will likewise be contemned by the proud : this also goes very neer to a man ; one man thinks what another man suffers is nothing , no matter what becomes of him ; another thinks his suffering's nothing , and no matter what becomes of him . o at what a distance now are mens hearts one from another ! ly . pride causes every man to desire to be taken notice of to have an eminency in some thing or other ; if he cannot be eminent on one side , he will get to the other ; he must be taken notice of one way or other : when he is in a good and peaceable way , god makes some use of him ; yet because he is not observed , and looked upon as eminent , he will rather turn to some other way , to contend , strive , to oppose , or any thing , that he may be taken notice of to be some body , that he may not goe out of the world without some noyse : what , shall such a man as i ? of such parts , such approved abilities , so endued by god to doe some eminent service , be laid aside , and no body regard me ? i must set upon some notable worke , something that may draw the eye of observance upon me . i have read of a young man , who set diana's temple on fire , and being asked the reason , he said , that he might have a name , that the people might talk of him . because he could not be famous by doing good , he would by doing evill . proud spirits wil venture the setting the temple of god , yea church and state on fire , that they may have a name , whatsoever they do or suffer ; to get a name they will rather venture , then dye in obscurity , that of all things they cannot bear . . a proud man would have others under him ; and others being proud too , would have him under them ; he would have others yield to him , and others would have him yield to them , where will the agreement then begin ? what is that which hath rent and torne the world in all ages , that hath brought woful distractions , perplexities , confusions , miseries in all countreys by wars , but the pride of a few great ones , seeking to bring one under another ? those wasting wars of the romans between sylla and marius , caesar and pompey , were they not from hence ? it is hard for men in great places , and of great spirits , to accord long . melancthon in his comment upon prov. . . says concerning such men , there was wont to be this proverb , duo montes non miscentur , two mountains will not mixe together . ly . a proud man makes his will to be the rule of his actions , and would have it to be the rule of other mens too , and other men being proud too , would have their wils the rule of though there be nothing else but pride , and in the hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dabit jurgium , give contention , if there be no cause given , it will make it . now let every man looke into his own heart , and see what pride hath been , and still is there , and be humbled before the lord for this . all you contentious , froward , quarrelsome people , you are charged this day from god to be men and women of proud spirits , and what evill there is in our sadd divisions , that pride in your bosome is a great cause of . saint paul did beat down his body , left after he had preached to others , he should become a reprobate . let us all , and especially ministers , labour to beat down our spirits , lest after all our profession and glorious shews , we at last become reprobates , at least such as god may cast out for the present in this world , taking no delight in making use of ; what in such times as these are to have hearts swoln and lift up in pride ? god is now about the staining the pride of the earth . how unseasonable and dangerous is it for a marriner to have his top-sails up , and all spread in a violent storme ? it is time then to pull downe all , lest he be sunck irrecoverably . the point of a needle will let the wind out of a bladder , and shall not the swords of god , the swords of warre and plague , that have got so deep into our bowels , let out the windy pride of our hearts ? the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe , and the lord himself will be exalted . the lord humble us , that he may reconcile us , not only to himselfe , but to one another . chap. xvi . selfe-love , the second dividing distemper . this is neer akin to the former : phil. . . let nothing be done through strife : ver. . looke not every man on his owne things , but every man also on the things of others : this is the cause of strife , because men looke so much on their owne things . many will have no peace , except their own party be followed ; jehu-like , what hast thou to do with peace ? follow me . it is not peace , but party that they mind . maxima pars studiorum est studium partium : the greatest part of their studies , is to study sides and parts . luther upon psal . . hath a notable speech , i am of that opinion , sayes he , that monarchies would continue longer then they doe , were it not for that same litte pronoun [ ego ] that same [ i ] ( my selfe . ) yea certainly could this same selfe be but laid aside , all governments and societies would not only continue longer , but flourish better . selfe-love is the cause of our divisions . first , where this prevails , men love to take in all to themselves , but let out nothing from themselves ; this must needs divide societies in church and state , for they are bodies ; if one member in the body takes in all to it selfe , and le ts out nothing from it self to other members ; as suppose the arme or leg takes in all the blood and spirits that comes into strengthen it selfe , and when it hath got them in there keeps them , and le ts out none to another member , how soon would the members drop one from another ? the whole world is maintained by mutual communication of one creature to another ; take away that , and the world dissolves presently . ly . those who are acted by self-love , have no common ends to joyn them , therefore they cannot close ; if they be imployed in publike service , they quickly warp to their private ends . take two boards never so straight , yet if one be seasoned and the other green , they will lye close a while , but ere long you wil find that the unseasoned wil divide from the other by warping , especially when heat coms to it . thus many at the first , oh who but they for the publike , for the common their actions , and of his too . thus the blustering winde of pride in mens hearts causes them to justle one against another , and so to split themselves one upon another ; as where many ships lye together , a violent wind breaking their anchor-cables , causes them to dash one upon another , and so to make shipwrack even in the haven . . a proud man opposes others , because they have begun such a worke ; and others , who are also proud , oppose him , because he hath begun it . the senators of rome could have been content to have admitted christ to have been amongst the number of their gods , but only upon this , they refused because the motion began not with them . many amongst us have no other reason why they oppose good motions , but because they were not first in them ; they are loth to break the yee , to begin a good work , if they see any difficulty in it , and yet the cause of god must not goe on , christ must not be admitted , if they have not been at the beginning : like two men carrying a long piece of timber in at a narrow passage , one man will goe before , and the other man will go before , they can never carry it in , because they cannot agree who shall goe formost . . one proud man is conceited of what he doth , because it is his own way ; and another proud man is conceited of what he doth , because it is his own way , and so men draw divers ways , and the publique cause of god and his people must give way to their conceitness . pride makes a man drunk with his own conceits , hab. . . the proud man is as he that transgresseth by wine ; and drunkards you know are quarrelsome . wonder not at an absurd thing in a proud man , for pride makes him drunk . prov. . . proud men who cause contention , are opposed to the well advised , but with the well advised ( cum consultis ) is wisdome . the sept. reads it , the wise are such at know themselves , but the proud do not . . proud men will venture upon things unseemly , thinking their esteem and greatnesse will bear them out ; and others who are proud will venture upon the like , upon the same ground , for every man is ●eady to have high thoughts of himself . psal . . . deliver me from presumptuous sins , a superbis , so some , ab insolentibus , so others , from proud , from insolent sins . pride makes insolent . a proud man , sayes the philosopher , is a faigner of boldnesse and valour , and therefore will foolishly venture upon any thing . . if there is any thing to be done that is conceived to be mean and low , a proud man will seek to put it upon others , and others who are proud will seek to put it upon him , and if it be a work of credit , then he seeks it to himself , and others seek it to themselves , and hence are jarrings and divisions . . if there be any good successe in any thing , then pride makes one man attribute it to himselfe , and another man attribute it to himself ; and if the successe be ill , then one puts it off from himself , and and another from himself , and thus quarrels and contentions are raised and fomented . . one proud man thinks himself the only worthy man to have his counsel followed , and his desires satisfied , and the other he thinks himself the man that should have his counsell followed , and his desires satisfied , and thus men struggle and oppose one another . lastly , one proud man is very discerning in the discovery of pride in another ; and though he entertains it in his owne bosome , yet he hates it in others wheresoever he sees it : this is a peculiar curs● upon this sin , one drunkard loves another , one whoremaster another , but one proud man hates another . this is exemplified notably in boniface the second , bishop of rome , he says of aurelius bishop of carthage , and of the rest of those who were present at the sixth councel of carthage , that through the instigation of the devil , they swelled with pride against the roman church , he means against the supremacy of it , for it was spoken upon the submission of eulalius bishop of carthage , to the chair of rome . behold the proud bishop of rome , who would have all the preheminence himself , swells with pride against the pride of others . here we see what a make-bate pride is ; that which tertullus said to felix , act. . . is true of humility , by thee we enjoy great quietnesse ; but the contrary is as true of pride , by thee are made wofull divisions , by thee we suffer miserable disturbance . though there be no occasion of quarrel , yet pride wil make some ; only by pride comes contention , as before , pro. . . good ; but there being a principle of selfe within , like the sap in the board , when they began to feel heat , some difficulties rising , they warp●d to their own ends , and divided from those they were imployed with . mens private ends are narrow , they cannot drive on them , but they wil meet with one another , & justle one another , quarrel , contend , and fight for the way ▪ as car-men doe when they meet in narrow streets , and boat-men in narrow passages . if we had publique ends , our way would be broad enough , we might to on peaceably and comfortably without , without prejudice to one another . if a man lived alone , then he might goe on quietly in his way , only god would meet him in it ; but seeing men live in the world amongst others , they must consider , that if they will drive on their own designs , & work their own end , other men have designs and ends to drive on and work as well as they : it is therefore impossible but you will crosse and be crossed , you will vex and fret at others , and others will vex and fret at you . whatsoever is such , sayes tullie , wherein many cannot excell , in that there is for the most part such contention , as society can hardly be kept entire . ly . self makes every man judg of things according to w ht is in himself . i have read of blackmores , when they paint an angel , they paint him black like themselves ; and when they paint the devil , they paint him white , as much different from themselves as they can : thus men acted by selfe , the foulest , blackest opinon , yet if sutable to their judgments , they wil set out like angels with the fairest glosses that may be ; and that which is truth , if disagreeing from them , they will paint it out in the foulest manner that can be ; they labor so to besmear it , that if it be possible it shall looke like a devil . if a selfish man be conscious of not having that which is commendable , he will not believe that others hath it : as nero being abominably filthy , would not believe there was any chast man in the world : whatsoever evil he doth , he thinks all men if they had the like opportunity , would do the same ; if they have plots to fetch about their own ends , they think every man is plotting too . . selfe makes much stir and trouble , for it is a very odious thing ; omne affectatum odiosum : as vermine are odious , because they only take into themselves , consume thinge , and are no way useful to any thing else . when any thing doth but smell of self , it begins to be loathed , let a man have never such excellent parts , do never such excellent things , yet if self appears , the loveliness and glory of all is gone ; therefore those men that act selfe , they had need be very cunning , to keep in and hide it ; herein appears what a vile thing selfe is , that though in truth it acts all , and receives the incomes of all , yet it dares not appeare , but lies sculking under all the covers it can ; how vile ▪ is this selfe , for which all must be done , which thou makest thy god , yet cannot in the least appeare , but is odious and abominable to every one ? yea it is conscious to it self , that it is so , and therefore dares not appear ; yet the acting of it is very mischievous to all humane societies . fiftly , there is this wickednesse in self-love , that even those things that men acknowledge to be right and good in the generall , yet if in the particular they shall not sute with something they would have , it will put men upon the opposing it ; and what peace and union can there be amongst men , if what they will grant and commend to be good , yet when it falls crosse to them , they will oppose and contend against ? thus acts . . vnto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving god night and day hope to come , for which hopes sake i am accused of the jewes . the twelve tribes , the whole body of the jewes constantly grant the promise of the resurrectio● , and yet in malice to me they accuse me of this ; or if not so , yet they are willing that i should sink in this cause : just as many ministers were wont in their pulpits to commend highly the wayes of religion , to exhort men to grow up in godlinesse , to be carefull of all their wayes ; but when some of their parishioners did but practice in the particular , what themselves had commended to them in the generall , they would hate them , and persecute them for it . god deliver us from such a spirit . sixtly , selfe causes men who are in publique employment to keepe up their private jarres and grudges , to interrupt the publike , they will crosse one another in their work for the publike ; let that suffer , so they may let one another feel of their private grudges : in this christians are beneath heathens . i have read of aristides and themistocles , who had many jarrings between themselves , but being both employed in the work of the common-wealth , in an embassage , as they went over the mountains , one sayes thus to the other , let us lay downe all our private grudges upon these mountaines , at least till our businesse be over , and if there shall be just cause when we have done our worke for the common-wealth , we may then examine them . it were happy with us , if all men in publique employment in this land would from their hearts speak thus to one another , but men are selfish and cannot do it : hence comes so many of our breaches and divisions . ly . selfe causes men not to see their own evils ; or if they do , to indulge themselves in them , but to be quick-sighted and severe in the discovering and opposing those evils there are in others , and this causes many breaches and fallings out . we may apply that of the apostle , cor. . love covereth a multitude of faults to selfe-love . selfish men see little evill in themselves , al is ever well with them whatsoever others do ; and the more they cocker themselves , the more severe they are to others ; but christ would have the quite contrary , severity to our selves , but indulgence to others ; those that are so , are the most peaceable men . mat. . . if thy hand or foote offend thee , cut them off , and ●ast them from thee ; or if thine eye offend thee , plucke it out . we must deale severely with our selves in those things that are as neer and dear to us as our hands and eyes ; but vers . . when christ gives order how we are to deale with our brethren , he then requires more moderation ; if thy brother offends thee , goe and tell him his fault between thee and him alone ; if he will not hear thee , then take with thee one or two more , and see what thou ca●st doe with him that way ; yea , and after that tell the church , not presently cut him off , or cast him away , as you must do when your hand or eye offends you ; if men have any indulgence , let it be exercised towards their brethren ; if they have any severity , let them exercise that against themselves . i remember i have read of pliny , that he says of himself , that he so passed by other mens offences , as if himselfe were the greatest offender ; and hee was so ●evere against himself , as if he meant to pardon none . if it were so with us , we should live at more peace one with another then we do . . selfishnesse causes reservednesse ; great self-lovers never care for communion but with such as are either far above them , that so they may get from them , and have credit by conversing with them , or with those that are under them , for they will admire them , they may rule amongst them : in the company of either of these , they will let out themselves fully ; but if there be an equality , then you shall have little from them , there is nothing to draw forth selfe , there soone growes a strangenes between them and such , union will not hold where communion is not free ; if there be but an interruption of the freedome of communion , the union will soon break . you will say , these were wont to be very entire friends , how came they to break ? what hath either of them done ? what unkindnesse hath befalne them ? none at all , onely that principle of selfe was not so fully fed as it would be ; upon that they began to be reserved , and so strange , and at last quite fell off from one another , from former love and friendship , and then every little thing caused grudgings between them . ninthly , self sets mens wits on work in all cunning craftinesse , to fetch others about to their own ends , and this goes as much against a mans spirit as any thing : when he comes to discern it , no man can abide to be circumvented , to be as it were rid upon , to be made serviceable only to another mans ends : the more cunning there is in it , the more odious and abominable it is to a mans spirit , when it comes once to be perceived , a man cannot bear it . crooked windings are the goings of the serpent : but if a man shall not onely seek to make use of another to serve his own turne by him , but after he hath done that , then to cast him off to shift for himselfe ; this is so provoking a thing , as it make breaches irreconciable . . when one is for self in his wayes , he teaches another to be so in his ; as a man by conversing with the froward , learns to be froward : so many who have heretofore had plain hearts , full of love & sweetnes , yet by being acquainted much with selfish politique men , learn to be so too ; i see how he hooks in himselfe in every thing , fetches about this way and that way , but still gets it to come to selfe ; i perceived it not at my first acquaintance with him , and then my heart was let out to him fully , but now i see every man is for himself , and why should not i be so too ? and what then is like to become of the publique ? surely this selfishnesse is very vile in the eyes of god ; god hath made us members of a community , the universe is maintained by union , therefore the creatures will venture the destroying themselves in going contrary to their natures , rather then there should not be union in the world ; that which they do in a natural way , we should do by the strength of reason , much more by grace . philosophers say there cannot be a vacuity in the world ; the world could not stand , but would be dissolved , if every part were not filled , because nature subsists by being one ; if there were the least vacuity , then all things should not be joyned in one , there would not be a contiguity of one part with another . this is the reason that water will ascend when the ayre is drawn out of a pipe , to fill it ; this is to prevent division in nature ; o that we had but so much naturalnesse in us , that when we see there is like to be any breach of union , we would be willing to lay down our self-ends , to venture our selves , to be any thing in the world that is not sin , that we may help to a joyning : o foolish heart , that in such a time as this art selfish , when the danger is publike ! as in a storm , when the ship is in danger , if every mariner should be busie about his own cabbin , dressing and painting that , what infinite sottish folly were it ? and is it not our case ? it were just with god to leave thee to thy self hereafter , if thou wilt look so much to thy selfe now . ezek. . . and thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy selfe in the sight of the heathen , and thou shalt know that i am the lord : this is in a way of threat , as appears if you compare it with vers . , . woe to us if god leaves us to our selves . i have heard of a story of a fool being left in a chamber , and the door locked , and all the people gone , he cries out at the window , oh my selfe , my selfe , o my selfe , nothing else came from him but o my self . such fools have we amongst us now , nothing but selfe is in their thoughts , their hearts and endeavourt . the apostles complaint , phil. . . may justly be ours , all seeke their own , not the things which are iesus christs : their own things , that is , says chrysostome , their pleasure and their security , their temporal commodities , their profits , their honours : so others , why are not the comforts , the safeties , the honours of the saints the things of christ , doth not christ own them ? are they not under his protection and care ? ans . yes , and he would own them more , if we owned them lesse ; the more we deny them , the more hath he a care of them : we may by our giving them up to the honour of christ , make them to be amongst the number of his things , and then they would be precious indeed : but by desiring them , using them , rejoycing in them , in reference to our selves , christ accounts them not amongst his things , things of a higher nature are his things , the glory of his father , the propagation of the gospel , the spiritual good of his people , and the things of eternall life , they are his things ; let us make his things ours , and he will make our things his . chap. xviii . the third dividing distemper , envy . envie is a squint-eyed foole , job . . envie stayeth the silly one . jam. . . if yee have bitter envying and strife in your hearts . envy is a bitter thing , and causes strife , and makes that bitter too : so vers . . where envying and strife is . gal. . . hatred , variance , emulations , wrath , strife , seditions , heresies , envyings . cor. . . there is among you envying , strife , divisions . envy made divisions between angels and men ; it was the fist sinne , not the first born of the devill , but that which t●rned angels into devils . the first heart-division amongst men was between gain & abel , and what caused it but envy ? who can stand before envy ? she is subtil , undermining , dares not appear at the first : but if she cannot be satisfied with her under-works , then she flings , ●ends , frets , and fights , uses violence , seeks to raise a contrary faction , fals on any thing in the world so be it mischief may be done , let become of gods glory , of service to the publike , of saving souls , rather then that steem , respect and honour that otherwise might be had , should not be obtained ; all must come under , all must be serviceable to this base lust , rather then the glory of an envious man must be eclipsed , god himself and his blessed truth must be darkned : o hideous wickednesse and high impudence against the god of heaven ! envy divides in counsels , in instruments , actions , in all proceedings ; she will make use of good to oppose that which is good ; if she cannot raise evil men to oppose good , she will seek to get good men to oppose ; she would make god contrary to himselfe , she would strike at god with his owne sword . phil. . . some preach christ out of envy . as envy makes use of good for evill , so god makes use of this evill for good : many seek to excell in preaching , or otherwise , by this means ; and sayes s. paul , howsoever i doe rejoyce , and will rejoyce . if envy cannot reach others by imitation , she will reach them by calumniation . zoilus the common slanderer , being asked why he spake evil of such and such men ? because , sayes he , i can doe no evill to them . if there be any good done , that she seeks to blast , together with the instruments of it ; if any evil , that she rakes into , and feeds upon , like that bird ibis in africa , that eats serpents . luther sayes , envious men feed upon the dung of other men ; they are like flies , that love to be upon sores . erasmus tels of one , who collected all the lame defective verses in homer , and passed over all that were so excellent . when you see a man seeking to rake and gather together all he can of any distempers , disorders , mistakes , miscarriages by hear-sayes , letters , or any way , so be it he may fill up his dung-cart ; and for the good , the graces or gifts of god in men , those are laid aside , or slightly passed over , if at all mentioned , it is with some dirt mingled : surely this is an envious man fitted for strife and debate , whom god permits to be an affliction to his people , in raising up a spirit of strife and contention , and causing divisions amongst them , like the kite , who passes over faire medowes , and pleasant fields , not regarding them , till she meets with a carrion , there she fals and fastens , now she is upon her prey where she would be : how pleasant is it to some men to hear of , or find out evil in others whom they doe not love ? to say no worse , you know how it hath been an old practise , to seek to get any thing by reports , or any other wayes that might blast the professors of religion ; and how glad were they ? how did it please them at the heart if they could meet with any thing that might serve their turne ? this is a very shamefull distemper , some men will upon occasion confesse they fear other men , and others that they love not other men , or that they contemn others , but no man will acknowledge that he envies others , there is too much shame in this , to be owned by any . the impiety and wickednesse is not lesse , it is a monstrous wickednesse for a man to complaine of god , that he made the world no better ; and yet such wickednesse there is in some mens hearts , but what is it then to complaine of , and quarrel with god , that he hath made the world , or any part of it so well ? this the envious man doth . an envious man cannot endure to see others better then himselfe , or to have more respect then himself . it is reported of licinius an intimate familiar with constantine the great , who also married his sister , but fell off to be a desperate enemy against christians , alledging this to be the reason , because in their assemblies they prayed for constantine , and not for him . envious men , whether they deserve respect or no , yet if others have it , and not themselves , they rage , and are mad . there is no vice but hath some kind of opposition to some other , as covetousnesse to prodigality , &c. but envy only opposeth that which is good , and all good , therefore there is nothing in it but evil , and an universal evil . gulielmus parisiensis brings in gregory , saying , that all the poyson in the old serpent is in this sinne , as if it had emptied it selfe of its poyson , and vomited it in this sinne , so much venome there is in it . is it not a very evill thing , that in mens opposition against what they see others desire , they should give this reason why it should not be suffered , because if it be , the greater part of the most godly people in all places will joyn with it ? this brings to mind what i have read in ecclesiasticall history : in the second century , the emperour adrian would have build a church for the honour of christ void of images , because such was the custome of the christians ; but his friends disswaded him , saying , if he did so , all men would forsake the temples of the gods , and become christians . i find in that learned piece of voetius , desperata causa papatus , a notable story of ray●erius a popish inqui●●tor , he exclaims against the waldenses , those poor men of lio●s ( as he calls them ) he sayes there was never any more pernicious sect then that ; and i pray why ? he gives . reasons ; first , that it is very ancient ; some say ( says he ) it hath continued from the time of sylvester ; others , from the times of the apostles . secondly , it is so generall , there is scarce any countrey but this hath got into it . thirdly , whereas others are guilty of blasphemy against god , upon which they are abhorred , these appeare to be holy men , they live justly , their beliefe of god is right , they believe all the articles in the creed ; we can finde no fault with them either for their lives , or for their doctrine , onely they are against the church of rome , in which the people are ready to joyne with them . these are strange accusations ; for do not they themselves make all these the signs of the true church ? and yet are these poor men so vile , because such things are found amongst them . surely , it is envy that imbitters the spirits of men against others , because they see in them those things which they cannot but acknowledg to be good , and herein the great evill of envy , that malignity of it , by which it causeth such great contentions does appear , they are angry they can find no evill in them , whereby they may get advantage against them . the holy ghost say , that envy is rottennesse to the bones ; the same learned man guliel . paris . applyes this to such as are chief in church and common-wealth , who are as it were the bones , the strength , the support of the societies whereof they are ; envy , says he , is often found amongst them , and it is rottennesse to them . this vile sin hath caused a rot in many men of eminent abilities and places , who might otherwise have done much service for god & his people in church and common-wealth : oh it is a michievous sin . take away envy , says augustine , and what is mine , you have ; take away envy , and what is yours , i have . we read acts . of barnabas , that hee was a good man , and fu●l of the holy ghost , and he was a man of a cleaving disposi●ion , of an uniting temper , ver . . he exhorted them that with full purpose of heart they would cleave to the lord : this man was free from envy , for the text sayes , when he had seen the grace of god , he was glad : he rejoyced in , and blessed god for the grace he saw in his saints . do you envy for my sake , says moses ? i would to god all the people of the lord did prophesie . moses was a fit man for publike service , who was so void of envy ; no men are so fit for publike employment as such who can bles god that he is pleased to make use of others as wel as , yea beyond themselves . it was a good speech of that gracious holy , old disciple mr. dod lately deceased , i would to god says he , i were the worst minister in england ; not wishing himselfe worse then he was , but all ministers better . the fourth dividing distemper , passion . prov. . . an angry man stirreth up strife . passion is so opposite to union , that prov. . . the holy ghost would have us make no friendship with an angry man. first , this fire of anger burns asunder the bands of union , the bands of relation , as nebudhadnezzars fire did the bands of the three children . a froward heart car●● not for any relations . what makes divisions between husband & wife , brother and brother , servants and masters , and mistresses , neighbour and neighbour , but passionate forwardnesse ? secondly , this fire burns asunder the bands by which mens lusts were tyed up and kept in ; it sets mens lusts at liberty . the lusts of mens hearts are like a bed of snakes in the cold , but the heat of passion warming them , causes them to crawl and hisse . what a stir would the lions in the tower mak● , and the bears in paris-garden , if they were let loose ? passion lets mens lion-like lusts loose . philosophers say of the inferiour orbes , that were they not kept in , restrained in their motion by the primum mobile , they would set all the world on ●ire : if our lower affections , especially this of anger , be not kept in and ordered by reason and religion , they wil set all on ●ire . passion makes men and women to be lawlesse , boundlesse , carelesse . men know not what they doe in their anger ; this raises such a smoak , that they cannot see their way ; the more corrupt the heart is , the greater and the more noysome is the smoke raised by this fire in the heart . put fire to wet straw , and filthy stuffe , oh what a filthy smoke arises ! lev. . . we read of a leprosie breaking out of a burning ; seldome doe mens passions burne , but there is a leprosie breaking out of that burning , and what union can there be with such ? it froward people were dealt withall like the lepers , shut up from others , we should have more peace . some men when once their anger is got up , they will never have done , we can have no quiet with them ; this fire in them is like that of hel , unquenchable . the dog-dayes continue with them all the year long . seven devils can better agree in one mary magdalen , then seven froward people in one family . if one should set the beakons on fire upon the landing of every cock-boat , what continuall combustions and tumults would there be in the land ? those men who upon every trifle are all on a fire by their passions , and what in them lies set others on fire , do exceedingly disturb the peace of those places where they live , those societies of which they are . their hot passions cause the climate where they live to be like the torrid zone , too hot for any to live near them . christ is the prince of peace , and the devil is the prince of divisions . hence that expression of the holy ghost , ephes . . . let not the sun goe down upon your wrath , neither give place to the devil : you are loth to give place to your brother , you will say , what , shall i yield to him ? you will not yeeld to him , but you will yeeld to him that is worse , to the devil . so you doe when you yield to wrath . there are divers other dividing distempers that we shall speak to ; but for the present let us make use of the great mercy of god towards us that yesterday we solemnized in a publick thanksgiving ; let us see how we may improve this glorious work of god for the closing of our spirits , the healing our divisions . it cals to us aloud to joyn , oh let your hearts joyn . there are : arguments in this great work of god , to perswade us to union . first , there hath appeared much of gods presence in this his great work . i will praise thee o lord , for thou hast done it , ps . . . the lord hath appeared wonderfully , his naked arm hath been revealed , his right hand hath become glorious in power . those who were present saw much of god in this work . they send to us to give god the glory , and all the countrey about sent still to tell us how much of god they have seen in this . but how is this an argument for us to unite ? suppose children or servants were wrangling one with another , were not this an argument to make them be quiet , your father is here ? your mr. is come ? will not all be whist presently ? god is come amongst us , wee may see the face of god in what he hath done for us , and shall we be quarrelling before his face ? but . days before this great goodnesse of god , by speciall order from the house of commons , there was a day set apart to humble our souls before the lord , and to seek him for this mercy that now we rejoyce in , & in our humiliation was not this one great sinne we did confess our divisions ? did we not then acknowledg that it were righteous with god because of our divisions , to give us up as a prey to our adversarie● ? now then , have not our divisions overcom gods goodnes , lest gods goodness overcome our divisions ? suppose there had been a day of humiliation set apart to mourn under the heavy hand of god against us in delivering us up into the hands of our enemies , as ( through his mercy we have had a day of thanksgiving , to blesse him for our deliverance from them ) would not this sinn have been the matter of a great part of the comfession of all your ministers ? oh the divisions that are amongst us ! thou hast dealt righteously with us . our wraths were up one against another , and just it is with thee o lord to let out the rage of the adversary upon us ; & shall we yet continue in that after a mercy , which we have confessed might justly have prevented the mercy ? shall we stil be guilty of that which our consciences tell us would have been the burden of them , as the just ●ause of our misery , if the lord had come against us in his sore displeasure ? god forbid . let not that evill now be found in us , that would have galled our consciences , if mercy had been denyed us . . we are delivered from being devoured by our enemies ; shal we now devour one another ? oh unworthy we of such a deliverance as this . it went ill with us in the beginning of the fight , but god looked mercifully upon us , his bowels wrought , if i come not in for their help . these ungodly men wil devour my servants , howsoever they have been faire to some , because yet they have not attained their own ends ; but if they prevail here , they will account all their own , and then they will begin to exercise that cruelty that yet hath not been heard of , but it shall not be , my heart cannot bear the cries of my servants under such cruelties as i foresee . do you think this was gods end in delivering us from being devoured of our enemies , that we may be devoured one of another ? we read ezek. . , . the prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his skirt , which was to signifie a few of the people which were preserved from that common calamity , but after these were cast into the fire , and fire came forth from these to all the house of israel . polanus upon the place hath this note , that grievous evils may come upon those who have been preserved from former common miseries , and those who for a while have been preserved by their contentions and divisions , may be the cause of woful evil to others . god forbid that this text should be fulfilled in us . let not a fire come from us , who yet are so graciously preserved , to devour the house of israel . ly . god in this work of his hath joyned severall sorts of instruments , men of severall opinions ; he hath made them one to do us good , why should not we be one in the enjoyment of that good ? let the one part , and let the other part have their due honour under god , in the mercy god hath made use of both , and why may not both enjoy the fruit of this mercy together in the land ? fiftly , we were not without some feares , lest god should leave us in the work of reformation begun ; but now god speaks aloud to encourage us , he tels us he owns the worke . now what doth this require of us ? a little logick will draw the consequence , hath god declared himself that he intends to go on in this work he hath begun ? then let us all joyn together , to further it , to the uttermost we can ; let us not exasperate the spirits of one another in ways of strife and opposition , but let every one set his hand and hand to this worke , that he may be able to say . oh lord god , thou that knowes● the secrets of all hearts , knowest that upon this great mercy of thine , my heart was so moved , that whatsoever i could possibly see to be thy will for the furtherance of this great work of reformation , and that i was able to doe , i did set my selfe to doe it , and am resolved to spend my streng●h and life in it . if every one did thus , oh what glory might god have from this mercy of his ! ly . when the lord comes to us with mercies , and such great mercies , he expects we should rejoyce in them , and sing praise ; but how can we sing without harmony ? prayer requires an agreement . mat. . . if two of you shall agree on earth touching any thing they shall aske , it shall be done for them . surely praise requires agreement much more . psalms out of tune are harsh to the eare ; disagreement of heart is much more to the spirit of god. . surely when god hath done so much for us , it must be acknowledged to be our duty , to study what sacrifice would be best pleasing to him ; some sacrifice we must offer : if there be any more acceptable to him then other , surely he deserves it no. if a friend had done some reall kindness for you , you would be glad to know what might be most gratefull to him , wherein you might testifie your thankfulness : is this in your hearts ? do you now say , oh that we did but know what is the thing that would be most plea●ing to god ; what sacrifice would smell sweetest in his nostrils ! the lord knowes we would fain offer it , whatsoever it be . i will tell you , that we would lay aside our divisions , our frowardnesse , that we would abandon our contentions and strife , that we would put on the bowels of mercies , kindnesse , humblenesse of minde , meekenesse , long-suffering , forbearing one another , forgiving one another ; if any man hath a quarrell against any , even as christ forgave you , so also do ye , col. . . and . pet. . . a mee●e and a quiet spirit is in the ●ight of god of great price , it is much set by , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . psal . . . the sacrifice of god , that which is in stead of all sacrifices , is a broken spirit . our hearts have been broken one from another in our unhappy divisions , oh that now they could break one towards another in love and tenderness ! here would be a sacrifice more esteemed of god , then thousands of rams , and ten thousand rivers of oyle : loving mercy , and walking humbly is preferred above such sacrifices , micah . . ly . god might have sode●'d us together by the fire of his wrath , he might have made our blood to have been our cement to have joyned our stinty hearts together ; but it is otherwise , god seeks to draw us to himselfe , and one to another by the cords of love , the allurings of his mercy . ninthly , what can have that power to take off the sowrnesse of mens spirits like mercy ; the mercy of a god ? surely if any thing possibly can sweeten them , that must needs do it . we read sam. . , , . a notable experiment of the efficacy of mercy to sweeten mens hearts . after saul had slain the ammonites , some of the bosterous spirits would have had him to have slain those who formerly had rejected him ; but mark sauls answer , ver . . there shall not a man be put to death this day : why ? for this day the lord hath wrought salvation in israel . though saul at another time was a man of a harsh and cruell spirit , yet now mercy sweetens him ; that which he was one day by the sense of mercy , that should we be not only in the day of our thanksgiving , but in the course of our lives . when salvation came to the house of zacheus , o what a sweet temper was he in ! behold , halfe of my goods i give to the poore , and if i have wronged any one , i restore foure-fold . salvation is this day come to the kingdome , o that all we had hearts to say , if wee have wronged any , wee will restore ; if wee have wronged any in their names , by word , or writing , any way , we will restore : mercy and love calls for mercy and love ; if we were in a right tune , there would be a sympathy between the bowels of god and ours ; as in two lures , if the string in one be wound up to be answerable to the other , if you then strike one string , the other will move though lying at a distance : now gods love , gods bowels move , let our love , our bowels move answerably . . god shewes that he can owne us notwithstanding all our infirmities : was ever kingdome in a more distempered condition then ours hath been of late ? and yet the lord hath owned us : why should not we own our brethren , notwithstanding their infirmities ? why should our divisions cause u● to call off one another , seeing our divisions from god hath not provoked him to cast us off ? . is it not in our desires , that this great victory might be pursued , that it might not be lost , as others ( in great part ) have been ? surely it cannot be pursued better , then to take this advantage of it , to unite our selves more together then ever we have done . this would strike as great a terror into the hearts of our adversaries as the victory hath done . lastly , we had need take heed of breaches , lest god should be provoked to change his administrations toward us ; if there be so much choller in the stomack , that sweet meats are turned into choller , it were just with god to come with bitter and sowr pils to purge out our choller . we read jude , ver . . the lord saved the people out of the land of egypt , yet afterward he destroyed them that believed not ; the lord hath granted us a great salvation from our enemies , who would have brought us into egyptian bondage . we have been singing the song of moses , we have been praising god according to that , apoc. . . but let us take heed that yet god be not provoked against us , for we are not out of all danger ; as they by not believing , so we by not agreeing , but contending and quarrelling may at l●st be destroyed . you know how the lord of that servant to whom . talents were given , tooke it , that he should presently go to his fellow-servant who ought him but a hundred pence , and lay hands on him , and take him by the throat , and say , pay that thou owest , and cast him into prison , mat. . . if men be not mollified by this mercy , they will be hardened , they will use their brethren worse then they did before , the rather , because they would declare to all the world , that they make no such interpretation of this mercy , as that god would have them have further tender regard towards , to seek union and peace with , to beare with or yeeld unto their brethren more then before ; it is not unlikely but temptation may be suggested to do some act the more against them , either now or within a while , to wipe away any conceit of any such an interpretation of this gracious work of god for us . but those who are of gracious & peaceable spirits , should take the hint of this , and goe to all they know , who have been at distance one from another , of whom they may have hope to doe good , and seek to mollifie their spirits , to know what it is they have one against another , what prejudices , what hard thoughts have been entertained by them , and by all meanes they are able to remove them , that so we loving & delighting in one another , the lord may love us , and delight in us , nad shew mercy to us yet more and more . chap. xix . the fifth dividing distemper ( rigidnesse ; ) the sixth , rashnesse , the seventh , wilfulnesse ; the eighth , vnconstancy . rigid , harsh , sowre , crabbed , rough-hewn spirits are unfit for union ; there is no sweetness , no amiableness , no pleasingnesse in them , they please themselves in a rugged austereness , but are pleasing to none else in all their ways ; they will abate nothing of their own , nor yeeld any thing to others : this is against the rule of the apostle , rom. . , , . we must not please our selves , but let every one please his neighbour for his good to edification ; and this , according to the example of christ , who pleased not himselfe . this is the duty not of weake men only , who had need please others , because they have need of others , but ver . . those that are strong ought not to please themselves , but seek to please others : men who are of austere spirits affecting a gravity which turns to a dull , sullen , sternnesse , they think it to be the commendations of the strength of their spirits , that they can carry themselves as they doe towards others , seeking altogether content to themselves without any yeeldableness to others ; no , that is but lightnesse and weaknes in men , they are of a more staid and strong temper then to do so : these men by their wisdome do very much sinn against the wisdome of the holy ghost in this scripture ; yea , and against the example of jesus christ , who as in his whole course manifested tenderness , gentleness , affableness , amiableness towards weak ones , who were infinitely beneath him , and here is set forth unto us to be one who pleased not himself , far from this rigid harsh temper : those swords are not of the best tempered metall who will not bend but stand stiff , but such as yeeld and bend with most ease , and stand streight again ; neither are those dispositions the best , who are the stiffest ; but such as are most yeeldable , and yet stand streight too . this harsh and rigid spirit makes mens gifts and graces to be very unuseful . when plato saw xenocrates of an austere rigid temper , he advised him to sacrifice to the gra●es , that he might have more mildnesse , fearing that otherwise his parts and learning would be unprofitable . the jews observe upon exo. . . that no iron was in the stuffe of the tabernable ; rigid iron spirits are very unfit for church work . levit. . . they shall no more sacrifice to devills : the word translated devils , signifies rough ones ; devils had their names from thence ; this is the name of a satyr , isa . . . the rough one . the spirit of god is a dove-like sweet spirit , but the spirit of the devill is a rough harsh spirit , the spirit of a satyr . prov. . . he that is cruell , troubleth his owne flesh . that word here translated cruell , the septuagint elsewhere translates it by a word that signifies rigid , stiffe , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , jer. . . men of such tempers are very troublesome to themselves , to their families , to all with whom they converse : if a smith would joyn two pieces of iron , he must first file them , or beat them smooth : if the joyner would joyn two pieces of wood , he must plain them : except our spirits be filed , beaten smooth , or plained , they are unfit for joyning . the sixth dividing distemper , rashnesse . acts . . ye ought to be quiet , and do nothing rashly . doing thing● rashly , and quietnesse , are opposed . . rashnesse makes men engage themselves suddenly in businesse , before they have examined it well : this causes much trouble , for if a man be engaged he lies under a temptation to goe on in it : as chron. . . when the man of god came to amaziah , to take him off from a busin●sse he was engaged in ; o but says he , what shall i do for the hundred talents i have given out already ? thus many answer to the truth of god that would take them off from what they are engaged in , but what shall i do for my credit that lyes engaged ? ly . rashnesse causes men suddenly to provoke others ; whereas did they consider what ill consequences might come of it , they would forbear . rash men quickly take hold of the sword of justice to hack and hew ; they think that what they do is according to reason : but they do not wisely weigh things in the ballance of justice . remember , justice 〈◊〉 a ballance as well as a sword. prov. . . a foole uttereth all his mind . the sept. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , utters all his anger . rash fools by uttering their anger , suddenly cause great stirre and trouble where ever they come . the hebrew word that signifies a fool , and that which signifies suddenly , rashly , is from the same root . ly . when peace sometimes is even concluded , and there is great joy in hope of a comfortable agreement , rashnesse will suddenly break it without any due consideration . o that that promise isa . . . were fulfilled among us . the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge . rash men think they presently understand all that is knowable in such a busisinesse , and thence presume to make sudden determinations ; but as over-hasty digestion causes wind , and brings much trouble to the body ; so over-hasty resolutions to mens spirits and to societies . the seventh dividing distemper , wilfulnesse . i think i may say in most men , will is the axletree , lust and passions are the wheels , whereupon almost all their actions are carried : where there is much will , though the thing be little about which men contend , yet the opposition may be great ; as a little stone thrown with a strong arme , may take deep impression . it is a dangerous thing to have mens wills ingaged in matters of difference , it is easier to deal with twenty mens reasons , then with one mans will : a man of a wilfull stout spirit , stands as a stake in the midst of a steam , le ts all passe by him , but he stands where he was ; what hope can there be of union , where there will be no yielding ? one mans will raiseth anothers , set will to will they may dash one against another , but not like to close , to get into one another . a wilful man thinks it is beneath a wise man to alter his way ; yea , it may be he thinks it a dishonour to the truth , that both he , his profession , and the honour of god shall suffer by it ; when a stubborn self-willednes is taken for a right constancy and setlednesse , it is very strong in men ; but let us take heed of this , it is no matter though we go back from our former assertions , so long as we go forward to the truth . luther was called an apostate ; i am so , says he , but it is from errour to truth . many times stoutnesse of spirit comes from weakenesse rather then strength ; there is not always the greatest strength of judgment where there is the greatest strength of will : as a mans judgment that is without prejudice is very strong , so a mans prejudice that is without judgment is as strong : the dullest horses are not always the most easily reigned . i know and am perswaded , says the apostle , rom. . . many men are perswaded before they know ; those who are perswaded before they know , wil not be perswaded to know . mens wills will not suffer their understandings to consider ; if they doe consider , they will not suffer them to be convinced ; if they be convinced , they will not suffer them to acknowledge that they are convinced . it is dishonest for a man not to give in his bond when the debt is paid ; so for a man not to acknowledg himselfe convinced , but stand out against the truth , though his conscience tels him it is made clear to him . let men lay down their wils , and there will be no hell , sayes bernard : so say i , take away mens wills , and contentions will cease . scaliger tels us , the nature of some kind of amber is such , that it will draw to it self all kind of stalks of any herbe , except basiliske , an herbe called capitalis , because it makes men heady , filling their brains with black exhalations : thus those who by the fumes of their corrupt wills , are grown headstrong , will not be drawn by that which draws others . but this charging men of wilfulness is presently catched hold of , in an abusive way ; if men wil not yeeld to what some conceive to be right , presently they are charged with wilfulnesse and stubbornnesse , they do not see because they will not see ; they are not convinced , because they will not . we who differ so much from others in things that others thinke to be clear , should take heed how we charge others of wilfulnesse who differ from us : as it is dishonest not to give in the bond when the debt is paid , so it is a cheat to require the bond before the debt be satisfied : men may think , and give out , they have done enough to convince men , when indeed upon examination , it will be found to be nothing , or far short of satisfying the reasons that are against it if they were their own . but when a man may have peace in his conscience , that what he holds or does , is not through wilfulnesse , but constancy of his love to the truth , i shall speak to presently . the eighth dividing distemper , vnconstancy . if a man had an art to change his face every day , to seem sometimes white , sometimes black , sometimes ruddy , sometimes pale , sometimes hairy , sometimes smooth , sometimes old , sometimes yong , how unfit were such a man for society ? this which men cannot do in their faces , they doe in the unconstancy of their spirits : as our affections and determinations must not be like the persian decrees , to admit of no alteration , so neither must they be such as the polonian laws are , which ( they say ) last but . days : when a thing is so brittle , that it breaks as soon as you meddle with it , how can you make it joyn ? there must be som consistency in that which you would fasten to another thing ; when mens spirits are so fickle , that a man cannot tell where to find them , how can there be a close ? o how much are men now differing from themselves , in what their thoughts of men and carriage towards them have been , though the men concerning whom they thus differ remain the same they were , yea the same they appeared to be long since , there was sweet agreement in affection , loving embracements ! rejoycing in the presence of one another , and yet nothing is known in those from whom their hearts , countenances and ways are alienated , &c. more then formerly was : not difference in judgment , that was known before : such a change of spirits and carriages in hodly men one towards another hath appeared , as never appeared in any age since the world began . a great deal of stir there hath been more then formerly , & yet what are these men otherwise then they have bin many years since ? were i to speak to wicked men , to charge them of the unconstancy of their spirits , i would make use of that similitude i have out of epiphanius , who speaking of the jewes desiring the coming of the messias , but when he was come , they hated him , they were ( says hee ) in this like mad dogs , who first glaver upon men , and then bite and devour them . but because i speak to many of the saints , i had rather use a softer expression , more sutable to the honour that is due to godly men ; i compare them in their unconstancy towards their brethren which hath caused so great division , to the sweetnesse of the , ayr in a fair sun-shine morning , oh how does it delight the traveller when he goeth forth ● and truly such were the serene countenances of our brethren towards us , but within a while the clouds over-cast , the sky looks lowring , gusts of wind arise , yea thunder-bolts of terrible words flye about our eares , and the flashes of their anger strike upon our faces . tantae ne animis coelestibus irae . unconstancy is evill , and a cause of division : stoutnesse is evil , and a cause of division : a man must not be one thing one day , and another another day ; not like a weather-cock , carried up and down with every wind ; neither must he be wilfull and stout , not like a rusty lock that will not be stirred by any key . now then , how shall we know when a man is neither fickle nor stout ? for except some rules of discerning be given , this temptation may be before me , i must not be fickle , unsetled , and unconstant , i will therefore stifly stand to maintain what i have professed . you may know whether your ficklenesse be avoyded by true setled constancy of spirit , or by stoutnesse , by these five notes : first , true constancy and setlednesse of spirit is got by much prayer and humiliation before the lord ; establish me lord with thy free spirit , unite my heart to feare thy name . when after thy heart-breakings and meltings , and heart-cryings and pourings forth , lord shew mee what thy will is in this thing , keep mee from miscarrying , let me not settle upon any errour instead of the truth , but what is thy truth fasten my soule in it , that what ever temptations come , i may never be taken off from it . tell god in prayer what the thing is , and what hath perswaded thy heart to embrace it , open thy heart fully to god in all thy aimes ; and if by this meanes the heart be fixed , now it is delivered from ficklenesse , and not faln into stoutnesse . ly . where true constancy is attained by the spirit of god , and not by the stoutnesse of thine owne , there is exercise of much grace , and growing up in grace , as faith , humility , love , meeknesse , patience , &c. pet. . , . take heed ye fall not from your stedfastnesse , but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ . hearts stout and wilfull are dry and saplesse . ly . if the more a man hath to do with god , the more setled he is in his way ; when he hath the most full converse and sweetnesse of communion with god , he is then the most fully setled , satisfied , established in such a truth , which he before conceived to be of god. many men are very stiffe and wilful , unmoveable when they have to deal with men , they seem then to be the most confident men in the world ; but god knows , and their consciences know , when they solemnly set themselves in the presence of god , and have the most reall sight of god , and have to deale most immediately with him , then they have ms-giving thoughts , they have feares that things may not prove so sure as they bore others in hand they apprehended them to be : but if gods presence and thy dealings with him confirms thee in this , thy conscience may give thee an assurance , that as thou art not fickle and wavering , so not stout and wilfull . ly . when there is a proportion in mens constancie , if a man be resolute and constant in one thing , but very fickle and easily turned aside in others , there is cause to suspect his constancy is rather from stiffnesse then from grace ; for grace works proportionably through the whole soule , and in the whole course of a mans life . ly . if the more reall the presence of death and judgment appear to a man , the more setled he is in that way ; this likewise may be a good evidence to him , that his setlednesse in such a way , is right . chap. xx. the ninth dividing distemper , a spirit of jealousie . the tenth , a spirit of contention . the eleventh , covetousnesse . the twelfth , falsenesse . envy , strife , railings , evill surmisings , tim. . . strife and evill surmisings are neer of kin . if contentious men can get nothing against their brethren , they will surmise there is something ; if they can find nothing in their actions to judge , they will judg their hearts ; if there be nothing above-board , they wil think there may be something under-board ; & from thinking there may be something , they will think it is very likely there is something ; and from likely there is , they will conclude there is , surely there is some plot working . but this is against the law of love , for it thinketh no evill ; all the good that they see in their brethren , is blasted by their suspition of evil . love would teach us rather by what appears to judg the best of what appears not , then by what appeares not to judg the worst of what appears . suspition is like some jelly stuffe that is got between the joynts ; if the bone be out of joynt , and any jelly be got in , though it be but a little soft stuffe , it will hinder the setting of the bone . i confess in these times , because we have been so extreamly deceived in those who have been used in publike place , in whom we so much confided , there is a great deal of reason that we should be very wary of men , and believe ( till we have very good grounds of confidence ) with trembling . i remember melchior adam in the life of bucholcerus , tels of a witty counsel of his to his friend hubnerus , who being to goe to the court to teach the prince electors children , at their parting , i will give you , says he , one profitable rule for your whole life , he lissening what it should be : i commend ( saith he ) to you the faith of the devills : at which hubnerus wondring , take heed ( sayes he ) how you trust any at the court , beleeve their promises but warily , but with feare ; you may feare they will never come to any thing . but in the mean time while we are thus fearful of one another , while we cannot trust one another , we cannot joyn one with another . i have read of cambyses , he did but dream his brother should be king of persia , and he put him to death . many amongst us do but dream of men , with whom our hearts are not , that they have some plots working , and how do our spirits work against them ? groundlesse jealousies arise from much baseness in our owne hearts . those who have no principle of faithfulnesse in themselves , are suspitious of every one ; but as for those who suffer causelesly , in this thing let them be of good comfort , god will reward them good for what evill they suffer . wee read numb . . . that if a man were jealous of his wife , so that he brought her to the tryall by drinking the water of jealousie ; if she were clear , she should not onely be freed from hurt by that water , but she should conceive seed , if she went barren before , the lord would recompence her sorrow and trouble shee suffered by her husbands suspition of her . and paulus fagius upon the place , says , the jewes had a tradition , not only that she should conceive , but it should be a man-child ; if shee had any disease , she should be freed ; and if she brought forth before with difficulty , she should bring forth now with ease . let not men therefore who are of publike use , having their consciences clear , yet because they are under suspition , throw off all in an anger : such a temptation many lye under , but let them know , this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts , the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits ; they should trust god with their names , their esteem , their honour , and go on in their work . the only way to deliver themselves from suspition , is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service god puts into their hands , and with the more quietnesse of spirit , with the lesse noyse they go on , the sooner will the suspitions they were under , wash off and vanish to nothing , god will make their names break forth as the light ; those weeds having no ground to take root , will wither and dye away . the tenth dividing distemper , a spirit of contention . as in some there is a strong inclination , a vehement impetus to whoredom , which the prophet cals a spirit of whoredome , so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention ; these have a spirit of contention ; these are like salamanders , who love , and live in the fire . they thirst after the waters of massah and meribah , their temper is such , as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters ; contentions and strifes , that are as tedious to other men as death , are their delight , they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them . a contentious spirit will always find matter for contention . prov. . . as coals to burning coals , and wood to fire , so is a contentious man is kindle strife : they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with : yet prov. . . hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him , is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares . many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions ; like many jades who are dull in travell , they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks . if thou hast any spirit , any zeal and courage , it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels ; reserve it for the cause of god , to strengthen thee in contending for the truth & the publike . the eleventh distemper , covetousnesse . this is the root of all evill , then of this ; there is no greater plague to friendship , then desire of money , sayes laelius apud cicer. a covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine , and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage . yet know what a stir demetrius and his fellows made in ephesus when their profit was endangered , they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go . tim. . . envy , strife , railings , &c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds , destitute of the truth , supposing that gaine is godlinesse .. how will some object against men , & withdraw from them , deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of god in them , of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them , & all merely to save their purses , & that in a poor pedling way ? what a stir hath this meum and tuum made in the world ? the sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst beares , they will fight , rend and tear out one anothers throat for it . they that will be eich , fall into temptations and a snare , and into many and hurtfull lusts . tim. . , . they pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes . vvhen divisions arose in germany , upon luthers doctrine , men of base covetous spirits , judging luther by themselves , thought that luther made all this stir to get gaine ; why therefore , sayes one , do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver ? another answers , oh , this german beast cares not for money . the twelfth dividing distemper , falsenesse . nothing more firmly unites and holds together the common-wealth then fidelity , sayes cicero . truth is a girdle . stand therefore , having your loynes girt with truth , ephes . . . truth binds , and falseness loosen● . the apostle , eph. . . exhorts to put away lying , and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour , upon this ground , because we are members one of another . the romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies , that they built a temple to it , as to a goddesse ; in which temple all leagues , covenants , truces , and important bargains were made , which were so religiously observed , that whosoever broke them , was held for a cursed , damned creature , unfit for humane society . rom. . . full of envy , murther , debate , deceit , malignity . a man were better be true to false principles , then be false to true ones . those who are false , are also mischievous : they care not what mischief they do to any , so they may but uphold themselves , and repair that credite which formerly they had , but now through their base falsenesse is crackt ; and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse , they seek to keep such downe , if not to ruine them , fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged : and if they cannot get them down by force , they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse , by flattering them whom their hearts hate , and would gladly ruine . that scripture , prov. . . is very remarkable for this , a lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it ; and a flattering mouth worketh ruine . psal . . . he shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence . if men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit , they will seeke to doe it by violence : god hath his time to deliver his saints from both . come lord jesus , come quickly . chap. xxi . dividing practices . the first , the practice of the tongue . the second , needlesse disputes . provoking bitter language , is a great divider : an evill tongue in scripture is compared to swords , arrowes , razors , to poyson of aspes , ●ire , yea to the fire of hell , which sets all the world on fire , to wild beasts ; it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed . when a philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together , he said , by this speech the aspe takes in poyson from the viper , which it seems was a proverbiall speech in tertullians time , he inveighing against marcion the heretique , let the heretique , sayes he , cease borrowing poyson from the jew , according to the proverbe , the aspe from the viper . many men of moderate spirits , if let alone , yet meeting with men who tell them stories , and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of , yet now before they have examined what the truth is , there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware , their hearts begin to be hot , and to rise against those men they hear such things of , their thoughts are altered concerning them , their spirits alienated , breaches are made , and men who are innocent wonder from whence all comes . o take heed of these men of evill tongues , especially at your tables , for while you are warme with mirth and good cheere , you are in greater danger to take downe the discourse of such as are at table with you , some poyson may get into your spirits , and you not think of it . saint augustine could not endure such guests at his table ; he caused therefore these two verses to be writ over his table , it were well they were over some of yours . quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam , hanc mensam vetitam noverit ipse sibi . to speak ill of the absent forbeare . or else sit not at table here . but if men of evill tongues doe so much hurt to men of moderate spirits , what hurt doe they doe one to another ? when two or three , or more of them meet together , having all of them bitter spirits and evill tongues , what hot burning venome doe they infuse one into another , inflaming one another with malice ? that proverbiall speech , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is true of these men ; if one serpent did not eate another , there would bee no dragon ; by taking in one anothers poyson , they grow to bee fiery dragons , flying up and downe from place to place with their fiery stings . destroy , o lord , and divide their tongues , for i have seen violence and strife in the city , psal . . . the same letters in the hebrew word that is to signifie verbum a word , is also for pestis , the plague ; an evill tongue hath the pestilence in it . the whisperings of an evill tongue causes divisions , rom. . . full of envy , debate , malignity , whisperars , cor. ● . . debates , envyings , wraths , strifes , whisperings . many of fidling , paltry dispositions , goe up and down whispering , they speak very secretly to you , you must tell no body by any means , and yet themselves tell it to a second , a third , a tenth , and any one they meet with , with whom they desire to ingratiate themselves , and to every body they speak , yet still they must tell no body ▪ they doe not love to be brought forth as the authors , they tell you as a friend , what they heare ; and thus carrying tales up and downe in a secret way , they doe what in them lyes to blast the names of their brethren ; jealousies , suspitions , envyings , displeasure , anger is raised , and the parties against whom all this is , wonder what is the matter , they being no wayes conscious to themselves of any miscarriage towards such from whom they finde such strange carriage ; at last some nibling whispering mouse is found to be the cause of all . these whispering tale-bearers have such an art , as to cause what they thus speak in secret to sinke very deeply into mens hearts : they professe themselves very sorry for what they tell you , but it is too true , and with a deep sigh they mischiefe their neighbour ; et sic cum vultu maesto procedit maledictio , bern. but let men take heede of them , for they strike , they wound them as much , if not more , then they doe those against whom they speak , for they know nothing of it ; and though they suffer , yet they doe not sinne ; but you may not only be troubled , and that causelesly ( it may be ) and for nothing lose the sweetnesse of your love to your friend , and the enjoyment of his to you ; but withall , you may entertain sinne into your heart , and so be wounded . prov. . . the words of a tale-bearer are as wounds , and they goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly , beware therefore of such . prov. . . he that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets , therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lippes . hee may come glavering , and fawning , and smiling to you , as if he accounted you a speciall friend , and therefore would not tell every body ; but meddle not with him ; if you shall hug and embrace him , you have received a wound even in the innermost parts of the belly . prov. . . where no wood is there the fire goeth out ; so where there is no tale-bearer the strife ceaseth . prov. . . a whisperer seperateth chiefe friends . those who have lived in entire friendship many yeares , sometime by some whispering woman , have their hearts very much estranged , the beauty of their friendship darkened , and the sweetnesse of it almost lost . whispering tale-bearing tongues is the cause of strife , take heed of it : and so is a censuring tongue : i can compare this to nothing better then to a candle , whose tallow is mixed with brine , as soone as you light it , it spits up and down the roome : thus many have salt brine in their spirits , which when they get a little knowledge , they spit here and there in hard and bitter censures , which are exceedingly provoking to the spirits of men ; though the censures should prove true , yet the mixture of so much salt brine in them , cannot but exasperate & cause mens hearts to fret ; but much more if they prove to be meere slanderers . jer. . . take ye heed every one of his neighbour , and trust ye not in any brother , for every brother will utterly supplant , and every neighbour will walke with slanders ; and c. . they are all grievous revol●ers , walking with slanders ; they are brasse and iron , they are all corrupters . and yet more if this be a raging tongue , hos . . . their princes shall fall by the sword , for the rage of their tongue . discontents rise high , first by too much liberty of the tongue , then higher , by the bitternesse of it ; but when it comes to the rage of it , by this many times they rise so high , that great men , yea princes come to fall by the sword . there is a story in the tripartite history of a christian who professed he had beene seven and thirty yeares learning that lesson , psal . . . i said i will take heed to my wayes , that i offend not in my tongue , and yet had not learned it . i feare there are many amongst us who have beene professors these seven and thirty yeares , and yet have not learned this lesson ; notwithstanding the scripture saith , if a man bridleth not his tongue , hee deceiveth his owne heart , this mans religion is in vaine , james . . the second dividing practice , needlesse disputes . when men have got a little knowledge , they thinke it a fine thing to be arguing and disputing in matters of religion : unnecessary disputes are their necessary practice , for otherwise they shall be accounted as no body , if they have not something to object against almost every thing , but in this way of theirs , they shall bee accounted knowing men , men who have an insight into things , who understand more then ordinary men doe : hence they turne all their religion into disputes , and by them they grow giddie . wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheere it , but when it fumes all up into the head , it makes it giddy . knowledge is good when the strength of it gets to the heart to comfort it , there to breed good spirits , for the strengthning it in the waies of holinesse ; but when it flies up all into the head , it fills it with thousands of phansies ; it causes pride and giddinesse . disputes draw the best spirits from the heart , by which it weakens it . it is a very ill signe in a man to have a contradicting spirit , to get into a veine of disputing against any thing , though it be good . i have read of gregory nazianzen , that he told his friends that julian would prove to be a notorious wicked man , he gave this reason , because be tooke such delight in disputing against that which was good ▪ disputes are seldome without much heart-distemper ; if they continue long , they cause snarling one at another ; and no marvaile though those who snarle so often , doe bite at last . a man shews most parts in the matter of truth , but most grace in the manner of handling it with reverence , holinesse and modesty . rom. . . receive not the weake in faith to doubtfull disputations . here is a direct injunction against those disputes i am speaking of . let no man say every truth is precious , the least truth is more worth then our lives , we must contend for every truth . the least truth is so precious , that we must rather lose our lives , then deny it ; you must doe and suffer much to maintaine truth , but this in an orderly way . first , you must be grounded in the maine fundamentalls of religion ; you must be strong in the faith , and after that labour to edifie your selves in all the truths of god , so as one may be helpfull to another . it is not for every one who hath but little time , little knowledge , little meanes , little strength , to tyre out himselfe and others in doubtfull disputes . the scripture is so much against this , as nothing can be more . tim. . . which minister questions rather then edifying . to aske and discourse of questions about the great things that concerne thy soule , thy eternall estate , how thou maist live further to the honour of god , is good , when you meet together ; to confer one with another what god hath done for your soules , to tell each other the experiences of your owne hearts , and gods dealings with you , what temptations ye meet with , and how god helps you against them ; such things as these would edifie . but when your questions are about things that you are never like to understand , and if you did understand , they little concerne you , they would not be helpfull to you one whit in the wayes of godlinesse , these the holy ghost would not have you spend your time in . eccles . . . man was made upright and he hath found out to himselfe many inventions , miscuerit se infinitis questionibus , so the old latine reads it , he hath mingled himselfe in infinite questions . if we had but that great question more amongst us , what shall wee doe to be saved ? it would cause many unprofitable questions to vanish . never such ignorance came upon the christian world , as in that age when the schoolmen were in the highest esteeme ; all religion then was turned into questions , both the mystery and the power of godlinesse was lost . the things of religion are rather to be beleeved then disputed . we beleeve fishermen , not logitians , sayes ambrose . the devill at this day seekes to darken the glory of religion this way ; he sees that in regard so much light hath broke forth , he cannot get men presently off it by prophaneness , therefore he labours to eat out the strength of it by busying them , and getting them to delight in multitudes of questions , and that about things of lesser concernment . tim. . . hee is proud , and knoweth nothing , but doting about questions , and strife of words , whereof commeth envie , strife , railings , evill surmises , perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes , and destitute of the truth . these men conceit they have more knowledge then other men , but the holy ghost saies they know nothing ; they cry out much of the truth , and they contend for the truth , but the holy ghost saies they are destitute of the truth . tim. . , . follow charity , peace , but foolish and unlearned questions avoid , knowing that they doe gender strifes , but the servant of the lord must not strive . and titus . . . this is a faithfull saying , these things i will that thou affirme constantly , that they which have beleeved in god , might be carefull to maintaine good workes ; these things are good and profitable unto men , but avoid foolish questions , and genealogies , and contentions , and strivings about the law , for they are unprofitable and vaine . the question about the law , whether a man be justified by it , or by free grace in christ , this is not one of those foolish questions and needlesse strivings , this is a great question , this we are to contend for , our life is in it , but there are other questions about the law , which cause striving rather then edifying , as whether the law be a rule for our lives , as it was given by moses ; that we are bound to doe what is required in the law , this is generally acknowledged , as to love god , not worship images , &c. but whether we be bound to doe it as it was the law delivered by moses upon mount sina , this question troubles many mens heads ; that we are bound to doe the same things as they are delivered by christ in the hand of that mediator , is acknowledged by any that understand themselves in any measure . now then let these two things be granted about the law ; first , that we are not justified by it , but by the free grace of god in christ : secondly , that what duties of holiness are set downe in the law , we are bound to them by the most strong obligations : what neede we contend further about the law ? let us be established in these two , and it will be sufficient for our edifying ; it is like when paul wrote this epistle to titus , the heads of the people were troubled about some such kinde of questions about the law , as are amongst us ; therefore sayes he , avoid foolish questions , and strivings about the law. but now the questions about the law are driven on to such a dangerous issue , that we have cause not onely to be carefull to avoid them , but even to tremble at the thought of them . it is now accounted a legall thing against the grace of the gospel to confesse sin , to be humbled for sin , to make conscience of duty , or to be troubled in conscience for neglect of it ; no , they thank god they are delivered from such things , in respect of god , whether they sin or not it is all one : yea these things prevaile with those who have beene forward in profession of religion , who seemed to walke strictly , now are growne loose . that saith is easily wrought , which teacheth men to beleeve well of themselves , though their lives be ill . there is a mighty change in mens spirits now from that which was heretofore ; times have been when any opinion that tended to loosenesse , was presently distasted as unfavoury , and rejected by such , who made profession of religion . sleidan in the tenth book of his commentaries , sayes , the devill that sought to doe mischiefe at munster was not a skilfull devill , but rude and simple , because he sought to prevaile by tempting men to loosenesse ; whereas , sayes he , if he had beene a cunning devill , he would rather have deceived by abstaining from flesh , by abhorring matrimony , by shewes of wonderfull lowlinesse of minde , &c. he might sooner have taken men this way ; but truly now the most cunning devill sees it to be the best way to attaine his ends , to raise up and foment opinions that ●end to the liberty of the flesh , so be it he can carry them on under the colour of magnifying free grace ; he findes that these things are exceeding suitable to mens spirits in these times , that they are taken in by such who formerly appeared so conscientious , that hee feared hee should never have beene able to have prevailed with them ; hee never found a way like to this to prevaile with such men ; yea , never a way like to this to choake the word , when it first begins to worke upon the heart ; he hath blasted more young seeming converts this way , then ever hee did by any way since he was a devill : heretofore the way was to stirre up others to deride them for following the word , and for praying ; now he hath a way worth two of that , to make them to deride others for their conscienciousnesse in following the word and praying , and this strengthened with a high perswasion , that hereby they are the great magnifiers of the free grace of god in the gospel , the only men who understand the gospel way . this devill now lookes upon himselfe and his fellowes as simple and foolish in all their former devices , here is an experiment beyond them all , seeing this christ must needes be magnified , hee will magnifie him too ; seeing the gospel must goe on , hee will put it on too , hee will finde out a device here , to strike at the practise , power , life of godlinesse , in a more secret and prevailing way then ever formerly was done ; it is like in this generation the former principles of godlinesse will not be got out ; but if this way prevails still in proportion to what it hath done , in a generation or two it is like to bring generall prophanenesse and licentiousnesse upon the face of the christian world more then any way of satan ever did since the world began , for here is a way to be loose and prophane , and to satisfie conscience too . chap. xxii . the third dividing practice , men no keeping within the bounds that god hath set them . first , when men will be medling with that whith concernes them not , that is out of their sphere . thes . . . study to be quiet , and doe your owne businesse . prov. . . it is an honour for a man to cease from strife , but every foole will be wedling . choller in the gall is usefull to the body , but if it overflow , the body growes into distemper presently ; we may be all usefull in our places , if we keepe to them , contenting our selves with the improvements of our talents in them ; thus both our selves and others may have quiet . when mannah was gathered and kept in that proportion god would have it , it was very good ; but when men must have more , and keep it longer then god would have them , then it breeds worms . thus it will be in all that we have , or doe ; let us keepe our proportion god sets us , and all will be well ; but if we thinke to provide better for our selves by going beyond our measure , wormes are presently bred in all . but especially where men will not keepe within their bounds in their power over others ; for what is all our contestation at this time ? it is not about mens stretching their power beyond their line both in state and church ? from whence are our state-divisions , our warres , but because princes have been perswaded their power was boundlesse ? at least not to be kept within those bounds the state sayes it ought to bee . they think there is such a distance between them and others , that the estates , liberties , lives of all men within their country lie at their mercy ; not considering how they come to be raised so high : that what they have above others , is given to them by those above whom they are . no man inheriteth more then was given to his forefathers , and so to him , whereby they might see that they are not limited onely by the lawes of god , but by the lawes of men also , namely , the agreement between them and the people when they are raised to such dignities . there is nothing weakens their right more then the pleading it by conquest ; princes have little cause to thank those who plead their right that way . the surest foundation for princes to set their feet on , is the agreement between the people and them , or their progenitors ; but if they will goe beyond this agreement , what stirres , what wofull disturbances doe they make ! secondly , if either they , or any governours of the state , shall instead of being helpfull to the government of the church , take it all from it into their owne hands , in this they goe beyond those bounds christ would have them ; it is by the civill power that the governours of the church have the peaceable exercise of what power christ hath given them , but they have not their power from them . civill authority cannot put any spirituall power into a man , or company of men , which they had not before ; it can onely protect , encourage , and further the exercise of that power that christ hath given . they are inconsiderate men , sayes calvin , who make magistrates too spirituall ; this evill , sayes he , prevailes in germanie , and in the countries about us ; we finde what fruit growes from this root , namely that those who are in power , thinke themselves so spirituall , that there is no other ecclesiasticall government ; this sacriledge comes in violently amongst us , because they cannot measure their office within its due bounds . and for church-governours , if they would keep within their limits , we might enjoy much peace , if first they would assume to themselves no more power then christ hath given them ; secondly , if they would not extend it over more congregations then christ hath committed to them ; thirdly , if they would not exercise it in more things then christ would have them . let us looke a little into these three , for the want of a right understanding in them hath caused , and may yet further cause much disturbance . for the first . that christ hath appointed some to rule in his church , and that all the members of the church are not in the office of ruling , is apparent in scripture , cor. . . rom. . , but that these officers , preaching elders , or others , should so have the sole power of ruling as to doe all in their owne consistory classis , or ( whatsoever you may call their convening ) that the church should have nothing to doe with their acts of rule but to obey , this is assuming to themselves power beyond what is given them ; this hath brought tyrannie into the church , it hath made the church-officers to looke upon the rest of the church in a contemptible way , as the common vulgar sort , men ignorant and weak , not at all fit to meddle with matters of government , not so much as to take cognisance , or give any consent to what the church-officers doe ; but whether they understand or no whether they consent or dissent , it makes no matter , the determinations of those in place must stand , their censures must be submitted to . peter martyr in an epistle to the ministers , and such as professed the faith in polonia , exhorts them to endeavour the establishing of discipline in the church as soon as they could , while peoples hearts were heat with love to , and desires after the gospell , he tells them it will be harder to bring it in afterward , when their hearts begin to grow more cold ; and that they might not thinke discipline a small thing , he sayes , that those churches cannot be said to professe the gospell truly nor solidly , which want it ; he would have them acknowledge it not to be the least part of christian religion , but must know that the gospel is neglected by such as shall put off from themselves such a singular excellent portion of it . but sayes he , this will be the objection , under the colour of discipline , the ministers of the church will tyrannize , they will carry things according to their owne mindes . to this he answers , tyrannie in the ministers needs not be feared , where the rule of the gospel for censures is observed ; for in casting out any who will not be reclaimed , the consent of the church must be had ; and if it be done by this authority , none can complain of the tyrannie of a few . cyprian in his sixt epistle professeth his resolution to doe nothing without the counsell of the elders , and consent of the people . our brethren of scotland in their opposition to the prelates , give very much to the people in the matter of excommunication : it pertaineth say they to the whole church collectively taken to deny her christian communion to such wicked persons as adde contumacie to their disobedience , therefore it pertaineth to the whole church to excommunicate them . againe , it pertaineth to the whole church to admit one into her communion , therefore to the whole church to cast one out of her communion . and a page or two after , the apostle writing to the whole church of corinth will have them being gathered together , to deliver that incestuous person to satan , therefore every particular church or congregation hath power to excommunicate . there they give many arguments to prove , that the apostle would not excommunicate by his owne authority alone , but by the authority of the church , and that collectively taken , ( so they say ) not the ministers or elders of the church onely . let no man say , this was the judgement but of one minister , for at the beginning of this parliament , my selfe , together with a reverend brother , asked master henderson , two or three of the ministers of scotland being with him , whether we might not take that book as the judgement of the most godly and able of the ministers of scotland , for the matters of church-discipline ? they answered , we might . the second way of going beyond their limits , is their extending their power to more congregations then christ hath given them charge of . the chiefe church-controversie at this day is about this extent ; i shall onely shew you where the difference lyes betweene one and the other in it . the question is this , whether one that is set by christ to take charge of a particular congregation , as a pastor to feed them , by word , sacraments , and rule , may keep the pastorall charge he hath for word and sacraments to one congregation , but his charge for rule shall extend together with others to an hundred congregations or more . some say that no minister can have the charge of ruling over people in a large extent then his charge over them for word and sacraments reaches ; they thinke that those people that can say to a minister , that charge that christ hath given you for word and sacraments , extends not to take care of our soules to feed them , therefore you have no charge of our souls for ruling ; if you thinke you may , preach or administer sacraments in an accidentall arbitrary way onely , not as chalenging power over us for this , or looking upon us as those committed to you , for whom you are to answer ; then at the farthest you may exercise rule over us but in this way . but others hold this , that a minister may answer to this people thus , i confesse i have indeed onely such a particular congregation to be my flock , and although i being desired to help sometimes in another to preach or administer sacraments ▪ yet i doe it not as having the charge of their soules as being pastor to them : but as for that ruling power that christ hath given me , i conceive by joyning of it with others , it extends to hundreds of congregations , or more , according as our association shall be , so as we have not onely liberty to be helpfull to those who have the speciall charge of the congregations ; but we have the supreame ruling power in our hands , to challenge in the name of christ , to exercise over these congregations , as we shall see cause . i say , the supreme power above what your ministers or elders in your particular congregations have ; for though these ministers and elders of yours be admitted to be members of our court , yet if they all should be of a contrary minde from us , in some matter that concernes your congregation , we yet will judge and determine , we will censure and exercise all kinde of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction in that congregation , as we see cause , though it may be not one of us ever saw any of the faces of any of the men of your congregation before . here , i say , lyes the great dividing controversie , which is right , which is wrong is not my worke to shew ; all i am to doe , is but to shew you what the controversie is , about which there is so much dispute . and though i determine not the case either way , yet i shall leave two considerations to help you in your thoughts about it . first , the extent of power of jurisdiction must be by institution as well as the power it selfe ; all juridicall power whatsoever , either in state or church receives limits or extent from the same authority it first had its rise , this is impossible to be denyed : if a man by a charter be made a mayor of a towne , he cannot therefore challenge the power of a mayor wheresoever he comes , except the authority that first gave him his powver shall also extend it . now the charter by which any church-officer is invested with power , is the word , therefore we cannot streighten or enlarge the power of a minister otherwise then we find it in the word ; for civill power it may be streightned or enlarged , as the governours of state shall see cause , because their charter is from man , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . secondly , man naturally is of nothing more impatient then to have jurisdiction challenged over him , except hee sees the claime to be right ; and in the point of spirituall jurisdiction , man is the most tender of all , because in that men come in the name of christ to him , challenging authority to exercise the power of christ over him , not over the outward man so much as over his soule , to deliver it up to satan . surely there had need be shewne a cleare and full charter , that any men have , that gives them such a power as this , that men in conscience shall be bound to submit to . now then here lyes the division , on sayes his charter does extend so farre ; the other sayes , hee does not finde it so in the reading of it . there is yet a further consideration of the stretching either civill or ecclesiasticall authority beyond their bounds , which hath been , and may be the cause of much division ; that is , their challenging and excercising power in things indifferent , beyond what god hath given them ; for the opening of which we must know : first , no man either in state or church , hath any authority given him by god , to command any thing meerely because hee will ; especially , when the things concerne the worship of god. our brethren of scotland in their dispute against english popish ceremonies , part . chap. . pag. . have this passage , princes have enjoyned things pertaining to the worship of god , but those things were the very same which gods written word had expresly commanded ; when princes went beyond these limits and bounds , they tooke upon them to judge and command more then god hath put within the compasse of their power : and pag. . of the same booke they say , the apostle , cor. . . forbiddeth us to be the servants of men , that is , to doe things for which wee have no other warrant beside the pleasure and will of men . this was the doctrine in tertullians time , you exercise , sayes he , an unjust dominion over others , if you deny a thing may bee done , because you will , not because it ought not to bee done . it is onely the prerogative of god , of jesus christ , to command a thing because they will. god hath appointed civill governours to be his ministers for our good . rom. . those things onely which they can doe in gods name as his ministers , and are for the good of a state , are the object about which their power is to be exercised ; they are not to require a thing because there is nothing against it , but because this thing is for god : and church-governours are to require onely such things as christ requires , all the exercise of their power ought to be in the name of christ , hence not because they will , or because nothing can be said to the contrary . in all they require of us , they must be able to say as paul , cor. . . giving rules about order and decencie , if any man thinke himselfe to be a prophet , or spirituall , let him acknowledge that the things that i write unto you are the commandements of the lord. you will say , but are governours alwayes bound to shew a reason of their will , to those who are under them ; or may not they obey except they know some good in the thing , besides their doing the will of those who doe command them ? though no governours may command but upon reason , yet the governours of state need not alwayes discover the reasons of their commands . wee may give up our civill liberties so farre as to be bound to yeeld to our governours commands , if wee see nothing against what they command , but have cause to suppose that they see some reason that we do not , which is not fit to make known to us . this is grounded upon this reason , that there are arcana imperii , mysteries of state that are not fit for every man to know , the secrecie of them conduces most to the good of the state : but it is otherwise in the matters of the church , which are spirituall , there are no such mysteries in the church , wherein any members of it can be required to be active , but it concernes them to understand as well as to doe . all the actions of the church as such must be done for spirituall edification ; now a man cannot doe a thing for the edifying his soule , or the soule of another , but he must understand his action and the rule of it ; he must see it required by the word , or otherwise he cannot expect any spirituall efficacy in what he does ; i may doe a thing for a civill good , wherein i may trust another mans reason , and this may be sufficient to attaine my end , the procuring of some good meerly civill , but this will never be able to reach to a spirituall good , i must see the reason , the ground , the rule of the action my selfe ; i must judge by the word , that this action at this time cloathed with all its circumstances is by christ sitted for such a spirituall good that i aime at . besides , if things meerely indifferent be enjoyned , then is christian liberty violated . no , say some , christian liberty is in the conscience , so long as a man keepes his conscience free , the thing may be still indifferent to him in regard of his conscience , though his practise be determined , and so christian liberty is preserved . this is the put off that the prelaticall party made use of against our brethren of scotland many yeeres since , when they pleaded that by their usurpation christian liberty was taken from them . to that answer of the prelates , they thus reply : when the authority of the churches constitution is obtruded to binde and restraine the practice of christians in things indifferent , they are bereaved of thir liberty , as well as if an opinion of necessity were borne in upon their consciences . they urge that place , colos . . . where the apostle gives instances , say they , of such humane ordinances as take away christian liberty ; he saith not , you must thinke that you may not touch , but touch not ; you must not practise , not be subject to such ordinances ; telling us ; that when the practice is restrained form touching , tasting , handling , by the ordinance of men , then is christian liberty spoiled , though conscience be left free ; if the outward man be brought in bondage , this makes up spirituall thraldome ( say they ) though there bee no more . and further , the apostle gives these two arguments against these things : first , sayes he , they perish in the use ; that is , there is no good comes of them . it may be you will say , what hurt is there in them ? that is not enough , sayes the apostle , to justifie them , though there should be no hurt in them , yet seeing they perish in the use , seeing there comes no good by them , you must not doe them : but what if they shall be commanded by authority ? may wee not doe them then ? no , sayes the apostle , that is another argument against them ; they are after the commandements and doctrine of men ; if it be a meere ordinance of man , and there be no other reason in the thing , but because man enjoynes it in the church , you are not to doe it . yea , in some respect we have not so much liberty in things indifferent , if they be enjoyned by men , as we had before . this is thought to be a very strange assertion by some ; but consider this one thing , and it will not appear so : though i might doe such a thing before , yet if man shall take upon him this authority to command , meerly because of his will and pleasure , if i now obey i am in danger to edifie him , to strengthen him in his sinne ; he challenges this authority , and i seeme to yeeld it to him , certainly he is strengthned in it by my subjection , except i doe this at least professe against any such authority of man granted by jesus christ . but say some , if you take from governours power to command things indifferent , you take away all their power ; for things necessary are required without them , and things sinfull they may not command . surely this conceit comes rather from tradition then from due consideration ; for it is not power enough to see to the keeping of the commands of god , that the ordinances be kept pure , that there be justice between man and man , to reward those which doe well , and to punish the evill doers . yet thus farre must be granted to the officers of the church , they have authority from christ to declare dogmatically , when a thing in it selfe indifferent , yet by reason of some circumstances , comes to be a duty , and this is to be regarded more then the declaration of any private brother or brethren , for they doe it by way of office in the name of christ . this we finde acts . the apostles and elders sent their decrees , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , their dogmaticall determinations about some things in themselves indifferent , but as cloathed with those circumstances they call them things necessary ; they determine them to be done from the reason of the things , not from their authority ; those things were duties before they decreed them , and had been , had they never decreed them . even forbearing the eating of blood was a duty in case of offence , though their decree had never been , and otherwise it was no duty , notwithstanding their decree , for afterward paul sayes , that whatsoever is sold in the shambles , they might eate of it , asking no question for conscience sake , and every creature of god is good , if it be received with thanksgiving . thus we have seen what the bounds are which god hath set to men in authority , or at least the controversie about them : let them be carefull to keep within their bounds , as they are set to keep others within theirs : by this , church and state , may enjoy much peace . chap. xxiii . the fourth dividing practise , gathering of churches disorderly . this is cryed out of as the greatest dividing practice of all : you may speak of this or that to be dividing amongst us , say some , but above all things , this gathering of churches is the great divider amongst us . to this i shall speak in these six things . first , it is not absolutely unlawfull for a church to be gathered out of a church . voetius that learned professor of viretcht , answering jansenius , pleading against us for seperating from the romish church , which was the most ancient and famous church : no , sayes he , it is not absolutely evill to separate from such a church , for then the christians gathering themselves out of the jewish church were schismaticks , which is false . doctor jackson , a prelaticall man , in the . chapter of his treatise of the church , gives two reasons which he sayes are just and necessary , for which men ( whether few or many ) may and ought to seperate themselves from any visible church . first , because they are urged or constrained to professe or beleeve , some points of doctrine , or to adventure upon some practices which are contrary to the rule of faith or love of god. second , in case they are utterly deprived of freedome of conscience in professing what they inwardly beleeve , or bereft of some other meanes , either altogether necessary , or most expedient to salvation . for which latter he quotes , cor. . . ye are bought with a price , bee not ye servants of men . although ( sayes he ) we were perswaded that we could communicate with such a church , without evident danger of damnation , yet inasmuch as we cannot communicate with it upon any better termes , then legall servants or bondslaves doe with their masters , we are bound in conscience and religious discretion , when lawfull occasions and opportunities ore offered , to use our liberty , and to seeke our freedome rather then to live in bondage . this doctrine was allowed of in the bishops times . now suppose upon these two grounds there be a withdrawing from a church , christ does no where require his people to live without ordinances all their dayes , rather then they should joyne themselves together into another body . secondly , yet where these causes are not , but men may communicate without sinne , professing the truth , and enjoy all ordinances , as the freemen of christ . men must not seperate from a church , though there be corruption in it , to gather into a new church which may be more pure , and in some respects more comfortable . first , because we never finde the saints in scripture seperating or raising churches in such a case : and secondly , there would be no continuance in church fellowship , if this were admitted : for what church is so pure , and hath all things so comfortable , but within a while another church will be more pure , and some things will be more comfortable there ? the generall peace of the church should be more regarded by us , then some comfortable accommodations to our selves . thirdly , although you cannot for the present communicate with the church , in which you are , without sinne , or bondage , yet you are not presently to withdraw , to gather into another , or to joyne with another , you are bound to give so much respect to the church , as to continue with much long-suffering , to seeke the good of that church , to remove the sinne that is upon it , with all good meanes you can . you must beare much with a brother , much more with a church . fourthly , if things were in that ordered and settled way , as they ought , there ought to be no gathering of any new churches without consulting and advising with neighbour churches , christ would have all churches unite themselves , and have conjunction one with another , being all of the same body of christ : if then there be to be raised a new sister church , that expects and is to desire the benefit of communion with the rest , there is all the reason in the world that the helpe , advice , and assistance of the other churches should be made use of in the raising and ordering this church that they are thus to owne in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship . fifthly , all beleevers who live in a place together , ought so far as they can , joyne into one church , though they be of different judgements and tempers , what ever things they differ in , yet if they may stand with grace they can have no encouragement from the examples of any of the churches , we read of in scripture , for them to divide themselves into little pieces . the way of christ all along in scripture is , that all the saints in such a place , who are not more then can joyne in one , should joyne together and make but one church ; certainly this is more for the honour of christs body then the division of saints in the same place into severall little societies , christ stands much upon the union of his saints in one , in all wayes , by all meanes that may be . sixtly , as things are yet with us , there is no such great reason of that outcry there is amongst us against gathering of churches as so great a dividing practice as many seeme to make it . how can this practise be so very offensive , when almost all of you thinke it lawfull for a man for any commodiousnesse to remove from that church of which now he is , to joyne with another , sobeit he will remove his dwelling ? but these do not set up new churches . if a company of men who have estates , should not be satisfied with that ministery that belongs to that company that now they are joyned with , and should buy a piece of ground close to the place where they were , and build upon it , and have leave of the state to make a new parish of those dwellings they build ; who would blame them for gathering a church thus ? hence it is apparent , that withdrawing from our churches , and gathering other , is not according to the judgements of our brethren against any church principle ; the offence that is , is onely against some civill constitution . secondly , this thing in effect hath been ordinarily practiced heretofore without any offence to the godly ; yea , and is still practiced without any complaint : hath it not beene and is it not still ordinary for many not to communicate in the parishes where they live ? nor commonly to heare there , but from all parts of the city to come to some parishes where they conceive the best ministers to be , and there to heare and communicate , and this in a constant way , and that with allowance to the maintenance of such ministers ? yea , and thus the husband goes one way , and the wife another , and yet none offended ; it may be the gentleman can content himselfe with his parish-church , but his wife or lady is not satisfied , but must go elsewhere . if it be said , but this was in a time when things were in great confusion , not so reformed as now they are , and we hope may further be . then it is not howsoever simply unlawfull . . it continues so still in many places of this city . . when you have reformed further , it may be mens consciences will bee further satisfied ; you may reforme so farre as you may prevent much of what you now complaine so much of . but though they came for their present reliefe , yet they did not binde themselves one to another by covenant , so as men now doe . if those who came constantly to your ministry and sacraments had professed their willingnesse to joyne with you in all the ordinances of christ so farre as they knew , and to walke accordingly , you might the more comfortably have administred ordinances to them , but offensive to you it could not have been . but their covenant bindes them so , that they cannot returne back againe , whatsoever reformation there be . doe you pray for and endeavour the putting on reformation to the uttermost , and then see what they will doe ; they have not yet declared themselves , that they hold themselves so joyned by any covenant , that they may not joyne with you ; that what releife they have had for the present time , or what agreement there hath been amongst themselves , should hinder them from falling into that way all along held forth in scripture ; namely , for all the saints that live together , to joyne in one , so farre as possible they can . but these who gather churches thus , looke upon all others who are not in that way as heathens ; and what division must this needs make ? if this were so , it were a sad dividing practice indeed ; wicked men cannot endure to be thus judged of , to be cast out as unworthy of church-fellowship , much lesse can the saints bee able to beare it , it must needes go neerer to their hearts . aben ezra sayes , the ammonites and moabites burnt the bookes of the law , because of that place , deut. . . an ammonite or moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the lord , even to their tenth generation . if an ammonite or moabite cannot beare the being shut out of the congregation of the lord , how can the saints beare it ? but god knows , and our brethren may know , i hope they shall know , that the thing is not so : o no , they looke upon you as the precious saints of god , their deare brethren in jesus christ , they blesse god for the graces they see in you , and rejoice in the hope of living eternally in heaven with you . but why then will they not admit them to their communion ? in all worship that belongs to saints , as saints they joyfully joyne with them ; but they thinke there is some that belongs to saints as gathered in a society under officers , which cannot be performed orderly but in that way ; and they think it unreasonable , that any should have the benefit of the priviledges of the church , and be under no power , no discipline of any church ; that they should pick and choose ordinances , and yet live at liberty ; so that if they walke disorderly , no church hath any power to call them to an account . suppose this to be a reason why they admit not of some , this is another thing then the judging of them to be heathens . let me say further , i know none of these congregated churches , either here or in other parts , that ever refused any who appeared to be godly , from communicating with them , if they did but acknowledge themselves to be members of any church elsewhere , though that church were in a differing way from it in respect of government . you will say , what need that ? if it be to prevent loosenesse in men who will be under no government , if it be because they judge sacramentall communion to be a church-ordinance ; or if it should be through a mistake , yet howsoever this must not be judged to be the cause that they judge all , that doe not joyne with them to be as heathens ▪ this is the most uncharitable interpretation that can be . chap. xxvi . the fifth dividing practice , the aspersing and seeking to blast the credits of those men whom the lord uses to be instruments of good . this may be done you know otherwise then by the tongue : this hath beene an old dividing way , if wee can blast the cheife of a party , we shall doe well enough with the rest , wherefore let us make as ill interpretations of what they doe as possible we can ; let us fasten as ill things upon them as we can have any colour or pretence for ; let reports be raised , fomented and spread , whether they be true or no , it makes no matter , something will stick . jer. . . report , say they , and we will report it ; doe but raise a report , let us be able to say wee heard it , or there was a letter writ about such a thing , and wee will boldly assert it and divulge it ; the very apprehension of it will prevaile with many howsoever , these men shall not have that esteeme in the hearts of men so generally as heretofore they have had , and if we once get downe their esteeme , we shall doe well enough with their cause ; if we can meet with any bold spirit that will venture to encounter with them in this , that will dare to take upon him to gather up , or make , or aggravate , or wrest reports , or doe any thing that may render them otherwise in the thoughts and hearts of men then hitherto they have beene , we shall break them , it is but one or two venturing the hard thoughts of men to make an experiment , some may bee found fit for such a businesse , we will finde out wayes to encourage them ; if their hearts begin to faile , we will apply warme cloathes to them , we will one way or other support them ; this must be done , or else whatsoever we doe will be to no purpose ; something or other must be found to serve our ends in this . doth moses prevaile too much in the hearts of the people ? something must be found against him ; if we can finde nothing against himselfe , yet we will finde something against his wife , shee is an ethiopian woman , numb . . and yet who was she but the daughter of jethro , to whom he had been married many yeers before ? for an ethiopian and a midianitish woman are all one ; but now we are resolved to pick out whatever we can get information of , though it be in things done many yeers since , when they were in the university , when they lived in such or such places in times of old , it will serve our turne , we may fasten it upon them , prov. . . an ungodly man diggeth up evill , and in his lips there is a burning fire : if he hath nothing above ground , he will digge something up , though it be what both by god and man hath been buried long since . david was a publike instrument of god for much good , yet psalm . . . hee was a reproach amongst his enemies , but especially amongst his neighbours . nehemiah raised up by god for great service , what dirt was cast upon him ? he was accused of sedition and rebellion . paul a pestilent fellow , hee and his company with him turned the world upside downe ; what evill can be devised , but was fastened upon the christians in the primitive times ? they charge them for being the cause of all their misery ; if they have ill weather , if the rivers overflow , if nilus does not flow , if there be any earthquake , plague , famine , hale the christians to the lions : at their meetings they said they made thyestes suppers , who invited his brother to a supper , and presented him a dish of his owne flesh , a limbe of his sonne : many such abominable things were fastened upon them as are not fit to be named . tertul tells the christians , that they were fun●mbulones , like men upon a rope , if they went one stept awry , they were in danger to be undone by it , so narrowly did their enemies watch them , and so maliciously did they aggravate all their miscarriages . thus the most eminent after his time , as athanasius , he was as miserably aspersed as ever poore man in this world , by the arrian party , they rendred him most odious to his friends , and strangers . in the beginning of reformation , the waldenses were so aspersed , that the story sayes of them , there was not one arrow in the quiver of malice , but it was drawne forth and shot at them . luther , calvin , beza , oecolampadius , bullinger , and the rest are by some in writing rendred the most black and vile pieces that the earth bore , both in their lives and deaths . i find it recorded of zuinglius , that he was a man so eminent , as his friends made him almost a god ; and so traduced by his enemies , that one would wonder the earth did not open and swallow up such a man. the like dealings did that worthy instrument of god mr. knox finde , who in queene maries time fled with divers others to frankford ; when men of vile contentious spirits could not prevaile against him any other way , they sought to asperse him , and that so maliciously , as his life was in danger , accusing him to the governours of frankford , for a sermon preached in england ; in which the emperour was concerned : the words were these , o england , england , if thou wilt obstinately r●●urne into egypt , that is , if thou contracting marriage , confederacy or league with such princes as doe maintaine and advance idolatry , such as the emperour who is no lesse enemy to christ then nero ; if for the pleasure of such princes , thou returne to thine old abhominations , then assuredly , o england , thou shalt be plagued and be brought to desolation , by the meanes of those whose favour thou seekest . the same measure did those worthy men of god meete with , who sought after reformation in queene elizabeths dayes , they called mr. cartwright an anabaptist , and whatsoever evill there was in any opinion in those times , they fastned it upon him . mr. vdall was accused for his life , and condemned to be hanged for writing , that if the parliament did not bring in the government of christ , christ himselfe would bring it in by some meanes that would make their hearts to ake ; or to that effect ; meaning , as he expounded the words , christ would in some way of judgement make way to set up his own government in the land , but they wrested the words to a seditious sense , as if he had meant to conspire to raise a force , and by violence of armes to make the parliament to yeeld to that way of government that he conceived to be christs , justly like those accusations that are amongst us at this day , that if such kinde of men cannot have the liberty of their way granted to them , seeing they have , or hope to have the sword in their hand , they will take it to themselves , and defend themselves also in it . only in this they goe beyond the bitternesse of the prelaticall party , they wrested what was said or written , these feigne what was never said or written ; who are the fire-brands amongst us , if not such men as these ? as fire-brands plucked out of the fire , and now they seeke to fire those who plucked them out ; but if this be too hot , what will you call them ? what will you say of them ? o is this the fruit of all prayers for them , reliefe of them , respect to them ! tanta ne vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri ? sed motas praesta● componere lites . whosoever shall reade that booke of bancroft , entituled , dangerous positions , published and practised by those who pretend reformation for the presbyteriall government , shall find the whole subject of the booke to be the blasting the names of the most eminent godly ministers that lived in those times , rendring them to the state , as men not fit to be suffered in any christian common-wealth . the state at that time being wholly for prelacie , and discountenancing that way of government these men sought for , their adversaries thought they might be bold to take what liberty they pleased , to calumniate , traduce , and to render them as vile as possible they might , there was no such way to keepe them downe as this ; in this , they being like those in the primitive times , who put the christians into beares and tygers skins , and then cast them to the dogges to be devoured . let the servants of god but appeare as they are , they will gaine reverentiall respect even from the multitude ; but when these ugly things are put upon them , they are prepared to be the objects of their fury . i have read in suetonius of the cruelty of tiberius , who because it was unlawfull that virgins should not be put to death , caused the hang-man to ravish them , and then to execute them : this is the cruelty of some amongst us , they can doe some men no hurt , but by offering violence first to their names , and if they be defiled , then they thinke they may doe any thing with them . of such as these are who make divisions amongst us in so ungodly a way as this , all that i shall further say , is , the lord rebuke them . as for the servants of god they commit their names and wayes to god , knowing that the lord takes care of their names as well as their soules . if dirt be cast upon a mud wall it sticks , but if upon marble , it soon washes or moulders away . god will in time justifie his servants even in your consciences , by the constancie of their peaceable carriage toward men , and their gracious holy walking with their god ; onely take you heed that you involve not your selves in the guilt of that wrong that is done unto them by readinesse of your spirits to close with , and take content in what evill you heare of those whom god accounts faithfull . chap. xxv . the sixt dividing practice , the giving characterizing names to men , names of division . this is an old continued practice of the devill , he hath gained much by it , and therefore is loath to leave it : the orthodox of old were called cornelians , cyrillians , by the followers of novatus and nestorius , in time of reformation lutherans , zuinglians , hussites , calvinists , hugonots . tertullian sayes in his apology for the christians of his time , their crime that they are persecuted for , hath no name , that for which they are hated and persecuted is the crime of their name ; such men are cryed out of under such a name , but when things come to be examined , their name is all their crime . and among other that of schismaticke is not onely a charactising , but a stigmatizing name , whereby of old and lately many have had a brand of reproach upon them , which upon examination will be found to be as it is applyed by many , nothing but a scaring word , taken up by such who understand little what schisme is ; i shall therefore endeavour to open this briefly . the word schisme comes of the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to rend , from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , scisura , a rent ; it is amongst divines a tecnologicall terme . schisme in the church , is much like to what sedition is in the state : when the church grew up to the state and outward glory of an earthly kingdome , much use was made of this terme , as a brand upon those who would not subject to the yoakes of them who loved preheminence in the church . but the true nature of schisme is this , an uncharitable , unjust , rash , violent breaking from union with the church , or the members of it . the church is that from which the rent is : heresie divides from the head , schisme from the body , apostacy from both . this rent is either from the whole church , or some part , if from the whole , it is donatisme : donatus denyed any to be of the body of christ , to be beleevers , to be such as could be saved , except that company that joyned with him , and with those in his way . this is clear from the whole discourse of augustine against him , in that tract de unitate ecclesiae . wherefore those who censure such as deny communion with some particular congregations , as donatists , discover either ignorance or malice , if not both . yet schisme may be , though the rent be but from some part of the church , but this must needs suppose union with that part : now there may be a twofold union with the severall parts of the church , either that which all who are to be accounted christians have with them as they are of the same body catholick ; or that which is by agreement to grow up together into a speciall fellowship . the rending from any of these unions in such a way as before was mentioned , is schisme . if we seperate from , or refuse that communion with such as are to be accounted christians , that is due to all christians , this is the more grosse schisme . or if we thus breake off that communion which is by speciall agreement , which may be either when christians joyne together in a private way for mutuall edification and comfort : or when they so joyn together as to make up a distinct spirituall corporation , to set up the publick ordinances of christ , which the scripture calls a church : now though there may be schisme in the breaking the former , yet the censure of schisme is especially applyed to the undue breaking off communion in the latter . now this implyes an union by a church agreement ; where there never was such an agreement , there cannot be the guilt of this schisme . although they who dwell within such a perambulation , such a compasse of ground , should not joyne in some ordinances with some within that compasse , whatsoever offence there may be against some civill constitution , yet the guilt of schisme they doe not contract upon themselves , for that union they never had cannot be broke . but you will say , yes , they are schismaticks , though they were never so united , because they were bound to unite thus , and they have not . it must be granted that christ by what he ordered the apostles to doe , would have all christians dwelling together , so far as they can , to unite into a body , but there is no such order of christ , that all that dwell on the one side of the street should be of one body , and all on the other of another body : if they be more then can joyn into one spirituall corporation , they are bound to joyne into severall , so as they may best , to their own and other churches edification , and if they should fail in this , not joyning in the best way that possible might be , their sin is against that edification that christ requires , but not therefore the sin of schisme . who ever they were that bounded parishes , surely they did not so bound them to the greatest edification of the church that possible might be , and yet who will say they were therefore schismaticks ? but suppose you have joyned with any company of saints in a spirituall corporation , if you now shall uncharitably , unjustly , rashly , and violently break from communion with them , then you contract the guilt of schisme upon you . first , the separtion must be from want of charity . by faith especially we are united to christ our head , and by charity to one another . if a man appeares departing from any fundamentall article of our faith which joyned him to his head , he is to bee judged an heretick . so by his appearing to depart from that love by which he was joyned in communion with the members , he is to be judged a schismatick . if his departure proceeds from his love of god , his love to his saints , and his owne soule , yea his love to that very church from whence he departs , as sometimes it may , witnessing in a gratious way against evill in it , he is farre from the guilt of schisme . if you say , love is a secret thing , we cannot judge of what is in the heart . we cannot judge of it while it is in the heart , but when it appeares we may . you may know whether this or other principles act men or no by their behaviour in their breaking off communion . where this is not , bitcernesse , pride selfe-ends , will soone appear , and carry them beyond those principles themselves professe they goe upon . secondly , if the cause of leaving communion be just , then those who give this cause are the schismaticks , not those who withdraw upon it . thus the governours of the church may be the schismaticks , and a private member withdrawing may be free . suarez a great jesuite , in his disputation de schismate , sayes in some cases the pope may be a schismatick . if governours shall enjoyne any thing upon the church , or any member , that is sinne , or if they shall mingle evill in the publick worship , so that there can be no joyning with their worship , but there must be likewise a joyning with sinne , in this case if any withdraw from them , they are the schismaticks , not those who withdraw , they are fugati , not fugitivi . the blame of schisme , sayes learned vo●tius , must not be upon those who forsake such as have forsaken christ and the ancient faith ; but upon those who have thus forsaken christ and his truth . when the second councell of nice set up image-worship , many thousands could not yeeld to it , but were forced to withdraw , who was the schismaticall party there , but the synod and those who joyned with it ? yea further , if they impose that which is not necessary , ( though in it selfe not sinful ) and will not beare with the weaknesses of such as thinke it to be evill ; if upon that they be forced to withdraw ; in this the governours are the schismaticks also ; the cause of the rent is in them , they ought in such things to beare the weaknesses of their brethren , and not imperiously to require of them those things that there is no necessity of . if such things be sinne to their brethrens consciences , if they will stand upon it to enjoyne them , they lay a necessity upon them to withdraw from them . god will not lay the indictment of schisme thus , such a one departed from the communion of such a church , because he would not doe what was lawfull to be done ; but thus , you imposed that upon your brother which there was no necessity of , and would not forbeare him in what i would have you forbeare him , but caused him by your imperiousnesse and stiffenesse , to depart from communion with you . it is true , sayes god , the thing might have been done , but it was not necessary , it was out of conscience to me that they forbore , the weaknesse is theirs , but the schisme is yours . this hath beene generally received ( though it be very false ) that if a man departs from a church because he refuseth to joyn with it in that which is not in it selfe evill , that this mans departure is schismaticall : certainly no ; grant there is a weaknesse in his conscience , and so a sinne , he should informe his conscience better , but cannot ; and this inability is not without sinne , yet this arises not to that height of sinne , as to make that ( which ( supposing him to be in this condition ) is better for him to doe then not to doe ) to become schisme ; especially if he be willing to hold communion with that church still in all acts of worship , wherein he can joyne without sinning against his conscience , and continues brotherly love to them as saints in all the expressions thereof , as he is able . the first great schisme in the church , that was caused by the governours of it , was that which victor bishop of rome , and those who joyned with him caused , by that imperious way of enjoyning easter to be kept at such a time which you have mentioned , pag. , , . the story of which you have in eusebius , lib. . cap. . those who denyed not the lawfulnesse of keeping easter , yet have generally accused victor , and such who so violently urged this upon the churches as the cause of the schisme , not such who did not conforme to what was enjoyned them , because the thing was not necessary , and there should have beene a forbearance in it : no governour ought to urge such unnecessary things which are but under suspition by tender consciences , if they do , the schisme is justly charged upon them . thirdly , where a man cannot have his soule edified in some ordinances and truths of great moment , which that church whereof he now is shall deny , and is in great danger of being seduced to evill , he may depart from that church to another , if he does it orderly , and not be guilty at all of schisme , love to god and his owne soule is the cause of this , not want of love to his brethren . it is a good speech i finde chillingworth hath , what the goodnesse of the man was i know not , but in that treatise of his , the religion of protestants a safe way , cap. . part. . sect. . answering that plea of his adversary against protestants , that communion with a church not erring in fundamentals , upon pretence of erring in other matters , must not be forsaken , he hath this excellent saying : if i did not finde in my selfe a love and desire of all profitable truth ; if i did not put away idlenesse , and prejudice , and worldly affections , and so examine to the bottome all my opinions of divine matters , being prepared in minde to follow god , and god onely which way soever he shall lead me ; if i did not hope that i either doe or endeavour to doe these things , certainely i should have little hope of obtaining salvation . when i consider of these causes of departing from a particular church , that speech of tertullian concerning a martyr comes into my minde , non poena sed causa facit martyrem , not the punishment but the cause makes a martyr . so , non dec●ssio sed causa facit schismaticum , not the departing , but the cause makes a schismatick . aquinas shewing that wherein the vitiousnesse of schisme lyes , sayes , as in naturall things that which is by accident does not constitute the species , so in morall , not that which is beside the intention for that is accidentall : therefore , sayes he , the sin of schisme is in that it intends to separate from that unity which charity makes , and therefore schismaticks are properly those who of their own accord and intention doe separate themselves from the unity of the church . the next thing considerable in the description of schisme ; is the rashnesse of the separation : though the cause of separating be just , yet the manner of it may be schismaticall , if done rashly or violently . those who are joyned in communion with others , when they differ from those with whom they have communion , they are bound to examine , try , to make use of all meanes they can to satisfie their consciences in things they scruple : and if they cannot , yet before they breake off communion they are bound to seek by all means they can for a redress of those things which after most serious examination appeare evill to them , they are bound to wait with much forbearance , and longsuffering . and at last if there be a necessity of departing , they must not rend away with violence , but shew themselves willing and ready in the spirit of love and meeknesse to open their cause , to shew their reasons to the church why they cannot continue in that communion with them they formerly had , and desire that they may peaceably and lovingly depart , seeing they cannot with peace of their conscience and love to their soules continue with them , and that they may joyne with some other church , where they may enjoy peace and further edification . surely here is no schisme , this is no rending away , here is no violence used , here is onely a loving and peaceable secession ; notwithstanding this , were it not the pride , envy and frowardnesse of mens spirits , much love and peace might continue amongst christians and churches : true indeed , if men can beare no contradiction , no kinde of blame of their wayes , there must needs be trouble ; but then those who doe contradict or blame , though they be in the wrong , yet if it be through weaknesse , and carryed with meeknesse , they are not so much the cause of the trouble , as those who cannot beare this weaknesse of their brethren without frowardnesse and contention . there are other names of division ; the name of puritan , what a divider hath it been ? but that seeing it self ready to dye , divided it self into two , round head and independent ; these are now the opprobrious , discriminating , scornfull names of division amongst us : for the first , there is so much folly and absurdity in it , that surely it will soone vanish of it selfe if you contemne it ; it is too low and contemptible for a pulpit , or a pen to meddle with : but the other carries in the face of it an open defiance to all kind of government , a monstrous kind of liberty for men to live as they list , and to be accountable to none , whatsoever they hold or doe : certainly such kinde of people as these , are not to be suffered ; shall i say in any christian society ? no not in any humane society ; if there be any such people as these , they are one of the most monstrous kinde of people that ever lived upon the face of the earth : how many runne away with the word , and cry out of men and their wayes under this name which they know not ? how farre those who are for the congregationable way , are from such an uncontroulable liberty , hath beene shewne , chap. . pag. . i shall adde this one thing , of all kinde of governments in the church , that which hath this name fastened upon it is most opposite to the name of any in that sense it is ordinarily taken , for there is no church-government that holds forth more means to reduce from errour , or any miscarriage , then this doth ; examine it with the prelaticall or presbyteriall government , and you shall find it ; for first , in the prelaticall government , if once the prelates determine any case , you must there rest , there is no church helpe for you , except you will say it is in a convocation , where we know they ruled both in the choyce of members , and ordering all things as they list . in the presbyteriall way , if so many associated elders determine any case , it must in them receive the finall determination , you must rest in it , although the greater part of the churches , and the greater number of elders in a kingdome should be of another minde ; for if you rise to a nationall assembly , there are not the twentieth part of elders of the kingdome in it : but those who men call independents say , that if any thing be done by them that is offensive , not only those associated elders , but all or any elders or churches whatsoever may require account , may in the name of christ doe all in effect , for the reducing of them , that those associated elders can doe , still remembring that church-power in one or the other , goes no further then mens consciences ; if men wil not conscientiously regard what is done to reduce them from evill , there is no help within the church , but to appeale to christ ; as for the externall helpe by the magistrate , that concernes not the controversie about church-government , and yet for subjection to that ordinance of god , the principles and profession of those you call independents leave as much to the magistrate , as the principle or profession of those who are presbyteriall doe , if not more . tolle ●am nominis crimen & nihil restat nisi criminis nomen ; now take away the crime of the name , and there remaines nothing but the name of a crime . chap. xxvi . the seventh , eighth , ninth , tenth , eleventh , twelfth dividing practices . the seventh , whatsoever personall evill there is in any one who is in a differing way from others , is cast upon all that are in that way . this you know was the practice of former times , whatsoever evill any forward professour was guilty of , that was cast upon all , they are all thus ; doe you not see that hypocrites they are ? whatsoever their shewes be , yet if they have opportunity they will be as vile as any men ; enough may be found against the best of them all , if they were narrowly watched ; this is their way , they are a company of dissemblers : such kinde of imputations are carryed upon the miscarriage of any one , upon all , on purpose to enrage the people against them : we accounted this hard dealing heretofore , let us not now be guilty of such things our selves . some such practice it is like there was amonst the corinthians , when that foule fact of the incestuous person brake forth , some of them were puffed up , so the apostle chargeth them ; it is a very strange charge that any should be puffed up upon such a thing as that ; what was there in it to occasion puffing up ? the answer is this , it is cleare there were great divisions in corinth , some sided one way , some onother ; now one of them who was of such a side , fell into this foule and scandalous sinne , upon that the other side thought they had an advantage against the whole party , and this puffed them up ; nay doe you not see what one of them hath done ? you may by him see what kinde of men they are ; this made the whole party low in their eyes ; they cast the contempt of this one upon all that were associated with him in such a way differing from others : this could not but widen the divisions amongst them . it is an evill advantage that men take , if they see some very erroneous many wayes , and obnoxious in their lives , yet if these agree but in some one thing with those whom themselves differ from ; all the odium of these errours and loose lives must be cast upon such as they thus agree with , in that one thing though their consciences cannot but tell them , that those brethren who are in a differing way from them , doe abominate such errourrs and loosenesse of life as much as themselves . after god used luther to bring light into germany , there arose many sects ; papists say , there were grown in the church after luthers time , in one hundred yeeres , two hundred and seventy sects , whereas from christs time to his , there cannot be reckoned above a hundred eighty one . now this was the practice of the papists , that they might cast an odium upon the lutheran party , which they lookt upon as standing most in their light ; whatsoever errours were held , or miscarriages of life appeared in any of these sects , all was cast upon the lutheran party , upon this ground , because the lutherans and these sects agreed in this , that they were all against the papacie . there are many amongst us , who contend for severall wayes , anabaptists , antinomians , socinians , separatists , those that are for the congregationall way , seekers , with many others , they all agree in this , that they are against the prelacie ; doe you now thinke it were a just thing for the prelates to gather together all the errours , opinions , and miscarriages in life , in all these sorts of men , and cast the ignominy and odium of all upon our brethren , who contend for the presbytery ? if they should say , look what vile opinions are held by those who are against episcopacie , how scandalously many of them live , but they all concenter in this , they would have the prelacie downe , they are enemies to bishops : you would presently answer , what though they agree in this one thing ? yet such as are for the presbyterie , they are as much against the errours and disorders of those who joine with them in this one thing , as your selves are . we read ier. . . shemajah sent letters to zephaniah against ieremiah ; marke the argument he useth why ieremiah should be dealt severely withall . the lord , sayes he to zephaniah , hath made thee priest instead of iehojadah . why , what then ? where lyes the force of his argument , that ieremiah must therefore be punished ? it lay here , iehojadah had punished one matthan an idolatrous priest ; therefore , sayes shemajah , you must doe as iehojadah did ; as if he should say , they are both in one way , this ieremiah was a priest , and so was matthan ; such kinde of men must be looked to , they are all alike . matthan was odious to the people , they all said he was not to be suffered , and they being in some things alike , therefore all the evill which was found in matthan , all the odium that was upon him , must be cast upon jeremiah . certainly this is a very sinfull , unjust , uncharitable practice of men , ( especially such as professe godlinesse ) against their brethren : it widens , heightens , and lengthens our divisions very much . the eighth dividing practice is an innordinate cleaving to some , so as denying due respect to others . this was the practice amongst the corinthians , which caused great divisions amongst them ; some were of paul , some of apollos , some of cephas . no question a man may in his heart more reverence , and prize , and outwardly shew more respect to those whom god makes the greatest instruments of good ( ●ateris paribus ) then to others . david shewed more respect to nathan than to god ; nathan was by farre more intimate with him : the intimacy was such between them , that nathan thought it a very strange thing that david should doe any thing about the disposing of his crowne , and not make him acquainted with it . so valentinean the emperour upon this ground honoured ambrose above any of the bishops in his time . such men as god is not pleased to make so instrumentall for good as others , should not envy this ; let them be willing that those should be honoured whom god honours : but yet people should take heed that they give not so much honour to one , that they deny due respect to others ; and ministers and others in publike place should not entertaine , much lesse seeke for , or rejoyce in any honour or respect given to them , which they see detracts from that esteeme and countenance that is due to others . peter martyr upon that place , cor. . , . observes , that heathen philosophers were ambitious that their disciples should receive denomination from them : hence some were called platonici , others pythagorici , others epicures , but this should be abominated amongst christians ▪ lanctantius hath a notable speech against this , those ( sayes he ) cease to be christians ▪ who take upon them the names of men , and are not called by the name of christ . peter martyr upon the fore-named place , sayes of secrates , that he was more modest then the rest , he refused to be accounted the author of that learning he taught others , but said of himselfe , that he was a but a mid-wife to be helpfull to the bringing forth of that , which was in the mindes of men before . the weaknesse and folly of people in their inordinate giving or denying respects , is often caused , but more ordinarily fomented and encreased by the pride and vanity of teachers , in seeking for , or at least in a pleasing embracing such inordinate respects given to them , whereby others suffer much ; siding of parties is made , and more hurt comes to the publike , then their honours are worth a thousand times over : this evill many times comes of it , that reason and truth from one man is little regarded , and error and weaknesse from another man is greedily embraced , and stifly maintained ; whereas it should be with reason and truth , as it is with money , one mans money in a market is as good as anothers , so should one mans reason and truth spoken by him be as good as anothers . the ninth dividing practice . because men cannot joyne in all things with others , they will joyne in nothing . some men are of such dividing dispositions , that if they be offended with a man in any one thing , in hearing , or otherwise , they will goe away in a tetchy moode , resolving never to heare him more . you think you have liberty in any froward mood to cast off that meanes of good which god offers to you , to refuse to partake of such mens gifts and graces as you please ; it may be your stomack is so high and great on a sudden , or your spirit is falne into such a sullen humour , as you will not so much as go or send to him , to see if upon a serious and quiet examination of things , you may not have satisfaction in what for the present offends you . no , mens spirits are carryed on with present rash heady resolutions . i believe there was never such a kinde of spirit prevailing amongst such as professe godlinesse , since christian religion was in the world ; never did so many withdraw from hearing even those by whom they acknowledge god hath spoken to their hearts and that before they have gone to them , to impart what it is that scruples them , to try whether they may not get some satisfaction . certainly if you have no neede of the word , the word hath no neede of you . you may easily express your discontents one to another ; you may easily say you are resolved you will never heare such an one any more , but you cannot so easily answer this to jesus christ . when your weaknesses , the prevailing of your distempers shall grate upon your consciences , this will be a great aggravation of the evil of them , you neglected in a humorous way , and selfe-willed resolution , those means that might have done your soule good , even such as many hundred , if not thousands of soules blesse god for all the dayes of their lives , yea are now blessing god in heaven for . heretofore you would have been glad of that , which now you sleight and reject ; this is not from more light or strength that you have now which you had not then , but from more vanity , pride , and wantonnesse . others deny hearing , not from such a distempered spirit , but out of tendernesse , because they think the minister is no true minister of christ , because he had no true call , because he was ordained by the prelats , &c. i confesse though for mine own part i never yet doubted of the lawfulnesse of the call of many of the ministers of the parishionall congregations in england , though they had something superadded which was sinfull , yet it did not nullifie what call they had by the church , that communion of saints , amongst whom they exercised their ministery , yet i doe not thinke it the shortest way to convince those which refuse to heare , to stand to prove to them the lawfulnesse of the call of those ministers whom they refuse to heare , but rather to make it out to them , that though their call be not right to the ministery , yet they have not sufficient ground of withdrawing from hearing them . for they hold it is lawfull for a man to preach the word as a gifted man , and that these men from whom they withdraw are gifted and faithfull , and preach excellent truths they deny not . but they will say , if they did this as gifted men , it were another matter , but they preach by vertue of their call . the answer to that is , if they be acted by that principle , and therein mistake , this is their personall sinne , not the sin of those who joyne with them in a good thing , which they doe upon an ill ground . when i joyne with a man in an action , i am to look to the action , and to the principle that i goe upon , but let him with whom i joyne look to the principle that he goes upon . your hearing a man doth no way justifie his call to the office of the ministery . if a man doth a thing that he may doe by vertue of two relations or either of them , it may be he thinks he stands in one of those relations which indeed he doth not , yet he doth the action by vertue of it in his owne thoughts , in this he sinnes ; but there is another relation wherein he stands , that is enough to warrant the action that he doth to be lawfull . now though he doth not intend the acting by this relation , the action may be sinne to him , but not at all sinne to those who joyne with him in it . if he will goe upon a false ground , when he may goe upon a true , let him looke to it . i will joyne with him in that action as warranted for him to doe by vertue of his second relation , which it may be he will not owne himselfe . take an instance in some other thing , and the case perhaps will be more cleare . giving almes is a worke that a man may doe either by vertue of church office , as a deacon , or as a christian whom god hath blessed in his estate , or betrusted with the distribution of what others betrust him with . now suppose a man is in the place of a deacon , he thinks himself to be in that office by a right call into it , and he gives out the almes of his church by vertue of his call ; but i am perswaded his call to that office is not right , he is not a true deacon ; yet if i be in want , i knowing that both he & those who have given him money to dispose , may and ought to distribute to those that are in need , by vertue of another relation , as men , as christians , enabled by god , surely then i may receive almes from him lawfully , though his principle by which he gives them me is sinne to him . i may communicate with him in this thing , though he acts by vertue of that office that he had no true call unto ; why may i not as well communicate with a man in his gifts , though he acts thus sinfully himselfe ? this consideration will answer all those objections ●gainst hearing men , that they say are not baptized ; grant they are not , and so you thinke they cannot be ministers ; yet they are men gifted by god , and thereby enabled to dispence many truths of god to your soule . the tenth dividing practice , fastning upon those who are in any errour , all those false things and dangerous consequences , that by strength of reason and subtilty may be drawne from that errour . this imbitters the spirits of men one against another , it is true , grant one false thing , and a thousand may follow , but i must not judge of a man that holds that one false opinion , as if he had the malignity of those thousand evill things in his spirit . i finde our divines who have been of peaceable spirits have condemned very much this fastening of dangerous consequences of mens opinions , upon those who hold the opinions , and yet whose hearts are as much against such consequences , as possibly may be deduced from them , as any : in their giving rules for peace , they advise to take heed of this , as a thing which makes brethren , who are different in their opinions unlikely ever to become one . davenant sayes , it is abhorrent to charity and right reason , that any because of consequences from what he holds , neither understood nor granted by him , should be thought to deny or reject a fundamentall article , which he firmly beleeves , expresly asserts , and if he were called to it , whould seale the truth of it with his bloud : truer , and more gentle , sayes he , is the judgment of that great and peace-making divine , bucer , who sayes , it is our part not to look at what may follow from an opinion , but at what followes in the consciences of those who hold it . the eleventh dividing practice , to commend and countenance what we care not for , in opposition to what we dislike . when such as professe godlinesse shall make much of wicked men , shall commend them , joyne with them , embrace them ; yea , be well pleased with the bitternesse , boisterousnesse , boldnesse of their daring spirits , because there may be use made of them against those men and wayes they differ from , this is an evill which brings guilt upon themselves , and makes the division between them and their brethren very great : if your hearts be right , and your cause be good , you need not make use of any thing that is evill , to comfort your hearts , or to maintaine your cause : the lord will not be beholding to the evill , the bitternesse of mens spirits , for the furtherance of his cause ; and why should you ? god will not take the wicked by the hand , neither shouldest thou : are not your spirits strengthned against your adversaries , when you see them calling in papists , and all manner of the refuse of men wicked and treacherous : can you thinke that these are the most likely to maintaine the protestant religion , and the liberty of the subject ? why doe you seek to strengthen your selves by stirring up vile men to joyne with you , such as heretofore your hearts were opposite to ? how comes it to passe , you can close so lovingly now ? you can smile one upon another , and shake hands together : how comes it to passe , you doe rejoyce the hearts of evill men ; they encourage you , and you encourage them ? those unsavoury bitter expressions that come from them , you can smile at , and be well pleased with , because they are against such as differ from you ; blow up that sparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you ; lay your hands upon your hearts , bethinke your selves , is it the spirit of jesus christ , that acts us in such a way wherein we are ? surely , this is not the way of peace , but of division and confusion . the last dividing practice , the practice of revenge . when any provoke you , you say you will be even with him , there is a way whereby you may be , not even with him , but above him ; that is , forgive him . practising revenge is the way to continue divisions to the end of the world ; such offend me , therefore i will offend them ; and therefore they offend me againe , mee againe , and i them , and so it may run in infinitum ; they deny mee a kindnesse , therefore i will deny them , and therefore they will deny mee ; so these unkindnesses run on endlesly ; divisions will have a line of succession , where will it , where can it stop , if this be the way of men ? paulus fagius in his notes upon leviticus , cap. . v. . sayes , if reuben should say to simeon , lend me thy axe , and he should answer , i will not ; the next day simeon hath need of an axe , and he comes to reuben , and sayes , i pray lend me your axe , and reuben answers , no , you would not lend me yours yesterday ; the jewes accounted this to be revenge : there is much more malignity in our revengefull practices one upon another then this . basil invelghing against requiting evill for evill , in his tenth sermon , speakes thus to a revengefull heart ; doe not make your adversary your master , doe not imitate him whom you hate ; be not you his looking-glasse , to present his forme and fashion in your selfe . revenge god challengeth to himselfe as his , presume not to encroach upon gods proprietie , to get up into gods seate , and doe his worke , thou hast enough to doe of thine owne . and it is very observable , how god stands upon his challenge of revenge as his owne ; as that which he by no meanes will suffer others to meddle with : in those scriptures where this is mentioned , the challenge is doubled , yea , sometimes treble● , as psal . . . o lord god to whom vengeance belongeth , o god to whom vengeance belongeth : so nahum . . . the lord revengeth , the lord revengeth , the lord will take vengeance on his adversaries , heb. . . vengeance belongeth to me , i will recompence saith the lord ; and againe , the lord will judge his people : you must not think revenge to be so light a matter . how unbeseeming are revengefull practices to christian profession ! many of the heathens were above such things . plutarch reports of phocion , that when he had done notable service for the athenians , yet was put to death by them ; but being asked a little before his death whether he had any thing to say to his sonne ; yes , sayes he , that i have , i require of thee my sonne , that thou never wishest ill to the athenians for this they doe to me . how farre are most of us from this ? we can hardly passe by an ill looke without revenge ; but if we conceive our selves to be wronged in words or actions , then revenge rises high , such things must not be born . a gentleman of very good credit , who lived at court many yeeres , told me that himselfe once heard a great man in this kingdome say , he never forgave man in his life : and i am moved the rather to beleeve it to be so , because i have been told by some other gentlemen , that the same man would when he was walking alone , speake to himselfe , and clap his hand upon his breast , and sweare by the name of god , that he would be revenged , hee would be revenged ; and that she who lay in his bosome , was wont to sit alone , and sing to her selfe , revenge , revenge , o how sweet is revenge , ! if they get power into their owne hands , and are so uxorious , as they must needs give way to have things managed according to the will of their revengefull wives : what peace , what security is there like to be ? sir walter rawleigh in his history of the world , tells of the sad case of the lacedemonians , when nabis having power in his hands , having a wife , apega , a woman full of cruelty and revenge , her husband delighting in her , caused her image to be made , lively representing her , and apparelled with costly garments ; but indeed , it was an engin to torment men withall ; he made use of it thus , when he could not have his will upon men by his owne perswasions , he tooke them by the hand , telling them , that perhaps his wife apega , who sate by in a chaire could perswade more effectually , so he led them to the image , that rose up and opened the armes , as it were for embracement ▪ those armes were full of sharpe iron nayles , the like whereof were also sticking in the brests , though hidden with her clothes , and herewith she griped these men to death : at which nabis standing by , laughed to see the cruell death of these miserable men . the lord deliver us from revengefull spirits . chap. xxvii . the evill of divisions , they hinder much good . evsebius reports of constantine , that he was more troubled with the dissentions of the church , then with all the warres in his dominions , that he took them so to heart , that he could not sleep quietly for them ; yea , although he had a spirit full of heroick valour , yet the dissentions of the church were such evils to him , as to cause him to cry and sob : thus he writes in an epistle to alexander and arius , let me enjoy the dayes in peace , and the nights without mol●station , that the pleasure which riseth out of the pure light of concord and quiet life , may henceforth inviolably be conserved ; if it otherwise happen , it behoveth us to sob and sigh , and to shed many a salt teare . what heart that hath any tendernesse in it , bleeds not in the sense of those sore & dreadful heart-divisions there are amongst us ! the evill there is in them , is beyond what tongue or pen can expresse : take a view of it under these three heads . . the good they hinder . . the sinne they cause . . the misery they bring . first , the quiet , comfort , sweetnesse of our spirits is hindered by divisions : they put the spirit out of tune ; men who heretofore have had sweet spirit full of ingenuity , since they have interessed themselves in these divisions , have lost their sweetnesse , their ingenuity is gone . when the bee stings , she leaves her sting behinde her , and never gathers honey more ; men by stinging one another , doe not lose their stings , but they lose their honey , they are never like to have that sweetnesse in their hearts , that heretofore they had , shall i lose my sweetnesse , sayes the fig-tree , and goe to be promoted over the trees ? why doest thou not reason thus with thy spirit ? shall i lose my sweetnesse in contending , to get my will to be above others ? god sorbid . there was a time that both my my selfe and others found much sweetnesse in the temper of spirit ; there was nothing but peaceablenesse , quiet , calmnesse , contentednesse in it , and how comfortable was such a temper of spirit ! me thought when my spirit was in that sweet frame , all things were sweet to me ; but since i have been interested in quarrels and contentions , it hath beene farre otherwise with me . prov. . . perversnesse in the tongue causes a breach in the spirit . contentions cause much perversnesse in mens tongues , and this causes a breach in their spirits . your contending costs you deare : though it were in nothing else , yet the losse of this sweetnesse of spirit makes it very costly to you . all the wrong that you should have put up if you had not contended , had not been so great an evil to you , as this one thing is . there is nothing more contrary to ingenuity then quarrelsomnesse . it is reported of melancthon , that when he was to dye he had this speech , and strigelius at his death had the same : i desire to depart this life for two causes : first , that i may enjoy the desired sight of the sonne of god , and the church in heaven . secondly , that i may be delivered from the fierce and implacable hatred of divines . there was much disputing , contending , quarrelling in those times , which was so tedious to the spirits of these good men , as it made them the willinger to dye , that they might be where their souls should be at rest . that saint of god old m. dod , never loved to meddle with controversies ; he gave that reason , he found his heart the worse when he did . men seldome come away from hot disputes , or any other contentions , but their spirits are altered for the worse . they finde it so , and others finde it in them . if a man has beene abroad , and met with company with whom he hath been contending , his wife , children , servants , finde that he comes not home with the same spirit that he went out with . secondly , they hinder the freedome of a mans spirit , which a wise man sets a high price upon : the strength of many mens spirits is spent in contentions , they have no command of them to any thing else . when a man is once engaged in a contest , he knows not how to get off ; contention is a great snare to a man , he wishes he had never medled with it , he is weary of it , but knowes not how to come off fairely . i have read of francis the first , king of france , consulting with his captaines how to lead his army over the alpes , into italy , whether this way or that way ; amarill his foole sprung out of a corner where he sate unseene , and bad them rather take care which way they should bring their army out of italy back again . it is easie for one to interest himselfe in quarrels , but the difficulty is to be disengaged from them when you are in . thirdly , they hinder the good of the body ; many men contending with their brethren are so full of stomach , that they have no stomach , they hinder their sleep ; men lye tossing up & downe a great part of the night , sometimes whole nights , musing , plodding and contriving , how they may make their party good , what advantages they may get of those they contend with . have the thoughts about the breach sinne hath made between god and thy soul , broke thy sleep so much as the thoughts of breaches between thee and thy neighbours and brethren ? we reade of moses , deut. . . that he was an hundred and twenty yeeres old when he died , his eye was not dimme , nor his naturall force abated . some give this to be one reason of such a wonderfull preservation of his health and strength , the meeknesse of his spirit : god witnesses of him , numb . . . that he was the meekest man upon the face of the earth . that good old man mr. dod came very neere to moses in the one and in the other . fourthly , they hinder mens judgements : if the water be muddie , we cannot see what lies at the bottome . these dissentions disturb the medium of our sight : you cannot weigh gold in the middest of blustring windes : you cannot consider and give a judgement upon truth , except the heart be calme . gregory nazianzen hath this similitude : as the earth , sayes he , is fixed to men whose braines and eyes are sound , but to those who have a vertigo in their heads it seems to turne round : so we are deceived in our apprehensions of things , we have not the same judgment of things when we love , and when we doe not love . fiftly , they hinder the sweetnesse of christian converse and communion : you know your communion with the saints was wont to be farre more sweet then now it is : ye were wont to have your hearts spring at the sight of one another : ipse aspectus boni viri delectat , sayes seneca , the very sight of a good man delights , the sight of a godly man was wont to delight us otherwise then now it does : you look one upon another now sowrely , with lowring countenance , and withdraw from one another : your comforts were wont to be double , treble , seven fold , an hundred fold , according to that society of saints you conversed withall ; one godly man accounted it the joy of his heart , that he had any thing that he could communicate to another godly man , and the other had the like joy that he had any thing to communicate to him ; thus comforts were multiplyed ; but now your comforts are single , oh the sweetnesse , the sutablenesse there was wont to be in the spirits of christians ! shall i say sutablenesse ? it was a blessed onenesse of heart : they did as it were exchange soules one with another every day ; their soules did close claspe one with , and cleave one to another . oh how did they love to open their hearts one to another ! what delight was there in pouring forth their spirits one into another ! what cheerfulnesse was there wont to be in their meeting ! they eate their bread together with singlenesse of heart and joy , praising the lord. there were no such merry meetings in the world , as the meetings of the saints were wont to be : they parted one from another with their soules bound up one in another ; their hearts warmed , enlarged , resolved , strengthened in gods waies . but now they cannot meet together but they fall a jarring , contending one with another , and part with spirits estranged from , sowred , and imbittered one against another : their hearts weakned , and more unsetled in the things of god then before . heretofore when they were absent one from another , yet the remembrance one of another was joyfull ; but these dayes seeme to be gone . where is there that opening of secrets one to another as formerly ? every one is afraid of another . what sweet visits were there wont to be ? what bearing one anothers burdens ? what heart-encouraging letters ? it was with the saints as in tertulli●ns time , christians called brethren , and were ready to dye for one another : but now they are burdens to one anothers spirits , they bring evils one upon another . those who heretofore were forward professors , whose society was onely amongst the saints , now they can suit well enough with those who are carnal , they close with them , their converse is most amongst them . oh lord , what fire is it that is kindled amongst us ! the nature of fire is , congregare homogenea , & segregare heterogenea , to gather things of a like nature together , and separate things of a different : but our fire does quite contrary , it separates things that are homogeneall , and joyns things heterogeneall . surely this is no other then the fire of hell . sixthly , they hinder our time . abundance of time is spent about our divisions , which we are not able to give account to god for . when men are engaged in contentions , they will follow them night and day , whatsoever business be neglected , to be sure that must not : yea the choice of our time that was wont to be spent in meditation , reading , prayer , is now spent in contending and wrangling . those retired times that we were wont to converse with god in , are now spent in the workings of our thoughts about our divisions ; and when we come abroad then a great part of our time is taken up in going first to this body , and then to the other , to help forward and foment matter of division . of all the time of a mans life , that time that is spent in lawing and quarrelling is the worst , and happy it were for many that it might not be reckoned amongst the days , weeks , or moneths of their lives . seventhly , they hinder our prayers . if two or three agree together touching any thing they shall aske , it shall be done for them by my father , sayes christ , mat. . . tim. . . i will that men pray , lifting up their hands without wrath . when daniel was in a strait , he goes to his companions , and desires them to lift up prayers to god for him , dan. . . there was a a sweet agreement between them . hence their stock and trade in prayer went in common , but divisions do exceedingly hinder prayer , either one with another , or one for another . pet. . . the apostle giving rules for a peaceable loving life between man & wife , the woman must be meek , and the man live with his wife as a man of knowledge ; and they must walk together as the heires of life . why so ? that your prayers may not bee hindred . private contentions in families are great hindrances of family-prayers : so our publick divisions and contentions are the great hindrances of the prayers of christians in a more publick way . how were they wont to pour forth their hearts in prayer together ? then their hearts closed , but now it is otherwise . men do not walk now together as the heirs of life , therefore their prayers are hindred . god accepts not of our gift , if we offer it when our hearts are at a distance from our brethren . when breaches continue , and we are not reconciled , you know christ requires us to leave our gift at the altar till reconciliation be made . it is the spirit of god in the saints that is the spirit of prayer : now gods spirit is a dove-like , meek , quiet , and peaceable spirit . eighthly , they hinder the use of our gifts : when vessels are sowred with vinegar , they spoil liquor that is poured into them , they make it good for nothing : many men have excellent gifts , but they are in such sowre vinegar spirits , that they are of little or no use in church and common-wealth . . in these times of division , many men exercise their gifts and parts in little or nothing else but in matters of division ; do you think that god hath given you such parts for no other end but this ? . they have no hearts to impart to their brethren their gifts in counselling , admonishing , strengthning , comforting : no , their hearts are estranged from them , they care not to have any thing to do with them : but do you think , that you are so far your own men , that you may keep in , or imploy your talents as you please ? are you not the stewards of christ , are they not given to you for the edification of your brethren , as well as for good to your selves ? can this satisfie your consciences ? such a one differs from you , he hath angred you , therefore though you have opportunity of being useful to him , yet you refuse it , as if it were at your liberty to lay out your abilities for good , or not , certainly , this is not according to the mind of christ . cor. . . the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall . . if you do make use of your gifts for the good of others , yet dissentions between you will hinder the profit of them , you are not like to do any good by them , except they be carryed on by the oyl of love , they wil not soak into mens hearts . when did you ever know a wrangling contentious minister ( though his gifts were never so excellent ) do good amongst his people ? and what comfort can a man have of his life , if he be laid aside by god as a useless man ? . these divisions cause men to make the gifts of others useless to themselves , whereas god puts opportunity into mens hands , to get much good by those excellent gifts their brethren have , yet if there be any difference between them , either they will not acknowledge the gifts of god in them , or otherwise they have no mind to receive from them that good they might have , because their hearts are not with them . ninthly , they hinder our graces ; how little of god and christ , little spiritualness appears in professours of religion since these rents and divisions have been amongst us , in comparison of what in former times hath appeared . as the members of the body ( sayes augustine ) are not quickned , except they be joyned , so even the members of christ do not receive of the quickning vertue of christ , except they be joyned : here is the reason of the deadness , coldness , emptiness , barrenness , vanity of your spirits , you are not joyned : o where are the heavenly christians that were wont to be , those humble , those holy gracious soules , who lived by faith , who were able to deny themselves , their whole lives were nothing else but a continuall exercise of self-denyall , who were not onely patient , but joyfull under afflictions ? where are those watchfull christians who walked close with god , who enjoyed such spirituall communion with him , as made their faces shine in their holy heavenly conversations ? where are those tender , broken-hearted christians that were wont to be , who lived upon the word , to whom the word was more sweet then honey and the honey comb ? now there is another kind of face of professours of religion , as if there were godliness in these dayes , not of the same kind with that which was formerly . if our fore-fathers , who were the most holy and gracious , should rise againe , they would not own those for professours of religion who now make a great noyse , keep a great stirr about religion , as if they had got up higher then their fore-fathers had , and yet are loose , vain , frothy , false in their way . certainly , those holy , gracious saints , whom these new professours sleight , were they alive , they would abominate them , as the great disgrace of , and dishonour to jesus christ and his saints . take but away their disputes , and for any else , how empty and dry are they ? if they ever had any grace , it is under a deal of rubbish , we cannot see it , and can these men be any other but an empty vine , seeing their hearts are so divided ? the graces that they seemed to have had , are quite blasted ; and if there were any in truth , they are exceedingly weakned ; vinegar will dissolve pearls . pliny tells of cleopatra queen of egypt , that in her wanton bravery , at a supper she made for marcus antonius , she dissolv'd a pearl in vinegar , and drank it off , and prepared another , both which were valued worth neer five thousand pounds : oh the many precious pearls worth thousands of gold and silver , that are dissolv'd by the vinegar sowreness of mens spirits in these sharp dissentions that are amongst us ! our divisions hinder the breaking forth of the lustre , the shine of religion in the beauty and glory of it . the fire of our contentions raises such a smoak , that it all besmothers us , it takes away our comliness , it makes us look black , no amiableness appears in the wayes of religion to convince men of the excellency of them . scratch'd faces , rent and torn garments we account a shame to us ; distracted , divided spirits , rending and tearing one another , and from one another in our divided wayes , o how uncomely doth it render us , and that profession of religion that we take upon us ! the turks were wont to wonder much at our english men for pinking and cutting their clothes , counting them little better then mad men , for making holes in whole cloth , which time of it self would tear too soon : the cuts , rents , slashes that are in our spirit , in our divisions at this day , are much more uncomely , and may justly render us foolish and mad in the eyes of all that do behold us . our divisions hinder our strength ; if you untwist a cable , how weak is it in the severall parts of it ? a threefold cord is not easily broken , but a single one is : divide a strong current into severall rivelets , and how shallow and weak will the course of the water be ? that act that plutarch reports to the king of scythia , scilurus , toward his sons hath been very famous , to set out how divisions weaken wheresoever they are ; he sayes he had eighty sons , and when he was near death , he caused a bundle of arrows to be brought and given them one by one , bidding each of them to break it ; they all answered , it was impossible for any man to do it ; then he causes the arrows to be taken out one by one , and bade one of his sons break them , this any of them could easily do ; upon this he speaks to his sonnes thus , if ye agree together , ye shall abide strong and unconquerable ; but if ye divide your selves , contending one with another , ye will be weak and easily overcome . they hinder our doing good in publick ; that which concerns many , must be done by many : but how can two , much less many , walk together , if they be not agreed ? that which one does , the other seeks to undo : now although god can turn whatsoever is contrary to his work , to the furtherance of it , yet man cannot do so . when god would hinder the work of building babel , he comes down and confounds their tongues , so as they could not joyn together in it : thus when the devill would hinder the work of jerusalem , he knows no way more likely then by dividing the hearts of those who are employed , if he can possibly , that thereby he might bring confusion . they hinder our own ends ; none are more crossed in their ends and designes , then contentious people ; we have not the mutuall benefits of one anothers estates , houses , the many ways of accommodation and help for one another , as heretofore we were wont to have ; now every man shifts for himselfe ; scarce any man who knew what the heartiness of friendship meant , enjoyes those outward accommodations as he was wont . they hinder the blessing of god , psalm . . the psalmist commending the love of brethren concludes , there the lord commanded the blessing , even life for evermore . there ! that is , where the love of brethren is , there is a blessing , a blessing commanded by god ; it comes with power , and this no less then life , and this life for evermore . god dwels in salem , sayes luther , not in babylon ; where there is peace , not where there is confusion . lastly , yea they hinder all good . they are like the torrid zone , nothing can prosper under it . when the dog-star rises no plants thrive as an other times . when a fire is kindled in a town , the bels ring backward . when fires of contention are kindled in places , all things go awke . there is little joy in any thing . thus you see how great evill there is in our divisions in respect of what good we lose by them : now then consider whether it be possible that any gain we can get by them can recompense this loss ; can any thing got by them quit the cost ? but if it could be supposed our loss may be recompensed , yet i am sure nothing can countervail the evill there is in them , in respect of the sinfulness of them . that is the next head . chap. xxviii . the sinfulnesse of our divisions . though there be sin in many things mentioned , yet we considered them in reference to our good that was hindred : but now let us consider what venome of sin there is in them . the number . hath been accounted accursed , because it was the first that departed from unity . the departure from that unity god would have , is a very cursed thing , for it hath much sin in it . that which s. aug. sayes of originall sin , we may well apply to our divisions , they are sin , the punishment of sin , the cause of sin , nothing but a heap of sin . first , they are against the solemn charge and command of god , and of jesus christ . john . . this is his commandement , that we should believe on the name of his son jesus christ , and love one another as he gave us commandement . it is not an arbitrary thing that we should love one another , but it is the command of god , and a great command joyned to that of beleeving in his son jesus christ . the one is as truly necessary to salvation as the other . let men talk of faith , of believing on the son of god , of trusting to free grace in christ , yet if they have dividing , contending spirits , no love , no sweetness , no grace of union with the saints , their faith is a dead faith : and because god stands much upon this to have his people live together in love , at the beginning of the verse he sayes , it is his commandement ; at the end of the verse he sayes , he gave us commandement ; and it is also observable , that he sayes of the commandement of love , that he gave us that commandement . it is a gift , for it is a sweet commandement . we should not onely submit to it , as being bound by the authority of it : but we should open our hearts to it , and embrace it joyfully as a gift from god. the commandement of love god gives us as a gift from his love . the excellency of these commandements are further amplified , ver . . and he that keepeth his commandements dwelleth in him , and he in him . i do not thinke that you can finde in all the scripture any command of god in one ver . and a piece of another so inculcated and commended . again , chap. . . this commandement have we from him , that he who loveth god loves his brother also . if you think you have any command to love god , or to believe in jesus christ , know the same authority layes a command upon you , to love your brother also . joh. . . this is my commandement , that ye love one another as i have loved you . and ver . . these things i cowmand you , that ye love one another . christ you see likewise makes a great matter of the saints loving one another . surely the sinne then must needs be great that breaks such a great commandement as this , upon which god the father and jesus christ his son layes so much weight . secondly , these unkind and unloving divisions are against the prayer of jesus christ , yea against that prayer he made for us a little before he died , joh. . . he prayes to his father , that all who did believe , and should after believe on him , might be one , as his father is in him , and he is in his father ; and that they may be one in the father and him : as if he should say , oh father , i am now going out of the world , and i foresee , when i am gone , even those whom thou hast given me , who are one in me , and in thee , will meet with strong temptations to divide them one from another : but oh father i beseech thee , let thy fatherly care be over them , to keep their hearts together , that they might be united in the strongest union that is possible for creatures to be united in . oh father , let them be one , as thou and i am one . would we not be loath to lose the benefit of that heavenly prayer of christ for us in that . of joh. read it over , see what soul-ravishing excellency there is in it , seeing he hath expresly said he intended us who live now , in it , as well as those disciples who then lived with him ; let us prize this prayer , as being more to us then ten thousand worlds . luther writes a chiding letter to melancthon ; by those sinfull distrustfull fears and carking thoughts of yours , sayes he , you do irritas facere praeces nostras , you make void our prayers . how great then is the evill of our divisions ? by them we do what in us lies to make void as concerning us the prayer , that blessed prayer of jesus christ . sathan , sayes christ to peter , hath desired to winnow you like wheat , but i have prayed for you that your faith fail not . he shall not prevail , sayes christ : why ? because i have prayed for you . oh blessed saviour , is not thy prayer against our divisions , as strong ? canst not thou prevail with thy father as well in this as in that ? we know thy father did and does ever hear thee : some way or other this prayer of christ is , and shall be heard ; yet our sin is not the less , for it tends to the frustrating of christs prayer . sathan desires to winnow us in our divisions , but he desires not to have the chaffe divided from the wheat , he rather would have the chaffe mixed with the wheat . the mixing the chaffe with the wheat makes a great stirre amongst us : but christs prayer which helped peter in his winnowing , we hope will help us in ours : only let not us do any thing that makes against it . thirdly , our divisions are against our own prayers , how often have many who now are estrang'd from one another , heretofore so prayed together , as their hearts have seemed to melt one into another , so as one would think it impossible that ever in this world there should have been that distance between them that now there is . how often have we prayed , oh that once we might be blessed with such a mercy , as to worship god according to his own mind ! that we might be delivered from conscience oppression , from spirituall bondage ! oh that we might be delivered from the inventions of men in the service of god : that the saints might joyn and serve the lord with one shoulder . there were never such hopes that the saints should enjoy their prayers so as of late there hath been , and yet never were they so divided as now they are : they now seek to bring one another in bondage . if five or six years since when many of us were praying together , making our moans to god for that oppression we were under , god should have then presented as in a map , such times as these are to our view ; could we have beleeved that it were possible that there should be such a distance in our spirits as now there is ? fourthly , our divisions are very dishonourable to jesus christ ; were it , that they darkned our names onely , it were not so much ; but that which darkens the glory of jesus christ , should goe very neere unto us . i have read of alexander severus , seeing two christians contending one with another , commanded them that they should not presume to take the name of christians upon themselves any longer ; for ( sayes he ) you dishonour your master christ , whose disciples you professe to be . it is dishonour to a general to have his army routed , and run into confusion . the devill seems to prevaile against us in these our divisions , so as to rout us . john . . . is a notable scripture , to shew the sinfulnesse of our divisions , in the dishonour they put upon christ , and it may be as strong an argument against them as any i know in the book of god ; christ praying to the father for the union of his saints , uses this argument , o father let this be granted , that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me : and againe , ver . . let them be perfect in one , that the world may know that thou hast sent me . if they be not united one to another in love and peace , but have a spirit of division ruling amongst them , what will the world thinke ? surely , that thou didst not send me ; that i who am their head , their teacher and lord , never came from thee , for thou art wisdom , holiness and love , & if i had come from thee , then those who own me to be theirs , and whom i own to be mine , would hold forth in their conversations something of that spirit of holinesse , wisdome and love there is in thee ; but when the world does not see this in them , but the clean contrary , they will never beleeve , that i came from thee ; those truths that i came into the world to make known as from thee , o father will not be beleeved , but rather persecuted , if those who professe them by their divisions one from another , and oppositions one against another , shew forth a spirit of pride , folly , envy , frowardnesse ; therefore , o father , let them be one as thou and i am one ; if this petition be not granted , how shall i look the world in the face ; i shall be contemned in the world : what am i come down from thee , for such glorious ends as indeed those were , for which i came into the world , and when i should come to attaine those ends , for which i came , shall there be such a carriage in those who doe professe my name , that by it the world shall perswade themselves , that thou didst never send me ? o what a sore evill would this be ! surely any christian heart must needs tremble at the least thought of having a hand in so great an evill as this is . fifthly , divisions are sinfull because they grieve the holy spirit of god , ephes . . , . grieve not the holy spirit of god , whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption . surely , there is no godly heart , but will say , o god forbid that i should doe any thing to grieve the good spirit of god , it is the spirit that hath enlightned me , that hath revealed the great mysteries of god , of christ , of eternall life unto me ; it is that spirit that hath drawn my soul to jesus christ , that hath comforted it , with those consolations that are more to me then ten thousand worlds ; the spirit that hath strengthned me , that helpes me against temptations , that carries me through difficulties , that enables me to rejoyce in tribulations ; the spirit that is an earnest , to assure me of gods electing love ; the spirit thet hath sealed me up to the day of redemption ; and now shall i be g●ily of so great a sinne as to grieve this blessed spirit of the lord ? if i did but know wherein i have grieved it , it could not but make my soul to bleed within me , that i should have such a wretched heart , to grieve this holy spirit , by whom my soule hath enjoyed so much good : i hope should for ever hereafter take heed of that thing , i would rather suffer any griefe in the world , to mine owne spirit , then be any occasion of grief to that blessed spirit of god. but would you know what it is that hath grieved it , and what it is that is like to grieve it further ? mark what followes , ver . . let all bitternesse , wrath , anger , clamour , and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice : and would you doe that which may rejoyce it ? oh! god knowes it would be the greatest joy in the world for me to doe it , then ver . . be ye kind one to another , tender-hearted , forgiving one another even as god for christs sake hath forgiven you . sixthly , these divisions doe grieve and offend our brethren , this should not be a light matter to us , christ accounts it a great evill to offend one of his little ones : we may thinke it a little matter to give offence to some of gods people who are poore and meane in the world , so long as we have the bravery of it , and the countenance of great men , no matter for them . but ( friend ) whatsoever slight thoughts thou hast of it , christ thinks it a great matter ; you may look upon them as under you , the times favour you more then them ; but if you shall give them cause to goe to god , to make their moanes to him , of any ill usage they have had from you ; lord thou knowest i was for peace to the uttermost that i could , so farre as i was able to see thy word for my guide ; but these who heretofore were as brethren to me , now their spirits are estranged , their hearts are imbittered , their words , their carriages are very grievous , and all because i cannot come up to what their opinions , their ways are ; certainly this would prove very ill to you , regard it as lightly as you will ; it may be when others carry themselves towards you otherwise then you expected , you vent your selves against them in quarelling , in giving ill language , in vilifying and scorning , your strength runs out this way ; but there are a generation of men , who being wronged , improve their strength in patient bearing , yet in making their moan to god in the exercise of faith , in committing their cause to him . mat. . from . to . you have the story of the servant who had ten thousand talents forgiven him , who yet took his fellow-servant by the throat who ought him a hundred pence , and put him into prison ; the text sayes , when his fellow servants saw what was done , they were sorry , and came and told their lord what was done . you do not hear them cry out of their fellow-servant , o what a vile base wretch was he , who would deal thus with his fellow ! no , but they went and told their lord. it is not the way of christians when they apprehend wrong done , to give ill language , to seek to right themselves or others by bitter provoking expressions ; but their hearts being filled with griefe , if they must needs vent it , if quiet debates with their brethren will not ease them , let them vent themselves in the powring forth their complaints to the lord. seventhly , there is much sinne in our divisions , for they stir up much corruption on all sides , both in our selves and others ; as if you shake a glass of water that has dirt in the bottome , the dirt spreads it self all over : so doth the dirty stuffe in our hearts , these divisions causing a commotion in them ; that corruption is now discovered , that neither our selves nor others had thought had been in us : do not you say in your hearts , and it may be one to another , who would have thought it possible , that so much filthy staffe should lie so long in such mens hearts undiscovered , which now appeares since these unhappy divisions have been amongst us ? james . . where there is envying and strife , there is confusion and every evill worke . when snakes are cold , they lye still ; but if the heat of fire come to them , then they hisse and put forth their stings : thus mens corruptions heat by the fire of contention that is kindled amongst us , begin to stirre , to act , yea , to rise very high . the reason that some give of that prohibition of the apostles , ephes . . let not the sunne goe downe upon your wrath , which also i finde chrysostome upon the place gives , is , because when mens wrath is stirred by contending , if it continues in the heat of it till night , as they lye upon their beds their corruptions will be boyling , they will lye musing and plotting against those that contend with them ; their thoughts in the night season will worke up their corruptions to a great height ; have you not found it so , when the sunne was gone downe upon your wrath , you could hardly sleepe that night ? william the conquerour in his first yeer commanded , that every night at eight a clock a bell should be rung , and that all people should then put out their fire , which was called the curfew bell : it were well that some were admonished every night , to cover the fire of their passions . we stirre up likewise the corruptions of others , in these our divisions ; doe you not see those distempers formerly mentioned , working and breaking forth in your brethren when you provoke them in your contending with them ? o pitty , pitty thy brother , if thou canst not pitty thy selfe ; does it not grieve thee , that thy brother should bring sinne upon himself ? were it not better for thee to suffer ; then for thy brother to sinne ? it is an evill thing to be an occasion of griefe to our brethren , the lord does not willingly grieve the children of men , but to be occasion of sinne to them is much worse : when did you ever meet with your brethren , and had your spirits put into any heat , but after your parting when you began to be coole , you then saw canse to grieve for unbeseeming words , carriages , breakings forth of passion , that there was either in you or them : sometimes in a froward debate there is more sinne committed in one houre , then there is otherwise in a whole twelvemonth , between those who live lovingly and sweetly together : yea , sometimes such corruptions are stirred by differences and divisions , that one would think were not competible to a saint ; namely , the rejoycing in the evill of other men , yea of godly men . david said , his zeal had ever consumed him , because his enemies had forgotten gods word ; but some mens zeale doe even consume them , because their friends do remember gods word ; the more inoffensive they walke , the more are they troubled ; it were endlesse to mention the uncharitablenesse , wrong , malice , injustice , oppression , cruelty , with the abundance of other sins that are caused by our divisions . eightly , yet further , as they stirre up sinne , so they harden in sinne . fire hardens the clay into a brick : thus are mens hearts hardened in evill by our divisions , men who heretofore had tender spirits , their hearts were redy to relent upon any brotherly admonition , now they are stiffe , they stand out sturdily , yea behave themselves scornfully : o this fire of contention hath baked their lusts , hath hardned their hearts . ezek. . god promises to give his people one heart , and this heart should be a heart of flesh : while the hearts of the saints are united , they are tender ; but when they divide , they grow hard . hence is the reason why brethren being falne out , it is so hard to convince either of them of any ill carriage , they are angry , & they think they do well to be angry , and all because their hearts are hardened . jonah was in a pettish mood , his heart was hardened with it , let god himself come now to convince him , he stands it out , he will by no meanes acknowledg himselfe faulty ; no , what he does he will justifie , he does well to be angry . ninthly , there is much sinne in them , for they are a meanes to keep off others from gods wayes ; if this be their religion for men to quarell one with another , i will have none of it : carnall hearted men use to charge religion with all the miscarriages of the professours of it . you know what saint paul sayes , cor. . if men speak with strange tongues , aud there comes in one unlearned , will they not be to him as barbarians , will they not say they are mad ? thus when the men of the world looke upon those who professe religion , and see their carriages , their wayes strange , divided amongst themselves , will they not think them even mad people ? i charge you , sayes the church , cant. . . by the roes and by the hindes , that you stir not up my beloved till he please . this by some is interpreted thus , the roes and hindes are shy and fearfull creatures , by them are signified such as are observers of the wayes of the church , and ready to take offence at any thing they see amisse in them , therefore i charge you , say those who are faithfull , that you doe nothing that may make any disturbance in the church , whereby such as are observers of your wayes shall be offended : if they see miscarriages in you , they will fly off , and of all miscarriages there are none more offensive to the lookers on , then wranglings and contendings ; when they see this , they will conclude , surely this is not the way of christ . . they are a very ill improvement of our zeal and courage ; zeal and courage have such an excellency in them , as its a thousand pitties they should have no other improvement then to raise and maintain quarels and divisions . the lord hath use of every mans zeal and courage , reserve them for his , for some notable work that god hath to do for thee , and do not spend them about that from whence comes no good . if soldiers lying neare their enemies , have no store of powder , should spend what they have in making squibs and fire-workes , would they not be condemned of folly , if not of treachery , by all ? those who have the most zeal and courage , have little enough to serve their turne , for the services that god requires of them , and must this be spent in unworthy brablings , wanglings and quarellings ? that mans body is in an ill condition that hath a sore to which the humors have recourse to feed it , leaving off the supplying to the parts of the body that are to be nourished and maintained by them ; the sore is fed , but the other parts grow lank and feeble . thus it is with many mens spirits , they are distempered , and then what abilities they have , are drawn forth to feed those distempers ; what account can be given to god of such a use of them as this ? . they make very much against the cause of christ now in hand , the great work of reformation . had we joyned hand in hand together , and set out selves to serve the lord with one shoulder , what abundance of service might have been done ? how might the honour of christ have been advanced high amongst us before this day ? but while one draws one way , another another , one seeks to set up , and another labours to pull down , how can the work go on ? you will say , that is true indeed , things would go on a pace , if those who differ from others would give up their judgements and practises to them , to beleeve what they beleeve , and to doe what they doe . but how can this be ? you would not have them give up their judgements or practices to them till they know they be right , and how can that be , till they by discussing , praying , reading , meditating , finde that out ? if some men had certainly found out the right , and other men knew certainly that they had done so , then the worke were at an end . but when we complain of our divisions for making much against the cause of christ , or work of reformation , we do not complain against men , because they cannot all understand things alike . but this we complain of , . that all men who professe godlinesse , have not joyned in opposing that which they beleeve cannot stand with godlinesse , by all the wayes that god hath put into their hands . . that they have not joyned to promote those wayes of godlinesse , which they are convinced to be so . . that they have not joyned to study what wayes and means may be found out to ease the hearts and consciences one of another , to beare with one another , so far as christ would have them be helpfull to , and beare with one another . it is this that hath made such a stop in the work of reformation . a peaceable , humble , and quiet discussing of things , furthers that reformation that christ would have . doe you thinke that christ would be pleased with such a reformation wherein the lesser part should give up their consciences and practices to the judgments of the greater ? such a kind of slubbering over matters might soon be , but christ must have all the matters of his worship and doctrine consented to , and practiced from a principle of faith . let us joyn with all our might in all we know , and with peaceable , quiet , humble spirits seek to know more , and in the mean time carry our selves humbly and peaceably towards those we differ from , and christ will not charge us at the great day for retarding his cause , the great work of reformation in hand . . these our dissentions are against a great part of the covenant of grace which god hath made with his people in christ , and those many promises of so much peace that there is to be in the times of the gospel . we by these do that which tends to make void the covenant , we doe as it were say that christ is not come in the flesh , joh. . . every spirit that confesseth not that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is not of god , and this is that spirit of antichrist . many men talk much of antichrist , bet such as profess the gospel , and yet are of unpeaceable , snarling , contending spirits , they have the spirit of antichrist , and they doe not confesse that jesus christ is come in the flesh . it is the argument the jews have against christ , say they , if he were come , then that prophesie esay . . would be fulfilled , the wolfe shall dwell with the lambe , and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid , and the cow and the beare shall feed together , &c. but this is not so , they bring many other places where peace is prophesied of , as esay . . of the encrease of his government and peace shall be no end . those who seeke for his government , should seek for his peace also . galatinus de arcanis catholicae veritatis , spends divers chapters in answering the jews objections against christ from these places with others , as lib. . the , , . chapters . a speciall part of the covenant of grace is in that promise , ezek. . . i will give them one heart , and i will put a new spirit within them , and they shall be my people , and i will be their god , ver . . and jer. . , . they shall be my people , and i will be their god , and i will give them one heart and one way . many men speak much of the covenant of grace , who manifest little of this part of it in them . if that which is against any command of god be sinfull , much more is that which is so directly against gods covenant with his people , that which tends to make even the covenant of grace to be of none effect ; if it be of no effect in one part of it , it will be of none in the other . . by our divisions we cross that end that god aimed at in the variety of his administrations in the gifts and graces of men ; that this was not christs end in dispensing gifts and graces in a different way , that there might be fuell administred to contentions and quarrels , but rather to exercise love , we spake to before , now onely take notice of it as a consideration that set out the exceeding sinfulness of our divisions . the aggravations of the sinfulnesse of our divisions . first , that we that are christians should be thus divided , it were not so much if we were heathens ; our divisions are against the very character of christianity : hereby shall ye know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another , sayes christ . love and unity are christs badge , the armes of a christian , whereby he shewes of what house he is : but by these divisions of ours , what doe we but rend the very armes that christ hath honoured us with , and cast them under our feet ? secondly , that we who were so lately in bondage , should upon the beginning of our deliverance thus fall out one amongst another , one from another , one upon another ; for us who are newly come out of prison , who have upon us still the very smell of our prison garments , the sores of our necks by reason of those yokes that were lately upon them are not yet healed , and yet we thus presently fight one with another , this is uncomely and very sinful . thirdly , the union of our enemies is an aggravation of the sinfulness of our division ; s how great a shame is it that they should joyne better then we ! have they stronger bonds of union then we ? psal . . . . we read of ten or eleven sorts of men who could all agree in that which was evill ; the text sayes , they consulted together with one consent , it is in the hebrew , with one heart ; there was edom , the ishmaelites , the moabites , the hagarens , gebus , ammon , amaleck , the phylistines , with the inhabitants of tyre ; assur is joyned with the children of lot : these were of severall opinions and wayes in matters of religion , and yet could joyne . i remember gregregory nazianzen in one of his orations makes a bitter complaint of this , who is there , sayes he , that is of a right mind , that doth not deplore the present state of things ? who can find out expressions to set out this calamity of ours , that theeves and robbers , tyrants and whoremasters should be at peace amongst themselves , yet we cannot be at peace ? revel . . . we read of ten kings of the earth , that they are of one minde to give their power to the beast , and to make war with the lambe ; shall not we be of one mind to fight against the beast for the lambe ? fourthly , that such as god hath joyned in so many bands of union , should so divide as we do , as the bands of old acquaintance , of deare friendship in former times , that fellow-sufferers , that such as are related nearly , brethren , sisters , kinsmen , kinswomen , such as live in the same family , as are of the same society , the same calling , such as have received much good one from another , yet that now they should be thus divided , and thereby the occasions of so much evill one to another , this is a sore , and a grievous evill . luther in an epistle of his to his friend spalatinus , tells him , that if he must perish , he would not that the emperour charles should have a hand in it , out of respect to him , but let me rather , sayes he , perish by those of rome , for i know sayes he , what misery followed sigismund the emperour after the death of john husse . although we should desire that we might be no occasion of evill to any , yet if it must needs be , better a thousand times that the evill fall upon wicked men , and those who are at the greatest distance from us , then upon those who are godly , and so neare unto us . fiftly , that such as agree in so many things , yea in all things necessary ●o salvation , yea almost , if not in all the doctrinall part of religion , yet because of some few things of lesser moment , there should be such a fearfull breach as now there is , this makes the account we are able to give of our breach the worse , and our sin the more . and this is the evill spirit of some , they could wish our divisions were in greater things , that they might justifie their opposition so much the more . sixtly , the sinne is great , because it is heart-division ; if it were head-division , difference of judgment , it were ill , but not so ill . jer. . . their wickednesse is better , for it reaches to the heart . this makes the wickednesse of our divisions bitter ; the heart commands the head , but the head cannot command the heart . . they are the worse , because they break not so much as they doe ; wounds that take ayre , grow much worse then those who are kept closed ; it is an ignorant , foolish speech that some please themselves with , when they are provoked , & vent abundance of choler in bitter , wicked language : when i am angry , say they , i must vent what i have within ; it is better to let it out , then to keep it in . indeed if the breaking of it out did make it to be lesse within then it was before , as the corruption of a sore is when it breaks out , then there were some reason in what you say ; but it is otherwise . as the more you act grace , the more it increaseth , so the more you act sinne , the more it increaseth . and besides , heart-corruptions when they break forth , they dishonour god in a publike way ; whereas when they are kept in , the dishonour to god is but between god and your selves . . that our divisions are in the presence of wicked men , that we should discover our shame before them . gen. . . the text sayes , there was a strife between the herdmen of abraham and the herdmen of lot , and the canaanite and the perizite dwelt in the land . their strife was the more vile , because it was before them . let us remember when we are striving , that the canaanite and perizite dwell in the land. it is not safe , sayes nazianzen , to be trust him that hates a christian , with the hearing any thing against a christian . . our divisions are long continued divisions , nothing can quiet us , as if they were irreconcileable . there is , sayes nazianzen , a satiety in all things amongst men but in contentions ; in meat , in drinke , in singing , in all things otherwise most delightfull , but men have never adone in mischieving one another . we are like cocks , who are easily set a fighting , and when they are in , they will never leave till they kill one another . . the late covenant that should be a means to unite us , is made a meanes of widening our divisions , by making false interpretations of it , by drawing the sense of it to what may serve mens turnes , by charging men of perjury , because they come not up fully to what they would have them , by which abuse some seek to make it to be a very snare to their brethren . . we are thus divided at such a time as this , the most unseasonable for divisions that ever was in the world : for , first , it is a time of affliction . it was sad with the children of israel when they were in the wilderness to meet with fiery serpents to sting them ; while we are in the wilderness in an afflicted condition , we are fiery serpents one to another . the hebrew word that signifies afflicted , signifies meeke , to note , that afflicted ones should be meek ones . when the storm is comming , the bees flock together to the hive . ier. . . in those dayes , saith the lord , the children of israel shall come , and the children of judah together , going and weeping they shall goe and seek the lord their god. judah and israel could not agree at other times , but when they are in a weeping condition , then they shall come together . secondly , it is a time of fasting and prayer ; england never knew what such fasting and prayer meant , as it hath knowne of late : no nation in the world that we know of ever knew the like ; and shall we in such times as these , when we are casting downe our selves before almighty god , when we are judging our selves before him , in the pride and frowardness of our hearts contend against one another ? esay . behold , ye fast for strife and debate , and to fight with the fist of wickednesse . it is a fist of wickedness indeed , that fights in times of fasts . is it such a fast that i have chosen ? how doe we in the dayes of our fasts , acknowledge our vileness , our unworthyness of the least mercy , our pride , our self-love , our envy , our passions , all those distempers that are dividing distempers , yet still we continue in them , and they break forth into dividing practices ? surely our fasts will rise up in judgement against us , to make the sin of our divisions out of measure sinfull . thirdly , it is a time also of great mercies ; we are afflicted , but not forsaken ; and mercies should sweeten our spirits . this summer hath been a continued miracle of mercies ; if our agreeing together , our love to one another were now beyond the expectation of all men , as gods mercies to us have been beyond , and above all expectation , even such a fruit of mercies would be the greatest mercy of all . but if instead of being sweetned by mercies we are the more imbittered one against another , how great is this sinne ? if we shall take occasion from our victories at nazeby , taunton , bridgewater , sherburne , bristol , to seek to drive out of the kingdome thousands of godly men whom god used as instruments of so great mercy to us ; will not this be sin unto us ? god brought us indeed into a wildernesse , but he hath there spoke comfortably to us ; our wildernesse is our way to canaan . it was the charge of joseph to his brethren , gen. . . when they were going from egypt to canaan , see that ye fall not out by the way : we hope god is leading us to canaan , oh that we could see christ looking upon us , and charging us , saying , see that you fall not out by the way , do not grudg one against another , let not one say , you are the cause of our trouble , and another say , nay , but you are the cause of our trouble ; let every one charge his own heart , let every man fall out with his own sin as much as he will , but let not brethren fall out by the way . fourthly , it is a time of service ; god never put such opportunities of service into our hands , as now he hath . how many holy men who were furnished with large abilities and enlarged hearts to have done service for god and his people in former times , lived privately , onely enjoyed sweet communion between god and their owne soules , but oh how did they prize opportunities of service ! how did they thirst after , and greedily embrace advantages for publique work ! they were willing to submit to any thing to the uttermost their consciences would suffer them , that they might be employed in work for god and his saints ; though their encouragement from men was small , yet their work was wages to them ; but in those times , almost all places of publique imployment were in the hands or at the dispose of evill men ; could they have foreseen that within a few yeers , there should be a doore open for all godly men , to full opportunities for the imployment of their gifts and graces to the uttermost . how would they have rejoyced and longed to have seen those times , and blessed those who should live in them ! i am confident it cannot be shewn that ever there was a time since the world began , that so many godly people in a kingdome have had such a large opportunity of publike service , as for these last five yeers hath been in england ; and shall this opportunity be lost with our wranglings and contendings ? oh how unworthy are we to live in such times as these are ! when a master sets his servants to work , and that in such a peece of work as is of great concernment , the opportunity of which if lost , will be a great losse to him : if these servants shall trifle away this opportunity with wrangling one with another about their work , one opposing another in it , will this be a good account to their master ? so much time was spent in work , but so much in quarelling , whereby there is little of the work done . we read of nehemiah , cap. . . when sanballat and tobiah , those quarelsome companions sent to him to meet them , intending to quarrell with him , he answered them , i am doing a worke , so that i cannot come , why should the worke cease ? if we see men set upon strife and contention , we should not meddle with them , to spend our time in answering what comes from them ; our case were miserable , if we were at the mercy of every quarreller , bound to answer whatsoever he pleases to put forth . but let us tend our work ; these opportunities of service that now we have are too pretious to give away to them , to be spent , to be lost upon them . how just were it with god to take these opportunities from us , to bring us againe into such a condition as we should be glad of a dayes imployment in publick service , and then oh how would our consciences wring us , and grate upon us for such ill improvement of them , for such unworthy losse of them when we had them ! . this time is the time of the tryall of our spirits . we never had such a time to try what spirit of love , what principles of union are in us , as now we have ; and shall we now miscarry ? may it not be justly thought that all our seeming love one to , & closing one with another formerly , was only for our own ends ? before we were all under oppression , or at least the fears of it , when we looked upon our selves as in the same condition . then the trial was not so much : but now there is some difference made in the condition of godly men . some have the times smiling upon them more then others ; now is the time of tryal . the time of the triall of the spirit of phara●hs butler towards joseph , was when he was out of prison , injoying his preferment at the court , & joseph remained stil in prison . perhaps while they were fellow-prisoners he might tell joseph that his heart did close much with him , and if he had any opportunity to be useful to him , oh what a happinesse should he think it to himselfe ! surely it should be improved for the good of joseph to the uttermost . but when he was preferred , when he had respect amongst great ones , and joseph still was kept low , then he is not the same man that he was when he was josephs fellow-sufferer . now he hath other things in his head : joseph is forgotten by him . where this evill is , be sure god will find it out : for it is an evill very grievous to his spirit . put these together , and it will appeare that it is no time now to contend , whatsoever we doe at other times . i remember i have read of sir francis drake , having a dear friend of his slaine by a bullet as he sate with him at supper , ah sayes he , i could grieve for thee , but now is no time for me to let down my spirits . so when any shal do such things as might cause contention , do you speak to your own heart , ah i find my anger stirred ; i could contend , but now is no time for me to let my spirits rise in a contending way ; these times call for peace and union , not for strife and debate . this is the . aggravation we are divided in such a time as this . the twelfth is , we are divided , notwithstanding we are all convinced of the evill of divisions . we cry out exceedingly against them : we tell one another that of all the tokens of gods displeasure amongst us these are the greatest . yet scarce a man does any thing , or leaves any thing undone towards any help against divisions , or furtherance of our union . every man cries out of the theefe , but who stops him ? we all say we would have peace , oh peace is an excellent thing ! but where is the man who is willing to be at any cost for it , either in putting up any wrong which he conceives is done to himself , or bearing with his brother in any thing differing from himself ? the lord may justly judge us out of our own mouths . . we have complained of others who are in place of power , to be of harsh cruel dispositions . we have sayd if they had been of gentle , loving , peaceable dispositions , tendring the glory of god dearly , & the good of their brethren as their own , what abundance of good might they have done ! we have thought in those times , oh if such men were in place , who were then our dear brethren , whom we conceived to be of holy , humble , sweet , peaceable spirits , very tender-hearted towards any they saw godlinesse in ; had they power in their hands , what safety , peace , rest , would the saints have ! how comfortably should they goe on in their work ! how would they be edified , praysing the lord ! what a heaven upon earth should we have ! and yet we finde it otherwise . we may say , we looked for light , and behold , ( i will not say darknesse ) but behold dimnesse even from them : for brightnesse , but behold obscurity . oh how doe the carriages of these men in some degree justifie the harshnesse , sowernesse , domineering and cruelty of some of the prelates ! we hope nothing shall ever befall us as to be such a temptation to us , as to justifie their places . but some of their persons are so farre justified , as there is occasion given to think they were not such vile men as heretofore we thought they were . for now we see what a temptation there is in having the times shine upon me , in having power put into mens hands . we see now that men who have other manner of principles then ever they had , yet how sadly they miscarry when they come under the like temptations . how can we answer christ jesus for these things ? . we are still divided , though we have seen the wofull evils that divisions have brought upon others , yet we cannot be warned by other mens harmes . those who are acquainted with ecclesiasticall histories , may furnish themselves with volumes in this kind . who can read that short but sowre history of the troubles at frankford , but his heart must needs bleed within him ? and of late what evills have almost all the protestant party in germany and through the christian world , suffered by divisions ! and yet we engage our selves in them , and are every day engaging our selves more and more , how deep we shall sink the lord knowes . . in our very labouring for union we are divided , in our endeavours for peace we are at variance . nazianzen in his . oration rebuking this strange miscarriage of men , hath this notable expression , while we would have charity , we study hatred , while we seek to set up the corner stone which unites the sides together , we are loosned our selves , we are for peace , and yet we fight one with another . our wayes of late have been little else but doing and undoing ; yea we crosse our selves in what we would do , by doing what we doe . we are all full of contradictions in our own spirits and actions , and we cry out of others , that they are not consistent to their own principles . lastly , the sin of our divisions is the greater , because we make religion to patronize them . we divide from one another , and all under a pretence of religion . surely this virgin is forced , for there is nothing more contrary to the name or nature of religion , then to cause or further divisions . the name carryes union , strong union with it : religio à religando , from binding us againe to god , and to one another , after we were divided by our sin . to father our wicked divisions upon religion , is no other then to bring down the holy ghost in the likenesse of a dove to be like a vultur or a raven . what spirit is it that we professe our selves to be acted by when we are working for religion ? is it not the spirit of god ? and is not that a dove-like spirit ? although we dishonour our selves by discovering the basenesse of our own spirits by our divisions , yet let us not put dishonour upon the blessed spirit of god ; this makes the sin to be abhominable . nazianzen in his fore-named oration , inveighs against this in those in his time , in our pleadings for the truth , we ( sayes he ) belye one another ; as if this were the way to maintain truth . chap. xxix . the wofull miseries that our divisions bring upon us . they are themselves fruits of the curse , therefore there can come no other but cursed fruits from them , except god , contrary to their nature , be pleased to over-rule them , which he only is able to do . it was the curse of god upon the ground , briars and thorns shall it bring forth ; it is no lesse curse of god upon mens hearts , that they bring forth such briars and thorns , by which they tear one another . first , our divisions provoke the wrath of god against us ; though the wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousnesse of god , yet it may accomplish the wrath of god. esay . . manasseh against ephraim , and ephraim against manasseh , and they together against judah ; for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still . when we are thus one against another , the anger of god is not turned away from us , we may feare his hand will yet be further stretched out against us ; so long as our wrath one against another continue so hot , certainly gods wrath is not appeased . we read of abraham , when he was about sacrificing isaac , he found a ram entangled in the bryars , which god had prepared for him to be a sacrifice : we are this day entangled in the bryars , and we know not how to get out , it is a signe that we are prepared to be a sacrifice even to the wrath of god. secondly , by them we serve the designes of our enemies ; what would they have given when they first divided from us , to have procured so great divisions amongst our selves , as have been , & yet are ? if a million would have purchased them , rather then they should not have been , they would ( no question ) have given it ; i am sure they further their designes more then many millions would have done : hoc ithacus velit , & magna mercentur atridae . we have often said that some who have kept at the parliament have served the designes of the king and those about him better then they who were with him . certainly those who foment divisions amongst us , do serve our enemies turne more then many that are with them . when in our contentions our spirits rise one against another , and we reproach one another , we do not consider , sayes nazianzen , how unsafe it is to put weapons into our enemies hands . yea he thought in his time , though neer thirteen hundred yeers since , the divisions of the churches to be a great means to further and hasten the comming of antichrist : for so he sayes in the same oration before quoted , i verily fear lest antichrist should come sodainly upon these our divisions , and lest he should take the advantage of these our offences and distempers to raise his power over us . let those therefore who cry down antichrist so much , cry down divisions also , lest they prove to serve the designes of antichrist in a very great-measure , though they think not so . thirdly , by these we make our selves a scorn to our enemies . hosea . ult . the rage of their tongue shall be their division in the land of egypt . when malignants hear our rage one against another , we are a derision amongst them ; these egyptians jeere us , they contemne us , and all the power we can make against them . i find in one of melancthons epistles , a story of one bessarion , exhorting the princes to concord , that they might joyne against the turks he brings in this apologue : there was a war between the wolves and the dogs ; news came to the wolves that there was a h●ge army of dogs comming against them , intending to tear them in pieces ; the wolves sent an old wolfe out to be a scout , he comes and tells them there were indeed a great company of dogs more then themselves were , but they need not fear , for he perceived they were of different colours : upon this the wolves made nothing of them , accounting it an easie matter to deale with them who were so differing amongst themselves . in the same manner , sayes melancthon , doe staphilus , and canisius , and others of the pogish faction , triumph in respect of us ; upon which he folls to prayer , that the sonne of god , the lord jesus christ , would governe them , and make all in our churches to be one in him . fourthly , yea by these we are like to be made a prey to our enemies . here many sad storyes might be told you of the prevailings of enemies against divided people . the divisions of israel at this time made them a prey to their adversaries , which you may see cleerly if you read kings . afterwards the divisions of the other tribes made them a prey to the romans . when the turks have prevailed over christians , do not all stories tell us it hath been through the divisions of christians ? when normans , danes prevailed in england , it was by the advantage they had of our divisions ; if we will still divide and contend , our condition may prove to be like two birds pe●king at one another , in the mean time the kite comes and catches them both away . fiftly , if god should free us from our enemies , yet we are like to devoure one another , and this is a greater misery then to be devoured by the common adversary . gal. . . if ye bite and devour one another , take heed ye be not consumed one of another . what biting and devouring was this ? it was not in an open hostile way , they did not take up arms one against another , but by their different opinions and contentious carriages in matters of religion . their differences in the matters of religion were very great , non de finibus , sed de haereditate , not about the bounds , but the inheritance it selfe ; yet unpeaceablenesse and violence in their carriages one towards another , though the matter of their difference was so great , is condemned and threatned by the apostle . do not our adversaries say , let them alone and they will devoure one another ? god gives us good hope that he will deliver us from our enemies ; but the hearts of many godly and wise men tremble within them , fearing lest that wolvish distemper of ours should feed upon our own flesh , when the matter that it had to feed upon from without is taken away . sixtly , if we should not devour one another , yet being thus divided , we are like to perish of our selves , as those insecta , which after they are cut asunder , yet the severall parts live , they wriggle up and down a little while , but they cannot hold long . so it is like to be with us ; except we joyn we cannot live . seventhly , these divisions are like to make many miserable indeed ; for if god be not mercifull to them , and that soon , they are like to be such a rock of offence , as to split them , upon which they are running ; they are in very great danger to make shipwrack of their consciences , yea i fear some have done it already ; if it be not so , the lord be mercifull to them , and prevent it . the spoiled houses , the torn estates , the maimed bodies of men caused by our divisions , are sad objects to look upon ; but the broken , maimed , spoiled consciences that these have caused , and are like further to cause , were and yet are like to be objects before us to be lamented with tears of bloud . this shipwrack of conscience it may be is not felt now , but it will prove horrour of conscience hereafter . eighthly , they are like to lay a foundation of much evill to posterity , this consideration is almost as sad as any . we think it a great evill that kings children shold be brought up in the sight of bloud , that they should be in danger to have principles of cruelty or tyranny infused into them in their tender age ; we are afraid lest the muddy water they drink now should breed diseases in them that may break out afterward . surely it is a great evill also for the children of the church , to be brought up in the sight and exercise of divisions in matters of religion ; that that knowledge of religion which they now take in , should be as troubled waters full of soyle . in the beginning of this parliament there was as hopefull a generation of young ones comming up as ever the sun saw , but many of them have lost their lives in this publique cause ; god will certainly take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries for their blood especially ; we have cause to blesse god for them : god made use of them to stop the rage , the overflowing of the proud adversaries upon us ; they have served their generation , and have been more usefull in it , then others who have lived . or . yeers formerly : but for those who are preserved , these divisions in the things of religion have spoiled many of them , they are carryed away with such a strange kind of spirit of error , of conceitednesse , folly , wilfulnesse , bitternesse , licentiousnesse , and boldnesse , that their hopefull beginnings are lost , so that the next generation is like to reap very sowr , bitter , and unwholsome fruits of these our quarrels and contentions . by what hath been said you may see why the spirit of god , prov. . . puts the sowers of discord amonst those whom god hates : what the harvest of such seed is like to be , we shall see in the next head. aggravations of the misery that comes by our divisions . first , our misery is the greater , because it is still increasing ; divisions make way for divisions ; we beat our brethren till they cry , and then we beat them because they cry , is not this hard dealing ? we read in our chronicles that those who were born in england the yeare after the great mortality . wanted some of their cheek teeth ; if we should judge of mens teeth by their biting , one would think that now men had more teeth , or at least farre sharper then they were wont to have ; there was never such biting as now there is . yet thanks be to god this increase is not in all places , not in our armies ; time was when we were much afraid of divisions there , but now we hear they are comfortably united , dividing terms are not heard amongst them as formerly ; though there be differing judgements , their hearts and armes are open one to another , they love one another , they are willing to live and dye one with another . the blessing of the almighty be upon you ; go on and prosper , the lord is with you ; he hath done great things by you , and delights to use you in great services , for the honour of his name and good of his people . you have had , and have the prayers of the saints , they blesse you , and blesse god for you . souldiers united in love , and hating that which is vile , are exceedingly strengthned in valour . plutarch reports of a theban band that were but three hundred , yet were the most terrible to the enemies , of any , and did the greatest services : they were called the holy band , because they hated dishonest things , and were willing to venture their lives for honest causes , fearing dishonourable reproach more then honourable danger . but though this was one cause why it had that name , yet plutarch thinks that the first cause why it was called the holy band , was from their intire love one to another . by the selfe same reason ( sayes he ) that plato calleth a lover a divine friend by gods appointment , these thebans , together with other of their countreymen , had a great power of the lacedaemonians to resist such a power as the athenians , for feare of it , left off to protect them , renouncing that league that they had before with them . every man , said the thebans , were undone . but these despised thebans meeting with the lacedaemonians about the city of tegyra , where according to the compute of some they were sixe to one , and a warlike valiant people , one came running to pelopidas the captain of the thebans , saying , sir , we are falne into the hands of the lacedaemonians . nay , are they not falne into ours ? sayes pelopidas . and so it fell out , for they utterly routed them . in all the warrs that the lacaedemonians ever had , as well with the grecians as with the barbarous people , no chronicle ever mentioned that they were overcome by any number equall in battell . whereupon these thebans grew so terrible to their enemies , that none durst for a long time encounter with them . after this battell pelopidas would never seperate them one from another , but keeping them together he would alwayes begin with them , to give a charge in his most dangerous battells . yet notwithstanding all this service they had ill requitall from the people , for when their captain pelopidas came home , they stirred up a party against him , that sought to break him , though they could not prevaile . it is farther reported of this band , that it was never broken nor overthrowne till the battell of choeronea , where it seems they had some added to them . and see what love and valour will doe in an army unto death . philip taking a view of the slaine bodies there , he saw foure hundred dead on the ground , one hard by another , all of them thrust thorow with pikes on their breasts , and being told that it was the lovers band , he fell a weeping for pitty , saying , woe be to them that thinke these men did or suffered any evill or dishonest thing . ever since our armies have been united , god hath wonderfully blessed them . shall men of warre be at peace ? and is this comely ? and shall men of peace be at warre ? how uncomely will this be ? yet so it is , the seeds of dissentions never sprung up more against us then of late they have done . the spirits of men seeme to be heat and ready to boyle one against another in this city more then heretofore they have done . the lord hath made london a blessing to the whole kingdome , and the neighbour kingdomes too . the children not yet borne will have cause to blesse god for london , for their union , their faithfulness , their courage , their bounty : and shall now , when god is about bringing in rest to us from the rage of our enemies , a fire of dissention be kindled amongst us ? shall the comfort of all our former mercies and future hopes be lost , by raising up of new quarrels ? and must this come from the city ? the lord forbid . the lord make you like jerusalem , a city compact , at unity within it selfe . your very name carries unity in the face of it . civis à coeundo , says cicer : quod vinculo quodi societatis in unū coeunt quasi coivis . i remember i have read in livy a notable speech of scipio to the citizens at carthage . by what name , sayes he , shall i call you ? i know not : shall i call you cives , qui à patria vestra descivistis ? things are not come to this passe in this city . the lord forbid that there should ever be that degenerating from that unity and love heretofore hath been , that there should be cause to say , shall you still be called cives ? qui à pristina unitate , à pristino amore mutuo descivistis , who have departed from your former unity and mutuall love . oh no , let brotherly love continue , heb. . . let none take your crowne , but abide glorious in the eyes of the whole nation about you , and all strangers that come in to you . we pray for the peace of london , let them prosper that love it , peace be within her walls , and prosperity within her palaces . if any shall say , the city is not guilty herein , it is but some few private men : i gladly answer as scipio in his forenamed speech did to the carthaginians , making such an objection , libenter credam negantibus , i am very willing to beleeve it . only do you make it appear to be so , by knitting your selves so much the more strongly together , by how much any amongst you seeks to disunite you . a second aggravation of the misery of our divisions , is , surely none will pitty us in all that evill that comes upon us by them . if god should have suffered our enemies to have prevailed against us , all the protestant party in the world would have pittied us . if those who escaped had fled for their lives to them , they would have entertained them with much compassion . but if we mischief our selves by our divisions , we shall be looked upon as contemptible in the eyes of all . if we should flye to them , we may expect to be entertained with rebukes ; you are an unworthy generation , god put a price into your hands , to have done your selves and all the protestant party good ; you might have freed your selves from thraldome , and many wayes have been helpfull to us , but you had such proud , envious , quarrelsome spirits , that you brake asunder one from another , you mischieved one another , and so have undone your selves and your posterity ; yea are not worthy to live amongst men . can we be able to bear such rebukes as these ? every man that is in misery desires to be pittied , but this misery is like to be such , as no pitty can be expected in it . thirdly , our consciences will fly in our faces , telling us that we may thank our selves for all this . it is a great part of the torment of the damned , that their consciences shall be alwayes upbraiding them for bringing so much evill upon themselves . this shall be the gnawing of that worm of conscience for ever . fourthly , our misery is and will be aggravated by the executioners of it : our familiars , our brethren , those who not long since were dear to us , will be made use of to make us miserable . how great a misery will this be ? when the men of judah came up to samson , to deliver him to the philistines , judg. . , . sayes samson to them , but sweare to me that ye will not fall upon me your selves . he thought it a very grievous thing for the men of judah to fall upon him . he did not so much regard what the philistines could do against him . certainly there is nothing in the world more sad then for one brother to make another miserable . the history of that warre between sylla and marius tells of one having slaine a man not knowing him , but after he looked and found it was his brother , in the anguish of his heart , because he had slaine his brother , he took his sword and ran it into his own bowels . it is a great evill to be an instrument of evill to our brethren , and to suffer evill from our brethren . this consideration might be enough to stop us in our divisions , and cause us to think of wayes of joyning . plutarch in the forecited place , the life of pelopidas , sayes , that the poets write that the misfortune of laias who was slaine by his brother oedipus , was the first originall cause that the thebans began to be in such love one with another , to joyn in that holy band before mentioned . if this were cause enough to take us off from our contentions , we have enough of this amongst us . the lord be mercifull to us . fiftly , the misery of our contentions in the civill state is such , as if we be overcome , we are undone , for our outward condition , we and our posterity are made slaves ; if we do prevaile , yet there is sadnesse in our conquest . that is a miserable war , which is thus . the civill wars of the romans were such , nullos habitura triumphos , there was no triumph , but sadnesse even in the victory . sixthly , what help can there be ? for we wilfully make our selves miserable ; if men will undoe themselves , who can helpe it ? except god comes in from heaven with a mighty hand to help , our wound is incurable . thus you have seen what evill and bitter things our divisions are ; their root is evill and bitter , and they are the root of much evill and bitter fruit . we reade gen. . . that pharez was the son of tamar ; pharez signifies division , fraction , from whence he had his name ; tamar signifies a palm tree , ab amaritudine , sayes pagnine , according to some , from bitternesse ; division comes from bitternesse , and begets , like it selfe , nothing but bitternesse . chap. xxx . cautions about our divisions , that we may not make an ill use of them , but try if it be possible to get good out of them . our divisions are very evill , yet let us not make them worse then they are , and let us take heed that we be not made morse by them . wherefore we shall ▪ first , shew what are those ill uses which many make of them . secondly , that it is no such strange thing as some would make it , that there should be divisions in times of reformation . thirdly , how it comes to passe that godly men are divided , who above all men , one would think , should agree . fourthly , why these differences are so strong , and sometimes so sharp amongst those men who seem to come very near together in the maine , the matter of whose difference lyes in smaller things . fiftly , how far god himselfe , and christ , and the gospel may be said to have a hand in our divisions . sixtly , what good uses we should make of our divisions . for the first . the ill uses that many make of our divisions , are , first , some upon the evills they see and feel in them , think it was better with us heretofore , and wish we had those times againe ; just like the murmuring israelites , as soon as they were put to any straits , they wished they were in egypt again ; it was better with us then , say they . yea num. . . out of discontent with their present condition , they commend the land of egypt , wherein they were bond-slaves , to be a land that flowed with milk and hony , murmuring at moses that brought them out of such a land. the land of canaan that god promised to carry them to , was a land that flowed with milke and honey , but out of the perversnesse of their spirits they despised that land , and egypt now in this froward humour of theirs , must be the land that flowed with milke and honey . oh the perversenss of mens hearts ! if they be but a little crossed , how hard is it for god or man to please them ! how unworthy are such froward spir●ts as these , to live in such a time as this , to see the great work of god that he hath done for his people . it is true , heretofore men seemed to be more united then now , there appears more differences in mens opinions and wayes then formerly ; but whence was it that men formerly were not at such a distance ? was it not because they were chained together ? two prisoners chained to a block keep together all day long ; men that are at liberty walk in the streets at a distance ; if the prisoners should commend their life as more comfortable then yours , because they keep closer together all the day then you do , would you envy their happinesse ? time hath been that a tyrannicall chain hath been upon us , we dared not then discuss any matters of differerence with freedom ; if a convocation determined it , there was a chain upon us to fasten us to it ; now god hath given us more liberty to debate things freely , that we may finde out the truth more clearly ; and though men while they are in their debates be at some distance one from another , do not say it was better with us heretofore then it is now , thou dost not speak wisely concerning this thing . surely these men who are so desirous of former times , are ad servitudinem nati , born to be slaves ; it is pitty but they should have their eares bored for slaves . secondly , the ill use that others make of these divisions is to cry out of religion & preaching ; since there hath been so much profession and preaching , we never had good world , there was more love and unity before , all things were more quiet , neighbours were more at peace one with another : this is no other then if men when christ lived amongst them , should have objected against him , since this christ hath come amongst us , we have had more trouble then we or our fore-fathers heretofore have known ; we were not wont to heare of men possest with the devill , so as now we do , now what a noyse is there in all the countrey of men possessed with evill spirits ? we do not read of such things before christs time ; yet do you think this was a good argument why men should wish that christ had never come ? if the devill be put into a rage now more then before , it is a signe he is more opposed then he was before ; he possessed all in quiet before , but now his kingdome begins to shake . thirdly , because of these divisions , many resolve they will stand neuters , they see it is doubtfull which way things may goe ; seeing there are such differences , we will stand by and look on till we see how they will agree ; by this means they do not only disert the publick cause that is now on foot , but they are in danger to be for any thing at the last , or to turn atheists . chrysostome in his sermons upon the acts , chap. . inveighs against such men as these ; he there makes an apologie for the dissentions of the christians , the heathens objected , we would come to you , but we know not to whom we should come ; one is of one mind , another is of another , we cannot tell what you hold , you are so different from your selves . chrysostomes answer is , this is but a cavill ; for first , this hinders you not in other matters , where there is difference amongst men , yet you will take paines and enquire which is the right ; yea secondly , if you did know what you should hold , yet you would not embrace it , for you doe know what you should do , and yet you do not do it ; do what you know , and then aske of god , and he will reveale more to you . fourthly , others cry out against these men that have been most active in this common cause , putting forth themselves , venturing their estates and lives , and putting on others ; at the first these men were honoured , but men did not then see what would follow , they did not think that such troubles would have attended such undertakings as now they have found ; upon this their hearts rise against those who were the most publique spirited ; had it not been , say they , for a few hot fiery spirited men who know not what they would have , things had never come to this passe , we might have been quiet ; these men are by some , yea many , looked upon as no other then disturbers , men of turbulent unquiet spirits , and yet they have been the means of preserving you and your posterity from slavery , and of continuing the gospell amongst you . this is an ill requitall of all that willingnesse of theirs to hazard their estates and lives for your good ; you have cause to blesse god , seeing you were of such low , narrow , timerous spirits your selves , unfit for such a work as god had to do in the beginning of the change of these times , that he raised up others , and gave them enlarged , resolved spirits , fit for such a publique work , accompanied with so many difficulties as attended upon this , did they break the ice for you , and do you thus requite them ? this is like a froward , perverse patient , who flies in the face of his physitian , because his physick makes him sick . fiftly , others seeing much evill come of the divisions amongst us , they think there is no way to help them but by violence , forcing men to yeeld to what they think is right . they think they do god good service in compelling men to the same judgement and way that themselves are of . this is a very ill use of them . it is a new and unheard-of way of preaching , sayes gregory , to require men to beleeve by blowes . to go from the divine word to an iron sword , from the pen to the halbert , to perswade men to beleeve , is a way that gerard. confess . cath. l. . p. . exclaims against . socrates in his ecclesiasticall history , lib. . cap. . reports of the macedonians petitioning jovianus the emperour for the banishing of those who were not of their judgement in matters of religion of great moment . the emperour receiving their supplication gave them no other answer but this , i tell you truly , i cannot away with contention , but such as embrace unity and concord i do honour and reverence them . tertullian in his book ad scapulam , cap. . sayes , it is not the way of religion to compell religion , which ought to be taken up willingly , not by force . if you should compell us , sayes he , to sacrifice , what did you in this for your gods ? none desire sacrifice from those who are unwilling , but such as are contentious : but god is not contentious . i finde in thuanus his history , lib. . a notable passage in a writing that the senat of paris sent to their king in the yeare . after he had sent forth an edict requiring great severity against those who differed in matters of religion : they professed to him they did not think his edict equal , and that they could not subscribe to it : for , say they , we see that such severe punishments , for matters of religion , render men detestible to the people , but their errours abide the same still , they are not at all altered in their opinions by severity but for their parts they give their judgements , that it were better to go in the old way of the church , which did not propagate religion by sword and fire , but by pure doctrine , and the good examples of the lives of their bishops . let them live piously , and teach the word of god sincerely , this is the way to root out errours that encrease so fast : but if this be not done , no lawes , no edicts of men will doe any good . sleidan in his commentaries hath set down a decree of the emperour , king ferdinando , and the rest of the princes and states , that the controversie of religion should be appeased by none other but by godly , friendly , and quiet meanes . but a few pages after he relates the effect of a petition of those in austria for their freedom in religion , to king ferdinando , with an answer of the king to them : in which there was this passage , that such as shall not like that religion which the prince hath chosen , may have free liberty to sell that they have , and go dwell in another place , without any blemish to their estimation . to which the embassadors of austria reply : what discommoditie were herein , how heavie and sorrowfull newes this would be to the people , who seeth not ? when they shall heare that they which have been ever most ready to spend their bloud and life for the preservation and dignity of the house of austria , must now forsake their most sweet native countrey , so many yeers inhabited and enriched by their fore-fathers ? therefore we admit not that answer in this behalfe : but as we have done heretofore , for the honour of god we beseech you , that you would suffer us to have no let in this matter , &c. but you will say , what does all this tend to , but to plead for an absolute toleration , which you seemed before to be against ? i answer , in quoting these authors i own not such a judgment that possibly you may think to be in some of them for an absolute toleration . how a toleration should be limited and granted , i have spoke to before : but i produce the authors to this end , that the rigidnesse of the judgments of some amongst us that think all differences in religion thot cannot be quelled by argument , must be quelled b● violence , may be mollified . i am sure if any of these men go too far one way , those which i am now reproving goe as wide another . fierce violence in matters of religion is dangerous ; as the chirurgeons rigorous handling his patients arm , breaks that bone quite , which before was but out of joynt . . some take advantage by them to give themselves to loosenes in their lives : it is a time of liberty , and they will take their time . if times were quiet and settled , they would be observed more narrowly , there would be means of restraint ; but in these times every man takes his own way , and so will they . but know that god takes this very ill at thy hands . the more loose others are , the more conscionable shouldest thou be : the worse the dayes are , the more circumspectly shouldest thou walk . ezek. . . the levites that are gone from me , which went astray when israel forsook me , they shall also bear their iniquity . the commonnesse of a sin is an aggravation of it . . some make no other use of them , then to observe which way there may be advantage got by them : how they may sute themselves to this side or the other , for their gaine , or to drive on some private designe : so long as they can make use of the times that run such a way , they are for them : if the stream turn they can turn too : they can tack about to every wind : their study is not to help to heale them , but to contrive wayes how they may get by them . hence they wrench and sprain their consciences with the quick turnings this way and that way : they will be on the sunny side wheresoever it be . cunning heads and corrupt hearts will serve their owne turnes by all varieties of times . if they were in dioclesians time , they could be pagans ; if in constantines , christians ; if in constantius , arrians ; if in julians , apostates ; if in jovians , christians againe ; and all this within lesse then the age of a man. . some have their spirits in a base manner subjugated by these divisions and troubles that come upon them : they care not what they do or submit to : so be it they may have peace , they will bow down their backs and consciences , they will put themselves and posterity under the yoke of perpetuall slavery : so be it they may be at quiet , and enjoy their estates for the present , no matter what becomes of the publick , no matter what becomes of the truth . they are content to let all go , to betray all , for their own private advantage . this is beneath the spirit of a man. . others are discouraged , upon the sight of the great evils that daily ●low from our divisions , and are like still to flow , their hearts sinke in despaire . they call into question whether it be the cause of god that we now undertake . when the temple was building , there was no noise of hammer , axe , or any toole of iron heard in the house while it was in building . but oh lord is our work temple-work ! we heare the noise not of hammer and axe , but of swords and spears , of drumms and cannons , of railings and revilings ; these are dreadfull in our eares : but let us not be discouraged , for though there was no noise heard in the house , yet in preparation for the house there was . it may be all we are yet about is only preparatory work for the house of our god. if god will use us in this only , yet blessed be his name . wherefore though our divisions be many and very evill , yet they are not so evill nor many , but that there may be hope in israel concerning this thing . for consider , it is no new thing for divisions to be in the church . the apostle would not have us think it strange concerning the fiery triall , he means there of persecution . the fiery contentions amongst us , are another fiery triall . we should not think strange of this neither ; as if such a thing had befaln us that nev●r yet befell any . i think for all circumstances it is every hard to parallel , but the church in all ages hath been sorely afflicted with divisions . act. . . paul and barnabas , two great apostles , were so divided , that they could not keep company together , but went one from another in anger . the text sayes , the contentions were so sharpe betweene them , that they departed asunder one from another . the word signifies such a sharpnesse as there is in vineger . it is used by physicians to signifie the sharpnesse of the feverish humour when it is acting in a fit . their dissention put them as it were into the fit of a fever . you will say , surely it was some very great matter that should cause such eminent and holy men to be in such a passion one against another , to be so hot as not to company together . truly no : the matter was not great , it was whether mark should go with them or no ; the one would have him , the other would not have him , & about this the contention arose to this height . reade the epistle to the romanes , to the corinthians , to the galathians , you shall finde very great dissentions in these churches : and in after-times especially , when god delivered them from those ten bloudy persecutions , the contentions of the church were very great . when constantine came to the nicene councell , divers of the members of that councell accused one another to the emperour , and put up libels one against another , which libels constantine caused to be burned . after all the debates of the councell , with the presence of the emperour , who laboured all he could for peace and union amongst them , making large speeches to that purpose , to them , yet there were five of them dissented from the rest in matters of greater consequence then any amongst us dissent from our brethren , namely , in that point of christs being of the same substance with the father . i finde in eusebius this grievous complaint : after our affaires , through too much liberty , ease and security , degenerated from the rule of piety , one pursued another with open contumely and hatred ; we impugned our selves by no other then our selves with the armour of spite and sharpe speares , of opprobrious words , so that bishops against bishops , and people against people raised sedition ; and they which seemed our shepherds , laying aside the rule of piety , practised contention and schisme among themselves ; and whilest they aggravated contention , threatnings , mutuall hatred , and enmity , and every one proceeded in ambition , much like tyranny it selfe , then the lord according to the saying of jeremy , made the daughter of sion obscure , and overthrew from above the glory of israel . the contentions of the church caused by those four grand heresies of arius , macedonius , nestorius , eutyches , one after another , exercised the church a long time . there was much siding , some cleaving to one part , some to another in all these four . the first denyed christs divinity , upon which the first nicene councell was called . the second , the personality of the spirit , upon which the second generall councell was called at constantinople . the third , the distinction of persons in christ , upon which the third generall councell was called at ephesus . the fourth confounded christs natures , upon which the fourth was called at chalcedon . about this time pelagius and donatus caused much disturbance in europe and africa . epiphanius who lived in the third century , reekons threescore severall heresies that had got head , many followers of them all , which caused great breaches in the church from the time of the apostles to the time wherein he lived . after the division of the empire into the easterne and westerne parts , then arose mighty contention for the primacy between the bishops of rome and constantinople , that put the church into wofull contentions for many yeares , one part excommunicating the other , writing and opposing one another to the uttermost . when this heat is at the hottest then on the one side , upon the westerne parts god let out the gothes , hunnes , vandals , those barbarous people , and mahomet upon the easterne , so that all learning was almost extinct in the christian world , and grosse darknesse came upon the face of all churches . the church having lost her lights , men of learning and worth , then the great contention about images arose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the eastern churches demolishing images in temples , the western maintaining them with extreme contention against the eastern . there were not only excommunications thundred one against another , but much bloud was shed in that quarrell . in this condition have the churches been from time to time divided , yea fighting with one another about opinions . and for the divisions and contentions betweene particular men , and most eminent lights in the church , in those times , after they came to have rest from persecutions . we find most lamentable complaints in the writings of the ancients , of the extremè offence these dissentions were to the heathen . nazianzen in his first apologeticall oration : we are made a spectacle ( sayes he ) to angels and men , not as that valiant champion paul , who fought against principalities and powers , but we are made a scorn to wicked men , in their markets , their feasts , their playes , in all their meetings . the most vile people jeer us , and all this for contending and warring one with another . basil makes this complaint : i have lived now ( sayes he ) the age of a man , and see more union in arts and sciences then in divinity : for in the the church i see such dissentions as do divide it assunder , and dissipates it . chrysostome and epiphanius fell out so bitt●rly , that the one wished the other might never dye a bishop , and the other wished that he might never goe home alive . and it fell out to either of them as each one had wished to the other , for epiphanius came not to cyprus , he dyed on the seas by the way , neither did chrysostome dye a bishop , for he was deposed and banished the church . the contentions between jerome and ruffinus were bery bitter , who had been formerly great friends . augustine in his . epistle sayes , their friendship had been famous in all the churches . if such things may fall out between jerome and ruffinus , ( sayes he ) who that is now a friend may not fear to be an enemy ? yet ruffinus writes two books against jerome , which are intituled ruffini invectiva in hieronymum . he begins his first invective , applying that of the psalmist to jerome , ps . . . i lye among them that are set on fire , even the sonnes of men , whose teeth are speares , arrowes , and their tongue a sharp sword . in the beginning of his second , he accuses him of lying , and that he does himselfe what he reproves in others ; with abundance of such kinde of bitter stuffe . and jerome payes him againe in the same kinde . in his . epist . ad principiam virginem , he calls him a scorpion , in regard of the poyson that came from him . and in his apology against him , lib. . in the beginning of it he applyes that scripture to ruffinus , prov. . . in the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride . and that of isay , isa . . . the vile person will speak villany , and his heart will worke iniquity , to utter error against the lord. and i finde in an epistle of augustine to jerome , a great complaint he makes to him of those differences there were between ruffinus and him : with very patheticall expressions to move jerome to peace . when i read your epistles , i pined away with griefe , my heart was cold within me for feare . oh miserable , oh lamentable condition that we are in ! you who were wont to be most familiar , joyned in the strongest bands ; you who are wont to lick up the honey of the holy scriptures , now there is bitternesse amongst you . woe is me that i cannot meet you together , that i might fall down at your feet , and weep my fill ! that i might beg of you as strongly as i love you , sometime either of you for your own sake , sometime both of you for eithers sake , and especially for the sake of those that are weake , for whom christ died , who look upon you with a great deale of danger ; that you would not in your writings spread such things one against another , which though you should agree you could not wipe off from one another ; or such things as if ye were agreed ye would be afraid to reade . yea many times there was very hot contest between jerome and augustine himselfe . sometimes i finde some of their writings one against another to be very sharpe . if we can debate things without bitternesse of discord , well and good ; but if i cannot tell you what should be mended in your writings , and you tell me what should be mended in mine without suspition of envie and breach of friendship , let us meddle no more , but favour our healths and lives . in after-times when god stirred up a spirit in luther , and others , to set themselves against the tyranny of antichrist , to throw off that heavy yoke of bondage , the dissentions between the chief publique instruments of god to the church was very great , as luther , and zuinglius , and oecolampadius , and corolostadius . luther in one of his epistles sayes , that there was no wickednesse , no cruelty , that zuinglius did not charge him with . and in another epistle he complains that corolostadius was more malitious against him then ever any of his enemies yet had been . and as for oecolompadius , luther was so provoked against him , as he called him the black devill . we may see what strange corruptions are working-sometimes in the hearts of godly men . as for the many sects and rents in and presently after luthers time , they would fill up a large volume to name them , with their severall opinions and wayes . there is one schlusselburgius a protestant divine , that hath gathered the chief of them together in twelve or thirteen severall books that he wrote about them . there is not any one strange opinion amongst us now , but you shall finde it amongst them in terminis , and that so prevailing as to get a strong party to joyne with it . only i remember not that one that hath taken some , who though they acknowledg the scripture , yet think there is no visible church upon the earth . in after-times whosoever shall read junius his comment upon psal . . will finde the state of the church in his time miserably distracted and distressed with contentions . i cannot ( sayes he ) : but be exceedingly moved , when i thinke of these evills . what shall i doe ? shall i hold my peace when the devill has stirred up so great a perturbation , has kindled so great a fire ? certainly there is such a fire kindled in the christian world , that unlesse god looks from heaven upon us , it will consume all : the mindes of men are as hearths for this fire , upon which sin burns ; the tongues of men , some are the bellowes that blow this fire , others as fuell by which this fire burnes more and more . that the tongue cannot do to blow up and down this fire , that virulent papers do , dung-carts of virulent papers , that is his expression . yea a great part of the christian world at this time , seems to be rather like the place of the burning of dead bodies , then the house of christs flock : are these shepherds ? are these the sheep of christ , whom i see to consume away in their miserable burning ? surely they are shepherds still , they are the sheep of christ , and anointed ones still : but many of them in this horrible and deadly burning , remember not that they are sheep or shepherds . and thus he proceeds further in pouring forth his soul in most grivious complaints . this fiery triall of dissentions in the church then is no new thing ; we are to be sensible of it , to account it a great affiction ; but not to look upon it as if some strange thing had befalne us , that never befell the churches before . but you will say , how can we do lesse but account it a very strange thing , that those who fear god should be thus divided ? that dogs should snarle one at another , is no marvaile : but that sheep , that those who are godly should do thus , this we cannot but wonder at : for what reason can there be given for it , yea what shew of reason can there be imagined ? if we consider of things wisely , we have no such cause to wonder that godly men in this their estate of imperfection should differ so much one from another as they do ; for first , every godly man prizes and seeks after knowledge ; others mind little but their profit and pleasure ; they trouble not themselves about the knowing the things of god , except ambition puts them upon it ; they care not which way truths goe : but the godly man prizes every truth at a high rate , worth the contending for , to the uttermost , rather then to deny it or lose it . in the dark , all colours be alike , but in the light they appeare diverse . while the egyptians were in the darke , they all sate still , but they moved with various motions when the light brake out upon them : when men discusse things , and desire to see farther into them , it is impossible , considering the weaknesses of the best , and the variety of mens apprehensions , but there must needs be much difference in mens judgements , & then considering that every thing they apprehend to be a truth , their consciences are engaged in it , at least thus farre , that they must not deny it for a world ; this puts mens spirits at distance , although both be godly , both love the truth equally . secondly , godly men are free-men , christ hath made them so , and requires them not to suffer themselves to be brought under bondage , they must not , cannot submit their consciencee to the opinions , determinations , decrees of any men living ; they cannot submit to any as lords over their faith ; this others can do : as for points of religion , say some , let learned men judge of them , we will not be wiser then they , we will submit , and others must submit to what they shall determine : this makes quick work indeed of divisions , but this , those who feare god , cannot do ; they must see every thing they own as truth , with their own light , yet received from jesus christ though they reverence men of greater parts , deeper learning , yet they have the charge of christ upon them , not to acknowledge it as truth , till they understand it to be so ; this causes much contention amongst good men , through their weaknesse and corruption of their hearts . the lesse distance men apprehend between themselves and others in regard of power , the more differences there are amongst them , as they say the greatest and sorest stormes are about the equinoctiall : men are kept more at peace in the common-wealth then in the church , because there is a greater subjection of one to another there , then may be admitted in the church . thirdly , godly men give up themselves to the strictest rules of holinesse , they walk in the narrow way of christ , it is broad enough to the spirituall part , but in regard of our corruptions , it is a narrow pent way ; they dare not give way to themselves to decline a haires bredth from the rule , to gratifie others ; they dare not bend to them , that they might sute more with them , but must keep themselves to the straight rule ; they must keep just in their path ; they cannot go aside to give way to others ; hence there is clashing , every one not having the same thoughts of the rule and way that others have ; those who walke by loose rules , in wayes that are broad , even to their flesh , they can sure themselves one to another easily , they can gratifie their friends , yea the corruptions of their friends more then others can do ; godly men cannot yeeld for peace sake to such termes as other men can . fourthly , the things that the saints are conversant about , are great things , things of a high nature , about their last end , their eternall estates ; hence every one is very charie , and carefull , and strongly set to maintain what he apprehends ; those who understand not the infinite consequence of those things , who have not had the feare of them fall upon their hearts , they wonder at the stifnesse of mens spirits that they can be brought to yeeld no more in such things that they conceive they might yeeld in , and where there are different apprehensions of those things that concern mens eternall estates , even amongst godly men , they must needs stand out one against another , till god causes one of them to see things otherwise then now he doth . fiftly , the things of religion are hidden mysteries , they are the secrets of god , they are hard to be understood , god reveals them in a differing way , they are not ordinarily so clearly revealed , but that the apprehensions of them are like to be different . sixtly , the saints are bound to watch over one another , each is his brothers keeper , they ought to advise , admonish , reprove one another , not to suffer sinne to be upon their brethren ; now this ( through our corruption ) is very displeasing , we doe not love to be medled with , to be crossed in what we have a mind to ; but other men can better preserve their own quiet , by letting their brethren alone ; i will not trouble them , lest i be troubled my selfe . hence it is that they many times live more quietly one with another , then godly men do ; yet this is a great evill , a shame to those who are godly , that it should be so upon any termes . seventhly , ungodly men are dead in sins , the devill hath them sure enough , he doth not seek to stir their corruptions so much as he doth the corruptions of the godly ; he shall not get so much advantage by the one as by the other ; therefore he labours to keep the corruptions of the godly acting as much as he can , that he may disquiet their owne spirits , and the spirits of those with whom they converse . thus you see it is no such wonder why there are dissentions amongst men that truly feare god ; suppose they should live all together , yet so long as they live here in this muddy world , it cannot be but there will be sometimes foule weather amongst them ; but if you look into the church , and consider of the dissentions there , there is a farther reason for them , for usually there are many hypocrites mingled with the godly there , they taking up a profession of religion and so creep into the church , they finde spirituall things unsuitable to them , hence they fly off , their spirits not being brought under the yoke of christ , they fling against those things that pinch them . we read num. . . that the great trouble the children of israel had among them , after they were got out of egypt , was from the mixt multitude that was among them ; these are as ill humours in the body , that do much disturb the quiet of it . none have more turbulent , cruell , impatient spirits , then hypocrites ; none are so desirous of revenge as they , sayes luther . yet further , the fourth thing propounded , is to shew , that those that come nearest together , yet differing in some things , are many times at greater variance one with another , then those who differ in more things from them . the jews and samaritans were at greater variance then jews and heathens . epiphanius tells of a sect of the jews , the nazarites , who continued the customes and ceremonies of the jewes , but acknowledged christ also ; and the jews in hatred to them cursed them solemnly three times a day , morning , noon , and evening , when they went into their synagogue to pray . the turks have a honourable esteeme of christ , which the tartars have not ; yet they say , that the tartars turn . christians sooner then the turks : the turks and persians are both mahometans , they are both circumcised , but the turks follow the way of ebubezer , and the persians are of the schohle of haly ; they detest one another more then they do the christians ; they will both tolerate christians to live amongst them , but they will not tolerate mahometans , who are in a different order from themselves . luther complaines much of those who acknowledged the same doctrine , professed the same faith with himself , came to the same sacraments , yet were worse enemies then the papists , so that the papists laughed at them , and said , they bite one another , and are consumed one of another . i have read of a profane speech of one cosmus duke of florence , against some perfidious friends , you shall reade ( sayes he ) that we are commanded to forgive our enemies , but you never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends . breaches of friends of such as are otherwise nearest are the greatest . prov. . . a brother offended is harder to be won then a city , and their contertione are like the bars of a castle . . we see it in nature , the nerrer the union is , the more grievous is the usurpation ; t is not so great an evill to a man for his arme to be seperated from his body , as his soule ; for the union of the one is integrall , of the other it is essentiall . the bone is more firmly united in all the parts of it then the flesh , and the least breach in that is farre more hurtfull then a greater in the flesh . . those who agree in many things , have hope it may be to get one another to them ; upon this they struggle with one another the more : as for those who are at a great distance , they have no hope to prevaile with them , therefore they make no onset , but seeing themselves frustrated of their hopes , there this troubles them , yea it oft stirs up a spirit of anger against them whom they cannot get up to themselves . . those who agree in many and great things , and yet stand out in few and of lesse consequence , are thought to be the more unreasonable ; if you yeeld thus far , why not a little farther ? the one thinks so of the other , and the other thinks so of him , and hence their spirits are stirred one against another . . those who come up near to others , and yet dissent , seeme to stand more in the light of those they come up so neare unto , then those do who are at a greater distance : it makes men think such a one is not in the right , if he were , those who come so near to him would see it ; they who think themselves got beyond others , cannot enjoy that comfort and content in what they are beyond others in , as otherwise they might , because such as are so near them are against it , if they did not agree in most things , and those of greatest moment , their opposition would not be much regarded : but because they are such men who for their judgements and lives are so unblameable , their differing in such a thing is more then if a hundred times as many , who were at a greater distance in their principles and lives , should differ from us . . they who are so near one to another , have occasion to converse more together then others have , and to argue things oftner one with another , then with such as they differ more from . now it is seldome that men of differing judgements and wayes meet and argue , but there is some heat between them before they have done : and so their spirits grow more estranged one from another then before . and if your spirits be estranged , then those that you have reference to , and such as are in your way , will have their spirits estranged too , your relation of things to them according to what apprehensions you have of them , will be enough to estrange their hearts , and so by degrees a bitternesse grows up between you . the fifth thing , that god hath a hand in our divisions , and how farre . god had a great stroak in the division of these ten tribes from the two , . kings ● . , . the word of the lord came to shemaiah the man of god , saying , returne every man to hits house , for this thing is from the lord. in the sense of the prophet there , we may say that our divisions are from the lord. we are wrangling , devising , plotting , working one against another , minding nothing but to get the day one of another : but god is working out ends above our reach , for his glory and the good of his saints . there must be heresies , sayes the apostle , i cor. . . so there must be divisions . that word haeresis is used to signifie severall opinions , severall wayes , haereses platonicae , haereses peripateticae . chrysostome interprets the place of the apostle , there must be heresies , of such divisions as we are treating of . but why must there be divisions , what does god ayme at in them ? answ . first , the discovery of mens spirits , that they which are approved may be manifest , sayes the apostle . by those divisions in corinth , wherein the rich divided from the poore , whereby the poore were condemned , the graces of the poore in bearing this were manifested . thus chrysostome upon the place : the apostle sayes this , that he might comfort the poor which were able with a generous minde to bear that contempt . the melting of the metall discovers the drosse , for they divide the one from the other . these are melting times , and thereby discovering times . if reformation had gone on without opposition , we had not seen what drossie spirits we had amongst us . those who have kept upright without warping in these times are honourable before god , and his holy angels and saints . . by these divisions god exercises the graces of his servants . a little skill in a mariner is enough to guide his ship in faire weather : but when stormes arise , when the seas swell and grow troublesome , then his skill is put to it . in these stormy troublesome times there had need be much wisdome , faith , love , humility , patience , selfe-deniall , meeknesse , all graces are put to it now , they had need put forth all their strength , act with all their vigour ; our graces had need be stirring , full of life and quicknesse now . god prizeth the exercise of the graces of his saints at a very high rate . he thinks it worth their suffering much trouble . it is a good evidence of grace , yea of much grace , to account the trouble of many afflictions to be recompensed by the exercise of graces . in times of division men had need stirre up all their graces , and be very watchfull over their wayes , and walke exactly , be circumspect , accurate in their lives . those who have not their hearts with them , have their eyes upon them , prying into them , watching for their halting . when there is siding there is much observing . lord ( sayes david , psal . . . ) teach me thy way , and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies , so it is in your books ; but you may reade it because of mine observers : enemies are observers . hence it was the policy of the lacedaemonians alwayes to send two embassadours together which disagreed among themselves , that so they might mutually have an eye upon the actions of each other . . god will have these to be in just judgement to the wicked , that they may be a stumbling block to them who will not receive the truth in love . there are so many opinions , such divisions , so many religions , say some , that we know not what to do . if your hearts be carnall , not loving the wayes of god , not prizing spirituall things , not savouring the things of another world , these opinions , divisions , may be laid by god in judgement as a stumbling block in thy way , that thou mayest stumble upon them and break thy selfe for ever . god hath no need of thee . if thou wilt be froward and perverse against his truths , if thou hast a mind to take offence , you shall have matter enough before you to take offence at . stumble and break your necks , as a just reward of the perversnesse of your hearts . these divisions which you rejoice in , which you can speak of as glad that you have such an objection against my people and wayes that your hearts are opposite to , shall cost you dear , even the perdition of your souls everlastingly . it was a speech of tertullian , i account it no danger to affirm , that god hath so ordered the revelation of truth in scriptures , that he might administer matter for hereticks . . god hath a hand in these divisions , to bring forth further light . sparkes are beaten out by the flints striking together . many sparks of light , many truths are beaten out by the beatings of mens spirits one against another . if light be let into a house , there must be some trouble to beat down a window . a child thinks the house is beating downe , but the father knowes the light will be worth the cost and trouble . if you will have the cloth woven , the woofe and warpe must be cast crosse one to another . if you will have truths argued out , you must be content to bear with some opposition for the time . those who are not willing to bear some trouble , to be at some cost to find out truth , are not worthy of it . those who love truth will seek for it , for truths sake ; those who love victory , yet because the truth is the strongest , will seek after truth that they may get victory , dan. . . many shall runne to and fro , and knowledge shall be encreased . to some these divisions darken truths , to others they enlighten them . we may well behold mens weaknesse in these divisions , but better admire gods strength and wisdome in ordering them to his glory , and his childrens good . be not discouraged ye saints of the lord , at these divisions , your father hath a hand in them , he wil bring good out of them . yea christ , who is the prince of peace , hath a ●and in them . matth. . , . he sayes , thinke not that i am come to send peace on the earth , i came to bring a sword . i am come to set a man at variance against his father , and the daughter against her mother . one would think it to be the strangest speech that could be , to come from the mouth of him who is the great peace-maker . oh blessed saviour , must we not think that thou art come to send peace ? thou art our peace . is not thine embassage from thy father , an embassage of peace ? true : peace with my father , but not peace on the earth ; not an earthly peace ; do not think that i came from heaven to work this for men , that they should live at ease in plenty and pleasure , that they should have no disturbance , no trouble to the flesh : no , the event of my comming you will finde to be a sword , divisions , and that between those of the nearest relation . a child who is wicked will despise and break with his godly father , and the daughter with her godly mother . and luke . . the carnall father and mother will have their hearts rise against their godly sonne and daughter . i am come to send fire on the earth , and what will i if it be already kindled ? let it kindle as soone as it will , i am contented , i know much good will come of it . these scriptures are enough to take away for ever the offence of divisions . first , christ himselfe is the greatest offence to wicked men that ever was in the world : he is the stumbling stone and rock of offence , thousand thousands being offended at him miscarry everlastingly . christ foreseeing how many would be offended at him , mat. . . blesseth the man who shall not be offended . some are offended at what they see in christ ; others apprehend whatsoever is in him to be most excellent and lovely , that which they cannot but defend and stand for to the death . he is disallowed of men , rejected by the builders , a stone of stumbling to them : but to the saints the chief corner stone , elect , precious , pet. . , , , , . such different apprehensions of christ must needs divide men . . christ comes to make the greatest alteration that ever was or can be in the world , and do we not finde that troubles accompany alterations , and above all alterations , alterations in government , and especially such a government as gives no composition , yeelds no compliance with any thing else ? when christ comes he brings his fanne in his hand , he must have his floore throughly purged ; he gathers his wheat into his garner , & severs the chaffe to be burnt in unquenchable fire . if he comes thus , who shall abide his comming ? mal. . . who shall stand when he appeares ? for he is like a refiners fire , and fullers sope , he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver , he shall purifie the sons of levi. certainly there will be much adoe when they come to be purified . no men in the world are like to make so much stirre when they come to be purified as the clergy will. christ comes to cast out devils , they will fome , fret , vex , rend and teare when they are a casting out . the gospel likewise divides . the word of the gospell is a dividing word . heb. . . it is quicke , powerfull , sharper then a two-edged sword , piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit , of the joints and marrow . it divides in a mans own heart , and divides between man and man. the light of it divides . the first division we ever read of was of gods making , gen. . , . when he said , let there be light , and god divided the light from the darkness . the doctrine of the gospel shews the spiritualness of gods commands , the sinfulnesse of thoughts , of the first stirrings of sin , mat. . this touches to the quick . the heat of the gospel divides : it is like fire when it comes , is not my word like fire ? the preaching of the gospel with power heaps coales of fire upon mens heads , which will either melt them , or burn them . in it there is a separation of the precious from the vile . the ordinances of the gospel divide , they difference men . some they will receive , others they will not . they must bring men to a higher , to a stricter way then the sluggish , dead , vain , slight , drossie hearts of men are willing to come up unto . the godlinesse that is in christ jesus divides , therefore whosoever will live godly so , must expect to suffer persecution , tim. . . . those who hold forth the life and power of godlinesse , seem to challenge a more speciall peculiar interest in god then others which cannot be endured , joh. . . we are of god , and the whole world lyes in wickednesse . . their lives condemne others , which they cannot abide , as noah is said to condemne the world , heb. . . . in godlinesse there is an excellency . they whose hearts are naught cannot look upon that hath any appearance of excellency , without a spirit of envy . if they judge men only to be conceited with it as an excellency , but for their parts they think it not to be so , then they look upon them with a spirit of indignation . . godlinesse makes men zealous in such things as others can see no reason why they should . they think they do incalescere in re frigida , and that the ground of their zeal is vanity , and turbulency of spirit . . it makes men constant : nothing can turn them out of their way . the son yeelds not to his father , the servant not to his master ; this is judged to be stoutnesse and wilfulnesse , though god knowes it is far otherwise , it must needs therefore enrage others at them . the good uses that we are to make of our divisions . why may not meat come out of the eater , and sweet out of these bitter things ? the heavens can draw up salt vapours from the sea , and send them down againe in sweet refreshing showres . why may not heavenly hearts change the very nature of these sowre brinish things , and make them sweet to themselves and others ? this is the excellency of grace ; it does not only preserve the soule from the evill of temptations , but it gets advantage by them , it turnes the evill into good . luther upon the galat. c. . v. . hath a notable expression to set forth the power of grace : by this a christian ( sayes he ) comes to be a mighty workman , and a wonderfull creator , who of heavinesse can make joy , of terrours comfort , of sinne righteousnesse , of death life . and why may not i adde , of division and contention , peace and union ? wherefore first , by these divisions men may come to see the vilenesse and the vanity of their own hearts : what were the thoughts of men heretofore ? oh , had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumentall for god , we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him , now god hath granted these to us , we abuse them , we grow wanton , we jarre one against another : we are like some marriners , who are calme in a storme , but storme in a calme . surely every man is vanity . the untowardnesse of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances , freed from these defilements they mourned under , when they have their desires in great measure satisfied , discovers so much evill in the hearts of men , that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of , men who seemed carnall and naught , that you looked upon as very evill , men of bitter spirits against good men , you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace , and yet when you are got into church-fellowship , that way of freedome , that your soules mourned after a long time , now though you be joyned in covenant one to another , yet if your brethren differ any thing from you , though they be otherwise godly , what a bitternesse of spirit is there in some of you against them ! what pride ! what frowardnesse doe you manifest against them ! oh what a poor creature is man ! if once he gets power and liberty , what a deale of filth appears in him ! we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some , of whom we have had hard thoughts before ; we see if these men have any grace , grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption . secondly , learne to be humbled for that dishonour which comes to god by these divisions ; thou spendest thy time in vexing and fretting at , in crying out against these breaches , but when was thy heart broken with the dishonour that god hath by them ? thirdly , let these divisions confirme us in the maine , and settle us there more then ever ; for do we not see that those many sorts of men who are divided , who oppose one another much , yet they all joyn in the things of the greatest consequence , they all witnesse against the common enemy ? this , sayes nazianzen , is the greatest argument of the truth , that it is not overcome by time , neither can enmity one against another put out that little sparke of the love of it that is in us , &c. if a mans house stands after many shakings of strong windes , he concludes the foundation is good , this satisfies him , though some tiles be shaken off . fourthly , let us blesse god who hath carryed on the work of reformation thus farre , notwithstanding our divisions ; we were afraid that these differences , not so much betweene the good and bad , but betweene the good and good , would have undone all , and yet behold the lord beyond our thoughts , how infinitely beyond our deserts , hath carryed on the work hitherto , so as it gets ground , though it be not so speedily brought to an issue as we would have it . fiftly , let us hence raise our hopes in this , that satans time is not long ; his raging and foming so violently , doth evidence it to us . surely christ our prince of peace is at hand , he will tread down satan under our feet shortly . sixtly , let us from these stirs without , be put upon the labouring to make and to confirm peace within . oh consider , is the breach between man and man so grievous ? how grievous is that which is between god and the soul ! i find it hard , and doubt whether it be possible to be at peace with men in this world ; i find them of such froward , peevish , selfish , wilfull spirits , even many who seem to be good men otherwise , but god gives many encouragements to poor souls to come unto him ; he is a god of love and mercy , he delights not to grieve the children of men , to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth : he is willing to be reconciled to sinners : there is nothing that his heart is more set upon , then reconciliation with wretched sinfull souls . oh that in these sad dayes of miserable dissentions , i might be blessed with the comforts of the reconciliation of my soul with god! if this were , i hope i should be able contentedly to bear , and with strength to pass through all those heart-sadning evils caused by these breaches and dissentions there are amongst us . this were a good use indeed , made of such evill things , if mens contending with you shall thus further your peace with god ; what he once said of adams sin , it was faelix ▪ peccatum , a happy sin , because it occasioned so much good in mans redemption : so i may say of that strife and contention there is among us , it is faelix contentio , a happy contention , that god hath turned to so much good unto you . i have read of robert holgate , who was arch-bishop of york , because he could not peaceably enjoy his small living in lincolne-shire , in regard of the litigiousnesse of a neigbouring knight , comming to london to right himselfe , he came into the favour of king hen. the . and so got by degrees the archbishoprick of york , he thought he got well by the litigiousnesse of this knight ; but if the strifes of men shall put thee upon those providences and duties which shall be so blessed unto thee , as to further thy getting into the favour of the high god , and the enjoyment of the soule-satisfying sweetnesse there is in peace with him ; what cause shalt thou have of admiring free grace , which hath brought to thee so great a good from so great an evil ? and if these strifes have been a meanes to move thy heart godward for thy making thy peace with him , let them also put thee on still to further , to confirme , to settle , to maintaine thy peace with him . vvhen the winde and storme rises , the traveller plucks his cloak the closer about him ; these dividing times are stormy times , labour to get your souls to the harbour under shelter , labour to make sure of that one thing necessary ; the more strangely men looke upon you , let your hearts be stirred up to seek with the more strength the face of god , that you may never look upon it but with joy . you hear harsh notes abroad , such things as grieve you at the heart , labour so much the more to keep the bird alwayes singing in your bosome . . if your peace be made with god , blesse god for it . it is a great mercy for a man in these times of trouble , to have rest in his own spirit ; while others are tossed up and down in the waves of contention , you sit quietly in the arke of a good conscience , blessing the lord that ever you knew him and his wayes . . labour to make up your want of that good and comfort you heretofore had in christian communion , with a more close and constant communion with the lord , who hath been pleased to speak peace unto you . although i have not that comfort in communion with the streams , yet i may find it fully made up in the fountain . . by way of antiperistas , let us labour to be so much the more united with the saints , by how much we see others to be divided : men make void thy law , sayes david , therefore doe i love it above gold . we use to put a price upon things that are rare : what makes jewels to be of that worth , but for the rarity of them ? unity , hearty love , sweetness of communion among brethren , is now a very rare thing , a scarce commodity , let us prize it the more , and you who do enjoy it , bless god for it . . the more confused , broken , and troublesome we see things to be , the more let our hearts be stirred up in prayer to god , putting him in mind of all those gracious promises that he hath made to his church for peace and union : lord is it not part of thy covenant with thy people , that thou wilt give them one heart ? hast thou not said that they shall serve thee with one shoulder ? hast thou not told us that thou wilt make jerusalem a quiet habitation , that thou wilt take away violence , that there should be no pricking bryar nor grieving thorn ? . those whose consciences can witnesse to them , that it hath been their great care not to enwrap themselves in the guilt of these divisions , but they can appeale to god that they have endeavoured after peace so far as they could with a good conscience , let them bless god for this mercy , it is a great deliverance to be delivered from the guilt of those divisions . deut. . . of levi he said , let thy vrim and thummim be with thy holy one , whom thou didst prove at massah , and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of meribah . massah signifies tentation , and meribah , contention . places and times of contention are places and times of tentation . now if god shall prove us at those places in those times , and we be found upright , this will bring a blessing upon us . at those waters where the people murmured , contending even with god himselfe , aaron ( though there was some weaknesse in him ) yet kept himselfe from being involved in the guilt of that sinne of contending with god. and sol-jarchi , with other of the hebrewes , say , that the levites were not in that sinne neither ; which they thinke that place malachie . . refers unto , my covenant was with him of life and peace , for the feare wherewith he feared me , and was afraid before my name . the feare of god was upon levi , at that time he dared not contend as then others did , and therefore my covenant of life and peace was and is with him . we have been these three or foure yeeres at these waters of massah and meribah , god hath tryed us . how happy are those who have held out , who have kept their consciences free , upon whom the fear of god hath been , and through that feare of his , have walked before him in the wayes of truth and equity ? the blessing of the covenant of life and peace be upon them for ever . chap. xxxi . the cure of our divisions . vvhat gracious heart is not cut asunder with griefe for those sore and fearfull evils that there are in , and come from our divisions , and is not even the second time cut asunder with carefull thoughts in it selfe , what may be done to heal them ? mat. . . christ forbids that carking care that cuts our hearts , when it is in matters concerning our selves , yea for our lives , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , take no thought for your life , so it is in your bookes : but the word signifies , doe not take such thought as should cut your hearts asunder : so v. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; why doe you divide your hearts ? and ver . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and ver . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again . but though this charge of christ be doubled and doubled againe , against our carefull dividing cutting thoughts about our selves , yet for the uniting the hearts of the saints together for the good of the church , this heart-cutting care is not onely allowed , but required , cor. . . that there should be no schisme in the body , but that the members should have the same care one for another . the words are , that the members may care , the same thing one for another , and that with dividing , cutting care , that there might be no schisme in the body . the word that is here for care , is the same that in the former places in the . of mat. is forbidden . the expressions of my thoughtfull cares about this work , is the subject at this time : when i set my self about it , my heart doth even ake within me at the apprehension of the difficulty of it . there are some diseases that are called opprobria medicorum , the disgraces of physitians , because they know not what to say or doe to them ; or if they do any thing it is to little purpose . if there be any soule-disease that is opprobrium theologorum , the disgrace of divines , it is this of contention and division . how little has all that they have studied and endeavoured to do , prevailed with the hearts of men ? what shall we do ? shall we but joyn in this one thing , to sit down together , and mourn one over another , one for another , till we have dissolved our hearts into teares , and see if we can thus get them to run one into another ? oh that it might be , what sorrow soever it costs us ! we read judges . . , , . the lord sent an angell from gilgal to the men of israel , who told them how graciously he had dealt with them , yet they had contrary to the command of god made a league with the inhabitants of the land , for which the lord threatned that they should be as thorns in their sides . when the angell spake these words to the children of israel , the people lift up their voice and wept . and they called the name of that place boehim , a place of tears . their sin was too much joyning , joyning in league where god would not have them : those whom they joyned with , god told them should be thornes in their sides . upon this they wept , and that so sore , that the place received its name from their weeping . but oh that the lord would send his angell , yea his spirit to us , to convince us of our evill , that we to this day have not joyned in sure league one with another , but are thorns in the sides of one another : and that after so many mercies , such great deliverances from our bondage , from the rage of ungodly men , yea that we are so false one to another , though the lord hath never broke covenant with us , which was the heart-breaking argument the angell used , ver . . yea the lord hath done abundantly for us , beyond our hopes , desires , thoughts , and that after all this there should be nothing but breaches and divisions amongst us , that we should be not only thornes , but speares and swords in one anothers sides , piercing to one anothers hearts . are we the children of israel ? let our hearts then break for the breaches of our hearts . let them break , and melt , and mourn , and bleed , and resolve that nothing shall comfort them , but peace with our god , and peace one wth another . that one text , thes . . . were enough alone to pierce our hearts through and through . as touching brotherly love , ye need not that i write unto you , saith the apostle , for ye your selves are taught of god to love one another . oh lord , what are we in these dayes such kinde of christians as these were ? oh that it were so with us , that we had no need to be wrote to , to be preached to , concerning this . does it appear by our carriages one towards another , that we are taught of god to love one another ? but that god may teach us this day , attend to what shall be said to you in his name , which i shall cast into these five heads : . joyning principles . . joyning considerations . . joyning graces . . joyning practices . . conclude with exhortation . wherein we shall endeavour to set before you the beauty and excellency there is in the heart , union , and mutuall love of christians . i shall not need to be long in these : for take away dividing principles , dividing distempers . dividing practices , and be thoroughly convinced of the evill of divisions , and one would think our hearts should of themselves run into one another . but that i may not seeme to leave our wounds open , so that aire should get into them , but endeavour the closing of them , and so the healing , i shall speak something to these five heads : the first joyning principle . in the middest of all differences of judgement , and weaknesses of the saints , it is not impossible but that they may live in peace and love together . if notwithstanding the differences from gods mind , and many weaknesses , there may be peace and love between god & his saints : then surely notwithstanding these things , the saints may be at love and peace among themselves . let this be laid for a ground , and let our hearts be much possessed with it , we shall finde it very helpfull to our closing . away with that vain conceit which hath been the great disturber of churches in all ages , if men differ in their judgement and practice in matters of religion , though it be in things that are but the weaknesse of godly men , yet there must needs be heart-burning and division . let all peaceable men deny this consequence , let us not say it will be so , and that our words may be made good afterwards indeed make it so : certainly the connection of them , if there be any , is rather from the corruption of our hearts , then from the nature of the things . i have read of two rivers in the east , sava and danuby , that run along in one channell threescore miles together , without any noyse , and yet they keep themselves distinct , the colour of the waters remain distinct , all along : why should we not think it possible for us to go along close together in love and peace , though in some things our judgements and practices be apparently different one from another ? i will give you who are scholers a sentence to write upon your study doores , as needfull an one in these times as any ; it is this : opinionum varietas , & opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . variety of opinions , and unity of those that hold them , may stand together . there hath been much ado to get us to agree : we laboured to get our opinions into one , but they will not come together . it may be in our endevours for agreement we have begun at the wrong end . let us try what we can do at the other end : it may be we shall have better successe there . let us labour to joyn our hearts to engage our affections one to another : if we cannot be of one mind that we may agree , let us agree that we may be of one minde . eusebius records a letter that constantine sent to alexander and arius , before he apprehended the grossenesse of arius his heresie , conceiving them to differ but in smaller things , he endevours to reconcile them : for that ( sayes he ) the things wherein you differ , concerneth not any waighty substance of our religion , there is no reason why it should breed at all any division in minde , or discord in doctrine ; and this isay not to compell you in this light question , of what sort soever it be , altogether to condescend unto the same sentence : and though you dissent amongst your selves about a matter of small importance , ( for neither truly are we all in all things like minded , neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us ) neverthelesse for all that the sacred unity may be soundly and inviolably retained among you , and one consent and fellowship conversed between all . i have read of the like peaceable disposition in divers german divines , meeting to confer about matters of religion in difference , in marpurg . the conclusion of their conference was this : although we see we cannot hitherto fully agree about the corporall presence of the body and bloud of christ in the bread and wine , yet both parts ought to declare christian love one to another , as farre as every one can with a good conscience . oh that this were the conclusion of all our debates and conference , wherein we cannot come up fully to one anothers judgements . if we stay for peace and love till we come to the unity of the faith in all things , we must stay for it , for ought i know , till we come to another world . ephes . . , . he gave some apostles , some evangelists , some pastors and teachers , for the worke of the ministery , till we all come in the unity of the faith , and knowledge of the sonne of god , unto a perfect man. the unity of the faith , and the perfect man will be both together ; and when they are , there will be no more need of any ministry , there shall be no more preaching after we are all come to this unity : when that is done , our work is done for this world . the second joyning principle . that shall never be got by strife , that may be had by love and peace . vve would all fain have our wills : now that which lies uppermost upon many mens hearts , that which is the first thing they do , if their wills be crossed , is presently to strive and contend : but this should be the last thing , after all other means are tried : this should never be made use of but in case of pure necessity . we should first think , is there any way in the world whereby it is possible we may have our desires satisfyed with peace , let us try this , and another way , a third , a fourth , yea a hundred wayes , if they lye between us and the way of strife , before we come to meddle with that . this rule you will find of very great use to order all our businesses in churches & common-wealths , of townes , families , yea whatsoever concernes any of your persons in reference to any other . the apostle , cor. . rebuking the divisions of that church , of which they are guilty more then any , for they had many among them of raised parts , of eminent gifts , and therefore puffed up more then others . except god joynes eminency of grace , men of eminent gifts joyne lesse then others , whose gifts are meaner . among those meanes he directs for union , when he speakes of love : i will shew you , sayes he , a more excellent way , ver . last ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a way of the highest excellency , beyond any expression . the way of love , of the engaging hearts one to another , is the only way to bring men to unity of judgement : yea the only way when all is done , for men to have their wills . i may give you this or the other rule to bring you to think and do the same thing , but that which hath an excellency in it with an hyperbole , is the way of love . if you could get your mindes by other wayes , certainly you cannot enjoy it with that sweetnesse and comfort as you may if you have got it this way . marcus cato repented that ever he went by sea when he might have gone by land ( it seems the skill of those times for navigation was not great ) but certainly there is no man living but hath cause to repent him that ever he got that by strife & contention that he might have got by love & peace . what hinders why soft and gentle words may not prevaile , as well as hard and bitter language ? why may not a loving winning carriage do as much as severe rigid violence ? if it may , thou providest ill for thine own peace and comfort , to leave this way and betake thy self to the other . tell me , were it a signe of valour in a man to draw his sword at every whappet that comes near him ? yea at every fly that lights upon him ? were it not folly and madnesse ? why ? he may by putting forth his finger put them off from him . thy froward cholerick spirit is ready to draw at every thing that thou likest not . this is thy folly : thou mayest with lesse adoe have what thou hast a minde to . if i would put a feather from me , i need not strike violently at it , a soft gentle breath will do it better . why should a man labour and toyle till he sweats again , to take up a pin ? have none of you sometimes made a great stirre in your families about that which when the stir is a little over you plainly see you might have had as well with a word speaking : and hath not your heart secretly upbraided you then ? try the next time what you can do by faire and gentle meanes . why should we let the strength of our spirits run waste ? let this be a constant rule ; never make use of severity till you have tryed what clemency will do : there is more power in that to conquer the hearts of men you would faine have yeild to you , then you are aware of . plutarch reports of philip of macedon , that when one arcadion railed on him , the courtiers would have had him dealt severely with ; but philip took another course , he sends for him , and spake gently to him , and shewed great love and respect to him : upon this arcadions heart was turned , so as there was no man in the world that arcadion spoke more honourably of then of philip , wheresoever he came . after a while philip met with those who would have him to have revenged himself upon arcadion , what say you now of arcadion ? sayes he : how doth he now behave himself ? there is no man living , say they , speaks better of you now then he . well then , sayes philip , i am a better physitian then you ; my physick hath done that which yours never would have done . the like he reports of fabius , who was called the romans target : when he heard of a souldier who was valiant , yet practised with some others to go and serve the enemy , he calls him to him , and in stead of dealing with him in rigour , tels him he had not had recompense according to his desert , and gives him honourable gifts , and so gaines him to be faithfull for ever . and sayes he , as hunters , riders of horses , and such as tame wilde beasts shall sooner make them leave their savage and churlish nature by gentle usage and manning of them , then by beating and shackling them ; so a governour of men should rather correct by patience , gentlenesse , and clemency , then by rigour , violence , and severity . none but a cruell , harsh , sordid spirited man , will say , i had rather men should fear me then love me : god prizes most what he hath from us by love . the third joyning principle . it is better to doe good , then to receive good . active good is better then passive ; only god himselfe , his angels and saints do good ; all creatures can receive good . this principle would quickly joyne us ; for if this were in mens hearts , they would study to do all the good they could to one another , and so gaine upon one anothers hearts : and the more good we doe to any , the more will our hearts be inclinable to love them . the very communication of goodnesse , if it be out of a good spirit , carryes the heart along with it to the subject this good is communicated to : the more good god doth to any , the more he loves them . god hates nothing that he hath made , but loves what there is in any thing of his work : but when he communicates his grace , his spirit , when he gives his christ in these gifts , he gives his heart : they do not only come from love , but they make the subject further lovely in his eyes . so it is with us in our proportion : if you take a poore childe from the dunghill , or out of the almes-house , and make him your heyre , you do not only do this good to him because you love dim , but you also love him more , because you look upon him as an object of your goodnesse as one raised by you . titus accounted that day lost , a day wherein he had not raigned , if he had done no good . this principle would make men great as well as good . it is the glory of god that he does so much good . and if men could account this greatnesse , satisfying greatnesse , the most and greatest contentions that are in the world would be layd down : for what do men contend so much for as for greatnesse ? the fourth joyning principle . the good of other men is my good as well as theirs . vve are all of one body : whatsoeuer good others have , it is the good of the body ; it makes them some way able to doe that good that we would have done , or at least that we should desire to have done . plutarch sayes that solon made a law whereby every man was enabled to sue whosoever wronged his neighbour , as if he had wronged himself ; he gave this reason for it , there is no good that one man has in a common-wealth , but it is another mans as well as his . community in the church is more . cor. . . whether paul , or apollos , or cephas , or the world , or life , or death , or things present , or things to come , all are yours , you are christs , and christ is gods. if you be godly you have an interest in all the eminent godly men in the world , in all their gifts , their graces , in all they have or do ; all that is in the world that hath any good in it , is yours , yea what is evill shall be serviceable to you for good . this is brought by the apostle to quiet the jarrings and contentions that were amongst the corinthians . one would be for paul , another for apollos , sayes the apostle , what need this contention , who you are for , and who another is for ? they are all yours , all the excellency there is in them is the good of every one of you . a speciall reason why men contend so much , is , they think the good that other men have is their evill , therefore they must either get it to themselves , or darken it in those that have it . but such men acted by such a principle are poore , low-spirited men . a man of a raised , enlarged spirit , opens his heart that it may be filled with that infinite good in which there is all good . now if it be that good my soul closeth with , and is satisfied in , then whatsoever hath any goodnesse in it , be it where it will , it flowes from this infinite ocean of good that my soul is launched into , and some way or other flows into this againe ; though thorough mens corruptions , there may be windings and turnings in the course of it , yet hither it comes at last , and therefore it is mine as really and truly as any i have in mine own hand : my soul then shall rejoyce in all the good i see my brethren have , in all they do , i will blesse god for it , and seek the furtherance of it what i can . surely this man must needs be a man of peace and love . the fifth joyning principle . my good is more in the publique then in my selfe . the strength , safety , excellency of a cabbin in a ship consists not so much in the boards of the cabbin , or the fine painting of it , as in the strength and excellency of the ship . it is because we have such private spirits that there are such contentions among us : were we more publique spirited , our contentions would vanish . when i read of what publique spirits many of the heathen were , i am ashamed to look upon many christians . paulus aemilius hearing of the death of his children , spake with an un aunted courage thus , that the gods had heard his prayer , which was , that calamities should rather befall his family , then the common-wealth . the publikeness of his spirit made it very sweet and lovely : the story sayes of him , he intreated them gently and graciously whom he had subdued , setting forward their causes , even as they had bin his confederates , very friends and neer kinsmen . publique spirited men are men of sweet and peaceable spirits . the sixth joyning principle . what i would have others doe to me , that will i endeavour to doe to them . vvould not i have others beare with me ? i then will bear with them . i would have others do offices of kindnesses to me , i will then do offices of kindnesses to them . i would have the carriages of others lovely , amiable to me , mine shall be so to them . i would have others live peaceably with me , i will do so with them . this rule of doing to others as i would be done to , is a law of justice ; such justice as keeps the peace . alexander severus the roman emperour , was much taken with this : he sayes he learned it from the christians , if he had to deal with his common souldiers that did wrong , he punished them : but when he had to deal with men of worth and dignity , he thought it sufficient to reprove them with this sentence , do as ye would be done by . chrysostome in his . sermon to the people of antioch , makes use of this principle , thus , after christ had spoken of many blessednesses , ( sayes he ) then he sayes , those things you would have others to do to you , do you to them : as if he should say , there needs not many words , let thine own will be thy law : would you receive benefits ? bestow benefits then : would you have mercy ? be mercifull then : would you be commended ? commend others : would you be loved ? then love . be you the judge your selfe , be you the law-giver of your owne life . that which you hate , doe not to another . cannot you endure reproach ? doe not you reproach others . cannot you endure to have others envy you ? doe not you envy others . cannot you endure to be deceived ? do not you deceive others . the seventh joyning principle . it is as great an honour to have my will by yeelding , as by overcomming . many men in their anger will say , i will be even with him . i will tell you a way how you may be above him : forgive him . by yeilding , pardoning , putting up the wrong , you shew you have power over your self , and this is a greater thing then to have power over another . numb . . , . now i beseech thee let the power of my lord be great , pardon , i beseech thee , the iniquity of this people , ver : . and by this thou maist honourably prevaile with thy brother : hereby shalt thou heap coals of fire upon his head . i have read of two famous philosophers falling at variance aristippus and aeschines , aristippus comes to aeschines , shall we not be friends ? sayes he . yes with all my heart saith aeschines . remember , saith aristippus , that though i am your elder , yet i sought for peace . true , saith aeschines , and for this i will alwayes acknowledge you the more worthy man ; for i began the strife , and you the peace . the eighth joyning principle . i will never meddle with any strife but that which shall have peace to the end of it . no war is good upon any terms , taken up upon the justest ground , except it aymes at peace . bellum minime bellum : that souldier is a murtherer that sheds bloud not in reference to peace . the swords and ensignes of souldiers should have this motto upon them , sic quaenimus pacem , thus we seek peace . hercules his club was made of the olive , the emblem of peace . the ninth joyning principle . no man shall ever be mine enemy , that is not more his owne then mine , yea more the enemy of god then mine . if a man offends me meerly through weakness , this is his affliction , in this he is neither an enemy to himself nor me ; he mourns for it , and i will pitty him in his mourning ; he is more troubled for what he hath done , then i have cause to be for what i have suffered . if he offends willingly and purposely , he is his own enemy more then mine . when latimer was cousened in buying a commodity , his friends telling him how he was cheated of his money , he fell a mourning for him that had cheated him , he hath the worst of it , sayes he . if my heart rises against a man in this , and i seek to oppose him in his way , it may very well be interpreted to be out of love to him , for my heart rises against his enemy , i oppose his enemy , even himself , but an enemy to himself , more then to me ; he hath hurt me a little , but himself more . i am troubled a little for the wrong i suffer , but more for the evill he hath done . if his wayes be enmity to god , i will oppose him , because i love god , and no farther then wherein i may manifest my love to god rather then hatred of him . when servetus condemned zuinglius for his harshness , he answers , in other things i will be milde , but not so in blasphemies against god. let us keep our enmity within these bounds , and the peace of god will not be broke . the tenth joyning principle . i had rather suffer the greatest evill , then doe the least . if when others wrong you , you care not what you do to right your self : this is your folly and madness , such a one hurt me , and i will therefore mischief my self ; he hath pricked me with a pin , and i will therefore in an anger run my knife into my side . if in all we suffer we be sure to keep from righting our selves by any wayes of sin , there will not be much peace broke . such an one is thine enemy , and wilt thou of one enemy make two ? wilt thou also be an enemy to thy self , yea a greater enemy then he or any man living can be to thee ? for all the men in the world cannot make thee sin , except thou wilt thy self . the eleventh joyning principle . i will labour to do good to all , but provoke none . a father hath not so much power over his child , as to provoke him . col. . . fathers provoke not your children to wrath . surely if a man hath not this power over his child , he hath it not over his friend , his neighbour , much less his superiour : yet how many take delight in this , such a thing i know will anger him , and he shall be sure to have it ! oh wicked heart ! dost thou see that this will be a temptation to thy brother , and wilt thou lay it before him ? dost thou not pray for thy self and for him , lord lead us not into temptation ? we should accout it the greatest evill to us of all the evill of afflictions , to be any occasion of sin to our brother ; but what an evil should this be to us , to provoke our brother to sin ? if we will needs be provoking , then let the apostles exhortation prevaile with us , heb. . . let us consider one another to provoke unto love , and to good works : let us not consider one another in a way of curiosity and emulation , to envy , or find fault with one another , from whence frowardness , pride , hatred , dissentions , factions may arise , saith hyperius upon the place , but consider one another , so as we may further the good of one another , so as to make one another quick and active in that which is good . the twelfth joyning principle . peace with all men it is good , but with god and mine owne conscience it is necessary . but how will this joyn us one to another ? answ . very much , both as it holds forth the goodness of peace with all men , and as it carryes the heart strongly to the making and keeping peace with god and a mans own conscience . this peace with god and a mans own conscience will so sweeten the heart , that it cannot but be sweet towards every one ; a man who hath satisfaction enough within , can easily bear afflictions and troubles that come without . when saul had made great breaches between god and his soul , and in his own conscience , then he grew to be of a very froward spirit towards every man , before his apostacy he was of a very meek and quiet spirit , but this sowred his spirit , and made it grow harsh , rugged , and cruell ; this is the cause of the frowardness of many men and women in their families , and with their neighbours , there are secret breaches between god and their own consciences . the thirteenth joyning principle . if i must needs erre , considering what our condition is here in this world , i will rather erre by too much gentlenesse and mildnesse , then by too much rigour and severity . mans nature is more propense to rigour , then to lenity ; but the account of overmuch lenity is easier then of too much rigour . men who are of harsh , sowre spirits themselves , are ready to think that god is so too . as the lacedaemonians because they were of a warlike disposition , they represented their gods all armed . but god is love : there is anger and hatred in god as well as love : but god is never said to be anger or hatred , no not justice it self ; but he loves that expression of himself to the children of men , god is love . if god intended that all things amongst men , either in church or common-wealth , should be carryed with strictnesse of justice , he would rather have governed his church and the world by angels , who have right apprehensions of justice , who are themselves perfect , altogether free from those evils that are to be punished , then by men , whose apprehensions of justice are exceeding weak , unconstant , partiall , as often false as true , and have much of that evill in themselves that they judge in others . the last joyning principle . peace is never bought too deare , but by sin and basenesse . vve use to say , we may buy gold too deare , and so we may peace : but whatsoever we pay for it beside sinne and baseness , we have a good bargain . suidas tells of the emperour trajan , that he would cut his own cloaths to binde up the wounds of his souldiers . we should be very pitifull to souldiers , who are wounded to keep us whole . we should binde up their wounds , though it cost us dear : but especially our care should be to bind up those wounds that by divisions are made in church and common-wealth : and well may we be willing to cut our cloathes to binde them up , when the evill of them is such as either does or should cut our hearts . but though peace be a rich merchandize , yet we must not saile too far for it , not so farre as to sinne . we read kings . . mount olivet is called the mount of corruption , because of the idolatry committed upon it . though we are to prize mount olivet at a very high rate , with the olives growing upon it , yet we must take heed that we make it not a mount of corruption . we may give peace to buy truth , but we may not give truth to buy peace . we may be bold with that which is our own to purchase peace , but not with that which is gods : yet we must not be base in our yielding in things naturall or civill for peace sake , that is , first , we must not for our own private peace yield to that which is like to prove publique disadvantage and disturbance . there is a notable story of a turkish emperour , perceiving his nobles & people to be offended that he was so strongly in love to his concubine irene , his heart vvas so taken vvith her that he grevv remiss in his regard to the stern of the state. nothing must be done but as irene vvould have it : vvhatsoever resolutions there vvere of any good to the state , yet irene must be consulted vvithall before they were put in execution , & if they pleased not her all was dashed , so much did he dote upon irene . this the nobles and state could not bear : he therefore at last so far considered the publique , as he overcame his doting affections . he brought irene before them , and sayes , that ye may see how much i prize the content of my people , i sacrifice her to them , and so drew his sword , and slew her with his own hands before their eyes . if according to her demerits for drawing his heart away from the good of the common-wealth , she had bin given up to the sword of justice , it might have satisfied as well . but lest i be thought to be too literall , give me leave to allegorize upon this irene . her name is a greek name , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it signifies peace : we must not so dote upon our irene , our private peace , that the publique should suffer for the sake of it . this is baseness : let her be sacrificed for publick good ; this is true generousness . secondly , that is baseness , when our yeilding is thorough ignorance , cowardize , base fear , not from a principle of wisdome and understanding : not so much out of true love to peace , as a foolish , ignorant , sottish , sordid spirit of our own : whereas had we had a spirit of wisdome and courage , we might have peace upon more honourable terms . indeed many think every kinde of yeilding basness , but they are for the most part such as are not put to any great triall themselves . but when our consciences tell us , that what we do is what the rule allowes us ; it is not because we would avoyd trouble , but we find thorough gods grace , our hearts in some measure prepared for suffering , if god were pleased to call us to it , in any thing wherein he may have glory , and the publick may be benefited . but because all things duly considered , we see that god in such a way shall have more glory , and our brethren generally more good : therefore whatsoever becomes of our particular in regard of esteem , or other wayes , we are willing to yeild , and in this we finde our hearts as much closing with god , enjoying communion with him in all holinesse and godly fear , and in other things that go as near to us , we are able to deny our selves as much as ever : in this we may have comfort , that it is not baseness that makes us yeild , but rather the grace of god enabling us to rule over our own spirits . the peace that we thus purchase with the suffering much in our names , and the loss of many comforts does not cost us too dear . chap. xxxii . joyning considerations . the first . the consideration of the many things wherein god hath joyned us . god hath joyned us together as we are men : we are not dogs , not wolves , let us not be so one to another . act. . . moses speaks thus to those who strove one with another : sirs , ye are brethren , why do yee wrong one another ? the words in the greek are , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , men yet are brethren . there is a consideration in this , that ye are men : if there were no more , yet ye should not strive one with another , but much more considering ye are brethren . if we be men , let us be humane . what is the meaning of humanity , but courteousness , gentleness , pleasantness in our carriages one towards another ? but still the consideration growes higher , as we are the same country-men , of old acquaintance , in the same imployment , of the same family and kindred , but above all , joyned in such a blessed root , the fountain of all love and peace . ephes . . . presents this consideration most fully to us . the reason the apostle gives why we must keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , is , because there is one body , and one spirit , ye are called in one hope , one lord , one faith , one baptisme , one god and father of all . here you have seven ones together in two or three lines . it is very much that the spirit of god should joyn so close together seven ones ; surely it is to be a strong argument for us to unity . first , one body . the meanest member yet it is in the body . is it comely for the body of christ to be rent and torn ? any reference to christ might perswade unity , but union with christ as the members with the body , what heart can stand against the strength of this ? what can cause one member to tear and rend another , but madness ? . one spirit , cor. . . that one and the self same spirit : he does not only say , the same spirit ; but , the self same spirit : and as if that not enough , he addes one to the self same ; and that yet not enough , he sayes , that one , all this is in the greek , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the repeating the article hath a great elegancy in it . and is not this one spirit the spirit of love and meeknesse ? what does a froward contentious spirit do in thee , who professt thy self to be a christian ? what , sayes cyprian , does the fierceness of wolves , the madnesse of dogs , the deadly poyson of serpents , the bloudy rage of beasts , in a christians breast ? . called in one hope . are not you heyres , joynt heyres of the same kingdome , and do you contend as if one belonged to the kingdome of light , and the other to the kingdome of darknesse ? . one lord. you serve the same lord and master . is it for the credit of a master , that his servants are alwayes wrangling and fighting one with another ? is it not a tedious thing in a family that the servants can never agree ? mark how ill the lord takes this , mat. . . , . that evill servant who begins to smite his fellow-servants , provokes his lord against him so as to come upon him with such severity as to cut him asunder , and to appoint his portion with the hypocrites ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he will dichotomize him , divide him in two ; he by his smiting his fellow-servants makes divisions , but his lord will divide him . it may be he pretends that his fellow-servants do not do their duty as they ought ; as if he were more carefull of the honour of his lord then others who are of a different way from him . but in the meane while he inveighs against others , smiting them with the tongue , and otherwise as he is able . he sits at full tables , eats and drinks of the best , with such as are carnall and sensuall , but they are great men , to have their countenance is brave ; this is extreme sutable to a carnall heart , who yet keeps up a profession of religion , hath some forme of godlinesse , he is afraid to lose his fleshly contentment , therefore he smites those who stand in his way : thus divisions and troubles are made in gods family : the lord the master of it will reward accordingly ; he will divide such by cutting them asunder , and appointing them their portion with the hypocrites . . one faith. what though we agree not together in some things of lesser moment , yet we agree in one faith . why should we not then keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ? the agreement in the faith one would think should swallow up all other disagreements . we should rather blesse god for keeping men found in the faith , then contend with them for lesser mistakes . when the pharisees , acts . . understood that paul agreed with them in that great doctrine of the resurrection , they presently overlooked his other differences , saying , we finde no evill in this man. our brethren agree with us in more fundamentals then this , and yet we can finde evill in them , and aggravate their evill beyond what it is , and improve it all we can against them . this is worse then pharisaicall . master calvin in his epistle to our countreymen at frankford , fled for their lives in witnesse to the truth , yet miserably jarring and contending one against another there , to the scandall of all the churches of god in those parts , begins his epstle thus : this doth grievously torment me ; it is extremely absurd that dissentions should arise amongst brethren , exiles , fled from their countrey for the same faith , and for that cause which alone in this your scattering , ought to be to you as a holy band , to keepe you fast bound together . their contentions were about church-worship . . one baptisme . we are baptised into christs death , and is not that to shew that we should be dead to all those things in the world that cause strife and contention among men ? our baptisme is our badge , our livery , it furthers somewhat the unity of servants that they weare all one livery . . one god. though there be three persons in the divine nature , and every person is god , yet there is but one god ; here is an union infinitely beyond all unions that any creature can be capable of ; the mystery of this union is revealed to us , to make us in love with union . our interest in this one god is such a conjuction , as nothing can be more . josephs brethren , gen. . . looked upon this , as having very great power in it to make up all breaches , to heal all old grudges . after their father was dead , their consciences misgave them for what they had done to joseph , they were afraid old matters would break forth , and that joseph would turn their enemy ; now how do they seek to unite josephs heart to them ? we pray thee , say they , forgive the trespasse of the servants of the god of thy father , and the text sayes , joseph wept when they spake unto him . oh this was a heart-breaking speech to joseph , the servants of the god of my father ; shall my heart ever be stranged from the servants of the god of my father ? the lord forbid . this offence indeed was great , but their god is my god , & he was my fathers god ; this argument had more in it to draw josephs heart to them , then if they had said , we are your brethren , we came from the same loynes you did : true , that is something , but the servants of the god of thy father is much more . let us look upon all the godly , though they have many weaknesses , though they have not carryed themselves towards us as they ought , yet they are the servants , yea the children of our god , and of our fathers god ; let this draw our hearts to them . if they be one with us , in their interest in one god , let them be one with us in the affections of our heart , to love them , delight in them , and rejoyce in communion with them . one god and father . mal. . . have we not all one father ? hath not one god created us ? why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother ? job . . did not he that made me in the wombe , make him ? and did not one fashion us in the wombe ? is it seemly that one mans children should be alwayes contending , quarrelling and mischieving one another ? do you thinke this is pleasing to your father ? it followes in that . of ephes . who is above all , and through all , and in all . you have enough in your father to satisfie your soules for ever , whatsoever you want other wayes ; he is above all ; he that is so glorious and blessed , infinitely above all things , hath put honour enough upon you , that he is your father ; why will you contend and quarrell about trifles ? he hath absolute authority to dispose of all things as he pleaseth ; let not the different administrations of his , to some in one kinde , to some in another , be matter for you to contend about . and he worketh in all . those gifts and graces especially that are in his children , are his workings ; that some have more then others , it is from his working . you may see the workings of your father in the hearts of your brethren . he is in all . men may have children in whom little or nothing of their father appeares , but god is in all his children , notwithstanding all their weaknesses , therefore our hearts should be in them and with them . this scripture is one of the most famous scriptures for the union of the saints in one , that we have in all the book of god. you will say , if indeed we could see god in such , if we could see grace and holinesse in them , our hearts would close with them , but we see not this . . take heed thou dost not reject any from being thy brother , whom jesus christ at the great day will owne for his , and god the father will call child . . suppose thou canst not be satisfied in their godlinesse , yet the gifts of the spirit of god that are in them , should cause some kind of closing ; common gifts are of a middle nature , between nature and grace , as the spirits of a man are neither of the same nature with the soule , nor of the body , but between both , and serve to unite the soule and body together , which otherwise are of natures very different . the common gifts that men who are not yet sanctified have , may and should cause some union between the godly and them while they live in this world , so far as to be usefull one to another in what god hath given them . the second joyning consideration : let us consider how farre we can agree . vve differ thus and thus , but what doe we agree in ? doe we not agree in things enough , wherein we may all the dayes of our lives spend all the strength we have in glorifying god together ? many men are of such spirits as they love to be altogether busied about their brethrens differences ; their discourse , their pens , and all their wayes are about these , and that not to heale them , but rather to widen them . you shall not hear them speak of , or meddle with their agreements ; their strength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them : if at any time they do take notice of their agreements , it is to make advantage of them : to render their disagreements the more odious , or to strengthen themselves in what they differ from them ; they desire to get in men , and to get from them , only to serve their owne turnes upon them , this is an evill spirit . no marvaile therefore though some be so loath to discover to them how near they can come to him . pliny tells us of apelles , that drawing the face of antiochus the king who had but one eye , that he might hide this deformity , he devised to paint him turning his visage a little away , so he shewed but the one side of his face : and from him , sayes pliny , came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the visage . but the painters of 〈◊〉 time are quite in another way , if there be any deformity or defect on any side , they will be sure to paint that side in all the lin●●ments of it , that must be set forth fully to the view of all men ; yea if it may be made to look more ugly and monstrous then it is , all the skill they have shall be improved to do it . but my brethren , this ought not to be , god doth not so with us : he takes notice of the good of his children , but conceals their evill . there was but one good word in sarahs speech to abraham , gen. . . she called him lord , the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief , yet the holy ghost speaking afterwards of her , in reference to that speech , pet. . . conceals all the evill in it , and mentions only that reverend title she gave to her husband , commending her for it . thus should we do ; had we peceable hearts thus we would do : all the good of our brethren we would improve to the uttermost , and what is evill , so far as with a good conscience we might , we could conceal . when i shall see this temper in mens spirits , i shall hope there will be peace . the third joyning consideration : let us consider of mens tempers , spirits , temptations , education , yeeres , gifts . there must be a due consideration of all these , and we must indulge something to them all . this would allay much strife : as we read numb . . . every thing that may abide the fire , ye shall make it goe thorough the fire , and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make goe thorough the water . we must deal with every man according to his temper . some men are by their complexions of a more harsh and rugged temper then others . consider what is the best way of dealing with such : in the main they are faithfull and usefull , they will joyn with you there , and spend their lives for you : if the harshness of their natures cause some excrescencies , unpleasing carriages , consider their tempers , though no evill in them is to be justified , yet deal tenderly with them , indulge them what lawfully you may . some mens spirits , though upright to god and you , yet they have a fervor in them that is not qualified with that wisdome , meekness , humility , as they ought , do not presently take these advantages against them , that they in their heat may perhaps give you ; do not fly upon them as if those unjustifiable expressions that com from them , came from a spirit of malignity : you know the man and the manner of his communication , pass by weaknesses , accept of uprightnesse . some mens temptation are very strong ; it may be their hearts are pressed with disappointments , it may be they are pricked with the want of many comforts you have ; they have family-temptations , and personall temptations that you are freed from : you do not know what you might doe if you were under the like temptations . blesse god that you are delivered from them ; but do not adde to your brethrens affliction , by taking advantages against them , but according to the rule of the apostle , gal. . . if a man be overtaken in a fault , ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekness , considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted . beare ye one anothers burdens , and so fulfill the law of christ . consider their education . some men have been brought up altogether amongst prelaticall men , perhaps among papists ; some all their dayes have lived in wicked families , they never were acquainted with the society of the saints , with that way of godlinesse that hath the most strictnesse and power in it . you must not deale with them for all things you see amisse in them , in the same way you would deale with such who have had godly education , who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerfull wayes of godlinesse , but now manifest a spirit against them . consider mens yeares : old age looks for respect , and justly : especially such as have gone through the brunt and suffered much for your good : though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age , we must cover and passe by what we can , not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the hoary head found in the way of godlinesse . consider mens gifts : it may be they are not able to rise to your height , to understand what you do ; thank god for your strength , but be not angry with your brother because he is weaker . this was one of the arguments for peace that constantine in that forementioned letter of his to alexander and arius , used , we are not in all things like minded , neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us . the fourth joyning consideration . what we get by contention will never quit cost . a merchant thinks it an ill venture , if when he casts up his accounts he finds the charge of his voyage rises to more then his incomes . if thou hast so much command of thy spirit , if thou canst so farre overcome thy passions as to get a time in coole bloud to cast up thy accounts truly , what good thou hast done , or what thou hast got by such and such contentions ; and on the other side cast up what the hurt thou hast done , what sin hath been committed , what evill hath got into thy spirit , i fear you will have little cause to boast of , or rejoyce in your gains . to be freed from that expence that comes in by strife , is not a little gain , says ambrose . in strife you will finde there is a very great expence of time , of gifts , and parts . many men in regard of the good gifts god hath given them , might have proved shining lights in the church , but by reason of their contentious spirits , they prove no other then smoaking firebrands . it may be by all the stirre you keep you shall never get your minde ; if you do , it will not quit cost ; the charge you have been at for it , comes to much more then it is worth . god deliver me from having my minde at such a dear rate . the fifth joyning consideration . the strongest hath need of the weakest . let not the hand say , it hath no need of the foot ; nor the eye , it hath no need of the hand ; god hath so tempred the body , that every member hath need of every member . it was a sweet spirit in peter , that great apostle , writing to the scattered christians , he begins his epistle thus : simon peter a servant and an apostle of jesus christ , to them that have obtained like precious faith with us . little nayles may be usefull , where great wedges can do no good . little chips may help to set great logs on fire . the sixth . consider when any thing falls out that occasions strife , it may be this is but for a triall , this is a temptation . when men provoke us we are ready to flye upon them , looking no further then the men with whom we are displeased . but if you look a little further , perhaps you may see the devill is on the other side of the hedge , and hath been the chief agent in this business . augustine presseth this by a most excellent similitude . when a fowler , saith he , hath set his net to catch birds , he sets it at a distance from the hedge , and when he has done he takes stones and throwes at the hedge , upon this the birds flye out , and flutter about . the fowler does not intend any hurt to the hedge , neither does he think to hit any birds with his stones , but that which is in his eye is the net on the other side of the hedge , he hopes to drive the birds in there . so sayes he , the devill prepares his net to catch men in , he raises up contentions , and causes much trouble to be in churches , and among brethren , you think all the evill is in the trouble of your present contentions . oh no : the devill is behinde , he intends to bring some of you into some great sin by these ; he hath set his net for you , when you are troubled and vexed by such contentions , the devill sees you fit for a temptation , now i hope i shall get him to do such and such things , which otherwise i could never have got him to . oh that we had hearts when we find contentions stirring to consider , but is there not a temptation in them ? the seventh . consider how the heart of god is set upon making peace with us , and what it cost him . god was in christ reconciling the world to himself : this work hath taken up the thoughts , councels , heart of god from all eternity above any thing that ever he did : this is the chief master-piece of all the works of god. there is more of the glory of god in this , then in all that god hath done . this is and shall be the object of the admiration of angels and saints , the matter of their praises to all eternity . the heart of god was so in this , that he was resolved to have it whatsoever it cost him ; it cost the dearest that ever any thing in this world did ; yea the price of it was more then ten thousand worlds are worth : it was no lesse then the bloud of the sonne of god , of him who is the second person in trinity , god blessed for evermore . col. . . in whom we have redemption through his bloud who is the image of the invisible god , the first borne of every creature : by him were all things created , he is before all things : by him all things consist , in him all fulnesse dwels : and having made peace through the bloud of his crosse , ver . . what god hath done for peace with us , cals aloud to us to prize peace one with another . it is the apostles argument , joh. . . he laid down his life for us , we ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren . it cost his life to make our peace with god. we should be willing to do any thing we are able , even to the hazard of our lives , to make peace among the saints . christ laid down his life even for this peace also . ephes . . . for he is our peace who hath made both one , and hath broke downe the middle wall of partition betweene us , having abolished in his flesh the enmity , to make in himselfe of twaine one new man , so making peace , and that he might reconcile both unto god in one body by the crosse . christ reconciles both unto god : but how ? it is in one body . lay this consideration warm at your hearts , and it will comfort your hearts , and so preserve and encrease peaceable dispositions in you towards one another . the eighth . consider how unworthy we were when jesus christ received us into union with himselfe . what uncomely , what loathsome creatures we were ! yet christ took us into his bosome , into his heart , and resolved that never any thing should seperate us from him againe . but that those embracements of his should be everlasting , and yet shall every trifle take us off from one anothers hearts ? shall every jealous spusitious conceit , every little difference , be enough to seperate us and that almost irreconcileably ? have we the spirit of christ in us ? is the same minde in us that was in christ jesus ? the ninth . consider that we are called to peace . god hath called us to peace , cor. . . that case upon which the apostle mentions our calling to peace is as difficult a case to preserve peace in , as any can fall out in ones life . it was the case of man and wife unequally yoaked , one is a beleever , the other an infidell , yet being man and wife the apostle determines that the beleever must be content to live with the unbeleever , as it becomes a wife or a husband ; except he or she of themselves will depart , but they should give them no occasion of departing , but rather by their holy humble conversation seek to convert them : this no question was accounted a hard task , but it must be , sayes the apostle , and upon this he grounds it , for god hath called us to peace . there is another case almost as difficult as this , where the patience and quietness of spirit is very much tryed , and that is when a servant meets with a harsh , rugged , cruell master , that abuses him very injuriously ; if any thing would put ones spirit into a rage , one would thinke this would do it . no , saith the apostle , such must be the command you must have over your spirits , as you must patiently bear this : and he grounds it upon this , for hereunto were ye called , pet. . , . but though husbands and wives should live at peace , though they suffer one from another : though servants should put up wrongs from their masters , yet it followes not that the like patience should be required in us , when we are wronged by our equals , by those to whom we have no such band of relation to tye us . yes , this argument of calling is strong in this case also : pet. . , . love as brethren , be courteous , not rendring evill for evill , or railing for railing , but contrariwise , blessing , knowing that ye are thereunto called . the tenth . consider the presence of god and of christ . our god , our father , our master , our saviour , stands by looking on us . it is a most excellent passage that i finde in an epistle of luther to the ministers of norimberg . there were great divisions amongst them : he writes to them that he might pacifie their spirits one towards another . suppose ( sayes he ) you saw jesus christ standing before you , and by his very eyes speaking thus unto your hearts , what do you , o my dear children , whom i have redeemed with my blood , whom i have begotten againe by my word , to that end that you might love one another ? know that this is the note of my disciples . leave this businesse , ye wholly cast it upon me , i le look to it , there is no danger that the church should suffer by this , though it should be stilled , yea though it should dye , but there is a great deale of danger if you dissent amongst your selves , if you bite one another : do not thus sadden my spirit , do not thus spoile the holy angels of their joy in heaven ; am not i more to you , then all matters that are between you ? then all your affections ? then all your offences ? what ? can any words of a brother , can any unjust trouble penetrate your hearts , stick so fast in you as my wounds , as my bloud , as all that i am to you , your saviour jesus christ ? oh that we had such reall apprehensions of christ looking upon us , speaking to us ! the eleventh . consider what account we can give to jesus christ of all our divisions . when christ shall come , will you stand before him with scratched faces , with black and blew eyes ? thes . . , . the lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another , and towards all men : to what end ? to the end , saith the apostle , he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse before god , even our father , at the comming of our lord iesus christ with all his saints . it will be a sad thing to be found in our divisions , at the comming of jesus christ , mat. . . the comming of christ is mentioned as a terror to those who shall but begin to smite their fellow-servants . we may wrangle & stand out one against another in our contentions now ; but it will not be so easie to answer jesus christ , as it is to answer one to another . in the name of jesus christ i now speak unto you , yea as from him charge you , let no reason move you to contend with , dissent or seperate from your brethren , but that which you are perswaded in your conscience , and that after due and serious examination will hold out before , will be approved of , jesus christ at his comming . the twelfth . let every man consider his owne weaknesses . you are ready to take offence from others , within a while you are as like to be offensive to others . there will be as much need they should beare with you , as now there is you should beare with them . the common law of those who intend to live at peace one with another , is , veniam , petimus , damusque , we desire pardon , and we doe pardon . the thirteenth . let us consider our mortality . it is but a little time we have to live ; shall the greater part of it , nay why should any part of it be ravel'd out with contentions and quarrels ? i have read of pompey , that upon a time passing over divers hils , where there lived many people in caves , but their order was that the man lived in one cave and the wife in another ; he asking the reason , they said , in those parts they live not long , therefore they desired that the little time they did live , they might have peace and quiet , which they had found by experience they could not have , if man and wife lived constantly together . though the means they used for their quiet was sordid , yet the good use they made of the shortnesse of their lives was commendable . virgil sayes , if swarms of bees meet in the ayre , they will sometimes fight as it were in a set battell with great violence ; but if you cast but a little dust upon them , they will all be presently quiet . sprinkle upon your hearts the meditations of death , that within a while this flesh of yours will be turned to dust , this will quiet you . the fourteenth . consider the life of heaven . there is and will be perfect agreement there . we are here as bees , flying up and down from flower to flower all day , but at night they come all into the same hive ; that is a place where luther and zuinglius will well agree . shall not we whom god from all eternity hath ordained to live co-heires in heaven , to joyn together in praises there , agree together here on earth ? chap. xxxiii . joyning graces . . wisdome . the deepest seas are the most calme , so men of the deepest judgements are most quiet . a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit , prov. . . or thus , is of a coole spirit , for so the word signifies ; his spirit is not heat with passion , there is a coole dew of examination and deliberation upon his spirit , he weighs the circumstances , consequences , and issues of things ; he orders and disposes of things so , as jarres , contradictions and oppositions are prevented . the wisdome that is from above is pure , peaceable , gentle , and easie to be entreated , jam. . . reason and wisdome have a majesty in them , and will force reverence . let passion reverence the presence of reason , sayes basil , as children doing things unseemly are afraid of the presence of men of worth . . faith. . this unites us to christ and god , and in them to one another . . faith commits all causes , all feares , injures to god. . faith layes hold upon , and improves those gracious promises that god hath made to his churches for union . faith sues out the bond. . faith is able to descry the issue of troubles and afflictions ; though sense sayes , it will not be , reason , it cannot be , yet faith gets above , and sayes , it shall be , i descry land : and thus quiets all in the soule ; all being quiet there , the turbulent motions that are in our spirits one towards another are soon quieted . . humility . coloss . . . put on as the elect of god , bowels of mercies , kindnesse , humblenesse of minde . ephes . . . with all lowlinosse and meeknesse , and long-suffering , forbearing one another in love , endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . phil. . . let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory , but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme others better then himselfe . we may say of humility , as tertullus , acts ▪ said of felix , by thee we enjoy great quietnesse . an humble heart looks upon every truth of god as infinitely above it selfe , therefore it is willing to receive it from any ; a child may lead it , esay . . one baldassar , a german divine , writing to oecolampadius , hath this notable expression : let the word of the lord come , let it come , and we will put under six hundred necks if we had them . such a disposition as this would make much for peace . esay . , . we have a promise , that the people of god should dwell in a peaceable habitation , and in quiet resting places , and the city shall be low , in a low place . when the heart lyes lowest , it is quietest . . self-denyall . the joynts in the body cannot joyne , but one part must be hollow , and give way to the other . condescention of one to another is a principall thing in friendship . philip. . the example of christ emptying himselfe , and making himselfe to be of no reputation , is set before us as an argument for our union , that therefore we should doe nothing through strife , be like minded , having the same love , and be of one accord , and one minde . it is indifferent to a heart emptyed of selfe , whether it conquers , or be conquered , so truth may triumph . in other conflicts the conquerour hath the honour , and the conquered is disgraced ; but in the conflicts for truth , both conquered and conquerour are honourable ; the mercy is the greater to him that is conquered ; but he must have a self-denying heart to make him think so . . patience . the olive , the embleme of peace , will continue greene , though overflowne by the waters for a long time together . after noah had been so long in the ark , the dove brought an olive leafe in her mouth to him . it may be an emblem of patience as well as peace . patience and peaceableness are neere akin . ephes . . , . long-suffering is amongst the graces , where the unity of the spirit is to be kept in the bond of peace . there is a notable story i finde in the lives of the german divines : one vitus theodorus a divine , sends to advise with melancthon what he should do when osiander preached against him ; melancthon writes to him , and beseeches him for the love of god , yea charges him that he should not answer osiander again , but that he should hold his peace , and behave himself as if he heard nothing . vitus theodorus writes back again , this was very hard , yet he would obey . let not men be too hasty to oppose oppositions , but let them go on patiently in a constant way , resolving to bear what they meet with , and god at length will make their righteousness break forth as the light . confute evill reports by thy life . he that knowes not to beare calumnies , reproaches , injuries , he knowes not how to live , sayes chytraeus , another german divine . . joy in the holy ghost . rom. . . the kingdome of heaven is righteousness , peace , joy in the holy ghost . this grace in the heart puts a grace upon all a mans conversation ; it makes it lovely and amiable . the beames of the sunne shining upon the fire will put it out ; the beams of this spirituall joy will put out the fire of our passions . . meeknesse , gentlenesse . milk quenches wild-fire , oyle ( sayes luther ) quenches lime , which water sets on fire . opposition will heat , will fire men , when meeknesse and gentlenesse will still and quench all . cicero sayes , sweetnesse of speech and rarriage is that which seasons friendship ; severity in every thing and sadnesse must not be among friends in their converse ; such a kinde of carriage may have a seeming gravity , but friendship must have a remisness , it must be more free and sweet , disposed to all mildness and easiness . ephes . . , . meekness comes in as a speciall grace for peace and unity , so col. . . . love. that is the speciall uniting grace ; faith indeed hath the preheminence in our union with christ our head , but love is the grace that unites the members . cor. . the apostle shews many of the fruits of this grace , all tending to union and peace ; it suffers long , it envies not , it is not puffed up , it behaves not it selfe unseemly , it seeketh not her owne , it is not easily provoked , thinketh no evill , beareth all things , believeth all things , hopeth all things , endureth all things . bearing all things and enduring all things seem to be the same . therefore some would have it , it covereth all things , for so the word also signifies ; but there is a greater elegancy in it , in the translation , beareth all things , it is like the crosse maine beam in a house , supporting the whole building : and were it not for some who have the love of god and his truth , and the good of the publiqu● , enabling them to undergo what they do , more then any encouragement from men , all things in church and state would be ready to fall into confusion , to be nothing but a heap of rubbish ; but this love enables to beare all things . but if they have no encouragement , but see that though they hazard themselves never so much , be of never so great use , do the greatest services that can be expected from men , yet when mens turns are served , they are little regarded , but envyed and narrowly watched , to spy out any thing that may have some shew of excepting against them , and left to shift for themselves as well as they can , when they might justly expect a great reward of their services , yet are disappointed , their hearts are grieved . but yet because they are acted by a principle of love to god , his cause , the publique , they therefore still hold out , go on in their way , labour to be as instrumentall as they can for good , commit themselves and all their endeavours to god , expecting encouragement from him , and so they endure all things : such men are worth their weight in gold : here is a heart that hath much of the spirit of god in it , god is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him . no marvell though these men act so swiftly in their way ; no marvell though their motion in publick service be so speedy , for their charet is like that charet of salomons , cant. . . the middle thereof is paved with love , and this is for the daughters of jerusalem . now the love of god be for ever with these his servants , the blessing of the almighty and all his saints , be with them , upon them , in them and theirs for ever . where men are acted by love they may do any thing without offence . if you be silent and be silent out of love ; if you cry out , and you do it out of love ; if you spare , and it be out of love ; if you correct , and you correct from love ; let all be for amendment for good , all from the root of love ; love , and do what you will. thus augustine in his . tractate upon john. these with other uniting graces that might be mentioned , are the graces that god expects should be in a special manner acted in these times ; and this is in a holy manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to serve the time , as some copies have it , rom. . . this is the most sutable work for the times wherein we live . what is more seasonable for divided times then uniting graces ? and that union that comes from the acting of these graces , is a spirituall , holy , truly christian union , a raised union to a farre higher pitch then any naturall excellencies can raise unto . it is an excellent saying of clemens alexandrinus , if the spirituall man be in us , our humanity is fraternity . what then is our fraternity ? it is raised to that which hath no name to expresse it : the union of the saints in heaven is beyond the unity of fraternity ; this which is of grace is of the same nature . chap. xxxiv . joyning practices . the first the practice of the tongue . gentle language . a soft answer turneth away wrath , prov. . . in your disputes let your arguments be as hard as you will , but let your words be soft . soft words & hard arguments make a good dispute . gentle language gains much upon the hearts of men , chron. . . heare me my brethren , and my people , sayes david . this was better and tended more to union between king and people , then the rugged churlish answer of rehoboam , my father made your yoke heavy , and i will adde to your yoake . but what came on it ? ten tribes were rent from him . as good a man as he could say , heare me my brethren and my people . good words are as cheap as bad . gentle courteous language is as easie as rough and bitter . napthali is said to give goodly words , sayings of goodlinesse or fairenesse ; so the hebrew hath it , that is , faire , pleasing words : this tribe were faire spoken men . now compare this with deut. . . there naphtali is said to be satisfied with favour , and full with the blessing of the lord. faire , courteous language hath an acceptation among men , and the blessing of god is with it . the second joyning practice . let us humble our selves for our divisions . that is a rule , whatsoever sinne you have been guilty of , though you have for the time life it , yet if you have not been humbled for it , a hundred to one but you fall into it againe . yes , say some , it is fit we should humble our selves for our divisions , we will have dayes of fasts , that we may do it . but take this note with you , in your dayes of fast , or at other times when you would thus humble your selves , let it be principally for your owne guiltinesse herein . many in their humiliations make great complaints of others , as the cause of divisions , whom it may be god will own , and acquit ; take heed of being too forward in medling with others in your fasts , lest your fasts prove like those , isay . . ye fast for strife and debate , and to smite with the fist . the third joyning practice . an amnestia . where we see there hath been mistakes and differences thorough humane frailty , and a willingnesse to be otherwise so far as god gives light , let all former unkindnesses be forgotten , so as never to rip up old things to charge them one upon another : let there he a line of forgetfulnesse drawn over them ; let them be buried in oblivion . this was the athenians amnestia ; a law that was made by thrasybulus , with the consent of the people ; that former injuries should be forgotten . it was made upon this occasion . after lysander had conquered the athenians , he set thirty governours over them which tyrannized exceedingly . thrasybulus , with many others , were banished ; but after a while , thrasybulus gathering together his banished countreymen , he got up an army , and by it delivered the athenians from the yoke of these thirty tyrants : now because when the banished men came home ●o their former possessions , thrasybulus feared there would be exceeding heart-burning amongst the athenians , that those who had been banished would be revenged upon those whom they judged the causes of it , and the other would be enraged against them : therefore thrasibulus got the people to joyne with him in this law , which they called amnestia , that all former wrongs should be forgotten , & that they should live lovingly and peaceably henceforth one with another , as if such breaches had never been among them . whensoever god shall deliver these kingdoms from bondage , and settle things amongst us , the addition of such a law which we may call our english . amnestia will be very necessary . otherwise oh the abundance of the fire of malice that will remaine raked up under the ashes , ready upon any occasion to burst out ! one will look upon the other with eyes full of revenge , with scorn , hatred , and disdain ; one will charge the other as the cause of all our miseries , and curse him ; the other will charge him , and curse him as deeply . every time men think what they have suffered , their hearts will be enraged . such now is that extreme bitter exasperation , and deadly rage of mens hearts one against another , that whensoever peace shall be concluded , if it be not made exceeding sure , our pacification is like to be the foundation of far greater evills to us then yet have befalne us . if this amnestia be not strengthned with what is in the wisdome , power of man to do , and the blessing of the almighty also with it , we are an undone people . the fourth joyning practice . never contend but be sure you understand one another what it is you contend for . i have read of a quarrell there was between the eastern and westerne churches ; the eastern churches said there were three subsistences in the trinity , but not three persons ; the western said there were three persons , but not three subsistences . athanasius comes and reconciles them both . it is true , the contentions among us are more then verball , yet for any thing a great part of the kindome knowes ( even of those whose spirits are bitter enough ) they may be no other then meerly verball . how many ignorant people , women , yong ones , understand not where the difference lyes between presbyterians and those whom they call independents ; and yet they can with much bitternesse cry out against the one or the other . perhaps you have some ministers , or others , come to your table , they tell you a tale of such and such , your heart is hot presently , but do you understand the matter ? you begin to make a stirre , but can you give account of it ? be silent , forbeare , take heed what you do ; meddle not in way of strife , till you understand where the controversie lyes , and that from both parties . the fifth joyning practice . be ingenious ; . do not lye at the catch to take advantages , . make the best interpretation of things you can . if god should catch advantages against us , what would become of us ? this is most unseemly , when men are seeking to finde out truth , if then they shall piddle about words , catch at phrases ; get hold of expressions ; and seek to make their advantages out of them ; and in this shall be the greatest strength of their answer , though this may have a specious shew before men , who are willing to receive any thing which makes against what they would have crushed , yet this will not abide before the throne of christ . we reade matth. . christ had a great dispute with the devill , in which he had him at great advantage in his quotation of a scripture , ver . . he shall give his angells charge concerning thee , and in their hands they shall beare thee up , lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stoue . this was quoted out of the . psal . ver . . there it is , he shall give his angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes . yet christ did not catch this advantage , he did not so much as upbraid him for leaving out that passage , which he might justly have done , but he answers to the thing . yea christ might have taken a further advantage against the devill , for the words following in the psalm are a prophesie of christ destroying the power of the devill , thou shalt tread upon the lyon and adder , the young lyon and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet . christ did not ▪ take the advantage of this neither , and upbraid him with it , he had enough against him in the thing it selfe he brought . it is a signe that men have lesse advantage in the matter , when they seek so much to catch at all the advantages they can in the manner of the expressions of those whom they oppose . . make the best interpretation of things you can . cor. . . love thinkes no evill . it may be if you meet with a man in the streets , if he stayes not to talk with you , if he takes not speciall notice of you , you presently think it is his pride , his sleighting , disregarding you , this is the worst interpretation that can be . why ? is it not possible that it may be thorough multitude of businesse in his head that you know not of ? may it not be that his eyes and thoughts were another way ? he did not take notice of your passing by him ; is it not thus often with your selfe in respect of others ? againe , perhaps such a man you find not in his behaviour towards you when you are with him , looking so smilingly upon you , carrying himselfe in that familiar affable way as you expected ; you presently think and say , surely it is his pride and surlinesse , whereas it may be it is because his head is fuller then yours , which may afterwards be for your good , if you would be but patient a while ; it may be it is from some trouble of his spirit at that time ; it may be it is from the temper of his body , his constitution , or some weaknesse in it at that time ; if such a faire interpretation may be made , why should not an ingenuous candid spirit make it ? this very exception i find was taken against basilius magnus , and nazianzen in one of his orations , in which he highly commends basil , answers it , and justifies him ; it is hard to keep unity , love and peace with men who are of exceptious carping dispositions ; if god were strict to mark what we doe amisse , what would become of us ? god is strict to mark what good there is in his saints ; if there be any little good in the midst of much imperfection , gods way is to passe by the imperfection , and take notice of the good ; but our way is often , if there be a little bad , though but through a very pardonable mistake , in the midst of much good , to passe by all the good , and to seize upon the mistake , to make it the seed of contention , to brood over it , and so beget the brats of contention from it . certainly this ought not thus to be . the sixt joyning practice : so farre as reason and conscience will give way , yeeld to those whom you contend withall . that standing at a distance with those that dissent from us , even to the utmost , is the way of many ; but certainly it is a false way , god is not in it . it may be some , yea many will judge this yeelding to be a faire , handsome turning about to the other side ; take heed of such bold censures : is every difference from that rigid , stout spirit of thine , a warping from the truth , a sinfull temporizing for private ends ? the lord judge between you and his servants . some men who have been of yeelding spirits in things that god would have them , have stood out undauntedly when god hath called them to witnesse to his truth , when those who have been stout and harsh in their owne wayes have basely betrayed it , when they have beene tryed with greater sufferings . ambrose was a man of a sweet and moderate spirit , witnesse amongst other things that notable saying of his , if that end of vertues be the greatest that looks at publique good , moderation is of all the most beautifull . ay , but i warrant you , ambrose was a man who saw which way the times went , he was loth to hazard himself in standing out against men who had power in their hands , this temper of his made him thus plead for moderation . no , ambrose was a man of an invincible spirit in the wayes of god ; in all ecclesiasticall story we read not of a braver spirit then his contesting with men of power in the cause of christ . for when theodosius the emperour had been the cause of a great slaughter in thessalonica , though provoked to it by a sedition there , the emperour a while after comming to milan , where ambroses charge was , after the usuall manner he came to the church , ambrose meets him , and forbids him entrance , reproving him before all the people , doe you not know , oh emperour , ( sayes he ) the barbarousnesse of that vile fact of yours ? or doe you not remember we have another emperour above you ? what bold impiety is thi● ? doe you not feare to bring those feet of yours , polluted with the blood of innocents , into this holy place ? or to stretch forth those hands of yours , wet , yea dropping with blood , to take the most holy body of the lord ? or to put that mouth of yours , which ( forgetting not onely the clemency which belongs to an emperour , but the justice ) gave out the sentence for the killing so many innocent men , ) to the precious blood of the lord ? away therefore , will you adde impiety to your sinne ? doe not think much to come under that discipline which the lord commands . upon this the emperour goes back to his palace with sighing and teares , and spent eight moneths in mourning and lamentation , and yet after this he was not received by ambrose , till againe being sharply reprehended , he cast himselfe downe in the porch , upon the pavement , bewailing his sinne , and rising up he was about to sit in the chancel where the emperours seat was , he was required to goe forth into the place of penitents . with the like , yea more boldnesse he dealt with ruffinus , a great courtier , the master of the emperours horse . here behold a man of a moderate , quiet spirit , yeeldable in what he could , yet when he conceived himselfe interessed in the cause of christ , his courage raises him above the feares or favours of men . the seventh joyning practice : if you will needs be striving , strive who shall doe one another most good , who shall engage one another in the most and greatest offices of love . this is a good combate ; such striving as this is , god and his blessed angels looke upon , and take much delight in . i find a notable story in the life of alexander the great , which may put on and encourage christians in such a combat as this : there was a great king in india , his name was taxiles , who on a time came to salute alexander , and said unto him , what should we need to fight and make wars one with another , if thou commest not to take away our water and our necessary commodity to live by , for which things men of judgement must needs fight ? as for other goods , if i be richer then thee , i am ready to give thee of mine ; and if i have lesse , i will not think scorn to thank thee , if thou wilt give me some of thine . alexander being pleased to hear him speak thus wisely , embraced him , and said unto him , thinkest thou that this meeting of ours can be without fight , for all these goodly fair words ? no , no , thou hast won nothing by them , for i will fight and contend with thee in honesty and curtesie , because thou shalt not exceed me in bounty and liberality . so alexander took divers gifts of him , but gave more to him . oh that our contentions were turned into such contentions as these are ! let us rejoyce in any opportunity of doing any office of love to those we differ from , yea to those who have wronged us . it was wont to be said of arch-bishop cranmer , if you would be sure to have cranmer doe you a good turne , you must doe him some ill one ; for though he loved to doe good to all , yet especially he would watch for opportunities to doe good to such as had wronged him . had we but a few leading men of such spirits among us , how great a blessing of peace might we enjoy ! the eighth joyning practice . let every man be diligent in that work that god calls him to . study to be quiet , and to doe your owne businesse , and to worke with your owne hands , as we commanded you , thess . . . it is not an arbitrary thing , the command of god lyes upon it . i am verily perswaded that many of our divisions in opinion and otherwise , our hard thoughts one of another , are raised and fomented by such as want imployment . hence they go about from place to place , arguing , disputing , jangling about things they understand not ; and yet think themselves to have a deeper insight then ordinary . i would be loath to adde to the affliction of those , who by the rage of the enemy have been put out of their imployments , and are come for shelter amongst us ; god forbid that i should willingly grieve them , their case is to be pittied , we are to succour , comfort , and helpe them what we can ; but yet i desire them withall to take heed of a temptation they may be under , and think not of it , in this their want of imployment , now they are here they meet with variety of company , with all sorts of people , and having too much time to spare , the devill may soon and unawares to them prevaile to cause an itching desire in them ; after this opinion and the other , this and the other way , which having taken their hearts , they carry up and down what they heare , and what apprehensions they have of things , and persons , pleading and arguing for that they have but sleight and sudden apprehensions of , and by arguing , the thing gets down into their spirits , before it be thoroughly examined and understood , and being got down there , then it must needs be maintained , and so a spirit of contention rises in them , and seeds of contention are sowne among others . it may be some of your callings are low and mean , and that may possibly be your discouragement : but let it not be so , for there may be as much obedience to god in thy faithfulness in that mean calling of thine as in the highest and most honourable imployment upon earth , yea thy reward may be as great , for god looks at faithfulnesse in the work , not the greatnesse of the work . let every man know , sayes luther , that his work in any godly kind of life is a divine worke , because it is the worke of a divine call , having gods command for it . the ninth . in all strivings with men have a care that due respect to their persons be kept as much as may be . it is very observable , when god in the manifestation of his displeasure against the devill , in the serpent , cursed him , then he sayes cursed be thou ; but when he would manifest it against simeon and levi , it is not , cursed be ye , or cursed be they ; but cursed be their anger , for it was fierce , and their rage , for it was cruell . you may be bitter against mens sinne , so be it you show due respect to their persons ; by denying that respect you might and ought to give to mens persons , you deprive your self of that liberty which otherwise you might take in opposing their sinne , which is the thing you say you ayme only at . the tenth . labour to get good by the wrongs that are done us . if we found god blessing them to us for good , our hearts will be very moderate towards those that have done them . the over-ruling providence of god turning the wrong that josephs brethren had done him to so much good , took off iosephs spirit from practising any evill against them ; but when this good shall come to us by the exercise of our own graces , it will be more prevalent to quiet and moderate our spirits . philip of macedon thanked some great men of athens who had brought up ill reports of him , because both in speech and life he was the better labouring by words and deeds to prove them liars : the best answer to ill reports , is to live contrary to them . the eleventh . turne your zeale from working one against another to zeale for god. you will say , are workes of zeale any helps to peace and union ? who are they that make the greatest disturbances in the world , but your fiery zelots ? if men were of a cooler temper , we should have more peace . ans . distempered zeale may cause disturbance ; but true zeale , the cleare flame of the spirit of god , making men in their waies zealous not for themselves , but for god , this has the blessing of gods peace with it . numb . . . . phinehas there has the promise of the covenant of peace , because he was zealous for his god. the twelfth . in seeking to reduce others to good , let it appeare that you seek rather to be helpfull to them ▪ then to get victory over them . it is grievous to a mans nature to be conquered , but not to be helped . ambrose writing to his friend marcellus about composing some breaches between him and his brother and sister , hath amongst other this excellent expression , i thought that to be the best way , i would have none to be conquered , and all to overcome . the like practice is reported of scipio , when at the taking of new carthage two souldiers contended about the murall crowne , due to him who first climbed the walls , so that the whole army was thereupon in danger of division , when he came to scipio , he decides the matter thus : he told them they both got up the wall together , and so gave the scaling crowne to both . the thirteenth . make up breaches as soone as may be . take them , if it may be ; at the beginning . when good men fall out , onely one of them is usually faulty at the first , but if such strifes continue any time , both of them become guilty . if you deferre the setting of a bone broken , it cannot be done without much difficulty , and great paine . prov. . . the beginning of strife is as when one lets out water , therefore leave off contention before it be medled with , antequam immisceat se , so you may reade it , before it be got into thee , and mingle it selfe in thy heart , or between you and your brother . if your house be on fire , you doe not stay quenching it till it breaks out of the roofe ; divisions that are but sparks , very little at the first , if let alone , grow very high and great in a little time . i have read a story of two sonnes of the duke of florence , who having been hunting , the one said , my dog killed the hare , and the other said , nay but my dog killed it : words multiplyed , they grew into a heat , the one drawes upon the other and kills him ; the servant seeing his master killed , draws upon him who had slaine him , and kills him . neglect not beginnings of quarrels , you know not to what they may grow . the fourteenth . let us account those brethren , in whom we see godlinesse , and carry our selves towards them accordingly , though they will not account us . let us not be too ready to take the forfeiture of our brethern . the learned and godly men who lived in that age wherein the donatists renounced all christian communion with other churches , yea disclaimed any brotherhood with other christians , yet seeing godlinesse in many of them , they did account them part of the church and their brethren ; thus they sought to pluck those to them , who thrust themselves from them . lastly , pray much . pliny sayes of the pearles they call unions , though they be engendred in the sea , yet they participate more of the heavens then of the sea . certainly this precious union , though it be amongst men yet it hath its lustre and beauty , yea its very being from the heavens . you must look up to heaven therefore for peace , for the preservation , increase , lustre , beauty of it , if you would have it . job . . god maketh peace in his high places , the lord can make peace between high and low . let us carry mens rugged , crooked , perverse hearts to god in prayer , who is the great joyner of hearts ; it is he that makes men to be of one mind in a house , he maketh the wars to cease . psal . . . pray for the peace of jerusalem . in your prayers for the church this must be mentioned as a speciall blessing . if praying prevaile not , fighting will not . those are the most peaceable men in church and common-wealth , that pray most for the peace of them ; god hath more prayers for the peace of this church and state upon the file , of theirs whom some of you account hinderers of it , then of yours . you complaine much for want of peace , you inveigh much against those whom you are pleased to mark out as hinderers of the peace , but doe you pray as much ? you have these meanes presented unto you for the furtherance of peace ; what other you may meet with any way , make use of . thes . . . the lord of peace give you peace alwayes by all meanes . and that all may be the better improved , let the exhortation of the apostle , thes . . . sink into you , study to be quiet , the words are , love the honour of being quiet : there is great excellency in it . that is the last thing . cap. xxxv . exhortation to peaceable and brotherly union , shewing the excellency of it . and now , my brethren , as the eunuch said to philip concerning his baptisme , here is water , what lets but i may be baptized ? i shall say concerning our uniting in peace and love one with another . here are joyning principles , joyning considerations , joyning graces , joyning practices ; what now le ts , but that we may joyne in love and peace one with another ? surely nothing can let but extreme corrupt , perverse hearts of our owne . the apostle paul is mighty earnest in his desires , in his exhortations for this : cor. . . now i beseech you brethren by the name of our lord jesus christ , that ye all speak the same thing , and that there be no divisions among you , but that ye be perfectly joyned together , in the same mind , and in the same judgement . the word translated perfectly joyned , signifies such a joyning , as when a bone is out of joynt , is perfectly set right againe . so philip. . . if there be therefore any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , fulfill ye my joy , that ye be like minded , having the same love , being of one accord , of one mind , let nothing be done through strife , &c. the apostle poures forth his soule in this exhortation , it is a heart-breaking exhortation . luther , though a man of a stirring , hot spirit , yet writing to the pastors of the church of strasburg , hath these words : i pray you be perswaded , that i shall alwayes be as desirous to embrace concord , as i am desirous to have the lord jesus to be propitious to me . i finde also in a letter that martin bucer writes to a godly minister , a very high expression , of that high esteeme he had of , and earnest desires after the curing of divisions : who would not ( sayes he ) purchase with his life the removing that infinite scandall that comes by dissention ? oh that there were such hearts in us ! christ expects it from us all , but especially from his ministers , for they are his ambassadours for peace , to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled to god : reconciliation with god will reconcile us one to another . if god so loved us , we ought also to love one another , john . . the faces of the cherubims in the temple looked one towards another , which some think signified the agreement that should be amongst ministers of the gospel . so the six branches in the candlestick joyned all in one ; those who hold the light of truth before others , should be united in peace in one , amongst themselves . the first thing christs ministers were to doe when they came to any place was to say peace be to that place ; if any sons of peace were there , they were to abide , otherwise not : surely then it is expected that themselves should be sonnes of peace . the contentions of private christians are offensive , but the contentions of ministers is a scandall with a witnesse . yet in all ages of the church , the corrupt clergie have been the greatest causes of divisions ; they have been of the most cruell spirits against any that differed from them . but let not such a spirit be in us ; we have enough to do to contend with the wicked of the world , with the malice of satan , let us not contend one with another . luther writing to the ministers of norimberg , brings in christ saying to them , satis est vobis ob nomen meum malorum , you are like to suffer evil enough for my name , you need not be afflictions one to another . it was barbarousnesse in the priests of baal to cut and slash themselves , but it is worse for the ministers of jesus christ to cut and slash one another . kings . . the cherubims were made of the olive tree ; if you be typified by them , as we hinted before , let it appeare that you are olives , not brambles : yea and v. . for the entring of the oracle the doores were of olive-tree : who will believe that you bring the oracles of god with you , when they see by your froward , contentious carriage , that you never entred in at these doores ? people cannot but think it a miserable thing to have a scratching , tearing bramble to be over them . oh that god would set the beauty , glory of peace , friendship , love , before us ! that this precious pearle , vnion , might be highly valued by us ! all men are taken in some degree or other with the excellency and sweetness of love and friendship . some men , sayes cicero , despise riches , others honours ; those things that by some are delighted in by others are vilified ; but all men of all sorts have a high esteem of friendship , they think there can be no life without it . gen. . . the great commendation that hamor and shechem give of jacob and his sons as an argument to perswade the men of shechem to joyn with them in the giving their daughters to them for wives , and in taking theirs , is , these men are peaceable with us . a peaceable disposition is very convincing . cant. . . my dove , my undefiled is but one , she is the onely one of her mother , she is the choice one of her that bare her . what then followes ? the daughters saw her and blessed her , yea the queenes , and the concubines , and they praised her , who i se she that looketh forth as the morning , faire as the moone , cleare as the sunne , terrible as an army of banners ? let the saints be but one , and then they will appeare beautifull and glorious indeed , yea they will be terrible as an army of baners . evagrius in his ecclesiasticall history records an epistle of cyrill of alexandria , written to john of antioch , upon the occasion of a pacificatory epistle of john unto him , his spirit was so taken with it that it breaks forth thus : let the heavens rejoyce , and let the earth be glad , the mid wall of rancour is battered downe , the boyling choler which bereaved the mindes of quietnesse , is purged from among us , and all the occasion of discord and dissention is banished away , for our saviour iesus christ hath granted peace unto the churches under heaven . the thebans made harmonia a goddesse , they accounted her the defender and patronesse of their city . harmonious , peaceable , uniting dispositions , have much of god in them ; if not from sanctifying grace , yet it is from a common work of the spirit of god : there is a noblenesse in such a heart . by the lawes of england noblemen have this priviledge , that none of them can be bound to the peace , because it is supposed that a noble disposition will never be engaged in brawles and contentions , it is supposed that the peace is alwayes bound to him , that of his own accord he will be carefull to preserve it . it is the base bramble that rends and teares . nazianzen reports of alexander , who having taken a city , and consulting what to doe , one parmenius answered , if he were king he would raze the city to the ground . alexander answers , so would i too , if i were what you are ; rigour may become you , but gentlenesse becomes me . gentlenesse , mercy , goodnesse , love , tendernesse of others sufferings , are the greatest ornaments to a noble spirit . if this be sanctified , the glory of god shines bright indeed in such a heart . for god glories in this , to be the god of peace and love . thess . . . the very god of peace . thess . . . the lord of peace himselfe . jesus christ in being the prince of peace ; the holy ghost in being like a dove that hath no gall : the gospel is the gospel of peace ; the kingdome of god is peace as well as righteousnesse ; the legacy that christ left is a legacy of peace ; the apostolicall benediction is grace , mercy , and peace : the glory of the church is in this , that it is a city compact at unity within it selfe . yea this will be the glory of that glorious church , that god is raising a new jerusalem , there shall be no more crying there , apoc. . . ezech. . . the lord shall be king over all the earth , in that day there shall be one lord , and his name shall be one . there is but one lord now , but he is called by different names , but in that day his name shall be but one . zeph. . . then will i turne to a people of pure language , that they may call upon the name of the lord , and serve him with one consent . the hebrew word is with one shoulder , now we shoulder one another , but then all shall serve the lord with one shoulder . this love and peace is compared to the most delightfull , and the most profitable things ; behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell at unity ; it is like the precious ointment upon the head , that ranne downe upon the beard , even aarons beard ; that went downe to the skirts of his garment , as the dew of hermon , that descended upon the mountaines of sion . psal . . there are many promises made to this . mat. . blessed are the peace-makers . cor. . . be of one minde , live in peace , and the god of peace shall be with you . john . . christ sayes , this is his commandement , that we love one another . ver . . he sayes , ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoever i command you . by loving others we doe not only get them to be our friends , but christ too . me thinks i see christ here pleading for love , as one who had to deale with two men who were at some variance , perswading them to peace and love ; come , you shall passe by all former things , you shall be made friends , by this you shall gaine me also to be a friend to you as long as i live . genes . . ver . . to the end , is a remarkable scripture to shew how god is with a loving , gentle , peaceable disposition . ver. . . we have abrahams kinde gentle yeelding to lot his inferiour for peace sake ; but mark what followes , and you shall finde he lost nothing by this his yeelding : for as soone as lot was gone from him , the lord came to him , ver . . and said to him , lift up now thine eyes and looke from the place where thou art , northward , southward , eastward and westward , for all the land that thou seest to thee will i give it , and to thy seed for ever : arise , walke thorough , the land in the length of it , and in the breadth of it , for i will give it unto thee . the difference of what jacob sayes of reuben when he was to dye , gen. . . from that of moses , deut. . . is observable : jacob sayes , hee is the first borne , the beginning of his strength ; but he shall not excell , because he went to his fathers bed . but moses , let reuben live and not dye , and let not his men be few . the reason of this difference is given by some , because it was fit that jacob , to deter his other children , should exercise the authority of a father , but moses frees him from the curse , because he was alwayes loving to his brother ioseph . brotherly love hath a blessing going along with it : god loves it exceedingly , for it makes much for the glory of god. and to what purpose do we live , if god have not glory by us ? rom. . , , . the apostle first prayes that the god of patience and consolution would grant them to be like minded one towards another , according to christ jesus , that they may with one minde and one mouth glorifie god. then he exhorts : wherefore receive ye one another , as christ also received us to the glory of god. much of gods glory depends upon our union . yea god stands so much upon this , that he is willing to stay for his service till we be at peace one with another . mat. . , . leave thy gift before the altar , and first be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . my worship shall stay till you be reconciled . i love my worship , and desire it much , but i must have peace and love amongst your selves first , i will stay for that . but i beseech you let us not make god stay too long . remember while you are wrangling and quarrelling , god stayes on you all this while . if children should be quarrelling , and one comes to them , and sayes , your father stayes for you , it is time for them to break off . but not unmannerly with god , in making him stay so long upon you : some of you have made him wait upon you for an acceptable duty of worship divers weeks , yea it may be many moneths , and yet your spirits are not in temper to offer any sacrifice to god. what a fearfull evill is it then to stand out in a stubborne , sullen , dogged manner refusing to be reconciled ! learned drusius cites hebrew writers , saying , that he that offends his brother ought to seeke to pacifie him ; if he refuse to be pacified , then he must bring three of his friends with him to intercede twice or thrice , and if he shall after this refuse , then he is to leave him , and such a man quia implacabilis est , vocatur peccator , is called a sinner , with a speciall note upon him . lastly , the saints enjoyment of the sweetnesse of love , peace and unity among themselves , what is it but heaven upon earth ? heaven is above all storms , tempests , troubles , the happinesse of it is perfect rest . we pray that the will of god might bee done on earth as it is done in heaven ; why , may not we have a heaven upon earth ? this would sweeten all our comforts , yea all our afflictions . but the devill envies us this happinesse . come lord jesus , come quickly . if you would have the excellency of love set before you more fully , reade over and over again the epistles of iohn . ecclesiasticall story reports of this blessed apostle , whose heart was so full of love , that when he grew very old , not able to preach , yet he would be brought into the congregation in a chaire , and there say only these words , little children flee idolatry , love one another . but the more excellent union and peace is , the more is the pitty that it should be abused to be serviceable to mens lusts ; the more would our misery be if we should be abused in our treaties about it ; if we should have a mock-peace ; if we should be gulled in either offers of or conclusions about peace ; if peace should be made our ruine , but a preparation of us for slaughter . it hath been by many observed , that what the english gained of the french in battell by valour , the french regained of the english by cunning treaties . the lord deliver us from such french tricks . let us all be for peace , yet so as not to be befooled into bondage by the name of peace . now god hath by his mighty arme helped us , let us not be put off with a bable , and made to beleeve it is this pearle . we know with whom we have to deale . and now as the apostle , thess . . . the lord direct your hearts into the love of god : let me adde , and into the love of one another . let us all study peace , seek peace , follow peace , pursue peace , and the god of peace be with us . finis . the contents . chap. . the text opened , and suitableness thereof shewed , p. . chap. . the evill of dividing between god and any thing else , p. . chap. . heart-divisions one from another : the difficulty of medling with them , . the causes of them , and method in handling them , . chap. . the first dividing principle , there can be no agreement without uniformity , . wherein is shewn in what things it is necessary for peace we should be the same , and in what not , . chap. . the second dividing principle , all religions are to be tolerated , wherein is discussed the power of the magistrate in matters of religion , . and . chap. . that question discussed , what should be done to a man who pleads his conscience , . chap. . the congregationall way does not held absolute liberty for all religions , . chap. . not to tolerate any thing which is conceived evill , is a dividing principle , as well as to tolerate all things , . chap. . rules to know in what things we are to beare with our brethren , . chap. . the fourth dividing principle , division is the best way for rule . wherein the cursed evill of this principle is shewn , and some freedome from it that are thought to be guilty of it , . chap. . the fifth dividing principle , that every man is bound to profess and practice alwayes , what he apprehends to be truth , here that case of conscience , when a man is bound to professe , when not , is discussed , and what rules to be observed in it , to . chap. . the sixth dividing principle , is , what is in it selfe best , must be chosen and done , not weighing circumstances or references , . chap. . the seventh dividing principle , that it is obstinacy for a man to be convinced by the judgement of many more learned and godly then himself . . wherein is shewn . what respect is to be given to the judgments of learned and godly men ; . what men should do that cannot submit to their judgements ; by what rules we should judge men to be obstinate , . chap. . if others be against what we conceive to be truth , we may judge them to go against their owne light : the rashnesse and evill of this principle , . the ninth dividing principle , that rules of prudence are sufficient to guide us in naturall and civill things , therefore they may suffice us in spirituall and church affaires , . to . the tenth dividing principle , every difference in religion is a differing religion , . chap. . dividing distempers ; what they are , how they cause divisions , . chap. . dividing practices : what they are , . chap. . disorderly gathering of churches : divers things discussed about it , . chap. . characterizing the names of division , amongst others the name of schismatick . the point of schisme , who is a schismaticke , who not , is discussed , . . because men cannot joyn in all things , they will joyn in nothing , . the point of hearing such as are supposed not to have a lawfull calling , discussed , . chap. . the evill of divisions , how much good they hinder , . aggravations of the sinfulnesse of our divisions , . chap. . the wofull miseries of our divisions , . futher aggravations of this misery of our divisions , . the ill uses that are made of our divisions , . reasons why it is not to be wondred at , that godly men should be divid●d , . that christ and the gospel occasion divisions , and how , . the good use to be made of our divisions , . the cure of them , . fourteen joyning principles , from . to . fourteen joyning considerations , from . to . eight joyning graces , . sixteene joyning practises , . an exhortation to peaceable and brotherly union , shewing the excellency of it . . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrys . hom. de diloct . plutarch in the life of pelopi●as . notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sleid. com. lib. . si di midio christi essemus contenti , facile transigeremus omnia . object . . answ . object . . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrys . hom. . ad rom. vide montague act. & mon. of the church cap. . p. . . &c. cui usui reipublicae christianae & cui bono mihi . abi in celiam & dic miserere nostri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dividing principle . what circumstanti●●● of worship must have institution , and what not . quemadmodum ista varietas herbarum & florum mirifice oculos recreat , sic in imperio meo diversa fides & religio potius usui est quam oneri modo pacate vivant . cum de praecipuis articulis doctrinae christianae inter nos constet , complectamur nos mutuo amore , neque dissimilitas & varietas rituum & ceremoniarum , addam ego & politiae ecclesiasticae , disjungere debet mentes nostras . the second dividing principle . a magistrate not an officer regus mediatorie . object . . answ . answ . answ . s● ideo dicetur ●ronari licere , quia non prohibeat scriptura ; ●que retorquebi●ur ideo corona●i non licere , ●uia scriptura ●●on jubeat . tertul. de co●o● milit . dominatum in conscientias & animas soli deo relictum . deum tria sibi reservasse ; ex nihilo aliquid facere , futura scire , & conscientiis dominari . nullam esse tyrannidem intollerabiliorem , quam conscientiis dominari velle . what shou'd be done to a man that pleads his conscience . quest . answ . object . answ . conscientia erronea non obligat . mr. concn . quest . answ . answ . answ . those who are to deale with mens consciences , must be tender hearted . the moan of a true conscientious man to god. directions to them who plead their consciences . congregationall men charged for liberty to all religions . answ . answ . answ . object . answ . answ . answ . answ . . the civil magistrates not to punish every thing that is evill . answ . answ . answ . ways to draw forth mens judgments , who would keep them to themselves . answ . a itaque capita omnia controversa certa quadam formula concipiantur , quae utrisqu ▪ satisfaciat ex ipsis sacrae scripturae verbis ( si steri possit ) contexta , n●mo a fra●re quicquā praeterio exigat . b est hoc quod dico diligentur observandum , qui autores sunt principibus ut omnes illi populi , regna , respublicae , quae aliqua in re , fundamenta tamen religionis non convellentes ab ipsis dissentiunt , damnentur haereseos , excludantur ab amicitia , pellantur a finibus , ii certe nec suis principibus , nec ecclesiae christi bene consulunt . fraternam inter ecclesias evangelicas communionem non esse rescindendam ob diversas de quaestionibus controversis opiniones , probatur rationibus petitis a defectu legitimae potestatis , ni ministris ad eandem dissolvendam chap. . hoc mihi inprimis videtur esse praemittendum , vincula fraternae communionis non oportere dissolvi inter ecclesias christianas ob quaevis opinionum dissidia , sed solummodo ob fūndamentalium dogmatum oppugnationem aut negationem . cypr. ep ad steph. ep. . ad jubajanum . aug. cont . don. l. . c. . l. ● . c. , . servire debet judicium , non dominari charita●i ▪ 〈◊〉 est unum de quatuor istis malis quae turbant terram ( ut solomon ait ) scilicet , servus regnans , seu ancilla haeres dominae suae luth. ep. ad theol. norimberg . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chrysost . in phil. . hom. ● . answ . answ . answ . answ . quia solius dei est corda scrutari , nostrum est in partem beni●niorem semper propendere & de quolibet praesu●ere ubi con●●arium non constat manifestis indiciis , qu●d conscientia poiius quam pertina●ia ab assensu praestando reta●dotur , & inhibeatur . adhort . ad fratern●m communionem , p. . proscindi nec debent nec possunt a communione particularium ecclesiarum quae manent conjunctae cum ecclesia catholica . b hominem a communione aliorum christi quorum excludere licet propter haeresim damnabilem , in qua est proprio judicio condemnatus , aut de per●inacia convictus , non licet propter errorem in q●em aliena fraude deductus est , quemque nulla pertinaci animositate , sed imaginatione veritatis & p●etatis illusus defendit . daven . ad pacem eccl. adhort . c. . c rex arbitratur rerum absolute necessariarum ad salutem non magnum esse numerum , quare existimat ejus majestas nullam ad in●undam concerdiam braviorem viam fore , quam si diligenter separarentur necessaria a non necessariis , & ut de necessariis conveniat omnis opera insumatur in non necessariis libertati christianae locus detur , pauca sunt ista necessaria , atque istam distinctionem sereniss . rex tanti putat esse momenti ad immuniend●s controversias , quae hodie ecclesiam , tantopere exercent , ut omnium pacis studiosorum judicet officium esse diligemissime hanc explicare ●●ocere , urgere . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . arist . pol. l. ● . object . answ . answ . suadenda est fides non imponenda . bern. nova & in a●d●●a est ista praedicatio quae verberibus evigit fidem . greg. l. . ep . . the ● dividing principle ▪ answ . the . dividing principle . salvi esse non possumus nisi ad salutem proximorum , etiam ore profiteamur fidem . aug de temp . . ad aras jovis aut veneris adorare , ac sub antichristo fidem occultare . zuingl ep . non perfecte credunt , qui quod cre●●nt nolunt loqui . aug. in psalm . quando in particulari tanta sit utilitas vel necessitas proximi , ut prae●isam obligationem inducat , arbitrio prudentis judi●a● dum est , nam regula omnino certa assignari non potest . suar. de . f●d . disp . ● . sect . . in what cases we are bound to make profession . six cases in which we are not bound to make profession . object . answ . object . answ . five rules for the ordering our profession of truth . the sixth dividing principle . the seventh dividing principle . what respect is to be given to the judgement of learned holy men . multa anxie considerare eum oportet , & multas noctes ab sumere insomnes , & cum multis lacrymis petere a deo veritatis demonstrationem , qui se a fratribus separare vult . quantum apud alios valeat authoritas ecclesiae , nescio ; certe apud me tantum valet , ut cum arianis & pelagianis sentire possim , si probasset ecclesja quod illi do●uerunt . eras . bilibal do pyrckeymeroll . ep . . ep . . answ . answ . answ . answ . the . dividing principle . nolo libertatem meam captivari quam paulus dedit , dicens , omnia probate , quod bonum est tenete . luther . what are those things we must have institutions for . answ . answ . the . dividing principle . answ . lib. . hoc disco mea experientia , quod non habeo tam magnam causam timendi extra me , quam intra me . luther . carnales inter se dividuntur , spirituales nullo modo aug. de civit . lib. . cap. . how many wayes mens lusts cause divisions . omne invalidum natura querulum . gravius persequitur filius pa●rem male vi vendo , quam pater filium castigando . grav●● . ancil●a saram pe●sequuta est per iniquam superbiam , quameam sara per debitun disciplinaun aug. de unitat . e●cl . c. . the first dividing distemper . the severall workings of pride causing divisions . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogatus cur hoc egerit , respondit , ut qui bonis non poterit , vel malis innotesceret . difficile est cum praestare caeteris concupieris servare equitatem . m. tul. li. . offic . the . dividing distemper . ego plane in ea opinione sum , monarchias longe diutius duraturas , si monarchae hoc ●num pronomen [ ego ] omisissent . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . superbus fictor est audacia & f●rtitudinis . arist . e●h , l. . c. . quicquid est hujusmodi in quo non possunt plures excellere , in eo plerumque sit tanta cententio , ut difficillimum sit sanctam fervari societatem m. tul. lib. o●●ic . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the . dividing distemper . nemo existimet bonos de ecclesia posse discedere : triticum non rapit ventus . cipr. de unitat . eccles . sectae haereticorum ab ol●● fuerunt multae , inter quas omnes quae sunt vel fuerunt non est perniciosior quam pauperum de lugduno , ●ibus de causis ; prima quia diuturn●or a tempore sylvestri , alij quidam dicunt a tempore apostolorum ; secunda quia generalior , fere enim nulla terra est in qua haec ●ecta non serpat ; tertia , quod omnes aliae immanitate blasphemiarum in deum horrorem inducant , haec leouistarum magnam habet speciem pietatis , coram nominibus juste vivant , & bene omnia de deo credant , & omnes a●ticut●s qui in symbolo cominentur , solum romanam ecclesiam blasphemant . voet. vesp . causa papa●us , l. . sect . . tolle invidiam , & quod meum est , habeo ; tolle invidiam & quod tuum est , ego habe● . aug. in psal . . the . dividing distemper . the week after the victory at naseby ▪ answ . the . dividing distemper . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the . dividing distemper . fa●uus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subita , repente . cesset propria voluntas , & non erit infernum . bern. ser . . de resur . scalig. excert . . num . . the . distemper . adv. haeres li. . tom . . epist aduers . antidic●marianitas . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. answ . how to know whether we avoid our ficklenesse by true constancy , or by stoutness : five notes . the ninth distemper . justius est occulta de manifestis praejudicare , quam manifesta de occultis praedamnaie . tert. apol. c. . quandoquidem ex scholasticis aulicus futurus es praecepto mihi instruendus es ad omnem vitam utili , hubnerus audire gestit , fidem diabolorum tibi commendo ( inquit ) hoc tibi monitum semper in promptu situm esto promissionibus aulicis credere quidem sed timide . melch. adam . in vita bucholceri . si morbo aliquo laboraret , liberaretur , masculum parreret ; si difficulter ante pariebat , facilem assequeretur partum , p. fagius in numb . c. . the tenth distemper . the . distemper . pestem majorem esse nullam in amicitiis , quam pecunia cupiditatem . cur hominios non obstruitis auro argentove ? hem germana illa bestia pecuniam non curat . melch adam . vita lutheri . the . distemper . nulla res vehementius rempublicam continet , quam fides , cicero . the . dividing practice , the practice of the tongue . eo sermone aspidem à vipera sumere venenum . definat nunc haereticos à judaeo aspis , quod aiunt , à vipera mutuare venenum . tertul. contra marcion , lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the . dividing practice , needlesse disputes . answ . credimus piscatoribus , non dialecticis . ambr. the . dividing practise . sed interca sunt homines inconsiderati , qui faciunt illos nimis spirituales , hoc vitium passim regnat in germania , in his etiam regionibus nimium grassatur , & nunc sentimus quales fructus nascantur ex illa radice quod scilicet principes & quicunque potiuntur imperio , putant se ita spirituales esse , ut nullum ●it amplius ecclesiasticum regimen , & hoc sacrilegium apud nos grassatur , quia non possunt metiri officium suum certis & legitimis finibus . calv. in amos c. . ver . . consulo ut disciplinam quanto ocyu● fieri poterit in vestras ecclesias invchatis , nam si ab initio non recipiatur , cum homines fervent non facile cum aliquod frigus obrepscrit admittetur periculum , aiunt imminere ne disciplinae colore ministri tyrannidem occupent , excommunicent pro libidine non attendunt , ii ●omines nil a ministrorum tyrannide posse timeri , ubi evangelli regula servatur in excludendis à fratrum societate ecclesiae consensu● est adhi●endus , cujus autorita●e si agatur , nemo de unius aut paucorum tyrannide ●ure poterit conqueri . p. mart. ep . . statuerim nihil fine con●ilio vestro , & ●ine consensu plebis agere . cyp. ep . part . cap. . digres . . l. . dispute against english popish ceremonies . iniquam excercetis dominationem , si ideo negatis licere quia vultis , non quia debuit non licere , tertul. apol. advers . gentes . answ . dispute against english popish ceremonies , p. . cap. . pag. , . answ . the . dividing practice . alioquin christiani collecti ex judaeis & divulsi ab eorum ecclesia antiquissima & celeberrima essent schismatici , voet. despera a causa papatus , l. . sect . . two causes for which a man may seperate from a visible church . answ . answ . . answ . object . answ . answ . mald. in lam. , . answ . answ . the . dividing practice . fortiter calumniare , aliquid haerebit . existimet omnis publica calamitatis , omnis popularis in commodi christianos esse causam ; si tyberis ascendit in maenia ; si nilus non ascendit in arva , si coelum ●●etit , si terra movet , si fames , si lues , statim ad leones acclamatur , tertul. apol. advers . gentes cap. . tam magnus apud ami●os ut fere deus factus ; tam vituperatus ab inimicis , ut mirum fuit ne cum terra devoraret . quia more tradito nefas esset virgines strangulari vitiatae prius à carnifice , de in strangulatae . suet. tybe●●us , num . . the . dividing practice . nullum criminis nomen nisi nominis crimen . tertul. apo. answ . schismatis peocatum speciale vitium est , charitati oppositum . aquin. . q. . art. . conclus . schismatici discissionibus iniquis a fraterna charitate dissiliunt . aug. lib de fide & symbolo , cap. . answ . culpam schismatis non debere conferri in eos qui desertores deserunt , sed in ipsos desertores qui christum & antiquam fidem deserum erant , voet. desper . causa papatus , lib. . sect . . answ . sicut in rebus naturalibus id quod est per accidens non constituit speciem ; ita in rebus moralibus , id quod est intentum . quod sequitur praeter intentionem , est quasi per accidens , & ideo peccatum schismatick proprie est speciale peccatum , ex eo quod intendit se ab unitate separare quam charitas facit , & ideo proprie schismatici dicuntur qui propria sponte & intentione se ab unitate ecclesiae separant . aquinas da . dae . quest . . art. . c. vide stanis●●um reschium in centur . evang . sect . jer. . . ethnici philosophi hoc ambierunt , ut discipulos quos habuerunt suo cognomine à reliquis distinguerent , ut aliqui platonici , aliqui pythagorici , alii epicurci vocarentur . christiani esse desierunt , qui christi nomine omisso , humana & externa vocabula indu●runt . lactant. lib. . c ▪ . attamen socrates visus est modestior caeleris , quod se non faceret authorem doctrinae quam docebat ut qui diceret se fimilem obstetricis quae parientibus opem ferret ita is existimavit suis interrogationibus , juvenibus adesse ut scientias quas babu issent in animo , in lucem exire faceret . abhorret à charitate , im● à recta ratione , ut quis propter consequentias , rec intellectas , nec à se co●●esas putetur fundamentale● articulum negasse aut regecisse quem s●●mit● credit , explicite 〈…〉 ejusdem vel sanguine suo obsigna●et : verio● & 〈…〉 est non quid ex quov●s sequata● 〈…〉 daven . fentintia de pace in●er 〈…〉 pag ● . hae● est ultio , cum reuben dicit ad simeonem , da mihi accomodatam securim tuam , respondet , non accommodabo , in posterum sime●n dicit , da accommodatam securim tuam , & respondet reuben , nequaquam ; siquidem tu mihi non accomodasti . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil . hom. . de ira . plut●●ch . vitae ph●cion . rawleigh hist . l. . c. . sect . . eus●b l ● . de 〈◊〉 constantin . eus●b l. . de v●t . c●n●t . cupio ex hic vit● migrarc propter duas causas : ut f●uir desiderat● conspectu f●lii dei. & coles●●● ecclesiae . 〈◊〉 ut liber●r●●ab im●●a nibus & implacabilibus od●is theologorum . melchi●r adam in vita strigehi . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . greg. naz. orat . . 〈…〉 . pli●y nat. hist . l. ▪ ● . . bidul●h in his travell to jerusalem . p. . plutarch in regu● & i●p●rat . apoth . stob. serm . peccatum , poe●a peecati , causa peccatj . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. greg. naz. orat. . mallem me solis romanistarum manibus perire , ne carolus in hanc causam involveretur , scio quae miseria sigismundum consequuta est , &c. melchior adam in vita lutheri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . greg. naz. orat. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . bellum erat inter lupos & canes ; cumque nunciatum esset lupis venire ingentem exercitum canum ad lacerandos lupos , missus est speculator unus ex vetulis lupis , renuntiat esse quidem multitudinem canum longè majorem quam luporum , sed benê sperandum esse quia v●derit multas esse dissimilitudines col●rum in canibus , hac voce confirmati lupi dissimiles facile pelli posse sperebant . melancthon . epist . . t. walsingham in eodem anno . plutarch in the life of pelopidas . liv ▪ hist : l. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. chrystost . in act. c. . nova atque ina●dita est ista praedicatio , quae verberibus exigit fidem . gr. lib. . ep ▪ . a verbo ad serrum , ab atramento ad armamenta , à pennis ad bipe●●nes confugere . gerard. nec religionis est cogere religionem quae sponte sus●pi debeat non vt ; & si nos compulernis ad sacrificandum , nihil praestab t is d●is vestris , ab invitis enim sacrificia non desiaerabunt , nisi contentiosi sunt ; contentiosus autem deus non est . tertul. cum mini●e aequum censcret senatus , suarum partium esse duxit ut ad te racionibus referretur , quibus adductus fuit quo minus et subscriberet , suppliciis id tantum effectum est ut ●rimen potius detestabile esset , quam erro●es ipsi corrigerentur , aequum videri ut potius ●eteris ecclesiae vestigiis 〈◊〉 , quae non ferro & flammis in religione constituenda ac propaganda , sed puriore doctrina & honestis vitae antistitum exemplis 〈◊〉 confecis , hic vivant & sincere dei verbum doceant , hac ratione pravarum de religione opinionum luxueris co●●ceatur , haec remedia si spernaantur , nullae leges , nulla edicta huic malo curando satis erunt . th●anus hist . lib. . sleidan . lib. . anno . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , acetum . socrat. eccles . hist . lib. . c. . euseb . eccles . hist . lib. . c ▪ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nazian . apologet. orat. . socrat. eccles . hist . l. . c. . quae agit arguit , quae detestat●r ●peratur . invect . . cont . hieron . 〈…〉 vanae intelliget , ut compleat iniquitates , & lequatur contra deum mendacium . so jerome ●eads the words . cum legissem contabui dotore , & obrigai timore , o misera , o mistranda conditio , conjunctissimi & familiarissimi mella scripturarum sanctarum pariter lamberitis , tantae amaritudinis irrepsisse perniciem heu mihi quivos ali●ubi simul invenire non possum , procid●rem ad pedes 〈◊〉 , fierem quantum valerem , rogarem quantum amarem , &c. august . ep . . rogo te , si fieri potest ut inter , nos d●sseramus fine amaritudine discordiae , diat . si autem non p●ssum dicere quod emendatum videatur in scriptis , tuis , nec tu in meis , nisi eum suspicione invidiae , aut laefione amicitiae , quiescamus , & nostra vitae salutiqus parcanus . august . hieronymo , ep . . nihil est scolerum aut oredulitatis cujus me non reum agat . lu●h ep . ad michaelem stifelinum . infensior mihi est , quam ulli bactenus sucrunt inimici . luth. ad spalatinum non possun quin vehementissime commovear quotie , haec mala apud me reputo : quid agam ? taceam ne in tanta perturbatione publica , tantoque incendo , quod s●tanas ex it wit ? certe incondium est in orbe christiano , nisi deus è caelo prospixerit omnia , conumturum animi huma●i foci sunt , in quibus peccatum fl●g●ati linguae hae folles sunt , illae fomites . quilius incandium magis ac magis ina ●descit : linguis succedunt chartarum virulentissimarum plaustra quibus perrumpit incondium in omnes partes , qu●●unquae linguae p●stari non possunt bona pars christiani orbis , bustum videtur potius quam christiani gregis domicilìum : an his pastores ? an hae oves christi , quas in suo mi erabili hust● misere 〈◊〉 contab . ●scere ? sunt certe pastores adhuc , sunt oves christi , & christi sunt , sed in hoc tetro & lethali incendio , nec se essc christi , nec pastores nec oves esse meminerani . ju . ps . . answ . reasons why godly men differ so much one from another . hypocritis nihil est crudelius , impatientius , & vindictae cupidius , plane sunt serpentes , quo nullum est animal vindictae cupidius . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . epiph lib . tom. . haeres . . vel . . montague act. and mon. c. . p. . neque tantum nocent pontificii quantum falsi fratres , qui eandem spem , fidem , doctrinam , invocationem jactant , & sunt nobis simillimi ; ideo papistae ridcut , & dicunt , mordent se invicem , & invicem consumuntur . luth. in gen. c. . what god aymes at in our divisions . non sum in eadem cum illo haeresi . tul. paradox . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysost . in . cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysost in . cor. . . aristot . polit . lib. . c. . non peri●●it●dicere ipsas 〈…〉 subministrarent . tertul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. greg. naz. orat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euseb . of the life of constant . l ▪ cited by socrates eccl. hist . lib. cap. . quanquam in t●r no● hactenus non potuit plane convenire num verum corpus & sanguis christi pane & vino corporaliter infit , debebat nihilominus utraque pars altera erga alteram declarare christianam charitatem , quatenus id omnio eujusque conscientia s●rre potest . coll. qu. ma purgen● . this subscribed by luther , melancthon , o colampadius , brentius , osiander , zuinglius , bucer , and others . plutarch in his life . plutarch in the life of fabius . hodie non regnavimus , quia neminem affecimus beneficio . petro mex●a in the lives of the roman emperours . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. plutarch . de cohibenda ira . in aliis mansue●us ero , in blasphemiis in christum non ita . zuingl . in ep . ad servet . non curiositate vel ae nulatione is eos invidiose deferamus , aut reprehendamus , unde protervia , fastus , od●a , dissidia , factiones possent oriri , &c. hyper. in heb. c. . v. . melius est propter misericordiam rationem reddere , quam propter crudelitatem . quid facit inpectore christiano luporum feritas ? canum rabies ? vinenum lethale serpenium ? cruenta sevitia bestiarum ? cypr. de unitate eccles . num. . hoc vero me garviter excruciat , & valde absurdum est , inter fratres ab eandem fidem à patria , exules , ac profugos , dissidium oriri , & quidem haec de eausa quae sola debuerat in bac vestra dispersione quasi sacrum vinculam vos simul devinctos tenere , &c. calv. anglis francford . answ . plin. lib. . cap. . dispendio litle carcre non mediocre lucrum est . ambros . offic . l. . c. ● . fingite christum in medio vest●i corporaliter , & ab ipsius vultu discite ipse vel oculis sic alloquetur corda vestra , quid facitis charissimi filii , quos meo sanguine ●edemi meo verbo regenui , ut diligeretis invicem hanc esse notam meorum discipulorum scitis . ponite hanc caus●m , vel in me rejicite ego videro , nihil periculi est ; si qu●escat vel etiam moria●ur nihil nocet ecclesiae , sed hoc erit p●riculum si dissideatis & mordeatis invicem . nolite sic contristare speritum , nolite angelos sanctos in coelo gaudus spoliare ; an ego non plus sum vobis quam omnes causae , omnes affectus , omnes offensiones ? itane fortius penetrant , & haerent verba aliqua fratris , vel iniquae molestiae quam mea vulnera , meus sanguis , quam t●tus ipse salvator jesus christus ? luther epist ad norimbergensis . hi motus animorum atque haec certamina tanta , pulveris exigui ●actu compressa quiescunt . virgil. georg. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil . hom. de ira . veniat , veniat verbum domini , & submittemur ei sexcenta si nobis essent coll● . maximum est in amicitia superiorem parem esse inferiori . cic. de amicit . per deum obtestatum ut taceret , & se ita gereret quasi non audiret . qui nescit ferre calumnias , convicia , injurias , nescit vivere . melchior adam . in vita chytraei . su●vitas sermonum atque morum condimentum amicitiae ; tristitia & in omni reseveritas , absit ; habet illa quidem gravitatem , sed amicitia remissior esse debet , & liberior , & dulcior , & ad omnem comitatem facilitatemque proclivi●r . cicer. de amicio . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sive taceas , dilectione taceas ; sive clames , dilectione clames ; sive parcas , dilectione parcas ; sive corrigas , dilectone corrigas ; ad disciplinam siant omnia , de charitate procedant radice ; dilige , & fa● quod vi● . aug joan. tract . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . clem. alex. strom. lib. . gen. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; &c. naz. orat. . si virtutum fi●is ille sit maximus qui plurimorum spectat profectum , moderatio omn●um plucherrima● est . ambr. de paenit . l. . c. ● . ne intret , cum probibet gravissime coram f●aequenti ●aetu cum objargans , an nes●is , inquit , imperator , quae sit atrocitas à te commissi facinoris ? aut non me●inisti alium nobis esse imperatorem te superiorem ? quae con●idens impietas ut nihil v●rearis , &c. vide magdebu●g . cent . . c. . pag. . quoting theod. l. . c. . and zozomen l. . c. . plutarch in the life of allexander . unusquisque sciat opus suum in quocunque vitae genere divinum esse opus qui●est opus divinae vocationis , habeus mandatnm dei. luth. illud sequendum putavi ut neminem vinci v●llem & omnes vincer● . ambr. ep . . plutarch in the life of scipio . ipsum f●at●rnitatis nomen , u●cunque donatistis fastidiosum est tamen orthodoxis erga ipsos donatistas necessarium . optat. l. . init . plin. nat . hist . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gale●o est cum ossa reducuntur ad locum . vobis oro persaadeatis tam cupide me amplecti concordiam , quam cupide velim mihi dominum jesum propitium semper fore . luther eccles . agentinensis pastoribus . quis non vita etiam sua redimat submotum istus infinitum dissi●ii scandalum ? martin . bucer . ambr. blaurero . veteres s●ruta●s ●istorias invenire non possum , ita scidisse ecclesiam & de domo dei populus s●duxisse praetereo● qui sacerdotes dei posit● sunt ; & prophetae , id est speculatores isti vertuntur in laqueum tortuosum & in omnibus scandala p●nunt . jerome cited by john hus , tractat . de pace . multi divitias despiciunt , quo● parvo contentas , tenuis victus cul●●sque delectat , honores vero quorum cupiditate quidam inflammantur , quam multi ita contemnunt ut nihil inanius esse vellevias existiment , item caetera quae quibusdam admirabilia videntur , permulti sunt qui ni●ilo putent ; de amicitia omnes ad unum idem se●●●unt , fine amio●●ia 〈◊〉 esse nullam sentiunt . cicer. de amicit. evargius l. . cap. . plutarch in the life of pelopidas . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nazian . carm . iamb . d●usius praet . l. . c. . comineus lib. . c. . a demonstration of the necessity of settling some gospel-government amongst the churches of christ in this nation held forth in an answer to a querie whereby mr. saltmarch did once endeavour to hinder the settlement of all church-government in the nation : written in the year , and now published for the present use of these times, wherein it may be seasonable to be taken into consideration for the preventing of further confusion and disorder amongst the professors of the gospell / by john dury. dury, john, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing d ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a demonstration of the necessity of settling some gospel-government amongst the churches of christ in this nation held forth in an answer to a querie whereby mr. saltmarch did once endeavour to hinder the settlement of all church-government in the nation : written in the year , and now published for the present use of these times, wherein it may be seasonable to be taken into consideration for the preventing of further confusion and disorder amongst the professors of the gospell / by john dury. dury, john, - . hartlib, samuel, d. . [ ], p. printed for richard wodnothe, london : . "to the reader" signed: samuel hartlib. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. eng saltmarsh, john, d. . christian union. a r (wing d ). civilwar no a demonstration of the necessity of settling some gospel-government amongst the churches of christ in this nation. held forth in an answer t dury, john c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a demonstration of the necessity of settling some gospel-government amongst the churches of christ in this nation ; held forth in an answer to a querie , whereby mr. saltmarsh did once endeavour to hinder the settlement of all church-government in the nation . written in the year . by mr. john dury , minister of the gospel . and now published for the present use of these times , wherein it may be seasonable to be taken into consideration , for the preventing of further confusion and disorder amongst the professors of the gospell ; london , printed for richard wodnothe in leaden-hall-market , next door to the golden hart , . to the reader . christian reader , i have thought good to publish at this time , this answer of mr. dury's to mr. salt-marsh , though written some years ago , viz. in the year . because it may be now happily more seasonable , then when he first did penne it . it was not published then , because some other answers were then put forth , which did seem to give satisfaction to the multitude , though they were not written so vnpartially , and with that moderation of spirit : but seeing the times seem to be now ripened for some kind of settlement , and the inconveniencie of the delay , which mr. saltmarsh did then plead for , is more fully discovered then was then fore-seen ; hence perhaps it may fall out , that the way of vnprejudicate orderliness , which is here held forth , may be thought worth some due consideration amongst the churches , and by gods blessing may prove some help to such as are willing to associate themselves without any pretence to worldly power to impose the same upon others , but onely to make use amongst themselves of gospell-ordinances for mutuall edification . mr. saltmarsh did then stumble at the pretence of power to settle the churches of the presbyterian way , with authority over others , which perhaps might be in the thoughts of some ministers ; but i suppose it is now evident , that none do any more affect any such dominion over their neighbours as he apprehended ; yet that there ought to be some orderly way of government in the societies of saints , which are the house of god , i suppose will be without all dispute ; and how far that may be settled amongst the saints , and approved by a state , this treatise will in some measure i hope manifest . and that mr. duryes meaning may not be mistaken , as if he would have the magistrate to impose by humane authority , the ordinances of christ , which he counts such , and suffer none to have liberty but such as practise the way which he approves : i have added unto this treatise , a discourse which the author sent unto me upon another occasion to be communicated unto captain coysh of worthy memory , wherein he opens himself concerning the magistrates duty as a christian in advancing church-government as it is nationall , which perhaps may at this time also be more seasonable then formerly it could have been , to worke peace and vnity amongst the professors of the truth : and that it may worke somewhat towards this effect , i offer it unto thee , and beseech the lord to blesse it , in whom i rest ever , thy faithfull friend and servant , samuel hartlib . faults escaped in printing . page . line . for a kingdom , read the kingdom . p. . l. . f. happiness unto , r. happiness of . p. . l. . f. th . ch. r. th ch. p. . l. . f. is to gods will , r. is according to gods will . p. . l. . f. hot , r. not . an introduction to mr. samuel hartlib . shewing the end of mr. saltmarsh his querie , and the heads of the answer to be given to it . loving friend , you know you can command the discovery of my judgement in all things , which have any reference to the advancement of truth , and the counsels of peace . therefore although mr. saltmarsh his pamphlet is scarce worth the answer , yet i shall not leave your desire unanswered , so far as my poor talent can be useful in this kind , and time will permit . some scrupulous consciences ( as these times are ) may be staggered with his suggestions : and there is a method of error in that way of starting matters which he has followed , fit to seduce and entangle the ignorant , and such as are partially prepossessed against their brethren ; and yet he perhaps himselfe without any set purpose may be unawares led into it ; for a deceived heart doth turn men aside , that they cannot deliver their own souls . sure i am he is full of prejudicate thoughts , and by reason of the same hath lost his true aime , and the way of resolving his own querie . for he that makes a querie , should at least seem to make a doubt thereof , and then endeavour either to shew , or to seek the way how to resolve it without partiality . but mr. saltmarsh seems not to intend any such thing ; because his whole discourse is framed onely to raise doubts in the weaker , and not to crave the opinion of any , or to receive the resolution of his querie from the wiser . perhaps some good opinion of his own sufficiency , ( sure is was no fear of insufficiency ) to determine so weighty a matter , hath made him thus forward to perswade the continuance of our unsettlement in government . but i suppose his ingenuity may be such , that although he made at first no doubt of determining his querie ; yet his determination thereof may be made upon after thoughts doubtfull to himself . therefore i shall endeavour as briefly as may be , to let you see how a doubt of this nature should be resolved . but before i enter upon this taske , i would desire him ( if i were acquainted with him ) to answer a question , whereby he would perhaps clear a doubt of mine , touching his ingenuity in handling this querie ; which when i have done , i shall tell you how i purpose to proceed in answering it . my question is , wherefore in the place of the scripture , cor. . . ( quoted in his title page ) he hath changed the words of the text , putting in stead of edification , the word instruction ? there is no likelihood that this is a fault of the printer ; or if it had been his fault , that it would have been left uncorrected , the words being so much different . but every one that readeth mr. saltmarsh his discourse , and taketh notice of his aime , will easily find that the one word is purposly put for the other , to forestall the mind of the unwarie and simple reader , by whom quotations are not examined , with a notion as from the word of god , which may prepare him to receive without scruple that which he intends afterward to insinuate and deliver . namely that it is fit the ministeriall charge should be restrained by the civill power onely to teaching . if this be not his aime , i would pray him to let me know ingenuously how the alteration doth come ? but if he had this subtilty in his aime , as a man may suspect he had ; then i must tell him ingenuously , that i wonder he durst do so , not onely in a matter of such consequence , but chiefly in respect of the word of god . i say again , i wounder he should dare to do so in respect of the charge which the apostle giveth him , to hold fast the form of sound words delivered unto him , tim. . . for if this be his practise to alter the sound words of the spirit , i would tell him that in so doing ▪ he doth make his first words of his title page to be found fals ; wherein he doth pretend the advancement of truth and peace . for if he dare presume to corrupt the word of god , for the easier introduction of some opinion of his own ; what truth can we find to be in him ? or what peace can he expect from any that perceiveth this deceitfull dealing , and how will he answer it to god , that saith , add thou not to his word , lest he reprove thee , and thou be found a lyar , prov. . . he that doth alledge the word falsely , will have no great care to divide it rightly , and apply it truly . i speak this upon a supposall , which i would have him to take away , by shewing how the word of the text comes to be changed . for i rejoyce not in iniquity , but in the truth as charity doth command me to do , cor. . . now i will tell you how i purpose to proceed in answering his querie , if god permit . first , i will reflect upon the question in it self , as a matter of serious deliberation , which may be considered for the advancement of truth and peace . secondly , i intend to reflect upon the question , as he doth handle it , to observe what truth is in his decision , and how farre the way which he doth suggest , is like to produce peace . thirdly , i will endeavour by gods assistance , to sughe● a word of advice upon the whole matter , which may be usefull to prevent the increase of error and strife . the first part. the querie is , whether it be fit yea or no , according to the principles of true religion and state ; to settle any church-government over a kingdome hastily or not : and with the power commonly desired in the hands of the ministers ? let us look deliberately upon this querie , and to that effect let us take it into peeces . the parts thereof are three . first , the thing whereof the question is made . secondly . the question which is made of that thing . thirdly , the limitations of the thing and question . the thing whereof the question is made , is , of church-government over the kingdome . the question made hereof , or the thing sought after , is to know ; whether yea or no it be fit , that any such thing should be hastily settled ? the limitation of the thing whereof the question is made ; is , whether the government should be , with the power commonly desired in the hands of the ministers ? the limitation of the question is ; whether that settlement can be , according to the principles of true religion and state ? if now any will enter into a serious deliberation upon the matter , to resolve himself without partiality in this question ; he must go orderly to work by a rule , and not let his mind rove at random , to snatch at incident thoughts : therefore in the first place he must needs understand , what is meant by all the words of the querie : for without this foundation all will be in vain , because the matter not being known which is to be spoken unto , nothing can be said of it to any purpose . and in the second place , he must be able to compare the particulars understood orderly , one with another if need be , but chiefly with the intent of the question , to find out by the result of the comparison , what is to be answered upon the whole matter . let us then endeavour to follow these waies . first , i conceive that by the word church , is meant a certain number of souls called out of the world to be saints ; and joyned together in the true profession of christianity . or thus : the church is the company of souls , as they are christs subjects in the world . i reflect here upon men as souls , not excluding their bodies ; because the soul is the immediate subject upon which christ doth work ; and because men as they are bodies and have outward estates , are properly the immediate subjects upon which worldly kingdoms work . yet i do not deny but souls are also in some kind subjected to superior powers , rom. . . but that is onely in relation to the bodily life which they have : and so are bodies in like manner subjects unto christ ; namely in respect of that spiritual life whereby they are acted through their souls . so we see that one and the same person is two wayes in subjection : one way to christ , another way to the civill magistrate ; and if the distinction of this two-fold subjection be rightly understood , and the true foundation thereof cleared , many doubts otherwise insoluble will easily be decided concerning the limits and joynt consistence of the civil & ecclesiastical powers . for as the soul doth relate the body in spirituall matters , so doth christs power in the church relate to the subjects of a state : and as the body doth relate to the soul in outward matters , so doth the civill power relate to the church of christ , that is to men as they are his subjects . the properties of these relations will determine the spheres of these powers , according to the extent of the influence of their vertue each upon other ; and according to the subordination of their ends unto the happinesse unto the whole . secondly , i conceive by that which is called government in general , that is meant the right ordering and guiding of subjects in the course of their life towards the proper end thereof ; and consequently by church-government in particular , i must conceive the right ordering and guiding of mens souls by christs power in the course of their spirituall life , tending to settle them in a perpetuall communion of happinesse with god the father and himself . thirdly , by the kingdome i understand the society of english men , as they are united in their outward life under the government and laws which are settled for their peace and safety therein . now when the question is of a church-government over this kingdome ; the meaning is of a government that should be settled in and throughout the kingdome , namely in all the churches thereof ; and not over and above the authority and power of the kingdome . for as the soul is not properly over the body , but in it , and this not under the soul , but united to it , and both are in the same person : so we may conceive of the church and kingdome ; that as the kingdome is a worldly society , the church is not over it , nor it under the church , but both are united together in one christian state ; as the life of the soul by the spirit ; and of the body by the outward senses , are in one and the same man . thus then the words are to be understood in respect of the matter of the question ; in respect of the scope or thing questioned , we must also understand what is is meant by a settlement , and by a hasty settlement , and by that which is called fitness . i conceive that by a settlement is meant here , an authoritative determination of all things belonging to the government of souls , as they are to be practised throughout the churches of this kingdome : so that in case of disobedience , such as are refractory against that determination , and disturbe the publique peace by disorderly walking , shall be lyable to suffer what the power of the state shall inflict upon them . by the hastinesse of this settlement , i conceive is meant , not any rash or unadvised speed ; but the suddennesse of that determination without further delayes , proceeding from debatements and deliberations concerning the same . and by the fitnesse of such a settlement , i suppose is meant the conveniency , and usefulnesse of the thing , for the publique good both of church and state , and the private benefit of souls therein . as for the limitations added to these parts of the querie , i wish they had been more plainly set down , for i doubt of his meaning therein ; but that you and he may not doubt of mine , i will declare it ; that if i take not his aright , he may ( if he think good ) rectifie my mistake . i conceive then by that which he doth call , power commonly desired in the hands of the ministers ; th●t he doth mean the way of judicature in church-matters , as the assembly hath desired it to be settled in this kingdome ; of which that he may have a right character ( for i doubt he is mistaken , and not rightly informed of the way . ) i will tell you briefly , that it is a power of order and discipline in the house of god ; that this power is not in the persons , and hands of the ministers alone ; but in the office of the eldership , wherein the minister is the leader of the rest : that this eldership is made up of men , gifted , and freely chosen to and for the congregation by the brethren , and appointed with the minist●r over all matters of church-concernment . that their office and the power belonging to it , is not otherwise desired in common , then as the word of god doth warrant it to be practised , and the example of the best reformed churches hath shewed it to be practicable . by all which you see that i must understand his querie , as concerning the matter thereof thus . namely that the thing whereof he doth speak , is concerning the ordering and directing of spirituall matters belonging to the souls of men , which by christs power over his subjects , is to be executed in the office of the eldership , according to the scriptures ; to bring the congregation of saints to a perpetuall communion with god , which is their happinesse . of this thing he doth make a doubt ; whether it be fit speedily to settle it in this kingdome or no ? but the doubt is not absolutely of the thing in it self ; ( for who will call that in question ? ) but of the fitnesse in respect of the limitation annexed , which is to be determined according to the principles of true religion and state . it had been worth his labour to have made a description of those principles , that we should not mistake him in the main matter whereby he would have us to regulate our thoughts in the decision of the doubt : for except he and i understand one another in the same principles of religion and state , we shall never be able to square out the conclusion of fitnesse or unfitnesse after the same proportion : for if he measure not his cloth by the same ell which i have ; or i by that which he hath , he and i shall never agree in the length and bredth thereof . i 'l then tell you my thoughts , which if he reject not , we may come to agree in . by religion , i understand a tie whereby the conscience is bound to subject the soul to god in his true worship . this tie of conscience is made up of a three-fold coard , which cannot be broken or untwisted without the overthrow of the substance of religion . the first is the doctrine of truth ; by this the understanding is bound to know god , and believe him . the second is the practise of godlinesse ; by this the will and affections are bound to love god , and yeeld themselves to him in obedience . the third is the confession and profession of both the former before men . by this the whole man in his bodily service is made a living and acceptable sacrifice unto god , rom. . . the two first coards are twisted together in one by the apostle , when he styleth his apostleship a service of god , according to the faith of his elect , and the acknowledging of the truth after godlinesse , tit. . . where we may observe how these things lie together . . the apostle is gods servant for his elects sake ; namely to bring them by the preaching of the gospell , to the obedience of faith , as he expresseth it , rom. . . & . . ly . his preaching doth this by the proposall of the 〈◊〉 which i after godlinesse ; and this truth when it is acknowledged , begetteth faith . ly . observe the cennexion of this acknowledgement with godlinesse , to be this ; that it is not onely inseparable from it , but that the truth begetting faith , is measured by godlinesse , and commensurable to it . so that as nothing is to be counted godlinesse , which doth not proceed from the acknowledgement of gods truth ; so nothing is to be counted a truth begetting faith , without the practise of godlinesse . but when gods spirit doth twist both these together upon the conscience of the elect , then the obedience of faith is begotten in them , which is the proper name of our christian religion , as it is inwardly before god in the heart : whereunto if the outward profesion or confession of the mouth before men , be joyned , which is the third coard of this tie ; then religion is fully compleated in the whole man . and this third coard is joyned by the apostle unto the two former , as a means no lesse necessary to salvation then they . this you have , rom. . , , . where speaking of the summe and substance of our christian religion ; he saith thus . if thou confess with thy mouth the lord jesus , and shalt believe in thine heart that god hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved : for with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse ; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation : for the seripture saith , whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed . he shall not be ashamed in two respects : first in respect of the event and effect of his faith , that without fail salvation promised shall follow upon it , and he shall not be frustrate of his expectation . secondly , in respect of the duty by which his faith is to be operative towards salvation , namely by confessing the truth of his faith and obedience : for if he doth deny this truth wherein christ doth reveal himself unto him , and be ashamed of christ ; then christ will deny him before his father , and be ashamed of him also , mar. . luk. . . mat. . . these three things then make up the truth of religion ; and except all three be taken together , the tie of subjection unto god is not compleat . thus i have told you as briefly as i could , what i mean by true religion ; now we come to the notion of principles . by the principles of religion and state , i suppose he doth mean the fundamentall maximes , positions , and rules of doctrine and practise , upon which christianitie is grounded ; and whereupon the peace and prosperity of the common-wealth is settled . now what these principles are , by which the whole point of doubt is to be determined , he saies nothing expresly to any purpose , but onely insinuates the matter suspiciously ; and as it seems to me for little instruction or edification . i must then let you know , that the principles of christianity must needs be three-fold , according to the three tyes of conscience hereafter mentioned ; namely principles of truth in doctrine : principles of practise in godlinesse ; and lastly , principles of our publique profession of both these . the principles that are fundamentall in doctrine , are all such truths and positions which bear a character of necessity , or are specially recommended to our faith , as matters of great importance ; as that of tim. . . without controversie great is the mysterie of godlinesse : god was manifested in the flesh , justified in the spirit &c. and that of tim. . . remember that jesus christ of the seed of david , was raised from the dead according to my gospell , and such like , which may have a two-fold character of fundamentality , either by some expresse words declaring their absolute necessity ; as when christ saith , joh. . . verily , verily , except a man be born of water and of the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdome of god ; or by the importance of the matter in it self ; though without any intimation thereof in the expression ; as when it is said , the just shall live by faith , it might be inferred from the innate propertie of justice , and of life depending upon faith ; that faith is absolutely necessary for salvation , although the apostle elsewhere had not said , without faith it is impossible to please god . these characters of fundamentall truths , i thus briefly hint at onely ; to shew what must distinguish a principle from another truth , in case we should have need to judge of some positions : whether they be fundamental or not ; and it is good to walk by known rules , for otherwise we walk not in the light . and as in matters doctrinall , so in matters of practise there are fundamentall duties , such as is that of luk. . . except ye repent , ye shall all perish : and that of heb. . . follow peace with all men and holiness , without which no man shall see the lord ; and from that which the apostle saith , tim. ● . . concerning charity , that it is the end of the commandement might easily be concluded ; that charity is a fundamentall duty , although he had not said elsewhere , if i have not charity , i am nothing , cor. . . and as in the inward truth of faith and godlinesse ; so in the outward profession , there are fundamental rules to walk by , which in this case i suppose will be most considerable : because i think that in matters of faith and practise , so farre as these relate to the new creature in the inward frame of the mind towards god , there will be no cause of dispu●e amongst us . but in the outward confession , profession and exercise of religious duties , as they are to be upheld by way of government for gods glory amongst men ; i suppose the chief doubt of this question doth lie . therefore to resolve the same , the principles of this kind are more distinctly to be thought upon : and to this effect , i conceive that the outward profession of religion is the publique witness-bearing and opening of our selves , to manifest the truth of our faith and obedience due to god towards men ; which can be done onely two wayes , by word and deed . we bear witness to the truth by word of mouth two waies : first , when we worship god publiquely , calling upon his name in christ the lord , phil. . . and giving praise unto him through christ , rom. . , . heb. . . and when we joyn with those that call upon him out of a pure heart in the profession of his truth , and say amen to that which is professed by them , cor. . secondly . when we give an account to every one that asketh a reason of the hope that is in us , pet. . . we bear witne●s to the truth in deed , in three sorts of actions . first , in the actions whereby we shew that we are in covenant with god through christ . secondly , in the actions whereby we maintain communion with the saints , the members of christ . and thirdly , by the actions whereby we maintaine communion with the ministers of the word , the servants of christ in their ministeriall charge towards us . in the first of these , our actions are considered as single between god and us . in the second , they are considered as co-ordinate to our brethren : in the third , as subordinate unto the ordinances of god in the gospell . in all these respects , there be certain fundamentall duties and principles of walking , which if a christian doth not know and conscionably intend , he doth sin against the truth of his profession . in respect of the first , we are commanded to walk worthy of god as dear children , and followers of him , as being called to his kingdome and glory , thes. . . ephe. . mat. . , , , , . to do all our matters without murmurings and disputings , being blamelesse and harmlesse in a crooked generation ; and holding forth the word of life , phil. . , , . and to this effect , all that are in covenant with god through christ in their professed subjection to the gospell , must intend two main things . first , as his disciples , to be baptized into his death , to serve him by bearing his cross , and by being crucified thereby unto the world , rom. . . gal. . . mat. . . secondly , such as thus serve and follow christ , must walk openly in the light before men , and not closely and in darknesse , joh. . , , & joh. . . mat. . . in respect of the second , we are commanded to serve others through love , not using our freedom to give occasion to the flesh , gal. . . to walk in all lowinesse and meeknesse , forbearing one another in cases of offence , and endeavouring to keep the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace , ephe. . , . and to bear one anothers burdens , gal , . . and to this effect : to consider one another , to provoke each other to love and to good works , heb. . . not to forsake the assemblies , as the custome of some was , heb. . . and still is to partake in the assemblies the ordinances in an orderly way , cor. . per . totum . to remember the poor , by distributing to the necessities of the saints , gal. . . rom. . . to avoid such as make schismes , rom. . . or bring another gospell , joh. . . gal. . , . to admonish and warn such as are under sin , and give offence , levit. . . mat. . . & thes. . . & ephe. . . in respect of the third , we are commanded to submit to the rulers that are over us in the lord , and watch for our souls , heb. . . to hearken unto their preaching , and admonitions , with respect unto them for their works sake , thes. . , . & tim. . . to joyn in prayer with them in publique , tim. . , . act. . . to partake of the sacraments , mat. . . & cor. . , , . these are the fundamentalls of our publique profession in the common practise of all men : some things there be which belong to the practise of ministers in a peculiar manner , wherby they are bound to manifest the truth of christianity in their speciall callings , which are chiefly these : ▪ they must be called as aaron was , and not take the honour of the ministry to themselves , heb. . . . being called , they must keep the charge of the house of god , zach. . . & tim. . . by preaching , praying , and overseeing the flock , and judging the same , and doing all things that christ hath commanded them , orderly , and to edification , without preferring one thing before another , tim. . . act. . . & pet. . , . & cor. . . . mat. . , . & cor. . , . mat. . , . & tim. . . according to these principles and maximes , the publique profession of religion must be maintained in the world : as for the principles of state , i will not reflect upon the interests of worldly men in state-matters , which are constant in nothing , but in the changeablenesse of circumstances . but looking upon a state , as it is a nation united together by lawes for their own peace and safety , the main interest thereof is this ; that the mutuall duties of magistrate and subjects , be rightly performed . now i take the ground or principle of the magistrates du●y and authority to be this ; that he is gods vice-gerent over publique societies , to administer justice , and see good order settled and observed therein , that peace may be maintained , and confusion the cause of strife prevented . as for the subjects duty , it is to be in subjection to the magistrates civill ordinances ; and to assist him with necessary means for the execution of the same , rom. . and in respect of the church , the magistrate ought to be a nursing father and protector thereof , isai. . . thus i have briefly lookt upon this querie , so farre as it seemeth requisite to discover the properties of the matter which it containeth , that from thence the decision of this doubt may result , by comparing and laying matters together to find their due proportion , towards that which is principally intended to be found out . the points then where the doubt lyeth , are these three , so farre as i can understand the matter . . whether yea or no the right ordering and guiding of mens wayes under christ , according to the scriptures , by the eldership , to bring them to communion with god ; should be approved , and without further delay , authoritatively set up , and determined in this kingdome ? . whether such a determination doth stand with the fundamentall maximes of saving truth , of godlinesse , and of the publique profession of christianity , as a thing convenient and usefull for the churches ? . whether or no by the fundamental duties and grounds of justice and good order settled in this kingdome , such a determination be not profitable for the maintaining of peace and avoiding of confusion in the state ? now all the stress doth lie upon the suddenness of the determination ; whether namely , that be expedient in all these respects yea or no ; where again we must call to mind , that by suddenness , is not meant a rash hastinesse without deliberation ; but onely a suspension of further deliberations , to fall orderly to the execution of that which is already determined , and needeth no further debate in the parliament . therefore to come to the comparison of these matters , with this point of doubt ; we must see what the consistencie or inconsistencie will be in every one of the forenamed particulars with this kind of settlement . first then we reflect upon the right ordering and guiding of mens wayes under christ , ( which is the proper work of church-government . ) and doth not this deserve to be set a foot as soon as may be ? is there no danger in delaying without cause a thing of so great concernment ? doth not this tend directly to the salvation of mankind , to gods glory , and to the good of his church ? why then if it may be settled in any degree , as in some degree it now may , should it be differred ? is it no dishonour to christ to neglect , or refuse to settle his ordinances ? if then the right ordering and guiding of mens wayes under christ , is rather inconsistent with a further delay , then with a sudden settlement ; i may refer it to himself to conclude what ought to be done . but you may perhaps say ; no man ever doubted of this ; that the right ordering and guiding of souls under christ should not be delayed , but rather speedily settled when it may be had : but we are not sure , that the government sued for , is the right ordering and guiding of souls under christ , therefore we may suspend the settlement . i answer , if this be the exception ; then he ought to have shewed us rather wherfore he makes this doubt : then wherefore all government should wholly be made void and unsettled ? for when a question is made of church government in generall , no body will otherwise conceive of it then under this notion ; that it is to be taken for the right ordering and guiding of mens lives under christ ; and this being granted , who dare say that it is not fit , that such a government should be settled without delay amongst those that sue for it ? but let us admit of the exception , as it may come under the limitation which is made of power commonly desired , &c. and upon this ground , let the question be thus : if the power commoly desired , be not in the hands of the ministers alone ( as formerly hath been declared ) but in the office of the eldership , and that according to the scriptures ; then querie , whether this be inconsistent with a sudden settlement , yea or no ? whether the right of guiding and over-seeing mens souls , be committed in the scripture to any but unto the eldership ? whether in nature , it can belong to any more properly then unto them ? whether a free chosen eldership , is not to be trusted with the charge of souls in ordinary , rather then any other sort of men whatsoever ? and if all this be so , what inconsistencie then is there between this power , and a sudden settlement ? where is the danger ? nay , is it not rather dangerous and unjust , to refuse it by a needlesse delay ? but now his expression running under the generall terms of power commonly desired in the hands of the ministers , doth infuse a prejudice , and mis-inform people of the ministers desire : whereby he doth maintain a jealousie in the minds of the simple against his brethren ; and if by this means a disrespect is cast upon the ministerie it self ; and if he in so doing , doth strengthen the hands of a prophane and dissolute generation , which seeketh nothing more , then to reject wholly the yoke of christ , and live without controle in all disorderly wayes : if i say by this manner of dealing in this matter , he doth all this ; i leave it to the serious disquirie of his own conscience ; whether or no he ought not to repent , and use means , to redress these evills whereunto he gives occasion . as for the fundamentalls of truth and godlinesse ; is it any way inconsistent that there should be a present settlement of eldership , which cannot be imagined to be without power to deal by scripturall wayes , and lawfull means with such persons as overthrow the faith , and are heretical , scandalous , and disorderly ? doth not the apostle injoyn timothy in the very first place , to take notice of those that teach other doctrine ; to charge them not to do so ; that is with authority to repress them ? tim. . . is there not a woe denounced to those that give scandalls ? mat. . . and is there no cause to grieve for the abominations committed without controle within the church , ezek. . . and if we should grieve for them ; should not means also be used which god hath appointed , to take them out of the way ? cor. . . why then should we hinder a settlement of those means ? is there any danger in a speedy course to repress prophaness , to rectifie disorderliness , and to cure ignorance ? and what benefit can redound to godliness , by deferring the discipline and order by which it should be upheld ? truly it is so farre from thence , that even a great and dolefull disadvantage doth come thereby to the gospell , to the weak in faith and simple ones , and to all the upright in heart , who are made sad by these distractions : and that any who beareth the name of a minister of christ , should help to increase their sorrows by obstructing the remedies , and dissolving all wayes of government ; is a double grief to godly souls . and if in the nature of truth and godlinesse , there is nothing to be found inconsistent with this settlement , but all doth call for the hastening of it ; what shall we conceive of the publique profession thereof ? is it to be imagined , that the fundamentall maximes of the religious profession of christianitie , should afford any thing whereby a settlement of government in the church of god should be diswaded ? is not god the god of peace and order , and not of confusion ? nay , doth not every part of that profession call aloud for a settlement of government with all possible speed ? first , look upon christ the apostle and high priest of our profession , is he not upon his throne , and in his kingdome , to order it , and to establish it with judgement and with justice ? isai. . . hath he hitherto shewed no judgement to the gentiles ? mat. . . and if we do acknowledge him the king of souls , and our king to whom we have given up our consciences in the covenant of grace , and with respect hereunto in a nationall covenant one with another . and if we make this our greatest glory to be counted his disciples , and to be under the government of his discipline : shall we deliberate yea or no , whether we should suffer his wayes of judgement to take place amongst us ? will he not be angry if we demurre upon the matter ? and shall we escape perdition if we lie under wrath ? psal. . . truly there can be no cause so pregnant to kindle his anger against a nation , as is this very neglect of giving him his due over mens souls . as for the duties of this profession , whether requisite in the members or the ministers of the church ; do not they all highly oblige us to further a speedy settlement of government ? are they not all either wholly interrupted in some places for want of it ; or every where under contempt and in disorder , because no government is no where settled ? for if all are bound to follow christ professedly even under the cross ; are they not then also obliged in conscience , even though they should suffer persecution for it , to further the settlement , of that power wherein christ may rule over them by his ordinances ? and if all are bound to walk openly and orderly in the publique light ; and if this cannot be done in a society of saints , without an agreement and some settlement in the wayes of christs publique ordinances ( wherein every one that is called by his name , and doth glory in his service , may find directions how to approve himself , without blame in the midst of a crooked nation ; ) then it is evident that every one is bound in conscience to desire this agreement of saints in government ; and the settlement of their wayes in the ordinances of christ without delay : but the first is true ; therefore also the second . and if we are also commanded to endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace without delay ; and this cannot be brought to passe effectually , without an agreement for settling of church-government ; then certainly we are all bound in conscience to seek this agreement without delay ; but we are all commanded to endeavour the first , without delay ; and it cannot be had without the second ; therefore we are also bound in conscience to seek for the second without delay . again , if christians in their publique profession , are bound to consider one another as members of the same body , to provoke daily each other to love and to good works ; and this cannot be done without the settlement of their comembership under christ in his government ; then the settlement of this comembership under this government , is to be intended without delay ; but that ought to be done daily , and cannot be done without this ; therefore this government ought to be settled without delay . if christians should come orderly to the ordinances of the covenant , and renew the memoriall thereof in the house of god as often as may be ; for the strengthening of their faith , and mutuall edification in love ; and this cannot be done comfortably , without the advancement of church-government to a settlemen ; then the government should be settled without delay : but the former of these duties is requisite , and cannot be done without the latter ; therefore the latter is to be put in execution without delay . furthermore all are bound to preserve themselves from the guilt of schisme , and to avoid such as give occasion thereunto ; but without the settlement of some wa●es , and agreement in government , it is not possible to do this effectually , or to avoid the scandals of division ; therefore the settlement of the way of government , is to be intended without delay . and concerning the duty of mutual admonition , to rectifie the unruliness of brethren , and to take away publique offences ; is it possible to perform it to any purpose of edification , without an agreement and settlement of the wayes of brotherly relation , under the government of christ in his ordinances , of judgement ? and if without this , that cannot be done : are not those guilty of all the offences which now are remediless in the churth and state for want of government ; who disswade the settlement thereof ? thus we find nothing in the things which all ought to do in the publique profession of christianitie , which is any way inconsistent with the settlement of church-government ; but contrariwise every thing doth mainly require it : and if we look further upon the things which are fundamentally to be done by the ministers in their publique profession of the gospell , either in generall for the keeping of the charge of gods house , or in particular , for the preaching of the word ; for the ruling of the flock , for the setting forth of the worship , by labouring publiquely in prayers , and administring of the sacraments without disorder and confusion : if i say we look upon these duties of the ministeriall profession , to see what their consistency is with a settlement of government without delay : do not all these duties utterly loose their edifying vertue , and become a kind of reproach and derision to the prophane world , for want of this settlement of church-government amongst us ? and doth not this neglect of gods house bring a guilt upon the state ; because we will have our own worldly ends , before we give christ his spirituall righ●● over us ? therefore nothing doth more require this suddain settlement of government , then the ministeriall duties of the publique profession . as for the true principles of state , which can be none other then these . . that justice ought to be maintained by wholsome lawes and statutes . . that good orders ought to be settled in all publique societies . . that confusion and the causes of strife and divisions , ought to be prevented . . that the means of peace , of love , and safety , ought to be procured and settled by publique authority : i say , in respect of all these maximes , if a needless delay of settling church-government , be wholly contrary to their sense and purpose ; then i suppose it will not be thought good policie to deferre that settlement any longer , then it is impossible to establish it : but there is no such impossibility now , for the state of this kingdome ; to settle by their authority the ordinances of christs power amongst their subjects ; therefore it is wholly inconsistent with the true principles of state , as well as of religion to deferre any longer the settlement of the so much longed for church-government . i love not to play the states-man , and to reflect upon the interests of parties , to shew the advantages which each might reap ( so farre as their ends are laudable ) from this settlement of christs power amongst us : nor will i enter upon the consideration of all the dangerous consequences which the long discontinuance and unsettlement of church-government doth threaten the state withall from within to weaken it , and from without to betray it to cunning adversaries that lie in wait to take advantages : i say , i love not to dive much into these things , although the last might to good purpose be insisted upon here , ( chiefly in respect of the designes of papists and prelates , who will never gain ground upon us again , but by our inward unsettlement . ) but one thing i will say ; that as it is a high dishonour unto god , and the greatest that a state can do unto christ ; not to allow him to order and guide his own house , by his own lawes within their territories ; and by his own officers rule his own subjects , which are the souls which he within their habitations hath bought , and doth call unto himself ; so he will no doubt severely revenge such an injurie with deserved judgements ; and put down the power and authority of those in this world , that will not suffer his power and authority to take place in his mount sion . he will break them with a rod of iron , like a potters vessel all to pieces : therefore be wise now o ye kings , and be ye instructed ye rulers of the earth . and if the tenor of the nationall covenant hath been judged a true maxime of state , to unite and settle the kingdoms both joyntly and severally in peace ; and is to be observed conscionablely by all , as a thing sworn unto by the members of the representative body of the kingdom , who in the presen●e of the great god of heaven and earth ( who will not suffer those to be unpunished that take his name in vain ) have bound themselves to perform it : then i suppose that the needless ( that is to say , the meer politicall , subtile and cunning ) delay of settling that church-government which is most consonant to the word of god , and the example of the best reformed churches , will not be found expedient , but very hurtfull to the whole state and the members of the houses : for if their oath hath made this endeavour of settling this church-government when it can be done , a necessary dutie unto them in respect of the state ; then i hope that they will understand thus much , that he who knoweth the secrets of all hearts , will be able to discern the purpose and aime , for which the performance of such a duty when it may be performed , is deferred , no state end will give him satisfaction in this matter : and we all ( i say , we chiefly that are remembrancers on gods behalf to men of their duties ) should let the magistrate as well as others , know what god requires of them : we are bound to put them in mind of their dutie in this case ; namely that god expects a performance of vowes made unto him without all delayes ; and that he doth not allow of any by-ends , in a businesse to which the conscience hath bound it self towards the lord : therefore the counsell of gods spirit in ecclesiastes , is to be laid to heart , which saith thus , chap. . . when thou vowest a vow to god , deferre not to pay it , for he hath no pleasure in fools ; pay that which thou hast vowed : in a word then to perswade the magistrate to deferre the payment of his vow to god upon state considerations , and politic intents , is to perswade him to play the foole and to be guiltie of the judgement denounced in that woe , which is threatned them that are wise in their own eyes , and prudent in their own sight , isai. . . let therefore no man deceive himself ; if we are christians not in word , but in deed , we must believe that all the wisdome and state politie of this world , is meer foolishness with god ; because it is written , that he will take the wise in their own craftinesse , cor. . , . i have done with the first part of this discourse , wherein i have endeavoured to shew you an unpartiall way of resolving the doubt which he hath preposed : now i come to the second part , wherein i am to look upon his manner of proceeding for the determination thereof , to see how farre it doth reach the aime of advancing truth and peace . the second part. the querie . whether it be fit according to the principles of true religion and state , to settle any church-government over the kingdome hastily or not ; and with the power commonly desired in the hands of the ministers ? i have hitherto delivered my sense of this querie , and by way of deliberation , shewed what answer should be given to it . now i purpose to reflect upon the answer which he doth give to observe what truth is in it ; and how farre the way which he doth suggest is useful for peace . to find out the truth which is in his discourse , i must examine his reasonings ; and to this effect i will set down in his own words so near as may be , the arguments which he doth use , ( and that in their full strength ) to make good his conclusion : and then i will compare the point of doubt , with that wherein the force of the reason doth lie . his reasons lie in severall aphorismes or sections , without method or coherence . he is brief and dark , and doth presuppose some things which must be expressed in the examination of the matter . now i hate confusion , and therefore ( without doing him wrong ) will reduce his reasons to certain heads , under which all shall be brought in , which he doth alledge in such order , as his matter will admit of . he endeavours then to prove ; that it is not fit that any church-government should be settled hastily in this kingdom , from four heads of arguments . . from the unfitnesse of the people , and of parochiall congregations , to admit of government , sect. . , . . from the practise of christ , and of his apostles , and the fault of reformers in latter dayes , sect. . , . . from the unfitnesse of the new clergy-men , to administer church government , sect. . . . from the interests of state , and of the dissenting brethren , sect. . . . concerning the first . in the first head i find two pre-supposalls which he takes as granted . the first is this . that which a people is not fit to receive , by reason of their ignorance , or want of sutablenesse ; is not hastily to be imposed upon them . the second is . that which a people ought to receive by reason of the unlawfulness or uselesseness of the thing , that ought not to be imposed upon them . the first assertion , is the ground of his first and sixt ; and the second of his second section . but the first is not to be granted without a limitation ; for ignorance and want of suteableness in a people , ( except it be found altogether invincible ) doth not excuse them from obedience : nor should good lawes and government , wherby a people may be instructed , and made suteable to perform necessary duties , be left off , because formerly they have not been well taught . nay in humane government , the contrary may be asserted for a truth ; namely that where a people is ignorant of their dutie , and doth want sutableness to perform it towards superiours , there government ought to be constituted without delay ; lest their unruliness and unteachableness become habituall : for the want of government doth make a people wild . thus then the assertion is not universally true . but perhaps he will say , that in matters of religious subjection , it will hold true ; because the word of god doth bind no man further to practicall obedience and subjection to government , then he doth understand the nature and grounds of that government to be of god . for it is said , rom. . . let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind , and vers. . whatsoever is not of faith , is sinne . from this place he inferres , that if a people be not taught the nature and grounds of that government , it should not be imposed upon them : how this consequence doth follow , we shall see anon , when we examine the reasoning of his first section : but here i will intimate onely , that the apostles words are not given as a rule of subjection , relating to government ; but as a rule of freedom , relating to discretion , whereby every one is to look to his own private wayes : for in that th . chapter of the epistle to the romanes , the apostle doth teach christians rules of mutuall forbearance and moderation , in judging one another for matters of indifferencie , such as are meats and dayes : in these things he forbid ; the strong to despise the weak , & the weak to judge the strong , ver. . , . and he willeth every one to be fully perswaded in his own mind concerning that which he doth , that he may not do it either with offence to others , or doubtingly within himselfe : if either of these befall him , the apostle declares it to be a sinne , from vers . . till the end of the chapter , and chiefly concerning the man that doubteth in the last verse of the chapter , he saith ; that if he eateth not with faith , he is damned , because whatsoever is not of faith , is sin . thus we see that the apostle speaks clearly of a rule , by which every one is to govern himself in his own private actions : namely that he ought to abstain from that which he cannot do in faith , and whereof he is not fully perswaded in his mind . now how from a precept of this kind , a consequence will be rightly drawn to conclude : that it is not fit that any church-government should be hastily settled in this kingdom , is not clear to me at the first sight ; for , because a christian may abstain from doing that whereof he is in doubt , and ought to be fully perswaded in his own mind , that what he doth is lawfull ; that therefore no church-government should be settled in this kingdome , seemeth to me no good inference . for if the romanes to whom these rules were given , were under church-government ( as is apparant they were by ch. . . , , , . ) and if this doubting in private cases of practise was incident unto them , and did not exempt them from that obligation , nor did make church-government a thing unfit for their edification in godlinesse ; i know not why it should exempt this people from the same obligation , or be unfit for their publique edification . but let us come to his proofe of the conclusion , drawn from these rules . in the first section , he saith thus ; that no church-government ought to be settled upon this people : because , if any be settled , it will bring this people either to a necessity of sinne against god ; or of misery in the world : his general ground then is this ; whatsoever may occasion a people either to sinne against god , or to become miserable in the world , is not fit to be brought upon them . this he takes as an universall truth , and doth presuppose it as a thing undeniable : but to shew that it is a false ground , and not to be admitted without limitation : i may conclude from it in his way of reasoning , as wel that the gospel is not to be offered to a people , as that no church-government is to be settled amongst them . for if the gospell be preached , and christ offered to a people in the covenant of grace , they are brought thereby under a necessity , either of sinning against god if they receive not christ , or of being persecuted and miserable in the world if they receive him . for it is said , that all that will live godly in christ jesus , shall suffer persecution , tim. . . and the world is condemned of sinne , if it believe not in him , joh. . , . so then seeing god hath appointed this necessity to follow the gospell preached , or the preaching of it ; it is no truth to say ; that whatsoever bringeth a people on a necessity , either of sinne or misery , is not fit to be brought upon them , for the preaching of the gospell doth this ; and it is absurd to say , that the preaching of the gospell is not fit to be brought upon them . but he will say perhaps , that the case is different ; either that there is a greater necessity of preaching , then of exercising church-government ; or that the cause of this necessity is not proper , and per se , by it selfe following the nature of the gospell , but onely accidentall in respect of the world . i answer , that he will never be able to shew a greater necessity of the one then of the other ; he may perhaps shew that the one may go before the other ; na●●ly that teaching must be first ; but that upon teaching , the observation of all christs commandements ( under which the commandements of church-government are comprehended ) must needs follow , is clear , from the fundamentall commission given to the apostles , mat. . . and he that doth charge timothy to preach in season , and out of season , doth also charge him in the same place to watch ; and elsewhere with no less earnestness to observe all the rules of government , without preferring one before another , tim. . and we have seen heretofore , that the principles of the outward profession of religion , are no lesse essentially requisite in christianity , then the principles of faith , although the principles of faith are first in order . so then he cannot plead a greater necessity of the one , then of the other . but then when he saies , that the gospell is not by it self a proper cause of persecution and misery , but onely accidentally , by reason of the evill world which hates the godly without a cause . i say , that herein he gives himself an answer , concerning the matter of government : for the settling of the government which christ hath ordained , is no cause either of sin or misery by it self ; but onely accidentally by reason of the ignorance and wickednesse of our corrupt nature : from whence you see that the generall ground of his reasoning in the first section , is not true , as he doth presuppose it ; namely that whatsoever doth necessitate a people either to sinne , or to be miserable , is not to be imposed upon them : but to make it true a limitation is to be added thus ; whatsoever in its own nature and propertie , and not accidentally , doth necessitate a people either to sin or misery , that is not to be imposed upon a people : but then if you express according to this presupposal , the assumption or second proposition of his argument , thus : now the settling of church-government doth in its own nature and property , and not accidentally , necessitate a people either to sin , or to be miseable ; this you see is evidently false , and therefore the conclusion which he intends to inferre , doth not hold true ; namely that no church-government ought to be settled upon this people . thus you see that the very ground of his reasoning is a hidden fallacie , fit to deceive ignorant people , and plausible to a naturall mans capacity , but no wayes agreeable with gods truth and counsell in the dispensation of the gospell . for god hath determined that all men shall be brought to this necessity in some degree more or lesse , for the tryall of their faith and perseverance . but you perhaps will say , that he makes not this the chiefe ground of his reasoning ; but that he seems onely to touch it as an inferrence following upon the precedents , to shew the inconveniencie thereof . i answer ; if it be no inconveniency in gods counsell , then his counsell to reject all church-government upon this ground , is contrary to gods counsell ; and he speaks in this matter as a naturall man to please men , rather then god . having thus discovered the deceit of his main ground of perswasion , you may easily perceive that the superstructures will fall ; but that we may further see the force of his consequences , and the coherence of matters which he layes together , let us proceed to set all his arguments in their order distinctly . thus then he doth reason . that which bringeth upon a people a necessity of sinne or misery , is not to be imposed upon them . the settling of any church-government will do this , ergo , no church-government is to be imposed upon them . the first proposition of this argument hath been now examined , and found false ; his discourse runnes upon the proof of the second ; namely that the settling of any church-government , will bring this people to the necessity of sinne . thus . that which will put this people upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their minds , will put them upon the necessity of sinne , rom. . . but the settling of any church-government , will put them upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their minds : ergo , it will put them upon the necessity of sin . here again the major or first proposition , is not to be admitted without a restriction , thus that which in its own nature , and by it self , will put this people upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their mind , will put them upon the necessity of sinne , if they do it ; now with this restriction the second proposition is false : for it is not true , that the settling of any church-government whatsoever , will in its own nature , and by it self , put them upon the practise of that wherein they cannot be fully perswaded in their minds . therefore this conclusion is false , namely that the settling of any church-government whatsoever , will put them upon the necessity of sin . here again you see plainly the falacie ; but he not observing this , hath gone on in his reasoning to prove the other proposition ; namely that the settling of any church-government whatsoever , will bring the people upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their minds ; and to make this good , he argues thus . a people that is generally untaught in the nature and grounds of all church-government , will be brought upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their minds , if the settling of any church-government be brought upon them . but this people is generally untaught in the nature and grounds of all church-government ; ergo , they will be brought upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their minds , if the settling of any church-government be brought upon them . although all this were granted , yet the former grounds not being sound , the consequence by which his main conclusion is to be inferred , will not hold : but let us now examine the truth of these propositions also in themselves . first then , i do not see that the first proposition of this syllogisme is true , and that this is a good consequence ; namely because a people is unraight , and not able to judge of the nature and grounds of church-government , that therefore they will be put upon the practise of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded , in case they be brought under government . i say , that there is no necessary coherence of the first part of this proposition with the latter . . because the settling of the government may be such as shall bring its own light with it , and convince those that receive it of the nature and the grounds thereof . . because the settling of it may be such , as will not put them upon any practise whereat they shall scruple : for both the government and the way of settling it , may be so moderate and sutable to tender consciences ; that they shall not be constrained to any thing whereof they cannot be fully perswaded . . because it connot be made out , that every one who is to be under government in the church , must needs understand the whole nature and grounds of the government ; or else be obliged to refuse all obedience thereunto , for fear of being put upon the practise of something whereof they cannot be fully perswaded : is it not enough to be assured that the government shall not urge any such practise upon them ? and if they know that they shall not be led with rigour , but with judgement ; that the lost will be sought , the broken bound up , the sick strengthened , and that which was driven away , brought back ; will not this be satisfactory ? i do not intend to disswade any from endeavouring to satisfie themselves , to the utmost of their abilities in any thing whereof they doubt , but rather wish that all may be as the b●reans were , noble in searching out all truths . neverthelesse i do not see it either needful or useful , that men should walk so scrupulously and partially as this position seemeth to allow : for the wisdome which is from above , is without partialitie . . nor do i see that the place of scripture , wherein the apostle doth exhort every one to be carefull of his own private wayes , to do all in faith , and with a full perswasion of mind , doth oblige him that hath this care of himself , to judge also the actions of church-governours in the wayes of government , so narrowly that he must needs know all what they do , or else be subject in nothing . it is another thing to be fully perswaded in mine own mind of that which i must do ; and another to be fully perswaded of the nature and grounds of duties belonging to the government , which is intrusted unto others : i may do the former , and satisfie my self in what concerns my self , and yet may be safely ignorant of the latter . so then i do not find this to be a truth , that the settling of a church-government upon me who am not fully informed of the nature of it , will put me upon the practise of that whereof i am not fully perswaded , except i be obliged to administer the government which i understand not , ( for then i confesse i am put upon the practise of that whereof i am not perswaded . ) but if i be not obliged to do this , and am left free to do what is good for me to do : how is it true , that by the settling of government , i am put upon the practise of that whereof i am not fully perswaded ? if you say , although you be not obliged to practise the government , as one to whom the duties of government are intrusted ; yet you will be obliged by way of obedience , to practise that which the government shall injoyn you to do , and that may be for ought you know , something whereof you are not fully perswaded . to this i answer ; that it is no charity in me , to suspect that the government will put me upon any such practise ▪ but if it doth , then it will be time to shew my grievance ; in the mean time i think it not just , because i may think that some such thing may fall out ; that therefore i should disswade all from admitting of any government whatsoever , till all my apprehensions be cleared . do not i in this case not onely want charity , but also take too much upon me , to have all unsettled till i be satisfied ? why shall others that desire to be under government , and are satisfied in the nature and grounds of it , be deprived of the benefit thereof for my sake ? or why should i put fears and jealousies in their minds , to alienate them from the love of government ? is not this to seek my self more then the publique ? but his assumption or second proposition , saith , that this people is generally untaught in the nature and grounds of government ; and therefore it may be said , that he seeks not himself in this so much as the publique . to this i answer , that i desire not to judge him in his particular aime , god alone doth know the secrets of hearts ; but two things i must add : first , that the nature and property of his way of reasoning may have such an aime ; and therefore that he gives cause to suspect that he may perhaps be guilty thereof . secondly , i say , that i see no cause to believe that the thing which he saith of this people , is true in the sense which his words tend or seem to insinuate . for i am perswaded that this people doth generally know , that there is a necessity of some government , and that the best government is that which is settled according to gods will , and consequently that it ought to be so settled ; and that it belongeth to the ministery to have the administration of it ; and that they ought to obey and submit to those that are set over them in the lord : and that as the minister is not to rule over them according to his own will , but according to gods will revealed in the word ; so that they ought to yeeld to every thing whereof they shall be convicted from the word , that it is to gods will . i say , i see no cause to believe but that this people is generally thus much taugh , or at least so much advanced towards the apprehension of these truths , that if they but hear them delivered ; they will sincerely assent thereunto : and this i conceive is enough to make them capable of government . therefore although i will not deny , but that many are untaught in the particular way and grounds of that government which god hath appointed in his house : yet i cannot be so uncharitable , to think , that whensoever it shall be made known unto them , they will be incapable to understand it . for besides the grounds which they have already received in the common way of protestancie , which certainly have brought them thus far ; we have large promises in the scripture , and particularly in the . of isai. to assure us , that when the kingdome of christ shall be settled in the earth , the blind , the deafe , the dum , the lame , and such like , shall be inabled to see , to hear , to speak and to leap ; and that the way shall be made so plain in holinesse , that the wayfaring men though fooles , shall not erre therein , vers. . therefore although it may be true , that the greater part of the people is untaught of the nature of the government ; yet i am perswaded , that so many as have any knowledge of catecheticall principles , though but generall , will be capable instantly of all that which is needfull to be known to admit of the government : therefore it is no consequence , because the multitude is not yet fully taught and made to understand the reasons of government , that therefore no government should be settled upon them : for the very settling of that government which christ hath appointeth , will carry light with it , and make them all to understand the nature of the thing , better then all the discourses which either he or i can make of it . for these causes his whole discourse in this matter , is wholly impertinent ; nor doth it follow at all , that although this people were wholly untaught in the nature of the government , that therefore it ought n●t to be settled upon them . thus i have done with his first section ; to let you see the unreasonablenesse of his reasonings therein . in the following sections , i shall not need to be so exact and large , because i will not meet with any thing that doth reflect so much upon conscience as this doth : or is so plausibe and likely to entangle the thoughts of the simple . the sixt section is to be considered in the next place , because it hath greatest affinitie with the first . for the first taketh the argument from the peoples ignorance ; and sixt , from their want of sutablenesse to yeeld obedience . but his words and sense are so obscure , as if he were afraid to be understood , and did speak to some body in the clouds of the aire ▪ for he saith thus . it is against the nature of christs description of himselfe , and against the sutablenesse which he doth press for , amongst all such as should submit to his commandements . and to make this appear , he doth alledge places , where it is said , that christ doth not cry nor s●rive , mat. . . and that his yoke is easie , mat. . . and that his commandements are not grievous , joh. . . and that he putteth no new wine in old bottles , mat. . . then he ends with these words , all which cannot be fulfilled in the parochiall congregations . what is his meaning ? is it this ; that to settle a church-government in the churches of christ , is against the nature of christs description of himselfe ; and against the sutablenesse that de doth press for in his subjects ? can any thing be said more fals then this ? for is it not the very end of church-government , to make mens lives conformable unto christ , and to make them sutable to submit to his commandements ? but if he means not to speak of church-government , as a thing inconsistent with the life of christ , and the submission to his commandements , he sayes nothing to the purpose of his querie . and if the settling of church-government according to the scriptures , is one of the most effectuall means to take men off from striving and crying in the streets , to make them find christs yoke easie , and his commandements not grievous , and to put them in a new frame of life to become new bottles , wherein the wine of spirituall wisdome and comfort may be kept without spilling ; then the settling of church-government is no wayes against the nature of christ life , and the properties of subjection due to him : but the settlement of church-government according to the scriptures , is one of the most effectuall means to do all this ; therefore the settling of church-government , is no way against the nature of christs life , or description of himself , and against the properties of subjection due to him , or the sutablenesse which he doth seek in those that are to submit to his commandements . but his meaning is perhaps , that the constitution of government over parochiall congregations is against all this : or as he sayes , that all this cannot be fulfilled in any parochiall congregations . if this be his meaning , he might have spoken plainer , and ought to have given some proof thereof . for he could not be ignorant of this , that many godly and zealous ministers will say , that they have experience of the contrary ; namely , that in some parochial congregations all this is done ; when with the faithfull dispensation of the word , the discipline and charge of gods house is carefully kept by the minister : and it is apparant , that one of the chief causes of striving and crying , is the want of true government , which makes christs yoke uneasie to mens souls : and if he appeal to experience , it will not be found that in the parochiall congregations hitherto settled in the reformed way , so much division , such crying out and striving , and such disturbance of good order hath been , as in the churches which are called separatists , or independents . and the reason is clear , why it falls out to be so ; because their principles of government lead them rather to walk by themselves , and at a distance from all others , then to keep the unity of the spirit with their brethren without partiality . the name of a parochial congregation , because it is of old in use , perhaps is taken for an old bottle , by way of allusion to christs speech ; but an old parish in name , wil be a new congregation in substance , when it is cast into another frame of government then formerly it was in : and it will be found that nothing is done in any congregationall church , for orderly government of mens wayes under christ , which in the reformed parish-congregation , can not be done with lesse stirre , and as effectually , if the government were once settled . so then in this section i find no argument at all , but a bare assertion , wherein is so much obscurity , that it seems to me , he did either not intend to be understood , if he speaks to his question : or if he speaks not to it , but would take the libertie to speak somewhat to no purpose , or to some other purpose then his question , he might have been more intelligible if it had pleased him , and not left us to guesse at his meaning ▪ men that would convince and perswade , should not walk in darknesse . the second section is also reduced to the first generall head , because it is taken from the unlawfulnesse or uselessenesse of bringing the desired government upon the people . the argument runnes thus : that which is dangerous to bring a people under a popish implicite obedience , by forcing on them a practise of that which they scarce know , or know but in part , and conseqently is contrary to the nationall covenant , ought not to be settled upon them ; but the settling of any church-government hastily , as it is commonly desired , doth this , and is contrary to the nationall covenant : ergo , it ought not to be settled upon them . the answer is ; that the church-government desired , such as we have formerly described , doth none of all this , and therefore may be set up without danger : and the godly ministers of this kingdom will call this a false accusation against them , and injurious to the government desired : nor doth he give any proof of what he sayes , but as if it were enough to have said so ; he doth alledge onely the peoples inclination to that which the state sets up ; saying , that experience sheweth , that the peoples consciences doth resolve it selfe in this querie ; whether the religion be established by law or no ? if hi● argument is this ; that because the people doth scarce know , or knows but in part that government which is to be settled , that therefore the government will bring them under a popish implicite obedience ; i deny the consequence : for although the people be ignorant , or inclined to do things by an implicite faith , yet it is no fault in the government that they are so , nor will the settling of the government make them to be so ; but the contrary will rather follow . for where christs kingdom is erected , there the deafe are made to hear the words of the booke , and eyes of the blind are made to see out of obscurity , and out of darknesse . there they that erred in spirit shall come to understanding , and they that murmured shall learn doctrine : for the promise is clear ; that when the king of righteousnesse shall reigne , and his government shall be as a hiding place from the wind , and a covert from the storme , and as rivers of waters in a dry place , and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land . that then also , the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge . from whence it is clear , that christs government doth take away this implicite ignorant obedience ; and therefore it is a grosse inconsequence to say , because the people know but in part ; that therefore the government will confirm them in ignorance . but he sayes , the government will force a practise upon them without knowledge : i say , that he doth in this calumniate his brethren , and traduces the government desired without cause , to strengthen the prejudices and unruly affections of some that hate all settlement of order . nay , but the people resolves their conscience in this querie ▪ whether the religion be settled by law or no ? even now the fault was in the government , that it would force them to practise what they knew not ; now the fault is in them that will not practise till they know that which is warrantable by law ; whence i can gather none other argument but this : if the people doth too much respect the authority of the state for the settling of church-government over them ; then no government should be settled by the state ; but the people doth so : ergo , who will admit the consequence of the first proposition ? and yet except this be presupposed , nothing can be made of his discourse . but he will perhaps say , they do not onely respect their authority , but they are superstitiously devoted to it . i answer , dum vitant stulti vitia in contraria currunt , fools are alwayes in extreams ; because some extreamly affect humane lawes and authority ; will you therefore have no divine ordinances settled ? and doth this follow ; that the state ought not to settle any government , because the people is too much devoted to their authority ? ought they not rather to be so much the more carefull of their duties ? ought they not rather to make use of their interest in the peoples affections , to settle that government which christ doth require in his house ? as for the people their error to respect man too much in divine matters , must in due time be rectified ; and this can be done more advantagiously when the government which christ hath appointed is settled , then when nothing is settled , but all is in confusion . thus you see , that having found so much falacie in all these arguments , and so little coherence in them with the main querie ; i have no cause to give any assent unto the negative which he doth assert ; namely that it is not fit that any church-government should be settled hastily , and with the power commonly desired in the hands of the ministers . but before i leave this head , i must observe that the whole strain of these arguments doth runne beyond the querie , and intendeth to make good rather this assertion , that no government at all should be settled , then that which the querie doth mention . for if the peoples ignorance of the nature of government , and their want of sutablenesse to be conform to christs description of himselfe , be sufficient causes why government should be suspended ; then not onely the government commonly desired , but all other government whatsoever may be suspended upon the same grounds ; and perhaps the aime is rather to hinder all , then that which is desired : for the way of reasoning doth not so much aime at the resolution of the doubt proposed , touching the fitnesse or unfitnesse of the government commonly desired , as to take off mens thoughts from the necessity of any government at all . nor will it serve his turn to say , that the general is made good onely , to the end that the particular may be inferred the more strongly . for i say , except it be his opinion that no government at all should be settled in the church , neither in respect of god nor man ▪ neither in spiritual nor in naturall actions , which relate into the inward or outward state of souls : i say , except he be of this meaning , he ought not to have shot beyond his mark ; and if he be of it , then he ought to have put his querie in other terms . but if he means not to strike at all government , then he should have been so ingenuous as to remove this stumbling block , which every one that reads with attention , his discourse will instantly meet withall . thus i have done with the first head ; now i come to the examination of the second . concerning the second . in the second head , arguments are taken from the practise of christ , of his apostles , and of the authors of the last reformation . the generall argument is this . that which christ and his apostles practised in their way of settling church-government , we ought to follow ; and that which the first reformers of religion failed in , we ought to avoid . but christ and his apostles practised a slow , and not a hasty way of settling church-government : and the first reformers failed in making too much hast , therefore we ought to follow a slow , and not a hasty way of settling church government . the answer to this argument is , that all may be granted which it concludes in some sense , if namely slowness and hast be taken in a right sense ; that is , if by slowness , be meant not a lingring , but a considerate delay ; and by hast , not an inconsiderate , but a prudent speed ; then the conclusion is true . and i suppose that hitherto this counsell hath been followed , and wil be followed by those that are in place of authority . but yet because the premises according to his sense are doubtfull , and may be misunderstood ; yea and cannot be rightly understood as they relate his scope ; to make it good , therefore we must take them into consideration . i say then , that the first preposition is to be granted with this limitation ; namely , that we ought to follow the practise of christ , and of his apostles , in that wherein the cases are alike , and their actions not extraordinary , but of an ordinary nature and imitable . now then if he can make it appear , that in the settling of church-government , our cases and theirs are alike , and that their actions were hot of an extraordinary nature , but imitable by us in all things ; then he will say something to the purpose , and may inferre that their slownesse and ours ought to be of the same extent . but then if we reflect upon the second proposition , as it relates to his purpose in hand , and as he intends to apply it . i suppose that his sense of slownesse and hastinesse , will not be applyable either to christ and his apostles , or to the first reformers of religion in our times . for the slownesse which he seeks , is a dilatory and lingering off putting of matters readie to be done : and the hastinesse whereof he accuses the first reformers of our religion , is an inconsiderate precipitation whereof i doubt they were not guilty . i suppose then he will be found in an error , either in respect of the cases , or in respect of the application of them to us . three sections belong to this argument ; the third speaks of christ : the fourth , of the apostles ; and the fifth ; of our last reformers . in the proceedings of christ and the apostles , he supposes there was a dilatory slownesse in se●tling church-government , which i suppose was not at all therein : and he condemns the first reformers for too much hastinesse , which i conceive he hath no reason to do : let us then consider the particulars . concerning christ , he would insinuate that he did proceed in a dilatory slow way , by this argument , applyed from his practise to us . if christ did not settle his government by miracle hastily , and over a people not enlightned ; then there is no morall necessity of settling it so soon as may be ; according to the desire of some . but christ settled not his government by miracle , nor over a people not enlightned therein : therefore there is no morall necessity of settling it so soon as may be , according to the desire of some . the answer is , that the major proposition , is a non-sequitur : for it is no consequence . if christ settled not his government by miracle : ergo , the settling thereof by ordinary means as soon as may be , is not necessary : for it was not expedient to be settled by miracle , but by the ordinary ministry of the apostles ; and yet it appeareth to have been done as soon as could be without all dilatory slownesse . for the prophets tell us , that the settlement of the glory of the church under the gospell , which could not be brought to passe without the settlement of government therein , should be hastened in its own time , isai. . . and that the promise of the way wherein the just should live by faith , should not ●arry , hab. . , . now that which is said to be hastined , and not delayed , cannot truly be said to be slow : for nothing is properly slow which comes at his time appointed . and to make this yet more apparant , viz. that christ would settle as soon as could possible be , the government of his church : let us consider that which in isai. . . is said of him , viz. that he shall not faile , nor be discouraged , till he set judgement in the earth . this promise doth assure us of two things : first , that christ would not differ by faint-heartedness , or want of strength , the execution of his work ; and consequently , that he would not be slow in it . secondly , that the issue of his work should be to settle judgement in the earth , which is the effect of church-government : whence we may directly conclude , that the settlement of government in the church , is a matter of primary and morall necessity ; because without it , christ could not settle judgement in the earth , which was one of the ends of his ministry amongst men . divers other things might be answered concerning this example of christ , and the way of his ministry amongst the jews ( as that it was not his proper work in the flesh , to settle another church-government amongst the jews , then that which his father had settled ; but that he was to be to them a minister of the circumcision , to confirm the promises to the f●thers , rom. . . and that the change of government was the proper work of the spirit , by which jews and gentiles should have one accesse to the father , ephe. . . and therefore could not be done till after his resurrection , when the spirit was to be sent forth ) but this will suffice to shew that it was primarily necessary in him to establish his church-government as soon as could be in the ordinary way of his ministry ; and if christ was not slow , but made all the speed he could in his way ; then every one that is to have a hand under him in the work , is to do the like ; and therefore in this perswasion of his , i do not conceive that mr. saltmarsh is a work-man approved unto god , that needeth not to be ashamed , or that this perswasion doth come from him who hath called him to the ministry . and besides this perswasion , whereof i think he ought to be ashamed , he doth alledge mr. colemans opinion to confirm it in such a way , as is very unbeseeming to him to do ; who being of a different opinion from mr. coleman , not onely in that wherein he doth alledge him , to make it probable that christ was slow , but also in the main and fundamentall tenet of erastus ( whom mr. coleman followes ) concerning the power of the civill magistrate in church-matters , which i suppose mr saltmarsh holds to be none at all and mr. coleman to be all in all . who ( i say ) being thus different in opinion from him , yet seems to snatch greedily at the shadow of a passage in his sermon , which is to strengthen an imaginary probability , not so much of a dilatory slowness in christs settling of church-government , as of the unsettling of all spirituall government , which mr. coleman aims at , to make the civill magistrate an absolute church-officer . and by this also it is clear ; that his aime is rather to raise then resolve doubts . the fourth section hath this argument : if the apostles in the new testament , settled no gospell-government upon any , but upon such as first were brought under gospell obedience by the power of the word and and spirit , then no government should hastily be settled in this kingdome . but the antecedent is true : ergo , the consequent also . now to make good the consequence of the antecedent : he sayes , if thousands of co●gregations in this kingdome , are not yet brought under gospell obedience by the power of the word and spirit ; then the gospell-government ought not to be settled hastily in this kingdome , but thousands of congregations are not brought under gospell-obedience : ergo , &c. here observe again , that his argument runnes directly against gospell-government it selfe , and not against the supposed government desired , to be in the hands of the ministers . but the answer to the argument is this : although never so many thousands of congregations are not yet brought under gospell-obedience ; yet it doth not follow , that such as are brought under that obedience , should not be allowed by the magistrate to have that government settled amongst them , so farre as his authority can advance it : and if he doth but give way to the ministers to set up christs government in his house , and for the outward manner of proceeding therein , doth behave himself as a patron of the work ; then he doth all that is required of him : but it seems mr. saltmarsh would disswade him from doing this : and why ? because saith he , the apostles settled not gospell-government , till gospell-obedience was wrought : indeed this argument may be applyed to ministers in their charges , when they have to deale with a people which doth not yet professe the christian religion . but it is not appliable to a magistrate , who is set over a people professing christianity . for the magistrate being required , is bound in conscience to give way to the kingdome of christ , and without delay to further the government thereof so farre as he can , as soon as he is convicted of the righteousnesse thereof . do not you think that nebuchadnezzar and darius did well in publishing their acknowledgement of the true god , and in commanding all their subjects to fear and reverence him , dan. . . & . . although their subjects were not instructed to know him ? and did not artaxerxes well , in authorizing ezra to settle government in the church , ezra . he should then have considered , that the duty of the civill maigistrate in settling church-government , is quite another thing , then that of the minister , and he contrary to his ministeriall duty , intending to disswade the magistrate from his duty ; doth alledge that which is proper onely to the minister , and involves it with that which is proper to the magistrate : thus a spirit of confusion doth as with a whirle-wind , drive all his thoughts to mixe di●orderly and deceitfully things of a different nature together , to lead himselfe and others by some appearance of light , into the wayes of error . and as for the second proposition , that there are thousands of congregations , which are not yet brought under gospell-obedience by the word and spirit , how farre this is true i know not ; but i suspect that he may be mistaken in some sort herein also ; not that i intend to lessen the opinion of great want of knowledge in many congregations ; but i suppose he means by gospell-obedience , something which truly i do not condemn him for seekimg after ; but yet cannot think it so absolutely necessary , that before all manner of government be settled any way , it must be had in such a way as he doth imagine ; and till that be so had , all that otherwise know christ , should be counted as heathens and unbelivers . that which i would say , is this : it is true that the doctrine and the conviction of the spirit , must go before the settling of government in a ministeriall way , that every one who is to be governed by the gospell , may out of conscience free willingly submit himselfe , as it is promised it shall be in the day of christs power , psal. . . but yet it is as true , that the many thousands of congregations in this kingdome cannot be counted so ignorant , and so wholly destitute of the spirit , that they should be utterly incapable of all gospell-government . it is well known , that they all know christ by name , and that there is no saviour besides him , and that upon this ground they offer themselves to be his subjects , and desire at least in the outward profession , to be under his ordinances and government . now if this much gospell-obedience be not some common fruit of the word & of the spirit , i would fain know of him , whence it doth proceed ? can any man say with any measure of conviction and knowledge , that jesus is the lord , but by the holy ghost ? cor. . . and how is the spirit effectuall in us ? is it not by the hearing of faith , gal. . . and if the word of faith , and the work of the spirit , be but in the meanest degree effectuall to work this knowledge and conviction : if it be but as a grain of mustard-seed , to bring a poor soul to offer it selfe unto christ , to call him lord ; dare he reject it from the ordinances of christs government belonging to his ministry ? and if he should be called to a whole flock of such souls , that desire to be under christs government , although they know not distinctly what the nature and grounds of it are ; should he dare to cast them off ? truly i should not dare to do so , lest i should offend not onely one of the little ones , but whole flocks thereof . what do i say then ? is the government of the gospell to be set up without preparation ? should all in the congregation be promiscuously admitted to all ordinances ? i say not so , but such as have a fundamentall knowledge of the truth which is according to godlinesse ; and being unblameable in their lives , oblige themselves professedly to walk in all gods wayes that shall be made known unto them : such , i say , offering themselves to be instructed and governed , may not be despised or cast off , though very mean in judgement and other gifts , chiefly when they professe a desire to belong to the visible society of saints : and you have nothing after tryall to except against them : for i suppose that god doth allot to every degree of gospell-obedience , a proportionable degree of gospell-government . as for the comparison of a materiall building , i admit of it , and say , that if they be so qualified , as i have said they should be ; good government and pains to teach and catechise them , will without noise of the axe or hammer , wherof he speaks , fit them in due time to their own places in the building . now i am sure all is in a confused heap , and it is not well possible , that matters can be worse then they are , except all hopes and endeavours of advancing a reformation be taken away : nor is it the ignorant multitude that causeth the noise of the axe or hammer , but it is the wilfull disputant that declines all government , and would have nothing settled , that he may not be under any relation , but such as he himself shall set up , or cast down as he pleaseth . the fifth section takes an argument from experience , as is supposed , thus ; that which in former times made the reformation take little root , save in the outward and formall obedience , is not now to be practised : but the speedy settlement of government upon the nation by the power of the state , without the power of the word , did this : ergo , this is not to be practised . i answer , that such speed is not made in the settlement of government , that it should proceed from the power of the state , rather then from the word ; because a course is taken that all matters shall be fully debated , and determined according to the rule of the word , before the power of the state doth meddle therewith ; and then when the state doth order any thing to he practised , it is settled not as a law of man , but according to the doctrine , and by the direction of the word . in former time , when this nation came first out of popery , the word was not plentifully known , the vision was precious in those dayes ; and there was none that had power but the state to settle any government ; and if the state had not done it , it is not likely that we should have had at this time any church at all . thus you see that our present case , and that of former times , are different ; and that the matter which he layes to the charge of our first reformers , is mistaken . hitherto he hath played the divine , drawing arguments from matters of religion , and how rationally he hath done this to my apprehension , i have declared : in his following sections , he playes the polititian , drawing arguments from matters of state , and how wisely he doth this to my apprehension , in like manner i will let you know . nor will i here insist to examine all after a syllogisticall way , to see how exactly he proves his conclusion : for in matters of state it is the medium of prudency ( which here he pretends unto ) which must give the concusion ; therefore we will not expect demonstrations , but just and well grounded allegations and probabilities . first then , his th . and th . sections ( which i have made the third generall head of his discourse ) speaks of our new clergie ( as he is pleased to call them ) and endeavours to make the state jealous of them . in the th . section , he sayes , he has not yet any experiment of the new clergy ; he fears that they may incline too much to the episcopall way : because many are branches of the old stock ; ergo , it is not safe to trust power into their hands too farre . i answer , that nothing is so difficult to conquer , as state-jealousies , when men make it a principle of state prudencie to be fearfull : what then is imagined whether true or false , that is to corrupt worldly wisdome , a sufficient ground of resolution to take a course to prevent it by any thing that will do the turn , whether just or no . now in true christian prudencie this is not lawfull ; for charity doth not suspect evill , cor. . . and evill furnishings are fruits of the flesh , and follow upon such controversies as these times produce , tim. . . whereunto i would be sorry that any body should too deeply engage himself ; therefore when he shall have considered the way wherein he sets himself , better then hitherto he hath done ; i hope he will see that it doth not become a minister of the gospell , to fortifie this corrupt principle of state in the hearts of states-men ; chiefly against the ministry , to hinder them in the exercise of their ministeriall charge . if the aime of hindering a settlement of church-government , be not ( as i conceive it is not ) lawfull , then i must take leave to tell him ; that it is not safe for him who is a minister of the gospell , to strengthen the hands of worldly men , to cross the wayes of true government in christianity , by giving to them sinister impressions of his brethren . i find that the christian wisdome of the state , hath prudently without any such uncharitable grounds of evill surmising policie , secured it selfe from the danger which he doth represent unto them . for the covenant doth oblige all ministers to whom any power of government is committed , to abjure that inclination to episcopacy , which he suspects in his brethren : except then he will be so uncharitable , as to suspect them of perjurie as well as of ambition ; he has no just cause to be so worldly wise , as to perswade states-men to violate the tenor of their covenant in one thing , to prevent the breach of it in another . the ninth section drawes deeper , and speaks plainer : he tells us , that experience shews the remainders of prelacy in many ; that some strive for pre-eminencie , as the two brethren did ; that the hottest controversie is for power , that this discerns dispositions . hence he draws two politic conclusions . that it is not good to part with the stakes , till the quarrell be ended . . nor to give one of the parties cause to think it selfe injuried , if all power should be given to the other . i answer , if he will stay to settle all government till there be no ambitious and aspiring thoughts in some of the ministerie , he shall never settle any in our age , nor perhaps in the following ; and what although there are some who strive as the two brethren did for pre eminency ; is it therefore expedient , that the state should not suffer any minister to have the just power of government belonging to his charge ? this policie is too profound . indeed if he had alledged some experiments of the government which he disswades , to shew that where it hath been set up , since the beginning of the reformation in europe , it hath incroached upon the just power of any state : or if he had shewed that the fundam●ntall constitutions and properties thereof , are destructive to civill jurisdiction , as may be made good of other wayes of church-government ; ( i say ) if he had been able to alledge and shew any of these things , then indeed he had said something for caution worth the hearing : but if the contrary of this may be made apparant ; namely that the desired government ( if rightly settled ) is so farre from aspiring to that power which belongeth to the state ; that to keep all aspiring spirits in awe , by the curb of an authoritative equality , and to keep all anarchicall spirits in order without prejudice to christian liberty ; there is nothing in this world so fit , as that very way of government , which is sued for : then surely he is very injuriously politic in his perswasions , and cautions ; but i suppose this may be made apparant very easily , therefore i excuse him not from injurie . but i beseech you , what is the power sued for by the ministers here ? whether is it a state power , or a spiritual and congregationall power ? if it be none other then that which all the congregationall church-governours challenge to themselves by divine right ; why is it made a matter of greater jealousie in these ministers th●n in others ? is not the same power as dangerous in the one partie as in the other ? what assurance can he or the congregationall church-governours give , that they shall not abuse their power so much as the others will do , seeing they will stand in all church-matters by themselves alone , and not acknowledge any ecclesiasticall judicature over them in doubtfull cases ; and i doubt they will not make the civill magistrate an absolute judge in church-matters ? what assurance then can they give , that they shall not abuse their authority ? how shall the subject be relieved from his grievances , if he be wronged by his congregationall brethren in his right to the ordinances of christ , or under a religious pretence in some matter relating to his comfort , or his good name ? he hath no competent judge , but those that have wronged him : now the presbyterian government doth yet admit of appeals to another judicature : viz. a classis , or a synod . and whatsoever mr. saltmarsh may apprehend in the depth of his politicall jealousie , i weigh it not ; but i am very confident , that the new reformers never thought of that which he layes to their charge here ; namely , that they desire a share of state-power to be committed to their hands , and that they have a quarrell about this matter with the state , is a hainous accusation . but whiles he endeavours to cast this aspertion upon others , he doth manifestly accuse himselfe , and involves those for whom he pleads to be really guilty , even of that whereof he injustly accuses the reforming ministers : else how can he pretend on their behalfe , that they have a right to this power as wel as others ? and that they wil think themselves injured if not given ? if others have no right to this power , why should they for whom he pleads pretend to it ? and if they may think it an injurie to be deprived of it , then they clearly suppose , and he grants it that it is their due ; and if so , why may not others as well as they pretend unto it ? here then in this case , you may perceive that he mak●s himself and those that he pleads for , pretenders to that which he allows not in others ; and by his own confession herein , they and he have more of the prelatical ambition then can be shewed in any minister that he knows . he sayes wel , that it is to be feared there is too much of man in these contestations ; for this spirit which is now in him , doth covet to envie ; for he would have power denyed to the party he affects not , not so much because it is not due to them ; but because he would not have them to have it , when it is not likely that he himself can obtain it ; therefore he pleads , that no power at all may be permitted to any , to settle any church-government at all . for which i suppose , none of the churches of god , whether of the one or other way , have cause to give him thanks : the papists who watch for our dissolution , and libertines whose part he acts , will thank him . i have done with his first point of policy , which is to stirre up jealousies against the new clergie . the second point is interest , which is two-fold to power and in persons : the interest to power , hath two considerations in his discourse ; the one is in th . the other in the th section . his seventh section tells the state , that there is danger in erring , if it suddenly involve it self into the designes of ecclesiasticall power ; he sayes , there is no danger in the not sudden incorporating the two powers ; because moses is not alive to bring the pattern from the mount , and a new star may arise which yet appears not . i answer ; his policy leads him here to be a sceptick in religion : for he reasons thus ; something may hereafter be discovered , which shall be better then what is now offered : therefore what we now allow , is not to be made use of . may not i say as well some new truth may be discovered ; ergo , i will not professe what i now know ? some star may arise , is lesse then what the jews tradition sayes elias will come . his ground is not so sure as theirs , he tells us onely doubtfully that he may come ; and then would make this a warrantable ground to suspend the settlement of an allowed government . and is there any reason in this ? but what if no new star arise ? what if these confusions grow greater , and become habituall ? will not then this policy prove folly ? the silly proverb might instruct him , that it is better to have half a cake , then no bread . but then he sayes , there is no great danger in the not sudden incorporating of two powers : he takes it as granted , that the two powers should be incorporated , but that is but his fancie , and neither true divinity nor good state prudency : the thing he aims at , is a delay ; but i may tell him , that wiser states-men then either he or i , wil say , nocuit differre paratis , those that are ready loose by delayes : and seeing in all this , he speaks a language which i never heard before in any reformed ministers mouth , speaking of the reformed ministry ; therefore i must again observe that his meaning is to grant , that both powers may be in one hand ; and that the ecclesiasticall may have designes , and be abused to break the civill power . i confesse , that if the powers be as he calls them incorporated , they may be abused , whether they be in the hand of the civill or ecclesiasticall minister : but if they be kept distinct in administration , as they are in nature , and co-ordinate in authority as they are in vertue , and mutually subordinate to each other in fundamentall constitutions , as they are in their ends ; then all this fear will vanish : for this being granted , and matters thus settled , the eccle●●asticall can have no design upon the civill ; but as long as he grants the incorporating of both into one and the same hand , he will never avoid this . true it is , the papall and prelaticall state doth incorporate both ; but if he can shew wherein the reforme●● do it , he should have done well to have laid it open , and suggested a better remedy then the dissolution of all government , which is so farre from a remedy , that it is worst of all diseases ; and truly it is clear in this his discourse , and perhaps in his whole way that he practises for his own part , the mixture of politicall and ecclesiastiall designs , to make his pen serve mens turns , which how he will answer to god one day , i would wish him to consider sadly if i knew him . the tenth section , shews that there ought to be some proportion in the two powers , and some compliance ; so that the establishing of the one , doth draw with it some motions in the other . he tells us , that it is hazardous to dis-interest any in the civill part , he doth alledge france for an example , &c. all this is rather against his main conclusion , then for it ▪ for if there should be a proportion and compliance in both powers ; then he must allow the church-government at least so much settlement , as he doth the civill , except he will postpose the kingdome of heaven to the state of the world ; and if he thinks it fit , that the ecclesiasticall state should be unsettled , it may upon his grounds be rationally inferred , that in some proportion he thinks it fit , that the civill also should be wholly unsettled ; and how justly this may be intended by any that have sworn to god to endeavour the union and settlement of the kingdoms in peace , i will not now debate . but all this tends in his aime , to make way for the following and last section ; wherein he recommends the interest of the dissenting brethren to the state , and gives advice to suspend the settlement of government so , as not to determine too suddenly into hereticks and schismaticks , in hope that their affections and judgements may be drawne to unity ; whereof in the close he would give us some conjecture of possibility . this i do not at all dislike , but rather approve , that if any thing should move and perswade to any delay of settlement in government , it should be the hope of union betwixt the reformers and their dissenting brethren ; and because this is now under tryall , how farre the unity of dissenting parties in the assembly may be gained ; therefore i think it very rationall and answerable to the counsells of peace , that nothing be settled in that matter wherein the difference is , till a full triall be made of the means of composing the same : yet to delay the settlement of other matters wherein there is no difference at all , is no point of wisdome , except it be thought wisdome to gratifie the designes of papists , and hopes of libertines : nor is it justice to refuse the settlement of a government allowed , and voted by the state to those that desire to be under it , because there are some of a different way that decline it : shall all be kept in suspence and in disorder , because either there is no agreement in some few things , or because some few decline all manner of government ? the apostles counsell is , that so farre as we are come , we should be like minded , and walk by the same rule . the interest against a common enemie , is not a tye strong enough to unite some spirits in matters concerning god : chiefly when such stinging pamphlets blow the coals of dissention , and , without controle , asperse injuriously their brethren with false accusations , to entangle the simple consciences with scruples to foment jealousies , to flatter worldlings into deceitfull policies , and to strengthen the unruly affections of the unruly multitude , against the respect which is to be had unto order and government , even with a colourable pretence of religion . and although i will judge charitably of the mans intentions in this matter ; yet truly his writing cannot be excused from guilt in this kind : i hear he is not a very stayed man , and i conceive he is led in his heat , faster then he is able to discern his way , or to judge the spirit by which he is led , which in this businesse is very necessary to be done with great advisednesse ; and those that in humility mind not themselves in meddling with these matters , are farre from that temper which will advance truth and peace ; whereunto i beseech the lord to direct us in all meeknesse . for from these we are all strangers by nature , therefore we grope like blind men for the wall , we stumble at noon-day as in the night , and while we look for judgement there is none , and for salvation it is farre from us . the lord be mercifull to us , and teach us to strengthen the things which remain , which are ready to die , for our works are not found perfect with our god . the lord deliver us from the line of confusion , which seemeth to be stretched out upon us , and heal our breaches for christ his sake . amen . of the third . i have done with the two former heads of this discourse , which in the introduction i did propose unto my selfe to handle : the third remaines , wherein i shall endeavour to be exceeding briefe : for you have seen the positive decision of the question in the first part ; wherein the necessity of setling some church-government amongst christians in a gospell-way , is made no lesse to me then demonstrative : and you have seen the answer to the negative decision of the question , in the second part , wherein the sophistry of the contrary arguments , and the deceitfulnesse of that perswasion hath been laid open with all meeknesse and without partiality . now if in the third place i should follow my design , to suggest upon the whole matter , a word of advice to prevent the increase of evills , which are like to come upon us , if mr. saltmarsh his suggestions take place : i must first give you a prognostick of the evils which i apprehend may ensue thereupon ; and then tell you what may be adviseable to prevent the increase , or the issue of the same . the prognostick is this ; that if the magistrate of this place , who doth professe the name of christ , and by that profession is obliged in his place to own christ in his ordinances , will not appear for the settlement and countenancing of the same effectually ; that he shall be unsettled and cast out of his power and place with utter disgrace : and if the ministers , who pretend to administer and uphold the ordinances of christs house amongst the professors of his name , will not keep the charge of his house according to his word , without partiality for self-ends , and without the affectation of worldly power to constrain men that are not in their way , to submit unto their wils ; they also shall be unsettled , and all manner of contempt and disgrace shall be powred out upon them . and by the means of these two unsettlements of the magistracy , and of the ministry , all the foundations of all other order and government will be removed from the nation , and the changes and the distresses thereof will be remedilesse and endlesse , till the candlestick thereof be removed , except god in mercy for the elects sake , prevent the same by some way which as yet cannot be fore-seen . by this prognostick , i pretend not to have any spirit of prophesie , which is more then ordinary ; for this thing is demonstrable from the way of gods judgement , in punishing the sinnes of magistrates and ministers of this kind , and from the state of a people in such a condition . the way of gods judgement is evident , in that which was done to the house of eli , sam. . vers. . till the end where the reason of cutting off with utter disgrace the house of eli , from the place which it had in the government of gods people , is alledged to be this ; that they minded their own interest to make themselves fat with the good things of gods people , rather then to discharge the duty which was committed by god unto their trust ; for which cause it is threatned that they should be deprived of their charge , and become contemptible , because the justice of god did determine , that such as honoured him , god would honour , and such as despised him , should be lightly esteemed , ibid. vers. . from whence we may infallibly conclude , that if the magistrates and ministers of this nation mind themselves , and their own worldly interests , more then the trust committed unto them by god in their places , that they shall certainly be punished as eli , and his house was : and j beseech the lord , that as in the execution of this judgement upon the house of eli , he suffered his ark ( the glory of israel ) to be in the hands of the philistims ; so the spirituall philistims of this church and state , may not have the same advantage against us to triumph over our glory , which is the visible upholding of his gospell-ordinances in the puritie thereof . this prognostick then is very certain , and easie to be made by any that layes gods wayes to heart . as for the other ground of the latter part of the prognostick , relating to the misery of a people under such governours ; it is clear in the view of all rationall men , that can look upon a people without a magistracy and a ministry , what their state can be : for it is certain that all the foundations of civill and church-government being removed , they will either remain without all government in an anarchicall state , wherein every one will be given up into the hand of his neighbour , to be oppressed and devoured as the fishes of the sea devour one another ; or else ( which will be a kind of mercy ) they will be brought under the arbitrary power of some party that will be most potent and able to over-rule all the rest , by whose means god ( if he hath any favour in store towards the nation ) happily may produce some settlement which will free us from the confusion of an anarchy , till his judgements in some other way be executed upon us . thus you have my prognostick , and the grounds thereof , in case mr. saltmarsh's suggestions take place , which is not unlikely they may , in respect of the wild frame whereinto god suffers mens spirits to runne now adayes , and in respect that the reins of government begin to be loosened every where , and because i believe that mr. satlmarsh hath not shot these arrows against all settlement of government , so much out of his own private quiver , as out of the sense and counsells of a party , which doth strongly act by those principles ( wherewith they have prompted him , and to vent which they make use onely of his pen ) towards our utter unsettlement , by a method of deceitfulnesse , which upon the whimsicall humours of this age , may become prevalent to disturbe all other resolutions and attempts of all orderly courses and establishments . now to suggest a matter of advice , either to prevent the increase , or to divert the small issue of these evills ; i shall do it as briefly as i can , because i dare not take upon me to go beyond my line . to prevent the increase of present unsettlements in church-government , the way is not for the ministry to get power from the civill magistrate , to presse all the sanctions of the assembly of divines , without any abatement upon all the congregations of the nation , so that none shall be suffered to have any religious liberty of professing the gospell in publique , that come not under this rule by way of conformity , which seems to be the clear design of our brethren of scotland , and of that party which in the house , and in the assembly of divines , doth go along with them : i say , that this is not , and will not be the way of settlement ; because it is not the gospell-way which christ hath instituted , to which onely he hath promised a blessing : and because the forwardnesse of this party to settle things in this way , comes not from a pure zeal to religion , but involves a state-interest , which those of the house intend to carry along with it , which an opposite party hath discovered , and will oppose to the uttermost , though all should be unsettled and go to rack by this means ; and who knows whether mr. saltmarsh's query , is not the effect of that resolution , which is taken amongst them to crosse the designs of that other party ; therefore the prosecution of a settlement in that way , wil produce rather strife and opposition , then any other effect . nor will the way of settlement in church-government be , that which some others seem to presse with no lesse earnestness ; namely to give all the power of church affairs up into the hands of the civill magistrate , qua magistrate ; that he may order the spirituall concernments of gods house authoritatively , as he shall think good ; and that no wayes of church-discipline should be administred by any , nor means of edification set a work but in his name : i say , this will no more then the other produce a settlement in church-government ; because all parties that are most intelligent in the way of godlinesse , and zealous for the liberty of the gospell , will joyntly oppose such an absolute power in the civill magistate over the churches which are to be ruled by none in matters of conscience , but by the laws and orders of christ , and upon a free willing account , that the members of the churches should without constraint give themselves up thereunto , according to that of psal. . . in the day of thy power they shall be willing in the beauties of holiness : what way then soever is taken , which doth not work the professors to a willingness to come under the power of christ in the beauties of holinesse , is not that which will be effectuall to bring about a settlement . so that it is neither by the power in the hands of the ministers , nor in the hands of the magistrates that will do the work ; but it must be by a clear and gentle leading of mens spirits , to come willingly under the yoke of christ ; and except the godly ministers can agree amongst themselves , to hold forth the duties of the profession , and the rules of discipline , as they are in the word evidently set forth , and leave of contesting about the outward circumstantials and prudentiall way of acting , to permit a latitude to each other , and consent to a mutuall forbearance therein ; and so upon the account of charity make up the differences , and mind the same thing one towards another , and joyntly desire the countenance of the magistrate , by way of his approbation onely , and not by way of delegate power to constrain others unto their way ; except i say , the godly ministers amongst themselves can thus accommodate their matters , the unsettlement of the government will never be prevented ; and if there can be no agreement of this nature procured amongst the ministers themselves , without the politic actings of states-men , who have alwaies some worldly designs to byas their resolutions ; the issue of the unsettlement , will either be a totall dissolution of all the bonds and tyes of church-fellowship amongst the professors , or the opening of a door to all adversaries to break in upon their societies , and to all licentiousness , to break forth amongst themselves without controle , the issue whereof will be the utter contempt of all ministry and ordinances ; and therewith the breaking in of all damnable heresies , which will make way for the increase of prophaness of idolatry , of popery , of atheisme , and of all blasphemous abominations . now if no agreement can be found amongst the ministers themselves , to prevent the unsettlement from whence these evils will certainly spring up , ( which is the onely advice that i can give in this present case ) then to divert the issue which these evils will produce unto the nation , i know none other remedie , but that the civill magistrate should by way of fore-sight , establish morall laws to repress grosse dissoluteness of life by corporall punishments , to restrain open prophaness in violating the lords day , to inhib●t superstitious and popish rites in the publique worship , to punish the authors and publishers of blasphemous and atheisticall tenets , which fret as a gangrene , and lead the unsettled minds of ignorant people to all uncleannesse and impiety , to all brutish sensuality and desperate courses in wickednesse , which in the end will bring the nation to utter ruine , if god doth not in mercy prevent the current of these evils , by wakening the spirits of magistrates unto righteousnesse , and a resolution to be faithfull unto their trust , that what can not be prevented by the unity of the spirit in the preaching of the gospell , may be diverted by the power and authority of humane lawes , and bodily punishments over those that are disobedient , not so much to the perswasions of religion ( which cannot be propagated by humane power ) but to the dictates of reason : for although no outward constraint can make men vertuous , yet an outward restraint may keep them from being so vitious , as to destroy the safety and well-being of humane societies , which civill magistrates are bound to procure . this is the advice which at present i am able to give upon the whole matter ; i shall leave it with you , and with such as you shall think fit to impart it unto to peruse , or to make what other use thereof as you shall see cause ; for in these and all other things of this nature , you know that you have power to dispose , for the edification of the saints , and the publique good of man-kind , of all the endeavours of your faithfull and affectionate friend in christ , john dury . a letter once written by mr. dury to captain coysh , wherein he opens himselfe concerning the magistrates duty , as a christian in advancing church-government as it is nationall . sir , i rejoyce greatly to see the fram of your spirit so answerable to the rules of our holy profession : mr. hartlib hath acquainted me with the real effects of your godly zeal towards the publique good , and every good work , for which you are much to be commended , and on your behalf , such as know you ( considering how few there are of such a temper now adayes ) ought to give thanks unto god for your forwardnesse , to further the means which may be useful to advance his glory . amongst other good effects of your pious inclination , the thoughts which you entertain , to further the wayes of peace , amongst the distracted churches of this land , are not the least commendable ; would to god we could find many of your temper , who have some interest and influence upon the churches : but the truth is , that none are now regarded , but such as follow particular interest , and make it their work to bring fuell to the fire which doth consume us , by matters of complaint or reproach cast upon their neighbours ; all sides in every thing striving for victory , none for gaining others in the manifestation of truth , through love and forbearance . the aime which you have in the discourse , which mr. hartlib hath sent me , is exceeding good ; although i had some difficulty to read your hand , yet i made a shift to understand your meaning ; and i shall willingly give my approbation to your proposals , if we can find out the way to obtain the effect thereof , which i conceive to be an unblamable freedom in some matters of difference , which are extrafundamentall , grounded upon a reall acknowledgement of an agreement in all matters which are fundamentall . you have set down the heads of things , which you judge fundamental and necessary for salvation to be believed , and overtures concerning duties of forbearance in some doubtfull practises which occasion much debate amongst those that love to abound in their own sense ; and concerning the observance of some inquestionable berty for any side , to practise what is good in their own eyes ; but that hath not made any side truly peaceable , but rather increased the divisions , by the abuse of their liberty , in crossing , opposing , and offending others in their different wayes ; whence scandals are multiplied , bitter disputes , complaints , irritations , and heart-burnings increased . now how to prevent in time to come this abuse of liberty , which according to your proposals should be granted , wil be the main and most difficult work of all ; and i find nothing suggested in your paper concerning this , and without some remedie to this distemper of our spirits , i cannot perceive that our maladies can be cured . hitherto i have made doubts , and shewed you what i apprehend as an impediment to the effect of your desires . now i shall also suggest something , which may tend to the removall of these doubts , and impediments of this work , which we desire to advance . i must lay this as a ground , that in matters of outward and publique concernment to the society of man-kind ; the magistrate is principally to be respected , and to be sued unto for his assistance : but in matters which concern the conscience immediately , the word of god is alone to be made use of . if therefore men in their outward actions mis-behave themselves , and do things prejudicially unto the peace of their neighbours ; they fall under the cognizance of the civil power , who may make lawes to restrain them from giving offence unto their neighbours : but if they walk orderly , and offend no body ; and yet foment pernicious errors , and spread them secretly or openly , to the disturbance of mens conscience , and the seduction of the weak , they cannot be otherwise dealt withall , but by the word of god ; and the magistrate ought to see this done effectually , till they be converted or convicted to be incorrigible ; and then he is to do further , as his conscience shall direct him . the magistrate hath a right to over-see all mens outward actions , and may call them to an account of their proceedings in what they do , as men ; and may restrain them from doing that which he doth think prejudiciall to the peace of other subjects : but the magistrate hath no power to impose upon any mans consc●●●●e any thing by law ; onely he may and ought to use means to convict men by the word of god ; and he should countenance and over-see the regular wayes of settling those meanes a work . for god hath made him a nursing father to his children ; therefore as such he ought to have an insight of all their wayes , to protect them from harm , and to advance unto them the comforts of their life . now the life of gods children , as such is the freedom of their spirit , to serve him conscionably according to his will . whatsoever then doth deprive them of this freedom , he may not impose upon them , for this were to bring their spirits in bongage under his will : now he is not the father of their spirits ; ( that is gods alone prerogative ) therefore he may not do any thing to hinder , but ought to do all things to further their free acccess towards him . all his care must be then , as he is a nursing father of gods children , to provide for these things . . first , to know who are the children of god , whom he should nurse , that he may distinguish them from strangers . . what the proper work of his nursing dutie is towards them ; that is to say , what his aime as a christian magistrate should be , above which he should not presume to take upon him . . how he shold endeavour to perform the duties subordinate unto his aime . to speak in a word my sense ( that if you please you may confer with me about them . ) i shall say of the first , that he must know and discern the children of god from strangers , by this infallible token ; whosoever doth acknowledge jesus christ to be come in the flesh , and doth hear the words of his apostles , and doth submit himself to be guided in his profession of christianity by their directions , and doth wear in all his walking christs livery , which is love , holinesse , and meeknesse , he is to be counted a true child of god , as to the outward profession of religion ; and whosoever doth not this , he is to be counted a stranger to it . and this badge of religious profession , may make a nationall church as to the magistrate : for i do not see , that a church can be counted otherwise nationall , but in reference to him ; nor ought he to discern professors by any other token , but by this : this then is the character of a nationall church to me ; namely if a whole nation doth make this profession ; and if he that is the magistrate of that nation , doth make the same profession ; he cannot but look upon himself in his charge , as a nursing father to them all alike : for whatsoever their particular differences otherwise may be amongst themselves , which destroy not this foundation , they are to him no more but as the severall statures or features , or lineaments of those childrens bodyes and faces , which in his nursing care must make no materiall difference . as concerning the second , which is his aime above which he may not presume to take upon him in the discharge of his nursing duty ; i conceive it should be to over-see their wayes in the visible profession , that the freedom due to all may be maintained in every one ; and that the unity of the spirit of christ , and the love which ought to be amongst brethren , children of the same father , may be upheld without disturbance in all . above this , i suppose he may not presume , nor take upon him to prescribe any thing of faith , or of worship authoritatively ; or to restrain authoritatively the exercises which may be servicable thereunto . for he is not the judge of the childrens faith , and of their respect unto their father , that is between god and them ; for the powers of the spirituall life , by which mens souls act towards god , are not committed to his nursing care ; christ is their tutor in this thing , but the over-sight of the outward profession in the body , is committed and recommended to him . as for the question , what he should do with those that are strangers , and what his relation is unto them ? how far he is to look unto ther profession , and to what end ? i wil not mention it now , for it doth not concern our present purpose . the third thing belonging to his nursing care ; is , to know how the duties should be performed , which are subordinate unto this aime . the duties are mainly two : first , to take away the lets and disturbances of the publique freedom , in the profession of the name of christ , and of the obedience due to his ordinances . secondly , to supply all comforts , all helps and encouragements which may further the growth of the professors in knowledge , unity , and love one towards another ; and the way to endeavour these duties , is to be nurse-like , with much tendernesse of affection , without harshnesse or imperiousnesse to over-awe their spirits ; and without worldly and politick aims , to put a snare upon them , or make use of them , and of their profession , for humane advantages and worldly designs . i have enlarged my self upon this discourse , to lay it as a ground of what i am to advise for the cure of our distractions , and the prosecution of your aime in the discourse which is sent me . i conceive then , that the magistrate should be petitioned by all that professe the name of christ ; for that liberty which is necessary for their edification in the use of christs ordinances , and not offensive unto any . unto this petition , the magistrate should give his approbation , and promise his protection to all such as shal shew him , that they endeavour to walk without blame in the wayes of christ by the word . and upon this declaration , he should invite all those that make the word their rule , to offer unto him from the word , the substance of their faith , and of their practise positively : by this invitation every one wil be bound to lay himself open ; for all christians are obliged to walk in the light , and to be ready to give an answer to every one that asketh of them , a reason of the hope that is in them . here observe , that i would not have the magistrate to impose upon any , that which he doth think fundamentall in faith or practise ( for that belongs unto him no more , then to a nurse to shape the face of a child committed to her care , otherwise their god hath made it ; ) but he is onely to take notice of that which others think to themselves in their way , according to the scriptures to be fundamentall . here then your discourse might be presented to him , for your self and others , that should resolve to make it the plat-form of their profession ; but for him to propose it unto all , or to discountenance all that should not resolve to follow it , that would be somewhat beyond his commission as i conceive . now when all the parties shall have given up the positive declarations of their faith and practise , which they conceive agreeable to the word ; and when he hath satisfied his own judgement therein , that there is nothing in them destructive unto godliness and the publique peace ; he ought to give them a strict charge , not to be injurious and offensive one unto another , but to seek peace and follow after it , threatning such as shall be disturbers of the peace of others with just correction , after the first and second admonition . by this means he will discharge the first part of his duty , which is to secure the liberty of gods children in the service due unto him , by protecting them from injuries in their severall wayes : but if he doth think himself bound in conscience to endeavour also the second part of his duty , which is to supply unto the churches of god , the helps and comforts which may fu●ther their growth in knowledge , unity , and love , ( which i conceive , the parliament of england more solemnly obliged to endeavour , then ever any christian magistrate in this world hath been ; ) if i say , our magistrate doth think himself bound to this , not onely by the property of his calling , but by speciall covenant towards god , and with their neighbours ; then i would advise him to take this course . . first to allow of regular meetings , between parties for publique or private conferences , wherein all offensivenesse of speech or behaviour , should be strictly prohibited under severe penalties . ( as for the waies how to order these meetings for edification , that may be spoken of at another time ▪ ly . to employ some fit persons from among themselves , to perswade the rest , or to stir them up to consider of waies how their differences may be composed , and the unity of the spirit more clearly manifested , and the bonds of peace and love more firmly established amongst them , then by the meer authority of a civil sanction . for it is a shame to christians , who are called to be members of one another , that nothing should be able to untie them , but the restraint of power keeping them from mutuall injuries . . thirdly , i would advise him to require of every party , that they should declare that wherein they agree with others in doctrine , and in practise : and to make kown the rules by which they desire to walk towards those with whom they agree in fundamentalls , for their mutuall edification , that the communion and uniformity which ought to be amongst gods children , in the service of one master , may not be neglected so farre as it can be entertained . . fourthly , when these declarations are given in to him , he should set some of the choisest men of each party , one or two a work , to gather out of all these declarations , the tenor of the common consent and agreement of all parties , so near as can be in their own words , or fully in their own words by way of harmony : and to consult about the things wherein there is a difference remaining how it may be taken away ; or to give reasons from the word of god , why that it ought not to make a breach of unity in the affections of professors , and when this harmony ; these consultations and reasons should be perfited , they might be discreetly imparted unto the several churches , to be considered for the end whereunto they were made . here again you see , that i would have the magistrate to be very active and zealous , but yet still within his own sphere and line , as a nurse , and not as a commander and master of any mans faith and religion : as one that leads them , and encourageth them all alike unto the observation of clear duties , which they themselves shall acknowledge to be observable ; and not as one that imposeth his own will and statutes upon them as a yoke . and by this meanes , the engagement which is upon him in the nationall covenant , to procure one confession of faith , leiturgie , catechisme , form of worship , government and discipline may be without difficulty discharged , and the things already done by the assembly of divines , may stand in their own place , and be of force for the use of such as will own them ; and others shall be free from constraint , and at a due liberty to walk in their own light , onely with this proviso , that they shall not molest any , no more then they desire to be molested ; and that they shall declare their fundamentall agreement with their brethren , and their resolution to walk in the unity of the spirit with them therein , which will be a meanes to discharge the conscience of the parliament , also in 〈…〉 the second article of the nationall covenant . by this method and way of proceeding , i suppose all the difficulties which in the beginning of this discourse i did mention , may be avoided : onely this will for the present remain to be thought upon . how to waken the conscience of the magistrate to resent these duties ; and how to insinuate these suggestions so unto him , as that they may come without prejudice to be considered and examined ; and by faithfull agents brought to some effectuall result . now the god of all peace and comfort , lead the children of peace in his truth , to be unblamable untill the day of his appearing , and make us servicable unto the kingdom of his sonne , with all our talents in our generation . i rest in him . your servant , john dury . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- rom. . . heb. . . heb. . . phil. . . psal. . notes for div a e- tim. . . ezek. . . isai. ● . . vers . . isai. . . . vers . . phil. . . notes for div a e- pet. . a briefe declaration of the universalitie of the church of christ, and the unitie of the catholike faith professed therein delivered in a sermon before his maiestie the th. of iune . at wansted. by iames ussher, bishop of meath. ussher, james, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : , : ) a briefe declaration of the universalitie of the church of christ, and the unitie of the catholike faith professed therein delivered in a sermon before his maiestie the th. of iune . at wansted. by iames ussher, bishop of meath. ussher, james, - . the third impression. [ ], p. printed by iohn dawson, for ephraim dawson, and are to be sold at the rain-bow neere the inner temple gate in fleet-street, london : . running title reads: a sermon preached before his maiestie. reproductions of the originals in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery and the union theological seminary (new york, n.y.). library. appears at reel (henry e. huntington library and art gallery copy) and at reel (union theological seminary (new york, n.y.). library copy). created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a briefe declaration of the vniversalitie of the chvrch of christ , and the vnitie of the catholike faith professed therein : delivered in a sermon before his maiestie the th . of iune . at wansted . by iames vssher , bishop of meath . the third impression . london , printed by iohn dawson for ephraim dawson , and are to be sold at the rain-bow neere the inner temple gate in fleet-street . . ephes. . . till we all come in the unitie of the faith , and of the knowledge of the sonne of god , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ. when the lords arke was to set forward , the forme of prayer used by moses , was ; a rise up , lord , and let thine enemies be scattered ; and let them that hate thee , flee before thee . the sweet psalmist of israel , framing his descant to this ground , beginneth the psalm which he prepared to be sung at the removing of the arke , after the same manner . b let god arise : let his enemies be scattered : let them also that hate him , flee before him : and then goeth on , till at length he hath raysed his note unto his full height : thou hast ascended up on high : thou hast led captivitie captive : thou hast received gifts for men ( psalm . . ) . which being by our apostle in c this chapter interpreted of the ascension of our saviour christ into heauen , and made the very spring from whence the matter of my present text is derived , leadeth us to the just application of the type to the truth , and putteth us in minde , that the removing of the arke , which gave occasion to the penning of his psalme , was an adumbration of our saviours removeall from the earth to heaven ; and that by this absence of his , we are no losers , but gainers ▪ seeing he is ascended 〈◊〉 on high , both to triumph over his and our foes , [ he led captivitie captiue ] and to conferre benefits upon his friends . [ he gave gifts unto men . ] the d arke of the covenant ( we know ) was appointed to be a figure of e iesus the mediatour of the new covenant : the great king , prophet and priest of his church . therefore was it ordered , that the arke should haue a crowne of gold about it : ( exod. . . ) than which , what could be more fit to set forth the state of our king ? for thus wee see iesus crowned with glory and honour . ( heb. . . ) vpon the ark stood the propitiatorie or mercie-seate , whence god did use to deliver his oracles from betwixt the cherubins : than w ch , what more lively representation could there be of the propheticall office of our saviour ? of whom it is written : god hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his sonne . ( heb. . . ) the arke had both the rod and the tables of the law , by gods appointment placed within it : than which , what could be more apt to expresse the satisfaction , which our high priest was to make unto his fathers justice , as well by his passive as by his active obedience ? for as he felt the stroke of the rod for us , that f the chastisement of our peace being laid upon him , with his stripes we might be healed : so g it behooved him also to fulfill the law and all righteousnesse ; that so he might be h the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth . the letter of the law being not more certainely to be found within the arke , than the accomplishment thereof within him : according to that which he spake by his holy prophet . i in the volume of the booke it is written of mee , that i should doe thy will , o god : yea , thy law is within my heart . the arke had many removes from place to place , whiles it sojourned in the tabernacle : but was brought up at last into the temple , there to dwell upon god's holy hill ; the place of which he himselfe had said . k this is my rest for ever ; here will i dwell , for i have a delight therein . where , at the first entry , king salomon stood ready to entertaine him with this welcome , l arise , o lord god , into thy resting place , thou , and the arke of thy strength : let thy priests , o lord god , be clothed with salvation ; and let thy saints reioyce in goodnesse . our blessed saviour , in the dayes of his flesh , had no resting place , but continually m went about doing good : untill at length n he was received up into heaven , and sate on the right hand of god. for when he had ended his progresse upon earth , and o finished there that worke which his father had given him to doe ; he p left the world , and went to the father ; making his last remove unto the high court of heaven , q where he is to reside untill the time of the restitution of all things . r the temple of god was opened in heaven , and there was seene in his temple the arke of his testament , saith s. iohn in the apocalypse . if we looke to the corporall presence of our saviour ; in the temple of heaven must this arke be sought for , in no oother place is it to be found : but if we looke to the vertue comming from him , by the operation of his word and spirit ; so we shall finde him in his temple upon earth , s present with us alwayes , even unto the end of the world : for , these were the gifts that , when he ascended into heaven , he did bestow upon men . this the prophet layeth downe thus : t thou hast ascended up on high : thou hast received gifts for men . the apostle citeth it thus : u when he ascended up on high , he gave gifts unto men . the reconciliation is easie : he received those gifts , not to retaine them with himselfe , but to distribute them for the behoofe of his church . so for the spirit , s. peter teacheth us , acts . . therefore being by the right hand of god exalted , [ there is his ascending up on high ] and having received of the father the promise of the holy ghost , [ there is his receiving ] he hath shed forth this which ye now see and heare . [ there is his giving of this gift unto men . ] and for the ministery of the word , he himselfe intimateth as much in his commission , given to the apostles , mat. . . . all power is given unto mee in heaven and in earth : [ there he receiveth ] goe ye therefore , and teach all nations : [ there he giveth this gift unto men . ] x he gave some apostles , and some prophets , and some evangelists , and some pastors and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints : saith our apostle here . that herein also that might be fulfilled , which we heard to haue beene uttered , when the arke was brought to his resting place y : let thy priests , o lord god , be cloathed with salvation , and let thy saints reioyce in goodnesse . the worke of the ministery , how meanely soever it be esteemed in the world ; yet in the estimation of our saviour christ , was one of the choysest gifts , that in this solemnitie of his triumphant z ascending up far above all heavens , he thought fit to bestow upon his church here upon earth : as that which tended both to the a perfecting of the saints , and to the edifying of his owne body . for as b it hath pleased the father , that in him all fulnesse should dwell : so the son is also pleased , not to hold it any disparagement , that c his body , the church , should be accounted the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all . that howsoever in himselfe he be most absolutely and perfectly complete ; yet is his church so neerely conjoyned unto him , that he holdeth not himselfe full without it : but as long as any one member remaineth yet ungathered and unknit unto this mysticall body of his , he accounteth , in the meane time , somewhat to be deficient in himselfe . and therefore our apostle having , in the words immediately going before this text , declared , that the ministery was instituted for the edifying of the bodie of christ ; addeth presently , till wee all come in the unitie of the faith , and of the knowledge of the sonne of god , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ. in which words we may obserue aswell the matter of this building [ wee all ] as the structure of it ; and further also consider in the structure , first , the laying of the foundation [ in the unitie of the faith , and of the knowledge of the sonne of god ] secondly , the bringing of the worke to perfection , and the raising of it to his just height [ unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ ] . the matter then of this spirituall edifice ( that wee may begin with that ) are wee our selves . d yee also as lively stones , are built up a spirituall house : saith saint peter . to this saint paul doth here adde a note of vniversalitie [ we all : ] as suting best with the nature of the catholick or vniversall church , which is that body of christ , of the edifying whereof he here treateth : of which therefore he telleth us more plainly in another place ; that e by one spirit we are all baptized into one bodie , whether wee be iewes or gentiles , whether we be bond or free . for the catholick church is not to be sought for in any one angle or quarter of the world : but among all that in every place call upon the name of iesus christ our lord , both theirs and ours . ( corinthians . . ) therefore to their lord and ours was it said ; f aske of mee , and i will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance , and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ; and to his mysticall body , the catholique church accordingly . g i will bring thy seed from the east , and gather thee from the west : i will say to the north , give up ; and to the south , keepe not backe : bring my sonnes from farre , and my daughters from the ends of the earth ; even every one that is called by my name . thus must we conceiue of the catholick church , as of one entire body ; made up by the collection and aggregation of all the faithfull unto the unitie thereof : from which union there ariseth unto every one of them such a relation to , and a dependance upon the church catholique , as parts use to haue in respect of their whole . whereupon it followeth , that neyther particular persons , nor particular churches , are to worke as severall divided bodyes by themselues ( which is the ground of all schisme ) , but are to teach , and to be taught , and to doe all other christian duties , as parts conjoyned unto the whole , and members of the same common-wealth or corporation ; and therefore the bishops of the ancient church , though they had the governmēt of particular congregations onely committed unto them , yet in regard of this communion which they held with the vniversall , did usually take to themselves the title of bishops of the catholick church . which maketh strongly aswell against the new separatists , as the old donatists : who either hold it a thing h not much materiall , so they professe the faith of christ , whether they doe it in the catholick communion , or out of it ; or else ( which is worse ) dote so much upon the perfectiō of their own part , that they refuse to joyn in fellowship with the rest of the body of christians ; as if they themselues were the onely people of god , and all wisedome must live and die with them and their generation . and herein , of all others , doe our romanists most fearefully offend ; as being the authors of the most cruell schisme , that ever hath been seene in the church of god. those infamous schismes of the novatians and donatists were but petty rents , in comparison of this huge rupture , which hath pulled asunder east and west , north & south ; and growne to such a head at home , that in our western parts ( where this faction was so prevalent ) it hath for diverse ages past been esteemed catholicke . in the th of the revelation wee haue a woman described unto us , sitting upon seven mountaines , and upon many waters . the woman is there expounded to be i that great citie which reigneth over the kings of the earth . the seven mountains upon which that city sate , needed not to be expounded ; every childe knew what was meant thereby . the waters are interpreted k peoples , and multitudes , and nations , and tongues . which is that very vniversalitie and catholicisme that the romanists are wont so much to brag of . for , this woman is the particular church of rome , the city-church ; which they call the mother-church , the holy ghost stileth l the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth . those peoples , and multitudes , & nations , and tongues , are such as this proud citie reigneth over : the catholick-roman church they are commonly called by themselves ; but by the holy ghost , m the beast upon which the woman sitteth . this woman is the head of the faction , and the very mother of this schism : the beast , that is to say , they that suffer themselues to be thus ridden by her , are her abbettors and supporters in it . for the particular church of rome ( not being content to be a fellow-member with the rest of the churches of christ , and to haue a joynt dependance with them upō the whole body of the church catholick , n which is the mother of us all ) will needs goe out of her rank ; and , scorning any longer to be accounted one of the branches of the catholick church , would faine be acknowledged to be the root of it : so that now all other churches must hold their dependance upon it , or otherwise be cast forth as withered branches , which are fit onely to be throwne into the fire , and burned . the wisedome of god foresaw this insolency long before-hand : and therfore caused a caveat to be entred against it , even in that epistle which was specially directed to the church of rome it selfe . the words are plaine enough , rom. . . if thou boast , thou bearest not the root , but the root thee . the church of rome therefore must know that shee is no more a root to beare up other churches , than other churches are to beare up her : she may not goe beyond her line , and boast her selfe to be the root of the catholick church , but be contented to be born her selfe by the root , aswell as other particular churches are . for a streame to sever it selfe from the common fountaine , that it may bee counted a fountaine it selfe , without dependance upon any other ; is the next way to make an end of it , and dry it up . the church of rome may doe well to think of this , and leave off her vaine boasting . o i sit a queen , and am no widow , and shall see no sorrow . other churches may faile , and the gates of hell may prevaile against them : but it cannot fall out so with me . whereas she might remember , that they were romanes , unto whom the apostle so long since gave this admonition . p be not high minded , but feare . for if god spared not the naturall branches , take heed lest he also spare not thee . behold therefore the goodnesse and severity of god : on them which fell , severitie , but towards thee , goodnes , if thou continue in his goodnesse : otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. the romanes therefore by their pride may get a fall , as well as others ; and the church of rome by infidelity may be cut off , aswell as any other congregation : and yet the catholick church subsist for all that , as having for her foundation neither rome , nor rom's bishop , but iesus christ , the sonne of the living god. and yet this proud dame and her daughters , the particular church of rome i meane , and that which they call the catholick romane ( or the faction rather that prevaileth in them both ) have in these latter ages confined the whole church of christ within themselves , and excluded all others that were not under the romane obedience , as aliens from the common-wealth of israel , and strangers from the covenants of promise . the donatists were cryed out against by our forefathers , for shutting up the church within the parts of the south ; and rejecting all others that held not correspondency with that patch of theirs : and could they thinke well then of them , that should conclude the church within the western parts of the world , and exclude all other christians from the body of christ , that held not by the same root there that they did ? it is a strange thing to me , that wise men should make such large discourses of the catholique church , and bring so many testimonies to prove the vniversalitie of it : & not discern , that while by this means they think they have gotten a great victory over us , they have in very truth overthrowne themselves ; for when it cōmeth to the point , in stead of the catholick church which consisteth of the cōmunion of all nations , they obtrude their own peece unto us : circumscribing the church of christ within the precincts of the romish jurisdiction , and leaving all the world beside to the power of sathan ; for with them it is a resolved case ; that q to every creature it is altogether of necessitie to salvation , to be subiect to the romane bishop . what must then become of the poore moscovites and grecians ( to say nothing of the reformed churches ) in europe ? what of the aegyptian and aethiopian churches in africk ? what of the great companies of christians scattered over all asia , even from constantinople unto the east indies , which have and still doe endure more afflictions and pressures for the name of christ , than they have ever done , that would be accounted the onely friends of christ ? must these , because they are not the popes subjects , be therefore denied to be christ's subiects ? because they are not under the obedience of the romane church , doe they thereupon forfait the estate which they claime in the catholick church , out of which there is no salvation ? must we give all these for gone , and conclude , that they are certainly damned ? they who talke so much of the catholick church , but indeed stand for their owne particular , must of force sinke as low in uncharitablenesse , as they have thrust themselves deep in schisme : wee who talke lesse of the vniversalitie of the church , but hold the truth of it , cannot finde in our hearts to passe such a bloudy sentence upō so many poore soules , that have given their names to christ. he whose pleasure it was to spread the churches seed so farre , said to east , west , north , and south ; giue : it is not for us then to say ; keepe backe . he hath given to his sonne the heathen for his inheritance , and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession : wee for our parts dare not abbridge this grant , and limit this great lordship , as we conceiue it may best fit our owne turnes ; but leave it to his owne latitude , and seek for the catholick church neither in this part nor in that peece , but ( as it hath beene before said in the words of the apostle ) among r all that in every place call upon the name of iesus christ our lord , both theirs and ours . yea , but how can this be , will some say , seeing the catholike church is but one : and the principall reason for which it is accounted one , is s the unitie of the faith professed therein ? how then can this unitie of faith bee preserved in all places , if one speciall church be not set as a mistresse over all the rest , and one chiefe bishop appointed for a master over all others , by whom in matters of faith every one must be ruled ? and out of such different professions , as are to bee found among the divided christians in those severall parts of the world , how can there be fit matter drawne for the making up of one vniversall church ? to this i answer ( and so passe from the matter of the building , to the structure ) that it is most true indeede , that in the church there is t one lord , one faith , one baptisme : for so we are taught by the apostle in this chapter . but yet , in the first place , it is to be considered , that this unitie of the faith must be compassed by such meanes as god hath ordained for the procuring of it , and not by any politicke trickes of mans devising . now for the bringing of us all to this unity of the faith , the apostle here telleth us , that christ u gave some apostles , and some prophets , and some evangelists , and some pastors and teachers . if he had thought that the maintenance of this unitie did depend upon the singularitie of any one apostle , or pastor , or teacher : is it to be imagined , that hee would have overslipped such a singular person ( even in that very place where , of all others , his presence was most requisite ) and runne altogether , as he doth , upon the plurall number ? that the multitude of teachers dispersed over the world , without any such dependancie or correspondencie , should agree together in laying the foundations of the same faith , is a speciall worke of gods spirit . and it is x the unity of the spirit which the apostle here speaketh of , and exhorteth us to keepe in the bond of peace . whereas the unity of which our adversaries boast so much ( which is nothing else but a wilfull suffering of themselves to be led blind-fold by one man , who commonly is more blind than many of themselves ) is no fruit of the spirit , but of meere carnall policie : and may serve peradventure for a bond of peace betwixt themselues and their owne partie ( such as y the priests of antichrist were to have , and as many as would be content to yeeld themselves to the conduct of such a commander ) but hath proved the greatest block that ever stood in the way , for giving impediment to the peace and unity of the universall church , which here we looke after . and therefore nilus archbishop of thessalonica , entring into the consideration of the original ground of that long cōtinued schisme , whereby the west standeth as yet divided from the east , and the latin churches from the greeke , wrote a whole booke purposely of this argument , wherein he sheweth , z that there is no other cause to be assigned of this distraction , but that the pope will not permit the cognisance of the controversie unto a generall councell , but will needs sit himselfe as the alone teacher of the point in question , and have others hearken unto him as if they were his scholars : and that this is contrary both to the ordinances , and the practice of the apostles and the fathers . neither indeed is there any hope , that ever wee shall see a generall peace , for matters of religion , setled in the christian world , as long as this supercilious master shall be suffered to keepe this rule in gods house : how much soever he be magnified by his owne disciples , and made the onely foundation upon which the unitie of the catholick church dependeth . now in the next place , for the further opening of the unitie of the faith , wee are to call unto minde the distinction which the apostle maketh betwixt a the foundation , and that which is builded thereupon : betwixt b the principles of the doctrine of christ , and that which he calleth perfection . the unitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the sonne of god here spoken of , hath reference ( as we heard ) to the foundation : as that which followeth of a perfect man ; and the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ , to the superstruction and perfection . in the former there is a generall unitie among all true beleevers : in the latter , a great deale of varietie , there being severall degrees of perfection to be found in severall persons , c according to the measure of the gift of christ. so we see in a materiall building , that still there is but one foundation , though great disparitie be observed in sundry parts of the superstruction : some rooms are high , some lowe , some darke , some lightsome , some more substantially , some more slightly builded , and in tract of time some prove more ruinous than others ; yet all of them belong to one building , as long as they hold together , and stand upon the same foundation . and even thus is it in the spirituall building also ; whether we respect the practicall part of christianitie , or the intellectuall . in the practicall we see wonderfull great difference betwixt christian and christian : some by gods mercy attaine to a higher measure of perfection , and keepe themselves unspotted from the cōmon corruptions of the world ; others watch not so carefully over their wayes , and lead not such strict lives , but are oftentimes overtaken and fall fowly : that he who looketh upon the one and the other , would hardly thinke that one heaven should receive them both . but although the one doth so farre outstrip the other in the practice of new obedience ( which is the christian mans race ) yet are there certaine fundamentall principles , in which they both concurre ; as d a desire to feare gods name , e repentance for sinnes past , and a sincere f purpose of heart for the time to come to cleave unto the lord . which whosoever hath , is under mercie , and may not be excluded from the communion of saints . in like manner for the intellectuall part : the g first principles of the oracles of god ( as the apostle calleth them ) hold the place of the common foundation , in which all christians must be grounded : although h some be babes , and for further knowledge are unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse ; other some are of perfect age , who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discerne both good and evill . the oracles of god containe aboundance of matter in them , and whatsoever is found in them is a fit object for faith to apprehend : but that all christians should uniformely agree in the profession of all those truthes that are revealed there , is a thing that rather may be wished , than ever hoped for . yet the varietie of mens judgements in those manie points , that belong to theologicall faith ; doth not dissolve the unitie which they hold together in the fundamentall principles of the catholick faith . the unitie of the faith commended here , is a catholick unitie , and such as every true christian attaineth unto . till wee all come in the unitie of the faith : saith the apostle . as there is a i common salvation , so is there a k common faith ; which is l alike precious in the highest apostle and the meanest beleever . for we may not thinke that heaven was prepared for deepe clerkes onely : and therefore beside that larger measure of knowledge , whereof all are not capable , there must be m a rule of faith common to small and great ; which as it must consist but of few propositions , ( for simple men cannot beare away many ) so is it also requisite , that those articles should be of such weight and moment , that they may be sufficient to make a man wise unto saluation : that howsoever in other points learned men may goe beyond common christians , and exceed one another likewise by many degrees : yet in respect of these radicall truthes , which is the necessarie and common food of all the children of the church , there n is not an unitie onely , but such a kinde of equalitie also brought in among all sorts of christians , as was heretofore among the congregation of the israelites in the collection of their manna ; where o he that gathered much , had nothing over ; and hee that gathered little , had no lacke . if then salvation by beleeving these common principles may be had , and to salvation none can come that is not first a member of the catholick church of christ : it followeth thereupon , that the unitie of the faith , generally requisite for the incorporating of christians into that blessed societie , is not to be extended beyond those common principles . which may further be made manifest unto us by the continuall practice of the catholick church her selfe , in the matriculation of her children , and the first admittance of them into her communion . for when shee prepared her catechumeni for baptisme , and by that dore received them into the congregation of christs flock ; we may not think her iudgement to have beene so weake , that shee would omit any thing herein that was essentially necessary for the making of one a member of the church . now the profession which she required of all that were to receive baptisme , was , for the agenda or practicall part , an abrenuntiation of the divell , the world , and the flesh , with all their sinfull workes and lustes ; and for the credenda , the things to be beleeved , an acknowledgement of the articles of the creed : which being solemnly done , she then baptised them in this faith ; intimating thereby sufficiently , that this was that one faith commended unto her by the apostles , as the other that one baptisme which was appointed to be the p sacrament of it . this creed , though for substance it was the same every where , yet for forme was somewhat different ; and in some places received moe enlargements than in others . the westerne churches herein applyed themselves to the capacitie of the meaner sort , more than the easterne did : using in their baptisme that shorter forme of confession , commonly called the apostles creed , which in the more ancient times was briefer also than now it is . as we may easily perceive , by comparing the symbol recited by marcellus ancyranus ( in the q profession of the faith which he delivered to pope iulius ) with the expositions of the apostles creed , written by the latin doctors : r wherein the mention of the fathers being maker of heaven and earth , the sonnes death and descending into hell , and the communion of saints , is wholly omitted . all which , though they were of undoubted veritie , yet for brevities sake seeme at first to have beene omitted in this short summe : because some of them perhaps were not thought to be altogether so necessary for all men ( which is s suarez his judgement touching the point of the descent into hell ) ; and some that were most necessary , either thought to be sufficiently implied in other articles ( as that of christ's death in those of his crucifixion and buriall ) , or thought to be sufficiently manifested by the light of reason ; as that of the creation of heaven and earth . for howsoever this , as it is a truth revealed by god's word , becommeth an object for faith to apprehend ( heb. . . ) : yet it is otherwise also clearely to be understood by the discourse of reason ( rom. . . ) , even as the unitie , and all the other attributes of the godhead likewise are . which therefore may be well referred unto those praecognita , or common principles which nature may possesse the minde withall , before that grace enlightneth it ; and need not necessarily to be inserted into that symbol , which is the badge and cognizance whereby the beleever is to be differenced and distinguished from the vnbeleever . the creed which the easterne churches used in baptisme , was larger then this : being either the same , or very little different from that which we commonly call the nicene creed ; because the greatest part of it was repeated and confirmed in the first generall councell held at nice : where the first draught thereof was presented to the synod by eusebius , bishop of caesarea , with this preamble . t as wee have received from the bishops that were before us , both at our first catechizing , and when we received baptisme : and as we have learned from the holy scriptures ; and as we have both beleeved and taught , when wee entred into the ministery , and in our bishoprick it selfe : so beleeving at this present also , we declare this our faith unto you . to this the nicene fathers added a more cleare explication of the deitie of the sonne ( against the arrian heresie , wherewith the church was then troubled ) , professing him to be begotten , not made , and to be of one substance with the father . the second generall councell , which was assembled fiftie-six yeares after at constantinople , approving this confession of the faith , as u most ancient and agreeable to baptisme , inlarged it somewhat ; in the article that concerned the holy ghost especially , which at that time was most oppugned by the macedonian heretickes . and whereas the nicene confession proceeded no further , than to the beliefe which we have in the holy trinitie ; the fathers of constantinople made it up , by adding that which was commonly professed touching the catholicke church and the priviledges belonging thereunto . epiphanius repeating this creed at large , x affirmeth it to haue been delivered unto the church by the apostles . y cassianus avoucheth as much , where he urgeth this against nestorius , as the creed anciently received in the church of antioch ; from whence hee came . the romane church , after the dayes of charles the great , added the article of the procession of the h●ly ghost from the sonne , unto this symboll : and the z councell of trent hath now recommended it unto us , as that principle in which all that professe the faith of christ doe necessarily agree ; and the firme and onely fovndation , against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile . it is a matter confessed therefore by the fathers of trent themselues , that in the constantinopolitane creed , or in the romane creed at the farthest ( which differeth nothing from the other , but that it hath added filióque to the procession of the holy ghost , and out of the nicene creed , deum de deo , to the articles that concerne the sonne ) that onely foundation , and principle of faith is to be found , in the unitie whereof all christians must necessarily agree . which is otherwise cleared sufficiently , by the constant practice of the apostles and their successours , in the first receiving of men into the societie of the church . for in one of the apostles ordinary sermons , we see , there was so much matter delivered , as was sufficient to convert men unto the faith , and to make them capable of baptisme : and those sermons treated onely of the first principles of the doctrine of christ ; upon the receiving whereof , the church ( following the example of the apostles ) never did denie baptisme unto her catechumeni . in these first principles therefore must the foundation be contained , and that common unitie of faith which is required in all the members of the church . the foundation then being thus cleared : concerning the superstruction , we learne from the apostle , that some a build upon this foundation , gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay , stubble . some proceed from one degree of wholesome knowledge unto another ; increasing their maine stock , by the addition of those other sacred truthes that are revealed in the word of god : and these build upon the foundation , gold , and silver , and precious stones . others retaine the precious foundation , but lay base matter upon it ; wood , hay , stubble , and such other eyther unprofitable or more dangerous stuffe : and others goe so farre , that they overthrow the very foundation it selfe . the first of these be wise , the second foolish , the third madde builders . when the day of tryall commeth : the first mans b worke shall abide ; and hee himselfe shall receive a reward ; the second shall lose his worke , but not himselfe ; ( c he shall suffer losse , saith the apostle , but he himselfe shall be saved : ) the third shall lose both himselfe and his worke together . and as in this spirituall structure verie different kindes of materialls may be laid upon the same foundation , some sound and some unsound : so in either of them , there is a great difference to be made betwixt such as are more contiguous to the foundation , and such as be remoter off . the fuller explication of the first principles of faith , and the conclusions deduced from thence , are in the ranke of those verities that be more neerely conjoyned to the foundation : to which those falsities are answerable on the other side , that grate upon the foundation , and any way endanger it . for that there be diverse degrees both of truthes and errors in religion , which necessarily must be distinguished ; is a thing acknowledged , not by us alone , but by the learnedest also of our adversaries . d there be some catholick verities ( say they ) which doe so pertaine to faith , that these being taken away , the faith it selfe must be taken away also . and these by common use wee call not onely catholick , but verities of faith also . there are other verities which bee catholick also and universall , namely , such as the whole church holdeth , which yet being overthrowne , the faith is shaken indeed , but not overturned . and in the errors that are contrary to such truthes as these , the faith is obscured , not extinguished ; weakened , not perished . neverthelesse , e though the faith bee not altogether destroyed by them , yet is it evill at ease , and shaken , and as it were disposed to corruption . for as there be certaine hurts of the bodie which doe not take away the life , but yet a man is the worse for them , and disposed to corruption eyther in whole or in part ; as there be other mortall hurts , which take away the life : so likewise are there certaine degrees of propositions , which containe unsound doctrine , although they have not manifest heresie . in a word , the generall rule concerning all these superstructions , is : that the more neere they are to the foundation , of so much greater importance be the truthes , and so much more perillous be the errors , as againe , the farther they are removed off , the lesse necessary doth the knowledge of such verities prove to be , and the swarving from the truth lesse dangerous . now from all that hath beene said , two great questions may be resolved , which trouble manie . the first is ; what wee may judge of our fore-fathers ▪ who lived in the communion of the church of rome ? whereunto i answere , that wee have no reason to thinke otherwise , but that they lived and dyed under the mercie of god. for wee must distinguish the papacie from the church wherein it is , as the apostle doth f antichrist from the temple of god , wherein hee sitteth . the foundation upon which the church standeth , is that common faith , ( as we have heard ) in the unitie whereof all christians doe generally accord . vpon this old foundation antichrist raiseth up his new buildings ; and layeth upon it , not hay and stubble onely , but farre more vile and pernicious matter , which wrencheth and disturbeth the very foundation it selfe . for example . it is a ground of the catholick faith , that christ was borne of the virgin mary : which in the scripture is thus explained . g god sent forth his sonne , made of a woman . this the papacie admitteth for a certaine truth : but insinuateth withall , that upon the altar god sendeth forth his sonne made of bread. for the transsubstantiation which these man would haue us beleeve , is not an annihilation of the bread , and a substitution of the bodie of christ in the stead thereof , but a reall conversion of the one into the other : such as they themselves would have esteemed to be a bringing forth of christ , and a kinde of generation of him . for , to omit the wilde conceits of postellus in his booke de nativitate mediatoris ultimâ : this is the doctrine of their graver divines ( as cornelius à lapide the iesuite doth acknowledge in his romane lectures ) that h by the words of consecration truely and really as the bread is transsubstantiated , so christ is produced and as it were generated upon the altar , in such a powerfull and effectuall manner ; that , if christ as yet had not beene incarnate , by these words [ hoc est corpus meum ] he should be incarnated , and assume an humane bodie . and doth not this new divinitie , thinke you , shrewdly threaten the ancient foundation of the catholick beleefe of the incarnation ? yet such as in the dayes of our fore-fathers opposed the popish doctrine of transsubstantiation , could alledge for themselues , i that the faith which they maintained , was then preserved among the laitie , and so had anciently beene preserved . and of mine owne knowledge i can testifie , that when i have dealt with some of the common people that would be counted members of the romane church , and demanded of them what they thought of that which i knew to be the common tenet of their doctors in this point : they not onely rejected it with indignation , but wondered also that i should imagine any of their side to be so foolish , as to give credit to such a senselesse thing . neither may we account it to have been a small blessing of god unto our ancestors , who lived in that kingdome of darkenesse , that the ignorance wherein they were bred , freed them from the understanding of those things , which being known might prove so prejudiciall to their soules health . k for there be some things , which it is better for a man to be ignorant of , than to know : and the l not knowing of those profundities , which are indeed the depths of satan , is to those that have not the skil to dive into the bottome of such mysteries of iniquitie , a good and an happie ignorance . the ignorance of those principles of the catholique faith , that are absolutely necessarie to salvation , is as dangerous a gulfe on the other side : but the light of those common truthes of christianitie was so great , and so firmely fixed in the mindes of those that professed the name of christ , that it was not possible for the power of darkenesse to extinguish it , nor the gates of hell to prevaile against it . nay , the verie solemne dayes , which by the ancient institution of the church were celebrated for the commemoration of the blessed trinitie , the nativitie , passion , resurrection , and ascension of our saviour christ , did so preserve the memorie of these things among the common people ; that by the m popish doctors themselves , it is made an argument of grosse and supine ignorance , that any should not have explicite knowledge of those mysteries of christ , which were thus publikely solemnized in the church . and ( which is the principall point of all ) the ordinary instruction appointed to be given unto men upon their death-beds , was : n that they should looke to come to glorie , not by their owne merits , but by the vertue and merit of the passion of our lord iesus christ ; that they should place their whole confidence in his death onely , and in no other thing ; and that they should interpose his death betwixt god and their sinnes , betwixt them and gods anger . so that where these things did thus concurre in any ( as wee doubt not but they did in many thousands ) , the knowledge of the common principles of the faith , the ignorance of such maine errours as did endanger the foundation , a godly life , and a faithfull death : there we have no cause to make any question , but that god had fitted a subject for his mercy to worke upon . and yet in saying thus , wee doe nothing lesse than say that such as these were papists , either in their life or in their death : members of the romane church perhaps they were , but such as by god's goodnes were preserved from the mortalitie of popery that raigned there . for popery it selfe is nothing else but the botch or the plague of that church : which hazardeth the soules of those it seizeth upon , as much as any infection can doe the body . and therefore if any one will needs be so foole-hardy as to take up his lodging in such a pest-house , after warning given of the present danger ; wee in our charitie may well say , lord have mercy upon him : but he , in the meane time , hath great cause to feare , that god in his justice will inflict that judgement upon him , which o in this case he hath threatned against such as will not beleeve the truth , but take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse . and so much may suffice for that question . the second question , so rise in the mouthes of our adversaries , is : where was your church before luther ? whereunto an answere may bee returned from the grounds of the solution of the former question : that our church was even there where now it is . in all places of the world , where the ancient foundations were retained , and those common principles of faith , upon the profession whereof men have ever beene wont to be admitted , by baptisme , into the church of christ : there we doubt not but our lord had his subjects , and wee our fellow-servants . for wee bring-in no new faith , nor no new church . that which in the time of the ancient fathers p was accounted to be truely and properly catholick , namely , that which was beleeved every where , alwayes , and by all : that in the succeeding ages hath evermore beene preserved , and is at this day entirely professed in our church . and it is well observed by a learned man , who hath written a full discourse of this argument ; that q whatsoever the father of lies either hath attempted or shall attempt , yet neither hath he hitherto effected , nor shall ever bring it to passe hereafter , that this catholick doctrine , ratified by the common consent of christians alwayes and every where , should be abolished ; but that in the thickest mist rather of the most perplexed troubles , it still obtained victorie , both in the mindes and in the open confession of all christians , no wayes overturned in the foundation thereof : and that in this veritie that one church of christ was preserved in the midst of the tempests of the most cruell winter , or in the thickest darknes of her waynings . thus if at this day we should take a survay of the severall professions of christianitie , that have any large spread in any part of the world ( as of the religion of the romane and the reformed churches in our quarters , of the aegyptians and aethiopians in the south , of the grecians and other christians in the easterne parts ) , and should put-by the points wherein they did differ one from another , and gather into one body the rest of the articles wherein they all did generally agree : wee should finde , that in those propositions which without all controversie are universally received in the whole christian world , so much truth is contained , as , being joyned with holy obedience , may be sufficient to bring a man unto everlasting salvation . neither have wee cause to doubt , but that r as many as doe walke according to this rule ( neither overthrowing that which they have builded by superinducing any damnable heresies thereupon , nor otherwise vitiating their holie faith with a lewd and wicked conversation ) peace shall bee upon them , and mercie , and upon the israel of god. now these common principles of the christian faith , which we call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or things generally beleeved of all , as they have s vniversalitie , and antiquity , and consent concurring with them ( which by vincentius his rule , are the speciall characters of that which is truely and properly catholick : so for their duration wee are sure that they have still held out , and beene kept as the seminarie of the catholique church in the darkest and difficultest times that ever have beene : where if the lord of hostes had not in his mercy reserved this seed unto us , we should long since t have beene as sodom , and should have beene like unto gomorrah . it cannot be denied indeed , that sathan and his instruments have used their utmost endeavour , either to hide this light from mens eyes , by keeping them in grosse ignorance , or to deprave it by bringing-in pernicious heresies ; and that in these latter ages they have much prevailed both wayes , aswell in the west and north , as in the east and south . yet farre be it , for all this , from any man to thinke , that u god should so cast away his people , that in those times there should not be left a remnant according to the election of grace . the christian church was never brought unto a lower ebbe , than was the iewish synagogue in the dayes of our saviour christ ; when x the interpreters of the law had taken away the key of knowledge : and that little knowledge that remained , was miserably corrupted , not onely with the leaven of the pharisees , but also with the damnable heresie of the sadduces . and yet a man at that time might have seene the true servants of god standing together with these men in the selfe-same temple : which might well be accounted , as the house of the saints in regard of the one , so a denne of theeves in respect of the other . when the pestilent heresie of the arrians had polluted the whole world ; the people of christ were not to bee found among them onely who made an open secession from that wicked company , but among those also who held externall communion with them , and lived under their ministery . where they so learned the other truthes of god from them , that they were yet ignorant of their maine errour ; god in his providence so ordering matters , that ( as it is noted by s. y hilary ) the people of christ should not perish under the priests of antichrist . if you demand then , where was gods temple all this while ? the answer is at hand : there where antichrist sate . where was christs people ? even under antichrists priests : and yet this is no justification at all , either of antichrist , or of his priests ; but a manifestation of god's great power , who is able to uphold his church even there z where satans throne is . babylon was an infectious place , and the infection thereof was mortall : and yet god had his people there , whom hee preserved from the mortalitie of that infection . else , how should he have said ; a come out of her my people ; that yee bee not partakers of her sinnes , and that ye receive not of her plagues . if the place had not beene infectious , he should not have needed to forwarne them of the danger wherein they stood of partaking in her sinnes ; and if the infection had not beene mortall , he would not have put them in minde of the plagues that were to follow : and if in the place thus mortally infected , god had not preserved a people alive unto himselfe , he could not have said ; come out of her my people . the enemie indeed had there sowne his tares : but b sowne them in the lords field , and among the lords wheate . and a field , we know , may so bee c overgrowne with such evill weedes as these ; that at the first sight a man would hardly thinke , that any corne were there at all : even as in the barne it selfe , the d mixture of the chaffe with the wheate is sometime such , as a-farre off a man would imagine that he did see but a heape of chaffe , and nothing else . those worthy husbandmen that in these last . yeares have taken paines in plucking up those pernicious weedes out of the lords field , and severing the chaffe from his graine ; cannot be rightly said in doing this , eyther to have brought in another field , or to have changed the ancient graine . the field is the same , but weeded now , unweeded then : the graine the same , but winnowed now , unwinnowed then . wee preach no new faith , but the same catholique faith that ever hath beene preached : neyther was it any part of our meaning to begin a new church in these latter dayes of the world , but to reforme the old . a tree that hath the luxurious branches lopped off , and the noxious things that cleave unto it taken away ; is not by this pruning and purging of it made another tree than it was before : neyther is the church reformed in our dayes , another church than that which was deformed in the dayes of our fore-fathers ; though it hath no agreement , for all that , with poperie , which is the pestilence that walked in those times of darkenesse , and the destruction that now wasteth at noone day . and thus have i finished that which i had to speak , concerning the unitie of the faith : for the further explication whereof , the apostle addeth . [ and of the knowledge of the sonne of god. ] wherein wee may observe both the nature of this grace , and the object of it . for the former , we see that faith is here described unto us by knowledge : to shew unto us , that knowledge is a thing that is necessarily required in true beleeving ; whereof this may bee an argument sufficient : that in matters of faith the scripture doth use indifferently the termes of knowing and beleeving . so iob . . i know that my redeemer liveth . ioh. . . this is life eternall , that they know thee the onely true god , and iesus christ whom thou hast sent . esai . . . by his knowledge shall my righteous servant iustifie manie . as therefore in the fundamentall truthes of christian religion unitie of faith is required among all those that belong to the catholick church : so in those maine grounds likewise there is unitie of knowledge generally required among all that professe the name of christ. for some things there be , the knowledge whereof is absolutely necessarie , e necessitate medij vel finis ( as the school-men speak : ) without which no man may expect , by gods ordinarie law , to attaine unto the end of his faith , the salvation of his soule . and in these a man may lose himselfe , not by heresie onely , which is a flat denying ; but by ignorance also , which is a bare not knowing of them : these things being acknowledged to be so necessarie , that although it lay not in our power to attaine thereunto , yet this invincible ignorance should not excuse us from everlasting death . even as if there were one onely remedie , whereby a sicke man could be recovered , and freed from corporall death : suppose the patient and the physitian both were ignorant of it , the man must perish , as well not knowing it , as if being brought unto him , he had refused it . and therefore in this case it is resolved , that f from the explicite faith , & actuall knowledge of these things , nothing can excuse but onely such an incapacitie as is found in infants , naturals , and distracted persons : and that in all others which have the use of reason , although they want the meanes of instruction , this ignorance is not onely perillous , but also damnable . the danger then of this ignorance being , by the confession of the most judicious divines of both sides , acknowledged to be so great : the wofull estate of the poore countrey wherein i live , is much to bee lamented , where the people generally are suffered to perish for want of knowledge : the vulgar superstitions of poperie not doing them halfe that hurt , that the ignorance of those common principles of the faith doth , which all true christians are bound to learne . the consideration whereof , hath sometime drawne mee to treate with those of the opposite party , & to move them : that howsoever in other things we did differ one from another , yet wee should joyne together in teaching those maine points , the knowledge whereof was so necessary unto salvation , and of the truth whereof there was no controversie betwixt us . but what for the jealousies , which these distractions in matters of religion have bred among us , & what for other respects , the motiō took small effect : & so betwixt us both , the poor people are kept still in miserable ignorāce , neither knowing the grounds of the one religion nor of the other . here the case ( god be thanked ) is farre otherwise : where your maiesties care can never be sufficiently commended , in taking order , that the chiefe heads of the catechisme should , in the ordinarie ministerie , be diligently propounded and explained unto the people throughout the land . which i wish were as duely executed every where , as it was piously by you intended . great scholars possibly may thinke , that it standeth not so well with their credite , to stoop thus low , and to spend so much of their time in teaching these rudiments and first principles of the doctrine of christ. but they should consider , that the laying of the foundation skilfully , as it is the matter of greatest importance in the whole building , so is it the very master-peece of the wisest builder g according to the grace of god which is given unto mee , as a wise master-builder , i have layd the foundation : saith the great apostle . and let the learnedest of us all try it when-ever wee please ; wee shall finde , that to lay this ground-worke rightly , ( that is , to apply our selves unto the capacitie of the common auditorie , and to make an ignorant man to understand these mysteries in some good measure ) will put us to the tryall of our skill , and trouble us a great deale more , than if we were to discusse a controversie , or handle a subtile point of learning in the schooles . yet h christ did give as well his apostles , and prophets , and evangelists , as his ordinarie pastors and teachers , to bring us all , both learned and unlearned , unto the unitie of this faith and knowledge : and the neglecting of this , is the frustrating of the whole worke of the ministerie ▪ for let us preach never so many sermons unto the people , our labour is but lost , as long as the foundation is unlaid , and the first principles untaught , upon which all other doctrine must be builded . hee therefore that will i studie to shew himselfe approved unto god , a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed , dividing the word of god aright ; must have a speciall care to plant this kingdome both in the mindes and in the hearts of them that heare him . i say , in the hearts aswell as in the mindes : because we may not content our selves with a bare theoricall knowledge , which is an information onely of the vnderstanding , and goeth no further than the braine ; but we must labour to attaine unto a further degree both of experimentall and of practicall knowledge , in the things that wee have learned . a young man may talke much of the troubles of the world , and a scholar in the vniversitie may shew a great deale of wit in making a large declamation upon that argument : but when the same men have afterwards been beaten in the world , they will confesse that they spake before they knew not what , and count their former apprehension of these things to be but meere ignorance , in respect of that new learning which now they have bought by deare experience . the tree in paradise , of which our first parents were forbidden to eate , was called k the tree of knowledge of good and evill : because it signified unto them , that as now while they stood upon termes of obedience with their creator , they knew nothing but good ; so at what time soever they did transgresse his commandement , they should begin to know evill also , whereof before they had no knowledge , not but that they had an intellectuall knowledge of it before ( for he that knoweth good , cannot be ignorant of that which is contrarie unto it ; rectum being alwayes index sui & obliqui : ) but that till then they never had felt any evill , they never had any experimentall knowledge of it . so our apostle in this epistle boweth his knees unto the father of our lord iesus christ , that hee would grant unto these ephesians , l to know the love of christ which passeth knowledge : shewing , that there is a further degree of knowledge in this kinde , that may be felt by the heart , though not comprehended by the braine : and in the epistle to the philippians , m he counteth all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of christ iesus his lord. meaning hereby a knowledge grounded upon deepe experience of the vertue of christs death and resurrection , in his owne soule : as he expoundeth it himselfe , in the words following . n that i may know him , and the power of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his sufferings , and be made conformable unto his death . there is an experimentall knowledge then to be looked after , beside the mentall : and so is there a practicall knowledge likewise , as well as an intellectuall . when christ is said to have knowne no sinne : wee cannot understand this of intellectuall knowledge ( for had he not thus knowne sinne , he could not have reproved it as he did ) but of practicall . so that , o hee knew no sinne , in s. paul ; must be conceived to be the very same with , p he did no sinne , in s. peter . in the first to the romanes , they that q knew god , because they glorified him not as god , are therefore said , r not to have god in their knowledge . god made his wayes and his lawes knowne to the children of israel in the desert ; and yet he s said of them : it is a people that doe erre in their heart , and they have not knowne my wayes . for there is an errour in the heart , as well as in the braine : and a kinde of ignorance arising from the will , as well as from the minde . and therefore in the epistle to the hebrewes , t all sinnes are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ignorances , and u sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ignorant and erring persons : because how ever in the generall the understanding may be informed rightly , yet when particular actions come to be resolved upon , mens perverse wils and inordinate affections cloude their mindes , and lead them out of the way . that therefore is to bee accounted sound knowledge , which sinketh from the braine into the heart , and from thence breaketh forth into action : ( setting head , heart , hand , and all aworke : ) and so much onely must thou reckon thy selfe to know in christianitie , as thou art able to make use of in practise . for as saint iames saith of faith ; x shew me thy faith by thy workes : so doth he in like manner of knowledge . y who is a wise man , and endued with knowledge amongst you ? let him shew out of a good conversation his workes with meekenesse of wisedome : and s. iohn much to the same purpose . z hereby we doe know that we know him , if wee keepe his commandements . he that saith , i know him , and keepeth not his commandements , is a lyar , and the truth is not in him . he speaketh there of iesus christ the righteous : the sonne of god , who is here in my text likewise made the obiect of this knowledge . a thou art christ the sonne of the living god : is by christ himselfe made the rocke upon which the whole church is builded , and , b other foundation ( saith s. paul ) can no man lay , than that is laid , which is iesus christ. c not that wee should thinke , that there were no other fundamentall doctrine to bee acknowledged but this alone ( for the articles of the holy ghost , forgivenesse of sinnes , resurrection of the dead , eternall judgement , and such like other , have their place also in the d foundation ) but because this is the most speciall object of faith , and the primarie foundation of all the other . for first , as god is made the coaequate object of the whole bodie of divinitie , notwithstanding it treateth also of men and angels , heaven and hell , sinne and obedience , and sundrie other particulars ; because all these are brought to god reductiuely , if not as explications of his nature , yet of his workes and kingdome : so likewise may christ be made the primarie head of all other fundamentall articles , because they have all reference unto him ; being such as concerne eyther his father , or his spirit , or his incarnation , or his office of mediation , or his church , or the speciall benefits which he hath purchased for it . secondly , howsoever this faith and knowledge , being taken in their larger extent , have for their full object what-ever is revealed in the word of god : yet as they build us upon the foundation , as they incorporate us into the mysticall body , as they are the meanes of our justification and life , they looke upon the sonne of god , and him onely . the holy scriptures ( within the bounds whereof the utmost extent of all our faith and knowledge must be contained ) are able to make us wise unto salvation ; but yet through faith which is in christ iesus ( tim. . . so , by his knowledge ( or the knowledge of himselfe ) shall my righteous servant iustifie many : sayth the father of the son , esay . . and the life which i now live in the flesh , i live by the faith of the son of god , who loved me , and gave himselfe for me : saith the apostle , gal. . . the children of israel in the wildernesse , being stung with fierie serpents , were directed , for their recovery , to looke upon the brazen serpent : which was a figure of e the son of man , lifted up upon the crosse ; that whosoever did beleeve in him , might not perish , but have eternall life . now as the israelites with the same eyes , and with the same visive facultie , wherewith they beheld the sands and the mountaines in the desert , did looke upon the brazen serpent also ; but were cured by fastning their sight upon that alone , and not by looking upon any other object : so by the same faith and knowledge whereby we are justified , f we understand that the world was framed by the word of god , and beleeve all other truths revealed ; and yet fides quâ iustificans , faith as it doth justifie us , doth not look upon these , but fixeth it selfe solely upon the son of god , not knowing any thing here but iesus christ and him crucified and thus hath our saviour a speciall and peculiar place in that larger foundation : according to that of the apostle , ephes. . . yee are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , g of which ( for so his words in the originall may well beare it ) iesus christ is the chiefe corner-stone . it followeth now , that wee should proceed from the foundation to the structure : and so h leaving the principles of the doctrine of christ , goe on unto perfection [ unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ ] : there is a time wherein christ is but begun , and as it were a-breeding in us . gal. . . my little children , of whom i travell in birth againe untill christ be formed in you . after that he hath beene formed in our hearts , he is at first but as a babe there ; yet resteth not at that stay : but as in his naturall body hee i increased in stature , so in every part of his mysticall body hee hath set for himselfe a certaine measure of stature , and a fulnesse of growth ; which being attained unto , a christian is thereby made a perfect man. and for this end also doth the apostle here shew that the ministery was instituted , k that we henceforth should be no more children ( as it is in the words immediately following my text ) , but that we might grow up into him in all things , which is the head , even christ. for the perfection which the apostle here speaketh of , is not to be taken absolutely , ( as if any absolute perfection could be found among m●n in this life ) but in comparison with childhood ; as the opposition is more clearely made by him , in . corinth . . . brethren , be not children , in understanding , howbeit in malice be you children , but in understanding be perfect , that is to say , of mans estate . and , heb. . . . every one that useth milke , is unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse ; for he is a babe : but strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect , that is , that are of full age ; as our interpreters have rightly rendred it . now as there is great difference among men in their naturall growth , so is there no lesse varietie among them also in respect of their spirituall stature : there being severall degrees of this imperfect kinde of perfection here spoken of ; which , according to the diversitie of times , places , and persons , may admit a greater or a lesser measure . for we may not thinke that the same measure of knowledge ( for example ) is sufficient for a learned man and an unlearned ; for a pastor , and for an ordinarie christian ; for those that lived in the time of darkenesse , and them that enjoy the light of the gospel ; for them that have the meanes , and them that want it . but , according to the measure of the gift of god , wee must know notwithstanding that it is required generally of all men ; that they grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour iesus christ. ( . pet. . . ) not in knowledge onely , but in grace : even l grow up into him in all things , which is the head ; as our apostle here admonisheth us . wee must proceed from faith to faith , ( rom. . . ) that is , from one measure and degree of it unto another : and this being the root , and other graces as it were the branches , if it grow apace , other graces also must hasten , and ripen , and grow proportionably with it : else thou mayest justly suspect , that thy growth is not sound , and answerable to that which the apostle sheweth to be in the mysticall body of christ ; which m according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part , maketh increase of the bodie , unto the edifying of it selfe in love . the time will not permit me to proceed any further : and therefore here i end . n now the god of peace , that brought againe from the dead our lord iesus , that great shepheard of the sheepe , through the bloud of his everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will ; working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through iesus christ : to whom be glorie for ever and ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a num. . . b psal. . . c ephes. ▪ . . d heb. . . e heb. . . f esa. . . g math. . . and . . h rom. . . i psal. . . . heb. . . k psal. . . l ibid. vers . . . . chron. . m act. . . n mar. . o ioh. . . p ioh. . . and . . q act. . . r rev. . . s mat. . . t psal. . u ephes. . . x ephes. . . . y chron. . . psal. . . z ephes. . . a ib. ver . . b col. . . c ephes. . . d pet. . . e cor. . . f psal. . . g esa. . . . . h augustin . ep . . quàm multi nihil interesse credentes in quâ quisque parte christianus sit ; ideò permanebant in parte donati , quia ibi nati erant , & eos inde discedere , atque ad catholicam nemo transire cogebat . et paulò pòst putabamus quidem nihil interesse ubi fidē christi teneremus : sed gratias domino , qui nos à divisione collegit , & hoc uni deo congruere , ut in unitate colatur , ostendit . i rev. . . k ibid. ver . . l ibid. vers . . m ib. v. . & . n gal. . . o rev. . . p rom . , . . q subesse romano pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus , dicimus , definimus , & pronuntiamus omninò esse de necessitate salutis bonifac. viii . in extravag de majoritate & obedi●ntiâ , cap vn●m sanctam . r cor. . . s ecclesia ex pluribus personis congregatur : & tamen una dicitur , propter unitatem fidei . hieron . ( si modò is ho●ū commentartorum author est ) in psal. . t ephes. . . u ibid v. . x ibid. ver ●● . y pace ●●â , d est , impie●●●s suae u●●t te se jact●●● ; ●gentes ●e non ut christi episcopos , sed ut antichrist●acerdotes . hilar. contr . auxentium . z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a cor . . . . b heb. . . c ephes. . . d neh. . . e luk. . . heb. . . f act. . . g heb. . . h ib. ver . . ● i iude , ver . . k tit. . . l pet. . . m regula fidei , pusillis magnisque communis . aug. ep . . n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ ●renaus , lib. . cap. . o exod. . . cor . . p sacramentum fidei . aug. epist. . q habetur apud epiphaniū in haeres . ● . r see my answer to the iesuits challenge , page . s fr. suarez , tom . . in ▪ par . thom. disp . . sect . . t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euseb. ep . apud socratem , lib. . hist. cap. . ( al. ● . ) et theodoret. li. . cap . u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . conc. constant. epis . apud theod. l. . cap. . x epiphan . in ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . edit . grac. y io. cass. lib. . de incarnat . verbi . z concil . tridentin . ( s●● ) symbolum fid●i , quo sancta romana ecclesi● utitur , tanquam princip●um tilud , in quo omnes , qui fidem christi profitentur necessariò conveniunt , ac fundamentum firmū & unicum , contra quod portae inferi nunquam praevalebunt , totidem verbis , quibus in omnibus ecclesiis legitur , exprimendum esse censuit . a cor. . . b ibid. v. . c ibid. v. . d quaedam sunt catholicae veritates , quae ita ad fidem pertinent , ut his sublatis , fides quoque ipsa tollatur . quas nos , usu frequenti non solùm catholicas , sed fidei veritates appellavimus . aliae veritates sunt etiamipsae catholicae & universales , nempè quas universa ecclesia tenet , quibus licèt eversis , fides quatitur , sed non evertitur tamen ▪ atque in hujusmodi veritatū contrariis er● oribus , dixi fidem obscurari , non extingui ; infirmari , non perire . has ergo nunquam fidei veritates censui vocandas , quamvis doctrinae christianae veritates sint . melch canu● , loc . theolog. lib. cap . e neces●ar●ò oportet distinguere alios gradus propositionum , per quas etiamsi fides non destruatur omninò , tamen malè habet , & quatitur , & quasi disponitur ad corruptionem . sicut sunt quaedam corporum laesiones quae non auferunt vitam , sed malè habet homo per eas , & disponitur ad corruptionem aut in toto aut in parte ; aliae verò sunt laesiones mortales , quae vitam eripiunt : ita sunt quidam gradus propositionum , continentes doctrinam non sanam , etiamsi non habeant haeresim manifestam . dominic bannes , in am ae . quaest . artic . f thes. ▪ . g gal. . . h per verba consecrationis verè & realiter uti transsubstantiatur panis , ita producitur & quasi generatur christus in altari , adeò potenter & effi caciter , ut si christus nec dum esset incarnatus ▪ per haec verba hoc est corpus meum , incarnaretur , corpusque humanum assumeret : ut graves theologi docent . cornelius cornelij à lapide , commentar . in esai . . . i confitentur alii , quòd fides sua , quâ astruunt quòd panis & vinum remanent post consecrationē in naturis suis , adhuc servatur laicis , & antiquitùs servabatur . io. tissington , in confessione cont . io. wicliff . quam ms. habeo . k sunt enim quaedam , quae nescire , quàm scire , sit melius . aug. enchirid . ad laurent . cap. . l rev. . . m in sylvest . in summâ , verb. fides . §. . ex thom. in a ae , quaest . . art . . n see my treatise de christianarum ecclesiarum successione & statu , cap. §. . . and the answere to the iesuite , pag. . . o thess. . . p in ipsâ catholicâ ecclesiâ magnoperè curandum est , utid teneamus quod ubique , quod semper , quod ab omnibus creditum est : hoc est etenim verè propriéque catholicum ▪ vincent . lirin cont . haeres . cap. . q quicquid vel molitus sit vel moliturus sit mendacii pater , non tamen vel effecisse hactenús vel effecturum posthàc , ut haec doctrina catholica , omniū christianorū consensu , semper & ubique rata , aboleatur : quin potiûs , illam in densissimâ maximè involutarum perturbationum caligme victricem extitisse , & in animis & in aperta confessione christianorum omnium , in suis fundamentis nullo modo labefactatam . in illâ quoque veritate unam illam ecclesiam fuisse conservatam in mediis saevissimae hyemis tempestatibus , vel densissimis tenebris suorum interluniorum . ioh. serranus , in apparat ad fidem cathol . edit paris . an . . pag. . r gal. . . s vniversitatem , antiquitatem , cōsensionem . vincent . lirin ▪ 〈…〉 hae●es . 〈…〉 t esay . . . u rom. . . . x luk. . . y et hujus q●●dem usque adhuc impietatis occasio per fraudem perficitur ; ut jam sub antichristi sacerdotibus christi populus non occidat . hilar contr . auxentium . z revel . . . a rev. . . b mat. . , . c infelix lolium , & steriles dominantur avenae . d grana cùm coeperint tríturari interpaleam , se non jam tangunt , & quasi non se noverunt , quia intercedit medio palea . et quicunque longiùs attendit aream , paleam solumn ▪ odò putat : nisi diligentiùs intueatur , nisi manum porrigat , nisi spiritu oris , id est , flatu purgante di●●ernat ; difficilè pervenit ad discretionē granorum . serm. . de tempore , tomo . . oper. augustini . e necessarium necessitate medii appellāt theologi illud , quod ex lege ordinariâ dei , sic ad salutem necessarium est , ut quicunque etiam ob ignorantiam invincibilem , vel quacunque aliâ de caussâ id non fuerit assecutus , is nequeat etiam consequi salutem greg. de valentiâ , tom . . commentar . theolog. quaest . . punct . . col . . illa quae sunt necessaria necessitate finis , si desint , nobis etiam sine culpâ nostra , non excusabunt nos ab aeternâ morte ; quamvis non fuerit in nostrâ potestate illa assequi . quemadmodum etiamsi non sit nisi unicum remedium , ut aliquis fugiat mortem corporalem , & tale remedium ignoretur & ab infirmo & medico ; sine dnbio peribit homo ille . dom. bannes , in am ae , quaest . . art . . col . . f sicut ad legis christi habitualem fidem omnis vitiator obligatur sine ullâ exceptione ; sic ab ejus actuali fide nullus excusatur nisi solâ incapacitate , &c. parvulos autem & furiosos , caeterísque passionibus mente captos , seu aliâ naturali impossibilitate prohibitos , incapaces voco : etsi non simpliciter , tamē secundùm quid ; sc. dum his defectibus laborant . petr. de alliaco . in quaestione vesperiarum . g cor. . . h ephes. . . i tim. . k gen . . . l ephe. . . m phil. . . n ibid. vers . . o cor. . . p pet. . . q rom. . . r ibid. vers . . s psal. . . heb. . . t heb . . compared with lev. . . . u heb. . . aristot. ethic. lib. . cap . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . x iam. . . y iam. . . z ioh. . . . a mat. . . . b cor. . . c vid. aug. lib. de fide & oper . ● . . d heb. . . . e ioh. . . f heb. . . g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . h heb. . . i luk. . ● . k eph. . , . l ephes. . . m ephes. . n heb. . . . a sermon preached to the right honourable the lord mayor, and court of aldermen of the city of london, at their anniversary meeting on easter monday april , at the spittle wherein the unity of the saints with christ, the head, and especially with the church, the body, with the duties thence arising, are endeavoured to be cleared : tending to heale our rents and divisions / by stephen marshal ... marshall, stephen, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing m ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing m estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached to the right honourable the lord mayor, and court of aldermen of the city of london, at their anniversary meeting on easter monday april , at the spittle wherein the unity of the saints with christ, the head, and especially with the church, the body, with the duties thence arising, are endeavoured to be cleared : tending to heale our rents and divisions / by stephen marshal ... marshall, stephen, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing m ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread [ ], p. printed by r.i. for stephen bowtel ..., london : . marginal notes. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng schism -- sermons. communion of saints -- sermons. christian union -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. a r (wing m ). civilwar no a sermon preached to the right honourable the lord mayor, and court of aldermen of the city of london, at their anniversary meeting on easte marshall, stephen c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached to the right honourable the lord mayor , and court of aldermen of the city of london , at their anniversary meeting on easter monday april , at the spittle . wherein the unity of the saints with christ , the head , and especially with the church , the body ; with the duties thence arising , are endeavoured to be cleared . tending to heale our rents and divisions . the second impression , corrected by the authour . by stephen marshal b. d. and minister of the gospel at finchingfield in essex . cor. . . by one spirit we are all baptized into one body , whether wee be jewes or gentiles , whether we be bond or free , and have been all made to drinke into one spirit . zach. . . therefore love the truth and peace . london printed by r. i. for stephen bowtel , at the bible in popes head-alley . . to the right honourable the lord mayor , and court of aldermen , of the famous city of london . right honourable : my earnest desire to help quench the flames of our church-divisions , which threaten destruction to us all , put mee upon the study of this theame , when i was called to preach at your late solemne anniversary meeting ; the same desire hath perswaded me to yeeld ready obedience to your order for the publishing of it . i doubt not , but as it was the prayer of our blessed saviour , that all his saints might be one ; so it is the desire of all true christians , that jesus christ would make all his to be of one mind , and of one heart , and when they cannot be of one minde , yet to be of one heart , and i am as assured , that in his due time he will effect it ; when that blessed time is approaching , such doctrines , as this plaine sermon holds forth , will be more seriously studied , and more readily imbraced , then they are at this day . if this mite may contribute any thing to it , yea , if it doe but provoke divided and ingaged men , to search the scriptures , whether these things here delivered be true , or not , and especially , if it occasion some other of his servants , who have obtained greater ability , and more leasure , to arise , and put their hand to this worke of reconciliation , and pacification ; i should then hope , that the day-star of our peace begun to appear ; however , i have peace in the discharge of my duty , and humbly commend the healing of all our breaches to him , who is the prince of peace ; to him also i commend your selves and your great work , and subscribe my selfe , your servant in , and for the lord , stephen marshall . the unity of the saints with christ , and especially among themselves . rom. . , . for as we have many members in one body , and all members have not the same office ; so we , being many , are one body in christ , and every one members one of another . that you may the better understand the true scope of the holy ghost in these words , it is necessary that i carry you a little back . the apostle having in the eleven first chapters at large opened the doctrine of faith , begins in this twelfth chapter with the second part of our christian religion , which is the doctrine of evangelicall obedience , and there hee first propounds the generall nature of it , that it is a giving up of our selves to be holy and living sacrifices unto god , yeelding unto him a reasonable service . secondly , he sets it out by the generall rule of it , and that is first negative , not to bee conformed to the world , the modes , and customes , and manners of men . and secondly , positive , viz. to search and know with a renewed minde , what is the will of god , and , as the will of god is discovered , to imbrace and obey it , acknowledging it to be a good and an acceptable will to us ; these two are generall . then in the next place hee begins more particularly to shew wherein this will of god doth stand , or what he hath revealed for the direction of his people . and in the third verse he doth propound one particular rule , to which ( because he would have it take the better place ) he makes this preface , i say , through the grace , that ▪ is given me ; as if hee should have said , i propound that which through mercy , i well understand to be a most excellent and necessary rule , viz. that every one would be earefull to imploy that talent , which the lord hath trusted him with , within the compasse of his owne line and place , thereby to be usefull and profitable to the whole , that is the scope of those words , that no man should thinke more highly of himselfe , then he ought to thinke , but to think soberly , according as god hath dealt to every man the measure of faith , the same thing which the apostle , cor. . . means by the manifestation of the spirit , which is given to every man to profit withall , to be faithfull in the imployment of that talent , which the lord hath be trusted him with , and to use it within the bounds of his own line and calling , and not to thrust himselfe into other mens office or worke , which the apostle afterward more fully prosecutes verse , , . now because some man might a little wonder that the apostle should begin with this , as the very first duty , which he imposeth upon christians , that therefore the necessity and weight of it might the more appear , he useth a most apt and elegant similitude ; look as it is in the natural body of man , the members are very many , take the joynts and sinews , nerves , and vaines , &c , there are abundance of them , and every one of them is indowed with some faculty or other , and all the multitude of members doe make but one body , wherein every member doing its owne office , the whole is nourished , and should they neglect the performance of what god in nature had intrusted them with , or should not each of them keepe to their owne worke , this neglect or disorder would tend to the destruction of the whole ; even so hath the lord appointed and ordered it in the church of christ , that all the people of god , scattered throughout the world , though their multitude bee not to be numbred , yet all these are all compacted by the lords institution into one body , and in this one body , they are all of them not onely members of jesus christ the head , but every one of them members one of another , and given gifts and abilities to be imployed by them for their common good , each needing another , each bound to helpe one another , and by what every one is bound in his place to supply , the whole church , ( which is the body of christ ) growes up to perfection , as is most excellently laid down , ephes. . . and thus i have brought you to my text , and opened the generall scope and meaning of it , which words in themselves doe containe the unity of the saints in one body with christ the head , and each of them one with another , from which without any more preamble or interpretation , i propound this one onely lesson , viz. the whole church , or the collection or aggregation of all the saints , are one body in christ , of which body christ is the head , and all the saints are members . which i will indeavour briefly to explain , and then come to that branch which i have chosen to insist upon this day . know then that our lord jesus christ in the scripture is said to have a twofold body , the one a natural body , that body which was conceived in the wombe of the virgin , which was borne into the world , wherein christ lived , which dyed , rose againe , and is now ascended up into heaven , this natural body of christ is not the body meant in my text . but secondly , christ hath another body very often mentioned in the scripture , which is called his mysticall body , or a body in a mystery : but because that may be looked upon , but as a blinde , which every man may interpret according to his own fancy , therefore the spirit of god hath taught us , that the collection or aggregation , or the thus gathering together of all the saints in one , which the scripture cals the body of christ , though it be not his naturall body , yet it is to him as his naturall body , and this i pray you to marke , and give me leave to prove , because it is the onely foundation of all the discourse , that i am this day to make to you ; i say , the church , when the scripture cals it the body of christ , is to him , as his naturall body , that is , they stand to christ in the same relation that the naturall body doth stand to the naturall head , and christ stands to them in the same relation , that a natural head doth to the naturall body , and all the members , that is , all beleevers , or saints ' , stand in the same relation one to another , as the members of a naturall body doe stand one to another : this i say , is the foundation of all , and out of the many texts which might bee alledged , to prove it , i shall onely ( to this which i have in hand , which saith expresly that wee are all one body in christ , and every one members one of another ) mention two more , which are so plaine , that he that runs may read this truth in them ; one is in the cor. . indeed almost the whole chapter is a proofe , and an improvement of this one truth : the apostle tels them in the beginning of the chapter , that there are given to the church , diversities of gifts , diversities of administrations , diversities of operations , and all these come from the same spirit , and this spirit that gives these gifts , and administrations , and operations , hee gives them all to this end , that there may be a profiting of the whole : and presently ( that you may understand his meaning ) tels us , that look as it is in the naturall body , there is abundance of members joyned , and every one have their severall office for the good of all , so is christ , saith he by christ , there , he doth not mean jesus christ in his humane nature onely , but christ mysticall , christ and all his members gathered into one ; and then goes on in the thirteenth verse , and tels us , that by one spirit we are all baptized into one body , whether jewes or gentiles , bond , or free , and are all made to drink into one spirit , and so , throughout to the end of the chapter , prosecutes the same comparison of christs being as a naturall head to his church , and all the saints , as naturall members to christ , and one to another , and the duties which follow thereupon . the other place is ephes. from . to . in the beginning of the chapter , he exhorted them earnestly to live in love , and keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ; to provoke them the better to it , he shews them verse . , and . in how many things they are one ( of which you shal hear more afterward . ) then vers . . he addes , that each of them had received gifts , which were the fruits of christs ascention , all which were given for the converting , edifying , and perfecting of the body of christ , untill it attaine unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of christ , that they all might grow up in all things unto him that is the head , even christ . now that it might appear what kinde of head and body is meant , he presently fals upon this similitude of a naturall body , verse . from whom the whole body fitly joyned and compacted together , by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part , maketh increase of the whole body to the edifying of it selfe in love . and almost parallel to this is , col. . . where the apostle tels us , that from christ the head , all the body by joynts and bands is knit together , receives nourishment administred , and so increaseth with the increase of god . nothing can be plainer , that , look as it is in the naturall body , the lord hath so cast it , and what the head doth for its part , the liver for its part , the heart for its part , the brain for its part , and every joynt and sinew for its part , the whole body growes up to a full stature , and all grows up together ; so hath the lord ordained , and cast it to be in the church of christ . now this foundation being laid , that though the church be not christs naturall body , it is yet as his naturall body . the great question is , wherein doth this comparison or resemblance stand ? to that i answer first : it is easie for a man to name many particulars , wherein the comparison will not hold betwixt the church and a naturall body : and it is as easie for a man to name many things wherein they are very like one to another ; but we must not be wise beyond the scripture , nor stretch it any further then the lord intends it ; i humbly conceive that the comparison lies properly in these two things . first , that as in the naturall body the members , and every member hath a reall union with the head , for its owne part , having the same spirit animating it that is in the head , and thereby hath a communion with , and dependance upon the head in all the offices that the head can do for it ; so every particular christian , or member of the church , hath a reall , indissoluble , spiritual union , and conjunction with the lord jesus christ , having his spirit communicated unto them , which is the foundation of all their communion , the very root and principle of their spirituall life , and which inables them every one for their part to live unto christ , that is one . secondly , which is the thing i intend , that as in the natural body all the members doe not onely meet in the head , as all the lines do meet in a center , and are one there , though they do not touch one another anywhere else , but they are all by the wonderfull power and wisdome of god so contrived , and compacted , and joyned together , that they have a reall union one with another ; so in this mystical and spiritual body , all the saints have not only each for his owne part a union and conjunction with jesus christ ▪ but also a reall union and conjunction one with another , which is the foundation of many duties , which every one of them are thereby bound to perform one to another , and of many priviledges , which thereby they injoy with ▪ and by one another , as shall , god willing ▪ be afterwards opened unto you . now this my text speakes as plainly as any man could wish , when it saith , that we being many , that is , all we christians , all that truly beleeve in , and professe the name of christ , being very many , are all one body in christ ; that is , we all meet , and are one in him , and that is not all , but we are also all of us members one of another . now the first of these , the reall , indissoluble , and spirituall union , that all the people of christ have with christ their head , is a most divine , excellent and necessary truth , and indeed , is the foundation , and principle of all our christian life , and therefore most worthy to be understood by all gods people : but that not being the maine drift of the holy ghost in this place , i forbear to speak of at this time , and shal treat only of the second , and that is the union and conjunction that is , and ought to be between all the people of jesus christ one with another , they being members one of another ; and therein shall indeavour first to prove and clear it , and then hasten to the application of it . for the proof of it , i shall not need any other texts , then those that i have mentioned already , that cor. . how fully and clearly doth the apostle teach , that the eye , the hand , the foot , and every member are for the good , and use of the whole , and none of them can say i have no need of thee , or i have no need of thee ; god having so ordered it , that every one of them needs one another , and every one of them are , and ought to be usefull one to another ; yea , that even the most mean and feeble of all the members , are not onely of the body as well as the rest , but are necessary to the good of the whole , and those members which we are prone to think lesse honourable , and more uncomely , god hath appointed in this mysticall body , as well as in our naturall bodies to have the more honour put upon them . and so in that other fore-mentioned place , the fourth of the ephesians , where he saith , that the whole body being joyned together by that that every joynt supplieth , &c. there is not the least joynt , but it makes for the supply , for the edification of the whole . to these might be added all those places , which speake of the church , as one corporation or body under other resemblances , one vine , one house , one city , &c. whereof very many do occur in the holy scriptures ; but all these things will be clearer in my subsequent discourse , wherein for the fuller clearing the doctrinal part , i shall a little insist upon two maine questions , and then endeavour to resolve a doubt or two , which may seem to lye as objections against all the saints making but one body . first , if the saints bee one body , &c. it may bee demanded , wherein this unity of the saints stands , or what are the things wherein all the members of christ have union one with another ? secondly , if they be thus all one , what are the bands and ligaments , whereby this vast multitude are all of them tyed thus firmly together ? for the first , if all the church and people of jesus christ be all really one , one with another , and have thereby a communion one with another ; the question is , what are those things wherein they are thus one ? to which i answer , the particulars are both many and excellent ; but because i would not burden your memories , i desire you to turne to , and consider with me but one onely text , which indeed doth comprehend the sum of all that can be said about it , and that is eph. . ver. , , . the apostle exhorting all the saints to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , the better to encourage them to it , useth this motive , for there is one body , and one spirit , and one hope of your calling , one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god , and father of all , who is above you all , and through you all , and in you all . now in these seven unities are comprehended all the things , wherein all the saints of christ are one ; therefore i shall endeavour briefly to open them . first , they are all of them one body , that is , all gods people throughout all the world , are but one incorporation , and there is no one of them but hee hath as really a membership in the body of christ , as any other of them ; as in an army , though every one be not an officer , nor every souldier equally valiant , or skilfull , yet every one is equally a member of the army ; and as in a city , or corporation , every free-man , though no mayor , alderman , or master of a company , &c. yet is as really a member of the city as any other ; or look as in a building , it may be some rooms may be larger , beautifuller and usefuller , yet there is not the least stud , the least naile , the least pin , but it is as really a part of the building , as the maine post that upholds it ; so take the church of christ , which is made up of the collection , and aggregation of all gods people , there is not one of them , but hee may truly say , i am a part of that house , body , or building of jesus christ , as reall as any other . secondly , and they are all one in this , that there is but one spirit , which i thinke signifies these two things ( for other scriptures teach me so to interpret it ; ) first , they are all of them animated and led by the selfe-same spirit , that as the members of the body , though they be ( it may be ) many hundreds , yet there is one individual soule that animates them all ; so in the church of christ , all the saints , every one of them have the selfe-same spirit of jesus christ , which is the principle of their life , and animates every one of them ; but that is not all : but by the same spirit , he secondly means the spirit , as it is the administrator , or distributor of all the gifts of christ , that whatsoever gifts , graces , operations , administrations are to be found in the whole church , the self-same spirit distributes his gifts variously , as he pleaseth , to some more , and to some lesse , yet gives them all to , and for the good of the whole church in generall , and for every member in its particular ; so the spirit of god himselfe interprets this , in the first of the corinthians , and the twelfth , from ver. . to . there are diversities of gifts , but the same spirit , the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withall , to one is given a word of wisdome , to another the word of knowledge , to another faith , to another the gift of healing , &c. but all these worketh that one and the self-same spirit ; dividing to every man severally , as he will , that is the second , they are all one body , and they have one spirit . thirdly , and they are all one in this , that they all have the same hope of their calling ; by hope , there , is not meant the grace of hope , whereby we expect and waite for the good that christ hath purchased for us , but there it signifies the object of hope , and therefore is called the hope of our calling , which in other places is called the hope set before us , and plainly signifies that , which the holy ghost cals the common salvation of all gods people , the meanest as well as the greatest have a share in the great things laid up in store for them all , which they all aspire to , and seek after , and in the end doe all injoy , which is , the end of their faith and hope , the salvation of their soules ; there is one body , one spirit , one hope of their calling . fourthly , they have all one lord ; one lord , what is that ? to interpret this aright , bee pleased to remember this one rule , that where-ever in the new testament you find god , and lord , both mentioned together , to signifie distinct persons , lord always signifies jesus christ , as mediator , as in cor. . and other places , there are gods many , and lords many , but we have but one god that is over all , and one lord , by whom are all things , and we by him ; so that by one lord he there means , that all the saints throughout the world have their addresse to god , only in the name and mediation of the same lord jesus christ , they have but one advocate , one intercessour ; one mediator between god and them , and by whom alone are communicated to them all the good things , which come from god . then fifthly , they have all one faith , there is one lord , and one faith ; i conceive that there by faith is not meant the grace of faith , ( although if that be meant , as i shal shew you by and by , yet they have all that one faith ) but there , he meanes by faith , the rule , doctrine , and object of faith , the doctrine which is beleeved , and signifies , that all the saints throughout the world doe by faith receive , and beleeve the selfe-same truths , which give them an interest in god , and our lord jesus christ , & which carry them to eternal salvation . now because this seemes a little difficult , i must endeavour a little more fully to cleare it , then i have done any of the former : i say , all the members of christ throughout the world have one faith ; the meaning is , in every age , and every corner of the world , where christ hath any of his people , there are some common doctrines , wherein salvation is to be found , in which all gods people doe agree , each of them beleeving , and receiving them for his particular ; for although great clerkes doe know and understand many truthes , which others are ignorant of ; yea , and among the people of christ there are great differences , and divisions in their opinions in many particular things of weight and concernment , yet if you sever the things , wherein they differ one from another , and set them aside , and gather into one symboll or summe those great truthes , wherein they all agree , there wil be found so much truth imbraced by all the people of god , which wil bring them all to salvation , being really beleeved , and answered with a holy conversation . for instance , looke this day into all the corners of the earth , east , west , north , and south , where the name of christ is knowne and professed , the great fundamental doctrines , which bring salvation , are received by all the members of christ . truth is , there are in many places damnable heresies superinduced , which , if received , the foundation is destroyed ; but christs spirit in all the saints either make them see the danger of them , and abhor them , or else in mercy keep them ignorant of them , and so i doubt not but it is , even in the church of rome this day ( among whom christ wil have a people to be called out from among them , when that babilon is to be destroyed ) though their doctrine in the grosse summe , as set forth in the councel of trent , wil not stand with salvation , yet some latent members of christs church among them , doe through mercy see , and shun those things which are damnable , or are ignorant of that mystery of iniquity , and place all their hope of salvation in christ alone , and lead their lives in holinesse , according to their measure of light received . the summe of all comes to this : that among all christs people in the world , there is imbraced so much truth , as being accompanied with an answerable conversation , wil save them , and notwithstanding the remainders of their mistakes , errours , corruptions of judgement about lesser truthes , and corruptions in their conversations , we may comfortably say of them all , as the apostle doth in the sixth of the galathians , as many as walk according to this rule , peace be upon them , and upon the israel of god . this is the fifth thing , that all the saints in every corner of the world have one faith : and if also you would take faith for the grace of faith , whereby each for their part are united to jesus christ , which faith also is the principle of that life of grace , which the saints lead in this world , ( for we live by faith ) in this also all gods people in the world have the same faith , which is therefore called the faith of gods elect , and the like precious faith ; so they are one body , have one spirit , one hope of their calling , one lord , one faith . then ly , and they have all one baptism , which is not to be taken literally , barely for the sacrament of washing with water , but either it is taken , as some interpret it , for the spiritual part of baptisme , which is their new birth , the washing away of their sins , and the washing of them with gods spirit ; or rather , as it was the custom in the jewish church , to have all their ordinances signified by circumcision ( whence therefore , all who imbraced the jewes manner of worship , are called the circumcision ) because it was the first ordinance , and that which sealed them to all the rest ; so i conceive he meanes by baptisme , that as it is the first ordinance , so it is here used to expresse all gospel institutions , so that by one baptisme he meanes , that gods people all have the same ordinances , or meanes for their edification , and building up in christ . and then lastly , they have all one god , and father of all , who is above them all , and through them all , and in them all , which signifies that they all have one god , which is their soveraigne lord , the father , of whom originally are all things , and to whom alone , as supreame , all their addresses are made in the mediation of christ , and in whom alone they all acquiesce , and rest , as their supream good , and last end , and is therefore here said to be above them all , and through them all , and in them all ; above all in regard of his soveraignty , and divine eminency ; through them in regard both of his providentiall , and gracious administrations , and in them all in regard of his neare relation , and conjuction with them in christ his sonne ; in all these seven things all the people of god throughout the world are one , they all of them have a state , standing and membership in the same body , they all are anoynted by the same spirit , and all the gifts of the spirit are intended for the good of them all , they all have the same common salvation , they all have their accesse to god in the name and mediation of the same christ , and all doe imbrace the same common truths , they all live upon the same gospel-ordinances , and administrations , and they all serve , and reverence , and seeke to injoy and rest in one supream god , who is our god , and the god of our lord and saviour jesus christ , in all these things they have copartnership , fellowship , and are herein as i may say , heires in gavel-kinde . and let this be for the first question , viz. what are the things wherein all the saints and people of christ are one ? the second is , what are the bands that doe tye all the saints , and people of christ thus together ? surely , it must needs be some strange genius of government , that must be able to keep in one such infinite multitudes , so differing in their languages , in their birth , in their spirits , in their educations , in almost all things , wherein temperature or corruption can make men opposite , and contrary one to another ; what strange band must it be , which can keep all these so united , that you may predicate all these seven things of every one of them . i answer ; the bands of them are not any politick tricks of mens devising ; the church of rome saith , it is impossible the church of christ should be kept thus in unity , unlesse you allow some visible head , that may have a visible government over all , and upon whose judgement and decision , all must depend ; but we need not look after any such devices , the bands are of jesus christs own appointing and giving , which are these two . the first is , his holy spirit given to every one of them , which doth not only serve , as a band to tye them all to christ their head , but this self-same spirit is intended by christ the head to be the band , that should tye them all one to another , and therefore it is said , cor. , . that we are all made to drinke into one spirit , that as we are all united into one head , so we are all made to drink into one spirit : conceive it thus ; the lord jesus being the quickning head of all his people , gives the self same spirit ( which resides in him without all measure ) and pouring it out in what measure he pleaseth upon all his people ; this spirit makes them all so to understand his laws , rules , and directions , that without any other teachers ( not excluding the use of his owne ordinances , but any device or policy of men ) he makes them all to understand what is the minde of their lord , which are the duties imposed upon them by their lord , and so inlightning their minds , and ruling their hearts , makes them conformable to all his good pleasure , and thereby keeps them all in this peace , and unity one with another . a most excellent instance you have of this in esa. . where the lord christ is spoken of , first , as he is the head ; and of him it is said there , that he hath the spirit of wisdome , and the spirit of knowledge , and the spirit of the feare of the lord , signifying thereby how fitted and inabled he is to the worke , of being head of the church , to ver. . then afterwards , ver. &c. he tels you , how all his people shal be associated , and joyned together , that the wolfe shal agree with the lamb , the leopard with the kid , the calf , and the young lion , and a little child shal lead them , the cow and the bear , the sucking child and the asp , the weaned childe , and the cockatrice , none shal hurt other , that is , people , who before they came under christs government , were as lions , beares , and serpents one towards another , shal now all be united , and live in peace . what strange discipline must it be , that can make lions and lambs , tigers , and cockatrices , and little kids and children , agree thus together ? the reason of it is given in the ninth verse , all the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the lord ; that is , that spirit of knowledge , which jesus christ is endowed with , shal be poured out upon all the lords people , and them let them be of what nature or disposition they wil , as this spirit prevailes , where he doth but informe them , that this or that is the minde of christ , this spirits teaching wil make them all of one minde , and all live in peace thus one with another : and this is the same , which the lord elsewhere promiseth both in . of ezek. and the . of ezek. i will put my spirit in them , end cause them to walke in my statutes , and keep my ordinances , and my judgements , and doe them . now this band of the spirit of christ , is such a band of union , which none of all the heathen philosophers , or law-givers , ever so much as dreamed of : plato , lycurgus , or any of them , who have framed plat-formes of common-wealths , and propounded meanes , how all the subjects should be kept in concord and peace , could never once thinke of such a thing as this is ; but our head the lord jesus hath both promised and done it . then secondly , there is another band , which is a secondary and subordinate band , and that is the grace of love , the grace of christian love , and charity , which in this place you are not to look upon only , as a particular grace , a branch of the image of christ , as all other saving graces are , but as a grace exalted by christ to this peculiar office , that it should be the band to tye all the lords people in one , and so the scripture saith expresly of it . the apostle paul having opened the conjunction of all the saints in one body , cor. . doth in the latter end of the chapter exhort them all to labour after the best gifts , which might edifie the church ; but behold ( saith he ) i wil shew you a more excellent way : a more excellent way then what ? why a more excellent way for edification of the church , then apostles , prophets , pastors , teachers , governments , helps , take them all ; he would shew them an excellent way beyond all these : what is that ? the grace of love ; which he discourses of throughout the whole thirteenth chapter , and tels you all miracles , all abilities to preach , all that it is possible for man to be endowed with , are not able to doe that good to the church which the grace of love doth . and the same apostle paul , col. . when he had exhorted gods people to seeke after , and put on all those graces , wherein the new creature stands , bowels of mercy , kindnesse , humblenesse of minde , &c. adds ver. . but above all put on love ; why ? it is the band of perfection , it is the perfect band , or the band that perfectly tyes all gods people together . and therefore our saviour christ in iohn . . , . makes it the livery of the church , whereby in all places of the world they may be knowne to be his disciples , even by their loving one another ; and therefore also the apostle in the fourth of the ephesians , vers. . when he had shewed that every joynt contributes , and supplyes its part towards the building up of the whole body , concludes it thus ; by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part , maketh increase of the body unto the building up of it selfe in love ; as if the grace of love were the thing that ran through them all , and gave vigour and strength to them all , in their working one with another , and one for another . thus you have heard what the things are , wherein all the saints are one , and what the bands are , whereby they are thus united . now before i proceed to the application , of necessity i must remove one great doubt out of the way : it may be said , if the church of christ be but one church , whence comes it , that wee read mention of so many churches , of a triumphant church , and a militant church , of a visible , and an invisible church , of the church at jerusalem , the churches of judea , the churches of galatia , the seven churches , all the churches where the scripture doth mention so many churches , how are these expressions reconciled with this , that all gods people are but one church ? i answer ; first , it is most cleare , that jesus christ hath but one mystical church , which is his body ; the church of christ is as we say in logick , species specialissima , it cannot be sub-divided into other churches , if we wil speake properly ; but though it be but one body , one reall individuall church , yet this one church is capable of severall distributions , from some properties , or qualities , or adjuncts which are found in it , and those distributions , or considerations of it , doe , and may in some sence obtaine the name of the church . to give you a little taste , the church of christ , though it be but one , yet it is sometimes considered , distributed , or distinguished according to the manner , and the measure of the communion , which the parts and members inioy with their head , thus ; one part of this church injoyes communion with the head by sight , and not by faith , and the communion which they have with christ is perfect , freed from all imperfections , or infirmities , or crosses , in this respect these members are called the triumphant church . another part of the same church hath communion with christ by faith , and not by sight , and the communion which it injoyes with him is imperfect in all the graces , and mingled with corruptions , temptations , and afflictions , in respect whereof this part of the church is called the militant church , but all these are not two churches , but one church , only one part of it hath shot the gulfe , and is at rest , and the other is in another condition here upon earth . secondly , that part of it which is upon earth , in regard that the very life and being of it , and of all the members of it , lye in internall graces , which cannot be seen , in that respect the church of christ is called an invisible church ; but now as the same church and members doe make an outward profession of their faith , and obedience , sensibly to the eyes and eares of others , in that respect it is called a visible church ; but the visible is not one church , and the invisible another church , but meerly the same church under severall denominations , the one from their constituting graces , the other from the external profession of them : how men , who have no grace , come to be accounted a part of the church , i shal endeavour to expound afterwards . or , thirdly , take it thus ; the selfe-same church of christ at one time hath been trained up under one kind of outward administration , and forme of worship and government , one before christs incarnation , and that is called the church of the jewes ; since christs time there is another administration , and thence it comes to be called the church of the gentiles : but jewes and gentiles before and since christs incarnation , are but one church ; so likewise you may read that jesus christ , though he have but one church , yet he hath appointed that the multitude of those , who professe his name , for their better discipline , instruction , and edification , should be ranged , and ranked , and ordered into particular assemblies ; now in regard of this marshalling , and disciplining of them , these severall associations , or congregations make so many churches , but these churches are not severall bodies of christ , but only parts of his one body ; as in a great army , the number of all , who ▪ have listed their name in the muster-role , are all under one generall , and all under some generall officers , but yet for their better ordering , there is this brigade , this regiment , or that troop , or that company , and every one of these under some meaner officers , yet all of these taken together are all but one army , so is it in the church . i might adde , that sometimes these several associations are distinguished and known by the outward confessions which they make of their faith , and in that respect you have in our dayes the churches of the reformation , the protestants , and the reformed protestants and these againe according to some of their confessions are purer , and holier then others . and just as it is in a great building , some rooms ( it may be ) are more light and glorious , and some of them more dark , and it may be some of them have more weak timber , and other materials , then the rest , and yet all of them are but parts of the self-same house . so i say , all these , triumphant , militant , jewes , gentiles , visible , invisible , the severall churches in the several quarters of the world , in the east , west , north , and south , all these , or rather the members of christ in all these taken together , doe make up that one church of christ , which is his body , his spouse , his kingdome , his city , his vine , his love , his dove , his turtle , his only one of her mother . now , whether this church of christ , that is thus one , be authorised to meet in her representatives to make lawes , and to exercise discipline ? whether it be the first subject of the keys , whether the government of particular congregations slow from this church to the rest ? or whether any wayes at all it may doe any judicial , or judiciary act , is a most noble question , and much disputed amongst learned divines , especially in our latter age ; my haste doth not allow me to meddle with that controversie , only thus much i may safely assert : that all the officers , offices , and gifts , that christ gave , when he ascended up into heaven , he gave them all to this church , and they all serve for the gathering , edifying , and perfecting of this church . and as any ever were , or are converted to christ from the world , they are all primarily added to this church . yea , and all , whether particular christians , or numbers of christians associated , all are to act , as parts of this church , and consequently in reference to the good of this whole church , all having such relation to , and dependance upon this church , as parts have to the whole : and a standing in a particular church-relation doth no more take off from duties to this great body , which is the great common-wealth , then the jewes being ranked under their several tribes , or in their particular cities , were taken off from the duties , which they owed to the whole common-wealth of israel , &c. that therefore he who is justly ( clave non errante ) excommunicated , or cast out of any particular church , is cast out from all churches , as he who is shut out of any one gate of a city , is shut out of every ward of that city , yea , out of the whole city it selfe . having thus farre cleared the doctrinall part , i now proceed to the application of it , and there are many excellent uses , which this lesson doth afford , i shal handle only two at this time , . for instruction , . for duty . first for instruction , from all this it appeares , that to be a member of the church of christ , or the association of all gods people into this one body , is the only desirable good fellowship , and society in this world . you shal read of a great many other fellowships , and co-partnerships : you may read in the first of the proverbs of a fellowship of theeves , in isa. . of a company of drunkards , in psal. . of a society of malignants , and abundance of several companies , and societies of men there are , some joyned for pleasure , some for profit , and many glory , and take great content in the society , and fellowship , and fruit they enjoy , in those whom they are linked with : but ah ! beloved , when things are rightly viewed , it will appeare , that the congregation , or the society of the church of the first borne , whose names are written in heaven , wherein all the saints of god from the beginning of the world to the end of it , are all joyned in one body , all of them united to christ , and one to another , having the same spirit , the same lord , the same hope , all of them one in all these seven things , which i have opened to you ; it will , i say , one day appeare , this is the only desirable society under heaven . let them therefore , who are men of other societies , glory as much as they please in their supposed good fellowship , when in the meane time they are strangers from the common-wealth of israel ; but let us count our selves happy , that we have a part and lot in this communion , wherein we have fellowship not only one with another , but with the father , and his sonne jesus christ . secondly , it hence also followes for our instruction , that none in all the world are , or ought to be judged members of the church of christ , but only those that have the spirit of jesus christ in them , really regenerate , really holy , really united to christ the head , these and no other are members of the church , which is christs body , which is a lesson of very great use . you all know there is at this day much disputing , about what things are requisite to make men church-members ; some very learned men maintain , that to make a man admittable into christs church , or to make him a church-member , no more is in the scripture required , but only , that he give up his name , and professe , that he is willing to learne the wayes of christ , and to walke in them ; the church of christ being , say they , appointed as a schoole , to traine schollars up , into which are admitted not only those that are learned , but those who are willing to learne . others say , that is too laxe , if you wil own a man , as a church-member , he must be able to give you an account of his faith , and a promise of a voluntary subjection to the gospel of christ for time to come , and if they come to that , then you may take them in ; and owne them , as church-members . others say , you must yet goe further , unlesse you can in the judgement of your owne charity conceive , that the worke of grace is really wrought in their hearts , you are not to owne them , or joyne with them , if you can probably hope that , then you may take them in . others will goe yet further , and say , these things are not sufficient , for unlesse there be a right admission by baptisme , when you make your first confession , all the rest is in vaine , and upon these points we dispute , till we have disputed our selves into a thousand peeces . now brethren , be pleased to know , that though there be good use of these debates , to direct us to know the persons , with whom we may exercise the acts of communion in the wayes and worship of christ , yet none of all these rise up , to prove a man to be a member of the church of jesus christ ; there are indeed signes , and rules , that may teach us , with whom we may joyne in visible and external fellowship , and whom we may reject , or cast out , if they be taken in ; but these are not rules to make us know , who are reall members of the church of christ ; indeed as the church is denominated from some external things , these rules direct us to judge with whom , and to whom we may communicate in those external things , but these are clearly two distinct questions , with whom we may joyne in visible and externall communion , and who are truly members of this church of christ , of the latter there is but one note , and that is , if they be united to christ the head , have the quickning spirit of christ in them , and the grace of love wrought in them , which note is invisible , and not external , and can be knowne only in our owne consciences ; if this be wanting , let men carry themselves never so wel , so that all the people of christ under heaven should owne them , yet jesus christ ownes them not , and you may truly say , that all they , who have not communion with god the father , and the lord jesus , and his holy spirit , have no reall communion with the saints ; therefore let no man rest , or pride himselfe in being joyned in this , or that church-fellowship , a carnal , or unconverted man , whatsoever his outward shape or mould be in his profession , that man for his spiritual standing belongs to another corporation . there are two great spiritual corporations , the one is , that whe●eof christ is the head ; the other is , the corporation of hel , whereof the devil is the prince ; now all men , let them be of what profession they wil , if they be not under christ the head , they belong to another corporation , and their external visible profession alters not their spiritual relation . a lump of lead , whilst it is in the lump , it is a lump of base metall , called lead , melt this , and mould it into the forme of a beast , what is it then ? it is but a leaden beast ; melt it , and mould it againe into the forme of a man , it is but a leaden man ; melt it , and mould it againe , into the forme of an angel , it is but a leaden angel : so i say , take a carnal man , an unregenerate man , he is a carnal man , whilst he professeth no religion ; suppose him then , to professe himselfe a protestant at large , he is but a carnall protestant ; suppose him next , to joyne himselfe into some church order , let him joyne with those that are called of the presbyterian way , he is a carnall presbyterian . take him off from that , put him into the congregationall way , what is he then ? a carnal congregational man ; joyne him next if you wil , to those , who deny our baptisme , he is then but a carnal anabaptist , he is stil a carnal , an ungodly man , belonging to the corporation of satan , whatsoever his out-side be ; and know ye all for certain , that no bastard , no gibeonite , no hypocrite , no man unconverted , what gifts soever he may have , what reputation soever he may have amongst men , he is no member of the church of christ , unlesse the spirit of christ be in him . i say therefore againe , beare not your selves too much upon your visible church-standing , as too many doe ; beleeve it , it s an easie thing for the children of the world to put on an outward forme of church-communion : but o! how hard is it to become a new creature , to resigne up it selfe wholly to jesus christ , and the guidance of his holy spirit ? and i presse this the more upon this account also , viz. were this well understood ; it would satisfie , and cure the mistake of many , who thinke , that there are the same rules to direct us , with whom we must exercise our external communion , as there is to judge with whom jesus christ exercises his communion ; no , no ; we may exercise outward acts of communion , by the appointment of god , with those unto whom jesus christ never communicates himselfe , nor his spirit . thirdly , one instruction more , which i doe but name from all this , that the church of christ is but one body : it followes plainly , that therefore among all the great multitudes of the members of the church , they are the honourablest , and noblest members , who are most useful for the common good of the church , as it is in a natural body , the liver that makes bloud for all the body ; the heart , that makes spirits for all the body ; the stomach , that digests meat for all the body ; and the eye , which sees for the whole body , &c. these are counted the noblest , and excellentest : so among all christians , the man , or men , who are most useful , best fitted for use , and laid out for use , these wil one day be found , and acknowledged the honourablest members of the church of christ , what esteeme soever the world hath of them . but the maine use , which i purpose , and which indeed we most need , is to shew what duties doe arise from this unity of the saints in one body , and they are two , which the apostle paul layes downe , in the first of the corinthians , the twelfth chap. vers. . when he had shewed , how the lord had framed all his people into one body , he then tels us , to what end and purpose all this was done , viz. first , that there should be no schisme in the body . secondly , that therefore all the members ought to have the like care one of another . the first of these i purpose with the lords assistance to speake somewhat to at this time , because all the church , the saints , the people of god in all the world are but one body , therefore rents , and divisions are most unnaturall , and destructive to it . i hope you wil all judge it a necessary and seasonable theam , it being almost our epidemical disease , we being rent and torne into multitudes of sects and divisions , which this doctrine of the unity of the church of christ doth utterly condemn , and therefore though i know it is an unpleasing subject , and possibly many may give me small thanks for it , yet truly i durst not ( being called to this place ) but cast in my mite towards the healing of this wofull distemper ; and three things i shall endeavour to cleare about it : first , what schisme is , and what is the nature of it : secondly , the greatnesse of it , what a horrible sin it is : and thirdly , and principally , i will labour to shew you , who they are , that are guilty of it . for the first , what it is , it s usually defined to be a rash or unjust separation in matters of religion , but i would rather describe it to be a renting , violating , dissolving , or breaking of that unity , which ought to be amongst christians , or amongst all the saints of christ . and this rending or breaking of this union properly lyes in two things ; one is inward , and that is dissolving or breaking the band , or bands , which the lord hath given to tye them all together , which band on our part ( as you have heard before ) is the grace of love , and therefore the breaking off of love among christians , whether it be from all the church , or from a particular church , yea , or from a particular man ; i say , the dissolving or breaking of this spirituall band , hath in it the very intrinsecall nature of the sinne of schisme , the lord having appointed that grace to be the band to tye his people together ; but because the inward band is invisible , and therefore not easie to judge of , therefore there is a second thing in schism , and that is , a denying , or with-drawing from the exercise of those things , which christ hath given , as the symboles or pledges of love amongst his people , as conversing together , praying together , hearing together , conferring together , receiving sacraments , and the like together ; the with-drawing from these , or the denying of these , otherwise then jesus christ directs in his word . these things are visible , and therefore divines use to appropriate the name of schism to such with-drawings , or denyings , which indeed are but the fruites of the other : for the dissolving of the band of love , is the root of the disease , and the denying of the expressions , and exercise of love are the bitter fruits growing from that evill root ; so then , he , or they , who ever they are , that do deny to exercise , or with-draw from the exercise of those things , which jesus christ hath made to bee both duties , and pledges of love among his people , are truly and properly guilty of the sin of schism ; the nature of this sin of schism lying properly in this ▪ that it is against christian love ; and hereby also you may learne the difference between heresie and schisme ; heresie is a false opinion , which destroyes faith , but schisme is either an opinion , or practice against charity . the first of them , which is against faith , tends to rend off from christ the head . the second , which is against love , tends to the rending off from the body ; this for the nature of it . in the next place , let us consider the greatnesse of this sin , and the rather , because in truth , the name and charge is grown so common amongst us , ( as formerly the name of puritan was ) that many make no account of it , whether they be charged justly , or unjustly with it ; but who ever considers of it , according to the sense of the scripture , wil find that the sin of schisme is a most hainous sin ; the greatness of it not easily set forth in words , whether you consider it in the nature of it , or the effects of it . in the nature of it ; its contrary to one of the highest ends of christs great undertaking , which is , that all his people should bee one , he dyed to that end , to make them one with himselfe , and one with one another , he begged it of his father , that they should be one ; now this sinne tends to frustrate this great designe of jesus christ . and secondly , it is contrary to all the commandements of christ , for all the commands , which he hath given to his people for the ordering of their conversation , himselfe tels us , that the end of the commandement is love ; if we consider the effects of it , they are most dreadful and mischievous : for first , it is wonderfully dishonourable to jesus christ ; for whereas he holds out to all the world , that his people are one house , one body , one city , which is at unity , compacted together , &c. this is a publick confutation of it , makes jerusalem appeare as a babel , a city of confusion , a kingdome divided , wherein is nothing but disorders , and tumults , and the like . and as it is dishonourable to christ , so it wonderfully hinders and destroyes the edification of the church , both the edification of them , who make the schisme , and the edification of them , from whom the rent is made , depriving them of that spiritual good they might , and should receive and supply from , and to one another ; for though iesus christ the head , be the only fountaine of our spiritual life , yet it is as true that christs usuall way of exercising , strengthning , increasing , and perfecting it , is in the fellowship of the body , that by what every joynt supplyes , the whole may be increased ; so that if we weigh it seriously , we must conclude , that as nothing within the bounds of the church more argues a conformity to the spirit of the gospel , then the study of unitie , peace , and concord , so few things more argue an opposition to christs worke , and his peoples good , then this spirit of division . but the third is the greatest question , who are guilty of it ? and before i enter upon this discovery , give me leave to premise this , that in our dayes it is in this point of schisme , as it was of old in the primitive church in the first point of heresie : what opinions the ancients would make odious , they would brand with the name of heresie , and thereby sometimes very truths of christ were condemned , as heresies ; so it is at this day in the point of schisme , the papists cry downe all , who professe christianity through the whole world as schismaticks , who joyn not with , and subject not unto the church of rome . the prelatical party usually account all schismaticks who are not under the church-government of bishops ; come among them who are for the presbytery , many of them call all schismaticks , who joyn in any other way : the congregational men , ( as they are called ) have the same esteeme of them who depart from them , and goe into another way : i premise this , only for this end , that you may hence conclude , that doubtlesse sometimes the name is given , where it should not be given . now let us returne to our question , who they are that are guilty ? answ. truly with sorrow i must reply , it is a hard thing to say in our sad dayes who is not guilty , as in common-wealths , where the bands and sinews of civil government are cut asunder , & no conjunction , or associating of a people into or under government ; politicians say , that in such times , every man is at war with every man , every man is an enemy to every man ; so the lord for our sinnes hath poured this evil upon us , that we lye in confusion , almost every man is divided from every man , and so deep hath the malady taken root , that many are in love with it , and like their very divisions ; and as it is in popular tumults no man will heare any man , but still the confused noyse goes on ; so in truth is it with us , we are not willing to heare of agreement , he is almost an enemy , who would labour a pacification , or reconciliation . the lord have mercy upon us , our divisions are very great and sad ; but as a generall declaiming against sin , never converted a man from sin , untill he bee convinced that himself be guilty of this or that sin ; so my declaiming against schisme in generall wil not heal it , until i discover more particularly , who they are that are guilty of it . and to this i answer first negatively , all departure , separation , and denying to joyn in ordinances from some such , as call themselves christians , is not schisme ; the israelites separation from jeroboams calves was no schisme , if the faith of a people be heretical , or their worship be idolatrous : the lord bids his servants come out from such a people . i adde further , that although the faith of a church be sound , and the worship pure for the substance , yet if that church , or company , wil presse some such things , which others cannot practise without sin , and which unlesse they will practice ( though against their consciences ) they must be under intollerable persecution , as losse of state , life , &c. or spirituall anathematisme , unjust excommunications , or the like , to with-draw from such a people ( provided that still they will retaine those truths which are held by that persecuting church , and be ready to perform what christian duty of love lyes in their power towards them ) this with-drawing is no schism , it is no more then christ and his disciples did to the church of jerusalem , and no more then the lord hath bid his people do , when they are persecuted in one place , to with-draw and flye to another . i answer positively , they who are guilty of the sin of schisme may be reduced under two heads : some are guilty of schisme from their principles of judgement ; their principles of judgement carry them to the practice of that which is a rending of the church . others , though their principles of judgement be right , yet are schismaticall , through principles of a corrupt heart and spirit ; i shall speake to both these , but principally to the first sort . first , all those whose erroneous judgements make them schismaticall ( as i conceive ) may all be brought to these foure . first , independency properly so called , is one of the highest principles of schisme , all such christians , whether they be single persons or associated bodies , yea , though all the christians in a nation , associated into a body , doe looke upon themselves as absolute , and independent from the rest of the church of christ , with whom the rest of the church of christ hath nothing to doe ; this i say , is one of the highest principles of schisme in the world : but doe not mistake me , i know there are some called , and branded with the name of independency , who professe they abhor both the name and thing , i meane such , as conceive that a particular church hath all power in it selfe , and that no other assembly can authoritatively call them to an account , so as to dissolve their sentences , or excommunicate them , because they conceive , that the government of the church is not placed in synods , or in any other assembly , then that of a particular congregation ; yet readily acknowledge that themselves are but part of the church , and ought to be countable to the church of christ for their wayes , and that , if upon brotherly counsel given by other churches , they reforme not , they may and ought to with-draw from all christian communion with them : whether their way of being countable be right or no i dispute not , only i say , this is not the independency here intended ; but i meane any man , or company of men , who looke upon themselves , as an intire civil state , or common-wealth lookes upon it selfe , how small soever it be ( as in italy , there are some such , which containe not above one city or two ) yet they count all the world hath nothing to do with them , nor are they to be countable to any other state , no not to the whole world , any further then their owne interest carries them , either for their owne safety , or as they make use of them ; this is true state independency ; so is it here when any persons , or company of christians looke upon themselves , as totum quid seorsum , as men by themselves , and in their intentions , carry not themselves as parts of the great common-wealth , accounting it a thing little or nothing materiall , so they professe the name , and faith of christ , and serve him , whether they doe it in the communion of the catholick church , or out of it , as if they were not persons contained within the whole , or part of the same common-wealth , this , i say , is high and deep schism ; the very nature of christs church , being one body , requires , that whatsoever any , whether persons or churches do in matters of religion , teaching , or being taught , praying , fasting , almes-giving , in word , and sacraments , yea , in beleeving , loving , hoping , &c. should all be done intentionally with relation to , and communion with the whole church of christ ; this first principle lies deep rooted , many live by it , though few wil own it . others are deeply schismatical from principles of judgement , who are so farre in love with their own constitution , or way of association into church-order , that they condemne all the other assemblies throughout the world , as no churches of christ , because they be not modelled and moulded according to the plat-form of their own particular church-order , and association . i doe not deny , but it is possible that some of gods people may have some such great mistakes lye upon them , that they cannot possibly joyne in all christian ordinances with any congregation in the world : as the converted christian jewes , while they were under that apprehension that no man ought to be owned , but he that was circumcised ; i say , as long as that errour possest them , they could never joyn in all ordinances with the rest of the gentiles ; and how farre the rest of the people of god should beare with such , and still own them as christs servants , is a thing worth the studying , but certainly the principle it selfe is most destructive to the unity of the church . to refraine fellowship and communion with such churches , or companies , who professe christ their lord , whose faith is sound , whose worship is gospel-worship , whose lives are holy , unlesse they will come into that very particular way of church order , which they have pitched upon , is a dreadfull renting of the church of christ to peeces ; for if all christs people in the world are one body , and all thereby bound to have communion one with another , then certainly that principle , which necessitates men to cast off ( it may be ) nine hundred ninety nine parts of a thousand , must needs be dangerous , and schismatical ; of this none are so guilty , as the church of rome , who circumscribe the church of christ within the precinct of the roman jurisdiction , and cast off all christians , and all churches in the east , west , north , and south , yea , cast them off from all hope of salvation , who subject not themselves to their way . . nor can our rigid separatists bee any way excused , who censure and condemne all other churches , whatever their faith , worship , and conversation be , meerly because they are not gathered into church-order , according to their own patternes . this so strict bounding of our christian communion by outward formes , i humbly conceive hath been a great , and almost generall fault among the churches of europe ever since the reformation : in some churches , the large forme of the confession of their faith is made the shibboleth ; without owning , and subscribing to this , without abating of a tittle , no communion to be injoyed ; in other churches , without conforming to their formes of prayers , rites , and ceremonies in administration of the sacraments , no communion to be injoyed , in others without submitting to their forme of church-government , no communion ; and with these , of whom i now speake , without submitting to their manner and forme of gathering into church-fellowship , none to be owned , or acknowledged to be churches of christ ▪ but alas ! how little is to be found in scripture to bound our fellowship and communion of saints by any of these things ? in the scripture , churches are cryed up or downe , commended and blamed , according as their fundamentall faith was sound , and their lives holy ▪ and i doubt not but one day , we shall all judge those churches the best , whose substantial faith is soundest , and lives most holy , whether their first manner of gathering were every way regular or not . suppose that in an army , the lawes of that army were , that none should be prest to serve , but all to come in as volunteers , that their officers should bee so and so chosen , and qualified ; now suppose in this army should be found some souldiers , who at first were forced in , or officers , who came corruptly by their places ; suppose whole troops or companies of these , who yet being in , prove as good souldiers , as faithful , skilfull valiant for the cause , as any other , it may be , beyond any others , think you these would not be owned by the army , when they should be found such ? or , suppose in marriage , at the first the parties marry , while not of years of discretion , or to please parents , or the like , yet afterward come to love , and live in their marriage-relation according to the word , thinke wee these shall not be owned as husband and wife ? so is the case here : let mee for present suppose these men , or churches , to whom i speak , to be at their fi●st gath●ring according to the purest patterne ; and let mee also suppose another company irregularly joyned , it may be forced in ▪ and that also whilst they are ignorant , prophane , &c. and that their minister also was put upon them ; now if the lord please to worke upon those effectually , so that minister and people grow sound in the faith , holy in their lives , pure in their worship , zealous for the truth ; when possibly they who boast of their first joyning , are grown like sardis , to have a name to be alive , and yet are dead , &c. shal we thinke the lord jesus wil not owne the other before themselves ? yes doubtlesse , and so should all his people ; give me leave to adde one thing more ; that the notion of making the first gathering of people into church-fellowship , to be the rule to direct us with whom we may joyne , or not joyne ; this i say , may make us refuse some churches , upon whom are apparently seen the scripture - characters of a golden candlestick , and imbrace communion with others , only upon a humane testimony or report ; for in that church above mentioned , i may see a visible profession of soundnesse in faith , and holinesse there ; in the other , men only tell me , the first were not orderly gathered , and the others were ; to conclude this branch , this principle of renouncing all churches for want of a supposed orderly gathering , or for want of some such desirable perfection , which themselves injoy , is so dangerous and schismatical , that i feare not to say ▪ that it is more lawful to have a church-standing in the corruptest church in the world , where salvation and life may be obtained , by the doctrine held out , and the way profest in that church , though there should be very many frailties , and corruptions amongst them , then with that company , how holy soever it seemes to be , that wil necessitate such as joyne with them , to renounce communion with all the rest of the body of jesus christ upon earth . thirdly , another principle of schism , and which i conceive to be of larger , and of farre greater extent , and may make a fairer plea for it selfe , then yet any named , is , that which shuts up many servants of christ , that they cannot joyne , nor afford christian communion unto others for some particular errours found in their profession of faith , or some frailties found in their conversation . i say , that principle which makes the servants of christ deny communion to them , to whom christ wil not deny communion , to interdict communion with them , with whom christ doth not interdict communion , is a renting principle . conceive my meaning in a plaine comparison . suppose in a corporation , there were some rules given by their charter and founder , concerning their infranchizement , that whosoever is so , and so qualified , shal be a free-man ; if that corporation , or any number shal deny freedome to any so qualified , or shal disfranchise any for any offence , for wch the charter whereby they all stand , doth not warrant them , they are guilty of rending their charter , and they usurpe a power not given them by their founder ; so is it in the church , let me give a few instances ; take the churches in the apostles time , some of them did think it utterly unlawful to eat any meat that had been offered to an idol , some did think all days were alike , some thought that it was utterly unlawful to eat any thing , but herbes , &c. suppose now that the number of those , who held these opinions , should have gone to the rest of the church , and said , you are too lax in your principles unlesse you will renounce that carnall , ungodly liberty , which you take , to eate in idols temples , or to eate meat that hath been offered to an idol , &c. we professe we must renounce communion with you , they had been schismaticks in doing so . if on the other side the church had called them , and said , you by your strict opinions cut short the liberty christ hath purchased for us by his bloud , unlesse you lay aside these conceits of yours , we cast you out , then the schisme had laine on their part ; because the charter of christianity hath provided , that for these things the people of god should not rent one from another , but bear one with another , that thereby they might heale one another . come a little nearer our own times , take the reformed churches , as now they stand , all the churches of france and geneva , though they be sound in their faith , yet generally they are against the divine institution of the lords day . goe to helvetia amongst the switzers , generally the churches there are against all divine-right of any church-government , and require nothing but the help of the magistrate to keep their people in order . go from them , if you wil among the lutherans , among them are many ( as we judge ) dangerous opinions , the arminian points , and besides them , consubstantiation , and the ubiquity of christs body , and the like . the like might be said in many particulars of the swedes and danes ; all these churches being sound in the fundamentals , and owned by christ , ought also to own one another ; there are indeed some doctrines , wherein if men or churches be not sound , the lord christ wil have nothing to do with them , or if a churches worship be idolatrous , the lord christ wil not hold communion with them , but there are some errours in doctrines , and corruptions in conversation , for which ( though christ like them not ) he doth not reject them ; apply this to our purpose . at this day the socinians deny the deity of the lord jesus christ , the deity of the holy ghost , the trinity of persons , they deny that jesus christ hath merited , or satisfied for his people , these doctrines overthrow our christianity , and we count the holders of these to have nothing with christians in common , but only the name , therefore we renounce them . the papists also , besides some fundamentall errours , as justification by the merit of our owne workes , &c. are most abominably idolatrous in their worship , and the lord therefore bids us come out from them ; but take all the rest of the churches of christ in europe , and i humbly conceive that we ought , and must owne them to be churches of christ ; and therefore when the calvinists , and the lutherans had had many disputes , to see if they could fetch off one another from their principles , and could not do it , the calvinists even the holiest , and learnedst of them , such as calvin , beza , martyr , zanchy , vrsin , pareus , have offered to owne them as brethren , as churches of christ , and would have been willing to heare them , to receive sacraments with them : the rigid lutherans refused it , and cry out , from communion with the calvinists , good lord deliver us : now say i , the schisme was on the lutherans part : if the lutherans had offered it , and the calvinists had rejected , the schisme had laine on the calvinists part . bring it yet nearer , many of these opinions are got in among us , especially about free-will , infant-baptisme , formes of church-government , &c. and we should not refuse communion with any of them ( supposing their lives unblameable . ) if they will hold communion with us ; i say , if they will , for ordinarily erroneous persons are proud , and must have all mens sheaves bow down to theirs , and will close only with teachers and companies according to their owne lusts , but if we in a spirit of christian love would have peace , and they refuse it , then both the errour and schisme lyeth at their doore . but against all this , it may be , and is objected : what a speckled bird would you make a particular church ? suppose the church you should be an officer unto , should be such a medly , of some holding the morality of the lords day , some denying it , some for infant-baptisme , some condemning it , some like the presbyterian-government , others are for the episcopal , others like a congregational better then either of them ; some would have their children baptised , others are utterly against it , some of them calvinists , some lutherans , to have a church made up of all these , would not this be a reproach to you to be a pastor to such a flock ? to which i answer ; what reproach would it be to me to be pastor of such a church ▪ as jesus christ is a head of ? if the church of christ , wherein his spirit rules , to whom he is a head , and which shal be saved , be made up of all these , what reproach ( if prejudice did not blinde mens eyes ) could it be to any of us , to have such members to be members of our congregations ? but doe you then intend a toleration of all these opinions ? would you have lutherans , and anti-sabbatarians , anabaptists , and others tolerated among us ? i answer first , what the magistrates office is about toleration , or non-toleration , i have nothing to doe to meddle with at this time ; my doctrine confines me to speake only of church forbearance , and upon that account . i answer , if by toleration , you meane an approbation of these , god forbid , we must approve of no errour , we should all seeke to make one another imbrace every truth of christ ; but if by toleration you meane a not cutting them off , unlesse they lay downe their errours and renounce them , that indeed i plead for , we should hold christian communion with them for christ thus beares with them , and will have us beare one with another ; and as it is in our naturall body , if a man have an ulcer in his hand or his leg if ordinary medicines wil not cure it , he wil wait till the strength of nature work out the humour , or till by the providence of god , he can light of some more happy medicines , then yet have been propounded , but he will not cut his hand or his leg off , so long as it may be any wayes usefull to him ; so is the case here . thirdly , some will yet object , indeed if you meane to bear with them for a while , till the truth hath been set before them , that they have all meanes of conviction , it wil be granted ; but suppose all paines have been taken , the truth hath been propounded , they have been reasoned with , and they still hold the same , then they may be judged obstinate and self-condemned . i answer plainly , faith , as it is the imbracing of any particular truth is as well the gift of gods spirit , as that faith whereby we receive christ for our saviour , no wisdome , or rhethoricke of man can ever make a man receive the faith of any one doctrine of christianity , till gods spirit inable him , and it is a far easier matter to non-plus a man in disputing , then it is to clear his understanding , and inable him to receive a truth ; and when such persons do appeal to the searcher of hearts , that it is meer want of light which hinders them from being of one minde , our christian love ( which ever judgeth the best ) should rest satisfied , especially when their lives are unblameable , we must not take upon us to be lords of their faith ; and therefore after many disputes and conferences between the dissenting churches in germany , when they were not able to dispute one another out of their principles ( as i before noted ) the calvinists propounded to hold an amicable christian communion one with another ; and if in a fair debating way they could afterward satisfie one another , well and good , in the meane time they would wait , till christ would give more light : and upon this account , the calvinists and lutherans in polonia doe at this day live in concord , both of them retaining their opinions . and in truth , we all professe to doe the same toward them ; for i hardly know any amongst us , but confesse the helvetians , lutherans , &c. are true churches , notwithstanding their errours : now ( say i ) shal a company associated in such , and such opinions , bee counted a true church ? and shal not a particular man , who holds the same points , be counted a true visible member ? or shal we hold communion with them in germany , and shal we deny it to our brethren in england ? god forbid , that the exercise of our christian charity , and communion should vary , according as regions vary . if whole churches be owned , because of their faith and holinesse of life ( notwithstanding their errours ) to be true visible churches , then one man that hath those errours , may goe for a true visible christian , because of his faith and holinesse . and in truth they who are the brethren of our elder brother , are our brethren , wil we , nil we , and we shal repent , if we use them not as brethren . yet againe , it wil be said , but paul did wish they were all cut off that troubled the galatians . i answer ; but mark who they were , they were such who brought such a doctrin that he profest , if they imbraced it , christ would profit them nothing ; they , who would set up a new christ , a new way of salvation , to seek justification by their own works , he prayed they might be cut off , but he never wished it for errours of a lower nature . but lastly , some may yet demand , and say , what if they who hold such opinions , joyn in communion with you , and in your communion make it their worke and practise ; ( for errour is very pragmatical ) to draw all the rest of your company into their errors , and labour to infect all ; yea , to put all into flames of division and confusion , unlesse they can prevaile . shall we indure to see our brethren , and our people before our eyes drawne into errors , although those errors , it may be , are not fundamentall ? i answer ; first , i know no great hurt for men to be permitted modestly , and humbly to debate among their brethren the things wherein they differ ; but , secondly , i answer ; if men , who hold differing opinions in these lesser points , can neither be content to follow pauls counsel , to have their faith , in these , to themselves before god , nor modestly propound their arguments , and grounds , and so be quiet , but must make it their work to draw ( it may be ) weak ones , into doubtful disputations , and thereby take them off from the study and prosecution of more weighty things ; i can bee no advocate for such people , if they judge the spreading of their opinions to be such a duty , that they take themselves bound in conscience , to do all that is possible , to draw all others in to them ; i know no remedy , but such people must be contented to with-draw , and joyne with such churches , where their opinions are received ; for it cannot be conjectured that in any society , of any nature , men will be quietly tolerated , who shall professedly be boutefues , and kindle-fires , to disturbe their peace , and alwayes putting them into flames . suppose a man were of erastus his opinion , that there is no church-government by christs appointment , and yet withall should joyne in a congregationall , or presbyterian way , and they also willing to joyne in church-fellowship with him , as knowing his errour not to be fundamentall , if this man will now make it his worke to draw them off , from what they beleeve to be christs ordinance , and their duty , that they must either all yeeld to him or enjoy no quiet , this i say will prove intolerable ; thus also it is in civil associations . suppose in any corporation , where a court of aldermen , or common-counsell should bee judges , if the major part judge any cause before them , and the residue , who judge otherwise , wil not be content to sit downe , but be alwayes quarrelling , and calumniating the rest , charging them to be erroneous , or unrighteous judges , such unquiet and turbulent carriage over-throws all , and is not compatible with humane society . beloved , i beseech you pardon me , that i have been so long upon this third branch , for i confesse it is deeply settled upon my spirit , that were this rule received , it would have a great influence upon the healing of our divisions ; i know indeed , that many learned and holy men think otherwise , and doe conceive , that their zeale for christs truth must not suffer them thus far to tolerate them , who hold errors derogatory to the truth of christ ; but i humbly conceive that zeale for christs truth should never use other meanes to preserve christs truth , then christ himselfe hath appointed ; zeale to preserve justice , and righteousnesse , and to punish disorders in a common-wealth is very commendable , but yet that zeale would not be commendable in a magistrate , who should hang a man for such a fault , for which the law hath only appointed the house of correction , or whipping-post . let us confine our selves to christs rules , and then let our zeale burn , as hot as may be . fourthly , there is yet one sort more , and they are such , whose principles carry them to separate from particular churches for light causes ; suppose some defects , or some miscarriages in their church-government , it may be , some too great connivence at unworthy or scandalous persons , or it may be some defects or miscarriages in their publick administrations . i say , the renting off , and departing from particular churches for such causes , as these , wil be found to be but schism , to separate from churches , from which christ doth not separate , is schismatical ; now it is cleare in the scripture , christ jesus owneth churches , who are defective in many things , and if , as i said before , churches should bear with particular persons in their errors , certainly particular persons should bear with churches ; and therefore when a churches faith is sound for the substance , and their worship gospel-worship , though their government be not perfect , and other defects found among them , we must not separate ; and separation from them is the more unjust , if that church bee seeking for light , and willing to be informed ; i grant , there may bee slitting from one church to another , for greater edification , which is without condemning that church , they slit from : but separation from a true church for want of some desirable perfection , is a fruit of this bitter root of schisme , because it rents where christ rents not ; for if we looke into the scripture , we shal find there were churches , who had many errours in faith , others disorderly in their worship , others had many among them loose in their conversations , but not one word of the holy ghosts counselling the lords people to with-draw from them , or to go and gather into a body by themselves ; they are often called upon to do what they can , to heale them , but not one word of separating from them , or with-drawing from them ; indeed we sometimes read of some , who separated themselves , but we may also read in the same places , what sad brands the spirit of god gives them ; and should it bee lawful for every errour , and every miscarriage , or for the want of some desirable perfection thus to rend off , we must rend , and rend , and rend , for ought i know , to the end of the world , and the union and communion of christs people would come almost to nothing ; whereas he would have all his throughout the world , as they injoy communion with himselfe , so to injoy ( as their occasion and need requires ) communion with all his saints ; now such limitations and restrictions , as these are , make such a communion impossible ; i am veri●y perswaded , that were the union and communion of the people of christ rightly knowne , there is no saint in any part of the world , but where ever he comes , might demand upon the profession of his faith , and his voluntary subjection to the gospel , his right in the ordinances , hear the word with them , pray with them , receive the sacrament with them ; i say onely upon that ticket , that hee professeth that faith , which is the common faith of gods people , and while hee is with them , walkes according to the gospel rule ; now where mens principles doe shut them up , after the manner i have been treating of , these things are not practicable . i shut up all this discourse , concerning all these , who are schismatical through erroneous judgements , with this briefe corollary ; the communion of saints one with another is not only a priviledge , but a duty injoyned by christ , he hath not left us at liberty to chuse with whom we wil hold communion , and to refuse whom we lift , no ; as ever wee wil appear before him with comfort , wee must hold communion with those , who professe his name , and labour to keep with them all , the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . now , as these are schismatical from erroneous judgements , so there are others from principles of a corrupt heart , i shall only name them , and indeed naming them is sufficient to convince them , for no man dares take upon him to justifie them , yet named they must be , for they are as mischevious as the others . first , therefore all selfe-lovers , and selfe-seekers , with whom all others in their affections and spirits are regarded , onely as they can make use of them ; we know that if the members of the body were thus affected , the whole body would soon perish . private-wealths-men , are never good commonwealths-men ; paul exhorted the saints not to looke upon our owne things , but every man on the things of others , else it is impossible , but we must divide from them , as our private interest leads us : this self-seeking ruined and overthrew carthage , and the other , of seeking the publick-weale , built up rome , and so is it in our great , and spiritual common-wealth . secondly , all proud , insolent , arrogant , high-minded men , who must have rule , and beare sway where ever they come , or who use to despise and contemn others , i have no need of thee , full of themselves , and sleighting of others : this spirit of pride is a cursed root bringing forth heresie , schisme , contention , and every evil work . the first rent which ever was in gods family , was the pride of the angels , and ever since it hath born the like fruit ; examples are innumerable , cain , esau , corah , dathan &c. thirdly , all quarrelsome , railing , froward spirits , who upon every dissent from them in any opinion , or in matters of conversation , fall into railing language , branding others with odious terms , seeking to make them infamous and hateful : railing never cures errour , or infirmity , but keeps division open , and makes the breach wider ; truth and love joyned together may work great things , but truth and bitternesse can do little . fourthly , and so are all busie-bodies , who must have an oare in every mans boat , who cannot be content to keep within their owne calling , but as the apostle expresseth their nature in this text , are wise , or thinke more highly of themselves then they ought to think ; all these polypragmatical spirits , which delight to be bishops in all mens diocesses , are dangerous persons , nothing more divides or rends the body , then when the members keepe not to their owne worke . and fiftly , all factious people , who , where ever they come wil be making parties , ( though it may be ) they draw them not into a new church , yet divide into several parties , some for pauls , and some for apollos , and some for another , and all that is but to make themselves seem some body , and serve their own bellies . paul often complains of such kind of men , these carnal men made the schisme in corinth , of these he admonishes the romans , mark them , who cause divisions and offences , contrary to the doctrine , which you have learned , and avoid them ; for they that are such , serve not our lord jesus christ , but their owne bellies . a very sad sentence . sixtly , and lastly , all they , whose spirits carry them to foment and cherrish such , as make rents and divisions , who not onely bear with such , as we would bear with a disease , so bear with , as yet to lance it , and seek to cure it , but delight in them as to make them the men of their counsel and confederacy , and thereby doe harden them in their way , expose themselves unto snares , and occasion others who are weak , to incline to these dividers , all these , some from one principle , others from another , help to rend and divide that body , which christ would have preserved in unity . i have thus far , according to my weaknesse , discovered to you the true causes , and in part the instruments of our woful divisions , which have made the church of christ present it selfe such a rueful spectacle , as it is at this day : what remaines , but only these two things ? first , that we all lament this , and mourn for it . secondly , that we all labour to help to cure it . first , that we all lament it ; i confesse our divisions in opinions are very sad , but our divided affections are sadder : were our spirits united , the spirit of love would have such a power upon our hearts , that when we had once learned to follow the truth in love , truth and love would carry all before them : ah , that god would teach us to lay it to heart , and to mourne , that wee should be as so many ishmaels , our sword against every man , and every mans against us . beloved , we little consider how precious the peace of the church of christ ought to be , even more precious then our lives ; we little consider how dishonourable our divisions are to jesus christ , making his jerusalem appeare as babel , a disordered and confused heap , when he dyed to make us one , and prayed to his father that we might be one , we thus to expose his body to be a scorne and reproach , is very sad . we little consider how pleasing our divisions are to satan , who prevailes upon our hearts , while we thus furiously busie our heads ; nor how pleasing are they to our common enemies , who , no doubt do secretly foment them , that thereby they may destroy us ▪ and get the rule over us ; our divisions and sub-divisions are strong weapons in their hands against us . little doe wee lay to heart these things ; if wee did , our hearts would bleed in secret for them ; and i humbly beseech you , let these things be to us for a lamentation . and secondly , labour to heale them ; beloved , it must be done , christ wil have it done , he wil compel us to it , he wil beat us into one , or he wil beat us til we are none ; he wil not bear long , if we remaine as we are , and therefore let all gods people first pray earnestly for it , oh pray for the peace of jerusalem , intreate the prince of peace , and the spirit of peace to grant us peace , to heale our divisions , to raise up healing instruments , make it our supplication every day , that our lord , the good samaritan , would poure in oyle and wine , and bind up these our woful rents , he , and he alone can doe it . i read , that when the divisions in germany about matters of religion , were extream hot and fierce , the emperor charles the fifth made a decree , called the interim , that there should bee common and publick peace in germany , and none to make war upon other for the cause of religion , but that christian amity should be practised by all until a free and general councel should be called : oh pray to christ for such an interim , that we might not quarrel , but live in love , untill himselfe reveale such light , as wil make his people all of one minde ; charles made the decree , but could not give the heart : our lord can give the decree and the heart also . follow him with this suite . and secondly ; let us not onely pray , but let us labour to promote it , and let us to this end , examine our owne principles , and let us count no principle , no affection , no disposition of spirit worth the keeping , which wil not let us bee one with them , with whom christ is one , and let us beleeve , that while we are in this world , we shal all of us know in part , and but in part ; beleeve in part , and but in part ; let us never expect to finde in this life , all who agree in fundamental truths , to agree in all other truths ; and let us beleeve , that though every truth of christ be precious , and worthy to be contended for , yet every truth is not necessary to salvation , nor necessary to be found in all , with whom we ought to hold and exercise christian communion ; many meats , which are whole some , yet cannot be relished by all , with whom we may sit at the same table ; while we are here , we shal often see cause , to differ in our judgement about many precious truths , but wee shall never see cause to differ in affection from those whom jesus christ loveth . certainly , i may love , where christ loves ; and i may imbrace , where christ imbraceth ; and i may not interdict , where christ doth not interdict , and wee may , and ought to bee of one heart with them , with whom wee cannot be of one minde in all things ; the time is coming when we shal be of one minde . luther and calvin are of one mind in heaven , while their disciples wrangle on earth : at which day he will appeare with more comfort , who beares and forbeares with his weak and erring brethren , then he is like to do , that loves not his brother ; sure i am this is pauls counsel , who said , whereto we have attained , let us mind the same things , and if any be otherwise minded , the lord will reveale it to him in his due time . and therefore i conclude this use with that speech of the apostle , above all , put on love , that is the band of perfection , and let the peace of god rule in your hearts ; i meane that peace the lord jesus christ is the authour of , let that rule in your hearts ; the greeke word signifies , let it bee as the officer the greekes had in their solemne games , who determined and quieted all differences , in all strifes and contentions , to whom he gave the palm , that quieted all the rest ; so let the peace of god be such a brabeutes , let it rule in our hearts . and the spirit of god presseth it there upon this very ground , because we are called thereunto in one body . we are brethren , let us not strive , or if we do contend , let us contend who shal be most holy , who shal love most , who shal beare most one with another , till that blessed day come , when christs light shal shine so perfectly upon us , that wee shal be all of one minde , and one heart in all things . thus much for the first great duty , that saints are all one body , therefore there should be no schisme , no divisions among them . the second is , that all the members should have the like care one of another ; that is , they should not onely love one another , and study to bee at peace one with another , but they should all sympathize one with another , if one be honoured , all should rejoyce ; if one suffer , all the rest should mourn , yea , they should all account themselves but as stewards for the good of all , and expresse this in using all their talents for the good of the soules of all , and the bodyes of all , each within the compasse of his owne calling , and especially in the particular church , where the lord hath set them ; these things are of great concernment , and for daily use , and therefore most worth the handling ; but i suspect i have already presumed upon your patience . consider what i have said , and the lord give you understanding in all things . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- introduction shewing the coherence and scope of the text . ephes. . . the generall doctrine propounded . the church is christs body . and explained and proved out of scripture cor. . ▪ &c. vers. . vers. . vers. . eph. . from ● . to . opened and explained . wherein the comparison stands between the church and a natural body the union of the saints one with another . cor. . . , , . quest . . ephes. , , . opened . heb. . . iude . cor. . . gal. . . titus . . pet. . . quest . . what are the bands of this union ? answ first , the spirit of christ teaching and ruling them all . esai . , , . ezek , . ezek. . band , the grace of love . cor. . ▪ and cap. col. . ioh. , , ● ▪ ephes. . ▪ q. how is it then that the scripture speaks of many churches , if all are but one church answ. application . instruction therefore this communion of saints is that brotherly good fellowship , prov. . . esa. , . psal. . . joh. . . instruction . therefore none are true members of this church but regenerate men . joh. . . instruction . therefore the most usefull christians are the most noble members . use for exhortation . therefore there must be no schisme in the church , cor. . . what schisme is . the greatnesse of the sin of schisme . in the nature of it . eph. . . joh. . . ● tim. . in the effects of it . eph. . . who are guilty of it , who are guilty of the sin of schisme . answ. . in generall most christians this day are guilty of it . this opened more particularly . negatively . all separation is not schisme , such as are schismaticks , who separate from hereticks , or idolaters . or from persecutors . some are schismaticks from principles of an erroneous judgement , some from principles of a corrupt heart . schismaticks from corrupt judgement are independents properly so called . all who renounce all other churches because not of their own manner of constituon . of which the papists are most guilty . . all who refuse communion with persons erring in points not fundamentall . rom. . , , , &c. first objection against this third branch . answ. object . . answ. object . . answ. object . . gal. . . answ. gal. . . rom. . . they are schismaticall who separate from true churches for light cause● . heb. . . jude . some are schismaticall from principles of a corrupt heart . as self-lovers and self-seekers . phil. . . plutarch . proud and high-minded spirits . quarrelsome and railing spirits . busie-bodies . rom. . . pet. . . all factious spirits . cor. . rom. . . all who delight in the society of schismaticks . exhort . . to lament our divisions . ephes. . . iohn . ● . exhort . . to endeavour to cure them . pray for it . phil. . . col. . . . vse . the members : to have the like care one of another . a moral prognostication i. what shall befall the churches on earth, till their concord, by the restitution of their primitive purity, simplicity, and charity, ii. how that restitution is like to be made, (if ever) and what shall befall them thence-forth unto the end, in that golden-age of love / written by richard baxter ... baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a moral prognostication i. what shall befall the churches on earth, till their concord, by the restitution of their primitive purity, simplicity, and charity, ii. how that restitution is like to be made, (if ever) and what shall befall them thence-forth unto the end, in that golden-age of love / written by richard baxter ... baxter, richard, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : . reproduction of original in harvard university libraries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng dissenters, religious -- england. christian union -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john cords sampled and proofread - john cords text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a moral prognostication , i. what shall befall the churches on earth , till their concord , by the restitution of their primitive purity , simplicity , and charity . ii. how that restitution is like to be made , ( if ever ) and what shall befall them thence-forth unto the end , in that golden-age of love . written by richard baxter . when by the king's commission , we ( in vain ) treated for concord , . and now published , not to instruct the proud , that scorn to learn ; nor to make them wise , who will not be made wise : but to instruct the sons of love and peace , in their duties and expectations . and to tell posterity , that the things which befall them , were fore-told : and that the evil might have been prevented , and blessed peace on earth attained , if men had been but willing ; and had not shut their eyes , and hardened their hearts , against the beams of light and love. london , printed for thomas simmons , at the princes-arms in ludgate-street , . to the reader . reader , it is many years , since this prognostication was written , ( , except the sixteen last lines ) but it was cast by , lest it should offend the guilty . but the author now thinketh , that the monitory usefulness , may over-weigh the inconveniencies of mens displeasure ; at least , to posterity , if not for the present age ; of which , he is taking his fare-wel . his suppositions are such as cannot be denyed . viz. . eccles . . . the thing that hath been , is that which shall be ; and that which is done , is that which shall be done : and there is no new thing under the sun. . the same causes , with the same circumstances , will have the same effects on recipients , equally disposed . . operari sequitur esse : as natures are , so they act ; except where over-power'd . . the appetite ( sensitive and rational ) is the principle of motion ; and what any love , they will desire and seek . . therefore , interest will turn the affairs of the world ; and he that can best understand all interests , will be the best moral prognosticator ; so far as men are causes of the events . . the pleasing of god , and the happyness of their own and others souls , being the interest of true believers ; and temporal life , pleasure , and prosperity , being the seeming and esteemed interest of unbelievers cross interests , will carry them contrary wayes . . contraries , when near and militant , will be troublesome to each other , and seek each others destruction or debilitation . . the senses and experience of all men , in all ages , are to be believed about their proper objects . . men of activity , power , and great numbers , will have advantage for observance and success , above those that are modest , obscure , and few . . yet men will still be men ; and the rational nature will yield some friendly aspect towards the truth . . those that are ignorant , and misled by passion , and carryed down the stream , by men of malignity or faction , may come to themselves , when affliction , experience , and considerateness have had time to work ; and may repent , and undo some-what that they have done . . as sense will be sense , when faith hath done its best ; so faith will be faith , when flesh or sense hath done its worst . . men that fix on a heavenly , everlasting interest , will not be temporizers , and changed by the worldly mens wills or cruelties . . when all men have tired themselves with their contrivances and stirs , moderation and peace must be the quiet state. . when all worldly wisdome hath done its utmost , an● mens endeavours are w●inged with the greatest expectations ; god will be god , and blast what he nilleth ; and will over-rule all things , to the accomplishment of his most blessed will. amen . on these suppositions it is , that the following prognostications are founded ; which i must admonish the reader , not to mistake for historical narratives : but , i exhort him to know what hath been , and what is , if he would know what will be ; and to make sure of everlasting rest with christ , when he must leave a sinful , restless world . a moral prognostication of what must be expected in the churches of christendome , till the golden age returns ; or , till the time of true reformation and vnity . . mankind will be born in a state of infancy and nescience , that is , without actual knowledge . . yea , with a nature that hath the innate dispositions to sloath , and to diverting pleasures and business ; and more than so , to an aversness from those principles which are needful to sanctification , and heavenly wisdom . the carnal mind will have an enmity against god , and will not mind the things of the spirit , nor be subject to god's law , rom. . , , , . . sound learning , or wisdom , in things of so high a nature , as are the matters of salvation , will not be attain'd without hard study , and earnest prayer , and humble submission to instructions ; and all this a long time patiently endured , or rather willingly , and delightfully performed . . and if the seeds of wisdom be not born with us , in a capacious disposition of understanding ; but contrarily a natural unapprehensiveness blocks up the way ; even time and labour , will never ( without a miracle ) bring any , to any great eminency of understanding . . and they that have both capacity , and an industrious disposition , must have also sound , and able , and diligent teachers , or at least escape the hands of seducers , and of partial factious guides . . there are few born with good natural capacities , much less with a special dispositive acuteness ; and few that will be at the pains and patience , which the getting of wisdom doth require ; and few that will have the happiness of sound , and diligent teachers ; but fewest of all that will have a concurrence of all these three . . therefore there will be but few very wise men in the world ; ignorance will be common , wisdom will be rare . . therefore errour or false opinions will be common . for unless men never think of the things of which they are ignorant , or judge nothing of them one way or other , they are sure to err , so far as they judge in ignorance . but when things of greatest moment are represented as true or false , to be believed or rejected , the most ignorant mind , is naturally inclined to pass its judgment or opinion of them one way or other ; and to apprehend them according to the light he standeth in , and to think of them as he is disposed . so that ignorance and errour will concur . . he that erreth , doth think that he is in the right , and erreth not : for to err , and to know that he erreth in judgment , is a contradiction , and impossible . ( however in words and deeds a man may err , and know that he erreth . ) . he that knoweth not , and that erreth , perceiveth not that evidence of truth , which should make him receive it , and which maketh other men receive it ; and therefore knoweth not that indeed another is in the right , or seeth any more than he . . especially when every man is a stranger to anothers mind and soul , as to any immediate inspection : and therefore , knoweth not anothers knowledge , nor the convincing reasons of his judgment . . as no man is moved against his own errours , by the reasons which he knoweth not ; so pride , and self-love , and partiality thence arising , incline all men naturally to be over-valuers of their own understandings , and so over-confident of all their own conceptions , and over-stiff in defending all their errours , as pride and selfishness are the first-born of satan , and the root of all positive evil in man's soul ; so a man is more naturally proud of that which is the honour of a man , which is his understanding and goodness , than of that which is common to a beast ( as strength , beauty , ornaments , &c. ) therefore pride of understanding and goodness oft live , when sordid apparel telleth you that childish pride of ornaments is dead . and this pride maketh it very difficult , to the most ignorant and erronious , to know their ignorance and errour , or so much as to suspect their own understandings . . he that seeth but few things , seeth not much to make him doubt , and seeth not the difficulties which should check his confidence , and stiffness in his way . . he that seeth many things , and that clearly knoweth much ; especially , if he see them in their order , and respects to one another , and leaveth out no one substantial part , which is needful to open the signification of the rest . . he that seeth many things disorderly , and confusedly , and not in due method , and leaveth out some substantial parts , and hath not a digested knowledge , doth know much , and err much , and may make a bustle in the world of ignorants , as if he were an excellent learned man ; but hath little of the inward delight , or of the power and benefits of knowledge . . he that seeth many things but darkly , confusedly , and not in the true place and method , cannot reconcile truths among themselves ; but is like a boy with a pair of tarrying-irons , or like one that hath his clock or watch all in peices , and knoweth not how to set them altogether . and therefore , is inclined to be a sceptick . . this sort of scepticks , differ much from humble christians ; and have oft as high thoughts of their understandings as any others : for they lay the cause upon the difficulties in the objects , rather than on themselves : unless , when they incline to brutishness or sadduceisme , and take man's understanding to be uncapable of true knowledge , and so lay the blame on humane nature as such , that is , on the creator . . few know so much as to see the difficulty of things , and make them doubt , or sceptical . but far fewer know , so much as to resolve their doubts and difficulties : therefore , though ( as bishop jewel saith of faithful pastors ) i say not that there will be few cardinals , few bishops , few doctors , few deans , few jesuits , few fryars , ( there will be anow of these ) yet there will be few wise judicious divines , and pastors , even in the best and happyest countrys . . seeing he that knoweth not or that erreth , knoweth not that another knoweth , or is in the right , when he is in the wrong ; therefore he knoweth not whose judgment to honour and submit to , if he should suspect or be driven from his own : and therefore is not so happy , as to be able to choose the fittest teacher for himself . . in this darkness , therefore he either carnally casteth himself on the highest and most honoured in the world , where he hath the most advantages for worldly ends ; or he followeth the fame of the time and country where he is , or he falleth in with the major vote , of that party whatsoever it be , which his understanding doth most esteem and honour ; or else with some person that hath most advantage on him . . if any of these happen to be in the right , he will be also in the right materially , and may seem an orthodox , peaceable , and praise-worthy man : but where they are in the wrong , he is contented with the reputation of being in the right , and of the good opinion of those whom he concurreth with ; who flatter , and applaud each other in the dark . . when wise men are but few , they can be but in few places ; and therefore will be absent from most of the people ( high or low ) that need instruction . besides , that their studiousness inclineth them ( like hierom ) to be more retired than others , that know less . . this confidence in an erring mind , is not only the case of the teachers , as well as of the flocks ; but is usually more fortifyed in them than in others : for they think that the honour of learning and wisdom , is due to their place and calling , and name , and standing in the universities ; how empty soever they be themselves . and they take it for a double dishonor ( as it is ) for a teacher to be accounted ignorant ; and an injury to their work and office , and to the people's souls , that must by their honor be prepared to profit by them ; and therefore , they smart more impatiently under any detection of their ignorance , than the common people do . . it is not meer honesty and godliness , that will suffice to save ministers or people from this ignorance , injudiciousness and errour ; there having ever been among the very godly ministers , few judicious men , that are fit to investigate a difficult truth , or to defend it against a subtile adversary , or to see the systeme of theological verities in their proper method , harmony , and beauty . . morality hath innumerable difficulties as well as school-divinity : because that moral good and evil , are ordinarily such by preponderating accidents ; ( actions as actions , being neither ; but only of physical consideration . ) and the work of a true casuist is to compare so many accidents , and to discern in the comparison which prepondorateth that it requireth both an acute and a large capacious far seeing wit , to make a man a true resolver of cases of conscience . and consequently to be a judicious paster , that shall not lead the people into errours . . as few teachers have natural capacity for exactness , and a willingness , and patience for long laborious studies ; so many by their pastoral oversight of souls , and many by the wants of their families ( especially in times or persecution , when all their publike maintenance is gone , and they must live ( with their families ) on the charity of people , perhaps poor and persecuted as well as they ) are hindred from those studies , which else they would undergo . . it is few that grow to much exactness of judgment without much writing ( for themselves or others ) : for study , which is to be exactly ordered and expressed by the pen , is usually ( at last ) the exactest study : as the lord bacon saith , [ much reading maketh a man full ; much conference maketh a man ready : and much writing maketh a man exact . ] there are few camero's , men of clear judgment , and abhorring to write . and there are few divines comparatively that have opportunity to write much . . they that err in divinity , do think their falsehoods to be god's truth ; and so will honour that which he hates , with the pretence of his authority and name . . therefore they will call up their own , and other mens zeal , to defend those falshoods as for god , and think that in so doing they do god service . . and the interest of their own place , and honour , and ends , will secretly insinuate when they discern it not , and will increase their zeal against opposers . . therefore , seeing they are usually many , and wise men but few , they will expect that number should give the precedency to their opinions , and will call those proud , or heretical that gain-say them , and labour to defame them , as self-conceited opinionative-men . . therefore too many godly ministers will be great opposers of many of those truths of god , which they know not , and which they err about , and will help on the service of satan in the world ; and will be the authors of factions and contentions in the churches ; whilst too many are [ proud , knowing nothing ( in those matters when they think they are most orthodox ) but doting about questions , and strifes of words , whereof cometh envy , strife , railing , evil surmisings , perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds ( in this ) and destitute of the truth , tim. . , . . and if many good men will erroniously stand up against that truth which any man wiser than themselves maketh known , the worldly , and malicious , that have a manifold enmity against it , will be ready to strengthen them by their concurrence , and to joyn in the opposition . . not they that are wisest at a distance , but they that are nearest the people , and are always with them , are likest to prevail to make disciples of them , and bring them to their mind : so great an advantage it is , to talk daily and confidently to ignorant souls , when there is none to talk against them , and to make their folly known . . especially if the same men can get interest in their esteem as well as neerness , and make themselves esteemed the best or wisest men. . therefore jesuitical , worldly clergy men , will always get about great men , and insinuate into nobles , and will still defame them that are wise and good , that they may seem odious , and themselves seem excellent , and so may carry it by deceitful shews . . and they will do their best , to procure all wise and good men , that are against their interest , to be banished from the palaces of princes and nobles , where they are ; lest their presence should confute their slanderers , and they should be as burning and shining lights , that carry their witness with them , where they come : and also to bring them under publike stigmatizing censures , and sufferings ; that their names may be infamous and odious , in the world. . and heretical pastors will play a lower game , & creep into the houses of silly people , prepared by ignorance , and soul-disturbers to receive their heresies . . between these two sorts of naughty pastors ( the wordly and the heretical ) and also the multitude of weak erroneous honest teachers , the soundest and worthyest will be so few , that far most of the people ( high and low ) are like to live under the influences and advantages of erring-men ; and therefore , themselves to be an erring people . . in that measure , that men are carnal ; their own carnal interest will rule them . and both the worldly and heretical clergy , are ruled by carnal interests , though not the same materially . and the honester erring ministers , are swayed by their interests too much ; insomuch , that on this account , is was no over-valuing of tymothy , or wrong to the other pastors , that it should plainly be said by paul , phil. . , . [ for i have no man like minded , who will naturally care for your state. for all seek their own , not the things which are jesus christs . ] and act. . . [ of your own selves shall men arise , and speak perverse things , to draw away disciples after them . ] besides the grievous wolves which would not spare the flocks . . the interest then of the worldly clergy , will consist in pleasing the great ones of the world ; for lordships , and worldly wealth , and honour , and to be made the rulers of their brethren , and to have their wills : and the interest of hereticks will be to have many to be of their own opinion to admire them : and the interest of upright ministers , will be to please god , and propagate the gospel , increase the church , and save mens souls . yet so that they have a subordinate interest , for food and rayment , and families , and necessary reputation , which they are too apt to overvalue . . therefore , it will be the great trade of the worldly clergy , to please and flatter the rulers of the world , and by all artificial insinuations , and by their friends , to work themselves into their favour , and by scorns and calumnies , to work out all other that are against their interest . . and it will be the trade of hereticks , to insinuate into the more ductile people , especially as ministers of truth and righteousness , that have somewhat more excellent in knowlenge or holiness , than the faithful ministers of christ . . and it will be the work of faithful ministers , to save mens souls . but with such various degrees of self-denyal or selfishness , as they have various degrees of wisdom and holiness . . many great and piously disposed princes , like constantine , will think that to honour and advance the clergy , into worldly power and wealth , is to honour god and the christian religion : and great munificence is fit for their own greatness . . and because such honour and wealth cannot possibly be bestowed on all ; it must make a great disparity , and set some as lords over the rest . . and the unavoidable weakness , passions , and divisions of the clergy , will make rulers think , that there is a necessity ; that besides the civil government , there should be some of their own office , to rule the rest , and to keep them in order , obedience , and peace . . ambition and covetousness , will abuse this munificence of princes : and whilst that any church preferments are so great ( beyond the degree of a meer encouraging subsistence ) as to be a strong bait to tempt the desires of a proud and worldly mind , the most proud and worldly that are within the reach of hope , will be the seekers ; by themselves , and by their friends . . mortified , humble , heavenly men , will either never seek them , or with no gre●● eagerness ; their appetite being less , and their restraints much greater . . therefore they that have the keenest appetites to church-grandure and preferments , and are the eager seekers , are likest to find . . therefore the lovers of wealth and honour , are likest still to be lords among the clergy ; except in such marvellous happy times , when wise and pious princes , call the more worthy that seek it not , and reject these thirsty seekers . . the greatest lovers of worldly wealth and honour , are the worst men , joh. . . jam. . . &c. . therefore , except in such times as aforesaid , the worst men will be still the rich and powerful in the clergy , for the most part , or at least , the worldly that are very bad . . these carnal minds are enmity to god , and cannot be subject to his law. and the friendship of the world is enmity to god. and the honour , and wealth of these worldly men , will be taken by them for their interest : and they will set themselves to defend it , against all that would endanger it . . the doctrine and practise of humility , mortification , contempt of the world , forsaking all , taking up the cross , &c. is so much of the christian religion , that however the worldly clergy may formally preach it ; their minds and interests are at enmity to it . . such men will make church-canons according to their interests and minds . . and they will judge of ministers and people , according to their interest and mind ; who is sound , and who is erroneous ; who is honest , and who is bad ; who is worthy of favour , and who is worthy of all the reproches that can be devised against him ? . the humble , mortified ministers , and people , that are seriously the servants of a crucified christ ; and place their hopes , and portion in another world , have a holy disposition , contrary to this worldly carnal mind ; and their manner of preaching , will be of a different relish , and the tenour of their lives , of a contrary course . . the generality of the best people in the christian churches , will perceive the difference between the worldly , and the heavenly manner of preaching , and of living , and will love and honour the later , far above the former ; because their new nature suiteth with things spiritual , and fitteth them , to relish them . . the worst of vicious and worldly men , will disrelish the spiritual manner of preaching and living , and will joyn with the worldly clergy against it . . the worldly clergy being hypocrites , as to christianity-and godlin●ss ( like judas that loved the bag , better than christ ) they will make themselves a religion , consisting of the meer corps , and dead image of the true religion ; of set words , and actions , and formalities , and orders , which in themselves are ( many , at least , if not all ) good ; but the life they will not endure . . this image of true religion or corps of godliness , they will dress up with many additional flowers out of their own gardens , some tolerable , and some corrupting : that so they may have something which both their own consciences , and the world , may take to be honourable religion ; lest known ▪ ungodliness should terrify conscience within , and shame them in the world without . . this image of religion so drest up , will suit their carnal auditors and people too , 〈◊〉 the same ends ; and therefore , will become their uniting interest . . that which is but a weed among these flowers , the more heavenly ministers and people will dislike , and much more dislike the loathsome face of death ( or lifelesness ) in their religion . . these differences of mind and practise , will engage both parties in some kind of opposition to each other . the worldly clergy or hipocrites , will have heart-risings against the ministers and people that think meanly of them , and will take it for their interest to bring them down . for enmity is hardly restrained from exercise . and cain will be wrath , that abels sacrifice is better accepted than his own . . the better ministers , will be apt through passion , to speak too dishonourably of the other : and the rash , and younger sort , and the heretical hypocrites that fall in with them , will take it for part of a godly zeal to speak against them to the people , in such words as christ used of the scribes and pharisees . . hereupon the exasperations of each party , will be increased more and more ; and the powerful worldly clergy , will think it their interest , to devise some new impositions , which they know the other cannot yield to , to work them out . . whether they be oaths , subscriptions , words , or actions ; which they believe to be against gods word , the spiritual , and upright part of the clergy and people , will not perform them ; resolving to obey god , rather than man. . hereupon the worldly part will take their advantage , and call them disobedient , stubborn , proud , schismatical , self opinioned , disturbers of the publick peace and order , pestilent fellows , and movers of sedition among the people , that will let nothing be quiet , but turn the world upside-down , act. . , . and will endeavour to bring them to such sufferings , as men really guilty of such crimes deserve . . and because the suffering , and dissenting party of ministers , when silenced will leave many vacancies in the churches they will be fain to fill them with men , how empty and unworthy soever , that are of their own spirit , and will be true to their interests . . the exasperation of their sufferings , will make many , otherwise sober ministers too impatient , and to give their tongues leave to take down the honour of the clergy , whom they suffer by more than beseemeth men of humility , charity , and patience . . when the people , that most esteem their faithful ministers , are deprived of their labours , by the prohibitions of the rest , and themselves also afflicted with them ; it will stir up in them an inordinate , unwarrantable , passionate zeal ; which will corrupt their very prayers , and make them speak unseemly things , and pray for the downfal of that clergy , which they take to be the enemies of god , and godliness . and they will think that to speak easily or charitably of such men , as dare forbid christs ministers to preach his gospel , and by notorious sacriledge , alienate the persons , and gifts that were consecrated solemnly to god ; is but to be luke-warm , and indifferent between god and the devil . . and when they take them as enemies to religion , and to themselves , the younger and rasher sort of ministers ; but much more the people , will grow into a suspition of all that they see their afflicters stand for : they will dislike not only their faults ; but many harmless things , yea many laudable customes which they use ; and will grow into some superstition in opposition to them , making new sins in the manner of worship , which god never forbad or made to be sins ; and taking up new duties , which god never made duties ; yea ready to forforsake some old & wholesome doctrines ; because their afflicters own them , and to take up some new unsound doctrines , and expositions of gods word ; because they are inclined by opinion , and passion conjoyned , to go as far as may be from such men , whom they think so bad of . . and the vulgar people that have but little sense of religion ( that are not by the foresaid interest , united to the afflicting clergy ) having a reverence to the worth of those that are afflicted , and an experience of the rawness , and differing lives of many that possess their rooms , will grow to compassionate the afflicted , and to think that they are injured themselves , and so to think hardly of the causers of all this . . hereupon the powerful clergy , will increase their accusations against the party that is against them , and declare to the world in print and pulpits , their ignorance , unpeaceableness , unruliness , giddiness , false opinions , and conceits about the manner of worship , and how unsufferable a sort of men they are . . by this time the devil will have done the radical part of his work ; which is to destroy much of christian love to one another , and make them take each other for unlovely odious persons : the one part , for persecuting enemies of godliness , and hypocrites , and pharisees : the other for pevish , seditious , turbulent , unruly sectaries . and on these supositions , all their after characters , affections and practises towards each other will proceed . . by this enmity and opposition against each other , both parties will increase in wrath , and somewhere in numbers . the worldly afflicting clergy will multiply not only such as are disaffected to them , but downright fanaticks , and sectaries that will run as far from them as they can , into contrary extreams . for when they are once brought into a distast of the old hive , the bees will hardly gather into one new one ; but will divide into several swarms and hives . as every mans zeal is more against the afflicting party ; so he will go further from them : some to be separatists , some anabaptists , some antinomians , some seekers , some quakers , and some to they know not what themselves . . for the women and apprentices , and novices in christianity , that have more passion than judgment , will abundance of them quite over-run , even their own afflicted teachers , and will forsake them if they will not over-run their own judgments , in forsaking those that do afflict them . . and many hypocrites that have no sound religion ; but ignorance , pride , and u●charitableness , will thrust in among them , in these discontents ; or spring up in the nurceries of these bryers of passion , and will bring in new doctrines , and new ways of worship , and make themselves preachers , and the heads of sects : by reason of whom , the way of truth shall be evil spoken of . . and many unstable persons seeing this , will dread and loath so giddy a sort of men , and will turn papists , upon the perswasions of them that tell them , that there is no true unity nor consistency , but at rome ; and that all must thus turn giddy at last , that are not fixed in the papal head. and thus they that fly too far from the common prayer book , will drive men to the mass , and the afflicters will make sectaries , and the sectaries will make papists . . when the violent clergy , instead of a fatherly government of the flocks , have driven the people into passions , distempers , and uncharitable disaffections to themselves , and have also been the great cause of multiplyed heresies , and sects by the same means , instead of being humbled and penitent for their sin , they will be hardened , and justify all their violences , by the giddiness and miscarriages of those sectaries , which they themselves have made . . and when they publish the faults of such , for the justification of their own violence , they will draw thousands into an approbation of their courses , ( to think that such a turbulent people can never be too hardly called or used ) and consequently into a participation of their guilt . . by all this , the dissenters will be still more alienated from them ; and many will aggravate the crime of the ministers that conform to their impositions , and obey them ; and for the sake of a few that afflict them , they will condemn many laudable conforming ministers , that never consented to it ; but could heartily wish , that it were otherwise . . and the younger , and indiscreeter passionate sort , will frequently reproach such , as unconsionable temporizers , that will do any thing for worldly ends , and that as hypocrites for a fleshly interest , concur with the corrupters , and afflicters of the godly . . these censures and reproaches , will provoke those conforming ministers , who are not masters of their passions , nor conquerors of their pride , to think as bad of the censurers , as their afflicters do , and to joyn with them in the displaying of all their enormities , and promoting their further sufferings , and publishing the folly and turbulency of their spirits , with spleen and partiality . . by these kind of speeches , preachings , and writings , multitudes of the debaucht will be hardened in their sin against all religion : for when they observe that it is the same party of men , who are thus reproached , that are the strictest reprovers of their lewdness , their fornicatious , tipling , gaming , luxuries , and ungodliness : they will think that it 's no great matter , what such a defamed giddy sort of people say , and that really they are worse themselves . . each party of these adversaries , will characterize the adverse party as hypocrites : the passionate sufferers , will call the afflicters , [ hypocrites and pharisees , that have no religion , but a formal shew of outside ceremonies and words , and that tythe , mint , and cummin , and wash the outside , while within , they are full of persecuting cruelty , and are wolves in sheeps cloathing , loving the uppermost seats , and great titles , and ceremonious philacteries , whilst they are enemies to the preaching of the gospel of christ , and get revenues to themselves , and devour not only the houses , but the peace , and lives of others , under pretence of long liturgies ; and that devour the living saints , while they keep holy-days , and build monuments for the dead ones , whom their fathers murdered , &c ] and the powerful clergy , will call the others hypocrites , and labour to shew that the pharisees character belongeth to them , and that their pretences of strictness in religion , and their long praying and preaching , is but a cloak to cover their disobedience , and covetousness , and secret sins ; and that their hearts , and inside , is as bad as others , and that their fervency in devotion , is but an hypocritical , affected , whining , and canting ; and that they are worse , than the lesser religious sort of people ; because they are more unpeaceable , and disobedient , and add hypocrisy to their sin. . the ignorant , worldlings , drunkards , and ungodly despisers of holiness and heaven , being in all countrys most contradicted in their way , by this stricter sort of men , and hearing them in pulpit , and press so brandid for hypocrites , will joyfully unite themselves with the censurers ; and so they will make up as one party , in crying down the precise hypocrites ; and usually make some name to call them by , as their brand of common ignominy : and they will live the more quietly in all their sins , and think they shall be saved , as soon as the precisest , that make more shew , but have no more sincerity , but more hypocrisy than themselves . . the suffering party , seeing the ungodly , and the conforming afflicters of them thus united , and made one party in opposition to them , will increase their hard thoughts of the adverse clergy , and take them for downright prophane , and the leading enemies of godliness in the world , that will be captains in the devils army , and lead on all the most ungodly , against serious godliness , for their wordly ends. . and the young and indifferent sort of people in all countrys , that were engaged in neither part , being but strangers to religion , and to the differences , will be ready to judge of the cause by the persons ; and seeing so many of the dignified advanced clergy , and the more sensual sort of the people on one side , and so many men of strict lives on the other , that suffer ▪ also for their religion , and hearing too that it is some name of preciseness , that they are reproached by , will think them to be the better side ; and so the title of the godly will grow by degrees , to be almost appropriated to their party , and the title of prophane and persecuters to the other . . all this while the nonconforming ministers , will be somewhat differently affected , according to the different degrees of their judiciousness , experience , and self-denyal . some of them will think these passions of the people needful , to check the fierceness of the afflicters ( which doth but exasperate it ) ; and therefore , will let them alone , though they will not encourage them . some of the younger or more injudicious hot-brain'd sort will put them on , and make them believe , that all communion with any conforming ministers or their parish-churches is unlawful , and their forms of worship , are sinful and anti-christian ; and that they are all temporizers , and betrayers of truth , and purity , that communicate or assemble with them . the judicious , and experienced , and most patient , and self-denying sort , will themselves abstain from all that is sin ; and as far as it is in their choice and power , will joyn with the churches , that worship god most agreeably to his word and will ; but so , as that they will not be loud in their complaints , nor busy to draw men to their opinions in controvertible points , nor will unchurch and condemn all the churches that have something which they dislike as sinful ; nor will renounce the communion of all faulty churches , lest they renounce the communion of all in the world , and teach all others to renounce theirs : but they will sometimes communicate with the more faulty churches , to shew that they unchurch them not ( so they be not forced in it to any sin ) ; though usually they will prefer the purest : yea , ordinarily they will joyn with the more faulty , when they can have no better , or when the publike good requireth it . they will never prefer the interest of their nonconforming party , before the interest of christianity , or the publike good : they will so defend lesser truths , as not to neglect or disadvantage the greater , which all are agreed in ; they will so preserve their own innocency , as not to stir up other mens passions , nor to make factions or divisions by their difference . they will so dislike the pride and worldliness of others , and their injuries against god and godliness , as not to speak evil of dignities , nor to cherish in the peoples minds , any dishonourable injurious thoughts of their kings , or any in authority over them : they will labour to allay the passions of the people , and to rebuke their censorious , and too sharp language , and to keep up all due charity , to those by whom they suffer ; but especially loyalty to their kings and rulers , and peaceableness as to their countrys . they will teach them to distinguish between the cruel that are masters of the game , and all the rest that have no hand in it ; and at least not to separate from all the rest , for the sake of a few : if they will go as far as martin ( in sulpitius severus ) to avoid all communion with ithacius and idacius , and the councils of bishops , that prosecuted the priscillianists , to the scandal of godliness it self ; yet not for their sakes to avoid all others , that never consented to it : nor with gildas , to say of all the bad ministers , that he was not eximius christianus that would call them ministers , or pastors , rather than traitors . they will perswade the people to discern between good and evil , and not to run into extreams , nor to dislike all that their afflicters hold or use ; nor to call things lawful , by the name of sin , and anti-christianity , nor to suffer their passions to blind their judgments , to make superstitiously new sin and duties , in opposition to their adversaries : nor to disgrace their understandings and the truth , by errours , factions , revilings , or miscarriages ; nor to run into sects , nor to divide christs house and kingdom , while they pretend to be his zealous servants : they will perswade the people to patience , and moderation , and peace , and to speak evil of no man , nor by word or deed , to revenge themselves ; much less to resist the authority that is set over them by god ; but to imitate their saviour , and quietly suffer , and being reviled not to revile again ; but to love their enemies , and bless their cursers . . the soberer sort of the people , will be ruled by these counsels , and will do much to quiet the rest . but the heretical part with their own passions , will exasperate many novices and injudicious persons , to account this course and counsel aforesaid , to be but the effect of luke-wa●mness , and carnal compliance with sin , and a halting between two opinions , and a participation in the sin of persecutors , and malignant enemies of godliness : and they will believe that whoever joyneth with the parish churches , in their way , is guilty of encouraging them in sin , and of false worship . . hereupon they will defame the non conforming ministers last described , as men of no zeal , neither flesh nor fish ; and perhaps , as men that would save their skin , and shift themselves out of sufferings , and betray the truth . and when such ministers , acquaint them with their unsound principles and passions , they will say of them , that they speak bitterly of the godly , and joyn with the persecutors in reproaching them . . and they will carry about among themselves , many false reports and slanders against them ; partly because passion taketh off charity , and tenderness of conscience ; and partly because an opinionative modal , and siding religiousness , hath ever more followers , and a quicker zeal , than true holiness ; and partly because they will think that humane converse obligeth them to believe the reports , which those that are accounted good men utter ; and partly because that they will think , that the upholding of their cause ( which they think is gods ) doth need the suppression of these mens credit , and reputation that are against it . . but the greater part of the honest non-conformist ministers , will dislike the headiness , and rashness of the novices , and the sectaries ; and will approve of the aforesaid moderate wayes . but their opportunities , and dispositions of expressing it , will be various . some of them will do it freely , whatever be thought of it ; and some of them that have impatient auditors , will think that it is no duty to attempt that which will not be endured , and that it is better to do what good they can , than none . and some will think , that seeing the worldly clergy forbid them to preach the gospel of salvation , they are not bound to keep up any of their reputation or interest , as long as they have themselves no hand in the extreams , and passions of the people . and some that have wives and children , and nothing but the peoples charity to find them food and rayment , being turned out of all publike maintenance by their afflicters , and prosecuted still with continued violence , will think that it is not their duty , to beg their bread from door to door ; nor to turn their families to be kept on the almes of the parish , by losing the affection of those people , whose charity only they can expect relief from : and therefore , they will think that necessity , and preservation of their families lives and health , will better excuse their silence , when they defend not those that would destroy them , against the overmuch opposition of the people ; than the command of their afflicters will excuse their silence , if they neglect to preach the christian faith. and some will think , that finding themselves hated , and hunted by one party ; if they lose the affection of the other also , they shall have none to do their office with , nor to do any good to ; and that they shall but leave the people whom they displease , to follow those passionate leaders , that will tempt them to more dangerous extremities , against the peace of christian societies . but the most judicious and resolved ministers , that live not on the favour or maintenanee of the people , or are quite above all worldly interest , will behave themselves wisely , moderately , and yet resolvedly ; and will do nothing , that shall distaste sober and wise men , nor yet despise the souls of the most impotent or indiscreet ; but by solid principles , endeavour to build them upon solid grounds ; and to use them with the tenderness , as nurses should do their crying children . but yet they will not cherish their sin , under the pretence of profiting their souls ; nor by silence , be guilty of their blood ; nor so much as connive at those dangerous extreams , that seem to serve some present exigence and jobb : but threaten future ruine to the churches , and dishonour to the christian cause . and therefore , they resolve not to neglect the duties of charity , to the bitterest of their persecutors : and the rather , because that it will prove in the end , a charity to the church , and to the souls of the passionate , whose charity they labour to keep alive . and silence at sin , is contrary to their trust and office : and they will not be guilty of that carnal wisdom , which would do evil , that good may come by it ; or that dare not seek to cure the principles of uncharitableness , divisions , or extremities in the people , for fear of losing advantages of doing them good ; or that dare not disown unlawful schisms and separations , for fear of encouraging those malignants , that call lawful practices by that name . they will do god's work ( though with prudence , and not destructive rashness , yet ) with fidelity , and self-denyal . and they will lay at christ's feet , not only their interest , in the favour of superiors ; and their peace ; and safety , and liberty , and estates , and lives , which are exposed to malignant cruelty , among the cainites of the world : but also , all the good thoughts , and words , and favour of the religious sort of people , yea , and pastors too . and they will look more to the interest of the whole church , than of a narrow party ; and of posterity , than of the present time : as knowing , that at long-running , its only truth that will stand upper-most ; when malignant violence , and sectarian passions , are both run out of breath . and therefore , in simplicity , and godly sincerity , they will have their conversations in the world ; and not in fleshly wisdom , or selfish-blinding-passions , or factions . let all men use them how they will , or judge or call them what they will ; they will not therefore be false to god , and to their consciences . and seeing it is their office to govern and teach the people , they will not be governed by the favour of the most censorious , ignorant , or proud ; but will guide them as faithful teachers , till they are deserted by them , and disabled . but the sober , antient , wise , and experienced , will alwayes cleave to them , and forsake the giddy and sectarian way . . in the heat of these extremities , the most peaceable and sober part , both of the conformists and non-conformists , will be in best esteem with the grave and sober people ; but in the gratest streight , with both the extreams . . the godly and peaceable conformists , will get the love of the sober , by their holy doctrine and lives : but they will be despised by the sectaries , because they conform ; and they will be suspected by the proud and persecuting clergy , as leaning to the dissenters , and strengthening them by their favour ; because these ministers will , in all their parishes , more love and honour the godly non-conformists , than the irreligious , ignorant , wordly , dead-hearted multitude , or the malignant enemies of godlyness . . hereupon these conformists being taken for the chief upholders of the non-conformists , will be under continual jealousies , and rebukes . and perhaps , new points of conformity shall be devised , to be imposed on them , which it is known , their consciences are against ; that so they may be forced also to be non-conformists : because secret enemies are more dangerous , than open foes . . these conformists being thus troubled , will seel also the stirring of passion in themselves ; and by the injury , will be tempted to think more hardly of their afflicters , than before : and so will part of them , turn down-right non-conformists ; and the other part will live in displeasure , till they see an opportunity to shew it . and these are the likest to cross and weaken the worldly , persecuting clergy , of any men. . and as for the moderate nonconformists , that understand what they do , and why , and seek the reconciling of all dissenters ; they will also be loved and honoured by the sober , grave , and experienced christians : but both extreams will be against them . the sectaries will say , as before , that they are luke-warm , and carnal , selfish , complying - men : the proud imposing-clergy will say , that it is they that have drawn the people into these extreams ; and then complain of them , that they cannot rule them . and they will tell them , that till they conform themselves , their moderation doth . but. strengthen the non-conformists , and keep up the reputation of sobriety among them . and the nearer they come to conformity , the more dangerous they are ; as being more able to supplant it . and thus the moderate and reconcilers , will be as the wedge that is prest by both sides , in the cleft of church-divisions : and no side liketh them , because they are not given up to the factious passions , or interest of either . . only those will , in all these extremities and divisions , keep their integrity ; who are , . wise . . humble and self-denying . . charitable , and principled with a spirit of love. . and do take the favour of god , and heaven alone , for their hope and portion , whatever becometh of them in the world. but the worldly persecuting , and the sectarian party , will be both constituted by these contrary principles ; . ignorance and error . . pride of their own understandings ; every one thinking , that all are intollerable , that are not of their mind and way . . uncharitableness , malice , or want of love to others , as to themselves . . and over-valuing their worldly accommodations , honours , and estates . . hereupon the instruments of a foolish shepherd , will still be used to the greater scattering of the flocks . and because none are so able to dispute against them , as the moderate ; therefore they will be taken for their most dangerous adversaries : and when they are greatly inclined to the healing of these wounds , the violent and lordly will not suffer them ; but will pour oyl upon the flames , which moderate men would quench . and ( as if they were blindfolding and scourging christ again ) they will follow the people with afflicting wounds ; and then charge the moderate ministers , with their discontents ; and charge them , to reduce them to peace and conformity . and if they cannot get them to love and honour those that are still scourging them with scorpions , the scourgers will lay the blame on these ministers ; and say , it is all long of them , that the people love not those that wound them . and they that cry out most for peace , will not endure it ; nor give the peace-makers leave to do any thing , that will accomplish it : nor will keep the spurr out of the peoples sides , whilst they look that others ( spur'd more sharply ) ▪ should hold the reins ; which yet , at the same time , they take out of their hands , and forbid them to hold , by forbidding them to preach the gospel . so that , it will be the sum of their expectations , [ perform not the office of pastors , nor preach the gospel of peace and piety to the people , any more : but yet , without preaching to them , see that you teach them all to love and honour us , while we silence you , and afflict them ; or else we will account you intollerable , seditious schismaticks , and use you as such . ] . in some kingdomes or countries , it will be thought , that the people will be brought to no obedience to the lordly pastors , till their most able or moderate ministers , are kept from them , by banishment , imprisonment , or confinement : which will accordingly be done . . when the ministers are banished or removed , that restrained the peoples passions , the people will make preachers of themselves ; even such as are suited to their minds . . where papists or hereticks are shut out by laws , they will secretly contribute the utmost of their endeavours , to make the sufferings of dissenting protestants , as grievous as possibly they can ; that in despite of them , their own necessities may compel them , to cry out for liberty ; till they procured a common tolleration for all , and opened the door for papists and hereticks , as well as for themselves . . surely , oppression will make wise men mad , eccles . . . . mad men will speak madly , and do madly . . they that speak and do madly , will be thought meetest for bedlam , and for chains . . when the ministers are banished or removed , and the people left to their passions , and their ownmade-guides and teachers ; passionate women and boyes , and unsetled novices , will run into unwarrantable words and deeds ; and will think those means lawful , which seem to promise them deliverance , though they be such as god forbiddeth . . the seditions and miscarriages of some few will be imputed to the innocent . . for the sake of such miscarriages , in some kingdomes , the sword will be drawn against them , and the blood of many will be shed . . hereupon the mis-guided , passionate youth , being by the proud clergy , deprived of the presence of that ministry that should moderate them , are like enough to think rebellion , and resisting of authority , a lawful means for their own preservation : and will plead the law of nature , and necessity , for their justification . . if any of the sober , wise , experienced pastors be left among them , that would restrain them from unlawful ways , and perswade them to patient suffering ; they will be taken for complying betrayers of religion , and of the peoples lives ; that would have them tamely surrender their throats to butchery . as in a parenthesis , i will give them some instances for this prognostick . . the great lord du pl●ssis ( one of the most excellent noble-men that ever the earth bore , that is known to us by any history ) being against the holding of an assembly of the french churches , against the kings prohibition , was rejected by the assembly , as complying with the courtiers , ( because they said , the king had before promised , or granted them that assembly ) : but the refusing of his counsel , cost the blood of many thousand protestants ; and the loss of all their garrisons , and powers , and that lowness of the protestant interest there , that we see at this day . . the great divine peter de moulin , was also against the rochellers proceedings against the kings prohibitions ( and so were some chief protestant nobles ) : but he was rejected by his own party ; who paid for it , by the blood of thousands , and their ruin . . i lately read of a king of france , that hearing that the protestants made verses and pasquels against the mass and processions of the papists , made a severe law to prohibit it : when they durst not break that law , their indiscreet zeal carried them to make certain ridiculous pictures of the masse-priests , and the processions : which moderate ministers would have diswaded them from , but were accounted temporizers and luke-warm : by which the king being exasperated , shut up the protestant churches , took away their liberties , and it cost many thousand men their lives . and the question was , whether god had commanded such jears , and scorns , and pictures , to be made at so dear a rate , as the rooting out of the churches , and religion , and the peoples lives . . great camero ( one of the most judicious divines in the world ) was in montabon when it stood out in arms against the king ( accounted formerly impregnable ▪ ) he was against their resistance , & perswaded them to submit . the people of his own religion , reviled him as a traytor : one of the souldiers threatned to run him through : in a scottish passion he unbuttoned his doublet , and cryed , feri miser , strike varlet , or do thy worst ; and in the heat , striving to get his own goods out of the city , fell into a feavor and dyed : the city was taken , and the rest of the holds through the kingdom after it , to the great fall of all the protestants , and the loss of many thousand lives . . where the devil can bring differences to extremities of violence , the issues are not hard to be conjecturally fore-seen ; but are such as my prognosticks shall no further meddle with , than to foretell you , that both sides are preparing for the increase of their fury and extremities , and at last for repentance , or ruinous calamities , if they do , as i have described . . carnal and discontented states-men , and politicians , will set in on both sides , to blow the coals , and draw on feuds for their own ends , and head the discontented people to their ruine . . but in those countrys , where the difference never cometh to such disorders , there will be a war bred , and kept up in the peoples hearts ; and neighbours will be against neighbours , as guelphes and gibellines . . when kingdomes are thus weakened by intestine discontents ; it will increase the hopes and plots of forreign enemies ; and make them think that one party ( that suffer ) will be backward to their own defence , as thinking they can be no worse ( which is the hopes of the turks in hungary . ) . it will be a great injury , and grief , and danger to christian kings and states , to have their kingdomes and common-wealths thus weakened , and the cordial love , and assistance of their subjects made so loose and so uncertain . . and it will be a continual vexation to wise and peaceable princes , to govern such divided , discontented people ; but to rule a united , loving , concordant , peaceable people , will be their delight and joy. . a worldly , covetous , proud , domineering , malignant , lazy clergy , will in most christian nations , be the great plague of the world , and troublers of princes , and dividers of churches ; who , for the interest of their grandure , and their wills , will not give the sober , and peaceable , and godly ministers , or people , leave to serve god quietly , and live in peace . and the impatient , self-conceited , sectarian spirit , which like gun-powder , takes fire upon such injuries , is the secondary divider of the churches , and hinderer of christian love and peace ; and by their mutual enmity and abuses , they will drive each other so far into the extremity of aversation and opposition , that they will but make each other mad ; and then like mad-men , run and quarrel , while sober men stand by and pitty them ; but can help neither the one party , nor the other , nor preserve their own , or the publike peace . . the grand endeavour of the worldly clergy , will be ( in most kingdoms of the world ) to engage princes on their side , and to borrow their sword , to do their work with , against gain-sayers : for they have no confidence in the power of the keys ; but will despise them secretly in their hearts , as leaden , uneffectual weapons , while they make it the glory of their order , that the power of the keys is theirs . . if princes suppress disorders by the sword , the said clergy will ascribe the honor of it to themselves ; and say , it was their order , that kept up so much order in the churches : and when they have put princes to that trouble , will assume to themselves the praise . . the devil will set in , and do his utmost , to make both rulers and people believe , that all this confusion is long of the christian religion , and the strict principles of the sacred scriptures ; and so to make men cast off all religion , and take christianity to be contrary to their natural and civil interests . . and the papists will every where perswade high and low , that all this cometh by meddling so much with the scriptures , and busying the common people with religion ; and leaving every man to be a discerning judge of truth and duty , instead of trusting implicitely , in the judgment of their church : and so they would tempt princes , tamely to surrender half their government ( that is , in all matters of religion ) to the pope ; and perswade the people , to resign their reason or humanity to him ; ( that he who is so far off , may rule it all over the world , by his missioners and agents , who must live upon the prey ) and then he knoweth , that he shall have both swords , and be the universal king. . to this end , they will strive to make some rulers as bad as they would have them , to do their work , and to make the rest thought worse of than they are , that they may have a fair pretense for their treasons and usurpations ; which was the case of all the writers , that plead for pope gregory the seventh , against the german emperours ; who took that advantage , to settle the cardinals power of elections ; and , in a council at rome , to declare the pope to be above the emperour , and to have power to depose him : and as bad was done in the general-council , at later ▪ under innocent the third . can. , . . concerning princes , i shall give you no prognosticks , but christ's ; that it will be as hard for a rich man to enter into heaven , as for a camel to go through a needles eve. and therefore , that you may know what men the rich will be , in most countries of the world. . and the rich will be the rulers of the world ; ( and it s meet , it should be so : not that men should rule because they are rich , but that they that rule should be rich ; and not exposed to contempt , by a vulgar garb and state. ) . but some wise and good princes and magistrates , god will raise up , to keep the interest of truth and justice , from sinking in barbarousness , and diabolical wickedn●ss . . and where princes and magistrates are bad , they will seldom do so much hurt as good , or prove very cruel , where the worldly or corrupt clergy , do not animate and instigate them : their reason , their interest , and their experience , will lead them , by man-like usage , to seek the peoples love and quietness , and their kingdomes unity and strength . but bloody persecutions ( such as that of the waldenses , piedmont lately , france , ireland , queen maries , &c. ) are ordinarily the effects of clergy-interest and zeal . . the grand designe of the devil , through the world , will be to corrupt the two great ordinances of cod , magistracy and ministry ; and turn them both against christ , who giveth them their power . the instances of his success , are most notorious , in the turkish empire , and the papal kingdome , called by them , the catholick-church : ( which campanella , de regno dei , doth labour to prove , by all the prophesies cited by the millenarians , or fifth-monarchy-men , to be the true universal kingdom of christ ; in which , by his vicar the pope , he shall reign over all the kings and kingdomes of the earth . ) a prognostication of the changes that will be in christendom , in the golden age , and time of true reformation and unity . . because it is made part of our prayers , [ thy will be done on earth , as it is in heaven ] and [ we look for a new heaven , and a new earth , wherein dwelleth righteousness ] i hope , their opinion is not true , who think that the earth shall still grow liker and liker to hell , till the general conflagration turn it into hell , and make it the proper seat of the damned . yet , lest this should prove true , i will place my chiefest hopes in heaven ; remembring who said , [ sell all , and follow me , and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; ] ( and not on earth . ) but supposing , that ever the world will come to full reformation and concord , ( which i am uncertain of , but do not despair of ) i proceed to my prognosticks of the way . . god will stir up some happy king , or governour , in some country of christendome , endowed with wisdom and consideration ; who shall discern the true nature of godlyness and christianity , and the necessity and excellency of serious religion ; and shall see what is the corruption and hinderance of it , in the vvorld : and shall place his honour and felicity in pleasing god , and doing good , and attaining everlasting happyness : and shall subject all worldly respects , unto these high and glorious ends. and shall know , that wisdom , and godlyness , and justice , leave the most precious name on earth , and prepare for the most glorious reward in heaven : in comparison of which , all fleshly pomp and pleasure , is dross and dung , and worthy of nothing but contempt . . this prince shall have a discerning mind , to know wise men from foolish , good from bad ; and among the ministers of christ , to discern the judicious , spiritual , heavenly , sober , charitable , and peaceable sort , from self-seeking , worldly men ; that make but a trade of the ministry , and strive not so much for heaven , and the peoples salvation , as they do for worldly honours , power , and wealth . and he shall discern how such do trouble the churches , and the world , and cause divisions , and stir up violence , for their own vvorldly interests , and ends. . he will take the councel neither of worldlings , nor true fanaticks , and dividing persons ; but of the learned , godly , self-denying , sober , peaceable divines ; with his grave and reverend senators , judges , and counsellors ; that know what is reason and justice , and what belongeth to the publick good , as well as to the true interest of the church , and of mens souls . . he will know those men , whom he is concerned to use , and to judge of , as far as may be , by personal acquaintance and observation ; and not by the partial reports of adversaries , behind their backs : and so he will neither be deceived in his instruments , nor disappointed by them . . he will call together the wise , peace-making persons ; and with the strictest charge , commit to them the endeavours of reconciling and uniting the several parties ; by drawing their differences into the narrowest compass , and stating them rightlier , than passionate men do ; and by perswading them to love and peace , and to all such abatements and forbearances , as are necessary . and his own prudent over-sight and authority , ( like constantine's at nice ) will facilitate the success . . he , and his people will enquire , what terms of concord are meet , not only for some one corner or country , but for all the christian world ; that when he hath found it out , he and his kingdom may be a pattern to all christendome , and the spring and leven of an universal concord of all true christians . . therefore , he will enquire of vincent . lerinensis , catholick terms of quod . ab omnibus . . ubique . . semper , receptum est . . what all christians are agreed in , as christians , in the essentials of their religion . . what all christians did agree on , in the apostles time , which was the time of greatest light , love , and purity . . vvhat all christians , in all kingdoms of the vvorld , since then , to this day , in the midst of all their other differences , have been , and still are agreed in , as their religion . for he will see , that there is no hope of agreeing the disagreeing vvorld , ( at least , in many an age ) by changing mens judgments from what they are ; and bringing them all in controverted things , to the mind of some party ; nor to agree them on any terms , in which they do not really agree . but that their concord must be founded in that , which they are indeed all agreed in : leaving the superfluities or additions of each party , out of the agreement . . the peace-makers will then find , that christian religion is conteined in three forms . . in the sacramental-covenant with god the father , son , and holy-ghost , as the briefest formula . . in the creed , lord's - prayer , and decalogue ; as the summaries of the credenda , appetenda , and agenda , matters of faith , will , ( or desire ) and practice , as the larger form. . in that canon of scripture , which all the churches receive , as the largest form or continent . and that he who is understandingly , a sacramental-covanter with god the father , son , and holy-ghost , was ever taken for a visible christian . and therefore , baptism was called our christening ; and the baptized taken for christians , before they knew the controversies of this church , or that : and that the competent ▪ explicite understanding of the creed , lord's - prayer , and decalogue , was ever taken for a competent understanding of the sacramental-covenant , and more . and that he that implicitely receiveth the commonly-received canonical scripture , as god's word ( though he understand no more than as followeth ) and that explicitely understandeth the creed , lord's - prayer , and decalogue , and receiveth them , and consenteth to the sacramental-covenant , alwayes was accounted , and is still to be accounted a christian . on these terms therefore , the peace-makers will resolve to endeavour the union of the churches . . therefore , they will pare off , and cast away , ( as the greatest enemy to unity ) all those unnecessary controversies , or things doubtful , which christians ( yea , or divines ) were never agreed in ; and which never were the happy and successful means or terms of any extensive concord ; and which have long been tryed , to be the great occasions of all the scruples , and contentions , and divisions , and woful consequents in the churches . and they will once more say , [ it seemeth good to the holy-ghost , and to us , to lay upon you no greater burden , than these necessary things , act. . . ] all christians shall in general , receive the canonical scripture as god's word ; and more particularly , the creed , lord's - prayer , and decalogue , as the summary of necessaries ; and shall profess , with competent understanding of it , their consent to the sacramental-covenant ; and vow , and devote themselves therein to god. and this shall be all the title , which they shall be forced to shew , for their visible , church-communion . and though a higher measure of the understanding of the same principles and rules , shall be required in teachers , than in the flock ; and accordingly , the ordainers shall try their understandings , together with their utterance and ministerial readiness of parts : yet shall the teachers themselves , be ( ordinarily ) forced to no other subscriptions , professions , or oaths , ( besides their civil allegiance ) than to assent and consent to all afore-said ; and to promise ministerial fidelity in their places . all councils , called general or provincial , canons , decretals , articles , formula's , rubricks , &c. shall be reserved to their proper use ; but be no more used for ensnaring and dividing subscriptions , professions , or oaths ; or made the engines to tear the churches . . when all those superfluities , and foot balls of contention , are cast out of the way , the power of the keys , or pastoral government , shall come to be better known and exercised , and the primitive discipline set up ; which took place , before cyril of alexandria took up the sword , and pride swelled the bishops into a secular state , and way of rule . then it shall be church-government , to see that the people be duely taken in the sacramental-covenant , and learn the creed , lord's - prayer , and decalogue ; and be instructed in the word of god , and live together in sobriety , righteousness , and godlyness . and the pastors shall leave all secular matters to the magistrates ; and be no more troubled , nor corrupted by their use of any forcing power : their government shall be a paternal , authoritative exercise of instruction , and of love ; and no more : like that of a tutor to his pupils , a physician in his hospital , a phylosopher in his school , ( supposing a divine commission and rule . ) the church it self , shall be all their courts , ( supposing the magistrates ) and the people the witnesses ; and the present incumbent pastors , be the judges , without excommunicating and absolving lay-chancellors , surrogates , commissaries , or officials . and all the materials of contention being now gone , they shall have nothing to do in these courts , but to try , whether the people have learnt , and understand their cathechisms , and consent to god's covenant , and communicate in his worship , with the church : and when any are accused of wicked living , contrary to sobriety , righteousness , and godlyness , to try , whether these accusations be well proved : and if so , to perswade the offenders to repent ; and by plain scripture-arguments , to convince them of the sin ; and with tears , or fatherly tenderness and love , to melt them into remorse , and bring them to confess , and forsake the sin. and if this cannot be done at once , to try again and again ; and pray for their repentance . and , when there is no other remedy , [ to declare such a one openly uncapable of church-communion ; and to require the church , to avoid communion with him ; and him , to forbear intruding into their communion : and to bind him over by a ministerial denunciation of god's displeasure , ( as against the impenitent ) to answer it at the bar of god himself ; as one that is under his wrath , till he do repent . ] and this is the utmost of the pastoral power , that shall then be used , ( supposing private admonitions ) : and this only , in that church , or congregation , wherein the sinner had before his communion ; and not at a distance , nor in other churches , or parts of the world , where the pastor hath no charge . yea , this much shall not be exercised irregularly , and at randome , to the injury of the flock ; but under the rules and remedies afterward here exprest . . the primitive-church-form shall be restored : and as ( where there are christians enow ) no churches shall be too small , so none shall be greater for number or distance , than to be one true particular church ; that is , a society of christians united as pastor and people , for personal communion and assistance in god's publick worship , and holy living : that is , so many as may have this personal communion , if not all at once , yet per vices , as oft as is fit for them to meet with the church , ( which all in a family , cannot usually do at once . ) so that , ignatius his church-mark shall be restored , [ to every church there is one altar , and one bishop , with his fellow-presbyters and deacons . ] and there shall no more be a hundred , or six hundred , or a thousand altars to one bishop , primi gradus , and in one church of the first form , called a particular church : nor shall all the particular churches be un-churched , for want of true bishops ; nor all their pastors degraded into a new order of teaching-ministers , that have no power of pastoral-government : nor the true discipline of the churches , be made a meer impossible thing ; whil'st it is to be exercised by one bishop only , over many hundred congregations ; which do every one of them , afford full work for a present bishop . nor shall the bishops office be thought so little holy , any more than preaching , and sacramental-administrations , as to be performable by a lay-delegate , or any one that is not really a bishop . but the people shall know them , that are over them in the lord , which labor among them , and admonish them ; and shall esteem them very highly in love , for their work sake ; and shall be at peace among themselves , thes . . , . such bishops as dr. hammond in his annot. describeth ; that had but one church , and preached , baptized , chatechized , visited the sick , took care of the poor , administred the lord's - supper , guided every congregation as present in publick worship , and privately instructed and watched over all the flocks , shall be in every church that can obtain such . . where the churches are so great as to need ( as most will do ) and so happy as to obtain , many faithful presbyters or pastors , whether they shall live together in a single colledge-life , or married , and at a distance ; and whether one as the chief , or bishop , shall be president , and have a negative voice , or all be equal in a concordant guidance of the flocks , shall be left to the choise and liberty of the several churches , by mutual consent of pastors , and people , and magistrates , to do and vary , as their several states and exigences shall require : and shall neither be called anti-christian or odious tyranny on the one side , nor made of necessity to the churches communion , or peace , on the other , as long as the true pastoral or episcopal office is exercised in every particular church . . neither magistrates nor other bishops , shall make the bishops or pastors sermons , and prayers for him ; but leave it as the work of the speakers office , to word his own sermons and prayers ; and to choose a set form or no set-form , the same or various , as the case requireth : yet so as to be responsible ( as after ) for all abuses and mal-administrations , and not suffered to deprave gods worship , by confusion or hurtful errours , or passionate and perverse expressions : but to be assisted , and directed to use his office in the most edifying ways , by such kind of helps , as his personal weaknesses shall require . and where set-forms are used , none shall quarrel with them as unlawful . . none of the people shall have the high priviledges of church communion , and sacraments bestowed on them , against their wills : no more than a man impeninent and unwilling , shall be ministerially absolved from the guilt of sin. for every sacramental administration , whether of baptism , or of the body and blood of christ , is as full an act of ministerial absolution as any pastor can perform : and what he doth to particular persons upon their penitence after a lapse , that the pastor doth to the whole church at the lords supper . and as consent is made by christ , the condition of pardon and covenant-ben●fits , which no non-consenter hath a title to ; so therefore professed consent is necessary to the sacramental collation or investiture : and those that are but constrained by the apparent danger of a fine or jail , are not to be accounted voluntary consenters by the church ; when the lord of the church will account none for consenters , that will not forsake all , and endure fines and jailes , rather than to be deprived of the benefits of mystical and visible church-communion . the magistrate therefore will wisely , and moderately , bring all the people to hear that which is necessary to their good ; but will not by penalties , force the unwilling to receive either absolutions or communion with the church , in its special priviledges . but if the baptized refuse church-communion afterwards , they lamentably punish themselves ; and if it be found meet to declare them excommunicate , it will be a terrible penalty , sufficient to its proper use . . the magistrate will not imprison , harm , confiscate , banish , or otherwise punish any of his subjects , eo nomine , because they are excommunicate : for that is to punish his body , because his soul is punished . nor will he hearken to those unbelieving clergy-men , that cry up the power of the keys as their office ; and when they have done , scorn it as an uneffectual shaddow of power , which will do nothing without the magistrates force . but he will himself hear , and judge before he punish , and not be debased to be the clergies executioner , to punish before he have tryed the cause : because clergy-mens pride and passions , may else ingage him to be the instrument of their vices and revenge . yea , as he that seeth a man punished in one court , will be the more delatory to bring him to punishment in another , for the same crime ; so the magistrate that seeth a man excommunicated for his fault , will rather delay his civil force against that man , to see what effect his excommunication will have : because the conjunction of the sword against the excommunicate as such , doth corrupt christs ordinance , and make the fruit of it utterly undiscernable , so that no one can see whether ever it did any thing at all , or whether all was done by the fear of the sword. and verily , a faithful minister , that seeth a sinner come to confession of his fault , but when he must else lye in jail and be undone , will be loath to take that man for a true penitent . and to force pastors to absolve or give the sacrament , to every one that had rather take it , than lye in jail and be undone , is to set up such new terms of church communion , which christ will give men little thanks for . church communion is only a priviledge due to volunteers and penitents . but yet the magistrate may punish men with fines or other penalties , for the same faults , for which they are excommunicate , having tryed and judged them in his own court : but not quaterus excommunicate , but according to the nature of the crime . . the schools of learning and academies , shall not educate youth , either in idleness , luxury , or hypocritical formality ; but under learned , pious tutors , in learning , sobriety and piety ; from whence they shall not over-hastily leap into the pastoral office. . none under thirty years of age ( at what time christ himself entered on his publick works ) shall take a pastoral charge , except in case of meer necessity of the church , no not on pretence of extraordinary fitness : but till then shall imploy themselves as learners , catechists , school-masters , or probationers . nor shall they meddle in the pulpits , with matters of such controversies , as the church is in danger to be troubled with . . ministers shall all be commanded by the magistrate , and advised by the neighbour pastors , to forbear all unnecessary controversies in the pulpits ; and to teach the people the foresaid substantials , the covenant of grace , the creed , lords prayer , and decalogue , the duties of faith , love , repentance , and obedience : and shall reserve their subtiler and curious speculations , for schools and theological writings ; and so the christian people shall be bred up in the primitive , plain , simplicity of doctrine and religion ; and their brains shall not be heated , and racked with those new-coined phrases and subtilties , which will but distemper them into a proud , contentious , wrangling disease ; but will not be truly understood by them , when all 's done . and so when it is the peoples work , to hear only ( usually ) the doctrine of the catechisme , and simple old christianity , and to talk of no other ; . their time will be employed in promoting faith , repentance , love , and obedience , which was wont to be spent in vain janglings , and strife of words . and , . religion will be an easier thing ; and consequently , will be more common , ( as cheap food and rayment is every ones penny-worth ) : and ministers may hope to bring the generality of their people , to be savingly and practically religious : whereas the fine spun religion of novelists , and wranglers , that pretend new light and increase of knowledge , doth not only dwindle into a cob-web of no use , or life , or power ; but must be confined to a few , that can have leisure to learn to talk in new phrases , and will but become the matter of ignorant men's pride and ostentation ; and make them think , that they only are the religious people ; and all that cannot talk as they , are prophane , and not to be admitted to their communion . when as the apostolick , primitive , plain religion , without the laces , and whimsies , that dreamers have since introduced , would make men humble , holy , heavenly , obedient , meek , and patient ; and spare men the loss of a great deal of time. . the maintenance of the ministry shall neither be so poor , as to discourage men from devoting their children to the office , or disable them from a total addictedness to their proper work , by any distracting wants or cares ; or yet wholly disable them from works of charity : nor yet so great , as may be a strong bait to proud , covetous , worldly minded men , to intrude into the ministry for fleshly ends. it shall be so much , as that the burden of their calling may not be increased by want : but yet not so much , but that self-denyal shall be exercised by all that under-take the ministry ; and of the two , the burden of the ministerial labors , with its proper sufferings , shall to flesh and blood , seem to preponderate the worldly advantage . so greatly needful is it to the church , that all ministers be self-denying men ; that valuing things spiritually , can practise humility , mortification , and contempt of the world , as well as preach it . . there shall be a treble-lock upon the door of the ministry : . whether they are fit to be ministers in the general , the ordainers shall judge . . whether they are fit to be the pastors of this , or that particular church ; the members of the church shall so far judge , as that none shall become their pastors , without their own consent . . whether they be fit for the magistrates countenance , maintenance , and protection , the magistrate himself shall judge . and therefore , all three shall severally try , and approve each pastor : yet so , that the two first only be taken , as necessary to the office it self ; and the third only , to the maintenance and encouragement , or defence of the officer . and though sometimes , this may occasion disagreements and delayes , for a time ; yet ordinarily , the securing of a faithful ministry , and other good effects , will countervail many such inconveniences . . no one church , shall have the government of another church : and the secular differences of metropolitans , patriarcks , &c. which was set up in one empire , upon secular accounts , and from secular reasons , shall all cease . and no differences shall be made necessary among them , which christ hath not made necessary . but christian princes shall take warning by the greek and latine churches , and by all the calamities and ruins , which have been caused in the christian world ; by bishops striving who should be the greatest , when christ decided the controversie long ago , luk. . . as christians hold personal , christian communion , in their several particular churches ; so churches shall hold a communion of churches , by necessary correspondencies , and associations : not making a major vote of bishops in synods , to have a proper government over the minor part. but that by counsel and concord , they may help and strengthen one another ; and secure the common interest of christianity . and that he that is a member of one church , may be received of the rest ; and he that is cast out of one , may not be received by the rest , unless he be wronged . so that , it shall not be one politick church ; but a communion of churches . . the means of this communion shall be , . by messengers . . by letters and certificates communicatory . . by synods . . these synods shall , as to a few neighbour churches , be ordinary and stated : and the meetings of ministers in them , shall be improved ; . to the directing and counselling of one another , in matters doubtful ; especially of discipline . . to edify each other by conference , prayer , and disputations . . that the younger may be educated under the grave advice and counsels of the elder . . that the concord of themselves , and the churches under them , may be preserved . but if they would grow imperious , tyrannical , heretical , or contentious , the magistrate shall hinder their stated , ordinary meetings ; that it be not accounted a thing simply necessary , nor used to the disturbance of the church or states . and all provincial , national , and larger councels , shall be held by the magistrates consent . . he that taketh himself to be wrongfully excommunicated in one church , shall have a treble remedy : . to have his cause heard by the associated pastors of the neighbour-churches ; though not as rulers of the bishop , or pastor of that particular church ; yet as counsellors , and such whose judgment bindeth to concord in lawful things . . to be admitted by another church , if it appear that he is wronged . and , . to appeal to the magistrate , as the preserver of justice , and order , in all societies . . the magistrate shall appoint some of the most grave , and wise , and godly , and moderate of the ministers , to have a general inspection over many churches ; and to see , that they be well taught and ordered , and that pastors and people do their duty : who shall therefore oft visit them , and shall instruct and exhort the younger ministers ; and with the countenance of the magistrate , and their own seigniority and ability , shall rebuke the sloathful and faulty ministers ; and perswade them to diligence and fidelity : but shall exercise no outward force by the sword ; nor any excommunication by themselves alone , or otherwise than in the fore-said regular way . . all ordinations shall be performed , ( except in case of necessity ) either in the assembly of the associated pastors , with their president ; or in the vacant church , by some of them , appointed by the rest : or by the general visiter , last mentioned , with a competent number of assistants . but still , an ordination to the ministry in general , shall not be taken to be formally the same ; as the affixing him to this or that church , in particular : no more , than the licensing of a physician , is the same with the affixing him to a particular hospital . . a catalogue shall be drawn up , of some of the greatest verities , which are not expresly found in the creed , lord's - prayer , or decalogue ; which , as the articles of confession , of the associated churches of the nation , shall serve for these three uses : . to satisfie all forreign churches , against any accusation , that they are orthodox . . to examine the knowledge of such as are admitted to the ministry , by : ( but not to be subscribed , unless only as to a general acknowledgment of the soundness of their doctrine ; without saying that , there is nothing faulty in them . ) . to be a rule of restraint to ministers , in their preaching ; that none be allowed publickly , after admonition , to preach against any doctrine contained in them . . the usurped , ecclesiastical power , of bishops , and presbyteries , and councils , ( which were co-ercive , or imitated , secular courts , or bound the magistrate to execute their decrees ) being cast out , and all pastors restrained from playing the bishops in other churches , out of their own charge ; the magistrate shall exercise all co-ercive , church-government himself ; and no more trust the sword directly , or indirectly , in the hands of the clergy , who have long used it so unhappily , to the disturbance of the christian world , and the shedding of so much innocent blood. where it may be had , there shall be a church-justice , or magistrate , in every considerable parish ; who being present , shall himself hear how ministers preach , and behave themselves among their people . and all ministers and churches shall be responsible to the magistrate , for all abuses , and mal-administration . if any minister preach or pray seditiously , abusively , factiously , railingly , against tolerable dissenters , to the destroying of christian love and unity , or heretically , to the danger of the peoples souls ; or shall exercise tyranny over the people , or live a vicious life ; or be negligent in his office of teaching , worship , or discipline , or otherwise grosly mis-behave himself : he shall be responsible both ( as afore-said ) to the associated pastors and visitor , ( or arch-bishop ) and also to the magistrate ; who shall rebuke and correct him , according to the measure of his offence . and it shall appear , that the magistrate is sufficient for all co-ercive , church-government , without all the clergies usurpations ; which uphold the roman , and other tyrannical societies . . the question , who shall be judge of heresie , schisme , or church-sins ? shall be thus decided . . the bishops or pastors of the particular churches , shall be the judges ; who is to be denyed communion in their churches , as hereticks , schismaticks , &c. . the associated churches shall be judges , ( in their synods , or by other correspondence ) who is to be commonly denyed communion in all their churches ; and what pastors and churches , shall have the dextram communionis , and who not . . the magistrate shall be the only judge , who is to be punished for heresie or schism , &c. with fines , or any outward , corporal penalty . and no one shall usurp the others right . . the magistrate shall silence all preachers that after due admonition , so grosly mis-behave themselves in doctrine , worship , or conversation , as to be the plagues of the churches , and to do apparently more hurt than good . but as to all worthy and able ministers , if they commit any fault , they shall be punished as other subjects , only with such penalties as shall not by silencing or restraint , be a punishment to the innocent peoples souls , nor hinder the preaching of the gospel of salvation : even as if the common bakers , brewers , butchers , carpenters , perform their work perniciously ( poisoning their beer , bread , and meat ) they shall be forbid the trade : but for other faults , they shall be so punished , that the people be not left without bread , beer , meat , houses , for their faults . . if any hereticks ( as arrians , socinians , &c. ) would creep into the ministry , there shall not be new-forms of subscription made to keep them out ( which its like , with their vicious consciences would be uneffectual , and would open a gap to the old church-tyrannies and divisions ) ; nor an uncertain evil be uneffectually resisted by a certain greater mischief . but while he keepeth his errour to himself , he is no heretick as to the church ( non apparere being equal to non esse : ) and when he venteth his heresy , he is responsible all the ways aforesaid , and may be by the magistrate punished for his crime , and by the churches be branded as none of their communion ; which is the regular way of reforming crimes ' viz. by judgment and execution , and not by making new rules and laws , as fast as men break the old : as though laws could be made , which no man can break . . the magistrate shall countenance or tolerate no sin or errour , so far as he can cure it by just remedies , which will not do more harm than good : but he shall unwillingly tolerate many tolerable errours and faults ; because it is not in his power to remedy them , by such means . but , . the sound and concordant ministry only , shall have his countenance and maintenance . . smaller errours and disorders , shall be best cured by gentle rebukes , and discountenance , and denyal of maintenance ; together with the disgrace that will be cast upon them , by the judgment and dissent of all the united concordant ministers and churches ( which two together will do more and better , than exasperating cruelties will do ▪ ) . the publishing of pernicious principles , shall be restrained more severely . but though men may be restrained from venting pernicious falsehoods , they cannot be constrained to believe the truth ( we are not so happy ; ) nor shall they be constrained to lie , and say that they believe it when they do not . . all matters of quarrels , division and cruel usage of each other , being thus cut off and gone ; bitterness , and revengeful thoughts will cease , and love will revive in all mens breasts , and unity , and peace will follow of its own accord . and if any heretical or contentious sect arise , the hearts of all united people will so rise against them , that desertion and shame will quickly kill them . . then will the hearts of the people cleave to their pastors : and they will be no more put on the great difficulties of loving the bishops that hurt them , or of loving them in jailes ; but it will be as easy to love them , when they feel the love to their souls in the labours and kindness of their pastors , as to love their dearest and nearest friends . and then love , will open the peoples ears to the teachers doctrine , and it will do them good : and then the labours and lives of faithful ministers , will be sweet and easy , when the love , and the unity , and faithfulness of the people , is their dayly encouragement . o how good , and how happy will it be for pastors and people , thus to live in love and unity ! it will not only mind us of aarons perfume , but of the spirit of love that dwelt in our redeemer , and which he promised should be his seal and mark upon all his true disciples ! yea , and of the celestial society , and life of perfect love. . then shall neighbours exercise their charity , for the help of the ignorant about them , without the suspicions of venting heresies , or sedition , or encroaching on the pastors office. and neighbours when they come together , shall not take praying together , or holy conference , or singing gods praise , or reading good books , or repeating their teachers sermons , or counselling each other , to be a bad or dangerous work : but the ignorant , that cannot spend the lords day in holy exercises at home ( because they cannot read or remember much ) shall joyn with the families of their more understanding neighbours , who can help them ; ( as they met act. . . for prayer ; and as neighbour-families were to joyn in eating the passover , with the family that had not enow to eat it . ) for love and unity shall end these jealousies . and all shall be done under the guidance and over-sight of their pastors ; and not in enmity or opposition to them , or to the concordant church-assemblies . and , o what helps and comfort will this be to all faithful pastors , when all the work lyeth not on them alone ! but every one sets his hand to build , in his proper place ! and when they that converse together all the week , are seconding that which he more seldom teacheth them in publick . . the younger sort of ministers , that are now bred up in vulcan's forge , shall be then trained up under grave and peaceable men ; where uniting , and peace-making principles , shall be the rudiments of their literature . . and the younger sort of the people , shall be no more tempted into envious heats against their afflicters ; nor into contentious sects , because of controversies : but shall be fed with the milk of peaceable principles , and be educated in the love of love it self . and the names of sects , and church-divisions , and proud pretendings , shall by use , be made as disgraceful , as now the names of swearing , drunkenness , and whoredom are . . and , o how dear ! how amiable ! how honourable will their governours be , to such a people ! ( especially , that blessed prince , that shall first perform this work ! ) how heartily will they pray for them , plead for them , and fight for them ! and , how freely will they contribute any thing in their power , to their aids ! and , how impatient will they be against every word , that would dishonour them ! how blessed will the people be under such a prince ! and , how sweet and easie will the life of that prince be , that is to govern such a people ! grant , o lord , that this great honour and comfort , may fall into the hands of the king of england , before all others in the world ! kings will then see , that it is their interest , their honour , and their greatest happyness on earth , to be the wise , pious , righteous governours , of a wise , pious , just , united people ; that love them so much , that still they would fain serve them better , than they are able . . the ignorant , vulgar , and ruder sort , observing this amiable concord , and all the blessed fruits thereof , will admire religion , and fall in love with it : and multitudes , that shall be saved , will be dayly added to the seriously religious ; and the house of christ , will be filled with guests . . hereupon the scandalous and flagitious lives of common protestants , will be much cured : for the number of the flagitious , will grow small ; and crimes will be under common disgrace . besides that , they will be punished by the magistrate : so that , gross sin will be a marvail . . the books of plain doctrine , and holy living , with the pacificatory treatises of reconcilers , will then be most in esteem and use ; which now are so dis-relished by turbulent , discontented , siding persons . and abundance of controversal-writings , about church-government , liturgies , ceremonies , and many other matters , will be forgotten , and cast aside , as useless things : for the swords shall be made into plow-shares , and pruning-hooks . . the happy example of that happy prince , and country , that shall begin and first accomplish this work , will be famous through all the protestant-churches ; and will enflame such desires of imitation in them all , and be such a ready direction in the way , that it will greatly expedite their answerable reformation . and the famous felicity of that prince , in the reformation and concord of his subjects , will kindle in the hearts of other protestant-princes and states , an earnest desire of the same felicity . and so , as upon the invention of printing , and of guns , the world was presently possessed of guns , and of printed-books , that never before attained any such thing : so here ; they that see the happyness of one kingdom brought about , and see how it was done , will have matter enough before their eyes , both to excite their desires , and guide their endeavours , in the means to bring all this to pass . . the protestant kingdoms and states , being thus reformed , and united in themselves , will be enflamed with an earnest desire of the good of all other churches , and of all the world : and therefore , as divines have held something called general councils for the union of all those churches ; so these princes will by their agents hold assemblies for maintaining correspondency , to the carrying on of the common good of the world , by the advantage of their united counsels , and strength : and then no enemy can stand long before them . for , they that love , and serve them zealously at home , will venture their lives for them zealously abroad , if there be cause . . the excellent , and successful use of the magistrates government of the churches in their dominions , will quite shame all the usurping claims of the pope , and general councels , and their mungrel ecclesiastick courts , and all the train of artifices and offices , by which their government of the world is managed : and the world , and especially princes will plainly see how much they were abused by their usurpations ; and that there is no need of pope or cardinal , nor any of those officers or acts at all : but that these are the meer contrivances of carnal policy , to keep up an earthly kingdom under the name of the catholick church . and also the purity and unity of the reformed churches , where the vulgar have more religion and union , than their monasteries , will dazzle the eyes of the popish princes , states , and people ; and when they see better , and especially the happiness of the princes , they will forsake the usurper that had captivated them by fraud , and will assume their freedom and felicity ; and so the roman church-kingdom will fall . . the deluded mahometans seeing the unity , and glory of christendom , as they were before kept from christ by the wicked lives , and the divisions of christians ( thinking that we are far worse than they ) so now they will be brought to admire and honour the christian name , and fear the power of the christian princes . and one part of them will turn christians ; and the rest , even the turkish power , the christians force by the power of god , will easily break . and so the eastern churches will be delivered , and reformed ; and the mahometans come into the faith of christ . . the poor scattered jews also , when they see the glory and concord of christians , will be convinced that christ is indeed the true messias : and being converted perhaps , shall by the christian powers , be some of them re-established in their own land : but not to their antient peculiarity , or policy and law. . and then the christian zeal , will work to the conversion of the poor idolatrous , heathen world ; and part of them will yield to reason and faith , and the rest by just victories be subdued . and so the kingdoms of the world , will become the kingdoms of the lord , and his christ ; and the gospel shall be preached in all the world. . and when the kingdom of grace is perfected , and hath had its time , the kingdom of glory shall appear , upon the glorious appearing of christ our king ; and the dead shall arise ; and they that have overcome , shall reign with christ , and sit with him upon the throne , even as he overcame , and is set down with the father on his throne . amen . even so come lord jesus . john . , , , , . neither pray i for these alone , but for them also , which shall believe on me through their word : that they all may be one , as thou father , art in me , and i in thee ; that they also may be one in us , that the world may believe that thou hast sent me : and the glory which thou gavest me , i have given them , that they may be one , even as we are one. i in them , and thou in me ; that they may be made perfect in one , and that the world may know that thou hast sent me , and hast loved them , as thou hast loved me ; father , i will that they also whom thou hast given me , be with me where i am , that they may behold my glory , which thou hast given me. object . but if this world should ever become so happy , it would be more amiable , and so be a greater snare to our affections , and make us willing to stay from heaven . answer . no amiableness or pleasantness , stealeth the heart from god , or keepeth it from heaven , but that which hideth the glory and goodness of god and heaven , from our minds , or corrupteth , and diverteth the will and affections by some inconsistency or contrarity : but the spiritual excellency of the reformed concordant church on earth , will so much more clearly represent heaven to our conceptions , and give our hearts so pleasant a foretast of it , that above all things it will excite our desires of that fuller glory , and call us most powerfully to a heavenly mind and life : as the first-fruits , and earnest do make us desire the harvest , and the full possession . and as now those that live in the most heavenly society , and under the most excellent helps and means , have usually more heavenly minds and lives , than they that in more tempting and distracting company , never enjoy such heavenly beams . consectary . all the romish-dreams of church-union , arise from ignorance of the true state and interest of the church , and the true and necessary terms of union . and all the plots also , of the moderating papists , that talk of a political church-catholick , having a visible constitutive , or governing-head ; whether monarchial , ( the pope ) ; or aristocratical or democratical , ( the patriarchs , or a general-council ) : and that talk of universal laws of this church , made by such a universal-head ; besides the universal laws of christ , and falsly feign the councils called general , in a particular empire , called or ruled by one emperour only , in his own dominions ; to have been universal , as to all the catholick churches on earth , and that feign these councils to have been infallible , which so often erred , and crost each other : and that set the world upon the undeterminable controversie , which were true general councils ; and , how many we must receive , and conform to : whether only four , or six , or eight ; and till what age. and that would perswade the christian world , that what-ever diversity of canons , customs , or church-laws , or ceremonies , are allowed among them , it must all be done or held by this same authority of the pope , or council , or both : to which ( though forreign ) kings and bishops must all be subject ; and from which , they must receive their christianity ; and by which , all their reformations must be tryed , and that none must be taken as catholicks , nor any churches tolerated , that hold not such a factious union , under such an usurping head , personal or collective , but as tertullian speaketh , rather than endure such wiser and better societies ; solitudinem facerent , & vocarent pacem ; and as a worldy clergy , whose church and kingdom is only of and in this world , would banish from it all ( save a lifeless-image ) which hath any kin to heaven ; and suffer none to live in this world among them , but themselves . i say , all this is , . from ignorance of the true nature of the christian religion , church-state , and terms of unity and concord ; which i have lately opened in a book , entituled , [ the true and only terms of the concord of all the churches . ] . and from contention about ambiguous words , and self-conceitedness in their controversies , ignorantly thence raised ; which i have sought to end in a book , called , [ catholick theology . ] . and from vicious passions and partiality ; which i have sought to heal in a book , called , [ the cure of church-divisions . ] all written long since the writing of this foregoing prognostication . finis . an historical account of the antiquity and unity of the britanick churches continued from the conversion of these islands to the christian faith by st. augustine, to this present time / by a presbyter of the church of england. grascome, samuel, - ? approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing g estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an historical account of the antiquity and unity of the britanick churches continued from the conversion of these islands to the christian faith by st. augustine, to this present time / by a presbyter of the church of england. grascome, samuel, - ? [ ], , [ ] p. printed for w. whitwood ..., london : . "the epistle to the reader" signed: s.g. attributed to samuel grascome. cf. halkett & laing ( nd ed.). errata: p. [ ]. advertisement: p. [ ] at end. reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union. great britain -- church history. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an historical account of the antiquity and vnity of the britanick churches . continued from the conversion of these islands to the christian faith , by st. avgvstine , to this present time. by a presbyter of the church of england . imprimatur . z. isham . r. p. d. henrico episc . lond. à sacris . london , printed for w. whitwood , at the angel and bible in little britain , mdcxcii . the epistle to the reader . courteous reader ! for right or wrong , so we call all . not that we believe they will be so , but because we would have them so . for when a man hath been at no small pains ( at least as he thinks ) for the benefit of others , he is very prone to expect , as his due , a return of kindness or candour : but on the otber hand , he , who is at the trouble to peruse , takes it to be his privilege to judge ; and so far he judgeth rigbt , if he proceed not further , thinking he cannot be a judge , unless he be malicious ; and that the business of reading a book is to find or make more faults then there is , not to make an honest advantage of what may be found useful . vpon this score , he that adventures on the press , brings himself like a bear to a stake , where though he may fancy he creates others great diversion , yet he himself is sure to be the sufferer , and becomes liable to be baited at every ones pleasure . but be it as it will , i have wrote my thoughts freely , and i envy no man the same freedom of speaking his : only i could wish all men would consider , that sometimes men run down-hill faster , then is for their own convenience , and that liberty loseth its nature , when it degenerates into licentiousness , or becomes a cloak of maliciousness : i will not waste time in fruitless a●ologies ; for if this small tract hath nothing in it self to buoy it up , it must certainly sink ; for it is not all the daubing and flattery in the world , that will perswade honest , sober or judicious men , to embrace senseless impertinence : and as for others i desire not the scandal of their good opinion . if this little thing should be any whit taken notice of in the world , i know it will be bitterly objected , that i seem inclineable to the exercise of a more severe discipline , then hath ( at least o● late ) been exercised amongst us , or then this loose age will bear , in which perhaps there is too much truth . but i could wish the reader would suspend his censure , till he hath considered these few things i shall return in a●swer . first , that in an age wherein all men are ca●vers to themselves for religion , it is but equal , that they sbould not deny me , who am very sparing of using it , the same liberty with themselves ; especially since a wanton or loose practice of religion may be as uneasi●●o me , as the strictest rules , order or decency can be to them . secondly , because in this i am not singular , but have not only the judgement of the fathers and practice of the primitive church , but the constitutions of our own church on my side , which ( to avoid num●rous instances , ) is evident from the preface before the commination a●pointed to be read on ash-wednesday . thirdly , that the more ungratefu● it may be to vn-governable tempers . so much the more necessary it is fo● the safety and peace of the church , and perhaps also of the state. for , for want of this all things run into disorder and consusion , discipline being not only the fence about doctrine , but the pr●curer and preserver of good manners , and sober conversation ; and in vain shall men reason , talk or preach , whilest the corruptions , discontents , pride , and various ill humours of the greatest part of mankind knows no other awe , then the simple restraint of bare perswasions . both romanists and dissenters frequently with open mou●h upbraid us , that we have not that influence on the lives , manners and actions of our people , which they have , and that meerly for want of discipline , which indeed is true , though we do not desire so much as they have . for by woful experience we find , that they can as powerfully influence them to ill actions , as good but at the same time they forget to tell us , that they joyn all their forces , and make all possible interest , that we may be tied up from the exercise of the most just and necessary discipline , and that purely in fear , lest a discipline as primitive as our doctrine joyned together , should get ground so fast in the world , that in time they might become ashamed , or grow weary of their trade . what is here wrote is only a preparatory to my principal design , which was to shew , that notwithstanding all the high and specious pretences of the romanists , when matters are thoroughly examined , the only true reason of their difference with us would be found to be interest , and that such an interest , as ( to say no worse ) is very unbecoming the professors of christian religion . this alone was first in my thoughts , and the rather , because i observed that many had touched upon it in their way , but no man ( so far as i know ) had ever yet made it his business . but upon second thoughts , though i did not depart from my first design , yet i thought fit to enla●ge it ; not only because some would think that alone would look more like a libel , then a just plea ; but because i my self did think , that to common apprehensions it would leave things in the dark , and not be very profitable to any , and perhaps to some hurtful ; for as some vain mindes are apt to take occasion from our dissentions to burlesque all religions , so some persons addicted to the reading of controversies , have learned skill enough to condemn others , but not to know themselves ; and they can tell you what they are not , but not what they are . now a purely negative religion at best is next to no religion , if it be any at all . now though this be not the fault of those authors , who are bound to follow their adversaries steps , but of those men who will only busie themselves in such authors ; yet wh●n my method and matter was wholly at my own choice , and in my own power , i could not think my self excuseable , if i should procced only in a destructive way ; and therefore in reference to the parts which are to follow , i did propound to my self to state the case between us in each particular , to set down positively what we do hold or can allow ; and then to enquire into the reasons of the controversie , both pretended and real ; for that method i take to be best , which leaves men not at a loss for right , whilest it sortifies them against the wrong . but my comfort under my afflictions is this , that my share is inconsiderable in respect of my great master's , or his true follower st paul , who underwent the full trial of all those things , whereby he teacheth us to approve our selves ministers of god , amongst which i think i have some peculiar interest in these , i. e. to have done it by honour and dishono●r , by evil report and good report , as a deceiver and yet true . ( cor. . . ) i never thought that contreversies were to be written for controversies sake , but rather what in us lay to put an end to them ; and i should not think my self unfortunate under all the caluinnies and sufferings in the world , if i could be in the least instrumental to advance the sincerity of religion , and promote the peace of gods church : but if i may not be capable of endeavouring it to any purpose , i will never cease to pray for it ; and therein i doubt not to have the concurrence of all good men , whatsoever otherwise may be their perswasions ; and thus protesting my integrity before god , and freely leaving my self to the censure of all men. i am yours in all christian offices , s. g. the contents . chap. i. of obligations to unity among christians . . reasons of the enquirie . . obligations from the nature of the christian religion . . from christians considered as a body , with remarks thereon . . an objection answered . . from the honour of the christian religion . . from express precepts of the gospel . . from the rewards of preserving , and punishments of the breach of vnity . from the encouragements , helps and succours to attain it . chap. ii. wherein this unity consists . . mistakes concerning vnity , and the reason thereof . . a caveat against the plea of extraordinary cases . . the first step towards , or the foundation of this vnity . . that our vnity must be suitable to our state , what that is , and that it must be in the visible church . . an inference thence . . in respect of our state-vnion with the invisible catholick church , by vnion with the visible catholick church , and vnion with the visible catholick church by vnion with some true part of it . i. e. a particular church . . that admission into all societies is by some known ceremony , or formal way of proceedings , this in the christian society is baptism . reflections on the anabaptists . . that admission into a soci●ty , implies submission to the rules of the society , and an obligation to the duties thereof , and to whom these have regard in the christian society . duties of particular christians towards each other . . that duties of particular christians must be practised in conjunction with duties relating to worship and communion . . communion though of necessity it be in particular churches , yet thereby it is in and with the catholick church . . communion in worship supposeth a necessity of communion with lawful pastors , which is further proved by several arguments and instances . . that the pastors ought also to maintain communion with each other , and the nature thereof , or by what means it is maintained , briefly examined . . an objection answered , and what is the duty of particular persons in such case declared . chap. iii. of the nature of schism . . what hath inclined men to maintain ill principles , and particularly schism . . the general notion of schism . . . . several separations which are not schism . . the distinguishing note of schism , and an inference thence . . . several ways whence schism ariseth . . what schism is sinful , with a defi●ition thereof . . the authors a●knowledgment and the assertion , in relation to the controversie , which he undertakes to prove , and his request . chap. iv. of the liberties and priviledges of the britannick churches , and of the actual separation . . two general objections against our whole 〈◊〉 , and a general exception against both . . the first objection consists of two branches , whereof the first at present put off , the latter proposed to be examined . . the title of patriarch at this time set up as a sham device . . granting a patriarchate to the pope , it is denied to extend to the britannick churches . . how patriarchates came in , and that they possessed no all places . . . the bisbop of rome not possessed of an● such jurisdiction in these isles , but a●ter patriarch●tes were set up . . britain a church before rome , and reasons of the different observation of easter , both in them and other churches . . the reasons of the britons mistake at to easter , such as ought not to have made a breach , and that they were not quartodecimani . . augustines mission and helps for the work. that the k●ntish saxons were be●ore prepared for embracing the gospel , how he and the brittish bis●ops meet in councel to no effect . . the reasons of the brittons for not relinquishing their old vsages , and for refusing to admit augustine their archbishop , their perseverance therein , and the unhappy effects of their second meeting him . . both britons and irish agree against laurentius augustines successor . . the agreement of the english , irish and scots in religious rites . . the irish prevailed with to assist laurentius and his success●rs in converting the saxons , but adhere still to the brittish customes , which in the end makes a breach . an account of the disputation between coleman and wilfrid . . a doubt , whether any missionari●s from rome into this island before augustine the monck . . particular friendship between the gallican and brittish churches , and an inference thence . . continuance of the brittish liberties . . . . . . . . sir francis hastings , john fox , &c. vindicated against the cavils of f. parsons . . expiration of the brittish liberty . . an answer to the plea of jurisdiction from the conversion of the saxons ▪ . that no plea of prescription lies against these isles in this case . . this further proved from the eighth canon of the councel of ephesus . the erection of patriarchates , when , by what means , and how received . . patriarchal authority 〈◊〉 ●erviceable to the pope . . whether a patria●chate be forfeitable ? and whether the pope have not actually forfeited his ? . that supposing the b●s●op of rome's patriarchate had taken in these isles , yet it is now ceased and become void and null , even by the laws o● the ancient church . . the churches of these i●●es free , a●d invested with power to reform themselves , and how that power hath been ●sed , proposed to consideration . . the condition of great actions , with an answer ●o the plea of sacrilege . . they themselves the authors of many things , whereof they accuse us . . notwithst●nding the reformation , no schism ●ill the pope made it . . queen elizabeth a legitimate and lawful sover●ign . the present church defended . what things must be considered to justifie our church , particularly our ordination defended . . the way of trying doctrine , and the insufficiency of the roman way . . the reason of negative doctrines . . soundness of our doctrine , proved from the concessions of our adversaries . . sufficiency of the scriptures , and our canon defended against the roman . . the vse of tradit●on , with several cautions and distinctions whereby to judge of it . . answer to an objection . chap. v. of the councel of trent . . the power , vse and rise of general councels . . difference between the first and succeeding general councels , and of the subject of infallibility . . . . in what sense a councel is the church-representative , and the reason of the different force of their decrees . . how long time taken to contrive the couneel of trent . . . . . general exceptions against the lawfulness of the councel of trent , and that their determinations bind none . . aparticular reason to prove , that of what force soever they may otherwise be , yet they bind not us . errata sic corrigenda . page . line . for pact● ●ead pact . p. l. . for that r the. p. . for lindhardus . luidha●dus . p. . l. . luidhardus again for lindhardus . p. . l. . for scithia r. sythia . p. . l. . for their r these p for pasca r p●scha . p. . l , . after answer add a. p. . for not r. no more which . for pope r. popes . p. . for on r. or . p. . for their r. these . p. . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . for . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . after true add it . p. . for rhis r. this . and for their r. these . p. . in redundat p. . l. . for each r. such . p. see redundat . p. . for praecesser●t r. praecesserat . p. . for of god r. if good . p. . l. r. for these r. theirs . p. . for roinanists r. romanists . ☜ p. , for the work of a christian , r. the worst work of a christian p. . for sec r. so . p. . ac pr●terea viderent redundaet . p. . for should r. could . p. . for as r. or . p. . for their r. these . p. . for quem r. quàm , and for early r. wily . p. . for i● . r. it . chap. i. of obligations to vnity amongst christians . i. so vehement and implacable have been the divisions amongst christians , managed not only with tongue-shot , disputations , and all manner of calumnies and reproaches , but even with base arts , most bloody wars , and barbarous and inhumane cruelties , that it might move an enemy of our religion , yea , perhaps an inconsiderate person amongst our selves , to think , that that saying of our saviour , i come not to send peace , but a sword , ( mat. . . ) was not designed to forewarn his true disciples of the persecutions they are to expect from the wickedness of others , but rather to instruct and animate them in quarrels , and to live as cut-throats amongst one another ; and whatever are their pretences , yet by daily experience we see , that this is too much the practice of many , who are so devoted to their factions , that they startle at the name of peace ; and we have been told of some , whose furious raptures have inspired them with such a blasphemous impudence , as to affront god with their impious prayers , that he would heighten and increase the divisions of the church . these and other such like extravagancies have moved me in the first place to consider what obligations to unity christians lye under , for if they lye under no such obligations , it is most certain , that the name of schism can hardly be so much as a theological scare-crow ; and they who keep such a goil for peace , will be found the greatest violaters of it , as attempting to bring all men to that which they are nothing bound to ; but on the contrary , if there be such obligations , then it is as certain , that all dividing and unquiet . persons do incur a guilt proportionable to the measure of their proceedings , and the strength of those obligations ; and if it further appear , that the christian religion doth lay the strongest obligations to unity upon all the professors of it , threatens the breach of it with the highest penalties , rewards the observation of it with the utmost advantages , and affords the best means and h●lps to preserve it , then all that own the name of christians must confess themselves to be indispenseably and eternally bound to the peace , so as to continue in it , and procure it upon any termes but that of sin , with which no peace is to be had ; but though i propound this particular with this very design , that the general concernment and obligations of christianity might make men bethink themselves , and abate their over-eager propensions , and obstinate adherence to their particular parties ; yet i shall be very brief , because ( unless it be some religious madmen , whose brains are heated with enthusiasm beyond any hope of cure ) even those , who are too active and too guilty in promoting division , do yet upon any sober discourse freely acknowledge , that it is not only a good and a pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity , but also that it is a duty incumbent upon every christian in his station , by all honest means to promote it , not only amongst his own party , but with all others , who have given up their names to christ ; and i wish they were as serious in their practice , as they are free in their acknow●edgments , and would not amongst themselves teach some private tenets to ensure their partizans , whilest they discourse at another rate with those , whom they are too apt to esteem their adversaries . ii. and in the first place , if we consider the nature of the christian religion , what can be more evident , then that all its principles and doctrines , as they are most inseparably knit together , and subservient to each other , so they tend to effect and confirm the strongest unity amongst the professors of it . saint paul , beseeching the ephesians to endeavor to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace , presseth them more particularly with this very argument , there is ( saith he , eph . . &c. ) one body , and one spirit , even as ye are called in one hope of your calling , one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god and father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in you all ; and in this profession we have all engaged our selves to be the faithful servants of god and of christ , and therefore ought joyntly to serve the interest , and maintain the honour of our gracious and common master : nay , we not only hereby become servants , but have the honour of being friends of christ , adopted sons of god , and are taken into the same family and houshold ; and of how heinors and insufferable a crime they are guilty , who are troublesome in this family , and make factions in this houshold , we may learn from that saying of our saviour , ( matth. . . ) if a house be divided against it self , that house cannot stand . iii. but possibly it may deserve our particular consideration , that the holy scriptures speak of all christians as being incorporated into one body , and that in such a manner , that the hopes of our common salvation depends upon our being members of that one body . hence in relation to our first admission or infition , we are said to be all baptized into one body , and that whether we be jews or gentiles , bond or free , ( cor. . . ) hence also our progress and growth in christianity , is attributed to that nourishment , which as members is communicated to us by this body , the body it self being fitly framed and joyned together , by all parts drawing it from christ the head , eph. . , . col. . . ) hence the church of god is said to be his body , ( col. . . ) and this church not to be many bodies , but one , ( eph. . . ) and that we might understand , that salvation is not to be acquired , but by being members of this body ; we are taught , that christ works our salvation by reconciling us into one body , ( eph. . . ) and for this reason the apostle calls him the head of the church , and the saviour of the body , ( eph. . . ) from these and many other places of scripture of the like nature hath arose that common axiom , extra ecclesiam non est salus , which the ancient fathers have upon occasion excellently explicated , pressed and proved against schismaticks ; but i have no mind to make a flourish with citations in a matter so well known , though i wish it were better heeded ; only before i pass away , i shall take the boldness to leave these remarks . . that all particular christians , as members of the same body , are reciprocally bound to each other , not only in the common offices of justice , but even of love , kindness and christian succours ; so that if the man live in england or armenia , at rome or geneva , in the enemies countrey or our own , if he be a christian , i ought to wish and pray for his good , and if occasion be offered in no case to decline the promoting the good of his soul ; and if circumstances will permit , of his body and estate also . secondly , that christs church and his body , being terms convertible , it must consist not only of the present , but of the past ages , even of all that either have or expect salvation by christ ; so that no person , by any endeavors whatsoever can in the ordinary way duely hope for salvation , as being a member uf this or that particular church , otherwise then as that particular church by a succession of doctrine and worship , and consequently of lawful pastors and governours , ( without whom such worship cannot be duly performed ) is united to , and embodied with the catholick church of god : for even the present church diffused over the face of the whole earth , though it may be said to be catholick in respect of particular churches , and of its authority , as to the present living persons , yet in it self it is not catholick , otherwise then as deriving from , and united to the church of the foregoing ages , running up unto christ their head : neither can any that comes after be accounted catholick but as an accession to the former ; and this if well weighed might be a means to make men very cautious how they gathered separate bodies without extraordinary good grounds . thirdly , that though every schismatick do affront and injure the whole church of god , yet the grea●est ' detriment is to himself . the church may lose an unprofitable member , but he loseth himself ; for if christ be only the saviour of the body , none can divide from it , without apparent hazard of their ow● salvation . so dangerous a thing is the sin of schism , though so lightly esteemed in our dayes . iv , but here some , who are ready to catch at every twig , and think themselves just drowning and lost , if they must be bound to live peaceably and to be wise only to sobriety , will object , that such are the various apprehensions , inclinations , interests , education and prejudices of mankind , that this doctrine , as meeting with insuperable difficulties , cannot be admitted without very great abatements and allowances ? to these i might justly answer , that in this case i am not concerned for their prejudices , interest , or anysuch matters ; and it were much better , if they were less concerned for 'um themselves ; for that man that will be a christian , must not follow his particular inclinations and interests , much less his humours and whimseys , or any thing of like nature ; but must abide by , a●d keep close to the constitutions of his saviour , and must cast down imagination● , and every high thing that exalte●h it self against the knowledge of god , and bri●g into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ , ( cor. . . ) but because i had rather untie the knot then cut it , i further answer , that opinions inconsistent with the foundation of faith , of a good life , and a just church government and discipline are never to be allowed ; for these directly tend to the destruction of the church , or our selves , or rather of both ; but in things of remote consequence , or private and less concernment , there vnio voluntatum , non opinionnm is sufficient ; we may severally opine as we see cause , provided that we severally resolve not to transgress the bounds of charity ; in this case the apostles advice is , to forbear one another in love , ( eph . . ) and that the strong should not despise the weak , nor the weak judge the strong , ( rom. . . ) and to this purpose it is observable , that no religion or persuasion in the world ever canonized humility and self-denial for vertues ; but the christian , thereby taking care at once both to moderate the judgement and the practice ; the one teaching us , ( to use the apostles phrase ) in lowliness of mind to esteem others better then our selves ; the other not to seek our own , but every man anothers wealth ; and by this means men would not only be restrained from running to the utmost bounds of what may seem lawful , but be careful to learn and do what is most expedient , whereby the peace of the church , and mutual love and kindness amongst its members would be constantly preserved ; nor need our men of interest fear , that this doctrine will undo them ; for he , who like ishmael , hath his hand against every man , will most certainly have every mans hand against him ; so that there is odds in the match , that one time or other he will come by the worst on 't ; but he , who by christian condescension in a reasonable cause denies himself , obligeth many others to do him the same kindness on the like occasion , whereby one favour to another procures many to himself ; and were this principle duely practised , a man would not only be out of danger in all places , but should never want that comfort , succour and assistance , which an honest cause and christian deportment can expect . but suppose , ( as indeed it is more then a supposal ) that others will not do their duty herein ; yet he that aims at an heavenly inheritance , must not take the measures of his proceedings from those , who value nothing above their worldly inter●st ; nor ought he to think much to meet with some rubs in his way , when the crown of glory he pursues , exceeds all that he can imagine ; and let the worst be s●pposed that can be , such a man obligeth all that are good or grateful : he enjoys the present satisfaction of a good conscience , and is so much before others in a more certain hope of his future bliss , as he is more true to his duty ; whilest those that cast off all care of this duty , whatever they may have of the name , have nothing of the sincerity of christians , and consequently are not to expect the reward . v. this argument hath engaged me longer then i intended , and therefore what others i shall take notice of , i shall little more then mention , and certainly that man who understands and values his religion , will be concerned for the honour of it , which is by nothing more blasted ( if not as to some wholly ruined then by contentions and divisions : it is reported of socrates , that he particularly gave god thanks for three things , viz. that he was a man , and not some other creature , that he was born in greece , the then most civiliz'd part of the world , and that he had his education in athens , the then most famous school of philosophy in the world ; how much greater cause have we with daily thanks and praises to celebrate gods holy name , by whose blessing we are christians , whereby we have not only an unerring rule to walk by , but also from the revelations and promises of the god of truth , ●nd by the earnest and pledge of his sons resurrection and ascension , are assured of that immortality and those future joys , which that wise heathen only blindly grop'd after ? but can we think to perswade others of the truth of this , by living unspeakably worse then they , who could pretend to no such advantages ? or if this be true , then do not we by our divisions raise a great scandal and prejudice against such glorious truth : we ●●ast , that ours is the best religion in the world ; nay more , and that truly , that ours is the only true religion in the world. for there is salvation in no other , nor any other name given under heaven whereby we must be faved , but that of the blessed jesus , ( acts . . ) and i can still remember , that when i was a youth , i have heard plausible harangues in sermons , and doleful petitions in prayers , about them who sate in darkness , and in the regions of the shadow of death ; and doubtless , as the case of the one was lamentable , so the zeal of the other was so far commendable ; but when i consider , that those men had destroyed the mother that bore them , and thought the gospel was no further advanced then their schism was propagated ; i cannot but wonder , with what confidence a parcel of seditious rebellious schismaticks could think themselves the only fit men to bear the light , to conduct those that lay in darkness into the bright sun-shine of the gospel ; ●ut as i have heard little of their endeavors , so less of their success ; neither ought any in reason to hope for much better , who are studious to promote divisions ; for suppose a discreet hea●hen should come amongst us , and observe how one church anathematizeth another , how every party pretends it self to be in the right , and as peremptorily condemns all others to be in the wrong , and what multitudes of divisions there are amongst us , would not this be a strong temptation to him to be of that religion , which they could not agree in themselves ? but when he should further see the open violence and unusual mischiefs which the divisions in all places produce , he would surely resolve with himself , of all others to fly that religion ; for when all 's done , let us say what we can , men will believe what we do . mens words and actions are often too far asunder ; but they generally act what they really think , and therefore most persons think it safer ( where they can ) to judge of men by their actions rather then their sayings , as being surer indices of their minds , and having a closer correspondence with their hearts and designes , so that if they see christians to be of a froward perverse conversation , they will judge no better of their religion ; so great reason we may see had the apostle to give us in charge , to walk in wisdom towards them that are without , ( col. . . ) the result of this consideration briefly amounts to thus much , that divisions not only produce many foul irregularities , and inexcusable enormities amongst our selves ; but also misrepresent and scandalize our religion , so as rather to affright others from it , then allure them to it ; by which means the practice of christians is debauched , the propagation of the gospel hindered , the truth as unjustly as highly dishonoured , and the whole design of christianity in a manner frustrated . and if any man be so in love with schism , as to think this a small crime , or so blind as not to see it ; i scarce know what i can do more for him , except to pray to god to open his eyes , and turn his heart . vi. and yet there is still something further , and very considerable , to be offered in this case ; for nothing is more directly binding then a precept , and nothing more strongly binding then a precept from him , who hath the whole propriety in us , and absolute sovereignty over us . so that if the god of all power , who hath created us , and his son jesus christ , to whom he hath given all power , have expressly required this unity , then the indispenseableness of the duty on our part can be no longer a dispute , nor can this be a doubt to any , who have but lightly perused the holy scriptures ; for though it may be enough to any considerate person , that the whole current of scripture bears against all disorderliness , unruliness and unquietness ; yet that our mouths might be for ever stopped , the thing it self is commanded in as plain and express terms , as can be desired . thus st. paul , ( cor. . . ) be of one mind , live in pence . thus st. peter , ( pet. . . ) be ye all of one mind . and that we might know , that this unity must be as well in practice as in judgement , we are commanded as well to walk by the same rule , as to mind the same thing , ( phil. . . ) and st. paul takes not a little pains to explain the necessary duty of every member of christ , in walking orderly in their several stations , to this end , that there should be no schism in the body , ( cor. . , ) i could heap up many more testimonies , but i think it needless , for any one ought to be enough to him , who owns the holy scriptures to be stampt with the authority of heaven , and to contain what is the will of god , that we should believe and do : and if a word , a nod , a beck from a master , shall command or direct a servant at his pleasure , can we think not only to neglect , but to bid open defiance to the commands of the almighty , and be guiltless or ' scape scot-free ? the sin in violating any command is always so much the greater , by how much the greater is the authority of the person commanding ; from whence we may learn how great a sin is the violation of that christian unity , which is commanded by the almighty maker of heaven and earth . vii . but still we are further informed , of how great moment this duty is from the rewards and punishments , that attend the performance or violation of it ; the breach of unity is it self no small punishment , for divisions naturally create disturbances , increase troubles , and tend towards destruction . hence st. paul gives us this caution , ( gal. . . ) if ye bite and devour one another , take heed that ye be not consumed one of another . so that the advantages which flow from unity , and the mischiefs which arise from the contrary , are sufficient motives to any man , who minds his own good , to follow those things which make for peace . but least this should not be enough , a●l that further can affright us from evil , is added ; and no less then eternal damnation is made the portion of transgressors in this kind ; for st. paul telling us what are the works of the flesh , which they that do shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven ; amongst them reckons these , hatred , variance , em●lations , wrath , s●rife , seditions , heresies , envyings , ( gal . . ) and the same apostle tells us , that if any man did but seem to be contentious , they had no such custom , neither the churches of god , ( cor. . . ) by which he seems to me to intimate , that such persons do cast themselves out of the church , and consequently exclude themselves from the hopes of salvation ; but that we may not complain of being affrighted into goodness , and terrified to our duty , the punishment of the violation of this duty is not so great , but the reward of its due performance is every way equal ; and besides those comforts that ●re naturally contained in it , and flow from it , there is no less then eternal happiness entailed on it . christ himself hath declared , that blessed are the peace-makers , for they shall be called the children of god , ( mat. . ) and if so , then certainly they shall have a portion and inheritance with the rest of his children , and be fellow-heires with christ . viii . now if all these considerations were put together and well weighed , methinks no difficulties whatsoever should be able to deterr or remove us from our duties , or to hinder us from standing fast in one spirit , with one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel ; for to him that professeth himself a christian , and believes what he professeth , what can all the allurements and temptations , all the joyes , troubles or torments of this transitory life work , when set against the pains of hell on the one hand , and the joyes of heaven on the other ? and yet even this pretence is taken away ; and that we may not with any shew of reason plead any discouragements , we are assured that god will supply us with strength and succours in our faithful endeavours , that so far as concerns us , we shall be able to overcome all difficulties , and discharge our duties ; and the difference is not much , whether there be no difficulties , or the difficulties be conquerable ; an idle fluggish person perhaps would desire the former , but he that is content to take pains for heaven , and had rather exercise and varnish his graces , then suffer them through disuse to be sullied and weakned , possibly will think the latter more expedient for him . i do not say , that we shall be furnished with abilities to reduce all others , but that unless by our own default we shall not want assistance to secure our selves ; and then whatever the difficulties may really be or appear , we can have no just cause of discouragement ; and i know not what greater comfort or encouragement to this duty could be given us , then what st. paul tells us , ( cor. . . ) be of one mind , live in peace , and the god of love and peace shall be with you . chap. ii. wherein this vnity consists . i. this unity is a thing that sounds bravely in the eares of all persons , and meets with a general applause and high commendation in all places ; and indeed it cannot receive more praises then it deserves ; but when we come seriously and closely to consider what it is , and wherein it consists ; when we think to grasp it , it vanisheth , and wo fall foully together by the eares about the unity we joyntly extol , and make it self the occasion of our losing it ; the great reason of which is apparently this , that when men have fallen in love with some singular way , and set up their rest in some dividing principles , they do not fetch the nature of unity from the full precepts of the gospel , which best teach it , and the practice of the primitive church which best explains it , but catching some shreds of scripture for pretence , they frame such a notion of unity as may suit with their own scheme , and rather then quit any of their darling errours , they will undertake to wash a blackmore white , i mean , to find out such a unity as shall be consistent with division and separation ; but it is pity to fall out about unity , and therefore leaving such to their vain imaginations , i shall discover my own apprehensions , wherein i think it consists : and if i fall in any part , i'shall be highly obliged to that person , who shall bring me to a clearer and fuller understanding of its nature ; for certainly did we better understand what it was , we should come nearer together , and better concur in the observation and practice of it . ii. but before i can proceed , i must for my own security , enter a caveat against the pretences of extraordinary cases ; and therefore do tell my reader , that i shall limit my discourse to gods ordinary way and standing establishment , to which all persons ought to have regard . i will not here concern my self upon what terms he may stand , who is fast lock'd in a dungeon , or cast upon an uninhabited coast , or made a slave amongst infidels , or lies concealed in a cave for fear of his life , or any of the like nature ; i make no doubt , but that for extraordinary cases god hath extraordinary mercies ; but then this is not applicable to what is common or ordinary : there can be nothing more perverse and unnatural , then to judge of the stated case of things by the exceptions from it ; or to confound the common condition of mankind with that , which is rarely and only at some times the sad misfortune of some few ; and it is not possible to guess , whither those mens errours will lead them , who in stead of observing what are the exceptions from a general rule , do frame to themselves a general rule from exempt cases , and so overthrow the common standard ; and i must confess , that i have not been a little scandalize● , to find this very thing done in a great measure , by men otherwise of eminence , learning and piety . iii. now though this christian unity be a harmony of many parts , many of which must concur to make it true , and all ought to meet to make it compleat ; the first bond in this common tye , or that from whence it takes its first rise and beginning , is that faith which was once delivered to the saints ; and he that doth unfeignedly embrace it , is so far forth united both to all those , whoever heretofore received it ; and all those , who now live in profession of it ; but yet we must go a great way further , or else we shall come short home . iv. for though this unity principally relates to the catholick church of god , comprehending all ages and places , which is that body , whereof christ is the saviour , and to whom the great and precious promises are primarily made ; yet if we would speak rather os fully then magnisicently , we are not so much to consider in this case the church we are united to , as the means whereby we are united to it , and therefore as men on earth we are to consider our selves in statu viatorum , as men that are not only bound to believe , but to profess the faith of christ crucified , ( for our blessed saviour hath told us , that if we be ashamed of him and his words , he will be ashamed of us , when he cometh into the glory of his father , mark . . ) as men so indispenseably bound ●o that profession , that they must not only hazard , but even actually lose all that is near and dear to them , rather then depart from it , ( for the same christ hath told us , that if a man come to him , and hate not father and mother , and wife , and children , and brethren , and sisters , yea , and his own life also , he cannot be his disciple , luke . . ) as men , who are bound to embody in a common fraternity and society , that they may joyntly as well as openly make this profession , not forsaking the assembling of our selves together , as the manner of some is , ( as the apostle teacheth , heb. . . ) in a word , seeing we here live in expectation of the promises , we must submit to all the termes and conditions of the covenant , upon which god hath made their performance to depend ; and being the whole tenure of the gospel , doth oblige us on earth to joyn in a visible fraternity , to a visible profession , to particular duties to visible professors , and to a real not imaginary obedience to them , who rule over us and watch for our souls ; i see not how we can challenge the name of christians , whilest we cast off all care of these duties . and hence it is apparent , that we cannot be united to that great catholick , mystical and invisible church of god , but by becoming members of his visible church on earth , as being that part of his church , wherein he hath placed , and to which the greatest part of our duties do particularly relate . to arrive to the state of glorified saints and angels , that church without spot or wrinkle is our hope and endeavour ; but whilest we are on earth , we are only on our way towards it ▪ and are particularly of that part of gods church , wherein grow tares as well as wheat , to be distinguished and separated in gods good time : and by our faithful sincere obedience in this , we do through christ jesus require and preserve a right and title in time , to be made the immediate members of the other . v. this being our present state and condition , our unity ought certainly to be agreeable and suitable to it , and therefore must be visible amongst the visible professours of the gospel ; and what that is , or wherein it consists , is my present business to describe : but first from the foregoing premisses i would make this inference , that a believer at large is only a christian in fieri , his faith alone without the other duties and accomplishments , which the gospel prescribes to all christians , is not sufficient to give him the full title of a christian ; 't is true he hath laid a good foundation , but unless he proceed to build thereon , he can no more be said to be a christian , then an artificer can be said to have erected a fair house , when he hath only laid the ground-work ; and the reason is plain , because faith in its own nature doth not only incline , but oblige to obed●ence ; and i therefore not only more chearfully obey gods commands , because i believe him faithful who hath promised , but i must condemn my self as utterly inexcusable , if i disobey him at the same time , that i pretend to believe in him. hence it is observeable , that the word faith taken objectively , is often in scripture-phrase used to signifie not only revealed truths , but precepts of life , even the whole gospel of christ jesus , or the law of faith ; and where it speaks distinctly of it , yet it will have the other to follow it , commanding us to add to our faith vertue , ( pet. . . ) and to shew our faith by our works ( jam. . . ) and accordingly the first converts to christianity , upon their owning the faith , thought themselves obliged to go on to what the law of faith required . thus the ●unuch , ●hen convinced by philip , that jesus christ was the son of god , doth not acquiesce in that faith , but proceeds as far as his present circumstances would permit , and of his own accord bespeaks philip , see , here is water , what doth hinder me to be baptized ? ( acts . . ) and consonantly , hereto it is observable , that the primitive church did vouchsafe the title of fideles to no adult persons , but such as were in full communion ; and did men perswade themselves that their faith did so indispenseably oblige them to all christian duties , that without their sincere endeavour even faith it self became defective , it would make a fair advance towards unity ; and till they do so , i see no reason to hope for it . vi. but now to return to the thing in hand , as we are men on earth , and probationers for heaven , our unity must be such as is required by this our state , and consequently must consist in such matters as unites all the visible professors of the gospel into such a body or society , which god hath instituted and designed for his worship on earth ; but then we are to consider , that as we are united to the catholick invisible church of god , by being united to his visible catholick church on earth , so we are united to this visible catholick church , by being united to some true part of it , or by becoming members of some particular church ; for no member can be united to the body all over , or to the whole immediately , but is united to the body by being united to it in some part , for the body is not one member , but many , ( cor. . . ) and as these fitly framed altogether make the whole , so by vertue of this union each member hath a communication with the whole . and is both capacitated to discharge his duty to the whole , and to receive supplies from , and claim an interest in the whole . vii . now , being that our belief in the son of god , and that he is the head of the body his church , ( if considered antecedently to , and separately from other christian duties ) doth rather capacitate us to become christians , then denominate us so , it will follow , that to have the benefit of our belief , we must take care to be admitted into that body , which it qualifies us to be members of . now in all manner of societies , of what nature soever , members are admitted by some signal ceremony , and known form of proceedings , that thereby they may be known to others to be members of that society , and may undisturbedly do the exercises and enjoy the priviledges of that society . now this formal way of admission into the christian body or society , is by the sacrament of baptism ; and that even by our saviours own command and institution ; for when they are so well instructed as to believe , he will have them received by being baptized ; go ye , ( saith he , mat. . . ) teach all nations , baptizing them in the name , &c. and though unbelief alone be sufficient to put a man into a state of condemnation ; yet belief alone without baptism doth not ordinarily put a man into the state of salvation . this is our saviours own doctrine , ( mark . . ) he that believeth and is baptized , shall be saved ; and he that believeth not shall be damned . and the reason is plain ; for though unbelief , as rejecting the covenant of grace , and its author , is alone able to exclude us from all benefit of it ; yet belief , though it lay hold on the covenant , is not able alone to secure to us the benefits of it , if considered abstractedly and separately from the other necessary conditions of it ; for he that expects the benefit of a part , must observe not one , but all the necessary termes and conditions of it ; from hence it may appear , how necessary it is , that we be all partakers of that one baptism ; and this consideration ought to alarm those persons to examine well the grounds whereon they proceed , who separate from all other christians , making it the singular part of their religion to deny baptism , even to the children of christian parents , for though god is not bound up to withhold his mercy , where the default is not in the persons themselves ; yet we have no certain rule to assure us , that he will afford such mercy out of the way , that he hath prescribed ; but it is purely in his good pleasure ; and if baptism be ordinarily the way of admission and entrance into that body , whereof christ is the saviour ; then such persons , by denying them baptism , do what in them lies to damn them , which doubtless is a very unchristian part . and though it be true in relation to persons out of the covenant , that they must first be qualified not only with an actual but a professed faith , without which they are not capable of admission ; yet in reference to persons in covenant the case is quite otherwise , for the covenant is not to them alone , but to their seed ; and the children being sanctified in their parents do follow their condition , and are born to priviledges in the church , which those without cannot claim ; and th●refore ought not particularly to be denied this , without which they are not by the ordinary laws of the covenant , entitled to the rest . but i will prosecute this no further , my business being rather with adult persons then children . for though their salvation is by being of the body , yet they have small influence on christian communion ; and until they lose that name are scarce able to disturb or break the unity of the church , which is the thing i am to explain . viii . the parts of our christian unity are so close knit together , that they seem to lead us by the hand from the one to the other ; so that it may seem somewhat a wonder how persons should for the generality be so wofully mistaken about them ; for having thus laid the foundation of faith , and being actually admitted by the sacrament of baptism , it will ( i suppose ) be easily agreed on all hands , that persons are not only admitted to the priviledges and benefits of the society , but come under an obligation to observe the laws and do the duties of the society ; for no society whatsoever , whether sacred or civil , ever admitted any to their priviledges , without tying them up to their rules ; 't is true , that in some societies there are certain honorary or titular members ; but it is indeed only a title : for where they are excepted from duty , they are excluded from benefit : but this is peculiar to the christ an religion , that it admits none such ; but whoever doth become a member professing it , must fall under an obligation to perform the duties it requires ; and by this we may perceive what further progress our christian unity must make ; for we must be united in the consent , profession and practice of all those things , which according to our several stations in that society the laws of christianity do require from us . now these may have relation either to particular christians , or to them as embodied in particular societies , or to them considered under the notion of subjects and governours ; or lastly , to the duty and behaviour of governours towards each other . ix . every particular christian is bound to the sincere and constant profession and exercise of all those christian duties , which the gospel requires of every one in their single capacities , as humility , sobriety , temperance , patience , and the like ; and their concurrence in , and due observance of these things , is not only very profitable and comfortable to themselves , but very honourable to their society ; but above all we are commanded to put on charity , ( col. . . ) and that not only for this reason , that it virtually conteins , and in its own nature directs and provokes to the practice of all other christian duties , on which account the apostle in the following words stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but also because our saviour himself hath made it the character and badge of his followers . for ( saith he , john . . ) by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye have love one to another . x. but here it is to be considered , that these vertues of particular christians have been , and may be so fairly copied out , and handsomely exercised by heath●ns and unbelievers , that to outward appearance the one cannot be distinguished from the other ; and though the vertues of christians are really distinguishable from the like in heathens from their principles and ends , yet these principles and ends are things in themselves not seen ; and therefore that those vertues may appear to proceed from such christian principles and ends , they must be practised in conjunction with such other duties , as do apparently testifie what principles we own ; and that charity it self may be a mark of christs disciples , it must carry them on to those exercises , which he hath commanded his worshippers to joyn in . now this cannot be done only by separate well living , but by joyning in that worship and christian communion , which the laws of christ , and the nature of that church or society he hath instituted , doth require ; and in these we do most clearly own and profess our selves christians , and visibly unite in the body ; and from hence it will follow , that all christians , under the penalty of excluding themselves from this body , are bound to joyn in all the publick offices of the church , and to bear their part in all acts and duties of christian communion , and therefore attendance to ordinances is not only the benefit , but the necessary duty of every christian ; and as members of the society they must do their parts , joyning in the publick prayers , praises . thanksgivings , confessions , and the like ; and especially ought to be careful to be duely partakers of the lords supper , as being that act whereby of all others , we are most strongly , firmly and closely united both to ●hrist o●r head , and to each other . hence it is by way of eminence , sometimes called , the communion ; and hence it is , that amongst the primitive christians , though a man had openly professed the christian faith. had been admitted by baptism , was not only an auditor , but does communicate in the prayers of the church , yet they did not account him compieatly a christian , till he did partake of the lords table ; and there is the same reason for this still , and perhaps greater reason now then ever to urge it , when the most weighty duties are most neglected , and people are so apt to set up their rest far short of what our blessed saviour hath made their duties . xi . that this communion is maintained by communicating with that particular christian church , being neither heretical nor schismatical , where every christian lives , seems to me out of ●oubt ; for if he do not communicate there , it is not possible he should actually communicate any where else , and therefore whatsoever preparations of mind may be pretended , the wilful or careless neglect of this , seems to amount to no less then a renunciation or under valuing of all communion , which strikes at the very heart of the christian religion . but yet for all this our communion in that particular church is communion with the whole , whereof that is a part , by which we are united to the whole , in which we express our communion with the whole , and by which we draw supplies from the whole ; for our communion in particular churches arises from the necessity of our natures , and the condition of humane beings , which are not capable of communicating with the whole altogether , but only by parts : and though particular churches in respect of particular christians , and the offices and authority therein exercised are truly called churches , yet in respect of the catholick church they are but members , whereby we are united to the whole , and communicate with the whole ; both the name and benefit of christianity comes to us from joyning in communion with that church , which is christs body : and that is the catholick church , and it is to that we desire to be united , and in that to communicate by joyning with some true part of it , which is all our natures allow us to do , and in act can compass ; but if any man unite himself to , or joyn in communion with any particular church , either in opposition to all others , or without any relation or obligation to any other church ; as to catholick communion , he must suppose that particular church to be that body , whereof christ is the head and saviour , or else he cannot hope for salvation in it and then ( unless he have the impudence to affirm , that there is no other true church of god ) he must make christ have more bodies then one , and in the immediate consequence overthrow an article of our creed , which acknowledgeth but one catholick church . our communion therefore , though in a particular , yet by means thereof is both in and with the catholick church ; and hence it is , that the members of particular churches , have an equal right all the world over to communion in all other christian churches ; and when they come to other churches , are then actually bound to communicate with them ; upon this ground it was , that the primitive christians proceeded ; for though they did debarr strangers from communion , till they did produce their communicatory letters or credentials , whereby it might appear , that they lived in some particular church of catholick communion , ( that they might not be imposed upon by hereticks and schismaticks ) yet when the church they came to was satisfied in that particular , they were not only acknowledged to have the same right with their own members , but also to lie under the same obligations ; and if very satisfactory reasons were not given of their forbearance , if they did not then actually communicate they were treated as schismaticks , so that that schismatical distinction of such an occasional communion as leaves men at liberty where and when to communicate , and that even in separate and opposite communions , was altogether unknown to the primitive church , or if it had been started , would never have heen endured . xii . from what hath been said it may appear , that in the practical notion , unity , uniformity and communion , are words much of the same importance ; the two latter only more clearly explaining the nature and manner of the former ; and if it be true , that our unity consists in our communion in the solemn acts of worship , and publick offices and duties the christian church , it will then unavoidably follow , that we must be united , and firmly adhere to the true and lawful pastors of the church , without whom those offices cannot be lawfully discharged , and for want of whose support and ministry the solemn worship and daily sacrifice would fail ; and the greater reason have all christians to take heed to this good order of men ; both because our saviour hath invested them with his own authority , so far forth as is necessary for the officiating in , and governing of his church , and also because he hath made them a special promise of his assistance in the discharge of their offices : in relation to the first he thus commissionates his disciples , as my father hath sent me , even so send i you , ( john . . ) in respect to the latter he hath said , i am with you alway , even unto the end of the world , ( matt . . ) so that if not under the law , much less under the gospel may any man take this honour to himself , but he that is ca●●ed of god ; and he that intrudes into this office , without a derivation of just authority , comes not in by the door , but climbs up another way ; and for that reason ought to be esteemed a thief and a robber . this authority of theirs is indeed of a spiritual nature ; they have no power of coercion , they cannot by force lay a restraint upon any mans person ; but yet their authority is real , and in some sense higher then theirs , who by gods commission carry the temporal sword for the terrour of evil doers , and defence of those who do well . for the same god who gave authority to the pastors of his church , hath commanded the people to obey them , ( heb. . . ) and doth interpret the disobedience or neglect of them to be an affront to himself . for thus our saviour teacheth us , ( luke . . ) he that heareth you , heareth me ; and he that despise h● you , despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me , despiseth him that sent me : and therefore , though such despisers may not seem to suffer any thing here , yet they stand accountable to a higher tribunal , and do run a greater hazard then any temporal punishment ; when their cause is forejudged by their spiritual governours . hence , saith tertullian ▪ ( apol. ) summum futuri judicii pr●judiciur● est , si quis ita deliquerit , ut à communicatione orationis , & conven●û● , & omnis sancti commercii relegetur . the wickedness indeed of spiritual governours is of very dangerous consequence , the influence of it makes many bad , and will not suffer others to be so good as they would : and as we read , that the l●wdness of eli's sons , made the people even to abhor the offering of the lord ; so by moses law the offering for the sin of the priest was the same as the offering for the sin of the whole people , and much exceeded the offering for the sin of the civil ruler . ( levit. ) it is sad with gods church when the complaint lies at that door : but yet even this will not absolve christians from their obedience to them , in matters which are within the just bounds of their authority , and properly belong to their office : even our saviour himself , who so often warns his disciples to beware of the leaven of the pharisces , yet commands them to obey the same men , so far forth as they satt in moses chair ; and doubtless he doth not require less observance of those who sit in his own chair ; and though people are very apt to begin the quarrel here , yet methinks they should be more fearful of breaking communion with their pastors , if they did consider , that this is the door , by which always schism enters ; for it is not conceiveable how they should forsake christian communion , but by deserting their pastors in their pastoral office. hence the fathers , ( especially st. cyprian , them whom no man better understood or wrote of this case upon all occasions ) as they usually describe a particular church by the union of the flock to their pastor , so they define schism by a separation from the bishop ; not that they meant it is no more , but that that is the act which makes the schismatick , and that by leaving his proper bishop , he forsakes not only the communion of that particular church , but of all other churches , of whose communion that bishop is ; and consequently the communion of the catholick church , if he be truly a catholick bishop ; and hence i think it may appear , that for maintaining christian communion in christs body , the people must be united to their pastors , and that not only with resoect to preaching the word , publick prayers and the use of the sacraments , but also with regard to matters of discipline and government , without which order and regular proceedings in the church , it cannot be upheld . upon this score the primitive christians were so observant of the rules , orders and censures of their bishop , that if any man fell under the sentence of excommunication , they for so much as related to them , vigorously put it in execution , and not only would not suffer such a one to joyn in communion , but would not so much as eat , drink , couverse , or ordinarily traffick with him ; which practice seems to have had its foundation from that of st. paul , ( thes . . . ) if any man obey not our word by this epistle , note that man , and have no company with him , that he may be ashamed . as also from that , ( cor. . . ) ) now i have written unto you , not to keep company , if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator , or covetous , or an idolater , or a railer , or a drunkard , or an extortioner , with such an one , no , not to eat . xiii . but that a firm christian unity may be in the church of god , it is not sufficient , that the flock continue in a due subjection to , and steddy communion with their pastor , unless the pastors themselves maintain a fair correspondence , and keep due order one amongst another , for if the trumpet give an uncertain sound , who shall prepare himself to the battel ? ( as the apostle saith , cor. . . ) how is it possible , that an army should be unanimous in it self , or employ its full force against the enemy , if the commanders agree not , but give out contrary orders ? nor is it possible , that the unity of the church should be preserved , if the pastors govern their flocks , not in conjunction , but opposition to each other , and set up such termes of communion , as other churches cannot approve , but must withdraw from ; it is indeed true , that every bishop in his particular church , hath a kind of sovereign authority , and is to govern his flock rationem actûs , sui domino rediturus , ( as st. cyprian more then once phraseth it , ) hence it is , that in some things a christian man is bound to observe the orders of his own church , and obey his own bishop , before any , if not all the bishops in the christian world ; but then , this authority must not be stretch'd beyond the bounds of his own particular church ; and hence arose those several different and often contrary usages and customes in several churches , which were not excepted against , because they belonged to the power of each particular church , and consisted in such things , that he that communicated after the one manner in one church , might lawfully communicate after the contrary in another . of this nature was that known different usage of old , between the churches of rome and millan ; in the former they fasted on saturdays , in the latter not . and therefore st. ambrose , who was truly as stout a bishop as ever the church had , though he strictly required . obedience to the orders of his own church ▪ yet at rome was as observant of theirs , and advised st. augustine's mother monica to do the same . the reason must be fetch'd from the nature of the things , which being indifferent in themselves , might be lawfully practised either way , and therefore were in the power of every church to determine or not determine , as she found most for her good and advantage ; but when these things are determined , obedience put on the nature of duty , and disobedience of sin : but though every bishop , in respect of his particular church or flock ▪ hath ( according to the old ecclesiastical language ) his throne , yet in relation to the catholick church he is but a principal member , who in conjunction with others of the fame authority is to share in care of the whole ; and therefore in matters which have an influence on catholick communion , he is accountable to his colleagues or fellow bishops , and for any misdemeanour herein may by them be suspended , deposed or censured , as they or a convenient part of them shall ●udge meet , for the prefervation of the churches peace . and in this case the bishops of other churches did not only exhort , but require both the subordinate clergy and the people to refuse communion with their bishop , though in all other cases the separating from the communion of their bishops , and the erecting another altar , or setting up a conventicle against him , was accounted the peculiar signature of schism . and the reason is plain , for though they could not hold communion with the church , but by maintaining communion with their bishop , yet they did communicate in that church as a part of the whole ; and if he did break off from the whole , or was injurious to the whole , if they should adhere to him therein , they must follow his fate ; and therefore here they might desert him , and cleave to some other sound part , and joyn in communion approved by orthodox bishops . the reason of the bishops absolute power in one respect , and his subjection in another , seems to be briefly couched in that short saying of st. cyprian , episcopatus unus est , cujus à singulis in solidum pars tenetur . ( do un ) for though he held but part of that episcopacy , by which the whole church ( concordi multorum episcoporum numerositate ) was governed ; yet holding that parte in solidum , he had the full episcopal authority , and was a catholick bishop , and his orders according to their nature ought to be heeded by all bishops : but then what he held in solidum , being but pars episcopatûs unius , he was bound to exercise his office in conjunction with them , who were equal sharers with him ; and herein was answerable to his fellow-bishops for any detriment or injury done by him to their common office and common charge . hence a bishop was in some things obnoxious , even to the delebility and loss of his character , ( as spalato hath proved against the fond device of the schools lib. . cap. . ) and was bound at his peril , not only to preach the same faith , but to walk and act according to the cannons of the church ; and yet in other things , his act was sufficient to tye up all the bishops in the christian world ; both which things are an invincible evidence of the sense of antiquity , of their participation of the same office , and of their obligation to , and dependance upon each other in the discharge of it . hence it was , that when a bishop was placed in any vacant see , though he was never so canonically ordained yet he was bound to send abroad his circular epistles to other bishops , to sig●ifie his due admission to that great dignity , and withal to give in a summary of his faith , that they might admit him to catholick communion , and upon occasion might communicate with him , and assist him in the just discharge of his place : if he afterwards fell into heresie , or did any irregular act , he was tryable by his peers , and might be censured according to his demerits . on the other hand , what wholesome orders he made for the good of his own particular church , those , who came from any other church thither , were bound to observe them ; and if he justly put any person under the sentence of excommunication , upon his certifying thereof with the cause , all other bishops and all other churches were bound to take that person for excommunicate , wherever he came , and to reject him from their communion ; for in cases of this nature , every regular act of authority in one church , was regarded as the act of the whole church ; and thus in all things particular churches acted in relation to , and communion with the catholick , and maintained their unity firm and inviolable . xiv . my design hath been to write a chapter , not a treatise of christian unity , and therefore i may be excuseable , if i have not hit every thing ; though i perswade my self , that had we these , the rest would not be wanting ; but my fear is , that my accusation will rather lye on the other hand , that i have iaid the platform of such a unity as in all its parts is no where on earth to be found ; and though the more is the pity , yet possibly it is too true : but then this objection amounts to no more ( though that , god knows , is too much ) then to shew the deplorable state of the church , and the woful degeneracy of christians ; for the religion we profess requires such an unity ; and de facto it has been had and practised in the church ; and till it be restored , i see little hopes that matters can be brought to rights , and that they are not , they must answer who are the true cause : if any enquire , what particular persons in this case are to do ? i answer , that invincible impediments may excuse à tanto but not à toto , where we cannot do all we should , yet we must do all we can : but more particularly , i think , first , that every man ought to joyn in communion with that church wherein gods providence hath placed him , if he cannot justly charge the termes of its communion with sin. otherwise there will be no end of separation , and the breach will daily grow wider , secondly , that our judgements and censures on those from whom we depart , be moderated with charity ; that we pick not quarrels without a cause , nor represent them worse in opinion or practice then they are ; for this exasperates and alienates mens hrarts from peace . some persons have seemed to me to have read their adversaries books with a design to mistake them , which ( alas ! ) is too easily done without giving our minds to it . thirdly , that in separate communions , proposals might be made how far they can come up to each other , that it may be known how far they do agree , and that unquiet spirits may not bear the ignorant in hand , that they agree in nothing , and then that the true causes of the difference may be sett down , which would sett generous spirits on work to remove these stumbling-blocks , and make up the breaches ; at least , it would give opportunity to all considerate persons to weigh the matter , to cast off real scandals , and to come nearer together as they saw cause . lastly , that all persons be desirous of true christian union and communion , that they heartily pray for the peace of jerusalem , and to their power in their several capacities endeavor it ; that we come short of this unity is our unhappiness , and no honour to our religion ; but if any do not truly defire it , i see not how they can be excused from schism , or somewhat worse ; f●r such seem to be insensible and regardless of the honour of gods church , the glory of his name , the peace , comfort and encouragement of christians one amongst another , and the daily advancement and propagation of the gospel of christ ; from which kind of temper the lord preserve every one who calls himself a christian . chap. iii. of the nature of schism . i. our religion is so unchangeable , that if an angel from heaven should come and teach any other , then what we have already received , he ought to be accursed ; and therefore the nearer we come to the first settlement , the surer we are to be in the right ; but some men so doat on their fond devices , and are so bewitched with the pleasure of coyning new notions , that not content to delude themselves , they labour all they can to perswade others , that every thing that is old is ugly and to be abominated . thus that sweet harmony of the primitive christians , whereby they preserved their body sound , against the malice of hereticks and schismaticks , enjoyed free communion in all places , and were no where destitute of comfortable support and assistance , whether spiritual or temporal , this ( i say ) has either been imputed to the folly of the first converts , or the tyranny of hereticating bishops : but if there was any thing ill , and of mischievous consequence to religion , for this they became zealous advocates , were ready to tell us , that the devil is not so black as he is painted , and so palliate the matter , that at length they would draw it in to be useful . amongst matters of this nature nothing hath found more patrons then schism . some have shuffled it to and fro , till they have lost it ; and some have trick'd and trimm'd , and sett it out for such a pretty harmless thing , as would almost tempt one to be in love with it . but being i have said enough in the first chapter to prove schism a sin of a deep dye , i shall forbear to inveigh against it , and sett my self rather to make a discovery of it , that the rock appearing we may be the better able to avoid it . ii. schism in its general notion signifies any rent , rupture , division , separation or solution of continuity : but in an ecclesiastical sense , as applied to the church , it denotes some breach or separation among the members or parts of that body , growing so high as to cause bandying into parties , and setting up distinct and opposite communions , or the like : but because all separation is not schism , and that which is , is not always sinful , therefore it may be convenient to enquire , by what means separations are made , what separation is schism , and what schism is sinful . iii. those persons who are so far from any communion in the church , that they never did or would receive and embrace the gospel of christ jesus , are really separated and excluded from his body the church ; but then in this they cannot properly be said to depart from it ▪ or make any schism in it , because they were never of it , nor any way related to it . and therefore their crime is not stiled schism , but infidelity ; and the persons infidels or heathens , not schismaticks . iv. some persons have professed the faith , and lived in the communion of the church , but through the powerful instigations of the devil , the strong temptations of worldly advantages , sense of torments , dreadful apprehensions of danger , or the like ill motives , have renounced not only the communion of the church , but the faith of christ ; but these are not properly schismaticks ; for schism doth import some relation still to the church , though it suppose a disorderly behaviour in it , and a breach and violation of its peace and unity : but these are wholly gone off , and their crime is in it self of a higher nature , though many times not so mischievous in its effects ; and it is commonly called apostacy , and the persons apostates , or in the modern language renegado's , v. there is a third sort of persons who profess the faith , and live in the communion of the church , but through pride , discontent , wantonness , or the like causes , are not careful to attend to sound doctrine , but fall into errours , and entertain and devise opinions prejudicial to the gospel of christ , and the salvation of souls ; but if these men keep their opinions to themselves , whatever damage they may bring to their own souls , they can make no ecclesiastical schism ; but if they broach or propagate them , then schism is usually the effect and consequence of such doings ; but their denomination is from the particularity of their crime , or obstinacy in their ill opinions , which is called heresy , and the persons heret●cks . vi. now though heresy is of that ●u●●ulent natu●e , th●t it seldom fails to produce s●hism , yet it may so●e , that persons may be sound in the faith , and yet through p●ide , discontent , ambit●on , or the like ill motives , may violate that unity and conjunction which ought to ●e ●mongst ●hristians in the profession of the faith and duties it requires : so that heresy seems to be opposed to the verity and soundness of religion , schism to the union of persons amongst themselves , professing religion . now because the acts of this unity consist in christian communion , and it cannot be otherwise expressed and manif●sted but by such communion , therefore a departure or separation from that communion must be that which we call schism . hence hesychius explains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies a secession or separation . and hence it appears , that every heat , quarrel or brabble , ( how faulty soever it may otherwise be , ) doth not amount to schism , unless it so influence the communion as to make a breach in that ; and therefore neither that contention between paul and barnabas , nor that contest between polycarp and anicetus , nor that difference between chrysostom , and some who had been his auditors , nor that sharp conflict between the same chrysostom and epiphanius , nor that long debate between stephen and cyprian , were any of them to be accounted or brought under the notion of schism ; because the communion of the church was still kept up and maintained by all the parties ; but when this communion is violated and broken , then it comes to a direct and open schism ; and this may be done several wayes , all of them i pretend not to reach , and those i shall mention i shall not dwell on . vii . some there are , who forsake the communion of the charch , but go not so far as to set up any opposite communion , not that they have any honour for , or regard to church-communion , but that they think it unnecessary , if not prejudiciai . these , though they seem not to fly so high as others , in that they vex not the church with opposite communions , yet they really overthrow all communion , and destroy the whole publick worship of god , wherein his people are united for his glory and their own benefit ; and therefore these are nothing such harmless creatures as some think them ; amongst these we may reckon those rank enthusiasts , who have overgrown ordinances , and account themselves far above all such weak helps and beggerly elements . viii . i shall further propose it as a question , whether some men by their particular opinions or declarations may not make themselves schismaticks , even whilest they continue in the communion of a church that is truly of catholick communion ? for though the pastor and officers of the church walk never so canonically , and perform all services with relation to , and dependance upon the catholick church ; yet if any member shall so awkwardly adhere to this particular church , as to oppose it to all others , and condemn all others , and refuse communion with any other , he seems to me to make himself a schismatick ; for though the church be of catholick communion , yet he communicates in it upon schismatical principles , and makes it schismatical to him . the church indeed is in communion with other churches , but he communicates in it in opposition to other churches ; and this seems in some measure to have been the case of the church of corinth ; paul , and apollos , and cephas were all ministers of the same christ , great master-builders in his church , and zealous maintainers of its communions ; and yet several in the communion of this church , seems to have communicated upon narrower termes then the constitution of it required . for some were for paul , and some for apollos , and some for cephas , and they that were for one were against the other two , and against all others , who did not joyn with them in the same quarrel . i will not say but that it might go higher , and that there might be opposite communions ; that st. paul there planting the gospel , might leave so many congregations in that church as the number of converts required ; that apollos coming after upon the increase of converts , might leave them more church-officers , and increase the number of their congregations ; and the first might stand stiffly for paul , and the other for apollos : however , the first is not improbable , and indeed both might be true successively ; they might first clash in the same communion , and then break into opposite communions . but this i leave to the further consideration and censure of others . ix . where there is such a renunciation of communion , as to set up opposite communions , it may be effected several ways : sometimes the layety have forsaken their pastors , congregated into bodies , and of their own authority raised distinct communions ; i will not here dispute whether they deserve that name ; but certainly this is the height of presumption and madness ; for though it be true , which cerah said , ( numb . . . ) that all the congregation are holy ; yet the sad story that follows . assures us , that they are not therefore all priests and levites , and that they may not presume to enter upon , and promiscuously discharge that sacred office and function . sometimes subject presbyters , and other church-officers have forsaken their bishop , carried away many of the members of his church , and gathered sheep from all quarters out of the true fold ; and this is the more mischievous , as carrying along with it some shew of authority . sometimes bishops and their churches have rejected the communion of other bishops and their churches ; sometimes in like manner metropolitans have opposed metropolitans , national churches national , and patriarchal patriarchal . and the schism is ever the more mischievous , according to the considerableness of the persons concerned in it , or the extent of their jurisdiction , or the cause they divide upon . too much of all this is in the present divisions of the christian world , which are managed with that bitterness and height , and have torn the church so all-to pieces , that it is a subject fitter for our lamentation then discourse . x. and yet after all it must be acknowledged , that all separation is not sinful ; for then wherever there was a separation , they would be faulty on both sides , as well they that made , as they that suffer by the separation ; nay , if that should be granted , a man might be necessitated to sin , which he never is or can be . for if unsufferable corruptions or sinful usages be brought into a church , whereof any person is a member , and set up as termes of communion ; he cannot communicate without sin , nor can he depart without sin , but unavoidably must split upon one of these two rocks , if all separation be sinful ; and therefore to discover that schism which is sinful or criminal , we mast bring it not only a physical but a moral consideration . such the case may be , that the separation may not only be lawful but necessary . it was gods command to the israelites concerning babylon , ( jerem. . . ) my people , go ye out of thae midst of her , and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the lord. and st. paul , having described a sort of ill men , which in the latter times should infest the churc● , he gives this charge to tsmothy concerning them , ( tim. . . ) from such turn away . actual separation therefore may sometimes be a duty , when it is a departure from those who have before departed from the right , and violated the unity , and corrupted the communion of the church . but being there ought to be no separation , but upon the score of avoiding obligations to sin , and no further then may secure us in that matter , there can be no separation but there will be sin on the one side or the other ; and being the bare separation may not only be lawful but duty , the sin of schism must lie , where the cause and evil is found , and they are the schismaticks who unjustly cause the breach . and indeed simple separation doth not include the whole nature of schism in an ecclesiastical sense . for though those , who depart from any true church of god , as it is a part of the catholick church , do break off from the body ; yet those , who depart upon just and warrantable grounds , though they depart from the schismaticks , yet they do not forsake the church of god , but continue in its communion , and are members of that body ; and therefore cannot be schismaticks : but i need not discourse this any further , because ( i think ) it is agreed on all hands , that the sin of schism follows the cause . now from all that hath been said , this or the like definition of schism may be gathered , that it is an unjust violation , breach or solution of the unity of the church : or ( to express it more plainly ) a causeless separation from ecclesiastical communion . xi . how far some more moderate person in the church of rome , may be willing to go along with me in these considerations , i cannot tell ; the generality of them i know go further ; but that will not be the least part of that controversie ; however , here we must part . but because i do profess my self a person , who doth deeply mourn over that dismal state of the church , to which thefe divisions have brought it , ( and that god , who knows the secrets of all hearts , knows that i say true ) and do wish an end of their broils , and would contribute the utmost of my endeavors to repair the breaches : and do moreover freely confess , that schism is a sin of a very dangerous nature ; it will therefore concern me to discharge my self , from being either a partner in , or an abettor of that mischievous evil , of which i complain ; and therefore now i shall endeavour to prove , not only that the cause of the schism between the church of england and the church of rome lyes at the church of rome's door ; but further , that let them pretend what they will , that schism was first made , and still maintained and upheld for such reasons as ought to be strangers to the christian religion , and do drive on and keep up such an unwarrantable and fulsom interest , as is not consistent with the true state of gods church . if any man shall give me better information , upon due consideration i shall b● willing to receive it , and thankful for it . but if any man shall please to se● himself against me , i would desire him to deal with me as a man , who is of the communion of the church of england in sense of duty , who never gave up my self to any particular party of men , and who in all my studies have had a special eye to the advancement of the peace of gods church , and the satisfaction of my own conscience . chap. iv. of the liberties and priviledges of the britannick churches : and of the actual separation . he who would build true , will first clear the ground ; and therefore i must crave leave to remove some old rubbish out of my way , before i can descend to some such particular matters ( for i pretend not to take in all ) as i think may justifie that separation , which we now maintain , ( for we are not the m●n who made it , but defend that church , which we found , and were born and bred in , and therefore ought not to desert it without just cause ) two things with no lack of confidence are urged as a prejudice against our whole cause . first , that these churches , and even all their bishops did owe a particular subjection to the bishop of rome , either as sole v●car and plenipotentiary of christ jesus on earth , or at least as the western patriarch secondly , that supposing this to be otherwise , yet since the separation matters have been decided by a general council , ( viz. that of trent , ) to which all ought to submit . i shall endeavor to give a fair answer to both these objections ; but first must premise , that supposing , not granting the truth of either or both these objections , yet of themselves they do not overthrow our cause ; for no plea of any exorbitant authority or conciliar determination can oblige us to a sinful communion ; and if that plea be made good against them , all their other arguments vanish into air ; for the holy ghost never assisted any council to make wicked determinations ; nor did the ancients know of any such exotick power in the pope , as that he might be obeyed in every thing ; for though several mátters contributed to gain him an extrao●dinary respect in , and influence on the churcb , yet they held him to the canons ; and if he deviated from them or 〈◊〉 truth , they without scruple opposed him . when basilides and 〈◊〉 , two spanish bi●hop● , justly deposed , fled to stephen bishop of rome ; and by lyes and flattery so prevailed with him , that he not only admitted them to communion , but endeavored to restore them ; st. cyprian smartly opposeth it , writes not only to the bishops , but even to the people there to refuse communion with them , commends the substituting two other bishops in their room , and says , that the faults of basilides in endeavoring his restitution by stephen's means , were non tam abolita , quàm cumulata ( epist . . dd . pam. ) i could bring instances enough of this kind , but this being a by-matter in this place , i will leave it and return to the objections . ii. two titles are set up the better to secure us ; but the one is purely forged : and the other is crackt , weak and bad , and not able to support the claim which is founded on it ; it is hard to say , what authority the bishop of rome doth not challenge under the notion of christs vicar ; his flatterers will scarce allow any bounds to be set to it , and examine his actions , and you will find that he ●ets himself none , on this score , not only we , but all the christian churches in the world , which are not of the roman communion , are stigmatized for schismaticks : on the contrary i think , that there is no one thing that doth better justify our separation , then the challenge , and ( what in him lies ) exercise of such an arbitrary and boundless authority over all the churches of god. upon this account this matter will fall under a particular consideration , as one of the principal grounds and reasons of our separation ; and therefore at present i will leave this great vicar-general , and try if we can come to any better termes with the western patriarch . iii. this latter title , as less liable to exception , hath been insisted upon of late by some , who would seem to be of more moderate principles , and more tender both of the liberty and authority of particular churches : nor is it to be denied , that the bishop of rome had a patriarchate in the western part of the roman empire , but by what authority he came by it , and how far it was extended , and whether he hath forfeited and justly fallen from it , and other questions of the like nature , will fall in of themselves in the series of our discourse . in the mean time , i do think this title to be set up at this time only as a blind to amuse the more unwary and well meaning persons , who are willing to submit to ecclesiastical constitutions , though they detest all unjust , much more all insolent and shameless usurpations ; for if by a charter from christ he be his only vicar , over the universal church , it is not only a lessening of his holiness , but a direct affront to our saviour , to cope up his deputy within bounds , and to give him a limited jurisdiction by ecclesiastical authority , when he is invested with all by original right , and needs not any which they can give ; and it would certainly be much greater satisfaction to the christian world , to prove his authority to be of god , rather then men. besides , i would gladly know , whether the bishop of rome will acquiesce here , and rest contented with the title and authority of the western patriarch ? for patriarchal autho●ity is by ecclesiastical constitution , and was at first suited to the divisions of the empire , and the grandeur of some principal cities in it ; and by the same authority it was given may be taken away , or placed elsewhere , as shall be judged most useful and beneficial to the church of god. now though all this may be easily proved , yet being applied to the bishop of rome , ( and according to the present state of the question , it is as applicable to him as any other patriarch ) i fear the whole college of cardinals nemin● contradicente , would cry out , heresie , damnable heresie . and therefore the starting this title at this time , i only look on as a sly device to let in the cats head , that she may with greater ease draw in her body after . iv. but be it as it will , without any regard to any such ill designes , which some men may covertly manage , let the objection have its due force , and let us examine , whether the bishop of rome as western patriarch , ( so called in relation to other patriarchates in the empire of another site ) had any peculiar and proper jurisdiction over the britannick churches , or whether they were any part of his diocess , as the word in its largest acception signifies , a division containing several provinces ? and this i think will be fully answered : if i prove , that in relation to the britannick church , either he had no such jurisdiction , or none by right . v. that the government of the church was left in the hands of the bishops , i shall prove hereafter . but for the more convenient and advantageous management of the churches affairs , there began very early a particular deference , respect and observance to be paid to the bishop of the principal city , where the secular governour had his residence . he at first was called episcopus primae vrbis , or sedis ; afterwards , a metropolitan . but some overgrown cities , whose numbers , wealth and interest enabled them to overtop and oppress others , as it were , naturally infused into their bishops a spirit of ambition to extend their jurisdiction and power , answerably to the grandeur of their city . these mens encroachments were for a long time stoutly opposed , but power naturally following strength , wealth and interest , and an advantage being given them by the new division of the empire by constantine , they in the end prevail'd , and grasp'd so large jurisdiction as to have several metropolitans under them , and obtained their first ratification in the council of chalcedon , as our late learned bishop of oxford hath ●l●arly proved . ( account of church-govern . ) these at first were called exa●chs , afterwards patriarchs , and sometimes primates . of this new booty , without fail , the bishop of rome , as bishop of the most renowned city in the world , and the ancient seat of the empire , carried away no small share ; for he was always of kin to the lion in the fable , who , when the prey came to be divided , made the beasts that hunted with him , content with a very small pittance , if he was so gracious as to allow any thing : but yet this new exorbitant power did not swallow up the whole church , but in many places they still lived in their ancient liberty , governed by their bishops and metropolitans , without being subject to any pratriarch ; of which the cyprian churches are a famous instance in the east , and i can yet see nothing to perswade me to think otherwise of the britannick in the west . vi. never any succession of men have stood so constantly on their guard , and have been so watchful , diligent and industrious upon all occasions , to depress others and exalt themselves , as the bishops of the roman see : all was fish that ever come to their net ; if they could at any time steal into a jurisdiction , though never so unjustly , they would never quit it , or not without strong tugging and eternal claiming . and therefore considering this temper it were a fair proposal , that setting aside flams and impertinencies , they would produce any fair footsteps of a proper jurisdiction exercised by the bishop of rome over the britons , within the space of a hundred years after the council of chalcedon ; for when men have always been so busie in acquiring , so tenacious in keeping , so severe in exercising jurisdiction , and want no records , ( unless what themselves have either falsifyed or abused ) ; that these men can produce no good evidence for such a jurisdiction , to me it seems a good argument , that from the beginning there was none . if bare claims , ( and those coming after ) were enough , no man could live in peace : and therefore he that will thrust another out of possession for his own benefit , must well and clearly prove his title . had these islands belonged to the roman patriarch , there was no strength in them to have kept out his power , when it was back'd with the least shew of right . if therefore it cannot be proved , that the bishop of rome was in possession of such jurisdiction , here , at or near the time that patriarchates were setled , he may let his suit fall ; unless he have more hopes from force or fraud , then right ; in this cafe , if in any , that common rule , idem est non esse , & non apparere , hold good ; and the rather , because the canon that confirms patriarchates , supposeth the former exercise of fuch jurisdiction by custom . what by degrees he gained long after , may serve well enough to prove him an usurper , but can create him no right , as i shall prove anon. vii . now though it be all the reason in the world , that if the romanists will pretend a title , they should prove it ; yet i will not barely insist upon possession on our part , without giving some reasons that may manifest our right to it . if the patriarchate of the bishop of rome was confined to the suburbicary churches , it is most certain , that the britons lay too far off to be hook'd in by that title ; what other evidence can be brought for the certain bounds of his patriarchate , i cannot tell ; i have met with no better : and this having been plainly assigned to him , it will concern them to bring their proofs , who will extend it further , and therefore i will not longer insist on it . yet this among other reasons moves me to think , that as patriarch he had no proper jurisdiction either over the gallican or spanish churches , and divers others , otherwise then as he might sometimes interpose as an honourary arbitrator , or at other times upon a nicking opportunity with the diligence of a watchful usurper , invade their rights . that the french churches came not under his authority in the same way and manner , that some others did , the liberties of the gallican churches so stoutly maintained to this very day , are an irrefragable instance ; and perhaps that is almost the only church of the roman communion , which affords us any hope , that the cause may one day come to a more equal hearing , and matters be brought more to rights in the church of god. but as for our selves , if the bishop of rome never exercised any such patriarchal jurisdiction over the britons , nor would they own or submit to any such ( considering the low estate of the one , and the power , arts and indefatigable industry of the other ) it will be a convincing argument to any unprejudiced person , that he never had any such jurisdiction here ; that he did exercise any such jurisdiction , i deny ; and it will concern them to convince me by clear instances of the contrary , who will assert it ; but if it were possible , that they could tell me five hundred tales of persons sent over hither by the bishop of rome , i shall not value it one rush . for if wherever he sends one of an errand , he requires the jurisdiction of the place , as he hath the privilege which never man had ; so if he hath not been very negligent and false to his own interest , he might long since have gained the jurisdiction of the whole world , and that is certainly too much for a patriarch , which is our present dispute . but though i am not bound to prove the negative , yet to shew that he could have no such jurisdiction , i shall produce two arguments , the one taken from the different rites and usages of the britons from the romans ; the other from the brittish bishops downright disclaiming such authority , and asserting and proving their liberty . viii . doubtless it doth more concern us to be truly thankful , that god hath vouchsafed us the light of his gospel , and to be careful to live acccrding to it , then scrupulously to enquire after the precise time , when the britons received the christian faith. but if enquiry should be made , ( which in our present case may not only be allowable but useful ) i am prone to think it would appear , that the british churches were so far from being the slave , that they were the elder sister of the church of rome ; and if neither the gift of christ , nor the canons of the ancient church have dealt her any hard measure in this matter , certainly the prerogative of her birth-right ought to invest her with some honour and priviledge , at least to shield her from truckling too much to the power and petulance of her younger sister : and the rather because she hath not been unfruitful , as having brought forth the first christian king , furnished the world with the first christian emperour , afforded the first ( call her as you please ) christian queen or empress , and of all others first so received the faith , that it was the publick , allowed and authorized religion of the place , in which respect she hath sometimes been honoured with the title of primogenita ecclesia ; but to pass by these honourary titles , it is generally agreed , that the britons , as in several other matters , so especially in the observation of the feast of easter , did differ from the romans : and to find out the true reason of this , i think the best way will be to look still higher , even to the first times of christianity . our blessed saviour was so far from separating from the jewish church , that he made them his particular care and charge , and seems to have so designed all his labours for their conviction and reformation , that all nations might have been aggregated to them in his name ; and therefore he was generally shy towards others , and being urged with arguments in favour of the woman of canaan , plainly answers , ( matth. . . ) i am not sent , but unto the lost sheep of the house of israel . this honour towards the jewish church , ( the only church of god then on earth ) and care that it might not be lost , ●at rather that the wall of separation being broken down , all others might be let in to her , continued with the apostles and difciples of christ , after his death and resurrection , for they remained still at jerusalem , preaching to the jews . and when the cruelty of herod , and malice of the jews followed them so close , that they were many of them forced to fly out of jerusalem to save their lives , yet their kindness to the jews , and hopes of their conversion still stuck clofe to them , in so much that those , who were scattered upon the persecution of stephen , and went as far as phenice , cyprus and antioch , preached the word to none but the jews only , ( acts . . ) and there was need of no less then a miracle to perswade peter to go and instruct cornelius a gentile in the way os truth , ( acts . ) and though he did go upon such unanswerable motives , yet he was called to an account for it : the going in unto men uncircumcised was thought a crime not to be suffered , unless extraordinary reason could be given for it . and perhaps this tenderness towards the jews might be no small cause of peters judaizing at antioch . now whilest the disciples did adhere so close to the jews , it is not only reasonable to suppose , that they used their customes and rites ; but we have scripture testimony of some instances , wherein they did so , as in the matter of the sabbath , ( though they kept also the lords day ) and circumcision , and some other things . and therefore it is likely , that they did observe with them their other fasts and feasts , especially that which was accounted the principal , the passeover . for as they look'd upon these things as in their own natures , to be matters then indifferent , so tbey did hope to draw off the jews by degrees , and to let the law of moses go off honourably rather by difuse then contempt . and this practice continued for some time after the conversion of divers of the gentiles by the disciples , who were dispersed by the persecution at jerusalem . and therefore i take that plea of polyerates for his different observation of easter from victor bishop of rome , to be a testimony of the very early conversion of those asiatick churches , and that they were of the first fruits of christianity . but after that god , by bestowing the holy ghost on the gentiles , and other clear signes and indications of his will , had convinced all the apostles and ministers of the word , that it was not only lawful , but their duty to make known the words of eternal life unto the gentiles , and the gentiles upon their preaching in all places did plentifully flock into the church , then in those gentile churches christian liberty began in a greater measure to be maintained against the mosaical rites . and now paul , who circumcised timothy , refused to circumcise titus ; yea , even the council at jerusalem disburthen of all those matters except some few things , which the necessity of the times would not permit them to take off , unless they should have utterly disobliged the jews , of whom they had some hopes . and about this time it is probable began the strict observation of the lords day , with the neglect of the sabbath ; and the celebrating the resurrection , not on the precise time of the jewish passeover , but on the first day of the week , ( called the lords day , from his resurrection on that day ) next following the fourteenth of the moon . and yet though this was allowed in the gentiles , yet in communion with the christian jews , a greater regard was had to the law ; and therefore when that great assertor of the gentiles liberty st. paul , came up to jerusalem , though the disciples approved what he had done , yet they advise him to go purifie himself in the temple , and do such other matters , that he might appear according to the opinion of the jews , to walk orderly and keep the law , ( acts . ) but when neither pains , patience nor arguments could prevail , but the jews became more obstinate then ever in adhering to the mosaical rites , and obtruded them upon all others , with the opinion of such absolute necessity that they became a scandal to the gospel , and made the death of christ in vain , and upon this account were the implacable enemies of the christians in all places ; then to vindicate the gospel the christians were under a necessity to depart from them ; and those , who before complyed all that could be with them , now lest they should seem to countenance the opinion , that salvation was by the law of moses , not by the faith of christ jesus , fled as far as they could from them , and would not joyn with them in , or practise any of the rites peculiar to the law of moses ; for the matter was now come to that pass , that they could not do it without betraying the christian religion ; so that now ceased the obligation to these matters , which the council at jerusalem had formerly imposed in favour of the jews , and hopes to win them . and hence it is probable , many churches too● occasion to turn the great festival of the jews the sabbath into a f●●t . and for this reason amongst others , viz. that they might not ground their festival from any jewish rite , or because they thought the account no● exact , they declined the fourteenth of the moon , and began that feast on the lords day , reckoning from the fifteenth to the one and twentieth of the moon . now not to run over the stories of simon zelotes , joseph of ari●●athea , and others , who are celebrated for the first planters of the christian religion in these isles : from these premisses it is not irrational to conclude , that the british churches , observing the feast of easter after the usage which obtained before the separation from the jews , and the roman church more exactly as was devised afterwards , the gospel in all probability must have been preached and received in brittain , some time before any considerable church was gathered at rome ; and being this usage continued for several hundreds of years , though the bishops of rome were so far from suffering it in , that they would scarce suffer it out of their jurisdiction , it will follow , that these churches were neither of roman conversion , nor roman jurisdiction . ix . this matter will be much clearer , if we now descend to consider the debates , behaviour and actions of the brittish bishops towards augustine the monk , who was sent hither by pope gregory for the conversion of the saxons . but first to prevent mistakes i must tell you , that i have no design either to vindicate the brittish bishops in the observation of easter , or to condemn the roman ; it matters not to me who was right or wrong ; but it is the difference and the grounds whereon it was maintained , which serves my ends. the britons were not quartodecimani , as some have supposed ; for those kept the feast on the fourteenth of the moon , on what day of the week soever it fell : but the britons expected the lords day . but i suppose none now will contest it , but that the romans were most exact and right in their observation ; but then that arose from this nicety , that the law of moses commands the paschal lamb to be slain in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month : now according to the jewish account , who reckoned the foregoing night to the following day , that must be on the beginning of the fifteenth day : but the britons , who reckoned not from sun-set , but from sun-rise , and so on the contrary joyned the following night to the foregoing day , could not see this , but must of course take the evening following the fourteenth day , to be part of the fourteenth day . and therefore their practice being suitable to their common conceptions ; and having obtained amongst them from their first entrance into christianity , it was unreasonable that those , who had no jurisdiction over them , should impose an alteration upon them , and still worse to raise irreconcileable fewds , and make divisions in gods church for such a matter ; as if a man could not be a good christian , without being an exact astronomer , and critically cunning in the customes of other nations . x. but to return to our matter . mauritius , according to beda , ( eccl. hist . lib. . cap. . ) came to the empire in the year ; in the tenth year of his reign gregory came to the popedom ; and he in the fourteenth year of the same emperours reign sends augustine to the saxons , so that a●gustines first m●ssion was about the year , but though he and his companions seem●d to set forth with great chearfulness and resolution , yet whether from the dread of a warlike and barbarous people , or from an apprehension of their inability for the work , as not understanding the language , or what other cause i know not ; after mature deliberation in council they fairly tack about , and sail back again . this much troubled the good pope , who by all circumstances seems to have set his heart on this work ; and he had the greater reason for it , because it was already half done to his hands ; and therefore he gently reproves those faint-hearted souldiers , but takes greater pains to encourage them ; and that they might want nothing to fit them for the work , he sends and recommends them to etherius archbishop of arles , who furnisheth them with interpreters de gente erancorum , ( bed. eccl. hist . lib. . cap. . & . ) and now away they go for good , and land in the isle of thanet , and perhaps there was no great difficulty in converting king ethelbert , for it was now about years since the coming in of the saxons ; and though their quarrel was with the britons , yet they could not in all that time but understand somewhat of the christian religion from them . besides , ethelberts queen was a christian , and de gente erancorum regiâ ( as beda phraseth it ) ; and it was conditioned at her marriage , that she should have the fr●e use of her religion ; and the condition was duely kept ; for whereas the king had his court in canterbury , the queen had for her use the then ancient church of st. martin standing at the towns-end , and her bishop lindhardus , who officiated ; and any body will suppose ▪ that both she and her bishop would do all they could to influence and perswade the king : further , beda ( eccl. hist . lib. . cap. . ) saith expressly , though somewhat mincingly , that antea fama ad eum christianae religionis pervenerat . and gregory the great in one of his letters saith , they were desirous of it . and whosoever shall duely consider the whole behaviour of king ethelbert , will find in him no aversion to the christian religion , but that like a wise prince he only ●ook care so to manage the matter , that he might receive it with the satisfaction of his subjects , and draw them to it after him . well , in a short time the king is convert●d , and augustine becomes his favourite : and yet before this , with the true industry of a monck , he lends the honest bishop linhardus a lift , who had prepared matters for him , and by the kings favour gets possession of st. martins church . and here i know not well how to excuse beda from partiality . for he saith as little as could be be●ore , but henceforward not a word of the endeavors of the queen or her bishop , nor a tittle of all the labor and pains of the french intetpreters , without whom this our english apostle could have done nothing ; but augustine , like a true son of the r●man church , goes away both with all the honour and all the profit . and now being grown too great for a monck , he makes a journey to arles , and by the arch-bishop of that place , at the motion of pope gregory , is ordained no less then archiepiscopus genti anglorum , ( bed. eccl. hist . lib. . cap. . ) a pretty fetch before new converts understood themselves , to secure the whole authority of the nation to a roman missionary , and consequently to the pope , whoever should be afterwards at the pains to convert them . however , after his return he seems to have laboured in the business , and after the death of pope gregory , which beda ( eccl. hist . lib. . cap , . ) refers to the year , he obtains a conference with the brittish bishops , with a design to get their assistance in converting the saxons , and withal to advance himself by drawing t●em under his jurisdiction ; but whether in hatred to the saxons , their mortal and indeed unjust enemies , or through offence at augustines pride and taking too much upon him , or in love to their old customes , which augustine unseasonably would not allow , the main business miscarried , and then first arose the paschal controversie in britain , so that at first dash here ariseth a prescription of about yeares for the british usage . xi . the grounds whereon the britons proceeded seem to be chiefely these , that they would not give up their ancient liberties and customes , nor depart from the canons of the church . and here beda shews himself little favourable to their affaires , as at other times he appears very ignorant in them ; for though he studiously conceals augustines ambition , yet the britons answers plainly discover it . for their first answer is this . non se posse absque suorum consensn ac licentiâ priscis abdicare moribus . and in the second meeting or synod their answer is plainly this , that they will not receive him for their arch-bishop , ( bed. ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) but the answer of the abbot of bangor shews the reason , why they neither could , nor ought to do it ; and is so pat to the purpose , that i shall set it down as sir henry spelman hath translated it from the brittish , ( co. pag. . ) be it known , and without doubt unto you , that we all are , and every one of us obedsent and subjects to the church of god , and to the pope of rome , and to every godly christian , and to love every one in his degree , in perfect charity , and to keep every one of them , by word and d●ed to be the children of god ; and other obedience than this i do not know due , ●te him whom you name to be pope , nor to be the father of fathers to be claimed and to be demanded ; and this obedience we are ready to give and to pay to him , and to every christian continually . besides , we are under the government of the bishop of kaerleon upon uske , who is to oversee , under god , over us , to cause us to keep the way spiritual . this answer throughout savours the temper of the most early primitive times , and shews , that the afflictions of the britons had kept their churches from that corruption and secular pride , which had then too much invaded others ; and from it i will only observe three things . first , that with a tender care to express their communion with the catholick church , and their duty to all christians , they own no other obedience to the bishop of rome , then as christians they owe to any other foreign bishops and their churches ; and so the bishop of rome owed as much to them as they to him. secondly , that the authority which augustine demanded , and the power of any foreign bishop to place him over them , was a thing utterly unknown and unheard of to them ; so little were they acquainted with the patriarchate , which is now so confidently asserted . thirdly , that they were so subject to the arch-bishop of caerleon , that they did not think him subject to the jurisdiction of any other particular bishop whatsoever , but that he was over them ▪ next under god. and accordingly we never hear of any appeals from him to any superiour see ; but if any thing concerned them in common , or was too weighty for him , it was transacted synodically . and it is observeable , that though the brittish bishops and clergy flockt to this synod with their main strength , yet the arch-bishop of caerleon absented himself , in all likelihood either in indignation at augustines claim , or lest his appearance should seem any ways in the least to countenance that superiority , which he challenged over him . the effects of this synod were very unhappy , for the britons went away so enraged at augustines pride and pretences , that they would not afford the least assistance towards the conversion of the saxons ; nay , when th●y were converted , it is apparent , that they looked on them as schismaticks , or worse , and would have no communion with them : and in this untoward humour they persisted , even when the saxon kings had brought the brittisb kings under some kind of subjection . this is evident from beda , ( ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) who telling us , how carduella king of the brit●ns rebelled against edwin then principal king of the saxons , and by the help of pe●da king of the mercians , slew both him and his only son , and utterly routed his whole army ; after he had bestowed some ill words on them both for their pains , he has this remarkable passage concerning carduella and the britons , sed nec religioni christianae , quae apud eos exorta erat , aliquid impend●bat honoris : quippe cùm usque hodie moris sit britonum , fidem re●igionémque anglorum pro nihilo habere , neque in aliquo ●is magis communicare , quàm paganis . so that hence it is plain , that they continu●d the same not only after augustines time , but even to beda's . but to return again to augustine , he being every way defeated of his purpose , meditates revenge , and incenseth ethelbert so highly , that he stirs up edilfrid king of the northumbrians , and they together made that lamentable slaughter of the moncks of bangor , which beda , and after him the romanists , as one man account as a signal j●dgement of god upon their obstinacy ; but others say , it was a contrivance , and that god more signally vindicated their innocence ; for three british princes with their mirmidons met them both , whilest they were reeking hot with the blood of these innocents , and killed above ten thousand of their men , sore wounded edilfrid , and warmly pursued ethelbert , by which means their sinking spirits were recruited , their wrongs in some measure revenged , and their borders enlarged as far as the humber , ( spel. co. pag. . & seq . ) xii . hitherto the britons preserved their ecclesiastical liberties entire , though they had lost the best part of their count●ey ; and neither augustine's reasons , nor ethelbert's armies , could prevail with them to give up those just rights , which they had been so long possessed of . but when augustine died , laurentius succeeds him , a man both pious and prudent , and of a much sweeter temper then his predecessor : and he in zeal for the propagation of the faith attempts to perswade not only the britons but the irish to joyn with him in the work , only he seems very desirous , that they would all unite in observing easter at the same time ; but as for the britons , they were so far from any accommodation , that they would not allow of any communion with him : nor was his success at present much better with the irish , for though he hoped to find them otherwise , yet he was deceived , and upon discovery it is acknowledged with some grief . scottos ( i. e. the irish , for beda's scotti are irish ) nihil discrepare à britonibus in eorum conversatione , ( bed. ecc. hist . lib. . cap. ) and the behaviour of digamus an irish bishop did not a little trouble him , of whom he has this complaint , ad nos venien● , non solum cibum nobiscum , sed nec in eodem hospitio quo vesceb●mur , sumere voluit , ( id . ib. ) so that it seems the roman bishops would have been content to have communicated with the brittish and irish bishops , and allowed them orthodox ; but the other would not own them to be so . xiii . by the way give me leave to observe , that the britons , scots and irish all unanimously agreed in the same religious rites . as to the irish and britons , it appears from what hath been said already , and will be more evident from what shall follow . as f●r that part of the island now called scotland , it was then inhabited , partly by the scotti , who flockt thither out of ireland , and from whom it afterwards took its name ; and partly by the britons under the name of picts : for he that considers mr. cambdens reasons to prove them britons , will never be at the pains to fetch them so far as scithia , ( brit. tit . picti ) and when beda tells us of columbanus an irish abbot going to convert the picts , he confesses , that the southern picts had been christians long before ; and so might the northern too : though it is probable , that living in those wilde countreys , and continually exercised in wars and rapine , they might be so far degenerated , that the recovering them to the true sense and state of christianity , might not unfitly be called a conversion . now as columbanus was an irish man , so nynias , who long before converted the southern picts , was a briton , and therefore doubtless both taught the same rites , wherein both people agreed . but perhaps much stress is not to be laid on the story , so far as it relates to nynias ; for beda tells that part of it with an ut perhibetur , no● was he well skilled in the ancient brittish affairs ; and i am apt to think , that for the honour of the roman way , which beda upon all occasions promotes , he patch'd that piece to his heard say tale , that nynias was romae regulariter fidem & mysteria veritatis edoctus ; for the britons at that time had little or no converse with the roman christians , though they eve● kept a kind correspondence and friendly communion with the french. nor can i find one clear instance , that any part of the british , scotch or irish churches , till after augustines time , differed in their religious rites , especially as to the observation of easter . nay , it will appear anon , that th● roman party themselves , yielded them to be unanimous in this thing . yea , beda expressly affirms , that omnis natio pictorum , &c. the whole nation of the picts observe easter the same way . ( ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) and for the other it is out of question . xiv but to return to laurentius ; he was not only frustrated in his pious design by the britons and irish , but fell soon after into a great deal of trouble ; for after the death of ethelbert religion went backward amongst the saxon● , the pagan worship and wickedness got ground daily , and a dreadful storm seemed to grow up apace , and hang over the heads of the christians , in so much that mellitus and justus the bishops of london and rochester , discouraged with their ill success , and finding themselves not safe , retire into france , and laurentius was once resolv'd to follow them . but it pleased god to be more merciful to these people , and propitious to his endeavours ; for he seems to have been a man truly pious , and to have discharged all the parts of a good christian bishop . and having happily reclaimed king eadbald , the son and successor of ethelbert , he recals mellitus and justus . and now it is very reasonable to suppose , that he resolved to lay aside these punctilio's and little differences , and perswaded mellitus and justus , who both in their turns succeeded him , to do the same ; that they might be more serviceable to the main christian cause , and the propagation of the gospel ; for though the britons could by no means be wrought on , as either being jealous of the roman clergy , or exasperated by the injuries which they had and daily did receive from the saxons ; yet the irish and scotch , who had not the like quarrel as to their territories , in a short time fall to labour in the harvest , and that very successfully . but it should seem , that they first agreed to enjoy their own liberties and rites for those who were converted by them of the roman way , kept easter as the romans did , and observed their rites ; and those who were converted by the irish or scots , followed the irish customes , which were the same with the britons , and yet both communicated with each other , and joyntly promoted the common cause : and this with some little disputes , which will always happen in such cases , continued without any breach of communion , for a very considerable times . aidan a scotchman , the first bishop of the northumbrians , preached the gospel so powerfully , and lived so exemplarily , that the ro●●●ist● themselves had him in no mean veneration ; nor doth beda ( except in the matter of the paschal solemnity , in which he forgives no man ) afford any man a fairer or sweeter character throughout his whole history . after seventeen years toyl god sends him a writ of ease , and he is succeeded by his countreyman finan , who lived in the see ten years ; all this time both romish and british rites were promiscuously used , according as every man was instructed by him , who converted him , and yet both parties lived in great charity and christian communion . and thus it held till the third year of coleman , finans successor , which was in the year of our lord . ( bed. ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) and then that turbalent fellow wilfrid set it on foot again ; and violently push'd on so far , that a synod or confe●ence was had about it , where the king , the prince . several bishops , and many of the clergy appear . now wilfrid had subtilely nickt his time ; for the king was wavering , the queen and prince sure on his side , and agilbertus bishop of the west saxons , a stiff assertor of the roman way , was then occasionally come to that court ▪ the king opens the conference , and desires his bishop coleman first to relate upon what grounds he relied ; the summe of whose answer is this , that he had received the tradition from his forefathers , who had all unanimously observed it ; that herein they followed st. john the beloved disciple of our saviour , and the churches which he governed ; and that they had also on their side the authority of anatolius . now considering how eusebius relates matters to have been long before adjusted by polycarp and anic●tus , ( viz. that charity and christian communion being preserved , each might follow the ancient customes of those whom they succeeded ) any one would think this so fair a plea , that it might deserve both a civil and a satisfactory answer . yet wilfrid , then but newly made a priest , with a roman modesty puts the fool upon the good bishop coleman and his whole party . his answer is related by beda with all advantage , in which some things are true , some false . but it is observeable , that he never tells them of any missionaries from rome , either to the britons , irish , scots or picts ; he never tells them , that they had received the faith by means of the roman church ; he never charges them so much as with ingratitude , or to have fallen from what they had received ; nay , he doth not deny such a tradition amongst them , but impugnes it as a too early tradition , as more ancient then he pretended to , or ought to be followed ; and that they were ignorant of what was established-in the church after the separation from the jews ; and herein lies the main strength of his plea. but of all things insisted on by welfrid , nothing was so luckily urged , as that st. peter had the keyes of the kingdom of heaven . for the king , in no small fear that he might be lock'd out if he displeased the porter , presently gives the matter on wilfrids side . but all this nothing moved coleman , who chose rather to abandon his bishoprick , then forsake his ancient customes , and seem to betray the rights of those churches and bishops , who had ordained and sent him thither ; and accordingly he retires into his own countrey , with many others , who were of the same persuasion : and no doubt but wilfrid and the romanists were well pleased , that they had all to themselves . xv. these considerations amongst others , do with me not a little shake the credit of those stories , that tes● us how phaganus and deruvianus , ( or by what other names they are called , for they have not less then twenty between them ) were sent by pope eleutherius to king lucius , palladius and st. patrick by celestine to the irish ; or of any other persons pretended to be sent before augustines time . i do not deny , but that there were such persons , who were famous in their generation , and did eminent service in the church of god ; but the assertions of all our moncks , and as many more , will not half perswade me , that these men were roman missionaries ; for who can believe , that these men should come with instructions from rome , and yet every one of them should agree to establish such rites , as were not only different from the church of rome , but such as the bishops of rome were particular enemies to ? if any man say , that these rites in opposition to each other , had not clearly obtained , even in rome it self so early , so far as relates to easter , that early contest between polycarp and anicetus confutes it . but if it be said , that though such usages were setled at rome , yet they were not averse , but that others might be taught and practised in other countreys , then that b●stle which victor made over all the christian world will not suffer us to believe this . but that those very men , who were sent by the popes to convert the britons , should establish those rites and usages , which they knew he would never endure , is such a riddle , as wants a better oedipus then me to unfold it ; and it is somewhat strange , that in all the contests-between augustine and his followers , with the britons and irish , not one of these men should be objected to the british , irish or scots , that they should never be check'd with ingratitude to his holiness ; that it should never be said that they had been taught otherwise , and were fallen from their first principles and converters . it is very rare , that the romanists forget themselves so much , or are meal-mouth'd in such cases . and therefore it is not unlikely , that the pope , in process of time becoming the bold man who challenged the command over all , the moncks of after-times , oweing their privileges and unjust exemptions from their bishops to him , in requital made him that busie active man , who had ever done all ; and therefore when they heard or read of any people converted by any person , imagining that he must have authority from the roman see , they without scruple plainly asserted , that he was sent thence ; and their fictions must now pass for historical testimonies . and then as to the persons pretended to be sent , deruvianus , though trim'd for sound sake , and set off with a latine termination , carries the plain marks of a brittish name , and some write him dwywan , which the criticks may , if they can , make latin at their leisure ; if it were lawful to guess in this case , i should think his name was durwan . the like might be said concerning phaganus , but i pass it by . but then after the conversion of lucius , h●w these men should so readily find their way in insulam aval●●i● , ( glassenbury ) where had been a retreat for the religious ever since the gospel had been preached in this isle , is somewhat strange ; perhaps , it was by miracle , but it seems more probable , that upon encouragement they came forth , or were sent from their monastery , and having accomplished their work , either for reasons to us unknown , or as a thing usual in those times , retired thither again . as for palladius , from whence soever he came , it is certain he died too soon to effect any thing considerable . and for st patrak though there is no sma●l striving for him , yet the best reasons conclude him a b●iton ; and though some sell him to the irish , some to the brit●●s , yet it is most likely that he was conveyed away young to the irish , like joseph into egypt , where in his affliction learning their language , he was the better fitted for that great work , to which god had designed him . these men all left the brittish rites in force , and made further emprovem●nts upon the stock of chri●●ianity , form●●ly pl●nted in this island , which things , ( considering also , that they all along c●aimed to derive from st. john ) are a strong evidence , that this illand was both of early and eastern conversion . and perhaps that may be some rea●on , that there are so many greek words in the brittish tongue , and in the same signification in both languages , it being very likely that they might receive them from those who first converted then to christian●ty . xvi . this digression will not casily be pardoned by some ; and yet i shall adventure to follow it with another : for it were manifest injustice to the gallican churches , to pass by that christian prudence and moderation , which they steadily used during all their heats and controversies , between the romanistt on the one part , and the britons , scots and irisb on the other ; for , as if irenaeus had left a double portion of his spirit among them , they did not think themselves bound to break communion with any for these matters , but did all they could to promote the common cause ; those of the roman ▪ way were frequently ordained by them , and indeed without their help and assistance at every turn , they seem to have been able to do little or nothing in the conversion of the saxons , and yet at the same time they shew the same kindness both to the britons and irisb , friendly receiving their bishops , communicating with them , and if occasion required readily ordaining for them . but between the gallican and brittish ●hurches , there seems to have been a more inward kindness , and more close communion then ordinary ; and they seem to have depended more upon the mutual succours of each other , then any other churches . hence we find the britons assisting in the gallican councils ; and when the pelagian heresie grew too strong for them in britain , they presently have recourse to the gallican churches , and receive succours thence , a gallicanis antistitibus auxilium belli spiritalis inquirant , saith beda , ( ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) and whereas pope gregory , in his letter to queen brunechild , seems covertly to upbraid both french and britons for not preaching the gospel to the saxons , who ( he saith ) were desirous to receive it ; ( so that augustine had no such hard work of it , ) i know not what better reason can be given for the slackness of the french in this case , ( who were then a flourishing church , and well stored with men of learning , piety and zeal ) then their resentment of that barbarous usage , which their old friends the britons had received from the saxons . i wi●l not heap up more inst●nces in this matter ; but t●at which will make it no impertinent digression is this , that the britons were so inveterate against all pretences of roman . authority , that they would not so much as ●ommunicate with them ; a●d yet at the same time the gallican churches held communion with the britons as orthodox ; now had the roman patriarchate then either by council ● custom extended over these isles , the gal●●can bishops for this constant practice w●ul● have been condemned as schismaticks , or at least as schismaticis favente & adhaerentes . b●t no such m●t●er was ever attempted , and ●owever 〈◊〉 stories have since involved things in darkness , yet it seems the matter was than too pl●in to be denied ; no● was the bishop of rome then got to that height , as to deal with ●ll churches as he listed ; so that here we have the testimony of a neighbor church , ( who were then well acquainted with the b●itish affai●s , and none of the meanest churches in the christian world ) for the liberties of the british churches for betwixt six and seven hundred yeares . xvii . but now to return where i left off . the contest with wilfrid seems to have preduced a separation , and both parties continued resolutely in their own way , even unto beda's days , who flourished in the eighth century . 't is true , they got some little ground on the irish and scots , but that ●ery slowly , and not without great difficulty , as may appear from beda's narrative of the travel and pains of adamnanus , ( ecc. hist . lib. cap. . ) but as for the britons , though oppressed on all hands with their enemies , they not only asserted , but enjoyed their ecclesiastical liberties , and by beda's own confession even in his time , would no more communicate with the saxons then with pagans . this prescription is sufficient to secure the right of their liberties from the popes pretence as patriarch , as i shall presently ●ake appear ; but yet they lived in possession of these liberties several generations after , as may appear from that known testimony of giraldus cam●rensis , episcopi walliae à menevensi antistite sunt consecrati , & ipse similiter ab 〈◊〉 tanquam suffraganeis est constitutus , nuliâ penitus alii ecclesiae factâ professione 〈◊〉 subjectione , i. e. the bishops of wales are consecrated by the bishop of ●enevia , ( al. st. davids , the prime see ) and he likewise is constituted by the other bishops his suffragans , without any manner of account given , or subjection made to any other church . and here by the way take notice , that the britons kept close to the true and most early antiquity , in paying a j●st deference to him , who was episcopus primae sedis , without using the names of metripolitan or arch-bishop , which were termes of later date . xviii . i was never an admirer of personal quarrels , and therefore was ●ever fond of heing engaged against particular persons ; but that arch-traytor to his countrey f. parsons hath made such a blunder and bustle in this matter , that it may seem needful to return a particular answer to some things alledged by him ; if scurrilous language and impudence be necessary properties in an accurate lyar , scarce any man was ever better accom●lished : only one qualification he wanted , without which all the learned ●ave thought a man can never dextrously manage that trade ; for either he ●ad a very frail memory , or else thought all other men to be very shortighted , and would swallow down all his assertions without any exami●ation . if a conjecture of any protestant fall in his way , whether of any moment or not , he teazeth it with all his might and cunning , and yet the preatest part of his proofs are meerly conjectural , and often very ●roundless . he is highly offended with sir francis hastsngs , for saying , that the f●●st teachers of christian faith in britain , were rather gre●ians , and of the east church in asi● , then of the west roman church . and for this he pe●empt●rily says , that there is no author at all , ( conver. cap . se● . . ) i will not insist on it , that they were grecians , they might be of the jewish nation ; but with f. parsons good leave , even the remans themselves owe their conversion to the easterling , either jews or grecians , for they were b●fore them in christianity ; and considering the early conversion of the britons , it could come from none other , unless travelling thorough the western parts of the world , made them of the western church and no other . and if he were living , i would desire him to tell me , what countreymen s●mon zelotes and joseph of arima●hea were , whom he himself makes great ●nstruments of our conversion . besides , the feast of easter was then celebrated uncertainly , and the controversie not risen , and not determined till long after : and it is an argument that we were not under the authority of the bishop of rome , because these isles did not submit to their determination ▪ but afterwards , ( cap. . sect . . ) forgetting himself he acknowledgeth , that coleman alledg●d a tradition from st. john and anatolius ; so that his saying will be true , when st. john and anatolius can be proved to be of the particular church of rome , and bishop coleman and beda to be no authors . xix he proceeds , telling us , that it is a notorious lie of john fox , in saying , that st. beda a●firmeth this custom of keeping easter with the jews to have been here in britain in his time , as though all britain had used it ; whereas in divers places he doth expressly attribute the same to the scots , that dwelled in the island of ireland principally , as also to some of them that dwelt in britain , and to fome britains themselves ; but all the english church , ( saith he ) was free from it . indeed it is a mistake both in parsons and fox , if they thought any of them kept it with the jews in the strict sense ; for in that famous northumbrian disputation , their enemy wilfrid doth not deny their keeping it on the lords day , but accuseth them with a false account from the fourteenth to the twentieth of the moon ; but if there were any other some , who kept it the roman way , i would know who they were , what were any of their names , and in what parts of these islands they dwelt ? here all instances utterly failed the jesuite , and therefore he subtilely passeth it by , never offering at any proof . but i need not insist on this , because i haue already proved , that all the christians of these isles till augustines time kept easter the same way , and different from the roman . beda himself tells us , that wilfrid was confident , that his doctrine was omnibus scottorum traditionibus jure praeserendam . so that as confident as he was , yet they w●re all against him by his own confession , without an● of f p●rsons exceptions . and in the beginning of the dispute coleman's assertion is this , pasca hoc , quod agere soleo , à majoribus meis accepi , qui me huc episc●p●m miserunt , quod omnes paetres nostri vir● deo dilecti eodem modo celebrasse , noscuntur . ( bed. ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) as ●or his english church being free ( i. e. from this errour ) nothing could be said more impertinent and ridiculous ; for if he mean before augustine's time , his english church were then all pagans ; if he speak of what was in or after augustine's time , it is nothing to the purpose ; for no body denies but that augustine brought in the roman way ; the dispute is concerning what was the practice here before ; and now f. paersons may take his lye again , as being the true father of it . xx. upon this false foundation he frames this trifling argument , which he seems to make great account of : that the britons can no more be said to be of eastern conversion , then a man could say the first preachers to them were pelagians , because in beda's time some reliques of the pelagian heresic might be found amongst them . to which i answer , that the case is quite otherwise ; and if in beda's , or any others time , the britons had been found as unanimously agreeing in the pelagian heresie as they were in the paschal solemnity , and no footsteps appearing that it had been otherwise , any man would conclude , that their first preachers had been pelagians , or men infected with the same heresie , if they were not known by the same name . and thus he ought to have laid his argument to make the parallel run true to the reality of the cases : but he was more crafty then so , for that had been to confute himself . next , he triumphs over fox , for saying , that beda affirms this custom concerning easter , to have been in britain almost yeares after christ ; whereas ( saith he ) beda was a much older author , and died in the year . well , but what if all this should be done by miracle ? ( without one i know not how it could ) and beda should appear almost yeares after his death to some drowsie monk , and tell him this ●ale ? f. parsons , if it had made for him would have hugg'd such a revelation : but after all , it is only a mistake , if not , a wilful one ; though fox's heedless way of expression gave too much occasion for it ; for his meaning is this , that beda affirmeth easter to be so kept by the britons in his time , and that the same custom continued after his time amongst them so long , as to be practised almost yeares after christs time ; and all this is very true , as shall appear anon. xxi . to revenge this wrong ( as he thinks ) done to beda , he falls foul upon the magdeburgenses , for making jeoffery of monmoutb to live about years after christ . jeoffery's testimony indeed gauled him forely , and therefore it was to be shuffled off by any means ; whether he hath done the magdeburgenses right in that thing , i neither know nor care . for their errour as to the time of jeoffery's life doth nothing invalidate his testimony . but if it were good before their mistake , it is so still , so that this is only cavilling . besides , though jeoffery of monmouth lived in the time of king stephen , which is above yeares since , and so is no yesterdays author ; yet the work it self is much older ; for he was not the author but translator of that history , which was written orginally in the brittish language , and accounted an old book before he was born , as lambard and others have proved , and therefore the testimony is more considerable , and deserves a better answer after all the magdeburgenses account , may refer to the matter of the testimony , and time when the thing was transacted , not to jeoffery's life ; and then it will be too modest and too favourable ; to less purpose is his time spent in proving jeoffery to be no cardinal . i should be prone to believe him , if i had no other reason , but his relating a truth so prejudicial to the interest of the court of rome ; but if he was not a cardinal , he might be as honest a man ; 't is certain he was a bishop , and as such was a much better man ; especially if the pope would suffer them to be what christ and his apostles made them , and not appropriate all that authority to the roman see , to a share of which every bishop hath as good right and title as himself . xxii . at length , after a deal of shuffling , lying and rayling , he comes to the matter of jeoffery's testimony ; and that he answers easily , and so may any man , who takes no care to speak truth , but only what may serve his turn ; he says , there is not a word in it of not acknowledging the popes supremacy . i know not how there should , for such a supremacy as is now claimed , was not then lick'd into form . he might have remembred , that the transactions there mentioned , relate to the time of gregory the great , then whom no man wrote more fiercely against the supremacy ; or , which is in effect the same thing , the setting up an universal bishop ; or if he had bethought himself of what he elsewhere tells us , that the britons would not communicate with augustines converts , then dogs ; he might have made it a strong argument for their professing obedience , and subjection to the see of rome . in fine , he will have their answer amount to no more but this , that only they would not acknowledge augustines superiority over them , seeing be was sent only to the english ; and that the authority of their own arch bishop was not taken away by his coming , for any thing they knew , but remained as before ( conver . cap. . sect . . ) what pity is it , that augustine did not better inform them ? it seem's they would have been a very obedient people , had they known the pope's orders , and been told the truth of the matter . but it is an unlucky thing , that when a man with working his wits has devised an answer that would do the business , he should not have the privilege to make it pass for truth , unless it be so in it self . now all this is spoken by a figure called fiction , which the rude vvlgar call lying . for the britons no more regarded the pope then they did augustine . i have already set down the answer of dinothus abbot of bangor , to which jeoffery's words relate ; and he who will be at the pains to read it will see , that it is as expressly and directly levelled against the pope's authority or supremacy , ( if it must be so called ) as could be well f●amed . they impugne augustines authority by denying the pope , and own no superiour but the bishop of caerleon , who was to oversee under god over them , or ( according to the brittish ) had the only eye over them under god. and this they confirm by their unanimous practice , despising all orders from rome , and obstinately refusing all communion with augustine and his successors . yet this and more f. parsons chymistry can melt into obedience , and an acknowledgement of the pope's supremacy . at this rate who can doubt of miracles in the church of rome ? xxiii . in the next place he is highly offended with the magdeburgenses , for speaking so irreverently of pope innocent the first , and his testimony , that all the west churches were founded by st. peter , on his disciples and successors . and it is no wonder if pope innocent spoke out for himself , and it may go a great way , where they have not to do with such hereticks as expect proofs . if this be true , why has f. parsons discovered some such first founders of the brittish churches , as were none of peters disciples or successors , his forgetfulness sometimes doth his holy father as much injury , as the magdeburgians malice ; neither doth it carry any force of truth ; because by rheir own confession there was a time , when easter was not so exactly observed , as now it is , whether there was a stated church at rome then or not , and that the conversion of the britons was at that time , i see not any better account can be given . to help out this , he tells us of two more popes , honorius and john the fourth , who wrote to the irish to reduce them from this errour ; but honorius will do him small service , because in that account which beda gives of his letter , ( ecc. hist . lib. . cap. . ) it is clearly implied , that the whole nation was involved in it , and so we have a pope on our side to set against him that follows . his pope john was searce pope then , at best he was but ●lect ; and the letter seems to com● , ( as ' i may say ) from the chapter in the vacancy of the see ; and of those many who joyn in writing it . hilarius the arch-presbyter , not john , is first mentione ; but for once let john have the cred●t of it , and he then will tell us , that this heresie ( i.e. concerning easter ) was but lately sprung up amongst them , and only some sew infected with it . but now how john and honorius will agree about this , i cannot tell ; for once i will be so kind to f. parsons , as to try if i can make them friends . the brittish and irish usage was in this western part of the world a great singularity in those days ; now if john had a mind to draw them off from it , who can blame him from speaking favourably , and representing the matter as inoffensively as could be : the way to win men is not to provoke them ; and we sometimes seem not to believe , that a man is so bad as we know he is , because we would not harden him with shame , but have a defire to make him better . but when men purposely and designedly speak sparingly , their words are not to be brought as an evidence of the whole matter . but the truth is , they had little knowledge of our state , but by uncertain relations ; gregory the great himself , when he sa● the english children sold in the market , knew not whether their nation was christian or pagan . augustine even for some time after his coming hither , knew not the usage of the britons , yea , even laurentius his successor had much such an opinion of the irisb as f. parfons , till time and experience undeceived him ; and therefore such forreigners as were far more ignorant of our affairs , we may justly except against as incompetent witnesses , especially they being the very men who taught these men their errour , which their eyes and eares after convinced them of . xxiv . but now comes the knocking argument to this effect ; that neither damianus , and others sent by eleutherius , nor st. german and his fellows , who came twice hither to oppose the pelagian● , make any mention of this usage , which they would have done and amended it too , had they found it here , because ( saith he ) both pope pius and pope victor had before condemned it for heretical . i could thank the jesuite for this argument , for it mortally wounds his own cause . i will not again dispute the mission of damianus or deruvianus , ( or what other names the jesuite will give him , ) nor will i insist on it , that germanus and lupus were sent by the french at the request of the britons , and not by the pope ; but if that usage was universally practised by the b●itttish and irish , and no good instance appear , that it was ever otherwise , as i have already proved , and that it continued for a long time after ; then it will unavoidably follow , that the britons were not under the roman jurisdiction , nor thought themselves bound to stand to the popes determination : yea fu●●her , that these very men , whom he saith the pope sent were of the same mind , or else dealt very unfaithfully in making no stir about it . nay , being the french churches did communicate both with brittisb and irish at that time , when they not only maintained this usage in opposition to rome , but refused communion with their bishops ; it is an argument , that they neither thought the bishop of romes decrees did bind the britons , nor that the thing was so heretical in it self ; for certainly they would never have so freely and friendly maintained communion with them , had they stood in open opposition , and professed disobedience to their proper patriarch . by this a judgement may be made of the rest of f. parsons arguments ; i shall follow him no further . it is not the observation of easter which we dispute with rome , but we urge the practice of the britons and irish , to prove the liberty of these islands . xxv . now to avoid tediousness in this particular , having left the ancient britons in possession , we must suppose they held it , till it can be proved , they were ejected . now the first ( so far as i can yet find ) who attempted this to any purpose , was henry beau-cl●rk ; and he being a wise as well as a potent prince , thought the subje●●i●g the welch bishops to the metropolitan see of canterbury might be a means to keep the welch in order , and so far as concerned his own kingdom , he herein dealt not only like a politick princ● , but even the laws of the church did ●ountenance him ; but then by the same act he submitted all the welch bishops to the see of rome , as things then stood , and so compleated the popes conquest of these isles ; which thing the iniquity of those times would either not afford him eyes to see , or not power to prevent ; accordingly he prefers bernardus , a norman , and his chaplain , to the bishop●ick of st. davids ; but liberty and power are both sweet things , and bernardus being got in possession grows resty , and asserts his rights , and the priviledges of his see ; and here the pope first got the fi●gering of the cause , so as to make his true advantage of it : 't is true , bernardus appeared confident , and swagger'd bravely ; but in vain did he think ●o carry a cause in the court of rome against the archbishop of canterbury's purse , and the pope's interest , when at the same time , and in the same thing he also cross'd his own kings design . there is no doubt but that his holiness swallowed this long-look'd for morsel with a great deal of pleasure and greediness ; and yet the sentence did not fully and quietly take place till a long time after , which possibly is the reason that our authors so differ in assigning the time of this submission , for the welshmen could not yet forget what they once were , and upon all occasions strugled hard to retain their government amongst themselves ; so that as affairs went with the english this matter either got or lost ground . if the english power was at leisure to wait on the welsh men and awe them , then the welsb bishops were the popes and his grace of canterbury's grumbling servants ; but if the english affairs were so involved that their countrey had a little rest , the one was as ready to cast off the eccl●siastical , as the other the civil yoke . and thus matters seem to have stood wavering till henry the third , or edward the first times ; but about the thirty second year of henry the third , ( matt. paris hist . maj. hen. . page ) the english forces so har●asied wales , that the ground lay untilled , cattel neglected , the famine raged amongst them ; the bishop of st. david died , overcome with grief for the miseries of his countrey , and the bishops of st. asaph and bangor were reduced to that miserable condition , as to beg their bread in a coun●rey wasted with fire and sword. but when matters were somewhat composed , st. davids the metropolitical see of wales was found to be so impoveri●●ed , that it was thought a despicable preferment for an arch-deacon of lincoln , though thomas wallensis in commiseration of his countrey did accept it ; and here the brittish ecclesiastical liberty seems to have drawn its last breath , or to have given only some few gasps after ; yet if we place its fall in henry the first his time , it will have lasted above yeare● , but if in henry the third's time , it will be above . but henceforward till till the reformation , i think it must be acknowledged , that the pope rod● in full triumph over all parts of these isles ; and though in some matters he met with smart opposition , yet he exercised an authority nothing less then patriarchal . it remains now therefore to be enquired , whether this his intrusion or possession did create him any right , or any such right , but that the churches in these isles , as matters then stood , might reform themselves , and lawfully re-assume their former liberties ? xxvi . were it not that the romanists make a flourish with every little argument , that seems to favour their cause , as if there were some great thing in it ; i should not think it worth my while to mention the plea , from the conversion of the saxons by augustine . for first , if it were good , that would give them but little ground , for his preaching seems not to have taken any effect beyond kent , the east-saxons , and perhaps some small matter in the east-angles ; as for the kingdoms of the northumbrians and mercians , which were of greatest extent , they were apparently of scotch or irish conversion ; nor will this claim in the least touch the britons , irish , scots or picts . but secondly , if there be any thing in this , then such zealous christians as have gone out from any of these isles , and converted pagans , would obtain a jurisdiction for the metropolitans of such places from whence they went , in rhose countreys ; but if any of our bishops should on that score challenge a jurisdiction in germany , or other places , i am apt to think , that they would be well laught at for their pains , and be esteemed very idle impertinent persons , if not worse used . we are therefore ready gratefully to acknowledge all those good offices , which any of the popes predecessors have heretofore done for us , or he at any time shall do for us ; but if for others merits , or his own good turns , he conclude he has gained us to be his slaves ; i think he sells kindnesses the dearest of any man living , and we shall beg his pardon , that we are not in haste to agree to so hard a bargain . xxvii . as for these isles , they having been truly and rightfully possessed of such ecclesiastical liberties , they cannot be lawfully deprived of them by any fraud or force . if another man take away my goods , and keep them never so long , yet if i can prove them to have been my goods , and that they were fraudulently and forcibly taken and detained from me , no possession or prescription can create a right to him , who by unlawful means is possessed of that which apparently belongs to another ; de facto indeed it may be otherwise , but de jure it never ought or can ; and therefore it was a sanction of the twelve tables , adversus furèm aeterna lex esto . but the canons of the primitive church seem more carefully to have secured the rights of p●rticular churches , then the secular laws have done the possessions of particular men. the bishops of th●se overgrown cities , rome , antioch and 〈…〉 m●ke use of their reputation and interest , to augment their power and jurisdiction ; but as none other had the like advantages , so none traded with such success as the bishop of rome ; these were the occasion of the th . canon , of that truly venerable , and so much celebrated councel of nice , where in relation to the right of menopolitans , it is thus determined , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and though the latter part of the canon seems to confirm to them something extraordinary , i. e. all that custom cou●d then fairly and clearly entitle them to , yet notwithstanding this complement to men then great and pious , it seems to have been made on set purpose , that it might be a barr to their future usurpations . xxviii . this will more plainly appear , if we consider the eighth canon of the general councel at ephesus , which was composed with a de●●gn both to explain and strengthen the nicene canon ; for overmuch greatness is hardly to be confined within rules ; and their topping bi●●ops had been at work again . the bishop of antioch had made fair attempts to seize the isle of cyprus , and the bishop of rome not only took his part , but by his letters condemned the cyprian bishops , as not wise in the faith for opposing , and plainly gave the cause on his side , which had been ●nough in all conscience , if he had been near so infallible or powerful then , as he is now ; but when the matter came before the councel , the fathers without any regard to the authority of the roman see , are quite of another mind . this act of the bishop of antioch , ( which was the ordaining bishops in cyprus ) they stile , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . an innovation contrary to the lawes of the church , and the canons of the holy fathers . and though the complaint was particular as to the province of cyprus , yet they make it a common cause , saying that it was a matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which concerned the liberties of all churches . they compare it to a common disease , which needs a stronger medicine or cure ; and then ha●ing restored the cyprian● to their rights , lest they should seem negligent of other churches , and leave them open to usurpers , they make their 〈◊〉 general against all other persons , who should invade the rights of any ●ther church whatsoever , and that twice in the same canon ; so jealous 〈◊〉 tender were they in this point . first , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. that the same thing should 〈◊〉 observed in all other diocesses and provinces whatsoever , that none of the most holy bishops should invade any other province , which of old time and from the beginning had not been under the government of him or his predecessors ; but lest this should not be enough , they back it again with another sanction , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. it hath seemed good to the holy and universal syn●d , that the rights of every province , which confirmed by old custom have been held formerly , even from the beginning , shall be preserved pure and inviolable , and that every metropolitan have free liberty to take a copy of their transactions for his own security . and here we have the nicene canon not only confirmed , but we are informed what are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , those ancient customes , which they would have take place . they were such , which were not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not only of some time backward , but from the beginning . and if these be they which must carry the cause , i think the churches of these isles are or ought to be as safe , as ever were the cyprian . for these had not then so much as been attempted , when the other were but a small matter from being quite ravished , and had undoubtedly been swallowed up , had a general councel been kept off but some few yeares longer . but that they might more effectually prevent the mischiefs which attend such encroachments , and the detriment and dishonour done to religion by them , the holy fathers give no less then three reasons for this their constitution . first , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that the canons of the fathers may not be transgressed , it seems the laws of the church had been all along against it . but what of that ? what are canons to the pope , who is subject to none . 't is pity he was not excepted : but the true reason is , because the fathers thought he ought not . the plenitudo potestatis , now so much boasted of , was not then thought of ; or if it was , durst not appear abroad , lest it should have been knock'd o' th' head for a monster . popes themselves in those days pleaded the canons , and were iudged by them : and this canon hath a peculiar evil aspect upon him ; for it is directly contrary to his declared opinion and determination in behalf of the bishop of antioch . so that if the popes now do not regard the canons , it seems heretofore they as little regarded him . the second reason of the canon is expressed thus , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that the pride and vanity of secular power may not enter the church , under a pretence of discharging the ministerial function , which seems directly to point to that saying of our saviour to his disciples , ( matth. . i cite the original , because there is something peculiar in the words , which our english translation could not easily reach , ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . surely if these fathers had not a grudge at the bishop of rome , they had a foresight of his progress . for put together what the bishop of rome now acts , and what , he claims ; and if that typhus seculi , which the antients all along so feared and bitterly inveighed against , be not brought into the church by him ; i will be bold to say , that all their feares were follies , and that it neither it nor ever can be brought in whilest the world stands . the third reason ought to affect any man , who calls himself a christian . it is this , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lest by degrees we lose that liberty , which our lord jesus christ the redeemer of all men hath purchased for us , ( or bestowed on us ) with his blood. if so , our churches , in stead of being blamed , ought to be highly commended for defending this liberty : and as he , who shall invade it , ought at present to be discountenanced by all others , so it is to be feared , that he will have asad account to make up in the day of the lord jesus , though he pretend to be his vicar . now if reason could prevail , here is sufficient ; but because oftentimes men will not be ruled by reason , therefore the fathers yet take a further care to compel them by law , and determine in the same canon , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. if any man do seize anothers province , and subject it to him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he shall restore it ; and that they might take away all pretences , they conclude , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that if any man should produce a constitution contrary to what is now determined , it shall be void , or of no authority . now if there be any reverence for , or force in a canon , so carefully penn'd , by so venerable a councel , then it is plain , that we have withdrawn no obedience which the pope could lawfully claim , nor cast off any authority that he was possess●d of in right ; for being there were then churches in these illes , setled under their bishops , according to the primitive forme and usage , and owed no subjection to the bishop of rome , either as metropolitan or patriarch , as hath been proved ; then whatever pretences he can now make ●or any authority over us , are by the councel determined to be void ; and what usurpatiòns soever he hath made , are adjudged to be restored ; so that if they have no better arguments then the bishop of rome's authority as patriarch , that will do them no service here ; but it will rather appear , that we have proceeded very canonically in our reformation xxix . thus much will clearly appear , that as the bishops of those populous and powerful cities , rome , antioch and alexandria , were ever and anon making inroads upon other mens jurisdiction ; so the three first general councels were very careful to fence the liberties of the church against their and all others encroachments . for as for the second general councel , which i have omitted , any man may be abundantly satisfied , who will take the pains to read the account of the government of the christian church ▪ written by the learned dr. parker , late bishop of oxford ; yet either tyred with endless strugling , or over-born with power , or out-witted by cunning , or rather wrought on by all these means , thē fourth general councel did plainly amplifie their power . for after the translation of the seat of the empire to constantinople , the bishop of that place by the favour of the emperour , by the power of the city , by the assistance of dependants , and by a lucky opportunity offered from the new division of the empire , suddenly starts up from a mean suffragan to be the second , and perhaps most powerful bishop of the empire . and now a councel meeting at chalcedon , just under his nose , and consisting mostly of eastern bishops , and many of them his dependants , and where the emperour some time appeared in person , and his ministers all along bore a great sway . this he thought was the time , if ever , to get that done , which no councel before would hearken to ; and to obtain a confirmation of that exorbitant jurisdiction , which that ravenous see had seized in few yeares space . but in doing this , he is constrained to do others business , that he might do his own . and here first . we find one set over the head of the metropolitan , and an appeal from him ratified by canon ; and thus the bishops of those great cities mounted into exarchs , afterwards called patriarchs , and the bishop of constantinople got the best share . there was doubtless no mean artifice used in the managery of this matter ; for it seems to be rather slurr'd upon the councel , then acted by them : and the foxes themselves , the bishop of rome's legats were here caught , and all they could do was afterwards to protest against proceedings in this matter . but when leo heard of it at rome , he fell a roaring at no rate , not that he had too little , but taht the bishop of constantinople had too much ; he was in a bodily fear of such a dangerous competitour , who on a sudden had from almost nothing risen to such greatness , that he was able to cope with him ; and by the grandeur of his city , his interest in the clergy , and favour of the emperour , might in a short time be able to over-top him. it is not unlikely , that leo might think , that he could have scrambled well enough for himself without the help of any such canon , and might possibly look on it as a confinement . but whatever he thought , his plea is clear contrary , and that he might depress the rising constantinopolitan , he is tooth and nail for the nicene canons , and the power of metropolitans , which by the way is an argument , that it was not then thought , that the nicene canons erected patriarchates , as some since maintain . the issue of this quarrel i am not concerned to pursue ; but granting the bishop of rome to be here made patriarch , you see he doth not care to accept it : but suppose him to be n●lens vol●ns invested with it , yet the churches in these isles were out of the reach of it , and lived long after in their former state and freedom , and therefore may still challenge the benefit of the ephesme canon against usurpations . xxx . but now let us for once suppose , what can never be proved , viz. that the patriarchate of the bishop of rome was legally and canonically extended ●ver these isles ; yet what feats will this do for him ? even under patriarchates , ( for they did not obtain in all places of the empire ) the power of metropolitans was still reserved ; they still ordained the bishops of their provinces ; they did convene and hold provincial synods , and determined matters as formerly ; only whereas the metropolitan was before ordained in his province by his suffragans , now he was to be ordained by the patriarch , or at least with his consent , and there lay an appeal from him and his synod . in short , the power of a patriarch consisted in certain known lastances , but chiefly in conjunction with the bishops of his diocess or exarchate . now what a pitiful shrivel'd thing would the pope think this , if it were offered him ? how would he fret and storm , if we should thus admit him , and tye his hands behind him ? and yet as patriarch this is all he can claim ; but to claim that and ten times more , where he hath not so much as a patriarchal right , is such a piece of impudence as none would be guilty of , but those who can blush at nothing . and therefore it will be best not to trust him , but hold our own as long as we can . xxxi . upon the same supposition we may still proceed further , and enquire , whether a patriarchal power do entitle a man to all he can grasp , or lay his hands on ? are we so fast bound , that there is no getting quit of him , though he command such matters as dishonour god , disturb the church , mislead christians out of the true way , and does actually tyran●ize over mens souls , bodies and estates ? patriaschal autherity was first instituted for the good of the church , that order might be preserved , purity of religion secured , all persons contained in and held to their duties , and heresies and schisms prevented . but now , if this power be made use of against all these ends , must the good of the church give way to 〈◊〉 of it to the good of the church ? that it has been and is abused by the bishop of rome , contrary to all these ends , might be fully proved by an induction of particulars , but that would lead me into too large a field ; and i shall therefore omit here , because it will be done hereafter , when i shall insist on those particular heads , which prove the romanasts guilty of the schism . besides , a patriarch is only a bishop with an extended jurisdiction ; the bishop is the highest order in gods church , the patriarchate is only an ecclesiastical gift or institution , whereby the bishop of a certain place is entrusted with the oversight of more churches for the enlarging communion , and securing religion ; now if any bishop go against the canons , or teach false doctrine , or encourage lewd practices , and preach up ill manners , his flock might desert him , and joyn in communion with such as were orthodox : if a metropolitan took such courses , the bishops of his province might cast him off , and govern their churches by themselves independently of him. and of a patria●ch , who hath somewhat a greater trust , shall at the same rate abuse it , he ought the more speedily to be renounced , to avoid the greater mischief and detriment , which will otherwise befal the church of god. ecclesiastical constitutions must give way to divine , and when instead of serving them , they overthrow or frustrate them , they are ipso facto void and null . let us suppose , that a person were recommended to the pope to be consecrated or instituted archbishop of gaenterbury , besides the tedious waiting and large feeing that must be in the case , his holiness will have for first-fruits , florens , and for the pall , ( for these were the old rates , ) and besides all this , to secure the new archbishep to be at his devotion at all times for the future , will force him to take an oath , not of canonical obedience , but of fealty , ( for that they have brought it to . ) now perhaps the king may not be willing , that such great summs of money should from time to time be dreyned out of the nation ; and as much more averse , that his subjects should swear allegiance to another prince , as thinking it prejudicial to his absolute sovereignty , and inconsistent with the safety and peace of his kingdoms . what shall be the issue of rhis ? either the person recommended and king too must yield , or we must have no metropolitan , and the king shall be excommunicated . and if he continue stubborn and obstinate in the right , perhaps the whole kingdom shall be put under an interdict ; and so if your purses be not at the popes service , and your persons his slaves , you shall not be suffered so much as to worship god. now is not this a fine patriarch ? and would it not be a great sin to cast him off , and serve god whether he will or no ? this power the pope has used , this power he still pretends to , and he that claims an authority against god and his worship , who was only entrusted for it , hath forfeited his trust , and fallen from the honour of it . xxxii . i shall now only advance one step higher , and then leave this mighty patriarch , till we meet him again in another disguise . let us still suppose the roman patriarchate to have extended over these isles ; nay more , be it supposed that the pope is his holiness indeed , and that he could be accused of no ill management ; yet i doubt not but his patriarchate hath of it self in course failed ceased and become void , at least so far as relates to their churches ; and that too , by those very laws and canons of the ancient church , which may seem to have erected or countenanced it . the motives , reasons and ends of a law ought to be well considered , because it is not the words and phrases , but the sense and meaning which is the law : and therefore we commonly say , that ratio legis lex est . now nothing can be more plain , then that the bounds of eccsesiastical jurisdiction were framed on purpose , that they might not interfere with the civil power ; and as hereby the church manifested her tenderness and regard to it , and the subjection of her members , so she reaped no small benefit by it . hence the limits of jurisdiction in the church followed the divisions of the state : where the governour of the province had his residence , there of course the metropolitical authority placed it self , and the bishop of that city was he , whom the apostles canons , ( can. . ) call the first , to whom all the other bishops of the province are to have such a peculiar regard , that they are to act nothing of common concern without his corcurrence . and so after the division of the empire into diocesses , suddenly rose up that rank of men since called patriarchs . but by the way we must observe , that this did not take in all places . for in some cities where the vicars of the empire resided , were not of strength , interest and power sufficient to mount their bishops into patriarchs . besides , the bishops of the church were exceeding jealous of this new start-up power , as savouring more of worldly pride , then episcopal care , and therefore kept it out wherever they could : and the wary african bishops made a decree against so much as the use of the name ; and great reason they had for it , for it would be no hard matter to prove , that by this means crept in those abuses and corruptions into the church , which are now maintained with a pretence of authority , and therefore the more remediless . moreover , as this new honour was dangerous , so it was needless , for the diocesses , though they seemed to swallow up , yet they did not destroy the provinces ; so that the metropolitical authority remained still suited to the government of the state , and was much more safe and better fitted to keep out secular pride , vanity and worldly pomp out of the church ; and though it was thought requisite , that the ecclesiastical should comply with the civil government , so far as to be useful in the state , yet it was never thought needful to run out into all divisions of civil government , so as to be prejudicial to the church . but however , if those laws of the church , which erected or confirmed metropolitical or patriarchal power , proceed upon this grand reason , that the government of the church might be agreeable to the state , then it is apparent , that they never did immoveably fix such authority to any particular places ; for alteratio●s often happening in states that might be clear contrary to their designes ; but th● end , sense and meaning of those laws must be this , that the governours of the church should always be careful , that the limits of church mens jurisdiction should be made to comply with the divisions and limits of the civil government , under which they live , that both may sit easie , and be useful to each other . and doubtless , the god of order never intended , that his church should fill the world with disturbance and confusion ; which will be unavoidable , if those two powers be always clashing ; if then such civil divisions are abolish●d , and the government ceased or altered , for whose sake such metropolitical or patriarchal power was erected , then those very laws themselves , which first erected it , do in their professed design , reason and intention , not only disannul it , but direct the governours of the church to establish or procure the establishment of such other limits of jurisdiction , as may be more satisfactory to the state , and beneficial to the church . indeed , all these supereminent dignities , whereby one bishop was raised above another , were erected either for he better management of affaires in the roman empire , or for the grandeur of it ; or else sprang up by degrees for the benefit of those cities , which were of greatest power and interest , in which thing rome had the most advantage , as being the imperial city , and giving denomination to the whole empire . but now that empire being broken , and resolved into several absolute and independent principalities , other measures ought to be taken , and for the same reason , that such authority was set up , it ought now to be taken down , or restrained ; and the limits of ecclesiastical jurisdiction confined within the extent of the civil power , and exercised for its ease , safety and benefit . and it seems to me to be a matter not to be despised , that though the holy scriptures of the new testament were written under the government of the roman empire , and in the time of its greatest height and glory ; yet the word emperour , ( so far as i can call to mind ) is no where to be found there . indeed there is a precept relating to caesar , by reason of a particular question , which determined it to that name , and the word augustus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( which answers it ) are historically mentioned ; but these ( what use soever after-times made of them ) were then gentilitial or honourary titles : but the name emperour was that by which they then ruled , and which held all along , whatever other titles or distinctions were devised ; and that i think is no where to be found in the new testament , at least , not in that sense ; perhaps the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which mostly answers it was thought too presumptuous ; however it is , the security the new testament gives them , is only by commanding obedience to the higher powers , or in the like phrases , never mentioning their distinct title . but though the name of kings was odious to the romans , yet most of the evangelical precepts , which require obedience to the civil power , expressly direct it to kings ; so that they seem to be given not only with a spirit of prophesie , that that great unweldy body should fall in pieces , and be divided into several kingdomes , but also with a special design to secure and oblige all christians to obedience and submission to such kings . and if we further consider , that our blessed saviour hath told us , that his kingdom is not of this world ; and that the christian religion teacheth self denial and renunciation of the world , and requires all christians , especially the governours of the church , to be of a most humble , peaceable and exemplary behaviour . this kind of proceedings in its covernment will seem most agreeable and natural to it ; for the business of church-governours is to promote the interest and power of the gospel , not pertinaciously to strive for jurisdiction to its prejudice and dishonour . if each changes happen in mundane affairs , that by alteration of the bounds of temporal principalitie● ▪ one bishop gain and another lose ; yet the church of god loseth nothing but hereby gains its peace , and a good opinion amongst the princes of the earth ; and church-governours have the greater freedom and more advantage to do good . but the insisting upon jurisdiction in another christian princes dominion , is to take his subjects from him ; it ever causeth disturbances , creates jealousies in princes , and makes them think those who should be the best christians , to be the worst subjects ; and for that cause to have the meaner opinion of religion it self ; it would therefore certainly be best with the church of god , and most conduce to its happy government , if this rule were observed in all christian kingdoms , that the jurisdictions of bishops should comply with , and conform to the divisions & boundaries of the civil power . this was the true primitive practice , and this the bishops have ever been inclinable to , when they have been able to withstand that everlasting encroacher the bishop of rome : of which take this one instance , immediately after the synod at constantinople against photius , a controversie arose , to whose diocess the bulgarians , then newly converted to the faith , should belong . the bishop of rome ( who never lost any thing for want of demanding it ) made strong claim by his legats . upon this account there meets before the emperour in his palace , ignatius patriarch of constantinople , then newly restored , the vicars of the eastern patriarchs , i. e. of alexandria , antioch and jerusalem , the legats of the bishop of rome , and the legats of the bulgarians . but upon debate , in spite of all the endeavours of the roman legats , it is unanimously given to the constantinopolitan , and such a reason along with it , as might have satisfied any persons , except messengers from rome , who are never to be satisfied with any thing , but with what shall be acceptable to their masters insatiable covetousness , and boundless ambition . for their joynt answer is this , satis indecens est , ut vos , qui graecorum imperium detrectantes , francorum faderibus inhaeretis , in regno nostri principis ordinando jura servetis so that though no sort of men were more given to encroachments , then the patriarchs , yet of five , ( and those if i mistake not , all that were then in being ) we have sour to one who are for the old rule , that ecclesiastical jurisdiction should be suited to the limits of the civil power . xxxiii . what hath been said upon supposition of the patriarchship extended over these isles , hath been argued purely ex abundanti ; for having before proved , that it did not extend to them , we could not be bound to submit to it ; and though the pope did by degrees thrust in and possess himself of a jurisdiction here for a long time , yet from the foregoing arguments it will appear , that he was only possessor malae fidei , whom neither the ecclesiastick nor civil laws will suffer by any length of time to prescribe ; and therefore he was canonically thrust ou● again . hence it follows , that the churches of these isles are accountable to no other church , or church-man as superiour , but remain only in the dependance of co-ordinate or sister-churches to all others , who all are mutually bound to each other what in them lies to uphold communion , and acquit themselves of doing any thing , that may be detrimental or injurious to the whole ; but for the matter of government , order , reforming abuses , and the like , the power is in themselves : others may advise , but cannot controul , unless the universal church of god o● damnifi●d by their actions . and thus having found our churches invested with a power of governing and reforming themselves ; we now have only to enquire , how it hath been made use of , which directly leads me to the actual separation and reformation . xxxiv . if any man will set himself to examine a great action , which involves variety of matter , is carried on thorough multitudes of difficulties , managed by divers hands , and necessarily requires no small time for its accomplishment ; and then expects that in all parts and circumstances it should be without exception ; he may so look for such a thing in the kingdom of heaven ; but if ever he can find it on earth , i dare engage my self to be his bondslave , and therefore unnecessarily to put ill constructions upon matters , to pick little quarrels , to call in every mean and slight failing , and to rave against the miscar●iages of particular persons , though disallowed , this is only to fling dirt and calumniate , not to draw up a just accusation . if therefore they cannot wound our reformation in the essentials , christian charity would teach them to cover a multitude of small faults , and common prudence would advise them not to strive to no purpose . the most celebrated theme upon this occasion is sacrilege ; and here even those , whose prosound ignorance suffers them not to stir a step further then their guides conduct them , ( and yet with a blind obedience follow whither soever they lead them , ) can be not only eloquent but bitter : but as for those , who have the reins in their hands , and would fain be b●idling us , never any subject yielded matter for more tragical exclamations ; but if railing against sacrilege would do us any good , we are as ready to do that as themselves ; we are ●o far from allowing it , that with sorrowful hearts we bemoan it , and openly avow that we detest it ; and indeed , of all other persons it is we , who suffer most under it . some benefices ( if they deserve the name ) are so wofully impoverished , that they will scarce afford the curate bred ; so that if for the sake of a bare livelihood he do not give up himself right or wrong to sooth up his parishioners , every plough boy will trample upon him , and they will set up some mongrel teacher or other of their own , on purpose to torment him and again , we being destitute of a tolerable maintenance for so great a stock , as the universities send abroad amongst us , ( which would be none too few , had not the church been robb'd of her revenews ) many discontented spirits fly over to the church of rome , not for religion , but in hope of preserments , or through vexation of mind , or driven by want . so that this sacrilege hath fill'd their seminaries , and plagued us with domestick schismaticks . in the mean time , that we suffer with patience the spoiling of our goods , i think may rather deserve any mans pity then blame : but for the spoylers themselves i shall as little plead for them , as any son of the church of rome : and i wish there were not too many , who are still gaping after , and work all their wits in contriving how they may seize the poor remainder . but however the catholicks , ( as they call themselves ) ought to be extreamly wary how they accuse or point out the guilty persons in this had cafe , lest they condemn themselves . for if some such parable as nathas put to david , were offered to the romanist , it would be said in the conclusion , thou art the man. for let them deal fairly and ingenioufly with us , and the most considerable persons who made such a squander of the churches rights , will be found to be men who died in the roman communion . xxxv . and upon this account it seems strange to me , why they should so strictly enquire into , and so nicely insist upon matters done by henry the eighth , and his clergy ; for if it be with a design to charge us with them , it is much the same thing , as when a villain cuts anothers throat , and as soon as he hath done slips the bloody knife into an innocent mans pocket . for who were they that yielded up or seized their monasteries , and made such havock of church lands ? who were they that first set up henry the eighth's s●●remacy , and wrote in defence of it ? who was it that maintained the supremacy beyond the seas in so gross a sense , that even calvin himself thought his prerogative invaded , and was out of patience at it ? these men all lived and died in the roman communion ; and if they were not roman-catholicks , what were they ? henry the eighth after the affi●ming the supremacy , was judged so good a catholick , even by the pope himself , that he could find no fitter a person ●o recommend for a pattern to the emperour . what heresie soever there might be in detaining the peter-pence , or setting up his own power , it seems he was catholick enough in his proceedings upon the six articles . any thing they imagine to be ill , must be ours ; but make enquiry after the authors , and they are all their own : methinks it should concern them to acquit themselves , before they fall foul upon us . nay , if we proceed forward so far as to the reign of queen mary , the persons who had the greatest influence on those revolutions will be found men of their own persuasion ; for except some few , whose proceedings were more easily answered with fagots then arguments , thofe on our part will not be very considerable , throughout the reigns of henry the eighth and edward the sixth ; searce any two persons seem to be deeper dipt in sacrilege , then the vicar-general cromwell , and dudley duke of northumberland ; yet how profound hypocrites soever they might live , our oxford church-governour will have them both roman-catholicks at their death ; others , if they think it worth their while , may contest it with him ; but for me he may take them both , and make his best of them . only i think it a reasonable request , that since he will needs have their persons , he would be pleased to take their faults along with them , and not accuse us for the crimes of his brethren . xxxvi . but let particular persons , whether theirs or ours , answer for their own demerits ; i can be heartily sorrowful for the men , but never will be an advocate for their mis-deeds . the only matters of any moment , for which we can be concerned , i conceive must be either doctrine , discipline , worship or government . now though the pope might think himself obliged to stickle for his profits , and above all for his supremacy , yet the roman catholicks themselves did not think the changes in religion of such weight , that upon that account they should make a perfect schism . for till felton ●ixed the bull of pius the fifth upon the bishop of londons palace gate , the roman catholicks freely frequented our churches , and joyned in communion with us : and this was no small time , for this was not done till the eleventh or twelsth year of queen elizabeth ; so that a small matter would have made her catholick , if she could have digested the roman supremacy ; and though the romanists , so far as concerned religion , thought themselves bound to obey the pope , yet the discreeter sort of them were not a little offended , that they were thus thrust headlong into so dangerous a schism . for this we have the testimony of mr. cambden , a person beyond exception , not only as he was a man of singular judgement , and learning , and a faithful and prudent historian . but as being personally acquainted with the transactions of those times ; his words are these ▪ caeterùm hanc bullam pontificii plerique moderatiores tacitè improbabant , quòd nulla ex jure adm●nitio praecesserit , & praevidentes molem malorum inde s●bi impendere , qui priùs privatim sua sacra intra parietes satis securè coluerunt , vel rec●pta in ecclesiâ anglicanâ sacra sine conscientiae scrupulo adire non recusârunt , ( annal. eliz. ad ann , dom ' ) so that the reformation was indeed made on our part , for which we wanted neither good cause , nor sufficient authority ; but the separation was made by the pope ; for had not he excommunicated queen elizabeth , for what reason the romanists held communion with us till such excommunication , for the same it might have continued to this day , and no schism made . but if this excommunication had neither lawful authority , nor just cause , then will the pope be not only the author but cause of the schism , and draw the whole guilt of it on him and his party . the proof of this in particular i will not insist on here , because it will be ●bundantly done in the progress of the work , especially in the second and ●●ird part , if it shall please god that i live to finish them . only here i will leave this choak-pear , which i desire my adversary to swallow before 〈◊〉 ●ttaqae me , that whosoever undertakes the defenee of that bull , ( be●●des all other extravagancies which he shall be obliged to maintain ) must in the first place fairly confess himself to be a rebel and a traytor as to principles of civil government , and obliged in conscience actually to be so , 〈◊〉 often as the pope requires , and of this the pope to be the sole and unconsroulable judge . xxxvii . having here slipt into the mention of queen elizabeth , it may not be altogether impertinent to acquit her of one dishonourable scandal , wherewith some foul mouth'd romanists endeavour to blast her memory . ●f henry the eighth belonged to any , he was certainly theirs not ours ; yet handling the reformation , they spare not to charge him with all the ●●decencies true or false , which they can rake together ; but nothing 〈◊〉 more exagitated then his two first marriages , and that o●ten in such 〈◊〉 and obscene language , as is not a little offensive to chast eares . the de●●gn of ▪ all this is , that they might invalidate queen elizabeths title to 〈◊〉 crown , upon which score some ruder romanists will at this day as fa●iliarly and confidently call her bastard , as if she had been found in the ●●eets , laid at some door in a basket. it is well known , that she was a per●●● so excellently qualified for government , that even living she struck envy ●●mb , and made those who most implacably hated her , to admire her ? it might therefore justly move indignation in any generous spirit to see ●●ery ass spurn at a dead lion. but if this were as rrue as it is false , yet if 〈◊〉 would deal ingeniously , they must confess , that this could no way effect 〈◊〉 church , as to that power conferred on it by god , and that authority , which doth always distinctly and entirely remain in it self ; only it may 〈◊〉 the church destitute of any legal civil sanction during her time ; ●nd if for that they will condemn us , they may as well condemn the chri●tian churches of the first three hundred yeares , and then we shall not be ●uch afraid in so good company . but there is nothing but malice or ig●orance in the thing it self , and the romanists of all men ought to be cautious in this matter ; because whilest they fence with this two-edged sword ; intending to cut queen elizabeth , they as deeply wound queen mary . neither will the sickly salvo of the popes dispensation stand them in any stead ; for it is not only we who deny that his power reached to it , but the greatest part of their own universities , gave it under their hands and seals . and indeed this was at that time so generally the opinion of the romanists , that the author of church-government freely acknowledgeth , ( though little to the credit of his cause ) that when mary was offered in marriage first to the emperour charles the fifth , and after to francis king of france , she was refused by both on this account , because they doubted of the lawfulness of henry's marriage with her mother , ( part . . cap. . ) but for my part i am not of their humour , who take a pleasure in bespattering princes ; and to do it by our own , can be no honour to our selves . i do not see , that any thing alledged , can be any real prejudice either to mary or elizabeth , for the succession to our crown depends neither upon canons nor councels , much less upon popes bulls and decretals , but upon the constitutions of our kingdom . and it was nev●r yet doubted , but that king henry was married as well to katherine as anue bolen ; and if the marriage was sole●nized , the children are legitimate by our laws , which abhor all thoughts of any such thing as bastards in matrimony . 't is true , our laws permit and authorize ecclesiasticks to divorce such persons , who marry within the degrees prohibited , but yet suffer no prejudice to be done to their issue . and if the parents , though too near of kin , were legally married , their ch●ldren shall succeed to their estates and rights in the same manner , that other persons child●en ●o , where the marriage was without exception . and it is very hard measure to deprive a king of that privilege , which belongs to the meanest of his subjects , especially in this case , which may endanger to involve a nation in confusion and ruine . let king henry therefore answer for his own faults , what iniquity soever there might be in his marrages , yet being married , his issue are legitimated ; and i doubt not but that mary and elizabeth were both in their turns our lawful sovereigns , i will therefore prosecute this no further , save with a request to the romanists , that henceforward they would cease to set the childrens teeth on edge with the soure grapes the father eat , and be as ready to acknowiedge queen elizabeth a lawful sovereign as we are queen mary . xxxviii . i did once intend to have thoroughly examined the matter of the reformation , but i find that it would oblige me rather to write a volume then a chapter ; and after all , perhaps , i should be accused of needless pains , for it hath been often and sufficiently done already ; and all answers contain only the crambe centies cocta , or some bold fictions or tedious triflings . nor do i think that i can be constrained to answer for all that went before me : in this church i was born , baptized and bred ; i had no hand in the making , modelling or altering it ; gods providence cast me into it , and i take it as i found it . and if as such it be defensible , i need concern my self no further . and therefore without troubling my self to rake the dead out of their graves , i shall consider our church under her present constitution ; for if that will not hold , we are gone without more ado ; but if that be good , it is not ten thousand faults of men , who are dead and rotten , that can overthrow it . xxxix . i have already proved , that the romanists themselves made the breach ; and it may be more fully proved , if need require . but two schismaticks may fall out , and both be in the wrong ; and therefore that we may appear to be in the right , something must be said to clear up the justice of our own cause ; to this end i shall briefly examine these two things , the government and the doctrine of our church . government will of course take in discipline as the fruits of it : and doctrine will include worship , because there is no abuse or ill practice in worship , but it is founded upon some errour in doctrine . government seems to me therefore to belong even to the essence of every particular constituted church , because without it ordinances cannot be discharged , sacraments celebrated , nor those things performed , which they are obliged to do in joynt communion , and as a body of men. that this government be lawful and warrantable , it is to be wished that the governours might be always good , but it is absolutely necessary , that they have lawful authority , and are rightly empowered to do some things , which other men may not do . he who saith otherwise must with corah and his company lay all in common , which the most heathenish and bruitish religions have ever abhorred to do ; for this , perhaps , the romanists will not much quarrel me ; but if it were ●or my present purpose , i could accuse him for being false to these principles , by allowing the contrary in practice . but to return to the business , that authority be lawful it is requi●●te , that it be derived from such , who were truly invested with such authority ; for nil dat , quod non habet . and further , that they have likewise a power or authority to convey and derive it to others ; for it is often personally lodg'd in men , and incommunicable ; knights cannot make knights nor lords lords ; and therefore a lawful church-authority must be such as des●ends from those , who received it from christ with a power to transmit it , now i find not that our saviour said to any but his apostles , a● my father hath s●nt me , even so send i you , john . . and therefore from those hands wherein they l●st it , with the like power to transfer it to others , must all l●wful eccles●●stical a●tho●ity come . the way to avoid this , is either-with erastus and h●bbs , ( who learnt their politicks from jer●boams practice● to place all authority in the civil magistrate , or else with the fanaticks to set up the extrao●din●●y call and plea of an authority immediately from god. now though too many of late have put in practice m. hobs his doctrine , whilst they rail against his person , and others are drunk with their pretended visions & revelations , thereby filling mens brains with enthusiasm , and in many places making a n●llity of all ordinances , yet these are not the men i have now to do with , and therefore i will not here engage against th●m . and as for the romanists , i think , i need not dispute it with them ; for though they strangely doat on miracles , yet i could never observe them either very fond of exeraordinary missions , or very free in allowing any ecclesiastical authority to the civil magistrate . now if they will take us at this lock , we are ready to joyn issue with them ; and to prove , that we have a good succession of lawful authority . they cannot sairly refuse us here , becaus● this is one of the prescriptions , which tertullian lays down against hereticks . edant ergo ( sai●h he ) origines ecclesiarum suarum , evolvant ordinem episcoporum suorum ita per successio●es ab initio decurrentem , ut primus ille episcopus aliquem ex apostolis vel apostolicis viris ( qui tamen cum apo●●olis perseveraverint ) habuit auctorem & antecessorem , ( de praescrip . ) now as for a succession , possibly there is not any in the christian world so strongly twisted , as that of the english churches . if some of the apostles , and other apostolical persons being present in this isle , and planting churches ; if ordination from the brittish , irish , french or roman bishops , or any or all of these could derive a lawful authority to us , we do not want it . we have more ways of conveyance , and consequently ( of god ) more evidence of our authority then the romanists themselves ; and if the rest were laid aside , we have the same which they have , and so cannot have less ; so little reason had the author of church-government to conclude his book with such a passionate invective against our amocatacresies . indeed , could that infamous fable o● the naggs-head ordination have been made good , it would have made a foul breach in our succession , if not , put a full stop to it ; but never was a most malicious contrivance more miserably baffled ; several learned pens have not only cleared the matter of fact , but disproved the probability , yea , the very possibility of such a thing ; so that if any thing more can , nothing more need to be spoken to it . if therefore any romanist will still urge it , i● this particular i shall leave him as a man eithe● past shame , or given up to strong delusions to believe a lye. their other objections are of two sorts , either against the legality or the vali●ity of our ordination . but because other● have answered them fully in eve●y minute particular , i shall content my self with two general a●swers ; first , that the neglect or oversight , ( if any such were ) of some circumstances required by law , though it may make the persons obnoxious , yet it doth not invalidate the ordination ; our laws allow persons to be married only betwixt eight and twelve in the forenoon ; yet if it happen , that they be married at ten at night , the marriage is good , though the persons be punishable . some circumstances in the managery of ordination may be regulated by the civil power , i. e. so fa as it hath regard to the state ; but the ordination it self , and the va●●dity of it proceeds from a power so distinct from the civil , that no civil authority or sanction can either make or disannul it , and therefore such objections which are made only against the legality of our ordination do tacitely suppose the validity of it ; and so if they were true , are little or nothing to the purpose . as for the other sort of objections which relate to the validity of our ordination , those indeed would be fatal , if they were sufficient . but before i return my general answer thereto , i desire it may be observed , that there is more of interest then matter in these objections ▪ for the church of rome hath such a jealousie of this small church , that they think not themselves safe while it is in b●ing ; now if they could invalidate our ordination , it would take away our ministry , our ordinances , and consequently our church , so that this is a blow at the root . and therefore right or wrong they resolv● to stick on this , which may win some to them , keep others from us , and alarm all . and though their arguments be never so weak , yet being managed by subtile heads , they will appear the more considerable ; because few persons are able to judge of a case of this nature . but if we were reduced to that state , that they thought themselves out of all danger from us , our ordination might easily pass . a pretty insta●ce of this hapned in the time of the rebellion . the loyal clergy of this ch●rch , being either starved at home , or driven out into other countreys , and little or no hopes appearing , that th●y should ever be restored ; dr. basier , amongst other places , ( any place being then better then home ) travels to jerusalem ; and after the mention of his reception from the grtcks , he thus sets down his entertainment by those of the roman way . a● for the latins , they received me most courteously into their own convent , though i did openly prosesi my self a priest of the church of england : and a●ter some v●l●●ations about the validity of our ordination , they procured me entrance into the temple of the sep●lchre , at the rate of a priest , that is , half in half left then the laymens ra●e ; and at my departure from jerusalem , she pope's own vic●●r● ( called , commissarius apostolicus generalis ) gave me his diploma in parchmeno , under his own hand and p●blick seal ; in 〈◊〉 stiling me , sacerdotem ecclesiae anglicanae , & s. s. theologiae doctorem . but there was no need to have travelled so far for an instance , it being well known that king edwards bishops were admitted in the time of queen mary , without re-o●dination ; so that it is not the validity of ordination , but our non-submission to the pope which lies at the bottom . it is true , that a dispensation ●rom rome was talked of , but that was only a blind . a dispensation may re●ch circumstances , but not essentials . if their former ordination had been invalid and null , they ought to have been reo●d●ined ; for no dispensation , nor all the popes in the world can make those to be true and valid orders , which never were so in themselves . he may as well build castles in the air , or erect stately palaces without any materials , as to make those really and truly to be orders , which never were so ; it is one thing to dispense , another to ordain ; seeing he did only dispense , it is plain that he aceused them of no more then some irregularities in the circumstances of their ordination , which though we shall not yield , yet i think it unnecessary to dispute , because not being re-ordained , their former ordination must be supposed good . 't is true , they very devoutly burnt ridley , and one or two others , without d●grading them as bishops ; and thence conclude , that they were never truly such , i. e. they set up a novel opinion , and prove it by their own wicked actions ; and the proof will be good , when they are as infal●ible in matter of fact , as they pretend to be in matter of right . but it is no new thing for the court of rome , to make quite contrary determinations as to the self-same thing , as their present interest leads them . when queen mary first came to the crown , and they wanted help , then king edwards bishops are to be invited in , and acknowledged with the slight salvo of a dispensation , that the pope might seem to do something ; but when they were a little setled in the saddle , and could ride over all who stood in their way ; then none of his bishops were to be acknowledged , who did not fully comply with them ; i. e. those who joyned with them were good bishops ; those who opposed them were no bishops ; though the orders of both stood upon the same foundation , and were either valid or null for the same reason . but to avoid the tediousness of discussing the whole matter , i shall now only give this general answer , that in this way of arguing they take the course to undermine and destroy all succession and church-power ; this i am apt to think , that many of them well enough see ; but they think , that we either do not , or will not ; and so they are safe enough , whilest it only serves to route us , the arguments whereon they lay the great●st str●ss in this matter are such , as may with equal , if not more advantage , be teturned upon themselves . 't is true , we are not desirous to molest others , we wish peace to the churches , reasonable things would content us ; and therefore we generally keep on the defensive part , and stand all their attacks and opposition . but if by such foul dealing they will continually provoke us , till we change the state of this scribling war , and b●ing it into their own countrey , what work will this make ? ●or if they will vouch those arguments to be good against our orders ; and we prove , that they are of no less force against their own , or that we have other stronger reasons against them , whither will they then go ●or ecclesiastical authority ? their pride and stomach is too great to truckle to the greek , or any other church , or to borrow any authority from them ; but if they should , they ought to consider , whether the same arguments will not follow them ; yea more , ●h●ther divers of their hot-spurs have not carried them thither already ? ●f so , all their labour is in vain : and if their arguments be good , all 〈◊〉 power and succession is lost . this indeed doth not so fatally affect 〈◊〉 as it doth them ; because we for good reasons deny those arguments to ●e good , and so keep up our succession and ecclesiastical authority . but ●hat will become of that church , or what remedy is left for it , which ob●●inately maintains the validity of such arguments , when they are proved as valid against her self ? especially it being a church of that pride and am●ition , as to scorn to own any authority in any other church , which she ●●th not more fully in her self . now , if rather then not destroy our ord●●s , they will what in them lies overthrow all ecclesiastical authority and succession , though thanks be to god they cannot do it , yet it is apparent , that they will hazard the very worship of god , and shake the very foundations of religion , rather then be frustrated in their malicious purposes and ambitious designes . and this i take not to be any strong temptation 〈◊〉 prefer their communion before all others . xl. as for our doctrine we are willing it should come to the trial ; and i know no better way to try it , then by its agreement with what was ●aught by our saviour and his apostles ; this is the way tertullian pres●●ibes us , both for the security of the church , and exclusion of hereticks ; 〈◊〉 after some things premised he makes this inference , constat proinde omnem ●●strinam , quae cum illis ecclesiis . apostolicis matricibus & origiualibus fidei 〈◊〉 , veritati deputandam , id sine d●bio tenentem , quod ecclesiae ab apostolis , 〈◊〉 à christo , christus à deo suscepit ; roliquam vero omnem doctrinam de 〈◊〉 praejudicandum , quae sapiat contra veritatem ecclesiarum ; & apostolorum , & c●risti , & dei. and again speaking of hereticks in general , ipsa enim 〈◊〉 corum cum apostolicà comparata , ex diversitate & contr●rietate sua pronun●●●it , neque apostoli alicujus a●toris esse neque apostolici . and then shewing how 〈◊〉 churches , or such , which should at any time after be constituted , ●ight defend themselves against hereticks , he saith thus , ad hanc itaque 〈◊〉 provocabuntur ab illis ecclesiis , quae liv●●●●ullum ex apostolis vel apostolicis 〈◊〉 suam proferant , ut multò posteriores quae denique quotidie instituuntur ; 〈◊〉 in eâdem fide conspirantos , non minùs apostolicae deputantur pro consan●●●itate doctrinae , ( de praescrip . ) now let this be the test , and in our de●●nce we say with tertullian , posterior nostrares non est , immò omnibus prior est . hoc erit testimonium veritatis ubique occupantis principatum , ( de praescrip . ) now let them charge us , if they can , with maintaining any doctrine , as of necessity to salvation , which came not from christ or his apostles ; and when they can prove that all these did , they shall make me believe any thing . only by the way i cannot but take notice of the difference between this good old father , and the present romanists in their resolution of faith , or in the last result , standa●d and trial of faith. the one refers us to what our saviour taught by commission from the father , and the apostles by authority from him , and to examine matters by their agreement herewith : the other without more ado resolves all into the authority of the present roman church . the one saith , it is the way of truth , because the same that christ and his apostles taught ; the other saith , we cannot be deceived because the present roman church voucheth it to be right . now though for my own part i adhere to the opinion of the father , and therein of the ancient church ; yet i must confess , that the romanists , whether right or wrong , have laid their plot well ; for if they can once bring a man to swallow this proposition , that the roman church is the only certain rule and judge of truth ; or , that all thinge must give way to their determinations ; then as for particulars , his work is done , and he is bound with an implicit faith to swallow them all without a●y scruple , or the least examination ▪ now this is sure and quick work ; but too quick for me , who as a christian lying under an obligation , upon occasion to render a reason of the faith that is in me , would be willing to know a reason , that i may be able to d● so . that the roman church saith so will be no reason , till she produce a better charter for her authority , then she hath yet done ; and till i and others can be satisfied by good reason or evidence of such authority . for if a reason be required of me , my answer that others say so will be none , unless i can convince them by good evidence , that their say-so is of sufficient authority and indubitable , the plea indeed of indefectibility were good , if it were true ; but they rather urge that because it serves their turns , then that they have any good evidence of it : and the father , who directs us to trace truth to the apostolical churches , supposes that particular churches may fall from it . sicut ( saith he ) apostoli non diversa inter se d●cuiffent , ita & apostolic● non contrarià apostolis edidissent , nisi illi , qui ab apostolis desci●erant ; & aliter praedicaverunt , ( de praescrip . ) the pomanists indeed lay their 〈◊〉 wisely , they understand well enough what would do their business , and accordingly fail not to plead what must do it with those , who admit thei● plea without proof ; the consequence or building would be good , if th● antecedent or foundation were sound : but you must not narrowly examine that , lest a rotten bottom tum●●e all the stately pageant down again if the roman church be indefectible by vertue of any promise made t● st. peter , then other churches may use the same arguments , and lay clai●● to the same privileges as well as they ; and our own church as much a● any ; for their own authors , and particularly our sworn enemy fathe● parsons , say , that st. peter preached the gospel in britany ; so that here we are equal , unless it make any thing for their advantage , that he was so well used here as to go off safely hence ; but after his return was martyred there ; and so rome may value her self for that which our blessed saviour ●pbraids jerusalem for , killing the prophets , and stoning those that were sent unto ●er , ( matt. . . ) xli . this matter will fall hereafter under a more particular conside●ation ; and therefore to return to doctrine , it may be considered either as positive or negative . it is true , that all doctrine resolves it self into positive truth ; that we maintain any thing in the negative is accidental , and ariseth from the difference and quarrels amongst men ; for when parties cannot agree , if one affirm , the other of course denies : in this case , the matter in controversie being either falshood or wrong , if any man a●●ert that which is contrary either to truth or justice , we are forced to go somthing the further about in defending them , by first denying and rejesting what is either false or unjust ; but then this will terminate in something positive , which is the foundation and summary of all . as for example , if . in opposition to the practices or affirmations of others i deny , that divine worship can be given either to angels or saints ; the reason ●nd ground of that denial must be this or the like positive assertion , that divine worship is gods propriety , and to him only to be directed . and therefore that we maintain some things in the negative , is not our but their fault , in asserting that which is either false or unlawful ; and whether they do so or not must be tried by particulars , which i shall come to ●●reafter . xlii . as to positive doctrines perhaps the difference is not very great ; the quarrel lies more in what we do not hold , then in what we do ; it is ●ot to be denied that we have much truth , but not enough as they think ; and we are afraid of more , lest it should make us have less ; for many matters which they would thrust upon us for truth , are far remote from it ; and should we receive them , it were the way to corrupt the truth we have ; there was a time when some of their priests set themselves to reconcile . ( and without allowance and encouragement they durst not have attempted such a thing ) the very articles of our religion to a catholick sense , ( as they call it , ) though many of ●hem were purposely framed in opposition to several of their opinions and practices . the author of church-government , ( part . page . ) hath discovered a sense , wherein that great grievance of the roinanists , the oath of supremacy may be lawfully taken , and that to no other sense then what he fetcheth from the th . of our articles of religion ; and why then all that labyrinth of discourse which follows after upon it , and serves to no other purpose but to confound himself and his reader ? for can it be imagined , that we our selves should take it in a sense contrary to our articles of religion ? from our book of common prayer might be extracted a wholesom body of divinity ; and it shews to the world both what our worship is , and how our worship and doctrine agree ; and if this may be allowed of , methinks we should not be hereticks . now what vincentius parapalia , the pope's legat , proposed to queen elizabeth , i am apt to think was known to few ; for on the one hand the honour of the pope was concerned , if he suffered an open repulse ; on the other , the queen , ●hough she admitted not his proposals , was unwilling to irritate his person , he being then very kind and civil to her , contrary to the petitions and endeavors of many powerful adversaries . but that some such considerable matters were proposed , that he was jealous the queen would think they would never be performed , or at least not long kept , we have some reason to guess from the conclusion of his letter , which is one of the kindest that ever any pope wrote to one he accounted a heretick ; for thus he courts her , sed hâc de re pluribus verbis idem vincentius tecum aget , & nostrum tibi paternum animum declarabit , quem ut benig●● excipias , diligentérque audias , eandémque ut ejus orationi fidem habeas , quam habere● nobis : ipsis , s●renitatem tuam rogamus . ( annal. eliz. part . . p. , ) mr. cambde● confesseth , that he could not upon his own knowledge say , what these proposals were , and he believes they would never trust them in writing , but a● secret as they were kept , it seems they took air , for he subjoyns this following account , ●ama obtinet p●ntificem fidem dedisse , sententiam contra matris ●uptias , tanquam injustam rescissurum ; liturgiam anglicam suâ anthoritate confirmaturum , & usum sacramenti sub utràque specie anglis permissurum , 〈◊〉 illa romanae ecclesiae se aggregaret , romanaeque cath●drae primatum agnosceret ; 〈◊〉 & haec curantibus aliquos aureorum millia fuisse promissae . ( id ibid. i cannot imagine with what hopes pius the th fed himself ; or whether he were better natured then usually popes are ; but though after this the queen would not suffer his nuncio the abbot of mar●inego to come on english share , yet he continued the same mildness towards her ; which being insuccessful , pius the th . instigated by the king of spain , and being angry enough himself , tryes a severer course , and thunders out his excommunication against her ; but that succeeded worse then the other : for it not only altogether alienated the queens mind , but compleated the breach , and made a to●● separation in communion , which had not been till that time ; and it i● probable this might make some succeeding popes 〈◊〉 ; for bishop b●bington though he refer it to a pope after both the former , yet whence soever he had it , he saith plainly , that the pope offered to allow the book ( i. e. o● common-prayer and administration of the sacraments , &c. ) to queen elizabeth o● eternal memory , if she would have taken it of him , as so allowed o● him , ( on numb . ) but what need of that ? for as for the use of the sacrament in both kinds , it is christs own institution ; and as for ou● prayers , being in the vulgar or known tongue , it is according to st. pauls direction . and if these two be not authority enough without the pope's licence , then have we not the liberty so much as to serve god even according to his own appointment and institution , but how and when the pope pleaseth ; and so if the devil at any time should be big enough in him , it will be in his power and at his pleasure , whether god shall be openly worshipped in the world or not . as for the matter of the book it is such , that ( except some few , which all men of any sober communion never esteemed otherwise then as mad-men ) persons of any communion in the christian world may safely joyn in it . when any bring their particular objections , whether romanists or others , they shall receive their answers . as for the romanists i am apt to think , that they would rather adde to it : but because we think those to be such matters as would corrupt it ; that must be tried by the examination of particulars , which is not the business of this place . xliii . as for the ways or means of coming to the knowledge of the catholicism of any doctrine ; i know but two whereon the ancients laid any stress , scripture and tradition . the sufficiency of the scriptures as a rule of faith , or that they contain all matters in themselves necessary to salvation , we not only maintain , but further say , that since god hath been pleased ( for the securing us from the frailtie of mens memories , the misguidance of mistakes , the cheat of impostures and the like dangers ) to cause his will to be put in writing , and compleat the canon of scripture ; the scriptures are the only sure and infallible rule of our faith ; and whatsoever is fetch'd from those fountains cannot but be o●thodox and right . here is our sure anchor-hold , and in this the fathers go along with us . nobis ( saith tertull. de praescrip . ) curiositate opus non est post christum jesum , nec inquisitione post evangelium . and sal●ian , ( de guber . dei l●b . ▪ p. . ) si scire vis , quid tenendum est , habes literas sacras : perfecta ratio est hoc 〈◊〉 , quod legeris . he that affects citations may heap up enough to this purpose ; nor doth it do the romanists cause any service ; that many of their authors speak so meanly and disgracefu●●y of the holy scriptures ; for pious eares do not well bear to hear the conf●ssed word of god contemptibly treated ; and mr. apulton seems to me to have been very impr●dent in entitling part of his answer to dr. tenison , a confutation of the doctors rule os faith ; for the doctors rule of faith was no other then the scriptures ; and a confutation of them would of all others be the work for a christian . if a difference arise , who shall interpret this rule ? i answer , first , that whosoever interpreteth he is bound to his rule ; and it is not therefore the sense of the rule , because he saith it ; but he is therefore in the right , because he gives the true meaning of it ; if he speak his own , and not the rules meaning , he doth not interpret but deprave . secondly , i answer , that if the priests lips ought to preserve knowledge , and the people to seek the law at his mouth , then we have a succession of lawful pastors duely authorized , who no more depend on the romanists then the romanists on them ; and so we stand seized of as good authority to interpret scripture as any they can justly pretend to ; and that we use it more duely and rightl● may appear hence , that we not only diligently use all lawful means to come to the knowledge of truth , but condemn all those ill arts which obscure or corrupt it ; we have no index expurgatorius , to expunge or alter any passages in the primitive fathers , or any other honest authors , if they do not please us ; yet by this one base unpaidonable a●tifice the romanists , whilst they have been undermining the sufficiency of the scriptures , have shaken the authority , and weakned the evidence of tradition , and so difarmed the church of her best weapons of defence ; for certainly a tradition is best proved by those , who lived in or near those times , when it was delivered ; but how shall we believe their testimony , when their writings are daily curtail'd , changed and falsified at pleasure ? and had not that god , who takes care of his church , caused the chear to be discovered , it would have done more mischief , then all the diligence and pains of all the romanists in the world could ever have made a just satisfaction for . but this it is , for a particular church to set up for infallibility ; which is a point that can never be gained , without putting out the eyes of all at present living , and stopping the mouths of all that went before them : for though i beleeve , that god will never de●ert his church in all parts of it in matters necessary to salvation , yet he has not given her any power over the faith , but she is tied to that and that alone which was at first delivered to the saints ; and if the roman or any other church , or an angel from heaven should teach any other doctrine , then what we have received , they ought to be so far from being regarded , that , if we follow st. paul , they ought to be accursed . that we adhere to the scriptures , th● romanists cannot justly blame us , because they themselves acknowledge their divine authority . for , see the council of trent doth . ( sess . . decret . de can ' script ' ) but they accuse us as too strict scripturists , upon two accounts , first , because we admit not tradition to be of equal authority with the holy scriptures . secondly , because we receive not several books as canonical , or of unquestionable divine authority , which they have thrust into the canon . as for tradition and its authority , i shall treat of it more distinctly in the next paragraph , and there answer this accusation . as for the canon of scripture , we own the very same and no other , which the church of god hath handed down to us , after the canon of scripture was compleated : as for those books called apocrypha , which the council of t●ent first made canonical , it is apparent , that we do not by that title utterly condemn them , but rather repute them of an inferiour or ecclesiastical authority ; because we read them in our churches for instruction of manners , and inciting to good living ; and sometimes use them for the illustration of doctrine , but never to introduce or found any doctrine upon , and this is as much as the ancients allowed them . the jewish church was the keeper and preserver of the canon of the old testament , as much as the christian is of the old and new now : but they had none of those books in their canon ; and therefore if any assert , that those books do belong to the canon , the consequence will be , that the jewish church did not preserve the canon of scripture entire and true , and for the same reason any one may suspect the christian , and so render the authority of the whose dubious : so injurious are the romanists to the faith it self , whil●st they set up their own authority against the whole church of god. besides , if they will not own , that we received the entire canon of the old testament from the jewish church , they ought to tell us from whom ●e did receive it , and to whose custody it was committed till the time of christ and his apostles ? but whoever will be at the pains to read the scholastical history of the canon of scripture , written by our learned dr. cosins bishop of dures●ne , will be abundantly satisfied , that the tridentines under pretence of tradition have enlarged the canon of scripture , contrary to the tradition of the church of god in all ages , even to their own time . thus when modern mens bare word must be allowed a sufficient authority to vouch a tradition , a pretence of tradition is set up against the truth of it , and so tradition it self rendred doubtful or useless ; and therefore i shall not trouble my self to pursue those many particular s●uffling pleas , which they use to justify themselves in offering violence to the sacred canon ; but if you would know the true reason , which it was their business to conceal ; i believe spalato hath hit on it , suas non poterant n●nias ex sacrâ scripturâ verè canonicâ probare , ideoque noluerunt permittaere , us 〈◊〉 aliae scripturae etiam non canonicae eriperentur , quo suas qualescunque ●aberent ●●●retras , unde spicula desumerent , ac praeterea viderent , ac praeterea ne viderentur ●ein aliquâ protestantibus cedere a●t consentire , maluerunt etiam falsa tueri & 〈◊〉 . ( de repub. ecc. lib. . cap. ▪ num. . ) xliv . he that doth believe the scriptures to be the word of god , must of course believe their sufficiency , or that they contain all matters necessary to salvation , for they give this testimony to themselves : and he that believes them to be the word of god , must believe the testimony they give either of themselves or others ; st. paul saith , they are able to make , man wise to salva●ion , ( tim. . . . ) but that cannot be so , uniess they contain at least all things necessary thereto ; but though the scriptures be thus sufficient , and contain a certain sense in themselves , yet by reason of the distance of time , when they were wrote , through unskilfulness in oriental customes and phrases where they were wrote , through ignorance of some particular tenets , which some argumentative part of scripture is levelled against , and ●uch like causes ; but above all , through the perverseness of evil men and seducers , it so falls out , that those scriptures which are of a certain sense , yea , plain in themselves , are made obscure to us ; and we either become doubtful of their meaning , or follow a wrong meaning : for what is , or can there be so plain and easie , which some wi●ked men have not or cannot render intricate and perplexed , especially to weak judgements and faciie tempers ? now for the discovery of the true sense of scripture in this case , true and genuine tradition is possibly the best help and surest refuge , and to wrest the scriptures out of the hands of hereticks , and restore the rule to its true force , right use and proper meaning , perhaps there is not a surer nor more effectual way ; for our blessed saviour himself wrote nothing , or at least nothing which he designed to be a perpetual standard and rule to all his followers ; it is said indeed , ( john . . ) that he wrote with his finger on the ground : but what that was no body can tell . eusebius indeed records an epistle of his to agbarus ; but if the story be true , ( and i have no mind to derogate from the reputation of so learned and industrious an historian ) yet it was to a particular person , in answer to a particular request ; and the principal contents are a promise , that after his death one of his disciples should come , and both cure and instruct him ; nor was it ever accounted as any part of canonical scripture . the apostles indeed being led by the spirit into all truth , not only taught it to the then present age , but committed it to writing for the benefit of posterity ; but then they wrote nothing contrary or disagreeing with what they preach'd and taught , both before and after they wrote . and there is no doubt , but that those doctrines which they comprized summarily in the scripture , were expounded more fully in their daily conversation , and continued discharge of their ministerial function if therefore any doubt or controversie did arise concerning the meaning of scripture , there could be no better way to determine it , then by enquiring in what sense those churches understood it , which the apostles had planted , & where upon all occasions they at large explained themselves ; for it is certain , that the apostles best knew their own meaning ; and when they were no longer living to tell it , let witty or wicked men make never such a bustle or fair shew , it will be very difficult to perswade any sober men , but that those must needs best know their meaning , to whom the apostles themselves most amply discovered it . now it being the great business of hereticks to corrupt the scriptures , and wrest them to a wrong sense , that they might seem to have a sufficient authority patronizing their errours ; when it so hapned , the ancient church usually declined the nice way of cavilling and captious disputes , and fell to enquire what was the doctrine and sense of the apostolick churches ; for it could not be but that those , to whom the apostles had preached all their days , must better understand their meaning , then any upstarts who followed their own imaginations , and were fond of new and p●stilent notions ; and by this means they not only silenced hereticks , but wrung the scriptures and the interpretations of them out of their hands , and then turned them against them , and whilst apostolical men were living , this was a sure way ; and so far as such tradition can be proved to have been preserved genuine and true , it is still a good way : and when the romanists have endeavoured to bring the cause to this issue , i think they have had no great cause to boast of their gains , witness ( to avoid naming many ) the controversie managed by bishop jewel and har●ing . but then as to tradition these cautions would be observed . . that this is no prejudice to the scriptures , being the only sufficient rule of faith ; for though the apostles wrote and taught the same things , and so both were alike a rule to the then living persons ; yet when those things were put in writing , it was for this very reason , that a sure and certain rule might be preserved for posterity ; for tradition might in time be mistaken , forgotten or corrupted ; but the scriptures would remain unalterable . so that the scriptures are the rule to us , though there are many helps to lead us to their true meaning , of which perhaps genuine tradition is none of the worst . but this makes nothing against the perfection and sufficiency of the scriptures , which contain all things necessary to salvation , though they do not find us eyes to see , nor ears to hear , nor brains to consider ; though god doth all this , and all other helps abundantly . all arts and sciences are supposed to be complete in themselves , and to contain rules sufficient to instruct a man in them ; and yet some of the noblest of them can never be thoroughly attained , unless ▪ a man be first instructed in the rudiments of some other arts or sciences preliminary , and preparatory to them . but the scriptures being the most perfect rule , as proceeding from the all-wise god , and leading to the noblest end , why should not others or rather all be subservient to them ? yet this is so far from making them less , that it argues their greater perfection . secondly , that nothing be admitted as a tradition , which hath not some apparent foundation in scripture , for that being the undoubted word of god , whatever is not agreeable thereto , much more whatsoever is contrary to it , ought never to be admitted . but by reason of our own weakness , or others frowardness , the rule in some cases being not so clear , a true primitive tradition , in relation to matters contained in scripture , may be very useful to lead us to the true sense , as in the cafe of infants baptism , the observation of the lords day , and some other matters . for all the churches of god from the first times , having baptized infants , and duely observed the lords day , it must be supposed , that the apostles did unanimously so teach the first churches , and consequently that those general precepts concerning baptism in scripture , are inclusive of the children of believing parents ; and that those scriptural instances of the observation of the lords day , were intended to direct our practice : nor let any man think , that the romanists will be gainers by this ; for i will never deny any truth for fear of giving advantage to an adversary : whatever they can prove from scripture , expounded by such truly primitive tradition , as shall be agreeable to the two foregoing and the following cautions , i shall freely yield to them or any other party . but if the matter come to this issue , they must lose all the most considerable things , for which they contend with us . i know they make great flourishes , and pretend scripture back'd with tradition , for purgatory and some other fopperies ; but what can i or any man help it , if they will use the best means for the worst ends ? they know good rules , but use them ill . for as for such a notion of purgatory , which they have set up , and such a use for it as they have devised ; as there is not any footsteps of it in scripture , so was it utterly unknown to the primitive church ; or if it could have been known , would have been abominated . and if men will have the impudence to pretend without any colour for their pretences , yet i will not forsake a good course because they abuse it . thirdly , that nothing be admitted as a genuine tradition , but what was univers●lly received , and wherein all the primitive churches were agreed , according to that known rule of vincentius lyrinensis , quod ubique , quod semper , quod ab oinnibus , or ( as he otherwise phraseth it ) vniversitaetis & antiquitatis consensio . nothing can be so plainly spoken , but the weakness , the heedlessness or the malice of some persons may mistake or corrupt it . thus the millenary errour sprang from papias misunderstanding john the elder ; and his authority again seems to have influenced irenaeus and justin martyr ; but this meeting with opposition in the church , and being in the end exploded , it hath only the reputation of a very early mistake , and serves well for an instance to shew how quickly tradition may be corrupted , unless the churches of god be exceeding vigilant . what the apostles taught for the common concern of our salvation in an● one church , they taught the same in all ; and therefore unless they all agree , that there is a mistake is certain , whether there be a tradition , or where it lies is uncertain ; and so at least it is useless . but though here and there a man might in some particular things mistake the apostles , and by their means others might be deceived , yet that all persons of all churches should clearly mistake the apostles in any necessary matter , notwithstanding they lived so long , and daily so laboured in the word and doctrine , is a thing incredible : and therefore wherein they unanimously agree concerning the doctrine of the apostles , no doubt but it is the best exposition of the doctrine in the scriptures ; the same things being written for our perpetual instruction , which were at first preached for the benefit of the then living generation . fourthly , that traditions be always deduced from the first ages of the church ; for traditions are received , not made ; and if they proceeded not from apostles and apostolick persons , they can never become genuine traditions afterwards . what was delivered to the ●●●st churches , though since neglected , lost or forgotten , was a true and genuine tradition ; and is so still , if it can be discovered ; but if any thing be vouched as a tradition , though of a thousand yeares standing and more ; yet if it came not from the first churches , it is not a tradition but an imposture ; and such are most of the roman traditions , much like those of the pharisees , of whom our saviour saith , that they had made the commandment of god of none effect by their traditions , ( mat , . . ) and yet they called them the traditions of the elders , ( verse . ) and stood then up for their antiquity as stoutly as the other do now . but ( as tertullian observes , lib. de praeserip . ) veritas mendacio prior est . and therefore here we are to follow , not quod antiquum , but quod antiquiss●num . lastly , that a difference be observed as to traditions , according to their nature and rise ; there are traditions of particular churches , arising mostly from the orders and constitutions of some venerable apostolick persons , made and prescribed to the churches , which they respectively governed ; these claim a respect , not only upon the account of their suitableness to order , but also in honour of the persons from whom they came ; but yet they oblige not other churches . none indeed ought to contemn them , but they may lawfully either use or disuse them , as their present churth-governours shall think fitting for the benefit of the present churches . some traditions are more universal , as proceeding from the apostles themselves ; but if they be only concerning things in their own nature indifferent , neither are these immutably binding . that some such were is apparent from that of st. paul to the corinthians , ( cor. . . ) the rest will i set in order when i come . but if any man can certainly tell me what orders he made , erit mihi magnus apollo : and perhaps the apostle never committed them to writing , lest an over-great veneration to apostolical authority should run other churches into an inconvenience ▪ for those very orders , though most wisely fitted to the church of corinth , might at the same time be inconvenient for other churches , yea , for the very self-same church in following times . for though some indifferent things must of necessity be determined , because otherwise the solemn worship will unavoidably he disorderly and indecent , yet such orders can never be so fixed for all churches , as to be of a perpetual , immutable and unalterable nature ; for climates , customes , times , persons , do variously alter the state of matters ; so that what is prudenrly constituted in one church , may be very inconveniently and indiscreetly enjoyned in another ; and therefore , though such apostolical constitutions deserve veneration , as being unquestionably best fitted to the then present churches ; yet it remains in the power of church-governours to lay them aside upon just occasion , and constitute others in their room , as may be most for the good of the churches . again , some traditions concern the practice of the universal church , which obtained in all places , and these have their ground and warrant from scripture ; but their particular determination from church-authority , which is still preserved to us by tradition ; of this we have a clear instance in the fasts and feasts of the church , as gods signal mercies require our solemn thanksgivings , so our own sins , especially the publick , call on us openly to humble our souls before god , and to give manifest testimony of our repentance ; besides , to tame our unruly affections , and fit us for the discharge of our duty , acts of mortification are very requisite ; to this the scriptures direct us , and thereof gives us many instances : but when this shall be done , ( i mean publickly , for as to private thanksgiving or mortification , relating to mens private concerns , they may use their discretion , provided that they thwart not the orders of the church ) is partly pointed out to us by the times , when such mercies were received , or evil done ; and partly determined by ecclesiastical authority . and this even natural reason it self doth so fully teach , that there never were any men of any religion , how barbarous soever , but they had their solemn fasts and feasts . upon this account i was very sorry to find a relation in mr. ricaut ( st. of turk : ) to this effect , that certain fanatical merchants of ours residing at smyrna , and some other parts of the turks dominions , being observed to keep neither fast nor feast , but to use every day alike , all persons presently esteemed them as men of no religion , and look'd on them as persons who thought they had no god , against whom they could offend , nor from whom they had , or might hope to receive favours . but though these men were of our countrey , they were not of our communion ; and we are not to answer for their ill examples , who have forsaken us chiefly for this reason , that they might take their full swinge in running a whoring after their own inventions . the most ancient feasts and fasts are appointed by the constitutions of our church , and con●●rmed by the laws of the land ; if we regard not some in the roman church , it is because they are apparently of later date , and introduced by their own authority , which obligeth not us ; besides , we much doubt of the popes skill in discerning these later saints , but more of his power to make them such . if it be observed , that our own fasts and feasts are ill observed among us ; i grant it to be true , but i say it is not our fault ; ill men and ill times have been and still are too hard for us ; and not to complain of the too many obstructions of discipline , ( without which no church can long stand , much less flourish , which is the reason that all parties whatsoever have unanimously combined to hinder the exercise of our discipline , that by that means they might have opportunity , upon all occasions , to make their full blow at the church it self ) though our church hath had the laws on her side , yet she hath ever had the lawyers ( without whom the rest could have done nothing ) her enemies , who have made even the laws themselves either insignificant or hurtful to her. i speak not of the whole body of them , for there are many honest and honourable persons amongst them ; but there want not enough , who are sworn enemies of church discipline , and all ecclesiastical authority ; who lay trains and snares for the governours of the church if they execute it ; and if any man be constrained ● defend the sanctions or rights of the church , they will encourage parties , and make interests against him , lead him thorough all the courts in the kingdom , till they have undone him ; and expose him as if he were the ●ilest man living : they will neither suffer the censures of the church to take place , nor her rights to be gotten ; nay , more i will be bold to say , that partly by quite discharging some tithes , and by erecting iewd modus's and nostart customes , and other sly tricks , they have deprived the clergy of one fourth , of what the bare-faced church-robbers left ; and if they b● suffered to go on at this rate , they will in some few generations insensibly ●●gger all the livings in the kingdom . now what can we do against these , and many other powerful and inveterate opponents , wh●m i will not name ? our constitutions are good ; we wish and endeavour what we fairly can , that they may be kept : they must answer it to god almighty , who will not suffer it . but to leave complaining , where we are like to have no remedy , and return to our matter : as to traditions of matters ●f practice , distinction must be made between the matter of the tradition and the circumstances of it ; tradition as to circumstances may differ in different places , and may be altered by the power of the church . thus as to the feast of easter , all agreed in the tradition , that it was to be observed ; but divers churches disagreed about the time of its observation , so that whilest some were fasting , and had not compleated their lent , others had entred upon the feast of easter ; here the church interposed her authority , and to prevent disorder and confusion , reduced the observation to a certain time , though it did not take place without a great deal of trouble , so tenacious are people of ancient usages , and therefore ought governou●s to be very tender of disturbing them , without w●ighty reasons . but then as for the matter of such traditions , which are genuine and truly primitive , ( as of the observation of easter , and the first day of the week , commonly called , the lords day , &c ) i cannot perswade my self , that even the whole church hatb power to alter or abrogate them . what may be done in plenitudine potestatis , i will not dispute , because it is a thing i have no kindness for . for when persons will be judges of the extent of their own authority , they will be sure to c●rve libera●ly for themselves ; and when they will be acting to the utmost bounds of it , the odds is ten to one , that they go beyond them . lastly , other traditions there may be which relate to doctrine , but this could be nothing but what the apostles taught , and therefore must be fetch'd from those they taught it to ; and so must be derived from the first primitive churches ; if it started up after , it was an innovation not a tradition , though older then augustine or ambros● : for there could be no tradition but from the apostles , and wherein the churches immediately following them unanimously agree as to their doctrine ; it serves well for the explanation of the sense of scripture , as hath been shewn ; but then it becomes not our rule , though it is an excellent help : for a rule ought to be full , obvious and useful ; he that will pretend it full , has doubtless an aking tooth at the holy scriptures , to explode them as useless , and then he will leave us no rule at all ; for this pretended rule is neither obvious nor useful as a rule ; for to fetch the doctrines of the christian religion from the unanimous consent of all the apostolick churches , is a work for which not one in a thousand is capable : nay , take twenty for one of their own priests , and either they are not able , or shall not be suffered to attempt it ; and is this fit to be set up for a rule in a matter of the eternal salvation of all men , which the most cannot , and many , if they could , must not use ? this and some other reason i could give , make me suspect , that the tridentines in defining the scriptures and tradition to be received pari pietatis affectu ac reverentiâ , had this in their eye , that under the pretended authority of tradition they might foist in those corruptions , which they knew the holy scriptures would by no means patronize . but to leave this matter , and draw a conclusion from the premisses , if according to our constitutions , ( for we are not to answer for the miscarriages of any particular persons ) both our doctrine and discipline , our government and worship are good and justifiable , then we cannot be hereticks : if the roman patriarchate extended not to these isles , then the maintaining or re-assuming our just liberties cannot make us guilty of schism , as to his patriarchship , but the first is proved , therefore the latter must be true . xlv . i should now have done with this matter , were there not one trifle in my way . men , who are resolved not to be couvinced , will be sure to say any thing rather then be put to silence . and so the romanist , when driven from all his posts , cryes out , you were once of the roman communion , anâ did pay obedisnce to the bishop of rome ; there was a c●●●ition , and therefore there must be a schism . now though the answer of this is plain from what hath been said , yet some men must be particularly answered in every impertinence , or else they will cry up their triflings for unanswerable arguments . whoever denied there was a schism ? do not we bewail it , and heartily wish that peace were restored to the house of israel ; that all churches held a sweet correspondence , and all christians might communicate in all churches wheresoever they came , without any scruple of conscience , as in the primitive times ? but our enquiry is , who are in the fault ? and that the romanists are the guilty party i have in some meafu●e proved , and shall do it more fully hereafter , if it shall please god to vouchsafe me life and leasure . but to say the truth , there is a subtil gincrack in this objection , which when they speak out runs thus , you were once vnited and lived in obedience to the see of rome , ●●d are now gone off from it ; what do you tell us of corruptions , faults or 〈◊〉 actions of the church of rome ; you cannot be safe till you be recon●●●ed , and again vnited to it ; because that church is the mother and my●●ess of all churches , and the source of all authority . this is indeed a nimble way to take for granted the main matter in dispute ; and if they could 〈◊〉 easily prove it , as they are ready to beg the question , it would go very 〈◊〉 . but by the way take notice , how streightly she hath bound all other churches in fetters , and what a swinging priviledge she hath cut out for ●er self . let her do what she will , all others must follow her ; let her do ●●ver so ill , none must so much as accuse her. let her hold here , and she is safe enough ; it is well con●rived , if these wicked cross grain'd her●ticks would but believe it . they who claim such ample privileges , ought ●o produce their charter : but when they come to proving , they produce ●othing but such wretched stuffe , that men are at a loss to return them an ●nswer , by being st●uck with admiration at their impudence . that other ●hurches have as good authority as the roman , is already proved , and shall be more fully in due place ; and therefore this assertion is an insolent af●●ont and abuse to all the churches of god. but yet i further answer , that supposing some preeminence did belong to the church of rome , that cannot justify them in an ill cause . if ever any church should claim to be the fountain of all authority , the jewish church , whether as mosaical or christian , seems to bid the sairest for it . upon that stock ( as i may say ) were the christians grafted . what pr●eminence st. paul allows the jews above the gentiles , you may read , rom. the th . and elsewhere ; and what particular respect all the apostles had to the jews , how forbearing they were towards them , how yielding to them , how tender of them , and how careful and desi●ous to maintain communion with them , the scriptures every where test●fy . but yet when they became obstinate , and spake evil of christianity , even st. paul himself departed from them , and separated the disciples . ( acts . . ) now we have cast off a usurped authority , and reformed some insufferable abuses ; for this the pope not only with the jews speaks evil of us , but thrusts us away , and curseth us . let him pretend what privilege he will , if we be schismaticks , we are schismaticks with st. paul : and in so good company we are nothing concerned , though the pop● and his teazers rail and b●rk at us all the way we go . it must needs be , ( saith our saviour , matt. . . ) that offences come , but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh . so deplorable schisms there be , and perhaps more or less will be , till the dissolution of all things put an end to them ; but then wo be to that man , who to maintain his enormous greatness tramples on his fellow bishops , and tyrannizeth over all christians , and unless they will buy peace at his unconscionable rates , will not suffer the wounds of the church to be healed , nor her breaches made up ▪ nay , if they should yield to him , it might indeed be some kind of uniting like brethren in iniquity , but then it would be only a debanching , not regulating the church , so that it was not for nothing , that marcellus the second , in a silent melancholick posture , leaning his head on his hand , at length broke forth into this expression , i do not see it possible ; how a man in this high dignity can be saved . but let them look to that , for having put in an answer to the claim of the western patriarch , and briefly justified the actual separation , i shall now examine , whether the so much boasted councel of trent can do them any better service . chap. v. of the councel of trent . i. though the best things , by the frowardness and contrivance of wicked men and seducers may be abused to the worst ends , and perverted contrary to their nature , to serve the most pernicious designes , as hath been too often the fate of councels : yet it ought not to be denied , but that general councels , or others , are of greatest use and benefit to the church of god , when lawfully called and duely managed , where serious , continued and unanimous prayers are put up for gods assistance , where matters are freely and fairly debated , and where not only the intentions but endeavours of the parties , are wholly bent to discover the truth of god , not to gratifie any party of men. for if god have promised to be with two or three , who are gathered together in his name , surely , he will not be wanting to the governours of his people , and the wisest and soberest of christians , when met together , to discover to the christian world the poison of hereticks , and to serve the necessities of his church , provided that they take due cou●ses ; and it is agreeable to reason , that a considerable number of good and able men assembled together in the fear of god , where matters are freely and fully debated , and all moral industry used , should be better able to discover truth from falshood , then any single person , or any small number of men. and where men are satisfied of the regularity of their proceedings , though they should not be so well satisfied in their determinations , yet the authority of the persons , and unexceptionableness of their proceedings , would be an awe at least upon all sober and rational persons , and make them cautious o● disturbing the churches peace . nor doth it seem to be without encouragement and direction , that the primitive christians in difficult cases fled to general councels as their sovereign remedy . for the apostles themselves set them a precedent , and the first councel at jerusalem , ( though small , yet perhaps the most general that ever was ) was a pattern worthy imitation . for though the apostles had severally the holy ghost , and were the persons purposely chosen to make known to mankind the extraordinary revelations of gods will ; and so might have determined any question concerning any such matter by their own authority ; yet the quarrel arising between the jews and gentiles concerning circumcision , and in the consequence concerning the whole ceremonial law of moses , though they knew that one great end of christs coming was to abolish it , to fulfil its types , and set up a more spiritual worship ; yet the whole church being divided by this means into two parties , they would not determine the matter till met in councel together ; that a full debate , and their unanimous consent might give the greater satisfaction to all . and indeed their proceedings are an admirable copy , for all following councels to write after ; even they , who best might , do not magisterially give us their naked decrees and definitions ; for though they had the holy ghost , and in their decree did say , it seemed good to the holy ghost and to us ; yet they do not say this , before they had undeniably proved , that it did seem good to the holy ghost , and therefore ought to them . for st. peter clearly proves , that god himself had already determined the matter in the case of cornelius ; and then barrabas and paul as clearly proved gods further confirmation of it by miracles and wonders wrought amongst the gentiles , whilest they preached the gospel to them . so that here was nothing left for men to say against the decrees of the councel , unless they would argue against god. and though the same degree of evidence and fulness of authority do not attend after councels , yet it would be a great means to procure submission to them , when their imitation of the apostles , and care of the churches did appear , by their accompanying their determinations with the clearest evidence that might be . ii. some romanists will needs have every general councel ( i. e. such as they call lawful ) to be as infallible as that of the apostles ; but methinks they should allow some difference , if it were only for this reason , that the arostles did infallibly and fully discover to us the whole truth of god in order to the salvation of man ; all that come after them have nothing more to do , then to enquire after that truth which they taught , and which rests upon their authority as inspired by the holy ghost ; and therefore certainly there is a great difference between them , and those who follow them , and are bound to build upon them , and are certainly in the wrong , whenever they depart from them . infallibility is a word that sounds high , and promiseth all that man can de●ire ; and therefore the romanists themselves would have it upon no other termes , but so , that they may have both the possession and the use of it . but when we come to look for this salve for all sores , we know not whe●e to find it ; for they themselves are so miserably divided , that they know not where to place it . and then how can we , or indeed they themselves , be any thing the better for it ? some say it is in the church , some say in tradition , some say in a general councel , some in a councel together with the pope , some in a counc●l confirmed by the pope , ( though these two last are often odly jumbled together ) and some say in the pope alone , when he defines pro cathedr● , and that is a mystery too . now in all and each of these they entangle themselves in some palpable contradictions , and woful absurdities , that a man might wonder , that ever such learned men should appear in their defence , did we not see by experience , that extravagant interest as well as great oppressions often makes wise men mad . the truth is , all these are set up as a blind , as shall appear in its proper place . and if their general reasons to prove , that there must be some sort of personal infallibility , be good , there must be another sort of infallibility set up then any of these , and such as they themselves will by no means approve , and which none have pretended to , but the worst of enthusiasts ; and yet their reasons must prove this , if any ; such lewd opinions do men run into , when they will take upon them to prescribe to god , rather then obey him . and indeed it hath sometimes struck me with horrour to see how boldly they tell us , what god must do , and how presumptuously they charge him with breach of promise , as neglect of his people , if he do not make good all their contrivances ; as if god were bound to do , whatsoever their working brains can think fit to advance their unworthy and unchristian interests . no doubt but god will not fail on his put , if we neglect not our own ; but to tye him to serve our humours or baseness , is to provoke him to desert us in those things , which are really most needful for us . but these things i must not here particularly pursue , nor shall i engage in the dispute concerning the infallibility of general councels , both because whatever they pretend , it is not that which they would have , as also because they have received such answers already in that matter from spalato , the most reverend a. b. laud , the learned dean of st. pauls and others , that it is now altogether a needless labour . iii. he that takes his aim , though never so carefully , yet may sometimes miss his mark ; and if that should be my misfortune in what i write in this place , i may in equity expect the more favourable usage . for though in a good sense a councel may be said to be the church representative , as i shall shew anon . yet i have considered and considered again , and can by no means reconcile to reason that notion or proposition , ( in the sense which some men take and explain it , ) that a general councel is representative of the diffusive body of the church . for if it be so , it must either be by institution from god , or delegation from men. but that god in any case hath appointed the whole body of christians to choose certain persons as their representatives , whose acts by vertue of such election shall be as ●inding , as if it had been done by all and every man , i think can no where be found ; for my own part , i could never see any footsteps of it , or any thing like it . if on the other hand , it be by an unprescribed spontaneous delegation from men , it must either be by the whole body of christians met together for that purpose , or by parts assembled in particular churches . the first , i think , if it be not impossible , is altogether impracticable , as the state of the church now is : nor was it ever put in practice , when the church being less , closer and better united , did not labour under those difficulties which now it doth ; as for the second , it hath neither scripture nor antiquity on its side , and for that little , which some may wrest to look that way , it is so very little , that it may thence appear , that the churches of god never thought it necessary . for though paul and barnabas , and certain others were sent up to jerusalem about the controversie between the jews and gentiles , ( acts . . ) yet there is not any circumstance to lead us to think otherwise , but that they went by order or agreement of these governours of the churches , ( among whom that controversie had been debated , but could not be finally decided , by reason of the turbulency of the jews ) and not by election of the people : and when the councel met at jerusalem , though all christians had freedom to appear in it ; yet when the apostles and elders are said to come together to consider of the matter , ( verse . ) they met by their own authority . and further , if a councel be so the church representative , that in order to its being a representative , it be necessary , that the persons appearing be elected from the church-members of particular churches ; the consequence will be , that the first four famous general councels were not lawful councels ; for they met by the emperours summons , not by election from the people ; and therefore upon this supposition could not be duely convocated . besides , if a deputation of the people or church-members be necessary , let the honour or orders of the persons deputed be what it will , they must represent mostly as laymen ; for such are incomparably the sar greater number ; but we read not of any bishops sitting in councel , but as bishops , and subscribing as bishops , and taking place there by vertue of their own authority as bishops , not by any deputation ; unless perhaps some person appeared for some absent bishop as well as himself , or as the legate of some bishop ; but then a commission or deputation from that absent bishop was sufficient without so much as consulting any church-members . i do not say , but that some persons were chosen on purpose to be sent to councels , but then they were either such priests or deacons , as the bishops thought fit to take along with them , or were pitch'd on by the advice of their clergy . and we have a custom amongst our selves , that two out of every diocess be chosen and sent to the provincial synod or convocation ; and thought it is reasonable that some should be there , who by daily inspection and experience understand the countreys affairs , and the circumstances of the rural clergy , upon whom not the least part of the burthen lies ; yet the great reason is this , that the determinations of the convocation may pass into the law of the land , which they cannot do , unless the convocation consists of such persons as the law requires , whose acts must be ratified by the king also to that purpose . but then those persons so chosen are only the proctors of the clergy , not deputies of the people : and canons for the church might be made without them , though not laws of the land. and indeed the romanists themselves , though they talk loud of a councels being the churches representative , yet sometimes they are as dumb again , and willing to let it sleep , or to shift it off . when they have to do with private persons , or such whom they call hereticks , then they talk big of their pack'd councels , and what a madness it is to withstand the representative of the whole church of god ; this looks great , and seems to carry no small authority with it : but if discourse happen of a councel in relation to the pope , then they are as mute as fishes , or mince the matter , and will by no means be induced to speak out as to any such authority in councels of themselves . and it is well known , that the tridentines were never suffered to use the phrase , repraesentans universalem ecclefiam , though many stickled hard for it , the pope being in no small fear , that an inference would be thence drawn , that any member , how great soever , was inferiour to the representative of the whole body of gods church , the consequence of which might have been fatal to himself . but the question concerning the right to , or exercise of authority in any diffusive body of men , whether ecclesiastical or civil , perhaps deserves a more thorough examination , then it hath ever yet undergone ; and consequently , whether any can ? and if any , then who and how far they can make a representative ? i may perhaps have occasion to discourse of it hereafter , but shall not in this place . iv. he that proceeds only in a destructive way , gives too much advantage to loose wits , and in stead of instructing unsettles weak heads . it is therefore but just , that he who opposeth what he thinks a mistake , should set down what he thinks right ; lest he do more hurt by leaving nothing to build upon , then he doth good by discovering an errour , which perhaps might be harmless , if consequences of too great moment were not wire-drawn from it . if therefore we should say , that a councel , ( ie . as far as relates to such churches , whose bishops appear in councel ) is the church authoritative ; and in consequence the representative , as bringing ●ith it all that authority christ left in his church , and which he lodg'd in his church-officers , by vertue of which authority they represent , and not by any deputation from the people or church members ; i think that ( with submission to better judgements ) it would be much more plain in the explication , and facile in the reasons of it ; and thence would evident●y appear the true grounds of the different force of their decrees and canons . for in what relates to discipline and external government , every bishop hath power to make orders in his own church ; and when they are met in councel together , for the agreement and harmony of churches , and better upholding communion , they may make rules binding all those churches , and in all things lawful and honest they are to be obeyed . for in their hands god left the government of his church as a church . and it is no less then an aposto●ical command , in reference to church-governours ; obey them th●e have the rule over you , and submit your selves , &c ( heb : . . ) and this is so clear from the practice of the p●imitire church , that to b●ing a few instances , were only to light a candle to the ●un . but then those ●egimental rules or orders were not binding to those churches , whose b●shops were not there either by themselves or their delegates , and consenting to them , though they were bound to observe them , whenever upon any occasion they came to any of those churches , on whom they were laid ; and also had a power to receive and confirm them , if they found them convenient for their churches , and so to make them obligatory ex post facto , though they themselves were not at the councel . and it is further observable , that constitutions of this nature were never thought to be so unalterable and binding . but that not only following general councels might alter them , but even provincial councels in some cases might rescind , what more general councels had appointed . for no laws are binding contrary to their own end and design . now the end and design of their constitutions being the peace and benefit of the churches , and for the most part in matters of themselves by nature indifferent or mutable ; it can hardly be , that in all things their general sanctions should hit the condition of all churches , for climates alter men much ; and the humours , inclinations and customes o● people much vary in different places , yea , not seldom in the same place , in different ages . so that what is convenient , easie and useful in one place , may be inconvenient , uneasie and unprofitable in another . if therefore by reason of the condition of some particular church or churches , which was not well made known to the general councel , some of their constitutions should prove to be really and truly burthensom and offensive to such churches : if there be no prospect of another general councel near at hand , a provincial councel of their own , who understand their state and necessities , may relieve them , by making other orders more fit and practicable sor them ; but always with honour and observance of those constitutions , where they do take place , and without any contempt or disrespect , where they are laid aside , to this effect is that answer of our learned dr. beveridge to his f●oward observator , nemo nescit synodos posteriores saepe alia , nonnunquam & contraria c●nstituisse ac quae prioribus constituta fuerant , idque licèt priores illae aecuenenicae si●e vniversales & posteriores singularium tantummodò provinciarum synodi ●ssent , quod sexcentis , sinec●sse esset , exemplis demonstrare licet , ( cod. can. ecc. ●●i . lib. . cap. . ) in these things ( if i mistake not ) consists the greatest an● most direct power of councels ; for these things are to be received and observed by vertue of their own authority . and hence it is observable , that in most ancient councels , the greatest part of their canons relate to discipline and government . and they never cared to meddle with matter of doctrine , ●●less the troubles of the church and unquietness of hereticks constrained them to it . and though in this case , not only men in inferiour orders , but even prudent laymen may be consulted with , and have liberty ●o advise and freely sp●ak their thoughts , that the state of the church may be the better known , yet the decisive voice is in the bishop : and that the contrary asserted by spalato is a great mistake ; i shall happily have occasion to prove ; when i come to speak of the nature , power and rights of episcopacy , in opposition to the roman see , whose usurpations have not only diminished , but in a manner destroyed that order , to the irreparable damage of gods church , and without the restoration of which to its just rights , i see not how the church can hope for either unity or peace . v. but though in relation to government and discipline the power of bishops in councel is very great , yet in matters of doctrine it is by no means the same . for he that committed to their trust the government of his church , gave them no power over the faith. rules for discipline may alter , as cases alter ; but the gospel of christ jesus must be yesterday , and to day , and the same for ever . no monckish evangelium aeternum , nor fanatick evangelium armatum , must be suffered to thrust this out of doors ; what christ and his apostles delivered to the saints at first must be the rule to the last : and therefore here the business of councels is not to appoint but enquire ; not to constitute , but declare : they have no authority to make us a new gospel , or any new article of faith , but to discover the old ; and therefore here their authority goes equal pace with their sincerity , diligence and skill . and if these qualifications be truly in them , and duely used ; it is all the reason in the world that we should acquiesce in their determinations , and that not only because we cannot have any better or more able body of men to decide the controversie ; but also because we have good grounds to believe , that god will afford them his assistance ; sor the promise made to the disciples of being with them always to the end of the world , is not capable of any other construction , but of his affording not only to them , but to their successors sufficient aid and assistance to preserve , discover , teach and declare that truth and doctrine , which our blessed saviour and his apostles taught , and left with them to be taught to the end of the world , for the salvation of souls . and though even laymen , as being all concerned in the common salvation , may challenge a right to appear in councel in o●de●ly manner and number , yet certainly the greatest authority lies in them . to whom god hath committed the care of all the churches , and who must answer sor others so●●s as well as their own . where therefore the pastors of the church are met together about matters relating to the necess●ties of the church , and are honest , industrious and able ; i doubt not , but that in matters of religion their authority is the greatest of any men on earth . god , i think , would not suffer such men , so qualified , to dec●ive us in any thing of necessity to salvation , and therefore they are not lightly to be regarded . and if these things could be truly said for the councel of t●●nt , i should have a better esteem ●or it , then i am like to have in haste . but on the other hand , if any pastors of the church , how many soever , though never so able and industrious , meet together , and be not honest and sincere , but ( at least by the prevailing number ) for base interest , labour by subtile and unworthy arts not to amend , but establish gross errours , abuses and corruptions ; these men not only offer the greatest affront to god and his christ , but attempt to put the most pernicious cheat upon the christian world ; and in stead of assistance from god , they may rather expect , that in judgement he should give them over to strong delusions , to believe a lye. and these are to be abominated , and with as great indignation rejected , as good and lawful councels are with reverence to be received and followed . and in which of these rancks the councel of trent ought to stand , i sh●ll now enquire vi. and in the first place , it may not be amiss , to consider what time was taken to frame and mould this councel to the popes mind . the councels of constance and basil having eclipsed the roman see in the very height of its greatness and glory , the popes ever since have looked with a malign● aspect upon general councels , and the very naming one was enough to put any of them into a fit of a feavour ; and indeed this made following councels not only useless but noxious . for if the necessities of the church seemed at any time to require a general councel , the pope would never suffer it to be , but in such place that he could command ; and always took care , that it should consist of such persons , who at least for the greater number were at his devotion ; and yet even then was wofully uneasie , till it was finished ; so unwilling are popes to trust themselves with a councel , though themselves have the packing of it . but that spark , which first fell through the clashing of luther and the pardonmongers , being blown to such a flame , that no common help could quench it , a general councel seemed necessary : but to manage it for the advantage of the roman see , and to hold it in convenient place was a matter of no small difficulty in such times of confusion ; so that it seemed to be as dangerous to the pope , as it was necessary for the church . it was well for the court of rome , that the greatest princes of those times were perswaded that it was the popes right , ( though meerly founded upon usurpations ) to call general councels : for by this means they gained time to fit matters for their turn ; and yet though the most refined politicians in the world , it was not a little time did serve their turn ; for though tho popes successively seemed daily willing , that so they might stop mens mouths , and gratifie their importunity , yet was it not less then twenty-seven yeares before these perfect crafts-masters could contrive matters to their mind , and then too they were rather necessitated then willing , and in no small fear that their wings would be clipt-luthers first appeal to a general councel , which was quickly followed with the desire ; of all germany , was in the year . but the councel of trent did not open till the th . of december . so long did this compassionate successor of st. peter suffer the wounds of the church to lye bleeding , and at last only cured them as chyrurgions do gang●enes , by cutting off the members . as for the indictions at mantua and vicenza , i make no account of them ; for as it may reasonably be suspected , that they were only shams to gain time ; so had either taken effect ; it is certain it was a device to keep the councel in greater slavery , then it was at trent , though it was so great there , that little good could be expected from it , as shall presently appear . and now after so long plotting , having got something like a councel , in a ●rightful place , at a time when christian princes were most jealous of each other , and the pope had leasure and opportunity to play his game ; let us enquire into its state and actions ; and if just exceptions cannot be brought against it , let it take place . vii . i do not pretend to bring all the just exceptions , which may be alledged against the councel of trent ; it is sufficient , if those few i shall bring , or any one of them be so material and to the purpose , as to just●fy our rejecting it . now the first quarrel i have against them is , that the prevailing part all along carried on a design to betrary the liberties of all the churches , and the power of all bishops to the pope , and to make him the absolute mo●arch of the whole church . and what good can we expect from men , who were traitors to their own order ? but though there could be no greater baseness and falseness then such a design , yet it must be confessed , that never was an intrigue managed more neatly , or more s●ily brought about , for they never offer to put his supremacy to the vote , nor by any express canon or decree declare or give it him ; for that might have awake●●d the sleeping bishops , and alarm'd the world , and perhaps they might not have carried it ; or if they had , yet what one councel gave , another might take away ; at least he must have been beholding to them , and held it as their gift , which would not do the pope's business . but more craftily , whilest the councel was intent upon other matters , they upon all occasions 〈◊〉 in such words into the decrees and canons , which though nothing to the purpose , as to the matter to be decided , ( and therefore in all likelihood little heeded ) yet might infer the pope's supremacy by an antecedent or divine right ; and thus they insensibly put him out of the reach of all councels , and did their work more effectually , then if they had spoke never so plainly , those who heedsully read over the canons and decrees of the councel of trent , may furnish themselves with plenty of instances ; to avoid tediousness i shall only mention some few . for a trial how this would glide down , the decree for reformation is ushered in with these words , eadem ss . syn●dus piis summorum pontificum , & probatorum conciltorum constitutionibus inhaerens , ( sess . . cap. . ) here the pope is not only put before the councels , but that ye might see by what right he is adorned with the epithet summus ; and though the councels are suffered to wait on him , yet it is with a restriction , they must be such as are probatae : now what those are , and who shall have the approving them , any man may guess without being suspected for a conjurer ; for with them the meanest provincial councel is as good as a general , if confirmed by the pope , and without his confirmation the most general is not worth a rush . thus what shrivelled things are councels to a pope ? but as if all reformation consisted in exalting the pope , in the decree of reformation , ( sess . cap. : ) he is stiled , ipsius dei in terris vicarius ; they could hardly have made him greater , unless they had stiled him , our lord god the pope ; and in the latter part of the same decree they declare him to be captain'mend-all , with a power to punish at discretion , even the highest prelates of the church ; and that not by vertue of any trust reposed in him by the councel , but suae supreme sedis auctoritate : this i think is pretty fair , they did deserve to be stroked and called his white boys for it . when they come to determine the matter concerning the reservation of cases , which extreamly needed reformation , ( for by that means persons oft were forced to travel to rome , from the farthest countreys at vast charges , and often for meer trifles ) in stead of reforming , they justify it ▪ and for fear of losing the booty , they seem willing that some other bishops should have a share with subordination to his holiness ; but as for th● pope himself , they tell us roundly , that he may do it merito pro supremâ potestate , sibi in ecclesiâ vniversâ traditâ , ( sess . cap. . ) this , i think , drives the nai● home , and clinches it too ; for if his be the supreme power in the universal church , that man or men had need be back'd with a strange authority , who shall dare to controul or oppose him further , the matter is so ordered , that the councel frequently gives the pope the title of dominus ne●er , and the consequence can be no less , but that they were or ought to be his humble servants . perhaps some will say , that this was done in good manners , and by way of complement . but put a complement upon the pope , and if it serves his turn , he interprets it a reality ; and the decrees and canons of this councel are restrained to his interpretation , that they can only speak what he pleases , so that he may make the utmost use of it ; and we know , that sayings , which do not by the hundredth part so much countenance his supremacy , are confidently brought in to prove it . an endless and needless labour i● would be to pursue all instances of this kind , and therefore i shall content my self with one more . when most men were tyred out and grown sick of the councel , and the papalins being in fear of the popes death , were resolved to conclude it in a hurry , in the very last session this decree passeth , postremo sancta synodus , omnia & singula , sub quibuscunque clausulis & verbis , quae de morum reformatione , atque ecclesiasticâ disciplinâ , tam sub fel. vec . paulo tio , ac julio tio , quèm sub beatissimo pio to pontificibus maximis , in hoc sacro concilio statuta s●nt , declarat , it a decreta fuisse , ut in his salva semper auctoritàs sedis apostolicae & sit & esse , intelligatur , ( cap. . ) now if they had done any thing as to the pope before , this had undone it all : and this , with the help of such a construction as the pope may put upon it , may enable him to do what he will ; he is now left to carve for himself , and if he want any thing it is his own fault . by what surprize this decree was obtained , the historian briefly tells us . when a councel was just shutting up , few men gave their minds to heed or stick at any thing ; and therefore in the close of the day this is passed as a thing granted , though it had never been mentioned in any congregation , ( hist . c. t. lib. pag. , ) now what the authority here de●●gned is , you may give a shrewd guess by the acclamation in the shutting ●p of the councel , beatissimo pio papae , & domino nostro , sanctae vniversali● ecclesiae pontifici , &c. what can he desire more ? it seems the dispute about vniversalem ecclesiam and vniversas ecclesias , was out of their heads now . viii . as to the authority of bishops , it was the contrivance of the councel all along , by all arts possible , to bring it in a manner to nothing . 't is true , some were sensible of the mischief of this , and amongst such the spaniards deserved no mean commendation , especially gramata , then whom there was not a more brave and magnanimous prelate in all the councel : 〈◊〉 wanted not much once , but that they had out-witted the early legats ; b●t their honest plot being discovered , they were quickly over-born by the ●●●ians and pensioners , who never consider what is right , but what will ●●ive the pope's turn : and to exalt him , it was necessary to depress all other ●●shops ; for if other bishops be christs vicars as well as the pope , they will 〈◊〉 in danger to be his fellows ; but if they be only vicars , or delegates of christs vicar , then they must submit to him as their head , from whom they ●●ive all their authority . and to bring it to this pass they used many ●rts , though none more effectual then this , which shall be the only instance i shall produce in this place . in the matter of reformation it was necessary 〈◊〉 seem to do something , ( though god knows their reformation was much 〈◊〉 boccaline's in parnassus , which after a mighty bustle , and vast expectations , amounted to no more then the moderating the price of cabbages and ●ayons . ) now though in things of greatest concern , the reformation was l●ft to the pope , which was magno cona●● nihil agere ; yet all could not be so referred , and the execution of such things had been always left to the bishops . now to have committed them to any other hands , would have been not only to bring themselves under eternal infamy , but to put the world in a mutiny ; on the other hand , to leave it to them would seem to infer a right , if not a divine right in prejudice of the pope . one would think here they had been taken in a noose , but they slip the knot with ease ; and certainly never any thing was more neatly taken away in the very giving . for when matters came under debate , which did require the exercise of jurisdiction upon the place , they then committed it to the bishops , but with this restriction , as delegates of the apostolick see. here indeed the bishops received a power to exercise some authority , but in the very accepting it they gave up their right , and placed all authority originally in the pope ; so that if he pleased at any time to undelegate them , he did in effect unbishop them . and yet the only reason which moved the cardinals , st. clemens and alexandrinus to persevere in their opinioe to the last against the confirmation of the councel , was this , that too much authority had been given to bishops in that councel , ( hist . c. t. lib. . p . ) so jealous is the roman court of the authority of bishops , that they are not willing to allow them the shadow of it ; and indeed they have reason for it , for if every bird had her own feather , those jolly cardinals , now princes mates , would appear to be only a parcel of bald cootes . for this and some other reasons the councel of trent might have waited for a confirmation , had not hugo buon●cmpagno bishop of bestice , not only clearly convinced the pope , that he was no loser by the councel ; but also taught him a trick how he might make what he pleased of it , and become no small gainer by it , ( hist . c. t. p. . ) to all this the bigoted sort of romanists will return , that it is the pope's right . but if it be not his right , then both he and that councel are guilty of a world of wrong done to the churches of god. but that dispute is not proper in this place , but will be fully handled in the particular of supremacy ; and if they be cast in that , they must be so in this , ix . it hath ever been held to be one necessary qualification of a general councel , that it be free ; and therefore i may reasonably put in this exception against that at trent , that it was in manifest slavery all the time . if there were nothing more to be urged but the decree proponentibus legatis , that alone were sufficient ; for by this means the bishops , who best knew the state of their churches , could not offer any thing in councel , how needful soever they knew it to be ; and what should be debated , was wholly left to their pleasure , who either could not understand the state of the churches ; or if they did , yet did not regard it , but made it their whole business to advance the interest of the court of rome . and though it was pleaded , that this was a new thing never before done in any councel ; though at several times strong reasons were brought to prove , that it infringed the lib●rty of the councel ; and from time to time great intercession was made to take off that decree , yet it could never be obtained ; and we may reasonably believe , that it was resolved it never should , whatsoever they might pretend . for when this decree with no small art had passed , the pope was so well pleased with the news , that he wrote privately to the legats , that they should maintain it firmly , and put it in execution , without rele●ting one jote , ( hist . c. t. lib , . p. . ) but though this was too much yet this did not satisfie them ; but they took still a greater liberty to enslave all the rest . for when they had proposed any matter , if the debate did not proceed to their mind , they took upon them to interrupt men in their speaking , and to check , reproach or threaten others ; so that feveral died of grief or indignation for the disgrace and abuse received ; ●●nd some pretended necessity of business , or want of health , and asked leave to depart , and were not a little glad they were got away . if this did not do , then by proregations and delays they wearied men out , and would do nothing till an opportunity presented for their purpose . neither was the councel under less restraint as to time , then matter ; they were so far from having any power to sit , till they had dispatched the weighty affairs they came about , that they could not sit an hour longer then they pleased their masters the legats ; for they had a bull by them , empowering them to prorogue , transfer or dissolve the councel as they should thin fit. so that let the necessities of christendom be what they will , if the designes of the legats were not carried on , all the bishops in councel must either sir still and cool their heels , or march off and be gone ; and that they were resolved to take this course , if they could not compass their ends , is manifest from that rude translation of it to bologna . and yet one would think there should be little need of all this caution ; for the councel consisted wholly of persons sworn to the pope , in as full and ample manner as any oath of allegiance can be made by a subject to his lawful prince , as is plain from the form of the oath set down by our learned d. of st. p. ( vind. a. b. l. cap. . p. . ) so that they couid practice nothing contrary to the pope's will without being guilty of perjury ; and the legates upon occasion did not fail to put them in mind of it . indeed , it may more properly be called a faction then a councel , for there were none admitted but the pope's party ; and was it likely , that they should do right , who were complained of for doing all the wrong ? the protestants are not suffered to come and sit as a part of the councel , but to be heard as criminals : and they had great encouragement to come , who were condemned before hand . three safe conducts were granted to the protestants , two under julius ●tiu● , and one under pius t●s , but not one of them will admit them as members of the councel , but supposeth them to come as offenders , with a liberty to make the best of their cause they can . but he , who shall heedfully read the first safe-conduct , will see , that it was rather intended for a snare to trepan them , then an instrument to secure them . that phrase , quantum ad ipsam sanctam synodum spectat , looks suspitiously , as if they intended it as a reserve for another to do that , which they were ashamed of themselves ; and there is the greater reason to think this , because the very last words of the safe-conduct shew , that they did intend to proceed against such , whom they should judge hereticks ; only they promise , that they shall have judices sibi benevolos , i. e. they shall be hanged with silken halters . and what kind of entertainment they were like to find , we may hence guess , that it is sometimes plainly said by some in councel , that their coming thither was to condemn the lutherans ; and when vega spake of a lutheran opinion , as reconcileable with what they called catholick , the councel was highly offended , as thinking it a prejudice , that any of the differences might be thought reconcileable , ( hist . c. t. p. . ) yet they had the best knack at reconciling , when they had a mind to it , that i ever knew ; for they could reconcile differences amongst themselves , that were as opposite as light and darkness , without condemning either of the contraries ; witness among others , the controversie between the dominicans and franciscans about the immaculate conception . they were so bent on this design , that they would admit none into the councel , who were thought in the least to favour the reformers . when vergerius fled to the councel , though as a bishop he had right to a place there , yet the legats would not suffer him to be there , but send him to the pope to clear himself from the imputation of lutheranism ; and he was glad to be gone , and at last to get out of italy , though he did in some measure requite the kindness afterwards . for in revenge he wrote a book to prove , that all liberty was taken away from the councel , and that it was called by the pope , not to estabish the doct●ine of christ , but the servitude and oppression of poor souls , ( hist . c. t. p. . ) and though he had been foully abused , and was an angry man , yet in this he was too much in the right . but as some were not admitted , so such as did . sit there were upon their good behaviour , and might by one device or another be fetcht out of the councel at pleasure . even one of their greatest creatures the bishop of bitont● , was cited from the councel to appear before the auditor of the rota at rome , such a piece of impudence as was never before practised , and enough to have made the councel assert its ▪ authority against the pope , if there had been any considerable number of ●ny courage or honesty . but though upon the bishops modest complaint he legats were ashamed of it , and the poorer bishops began to be mu●inous , yet the pope made his advantage of all . for laying hold on this opportunity , as it were , in compassion to succour the meaner bishops , he ●ade pensioners and fast friends of those , who were in danger to be his enemies ; and gained a clear instance of the pope's exercising jurisdiction over a councel . and though this shews him to have been a dext●ous artist , who could so easily turn his danger to his gain , and kill two birds thus with one stone ; yet it speaks little in commendation of those , who what in them lay sold the liberties of all christians so dog-cheap . and though the pope was thus secured o● them , yet they were not trusted : but when the legats had prepared any thing , if it was not treated of in all points to their liking , it was either utterly quashed , or laid aside at pleasure . when as matter of reformation it was proposed to set down the qualities , requisite in the promotion of the greater prelates and ministers of the church , which certainly might have been of great use and profit to so disordered and corrupt 〈◊〉 state , as the churches affairs were then in ; it was all presently turned out of doors , and that chiefly for this reason , because more then two thirds of the ●en●fices are reserved to the apostolick see , unto which it is not fit to prescribe a law , ( hist c. t. lib. . p. . ) when the matter of residence was treated of with some little heat , they were all presently cooled , and the matter put off , cardinal monte , after some specious pretences , plainly telling them , that the pope's wi● was resolutely so , ( hist . c. t. lib. . p. . ) and with this they are all struck dumb . and as they might not speak but with leave and licence , so what they did was insignificant , if it chanc'd afterwards not to please the pope . for the councel having taken care for correcting the vulgar edition , and for procuring an exact impression , and having employed deputies on the work ; when this news came to rome , the pope undoeth it all by his own authority , and the legats in pursuance of his order , cause the deputies to desist from the work , and to bring all they had done to them , and this without any respect to the councel , or so much as making them privy to it . it seems somewhat strange , that they should have no more at least seeming liberty , but be used so scornfully ; for the pope had ever the major party in the councel . it began , if not altogether , yet for the most part with his own creatures : and they , when but a contemptible number , and ( as the historian saith ) for the greater part a very igno●ant parcel of men , defined matters of the greatest concern , which were never before defined ; and too soon then . but when cardinal pacceco gave information , that the spanish bishops , men of exemplary pi●ty and great learning , were coming to the councel , the legats thought ( as they truly fou●d ) that their task would be harder ; and therefore they begin timely to look about them , and sollicit the pope to send them trusty bishops to out-vote the vltraniontans , ( as they called th●m ) ( hist : c t. lib. . p. . ) this did well enough all the time of paul and j●liu● ; but when the f●ench were pr●paring to come to the councel in the time of pi●s ●us , the rumour of such mens coming , who were naturally of a daring temper , and free speech , and in no great danger of incur●ing the displeasure of their king for either , so alarm'd the pope , that he openly and with little less then a professed design for out voting them , sent such a strength of confidents and titulars , that the papalins in councel were themselves ashamed of it ; for by that it was manifest , that nothing could be done in that councel , but what was carried by his creatures , and consequently by himself . this will still be more plain , if we consider the nu●ber of prelates in trent . the catalogue at the end of the councel tells us , that they came from fourteen nations ; but if it were well examined , it would appear , that many of the prelates of those several nations were only titulars , or the pope's pensioners ; but the number of all together , ( and yet they never were all together ) amounts to . now all of this number , ( take procurators and all ) which app●ared at various times from thirteen nations , were only , the rest were all italians , the pope's devotees , who either for fear durst not , or for interest would not in the least oppose him ; and they amounted to , which makes somewhat above two thirds of the councel . now when all the complaints were against the court of rome , let any man judge what could be car●ied in a councel , wherein the pope had so much the major party , and voices were numbred and not weighed . and when the councel is called by him , and consists chiefly of persons , whose dep●ndance is on him , and all sworn to him , and when they are met , must treat of nothing but what is proposed by his order , nor then any further , or in any other manner theu makes for his interest ; and if any thing displeases , are liable to be sent packing away when he pleases ; and their orders may be discharged without their consent , and are in all things under his government , who will never suffer them to follow their own judgement . i humbly desire to know by what figure such a councel is called free , for in proper speaking it cannot be so . x. another small objection which i have against this councel is this , that the decrees and canons set forth in that councels name , were really not the decrees and canons of the councel : for the truth is , it was a meer sham , and only a skreen or curtain drawn between the world and the pope , that he might play his game more safely out of sight . for what do they tell us of trent ? if there was any councel , it was at rome ; for there all was really transacted and concluded . in trent they did only act the play which others made , and therefore it is unju●t that they should be accounted the authors of it , and rob others of their glory ; for though they carry the name , yet in truth the tridentine fathers , were neither fathers nor mothers of those decrees and canons , but were only the midwives to deliver the pope and conclave of a brat , which they had long been big with ; though they were partly forced and partly hired to take it upon themselves , left the world should have judged it a bastard-child . by the orders of paul the d. to the legats , they were to receive from him what they should propose , deliberate and conclude , and not to publish any decree in session , before they had communicated it at rome , ( hist . c. t. lib. . p. ) and all along there were deputies in rome kept over the councel , that nothing could be dispatched in trent , till they had first considered , corrected and concluded the matter , and satisfied the pope in it : and then he sent i● to trent , that it might pass for their decree . and to this purpose dispatches came from rome every week at least once , and sometimes twice , unless the waters were up , ( as they often were there ) and then the pope could not inspire them , but the legats were forced to make delays , and bu●●e the councel in by-matters ; of all which a very pleasant account is given in the letter of the bishop of five-churches to the emperour . and sometimes it hapned , that the deputies in rome did not understand the affair so well as the legats , who were upon the place ; and so the pope sometimes put things upon them that were uneasie or unsafe ; and then they were at a ●t●nd , whether they should follow his orders or his interest ; but the common resolution was to employ the councel in something else , till they could give the deputies more full information and satisfaction , that the orders night be corrected , but still nothing could be concluded in the councel , till it was first agreed on and determined at rome ; and from that they were not to depart . now i cannot understand , but that those who made the decrees and canons , were more effectually the councel , then those who published them . and being romanists are apt to ask , what objection can be made against the councel of trent , which may not also be made against the councel of nice ? i desire to know of them , whether they will say that these things can be truly objected against the councel of nice ? if not , then they must acknowledge a wide difference . xi . but suppose these and other objections did not lye against it , yet what is the councel of trent to us ? if the acts of that councel bind us it must either be from the authority of the councel , or the nature of the things determined . if from the nature of the things , then they are binding before , and without the councel : and so where the councel of trent i● in the right , we may receive it for its own sake , not the councels ; because it is true , not because the tridentine fathers so determined ; and so the plea of the councel is laid aside to examine the nature of the thing . but if those acts must be supposed binding by vertue of the authority of the councel , i would know how that authority reacheth us ? for councels bind those churches , whose bishops are present and consenting to them . and though the pope hath usurped the privilege to be the onl● confirmer of councels , yet anciently his confirmation reached no further then to his own church or diocess at most ; and every bishop had as much power to confirm councels as he , and the councel stood , in as much need of their confirmation as his in respect of their particular churches ; and their common stile in subscribing was , ego a. b. confirmavi , corroboravi , or the like . and if they did not do thus , the decree● and canons of the councel were not reputed to be binding to their particular churches . if the determinations of the councel were thought to be of general concern , then they were sent to other churches , whose bishops were not there , and they might receive or reject , either in whole or in part but what they received they bound themselves to , but not but by their own act. now what bishops of ours were at trent ? or when did we receive it or approve it ex post facto ? henry the th . was so far from sending any bishops to that councel , that he protested against it . edward the th . was less a friend to it . what queen mary would have done , i know not ; but all the time of her reign the councel was under a suspension , and sate not ; and though it was revived again in queen elizabeths time ▪ yet it is well known , that she thought , that neither the pope had right to call a councel , nor equal that he should preside in it ; neither did any of the bishops of her time , ( either of those put out , or those put in ) appear there . as for the blind irish-man , he is nothing to us , and as little i think to his own nation . it is indeed true , that cardinal pool● an englisb-man , whom even protestants honour for his moderation and piety , was in that councel some small time under paul the third ; but he sate there as the pope's legat , not an english bishop : nay , at that time he was not a bishop , at least not of any english church , nor deputed by any bishop of ours ; and therefore could not carry with him the authority of any one of our churches . i wonder the pope had not so much forecast , as to set up some titulars to supply this defect ; but if he had , we should have little regarded such a mock-authority . and as none of our bishops were there , so there is not the least colour to say , that we received it since ; and therefore they may keep their councel for a snare to themselves , it doth not bind us . and this argument ought to be held good , even in the opinion of the councel of trent it self , for when in order to carrying a matter under debate , the determination of the councel of florence was urged , it was pressed as an argument against the spaniards , not against the french ; and for this reason , that the one nation had received that councel , but not the other . and thus i have done with the general part , and now we must come to a more close fight , insisting upon such particulars , as may both justify our separation , and withal make manifest , that whatever they pretend , the t●ue reason of their adherence to those matters is only a selfish and unchristian interest . finis . books sold by ( and printed for ) richakd northcott , adjoyning to st. peters alley in cornhil . . spiritual songs , or songs of praise to almighty god , upon several occasions , together with the song of songs , which is solomons , first turn'd then paraphras'd in english verse , the third edition , with an addition of dives and lazarus . a sermon concerning the excellency and usefulness of the common prayer , preached by william beveridge , d. d. rector of st. peters cornhil ▪ london . a sermon preached before the queen at whitehall october the th . by william beveridge d. d. a friendly discourse between an english dissenter and a french protestant , concerning the liturgy and ceremonies of the church of england , by daniel la fite m. a. rector of east dean in the county of sussex . gnomoniques , or the art of drawing sun-dials on all sorts of planes , by different methods , with the geomemetrical demonstrations of all the operations , by john leek professor of the mathematicks . the experienccd farrier , or farring compleated in two books , physical and chyrurgical , bringing pleasure to the gentleman , and profit to the countreyman , in which you have the whole body , sum and substance of it in one entire volume , in so full and ample manner that there is nothing more material to be added hereto . church concord containing i. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, ii. by richard baxter. baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng concord -- religious aspects. christian union -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion church concord : containing , i. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation , and the real concord of the moderate independents with the presbyterians , instanced in ten seeming differences . ii. the terms necessary for concord among all true churches and christians . the first part written . the second part . and published this . to second a late agreement of the london protestant nonconformists : and a former treatise called [ the true and only terms of church-concord . ] by richard baxter . mat. . . blessed are the peace-makers , for they shall be called the children of god. thess. . , . we beseech you , brethren , to know them who labour among you , and are over you in the lord , and admonish you : and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake ; and be at peace among your selves . phil. . , , . if there be any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , fulfil ye my joy , that ye be like minded , having the same love , being of one accord , of one mind . let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory : but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves . cor. . , , . and i , brethren , could not speak to you as to spiritual but as to carnal ; to babes in christ — for whereas there is among you envying and strife , are ye not carnal and walk as men ? london , printed for tho. parkhurst at the bible and three crowns in cheapside near mercers chapel . . the preface . § . iowe some satisfactory account to the reader , of the reasons of my publishing this book , which i have cast by about thirty four years . it cannot be well understood , without the knowledge of the case we were then in , and the occasion of my writing it . the ministers of the churches were then ( as is usual ) of divers opinions about church-government . . some men for our diocesane episcopacy as stated by the reformation . . some were for a more reformed episcopacy , described by bucer in script . angl. . archbishop usher , &c. . some were for diocesans in a higher strain , as subject to a foreign iurisdiction , and as parts of an universal church , headed by a humane head , the pope being principium unitatis . . some were for national and classical government by presbyters only , without bishops . . and some were for a parity of ministers and churches , without any superior bishops , or synods , or governours ; but to have every congregation to have all governing power in their proper pastors . . and some were for each congregation to be governed by the major vote of the people ; the pastor being but to gather and declare their votes ; among all these , the d sort , the foreigners were utterly unreconcileable ; and of the th we had no great hopes : but with the other four we attempted such a measure of agreements as might be useful in a loose unsettled time , to keep up christian love and so much concord , as that our differences should not so much weaken us , as to frustrate all our ministerial labours . § . to this end i attempted a double work of concord in worcester-shire : . for the willing ministers episcopal , presbyterian and independent to associate , in the practice of so much of the ministerial office , as they were agreed did belong to presbyters : ii. to catechize or personally by conference instruct , all the families and capable persons in our parishes , who would come to us , or admit us to come to them , in order at due appointed times . god gave our people ( in many parishes ) willing minds , and encouraged us by unexpected great success : the most laborious ministers took the hint , and seconded us in many counties : first and chiefly in westmorland and cumberland , and then in dorsetshire , wil●shire , hampshire and essex , ( and dr. winter , and others in ireland ) ▪ the terms of our association , the reader may see printed at large . but theirs of westmorland and cumberland more large , and worthy the consideration of the present tolerated churches . i pray you read them . § . but when it came to closest practice , as the foreigners , ( prelatists ) and popular called brownists kept off , so but few of the rigid presbyterians or independents joyned with us ; ( and indeed worcestershire and the adjoyning counties had but few of either sort , ) but the main body of our association were men that thought the episcopal , presbyterians and independents , had each of them some good in which they excelled the other two parties , and each of them some mistakes : and that to select out of all three the best part , and leave the worst , was the most desireable ( and ancient ) form of government . but that so much as might unite them in the comfortable service of christ was common to them all : the most of our ministers were young men bred at the universities during the wars , and engaged in no faction , nor studied much in such kind of controversies ; but of solid iudgment and zealous preachers , and eminently prudent , pious and peaceable : and with them there joyned many that had conformed , and thought both the common-prayer and the directory , episcopacy and presbytery tolerable : and these in . did conform ; but most of the rest were ejected and silenced . though of near ten thousand that the parliament left in possession , there were but two thousand cast out by the prelates , we strongly conjectured before hand who those would be : satan desired to have power to sift us , as wheat , and the chaff and the bran stayed in , and made that which some called the best in the world : and indeed much of the bran is honoured by us as very useful : but the simila was too fine and precise for the pallates of the great churchmen , and was cast out in the sifting : and the sifters did but call the [ similago ] simulatio ] and such other names , and out it went with scorns and devestation : and the hatred of it is propagated as the natural progeny of revived true simulation and revenge . but though fur-fur be a name of no honourable sound ( or sence , as it looks to brethren and the church ) yet for my part i do with thanks for england , and with lamentation for other lands , consent with them that say , few churches are so well fed : god can use this for the cleansing and drying up the hydropical tympanite of this land : and christ , i hope , will remember the penitent part of them , when he cometh in his kingdom , and they that rob'd others of their civil and church rites , may yet be with christ in paradise . furfure pinguescunt pulli si lacte madescat . even those that read this praise with displeasure , taking repentance for a disgrace , and being loth to think they need it , may yet by grace repent and live . through god's great mercy the excussed simila hath been childrens food , though the milstones have made it unfit for seed . but god will aliunde provide seed : though we cannot but dread the abundance and malignity of the seminary tares . § . but our trouble ( next to the ignorance and badness that we found most parishes in ) was antichurches , or separatists , that in great towns and where they found entertainment , did gather congregations out of the parochial congregations ; which being gathered on pretence that the communion of our churches was unlawful , employed so much of their preaching and converse in labouring to prove it so , and in magnifying their own opinions and ways , and vilifying others , as made many towns become places of meer strife , that i say not of almost hostility . § . these separating antichurches were of divers sorts : but of these it was two parties that most hindred our concord and success . the laudian prelatists , and the rigid independents : the former set up mostly in great mens houses , that had been against the parliament ; with whom they had the great advantage of the prejudice and exasperation of minds that had suffered with and for them ; and of their power over the people that as tenants or servants depended on them , and the countenances of their greatness , and a comfortable and honourable entertainment with them . these told the people that the parish ministers were schismaticks and but lay men , ( except the old ones that were ordained by diocesans . ) the other sort pretended sometimes faultiness in our churches , as not so pure as they ; and sometime liberty to gather the willing into churches of their conduct , because parish bounds were not of divine right . the anabaptists also made us no small trouble ; but the quakers that made the loudest noise , by railing at us in our assemblies and markets , did little harm , being contemned because of the grossness of their behaviour : especially when we had admitted them to publick disputes , and shamed them before all the people . § . our care was therefore to offer love and peace to the laudians and the rigid independents . to the first sort , we offered to consine our ministration to that which they had nothing against , though we could not do all that they thought best : we constantly used to read the psalms and scripture lessons , some hymns , the creed , lord's prayer , decalogue , &c. and offered them the sacrament kneeling that were capable and willing : and some of us permitted and maintained the bare reading curates that in chapels read the liturgy to them . and petitioned that all intolerable priests of what side soever might be removed for better ; but that no man might be ejected for being for the king. but we spake to the deaf ; and sought peace of the unpeaceable . we would have had them to set up tolerated bishops over all volunteers that desired it : but that they were utterly against , as thinking that the party that would constitute their churches would but shame them by their ignorance and vice , such a leaden sword did they take their discipline to be , laying all on the force of the magistrates sword , when yet the keys , which they durst not bear without the sword ( as it was done three hundred years ) must have the honour and name . § . and as to the other separatists , we treated with their chief leaders for union and concord ; and that occasioned the writing of this book . but we little prevailed with the old conductors , or the young self-conceited sort of novices . i will not dishonour the dead so far as to name them that i treated with , and the terms offered to them , and the pretences on which they by tergiversation refused it . their confidence in the soldiery that failed and shamed them , i think was it that hardened them into that errour . and had not the sword for a time upheld them , all these sects had quickly come to nothing ( as indeed most of them did ) by the parts , interest and concord of the united ministry : for my own part i had little hinderance , nor any antichurch nor striving party . § . the present conformists i know will take occasion to call our congregations such antichurches now , as i wrote against then . and some on the other side will say , what need was there now to publish your old disswasives from separation : i will speak briefly to both these . § . i. i know none now that are so much against schism and sinful separation , as the moderate nonconformists ; nor any more guilty of it than those ( papists and tories ) that most fiercely talk against it . had we not been greatly against schism , we had never done and suffered so much as we have done to have prevented or healed it : and to have kept the church from tearing laws , and canons that have battered peace and concord : we had never written and stoopt and humbly beg'd for unity and peace of malicious , ambitious , revengeful men , that made all our endeavours fuel to increase the flames of their cruelty . we foresaw what the legion was like to do , to make the church and land like the man among the tombes , that ragingly cut and tore himself : but the cure is too hard for us . is it lawful and good to shut the churches doors against us , and throw stones at us to drive us away , and banish us five miles from all the churches of the cities and corporations of the land , and all places where of long time we had preached , and to order the iailers to keep us from the churches , and informers to accuse us if we come there ; and then to call us schismaticks for not coming : and is it schism for men thus used , to worship god elsewhere ? is there no separation that is a duty , because some separation is a sin ? is it schism to separate from heathens or infidels , or from the papal church , or from arrians ? the case was not then as it hath been since : the separating party had nothing imposed upon them , that they could themselves say was against the word of god. they had no canons that excommunicated them ipso facto , if they should call the churches practice sinful . they were not cast out for not declaring assent and consent to all things contained in and prescribed by three books of fallible imposers ; they were not forced to covenant never to endeavour any alteration , ( that is , amendment of the present church government : nor to subscribe that if a king should commission a french or irish army to invade the land , to deliver it to a foreign prelate , it is unlawful for the land to resist such an army . the corporations of england were not then constituted , by means of an oath , that neither king , lords , or any person have any obligation to be against schism , popery or prophaneness , or to repent of sin , by swearing and vowing it , if that oath hath a confederacy also against the english prelacy , and was imposed and taken against law. the separatists that were against bishops , liturgies and ceremonies , were then at liberty to forbear them , and to disown them . and what pretence had they then for separation ? § . ii. but to the other side , i answer , . the loud accusations of schism or separation published against us by such as then did separate themselves from the publick churches , require us to undeceive those that are deceived by them , by making them know our constant enmity to schism ; and that it is they that drive us away , and not we that are driven , that are the schismaticks ▪ in england , as i proved in a writing called [ a search for the schismatick ▪ ] to humble them that are the cause , it is still necessary to shew the evil of that sin. it made not the apostles schismaticks , to be cast out of the synagogues ; no , nor paul for separating the christians from the blaspheming iews , into the meeting in tyrannus school . . and the surviving of the old sectarian spirit of division , maketh it a duty to shew still the evil of it : some cannot endure to hear those former miscarriages blamed , but by enmity to repentance make them their own , and encourage the evil spirit of division : and some still keep up the dividing principle , of the peoples power of the keys , and are ready to separate from those pastors that will not allow the whole congregation to be tryers or iudges of the state of all that are to be baptized or admitted to communion . and if we never have more admission into more publick allowance , the world shall see that it was not long of us : but if god have so much mercy for this land , as to strengthen us by publick concord , and unlock to us the doors of the publick churches , when i am dead , i would leave this testimony against such as shall then refuse or resist any lawful and desirable concord . and as to my terms of peace then offered to the independents , i think it seasonable now to publish them , when god in mercy hath newly brought us to publish our concord in a very hopeful and comfortable form and manner , to drive home the nail , and to be a witness against them that yet will divide . § . and because both old and late experience telleth me who those be , though i have hereafter spoken to their case , i will speak again though i seem guilty of repetition . it is the raw ignorant flashy self-conceited sort of reformers that we are in danger of , as to frustrate our concord and reformation . such whether ministers or people have torn us , and continue so to do , and are like to do so still . paul knew what he said , and why , when he told us a bishop must not be a novice , ( or a young raw christian ) lest being puft up with pride , be fall into the condemnation of the devil . and act. . of your own selves shall men rise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them . ignorant unstudyed preachers , that attain to a laudable fervency in speaking what they know meet with injudicious hearers , that being of their own temper , discern not their ignorance , but value their zeal , and these grow up into dividing parties and churches , and cherish the vices of each other , as if it were wisdom and holy zeal . the great dividing errour of these people is unruliness , thess. . . warn them that are unruly ] ti● . . . there are many unruly and vain alkers , iam. . . their tongue● are an unruly evil ] . they take it for a doctrine of christ , that they ought not only to be unruly , but to be rulers of the church , and of their rulers , and to usurp a chief part of the pastors office , to the churches confusion and their own : they think that the t●yal of all that are received into the church by baptism , or to it's communion in the lord's supper , and of all that are admonished , suspended , excommunicated or absolved , belongeth to the major vote of the people : and where this is denied them , they will have ●o peace . it 's no time to palliate this mischievous errour . i resolve here to deal plainly though briefly with the guilty , and therefore ask them , § . q. . if gross ignorance deserve casting out , do not you deserve it that are so grosly ignorant , even in a point so plain , and of such practical moment ? q. . could you possibly be so proud as to think your selves capable of this , if you had ever had true humility , or knowledge of your selves ? q. . do not you forfeit even the right of choosing your pastors that know no better what a pastor is , and that to be your rulers is essential to their office ? q. . with what eyes and minds do you read the scripture , that cannot there see , that you are commanded to obey them that have the rule over you , for they watch for your souls , as those that must give account , that they may do it with joy and not grief , for that is unprofitable to you , heb. . . & v. . remember them which have the rule over you ; who have spoken to you the word of god. and v. . salute all them that have the rule over you , tim. . . a bishop must be one that ruleth well his own house , else how shall he take care of the church of god. and ( as the steward of god. tit. . . to give the children their meat in due season , thess. . , . know them which labour among you , and are over you in the lord , &c. cor. . , . let a man so esteem of us as of the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god : it 's required of stewa●●s that a man be found faithful ? q. . do you know what the word pastor signifyeth ? do the sheep rule the shepherd and themselves ? q. . the pastor being but one , and you , having the major vote , are you not his rulers ? and are you able to rule him aright ? why do you not tell him what and whom to reprove , &c. q. . is it not sacrilege to usurp a sacred office ? like uzzah's incense , and c●rah's sin ? q. . who hath required this at your hands ? who gave you commission to rule the church ? q. ▪ do you not tremble to think what a charge you usurp , and what a dreadful account you undertake to give ? will you answer for all that are un●neetly baptized , received to communion , excommunicated , restored , &c. do you not know that this is a greater and harder part of the pastors office , than an hours preaching ( which a well furnished man can do in the way that you like with little or no study ) if he must wholly attend this work , must not you do so , if you undertake it ? do you know what it is to try so many men and womens knowledge and professions and lives , and to hear witnesses , and hear each person● plea for himself , and judge ? must you not leave your trades for it , or be treacherous ? even all of you , because the major vote must judge . o fearful self-condemnation ! q. . do you not know how certainly this will turn churches into confusion , and the scorn of the world ? will you all agree in your tryals ? or will not one think that person not holy enough , nor that profession of conversion satisfactory , which another approveth ? q. . and where hath god given the major vote the government of the minor ? if you can rest in ● wrong judgment of the usurping majority , why not of the lawful pastors ? q. . why would you chuse pastors that be not wi●●r to govern than your selves ? q. . do you not imitate those diocesan● that take on them the sole government of more churches than they can govern : and do not you also undertake what you cannot do ? q. . do you think it is not lawful for a great lord like abraham , that hath a hundred or many hundred servants , to make a church of his family ? and do you think his children and servants should rule it by vote , and try their lord and ladies graces ? q. . do you not know that baptism entereth into the universal church as such , and not into any particular church without a further contract ? and who made you rulers of the church universal ? why you rather than another church . did the people try and judge by vote the baptizing of the three thousand , act. . and of cornelius , and the e●much , and the iailor , or the samaritans , or any one person ? prove it if you can , and defie not god's word . q. . what if the minister that must baptize and give the lord's supper be unsatisfied in your iudgment ? must he go against his conscience in obedience to you ? q. . is one abused text [ tell , and hear the church ] ignorantly repeated , enough to blind you against all this evidence ? if the king send to the city of london to cast out an ill member , doth it follow that all the people must do it by equal power or vote , or some as rulers , and others as obedient consenters ? your freedom and your choice of rulers is not a power to rule . papists and all sects abuse this text. § . is not your liberty to be governed only as consenting volunteers enough for you , unless being many masters you receive the greater condemnation , jam. . . i would you would read the third chapter of james , and the fourth to the ephesians , and the second to the philippians , on your knees , begging of god to cause the scales to fall from your eyes , and to give you his eye salve , that you may see that you are poor , and miserable , and blind and naked : when the greatest millenaries say , this is spoken of the new jerusalem in another world in paradise , do not repine that i apply it to you . § . and that you may not be proud of your church liberty it self ( not to be forced to sacraments and communion , let me tell you , what it is . it is a liberty to be sinful , disorderly and unhappy , resulting from that necessity which god in nature and scripture hath founded , in that he will make no one happy without his voluntary consent : if you will you may renounce your baptism , and your childrens church-membership , and your own : you may after a first and second admonition excommunicate and condemn your selves , and renounce communion with the universal church , and with christ himself ; you have liberty to forsake the assemblies and communion of the church , and the help and conduct of true pastors : you have liberty to forsake god , and to be damned : o woful liberty ! god will not pardon , or save you against your wills : and kings and bishops should not force you to take a sealed pardon , or any of the childrens peculiar part without your voluntary consent . as much as you blindly cry down freewill , i think you deny not , but men have a will free and able to sin , and to choose destruction , till grace cure that freedom . and verily i think to such ignorant proud dividers as you , it is but such a freedom to choose your own teachers , where christian magistrates have more wisdom to choose for you : not much more than for boys to choose their own schoolmasters or tutors , or servants in a great mans family-church , yea or sons , to choose their pastor . your most desireable liberty is to have wiser governours and choosers , and to have wit , humility and grace to obey them . ( but yet to be the discerning iudges of your duty , and to do nothing against god's law ) . q. . i would know why you do not also your selves baptize and administer the lord's supper ? do you not know that the ministerial power of the keys lyeth more in judging decisively who should receive these sacraments , than in the actual delivering them . do you not as the lay chancellours do by the parish ministers , make them but the executioners of their decrees : you must iudge , and your pastors execute , or as cryers proclaim your iudgments . q. . when all the church must try the repentance or conversion of a sinner , must he open his sin before you all ? if not , you will take him i doubt for no true penitent . if yea , then by what right can you make his secret sins to be openly known . auricular confession is better than such : and if an aged person for want of use be uncapable of handsom expressions about religion , must he be put to shame before you all ? and as mr. noyes ▪ saith , shall lads thus uncover their father's nakedness ? q. . are you sure that upon a wiser examination than yours , most of this masterly party would not be cast out themselves . in many things we offend all : and he that sheweth not his religious wisdom out of a good conversation by works of meekness , but hath bitter envying and strifes , his glorying is a lying against the truth : such wisdom is not from above , but is earthly , sensual and devilish : for where envying and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work . i would advise the pastors of such masterly people , to try and examine these tryers : i have given them a catalogue of questions for them at the end of my reformed pastor : try whether they can tell you , whether christ hath one ▪ or two , or three natures ? whether he was man before the world ? in what nature he made all things ? how the godhead and manhood are one person ? whether each be a part of christ's person ? what the soul is ? how they will prove against an infidel that christ is the son of god ? and that scripture is true ? what the definition of faith is ? and of iustification , and of regeneration ? and the covenant of grace ? whether it be the substance of the holy ghost that is given in to the faithful , or only his effects ? an hundred such questions , i doubt you will find them ignorant answerers of . it 's a sad case to have those try mens regeneration that know not what regeneration is . if you will abuse the letter of the text , the women must govern : are not they of the church ? you 'l say , they are forbid to speak . ans. that 's as teachers ; but what 's that to iudging ? and are not you forbid to rule , when you are commanded to obey ? the church that must be heard , is it that must be told and iudge . but it is the pastors that must be heard : for if all the people be the speaking reprovers , it will be a clamorous church . and how without such clamour can the multitude be heard ? and must not all dissenters have leave to enter their dissent against the major vote . what if twenty be of one mind and twenty one of another ? will one voice satisfie the consciences of the rest to acquiesce . q. . you build all this on the foundation of rebellion against god and governours ; as if the people were the first receivers of ruling power , and were by nature made the rulers ( or law-makers ) by a majority over the minor part : which is so false , that as people they have no ruling power to use or give . all power is of god , and none have it but by his gift : and he never gave power to the children and servants to rule the master of the family ; nor to the people to rule the pastor or church , nor to the people to rule the iustices or iudges , &c. god made governours so early , as prevented the peoples making them in the essential part of the office . it 's enough that they choose him ( in cases not natural ) that shall receive it from god. but i wonder not that brownists and ignorant sectaries receive this false principle of the bodies ruling power by a major vote , when even archbishop laud and dr. beveridge , yea , and judicious richard hooker , yea and many papist and protestant authors of politicks ; and some lawyers have published it : to the deceiving of the undistinguishing ignorant , and the confounding of societies , civil and ecclesiastical , and the robbing god of his prerogative , and feigning all government as a mushroom to spring out of the earth , which cometh down from heaven : power is by descent from above . q. . i will ask you but this question more , whether now the brethren called congregational , the most . able and zealous have consented to a form of concord which excludeth the peoples government , can your consciences chuse but accuse you as proud , and enemies of concord , if as wiser than all these you be so foolish as to continue the divisions . and also when it 's known that it was men of your principles and tempers that caused our former confusions , and pull'd down after the king , the parliaments of all sorts , the protector and one another , till they set up their quarters over the gates , and pluckt up the floodgates that have these thirty years overwhelmed us , and hazarded all the reformation : is there after all this any excuse for dividers , or any pretence to extenuate their sin ? a sin that hath cost england , holland , germany , poland , and many other nations dear . yea , a sin that tore the very apostolick churches , and grieved the hearts of the apostles , and caused them to record their vehement obtestations against it . [ if there be any consolation in christ , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , fulfil ye my joy , that ye be like minded , having the same love , being of one accord and of one mind : let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory , but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves : look not every man on his own things , but every man also on the things of others . ] had you not been ignorant of church history , but known what the churches from the apostles days till now , have suffered by an hundred sort of sects and heresies , and what the woful effects of them have been , and what a scandal they proved to the beholders , and how shamefully they all ended , you would have feared the very appearance of so direful an evil , and would not have cherished a worm of so many feet in your bowels , even that ignorant pride which hath caused all this . what is there in this odious sin , and this contentions church state , that should make men professing godliness love it , and make the cure of it so hard . is ruling a work of ease ? is there nothing but honour in it ? is it not dreadful to be accountable for the ill managing of it ? do you not reproach pastors as dumb dogs and treacherous , that neglect their duty : yea , and kings and magistrates if they miscarry : and are not you afraid of your account of a usurped mis-performed government ? can you judge whether your pastors understand the gospel in the language that the holy ghost hath given it in ? and whether they rightly expound a thousand difficult texts ? and whether they decide doctrinal controversies truly or erroneously ? or do you not rather cry up men that are of your opinion , be it right or wrong , and love those that are sick of your disease , and tempt such ignorant teachers to speak and do that which pleaseth the people , for fear of incurring their censure , ●●●●● losing their maintenance . it grieveth me ●o hear that some are drawn so far to concur in the peoples guilt , that they will reject from their communion all that will communicate with the most godly conformists ; and make adversaries say , that the question between us is , whether bishops or women , or at least ignorant voters , should govern the church . they say , the publick churches have faults and forms . and have you no faults ? had the iews church no forms ? is not the whole bible a form of words for instruction and prayer and praise ? obj. but they are god's words . ans. then god was for forms . but your bibles are all man's words : do you think that moses , the prophets , or christ were englishmen ? or was any of the scripture written or spoken in english by them , or by the apostles ? do you not take every word in your bibles on trust from english conformists , or such men ? it was conformists ( all save one ) that made the translation of the bible which you use . the papists say , it is a false translation ? how will you confute them , and prove that you have any gospel or word of god ? and is not taking all your bible as to the words on trust from conformists a greater degree of communion with them , than receiving the sacrament at their hands in form ? i advise all sober persons to be no members of any such church , as will engage them to have no communion with any others , but to be as guilty of separation a● they are themselves . i mean , that you make not or perform any such wicked covenant or condition of communion with them , though their leader should seem the most zealous and devout : to renounce communion with all the church of christ , save such à schismatical sect , yea , or with all that have not purer worship than our liturgy , or that are not purer churches , is a sin so heinous , as should deter you from it . though better be to be preferred , renounce not communion with all that have not better , lest yours prove worse . had not the publick church-men been guilty of schismatical separation , calling men from all churches and worship save their own , and appropriating all church title and communion to themselves , they had been more blameless than they are . but while some silence , and others separate , concord is banished more and more . and if the imposing party well consider this late agreement , they will find that there is nothing in , it that may make them think , that the same men will be averse , to any just terms of a further agreement , with those that have been their ejecters . they have agreed to take no members out of any of your true pastoral consenting churches , without a just hearing and satisfactory reasons to them . but i hope you take not all your parishioners , even atheists , papists and infidels for your church members ; no● yet all your auditors and catechumens , but only your communicants : and is it not better that they be members of nonconformists churches than of none ? i have elsewhere cited you the canons of a council decreeing , that if the bishop of the place convert not any heathens or unbelievers , and another convert them , they shall be his flock that did convert them , ( in my hist. of councils . ) would they but first admit the excluded to publick lectures where the incumbent consenteth , it would prepare the way for further concord . the great reconciler will in due time reconcile and closely unite his own . amen . apr. . . ri. baxter . to the united protestant nonconformists in london . though i was , by the confinement of decrepit age , and pain , hindred from having any part , in the form or contract of your agreement , i think it my duty to signifie my sence of what you have done , and by the publication of my old endeavours of that kind , to promote the execution . i greatly rejoyce in your very attempt : that god exciteth you to a practical desire of speedy healing our pernicious , shameful strifes : much more that you have so skilfully made the present plaister for the wound : no man doth any thing so well , but it might be better done : you must look that it should be assaulted by cavil and reproach : those that these thirty years have denied you brotherly communion with them , will be loth you should be thought to have any union among your selves : and the potent schismaticks that to divert the infamy from themselves , have stigmatized you with their own name , will be loth that your concord should confute them : while you offer your reasons to prove that what they make necessary terms of ministration and communion , would be to you if obeyed ( not medling with them ) no less than [ deliberate covenanted perjury or lying and renunciation of repentance and amendment of church-corruptions , and of the law of nature and nations , and the kingdoms self-defence ; ] they must stretch their wits , and gift of tongue , to make all this seem but a melancholy or feigned fear , and that it is but things indifferent that you refuse : as they call me antiepiscopal , and against the church , because i would have more bishops over a thousand or many hundred churches than one , and would have as many hands to do the work , at least as are necessary to the hundredth part of it ; and would have more churches in a diocess than one , and would have incumbents to be pastors and rectors : but dreaming men that build cities , or travel in their sleep , can build more or go further in an hour ( specially if they lye soft in a university or a great man's house , than a waking man can do in a year or in his life . my own judgment of episcopacy and church constitution i have oft published , and you may see it in lascitius and commenius books of the bohemian waldenses church-government . brethren , i hope you fix not your bounds of pacification , in the words or limits of this form of concord , with a ne plus ultra . either ( when i am dead ) the publick church doors will be unlock'd to your lawful communion or not : if yea , it will be so great a mercy , that the prospect of a possibility of it , will justifie my publishing my old reasons against unnecessary antichurches , or militant contentious gatherings ; but if god have not so much mercy for this land , but that the doors be lock'd up against desired concord , or venient romani , our foreign jurisdiction men will prevail to deliver up the land to a pretended universal foreign power , and make all believe that it is treason to resist either a french or irish army , if they be but commissioned to perform it ; then your concord with such as are not enemies to peace , will be a comfortable help to your patient sufferings , and may keep up some sparks of the reformed religion from being utterly extinguished : and while you dwell in the secret of the most high , you may lodge under the shadow of the almighty : and may enter into your chambers , and shut the doors on you , for a little moment till the indignation be over-past ; and god be known by the judgments which he executeth , when the wicked are insnared in the work of their own hands . thus praying god to save you from violating the concord you consent to , and from being perverted by the ignorant dividing sort of teachers or people , and that you will study mr. meade's reasons against division , well and seasonably urged , i bid you farewel . your quondam fellow-labourer , ri. baxter . london , april . . the contents of the first part. chap. i. the necessity of concord , and mischief of unnecessary separations manifested , in twenty of the ill effects . pag. . ch. ii. what is incumbent on the pastors for the prevention and cure hereof . p. . ch. iii. the first difference with the independents reconciled , viz. of the necessary qualification of church members . p. . ch. iv. the second difference reconciled : of a church covenant . p. . ch. v. the third difference reconciled : of the extent of a particular church . p. . ch. vi. the fourth difference reconciled , whether a particular church hath power in it self to ordain and impose hands on their chosen pastors . p. . ch. vii . the fifth difference reconciled : of the first subject of the power of the keys ; or of right to govern and censure . p. . ch. viii . the sixth difference reconciled : whether a pastor of one church may do the work of a pastor in other churches for that time , being called to it . p. . ch. ix . the seventh difference reconciled : whether each particular church hath power to exercise all government and church ordinances within it self , without subjection to synods or any other clergy governours as over them . p. . ch. x. the eighth difference reconciled : whether lay-men may preach in the church ; or as sent to gather churches . p. . ch. xi . the ninth difference reconciled : whether the parish churches are true churches . p. . ch. xii . the tenth difference reconciled : of taking members out of other churches , and of gathering churches in other mens parishes . p. . ch. xiii . the sum of this agreement reduced to practice . p. . the contents of the second part. q. . vvhat are the necessary terms of communion of christians as members of the universal church ? p . q. . what are the necessary terms of the communion of christians personally in a particular church ? q. . what are the terms on which neighbour churches may hold communion with one another ? q. . what are the terms of communion between the churches of several kingdoms ? ( foreign iurisdiction is confuted in another book . ) q. . what is the magistrates power and duty about religion and the churches and ministers of christ : and the peoples to magistrates , ( further opened in a treatise of national churches . ) chap. i. the necessity of concord . the judgments of all wise and sober men must needs disallow both the practice of division and unwarrantable separation from the churches of christ , and the common liberty for gathering churches out of churches now pleaded for , and too much practised by many ; and also the occasioning of divisions and separations by over rigorous proceedings with tender consciences , and imposition of unnecessary things and too much severity against those that through infirmity are guilty of some culpable divisions and uncharitableness : for it 's not this oil that will quench these flames . in order to the healing of our dangerous divisions , i think it meet to deliver my thoughts in the ensuing method . . to shew the evil of our divisions , and of the common practice of private separated churches , where in publick there are able , godly , faithful ministers , and such publick churches as may lawfully be owned : for i meddle with no other case . . to shew what the agreeing publick ministers should do on their parts for the prevention and cure of these distractions . . to give you the true state of the differences that have occasioned them . . to propound those terms by which a safe reconciliation may be made . . to which i should add ( if it were not for being thought too bold or confident ) the magistrates duty , both in order to our agreement , and in case we will not be agreed . i. though i take not a private meeting , or a tolerated private church for so odious a thing in it self considered as some do , but confess that such may be good or evil , as the cause of the assemblies , — the aspect of the times , and other circumstances and accidents shall make them , and doubt not but there may be warrantable separations from one or many particular churches , where the blame may lie upon the churches , and the private assemblies sometimes may be more justifiable than the allowed publick ones ; yet as unnecessary separations and divisions are a great transgression ; so what the aggravations of that transgression are , and what wrong the cause of god receives from the differences among the godly themselves , and the divided and private congregations that are gathered by occasion of these differences , in many parts of england , i shall briefly shew . . when in one and the same parishes ( the boundaries of the ordinary churches , as to habitation ) there shall be divers churches , one publick , and one private , it will ordinarily cause great disaffection and contention among the christians of that place : there will be pastor against pastor , and people against people ; and one will be accusing another according to their several apprehensions , and making the waies , and consequently the persons of each other to he odious or unacceptable to others : and hereby christian love will be much quenched , and unity and concord much overthrown , and all the effects of love abated , and the odious remnants of uncharitableness , malice and emulations will revive . too common and sad experience puts this out of doubt . alas ! what factious doctrine , for parties and against parties are usually managed in publick and private , where these divisions once appear ? what unconscionable censures pass too often on one side or both ? what bitter unchristian taunts and scorns , and reproachful words ? when publick writings so abound with these , and the press is become the common scold , and the most unchristian language is spoken so familiarly to all the land , and uncharitableness and fury are afraid of being concealed , no wonder if in private among those that are pleased with such discourse , the preacher sit in the scorners chair . . uncharitableness and divisions , are as plainly , urgently and frequently prohibited , and condemned in the word of god , as almost any sins that are : and love and unity , peace and concord are prest as much as any duty of man to man. certainly these great obligations are such as smaller matters cannot dispense with . and wonderful it is , that so many thousand , that abhor the popes dispensing with oaths and promises , and subjects duties , and with some of the positive commands of god , can yet without remor●e of conscience so easily , so long , so confidently dispense with the greatest duties of man towards man , even with charity it self , and the effects of charity . he that must owe nothing else , must owe love , rom. . . love is the fulfilling of the law. verse . every commandment of the second table is briefly fulfilled in loving our neighbours as our selves . verse . yea he loveth not god that loveth not his brother . iohn ▪ . love is of god ; and every one that loveth is born of god and knoweth god : he that loveth not , knoweth not god : for god is love. iohn ▪ , . if we love one another , god dwelleth in us , and his love is perfected in us . verse . god is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him . verse . if any man say , i love god and hateth his brother , he is a liar : for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen , how can he love god whom he hath not seen : and this commandment have we from him , that he that loveth god , love his brother also . verse , . every one that loveth him that begat , loveth him that is begotten also . iohn . . we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren : he that loveth not his brother abideth in death . whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer , and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him . iohn . , . yea we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren . verse . this is the new and frequently urged command of christ , that we love one another . iohn . . and . , . gal. . . iam. . . this is it that we must provoke each other to . heb. . . and that must continue ▪ heb. . . we must love one another with a pure heart ●ervently . pet. . ● . yea by love we must serve one another . gal. . . and paul took this to be so essential to our sanctification that he tells the thessalonians , thes. . . that [ as touching brotherly love , he need not write to them , for they were taught of god to love one another . ] and can that be the way of god that dispenseth with so essential a part of holiness , or that secretly and unobservedly extinguisheth this holy love ! let experience teach you , whether the present way of private separated churches , be not the opening a shop , or forge , for military engines against each other ? and under pretence of defending truth , whether they be not the nurseries of uncharitable wars among the servants of the lord ? and then as love is extinguished , so the sinful fruits of the contrary vice do by such divisions prosper and abound ! and what weekly bills of heinous sins might we see , that are committed on these occasions , if all the envious , slanderous , censorious , and other uncharitable words were open to our view that many that profess the fear of god , are frequently guilty of . it is a sad condition that tempteth christians to so much sin , and quieteth their consciences in it , as if their horrid iniquity were their piety ; and that bringeth too many separated churches under some such reputation as alehouses are faln into ( i speak it not in contempt but lamentation ) which are taken to be lawful , but places where so much sin is committed , that it is a suspicious sign for a m●n to be oft seen in them , especially near home . as swearing and excess of drink are the ordinary sins of alehouses , so church dividing , censorious , envious words , with more that i shall anon mention , are the too common sins of these dividing congregations . and then as love ▪ so unity and concord is importunately urged on us in the holy scriptures , and the contrary condemned . o read and study that prayer of christ , that his servants may be one , iohn . , , , . how high he drives it , and how much he insisteth on it . his church was then most spiritual and pure , when it had the greatest unity , act. . . [ they were all with one accord in one place ] when the holy ghost did fall upon them ! act. ▪ . [ they continued stedfast in the apostles doctrine and fellowship , and breaking of bread and prayer ] verse . [ all that believed were together ( yea and by the power of love , though not by levelling destruction of propriety ) had all things common . ] vers. . [ they continued daily with one accord in the temple — ] act. . , . they were together [ praying when the place was shaken , and they were all filled with the holy ghost : and the multitud● of them that believed were of one heart and soul. ] so act. . . many great faults we find had tainted the church of the corinthians , the galatians , and too many more ; when yet we find not that any separated churches were gathered by the godly , for the avoiding these corruptions ( nor that i remember , on any other occasion . ) no where do i read in the same precincts or cities , of any churches separated from the first churches , but only the societies of hereticks , that are so much reprehended and branded with infamy by the spirit of god. not one that ever i could find of the true believers , did take this to be his duty : name any church that was separated from a former church in scripture , and held divided assemblies in the same precincts , and was approved by the lord. i find divisions in the churches too many ; some saying , i am of paul , and some , i am of apollo ; but i find none but those condemned of heresie , that divided from the churches . separation from the world was the practice of the churches ; but separation from the churches was the practice of hereticks only , as far as i remember ; or those that are charged with schism at least ; though i remember not that meer schism then rose so high . they that had the apostles among them could not easily fall to such a crime , till they fell from the apostles . and far were the apostles when they reprehended the corruptions of the churches , from perswading men to separate from them . ( though it's possible for such a case to be , when that may be a duty , yet all those faults enumerated by paul , did not make it so . ) but contrarily they charge them not to forsake the assembling of themselves together , as the manner of some ( the hereticks ) was . heb. . . and [ beseech them by the name of the lord jesus christ to speak all the same thing , and that there be no divisions among them ; but that they be perfectly joined together in the same mind , and in the same judgment . i cor. . . . [ that they be all of one mind , having compassion one of another , loving as brethren , being pitiful and courteous , not rendring evil for evil , or railing for railing , but contrariwise blessing , &c. ] pet. . , . o how constant , and how earnest were the apostles in these exhortations , and in answerable prayers to god. phil. . , , , . [ if there be therefore any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , fulfil ye my joy , ( and what was paul's so much desired joy ? ) that ye be like minded , having the same love , being of one accord , of one mind : let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory ; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves : look not every one on his own things , but every man also on the things of others . ] rom. . , . [ now the god of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to christ jesus , that you may with one mind , and one mouth glorifie god. rom. . . now i beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned , and avoid them : for they that are such serve not the lord jesus , but their own bellies , and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple . ] so thes. . , . study . iam. . throughout . abundance of such passages are before us in the word , which tell us that this great and necessary command of love and unity , is not to be dispensed with , nor divisions among christians to be accounted small things . and shall men professing the fear of god , go against such a stream of holy precepts ? and be sensible of a swearers or a drunkards sin , and not of so great a course of sin of their own ? . the nature of gods graces in his servants souls is contrary to a way of separation and division : as fire would to fire , and water to water , so would christian to christian : grace is sociable , and abhors division as well as nature . wounding is not its delight . love is an essential part of the new man. the living members rejoyce together , and suffer together , and be not easily set against each other ; but it 's hurt to all that 's hurt to one . . divided churches are the seminaries of private dividing principles ; as they proceed from such principles , so do they cherish and increase them . they espouse an interest that 's contrary to catholicism and christian concord ; and therefore we find that they make it much of their business to propagate it . whatever opinion drew from the communion of the church , must be there pleaded for against the peace of the church . and to have a mutineer in the army of our lord is bad ; but to have schools and nurseries of mutineers dispersed through the land , and favoured by godly men , is far worse . . and certainly so far to forsake the catholick principles and interest , and be so void of a catholick spirit and love , as to set a part against the whole , or a smaller part against the profit of the main part of christ's body , is a thing much unlike the christian nature , and unbeseeming a sensible member of christ. with what hearts do such dividing brethren read all those passages of scripture that speak of the unity of the catholick church ? we have all one end , one hope , one law. [ there is one body , and one spirit , even as we are called in one hope of our calling : one lord , one faith , one baptism ( one baptismal coveanting with god ) eph. . , , . one god and father of all ; who is above all , through all , and in us all ; therefore must we endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ] v. . [ for as the body is one and hath many members , and all the members of that one body being many , are one body : so also is christ : for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body — ] cor. . , . and the spirit and ministry are given to this one body [ for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ , that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the fleight of men , and cunning craftiness , whereby they lye in wait to deceive ; but speaking the truth in love , may grow up in him , in all things , which is the head , even christ ; from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth , according to the effectual working in the measure of every part , maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in love. ] eph. . , , . note here the unity of the catholick body , and who is the center of the church , and in what way it prospereth to perfection ? and all will tell you of unity in christ , and communion of the several parts in love. [ god hath tempered the body together , having given more abundant honour to that part that locked ; that there should be no schism in the body , but that the members should have the same care one for ●nother : and whether one member suffer , all the members suffer with it , or one member be honoured , all the members rejoyce with it : now ye are the body of christ and members in particular , cor. , , , . o how much the nature and unity of the church universal , even the body of christ , is forgotten by most men , that withdraw into separated assemblies upon those grounds and terms , as condemn or cost off most of the universal church of christ. and how do they look upon the face of the world , if indeed they know what state it is in , and hath been in , when they can find in their hearts to keep up our divisions ? ( of which more anon ) . . moreover our divisions and separations do much destroy the power of godliness : partly as is said , by destroying love and all the operations of love , wherein it principally consisteth : and partly by diverting professors of religion from practical doctrine , conference and meditation , and filling them with fancies and opinions and passions . so that when once in a town there is church against church , and pastor against pastor , almost all ( or too much ) of their time is taken up in wrangling and contending and making their cause good against each other ; and they strive not to overcome each other by meekness , patience and love : it is the raising of an ecclesiastick war through all the quarters of the land ! and few thrive by these wars above any wars . mark whether holiness , love and heavenliness appear as much in their families and lives , where this war is raised , and fire kindled , as it did before . . moreover , it keepeth out too often a saving work of grace , and turns off many that were coming on , and crusheth fair hopes too often in the bud . many a minister hath rejoyced in the hopes of a conversion which seemed to be begun , on the younger sort especially of his hearers : and when they have seemed to be somewhat humbled , changed , resolved for a holy life , suddenly some divider or other layeth hold on them , and turneth the stream of their thoughts and z●al , upon opinions and barren controversies , and spoileth our hopes of the work of grace , and formeth them up into contentious hypocrites . and alas how apt are such separated assemblies to ●empt men to this miserable case ? even as ale houses are to make men drunk . sober men may be there ; but there 's the nursery of opinionative religion . . but there is no effect so grievous to my thoughts , as the common hardening of the ungodly . who sees not how it makes them think unbelievingly or contemptuously of all religion , when they see so many churches and ways , and hear them so condemn each other , they think they may warrantably condemn them all , and say as bad by them , or speak as contemptuously of them as they do of each other . they think they are as well already , as turning to such a divided people can make them ? and when they think of turning , the tempter asketh them , as the papists use to do , which party will you turn to ? why rather to this , than all the rest ? ] what a readiness did i see to entertain the way of godliness presently after the wars in many places , that had before been under the power that most reproacht it ! till they saw us by the ears among our selves , and see us fall into so many parties , and then they turned their reverence into contempt . let no man fly to god's decrees here , and say , that [ offences must be , and heresies must arise that the approved may be manifested , and that the elect cannot be deceived to perdition ] for sin is sin , and misery for all this : they may on those grounds as well let physicions have leave to give men poison , or any m●n to set our towns on fire , because nothing can be done against god's decrees ? it is as true among the indians and turks , that the elect cannot be deceived to perdition , and that god knoweth who are his , as here : and yet i hope all christians will lament the sin and misery of the world of infidels , and idolaters , and pray and endeavour ( as far as they can ) their recovery by the gospel : we must fetch no such conclusions from any decrees of god , as shall hinder from praying that his name may be hallowed , his kingdom come , and his will be done in the earth as it is in heaven : such as may encourage us to dig pits for the blind , and cast such stumbling blocks in their way , and be servants to the tempter and enemy of souls in hindering them from salvation . and what can we to hinder them more , than to bring the churches and holy worship and ways of god into doubt or contempt among them ? . our divisions make us and the cause of god to be our adversaries reproach , and his name is evil spoken of among them through us . they have taken it up as their common argument to draw men to popery , ( and now at last to infidelity ) , that we are a babel of confusion , and have no unity among us , and they point to our several parties , and ask men , how they know that this is in the right more than all the rest ? and why he will cleave rather to one of them than to another ? can a tender conscience , and one that regardeth the interest of christ , forbear to mourn while the name of god is daily reproached , and his servants made the song of drunkards , the scorn of papists and all their adversaries , and the by-word of the prophane , by our divisions ? . these divisions and antichurches do hinder the holy order and discipline of families , when the husband is of one church and the wife of another ; or the parents of one , and the children of another ; or the master of one and the servants of another ; or one child and servant of one church and another of another : this hindereth the governours from seeing effectually that their families be soundly instructed , and kept from heresies , or neglect of ordinances : it hindereth them from taking a due account of their children and servants of what they learn : it divideth families , and induceth the children and servants to refuse to joyn in family prayer and other duties with their parents and masters , and to refuse to hear them repeat those sermons , which they refused to hear from the minister himself : and it turneth the holy conference , and charitable communion of families , into perverse contendings about their several ways . . and these separated churches do much hinder the labours of the ministers of christ , and the true reformation of the churches . it grieveth the souls of faithful pastors , to see that their children , or those that they hope have somewhat of christ in them , shall be the instruments of satan to hinder their labours ; and it grievously weakeneth the builders hands when they are thus opposed by those for whom they have spent themselves , and in whom they should have comfort after their travels , and from whom they should have help for the promoting of their work with others ; drunkards and swearers in some places , hinder not the ministers work so much as antichurches , that make it their work to draw men to themselves , and to that ●nd do find themselves engaged to speak against the publick church and ministry , and to that end to quarrel with or reproach the doctrine or worship there performed . and how can th●se ministers reform their churches , that are forsaken ( yea and opposed ) by so many of those that should be the materials of their churches , and should be their strength against the prophane , and help them in reforming , and in the exercise of discipline ? it making discipline it self ( on both parts ) also to be of almost no effect , when he that is cast out of one church can presently step into another , and perhaps under pretence of greater holiness , and there reject those that rejected him , and seem more innocent than they . . these private separated churches also do give great advantage to the secret enemies of the truth , and corrupters of sound doctrine , to creep in and sow the tares of heresies among poor christians that have no pastor at hand to contradict deceivers . and most of the horrid errours of these times , that have poysoned souls , dishonoured god , divided us and disturb'd our peace , have crept in at these back doors : few have made their entrance at the publick assemblies , in comparison of those that have come in at private meetings . and here it is that papists and other adversaries have opportunity to play their games , and to lay their trains of gun. powder to blow up both church and state , without the odium of being traitors and powder-plotters , yea , by the countenance and favour of the state. it will not secure us , that papists are excepted from liberty among us , as long as a vizir , or another name , and some equivocation shall be to them a patent for liberty and toleration . . moreover , our separations tend to the grievous pollution of the ordinances of god , by setting up prophane persons as ministers , and encouraging prophane administrations , and societies , and so dis●o●ouring the christian name , and hardening the ignorant and ungodly by these means . for when those that are most zealous against prophaness are withdrawn , and leave the ignorant careless people to themselves , they will have ministers like themselves ( if such are to●erated ) and they will make up such churches as are uncapable of discipline , and will go on as smoothly in the abuse of sacraments , and the praises of god and all holy ordinances , as if they were the only christians in the land , and theirs the only regular churches , and none but sectaries differed from them . or if they were not allowed the publick holding of undisciplined churches , and prophanation of holy ordinances , yet as long as all may have what private assemblies they please , they will there at least have their ignorant unworthy ministers to fit all their humours , and there they will prophane the name and holy things of god. and o what abundance of provoking sin will be committed in england every week , and this through the separations of pious persons , and the toleration of the state , as for their indulgence ? do we make laws against the prophanation of the holy name of god , by swearing and cursing ? and shall men fearing god let loose , ( yea further ) the rabble of the ungodly through the land , in the prophaning of the same name , and holy ordinances , and the office of the ministery , under a pretence of worship ? the case of nadab and abihu , and the bethshemites and uzza , do tell us , that god is more jealous about his holy things , than in our common affairs . . moreover , it is an actual reproaching of all our solemn assemblies , to separate from them ; as if you openly proclaimed them to be such , that an honest man may not lawfully hold communion with . whereas the interest of christ is so great among them , so much of his acceptable worship , and so many of his faithful beloved ones are there , that he will not take such usage well . if we must needs have private separated assemblies , let the servants of christ so close together , that the ungodly and not they may be the separated part , and may be driven into corners : let the holy ordered assemblies of the saints be the publick assemblies , and let not the ungoverned have that honour . . it is an unspeakable mischief of these antichurches and divisions , that they are the great impediment to universal communion of all the servants of christ in the land : which is a work of great necessity to the common good , and exceeding desirable to all christians . were we but one , one body by some common bond and communion , our rulers would quickly be resolved in the point of toleration , heresies might be easier extinguished , and prophaneness might through all the land lye under such discouragement as might much abate it ; whilest every where the unanimous servants of the lord did keep out all the obstinate impenitent persons from the publick communion ; and he that is cast out of one church is cast out of all ; and none in any country would entertain him : whereas now they have ordinarily a room in the most publick assemblies , or if one church reject them , when they travail into other parts , they are as acceptable as others : and so communicatory letters are made useless . but the principal thing that i here intend is , that excellent security of the gospel and godliness to our posterity , and the welfare of the nation that might be happily promoted by this unity : for then the church and commonwealth might be so complicate and commensurate as would be the strength and glory of them both : they may hold in life , but never attain that stability and glory that god hath propounded to them , and given them means for , till ( for the generality ) the members of the church and the freemen of the commonwealth are the same : ( i say not [ the subjects ] but [ the freemen ] that is , those that shall be capable of governing or electing governors . ) then will not the interest of church and state be set in opposition against each other , nor rulers keep up sinful jealousies against the gospel and ministers of christ , then will the magistrate support and second the ministry and church , and the ministers and church be the faithfullest obeyers and defenders of the magistrate : and then we shall not need to fear when one parliament hath made us wholsom laws , and own'd the gospel , left a majority of malignant impious choosers should give us another that will undo all , and cast out the chief blessing and glory of the land. were church and common-wealth but duly commensurate ( as aforesaid ) then sober men and faithful to the interest of christ would choose our parliaments , and so a succession of righteous governours might be secured to the land ! a mercy of inestimable value , that would advance britain yet much higher above any nation under heaven ! and what clear reasons could i give for this ; and how easily could i answer all considerable objections , and how easily might it be quickly put in execution , if it were not for this one most lamentable evil , even the unreconciled parties , and the undisciplined churches and antichurches among us ? till then , we hold our precious mercies on such slippery terms , as should awaken all honest men to look after a better security : god can make wolves befriend his lambs , and the serpentine brood that are haters of piety to choose pious governours : but wonders of mercy are fitter for a grateful remembrance , than for secure expectations , when we wilfully cause our peril . . and it is an aggravation of the sin of these dividing ways , that they are continued in such a time and place as this ! when men have nothing forced on them that they were wont to complain of ; and nothing wanting but what they have such more than ordinary helps to procure in the publick churches ▪ formerly it was the prelacy , and li●urgy and ceremonies that by the separ●tists was pretended as a justifying cause of their separation : ( and yet then the ancient nonconformists themselves did write against them more than any did ) : but now they can pretend no such things as these : who forceth any thing upon their consciences , which the tenderest conscience of understanding people hath cause to refuse ? and if discipline be wanting , they have much encouragement to endeavour and hope for a supply : if the ministers be bad , they may cast them out : we all desire it : if they be faithful , they will be willing to go as far as they can in the exercise of discipline : and it is the discouragements , divisions , and withdrawings of those that should help them that doth much disable them . and it seems to me a great aggravation that usually this sin is the fruit of so many other sine ! how oft is it brought forth by a proud over-valuing of mens own opinions , parts and piety ? and by uncharitable censoriousness of others , and a vil●f●ing extenuation of all that is good in them ! and how ordinarily doth it bring forth disobedience , murmuring , and disdain of those that were their teachers ? and evil speaking against the things that they understand not ? and too commonly it proceeds from laziness ! when they will not be at the trouble and cost of doing their parts to reform the churches where they are , they will lazily separate , to save them a labour : it is a harder work and requireth much more self-denyal to joyn in the admonishing of the several ungodly persons in the churches , and follow it in god's way till they are reclaimed or cast out , than to get in private among a few that will put us to no such trouble . i see not but these persons while they cry up discipline , would destroy it . as some on one extream refuse to exercise it , so these on the other extream will be members only of such societies when they shall have little or no use for it , and consequently exclude it , or at least where it shall not cost them much . lay this together , and consider whether in such times as these , when godly magistrates are ready to encourage us , and godly ministers willing to do what they can in reformation , and no burdens are forced on their consciences , and we refuse not their communion that differ from us in tolerable points , that yet in these times men will fly from our assemblies , and set up antichurches as they do ! alas , what pievish children are in the family of god. one part now separate into private churches , because we have not prelacy , liturgy and ceremonies ; and another part separate , even when they are cast out , because they be not pleased in all things , that look to the other extream ! doubtless the separatists in our days of reformation and liberty , are much more unexcusable , than they were in the times of ceremonies and violence . what! cannot all the endeavour● of magistrates and ministers by such a reformation , that many others think too much , yet sweep the churches clean enough for you to enter ? in other ages it was the affliction of the godly to be cast out of the church by evil governours : but now how many do cast out themselves ? the jews persecuted the disciples by casting them out of their synagogues , ioh. . . and . . and will you cast out your selves from the true churches of christ ? and that from such principles , and with such concomitant aggravating faults as those forementioned ? . and it is an aggravation of this sin that it is continued against so much and long experience . have we not long found by experience how it quencheth charity , and hindereth the gospel , and cherisheth errors , and causeth the rest of the forementioned evils ? and shall we love it , when we have found it evil ? . and it is no small aggravation of this sin , to consider what england is , and what all the rest of the world is at this day , and what it hath been from the beginning until now : had it not been the greater sin to have separated from ▪ the jewish church ( much worse than english congregations ) when all the rest of the world were aliens , and much further from god than they ? five parts of the world are idolatrous heathens , and mahometans : a sixth part only make any profession of the christian name : not a quarter ( i think ) of that sixth part are protestants : how ignorant and rude the eastern and southern churches are , is lamentable to relate : few of them have any preaching , but only homilies and liturgies read . what the papists are i need not tell you . not the twentieth part of the world ●●● adm●●●nts : and among these , alas , how few have so much of the life of ●ining th●●●mong them as the meaner sort of our english congregations ? and hath go● called this spot of earth , this narrow island , a corner of the world , to honour with the greatest lustre of the gospel , and true reformation and godliness ? and yet will these men withdraw from the publick churches here , as if no publick church on earth ( but the few of their way ) were worthy of their presence : are they no more thankful for england's singular privileges ? nor no more humbly sensible of their own unworthiness ? and would they separate from all the publick churches almost in the world ? . these continued divisions among our selves are a great discouragement to our highest rulers from seeking the healing of the churches abroad . the greatest service they can do to god , is to reconcile the churches , and bring them to agreement , and strengthen them thereby against their adversaries . and all good men desire this of them , that they would improve their interest to this end . but alas , with what heart can they set upon it ; as long as they are unable to reconcile and unite the best of the subjects here at home ; it was the grecians jest upon a great man among them , that he went about to reconcile all the princes and states of greece , and could not reconcile his wife and her maid that lived unquietly at home . and do not we prepare such entertainment for our governours attempts in so good a work ? . lastly , i heartily desire that our divisions and antichurches may not prepare renewed wars , and calamities to the commonwealth . certainly the body of the nation is much disaffected to them : and i wish that for their sakes they grow not disaffected to the government , and ready for enterprizes that beseem them not . but i much more fear , left animosities among the several parties should make them busie and bold in their enterprizes against each other , and still seeking opportunities to oppress one another , and to advance themselves . and lest the several parties be to their prince , like the many wives that some of the jews had to their husbands , that were still jealous of his affections , lest he loved this or that wife better than the rest : every one looketh to be most esteemed . and jealousie is apt to break its bounds . but i will not prognosticate , but forewarn : if unity be our strength , and division our destruction , let us pity the calamitous church , and not set fire on the commonwealth . and let all christians ( that are such indeed ) lament our distances , and lay to heart the sin and calamity of our long divisions ; and at last let catholick principles and affections be entertained by us , and let us pray , and study , and seek , and submit and deny our selves for the unity of christians , and the churches peace . for my part i have spoken much of this from certain experience : the evils of divisions and antichurches i have seen abroad : the ease and comfort of unity and peace i enjoy at home ! o what a mercy is it to me , and the poor flock that christ hath committed to my charge ; what a help to my labours and to their souls , that we have not minister against minister , nor church against ch 〈…〉 any separating parties to ensnare men ; but that we serve the lord ●●● , to ●● heart and soul , one mind and mouth . if i can procure the e●●●●t of this mercy no further , i will compassionate the church , and rejoyce in it at home . chap. ii. the second part of my task i shall briefly dispatch , which is , to shew what is incumbent on the pastors of the church , for the prevention of such separations , or their increase . having spoken the most that i think necessary of this , in the end of my catholick key , part . i shall refer the reader thither for the rules of the churches peace , and the terms on which they must be put in execution . i shall only here reassume these few particulars , suitable to our case . i. if we would prevent our peoples separations , we must not make the door of the church so narrow as to shut out the faithful , though infirm . if we keep them ou● , we cannot for shame childe them for not coming in . the principal thing that here we must avoid , is large and particular professions of faith , containing controvertible opinions , and points that many true believers are unsatisfied in ; and also the imposing of unnecessary ceremonies . the holy ghost hath decided this difficulty to our hands , and left it us as a standing rule , rom. . . that we must receive even him that is weak in the faith , but not to doubtful disputations . and that we must [ be like minded one towards another , according to christ jesus , and therefore receive one another as christ also received us , to the glory of god. ] rom. . , . men must be called to no profession but of points plainly contained in the holy scriptures , and the ancient simplicity must recover us to the ancient charity and unity : and though more knowledge be necessary to the pastors than to all the flock , yet must the scripture sufficiency be maintained , and necessary things distinguished from unnecessary , and those that are necessary to the being of the ministry , from those that are necessary but to the better being ; and nothing should be imposed on pastors themselves as necessary to the communion of churches , but points that indeed are necessary to such communion , and those ( if possible ) in scripture phrase . but because hereticks will subscribe to scripture and to ancient creeds , and simple confessions of faith , therefore many have thought that other kind of confessions must be made which they cannot subscribe to : but by that course the mischief of heresie is not so much avoided , as the mischief of divisions caused ; and all because the right way of obviating heresies is mistaken and overlookt . heresie in the mind is cured only by doctrine , and is not it that we have here to obviate ; but heresie in the mouth must be corrected by discipline ; and it is not a better rule or law than scripture for them to subscribe that is the remedy , but a careful execution of that law against them , . by casting them out of our communion after a first and second admonition , when they are proved guilty , and . by the magistrates restraining them according to the quality of their offence . he that hath a conscience to subscribe to all the scriptures , and yet contradict them by his heresie , may do so by any form that you can impose on him , that hath any appearance of fitness to be so imposed . we must not make new laws , every time the old ones are misinterpreted or broken . our great danger in england is of popery , above any thing except impiety it self . and the strength and upshot of all the papists arguings , is [ where was your religion and church before luther ? ] which by their exposition is , [ where was your thirty nine articles , or your assemblies confession , or any church that successively from the apostles held them . ] this is their all , ( which indeed is nothing . ) let us own as the rule of our religion but the holy scriptures , and express our belief in scripture phrase , ( without distorting it to look towards any heretical or erroneous sense , ) and then we may easily tell a papist where our religion and church was before luther ; ] yea the simplest women , that understand but what christianity is , may thus be able to defend their religion against the cavils of these learned adversaries : let us not therefore give away so great an advantage , and withal divide the church of god , by departing from the sufficiency of the scripture , when it is the principal point wherein a protestant differeth from a papist , and that wherein we unanimously oppose them . ii. if we would avoid separations , we must keep up holy discipline , and not leave the churches so polluted by the abundance of impenitent impious persons as may frighten tender consciences from us : discipline that is pleaded for must be faithfully practised . we must not step out of the way of god by unj●st rigor to please any men , nor to avoid their offence ; but we must cast out those that should not be in the church , the rather lest those withdraw that should be in : and herein a principal part of our care must be , to set godly people a-work upon their own duty , in a loving , humble admonishing of offenders , that we may convince them how sinful a course it is to expect that men should be cast out , before they have been dealt with on the terms , and by the degrees that christ hath appointed ; and to run away from the church because they will not do their duties . iii. to this end that our churches may be capable of discipline , the duty of confirmation , must be so far restored , and faithfully practised , that none may be admitted into the number of adult members for the communion proper to such , till they have made a credible profession of their faith and repentance , and renewed their baptismal covenant , ( consenting to the state and duty of church members , if they are stated in a particular church ) and so are approved by the pastors of the church . without this discipline cannot be exercised , as i have shewed in a treatise for confirmation . iv. lastly , if we will prevent antichurches and separations , ministers must be studious , that they may be able to confound gainsayers , and then they must be holy , harmless , humble , self-denying , charitable , manifesting tender love to all that they deal with , prudent , and very vigilant and industrious , thinking no cost or pains too great for their so great ends . because we have neglected these four necessary things , separations have afflicted us . chap. iii. difference i. the third part of my task is , to state the controversies that occasion our present divisions in england : there are ( besides intolerable hereticks , as seekers , quakers , &c. ) but three parties that i remember that trouble us much with unjust separations and antichurches . the first is that new prelatical party that unchurch our churches , and nullifie our ministry , and ministerial performances ; and draw into private meetings , supposing that only laymen or schismaticks with whom they must not communicate , ( because they are not ordained by english prelates ) have possession of the publick churches . to these i have spoken in my disputation of church government , and therefore shall say nothing here . the second sort of separatists are those called anabaptists , that deny communion with our churches , supposing us to be unbaptized : to these i shall speak by themselves in the offer of an agreement . the difference is sufficiently made known . the third sort are those that of old were peculiarly named separatists , together with some of those that are now called congregational or independents , who withdraw upon some differences in points of discipline , which differences ▪ it shall now be my work to state : and because i would be brief , i will annex the accommodations to the differences . i. the first point of difference , which i think is no difference , and yet is it that indeed makes almost all the difference , is about the necessary qualification of church members . that this makes almost all our difference ( except what disowned neglects of discipline , and other such faults among us occasion ) is known to us by experience , who hear the members of the private churches alledge this as the principal point of difference , for our accusation and their own justification , that we take those for godly that they take not for such . that doctrinally here is no difference between the parties , but what is between the persons in the same parties , is in their words apparent . the independents say that the members of the church must be [ visible saints . ] the presbyterians deny it not . the presbyterians say that sincerity or real sanctity is not of necessity to visible church members : the independents say so to , and no wonder ; for else the visible church would not be visible , nor could any man be known to be a member , because we know not their sincerity or real holiness . master norton resp. ad . apollon . p. . , . thus fully openeth their mind ; that [ all and only those competentes that are ecclesiastically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 believers , and walk orderly are the next matter of a visible church and to be admitted . ] by ecclesiastically believers he tells us that he meaneth [ such as are faithful in the judgment of the church , or such as towards whom whether they are positively faithful or not , we are bound to carry our selves in common church duties as if they were faithful . ] to this he takes these four things necessary . [ . a confession of the fundamentals , and other points of religion , which are of necessity to avoid a scandalous life . . such a declaration of the experimental work of faith which contains the substance of conversion , though it may be counterfeit . . a conversation not scandalous . . a testified subjection to the gospel of christ , and his government . ] there is nothing in all this but what the presbyterians consent to , with these explications , which we doubt not but will be allowed . . that this excludeth not the infants of believers from being infant members of the church without these qualifications in their persons . . that if infant members grow up and claim a place among the adult , it will then be meet that all this be done by them . . but yet that it 's one thing to admit them into the number of the adult members of the church universal , ( as the eunuch , acts . and others were by baptism , ) and another thing to admit them into a particular church also and that the consent to christianity is it that is necessary to the first , and the consent to the duty of a particular member in that church , is necessary only to the second , ( which supposeth also the first ) . that there is great difference between a baptized person that needs but confirmation or repentance , and a converted ●nfidel , that 's to be baptized : it is meet to have some testimony of the life of the former , because he is in covenant already : but the life of the latter is not to be supposed to be upright , but ungodly , and therefore we may not require of him a testimony of his upright life , but a confession and lamentation of his ungodly life , with a consent and resolution for new obedience : upon this much the apostles baptized their converts , without delay to try their lives . . and there 's difference to be put between what is necessary ad esse , & ad bene esse : necessitate medii & praecepti . and the profession of christianity , that is , of present faith and repentance , and this by any tolerable intimation or signification , is all that is necessary to the being of such adult members : and that the testimony of his good life is only necessary ( when it may be sought ) to the performance of our duty , and the purity of the church . if we admit a man of another countrey without testimony or tryal , upon his meer profession , or if we do so through haste , or negligence , or multitude of persons that we have to deal with in populous places , this doth not nullifie his membership : nor yet if we admit him upon a dark and less express confession . and , . it is a mans profession that is his title ▪ condition to visible membership ; and his life is but a confirmation of that ; and where there is not opportunity of enquiring after mens lives , it is sufficient even in point of duty , that we receive his profession , if no man will bring witness of a life so vicious as may invalidate that profession . . and i think we may take it for granted that mr. norton's second demand of [ a declaration of the experimental work of faith , or substance of conversion ] is satisfied in the profession of faith and repentance , or in our renewing our baptismal covenant : for doubtless all the substance of conversion is contained in these : he that professeth that he believeth in god the father , son , and holy ghost , renouncing the flesh , the world , and the devil , or that he believeth and repenteth , and is willing to live a holy life , doth profess conversion . the sum of all is this , which we are agreed in : [ a credible profession of christianity , that is , of faith and repentance , or of holiness , ] is that which is the title-condition to our membership in the church universal , and its priviledges : and [ a credible profession of consent to be a member of this particular church ] added to the former is the condition of our right to admittance into such a church . and a careful pastor will and should consider how mens lives do answer their profession : but if nothing be brought from the life to invalidate it , the profession it self must be accepted : and therefore if no such omissions or commissions are proved against the person that desireth our communion as are of sufficient weight to prove that the persons profession is incredible , it is to be received , because every man is supposed to be better acquainted with his own heart , than the church is or can be : and every man is to be supposed credible till he can be proved incredible by evidences that in foro ecclesiae are satisfactory : especially when men have to do with a heart-searching god , and their everlasting life or death lyeth at the stake , and when the holy life that they engage themselves to live , is so contrary to flesh and blood , and seldom are there times so good , in which it is not reproached at least by the ungodly , we have reason fide humand to believe mens profession in such a case . and as god will have mens salvation or damnation lye more upon their own choice , than upon any other mans , so is it his wise and gracious order , that their church mercies or judgments , their standing in the church or being out of it , shall lye more upon their own chusing or refusing than on the churches or any others : and therefore if men dissemble in their profession , the church is blameless , and it is themselves that bear the blame and suffering : and so if they keep out themselves , or force the church by their impenitency to cast them out . but if the church should keep out men that would come in , that do not wilfully refuse gods terms , these persons would lay the blame on the church , and say , lord , i would fain have entred , but could not be received . let any man read mr. norton , and such others , and he will allow me to conclude , that de lege in this point we are agreed , even in two words , that [ a credible profession ] is the condition or qualification requisite in the adult . yea and we are agreed also what are the qualifications that must make a profession credible : viz. that it be ( or seem to us to be ) tolerably understanding , deliberate , free or voluntary , serious , and not invalidate by contradictory words or practice , sufficiently proved . and for the matter of it , we are agreed , that it must be a profession of all the essentials of christianity , and that it must be a consent to present and not only to a distant future holiness . even as a promise to become a husband or wife to another a month hence , is not marriage , but a promise of marriage . we are agreed also that extremes in the execution of this rule , must be cautelously avoided . as on one side , that we do not take that to be a profession that is none , and that we take not that for credible that is incredible ; and that we take not that for understood that is not tolerably understood , or that for deliberate , voluntary or serious that is not so , or appeareth not so : and that we be not careless when it may be done , in inquiring how men have kept their baptismal covenant , and what their lives are , before we confirm them , or approve them for the communion of the adult : and that we refuse not to hear what just exceptions can be brought against them : lest we frustrate church order and ordinances , and nullifie discipline , and pollute the church . and on the other side we are ( in the doctrine ) agreed , that hypocrites will be in the visible church , and that we must not refuse those that have the least knowledge of the essentials , though they are not able in the congregation to express it , nor privately in any but broken and unhandsom words ; and that withal make the most imperfect credible profession of faith and repentance , and resolution for obedience : and that we must not break the bruised reed , nor reject the least of the lambs of christ , but receive them that are weak in the faith , and not of our own heads reject any persons profession as incredible , without sufficient reasons for such a judgment of it . indeed there is abundance of difference in these points , but . it is in the iudgment of particular persons and cases , and not in the law or rule of our proceedings . and , . it is a difference between persons , and not between parties : some of the congregational way are more rigid than many of the presbyterians , in iudging who are credible professors , and who not : some will hear the reports of a change , when most presbyterians , will be satisfied with the profession of holiness , though it have grown up with the person from his infancy , and he knew of no change : some look for such evidence from a holy life , as may it self directly suffice to ingenerate in the church a persuasion that the person hath saving grace , and so they make the life to be testimonium primarium , vel primario aequale : when most presbyterians take the profession for the primary testimony , or condition of right ; and so receive it directly as credible , by such a humane faith , as one man credits another by in all civil transactions in the world : and they look at the life but as a secondary testimony , which may confirm or invalidate the former : though after church entrance , the life is directly looked after in the discipline of the church . but this difference is between men of the same parties ; independents differ from independents , and presbyterians from presbyterians ; and perhaps a hundred men of the same congregational way , may most of them gradually differ from each other in the strictness or laxness of their executions , as one is more or less charitable than another , or more or less tender , compassionate , strict , or rigid , censorious , or remiss , &c. which may occasion difference . i conclude therefore that about the great disturbing point , viz. the matter of the church or qualification necessary to members , presbyterians and independents , differ not doctrinally ( though practically persons of each party differ among themselves ; ) and therefore that here is no need of a reconciliation . chap. iv. difference ii. the second point supposed to be a difference , is about the necessity of a church covenant . here is no difference at all between the learned of each party , that i am able to discover . we are agreed , . that our consent to the covenant of grace is it that makes us christians , and so members of the universal church ; and the profession of that consent ( which regularly is to be done in baptism , parents professing their consent for their infants benefit ; and the adult professing their own consent , doth instate them in their visible membership , . the baptized person being offered to god , and so solemnizing his own covenant act ; and god by his minister accepting him into his church . . and we are agreed that a signified consent is necessary to membership in a particular church : that is , a consent to the relation of a member ; which includeth a consent to the necessary duties of that relation , and an acceptance of the benefits . . and we are agreed that any tolerable signification of this consent is all that is absolutely necessary . and that an express church covenant is not necessary to the being of a church or member : but that one that by actual submission and communion hath signified his consent , may be truly a member . . and yet we are agreed , ( because ignorantis non est consensus , and for many other weighty reasons , expressed in my book of confirmation ) that where we can require and procure it , without a greater accidental detriment to the church , it is needful ad bene esse to the churches reformation , and to the persons firmer engagement , to the satisfaction of others , and the due execution of discipline , &c. that the consent be as open and express as may be : as nothing is more necessary , excellent , honourable , reasonable , than a holy life , and nothing that less feareth the light than the cause of god , so he would have his cause to be openly owned , and managed above board , and would be confessed before men , and have all men know what they do , that take him for their master . it is an honour to god and the gospel , and an excellent advantage to the ordering of the church , and the saving of the people , to have all brought to as serious and solemn an engagement to the living god , as conveniently can be procured . i doubt not but the presbyterians would joyn with their brethren , to petition the soveraign rulers that all our people may be brought to this . let no man think so uncharitably of them , as if they desired that christ should be but darkly and implicitely owned by the churches , and as if they would not have church members know what they do ; doubtless they cannot but be sensible how much it would further their ministry with the people , if magistracy would but assist them herein against the stubborness of ignorant and wilful men ; that men might be compelled to submit to instruction and approbation , and make a credible profession of christianity , owning their baptismal covenant , and by this engage themselves to submit to the officers , discipline and ordinances of christ , in the churches where they desire communion . the thing that the presbyterians have stood upon is no more , but to vindicate the truth of our churches against separatists , that have denyed them to be true churches , because they had not an explicite covenant . they deny not that such a covenant may conduce much to the well-being of the church ; especially if we have the magistrates help to take off the peoples prejudice . note here also , that by [ a covenant ] we mean nothing but [ exprest consent ] and that [ exprest consent ] is indeed [ a covenant ] . and that by [ an ▪ implicite covenant ] we mean but [ a consent that is less express ] and not [ that is not exprest at all ] : for consent cannot be known to the church without some expression . i conclude therefore , that ( whatever some particular persons may be guilty of ) there is no real difference between the presbyterians and independents in the point of a church covenant : and therefore here is no work for a reconciler . god forbid that any faithful ministers of christ should fight against that much which is profitable to the well being of the church , meerly because without it the church may have a being . then must we plead for hunger and want and calamitous diseases that leave us but the being of men . nature and the scripture presidents in the old testament , and the doctrine of the apostles , and ancient practice of the churches , do satisfie us of the usefulness of holy covenants , prudently , seasonably and seriously made . of this i have said more in my treatise of confirmation . chap. v. difference iii. of the extent of a particular church . the third point wherein they seem to differ , is about the extent of a particular political church , viz. whether it be a single congregation , or divers congregations ? whether the ecclesia prima or a particular church of the first generation , as distinct from a combination of churches , should be no more than can meet in one place , and hold personal communion in the worship of god ? here is an appearance of some difference , but really none that will find a reconciler work . some presbyterians distinguish indeed between a worshipping church , and a governed church : and they would have a single congregation to be one worshipping church , but many conjoyned in their pastors to be the first or lowest governing church . but that is but in cases of necessity , when there are not elders enough in the single worshipping church . so that really both parties are agreed , . that a particular church may consist of one single congregation if it be but furnished with more than one elder for the work of government . ( though for my own part i am quite out of doubt that where one man only is the pastor or governour of a church , that man only may govern that church , and do the work of a pastor to that church ▪ ) . and they are agreed , that a church that doth not or cannot ordinarily meet in one place , may yet be a true particular church . in times of persecution when the church dare not publickly appear , or hath no capacious rooms to meet in , but are forced to meet dispersedly in houses , it may not only be lawful but most convenient , for some that meet in one house and some in another , and some in a third , a fourth , a fifth , to be all united in the same pastors , that shall visit them severally as they see cause and have opportunity , and rule them all . and in a well ordered church there is none denyeth , but that in less publick meetings the church may be distributed into several houses : and that the aged , sick or lame , or any that by distance cannot frequently come to the same most publick meeting , may yet have chappels of ease , or be allowed to meet in houses rather than not at all : this all agree in . and i think few presbyterians , if any , will deny , that it is most convenient , regular , and suitable to the ends of a particular church , ( which is personal communion in worship , and holy order ) that where it can be procured , the whole church ( except the sick or lame , or necessarilyhindered ) may frequently , if not most usually meet in one assembly . so that either here is no work for a reconciler , or a very easie work . for the presbyterians say , that a particular church may consist of one congregation ( and i believe they will say that ordinarily it is most fit ) : and the independents say , it must consist but of one congregation , or as many as may meet together for personal communion in worship , if they have liberty ; but that this is not essential to the church . either then here is no difference , or if there be , it is thus reconciled in a word . the presbyterians [ may be ] shall yield to the independents [ must be ] : the licet to the oportet . secure them but of more than one elder in a church , and i dare warrant you that all the sober moderate presbyterians shall readily and heartily yield to this . they have no conceit , that there must needs go many congregations to make a particular political church . if any presbyterians refuse to condescend so far for reconciliation , another easie remedy is at hand . let each have liberty to hold that church which in the extent is suited to their judgment . let them that needs must have a church of many congregations , hold it , if the people do consent ( as few will ) so they will faithfully do the pastoral work . if they will joyn three or four parishes together as the lowest governed church , let them have their liberty ( exercising just discipline in them ) . but let others also have their liberty that think it meeter , if not necessary , that the church be but of one congregation . the distance and quality of people may very much alter the case in this point . in places where four parishes at great distance would afford but enough for one particular church ( if any such parishes be ) it may be the more tolerable to have ordinary meetings in the several parishes for worship , and discipline administred ( and sometime the lord's supper ) in a fuller meeting of all the church : but i hope we are in no necessity that this should be an ordinary case . but liberty in these cases may well be granted . chap. vi. difference iv. the fourth point of difference is , whether a particular church hath power in it self to ordain and impose hands on their chosen pastors ? this difference is easily reconciled . for , . the presbyterians hold that regularly it is fittest that the pastors of divers churches conjunct do ordain , because of the interest and relation which they suppose each minister hath to the church catholick , yet withal they deny not but he hath a true ordination , that is ordained by more than one pastor of the same church . . though they deny ( and justly ) that imposition of hands in ordination belongeth to the people , yet they judge not an irregularity in that ceremony of force to nullifie the calling of the pastor . . if a man that is duely elected and qualified , be in possession of the ministry , without a regular just ordination ( as if it were but by ruling elders , or by one such with the people ) , though such an ordination is not to be it self approved of , yet being upon a doctrinal mistake , we may well hold communion with such churches , leaving the guilt of their errour on themselves , when we cannot remedy it . . the congregational brethren hold that in case they have no officers in that church , the counsel and help of other pastors may , and ordinarily ought to be made use of : and that ordinarily they are not to be held true pastors , that be not ordained by true pastors , and that in a constituted church the act of ordination belongeth to the presbyters : and that the multitude confer not the power of the keys , but christ immediately . and that the counsel of neighbour pastors is requisite , not only to a weak church , because of their insufficiency to judge , but also for the safety of a well furnished church , by the amplitude of advice , and in all churches , for the communion of churches . and i think , they grant it lawful , though not necessary , that these neighbor pastors lay on hands as well as counsel . this much being doctrinally agreed on , our practical agreement is easie ; thus , . let the doctrinal point of the necessity of more pastors to ordain be let alone , and left to each mans liberty ( it being no article of our creed , nor a credendum of absolute necessity ; ) and seeing the congregational party hold that more ( from neighbour churches ) may join in ordaining , and the presbyterians hold that , they must ( in point of duty , ) in all reason the may be should yield to the must : and therefore let the congregational de facto on their own principles admit of neighbour presbyters herein : if they will not yield in a thing by themselves confessed lawful for the reconciliation , and communion of the churches , the guilt of unpeaceableness will be theirs . especially while they have the election of their offices , and no detriment is like to arise by it to their churches . . but if any of them have not so much love to peace and communion of churches as to yield to this , the presbyterians can in consistency with their principles , hold communion with them for all this , as churches , though deficient , having first disowned their disorder . and therefore their pastors may join with us in our assemblies , and we may as brethren hold a loving correspondency , though we own not their defects . other differences ( doctrinally not the least ) there are among us . . whether a man may not be ordained a minister , sine titulo , without relation to a particular church , but to the world and the church universal ? and so , . whether such may not be ordained without popular election ? and , . whether therefore a man be not sometime in time , a minister of christ , before he be the pastor of this particular church . . and so whether the peoples election be not only to make him their pastor , and not a minister of christ in general . . and whether such an unfixed general minister , may not preach , baptize ; and also pro tempore administer the lords supper , yea and govern a particular church that pro tempore calleth him thereto ; the peoples call or consent being necessary for the exercise , but not alway to the being of the office or intrinsick power : ( as a physicion licensed to practise in general must have mens personal consent before he be their physicion ) but , . these i cannot call properly differences between the parties , because i think the congregational are not themselves agreed about them . . if they were , yet they are such whose practice our reconciliation is not much concerned in . let every man in these opinions be left to his liberty , and it need not hinder our agreement or communion . for my own opinion about most of them , i have expressed it , disput. of church government . and . and about some more of this nature . chap. vii . difference v. the fifth point of difference is , about the first subject of the power of the keys ? or more plainly and limitedly , of the right of church government , and in particular of censures . and here the difference seemeth greater than in any of the rest : and with some it is so . some have made the congregation by a major vote the governours of the church . against this as intolerable we have much to say . . there is no power but of god : but the power of church governing is not given to the people by god ; therefore it is none . the minor is good till a power be proved , and the peoples commission produced ; which never yet hath been attempted with any considerable appearance of truth . obj. the keys were given to the church in peter , mat. . ] ans. * . the most learned and moderate of these brethren say , that there is no such thing as a lawful representative church , therefore peter was none . . it lyeth on them to prove that peter represented the major vote of a congregation , in receiving the keys . till they have proved it , we take them to have said nothing . it sufficeth us for a disproof . . that no such thing is spoken . . that the keys of the kingdom , are in scripture phrase significant of stewardly government , which is in scripture assigned to the pastors over the people . . that peter was not a private member himself , much less a congregation ; but a pastor , and a single pastor , bishop or apostle . . that the same power is elsewhere given to all the apostles , ( iohn . . ) but not to private members , or to congregations of such . . that iohn , , . the power is described to be a power of remitting and retaining sins , annext to their ministerial mission , and therefore such as belongeth not to private men. obj. . cor. , , . the church is commanded to deliver the incestuous person to satan , and to put away the wicked person from among them . ] ans. . that was but executively , paul having himself most solemnly past the sentence , v. , . [ for i verily as absent in body , but present in spirit , have judged already as though i were present concerning him that hath so done this deed , ( paul you see doth judge : and that ) in the name of our lord jesus christ , when ye are gathered together , and my spirit , ( what then doth he decree to do ? ) with the power of our lord jesus christ , to deliver such an one to satan , &c. ] which with the excommunication , it is most probable contained a corporal miraculous penalty ( as elimas was struck blind , and ananias and saphira dead , &c. ) so that [ to deliver ] is the act that paul himself resolved to perform , at their meeting : the text [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] is not [ i have judged concerning him , ] but [ i have judged him ] even [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. ] [ to deliver such a one . ] but if any will rather take [ delivering ] here to be the churches act than pauls , yet it is plain that it is after his judgment or sentence , or [ condemnation ] as the syriack hath it ; and therefore that it is but , . the solemn declaration . . and execution of the sentence already past . . but if paul had left the work to them he wrote to , there would have been no proof that the censure had been committed to the people : here are two works to be done : the sentence , and the execution , ( that is , avoiding communion , &c. ) and accordingly two parts of the church to do it , the pastors to censure , and the people to execute it , by actual avoiding or putting away . now if paul write to an organized , governed society to [ deliver to satan and put away ] no man can hence prove that he committeth the same parts of the work equally to all the parts of the society : no more than he can prove , if the prince write to this burrough [ to cast out a turbulent member ] that he intendeth to equal the people with the magistrates in the work , or to commit the same part of the work to one as to another : but rather it plainly importeth ( and no more ) that every man in his place obey the command . obj. matth. . tell the church ] authoriz●th the people . ans. . it is incumbent on the affirmers to prove that it is the whole body of the people that is there meant . and some think this argument disproveth it , [ that church which must be heard , must be told ( if he hear not the church . ) but the whole congregation is not the church that is to be heard ; therefore it is not the church that is to be told . ] the major seems plain , because else the equivocation in the word [ church ] would make the matter not intelligible . the minor they prove , because the whole congregation cannot speak ▪ and be heard , without confusion : nor are the representers of the people in speaking : if they be , then here 's a word for a ministerial representative church . . but yet for my part i shall yield that it is this whole congregation that is here meant that must be told . but my answer then is the same as the last to the last objected text : it is the same church that hath officers and people , the same body that hath eyes , and ears , and hands : but it doth not follow that the ears , and eyes , and hands , are the same members : or if the man have a command to hear , see , and work , that he is therefore commanded to do all these by the same parts . the church may first hear by her officers , and lastly hear by the congregated people , and execute by them , and yet not censure or admonish , or absolve by them . all the church must hear at last , and each part do its proper work in casting out . arg. . if god have made the pastors the stewards , overseers , and rulers of the churches , commanding them to rule well , and the people to obey them as their rulers , then is it not the people that god hath made the rulers . but the antecedent is express , cor. . . heb. . , , . acts . . thes. . , . tim. . . and . , . pet. . , , , . it is intolerable abuse of scripture to suppose that it is so self-contradictory as to make the same persons the rulers and the ruled , and to command them to obey others as their rulers whom it would have to rule them , and be obeyed , and to command them to rule well whom it would have to be subject . arg. . ( to be briefer in the rest . ) this doctrine of popular rule destroyeth the very essence of a political church : for as in a civil political body the pars imperans , and pars subdita are essential to it , so are the ruling and ruled part in a political church : so that the being is gone , and the body dissolved into a community , or ungoverned company , if the governing part be taken down : as here it is : for the people are made governours , whom god never made so , and so indeed are none . and the officers being a few to the people , are supposed to be subject . arg. . and this course introduceth ( having destroyed that of gods institution ) a new species of a church . arg. . and it setteth the people on a work that they are uncapable of . their parts allow them not to judge some cases , but secondarily as obedient to their guides , ( as some heresies against the original text , &c. ) their callings and necessities allow them not time for all that work that to a faithful government is required , it being such as taketh up with ministers , a great part of their time . arg. . and it setteth up an hundred and one , to be governours of ●n●…ty nine , without any scripture command or president , if not to the oppres●… or dividing of the church . where did men go to voting in scripture for acts of government ? and where find we that the lesser part are to be ruled by the greater ? what if the lesser part be the wiser , or in the right , and say as god saith ( in judging of a heretick or such like ) and the greater part be more ignorant and partial , and contradict god , and cast out an orthodox man as an heretick ? by what word of god are the smaller number bound to take them for their rulers that can but get the casting voice ? but yet though some do thus differ from us in the essentials of church policy , we are here in no danger , i think , of a continued distance from the congregational party , but may quickly be reconciled , if indeed there be any real difference among us . for , . the brethren that we have to do with do expresly reject and write against this doctrine as brownism ( it is their own word ) * which say they [ doth in effect put the chief ( if not the whole ) of the rule and government into the hands of the people , and drowns the elders votes , which are but few , in the major vote of theirs . ] and they [ give unto the elders or presbytery , a binding power of rule and authority proper and peculiar to them . † ] . it is usually confessed by the most learned of them that the elders are the rulers of the church , ( for the express scripture cannot be denied ) and that ( say they ) two or three , or more select persons should be put into an office , and be trusted with an intire interest of power for a multitude , to which that multitude ought , by a command from christ , to be subject , and obedient , as ●o an ordinance to guide ▪ them in their consent , and in whose sentence the ultimate formal ministerial act , of binding or loosing should consist : this power must needs be esteemed and acknowledged in these few to have the proper notion and character of authority , in comparison of that power ( which must yet concur with theirs ) that is in a whole body or multitude of men , which have a greater and nearer interest in those affairs , over which these few are set as rulers . {inverted †} ] and as long as they confess that the pastors are the rulers and the people must obey , i think ▪ in sense we are agreed . . and though many of them say that the power of the keys are in the church or people , yet they usually tell us that it is but priviledge and liberty which they mean by power and by keys , and that as distinct from authority : so that it is but a misuse of terms , and a false exposition of a text , that they are guilty of , rather than an error in the thing it self . . and * they confess also that this power of the pastors [ they have immediately from christ ( in respect of a mediation of delegation or dependance on each other ) and are the first subjects of the power allotted them . ] they say that [ the office of rectors is received immediately from christ , and to be exercised in the name of christ ] and that [ it is the designation of the person that is from the church , but the application of the office from christ. ] mr. noxton addeth , p. . [ distingu●ndum accurate inter officium ipsum , & conjunctionem personae cum officio : officium est à christo conjunctio talis personae cum tali officio est ab ecclesia : christus confert authoritatem illi personae quam eligit ad hec munus , & quasi praesentat christo ecclesia , ] that this is the very truth , supposing ordination also to have its place ) i have manifested disput , of ordinat . the truth * is , the people have not the least degree of governing power : ( but each man of self-government , and parents , and masters of family-government ) it is christ that appointeth ministers as his ambassadors , stewards and officers , and commandeth them to speak in his name and stead , and the people to hear and obey him in them . so that the gainsaying of this truth , would be of unspeakable injury to the church : ( besides what is forementioned ) ▪ it would rob christ of his government , which is exercised by his stewards and ministers . . it will engage the godly people in rebellion . . yea , and in usurpation of his government . . and it will deprive the church of the very life of all that edification and consolation which they should have by the ministry . this is our joy in baptism , that as we deliver up our selves or children to christ , so christ there by his authorized ▪ minister actually receiveth us or them . this is our joy in the lord's supper , that christ by his authorized minister , saith to us , [ take ye , eat ye , this is my body , &c. ] and actually delivereth himself to us . this is our joy in ministerial preaching of the gospel , that by a special officer christ proclaimeth to us the offer of free pardon and eternal life . this is our comfort in ministerial absolution ( which should be as solemn as excommunication ) that christ by his messenger doth pronounce us pardoned by name , and receive us into mercy and church communion , supposing that our repentance be true as we profess it . and so this is the terrour of excommunication , that christ by his officer doth pronounce men bound , and bind them over to answer it at his bar , and cast them by his sentence out of his house . if you make all these to be but humane administrations , they are made vain . and therefore blame not the presbyterians if they have been jealous of christ's interest , and his peoples comfort , and the life and honour of all the ordinances performed by the minister . but yet the peoples liberties are secured , and the congregational brethren may have their desires . for who will deny that the ministerial government being not coercive by external force , the people therefore must consent , or else we cannot govern them . we can lay an obligation on them from god ( e. g. to avoid such a heretick ) : but we cannot force them to obey it : and therefore there can be no executive excommunication , that is , avoiding of the offenders , without the peoples consent ! but this is their sin , when they answer not the command of god , and not their power to govern. we grant also that they are not to be blindly led , and take all carelesly upon their pastor's words ; but must have ( ordinarily ) cognisance of the case before a person be cast out and they obliged to avoid him : so that they have a iudicium discretionis , as the pastors have the iudicium directionis . but yet ( as i have shewed in pref. to the reform ▪ past. ) the sinful dissent of the people will not alway disable or excuse the pastors from their part . if a man be proved an heretick , and the major vote of the people do absolve him , in some cases , it may be the pastor's duty , openly to pronounce him a heretick , and ( if impenitent ) unfit for the communion of the church , and to bind him over to god's judgment , and charge him to depart , and the church to avoid him . if the church will not do their duty ( by consenting ) that will not alway excuse me from mine ( which is this now described ) . yea , and in the execution i will do my part , and leave them in the guilt of omitting theirs : that is , i will avoid familiarity with him , and will not personally give him the sacrament , and if he intrude and take it , i will openly disclaim him ; otherwise , . i must not preach and apply god's word , unless the major vote consent . for all this is but the preaching of god's word about avoiding hereticks ( or other offenders ) and applying it to this case ( supposing the matter of fact past doubt . ) . and then a major vote might warrant me and the minor part to break the express commands of god , ( and so make a god of a sinning people ) : for god saith [ a man that is an heretick reject : with such a one eat not : keep not company with him , that he may be ashamed : from such turn away , &c. ] and may i disobey all these express commands , if the majority be but against them ? may i give him personally the sacrament , or absolve him , or be familiar with him , & c ? indeed , . i would not forsake the church , nor make a division in it from every such miscarriage ; but when i have done my own duty , leave the guilt on them , if they refused to do theirs . . and i would not so much as pass the sentence , or do what i have before said , in case it might by breeding a division do more hurt than good in the church , ( for no duty is at all times a duty ) , but would be contented soberly to have entered my dissent , to free my self from the peoples sin. . at upon these grounds we will grant a use of voting in the church ( though would have as little need of it as i could ) though we will acknowledge 〈◊〉 governing votes , yet for peace and concord we will acknowledge that things indifferent a minor part should submit to the major part : for in ord to unity , a majority should have force , though among subjects in ord of regiment , ten thousand have no more authority ( i mean , ius regend than one . and both in receiving , rejecting and absolving members , as the governi●… power is only in the pastors , when the people are to obey , and who are bou●… by office to attend on the work , so it is plain that the obligation to obedien● bindeth the people to submit to the direction and judgment of their pasto●… if they know them not to go against the word of god. and if the people 〈◊〉 intrust the officers or any delegates of their own in conjunction with them , judge of those that are to be taken in or cast out , or if their own incapaci disable them from a sufficient discussion of the case , or their business allo them not so much leisure as the work requireth , they are bound to acquies in the judgment of their rulers . i prove it ad hominem ( the nature of g●vernment and obedience proving it undeniably ad rem ) . if a minor part ( . ) is bound ( by your own opinion ) to submit to the major part ( as ●… that yet have no governing power , when they dissent themselves ( and captivate their consciences to a vulgar vote ) , much more should the people a case not understood ( where conscience therefore hath nothing against t●… sentence ) submit to the judgment of the stewards of christ whom he hath co●manded them as their rulers to obey : but the former is their own : therefo●… i conclude this ( on which i have been larger in reasoning , because of t●● weight of it ) that here is no room for any other reconciliation , than to 〈◊〉 our agreements , and to leave each other to the liberty of practising accordi●● to the small differences of our judgments . we are agreed that the pastors a the rulers , and the people the ruled that must obey : and that the peop must be governed as rational free agents , and have a freedom from arbitra●● government , and from all commands or sentences that are contrary to 〈◊〉 word of god , but not a freedom from obedience , nor from the blessing of p storal conduct . and we are agreed that , in order to unity , the major vo in lawful things must be submitted to : and that a minister ( having enter●… his dissent ) may forbear such reproofs or censures of a heretick or impious ma as would break the peace of the church , and do more harm than good , becau of the peoples sinful adhering to him ; so be it , they own not the sin it se●● nor do thus ordinarily to the excluding of discipline : for then i would lea●… that people . what farther need then of a reconciliation in order to our co●…munion ? if any will not take in , or cast out a member without the peop●● major vote , let them take their liberty : and if any people had rather tr●… their pastors and delegates with this care , and will more acquiesce in th●● judgments ; till they see cause to suspect them , let them also have their lib●●ty ; we can do nothing against the peoples wills , but by proposal ! and if the pastors and people consent in these modal or circumstantial things , it little concerneth associated churches . let this therefore be unmentioned and we are agreed . chap. viii . difference vi. the sixth difference is , whether a pastor of one church , may do the work of a pastor in other churches when he hath their consent and call ? some have made a stir about this , and dream'd that a pastor may preach out of his own church , but only as a private man , and therefore may not baptize , administer the lord's supper , or exercise discipline in any other church . but the learned and sober part of the dissenters , are become consenters in the most of this , so that here is little work for a reconcilement . for they confess that ministers may as ministers preach and administer the sacraments to other churches . indeed they say , that this is only charitativè , not authoritativè . herein they mistake : for though such have not a stated authority over another church , yet have they a temporary authority , as they are called . for he that hath the call and power of office , and a call pro tempore to exercise that office , hath authority to exercise it , and doth exercise an authority ( for the office essentially is an authority . ) but every true minister of christ that pro tempore is called to the ministerial work in another church , hath an office ( which is authority ) and a call to exercise it . therefore , but saith mr. norton , p. . [ hence it would follow either that there are occasional and partial ministers pro tempore , or that the same man is the fixed minister of many churches at once , or that he is not the minister of that church where yet he hath ministerial authority . ] ans. none of all these will follow : but only this , that he that is either a stated minister in the church universal , or also a fixed pastor of a particular church , may also be the temporary pastor of another particular church . as a fixed physicion of one hospital , or schoolmaster of one school , may upon a call both charitativè & authoritativè , be for a day or a week the physicion of another hospital , or the schoolmaster of another school . it is a contradiction to say , [ he may exercise his office , and not authoritatively . ] obj. but saith mr. n. the minister of this church , is not the minister of another church by the constitution of the holy ghost , by whom every minister is tyed to one certain flock . ] ans. . a great errour . there should yet be general ministers in the church that should be itinerant , and no more fixed ( where the churches state so requireth it ) than paul , barnabas , apollo , titus , timothy , and abundance more then were . your own argument is , pag. , . [ ex analogia potestatis ministrorum erga alias ecclesias cum potestatè ministeriali erga omnes gentes , sive omnem creaturam : si ministri ordinarii virtute instituti habent potestatem ministerialem , non ecclesiasticam modo debito , erga omnem creaturam , habent aliquam potestatem ministerialem ecclesiasticam modo debito erga omnem ecclesiam . at , &c. ] what need we more ? is not potestas ministerialis authority ? then i know not what authority is ! authority is either rational ex virtute & aestimatione donorum ; or it is imperial or official , which in all subordinate officers is ius agendi actus ejus officii . ministerial power is ius ministrandi : ministerial authority is ius ministrandi : therefore he that hath ministerial power , hath ministerial authority . . no minister is so tyed by the holy ghost to one certain flock ( any more than one schoolmaster or physicion ) as not to exercise his office by authority pro tempore in another flock when he hath a call. charity and authority go together . charity obligeth him to exercise his office , that is , his authority . the rest of the objections there an ordinary reader may answer without help . but yet here is nothing to hinder our communion . for , . they grant us in substance what we desire , that is , the temporary exercise of the ministerial office , to the world , or to other churches according to their capacities . . if yet there be any difference in principles , let them that think ministers have no power out of their congregation , practice accordingly , and stay at home : let them give us our liberty in this , and take theirs , and the matter need not hinder our communion . chap. ix . difference vii . the seventh difference is , about the power of a particular church to exercise all government and church ordinances within it self , without subordination to synods or any other as extrinsick ecclesiastical superiour governours . this is pleaded for by the independents in ordinary cases ( whence mr. cotton owns the name of independency , keys , p. . . ) saith he , [ a church of a particular congregation , consisting of elders and brethren , and walking in the truth and peace of the gospel , as it is the first subject of all church power , needful to be exercised within it self ; so it is independent upon any other ( church or synod ) for the exercising of the same ] . some of the episcopal and presbyterians deny them this , and affirm , that synods are a superiour power , and that particular congregations without the lower sort of synods called classes may not excommunicate , and that in an ordinary regimental order , congregations are under the government of synods ( and consequently say the episcopal , of the heads of those synods ) . but the more moderate both episcopal and presbyterians hold that synods oblige directly but gratia unitatis & communionis ecclesiarum , and not directly by a superiour governing power . so bishop usher profest his judgment to me : and that a particular bishop or church was not subject to a synod as their superiour governour , but bound in lawful things to consent for unity and communion . and mr. cotton granteth , for ought i see , as much , if not more than this comes to ; and mr. t. goodwin and mr. nye , i think as much in their preface to his book , saith mr. cotton , p. . [ a fourth corollary touching the independency of churches is , that a church fallen into any offence ( whether it be the whole church , or a strong party in it ) is not independent in the exercise of church power , but is subject both to the admonition of any other church , and to the determination and iudicial sentence of a synod , for direction into a way of truth and peace ] [ for ( saith he ) ecclesia litigans non ligat , that is , if christ hath not given to a particular church a promise to bind and loose in heaven , what they bind and loose on earth , unless they agree together , and agree in his name , then such a church is not independent in their proceedings , as do fail in either : for all the independency that can be claimed is founded upon that promise , what ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven , &c. ] the fifth corollary affirmeth , that [ though the church of a particular congregation consisting of elders and brethren , and walking with a right foot in the truth and peace of the gospel , be the first subject of all church power needful to be exercised within it self , and consequently be independent from any other church or synod in the use of it ; yet it is a safe and wholesom and holy ordinance of christ , for such particular churches to joyn together in holy covenant or communion , and consolation ( consociation or consultation it should be ) amongst themselves , to administer all their church affairs ( which are of weighty and difficult and common concernment ) not without common consultation and consent of other churches about them . now church affairs of weighty and difficult and common concernment , we account to be , the election and ordination of elders , excommunication of an elder , or any person of publick note , and employment ; the translation of an elder from one church to another , or the like . in which case we conceive it safe and wholesom , and an holy ordinance , to proceed with common consultation and consent . ] and so he proceedeth distinctly to prove this , . safe . . wholsom . . an ordinance , adding this caution , which we accept . [ to see that this consociation of churches be not perverted , either to the oppression or diminution of the just liberty and authority of each particular church within it self : who being well supplied with a faithful and expert presbytery of their own , do walk in their integrity , according to the truth and peace of the gospel . let synods have their just authority in all churches , how pure soever ▪ in determining such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are requisite for the edification of all christ's churches according to god. but in the election and ordination of officers , and censure of offenders , let it suffice the churches consociate to assist one another , with their counsel and right han●… of fellowship , when they see a particular church to use their liberty an●… power aright . but let them not put forth the power of their community●… either to take such church acts out of their hands , or to hinder them in the●… lawful course , unless they see them ( through ignorance or weakness ) to abu●… their liberty or authority in the gospel — they may indeed prevent the abu●… of their liberties , and direct in the lawful use of them , but not take the●… away , though themselves should be willing ] so also before , pag. . he sai●… [ th propos. in case a particular church be disturbed with errour or scanda●… and the same maintained by a faction amongst them : now a synod 〈◊〉 churches , or of their messengers , is the first subject of that power and a●thority whereby errour is judicially convinced and condemned , the trut●… searched out and determined , and the way of truth and peace declared , an●… imposed upon the churches ] which he proceeds to prove . and dr. goodwin and mr. nye in their preface approving of this , sayin●… that these synods have [ a due measure of power committed to them , suite and proportioned to those , and are furnished , not only with ability to giv●… counsel and advice , but further , upon such occasions with a ministerial pow●… and authority , to determine , declare and enjoyn such things as may tend to th●… reducing such congregations to right order and peace . ] and whereas they put it in as a caution , that yet synods may not exco●municate , i answer , that as long as they grant that they may renounce communion with such a church , and doctrinally apply to them their portion , an●… doctrinally enjoyn the people to avoid the impenitent offenders ( by applyin●… the scriptures to them that enjoyn it ) we have no mind to disagree wit●… them about the rest . i conclude therefore , that we are dogmatically agreed in this great poin●… as far as is necessary to our loving communion . let us in our consociation●… either keep our principles to our selves , of the degree of a synods power , 〈◊〉 else let all have liberty to write them down in the register book of the syno●… and so to proceed in concordant practice . perhaps some may be found th●… think synods are the proper superiour governours of the pastors of particul●… churches , yea , and their ordinary governours : others may think that the●… are not necessary , nor any ordinance of god ; but yet a lawful thing that ma● for peace be used . and others ( that i think are in the truth ) may think th●… synods are not the direct governours of the particular pastors , but are god●… ordinance for the communion of churches , and so indirectly bind in lawf●… agreements , both as our own consents oblige us , and as god's general co●mand of doing all things in unity and peace and concord , doth animate the●… agreements . let us impose none of our principles here on others ; but agr●… to hold communion in synods , for mutual edification , and corroboration , a●… such like ends of communion as mr. cotton mentioneth ; and to be accou●… table to the brethren in cases of offence , so far as to tender them due satisfactio● and hear their brotherly admonitions ; in a word , let us but maintain th● necessary communion of churches which the ends and nature of the church require , and we shall press no more . obj. but , being free , why should we desire to be bound , in associations ? answ. you are not free from brotherly charity , & the communion of saints , and the concordant doing the works of god , of common concernment . nor do we desire you to bind your selves to any thing but what is antecedently your duty , and you 're already bound to by god. object . but perhaps if we associate with you , you will be rigid for your own ways and be the major part , and then if we displease you , our communion shall be rejected to our disgrace . ] ans. . the churches can pass as disgraceful a sentence on you , if you come not near them , as if you joyned with them . yea , and they will no doubt take it to be their duty , if they have proof of the heresies or scandals of any neighbour minister , ( aggravated by the shunning of their brethrens communion ) , to disown them , and warn their people of the danger . if you joyn with us , you are more like to escape such censures or injurious reflections , than by keeping from us : for familiarity kindleth love : and your presence may awe many , and your words satisfie those that could not be so well satisfied , if they had not heard you speaking for your selves . . moreover , you have opportunity to prevent such abuse as you fear , in your terms of entring the association . . surely brethren that so earnestly desire your communion for the churches peace , will not be hasty to renounce communion with you . . by their accepting you , they are engaged not to reject you , for any opinion or practice which they knew you guilty of when they accepted you : for if it were not of weight to hinder your reception , it may not be of weight to cause your rejection . obj. but under the name of a communion of churches , you seem to set up a provincial church , with a discipline of taking in and casting out . ans. * is it the name of a church that you fear , or the thing ? not the name , for we use it not , nor do you charge this on us . if the thing tells us what you mean by a church . if such a thing as you use to define it to be , we deny that we set up such a church . but if you will call the officers and delegates of the churches , met for communion , by the name of a church , you may use your liberty : we hold this communion for no higher ends , than your own forecited words allow : and therefore it is but such an assembly as you may allow . take mr. norton's yet larger concessions , pag. , &c. [ ecclesiae particulares mutuam communionem inter se inire possunt , & in eis causae communes omnium ecclesiarum , i. e. talis res quae omnibus ecclesiis particularibus communes sunt , quamvis immediatè unam tantum ecclesiam tangunt , ut sunt pastorum vocationes , membrorum excommunicationes , &c. vel etiam tales res quae immediatè omnes ecclesias ex aequo tangunt communiter ) communi consensu ecclesiarum dijudicentur & discernantur ] — pag. . [ solummodò inde colligimus ei potestatem supremam decidendi quaestiones fidei debitam , quod & promptè damus — ] pag. . de necessitate synodorum . tametsi , concilia non sint ita absolutè necessaria , ut ecclesia sine illis nunquam bene esse possit ; tamen in tantâ hominum malitia , & temporum perversitate , non tantum insigniter sunt utilia , sed etiam quodammodo necessaria : ita ut ecclesia salutari hoc remedio non possit carere ; sine insigni veritatis , pietatis & concordiae christianae detrimento . nemo , inquit parkerus , quod sciam , ecclesiae alicujus reformatae alumnus ante hugonem grotium , negavit synodos esse necessarias : quibus nos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 libenter profitemur , sequentibus freti rationibus . . a natura duce ; cujus dictamine in controversiis difficilioribus & grandioribus à judicio inferiori ad . praecellentius confugimus . hinc jus appellationum in causis gravioribus ab inferiori ad superiorem sententiam . parker : cum in causis & personis ecclesiasticis multae lites oriantur , jus appellationum necessariò concedendum quis neget ? appellationes sunt juris divini , & naturalis , & in omni societate admodum necessariae , propter multorum judicum iniquitatem & ignorantiam . . a fine concilii — . ab exemplo , &c. . a praecellentia concilii , &c. . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiarum ; quam valde tuetur unio sententiarum in synodis ; unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suavissima & diuturna , cum doctrina & mores probantur ad invicem : sin autem singulis ecclesiis particularibus juxta sententias proprias incedere licet , nulla habita vicinarum ratione , quam facilè in partes & dissidia abiturae sunt ? . a fructu administrationum : quae si caeteris ecclesiis consentientibus fiant , spes est etiam fore efficaces : sin dissentientibus timendum ne inefficaces sint . e. g. in casu excommunicationis vicinis comprobantibus excommunicatus argutus ab omnibus , dijudicatus ab omnibus , procidens , &c. — pag. . quatenus particulares ecclesiae s●se subjicere debent sententiae synodi . r. legitimis synodi decretis ab omnibus ecclesiis h. e. à majori parte ecclesiarum receptis , & à magistratu christiano approbatis , tenentur particulares ecclesiae acquiescere , . sub periculo reatus ordinis publici turbati . . sub poena non communionis cum aliis ecclesiis . . sub poena correctionis per poenas civiles à magistratu . then he comes to the q. what if the synod conclude against the truth , and the church stand for it ? and answereth , . that it 's not easily to be supposed in reformed times , and . uti in civilibus , est veritas absoluta & iudicialis : & sententia supremi judicis vera est quoad homines , licet non sit vera absolutè : ita in ecclesiasticis veritas est absoluta & synodalis : synodus autem cum sit supremus judex quaestionis , sententi● synodalis licet non sit vera ▪ absolutè , est tamen vera ecclesiasticè : si in foro exteriore . — pag. . statuendum est ordinem publicum prae●erendum esse praesenti obedientiae ergo praeceptum affirmativum , non fundamentale . — hîc obtinet illud ( ames . ) gravissima in ▪ commoda fac●unt aliquando ut praeceptum affirmativum desinat obligare , quod aliàs non possit non observari sine peccato . ordini igitur tali● ecclesia in hoc casu sese subjicere & potest & debet : sed tamen sine peccato . ] — is not here enough for our agreement in this point ? i should have feared censures if i had said as much . but i hope you deny not the power of christian kings , nor that a christian soveraign and christian subjects are a christian kingdom , and de nomine may be called a national church . and moses , david , solomon , iosiah , had a governing power over the priests , though not to change the species of their office. and if i and others think that apostles and evangelists have successors to the end of the world in the ordinary parts of their office , and in superiority you may with peace hold your opinion and leave us to ours : of which elsewhere . chap. x. difference viii . the eighth supposed difference is , about private mens preaching : and it hath two parts . . whether private men , may preach in the church ? . whether the church may send them out as private men unordained , to preach in the parishes of england , or to the heathens or unbelievers ? the presbyterians deny not but private men may preach in some cases . none that fear god do desire any to bury their talent , nor would hinder men from doing the work of god. but they would have bona bene , god's work done in god's order . on these conditions we allow private men to preach . . if they do it but ex charitate , and pretend not to the ministerial office. . and if they do it occasionally , and not as men separated to that work as their calling ( for then they become ministers indeed while they disclaim it in name . . if they do it not needlesly , to a proud ostentation of their parts ; but only when abler men , or ministers are not to be had , or else on some urgent weighty cause . . if they make not themselves the judges of their own fitness , but expect the approbation of the judicious , faithful , concordant ministers that know them . . if they undertake no more than they can perform , and suppose not themselves fitter than they are , and so run not beyond their knowledge , nor dishonour not the work of god. . if they thrust not themselves into any church to preach without a call , nor ordinarily without the pastors consent . . if they do it not unseasonably when by offending they are likely to do more hurt than good . . if in the manner , season and continuance they submit to the guidance of the pastors of the church ( if it be more than ordinary teaching , and not such as every able . master of a family may there do ) . with these cautions we grant that private men may preach many episcopal divines grant it : and the presbyterians ordinarily permit it in their expectants that are trained up for the ministery . a maid begun the conversion of the iberians by conference ; and interlocutory preaching is truly preaching . edesius and frumentius converted the indians . alexander bishop of ierusalem , and theoctistus of caesaria , maintained origene's teaching while he was a private man : and that in the church before the bishops . and when demetrius of alexandria reprehended them , affirming it to be an unknown case , that a layman should preach in the presence of a bishop , they gainsay him , and produce the examples of neon a bishop that required evelpius to teach , and of celsus that set paulinus to preach at iconium , and of a●●icus that set theodorus to teach at synnadorum . and , saith dr. fulke , demetrius himself doth seem to allow , that when no bishop was present , a layman might preach , euseb. hist. li. . c. . but that every proud unworthy man , and every seducing heretick , should preach , yea and thrust himself into other mens charges , or that any should preach besides the forementioned rules , this we deny , and take it for a dangerous usurpation . but are we not agreed in this ? hear and judge : mr. cotton so downright denieth ordinary private men to prophesie , interpreting cor. . . of extraordinarily gifted prophets ( of which see his keys , pag. , . ) that mr. goodwin and mr. nye thought meet to signifie some dissent , pref. p. . and yet they grant , that this must be performed by private men , [ . only occasionally , not in an ordinary course . . by men of such abilities as are fit for office. . and not assuming this of themselves , but judged such by those that have the power , and so allowed and designed to it . and , . so as their doctrine be subjected ( for the judging of it ) in an especial manner , to the teaching elders of that church . ] and i think that this is enough to signifie , that here we shall have no cause of a breach with them . mr. norton speaks to the same purpose , pag. , , . and joins with mr. cotton in denying prophesie to private men , and expounding cor. . of extraordinarily gifted prophets only : in this therefore doctrinally we agree . . but the second seemeth the more dangerous difference : that their churches should presume to send abroad preachers not in office , for the conversion of souls , by setting them apart to that work , and directing or allowing them to be stated ordinary teachers . their excuses are , that pastors are proper to particular churches ; and it is not into churches but parishes that they send them ; not to rule or teach a church , but to convert souls and gather churches . ans. but , . it is not your calling parishes [ no churches ] that makes or proves them none . you are not the judges , when they profess themselves churches . if others send men to preach in your churches , it will not excuse them with you , if they face you down that they are no churches , and therefore they may preach in them . . but suppose they were all heathens , you have never yet proved that to be a stated preacher for their conversion , is not to be a proper ministerial officer . contrarily , . in the days of the apostles and all their helpers , it was part of the office of a minister , ( yea and of the chief ministers ) to be stated preachers for the conversion of unbelievers , and gathering souls to christ : but the office of the ministry is now the same as then . therefore ▪ . to go and teach , and disciple the nations is as true a part of the ministers commission as to teach the church ( matth. . . ) therefore it is not common to private m●n . . ordinary baptizing is no work for private men : therefore not preaching . the reason of the consequence is , . because they are conjoyned in the minsterial commission , ( matth. . . ) . because if pastors go not abroad the world with these private men to preach to infidels , then when they have converted any , they must be unbaptized till pastors can come to them : which is contrary to all scripture example that baptism should be so long delayed after conversion ordinarily . . to be separated to the gospel of god , is a chief part of the description of a minister ( by office ) rom. . . but these private preachers are by the churches separated to the gospel of god ( by right or by wrong ) therefore they are made ministers by office. indeed the first object of the true ministerial office ( in order of nature ) is the uncalled world ; and the calling of them is as eminent a part of their office as preaching to a church . this is the most eminent evangelizing , to declare the glad-tydings of salvation to the world : and this is the preaching that requireth sending , rom. . on this work were the twelve and the seventy sent : on this work specially did the apostles lay out themselves . and not only they , but apollo , luke , mark , timothy , titus , silas , and abundance of the chiefest ministers of christ. but yet we have no matter to excuse a division or alienation , from this difference . for , . i cannot prove it a difference between the parties : for i know not that the congregational party have owned and espoused the opinion which i here oppose ; though some particular persons do : and therefore i do not charge it on them . . if they did , yet infidels are so far from us , that irregular endeavours to convert them , will be no matter of a breach : and were we nearer them , we might leave others to practise according to their judgments , as long as we are not guilty of the error . . they do not pretend to sorce themselves into our parish churches ( ordinarily ) against his will that is the allowed teacher there . . while they do in name disclaim ordaining them , they actually ordain them . for they set them apart to the office of the ministry , and it is pastors that do it : and this is the substance of ordination : imposition of hands is but the investing ceremony . and if they say that a stated preacher is no officer , that makes him not to be none : and if they say , that they ordain him not when they approve and appoint him by an instrument to that office , that makes it not to be no ordaining ; no more than if they should appoint men to a pastoral charge , in one of their own churches , and say , it is no office , or ordination . . and when the peoples consent is afterward added , the man is more fully separated to the work. . but however , as long as they allow us our liberty of ordination , and thrust none upon our communion as pastors that are no pastors , we have no pretence to make this a stop to our communion . let us close together , and pass this by , and god will further inform us , and dispel our darkness when we walk together in holy love and peace . chap. xi . difference ix . the ninth seeming difference is , about our parishes in england , whether they are true churches of christ , or not . but here is little or no difference that is stood to whatever any particular persons may think , it is not a difference between the parties . for , . it is not desired of them to grant that a parish as a parish ( that is , the people , yea the christians inhabiting such a space of ground ) is a church . it 's possible they may be of many churches , or of none ( but the universal . ) . nor is it desired that they take every member of the parish , no nor every hearer , for a member of the church . men of several churches , or of no church may live in the parish , and hear together . . nor are they desired to take any parish for a true political church that hath not a true pastor , with a competent number of professed christians joined together for personal communion in gods worship . but that our ordinary parishes in england that have true ministers are true churches is so familiarly granted by the congregational party , that to recite their words seems needless : and therefore they utterly disclaim separating from us as no true churches . . that our want of a church covenant nullifieth not these churches , i told you before they grant , because our consent is our covenant : and our ordinary practice tolerably signifieth that consent . saith mr , norton , p. . [ siuna externa fidei professione , veritatis & sanctitatis praxi , eodem baptismate uniantur , & eundem publicum cultum uno in loco frequentent , iisdem inspectoribus ecclesiae subsint , &c. ] see the place , where he acknowledgeth this a church without an explicit covenant . . and that the impiety of our parishes , or other incapacity of the members is not such as to nullifie our churches they confess . because a good church may have some bad members : and where the greater number are bad , the pastor and the better ( smaller ) part may denominate the church , and it may be true , though polluted . what doctrinal and practical corruptions were in the churches of corinth , galatia , and divers of the asian churches , rev. . and . is so plain , and hath been so often mentioned that it 's needless to recite the texts . saith mr. norton , , . immo tantum abest , ut ob defectum foederis expliciti ( salva vel ungulae religione in rebus iesu christi ) ullas congregationes ex ecclesiarum albo expungamus ; ut caetus multò graviora passos , essentialibus dei gratia adhuc in tuto positis tanquam non ecclesias judicare , salvâ conscientiâ nullos posse , sanctè testemur . distinguendum inter ecclesiam puram , impuram , impurissimam , & nullam ▪ — fundamentalia sive essentialia sunt materia & forma ecclesiae particularis . materia sunt homines profitentes doctrinam salutaris fidei : forma est mutuus consensus politicus ad incedendum in illa fide , vel verbis , vel factis , modo aliquo visibiliter significatus : adeo ut non sufficit subitanea aliqua conjunctio , & sanctae communionis exercitium , ad ecclesiam constituendam , nisi constantia illa accedat , saltem quoad intentionem , quae statum adfert corporis & membrorum in spirituali quadam politia : qualem consensum nos foedus vocare jam toties diximus . ] as this proveth our parishes true churches , so that greater corruptions than the vices of some , even fundamental errors in the church it self , doth not presently destroy the church is his opinion , and parker's cited by him : ibid. saith he , [ neque tamen ecclesiam errores fundamentales statim destruunt , donec eis addatur contumacia in foro exteriori . ecclesia in fundamento aberrans tamdiu manet ecclesia quamdiu non est pertinax . ] certainly here is as large a judgment of charity as we can reasonably expect , and so large as without some distinction , will be liable to controversie . we easily confess that most of our churches need much reformation , and that all in our parishes are not church members : but yet i may well suppose that we are agreed that those of them that have true pastors are true churches , and that this is the case of our parishes ordinarily , or very many at least ( yea some such dissenters think that they may be true churches without pastors ) so that here between the parties there is no disagreement , whatever particular persons hold . many are more afraid lest a great many parishes should be made no true churches ( in a political sense ) by setting over them such as are no true ministers , than be proved none before they are made none . but i see no danger of this , while we have liberty of election and ordination . chap. xii . difference x. the tenth controversie , is about , . taking members out of other churches , . and separating from the parish churches , by gathering out of them a select number to be a distinct church . and here there is a practical difference to our woe : but in order to reconcilement , i should hope that i might suppose our agreement in all the other points of difference to be sufficient , and that being satisfied in those the brethren that have been for withdrawing from our churches , will be satisfied to join with us for their reformation , and not do as they have some of them done . for we have therefore come as near them as we can in the rest , that they might have no just occasion to depart from us : and if that yet they will depart , when the offence is removed , then it would be as if they should say , we are against concord and unity as such : and our judgment for division as such , that is , for dividing without cause . when we have answered all that our brethren alledge for their withdrawing , we may expect that they should return to an orderly communion . this controversie is de fine , and seeing we grant them much in the rest for this , therefore we cannot grant them this : if in war we grant all that is desired for peace , it is supposed that we will not grant the continuance of the war ; nor in reason must that be one of the demands . i speak all this but of unjust separations : for there is a separation which we are all agreed to be lawful ( as far as i know ) as , . we all agree that where christians live in the midst of infidels , they must come out from among them ( by faith and repentance ) and be separated ( by the baptismal engagement first , and the communion of saints after ) and not touch the unclean thing . the church must be separated from the world , or it is no church . . we are agreed that when a true church visibly ceaseth to be a true church , by loss of its essentials statedly , it is our duty to judge it to be no true church ( that is but to judge it as it is ) and forsake it accordingly . . when we cannot hold local communion with a true church without committing some sin , which they would force upon us , and which we may escape by leaving them , we ought to withdraw from the local communion of that church ( for we must not wilfully sin , nor do evil that good may come by it : ) yet so as that still we must hold internal , and also external distant communion , by owning them as a true church , and corresponding with them as a neighbour church . . if a true church in the corruption of the materials become uncapable of its ends , and we have with sufficient patience tryed the means of its reformation without success , it is ordinarily ( unless some greater matter hinder accidentally ) our duty to forsake it : yea and to esteem it no more a true church , if it be the principal ends that it 's become uncapable of . as if the body were fallen into an opinion against communion and publick worship , and yet should think they might hold their relations : this were a contradiction . if they would in publick , worship god with a worship false in the essentials , and which is no church-worship , but impiety or deceit . and though i will not now determine how far discipline is necessary to a church , more than to say that the power is essential to the pastors office , yet i may boldly conclude that in point of duty . if a church be so corrupted by heresie or impiety that discipline cannot be exercised in it , because the greater part do own the heresie or sin , or the sinners in their sin , and this be not in one or a few acts , but they are against the course of discipline in the main , and vote for wickedness , or against piety , or the publick censures of the church , or refuse to execute them ; and if after sufficient patience i cannot reform them , i shall take it to be my duty to take with me the better part of the church , and forsake the rest , as to local communion , and perhaps first to cast them out from us ( as to their relation ) though we are the lesser part : unless in some cases , where publick good requireth a delay , and suspendeth my duty for the time . . if a pastor be despised by the church , and refused , or if they desire his stay , and yet wilfully disobey him , and his labours are unprofitable among them , that are like to be profitable elsewhere , we doubt not but he may remove , as being rejected and forsaken first by them . . if a pastor and some choice members with him have a call to a far more eminent service of god , conducing much more to the publick good , we doubt not but they may remove , though the rest dissent . god is the master of his ministers and people more than men are . . if the necessities of a mans family ( ministers or people ) require him to remove his habitation , i doubt not but he may remove , though the church dissent : unless in some cases where by accident his removal may more dishonour god , or hinder publick good , than his estate or the preservation of his family can countervail : the church hath not power to tye men to ruine their families , nor to continue with them during life , nor during their pleasure : nor is it implied in the consent of membership , which is to be no more , but that [ i will hold communion with this church as a member , while i here cohabit , or i have no call from god to remove . ] it is so in civil corporations ▪ cohabitation is an antecedent part of our aptitude for church communion ; and many just causes may deprive us of that aptitude , and make the persons to be materia indisposita & incapax , and so destroy his relation of it self . . if persons that have a weak pastor , or a corrupt society , can to the great advantage of their souls remove , they may do it whether the church will consent or not , in case their removal do not accidentally do more hurt against the honour of god , and the publick good , than their profit can countervail : and still supposing , that the churches consent be first orderly sought . . the same i say of them that have pastors that will not exercise any competent discipline , though with sufficient patience importuned thereunto . in one word , in no case is a man bound to stay with any church to the certain prejudice or danger of his soul , or the souls of his family , unless in the foresaid case , ( if such a case there be ) when the publick good and the cause of god will receive more detriment by our removal than our benefit will countervail . . lastly , if we be unjustly cast out of any church , and persecuted by them , and have no just redress at home , no doubt but we may joyn with another church . as if a pastor that is for rebaptizing would take none but who will be rebaptized , or having taken some in , will cast them out : or if a pastor be set over us , of an uncharitable spirit , that will take in none for godly but those of his opinion , or some few of a higher form , and denieth communion to all the rest , in this case it is he that doth the wrong , and they are necessitated to join with another church , that will receive them ; and another church may justly receive them , if first they cannot prevail for their reception at home . all this we grant for a removal from a church without the guilt of schism or sinful separation . but on the other side we must needs desire , . that men will not rashly and self-conceitedly judge any of these cases to be where they are not : and therefore that they will take the advice of the next unanimous , peaceable , faithful pastors . and for this , saith mr. norton , p. . [ but when this or that congregation is to be taken for no church , let the judgment be in the hands of a council , or in an ordinate state of the churches . ] . we desire that whole churches may not be taken for no churches without proof , nor before they are heard speak for themselves : and that those that have possession of the publick maintenance and temples , ( i know no fitter name for them ) will not gather a part of the people into a new church , as if there were none before , till it be proved upon equal hearing : nor that they would not dissolve the old church , instead of reforming it , nor withdraw from them , instead of casting out the unfit in an orderly way of discipline ; unless where discipline and reformation cannot be had : if we propose the exercise of discipline to a parish , and the most will rather disown ( or refuse to own ) their relations as members , than live under discipline , and so separate themselves from us , ( or profess that they never took themselves for members ) then the blame will lye on them , and they are the separatists : but if they own their relations , and offer to live as christians under discipline , in holy communion , surely they must be cast out upon proved accusations , man by man , in christs way , matth. . or not at all . i confess by drawing out a few from the rest , we may scape a great deal of labour , trouble , and ill will of those that should be cast out : but the selfish , easie way is not like to be the way of god. . we desire that pastors that preach the faith , may not be the lowest in charity , nor uncharitably censure all those as ungodly and unfit for church communion , that want but distinct conceptions , and fit expressions , through the lowness or neglect of their education ; or that are not able , to be the mouth of a family in prayer , while they are willing to perform the duty , if they could , and to learn that they may perform it : and that the weak in faith may be received , and the little ones suffered to come to christ , even all that are willing to give up themselves to him , and of those that so come to him none may in any wise be rejected , or cast out till they turn from christ and the holy covenant : that the lambs may be carried in our arms , and the bruised reed may not be broken ; and that the tenderness of christ to the least of his members may be remembred , and the price of souls , and our own former weakness ; and also how much more grievous it should be to us , to keep or cast out one of our weak brethren that christ would have received , than to let in many intruding hypocrites , who shall be made serviceable to the church , and their masks shall be our just excuse , though not their own ▪ and specially remember that it is christ that is the lord of the family , and we are but servants , and therefore we must take all our directions from him , and shut out none but those that we are sure he would have shut out : and remember that in doubtful cases , we are allowed to incline to the more charitable side . force not men unjustly by refusing them , to seek acceptance in other churches . though i intended at first more brevity than will consist with long citati●ons , i shall recite a few words of judicious mr. noyes of new-england : temple measured , p. , . saith he , no wheat must be pulled up with the tares , the tares must rather be tolerated — that rule which requireth more than is necessary in the weakest believer , must needs exclude the called of god : and that rule which necessarily or absolutely requireth unnecessary experiences , savoriness of speech , suitableness of spirit to our tempers , persuasion of sound conversion , &c. such a rule i say requires much more than is necessary or competible to the weakest believer . to require a persuasion in our hearts of the conversion of all that are admitted , is too much ; unless we can meet with a rule , that will admit all saints , and also afford such a persuasion . it will contradict the rule of our admission , to make our apprehensions part of the rule . our fancies are a leaden rule ; and if we are severe , and have no certain rule to regulate us , we shall exclude the weak more often than we shall receive them . . the lowest degree of absolute probability that a person is converted should be satisfactory . the weakest christians are to be received , rom. . . and the weakest can hold forth no more than the least degree of an absolute probability ; the strongest can hold forth no more than the highest degree of probability . again , either the highest , or the lowest , or some middle degree of probability is requisite : the highest is not : and what rule is there for some middle degree ? if it be not in our power to require a years experience for more degrees of probability , why a months experience ? ] i have elsewhere proved that the true condition ( which mr. n. here calls the rule ) is nothing but [ a credible profession ] and that it being to be received upon a humane belief , that hath a fallible object , [ it is to be taken for a credible profession , which cannot be proved false or incredible . ] this is the scripture-way , and this is the ancient way of the churches : and if you will needs on either hand forsake these terms , i presume to prognosticate , you shall but wrong your brethren , and your souls , and the church and christ , and bewilder your selves , and make work for repentance . with confidence after long consideration and disputing the point i speak it . but i return to mr. noyes . page . [ the practise of the apostles , acts , &c. must confine our prudence : they were better directed and instructed than we are : and they expected no testimony , nor a days experience : they could not in so short a time make any inquisitions , or hear any perswasive relations . the youngest converts must be instantly imbraced : therefore some days of experience or testimonies are not necessary . some are ignorant and of an arid constitution and expression : therefore an explicit savour of language is not equally requisite in all — the apostolical rule was large : it suffered many corrupt members to creep in — none , as far as we read , were put by : yet converts were many , young , ignorant , rude ; and conversions were sudden and passionate — if ample relations of the work of grace be necessary , then either for satisfaction or for edification . not for satisfaction , as hath been proved : not for edification — for , . would it not be as profitable for all members to come about again at certain seasons ? . such relations do uncover the nakedness of brethren and fathers . . they slander such as are not gifted ; such as cannot express themselves in good language . . pride is set on the stage in the house of god. . hypocrites are provoked to paint and act themselves . . such relations are known to afflict the afflicted , who came to us , and with us in love , and we here hide our faces from them . . the eloquent , and such as have athletick constitutions carry away undeserved respect from countrey christians . materiam superabat opus . hence issue comparisons : nay we foster , ( instead of preventing ) suspicious partiality . . young men exalt themselves over the faith of their ancients . . some are sent to their graves frustrate of their hopes , we being in a way to admit no more in many years , than were admitted by the apostles in one day — . to grieve such as ought to be comforted , to defame such as deserve honour , to judge one another for infirmities , is unjust . rom. . the apostle thought it just to think well of all , phil. . , &c. — the apostles were diligent and faithful in directing and exhorting , and rebuking : and why are they then so silent in point of admission ? yea when the churches were corrupted , and pestered with corrupt members , such as made their bellies their gods , phil. . jude . cor. . and . surely admission hath never been deemed in the churches so momentous as with us : and yet we commit it to the dissident and multiformons fancies of members , without a rule — the apostles were never acquainted with those questions , [ how , when , where , and whereby , and by whom conversion was wrought ? ] the church is a tender mother , cant. . and speedily embraceth her infant by admission into her arms , and layeth it to her breasts of consolations . experience telleth us that a man will not easily make protestations before god , and subject himself to discipline , unless it be resolved with him . if it be resolved , he shall be saved — happy is he that is resolved to slee from the wrath to come , to the ark , to z●ar , to the cities of refuge : and open we the gate readily ( without many expostulations ) to rescue him from the avenger of blood : yea the way is to be made easie to encourage him to come . we must not have such a rule of admission , as may in an ordinary way disinherit saints of their right and priviledges in the kingdom of god. ] so far mr. noyes . . we crave , and expect our brethrens consent , that we may not have the gospel hindered through the land , by unnecessary sinful private antichurches : that every town or city where are men professing godliness , may not be as a pitcht field ; and holy exercises turned into contendings ; nor christian assemblies turned into schools of war , or scolding places . let us not be many masters , lest we receive the greater condemnation . the wisdom from above is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , easie to be intreated , &c. where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work . this wisdom descendeth not from above , but is earthly , sensual , devilish . ] iam. . let us agree then to do what lyeth in our power , that the churches may be reduced to the primitive patterns , that met all in one place , and there were of one heart and soul. where find you in all the scriptures , that there were two distinct churches , ( especially distinguished or divided by differences ) in one city ; and that when for the number they might have joyned in one ? where find you that the worst church had any good men that separated from it into a distinct church in that place ? is scripture our common rule ? i beseech you then be able well to resolve these questions , before you venture in your practice to contradict the word . if we drive you from our churches causelessly , the shame be on us ! but if you causelessly depart into antichurches , the blame shall lye on you . do not stagger and confound our poor people , by shewing them in each town , minister against minister , and church against church ; and entice not young novices into an opinionative religiousness , and draw not the nation from the power of godliness , and practice of charity , into doting about questions . . for order sake , let parishes be the ordinary bounds of churches ; not so as if all in the parish , are therefore of the church , but so as that ordinarily we take none out of others parishes . let us not do it without just cause , nor do it when it will tend more to publick hurt , than any persons good can compensate . if you could prove parishes no churches , yet they that preach to them for their conversion , caeteris paribus , are fittest to be their guides , when they are converted . tell us if you can , wherever you found one instance in scripture or the primitive times , of one soul that forsook the church that was congregated in the city of his habitation , and was a member of any other church , in a place where he dwelt not ; except the hereticks that iude saith did [ separate themselves , being sensual , having not the spirit ] whose manner it was to forsake the assemblies , heb. . . cohabitation is requisite to the ends of churches , even the exercise of communion , and the offices of members one towards another . how can we watch over men that live out of our reach ? how know we what their conversation is ? but especially when a parish hath a faithful minister , that undertaketh to prove the members that you receive to be part of his pastoral charge or church , it will no more warrant any man irregularly to receive them , because he affirms that it is no church , or they no members , than such an affirmation concerning your own churches or members will warrant others to receive your members . . and that justice may be exercised , and order observed , let no member remove till he have sought the consent of the church where he is , or heard them give their reasons against it : and let none be received from another church or parish , but either upon communicatory letters or certificates , or else after a just discussion of the cause with the church or teachers from whom they do withdraw . . and as it is agreeable to our several principles , and the great thing that is now desired , that we may all correspond in brotherly associations , and have synods at fit seasons for the communion of the churches that are link'd together ; let us there be responsible ( not as to our governours , but as to associated brethren , and churches ) , for our actions that are of publick offence , or of which we shall be there accused ; and in particular for this , of taking members out of other churches , that the cause may have an equal hearing . . or if any of you shall refuse to meet in constant synods , yet do this much at least : let your churches and ours be so far consociate as to own each other for true churches , ( though we take the liberty to disown any notable distemper that we may see each other guilty of ) , and let communicatory letters be necessary for any that be received from one church to another , unless in special cases : and deny not to appear at least on such an extraordinary occasion at a synod , to satisfie the churches when you are accused . . and let us agree on such rules for the peaceable management of our remaining differences , as are necessary to the security of the common truths , and the common cause of christianity and piety which we own , that we hinder not god's work , and harden not the ungodly , and weaken not each others hands , and prove not at last the unwise destroyers of the church , and betrayers of the gospel and our liberties to the enemies , by our obstinate divisions and contentions . if the worst be supposed of a resolved distance ( which we dare not be so uncharitable as to suppose ) we may yet expect an agreement to such terms as are here after offered to the anabaptists . if yet it be insisted on by any , that [ by holding communion with us in synods , and being there responsible for offences , you shall be proceeded against to a non-communion ] : i further answer , . will you choose a non-communion to escape it ? yea , to escape a possibility of it ? and shall it be by your own act and guilt , lest it should be by other mens ? . again , i tell you , they can declare their avoiding your communion whether you associate or not : and will have the more occasion , when you wilfully divide and refuse to be responsible , than when you live among them as brethren in charitable correspondencies and communion , and walk in order . and there will be far more probability that things will be carried on against you in their synods , in your absence , than in your presence , when you speak for your selves . . they will allow you in any of the ten fore-allowed cases to take members out of other parishes and churches , and also out of all those parishes that have no tolerable pastors , or where the people have any warrantable cause to depart ; yea , in case the person will but remove his habitation , they will not contend ( though he do it causelesly . ) ( and surely the publick order and peace of the churches , is of greater moment than the riches and worldly accommodations of a particular man : and therefore in most cases reason it self will tell us that it is fitter such incur some incommodity by removing their habitations , than that the church incurr dammage by their breaking order , and crossing all the scripture presidents , where men were ever members of the church that was in the places where they lived , or next to them , and there none but hereticks had antichurches , or separated assemblies ) . moreover , if you do disorderly receive any members out of other churches , the brethren associated may by evidence of reason satisfie and reduce you ; if they do not so , they will understand on what account you do it ; and so if it be but on some tolerable mistake or infirmity , they will be satisfied in the disowning your sin , without disowning your communion . but if it be on an intolerable ground , and such as signifieth you to be uncapable of their communion ( as if you ●hould cherish heresie or ungodliness , and cast out men for sound belief and piety ) , they can but in the extremity declare you uncapable of their communion , and warn your people to take heed of you ; and so they can do , whether you associate or not . so that i may conclude , . that difference in practice will necessitate a toleration of postors taking members in certain cases , out of other parishes . . but differences in any principles between the several parties will occasion none , if we could exactly practise our own principles . . that difference in practice will is evident : . because it is impossible that all men of the same parties should have the same degrees of prudence , moderation , charity , zeal , &c. which will make some to exclude abundance of persons that others of the same party will admit . . because if the pastor should be moderate , he cannot promise that his congregation will be so : and if they too rigorously refuse any members , he is not able alone to retain them . . and if abundance of tolerable christians be refused , there is no reason that for the rigour of others , they should wholly be deprived of the communion of the church , and the ordinances of god. i easily foresee , that whoever was first guilty of it , it is the more charitable churches that will be put most upon the receiving of members out of other parishes : for the uncharitable will take perhaps an hundred , and leave out and reject two hundred of their parishioners that should be accepted : and then the next adjoyning church cannot conscionably refuse their entertainment . but let us have these three points at least agreed on , . that the neighbour pastors and churches may be consulted with and heard , before such rejections be made , or at least afterward upon the complaint of the rejected . . that those that are refused in one parish , joyn with the publick church in the next , and that , without necessity , they do not either draw into private churches , nor yet joyn themselves to publick churches so distant , as are uncapable of holding such communion with them as church-ends require . . and that the neighbour pastors do not promiscuously receive all that are rejected by the publick pastor at home ; but only such as upon just tryal are found fit . q. but what shall the people of the parish do that are put upon such straits , as to joyn with another parish far off , because they have a minister at home that refuseth them ( as possibly an anabaptist that requireth them to be rebaptized , or an uncharitable rejecter of all except such as have voluble tongues , &c. ) answ. . he that is chosen to be the pastor , is chosen to the pastoral work , and therefore is trusted with the oversight and government of the church : which must not be taken out of the pastors hands , because of the miscarriages of some . . but this must be prevented in the choice . patrons must choose none but prudent pious men , that will not intolerably wrong the church : and the approvers must let no others in . but if patrons or people choose such men , and the approvers let them in , there 's no remedy , but shift for your selves , unless you can get them out again . . if therefore they be so grosly injurious , procure the magistrates to punish such for maleadministration : for to them it doth belong : ( though it should be a very gross and proved abuse that must warrant them to punish the pastors . ) let the cause be heard , and the commissioners have power to remove them , if after warning they are uncurable . . and if the magistrates will not do so , but keep them in , all that the neighbour churches can do , is to hear the case , and if it be gross and intolerable , to disclaim communion with them , and receive such christians as the uncharitable do reject . this is all that can be done . but the best way is to be careful in the choice . for it is an intolerable course that some are harping on , that pastors should not be trusted with church guidance and administrations ( that is , to do the work of pastors ) , any further than magistrates make them rules , because they may possibly be too imprudent , or injurious to the people . surely as long as the patrons or people choose , and the magistrate guards the door , and also may punish or reject maleadministrators as the cause requireth , there needs no more . . and that difference in principles between the parties as thus principled cannot be here a cause to break us , i shall further evince , when i have given you the concessions of the independent brethren : which i shall do in mr. norton's words englished : pag. , , &c. cap. . [ a believer may lawfully adjoyn himself into the communion of that church , in which he cannot enjoy all god's ordinances : or in which some corruption is tolerated in god's publick worship without due reformation ; or when such are admitted to the participation of sacraments , that give no evident signs or works of repentance and faith , but in many things hold forth the love of the world : and if he joyn himself to such a church , he is not therefore involved in guilt , and defiled with the impurities of others ; nor must he therefore depart , that is , separate from such a church . — schism is an unlawful separation from the communion of the church : it 's always a great sin. ] this he proveth pag. , &c. . in case of inculpable want of ordinances : . of culpable want by negligence ; . of culpable want by refusal of god's ordinances : saith he [ in the iewish church god's ordinances could not be enjoyed : for the priests and elders rejected , not only john , but the doctrine and baptism of john : and yet it was then lawful for men to joyn themselves to them , matth. . . the scribes rejected john's baptism , mark . . . and yet the scribes sitting in moses chair are to be heard , mat. . , . the hearing of whom , such as is meant in that place , importeth a conjunction to the iewish church . by comparing a church that tolerateth the rejection of an article of faith , with a church rejecting an ordinance of god. a temporary rejection of an article of faith tolerated in a church is a greater evil , than the rejection of some ordinance . in the church of corinth many denyed and derided the resurrection of the dead ; and this corruption is tolerated in the church , and yet in the reformation of that church , the apostle doth neither presently forbid union with the church , nor command separation from the church . in the churches of galatia the rejection of the doctrine of iustification by faith was tolerated at least : there being such as judged that beside faith , moral and ceremonial works were necessary to salvation : which other doctrine he calls another gospel , gal. . . but this was a greater evil than not to have granted the enjoyment of some ordinance : and yet they did not therefore cease to be churches . and therefore it was yet lawful to be a member in a galatian , much more in the corinthian church , and consequently they were not bound under the guilt of sin , to present separation , but might with a good conscience in their station yet expect a reformation : and why might not a man in the same hope with a safe conscience adjoyn himself either to the galatian churches , or that at corinth , even in that time of their defection ? especially if an opportunity of communion with other churches were shut up ? . we say , that a believer may lawfully adjoyn himself into the communion of that church in which some corruption in god's publick worship , is tolerated without due reformation . the children of israel going a whoring , judg. . . after the ephod set up by gideon , was a tolerated corruption of worship . the custom of sacrificing in the high places , from the days of solomon , till the times of hezekiah , was a tolerated corruption in publick worship . the same is to be iudged of the translation of the passover , to the following next sabbath , lest they should feast on two days together . which translation appeareth in the paschal observation by christ , different from the iews observation . the wrong ministry of the scribes and pharisees sitting in moses chair , was such a corruption : for the chair of moses , that is , the office of publick teaching moses law , and the books of the prophets in the church was by god's institution ordinarily proper to the priests and levites : yet christ commandeth to hear them , but not to separate from them . to this may be added the observation of circumcision and the ceremonial law after christ's resurrection , and with an opinion of necessity to salvation , gal. . . . & . . but all these were corruptions in god's publick worship tolerated without due reformation . and who in those times did judge either the churches union to be not-lawful , or non-separation to be unlawful ? to one bears witness the pious practice of so many proselites coming to the church , and of the church receiving them : to the other , the very state of the godly remaining in the church . by comparing the corruption in an article of faith , with corruption in publick worship , &c. ] here he repeateth the argument forecited , adding [ p. . it is the duty of every believer to adjoyn himself to some church : by adjoyning our selves to the church , we adjoyn not our selves to the impurities of the church . a believer joyning himself to a church not pure , specially when he cannot enjoy a purer , sinneth not . the sin of the church exempteth not a believer from duty , which may be performed without sin or grievous incommodity . as some corruption of the communicants must not drive away from the supper , a believer prepared worthily to eat . so neither must some corruption in the church drive away the faithful from union with that church . . believers may joyn themselves lawfully into the communion of that church , in which such are admitted to partake of the sacraments , that hold forth no evident signs or works of repentance and faith , but shew in many things the love of the world. . whatever others do , it is the duty of every member at age , to examine themselves , and so to eat of that bread , and drink of that cup. . the sin of one cannot deprive another brother ( that communicateth not in his sin ) of his benefit , much less absolve him from his duty . . if trying our selves and coming worthily as much as in us lyeth , we do in our places endeavour by lawful means that the old leaven may be purged out , and we may be a new lump ; the communion is not defiled by other mens coming unworthily , though our comfort be diminished . — the church of corinth was not pure in worship : women spake , that is , taught in the church . it was corrupt in doctrine , many denied the resurrection of the dead . most corrupt in manners ; when besides fornication , sects , and many other vices , some also shewed the love of the world , whence strifes before heathen iudges about corporal things . yet the apostle commands not the prepared to abstain from the supper ; but he correcteth the abuses about the supper , commanding every man to examine himself , and so to eat . ] so he proceeds to other proofs from the church at jerusalem [ where holy things were administred by priests that were stark naught , and very many arrant knaves were present ; and yet christ and his apostles go into the same temple for the publick exercises of religion : they use the same worship with the rest of the people ; neither the desperate ungodliness of the pharisees , nor the dissolute licentiousness of the rest of the peoples lives , could drive them from communion with the rest of the people in holy things : and why ? because the lord and the apostles well knew that the consciences of the godly are not defiled with the society of the wicked ; if with a pure conscience they communicate in the same holy things . ] next he proveth the th branch , that he that joyneth to such a church , doth not therefore sin , nor is defiled with other mens impurities , p. ▪ . then p. , . he pr●… the th branch [ that a believer that hath joyned himself to such a church , must not therefore depart , that i●s separate from such a church , and that under this danger of guilt ] but it is too long to recite all . it is not men of such principle● and practices as these that we account separatists ! what do presbyterians say more than this eminent independent brother , in a writing purposely written in latin by the perswasion of others in new england , to vindicate their churches against apollonius , and commended to us by mr. t. goodwin , mr. p. nye , and mr. s. simpson . yet lest any think him too loose , i will add his last leaf of rules [ how in a less pure church communion must be continued with a safe conscience ? answ. . we must still aim and endeavour according to : our places , that the church may be purifie●● according to christ's mind . not without seasonable and due warning the church of its defects . the defects are to be lamented with holy sighs and sorrows . in no way approving , but prudently and patiently tolerating defects in that church , which we c●n neither cure , nor depart from without a greater evil. — when singular evils , cannot be cured without a greater publick evil ; that must be born which cannot be amended . in the churches reformation this doctrine must be observed ( paraeus in matth. . ) that those that press for too much exactness ( or strictness ) do more hurt the church , than profit it . the spirit of our lord iesus christ is a spirit of truth , peace and communion ; so loving peace , that he commandeth communion with a true church though impure : and so loving truth , that he forbiddeth impurity in every church . we reject the separatists , that distinguish not between a church and the impurities of a church . schism is a grievous crime . we reject the formalists not sufficiently distinguishing a church from no church , not separating the pretious from the vile : what is this but confusion ? confusion and schism are the scylla and charybdis : peace and truth are the jachin and boaz of the christian cause : the obtaining of which must be endeavoured under him , and implored and expected from him , who is peace , way , and truth , alone able ; among so many and ( alas ) too hot contentions , and differing opinions of the learned and godly , to reach us the mete-wand , and direct his servants into concord , and into the perfect measure of the temple , altar and worshippers : preserving us men , brethren , searching after truth in love , both from the left hand of confusion , and the right hand of separation . ] so far mr. norton , and so ends his book . and thus i have shewed the nearness of both parties ; and easiness of reconciliation , as to their principles , and that there is nothing among them , owned by either party , that should hinder a loving consociation , correspondency and communion of the churches , for their mutual strengthening , and the healing of the mischiefs that divisions , emulations , and contentions have long caused among us . nothing remains then to be feared , but lest mens minds are further distant than their principles , and that charity doth not effectually dispose them to agree in communion as far as their professed principles will permit them . but , though experience make this undeniable , yet their piety and their professions do put us in hope , that there are such habitual principles of charity , as better encouragements and opportunities will undoubtedly revive , to our reconciliation . the congregational men profess their desire of reconciliation . read but mr. cotton's preface to mr. norton ; and mr. norton's epistle to apollonius : but especially the practice of such moderate men as mr. firmin , and divers that of late hence associated with the presbyterians , doth give us a more certain demonstration of their readiness for peace . and if many are otherwise minded , it should be no prejudice to the peaceable . and for the presbyterians readiness to the works of peace , besides the many motions that they have made , and the joyning of some in associations with their brethren , i shall now add but the affectionate profession , which they make of their desire of reconcilement both with the congregational , and moderate episcopal party , in the epistle to their ius divinum minist . . concerning them of the congregational way , they say [ that this disagreement shall not hinder us from any christian accord with them in affection . that we can willingly write upon our study doors , that motto which mr. jeremiah burroughes ( who a little before his death did ambitiously endeavour after union , amongst brethren , as some of us can testifie ) perswades all scholars unto . opinionum varietas , & opinantium unitas , non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and that we shall be willing to entertain any sincere motion ( as we have also formerly declared in cur printed vindication ) that shall further a happy accommodation between us . then speaking of the godly moderate episcopal men , they add [ though herein we differ from them , yet we are far from thinking that this difference should hinder a happy union between them and us . nay , we crave leave to profess to the world , that it will never ( as we humbly conceive ) be well with england till there be an union endeavoured , and effected between all those that are orthodox in doctrine , though differing among themselves in some circumstances about church government . and the lord hath strangely made way for this long desired union , by the bitter , woful and unutterable fruits of our divisions , which have almost destroyed , not only the ministry , but even the very heart and life of religion and godliness . ] read there the rest . you see then that we are all resolv'd for peace and concord ; and devoted to it , and intent upon it : and you see how small a matter will do it : yea , that it is done already , except the actual execution of our doctrinal agreements . what then is wanting , but that we be up and doing , and practice as we profess , and that magistrates , and especially the protector and parliament now assembled , that have so fair an opportunity , and from whom it is commonly expected , do call them to the work , and help to remove the hinderances , and further them by the countenance and assistance of their authority . the sum of our agreement reduced to practice . . we are agreed that adult church members , must be such as make [ a credible profession ] of faith and repentance , and so of holy resolved obedience : or such as personally own and accept the covenant of grace , and give up themselves to god the father , son , and holy ghost . let us therefore take up with this description in our future agreements ; and in the practice , the prudent , and charitable will not presume to censure any mans profession as incredible , coram ecclesiâ without proof . let us therefore unanimously set up confirmation , or ( if you dislike the name ) the tryal and approbation of the profession of all that are entered among the adult church members . and if any are too loose on one side , or too rigid on the other in the practical part ; the judging , and accepting or refusing of the tryed , let the matter be debated , at the synods of the consociate pastors , if there be any accusatio● put in . . we are agreed that consent is necessary to church-membership : and that it must be a signified consent : and that the most express consent is best to the well being of the church caeteris paribus ; but yet that a darker way of signifying may serve to the being of the church . let us therefore thank god that we live in days of liberty , wherein we may all use the most edifying way , and accordingly let us agree to call our people to an express consent . but if any deny this , let them not be thereupon disowned , but forborn , so be it they will perform the whole work of their ministry faithfully towards all that they take for their charge . . we are agreed that it 's lawful for a particular church to consist of no more than can meet in one place : and yet that it is not necessary to its being that actually they do all meet in a place . let us therefore resolve to confine our particular churches ordinarily to a parish : unless it be where parishes are so small , or fit persons so few , that it is fit to lay divers of them together , as to church ends . yet so that if any refuse this agreement , and will needs take four or five parishes for distinct worshipping churches , and yet but one governing church , ( in the officers ) we bear with them , and allow them the liberty of their way , so be it they will faithfully perform the work both of worship and discipline to them all . . we are agreed that it is lawful and meet that neighbour pastors be advisers and helpers in the ordinations of presbyters ; and yet that they are truly presbyters if they be ordained but by the presbyters of a particular church . ( and in cases of necessity , if unordained . ) let us therefore agree in practice that ordinations be ordinarily performed by the advice and assistance of the synod of the associated pastors , or some deputed members of it . ( the case of ordination by bishops i handle elsewhere , and not here . ) and if any refuse this , let them be forborn , so be it they be ordained by lawful presbyters , of their own church or any other with whom we be not bound to avoid communion . and if any congregation through error have no true officers ( in the judgment of the synod ) for want of true ordination , yet let us hold such communion with that congregation ( if other things correspond ) as is due to a neighbour community of christians , though not as is due to a political society . . we are agreed that the pastors are by commission from christ appointed to be the rulors of the churches , and the people commanded to obey them : and that it is they that are the authorized teachers of the flocks , and are to administer the sacraments , and ministerially to bind or loose : and yet that the people are to be governed as freemen , and are not to obey apparently unrighteous censures , and therefore are by an obediential judgment , to discern what is fit to be obeyed , and what not . let us therefore practise according to this agreement ; and let the pastors rule , and let the people obey ; but not obey against gods word : and therefore let the people have so far cognizance of the cause , and their conse be required , as is necessary to their free , discerning , safe obedience , and to the churches peace . and if any pastors will make more use of the peoples consent , and others less , let us forbear each other , till some ill consequents produce an accusation at the synod ; and then let the case be heard and judg'd . . we are agreed that a pastor of one church may exercise divers acts of the pastoral office in another if he be called to such exercise pro tempore . we need not therefore mention this in our further forms of concord ; but leave each man to his liberty . if any pastor think he may not exercise his pastoral office abroad , let him stay at home : but let them have liberty that are otherwise minded . . we are agreed that a particular church that hath a presbytery , may exercise all acts of worship and government within it self , that are appertaining only to it self . and that synods should be used for communion of churches , where things that concern the churches in common , or their communion with one another , should be heard and judged . let us therefore give way to particular churches to enjoy their liberty ; and let all the churches be link'd together , and the pastors associate , and meet in synods for such communion . yet so that if any one in weakness shall refuse to associate , or be an ordinary member of such synods , ( being caetera sanus ) we shall not therefore withdraw our brotherly love , nor that distant sort of communion of which he is capable : though we must disown his way , lest others be tempted to the like division . . we are agreed that no men should bury their talents , and that the gifts of our people that are suited to the profiting of others , should be used to as publick benefit as may be , so it be orderly , regularly , in their callings , in a due subordination to the ministry , and under their direction , for the helping and not the hindering of their work ( according to the forementioned limitations . ) there is no difference therefore among us here that is needful to be taken notice of in our form of concord , it being between particular persons , and not parties that the difference lyeth . and actual miscarriages are to be enquired after as other crimes in the several churches and associations . . we are agreed that all parishes that have in them a people professing christianity , and consent to live as particular churches in communion for gods worship , are true churches , as that word doth signifie a community of christians : and if they have true pastors , they are true churches , as the word [ church ] doth signifie a political society of christians , capable of the ordinary actual worshipping of god in the publick use of all church ordinances . but because it is not to be expected that we should all be acquainted with the qualifications , consent or practice of the people in all the parishes of the land , nor of the ministers call ; it is not therefore to be expected that we be made judges of the state of all parishes , nor that we put our judgment of all , or any of them by name , into our form of concord . but if practically any of us shall either slander any particular church to be no church , or shall use it as no church , the case must be heard and judged of in our churches and associations . . we are agreed that no member should forsake a church and be received into another , without sufficient reason to be given to the church that he forsaketh ; if they require it : and that much less should any part of a church make an unnecessary separation from the rest , and become a distinct church by themselves : and we are agreed that private antichurches , ( i mean , separated assemblies set up against the publick assemblies , and as rivals drawing persons to themselves and keeping up faction , and contention in the place ) should be carefully avoided by us all ; unless there were a certain necessity of such separations . we are agreed also that no publick pastors or churches should refuse the communion of any of their neighbours , that are [ credible professors of faith and repentance , and holiness of life ; ] much less should they cast off the greatest part of their parishes that are such ! and yet we are agreed that there are several cases in which persons may withdraw from churches ; or for those of one parish to join with a church in another parish ; though the bounds of our habitations are usually meet to be observed for the bounding of our churches ( not that all in the parish be therefore of the church , but that ordinarily none be of the church that is not in the parish . ) let us therefore put only the necessary generals into the form of our agreement , and leave the particular cases of any that shall be accused of any violalation thereof , to be heard at the synods of the associations : where if the accused will appear , they may have a brotherly hearing ; if not , the case may be judged according to the evidence that shall be given in ▪ and the associated brethren proceed accordingly , in admonishing the offenders , and holding or not holding communion with them , and declaring this . the yet briefer sum of our agreement is , . to avoid unnecessary separations and contentions . . to hold an ordinary course in synods , for the communion of churches , and strengthning each other for the work of god. for the attainment of these we must yield as far as lawfully we may in lesser things : but to deny us these , viz. union , and communion , and peace , is to-deny us our end , and all . yet note , that it is not our intention to impose upon all others , all points that these two parties are agreed in , nor to put all their agreements into our form of concord , as if we regarded agreement with no others . for instance , both parties are agreed of the divine institution of meer ruling elders : but so are not all others that are fit for their communion . and therefore let that point be left out , to the liberty of each church . so both parties are agreed that the moderators ( or presidents ) of the associated synods , should rather ( in point of convenience at least ) be temporary , than stated , and that they should have no negative voice in ordination . but others that are fit for our communion think otherwise : and therefore let this be left out of the form of concord to our brethrens liberty . if they will hold communion in the associations that have but temporary presidents , let them be received : and if those that own not stated presidents , or at least such as exercise a negative voice in ordination ; will yet hold communion in synods ( with a signification of their dissent in that point ) with them that are of a contrary mind , they are to be received ; and will be , by such as more regard the honour of god , and the churches peace , and the interest of christian charity , piety and common truths , than their own conceits , and carnal interests . i shall therefore next adjoin the necessary terms of an universal concord between all the faithful pastors and churches of christ in these nations , which yet need not be subscribed , but taken as presupposed ; there being in the following form of concord , for the general peace and communion of the churches , enough for subscription , or express consent . church concord about government and order . the second part. the just terms of agreement between all sober , serious christians ( by what names soever now distinguished : ) in point , . of catholick communion . . of particular church communion . . of the communion of neighbour churches ; . and of churches of several kingdoms . . and of their duty as good subjects to their prince . humbly offered to all the christian churches as the true and sufficient remedy of their divisions , if not rejected or neglected : and as a standing witness before god and man , against dividing zeal and church tyranny . by richard baxter , a servant of the god of love and peace . we that are strong , ought to bear the infirmities of the weak , and not to please our selves : let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification — that ye may with one mind , and one mouth glorifie god — wherefore receive ye one another as christ also received us to the glory of god , rom. . , , , . be of one mind , live in peace , and the god of love and peace shall be with you , cor. . . london , printed for tho. parkhurst at the bible and three crowns in cheapside near mercers chapel . . to the reader . countreymen , my saviour having made me believe , that every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation , mat. . . i shall the less regard the ministers of satan , who will say that such attempts to unite the true subjects of christ and the king , is a dangerous plot to strengthen rebels against the king , by their union . if such fiends should do their will upon me , as faith is but a means to the final perfective grace of love , so i shall as much rejoice , to be a sacrifice or martyr , for christian love , as for the christian faith : and if peacemakers shall be called the children of god ( by those that are his children at least , ) i am contented with that blessedness , ( mat. . . ) and envy not their kind of honour or prosperity . if this attempt shall speed no better , than many which i have formerly made have done , as to any publick reconciliation i shall not yet think it vain , while the private minds of many christians are formed into more peaceable apprehensions and dispositions . but if it should succeed for any publick or common healing , how great would be my ioy ? while the conciliatory writings and precious names , of usher ▪ hall , davenant , dury , bergius , burroughs , &c. are so sweet to me ; let envy gnash the te●th , and dividing malice do its worst , i hope in this delightful work to live and die . one thing i must warn the reader of , that i have omitted scripture proofs of my assertions , because they are self-evident or past controversie , and because that the proofs which are fetcht from two or three texts compared , will not be understood , by the usual sleighty readings of such , as expect the very syllables : of the assertions in the proofs . therefore for brevity i take it to be the better way , ●● this time to offer here a full sufficient proof of any one of these assertions , which shall be questioned , to such as shall soberly demand it . a servant of christ for his churches unity and peace , richard baxter . acton , nov. ● , . q. seeing you have oft affirmed publickly that the terms of concord among christians are easie to be known , if their unwillingness to practise them were not the hinderance , you are desired to answer these questions following . . what are the necessary terms of catholick communion of christians as members of the church universal ? . what are the necessary terms of the communion of christians personally , in a particular church ? . what are the terms on which neighbour churches may hold communion with one another ? . what are the terms of communion between the churches of several kingdoms ? . what is the magistrates power and duty about religion , and the churches and ministers of christ ? i. it is to be understood that the universal church is considered as spiritual or as visible : as spiritual , it is the universality of true spiritual or regenerate believers , as headed by jesus christ. as visible , it is the universality of the baptized , or professors of true faith , as headed by christ , ( the author and object of that faith. ) and accordingly christians are to be distinguished . and that the question is of the visible church and christians . . this being supposed i answer , that catholick visible communion consisteth , . fundamentally , in being all baptized or entered into the same covenant of grace , with god the father , the son , and the holy ghost , and so being joyned to the same head , and entered into the same universal body , and professing the same faith , and love , and obedience contained in that covenant , and not falling away from that profession , or any essential part thereof . . and consequently that we all acknowledge the extraordinary ministry of the prophets and apostles , and receive their testimony and doctrine recorded in the sacred scriptures : at least the foresaid essentials of the covenant ; and so much more as we understand , and are convinced to be canonical scriptures , or written by the inspiration of the holy ghost . . and also that we acknowledge a stated ordinary ministry in the church , appointed by christ to disciple and baptize the nations of the world , and then to teach them to observe all his commands . and that we profess our willingness to join in christian assemblies under the conduct of such ministers , for the worshipping of god , and furthering our own and others salvation ; if we have opportunity so to do : and that we do accordingly . ii. q. . we speak only of visible christians in this second question also ( of church communion . ) . [ a particular church ] signifieth either , . a community of christians agreed to live under pastora● guidance , before they have a pastor , or have practised that agreement . this is not the church here mean● . . or a political society of christian pastor and people professedly associated for personal communion , exercise of these relations as such in the publick worshipping of god , and for the furtherance of love and obedience in each other . the ends difference it from all civil societies of christians ; and from the associations of many churches for communion by delegates . the necessary terms of this church communion are these . . the pastor ( whether one or more ) must have all things essential to his office. . as to his qualifications , that is , . that he understand at least the essential points of christianity and church communion . . that he be able to teach them to others in some competent degree . . that he be willing to do it ; and this for gods honour , the churches good , and mens salvation . . as to his call , that he have a true notification of the will of god , that he should undertake this office ; which is ordinarily done . . by the ordination , ( that is , the approbation and investiture ) of bishops or pastors . . and ( in this case of his relation to a particular church ) by the peoples consent : all this in truth is needful before god , and in appearance and profession before the church . . the people must be baptized persons , sacramentally engaged into covenant with god , the father , son , and holy ghost ; and such as have not professedly deserted that covenant by apostasie ; nor are proved before a lawful judicature to be deserters of any essential part thereof . ( whether open professed covenanting may not serve without baptism in cases of necessity , where baptism cannot be had , is a case so extraordinary that we need not here meddle with it . ) . he that was baptized in infancy , and yet having opportunity at full age doth make no profession of christianity , nor own his baptismal covenant openly by word or deed , is to be numbered with deserters . . though the most plain and open profession is usually best , where it may be ●ad ; yet a profession less explicite may serve to the being of church-members ; such as is their actual joyning with those churches , who purposely assemble to make publick profession of the christian religion ( faith , love and obedience . ) . there must be also a signification of consent to their particular church-relation : either more express and plain , or at least by such actions which may be reasonably presumed to signifie it . ( as ordinary joining in church-worship with that particular church , and submitting to the necessary guidance of the pastors . ) . he that thus consenteth to his relation to the pastor and that church , is a member , though he consent not to the membership or presence of many particular members thereof : because they are but integral and not essential parts of the church . . but if a usual mixture ( in the assemblies ) of hereticks or strangers which are not members of that church , or any other confounding cause do give the pastors sufficient reason to call all or part of the people to an express signification of their consent to their relation , to put it out of doubt ; they that causelesly refuse such signification , do seem to deny their consent , and allow the pastor and church to judge of them accordingly . . the office of the bishops or pastors is subordinate to the teaching , and interceeding and ruling office of christ ; and their work is to teach the people the word of god ; to be their mouth and guide in publick worship , in prayer , and in thanksgiving and praise to god , and to administer his holy sacraments , and to exercise that power of the keys which christ hath committed to their trust , in the prudent and cautelous use of church-discipline : and all this according to the laws of christ , recorded in the holy scriptures . these therefore must be the works and ends , for which these churches must ( professedly ) assemble : especially on the lord's days , which are separated to these holy uses . . the general command ( in nature and scripture ) that all be done to edification , decently and in order , do require the church with prudence to determine of such undetermined circumstances , modes and orders , as fall under those generals : as what translation of the scriptures to use ; what metre of the psalms ; what tunes ; whether to divide the scriptures into chapters and verses ; what chapters to read ; what psalms to sing , and when and how many : what particular method to use in preaching ; and what words : what helps for memory ? whether written notes ? in length or briefly ? at what hour to begin : how long to preach and pray : in what words to pray . in what decent habit , and in what gesture to preach or sing god's praises , &c. what utensils to use , as pulpit , font , table , cloth , cups , &c. in what place , &c. in all which the pastors are the guides by office , and in many the agents : and it is no sinful will-worship or adding to the word of god , to determine in such cases : and they that will not stand to such determinations cannot be members of their flocks : as if any will not meet at that time , or place where the church doth meet , or will not use the same psalms , or translations , or hear the pastor in such a method , or with such notes , &c. he thereby refuseth the communion of that church ; which must have some determinate time and place , &c. but yet the pastors power being for edification , and not for destruction , he must take the peoples consent in all , so far as the churches good requireth it , to their edification and peace , and guide them as a father by love , and in humility as the servant of all , and not as lording it over the flock : and if his determination should be so perverse as to be destructive of the church or of the worship of god , the people must seek the due remedy ( of which more anon ) . . as the keys of the church are committed by christ to the pastors , for intromission , guidance and sentential excommunication , that is , for the government of the church ; so the people must not usurp any part of their office : they are not obliged to try the faith or holiness of such as are to be baptized , or such as are to be received into their publick communion ; but may rest in the pastors judgment , whose office it is to try them : supposing still that they have their due remedy , in case of corrupting or destructive male ▪ administration . and that their needful assistance in their places should be used . . if any member of the church do live in any heresie or other great sin , contrary to his covenant with god , those who are acquainted with it , must admonish him and seek to bring him to repentance , in the order appointed by christ ; and if he repent not , they must tell the church ; and if being duely admonished by the pastors , he yet repent not , the pastors as the church guides , must pronounce him unfit for the communion of the church , and require him to forbear it , and the people to avoid him ; which the people must obey . yet so , as that if the people have sufficient cause to doubt whether a censure be not contrary to the word of god , they may enquire into the cause ; and if they find it contrary indeed , they must not execute that sentence , by any of those private acts of alienation , which are in their own power : and they may seek due reparation of the publick breach . . if one pastor of a church where there are many do perniciously and notably corrupt the faith or the worship , or the discipline of the church , the other pastors must admonish him , and both they and the people disown him , if after a first and second admonition , he repent not . and the same must the people do by all the pastors , if all be guilty in the same kind ; and must trust their souls with more faithful pastors . but this must not be done mistakingly , headily or rashly , nor as an act of government over the pastors or the church ; but as an act of obedience to god , for the preservation of their souls , and of the interest of christ : nor must it be done without such consultation with , and assistance of the neighbour churches , or the magistrates , as their case shall make necessary or profitable to their right ends. nor by a violation of any lawful orders of the magistrates . . if a pastor preach some unsound doctrines , or faultily perform the publick worship , or neglect just discipline , and receive the unworthy to the communion of the church , or reject the worthy , the presence of the innocent members , ( who make not the fault their own by consent , or by neglecting their duties to reform it ) maketh none of this to be their sin , nor is to be taken for a sign of their consent : nor will the presence of the unworthy deprive the godly of the blessing or comfort of god's ordinance : nor are they bound to separate from that church , because of these corruptions , unless they are so great as to unchurch that church , or make their worship and communion such , as god himself rejecteth and will not accept : or unless by imposing sin upon them , or some other way , the church expel them ; or they have accidentally some other reason to remove . . the members of the same church must live so near to one another , as that they may be capable of the communion and duties of their relation . but whether parish-bounds shall be church-bounds , and whether there shall be one church only , or more in the same parish , is a thing which god hath not directly determined , but only by general rules to direct our prudence , as cases are by circumstances varied . where the magistrates laws thus bound the churches , and the conveniences of numbers , maintenance , place , and common expectation require it ; and where it is commonly taken for scandalous disobedience , or disorder or schism , to do otherwise , prudence forbiddeth us to violate these bounds and orders , without true necessity . not taking all for church-members who are parishioners , but taking none but parishioners into that church , nor setting up other churches in that parish . but when there are no such laws and reasons for it , and where there are plainly greater reasons or necessity to do otherwise ; we should not make such a law to our selves . . when true sound churches are first settled , all unneoessary and causeless separation from them , or setting up of new churches in the same towns or parishes , by way of disclaiming them , or in opposition to them , should be avoided by all christians . because , . we find not in scripture times , that any one city had many such churches , approved of god : ( the numbers of christians being but enow for one ) . . because it taketh up more ministers than the interest of the universal church can allow to so few . . because it proceedeth from a sinful want of love and unity ; and tendeth to the further decrease of both : long and sad experlence having shewed , that each of those churches think it to be their duty to stablish their several perswasions , and oppose the contrary ; whereby they are carried as for the interest of the truth , to make their adversaries be thought to be ignorant , erroneous , or bad , and so to make one another seem less amiable ; to the ruine of love and the division and danger of the churches . and because love and unity are so frequently and vehemently pressed in the scriptures : and divisions or schism so much forbidden . . all these are sinful schismatical separations , but in very different degrees . . when the interest of some heresie , or lesser errour , and the disclaiming of some truth , doth cause men to separate . . when they slander a true ministry as no true ministry , and so separate . . when they slander a true church as no true church . . when they separate because they accuse true worship to be idolatry , or lawful worship to be unlawful . . when they falsly accuse the churches faith , worship or order to be defective , and to want some necessary part ( as the papists do by the protestants , who take up with the scripture-religion alone . ) . when they accuse some tolerable failing in the church , to be intolerable , and such as maketh their communion unlawful . . when they separate from the church because of the holiness and strictness of its doctrine and just discipline , which crosseth them in their sin ; or because they hate the purity of its worship and obedience . . when they separate because that they have not a part in the government of the church themselves , in receiving members , or censuring them ; or because they may not be teachers of the church , or otherwise invade the pastoral office. . when pride or coveteousness maketh them separate , through personal distaste at the pastors or any members , for want of respect or honour , or gain , or upon supposed injuries . . when the minor part separate , because they have not their own will against the major part , in the choice of ministers , or in other church-affairs , in which they have just cause to acquiesce . . when they over-value their own conceits and doubtful opinions , and their own indifferent modes or words of circumstances of worship or order , so that they think it needful to separate to enjoy them . . when they expect that the pastors should excommunicate , or deny the communion of the church , to such as they account unfit , without any accusation and proof , or true church-justice ; and do separate from the communion where such are received ; as unlawful for themselves . . when they separate upon this false supposition , that their presence maketh them guilty as consenters , of all the ministers errours in the doctrine or method or words of his preaching , praying or other administrations . . when they separate because the church will not forbear the singing of david's psalms , the baptizing of infants , or some other such part or order of god's worship . . when they separate because they will not consent to the lawful circumstances of time , place , translation , metre , tunes , utensils , or methods which the church doth use . these all are unlawful separations . but the great aggravations are , when they separate to set up heretical doctrine , and teachers , or false church-orders and worship corrupted in the essentials ; or to promote ungodliness , or to rail at others from whom they separate , and to cherish divisions to the injury of the common christian cause . . these following are lawful causes of separation . . when the pastors are really no ministers of christ , but uncapable , or uncalled usurpers , or hereticks or infidels ; or open enemies to piety , who do more harm than good , and set themselves to destroy the church of god , and the ends of their ministry . when the church maketh not profession of the christian faith , or are not baptized or visible christians . . when the worship of the church is idolatry , or such for the substance as god will not accept , nor it is not lawful to joyn in . . when the church renounceth , or omitteth any ordinance of god , which the whole church must ordinarily perform , and which all things considered , it is not lawful to omit . . when ( after due admonition ) the church is turned into a theatre of contention , and a school of malignity and reviling the brethren , and of destroying christian love to others ; or of promoting schism to the intolerable wrong of the people , and of others , and of the cause and churches of christ. . when ( after due admonition and patience ) the church so far renounceth discipline , as openly to own and justifie such wickedness or heinous sins , as are inconsistent with the true profession of christianity and godliness . . and if the unsoundness , badness or weakness of the pastors , and the faultiness of the worship , order or discipline , be not so great as to make communion with the church sunply unlawful ; yet any free man whose edification is greatly hindered by it , and can elsewhere have far greater helps for his salvation , and joyn with a church which walketh more conformably to the christian rule , may lawfully remove himself to such a ministry and church ; when it is not to the greater hurt of others , than his own good . especially such whose ignorance , weakness and deadness , maketh a lively and convincing ministry more needful to their safety and welfare , than it is to others : for it is a sin , caeteris paribus , to prefer the worse before the better ; and a sin to neglect the best means for our souls which we can lawfully enjoy : and the soul is more precious than to be hazarded or left in sin and darkness for an unnecessary circumstance . nor is it any sinful separation , or disorder , for the members of one church to communicate occasionally with other churches of christ ; seeing our relation to the universal church is more strict and inviolable than to any particular church as such . also in case of removal of our habitations , or change of our family relations , or other the like reasons , it is lawful to remove from one church to another ( without any unjust censuring of that which we remove from : ) and if the first church will not consent ( after due means for their satisfaction ) we may remove without their consent . . he that is denied communion with the church , unless he will speak or subscribe some falshood , or take any false oath , or make any unlawful promise , or commit any other sin , is sinfully cast out or repulsed by the imposer , and is not guilty of schism or sinful separation , by denying to commit such imposed sin . and he that only removeth from the place of meeting , with the pastor and church when they remove , and doth not withdraw from the church it self ; or that adhereth to his lawful pastor and part of the church , when the rest of the church adhere to an usurper , is not to be judged guilty of schism ; for such avoiding of schism . . the principal care for the avoiding of schism , and for maintaining unity and love , is incumbent on the pastors of the church ; whose first work must be to preserve this love and unity in their particular churches , to prevent withdrawing into separating churches . to which end , their first care must be to give no just cause , by corrupting of doctrine , worship or discipline , to any to withdraw ; and not to impose any unnecessary thing as necessary to communion ; but to unite in things necessary , and to give liberty in things unnecessary ▪ ( a means approved in all ages by peacemakers : ) and to guide the church by the paternal government of reason and love , and not by tyranny to make themselves hateful : and to be much in preaching love and concord , that the people may know the sin and danger of factions and divisions ; and to avoid all factiousness and contentiousness themselves . and their next care must be to labour after a laudable ( if they cannot reach an eminent ) degree , of ability in teaching , and exemplariness in a holy and charitable life , that they may win the esteem and love of the flock , and may give them no occasion to think that the necessity of their souls , requireth them to seek for better helps . but if differing ( though tolerable ) opinions , do so possess any of the peoples minds , that no means can satisfie them , to continue in the same assemblies ; and their presence will be more hurtful than their absence ; or if the pastor or church be so over-rigid as not to tolerate their dissent ; the next thing to be done , is to permit them to worship in other assemblies , ( though their withdrawing may not be justifiable ; ) and to take care that love and peace be maintained with them , as with neighbour churches ; though perhaps weak and faulty ; which bringeth us up to the next question . q. . what are the terms on which neighbour churches , may hold communion with one another ? a. what these particular churches in the question are is shewed before . the communion in question consisteth , . in holding the same faith. . in the same worship of god , in the necessary parts . . in the same profession of obedience to god. . in a professed estimation of each other as brethren , and as true churches of christ. . and in a professed love to one another as such . . and in such communion and mutual assistance , as tend to the preservation of the church universal , and the benefit of each other . the terms therefore and means must be these following . . they must publickly profess the same christian religion , in all the essential parts ; which is no more , but [ that we continue our consent to our baptismal covenant , with god the father , son , and holy ghost , renouncing the devil , the world and the flesh : particularly professing to believe all the articles of the ancient creed , and to desire all that is contained in the lords prayer , and sincerely to endeavour to live towards god and men according to the ten commandments : believing also the sacred canonical scriptures to be true , and taking them for the intire rule of our divine belief , and worship , and obedience . ] and we renounce , so far as we can know them , all heresies , errors and practices contrary hereto . ] this is all the profession that is to be required of any person in order to the catholick communion of christians as such ; or of the members of a particular church , ( besides their consent to their particular church relation ; ) or of neighbour churches for their communion with each other . except when any scandal obligeth us to clear our selves ( whether it be suspected heresie or wickedness of life ) by a just purgation or repentance . and the requiring of larger unnecessary professions , hath been the grand engine of church divisions through many generations . . yet as there are christians of divers degrees of knowledge , and soundness in the same church , so there are churches also as different : and though we must own them all as christian churches , which are such indeed , yet must we not judge them equally sound or pure ; but must disown the gross corruptions of doctrine , worship or discipline which are proved to be in any of them ; and must specially honour those that are more faithful , pure and entire . . no one particular single church must claim or usurp a right of dominion or government over other churches , as given them by god ; seeing that all such true churches are as cities or corporations in one kingdom ; which are all governed by one king , but are none of them rightful rulers of the rest . nor must any men of their own heads set up such forms of government as of humane right , in conformity to the secular governments of the world , ( and this as spiritual in the exercise of the keys which christ committed to his ministers ) tho' one eminent minister may instruct and admonish many others , and have some care of many churches ) contrary to , or inconsistent with , the orders setled by christ or his apostles , who were commissioned by him for the setling of all universally necessarily church government , and infallibly guided therein by the holy ghost , much less may the unity and peace of the church be laid upon such invented policies , as it is by the papists , who make their forged . head , pope or council , a constitutive essential part of the catholick church , and seign all the christian world to be schismaticks , who will not be his subjects . . but love , and concord , and peace must be maintained among the equal parts of the catholick church . seeing it is the strength of the churches and their beauty , and the exercise and help of the life and holiness of all the parts : therefore such correspondencies must be maintained among them , as tend to a right understanding of each other , and to a just furtherance of these happy ends : and as in particular churches , the determinations of useful circumstances according to gods general rules , is no sinful addition to gods word or ordinances , so neither is it here to be so judged , if magistrates by laws or churches by consent , do determine of useful undetermined circumstances , for the ordering of these correspondencies , and preventing contentions , factions and divisions . . the ordinary means of these correspondencies , are messengers and synods , ( or councils ) and letters testimonial or certificates . if one church be offended with another , upon suspicion of heresie or scandalous practices , they may by messengers admonish them , and these may by messengers make their purgation or confession . as also if they desire advice or help from one another ; but if in common and weighty cases , there be need of more common and judicious consultations , or significations of consent and concord , synods are the means thereto . and if one member travel into other parts , or remove his dwelling , or be to be received by other churches ; especially in suspicious times and cases , communicatory letters and certificates are the means , that hereticks and deceivers abuse not the churches . . whether these synods shall be held at certain stated times , or variously as occasions vary ? and whether they shall have a president ? and whether he shall be mutable or fixed ? and of how many churches they shall be composed ? and how oft they shall meet , and how long they shall sit ; with such like , are circumstances left to humane prudence , under the general laws of christ. but the use of synods is so ordinary and great , that in sound and peaceable countreys , where heresie or church-tyranny doth not turn them against their proper ends ; and where state-iealousies cause not rulers to forbid them , the statedness and frequency of them will be of very great advantage to the churches : but in the contrary cases it may be quite contrary . . though no one of these bishops or pastors in councils ( nor many conjunct ) be by divine right the proper governour over the rest , and therefore as to one another their canons , are agreements for union , rather than the laws of superior governours , yet do they not by their assembling lose their governing power over their several flocks , but meet to exercise it with the greater consideration and force : and therefore their lawful determinations and agreements may be truely obligatory to their several flocks . . the largeness of these councils should be suited to the occasion and necessity : as the scandals , heresies , schisms or contentions do require . but to make proper universal councils to be the ordinary supreme governing law-givers to a body politick called the universal church is a device of those who would do christs work in their own mistaking way , and for the preserving of the churches unity , will desperately divide , corrupt and injure it . there is no necessity of it , christs universal laws being sufficient , with the civil government of princes , and the circumstantial determinations of the particular churches : and it is pernicious , if not impossible : the many thousand miles distance of the churches , the paucity of the pastors , and necessity of their presence in many churches ; the many years that must be spent in travel ; the opposition of heathen and infidel princes whose subjects they are , or through whose countreys they must travel ; the wars and jealousies of princes ; the probability of the death of the ablest pastors in such a voyage ; they being usually aged men and weak ; their diversity of tongues , and unintelligibleness to one another ; their long continuance in such councils ; their incapacity to meet and hear together in any one room ; the probability that the numerousness of the nearest bishops , and paucity of the remote , will make a faction go for the council ; the improbability that ever they will return to bring home the decrees ; the unsatisfiedness of the churches in their decrees , when a thousand , or an hundred pastors who chuse one single delegate , know not whether he will speak their sense or not ; with many such reasons , make it as pernicious as unnecessary . nor have the christian churches ever had such councils ( the meetings of the twelve apostles being nothing to this purpose : ) but as all men know that the roman emperors had no power to summon the pastors who were the subjects of other princes ; so the recorded suffrages of all the councils certifie us , that they were none such ; but the subjects only of the roman empire , ( or those that had been such ) with a very inconsiderable number of some adjacent bishops , and that but very seldom : so that those councils were universal only as to the empire of rome ( and that but very rarely , if ever ) but never as to the christian world. . if a plurality of hereticks , schismaticks , or ungodly bishops or pastors , should by the advantage of their councils oppress the churches or the truth , the sound and faithful pastors must hold on in the way of duty , and not forsake the truth or the flocks , in obedience to such councils . . if any church or pastor be accused or defamed to the neighbour churches , of any heresie , schism , scandal , or injury , either to any person of that church , or to any neighbour church or person , the general precepts of christian charity , concord , humility , submission , &c. do oblige such accused persons , to tender to their offended brethren ( especially if it be many churches ) due satisfaction , and to hear their reasons and admonitions , and to acknowledge their own faults , and amend if they have erred ; and in lawful things to yield to others , for peace and concord , and to avoid offence , where greater accidents make it not then unlawful so to do . . if any pastors or neighbour churches , remain impenitent , under such proved heresie , impiety or crimes , as are inconsistent with the true profession of godliness , the synods , or neighbour churches ( after due admonition and pationce ) should openly disown their sins , and if they be inconsistent with the essentials of christian communion , should also disclaim communion with them ; and should send to the innocent part to exhort them to save themselves by separation from the rest ; or to forsake such heretical and impenitent pastors : and should motion them to better pastors , and send some to instruct them in the mean time , if they be accepted . but none of this must be done , in case of tolerable infirmities or failings . . a truely ordained minister of christ , being called or accepted by a church for the present time , to teach them , and guide them in publick worship and sacramental communion , in the sickness , or absence of their stated pastors , or in a vacancy , ought to assist them , and is to be esteemed as a minister of christ in those administrations . and when a church is destitute of pastors , it is ( ordinarily ) the peoples duty , to desire the faithful neighbour pastors , to assist them for supply ; especially in the tryal of such parts of pastoral sufficiency , which they are unable to try themselves ; and to ordain ( by approbation and solemn investiture ) such a person to the ministry as they consent to , if he be not before ordained ; or if he be ; yet by prayer to desire god , to bless him in that special charge . q. . what are the terms of communion between the churches of several kingdoms ? a. this needs no more addition to the former answer but this . . that their communion in the main must be the same in faith and love and obedience to god , as if they were under the same civil government . . but they must not busie themselves needlesly with the distant and unknown cases and business of others ; nor . must they violate the lawful restraints of their civil governours , nor disturb the peace of kingdoms , upon pretences of the churches privileges or interest : . and if they are offended at the doctrine , worship or practice of other churches ; they should send to them for satisfaction , and those churches should send them the forementioned confession of the christian religion , and either purge themselves from the crimes of which they are accused , or confess them and forsake them . but when the pastors which in several countries , have drunk in differing opinions , shall expect that all others should speak as they do , in all controverted points of tolerable difference ; and by their odious imagined consequences , shall slander other churches or pastors , as holding that which they disclaim , or as denying that which in their publick confessions they profess as their very religion , and by their passions , unskilfulness and uncharitableness , shall make all differences ( though but in words , or very narrow ) seem more material , wide and dangerous than they are , and shall hereupon proclaim their brethren to be heretical or blasphemous , and use to revile them , and renounce communion with them , and would silence the pastors if it were in their power ; these under the name of the ministers of christ , do powerfully militate for the devil against the love and peace of christians ; and are the pernicious incendiaries in the churches of christ. q. . what is the magistrates power and duty about religion , and the churches and ministers of christ ? answ. i shall say more as to their power , than as to their duty , because i know not how it will be endured ; or how that counsel will be taken or followed , which is not desired . it more concerneth us to consider of our own duty to them . . all the forcing power about matters ecclesiastical , ( whether by corporal penalties or forced mulcts ) belongeth only to the magistrate : ( besides what parents and masters may do ) . and if any pastors use it , it must be as magistrates , receiving it from the soveraign . and the sword is so unseemly in a pastors hand , and so ill taken by the people , and so adverse to the persuasive loving government which he must exercise , and hath ever been of such unhappy effects to the world ; that it were to be wished that princes would keep their sword from the clergy to themselves , and commit it to such officers , as have not so much other work to do , and are not so likely to abuse it . . if any pastors will declare that princes are bound to punish men , meerly as excommunicated by them , without any tryal of the cause before themselves or officers ; and will excommunicate magistrates for not imprisoning , banishing or burning , or otherwise afflicting those whom the clergy have excommunicated , or judged to be so used ; much more if any will teach and declare that excommunicate kings are no kings , ( yea , though a foreigner that hath no power over them excommunicate them ) ; or that they may be kill'd as tyrants ; or that the pope or any other , have power to depose them , and dispose of their dominions ( see the council at lateran under innocent d. can. . and the council at rome under gregor . . ) if such be subjects , they are injurious to the civil power ; if they are foreigners , they are open declared enemies . . the office and power of kings and other magistrates is from god ; and their lawful commands are to be obeyed for conscience sake ; and not to avoid their punishments only . . their office is to promote obedience to god and to his laws , by making subordinate laws of their own , and to be a terrour to evil-doers , and a praise and encouragement to them that do well . . the clergy as well as others must be subject to kings and magistrates : nor is it tolerable doctrine which would exempt their persons or estates , except it be by the king's consent . . princes must not only promote natural obedience to the true god , but also the special faith and obedience of the gospel , by means which are suitable thereunto . . princes may make laws , forbidding the publication of all pernicious damning doctrines , and the practice of idolatry , and of all great and notable crimes against the law of god , and may correct the offenders by convenient penalties , with prudence and moderation . . if heretical , covetous , or lazy pastors , corrupt god's word and worship notoriously , or neglect their certain duty , to the betraying or endangering of the flocks , or are persons uncapable of the office ; the magistrate may drive them on to their duties , and ( moderately and prudently ) punish them for their negligence and unfaithfulness ; and may forbid the uncapable to exercise that office. . such circumstances of worship , and orders of assemblies ( before instanced ) as are fit for common determination and agreement in all the churches ; being such whose determination is not proper to the pastors office , may ( on moderate terms , and by religious advice ) be determined of by magistrates ; and all their lawful determinations must be obeyed . . there needeth not the device of popes or patriarchs , to call councils , or to keep peace among the pastors of the church : for the magistrate must do it , as a great part of the work of his office. every soveraign may call such pastors unto councils as are his subjects : and several princes by agreement may call their respective subjects together when there is cause ; and proper universal councils ( as is shewed ) are things which never were known , nor are not to be expected : and it must be a very extraordinary necessity , which must warrant the pastors of several kingdoms , to hold councils together , when they are forbidden by their kings : princes also may correct church-tyrants and usurpers , and destroyers of faith , or piety or peace : they ought to restrain such pastors as would raise seditions or rebellions , or persecutions of the innocent , or that pretend religion for the open and obstinate revilings of their brethren , and are proved to be unquiet firebrands to kindle dissentions , and destroy mens love to one another , or arbitrarily to oppress the flocks . . when any question , who must be iudge , in cases of heresie , infidelity or idolatry as divulged or practised , the true answer is obvious and easie . . in regard of publick ecclesiastical judgment , and the sentence of excommunication or absolution , the pastors of the church are the proper judges , by virtue of the power of the keys . . in regard of publick civil judgment in order to corporal forcible punishment or impunity ( as there is just cause ) the magistrate is the only publick judge . . in regard of that private judgment of discerning , by which every rational person must know his own duty , both to god and man , and discern when and how far to obey man , without disobeying god , every such rational person is a iudge ; that is , a discerner of what he ought to do . and christ always the final judge . . yet may not the magistrate invade the pastoral office it self ; nor ordain or d●grade minister● , ( in that spiritual sense as it is committed to church-guides ; ) nor administer the sacraments , nor exercise the proper power of the church keys , which christ committed to church officers , by such excommunications or absolutions as are proper to that power ; nor may they hinder the ●astors from the due performance of their office , in matter or manner : nor forbid the necessary preaching of the gospel , or publick worshipping of god , by all or any of his ministers : but are bound to promote it with studious diligence , as patrons of the church . . but if they should forbid us the necessary preaching of god's word , or necessary assembling for god's publick worship , ( as we must not account , those seasons and circumstances necessary which are unnecessary , so that which is necessary indeed , we must not desert , till we are disabled to perform it ; seeing it is greater sacrilege , if we alienate a person consecrated to god in so sacred an office , than if we should alienate conseorated goods or lands ; which are not so nearly related to a holy use . and seeing we took not up our calling upon meer tryal for a time ▪ and seeing it is more cruelty in us , to see thousands perish in ignorance and ungodliness , while we deny them our necessary help , than to shut up the bowels of our compassion to them , who are in corporal distress : and seeing christ's threefold charge to peter , doth teach us , also , as we love him to feed his lambs . and all that are truly called to the ministry , may say of their duty as paul of his apostolical works , [ necessity is laid upon me , yea , woe is unto me , if i preach not the gospel ] joh. . , , , . cor. . . but there is no absolute necessity of our liberties , maintenance , ease or lives . and those that are indeed the servants of god , and fear his judgment , and look for their reward and felicity from him , must ( with dan. ch . . and the apostles act. . , . & . . ) hear god and obey him before men : luk. . . and fear hell fire more than death , as christ commandeth ; and love mens salvation and christ's kingdom better than our lives : luk ▪ . . . ioh. . . yet must we take heed that we over-value not our own labours , and that we pretend not a necessity of them when there is none : and that we invade not the publick temples or maintenance , which are at the magistrates disposal : and that we be not too querulous under our own sufferings , to make the rulers odious to the people ; nor any way stir up sedition under pretence of saving souls ; nor carry on any carnal interest and work of our own , under the name of the work and interest of christ. and as to the places , seasons , numbers , and other circumstances of our ministerial duties , they must be fitted to the churches good , which is their end , and varied according to the variety of cases ; and we must not expect that all men and in all cases do observe the same which some must do . . but where we may not actively obey , we must either fly to another city , mat. . . or patiently suffer , and not resist , rom. . . . matth. . , , . we must not revile when we are reviled , nor curse ( no not in our hearts ) the rulers of our people , nor secretly or openly dishonour them ; because their honour is more necessary to the common good than our vindication is : . pet. . . act. . . eccl. . . much less may we raise any seditions or rebellions ▪ or revenge or defend our selves by wars against them , or against their truly authorized officers : the christian religion being so far from justifying any disloyalty , that it most strongly obligeth us to honour our superiours , upon the highest accoun●● ; and to give place to wrath and evil , rom. . . . . and to pray for kings and all in authority , that we may live a quiet and peaceable ▪ life , in all godliness and honesty . and though among christians as some tha● bear that name are vicious and sensual ; so some are t●rbulent and seditious ; and some that are better may be ens●ared by the differences of statesmen and lawyers ; and it hath ever been satan's grand design to raise jealousies against christianity and godliness in the rulers of the earth , and to make them believe , that the most serious and godly christians are the worst and most dangerous subjects ; yet the very nature and laws of christianity , do make it most evident that the best and the entirest christians , and the most godly and heavenly men , must needs be the most loyal faithful subjects ; and he that is truest to god , will ( so far as he understandeth ) be truest both to king and kingdom : and as our obedience to the fifth commandment is part of our religion , so the promoting of all due obedience unto our governours , and the preventing of all rebellions and disloyalty , must be part of the work of all true pastors , in their publick teaching and their private converse . . all christian magistrates must know that their subjects are , i. approveable . ii. tolerable . iii. intollerable : specially as teachers . i. the approveable they must encourage and maintain . ii. the tolerable they must tolerate . iii. the intollerable they must suppress . but if they mis-judge , god will judge them for it . . it is not credible that all the patrons in england are such men , as god hath entrusted to choose pastors for all mens souls , and as will choose such as all are bound to commit the pastoral conduct of their souls to : and that bishops will institute no others ; nor yet impose any thing , which a good christian may think sinful : nor yet that all christians are bound to venture their souls on the conduct of any that patrons choose , or on the practice of all that is imposed . therefore pastors of their own choosing should be licensed to tolerated churches . . subscribing the essentials of christianity . . living under laws of peace and loyalty . . paying their parish dues . . they whose labours do more good , than their mistakes and faults do hurt , should be corrected only by such moderate penalties as hinder them not from their ministerial work. . when all 's done , good rulers will do good , and promote truth ▪ piety and peace , and suppress the intolerable , and restrain the envious proud tyrannical clergy . and bad rulers will judge the best men to be the worst , and take them for intolerable , and serve satan by labouring to disable or destroy them . the god of love and peace , make rulers , teachers , and people to be men of love and peace ; or make us long for that world where all are such in full perfection , amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ☜ ☞ notes for div a -e see rutherford peaceable plea , p. . &c. no●es temple measured , p. , , , , . excellently disputeth this point . of the judgment of all sorts of protestant divines on this , see my dispu● . of right to sacraments . twisse vind. grat. l. . er. . § . p. . agnosco libenter : fid●les dici minimè merenter , apud illos , quotquot fucatam ipsorum professionem po●●runt dignoscere . gilespi● aar . rod , p. . i believe no consciencious minister , would adventure to baptize one who hath manifest and infallible signs of unregeneration . sure we cannot be answerable to god if we should minister baptism to a man whose works and words do manifestly declare him to be an unregenerated unconverted person . and if we may not initiate such a one , how shall we bring him to the lords table ? thes. s●lmur , vol. . p. ▪ th. . [ sacramenta non conseruntur nisi iis qui vel fidem habent , vel saltem ●am prae se ferunt , adeo ut nullis certis argumentis compertum esse possit eam esse ementitam . ] rutherford due right , p ▪ . [ such ( as are ignorant of the first rudiments and foundation of religion ) are materially not of the visible church , and have not a profession , and are to be taught ; and if they willfully remain in that darkness are to be cast out . notes for div a -e norton . resp. p. . ● . de veritate talis ecclesiae to nomine dubitare peccatum ducimus . q. . quale saedus sufficit ad formam ecclesiae ? r. faedus implicitum sufficit ad esse : faedus explicitam ad magis ordinatum esse desideratur . rutherford plea , pag. , . an explicite vocal covenant whereby we bind our selves — by entring in a new relation to such a pastor , and to such a flock , we deny not , as if the thing were unlawful — nor deny we that at the election of a pastor , the pastor and people tye themselves by reciprocation of oaths to each other ; the one to fulfil faithfully the ministry he hath received of the lord ; the other to submit to his ministry in the lord : — . any professor removing from one congregation to another , and so coming under a new relation to such a church , or such a ministry , is in a tacite and virtual covenant to discharge himself in all the duties of a member of that congregation . — notes for div a -e norton . illius eccl●siae constitutio quae uno in loco ordinario ad eultum ▪ dei celebrandum convenire requeat ( ob suam multitudinem ) est illegitim● , ● non tamen quoad ●jus essentiam sed quoad adjunctum numerositatis . rutherford due right , pag. , . [ . the ordinary power of jurisdiction because of nearest vicinity and contignity of members is given by jesus christ to one congregation in an isle . . because that church is a church properly so called . — a congregation is a church wanting nothing of the being and essence of a church . yet is it in compleat lond. minist . ius div. minist . part . p. . [ these angels were congregational , not diocesane . ib ▪ the asian angels were not diocesane bishops , but congregational presbyters seated each of them i● one church , not any of them in more than one. see mr. hooker's concession of many meetings in one church , in mr. cawdrey's review , p. . notes for div a -e norton . resp. p. . toti multitudini ecclesiae competit examen pastorum per mannuum impositionem , eorundem ordinatio in eccl●sia homogenea sed non in officium ecclesiasticum ; quia officium ecclesiasticum recipitur invocatione , non ordinatione , idque à christo immediatè , non à totâ multitudine . id. p. . vicinis insuper ordinariè consultis in ecclesia homogenea competit fraternitati auxilio & consilio presbyterorum vici●orum , & prudentum aliarum ecclesiarum , p. . populus in judicando dirigi potest ac ordinarie debet à judicio aliorum pastorum , electionem vel prae●unte vel concomitante . requiritur con●ilium aliorum presbyterorum & prudentum propter insufficientiam in ecclesia infirmiori : propter salatem in amplitudin● consiliarii in ecclesia instructiori : in omnibus propter communionem ecclesiarum . p. . propositio illa b●llarmini [ non sunt veri pastores , qui non sunt à veris p●storibus ordinati , ] vera est ordinariè ; se● extra ordin●m minimè necessaria . ju● . ib. p. . quam vis in ecclesia bene constituta non debet , aliis quàm presbyteris ordinandi munus mandari , in defectu t●●e● idoneorum presbyterorum , potest non-presbyteris mandari . ames . in ecclesia constituta actum ipsum ordinandi ad presbyteros pertinere ultro concedimus . p. . toti multitudini ecclesiae 〈◊〉 competit collatio potestatis claviu● in ministr●s , aut tota , illa potestas , qu● ministri● officium ecclesiasticum tribuit . notes for div a -e against the peoples power of the keys rutherford peaceable plea , and in his due right of presbyteries , and many more have written at large , and unanswerably taking the keys for [ government or pastoral administrations . ] rutherford's plea , p. . the power of the keys is given to the church of believers , as to the end , [ for the edifying of the body of christ , eph. . ] * * mr. norton p. . [ sin per ecclesiam representtaivam intelligitur ecclesia talis proprie dicta ▪ h. e. ecclesia virtualis , vic●-ecclesia , ecclesiam repraesentatam subjectivè repraesentans , atque ad●o vi delegationis habens potestatem ●arum negotia ex●quendi jure d●i ; hoc sensu simpliciter negamus ecclesiam repraesentativam . ] p. . their power of chusing is a power about the keys , but not of the keys : and it is common to all believers who are not to take pastors as the market goeth upon a blind hearsay , &c. it 's commonly granted them , that the people regularly should chuse their officers , where some unfitness of their own doth not forbid it ; but that necessarily they must consent to his relation , or else he cannot exercise his office on them . and it is granted them commonly [ according to cyprian's words , ] that the people also have a great hand in the rejection of unworthy pastors , and that in case they prove intolerable , and they have no more regular way to depose them , after sufficient patience and warning they must forsake them . but none of these are acts of church government no more than for a corporation to chuse the major , or for the servant while he is free to chuse his master , or a scholar his school-master , or a patient his physicion , or for the soldiers to forsake a traiterous commander that would deliver up their lives unto the enemy . it 's one thing to be a church governor , and another thing to chuse or refuse a church governor . dr. owen was at last against all governing power in the people , and for the pastors government only . * * see dr. taylor 's d disswasive very ▪ well on the text , dic ecclesiae . mr. t. goodwin , and mr. nye pref. to mr. cotton's keys , p. . it 's no contemptible case that mr. cawdrey puts review , p. . are not a company of women with the pastors a true church , having all things essential to it ? and have they the ordaining , admitting , governing power by vote or not ? if not , then is it not in a church of saints as such , but in the true governours by office , or in none . † † ibid p. . i must profess that scripture and reason speak so plainly that pastors are gods officers to rule . rulers must rule , and the ruled obey , that i admire that wise and good men can find a temptation to err in so plain a case . a church in a prince's or noblemans house , will consist of perhaps a lord and lady and their children , and a hundred or two hundred servants : now can any man think it agreeable to gods word , that the servants because they are the major vote , ( and the children a● age with them ) shall question , examine , and censure by excommunication their parents and rulers ? it 's a true and weighty speech of mr. cawdrey , ib. p. . [ these destructive courses of levelling church and state , proceed from the placing of all power originally in the people — ] it hath been made a controversie whether bishops or pastors may excommu●…te a prince : but if his own family 〈◊〉 just and meet ) should be a church , ●…ave him examined and excommu●…ed by his own servants out of that family-church methinks should seem a ●a●der case ▪ {inverted †} {inverted †} jid. ibid p. . co●ton keys ' , p. . the brethren of the church are the first subject of church liberty , and the elders thereof of church authority : and both together of all church power needful to be exercised within themselves . * * jid. ib. p. . norton pag. , . * * iudicium de coercendo poenis corporalibus , est magistratus : iudicium , de actionibus pastoralibus praestandis , an non , est pasto●um : iudicium de obediendo vel non obediendo est subditorum . d● propriis actionibus unusquisque praejudicat , officium discernendo . notes for div a -e see mr. norton at large proving that a minister of a particular church , may ( not only by virtue of his gifts ) and the common bond of christian charity , but also by virtue of his calling , exercise in another church the acts of his office , charitativè non authoritativè , p. . c. . of this see my disput. of ordination , and d of episcopacy . notes for div a -e * * nort. p. . si ecclesia representativa sumitur pro mutua consultatione , consotiatione & confoederatione ecclesiarum particularium in synodis per legatos , nova ecclesiae forma non addita , & libertate ecclesi● salvâ , rem agnoscimus . a resolution of some cases of conscience which respect church-communion viz. i. whether to communicate with some church, especially in such a divided state of the church, be a necessary duty incumbent on all christians, ii. whether constant communion be a necessary duty where occasional communion is lawful, iii. whether it be lawful to communicate with two churches, which are in a state of separation from each other. sherlock, william, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a resolution of some cases of conscience which respect church-communion viz. i. whether to communicate with some church, especially in such a divided state of the church, be a necessary duty incumbent on all christians, ii. whether constant communion be a necessary duty where occasional communion is lawful, iii. whether it be lawful to communicate with two churches, which are in a state of separation from each other. sherlock, william, ?- . 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and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a resolution of some cases of conscience which respect church-communion . viz. i. whether to communicate with some church , especially in such a divided state of the church , be a necessary duty , incumbent on all christians . ii. whether constant communion be a necessary duty , where occasional communion is lawful . iii. whether it be lawful to communicate with two churches , which are in a state of separation from each other . london , printed by henry hills , jun. for fincham gardiner at the white horse in ludgate-street . / . a resolution of some cases of conscience , which respect church-communion . in order to state such cases as particularly relate to church-communion with all possible clearness , it will be necessary to premise a brief explication of some words , which must be used in questions of this nature , but are not so commonly understood . as , . what is meant by a church , and a christian church . . what church communion is . . what is meant by fix't communion and by occasional communion . first , what is meant by a church . now the plainest description i can give of a church is this , that the church is a body or society of men separated from the rest of the world , and vnited to god , and to themselves by a divine covenant . i shall briefly explain this description to fit it to the meanest understanding . . then a church is a body or society of men , for i speak only of the church in this world , and therefore shall not enter into that dispute , in what sense angels belong to the church . and when i call the church a body or society of men , i oppose a body to single individuals , or particular men , and to a confused multitude , without any order or union among themselves . for tho the church consists of particular men , and when their numbers are encreased , of great multitudes , yet the church consists of such particular men , not considered in a private and separate capacity , but as united into a regular society , which is called a body , in allusion to the natural body , in which all the parts and members are united in an exact order , eph. . . cor. . , , &c. for god is not the author of confusion , but of peace , as in all the churches of the saints . and if the meanest societies cannot subsist without order , wherein their strength and beauty and usefulness consist , much less the church of god , which is a society instituted for the most spiritual and supernatural ends. and therefore we find , that god ordained a most exact order and government in the jewish church , which for the greater strength and unity he formed into a religious common-wealth : and our blessed saviour ordained the apostles , and committed the government of his church to them , and their successors , with a promise to be with them to the end of the world. and the christian church with respect to the firm and close union and orderly disposition of all its parts , is not only called a body , but a spiritual building , and holy temple , and the house of god. but then the church is a body , or one body , in opposition to many bodies , for christ has but one body , and one church , and he is the saviour of this body . the jewish church was but one , and therefore the christian church is but one , which is not a new distinct church , but is grafted into the jewish stock or root . believing jews , and christians being united into one church , built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , jesus christ himself being the chief corner stone : who unites jews and gentiles into one church , as the corner stone unites both sides of the house , and holds them together . upon the same account the church is called the building , the house , the temple of god , and we know the temple was but one , and was to be but one , by the express command and institution of god. and for the same reason christ tells us , that there should be but one fold under one shepherd . and indeed it is extreemly absurd and unreasonable to say , that the christian church , which is built upon the same foundation , which worships the same god and saviour , which professes the same faith , are heirs to the same promises , and enjoy all priviledges in common , should be divided into as distinct and separate bodies , tho of the same kind and nature , as peter , james , and john , are distinct persons , tho they partake of the same common nature . that is , it is very absurd to say , that where every thing is common , there is not one community . peter , and james , and john , tho they partake of the same common nature , yet each of them have a distinct essence and subsistence of their own ( as it must be in natural beings , otherwise there could be but one man in the world ) and this makes them distinct persons : but where the very nature and essence of a body or society consists in having all things common , there can be but one body ; and therefore if one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god and father of all , be common to the whole christian church , if there be no peculiar priviledges , which belong to some christians and not to all , to one part of the church , and not to another , then by the institution of christ , there is but one church , one body , one communion , one household and family : for where there is nothing to distinguish and separate , no enclosures or partitions of divine appointment , there can be , by divine institution , but one body . . i add , that the church is a body or society of men separated from the rest of the world , or called out of the world , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from whence ecclesia is derived , may signifie , and is so expounded by many divines , upon which account the christians are so often called , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the called and chosen or elect people of god , which signifies , that the church is distinguished from the rest of the world by a peculiar and appropriate faith , by peculiar laws , by peculiar rites of worship , and peculiar promises and priviledges , which are not common to the whole world , but only to those , who are received into the communion of the church . but there is no controversie about this matter , and therefore i need add no more about it . . the church is a body of men united to god and to themselves by a divine covenant : the church is united to god , for it is a religious society , instituted for the worship of god ; and they are united among themselves , and to each other , because it is but one body , which requires a union of all its parts ; as i have already shewed , and shall discourse more presently . but the chief thing to be observed here is this , that this union with god , and to each other , which constitutes a church , is made by a divine covenant . thus it was in the jewish church . god entered into covenant with abraham , and chose him and his posterity for his church and peculiar people , and gave him circumcision for a sign and seal of this covenant . and under the gospel god hath made a new covenant with mankind , in and by his son jesus christ , who is the mediator of a better covenant , founded upon better promises ; and this gospel covenant is the foundation of the christian church . for the christian church is nothing else , but such a society of men , as is in covenant with god through christ. i suppose all men will grant , that god only can make or constitute a church . for such persons , if there were any so absurd , are not worth disputing with , who dare affirm the church to be a human creature , or the invention of men. and i think it is as plain , that the only visible way god has of forming a church ( for i do not now speak of the invisible operations of the divine spirit ) is by granting a church-covenant , which is the divine charter , whereon the church is founded , and investing some persons with power and authority , to receive others into this covenant , according to the terms and conditions of the covenant , and by such covenant rites and forms of admission , as he is pleased to institute , which under the gospel is baptism , as under the law it was circumcision . to be taken into covenant with god , and to be received into the church , is the very same thing . for the church is a society of men , who are in covenant with god. that can be no church , which is not in covenant with god , he is no member of the church , who is not at least visibly admitted into gods covenant , and whoever is in covenant with god , is made a member of the church , by being admitted into covenant . now before i proceed , i shall briefly observe some few things , which are so plain and evident , if these principles be true , that i need only name them , and yet are of great use for the resolution of some following cases . as . that a covenant-state and church-state is the same thing . . that every profest christian , who is received into covenant , as such , is a church member . . that nothing else is necessary to make us members of the christan church but only baptism , which is the sacrament of our admission into the christian covenant . for if baptism , which gives us right to all the priviledges of the covenant , does not make us church members , then a church-state is no part of the covenant ; then a man may be in covenant with god through christ , and yet be no member of christ ; or he may be a member of christ and no member of his body , which is the church . . that no church-state can depend upon human contracts and covenants , for then a church would be a human creature , and a human constitution ; whereas a church can be founded only upon a divine covenant . it is true , no man , who is at age , can be admitted to baptism till he profess his faith in christ , and voluntarily undertake the baptismal vow ; but the independent church-covenant betwixt pastor and people , is of a very different nature from this , unless any man will say , that the voluntary contract and covenant , which the independents exact from their members , and wherein they place a church-state be part of the baptismal vow . if it be not , then they found the church upon a human covenant , for christ hath made but one covenant with mankind , which is contained in the vow of baptism . if it be , then no man is a christian , but an independent , and then they would do well to shew , how the baptismal vow , which is but one and the same for all mankind , determines one man to be a fixt member of dr. owens church , another of mr. griffiths , or any other independent pastors ; and if they could get over this difficulty , there is another still , why they exact this church-covenant of baptized christians , before they will admit them to their communion , if baptism makes them members of their church . this i think makes it plain , that the independent church-covenant is no part of the baptismal vow , and then it is no part of the christian covenant ; and if there be no true church-state , but what depends on such human contracts , then the church owes its being to the will of men , not to the covenant of god. . i observe farther , how absurd it is to gather churches out of churches , which already consist of baptized christians . christianity indeed separates us from the rest of the world , but surely it does not separate christians from each other . the apostles only undertook to convert jews and heathens to the christian faith , and to make them members of the christian church , which is a state of separation from the world ; but these men convert christians from common christianity , and the communion of the universal church , to independency . if the church be founded on a divine covenant , we know no church but what all christians are made members of by baptism , which is the universal church , the one body and spouse of christ. and to argue from the apostles gathering churches from among jews and heathens , to prove the gathering churches out of a christian and national church , must either conclude , that a church , and church-state is a very indifferent and arbitrary thing , and that men may be very good christians , and in a safe condition without it ; or that baptized christians , who are not members of a particular independent church , are no better than jews and heathens , that is , that baptism it self , though a divine sacrament and seal of the covenant , is of no value , till it be confirmed and ratified by a human independent covenant . . i observe , that if the christian church be founded on a divine covenant , on that new covenant , which god hath made with mankind in christ , then there is but one church of which all christians are members , as there is but one covenant into which we are all admitted by baptism . for the church and the covenant must be of an equal extent . there can be but one church founded upon one covenant , and all who have an interest in the same covenant , are members of the same church . and therefore , tho the distance of place , and the necessities and conveniences of worship and discipline , may , and has divided the church into several parts and members , and particular churches , yet the church cannot be divided into two or more distinct and separate churches , for that destroyes the unity of the church : and unless they could divide the covenant also , two churches , which are not members of each other , cannot partake in the same covenant , but the guilty divider forfeits his interest in the covenant without a new grant . a prince indeed may grant the same charter to several distinct cities and corporations , but then tho the matter of the charter be the same , their right to it depends upon distinct grants . but if he grant a charter for the erecting of such a corporation , and confine his charter to the members of that corporation , those who wilfully separate themselves from this corporation to which this charter was granted , forfeit their interest in the charter , and must not think to erect a new distinct corporation by the same charter . thus it is here , god hath made a covenant of grace with mankind in christ , and declares that by this one covenant , he unites all the disciples of christ into one body and christian church , who shall all pertake of the blessings of this covenant . by baptism we are all received into this covenant , and admitted members of this one church ; now while we continue in the unity of this body , it is evident , that we have a right to all the blessings of the covenant , which are promised to this body , and to every member of it . but if we divide our selves from this body , and set up distinct and separate societies , which we call churches , but which are not members , nor live in communion with the one catholick church , we cannot carry our right and title to the covenant out of the church with us . the gospel-covenant is the common charter of the christian-church , and if we are not contented to enjoy these blessings in common with other christians we must be contented to go without them . for it is not a particular covenant , which god makes with particular separate churches , but a general covenant made with the whole body of christians , as united in one communion , and therefore that , which no particular church has any interest in , but as it is a member of the universal church . god hath not made any covenant in particular with the church of geneva , of france or england , but with the one body and church of christ , all the world over ; and therefore the only thing , that can give us in particular a right to the blessings of the covenant , is , that we observe the conditions of this covenant , and live in unity and communion with all true christian churches in the world , which makes us members of the catholick church , to whom the promises are made . secondly , the next thing to be explained is , what is meant by church-communion . now church-communion signifies no more then church-fellowship and society , and to be in communion with the church is to be a member of the church ; and this is called communion , because all church members have a common right to church priviledges , and a common obligation to all those duties and offices , which a church relation exacts from them . i know this word communion is commonly used to signifie a personal and presential communion in religious offices : as when men pray , and hear , and receive the sacrament of the lords supper together , they are said to be in communion with one another and to live in communion with that church , with which they joyn in all acts of worship . now we must acknowledge , that publick acts of worship performed in the communion of the church , are an exercise of christian communion , but church-communion is something antecedent to all the acts and offices of communion . for no man has a right to any act of christian communion , but he , who is in a state of communion with the christian church . what natural union is in natural bodies , that communion is in bodies politick , whether civil or religious societies ; a member must be vitally united to the body , before it can perform any natural action or office of a member ; before the eye can see , or the feet can walk , or the ears can hear ; and the union of the eye , or foot , to the body , does not consist in seeing or walking , but seeing and walking are the effects of this union . thus in a body politick , when men by any common charter are united into one society , they become one common body , or one communion ; and this gives them right to all the priviledges of that body , and obliges them to all the duties and offices , which their charter requires of them ; but should any man , who is not regularly admitted into this society , pretend to the same priviledges , or do such things , as are required of those , who are members of this body , this would be so far from being thought an act of communion with them , that it would be censured as an unjust usurpation . should a man , who is no citizen of london , open his shop , and drive a trade as other citizens do , or give his vote at a common-hall , and in all other cases act like a citizen , this would not make him a citizen , but an intruder . he is a foreigner still , and his presuming to act like a citizen , when he is none , is no act of communion with that body , of which he is no member , but justly exposes him to censure and punishment . thus it is in the christian church , which is one body and society united by a divine covenant . our communion with the church consists in being members of the church , which we are made by baptism : the exercise of this communion consists in all those offices and duties , which all the members of the church are obliged to , and which none have any right to perform , but they ; such as praying and receiving the lords supper together , &c. now should any man who is no member of the church , nor owns himself to be so , intrude into the church , and communicate in all holy offices , this can be no more called an act of communion , then it can be said to make him a member of the church , of which he is no member , and resolved not to be : prayers , and receiving the sacraments , &c. are acts of communion , when performed by church-members in the communion of the church ; but they are no acts of communion , when performed by those , who are no church-members , tho to serve a turn , they thrust themselves into the society of the church . as for instance , suppose a member of a presbyterian , or independent conventicle , should , for reasons best known to himself , at some critical time , come to his parish church , and there hear the common-prayer , and sermon , and receive the lords supper , according to the order of the church of england , does this make this man a member of the church of england , with which he never communicated before , and it is likely , will never do again ? if it does not , all this is no act of communion , which can be only between the members of the same body . so that to be in church-communion , does not signifie , meerly to perform some such acts , which are acts of communion in the members of the church , but since the decay of church discipline , may sometimes be performed by those , who are not members , which is such an abuse , as would not have been allowed in the primitive church , who denyed their communion to schismaticks , as well as to the excommunicate upon other accounts : but to be in church-communion signifies to be a member of the church , to be embodyed and incorporated with it , and i suppose ▪ what that means , every one knows , who understands what it is to be a member of any society , of a city , or any inferior corporation ; which consists of priviledge and duty , and requires all those , who will enjoy the benefits of such a society , to discharge their respective trusts and obligations . to be in communion with , or to be a member of the church , includes a right and title to all those blessings , which god hath promised to his church , and an obligation to all the duties and offices of church society ; as subjection to the authority , instructions , censures of the church ; a communion in prayers , and sacraments , and other religious offices , and he who despises the authority , or destroys the unity of the church , renounces his membership and communion with it . these things are extemely plain , and though men may cavil for disputes sake , yet must needs convince them , that no man is in communion with a church , which he is not a member of , tho through the defect of discipline , he should sometimes be admitted to some act of communion with it , and i shall observe some few things from hence of great use . . that church-communion primarily and principally respects the universal church , not any particular church or society of christians . for to be in church-communion signifies to be a member of the church , or body of christ , which is but one all the world over . church-communion does not consist in particular acts of communion , which can be performed only among those , who are present , and neighbours to each other , but in membership : now a member is a member of the whole body ( not meerly of any part of it , ) how large soever the body be . all the subjects of england , those , who live at st. davids , and those at yarmouth , who never saw , nor converst with each other , are all members of the same kingdom , and by the same reason , this membership may extend to the remotest part of the world , if the body , whereof we are members , reach so far . and therefore we may observe , that baptism , which is the sacrament of our admission into the covenant of god , and the communion of the church , does not make us members of any particular church , as such , but of the universal church ; and i observed before , that a church-state , which is the same thing , with church-communion , is founded only on a divine covenant ; and therefore since there is no other divine covenant to make us members of particular churches , as distinguisht from the universal church , such particular church-membership is at best but a human invention , and indeed nothing else but a schism from the universal church : which alone , if well considered , is a sufficient confutation of independency which is a particular church-state , as distinguisht from all other churches and societies of christians . . i observe further , that tho the exercise of church communion , as to most of the particular duties and offices of it , must be confined to a particular church and congregation ( for we cannot actually joyn in the communion of prayers and sacraments , &c. but with some particular church ) yet every act of christian communion , though performed in some particular church , is and must be an act of communion with the whole catholick church , praying , and hearing , and receiving the lords supper together , does not make us more in communion with the church of england , then with any other true and orthodox part of the church , tho in the remotest parts of the world. the exercise of true christian communion in a particular church , is nothing else but the exercise of catholick communion in a particular church , which the necessity of affairs requires , since all the christians in the world cannot meet together for acts of worship ; but there is nothing in all these acts of communion , which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular church , than to the whole christian church . when we pray together to god ▪ we pray to him as the common father of all christians , and do not challenge any peculiar interest in him , as members of such a particular church , but as members of the whole body of christ : when we pray in the name of christ , we consider him as the great high priest , and saviour of the body , who powerfully interceeds for the whole church , and for us as members of the universal church . and we offer up our prayers and thanksgivings , not only for our selves and those , who are present , but for all christians all the world over , as our fellow-members ; and praying for one another is the truest notion of communion of prayers ; for praying with one another , is only in order to praying for one another . and thus our prayers are an exercise of christian communion , when we pray to the same common father , through the merits and mediation of the same common saviour and redeemer , for the same common blessings , for our selves , and the whole christian church . thus when we meet together to celebrate the supper of our lord , we do not meet as at a private supper , but as at the common feast of christians ; and therefore it is not an act of particular church fellowship , but of catholick communion . the supper of our lord does not signifie any other kind of union and confederation between those neighbour christians , who receive together in the same church , than with the whole body of christ. the sacramental bread signifies and represents all those , for whom christ died , that one mystical body , for which he offered his natural body , which is the universal church ; and our eating of this bread signifies our union to this body of christ , and therefore is considered , as an act of true catholick , not of a particular church-communion . and the sacramental cup is the blood of the new testament , and therefore represents our communion in all the blessings of the covenant , and with all those , who are thus in covenant with god. so that there is nothing particular in this feast , to make it a private feast , or an act of communion with a particular church , considered as particular , but it is the common feast of christians , and an act of catholick communion . which by the way plainly shews , how groundless that scruple is against mixt communions , that men think themselves defiled by receiving the lords supper with men , who are vicious . for tho it is a great defect in discipline , and a great reproach to the christian profession , when wicked men are not censured , and removed from christian communion , yet they may as well pretend , that their communion is defiled by bad men , who communicate in any other part of the church , or any other congregation , as in that , in which they live and communicate : for this holy feast signifies no other communion between them , who receive at the same time , and in the same company , then it does with all sincere parts of the christian church . it is not a communion with any persons considered as present , but it is a communion with the body of christ and all true members of it , whether present or absent . those who separate from a national church for the sake of corrupt professors , though they could form a society as pure and holy , as they seem to desire , yet are schismaticks in it , because they confine their communion to their own select company , and exclude the whole body of christians all the world over , out of it ; their communion is no larger than their gathered church , for if it be , then they must still communicate with those churches , which have corrupt members , as all visible churches on earth have , ( unless we will except independents , because they have the confidence to except themselves ) and then their separation does not answer its end , which is to avoid such corrupt communions ; and yet if they do confine their communion to their own gathered churches , they are schismaticks in dividing themselves from the body of christians ; and all their prayers and sacraments are not acts of christian communion , but a schismatical combination . this does not prove indeed , that particular churches are not bound to reform themselves , and to preserve their own communion pure from corrupt members , unless all the churches in the world , will do so too ; because every particular church , whether diocesan , or national , has power to reform its own members , and is accountable to god for such neglects of discipline : but it does prove , that no church without the guilt of schism , can renounce communion with other christian churches , or set up a distinct and separate communion of its own , for the sake of such corrupt members ; which was the pretence of the novatian and danatist schism of old , and is so of the independent schism , at this day . . i observe further , that our obligation to maintain communion with a particular church , wholly results from our obligation to catholick communion . the only reason , why i am bound to live in communion with any particular church , is because i am a member of the whole christian church , which is the body of christ , and therefore must live in communion with the christian church ; and yet it is impossible to live in communion with the whole christian church , without actual communion with some part of it ; when i am in such a place , where there is a visible christian church ; as no member can be united to the natural body , without its being united to some part of the body ; for the union and communion of the whole body , consists in the union of all its parts to each other . every act of christian communion , though performed in a particular church , or congregation , is not properly an act of particular church-communion , but is the exercise of communion with the whole church and body of christ , as i have already proved ; but it can be no act of communion at all , if it be not performed in the communion of the church , which it cannot be , unless it be performed in the communion of some particular church . and this is the only obligation , i know of , to communion with any particular church , that as i am a christian , i am a member of the body and church of christ , and in a state of communion , and therefore am bound to maintain actual communion with the christian church , where-ever i find it , and by communicating with the church , wherein i live , if it be a found and orthodox member of the christian church , i maintain communion with the whole catholick church , which is but one body . so that here is no choice , what church we will communicate with , for there is but one church all the world over , with which we must communicate ; and therefore we have nothing else to do , but to judge , whether that part of the church , wherein we live , be so sound and orthodox , that we may communicate with it according to the principles of catholick communion ; and if it be , we are bound to communicate with it , under peril of schism from the catholick church , if we do not . . from hence we may plainly learn the true notion of a separate communion , and separate church . for some men seem to be greatly sensible of the sin and mischief of schism and separation , but then they use great art , so to confound the notion of separation , as that neither they themselves , nor any one else , shall ever be able to understand what it is , whereas if they will allow , that there is , or ever can be , any such thing as separation from the church , it is as easie to understand , what separation is , as what it is for a member to be divided from the body . for if there be but one church , and one communion , of which all true christians , and christian churches , are , or ought to be members , then those churches , which are not members of each other , are separate churches . it is not enough indeed to prove a separation , that two congregations meet in several places for worship , for this is done by all the parish-churches of england , who are in the same communion , but yet hold distinct and separate assemblies , as to local separation . nor is it sufficient to prove , that there is no separation , because these differing churches agree in all the articles of faith , and essentials of worship ; for thus the novatians and donatists did , who yet were schismaticks from the catholick church . but where there are two churches , which are not members of each other , there is a schism , tho they agree in every thing else , but in one communion ; and where churches own each others communion , as members of the same body , there is no schism , though they are as distant from each other in place , as east and west . and it is as easie to understand , what it is for two churches to be members of each other ; but to make this as plain , as i can , and as far , as it is possible , to prevent all evasions , and subterfuges , i shall lay down some few rules according to the principles of catholick communion , whereby we may certainly know , what churches are in communion with each other , and which are separate and schismatical conventicles . . there must be but one church , in one place , according to that ancient rule of the catholick church , that there must be but one bishop in a city ; and this was observed in the apostolical times , that in the greatest and most populous cities , and where there were the greatest number of converts , yet there was but one church , such as jerusalem , antioch , ephesus , &c. this is acknowledged by the independents themselves , who endeavour hence to prove , that there were no more christians in any of those cities , than could meet together in one place for acts of worship , which is a mighty groundless surmise , and not much for the credit of the christian church , as has been often shewn by learned men , both episcopal and presbyterian divines . and there is an evident reason , why this should be so , because there is no other rule of catholick communion for private christians , but to communicate in all religious offices , and all acts of government and discipline , with those christians , with whom they live ; for to renounce the ordinary communion of any christians , or true christian church , is to divide the unity and communion of the church , and to withdraw our selves from ordinary communion with the church , in which we live , into distinct and separate societies for worship , is to renounce their communion ; and when there is not a necessary cause for it , is a schismatical separation . so that distinct and particular churches , which are in communion with each other , must have their distinct bounds and limits , as every member has its natural and proper place and situation in the body . but when there is one church within the bowels of another , a new church gathered out of a church already constituted ; and formed into a distinct and separate society , this divides christian communion , and is a notorious schism . these churches cannot be members of each other , because they ought to be but one church , and therefore to form and gather a new church , is to divide and separate the members of the same church from each other . this is the plain case of the presbyterian and independent churches , and those other conventicles of sectaries , which are among us ; they are churches in a church , churches formed out of the national church , by which means ohristians , who live together , refuse to worship god in the same assemblies , and have bitter envyings and contentions , for the honour and purity of their several churches . if all christians are members of the one body of christ , nothing can justifie the distinction of christians into several churches , but only such a distance of place , as makes it necessary and expedient to put them under the conduct and government of several bishops , for the greater edification of the church , in the more easie and regular administration of discipline , and all holy offices ; and therefore nothing can justifie the gathering of a church out of a christian church , and dividing neighbour christians into distinct communions . churches at a distance may be distinct churches under their distinct bishops , but yet in the same communion ; but distinct churches in the same place can never be of the same communion , for then they would naturally unite and cement into one . there must either be antibishops , or schismatical presbyters , set up in opposition to their bishops , under different and opposite rules of worship and discipline , which makes them rival and opposite churches , not members of each other . from hence i think , it plainly appears , that all separation from a church , wherein we live , unless there be necessary reasons for it , is schism ; and we cannot justifie such distinct churches within one another , from the examples of other distinct churches , whose bounds , and limits , and jurisdiction also , are distinct and separate . . it is plain , those are separate churches , which divide from the communion of any church , from any dislike of its doctrine , government , or worship , for in this case , it is plain , they leave the church , and form themselves into a new church , out of the communion of the church , from whence they went , because they did not think it safe to continue one body with it . this has often made me wonder , what those men mean , who take all occasions to quarrel at our constitution , and assign a great many reasons , why they cannot communicate with us , and yet at the same time will not own , that they have made any separation from us . what middle state now shall we find for these men , who will neither continue in the church , nor allow themselves to be out of it ? it is possible for two particular churches to be in communion with each other , and yet not actually to communicate together , because distance of place will not permit it ; but for two churches to renounce each others communion , or at least to withdraw ordinary communion from each other , from a professed dislike , and yet still to continue in a state of communion with one another , is a down right contradiction . to be in communion is to be members of the same body and society , and he that can prove , and he that can believe , two opposite societies , founded upon contrary principles , and acting by contrary rules , and pursuing contrary ends , to the ruin and subversion of each other , to be the same body , and the same society , are very wonderful men to me . . those are separate churches , who do not own each others members , as their own . actual communion during our residence in any certain place , must be confined to that particular church , in which we live , if it be a sound part of the christian church ; but church-membership is not confined to any particular church . i am no otherwise a member of any particular church , then i am of the universal church , which gives me a right of membership and communion in all the particular churches of the world. now i would ask whether every baptized christian , who by baptism is made a member of the catholick church , and has not forfeited this right by a scandalous life , be ipso facto a member of an independent church ; if he be not , ( as it is plain , by the constitution of independency , he is not , for independent church-membership is not founded on baptism , but on a particular church-covenant ; ) then independency is a separate communion from the catholick church ; for the members of the catholick church are not by being so , made the members of an independent church , and therefore an independent church is a distinct and separate body from the catholick-church . nay i would know whether a member of one independent church by being so , becomes a member of another independent church ; if he does not , as it is plain , he do'nt , ( for every independent church is founded upon a particular church-covenant between such a particular pastor and particular members ) then every independent church is a distinct and separate body from all other independent churches , and so they are all schismaticks to each other , as not preserving the unity of the body . and tho independent churches should be so civil to each other , as to admit each others members to some acts of communion , yet this is matter of courtesie , not of right , and therefore their constitution is schismatical . it is like two neighbour families , which hold good correspondence with each other , and often visit one another , and eat , and drink together , but yet remain very distinct families , and have all their concerns apart and separate . but the christian church is but one houshold and family , and whoever makes two families of it , is a schismatick . thus let me ask , whether the episcopal , and presbyterian churches in the same christian kingdom , be one church , and members of each other , and own each others members , as such , to be members of their own body and church ; if they do not , as it is evident they don't , from their holding distinct and separate assemblies , under a distinct kind and species of government , which both of them assert to be instituted by christ , and to be essential to the constitution of the church , from their forming themselves into distinct bodies , under different governors , which have no communion , as such , with each other , ( which yet is essential to the communion of particular churches , that their governors should be in communion with each other ) from their condemning each others constitution , and particular modes of worship , and their great endeavours to draw away members from each other ; which necessarily supposes , that they do not look upon each others members , as their own . i say , if from these considerations it appears , that they are not , and do not think themselves to be , one body , nor members of each other , then they are two separate churches , and the church , which makes the separation is the schismatick . and indeed we may as well say , that a monarchy , and aristocracy , and democracy in the same nation , with their distinct governours , and distinct subjects , and distinct laws , that are always at enmity and war with each other , are but one kingdom , as to assert , that the episcopal and presbyterian churches in england , are but one church . . the last thing to be explained , is , what is meant by fixt or constant , and by occasional communion . now this is a question , which would grievously have puzl'd st. cyprian and st. austin and other ancient fathers , who never heard but of one sort of communion . for indeed there is no place for this distinction of constant and occasional communion , according to the principles of catholick communion . to be in communion with the church , is to be a member of the church , and i take it for granted , that a member signifies a fixt and constant , not an occasional member ; not a member , which is one day a member , and the next day upon his own voluntary choice is no member , which is a member or no member , just as occasion serves . and if church-membership be a fixt and constant relation in it self considered , then the duties of this relation are fixt and constant also . and therefore for the understanding of these terms , which were unknown to antiquity , we must consult the meaning of our modern authors , who were the first inventors of them . now by fixt communion they mean an actual and constant communicating with some one particular church , as fixt members of it ; occasional communion is to pray , and hear , and receive the sacrament , at some other church , ( of which they do not own themselves to be members ) as occasion serves ; that is , either to gratifie their own curiosity , or to serve some secular end , or to avoid the imputation of schism . now this distinction is owing to such principles , as i have evidently proved to be very great mistakes . for if to be in communion with the church signifie to be a member of it , and that not of any particular church , as distinguisht from the whole catholick church , but to be a member of the one body of christ , and of every sound part of it ; then our communion with the church is as fixt , as our relation and membership is , and i think no man , who understands himself , will talk of an occasional member . if no man can perform any act of communion with a church , of which he is no member ( since all acts of communion have a necessary relation to a state of communion , and that , which is an act of communion in a member , is no act of communion , when performed by him , who is no member , as i have already proved ) then it is as plain a contradiction to talk of an occasional act of communion , as of occasional membership ; and there can be no place for occasional communion with a church , of which we are no members , unless we will say , that a man , who is not in communion , may exercise acts of communion with the church . if all the acts of christian communion , which respect christian worship , such as prayer , receiving the lords supper , &c. tho performed in a particular church , be not acts meerly of a particular church-communion , but of catholick communion , with the whole christian church , and every sound part of it , then every true catholick christian , is not only in a fixt state of communion with the catholick church , but lives in as constant an exercise of christian communion with all sound and orthodox churches , as he does with that church , in which he lives ; for every act of worship , which is an act of communion with that particular church , in which it is performed ( if that church be in catholick communion ) is an act of communion with the whole catholick church , and therefore the very exercise of christian communion , is equally fixt and constant , or equally occasional with the whole catholick church . there is a sense indeed , wherein we may be said to be members of one particular church considered as distinct from all other particular churches , but that principally consists in government and discipline : every christian is a member of the whole christian church , and in communion with it , but he is under the immediate instruction and government of his own bishop , and presbyters , and is bound to personal communion with them ; and this constitutes a particular church , in which all acts of worship , and all acts of discipline and government are under the direction and conduct of a particular bishop . and when neighbour bishops unite into one body , and agree upon some common rules of government , and the administration of religious offices , this makes them a patriarchal or national church , and thus by submitting to the government and discipline of such particular or united bishops , we become members of a diocesan or national church , considered as distinct from other diocesan or national churches ; but this does not confine our church-membership and communion to such a particular church , tho it strictly oblige us to conform to the worship , and discipline , and government of that church , wherein we live , while it imposes nothing on us inconsistent with the principles of catholick communion . but tho particular christians are more peculiarly obliged to observe the rites and usages , and to submit to the government and discipline of the church , wherein they live , and to maintain personal communion with it , ( and upon this account may in a peculiar manner be called the members of that church ) yet every act of communion performed in this particular church is an act of catholick communion ; and an exercise of christian communion with the whole church , and every sound part of it . baptism makes us members of the whole church , and gives us a right to communion with every sound part of it ; every act of christian communion in a particular church is a vertual communion with the whole church , with all particular churches , which live in communion with each other ; and notwithstanding my relation to a particular church , by my constant abode and habitation in it , when ever i travel into any other church , i communicate with them as a member ; so that wherever i communicate , whether in that church , in which i usually live , or in any other particular church , where i am accidentally present , my communion is of the same nature , that is , i communicate as a member of the church , and it is impossible , i should communicate otherwise ; for i have no right to communion , but as a member , and nothing i can do , can be an act of communion , if i be not , and do not own my self to be a member . and yet this is the occasion of this mistake about fixt and occasional communion ; that according to the laws of our church , which are founded on great and wise reasons , and indeed according to the laws of catholick communion , every christian is bound to communicate with that part of the church , wherein he lives ; now men may have houses in different parishes , or distinct diocesses , or may travel into other parts of the country , and communicate with the churches , which they find in those places , where they are , or they may sometimes go to prayers , or hear a sermon , or receive the lords supper at another parish-church ; now our ordinary communion with those churches , where our constant abode is , may be called constant communion , and our communion with those churches , which we accidentally visit , and communicate with , may be called occasional communion ; and all this without schism , because we still communicate , either with the same national church , or ( which is often the case of travellers ) with some other sound part of the catholick church , of which we are also members , and so still keep in the same communion , and communicate with no churches , but those , of which we own our selves members ; as being all in the same communion ; as being either sincere members of the national or catholick church . from hence our dissenters conclude , that their communion with an independent , or presbyterian , church , of which they profess themselves fixt members , is as consistent with their occasional communion with the church of england , when to serve some present turn , they hear the prayers , and receive the sacraments with us ; as our fixt communion with our parish-churches is , with our occasional communion , with other parish-churches ; which no body accounts schism , tho when it is too frequent and causeless , it is a great disorder . but the difference between these two is vastly great , for in the first case , we only communicate with such churches , which are all in communion with each other , and therefore he , who is a member of one , is a member of them all , and communicates with them , wherever he is , as a member . but he , who is a fixt member of a presbyterian , or independent church , cannot communicate so much as occasionally , with the church of england , as a member , because he is a member not only of another particular , but of a separate church ; and it is impossible for any man , who is one with himself , to be a member of two separate churches , and whatever acts of worship we joyn in with other churches , of which we are no members , they are not properly acts of communion . having thus premised the explication of these terms , what is meant by church , and what is meant by church-communion , and what is meant by fixt or constant , and occasional communion , the right understanding of these things , will make it very easie to resolve those cases , which immediately respect church-communion , and i shall instance in these three . . whether communion with some church or other , especially when the church is divided into so many sects and parties , be a necessary duty , incumbent on all christians . . whether constant communion with that church , with which occasional communion is lawful , be a necessary duty . . whether it be lawful for the same person , to communicate with two separate churches . case . whether communion with some church or other , especially when the church is divided into so many sects and parties , be a necessary duty incumbent on all christians . now methinks the resolution of this is as plain , as whether it be necessary for every man to be a christian . for every christian is baptized into the communion of the church , and must continue a member of the church , till he renounce his membership by schism , or infidelity , or be cast out of the church by ecclesiastical censures . baptism incorporates us into the christian church , that is , makes us members of the body of christ , which is his church and is frequently so called in scripture . for there is but one body and one spirit . eph. . . one christian church , which is animated and governed by the one spirit of christ. and we are all baptized into this one body . for as the body is one , and hath many members , and all the members of that one body , being many , are one body , so also is christ , that is , the christian church , which is the body of christ , of which he is the head ; for by one spirit we are all baptized into one body , whether we be jews or gentiles , whether we be bond or free , and are all made to drink into one spirit ; for the body is not one member , but many . now i have already proved , that church communion is nothing else , but church-membership , to be in communion with the church , and to be a member of the church , signifying the same thing . and i think , i need not prove , that to be in a state of communion contains both a right ; and an obligation to actual communion . he , who is a member of the church , may challenge all the priviledges of a member , among which actual communion is none of the least ; to be admitted to all the acts and offices of christian-communion , to the communion of prayers and sacraments , and all other christian duties , which no man who is not a member of the church , has any right to . and he who is a member , is bound to perform all those duties and offices , which are essential to church-communion , and therefore is bound to communicate with the church in religious assemblies , to joyn in prayers and sacraments , to attend publick instructions , and to live like a member of the church . but to put this past all boudt , that external and actual communion is an essential duty of a church-member , i shall offer these plain proofs of it . . that baptism makes us members of the visible church of christ , but there can be no visible church without visible communion , and therefore every visible member , by vertue of his membership , is bound to external and visible communion , when it may be had . . this is essential to the notion of a church , as it is a body and society of christians . for all bodies and societies of men are instituted for the sake of some common duties and offices to be performed by the members of it . a body of men is a community , and it is a strange kind of community , in which every member may act by it self , without any communication with other members of the same body . and yet such a kind of body as this , the christian church is , if it be not an essential duty of every member , to live in the exercise of visible communion with the church , when he can . for there is the same law for all members , and either all or none , are bound to actual communion . but this is more absurd still , when we consider , that the church is such a body , as consists of variety of members , of different offices and officers , which are of no use without actual and visible communion of all its members . to what purpose did christ appoint such variety of ministers in his church , apostles , prophets , evangelists , pastors , and teachers , for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ ; to what purpose has he instituted a standing ministry in his church , to offer up the prayers of the faithful to god , to instruct , exhort , reprove , and administer the christian sacraments , if private christians are not bound to maintain communion with them , in all religious offices ? . nay the nature of christian worship obliges us to church-communion . i suppose , no man will deny , but that every christian is bound to worship god according to our saviours institution : and what that is , we cannot learn better , than from the example of the primitive christians , of whom st. luke gives us this account , that they continued stedfast in the apostles doctrine , and worship , and in breaking of bread , and in prayers . that which makes any thing in a strict sense , an act of church-communion is , that it is performed in the fellowship of the apostles , or in communion with the bishops and ministers of the church ; they are appointed to offer up the prayers of christians to god in his name ; and therefore tho the private devotions of christians are acceptable to god , as the prayers of church-members , yet none but publick prayers , which are offered up by men who have their authority from christ , to offer these spiritual sacrifices to god , are properly the prayers of the church , and acts of church-communion . if then we must offer up our prayers to god according to christ's institution , that is , by the hands of persons authorized and set apart for that purpose ; we must of necessity joyn in the actual and visible communion of the church . the sacrament of the lords supper is the principal part of christian worship , and we cannot celebrate this feast ; but in church-communion ; for this is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common supper , or communion-feast , which in all ages of the church , has been administred by consecrated persons , and in church-communion ; for it loses its nature and signification , when it is turned into a private mass , so that if every christian is bound to the actual performance of true christian worship , he is bound to an actual communion with the christian church . . we may observe further ; that church authority is exercised only about church-communion , which necessarily supposes , that all christians , who are church-members and in a state of communion , are bound to all the acts of external and visible communion with the church . the exercise of church authority consists in receiving in , or shutting out of the church . to receive into the church , is to admit them to all external acts of communion , to shut , or cast , out of the church , is to deny them the external and visible communion of the church ; not to allow them to pray , or receive the lords supper , or perform any religious offices in the publick assemblies of the church . now all this church authority would signifie nothing , were not external and actual communion , both the priviledge and duty of every christian ; and yet this is all the authority christ hath given to his church . . and to confirm all this , nothing is more plain in scripture , than that separation from a church , is to withdraw from the visible communion of it , and there can be no notion of separation without this ; now if separation from religious assemblies be to break communion , then to live in communion with the church requires our actual communicating with the church in all religious duties . and that this is the true notion of separation is easily proved from the most express testimonies ; cor. . . wherefore come out from among them , and be ye separate , saith the lord , and touch no unclean thing , and i will receive you : where , come out from among them , and be ye separate , plainly signifies , to forsake the assemblies of idolaters , not to communicate with them in their idolatrous worship ; so that not to joyn with any men or church in their idolatrous worship , is to separate from their communion , which is a very godly separation , when the worship is idolatrous and sinful , but a schismatical separation , when it is not . thus st. john tells us of the ancient hereticks , they went out from us because they were not of us , for if they had been of us , they would , no doubt , have continued with us , but they went out , that they might be made manifest , that they were not all of us . where their going out from them , plainly signifies , their forsaking christian assemblies , upon which account the author of the epistle to the hebrews admonishes the christians , not to forsake the assembling of themselves together , as the manner of some is , in which he refers to the separation of those ancient hereticks . and thus accordingly to have fellowship or communion with any , is to partake with them in their religious mysteries . by this argument st. paul disswades the corinthians from eating of the idols feast ; because they were sacrifices to evil spirits , and by partaking of those sacrifices they had communion with them . but i say , that the things , which the gentiles sacrifice , they sacrifice to devils , and not to god , and i would not that you should have fellowship with devils . ye cannot drink the cup of the lord , and the cup of devils , ye cannot be partakers of the lords table , and of the table of devils . so that , tho we must first be in a state of communion with christ , and his church , must first be received into covenant , and by baptism be incorporated into the christian church , before we have any right to communicate with this church ; yet no man can preserve his church-state without actual communion , no man has communion with christ , or his church , but he , who actually communicates in all religious offices , and christian institutions ; a state of communion confers a right to communicate , but actual communion consists in the exercise of communion , and a right to communicate without actual communion is worth nothing , as no right or priviledge is without the exercise of it ; for enjoyment consists in acts , and all the blessings of the gospel , all the blessings of christian communion , are conveyed to us by actual communion . so that if we would partake in the blessings of christ , if we would reap the advantages of church-communion , we must live in actual communion , and not content our selves with a dormant and useless right , which we never bring into act. this is sufficient to prove , the necessity of actual communion with the christian church , when it may be had , for where it cannot be had , non-communion is no sin , for we are not obliged to impossibilities ; he who lives in a country , or travels through any country , where there is no true christian church to communicate with , cannot enjoy actual communion ; the right and duty of communion continues , tho necessity may suspend the act. but the greater difficulty is , whether it be not lawful , to suspend our communion with any particular churches , when we see the church divided into a great many parties and factions , which refuse communion with each other , which is the deplorable state of the church at this day among us , presbyterians , independents , anabaptists , quakers , all separate from the church of england , and from each other , and from hence some conclude it lawful to suspend communion with all these divided parties , which is just such a reason for a total suspension of church-communion , as the different and contrary opinions in religion are for scepticism and infidelity . because there are a great many kinds of religions in the world , and a great many divided sects of the christian religion , therefore some men will be of no religion ; and because the christian church is divided into a great many opposite and separate communions , therefore others will be of no church ; and the reason is as strong in one case , as it is in the other , that is , indeed it holds in neither : for it is possible to discover , which is the true religion , notwithstanding all these different and contrary perswasions about it , and it is equally possible to find out , which of these divided communions is a true and sound member of the catholick church , and when we know that , we are bound to maintain communion with it . indeed if such divisions and separations , excuse us from actual communion with the church , actual communion never was , and is never likely to be a duty long together ; for there never was any state of the church so happy long together , as to be without divisions : even in the apostles times , there were those , who separated from the communion of the apostles , and set up private conventicles of their own , and so it has been in all succeeding ages of the church , and so it is likely to continue , and if we are not bound to communicate with the church , while there are any hereticks , or schismaticks , who divide from the church , farewell to all church communion in this world. should any man indeed travel into a strange country , and there find a schism in the christian church , it were very fitting for him to suspend communion with either party , till he had opportunity to acquaint himself with the state of the controversie , so as to judge , which party is the schismatick ; and then he is bound ( if he understand their language ) to communicate with the sound and orthodox part of the catholick church , which he finds in that place . but this does not reach the case of those , who are constant inhabitants of the place , where the schism is ; for they must not live in a sceptical suspension of communion all their days . and there is one plain rule to direct all men in this inquiry ; that wherever there is a church establisht by publick authority , if there be nothing sinful in its constitution and worship , we are bound to communicate with that church , and to reject the communion of all other parties and sects of christians . for the advantage always lies on the side of authority , no publick establishment can justifie a sinful communion , but if there be nothing sinful in the communion of the national church , which is establisht by publick authority , to separate from such a church is both disobedience to the supreme authority in the state , and a schism from the church . but it will be convenient to consider , what these men mean by suspending communion . for is it lawful for an english man during these church divisions among us , never to worship god in any publick and religious assemblies ? never to pray , nor hear , nor receive the lords supper together ? if this were so , it were the most effectual way in the world to thrust out all religion . but this they will not , they dare not say , and therefore by suspending communion they mean , that in case of such divisions they may refuse to enter themselves fixt and setled members of any church , but communicate occasionally with them all . but i have already observed how absurd this distinction of fixt and occasional communion is . for no act of religion is an act of communion ( not so much as of occasional communion ) which is not performed in the communion of the church ; and no man is in communion with the church , who is not a member of it , and whoever is a member of the church is a fixt and not an occasional member ; and whatever church he communicates with , tho it may be , it is but once in a year , or once in his life , as he occasionally travels that way , yet he communicates as a fixt member of the catholick church , and of every sound part of the catholick church ; for a fixt member does not signifie our fixt abode , or constant acts of communion in any particular church , but our state of communion , and fixt and permanent relation to the whole christian church , and every part of it , and therefore tho a particular act of communion may be performed upon some particular occasion with such a particular church , yet it is not an act of occasional , but of fixt communion , because tho i communicate but once and that occasionally , yet i communicate as a member of the church , which is not an occasional but a fixt relation . so that when men communicate occasionally , as they speak , with all the different parties of christians in a divided church , they either communicate with none , or communicate with all of them . if they perform these acts of communion , without owning their relation to them , as members , then they are in communion with none of them , notwithstanding all these pretended acts of occasional commmunion , and so they live in communion with no church , which yet i hope , i have made it appear to be the duty of every christin to do ; if they communicate with all these divided parties , as members , then they are in communion with many separate churches , are members of separate and opposite bodies , that is , they are contrary to themselves , and on one side or other , are certain to be schismaticks , but this will appear further from considering the two following cases . case . the second case is this ; whether constant communion be a duty , where occasional communion is lawful . i have already made it appear , that the very notion of constant and occasional communion is absurd , and a contradiction to all the principles of catholick communion , and therefore there is no place for this distinction , nor for this question , every christian , as a christian , is a fixt member of the whole christian church , and of every sound part of it , and for men to talk of being members of any one particular church , in distinction from all other particular churches , of which they will not own themselves members , is a schismatical notion of church-membership , because it divides the christian church into distinct memberships , and therefore into distinct bodies , which makes the one church and one body of christ , not one , but many bodies : for if every particular church has such a number of members , which are members only of that particular church , wherein they are fixt , and are not members of any other particular church , then every particular church is a distinct and entire body by it self , which has particular members of its own , which belong to no other body ; just as every particular man has his own body , which consists of such a number of members , united to each other , and distinct from all other bodies . the plain state of the case in short is this : every true christian is in communion with the whole christian church , that is , is a member of the whole church ; but he must perform the acts of communion in some particular church , and the only allowable difference between constant and occasional communion is this ; that we must perform the constant acts of communion in that part of the catholick church , in which we constantly live , and communicate occasionally with that part of the church , in which we are occasionally present ; and therefore there never can be any competition between constant and occasional communion in the same place . i cannot communicate constantly with that church in which i communicate occasionally , unless i remove my habitation , and turn an occasional presence into a constant and setled abode ; nor can i without sin communicate only occasionally with that church , with which i may and ought to communicate constantly , as being constantly present there , for this is only to do that sometimes , which i ought to do always . this is like a mans living occasionally in his own house , which signifies , that for the most part he is a stranger at home . there cannot be two distinct churches in the same place , one for occasional , and another for constant communion , without schism , for it is evident , these are two distinct communions , and that our relation to them is as different , as it is to a house we live in , and to an inn , where we lodge for a night . so that there is no foundation for this inquiry among men , who understand the true principles of catholick-communion ; it never can be a case of conscience , whether i should communicate constantly or occasionally with such a church , unless it be a case of conscience , whether i should live constantly or occasionally within the bounds and jurisdiction of such a church ; for where my constant abode is , there my constant communion must be , if there be a true and sincere part of the catholick-church in that place , and where i am only occasionally , there i can only communicate occasionally also . but to meet with the distempers of this age , and to remove those apologies some men make for their schism , it is necessary to make this a question . for in this divided state of the church , there are a great many among us , who think , they cannot maintain constant communion with the church of england , as constant and fixt members , who yet upon some occasions think , they may communicate with us in all parts of worship , and actually do so . now when these men , who are fixt members , as they call it , of separate churches , think fit sometimes to communicate in all parts of worship with the church of england , we charitably suppose , that men , who pretend to so much tenderness of conscience , and care of their souls , will do nothing , not so much as once , which they believe , or suspect , to be sinful , at the time , when they do it ; and therefore we conclude , that those , who communicate occasionally with the church of england , do thereby declare , that they believe , there is nothing sinful in our communion ; and we thank them for this good opinion they express of our church , and earnestly desire to know , how they can justifie their ordinary separation from such a church , as requires no sinful terms of communion . if any thing less than sinful terms of communion can justifie a separation , then there can be no end of separations , and catholick-communion is an impossible and impracticable notion , that is , the church of christ neither is one body , nor ever can be . for if men are not bound to communicate with a church , which observes our saviours institutions , without any such corrupt mixtures , as make its communion sinful , then there is no bounds to be set to the fancies of men , but they may new model churches , and divide and subdivide without any end . is that a sound and orthodox part of the catholick-church , which has nothing sinful in its communion ? if it be not , pray what is it , that makes any church sound and orthodox ? if it be , upon what account is it lawful , to separate from a sound and orthodox church ? and may we not by the same reason separate from the whole catholick church , as from any sound part of it ? nay does not that man separate from the whole catholick church , who separates from any sound part of it ? for the communion of the church is but one , and he , that divides and breaks this union , separates himself from the whole body . excepting the independency of churches ( which i have proved above to be schism in the very notion of it ) the great pleas for separation from a church , which has nothing sinful in its communion , are the pretence of greater edification , and purer ordinances . but these are such pleas , as must expose the church to eternal schisms , because there are no certain rules to judge of these matters , but the various and uncertain fancies of men. what they like best , that shall be most for their edification , and these shall be purer ordinances , and till men can agree these matters among themselves , which they are never likely to do , till they can all agree in the same diet ; or in their judgment and opinion about beauty , decency , fitness , convenience , they may and will divide without end ; and if the peace and unity of the church be so necessary a duty , it is certain , these principles , which are so destructive to peace and unity , must be false , as to consider these things particularly , but very briefly . what purer administrations and ordinances would men have , than those of our saviours own institution , without any corrupt and sinful mixtures , to spoil their vertue and efficacy ? ( as we suppose is acknowledged by those , who occasionally communicate in all parts of our worship , that there is nothing sinful in it ) the purity of divine adminstrations must consist in their agreement with the institution , that there is neither any such defect or addition , as alters their nature and destroys their vertue . for the efficacy of gospel ordinances depends upon their institution , not upon particular modes of administration , which are not expresly commanded in the gospel ; and he , who desires greater purity of ordinances than their conformity to their institution , who thinks , that baptism and the lords supper lose their efficacy , unless they be administred in that way , which they themselves best like , are guilty of gross superstition , and attribute the vertue of sacraments to the manner of their administration , not to their divine institution . and what men talk of greater edification is generally as little understood as the other ; for edification is building up , and is applied to the church , considered as gods house and temple , and it is an odd way of building up the temple of god , by dividing and separating the parts of it from each other . this one thing well considered , viz. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edification or building , according to the scripture notion of it , does always primarily refer to , or at least include , church-unity and communion , is sufficient to convince any man , what an ill way it is , to seek for greater edification in breaking the communion of the church by schism and separation ; and therefore i shall make it plainly appear , that this is the true scripture notion of edification ; and to that end shall consider the most material places , where this word is used . now the most proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which our translators render by edification , is a house or building , and this is the proper sense , wherein it belongs to the christian church , ye are gods husbandry , ye are gods building , that is , the church is gods house or building , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . thus the same apostle tells us , that in christ , the whole building ( i. e. the whole christian church ) fitly framed together , groweth unto an holy temple in the lord. hence the governours of the church are called builders , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the apostles are called labourers together with god , in erecting this spiritual building , and st. paul calls himself a master builder . hence the increase , growth and advances towards perfection in the church , is called the building , or edification of it . for this reason st. paul commends prophesie , or expounding the scriptures , before speaking in unknown tongues without an interpreter , because by this the church receives building or edification . all these spiritual gifts , which were bestowed on the christians , were for the building and edifying of the church . the apostolical power in church censures was for edification , not for destruction , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to build , and not to pull down , that is , to preserve the unity of the church intire , and its communion pure . and we may observe that this edification is primarily applied to the church , that the church may receive edifying : that ye may excell to the edifying of the church : for the edifying of the body of christ , and it is very observable : wherein the apostle places the edification of the body of christ , viz. in unity and love. till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god , to a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ. till we are united by one faith into one body , and perfect man. and speaking the truth in love , may grow up in him into all things , which is the head , even christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together , and compacted by that , which every joynt supplieth , according to the effectual working in the measure of every part , maketh increase of the body , unto the edifying it self in love . this is an admirable description of the unity of the church , in which all the parts are closely united and compacted together , as stones and timber are to make one house ; and thus they grow into one body , and increase in mutual love , and charity , which is the very building and edification of the church , which is edifyed and built up in love , as the apostle adds , that knowledge puffeth up , but charity edifieth , this builds up the church of christ ; and that not such a common charity as we have for all mankind ; but such a love and sympathy , as is peculiar to the members of the same body , and which none but members can have for each other , and now methinks i need not prove , that schism and separation is the not for edification of the church ; to separate for edification is to pull down instead of building up . but these men do not seem to have any great regard to the edification of the church , but only to their own particular edification , and we must grant , that edification is sometimes applied to particular christians in scripture , according to st. pauls exhortation , comfort your selves together , and edifie one another , even as also ye do . and this edifying one another without question signifies our promoting each others growth and progress in all christian graces and vertues : and so the building and edification of the church , signifies the growth and improvement of the church in all spiritual wisdom and knowledge , and christian graces , the edification of the church consists in the edification of particular christians , but then this is called edification or building , because this growth and improvement is in the unity and communion of the church , and makes them one spiritual house and temple . thus the church is called the temple of god , and every particular christian is gods temple , wherein the holy spirit dwells , and yet god has but one temple , and the holy spirit dwells only in the church of christ ; but particular christians are gods temple , and the holy spirit dwells in them , as living members of the christian church ; and thus by the same reason , the church is edified and built up , as it grows into a spiritual house and holy temple by a firm and close union and communion of all its parts ; and every christian is edified , as he grows up in all christian graces and vertues in the unity of the church . and therefore whatever extraordinary means of edification men may fancy to themselves in a separation , the apostle knew no edification , but in the communion of the church ; and indeed if our growth and increase in all grace and vertue , be more owing to the internal assistances of the divine spirit , than to the external administrations , as st. paul tells us , i have planted , and apollos watered , but god gave the increase : so then , neither is he , that planteth any thing , nor he that watereth ; but god that gave the increase : and the divine spirit confine his influences and operations to the unity of the church ( as the same apostle tells us , that there is but one body and one spirit , ( which plainly signifies , that the operations of this one spirit , are appropriated to this one body , as the soul is to the body it animates ) then it does not seem a very likely way for edification to cut our selves off from the unity of christs body . . the third and last case still remains , which will be resolved in a few words , according to the principles now laid down , which is this : whether it be lawful to communicate with two distinct and separate churches . for this is thought of late days , not only a very innocent and lawful thing , but the true catholick-spirit , and catholick-communion , to communicate with churches of all communions , unless perhaps they may except the papists , and quakers . it is thought a schismatical principle , to refuse to communicate with those churches , which withdraw communion from us . and thus some , who communicate ordinarily with the church of england , make no scruple to communicate in prayers and sacraments with presbyterian and independent churches , and presbyterians can communicate with the church of england , and with independents , whom formerly they charged with down-right schism ; and some think it very indifferent , whom they communicate with , and therefore take their turns in all . but this is as contrary to all the principles of church-communion , as any thing can possibly be . to be in communion with the church is to be a member of it , and to be a member of two separate and opposite churches , is to be as contrary to our selves , as those separate churches , are to each other . christ hath but one church , and one body , and therefore where there are two churches divided from each other by separate communions , there is a schism and rent in the body , and whoever communicates with both these churches , on one side or other , communicates in a schism . that the presbyterian and independent churches , have made an actual separation from the church of england , i have evidently proved already ; and therefore if the communion of the church of england be lawful ( as those , who can , and ordinarily do communicate with the church of england , must be presumed to acknowledge ) then they are schismaticks , and to communicate with them is to partake in their schism . now if schism be an innocent thing , and the true catholick spirit , i have no more to say , but that the whole christian church , ever since the apostles times , has been in a very great mistake ; but if schism be a very great sin , and that which will damn us , as soon as adultery and murder , then it must needs be a dangerous thing to communicate with schismaticks . the sum of all in short is this . besides these men , who justifie their separation from the church of england , by charging her with requiring sinful terms of communion , ( which is the only thing , that can justifie their separation , if it could be proved ) there are others , who separate lightly and wantonly , for want of a due sense of the nature of church-communion , and our obligations to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . they have no notion at all of a church , or no notion of one church , or know not , wherein the unity and communion of this church consists ; and these men think , it is indifferent , whether they communicate with any church at all , or that they secure themselves from schism by communicating sometimes with one church , and sometimes with another ; that they may choose their church according to their own fancies , and change again , when ever their humor alters . but i hope , who ever considers carefully , what i have now writ , and attends to those passionate exhortations of the gospel to peace , and unity , and brotherly love , which cannot be preserved but in one communion , which is the unity of the body of christ , and the peace and love of fellow members , will not only heartily pray to the god of peace , to restore peace and unity to his church , but will be careful , how he divides the church himself , and will use his utmost endeavours to heal the present schisms and divisions of the church of christ. the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e eph. . , . tim. . . rom. . , . john . . case . eph. . . . . col. . . cor . , . eph. . , . acts . . john . heb. . . cor. . , . case . cor. . . . eph. . ● . matth. , . acts . cor . . cor. . . v. . cor. . . . . . . cor. . . . eph. . . . , . cor. . . thes. . . cor. . , . eph. . . case . the dangerous schismatick clearly detected and fully confuted for the saving of a distracted nation from that which would destroy christian love and unity : occasioned by a resolver of three cases about church-communion / by richard baxter ... baxter, richard, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the dangerous schismatick clearly detected and fully confuted for the saving of a distracted nation from that which would destroy christian love and unity : occasioned by a resolver of three cases about church-communion / by richard baxter ... baxter, richard, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas parkhurst ..., london : . "the dangerous schismatick" also appears as the first part of the author's schism detected in both extreams, and in his catholick communion defended against both extreams (wing b , at reel : ). reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng stillingfleet, edward, - . owen, john, - . schism -- early works to . christian union -- early works to . church -- catholicity. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the dangerous schismatick clearly detected , and fully confuted ; for the saving of a distracted nation from that which would destroy christian love and unity . occasioned by a resolver of three cases about church-communion . by richard baxter a catholique christian , who is against confining christian love and communion to any sect how great soever . mark . . he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved . john . . by this shall all men know you are my disciples , if ye have love one to another . john . . he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in god , and he in him . rom. . . , . him that is weak in the faith receive ye , but not to doubtful disputations : for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness and peace , and joy in the holy ghost : for he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god , and approved of men. london , printed for thomas parkhurst at the bible and three crowns at the lower end of cheapside near mercers-chappel , . the english schismatick , detected and confuted : occasioned by a resolver of cases about church communion . chap. i. saith the resolver , § . . the church is a body or society of men separated from the rest of the world , and united to god and to themselves by a divine covenant . a. he saith this is the plainest description he can give : that is not the fault of his auditors or readers . . as to the genus , a community of equals without rulers is a body : but i suppose he meaneth not such . . is it enough that it be of men ? sure now they should be christians ? . many are separated from the rest of the world , secundum quid , that are no christians ; some in one respect and some in another , and none in all respects . . vnited to god , is an ambiguous word , no creature is vnited to him perfectly so as to be thereby what he is , god , in the created nature . only christ is united to him hypostatically in his created nature . all are so far united to him in natural being , as that in him they live and move and have their being : and the nature of man is one sort of his image : all things are united to him as effects to their constant efficient . the church should not be defined without any mention of christ : the churches union with god is by christ. . christ himself as head is an essential part of the church , and should not be left out of a definition , thô the meer body may in common speech be called the church , as the people may be called a kingdom . . will any divine covenant serve ? or must it not be only the baptismal covenant ? . is it called divine only as made by god , or as commanded by god and made by man , or as mutual ? certainly gods law and offered or conditional promise is most frequently called his covenant in scripture ; and this uniteth not men to god , till they consent and covenant with him . their own covenant act is necessary hereto : and that is a divine covenant , only as commanded , and accepted and done by gods assisting grace . . the form of a church is relative , and the terminus is essential to a relation . it is no definition that hath not the end of the association : therefore this is none at all ; and so the beginning tells us what to expect . this description hath nothing in it but what may agree to divers forms of society , and so hath not the form of a church : and if he intended not a definition , but a loose description , i would a defining doctor had had the chair , during this controversie . let us try this description upon a mahometan kingdom , army , or navy , or suppose them meer deists . . such a kingdom , army , or navy may be a society . . of men. . separated from the rest of the world secundum quid & ad hoc ( and none are separated from it simpliciter & ad omnia : e. g. no man is separated from the common humanity ; no deist from any but atheists , and no christian in believing a god and the law of nature and nations . ) . they are vnited to god so far as owning a god and worshipping him amounts to , besides the union of the creature with the creator in whom he liveth , &c. and no unregenerate ungodly christian is united to him savingly . . they are united among themselves . . this is by a covenant : . and by a covenant divine , as to command , approbation and object . it is god that they covenant to own and obey : the common profession of the mahometans , is , there is one god , and mahomet is his prophet . it is divine in tantum as commanded . for god commandeth all men to own him ; to believe that godis , and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him : and god so far approveth it : st. james saith , ( thou dost well ) to him that believeth there is a god , much more that is professedly devoted to him . let us by this examine the jewish church : jews now may be . a body , . of men , . separated from the rest of the world , even in religion and church pretensions . . united to god as creatures , as men , as the corporal seed of abraham , and as professing belief , love and obedience to god , as their god. . strictly united among themselves : . by a covenant , . which god once commanded , and still approveth so far as they own god. let us consider whether this description take not in , those in every nation that fear god and work righteousness , that never heard of christ , ( being thus combined . ) and whether the kingdom of god , be not larger than his church : joyn the head and tail of this mans book together , and by the head ( the description ) for ought i see , jews , mahometans , if not almost all heathens , are the church : but at the end , i think none on earth is the church : at least none that separate from a pair of organs , or an ignorant curate , nor can any man know who . page . § . . he explaineth his word [ body ] as opposed to a confused multitude . a. but a community of equals , that have no governours , may have order , and 〈◊〉 s no confused multitude . and he himself after pleads over much for a●ecessi●●v of rulers . p. . § . . and in many places , his confusion and grand errour is repeated , that the christian church is but one : p. . we know no church but what all christians are members of by baptisme , which is the vniversal church : p. . there is but one church , of which all christians are members , as there is but one covenant ; p. . if there be but one church and one communion , of which all true christians are members , &c. p. . i am no otherwise a member of any particular church , than i am of the vniversal : p. . it 's a schismatical notion of membership that divides the christian church into distinct memberships , and therefore into the distinct bodyes : and p. . and often he saith , those churches which are not members of each other , are separate churches and schismaticks . a. i had hoped that no man but mr. cheny had talkt at this rate . i. it 's agreed on , that there is but one universal church : the contrary is a contradiction . . it is agreed , that there is no lawful particular church which is not a part of the universal . . that whoever hath just union and communion with a true particular church , hath union and communion with the universal : . that all men in their worship of god , should accordingly perform it ( and do all that they do ) as men in that relation to the universal church : none of this is controverted . ii. but i had hoped never to have heard any but seekers say , that there are not many lawful particular churches , distinct from the whole and from one another , though not disjunct in the common essentials . for the proof of the contrary , . i begin with that which i expect should be most powerful ; the mans own after-confessions , to which he is oft brought . pag. . distance of place and the necessities and conveniences of worship and discipline , has divided the church into several parts and members , and particular churches , &c. so pag. . pag. . all christian churches ought to be members of one . more fully p. , . this is ad hominem , yea and nay is his resolution . . but i 'le bring other arguments that prevail more with me . the sacred scriptures oft tell us of many churches , therefore there are many . act. . . the churches had rest ; and . . confirming the churches ; . . so were the churches established in the faith ; rom. . . all the churches of the gentiles : so ver . . cor. . . so ordain i in all churches ; . . neither the churches of god ( have such custom ; ) . . as in all the churches of the saints ; . let your women keep silence in the churches . so . . . & cor. . . the grace of god bestowed on the churches of macedonia : . whose praise is in the gospel through all the churches . so . , . and . . . the care of all the churches ; . . inferior to the other churches . gal. . , . thes. . . thes. . . rev. . . to the seven churches , ver . . . angels and candlesticks of the seven churches . and . , , , . and . , , , . and . . his concordance might have shew'd him all these in order , phil. . . no church communicated with me ( concerning giving and receiving ) but ye only . the dispute now must be , whether the apostles or this resolver be to be believed : they say , there are many churches , parts of one ; he saith , there is but one , and it 's schismatical to divide it into distinct memberships or bodyes , &c. it 's no schisme here to say , i am for paul and the holy scripture : let who will believe the contradictor . . my next argument is this : where there are many political societies , consisting of christian pastors and people , professedly associated for the ordinary exercise of those relations as such , in holy communion , in christian doctrine , worship , order and conversation , for edification in true faith , hope , love and obedience , and the glorifying of god therein . there are many distinct true churches , parts of the church universal ; but on earth there are many such societyes , &c. ergo , &c. either the controversie is de re or de nomine ( for we called separatists use to separate these . ) . if de re ; let the existence of the thing defined be tryed by scripture , reason and common experience : . if de nomine ; forma quae dat esse dat nomen : here is the true specifick form which is found in many single churches , ergo the name of such single ( or individual ) churches is due to them . . again ad hominem , from the consequences : . if there be not many single churches in the universal , then there are not many patriarchal , national , provincial , metropolitical , diocesan , or parochial churches : for non entium non datur numerus : many nothings is a contradiction . multae sunt ergo sunt ; ab est tertij adjecti ad est secundi valet argumentum . but if there be not many , then . all the parish churches in england being but one , and not many , a patron can have right to present to no one as a church , more than to another . . then the parson , vicar or curate is no more the parson of one church than of another ; nor bound to no more care and duty ; for there is but one . . then no one is bound to go to one parish church more than another ; for there is but one . . then the temple and tithes belong no more to one than another . . then no bishop is the proper bishop of one diocesan church , more than of another . . then all the revenues of the bishop of london , are no more appropriate to one church than to another . . then you owe no more obedience to the bishops of one diocesan church than another : . then you make the king no more head or governour of the church of england , than of another . . then a diocesan oweth no reverence to a metropolitane church ( if there be none such . ) . then many churches cannot have communion nor send bishops to councils ; ( if there be not many . ) . and the charge of separation from a church that is no church , is a contradiction . . i adde , from parity of reaon , if many distinct subordinate societies may make one civil body politick , so they may one universal church : but the antecedent is undoubted . if it be learnedly said with mr. cheny , that one whole cannot be part of another whole ; one may attain the perfection by that time he hath worn the breeches but a few years , to know that a whole family may be part of a whole village , and a whole vicinage be part of a whole city , and a whole colledge be part of a whole university ; and a whole city part of a whole kingdom ; and a whole kingdom part of the whole earth . and if it be objected , that the names of the whole and parts are here divers ; but a church and a church are the same name . i answer , at the same age one may learn that the same name proveth not the sameness of the things named ; and that ex penuria nominum the genus and species , the totum and parts have oft equivocally the same name , with the addition of just notes of distinction . sometimes an academy of many schools is called schola , and so are the single schools therein : the city of london is a society ; and so are the societies of merchant-taylors , drapers , mercers , &c. therein . § . . but these churches must be members of one another , or they are schismaticks . a. . how can that be , if they be all but one . . this is also above or below the ferula age . they are no members of one another , but all members of the whole : yet how oft have we this with the sting of schisme ( as damning as murder or adultery ) in the tail of it . the hand is not a member or part of the foot , or the foot of the hand , or the liver a member of the lungs , &c. but each one of the man : if ever i were a schoolmaster again , i would perswade my boyes , that a is not a member of b , nor b of c , &c. but each of the alphabet ; and that one leaf of their book is not a member of another , but both of the book ; and if they were ripe for the university , i would perswade them that exter colledge is not a member of corpus christi , nor that of lincoln , &c. but all of the universitie of oxford . and i think that bristol is not a member of exeter or gloucester , &c. but all of england ; and that the company of stationers are not part of the society of merchants or drapers , &c. but all of london . what a priviledg is it , that a man may believe this about any such thing without schisme and damnation ! and how dreadful to fall into such church-mens hands that in their case make it schisme , separation and damnation . but there is a remedy . § . . but he hath reason for what he saith : p. , . [ indeed it is extreamly absurd and unreasonable , to say , that the christian church , which is built on the same foundation , &c. who enjoy all priviledges in common , should be divided into 〈◊〉 distinct and separate bodies , thô of the sa●e kind and nature , as peter , james and iohn are distinct persons — it 's absurd to say , that where every thing is common there is not one community . ans. let us not swallow this without chewing : . whether all be extreamly absurd and unreasonable which such doctors call so ; i am grown to doubt as much as whether all be schism which schismaticks call so : ipse dixit is no proof . . what the meaning of this great , decantate word [ separate ] is , must anon be enquired : but , may not churches be distinct and not culpably separate ? he confesseth afterwards both local distinction and separation . . how far are the vniversal church and particular churches distinct ? as whole and parts ? must the world at last learn that whole and parts are not distinct ? if you take if for absurd to distinguish a man from a body , or from a liver , hand or foot , dissenters do not ; nor to distinguish a colledge from an university , a house from a street , a street from a city , &c. but how are the particular churches distinguished one from another ? reader , so constantly do such men fight with themselves , that it 's meet to ask , whether they that thus say there are not many distinct churches , do not assert a far wider difference between many , than those they dissent from . we affirm that there are many , and that they differ not in specie , but numero , as colledges , cities do among themselves ; but these men , after all this , hold not only a numerical , but a specifick difference , even as parochial , diocesan , provincial , patriarchal , national ; at least presbyters and diocesans differing ordine vel specie with them , the church denominated from them must do so too . § . but he confirms it . [ peter , james and john , thô they partake of the same common nature , yet each of them have a distinct essence and subsistence of their own , and this makes them distinct persons ; but whether the very nature and essence of a body or society consists in having all things common , there can be but one body . ans. i hope it s no culpable separation to distinguish things as differing specie & numero ; and this is the doctors meaning , if his words are significant : and the common way of expressing it would have been , [ peter and john differ numerically but not in specie ; but two churches differ neither specie nor numero . ] and . reader , whereas he said before , that the church is not divided into distinct bodies , as james and john , &c. ] did you think till you , that james and john , and the doctor , and the several bishops had not been distinct parts of the church in their distinct natural bodies ? . and why may there not be distinct politick bodies , or compound in one whole as well as natural ? certainly , all things corporeal save attomes are compounds : a muscle , a hand , a foot , parts similar and dissimilar in man are all compounded of lesser parts . if many students may make one colledge , why may not many colledges make one university ? it 's strange if a doctor deny this . . but let us consider of his reason , and enquire . whether the church have all things common . . whether the very essence of it consist in this . i. it is granted that the whole essence of the genus and species is found in every individual of that species , natural or politick ; but did we ever hear , till mr. cheny and this doctor said it , that politick bodies differ not numero as well as natural ? the kingdom of england and of france are two ; the church of rome and constantinople long strove which should be uppermost , but who ever said that they were not two ? ii. have they all things common ? dissenters would have excepted wives and husbands , ( thô the canons called apostolical do not ; ) why should the essence of a church lie in this , and not the essence of a city or kingdom ? tories in ireland would have all common ; merchants and tradesmen , knights , lords and princes here would not . but it 's no schism here also to distinguish simpliciter & secundum quid , propriety and the use of propriety : there is no community without propriety : men have first a propriety in themselves , their members , their food , the acquests of their labours , their wives and children , and goods . and they consent to community to preserve this propriety , because every man loveth himself : and yet they must use their propriety , ( even of life ) for common good , because all are better than one : but if they had no propriety they could not so use it for the common-wealth . and i never conformed to the doctrine that denyeth propriety in church members and particular churches , and thought all simply common . i 'le tell you what particular churches have to individuate them , not common to all . . they consist of individual natural persons , many of which as much differ from many other persons , ( those in england from those in spain ) as one man doth from another . . their graces and gifts are numerically distinct ( faith , hope , love , &c. ) from those of other churches thô ejusdem speciei . . england and france , london and oxford , have churches of different place and scit●●ti●● . but the formal individuating difference is their nearest relation to their several pastors ; as several kingdoms , cities , schools are n●merically distinct by their distinct kings , maiors , school-masters , so are several churches ●jusdem speci●i . . thess. . , . know those that are among you and over you in the lord , and esteem them highly in love for their works sake . as every mans wife , children and servants must be used for the common good , and yet are not common , one mans wife and children are not anothers ; so the bishop of london , of oxford &c. must govern his church for the good of the universal ; but he is not the bishop of gloucester , norwich , paris , rome . these are differences enow to constitute a numerical difference of churches : paul distinguisheth the bishops of philippi , ephesus , &c. from others . do you yet see no priviledges that one hath proper , and not common to all ? none that make a difference in specie , but both numerical and gradual ▪ . all churches have not bishop jewel , bishop andrews , doctor stillingfleet , doctor sherlock to be their teachers : all churches be not taught all that 's in this resolver . . all churches have not men of the same soundness nor excellency of parts : it was once taken for lawful to account them specially worthy of double honour who laboured in the word and doctrine , and to esteem men for their works sake . paul saith of timothy , i have no man like minded . if those that heard not a sermon in many years differed not from your congregation , why do you preach ? i am reproached in print for telling the world this notorious truth ; that i lived till ten years old , where four men , four years hired successively were readers and school-masters ; two preached ( as it was called ) once a month , the other two never : two drank themselves to beggery . after i lived where many parishes about us had no preachers : the parish that i lived in , had a church with a vicar that never preached , and a chappel with a parson eighty years old , that had two livings twenty miles distant , and never preacht : his son a reader and stage-player was sometime his curate : his grand-son , my school-master , his curate next that , never preacht in his life , but drunk himself to beggery . one year a taylor read the scripture , and the old man ( the best of them all ) said the common-prayer without book ( for want of sight . ) the next year a poor thresher read the scripture . after that a neighbours son ( my master ) was curate , who never preacht but once , and that when he was drunk , ( in my hearing ) on mat. . come ye blessed , and go ye cursed ; ] the saddest sermon that ever i heard . these things were no rarities : now my assertion is , that the church that had such as austin , chrysostome , jewel , andrews , and such worthy men as london now hath many , had priviledges distinct from these , ( and many the like ) that i was in . if you say that every bishop and preacher is as much the bishop and preacher to all other single churches , as to that which is his title ; then . he must be condemned for not teaching them all . . then he may claim maintenance from them all . . then he may intrude into any mans charge . . then no church is unchurcht for want of a bishop , for any one bishop is bishop to every church in the world ; and so ubi episcopus ibi ecclesia , signifieth but that church and bishop are on the same earth ; and ecclesia est plebs episcopo adunata may be verified if there be but one in the world. . and so mr. dodwell and such are self-confuted before you are aware : geneva , holland , and all presbyterians are true churches , for they have all bishops ; e. g. the bishop of london is bishop to them all : for if one man be no more a member of one single church than of another , and so no more a subject to one bishop than to another , then one bishop is no more pastor of one church than of another . . and how can you magnifie the church of england for a wise , learned , pious clergy above other churches , if all priviledges be common , and they have no proper pastors of their own . . do you think that the church , e. g. of hippo , that was in austins dayes , was the same numerical single church with that which is there now , ( were there any ) or with the diocesan church of london ? if not , then at least distance of time , and change of persons maketh divers particular churches ; and it 's no more against the unity of the church universal to have divers particular churches in it in the same age , than in divers ages . in short , diversity of matter and form maketh a numerical diversity ( as of natural , so ) of politick bodies of the same species : but the churches of ephesus , smyrna , thyatira , philadelphia , &c. were of divers matter and form numerically ; ergo they were divers political churches . sure god doth not commend laodicea for philadelphia's church virtues , nor condemn the church of philadelphia for the other churches sins . and if the angels be bishops , why are some bishops praised as the bishops of such churches , and the bishops of other churches threatned . but i confess this is a ready way to end the controversies between the bishops of several churches which snall be greatest , if they be all but one . but i hope that when the bishop of rome and his church was corrupted , it is not true that every bishop and church fell with him , ( or with any that hath turned to mahumetanism . ) to be no longer on this , ( which i thought no prelatist would ever have put me on ) if these men speak not notoriously against scripture , against the constant language of canons and fathers , historians and lawyers , and all antiquity , and all christian countreys and divines , ( yea , even those that at trent would have had only the pope to be of immediate divine right ) then i know not any thing by reading . and if poor nonconformists must be put to defend themselves against such singularities , and be schismaticks unless they will differ from all the christian world of all ages , there is no remedy . § . . but p. , . he tell us , [ that a church is made by a divine covenant-god only can constitute a church : such persons , if there be any so absurd , are not worth disputing with , who dare affirm the church to be an humane creature , or the invention of men . — and no church can depend on humane contracts ; for then a church would be a humane creature and constitution , whereas a church can be founded only on a divine covenant — . who would think but this man were a nonconformist , that talks so like them ( e. g. amesius in medul . theol. ) against humane church forms ? but what then will bishop bilson , and almost all other bishops and christians be thought of , who affirm patriarchal and metropolitical churches ( and many of the diocesane ) to be but humane constitutions and inventions . and if these be not worth the disputing with , it seems , that you differ from them more than separatists do : and then were not all these schismaticks ? and then , are not you a schismatick if you communicate with them ? yea , your mr. dodwel himself maketh diocesan churches to be a humane creature ; and a. bishop bromhall much pleadeth for mans power to make patriarchal churches ; and so do such others . . but is it true that humane contracts make not a church ? ans. not alone : but i think that all churches are made by mutual contracts , and humane is one part of that which is mutual . . as to the vniversal church , . god as legislator and donor , instituteth the species of covenanting by baptism , and therein he commandeth mans consent to his offered covenant ; and conditionally promiseth to be our god : but , conditionale nihil ponit in esse : this much maketh no christian , nor church . to command a man to be a christian , and conditionally to promise him life if he will be one , proveth him not to be one ; else all were christians that reject an offered christ. . but when man consenteth and covenanteth with god , then gods conditional gift becomes actual and efficacious , the man being a capable recipient , and not before : and in this it is the contract that is the fundamentum relationis ; but a single promise is not a mutual covenant or contract . so that it is no wiser divinity to say , gods covenant and not mans consent , covenant or contract with god , doth make christians , and the universal church ; than it is sober reason to say , that gods institution of marriage or magistracie only doth make the relation of husband and wife , without their covenanting consent , or doth make common-wealths , without the consent or covenant of sovereign and subjects , did this doctor think that voluntariness is not as necessary to the relation of christianity as to the relation of prince and subjects ; yea , or of husband and wife ? if he do , he is shamefully mistaken . baptism delivereth men possession of pardon , grace and right to glory ; and can men have this against their wills ? one would think by the doctrine and course of some men , that they could force men to pardon and salvation ! if i believed that their force could accomplish this , i would never call it persecution . if they can force men to be true christians , they may force them to be justifyed and saved ; and then they are very uncharitable if they do not : let them then cease preaching and disputing us to their opinion , but bring us all to heaven whether we will or not . yea the self-contradictor , playing fast and loose , confesseth p. . that no man at age can be admitted to baptism , till he profess his faith in christ , and voluntarily undertake the baptismal vow : and is not that humane covenanting ? yea , he knoweth that the liturgie maketh even neighbours or strangers , vow and covenant , both in the name of the child and for the child . and so necessary doth the episcopal church think humane covenanting , that without this no child must be baptized publickly though the parents would covenant , and that they can neither for love nor money ( for many poor men hire godfathers ) get any one ( much less three ) who examined , will seriously purpose to perform the covenant for the child 's holy education which they make ii. but is not humane covenanting a cause of single church relation as well as of universal ? i see no cause to doubt it ; and i am sure that the church for a thousand years ( before and since popery came in ) have declared him no bishop that comes in without consent of clergie and people ; which consent is their covenanting act . to make a single church , manifold consent goeth to the fundamentum relationis . . god commandeth single church officers , order and consent , and promiseth them his blessing where they are met : the lord and his angels are among them : no command is vain , and without a virtual promise . . to this a threefold humane consent is needful , ordinarily : . the persons called . . the ordainers ( when it may be had . ) . the peoples . he that formerly , from the apostles dayes , for a thousand years , should have said , that neither the covenanting , that is the consent of the pastor , or people , or ordainers , is necessary to the fundamentum of a single church relation or form , would have been taken for a wild-brain'd schismatick at least . § . . but saith this doctor ( and another of them ) [ p. . but the independent church covenant between pastor and people , is of a very different nature from this : vnless any man will say , that the voluntary contract and covenant which the independents exact from their members , and wherein they place a church state , be part of the baptismal vow ; if it be not , then they found the church upon a humane covenant ; for christ hath made but one covenant with mankind which is contained in the vow of baptism ; if it be , then no man is a christian but an independent . ans. alas for the church that is taught at this rate ! . i never saw what independents do in this case ; but i think none of them that are sober own any other sort of church but the universal , and single churches as members of it , and therefore require no contract but . to the covenant of baptism or christianity . . to the duties of their particular church-relation . . and nothing is here of necessity but manifested consent ( which is a real contract ) but a clearer or a darker , an explicite or implicite consent differ only ad melius esse . . is not god the author of magistracy , marriage , &c. and is it any violation of gods part , if rulers and people , husband and wife be covenanters by his command ? . is it any renuntiation of baptism to promise at ordination to obey the arch-bishop and bishop , and to take the oath of canonical obedience ? is it not still exacted ? are not the takers of it obliged ? are not covenants imposed on all that will be ministers in the act of uniformity ? are not multitudes kept out and cast out for not making these covenants ? quo reneam nodo , &c. how should one deal with such slippery men ? good mr. zachary cawdry that wrote to have all men to covenant submission to bishops and parish ministers , did not dream that it was any violation of baptism . . do not men owe duty to their pastors which they owe to no others ? if not , put them not on it : why are you angry with them for going from you ? why doth the canon suspend those that receive them to communion from another parish that hath no preacher ? why are we ruined for not covenanting as aforesaid ? if yea , then is it against baptism to promise to do our duty ? . but hath god commanded or instituted no covenant but baptism ? yes sure , the matrimonial at least ; and i think ordination is covenanting for the ministry : did not the apostle acts . . ordain elders in every church ? if you would have [ by suffrage ] left out of the translation , no sober man can doubt but it was by the peoples consent ; and was it without their consent that titus was to ordain elders in every city ? could any then come otherwise in ? did not all churches hold and practise this after , and was it none of gods institution ? if so , god requireth us not to take any of you for our bishops or pastors : who then requireth it ? what meaneth paul when he saith , they gave up themselves to the lord and to us , by the will of god. . can the wit of man imagine how it is possible without consent , for a man to be made the pastor of any flock ? who ever ordained a man against his will ? or for any man to have title against his will , to the proper oversight and pastoral care of any one pastor , or the priviledges of any church ? if any think they may be cramm'd and drencht with the sacrament , or that an unwilling man may have a sealed pardon and gift of salvation delivered him , he will make a new gospel . and how any particular pastor is bound to give that man the sacrament ordinarily , that consents not ordinarily to receive it of him , i know not . no man is a member of any city , or any company of free-men in the city , but by mutual consent ; and the oath of allegiance and supremacy to the king maketh not the oath of a citizen as such or of a member of a company as such , unlawful . . doth this doctor think that he ever yet proved to sober men , that the covenant aforesaid , of godfathers and godmothers , to make christians , and members of the universal church , is more ( or so much ) of gods institution , than the contract or consent between bishops or pastors and people to make a single political church ? . if it follow not , that no man is the kings subject that sweareth not to the city ; it will not follow , that none is a christian , but an independent , or church-consenter . . how are your parish or diocesan church members known to your selves or any others ? are all that dwell in the parish or diocess your church members ? then atheists , sadducees , hobbists , and all vicious men and thousands that never communicate are such : yea those that you call separatists . if it be every transient communicant , have you a proper pastoral care of every travellers soul that so communicates with you ? you after plead that his very ordinary communion maketh him not a member , if he be unwilling to be one . and is not his consent then necessary ? or if ordinary communion be the test ( how few then of great parishes are of the church ) yet that is because such communion signifieth their consent to your over-sight of them . § . . but it 's much to be approved which p. . and oft he saith , that to be taken into covenant with god , and to be received into the church is the very same thing , as to the universal church . by which all his gross schismatical accusations afterwards are confuted . no man then is out of the church that is not out of the baptismal covenant , either by not taking it , or by renouncing some essential part of it ? and when will he prove , that to take him , rather than dr. bates that was cast out , to be a teacher or pastor at dunstans , or to take this man and not another to be the lawful bishop or priest , and to obey him in every oath and ceremony , is an essential part of the baptismal covenant , or of christianity ? but such a rope of sand , as mr. dodwell and this man tye together , to bind men to their sect , will serve turn with some that know not who speaks truth , by any surer way than prejudice . § . . his doctrine of separation and gathering churches out of churches is anon to be considered : but whereas he addes , p. . [ these men convert christians from common christianity , and the communion of the vniversal church to independency . ] ans. my acquaintance with them is small , save by reading their books : and there are few men of any common denomination ( episcopal , or other ) that are not in many things disagreed . but i must in charity to them say , that as far as i can judge by their writings or speech , he palpably slandereth them ; and that none that are grave and sober among them do separate their churches from the common christianity or the universal church , any more than the company of stationers , ironmongers , &c. are separated from the city of london , or london from england , or trinity colledge from the university of cambridge or oxford . i never met with man , and i am confident never shall do , that doth not take his independent church to be part of the universal , and dependent as a part on the whole . if belying others stopt at words , the wrong were small : but when it 's made but the stairs to hatred and destroying , it 's his way to cure schism that is commonly painted with horns and cloven feet . if a man come from a countrey village and be made by covenant a citizen of london , how prove you that he renounceth king or kingdom ? but he saith , p. . those who wilfully separate from the corporation to which the charter was granted , forfeit their interest in the charter . ans. what reader doth this man presume upon that will not ask him , how he proveth . that gods law or charter to his church doth not require them to congregate in distinct single churches ( as london charter doth to erect several companies , and the universities several colledges ? ) . and that god hath not in his word given order or command for such single churches : but that the apostles and titus by fixing elders to their several churches and cities , separated from the universal church ? . and that their subordinate churches have not need of distinct subordinate consent and duty : and that our diocesan churches all separate from the universal ? did he think these things need no proof at all ? it may be he will say that the diocesan depend on the vniversal , but the presbyterian or independent do not . ● answer , dependance is either that of subjects on soveraign or magistrates for government , or that of a community of equals for communion . in the former respect they depend on none but christ as universal soveraign , nor on any foriegners for governments : in the latter , they depend on all true churches for communion : and doctor hammond and most diocesans hitherto have said that diocesan churches are thus far independent or national at most . and if any be for a forreign jurisdiction , in charity before they perswade england to it , they should procure them a dispensation from all the oaths , that have sworn all this kingdom against endeavouring any change of government , and against a foreign jurisdiction : for some fanaticks now dream that per is the mark of the beast , and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( which is the number of his name , is nominal as well as numeral , and refers to ch-urch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( and ) s tate ] ( for as for them that find a mans name in them , i abhorr their exposition more . ) § . . p. . [ god ( saith he ) hath not made any covenant in particular with the church of geneva , france or england , &c. a. . god hath made one general law , for christians congregating with their fixed elders or bishops in particular churches all the world over : and his command is not without promise of being with them to the end of the world ; and that promise becometh a promise to every church so congregate . god hath not made distinct laws or promises to every christian : but the promise to justifie all believers justifieth each single person when he believeth . if the king should make one common law to command all his subjects that are freeholders to live in corporations or hundreds , described with their priviledges , those priviledges would be all theirs that are so incorporated : as one charter may priviledge every london company , diversified by subordinate agreements . . and that god who will have them thus incorporated and distributed into several single churches , doth covenant ( or promise ) according to their demerits to each . do i need to recite the peculiar promises and threats to the seven asian churches , rev. . and . which are covenants to them ? § . . next pag. . he will tell us what communion is , and in many words , it is to tell us that communion is nothing but vnion : i know that quoad notationem nominis , communion may signifie , vnion with others : but they that write politicks have hitherto distinguished vnion and communion , taking communion for actual commnication , or exercise of the duties of men in union ? but to speak cross to other writers on the same subjects and give no reason for it , and to confound vnion and communion , is one part of this edifying resolution . § . . pag. . [ our communion with the church consists in being members of the church , which we are made by baptism , ] ( saith he . ) then the baptized are still in communion with the church , till their baptism be nullified : and hath he proved us apostates ? § . . pag. . should any man who is no member of the church , nor owns himself to be so , intrude into the church and communicate in all holy offices , it 's no act of communion , &c. a. i thought communicating ordinarily in holy offices , had gone for an owning of communion : if it do not , would you would tell us how to know who are of your church . § . . p. . saith he ( church-communion does not consist in particular acts of communion , which can be performed among those who are present and neighbours , but in membership : now as a member is a member of the whole body ( not meerly of any part of it , &c. ) all the subjects of england who never saw nor converst with each other , are members of the same kingdom . ] a. . that word [ meerly ] hath more craft than justice or honesty : meerly signifieth only i suppose ; and if he would make his reader think that they that are for single church peculiar membership and consent , do take themselves to be [ meerly or only ] members of those single churches , and not of the universal , it is shameless injury . . will he ever draw men to conformity by making them believe , that because they owe common communion to all christians , therefore we owe no special duty to the bishops , priests , churches or neighbours where we are setled ? do the men of one colledge , school , corporation , owe no more duty to that than to all others ? do the free-holders of belford-shire choose knights for middlesex ; or the citizens of oxford choose officers in london ? these seem strange resolutions to us . . but doth he remember that [ if communion consist not in acts of communion to such , but in membership even with the distant , ] then he that is baptized , and no apostate , and performeth no other acts of communion to the bishops , parson or people where he liveth , than he is bound to perform to them a hundred or thousand miles off , is not separatist . methinks this favours separation too much . § . . pag. . when he denyed any divine covenant to make us members of particular churches distinguish't from the vniversal ( as all national , diocesan and parochial are , as parts from the whole ) he presently confteth all again , saying [ the exercise of church 〈◊〉 as to m●st of the particular duties and offices of it must be confined to a particular church and congregation ( for we cannot actually joyn in the communion of prayers and sacraments , &c. but with some particular church . ] a. oportuit fuisse memorem , — . reader , doth not this man here confess that there are particular churches ? . if these be not distinct from the whole , then each particular is the whole . . if the exercise must be in particular churches , must not men consent to their relations and duties ? is it a sin to promise duty ? . sure it is not meer place , but a mutual relation of pastors and people that distinguisheth these churches . the presbyterians preach't once in the same places that you do , and yet you take them not for the same church pastors . if one from york or cornwall come into your pulpit without consent , do people stand as much related to him as to you ? some men are of extraordinary sufficiency to resist and conquer the clearest evidence of truth . but he addes [ every act of communion thô performed to some particular church , is and must be an act of communion with the whole catholick church . ] a. and who denyeth this ? no sober independent or presbyterian that ever i met with . it 's a weighty truth . § . . p. . saith he [ praying , and hearing and receiving the lords supper together doth not make us more in communion with the church of england than with any other true and orthodox part of the church , thô in the remotest part of the world. ] a. i think that 's not true : with the remotest parts you have only catholick communion with the church universal : in england and london you have that and more ; even special subordinate communion with your own king , bishop and flock . . and hath not the church of england such communion in obedience to its own laws ; ( as the act of uniformity , ) convocation and canons , which you have not with all abroad ? do your bishops in convocation make canon laws for all the world ? do you swear canonical obedience as much to the bishop of paris , or ha●●nia , &c. as to your ordinary ? do the canons of all churches impose our liturgy , or ipso facto excommunicate all that affirm any thing in it , or our ceremonies or church government , to be against gods word ? sure this is a peculiar kind of communion . . if not , why are all the nonconformists cast out that offer to officiate and communicate on such terms as are common to all sound churches ? pag. . saith he [ there is nothing in all these acts of communion which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular church than to the whole christian church . ] a. what , neither in these acts nor any other ! then we are no more bound to hear you , or maintain you as our pastor , than to hear and maintain the whole christian church . § . p. . saith he [ there is no other rule of catholick communion for private christians , but to communicatee in all religious offices and all acts of government and discipline with christians those with whom they li●e . a. . elsewhere you added [ sound and orthodox : ] else they that live with arians , socinians , papists ( in spain , france , italy , &c. ) are bound to communicate with them in all religious offices and obey them . . this concludeth , that where presbytery or independency is the way of the place where we live , all must thus communicate and obey . the king and custom then may make any way to become our duty . . if you tell us that it 's only with the sound and orthodox , you were as good say nothing , unless you tell us who must judge that , whether the people themselves , or who for them . . but if this be the only rule for private christians , what shall they do , e. g. in aethiopa , egypt , syria , and many other countreys where the churches are such as general councils and other churches judge hereticks or schismaticks ? and what shall they do , when at antioch , alexandria , constantinople , &c. one party is uppermost ( by the judgment of councils and prince ) one year , and another contrary party the next . and what shall they do where the prince equally tolerateth both , and it 's hard to know which is the more numerous ? as in zeno's and anastasius reign , &c. and what shall they do when many chnrches in one city are of divers tongues , as well as customs ? have the greeks , french and dutch in london no rule of catholick communion but communicating in all office ; with the english , and obeying all your bishops courts ? § . . p. . saith he [ distinct and particular churches which are in communion with each other , must have their distinct bounds and limits , as every member has it's natural and proper place , and situation in the body . ] a. why may not the greeks , dutch and french live in communion with the churches london though they live dispersedly among them ! in brandenburg , hassia , and many free cities , and belgia , where lutherans and calvinists ( as called ) live together , and own each other as brethren , why may not both be churches of christ ? § . . p. , . a great deal more he hath of the like , making schismaticks at his pleasure . [ this is plain in the case of the presbyterian and independent churches and those other conventicles — they are churches in a church , — nothing can justifie the distinction of christians into several churches , but only such a distance of place as makes it necessary , &c. p. . distinct churches in the same place can never be under the same communion . a. these things are repeated so oft , and the word [ separate ] so deceitfully rolled over and over , that i will answer all together under his third case at the end. § . . p. . see how openly he recanteth most aforesaid : there is a sence indeed wherein we may be said to be members of one particular church considered as distinct from all other particular churches : but that principally consists in government and discipline . every christian is a member of the whole christian church , and in communion with it , but he is under the immediate instruction and government of his own bishop and presbyters , and is bound to personal communion with them ; and this constitutes a particular church , in which all acts of worship and all acts of discipline and government are under the direction and conduct of a particular bishop . ] a. omitting that he seemeth to make the parochial churches no churches , but parts of one , here he saith all that he seemed to write against , and that those that he reproacheth hold , allowing the difference of the extent of churches . and is it edifying to read such a discourse , that saith and unsaith by self-contradiction ? and he adjoyns . p. how by agreement patriarchal and national churches are made ! and is not agreement a humane contract ? chap. ii. of his first case . § . . page . his first case , whether communion with some church or other be a necessary duty incumbent on christians : ] and he thinks the resolution of this is as plain , as whether it be necessary for every man to be a christian : for every christian is baptized into the communion of the church . a. in this i know no christian adversary to him : but it being the vniversal church that he giveth his proof of necessary communion with , it 's odde to say , we must have communion with some church or other : as if there were more than one universal church . . but we grant more , that all that can well , should be also members of some single church . § . . p. . he saith [ external and actual communion is an essential duty of a church-member ( meaning a christian. ] a. . and yet before he denyed that communion lay essentially in this exercise , but only in vnion : yea and nay is his custom . . some few christians ( as those that live where such communion cannot be had without sin , &c. ) are not bound to it ; therefore it is not true that it is essential to universal church-membership . and i think sickness endeth not the essentials , that disableth men . . note reader , that by this mans doctrine we are all unchristened and damned if we do not gather into disallowed churches , if we be unjustly cast out of the allowed ones : for all must be church members that will be christians , and an unjust excommunication cannot disoblige us from christianity , nor bind us to consent to be damned . now read the th th th th , &c. canons of the church of england , which ipso facto excommunicate all that affirm any thing in their liturgy , articles , ceremonies or government sinful , and answer spalatensis arguments against excommunicating ipso facto , and prove all this just , and you may prove what you will just . but you see where he layeth the controversie : if any be excommunicated without sufficient cause , or by lay civilians to whom god never gave that power , or by such bishops or pastors as have no just authority for want of a true call or consent ; or if any unlawful thing be made necessary to communion , all such persons must by his own confessions hold church-communion whether these imposers will or not ; for all christians are bound to be of some church . § . . p. , . he saith that [ none but publick prayers are the prayers of the church properly , and acts of communion , that is , such as are offered by the hands of men authorized and set apart for that purpose , &c. ] ans. who would have thought that we are more for the liturgy than he ? i undertake to prove , that all the responsal prayers , and all the litany prayers , in which the minister names but the matter to them , and the people make it a prayer by speaking the petitioning parts , are all the publick prayers of the church , and so are all the petitioning psalms spoke or sung by the people , and not only that which is offered by the priest : i do not think that he believeth what he carelesly saith here , himself . but the independents are stiffer for his first thesis ( of the necessity of church-communion ) than he is , his unfit words i pass by . chap. iii. of his second case . § . . the next question of occasional communion as distinct from fixed , he turns out of doors , as if there could be no such thing , and it 's very true as to the church universal ; but as to visible , actual communion with this or that particular church , it is not true . . a traveller of another country , who on his journey communicateth with every church where he passeth , is not a fixed member of that church : for , . the pastor or bishop hath not that peculiar charge of him as of fixed members . . he is not bound where he passeth to take such notice of the lives of communicants or pastors , and to admonish the offenders , and tell the church , as fixed members are . . he hath not the right in chooseing pastors or deacons as the fixed members have . . an itinerant bishop in transitu is not their fixed bishop ; ergo an iterant lay-man is not a fixed member . the same i may say of one that is a fixed member of another church in the same city , and cometh to that only to signifie universal communion , or neighbourly ; which , though he deny to be lawful , i shall further prove anon . and the same i may say of those that dwell where there is no fixed single church at all , for want of a pastor , but they congregate only when some strange minister passeth through the town . chap. iv. his third case . § . . page , . he resolveth his third case : [ whether it be lawful to communicate with two distinct and separate churches ] negatively , and saith , [ it is contrary to all the principles of church communion , as any thing can possibly be ; it is to be contrary to our selves , it is communicating with schism : that the presbyterian and independent churches have made an actual separation from the church of england he hath evidently proved ; — and they are schismaticks , and to communicate with them is to partake in their schism ; and if schism be a great sin , and that which will damn us as soon as adultery and murther , then it must needs be a dangerous thing to communicate with schismaticks . and p. . there cannot be two distinct churches in one place , one for occasional , and another for constant communion , without schism . ] ans. to save those that are willing from the poyson of these schismatical doctrines , lapt up in confusion by men that abhor distinction , or understand not what they say ; i will first lay down that truth that he sights against , with convincing evidence , and then shew you the mischief of his false doctrine and application . § . . the confusion of these words [ church , communion , separation and schism ] which every one signifie divers things , is the chief means to blind and deceive his reader ; whether it do so by himself i know not . i. the word church signifieth sometime the universal church ; sometime a single organized church as part of it , and sometime humane combinations of such single churches ; and that into diocesan , classical , provincial , patriarchal , national , and papal . ii. the specification and nomination of churches is from the formal cause , and the proper government is that form : and the individuation is from matter and form , but principally from the form . iii. the union of pastor and flock in relation makes that which is a form aptitudinal ( as the soul to the body ) to be the form in act ( as the union of soul and body ) and gods command and consent with the consent of the necessary relate and correlate cause that union . iv. union is in order to communion , which is primary by the exercise of the formal powers on the matter , and secondary by the action of all the parts according to their several capacities and offices . v. the union of the church is of divers degrees . . the formal union of the head and body , which maketh it essentially the [ christian church . ] . the vnion of the parts among themselves as christian , which maketh them a body capable of union with the head. . the union of the parts as unequal organized , the official with the rest , which maketh it an organized body , fit for its special use and welfare . . union in integrity of parts , which maketh it an intire body . . union in due temperament and qualities , which maketh it a healthful body . . unity in commou accidents , which make it a comely beautiful body joined with the rest . but , . union in mutable accidents is unnecessary and impossible . vi. these several degrees of union are found in bodies natural and politick . . the union of soul and body makes a man , and an embryo before it be organized . . the union of the body maketh it capable of the souls further operation . . the union of the organical , chief parts , ( as heart , lungs , &c. ) to the rest make it a true humane body compleated to the nutriment and action of life . . that it have hands and fingers , feet and toes , and all integral parts , makes it an intire body . . the due site , temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound body . . comely colour , hair , action , going , speech , &c. make it a comely body . . to have all parts of equal quantity and office , would make it uncomely : and to have the same hair , colour , &c. is unnecessary at all . . the union of king and subjects as such makes a kingdom . . that the people be agreed ; for one conjunct interest and government maketh them a community capable of politie or government . . that there be judges , maiors and justices , and subordinate cities or societies , maketh it an organized body , in which kingly government may be exercised to its end , the common good . . that no profitable part be wanting , ( judge , justice , sheriff , &c. ) maketh it an entire kingdom . . that all know their place , and be duly qualified with wisdom , love , justice , conscience , obedience to god first , to the sovereign power next , to officers next , &c. maketh it a sound and safe kingdom . . that it be well situate , fertile , rich , eminent in learning , skill , &c. maketh it an adorned beautiful kingdom . . that all be equal in power and wealth is destructive ; and that all be of one age , complexion , calling , temper , degree of knowledge , &c. is impossible : and that all have the same language , cloathing , utensils , &c. is needless at least . vii . jesus christ is the only universal soveraign of the church , both ▪ of vital influence and government ; nor hath he set up any under him , either monarchical , aristocratical , democratical , or mixt , pope , council , or diffused clergy , that hath the power of legislation and judgment as governing the whole chorch ; but only officers that per partes govern it among them , each in his province , as justices do the kingdom , and kings and states the world ; nor is any capable of more . viii . to set up any universal legislators and judge , ( pope or council ) is to set up an usurper of christs prerogative , called by many a vice-christ or an antichrist ; and as bad as making one man or senate the soveraign of all the earth ; and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign jurisdiction in this land , is to endeavour to perjure the whole kingdom that is sworn against it in the oath of supremacy , and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of government in church or state in the corporation oath , the vestry oath , the militia oath , the oxford oath , with the uniformity covenants : and if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the kingdom to all these oaths against it , i doubt whether all the powers of hell can devise a much greater crime against clergy , cities , and all the land. good reason therefore had doctor isaac barrow to write against it as he hath done , and to confute mr. thorndike , and all such as of late go that pernicious way , by the pretence of church union and communion . as if one universal soveraign and legislator and judge , were not enough to unite christs kingdom , or man could mend his universal laws , and could not stay for his final judgment ; and churches and kingdomes might not till then be ruled without one humane universal soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves . xi . to be a true believer or christian , ( or the infant seed of such ) devoted to god the father , son , and holy ghost , according to the sense of the baptismal covenant , uniteth each member first to christ himself directly , and consequently to his body or church ; and this coram deo , as soon as it is done by heart consent ; and coram ecclesia , regularly , as soon as he is invested by baptism ; which baptism , when it may be had so , is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized minister or deacon ; but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a lay-man , the ancient christians took it not for a nullity , much less if the baptizer was taken for a minister by mistake , being in his place ; and if no baptism can be had , open covenanting is vallid . x. the papists ( and their truckling agents here ) have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction : to make themselves masters of the world , they would perswade us , that sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie , and that god saveth none ( by any known way and grant ) but by his covenant sealed by the sacraments ; and that he authorizeth none to administer this covenant but prelates and their priests , and none can validly have it from other hands : and so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way , heaven and hell , salvation and damnation are at the will and mercy of such prelates and priests . but unhappily they cannot retrieve their old opinion , but maintain that lay-men and women may baptize in necessity validly , and that baptismputs one into a state of salvation . xi . as he that swears and keeps his allegiance to the king is a subject and member of the kingdom , though he be no member of any corporation ; so , though he disown a thousand fellow subjects ; yea , though he deny the authority of constable , justice , judge ; so he that is devoted to christ truly in the baptismal covenant , is a christian , and a member of the universal church , though he were of no particular church , or did disown a thousand members , or any particular officer of the church . xii . all faults or crimes are not treason : a man that breaketh any law , is in that measure culpable or punishable : but every breach of law , or wrong to fellow subjects or justices , as it is not treason , so it doth not prove a man no subject ; though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable : and so it is in the case of our subjection in the church to christ. xiii . to own christs instituted species of church officers is needful to the just order , safety and edification of the church ( as to own the courts of judicature , justices , &c. in the kingdom ) but to own this or that numerical officer as truly commissioned , is needful only to the right administration of his own province . xiv . as christ did his own work of universal legislation by himself and his spirit eminently in the apostles and evangelists , who have recorded all in scripture , so he settled churches to continue to the end associated for personal communion in his holy doctrine , worship , order and conversation with authorized ministers , subordinate to his administration in his prophetical , priestly , kingly and friendly relations . and thô these may not always or often meet in the same place , their neighbourhood maketh them capable of personal presential communion , as men that may know and admonish each other and meet by turns , and in presence manage their concerns ; which differenceth single churches of the lowest order from associated churches of men , that have communion only by others at distance . xv. as logicians say of other relations , the matter must be capable of the end , or it is not capable of the name and form ; so is it here : e. g. it is no ship that is made of meer sponge or paper , or that is no bigger than a spoon ; it is no spoon that is as big as a ship : one house is not a village , nor one village a city , nor a city a meer house . so twenty or an hundred or a thousand p●rishes associate , cannot be a single church of the first or lowest order , being not capable of mutual knowledge , converse or personal present communion : nor are two or three lay-men capable to be such a church , for want of due matter . but supposing them capable , thô a full and rich church have advantage for honour and strength , yet a small and poor one is ejusdem ordinis as truely a church ; and so is their pastor , as hierom saith of rome and eugubium so alexandria and maju●an &c. gregory neocaesar was equally bishop of nineteen at first , as after of all save nineteen in the city . xvi . if the apostles have successours in their care and superiority over many churches , it will prove that there should yet be men of eminent worth to take care of many churches , and to instruct and admonish the younger ministers : but it will neither prove . that they succeed the apostles in the extraordinary parts of their office. . nor that they have any forcing power by the sword. . nor that one church hath power over others by divine right ; for the apostles fixed not their power to any particular churches , but were general visitors or overseers of many : yet if the same man who is fixed in a particular church , have also the visiting admonishing oversight of many as far as was an ordinary part of the apostles office , and be called an archbishop , i know no reason to be against him . xvii . there be essential and integral acts of the sacred ministry instituted by christ : these none may take the power of from any ministers , nor alter the species or integrity of the offce , by setting up any such superious as shall deprive them of that which christ hath instituted , or arrogating the like uncalled . but as in worship , so in order and church government , there are undetermined accidents : as to choose the time and place of synods , to preside and moderate and such like : and these the churches by agreement , or the magistrate may assign to some above the rest : and if the magistrate affix baronies , honours , revenues , or his own due civil forcing power , and make the same men magistrates and ministers , whether we think it prudent and well done or not , we must honour and obey them . xviii . some call these humane accidental orders , forms of church government , and affirm ( as bishop reignolds did , and dr. stillingfleet in his irenicon and many excellent men by him cited ) that no form of church government is of divine command . which is true of all this second sort of government which is but accidental aud humane ; but not at all of the first sort which is divine and essential to christ himself first , and to pastors as such by his appointment ; so that the essential government of the universal church , by christ , and of each particular church by pastors specified by him ( if not of supervisors of many as succeeding apostles and evangelists in their ordinary work ) are of unalterable divine right . but the humane forms are alterable : such i account . the presidency and moderatorship and accidental government of one bishop in a single church over the other presbyters , deacons , &c. . the accidental government of a diocesan as an archbishop over these lowest bishops and churches . . and the superiority of metropolitans and patriarchs over them , so it be but in such accidentals and within the same empire , not imposing a forreign jurisdiction . these tota specie differ from the divine offices . xix . all these single church being parts of the universal are less noble than the whole , and are to do all that they do as members in union with the whole , and to do all as acts of communion with them . xx. the general precepts of doing all to edification , concord , peace , order , &c. oblige all the churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these ends : and synods are one special means , which should be used as far and oft as the ends require : and if national metropolitans and patriarchs order such synods , i am not one that will disobey them . but if on these pretences any would make synods more necessary than they are , and use them as governours , by legislation and judgement over the particular bishops by the use of the church keyes , and will affixe to them or metropolitans , besides an agreeing power and the said government in accidentals , a proper church government by making and unmaking ministers or christians , excommunicating and absolving as rulers by the said keyes , it may be a duty to disown such usurpations . as the king would disown an assembly of princes any where met that would claim a proper government of him and his kingdom ; thô it were much to be wisht that all christian princes would hold such assemblies for the concord and peace of christendom . xxi . the essentials of faith , hope and loving 〈◊〉 , essentiate the church objectively : and these are all summarily contained in the baptismal covenant , explained in the creed , lords prayer and decalouge ; and all with much more , even integrals and needful accidentals in the sacred scriptures , which taking in the law of nature , are gods universal law. xxii . there is no church on earth so sound and orthodox as to want no integral part of christian religion : proved : there is no man on earth , much less any multitude , so sound as to want no integral part : but all churches consist only of men ; and therefore if all the men be so far defective , all the churches are so . it is not their objective religion generally and implicitely received that i mean , but their subjective religion , and their explicite reception of the objective . the scripture is our perfect objective religion in it self , and as an object proposed , and in general and implicitely we all receive it . but as a man may say , i believe all that 's in the scripture , and yet be ignorant of the very essentials in it ; so a man may explicitely know and believe all the essentials and more , and yet be ignorant of many integrals . all things in scripture proposed to our faith , hope and practice , are the integrals of our religion : but no christian understandeth all these proposals or words of scripture : therefore no christian explicitely believeth them all , or practiceth all . to hold the contrary , is to hold that some church is perfect in understanding , faith , hope and practice , without ignorance , errour or sin : that is , not to know what a man or a christian on earth is . xxiii . much less do all churches agree in unnecessary indifferent accidents , nor ever did , nor ever will or can do . xxiv . the measuring out churches by limits of ground , parochial or diocesan , is a meer humane ordering of a mutable accident , and no divine determination : and if all were taken for church members-because they dwell in those precincts , it were wicked : but if it be but all in those precincts that are qualified consenters , it is usually a convenient measure : but such as in many cases must be broken . xxv . if a church with faithful pastors be well setled in a place first where there are not more than should make up that one church , it is not meet for any there to gather a distinct church ( thô of the same faith ) without such weighty reason as will prove it necessary , or like to do more good than hurt : . because love inclineth to the greatest union ; . because a great church is more strong and honourable than a small , if the number be not so great as to hinder the ends. . and the ancient churches kept this union . xxvi . if magistrates make such laws about church accidents as tend to further the churches wellfare , or are so pretended , and not against it , we must obey them . but if they will either invade christs authority or cross it , by making laws against his , or such as are proper to his prerogative to make , or invade the pastors office , and the churches properright given by christ , or determine accidents to the destruction of the substance ( the church , doctrine , worship or ends ) these bind the consciences of none to obedience ; but christ must be obeyed , and we must patiently suffer . xxvii . self-interest , self-government and family-government are all antecedent to publick government , which ruleth them for the common good , but hath no authority to destroy them : no king or prelate can bind a man to do that which would damn his soul , nor to omit that which is needful to his salvation : all power is for edification : they are gods ministers for good. xxviii . as it belongs to self-government to choose our own dyet , and cloaths , and wives , and physicians , ( thô we may be restrained from doing publick hurt on such pretences ; ) and it belongs to family government to educate our own children , and choose their tutors , callings , wives , &c. so it more nearly belongs to self-government to choose the most safe and profitable means of our own salvation , which no man may forbid us ; and to avoid that which is pernicious or hurtful ; and to family-government to do the like for our children . xxix . it is false doctrine of those late writers who tell us , that only sacraments sanctifie or give right to salvation : the whole tenor of the gospel tells us that men are brought to faith and repentance , and to be christians , and godly men , and by faith to be justified , by the preaching of the gospel : and that gods word is his appointed means of salvation , which his ministers must preach skilfully , instantly , in season and out of season , to that end : and if the gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost . xxx . the gospel saveth not like a charm , by the bare sound or saying of the words ; nor the sacrament like an amulet ; but as a moral means ( specially blest by him that instituted it ) to work on man as m●n , by informing his mind , perswading his will and exciting his affections , as men are wrought on in other cases ; ( which methinks those called arminians should least deny , who are said to lay more of the spirits operation on moral suasion than their adversaries ; yea and those that account it fanaticism to expect any other gift of prayer from the spirit but what is given morally by use . ) and the contrary doctrine feigneth god to work even constantly by miracle : and as the papists make every mass-priest a miracle worker in transubstantiation , so do they that make the bare saying over the words and doing the outward acts in the sacrament , to save us ex opere operato , and the pastoral teaching and oversight of an ignorant drunken lad or reader to be ( near ) as great a help to salvation , as the ministry of a wise skilful , holy and exemplary pastor , and the clear affectionate preaching of gods word : and that tell us ( as mr. dodwell ) how sufficient a man is to administer the sacramental covenant that understands what a covenant is in matters of common conversation . xxxi . if a wise and skilful and conscionable ministry be as needless to edification and salvation as some men pretend , it is as needless that they should study to be such , and vain to glory that they are such , and that the church of england hath such a ministry , and vain to expect that men should pay them any more respect than i owed my master that never preacht but once , and that drunken ; ( and divers very like him . ) or that they should use this as an argument to draw men to hear them . xxxii . if the king or law should settle a physician of his ( or a patrons ) choice in every parish , it were well done if it be but to have help at hand for volunteers : but if he command all to use them and to use no other before them or against them , where unskilful or untrustly men are placed , no man is bound to obey this command : no mens law can dissolve the law of nature , nor disoblige a man from a due care of his life , nor bind him to cast it away upon obedience to ignorant or bad and treacherous men. and a mans soul is more precious than his health or life ; and he is bound to greater care of it ; and is no more to trust it on the will of his superiours how vast is the difference between an ignorant rash physician or pastor , and one that is wife , experienced and trusty ? they that scorn men for going for greater edification from one to another , do not so if a man prefer a skilful physician to one that kills more than he cures ; or a skilful and careful tutor for his son , yea or a farrier for his horse . xxxiii . if one preacher be not for edification to be great●● preferred before another , then one book is not : and so it 's no matter what book they read or value ; and what a student will this make ? and what a trade for the booksellers ? and why then should their own books be so valued ? and why then do they silence hundreds or thousands and forbid them to preach on pain of ruine , ( thô no false doctrine be proved against them ) if they think not that the difference is very great . xxxiv . when councils hereticated and condemned thousands or hundreds of priests and bishops , whom christian emperours and princes owned as orthodox , they did not then think every patron , prince or prelate a competent judge with what pastor men should trust the conduct of their souls : nor did they think so that forbad men hearing fornicators ; nor cyprian that required the people to forsake basilides and martial ( & peccatorem praepositum . ) xxxv . so full was the proof given in the book called , the first plea for peace , that the church from the beginning denyed princes and magistrates to be entrusted with the choice of bishops , or pastors to whom the churches were bound to trust the conduct of their souls , that he who denyeth it , is not worthy to be therein disputed with . and yet we doubt not but they may force infidel subjects and catechumens to hear sound and setled preachers and catechists ; and may dispose of the tythes , temples and many other accidents of the church ; and may drive on pastors and people to their duty . xxxvi . it is false doctrine that two distinct churches may not be in the same precincts or city ; this being a meer accident which abundance of cases make unnecessary and unlawful : which i shall prove . that which is no where commanded by god , is no duty : but that there shall be but one church ( or bishop ) in the same precincts , is not commanded of god , ergo , &c. ( divine of gods making . ) they own the major in the case of indifferent thing . if they deny the minor let the affirmers prove any such command . we grant a command of love and concord , and a prohibition of all that is against them . but in many instances , to have several churches in the same precincts , is not against them . if they fly to the canons of foreign councils , the reason of them we shall weigh and duely regard ; but they were national , and had their legislative power only from their own princes and their counselling power only from christ : and we disown all foreign jurisdiction . xxxvii . in all these cases following ( and more ) two churches may be in the same precincts ( yea and a city . ) . in case that several bishops are called justly to dwell in the same city , or diocess , and many of their flock be with them , e.g. many bishops of england dwell long , yea mostly in london or in london diocess : e. g. the bishop of eli dwells in the parish of st. andrews holbourn : qu. whether there he be a subject to dr. stilling sleet as his pastor , and bound to obey him ? or whether many out of his diocess ( thousands ) may not as lawfully dwell half the year in london as he ? and whether when he preacheth to them , he do it not as their bishop ( in london diocess . ) and so of many other bishops that here reside . xxxviii . . either our parish churches are true churches , or not . if not , the separatists are so far in the right ; and separate not from true churches eo nomine because they separate from them . if yea , then many churches are in the same city and diocess . ( of their agreement and dependance on the same bishop i shall speak anon . ) xxxix . . in case that in one city there be resident stranges , that are sent on embassies , or live for merchandize , or flee from miseries , and are the subject of other princes , whose laws and customs they are under , e. g. at frankford , hamburgh , middleburgh , dantzick , const●●●nople , there have been english distinct lawful churches : and in london there are dutch and french churches : and if the king allowed a swedish church , a danish church , a saxon church , &c. with their several bishops , who is so weak as to need proof that this is lawful , and they true churches ? xl. . in case men of different language are not capable of mutual converse by personal communion or help : as dutch , french , italian , greeks , germans , &c. grotius and dr. hammond ( oft in dissert , and annot. ) do maintain that peter at rome had a church of jews , and paul a church of gentiles : and that the like distribution of churches of jews and gentiles , there was at antioch , alexandria and other places : and by this they salve the contradictions in church history about the succession of linus , cletus and clemens : and the apostles setled not a sinful church way . xli . . yea grotius maintaineth that the apostles setled the churches at first not like the jewish priesthood , but in the order of their synagogues ; ( de imper. sum . patest . and in annot. ) and that as there were divers synagogues in a great city with their archisynagogus and elders , so there were divers churches in a city with bishops and presbyters . xlii . . when there are a greater number of persons in one city o● precinct than can have any just personal knowledge and communion , and more than any one bishop with his presbytery can perform the needful pastoral oversight to , it is lawful and a duty , to gather another church in that city or precinct : but this is truly the case of many great cities , though wordly wisdom have at rome , and other places oft denyed notorious evidence and experience . he that will gather up all the duties that dr. hammond saith were charged on the bishops ( in his annotations on all the texts that name elders and bishops ) if he can believe that any bishop can perform the tenth part of them to all in the diocess of london , york , lincoln , norwich , &c. i will not dispute against him if he maintain a bishops u●iquity , or that at once he can be in twenty places . but if they say , that what then was commanded them to do personally , they may do by others , i say , that if they may change the work , they may change the power , that specifieth the office ; and so it is not the same office in specie instituted in scripture : and then lay-men may have power to preach and administer sacraments , and do the office of priest , and yet be no priest ( as civilians do of bishops ) which is a contradiction . certainly if there be more scholars in the city than one master can teach and rule , it is no schism to set up more schools and schoolmasters , but a duty . and if the lord mayor on pretence of city government should put down but as great a part of family government , as those diocesans do of parochial church goverment , who allow none under them to be truly episcopi grigis , and have the power of their church keyes , i think that it were no sch●m to restore families so that the city might have more than one ( entirely . ) xliii . . if the soveraign power upon politick or religious reasons should determine , that e. g. dr. a , and dr. b , and dr. c. shall all be bishops in london , to such volunteers of clergy and laity as shall choose each of them to be their bishop , and this without altering their dwellings , no man can prove it sinful ; and of his reasons the king is judge . xliv . . if the bishop or clergy of a city , diocess or nation , do agree by law or canon to admit none to the ministry or communion that will not commit a known sin deliberately as the condition of his communion , it is a duty to congregate under other pastors in those prec●●cts . this is confest : if they should not only hold any errour , or practise sin , but require men to subscribe and approve it , and say it is no sin , no man ought to do this ; nor yet to live like an atheist , and forsake all worship because men forbid him , if it were but to subscribe one untruth : but alas , this is no rare case : in one emperours reign all were anathematized that subscribed not to the council of chalcedon , and quickly after all that did , or that would not renounce it : the same division and changes were made by the councils against and for the monothelites , de tribus captrulis , images , &c. and when all men living have many errours , and the church of england disclaimeth her infallibility , and yet will receive no minister that will not subscribe that there is nothing in her books contrary to the word of god , the case is hard . but when all the things mentioned in the plea for peace are proved lawful , we shall be more yielding in this case . xlv . . if true and sound christians mistakingly think one or many things to be heinous sins , ( as perjury , lying , renouncing obedience to god , and repentance , &c. ) which are things indifferent , but of so great difficulty that most learned and godly and willing men cannot discern the lawfulness and agree , and yet are not necessary nor just conditions of ministry or communion , and so it is the imposer that entangleth them by difficulty in their dissent , it is not lawful for these men therefore to forbear all church worship , but mi●●t use it as they can . xlvi . . if any church unjustly excommunicate such men ; or others , they must not forbear all church order and worship because men so excommunicate them . no man must sin to escape excommunication ; and every man in the world is a sinner ; and therefore all the world must be excommunicated , if all sinners must be so . as i before said , the times oft were when almost all the bishops in the empire were excommunicated by one another : councils and popes have oft excommunicated some for trifles and some for truth and duty . and such must not therefore renounce all church worship and communion . the church of england do by their standing law ipso facto excommunicate all ( as aforesaid ) that affirm any thing to be repugnant to gods word or sinful , in their whole church government , articles , liturgy and ceremonies , and so to stand till they publickly revoke this as a wicked errour . now many lords and commoners in parliaments , have spoken against some of these particulars ; and some out of parliament : many ministers have done the like when the king commissioned them to treat for alterations ; and many when the accusations or demands of others have called them to give a reason of their actions . some have maintained that it is repugnant to gods word that lay civilians should have the decretive power of the keyes , and that the parish minister must cast out of communnion all that the lay doctors or chancellors excommunicate , and all that dare not receive kneeling , and that they should deny christendom to all that scruple the english sort of god-fathers covenants , and the transient symbolical image of the cross , with abundance such things : now all these are ipso sacto excommunicate . and thô they be not bound to avoid the church till this be applicatorily declared , yet actually excommunicate they are , and that by a higher authority than the bishops ; and they know the churches decree ; and the priests are sworn to canonical obedience ; and he that will not temp● them to be forsworn , nor come into a church that hath excommunicated him , seems therein excuseable : but must he therefore renounce the church of god ? xlvii . . if the people are so set against one bishop for another , as that half being for one and half for the other , and both orthodox , they cannot be perswaded to unite in one . a council at rome determined in the case of paul●nus and flavian at antioch , that both of them should hold their distinct churches , and so live in love and peace . and though one or both parties in this were mistaken sinners , so are all morral men , who yet must not live like atheists . xlviii . . an undetermined accident must be so determined as most serveth to do the greatest good and avoid the greatest evil : but whether divers churches shall promiscuously live in the same city or diocess or parish , is an accident not determined by god , and either way may be for the greatest good , as circumstances vary . e.g. when in a church half cannot consent to condemn the words of theodo●●t , theodore mo●s●est , and ibas , and half will condemn them with the council ; if these can serve god quietly in love and peace in different congregations , but cannot endure one another in the same , it is most for the churches peace that they be permitted to joyn with those of their own mind . ● when one pope declared that it 's sound doctrine to say [ one of the trinity was crucified , ] when another had declared that it is not sound doctrine , they that held with one pope , and they that held with the other might both be true churches in different assemblies : when justinian raised the bloody controversie between the corrupticolae and the phantasiastae , wise men thought both sides were true churches : yea and so did many wise men think of the orthodox and nestor●●ns and many e●tychians . xlix . . it 's a common case under turks and heathens , that they give liberty of conscience for christians of all parties : now suppose that in ateppo , in constantinople or elsewhere , there be ( partly for countrey sake , and partly for language , but most for different judgments ) one church of armenians , one of greeks , one of english-men , &c. what law of god makes only one of these to be a true church , and which is it ? l. . suppose that the setled church e.g. in holland , sweden , saxony , is for presbytery , or for an episcopacy that arose from presbyters ordination , or that had none or a short liturgy , and the prince would tolerate english men ( as frankford did ) to set up a church of the english form and liturgy , i think few prelatists would deny it to be lawful . li. i omit other instances , and come to the matter of separation , which word serveth this man and such other in so general and undistinguished a sence , as would make one think he were of mr. dodwell's mind , that words in dispute have but one signification , which all are bound to know that use them . even a bell by the same sound sometime signifieth a call to church , and sometime a funeral , and sometime joy ; but [ separate , separate ] is rung over and over with these men , as if it signified but one thing . . he that heareth half the sermon and service , and goeth out of church , doth separate at that time from the rest . when a protestant heretick was doing penitence with his faggot at st. maries in oxford , and the fryer was preaching , a mistaken voice in the street made them think the hereticks had set the church on fire , and they separated from the preacher , one fryer stuck by the belly that was going out at the window ; the door being wedged with the crowd , a boy that saw it open above their heads , got up on their shoulders , and went on till he slipt into a monks cowl , and there lay still 'till the monk was got out , and felt something on his back , and thinking it was an heretical devil , began to conjure him in the name of father , son and holy ghost , to tell him what he was , and the boy cryed , o good master i am the bakers boy , &c. quaere , whether this was schismaticks separation . at wal●all in sta●ford-shire , mr. lapthorne ( known to me in his lusty age ) who had been a non-conformist , but thought it an honour to be converted by a king , and gloried that king james in conference changed him ; but being as rustick a thunderer as father latimer and more , he was wont to let fly without much fear ; one mr. martin in the parish accounted the greatest enemy to puritans , when he heard what he liked not , would goe out of church ; one day ( in a path way where mr. lane had rode a little before ) pelting crabs with a pole , the ground opened and swallowed him and his pole , that they could never be found ( being a cole-mine long on fire : ) ever after that , when any one would goe out of church at a blustering passage , mr. lapthorne would call to him , remember martin ; quere , whether all these were separating schismaticks ? but this is too far off : in dunstans west , where dr. sherl●ck preacheth , when i was licensed twenty years ago , at christmas , as i was preaching , some lime or stone fell down in the steeple with the crowd , the church being old and under suspicion , they all thought it was falling , and most ran out in tumult , and some cast themselves headlong from the gallery for hast ; when they were quieted and came in again , the boyes in the chancel broke a wainscot skreen with climbing on it , and the noise made them run out again ; one old woman going out , cryed , it 's just with god because i took not the first warning , lord forgive me , and i 'le never come again : quere , whether these , or at least this resolving woman was a schismatick , and separated from the catholick church ? if not , there is some separation that is not so bad as murder ; and methinks the doctor should forgive it for the success ; for the parish hereupon resolved to pull down the church and build it new , a far better fabrick where the dr. now preacheth ; and it drove me away that i preacht there no more ; whether this new church built where the old one had possession before , be not a schismatical separatist , i leave to him . lii . . local separation without mental can make no culpable schism ; for nil nisi volunt artum est morale ; if a man be imprisoned or be sick and cannot come to the church , it is innocent separation ; i have been at no church this half year , much against my will , o that god would heal me of this separation ! liii . . if it must be mental separation that must be culpable , then it is diversified according to the mental degree and kind ; and no man separateth from the universal church who separateth not from somewhat essential to it ; to separate from its integrals or accidents may be culpable , but it 's no separation from the church , no more than every breach of the law is a separation from the kingdom . liv. . some separate as to place , locally and not mentally , some mentally and not locally , and some both : he that daily observeth the outward communion of the church , and yet taketh it for no church , or denyeth it● faith , hope or essential duty , separateth indeed . all those men that live unbelievingly , atheistically , wickedly , that in their converse prate against the scripture and immortality of the soul , and that hate and persecute serious godliness , are damnably separated from christ , and therefore from the catholick church , and are so to be esteemed so far as this is known , thô when it is unknown , the church can take no notice of it . lv. . it being only humane laws and circumstantial conveniences 〈◊〉 make it unmeet to have divers churches and bishops living promiscuously in the same parishes , cities , dioceses or nations ; where laws and circumstances allow it , it is no unlawful separation . lvi . . he that liveth in forreign lands ( christian , mahometan or heathen ) where various churches live promiscuously ( greeks , armenians , protestants , papists , &c. ) is no schismatick , if he choose which he thinks best , and be absent locally from the rest , condemning them no further than they deserve . lvii . . he that removeth into another diocess or parish for his worldly interest , separateth without fault from the church he was in . lviii . . it is a lawful separation to remove ones dwelling , because the minister is ignorant , unskilful , or otherwise bad , and this for the better edification of his soul , and the use and help of a more able faithful minister , even law and custome and reason do allow it . lix . . thô the canon . and . ●orbid ministers oft to give the sacrament to strangers that come out of other parishes , even where no preaching is , yet those many sober people that use this in london , are not taken to be schismaticks , as bad as murderers : many that are esteemed the most sober religious conformists do ordinarily goe from their own parish churches , some ( in martins and st. giles's parish , &c. ) for want of room , and some for more edification , to dr. ●illotson , dr. s●illingfleet , dr. burnet , dr. fowler , mr. gifford , mr. durham , mr. h●rneck and such others , and communicate with them ; and thô these are called by the late catholicks by the name of dangerous trimmers , i think even dr. sherlock will think it more pardonable than murder , if they come to him . lx. . if the king and law should restore the antient order that every city , that is , every great incorporate town in england should have a bishop , ( yea or every great parish ) and that the diocesans should be their arch-bishops , and our new catholicks should tell the king and parliament that they are hereby unchristened schismaticks , as dangerous as adulterers or murderers , for gathering churches within a church , i would not believe them . lxi . . if ( e.g. at fran●ford , zurick , lubeck , hamburgh , &c. ) a church is settled in the lutheran way , and another in the bohemian way , described by lasitius and commenius , ( which is a conjunction of episcopacy , presbytery and independency ) or a church that had no liturgy , or none but that which the french protestants and dutch have , would it be damning schism , for such as cox and horne at fran●ford to set up an episcopal church in the english mode , and with their liturgy , and so far to separate from the rest ? lxii . . if it be true that john maior , fordon , and others say that presbytery was the government of the church of scotland before episcopacy was brought in , was the introduction of episcopacy by palladius a damning schism by separating from the former , or a reformation ; is just reformation schism ? lxiii . . when the church first set up patriarchs , metropolitans , general councils , monasteries , parish churches distinct from cathedrals , organs , new liturgies , and multitudes of ceremonies , this was a departing or separating from the contrary church way which was there before , was it therefore schism ? lxiv . . when socrates tells us of some countreys that had bishops in the countrey villages ( like our parishes ) was it a damning schism to separate from this custome , by decreeing that even small cities should have no bishops , ne vilescat nomen episcopi ? or when the 〈◊〉 were put down , where they had been ? lxv . . if a man separate not from any thing essential to the church of england , he separateth not from that church , though he refuse that which is its accidents , or some integral parts : we are charg'd with separating from the church of england , as if it were a matter of fact beyond dispute , and scorn'd for denying it , even by them that will not tell us what they mean by the church of england , or by separation . by the church of england we mean the christian kingdom of england , or all the christians in england , as living in one land , under one christian king who governeth them by the sword , which includeth their concord among themselves in true christianity ; we are christians , we profess agreement in christianity with all christians we are under the same king as they are , and profess subjection , and take ; the same oaths of allegiance and supremacy ; yea , we are not charged with differing in any thing called doctrinal from their thirty nine articles ; but we disown certain late covenants and oaths which are not twenty three years old , and the subscription to one canon about the innocency of all in their liturgy ; now either these new oaths , covenants and canon , liturgy and ceremonies are essential to the church of england , or not ; if yea , then , . it 's a poor humane church , made by them that made these oaths , liturgy and ceremonies . . and then it 's a new upstart church , and no man can answer the papists where it was before luther , or before henry . yea , if its essentials were made by this king and parliament , . then the present church is no older : but if these things be indifferent , or not essential to the church , then to separate only from these , is not to separate from the church . if it be said , that for the sake of these we separate from the church it self , and therefore from its essence ; we abhor the accusation , and challenge them to prove it : if we separate from the church essentially , it is either locally or mentally ; not locally , for we are yet in england , nor is local distance only a sin ; not mentally , for we own it for a true christian kingdom , called a national church , bound to serve christ in love and concord to their power : we deny not the king to be the governour , nor christians to be christians , no nor the particular churches and ministers to be true ( thô culpable ) churches and ministers , nor th●ir sacraments to be true sacraments ; we profess to hold with them one catholick body , one spirit , one god , one christ , one faith , one baptism ( in the essentials ) and one hope , and are ready to promise to live in concord with them in all other things , as far as will stand with our obedience to god ; so that we separate not from the church of england as such , but from some of its accidents , which we dare not be guilty of . lxvi . . the same i say of a parish church ; he that locally removeth , e.g. from a church that hath organs , to one that hath none , separateth from a pair of organs , but not mentally from the church , unless the organs be its essence . lxvii . . they that are for the true antient episcopacy , ( e.g. as much as arch-bishop vsher's reduction which we offer'd did contain ) but dislike the lay civilians power of the keyes , and officials , surrogates , arch-deacons government , &c. do not separate from the church as episcopal , but from the humane novelties which they disown . lxviii . . if a parishioner fall out with his priest , and they goe to law about tythes , glebes , words , &c. and the suit be long , and the man dare not communicate with him believing that he hateth him , th● the animosity should be culpable , being but personal , his going from him to another church is not separating from christ ; ( for i hope that even mr. dodwell himself will not say that every priest is christ. ) lxix . . ex qu●●is ligno non fit mercurius , surely there is some qualification essential to the ministry ; if a man want that qualification , it is a duty to separate from him as no minister , e.g. when i came to rederminster , ( after my subjection to six or seven worse ) i found the vicar , one reputed ignorant of the fundamentals , ( he was brought in by sir henry blunt a p●pist ) who preacht but once a quarter , which most thought he might better have forborn , and his curate mr. turner at mitton preacht once a day , whom i found ignorant of the catechism principles by conference , and he confest he had but one book , musculus common places in english , and he said some of that to the people , and they took it for a sermon ; he lived by unlawful marrying , infamous for drinking and quarrelling ; he that had taken these for no ministers , and separated from them , had not thereby separated from christ or his church catholick . lxx . . if it prove as hard to know who is the true pastor in a competition of pretenders , as it was to know which was the true pope , when there were two or three , ( above twenty times ) or whether , e.g. optandus was true bishop of geneva that knew not letters , or whether duke heriberts son consecrated in infancy was arch-bishop of rhemes , or any other infant consecrated be a bishop , ( officiating per alios , surrogates , chancellours , off●cials , &c. ) it is not here a separation from christ to separate from either of the pretenders : he that mistaketh not , is not liable to the charge , he that mistakes , doth not erre in an article of faith , but in a difficult point of humane title , and the qualification and right of a single man ; and my opinion is , that if such a title were tryed before our judges or king , and they should mistake and give judgment against him that had right , this were no separating from christ , nor proof that they are infidels . lxxi . . if the case of two contending bishops or presbyters come before a general or provincial council , and they mistake and give it to the wrong , and so separate from the right , i do not think that thereby they separate from christ or the church catholick , e.g. the constantinopolitan council first gave the church of constantinople to nazianzene , and after judged him out as having no right ; if by this they separated from christ , they that take them for the catholick church representative , must say that the catholick church separated from christ and it self . when another council wrongfully deposed chrysostome , and separated from him , and cyril alexandr . perswaded the continuance of it , did the universal church separate from it self and christ ? if a general council which should be wisest , be excusable from damning schism , whenever it misjudgeth and separateth from a rightful bishop , sure every lay-man and woman that doth the same , doth not separate from christ. if it prove that a general council deposed nestorius as unjustly as david derodon thought , or dioscorus as unjustly as others thought , or flavian as unjustly as the orthodox think , this proveth them guilty of some schism , but not of separating from the universal church . when menna of constantinople , and the pope excommunicated each other , when a synod in italy renounced vigilius , and all his successors were an hundred y●●rs deposed from their primacy , and a patriarch at aquileia set up in his stead for a great part of italy , because vigilius subscribed to a general council , de tribus capitulis , this was schism ( somewhere ) but not separating from christ. lxxii . . if a man in england should think that all the old councils were obligatory , which decree that he shall be taken for no bishop that comes in by the choice ( yea or mediation ) of courtiers , princes or great men , or any that have not the true consent of clergy and people , and thereupon should conclude that bishops , deans , prebends , &c. so chosen and imposed are lay-men and no true bishops and pastors , this were a separating from those persons , but not from christ and the vniversal church , when as mr. thorndike saith , that till the right of electing bishops by the clergy and people be restored , we need look no further for the reason of the contempt of episcopacy here . so if a man think that god never trusted every ignorant wicked man that can but get money and buy an advowson , to choose those pastors to whose conduct all the people are bound to trust their souls , ( and the bishop to admit them for fear of a quare impedit , if they have but a certificate and can speak latine ) this is not damning separation . lxxiii . . if a bishop set up a seeming convert , really a papist ( e.g. mr. hutchinson alias berry , or one of them that lately confessed themselves papists , ) the people that find by experience what the man is , are not damned schismaticks for not taking him for their pastor , or for going from him . if godfrey goodman bishop of gloucester was a papist , did he separate from christ that separated from the diocesan church of glouc●ster , while he was an essential part ? or that did not implicitely trust all the priests that he ordained ? lxxiv . . if in a cathedral church one withdraw from their service , because of their difference in ●●●ing , ceremonies , &c. from the parish churches , tho it be the bishops church that he separateth from , it is not as a church , nor from ●nything ess●ntial to it , e.g. miles smyth bishop of gloucester ( the famous 〈◊〉 , and ●hief in our bibles translation ) declared and performed 〈…〉 he would never come more to his cathedral , because the dean ( in 〈◊〉 time ) kept up the altar . qu. whether he separated from himself or his church ? v●i episcopus ibi ecclesia : who were the separatists ? they that fellowed the bi●hop , or they that separated from him and kept to the c●hedral ? the same ●●ay of williams bishop of lincoln that wrote against 〈◊〉 . lxxv . . if faithful pastors and people are setled in concord , and the higher powers make a law to depote and eject them without jast cause ( as multitudes were in many emperours dayes , and multitudes by the interim in germany in charles the fifths time ; and multitudes in the palatinate by ludo●icus , and in too many other countreys ) those that leave the temples and tythes to the magistrate , but cleave to their old pastors in forbidden meetings ( called conventicles ) supposing the pastoral relation not dissolved ( as the 〈◊〉 clave to chrysostom ) do not thereby separate from the catholick church : had the power been lawful that set up another way , when dr. gu●●ng kept up his meetings at exeter house , it had not been a separation from christ that he then made . lxxvi . . if the law command all to take one man for his pastor , and a parent command his child , or a husband his wife to take another and not that , and the child or wife know not which should be obeyed , and whether the choice belong more to the domestick , or the publick government , it is not a separating from christ , which way ever such an one shall go . lxxvii . . yea if i should think that self-interest and self-government bind me rather to choose a pastor for my self , than to stand to such a choice by prince , patron or prelate , which i think intolerable , as well as ( against their will ) i may choose a wife , or a physician , or a tutor , or a book , or my daily food , this is not separating from the universal church . lxxviii . . if owning the same diocesan make them of one church who differ more than nonconformists and conformists do , then owning the same christ , faith , scripture , &c. maketh them of one catholick church who differ less . but , &c. jesuites , dominicans , jansenists , and all the sects of papists are taken for one church , because they own the pope and councils . in england the diocesan conformists are taken for one church , thô some of them are as much for a foreign jurisdiction , as arch-bishop land , arch-bishop bromhall , bishop gunnings chaplain , dr. saywell , mr. thorndike , dr. heylin , and many more , have manifested in their words and writings . and some that subscribe the articles of general councils erring in faith and against heathens salvation , and against free will , and for justification by faith only , &c. do shew that they differ in the doctrines of religion , ( unless the sound or syllables be its religion ) while one and another take the words in contrary sences . some are for diocesans being a distinct order from presbyters , some ( as vsher and many such ) deny it : some hold them to be of divine right , and some but of humane ; some think the king must choose them , some rather the clergy and people ; some hold them independent , others rather subject to the arch-bishops and convocation ; some think all that bear office in their church government are lawful , others think lay-civilians government by the keyes unlawful ( and so are ipso facto excommunicate by their own canons ; ) some that promise canonical obedience to their ordinary , take the judges of the ecclesiastical co●rts for their ordinaries ; and others only the bishop● ; some think they are sworn to obey their ordinaries , if they 〈◊〉 according to the canons ( and so to pronounce all excommunicate that he canon excommunicates , if commanded ; ) others think otherw●●e , that they are judges themselves whether the canons command 〈◊〉 & hon●sta ; some take the pope to be antichrist , and the church of rome no true church ; others think otherwise . many more ( arminian and other ) such differences there are , and yet all of one church , both catholick , national , diocesan and parochial ( oft : ) much more are those nonconformists that di●●er from the church in nothing but what the imposers call ●●different . lxxix . . if one that prayeth in the litany against false doctrine and sch●●m , and ●e●deth the conformists telling him of the danger of it , should verily think that dr. s. printeth and pr●●heth false doctrine , and such as plainly tendeth to serve satan against christian love and peace , and to the most schismatical dividing and damning of christians , should hereupon separate from him for fear of schi●m and false doctrine , and go to a safer pastor , i think it were not to separate from christ. lxxx . . if a bishop in any diocess in london should openly write or plead for a foreign jurisdiction , and we are told that none are true ministers that depend not obediently on the bishop , he that for fear of the law , or of personal or common perjury , should separate from that bishop and his numerical diocesan church , doth thereby neither separate from the catholick church , nor from the church of england . as if the kings army should have a colonel that declared himself an obliged subject to the king of france and bound to obey him , the regiment may forsake that colonel . yea if the general of the kings army should give up himself in subjection to the enemy or a foreign power , and say , i will take a commission from the turk , and my officers shall only obey me , and the soldiers obey them , were not this an army of traytors or rebels , though none but the general took a commission from the enemy ? so if the bishops should all take commissions from the pope , or declare themselves subjects to a forreign jurisdiction , it were no separating from christ , to separate from them all , in loyalty to christ , and to avoid national perjury and schism . lxxxi . . if a man think that he is bound to use all christs instituted means of salvation , and live in a church that wilfully omitteth any one of them , e.g. either infant baptism , or singing psalms , or praying , or preaching , or the lords supper , or all personal care , and discipline to exclude the grosly intolerable , to resolve the doubting , &c. he that in obedience to christ goeth to a church and pastor ( in the same diocess or city ) that omitteth none of these , is no damned schismatick . lxxxii . . he that is unjustly cast out of the church , and by its very laws excommunicated ipso facto , is no damned or sinful schismatick for worshipping god in a church that will receive him : nor any one that is denyed communion unless he will sin ; much more if they should prove half as many and great sins as the nonconformists have said they fear ( in the first plea for peace , &c. ) lxxxiii . . if a foreigner that doth but half understand our language , withdraw to a church and pastor whose tongue he understands , obeying god and nature is no damning schism . lxxxiv . . if one that is erroneously conceited of the obligation of general councils , should think it a sin to kneel at the sacrament on any lords day in the year , or any week day between easter and whitsuntide , because tradition and the twentieth canon of the first council , and that at trull , &c. do forbid then to adore kneeling , this separating on that account to another congregation is not damning . if it be said , that mr. 〈…〉 us that it is not necessary that we do the same things which the supream catholick power commanded , but that we subject our selves to the same , power which may change their own laws . i answer , . the asserting of that universal soveraignty is the greatest crime and ●●eresie of all . . by this it seems that our religion is very mutable , 〈◊〉 very uncertain , and a man hath 〈◊〉 to take heed of obeying any old canons , till he know the mind of the present church ; ( and who those be ▪ and how to know it . ) . but what if the same man read dr. hey●●● of sab. ) telling him that this custome against adoration-kneeling continued a thousand years , and was never revok●t by any true general council , but changed by little and little by mens practice : and what if he question who those changers were , and whether their practice was rebeilion at 〈◊〉 , and whether they had power to repeal the canons of the greatest councils without a council . sure they that are for such councils universal soveraignty , when they have cast men into these snares , should scarce tell them that they are damnable schismaticks , for joyning with such churches as obey these councils , rather than with those that ruine men for not disobeying them . lxxxiv . and now reader if thou art one that thinkest of these things with christian sobriety and impartiality , i appeal to thee whether if i should be of the mind of mr. dodwell , and such self-conceited resolvers , i should not write my own condemnation , and be one of the grossest schismaticks that any history hath mentioned , unless ever there were any man so mad as to hold himself to be all the church : yea , when he no more distinguisheth of separation and schism , but involves almost all christians in his condemnation , and tells us that schism will damn us as soon as adultery and murder , is it not obvious for all men to infer that we are as odious as adulterers and murderers ? and doth he not preach christians into the hatred of each other ? and can any wonder if rulers should think the punishment of m●r●●rers is not worse than we deserve ? it is not newgate only , but tyburn that these healing men do seem to assign us ; it would be too tedious to look over all these again , and shew you how great the number is that these men damn , and how few on earth in any age they excuse from being so far like murderers . lxxxv . . it seems to me that he virtually damneth all christians on earth as such schismaticks ; for it is most certain that all men have sin , and culpable imperfection in knowledge , will and practice ; and if any say , that he hath no sin , he is a lyar , saith st. john ; and it is certain that all two persons on earth have many errours , and many differences from one another ; it is certain that the love and duty of christians towards each other is culpably defective in all men : it is certain that no man living is so perfect in knowledge as to know all the indifferent things in the world , which may be imposed , to be indifferent ! and long and sad experience hath told the church , that both gross errours and sins , and things called truths or indifferent , which few can be sure of , may be imposed . what follows from all this , but that all men on earth may easily fall under the imputation of disobedience to prelates , and so be excommunicate , and then they have their choice ( when no man is perfect , and they cannot change their minds ) . whether they will be damned as excommunicate 〈…〉 that give over all church worship ; . or as damma●●●● 〈…〉 worshipping god in churches when they are excomm●●● 〈…〉 lyars , that will make false confessions , pro●●●● 〈…〉 to get off an excommunication . when mr. do●●el 〈…〉 with schismaticks that [ suffer themselves to be excommunicate , ] 〈…〉 no other means in their power to hinder it , it seems these great 〈…〉 to absolute reprobation , do think all christians being unavoidably 〈◊〉 to imperfection of knowledg , are as unavoidably born to damnation whenever prelates or priests please thus to precipitate them . lxxxvi . . particularly , . the first and second canons ipso acto excommunicate all that say [ that any manner of obedience and subjection within 〈◊〉 majesties realms and dominions is due to any usurped and foreign power : ] by this all papists and all pretended protestants ( such as dr. barrow confuteth ) who hold any manner of obedience and subjection due to pope or foreign councils , are excommunicate . . those that say that the book of common prayer containethany thing init repugnant to the scriptures , are ipso facto excommunicate . which now by the new laws are interpreted of the present books . . in this all are excommunicate who say , the mis-translations ( in psalms , epistles or gospels , of which many instances have been given ) to be any thing repugnant in the scripture . . and all that say , it is against the scripture to deny christendom to all infants that 〈◊〉 not such vo●ers in their names and for their education as we call godfathers , and godmothers , thô the parent ( who is forbidden it ) offer his child by sponsion . . and all that say it is against scripture to deny christendom to all that refuse the covenanting transient images of a cross. . and all that say that it is against scripture for all ministers to profess [ that it 's certain by gods word that baptized infants ( without exception ) so dying are undoubtedly saved ] when no word of god is cited that saith it , and adding to gods word is dreadfully threatned , and when it 's certain that 〈…〉 are not certain of any such thing ( and i think no one . ) . all are ipso facto excommunicate that say , it is against gods word to deny church communion in the sacrament to all that dare not take it kneeling , for fear ( tho mistaken ) of breaking the second commandment by symbolizing with idolaters , that are seeking to reduce the nation to their sin , and that live round about us . . all are excommunicate that say it is against scripture to pronounce all saved that are buryed , except the unbaptized , self-murderers and the excommunicate , while thousands of sadducees , hobbists , infidels , papists , perjured , adulterers , drunkards , &c. dwell among us . . by the fifth canon all are ipso facto excommunicate that say , [ any of 〈◊〉 articles are in any part erroneous , or such as they ( perhaps as doubters ) may not with a good conscience subscribe to , ] and consequently 〈…〉 conformists that think the sence erroneous while they 〈…〉 and shall affirm , e.g. that canons are made necessary to 〈…〉 matter cannot be proved by scripture , contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . say , any thing in athanas●●● 〈…〉 be subscribed . such as bishop taylour that against art. . deny orginal 〈◊〉 those that say contrary to art. . that the word 〈…〉 common natural power , or maketh nature to be grace . those that write against our being accounted righteous , only for christs ●●●rits , and say that another subordinate righteousness is named many hundred times in scripture , contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . say , that works done before the inspiration of the spirit may make men meet to receive grace . those that with dr. hammond write for works that are not commanded but counselled , and free-will-offerings , contrary to art. . all they that take infants and new baptized persons to have no sin , contrary to art. . all that say , that after we have received the h. ghost , we cannot depart from grace given , contrary to art. . those that deny the doctrine of election , in art. . those that say , any on earth may be saved by diligent living according to the light of nature , without knowing the name of christ , contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . reject that description of a visible church , which reacheth to such as our resolver damneth . all that contrary to art. . say , that the church [ may not enforce any thing to be believed for necessity to salvation , besides the scripture ] even those that say , it 's necessary to salvation , by avoiding schism to believe that all imposed tyths , covenants practices , and ceremonies are not sin . all that contrary to art. . say , that general or other councils may be gathered without the command and will of princes , and deny they may erre , and things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority , unless 〈◊〉 be declared that they are taken out of holy scripture . those that deny art. . that those are lawfully called and sent into the ministry , who have publick authority given them in the congregation , to call and send ministers into the lords vineyard , are chosen and called hereto , ( for want of canonical succession . ) those that contrary to art. . would have gods worship performed to them that understand not the language , to avoid the schism of having many churches in a city . those that take confirmation or penance , or the other three for sac●●ments of the gospel contrary to art. . those that contrary to art. . would not have it believed to be the peoples duty , who know the offences of bad ministers , to accuse them . all that contrary to art. . are against infant baptism , as agreeable to christs institution . all that contrary to art. . say , the body of christ is given and taken and eaten in the sacrament otherwise than in a spiritual manner by faith. all that say , that in some wise the wicked are partakers of christ in the sacrament , contrary to art. . all that contrary to art. . say , there is other satisfaction for sin besides christs blood. all that say , that men justly excommunicate may be reconciled and received by the multitude without open penance ( which is ordinary ) contrary to art. . all that contrary to art. . think that a general council may ordain such traditions or ceremonies as shall in all places be one or the like : and that every particular or national church may not abolish those ceremonies or rites which the general council or colledge ordained . many things in the book of homilies [ especially against peril of idolatry ] are blamed by many conformists , contrary to art. . all that contrary to art. . say , that the book of ordination wants some things necessary . all that contrary to art . think that pope or foreign bishops have any jurisdiction by right in this land : and all that ( by mistake ) say , the king hath not chief power in all his dominions , meaning in france , of which he professeth to be king , and we so call him even in our prayers to god. all that say , contrary to art. . that it is not their duty liberally to give alms , according to their ability . all that contrary to art. think men in conforming may swear upon trust of their superiours words , without judgment , and true understanding of justice and truth . all these are already ipso facto excommunicated by this one canon , and if they elsewhere worship god , are called separatists and schismaticks , in danger of damnation , as adulterers and murtherers are : and how great a number are these ? . all are ipso facto excommunicate by the sixth canon , who affirm , that the rites and ceremonies of the church of england , by law established , are superstitious , or such as ( now commanded ) men who are zealously and godly affected , may not with a good conscience approve , use and subscribe as occasion requireth . that is , all that thus mistake kneeling at the sacrament , on the reasons aforenamed , to be against the second commandment , or that judge so of the surplice , or that think the cross , as described by the canon and liturgy , hath all the essentials of a humane unlawful sacrament of the covenant of grace . and all that are against the rites of godfathers that never owned the child as theirs , to be theonly sponsors in its name , and to vow its christ●●● education ( when i never knew one living that so much as made the par●●● believe that he intended it : ) and all that think the words of the liturgy ( making imposition of hands an assuring sign of gods gracious acceptance ) make confirmation a humane unlawful sacrament , and say so . all these are cut off . . by canon seventh all are ipso facto excommunicate that affirm , that the government of the church of england , under his majesty , by arch-bishops , bishops , deans , archdeacons , and the rest that bear office in the same , is repugnant to gods word ; that is , all bishops , ministers , noblemen , gentlemen or people , that say that it is against gods word for lay civilians or chancellours to govern by the church keyes , excommunicate or absolve : and all that think it unlawful for surrogates that are not bishops but presbyters , either as a cryer proforma to pronounce all excommunicate or absolved who are so decreed by the lay chancellor , or else for them ( or a priest-chancellour ) to govern a diocess by the keyes of excommunication and absolution being no bishops ; and all that think it sinful for archdeacons , commissaries ; officials , &c. who are no bishops , to exercise the same government by the keyes over so many pastors or churches , or for a bishop to do his office by others that are no bishops , any more than a priest by those that are no priests ; or for a diocesan with his lay court , to govern many score or hundred churches under him , without any subordinate bishop in those churches , that is , to set up the name and shew , and make christs discipline impossible : or for lay chancellors or surrogates to publish excommunications in the bishops name , which he never knew of , nor tryed the cause : or for such chancellours to oblige all parish ministers to publish all their excommunications which are agreeable to these canons . what quality and number they are of that call any of this sinful , i pretend not to know : but they are all now excommuni●●te men . . the eight canon ipso facto excommunicateth all that affirm that the form and manner of making and 〈…〉 any thing repugnant to gods word , &c : ] that is , all those that hold bishops and presbyters to be the same order ( contrary to the words of that book . ) which yet even the church of england while papists declared in king aelfriks canons ( see spelman : ) and all such as 〈◊〉 , who say the people and clergy should choose their bishops ; or that say the peoples consent is necessary to the pastoral relation to them , and that the old canons for 〈◊〉 are in force . . the ninth canon ipso facto excommunicateth the separatists . . the tenth canon excommunicateth all that 〈…〉 〈…〉 ipso facto is not here . ) this reacheth to all that consfine not 〈◊〉 church in england to the party that subscribe and their adherents : if 〈◊〉 say , that if such as blondel , rivet , amesius , or any other the most learned , holy , peaceable men that dare not subscribe as aforesaid , should with any christians worship god together , and that these are a true church ( though he judge them faulty ) and that these canons are grievances , such are to be excommunicated : ( though it be gross schism in others to confine not onely the purity but the verity of a church to their own party : ) for such to feel and ●roan loud here is excommunication . . the eleventh canon much to the same purpose requireth the excommunication of all that affirm that any subjects in england may rightly challenge the name of true and lawful churches besides those allowed by law , though the king should license them . . the twelfth canon ipso facto excommunicateth all , that make rules and orders in causes ecclesiastical without the kings authority , and submit to them , e. g. all that without the king authority agree to turn the table altar-wise , to require people to kneel at the rails , or to bow toward the alter or east , or to set up organs , &c. all these are now excommunicate by an authority above the bishops , which no bishop or priest can dispense with ( but only forbear to publish and execute it , but not nullifie it ) no nor absolve any that publickly repent not of it as a wicked errour . . by canon fourteenth if any minister shall diminish any part of the orders , rites , ceremonies , prayers , &c. in regard of preaching or any other respect , or shall adde any thing in matter or form , ( e. g. if he let the parent express the dedication of his child to god , or lay any charge on any parent ) he breaketh the church law , and so far separateth from it . . by canon fifteenth when twenty or thirty thousand are commanded to come to a church that cannot receive six thousand , and the alleys and pewes are wedg'd so that they cannot all kneel , yet all that kneel not at the prayers , and all that say not audibly the confession , lords prayer , creed and responses , disobey the laws of the church , and so far separate from it . . when twenty thousand persons are commanded to come in more than can , if ten thousand of them ( or any number ) should come to the church-yard or porch , to shew that they are not presentable , but would yet in if they could , the nineteenth canon commands to drive them away . . the liturgy and canon . &c. bind all under the penalty of the law to receive the sacrament thrice every year : if a secret infidel , sadducel , hobbist , socinian , or any heretick say , i am not able to charge my judgment , which is inconsistent with the sacrament , or if one whose conscience tells him of the guilt of adultery , and that he is not resolved to confess and forsake it yet ; or one that by melancholy causelessly feareth unworthy receiving to damnation ; i say , if any of these will avoid the charge of s●hism , they must ran upon worse , till grace recover them , which is not at their command . and yet all notorious offenders are prohibited it canon . and particularly the perjured : and if the tenth part so man● be perjured in england in city and countrey , as many fear , it 's a very great number that are uncapable of communion with the church . . by canon twenty seventh on pain of suspension no minister must witfingly administer the communion to any but such as kneel , or to any that refuse to be present at publick prayers , &c. so that all that kneel not in receiving are rejected , and if they worship god elsewhere , must be taken for schismaticks , as dangerous as adulterers or murderers . . the twenty eighth canon forbids admitting strangers to communion , and commands sending them home to their parish churches : it 's disobedience to violate this . . the twenty ninth canon forbids urging parents to be present when their children are baptized , and admitting them to answer as godfathers for their own children ; and any godfather to make any other answer or speech than the prescribed . . the thirtieth canon describeth the cross as a sacrament , as seemeth to us . . by the thirty sixth canon no man must be a minister that subscribeth : not that the book of common prayer and ordination contains nothing in it contrary to the word of god , and that he himself will use no other form in publick prayer and administration of the sacraments : by which all that refuse this , or that use the forms made and imposed by the bishops on occasions of publick fasts and thanksgivings , seem all to be under disobedience to the church . . by canon fourty ninth no person not licensed as a preacher , may in 〈◊〉 cure or elsewhere , expound any scripture , or matter or doctrine , but onely shall study to read plainly the homilies : so that all ministers before licence to preach , all school-masters , all parents , or masters , that do expound to their schollars , children or servants , the meaning of baptism , or of any article of the creed , any petition of the lords prayer , any one of the ten commandments ( to fit them for confirmation , or salvation ) otherwise than by plain reading the homilies or church catechism , doth disobey the law of the church : and so do all tutors in the universities that expound any scripture , matter or doctrine to their pupils , before they are examined or approved by the bishop ; or any judge on the bench or justice that presumeth to do it to the hearers , or any friend or neighbour in discourse : for it is [ no person whatsoever not examined and approved by the bishop of the diocess . ] how few in england separate not from the church as far as this disobedience amounts to ? if by [ no persons ] be meant only [ no ministers ] it 's hard enough , that ministers may not be allowed out of the church what lay-men are allowed . . all those that deny not the validity of baptism or the lords supper when they are done by an unpreaching minister , but yet think that a man utterly unable to teach otherwise than by reading , may not lawfully be encouraged in so high a function , ( any more than a man in physick or school-teaching that hath not necessary skill , or is utterly illiterate , ) and thinks it a sin to consent to take such an ignorant fellow for the pastor of his soul if he can have better ; if this man , i say , go to the next parish church for sacraments , he is to be suspended first and next excommunicate : specially if he should judge that ignorant reader , no true minister for want of necessary capacity . . surplices , hoods and tippets are made the matter of obedience , canon fifty eighth . . by canon thirty eighth no minister must refuse or delay to christen any child ( without exception ) according to the form of the common prayer , that 's brought to church to him on sundaies or holy-daies , though the parents be both jewes or heathens or atheists or sadducees : the minister must be suspended that refuseth it . . the seventy first canon suspendeth all ministers that preach in any private house ( except to the sick or impotent in time of necessity . ) by which had paul here preached publickly and from house to house , or timothy in season and out of season as dreadfully adjured , or christ preacht as he oft did , they must be suspended : and every minister that preacheth to his family : and no doubt , repeating his sermon , is preaching the same again . . all ministers must be suspended and then excommunicate , that without the bishops licence appoint or keep any solemn fasts publickly or in private houses , other than by law appointed , or be wittingly present at any : thought it were in time of plague , or when divers of his neighbours are sick or troubled in conscience , or in preparation to a sacrament , or on some great occasion in noble-mens houses and chappels : he is not to be trusted to fast and pray with his own flock or friends , or come among them , lest being excommunicate he be a damn'd schismatick . the same prohibition is for holding meetings for sermons called exercises : which arch-bishop grindall was zealous to set up , ( q. was he then a schismatick ? or is the damning dangerous engine made since ? ) . by canon seventy thi●d if any ministers meet in any private house ( as many did by consent in . and . ) to do any thing that any way tends to impeach the common 〈◊〉 any part of the government and discipline ( e. g. to petition king or parliament for the least reformation of it ) he is excommunicate ipso facto . . canon seventy fourth brings all ministers apparel under church laws , for the shape . . canon seventy sixth excommunicateth all that voluntarily relinquish their ministry , and use themselves as a lay-men . and man having free will , that is done voluntarily , which is done in obedience to mens command : and yet we are ruined in the world , if we will not leave our ministry , at their command . . it 's tedious to go over all the rest : ●end at the end of them . canon . excommunicateth all them that affirm that the synod is 〈◊〉 the true church of england by representation : that is , . all that take 〈◊〉 for the church real and not representative , lest they make 〈…〉 and all ) to be chief church-governours , while 〈…〉 but as their representatives . . all that say , that it is only the 〈◊〉 and not the presbyters in convocation that are the 〈…〉 church . . all that say that the clergy represent not king , nobles , parliaments , laiety , and that these are true parts of the 〈…〉 all these are ipso facto excommunicate . . the . canon excommunicateth them that deny the canon 〈◊〉 ligation of absent dissenters , which yet even many papists deny of 〈◊〉 canons . . the last canon excommunicateth all that contemn these canons , ● taking them to be the work of a company of persons that conspired against relig●●● godly men . all this huge catalogue are here excommunicate . . if any part of all this be schism , mr. dodwell and this man seem to teach separation from the church of england : or if the late silencing ▪ hunting and ruining of two thousand ministers were schism , and 〈◊〉 had as bishop taylor in duct . dubit . mr. hales of eaton , chillingworth , &c. say of the like , then these men make all the church of england to be in as damnable a state as adulterers and murderers . yea they make all damnable schismaticks that hold communion with the church of england ; for that is their sentence on them that communicate with schismaticks ; viz. that they are guilty of their schism . . they unchurch and damn the churches of corinth , gala●ia , la●dicca , ephesus , smyrna , &c. in the apostles dayes : for the scripture tells us of many guilty of schism in all these , and yet the rest communicated with them ; for the scripture speaks more of schism in a church , than of schism or separation from a church , rom. . . cor. . . & . . & . . mat. , . luke . , . cor. . . jam. . , . and yet no one was commanded to separate from those churches ; no not from those that had heresies among them , such as denyed the resurrection , and taught fornication , and eating things offered to idols , that were drunk at the sacrament or love-feasts , nor those that had jewish schismaticks , who talkt like ours , 〈◊〉 . . except ye be circumcised and keep the law of moses , ye cannot be 〈◊〉 the churches were not all unchurcht and damn'd that communicated with such . yea peter was guilty of encouraging them in schism , that would not eat with the christian gentiles , but he was not unchristened by this . . they separate from or unchurch almost all the ancient churches in the dayes of the most famous emperours and councils : for i have manifested past doubt that they almost all did hereticate or separate from one another . it was schism either in 〈◊〉 to excommunicate the 〈◊〉 bishops , 〈…〉 them to deserve it and be excommunicate . the 〈◊〉 or dis●wning several councils , specially that of calcedon and that at const. de 〈◊〉 capital●s &c. was the schism of almost all the imperial churches ; one part condemning the other . and if either were in the right , it 〈◊〉 not the case with them : for most of the same men that went that way called the right in one princes reign , went contrary in the next , and so condemned each other round ; especially abo●t images adoration . . 〈◊〉 they cut off that succession of that sort of ordination , which they say must be uninterrupted , while it came down from churches excommunicated by one another , or make the proof of it impossible . . they separate from all the greek church at this day , as guilty of schism , both in their succession from schismaticall bishops , at constan● alex●nd . antioch , jerusalem , &c. and in their excommunicating not only the church of 〈◊〉 for a wrong cause ( the silioque ) but other churches , and for divers acts of schism . . they must by their principles separate from the 〈…〉 , and all the eastern and southern churches that are called 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 for councils and other churches condemn them : and they , condemn the councils of ephesus , and calceden , and all since : and they must separate from and condemn the churches of 〈…〉 , &c. be●ause they separate from others , and are separated from . . their principles utterly unchurch the church of rome , . especially because it is guilty of the greatest schism on earth , by setting up a false church form and head : . and because they schismatically condemn and u●church three parts of the church on earth , even all save their sect : . and for their many other schismatical doctrines and practices . . and as being condemned by the greek protestants and most churches , and separated from by the church of england which they own . . they separate in principles from all or near all general councils ( save the first ) as having separated from other councils and condemned them , and being again condemned by them . . some of them condemn and separate from all the protestant churches that have bishops , in sweden , denmark , germany , transylvania , &c. because they had not their ordination successively from bishops but presbyters at the reformation : and because they have been guilty of schism against others . . the principles of mr. dodwel and his associates condemn the church of england as schismatical , . those that claim succession from rome , whose own succession hath been oft and long interrupted , by incapacities and schisms . . for holding communion with those protestant churches which these men call schismaticks . . they condemn and separate from all the churches called presbyte●ian in france , holland , geneva , scotland formerly , and those in 〈◊〉 that have no bishops , th● some would threat kindness on them by saying that they would have them and cannot ? and why cannot they ? . their principles make the bishop of oxford , br●●●l , &c. schismaticks : for their dioceses are churches taken out of churches , being 〈◊〉 parts of other dioceses . . and they condemn all the parish churches in england as churches distinct from cathedrals : for they are all churches gathered out of churches : at first the cathedrals were the only single churches : next monasteries were gathered ; and next our parish churches . and the parish church of covent-garden , is a church taken out of a church . . their principles damn st. martin that separated to the death from all the bishops synods and them that were near him ( save one man ) because they perswaded maximus to use the sword against priscillian 〈◊〉 , and brought men of strict religion under suspicion of priscillianism : and sure the ruined persecuted protestants here , are more orthodox than the priscillians . and they damn gildas that told the english clergy , that he was not ex●mius christianus , that would call then ministers ; ( do they not disgrace the many churches dedicated to the memory of st. martin , if he be a damned man ? ) i doubt they damn paul and barnabas for local angry separating from each other : whatever they do by peter and barnabas for the separation blamed gal. . . if all are schismaticks that here conform not , all those called conformists are such , that conform to the words in a false sence . . they separate from all that obey the twentieth canon of the nicene council : and from all that obey the councils that forbid communicating with a fornicating priest : and from all that obey the councils which nullifie the episcopacy of such as are obtruded by magistrates , or not consented to by the clergy and people . and many more such . abundance more instances of their separation , and damnation , i might adde : in a word , i think their principles are , as i first said , for damning and separating from all men living ; for all men living are gulity of some sort and degree of schism , that is , of errours , principles or practices in which they culpably violate that union and concord that should be among christians and churches : every defect of christian love , and every sinful errour , is some degree of such a violation . all christians differ in as great matters as things indifferent : and no man living knoweth all things indifferent to be such : and these men distinguish not of schism , nor will take notice of the necessary distinctions given ( in the third part of the treatise of church concord , ) and solu●io cont●nut causeth pain : nor do they at all make us understand what sort of separation it is that they fasten on , but talk of separation in general , as aforesaid . lxxxvii . they seem to be themselves deceived by the papists in exposition of cyprians words de vnit. eccles. vnus est episcopatus , &c. but they themselves seem to separate from cyprian as a schismatick , and consequently from all the church that hath profest communion with him , and with all the councils and churches that joyned with him : for cyprien and his council erred by going too far from the schism and heresie of others , nulli●ying all their baptisms , ordinations and communions : and for this errour they declared against the judgment of the bishop of rome and other churches ; and they were for it condemned as schismaticks by the said bishop : and here is a far wider separation than we can be charged with . . and cyprians words came from the mind that was possest with these opinions , and are expressive of his inclination . . yet they are true and good , understood as he himself oft expounds them ; the bishop of oxford●iteth ●iteth some instances , many more are obvious , in which he opposeth the bishop of rome , saying , that none of them pretendeth to ●e a bishop of bishops ; and limiting every man to his own province , and saying that they were to give account to none but god , with much the like . but in what sence is episcopacie one ? . undoubtedly not as 〈◊〉 in the personal subjectum relationts : one bishop is not another ; if you should say 〈◊〉 is one , none believe that one mans relation of paternity is anothers . the relation is an accident of its own subject , as well as quantity , quality , &c. . nor doth any man believe that many bishops go to make up one bishop in naturals . . nor did ever cyprian hold or say that all bishops go to make up one politick governing aristocracie , as many go to make one senate or parliament , that hath a power of legislation and judgment by vote as one persona politica . he never owned such a humane soveraignty . but episcop●●us unus est , . in specie , all bishops have one office ; . object●●● : as the catholick church is one , whose welfare all bishops ought to seek : . and so sinaliter as to the ●emote end , and are bound to endeavour concord . . and as effects , all are from one efficient institutor . as it may be said that all official magistracy in england is one : . as from one king or summa potestas : . as described by one law , and as justices of one species : . as all their cities and counties and hundreds are but part of one kingdom , whose welfare all are for : . and as they are all bound to keep as much common concord as they can ; if any mean more , they should tell us what : if any mean that all bishops make one numerical universal government , they are heinous schismaticks , and the kingdom is sworn against their judgment : and these men da●n them in damning schismaticks . the truth is , cyprian de vnitate ecclesiae ( leaving out the papists additions ) is a good book , and worthy to be read of all ; and take cyprian's description of the episcopacy of the church which we must unite with , and the nature of that union , and we would rejoyce in such . but if cyprian had lived to see either arians or donatists the greater number , or any sect after call themselves the church because that princes set them up , and had seen them depose chrysostome and such other , doubtless he would never have pleaded the unity of episcopacy for this , but have judged as he did in the case of martial and basilides ; nor did he ever plead for an universal humane soveraignty . lxxxviii . if we are damned schismaticks , i can imagine no pretended manner of separation in which our schism consists , but first , either local as such . . or mental , as such . . or local , caused by mental . if local , as such be it : all christians are schismaticks , for being locally separated from others , and absent from all churches and places save one . if mental separation be it , either all mental division is such , or but some only ; if all , then all mortall men are schismaticks , as differing in a multitude of things from others ; if it be not all , what is it ? is it all difference in the essentials of christianity ? we grant it ; and we are charg'd with no such thing . is it all difference in the integrals or accid●nts ? so do all 〈◊〉 that are not perfect . is it all 〈◊〉 of love , or all vncharitableness to one another ? all on earth have some degree of it ; and those are likest to have most , that do as the bishops did against the priscillianists , bring godly people under reproach , on pretence of opposing heresie ; or that seek the silencing , imprisonment , banishment or ruine of men as faithful as themselves : for our parts , we profess it our great duty , to love all men as men , all christians as christians , all godly men as godly , all magistrates as magistrates , &c. is it for our separating in mind from any principles specie necessary to communion in the church universal , or single churches ? let it be opened what those principles be : we own all 〈◊〉 , and all ministry of gods institution , and all his church ordinances : we own bishops over their flocks , let them be never so large , so they be capable of the work and end , and alter not the true species ; and submit to any that shall by the word admonish pastors of many churches of their duty , or 〈◊〉 , or seek their good . nor do we refuse obedience to any humane 〈…〉 up by princes , to do nothing against christs laws , nor nothing 〈…〉 is in princes power in the accident 〈…〉 is it because we disown any nur●erical rulers ? we own the king and 〈◊〉 magistrates ; we own all that we can understand to be true pas●o●s ; and i● we are in doubt of their calling , we resist them not , unless obeying 〈◊〉 before them be resistance : but our accusers , loudly profess , that 〈◊〉 are not to be owned ; and if they go on the ground , that he hath 〈◊〉 the prince is for , we would know , whether that hold in tur●y , in 〈◊〉 spain , france , or only in england , or where ? if it be where 〈◊〉 o●thodox , do they make all the people judges of their princes 〈◊〉 and we would know , whether every bishops and priests right , 〈◊〉 a tr●e minister , called of god , and set over us , be necessary to 〈…〉 or known by all the people ? if it be , wo to us , that ever such men 〈◊〉 set over us , whose right we cannot know : what ab●ndance of things 〈◊〉 make a bishops or priests right known ! . that he hath capable sufficiency . . that he is a just bishop , that 's chosen by the king , the dean and chapter obedi●●tly 〈◊〉 , & that the clergy's and peoples consent is unnecessary . . that the diocesan 〈◊〉 ( over multitudes of churches without any subordinate bishop ) is of christ , or lawful . . that their work , according to the ca●● , is lawful . . that all our patrons have right to chuse patiors for all the 〈◊〉 . . that they are true pas●ors over them that 〈◊〉 not . . that if they prove worse far than martial and 〈◊〉 , and be owned by the bishops as they were , the people may not forsake them ( 〈…〉 , ) which saith cypr●ian 〈◊〉 most power to chuse or refuse . is every christian bound on pain of damnation to 〈◊〉 all these , and then to c●amine and ●idge bishops and priests accordingly ? or if they mistake one or more mens commission , do they therefore separate from the catholick church ? if so , what a case was the east in by the difference between chrysost●●e and his competitors ? 〈◊〉 and i●natius and hundreds others ? and france , about the archbishops of rh●●●s , when he was put out that deposed 〈◊〉 . and when an infant was put in , and oft besides ? what if the alexandrians , when 〈◊〉 was banis●ed by constantine himself , were half for him , and half against him ? or basil at caesarea was put down , and hundreds more ; or when t●codos●●s first and second and mar●●an , and valen●●●●an , and zeno and 〈◊〉 and abundance more , set up and puli'd down , and set up again ●g●inst each other ? what , i say , if the people now mistooke who had the best title ? is this separating from the catholick church ? when the inte●●im cast out hundreds in germany ; when lud●●ie●s cast out multitudes in the pal●●inate , and half the people stuck to the ejected , persecuted pastor , and the rest to the magistrates choice , which of them separated from the universal church ? is every priest the vniversal church , or an essential part of it ? then it dyeth when he dyeth , and apostatizeth when he doth . how many ages in above duplicates or schisms , was the world uncertain which was the true pope ? suppose , e.g. arthur jackson , edmund calamy , and many such were placed in their incumbency , by the bishops , patrons and parish consent , according to the law of christ and the land , and by a new act of uniformity they be all turned out , the flock not consenting , nor any bishop accusing , trying or deposing them ( save in legislation , ) and some of the parish think this dissolveth not their relation to him , and they cleave to him as before , without any change save of place and tythes , and others forsake such a one , and follow the magistrates choice , may not both these be still of the catho●ick church ? if not , i know where the old canons laid the charge and danger . it 's wonderful selfishness in those men , that if they can but get into the seat , take it for granted , that all must own their right on pain of damnation . and what if in any such land , the prince change his mind , or the next differ , and put down all these same men , and set up such as differ fro● them more than we do , is it damning schism for any of their people still to adhere to them ? lxxxix . do you find that mr. dodwel , dr. saywel , dr. sher●●● , 〈◊〉 any of these men , do , in palpit and press , ingenuously tell the people the truth of the case , when they liken men as schismaticks to murderers 〈◊〉 danger ? did you ever hear them say , [ the canon , which is the 〈◊〉 voice and law , doth excommunicate you all that do own your opinions against conformity , and commandeth us not to admit you to the sacrament , and yet to pronounce your excommunication for not taking it : we confess they have been holy and learned men that have thought many things imposed unlawful ; and therefore we wonder not if it be not in your power to change your judgment , no more th●● to be perfect in knowledge ; and we confess if you are unjustly excommu●●cated , or any of the things made necessary to communion be against 〈◊〉 , then 〈◊〉 is the church that is guilty of schism , but because this is not so , we 〈…〉 , even of separating from the vniversal church , and from 〈◊〉 . xc . i do admire , that never any one of them would be prevail'd wi●● to prove the canons excommunications ipso facto lawful , when even papists have scorn'd all such doings ; and when the learneds● of all their own admired men , that were for comprimising matters with rome , even mar. ant. de dom. spalatensis de r●● . eccl. hath so considently , copiously and strenuously damn'd it : christ would have none excommuni●ate , whatever the crime be , without impenitency after due admonition for r●pentance , but these canons ipso facto condemn and excommunicate godly men , without ever admonishing them , or calling them to repent , or hearing or seeing them : nothing is necessary but the proof of the fact , and then the law is instead of a judge ; and to oblige the people to avoid them , it must be published . if this and all things named in the first plea ●●r peace , 〈◊〉 , studying and disputing is not the way to know what is sinf●l . xci . but , saith the resolver , [ 〈…〉 to be a member of two separate and oppos●●e churches , is 〈…〉 ourselves . ] ans. but i had hoped your catechized boyes had known , . that one body hath many parts . . that particular churches are parts of this body , as corporations are of the kingdom . . that all the parts are imperfect , and made up of none but sinners . . that every good man is partly had , and so contrary to himself . . that churches may be so far separate as to be distinct , and yet not so far as to be contrary or opposite . . that they may be opposite in accidents and integrals , that are one in speech in essen●●als . . that a man may own several churches , and communicate with them for that which they agree in , and yet not own both , ( or ●ither perhap● ) 〈…〉 which they are opposite in . . that there being somewhat op●●● 〈…〉 churches on earth , you damn your selves for communi●●●● with them . . that a man may have more communion with the church which he locally separateth from , even for sin , than with that which 〈◊〉 present with . 〈◊〉 a congregation or nation of men of eminent sanctity and order , 〈◊〉 doctrine and worship , may , by humane frailty take some one false●●● or un●ertain thing to be necessary to ministry or communion ( as they 〈◊〉 some churches unhappily of late reject all that own not the antiquity of the heb●ew points ) i cannot have local communion with that church , for they will not receive me , unless i subscribe either a falshood , ( or that which 〈◊〉 false ; ) but yet i highly honour and love them , and have mental catholick communion with them , when perhaps necessity may make me lo●●lly join with a church of far worse men and order , that will impose no 〈◊〉 on me . . and i would advise these men , did they not despise 〈◊〉 advice , for the church of englands sake , and their own , to retract their errours , and not lay such a snare before the people . should you say in the pulpit , [ if the church be guilty of any schism by her impositions , ( oft●●● 〈◊〉 excommunications and silencing of christs , ministers , and afflicting good 〈…〉 just cause , then i , and all that communicate with it and me , com●●●●ate in the guilt of schism , and are all in as much danger of damnation by 〈…〉 ad●●erers and murderers ] tell not your hearers this , for if you do , some will think you bid them separate or be damned , and only make a doubt whether most men have noses or not . xcii . qu. but is not the inference true ? ans. no , it 's false : there are twenty cases in which . one may be 〈◊〉 of schism and not be a schismatick , as denominated from what predo●●●ateth : . and as many in which he is not at all guilty that communicateth with the guilty . and l●t the world ( that is sober and awake ) judge now whether these men or we be the greater schismaticks , and which more condemneth or separateth from the church of england . we say that all churches have some degree of schism , and so hath the church of england , as it hath imperfection , errour and sin ; but that it is not therefore no church , nor is it unlawful to communicate with it ; all christians and churches must not be separated from that are guilty of some degree of schism . 〈◊〉 will turn these serious matters into jest , and say , as dr. say●● , that they will receive greeks , 〈◊〉 , &c. that come to their com●●●● , his serious readers will tell him , that so will most sects receive those that approve of their communion and come to them : joyning with you signifyeth that they are of your way therein ; but will you go to their churches and communicate with them ? you will receive the damned schismaticks if they come to you , when yet you make it damnable to joyn in their meetings with them . this quibbling beseems not grave men in great matters . to conclude , reader , god having allowed more legislative power to men in things secular than in religion , i may say this case is like ours in debate . i. some judges and lawyers say , that the oath of allegiance makes a subject in this kingdom ; that the renouncing or violating it by treason , or rebellion , or deserting the kingdom , overthrows the relation . but that other particular faults or quarrels against neighbours , justices , judges , yea the king himself , are punishable according to the laws , b●t are not all rebellion , nor dissolve subjection , nor oblige the subjects to renounce civil converse with each other ; though some contempt and obstinacy may outlaw them . such is our judgment of church relation and communion , which i need not rehearse . ii. suppose a fect of lawyers and judges arise , that say , no men are the kings subjects , but are rebels , that break any of his laws , that shoot not in long bows , that bury not their dead in woollen , that swear prophanely , that eat flesh in lent unlicensed , that have any unjust law-suit , that wrong any neighbour , that oppress any poor man , all these are rebels ; yea all that plead opposite causes at the bar , and all judges that judge contrary to one another , and all that misunderstand any point of law and practice accordingly , and all that besides the oath of allegiance do constitute marriages , families , schools , societyes by any other covenants of their own , and all that are of different cities and companies , parts of the kingdom , or all whose justices , mayors , sheriffs , &c. differ from one another in any point of law and practice : or all that obey not every constable and justice ; or that go to divers justices in the same precincts , or that go from one justice to another to avoid unrighteous judgment , or that go from the physician of the place for health , and from the schoolmaster of the town for greater edification , or that travel beyond sea for knowledge , yea all that understand not every word in the law , that may concern them : if any say , none of these are the kings subjects , but rebels , opposite to him and one another , and deserve to be all hang'd as murderers , and so are all that have communion with them ; quaere , . whether these men are for the unity of england ? . and are friends to the king that deprive him of all his subjects ; as much as those that would have him have no subjects , that be not of the same age , stature , complexion and wit . and whether they are friends to mankind ? . and whether they condemn not themselves if they live not as anchorets , out of humane society . . and whether that nation be not by infatuation prepared for destruction that would believe them , and would hate , scorn and ruine them that are of the first mentioned opinion , according to the saying , quos perdere vult jupiter , hos dementat . as to the more dangerous doctrine now threatning this land , that would subject england to a foreign jurisdiction , on pretence of a necessity of either an universal church monarch , or church-parliament senate or council , or of all the church on earth represented by patriarchs or metropolitans , or that plead for subjection to them , under the name of communion , they require a distinct answer . but dr. is. barrow , and mr. beverley's catholick catechism , have effectually done it . finis . a seasonable vindication of the truly catholick doctrine of the church of england in reply to dr. sherlock's answer to anonymus his three letters concerning church-communion. atwood, william, d. ? approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a seasonable vindication of the truly catholick doctrine of the church of england in reply to dr. sherlock's answer to anonymus his three letters concerning church-communion. atwood, william, d. ? [ ], p. printed for jonathan robinson ..., london : . errata: p. . reproduction of original in huntington library. marginal notes. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sherlock, william, ?- . -- letter to anonymous, in answer to his three letters to dr. sherlock. christian union -- early works to . lord's supper and christian union -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a seasonable vindication of the truly catholick doctrine of the church of england : in reply to dr. sherlock's answer to anonymus his three letters concerning church-communion . errare possum , haereticus aut schismaticus esse nolo . london : printed for jonathan robinson , at the golden lion in st. paul's church-yard . . anonymus his reply to dr. sherlock's answer to his three letters about church-communion . sir , being neither prophet , nor prophet's son , nor having any outward sign , whereby i might judg of your pleasure to teach me my catechism in private ; i , by publishing my objections against your discourses about church-communion , have given you the opportunity of glutting and satiating your revenge , ( according to your own decent expression of divine justice ) and insulting over the ignorance of an ill-taught lay-man , who knew not what it was to press dr. sherlock to explain himself , in a matter wherein his own brethren , such as are as far from the imputation of deism or socinianism as himself , and are not likely to contemn the notion of a church , and of the evangelical priesthood and sacraments , have been highly dissatisfied , as he himself well knows . you blame me , for offering no argument to disprove any thing you say , nor shewing wherein lay the weakness of your arguments : as if it were nothing to urge to a man the plain consequences of his doctrine , which ( as you know who teaches us ) is a plain way of reasoning , which all men allow of , to convince men of the vnsoundness of their doctrines . this perhaps i may have done in the first and second letters : and for my third , where you say , i run nothing but dregs and lees , and where you think little new , but repetitions of old queries ; perhaps some will belive , it was not altogether impertinent to shew wherein your art lay , in applying that to a church in one sence , which belong'd to it in another . but admit all this were nothing to the disproof of what you undertook ; i think it had been enough , if i had only put such questions as might oblige you to explain your self : and if your discourse stood in need of it , you may well think your self concerned in my queries , and ought to thank me for putting you upon a purgation . which you have made in such a manner , as if your trial had been by fire . truly i should have been glad to have found it done with such charity and candor , as becomes a messenger of the prince of peace , and might have given some reasonable satisfaction , that you aim at something better , than running down at any rate those who have the misfortune to think otherwise than you do . you complain indeed , that i have not treated you with that civility which i owe your person , or your profession ; nay , as good as tell me , i have been scandalously rude , when you wish for my own sake i had carried my self better . truly , if it be such rudeness to charge a clergy-man with what one takes to be the import of his doctrine , and calling it uncharitable , or owing to ill principles , where he believes it so , i confess my self guilty . yet i appeal to all unbiass'd men , whether those foul representations of christianity , which i still conceive to lurk within the former general assertions , were animadverted on with that severity which ought to have been . but yet it seems you were resolved to be even with me in the worst sence . wherefore , to pass by the telling me in effect , that a fool may ask more questions than a wise man can answer , but that mine are very foolish and impertinent questions , generally nothing to the purpose , ( which is such a rebuke , as if you should bid me ask no more with a dirty face ) you insinuate , that i espouse a schism or faction , only to shew my wit in defending it , and to make my self considerable by espousing a party , and am no hearty lover of the church of england ; that it is not in my nature to be civil to a clergy-man . that i disown part of the due authority of bishops : that i think of the sacrament of the lord's supper , as a very indifferent ceremony : that i designed to affront dr. stilling fleet , and dr. tillotson , whom i greatly reverence ; and particularly , would charge the former with endeavouring to prove all church-communion needless . that i excuse dissenters upon such principles as tend● to undermine christianity , &c. but these insinuations , to which i shall not give their due epithete , were not enough for your purpose ; but you must come to a positive charge , which you scatter up and down your answer , as that i never spare any man's reputation to serve my designs ; and that my reproaches and commendations are but different ways of abuse . nay , you are so indiscreet to charge upon me what i chiefly write against , and blame you for , which is , that where two churches are not in communion with each other , they cannot both belong to the same body , but that it is evident , that one of these mast needs be cut off from christ's body . where you take advantage of the printer's mistake , putting it is , for is it ? which i made by way of question , as manifestly appears by the coherence . but the dreadfullest part of your charge is in the ghostly counsel which you vouchsafe me , where you tell me , it is evident i have a great spite at the whole order of the clergy : that i am guilty of too plain a contempt of all church-authority : that tho i pretend to be in communion with the church of england , i make the church it self a very needless and insignificant thing , for i know no necessity of communicating with any church : that i will not allow it to be schism , to separate from the church : and that i think it a pretty indifferent thing , whether men be baptized , or not , or by whom . then , to deal plainly with me , you think i have more need to be taught my catechism , than to set up for a writer of books : and that the consequence of the way i am in , is no less than a contempt of all revealed and instituted religion . and what , of most men , i should not have expected from dr. sherlock , my notions are condemned , as owing to deists and socinians . and thus , sir , in the spirit of meekness and charity , you have drawn up a very fair charge . you may treat me with as much scorn and contempt as you please , and i shall consider it but as your natural infirmity ; where god almighty makes allowances , we ought : but i ought not to be silent under such reproaches , of which your own conscience cannot but acquit every thing that i have said or wrote to you . and further , no reasonable man can think me concerned to vindicate my self : the most solemn protestations concerning my more private thoughts , would be but scoffed at , by them who are resolved to believe the worst . and my comfort is , no orthodox clergy-man , that knows me , will be so uncharitable : but to bring compurgators of such , ( whose friendships , as they are dulce decus meum , so they are praesidium too against such fatal miscarriages ) would but expose their venerable names to such usage as i have met with . but be that never so hard , for once i will set an example to a clergy-man , and shew , that i can contain my self after all these causeless calumnies , tho you cannot bear to be told of the truth . wherefore i shall calmly shew , i. how groundless both your open and imply'd accusations are against me . ii. what cause i had to put you upon explaining your self . iii. how unsatisfactory your explanation is in its own nature . so much of your charge as i am concern'd to answer particularly , resolves it self into these general heads . . my want of love to the church of england , and taking part with dissenters , out of zeal for their cause , or vain-glory . . that i have a spite at the whole order of clergy-men , and disown part of the power of bishops . . that i designed to affront dr. stillingfleet , and dr. tillotson . . that i discover a contempt of all church-authority , and think the church it self an insignificant thing . . and lastly ; that i am guilty of deism and socinianism . and , that my principles tend to undermine christianity , and to the contempt of all revealed religion . first article . in the first article you would argue me guilty of hypocrisy , in pretending to be in constant communion with the church of england , when i want that love for it , which is essential to union and communion with it ; or of a great deal of vanity , in labouring to shew my wit in the defence of a cause , which i my self know to stand in need of wit and artifice . but if it happen , that the church of england is no more concerned in your censures , than perhaps you may think your self to be in the doctrine of its articles or homiles . and that it gives you no warrant to call the dissenters schismaticks , and such as are deprived of the influences of the divine spirit , while they scruple conformity . my taxing you with want of charity towards dissenters , will be as far from the suspicion of such a zeal for them , as implies a dis-esteem of our church , or such a defence of their cause , as may be imputed to wantonness or vanity , that it may be more like the act of that samaritan , who took care of the poor man , who had been most barbarously used by thieves , and could meet with no pity from the priest and the levite , who past by on the other side . whatever you think of this matter , i am bold to affirm , that our church no-where warrants your assertions , either in its articles , homilies , or canons . indeed in the canons of king james , the authority of which , as to us lay-men , i need not here enquire into , i find schismatici mentioned in some of the titles , but not in any of the canons , to be sure by no means applied in your manner . but then you tell me , no man who had any kindness for the church , with which he pretends to hold communion , would make such a vile insinuation , as if profest atheists were admitted to communion . but certainly there may be a profest atheist , tho he doth not profess himself so at the time of his communicating , for want of that euphemia , which one cannot greatly offend against by one single word , of no ill signification . i am sure you , of all men , have no reason to press hard upon me in this particular . third article . that i may be depriv'd of the patronage of two such great luminaries of our church , as dr. stillingfleet , and dr. tillotson , you tax me with a design of affronting dr. s. and dealing with the other great man at the same rate . secret things belong to god ; but i am sure you could have no revelation from above of any such design ; nor can any thing that i have said look that way . assure your self , i cited the words against the absolute necessity of church-communion , ( whence you ground your reflection ) in the same sence as i receive them , which is in their utmost latitude , but by no means as if they would set aside all government in the church . but you are certainly guilty of the affront against them , if you think there is any harm in the quotations , or as if i expose their failings thereby . i will not here return upon you , that you never spare any man's reputation , to serve your design , &c. which would come as properly from me , as it did from you . but when you were upon such authorities , you would have done well to have reconciled your self to dr. stillingfleet's sence of schism , which , if his judgment be valuable in competition with dr. sherlock's , lies not in a voluntary departure out of any particular church , but the true catholick church . and the reason which he gives for it , is the ground which i go upon . if you will teach me my catechism better in this point , i am very ready to learn. fourth article . the fourth article has many in the belly of it ; for under the supposed contempt of church-authority , are , in your sence , contained : . the thinking the church it self an insignificant thing , and that no causeless separation from it can be a schism . . a despising the evangelical priesthood , as you call it . . the looking upon the sacraments as very indifferent ceremonies . . in the first , you ( as is usual with you ) would take advantage of your own confusion , in blending together the notion of the catholick , and of a particular church ; for tho one may think that it signifies not much , or is not one's duty to communicate with every particular sound church ; yet it is , no doubt , always his duty to communicate , actually , or in inclination , with the church of christ , in that which essentially constitutes it his church : nay , and there may be a schismatical separation , even upon the account of lesser matters . but my question is , whether there may not be a separation , causeless in the nature of the thing occasioning it , tho not in relation to the party's conscience who scruples it , and that without schism . but as ▪ dr. stillingfleet rightly distinguishes , between what is necessary to salvation , and what is necessary to the government of the church ; my receiving his sence , has sufficiently anticipated and removed this imputation , unless you will fix it upon him too . . but for the second ; if by an evangelical priesthood , you mean such as is necessary to offer up sacrifices for us ; i know of no such upon earth , by the gospel-institution . . for the third , which may take in what may seem omitted on the foregoing head ; i desire to be inform'd , what one passage has faln from me , which looks like an excusing the contempt or neglect of the sacraments , or of them to whom ordinarily it belongs to administer them . yet methinks you do not duly consider , that a thing may be one's duty by virtue of a positive command , and consequently ought to be done , when fit circumstances concur ; yet not being enjoin'd as the necessary means to salvation , when such circumstances are wanting , the actual exercise is not required ; yet it does not follow , that therefore 't is indifferent . what the judicious hooker says of baptism , is doubtless equally applicable to the other sacrament , and all the parts of the office of the ministry . that god ( saith he ) hath committed the ministry of baptism unto special men ; it is for order's sake in his church , and not to the end that their authority might give being , or add force to the sacrament it self . to this purpose i did before cite the deservedly esteemed authors , dr. stillingfleet , dr. tillotson , and their forerunner , mr. chillingworth ; yet certainly this does not overthrow the necessity of a setled ministry , and a regular authority in the church . it were an easy matter here to make a pompous shew of reading ; i shall only observe to you , that some of my questions related to the supposed absolute necessity of receiving the sacrament of baptism ; others , to the authority of them who administer it . indeed that of the lord's supper was not mentioned by me , because , as you had handled the matter , the chief dispute was about the forming of a church , and church-communion , which you tell us , is something antecedent to all the acts and offices of communion . i must tell you , i had my warrant for such interrogations as i made upon both heads , from very great lights in our church . mr. hooker , when he was to argue against the dissenters of his time , found them to stand much upon the authority of their ministry , which they contended to be by divine right , and that others could not duly administer the sacraments . now tho that great man asserts , that it hath been constantly held , as well touching believers as martyrs , that baptism taken away by necessity , is supplied by desire of baptism , and to children , by a presumed desire : yet he chiefly addresses himself to prove , that baptism by any man , in case of necessity , is valid ; which , he says , was the voice of the whole world heretofore . but a learned oxford professor , mr. george abbot , in a theological lecture there , de circumcisione & baptismo , goes to prove it unlawful , for any of the laity to usurp upon the ministerial office in this , because baptism is not absolutely necessary in it self . he concludes his elaborate reading thus : interea tamen ista sunt , quae hodiernâ oratione accepistis : externo sacramento non sic astringi & alligari dei gratiam , ut sine ipso salvare aliquando nolit . ideoque & diffidenter quoad deum , & audacter quoad se , faeminas laicosque facere , qui baptizare aggrediuntur . tertiò , tamen cum sigillum sit impressum , non esse iterandum . fifth article . the fifth article , which is not so explicit as the foregoing , of being guilty of deism , socinianism , and what not , is laid but as a consequence of the former ; wherefore that imputation being wip'd off , i fear no man's charging me with this . and to deal as plainly with you , as you , i think you , have done with me , i should have expected this sooner from another man. whatever you or i say , the world will judg , whether he is most likely to be guilty of deism , undermining christianity , and contemning all revealed religion , who calls your opinions in question ; or he who will argue , that it is as necessary to communicate with every sound part of the catholick church , as with any ; and that one is as much obliged to communicate as a member with some particular , visible , sound part , as to be a christian ; and that not only by joining in the purity of faith and worship , ( for that he tells us hereticks might do ) but in all other acts or terms of communion : and that notwithstanding the efficacy which god almighty has promised to a true lively faith in the merits of christ jesus , it is as necessary to salvation to know which of the churches , divided in accidentals , is in the right , and with which we are bound to communicate , rejecting all divided communions for schismatical , as it is to be of the christian religion . such sort of mediums must needs do as great disservice to christianity , as counterfeit miracles to the true ; and he who imposes the belief of both , as of equal authority , or under equal necessity , to my thinking , bids prety fair for the undermining and contempt of all . for socinianism , not knowing upon what account i should come to be caution'd against it , i should think it used meerly as a term of reproach , to be given of course when a man is angry , and wants better arguments , were it not that perhaps you might do it designedly , to prevent my joining in that charge , which others have in this respect undertaken to make good against your self ; and crying whore first , as they say , would oblige me to find another addition for you . truly i shall not go about to retort it , not being at leisure to tell you , wherein you may seem not to have answered fully , or to have slighted many things as buffoonry , which have been very closely ▪ as well as acutely urged . i shall only observe upon good authority , that the socinians give themselves a greater liberty of enquiring into the modes of existencies , and the nature of divine mysteries , than becomes short-sighted mortals . and if other men , equally full of themselves , happen to differ from them , when they adventure upon their own way of explaining those sublime truths , which retire to be the objects of our admiration , rather than of a distinct perception ; if the scripture-account which the homilies of our church afford them , be look'd on as too great a stinting of their spirit of enquiry , they have no great reason to expect , that god's grace should be engaged to protect them from dangerous errors , seeing they attempt to be wise above what is written . and perhaps he who will reproach as magical any notion of the union of true believers with christ jesus , and with each other , which does not agree with his political scheme , or with the visible connection of the parts of a natural body , may take to himself as dangerous a latitude ; and then we need not wonder , if he apply to the church of christ what he has observed of a natural body , viz. that the vnion of every member with the body , is its vnion with that part of the body which is next , &c. had he but made provision for the cloaths too , and had argued , that that part of the body which is naked , cannot be united to that which is cloathed , it might have come up more fully to his purpose of proving a necessity of union in accidentals , as well as in essentials . pray the next time you see our loving friend w. s. tell him so much is expected from him . having said what i conceiv'd fitting , for an antidote against the spreading of your reflections upon me , i shall here justify the pertinency of my questions to you , and shew , ii. what cause i had to put you upon explaining your self , concerning the notions of church-communion . my apparent design being to do this , you have no reason to blame me for not giving you your own words , with that dependance and connection , in which the whole strength of the discourse consists ; for had that been never so well laid together , i ought to believe it to proceed upon some false ground , as being contrary to those notions , which must be antecedent to the belief of all revealed religion . you know one , who thinks himself not concern'd what consequences are charged upon his hypothesis , so that he prove it positively true . perhaps you may may be as confident of yours , as he was of his . 't was enough for me to oblige you to speak plainly what your notion was . i must confess , i did suspect it of d — lism , which indeed you overthrow in that book to which you refer me for my satisfaction ; but would establish one much weaker , and with less shew of reason . that which made me suspect your principle to be that way , was , your asserting the absolute necessity for every man who lives here , as he would be a member of christ's body , to communicate with the national church , because of its being a sound part of the catholick church . to which end you held , . that 't is as necessary for every man to communicate with some particular visible sound church , as to be a christian . . that the only visible way god has of forming a church , is by granting a church-covenant , which is the divine charter whereon the church is founded , and investing some persons with power and authority to receive others , according to the terms and conditions of the covenant , and by such covenant-rites , and forms of admission , as he is pleased to institute , which under the gospel is baptism , is under the law it was circumcision . . that no man can be a member of the church , or in covenant with god , who is not visibly admitted into god's covenant by bapptism . . that which makes any thing in a strict sence an act of church-communion , is , that it is performed in the fellowship of the apostles , or in communion with the bishops and ministers of the church . supposes , that we ought to communicate with a sound church , whether it has authority over us or no ; which wants no more to expose it , than to retort some of your own words : for your way of arguing is , as if a man should say , there is a divine law to obey civil magistrates . therefore into whatever government you come , whether as ambassador from a foreign prince , or otherwise , you are bound to live according to the laws of that government , in every respect , as much as a native . and for foreigners to enjoy several immunities from taxes , and the like , is contrary to the fundamental laws of government . but you are positive , that obedience to the church of england is a duty incumbent on those which are , or ought to live in obedience to this particular church : that is , they who ought to live in obedience , ought to live in obedience ; which is a greater blunder surely , than my speaking only of power and censures , when i was talking of communion : for surely the submitting to the churches terms of communion , is submitting to its power . well , however , this submission , you say , may be called a part of the divine covenant . which gives me occasion to mind you of what our homilies say about obedience to human laws . god hath appointed his laws , whereby his pleasure is to be honoured : his pleasure is also , that all mens laws , not being contrary unto his laws , shall be obeyed and kept , as good and necessary for every common-weal , but not as things wherein principally his honour resteth . and all civil and man's laws either be , or should be made to bring men the better to keep god's laws that consequently or following , god should be the better honoured by them . howbeit the scribes and pharisees were not content that their laws should be no higher esteemed than other positive and civil laws , nor would not have them called by the name of temporal laws , but holy traditions ; and would have them esteemed not only for a right and true worshipping of god , as god's laws be indeed , but also for the most high honouring of god , to which the commandments of god should give place . st. paul , speaking of those who scrupled eating some meats , upon their apprehension that they were unclean , which he tells them was a causless scruple in the nature of the thing , tho not as to their consciences , assures them , that , he that doubteth is damned if he eat , because he eateth not of faith ; for whatsoever is not of faith , is sin. if you will say , this was spoke where there was no humane law to determine its indifference ; i desire you to consider , whether such an answer savours not of that pharisaism which our church condemns . but certain it is , if active obedience in the matter which one scruples , which is submission to the power of the church , be or may be called part of the divine , covenant , which unites us to god , and to each other , there can be no suspension of communion because of doubt ; but he is out of god's covenant , and must be damn'd , continuing so , who does not actually conform to those very things which he conscienciously scruples ; nay , and the church may excommunicate him while he is under this doubt : for you know who teaches us , that it is impossible that a church , which is not schismatical in its terms , that is , ( as seems there meant ) which imposes nothing in it self contrary to god's law , can excommunicate schismatically . indeed the excommunication , according to that notion , does but declare the state he was in before ; for by not actually obeying that part of the divine covenant , the man was depriv'd of all other possible means of salvation ; agreeably to which the defender of dr. stillingfleet says : when our saviour so expresly asserts , whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth , shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth , shall be loosed in heaven : if by binding and loosing , we will understand putting out or receiving into the church , ( which that author plainly doth but immediatly before ) it makes the communion of the church absolutely necessary to salvation . this shews that my consequence was rightly inferr'd , when i argued , that if submission to the power and censures of the church be part of the divine covenant : then , as he who is not admitted into this church , is no member of the catholick , and has no right to any of the benefits of being a member of christ's body ; so it is with every one who is excluded by church-censures , tho excommunicated for a slight contempt or neglect , nay , for a wrongful cause . your answer to this , is of one who lives in england , and renounces communion ; when the question is of withdrawing , or refusing , because of real scruples , which you will have to be an adhering to their own private fancies , and to proceed from pride and opinionativeness , because they don't believe as the church believes . but then you say in general terms , whoever is excommunicated from one sound part of the catholick church , is excommunicated from all . whether this be upon the supposition , that every sound church is bound to ratify the censures of another ; and that he who divides from his bishop's altar , divides from a mystical head , answering to the jewish high-priest , as is taught by him from whom you borrow the notion , that christianity is nothing but mystical judaism ; perhaps one may know hereafter . but if a man excommunicated from one sound part , be , as you would have him , by consequence cut off from the whole catholick church , that church to the unity of which you say the influences of the divine spirit are confined ; to what purpose is your distinction between a judicial sentence , and an act of a man 's own choice ? for you suppose , the man chuses that which justifies the sentence . and how can you say , you will not pretend to determine the final state of men ? whereas he who dies after such a sentence , unrestored to the church-communion , dies in a condition , as you tell us , depriv'd of all the influences of the divine spirit , and consequently of all means of salvation . and 't is but small comfort for such a man , that the church did not design his damnation , because the church casts no man out of a state of salvation ; that this excludes them from a state of salvation , is not the act of the church , but god's act. as if you should say , that when you cast an innocent man out of your ship , into the vast ocean , where he is sure to perish ; that this excludes the poor wretch from the state of life , is not your act , but god's . truly , sir , how much soever you may slight the way of asking questions , i think it better to ask you , whether you believe a man , thus put out of the state of salvation by god himself , can be sav'd of his own natural power , without the influence of the divine spirit , which it seems he is depriv'd of by a fallible sentence ? than to charge you with pelagianism , when you think you determine nothing of the man 's final state. but i am sure , our church teaches us , that , it is the holy-ghost , and no other thing , that doth quicken the minds of men , stirring up good and godly motions in their hearts , which are agreeable to the will and commandment of god , such as otherwise , of their own crooked and perverse natures they should never have . the other horn of my formidable dilemma , as you slightingly call it , you avoid with becoming caution ; and supposing it to be aim'd against all manner of obligation to communion with this church , take not its real force , which is , that if this submission or obedience be no part of the divine covenant , then it may so happen , that a man living here may be a member of the catholick church , tho he is not in communion with this sound church . to which you give not the least colourable answer . and i believe by this time you see , or at least , others will see , that the supposition that he ought to communicate , if communion may be had , is not to the question , whether this be part of the divine covenant , or no ? for if it be part of the divine covenant , then i must confess , 't will not be a sufficient excuse , that the submission is not neglected or contemn'd ; for it ought to be actual , whatever be the scruple ; especially if the thing enjoined be not unlawful in it self , tho it be in the conscience of the party . but then to the query , whether dissenters may not reply , that they are ready to communicate , if the communion be not clogg'd with some things , which are no part of the divine covenant ? you say , the reply is weak and impertinent , because obedience in all lawful things is in a large notion part of the divine covenant ; and the supposition is , of communicating where communion may be had . now the question being put of their scrupling the lawfulness , i leave it to your self to consider , whether our church does not condemn this opinion as pharisaical . . the third head or query , which concerns the derivation of church-power from christ himself , you suppose not to belong to you . but surely , at first sight , before one hears your learned answer , one would think it strange , how it should come to pass , that you should admit the dissenters to have full church-power amongst them , and yet charge them with schism , for not communicating with us ; while you suppose , that whoever communicates with them will be guilty of schism . methinks mr. d.'s ground of charging them herein as much more plausible ; which is , that they are schismaticks in dividing from them , who derive all church-power within this nation from our saviour , and his apostles , exclusively of all others . but pray , is the church-power in the hands of our conformists , by reason of the divine law , or because of the civil law , which makes them the governing part ? if it be by reason of the divine law , mr. d. is in the right , notwithstanding all that you say against him . if it be by the civil law , then the reason why i ought to communicate with conformists , and not with dissenters , is by reason of a difference made by human laws . and then see if you can answer what you say against mr. humphreys his peaceable design of uniting the episcopal men , presbyterians , and independents , under one civil government ; where you say , if the evil and sinfulness of separation consisted only in obedience to humane laws , i should think it a barbarous thing to make any laws , which shall ensnare men in so great a guilt . but in answer to my question , you own that a lay-man may preach the gospel , where there is none of the clergy . but since you here set aside the question of the derivation of power from under our saviour , and his apostles , or from the divine law ; how come dissenting ministers to be schismaticks for preaching the gospel ? or they not to be schismaticks , who refuse to communicate with them , even where they require no terms of communion , not only not unlawful , but perhaps which are no way differing from what christ himself requires ? the first query here was upon supposition , that you would in no case allow a church to be gathered without a constant succession of church-ministers ; which tho you deny to follow from your doctrine , is but the consequence of many of your assertions , particularly of these two : ( . ) that it is absurd to gather a church out of a church of baptized christians , and divide neighbour-christians into distinct communions . ( . ) that there cannot be two distinct churches , for distinct communions , in one city or nation . taking it for granted , as i had reason , that you went herein upon the authority of the church-officers , i ask'd , whether this would not put the being of our church upon an hazardous issue , and oblige your self to prove , that 't was a true church before the reformation ? which surely is no remote consequence from the supposition that the church-power was lodged with them of the church of rome before , in opposition to which our church was erected , and out of which it was gathered . but then you say to my second query upon this , that there was not the same necessity for private christians , reforming from an antichristian church , to usurp the ministry , as there is for a lay-man in an heathen nation . but you do not observe , that the force of this lies in the supposition , that the power was lodg'd with the popish clergy ; upon which account the acts of the reformed ministry , in opposition to them , would be but like the acts of lay-men . and you know who has asserted , that recourse ought to be had to the intention of the church-governors , ecclesiastical power being their gift : and this does oblige all to a strict dependance on the supreme visible power , so as to leave no place for appeal concerning the practice of such government : and they are the most certain , as well as the most competent judges of their own intentions . but should we have recourse to such church-governours , pray do you think they would say , you have power of keeping up a form of church-government in opposition to theirs , or that your officers are better than lay-men ? to put this home to you , i shall here subjoin a passage of your own . should a company of private christians , on their own choice , separate themselves from their bishops , and unite into a church-society , this were a church-faction and schism , and all they did were null and void . here you must admit , that a minister episcopally ordained , may possibly join with them in this separation from the bishop ; or else you will allow of what will overthrow your assertion , as to separation , even from the most sound church . wherefore this being admitted , and it being laid generally , shew me , if you can , wherein this differs from mr. d. at least , how separation from papists , or from whatever unlawful terms of communion , can upon your hypothesis be freed from schism . you assure us , you do not charge our dissenters with schism , from the invalidity of their orders , but from their causless and sinful separation . and tho they have true orders , and are true churches , but yet divide christian communion , by separating from any sound part of the christian church , they are schismaticks ; nay , if it were only in separating from each other . wherefore since separation , and ordinarily refusing to communicate where one never did , but as you suppose , ought , come to the same thing , you cannot blame me , if i represent your notion to be , that where there are several churches within a nation , which here you admit of , whether one of these churches has authority over the members of the other , or no ; yet he who refuses to communicate with any one of these , is a schismatick : and so you make it in relation to churches in several nations . if this be your meaning , as i take it to be , then you have no reason to cry out of mis-representation , and blending together things of a different nature , when i ask , query . whether from the supposition , that there is to be but one church-covenant throughout the catholick church , that there cannot be one true church within another ? and that the nature of catholick communion is such , that one ought to be ready to communicate with any sound church , from which one is not hindred by reason of the distance of place ? it does not follow . here you stop me before you make an answer , as if i did not fairly , to take every one of these propositions for yours , or in tacking together some things not very consistent with each other . because you had in some place asserted , that there could be but one church in one place ; therefore it seems , not only our dissenters , but also foreigners living here , are without any church . tho to avoid the force of my questions , now you would admit , that the dissenters may have sufficient church-officers and power , but however , that they are schismaticks , if it were only for dividing from each other . you had said further , that nothing can justify the distinction of christians into several churches , but only such a distance of place , as makes it necessary and expedient to put them under the conduct and government of several bishops . what that distance of place is , which makes this necessary and expedient , you are not pleased to inform us . but nothing , it seems , but distance , can with you justify a distinction of churches , be the terms never so unlawful ; which is but the same in effect with what you had said elsewhere , as that 't is absurd to gather a church out of a church of baptized christians . nay further , here is more wholesom doctrine , which is , that no distinction of churches is justifiable , but under bishops . yet alas ! you do not dispute against the dissenters form of church-government , or deny their being rightly invested with church-power , no , not you . but it lies not upon me to reconcile you to your self ; nor can you deny the having said a thing in one place , because of the contrary in another . the only proposition which you can seem to deny with any colour , is , that one ought to be ready to communicate with any sound church , from which one is not hindred by distance of place . but surely 't is full enough to this purpose , that , the exercise of true christian communion in a particular church , is nothing else but the exercise of catholick communion in a particular church , which the necessity of affairs requires , since all the christians in the world cannot meet together for acts of worship . but there is nothing in all these acts of communion , which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular church , than to the whole church . again , to be in communion with the church , signifies to be a member of it ; and that not of any particular church , as distinguish'd from the whole catholick church , but to be a member of the one body of christ , and of every sound part of it . wherefore as a man is a member of every sound church , sure he may communicate with any sound church , if distance do not hinder ; nay , the refusing communion in such case , is the very schism which you all along declaim against . having thus fix'd upon you every one of these propositions , ( for the first of them i cannot believe that you will yet deny . ) i shall consider with you what follows . wherefore i still assert , either that the french protestants have no church here , but are schismaticks , in not communicating with ours ; or that ours is guilty of schism , in making the terms of communion so streight , that it is not the duty of every one , tho a licensed stranger , to communicate with this church . now to avoid the question here , you have a pretty notion , whereby you would make french protestants to have no church , calling them an ecclesiastical colony , belonging to the church abroad . but all church-power being exercised amongst themselves here , you have no more ground to call them an ecclesiastical colony , in respect of the french church , than you may call ours so in respect of any other , to which we might have formerly belonged , especially since they cannot meet with the mother-church in france , for acts of worship ; and therefore have your own allowed distinction from that . but if these refuse to communicate with our church , you make schismaticks of them , only excuse them , as being exempted from the jurisdiction of this church . but this you condemn , as being contrary to the practice of the primitive church ; and besides , consider not what you said to mr. humphreys his project ; nor your charging the dissenters with schism , for not communicating with each other , notwithstanding that one cannot pretend jurisdiction over the other ; and so must be in the same case with those that are priviledged or exempted . wherefore the french protestants are beholden to you for a good lift. but taking it for granted , that 't is the duty of these french protestants to communicate with our church , when ever they are required , you take no notice of the consequence from your tenent , which is , that they ought notwithstanding an exemption ; for else it follows , that our church is too streight in its terms of communion : and you cannot surely but remember where we are taught , that vnion to the body consists in vnion to that part which is next . . but i ask'd you further , whether it does not follow , from the obligation to communicate , or to be ready to communicate with any true church , where distance does not hinder , that a member of the church of england is not obliged to constant communion with that church , but may occasionally communicate with the french church , nay , with dissenters too , if he believes that any of their congregations is a true member of the catholick church . here i lie under your sore displeasure , for turning your own artillery upon you . and you think , no man in his wits ever understood this question in any other sence , than that whatever church i can occasionally communicate with , i am also bound to communicate constantly with , whenever such reasons as are necessary to determine my communion to a particular church , make it my duty so to do . and a very doughty question this is ; for surely 't is beyond dispute , that whatever necessarily determines my communion to a particular sound church , makes constant communion with it my duty ; and is no more , than that what makes it my duty , makes it my duty . but the question is , whether any thing necessarily determines my communion to a particular church , and what it is ? and thus i might leave you upon your mistake of the question . but , i think 't is demonstrable , from what you your self say , that the place does not determine my communion with a sound church , no , not so much as ordinarily . you distinguish between a state of communion , and acts of communion : but unless a man , tho he has sufficient opportunities , may be in a state of communion , without any actual communion , i know not what is meant by saying , no act of communion more peculiarly unites us to any particular church , than to the whole christian church ; and that 't is no interruption of our communion with the church of england , to communicate actually with any church that is in communion with it : and yet a member , as a member , is in constant communion . perhaps indeed , if the communion of churches is suppos'd to be upon the catholick essential terms , actual communion with a church , which is in communion with this , is no interruption or suspension of communion with this . but admit now , that the french church , which you say is in communion with ours , would be ready , if required , to hold communion with us in every point wherein we may seem to differ , but yet should keep up their separate meetings or assemblies ; and an english protestant , believing that he may receive most benefit from their preachers , should never actually communicate with our church , but always with that ; would he be in a state of communion with our church , or no ? and tho the civil power has made a distinction of parishes , and some other places appointed or allowed by its laws , in one of which it requires the sacraments to be received at such and such times : if they receive not in any of these places , will the receiving with the french church justify them , and free them from the danger of being excommunicated as schismaticks ? if it will not , as you must acknowledg , then either the french church is not in communion with us , whereas you say , they are in communion with us ; or else communicating with a church in communion with ours , is not a communion with our church . nay , and you say , that according to the laws of catholick communion , nothing but distance of place can suspend our obligation to actual communion . but if i may communicate with the french church , as being in communion with us , then the place does not determine even my ordinary presential or actual communion to ours ; nor does it yet appear what does . but you offer at it , when you tell us , 't is separate power and jurisdiction , which determines this matter ; but separate communion would be schismatical . but still what jurisdiction can there be to oblige me , contrary to the terms of catholick communion , which ( according to your own concession ) will suffer me to wander ? is it the civil power , as it unites us under a national church ? pray remember how you run mr. humphreys down , upon the supposition that the civil power should take off the obligation to episcopal communion . is it the divine right ? pray consider mr. d. again , and then you may think your self beholden to me , for bringing your notions under the protection of so ingenious a person . in the mean while be pleased to shew wherein you differ from him , when you suppose you have found a national church antecedent to any human authority . for this is either as you make the union of the bishops to be the national church , or the union of the clergy and laity together . if you make it to consist in the union of the bishops , then certainly to make that antecedent to human authority , you must betake your self to d — lism ; at least , you have not yet invented any other way , who a working head may do wonders . if the union be of clergy and laity together , then it is by consent , which is humane contract or agreement , and is the same with humane law , by you exploded . and consent , you say , is all that is necessary to unite a body or society in one communion . but then this consent you hold to be necessary by a divine law. and here indeed is cardo rei . well then , this consent , which is necessary by a divine law , is either in fundamentals only , or in fundamentals and accidentals too . whatever church differs from a sound church in fundamentals , is certainly ipso facto cut off from christ's body , without excommunication . but the question is , whether if in accidentals only the danger be the same ? dr. stillingfleet says , it is not ; and you have not yet proved it is . indeed you talk very wisely of the catholick church , which is the root and fountain of vnity , and was antecent to particular churches . but i would gladly know whether these accidentals were antecedent too ; or whether it is not the fountain of unity , only upon the account of the fundamentals essential to it . speak home to this , and shame all the orthodox writers before you , and of this age , if you please . assure your self , my concern was only to admonish your self , and your unthinking hearers , of the danger i conceiv'd to lie in your way . if neither you will retract , nor they distrust your authority , however i have discharg'd my self . but it not being improper for me to make some enquiry into the political constitution of a church , viz. as it is founded on consent , which , as was before cited , is all that is necessary to unite a body or society into one communion . here 't is presumed , that the consent of the minor part is so included in the major , that every one is bound , as he would avoid the damnable sin of schism , to conform to that sound church , or particular way of worship , which carries it by most voices . but suppose , that according to mr. humphreys his model , several ways should be left indifferent ; or that the number of voices should be equally divided ; or where there are three negatives , it could not be agreed by all three , dividing by a national act from a false way of worship ; which of the distinct communions in the true way should be the national ? would not more than one church in such case be consistent with one civil government ? and can it be made appear , which of these is the root and fountain of vnity , according to your cabalistical terms , to which the others ought to unite . but suppose one of the churches carries it by plurality of votes , and looking upon all others as schismatical , and therein as heretical too , should , with the african fathers , deny these schismaticks , their communion , unless they should be re-baptized , which you own to have been a mistake in those fathers : pray , would they still continue schismaticks , who would refuse to come in upon those terms ? or would the prevailing party , which vigorously insisted on this , be schismatical ? but as you say , that there ought to be but one church , and one communion in one place ; and that dissenters are schismaticks in separating from each other , as well as from the church of england , while they live in england . i desire you to resolve me one question ; which is this . whether the christian church at rome , gathered out of the gentiles in the time of the apostles , or that distinct church which was gathered out of jews , was the church of the place ? you will say , no doubt that the church gathered from among the gentiles , was the only sound church . but what think you then of those poor jews , who through the mis-fortune of their education were so wedded to the jewish rites , that they thought them necessary to be retained along with christianity ; which ( as you do ) probably they thought to be nothing else but mystical judaism ; and would not communicate in those christian congregations , which believed those rites to be abolished by the christian religion ? were these poor men schismaticks , and as bad as murderers and adulterers ? if they were , they might well argue , that our saviour introduced a very hard law , which not only obliged them to a severer mortification of their appetites and desires , but required of them upon pain of damnation , to act against their consciences in those very things which they scrupled , as they thought by divine warrant . but as to their case , dr. stillingfleet tells us , that , it was agreed by all the governours of the christian church , that the jewish christians should be left to their own liberty , out of respect to the law of moses , and out of regard to the peace of the christian church , which might have been extreamly hazarded , if the apostles had presently set themselves against the observing the jewish customs among the jews themselves . but if it had been absolutely necessary to catholick-communion that there should be but one church in a place . the apostles , who were the governours , would never have suffer'd this : which since they did , i conceive it directly conclusive against your notion . nor is it to be suppos'd , that these jews had no distinct church-officers . for timothy might have been over a church of converted jews , being circumcis'd , which for ought we know was for that very end . nay , st. peter himself withdrew , and separated himself from the gentiles : and , as st. paul told him , would compel ( to wit , by his example ) the gentiles to live as do the jews . but will you say , ( as you must , if you are consistent with your self ) that st. peter was a schismatick by this ? you say , there cannot be any competition betwixt two churches ; because there must be but one in the same place . how far this agrees with the fore-going instance , you would do well to consider . if in this matter i have fastened many absurd proposions upon you , t is not , i conceive , for want of due regard of my own reputation , or the common principles of honesty ; you well know the old observation , uno dato absurdo sequuntur mille . . as to my query about virtual baptism , you say , you speak only of the necessity of visible communion in visible members : and these you suppose not capable of communion with the visible church , not being made members . but the question is , whether they be not made members of the invisible ? and if they be , your notion , of the absolutle necessity of being visibly received into communion , falls . . as to that of a profest athiest ; you here place both him and a schismatick in the same state of exclusion from the catholick church . yet it may be a question , whether by our unwary wording things , you do not suppose that the atheist is intituled to acts of communion , but the schismatick is not . the first you seem to suppose to be in a state of covenant with god. for a church-state and a covenant-state you make the same thing : and if it be not , or that baptism does not give us this , you argue that , then a man may be in covenant with god through christ , and yet be no member of christ : or , he may be a member of christ , viz. as baptiz'd , and yet no member of his body , which is the church . nay , in your glorious vindication , you number schismaticks among them who you say , shall at the last day be judged , not as infidels , but as wicked and apostate christians . . the seventh query , which goes upon that ground ( which you give , and do not yet recede from ) for the belief of your lodging church-power so with the clergy , that they who conform not to them , or who incur their displeasure , would be in a woful case ; you answer only with a scoff ; but say not whether the clergy are the church representative , or whether what i urge would follow from that supposition , or no. these were the general questions ; and whether most of them were impertinent , or are now fairly answered , 't is for others to determine . from hence i am obliged to follow you to my three sets of queries , as you call them , relating to sveral propositions and the parting-blow of four queries relating to the text. because of my asking questions concerning your sense of our saviour's promise to his apostles , which you seem to suppose to go along with church-governours in succession , as distinguish'd from the body of christians , and without allowing private christians that share which the words of the promise import ; you intimate my designing to confute our saviour , and burlesque his institution . but to use mostly your own expressions , if my design of charity , and to deliver that blessed institution from the freaks of an enthusiastick fancy , and to expound it to a plain and easy sense , such as is agreeable to the vnderstanding of men , and worthy of the spirit of god , be to burlesque scripture , i acknowledg the charge . to my first qustion : whether our saviour's promise of divine assistance , did not extend to all the members of the church , considering every man in his respective station and capacity , as well as to the apostles as church-governours ? you answer ; that there are promises which relate to the whole church ; and promises which belong to particular christians , as well as promises which relate particularly to the apostles and governours of the church . well , for the comfort of us poor lay-men , there are some promises which relate to us . it being so , then i may well ask , . whether it signifies any thing to say , there is no promise to particular churches , provided there be to particular persons , such as are in charity with all men , and are ready to communicate with any church , which requires no more of them than what they conceive to be their duty , according to the divine covenant ? you think it hard to know what this query means . but surely 't is material to know , whether or no such men may be saved , otherwise than under church-governors . and truly you tell us pretty plainly , ( i wish for your own sake , it had been a little more covert ) that such have no promises , but as members of the church , that is , of the visible church , under church-officers , if you answer to the purpose . you add indeed , when communion may be had upon lawful terms ; i hope this implies , that 't is possible the terms may be unlawful . which yields me my fourth question upon this matter . but it likewise yields , that if the terms are unlawful , private christians are entitled to these promises , tho not visibly admitted into a church-state ; which is contrary to what you all along drive at . but it seems however , your charity to these men , who think the terms such as they ought not to comply with , is so great , to believe them guilty of schism , as adhering to their own private fancies , in opposition to church-authority , out of pride and opinionativeness ; which god alone can judg . . the third query is , whether if the promise you mention be confined to the apostles , as church-governors , it will not exclude the civil power ? to which you answer , that the civil and ecclesiastical power are very distinct , but very consistent . but such a power in the church-officers , as would make them the church-representative , and prevent a national reformation , tho by the civil power , is of another nature . nor do you think fit yet to declare , what the power is which you would have lodged in church-officers . but for fear you should go beyond your warrant in this matter , i shall mind you of what our church teaches us , which is , that , we must not think , that this comforter was either promised , or else given only to the apostles , but to the vniversal church of christ , dispersed through the whole world. and speaking of christ's promise , that the spirit of truth should abide with them for ever , and that he would be always with them ; he meaneth , saith our church , by grace , vertue and power ; and that ( it says ) was indifferently to all that should believe in him , through their ( the apostles ) words , that is , to wit , for his whole church . to my inferences from the second proposition , which i consider apart : you make such an answer , as if we had been at cross purposes . for my questions were grounded upon your asserting , without any limitation , that 't is absurd to gather a church out of a church of baptized christians . and indeed it is but a golden aphorism , wherein you epitomize a great part of your discourses on this subject . and you answer , that the independents are out in their way of gathering churches ; and that we separated not from the papists upon their principles . which is nothing to the purpose . but you do confess indeed , that we may separate from any church of baptized christians , if their communion be sinful . but wherein the difference lies , i know not ; except by separation , you would only have a withdrawing from communion , but will not allow the setting up a distinct church-communion , be the cause of withdrawing never so just . which unless you mean , i hope you will be so ingenuous to confess , this was not so warily worded , and so sound as might have been . but if you have a patent to make words signify what you please , besides their natural and presumable intendment , to make generals particular , or vice versâ , much good may it do you ; provided they afford you not a loop-hole for the most uncharitable censures . yet give me leave , before i quit this , to demonstrate , that you have not answered fairly in restraining this , as if spoke only of independents . these were your own words : when there is one church within the bowels of another , a new church , gathered out of a church already constituted , and formed into a distinct and separate society ; this divides christian communion , and is a notorious schism . this is the plain case of the presbyterian and independent churches , and those other conventicles of sectaries which are among us : they are churches in a church , churches formed out of the national church ; by which means christians , who live together , refuse to worship god in the same assemblies . pray , sir , would you have me fancy some general scope and design , which no man can understand , from the words you utter in any particular place . this , i suppose , may satisfy reasonable men , that all my queries under this head are not impertinent . the third , which was still under the same head , tho you would divide it , was this : whether , as in the primitive times , there was but one bishop , and consequently one church in a city , there are not now as many churches within the national , as there are bishopricks ? to which you answer , every bishoprick is a distinct episcopal church . well then , how does that agree with the primitive rule , from which in another place you had occasion to argue ? and you know , to mention no more , st. ignatius , who liv'd in the first century , says , every church has but one altar , and one bishop , with the college of presbyters , and the deacons ; which bishop , the people , with the magistrates , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , nay , and caesar himself must obey . now except you will make all the bishops , and the arch-bishop of york , but pastors to the metropolitan of canterbury , it may be a question how that rule would hold good here . and how will this correspond with what you say in the book you would have your notions tried by , where you say , every particular bishop is the supreme governour in his own diocess ? when , according to this , he would be but one of the college of presbyters ? and that seems in your own sence , to have been the heresy or schism of the novatians , that they would pretend to a bishop of their own , independent upon him whom the catholicks supposed to have been lawfully possest of the church . and you know in that case occupancy is adjudg'd to be a good title . but then you say , every bishop has relation to the whole christian church , and is to take care of neighbouring churches ; and therefore those bishops should govern their churches by mutual advice and counsel . but suppose they will not , any more than one prince will be governed by the advice of his neighbour ; do not you make independent soveraigns of them ? but admit the civil power should not interpose to the uniting of them . . would not that which was the fourth query prove to be not very impertinent ? which is , whether it is more absurd that there should be independent or presbyterian churches within the national , than that there should be so many bishopricks . but further as the primitive fathers made schism to be in a dividing from the bishop ; that is , as you will have it , were it only upon the account of accidentals ( tho st. ignatius particularly goes upon a schism , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or dividing from truth ) . how , even upon the notion of dividing in accidentals , will he that divides from one bishop , but yet communicates with another , be guilty of schism ? . and then my th supposal , which you here admit , that the independents or presbyterians have among them sufficient church-officers and power , as much as clears them from the imputation of schism , as it does that bishop and his flock , who will not be impos'd upon by his neighbouring bishop , but will have rites and ceremonies different from the other , and with which he expects that all should comply that communicate at his altar . and if it be lawful for him to determine indifferent circumstances and external solemnities ; you know , 't is necessary to make them the terms of communion . . then the th query relates to the charitableness of your censure of such honest-minded men , as communicate with them . where you say , indeed you know not what allowances christ will make for the mistakes of well-meaning men. tho else-where , as i have shewn , you deprive them of all the means of salvation . the queries upon your supposition , that the independents exclude themselves from catholick communion , by requiring of their members a new covenant , no part of the baptismal vow ; i need not take any great pains to re-assert . . the first was , whether any obstacle to catholick-communion brought in by men , may not be a means of depriving men of it , as well as covenant or contract . . if it may , ( which you do not deny ) will you not upon this account make our church more guilty than the independants . baptism you own , is the only thing which admits into the catholick church ; but they require no new covenant at baptism ; ergo , they admit into the church without any clog or hinderance of human invention . now you , who it seems have been better acquainted with the ways of separation than i can pretend to , deny my minor , and say that they baptize no child but of such parents as were in church-covenant with them . having no time to be at present instructed in their way , i will admit all this to you , and will admit them faulty : but then the question is , whether your argument will not equally concern our church . for it being put , as i do it just after , concerning an adult person that would be received to baptism ; he finds this rite of admission instituted by our church . upon which he scruples : . whether the rite of admission into this church being made necessary to his admission into the catholick church , the rite ought not to have been only of divine institution . . whether the canon declaring that 't is used as a lawful outward ceremony and honourable badg , whereby the infant is dedicated to the service of him who died upon the cross ; there is not , according to the common and natural intendment of the words , as much efficacy ascribed to this rite as there is to baptism it self , of which our church catechism hath it . wherein i was made a member of christ , the child of god , and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven . wherein , seems here of like signification with whereby , and to be so taken by our church , when it says ; by holy promises , with calling the name of god to witness , we are made lively members of christ , when we profess his religion , receiving the sacrament of baptism . wherefore , quest . . whether such a man may not honstly scruple this ? . whether it ought to be made a term of communion to such an one ? . whether in such case the enjoying this under a penalty would not sufficiently answer the end of church government , without making it a term of communion , which you suppose necessary in every lawful injunction . but waving this , till you know my own exceptions against the sign of the cross ( which 't is not likely i shall ever have occasion to except against upon my own account , or my childs , since i think there can be no magick in it to affect the infant ) . you would avoid the suspition of yielding to the like accusation against our church with that which you set up against the independents , by this distinction . that the independent church is schismatical in its constitution ; for admit this an unlawful and sinful term of communion , yet , say you , the frame and essential constitution of the church is not schismatical . but except you yield to me that a matter enjoyn'd , tho it be not sinful in its own nature , may be so to the party of whom 't is required , and call this a sinful term in that respect : be pleas'd to consider again how a church commanding things sinful , and admitting none into communion with it but upon those sinful terms , can avoid the imputation of being schismatical in its frame and essential constitution , any more than the independents for requiring a new church-covenant . if you say , the church may quit those terms , and still continue a sound church : so may they and yet continue independent . but if i ought to learn my catechism from our church it self , rather than from any doctor in it , i should think that whereever there is any congregation or fellowship of god's faithful and elect people , built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , jesus christ being the head corner-stone ; that must be such a church as cannot possibly differ in its essential frame and constitution from any other sound church . but when you say , 't is impossible that a church , which is not schismatical , should excommunicate schismatically ; 't is worth enquiring , whether you mean , that tho it does enjoin terms sinful and unlawful in themselves , and excommunicate them who cannot comply in such matters , it has , by that exercise of its power of the keys , deprived those dissenters of catholick communion , as not being schismatical in its essential frame and constitution . being excellent good at leaving out the force of any question , to which you are loth to give a direct answer , you say , my three first queries relating to the meaning of the text , come onely to this , whether every particular church may not be called the body of christ ? whereas it was , whether it might not be an entire body ? and you yield my question ; yet you say , all the churches in the world are but one body , and must be but one communion . which if you will allow to be by virtue of a mystical or spiritual union , need not be disputed . yet it being a question , whether you would yield a particular church to be a proper body of christ ; why might i not ask , whether it may not at least be taken so in a metaphorical sence ? and surely you , who have been charg'd to turn the priesthood of our saviour from proper into metaphorical , might well enough understand what i meant by this word . but if you consider the force of the question upon the text , it is to know your warrant for arguing , that it is always schism to refuse the communion of any sound church , where-ever you find it , whether it has authority over you , or no ; from a text , which only charges schism upon members of the same particular church , or body of christ , with which they did actually communicate . for my th query from the text , of the nature of schism , you condemn me to the drudgery of examining the defence of dr. stillingfleet : but as you speak not directly to it , i shall here take it for unanswered ; yet i shall not deny it some consideration in its due time . but thus you say , you have honestly answered all my queries in my first letter : and truly the judgment of charity obliges me to hope that you have , according to the intention of your own mind . and yet 't is a very difficult thing to believe , that you should not have discernment enough of your self , to see through all your false colours . if they are errors of your understanding , i hope god will not call you to so severe an account for them , as you threaten to well-meaning dissenters . my second letter you may , if you please , term peevish , for conjuring you , as a protestant divine , to answer my doubts categorically , and that without referring me to what mr. d. or any profest papist had writ on that subject . but perhaps very few men , that observe the neighbourhood of the doctrines , through mediums not far differing , leading to the like end , will much condemn the caution which i there gave you . wherefore to vindicate my self to you , i shall give a taste of your agreement with popish mediums . and since you disown d — lism , shall as much as conveniently may be , strip your positions of what is directly his way . and perhaps it will not seem improbable , that you should have borrowed some of those arguments , which i look upon as tending to , or proceeding from uncharitableness , from the author of charity maintained by catholicks . his labour is , to prove all protestants schismaticks , because they withdrew from the communion of the visible church ; that is , in his sence , the church of rome , and those that were in communion with her . and he cites st. austin , to prove , that not a diverse faith , but the divided society of communion doth make schismaticks : from whence he argues , that the catholick or universal church is one congregation or company of faithful people , and therefore implies not only faith , to make them faithful believers ; but also communion , or common union , to make them one in charity ; which excludes separation and division . he goes on : by the definition of schism may be inferred , that the guilt thereof is contracted , not only by division from the universal church , but also by a separation from a particular church or diocess , which agrees with the universal . you would prove , that men , as they would avoid the sin of schism , must communicate with the national church , or with some church that is in communion with it , and reject the communion of all other parties and sects of christians . indeed you will say , that you qualify it , if the national church be sound , that is , if there be nothing sinful in its constitution and worship . yet 't is a question , whether your arguments go not as far as the jesuit's . for you suppose with him , that there must be some particular church , with which we must communicate , under church-officers : or , to use your own words , we must of necessity join in the actual and visible communion of the church . suppose the dissenters say , with mr. chillingworth , we don't leave the church , but only its external communion ; you look upon that as absurd , and wonder that they should assign reasons why they cannot communicate with us , and yet at the same time will not own that they have made any separation . nay , you affirm , that for two churches to renounce each others communion , or at least , to withdraw ordinary communion from each other , from a profest dislike , and yet still to continue in a state of communion with one another , is a downright contradiction . well , be it so , then it seems protestants , by withdrawing from the communion of the romish church , put themselves out of a state of communion with the christian church , just as dissenters do . yet our great champion thought he had furnish'd us with a litle armour , which might repel all the jesuit's batteries ; and could not understand it to be a contradiction , to say , one leaves the church by ceasing to be a member of it , by ceasing to have those requisites which constitute a man a member of it , as faith and obedience : but we leave the external communion of a church , by refusing to communicate with any church in her liturgies and worship . what tho , according to mr. chillingworth's rule , 't is possible to be a member of the church without actual communion ? you say , 't is as necessary actually to communicate with some church or other , as 't is to be a christian . wherefore it seems those protestants in popish countries , who did actually communicate with no church , had not what essentially constituted them christians . you will say , that you make allowance for cases of necessity , when communion cannot be had but upon sinful terms : but surely 't is absolutely necessary to be a christian . nay , in that very book which you refer me to , for your thoughts at large , you assert from your own , and the popish notion of the power of the keys , that the communion of the church is absolutely necessary to salvation . wherefore methinks many of your expressions would make no improper sound out of a papist's mouth . we are the visible or national church ; your division from us is schism , and separation from the church ; and every separation is a schism on one side or other . nay , you renounce our communion ; for to withdraw your selves from ordinary communion with the church in which you live , into distinct and separate societies for worship , is to renounce their communion . and , he who disputes the authority , or destroys the vnity of the church , renounces his membership and communion with it . besides , 't is enough that 't is a separation , and gathering a church out of a church , which did before consist of baptized christians . ye are schismaticks , in dividing your selves from the body of christians ; and all your prayers and sacraments are not acts of christian communion , but a schismatical combination . you may pretend , that if you do not divide upon the account of sinful terms , yet you do it for greater edification , and purer ordinances : and that at least 't is very doubtful , whether the church on earth has power of clogging god's ordinances with such rites , as shall be made terms and conditions of receiving them . well , 't is no matter for all this : doubt , and divide from us , and be damn'd . it 's pleasant , that you should pretend edification , to break the vnity of the church : be assured , that the influences of the divine spirit are confined to this vnity . what allowances christ will make for the mistakes of well-meaning men , who divide the communion of the church , i cannot determine ; but his mercies in such a case are uncovenanted ; and such an one is no member of the invisible church , that we do or can know of . and if he separate from the visible church , tho upon the account of sinful terms , the thread of this reasoning affords him no clue to lead him to the gate of life : for having no visible church that he knows of , with which to communicate ; or by misfortune being depriv'd of the opportunity , he was thereby denied the ordinary means of salvation . and it may be said in your words , i do not now speak of the invisible operations of the divine spirit . truly , sir , to my thinking , either i have rightly represented your agreement here , or words are to be governed by some authority which you have not yet produced . the half answer , which you suppose already given to the question , with which i closed my second letter , had , i doubt not , its due consideration , where-ever 't was met with . but the question was this : whether if the nature of catholick communion requires a readiness to communicate with any sound church ; and yet a church obliges us to communicate with that alone , exclusive of other sound churches , while distance does not hinder the occasional and frequent communion with others ; is not that church guilty of schism in such an injunction , contrary to the nature of catholick communion ? your answer is , that no church can be supposed to forbid communion with any church , which is in communion with her . but 't is its duty to forbid communion with schismatical conventicles . which is as much as to say , that the french , the greek church , or any other , that is not in communion with our church , is a schismatical conventicle . and such you observe , that i am pleased to call sound churches , wherein you intimate , that no church , which is not in communion with ours , that is , not ready actually to communicate in all its accidentals , can be sound and orthodox . but then the frequent communion with another church being in the question , what provision does your answer make for so much as the ordinary communion , which you call constant , with the national church . but then you having admitted , that dissenters have proper church-officers and power , what answer will you make to what follows ? or at least , is it not impossible , that he who communicates sometimes with one true church , sometimes with another , can be a schismatick , or any more than an offender against a positive humane law ? you say indeed , he is an offender against the vnity of the church , and the evangelical laws of catholick communion ; but you have not yet been pleased to produce those evangelical laws , which oblige men upon the pain of damnation , consequent upon schism , to communicate with the church-officers allowed of by the civil power , rejecting others as schismatical , tho admitted to have the same evangelical institution . indeed you look upon it as self-evident , that where-ever there is a church establish'd by publick authority , if there be nothing sinful in its constitution and worship , we are bound to communicate with that church , and to reject the communion of all other parties and sects of christians ; for the advantage always lies on the side of authority . but how this is made out by any thing you say , i cannot find . in my judgment you afford no other notion of catholick communion , but as an agreement and readiness to communicate in accidentals , as well as essentials , with any sound church , be it national or otherwise . indeed you suppose dissenters to have no sound church , for want of a national establishment ; but then you make no manner of provision for so much as the ordinary actual communion in any episcopal church , where one lives , if so be that one communicates actually with any other church which is in communion with that . but if it should happen , that the true notion of catholick communion consists only in a communion in essentials , and being united by the christian bond of charity , notwithstanding separations for lesser matters ; then by the same reason i may communicate with any sound church , and nothing but humane law can restrain me , which , by your own confession , can neither make nor cure a schism . and indeed what should hinder , but that humane law may as well confine me to the communion of the bishop of the diocess where i live , which you know were but according to the old rule , of one altar , one bishop ; as well as to give me a latitude for any diocess , provided i do not straggle into a church , which is not in communion with our bishops ? this confinement to one bishop , you must say , upon your grounds , would be contrary to the nature of catholick communion ; but we have your authority for it , that the other is not . yet it seems , if presbytery should have the advantage of authority , they who refuse communion with the national church , upon pretence of purer ordinances , and the belief that episcopacy is the ordinance of god , must be as bad as murderers and adulterers , that is , very schismaticks . and judg you , whether 't would not be a barbarous thing to make any laws , which shall ensnare men in so great a guilt . but here you take notice of a passage or two in my preface : the one , that perhaps it is no absurdity to suppose , that men may as well continue members of the national church , notwithstanding their breaking many positive laws , made for the outward management and ordering of it , tho not fundamental and necessary to its being ; as he who incurs the penalty of any statute of the realm about civil affairs , may however be a sound member of the state , if he keep from treason , or other capital crimes . this you answer by a begging , and indeed mistaking the question , and will have it of a schismatical separation , which you elswhere express by renouncing communion . and this you may compare to treason and rebellion in the state , if you think fit . but the church is not much beholden to you , for making that in which conformity is expected , fundamental and necessary to its being . and when you compare a man that communicates sometimes with one true church , sometimes with another , to a man that joins sometimes with his prince's forces , and sometimes with his enemies ; the comparison is either very impertinent , or very uncharitable , in supposing that a church , which differs from this in what is really accidental , how essential soever you make it , is antichristian , or an enemy to christ , which surely no true church is ; yet i must confess , herein you agree with your self , when you say , there may be a true church , which is no catholick church , that is , no true part of the catholick church . i add ; nay , possibly , that there should be several religious assemblies , living by different customs and rules , and yet continuing members of the national church , is not more inconsistent , than that particular places should have their particular customs and by-laws , distinct from the common-law of the land , without making a distinct government . this you condemn , without vouchsafing it a fair hearing , as nibling at that healing project , for which you think you have sufficiently exposed mr. humphreys . but i shall chuse the protection of the great protestant champion , mr. chillingworth ; and if you are resolved to wound him through my side , i will bear the brunt of it as well as i can . to reduce christians to unity , there are but two ways that may be conceived , probable : the one , by taking away diversity of opinions touching matters of religion ; the other , by shewing that the diversity of opinions , which is among the several sects of christians , ought to be no hinderance to their unity in communion . the first he looks on as not likely , without a miracle . what then remains , says he , but that the other way must be taken , and christians must be taught to set an higher value upon those high points of faith and obedience , wherein they agree , than upon matters of less moment , wherein they differ ; and understand , that agreement in those ought to be more effectual to join them in one communion , than their difference in other things of less moment to divide them . when i say , one communion , i mean , in a common profession of those articles of faith wherein all consent , a joint worship of god after such a way as all esteem lawful ; and a mutual performance of all those works of charity , which christians owe one unto another . and to such a communion , what better inducement could be thought of , than to demonstrate , that what was universally believed of all christians , if it were joined with a love of truth , and holy obedience , was sufficient to bring men to heaven : for why should men be more rigid than god ? why should any error exclude any man from the churches communion , which will not deprive him of eternal salvation ? to the same sence is the passage i had in that preface cited out of dr. tillotson's sermon ; and you may as well ask him , as me , is the catholick church then , and communion of saints , no part of our creed ? your notion of communion is a new article . but to re-assert what i had observed of your managing the charge of schism . i had said , people might not well understand what it is , unless it be taken to lie wholly in want of charity : and in the errata , to avoid the cavil of its being common , such as we have for all mankind , i had added the epithete of christian . i say further , to my thinking , as st. paul speaks of it : he supposes a continuance still of the same body , and ascribes it to christians , continuing such , nay , and communicating with each other . and this you were not able to deny ; nay , you well know , that not only the thing , but the very word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , had by that apostle been applied to such . hence you would argue , that i will not allow causless separation from a sound part of the catholick church to be schism , but place schism wholly in want of charity . but 't is obvious , that i do it no more than the apostle himself does . but besides , it induces the belief , that schism is not such a crime as you imagine : for if the corinthians were schismaticks , whilst they continued in communion with each other , and yet were particular members of christ's body ; then schism does not cut off from christ's body , nor do you rightly apply the addition of apostate christian . further , by what authority do you apply that to a refusing communion with any sound church whatever , upon your supposed notion of catholick communion , from a text which mentions no other schism , but what was between them who liv'd in the same communion ? and still , beyond all this , it seems demonstrable from the text , that the causa formalis , or that which constitutes schism , is not separation , tho it be causless , unless it be accompanied with want of charity . for since there may be schism , where there is no separation of communion , then it must be something which consists with joint communion ; and find out something , besides want of charity , if you can . the apostle's notion of schism we have seen ; but i wonder by what authority you affirm'd , that schism is nothing else but a breach of christian communion ; and that where the vnity of the church is broken by distinct and opposite communions , there is the full nature of schism ; and where this is not , there is either no schism , or only a partial schism , which is like a great wound in the arm , which does not sever it from the body . 't is not every quarrel or contention , ( agreeably to your notion , you might add , tho it be such as the apostle calls schism ) which makes a schism ; but the breach of christian communion . let me desire you to consider , whether , by departing from the scripture-account of this , misled perhaps by the disputes of some of the ancients , thundring against each other , you will not enter at least into the confines of donatism . you say of those hereticks , they confined the church of christ to africa , and to their own communion . mr. chillingworth gives us a fuller account wherein their heresy lay , in these words : that upon a vain pretence of the corruption of the church , they separated themselves from the communion of other parts of the church ; and that they required it as a necessary condition to make a man a member of the church , that he should be of their communion , and divide himself from all other communions , from which they were divided . it seems according to them , to use your words , tho a church retained the purity of the faith and worship , and was so far true ; yet it was not every way sound and orthodox , nor a catholick church , unless it observ'd those conditions of catholick communion , which were two : . that it must be in communion with theirs . . that it must divide from all other communions , from which they are divided . . for the first , you teach us , that , the visible vnion of all churches in and to christ , consists in their visible communion with each other , and communion with a particular church , which is it self in catholick communion , is as necessary as communion with the catholick church . whoever lives in england , and renounces communion with the church of england , is a schismatick from the catholick church . and if occasionally we communicate with some other sound part of the catholick church , in the same communion , we may do it without schism , so this be as owning our selves members . but an ordinary withdrawing upon a profest dislike , you make as destructive of a state of communion , as a formal renunciation . wherefore , as you hold , that we are bound to maintain communion with all sound parts of the catholick church , and that in other matters , besides the agreement in all the articles of faith , and essentials of worship ; it does follow , that it must be in those very matters which distinguish one communion from another . and the national church being that sound part , wherewith every christian here is to communicate , herein you have found out a root , fountain , and principle of vnion , or beginning of the catholick church , to which all particular churches are , or ought to be united , and by virtue of this catholick vnity , are one catholick church . if it be ask'd , what 't is which brings one with safety to this beginning of the catholick church ? 't is not humane law , as it has plac'd us under such a government and discipline , and which makes the only distinction of churches , you allow of ; but the principles of catholick communion , against which whatever church offends , you will not yield it to be sound and orthodox . and you assure us , we have nothing else to do , but to judg whether that part of the church wherein we live , be so sound and orthodox , that we may communicate with it according to the principles of catholick communion : if it be , we are bound to communicate with it , under peril of schism from the catholick church , if we do not . and consequently , whatever church refuses our communion , 't is not sound and orthodox , or any part of the catholick church , as not retaining the true principles of catholick communion . thus far donatus might have gone , taking it for granted , that his church was the beginning of the catholick church . . this first point being setled , 't is no wonder if it be likewise required , that we must divide from the communion of all that are divided from this sound part of the catholick church . and methinks donatus himself might argue , that 't is evident the pretended catholicks understand not the true principles of catholicism ; for if they did , they would never proffer a composition with us , and yield that the surviving bishop should govern these , which are now distinct communions : they must own , either that they are not any part of christ's body , or else that we are not ; for 't is impossible , that two churches , which are not in communion with each other , can both belong to the same body . and therefore the obligation to catholick communion , does equally oblige us to renounce the communion of schismaticks . you in effect justify donatus his terms of communion ; and when you say , their churches were in all things like the catholick churches , excepting catholick communion , you as good as tell us , he only mistook the church , which he should have made the beginning of the catholick church . if he had been with st. austin , he had been no heretick , for refusing to receive hereticks into the church without re-baptization , and damning all that were of a communion divided from his , or that would not consent to have them excommunicated , who without proof had been accused of being traditors . but as you teach us , that that church is not sound , which keeps not to the principles of catholick communion ; mr. chillingworth shews , wherein they swerv'd from that sound principle : the condition of their communion ( says he ) was both unnecessary , and unlawful to be required ; and therefore the exacting of it was directly opposite to the churches catholicism . for ought yet appears , donatus and you are pretty well agreed in the notion of catholick communion , and of the breach of this unity , wherein we are taught that the full nature of schism lies . he , with you , confin'd the influences of the holy spirit to this vnity . yet whether he would have intreagu'd this business of church-communion , as you have done , i cannot tell . all the sence which i can gather out of your notion , as the leaf-gold is spread out , is this : that to be a member of the christian church , and in a state of communion with it , 't is not enough to be admitted into the church by baptism , nor to exercise any acts of communion with a particular church , unless it be in communion with every sound part of the christian church , and that so , as to own your self for a member of every such sound church . and tho you do own your self a member , as perhaps every one will that agrees in essentials ; yet if you ordinarily withdraw from that sound church where you are , which must always be the only sound church on the place , upon any profest dislike , or communicate with them that are of a divided , and consequently a schismatical communion , you forfeit your membership , even tho that other church has nothing sinful in its communion : which in one place , you think enough to make any church sound and orthodox ; whereas in others , it serves your purpose to have it believed , that it cannot be sound and orthodox , unless it maintain communion in accidentals with every other sound part. upon the erecting this scheme , and observing the rules of art you have already given , one may be able to resolve a great many nice horary questions : yet some of them must stay for your own solution , or elias's . quest . if baptism lets one into the church , and entitles one to all the privileges of church-membership , how comes it to pass , that one who ordinarily dissents , is an intruder , when he exercises an act of communion ? answ . you had your answer already , if you had eyes to see it : he who despises the authority , or destroys the vnity of the church , renounces his membership and communion with it . quest . what tho he does actually communicate ? resp . yes , thou man of perverse understanding ; church-communion does not consist in particular acts of communion , but in membership . quest . well then , if neither baptism , nor particular acts of communion , are enough to make , or at least continue me a member ; pray how many acts of communion will do the business ? resp . why , i tell you , it must be constant communion . quest . what do you mean by constant communion ? resp . i mean ordinary communion , that is , always sometimes . quest . well , what is it that obliges me always sometimes to communicate with a particular church ? does baptism do it ? resp . no , we know no church , but all christians are made members of by baptism . quest . what then , if i chuse ordinarily to communicate with another church ? resp . if you divide your self from this body , and set up distinct and separate societies , which you call churches , but which are not members , nor live in communion with the one catholick church , you cannot carry your right and title to the covenant , out of the church with you . quest . but do you not tell us , that our communion with the church consists in being members of the church , which we are made by baptism : and they being baptized into the same faith , i should think they hold communion with the church ? resp . but let me tell you , tho sometimes i maintain , that baptism makes us members of the whole church , and gives us a right to communicate with every sound part of it ; yet in spite of contradiction , i hold , that baptism at most gives men only a disposition to be church-members , but does not make them members of any church . besides , where there are two separte churches , one , if not both , must be schismatical . and the national church having the advantage of authority , you are bound to reject the communion of all other parties and sects of christians , as schismatical : if you do not , you renounce your membership , and by destroying the unity of the church , forfeit your interest in the divine charter , and cannot carry your right and title to the convenant out of the church with you . quest . suppose i do not communicate with any other church , yet ordinarily withdraw from communion with yours , at the times appointed for worship , or other acts of communion ; is it enough to own my self a member ? or if not , how long suspension will amount to a forfeiture ? resp . 't is not enough to own your self a member ; for to withdraw from the visible communion of the church , is separation . now if separation from religious assemblies , be to break cowmunion ; then to live in communion with the church , requires our actual communion . quest . well then , thus far i have learnt my catechism , that there must be actual communion , and that actual communion must be constant or ordinary ; otherwise a man wilfully separates himself , and forfeits his interest in the divine charter . so it seems , tho acts of communion are but effects and applications of church-membership , yet the non-user of them forfeits the right one had by baptism , even tho one be not cast out of the church by any sentence ; and nothing but ordinary communion amounts to owning a membership . how many acts are necessary to avoid the forfeiture , we are yet to learn. and further , if we live where communion may be had with another church , in communion with that which expects our constant attendance , we as well own our selves members by a constant communion with the other , as with that : for , as you inform us , there is nothing in baptism , nor in all the acts of communion , which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular church , than to the whole christian church : and 't is no interruption of communion to communicate actually with any church , that is in communion with another sound part. but if it should fall out , that notwithstanding the division of communions upon lesser matters , a divided communion may continue a sound part of the christian church , the necessity of constant communion with a church , where occasional is lawful , will stand in need of some other medium to support it . resp . o but there is a differene between being a member of the vniversal church , and of all particular churches , which are parts and members of the sniversal church . quest . why so ? may i not communicate with any sound part , which is in communion with this church , and professing no dislike of its communion , thereby own my self a member , especially since my communicating with the one , does not interrupt the communion with the other ; and neither baptism , nor all the acts of communion , unite me more to one than another ? resp . i care not for that , for constant communion in a particular church , confines church-membership to that particular church in which you communicate . quest . if i may not offend , i should say my question is , what obliges to constant communion ? but you seem to say no more , than that constant communion obliges to constant communion ; or in your own phrase , confines church-membership to that particular church . so it seems , if constant communion be omitted , that obligation or confinement ceases . i shall trouble you but with one question more in this place ; and that is , whether the necessity of re-baptizing those who were of a separate communion , does not follow upon your grounds , as well as upon donatus's , and that tho the party had not been baptized in a schism ? certainly this is no remote consequence from the supposition , that separation makes a forfeiture of all the privileges acquired by baptism : for if they were forfeited , how can they be restor'd without a new grant ? nay , they are your own words , that the guilty divider forfeits his interest in the covenant , without a new grant. but a little to examine the foundation of your charitable positions . you suppose , that christ's body being but one , whoever separates from any sound part , separates from the whole . but is it not equally evident , that whoever separates from any true part , separates from the whole ? surely a true member is a member , tho it be not sound . yet you say , there may be a true church , tho no catholick church ; that is , according to your argument , no part of the catholick church . is christ's body made up only of sound members ? are all that are unsound , divided from the body ? but if a true member be of the body , as well as that which is sound , do not you , by refusing to communicate with any true member , upon your own principles , refuse to be of the body ; especially when the only unsoundness is , that it differs by reason of some accidentals , from that church where you exercise the acts of catholick communion ? and it might be well to know , whether you own that there is any sound church , besides the church of england , with which you can communicate , how much soever you talk of catholick communion ? or at least , whether you are not schismatical , in dividing from some true churches ? and may not you be charged with denying the very notion of a catholick church , and asserting that christ has not one , but twenty , or a hundred several bodies ? but whereas you affirm , that he who divides from one sound part , divides from all : is it not rather demonstrable , that he who communicates with one sound part , or one true part , communicates with all , as being united to christ's body ? as he that touches a man's finger , touches his body ; but it does not follow , that one cannot touch his body , unless he touch his finger . but since you are so fond of this notion , give me leave to turn your own artillery upon you ; and if you have condemned your self , or the church in which you live , of schism , and dividing from christ's body , you may thank your self . if it follows from the identity of christ's body , that whoever is divided from any sound member , is divided from the whole , being that member is united to the body ; so it must necessarily be , if you divide from any true member , unless a true member is no member . and you your self being sensible of this , have taught , that 't is absurd to gather a church out of a christian church , and divide neighbour-christians into distinct communions . nay , you left your self no possible evasion , when you affirmed , that the only thing that can give us in particular a right to the blessings of the covenant , is , that we observe the conditions of this covenant , and live in vnity and communion with all true christian churches in the world. if therefore there be any true christian church , with which you refuse to communicate , have you not made a good rod for your own back ? the church of rome , as you own , is a true , tho a corrupt church ; but you , i suppose , refuse to communicate with this true church ; are you not therefore cut off from christ's body ? you will say perhaps , you cannot communicate but upon sinful terms : but what 's that to the purpose ? if this is stil a true church , and member of christ's body , you know christ has but one body , one spouse , one flock , one church : and if we be no members of this one church , we are not united to christ . the parts of this body must be united to each other , that they may be united to christ ; else it would be as if the parts of the natural body should divide from each other , and hang together by a magical kind of vnion with the soul. andvnion to the body consists in being united to that part of the body which is next . you have foreclosed your self from saying , that you are united in what is essential to its being a member of christ's body , and have a participation of the same vital heat , and animal spirits ; but think it hard , that one member should be charged with the putrid sores or wounds of another ; and to speak plainly , that you forsake it only in its uncatholick terms . this would come too nigh that very fanaticism which you deride . and you having told us , that a compliance with the order , government , discipline , and worship , as well as the doctrine of the catholick church , is absolutely necessary to catholick communion . 't is upon your own grounds necessary to comply with every true part of the catholick church in all these , as well as with every sound part. wherefore might not the papists beat you into their church , with those weapons which you have forg'd against others ? might not they tell you , that you want christian charity , unless you are united in one communion with this one body ? that you want the chief branch of holiness , without which none shall see god ; that all the blessings of the gospel are promised to us in a church-state ; that the effects and application of the grace , merit , and satisfaction of christ jesus is confined to this body , ( consisting of members sound and unsound ) ; that the gospel-covenant is confin'd to the communion of the christian church ; that to remit sins , is to restore men to the peace and communion of the church ; and to retain them , is to cast men out of the church , or keep them under church-censures ; which is a plain demonstration , that sins are forgiven only in the communion of the church . but yet further , 't is a question , whether you are in communion even with every church , which requires nothing sinful as a term of its communion , and is upon that account sound and orthodox ? you say indeed , you should make no scruple to communicate with the lutheran church , if it did not require of you the belief of consubstantiation : yet certainly you did not attend to your own grounds , when you said so . for if that be not in communion with our church , you know you would be a schismatick , if you communicated with it . but that their church is not in communion with ours , appears upon your own rule , for that the governors are not in communion with each other , which you make essential to the communion of particular churches . and for this 't is not necessary to shew , that the governors of each side condemn the others constitution : 't is enough if the governors of that church which you are of , do condemn the constitution of the other , or of any part of it . you say indeed , that our church is so far from condemning foreign reformed churches for the want of bishops , that it has always lived in communion with them . if this be so , then as a bishop in the same communion with us , might , with the leave of english bishops , exercise his episcopal office in any church in england ; so might a protestant minister ordained abroad without episcopal ordination . but i take it , you will not say , that he may : if he may not , this is a condemning with a witness : for if any of them have no orders amongst them , where is their regular church-society ? nay , as you believe the right of episcopal government , 't is questionable , whether you do divine not deny that such have any proper church-officers . and further , that you may not take the difference about the constitution of churches , or the validity of a particular kind of ordination , to be meerly between the bishops of our church , and the presbyters of another ; i take leave to inform you , that the stat. . of this king , cap. . has provided , that every person which was not then in holy orders , by episcopal ordination , or should not be so ordained before a day prefixt , should be utterly disabled , and ipso facto depriv'd from all manner of ecclesiastical promotions ; and that none for the future should be admitted to any such promotion , nor should presume to consecrate and administer the sacrament of the lord's supper , unless episcopally ordained . the penalty indeed is not made to extend to foreigners of reformed churches allowed here ; but quere , whether the declaration of disability does not ? if you say , by the lutheran church , you mean only those religious societies of lutherans , which are in sweden and denmark , under bishops , or at least , that have superintendents or generales , ordained and ordaining episcopally , which surely some lutheran societies want : you may avoid the consequence , as to such , and all others of the reformation , which are without episcopal orders , by denying them to be christian churches , if you please ; for then indeed it would not follow , from your condemning such societies , that you thereby refuse communion with a sound church . this brings me to our churches sence and application of this matter . o , says it , how the church is divided ! o how the cities be cut and mangled ! o how the coat of christ , which was without seam , is all to rent and torn ! o body mystical of christ , where is that holy unity , out of which whosoever is , he is not in christ ! if one member be pulled from another , where is the body ? if the body be drawn from the head , where is the life of the body ? we cannot be joined to christ our head , except we be glued with concord and charity to one another : for he that is not of this unity , is not of the church of christ , which is a congregation or vnity together , not a division . st. paul saith , that as long as emulation , or envying , contention , and factions , or sects be among us , we be carnal , and walk according to the fleshly man. and st. james saith , if ye have bitter emulation , or envying and contention in our hearts , glory not of it ; for where contention is , there is vnstedfastness , and all evil deeds . and why do we not hear st. paul , which prayeth us , whereas he might command us : i beseech you in the name of our lord jesus christ , that you speak all one thing , and that there be no dissention among you ; but that you will be one whole body ; of one mind , and of one opinion in the truth ? if his desire be reasonable and honest , why do we not grant it ? if his request be for our profit , why do we refuse it ? and if we list not to hear his petition of prayer , yet let us hear his exhortation , where he saith , i exhort you , that you walk a becomes the vocation in which you be called , with all submission and meekness , with lenity and softness of mind , bearing one another by charity , studying to keep the vnity of the spirit by the bond of of peace : for there is one body , one spirit , one faith , one baptism . there is , saith he , but one body , of the which he can be no lively member , that is at variance with the other members . there is one spirit which joineth and knitteth all things in one ; and how can this spirit reign in us , when among our selves we be divided ? there is but one frith ; and how can we then say , he is of the old faith , and he is of the new faith ? there is but one baptism ; and then shall not all they which be baptized be one ? contention causeth division ; wherefore it ought not to be among christians , whom one faith and baptism joineth in an unity . if all differences in opinions be here forbid , as cutting men off from christ's body , it may be said perhaps , that schism cannot possibly be avoided . but what seems intended by the apostles , and by our church , is , that notwithstanding such differences , men should be united in the same faith , by the bond of charity , which you may call a magical vnion , when men divide from each other in their opinions , if you please . certain it is , neither the scriptures , nor our church speak of dividing communions ; yet there is no doubt , but that may be schism in a divided communion , which is in a joint . and whoever want true christian charity , they are the schismaticks , whether in communion with a visible church , or withdrawing from it . having shewn what account the scriptures and our church give of schism , it may not be improper to shew in what sence it has been taken , by some of the greatest eminency in our church . i had before shewn , how dr. stillingfleet had defended our church against the imputation of schism , in dividing communion from the papists ; and how the primitive fathers ought to be understood , when they write of this ; that schism did not lie in a voluntary departure out of any particular church , upon the account of any thing extrinsecal and accidental : ( christian charity , to be sure , is essential . ) i shall only subjoin the testimony of mr. hooker ; and if i have these two on my side , i shall think my self sufficiently well back'd . the apostle affirmeth plainly ( saith he ) of all men christian , that be they jews or gentiles , bond or free , they are all incorporated into one company , they all make but one body ; the vnity of which visible body and church of christ consisteth in that vniformity , which all several persons thereunto belonging have , by reason of that one lord , whose servants they all profess themselves ; that one faith , which they all acknowledg ; that one baptism , wherewith they are all initiated . the visible church of christ is therefore one , in outward profession of those things , which supernaturally appertain to the very essence of christianity , and are necessarily required in every particular man. let all the house of israel know for certain , faith peter , that god hath made him both lord and christ , even this jesus whom ye have crucified . christians therefore they are not , which call not him their master and lord. but this extraordinary person could not think himself obliged in charity to his own soul , and to deliver himself from the guilt of the blood of dissenters , to instruct them in the necessity of one communion in accidentals , if they would continue christians : nay , he thought , that altho they should be excommunicated , yet even that could not cut them off from christ's body . his words are these : as for the act of excommunication , it neither shutteth out from the mystical , nor clean from the visible church , but only from fellowship with the visible in holy duties . but you , it seems , have considered this matter better than mr. hooker , and affirm , that every bishop and presbyter shuts out of the catholick church by excommunication . and this leads me to the notion of a true or sound church . and surely it was not impertinent for me to desire you to define what you meant by it , when considered as catholick and universal , when in a more restrained sence , seeing , as i had shewn , you seem to have no other idea of it , but as particular , visible , nay , and that national too ; or at least , as being the only true church within the nation or city where one resides . here i shew'd , that you applied that to the visible national church , which belongs to the invisible , as well as visible church ; where it lay not upon me to prove that the influences and operations of the holy spirit are not confined to the visible church : 't was enough to have shewn , that you had no ground for what you had said from the text , which will not bear that restraint . and the same thing is obvious of what you call my attempt to prove congregational churches , from cor. . . for how can you prove , that one ought to communicate with the national church and not communicate with any other congregation , from what proves no more than that you ought to meet in some publick place of worship , even according to your own argument in the defence of dr. stillingfleet , which is no beter than to argue , that because you must go to some church , therefore you must to this . not being concern'd for congregational churches more than others , i should not give my self the trouble to examine what you say against them , did not you oblige me to a small diversion to observe how wonderfully you prove that it is very plain that the apostle in cor. cap. . means no more but that all the members of the church do worship god in the publick assembly of the church , tho not all in the same assembly and congregation ; where to oppose aright , you should have made it [ in those publick assemblies which meet together in one place ] for there is no doubt but successive assemblies must be meant , or else there could be no provision for more than one meeting , and then how can you , without begging the question , maintain that when the women are commanded to keep silence in the churches , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it might not be spoke of several successive assemblies still in one place ? nor are you more happy in encountring the difficulty upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . you say indeed , it is very plain that it does not always signify one place . and who says it does , when circumstances determine it another way : but how can you affirm it to be so here without still begging the question ? for your purpose you instance in acts , . , . the kings of the earth stood up , and the rulers were gathered together , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , against the lord and against his christ , &c. this you say well , signifies no more than an agreement and conspiracy in one design . but would not the most proper inference from this quotation be that as a conspiracy may by a figure be called a meeting together , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , therefore t is not to be proved from that text which prohibits a forsaking the assembling together , that those who live in a church need actually to assemble together ; but if they agree in the same lord , the same faith , the same baptism , they may be said to gather together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . you cite another text , acts . . and all that believed were together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; 't is in the greek , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : indeed this signifies no more then that they were together , and being together may be granted not to refer to their religious assemblies , but their common abode : but what is this to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; if therefore the whole church come together , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where one would think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not added for nothing , but must signify the same place . and to my thinking there is another passage in this epistle to the corinthians , which regards them as a church that used to assemble together in one place , which is where the apostle directs them to excommunicate a notorious sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . when ye are met together , and my spirit , &c. do you think that there was any need of a miracle to pronounce the sentence of excommunication and that it must be done in the very same moment in distant congregations ? i may be bold to say , that neither scripture nor the homilies take notice of your fancied catholick or national communion . if you say that what we find in the homilies to this purpose , being spoke in a church already constituted , must relate to the present constitution ; so may it be said of the apostle's exhortation to that church to which he wrote , which for ought yet appears , was a single independent congregation . yet it may be a question , whether such limitation can be supposed to have been intended in the following words , which you may read in the homilies . churches are not destitute of promises , for as much as our saviour christ saith , where two or three are gathered together in my name , there am i in the midst among them . a great number therefore coming to church together in the name of christ , have there , ( that is to say , in their church ) their god and saviour christ jesus present among the congregation of his faithful people , by his grace , by his favour and godly assistance , according to his most and comfortable promise . now , concerning the place where the people of god ought to resort together , and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctify the sabbath-day , that place is called the temple or church , because the company or congregation of god's people , which is properly called the church , doth there assemble themselves . the holy patriarchs for a great number of years had neither temple nor church to resort unto . in the time of christ and his apostles there were no temples nor churches for christian men ; for why , they were always , or for the most part , in persecution , vexation , and trouble , so that there could be no liberty nor licence obtained for that purpose ; yet god delighted much that they should often resort together in one place , &c. but then speaking of the building of churches afterwards , it says , and to these temples have christians customably used to resort , &c. true it is that the chief and special temples of god wherein he hath greatest pleasure , and most delighteth to dwell , are the bodies and minds of true christians , and the chosen people of god , according to the doctrine of holy scriptures , &c. yet this notwithstanding , god doth allow the material temple made with lime and stone , &c. how far this agrees with your notion , that such temples of god cease to be so , if they are divided from , or shut out of these material temples , i cannot see ; nor how you have brought your notion of a church into conformity with the th article , which i before mentioned , but you thought fit to slight , as not worth your notice . and therefore 't is not likely that the homiles should be any more regarded . yet however it may not be amiss to mind you of what our homilies teach us of a sound or true church . the passage before cited proves , that a particular company or congregation of god's people is the church in proper speaking . and then for the catholick visible church , we have its definition or description in these words . the true church is an universal congregation or fellowship of god's faithful elect people , built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , jesus himself being the head corner-stone . and it has always three rules or marks whereby it is known . ( . ) pure and sound doctrine . ( . ) the sacraments ministred according to christ's holy institution . and , ( . ) the right use of ecclesiastical discipline . these notes tho ascribed to all in general , are manifestly to be applied respectively to select congregations , or fellowships of christians : for 't is not possible that all can be joyned in actual communion . but in these things they are to be ready to communicate with each other as if they were one entire body , in the first without any limitation ; in the two last as the church says of the sacraments , in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same . and to prevent all affected ignorance of our churches sense in this particular , it assures us that christ makes intercession not only for himself and his apostles , but indifferently for all them that believe in him through their words , that is to wit , for his whole church . i leave it to you run to the parallel between what the church teaches , and what you would impose on us in this matter . i shall not repeat the particulars , but shall only observe upon your notion of discipline . . that according to you the power of the keys is absolute in church-men's hands , from whose power of binding and loosing you infer , that church-communion is absolutely necessary to salvation . whereas our church says , christ ordained the authority of the keys to excommunicate notorious sinners , and to absolve them that are truly penitent . . and secondly , whereas you affirm , that every profess'd christian , who is received into the church by baptism , is a church-member ; and all church-members have a common right to church-priviledges : that teaches otherwise . why , says it , cryed the deacon in the primitive church , if any be holy let him draw near ? why did they celebrate these mysteries the quire-door being shut ? why were the publick penitents and learners in religion , commanded to avoid ; was it not because this table received no unholy , unclean , or sinful guests ? and this it enforces from the example of our blessed saviour , and the conforming practice of the primitive church in these words : according to this example of our saviour christ , in the primitive church , which was most holy and godly , and in the which due discipline with severity was used against the wicked , open offenders were not suffered once to enter into the house of the lord , nor admitted to common-prayer , and the use of the holy sacraments with other true christians , untill they had done open penance before the whole church . here i might well leave you to bethink your self of returning into the bosom of our church , after you have divided from the unity of its doctrine . and i might advise you to have a care of contending too eagerly in the maintaining your own opinions , for fear of running into the formality of that which you take such pains to fright others from . tho it may be a good way to convert schismaticks , to convince them of the errour of their ways , yet even that may be done schismatically , at least the causless imputation of it may return upon the forward censurer . but lest you should think i say this to avoid the notice of my shameful baffle in the story of pope victor , which you will have to be a feigned case , told me by some body . be it known to you , that the authority which i had next at hand was a late learned ▪ chronologist ; who has these words ; romanae ecclesiae episcopus fuit victor qui ab anno christi sedit annos , in concilio statuit ut pascha semper die dominicâ celebrarètur , atque adèo èxcommunicavit omnes episcopos & ecclesias in asiâ quae eâdem die pascha non celebrabant . here i might as well think that the bishop pronounc'd the sentence of excommunication in council , as he alone is said statuere , what was done by common consent ; and so we know rex statuit is often used . the excommunication you contend to have been only his own act , not the act of the council . and you cite eusebius , which calls ▪ that , which i should take for an exemplification of the act of the council , his letter . i am sure socrates his expression of this favours me , when he says , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he sent them the sentence of excommunication . and the matter having been agreed on in a council at rome , where he presided , 't is certainly most probable that this was not of his own head. nor is it in the least any argument against me , that other bishops in communion with him resented it ill : being those other bishops , irenaeus particularly , were not at that council : for , as eusebius himself shews , as victor presided at rome , irenaeus did in france . so that those of the same communion were only such as agreed in that doctrine of the account of time ; about which i shall not dispute whether arithmetick was concern'd or no : yet i find it a long while since , by an old emperour , called questio temporis non fidei . but i find not in eusebius that irenaeus prevented this from taking effect , as you affirm ; for the sentence was actually pronounc'd , as both eusebius and socrates inform us . but when retracted , or whether at all , appears not . but be it as you contend , that this was only the act of a schismatical bishop ; how comes it to pass that his church was not concerned in this ? st. cyprian says , qui cum episcopo non sunt in ecclesiâ non sunt . and st. ignatius , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . both agree that there 's no being in the church , or in christ , unless they side with their bishop . and a gentleman whose authority i hope you will not except against , says of st. cyprian ; he makes all bishops equal , to have the whole power in solidum , to be absolute judges of their own acts , and be accountable to none but god. nay you your self have told us that it is essential to the communion of particular churches that their governours should be in communion with each other . wherefore the asian and latine churches were in a state of separation , and the laity of one side or other were necessitated to communicate in a schism . this , sir , may supersede my enquiry into your niceties upon a case of your own making . but the same which you suppose victor 's to have been , you say , was the case of st. chrysostom , and epiphanius , and some other bishops in those days , who separated from each other : as mr. chillingworth has it of them , divers times it hath happen'd , as in the case of st. chrysostom and epiphanius , that particular men , and particular churches , have , upon an overvalued difference , either renounced communion mutually , or one of them separated from the other . herein you agree with that great champion , that however they maintained communion with the catholick church . yet how that is possible upon your grounds , i cannot imagine . but it seems poor tertullian , and his followers , were not worth your pity , and you would not vouchsafe them a taste of your skill . i should think upon your own principles , since two churches , which are not in communion with each other , cannot both belong to the same body , or the one catholick church ; that the bishops , with their followers , on the one side or other , were extra ecclesiam foris . the contradiction which i charged you with , about occasional and constant communion , you would avoid , by affirming , that you no-where assert , that the communion of the church does not make us members of any particular church , you having added [ as such ] : these words i find elsewhere explained by [ as distinguish'd from the vniversal church . ] and a little before you had said , that this membership may extend to the remotest part of the world , if the body whereof we are members , reach so far . this i think comes up to what i urg'd , which i find no reason to retract . i had produced mr. chillingworth to prove , that it may happen , that one is not obliged so much as sometimes to communicate with a sound part of the catholick church , because you live where there is such an one . and this , because such a sound church may impose upon you the belief of some error , not destructive of the faith , or some unnecessary conditions of communion , if not unlawful . and you sarcastically call me a subtil arguer , for calling such a church sound ; as if it might not however be sound in its vitals , and such an one as our homilies would call a true church . surely you do not consider what advantage you give dissenters in this . but however , a man of your parts knows how to bring himself off in any case . and methinks 't is a wonderful instance of your art , that what mr. chillingworth says , in opposition to the necessity of communicating with a corrupt church , having all the face of authority ; and that however christ may have a visible true church on earth , a company of men professing so much as was necessary to salvation ; should be turned into his meaning a formed and visible church-society , and pleading for the corrupt church , when he was justifying the separation of private christians . when i had said , that if our church required conformity to its rites and ceremonies , as necessary to salvation , it could not blame men for dividing from it ; you say , the church could and would blame men in such case ; and whether you do not put the church in christ's stead , may be worth a thought . the last passage in my letters , which you thought worth your notice , was this : he who tells us , or he says nothing , that the divine spirit confines his influences to the vnity of the church in such conformity , not only makes such conformity necessary to salvation , but imputes to the church the damnation of many thousands of souls , who might expect to be saved upon other terms . i am persuaded , that there are very few of our orthodox clergy , that will not concur with me in this ; and think , that whoever makes such conformity necessary to salvation , and will affirm , that our church warrants him in so doing , brings the greatest reproach upon it , and gives the greatest advantage to separation imaginable ; and therefore will be far from thinking that he encourages the dissenters in their non-communion with us , who removes so great a bar to an entire communion . before the book of common-prayer , there is a declaration , the authority of which i hope you will not dispute , which is , that some ceremonies are retained in our church , for a discipline and order , which upon just causes may be altered and changed , and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with god's laws . where i take it , the reason why they are not to be esteemed equal with god's laws , is not meerly because of their mutability , for god's own positive laws have been changed ; but because they are enjoined only for discipline and order , some determination of which may be necessary to government , tho not to christianity . this ( i conceive ) may be a good warrant for the above-mentioned remark . to serve which , as you did that of the divine covenant , you would have it spoke in relation to those that live elsewhere in any part of the world : but as to them who live here , to whom the subject matter related , you do own , that subjection to church-authority in all lawful things , ( that is , such conformity ) is necessary to the vnity of the church , and necessary to salvation . tho some may not know what idea to form of the church of england , distinct from other sound churches , but as incorporated with the state , and relying on a civil sanction ; you cautiously confine this question to church-authority . wherefore , admitting that our bishops have possession of the churches by a right antecedent to any humane authority , and consequently may exercise episcopal jurisdiction within their respective diocesses without any such authority . what will you say to that statute , which enacts , that all archbishops and bishops of this realm , or any of the king's dominions , consecrated , and at this present time taken and reputed for archbishops and bishops , may , by authority of this present parliament , and not by virtue of any provision , or other foreign authority , &c. keep , enjoy , and retain their archbishopricks , and bishopricks , in as large and ample manner , as if they had been promoted , elected , confirmed , and consecrated , according to the due course of the laws of this realm . was this impertinent , or presumptuous ? but as that very act permits them to minister , use , and exercise all and every thing and things , pertaining to 〈◊〉 office or order of an archbishop and bishop . quere , whether our saviour himself did not set the utmost bounds of their power , when having commissioned his apostles to teach all nations , baptizing them , he adds , as it were by way of necessary caution , teaching them to observe whatsoever i have commanded you . how extensive soever the civil power is , it may be a question from hence , what right they who claim to be lawful successors to the apostles , have to command things not forbid by christ , without being tied up to his positive institutions ? and how comes it to pass , that they who are entred into christ's church by baptism , and continue in the profession of his pure religion , should be schismaticks , and cut off from his body , meerly for disobeying additions , the authority of which they soberly dispute ? you say , in one part of your answer to me , that whatever variety and difference in the rules of worship , is consistent with one communion , may be granted , when the prudence of governours sees it fit and expedient . where as you condemn such indulgence , as is inconsistent with one communion , it may be thought to be equally conclusive against the imposition of any thing inconsistent with one communion , or the great law of catholick communion . and when you confess , that the government of the church since the apostles days , was never so entirely in the bishop's breast , that what he did should be thought the act of the church , any further than he complied with those laws , by which the church was to be governed . you having likewise set aside the civil authority , and admitted that dissenters have sufficient church-power amongst them , i again ask , how they can be schismaticks for dividing from the bishops , upon the account of suspected rites and ceremonies , which they believe not to agree with those laws by which the charch was to be governed , as being greatly prejudicial to , if not inconsistent with one communion ? and i would willingly be satisfied , how you can bring within the foregoing rules , what you assert but within three pages , where having held , that there was no schism between the latin and asian churches , yet you will have it , that private christians at rome , could not receive the asians into the communion of the church , without the bishop's authority . but to word this matter according to your hypothesis ; tho conformity to the church of england , that is , obedience to the church-governours , the bishops , is not essential to the vnity of the catholick church ; yet it is for all that live here . i should have been contented to have the controversy confin'd to persons living here , but that you tempt me further . you say indeed , that christians , who live under the government and jurisdiction of other churches , may , and do preserve the vnity of the church , without conformity to the church of england . but pray , can they preserve the unity of the church , without catholick communion , to which , as you have told us , a compliance with the order , government , discipline , and worship , as well as the doctrine of the catholick church , is absolutely necessary ? and then , all the churches of the world are but one church , or one society , and have the same right or obligation of them to communicate with each other , as opportunity serves , in all those duties , for the sake of which christian churches are instituted , as the members of a particular church are . there are some other passages in my third letter , which perhaps might want to have something said to them ; but i shall only refer the whole , with what i have here wrote , to your second and cooler thoughts . but i must confess , i wonder how i escap'd unrebuk'd , when i observ'd , that you your self made a sufficient excuse for some even causless separation . and if the sinfulness of separation lies in not observing your terms of catholick communion , the dissenters would think themselves pretty sake under mr. chillingworth's defence against the papists , not only when he affirms , that the gospel of christ is the whole covenant between god and man ; nor when he blames the papists for making salvation depend on things casual , and in the power of man to confer , or not to confer . but if it were only because of the obscurity and doubtfulness , if not inconsistency of the grounds , whence the obligation to constant communion with the church is inferr'd ; for he thought it demonstration , that nothing is necessary to be believed , but what is plainly revealed . now , sir , i take leave to tell you , that i have faithfully followed you in all your subtil windings ; i am sure i have nowhere perverted your discourses , how much soever i may have mistaken them . and 't is no easy matter to take his sence rightly , who is inconsistent with himself . it has not been the least , nor perhaps the least pertinent part of my task , to fix your own principles upon you ; some of which need no other exposure , but to be set in their proper light , where , like the cadmoean issue , they may be left to destroy each other . if you forget in one place , what serv'd your purpose in another , or go to prove too little , or too much , for what possibly might be your general scope and design ; i hope you will for the future be more cautious of condemning men for dishonesty , in arguing upon what they find . by this time 't is likely i may in a double sence have tir'd your patience , which you value your self upon . i must confess , the substance of what lies in dispute between us , might be brought into a much narrower compass . but perhaps it was no more than requisite , to put several questions to you , to prevent all colourable evasion , that one might take up what might be artfully slipt over upon another . and certainly , any one that observes what skill you use in the management of this controversy , will think that many things , which might have seem'd superfluous , were but necessary to oblige you to speak out . thus when i had ask'd , whether a man has a right to be of a particular church , as he is a christian , that is , ( as i then thought , and still do ) a true member of the catholick church ; i should not have added , [ or becomes a christian , only as received into a particular church . ] were it not that i wrote to one ▪ who seems to think no man can be a true member of the catholick church , before he has been actually receiv'd into some particular church . but you , taking no notice of the last branch of the question , wonder i should ask you , whether a man has a right to be of a particular church , as he is a christian ? when you say , the whole design of your tract is , to prove that every christian , by being so , is a member of the catholick church , and has a right to communicate with all sound parts of the catholick church , and bound to communicate with that part of it in which he lives . now 't is odds , but it may be as evident upon this your whole design , that every particular church is bound to receive every christian , as such , into its communion , without imposing any terms but meer christianity ; as that a christian must communicate with that sound part where he lives , even in other terms . yet here you speak not one word to the question , how a man becomes a christian , whether it be only as received into a particular church : indeed you had said in your resolutions , which i thought you might have either justified or retracted , that no man can be in covenant with god , or a member of his church , who is not at least visibly admitted , which must be by some particular church ; and surely no man can be a christian , who is not in covenant with god : wherefore , according to you , no man can be a christian , before he has been received into a particular church . nay , further ; either every christian , as such , has not a right to communicate with all sound parts of the catholick church ; or else he who is excommunicated , tho for a wrongful cause , ceases to be a christian . but alas ! sir , it were endless to insist upon all the advantages which i might take from your assertions , assure your self , i have not wittingly shun'd the encounter of any thing , that might look like an argument for you ; many things have had a particular consideration , meerly as they were yours . and since for a more large account of your exterminating hypothesis , you directed me to certain oracular writings , formerly publish'd , i was willing to be at a little pains to pick out the choicest flowers from every place , and having sorted them together , to present you with a nosegay out of your own garden ; you know even the same flowers yield some variety of scent , according to their different sortings . finding ( which before i was ignorant of ) that your sermons were but the gleanings of those notions , which you have been cultivating for some years ; i have not the vanity to believe that i should , by the mispending a few hours , oblige you to condemn them , and the books out of which they were extracted , for waste paper . wherefore all that i can now expect , besides the undeceiving some , and provoking others to lay your errors more convincingly before you , is , to have fairly rid my hands of this controversy , in which i shall not willingly engage further . however , if press'd to it , i shall not decline the honour , as far as my mean abilities , and many avocations will permit , to vindicate the catholick doctrine of our sound and orthodox church , from such misrepresentations on this point , as tend to the giving men ill impressions concerning it . and what i have already done , perhaps may not appear more to answer the obligation of christian charity to dissenters , than of gratitude that indulgent mother , which requires nothing of me , but what i can chearfully and readily obey . let men teach no other doctrine but what that warrants ; and very few at least will be likely to stray for better edification . sure i am , 't is not the thundering of damnation against men , that convinces them , tho it may fright them out of their wits . they may listen to mild instruction , from one that not only preaches up humble obedience to its authority , but practises it , and had rather read an homily to his parish , than have the glory of leading a sect after his profound notions , and of giving authority to the severest censures upon men , who are suff●ciently unhappy that they cannot conform . the truly pious ( and such both you and i ought to believe there are amongst them ) will , as far as they are able , submit to the authority that is over them ; and in the mean while , will use all diligence to inform their understandings of the lawfulness of what is required of them . for them who are not so , 't is enough that humane law has made conformity their secular interest ; and if that won't drive them within the church-walls , nothing will. and now , sir , lest you or i should be carried too far in the heat of dispute , i shall , instead of that ghostly counsel which you gave me , in great charity , set down that of our good church : if any thing be necessary to be taught , reasoned , or disputed , let us do it with all meekness , softness , and lenity : if any thing shall chance to be spoken uncomely , let one bear another's frailty : he that is faulty , let him rather amend , than defend that he hath spoken amiss , lest he fall by contention , from a foolish error , into an obstinate heresy . as you seem careful to clear novatianus from the guilt of heresy , in believing that they who had once through infirmity communicated with idolaters , could upon to terms whatever obtain god's pardon : i cannot tell how far i may have offended beyond the hopes of yours , tho i am , reverend sir , yours to serve you , anonymus . errata . page . line . dele sound . p. . l. . read rigorously . ibid. l. . r. the jews and gentiles uniting . ibid. l. . r. jews and gentiles . p. . l. . r. divine-right ; l. . dele divine . p. . l. . r. faith. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e dr. sherlock 's letter to anonym . pag. . sherlock 's discourse of the knowledg of christ d ed. p. . & . see his letter , p. . ibid. p. . sherlock's answer to danson , p. . his letter to anonym . p. . ibid. p. . ibid. p. . ibid. p. . his letter , p. . pag. . pag. , & . pag. . pag. . pag. , & . pag. . his letter , p. . pag. . anonymus's d letter , p. . pag. . pag. . pag. . luke . his letter , pag. . pag. . pag. . vid. preface to the three letters . pag. . preface to the three letters . hooker's eccles . pol. p. . answer to anon. p. . resolut . of cases , p. . hooker , f. . ibid. f. . questiones in scholâ theol. per g. abbot , edit . , p. . res . of cases , p. . gods coven . is with the whole body of christians , as united in one communion . ibid. p. . vindicat. of def. p. . resolut . of cases , p. , . his letter to anonym . p. . vid. his defence and continuat . p. . mr. chillingworth's pref. vindic. of the def. of dr. stilling . p. . vindic ▪ p. . letter to anonym . p. . vid. dr still . the faith of protestants reduced to principles , p. . vid. mr. d's reply to mr. baxter . resol . of cases of consc . p. vid. è contra b. morton's apol. cathol . p. , & p. . resol . p. . ibid. p. . n. b. vvhen i had charg'd the consequence of your opinion to be such as church governours please , you opposed it not . vid. d letter , p. . resol . of cases , p. . ibid. p. . letter to anon p. . ibid. p. . ibid. p ▪ . ibid. p. . homilies . d serm. of good vvorks , f. . or part of the divine covenant . rom. . . vindic. of the def. of dr. s. p. . ibid. p. . letter to anonymus , p. . page ▪ resol . of cases of consc . p. . letter to anonymus , p. . vid. vindic. of the def. p. . . letter to anon . p. . homily , f. pag. . letter , p. . letter , p. . letter , p. . letter to anon . p. . letter , p. ▪ . vindicat. of dr. stilling . p. , & . letter , p. . resol . of cases , p. , . ibid. p. . letter , p. . vid. mr ▪ d's reply to mr. baxter , p ▪ , , . vid. def. of dr ▪ stil . p. ▪ letter , p. . pag. . ibid. pag. . answer to anon . p. . ibid. p. . letter to anonym , p. . discourse concerning church communion , p. , . ibid. p. . viz. but one church-covenant . three letters , p. . resol . of c●ses , p. ● . letter to anon . p. . vindic. of the def. of dr. stil . p. . page . page . resol of cases , pag. . letter , p. . pag. . pag. . defence of dr. s. p. . page , supra . vid. preface to the letters . vindic p. . vindic. of the defence , p. : dr stil . of the mischief of separ . p. . gal. c. . . vers . . pag. . answer to anonym . p. . resol . p . vindic. of the defence of dr. still . p. . vid. letters to the dr. p. . letter to anon . p. . vid ▪ his answer to owen , in his defence of the discourse of the knowledg of christ , p. . letter to anon. p. . vid. query . letter to anonymus , p. . letter to anonym . p. . homily concerning the holy-ghost , f. . letter to anonymus , p. . vid. the case of indifferent things . resol . of cases of consc . p. . letter to anonym . p. . s. ignatii ep. defence of dr. stilling . p. . vid. vindic. of the def. p. . vid. mr. d 's owe priesthood . def. of dr. s. p. . letter , p. . dr. p. . ignat. ep. ad phil. vindic. of the defen . p. . vid. pag. pag. . vid. proved from dr. still . mischief of separat . homily of swearing , f. pag. . homilies , f. . vid. his def. and continuation , p. . vide chilling-worth , cap. . page . page . reply , p. . reply , p. . pag. chillingworth p. . resol ▪ p. . page . vindicat. of dr. stilling . p. , . letter to anonimus p. . vindic. of the def. of dr. stil . p. . resol of cases , pag. ● . page , page . page ● . page . letter to anonym . p. . resol . of cases of consc . p. . letter to anonymus , p ▪ . page . letter to anon . p ▪ . answer to anon p . resol . of cases of consc . p. vi●●ic of the defence , p. : ibid. vid ▪ preface to the letters . vindic ▪ p . letter to anon ▪ p. . chillingworth , ed. anno , f. . letter to anon . p. . pag. . resol . of cases , p . cor. . . letter to anon . p. . defence of dr. s. p. . ibid. p. . defence of dr. s. p. . chillingworth ▪ f. . vindic. of the defence , p. . ibid. p. . ibid. p. . letter to anonym . p. . resol . p. . resol . p. . letter , p. . resol . p. . vindic. of the defen . p. . ibid. p. . resol . of cases , p. . resol . p. . answer to anonym . p. . ibid. p. . vindic. p. . chillingworth f. . def. of dr. s. p. . resol . p. . resol . of cases , p. . answer to anon . p. . resol . p. . answer , p. . resol . p. . pag. . page ▪ . page ▪ . page ▪ . page ▪ . vindic. of the def. p ▪ . resol . p. . resol . p ▪ . resol . p. . resol . p. , . letter to anon . p. . answer to anon . p. . ibid. p. . resol . of cases , p ▪ . vindic. of the def. p. . def. of dr. st. p. . resol . p. . ibid. p. . resol . p ▪ . answer to anon . p. . vindic. p. . ibid. p ▪ . vindic . of the defen . p. . vindic ▪ p. . ibid. p. . ibid. p. . page . page ● . resol . p. . vindic. of the defen . p. . resol . p. . vindic. of the def. p. . ibid. p. . page . defence of dr. s. p. . homily against contention , f. . vid. where it places the unity . sects for doctrine , as well as distinct communion . vid. mr. hales of eaton his tract of schism , in his remains , edit . anno . vid. prefaced to the letters . eccles . polit. f. . answer to anonymus , p. ● ▪ eccles . polit. f. . def. of dr. st. p. . vid ▪ letters p. , . letter to anon. p. . def. of dr. stil . p. . ibid. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cor. v. ● . hom. for reparing to churches . hom. of the place and time of prayer , fol. . dr. stilling . ibid. p. . ibid. fol. . vid. pref to letters . hom. f. . th article . homilies . vindic. of dr. still . p. . hom. f. . resol . of cases , pag. . pag. . hom. of the sacram. f. . homily of the right use of the church , f. . pag. . pag. . hen. gutherit p. . socrat. lib. . f. . antigonus palaeologus . letter , p. . cyprian , lib. . ep. . ignat. ep. ad philadelph . one priesthood , one altar , p. . resol . p. . resol . p. chillingworth f. . letter to anonym . p. . vid. preface to letters . answer to anonym . p. . letter to anon . p. . three letters , p. . page , page . vid. letters , p. , . letter to anonym . p. . letter to anon . p. . ibid. p. . answer to anon . p. . answer to anon . p. . defence of dr. s. p. . hen. . cap. . mat. . . answer to anon . p. . ibid. p. . ibid. p. . answer , p . ibid. p. . ibid. p. . vindic. of the defen . p. . ibid. p. . chillingworth , f. . ibid. p. . chillingworth f. . letter to anonymus , p. . answer to anon . p. . d letter to dr. s. p. . answer to anonymus , p. . resol . p. . def. of dr. stil . & vindic. aliud agendo . homily against contention , f. . vindic. of the def. of dr. st. p ▪ . not excluded , &c. for any error or heresy in faith , but for a schismatical separation from the catholick church . a call to the shulamite, or to the scattered and divided members of the church delivered and published upon occasion by thomas tanner. tanner, thomas, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a call to the shulamite, or to the scattered and divided members of the church delivered and published upon occasion by thomas tanner. tanner, thomas, - . [ ], p. printed by andrew clark for henry brome ..., london : . numerous errors in paging. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- song of solomon vi, -- criticism and interpretation. christian union. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a call to the shulamite : or to the scattered and divided members of the church . delivered and published upon occasion . by thomas tanner . cant. . , . we have a little sister , and she hath no breasts , [ not able to bear the discipline of the married wife ] what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for ? if she be a wall [ united within her self ] we will build upon her a palace of silver : and if she be a door [ that will admit us ] we will enclose her with boards of cedar . london , printed by andrew clark , for henry brome , at the gun at the west end of st. pauls , . to the honourable , the lady urith pole , the virtuous consort of sir courtenay pole , baronet , colonel-general of the eastern division of devon , a member of the parliament , &c. madam , your ladiship heard this call of the shulamite with a pious sympathy , and compassion ; and since it took so well with you in the hearing , the first view of it is in gratitude returned to your ladiship 's hand , and eye , that you may trie whether it be not the same that it was . and because this call did not sound alike to every ear , but was judged of , as every head was more clear , or full of pre-possession : and could not reach to others , to whom it was more especially intended , but by the eccho's of a sinister report : i must confess i was not hard to be induced upon some perswasion , to let it go unto the press , that i might have a few copies to distribute among some of these ( in hope that their apprehensions might be some wayes rectified , or reduced by them ) without any further trouble to my self . so praying to your ladiship an encrease of all the blessings of this life ; and at last , that full of years , and good works ( which are your only studies ) you may sweetly drop into a better ; being that , that you do infinitely more desire . i humbly beg your ladiship 's pardon , and protection too , madam , your very humble and obliged servant , tho. tanner . a call to the shulamite . cant. . . return , return , ô shulamite , return , return , that we may look upon thee : what shall ye see in the shulamite ? as it were the company of two armies . let us take that for granted , which will hardly be denied us on any hand ( or if it be , the majority of interpreters will over-rule it ) that this song of excellency setteth forth the passionate desires of the church after christ , and the most affectionate returns of christ himself towards her. but in the words which i have read , he doth not only shew his own affection in his call after the wandring shulamite , but that of his body too , which is the same christ mystical ; saying , return , return , that we may look upon thee ; plainly intimating that there is more than one in this call : and no one will deny , or doubt , but that the ingeminating of the words doth express the greater ardour and elegancy of intention . wherefore for the better opening of the words , let us . consider the call , what it is , viz. to return , . the person called , who she is , viz. the shulamite . . the end , that we may look upon thee . . the answer of the shulamite : what will ye see in the shulamite ? . the rejoinder : as it were the company of two armies . first , for the call what it is ; it is to return , implying that the shulamite was some time before in the right way , if she had but held it : else it had been rather said , come hither , come hither , ô shulamite : but it is , return , return : she had left the way that before she was engaged in : and the ingemination in the call seemeth to import , that since she went off , she occasioned much trouble to the church , and as much inconveniency to her self ; so that the saving of more trouble to the church was a just motive to make her call out unto the shulamite ; and the compassion of her made it more intense and earnest : for the church loved the shulamite , and wished her well-doing , even as her own . secondly , for the person called therefore , and called the shulamite , who or what was she ? some understand her to be the church of the gentiles , called upon by the synagogue , or church of the jews to return , that is , to joyn her self to the jewish congregation , and to worship with her : but as we hinted before , return signifies , that the shulamite was once in the right way ; which could not be said of the gentiles in the time of solomon , if at any time before . others therefore take the shulamite to be the beloved wife of solomon , and that her name doth seem to be framed out of his , for the more ingratiating of shelomoh with shulamith , and shulamith with shelomoh , ( as if he had called her the shelomoh , but one entirely with my self . ) this shulamite is therefore thought to be the daughter of pharaoh , who to gain the greater power with her husband , became proselyte to the jewish church ; but being her self unstedfast in the covenant , proved an occasion to draw away the heart of solomon to worship in the high places , wherewith the lord was offended . thus we find in scripture , that from divers literal and historical hints of passages many things purely spiritual , and mystical , have been extended to a more general , and universal intention , and so conveyed to the church : which we see almost in all the types relating to our savioir christ , as they are exhibited and exemplified in the new testament . let the shulamite ( then ) be the diverted proselyte , once a member of the true church ; and let this voice , return , return , be either that of solomon , converted from his own error , and now calling upon the shulamite ( in the name of christ ) and longing to reclaim her ; or that of the daughters of ierusalem ( in the name of the true church ) longing also to regain her . return , return , ô shulamite , from thy high-places , and from thy divers worships , according to thine own inventions , and readjoyn thy self to us , return , return . thirdly , to this end , that we may look upon thee : that is , that we may both contemplate and admire thy taking beauty , and enjoy it as our own , even as we did before . return , ô shulamite , return ; we acknowledg the splendor of thy virtues ; oh that they were ours once again ! we adore thy piety ; oh that it were well informed ! we admire the variety of thy gifts and graces , which are thy rare embellishments ; oh that thou mayest not have received them to thine own , and our prejudice ! return , ô shulamite , return , that we may look upon thee in such a manner as we earnestly desire , viz. as our own entirely , without division . fourthly , then we have the answer of the shulamite : what shall ye see in the shulamite ? it seems to be a kind of shye and coy answer , cast ( as it were ) with half a look ; as if she had said , i know well enough that you do but compliment and flatter with me ; you have no such opinion of my accomplishments and beauties as you pretend , nor any such desire of my company ; why should you dissemble so ? for what can you see in the shulamite that can be taking unto you , that are of another way , and fancy other looks than such as the shulamites ? some do joyn the latter part to this : as it were the company of two armies , viz. that are jealous of one another : ( q. d. ) if i should return again to you , we should never be satisfied one in the other , we should be alwaies at debate and ready to break out into battels : better asunder as we are ! fifthly , but i take these last words , as the rejoynder of the true church , or daughters of ierusalem replying again to the shulamite ; if thou wilt but return unto us , we shall be strong , as it were the company of two armies against a common enemy : or we shall make a beauteous or a splendid shew , even as one army drawn up into two divisions , when the prince is to pass thorough them in triumphant manner , as is used after victory . return , return therefore , ô shulamite , return , return , that we may behold thy beauty , enjoy thy love , and joyn thy strength and thine array to ours , and we shall be both happy . the result of the words , thus opened , is only this . that the true church doth earnestly desire the return of her scattered and divided members . when god had stirred up his people to unite and joyn themselves from all parts against the canaanites , is there not mention made of ephraim , and benjamin , and zebulun , and issachar , and nepthall , that assembled ? but is it not also said , for the divisions of reuben there were great thoughts or impressions of heart ; for the divisions of reuben there were great searchings of heart ; that is , much trouble and sorrow , much enquiring what the reason should be , that reuben should so divide it self from the body of the holy people ? and why should gilead abide beyond iordan , and dan remain in ships ? why should asher continue in his ports or creeks ? when the ten tribes did rend themselves from the obedience of the sons of david , and from the worship of the true temple , built by solomon according unto god's appointment , do we not read of such complaints as these ? israel was holiness unto the lord , and what iniquity , saith the lord , have your fathers found in me , that they are gone far from me , and have walked after vanity , and are become vain ? o israel return unto the lord thy god , for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity . take unto you words , and return unto the lord. and is not this the great promise to support the spirits of the true worshippers ? i will gather my plock ; i will set up shepheards over them . because ye are all become dross , behold i will therefore gather you into the midst of ierusalem . and abundance of such other prophecies , which may be more close and pertinent , is to be left to your observations , when you read the holy scriptures . to come to the times of the new testament , when there were divisions in the church of corinth , doth not paul protest after this manner . i beseech you , brethren , by the name of our lord iesus christ , that ye all speak the same thing , that there be no divisions among you , but that ye be perfectly ioyned together in the same mind , and in the same judgment . to the church of the galatians thus : i marvel that ye are so soon removed from him , that called you into the grace of christ , unto another gospel ; which is not another , but that there be some that trouble you . o foolish galatians , who hath bewitched you ? to the ephesians thus : i the prisoner of the lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called , endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ; for there is one body , and one spirit , one lord , one faith , one baptism , &c. to the philippians thus : if there be any consolation in christ fulfil my joy , that ye be like-minded , having the same love , being of one accord , of one mind . let as many as be perfect be thus minded , and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , god shall reveal even this unto them . nevertheless whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule , let us mind the same thing . it might but seem superfluous to run through the rest of the epistles , which are all full of the like expressions . to proceed to the times succeeding the apostles , while yet the church was under persecution . about the year of our lord . because the eastern churches held resolutely to the observation of the feast of easter , at the same time that the jews kept the passover ; which the western christians were offended at , not because they doubted whether the feast should be celebrated in memory of our saviours resurrection ( which it seems had been alwaies used , without any interruption from the times of the apostles ) but because they thought it not convenient to have this day kept on any other than that when our saviour rose ; whereas if they had observed the falling of the th moon , they should not only have gratified the jews , but might have happened to observe the wrong time : and we do not doubt but the western christians were in the right : but because the eastern churches were resolute in their own way , one victor , bishop at that time of rome ( who was eminent on this side of the world , in as much as rome was the imperial city , and the number and quality of christians there , was predominant ) took upon him to sever from the union of communion all the eastern churches which adhered to the other custom : behold the first print of the foot of antichrist ! here was a beginning of erecting a false church , excommunicating for an opinion , or for a practice , which was indifferent , or at least not inconsistent with the peace of christians ; excommunicating not only one person , or a few particulars , but whole churches at a blow ; yea , all churches , though they were on this side , and of the same communion , if they would not joyn in the same wrong ; for which fact the said victor was sharply ( then ) reproved by ireneus bishop of lyons in france ( and a better man than he ) where there was also a numerous and a noble church of western christians . it is the false church therefore which is for scattering and dividing , whereas the true church is for gathering and uniting as much as may be ; and although the church of rome did afterwards resume some policy , or prudence , under other bishops , inclining to a shew of moderation ; yet the breach , as only skinned over , hath broken out again , and lasteth unto this day , and will last for ever , till rome return to be what it was before this breach of unity and charity : upon her therefore we justly lay the impeachment of the first great schism that ever was , wherein she still persisteth , thinking by her power to bear all other churches down , while she assumeth to her self the name of catholick , and imposeth on the rest the name of schismaticks . again about the year of our lord . when the persecution under decius waxed hot , many poor souls staggered by reason of the peril , and were forced by fear to comply somewhat with the heathen sacrificers , which much afflicted them in their consciences ; and they afterwards most humbly sought the peace of the church , and to be restored to her communion . but one novatus a presbyter opposed their restitution , and upon the question raised a division in the church , and after that , pretending unto more purity , erected another church ( if such a pretension may be but so named ) in opposition to the general assembly , calling themselves the church of martyrs . so did he seek to scatter or divide those poor members , which the church would have gathered and set in joynt by repentance and confession , and such holy discipline as was necessary both to comfort them in respect of the time past , and to confirm them for the time to come : and many of these that were thus restored became afterwards constant even unto the death . it was to be known therefore by the point of charity , if there were no other evidence , which was the true church ; and the other hath left to this day ( by the special providence of god ) the mark of heresie and schism upon it self , which is never to be obliterated . once again , and so to surcease from further instances : about the year of our lord . towards the latter end of the reign of constantine ( the persecution having long ceased , for his reign was long ) there arose one donatus , who wrote somewhat after the copy of novatus and the arians , supplying the rest by occasion , interest , the humour of the africans , and his own ambition : he condemned other churches as impure , rebaptized such as joyned unto him , and entitled salvation unto them alone : and these have also left the like mark and brand upon their followers for ever . let the sects of latter times , whose names i spare , repute amongst themselves , or give account to the world ( if they think fi● ) what their judgment is concerning these parties , or those churches ; or what they think concerning this antiquity whereof we speak , which is of the first and best times ( if there be any to be approved in their sense ) or concerning the posterity that is to come , what they think , or what these would have them judge ( or whether they make any matter of it ) about themselves . i have done with the in-artificial arguments ( that are so called ) which yet should be the strongest , by reason of such authority , whereon they do rely ; but that power and authority may not be divided from one another , which those that are given to division do affect ; and that you may the better hold my method ( whilst i my self do not shew to affect dividing from the common way ) i proceed to the reasons of the point . if you would know why the true church doth so earnestly desire the return of her scattered and divided members : some of her reasons are these that follow . the first is the unity of the spirit , that doth inspire the whole body , enforcing unto unity , love , and sympathy ( mutually and reciprocally ) in all the members . this unity of the spirit is the great and earnest desire that is put into the hearts of all saints in their conversion to save themselves and others , and to edifie one another in their most holy faith . now because there is but one way to save our selves , and the same is the way to save others also ; this maketh the desire of the church the more intense to gather , and to bind unto it self all that do belong unto the election of grace : to enlighten them that are yet in darkness , to confirm the weak , to stir up them that faint , and are like to yield to weariness , and to reduce them that go astray ; for there is but one lord , one faith , one hope , one baptism , and one truth . the way to save our selves is to walk in this unity by one and the same spirit ; so that we come to save others by the same acts whereby we save our selves ; and by the communion of the body come to receive those benefits which we could not attain unto by a solitary faith , or private life . wherefore the desires of the church for unity cannot but be intense and earnest , being thus conversant about the common salvation , which is much endangered and disturbed by division ; insomuch that even they that are in the right way can scarcely be saved , by reason of the breaches , impairments and decayes of piety , which the others make . now true it is , that this one spirit , which is given unto all that do believe , is distributed amongst them according to variety of gifts and measures ; but the same that are given unto every one to profit himself , the same are also given unto him to edifie another ; whether they be gifts of knowledge , or gifts of grace ( as they use to distinguish the gifts of sanctity from any other kind ) god hath dealt to every man the measure of faith , and we are every one members one of another , having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us , according to the proportion of faith . and , the manifestation of the spirit is given unto every man to profit withal : there are diversities of gifts ; but the same spirit : god hath so tempered the body together , that one member shall have need of another , that there should be no schism in the body ; but that the members should have the same care one for another . and again it is said , that there are divers gifts given for the perfecting of the saints , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the son of god unto perfect men , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ. that speaking the truth in love , we may grow up into him in all things , which is the head , even christ , from whom the whole body fitly joyned together , and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth , according to the effectual working in the measure of every part , maketh encrease of the body unto the edifying of it self in love . from which , and many other passages in the writings of this apostle , that which we have said may seem to be abundantly proved ; and many other things might be inferred , and applied , fit to be seriously considered , and layed to heart : as viz. that the gifts and graces of private men are not only profitable , but necessary to the church , as well as those of her ministers , or elders ; and that the measures of faith , and hope , and love , and zeal are distributed unto every one , according to the exigency of the church , the body , which is the fulness of christ ; and that by such graces we are more strongly joyned unto one another , than by any other gifts , though they be of miracles ; that one member cannot want another , or divide it self from the body , but that a rent and schism will follow in the body ; not without great sin and mischief ; for such a rent is a sin against the head , dividing the unity of the spirit ; against the body , hindring of its growth wounding it with pain , maiming it with impotency , depriving it of perfection : against particular members , in that it doth with-draw that measure whereby another member should have been supplied , and doth drain and divert the fulness of christ ; against a mans own soul , in that as a branch cut off from the vine , he must needs become dry , cease to be fruitful , and grow worse and worse , till he return back to be anew engrafted . in a word , if one man cannot grow in christ , whilst another is at a stand , or doth decay and wither ; and the very juice and chyle that doth administer unto growing be speaking of the same truth ; and the only way of digesting this truth , to making encrease of the body , be the edifying of it self in love : we may easily perceive how this unity of the spirit doth constrain the church , if it be possible , to maintain the unity of her body ; for she cannot keep the unity of spirit without it ; but if she cannot possibly do so , then earnestly to desire and endeavour the return of her scattered and divided members . now to say the truth , the dissenting brethren have been alwaies sensible of the weight of this argument , and to break the force , or rebate the edge of it , they pretend divers matters ( as it were for their excuse , since it cannot be denied but we were first a church , or else they could not have derived from us , as they do ; and that we were the first in possession of the faith ) as viz. . that they agree with us in the unity of faith , believing the same doctrine of salvation . . in the unity of the spirit , having the same desires about the saving of themselves and others . . in the bond of charity , as we are all members ( they say ) of the same catholick church ; and as protestant professors , members of one ano●her . . then that variety of opinion , and union in the point of charity , are not inconsistent . . nay , that divers order , discipline , and communion need not break the bond of charity , unless by accident of mens corruptions ; which if they should be observed and humoured , the gospel it self could never have been preached ; for our lord foretold , that it would be an occasion of division . . and for schism rightly understood , that they look upon it as an heinous sin , even as we do . in which several pretences , as they give us little cause of satisfaction ; so they give us a just and necessary occasion of returning somewhat more than is like to sort to their favour . we must confess ; that when the church is so divided , that in the judgment of charity , many godly persons do divide themselves from the body ; and in the judgment of the church , many men of eminent gifts and graces ( that were known to be such whilst they remained in her communion ) do desert her communion , it cannot but prove an inexplicable inconvenience both to the church and them : for if all believe and teach the same doctrine of salvation , whence ariseth so much caution whom we hear ? such exceptions , heats , and scruples ? if we do not all believe the same doctrine , as it is to be doubted that we do not , for as much as there seemeth not only to be a divers scope and drift in the pressing of many points of importance , but that we fear our dissenting brethren do not close with us in one of the articles of the apostles creed ( though some of them do not scruple at standing up when the whole is rehearsed in our churches ) viz. i believe the holy catholick church , the communion of saints , putting such a construction upon it as is far from the consent not onely of our church , but of all ages , as we conceive : i say , how can we then grow up together into him in all things , which is the head , even christ , from whom the whole body is fitly joyn'd together unto one encrease ? if they could hold still the same charity inviolable , without the same order , discipline , and communion ( as others do pretend ) whence should arise such animosities and contentions ? it cannot be altogether from mens corruptions , as at the first propagation of the gospel : but if it do arise partly from the corruptions , frailties , and partialities of such as break without necessity , partly from the passions of such as are offended justly ( as we conceive , howsoever unjust or extravagant they may be , when they are provoked . ) let them joyn the whole verse together ; it is necessary that offences come , but wo be to them by whom they come . but , as we conceive , the nature of the thing it self doth necessarily infer a breach of charity ( suppose men more good or perfect than either they or we can find , or our ancestors before us , or the posterity to come ) for it cannot be , that there should be two communions , wherein it is supposed to be unlawful for one to joyn with another , but that one party to the other must needs be as the iew or the samaritan . but if it be granted , that these two parties cannot possibly have perfect charity with one another ( which if the nature of the thing did not hinder , the just judgements of god , by reason of the violation of his own ordinance would do it ; then it must needs follow , that the body cannot edifie it self in love : and so the church must needs retain an earnest desire to be restored to its best estate , when it was in union : for though we may remain ( possibly ) members of the catholick church still , yet because we doubt of our consent in the catholick faith , we cannot be united , nor joyn in perfect charity ; and though we be all protestants , and so members of one another , we can take no greater benefit or priviledg thereby , than english men , when they are in civil wars with one another . to deal ingeniously this is the charity of the church ; she looketh upon such good men ( whom in charity we way esteem so , in some measure ) as do divide and separate from us , and such as they may draw with them , to belong to the body still ; not only of the catholick church , but of such particular churches from which they do recede , or within whose precincts they may chance to fall : therefore she is not rash to excommunicate them , but useth all her care , and power , and tenderness to reclaim and to reduce them , having arms ever open to embrace them , and to restore them to her peace , and to indulge them in what she may , to oblige them the faster to her self . so far are we from looking upon them as other churches , or that their schisms can make them such ; or as free from our charge , though they renounce us ; or as fallen from the hope of the gospel , with all their followers , into an inevitable state of damnation , though we cannot reduce them ( as the papists judge of us ) that we own , even these , as a part of the church of england against their wills , and are ever ready to regain their good will , and to reduce them to a better state : for , though we speak it soft , and mildly , we do judg indeed , that these do much interrupt and disturb , the way of salvation to themselves and others , and do much impeach and prejudice those amongst our selves , who before did run well ; and would yet proceed to do so , if they did not object their rubbs and impediments in the way . we answer further , that whereas it is truely said , [ opinionum varietas , & opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; ] variety of opinions , and unity of opiners are not inconsistent ; our church alloweth a greater latitude in this kind , than any of those that do pretend a latitude , only to palliate their own restraints : for amongst them , if one be for lay-elders , and another against it ; one for the power of pastors , another for the power of the people ; one for laying on of hands after baptism , and another against it ; nay , one for free-will , and another for free ▪ grace : and so in certain lesser questions , it hath been found enough to divide and sub-divide them into parties , churches , feuds , and animosities ; whereas in our church great variety of opinions may , and do consist very well with the unity of the church : every scholar knows how ingenious men do abound in their own senses , even in the schools : and it is not at all to the prejudice of the church , but may be rather to her benefit , that certain points be not carried ( otherwise ) in extremes , but that there may be here a little and there a little , and one to ballance with another . but when this rule of variety or diversity of opinion is traduced to a contrariety of establishment , they must give us leave to assume that such a diversity is utterly inconsistent with the unity of the church . in vain therefore do they declaim in general against schism , as much as we could wish , being sensible of what pamelius hath delivered , viz. that the name of schism hath been alwaies ignominious in the church , and on all hands condemned , whilst they defend in particular all the sects at this day ( besides the quakers ) to be true particular churches , that a man may safely joyn with any of them , to do better , that separation is no schism ; that the church which imposeth ( though it be but things indifferent ) is the schismatical church , if it will not vary from her orders , for the satisfaction of the weak , or scrupulous : and that in such cases the schismatical churches ( which are so called ) are the truer and purer churches of christ , and have all church power within themselves , to all intents and purposes : for where can we now find a schism which is culpable ? or a church which can stand , if she must vary from her order upon all demands ? or any possibility either of a church or of a schism ? by all which it seems that some of our dissenting brethren domisdoubt themselves as lyable unto this charge of schism , and would either cloak it neatly , if they could , or if it come to the worst , defend that schism is no such sin , as they sometimes granted ; and that they may lawfully live in schism , especially when their maintenance ariseth that way ( as some have put themselves upon that exegency , and so are bound to maintain that which maintaineth them , framing their lives and doctrines according to their interests . ) not to grate any further upon that point , wherein they are so tender ; there remaineth yet another word about the unity of the spirit , that they have the same desires ( if not more intense and earnest than we our selves ) for the good of souls , for the saving of themselves and others : we do not doubt but that there is a zeal of god amongst many of them , though not according unto a right knowledge ; not because they are more weak or ignorant than we , but only otherwise perswaded or inclined ( howsoever it hath happened to them . ) we trust that many of them do sincerely mean as they profess : and so far as this is true , we acknowledge the working of one and the same spirit in them and us : we look upon them as a part of the body , and wherein they are not only not against us , but for us , that they are so far one with us . but then , if they do really believe that we have the same spirit amongst us ( or some of us at least ) why should they so magnifie the same spirit in themselves above the same in us ? as if there were not the same power and purity of the spirit amongst us to conveigh grace unto the hearers , or to make them perfect that do come unto us ? which query we have the more reason to put home to our brethren , since they may seem ( now ) to cease from their instance upon the work of conversion ( a gift which they thought almost singular to themselves before ) as a thing below their auditories ; or to preach against prophaneness ( wherein they were once the boanerges's of the age ) seeing their followers must be taken for no such ; and , it may be , cannot well bear it ; so that all their writings of late ( which are the reports of their preachments to such as cannot hear them ) do run in a new strain , which is much different from that way , which they did admire and applaud before . again , if they do acknowledg such an unity of spirit with us , how can they think or pretend ( as they do ) to be compleat without us , and to have no need of us ? how happeneth it that they do so little weigh what the apostle saith , that one member hath need of another ? and if the foot shall say , because i am not the hand , i am not of the body ; is it therefore not of the body ? and if the ear shall say , because i am not the eye i am not of the body , is it therefore not of the body ? the eye cannot say unto the hand , i have no need of thee : nor again the head to the feet , i have no need of you . that there should be no schism in the body , but the members should have the same care one for another . but if these members separate from the body , can each member which is separated subsist by it self ? or any few that joyn together , presently constitute themselves an entire body , a complete church ? or can any of their officers , which was but as an hand or a foot before make it self an heart or an head in a new church , and think that in truth they are such , if they be not altogether useless ? which cannot but put us in mind of iotham's parable , and though we shall abstain from applying the prickles of it to our brethren , yet we doubt that it is this ambition of some hand , or foot , or other , which thinks it self worthy of a better place , that is one of the sad occasions of such dismembring . but when they have dismembred and divided to the utmost , let others observe that the use whereof they are ( if they be of any good use ) is but the same , of which they were before in their proper places ; and being distorted to the places , which they usurp , they do but move like members out of joynt , and will soon be impaired for want of the body , notwithstanding their pretences to completeness among themselves . and we could shew of how little use men of eminent gifts and parts before have been for many years , since they left their stations in the church ; the leaving of us ( as we conceive ) occasioning the dereliction of the spirit unto them ; so that they are left to themselves in matters of great concern to their own good , and the good of others . but i will conclude my answer , and this first reason , with applying of a passage of st. augustine upon that place ; little children , it is the last time , and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come , even now are there many antichrists . they went out from us , but they were not of us ; for if they had been of us , they would no doubt have continued with us . non possunt exlre for as nisi antichristi , &c. none , saith he , can go out of the church but antichrists : they which are not contrary unto christ cannot go forth ; for he which is not contrary unto him doth abide in his body , and is accounted a member . whosoever do not abide with us , but do go out , it is manifest that they are antichrists : and how is that to be proved ? by their lye : who is a lyer , but he that denieth that iesus is the christ ? let us ask the several hereticks of our times ; what heretick do you find that denieth iesus to be the christ ? some ( as he proceedeth ) are gone out from us , and are become donatists : let us ask them whether iesus be the christ , they presently confess that iesus is the christ. if therefore he be the antichrist that denieth iesus to be the christ : neither can they call us antichrists , nor we them , because we both confess the same . wherefore , if neither call one another antichrists , we are not gone out from one another , we remain in unity . but if we remain in unity ; [ quid faciunt in hâc civitate duo altaria ? ] what mean two divers churches in this city ? [ quid faciunt divisae domus ? ] what means the scattering of houses ? [ divisá conjugia ? ] husband and wife going two waies ? [ quid facit communis lectus & divisus christus ? ] what meaneth this , that husband and wife are one in all but christ ? saith he , we must confess the truth . are they gone out from us , or we from them ? god forbid that it should be we from them ; for we have the testament of the lords inheritance , saying , i will give thee the nations for thine inheritance : whosoever doth not communicate with this inheritance , he is gone forth , and in fact and deed he is against christ , though in word he do confess him . such as act preposterously for christ , and for the cause of christ , do but hinder where they make a shew to help , and pull down where they seem to build , or at least build that which must be pulled down again , although they may possibly work with a good intention . but under this pretext there are many that do act from a different temper ; which is one thing that our brethren will be loth to bear ; and therefore i will compound with them for some abatement , that they may hear my next reason with the more patience . the true church doth earnestly desire the return of her scattered and divided members , by reason of her sense of pain , and loss , through such dissipation or division : she doth not feel , nor yet conceipt herself to be compleat without them , but rather maimed and deprived . the physical philosopher saith , that dolor est solutio continui , pain is the solution or division of that which was entire : as if it be a wound or rent , the parts are distermined from one another ; if it be a bruise , the circling of the blood and spirits are interrupted : from which ensueth an ach or a sting in the parts affected , or in the whole body , which is called pain . the members of the church may be divided , either by a bruise , or a wound , or a dislocation , or in a word by dismembring ; in each of which degrees the church doth suffer a divers pain or loss . it is a bruise , when heresies are broached , which tend to division : it is a wound when a breach is made thereby . it is a dislocation , when the church comes by this means to lose her influence , so that she cannot move her limbs . it is a dismembring , when the part unsound is either cut off by censure , or cutteth of its self by rashness . because i cannot touch upon all the cases , there is a threefold pain , and a threefold loss , which are worthy to be mentioned . . there is a pain of inflammation in the church , when certain tenents are given out that tend unto a new way , contrary to the constitution or establishment : and though in truth there be no time nor place wherein the enemy doth not cast abroad the wild-fire of heresie and schism ; yet at sometimes the minds of men are more disposed than at others , to receive these sparks , and to kindle in combustion . when the arrian heresie first brake forth , there arose every where ( saith my historian ) no small tumult ; for then a man might have seen not only the presidents and chief rulers of the churches , inveighing one against another with opprobrious terms , but also the lay-multitude severed asunder into two parts , the one favouring the one side , the other favouring the other side ; and the case became so hainous , and so shameful , that the christian religion came to be derided openly , even in the publick plays and shews . and has it not happened thus amongst us , by reason of some factious doctrines that have been far and wide dispersed ? we allowed a great latitude unto opinion before , according unto every mans sense and conscience ; and now we come to tax other points , which tend to division , and do not come within the verge of that latitude ( though the maintainers of them do pretend indeed that they ought to do ) we must not doubt to instance in a few particulars instead of all the rest . what could follow but a miserable inflammation , when there were subjects apt to receive such opinions as some of these ? viz. that our national church is no true church , or if it be a church in any sense , that it is improperly so called : that it hath no power of binding or loosing ; that her members have no obligation to continue in her communion , but rather to come forth from it , even as out of babylon : that there can be no communion with congregations that are so mixed , and which cannot choose but to continue so , whiles they are under such a government : and in fine , that the work of reformation doth require the subverting of such a government , and setting up of some other more agreeable ( as the parties grieved do conceive ) to the word of god ; or , if they cannot do that , aedificare imperium in imperio , to separate from the church , and exercise among themselves such divers disciplines as the several free people will admit . what a bustle have these opinions made throughout the land , rending in the body before they rent from it ? . there is a pain of convulsion , which is a rending in the bowels of the church by such as do yet continue in her body , and hold with her communion , but are ready to gnaw their passage out by their working . thus it was when some of our members were taught , as if it were hardly lawful to hear some of our ministers , at least not to live under their ministry ; to go abroad far and wide to hear ; and to communicate only in some choicer congregations ; yet abhorring separation , because as then ( it may seem ) there wanted strength to bring forth those issues which the teachers did desire , hoping better of the product then the event did shew . . lastly , there is a pain of distraction , which the church doth suffer , and which hath long continued ; partly whilst the several dividing members struggled with one another , which should give the law unto the rest ; at least , which should have preeminence ; partly since the church hath recovered some consistency with a poor subsistence ( howsoever envied ) through gods especial grace and mercy ( till we do forfeit it again by our miscarriages ) in the several banners that are hung out from divers forts , refusing to be reduced upon any reasonable terms that can be offered . which pain is the more grievous to the church , the mother of peace , in that she is both forced to contend with her own children , and is also rent by her own bowels of compassion , and fearful of the issue . as when the israelites had vanquished the tribe of benjamin ( which we have not yet done , fearing to proceed unto extremities . ) the people of israel came to the house of god , and lift up their voices and wept sore , and said , o lord god of israel , why is this come to pass in israel , that there should be to day one tribe lacking in israel ? this alas ! is our complaint at this day ; not a tribe or two , but they speak as if of twelve we had but two remaining . they speak it may be according to their passions , but we with the pain of compassion added unto this of our distraction , must needs acknowledge and lament the sad diminutions which we have suffered , and do still suffer in our body , which having lost its members , can neither go with ease , nor take repose in any posture : and this brings me from the pain of sense to the pain of loss ; to mention also the threefold loss , which the church sustaineth by these divisions . . the first is the loss of power unto edification ; our divisions have plucked up the flood-gates , and made profaneness overflow like a deluge : and behold they say , look what the people are whom we have left ! who could have abode amongst them ? whereas the people was not such before , whilst the laws might be executed , and the discipline of the church was revered , and the gravity of ministers was held in some respect ! is not all religion ( or at least the power of it ) become contemptible ? so that now it is in vain to go about to restrain any mans practice by fear of censure ; he doth not value it ; or to bind any mans conscience by the power of any sound doctrine : he hath received dissolute principles : he is not to be moved by love or fear . our divisions have demolished all these , and layed them low ; and men do now pretend a binding conscience to commit such sins , as we were bound in conscience to restrain them from , if we were able ; fot since our divisions have erected that plea of liberty of conscience , men of no conscience have serv'd their ends of it : and if all parties now were to be numbred , the greatest part would be found to be that which is of no party , but to live as they list , without a law , and ( i had almost said ) without god in the world too . besides all this ; has not popery had as fair play as it could wish , and so strange an encrease in a short time , as to amaze us now , and strike a real terror , not into vain apprehensions ( as they have made use of it , as a scare-crow heretofore ) but into the soberest minds amongst us ? and we may thank our divisions for this too . yet our brethren that have divided us , have still declared themselves to be no less enemies unto popery than unto prophaneness . but see how they have been over-wrought , and to what a pass we are all brought , who do but want the power of the papists to unite us in religion , and to reduce us unto better manners , and to more obedience unto governments ! oh sad disease , that needeth such a remedy ! from such a sad and fearful revolution , good lord deliver us . . a second loss is that of intercession : when the men of nineveh joyn'd unanimously in one request , god almighty favour'd them with an eminent return of mercy ; yet they were aliens from the covenant of promise . but did ever the children of israel cry unto the lord , and he did not hear them ? did they ever murmur and he did not plague them ? what should i say , as a mortal man , about the unsearchable judgments of almighty god ? if we agree in any one desire , as for peace and settlement , can we agree to come into any one place , or to take with us words to ask it at his bounteous hands ? can we ask it with any fervour , whilst we have reserves about the terms , whereupon we do desire it ? or can we expect that he should answer cold , uncertain , and lukewarm petitions ? is not this the cause that we are spiritually disarmed , even as the philistins dealt by the israelites , so that there is neither sword nor shield amongst us , whereby we may prevail with god for any blessing upon us , or our posterity ? that the heavens are as brass , which our divided prayers cannot pierce ? that such clouds of blackness are impendent over us ? but if we pray to god for divers things , such indeed as are contrary and inconsistent with one another , what returns can we expect ? here is an assembly , praying , down with this , down with that . there is another , praying , not so lord , but establish this , and restore that : only in this they may possibly agree : any thing rather than that which is . which side should god almighty hear ? or with which should he not be offended ? is not this the reason therefore of such a distracted state ? do not the same pray against the peace and settlement which they do pretend to desire ? and hath not god ( sometimes ) answered their importunity , by giving their own requests , to their utter disappointments , that they might be convinced of their own vanity , in their intermedling so much as they do with his providences ? and yet they will not learn to be wise unto sobriety : but still they seem never to pray with more spirit ( such as it is ) than when they pray against their brethren . . the third and last loss which i shall mention , is also most invaluable ; our charity is distracted and abated , which the poor do sadly feel : our civility is disturbed , so that men do not dare to become free in conversation , till they have sufficiently proved the company : our neighbourly love is abated , and instead of a friend , which one had before , it may be he hath an enemy , or but a faint-hearted kindness , or an hollow pretence of some good will , consisting rather in some good wishes that he were but such as his former friend would have him to be , that he might love him , whose love ( at best ) is not without its rigour . but i will also spare to dilate my self on this point , that ( at least ) on one side charity may remain the sounder . the last reason why the church doth so earnestly desire the return of her scattered and divided members , is the great benefit and content that she should find therein ; which is , . the delight of love : the shulamite was passionately beloved for her good parts and beauty , which the daughters of ierusalem do acknowledg when they say , return , return , ô shulamite , that we may look upon thee : and the shulamite understands no other when she answereth , what shall ye see in the shulamite ? we acknowledge the like , and we will tell you ( with your favour ) what we would see in you . we would see , and be partakers of your knowledge , and of your gifts of understanding in the scriptures : we would see your zeal for god , and for his sabbaths , and for his ordinances : we would see your charity towards your neighbour , whom you would not have seen heretofore to sin ( at least to commit a sin unto death ) but you would have aided , and admonished him , howsoever you think your selves to be excused ( since ) of being your brothers keepers : we would see the strictness of your lives , and of those of your families : we would hear your readings , prayers , instructions , catechisings , and other good conferences that were wont to be there , fit to edifie , and to minister grace unto the hearers : we would over-hear your private prayers and devotions in your closets , where you were wont to strive with god for the pardon of your sins , and for the obtaining of his holy spirit , to sanctifie you throughout in body , soul , and mind : we would see your first love again ( if it be possible ) and those fruits , which you then brought forth , worthy of amendment of life . this is the beauty , which the church would now see in the return of the wandring shulamite , whether it be as in the dayes of old ; that if so , she might admire and cherish her . . the beauty of array , which hath much decayed since our congregations have been diverted , our families divided , our people scattered : we can no more see men coming with their whole train to the house of god , as they were wont to do : and that was a beauty in the streets of our ierusalem : we cannot see their order here , where their seats are void ; so that our churches look like great houses , that are specious to behold without , but being unfurnished within afford the colder comfort : we cannot hear their voices in his holy temples , singing aloud , and praising god , making also melody in their hearts , so keeping time on earth with the saints and angels that are in heaven : much less can we meet them , as we used to do , at the lords table , at that feast of feasts , the only feast of loves , that feast of marrow , and of wine refined on the lees. and when we remember these things ( to use the psalmists words ) we pour out our souls within us : for we had gone with the multitude , we went with them to the house of god with the voice of joy and praise , with a multitude that kept holiday : these are the daies that would return , ô shulamite , with thy return . then if any unbeliever , or any other bearing evil will to zion , should look into our assemblies , he might be apt to be striken , and to be driven to confess , that surely god were amongst us , or in the midst of us . but now if he look in here , what shall he see but a despicable emptiness ? and if he go there , a more contemptible multitude , for want of order , which is the beauty of holiness ? . lastly , would but our divided members return again , as brethren , unto the body of our church , we should then come to have the strength of two armies ; whereas we are now unstable and weak as water , and cannot excel ; we should then become strong and invincible , and might boldly write upon our banner , deus nobiscum , quis contra nos ? god is with us , who can stand against us ? the gates of hell shall not prevail , neither policy , nor power , nor any weapon that is form'd against us . we should then renew our strength like the eagle ; our youth should return to us , as in the day when we came up out of the land of egypt , in the beginning of the reformation : we should have strength within , and the blessings of peace with it : we should become a terror unto foreign nations , which do now despise us , and mark us out for a prey , in the day of their power , and of our weakness . have we forgotten our deliverences from the power of spain and austria , and the pope of rome ? our victories in ireland ? our aids that we were then enabled to afford to henry ( afterwards the great ) king of france ? and to the ( then ) poor distressed states of holland ? having at the same time a superintendency over all the councils in the realm of scotland , and an influence upon divers of our neighbours , with such a firm peace at home , that we hardly read of any insurrection , worthy to be mentioned , in four and fourty years and upwards : nay , the benefits of that blessed reign of queen elizabeth , did extend to propagate a longer peace unto posterity , than ever albion knew before . and if we have not yet forgot those flourishing dayes of our renown , let us now remember that they were the rewards of an unanimous reformation : when the heart of the people rose as one man to establish the protestant religion , as one religion in the midst of us . and oh ! that any one could promise me such another spirit to arise in england in these dayes of ours , and under god , i might as boldly promise even greater things than these . but though there be but little hopes of this , and but just reason to expect and fear , that all our labour which is thus applyed is like to be in vain ; yet it is our duty to desire and endeavour it . and with that i shall conclude . return , return , ô shulamite , return , return , that we may look upon thee : you that have been offended with our church , and have left us , that have sadned our hearts , and weakned our hands thus long , return at last to comfort us , that we may look upon you with delight , and that our hearts may be stayed for you , and our fears stinted . are you nothing moved by the force of duty , considering that peace and love is the legacy which our lord hath bequeathed unto all his followers to the worlds end ? and the great bond of perfectness , which his apostles laboured to preserve entire , knowing that unity and charity cannot be divided ? doth it nothing move you to anticipate christs intention , which is our union , and to further satans , which is our division ? are you nothing moved with the deluge of prophaneness , that carrieth such a multitude headlong into hell , whilst you dispute which is the way to save them , and agree not on it ? are you nothing moved with the growth of popery , which is like to over-run all ; and if it did , would make you glad to digest the hardest morsel about which you are now so nice ? considering that there is no other way in probability to prevent this , but your return into the tents that you have left . are you nothing moved by the judgments which have followed upon our dissentions , and do still lye upon them as a just punishment ? o god , thou hast cast us off , thou hast scattered us , thou hast been displeased with us , thou hast made the land to tremble , thou hast broken it : o heal the breaches thereof , for it shaketh : thou hast shewed thy people hard things : and nothing is more hard than this , that our hearts are hardned against the wayes of peace after all our wars and unspeakable calamities : our blood hath been shed in vain . quintili vare , redde legiones quas perdidisti : o church-divisions , restore again the blood that hath been spilt like water on the ground , never to be recovered : return the spirits which we have lost . we have undone the posterity which is to come : the children yet unborn are accursed in their parents loins , by reason of our divisions , and the issues that are thence to be expected : for as long as there is such a temper that doth over-rule the genius of the nation , god , who is offended with our prayers and services must needs with-hold that good that should establish us ; and though he should grant it , yet should we with-hold it from one another , and sooner rend and tear it into pieces , than to let the publick be the better for it . it can never be well with us till there be an healing , and till reformation do begin ( as was sometimes preached to the parliament ) at the house of god. to your tents therefore , to your tents , ô israel ; not for war , but for peace ; not to set up many altars , but to compass about the tabernacle : for why shouldst thou be any longer as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions ? o thou that hast turned thus aside , hast thou any light more than others ? we are the darker for the want of it : hast thou any good affections more than others ? we are baren and unfruitful for the want of them . hast thou any power to add unto the ministry of the word ? we are destitute thereof , while it seems to be spent upon such as do the least need it : dost thou look upon us , as being yet not fit nor worthy of thy communion ? return and strengthen us with better members ( if thou hast any such to add to us ) and we shall be thereby the more enabled to amend what is amiss . canst not thou serve god with so much purity and power amongst us , as in separate assemblies ? remember whence thou hadst that purity and power , and restore the benefit thereof to the same church from which thou didst at first receive it : remember that heretofore thou couldst be richly edified in the bosom of the same church , and since thou hast left it , both the purity and the power ( whereof thou speakest ) according to our estimate , is much decayed and impaired : nay , thou callest that the power of godliness , which we take to be another thing : thou dost but make excuses , not only against thine own duty , but against an invaluable priviledge , which is the unity of the spirit ; and if the church cannot be compleat without thee , much less canst thou be made perfect without the body ; either edified in the true faith , or love ; by which alone thou canst expect to come to that peace of god which passeth all understanding , which should keep your hearts and minds through christ iesus . wherefore let me end my own exhortation with that of the same apostle in another place : above all things put on charity , which is the bond of perfectness ; and let the peace of god rule in your hearts , to which ye are also called in one body , and be ye thankful . finis . some books printed for henry brome since the dreadful fire in london . dr . william lloyd's sermon before the king against the papists . his sermon at the funeral of john lord bishop of chester . a seasonable discourse against popery . dr. heylin on the creed , in fol. a sermon at the assizes at reading : by jos. sayer , m. a. mr. stanhopp's four sermons on several occasions . mr. hampton's assize sermon . a sermon at the puneral of dr. turner dean of canterbury : by dr. du moulin . the anthems of the church . the controversial letters , or grand controversie , concerning the pretended authority of papists over the whole earth . popery manifested , or the papist incognito , made known . toleration discussed . the vindication of the clergy . the godly mans companion . the guide to heaven , with a brief rule of life . manuductio ad coelum , or a guide to eternity , extracted out of the writings of the holy fathers and antient philosophers . writen originally in latin by john bona. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doct. judg. . &c. jer. . , . hos. . . &c. jer. . . . cor. . . &c. gal. . , . gal. . ] eph. . , &c. phil. . . &c. phil. . , . euseb. l. . cap. . reas. . tim. . . ro. . . &c. cor. . . &c. eph. . &c. schismatis nomen in ecclesia semper ignominiosum , publiceque damnatum . in tert. de praescript . adv ▪ haeret. cor. . . &c. judg. . . joh. . . &c. vult nos fateri quod verum est . an ipsi a nobis exierunt , an nos ab ipsis ? sed abfit , ut nos ab ipsis : habemus enim testamentum dominicae haereditatis : dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuam : quis quis huic haereditati non communicat , foràs e●iit . reas. . socr. l. i. c. . judg , . evert êre domos totas , optantibus ipsis , dii faciles : nocitura toga nocitura petuntur militia , juven . sat. . reas. . psal. . . gen , . . applica . psal. . . cant. . . phil. . . col. . , .