Catholic Unity, Title page – Table of contents
Catholick Vnity: OR The only way to bring us all to be of one Religion.
By Rich. Baxter.
To be read by such as are offended at the differences in Religion and are willing to do their part to heal them.
JAMES 3.17.
But the Wisdom that is from above, is first Pure, then Peaceable, Gentle, easie to be intreated, &c.
London, Printed by R. W. for Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton, and are to be sold at the sign of the Anchor and Bible in Pauls Church-yard, and at the three Daggers in Fleet-street. 1660.
To all those in the severall Parishes of these Nations, that complain of the disagreements in matters of Religion.
Men and Brethren,
AS in the midst of all the impiety and dishonesty of the world, it is some comfort to us, that yet the Names of Piety and Honesty are still in credit, and ungodliness and dishonesty are terms of disgrace; so that those that will be ungodly and dishonest, are fain to use the Mask and Vail of better names, to hide their wickedness; so also it is some comfort to us, in the midst of the uncharitableness and discords of this age, that yet the Names of Love and Concord …ound so well, and are honoured by those that are furthest from the Things: For thus we seem agreed in the main cause, and have this advantage in our debates, that whatever shall be proved to be against Love, and Unit…, and Peace, we are all o… us obliged by our professions to d…sown. I may suppose that all that read these words will speak against the uncharitableness and content…ons, and divisions of the present times as well as I. Doth it grieve my soul to hear professed Christians so censoriously condemning, and passionately reviling one another, while they are proudly justifying themselves? I suppose you'l say, It grieves you also? Do I mourn in secret, to see so many divisions and subdivisions? and Church set up against Church, and Pastors against Pastors, in the same Parishes; and each party labouring to disgrace the other and their way, that they may promote their own? I suppose you will say, You do so t…o. Do I lament it as the Nations shame, that in Religion men are of so many minds, and manage their differences so unpeaceably, that it is become the stumbling block to the ungodly, the grief of our friends, and the der…sion of our enemies? I know you will say, that this also is your lamentation. And is it not a wonder indeed, that such a misery should be continued, which all men are against; and which cannot be continued but by our wilfull choice? Is it not strange that we are so long without so great a blessing as Unity and Peace, while all men say they love it, …nd desire it, and while we may have it if we will? But the cause is evident: while men love Unity, they hate the Holiness in which we must Unite: While they love Peace, they hate the necessary means by which it must be obtained and maintained: The way of Peace they have not known; or knowing it, they do abhor it. As well as they love Unity and Peace, they love the Causes of discord and division much better. The drunkard, and whore-monger, and worldling say they love the salvation of their souls: But yet while they love and keep their sins, they will miss of the salvation which they say they love. And so while men love their ungodliness and dividing wayes, we are little the better for their love of peace. If men love Health, and yet love Poyson, and hate both medicine and wholsom food, they may miss of health, notwithstanding they love it.
Where know you a Parish in England, that hath no disagreements in matters of Religion? In this Parish where I live, we have not several Congregations, nor are we divided into such parties as in many other places; But we have here the great division: some are for Heaven, and some for Earth: some love a holy diligent life, and others hate it: some pray in their Families, and teath them the word and fear of God, and others do not: some spend the Lords Day in holy exercises, and others spend much of it in idleness and vanity: some take the service of God for their delight; and others are weary of it; and live in ignorance, because they will not be at the pains to learn. Some make it the principal care and business of their lives, to prepare for death, and make sure of everlasting life; and others will venture their souls on the wrath of God, and cheat themselves by their own presumption, rather then be at this sweet and necessary labour to be saved. Some hate sin, and make it their dayly work to root out the relicts of it from their hearts and lives: and others love it and will not leave it, but hate those that reprove them, and endeavour their salvation.
And as long as this great division is unhealed, what other means can bring us to any happy Unity? It would make a mans heart bleed to consider of the folly of the ungodly rout, that think it would be a happy Union, if we could all agree to read one form of prayer, while some love, and others hate the holiness which they pray for: and if we could all agree to use the sign of the Cross in Baptism, while one half either understand not the Baptismall Covenant, or wilfully violate it, and neglect, or hate, and scorn that mortified holy life, which by that solemn Vow and Covenant they are engaged to. They are solicitous to bring us all to unity in the gesture of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, while some take Christ and life, and others take their own damnation. When they should first agree in being all the faithfull servants of one Master, they make a great matter of it, that the servants of Christ, and of the Devil may use the same bodily posture in that worship where their hearts are as different as spirit and flesh. Poor people think that it is the want of Uniformity in certain Ceremonies of mans invention, that is the cause of our great divisions and distractions; When, alas, it is the want of unity in matters of greater consequence, even of Faith, and Love, and Holiness, as I have here shewed. If once we were all children of one Father, and living members of one Christ, and all renewed by one sanctifying Spirit, and aimed at one end, and walked by one Rule (the word of God,) and had that special Love to one another which Christ hath made the mark of his Disciples, this were an Agreement to be rejoyced in indeed, which would hold us together in the most comfortable relations, and assure us that we shall live together with Christ in everlasting blessedness. But, alas, if our Agreement be no better, then to sit together in the same seats, and say the same words, and use the same gestures and Ceremonies, our hearts will be still distant from each other, our natures will be contrary, and the malignity of ungodly hearts will be breaking out on all occasions. And as now you hear men scorning at the practice of that Religion which themselves profess, so if God prevent it not, you may shortly see another War take off their restraint and let them loose, and then they will seek the blood of those that now they seem to be agreed with. At furthest we are sure, that very shortly we shall be separated as far as Heaven and Hell, if there be not now a nearer agreement then in words and outward Shews and Ceremonies.
It being then past doubt, that there is no happy lasting Unity, but in the Spirit and a holy life, What hindereth us from so safe, so sweet, so sure a Peace? Why might not all our Parishes agree on such necessary, honourable and reasonable terms? Why is there in most places, but here and there a Person, or a Family, that will yield to the terms of an everlasting peace, & live as men that believe they have a God to serve and please, and immortall souls to save or lose? Is not God willing that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. 2.4. and that all should agree in so safe a path? Why then doth he invite all, and tender them his saving mercy, and send his messengers to command and importune them to this holy Concord? He would take them all into the bond of his Covenant: How oft would Christ have gathered all the Children of Ierusalem to him, as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings? but it was they that would not, Mat. 23.37. He would have the Gospel preached to every creature, Mar. 16.15, 16. & would have the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ.
What then is the cause of this sad division in our Parishes? Are Ministers unwilling that their people should all agree in holiness? No, it would be the greatest favor you could do them, and the greatest joy that you could bring to their hearts: They would be gladder to see such a blessed Unity, then if you gave them all that you have in the world. O how a poor Minister would boast and glory of such a Parish! He would bless the day that ever he came among them; and that ever he was called to the Ministry; and that ever he was born into the world for their sakes. How easie would all his studies and labours be, if they were but sweetned with such success? How easily could he bear his scorns, and threatnings, and abuses, and persecutions from others, if he saw but such a holy Unity among his people to encourage him? So far are your Teachers from excluding you from this happiness, that it is the end of their studies, & preaching, & prayers, yea and of their lives, to bring you to partake of it. And glad would they be to preach to you, and exhort you, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in all the contempt and derision of the world, if thereby they could but bring their parishes to agree in a life of faith and holiness.
And sure our difference is not because the godly will not admit you to joyn with them in the waies of God; For they cannot hinder you if they would; and they would not if they could. It is their joy to see the house of God filled with guests that have o… the wedding garment.
We must conclude therefor… that it is the ungodly that a… the wilfull and obstinate div… ders. They might be unite to Christ, and reconciled … God, and they will not. The might be admitted into th… Communion of Saints, an… into the houshold of Go… and partake of the Priv… ledges of his children; an… they will not. They have lea… to Read, and pray, and meditate, and walk with God in a heavenly conversation, as well as any of their neighbours; but they will not. It is themselves that are the refusers, and continue the division, to the displeasing of God, and the grief of their friends, and the gratifying of Satan, and the perdition of their own immortall Souls. We might all be united, and our divisions be healed, and God much honoured, and Ministers and good Christians be exceedingly comforted, and the Church and Commonwealth be delivered and highly honoured, and themselves be saved from everlasting misery, if we could but get the hearty consent of these foolish obstinate ungodly men.
What say you, wretched Souls, can you deny it? How long have your Teachers been labouring in vain, to bring you to the hearty Love o… God, and heaven, and serious holiness? How long have they been perswading you to set up Reading, and Catechizing and constant fervent prayer i… your families, and yet it is undone? How long have they in vain been perswading the worldling from his worldliness; and the Proud person to humility, and the sensual beast from his tipling, and gluttony, and other fleshly pleasures?
And besides this, most of the disorders and divisions in the Churches are caused by ungodly men. I will instance in a few particulars.
1. When we ask any godly diligent Ministers, either in London, or the Country, why they do not unanimously catechize, instruct and confer with all the Inhabitants of their Parishes, man by man, to help them to try their spirituall state, and to prepare in health for death and judgement? they usually answer us, that alas their people will not consent, but many would revile them if they should attempt it.
2. When we ask them why they do not set up the practice of Discipline, which they so unanimously plead for? and why they do not call their people to Confirmation, or open profession of faith and holiness in order thereto; they tell us, that their people will not endure it; but many will rather set themselves against the Ministry, and strengthen the enemy that now endangereth the Churches safety, or turn to any licentious Sect, then they will thus submit to the undoubted Ordinance of Christ, which the Churches are so commonly agreed in as a duty.
3. We have an ancien… too-imperfect version of the Psalms, which we sing in the Congregations; & in the judgment of all Divines that ever I spoke with about it (of what side soever) it is our duty to use a better Version, and not to perform so excellent a part of the publick Worship, so lamely, and with so many blemishes. And if you ask the Ministers why they do not unanimously agree on a Reformed corrected Version, most of them will tell you, that their people will not bear it, but proudly and turbulently reproach them, as if they were changing the Word of God.
4. In many places the Sacrament of Baptism is ofter used in private houses, then in the publick Assemblies; and if we ask the reason of so great a disorder, the Ministers will tell us that it is the unruliness and wilfulness of the people, that proudly set themselves above their Guides, and instead of obeying them, must rule them, and have their humors and conceits fulfilled, even in the holy things of God, or else they will revile the Pastors, and make divisions in the Church: And this is done by them that in other cases do seem sufficiently to reverence the place of publick Assembly as the house of God, and that speak against private meetings, though but for prayer, repeating Sermons, or singing to the praise of God, while yet themselves are wilfully bent for such private meetings as are set up in opposition to the publick, and that for the administration of so great an Ordinance as the Sacrament of Baptism, and in cases where there is no necessity of pr…vacy: And who knows not that our Sacramentall Covenant with God, and engagement to a Christian life▪ and reception into a Christian state and priviledges, is fitter to be done with the most honourable solemnity, then in a conventicle, in a private house?
Too many more such instances I could give you, which shew who they be that are the enemies of our Unity; Even those that cry out against divisions while they cau…e them, and cry up Unity, concord and obedience, while they destroy them.
And shall we thus continue a division that doth prognosticate our Everlasting division? Is there no Remedy for so great a misery, when yet our poor ungodly neighbours m…y heal it if they will? What if the Ministers of the severall Parishes, should appoint one day of publick Conference with all the people of their Parishes together, and desire all th…t are fit to speak, to debate the case, and give their Reasons, why they concur not in their hearts and lives with the holy diligent servants of the Lord? and let them he…r the Reasons why the godly dare not, and cannot come over to their negligent ungodly course? and so try who it is long of among them, that they ar… not of One mind and way? what if the Ministers then urged it on them, to agree all before they parted, to unite on the terms which God will own, and all u…animously to take that course that shall be found most agreeable to his Word; and whoever doth bring the fullest proof that his course is best in reason, the rest should promise to joyn w…th him What if we call the people together, and bespeak them as Elijah did, 1 Kings …8.21. How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. [If a car…less, ungodly, worldly, fleshly life be best, and most please God, and will comfort you most at death and judgement, then hold on in the way that you are in, and never purpose hereafter to repent of it, but let us all become as sensuall as you. But if it be only the life of faith and holiness, and seeking first the Kingdom and Righteousness of God that God, and Scripture, and reason will justifie, and that will comfort the soul in the hour of extremity, and that you shall with a thousand times you had followed, (in everlasting misery, when wishing is too late) if now you continue to neglect it; doth not c…mmon reason then require, that we all now agree to go that way which all will desire to be found in at the last?]
One would think, if a Minister should treat thus with his Parishioners, and urge such a motion as this upon them, they should not have the hearts or faces, to deny, or delay such a necessary Agreement and Engagement, that would make their Parish and their souls so happy, and which nothing but the Devil and the befooled corrupted minds of sinners hath any thing to say against! And yet its likely we should either have such an answer as Elijah had, even silence, (v. 21. The people answered him not a word.) Or else some plausible promise, while we have them in a good mood, which would quickly be broken & come to nothing. For indeed, they are all engaged already, by their baptismall Covenant and profession of Christianity, to the very same thing: and yet we see how little they regard it.
But yet because it is our duty to use the means for the Salvation and Concord of our people, and wait on God by prayer for the success, I have here shewed you the only way to both. Read it impartially, and then be your selves the Judges, on whom the blame of our greatest and most dangerous divisions will be laid; and for shame, either give over complaining that men are of so many minds, and profess your selves the enemies of Unity and Peace; or else give over your damning, and dividing course, and yield to the Spirit of Christ, that would Unite you to his Body, and walk in Communion with his Saints: and let not these warnings be hereafter a witness against you to your confusion, which are intended for your salvation, and the healing of our discords by
An unworthy servant of Jesus Christ, for the Calling and Edifying of his Members, Rich. Baxter. Decem. 10. 1659.
The Contents.
THE Introduction and Explication of the Text, to p. 14
D…ct. The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this, that they have all one sanctified Spirit within them, p. 14
Explic…tory Propositions, p. 16
Twenty Arguments to prove that Ungodliness is the great divider, and that if ever there be a Vnion, it must be by the ungodlies comeing ov…r to a holy life, p. 19
Use 1. Shewing plainly who are the causes of our great divisions, p. 37
Vngodliness is all Heretical opinions combined and reduced to practice, p. 43, &c.
It is against every Article of the Creed, and every one of the Commandments, and every Petition of the Lords Prayer, and every Ordinance of Worship, p 65
They are worse then meer Sectaries, p. 73
Use 2. How little cause the Papists have to glory, when they draw an ungodly man meerly into their Church, p. 80
Use 3. How falsly Papists and Quakers tell us that the ungodly persons are the fruit of our Ministery, p. 83
Use 4. A serious Motion for Vnity and Peace, to all that would have us of one Religion, p. 88
Some more undenyable Reasons to prove that there is no other way of Vnity but this one, p. 100
Quest. What is that Godliness that we must all unite in, p. 136
Quest. What the nearer an Agreement should we be? Do not the godly differ among themselves? p. 178
Use 5. How little hope of perfect Vnity on earth; And how much Vnity may be expected among the Godly, p. 195
Quest. Whether Vnity in the Profession of one Faith, Government and Worship, may serve turn?
Ten discoveries of the insufficiency of a Vnion, in meer profession, p. 203
How much true godliness would conduce to heal our lesser differences; and that we might do well notwithstanding them, p. 234
Manifested in twenty four particulars.
Quest. How then comes it to pass that there are so many differences among those that you call godly, Answered, p. 288
Advice to the godly, p. 308
Rom. 14.1. Explained, p. 313
Doct. It is the will of God that the Vnity of the Church should not be laid on indifferent, small or d…ubtfull things: but that true believers that differ in such things, should yet have inward Charity and outward Communion with each other not censuring, nor despising, nor dividing upon this account, p. 323
Convincing Reasons, p. 326
Several Vses or Consectaries: and an Exhortation applied to our difference about Christmas Day, p. 358