The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The Nature of Vnity, and this Vnity of the ſpirit, opened.
1. WHat UNITY in General is, and what This Vnity of the ſpirit in ſpecial, I ſhall open in theſe following connexed propoſitions.
1. 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.
2. 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.
2. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. When Paul ſaith that God is foreign 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. 4. 6. To be foreign] the Father of all, above all, and through all, and in us all: And 1 Cor. 12. 16. 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. 17.
10. 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. 3. 11. Chriſt is ſaid to be foreign 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. 1. 23. 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.
11. 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.)
12. 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.
13. 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.)
14. 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.
15. So is it whether there be any where exiſtent a body of the united Atomes of the ſeveral paſſive Elements without the active.
16. The mixt Beings known to us do all conſiſt of an union of the paſſive and active Elements (or of theſe united.)
17. 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 'tis that Many come from One or two in generation, are queſtions too hard for ſuch as I.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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 duplicate page duplicate page 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.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. Accordingly we muſt conceive of that Vnion (before mentioned Theſ. 10.) 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 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. And that this Spirit proceedeth and is ſent from the Father and the Son to do theſe works. 4. 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. 5. 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) 1. 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. 2. 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.) 3. 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?
32. 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, 1. The humane nature is honoured and uſed by the Divine, as a ſecond cauſe of the foreſaid effects of Grace and Glory on us. 2. 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. 3. 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.) 4. 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.
33. 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.*In Methodo Theologi…e, Part. 2.
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. 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 1. 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. 2. 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.
38. It is called in the Text [The Vnity of the ſpirit] 1. 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. 2. As the Spirit is the efficient cauſe hereof. 3. 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.
39. 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.
40. 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.
41. 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.
42. 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.]
43. 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.
44. 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.
45. It is the predominancy of the corrupt ſelfiſh inclination which is the great Enemy and deſtroyer of Love and Vnity.
46. 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.
47. 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.
48. 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.
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. 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.
53. 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.
54. 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.
55. The Vnity of the ſpirit inclineth men to hope the beſt of others,Rom. 14. 17. & 15. 1 Cor. 12. & 13. Gal. 6. 1, 2, 3. 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.
56. 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.
57. 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. 12. 14. as far as is poſſible, and as in them lieth, Rom. 12. 18. They that are true Peace-lovers are diligent Peace-makers, if it be in their power and way.
58. 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. 4. 14.) 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.
59. 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.
60. 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.
61. Though Perfection muſt be deſired, it is but a very imperfect Unity which can be reaſonably hoped for on earth.
62. 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).
63. 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.
64. 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.
65. An earneſt deſire*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. 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.
66. 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.
67. 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.
68. 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.