The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
What ſort and meaſure of Vnity may not, or may be groundedly hoped for on earth.
§. 1. 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.
§. 2. 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, 1 Cor. 12. and here Eph. 4. and Rom. 14. & 15. 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.
§. 3. 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.
1. 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?
§. 4. 2. 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.
§. 5. 3. 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.
§. 6. 4. 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.
§. 7. 5. 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.
§. 8. 6. 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.
§. 9. 7. 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.
§. 10. 8. 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.
§. 11. 9. 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.
§. 12. 10. 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.
§. 13. 11. 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. 20. 30. 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. 14. & 15. And ſome cauſed diviſions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned, Rom. 16. 16, 17. 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. 15. 1, &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. 2. 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. 3. And could it then be expected that all Chriſtians be of the ſame opinions in all things?
§. 14. 12. 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?
§. 15. 13. 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.
§. 16. 14. 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.
§. 17. 15. Yea mens different trades and callings will occaſion different impreſſions; whileſt their buſineſs leadeth them ſeveral wayes and into ſeveral companies, and altering employments.
§. 18. 16. 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.
§. 19. 17. 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?
§. 20. 18. 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.
§. 21. 19. 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.
§. 22. 20. 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, 1 Cor. 12. 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?
§. 23. 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.
§. 24. 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?
§. 25. 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.
§. 26. The ſame I may ſay of many other Religious practices: As St. Paul ſpeaketh of meats and drinks and dayes, Rom. 14. & 15. 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.
§. 27. 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.
§. 28. 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.
§. 29. 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.
§. 30. 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].
§. 31. 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.
§. 32. 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.
§. 33. 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.
§. 34. 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.
§. 35. 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. 8. 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.
§. 36. 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, 1. 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.
2. So much as that hearty Chriſtian Love may be exerciſed and maintained, and Chriſtians edified in Communion of Saints.
3. 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.
§. 37. 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, 1. The ſame faith, and neceſſary doctrine; 2. and the ſame Love to God and one another; 3. and the ſame Hope of life eternal, 4. 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, 1. as that Gods word and ordinances be kept up in ſoundneſs in all parts and reſpects neceſſary to ſalvation; 2. 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, 3. and the avoiding of pernicious feuds and diviſions.
§. 38. The means by which this is to be done, 1. by communicatory Letters; 2. by Synods, 3. 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.
§. 39. 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.