One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 59
SERMON LIX. That it's a ſpeciall Mercy for the Ministers of the Goſpel to agree in one; Wherein their Ʋnity ſhould be, And the Reaſons of the Differences that are among them.
JOH. 17.11.
That they may be one, as thou and I are one.
WE have conſidered the matter of Chriſts Praier, Let us proceed to the End of it in theſe Words, That they may be one; Some indeed ſay that this relateth to the manner of Gods keeping of them, as if it were a ſpecification of that which would keep them; If they agree in love among themſelves they are ſure to be preſerved, but we take it rather for a diſtinct mercy, that as he had praied for their ſound faith, ſo now for their Union and love.
We may Conſider the Diſciples under a twofold Relation.
1. Common, as beleevers and diſciples, and ſo with others given of God to Chriſt, and thus the Unity of Beleevers among themſelves is a precious mercy; But becauſe he praieth for this at verſ. 21. I ſhall paſſe by that Conſideration.
In the ſecond place the Apoſtles may be conſidered ſtrictly and particularly, as men in office, as thoſe who were appointed to preach the Goſpel, and ſo our Saviour praieth for their Ʋnity in this Conſideration.
It is of infinite conſequence that the Miniſters of the Goſpel ſhould agree among themſelves, for when they are divided the people muſt be divided; If the Pilates in a Ship diſagree the Ship muſt neceſſarily ſink; So that our Saviour knowing the devices of Satan to ſet Apoſtle againſt Apoſtle, Paſtor againſt Paſtor, he therefore praieth for their Unity in this Miniſterial Office and emploiment, and the expreſſion is obſervable, he ſaith not, that they may be united, but be one, and that according to the higheſt example of all unity, the Father and the Sonne: Luther thinketh the Subſtantive anſwering foreign is foreign one myſtical body, but we rather take it of their Office and Miniſterial Employment, as 1 Cor 3.8. The Apoſtle arguing againſt Church-diviſions, by ſetting up ſeveral Officers one againſt another, ſaith, He that planteth, and he that watereth are one,Doct. It is a ſpecial mercy for Miniſters of the Goſpel to agree in one. They all have the ſame end, and all have one general emploiment, viz. the converſion of men to God.
Obſ. That it's a ſpeciall mercy when the Miniſters of the Gospel agree in one; Nothing is ſo terrible to the Churches adverſaries as their Paſtors Unity; This was the Reaſon, ſay ſome, why our Saviour choſe Apoſtles, that for the moſt part were of kindred one to another, that ſo their love might be the more Inviolably preſerved; This Counſel alſo our Saviour gave the Diſciples, Have Salt in your ſelves, and peace one with another, Mark 9.50. Have Salt, i. e. Seaſon the world and one another with grace, but leſt this Salt ſhould bite and ſmart too much, he addeth, and have peace with one anooher: Thus peace and love is of ſo great concernment that Joh. 14.20. He leaveth only peace with them as a Legacy, My peace I leave with you, my Peace I give to you, and Cap. 15. Cap. 13, 14. He cals this the New Commandement he layeth upon them to love one another; yea, he makes this a Character of their Diſcipleſhip, not if they caſt out devils or work miracles, but if they love one another.
To open this Doctrine Conſider,
1. That ſuch is the corruption of the beſt men, and Satan is ready to bl…w up tho ſparks immediatly, that there have been contentions and differences amongst the moſt eminent pillars in the Church: Twice we teade of the Diſciples contentions amongſt themſelves concerning primacy and a preferment above one another: Afterwards the Scripture tels us of a Paroxyſme, a ſharp controverſie between Paul and Barnabas, Act. 15. yet Paul and Peter they have an hot conteſt, and that in a religious Point of practiſe: Now if the Sunne and Moon meet in ſuch an oppoſition, there muſt needs be an Ecclipſe in the Church: And if we deſcend to Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtories, we ſhall finde as bloudy pens againſt one another as the devouring Sword in civil affairs: That which Cyprian complained, Madet orbis Chriſtianus mutuo ſanguine & quod cum privati fecerint, homicidium dicitur, cum publicè geritur virtus vocatur, is true of Eccleſiaſticall contentions; The Chriſtian Church is divided, and ſubdivided againſt it ſelf, and that which if done in private cauſes would be called malice and revenge in religious affairs is called zeal and courage for Gods glory: At that famous firſt Council of Nice when Conſtantine called the Biſhops together for to end Religious Controverſies inſtead of this, they had prepared mutuall Libels and accuſations one againſt another, which Conſtantine perceiving took the Papers, rent them in peeces and burnt them before their faces, gravely exhorting to peace and unanimity; It would be long to relate of the paſſionate contentions between Jerome and Auſtin, between Epiphanius and Chryſoſtome, who upon their parting did ſtrangely threaten one another with that which came to paſſe; Epiphanius told Chryſoſtome he ſhould not die a Biſhop, and this proved true, for he was ejected and dyed in baniſhment, Chryſoſtome threatned Epiphanius, he ſhould not dye in his own Countrey, and this alſo fell out, for he died in his Voyage ere he got home, and who can with heart tender enough ſpeak of the many oppoſitions and diviſions between Calviniſts and Lutherans, and others of the Reformed Church, by all which we ſee the neceſſity of Chriſts Praier for Unity; There being ſuch corruptions in our hearts and Satan ſo buſie to make differences and diſſentions, That though Legions of Devils can agree to be in one man, yet he will not ſuffer two Doctors to agree in one Church.
2. The Unity that the Officers of Gods Church ought to have conſiſts in theſe things,The Unity that Church-Officers ought to have.
1. Ʋnity of Faith, That they beleeve the ſame doctrine, called therefore Eph. 4 5. One Faith. And 1 Cor. 3. There is no other Foundation but one even the Lord Chriſt; And indeed this muſt be the ground of all other Unity, when the Papiſts would make Unity a note of the true Church; We ſay Unity without true Doctrine is but a Faction, a Conſpiracy; The Turks have Unity, The Jews have Unity, but yet becauſe they have not the true Doctrine, it's not true peace and concord; So that true Doctrine, that is, the Soul, the fountain and the root of all.
2. A ſecond Unity is in the ſame Confeſſion and acknowledgement of Faith, and that in the ſam… words, and truly this is very deſirable not only to hold the ſame doctrinal Points, but the ſame words alſo, for new words bring in new Doctrines: Hence the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 1.10 preſſing for Unity, doth not only exhort them to be of the ſame minde and judgement, but to ſpeak the ſame thing, 2 Tim. 1.13. Timothy is exhorted to hold faſt the form of ſound words; Though they be but words and a Form, yet he muſt hold them faſt, and this made the ancient Church ſo tenacious of the word foreign, becauſe by that all heretical Opinions were excluded; It's a remarkable expreſſion, Luk. 1. God is ſaid to ſpeak by the month of all the holy Prophets; Though they were many yet it's mouth not mouths, They had all but one mouth, and ſpake the ſame thing; Thus it ought to be but one mouth of all the Miniſters of the Goſpel to beleeve, We are to know what all Teacheth by what one Teacheth.
3. There muſt be Ʋnity of affection and hearts, as Act. 1. In the beginning of the Churches encreaſe their Unity of affection is greatly commended, ver. 14. They continued foreign; So alſo Act. 2.1.46. eſpecially Act. 4.32. The multitude of Beleevers were of one heart and of one ſoul; Though a multitude, yet they had but one ſoul, one heart;
Thus you ſee what kinde of Unity there ought to be among the Miniſters of the Goſpel.
Grounds why it is ſuch a mercy to have Unity among Church-Officers.In the next place let us Conſider the Grounds why it's ſuch a mercy to have Unity amongſt Church-Officers.
1. Becauſe fortitude and ſtrength is in Ʋnity, Vis unita fortior, A Kingdom divided againſt it ſelf cannot ſtand, ſaith our Saviour; When one peice of the Wall divides from the other it foretels ruine; As that Heathen to his Sonnes, giving them a Quiver of Arrows, intimating thereby as long as they agreed they were invincible: All the united power of the Church is little enough againſt their common enemies, and ſhall they weaken themſelves.
2. As Unity ſtrengthens, ſo it oppoſeth the Enemy more ſucceſſefully, which is the devil and all his Inſtruments; What is there that the Popiſh adverſary doth more inſult with, then to upbraid with the divers Sects that are among the Proteſtants, for although we can retort and tell them of their diviſions, and that in fundamental Points, yet it is our ſhame and grief that ſuch a charge is in ſome meaſure true, though not in that height the Adverſaries do revile, for none of the Reformed differ in Fundamentals; As for the Socinians though they do vehemently oppoſe Popery, yet we take not them to be of the Reformed Church, who overthrow the Foundations of our Chriſtian Religion; But this is certain, The Proteſtant differences give advantage to the Papiſts, thereby they gain upon unſetled perſons; Look you, ſay they, they have no certainty among themſelves, They know not where to ſtay, The Lutheran ſpirit judgeth the Calviniſticall, diabolicall; And thus unconstant, inconſiderate perſons look upon this as a great Argument againſt the Truth, whereas even in the Apoſtles times the Church of God had ſad diviſions amongſt themſelves, as 1 Cor. 3. Oh then let us bewail the corruption of the beſt, that they ſhould be ſo far tranſported with paſſion as to neglect the Truths of God by giving advantage to the common adverſary.
3. Unity is of great conſequence amongſt the Miniſters of the Goſpel, becauſe their diviſions breed diviſions amongſt the people; The differences of Teachers breed irreconcilable diſtractions amongſt people, as if the Heavens ſhould be confuſed in their motions, it would diſtract and deſtroy ſublunary things: We ſee in the Church of Corinth, when the Teachers were divided, what diviſions alſo were there amongſt the people, ſome for Paul, and ſome for Apollo.
4. Pray to God for Unity among Church-Officers, becauſe their Controverſies bring a main neglect of the chief work of their Miniſtery, which is to come out and to build up ſouls in heavens way: This is the end why God hath called us, now when we fall out with one another, and ſet up Opinion againſt Opinion; The work of the Miniſtry is much retarded: Hence the Apoſtle enjoyneth Timothy to fly ſuch diſputations and quarellings as are unprofitable, becauſe they fret away godlineſſe, and are like thorns and nettles among the Corn, hindring the growth thereof.
5. Unity is to be deſired, becauſe this agreeth with their office and call; They preach the Goſpel of peace, and God is the God of peace, Chriſt is the Prince of peace, and Col. 3. he is our peace reconciling all things; Why then ſhould the Miniſters tongue be a tongue of war, as if they were Prieſts to Bellona, rather then the Miniſters of the Goſpel, So that if all theſe grounds be conſidered we may well pray with our Saviour, Lord make the Miniſters of the Goſpel as one man, for div…ſions (as Jerom ſaid) are amicorum diſpendia, inimicorum compendia, and publica divinae irae incendia.
In the next place, what are the Cauſes (you may ſay) that may make the Miniſters of the Goſpel thus to diſſent
And 1. In the general It's corruption and ſin which lurketh in the hearts of all, So that it's more to be wiſhed for then expected, for to have Jeruſalem a City compact within it ſelf; Never expect in this world to ſee ſuch a time wherein the Miniſters of the Goſpel ſhall have one Faith, one heart, one mouth; This is reſerved for Heaven, where there will be no difference of Calviniſts and Lutherans, of ſeveral forms of Church-government: The Church of God hath alwaies been on fire, only as when an houſe is on fire, ſome cry for water, ſome for Ladders, ſome to pull down the Houſe, ſo ſome have cried for more moderate means, ſome for fierce and vehement.
2. Corrupt affections of pride, ambition, and covetouſneſs; Theſe things are charged upon the falſe Teachers by the Apoſtles; Diotrephes he loved to have preheminence; Others accounted gain godlineſſe, and had their hearts exerciſed with covetous practiſes; There was no heretique ever proved a firebrand in the Church, but one of theſe cauſes for the moſt part moved him, which made Auſtin put it in the definition of an heretique, that he did alicujus temporalis commodi cauſâ, either invent or propagate falſe Opinions, But of Unity more when we come to the following Verſes.
Ʋſe of Exhortation, to follow Chriſt in this Praier, give the great God of heaven no reſt by praier till he hath given reſt to his Church and the guides thereof; Cry out as the Diſciples did to Chriſt, to rebuke the windes and tempeſts, for the Ship we are in ſ…is…nking; Theſe diviſions are not only ſins but ſad prognoſticks of Gods wrath, as if he had a purpoſe to unchurch us, and to make us no more his people, as he did to the Churches in Aſia.