Necessity of Correspondency in Spiritual Matters, Consideration 1
CERTAINE CONSIDERATIONS, SHEWING The neceſsity of a CORRESPONDENCIE in Spirituall matters betwixt all Proteſtant Churches.
An eſpeciall meanes for effecting whereof, and healing our preſent breaches, would be a NATIONALL SYNOD.
By John Dury.
FIDE JVSTVS VIVET
DEVS PROVIDEBIT
RY
Printed for Wil. Hope, Anno Dom. 1642.
Certain Conſiderations, ſhewing the neceſsity of a Correſpondency in Spirituall matters betwixt Proteſtant Churches.
THere be three heads of reaſons, by which the abſolute neceſsity of a Spirituall Correſpondencie in religious matters betwixt Proteſtant Churches may be made apparent, which are theſe:
Firſt, the truth of their Religious profeſſion of Chriſtianity doth oblige them to intend a mutuall Correſpondency. Secondly, the condition of the Churches ſhould ſtrongly induce them ſpeedily to ſettle it one with another: And thirdly, the danger of the publike ſtates ſhould move them to maintaine it conſtantly, when once it is ſettled.
Of the firſt.
In the truth of our Religious profeſſion of Chriſtianity, we ſhould conſider the things wherein it doth conſiſt; the end wherefore God giveth his graces, for which wee ſhould make uſe of the ſame, and the meanes by which wee may attaine to this end.
The truth of Chriſtianity conſiſteth in the ſoundneſs of the Doctrine, & in the holineſs of the life of the Profeſſors, Tit. 1.1, 3, 8. To maintain & advance both theſe, Proteſtants are obliged one towards another, by the communion of Saints, whereof they make profeſſion in the Symbole of the Apoſtles. But the communion of Saints is not onelyonly the conjunction of beleevers in faith, and hope, and hearty prayers towards God one for another; but alſo a reall endeavour to communicate the graces which God hath beſtowed upon every one ſeverally, to each other in common, by a charitable care to provoke one another unto love, and to good workes, Heb. 10.24. which cannot poſſibly be done, except a Correſpondency for maintaining of Truth and Holineſſe be intended: Therefore ſuch a Correſpondency is abſolutely neceſſarie to be intended; and if it be not intended, the communion of Saints is broken, and the truth of Doctrine, with the life of Holineſſe, will ſuffer loſſe and damage thereby, and God will infallibly require ſuch a loſſe at the hands of thoſe which are cauſes thereof, or doe not hinder it when they may.
The end wherefore God doth give the graces and gifts of his Spirit, is, that the Members of the body of Chriſt ſhould profit thereby one towards another, 1 Corinth. 12. 7. and that they ſhould trade therewith, to gaine more graces, Luke 19. 12, 13. Matth. 25.14. But it is no more poſſible to doe this, without an intention of maintaining an intercourſe of Spirituall Correſpondencie, then it is poſſible for the members of the bodie, which are not knit together by joynts, ſinews, and veines, to conveigh bloud and nouriſhment one to another: Therefore a courſe of Correſpondencie is abſolutely neceſſary to be intended; or, if it be not intended, and put in practice, Gods intention, in giving his gifts unto his Church, is not fulfilled, and hee may, and will juſtly deprive ſuch of them as make no good uſe thereof.
The end, to which wee ſhould uſe Gods graces, is the glory of God, 1 Corin. 10.31. and our mutuall edification, 1 Corin. 14.26. and Rom. 14.19. and 15.2. Theſe two ends are ſubordinate one to another: For, God cannot be glorified otherwiſe by us, then by this, that we bring forth much fruit one towards another, John 15.6. and Matth. 15.6. becauſe our good cannot reach to him, as David ſaith, Pſal. 16.2. but to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent Ones, in whom ſhould be all our delight, ibid. ver. 3. But it is not poſſible to intend this communication of our goodneſſe unto the Saints, by the endeavour of mutuall edification, except we uſe meanes to know one anothers condition, of which, the chiefe is a conſtant courſe of mutuall intelligence and correſpondencie: Therefore a ſettled Correſpondencie is wholly neceſſary to be intended, if wee will not deprive God of his glory, and his Saints of the intereſt which they ſhould have in us by the right uſe of our talents.
The meanes by which this end is to bee attained is, to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, which wee are commanded, and by many reaſons exhorted to doe, Epheſ. 4.3, 4, 5, 6. Now this endeavour, becauſe it is the immediate effect of true charity, therefore it is the true meanes of mutuall edification: For onelyonly charity is that which doth edifie, as may appeare clearly by 1 Corinth. 8.1. and Chapt. 13. Epheſ. 4.15, 16. Now charity cannot bee maintained, except there be an endeavour to know one anothers eſtate; nor can the unity of the Spirit bee kept or ſought for, without this ſame care: Therefore a Correſpondencie for mutuall intelligence in Spirituall matters, tending to unity and peace in the profeſſion of the truth, is a thing abſolutely neceſſary to bee intended by thoſe that make ſincere profeſſion of the Goſpell; or, if they intend it not, it is apparent they neglect a fundamentall duty of the life of Chriſtianity, becauſe they make no uſe of the chiefe and onelyonly meanes of mutuall edification, wherein God is chiefly glorified.