The Interest of England in the Protestant Cause, Part 2
Of the Second.
THe preſent ſad condition of the Churches comes under a twofold Conſideration, the one is in reſpect of their unacquaintedneſs with one anothers ſtate; the other is in reſpect of the oppoſition at which they are to croſs one another in their ways.
If the Proteſtant Churches though agreeing in the ſame Faith, and in the Rules of order be conſidered as unacquainted with one another's ſtate, and conſequently at a diſtance in their mindes one from another: Two evils ariſe from thence; Firſt they not onelyonly make void the Truth of the holy profeſſion by the neglect of the Duties belonging thereunto whereby the name of God is diſhonoured, their own mutual edification hindered, and the glory and comfort of that unity which ſhould be amongſt them in the manifeſtation of love and holineſs, is darkned: But by this means they being at a diſtance and diſ-jointed from each other are void of that care which the members of Jeſus Chriſt ſhould have one of another for their mutuall good, and become lyable to all the inconveniencies which are incident unto a ſolitary condition whereof Solomon gives us briefly the heads, Eccl. 4 9, 10, 11, 12. which are the want of help in bad occurrences, want of encouragement and counſell in good enterpriſes, and want of defence in caſes of oppoſition. Therefore ſaith he, two are better then one for they have a good reward for their labour, ver. 9. The meaning is for their joining in labour, and this good reward is their freedom from the forenamed inconveniencies which one that is alone is ſubject unto. For ſaith he, wo be to him that is alone, when he falleth there is none to help him up, ver. 10. that is, if a miſchance happen or he lye under it, there is none to remove it. And again if two lye together they have heat, but how can one alone be warm, ver 11. If two lay their heads and hearts together in one deſign, to contrive it or put it in execution, they will warm one anothers affections and reſolutions, but one alone can add nothing to his own wiſedom, courage, or ſtrength: and then Solomon ſaith, if one prevail againſt one, there are two to withſtand him, ver. 12. That is if an adverſary aſſault one alone he may be overcome, but if there be two to make reſiſtance, the adverſary is not like to prevail, and then a threefold cord is not eaſily broken, ver. 12. This is the advantage of joint labours which a ſolitary working is deprived off, as this is true in a ſingle perſon, ſo we may ſay of ſingle bodies or ſolitary Churches: Wo to the Churches that are alone, for if they fall into ſcandals or diviſions, there is none to help them but they crumble away to pieces within themſelves of which we have too too many ſad experiences; and if a Church alone would advance any good work, it can do it but coldly and without effectuall zeal, and this alſo is no leſs evident; and if any adverſary ſet upon any of them being alone,In vita agricelae. they may be conquered dum ſinguli pugnant (ſaith Tacitus) univerſi vincunctur; he ſaith it of the Brittiſh Cities whil'ſt every one fights ſingly, all of them are conquered, what he ſaid of the Cities we ſay of the Churches, their want of correſpondency and communion in their ſpirituall warfare, to join together in the fight for the Faith of the Goſpel, doth expoſe them to be conquered by the power of Antichriſt, and it is obſerved that Popery never prevailed more ſince the Reformation then now it doth. By all this it is apparent how neceſſary the Aſſociation and Correſpondency of Churches is, and what danger they put themſelves and the whole body of the profeſſion to, who love to ſtand and walk by themſelves alone, and if it be both good and pleaſant for Brethren to dwell together in unity, Pſal. 133. ver. 1. and ſo good that all ſpirituall graces (ſuch as were typified by the anointing of Aaron) ver. 2. and all temporall plenty (ſuch as the dew of Hermon doth bring with it) do follow thereupon; and if it hath the rich promiſe of a bleſſing for evermore to bee commanded there where Brethren dwell together, and dwell in unity, ver. 3. then it will follow undenyably, that where they dwell not ſo together but are diſ-jointed and without any mutuall correſpondency, there can no ſuch bleſſing be expected, which wofull experience doth ſpeak aloud unto us. It will be needleſs to be large upon this theam of ſolitary walking to ſhew the inconveniencies that ariſe thereupon; there is none ſo void of all ſenſe and reaſon but he doth ſee and feel the ſame.
But if the diſtance and unacquaintedneſs of Brethren doth bring ſuch inconveniencies up n them, what will their oppoſition and walking croſs to one anothers welfare do? Nay, what hath it not done already? We may truly ſay that there is noſpiritual nor bodily evil befallen to the publick ſtate of Proteſtants, but their croſs walking to one another hath either occaſioned it, or aggravated the will thereof, and this is the more to bee lamented and blamed, the leſs cauſe there is in their profeſſion for ſuch oppoſite walking: for if any will but look upon the rules of that faith and obedience which all parties do profeſſedly own, it will ſeem contrary to all common ſenſe and reaſon that they ſhould be oppoſite one to another, for it may be wondered at, how it falls out amongſt intelligent men, that their underſtanding in fundamentall matters of Faith being ſo fully conſonant, their affections ſhould be ſo far diſſonant: and again in matters of duty, their conſcience being for the main, bound up to one and the ſame Rule, which is the Word of God; how they ſhould be at ſo much diviſion and ſtrife about the application of that Rule unto leſſer matters. Furthermore it is no ſmall wonder unto me, that they having the Oracles of God, and therein two Rules of ſcripturall Interpretation preſcribed, viz. the Analyſis of the Text, and the Analogy of Faith; that the ſcholaſticall way of handling Evangelicall debates ſhould bee ſo much in uſe, and that in the debates about the depth of ſecret and unſearchable myſteries (which all ſides confeſs to be ſuch) there ſhould be ſo much Animoſity. And laſtly, that where the ſubſtance is agreed unto, and in the outſide of profeſſion onelyonly, there is ſome difference about prudentiall and circumſtantiall matters of Order, Diſcipline, and Government, there ſhould be ſo little condiſcention and mutuall forbearance made uſe of; notwithſtanding all the acknowledged precepts and duties of Chriſtian charity, and long ſuffering for mutual edification. Now that from this unreaſonableneſs of diviſion, and the great want of moderation and diſcretion, in managing the ſame, ſcandals and offence ſhould infinitely be multiplyed amongſt the Churches is no wonder at all; for how can it bee otherwiſe, when all charitable thoughts are layd aſide, and no bowels of compaſſion by reaſon of humane frailties entertained, but that all manner of provocations to offences will on all hands be both given and taken; whence prejudices will continually be more and more heightned, and the Spirit of ſtrife wil (as we ſee it doth) carry on the parties to imbrace in their oppoſite courſes, worldly Intereſts of a contrary nature, that they may croſs each others advantages: by which means the world takes inſenſible poſſeſſion of the hearts of Profeſſors which makes them for the moſt part mind more the formality of their partiall way, then the ſimplicity of the Goſpell, and the power of godlineſs: ſo that the life of the ſpirit (though much pretended unto by ſome, and not altogether unknown to others) cannot break through to work any ſenſible effects of holineſs and ſpirituall edification; but all the means thereof, and the ways of holy communion being either neglected or obſtructed, and the prophane world obſerving our miſcarriages, the way of Truth and Holineſſe is evill ſpoken of by them, and the name of God is blaſphemed for our ſakes.
Now to remedy theſe evills, and to draw the Churches to ſome principle or degree of ſpirituall unity, that the wrath of God may be prevented (which may juſtly ſuffer us to devour one another, till we be conſumed one by another, or the Candleſtick removed from us all) let us mind but one Apoſtolicall rule to be put in practiſe amongſt us, whereof the equity is altogether undenyable; and there may be yet ſome hope of our preſervation in ſtore. This Rule is given to the Philippians to heal the breach which was between the Jews and Gentile Believers about the matter of Circumciſion, and it is this: It ye be otherwiſe minded, God ſhall reveal even this unto you; nevertheleſs whereto we have attained already, Phil. 3.15, 16.let us walk by the ſame rule, let us mind the ſame thing. If then we could be ſo happy, as to be able to perſwade the Churches to obſerve this part of the Rule, one towards another: Firſt, namely to bear each with others imperfection in knowledge, till God reveal further his Truth, and then if in the mean time they would own another in that whereunto they have already attained; and therein walk by one Rule, and mind the ſame thing: that is, intend that good towards others, which they would have others intend towards them; the miſchief which through the neglect of this duty is like to enſue might be prevented; but how to make the Churches ſenſible of the neceſſity of obſerving this Rule and precept, is ſcarce imaginable, except ſome godly party would profeſſedly own this as a duty towards them all in common, and undertake to provoke them by ſome Religious way of Correſpondency to a reciprocall practiſe thereof. Which at this juncture of time none can do ſo advantagiouſly nor is bound to do ſo carefully as the godly party which appears in England. Therefore again ſuch a Correſpondency is abſolutely neceſſary for the Churches upon this conſideration, namely to preſerve them from the fore-named evills of their homebred diſtempers, and from the wrath which undoubtedly will follow thereupon, if they continue therein.