The Samaritan Showing Healing, Section 2
SECT. II.
THE Union and Peace that I intend to diſcourſe, is a Union of Judgment and Practice in matters of Religion, and the Worſhip of God; together with that mutual Love, and thoſe good Offices that are the proper fruits, effects and conſequent thereof. And by Religion, and the Worſhip of God, I mean the Chriſtian Religion, and thoſe waies of worſhiping and ſerving the Majeſty of Heaven that are preſcribed unto us by the Chriſtian Laws, the Records whereof are in the holy Scriptures.
That this Union and Peace is an excellent thing, is the confeſſion of all Chriſtians. Thoſe that do practically hate and abhor it, pretend a mighty eſteem and veneration for it; thoſe that deſtroy it, ſpeak much in its favour; and the moſt mortal Enemies thereof, will not fail to make its Panegyrick, and exalt its praiſe. The Romaniſts (who are certainly the greateſt Incendiaries and Firebrands that are upon Earth, and have for many years, yea ages paſt, and do at this time imbroil and fill all Europe with Confuſion and Diſorders, with ſecret Conſpiracies and Confederations, with open Wars, Violence, Oppreſſion and Rapine, are (as they would be thought) the moſt paſſionate Lovers, and greateſt Admirers of it: But whilſt men ſee their fangs, and feel their paws, they will believe them Bears and Lions, though they ſhould avow themſelves the moſt harmleſs Doves or Lambs.
But why is it that Peace and Union hath the univerſal ſuffrage of men, even of thoſe that have a practical abhorrence and deteſtation for it? 'Tis its own proper Excellency and Advantages that commands their Approbations. Union and Peace (as all other virtues) have their charms and attractives; and ſo great is the force of them, that men cannot behold and conſider them, without being inamour'd of them, and captivated by them. But though the excellency, lovelineſs and beauty of Union and Peace, do ſubdue the underſtandings and judgments of men, their Intereſts, their Paſſions, and their Luſts, will not be conquered by any of them. Though Union be never ſo lovely in the opinion of their Conſciences, they will ſacrifice it a thouſand times in favour to their Pride, their Ambition, their Covetouſneſs, their love of Empire, Domination, and other Luſts.
Though the Commendations that are given to Union and Peace, be no proof of the virtue or excellency of thoſe that ſpeak in the praiſe thereof, yet 'tis an undeniable Evidence of its own proper worth and advantages. That which hath the ſuffrage and approbation of all mens Conſciences, that which hath the eſteem, and is the Darling even of its very Enemies, muſt needs be very excellent, worthy and valuable.
The Excellencies and Advantages of Union, are moſt evident in the Cauſes of it, and in the Effects that it produces in the World. Union is the effect of good Knowledge, & ſound Underſtanding; (for that Union that is ſeen among the Ignorant, is no other than what is found in a heap of Logs or Stones, which doth not indeed deſerve that name.)
Thoſe that fill the World with Controverſies, Quarrels and Contentions, are for the moſt part men of ſmall underſtanding, and of raw and undigeſted notions. 'Tis half-witted people that ſet the Churches of Chriſtendom together by the Ears, and kindle thoſe flames in the Houſe of God, that are like utterly to waſte and conſume it. Men of great underſtanding are modeſt and peaceable; they will not contend for trifles, nor expreſs great Zeal for any thing, but the great Eſſentials of Faith and Godlineſs: They will not ſuſpend the Peace of the Church upon uncertain, or unneceſſary things. In things of that nature they can permit men to their Liberty, and where Liberty is permitted, there is ſeldom any Controverſie; but where there is unneceſſary reſtraint, there is everlaſting quarrels, and will be to all Generations.
Let me add further, Union is an effect of great holineſs and ſanctity of mind and nature. Let mens Knowledge be never ſo great, if they be not born of God, and partakers of a Spirit of Holineſs and Sanctification, they will quarrel and contend everlaſtingly, not in compliance with their Conſciences, but in favour to their Luſts. If enquiry be made, 'twill be found true, that the holieſt perſons, and ſuch as have moſt of the Image of God impreſſed upon their Sou's, are alwaies the moſt peaceable, quiet, and give leaſt diſturbance to the World; and what I have ſaid of Perſons, is true of Churches; thoſe Churches whoſe Members are moſt holy, moſt renewed, ſanctified and transformed, are the moſt freeſt from Diviſions, Quarrels and Separations.
Again, Union is an Effect of great Self-denyal, Mortification, contempt of the World, and all the Pomp and Glory of it. This I do confeſs is comprehended in what I ſaid in the preceding Paragraph; but that what I intend may be the more obvious and apparent, I have choſen to diſcourſe it ſeparately, and by it ſelf. Men of unmortified Luſts and Paſſions, men that cannot deny themſelves in any thing, men that are fond of the World, and the Advantages of it, will never reſt, nor permit others to do ſo: They will move all ſtones, and make all tryals that they can imagine, will ſerve or advance their Pride, their Ambition, their Riches, their Honours, or whatever are their darling and be oved Luſts.
Many of the Antient Schiſms and Hereſies, that ſo plagued the Church of God, were occaſioned by the Pride and Covetouſneſs of Churchmen. The Church continued for many years a Virgin. Thebuthis was the firſt that corrupted it with falſe Doctrine, foreign, becauſe he was not made a Biſhop, as Hegeſippus reports. Euſeb. lib. quar. cap. 22. Novatianus, a Presbyter of the Church of Rome, foreign, being puffed up with Pride, became the Author of a Sect which called themſelves Cathariſts, but by others were called Novatians. Paulus Samoſatenus broke the Peace of the Church, and eſpouſed the Doctrine of Ebion and Artemon, and affirmed our Lord Jeſus a man of common human Race, foreign, Euſ. lib. 7. cap. 27. And what he was for his Morals, thoſe that pleaſe may read Euſ. lib. 7. cap. 30. He was covetous, unjuſt, proud, effeminate; he permitted his Presbyters to partake in the ſame ſins, that conſcience of their own guilt might hinder and reſtrain them from opening and expoſing his vile abominations. Arius was a proud man, and affected Domination; and becauſe Alexander was preferred before him, and made Biſhop of Alexandria, he mutinyed the Preſbyters, and raiſed thoſe Diviſions in that Church that from thence were ſpread into almoſt all the Chriſtian World. Vid. Theod. lib. 1. cap. 3. & 4. But it would be endleſs to mention the Quarrels and Contentions which have been raiſed in the Church of God, by men of unmortified Luſts and Paſſions, and no Union or Peace will be had in the Chriſtian world, whilſt thoſe Vermine are lodged and nouriſhed in the breaſts of men. They are humble, mortified, and ſelf-denying men that live quietly, and give no diſturbance to the Church or World in which they live, and whereof they are Members.