The Samaritan Showing Healing, Section 4 – Section 5
SECT. IV.
THE Excellency and Advantages of Union and Peace, being ſuch as I have mentioned, (to which many more might be added) it will eaſily be granted, that all Chriſtians are obliged to endeavour the obtaining of it. Things ſo worthy and excellent, ſo profitable and advantagious to Kingdoms and Nations, to Cities, Towns and Villages, Families, and ſingle perſons, to the Bodies and Souls of men, certainly ought to be proſecuted with utmoſt might and endeavour; it ſhould be ſought as Silver, and ſearched after as fine Gold. All juſt and prudent means ſhould be eſſayed for the attaining of it.
Our Intereſt, as well as our Duty, layeth on us the greateſt obligations to ſeek and purſue Peace and Unity. The love of our ſelves, and our own advantages, as well as the many Precepts, and earneſt Exhortations of Jeſus Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, ſhould make us earneſt and zealous in our labours to obtain it. Strife and Contention, Diviſions and Factions, deſtroy and take away all the comforts and pleaſures of life, and are great breaches of the Divine Commandments; yea they are a mighty reproach and ſcandal to the Chriſtian Religion, and huge pleaſure and gratification to the Devil, that great Enemy of God and Men.
And ſurely methinks, if men would but give themſelves the liberty of a little ſober conſideration, they ſhould not with ſo much earneſtneſs, obſtinacy and zeal offend God, miſchief and undo themſelves in time and eternity; for no other reaſon than to pleaſe the Devil, and gratifie ſome brutiſh and prophane paſſions, which have him for their Author and Original. But men will not conſider, or if they do conſider, they adviſe with their luſts, but not with their reaſon; with their paſſions and prejudices, but not with their conſciences; and thence 'tis, that the effect of their conſideration is many times more pernicious and prejudicial to Peace and Union, than if they had totally neglected it. For 'tis impartial Reaſon, and well inform'd Judgment and Conſcience, that ſpeak in the favour of Union and Peace; but Ambition and Pride, Love of Riches, Empire, Honour and Dominion, are for Faction and Diviſion: They are for ſetting the Church (and the World too) in a flame, hoping to make ſome advantage thereby.
Theſe things peradventure will be granted by the moſt of men; thoſe that are the greateſt Dividers will acknowledge the excellency of Peace, and the duty and obligation of labouring after it; they will confeſs that it is the Intereſt of Mankind to proſecute and obtain it, and to adviſe with their reaſon, and not with their paſſions, when they conſider how it be may recalled and reſtored again to the Church of God, and Societies of Men. They will alſo grant, that there is fault ſomewhere, and that ſome men are to be blamed, that there is ſo little Amity and Peace among Chriſtian People and Churches; and that it is become ſuch a mighty difficulty to heal the breaches of Chriſtendom, and to compound the Differences that are in ſome particular Parts and Kingdoms of it.
But although all men will acknowledge that the fault lies ſomewhere, yet there are none of the Contending Parties that will lay any blame at their own doors. The Church of Rome does acknowledge, and ſome of their Writers ſeem to bewail the Diviſions and Factions that are in the Chriſtian World; but that they are no cauſe of them, they do avow with all the aſſurance imaginable. The Calviniſts and Lutherans do alſo confeſs and bewail the Diviſions among Proteſtants; but they will both proteſt that they are not the faulty Cauſe thereof. To come nearer home, the Conformiſts and Nonconformiſts in the Church of England, do ſufficiently confeſs, and many of them I believe, lament the Differences that are among us; but neither of them will acknowledge themſelves worthy of any blame: They are both Innocent in their Opinions, but both Faulty in the Opinion of their Adverſaries.
But peradventure an imprejudiced and unbyaſſed Spectator, (if ſuch a one be to be found) may think that there are Faults on both ſides, among the ſeveral Factions of Chriſtendom, though not equally great. The Romaniſts, without doubt, are the greateſt Make-bates that are upon Earth, and the moſt Faulty Dividers; and yet I believe that there are ſome Proteſtants that make the Difference greater in ſome things than really it is, betwixt us and them. And there is no man that ſhall calmly read the Late Theſes of the Learned Le Blank, but will be ſatisfied of it. The Lutherans certainly are much to blame in ſeparating from the Calviniſts, and ſpeaking and writing ſo bitterly and ſpitefully concerning them: And yet 'tis poſſible that the Calviniſts may not be altogether Innocent; for amongſt them alſo are found men of unyielding ſpirits, and ſuch as lay too much weight upon ſmall things. As for the Contentions among our ſelves (if I may be pardoned the liberty of ſaying it) I do not doubt but we are all to blame.
SECT. V.
NOW the great Cauſe (in my apprehenſion) of all the Diviſions, Quarrels, Schiſms and Separations that are in the Chriſtian World, is the making and impoſing things unneceſſary, doubtful, difficult, unintelligible, unprofitable, and numerous, the Conditions of Church Communion. This hath rent and torn the Church of God in pieces theſe thirteen hundred years; and yet thoſe that are the Guides and Governours of Churches, either cannot, or will not ſee it. Let the Hiſtories of the Church be conſulted, and this may be eaſily obſerved. What is it that divides the Greek and Roman Churches from each other? What is it that divides the Greek Churches among themſelves? What is it that divides the Roman Churches from thoſe of the Proteſtant Profeſſion? What divides the Lutherans and Calviniſts? What is it that divides the Chriſtian People of this Nation? Is it not the Impoſing of things doubtful, dark, uncertain, and unneceſſary, and this with a pertinacious and inflexible rigour, and ſeverity one againſt another?
Do not all theſe Churches agree in the great Eſſentials of the Chriſtian Religion? Do they not all believe the common Articles of the Chriſtian Faith? Do they not all believe the Lord's Prayer to contain the ſum and matter of all the Requeſts that we are to make to God? Do they not believe the Ten Commandments to comprehend the main, if not all thoſe Duties that we owe to God and Men? And are not theſe things in which all agree, ſufficient for the Union of Chriſtians? Might they not live together in Love, notwithſtanding their other Differences? Or, though they could not communicate together (as indeed Proteſtants cannot communicate with the Romiſh Churches) might they not maintain Love and Peace under diſtinct Communions? Might they not repute each other Chriſtians, and Chriſtian Churches, though not equally ſound and perfect? Theſe things methinks, might be done, were it not that a Spirit of Impoſition, and Arbitrary Domination over the Judgments and Conſciences of Men, hath poſſeſſed the Guides of Chriſtendom; All men muſt believe, and think, and ſpeak, according to their apprehenſions, or elſe they are no Chriſtians. Their Judgments, yea ſometimes their Prejudices, and their Dreams, muſt be made the Conditions of Communion; and if any refuſe to ſwear to their words, and will ſee with their own Eyes, and believe and practiſe according to the Light of their own underſtandings, they are Hereticks, and unworthy the Name and Communion of Chriſtians. And hence proceed the various Separations and Diviſions, and all the direful and tragical Effects of them, which have made the Chriſtian World a Bedlam, and ſometimes a Field of Blood, to the reproach of Chriſtians, to the ſcandal of Infidels, and to the perverting of many Profeſſors of Chriſtianity to Atheiſm, or Apoſtacy to ſome other falſe Religion.