Christian Concord, Part 12
I Shall conclude with this humble Request to all my Brethren in the Ministry, In the Name of our great Lord and Master, that they would forget all former injuries and differences so far, as presently to addresse themselves to seek Peace and Reconciliation: And to that end that they would here and in all Countreys presently enter into some fraternall Associations; and there meekly and self-denyingly to set themselves with one heart and soul to carry on Christs work so far as we are agreed. Why Sirs, have not Independents, Presbyterians, Episcopall, &c. One God, One Christ, One Spirit, One Creed, One Scripture, One hope of everlasting life? Are our disagreements so great that we may not live together in love, and close in fraternall union and amity? Are we not of one Religion? Do we differ in fundamentals or substantials? Will not conscience worry us? Will not Posterity curse us; if by our divisions we betray the Gospel into the hands of the Enemies? And if by our mutuall envyings and jealousies and perverse zeal for our severall conceits, we should keep open the breach for all heresies and wickednesse to enter, and make a prey of our poor peoples souls: Brethren, you see other bonds are loosed, Satan will make his advantage of these daies of Licentiousnesse: Let us straiten the bond of Christian Unity and Love, and help each other against the powers of hell, and joyn our Forces against our common Enemy. Have you not had yet time and means enough to observe how God hath been offended with your unpeaceable proceedings? seeking to oppresse and subdue each other by force, rather then to win each other by love and Evidence of truth? The Episcopall party when they were up, making that sad havock of the Church by the persecution of their brethren, which this land is like to lament yet longer: The Presbyterians when they were up, seeking their ejection too rashly, without sufficient means of satisfaction; What should I rip up the faults of others which the Sun hath seen, and the world rings of? Truly Brethren I speak it that we may all be humbled, and go weeping together in seeking the Lord with our faces Zion-ward, saying, Come, let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten, Jer. 50. 4, 5, 6. I would not open our shame, were it not necessary to our humiliation and reformation: But the world knows it already. As God tels us of it, so the railing, malicious, insulting enemies tell us of it. Have not some of you so led the way in secret or open vilifying, deriding, contemning and aspersing your brethren, that thereby you, even you, have been the means of raising those calumnies that you cannot allay; and have put those words into the mouths of the wicked, which they daily belch forth to the pleasing of the devil, the grieving of all lovers of holinesse and peace, and the undoing of their own souls, so bitterly and scornfully have used the name of an Independent, that the most Reverend, and Learned, and godly of that way, do with the multitude lie under such contempt, that they are the lesse capable of successeful serving God in their places; so reproachfully and contemptuously have others used the name of a Presbyterian, that they have raised by it that scorn in the multitude of seduced ones, which will prove a snare to many a soul, and which these Churches may have cause to bewail while there is a tongue to mention it. Yea, some have ventured into the Throne of God to search the hearts of a Nation, and in such auditories, and with such language to proclaim their pretended discoveries, as I am ashamed to expresse: and when they have done to print it, that there may not be wanting a witnesse of their sin. Alas, it is past deniall, that you have occasioned those hellish reproaches, which the Satanical Mercuries do daily proclaim in the ears of the world; So that a man of another Nation cannot reade the reports of Civill or Military affairs in England, or Scotland, but he must reade it intermixed with the Accusations, Reproaches, and Slanders of the Brethren. I will not now go so near the quick, as to meddle with matters of bloud, even the bloud of confessed Saints, in which we little thought ten years ago, that such should have had a hand, as have openly owned it to God and men: Only I will say, These things must sit close to some mens consciences: But this I would seriously have you consider, whether the fearfull danger that the Gospel and Christian cause is in this day, be not principally occasioned by your divisions, emulations and contentions? And if it should fall out (which God prevent) that Academies and Ministry be cast down, that Popery be let in, that the power of godlinesse be swallowed up by schismes and prophanesse; Will not your names be the first in the curse? Who knows not that the divisions of the Pastors leade the people into divisions? yea, and that they are as backward yet as almost any to heal them? In all this I exclude not my self; Though I can truly say, that I alway loved peace, and hated censorious dividing; yet I unfeignedly bewail (and confesse my sin before God and the world) that I did love the one and hate the other no more, that ever I did so much against peace and no more for …t. O Brethren, it's we that leade the way to division that must sound the retreat, and jointly leade the way to reconciliation. We have no other way lest to heal our wounded consciences, and hide our sin and shame (under Jesus Christ:) We have no other way to revive the hopes of the Churches, now they seem to be ready to gasp their last; nor yet to rescue the souls of our poor people who are some of them ready to turn Papists, as soon as liberty hath opened the door wide enough for the Priests and Jesuites to be familiar among them: and the rest of them are ready to think all Religion to be uncertain, or vain, while they see so many. In the name of God Brethren, return, and speedily and zealously return to Unity and Peace: Send abroad to one another, and stir up the dull, and invite the backward, and draw on the prejudiced and negligent to this work. Alas Brethren, it is greater, more difficult, and more blessed work, then to be done with idle wishing and sitting still. Have you forgotten your Masters sheep-mark? [By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another:] Have you forgotten the Spirits charge, If it be possible as much as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men, And Follow peace with all men? To receive it when it's thrust upon you is not following it, and yet happy England, if all would do so: Alas, that ever men, that men that make so much conscience of praying, hearing, reading, Sacraments, should make no more conscience of their duties for the peace of the Church? When Christ hath so frequently, so plainly, so piercingly inculcated, Love, Peace, over and over, as he hath done, and yet that Christians, yea, Ministers do so strangely overlook them; and reade them as if they read them not: When the Lord hath placed so much of the very nature of Christianity in it, and made it so necessary to our very salvation, that yet we should passe it over so lightly, and with so little observation: O what hypocrisie! what self-condemning is it for to cry out of the divisions and schismes of the times, as most do, and when we have done to sit still when we should endeavour to heal them, and when we that have made the breach should make it up. Division and want of love is a sin that all men are ready to blame in others, and exclaim of in the generall: and yet that we should be so deeply guilty our selves, as if we had not run far enough in the guilt already: Alas Brethren, are not the effects of our sinne before our eyes which way ever we look? into City, Countrey, into Parliament that late was, and into the Army, into men of all sorts and degrees? and is it not time to return? Again therefore, I beseech you make out after Union and Reconciliation. And to that end get all together, and keep constant meetings in Associations. Most jealousies and jarrings are occasioned by strangeness and distance; When you hear men spoken evil of, and do not hear them speak for themselves. Familiarity would much further the cure of differences: Devils and wicked men can agree in evil doing, and goe hand in hand in sin; and shall not we unite in the work of God? What, we! that look to live in heaven together, and there to be employed all in one blessed work of praising the living and most blessed God? Will it do you good then to remember your strangenesse and dissentions now? For my part I daily look death in the face, and live in a constant expectation of my change, and therefore have the better advantage to be faithfull to my conscience, and I must needs professe that when I look back upon my life I have more comfort in the least means that ever I used for the Churches peace, then in all my most zealous contentious Engagements. I am confident Brethren, you scarce know the work that will more comfort you in the review, then to be speedy and diligent in the using of your wit, strength, power and interest for the Union and Reformation of these distracted Churches: Shall it be said (alas, too truly) that Separatists will ride and run and lay out all their pains unweariedly to divide the Church, and that we will not do half so much to heal it and unite it? Our office is to be builders, and building is conjoyning, and demolishing and destroying is dividing. I confesse it is a work of exceeding difficulty, to bring even the best to be of one minde: We are of such various intellectuall complexions and statures, and all so imperfect in knowledge, and they that do know are so unable to convey their knowledge to their prejudiced, unstudied, unprepared brethren, or to make such impression on other mens understandings, as is necessary to their conviction, that it is no wonder if Agreement be a difficult thing. Besides, mistakes once received do so insinuate into the very will, and do so strangely multiply, and engage men before they are aware to maintain them, and errour (as all sin) is of such a deceitfull nature, seeming to be the best when it is the worst, and alwaies coming under the pretence of its contrary, and the great deceiver is so skillfull and diligent, to set out his wares to the best advantage, that it is no wonder if the Churches Teachers be perverted. Besides this, men are of such difference in the strength of their naturall parts, and also do so differ in the advantages of improving them, and some study so hard and some so little, that it is no wonder if there be almost as many mindes as men. Some also have such passions to pervert their understandings, and some have such strong temptations and carnall interests, and so many false hearts are ready to creep into the best Assemblies, that it is no wonder if dividing be easier then uniting. Yea, (which is the core of all our misery) there is in most of us so much pride and false estimation of our own conceptions, that it is not the smallest difficulty to convince us of our ignorance, and to make us know how little we know; yea, such proud spirits will quarrell with the light, because it came not originally from their candle; and let the choicest discoveries be sent from heaven to them, they will contemn them because they are brought them by another mans hand; and if the only way of Agreement be propounded by another, they will cavill or dissent, or envy it because themselves were not the motioners or authours. There is no agreement with those men where pride is unmortified: For be they never so unable or unwilling to do the work themselves, yet will they hinder another in doing it. But Brethren, the more difficult this work of agreement is, the more industriously and resolvedly should we set our selves to seek it. Difficulties that amount not to Impossibilities, should quicken and not discourage, where the work is of necessity as ours is. I seriously professe that I often wonder how men, learned men, godly men, can maintain so much seeming peace with God, and their own consciences, who do so little for the Churches peace: and how they can ever hope to die in peace that study no more to live in peace? If without holinesse here there be no hope of holinesse or happinesse hereafter, how can there be any hopes of everlasting peace to those that do not here value and pursue peace? What! Preachers of the Gospel? and yet forget their Masters name! [The King of Salem, the Prince of Peace,] and forget the Gospels nature and title [to be, The message of Peace;] and forget their own office which is to be [The Messengers of Peace,] and forget the title of that way which they must preach [The way of Peace;] and forget that it is the description of the wicked [The way of peace they have not known; and to forget that it is their curse [There is no peace to the wicked; and to forget that great benediction of our Lord, [Blessed are the Peace-makers,] yea, and to forget the tenour of our finall sentence [They shall enter into Peace;] and the nature of our everlasting inheritance, what absurdities are all these? how inconsistent with that calling which we professe and do pretend to?
But I know there is none of us such enemies to peace, but we would be content to have it so it be upon our own terms; If all men will take up their opinions, and stoop to their wils, what men so wicked but would yield to peace? But is that seeking for it, and denying our selves for it, and closing in Christ, the common center? All that I will say more to you, shall be in these following Prognosticks, which do also intimate the impediments and difficulties, and do point out our own duties.
In generall, I am confident if this be Gods season for the restoring of his Church, it will be his season also for the uniting of his people: And let all the dividers know, that they labour in vain while they think to restore the Church by any other means then the loving, amicable closure of the members: Nay, they demolish and destroy, while they dream that they are building; Sion is not built by the Babel-confusions, If God divide our Language he will blast our work.
More particularly I do foretell you that (for the way to peace)
1. Whenever God means to restore and build his Church in peace, he will open the eyes of his people to see the necessity, excellency, and glory of peace, and give them such deep apprehensions of this, that they will wonder that they were before so blinded as to overlook it.
2. He will (to that end) make them reade more seriously and with observation those Texts of Scripture, which before they slipt over and felt no force or favour in: so that they shall wonder how they could so overlook such serious precepts, and such clear discoveries of their Masters will: such as 1 Cor. 1. 10, 11. &c. and 3. 3, 4. Rom. 16. 17, 18. Phil. 3. 15, 16. 1 Thes. 5. 13, 14, 15. specially Rom. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. and 14. 1. &c. Jam. 3. 17, 18. 1 Cor. 12. 12. &c. Mat. 5. 9. Gal. 6, 1. Rom. 12. 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18. to the end. O that these few verses of this Chapter were but conscionably practised even by the eminent Leaders of the Flock of Christ.
3. When God will do this great work, he will wonderfully convince his people of the sinfulnesse of their divisions, and of that perverse emulation and zeal which they were wont to entitle God himself to, and to glory in as a part of their chiefest duty: They shall no more reproach one another, and lie vilifying their Brethren behinde their backs, and one say [It's all long of these Independents,] and another [This we may thank the Presbyterians for,] and a third [The Prelaticall Conformists did all this: But they shall see that we were all too blame, and every man shall acknowledge his unpeaceable miscarriages, and heartily lament them before the Lord, and loath themselves for all their emulations.
4. Yea, when God will do this work, he will make his people feel an indispensible obligation lying on them, to seek peace, and pursue it; so that they shall be no more able to rest with quiet consciences till they have sent to one another, confessed their miscarriages, and desired reconciliation and constant Associations for the unanimous carrying on the work of Christ, then now they can rest in peace of conscience without Preaching, Praying, or any other duty.
5. Yea, God will possesse them with such a Love to Peace, and such a fervent Zeale for it, that they shall set themselves with all their might to obtain it; and they that now can hardly be drawn to accept of it when it is thrust into their hands, shall then follow it as thirstily and importunately, as the most zealous dividers are now set on the propagation of their opinions, or rather as the most zealous godly Preacher doth thirst after the winning and saving of souls: And as the zealous Reformers in Luthers daies were set against Popery, and the zealous Non-Conformists in Queen Elizabeth and King James's daies, and also before this late Parliament were set against Bishops and Ceremonies, so that they restlesly prosecuted their work till it was accomplished, so shall the Restorers of the Church be as zealously set for the Reconciling of differences, and the union and association of Pastors and of Churches.
6. Yea God will raise in his people such deep apprehensions of the hainous wickedness of dividing principles and practises (which are now accounted acts of piety) that they shall not make a light matter of them any more: But Christians shall think and speak of Divisions and Emulations, and breaking into parties, as now they think and speak of Theft, Whoredom, Murder, or such like.
7. Yea God will cause his people to detest the very Names of Division, and lay them by as occasions and badges of our disagreement. And I think Epiphanius and Austin's and others long Lists of Heresies will not be in so good esteem as they are at this day. For though the schisme will be more abhorred, yet it will not be every such difference in Judgement, as some of theirs, that will be taken for a sufficient ground to call a man a Heretick.
8. Moreover, when God will restore his Church, he will give meek and humble spirits to his people, and take down much of that pride which now causeth and continueth our Divisions: Those proud men that now value their Reputation and carnall interests before the Churches Unity, and Reformation; that so value their own understandings, that they think contemptuously of other mens; shall then be low in their own eyes, and prefer their Brethren before themselves. The pride of Christians, especially of Ministers, is now the main impediment to our Union: This cursed sin makes men look with an envious eye at every Brother that is esteemed above them, and (as they think) doth cloud them in the eyes of the people: It makes Ministers seek after applause, and makes them impatient of slighting and disesteem: And while they are striving who shall have the greater party, they are engaged in Division before they are aware: Forgetting that (while they think they are labouring for Christ) they do but fish for themselves, and draw men from Christ by drawing them from Unity. It is this pride that makes men so froward in carrying on any work of God, that unless themselves may have the glory of it, or it may be done their way, they will quarrel and break it all in pieces: as if they had rather Christ had no Church, then themselves should be denied an honourable station in it: or as if they had rather Christs work should be undone, then done without them, or contrary to their conceits. God will turn this devilish distemper into humility and self-denial, when his work shall be done. He will make his people base in their own eyes, and glad to be slighted, vilified and laid by, so it might but conduce to the Unity and Peace of the Church, and the furthering of Reformation. As Clemens Roman. ad Corinth. saith, pag. 69 [He therefore that is strong, mercifull, full of charity among you, let him say, [If it be for me, that Sedition, Contention and Divisions arise, I will depart, I'le be gone whither you will; I will do what the people command me, so be it that the Flock of Christ may live in Peace with those Presbyters that are set over them.] He that shall do this, will win himself much honour in the Lord; and every place will gladly receive him.]
9. Yea God will cause men to abhorre that censoriousness of their Brethren, and those secret desires to destroy their reputations, which are the fruit of this Pride. So that they who now are questioning every mans sincerity that doth not please them, and making the worst of every mans actions and speeches, shall then cover mens infirmities by that charity which thinketh not and speaketh not evil, which envieth not, and is not puffed up: And they shall be so conscious of their own faults and frailties, as that it shall constrain them to tenderness and compassion on their Brethren, and to judge the best till they know the worst; and they shall learn to hear a censurer and backbiter with as much indignation as now they hear a swearer or a lier.
10. Yea God will take them off from all their engagements to parties, and let them perceive that the very names of parties are a dishonour to the Church; and that Christians should not think of a party, but as a man thinks of his wounds; with smart and sorrow.
11. Also when this blessed work of healing shall be wrought, God will shew his people the sinfulness of that zeal for inferiour particular opinions (true or false) which makes them think that they ought to do many things against the Churches Unity and Peace. He will shew them that it is a perverse zeal which chooseth the propagation of a smaller point, before the edification of the body, and the propagation of the substance of the Christian faith; which by that course is apparently hindred.
12. Yea God will open their eyes to see the difficulties of those lower Controversies which they insisted on, till their high confidence in their opinions be abated, so as that they shall pity themselves and the rest of mankinde, for our unavoidable darkness and weakness; and not contemn, cast off, or divide from those that differ from them.
13. For God will let men see that it is the substance of Christianity that Christians must Center and Unite in; and he will teach them to take those for Brethren that hold that substance, though they differ in several inferiour things.
14. And God will teach his people to be hereafter less cruel and proud, then to impose new Articles of faith upon their Brethren; and to put their own Interpretations into their Creed: He will teach men to be more mercifull to the Church then to load her with Canons and Constitutions of men, containing unnecessary dividing determinations; and seeking to force all to their obedience.
15. For whenever God intendeth Peace and Unity to his Churches, he will cause men freely to give his Word the honour of its sufficiency, and to take it for a perfect Rule of Faith and Worship; as that which hath left nothing undetermined which was fit for a stated universall determination: And therefore men shall see the vanity, yea the sinfulness of mens undertaking to determine by Canons what God thought not fit to determine in his Laws: except only for the occasional determining of that in particular which God hath determined only in generall, and directed man by his Rules how to determine in special: which therefore must not be by a fixed universal Determination (for then God would have done it himself) but by a temporary determination, to be changed as occasions shall require; and therefore in most things to be left to the particular Church-guides, who are upon the place, and imployed in the work. Also God will teach men to take the Scripture for sufficient in matter of Belief: and to screw men no higher, not adding their supernumerary Articles, as the Council of Trent, no nor putting a word among their Fundamentals as necessary which is not in the Scripture. What hope of Union when there is no Uniting Rule or Center agreed on? And can the Papists, or any other over-doing zealots, imagme, that ever Gods universall Church will agree upon any Rule or Center as sufficient besides the Scripture? or ever depart from its sufficiency?
16. Lastly, If God intend Peace, he will (likely) fit his providences to advantage it. He will give preparing seasons and accommodations. Three great disadvantages to the Churches Peace and Unity, are these that follow. 1. Times of Warre; when mens ears are filled with a contrary sound, and their mindes alienated, exasperated, and filled with jealousies. If men do think that in any forreign Churches there be any thing amiss; how much more Christian a course were it, and probable to succeed, to debate the case in peace, then to fight with them? 2. It is an unlikely time for agreement, when one party is in prosperity and power, and thinks he can have his will without condescending to a loving Christian debating of our differences: Mans proud corrupt heart, will hardly be taken off from the using of his carnal weapons and advantages: but will think that God puts such power and opportunities into his hand, for the promoting of his particular opinions and waies, by force, and not by satisfying the unsatisfied. 3. Another disadvantage is, ignorant or wicked Magistrates in the Sovereignty: who either understand not the waies of the Lord, or else hate them, and would undermine them; either, as Julian, by giving every party a liberty of contending, and of publishing their delusions, and denying openly the Foundation; and working on the poor people, who are usually easilier taken with confident speeches then with solid reasonings: Or else (on the other extream) to use a foolish violence, with those that dissent in inferiour things; and to become a discouragement to true piety and tenderness of Conscience. The later we have felt formerly; the former we have felt lately; and fear yet more. But what God may yet do upon this change of our Government, we cannot tell: Let all that love the Churches Peace and welfare pray, That our Rulers may avoid these two destroying extreams, of giving too much Liberty, or too little.
You see, Brethren, there's many things to be done, and great changes to be made on the hearts of the best, before the Church of Christ is like to be restored by Unity and Peace. Yet God can do all this in a moment, when his time is come. O set to the work, that we may see that our deliverance is at hand. I think you have now as fit a season in one respect, as ever you had: When you had the advantage of superiority and secular Power, your ears were stopt, your hearts were hardened, you thought you had a speedier way to settlement, then by satisfying Dissenters, and condescending to those Brethren, whom you were readier to contemn. But now God hath either laid you all under hatches together, or left you no assurance of your carnal advantages. Those Martyrs could agree in the Prison, and at the stake, that differed about Ceremonies in their prosperity. If God give you not hearts to hearken to this counsel, and Agree now; I shall expect to hear that you are brought much lower, and conjoyned in that misery where you shall be forced to agree; and then you will look back on your proud Divisions with shame and sorrow.
I do therefore in the Name of Christ intreat, not only the people of this Congregation to Unite; but all the Godly, Able Ministers in this County to Associate with us; of what Party soever they have been. And I do let them know, that we are not so setled in our present Opinions or Waies, but that if they see any thing amiss in our Agreement or our courses, we shall be ready to hear any thing that can be said for our Information and alteration. And if the zeal for their own Parties and Waies should keep them off, let me advise them to be more zealous for the welfare of the Church in generall, and to take heed least our divisions do prepare our people for Popery, or fasten them in ungodliness: and I dare assure them, That if Episcopacy, Presbytery or Independency, &c. be indeed the Way of God, then is no Way in the world so likely to set it up, as the Ʋniting and loving Association of the Pastors; where all things may be gently and amicably debated.
And I desire that our Brethren in other Counties would take the same course: Not that I dare urge them to unite just on the terms of our Propositions or Profession, if they have better before them. Yet I will say this: That I admire Gods good providence in facilitating our consent herein, so happily in this County: and that it will be found, upon trial, a matter of great difficulty, to bring even Wise and Godly men to agree on the drawing up of Forms: and I seriously profess, that if I had known where to have found but this much done to our hands, I would not have consented that any of us should have attempted to draw up a new and different Modell; but have the more gladly received it, because the Union would have been more full. But as soon as we see our own weaknesses or mistakes Corrected by any more perfect Way of our Brethen abroad, we shall accept their Instructions, and Correct them our selves. In the mean time, we shall rather do thus, then nothing.
Finitur Maij 2o 1653o.