The True Catholic and Catholic Church Described, Part 10
But because this Disease hath miserably tormented us for so many ages, and because we see so many sick of it at this day, distractedly looking for the Catholike Church in this or that party, and thinking that all others are shut out, I shall here tell you what are the Causes of this distraction, and in the discovery of the Causes, you may see the Remedies. And withall I shall shew you the Hinderances of the Concord and Peace of the Church, while so many seem to be all for peace! For it may seem a wonderfull thing to hear almost all men cry up the Churches Peace and Concord, and yet that it flyeth further from us, when it is in our power to be possessors of it, if we were but truly and generally willing, as we pretend to be, and think that we are.
1. Some men under stand not the nature of the Ʋnion and Concord of the Church, nor how much is to be expected in this life, and therefore looking for more then is to be looked for, they think we have no Unity, because we have not that which they ignorantly expect: and thereupon, finding greater Unity in this or that Sect among themselves, then they find in the whole Body, they presently conclude, that that sect is the Church: They see a great many differing parties, and hear them condemning one another, and therefore they foolishly think, that all these cannot possibly be of the true Church: and then they hear the Papists boast of their Ʋnity, as having One Head, and One judge of controversies, and one expounder of Scripture, and being all of one belief, and therefore they think that the Papists are the true Church.
But consider before you run past your understandings of these two things: First, there is no Perfect Concord to be expected upon earth: This is the glory that's proper to the life to come. You might easily see this, if you were but considerate. For 1. there can be no perfect Concord, but where there is perfect light and knowledge: For while we are ignorant, we shall unavoidably erre and differ. What do we quarrel about, but matter of Opinion? One thinks this is the right, and another thinks that is the right: And if we had all so much knowledge, as to resolve all these doubts, do you think we should not be sooner agreed? Doubtless our disagreements are much for want of knowledge, we quarrel in the dark: If such a Light would come i… among us, as would shew us all the truth, it would soon make us friends. But this is not to be expected in this Life. Even Paul faith, that here we know but in part; we understand as Children, and think and speak as Children; and is it any wonder to have Children fall out? But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part, shall be done away: Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now we know in part; but then we shall know even as we are known. 1 Cor. 13. 9, 10, 11, 12. And therefore we find even Paul & Barnabas so farre disagreed as to part asunder, because they had not both so much knowledge, as to know whether Marke should be taken with them or not. In Heaven onelyonly we shall know perfectly: and therefore in Heaven onelyonly we shall be united, and agree perfectly.
2. And we can never be perfect in Union and agreement among our selves, till we are perfect in union and agreement with Christ. For we cannot regularly be neerer to each other then we are to our Center: For it is the Center only in which we must unite. It is not possible to be neerlyer united among our selves by a Christian union, then we are to Christ: And therefore seeing it is only in Heaven that we are perfectly united to Christ, and at agreement with him, it is only in Heaven that we must be perfectly united among our selves. You marvail that we so much differ from one another. But you forget how much we all differ yet from Jesus Christ; and that this is the difference that must be first made up, before we do any good of the rest.
3. Moreover, we can never be perfectly united and agreed, till we are perfectly Holy, and every grace be perfect in us: For Holiness is that new Nature in which we must be one: And every grace hath a hand in our accord: When we are perfect in love, and perfect in humility, and meekness, and patience; and perfect in self-denyall, and all other graces, then and never till then, shall we be perfect in our union and agreement among our selves: while there is the least sin in the soul, it will hinder our full agreement with God and men: It is sin that woundeth both the soul and the Church, and makes all the bate and divisions among us: And when all sin is gone, then all differences will be done, and never till then. What an ignorant thing then is it of you, to wonder so much at our many differences, and yet not to wonder at our sinfulness, and unholiness, and difference with Christ in whom we must agree. Well, remember hereafter, that Unity and Concord is here to be expected, but according to the proportion of our Holiness, and therefore so much sin and ignorance as remains, no wonder if so much division remain.
The second thing which I desire you to remember is this: that in all the Essentiall matters of Christianity, there is as true a vanity among all the differing sorts of Christians, as there is among the Papists, or any one sect: Even in all the twenty points of Union, which I named in the beginning. And this is the Union that is most to be esteemed, or at least, this is enough to make us of One Christ. As the great essentiall points of faith are of far greater moment and excellency, then our several controverted by-opinions, so is a Union in these great essentiall points, more excellent then an Union in smaller matters: Though both together is best of all, if joyned with the truth.
To these let me add also a third consideration, that it is no wonder to find the Papists as a sect agreed among themselves. For so are other sects, as well as they: yea let me add more, that I know not of any one sect in the world, that differ so much among themselves as the Papists do. The Greeks are kept from so much difference by their want of learning, which keeps them from medling so much with niceties, and running into so many controversies as the Papists do. The like may be said of the Ethiopians, Armenians, and many more. The Protestants differ not in half, nor a quarter so many points as the Papists do: Nay the very Anabaptists themselves do not differ among themselves in the tenth part so many points as the Papists. If the many hundred differences among their Commentators, Schoolmen, Casuists and other writers, were collected and presented to your view, I much doubt whether there be any one sect on the face of the earth, that hath the twenti…h part so many differences among themselves as the Papists have. Though they think they salve all by saying that they differ not in Articles of faith, yet their differences are never the fewer for that. And others may say more in that than they can do.
Well! remember this advice: expect not a heavenly perfection of Unity and Concord, till you come to Heaven.