A Peacemaker Without Partiality and Hypocrisy, Discourse · Chapter 1 – Chapter 3
CHAP. I. The Introduction, ſhewing the Scope and Matter of the Diſcourſe.
ALthough the caſe is dolefull, and highly to bee lamented, that there is no where in the world ſo much ſtrife and diviſion apparent, as amongſt thoſe that are named Chriſtians, nor that amongſt any Chriſtians greater animoſities do break forth, then ſometimes amongſt thoſe that are the Miniſters of the Goſpel: yet this is a moſt certaine and undeniable Truth, and worthy of all acceptation, That the doctrine of Chriſtianitie in it ſelf, is nothing elſe but the glad tidings of everlaſting peace; that therein Chriſt is revealed to bee the Prince of love and peace; that none but his followers are capable of peace and unitie with God; and that amongſt men the true directions to live in love and peace one with another, are no where to bee found, but in his kingdome. Which being ſo, it will follow (notwithſtanding all theſe diviſions) that none ſhould more willingly undertake, nor can more profitably entertaine the thoughts of peace and unitie, for the compoſure of differences and ending of ſtrife amongſt men, then they whom God hath called to bee Preachers of his Goſpel, and whom hee hath appointed to bee witneſſes of the Covenant of his grace and peace.
And ſeeing all they to whom this Covenant is tendred, and by whom it is received through Faith; are bound to live in the unitie of Faith and Love, as being all one in Chriſt, and confederates one to another by vertue of that Covenant: Therefore I ſhall offer my ſelfe in the way of the heavenly calling (as one to whom the Goſpell is revealed, and to whom the teſtimony of Jeſus in the Covenant of peace is committed) unto thoſe that are my Brethren in the ſame Miniſtery, humbly intreating them all, but chiefly ſuch as are moſt conſcionably wiſe in looking rather to the will of God in the duties of their Miniſteriall function, then to the intereſts of a partie amongſt men, to obſerve and conſider with me, concerning the wayes of Unitie and Forbearance which they ought to mind amongſt themſelves, and acquaint their hearers withall, theſe three aſſertions.
Firſt, that the ground wherefore they ought to profeſſe and practiſe Ʋnitie and Forbearance one towards another, is the undeniable Law of Chriſtian Brotherhood.
Secondly, that the Termes of Ʋnitie whereunto they have already attained, are full and ſatisfactory, and that the termes of the Forbearance which they ſhould intend to practiſe are plain and eaſie to be acknowledged and ſetled amongſt them.
Thirdly, that the Motives which ſhould induce them to the acknowledgement, profeſſion, practiſe, and ſetlement thereof; are as ſtrong as unavoydable neceſſitie, and the higheſt relation unto dutie can make them.
And to make good theſe three Aſſertions, I ſhall with as much brevitie as I can declare my ſenſe thereof diſtinctly and plainly, without any great inlargements, as intending chiefly to ſpeak to men of underſtanding.
CHAP. II. Of the firſt Aſſertion. Concerning the Law of Chriſtian Brotherhood, what it is, and whereunto it binds us.
THe undeniable Law of Chriſtian Brotherhood is this, That all ſuch who are begotten of the ſame heavenly Father, by the ſame Word of Truth, in the ſame wombe of the free woman, the Jeruſalem which is above, are children of God, and truely brethren one to another in Chriſt, and having the ſame ſenſe of their relation one to another in Chriſt, and in all the chief Acts of their Religious profeſſion, the ſame rules to walke by, in the houſhold of faith, they are bound to acknowledge each other to be Brethren, and as Brethren to walk together in holy Communion for the adminiſtration and obſervation of Chriſts Ordinances in that whereunto they have attained, and to beare with one another in that whereunto they have not yet attained.
Now ſo it is, that ſuch as are acknowledged to bee Orthodox and godly Miniſters in this Kingdome of England, are begotten of the ſame heavenly Father, by the ſame Word of Truth, (which is the doctrine of Faith revealed in the Scriptures) in the ſame wombe of the true Church, and have the ſame ſenſe of their relation unto Chriſt, and in all the chief Acts of their Religious profeſſion have the ſame Rules to walke by.
Therefore it followeth undeniably, that they are truely Brethren one to another in Chriſt, and that they are bound in conſcience to acknowledge each other to bee Brethren, and as Brethren to walke together in Holy Communion, for the adminiſtration and obſervation of Chriſts Ordinances in that whereunto they have attained, and to beare with one another in that whereunto they have not yet attained.
And leſt any ſhould make a doubt of this Truth; the firſt propoſition expreſſing the Law of Brotherhood, ſhall bee ſhewed from cleer places of Scripture, and the ſecond containing an application thereof unto the Miniſtery of this kingdome, ſhall bee verified of them by a more ſpeciall deduction of the particulars expreſſed therein.
The places of Scripture wherein the Law of Brotherhood is cleerly manifeſted, are amongſt many others theſe.
Chriſt ſaith to his Diſciples.
Matth. 23.8. All yee (namely, my Diſciples) are Brethren.
Rom. 8.29. Whom hee (viz. the Father) did foreknow he alſo did predeſtinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne, that hee might bee the firſt borne amongſt many Brethren. Ergo, they are made all brethren unto Chriſt, and ſo Brethren to each other.
Jam. 1.18. Of his owne will, hee (viz. the Father) begot us (viz. beleevers) by the Word of Truth. Ergo they all being children of the ſame Father and begotten of the ſame ſeed, are Brethren to each other.
Job. 1.12. As many as received him (viz. Chriſt) to them hee gave power to become the Sonnes of God, even to them that beleeve in his name. Ergo, thoſe that receive Chriſt the ſame way, are alike Sonnes of God, and a like his Brethren.
Heb. 2.12. I will declare (ſaith Chriſt) thy name unto my Brethren. Ergo, if Chriſt doth owne beleevers before God as his Brethren, ſhall they not own one another as ſuch?
1 Cor. 12.13. By one ſpirit wee are all Baptized into one Body. Ergo, thoſe that have received the ſame Spirit are bound to become one body, and conſequently to bee united together as members one of another.
Epheſ. 4.4, 5, 6. There is one body and one Spirit, one hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſme, one God and Father of all. If all theſe are one and the ſame in and to all beleevers, then all beleevers are united unto each other by them, and woe bee to ſuch that by their diviſions give the world cauſe to beleeve, that there is not one body, but many, nor one ſpirit, but many, nor one hope, nor one Lord, nor one Faith, nor one Baptiſme, but many, nor one God, but many.
Gal. 4.26. Jeruſalem which is above, is free, the mother of us all. If we are of one Father and Mother, then undeniably Brethren to each other.
Phil. 2.1, 2. If there be any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercies, fulfill yee my joy, that ye bee like minded, having the ſame love, being of one accord, of one mind. Ergo, ſuch as are in Chriſt and made partakers of the ſame ſpirit, are bound to have fellowſhip one with another, and in their fellowſhip to impart to each other matters of full joy, by mutuall conſolation and comfort, by mutuall bowels and mercies; and to bee able to doe all this, they muſt ſtudie unitie amongſt themſelves, in the ſame mind and in the ſame love.
Phil. 3.16. Whereunto wee have attained already, let us walke by the ſame rule, let us mind the ſame thing. Ergo, Brethren, though not agreed in all things, yet are bound to profeſſe ſo farre as they are agreed.
Epheſ. 4.1, 2, 3. Walke worthy of the vocation wherewith yee are called, with all lowlineſſe and meekneſſe, with long ſuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keepe the unitie of the ſpirit in the bond of peace. Ergo, it is a part of our calling wherewith wee are called, to practiſe mutuall Forbearance; to the end, that Unitie and peace may bee preſerved, and ſuch as mind not the dutie of Forbearance, have therein renounced their calling.
1. Pet. 1.22. Seeing you have purified your ſoules in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfained love of the Brethren; ſee that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. Ergo, one of the ends for which the Spirit is given to make us obedient to the Truth for the ſanctification of our ſoules, is this; that we ſhould affectionately expreſſe our love unto the Brethren. In theſe places wee ſee what the ground of the Law of Brotherhood is amongſt true Chriſtians, and what the duties thereof are.
But if neither this Law, nor the duties thereof bee at all regarded by thoſe that pretend to bee the chief of Chriſtians, is it not either a teſtimony againſt them, that they indeed are not what they pretend to be true, and faithfull Miniſters of the Goſpel of peace? or if they needs will be counted ſuch; is it not then before the world a teſtimony againſt the Goſpel it ſelf and Chriſtianitie, that it is not amongſt us what it is ſaid to bee, viz. the way of true love and peace? Therefore the great Character of true Chriſtians is to bee laid to heart ſeriouſly in theſe times of univerſall ſtrife, wherein all pretend more then others unto Chriſt, namely this which Chriſt hath given us himſelf, Joh. 13.35. Hereby ſhall all men know that yee are my Diſciples if ye have love one to another. From whence muſt needs follow, that if yee have no love one to another, by this all men ſhall know, that ye are not his Diſciples. Therefore let us not deceive our ſelves, it is not the bare dogmaticall knowing of the truth that will approve us to be Chriſts Diſciples, there muſt bee a reall practiſe of it, and this practiſe is nothing elſe but to walke in love, as Chriſt hath loved us: Epheſ. 5, 1, 2.For herein wee ſhall approve our ſelves to be deare children and followers of God, becauſe the new commandements which Chriſt hath given us, John 13.34. is this, That yee love one another, as I have loved you, that yee alſo love one another. And John his beloved Diſciple tells us, that wee know that wee have paſſed from death unto life, becauſe wee love the Brethren, 1 John 3.14. from whence hee doth in the ſame place inferre this conſequence: hee that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Let therefore no man flatter himſelfe with a vaine ſhew of the Truth of Chriſtianitie; this is an infallible Rule; None is a Chriſtian indeed and truth but hee that loveth the Brethren. If then we can make it appeare that the Miniſters of this kingdome are to eſteeme one another truely Brethren becauſe fully united unto Chriſt, and that by the Law of Chriſtian Brotherhood they are bound to make profeſſion of that unitie, and to behave themſelves one towards another, as it becommeth the Brethren of Jeſus Chriſt, and the brethren of each other in Chriſt; if (I ſay) wee can make theſe things appeare to bee an undoubted dutie, then wee may hope, that on the one hand ſuch as pretend to be Chriſtians, and yet minde not at all this diſtinguiſhing dutie, but continuing to walke offenſively in ſtrife with every one, diſhonour their profeſſion, will bee diſcovered to bee voyd of truth; and on the other hand ſuch as are ſincere will hee ſtirred up to ſhew themſelves zealous in the way of Truth, for the effectuall performance of the duties of Brotherly Unitie and Forbearance towards all thoſe whom they are bound to acknowledge to belong to Jeſus Chriſt no leſſe themſelves.
CHAP. III. Of the ſecond Aſſertion. Concerning the Termes of Ʋnitie and Forbearance in generall.
BY Vnitie wee meane the concurrence of mens judgments, affections and actions about the ſame thing in one and the ſame way, and for the ſame end.
By Forbearance wee meane the refraining from uncharitable and unkindly affections and behaviours towards another in ſome things, although there bee ſome difference between us and him in judgement and in the way of acting about theſe things.
By the termes of Ʋnitie and Forbearance wee underſtand all thoſe things, which determine the judgement and conſcience of a Chriſtian to the profeſſion and practiſe of theſe duties, as hee oweth them unto Chriſt and his members.
As then the profeſſion and practiſe of Ʋnitie is grounded upon the Law of Brotherhood according to that of Abraham unto Lot: Gen. 13.8.Let there be noſtrife between me and thee, I pray thee, for wee bee Brethren: So the profeſſion and practiſe of Forbearance muſt bee grounded upon the Termes of ſome Unitie: for where there is no Unitie at all, if ever the diſunited parties come within the reach of one another, there no Forbearance can be expected; but where there is ſome Unitie, becauſe there alſo will be ſome concurrence, therefore there will needs follow thereupon ſome reſtraint of ſtrife, which is a Forbearance: for the affections of men are to bee anſwerable to the natures of things; as then things wholly oppoſit, cannot poſſibly agree to beare one with another, in that wherein their oppoſition doth lie, when they are are to act upon the ſame ſubject; no more then things agreeing can intend to oppoſe and deſtroy each other in that wherein their agreement doth lie: So it is with the Motions of mens ſpirits, both in the way of oppoſition and agreement, when either of theſe is fundamentall. For as in caſe of oppoſition the Apoſtle doth argue thus, 2 Cor. 6.14. What fellowſhip hath righteouſneſſe with unrighteouſneſſe? what communion hath light with darkneſſe? and what concord hath Chriſt with Balial? So in caſe of agreement he argueth in like manner thus, 1 Cor. 12.21.26. The eye cannot ſay to the hand, I have no need of thee, nor againe the head to the feet, I have no need of you. And whether one member ſuffer, all the members ſuffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoyce with it.
So then all Forbearance from ſtrife and oppoſition, muſt proceed from the preſuppoſall of ſome Unitie; and where no Unitie is preſuppoſed, there can be no ſuch Forbearance: Therefore before wee can ſpeake of the termes of Forbearance, wee muſt conſider firſt the termes of our agreement, to ſee how full and ſatisfactory theſe will be found.