A Peacemaker Without Partiality and Hypocrisy, Discourse · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Concerning the termes of Vnitie by themſelves what they are, why not regarded, and wherefore they ought to bee regarded.
THe thing whereof wee are to make enquiry at this time is this, Whether yea or no the termes of Ʋnitie whereunto the Miniſters of this Kingdome which are counted Orthodox and godly have already attained, are not full and ſatisfactory to make them acknowledge one another to be Brethren? If it can bee made out that the termes of their Unitie are ſuch, then it may bee inferred that they ought to behave themſelves each to other as it becommeth brethren, which to the grief of many is very ſlightly, or not at all performed. Now to reſolve the queſtion, let us conſider that which maketh men fully and ſatisfactorily brethren in Chriſt; whether it bee not truely found in them, although by many of them not at all regarded.
Wee ſhall ſay then, that which formerly hath been aſſerted; If ſuch as are acknowledged to bee godly and Orthodox Miniſters in this kingdome are begotten of the ſame heavenly Father, What the termes of brotherly unitie are.by the ſame Word of Truth, in the ſame 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; then they have attained already unto that unitie, which is full and ſatisfactory to make them acknowledge one another to bee Brethren. But ſo it is, that they are thus begotten, that they have this ſenſe of their Relation to Chriſt, and theſe Rules to walke by in their Religious profeſſion. Therefore the Vnitie whereunto they have already attained is full and ſatisfactory, to make them acknowledge one another to be Brethren. To theſe three heads then the particular termes of their Vnitie are to bee referred, viz. 1. To the doctrine of Truth, which is the ſeed of the heavenly Father begetting them to himſelf. 2. To the ſenſe of their Relation unto Chriſt in the Church. 3. And to the Rules of their religious walking; that if in every one of theſe the Unitie whereunto they have already attained bee found fully ſatisfactory to oblige them to a mutuall acknowledgment of Brotherhood; then the publick profeſſion thereof, may not any longer bee held in unrighteouſneſſe, as it is done by many to the great diſhonour of their Miniſtery, and of Chriſtianitie it ſelf. For it is a very ſad thing and extreamly deſtructive to the honour of true Chriſtianitie, to ſee thoſe men, that in all main things are fully agreed, and cannot bee otherwiſe eſteemed as to men, then truely ſincere and godly in their walking,The cauſe why brotherhood is ſo little regarded. not onelyonly to drive oppoſit deſignes and courſes one to another in Religious matters, without juſt cauſe, but even hatefully, to ſeeme willing to deſtroy one another onelyonly through want of charitie in themſelves, and for meer infirmities and incivilities in others, which the fundamentall Lawes and aimes of Chriſtianity oblige them to beare withall. And the more holy and heavenly theſe men ſeeme to bee in the wayes wherein they agree with their Brethren; the more deſtructive and pernicious is the conſequence of their failing, in this kind, unto the Brotherhood of Chriſtianitie; becauſe it cauſeth every ſmall matter of difference to bee heightned ſo in the mindes of their followers, that all the grounds of Unitie, of Love, of Forbearance and of mutuall edification, are not onelyonly weakned, but directly caſt off and diſregarded.
See forth in the example of Iames and Iohns diſciples.This doth put me in mind of the failing of John and James which is mentioned, Luke 9. ver. 53. till 57. Chriſt was going with them towards Jeruſalem, in his way hee paſſeth by a Village of the Samaritans, and they perceiving that his face was towards Jeruſalem would not receive him, and give him civill entertainment: whereat James and John were ſo highly offended, that they would have revenged this injury, with their utter deſtruction by fire from heaven: but Chriſt did rebuke them, and told them two things; firſt, ye know not (ſaith hee) what manner of ſpirits ye are of. Secondly, The Sonne of man is not come to deſtroy mens lives, but to ſave them. As if hee had ſaid, Your ſpirit is diſtempered, and you diſcerne not that Satan hath caught you in his ſnare, and you remember not, that my aime is to ſave mens lives; and not with vengeance to right my ſelfe againſt them to their utter deſtruction. From this Hiſtorie wee may obſerve theſe Truths.
1. That it is incident even to godly men to bee tranſported with zealous diſtempers wherein Satan doth take hold of them. For it cannot bee denyed but that James and John were truely godly and faithfull Diſciples of Chriſt; and that here they are tranſported with a zeal, which is not godly, but devilliſh, is altogether alſo undeniable.
2. That the devilliſh zeale of godly men, may ariſe in them from their love to the Truth, and from a ſenſe of the indignities done unto it, which they cannot brooke at the hands of unworthy men: for it is cleer that nothing could occaſion this exceſſe in James and John ſo much as their great love and high eſteeme of Chriſts worth, and the injurie which they thought was done to him and themſelves by ſuch men as they thought Samaritanes to bee; viz. men of corrupt Principles in Religion, Schiſmaticks and unworthy of their ſocietie:Iohn 4.9. For the Iewes had no dealings with the Samaritans.
3. That this love to the Truth and ſenſe of the indignities done to it by unworthy men, may bee mixed with the ſpirit of ſelf-love, which is indiſcernible unto them that are led thereby. For it may bee conjectured, that although the Diſciples loved their Maſter ſincerely, and thought him highly affronted by the Samaritanes, that would not give him lodging-roome; yet that they ſhould not have been ſenſible at all of their owne inconveniencie of not being refreſhed with meat when they were hungry, and of the affront done to themſelves, not to bee civilly entertained when they were wearie, is not at all likely, but it may bee probably gathered from circumſtances, that the diſappointment of their expectation (meſſengers being ſent before to make ready for them) when they were weary & hungry, did heighten both their diſcontent, and the ſenſe of the injury done unto their Maſter.
4 That even godly men, when they are inſnared into paſſions occaſioned by injuries, will for ſmall matters of private concernment, be ſometimes ſet upon thoughts of revenge, take up deſtructive reſolutions, and thereby forget the maine end of their profeſſion; for wee ſee all this in the Apoſtles, and by Chriſts reproof of them, and his reaſon taken from the end of his Miniſtery, whereunto all his and their actions were to bee ſubordinate, it appeares that they are put in minde of what they had forgotten.
Now as it was with Iames and Iohn in this caſe, ſo it is with many godly men in like caſes. For in theſe times of controverſie, wherein diviſions are beightned to the utmoſt, it doth often fall out, that men being of different parties, for farre leſſer cauſes then Jewes and Samaritanes were divided; yet look upon one another with no leſſe animoſitie then did the Jewes upon the Samaritanes, and the Samaritanes upon the Jewes; that is, with ſo much prejudice, that if they find a man but looking towards that partie to which they have ſet themſelves in oppoſition, as the Samaritanes found Chriſts face ſet towards Ieruſalem, they will bee ready to deale with him as the Samaritans dealt with Chriſt, and his Diſciples, refuſe him civilitie, uſe him inhumanely, and perhaps offer injuries both in deeds and words. Theſe injuries will ſometimes bee taken as reflecting upon the Truth of the profeſſion; ſometimes upon the juſtice of the cauſe and the innocencie of the partie which we favour; and if withall (as oft-times it falleth out) ſome private concernment of our owne is mixed with the publick intereſt; that will mainly heighten the ſenſe of thoſe injuries, and tranſport us unto ſome exceſſe of zeale: For when any degree of paſſion for ſelf concernment doth meet in our affection with any object of true zeale, and a ground of publick intereſt, to mixe withall and raiſe it ſelf upon; then it becommeth a mightie one, and a giant-like paſſion; as when in the firſt world,Gen 6. 2, 3, 4. the Sonnes of God came in into the faireſt of the daughters of men, and thoſe bore children unto them, they were mighty ones and men of renoune: ſo it falleth out here, that in the Spirits of men, mighty reſolutions and purpoſes of high revenge are begotten upon ſuch occaſions: and when Satan doth finde us in any ſuch diſtemper, hee hath a fit opportunitie to in fuſe his poyſon into cur aimes to cauſe us forget the end of our ſpirituall calling which is not to deſtroy but to ſave the lives of men, by rectifying them and building them up in the Spirit of meekneſſe and of love, with all long-ſuffering and Forbearance. Thus wee may ſee by daily experience, that when humane parties are formed, (for in Chriſtianitie there is none) and when inhumane injuries are mutually offered about religious concernments, it is one of the hardeſt things in the world, to prevent or to rectifie the diſtempers which ariſe from thence; but yet wee muſt ſay in this caſe what Chriſt faith in another;Matth. 19.26. With men this is impoſſible, but with God all things are poſſible. Therefore I beleeve that God is able both to prevent and rectifie ſuch exceſſes of paſſion, two wayes.
The remedy of theſe diſtempers.Firſt, by wakening our conſciences effectually towards himſelf in minding us of the end and way of our miniſteriall function, as it is in Chriſt: that is to ſay, to teach us to aime at nothing but to bee conformable unto Chriſt, by minding the ſame thing which he did mind towards God, and by walking in the ſame way, wherein hee is gone before us, to glorifie his Father in his Miniſtery.
Secondly, by ſetting a ſpirituall edge upon our affections towards men; not to conſider them after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit, as they are, or may be in Chriſt Ieſus our Brethren. That is to ſay, to walke in all things towards them, by the Law of Chriſtian Brotherhood, and make the poſitive rules thereof beare the onelyonly ſway in all our reſolutions. For by theſe principles, and by theſe alone, wee ſhall bee enabled both to free our ſelves from the trouble which otherwiſe will fall upon us for ſmall and inconſiderable matters of difference in judgement and practiſe, and alſo to cauſe all outward concernments fall flat before the Majeſtie of Gods will in the duties of peace and Brotherhood, but without theſe wee ſhall bee found void of all ſtrength to doe any ſuch thing, and every little trifle will make us fall from our own ſted faſtneſſe. Whence it is, that becauſe theſe principles and duties have been and are diſreſpected in our work of reformation amongſt thoſe that undeniably are Brethren; therefore the ſcandalls which are given to the weak, and obſerved by the wicked, to diſcredit our proceedings, are multiplied, to the ſadding of the hearts of all that are godly; nor is there any other way imaginable as I conceive, relating to conſcience, fit to remove them, and to heale the breaches which follow thereupon, but this, to manifeſt unto thoſe that are faithfull to their principles and conſcionable in the Miniſtery, that the relation wherein God hath ſet them one towards another, is a brotherly Unitie, which in it ſelf is ſo full and fatisfactory, and by his commandement is ſo ſtrict and obligatory, that whoſoever doth not take up the profeſſion thereof, and endeavour to obſerve the duties belonging thereunto, ſhall not only be found a tranſgreſſour, but even inexcuſable and unworthy of the name of a Chriſtian. For this cauſe I have laid to heart this ſubject of Brotherly Unitie and Forbearance, that if God permit, it may cleerly, though briefly bee laid open to ſome of the Miniſtery, that ſeeme wholly to neglect the conſideration thereof. For my ſcope is onelyonly to name the chief heads of their agreement, to ſhew how ful & ſatisfactory it is in my opinion to ſettle the profeſſion and practiſe of a Chriſtian Brotherhood between them: (offering this, that if any ſhall make a ſcruple of the Truth of that, which ſhall bee afferted concerning this matter in brief; that a large deduction and demonſtration in due time ſhall bee made thereof) to the end that ſuch who heighten matters of ſtriſe amongſt Brethren, that multiply controverſies unadviſedly, for ſmall matters; and that walke by dividing Principles rather then by the ſpirit of Unitie in the Goſpel of Peace, may have cauſe to reflect upon themſelves; to conſider ſeriouſly of the errour of their way, and ſhape their courſe otherwiſe then hitherto they have done, leſt happily they bee found guilty of that contentiouſneſſe and diſobedience unto the Truth, whereunto the Apoſtle hath ſadly threatned a heavie judgement of wrath and indignation, of Anguiſh and Tribulation, in the Epiſtle to the Rom. Cap. 2. v. 8, 9. from which I beſeech the Lord to grant unto us all, the ſeale of our deliverance, and the effect all evidences thereof in a converſation which is holy and blameleſſe in love.