Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

The `Preface. meats of mankind are 'Inchas that there never=ivill bean univerfal Concord in very M.i1NY, or lit NCEkyAIN, "UNNÉ CESSA ,Y things; And O that I could write it on all mens hearts, or doors at leaft,-that The Chr'ian world will never have Concord, but in a FBW , C 1 7 A IN, NECES- S I PAY things. Therefore Paul Paid to the Corinthians, a Cor. t t. 2, 3. I am jealous of you with Godly jealoufie : For 1 have efpoufed you to one husband, &c. But I fear left by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his fubtilty, fo your minds fhould be corrupted from the fìnaplicitythat is in (or towards) Chrf. O mark thefe words all ve contentious Church -T r ANTS, 1VOGMATISTS and Sl1PBtSTITII 0U S ones. Read and Rudy themwell. God laid down the termsof the Churches Concord in fe- ven Unities. i.One Body. or Church Catholick ; 2. One Spirit or Holy Ghofi, as the foul of that Church ; 3. One Hope, or Heavenly felicity hoped for; 4. One Lord of the ,Church, our Headand Saviour ; S. OneFaith, or Creed, or Symbol of our belief, and Belief thereof ; 6: One Baptifmal Covenant ; 7. And one God and Father of us all, who is above all; through all and in us all. Eph. 4. 3, 4,5, 6. And it is the ,unityof the fpirit in the bond of peace; that on thefe terms we are charged to keep, v. z, 3. with all lotblinefs and meeknef, with longJuf fering, forbearingone another in love. But now cometh the Serpent (note is The author,) and by fubtilty (2. Note the means,) even as he beguiled Bye ( ;. Note the precedent) which was by promifing her more knowledge and exaltation to be as God ; and he corrupteth mens minds, ( Mark the effeil) though it is knowledge and ad= ruancement of mind that he promifeth and pretendeth : Even by drawing them (as to higher POWEA., K.,NOW= LEDGE or HOLINESS) from the Chrian fimplicity, (s. Markwhat the Corruptionof Religion is. ) Andwhat is this Chriftian SIMPLICITY which they forfake, andhow are they thus Corrupted from it ? I. The Church-IMO1v.T departeth from the SIM= PL IC ITT of Church Government firft; and will not hear Chrifts vehement charge, Luk. sz. With you it (hall not be fo: He cannot underftand fuch Texts becaufe he would not: Hence how unlike is the Secular.Papal and Patriarchal fiate to the Miniñry appointed and defcribed by Chrift ! To reduce them to that, they think is.to be 'enemies to the Church (c 3) And

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