The nawre of Church Uniou and [ommtmia~L CHAP. VIII. 1>ireEfions for tl>e UlliOII and [ommunipl! of Saints) and t!Je avoiding Ullp~aceabfe, nejS and Scllif"m. THE PE A C E and C 0 N C 0 R D of Believers is a thing that <lmoll all thofe plead Of thh fub' for, who call themftl~e.s Believer~ ; and yet a thing that ~!moll al! men h,inder _an~ rdill j ~lhave ; while they commend 1t. TheVifeurd and D I .V 1 SI 0 N S of hLhevers, are ts commonly ;mren ?\.~[re&. fpoken againfl, and by the fJrm men, as commonly fomented. The few that are jinctrt u~iv;rja/l~.:. (both Rulers and privJ.re men ) defire Concord and batr Divifions in Love to Holincfi which is Pro- wd, ~·My_ rooted by ir, and in Love to the Church, 11nd good of foulJ, and the honour of Religion and the Catbo/1 Jtuuty. Gl,ry Df God; And rhe few of rhofe few that arc experienced, wife, judicious perfons, do ch11o{e rhe J.~fr~~ Tru~ me:ms tlu.t i.1 fittdf" to attain thefe endJ, and do prudClitly and con(h.ntly profecute them accordingly : ~;~~hl: But thlfc b~ing in the World as a fpoonfid of freth water call into the Sea, Ol' a fpoonf~l of water -'4· My ch,ifli-. cdl into the flames of a houfe on fire, no wonder if the brini!h Sea be not fwcetened by them, nor .n C!l..tcord. the confnming raging fire quenched by them. The o1her RulerJ of the world and of the Churcha, are for Concord and againfi DivifisH 1 bl'ccu[e this tcndcth to the quieting of the p!:!op!e under them, and tht mak'mg of men fubmiffive and obedient ta their wiU1, and fo to confirm thdr dig,nities, d,omi- ~t:;a~ ovn nions and inrerefis : And alt men1that are not H·1/y, being predominantly SELf ( S H, they would ~; ?E..3t~u all be themfilveJ the Centtr of that Vitirm, and b,,Hd of that coJtcord which they defire; And they ~~~ Hal;{ ;£ would have it accomplifhed upon fuch term1, and by fuch mean1 as are mofi ..greeab!c to their prin- Schifm. ciplu and End1: In which there arc almofi as many minds as h1en: fo that among all the Corn~ menders of UN 1T Y and crmcord, there are none that take the wJy to attain it, but . thofe that would center it all in G 0 D 1 and fec:k it upon his termr, and in hH way. The rcfi are all tearing Vnity and Peace in pieces, while they commend ic ; and they jigh1 againfi it while they feek. it: every man (c:eking it for Hi.mfe!f, and upon hisown.tcrml and in hiS' own w:Jy : which are fo variJut and incon(iffent, that E.t~jfand TYcft may fooner meet than they. ~- 2 • Yet mufi the {o111 of God be ftill the fons of Peace, and continue their prayers and end~avours for UN 1 T Y, how [mall foever be the hopts of their fuccefs: If it be poffib{e 1 M much M in ur iyeth, Rorri. 12.18. m.· mujt Ji ue pe.zcc.sbly with all men: So far mufi they be from being guilty of any Schifmes or un~ lawful Oivifions of the Church, that they mull: make it a great put of their ClrC and work to prefetve the Unity and peace of ChrifJ:t.ans. In this therefore l fh1ll next Direl1 them. ~· 3· Di!eC:t. I• Vndtrj!and fi'j! ".h,mil! the Vnity of Chrijliallt and Cbu·ches• d.th confljl: Or elfe Dirtf1. 1 , you will neither know lmv to prcforve 1!, nor n·hc:u you viol.Jte ir. Cbrijtisn; are fa id to be Vnittd In v:fl:e Chri~ to ChriH, when they arc entered into Covenant wich him., and are becon)e his Difcipks, his Snbjects ni variw:s fir; and the members of his (Political) Body: They arc United to oue anothc:r when they are united to ~ci!Tura n?n Chrill: their cor~n~on head, and when they have ~hat fp':rir., that faith, ti~<H Love which is communi· !~~;~:~1~~: cated to tvery ltvtr.g member of thebody; Th1s Unton JS nm the m.1kmg of many to be Om Chri- Unity :uid jli:.m ; but of many Chrillians to be one Church: which is confiderable either as to its Internal Lifr Uniformity. or ics external order and profoffi~Jn, ln th,e former refpdl: the bonds of Our Union are, 1. 1he hurt~ L ~.ICI)It. Covenant (or f.Jitb ) ; 2. And the fpirit: The Confo;zt of Chrijl and of our felvtr concurring, dorh EffaJJ. m::~.ke the match or ~arriagc bcnvem us; and the fpirit communicated from him tu us is as the: nerves or liga.mcn:s of the body, or rather as the fpirits which pais through all. The Union of the Church coolidered VJfi.bly in its outward Policy, is either that of the whole Cburch, or of che Particular Churches within dwmfdves, or of divers p.uticular Churches accidentally uniced. •· The Vnion of the wb.Jie, is Effenti,..~l, intcgrJl pr accidental : The c§enti.zl 'Union is that Rcla.ti'on of a Head and member1 1 which is between Chrifi and all the vifiblc mcrnb~rs of his Church; The found ltion of it is the mutual Cuvmam between Chrifl and themJ confidcred on their part as made Extemally 1 whether fincerely or not: This is ufually done in Bapti!m, and is the chicfefi act of thtir Profcf!io;~ of the faith. Thus the Baptifinal Coven::nt doth confiitute us members of the vjfible Church. The Ime· gr.1lar.d. tJrtd.lental llnion l .pa.fs by now•. 2. Bcfides.this Vt:ion of the Vniverf,;l Chzlrcb with Chrift the Vntverfol Head, there IS m all Parttcular orpmzed Churches a fubordinate VniM, I· Between xThcr. S· u, the l)Jfior and the i'\ock1 and 2· Between the People one towards :lnother: which C0nfi(lcth in thcf;; IJ. their fp::ciJl Rd..tuons to each other. 3· And there is an Accidental Vnion of m:my particular Churchts : As when they areVnitcd under one Civil Government; or Confociatcd by their Paftors in one Synod or Council. Thele arc t·he fevenl forts of C!Jurcb-Vnion. §. 4· DireCt 2· Vrtde1jtand ~tl{o wherein tbe Communim of CbriftianJ anrl ClmrcfJe; d 1 tfJ co~fijl: Dire{1, 24 tbat you m.I)' k.!wwwhat it Uthat you muft hold to. In the Vniverfal Church your Inttrn:Jl Commu~ nio;z with .Ciaill confiltcth in his communication of his fpirit and grace~ his word and 1nerciesunto you j
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