Tbe 'Benefits of Unity and Concord. See Rom. 14· John 17. 2 r, 22, 23• "ibat thry aU may be One, as thou F•ther art in me, and I i1t ·thee: lint tbe;• alfo ~roughout. may be one in Uf, that the world may believe tbat thou b~Jjl {ent me.. AHd the gl(}ry which tb:m gavejt me om. ~:6:~. I b:~ve givrn them, that they m-,y be One, even as we are One: I in them, and tbou in me, that they may Epbef. 4· 1,1, be made perftl1 in One; and that the world may k_now that thou h1Jft fen: me, and haft 16ved them as h4, 5,6,7. tbou b,ifi loved me. Here you fee, that the Vnity of the S1ints rnufl: be a fptcial to convince J Pet. 3· 6. the Intidd world of the truth of Chrifiianity, and to prove-Gods fpecial Love to 1s Church and :h~:~g~~~t. alfo to accomplifb. their own perfeCtion. 1 Cor. I•. 10. Now I be]iech you brc.tl~rw, by the P..zr;u of Phi\.~.15,16. our Lord Jcfiu Chrift, th.Jt ye aU [peak., the fame thtng, and that there be 110 dwijio111 (or Scbifiru) Aas 2.1, 46. among yQu, hut that ye be perfc[iiy jnyHed tOJ!_etber in the fame mind , ar.d in the form judgement. 1 Rom.~1.\!~: For it bath been declared t~ mt of you, my brethren,-.--that there ~re contention/ amnng ..rouI>[: 1 1 133 . I Cor. 3· 3• For ye areyet carnal: for wherea1 there u among you envymg, (zeal) and Jirif~, and J C:r. s. divifioni, ( or parties, or faaioJtJ) are ye not carnal, and wall{, M men? For while one j:;ith, I amof' 1 Ti(ll. r. 4· Paul, and another I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal? Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4· If there be any confol.Jtio; 1 Jamt' 3• in Chrijf: ifany comfort of ]Qve, if any fellowftJip 'of the Spirit; if any brJWclJ ar,;d mercies, fuljiU ye my joy, that ye be li~e minded, having the fame Lovr, of one accord, of our mind. Let no1hing be done through ftrife or vain glory, but in lowlinefs of mind, let eath t}leem other1 better than thtmfelvu. Rorn. 16, 17, I 8. Now I befiech you brethren, mark., them whjc!J cazife diwijion1 ( or parti.cJ) aud of– fcncu ( or JCandtJlJ ) contr:~ry to the do8rine which )'e bave learmd, and avoid tbtm. Abundance more fuch Texts may be recited. The Benefit< ~· 49· I I. The great Benefits of the Concord of Chrifiians are thefe following. r. It is necdfary of Con,ord. to the very Life nf the Church and its feveral members, that they be all O,/, Body. As their Vnion with Chrifl the H<ad and Principle of their life is principally necdfary, [o Unity among themfdves is fewnda-rily necd[uy, for the conveyance and reception of that Life which floweth to all from Chrill. Ior though the Head be the Fountain of Life, yet the nerves and other paxts mufl: convc.y that life unto the members: And if any member be cut off or fepuated from the Body, it is fe ... parated alfo from the Head, and pe1iil1<th. ·Mark well thofe words of the Apofile, EpheC4-3- to 16. [Endeavouring to k.fcp the Vitiry of the Spirit in tbe bond of peace: There Hom BBdJ., and one Spirit, evtn ai ye 11re calJcd in om Hope of ynur caUing : 0He Lord, one Faith, one B11ptijm, one God and Father of alJ, who iJ above ~tU, and through aY, aJtd in you all : Bu: unto every one of ltf if given Gract according to the meafure of the gift of Chriji.---And be gll<!e forne Apojlles, and Jome ProphetJ, and fomt EvangeliJJ, and [ome Psjfort and 'leacherJ : For the perftaing of tht Saint!, for the work,. of the Minijlry, for the Edifying of the Body of Chrifl, tiU we aU come in tbe Vnity of the faith, and of the k!rowledge of the Son ofGod, toa perfoll man , unto the meafure of the ftature o( the fulmfs of Chr;ijl, that--JPeakJng the )ruth in Love, we may grow up imghim in aU thingJ, wbicb ;, the H<ad, evm Chrijl ; From whom the whole Body jitly joyned "gcthiT, and compailcd by tvery joynt of{upply, acr:ordin?. to tbe tJfetlual working in the meafure of every par:, mal{_eth i;zcrtaje of the Bvdy to the edifying of it [elf in Love:] See here how the Churches Unity, is nccelfary to its life: and increafe, and to the due nutririon of all the par[S. ~· 50· 2· The Vnity of the Chmch and the Concord of Believers, is necdfary to its ftrengtb and {afety; for Chrifl alfojlrengthmeth as well as quic/zneth them by fuitable means. Wo tn him 1hat is alone : But in the Army of the Lord of HoOs we may fafely march on, when firaglers a1< eatcht up or killed by the wcakefl enemy. A threefold cord is not eafily broken. Enemies both fpiritual and corporal are deterred from affaulting [he Church or any of its members, while they fee us walk jn our Military Unity and Order. In [his pofiure every man is a bletTing and ddc.nce unto his neighbour. As every Souldicr hath the Benctir of all the conducr, wifdom and valour of the whole Army, while he kec:pe[h in his place; fo every weak Chrifiian h:uh the u{C and bc.ndit of all the Learning, the Wifdom and Gifts of theChurch, while he kcepcth his tlation, and walke1h orderly in the Church. The: hand, the eye, the ear, the foot, and every member of the Body, is as ready to help or {etv·e the whole, and (Very other particular member as it felf: But if it be cutoff, it is nei– ther helpful, nor to be helped. 0 what a mcrcy is it for every ChriOian, that is unable tO help him– felf, to have the help of all the Church of God? their diredions, their (Xhortations, their Love, their prayers, their liberality and compaffion, accQrdiog to thtir fcvc:ral abilities and opportu– nities ! As infants and fick perfons have the help of all the refl of the family that arc in health. ~· 5 I· 3· Vnity and Concord as it proceedeth from Love , fo it grcotly cherifhcth and incrcafeth ~~~~~hc?:tiLove: even as the laying of the Wood or Coafs together is necdT.uy to the making of the tire, nite bleflia&s: which the feparating of them will pu~ out. Holy Concmd cheri!heth holy con~crfc: and co~munilcftrengtlteon: Andholy communion powerfully kmdlc:th holy Love. When the ferVJ.nts of Chriti: do fee m ~ach net,lt faith: It other the lultre of his Gracc.s, and hear from each other the: heavenly language which flvwcth horn a k.indltth Ch~- Divine and heavenly mind, this potently kindleth 'heir affections to each €1thcr, and make1h them ~~r~)rJhe clofe with thofe as the fons of God, in whom chey find tO much of God ; Yea, it caufe.rh them to peace of ~h: . . . .. . . . . . Church, drRdleth 1nto peace of confctcnce : and tt wrneth rhe wrmro and rea,dmg of Controv=rlies , mto tre.n1fes of Morufiot 0'1 and DevOtion. IJ. ibi,1. AgainU procuring Unity by 13nguin:uy pe~fccu:ions, f~c l ord Bactm E/fay )• ~urcly there is nJ bet– ter w.ay to ftop the riGng of newSe& and Sc!11fin,, tlnn ro reform abuf~s, to compound the finaller diff.:rences, ro ptt'cted mii1!Jy, 3 uJ not with fansumary prrrecucions,_ar.d r:uher to take oA'. t~e pri~cip:tl ~ut~o.rs by 1Y1~ning and alv1ncmg tbem, th:1.1~ to onage tlt~m byviolence and bt:ternef<. Lord Ba&OJI. mhr: E/foJ ss. Lra homnm non 1mplet julhnam Dti : And 1t w:u anuuble obfervJ.twn ofa wrfe l·a– ther,tlm 5hofe wbich held and perf,-adtd prctfure oJ Confcicnces,were commonly imerclfed therein themfdves for their own end~.!d.Eff.J-?.19· Love
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