741 :ur:2l body, which caufeth it to abhorr the wounding, or amputation of its members and to avoid divition as defiruB:ion, except when a gangrened member mull be cut off, fen the faving of the body; fo it is aiCo with the myftical body of Chrifl. He is fenfelefs and grac~lcfs thot abhorwh not Church-wounds. 1:" §. 70. 4· Thefe Divifions are fins againfi the nearefi bonds of our high Relations to each other : Rom.S. tiS6 We <~.re Brtthrm, and fhould there be any ftrife among us? Gen. I3· 8. We are all the children of 1 Joh~ t :.: God by faith in Chrift ]<{U<, Gal. 3· 26•. We are -the fellow-members of the body of Chtifi; and fhould we ten h14 body, and feparate h1s members, and cut his flcfh, and break his bones~ Eph .. 5 • 23· 30. For aJ the Bo4y i1.om, ~nd bath many mcmbtrJ, t111d.- aU the members of t?at one body being ma. ny:J are om body; fo alfo 1-1 Chrift, I Cor. 12· 12• .1/J we bave many membtrJ JH one boe{v---[. rre being many, are one body in Cbrift; and every one membtrJ one of aHothtr, Ram. 12. 4, 5· He that woundeth or difmcmbreth your own bodies, (hall fcarce be taken for your friend; And are you Q.ticqui~ Chrit1s friends, when you difmember or wound his body ? Is it lovely to fee the children or fervanrs a~ multuu: in your farr,i:y wgether by the cars? Is Civil Warsfor the fafety of a Kingdom? Ot'cfoth that tend ::~;;t~t;,~'t, to. the honour of tht:,children ofGod,which is the Chame of common men? Or is that the f11fery ofhis co~tinet ; Kmgdom, which is the ruinc of all others? We are all ftOorv-citizcnJ with the Saints,and of the houjho/d & quamo _ of God, Ephef. 2· 19· We are Gods building, 1 Cor. 3• 9· Know_ye not that ye art the Temple of magn mulu- God l and thatthe Spirit ofGod dweDtth in you! If auy mall defile theTemple of God, him jhaUGod m~o ,:"f'- deftroy: for the Temple ofGodil holy, which Temple ye are: 1 Cor. 3· 16, '7· Will he defiroy the ~r 'omtfp;- dejilersl and will he Love the Divider I and deftroycrJ l If it be fo greac a fin to go to Law unnecef– thi.t : ~uic- farily with Brcthrm, ' or to wrong them, 1Cor. 6. 8. What is it to difown them, and call them off? quid ~er6 And if they that falute and hve only their Brtthrtn, and not alfo their enemies, are not the ad dl!mra~m Childn.n of God ? :Matth. 5· 47· What are they that feparate from, and condemn even their ten H, ly1n- b h > I pathi~m haret ren . /: bee; & l 1uan- / to IIJ;g2s ad unimem accedit , tanto puriori fympathia augetur. faijf. Sc4UW 1i.pifl, Catb, I. 3• p. 1 7 6. §. 7'· 5- Ch•rch-dividcrs either would Diviile Chrij! bimfelf bmvuntbem, or elfc would rob him of a great part of his inheritance : And neither of thefe is a little fin; If you make fevcnl bodies, you would have feveral Heads : And if Cbrij! dividcd 1 faith the Apofile, 1 Cor. 1. 13. Will you make him a Seil-Maficr I He wiil be your common head as Chrifti•ns; but he will be no Head of your Sells and Parties: (I will not r.ame them). Or would you rear out of the hands of Chrill, any part of his poffellions? Will he cut them off, becailfe you cut them off? Will he feparate them from him– felf, becaufe you fiparat< from them, or Jeparate them from you ? Will he give them a bill of divorce wll<n ever you arc pleafed to lay any odious accufation againfi them? ( who ihall condemn them, when it is he that jufiifieth them ? Who ihall fcparate them from the Love of God ? Can your Cenfure or feparation do it, when pcither life, nor death, nor any creature can do it? K001. 8.33,&c.) Hath he not told you, that he wiO give them eterual life, aHd they jh"U ttever perijh, 1tritber jhaU "nJ pluck._ them out of bif liand, John 10. 28- Will he lofe his Jewels, becaufc you .coil them away ao dirt ? He futfered more for fouls than you, and better knowcth the worth of fouls ? And do yo~ think he will forget fo dear a purchafe' or take it well that you rob him of that which he hath bought fo dearly? Will you give the members and inheritance ofChrifi to the Devil, and fay, They are Satans, and none of ChrjHs. TJTho art thou that judgeft another mans fervant? §. 72· 6. Church-dividtrs are guilty of felf-ignoranct, and pride, and great umhankfulmfs againfi that God that beare[h with fo much in them, who fo cenforioufly cafi offtheir brethren. \Vail thou ever hull)bled for thy fin? Doll thou know who thou art, and what thou canyell about thee? and how much thou offendell God thy felf> If thou do: furely thou Wilt JUdge tenderly of thy bretbren, as knowing what a tender hand thot~ needdl, and. what mercy tbo~ hat'\ found from God. Can he cruelly judge his btetbren to HtN, upon his petty dtffercnces, who lS fenfible how the grasious hand of his Redeemer, did fo lately fnatch him from the brink._o( Hell> Cm he be forward to condemn his brethren, that hath been fo lately and mercifully faved himfelf-'? §. 73· 7· Church-dividers arethc moll fuccefsful fervantsof the Devil, belng enemies to Chrifi in his family and livery. They gratihe Satan, and all the Enemres of the Church, and do the very work that he would have them do, more dfeelually than open enemtcs could do ir. As Mutineers in an Army may do moreto defuoy it, than the power of the Enemy. '/ - ~· 7 4 • 8. It is a fin that conrradictcth all Gods Ordinances and Means of Guce; which are pur– pofely toprocute and maimain th'e Vnisy of his Church. The Word and Baptifm is to gather them in~ to one body, and the Lords Supper to (ignifie. and maintain thci_r Concord, as bting. om_brta~, and one body, 1 Cor. 1 c. 17. And all t.he communiOn of. the Church IS to e:xprcfs and ro mamram th1s con, cord. The ufe of the Minifiry is much to this end, ro be the bonds and j\1ynts of the unity of be– lievers, Ephef. 4• 13, 14, 16. All thefc arc contemned aQd frufirated by Dividers. 9· 7 5. 9· C_borch-divifion is a fin ( efpccially to us) agaioll as great and lamentable experiences as almofi any fi1J can be. About fixteen hundred years the Church hath fmarted by 1t: In many Countreys where the Gofpel profpcrcd, and Churches flouriOJCd, divifion hath Jurncd all into defo· lation, and delivered them up to the curfc of MahometaniCm and Infidelity. The con<cntions be– tweenConjlantinoplt and Rome, the Eafiern and the Weftern Churches, have {haken the Chrifiian intc– refi upon Earth, and delivered up much of theChrifiian world to tyra.nny and blindncfs, and given advantage to the Papacy to captivate and corrupt muc)l of the refi , by ptetmding it felf to be the Centet.
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