556 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, LIII. 1. A Christian indeed is not only zealous for the unity and concord of believers, but he seeketh it on the right terms, and in the way that is fittest to attain it. Unity", peace, and concord, are, like piety and honesty, things so unquestionably good, that there are scarce any men of reason and Common sobriety, that ever were heard to oppose them directly and forthemselves ; and there- fore all that are enemies to them'are yet pretenders to them, and oppose,them, 1. In their causes only. 2. Or covertly, andunder some other name. Every man would have unity, concord, and peace in his own way, and upon his own terms. But if the right terms had been understood and consented to as sufficient, the Christian world had not lain so many hundred years in the sin, and . shame, and ruins, as it bath done. And the cause of all is, that. Christians indeed, that have clear, confirmed judgments, and strength of grace, are very few; and for,number and strength, un- able to persuade or overrule the weak, the passionate, and the false-hearted, worldly, hypocritical multitude, who bear down all the counsels, and endeavors of the wise. The judicious, faithful'Christian knoweth that there are three degreesDr sorts.of Christian communion, which have their several terms. 1. The universal church communion, which all Christians, as such, must hold among themselves. 2. Particular church com- munion, which those that are conjoined for personal communion in worship, do hold under the same pastors and among themselves. 3. The extraordinary intimate ,communion that some Christians hold together, who are bosom friends, or are especially able and fit to be helpful and comfortable to each other. The last concerneth not our present business ; we must hold church communion withmany that are unfit to be our bosom friends, and that have no eminency of parts or piety, or any strong per- suading evidence of sincerity. But the terms of catholic com- munign he knoweth are such as these. 1. They must be such as we're the terms of church communion in the days of the apostles. 2. They must be such as are plainly and certainly expressed : in the Holy Scriptures. 3. And such as the universal church bath . in some ages since been actually agreed in. 4. And those points are most likely to be such, which all the differing parties of Chris- tians are agreed in as necessary to communion, to this day, (so we call not those Christians that deny the essentials of Christianity.) 5. Every man, in the former ages of the church, was admitted to this catholic church communion, who, in the baptismal vow or covenant, gavé up himself to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as his Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier ; his Owner, Gov- ernor, and Father, renouncing the flesh, the world, and the devil. And more particularly, as man Kat`h an understanding, a will, and
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