feeing eye or walking foot, in the natural body, but they must be born there, ere they can be there. Each member in the true Church, is born in his place and Office by God, and is not placed there by man, and when the Church perceives this grace in its members, it fuffers them to exercife thofe places and Offices in the body, in which God hath produced or brought them forth, by his Spirit. 3. This unity of body, ftands well with a difference or diftinction of members, and the difference of members, doth not hinder, but help the unity of body for faith Paul, The body is not one member, but many, and if they were all one member, where were the body? And therefore in the body, there are diverfity of members, and each member 1 Cor. 12. hath its feveral form and Office; If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing, and if the whole were an ear, where were feeing, Smelling, walking, &c. So in the unity of Chrifts body, there are diverfity of members, with diverfity of gifts and Offices; and fo one hath the word of wisdom, another the word of knowledge, another the word of faith, another the gift of healing, &c. Every member in this body being in office, and having received the Spirit to profit withal. And fo again, Rom. 12. 6. Having then gifts differing, according to the grace that is given to us (he speaks of all the members of the body, which have fome or other gifts, given to them) if it be prophefie, let us prophefie according to the proportion of faith; if miniftry, let us wait on our miniftring; or he that teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation, &c. So that in the true Church, unity stands with diversity, but in the falfe, unity will not ftand without uniformity. 4. In this true Church, or one body of Christ, notwithstanding diverfity of members and Offices, there there is still an equality among them ail; feeing all alike make up one body; in which regard one member is as neceflary to the body as another, and no member can fay to another, that I contribute more to the making up of the body than thou; the most honourable member, cannot fay thus to the most mean, not the Apostles themselves to Believers among the Gentiles; for we are the body of Christ, as well as they, and they are the body of Christ no more than we: wherefore no member, for diversity of Office, is to lift up himself above another member, who is as necessary as it felf, to the making up the body, and also is every whit as useful in its place. 5. As in the natural body, each member is contented with its own place and Office in the body: fo is every member through the grace given unto it, contented with its place and Office in the fpiritual body, and not one either envies or defpifes another. 6. The members of the natural body, do not each live to them felves, but all of them serve one another, and each of them ferves all; as the eye fees for the foot, and the whole body, and the hand works for the eye, and the whole body, &c. So among believers, none lives and acts for himfelf only, but each believer ferves all, and all ferve each one in love. 7. Members that are united into one body, have a true fimpathy with one another, both in good and evil things, 1 Cor. 12. 26. And whether one member fuffer, all the members fuffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoyce with it. 8. Among the members of the body, there is no law of force, but only a law of love; no member compelling another, but each member ferving another Who break this bond of theChurches Unity. another by love; and if one member be infirm, the reft help it, and do not reject it: the more they care for it, and do not the more defpife it. And this now is the firft Bond of the true Churches unity. Unity of body. Now they break this firft bond of unity, that either live out of this one body of Chrift, or else live in it, but not as members. I. They that do content themselves, in joyning to fome outward and visible fociety and corporation of men, though called a Church, and think that by being knit to them in ways of outward worship, and ordinances, they live in the unity of the Church, when as yet all this while they live out of that one body, that is born of the Spirit, which is the only true Church, and body of Chrift: he that lives out of this fpiritu al body, though he live in the most excellent fociety in the world, yet he breaks the unity of the Church, not living in one body with it. And thus many break the Churches unity, that never think on it. 2, Again, they break this bond of the Churches unity that live in this one body, but not as members; And fuch are they, who having got the advantage of the Magiftrates power, will needs lift themselves up above their fellow members, and exercise authoritative coercive, domineering power over them, whereas the very Apostles themselves, were not Lords of the Church, but fellow-members with the faithful; living in one body, and under one head with them, and fo did all by love and perfwafion, and nothing by force and violence. Now thofe members that exalt themselves above their fellow and equal members, what do they elfe but ufurp the place of the Head? and fo break in funder the unity of the body, which ftands in the unity of the Head? He that The Second Bond of the true Churches Unity, is, ONE SPIRIT. Church is There is one Body, and one Spirit, faith Paul; The Right and through Unity of Spirit, they become one one Spirit. Body. Now as the Body of Man confifts of many Members, and but one Soul comprehends, quickens, moves and governs all these Members, making the eye to fee, the hand to work, the foot to walk, &c. So the Body of Chrift, which is the Church, confifting of many Members, hath yet but one and the fame HOLY SPIRIT, which comprehends, quickens, moves and governs them all, and brings them into a most near and intimate Society together, and enables each member to its several office, according to it place and ufe in the body of Christ. And as a member, being cut off from the Body, the Soul doth not follow it, to cause it to live out of the Unity of the Body: So he that is divided from the true Body of Chrift, the Spirit, doth not follow him to make him live fingle by himfelf; and fo neither is the Body of Chrift without the Spirit, nor the Spirit of Christ without the Body. And as the fame Soul in feveral members, acts feverally, and yet is but one and the fame Soul in all; fo the fame Holy Spirit in feveral Believers, works feverally, as it pleaseth, and yet is but the fame Holy Spirit in them all. So that the whole Body of Christ, that is, all Believers in the world, have but one and the fame Holy Spirit in them, and this Unity of Spirit in the Church, is one ftrong bond of its peace. Among mankind in general, and more nearly among Kindred, there is unity of Flesh, but because there is difference of Spirit, there is much envie, hatred, ftrife and variance in that unity of flesh; but now the members of the Body are not only one flesh, but one Soul or Spirit too, and fo there is always peace and agreement between them. And fo the true Church of Christ is not only one Body, but one Spirit too, and this makes it one indeed. For as this Spirit is the love and connexion of the Father and the Son; fo it is also our love and connection in the Father and the Son; and as the Father and the Son live in unity of Spirit, fo all Believers live in the unity of the fame Spirit in them. Now they on whom the Spirit was first given, after Chrift was glorified, had also with the Spirit the gift of tongues, the Spirit given being for the Communion of the Church, and fo they fpake with the tongues of all, the Church having thro' the Communion of the Spirit, its Society and Confociation: For he that speaks by the Spirit in the Church, where all are one Spirit in Chrift, he fpeaks with the tongues of all; and when a Believer hears another fpeak, it is, as if he himself did fpeak; and when one fpeaks, it is as if all fpake; for he speaks in the unity of Spirit with them, and fo fpeaks the fame Doctrine of the Gofpel, |