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Who break this bond of

Unity.

much over us as over them; and we are not over our fellow fervants, nor they under us; but both of us are equally under Chrift, and Christ is equally over us both; and fo Chrift hath given us the fame laws, he hath given them; to wit, that we fhould belive in him, and love one another; and he expects the fame obedience from us, as from them; and fo we are not to command one another; but are all alike to be commanded by him. It was the evil fervant, that beat his fellow fervants upon hopes of the delay of his Masters coming. And this is the fourth bond of the true

Churches Unity,
Unity of Lord.

Now they break this bond, of the Churches the Churches Unity, that either make themselves, or others, Lords over the Church, befides Chrift, and parcel out this one Kingdom of the Son to many Lords, to the great dishonour of Christ, and difunion of the Church.

The Pope was the first that profeffed himself to be the general Mafter in the whole Church of God: and after the Pope, a general Councel took this honour to it felf; and by degrees this laft became as hard, yea, a harder taskmafter to the Church, than the former. After, when particular Kingdoms fell off from the Pope and his Antichriftian Church, the miftery of iniquity, was not by this means wholly diffolved; but only was contracted and brought into a lefs compafs; for then the Archbishop made himself general master of the Church in each particular Kingdom, as the Pope before had done in all; and after the Archbishop rifes up a National Affembly, as the General Councel after the Pope; and each of thefe in their courfes, ufurp Lordship over the Church of Chrift, to the fad diffolution of its unity.

Moft

Moft evident then it is, that during the time of the Apoftafie, the Church hath been moft miferably Lorded even amongst us; for the Prieft he Lorded it over the People, the Arch-deacon over the Priest, the Dean over the Arch-deacon, the Bishop over the Dean, and the Arch-bishop over the Bishop; under which woful bondage the Church cried out, as Ifa. 26. O Lord our God, other Lords befides thee have had dominion over us. And is this bondage of the Church now eafed, by cafting off thofe ftrange Lords? Yea, do not men rather feek to encreace it, by fetting yet ftranger over it, whose names are fo full of miftery, that the common People cannot understand them? for now they would have the Claffical Presbytery fet over the Congregational, and the Provincial over the Claffical, and the National over the Provincial; for fo it is Voted, THAT IT IS LAW-The AmFULL AND AGREEABLE TO THE for their goWORD OF GOD, THAT THERE BEvernment. A SUBORDINATION OF CONGREGATIONAL, CLASSICAL PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL ASSE MBLIES FOR THE

GOVERNMENT

OF THE CHURCH: Now here is mistery, and nothing but a certain rifing up into the old Power, under a new name. And mark how they prove this fubordination of Congregational, Claf fical, Provincial and National Affemblies, to wit, by that Scripture, Mat. 18. where it is written, If thy brother trefpafs against thee, and will neither hear thy admonition nor councel, nor the admonition and councel of other brethren, TELL THE CHURCH; that is, the Congregation of the faithful. Now from this place they prove the fore mentioned fubordination of Aflemblies, just as the Pope once proved himself to be above the Emperour, to wit because it is written, Gen. 1.

That

blies Vote

The right Church hath ene Faith.

That God made two great lights, the Sun to rule by day, and the Moon by night. Now if this might be brought about, which they defign, the Church would be fo far from being eased of its strange Lords that it fhould have them exeedingly multiplyed; for what is a National Affembly, but am Archbishop multiplied? and what a Provincial Affembly, but a Bifhop multiplied? And a Claffical, but a Dean and Arch-deacon multiplied. And thus the former Lords being removed, they would in their stead, cause the Church to fwarm with Claffical, Provincial and National Lords, and would by no means fuffer Chrifts own Kingdom to return to his own Lordship and Dominion. And thus whileft they by fecular power, feek to enforce thefe Ecclefiaftical Lords over the Church, they abfolutely break in Pieces the unity of it, even whilft they bear the fimple People in hand, that they above all other men feek to preferve it; feeing the plurality of Lords, is always the caufe of Scifms and divifions in the Church, which can never be one but under one Lord; the Lord Jesus Christ.

The fifth bond of the true Churches Unity, is,

ONE FAITH.

The true Church of God hath but one Faith, wrought by one Spirit, apprehending the fame Chrift, or the fame living and eternal truth of God. So that Abraham, and Mofes, and David, and all the Prophets, and all the Apostles, and we who now believe, and all that shall believe hereafter, all have and do, and fhall live in the fame mystery of faith; that is, Believers in all Ages, do not live their own lives, but all live the life of Chrift in their own fouls and bodies, each one receiving equally from Chrift; the life of Chrift, which they all live alike in him, being one with him; as the branches live equally, the

life of the Vine; and one branch, lives in it not more than another. Through faith then every Christian is carried out of himself, and all his own things into Chrift, whom he apprehends with all his fulaefs, for his own; and in this faith, all Chriftians are equal, and none hath a better or worse faith than another.

So that in regard of faith alfo, there is among the true Church unity and equality.

For all Believers have one and the fame faith, of the operation of God, wrought by the fame Spirit, which raifed up Chrift from the dead; and that faith which the Spirit works, neither fin, death nor the devil can poffibly prevail againft; and fo the faith of the operation of the Spirit, is altogether invincible in all the faithful.

Among true Chriftians, fome are not justified by Faith, and fome by Works, but all are faved through Faith, without the works of the Law.

Among true Chriftians, one Believers Faith doth not apprehend one word, and anothers, another word; but the Faith of each, and of all, apprehends one and the fame word of Truth and Life, which is Chrift himself, yesterday, and to day, and the fame for ever.

Among Believers, one doth not live his own life, and another Chrifts, which indeed would make them very different and unequal, but all live Chrifts life alike, and none their own.

And thus is the whole Church knit together in Unity of Faith.

Uni y of Faith pre

Now this Unity of Faith is mightily able to preferve peace among Believers, notwithstand- ferves peace ing diverfity either of inward Gifts, or outward. NotwithWorks.

Aanding diverfity of

notwith- inward gifts

1. Unity of Faith preferves Peace, ftanding diversity of inward gifts, inasmuch as

we

2. Notwith

verfity of outward works.

we are not made members of Christs body, thro' fuch and fuch gifts, but meerly through Faith; and fo he that hath one or a lefs gift, is equally a member of Chrift through his Faith, with him that hath another or a greater gift; and fo unity of Faith, which makes us all one Body in Christ, is to keep us one, notwithstanding diversity of gifts and operations; and diverfity of gifts are in no wife to divide where there is unity of Faith. Further, among them that believe, where there is the more gift, there is only the more labour, but there is not another, or a better Chrift; and where there is the lefs gift, there is the fame Chrift, equally joined through Faith: He that had five Talents given him, brought in five that he had gained; and he that had ten, ten; but he that brought in moft Talents, had not more of Christ than he that brought in fewer; and he that brought in fewer, had not lefs of him, than he that brought in more; but each having Chrift alike by Faith, brought in the exercise of his feveral gifts. And fo unity of Faith is to keep us one, notwithstanding diverfity of inward gifts.

And fecondly, it is to keep us one, notwithRanding di- ftanding diverfity of outward works. For unity of Faith makes all Believers righteous alike,though they differ in outward work: For in Chrifts Kingdom each ones Righteoufness is reckoned by his faith, not by his outward works. And therefore Paul, Heb. 13. 7. having reckoned up many excellent works of the Fathers, doth not enjoyn us to follow their works, but their faith, faying, Whofe faith follow, confidering the end of their con verfation feeing the unity of the Church ftands in unity of faith; and there may be unity of faith in diversity of works; for faith ufes freely any outward laws, manners, forms, works, fo far as they may tend to the mortifying of our Bodies, and

the

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