{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_3614/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_3614","id":"gutenberg_3614","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3614","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches","Category: History - Religious","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christian life","Christianity"],"text":"Ver.05/20/01*END*[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart\nand may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.]\n[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales\nof Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or\nsoftware or any other related product without express permission.]\n\n\n\n\n\nThis etext was produced by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk,\nfrom the \"Works of the Puritan Divines (Bunyan)\", 1845 Thomas Nelson\nedition.\n\n\n\n\n\nAN EXHORTATION TO PEACE AND UNITY.\n\nAttributed (incorrectly) to John Bunyan\n\n\n\n\n[We deem it proper to state, that, though the following Treatise of\nChristian Union appears in nearly all the collected editions of\nBUNYAN'S WORKS, yet its genuineness has been called in question by\nthe Rev Mr Philip in his admirable work, \"The Life and Times of\nBunyan.\"  Without here entering into this question, we have\nseparately appended it to the works of Bunyan in this volume, and\ntrust that it will not prove unacceptable to our readers, especially\nconsidering the efforts that are now being made to promote the\nliving union of all true Christians who hold the one Lord, the one\nfaith, and the one baptism.]\n\nEndeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.--\nEphesians iv. 3.\n\nBeloved, religion is the great bond of human society; and it were\nwell if itself were kept within the bond of unity; and that it may\nso be, let us, according to the text, use our utmost endeavours \"to\nkeep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.\"\n\nThese words contain a counsel and a caution:  the counsel is, That\nwe endeavour the unity of the Spirit; the caution is, That we do it\nin the bond of peace; as if I should say, I would have you live in\nunity, but yet I would have you to be careful that you do not\npurchase unity with the breach of charity.\n\nLet us therefore be cautious that we do not so press after unity in\npractice and opinion as to break the bond of peace and affection.\n\nIn the handling of these words, I shall observe this method.\n\nI.  I shall open the sense of the text.\n\nII.  I shall shew wherein this unity and peace consist.\n\nIII.  I shall shew you the fruits and benefits of it, together with\nnine inconveniences and mischiefs that attend those churches where\nunity and peace is wanting.\n\nIV.  And, lastly, I shall give you twelve directions and motives for\nthe obtaining of it.\n\n1.  As touching the sense of the text, when ye are counselled to\nkeep the unity of the Spirit, we are not to understand the Spirit of\nGod, as personally so considered; because the Spirit of God, in that\nsense, is not capable of being divided, and so there would be no\nneed for us to endeavour to keep the unity of it.\n\nBy the unity of the spirit then, we are to understand that unity of\nmind which the Spirit of God calls for, and requires Christians to\nendeavour after; hence it is that we are exhorted, by one spirit,\nwith one mind, to strive together for the faith of the gospel; Phil.\ni. 27.\n\nBut farther, the apostle in these words alludes to the state and\ncomposition of a natural body, and doth thereby inform us, that the\nmystical body of Christ holds an analogy with the natural body of\nman:  as, 1.  In the natural body there must be a spirit to animate\nit; for the body without the spirit is dead; James ii. 26.  So it is\nin the mystical body of Christ; the apostle no sooner tells of that\none body, but he minds us of that one Spirit; Eph. iv. 4.\n\n2.  The body hath joints and hands to unite all the parts; so hath\nthe mystical body of Christ; Col. ii. 19.  This is that bond of\npeace mentioned in the text, as also in the 16th verse of the same\nchapter, where the whole body is said to be fitly joined together,\nand compacted, by that which every joint supplieth.\n\n3.  The natural body receives counsel and nourishment from the head;\nso doth the mystical body of Christ; he is their counsellor, and him\nthey must hear; he is their head, and him they must hold:  hence it\nis that the apostle complaineth, Col. ii. 19, of some that did not\nhold the head from which the whole body by joints and hands hath\nnourishment.\n\n4.  The natural body cannot well subsist, if either the spirit be\nwounded or the joints broken or dislocated; the body cannot bear a\nwounded or broken spirit--\"A broken spirit drieth the bones;\" Prov.\nxvii. 22, and \"A wounded spirit who can bear?\" Prov. xviii. 14.\nAnd, on the other hand, how often have the disjointing of the body,\nand the breakings thereof, occasioned the expiration of the spirit?\nIn like manner it fares with the mystical body of Christ; how do\ndivided spirits break the bonds of peace, which are the joints of\nthis body?  And how do the breakings of the body and church of\nChrist wound the spirit of Christians, and oftentimes occasion the\nspirit and life of Christianity to languish, if not to expire.  How\nneedful is it then that we endeavour the unity of the spirit in the\nbond of peace!\n\nII.  I now come to shew you wherein this unity and peace consists;\nand this I shall demonstrate in five particulars.\n\n1.  This unity and peace may consist with the ignorance of many\ntruths, and in the holding of some errors; or else this duty of\npeace and unity could not be practicable by any on this side\nperfection:  but we must now endeavour the unity of the spirit, till\nwe come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son\nof God; Eph. iv. 13.  Because now, as the apostle saith, \"We know in\npart, and we prophesy in part,\" and \"Now we see through a glass\ndarkly;\" 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 12.  And as this is true in general, so we\nmay find it true if we descend to particular instances.  The\ndisciples seem to be ignorant of that great truth which they had\noften, and in much plainness, been taught by their Master once and\nagain, viz., that his kingdom was not of this world, and that in the\nworld they should suffer and be persecuted; yet in the 1st of the\nActs, ver. 6, we read, that they asked of him if he would at this\ntime restore the kingdom to Israel? thereby discovering that\nChrist's kingdom (as they thought) should consist in his temporal\njurisdiction over Israel, which they expected should now commence\nand take place amongst them.  Again, our Lord tells them, that he\nhad many things to say (and these were many important truths) which\nthey could not now bear; John xvi. 12.  And that these were\nimportant truths, appear by the 10th and 11th verses, where he is\ndiscoursing of righteousness and judgment, and then adds, that he\nhad yet many things to say which they could not bear; and thereupon\npromises the Comforter to lead them into ALL TRUTH; which implies,\nthat they were yet ignorant of many truths, and consequently held\ndivers errors; and yet for all this, he prays for, and presses them\nto, their great duty of peace and unity; John xiv. 27; xvii. 21.  To\nthis may be added that of Heb. v. 11, where the author saith, he had\nmany things to say of the priestly office of Christ, which by reason\nof their dulness they were not capable to receive; as also that in\nthe 10th of the Acts, where Peter seems to be ignorant of the truth,\nviz., that the gospel was to be preached to all nations; and\ncontrary hereunto, he erred in thinking it unlawful to preach\namongst the Gentiles.  I shall add two texts more, one in Acts xix.,\nwhere we read that those disciples which had been discipled and\nbaptized by John were yet ignorant of the Holy Ghost, and knew not\n(as the text tells us) whether there were any holy Ghost or no;\nthough John did teach constantly, that he that should come after him\nshould baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire.  From hence we may\neasily and plainly infer, that Christians may be ignorant of many\ntruths, by reason of weak and dull capacities, and other such like\nimpediments, even while those truths are with much plainness\ndelivered to them.  Again, we read, Heb. v. 13, of some that were\nunskilful in the word of righteousness, who nevertheless are called\nbabes in Christ, and with whom unity and peace is to be inviolably\nkept and maintained.\n\n2.  As this unity and peace may consist with the ignorance of many\ntruths, and with the holding some errors, so it must consist with\n(and it cannot consist without) the believing and practising those\nthings which are necessary to salvation and church-communion; and\nthey are, 1st, Believing that Christ the Son of God died for the\nsins of men.  2d, That whoever believeth ought to be baptized.  The\nthird thing essential to this communion, is a holy and a blameless\nconversation.\n\n(1.)  That believing that the Son of God died for the sins of men is\nnecessary to salvation, I prove by these texts, which tell us, that\nhe that doth not believe shall be damned, Mark xvi. 16; John iii.\n36; Rom. x. 9.\n\nThat it is also necessary to church-communion appears from Matt.\nxvi. 16-18.  Peter having confessed that Christ was the Son of the\nliving God, Christ thereupon assures Peter, that upon this rock,\nviz., this profession of faith, or this Christ which Peter had\nconfessed, he would build his church, and the gates of hell should\nnot prevail against it.  And, 1 Cor. iii. 11, the apostle having\ntold the Corinthians that they were God's building, presently adds,\nthat they could not be built upon any foundation but upon that which\nwas laid, which was Jesus Christ.  All which proves, that Christian\nsociety is founded upon the profession of Christ; and not only\nscripture, but the laws of right reason, dictate this, that some\nrules and orders must be observed for the founding all society,\nwhich must be consented to by all that will be of it.  Hence it\ncomes to pass, that to own Christ as the Lord and head of Christians\nis essential to the founding of Christian society.\n\n(2.)  The Scriptures have declared, that this faith gives the\nprofessors of it a right to baptism, as in the case of the eunuch,\nActs viii.  When he demanded why he might not be baptized, Philip\nanswered, that if he believed with all his heart, he might.  The\neunuch thereupon confessing Christ, was baptized.\n\nNow, that baptism is essential to church-communion, I prove from 1\nCor. xii., where we shall find the apostle labouring to prevent an\nevil use that might be made of spiritual gifts, as thereby to be\npuffed up, and to think that such as wanted them were not of the\nbody, or to be esteemed members:  he thereupon resolves, that\nwhoever did confess Christ, and own him for his head, did it by the\nSpirit, ver. 3, though they might not have such a visible\nmanifestation of it as others had, and therefore they ought to be\nowned as members, as appears, ver. 23.  And not only because they\nhave called him Lord by the Spirit, but because they have, by the\nguidance and direction of the same Spirit, been baptized, ver. 13,\n\"For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body,\" &c.  I need\nnot go about to confute that notion that some of late have had of\nthis text., viz., that the baptism here spoken of is the baptism of\nthe Spirit, because you have not owned and declared that notion as\nyour judgment, but on the contrary, all of you that I have ever\nconversed with, have declared it to be understood of baptism with\nwater, by the direction of the Spirit:  If so, then it follows, that\nmen and women are declared members of Christ's body by baptism, and\ncannot be by scripture reputed and esteemed so without it; which\nfarther appears from Rom. vi. 5, where men by baptism are said to be\n\"planted\" into the likeness of his death and Col. ii. 12, we are\nsaid to be \"buried with him\" by baptism.  All which, together with\nthe consent of all Christians (some few in these later times\nexcepted), do prove that baptism is necessary to the initiating\npersons into the Church of Christ.\n\n(3.)  Holiness of life is essential to church-communion, because it\nseems to be the reason why Christ founded a church in the world,\nviz., that men might thereby be watched over, and kept from falling;\nand that if any be overtaken with a fault, he that is spiritual\nmight restore him, that by this means men and women might be\npreserved without blame to the coming of Christ; and the grace of\nGod teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live\nsoberly and uprightly in this present evil world; Tit. ii. 11, 12.\n\"And let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from\niniquity;\" 2 Tim. ii. 19.  And James tells us (speaking of the\nChristian religion), that \"pure religion, and undefiled before God,\nis this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and\nto keep ourselves unspotted from the world;\" James i. 27.  From all\nwhich (together with many more texts that might be produced) it\nappears, that an unholy and profane life is inconsistent with\nChristian religion and society; and that holiness is essential to\nsalvation and church-communion.  So that these three things, faith,\nbaptism, and a holy life, as I said before, all churches must agree\nand unite in, as those things which, when wanting, will destroy\ntheir being.  And let not any think, that when I say, believing the\nSon of God died for the sins of men is essential to salvation and\nchurch-communion, that I hereby would exclude all other articles of\nthe Christian creed as not necessary; as the belief of the\nresurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, &c., which, for want\nof time, I omit to speak particularly to, and the rather, because I\nunderstand this great article of believing the Son of God died for\nthe sins of men is comprehensive of all others, and is that from\nwhence all other articles may easily be inferred.\n\nAnd here I would not be mistaken, as though I held there was nothing\nelse for Christians to practise, when I say this is all that is\nrequisite to church-communion; for I very well know, that Christ\nrequires many other things of us, after we are members of his body,\nwhich, if we knowingly or maliciously refuse, may be the cause, not\nonly of excommunication, but damnation.  But yet these are such\nthings as relate to the well-being and not to the being of churches;\nas laying on of hands in the primitive times upon believers, by\nwhich they did receive the gifts of the Spirit:  This, I say, was\nfor the increase and edifying of the body, and not that thereby they\nmight become of the body of Christ, for that they were before.  And\ndo not think that I believe laying on of hands was no apostolical\ninstitution, because I say men are not thereby made members of\nChrist's body, or because I say that it is not essential to church-\ncommunion.  Why should I be thought to be against a fire in the\nchimney, because I say it must not be in the thatch of the house?\nConsider, then, how pernicious a thing it is to make every doctrine\n(though true) the bond of communion; this is that which destroys\nunity, and by this rule all men must be perfect before they can be\nin peace:  for do we not see daily, that as soon as men come to a\nclearer understanding of the mind of God (to say the best of what\nthey hold), that presently all men are excommunicable, if not\ndamnable, that do not agree with them.  Do not some believe and see\nthat to be pride and covetousness, which others do not, because (it\nmay be) they have more narrowly and diligently searched into their\nduty of these things than others have?  What then?  Must all men\nthat have not so large acquaintance of their duty herein be\nexcommunicated?  Indeed it were to be wished that more moderation in\napparel and secular concernments were found among churches:  but God\nforbid, that if they should come short herein, that we should say,\nas one lately said, that he could not communicate with such a\npeople, because they were proud and superfluous in their apparel.\n\nLet me appeal to such, and demand of them, if there was not a time,\nsince they believed and were baptized, wherein they did not believe\nlaying on of hands a duty? and did they not then believe, and do\nthey not still believe, they were members of the body of Christ?\nAnd was not there a time when you did not so well understand the\nnature and extent of pride and covetousness as now you do?  And did\nyou not then believe, and do you not still believe, that you were\ntrue members of Christ, though less perfect?  Why then should you\nnot judge of those that differ from you herein, as you judged of\nyourselves when you were as they now are?  How needful then is it\nfor Christians to distinguish (if ever they would be at peace and\nunity) between those truths which are essential to church-communion,\nand those that are not?\n\n3.  Unity and peace consists in all as with one shoulder practising\nand putting in execution the things we do know; Phil. iii. 16.\n\"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the\nsame rule, and mind the same thing.\"  How sad is it to see our zeal\nconsume us and our precious time in things doubtful and disputable,\nwhile we are not concerned nor affected with the practice of those\nindisputable things we all agree in!  We all know charity to be the\ngreat command, and yet how few agree to practise it?  We all know\nthey that labour in the word and doctrine are worthy of double\nhonour; and that God hath ordained, that they which preach the\ngospel should live of the gospel.  These duties, however others have\ncavilled at them, I know you agree in them, and are persuaded of\nyour duty therein:  but where is your zeal to practise?  O how well\nwould it be with churches, if they were but half as zealous for the\ngreat, and plain, and indisputable things, and the more chargeable\nand costly things of religion, as they are for things doubtful or\nless necessary, or for things that are no charge to them, and cost\nthem nothing but the breath of contention, though that may be too\ngreat a price for the small things they purchase with it!\n\nBut further, Do we not all agree, that men that preach the gospel\nshould do it like workmen that need not be ashamed? and yet how\nlittle is this considered by many preachers, who never consider\nbefore they speak of what they say, or whereof they affirm!  How few\ngive themselves to study that they may be approved!  How few\nmeditate and give themselves to these things, that their profiting\nmay appear to all!\n\nFor the Lord's sake let us unite to practise those things we know;\nand if we would have more talents, let us all agree to improve those\nwe have.\n\nSee the spirit that was among the primitive professors, that knowing\nand believing how much it concerned them in the propagating of\nChristianity, to shew forth love to one another (that so all might\nknow them to be Christ's disciples), rather than there should be any\ncomplainings among them, they sold all they had.  O how zealous were\nthese to practise, and as with one shoulder to do that that was upon\ntheir hearts for God!  I might further add, how often have we agreed\nin our judgment? and hath it not been upon our hearts, that this and\nthe other thing is good to be done, to enlighten the dark world, and\nto repair the breaches of churches, and to raise up those churches\nthat now lie gasping, and among whom the soul of religion is\nexpiring?  But what do we more than talk of them?  Do not most\ndecline these things, when they either call for their purses or\ntheir persons to help in this and such like works as these?  Let us\nthen, in what we know, unite, that we may put it in practice,\nremembering, that if we know these things, we shall be happy if we\ndo them.\n\n4.  This unity and peace consists in our joining and agreeing to\npray for, and to press after, those truths we do not know.  The\ndisciples in the primitive times were conscious of their\nimperfections, and therefore they with one accord continued in\nprayer and supplications.  If we were more in the sense of our\nignorance and imperfections, we should carry it better towards those\nthat differ from us:  then we should abound more in the spirit of\nmeekness and forbearance, that thereby we might bring others (or be\nbrought by others) to the knowledge of the truth:  this would make\nus go to God, and say with Elihu, Job xxxiv. 32, \"That which we know\nnot, teach thou us.\"  Brethren, did we but all agree that we were\nerring in many things, we should soon agree to go to God, and pray\nfor more wisdom and revelation of his mind and will concerning us.\n\nBut here is our misery, that we no sooner receive any thing for\ntruth, but we presently ascend the chair of infallibility with it,\nas though in this we could not err:  hence it is we are impatient of\ncontradiction, and become uncharitable to those that are not of the\nsame mind; but now a consciousness that we may mistake, or that if\nmy brother err in one thing, I may err in another; this will unite\nus in affection, and engage us to press after perfection, according\nto that of the apostle; Phil. iii. 13-15, \"Brethren, I count not\nmyself to have apprehended:  But this one thing I do, forgetting\nthose things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things\nwhich are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high\ncalling of God in Christ Jesus.  And if in any thing ye be otherwise\nminded, God shall reveal even this unto you.\"  O then that we could\nbut unite and agree to go to God for one another, in confidence that\nhe will teach us; and that if any one of us want wisdom (as who of\nus does not), we might agree to ask of God, who giveth to all men\nliberally, and upbraideth no man!  Let us, like those people spoken\nof in the 2d of Isaiah, say to one another, \"Come, let us go to the\nLord, for he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his\npaths.\"\n\n5.  This unity and peace mainly consists in unity of love and\naffection:  this is the great and indispensable duty of all\nChristians; by this they are declared Christ's disciples; And hence\nit is that love is called \"the great commandment,\" \"the old\ncommandment,\" and \"the new commandment;\" that which was commanded in\nthe beginning, and will remain to the end, yea, and after the end. 1\nCor. xiii. 8, \"Charity never faileth; but whether there be tongues,\nthey shall cease; or whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish\naway.\"  And ver. 13, \"And now abideth faith, hope, charity; but the\ngreatest of these is charity.\"  And Col. iii. 14, \"Above all these\nthings, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness;\" because\ncharity is the end of the commandment, 1 Tim. i. 5.  Charity is\ntherefore called \"the royal law;\" as though it had a superintendency\nover other laws, and doubtless is a law to which other laws must\ngive place, when they come in competition with it; \"above all\nthings, therefore, have fervent charity among yourselves; for\ncharity shall cover the multitude of sins;\" 1 Pet. iv. 8.  Let us\ntherefore live in unity and peace, and the God of love and peace\nwill be with us.\n\nThat you may so do, let me remind you (in the words of a learned\nman), that the unity of the church is a unity of love and affection,\nand not a bare uniformity of practice and opinion.\n\nIII.  Having shewn you wherein this unity consists, I now come to\nthe third general thing propounded:  and that is, to shew you the\nfruits and benefits of unity and peace, together with the mischiefs\nand inconveniences that attend those churches where unity and peace\nare wanting.\n\n1.  Unity and peace is a duty well-pleasing to God, who is styled\nthe author of peace and not of confusion.  In all the churches God's\nSpirit rejoiceth in the unity of our spirits; but on the other hand,\nwhere strife and divisions are, there the Spirit of God is grieved.\nHence it is that the apostle no sooner calls upon the Ephesians not\nto grieve the Spirit of God, but he presently subjoins us a remedy\nagainst that evil, that they put away bitterness and evil-speaking,\nand be kind one to another, and tender-hearted, forgiving one\nanother, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven them; Eph. iv.\n30, 32.\n\n2.  As unity and peace is pleasing to God, and rejoiceth his Spirit,\nso it rejoiceth the hearts and spirits of God's people.  Unity and\npeace brings heaven down upon earth among us:  hence it is that the\napostle tells us, Rom. iv. 17, that \"the kingdom of God is not meat\nand drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.\"\nWhere unity and peace is, there is heaven upon earth; by this we\ntaste the first fruits of that blessed estate we shall one day live\nin the fruition of; when we shall come \"to the general assembly and\nchurch of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and to\nGod the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect;\"\nHeb. xii. 23.\n\nThis outward peace of the church (as a learned man observes) distils\ninto peace of conscience, and turns writings and readings of\ncontroversy into treatises of mortification and devotion.\n\nAnd the Psalmist tells us, that it is not only good, but pleasant\nfor brethren to dwell together in unity, Psalm cxxxiii.  But where\nunity and peace is wanting, there are storms and troubles; \"where\nenvy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work;\" James\niii. 16.  It is the outward peace of the church that increaseth our\ninward joy; and the peace of God's house gives us occasion to eat\nour meat with gladness in our own houses, Acts ii. 46.\n\n3.  The unity and peace of the church makes communion of saints\ndesirable.  What is it that embitters church-communion, and makes it\nburdensome, but divisions?  Have you not heard many complain, that\nthey are weary of church-communion, because of church-contention?\nbut now where unity and peace is, there Christians long for\ncommunion.\n\nDavid saith, that he was glad when they said unto him, \"Let us go to\nthe house of God;\" Psalm cxxii. 1.  Why was this, but because (as\nthe third verse tells us) Jerusalem was a city compact together,\nwhere the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, to give thanks to\nhis name?  And David, speaking of the man that was once his friend,\ndoth thereby let us know the benefit of peace and unity; Psalm lv.\n14.  \"We,\" saith he, \"took sweet counsel together, and walked to the\nhouse of God in company.\"  Where unity is strongest, communion is\nsweetest and most desirable.  You see then that peace and union\nfills the people of God with desires after communion:  but, on the\nother hand, hear how David complains, Psalm cxx., \"Wo is me, that I\nsojourn in Mesech, and that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.\"  The\nPsalmist here is thought to allude to a sort of men that dwelt in\nthe deserts of Arabia, that got their livings by contention; and\ntherefore he adds, ver. 6, that his soul had long dwelt with them\nthat hated peace.  This was that which made him long for the courts\nof God, and esteem one day in his house better than a thousand.\nThis made his soul even faint for the house of God, because of the\npeace of it; \"Blessed are they,\" saith he, \"that dwell in thy house,\nthey will be still praising thee.\"  There is a certain note of\nconcord, as appears, Acts ii., where we read of primitive\nChristians, meeting with one accord, praising God.\n\n4.  Where unity and peace is, there many mischiefs and\ninconveniences are prevented, which attend those people where peace\nand unity are wanting:  and of those many that might be mentioned, I\nshall briefly insist upon these nine.\n\n1.  Where unity and peace is wanting, there is much precious time\nspent to no purpose.  How many days are spent, and how many\nfruitless journeys made to no profit, where the people are not in\npeace? how often have many redeemed time (even in seed-time and\nharvest) when they could scarce afford it, to go to church, and, by\nreason of their divisions, come home worse than they went, repenting\nthey have spent so much precious time to so little benefit?  How sad\nis it to see men spend their precious time, in which they should\nwork out their salvation, in labouring, as in the fire, to prove an\nuncertain and doubtful proposition, and to trifle away their time,\nin which they should make their calling and election sure, to make\nsure of an opinion, which, when they have done all, they are not\ninfallibly sure whether it be true or no, because all things\nnecessary to salvation and church-communion are plainly laid down in\nscripture, in which we may be infallibly sure of the truth of them;\nbut for other things that we have no plain texts for, but the truth\nof them depends upon our interpretations, here we must be cautioned,\nthat we do not spend much time in imposing those upon others, or\nventing those among others, unless we can assume infallibility,\notherwise we spend time upon uncertainty.  And whoever casts their\neyes abroad, and do open their ears to intelligence, shall both see,\nand to their sorrow hear, that many churches spend most of their\ntime in jangling and contending about those things which are neither\nessential to salvation nor church-communion; and that which is\nworse, about such doubtful questions which they are never able to\ngive an infallible solution of.  But now where unity and peace is,\nthere our time is spent in praising God; and in those great\nquestions, What we should do to be saved? and, How we may be more\nholy and more humble towards God, and more charitable and more\nserviceable to one another?\n\n2.  Where unity and peace is wanting, there is evil surmising and\nevil speaking, to the damage and disgrace, if not to the ruining, of\none another; Gal. v. 14, 15.  The whole law is fulfilled in one\nword, \"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  But if you bite\nand devour one another, take heed you be not consumed one of\nanother.\"  No sooner the bond of charity is broken, which is as a\nwall about Christians, but soon they begin to make havock and spoil\nof one another; then there is raising evil reports, and taking up\nevil reports, against each other.  Hence it is that whispering and\nbackbiting proceeds, and going from house to house to blazon the\nfaults and infirmities of others:  hence it is that we watch for the\nhaltings of one another, and do inwardly rejoice at the miscarriages\nof others, saying in our hearts, \"ha! ha! so we would have it:\" but\nnow where unity and peace is, there is charity; and where charity\nis, there we are willing to hide the faults, and cover the\nnakedness, of our brethren.  \"Charity thinketh no evil;\" 1 Cor.\nxiii. 5; and therefore it cannot surmise, neither will it speak\nevil.\n\n3.  Where unity and peace is wanting, there can be no great matters\nenterprised--we cannot do much for God, nor much for one another;\nwhen the devil would hinder the bringing to pass of good in nations\nand churches, he divides their counsels (and as one well observes),\nhe divides their heads, that he may divide their hands; when Jacob\nhad prophesied of the cruelty of Simon and Levi, who were brethren,\nhe threatens them with the consequent of it; Gen. xlix. 7, \"I will\ndivide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.\"  The devil is not\nto learn that maxim he hath taught the Machiavellians of the world,\nDivide et impera; divide and rule.  It is an united force that is\nformidable.  Hence the spouse in the Canticles is said to be but\none, and the only one of her mother; Cant. vi. 9.  Here upon it is\nsaid of her, ver. 10, \"That she is terrible as an army with\nbanners.\"  What can a divided army do, or a disordered army that\nhave lost their banners, or for fear or shame thrown them away?  In\nlike manner, what can Christians do for Christ, and the enlarging of\nhis dominions in the world, in bringing men from darkness to light,\nwhile themselves are divided and disordered?  Peace is to Christians\nas great rivers are to some cities, which (besides other benefits\nand commodities) are natural fortifications by reason whereof those\nplaces are made impregnable; but when, by the subtilty of an\nadversary or the folly of the citizens, these waters come to be\ndivided into little petty rivulets, how soon are they assailed and\ntaken?  Thus it fares with churches, when once the devil or their\nown folly divides them, they will be so far from resisting of him,\nthat they will be soon subjected by him.\n\nPeace is to churches as walls to a city; nay, unity hath defended\ncities that had no walls.  It was once demanded of Agesilaus, why\nLacedemon had no walls; he answers (pointing back to the city), That\nthe concord of the citizens was the strength of the city.  In like\nmanner, Christians are strong when united; then they are more\ncapable to resist temptation, and to succour such as are tempted.\nWhen unity and peace is among the churches, then are they like a\nwalled town; and when peace is the church's walls, salvation will be\nher bulwarks.\n\nPlutarch tells us of one Silurus that had eighty sons, whom he calls\nto him as he lay upon his death-bed, and gave them a sheaf of\narrows, thereby to signify, that if they lived in unity, they might\ndo much, but if they divided, they would come to nothing.  If\nChristians were all of one piece, if they were all but one lump, or\nbut one sheaf or bundle, how great are the things they might do for\nChrist and his people in the world, whereas otherwise they can do\nlittle but dishonour him, and offend his!\n\nIt is reported of the leviathan, that his strength is in his scales;\nJob xli. 15-17, \"His scales are his pride, shut up together as with\na close seal; one is so near to another, that no air can come\nbetween them:  they are joined together, they stick together, they\ncannot be sundered.\"  If the church of God were united like the\nscales of the leviathan, it would not be every brain-sick notion,\nnor angry speculation, that would cause its separation.\n\nSolomon saith, \"Two are better than one,\" because, if one fall, the\nother may raise him; then surely twenty are better than two, and an\nhundred are better than twenty, for the same reason; because they\nare more capable to help one another.  If ever Christians would do\nany thing to raise up the fallen tabernacles of Jacob, and to\nstrengthen the weak, and comfort the feeble, and to fetch back those\nthat have gone astray, it must be by unity.\n\nWe read of the men of Babel, Gen xi. 6, \"The Lord said, Behold, the\npeople are one, &c., and now nothing will be restrained from them\nthat they have imagined to do.\"\n\nWe learn by reason, what great things may be done in worldly\nachievements where unity is; and shall not reason (assisted with the\nmotives of religion) teach us, that unity among Christians may\nenable them to enterprise greater things for Christ?  Would not this\nmake Satan fall from heaven like lightning?  For as unity built\nliteral Babel, it is unity that must pull down mystical Babel.  And,\non the other hand, where divisions are, there is confusion; by this\nmeans a Babel hath been built in every age.  It hath been observed\nby a learned man--and I wish I could not say truly observed--that\nthere is most of Babel and confusion among those that cry out most\nagainst it.\n\nWould we have a hand to destroy Babylon? let us have a heart to\nunite one among another.\n\nOur English histories tell us, that after Austin the monk had been\nsome time in England, he heard of some of the remains of the British\nChristians, which he convened to a place which Cambden in his\nBritannia calls \"Austin's Oak.\"  Here they met to consult about\nmatters of religion; but such was their division, by reason of\nAustin's imposing spirit, that our stories tell us that synod was\nonly famous for this, that they only met and did nothing.  This is\nthe mischief of divisions--they hinder the doing of much good; and\nif Christians that are divided be ever famous for any thing, it will\nbe, that they have often met together, and talked of this and the\nother thing, but they did nothing.\n\n4.  Where unity and peace is wanting, there the weak are wounded,\nand the wicked are hardened.  Unity may well be compared to precious\noil, Psalm cxxxiii. 2.  It is the nature of oil to heal that which\nis wounded, and to soften that which is hard.  Those men that have\nhardened themselves against God, and his people, when they shall\nbehold unity and peace among them, will say, God is in them indeed:\nand on the other hand, are they not ready to say, when they see you\ndivided, That the devil is in you that you cannot agree!\n\n5.  Divisions and want of peace keep those out of the church that\nwould come in; and cause many to go out that are in.\n\n\"The divisions of Christians (as a learned man observes) are a\nscandal to the Jews, an opprobrium to the Gentiles, and an inlet to\natheism and infidelity:\" insomuch that our controversies about\nreligion (especially as they have been of late managed) have made\nreligion itself become a controversy.  O then, how good and pleasant\na thing is it for brethren to dwell together in unity!  The peace\nand unity that was among the primitive Christians drew others to\nthem.  What hinders the conversion of the Jews, but the divisions of\nChristians?  Must I be a Christian? says the Jew.  What Christian\nmust I be? what sect must I be of?  The Jews (as one observes),\nglossing upon that text in Isa. xi. 6, where it is prophesied, That\nthe lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and that there shall\nbe none left to hurt nor destroy in all God's holy mountain:  they\ninterpreting these sayings to signify the concord and peace that\nshall be among the people that shall own the Messiah, do from hence\nconclude, that the Messiah is not yet come, because of the\ncontentions and divisions that are among those that profess him.\nAnd the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xiv. 23, that if an unbeliever should\nsee their disorders, he would say they were mad; but where unity and\npeace is, there the churches are multiplied.  We read, Acts ix.,\nthat when the churches had rest, they multiplied; and Acts ii. 46,\n47, when the church was serving God with one accord, \"the Lord added\nto them daily such as should be saved.\"\n\nIt is unity brings men into the church, and divisions keep them out.\nIt is reported of an Indian, passing by the house of a Christian,\nand hearing them contending, being desired to turn in, he refused,\nsaying, \"Habamach dwells there,\" meaning that the devil dwelt there:\nbut where unity and peace is, there God is; and he that dwells in\nlove, dwells in God.  The apostle tells the Corinthians, that if\nthey walked orderly, even the unbelievers would hereby be enforced\nto come and worship, and say, God was in them indeed.  And we read,\nZech. viii. 23, of a time when ten men shall take hold of a Jew, and\nsay, \"We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.\"\n\nAnd hence it is that Christ prays, John xvii. 21, that his disciples\nmight be one, as the Father and he were one, that the world might\nbelieve the Father sent him:  as if he should say, you may preach me\nas long as you will, and to little purpose, if you are not at peace\nand unity among yourselves.  Such was the unity of Christians in\nformer days, that the intelligent heathen would say of them, that\nthough they had many bodies, yet they had but one soul.  And we read\nthe same of them, Acts iv. 32, that \"the multitude of them that\nbelieved were of one heart and one soul.\"\n\nAnd as the learned Stillingfleet observes in his Irenicum:  \"The\nunity and peace that was then among Christians made religion amiable\nin the judgment of impartial heathens:  Christians were then known\nby the benignity and sweetness of their dispositions, by the candour\nand ingenuity of their spirits, by their mutual love, forbearance,\nand condescension to one another.  But either this is not the\npractice of Christianity (viz., a duty that Christians are now bound\nto observe), or else it is not calculated for our meridian, where\nthe spirits of men are of too high an elevation for it; for if pride\nand uncharitableness, if divisions and strifes, if wrath and envy,\nif animosities and contentions, were but the marks of true\nChristians, Diogenes need never light his lamp at noon to find out\nsuch among us; but if a spirit of meekness, gentleness, and\ncondescension, if a stooping to the weaknesses and infirmities of\none another, if pursuit after peace, when it flies from us, be the\nindispensable duties, and characteristical notes of Christians, it\nmay possibly prove a difficult inquest to find out such among the\ncrowds of those that shelter themselves under that glorious name.\"\n\nIt is the unity and peace of churches that brings others to them,\nand makes Christianity amiable.  What is prophesied of the church of\nthe Jews may in this case be applied to the Gentile church, Isa.\nlxvi. 12, that when once God extends peace to her like a river, the\nGentiles shall come in like a flowing stream; then (and not till\nthen) the glory of the Lord shall arise upon his churches, and his\nglory shall be seen among them; then shall their hearts fear and be\nenlarged, because the abundance of the nations shall be converted to\nthem.\n\n6.  As want of unity and peace keeps those out of the church that\nwould come in, so it hinders the growth of those that are in.  Jars\nand divisions, wranglings and prejudices, eat out the growth, if not\nthe life of religion.  These are those waters of Marah, that\nembitter our spirits, and quench the Spirit of God.  Unity and peace\nis said to be like the dew of Hermon, and as a dew that descended\nupon Sion, where the Lord commanded his blessing; Psalm cxxxiii. 3.\n\nDivisions run religion into briars and thorns, contentions and\nparties.  Divisions are to churches like wars in countries:  where\nwars are, the ground lieth waste and untilled, none takes care of\nit.  It is love that edifieth, but division pulleth down.  Divisions\nare as the north-east wind to the fruits, which causeth them to\ndwindle away to nothing; but when the storms are over, every thing\nbegins to grow.  When men are divided, they seldom speak the truth\nin love; and then no marvel they grow not up to him in all things,\nwho is the head.\n\nIt is a sad presage of an approaching famine (as one well observes),\nnot of bread nor water, but of hearing the word of God, when the\nthin ears of corn devour the plump full ones; when the lean kine\ndevour the fat ones; when our controversies about doubtful things,\nand things of less moment, eat up our zeal for the more indisputable\nand practical things in religion which may give us cause to fear,\nthat this will be the character by which our age will be known to\nposterity--that it was the age that talked of religion most, and\nloved it least.\n\nLook upon those churches where peace is, and there you shall find\nprosperity.  When the churches had rest, they were not only\nmultiplied, but, walking in the fear of the Lord and the comforts of\nthe Holy Ghost, they were edified; it is when the whole body is knit\ntogether, as with joints and hands, that they increase with the\nincrease of God.\n\nWe are at a stand sometimes, why there is so little growth among\nchurches, why men have been so long in learning; and are yet so far\nfrom attaining the knowledge of the truth; some have given one\nreason, and some another; some say pride is the cause, and others\nsay covetousness is the cause.  I wish I could say these were no\ncauses; but I observe, that when God entered his controversy with\nhis people of old, he mainly insisted upon some one sin, as\nidolatry, and shedding innocent blood, &c., as comprehensive of the\nrest; not but that they were guilty of other sins, but those that\nwere the most capital are particularly insisted on:  in like manner,\nwhoever would but take a review of churches that live in contentions\nand divisions, may easily find that breach of unity and charity is\ntheir capital sin, and the occasion of all other sins.  No marvel\nthen, that the Scripture saith, the whole law is fulfilled in love:\nand if so, then where love is wanting, it needs must follow the\nwhole law is broken.  It is where love grows cold that sin abounds;\nand therefore the want of unity and peace is the cause of that\nleanness and barrenness that is among us; it is true in spirituals\nas well as temporals, that peace brings plenty.\n\n7.  Where unity and peace is wanting, our prayers are hindered; the\npromise is, that what we shall agree to ask shall be given us of our\nheavenly Father:  no marvel we pray and pray, and yet are not\nanswered; it is because we are not agreed what to have.\n\nIt is reported that the people in Lacedemonia, coming to make\nsupplication to their idol god, some of them asked for rain, and\nothers of them asked for fair weather:  the oracle returns them this\nanswer, That they should go first and agree among themselves.  Would\na heathen god refuse to answer such prayers in which the supplicants\nwere not agreed, and shall we think the true God will answer them?\n\nWe see then that divisions hinder our prayers, and lay a prohibition\non our sacrifice:  \"If thou bring thy gift to the altar,\" saith\nChrist, \"and there remember that thy brother hath aught against\nthee, leave thy gift, and go, and first be reconciled to thy\nbrother, and then come and offer it.\"  So that want of unity and\ncharity hinders even our particular prayers and devotions.\n\nThis hindered the prayers and fastings of the people of old from\nfinding acceptance; Isa. lviii. 3.  The people ask the reason\nwherefore they fasted, and God did not see nor take notice of them.\nHe gives this reason, Because they fasted for strife and debate, and\nhid their face from their own flesh.  Again, Isa. lix., the Lord\nsaith, his hand was not shortened, that he could not save; nor his\near heavy, that he could not hear:  but their sins had separated\nbetween their God and them.  And among those many sins they stood\nchargeable with, this was none of the least, viz., that the way of\npeace they had not known.  You see where peace was wanting, prayers\nwere hindered, both under the Old and New Testaments.\n\nThe sacrifice of the people, in the 65th of Isaiah, that said,\n\"Stand by thyself, I am holier than thou,\" was a smoke in the\nnostrils of the Lord.  On the other hand, we read how acceptable\nthose prayers were that were made with one accord, Acts iv. 24,\ncompared with verse 31.  They prayed with one accord, and they were\nall of one heart, and of one soul:  And see the benefit of it, \"They\nwere all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke the word with all\nboldness;\" which was the very thing they prayed for, as appears\nverse 29.  And the apostle exhorts the husband to dwell with his\nwife, that their prayers might not be hindered; 1 Pet. iii. 7.  We\nsee then want of unity and peace, either in families or churches, is\na hinderance of prayers.\n\n8.  It is a dishonour and disparagement to Christ that his family\nshould be divided.  When an army falls into mutiny and division, it\nreflects disparagement on him that hath the conduct of it.  In like\nmanner, the divisions of families are a dishonour to the heads, and\nthose that govern them.  And if so, then how greatly do we dishonour\nour Lord and governor, who gave his body to be broken to keep his\nchurch from breaking, who prayed for their peace and unity, and left\npeace at his departing from them for a legacy, even a peace which\nthe world could not bestow upon them.\n\n9.  Where there is peace and unity, there is a sympathy with each\nother; that which is the want of one will be the want of all.  \"Who\nis afflicted,\" saith the apostle, \"and I burn not?\"  We should then\n\"remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which\nsuffer adversity, as being ourselves also of the body;\" Heb. xiii.\n3.  But where the body is broken, or men are not reckoned or\nesteemed of the body, no marvel we are so little affected with such\nas are afflicted.  Where divisions are, that which is the joy of the\none is the grief of another; but where unity and peace and charity\nabound, there we shall find Christians in mourning with them that\nmourn, and rejoicing with them that rejoice; then they will not envy\nthe prosperity of others, nor secretly rejoice at the miseries or\nmiscarriages of any.\n\nIV.  Last of all, I now come to give you twelve directions and\nmotives for the obtaining peace and unity.\n\n1.  If ever we would live in peace and unity, we must pray for it.\nWe are required to seek peace:  of whom then can we seek it with\nexpectation to find it, but of him who is a God of peace, and hath\npromised to bless his people with peace?  It is God that hath\npromised to give his people one heart, and one way; yet for all\nthese things he will be sought unto:  O then let us seek peace, and\npray for peace, because God shall prosper them that love it.\n\nThe peace of churches is that which the apostle prays for in all his\nepistles; in which his desire is, that grace and peace may be\nmultiplied and increased among them.\n\n2.  They that would endeavour the peace of the churches, must be\ncareful who they commit the care and oversight of the churches to;\nas (1.)--Over and besides those qualifications that should be in all\nChristians, they that rule the church of God should be men of\ncounsel and understanding.  Where there is an ignorant ministry,\nthere is commonly an ignorant people, according as it was of old--\nLike priest like people.\n\nHow sad is it to see the church of God committed to the care of such\nthat pretend to be teachers of others, that understand not what they\nsay, or whereof they affirm.  No marvel the peace of churches is\nbroken, when their watchmen want skill to preserve their unity,\nwhich of all other things is as the church's walls; when they are\ndivided, no wonder they crumble to atoms, if there is no skilful\nphysician to heal them.  It is sad when there is no balm in Gilead,\nand when there is no physician there.  Hence it is, that the wounds\nof churches become incurable, like the wounds of God's people of\nold, either not healed at all, or else slightly healed, and to no\npurpose.  May it not be said of many churches this day, as God said\nof the church of Israel, That he sought for a man among them that\nshould stand in the gap, and make up the breach; but he found none?\n\nRemember what was said of old, Mal. ii. 7, The priest's lips\npreserve knowledge:  and the people should seek the law at his\nmouth.  But when this is wanting, the people will be stumbling, and\ndeparting from God and one another; therefore God complains, Hos.\niv. 6, That his people were destroyed for want of knowledge; that\nis, for want of knowing guides; for if the light that is in them\nthat teach be darkness, how great is that darkness! and if the blind\nlead the blind, no marvel both fall into the ditch.\n\nHow many are there that take upon them to teach others, that had\nneed be taught in the beginning of religion; that instead of\nmultiplying knowledge, multiply words without knowledge; and instead\nof making known God's counsel, darken counsel by words without\nknowledge?  The apostle speaks of some that did more than darken\ncounsel; for they wrested the counsel of God; 2 Pet. iii. 16.  In\nPaul's epistles, saith he, \"are some things hard to be understood,\nwhich they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also\nthe other scriptures, to their own destruction.\"  Some things in the\nScriptures are hard to be known, and they are made harder by such\nunlearned teachers as utter their own notions by words without\nknowledge.\n\nNone are more bold and adventurous to take upon them to expound the\ndark mysteries and sayings of the prophets and Revelations, and the\n9th of the Romans, which I believe contains some of those many\nthings which, in Paul's epistles, Peter saith, were \"hard to be\nunderstood;\" I say none are more forward to dig in these mines than\nthose that can hardly give a sound reason for the first principles\nof religion; and such as are ignorant of many more weighty things\nthat are easily to be seen in the face and superficies of the\nScripture; nothing will serve these but swimming in the deeps, when\nthey have not yet learned to wade through the shallows of the\nScriptures:  like the Gnosticks of old, who thought they knew all\nthings, though they knew nothing as they ought to know.  And as\nthose Gnosticks did of old, so do such teachers of late break the\nunity and peace of churches.\n\nHow needful then is it, that if we desire the peace of churches,\nthat we choose out men of knowledge, who may be able to keep them\nfrom being shattered and scattered with every wind of doctrine:  and\nwho may be able to convince and stop the mouths of gainsayers.\n\n(2.)  You must not only choose men of counsel, but if you would\ndesign the unity and peace of the churches, you must choose men of\ncourage to govern them; for as there must be wisdom to hear with\nsome, so there must be courage to correct others:  as some must be\ninstructed meekly, so others must be rebuked sharply, that they may\nbe sound in the faith; there must be wisdom to rebuke some within\nlong-suffering, and there must be courage to suppress and stop the\nmouths of others.  The apostle tells Titus of some whose mouths must\nbe stopped, or else they would subvert whole houses, Titus i. 11.\nWhere this courage hath been wanting, not only whole houses, but\nwhole churches have been subverted.  And Paul tells the Galatians,\nthat when he saw some endeavour to bring the churches into bondage,\nthat he did not give place to them, no not for an hour, &c, Gal. ii.\n5.  If this course had been taken by the rulers of churches, their\npeace had not been so often invaded by unruly and vain talkers.\n\n3.  In choosing men to rule (if you would endeavour to keep the\nunity of the Spirit, and the bond of peace thereby), be careful you\nchoose men of peaceable dispositions.  That which hath much annoyed\nthe peace of churches hath been the froward and perverse spirits of\nthe rulers thereof.  Solomon therefore adviseth, That with a furious\nman we should not go, lest we learn his ways, and get a snare to our\nsouls, Prov. xxii. 24, 25, and with the froward we learn\nfrowardness.  How do some men's words eat like a canker; who instead\nof lifting up their voices like a trumpet to sound a parley for\npeace, have rather sounded an alarm to war and contention.  If ever\nwe would live in peace, let us reverence the feet of them that bring\nthe glad tidings of it.\n\nO how have some men made it their business to preach contentions,\nand upon their entertainment of every novel opinion to preach\nseparation!  How hath God's word been stretched and torn to furnish\nthese men with arguments to tear churches!  Have not our ears heard\nthose texts that say, \"Come out from among them, and be separate,\"\n&c., and \"Withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly?\"  I\nsay, have we not heard these texts that were written to prevent\ndisorder brought to countenance the greatest disorder that ever was\nin the church of God, even schism and division? whereas one of these\nexhortations was written to the church of Corinth to separate\nthemselves from the idol's temple, and the idol's table, in which\nmany of them lived in the participation of, notwithstanding their\nprofession of the true God; as appears, 2 Cor. vi. 1.6, 17, compared\nwith 1 Cor. viii. 7, and as 1 Cor. x. 14, 20, 22, recites; and not\nfor some few or more members, who shall make themselves both judges\nand parties to make separation, when and as often as they please,\nfrom the whole congregation and church of God, where they stood\nrelated; for by the same rule, and upon the same ground, may others\nstart some new question among these new separatists, and become\ntheir own judges of the communicableness of them, and thereupon make\nanother separation from these, till at last two be not left to walk\ntogether.  And for that other text mentioned, 2 Thess. iii. 6, where\nPaul exhorts the church of Thessalonica to withdraw themselves from\nevery brother that walks disorderly; I cannot but wonder that any\nshould bring this to justify their separation or withdrawal from the\ncommunion of a true (though a disorderly) church.  For,\n\n(1.)  Consider, that this was not writ for a few members to withdraw\nfrom the church, but for the church to withdraw from disorderly\nmembers.\n\n(2.)  Consider, that if any offended members, upon pretence of\nerror, either in doctrine or practice, should by this text become\njudges (as well as parties) of the grounds and lawfulness of their\nseparation; then it will follow, that half a score notorious\nheretics, or scandalous livers (when they have walked so as they\nforsee the church are ready to deal with them, and withdraw from\nthem), shall anticipate the church, and pretend somewhat against\nthem, of which themselves must be judges, and so withdraw from the\nchurch, pretending either heresy or disorder; and so condemn the\nchurch, to prevent the disgrace of being condemned by the church.\nHow needful then is it, that men of peaceable dispositions, and not\nof froward and fractious and dividing spirits, be chosen to rule the\nchurch of God, for fear lest the whole church be leavened and soured\nby them!\n\n4.  As there must be care used in choosing men to rule the church of\nGod, so there must be a consideration had, that there are many\nthings darkly laid down in scripture; this will temper our spirits,\nand make us live in peace and unity the more firmly in things in\nwhich we agree; this will help us to bear one another's burdens, and\nso fulfil the law of Christ, inasmuch as all things necessary to\nsalvation and church communion are plainly laid down in scripture.\nAnd where things are more darkly laid down, we should consider that\nGod intended hereby to stir up our diligence, that thereby we might\nincrease our knowledge, and not our divisions, for it may be said of\nall discoveries of truth we have made in the Scriptures, as it is\nsaid of the globe of the earth, that though men have made great\nsearches, and thereupon great discoveries, yet there is still a\nterra incognita, an unknown land; so there is in the Scriptures:\nfor after men have travelled over them, one age after another, yet\nstill there is, as it were, a terra incognita, an unknown track to\nput us upon farther search and inquiry, and to keep us from\ncensuring and falling out with those who have not yet made the same\ndiscoveries; that so we may say with the Psalmist, when we reflect\nupon our short apprehensions of the mind of God, that we have seen\nan end of all perfection, but God's commands are exceeding broad;\nand as one observes, speaking of the Scriptures, that there is a\npath in them leading to the mind of God, which lieth a great\ndistance from the thoughts and apprehensions of men.  And on the\nother hand, in many other places, God sits, as it were, on the\nsuperficies, and the face of the letter, where he that runs may\ndiscern him speaking plainly, and no parable at all.  How should the\nconsideration of this induce us to a peaceable deportment towards\nthose that differ!\n\n5.  If we would endeavour peace and unity, we must consider how God\nhath tempered the body, that so the comely parts should not separate\nfrom the uncomely, as having no need of them; 1 Cor. xii. 23-25.\nThere is in Christ's body and house some members and vessels less\nhonourable; 2 Tim. ii. 20.  And therefore we should not, as some\nnow-a-days do, pour the more abundant disgrace, instead of putting\nthe more abundant honour upon them.  Did we but consider this, we\nshould be covering the weakness, and hiding the miscarriages of one\nanother, because we are all members one of another, and the most\nuseless member in his place is useful.\n\n6.  If we would live in peace, let us remember our relations to God,\nas children to a father, and to each other as brethren.  Will not\nthe thoughts that we have one Father, quiet us; and the thoughts\nthat we are brethren, unite us?  It was this that made Abraham\npropose terms of peace to Lot; Gen. xiii, \"Let there be no strife,\"\nsaith he, \"between us, for we are brethren.\"  And we read of Moses,\nin Acts vii. 26, using this argument to reconcile those that strove\ntogether, and to set them at one again:  \"Sirs,\" saith he, \"you are\nbrethren, why do you wrong one another?\"  A deep sense of this\nrelation, that we are brethren, would keep us from dividing.\n\n7.  If we would preserve peace, let us mind the gifts and graces and\nvirtues that are in each other; let these be more in our eye than\ntheir failings and imperfections.  When the apostle exhorted the\nPhilippians to peace, as a means hereunto, that so the peace of God\nmight rule in their hearts, he tells them, iv. 8, \"That if there\nwere any virtue, or any praise, they should think of these things.\"\nWhile we are always talking and blazoning the faults of one another,\nand spreading their infirmities, no marvel we are so little in peace\nand charity; for as charity covereth a multitude of sins, so malice\ncovereth a multitude of virtues, and makes us deal by one another,\nas the heathen persecutors dealt with Christians, viz., put them in\nbears' skins, that they might the more readily become a prey to\nthose dogs that were designed to devour them.\n\n8.  If we would keep unity and peace, let us lay aside provoking and\ndividing language, and forgive those that use it.  Remember that old\nsaying, \"Evil words corrupt good manners.\"  When men think to carry\nall before them, with speaking uncharitably and disgracefully of\ntheir brethren or their opinions, may not such be answered as Job\nanswered his unfriendly visitants, Job vi. 25, \"How forcible are\nright words; but what doth your arguing reprove?\"  How healing are\nwords fitly spoken?  A word in season, how good is it?  If we would\nseek peace, let us clothe all our treaties for peace with acceptable\nwords; and where one word may better accommodate than another, let\nthat be used to express persons or things by; and let us not, as\nsome do, call the different practices of our brethren, will-worship,\nand their different opinions, doctrines of devils, and the doctrine\nof Balaam, who taught fornication, &c., unless we can plainly, and\nin expressness of terms, prove it so.  Such language as this hath\nstrangely divided our spirits, and hardened our hearts one towards\nanother.\n\n9.  If we would live in peace, let us make the best constructions of\none another's words and actions.  Charity judgeth the best, and it\nthinks no evil; if words and actions may be construed to a good\nsense, let us never put a bad construction upon them.  How much hath\nthe peace of Christians been broken by an uncharitable\ninterpretation of words and actions?  As some lay to the charge of\nothers that which they never said, so, by straining men's words,\nothers lay to their charge that they never thought.\n\n10.  Be willing to hear, and learn, and obey those that God by his\nprovidence hath set over you; this is a great means to preserve the\nunity and peace of churches:  but when men (yea, and sometimes\nwomen) shall usurp authority, and think themselves wiser than their\nteachers, no wonder if these people run into contentions and\nparties, when any shall say they are not free to hear those whom the\nchurch thinks fit to speak to them.  This is the first step to\nschism, and is usually attended, if not timely prevented, with a\nsinful separation.\n\n11.  If you would keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,\nbe mindful, that the God whom you serve is a God of peace, and your\nSaviour is a Prince of peace, and that \"his ways are ways of\npleasantness, and all his paths are peace;\" and that Christ was sent\ninto the world \"to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in\nthe shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.\"\n\n12.  Consider the oneness of spirit that is among the enemies of\nreligion; though they differ about other things, yet to persecute\nreligion, and extirpate religion out of the earth, here they will\nagree; the devils in the air, and the devils in the earth, all the\ndevils in hell, and in the world, make one at this turn.  Shall the\ndevil's kingdom be united; and shall Christ's be divided?  Shall the\ndevils make one shoulder to drive on the design of damning men, and\nshall not Christians unite to carry on the great design of saving of\nthem?  Shall the papists agree and unite to carry on their interest,\nnotwithstanding the multitudes of orders, degrees, and differences,\nthat are among them; and shall not those that call themselves\nreformed churches, unite to carry on the common interest of Christ\nin the world, notwithstanding some petty and disputable differences\nthat are among them?  Quarrels about religion (as one observes) were\nsins not named among the Gentiles.  What a shame is it then for\nChristians to abound in them, especially considering the nature of\nthe Christian religion, and what large provisions the Author of it\nhath made, to keep the profession's of it in peace! insomuch (as one\nwell observes), it is next to a miracle that ever any (especially\nthe professors of it) should fall out about it.\n\n13.  Consider and remember, that the Judge stands at the door.  Let\nthis moderate your spirits, that the Lord is at hand.  What a sad\naccount will they have to make when he comes, that shall be found to\nsmite their fellow-servants, and to make the way to his kingdom more\nnarrow than ever he made it!  Let me close all in the words of that\ngreat apostle, 2 Cor. xiii. 11, \"Finally, brethren, farewell.  Be\nperfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the\nGod of love and peace shall be with you.\"\n\nPostscript.--Reader, I thought good to advertise thee, that I have\ndelivered this to thy hand in the same order and method in which it\nwas preached, and almost in the same words, without any diminishings\nor considerable enlargings, unless it be in the thirteen last\nparticulars; upon some of which I have made some enlargements, which\nI could not then do for want of time; but the substance of every one\nof them was then laid down in the same particular order as here thou\nhast them.  And now I have done, I make no other account (to use the\nwords of a moderate man upon the like occasion) but it will fall out\nwith me, as doth commonly with him that parts a fray, both parties\nmay perhaps drive at me for wishing them no worse than peace.  My\nambition of the public tranquillity of the church of God, I hope,\nwill carry me through these hazards; let both beat me, so their\nquarrels may cease, I shall rejoice in those blows and scars I shall\ntake for the church's safety.","title":"An Exhortation to Peace and Unity","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":12011}