Use 2. Let us be as earnest for unity as Christ ; let us think of charity more than we have done, how to preserve peace, as well as truth. Cer- tainly we that have one Father, are born of one mother, acknowledge one elder brother, even Christ, by whom we are adoj^ted, hope for one patrimony, we should be more careful ' to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.' AVe have a great many contentions now for one holy contention : Heb. x. 24, ' Let us consider one another, to pro- voke to love and to good works.' What arguments sliall I use ? The danger of the Papists on one hand, of sects on the other. Of Papists ; if ever the beast were likely to recover of his wounds, now it is. Our divisions make us first a laughing-stock to the enemy, and then a
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 331
prey ; first we are had in contempt, then they use violence. And it may be just with God to suffer it ; when piety decreaseth, charity is exiled ; and bitterness, partialities, strife, suspicions are only left to reign and flourish. Certainly, if once a peace were settled in the Ke- formed churches, the prophecies concerning antichrist would soon be accomplished ; those relicts of God's election, which do as yet remain in spiritual Babylon, would soon come out from amongst them, who are now scandalised at our divisions : as when a boat is to take in pas- sengers, when all the passengers are in the boat, they launch out, and hoist up sail. They are weary of the idolatry and superstitions of the Eomish church, and would soon break the cords wherewith they are now held ; truth would have a greater power : Acts iv. 32, 33, ' And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul ; neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and grace was upon them all.' As to sects on the other side, libertines daily increase, by means of the divisions amongst them that fear God, and grow formidable in the variety of their combinations and endeavours : Jude 11, ' Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error of Baalam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.' There would be an end of this itch if all that fear God would join together as one man in the defence of the gospel, Alas ! we have striven long enough, hindered the common salvation long enough ; scandals enough have been given : it is high time to renounce all fruits of revenge and ambition, and think of peace and unity.
But you will say, What would you have us to do ?
I answer — Something with God, something as to men. Something with God ; pray and mourn, lay to heart the divisions that are among God's people. I speak for Sion's sake ; we should be very earnest with God for Sion : Isa. Ixii. 1, ' For Sion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burnetii.' A great house is smitten with breaches, and a little house with clefts ; not only kingdoms, but particular families are destroyed, when the members of them are divided in opinions and affections : Ps. cxxii. 6, ' Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ; they shall prosper that love thee.' Let this be your constant request to God ; be not acted with a private factious spirit.
Something is to be done with men. I do not speak now how to keep peace ; it is past that ; but how to restore it now it is lost. What shall we do? The apostle telle th you, Phil. iii. ]5, 16, ' Let us there- fore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded : and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless whereto ye have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.' There is no remedy now left but brotherly forbearance towards those that hold the foundation. It were to be wished that we could agree, not only in fundamentals, but in all other the accessaries of christian doctrine. But this cannot be hoped for. What then ? Shall the rent go further and further without any
332 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIT. [SeR. XIX.
remedy? No; let therefore all parties that, in the judgment of a regular charity, may be presumed to have owned Christ, walk together as\r as they have attained. And how is that ? I can only propound my wishes and desires ; let them, reserving their private differences to themselves, come under some common rule, or solemn acknowledgment of the foundations of religion. What if there were a form drawn up to that purpose, to which both should stand ? I think to state funda- mentals is a matter of great difficulty. God would make us cautious of every truth ; therefore the canon of the scripture is very large. But there are some things propounded in the scriptures as absolutely neces- sary, without which salvation cannot be had. If we were mutually engaged to the profession of these, patiently bearing with one another in "other things undecided, mutually abstaining from magisterial deci- sions and enforcements, and obtruding opinions upon one another by violence, and all rash condemnations, castings out of Christ, limiting religion to our own party, saying, Here is Christ, and there is Christ ; as if Christ were divided ; commending one another's prosperity to God by mutual prayers, this were a healing course. Let us perform all mutual offices of love and spiritual counsel to one another, strength- ening one another in solid piety, holding forth light in the lesser differences, with all modesty and candour; and in civil matters stand- ing as one man against the common enemy, and using endeavours to promote the kingdom of Christ, without any reflections on our private honour, profit, and interests. If this were once done, I doubt not but the fog would vanish, and we should find ourselves nearer to one another than we do imagine. I am not altogether out of hope that this will be done, because of the promises. It is done already in the kin,2:dom of Poland, between the Lutherans and the Calvinists.