Chapter 9

You may, from what has been spoken, perceive how upon your own principles you are utterly disenabled to exercise any true moderation towards Dissenters from you: and that which you do so exercise, we are beholding for it, as Cicero said of the honesty of some of the Epicureans, to the goodness of their nature which the illness of their opinions cannot corrupt. Neither are you any way enabled by them to reduce men to the unity of faith; so that, you are not more happy in your proposing of good ends to yourself, than you are unhappy in chusing mediums for the effecting of them. It may be, for your own skill, you are able like Archimedes to remove the earthly-bull of our contentions; but you are like him again, that you have no where to stand while you go about your work. However we thank you for your good intentions; In magnis voluisse, is no small commendation. Protestants on the other side, you see, are furnished with firm stable principles and rules in the pursuit both of moderation and unity: and there are some things in themselves very practicable, and naturally deducible from the principles of Protestants, wherein the compleat exercise of moderation may be obteined, and a better progress made towards unity than is likely to be by a rigid contending to impose different principles on one another; or by impetuous clamours of lo here and lo there, which at present most men are taken up withall. Some few of them I shall name to you, as a pacifick Coronis to the preceding [illegible] Discourse; and — Si quid novisti rectius istis Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum. And they are these:

Whereas our Savior has determined that our happiness consisteth not in the knowing the things of the Gospel, but in doing of them; and seeing that no man can expect any benefit or advantage from or by Christ Jesus, but only they that yield obedience to him, to whom alone he is a Captain of Salvation; the first thing wherein all that profess Christianity ought to agree and consent together is, jointly to obey the commands of Christ, to live godly, righteously and soberly in this present world, following after holiness without which no man shall see God. Until we all agree in this, and make it our business, and fix it as our end, in vain shall we attempt to agree in notional and speculative truths; nor would it be much to our advantage so to do. For as I remember I have told you before, so I now on this occasion tell you again, it will at the last day appear, that it is all one to any man what party or way in Christian Religion he has been of, if he have not personally been born again, and upon mixing the promises of Christ with faith, have thereupon yielded obedience to him to the end. I confess men may have many advantages in one way that they may not have in another: they may have better means of instruction, and better examples for imitation; but as to the event, it will be one and the same with all unbelievers, all unrighteous, and ungodly persons. And men may be very zealous believers in a party, who are in the sight of God unbelievers as to the whole design of the Gospel. This is a principle wherein as I take it all Christians agree, namely that the profession of Christianity will do no man the least good as to his eternal concernments, that lives not up to the power of it; yes, it will be an aggravation of his condemnation. And the want hereof, is that which has lost all the lustre and splendor of the religion taught by Jesus Christ in the world. Would Christians of all parties make it their business to retrieve its reputation, wherein also their own bliss and happiness is involved, by a universal obedience to the precepts of it, it would insensibly sink a thousand of their differences under ground. Were this attended to, the world would quickly say with admiration Magnus ab integro sæloram nascitur ordo: Jam nova progenies Coelo demittitur alto. The old glorious beautiful face of Christianity would be restored to it again, which many deform more and more every day by painting a dead carcass in stead of the living Spouse of Christ. And if ever we intend to take one step towards any agreement or unity, it must be by fixing this principle in the minds of all men, that it is of no advantage to any man whatever Church or way in Christian Religion he be of, unless he personally believe the promises, and live in obedience to all the precepts of Christ. And that for him who does so, that it is a trampling of the whole Gospel underfoot to say that his salvation could be endangered, by his not being of this or that Church or way; especially considering how much of the world has immixed itself into all the known ways that are in it. Were this once well fixed on the minds of men, and did they practically believe that men shall not be dealt withal at the last day by gross, as of this or that party or Church, but that every individual person must stand upon his own bottom, live by his own faith, or perish for want of it, as if there had been no other persons in the world but himself; we should quickly find their keenness in promoting and contending for their several parties, taken off, their heat allayed, and they will begin to find their business and concernment in Religion to be utterly another matter than they thought of. For the present, some Protestants think that when the Roman Power is by one means or other broken which they expect, that then we shall agree and have peace; Romanists on the other side look for, and desire the extirpation of all that they call Heresy or Heretics by one way or other: some pretending highly to moderation on both sides, especially among the Protestants, hope that it may be attained, by mutual condescension of the parties at variance, contemperation of opinions and practices to the present distant apprehensions and interests of the chief leaders of either side; what issue and event their desires, hopes, and attempts, will have, time will show to all the world. For my part, until by a fresh pouring out of the Spirit of God from on high, I see Christians in profession, agreeing in pursuing the end of Christianity, endeavoring to be followers of Jesus Christ in a conversation becoming the Gospel, without trusting to the parties wherein they are engaged; I shall have very little hopes to see any unity among us, that shall be one jot better than our present differences. To see this, if any thing, would make me say O mihi tam longe maneat pars ultima vitae. The present face of Christianity makes the world a wearisome wilderness. Nor should I think any thing a more necessary duty, than it would be for persons of piety and ability to apologize for the religion of Jesus Christ; and to show how unconcerned it is in the ways and practices of the most that profess it; and how utterly another thing it is, from what in the world it is represented to be, so to put a stop to that atheism which is breaking in upon us from the contempt that men have of that idea of Christian Religion which they have taken from the manner of its profession, and lives of its professors; were it not that I suppose it more immediately incumbent on them and us all, to do the same work in a real expression of its power and excellency, in such a kind of goodness, holiness, righteousness, and heavenliness of conversation, as the world is only as yet in secret acquainted withal. When this is done, the way for a further agreement will be open and facile; and, until it be so, men will fight on, Ipsique, nepotesque Et nati natorum, & qui nascentur ab illis. We shall have no end of our quarrels. Could I see a heroic temper fall on the minds of men of the several parties at variance, to bid adieu to the world, its customs, manners, and fashions, which are all vain and perishing, not in a local corporeal retirement from the men and lawful businesses of it, or a relinquishment of the necessary callings and employments in it, but in their spirits and affections; could I see them taking up the Cross of Christ, not on their backs in its figure, but on their hearts in its power, and in their whole conversation conforming themselves to his blessed example, so teaching all others of their parties what it is that they build upon for a blessed eternity, that they may not please and deceive themselves with their conceited orthodoxy in the trifling differences which they have with other Christians, I should hope the very name of persecution and every thing that is contrary to Christian moderation would quickly be driven out of Christendom, and that error, and whatever is contrary to the unity of faith, would not be long lived after them. But while these things are far from us, let us not flatter ourselves, as though a windy flourish of words had any efficacy in it to bring us to moderation and unity. At variance we are, and at variance we must be content to be; that being but one of the evils that at this day triumph in the world over conquered Christianity. This being supposed.

Whereas the doctrine of God is a mystery, in the knowledge whereof men attain to wisdom, according to that measure of light and grace, which the Spirit who divides to every man as he will is pleased to communicate to them, if men would not frame any other rule or standard to that wisdom, and the various degrees of it but only that which God himself has assigned thereunto, the fuel would upon the matter be wholly taken away from the fire of our contentions. All men have not, nor let men pretend what they please to the contrary ever had, nor ever will have the same light, the same knowledge, the same spiritual wisdom and understanding, the same degree of assurance, the same measure of comprehension in the things of God. But while they have the same rule, the same objective revelation, the use of the same means to grow spiritually wise in the knowledge of it, they have all the agreement that God has appointed for them, or calls them to. To frame for them all in rigid confessions, or systems of supposed credible propositions a Procrustes bed to stretch them upon, or crop them to the size of, so to reduce them to the same opinion in all things, is a vain and fruitless attempt that men have for many generations wearied themselves about, and yet continue so to do. Remove out of the way anathemas upon propositions arbitrarily composed and expressed, philosophical conclusions, rules of faith of a mere humane composure, or use them no otherwise but only to testify the voluntary consent of mens minds, in expressing to their own satisfaction the things which they do believe, and let men be esteemed to believe and to have attained degrees in the faith according as they are taught of God, with an allowance for every one's measure of means, light, grace, gifts, which are not things in our own power, and we shall be nearer to quietness than most men imagine. When Christians had any unity in the world, the Bible alone was thought to contain their religion, and every one endeavored to learn the mind of God out of it, both by their own endeavors, and as they were instructed therein by their guides; neither did they pursue this work with any other end, but only that they might be strengthened in their faith and hope, and learn to serve God and obey him, that so they might come to the blessed enjoyment of him. Nor will there ever, I fear, be again any unity among them, until things are reduced to the same state and condition. But among all the vanities that the minds of men are exercised with in this world, there is none to be compared to that, of their hoping and endeavoring to bring all persons that profess the religion of Jesus Christ, to acquiesce in the same opinions about all particulars, which are any way determined to belong thereunto; especially considering how endlessly they are multiplied and branched into instances, such for ought appears the first churches took little or no notice of; no, neither knew, nor understood any thing of them, in the sense and terms wherein they are now proposed as a tessera of communion among Christians. In a word; leave Christian religion to its primitive liberty, wherein it was believed to be revealed of God, and that revelation of it to be contained in the Scripture, which men searched and studied, to become themselves, and to teach others to be wise in the knowledge of God, and living to him, and the most of the contests that are in the world, will quickly vanish and disappear. But while every one has a confession, a way, a church, and its authority, which must be imposed on all others, or else he cries to his nearest relations *Lupis & agnis quanta sortito obtigit Tecum mihi discordia est*, we may look for peace, moderation, and unity, when we are here no more, and not sooner: so that

III. If those theological determinations that make up at this day among some men the greatest part of those assertions, positions, or propositions, which are called articles of faith, or truth, which are not delivered in the words that the Spirit of God teaches, but in terms of art, and in answer to rules and notions, which the world might happily without any great disadvantage been unacquainted withal to this day, had not Aristotle found them out, or stumbled on them, might be eliminated from the city of God, and communion of Christians, and left for men to exercise their wits about who have nothing else to do, and the doctrine of truth which is according to godliness, left to that noble, heavenly, spiritual generous amplitude wherein it was delivered in the Scripture and believed in the first churches, innumerable causes of strife and contentions would be taken away: but — ferri video me à gaudia ventis, small hopes have I to see any such impression and consent to befall the minds of concerned men; and yet I must confess, I have not one jot more, of the reuniting the disciples of Christ in love and concord. But most men that profess any thing of divinity, have learned it as an art, or human science; out of the road, compass, and track whereof, they know nothing of the mind of God; no, many scarce know the things in themselves and as they are to be believed, which they are passing skillful in, as they are expressed in their arbitrary terms of art, which none almost understand but themselves. And is it likely that such men who are not a few in the world, will let go their skill and knowledge, and with them their reputation and advantage, and to sacrifice them all to the peace and agreement that we are seeking after? Some learn their divinity out of the late, and modern schools, both in the Reformed and papal church; in both which a science is proposed under that name, consisting in a farrago of credible propositions, asserted in terms suited to that philosophy that is variously predominant in them. What a kind of theology this has produced in the papacy, Agricola, Erasmus, Vives, Jansenius, with innumerable other learned men of your own, have sufficiently declared. And that it has any better success in the Reformed churches, many things which I shall not now instance in, give me cause to doubt. Some boast themselves to learn their divinity from the Fathers, and say they depart not from their sense and idiom of expression in what they believe and profess: but we find by experience, that what for want of wisdom and judgment in themselves, what for such reasons taken from the writings which they make their oracles, which I shall not insist upon, much of the divinity of some of these men consists in that, which to avoid provocation I shall not express. While men are thus prepossessed, it will be very hard to prevail with them to think, that the greatest part of their divinity, is such, that Christian religion, either as to the matter, or at least as to that mode wherein alone they have imbibed it, is little or not at all concerned in; nor will it be easy to persuade them that it is a mystery laid up in the Scripture; and all true divinity a wisdom in the knowledge of that mystery; and skill to live to God accordingly; without which as I said before, we shall have no peace or agreement in this world. Nobis curiositate opus non est post Jesum Christum, nec inquisitione post Evangelium, says Tertullian. Curiosity after the doctrine of Christ, and philosophical inquisitions (in religion) after the Gospel belongs not to us. As we are

IV. It were well, if Christians would but seriously consider, what and how many things they are wherein their present apprehensions of the mind and will of God do center and agree; I mean as to the substance of them, their nature and importance, and how far they will lead men in the ways of pleasing God, and coming to the enjoyment of him. Were not an endeavour to this purpose impeded by many mens importunate cries of all or none, as good nothing at all, as not every thing, and that in this or that way, mode, or fashion; it might not a little conduce to the peace of Christendom. And I must acknowledge to you, that I think it is prejudice, carnal interest, love of power, and present enjoyments, with other secular advantages, joined with pride, self-will and contempt of others, that keep the professors of Christianity from conspiring to improve this consideration. But God help us, we are all for parties, and our own exact being in the right, and therein the only Church of Christ in the earth; at least that others are so, only so far as they agree with us, we being ourselves the rule and standard of all Gospel church state, laying weight upon what we differ from others in, for the most part exceedingly above what it does deserve. Were the same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus, the same frame of spirit that was in his blessed Apostles, we should be willing to try the effects of his love and care towards all that profess his Name, by a sedate consideration at least, how far he has instructed them in the knowledge of his will, and what effects this learning of him may produce. And to tell you truly; I do not think there is a more horrid monster in the earth than that opinion is, which in the great diversity that there is among Christians in the world, includes happiness and salvation within the limits and precincts of any party of them; as though Christ, and the Gospel, their own faith, obedience, and sufferings, could not possibly do them any good in their station and condition. This is that [illegible],—Cui tristia bella, Iraque insidiaeque & crimina noxia Cordi, Odit & ipse pater [illegible]ton, odere sorores Tartareae Monstrum: Tot sese vertit in ora. Tam saevae facies, tot pullulat atra Colubris. Wherever this opinion takes place, which indeed bids defiance to the goodness of God, and the blood of Christ with a gigantic boldness, for men to talk of moderation, unity, and peace, is to mock others and to befool themselves in things of the greatest importance in the world: altera manu ostentant panem, altera lapidem ferunt. For my own part, I have not any firmer persuasion in and about these things, nor that yields more satisfaction and contentment to my mind in reflections upon it, than this; that if a man sincerely believe all that, and only that, wherein all Christians in the world agree, and yield obedience to God according to the guidance of what he does so believe, not neglecting or refusing the knowledge of any one truth that he has sufficient means to be instructed in, he need not go to any Church in the world to secure his salvation: Hic murus aheneus esto. It is true, it is the duty of such a man, to join himself to some Church of Christ or other, which walks in professed subjection to his institutions, and in the observation of his appointments. But to think that his not being of, or joining with this or that society, should cut him off from all hopes of a blessed eternity, is but to entertain a viper in our minds, or to act suitably to the principles of the old Serpent, and to put forth the venom of his poison. Some of the ancients indeed tell us, that out of the Catholic Church there is no salvation. And so say I also; but withal, that the belief mentioned of the truths generally embraced by Christians in their present divisions in the world, (I still speak of the most famous and numerous societies of them,) and its profession, do so constitute a man a member of the Catholic Church, that while he walks answerably to his profession, it is not in the power of this, or that, no not of all the Churches in the world, to divest him of that privilege. Nor can all these cries that are in the world, We are the Church, and we are the Church; you are not the Church, and you are not the Church, persuade me but that as every assembly in the general notion of it is a Church, so every assembly of Christians that ordinarily meet to worship God in Christ according to his appointment, is a Church of Christ, Haec mi pater Te dicere aequum fuit & id defendere. When you talked of moderation and unity, such principles as these, had better become you, than those which you either privately couched in your discourse, or openly insisted on. Men that think of reducing unity among Christians, upon the precise terms of that truth which they suppose themselves in solidum possessors of, Ipsi sibi somnia fingunt, do but entertain themselves with pleasant dreams, which a little consideration may awake them from. Charity, condescension, a retrenchment of opinions with a rejection of secular interests, and a design for the pursuit of general obedience, without any such respect to the particular enclosures which diversity of opinions and different measures of light and knowledge have made in the field of the Lord as should confine the effects of any duty towards the disciples of Christ, to those within them, with the like actings of minds suited to the example of Jesus Christ, must introduce the desired unity, or we shall expect it in vain.

These are some of my hasty thoughts upon the principles of Protestants before mentioned, which you and others, may make use of, as you and they please. In the mean time, I shall pray that we may amidst all our differences, love one another, pray for one another, wait patiently for the communication of farther light to one another, leave evil surmizes, and much more the condemning and seeking the ruine of those that dissent from us, which men usually do on various pretences, most of them false and coyned for the present purpose. And when we can arrive thereunto, I shall hope that from such generall principles as before mentioned, somewhat may be advanced towards the peace of Christians; and that there will be so, when the whole concernment of religion shall in the Providence of God be unravelled from that worldly and secular interest, wherewith it has been wound up and entangled for sundry ages; and when men shall not be ingaged from their cradles to their graves in a precipitate zeal for any church, or way of profession, by outward advantages inseparably mixed and blended with it before they came into the world. In the mean time, to expect unity in profession, by the reduction of all men to a precise agreement in all the doctrines that have been and are ventilated among Christians, and in all acts and ways of worship; is to refer the supream and last determination of things evangelical to the sword secular power, and violence; and to inscribe vox ultima Christi, upon great guns and other engines of war; seing otherwise it will not be effected, and what may be done this way I know not. Sponte tonat coeunt ipsae sine flamine nubes.