laws of Christ do require all men to lead quiet and peaceable,' as well as godly and honest' lives, under the laws of And no man can, with any probable pretence of good conscience, tumultuate against public order and peace, in church or state.

men.

4. Since the Lord doth heal breaches in his church, by his spirit and word, as the ordinary means thereunto,-therefore, special care should be had that these means be duly usel and applied, by authorizing, countenancing, encouraging, protecting, rewarding the faithful ministers of the gospel, in the due discharge of their duties; not suffering their persons, functions, doctrines, labours, or comforts, to be assaulted by any turbulent or malicious opposers.

5. To lay to heart the breaches and differences which are amongst us; and to pour oil and balm into the wounds of the church, and to apply all requisite expedients for the closing of them, considering the great advantages which adversaries take by our differences and divisions.

6. To countenance and encourage fundamental truths, wherein all agree; and as much as may be, to hinder those digladiations, whereby the common enemy is gratified, and his interest promoted by animosities from the press, over which it were very needful that there were a more provident superinspection: there being a great difference between a liberty allowed men between God and their own consciences, and a power to sow their tares, and to spread their leaven into the whole lump.

7. To manage all councils and consultations by the rule of the word. For though I am not of their opinion, who would have no other human laws, but such as are formally to be found in the scripture, yet there are three general rules of equity, truth, justice, expediency, liberty, unto which all human laws should be conformable.

8. To eye and mind the same things; to have all the same joint and honourable ends; to have no divided interests, no domestical reflections; but single upright aims at the glory of God, the truth of the gospel, the power of godliness, the interest of Christ, the souls of men, the peace, tranquillity, and happiness of these nations.

9. Lastly, To wait continually upon God for counsel and guidance by his spirit, for acceptation with him and his

people, for blessing and success upon all righteous and honourable undertakings, that he would give you one heart and one way; and cause you to know the way wherein you should walk; and do nothing by you but that alone which may promote his glory, advance his truth, rejoice his people, tend to the calming of unhappy differences, and to the reducing of these discomposed nations unto unity and serenity. For which purpose let us pray, &c.

BROTHERLY AGREEMENT.

PHIL. ii. 1, 2.

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies; fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

a

с

It was the saying of a wise man, Nihil mihi videtur frigidius quàm Lex cum prologo: that he did not in any wise approve a law with a preface. And we find it enjoined to the orators at Athens, that they should not, in their pleadings, προδιμάζεσθαι οι οἰκτίζεσθαι ; or as Quintilian expresseth it, they were forbidden movere affectus,' to stir up, by their artifices, the affections of anger or pity in the judges, lest thereby the rule of judgement should be wried and made crooked. And one would think, that, of laws, a divine law should not make way for itself by a prologue, nor court those affections which it can command. The apostle telleth us, that his preaching was v modele: it was not suasory, but demonstrative. (1 Cor. ii. 4) Nevertheless, so great is the condescension of God to our frailty, that he doth not only command, but beseech and entreat us; (2 Cor. v. 20) doth not only bind our consciences, but excite our affections, and win our consents to the duties which he teacheth.

And, certainly, if wise and able speakers do ever proportion their importunities to the greatness and consequence of the matter which they speak unto, and do not spend a high wálos upon a low argument; we may, from the vehement preface, and most pathetical obtestation which the apostle

a Senec. ep. 94.

Athenæus 1. 13. c. 6. Aristot. Rhet. 1. 1. c. 1.

• Quintil. Orat. Instit. 1. 2. c. 16. et 1. 6. c. 1.

here useth, safely infer the very great urgency and necessity of the duties so enforced. For I am persuaded, that there is scarce, in all the scripture, to be found, an exhortation wherein the duties required are set on with more vehement and invincible obsecration, with more melting and conquering persuasions, than in the words of my text.

It may seem, that the Philippians were assaulted with false teachers, who sought to bring them under the bondage of carnal and legal ordinances, by whose impostures they were in danger to be broken asunder into discords and seditions, and thereby to have a door opened unto all wicked and impure doctrines. And therefore as he doth enter a caveat and muniment against the sorceries of those men, (Chap. iii. 2) so he doth once and again press upon the Philippians, the duty of spiritual constancy and unity in the faith of the gospel; and that they should not, by the fear of persecution, be persuaded to entertain the doctrine of circumcision, (which for that reason the false apostles did preach, Gal. vi. 12) but should remember, that God doth give unto believers ability to suffer in behalf of Christ.' (Chap. i. 27, 29)

Neither doth the apostle satisfy himself with a simple and naked proposing of this duty: but, in the words of the text, he doth urge it again with a most elegant and most prevalent obtestation, as it were charming and adjuring them by whatever was dear and precious in their eyes, as they had any sense, or did set any value upon the most high and heavenly privileges of Christianity, to be "like-minded, to have the same love, to be of one accord, and of one mind."

How loudly the condition of the times wherein we live, the miserably shattered and divided minds and hearts of the people, crumbled into atoms of opinions, engaged upon contrary interests, inflamed with jealousies and animosities, displeased with what is, inhiating and lingering after new things; like sick men, who nauseate what is set before them, and desiring things which themselves fancy; variety of conceits, spinning and weaving themselves into various contextures of doctrine and policy;-how loudly, I say, the conditions of these times, and the dangers inevitably waiting upon such divisions, do call upon all of us, to bemoan ourselves hitherto in the words of the prophet: "Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace,

and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble: we acknowledge, Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against thee;" (Jer. xiv. 19, 20) how loudly they call upon you, whose office it is to be healers of the people, (Isai. iii. 7) to be of "one mind, and of one heart" in your consultations; I need not stand to demonstrate unto you. "Res ipsa clamat;" and he must needs be destitute of eyes and sense, who is not apprehensive of it. For which purpose, I have pitched upon this most emphatical exhortation, to open a little unto you this most necessary duty.

In the words there is very little difficulty; and therefore I shall not detain you with any unnecessary explication, which we shall sufficiently do in handling the particular parts of them.

In the whole context, then, we have three general parts. 1. The matter of the duties variously proposed, ver. 2. 2. The manner of pressing them, very earnest and pathetical, ver. 1. 3. The means of procuring them, being all of further duties, ver. 3, 4, 5.

them so many

I. The main duties are two, Αὐτοφρόνησις, and Αὐτογάπη, (if I may take the liberty to coin the words); to mind the same things, and to love the same things. The one important consent of judgement in the same doctrines; and the other, consent of wills and affections in the same care one of another; and bearing one with another in those unwilling differences, which we cannot presently conquer.

Either of these duties seems to have a basis and foundation joined unto it for the more sure and easy raising of it; for I would not willingly admit a tautology in the text. The basis of the former is ἑνοφρόνησις, οι τὸ ἓν φρονεῖν, to have an unity wherein we all agree, one foundation upon which we all build. For the fundamentals in religion being firmly held, there is a sure preparation towards agreement in other doctrines, which have a natural deduction from them.

The basis of the latter is ouuuxía, to have the same soul, to be animated and enlivened by the same holy spirit, whereby we are made members of the body; and so, as members, cannot but have a natural love and care one towards another.

II. The manner of pressing these duties seemeth to have