unity amongst brethren in the church, is an excellent means to glorify God, when with one mind and mouth we call upon him, and serve him with one consent;-and to farther the gospel, and gain it honour and credit even in the hearts of strangers. The heathen themselves took notice of the love of Christians, as Minutius Felix telleth us; "Vide," say they," ut se diligunt Christiani!"

3. A Possibili.' Our endeavours in this kind are not after things, which are unattainable; for Christ hath, by the blood of his cross, procured the church's peace', and by his powerful intercession, prayeth for it. Since therefore Christ died not in vain, but did see of the travail of his soul, and was heard in every prayer which he made; it is certain that the Lord will, in due time, pour out upon his people a spirit of unity, and close up the breaches of his tabernacle. As it is our duty to seek peace, so is it his promise to work it; he is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

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4. A Facili.' It is not only possible, but easy for believers to be at peace one with another. Those things which are natural, are ever wrought without difficulty. It is not hard for the sun to shine, or the fire to burn. Nothing more easy than for the members in one body to agree with one another. And believers are members of the same body, and have one common spirit to actuate and animate them; and therefore should suffer and rejoice together, and be kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly love; as the apostle argueth. (Rom. xii. 4, 10. 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13, 25, 26)

5. 'Ab Utili;' from the great good and advantage, which hereby cometh unto the church. It is as the dew of Hermon, which bringeth a blessing with it. It strengtheneth against all adverse power, and maketh the church terrible as an army with banners. It openeth the passages for the communion of saints, that they may derive good from one another by the supply that every joint maketh: as divers members in the body have divers uses; the eye to see, the ear to hear, the tongue to speak, the hand to work; and

h

these uses mutually serviceable to the good of each other, and union a necessary bond of this service: so in the church or body of Christ, every member hath his measure of gifts and graces, by which he may be profitable to the whole; one, the spirit of wisdom; another, of knowledge; one able to counsel; another, to comfort; one, to exhort; another, to rebuke. What is wanting in one, is supplied by another; and this supply is made by those joints, whereby these divers members are united together. " Love is the Vehiculum of all that help and service, which one Christian man deriveth upon another. Hereby we serve one another, and edify one another; we bear with the infirmities, sustain the burthens, and rejoice in the comforts, mourn in the sorrows, distribute to the necessities, pray for the souls, of one another. By this means, the graces of the church are more bright and resplendent; as the flame which ariseth out of united fuel, is much greater than that which each stick alone by itself doth render. And hence it is that the servants of God do love the habitation of his house, and the place where his honour dwelleth': assembling themselves there together with one accord ", because he hath promised that in every place where he recordeth his name, he will come unto them, and bless them" and by this means there were added to the church daily such as should be saved.

6. A Jucundo et honesto.' It is not only good, but pleasant, for brethren to dwell together in unity; not only as the dew of Hermon for profit, but as the ointment on the head of Aaron for comfort and delight. In the united assemblies of the saints, we behold the beauty of the Lord. P When the members are disjointed, the body is deformed: shave away the eye-brows only from the face, "Quantillum decedit de corpore, quantum de pulchritudine," saith St. Austin; you much lessen the beauty, by so little lessening the body. Now a schism in the church, is the same deformity as a mutilation in the body.

7. Ab Exemplo,' from the great examples which we have of peace in the word. God known by the name of 'a God

of peace, with whom his people, having acquaintance and communion, are at peace. Christ by the name of a Prince of Peace ;' who as he is not divided in himself, so neither should he be divided in his members. Our consolation in him should make us be of one accord, and of one mind. The primitive church a mirror of unity and peace; the multitude of believers were of one heart, and of one soul": "et primum in unoquoque genere est Regula cæterorum."

8. Ab Evangelio,' from the nature of the gospel,—which is called by the apostle, a gospel of peace ;' whereby we are called unto peace; by the power whereof the rage of lions and bears is calmed and subdued 2; much more should the sheep of Christ be preserved from biting and devouring one another. It is a presage of rain and storms, when sheep run heads together: and certainly it bodeth no good unto the church, when the sheep of Christ are at discord one with another.

b

Lastly, A Sacramentis,' which are 'sigilla et vincula pacis ;' from the sacraments which are the seals and bands of Christian peace.-In baptism we were baptized into one body; in the Lord's supper, we, being many, are one bread, and one body; for we are partakers of that one bread. As the wine is made of many grapes pressed into one liquor, and the bread of many grains moulded into one lump; so the church of many believers, compacted together by one spirit of faith and love into one mystical body.

I shall conclude this exhortation with two or three solemn and emphatical passages of the apostle ", pressing Christians unto this duty; "Let us," saith he, "follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." And again; "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgement." And again, "Be perfect, be of good comfort,

e Sicut multa grana unum panem conficiunt, et ex multis racemis unum vinum extrahitur, sic ex multis hominibus Christi corpus efficitur. Serm. 28. ad fratres in eremo, apud. Aug. d Rom, xiv. 19. 1 Cor. i. 10. 2 Cor. xiii. 11. Phil.

ii. 1, 2. 2 Thess. iii. 16. Rom. xv. 5.

be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." And again; "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." Unto which I shall subjoin the same apostle's pathetical prayer; "The Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. And, The God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may, with one mind, and with one mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Before I leave this seasonable and necessary argument, let us, in a few words, consider, what is to be done in differences of judgement and divisions of mind, to heal the breaches, and to recover the peace of a disjointed and dilacerated church.

And here it cannot be denied, but that in all ages of the church, there have been, and still are like to be, varieties of judgement among the members thereof. For

1. The best proficients know but in part, and prophesy but in part.

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2. There are many things very abstruse and difficult in the disquisition of divine truth. Religion hath its duσvóta 'things hard to be understood, as well as other sciences.

3. There is in many men much weakness of judgement, to make search and enquiry into these things, or to discover ⚫ veritatem in puteo latentem.'

4. There is much carelessness of heart in many men to try the spirits, and to prove all things; they sleep, while the enemy soweth tares. h

5. There is in many men a levity, lubricity, and discomposedness of mind, whereby they are apt to be carried away with every wind of doctrine; and, out of simplicity and credulity, to be wrought upon by the cunning of those who are skilful to deceive.

6. Some have itching ears, hearkening always after new

e 1 Cor. xiii. 9.

b Matth. xiii. 21.

xiii. 18, 19.

i Eph. iv. 14. Rom. xvi. 18. Col. ii. 4. 1 Kings

* 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4. Jude v. 16.

things, whom manna will not please without quails; who have some particular men's persons in admiration, and give up themselves, by a blind obedience and implicit faith, into their hands, to be led by them into novel and singular opinions.

7. Prevailing of lust and domestical interest, doth, in many men, darken their minds, and entangle their judgements, and betray them into that sad condition of being given over to strong delusions, to believe lies. Upon these and such like reasons, there have been always differences in the church. We find a contention between Paul and Barnabas ", and between Paul and Peter. We find some for Paul, others for Apollos; and some for Cephas; and others for none of them all, but for Christ without them. We find some building upon the foundation, silver and gold"; and others, hay and stubble. We read of great differences between the eastern and western churches, touching the observation of Easter,and between the Roman and African churches in the matter of rebaptization; of many sharp dissensions between sundry great and famous bishops and pastors of the ancient churches. To say nothing of the present sad experience which we may, every where, observe of the same truth,-the scripture hath foretold it, (and it cannot be otherwise) that there "must be heresies and offences." Nevertheless, we must not hereby be discouraged from using all pious and prudent endeavours for pacification of the persons so dissenting; concerning which accommodation we are to distinguish,

1. Of opinions: whereof some are in the foundation P, in those primitive articles of faith, and essentials of religion, on which the house of God is built; the errors contrary whereunto are subversive, pernicious, and damnable. Some are only in the superstruction, which are not 'fidei,' but quæstionum '; which do not overturn the edifice, nor endanger the vitals of religion. Such were in the apostle's time, disputes touching meats, and drinks, and days, and things indifferent: wherein though men abound in their own sense, yet it must ever be with meekness, and with

12 Thess. ii. 10, 11. 1 Tim. vi. 10.

1 Cor. i. 12, 13.

xi. 19.

n 1 Cor. iii. 12.

m Acts xv. 39. Gal. ii. 11, 13. • Matth. xviii. 17. 1 Cor. q 2 Pet. ii, 1. Rom. xiv. 5, 6. 1 Cor. viii. 8, 9.

P Matth. vii. 24. 1 Cor. iii. 9, 10. Heb. vi. 1.

Aug. de Peccat. Orig. cap. 23.