P.

56.

I Cor. 3. 4.

c. 1. 13.

Eph.4.4.5.6.

P. 51.

C. I. 13.

But our

Calvin, I am of Knipperdoling, I am of Fox or Nailor) are ye not Carnal? Is Chrift divided? Is there any more then one Body,one Spirit, one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one God and Father of all? Where there are the true Fundamentals of Religion and the genuine Apoftolical Conftitutions kept Vinc. Lir. c. 3. up (which have been own'd and profest every where, always, and by all,) there can be no folid ground or occafion for divifions amongst us. cunning Adverfaries and their Emiffaries have Subtily invented many many Scru ples about the outward Practice of Worship and meer Formal Expreffions of Religion; and industriously scatter'd and infinuated them up and down amongst us; and in weak, injudicious, and unfettled Minds have conjur'd up that frightfull Bug-bear of (at least pretended) tenderness of Confcience; that our pre2 Tim. 3. 5.fent divifions are only about the meer outward forms of Godliness, but no ways against the Doctrine and Power thereof deliver'd unto us by Chrift and his Apoftles. All our National Churches and publick Societies are naturally fond of the outward Dress and Fashion of Religion, into which they were put by their first Reformers; and the crafty Seminaries of Rome, under the falfe Difguife of Angels of Light, fecretly and studiously promote this Stiffness and Rigidness of Party against Party, of Nation against Nation; and privately creeping into Houfes and Corners, daily raife and foment new Scruples and Diffentions in private Men amongst them. Yet every where thefe poor deluded Creatures unanimoufly declaim and rail against the Pope, not difcerning that by their Schifms, they in the mean time infallibly do his Work. The very fame ill fuccess must needs attend that late pious defign of other Nations as well as our own, for propagating Christianity in both the Indies; our Miffioners will affuredly endeavour to fettle the Doctrine and Difcipline of our Church; the Lutherans and Calvinifts, the Quakers and other Sectaries and new Apoftles, without all doubt will attempt the fame; as the Papifts have for a long time here and there fucceffully (if you will believe them) done it before them; and as we fo lately have seen it practifed in turning Cyril Lucar one way, and Dofit heus another. Now what will the Wifer and Discreeter fort of Heathens think or say of Chriftians, whom they find thus divided amongst themselves? Muft it not be fomething like this, is their God the true God of Peace and Love more then ⚫ each particular God of our own? Do they agree more then we? Are not their divifions and mutual Perfecutions and Hatred of one another, as amazing and Rom. 1. 21, odious as thofe of the old Ægyptians, who from the visible things of this 23. World all indeed knew God but gave his Glory, feverally, to Birds and Strabo. 1 17. Beafts and creeping things? Nay, they fought and devoured one another, Fuven.Sat.15. for the very Worship of Leeks and Onions? Is not this much the fame

p. m. 559.

Eph. 4. 6.

·

case, or worse, of the prefent Chriftians? Who Scorn, Hate, Revile, Curse, Excommunicate; nay, burn one another? The mutual Spite and Detestation of the Karaïm and Rabanaïm Jews and Samaritans, divide and separate them Deut. 6. 4. as much; and therein they difhonour their one Lord of Ifrael. Their Obftinate and joint averfion for Chriftians, and Chriftians contempt of them, look as if they did not own the fame one God and Father of them all. May not the Heathen have occafion to fay alike to all these, where is now the God of Peace and Love, which they all pretend alike to adore; whilst true Peace and Brotherly Love, impartial Dealing and univerfal Charity, is no where to be found amongst them, in Nation towards Nation, Society towards Society, fcarce in one Man towards another? When the whole World is to be gatherJoh. 10. 16. ed together and to be made one blessed Sheepfold under one Shepherd, can any one Society of all these Votaries, be fo vain and felf conceited as to pretend or expect that it will be done only, and exactly, after their own present particular outward Form of Worship, or precifely after their peculiar Scheme of Difcipline and Administration of it? No; that will be the work only of the Almighty and All-wife Reformer himself, and must be let alone, as to his own due time, fo wholly to his own Disposal.

Yet

* p. 52.

Yet he hath fufficiently directed us what to do in the mean time; Let *p. 516 your Light, faith he, fo fine before Men, that they may fee your good Mat. 5. 16. works and Glorify your Father which is in Heaven. This divine Rule will quite frustrate the malicious Policy of Rome by working a better understanding amongst all the Reformed; and it will fully anfwer and confound all the Objections and Cavils of all other Gainfayers. Let your Light; the Faith and Divine Knowledge of Religion which you pretend to and profefs, appear fo publickly, clearly, and constantly, in the fight of all Men with whom you Converse; that they may fee your good Works, your Pious, Devout, and Innocent Behaviour your fincere and fteady Practice of Uprightness and true Holiness in all your ways; thus they will be convinc'd that you your felves are in good carneft, and that you aim at nothing elfe, but the Glory of the true God, which they cannot withstand, but must acknowledge and admire as well as you. This incomparable Lesson alone, well understood and diligently Practifed, will, by God's help, bring to nought all thofe Evils which the Craft and Subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against us.

Let us now see what bleffed Effect the punctual Observation of it must certainly produce as to the common Enemy. Thou (whoever thou art) that doft declare thy felf a profest Adverfary to the Doctrines and ways of Rome, place not any part of thy Religion (nor ever think to fhew it) only in fiercely declaiming against her many Enormities and Errors, or in daily inveighing against her outward Forms and Ceremonies, (which are commonly but the empty Shells, or rather meer various Dresses or fashionable Shadows of true inward Devotion) but make the glory of God and his Righteousness the whole and only end of all thy Actions. Now though fome of her furious Inquifitors may Reproach, Perfecute, Torment and moft defpitefully use you, yet, believe me, Thousands to one amongst all the reft, feeing your perfeverance in only the unfeigned Exercife of a holy Life, your Chriftian Patience, your Calmness and entire Refignation of your felf up to the will of God, and his moft Wife difpofal under all your fufferings, will infallibly in their Hearts condemn them and pity you; and glorifying God in you, they will be ready to cry out (if they durft) the fear of God is in you of 1 Cor. 14.25. a Truth; or with the Centurion, certainly this is a righteous Man. For Luk. 23. 47. moft Men naturally pity even a common Malefactor who deferves to die; but all the fufferings efpecially the Blood, of a quiet, harmless, filent Lamb, will force and create Compaffion in any Heart that is not perfect ftone. Bless them that Curfe you, faith Chrift, and this is the will of God himself too, that with Mat. 5. 44well doing, not railing or ufelefs wrangling, you may put to filence the Ignorance 1 Pet, 2. 15. and Malice, of foolish Men. Thus the Blood of the Martyrs became the Seed of the Chriftian Church. Let the fierceft Metufiot brand you with the name of Heretick, and perfecute you as fuch, he must be confounded with shame whilft he fee your good works, your Righteousness far exceed his own; whilst he behold your Innocent Life, though he speaks evil of you as of an evil doer, 1 Pct. 3.16. be will be ashamed that falfly accufe your good Converfation in Chrift.

Mat. 5. 26.

Rom. 12. 16.

The fame most bleffed and powerfull Rule duly Practifed, will in like manner fecure all Reformed Chriftians and differing Wofhippers of the fame true God from those unreafonable Heats, Animofities and froward Divifions which have fo long reign'd amongst them; and by this from the reproach and Calumny and wicked Defigns of their common Enemy. See how fully and most apt-. ly to our purpose the divine Apostles have explain'd it. Be not Wife in your own Conceits. Walk with all Lowlinefs and Meekness, with Longfuf- Eph. 4. 2, 3. fering, forbearing one another in Love; endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit, (the fame Faith, Hope, Charity, the only true Principles of Religion,) in the Bond of Peace. Let nothing be done through Strife or Vainglory, but in Lowlinefs of Mind; let each esteem other better then themfelves; look not every Man on his own things, but every Man also on the things of others. Be not so proud and rafh as to Damn all the World who

are

Phil. 2, 3, 4

* p. 52.

πα

are not abfolutely of your Mind in all the outward Formalities of Religion; deting and quarreling about empty, doubtfull, and unneceffary, Questions, and Strifes of Words; and the various Administrations of Sacred Offices; where1 Tim. 6.4.5.of cometh Envy, Railings, evil Surmifings, napadizтg fretting and mu 1 Pet. 3. 9. tually galling Pamphlets of Men of corrupt Minds; never render nor recom17pénce Evil for Evil, or Railing for Railing, but contrarywife Bleffing. Provoke one another, not to vain Fangling, but only to Love and to good 1 Tim. 1. 6. Works; firive to outrun or out-vy one another and get the Mafery, not in 2 Tim. 2. 14 words, or in fiercely maintaining unnecessary Difputes, but only in the ExerCor. 9. 25.cife and steady Practice of a good Life approved unto God.

Heb. 10. 24.

15.

[

Gal. 5. 19.

Mat. 5. verf. 17.

24.

Phil. 4. 8. 9.

Let à

Is there any Congregation or Society of Chriftians or other Worshippers of the true God who teach or allow of Adultery, or any other of the Works of the Flefb? Though here and there fome Licentious, Atheistical, Prophane or Jefuitical Spirits, may endeavour to mince, or leffen, or palliate many of them, * p. 53. yet they all feem unanimoufly to Deteft and publickly Abhor both the Names and the very Things. There are none but own all Chrift's Heavenly Doctrine in his Sermon on the Mount; He came not to deftroy Morality but, πλ gãom, to advance it to its highest Perfection in the Hearts of Men. He indeed hath abolished the Ceremonial Law of the Jews and all its Works; but for the ten Commandments and the whole Moral Law, he hath not only established it in its full force and extent, but he hath illuftrated and clear'd it up from all thofe falfe Gloffes which the corrupt Jews had put upon it; he had freed us from the works of the Ceremonial Law, but by no means from the works of Gal. 5.22, 23,the Gospel; not from the Fruits of the Spirit; not from the Crucifying of the Flesh with its Affections and Lufts. What foever things are true, honeft, pure, lovely and of good report, all Virtues and things worthy of Praife, are fill our indifpenfable Duty; do these things, as the Holy Apoftle himself did them all before you, and the God of Peace fhall be with you. Man's perfwafion or profeffion be what it will, I am fure it is but Pretence, Vanity, and Deceit, if after a ftrict Examination and Enquiry, I find his Life and ways contrary to thefe plain Rules and Dictates of Natural, as well as Revealed Religion. An immoral Man can never be a true Chriftian. It is a true Faith and trust in God and a firm dependance upon all his Faithfull Promites. accompanied with the works of the Gospel (its only Fruits, to wit, the Prai Joh. 5.4, 5.ctice of a Holy and Innocent Life in the fight of God and Man) which only will give us the Victory over the World; by only this Union of Faith and Rom. 8. 37. good Works, we shall be more then Conquerors through him that loved us; Jam. 2, 17, 10. not only over the common Enemy, but over our felves. This Union in the 1 Joh. 3. 8. fubftantial Parts of Religion will mutually abate the vain Heats, uncharitable Animofities and Difputes, about the meer outfides of it, the weak and beggarly Elements or Rudiments, of our Education, or our own private Fancies and Conceits. Whether then the Practice of a holy Life be only and entirely the work of God alone in us; or whether it be the Effect of Man's free will guided, ftrengthen'd and fupported by God's gracious Affiftance and Concurrence with it; thus far we all agree that without Faith, and Holiness no Man fhall Heb. 116. fee the Lord. For my own part, fo long as out of a fincere and fteady Faith Heb. 12. 14 in God, I, by his Gracious Affiftance do live the Life of a good Chriftian, performing to my utmost my Duty to him and to my Neighbour, as I have been taught it in my Catechifm; let any Precife, Cenforious or Conceited Man call me a Formalift or meer Moralift or what he pleaseth, I fhall matter it not. Now as for thofe Pious well-minded Chriftians who are willing and defirous to go abroad for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst Unbelievers, I heartily with that they would propound to themselves no other end in the World but only the Glory of the true God. Let it not be for the Encrease of Riches, or Power, or Dominion, or vain-Glory; or for the advancement of any Private, Starcht, Fond, unneceffary beggarly Principles, Opinions, or Speculations of x joh. 3. 8. Men; but only for the beating down of Sin and the works of the Devil;

Joh. 3. 36.

Luk. 10. 27,

28.

Nor

Not for the fowing of Schifm and empty Difputes, or poor outward differences * p. 53. of Worship, but for the obtaining of that one thing necessary, the firm Faith in the Doctrine and Promifes of the Gospel, join'd above all things with the inward and indifpenfible Life of Christ. Let their Light thus Shine before Men, having their Converfation honeft among the Gentiles and Unbe- 1 Pet. 2. 12. lievers, that by the good works which they shall behold in them, these may glorify God in this their day of Vifitation. Let the great Apoftle of the Gentiles be their Pattern, who thus expounds this divine Rule to them, as he did alfo illuftrate it by his own Practice. Giving no Offence in any thing, that the 2 Cor. 6. 3, 4, Miniftry be not blamed, but in all things approving our felves as the Mi- 5, 6, 7. &c. nifters of God; in much Patience, in Afflictions, in Neceffities, in Diftref fes, in Stripes, in Imprisonments, in Paffings up and down, in Labors, in Watchings, in Faftings, by Pureness, by Love unfeigned, by the word of Truth, by the Armor of Righteousness on the right hand and on the Left, &c. I know by my own Experience, and the certain Information of many others, that there are no greater Obftructions to the propagation of the Gospel amongft Unbelievers, then the Schifms of fome, and the bad Lives of other Christians, who live among them. Therefore it must first be the most earnest and joint endeavour of the Reformed at Home, to promote more Love and Charity, the only bond of Peace and Perfectness, among themselves, Forbear- Eph. 4. 2, 3. ing and Forgiving one another, becoming Weak to the Weak; For I must look Col. 3. 13, 14. upon all their prefent outward differences and Divifions to be rather only the meer Infirmities of too forward and bufy Men, then any thing elfe; (šow & xaxas, they are Zealously affected themselves, and affect others, but not well; and in the next place their Preaching and good Living, Abroad, muft inseparably go together, elfe all will appear but as a meer dead Carcafe, be it ever fo pompously and finely garnifht and painted. I can never fufficiently_admire the great Erafmus, who bid Chriftians first overcome the Turks by their Confult. de belLives, before they attempt to Conquer them by their Arms; He is not afhamed to call them, what, (as to the Moral part,) they really are, Semi-353. Chriftianos, half Chriftians already; it is not the fubtilty of an Occam or a P. $4. Epift.Paulo VolLoyola, but the Life of an A Kempis or an Erafmus that will prevail with 20. T. 3. P.

them or an Indian.

I Cor. 9. 22.

lo Turc. in fe rendo. T. 5. P.

As for that other matter above named as neceffary for the promoting the Reformation among the Greeks under the Turks, that is, the fupport of its Caufe by a generous Contribution of Reformed Princes and Potentates; truly to me if feems a thing very Impracticable, efpecially in the prefent State of Affairs in Europe; Princes find other occafions for their Money at Home. I utterly defpair of feeing in my Days, the English, Dane, Sweed, Brandenburg, Dutch, Hans-towns, Swiffe, and the rest of the Reformed Nations, cheerfully and zealoufly to enter into any folemn League or Combination for the carrying on fo glorious a Work; and if it could be done, I could not expect fo fteady and proIperous a Management of Affairs under fo many Heads and Governors, as we find matters have been and will fill be done by the common Enemy, where all is defign'd, directed, and Executed by one Supreme Commander, the Pope. In Cyril Lucar's troubles only the English and Dutch and fome wealthy Greeks affifted him, but they were all at last weary of their vaft Expence. Was there now an entire Proteftant Crociata or Crafado, the Pope and his, Poffe's Papatus, Catholick Sons, Votaries and Vaffals would out of Bigottry or Fear eafily provide a much larger Purfe; or outwit them, as at laft they then did. The Latins have been long before us in the Eaft, and have ever been as Vigilant and Active in perverting the Greeks, and other poor Ignorant Christians there, as the Apostles were in Converting the firft Believers; and by their long Experience and Practice they full well have Learned what Money and Art can do with them, as well as with the Turks. It is plain that many grofs Errors, as well as that of Tranfubftantiation, were fown and fprouting up in the Church of Rome before Berengarius's Age, 1050. and they early began to be tranfplant

132

ed

*

338.

lus. Annis. 900,

p. 54. ed into the Eaft; Jerufalem was taken by the Latins, A. C. 1099. and Conftantinople was likewite their Prey, A. C. 1204. The Greek and Eastern Prelates were all asleep; and it is no wonder that they did not know or mind what Baron. An, was all this time contriving at Rome, for they often knew not what was done 1654. §. 32. among themselves at home. These Ages are own'd by the Latin Writers them. Baronius. Ricio felves to have been moft Corrupted in their Morals, especially all the Eccle1000, 1001. fiafticks from the Popes themselves to the meanest Clergy. The common Fame was every where spread abroad, that Anti Christ was then to appear, and that the Abomination of Defolation was then to fet in the Temple, according to Daniel; and the grofs Immorality of all Chriftians, made People then both believe and expect it. Therefore they were defervedly called Leaden Iron, Obfcure or Dark Ages, Whilft fuch univerfal Wickednefs and Ignorance reign'd, fome few Politick, Projecting, leading Doctors (though not half Learned them-felves) had yet Cunning and Power enough to impofe upon all the rest any extravagant Nations which they thought might advance the Papal and Ecclefiaftick Empire and Authority, as hath been Noted before. Where Meditate upon what King James the First used to fay, that if there was an Heu-and-cry made after Anti Chrift, he would fooner lay hold of the Pope for him, then any one elfe in the World. It manifeftly feems to me that his real coming ought to be dated from thefe very times. The violence of Popish Princes, cfpecially of Robert King of France against Berengarius, fufficiently fhews with what Reluctancy the Metufiot's Doctrine was first fet on foot, carried on, and settled. Marcus Eugenicus and Cabafilas, a little before the Council of Florence, were warping towards the Corporeal Prefence of Chrift in the Eucharift, according to the Roman opinion; for School Divinity had been broacht in the East long before; yet they ftiffly maintain'd that Controverfy which to this very day remains between the two Churches, the Greeks aflerting the Change made in the Elements (whatever it is) to be done only by the Invocation of the Prieft; the Latins as ftiffly faying, that it is made only by the words of Chrift; the Emperor would by no means fuffer the Roman Doctrine to be Bibl. Patr. T. put into the Florentine Definition; and Cabafilas was called a Schifmatick; and the three Patriarchs and Metropolites, who were at home, when the Emperor return'd from the Council, Condem'd him and renounced it. Alas! It was very very late before the Reformed Pastors knew any thing of the Latins Practices in the Eaft; these had been playing their Game among the Illiterate and unwary Greeks, fome hundreds of Years before the name of Proteftant was heard of in Europe; from whence only proceeded the profound filence of those for a while; but now upon a strict and diligent enquiry, the whole Mystery of the Latin Iniquity, will be daily more fully difcovered and confuted to their fhame. There is of late a very Pious defign fet up and encourged by many Reformed Chriftians, for a folemn (and more vigorous then formerly) Conversion of Un. believers in both the Indies, especially that of the Weft; and many large contributions have been, and still are daily, made for that bleffed purpose; but befides thofe obftructions hinted above, the Latins have been there also long before us, and will most certainly oppose and trouble the Reformed Missioners to the utmost of their Wit, Malice, and Power; fo that I can fee nothing to fupport them, but God's blessing, upon their Holy Life, and mutual Charity amongst themfelves. Let them ever have in their Minds that grievous Wo, pronounced Mat. 23. 15. against the Scribes and Pharifees, Hypocrites; ye compafs Sea and Land to make one Profelite, and when he is made, ye make him two fold more the Child of Hell, then your felves; yet after all I cannot but think that it would be the most folid Foundation and blessed Beginning of that glorious Work, if all the miferable Slaves in all the Reformed Plantations (which are abfolutely in their own Power) were first converted, (and not bought and fold and used) as they now are (like meer brute Beasts,) before there is any attempt made upon other People or Provinces.

2.

P. 200.

CHAP.