PROPOSAL. I.

Let us now pursue and maintain a Blessed UNION with one another i [...] the Lord. 'Tis an Invaluable Jewel, a [...] UNION, which I am now fallen into the Commendation of; but, Quis Vitu [...] perat? I suppose there is not one of [...] all, but what will readily subscribe to every C [...]ause of the Hundred and T hir­ty Third Psalm; and I could wish that those melodious Notes of Davids Harp might cause the Evil Spirits of Divisi­on [...]o depart from us. O that from this Da [...], we might all agree to lay aside, All Expressions of a Groundless o [...] Boun [...]less Displeasure against any of our Neighbours! and especially, that all Saints would concur [...]o give each other, T he Right-hand of Fellowship, in those more Important Things wherein they are in­d [...]ed U [...]n [...]mous, and walk together wherein they are Agreed; and that in the lesser things wherein their Appre­hensions [Page 51] are yet various, they may indulge one another, without all Unchristian Persecutions or Animosities, and not Re­vile one another as vile S chismaticks, for every Modest S eparation. God for­bid, that opinionum Varietas, and opinan­tiam Unitas, must become Inconsistent! As for S [...]rife, no Ink of mine is Black enough to describe the Prodigious Ab­ominations, the Abominable Consequen­ces of it, All that ever the most E­loquent Ancients Thundered against S chism, you may apply to the Sin of S trife in the Churches of God; for indeed S chism is but T hat? Let me [...]dd, Never did the Almighty God use more Omnipotent Arguments to com­mand and caution men against any sin, than he has to still all strife among his People; and shall we Quarrel after all? The Son of God is a Lamb; for us to Quarrel, is to be so unlike Him, that even the Pagan Emperour S everus, when he saw two Christians Engag'd in a Scuffle, gave Order they should ne­ver be call'd C hristians any more. Our Jesus, like Joseph with his Brethren, [Page 52] has with an Ungainsayable Importunity besought, That we fall not out. Th [...] Prince of Peace, It was not only His Dying Prayer, but also his Dying Charge▪ Th [...] we Love one another; and common Honesty requires us to fulfil, The [...] of the Dead. The Spirit of God is Dove: to Quarrel is to show such an o­verflowing of Gall, as does no less Dis­like him, than it is Unlike Him; [...] it is to Di [...]rest him of his Lockets. H [...] strives with us, that we would not b [...] ­come Vultures nor Harpi [...], nor stri [...] with one another; this Work of th [...] Flesh must needs be distastful to th [...] Spirit. When we don't put away [...] Bitterness, and W rath, and Anger, [...] do fearfully Grieve Him, and shame full put Him away. Cloven and Fiery Tongue were things in which he once Exhibi­ted himself; but C loven and Fur [...]ou [...] Hearts he is ever Banished from. Strife 'tis a Sin that stirs up all other sort of Distempers and Corruptions in us the Lusts in our Souls, like so man chill'd, Snakes, do horribly Crawl, an [...] Hiss, and Sting, when this Fire [...] [Page 53] [...] Envigorated 'em: The Devil has Lodging where men do not Ring a [...]urse [...] Bell. We are as Bottles; if we take and shake one another, a world of dirty S tuff will be Raised from the Bottom in us. The Aggressor, and the Defendent will be to each other, what S olomon speaks, A [...] C oals to Burning C oals. S trife, 'tis a Sin which hardens our Hearts against all the Means of Grace and Good; we shall receive no Admonitions, but like Angry Jon [...]s, misbehave our selves; and say, I do well in all. And thus all the Spectators too do come to be prejudiced at the Wayes of God; as the Jews are at this Day so S candalized by our Dissensions, that they plead, T he Eleventh-Chapter of Isaiah is not fulfill'd, and [...]o the Messi­ah can't be come! Thus, there was a T [...]n in this Land, where an uncom­fortable Rupture happened in the Church; and there a young man was left unto an horrid Murder of himself; but he left behind him a Writing di­rected unto his Father, wherein he ap­prov'd himself: a Warner to us all; [Page 54] some of his words were, ‘ Father, [...] Ruine was the Stubborness and u [...] faithfulness of my Younger Years Evil Coun [...]il, and Evil Company, and The Differences in the Church, by reason whereof I grow▪ proud, and did-not carr [...] it in my place as I ought, which is the wide way to Ruine.’ You see what sa [...] work, the Contentions of Churches d [...] make for the Rising Generations! O [...] Consider of it! Strife, In fine, 'tis that which brings all manner of Wounds up­on us. Our Prayers, they cannot be without Doubting, when they are no [...] without Wrath. Our [...]astings, they can­not be such as the Lord has Chosen, while we are Biting one another. Our S acra­ments do lose their Efficacies, if such a strange Fire do accompany them. Who are those that must at-last perish with­out? Why, T he Dogs, that are ever a snappish and a snarling sort of Crea­ture? Who are those that God will pour down Indignation and Wrath, Tri­bulation and Anguish upon? They are, The Contentious: to whom all that is True or Just, is usually disagreeable▪ [Page 55] What S ociety will not quickly moulder away when once it has Breaches in its Walls? All Ages have confirmed that standing Oracle of our Lord, An House Divided cannot stand. O that such Thoughts as these might now promote the Unity of the S pirit in the Bond of Peace, among the People of God! But if the People of God, like little silly Birds, will still be pecking at one ano­ther, they may fear that some Ravenous Kites may have a permission to make a prey of all. Alas, must Blessed Ridley, and Hooper, be sent into a Prison [...] to Unite them. They say, None of the Marian Martyrs were tortur'd with such Exquisite Fires as they? Shall we bicker about B lack and White, until God make us meet in Red? When the Pri­mitive Christians had the Feuds among them, for which they were Exposed as Ridiculous and Contemptible upon the Heathen Thea [...], what commonly fol­low'd, but such Storms of Blood and Fire upon them from their Adversaries, as drove them Nearer in their Unions one unto another. God prevent the Repe­t [...]ions [Page 56] of that Fate upon His People Now; though within the Memory [...] man, I can tell you, they have in several parts of the World, had a Repetition of [...] But, There are two or three most Hum­ble Petitions, which I am now read to Address you with. Only, do me the Justice, to Remember, That I do no [...] Pretend in any Wise to meddle with any Civil Affayrs among the People of God; all manner of Loyal Submission and Obedience to the Higher Powers for the Common Good, is what I wish all unto; In the mean time, they are not Civil, but Sacred UNIONS, which I am now Prosecuting of; and the Concerns wherein I would appear to perswade my Neighbours unto an Oneness of Mind; or at least where the first cannot be had, an Oneness of Heart, are purely Ec­clesiastical. Now,

First, Where we can Unite in the END, There let us do it; and not Contend about the WAY leading there­unto. To see an Oneness in the Judg­ments of all Good men, upon every Par­ticular in Christianity, is as much [...]o [...] [Page 57] despair'd of, as to see an Exact Likeness of all the Faces and Features in the World. But where we are all set for what is, Holy, and Just and Good, we should shake hands with one another, saying as in Gen. 13. [...]. Let there be no S trife, I pray thee, between Me, and Thee, for we are Brithren. 'Tis in Pursuance of this Golden Rule, that I would fur­ther say,

Where we can Unite in Practices, let is do it; although Perhaps we cannot Unite in the Principles whereupon we proceed in those Practices. The same Conclusions may by diverse Intellects be formed out of diverse Premises. I say then, let them not only Hold the Con­clusions, but Gladly Hold together in them; and never Vex one another about the Media which they Raise them on. Particularly, In many matters of Church Order, there are two Considerations which may be a Ba [...]m to heal many Contentions. One is, That the Foun­dation of all Church-S ocieties, is laid in the Light and Law of Nature it self, A Church is a Society of Humane Rac [...] [...] [Page 58] and hath its Particularities wherein [...] Conforms to the Common Rules of all Societies. There needs no New Express Command for what the Law and Light of Nature do's require in all Societies Combining for▪ the Worship o [...] God. Another is this That the First Commandment ha [...]s cut out much Business for Church-S ocieties, which 'tis possible the S econd Commandment may not so plainly reach unto; yea, such a Society ha's many things to do, which not the First, but the Second of the Tables in the Divine Law, ha's Enjoyned the doing of. I say then if Saints that see not all with the same Eyes, can do the same things, though not on the same grounds, there is no Thing to be a Ground for Quar­relling. Pardon me, if I touch upon two or three Instances, which are, I think, the Only ones, wherein our Churches have their (not Contentions, blessed be God, but) Varieties. I will ment on them, though I should meet with the Parters Portion for it; or find [...] observation true, Media via ne­qu [...] Amicus par [...], [...] Ini [...]icos [...].

[Page 59] Our Churches do Ordinarily Expect from those whom they Admit unto Constant and Compleat Communion with them, some few savoury Expres­sions [ Written, if not, Oral] of what Regenerating Influences the Ordinances, or the Providenoes of God, have had upon their Souls. There are some, who demand This, as a Thing required by the Word of God, When, A Confession with the Mouth, and, A Profession of Re­pentance as well as Faith, and, A Giving a Reason of the Hope that is in us, is re­quired; And they look upon this as a Justifying Circumstance, which a R [...]so­nable C harity is to seek, before it pro­nounce upon the C redibility of that C on­fession and Profession, whereupon men lay Claim to Priviledges. Others can't see through this; they rather decry it as, An Humane Invention. Yet rather than C hurch-Work should be at any Stay, both sides may Grant, That it is but a piece of Reasonable C ivility, for any that would be accepted as Members of any Society whatsoever, to Address that S ociety for that Acceptance; and that [Page 60] whoever do's Address a Church of [...] Lord Jesus for their Fellowship, should Endeavour to do it with such Languag [...] and Matter as may be like that of, On Returning of God. If there be any fur­ther Contest, whether the Brethren, [...] Right are to have any Acquaintan [...] with, or Interest in, the management [...] this matter, I am Confident, That [...] the Pastors who are the Porters to the House of our God, will generally Exa­mine what Experiences their Communi­cants have attain'd unto, so the Pasto [...] will as generally grant, it is not Unlaw­ful [...]or them to Communicate unto the Brethren of the Church, the [...]ast which they have had of the Graces in such a [...] they now propound unto them, to b [...] [...]eceiv'd as Brethren: Yea, That i [...] is many wayes Comfortable and Profi­table, if not altogether Necessary. Be­hold then, a Temper, wherein we may, as hitherto we do, in this thing Unite I have been Concern'd with some God­ly People of the S cotch Nation, who have at first shown much and hot Antipathy against This Way of our Church, and yet [Page 61] [...]k'd Admittance to the Table of the Lord. These have Consented unto me, That I should put what Questions I pleas'd in my Trials of them; That I should herewithal take in Writing what Minutes I pleas'd of their Answers to me; That being my self now S atisfy'd Concerning the my I might If I pleas'd Offer that S atisfaction unto any or all of the Churc [...] who look'd for it, at our usual Opportunity. These Con­cessions immediately opened Their way, in Ours, unto the Table of the Lord, [...] any Difficulty unto either of [...]. [...] it all this while be Remem­bred; That I am not proving what must be done; I am only showing what may be done, to prevent Fires, when they may be like to follow other-wise.

Again, Our Churches are some of them furnished, with Elders, whose whole Office tis [God help 'em to Do it Well] To Watch [...]ver the Conversation of the Church-Members with Authority. It is pleaded, That nothing is Plainer in Scripture, Than Elders, who Rule well, and are Worthy of Double Honour, though [Page 62] they do not Labour in Word and Doctrine whereas if there were any Teaching El­ders, who do not Labour in Word an Doctrine, they would be so far from being Worthy of Double Honour, th [...] they would not be Worthy of any Hon­our, at all. On the other side, some cannot see any such thing as what w [...] call a Ruling Elder directed and ap­pointed in the Word of God; ye [...] some do still mention the Thing wi [...] such Exhorbitant and Vilifying Term [...] as are far from decent in any thing which themselves own to be so Dis­putable. And what shall now [...] done in this case? I would modestly offer thus much. Let it be first Re­cognized, That all the other Church-officers are the Assistents of the Past [...]r [...] who was himself (as you find, even about what the Deacon has now to do) Entrusted with the Whole Care of all, until the further pitty and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, joined other Officers unto him, for his Assistence in it. I suppose, None will be so Ab­surd as to Deny This at least; That [Page 63] all the C hurch-Officers are to take the Advice of their Pastor with them. Up­on which, I su [...] joyn, That a man may be a Distinct Officer from his Pastor, and yet' not have a Distinct Office from him; the Pastor may be the Ruling Elder, and yet he may have Elders to assist him in Ruling and in the actual Discharge of some Things, which They are Able and Proper to be serviceable unto him in. This Consideration being laid in, I will perswade my self, every Pastor among us, will allow me, That there is much Work to be done for God, in prepa­ring what belongs to the Admission and Exclusion of Church-Members; in care­fully inspecting the Way and Walk, of them all, and the first Appearance of E­vil with them; in preventing the very Beginnings of Ill▪ Blood among them; and Instructing of all from House to House, more privately, and Warning of all persons, unto the Things more peculiarly incumbent on them; in Visit­ing all the Afflicted, and informing of and consulting with the Ministers for the Wel [...]fare of the Whole Flock. And [Page 64] They must allow me, That This Work is too heavy for any one man; and that more than one man, yea, no less than all our C hurches do suffer beyond mea­sure, because no more of This Work is thoroughly performed. Moreover, they will acknowledge to me, That it is an usual Thing with a Prudent and [...] Faithful Pastor, Himself [...] single ou [...] some of the more grave, solid, aged Brethren in his Congregation, to Assist him in many parts of this work, o [...] many occasions in a year; nor will such a Pastor ordinarily do any important thing in his Government, without hav­ing first heard the Counsel of such Bre­thren. In short, There are few dis­creet Pastors, but what make many occasional Ruling Elders, every year I say then, suppose, the Church by a Vote Recommend some such Brethren (the fittest they have, and alwayes more than one) unto the more S tates Assistence of their Pastors, in the C hurch Rule wherein they may be H [...]ps unto him? [I do not propose, that they should be Biennial or Triennial onely▪ [Page 65] though I know very famous Churches throughout Europe have them so!] Yea; and what if they should by Solemn Fas­ting and Prayer, be Commended unto the Benediction of God, in what Ser­vice they have to do? What Objection can be made against the Lawfulness? I think, None▪ can be made against the Usefulness of such a thing? Truly, for my part, if the Fifth Chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy would not bear me out, when Conscience both of my Duty and my Weakness made me to desire such Assistences, I would see whe­ther the First Chapter of Deuteronomy would not. Only, let it all this while also be Remembred, That a total want of Men, is the sad case of some Church­es, which cannot be thus provided for.

Once more; There has been a Contro­versy, What is the W atch which our Churches owe to the Adult Children; that were in their Infancy Baptised a­mong us? Or, indeed, whether any at all? Some do conceive, That the Church Membership which any have in their In­fancy does not [...]ease when they come to [Page 66] of Discretion, until Censurable Evils are found upon them; and that therefore the Churches are so to watch over them, as to use the Process prescribed in the Eighteenth Chapter of Matthew upon them, when they fall into Scandals▪ Others cannot be of that perswasion, but judge that the Church-Membership of Infancy is not Personal and Immedi­ate, and that it so vanishes when they come to the Age of acting for them­selves, as to dismiss them from any pro­per Watch of the Churches about them. How shall these two parties now come together? Perhaps hardly enough; Ne­vertheless, Let it be Considered▪ Whether some cannot come to do that as a point of pure Morality, which others choose to do as a point of Insti­tution. If one that feeds and sleeps in my Family do commit any gross Ini­quity, I would Admonish him for it, in the hearing of those that have heard of his Offence; and if he don't Reform, I would openly fix upon him the Cha­racter of, One that walks Disord [...]rly. This would I do, as a a piece of Righ­teous Charity, although there were ne­ver [Page 67] a Text in Matthew, or although there were nothing after the Fourth of Genesis, to warrant this proceeding. Why then may not Churches count the Common Law of Reproving, to be War­rant enough, in thus dealing with such as have been Baptised in their Bosomes, although the Statute-Law of Discipline should be silent in it? Another thing [...] that may be Considered is, Whether both sides might not agree in Reviving the Ancient Ordinance of CONFIR­MATION; I mean, For the Elders of the Churches to send for, their Chil­dren as they come to Mens and Wo­mens Estate, and Examine them strictly about their Conversion to God, and their Inclinations to Renew and Observe their Baptismal Covenant. Upon this Examination, They that are found Fit for it, may be Regularly Confirmed in Church-priviledges. They that are not so, may with suitable Instructions and Awakenings, be Detained, for a while from some special Ordinances. Both sides can do This, and if this were well done, it would go far towards the Re­moving [Page 68] of many Differences.

I am not unsensible of the further Noises that have been in the Rearing o [...] our Temple, about the Sub jects which B ap­tism is to be Extended unto. Not on­ly those that Restrain it unto the Li­mits of the Lords Supper do vary from the most of their Neighbours; but, even those which Enlarge it unto the Children of some that are not in Full Communion, do it not exactly in the same Notion; some do Baptise them, as being only in a Catholick Church-state, and others as being also in a Particular. And yet they mostly, Accord in this, That the Administrator of Bap­tism is generally to be an Officer some way concerned with a Particular Church, and the Baptised should be under the Laws of our Lord Jesus as they are Administred in such a Church. I wish matters could be brought unto a Good Issue here; all that at present I can Contribute unto it, is to do what E [...]i­ [...]u Resolved, I also will shew mine Opi­nion. 'Tis this;

That our Lord Jesus Christ has in [Page 69] the World a Catholick Church of Elect­ [...]alled ones, which becomes in Various Degrees Visible unto us; and according to the Degrees of its Visibility becomes Capable of a Visible Communion with i [...] Glorious Head.

That when men Profess the Faith of the Gospel, or their consent unto the Covenant of Grace, and overthrow not that Profession by a Scandalous Conver­sation, they are to be [...]ook'd upon, as belonging to the Visible Catholick Church of our Lord; they are to be treated as Christians; to call them or count them Heathen is to do them a Grievous Injury.

That when such Professors Regularly Combine into a Society for the Evangeli­cal Worship and Service of our Lord Jesus Christ▪ and furnish themselves with Officers of His Appointment, they then become a part of the Catholick Church, so Visible, as to be a Body Politick Entrust­ed with all the Special Ordinances of the New Testament.

That a Particular Church, thus in their Officers betrusted with the Institu­tions of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to be [Page 70] concerned for Applying some of those Institutions, unto Sub jects that have no [...] yet arriv'd so far in Visible Christian [...] as to be the Constituent Parts of tha [...] Holy Society.

That Baptism is One Ordinance to be Administred, unto them that are in the Visible Catholick Church, while the said Christians have not yet Joined them­selves to a Particular C hurch, but are only in a state of Initiation and Prepara­tion for it. In the Scripture, we do not read (at least, I have not yet found) of any that were Baptised after their Joi­ning to full Communion in a Particular Church; but many that were so Before. Wherefore, if any Person of a blame­less Conversation, come to us, Profes­sing his Beleef of the Christian Religion, and Seriously Enter into Covenant with God in Christ, Submitting therewithal to the Ecclesiastical Government of our Lord Jesus, & Engaging to labour Con­tinually for those more Positive Evidences of Regeneration, which may Embolden him shortly to seek an Admission unto the Table of the Lord; surely such a [Page 71] person may say as the Eunuch did, What [...]'s hinder me (and Mine) to be Baptis­ed? Persons may▪ be Disciples, while they are not yet Risen to the more Ex­perienced state of Brethren; and there may be Subjects in the Kingdom, which have not yet all the Priviledges that the Members of the Corporations lay claim [...] unto: now Baptism should belong sure, to all the Disciples and S ubjects of our Lord. From a Nursery thus Watered with Baptism, our Churches may be supply'd, from time to time, and mul­titudes of well-disposed People who by [...]oubts and Fears are for a while dis­couraged from the Lords Table, may thus be kept under Engagements to be the Lords.

I beseech you to Forgive this my freedom with you [...]; I cannot but b [...] concerned, because I find, as Op [...]tus once, Inter Licet V [...]strum, et Non Li­ [...]et Nostrum, nutant Ani [...]oe Populorum: but if Union may be thereby fur­thered, there will be no such Forgiveness to be asked for.

We shall be more brief in what re­ [...]ains. [...] Wherefore,

[Page 72] Secondly, Where we can Unite, n [...] ­ther in the WAY nor in the END Yet let us not C ontend so as to break the Law of Brotherly Kindness among th [...] Children of God. Our Behaviour towards the most Wicked and Blood Persecutors, is to be full of a Christ-like Sweetness, Meekness, and Long-suffering But much more, if any, of whom it may be hop'd that they have, The Root of the Matter, in them [...] should ever differ from us; Yea, and so farr differ too as that our C ommu [...]ion with them in S peci [...] Ordinances, comes to be broken up still there is a World of Mutual For­bearance; which we must accommodate one another with. Still that of the A­postle is to take place, Rom. 12. 10. Be Kindly Aff [...]ction'd one to another i [...] Love. We must first, Forbear to Impos [...] one upon another. It is impossible for any but, God who form [...] the Spirit of man within him, to form the understand­ings of men, into a Beleef of every C hristian Doctrine [...]. If we shall Violently and Forceably C ompell all about us, to take in all our S chemes, we shall be a [...] [Page 73] Inhumane as that Giant, who cut or [...]retch'd all his Lodgers, to the Exact length of the Bed, he had provided for them. Austin was very Zealous in Writing against the Errors of the Do­ [...]atists; and yet he said, he had rather [...]e Slain by them himself, than be an Occasion that any should Persecute them to Death, for holding of those Errors. And much more, when we have con­fess'd a thing to be in it self, Indifferent, it is a most Uncharitable thing for us to C ommand it as Necessary, and then assert that our C ommand ha's made it Necessary. Could I speak to the most Swol [...]n C hurch Governour in the World, I would Ask him, First, Whether Paul were not a C hurch Governour, of as Great Authority as any of them all, or all of them together? Next, Whether in Pauls Days there was not a Grievous Dissension about the use of several Things that were meerly Adi [...]pho [...]s? Then, Whether an Uninspir'd C ommand of Paul would have so taken away the Indifferency of those things, as to make them no longer matters of Disputation, [Page 74] but matters of Observation among [...] Believers? And then, whether if [...] were so, Paul would not have been the most Uncharitable of Men, [...] have left those things, as he still d [...] he sti [...]l does, Undetermined? Or, cer­tainly, others must be so, when they do Determine such things as those.

But as we should Forbear all Impositi­ons of one upon another, so should we Forbear all Prejudices of one against a­nother. Though Calvin could not come to the Lords Table with Luther, yet says he, I will ever call him an E­minent Servant of God, yea, though he should call me a Devil. I do not see, That Christians not joyning with o­thers in all the same Rites and Modes of Worship, must be understood as, Declaring all others to be not in a S tate of Salvation. Those Angry Men, which fall into a Rage at all Dissenters, as if they did indeed so Declare, do indeed therein Declare only that as their own Opinion of those Dissenters. Nor will any man that sufficiently ponders, That in Rom. 14 6. where God is Glorify'd [Page 75] by two opposite parties, think there [...]s any Divinity in that Assertion of those Angry Men. I must joyn my self, where the Ordinances are so Ad­ministred as that my Conscience tells [...]ne, Gods Word and my Good is therein [...]ost attended unto. But a man may Locally separate from very many poi­nting Defects and Failures in C hurch- [...]dministrations, while he does not Hear­ [...]ly separate from his Obligations to Love and Serve those whom he does not now meet withal. Briefly, every Difference in Religion, does not make a Different Religion. And if we think our own Understandings to be a Stan­dard for all the Rest of Mankind, we do certainly, Think of our selves above what we ought. But what must our Deport­ment then towards C onscientious Dissen­ters be? I say, All made up of C hari­ty. We are still to be Theirs, U [...] ­ [...]d Aras; and be asham'd if our Con­duct unto them, should not be able to stand before the Thirteenth Chapter In the first Epistle to the Corinthians. We should make the fairest constructions of all [Page 76] Actions, and Lovingly take every thin [...] by the Best Handle. We should, [...] we knock with Hard Reasons, yet str [...]k [...] them with Soft Answers; and let the [...] find us of the Tribe, which, Give [...] Goodly Words. A S amaritan sort o [...] crabbedness, churlishness, frowardness towards all that are not in every thing just Jumping with us, and,— No [...] Monstrare vias [...]adem nisi sacra Colenti [...] 'Tis not the Spirit of the Gospel. I [...] short, we should conclude as the fa­mous African Synod, upon the Sub ject of Baptism did, Neminem Judicamus [...] Diversum in hac Re Senserit. We must beware how we Monopolize all Godli­ness to our own Little Party; in the same Decalogue, the same Law-giver that says, Thou shalt not W orship a Gra­ven Image, also says, Thou shalt not bear False W itness against thy Neighbour. Where-ever we can see, Al [...]quid Christ any thing of Christ, let it be dear to us. A Moses may pay for an un­due Heat against his Erring Brethren and the case may be so, that an Er­roneus C yprian may deserve better [Page 77] th [...]n an Orthodox Stephen, in the Chari­table Resentments of Godly Men. If nothing will satisfie us, but the Extir­pation of all that are not of our party, God has told us what will follow, Ye shall be Consumed one of another. I may argue as L [...]ct [...]ntius did of old; your Opposites are either Wise or Fools: If they be Wise, you should Follow them; if they be Fools, you should Pitty them; there is no place for any Malicious Pro­ [...] [...] Let me, in a word say, as the Apostle once, Why dost thou set at [...]ought thy Brother? Let us follow after [...]he things that make for Peace: and let me beg, That the Fourteenth Chapter to the Romans mayn't become Apochry­pha.

Thirdly, Let Mortality Affect us, and Humility Adorn us, and both together will soon Unite us. Be Affected with Mortality. They say, Dust thrown on Fighting Bees, will presently make 'em give over the Fight. If we are prone to Sting one another, Let us cast a lit­tle of our Grave-Dust upon us, by our Devout, Gracious, Antedating Medita­tions. [Page 78] If we would not be Wranglers, Let us not forget that we are Mortals. Especially, when it comes to stabbing of one another with Pens, Let us Re­member our S and runs faster than our Ink, and we are as Brittle as the Glasses which we now use instead of Ink-horns. How near are we to that State, Ubi Luthero cum Z [...]inglio optime j [...]m Conve­nit? A Luther and a Zuinglius will be less eager one against another, if they think, How soon they are to meet! But, be also Adorned with Humility. It is that upon which I may Employ the Pa­negyric of Te [...]tullus, O thou most Noble Vertue, By thee we Enjoy great Quietness. We know, Lowliness, and Long-suffer­ing do go together. We have long since been told, (and it has been De­scanted on by the Quill of one among us, who by his Treatise call'd, A Lit­tle Peace-maker, has been Earning a Name among, The Children of God.) Only by P ride comes Contention; 'tis That which is the Grand. Barretor and Boute [...]e [...] of the Universe. 'Tis said, The proud man i [...] as he that Transgresseth by Wine; that is, he is very Quarrel­some. [Page 79] What needs be said more? On­ly, What the Wise man said, Cast o [...] the Scorner, and Contention shall go out. If every S heaf▪ must alwayes how to Yours and Mine, when shall we be qui­et? Were we all so Humble as we should be, it would hinder our making that Insolent S yllogism, A Person who i [...] never Liable to Mistake, is one whom no man can sincerely or christianly Differ from. But I am a Person who am Liable to no Mistakes; therefore whoever Differs from me, is an Intolerable Creature. And if such a Syllogism were never shaped in our conceits, the World would not be so full of Tempest as it is [...]

In fine, That I may Repeat nothing, which I have said for the pressing of Union among the Children of my Peo­ple, in four several Discourses former­ly Published,—I now take the Leave, only to Add, a few Ejaculations on the behalf of my Beloved Neighbours.

First, May none of our Churches be called, Esek, and S [...]na, because of any S trife among us At present, I hope, our Lord looks upon this part of Ame­rica, [Page 80] saying, My Dove is One! and [...] pray, that it may ever be so. The Oldest of the Churches in this Colony, is at Salem; God Grant they may All of them, alwayes dwell in, Peace, Concord is the Name on one of our Towns; may it be a Frame in all the Rest. And may the Rebuke that was given to the Liti­gious Corinthians, never come to be ours, Whereas there are among you Divisions, are ye not Carnal? May we, as far as we can, Anticipate the Dayes of the New-Jerusalem; which are quickly, The Things to be Look'd for, by Banishing all War from the midst of us. May we keep a Perpetual Sabbath, which may resemble the, Rest Remaining for the People of God, by Kindling no Fires within our Gates. We are S heep; no room I beseech you, for the Rage of Dogs and Wolves in our Hearts.

Secondly, May our Pastors all of them forego all Strife but that of Love and Good Works, and, K [...]ss each other in the Mount of God! We are advised, Envy is Rottenness in the Bones; and it may be, we know the Name of that Old In­terpreter, [Page 81] who by Bones there under­stands, Men of Ch [...]ef Place among the People of God. It was a madness in the Priests of B [...]al, to cut and slash them­selves; t'will be as mad for us to serve one another so. Our very Name Re­minds us, that we are Under-Rowers to our Lord Jesus Christ; if we don't all of us, pull the same way, What will become of our Little Boat? The Scrip­tures speaks about, The Mouth of all the Prophets, as if they all had but One Mouth. If we can't have but One Mouth, yet let us have but One Heart; and let not the Lion ever find any one of the [...]our oxen alone by himself, What [...]ame of the Ominous Paroxysms, between Chrysosiom and Epiphanius? What a Woful Discord was that of Peter and Meletius in the Gaol? Or that of those two Great Persons who being sent into the Mines made a Wall between their Works, and would not meet until the Stake ty'd them together?

To have done, Let all manner of S trife, be avoided by all manner of men, all manner of Wayes. Take that [Page 82] Counsel, that Command, in Rom. 12. 18. If it be Possible, as much as Lies in You. Live Peaceably with all men. You have been warned, That if you be not as Little Children, you shall not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; and, That the Extinction of all Malice is the thing wherein you are to be as Little Children. If there are any Per­sonal Piques among you, Let 'em all immediately Evaporate. Two Pagans from Contending once, come to Com­pounding, and one ingeniously owned unto the other that had given him cause to own it; You are the more Worthy man; for I began the Stife, and you began the Peace. Behold, Christians, a way for you to get the Better of your Adversaries; the Al­mighty God Himself, by first Be­seeching us to be Reconcil'd unto. Himself, hath Led you the Way.

Thus, Live in Peace, and the God [...] of Love and Peace will be with You!

PROPOSAL. II.

But let us at the same Tim [...], Give our Thanks to our God, for the Blessed UNION, which He ha's lately been disposing a Considerable, part of His People abroad unto. It is to be Remarked how often the Evangelist Luke, records the, ONE ACCORD, which the Primitive Believers were famous for; that, ONE ACCORD, seems to be Celebrated as one of the most Memorable things that could be mentioned. We have heard, That our Brethren beyond the Seas, are hopefully curing the Gang [...]es of which▪ heretofore they have Complain­ed, and coming to ONE ACCORD, in those Things which formerly have been, Apples of S trife, among them. We have heard, That the Body of our Brethren is no more like the Monster once born in Scotland, (as we read) which was born with two Heads, that were still arguing, opposing, and in Eager Disputes assaulting one another. [Page 84] The Tidings have been, As Cold Wa­ters to our Thirsty Souls; and I bespeak your Praises on that behalf, to the God [...] Maketh Peace in His High Places. It is not for [...]xe to Prognosticate upon this Transaction; though I know tha [...] when Abraham had propov'd overtures of Peace unto his Kinsman, God imme­diately show'd him the Land of Pro­mise, and said, All this Land, unto the [...] [...]ill I give it! But I'l q [...]ote you a few words of the Reverend MEADS, In▪ the Sermon Preached upon Occasi­on of it▪ Says he,

But, while I thus Raise the Notes of your Praises to God for this Dispe [...] ­tion, Let me also obtain your Pray [...] be mingled therewithal; Your Pr [...] That this UNION and the Interest of Gods Word, and Holiness and Religion [...] it, may, Run and be Glorify'd; for Satan will doubtless endeavour to undermine it.

A certain King of England holding a Treaty of Peace with a French King, in an old Chappel that lay betwen their Two Armies, both came to a good A­greement; but as they were coming out of the Chappel, a S nake [...]uddenly crept out of the old Wall, which they seeing Drew their Swords, and their Servants at the Door Drew likewise. Upon this [Page 86] the whole Armies no less furiously tha [...] ignorantly, advanc'd upon one another, and Commenc'd a Battel, wherein [...] most horrid Slaughter was made, before the Mistake was Rectify'd. Alas, It of­ten thus comes to pass; when the Ser­vants of God, have been just finishing a Reconciliation, the Old Serpent will inter­pose and interrupt it all. But let us pray for the Arrival of the Day, when [...] Old S erpent shall be Bound; & this the more hopefully, in [...]smuch as yo [...] now [...]ee a further Symptom of its Ap­proaches; When the, Two S ticks are made one, it soon follows, David my Ser­vant shall be King over them.

But while I thus Excite your Prayers, I shall gratify your Expectations with a Copy of what, I know you very much Desire to see.