who were excluded from the Privileges of the Temple; but 'tis, fince enlarg'd to all the World, the Gospel being order'd to be preach'd to all Nations, who may now fee the Salvation of God.

Now this Addition hath made the Body bigger, but not multiply'd it into more; for 'tis ftill one and the fame Body, tho grown and extended into larger Dimenfions: as a Perfon is the fame when arriv'd to the Stature of a Man, as he was under the leffer Dimenfions of Childhood or Youth. So that the Members of the Church being join'd by the fame Worship, Difcipline, and Communion, which are as it were the Nerves and Sinews to hold them together, make up but one myftical Body of Chrift, as the feveral Parts and Members join'd together make up but one natural Body.

Neither do the diftant Places of meeting break the Unity of the Church, whilft they all join in one Communion, no more than the different Situation and Offices of the feveral Members do destroy the Unity of the natural Body. Indeed, all the Members of Chrift's Church fhould, if it might be, meet in one place, that with one Mind and one Mouth they might all glorify God together: but that being impoffible, by reafon of the diftance of Habitations and Countries, care is to be taken, that they join in what they may, viz. in the Doctrine, Difcipline, and Communion of the Church; and that will unite them into one myftical Body, and make them what the Apoftle here and elfewhere affirms, to be all one in Chrift Fefus.

4

zly, 'Tis farther faid, that as there is but one Body, fo there is one Spirit to animate and enliven it. Tho the evil Spirits are many, and wicked. Men are haunted by Legions of them, yet the good Spirit of God, by which good Men are acted, is but one. This is to the Church as the Soul is to the Body, the Life, Vigour, and Activity of it and as one Body can have but one Soul to quicken it, fo the mystical Body of Chrift hath but one Spirit to animate and actuate it. This is the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace, which we are bid to keep to and preferve, by loving and living peaceably in one Fellowship and Communion with one another; that as one Soul actuates all the Mem bers of the Body, and thereby keeps a Harmony and Sympathy with every Part, fo this one Spirit influences all the Members of the Church to preferve the Bond of mutual Love and Peace with each other: which is a good Argu

ment

ment to perfuade Chriftians to unite in their Defires and Devotion. To which end we are here minded,

3ly, That we are all call'd into one Hope of our Calling meaning, that tho there are different Callings as to the Affairs of this World, futable to the different Wants and Neceffities of human Life, yet the Calling or Profeflion of Christianity is but one, futed to the Nature and Neceffities of the Soul. And tho Men may have different Defires and Defigns in relation to this Life, yet they are all call'd into one Hope of their Chriftian Calling, to wit, a future and eternal Life. And this is another good Motive to preferve Unity, and prevent Divifions; for all Chriftians having the fame Work to do, and expecting the fame Wages when done, having all the fame fpiritual Wants here, and hoping for the fame Reward hereafter, 'tis abfurd to differ and fall out in the way to it, and highly reasonable that we should join hand in hand together for the mutual Aid and Affiftance of one another: efpecially confidering, that there is nothing but perfect Unity and Harmony in Heaven, to which we are all making; there is no Difcord or Diffenfion there, and if ever we hope to arrive thither, we mult be fitted for it by Peace and Love with each other. For the Happiness of that Place confifts much in these things, and if we are not difpos'd to them here, we are not qualify'd to be receiv'd into them hereafter; and therefore we must lay afide all Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Herefies, and the like, which are the Difpofitions of Hell, and follow Peace, Love, Amity, Humility, and Concord, which are the Qualifications that can alone prepare us for Heaven.

4ly, To perfuade to this Unity, the Apoftle farther tells us, that there is but one God, meaning, that there is but one fupreme Head and Governour of the Chriftian Church, even Chrift, the fole Author and Founder of it. He hath not fubjected it to many Mafters to lord it over God's Heritage, nor made his Church a Monster of many Heads, to expofe it to Disorder and Divifions; but to us there is but one Lord, who hath fubjected it to himfelf, and united it into a fpiritual Society under fubordinate Rulers and Teachers of his own appointing: for he gave first Apoftles, fecondarily Prophets, then Paftors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Miniftry, and edifying the Body of Chrift. After which he commiffiond the Apoftles to fend others, as he had fent them, to teach and goBb 3

vern

vern his Church, willing them to watch over their particu far Flocks, of which the Holy Ghost had made them OverJeers, and likewife laying a Charge on all Chriftians, to obey them that had the Rule over them in the Lord, because they watch for their Souls. So that the Apoftle's affirming there is but one Lord, fignifies, that as the Church is one, fo there is but one Discipline or Government erected in it under Chrift the Head, and the Bishops and Paftors as his fubordinate Officers. And to live in Obedience to them, is to preferve the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace; but to caft off or depart from this Difcipline, is to create Schifms in the Church, and to raise Rebellion against the Authority of Chrift. In fhort, the Argument taken from one Lord is very strong for the Union and good Agreement of all that are fubjected to him, to live by his Laws as fo many menial Servants in one Family, and not to fall out about any Rule or Government among themselves.

Sly, To keep this Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace, the Apoftle farther adds, that there is but one Faith, meaning, that all the great and neceffary Points of Reli gion are fumm'd up for us in one Creed, which we all profefs to believe, and are requir'd to hold faft: And this Unity of Faith is a fufficient Foundation for a Unity of Heart and Mind; for fince we agree in the main, why fhould we differ about fmall matters? and whilft we hold the Head, which is Chrift, and the Foundation, which is the Chrif tian Faith, no needlefs Questions or nice Difputes fhould break the Peace and Unity of the Church. To preserve which, he tells us,

6ly, That there is but one Baptifm; that is, there is but one Door of Entrance into the Chriftian Church, by which we are all admitted to the Benefits and Privileges of it; and 'tis by this Door too that we muft enter into the Kingdom of Heaven for our Saviour hath told us more than once, that except a Man be born again of Water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; John 3.3, 5. And as there is but one Baptifm to receive us all into the Church, fo there is but one Communion to confirm us in it, and to convey to us the Mercies and Benefits of it for me being many (faith the Apoftle) are one Bread, and are all Partakers of that one Bread; 1 Cor. 10. 17. And elfewhere the fame Apoftle puts both thefe together, faying, By one Spirit are we all baptiz'd into one Body, and are all made to drink into one Spirit; 1 Cor. 12. 13. Seeing

then

then we all enter into the Church by the fame Gate, and walk to Heaven the fame way, let us not fcatter or divide, but keep together for the mutual Aid and Comfort of each other; and being join'd together by the Holy Sacraments, the Seals of the Holy Spirit, let us endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. To which end, Laftly, We are here told, that there is but one God and Father of all, who is above all, by his Power, and thro all, by his Providence, and in all, by his Prefence and having but one Object of Divine Worship, viz. the Omnipotent Maker and Master of us all, we are to unite and agree in his Service, and adore him with one Heart and one Confent. This is the highest Motive and Example of Unity, taken from the Unity of the Godhead, which our Saviour's Prayer fets as a Pattern of Union among Believers, Thar they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, fo they also may be one in us; John 17. 20, 21. The Heathens indeed had Lords many and Gods many, and it could be no wonder if they were divided in ferving of them; but to us there is but one Lord and one God, to whom therefore we should all pay our joint and unanimous Devotions.

Thus I have briefly confider'd the Portion of Scripture appointed for the Epiftle for this Day, which contains many weighty and cogent Arguments for Unity of Heart and Mind among Chriftians: yea, it fhews all our Religion to be founded upon Unity, and is only promoted by it; for we are all united in one mystical Body of Chrift's Church. And this Body is acted and animated by one Holy Spirit; there is one Door of Entrance into it, i. e. by one Baptifm; there is but one Faith profefs'd in it; and in a word, there is but one Object of all Divine Worship, viz. the one God and Father of all, who is above all, and thro all, and in us all. From all which we learn,

I. The Nature and Sinfulness of Schifm, which is the dividing of the Body of Chrift, and making it not one Body, but many. Is Chrift divided? faith the Apostle to the Corinthians, upon their breaking into Schifms and Factions; implying, that these things not only divide Chriftians, but Chrift himself, by tearing in pieces his Body the Church: and therefore the fame Apostle advises, that there be no Schifm in the Body, nor any Divifions among Chriftians; 1 Cor. 1. 10. We being many (faith he) are one Bread and one Body, and are all Partakers of one Bread: fignifying,

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that

that by breaking Communion, and fetting up Altar against Altar, we break the Unity of Chrift's Church, and make a Schifm in his Body, for thereby one Member is rent and torn from another and as a Member cut off is no longer a Part of the Body from which 'tis fever'd, fo they who cut themselves off from the Communion of the Church by a wilful and caufelefs Separation, are no longer Members of Chrift's Body.

Indeed there may and must be a local Separation, because all the Members of the Catholick Church being difpers'd into feveral parts of the World, cannot meet together in one Place, and in a National Church. The Members, by reafon of their distance from one another, require diftinct Places or Parishes for their meeting or affembling together: but there must be no Separation in point of Worfhip, no oppofite Communion or Difcipline, no Conventicles or Houfe-Worfhip in oppofition to the establish'd Worship of the Temple or Houfe of God; for thefe are plain Divifions, and unwarrantable Separations from the Church of Chrift, For as the fevering or dividing one Limb from another makes a Schifm in the natural Body, by deftroying the Union, and cutting off the Communication of the feveral Parts; even fo the dividing of the Members of the Church by different Communions from one another, makes a Schifm in the myftical Body of Chrift: in which cafe the divided Parts are cut off from the Head, and hinder'd from receiving, Grace or fpiritual Strength from him. Which fhews the Danger as well as the Sin of Schifm, a Leffon to be learnt from the Unity of the Body.

2. From the Unity of the Spirit and the Fruits of it, we may learn what Spirit we are of, and how far we are acted by it, for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of Love, Peace, Lowlinefs, Meekness, Patience, and the like: these tend to promote Unity of Heart and Mind among Men, and difpofe them to agree and join together in the Worship of God. But the evil Spirit lufteth to Envy, Strife, Variance and Contention; and these kindle a bitter Zeal and Emulation among Chriftians, which lead them into Divifion and Separation. Try your felves then by this Touchstone, and you may fee whether the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. If you are meek, humble, and modeft, willing to learn of your Teachers, to obey your Superiors, to unite and agree with your Neighbours, you are then acted by the good Spirit of God, which is known by thefe Fruits: but if you

are