Catholic unity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one…Catholick vnity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one…

10. Moreover, if we could but ⟨p. 256⟩Agree in Holiness, it would free us from that uncharitableness that causeth our Disagreement in other things; and it would possess us with a special endeared Love one to another: And who knoweth not that Love is a uniting healing thing? Sanctification principally consisteth in Love to God and man, and this the unsanctified principally want. Its want of Love that makes men surmise the worst of one another, and make the worst of all that they say & do, and draw matter of contention from that which never gave them Cause. Love would put a better sense upon mens words and deeds, or at least would bear them far more easily. But instead of Love, there is a Natural Enmity in all that are unsanctified to all the servants and the ways of God. And can we ever be agreed with our Natural enemies? why Malice will so pervert their understandings, ⟨p. 257⟩that all that we say or do will be misconstrued: and as a man that looks through a red glass thinks all things to be red that he looks upon; so these men through the distemper of their malicious minds, will find matter of quarrelling with all that we can say or do. Ill will never saith well. Our very obedience to the Law of God, and seeking to save our own souls, will be matter of quarrel, and taken to be our crime. If we will not run into Hell fire with them, and think there is no danger, when we know the contrary, it will be a fault sufficient for their malice to reproach us with: so that if we should Agree with ungodly men, in all our Opinions of Religion; yet if we will not damn our souls, and make no bones of displeasing the great and dreadful God, there is no Peace to be had with them. They have no Peace with God, and ⟨p. 258⟩they have no solid Peace with themselves (for God hath professed that there is no peace to the wicked, Isa. 48.22.) And how then can we expect that they should have peace with us? But Sanctification doth beget that effectual Love, that is as healing to a divided Church, or to disagreeing persons, as the most precious Balsam or Wound-self is to bodily wounds. Love will not let you rest in wrath, but will keep you under smart and disquietness, till you are either at Peace, or have done your part to have procured it Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Brethren and Sisters do seldomer fall into greater dissentions then strangers do: