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…

Well! what would you give now to be certainly told the only way to Unity and Agreement? There is but One way; when you have sought about as long as you will, you must come to that One way, or you will be never the nearer it. What would you give to know undoubtedly, which is that One way! O that the world were but willing to know it, and to follow it when they know it. Well! I dare promise you from the information of the Holy-Ghost here given us in this Text that now I have read to to you, to tell you the Only way to true Unity; and blessed is he that learneth it, and walketh in it.

This Text is a Precept containing the work required of us, with its double Object; the one the means to the other. The next verse is an exposition of this. As the Natural man hath One Body, and One Soul, which constitute it a ⟨p. 8⟩man; so the Church which is the mystical Body of Christ, is one Body, consisting of many members united by One Spirit. Every Common-wealth or Political Body hath 1. Its Constitutive causes that give it its Being and its Unity; and 2. Its Administration and preserving causes, as Laws, Execution, Obedience, &c. that exercise and preserve, and perfect its Being. The Constitutive cause is the Sovereign and the Subject conjoined in their Relation. So is it with the Church, which is a Political Body, (but of a transcendent kind of Policy.) The Constitutive Cause of the Church are Christ and the members united in One Spirit: And this is the final part of the Duty here required [To keep the Unity of the Spirit] The Preserving cause is the Peaceable behaviour of the members: and this is the mediate Duty here required, [In the ⟨p. 9⟩bond of Peace] Our own Endeavours are hereto required; because as every natural body must by eating, and drinking, and fit exercise and usage, be a cause of its own preservation, and not forbear these under pretence of trusting the all-sufficiency of God; and as every Political Body, must by Government and Arms in case of need preserve themselves under God; so must the Body of Christ, the Church, be diligent in using their best endeavours to preserve the Being and well-being of the whole. So that you see here are two causes of the Churches Unity expressed: 1. The principal Constitutive cause in which our Unity consisteth; and that is [The Spirit.] 2. The Preserving cause, by which our Unity is cherished, and that is [Peace] which therefore is called [the bond] of it. The fifth and sixth verses do open this Unity of Spirit, in its