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…

Use I.

BY this time you may see, if you are willing to see, who it is long of that the world is all in pieces by divisions, and who are the greatest hinderers of Unity. Even unsanctified, ungodly men. And you may see how fit these men are to cry out against Divisions, that are the principal causes of them: And how wisely they deal to cry up Unity, and in the mean time resist the only ground and way of Unity: As Joshua said to Achan, 7.25. [Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day.] So I may say to all ⟨p. 38⟩the ungodly, Why trouble you the Church, and hinder Unity? you shall one day have trouble your selves for this. They cry out against the Ministry and others that fear God, as Ahab did to Elijah, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? But saith Elijah, It is thou and thy Fathers house that trouble Israel, in that ye have forsaken the Commandment of the Lord, 1 King. 18.17, 18. Sirs, I tell you, (and I may confidently tell you when I have proved it so fully), that it is the ungodly that are the great Dividers of the world. Its you that make the breach, and keep it open. We are willing to agree to any thing that is reasonable or possible; but there is no possibility of Agreeing with the ungodly, unless they will turn. It would make any honest heart to ache, to see these wre•ches set all on fire, and then cry out against others as the Authors of it. ⟨p. 39⟩As Nero set Rome on fire, and then persecuted the Christians for it, as if it had been done by them. They pluck up the Foundations, and hold most damnable practical errors; and when they have done, they go about reviling other men as erroneous. I speak not in the excuse or extenuation of other mens errors. I have spoke my part against them also: But I tell you, it is the profane and ignorant rabble, and all the ungodly, whether Gentlemen, Scholars, or of what rank soever, that are the great dividers, and stand at the greatest distance from Christian Unity. O what a happy Church should we have, for all the sects that trouble us so much, if it were not for ungodliness that animateth some of those sects, and virtually containeth many more! Had we none but men fearing God to deal with, we should have no opposition to the Essentials of Religion;