Church concord

15. It is an unspeakable Mischief of these Antichurches and Divisions, that they are the great Impediment to Universal Communion of all the Servants of Christ in the Land: which is a work of great Necessity to the common good, and exceeding desirable to all Christians. Were we but one, One Body by some common Bond and Communion, our Rulers would quickly be resolved in the Point of Toleration, Heresies might be easier extinguished, and Profaneness might through all the Land lye under such Discouragement as might much abate it; whilst every where the unanimous Servants of the Lord did keep out all the obstinate Impenitent Persons from the Public Communion; and he that is cast out of one Church is cast out of all; and none in any Country would entertain him: Whereas now they have ordinarily a room in the most Public Assemblies, or if one Church reject them, when they travail into other Parts, they are as acceptable as others: and so Communicatory Letters are made useless. But the Principal thing that I here intend is, that excellent Security of the Gospel and Godliness to our Posterity, and the welfare of the Nation that might be happily promoted by this Unity: For then the Church and Commonwealth might be so complicate and commensurate as would be the Strength and Glory of them both: They may hold in Life, but never attain that stability and Glory that God hath propounded to them, and given them means for, till (for the generality) the Members of the Church and the Freemen¹ of the Commonwealth are the same: (I say not [the Subjects] but [the Freemen] that is, those that shall be capable of Governing or electing Governors.) Then will not the Interest of Church and State be set in Opposition against each other, nor Rulers keep up sinful jealousies against the Gospel and ⟨p. 10⟩Ministers of Christ, then will the Magistrate support and second the Ministry and Church, and the Ministers and Church be the faithfullest obeyers and defenders of the Magistrate: And then we shall not need to fear when one Parliament hath made us wholesome Laws, and owned the Gospel, left a majority of malignant impious Choosers should give us another that will undo all, and cast out the chief Blessing and Glory of the Land.

15. It is an unspeakable Mischief of these Antichurches and Divisions, that they are the great Impediment to Universal Communion of all the Servants of Christ in the Land: which is a work of great Necessity to the common good, and exceeding desirable to all Christians. Were we but one, One Body by some common Bond and Communion, our Rulers would quickly be resolved in the Point of Toleration, Heresies might be easier extinguished, and Prophaneness might through all the Land lye under such Discouragement as might much abate it; whilest every where the unanimous Servants of the Lord did keep out all the obstinate Impenitent Persons from the Publick Communion; and he that is cast out of one Church is cast out of all; and none in any Country would entertain him: Whereas now they have ordinarily a room in the most Publick Assemblies, or if one Church reject them, when they travail into other Parts, they are as acceptable as others: and so Communicatory Letters are made useless. But the Principal thing that I here intend is, that excellent Security of the Gospel and Godliness to our Posterity, and the welfare of the Nation that might be happily promoted by this Unity: For then the Church and Commonwealth might be so complicate and commensurate as would be the Strength and Glory of them both: They may hold in Life, but never attain that stability and Glory that God hath propounded to them, and given them means for, till (for the generality) the Members of the Church and the Freemen