The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

CHAP. VII.

III. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord, and to promote this Unity and peace.

III. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord, and to promote this Vnity and peace.

§. 1. From what is already said it is easy to gather, that many and great obligations are on all Christians to be promoters of Concord and enemies of discord and divisions. I. The many and express commands of Christ in Scripture do oblige them. This is no dark or controverted point, written in words which are hard to be understood, but plainly uttered and often urged: Yea when several of Gods commands are mentioned, this is still preferred before most others that can be imagined to stand in competition against it: As the uniting Love of God is called the first and great Command, so the uniting Love of man is called the second like to that, and the sum of the second table, and the fulfilling of the Law. It is not mentioned as an Accident of the New Creature, but as an essential part; not as the high qualification of some rare Christian, but as that which is necessary and common to all that are the living members of Christ: Not only as needful to some inferior uses, but as necessary to all the great Ends of our Religion, preferred before sacrifice and all the rituals, and not to be dispensed with, on any pretence.

§. 1. FRom what is already said it is easie to gather, that many and great obligations are on all Christians to be promoters of Concord and enemies of discord and divisions. I. The many and express commands of Christ in Scripture do oblige them. This is no dark or controverted point, written in words which are hard to be understood, but plainly uttered and often urged: Yea when several of Gods commands are mentioned, this is still preferred before most others that can be imagined to stand in competition against it: As the uniting Love of God is called the first and great Command, so the uniting Love of man is called the second like to that, and the summ of the second table, and the fulfilling of the Law. It is not mentioned as an Accident of the New Creature, but as an essential part; not as the high qualification of some rare Christian, but as that which is necessary and common to all that are the living members of Christ: Not only as needful to some inferiour uses, but as necessary to all the great Ends of our Religion, preferred before sacrifice and all the rituals, and not to be dispensed with, on any pretence.