CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

But to open this, Consider,¹

1. 1Consid. I. That notwithstanding the Doctrine, yet unity simply as such is not an infallible note of the true Church.

First, That though our Saviour press Unity of believers, as a sign of his Disciples, and a means to win others to the Faith, yet Unity simply as so, is not an inseparable note of the true Church. The Papists indeed they professedly maintain this, That where we see a Church in it's members all united together, and that under one visible Head and Pastor, there we are to conclude is the true Church; and on the contrary, when we see divisions and multiplicities of Sects and Opinions, as (they say) there are almost an hundred amongst the Protestants, there cannot be any true Church; And indeed they have no fairer way to entangle men, and to fill the hearts of people with prejudices against the truth, then because of the many opinions that are amongst us. But to this we answer these things,

First, That though our Saviour presse Ʋnity of believers, as a sign of his Disciples, and a means to winne others to the Faith, yet Ʋnity simply as so, is not an inseparable note of the true Church. The Papists indeed they professedly maintain this, That where we see a Church in it's members all united together, and that under one visible Head and Pastour, there we are to conclude is the true Church; and on the contrary, when we see divisions and multiplicities of Sects and Opinions, as (they say) there are almost an hundred amongst the Protestants, there cannot be any true Church; And indeed they have no fairer way to intangle men, and to fill the hearts of people with prejudices against the truth, then because of the many opinions that are amongst us. But to this we answer these things,