An exposition of the prophecy of Hosea begun in divers lectures upon the first…An exposition of the prophesie of Hosea begun in divers lectures vpon the first…

But suppose by their power they could have brought all to an uniformity, in their own inventions and innovations as they desired. What then? they have little cause to brag of that unity neither. Certainly there the remedy would have been worse then the disease, and work a greater mischief. Their bragging then of unity would have been no other but thus, as if a couple of prisoners chained to a block, and kept close all day, should see others go abroad in the streets at a distance, and they should cry out to them, Why do you not take example by us? you keep at a distance one from another, do you not see that we keep close together from morning to night? pray take example by us, and do not go so distant one from another. Would not such an argument be most ridiculous? What is the reason of their union but their choine? Certainly there is the same argument in these mens pleading for that uniformity that they force men to by such a kind of Antichristian chain.

But suppose by their power they could have brought all to an uniformity, in their own inventions and innovations as they desired. What then? they have little cause to brag of that unity neither. Certainly there the remedy would have been worse then the disease, and work a greater mischief. Their bragging then of unity would have been no other but thus, as if a couple of prisoners chained to a block, and kept close all day, should see others goe abroad in the streets at a distance, and they should cry out to them, Why doe you not take example by us? you keep at a distance one from another, doe you not see that we keepe close together from morning to night? pray take example by us, and do not go so distant one from another. Would not such an argument be most ridiculous? What is the reason of their union but their choine? Certainly there is the same argument in these mens pleading for that uniformity that they force men to by such a kinde of Antichristian chaine.

What breach of unity is it if in a broad street one goes a little distant from another? and so what breach is it if in matters of indifferency one take one way and another another? It is the corrupt and perverse spirits of men that think they cannot have unity, and yet have things as Christ have left them. Christ needs no such things to cause unity in his Church, the spirit of his people that shall love truth & peace is enough to cause that unity he would have. And O that this time that this gathering together were come, of all Churches to be made one, & be under one head! for abundance of mischief is done now among the Churches, and in the world by the spirit of division and dissension. The Devil delights (especially that devil that is the spirit of division) to live in the region of the Church. There are some devils especially that are spirits of pride, (as the dumb devil) and some of dissension, and some of one kind and some of another; and I remember Cajetan hath a note upon that place of the Gospel, where our Saviour Christ cast the devils out of the possessed man,