A discourse concerning evangelical love, church-peace and unity with the occasions and reasons of…

The Foundation of our discourse might be laid in the commendation of Christian Love, and Unity; and thereon we might easily enlarge; as also abound in a collection of Testimonies confirming our Assertions. But the old reply in such a Case, by whom ever were they discommended evidenceth a labour therein to be needless and superfluous. We shall therefore only say, that they are greatly mistaken, who from the Condition whereunto at present we are driven and necessitated, do suppose that we value not these things at as high a Rate as themselves, or any other Professors of Christian Religion in the world. A greater noise about them may be made possibly by such as have accommodated their name and notion to their own Interests, and who point their Pleas about them, and their pretences of them, to their own secular Advantage. But as for a real valuation ⟨p. 21⟩of the things themselves, as they are required of us, and prescribed unto us in the Gospel, we shall not willingly be found, to come behind any that own the name of Christ in the world. We know that God hath styled himself, the God of Love, Peace and Order, in the Church, because they are eminently from him, and highly accepted with him. And as Love is the new Commandment which Jesus Christ hath given unto his Disciples, so he hath appointed it to be the bond of Perfection unto them; which nothing else will ever be, however finely invented for them, or forcibly imposed on them. Without this Love, in what relates to Church Communion, whatever else we are, we are but as founding brass and tinkling Cymbals. And all Unity or Agreement in outward order not proceeding from, and animated by this Love, are things wherein neither Christ nor the Gospel are much concerned.¹ An endeavour also after one Mind and one Judgment, ²amongst all Believers, for a help unto us, to keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace, we acknowledge to be indispensably required of us. And therefore where any Opinion, or Practice, in or about Religion or the worship of God, do apparently in themselves impair the Gracious holy principles of Love and Peace, or obstruct Men in the Exercise of any Duties which those Principles require or lead unto, it is a great and weighty prejudice against their Truth, and ⟨p. 22⟩