2. Here is further required a fellowship and mutual Communion of the members of the Body within and amongst themselves:1 unto which is first presupposed the Organical and harmonious Constitution and compacture of the Body into one, out of which ariseth the form and beauty, the strength and firmness, the order and fitness that is in it unto those works that are proper to it, intimated in those two words [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew] fitly joined together and compacted. 2It is a metaphor drawn from Carpenters and other Artificers, who ⟨p. 44⟩by several joints do so coaptate and fit the parts of their work unto one another,3 that being put together and fastened, there may one whole structure or body grow out of them; & in that body this accurate fitness & intimateness of the parts with one another, produceth an excellent strength, a beautiful order, and a ready serviceableness of each part to the other, & of all to the whole. So Jerusalem is said to be a City compacted within it self, Psa. 122.3. as the Ark (a Type of the Church) had the ribs and planks, and parts thereof so closely fastened into one another, that no water might get in to drown it: And in the Tabernacle all the Curtains thereof were to be coupled together into one another, Exod. 26.3. Christ is all for unity, and joining things into one, Two natures united in one person, two parties reconciled by one Mediator, Two people concorporated into one Church, one family, one father, one seed, one head, one faith, one hope, one love, one worship, one body, one spirit, one end and common salvation. Christ is not, loves not, to be divided: This is a fundamental requisite unto the growth of the Body, 4the preservation of its unity. The building must be fitly framed together, if you would have it grow into an holy Temple to the Lord, Eph. 2.21. Col. 2.19. when there was most unity, there was greatest increase in the Church; when they were All of one accord, of one heart, and one soul, then the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved, Act. 2.46, 47. They that cause divisions and dissentions, do not serve the Lord Jesus, and therefore they cannot but hinder the ⟨p. 45⟩progress of his Gospel, Rom. 16.17, 18. As in the natural, so in the mystical body, solutio continui tendeth to the paining and grieving of that spirit by which the Body lives, Eph. 4.30, 31.
2. Here is further required a fellowship and mutuall Communion of the members of the Body within and amongst themselves:1 unto which is first presupposed the Organicall and harmonious Constitution and compacture of the Body into one, out of which ariseth the forme and beauty, the strength and firmnesse, the order and fitnesse that is in it unto those works that are proper to it, intimated in those two words 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 fitly joyned together and compacted. 2It is a metaphor drawn from Carpenters and other Artificers, who ⟨p. 44⟩by severall joynts do so coaptate and fit the parts of their work unto one another,3 that being put together and fastned, there may one whole structure or body grow out of them; & in that body this accurate fitnesse & intimatenesse of the parts with one another, produceth an excellent strength, a beautifull order, and a readie serviceablenesse of each part to the other, & of all to the whole. So Ierusalem is said to be a City compacted within it self, Psa. 122.3. as the Ark (a Type of the Church) had the ribs and planks, and parts thereof so closely fastned into one another, that no water might get in to drown it: And in the Tabernacle all the Curtains thereof were to be coupled together into one another, Exod. 26.3. Christ is all for unitie, and joyning things into one, Two natures united in one person, two parties reconciled by one Mediat•r, Two people concorporated into one Church, one family, one father, one seed, one head, one faith, one hope, one love, one worship, one body, one spirit, one end and common salvation. Christ is not, loves not, to be divided: This is a fundamentall requisite unto the growth of the Body, 4the preservation of its unity. The building must be fitly framed together, if you would have it grow into an holy Temple to the Lord, Eph. 2.21.
- 1§. 18.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew], Greg. Nazian. Orat. 1.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Greg. Nazian. Orat. 1.
- 3Nulla multitudinis potentia nisi consentientis, id est, unum sentientis, Aug. de ve•a Relig. cap. 25.
- 4Possessionem Bonita•is tantò latius quantò concordiùs individua sociorū p•ssidet charitas. — Et tanto eam reperiet ampliorē, quanto amplius ibi potuerit amare consertem, Aug. de Civ. Dei. l. 15. c. 5.Possessionem Bonita•is tantò latius quantò concordiùs individua sociorū p•ssidet charitas. — Et tanto eam reperiet ampliorē, quanto amplius ibi potuerit amare consertem, Aug. de Civ. Dei. l. 15. c. 5.
