One body, one Spirit, one Hope, one Faith, one Lord, one Baptism, 1one God, one Father of all, who is above all, through all, in all; yea (at this present) One common Anti-christian Enemy; One Cause, one end, are not here Ones enough to make us one too? I remember a sad complaint of Augustine, of the Christians of his time; and we are so unhappy as to revive it: The Heathen (saith he) have many gods, and false Gods, and ⟨p. 45⟩yet they can agree, but Christians have but one God, and the true. God, and they fall together by the ears. This was his Lamentation, and this may be our Lamentation. Christians, you that love the peace and welfare of Zion, labour to be healers of these breaches; while too too many make it their design to cast on ail, (and I know from whence they are set on work, even from Hell and Oxford) make it your business to cast water on these coals, least at length they break out into devouring-flames and there be none to quench them. At least, if the multitude should be so mad as to foment their own ruin, yet let the leaders of the people study to preserve the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace: Oh that those Celestial Luminaries, that shine upon inferior bodies, with so sweet and enlivening influence, should look upon one another sometime with a Malignant aspect. I could be contented with all my soul, to give the best blood that runs next my heart, for the reconciling of these uncomely, unnatural, (I had almost said unnecessary differences among Brethren, were it not to widen that distance, I would compose) But there is better blood paid for this purchase already, infinitely better blood, and my prayer and hope shall be that that blood which hath been effectual to the Reconciling of us, to God the Father, may be efficacious also to reconcile us one to another, till we come into the unity of Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto the perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
One body, one Spirit, one Hope, one Faith, one Lord, one Baptisme, 1one God, one Father of all, who is above all, through all, in all; yea (at this present) One common Anti-christian Enemie; One Cause, one ende, are not here Ones enough to make us one too? I remember a sad complaint of Augustine, of the Christians of his time; and we are so unhappy as to revive it: The Heathen (saith he) have many gods, and false Gods, and ⟨p. 45⟩yet they can agree, but Christians have but one God, and the trve. God, and they fall together by the eares. This was his Lamentation, and this may be our Lamentation. Christians, you that love the peace and welfare of Sion, labour to be healers of these breaches; while too too many make it their designe to cast on ayle, (and I know from whence they are set on work, even from Hell and Oxford) make it your businesse to cast water on these coales, least at length they break out into devouring-flames and there be none to quench them. At least, if the multitude should be so mad as to foment their own ruine, yet let the leaders of the people studie to preserve the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace: Oh that those Caelestiall Luminaries, that shine upon inferiour bodies, with so sweet and enlivening influence, should look upon one another sometime with a Malignant aspect. I could be contented with all my soul, to give the best blood that runs next my heart, for the reconciling of these uncomely, unnaturall, (I had almost said unnecessary differences among Brethren, were it not to widen that distance, I would compose) But there is better blood paid for this purchase already, infinitely better blood, and my prayer and hope shall be that that blood which hath been effectuall to the Reconciling of us, to God the Father, may be efficacious also to reconcile us one to another, till we come into the unity of Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto the perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ.
- 1Ephes 4.4, 5, 6.
