uniformity, are any bonds of the true church's peace and unicn; feeing the church is fuch a kingdom, as is not preserved in its peace by any outward forms and orders, as the kingdoms of the world are, but by inward principles: Wherefore I fhall proceed to speak of those spiritual bonds of the fpiritual church's unity, which the apostle names; and they are in number, feven; the firft whereof is,

ONE BODY.

There is one body, faith Paul: The right church of Christ is but one body, consisting of many members; and this is not a natural or political, but a spiritual body, even the body of Chrift. Paul, in feveral of his epiftles, takes pleasure to fet forth the unity of the church by this fimilitude; as in Rom. xii. 4, 5. As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the fame office; fo we being many, are one body in Chrift, and every one members one of another. And again, 1 Cor. xii. 12. As the body is one, and bath many members; and all the members of that one body, being many, are but one body, fo alfo is Chrift: Where he calls the body by the name of the head, both making up one Christ.

Now this unity of body comprehends believers of all ages, and of all forts.

1. Of all ages; for all believers that have been in the world heretofore, or now are, or shall be hereafter, do all make up but one body of Chrift, though born and brought forth of God in feveral times and ages of the world; as in a natural example, a child is not born all in a moment, but is brought forth by degrees; and though one part be born, and another not yet born, this doth not hinder unity of body in the child; fo the bringing forth the church into the world in feveral ages, doth in no wife hinder this unity of body.

2. As this unity of body comprehends believers of all ages, fo alfo of all forts and conditions, Jews and Gentiles,

bond

bond and free, &c. all which are made one body in Christ. Paul in Ephef. ii. 15. fpeaking of Jews and Gentiles, faith, That Chrift of thefe twain (who differed as much as mankind could) be bath made, in himself, one new man: For Chrift melting these two, by his Spirit, which is as fire, causes each to depart from himfelf, and makes both together one new man, or body of Chrift in himfelf; and thus makes peace: For as long as men remain different bodies, or men, there is no peace amongst them; but when Chrift makes them one body in himself, he makes peace between them; unity of body being a moft neceffary bond of peace in the church; as the apoftle teftifies, Col. iii. 15. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are called in one body.

Now from this unity of body in the true church we

may note very confiderable things, all to our present purpose.

1. That unity of body in the church, flows from unity of head for here the members do not firft confpire into unity of body among themselves, and after choose a head to their body; but first, these members are united to the head, and then to one another in and with the head; and fo because there is but one true head, Chrift, there is but one true body, the church.

2. As the members of the natural body are born fuch, through a natural birth, before they do or can exercife any acts or offices fuitable to fuch members, and do not firft exercife fuch offices, and then after are made fuch members; as for inftance, the eye doth not first fee, and then or therefore is made an eye in the body; or the ear first hear, and then or therefore is made an ear in the bcdy: but the eye is first born an eye in the body, and then fees; and the ear is born an ear, and then hears, &c. So in the fpiritual body of Chrift; each christian hath his membership, meerly from a new or spiritual birth, and hath

his office from his membership; and not from any action or operation of his own, before he was a member. In this fpiritual, as in the natural body, the eye is born an eye, and therefore it fees; and the foot is born a foot, and therefore it walks; and each believer is only that which he is through a new birth, and cannot be placed in fuch and fuch an office by men; no more than men can place a feeing eye or walking foot in the natural body, but they must be born there, ere they can be there. Each member in the true church, is born in his place and office by God, and is not placed there by man, and when the church perceives this grace in its members, it fuffers them to exercise those places and offices in the body, in which God hath produced or brought them forth, by his Spirit.

3. This unity of body ftands well with a difference or diftinction of members, and the difference of members doth not hinder, but help the unity of body: for, faith Paul, The body is not one member, but many; and if they were all one member, where were the body? And therefore in the body there are diverfity of members, and each member hath its feveral form and office; If the whole body were an eye, where were the bearing? and if the whole were an ear, where were feeing, fmelling, walking? &c. So in the unity of Christ's body there are diversity of members, with diverfity of gifts and offices; and so one hath the word of wisdom, another the word of knowledge, another the word of faith, another the gift of healing, &c. 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9. Every member in this body being in office, and having received the Spirit to profit withal. And fo again, Rom. xii, 6. Having then gifts differing, according to the grace that is given ta Ms, (he fpeaks of all the members of the body, which have fome or other gifts given to them) if it be prophefy, let us prophely according to the proportion of faith; if ministry, let us wait on our miniftering; or he that teacheth on teaching, or be that exhorteth on exhortation, &c. So that in the true

church

church unity ftands with diversity, but in the falfe, unity will not stand without uniformity.

4. In this true church, or one body of Chrift, notwithstanding diversity of members and offices, there is still an equality among them all, feeing all alike make up one body; in which regard one member is as neceffary to the body as another, and no member can fay to another, that I contribute more to the making up of the body than thou; the most honourable member, cannot fay thus to the most mean, not the apostles themselves to believers among the gentiles; for we are the body of Chrift, as well as they, and they are the body of Christ no more than we: wherefore no member, for diversity of office, is to lift up himfelf above another member, who is as neceffary as itself to the making up the body, and alfo is every whit as ufeful in its place.

5. As in the natural body, each member is contented with its own place and office in the body: fo is every member, through the grace given unto it, contented with its place and office in the spiritual body, and not one either envies or defpifes another.

6. The members of the natural body do not each live to themselves, but all of them serve one another, and each of them serves all; as the eye fees for the foot, and the whole body, and the hand works for the eye, and the whole body, &c. So among believers, none lives and acts for himself only, but each believer ferves all, and all ferve each one in love.

7. Members that are united into one body, have a true fympathy with one another, both in good and evil things: 1 Cor. xii. 26. And whether one member fuffer, all the members fuffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

8. Among the members of the body, there is no law of force, but only a law of love; no member compelling another, but each member ferving another by love: and if one

member

member be infirm, the reft help it, and do not reject it: the more they care for it, and do not the more defpife it.

And this now is the first bond of the true church's unity. Unity of body.

Now they break this first bond of unity, that either live out of this one body of Christ, or else live in it, but not as members.

1. They that do content themselves in joining to fome outward and vifible fociety and corporation of men, though called a church, and think that by being knit to them in ways of outward worship and ordinances, they live in the unity of the church, when as yet all this while they live out of that one body that is born of the Spirit, which is the only true church, and body of Chrift: he that lives out of this fpiritual body, though he live in the most excellent fociety in the world, yet he breaks the unity of the church, not living in one body with it, And thus many break the church's unity, that never think on it.

2. Again, they break this bond of the church's unity that live in this one body, but not as members; and fuch are they, who having got the advantage of the magiftrate's power, will needs lift themselves up above their fellow-members, and exercise authoritative, coercive, domineering power over them: whereas the very apoftles themselves were not lords of the church, but fellowmembers with the faithful; living in one body, and under one head with them, and fo did all by love and perfuafion, and nothing by force and violence. Now those members that exalt themfelves above their fellow and equal members, what do they elfe but ufurp the place of the head; and fo break in funder the unity of the body, which stands in the unity of the head? He that, in a fingle or combined unity, fets himself up above other believers, by giving laws, and by prescribing and commanding forms and rules to thofe that are every way his equals, ad