PHIL. III. 16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things.

ALthough the Christian Religion doth
lay the greatest obligations on
mankind to Peace and Unity, by
the strictest commands, the
highest examples, and the most
prevailing arguments; yet so
much have the passions and interests of men
overswai'd the sense of their duty, that as nothing
ought to be more in our wishes, so nothing
seems more remote from our hopes, than the universal
Peace of the Christian World. Not that
there is any impossibility in the thing, or any considerable
difficulty, if all men were such Christians
as they ought to be; but as long as men
pursue their several factions and designs under
the colour and pretence of zeal for Religion; if

B

they did not find Names and Parties ready framed,
that were suitable to their ends, the difference
of their designs would make them. So
that till mens corruptions are mortified, and
their passions subdued to a greater degree than
the world hath yet found them, it is in vain to
expect a state of peace and tranquillity in the
Church. We need not go far from home for a
sufficient evidence of this; for although our differences
are such as the wiser Protestants abroad
not only condemn but wonder at them; yet it
hath hitherto puzzled the wisest persons among
us to find out wayes to compose them; not so
much from the distance of mens opinions and
practices, as the strength of their prejudices and
inclinations. What those divisions of Reuben of
old were, which caused such thoughts and searchings
of heart, we neither well understand, nor
doth it much concern us: but the continuance,
if not the widening, of these unhappy breaches
among our selves do give such cause for many
sad reflections. When neither the miseries we
have felt, nor the calamities we fear; neither the
terrible judgements of God upon us, nor the unexpected
deliverances vouchsafed to us, nor the
common danger we are yet in, have abated mens
heats, or allayed their passions, or made them
more willing to unite with our established
Church and Religion. But instead of that, some
rather stand at a greater distance if not defiance,
and seem to entertain themselves with hopes of
new revolutions; others raise fresh calumnies
and reproaches; as well as revive and spread
abroad old ones; as though their business were
to make our breaches wider, and to exasperate
mens spirits against each other; at such a time,
when Reason and common security, and above
all our Religion obligeth us to follow after the
things that make for peace, and things wherewith one
may edifie another; and not, such as tend to our
mutual destruction; as most certainly our divisions
and animosities do. Yet all parties pretend
to a zeal for Peace, so they may have it in their
own way: by which it appears that it is not
Peace they aim at but Victory; nor Unity so
much as having their own wills. Those of the
Roman Church make great boasts of their Unity
and the effectual means they have to preserve it;
but God deliver us from such cruel wayes of
Peace, and such destructive means of Unity as
Treachery and Assassinations, and an Inquisition.
Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery
are in their wayes; and the way of Peace they have
not known. But it were happy for us, if all those
who agree in renouncing the Errors and Corruptions
of the Roman Church, could as easily
join together in the great duties of our common
Religion, that is, in our Prayers, and Praises,

B2

and Sacraments, and all solemn acts of Divine
Worship. For this would not only take off the
reproach of our Adversaries, who continually
upbraid us with our Schisms and Separations,
but it would mightily tend to abate mens passions,
and to remove their prejudices, and to dispose
their inclinations, and thereby lay a foundation
for a blessed Union among our selves.
Which would frustrate the great design of our
enemies upon us, who expect to see that Religion
destroyed by our own folly, which they
could not otherwise hope to accomplish by their
utmost care and endeavour. And we may justly
hope for a greater blessing of God upon us,
when we offer up our joint Prayers and Devotions
to him, lifting up, as St. Paul speaks, holy hands
without wrath and disputing. This is therefore a
thing of so great consequence to our Peace and
Union, that tends so much to the Honour of
God, and our common Safety and Preservation;
that no person who hath any real concernment
for these things, can deny it to be
not only just and fitting, but in our circumstances
necessary to be done, if it can be made
appear to be lawful, or that they can do it with a
good Conscience.
And this is the subject I design to speak to at
this time; and for that purpose have made choise
of these words of the Apostle, Nevertheless, whereto

4

we have already attained, let us walk by the same
rule, let us mind the same things.
For our better understanding the full scope and
meaning of the Apostle in these words, we are
to consider, that an unhappy Schism, or wilful
breach of the Churches Unity, had begun in the
Apostles times, upon the difference that arose
concerning the necessity of keeping the Law of
Moses. And that which made the Schism the more
dangerous, was that the first beginners of it
pretended a Commission from the Apostles
themselves at Jerusalem, and were extreamly busie
and industrious to gain and keep up a party
to themselves in the most flourishing Churches
planted by the Apostles. At Antioch they bore so
great a sway, that St. Peter himself complied
with them, and not only other Jews, but Barnabas
also was carried away with their dissimulation. Insomuch
that had it not been for the courage and
resolution of St. Paul, all the Gentile Christians
had been either forced to a compliance with the
Jews, or to a perpetual Schism, of which
St. Peter had been in probability the Head, and
not of the Churches Unity if St. Paul had not vigorously
opposed so dangerous a compliance But
finding so good success in his endeavours at Antioch,
he pursues those false Apostles, who made
it their business to divide and separate the Christians
from each others Communion through all
the Churches, where they had, or were like to
make any great impression. He writes his Epistle
to the Galatians purposely against them; he warns
the Christians at Rome of them. Now I beseech you
Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences
contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned, and
avoid them. And because he had understood they
had been busie at Philippi to make a party there
too, therefore the Apostle to prevent their designs,
makes use of this following method.
1. He exhorts the Philippians to an unanimous
and constant resolution, in holding fast to the
faith of the Gospel, in spight of all the threats
and malice of their enemies: That ye stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the
faith of the Gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries.
If once the fears of troubles and persecutions
make men afraid to own and maintain their
Religion; it will be an easie matter for their
enemies first to divide, and then to subdue them.
But their courage and unanimity in a good
Cause baffles the attempts of the most daring Adversaries,
and makes them willing to retreat
when they see they can neither disunite them nor
make them afraid.
2. He beseeches them in the most vehement
and affectionate manner, not to give
way to any differences or divisions among them,
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any

6

comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any
bowels and mercies; fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like
minded, having the same love; being of one accord, of
one mind. As though he had said unto them, I have
seen the miserable effects of divisions in other
Churches already, how our Religion hath been
reproached, the Gospel hindred, and the Cross
of Christ rendred of little or no effect by reason
of them; let me therefore intreat you, if you
have any regard to the Peace and Welfare of
your own souls; if you have any sense of your
duty you owe to one another as members of the
same body; if you have any tenderness or pity
towards me, avoid the first tendencies to any
breaches among you; entertain no unjust suspicions
or jealousies of each other, shew all the
kindness you are able to your fellow members;
live as those that are acted by the same soul
carry on the same design; and as much
as possible prevent any differences in opinions
amongst you.
3. He warns them and gives cautions against
some persons from whom their greatest danger
was, viz. such as pretended a mighty zeal for
the Law: And very well understanding the mischief
of their designs under their specious pretences,
he bestows very severe characters upon
them, vers. 2. Beware of Dogs, beware of evil workers,
beware of the Concision. All which Characters
relate to the breaches and divisions which they
made in the Christian Churches; which like
Dogs they did tear in pieces, and thereby did unspeakable
mischief, and so were evil workers, and
by the Concision St. Chrysostom understands such a
cutting in pieces as tends to the destruction of a
thing; and therefore, saith he, the Apostle called
them : because
they endeavoured to cut in pieces, and
thereby to destroy the Church of God. But lest
they should give out that St. Paul spoke this out
of a particular pique he had taken up against
the Law of Moses, he declares that as to the spiritual
intention and design of the Law it was accomplished
in Christians, vers. 3. For we are the
Circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoyce
in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
And for his own part, he had as much reason
to glory in legal priviledges as any of them all,
vers. 4, 5, 6. but the excellency of the Gospel
of Christ had so prevailed upon his mind, that
he now despised the things he valued before,
and made it his whole business to attain
to the glorious reward which this Religion promiseth.
This he pursues from vers. 7, to
vers. 15.
4. Having done this, he perswades all
good Christians to do as he did, vers. 15. Let us
therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. But
because many disputes and differences as to opinion
and practice might happen among them, he
therefore lays down two Rules for them to govern
themselves by.
1. If any happen'd to differ from the body of
Christians they lived with, they should do it with
great Modesty and Humility, not breaking out
into factions and divisions, but waiting for farther
information, which they may expect that God
will give upon a diligent and sober use of the best
means; And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God
shall reveal even this unto you. By leaving them to
Gods immediate care for farther illumination, he
doth not bid them depend upon extraordinary revelation;
but requires them to wait upon God in
his own way, without proceeding with the false
Apostles to the wayes of Faction and Separation,
and in the mean time to go as far as they could.
2. For those who were come to a firmness and
settlement of judgement upon the Christian principles,
he charges them by all means to preserve
Unity and Peace among themselves. Whereto we
have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let
us mind the same things.
Wherein the Apostle supposes two things.
I. The necessity of one fixed and certain
Rule, notwithstanding the different attainments
among Christians. Nevertheless, whereto we have
already attained, let us walk by the same Rule.

C

II. The duty and obligation which lies upon
the best Christians to observe it. He doth not
speak to the ignorant and unthinking multitude;
not to the licentious rabble, nor to the carnal and
worldly Church; which some think are only desirous
of Uniformity; but to the very best Christians;
to those who had got the start of others
as the words here signifie that they would be
an example of Peace and Unity to their Brethren.
I. The necessity of one fixed and certain Rule,
notwithstanding the different attainments, of Christians.
which Phrase seems to
be a continuation of the former allusion to a Race.
For as Eustathius observes, the first thing the Greeks
were wont to do as to their exercises, was to circumscribe
the bounds within which they were to
be performed. That which fixed and determined
these limits was called by the Greeks, and
Regula and Lineæ by the Latins: thence transilire
lineas in Cicero is to commit a fault, to break
the bounds within which we are confined.
All the question is, what the Apostle means by
this Rule, whether only a Rule of Charity and
mutual forbearance, with a liberty of different
practice; or such a Rule which limits and determines
the manner of practice. It cannot be the former,
because that is the case, the Apostle had spoken to
just before. If in any thing ye be otherwise minded;
therefore now subjoining this with respect to those
who had gone beyond them, he doth imply such
an agreement and uniformity of Practice as doth
lie in observing the same standing Rule. For
which we must consider, that they understood already
what orders and directions he had given
them when a Church was first formed among
them; and therefore when the Apostle mentions
a Rule without declaring what it was, we have
reason to believe, it was such a Rule which they
very well knew, which he had given to them before.
So we find elsewhere the Apostle refers to
such Rules of Government and Order, which he
had given to other Churches, and were already
received and practised among them. For the
Apostles did not write their Epistles for the founding
of Churches, but they were already in being;
only they took notice of any disorders among
them, and reformed abuses, and left some things
to their own directions, when they should come
among them. And the rest will I set in order when
I come.
As the Lord hath called every one, so let him
walk; and so ordain I in all the Churches. Which
shews that the Apostles did not leave all persons
to act as they judged fit, but did make Rules determining
their practice, and obliging them to
uniformity therein. For might not men pretend
that these were not things in themselves necessary,
and might be scrupled by some Persons, and

C2

therefore were not fit to be imposed upon any?
But I do not find that the Apostles on this account
did forbear giving Rules in such cases, and to oblige
Christians to observe them; and that not on
the meer Authority of Apostles, but as Governours
of Churches, whose business it is to take
care of the welfare and preservation of them.
There are many things which seem very little
and inconsiderable in themselves, whose consequence
and tendency is very great; and the wisdom
of Governours lies in preventing the danger
of little things, and keeping the zeal of well-meaning
persons within its due bounds. For,
those who are engaged below in the Valley, fighting
in small parties, and pursuing their advantages,
do run into their enemies Camp before
they are aware of it, may receive an unexpected
check from their Commanders in chief, who from
the higher ground espie the hazard they are in by
their over-forwardness, and the arts which their enemies
use in drawing them into little Companies
to fight separately, and the danger they may thereby
bring upon the whole Army; and therefore send
them a peremptory order to give over fighting by
themselves and make good their retreat into the
Body of the Army: They wonder, they complain,
they think themselves hardly used; but no understanding
man blames their Generals who regard
their safety more than they do themselves,
and know the allowing them he Liberty they desire,
would endanger the destruction of them all.
The Wisdom and Conduct of Governours, is quite
another thing from the Zeal and Courage of inferiour
Persons; who knowing their own resolution
and integrity, think much to be controlled; but
those who stand upon higher Ground and see
further than they can do, must be allowed a better
capacity of judging what makes for the safety
of the whole, than they can have: and such things
which they look on in themselves, and therefore
think them mean and trifling, the other look
upon them in their consequence, and the influence
they may have upon the publick safety. It were
extreamly desirable that all good and useful men
should enjoy as much satisfaction as might be, but if
it cannot be attained without running great hazards
of unsettling all, it is then to be considered,
whether the general safety or some mens particular
satisfaction be the more desirable. And
this is that, which the example of the Apostles
themselves gives us reason to consider, for although
there were many doubts and scruples in
their times about several Rites and Customes,
yet the Apostles did give Rules in such cases, and
bind Christians to observe them; as we find in
that famous decree made upon great deliberation,
in a Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem;
wherein they determined those things which they
knew were then scrupled, and continued so to
be afterwards, whereever the Judaizing Christians
prevailed. But notwithstanding all their dissatisfaction,
the Apostles continued the same
Rule; And S. Paul here requires the most forward
Christians to mind their Rule, and to preserve
Peace and Unity among themselves.
But doth not S. Paul in the 14th Chapter of his Epistle
to the Romans lay down quite another Rule, viz. only
of mutual forbearance in such cases, where men are unsatisfied
in conscience?
I answer, that the Apostle did act like a prudent
Governour, and in such a manner, as he
thought, did most tend to the propagation of the
Gospel, and the good of particular Churches. In
some Churches that consisted most of Jews, as
the Church of Rome at this time did, and where
they did not impose the necessity of keeping the
Law on the Gentile Christians as we do not find
they did at Rome the Apostle was willing to have
the Law buried as decently, and with as little
noise as might be; and therefore in this case, he
perswades both parties to Forbearance and Charity,
in avoiding the judging and censuring one another,
since they had an equal regard to the honour
of God in what they did. But in those Churches,
where the false Apostles made use of this pretence,
of the Levitical Law being still in force, to divide
the Churches, and to separate the Communion
of Christians; there the Apostle bids them
beware of them, and their practices; as being of
a dangerous and pernicious consequence. So
that the preserving the Peace of the Church, and
preventing Separation was the great measure,
according to which, the Apostle gave his directions;
and that makes him so much insist on this
advice to the Philippians, that whatever their attainments
in Christianity were, they should walk
by the same Rule, and mind the same things.
II. We take notice of the Duty and obligation
that lies upon the best Christians, to walk by the same
Rule, to mind the same things.
From whence arise two very considerable Enquiries.
1. How far the obligation doth extend to comply
with an established Rule, and to preserve the
Peace of the Church we live in?
2. What is to be done, if men cannot come
up to that Rule? For the Apostle speaks only
of such as have attained so far; Whereto we have
already attained, let us walk by the same Rule.
1. How far the obligation doth extend to
comply with an established Rule, and to preserve
the Peace of the Church we live in? This
I think the more necessary to be spoken to, because
I cannot perswade my self that so many
scrupulous and conscientious men as are at this
day among us would live so many years in
a known sin; i.e. in a state of Separation
from the Communion of a Church, which in
Conscience they thought themselves obliged to
communicate with. It must be certainly some
great mistake in their judgements must lead them
to this; for I am by no means willing to impute it
to passion and evil designs and out of the hearty
desire I have, if possible, to give satisfaction in this
matter, I shall endeavour to search to the bottom of
this dangerous mistake, to which we owe so much
of our present distractions and fears.
But for the better preventing all mis-understanding
the design of my Discourse, I desire it
may be considered
1. That I speak not of the Separation or distinct
Communion of whole Churches from each other;
which according to the Scripture, Antiquity and
Reason, have a just Right and Power to Govern
and Reform themselves. By whole Churches, I
mean, the Churches of such Nations, which upon
the decay of the Roman Empire, resumed
their just Right of Government to themselves,
and upon their owning Christianity, incorporated
into one Christian Society, under the same
common ties and Rules of Order and Government.
Such as the Church of Macedonia would have
been, if from being a Roman Province it had become
a Christian Kingdom, and the Churches of
Thessalonica, Philippi and the rest had united together,
And so the several Churches of he Lydians or Proconsular
Asia, if they had been united in one Kingdom,
and Governed by the same Authority, under
the same Rules, might have been truly called
the Lydian Church. Just as several Families uniting
make one Kingdom, which at first had a
distinct and independent Power, but it would
make strange confusion in the world to reduce
Kingdoms back again to Families, because at first
they were made up of them. Thus National
Churches are National Societies of Christians,
under the same Laws of Government and rules of
Worship. For the true notion of a Church is no
more than of a Society of men united together for
their Order and Government according to the
Rules of the Christian Religion. And it is a great
mistake, to make the notion of a Church barely to
relate to Acts of Worship; and consequently that
the adequate notion of a Church, is an Assembly
for Divine Worship; by which means they appropriate
the name of Churches to particular
Congregations. Whereas, if this held true, the
Church must be dissolved assoon as the Congregation
is broken up; but if they retain the nature of a
Church, when they do not meet together for
Worship, then there is some other bond that unites
them; and whatever that is; it constitutes the
Church.