THE Interest of the Universal Church lyeth doubtless in the raising, inlarging and adorning of that mystical building, which is called the City of God, Christs Spouse, and Christs Body. As this Body is made up of such members, as are animated by the vital Spirit, which Floweth from the Head, and linkes them together with one another as well, as with their Head, Christ, so real Christianity is without doubt the main point of the Universal Church, and as real Christianity spreads and improves, or shrinks and decayes, the Universal Church must be looked upon as flourishing or declining. Real Christianity consisting in following the steps of our Saviour, and expressing by our life his pattern, as far as Divine Grace inables every one of us, we may term it, a ressemblance to Christ, the restorer of Gods image in the soul of man, the Beginner and Fullfiller of our Faith. Now the nearer we ressemble unto Christ, and the more there is of those that ressemble him, the more fully the glorious ends of his Gospel are answered and the Universal Church advanced.

As absurd as it is to think that Christ dyed for this or that sect, and that heaven must be stocked onely out of one particular Church, nevertheless no­tions of Christianity run so low, that the greatest part fancy, Christian Reli­gion is the performing of divine Wor­ship after this or that form, and hould­ing such or such opinions.

Which false supposition hath be­trayed some into Unchristian courses against those that differ from them, and occasioned dolefull effects. Wherefore divers pious Souls have endeavored to heal the wounds of the Church, by reconciling the aforesaid differences. It is but too much known how fruitless hitherto such endeavours have proved. Nor can it be otherwise, as long as that poisonous root of all dissension remains in the Soul, namely the rebellious selfish tincture, contracted by the first man, in listening to te serpent, and so declin­ing from God to Satan, the Prince of Pride. It would not signifie much neither, if all the men in the world re­solved upon using the same expressions, and the same Church service, con­tinuing all the while slaves to te King­dom of darkness. Whereas holyness or real Christianity, sincerily pursued in the several particular Churches, would approach people to that heavenly tem­per, to which jarring and disquiet is a perfect stranger. Wherefore I am of opinion, that instead of studying for confessions to be received by all partys, or arguing against one another's tenets, the differing partys should vye with one another, who could produce most in­stances of such as have in their Church arrived at the glorious renovation of Gods image in the Soul; which is the sign and effect of that Faith, which [Page 2] ^(a) overcomes the world, ^(b) and by which Christ lives in us, inabling those that receive him ^(c) to become childern of God. Those that ^(d) are in Christ become such new Creatures, and united with him, need not study for a confession, whereby thy might be united, all of them together living as it were by one common Soul. Though the number of such is very small, nev­ertheless God hath some here and there, which in his infinite mercy he hath left as the salt of the earth. These Few ought to be the more thank-full to that goodness, which hath snatch'd them out of the inundation of the Universal Corruption. The greatest thankfulness to the great Donor of all good and per­fect gifts consists in benefitting others by what we have received out of the unexhaustible divine treasure, to the glory of the Liberal Giver. Wherefore the aforesaid proficients in real Christ­ianity will hardly make here on earth a better return to heavens Favors, than if they heartily bestir themselves, to com­municate unto others that divine na­ture, whereof in the new Creature they are made partakers.

After these premises I inferr, that the Interest of the Universal Church might be promoted, if the following points were heeded.

(1.) Those that are in authority should study all possible means to pro­vide such Guides for the people, as have an experimental knowledge of the above-mentioned real Christianity, and can say with St. Paul: Follow me, as you see me follow Christ. At least ut-most care ought to be taken that a Preacher my not bring a reproach or dis­paragement upon his doctrine by his bad example. Persons that have not themselves recovered life by Christ, will hardly be able duely to lay before their hearers, what is the ^(e) Old man de­praved according to the desires of the Deceit, and the ^(f) New man, who is created after God in Righteousness and holyness of the truth; what it is to be dead in sin, and to be resuscitated with Christ. Wherein nevertheless consists preaching repentance and Faith, which two heads ^(g) St. Paul rekones the chief towards the saving of Souls. Without this foundation, the learnedest discourses will avail little towards the inlarging of Gods Kingdom; though they tickle the ears, get credit and esteem to the Preacher, and fill the minds of the hearers with never so fine notions. Nay though they should convince the auditory of the advan­tages of a good moral life, little will be practised, as long as the principle of disobedience, selflove, and own will continueth the spring of the heart. At the best a good moral life is not yet Gods Righteousness, ^(h) which is the Scope of the Gospel. Moral men are some times fallen into a conceit of themselves, setting up their own righte­ousness, for want of due instruction about the deplorable state of corrupted nature, and the glorious advantage of a new birth from above, ⁽ⁱ⁾ which formeth Christ in us, and begetts at this rate Gods Righteousness, which is by Faith.

(2.) For the breeding many Guides duely qualifyed, it would be requisite to order the Schools so, that a solid foundation for true wisdome might be laid there, by inuring youth betimes to a sincere regard to him, who is the [Page 3]fountain of true understanding. For want hereof we find so many Schollars, that aim rather at fame, by being versed in many hard authors, than at the glorifying of God, and advantaging their Neighbour by an experimental knowledge of the vast difference be­tween Living to God and Living to ourselves. I have met with some that took more delight in giving an account of an old manuscript, than in turning of a Soul from the world to heaven. Nor is it probable Heavens interest should be heartily espoused by those, with whom the Love of the world bears the chief sway. Though Provi­dence hath contrived it so wisely, that some smart for their vanity in desiring the reputation of vast Schollars, because oftentimes they become unfit for think­ing right themselves, by wasting their lives in cramming other mens notions into their brains.

(3.) If, instead of railing at one another and preaching at this rate hatred rather than charity, the Clergy of all the particular Churches made it their onely business, to preach Repen­tance and Faith, according to the first Article, they would shew the more of an Apostolick Spirit, and reap the more fruit from their labors. I have often wondered at their taking more pleasure in the making of Proselytes to their Church, than in turning their own flock, from the world to heaven, and from the Slavery of the Prince of the world, to the glorious liberty of the Kingdom of God. He that hath a tenderness for the perswasion, he pro­fesses, should not incourage vicious worldlings to come into it, since a great many well disposed Souls, ground their esteem of a Church upon the number of good patterns, which that Church affords. So that it is the In­terest of those that would bring their own perswasion into request, to con­tribute what they are able, that Christ­ian Vertues might shine brighter in their Church than in any other,

(4.) If people of differing perswa­sions fell into Company, they should avoid all controversie, the handling whereof seldom betters men, but often inflames animosities. And most men do think it a lessening of their own re­putation, and that of their masters, if they should yield one tittle of their Systeme of Divinity. Whereas some have done good even upon men of a differing perswasion, by declining con­troverted points, and grounding their discourse upon those subjects, which as essential to salvation are owned by all partys, though put in execution by a very few of them,

(5.) Those few that know Christ really, ^(a) as the Power of God in the faithfull, and feel by this knowledge ^(b) eternal life in them, having at­tained to the blessed experience of ^(c) being one Spirit with Christ, may endeavor to get acquainted and settle a correspondence with one another, though Providence hath placed them in different Provinces of the Lords Vi­neyard. Such a correspondence would not only prove of comfort and incou­ragement to themselves, but they might confer with one another about carry­ing on the common interest, against the Kingdom of darkness, that all along so miserably deludes the Slaves of its Dominions, and thwarts the heirs of Gods Kingdom. In the mean while every one making it his main business to strengthen the weak of his own perswasion, and to rescue them from perishing.

If the following of this method [Page 4]should by Gods blessing prove success­full, and Christs meek, peaceable, hea­venly Spirit dethrone the haughty, broilsome, worldly spirit of Satan in most peoples minds, they would soon hasten to brotherly imbraces. But the turbulent opposers of Love and Union would be left to fret away by their so much beloved sowrness.