fake, and that he fhall judge the world at the laft and great day. This, or at least as much of this, as is neceffary to fubject men to the kingdom and government of Chrift, is, as I apprehend, the standard, of christian faith, and is one effential branch of chriftian unity: this I fay, is one effenfial branch of the standard of chriftian unity, because this is abfolutely neceffary to conftitute a chriftian, or a member of Chrift's church; for no one can be a member of Christ's body, the church, 'till he is united or made one with Christ, and with that body, in believing that which Chrift, of the chriftian revelation, hath made the standard of christian faith. It is not neceffary, in order to make a man a chriftian, that he fhould be united or made one in opinion, in every point, with every individual member of Chrift's body; neither is it neceffary to be one with them in any point, except what chrift, or the chriftian revelation, hath made the standard of chriftian faith, becaufe nothing is really neceffary, that a man can be a christian without: and as the believing the standard of chriftian faith is neceffary to constitute a member of Chrift's body; fo whoever doth believe, or is one with Christ, and with his body, in that standard, is a true chriftian, a true member of Christ's church, if that unity of faith be accompanied with unity of fubjection, which is the other effential branch of chriftian unity.

Secondly, Unity of fubjection, that is, a willing fubjection to the kingdom and government of Chrift, by making his laws the rule and measure both of the frame of a man's mind, and the actions of his life, a fubmitting to the will of Christ, in avoiding what he forbids, doing what he commands, and patiently fuffering (when call'd to it) for truth and righteoufnefs fake. This, or at leaft a purpofe and refolution to do fo, with an

actual

actual performance in the main and principal part of a man's actions, and with an humbling fense of his fault, whenever he does otherways, is the standard of christian subjection; because this is abfolutely neceffary to conftitute a chriftian or member of Chrift's church. No one can be a member of Chrift's body, who is not united to Chrift by subjection; and every one who is united to him by subjection, as aforefaid (which fuppofes an unity of faith) is a true chriftian; because he is united to Christ, and to the church, which is his body, in all the effential parts of the standard of chriftian unity. And whoever profeffes to be a chriftian, to be a member of Chrift's body, the church, and is wanting in thefe, or either of these, he is a chriftian only in name, and not in reality. And whoever apoftatizes with refpect to thefe, or either of thefe excommunicates himself from the body of Chrift; that is, whoever renounces Chrift, or whoever beleive him to be the Christ or true Meffiah, and yet withdraws his fubjection from him, and gives up himself to the fervice of another lord, Chrift is no longer his head, and he is no longer a member of Christ's body. And if he should have been the appeared of a member, by a visible profeffion, and an external communion with the body of Chrift's church; yet he is only a dead member of which should be cut off, or rather he is a member only in appearance, and not in reality. So then a unity of faith, and unity of fubjection, is all that is abfolutely neceffary to the being of Chrift's church in other refpects, fuch divifions may dif turb its peace and comfort, but they do not deftroy its being.

Secondly, Integral unity. This also may be confider'd in two refpects, viz. unity of interest and affections, and unity of communion chrif-.

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tian worship. First, Unity of intereft and affections. As the church of Chrift is, in the chriftian revelation, Rom. xii. 5. 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13, 25 26, 27. confidered as one body, whofe members, to wit, every individual chriftian, have one common intereft to profecute, viz. the honour and glory of Chrift, the head, and the comfort and happiness of the body, and of every individual member of the fame, both as to the life that now is, and alfo that which is come; fo it is neceffary to the well-being of Chrift's church, that all its members fhould be one, in perfuing the one common intereft of the whole. For tho' every particular member may have a particular intereft of its own, which it may perfue in conjunction with, and in fubordination to the one common intereft of the whole body, without hurt or prejudice to the intereft of that body; yet it cannot fet up any private intereft in oppofition to the one common intereft of the whole, without hurt or damage to the body of Chrift: and confequently whoever does fo is guilty of criminal fchifm, because he not only fails of filling up the relation which he ftands in to the body, but also acts against the intereft of, and to the hurt and damage of the body; which is highly criminal in any mem ber: this is the worft fort of criminal fchifm in the chriftian church; because it does more hurt and damage to the intereft of the body, and of chrifti. anity, than any other fort of fchifm whatever. This was that fort of fchifm which St. Paul charg'd the Corinthians with, I Cor, i. 12. One made an intereft for Paul, and another for Apollos, not in conjunction with, and in fubordination to, but in oppofition to the one common intereft of the body of Chrift. Nothing is more difhonourable, nor of worse confequence among chriftians, than a departing from this part of the ftandard of chrif

tian unity, For when there is this fchifm in the body, when the members are fet one against another, when their affections are alienated one from another, and the different interefts which they perfue clash with one another, and with the one common intereft of the body of Chrift, it has a fatal tendency to diffolve the great bond of chriftianity itself, viz. unity of faith, and unity of fubjection; and confequently to the diffolution of the body of Christ, according to our Lord's own obfervation, Matt. xii. 25. Every kingdom and house devided against itself falleth. This fhould make all chriftians very careful not to make, or give occafion for any fchifm of this fort in the church; and especially they that make the greatest outcry against schifm in the church, in other refpects, ought to take care not to be guilty of this worfe fort of fchifm themselves. Whereas, on the o-. ther fide, nothing can be more for the honour, the comfort, the happiness, and well-being of the church, or body of Chrift, than for all its members to be united in their interefts and affections. When they all love one another with a brotherly affection, when every member puts on a mutual concern to promote the honour and glory of Chrift, and the comfort and well-being of all the members of that body, when every one hath a fellow feeling of each other's comforts and afflictions, and efteems what is done to each of them as done to himself, this will make our Jerufalem beautiful in the fight of the nations, and a praife in the earth. All other forts of fchifm in the church will be of little confequence, if this part of the standard of christian unity is maintain'd, but the church's unity, in leffer things, will be of little benefit, where this is wanting. This fhould infpire all christians, with a noble zeal, to promote and maintain this part of the standard of chriftian uni

ty,

ty. This was that unity in the church, which Chrift fo particularly recommended, and prefs'd upon all his Difciples and followers, John xv. 12, 17. and that he fo earnestly pray'd to his Father for, John xvii. 11, 21, 22, 23. Chrift and his Father were one, as they were united in persuing the fame defign, viz. the restoration and falvation of mankind. They were one in their affections, in loving, and being beloved of each other. And he earnestly defired, that all, who beleiv'd in him fhould be one, even as he and his Father were one one in their interefts, and one in their affections. This was that noble unity, which beautified the primitive church, As iv. 32. They were all of one heart, and one foul; one in their interefts, one in their affections. Oh! that chrif tians would make all their particular interefts to give way and fubmi: to the one common intereft of the body of Chrift; that they would lay afide all their pride, paffion, humour, and carnal intereft, which are the feeds of fchifm in the church of Chrift, and be of one heart, and one foul; that they would be one in their interefts, one in their affections! then would the walls of our Jerufalem be falvation, and her gates praiíe.

Secondly, Unity of communion in chriftian worship. As the church is one body, which is united in faith and fubjection to Chrift, its one common head, and hath one common intereft to pursue, viz. the honour and glory of the head, and the prefent and future happiness of all and every member of that body; and as they have all one common Father, one common share and fellowship in the bleflings of the gofpel and one common hope of the heavenly inheritance; fo it is very juft and reasonable, fuitable and agreeable, beautiful and commendable, that they fhould, if it could be, make but one congrega