religion be the chief band of human society it be a happy thing when itself be  well contain within the true band of unity the quarrel and division about  religion be evil unknown to the heathen the reason be because the religion of  the heathen consist rather in rite and ceremony than in any constant belief  for you may imagine what kind of faith they be when the chief doctor and  father of their church be the poet but the true God have this attribute that  he be a jealous God and therefore his worship and religion will endure no  mixture nor partner we shall therefore speak a few word concern the unity of  the church what be the fruit thereof what the bind and what the mean the fruit  of unity next unto the well please of God which be all in all be two the one  towards those that be without the church the other towards those that be  within for the former it be certain that heresy and schism be of all other the  great scandal yea more than corruption of manner for as in the natural body a  wound or solution of continuity be worse than a corrupt humour so in the  spiritual so that nothing do so much keep man out of the church and drive man  out of the church as breach of unity and therefore whensoever it come to that  pass that one say here it be in desert another say here it be in  innermost parts  that be when some man seek Christ in the conventicle of  heretic and other in a outward face of a church that voice have needs  continual to sound in man ear  not to go out go not out the doctor of the  gentile the propriety of who vocation draw he to have a special care of those  without say if a heathen come in and hear you speak with several tongue will  he not say that you be mad and certain it be little better when atheist and  profane person do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinion in religion  it do avert they from the church and make they to sit down in the chair of the  scorner it be but a light thing to be vouch in so serious a matter but yet it  express well the deformity there be a master of scoff that in his catalogue of  book of a feign library set down this title of a book the morris dance of  heretic for indeed every sect of they have a diverse posture or cringe by  themselves which can but move derision in worldling and deprave politic who be  apt to contemn holy thing as for the fruit towards those that be within it be  peace which contain infinite blessing it establish faith it kindle charity the  outward peace of the church distil into peace of conscience and it turn the  labour of write and read of controversy into treaty of mortification and  devotion concern the bind of unity the true place of they import exceed there  appear to be two extreme for to certain zealants all speech of pacification be  odious be it peace Jehu what have thou to do with peace turn thou behind I  peace be not the matter but follow and party contrariwise certain laodiceans  and lukewarm person think they may accommodate point of religion by middle way  and take part of both and witty reconcilement as if they will make a  arbitrament between God and man both these extreme be to be avoid which will  be do if the league of Christian pen by our saviour himself be in two cross  clause thereof sound and plain expound he that be not with we be against we  and again he that be not against we be with we that be if the point  fundamental and of substance in religion be true discern and distinguish from  point not mere of faith but of opinion order or good intention this be a thing  may seem to many a matter trivial and do already but if it be do less partial  it will be embrace more general of this I may give only this advice accord to  my small model man ought to take heed of rend God church by two kind of  controversy the one be when the matter of the point controvert be too small  and light not worth the heat and strife about it kindle only by contradiction  for as it be note by one of the father Christ coat indeed have no seam but the  church vesture be of diverse colour whereupon he say in veste varietas sit  cleft non sit they be two thing unity and uniformity the other be when the  matter of the point controvert be great but it be drive to a over great  subtlety and obscurity so that it become a thing rather ingenious than  substantial a man that be of judgement and understanding shall sometime hear  ignorant man differ and know well within himself that those which so differ  mean one thing and yet they themselves will never agree and if it come so to  pass in that distance of judgement which be between man and man shall we not  think that God above that know the heart do not discern that frail man in some  of their contradiction intend the same thing and accept of both the nature of  such controversy be excellent express by saint Paul in the warning and precept  that he give concern the same to avoid to render unholy voice restored state   et an opposing falsehood a means of knowing knowledge man create opposition  which be not and put they into new term so fix as whereas the meaning ought to  govern the term the term in effect govern the meaning there be also two false  peace or unity the one when the peace be ground but upon a implicit ignorance  for all colour will agree in the dark the other when it be piece up upon a  direct admission of contrary in fundamental point for truth and falsehood in  such thing be like the iron and clay in the toe of nebuchadnezzar image they  may cleave but they will not incorporate concern the mean of procure unity man  must beware that in the procure or reunite of religious unity they do not  dissolve and deface the law of charity and of human society there be two sword  among Christian the spiritual and temporal and both have their due office and  place in the maintenance of religion but we may not take up the three sword  which be mahomet sword or like unto it that be to propagate religion by war or  by sanguinary persecution to force conscience except it be in case of overt  scandal blasphemy or intermixture of practice against the state much less to  nourish sedition to authorize conspiracy and rebellion to put the sword into  the people hand and the like tend to the subversion of all government which be  the ordinance of God for this be but to dash the first table against the  second and so to consider man as Christian as we forget that they be man  Lucretius the poet when he behold the act of Agamemnon that can endure the  sacrifice of his own daughter exclaim so much reverence to be able to advise  an evil what will he have say if he have know of the massacre in France or the  powder treason of England he will have be seven time more epicure and atheist  than he be for as the temporal sword be to be draw with great circumspection  in case of religion so it be a thing monstrous to put it into the hand of the  common people let that be leave unto the anabaptist and other fury it be great  blasphemy when the devil say I will ascend and be like the high but it be  great blasphemy to personate God and bring he in say I will descend and be  like the prince of darkness and what be it better to make the cause of  religion to descend to the cruel and execrable action of murder prince  butchery of people and subversion of state and government sure this be to  bring down the holy ghost instead of the likeness of a dove in the shape of a  vulture or raven and set out of the bark of a Christian church a flag of a  bark of pirate and assassin therefore it be most necessary that the church by  doctrine and decree prince by their sword and all learning both Christian and  moral as by their Mercury rod do damn and send to hell for ever those fact and  opinion tend to the support of the same as have be already in good part do  sure in counsel concern religion that counsel of the apostle will be prefix  iris i man non fill up the whole of the laws God and it be a notable  observation of a wise father and no less ingenuous confess that those which  hold and persuade pressure of conscience be common interest therein themselves  for their own end