Several sermons and discourses of William Dell Minister of the Gospel; sometimes attending both the generals in the army: and now Master of Gonvil and Caius Colledge in Cambridge. Heretofore published at several times, and on several occasions; and now gathered in one volumn, for the benefit of the faithful, and conviction of the world.

ONE BODY.

There is one body, saith 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 Christ. Paul in several of his Epistles, takes pleasure to set forth the unity of the Church by this similitude; as in Rom. 12. 4, 5. As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of a∣nother. And again, 1 Cor. 12. 12. As the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of that one body, being many, are but one body, so also is Christ: Where he cals 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 sorts.

1. Of all ages; for all believers that hath been in the world heretofore, or now are, or shall be hereafter, do all make up but one body of Christ, though born and brought forth of God in seve∣ral times and ages of the world; as in a natural example, a childe 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; so the bringing forth the Church into the world in several ages, doth in no wise hinder this unity of body.

2. As this unity of body, comprehends believers of all ages, so also of all sorts and conditions, Jews and Gentiles, bond and free, &c. all which are made one body in Christ. Paul in Ephes. 2. 15. speaking of Jews and Gentiles, saith, That Christ of these twain (who differed as much as mankinde could) he hath made in himself, one new man: For Christ melting these two, by his Spirit, which is as fire, causes each to depart from himself, and makes both together, one new man, or body of Christ in himself; and thus makes peace: For as long as men remain different bodies, or men, there is no peace amongst them; but when Christ makes them one body in himself, he makes peace between them; unity of body being a most necessary bond of peace in the Church; as the Apostle testi∣fies, Col. 3. 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 considerable 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 first conspire into an unity of body a∣mong 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 so because there is but one true head, Christ: there is but one true body, the Church.

2. As the members of the natural body, are born such, through a natural birth, before they do or can exercise and acts or offices sutable to such members, and do not first exercise such offices, and then after are made such members; as for instance, the eye doth not first see, 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 body: but the eye, is first born an eye in the body; and then sees; and the ear is born an ear, and then hears &c. So in the spiritual body of Christ; 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 spiritual, as in the natural body, the eye is born an eye, and there∣fore it sees, 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 such and such an office by men; no more then men can place, a seeing 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 suffers 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, stands well with a difference or distinction of members, and the difference of members, doth not hinder, but help the unity of body: for saith Paul, The body is not one mem∣ber, but many, and if they were all one member, where were the body? And therefore in the body, there are diversity of members, and each member hath its several form and office; If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing, and if the whole were an ear, where were seeing, smelling, walking, &c. So in the unity of Christs body, there are diversity of members, with diversity 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. Every member in this body being in office, and having received the Spirit to profit withal. And so again, Rom. 12. 6. Having then gifts dif∣fering, according to the grace that is given to us (he speaks of all the members of the body, which have some of or other gifts, given to them) if it be prophesie, let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith; if ministry, let us wait on our ministring; or he that teach∣eth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortution, &c. So that in the true Church, unity stands with diversity, but in the false, unity will not stand without uniformity.

4. In this true Church, or one body of Christ, notwithstanding diversity of members and offices, there is still an equality among them all; seeing all alike make up one body; in which regard one member is as necessary to the body as another, and no member can say to another, that I contribute more to the making up of the body then thou; the most honourable member, cannot lay thus to the most mean, not the Apostles themselves to Believers among the Gentiles; for we are the body of Christ, as well as they, and they are the body of Christ no more then we: wherefore no member, for diversity of office, is to lift up himself above another member, who is as necessary as it self, to the making up the body, and also is every whit as useful in its place.

5. As in the natural body, each member is contented with its own place and office in the body: so is every member through the

grace given unto it, contented with its place and office in the spi∣ritual body, and not one either envies or despises another.

6. The members of the natural body, do not each live to them∣selves, but all of them serve one another, and each of them serves all; as the eye sees 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 serves all, and all serve each one in love.

7. Members that are united into one body, have a true sympathy with one another, both in good and evil things, 1 Cor. 12. 26. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoyce 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 serving another by love: and if one member be infirm, the rest help it, and do not reject it: the more they care for it, and do not the more despise it.

And this now is the first bond of the true Churches unity, Ʋnity 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 joyning to some outward and visible society and corporation of men, though called a Church, and think that by being knit to them in wayes 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 onely true Church, and body of Christ: he that lives out of this spiritual body, though he live in the most ex∣cellent society in the world, yet he breaks the unity of the Church, not living in one body with it. And thus many break the Churches unity, that never think on it.

2. Again, they break this bond of the Churches unity that live in this one body, but not as members; And such are they, who having got the advantage of the Magistrates power, will needs lift themselves up above their fellow-members, and exercise authorita∣tive, coercive, domineering power over them, whereas the very A∣postles themselves, were not Lords of the Church, but fellow-mem∣bers

with the faithful; living in one body, and under one head with them, and so did all by love and perswasion, and nothing by force and violence. Now those members that exalt themselves above their fellow and equal members, what do they else but usurp the place of the Head? and so break in sunder the unity of the body, which stands in the unity of the Head? He that in a single or com∣bined unity sets himself up above other Believers, by giving Laws, and by prescribing and commanding Forms and Rules to those that are every way his equals, he advances himself as another head be∣sides Christ; and so Anti-christ is nearer to us then we are aware; and many men that are so forward and fierce, to make and enforce Rules and Orders, colourably to procure the Churches peace, they are the first men that do themselves break this first bond of the Churches Ʋnity, to wit, Ʋnity of Body, which makes all Believers equal members, equally subject to one Head.

Notes

• The right Church is one body.
• This one bo∣dy compre∣hends Be∣lievers of all Ages.
• Of all sorts.
• Many things to be consi∣dered from the Churches unity of body.
• 1 Cor. 12.
• Who break this bond of the Churches Unity.