And this is the seventh bond of the true Churches unity; ONE GOD AND FATHER, &c.
Now they break this bond of the Churches unity,* 1.1 who have not this one God and Father of the Church to be their God, and their Father, who will needs call God Father, and yet are none of his children; who will be of the Church of God, and yet are not born of God; and so live according to their own natures, and not ac∣cording to Gods; all these, I say, break the unity of the Church, seeing we can no longer live in peace, then this one God and Father is above us, and through us, and in us. All they then that will needs be members of the Church through outward profession, and yet are none of this spiritual brother hood, as having no descent from this heavenly Father, they break this unity of the Church, even all the children that are onely born after the flesh, and so still live ac∣cording to the natures of men, and are not born of the Spirit, to live after the nature of God.
These now are the seven bonds of the true Churches true unity and peace;* 1.2 and there is no other bond of unity necessary for the Church, besides these: For if there had, the Apostle being guided by the Spirit, would never have omitted it. And therefore the more are they to blame, who making a great noise, and lifting up their voyce on high for unity,* 1.3 peace and agreement in the Church, yet do wholly neglect these seven bonds of the true Churches unity; and cry up one instead of them all; and that is External Ʋni∣formity. So that now among them, one body, and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, and one Lord, and one Faith, and one Baptism, and one God and Father of all, are nothing at all to the Churches unity, but their uniformity is all in all; and whoever breaks that (which yet they have no Scripture of God to enjoyn,