UNITY OF THE CHURCH, Another Tract for the Times, ADDRESSED ESPECIALLY ΤΟ MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT BY BAPTIST WRIOTHESLEY NOEL, M. A. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word SIXTEENTH THOUSAND. LONDON: JAMES NISBET AND CO. BERNERS STREET. [Price 2d.] MDCCCXXXVII. THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH. GOD has laid down very plainly, in the following passages of his word, the marks by which his children may be known from all others. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.* He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus.† Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. They that are after the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit, which he hath given us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.|| Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivi+ John iii. 36. Gal. iii. 26. § Rom. viii. 8, 9, 14. * 1 John i. 9, 10. ousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance....and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.* Then said Jesus to his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.+ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God. If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will Father forgive your trespasses. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. We love him, because he first loved us.¶ He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. loveth his brother, abideth in the light.** know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.†† Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandHe that saith I know him, and keepeth ments. *Gal. v. 19-24. § James iv. 4. 1 John iv. 16. 19. †† 1 John iii. 14. + Matt. xvi. 24. ** 1 John ii. 9, 10. your He that We † 1 John ii. 15. 1 not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.* Those, therefore, in whom these scriptural marks of regeneration appear are the children of God, and the disciples of Christ; and those in whom they do not appear are the enemies of God and of Christ. If any man is proud, and self-righteous, or denies the doctrines of grace, or proves that he has not the Spirit of God, by his irreligious tempers and habits, or indulges his passions, and does not exercise christian selfdenial, or is of a worldly spirit, or does not love the children of God, he is no child of God. If, on the contrary, any man confesses his sins, relies exclusively on Christ for his salvation, if he maintains the doctrines of grace and upholds the authority of Christ in the world; if he proves by christian tempers and habits, that he is governed by the Spirit of God, if he loves all good men, and habitually obeys the law of God, he is a Chris tian. All such persons, by whatever other peculiarities they may be marked, are the children of God. Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God. All such persons are disciples of Christ. All mine are thine, and thine are mine. They are all the body of which Christ is the head. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.¶ And this one body is the church. He hath put all * 1 John ii. 3, 4; iii. 6. § Rom. viii. 14. † 1 John ii. 29. || John xvii. 10. |