49. And then the christian zeal will work to the conversion of the poor idolatrous, heathen world; and part of them will yield to reason and faith, and the rest by just victories be subdued. And so the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ; and the gospel shall be preached in all the world.
50. And when the kingdom of grace is perfected, and hath had its time, the kingdom of glory shall appear, upon the glorious appearing of Christ our King; and the dead shall arise, and they that have overcome, shall reign with Christ, and sit with him upon the throne, even as he overcame, and is set down with the Father on his throne. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me," John xvii. 20-24.
Object. But if this world should ever become so happy, it would be more amiable, and so be a greater snare to our affections, and make us willing to stay from heaven.
Answ. No amiableness or pleasantness stealeth the heart from God, or keepeth it from heaven, but that which hideth the glory and goodness of God and heaven from our minds, or corrupteth and diverteth the will and affections by some inconsistency or contrariety; but the spiritual excellency of the reformed concordant church on earth, will so much more clearly represent heaven to our conceptions, and give our hearts so pleasant a foretaste of it, that above all things it will excite our desires of that fuller glory, and call us most powerfully to a heavenly mind and life: as the first-fruits and earnest do make us desire the harvest, and the full possession; and as now those that live in the most heavenly society, and under the most excellent helps and means, have usually more heavenly minds and lives, than they that in more tempting and distracting company never enjoy such heavenly beams.
CONSECTARY.
All the Romish dreams of church union arise from ignorance of the true state and interest of the church, and the true and necessary terms of union.
And all the plots also of the moderating papists, that talk of a political church catholic having a visible constitutive or governing head; whether monarchical, (the pope,) or aristocratical, or democratical (the patriarchs, or a general council): and that talk of universal laws of this church, made by such a universal head, besides the universal laws of Christ; and falsely feign the councils called general, in a particular empire, called or ruled by one emperor only, in his own dominions, to have been universal, as to all the catholic churches on earth; and that feign these councils to have been infallible, which so often erred, and crossed each other; and that set the world upon the undeterminable controversy, Which were true general councils; and, How many we must receive and conform to: whether only four, or six, or eight; and till what age. And that would persuade the christian world, that whatever diversity of canons, customs, or church laws, or ceremonies, are allowed among them, it must all be done or held by this same authority of the pope or council, or both: to which (though foreign) kings and bishops must all be subject; and from which they must receive their christianity; and by which all their reformations must be tried: and that none must be taken as catholics, nor any churches tolerated, that hold not such a factious union, under such a usurping head, personal or collective: but as Tertullian speaketh, rather than endure such wiser and better societies, Solitudinem facerent, et vocarent pacem: and as a worldly clergy, whose church and kingdom is only of and in this world, would banish from it all (save a lifeless image) which hath any kin to heaven; and suffers none to live in this world among them but themselves.
I say, all this is, 1. From ignorance of the true nature of the christian religion, church state, and terms of unity and concord; which I have lately opened in a book, entitled, "The True and only Terms of the Concord of all the Churches."
2. And from contention about ambiguous words, and self-conceitedness in their controversies, ignorantly thence raised; which I have sought to end in a book, called, "Catholic Theology."