Matthew Poole and continuators on John 17:21

21 That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and [illegible: 1 letter] in thee ; that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me .

Our Saviour here prayeth on the behalf of such as should believe on him, That they might be one in faith, and one in brotherly love; who so considereth this as a piece of Christs prayer for Believers, and that St. Paul hardly wrote one Epistle to the Primitive Apostolical Churches, in which he did not press this by most potent Arguments, cannot but nourish some hopes, (how improbable soever it appears at present) that all the sincere Disciples of Christ, shall one day arrive at the keeping of the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; and likewise look upon themselves in point of duty, obliged to indeavour it. To which pitch of perfection possibly Christians might soon arrive, if Superiors would after the Example of the Apostle, Acts 15.28. lay upon their Inferiors no more than necessary things; and equals would learn to contend for truth in love, and to walk with their brethren so far as they have attained; and as to other things, to forbear one another in love; and wherein any of their brethren are otherwise minded, then they are to wait till God shall reveal it to them, Phil. 3.1[illegible: 1 letter].

But this is not all the Union which Christ prayeth for; he also prayeth that they might be one in the Father and the Son; that is, that they might believe; for Faith is that Grace by which we are united to, and made one with God and Christ; tho others interpret it of obedience, or such things wherein God the Father and Christ are one, &c. For, altho so many as are ordained to Life shall believe, yet that they might believe, is matter of Prayer:

this our Saviour prayeth for, for the further glory of God, which is that which he meaneth by the Worlds believing that God had sent him; there being no greater evidence that Christ is the true Messiah, than the general acceptance of the Doctrine of the Gospel, which he brought throughout the World; for who can imagine, that a new Doctrine brought into the World by one of no greater reputation than Christ had in the World▪ and propagated by persons of no greater quality than the Apostles were, should obtain in the greatest part of the World, if he that first introduced it, had not been first sent by God into the World, and the Apostles had not been extraordinarily influenced and assisted by God as to the propagation of it, after Christ was Ascended into Heaven?

Marginal references: Ver. 11.22, 23. Ga[illegible: 1 letter]. 3.28.; Chap 10.38. [illegible: 1 letter]nd 14.11.