The Cures of Divisions: Directions

Direction I.

First. Observe this general direction. See that you forget not the great difference between novices and experienced Christians: between the babes and those of full age: between the weak and the strong in grace. Level them not in your estimation. It is not for nothing that the Spirit of God in Scripture maketh so great a difference between them, as you may read in Heb. v, 11-14; vi, 1, 2; 1 Tim. iii, 6; 1 John ii, 12-14. There are babes, strong men, and fathers, among Christians. There are some that are dull of hearing, and have need of milk, and are unskilful in the word of righteousness, and must be taught the principles: and there are others who can digest strong meat, who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. It is not for nothing that the younger are commanded reverence and submission to the elder, and that the pastors and governors of the church are usually called by the name of elders; because it was supposed that the elder sort were more experienced and wise; and, therefore, pastors and rulers were to be chosen out of them. And why is it that children must so much honour their fathers and mothers, and must be governed by them? It is not merely because generation giveth the parents a propriety in their children; for God would not have folly to be the governor of wisdom, upon pretence of such propriety: but it is also because it must ordinarily be supposed, that infants are ignorant, and parents have understanding, and are fit to be their teachers, as having had longer time and helps to learn, and more experience to make their knowledge clear and firm. If the young and unexperienced were ordinarily as wise as the aged or mature, why are not children made governors of their parents, or at least commanded to instruct and teach them, as ordinarily as parents must do their children? The Lord Jesus himself would be subject to his mother and reputed father in his childhood. Luke ii, 51. Can there be a livelier conviction of the arrogance of those novices, who proudly slight the judgments of their elders, as presuming, groundlessly, that they are wiser than they? Yea, Christ would not enter upon his public ministry or office, till he was about thirty years of age. Luke iii, 23. He is blind that perceiveth not, in this example, a most notorious condemnation of the pride of those that hasten to be teachers of others before they have had time or means to learn; and that deride or vilify the judgments of the aged, who differ from their conceits, before they understand the things in which they are so confident. It was thought a good answer in John ix, 21: a He is of age; ask him.” But they that are under age now think their words to be the wisest, because they are the boldest and fiercest. The old were wont to bless the young, and now the young deride the old. It is the character of a turbulent people, (Deut. xxviii, 50,) that they regard not the person of the aged; that is, they reverence not their age. How many vehement commands are there in Solomon’s proverbs to the younger sort, to hearken to the counsel of their parents. The contrary was the ruin of Eli’s sons, and the shame of Samuel’s. 1 Sam. viii, 1, 5. Was Rehoboam unwise in forsaking the counsel of the aged, and hearkening to the young and rash? and are those people wise that, in the mysteries of salvation, will prefer the vehement passions of a novice before the well-settled judgment of the experienced, aged ministers? I know that the old are too often ignorant, and that wisdom doth not always increase with our ages; but I know withal that children are never fit to be the rulers of the church; and that old men may be foolish, but young men are never wise enough for so high a work. “We are not now considering what may

fall out rarely as a wonder, but what is ordinarily to be expected. Most of the church’s confusions and divisions have been caused by the younger sort of Christians, who are in the heat of their zeal, and the infancy of understanding; who have affection enough to make them drive on, but have not judgment enough to know the way. None are so fierce and rash in condemning the things and persons which they understand not, and in raising clamours against all that are wiser and soberer than they. If they once take a thing to be a sin, which is no sin, or a duty which is no duty, there is no person, no minister, no magistrate, who hath age, or wisdom, or piety enough, to save them from the injuries of juvenile temerity, if they do not think and speak, and do according to their green and raw conceits. Remember, therefore, to be always sensible of the great disadvantages of youth, and to preserve that reverence for experienced age, which God in nature as well as in Scripture hath made their due. If time and labour were not necessary to maturity of knowledge, why do you not trust another with your health, as well as an experienced physician; and with your estates, as well as a studied lawyer? And why do not seamen trust any other to govern the ship, as well as an experienced pilot? Do you not see that all men ordinarily are best at that which, by long study, they have made their profession? I know those that I have now to do with, will say, that” divinity is not learned by labour and men’s teaching, as other sciences and arts are; but by the teaching of the Spirit of God; and, therefore, the youngest may have as much of it as the eldest.

Answ. There is some truth and some falsehood, and much confusion, in this objection. It is true that the saving knowledge of divinity must be taught by the Spirit of God: and it is false that labour and human teaching are not the means which must be used by them who will have the teaching of the Spirit.

1. Consider, I pray, why else it is, God hath so multiplied commands to dig for it as for silver, and search for it as a hidden treasure; to cry for knowledge, and lift up our voice for understanding; to wait at the posts of wisdom’s doors; to search the Scriptures, and meditate on them day and night. Is not this such study and labour as men use to get understanding in other professions? Are not these the plain commands of God? And are they not then deceivers who contradict them?

2. Is it not blaspheming of God’s Spirit to make it the patron of men’s sloth and idleness, under pretence of magnifying grace., when so many texts command diligence, and slothfulness is so great a sin? And none are so forward to preach as these same men that cry down men’s teaching.

3. Why hath God settled a teaching office in his church, and commanded all to attend, and hear and learn, if we are taught by the Spirit without man’s help? Why were the apostles sent out into all the world? And why were they commanded to teach all nations, and to teach the church all that Christ commanded them? And why doth he promise to be with them to the end of the world? But that this is the way of the Spirit’s teaching, to teach those first who are our outward teachers, and then to help us to understand them. And those are taught of God, who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their teachers, and have the inward concurrence of his grace. Therefore remember to give due respect to them who have been longer in Christ than you, and to them who have longer studied the Scriptures, and to them that have had greater helps and experience; and do not too easily imagine, that those who are below them in all these advantages, are yet above them in sound understanding: though such a wonder may sometimes come to pass.

DIRECTION II.

Observe well the secret and subtle workings of spiritual pride, and how deep-rooted and dangerous a sin it is, and what special temptations to this odious sin the younger and empty-headed Christians have; that the resistance of them may be your daily care.

Pride is the self-idolizing sin; the great rebel against God; the chief part of the devil’s image; that one sin which breaketh every commandment; the heart of the old man; the root and parent, and summary, of all other sin; the antichristian vice which is most directly contrary to the life of Christ; the principal object of God’s hatred and disdain, and the mark of those whom he delighteth to tread down; and the certain prognostic of dejection and abasement, either by humbling repentance or damnation. It is called spiritual pride from the object; when men are proud of spiritual excellencies, real or supposed. And this is so much worse than pride in beauty, apparel, riches, high places, or high birth, as the abuse of great and excellent things is worse than the abuse of vanities and trifles; and as things spiritual are in themselves more contrary to the nature of pride, and therefore the sin hath the greater enormity. The common exercise of this religious or spiritual pride is first about knowledge, and secondly about our godliness or goodness. 1st. Pride of our understandings worketh thus: first, a man that was formerly in darkness, is much affected with the new-come light, and perceiveth that he knoweth much more than he did before; and then groweth to a carnal and corrupt estimation of it, valuing it more as nature is pleased with it, than as it is sanctified by it: delighting in knowledge for itself, more than for the purity, love, and heavenliness, which it should effect. Then he looketh about him on the ignorant sort of people, who know not what he knoweth, and seeth how far they are below him; and he thinketh within himself, What a difference hath God made between me and them. And because thankfulness is a duty, he observeth not how pride doth twist itself with it, and creeps in under the protection of its name. And how thankfulness and pride have the same expressions, and both of them say, “I thank thee, O Father, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes.” “I thank thee, 0 God, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” Luke xviii, 11. And then he is so taken up with the things which he knoweth, that he perceiveth not what knowledge he yet wanteth. And the deep affection which his knowledge worketh in him, or the tickling pleasure which he hath in knowing, joined with this ignorance of his in other things, doth make him over confident of all his apprehensions, as if everything which he imagineth were an absolute certainty: and so he wanteth that humble suspicion of his own understanding, which a true acquaintance with his ignorance would have caused in him. And thus he groweth to overvalue all his own conceivings, and to undervalue all the opinions and reasonings of others which are contrary to his own. And thence he proceeds to corrupt his religion with such misapprehensions, rejects divine institutions, and sanctifies human traditions as divine dictates -T and having made him a religion of his own, he confidently thinketh that it is of God. And next he valueth all men that he hath to do with, according as they are nearer or farther off from this which he accounteth the way of God. He chooseth whom he will join with by the test of this religion, which his pride hath chosen. He zealously declaimeth against the opposers of this way, as against the adversaries of truth and godliness, and consequently of God himself. He prayeth up his opinions, and preacheth them up, and contendeth for them; and prayeth, and preacheth, and disputeth down, all that is against them. He laboureth to strengthen the party that is for them, and to weaken that which is against them. And thus he divideth the kingdom and family of Christ:

he destroy eth first the love of his brother and neighbour in himself, and then laboureth to destroy it in all others, by speaking against those that are not of his mind with contempt and obloquy, to represent them as an unlovely sort of men; and if the interest of his cause do require it, perhaps he will next destroy their persons. And yet all this is done in zeal for God, and as an acceptable service to him; and they think all are neuters and lukewarm, who prosecute not the schism so fervently as they, and fight not against love with as much vehemency: yea, and in all this they are still confident that they love the brethren with a special love, and make it the mark that they are Christ’s disciples, and that they are passed from death to life, because they love the persons who are of their own opinion and way, and because they love their own image, which is only self-love reflected.

And thus Pride insensibly, while they perceive it not at all, doth choose their opinions, their religions, their parties, and make their duties and their sins, and rule their judgments, affections, and actions; which is all but the same thing which the Scripture in one word calleth heresy. And all that I have said, you may find said in other words in the third chapter of James. And there are two things which greatly promote this sin: the one is conceit that all their apprehensions are the Spirit’s dictates, or the effect of its illumination; and the works and teachings of the Spirit are not to be contradicted, or suspected, but to be honoured. Therefore they think it is a resisting of the Spirit, to resist their judgment. And they are persuaded that their apprehensions are caused by the Spirit, partly because they had no such thing while they lived in wickedness, but it came in either with their change, or shortly after, and therefore they think that the same light which showed them their sinful state, doth show them also all these principles; and partly because they find themselves as deeply affected with these misapprehensions, as with others which are sound and right: therefore they are confident that they come from the same Spirit. And especially when these thoughts come in upon the reading of the Scripture, or in meditation, or after earnest prayer to God to teach them by his Spirit, and lead them into the truth, and not to suffer them to err; and when they find they have good ends and meanings, and a desire to know the truth; all this persuadeth them that it is the Spirit from whom their thoughts proceed, when yet it may be no such thing.

And another much greater, and more common cause of this self-conceitedness, is this: all men’s understandings are naturally imperfect. Our knowledge about natural things is small and dark, much more about supernatural: the wisest must say, We know but in part And the variety of men’s degrees of knowledge, joined with the difference of their education, and advantages, and foregoing thoughts, do make as great a diversity of understandings, as of complexions; and yet it is very hard to any man to have a sufficient diffidence and suspicion of his mistaken mind. For what a man knoweth, he knoweth that he knoweth. But no man that erreth, doth know that he erreth, for that is a contradiction.

And there is a religious pride of goodness, as well as of knowledge, which must yet more carefully be avoided, as being yet worse than the former, as the thing abused is much better. And this worketh as secretly and as subtly as the former. It may not only consist with many complaints, and confessions of sinfulness, weakness, and unworthiness, but even with doubts of sincerity, and so much dejectedness as seemeth to draw near to desperation. It is an ordinary thing to hear the same persons talking in a complaining, doubting, and almost despairing manner of speech, and yet to have high expectations of respect from others, and to be most proudly impatient of the least undervaluing or neglect. Yea, pride will make an advantage to itself of all those humble confessions and complaints: and it is an old observation, that many are proud of their humility. For though it be true, as Austin saith, that grace is a thing that no man can use amiss; the meaning is only that grace efficiently can do nothing amiss, (for if it do amiss, so far it is not grace;) yet objectly all grace may be abused, that is, a man may make it the object of his pride, and the occasion of many other sins. And this religious pride of goodness doth ordinarily work under the pretext of thankfulness to God for his grace, and zeal for holiness; but it may be known by this, that it always tendeth to lift us up, and to the diminishing of love to others, and the contempt of the weak, and the censuring of our brethren, and the divisions and disturbance of the church of God. They are lamentable effects which this pride produceth in the church, and all societies where it cometh. It maketh all men’s goodness seem little, except our own; it causeth the people to undervalue their pastors, and turneth compassion of men’s weakness into a sour contempt; it setteth a man, in his own conceit, so near to God, that he looketh down on other men as earthly animals in comparison of himself; it maketh new terms of church communion, and teacheth men to make narrower the door of the church, than God hath made it; it causeth men to deny and villify God’s grace, in those that answer not their expectations, and to think that the church is not worthy of their communion; and to think that none are so fit as they to be the reformers of the church and of the world. I entreat those who are in danger of this pernicious sin, to think with themselves, 1. What a heinous crime and folly it is for one that but lately was a child of the devil, and a sink of sin, to be proud so quickly of his goodness; and for one that so lately was groaning and weeping with a broken heart, for a sinful life, to be already puffed up with the conceits of godliness; and for one who daily maketh confession to God of a sinful heart and a faulty life, and of great unworthiness, to contradict all this by an overvaluing of his own piety. And what an odious self-contradiction it is, to make yourself like the devil in pride, because you think you are like God in holiness!

2. Consider that the more you are proud of your goodness, the less you have to be proud of. If this sin be predominant, it is certain that you have no saving grace at all. And what an odious thing and miserable case is it, to be proud of holiness, when you are unholy; and to be damned both for the want of it, and for being proud of it: that a man should be proud of that, for want of which he must suffer the fire of hell! But if your pride be not predominant, yet it is certain that in what measure soever you have this pride, in that measure you are destitute of grace; for true grace and pride are as contrary as life and death.

3. And study well the meaning of all these scriptures, (for you shall not say that I misinterpret them to you:) Why was it that Christ mentioneth the parable of the Pharisee and the publican? one thanking God that he was not so bad as others, and the other thinking himself unworthy to look up to heaven. Luke xviii, 10,

11, &c. Why did he give us the parable of the prodigal, who confessed that he was unworthy to be called a son; and of his elder brother, who swelled with envy at his entertainment? “Why was it that Christ seemed not strict enough to the Pharisees in keeping the sabbath, nor in his diet, nor in his company; but they called him a gluttonous person, and a wine-bibber, and a friend of publicans and sinners? Was it not because their pride and superstition made them think too highly of their own religiousness; and to make sins and duties which God never made, and then to condemn the innocent for want of this human religiousness? What was the sin condemned in Isaiah lxv, 5, which says, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou?” What meaneth that command in Phil, ii, 3, “Let nothing be done through strife, or vain-glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves?” Read this verse over upon your knees, and beg of God to write it on your hearts; and join with it Rom. xii, 10: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another;” that is, before yourselves. But especially read and study James iii. In a word, if God would cure the church of religious pride — the pride of wisdom, and the pride of piety and goodness — the church would have fewer heresies and contentions, and have much more peace, and much more true wisdom and goodness in itself.

DIRECTION III.

Overvalue not the common gift of utterance, nor a high profession, as if the presence or absence of either of them did prove the presence or absence of grace.

Yet neither of these must be undervalued, nor accounted needless, useless things. But the overvaluing them hath caused great distempers in the minds and affections, and communion and practice, of many very well-meaning Christians. When God had first brought me from among the more ignorant sort of people, and when I first heard religious persons pray without forms, and speak affectionately and seriously of spiritual and heavenly things, I thought verily that they were all undoubted saints; and the sudden apprehension of the difference of their gifts and speech from others, made me think confidently that the one sort had the mark of God upon them, and the other had nothing almost of God at all: till, ere long, many of those whom I so much honoured, began to discover an unscriptural disposition. But the experience of this kingdom these twenty-six years, hath done so much to convince the world what crimes may stand with high professions, that I know not that I ever met with the man that would deny it: seeing every sect casteth it upon all the rest, however some of them would justify themselves. But I greatly fear, lest the generation which is now springing up, and knew not those men, nor their miscarriages, will lose the benefit of these dreadful warnings, and scarce believe what high professors did prove the proudest overturners of all government; and resisters and despisers of ministry and holy order in the churches, and the most railing Quakers, and the most filthy and blaspheming ranters; to warn all the world to take heed of being proud of superficial gifts and high professions; and that he that standeth in his own conceit, should take heed lest he fall.

When gifts of utterance in prayer or talking are thus overvalued, and high professions are taken to have more in them than they have, men presently model their affections, and then the church, according to their misconceivings; and a talkative person, who by company and use hath got more of these gifts than better Christians, shall be extolled and admired, when many an humble, upright soul, that wanteth such utterance, shall be said to be no professor, and so to be unworthy of the communion of saints. Mistake me not; I know that though profession may be without sincerity, yet sincerity cannot be without some profession, when there is opportunity to make it: and I know that grace is a vital principle, and like fire which will work, and seek a vent if you would restrain it; and that gifts of utterance are great mercies of God, for the edification of the church. But here lieth your unhappy error in this case; you take a moderate profession of Christianity to be no profession at all, because there is wanting a profession of greater zeal and forwardness: whereas you should make proper allowance for constitutions and circumstances.

In the place where I exercised my ministry, I found some gave me a satisfying evidence in their last sickness that they had long lived a truly godly life, who were never noted by their neighbours for any extraordinary zeal at all. If you ask me, How can it stand with grace to be so much hid? I answer, they made a profession of Christianity; they usually attended the public worship; they lived blamelessly in their places: but they were of silent, retired dispositions, and were inferiors, who by their superiors were restrained from private meetings, and some converse with more zealous persons, which they desired. And for aught you know, there may be very many such, who must not be rejected as no professors, without a particular accusation and proof, unless you would be used in the like kind yourselves.

DIRECTION IV.

Affect not to be made eminent and conspicuous in holiness, by standing at a further distance from these lower professors than God would have you. It is the loathsome scab of the Romish Church, that they who will be taken for religious must go into a monastery of friars and nuns, and separate themselves from the rest of Christians as worldly, secular people, that so their religion may be a noted thing, and they may be set up in their singularity as public spectacles for the world to admire; though, perhaps, they come thither but under the gripes of conscience, to expiate the guilt of whoredom, murder, or some notorious sins, which the contemned seculars never committed.

Many a one who perceiveth how childish a thing it is to set out one’s self to be observed for fine clothes, or for bodily comeliness, or for high entertainments, curiosities, houses, lands, or such vanities, doth yet think that it is an excellent thing to be honoured by men, especially by the wisest and the best, as a person of wisdom, and piety, and goodness. And, indeed, it is the truest and highest honour to be wise and good; and it is exceeding natural to man to desire honour, and it is lawful to have a religious regard to our honour. And this being so, how easy it is for pride to take this advantage, and to go a little farther, while we think we go but thus far and keep within our bounds.

DIRECTION V.

Search the Scriptures with diligence and prayer. Many are very sensible of the need of spirituality and seriousness in religion, and of the evil of hypocritical formality and imagery, and of usurpation of the prerogatives of Christ, and of the plague of persecuting pride and cruelty, who yet have little sense at all of the good of unity, and of the mischiefs of divisions in the church. Yea, many are so careful to be found exact in their obedience to God, that they build very much, for duties and against sins, upon dark and very far-fetched consequences, and upon a few obscure and doubtful passages in Scripture, when there is no express words, or clear text at all, to bear them out: and, doubtless, the darkest intimations of the will of God must not be disregarded. But, on the other side, we cannot bring them to lay to heart some duties and sins, which are over and over a hundred times, and that with vehemency expressed and argued in the plainest words.

And because all Christians pretend to submit to the word of God, I will try whether it be not thus with you in the present case, and will cite many plain expressions of Scripture, for Christian unity and concord, that, you may either better perceive your duty, or plainly show your great partiality.

Zechariah iv, 9; Ezekiel xxxiv, 23; xxxvii, 22, 24. Jeremiah xxxii, 39; Ezekiel xi, 19 John xi, 52; xxi, 22; Acts i, 14; ii, 1; iv 24, 32; v, 12; xv, 25; 2 Corinthians xi, 2 Ephesians iv, 1, 12, 13. 1 Corinthians xii, 3 12, 13, 15, 22, 23; xiii, 4, 5, 13; i, 10, 12, 13 iii, 3, 4, 15. Romans xiv, 1, 3, 10, 13, 14, 17 xv, 1, 2, 5, 6; xvi, 17, 18. Acts xx, 30 John xiii, 35; 1 Corinthians xi, 17, 18. Matthew xiii, 29, 30, 41, 47; xxii, 9, 10; Luke xiv; Galatians vi, 1; Philippians i, 15, 16; ii, 1, 2, 3, 14; iii, 15, 16; 1 Thessalonians v. 12, 13; Titus iii, 10; James iii, 1, 2, 13, &c. Matt, xii, 25.

I have cited so many texts against division.

and for the unity of the church and concord of Christians, as one would think the very hearing of them, without exposition or argumentation, should utterly mortify all inclinations to divisions and hard censures, in all true believers: yea, so many texts as I am persuaded many that most need them, will think it tedious to look for and to read them over. And yet I have cause to fear, lest many such will feel as little of the sense and authority of them, as if there were no such words in the Scripture, and none of this had been set before them.

Out of all these you may gather these reasons of the necessity of unity, and of the evil of schism or division. It is one end and happiness which we all expect; and one heaven that we must meet and live in for ever, (so many as are sincere in the faith which we profess:) and in heaven we shall have one mind and heart, and one employment in the love and praise of our Creator and Redeemer, and one felicitating fruition of his glory for evermore. Therefore he that seeth not the necessity of unity, knoweth not the nature of the church, or faith, or true religion.

An army is stronger than a man; and a kingdom than a single person. A flame will burn more strongly than a spark; and the waves of the ocean are more forcible than a single drop.

A threefold cord is not easily broken. Therefore it is that commonwealths do seek to strengthen themselves by confederacies with other states. The church is like to an army with banners; both for their numbers, their concord, and their order. And therefore Christ saith that a kingdom divided cannot stand. Union is the church’s strength. And what good soever they may pretend, dividers are certainly the weakeners and destroyers of the church. And as those means which best corroborate the body, and fortify the spirits, do best cure many particular diseases which no means would cure while nature is debilitated; so are the church’s diseases best cured by uniting, fortifying remedies, which will be increased by a dividing way of reformation. Dividing is wounding; and uniting is the closing of the- wound. There is no good work but Satan is a pretender to it, when he purposeth to destroy it. He resisteth light as an angel of light; and his ministers hinder righteousness, as pretended ministers of righteousness. And he will be a zealous reformer, when he would hinder reformation. And this is the mark of Satan’s way of reformation: he doth it by dividing the church of Christ, and teaching Christians to avoid each other. And to that end he zealously aggravateth the faults of every party to the rest, that they may have odious thoughts of one another; and Christian love may be turned into aversion. As in the plague time every one is afraid of the breath and company of his neighbour; and they that were wont to assemble, and converse with peace and pleasure, do timorously shun the presence of each other, because they know that it is an infectious time, and they are uncertain who is free; even so doth Satan break the societies and converse of Christians, by making them believe that there is some dangerous infection, which, as they love their souls, they must avoid. And he destroyeth your love to one another, by pretending love for yourselves. O how careful will he be for your souls! When the Devil would undo you, he will do it as your saviour: and when his meaning is to save you from heaven, and from Christ, and from his saving grace, and from union and communion with his church, and from the impartial love of one another, he takes on him that he is saving you only from sin, and from church corruptions; or rather that it is Christ, and not he, that giveth you counsel: and he can do much in imitating Christ, in the manner of his suggestions, to make you believe that it is Christ indeed. Perhaps his counsel shall come in the midst of & fervent prayer, or presently after it, to make you believe that it is an undoubted answer of your prayers. And oftentimes his impulses are vehement, and much affecting, to make you think that it is something above nature: and the pious pretence will much persuade you to think that sure this can never come from an evil spirit. But if you had well studied 2 Cor. xi, 13-15; Gal. i, 8; Luke ix, 55; 1 John iv, 1, 2; 2 Thesst ii, 2; you might be wiser, and be saved from this deceit. I will not recite the words; because I would have you turn to them, and seriously study them.

Remember also, that the unity of Christians is their peace and ease, as well as their strength and safety. Psalm cxxxiii, 1: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

As the amity and converse with friends is pleasant, and the concord of families is their quietness and ease; so it is as to that amity and concord which is the bond of church society: and the divisions and discord of Christians is their mutual pain and trouble. Do you not feel your minds disturbed by it? Do you not see the church discomposed by it? The itch of contention doth ordinarily make it pleasant for the time, to scratch by zealous wranglings and disputes for their several opinions, till the blood be ready to follow:

but the smart and scab doth use to convince them of their folly. But if they will go more than skin deep, they may need a surgeon. Children will claw themselves; but it is madmen that will wound themselves. The hurt which we get in the Christian warfare, by mortifying the flesh, or by the persecution of the malignant enemy, is tenderly healed by the hand of Christ, and usually furthereth our inward peace. But if we will hurt and wound ourselves, what pity or comfort can we expect?

Consider also that the unity and concord of believers is their honour, and their divisions and discord are their shame: and consequently the honour or dishonour of Christ, and the gospel, and religion, is much concerned in it. Agreement among Christians telleth the world that they have a certainty of the faith which they profess, and that it is powerful, and not ineffectual; and that it is of a healing nature, and tendeth to the felicity of the world. But divisions and discords among Christians persuade unbelievers that there is no certainty in their belief; or that it is of a vexatious and destructive tendency; or at best that all its power is too weak to overcome the malignity which it pretendeth to resist. “Where did you ever see Christians live in undivided unity, undisturbed peace, and unfeigned love, but the very infidels and ungodly round about them, did reverence them and their religion for it? And where did you ever see Christians divided, unpeaceable, and bitter against each other, but it made them and their profession a scorn to the unbelieving and ungodly world? And while they despise and villify one another, they teach the wicked to despise and villify them all.

Peace and concord are amiable even to nature. And you can scarce take a more effectual means to win the world to the love of holiness, than by showing them that holiness doth make you unfeigned and fervent in the love of one another. 1 Pet. i, 22. Nor can you devise how to drive men more effectually from Christ, and to damn their souls, than to represent Christians to them like a company of madmen, that are tearing out the throats of one another. How can you think that the unbelievers and ungodly should think well of them that all speak so ill of one another?

External unity and peaceable church communion doth greatly cherish our internal unity of love: and church divisions do cherish wrath and malice, and all the works of the flesh described by Paul, Gal. v, 21-23. I pray you consider how he describeth the fleshly and spiritual man, ver. 14, 15: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh: for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,” &c. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest: — adultery, enmities or hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, (or, as it may be read, divisions or factions,) heresies, envyings, murders, &c. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit; let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Objection. O, but those I complain of are guilty of this, that, and the other fault.

Answ. Chap, vi, 1: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be tempted.” Instead of censorious disdain and separation, “bear ye one another’s burden, and so fulfil the law of Christ:” which you think you fulfil by your unwarrantable conduct, while you are but fulfilling your fleshly passions. When once parties are engaged by their opinions in fierce disputings, the flesh and Satan will be working in them against all that is holy, sweet, and safe. When uniting Christians are provoking one another to love and to good works, and minding each other of their heavenly cohabitation and harmonious praise; and are delighting God and man by the melody of their concord; the contentious zealots are preaching down love, and preaching up hatred, and making those that differ from them seem an odious people not to be borne with. James iii, 1, &c.: “My brethren, be not many teaching masters, (for this is the word,) knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation: for in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man;” that is, if you will show that you are perfect, and better yourselves than those whom you account so bad, see that your foul, backbiting, reviling, censorious, contentious tongues, do not prove the contrary. Ver. 13: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom;” that is, let him that will be thought more knowing and religious than his neighbours, be so much more blameless and meek to all men, and excel in good works. Verse 14: “But if you have a bitter zeal (for so is the Greek word) and strife in jour hearts, glory not,” — in such a zeal, or in your greater knowledge, — “and lie not against the truth.” Verse 15: “This wisdom descendeth not from above,” (as you imagine who father it on God’s word and Spirit,) “but is earthly, sensual, or natural and devilish.” O doleful mistake, that the world, the flesh, and the devil, should prove the cause of that conceited spiritual knowledge and excellency, which they thought had been the inspiration of the Spirit! Verse 16: “For where zeal and strife is,” (that is, a striving, contentious zeal against brethren,) “there is confusion,” (or tumult and unquietness,) “and every evil work.” O lamentable reformers, that set up every evil work, while they seem zealous against evil! Verse 17: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits; without partiality,” (or wrangling,) “and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace;” when peace-breakers that sow contention shall reap the fruit of unrighteousness, though they call their way by the most religious names.

Resolve with Austin, I will not be the chaff; and yet I will not go out of the floor, though the chaff be there. Never give over your just desire and endeavour of reformation; and yet, as long as possibly you can avoid it, forsake not those who, as you suppose, are in some things wrong. As Paul said to them that were ready to forsake a sea-wrecked vessel, “If they abide not in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” Many a one by unlawful flying, and shifting for his own greater peace and safety, doth much more hazard his own and others. Many weak Christians, marking those texts which bid us avoid a man that is a heretic, and have no company with disorderly walkers, and not to eat with flagitious persons, do not sufficiently mark their sense; but take them as if they called us to separate from the church with which these persons do communicate. Whereas, if you mark all the texts in the gospel, you shall find that all the separation which is commanded in such cases, (besides our separation from the infidels, or idolatrous world, or antichristian and heretical confederacies,) is but one of these two sorts: first, either that the church cast out the impenitent sinner by the power of the keys; or, secondly, that private men avoid all private familiarity with them. And both these we would promote, and no way hinder.

But that the private members should separate from the church, because such persons are not cast out of it, show me one text to prove it, if you can.

Let us here peruse the texts that speak of our withdrawing from the wicked. 1 Cor. v, is expressly written to the whole church, as obliged “to put away the incestuous person from among them, and so not to eat with such offenders.” So is that in 2 Thess. iii, and that in Tit. iii, 10: “A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition avoid.” Unless it be an heretic that hath already separated himself from our communion; and then it can be but private familiarity which we are farther to avoid. In brief, there is no other place of Scripture, that I know of, which commandeth any more. The apostle never spake a syllable to any one Christian, to separate from any one of all those churches; which we cannot imagine the Holy Ghost would have wholly omitted, if it had been the will of God. Here are two things which I desire you to observe: First, what is Christ’s appointed way for removing members from the communion of the church.

Secondly, how great a sin it is to remove them by a contrary and arbitrary way of our own presumptuous invention.

First. It is supposed that the person is not a professed apostate: for there needeth no casting out of such. He that turneth Turk or heathen, or openly renounceth Christianity, or ceaseth the profession of it, doth go out of the church himself, and needeth not be cast out. Unless it be a tyrant who will come to the communion in scorn, while he professeth but to show his lawless will. He that seeketh the communion of the church in sobriety, thereby professeth himself a Christian: and Christ’s way of rejecting such is plainly described in the gospel. Matt, xviii, 15, 16; Titus iii, 10; 1 Cor. v, 7, 11-13.

By all this it is plain that the church must exercise a regular course of justice, with every person that it shall reject. He must first be told privately of his fault, and then before two or three; (unless, at least, the open notoriety make the private admonition needless.) And then it must be told the church: and the church must with compassion, tenderness, and patience, and yet with the authority of the Lord Jesus, and the powerful evidence of truth, convince him and persuade him to repent; and he must not be rejected, till, after all this, he obstinately refuse to hear the church; that is, to repent, as they exhort him.

Note also, that no private person may expect that any offender be cast out, either because his sin is known to him, or because he is commonly famed to be guilty, till the thing be proved by sufficient witness. Yea, the admonition given him must be proved, as well as the fault which he committed. Yea, if all the town do know him to be guilty, and witness prove that he hath been privately admonished, he may not be rejected, till he be heard to speak for himself and till he refuse also the regular admonition.

This is Christ’s order, whose wisdom, and mercy, and authority, are such, as may well cause us to take his way as best. And yet the ignorance or rashness of many professors is such, that they would have all this order of Christ overturned: and some of them must have such persons kept away and rejected, before ever they have admonished them, or exhorted them to repentance, or proved that any one else hath done it; much more before they have told the minister, or proved that he hath neglected the minister’s admonition.

The sinfulness of unchurching persons, without Christ’s way of regular process, consisteth in all these following parts: —

1. It is a casting off the laws of the great Lawgiver of the church, and so a contempt of his authority, wisdom, and goodness; and a making of ourselves greater, or wiser, or holier, than he.

2. It is gross injustice to deprive men of so great privileges without any sufficient proof of their forfeiture.

3. And it is an aggravated crime in them, that so much cry down church tyranny in others, to be thus notoriously guilty of it themselves. What greater injustice and tyranny can there be, than that men’s Christianity and church rights shall be judged null, upon the censures and rumours of suspicious men, without any just proof or lawful trial? That it shall be in the power of every one who hath uncharitableness enough to think evil of his neighbours, or to believe reports against their innocency, to cast them out of the family of God, and to unchristian and unchurch men arbitrarily at their pleasure? That any man, who in the heat of his spirit is but unreasonable enough to say, “They are ignorant or profane” shall expect to have hi3 neighbours excommunicated?

4. It maketh all churches to be lubricous and uncertain shadows, when a censorious person may unchurch them at his pleasure. What you say of others, another may say of you, and as justly expect to be believed.

5. It unavoidably bringeth in incurable divisions; for there is no certain rule of justice with such persons; and, therefore, they know not who are to be received to their communion, and who not. And the same man that one will think ought to be rejected and kept out, another will think is to be received.

And let it be well observed, the power of baptizing is the power of the keys for reception into the church. The private members have not the power of baptizing, nor were the pastors ever appointed to do it by their advice, consent, or vote. Therefore, the private members have not the power of the keys for admission; and it is most apparent in the gospel that the keys for admission and for exclusion are given into the same hands, and not one to the ministers and another to the flock: therefore, the people that have not the first, have not the latter. For full proof of this, observe the meaning of these texts: — Isa. xxii, 22; ix, 6; Matt, xvi, 19; xviii, 18; John xx, 23. Matt, xxviii, 19; John xx, 21; Acts i, 16, 17; xx, 28; Rom. i, 1; 1 Cor. iv, 1. Acts xiv, 23; Titus i,

3, 7. 1 Tim. iii, 5; v, 17; 1 Pet. v, 2. Heb, xiii, 7, 17, 24. 1 Thess. v, 12, 13. Bead these with judgment, and then believe, if you can, that the power of the keys or government is in the people. Show us what text doth give them that power. And where the Scripture calleth them to exercise it by votes. Or where he calleth them to leave their callings, and attend this work. When those that must perform it, he separateth to it as by office, and calleth to give themselves wholly thereto. 1 Tim. iv, 15, 16. Tell us when the people were authorized to baptize, or to rule the church; that is, themselves. •Objection. In Matt, xviii, 15: “Tell the church if he hear not the church,” &c. Answ. Many expositors think that by the church there is meant the ministers only; by this reason, — The church that must teach must be heard; the church that must be heard must be told: but that is only the pastors and not the people. Ergo — But suppose I grant you, that the word [church~ there signifieth the whole congregation, (as Dr. Taylor sayeth in his second dissuasive,) yet it is an organized body only; and so the office is to be performed only by the organical part, and not by any of the rest. When I say to a man, “Hear me;” I do not mean that he should hear me with his eyes, but only with his ears. And when I bid him see or read, I bid him not to do it with his ears, but with his eyes. Nor do the eyes receive this power from the feet or hands, but immediately from the head: though if they were separated from the body, they could not retain it. Objection. 1 Cor. v: Paul biddeth all the church to put from among them that wicked person. Answ. Note that Paul passed the sentence first himself, [I have judged as if I were present (not that you deliver, but) to deliver such a one to Satan,] a|i&Aerefore, doth this himself in the

fme of the Lord Jesus, and supposeth himself long them in spirit and power, when they do and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.’]

2. And^J have saidf h£ speaketh to an organized church, which had two parts, and accordingly two works to do. The riding part was to put away the offender by judgment, or sentence; and the people were all to put him away, by actual shunning his communion; which is but the obeying that sentence. If the king send to a corporation to execute any law, he meaneth not that aM persons must do it in the like manner; but the magistrates by command, and the people by obeying them, and executing their commands. If I desire a man to transcribe me a book, and bring it me; I mean not that every part of him shall herein have the same office: bat that he read it only with his eyes, and understand it with his reason, and transcribe it with his hand, and travel with his feet. The pastors only excommunicate by judgment or sentence, and the people by obedient execution.

Farther you are not at all bound to know what the spiritual state of any man is, as he is to join in church communion with you, but upon your pastor’s trust and word. Whether their understanding be sufficient at thek admittance, you are not anywhere called to try: but tft pastor is: and if he have admitted them, ydtt are to rest in his judgment, unless you would undertake the office yourself. Whether their profession of faith and repentance be serious and credible, you are not called to try and judge; but if your pastor have admitted them, he hath numbered them with the visible church; and it is the credibility of the pastor that you have to consider; and by him you must judge of the credibility of the professor, and not immediately by your own trial. Who are the persons that you shall meet at a sacrament or in public communion you are not at all required to try; and if you never saw them before, or heard them speak, you may perform your duty nevertheless; indeed, if as a neighbour you are called to instruct, or counsel, or comfort them, you must do it: but there may be five thousand in one church with you, whose names or faces you are not bound to know; but to rest in the knowledge of them to whom the keys are committed, who according to their office take them in.

Objection. But what if they are notoriously wicked? must I be blind f

Answ. No. You must do your best, by neighbourly watchfulness and help, (though not by pastoral government,) to reform all about you to whom you are able to do good. And if you know them to be so bad, you must privately admonish them, as is proved: and then if they hear not, tell the minister. But if you see a man in the church at the sacrament, or a thousand men, who are unreformed, and you know it not, you have no reason to avoid the communion of such. And if there be a thousand in the church whose case you are strangers to, this may be no sin of yours; and should be no impediment of your communion.

Objection. But will it not be my sin, if I communicate with such as I know to be wicked; when a little leaven leaveneth the lump f

Answ. It will be your sin, if you obey not Christ (Matt, xviii, 15) in admonishing them; and so if it be through you that they are not removed. But otherwise, if they be there without your fault, it is no more your sin to communicate with such men, than it is to live and converse with fellow-servants that are wicked; when it is not you, but your master, that hath the choice of them. And the leavening of the lump, of which the text speaketh, is the tempting of others to the like sin; and not that the innocent shall be held guilty. Christ’s outward discipline is agreeable to his inward. As those that come to him by faith, he will in no wise cast out or reject; so those that come to him by profession of faith, he will not have his ministers in any wise reject. And coming to Christ when he was personally on earth, did signify the following of him, as well as believing in him; just so far as men will come, so far they shall be received by Christ: if they will come but toward him, he will not put them back. If they will come but to his visible church by a dead profession, he would not have his ministers repulse them as long as their lives are moral. The outward privileges of the visible church which they come to, they shall possess. If they will come over to the church of the regenerate, they shall be saved. But wherever they stop, it shall be their own doing. Many came to Christ when he was on earth, whom he never repulsed, though he was marvelled at and grudged at for entertaining them. Some came so far as to own his name, and did miracles by it, that yet did not follow him: whom the apostles would have hindered, but Christ reproved them. Mark ix, 38; Luke ix, 49. Some came only to receive a cure of their diseases from him, whom his disciples sometimes repulsed, but so did not he. When little children were brought to him, his disciples rebuked them that brought them, as thinking them unfit for his reception; but Christ rebuked them for their forbidding of such guests. When he eat and drank with publicans and sinners, and when he received a kindness from a woman that had been a great sinner, the Pharisees censured him therefore, as ungodly; but yet he would not abate his clemency. And though Simon Magus would not come out of the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity, yet was he not kept out of the visible church, when he professed to believe, and desired baptism.

Indeed, if men will not come so far as to the profession of true faith or repentance, they are not to be received into the church, because the church is a society of such professors; and if they will not come, they cannot be received. But if Christians had well studied the compassions of a Saviour, and the tenor of his gospel, and his practice upon earth; and instead of a surly flying from their neighbours, and groundless censuring them, were possessed, themselves with that love and tenderness, which is the evangelical temper and the image of their Lord; it would put an end to many divisions, and bring us nearer the truth and one another.

It is far from the mind of Christ that no difference should be made between the holy and profane, the precious and the vile; or that serious piety should be suppressed or discouraged; or faithful preachers hindered from promoting it; or ignorant, graceless ministers, countenanced — under pretence of peace or order. The design of Christ was not like Mohammed’s, to get himself an earthly kingdom and numerous followers, merely to cry up his name; and therefore he will not indulge men in their sins, nor abate or alter the conditions of the covenant to win disciples. He will have his ministers deal plainly with all to whom they preach, and let them know, that without self-denial and forsaking all, (in estimation and resolution,) and a willing exchange of earth for heaven, they cannot be his true disciples; nor without a professed consent to thus much, they cannot be his visible professed disciples: but all that will not repent must perish. His ministers also must impartially exercise the keys which he hath committed to their trust, and must not fear the faces of men, who at most are able but to kill the body. Luke xii, 4. They must discern between the righteous and the wicked; and draw all scandalous sinners to repentance, or else exclude them from the communion of the saints, that the world may see that Christ is no friend to profane persons, or sensual fleshly brutes. If you meet a profane person at the Lord’s table, it is your own fault or the pastor’s: but if you keep company needlessly with such, or marry such, it is your own fault altogether. If the pastor do not excommunicate them, you may choose not to be familiar with them. Though you meet them at the church, and pray with them; you need not meet them at other places, and drink with them. Though you may not with a few of the most godly separate from the public communion of all the rest; yet you may keep a more intimate familiarity with those few than with all the rest. And if you will consider, this is all that is necessary to your own duty, and that which is best for your own edification. Keep thus to a strictness within the bounds of your own place and calling, and God will bless you in such a strictness.

The teachings, commands, exhortations, and reproofs of God, are directed to the will of man; and the promises and threatenings, mercies and judgments, are used to move and change the will: and in the tenor of his laws and covenants, Christ hath set life and death before men, and put their happiness in their own choice; and no man shall have better or worse than he made choice of — that is, none shall be either happy or miserable, but as they did choose or refuse the causes of happiness or misery. And the reason of this is, because natural free will was a part of the natural image of God on Adam; and it is as natural to a man to be a, free agent, as to be reasonable. And God will govern man as man, agreeably to his nature. Therefore do not wonder if church privileges are principally left to men’s own wills or choice, when their salvation is left to it. And for us to grudge at this order of God, is but to quarrel at wisdom and goodness, and to correct God’s order by our disorder. The man that came in without a wedding-garment, is blamed, and bound hand and foot, and punished 2 but the minister that called him in, and admitted him, is not blamed; because he knew not his hypocrisy, but did as he was bidden: he went to the highways and hedges, and compelled them by importunity to come in, that the house might be filled. Nor were any that came in with him blamed, for having communion with such. For they were in their places, and did as they were exhorted to do. And so will it be in the case that is before us.

DIRECTION VI.

Beware of being governed by your passions. We are seldom more mistaken in justifying ourselves than in our passions; and when our passions are religious, the mistake is both most easy and most perilous. Easy, because we are apt to be most confident, and not suspect them, the matter seeming so great and good about which they are exercised; and perilous, because the greatness and goodness of the matter doth make the error the greater and the worse. I have showed before how easy it is to think that our religious passions are all the works of the Spirit of God; for we are apt to estimate them by the depth and earnestness which we feel. But excellent persons have been here mistaken, as James and John were. And not only so, but when the passion is up, the judgment itself is seldom to be trusted; for it inclineth us to err in all things that concern the present business.

Therefore, still remember the difference between true zeal and false; and know that he that is upright in the main, and whose zeal for Christianity is sound, may yet have much zeal that is unsound with it.

First. It is an ill sign when your zeal is raised about some singular opinion which you have owned, and not for the common salvation and substance of the Christian faith or practice; or at least when your odd opinion hath a greater proportion of your zeal than many more plain and necessary truths.

Secondly. When your zeal is moved by any personal interest of your own: by honour or dishonour; by any wrong that is done you; or any reputation of wisdom or goodness which lieth on the cause; or at least when your own interest hath too large a proportion in your zeal.

Thirdly. When your zeal is more for the interest of your adherents than for the church, and the common cause of godliness and Christianity, and can be content that some detriment to the whole may further the interest of you and your adherents.

Fourthly. When your zeal tendeth to hurt and cruelty, and would have God rather to glorify his justice by some present notable judgnient, than his mercy by patience and forgiving: and when your secret desire <£ fire from heaven, or some destruction of the adversaries, is greater than your desire and prayer for their conversion. The sure mark of true zeal is, that it is zealous love: it maketh you love your neighbours and enemies more fervently than others do; but false zeal maketh you more inclined to their suffering, and to reproach them.

Fifthly. It is an ill sign when your zeal is beyond the proportion of your understanding; and your prudence and experience are as much less than other men’s, as your zeal is greater. True zeal hath some equality of light and heat.

Sixthly. It is an ill sign when it is a zeal which is easily kept alive, and hardly .restrained: for that showeth the flesh and the devil are too much its friends. True zeal of the spirit doth need the fuel of all holy means, and the bellows of meditation and prayer to kindle it: and all is too little to keep it up in the constancy that we desire. But carnal zeal will burn of itself without such endeavours.

Seventhly. It is an ill sign when some forward teacher was the kindler of it; and not the sober preaching of the truth.

Eighthly. And it is an ill sign when it burneth in the same soul where lust, or wrath, or pride, or malice, burns; and when it prospereth at the same time when the love of God, and a heavenly mind and life, decay. The zeal of a sensualist, of a proud man, of a covetous man, of a self-conceited, empty person, can hardly be thought a spiritual zeal.

Ninthly. And it is an ill sign when it carrieth you from the holy rule; and pretendeth to come from a spirit which will not be tried by the Scripture: or when it driveth you to use means which God forbiddeth in his word; and putteth you upon ways which the sealed law and testimony condemn. It cannot be of God, if it is against God’s word.

By all these signs you may easily perceive how dividing zeal doth differ from the genuine Christian zeal. The one is a zeal for some singular opinion: the other is a zeal for godliness and Christianity. The one is kindled by some interest of our own religious reputation: the other is kindled by the interest of the will and glory of God. The one is a burning, hurting zeal, even the same which hath made matter for so many martyrologies and frightful histories, by inquisitions, torments, prisons, flames, massacres, and bloody wars, and the same which has silenced so many faithful ministers, and disturbed so many states and churches: the other is a zeal of love, which maketh men fervent in doing good to others. The one causeth men to revile, and despise, and censure, and backbite, and zealously to make others seem odious, that the hearers may abate their love to them: the other maketh us value all that is good in others, and to hide their nakedness, and to make them better, and to provoke the hearers to love and to good works. The one tendeth to divisions, and sidings, and separations, and distances from our brethren; and to feed contentions: the other is a zeal for unity, amity, and peace. The one is the complexion of the weak and childish, the proud and self-conceited, the peevish and surly, sort of professors: the other is the zeal of solid knowledge, and of the prudent, humble, meek, and well-grounded sort of Christians. The one is a zeal which flieth most outward, against the sins of other men, and can live with pride, and covetousness, and selfishness, and sensuality, at home — such serve not the Lord Jesus, but their own bellies. Rom. xvi, 17, 18: the other beginneth at home, and consumeth all these vices in the heart; and as zeal increaseth, humility, meekness, love, self-denial, temperance, and heavenly-mindedness, increase. The one is easily got and easily kept, and hardly kept under! O how easy is it to get and keep a contemptuous, censorious, backbiting, dividing, or persecuting zeal! But the other is not so much befriended by Satan or the flesh, and. therefore, must be preserved by prayer and meditation, and very great diligence. How hard is it to keep up a zealous love of God and man, and a fervour in all our heavenly and spiritual desires! Abate but your diligence, and this will presently decay; when the fierce contending, hurting, separating, and persecuting zeal, doth need no such fuel or labour to maintain it. The one is kindled by the inflaming censures of some rash and passionate person, that knoweth better how to hill love than to cause it; or by the singular conceits of some divider; or by the backbitings of some Doeg, or malicious calumniator: the other is kindled by the humble and heavenly preaching of the gospel, and by meditations on Christ’s example, and a study to imitate him and his saints in patience, forbearance, forgiving others, and doing good. The one is a zeal which carrieth men from the Scripture; to pretences of such revelations, inspirations, and impulses, as have no proof, but the feeling and fancy of the person; or, at least, to abuse the word of God, and plead it for that which is condemned — it provoketh men to some unlawful practice, under pretence of misinterpreted texts, and of good ends and meanings: the other still putteth you upon good, and striveth against evil, and goeth for trial of every cause to the law and to the testimony. And, lastly, the one is a zeal which pretendeth to have the Spirit, and yet goeth contrary to the common workings of the Spirit, in the most part of the best and wisest Christians: but the other is the common vital heat which animateth all the body of Christ, and actuateth all his living members; and keepeth up love and holiness in the church;

and is the same in all humble, heavenly Christians, in the world. It will be of great use to you, in order to your own and the church’s peace, to understand and observe the difference between these contrary sorts of religious zeal.

There are many women and passionate Christians who are earnest in prayer, but sometimes they run into this mistake, to judge ungroundedly of the answer of their prayers, by such conceits and strong apprehensions of their own, as never came from the Spirit of God at all. And it is a great wrong to God, to be made the author of man’s infirmities and errors, and of that which is contrary to his word. And yet it is a very pitiful case as to the offenders; because it is usually the sin of persons that are very upright and honest in the main, and that are very serious in their prayers to God; and of such as have naturally such weakness of reason, and strength of affection, as that they are less blameable, though less curable, than others are.

There are very few that take their impulses and resolutions for the Spirit’s answer of their prayers, but they had before an understanding most inclined to that opinion, or else a bias upon their affections, bending them that way; or something in themselves which occasioned the scales to turn that way.

Objection. “But I did bring my mind to a pure impartiality, and prayed to God that he would show me the truth, be it what it would: and that if this were not right, he would blast it, and never suffer it to go on; and the more I prayed, the more I was confirmed that this is the right.”

Answ. All this may be, without any of God’s approbation of the conclusion which you think is his answer to your prayers. For while you prayed that God would turn your mind from it, if it were not right; yet at that time your judgment was inclined to it, or your affections at least: and it is an easier thing to speak impartial words in prayer, than to get an impartial, unprejudiced mind. And when you think your mind is brought to an impartiality, alas! there may be many deep roots of prejudice which you observe not; and there is scarce one of a thousand, who thinketh that he prayeth with a pure impartiality, but his opinion, disposition, inclination, interest, or secret affection, doth bias and ponderate his mind more to one side than to the other. But if you were never so willing to know the truth, yet there are passions in you, and corruptions, and ignorance, and former errors, which may all do much to hinder you from knowing it; and may breed many false apprehensions in your mind; and yet you may cherish them with as dear an espousal and affection, as if they were certainly from God.

And moreover, you have been guilty of former sins; and whether God for any of them may leave you to run into mistakes, you know not; or whether any present self-con ceitedness may occasion him to leave you to mistakes. But the principal part of my answer is this, God hath nowhere promised to reveal all his truth to you, because you desire him so to do. It is not every prayer of yours, which he hath promised to hear and grant; but only those which are agreeable to his will: his will is either his command or his promise.

You may not suppose that God will grant all the prayers which are put up in obedience to his commands: but only that you shall be no losers by such obedience; but he will give you that, or something which shall be as good for you. It may be God’s command that godly children should pray for the lives of their sick parents; and that parents pray for the conversion of their ungodly children; and that we pray for all men: and yet it doth not follow that we shall have the very thing which we obediently pray for. Bat it is his promising will which is the measure of our hope, as his commanding will is the rule of our obedience. Whatever he hath promised he will certainly give us. Now God hath nowhere promised in his word that he will reveal the true meaning of every text of Scripture to every godly person that asketh it.

Praying is but one of the means which God hath appointed you to come to knowledge. Diligent reading, hearing, and meditation, and the counsel of the wisest, is another means; even to dig for it as for silver, and to search for it as for hidden treasure: and to continue so doing, and to wait at the posts of wisdom’s doors, that knowledge may come into you by degrees and in time. God hath not promised you true understanding upon your prayers alone, without all the rest of his appointed means; nor that you shall attain it by those means, as soon as you desire and seek it: for then prayer would be a notable pretence for laziness, and they that would not be at the labour of study, meditation, or conference, might save all their pains, and go to God and ask wisdom of him, and he would give it them; even as idle beggars think without working to get an alms to maintain them in their slothfulness. If instead of all our reading, hearing, and meditation, we could but pray, and so get all the knowledge which other men study, labour, and wait for, it would be too cheap a way to wisdom. Solomon, that got it by prayer, commandeth us very great diligence to get it.

It is very considerable, not only that Christ increased in wisdom in his youth, but also that he would not enter upon his public ministry (as is aforesaid) till he was about thirty years of age. When it had been more easy for Christ to have got all knowledge by two or three earnest prayers, than for any of us.

Moreover you must pray according to God’s will of precept, not only in the matter, but in the manner of your prayers. And there may be more selfishness, and many other corruptions in the manner of them, than you discern. And there are many things which with submission you may lawfully pray for, which God hath never promised you at all. You may pray for the life of the sick, and for the conversion and salvation of all your relations, and of thousands of others, which God will not give you. Otherwise all the relations of every true Christian should be saved, yea, and all his enemies, and all the world. To apply all this, It may be you are in doubt, whether this or the other be the meaning of such a text of Scripture. Or whether you should proceed in such a business, or should join in the use of such preaching and prayers, or not. And when you have prayed earnestly, you are confirmed for one way, and against the other. And perhaps all this is but to be confirmed in your error. For, first, you came with distempered affections; or with such a fear of going one way rather than the other, that the very fear doth much to cause your apprehensions. Or you came with the guilt of former sin. Or you have some partiality on your spirit, and a secret inclination to one side more than to the other; or some overvaluing of your own understanding, person, or prayers. Or you are lazy and presumptuous; and think God must teach you that in one hour, and at a wish or prayer, which others better than you must learn with prayer, and twenty years’ study, diligence, and patience. Or you think God must needs resolve you in that which he never promised to resolve you in. Where hath he promised upon all your prayers that ever he will teach you in this life the sense of every text of Scripture? If ever he ‘promised this, he will perform it. And is it to one Christian, or to every praying Christian, that he hath promised it? If to every one, why are we not all of a mind f Why be not all as wise as you? What need we commentaries then? Or what need have others of your revelations? If it be but to some, who be those some? And how shall we know them? And how know you that you are of them? And why do not those some condescend to write an infallible commentary upon all the Bible, when they themselves are taught it of God, that so we may doubt and differ no more.

But if you say that it is not the meaning of every text, that God hath promised to make known to you when you pray, but of some few, how will you know which those few be? And where is the promise which maketh this difference? Except only that to all Christians he hath promised to reveal so much as is necessary to their salvation. But if you will pray for more, your belief of your success must not go beyond the promise. If you will promise to yourselves, you must perform for yourselves.

Objection. “But hath not God bid us believe that we shall receive whatever we ask, and promised to believers that they shall receive it?”

Answ. He hath first made a law to command you to pray, and then made a promise to grant what you pray for according to his will, that is according to his command and promise; and hath made your believing of this promise one of the conditions of his fulfilling it to you. So that if you believe not his power and promise, you shall not have the thing promised. But if you pray and believe, and withal use those other means with diligence and patience, which God hath appointed, you shall know in that measure, as is suitable to your state, (for God hath not promised the same measure of knowledge to all true believers.) So that this is all that the promise giveth you, and not that you shall know all that you pray to know, and that immediately.

Objection. “But then you leave us at utter uncertainty whether we have the answer of our prayers or not.”

Answ. Not so: but the answer of your prayers must not be tried by your conceits, but by God’s rule. If you pray for that which you have neither a command nor promise for, your prayer is sin, and your answer can be nothing but God’s rebuke, or your own delusion. But if you pray for that which you have a command for, but no particular promise, then you have only the general promise that your prayer shall not be lost, but shall bring down either the thing you pray for, or something else which the wisdom of God seeth to be best for you and others, and to his ends. And this is all that you can warrantably believe. But if you pray for that which hath both a command and a particular promise, (as the pardon of sin, and necessary grace and life eternal to a persevering believer) you may be sure that this prayer shall be granted in kind. So that you are not to judge of the answer of prayer by your conceit and passions, but by the promise of God, which you must believe will be fulfilled. Faith must tell you whether your prayers be accepted. Nay, if you should receive health, or wealth, or gifts, for yourselves or others, when you have prayed for them, you cannot tell whether it be a merciful answer to your prayer, or a judgment, unless you try it by faith according to the promise. I have nothing to say of the case of miracles, but this: If God promise a miracle, you may believe it because it is promised. If he perform it without a promise, then either you must not believe it till it is done, or else your faith must be a miracle also; and then the faith itself is its own justification. But miracles are now so rare, that all sober Christians will take heed how they expect them, or over hastily believe them; and especially how they take their own belief for a miracle. All the talk that some men make of a particular faith may be tried by what I have here said.

To conclude. The warning which I give you in this case is from long and sad experience. I have seen too many very honest-hearted Christians, especially melancholy persons, and women, who have been in great doubt about the opinions of the Millenaries, the Separatists, the Anabaptists, the Seekers, and such like: and, after earnest prayer to God, they have been strongly resolved for the way of error, and confident by the strong impression, that it was the Spirit’s answer to their prayers; and thereupon they have set themselves into a course of sin. If you say, How know you that they were mistaken? I will tell you how. First. Because they have been resolved contrary to the word of God. And I know that God’s Spirit did first make a standing rule to try all after-impulses by; and whatever impulse is contrary to that rule, is contrary to God’s Spirit. The law and the testimony are now sealed, and all spirits to be tried by them. Isa. viii, 20. Secondly. Because I have found their impulses contrary to one another. One hath been resolved for infant baptism, and another against it. One hath had a revelation for prelacy, and another against all prelacy. One hath been confident of an answer of prayers for Antinomianism, and another for Arminianism. One for a public communion, and another to detest it: and both came in the same way. Thirdly. Because I have seen abundance of prophecies of things to come, (which people have this way received with the greatest confidence,) to prove all false. Fourthly. Because I have stayed till many of the persons have found by experience that they were deceived, and have confessed it with lamentation. And, fifthly, because, perhaps, I know more of the nature of prejudice, affection, melancholy, feminine weakness, and self-conceit, and of tempting God in the way of prayer, and of Satan’s transforming himself into an angel of light, than every reader will know till they have paid for their learning, as I have done. Many that have no such impulses themselves, are yet so much taken with the reverence of others, that they are very apt to be seduced by their confidence. When so great a man as

Tertullian was deceived by Montanus and his prophetess; when such a one as Hacket could deceive not only Coppinger and Arthington, but abundance more, some taking him for the Messiah, and some, by his breathing on them, thinking that they received the Holy Ghost; when David George, in Holland, and John of Leyden, in Munster, and Behmen Stiefelius, and so many more pretended prophets in Germany, could deceive so many persons as they did; when the pretended revelations of the Ranters first, and the Quakers after, could so marvellously transport many thousand professors of religion in this land: I think we have fair warning to take the counsel of St. John, “Believe not every spirit; but try the spirits, whether they be of God.” It is a pitiful instance of the good, old, learned Commenius, who so easily believed the prophecies of Daubritius, and the rest which he hath published; yea, when he saw the prophecies fail, yet when he adjured the prophet to speak truth, and got him to swear as before the Lord that it was truth, this seemed enough to confirm his belief of him: whereas, if he had been as well acquainted with the nature of melancholy and hysterical passions as many others are, he would have known that as strange things as those he recorded of the man or woman, may be done without a divine inspiration. And that it is no wonder if that person swear that his words are true, who is first deceived himself before he deceive others. For a crack-brained person to believe his delusions to be real verities, is little wonder.

I have many a time myself conversed with persons of great honesty and piety, (though of no great judgment,) who have some of them affirmed that they had angelical revelations; and some of them thought that the Spirit of God did bring this scripture or that scripture to their mind in answer to their prayers, and to fix their religious opinions; and were so very confident that what they affirmed was the certain truth or voice of God, that I have been stricken with a reverence to their professions, and with a fear lest I should resist God in resisting them. But resolving to take none on earth for the master of my faith, but to try the spirits whether they be of God, by going to the law and testimony, I was constrained to turn my reverence into pity. For I found that their seeming revelations were some of them Scripture doctrine, and some of them contrary to the Scripture. As for that which is already in the Scripture, what need I further revelation for it? Is it not there sufficiently revealed? Can their words add any authority to the word of God? And have I not God’s own ministers and means to help me to the knowledge of his word? And as for that which is contrary to Scripture, I am sure that it is contrary to the will of God; and if an angel from heaven should preach another gospel to me, I must hold him accursed. Gal. i, 7, 8. So that if these persons should have the appearance and voice of an angel speaking to them, I would despise it as well as the words of a mortal man, if they be against the recorded word of God.

But, by what I have seen and heard, I know that it is a great temptation to some weak Christians to hear one that is much in prayer say, Take heed what you do: have no communion in this or that way of worship; nor in this or that opinion; for I am sure it is against the mind of God. I once thought as you do, but God hath better made known his mind unto me. But saving the due respect to the honesty of such persons, ask them, How shall I know that you are in the right? If they say, I will not reason the case with you, but I know it to be the mind of God; tell them that God hath made you reasonable creatures, and will accept no unreasonable service of you; and you have but one Master of your faith, even Christ:

therefore, if they believe that themselves, which they can give you no reason to believe, they must be content to keep their belief to themselves, and not, for shame, persuade any other to it, without proof! If they say that God hath revealed it to them, tell them, that he hath not revealed it to you, till they prove their divine revelation. If God reveal it to them but for themselves, they must keep it to themselves. If he reveal it to them for others, he will enable them to make some proof of their revelations, that others may be sure that they sin not in believing them. If they say that the Scripture is their ground, tell them that the Scripture is already revealed to all; and if, indeed, what they speak be there, you are ready to believe it: but if they pervert the Scripture by false interpretation, or abuse of it, and misapply it, none of this is the work of the Spirit of God.

If they say that the Spirit hath told them the meaning of the Scripture, say as before, that is not told for you which is not proved to you. The Scripture is written in such words as men use, of purpose that they may understand it; and is to be sufficiently understood by all men that hear it, though they have no revelation. God hath also set pastors in his church to teach it; if, therefore, revelations be still necessary to the understanding of the Scripture revelations, then the Scriptures seem to be in vain; and these last revelations must again have new revelations to the right understanding of them also. The truth is, it is very ordinary with poor fanciful women, and melancholy persons, to take all their deep apprehensions for revelations. And if a text of Scripture come into their minds, they say, This text was brought to my mind, and that text was set upon my spirit: as if nothing could bring a text to their thoughts, but some extraordinary motion of God; and as if this bringing it to their mind would warrant their false exposition of it. To conclude. Decry not the necessity of the ordinary sanctifying work of the Spirit, to bless the Scripture to your true illumination and sanctification: but if they pretend to any other revelations or inspirations, or expositions of the Scriptures, which they cannot prove to you, despise them not, but modestly leave them to themselves; but take heed that the reverence of any one’s holiness tempt you not to depart from the certain, sufficient word of God, and draw you not into any heresy, or separation, or opinion, contrary to God’s standing law.

I have known some that have lived long in doubts and fears of damnation, who have turned

Anabaptists, and suddenly had comfort: and yet in a short time they forsook that sect and turned to another. I have known those also that have lived many years in timorous complaints and fears of hell; and they have turned to the Antinomians, and suddenly been comforted. The reason of all this is plain to any judicious observer. 1. The persons are ignorant, and never had the right knowledge and skilful improvement of the sound doctrine, which at first they seemed to embrace; and, 2. The power of conceit and fancy brought them comfort or quietness in their change. The novelty of the matter, and the greatness of the change, with the conceited excellency of the opinions and party, did make them think that they were now grown very acceptable to God. To this may be added, that as a life of holiness hath far more opposition from the devil, the world, and the flesh, than the changing of an opinion, or joining with a party hath; so it must be harder to get and keep that comfort which is got and kept by faith and holiness, than that which is got by such an easy change. We see among us what abundance of persons can live like beasts, in most odious whoredoms, drunkenness, and rage; or like devils, in bloody cruelty

against the good; and yet be comforted because they are of the Church of Rome, which they think is the true church. As if God saved men for being of such a side or party! And why may not others easily take such kind of comfort? O, therefore, labour for well-grounded faith and solid knowledge, that you may attain the true evangelical comforts, and that your ignorance may not prepare you for deceit; and that you may not be like children tossed to and fro, and carried up and down with every wind of doctrine, by deceived and deceitful men: nor have need to go to the devil to be your comforter; nor to steal a little unlawful peace from parties and opinions, as if there were not enough to be had in Christ, and holiness, and eternal life.

Christ owneth no disciples which are not in one of these two ranks; either teachers by office upon a lawful call, or learners who submit to be taught by others. When his ministers have made men his disciples, they must afterward “teach them to observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded them.” Matt, xxviii, 19, 20. And a learner must hear, and read, and discourse, in a learning way, by humbly asking the resolution of his doubts, acknowledging the weakness of his own understanding, and the superiority of his teachers. This is the common ruin of raw professors, that they presently grow proud of a poor ignorant head, as if it were full of knowledge and spirituality: and while they continue hearers, they continue not disciples or learners, but come with a proud and carping humour, to quarrel with their teachers, as poor ignorant men in comparison of them; and, therefore, choose them a heap of teachers according to their own opinions: and all this while they have such a desire to be somebody, and to vent their seeming wisdom, that they can hardly stay from being teachers themselves, till they have anything like a lawful call. Whereas, if they would have kept in the rank of humble learners till they had grown wiser, they might have preserved the church’s peace and their own.

It is an easy thing to turn the native heat of religion into the feverish outside zeal about words, or circumstances, or ceremonies, whether it be for or against them. I know that one party will cry up order, and the other will cry up spirituality, and both will say that God maketh not light of the smallest matters in religion, nor must we: and in this general position there is some truth.

It would make a knowing Christian weep to see in these times what censures, and worse, are used on both sides about the wording of our prayers to God! How vile and unsufferable some account them that will pray in any words that are not written down for them! And how unlawful others account it to pray in their written forms: some because they are forms, and some because that Papists have used them, and some because they are, or have been, imposed! When God hath given them no command, but to pray in faith and fervency, according to the states of themselves and others, and in such order as is agreeable to the matter, and in such method as he hath given them a rule and pattern of. But of all quarrels about forms and tvords, he hath never made any of their particular determinations, no more than whether I shall study the words, or if necessity require it, preach extempore.

It is a wonder how they that believe the Scriptures, came first to make themselves believe that God maketh such a matter as they do, of their several words and forms of prayer: that he loveth only extemporary prayers, as some think, and hateth all prescribed forms; or that he loveth only prescribed forms, as others think, and hateth all extemporary prayers. Certainly in Christ’s time both liturgies by forms, and also extemporary prayers, were used; and yet Christ never interposed in the controversy, so as to condemn the one or the other. He condemneth the Pharisees for making long prayers to cover their devouring widows’ houses, and for their praying to be seen of men; but whether their prayers were a set form, or whether they were extemporary, he taketh no notice, as telling us that he condemned neither. (And it is likely the Pharisees’ long form was, in many things, worse than ours, though the Psalms were a great part of it: and yet Christ and his apostles oft joined with them, and never condemned them.) Nay, as far as I can find, the Pharisees and other Jews were not in this so blind and quarrelsome as we; nor ever made a controversy of it, nor ever presumed to condemn either form or extemporary prayers.

Is it not by the law of nature the parents’ duty to teach their children the Lord’s Prayer, or a psalm, though it be a form? and why not then other words which are agreeable to their state? And He that taught his own disciples a form and rule of prayer, and telleth us that so “John taught his disciples,” saith also to his apostles, “As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.” The truth is, by making them teachers of his church, he did allow them to teach either by forms or without, as the case required. All the Scripture is now to preachers a form of teaching: and when we read a chapter, we read a prescribed form of doctrine; and it hath many forms of prayer and praise, and forms of baptizing, and administering the Lord’s supper. If you say that the apostles had an infallible spirit, I answer, True: and that proveth that their doctrine was more infallible than other men’s; but not that they only, and not other men, may teach by the way of forms: therefore let us learn to be more merciful and moderate in our judgment

An affection of singularity in indifferent things doth either come from such ignorance as those were guilty of, (Rom. xiv,) or most commonly from pride, though you perceive it not yourselves.

If it be to go in a meaner garb than others, and, as some, not to put off the hat; or, as others, to go barefoot, or in a distinguishing habit; that all men may see, and say, This is a singular person in religion: it is easy to see how this gratifieth pride. Humility desireth not to be especially taken notice of; and in all things lawful to do as others do, doth gratify humility. It is strange to see how much stress some people lay upon their singular modes of worship, habits, gestures, and expressions, when they have taken them up! They would have all to follow them. Here you see the mystic Pharisee! Paul became a Jew to the Jews, and all things lawful to all men, to save some. 1 Cor. ix, 19, 20. I pray you mark his words. It had been no strange thing, if he had become wise to win the foolish, and showed himself strong to win the weak, &c.; but to become as a Jew when he circumcised Timothy, and shaved his head because he had a vow, and to be as under the law, to them that are under the law, without law to them that are without law, and to become as weak to them that are weak, to be made all things lawful to all men to save some — this is far from the religion of proud pretenders.

What abundance of things do many now blame and censure others for as temporizers, which they have nothing against, (that may be called reason,) but only that their neighbours use them? If a man stand up at the profession of the belief, or when psalms or hymns of praise to God are sung, he conformeth to the gestures of the congregation; this is made his dispraise, which is his praise. Is not standing a fit gesture to profess our faith in, and to praise God? Or is it praiseworthy to be odd and singular in the church, and not to do as the congregation doth?

Austin professed his resolution, in all such gestures and lawful orders, to do as the church did where he was; and Paul would have us with one mouth, as well as with one mind, to glorify God. I entreat these men to mark whether it was Christ or the Pharisees that came nearest to their way, and whom they most imitate? Was it for going too far from sinners that the Pharisees censured Christ? or was it not for eating and drinking with them? though he did it not to harden them in their sin; but as a physician with the sick, to heal them. The case is plain; but corrupt nature more favoureth the separating zeal of the Pharisees than the loving, winning zeal of Christ, and makes it much easier to be imitators of them, than of him. This going too far from those we should win, doth not only lose our advantage, but greatly tendeth to harden them in all their prejudices against a religious life, and hinder their conversion, and so undo their souls.

In a word, woe be to the reformer who feareth not running to the extreme contrary to the error and sin which he would reform. Think and talk more of your faults and failings against others, than of theirs against you; and if you fall into the company of backbiters, that are dishonouring their rulers or their pastors, or who are telling how bad their neighbours are, labour to purify these stinking waters, or turn the stream: say to them, O friends, how bad are we ourselves! what pride is in our hearts! what ignorance in our minds! so wanting are we even in the lowest grace, humility, that we have scarce enough to make us take patiently such censures as we are now pouring out upon others. Take notice of all the good which appeareth in others. Be more in commendation of all the good which indeed is in them who differ from you in opinion. First, you would show yourselves more like to God, who is love, and unlike to Satan the accuser. Secondly, you would show an honest impartial ingenuity, which honoureth virtue wherever it is found. Thirdly, you would show an humble sense of your own frailty, who dare not proudly contemn your brethren. Fourthly, you would show more love to God himself, when you love all that is of God, whereever you discern it, and cannot bear to hear his gifts and mercies undervalued.

Remember also that you have never learned the Christian art of suffering aright, till you can suffer not only by bad men, but by men that otherwise are good; not only by enemies, but by friends; not only by them that bear the sword, but also by some who preach the word:

and till you will not by oppression be made mad, nor driven from your innocency.

Even those forms of liturgy which now are most distasted, were brought in by the most zealous religious people at first. The many short invocations, versicles, and responses, which the people use, were brought in when the souls of the faithful did abound with zeal, and break out in holy fervors into such expressions, and could not well endure to be mere auditors, and not vocally bear their part in the praises of God, and prayers of the church. And in time those very words which signified their raptures, were used by formal hypocrites, without their zeal who first expressed them; and so being made dead images, and used by rote, in a senseless canting, it has now become a point of zeal to avoid them as unlawful, though they were received from the predecessors in piety of those men that now refuse them. But though the highest expressions of zeal are most loathsome when counterfeited, and turned into a mere lifeless form; yet it is the privation of life which is the fault of the thing, and not the thing in itself. Restore the same spirit to those words, and they will be as good as they were at the beginning. What is the inference from all this? Why, first, I would advise you to look more to the things themselves, and less to the persons; and regard the honour of humanity, if you regard not the honour of religion. Secondly, that you truly understand what interest such zealous persons as yourselves had in those opinions, forms, and practices, at the first; that if you will avoid them for some men’s sake, you may think the better of them for other men’s, so far as to bring you to some impartiality, and a pacific spirit. Thirdly, that you suspect that zeal in yourselves, which you think so much miscarried in your ancestors.

Of all parts of religion, (I know not how it comes to pass) men think that negatives are sufficient for peace. If a man live not unpeaceably, nor provoke any to wrath, he is thought a sufficient friend to peace; and therefore it is that love and peace do so little prosper. When Satan and his instruments do all that they can by fraud and force against it, we think it enough to stand by and do no harm. It is the peacemakers that Christ pronounceth blessed. Matt, v, 9. Here he that is not with Christ and the church is against it. Why should we think so much diligence in hearing, reading, praying, &c. is necessary to the promoting other parts of holiness, and nothing necessary to love and peace, but to do no hurt? Is it not worthy our labour? And is not our labour here as needful as anywhere?

Judge by the multitude and quality of the adversaries, and by their power and success. It is a mark of hypocrisy to go no farther in our duties of godliness, than the safety of our reputation will give us leave. And is it not so in the duties of love and peace? If the kingdom of God be righteousness and peace, then what we would do to promote God’s kingdom, we must do for them. Rom. xiv, 17. And if dividing Christ’s kingdom is the way to destroy it, (and Satan is wiser than to divide his own kingdom, Matt, xii,) then whatever we would do to save the kingdom of Christ, all that we must do to preserve and restore the peace of it, and to heal its wounds.

Quest But what would you have us do for love and peace, and against its contraries?

Answ. First, preach and write if it be your calling. Secondly, let the cause of love and peace be much in your open and secret prayers to God. Thirdly, instruct all that learn of you with principles of love and peace; and labour to plant them deep in their minds, and make them as sensible of the evil of the contraries, as of any other sin. Unless divines and parents do take this way of bringing up the people and children in this kind of doctrine, that love and peace may become their religion, the church is never likely to be recovered. Fourthly, in all your conference, labour (seasonably and prudently) to inculcate these matters on the hearers’ minds, and to bear your testimony against cruelty and division. Fifthly, put such books into people’s hands as plead best the cause of love and peace; among others, get men to read these: — Bishop Usher’s Sermon on Eph. iv, 3; Bishop Hall’s Peacemaker; Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs Heart Divisions; and Mr. Stillingfleet’s Irenicum; and all Mr. Duries. Sixthly, disgrace not your doctrine by the badness of your lives; but be as much more holy than they are, as you are more peaceable, that they may see it is not a carnal unholy peace that you desire. But these things belong to the following directions: “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” 2 Cor. xiii, 11; Phil, iv, 9; 1 Thess. v, 23. “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” Rom. xvi, 20. “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” Rom. xv, 33. Martyrdom for love and peace is as honourable and gainful, as martyrdom for the faith.