between Arminius and Episcopius c. for the Remonstrants and Gomarus Sibrandus c. for the Predestinarians distracted Holland not a little and had an ill Influence upon the Affairs of England at least so far as concern'd the Church But the Mournfullest part of that History is the Ill Usage Martinius Crâ—cius the Bishop of Landaff and others had who though they were acknowledg'd to be Sound in the Faith of those Times which generally followed the Judgment of Calvin as to the mean points controverted yet if at any time they appear'd moderate in their Behaviour gentle in their Words and for Accommodation in some particulars with the Remonstrators or Free willers Gomarus and his Followers not observing that Gravity of the Assembly the Rules of Debate and least of all the Meekness of Christian Communion fell foul of their Brethren reproach'd their Tenderness and began to fix Treachery upon their Sober Endeavours of Accommodation as if they intended to execute as well as maintain their Reprobation and blow up their Friends rather than not destroy their Adversaries But if we will yet rise higher in our Enquiry and view the Mischiefs of Earlier Times the Fourth and Fifth Centuries after Christ will furnish us with Instances enough We cannot possibly forget the Heavy Life some men made about the Observation of Easter Day as if their Eternal Happiness had been in Jeopardy for so far were they degenerated from the Love and Meekness of Christianity that about keeping of a Day which perhaps was no part but to be sure no Essential part of the Christian Religion they fell to pieces reproach'd revil'd and hated one another A Day was more than Christ who was the Lord and End of Days and Victory over Brethren better than the Peace and Concord of the Church the Great Command of Jesus But the Remarkable and Tragical Story of Alexander Bishop of Alexandria and Arius his Priest in their known Debate about the Nature and Existence of the Son of God with the lamentable Consequences thereof as all Writers upon that Subject have related witnesseth to the truth of what I say The Bishop's Curiosity the Niceness of Arius the Presumption of the one to expound beyond the Evidence and Simplicity of the Text and the Captious Humor of the other that would not bate the Bishop any thing for his Age or the Rank he held in the Church but Logically exacted the Utmost Farthing of the Reckoning began the â—ray Which as it became the Perplexity of Church and State some Ages so it raged to Blood and those that had been persecuted like Sheep by the Heathen not long before turn'd Wolves now to each other and made sport for the Infidel doing their work Nay so much more Christian was Themistius the Philosopher that in his Oration called CONSUL he commended and advised the Emperour Jovianus to Exercise Moderation and to give that Liberty of Conscience which profest Christians refused to do to each other who seem'd to think they never did God better Service than in Sacrificing one another for Religion Did we duly reflect upon the Unnatural Heats Divisions and Excommunications among them the many Councils that were called the strong and tedious Debates held the Translations of Sees the Anathemas the Banishments Wars Sackings Fires and Blood-shed that followed this Unnatural Division that sprang from so nice a Controversie one would verily believe no less than that Religion it self had been in Utmost Hazard that Judaism or Paganism were over-running Christianity and not that all this Stir had been made about an Iota For the whole Question was whether HOMOUSIA or HOMOIUSIA should be received for Faith in which the difference is but the single Letter 1 Certainly we must do Violence to our Understanding if we can think that these men were Followers of that Jesus that Lov'd his Enemies gave his Blood for the World who hated their Brethren and shed one anothers Blood for OPINIONS The Heathen-Philosophers never were so Barbarous in their Differences But how easily might all these Confusions have been prevented if their Faith about Christ had been deliver'd in the words of Scripture since all sides pretend to believe the Text and why should any man presume to be Wiser than the Holy Ghost 'T is strange that God and Christ should be wanting to express or discover their own mind or that the words used by the Holy Ghost should have that Shortness Ambiguity or Obliquity in them that our frail Capacities should be needed to make them more Easie Proper and Intelligible But that we should scarcely deliver any one Article of Faith in Scripture-Terms and yet make such Acts the Rule and Bond of Christian Communion is in my Judgment an Offence hainous against God and Holy Scripture and very Injurious to Christian Charity and Fellowship Who can express any Man's mind so fully as himself and shall we allow that Liberty to our selves and refuse it to God The Scriptures came not in Old time said the Apostle Peter by the will of Man but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Who can speak better or express the Mind of the holy Ghost plainer than the holy Ghost the Scripture is the Great Record of Truth that which all these Parties in Controversie agree to be the Declared Mind and Will of God they Unanimously say It ought to be believ'd and profest as such If this be true in what Language can we so safely and properly declare our Belief of the Truths therein contain'd orexpress those Truths as in the very Language of the Scripture And I cannot see how those Persons can be excused in the Day of God's Judgment who make men Heterâ—dox or Heretical for refusing to subscribe their Articles of Faith that are not in Scripture-Terms who at the same time offer to declare their Belief of God Christ Spirit Man's Laps or Fall Repentance Sanctification Justification Salvation Resurrection and Eternal Recompence in the Language of Holy Scripture 'T is preposterous and a Contradiction that those who desire to deliver their Faith of Truth in the Language of Truth should not be reputed True Believers nor their Faith admitted for this were to say that therefore their Faith is not to be received because it is declared in the Language of that very Truth which is the Object of that Faith for which it ought to be received and which is on all hands concluded to be our Duty to believe It seems then we must not express our Belief of God in his Words but our own nor is the Scripture a Creed plain or proper enough to declare a True Believer or an Orthodox Christian Are not things come to a sad pass that to refuse any other Terms than those the Holy Ghost has given us and which are confest to be the Rule or Form of sound Words is to expose a Man to the Censure of being Unsound in the Faith unfit for Christian-Communion Will
is like God the Father that is in Heaven who is Love 9. Christ teaches us to avoid Ostentation in our Charity Take heed that ye do not your Alms before Men to be seen of them 10. He teaches us the Duty of Prayer where and what not in the Corners of the Streets nor in the Synagogues to be seen of Men but in the Closet in the secret of the Heart betwixt God and the Soul 11. He forbids Hoarding and Laying up of Money in Bank presses Treasuring up of Wealth in Heaven and the Reason is this that the one is Corruptible and the other is Incorruptible 12. He teaches Dependence upon the Providence of God calling the Dis-trustful O ye of little Faith Which of you says he by taking Thought can add one Cubit to his Stature therefore take no Thought saying What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed for after all these things the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you 13. He sets up a Discrimination or Distinction between false and true Prophets those that are his Disciples from Counterfeits Ye shall know them said Christ by their Fruits Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figgs of Thistles even so every good Tree bringeth forth Good Fruit but a Corrupt Tree bringeth forth Evil Fruit. A Good Tree cannot bring forth Evil Fruit neither can a Corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit Wherefore by their Fruits ye shall know them This was the Distinction given by Christ to his Followers the Tree was not accounted Good or Bad by the Leaves but the Fruits not by the Opinions but the Holy living The Faith in that Day was an Entire Resignation and Dependence upon God and not a Subscription to Verbal Propositions and Articles though never so True that was the Work of After-times more Corrupt and Superstitious Ages But 14. Lastly Christ preaches the General Judgment Many will say to me in that Day what Day the Day of Account and Final Reckoning with Mankind Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils and done many wonderful works And then said Christ will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye that work Iniquity Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Therefore whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a Wise Man which built his House upon a Rock and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell not for it was builded upon a Rock And every one that beareth these Sayings of Mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a Foolish Man which built his House upon the Sand and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell and great was the Fall of it And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these Sayings the People were astonished at his Doctrine for he taught them as one having Authority and not as the Scribes By all which it is most plain that as Christ is the Rock on which true Christians build so none can be said truly to build upon this Rock but those that keep his Sayings that do his Commandments that obey his Doctrine Wherefore that Faith of JESUS to be the SON and CHRIST of GOD must be such a Faith as does the Will of the Heavenly Father and keepeth THESE SAYINGS of Christ There are Two places in which Christ seems to sum up his blessed Doctrine One is this Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Which Christ came not to destroy but to fulfill But the other Passage seems to be more full the first relating only to our Dealings with Men this Second Passage comprehends our Duty both to God and Men viz. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind this is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self In these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets This is the Perfection of the Christian Religion the Great Commandment of Christ the Certain Token of Discipleship A new Commandment said Christ I give unto you that ye Love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Again Christ speaks to his Disciples If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandments and abide in his Love and this is my Commandment that ye Love one another as I have loved you Yet once more Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you and these things I command you that you Love one another He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him but he that loveth me not keepeth not my Sayings So that only those are Friends and Disciples of Christ Jesus that do his Sayings and keep his Commandments and the Great Commandment of all is LOVE for upon this One Commandment all the rest depend For he that loves God above all will leave all for God not one of his Commandments shall be slighted and he that loves his Neighbour will much more love the Houshold of Faith Well may such be True Christians when their Faith in Christ works by LOVE by the Power of this Divine Love he that dwells in this Love dwell in God if John say true for he is Love And in this he recommended his Love unto us that he sent his only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Also herein did Christ manifest his Love in laying down his Life for us This is my Commandment said Christ that ye Love one another as I have loved you and Greater love hath no Man than this that a Man lays down his Life for his Friends ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Indeed he gave his Life for the World and offered up One Common Sacrifice for Mankind and by this One Offering up of himself once for all he hath forever perfected that is quitted and discharged and taken into Favour them that are sanctified who have received the Spirit of Grace and Sanctification in their Hearts for such as resist it receive not the Benefit
of that Sacrifice This Holy Offering up of himself by the Eternal Spirit is a Great Part of his Messiahship for therein he hath both confirmed his Blessed Message of Remission of Sins and Life Everlasting to as many as truly believe in his Name and given himself a Propitiation for all that have sinned and so came short of the Glory of God in so much that God is said by the Apostle Paul to be Just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remissions of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Unto which I shall Join his Mediatorship or Advocacy link'd together both by the Apostle Paul and the beloved Disciple John the first in these words For there is One God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time The Apostle John expresseth it thus My little Children these things write I unto you that you Sin not and if any Man sinneth we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World So that to be Brief the Christian Creed so far as it is Declaratory lies eminently in a Confession of these Particulars Of the Divine Authority of the New as well as of the Old Testament Writings and therein of these Great General and Necessary Truths expresly to wit Of Christ his Miracles Doctrine Death Resurrection Advocacy or Mediation the Gift of his Grace Faith and Repentance unto Remission of Sins the Necessity of Keeping his Commandments and lastly of Eternal Recompence Less once than all this would have done and it does not shew the Age more Christian but more Curious indeed more Infidel that there is this Stir made about External Creeds of Communion for Distrust of Brethren and Incredulity among Christians is no small Sign of their Decay of Faith towards God From the Beginning 't was not so But it may be here Objected How shall we know that such a Declaration of Faith is sincere I Answer By recurring to that Evidence which God shall give us They that can try Spirits under the most-Sheeplike Clothing have the most-Immediate and Certain Proof but let it suffise that Christ hath told us By their Fruits ye shall know them If any Man says Christ will come after me let him take up his Cross and follow me and in another place he tells us thus My Sheep hear my Voice and I knew them and they follow me that is They are led by my Spirit they live my Life they obey my Doctrine And the Apostle Peter assures us that True Faith purifies the Heart and no Impurity can flow from a pure Heart You may know this Faith by that Way by which Abraham's Faith was known to be True to wit Obedience He believed God that is He Obeyed God he submitted to the Will of God and relied upon his Goodness He that gave me my Son by a Miracle can work another to save him To God all things are Possible It is call'd by the Apostle Paul The Spirit of Faith something more near and inward than any External Articles and Declaration of Faith that from whence all True Confessions and good Works come which made the Apostle Paul thus to say We give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our Prayers remembring without Ceasing your Work of Faith 'T was this true Faith that brings forth Works of Righteousness by which Abel Offered to God Enoch was Translated Noah was saved it is said of him that he became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith By this Faith Abraham left his own Country and obey'd the Voice of God By Faith Moses was preserved from his Childhood and when he came to years refus'd to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter by Faith he forsook Egypt and passed the Red Sea By Faith the Walls of Jericho fell down and Rahah was saved By Faith Gideon Barak Sampson Jephtha David Samuel and the Prophets subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouthes of Lyons quenched the Violence of Fire escaped the Edge of the Sword with much more too large to be utter'd This is that Faith which the Apostle James magnifies against all false Faiths Faith says he if it has not Works is dead A Man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works I will shew thee my Faith by my Works And as if he had fore-seen the Men of Creeds and Articles he speaks on this wise Thou believest that there is One God thou dost well the Devils also believe and Tremble But wilt thou know O Vain Man that Faith without Works is dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works and by Works was Faith made perfect And he was called the Friend of God And the Exhortation of the Apostle Peter is a plain Discrimination of true Faith And besides this giving all Diligence add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither he barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old Sins I will seal up these Scripture Testimonies of Faith with that Account which is given us by the Apostle John For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believed that Jesus is the Son of God So that the Belief in the Son of God must have this Evidence to prove it true that by it Men are born of God and overcome the World so that their Faith is false whom the World Overcomes I am not of this World saith Christ Jesus neither can that Faith be that is called the Faith of the Son of God There are Three Passages left us upon Record by this Beloved Disciple of Jesus of Great Weight and Importance to us when he had discoursed of the Propitiation and Advocacy of Christ he does immediately add And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him But whoso keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected hereby know we that we
comprehends the State of Men in both Worlds it shews to us what that Life is in this World which leads to Misery in the Next and what to Happiness No Sensual Man no Voluptuous Person not those that deck themselves with Delicate Apparel and fare Sumptuously every Day that love their Back and their Belly more then God and the Poor shall be received into Abraham's Bosom or dwell in Blessedness forever let none deceive themselves the Jealous God will not be mocked If ye Sow to the Flesh ye shall reap Corruption but if ye sow to the Spirit ye shall reap Life Everlasting They that live in Pleasures Kill the Just they Crucifie the Just Witness in themselves such Treasure up wrath against the Day of Wrath. Wo Anguish and Triâ—ulation to every Soul that doth Evil whether Jew or Gentile Professor or Prophane Christian or Infidel For the Dives's under all these Names must be turned into Hell but such as through Patience and Well-doing wait for Immortality as poor Lazarus did after all their Poverty Neglect and Hunger shall receive Glory Honour and Eternal Life And truly it is some Comfort to the Miserable in this World that they shall not live always in it and that they have to do with a God who is no Respecter of Persons This Judge is impartial the Poor are upon Even Terms with the Rich and it will not be Quality but Integrity not Riches but Righteousness which will recommend us to him No wonder then if the Prophet Jeremiah in the Name of God charged the Antient Jews Not to go into the House of Feasting and that Ecclesiastes should say That it is better to go to the House of Mourning than to the House of Feasting since so many Evils follow it But there is one Feast that even Christ himself allows us though I have little Reason to believe it will be Imitated when I consider the Natural Aversness that is even among Profest Christians to his Self-denying Precepts and Example Then said Jesus When thou makest a Dinner or a Supper call not thy Friends or thy Brethren neither thy Kinsmen nor thy Rich Neighbours lest they also bid thee again and a Recompence be made thee This would beget Feasting the thing which is to be avoided no such matter But when thou makest a Feast call the Poor the Maimed the Lame the Blind and thou shalt be Blessed for they cannot recompense thee but thou shalt be recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just There are few that strive to obey this Counsel there is so little of Fashion or of Interest in it What! Persons of Quality feast the Poor Carve for the Maimed and feed the Blind 't is too Mean too Ignominious If they have the Bones the Scraps the Crums 't is well No no this Doctrine is too like him that taught it to be practised by them that are so Unlike him they that follow him in these things must Take up the Cross Despise the Shame and Sow in Hope But because there is an Everlasting Recompence for those that do I fervently desire of God that it would please him to put it into the Minds of both Magistrates and People to Love Mercy Do Justice Walk humbly with the Lord and Meekly and Charitably towards all men I beseech you in the Tender Bowels of a Christian Man to consider of the Present Conjuncture is this a Time for Feasts and Reveils Plays and Pastimes when the very Wrath of God seems to hang by a slender Thread over our Heads O! let your Moderation be known unto all men now the Lord is so near at hand And I do humbly pray the Supreme Authority of this Land to put a speedy Check to these Exorbitances to Discountenance these Excesses by the Revival of those Old Laws and in making of such New Ones as may be thought convenient to prevent such Pride and Prodigality For I think I may both with Modesty and Truth affirm if the very Unnecessary Expences of most Ranks or Degrees in this Kingdom could be brought into one Publick Purse they would arise to Three Times more Money than either is given or is requisite to the Maintenance of the Poor that are in it and whether this be a thing Practicable or no it matters not the very Preventing of that Excess which is amongst us will be pleasing to Almighty God and one Way or other Beneficial to the Government It may not be improper for me here to add by way of Appendix to this Head of Excess the Sin of GAMING an Invention of much Mischief in the World therefore inconsistant both with Christianity and Civil Government The Evils that attend it are neither small nor few It is First a Great Enemy to Business and that Just Care that people ought to have for the Discharge of their Respective Capacities in their Civil Affairs Next It is one of the Greatest Thieves to Mens Estates Many brave Families have been ruin'd by a Gamester That which hath been got by the Care and Prudence of a Father it may be hath been lost in one Night by the Extravagant Humor of a Son But that the Reward of Virtue should be the Stake of Folly and the Acquest of Worthy Ancestors exposed to the Chance and Hazard of the Die is such Impiety to God's Providence Ingratitude to Parents Injury to their own Families and Disgrace to the Government that I conceive it may very well deserve the Care of our Superiors to prevent that Extravagancy for the future Thirdly It is a great Consumer of Time They who are addicted to Gaming are the most Idle and Useless people in the Government and give me leave to say that men are Accountable to the Government for their Time there ought to be no Idleness in the Land for that End Bridewels are provided Of many other Sins people are Weary but of this never unless to Sleep or Eat or for Want of Money to Play We are commanded to Redeem the Time bècause the Dayes are Evil but these people chuse rather to Lose their Time and fall into the Evil they should avoid A Gamester and a Christian are as opposite as a Saint and a Sinner for the Christian looks to God in the increase of his Estate the Gamester to Skill and Chance and there is no more of God in his Mind than there is in his Game and it cannot be otherwise Fourthly Therefore Gaming deserves to be supprest because it has been the Occasion of Breach of Friendship Quarrels Bloodshed and Murder if we ought to shun the Occasions of Evil to be sure we ought not to indulge them The Last Mischief that belongs to Gaming which I shall mention at this time is the Horrid OATHS and Passionate Imprecations used by the generality of Gamesters but because they are not confin'd to Gaming but run through the whole Conversation of men they may very well challenge a place among those FourCrying Sins that I found my self Obliged in
Deceit is irrepairable Again since Mankind is a reasonable Creature and that the more reasonable he is in his Religion the nearer to his own being he comes and to the Wisdom and Truth of his Creator that did so make him a Religion without Reason Imposed by an unaccountable Authority against Reason Sense and Conviction cannot be the Religion of the God of Truth and Reason for it is not to be thought that he requires any thing that carries any violence upon the Nature of his Creature or that gives the Lye to that Reason or Sence which he first endow'd him with In short Either Convince my understanding by the Light of Truth and Power of Reason or bear down my Infidelity with the force of Miracles for not to give me Understanding or Faith and to press a submission that requires both is most unreasonable But if there were no other Augument then this it goes a great way with me that as to such as have their understanding at liberty if they are mistaken there may be hopes of reclaiming by Informing them but where the Understanding and Conscience are enslav'd to Authority and where Men make it a Principal Doctrine to suspect their own Sense and strive against their own Convictions to move only by other mens Breath and fall down to their Conclusions nothing seems to be left for the soundest Arguments clearest Truths to work upon They had almost need to be re Created in order to be converted for who can reasonably endeavour to make him a Christian that is not a Man which he cannot be truly said to be who has no understanding or resolves not to use it but reject it which is yet worse for he that has no understanding has no prejudice against it but he that purposely denys abuses it is so much worse as that he turns Enemy to him that has and uses his understanding He therefore can never be convinced oâ— his Error who is prejudiced against the necessary means of Conviction which is the use of his Understanding without which 't is impossible he should ever be Convinced To Conclude I have reserved till last one Argument which is ad hominem unanswerable by us Protestants and without yielding to which we cannot be consistent with our selves or be thought to do unto others what we would have others do unto us and that is this The Translation of the Scripture was the painful work of our worthy Ancestors This I call their most solemn Appeal to the People against the Pope and Traditions of Rome in the business of their Separation For when the question rose of the divine Authority of this or the other Practice in the Doctrine or Worship of the Roman Church presently they recur'd to the Scriptures and therefore made them speak English that they might witness for them to the people This appeal to the People in defence of their Separation by making them Judges of their proceeding against the Church according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures puts every man in possession of them Search the Scriptures say the first Protestants Prove all things see if what we say against Pope Church of Rome be not true and in case any difficulty did arise they exhorted all to wait upon God for the divine aid of his Spirit to illuminate their understandings that one should not impose upon the other but commend them to God be Brotherly Patient Long suffering ready to help the Weak inform the Ignorant shew tenderness to the Mistaken and with reason and moderation to gain the Obstinate In short Protestancy is a restoring to every man his just right of Inquiry and Choice and to its honour be it ever spoken there is greater likelihood of finding Truth where all have Liberty to seek after it then where it is denyed to all but a few Grandees and those too as short sighted as their Neighbours But now let us Protestants examine if we have not departed from this Sobriety this Christian Temperance how comes it that we who have been forgiven much have our selves fallen upon our sellow Servants who yet owe us nothing have not we refused them this reasonable choice have we not threatned beaten and imprisoned them Pray Consider have you not made Creeds set Bounds to Faith form'd and regulated a Worship and strictly enjoyn'd all mens obedience by the help of the Civil Power upon pain of great Sufferings which have not been spared to Dissenters though in Common Renouncers and Protestors with you against the Pope Church of Rome for this the Land mourns Heaven is displeas'd and all is out of due course To give us the Scriptures and knock our Fingers for taking them to Translate them that we may read them and punish us for endeavouring to understand and use them as well as we can both with respect to God and our Neighbour 't is very unreasonable upon our Protestant Principles I wish we could see the mischief we draw upon our selves which is worse our cause for the Papist in this case acts according to his Principle but we against our Principle which shews indeed that we have the better Religion but that we also are more condemnable For if we will consider it seriously we shall find it not much more injurious to Scripture Truth and good Conscience that we believe as the Church believes then that we believe as the Church says the Scripture would have us believe For where is the difference since I am not allowed to use my understanding about the Sense of Scripture any more then about the Faith of the Church and if I must not receive any thing for Faith or Worship from Scripture but what is handed to me by the Church or her Clergy I see my self in as ill terms as if I had sat down with the old Doctrine of believing as the Church believes And had the Controversie been only for the Word Scripture without the use and application of it for at this rate that is all that is left us truly the enterprise of our Fathers had been weak and unadvised but because nothing less was intended by them and that the Translation of the Scripture was both the Appeal and Legacy of those Protestant Ancestors for the reasons before mention'd I must conclude we are much degenerated from the simplicity of Primitive Protestancy and need to be admonisht of our Backslidings and I heartily pray to Almighty God that he would quicken us by his present Mercies and Providences to return to our first Love Let the Scripture be free Sober Opinion tolerated Good â—ife cherisht Vice punisht away with Imposition Nick-Names Animosities for the Lord's sake and let Holy Writ be our Common Creed and Pious Living the Test of Christianity that God may please to perfect the good work he has begun and deliver us from all our Enemies I am now come to the last point and that is PROPAGATION of FAITH by FORCE In which I shall with the
Byass Tradition gives to those men who have not made their Religion the Religion of their Judgment For such will forbid all the Inquiry which might question the Weakness or Falshood of their Religion and had rather be deceiv'd in an honorable Decent then be so uncivil to the memory of his Ancestors as to seek the Truth which sound must reprove the Ignorance of their Ages of this the vainest of all Honours they are extream careful and at the very mention of any thing to them new though as old as Truth and older then this World are easily urg'd into a Tempest and are not appeased but by a Sacrifice This Ignorance and want of Inquiry helps on Persecution 5thly Another Reason and that no small one is Self-love and Impatiency of Men under contradiction be it out of Ignorance that they are angry with what they cannot refuse or out of private Interest it matters not their Opinion must reign alone they are tenacious of their own sense and can't indure to have it question'd be there never so much reason for it Men of these Passions are yet to learn they are Ignorant of Religion by the want they have of Mortification such Persons can easily let go their hold on Charity to lay Violent hands upon their Opposers if they have power they rarely fail to use it so not remembring that when they absolv'd themselves from the tye of Love Meekness and Patience they have abandon'd true Religion and contend not for the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints which stood therein but for meer Words It is here proud Flesh and a capricious Head that disputes for Religion and not an humble Heart and a divine frame of Spirit Men that are angry for God Passionate for Christ that call Names for Religion and fling Stones and Persecute for Faith may tell us they are Christians if they will but no body would know them to be such by their Fruits to be sure they are no Christians of Christ's making I would to God that the Disputants of our time did but coolly weigh the Irreligiousness of their own Heats for Religion and see if what they contend for will quit the Cost will countervail the Charge of departing from Charity and making a Sacrifice of Peace to gain their point upon so seasonable a reflection I am confident they would find that they rather show their love to Opinion then Truth and seek Victory more then Concord Could men be contented as he whom they call their Lord was to declare their Message and not strive for Proselites nor vex for Conquest they would recommend all to the Conscience and if it must be so patiently endure Contradiction too and so lay their Religion as he did his not in Violence but Suffering But I must freely profess and in duty and Conscience I do it that I cannot call that Religion which is introduced against the Laws of Love Meekness Friendship Superstition Interest or Faction I may There is a Zeal without Knowledge that is Superstition there is a Zeal against Knowledge that is Interest or Faction the true Heresie there is a Zeal with Knowledge that is Religion therefore blind obedience may be superstition it can't be Religion and if you will view the Countries of Cruelty you shall find them Superstitious rather then Religious Religion is gentile it makes men better more Friendly Loving and Patient then before And the success which followed Christianity whilst the antient Professors of it betook themselves to no other defence plainly proves both the force of those passive Arguments above all corporal Punishments that we must never hope for the same Prosperity till we fall into the same Methods Are men impatient of having their conceits own'd they are then most to be suspected Error and Superstition like crackt Titles only fear to be toucht and run for Authority and number Truth is plain and stedfast without Arts or Tricks will you receive her well if not there is no compulsion But pray tell me what is that desired Uniformity that has not Unity and that Unity which has not Love Meekness and Patience in it I beseech you hear me for those men depart from the Spirit of Christianity that seek with Anger and Frowardness to promote it Let us not put so miserable a Cheat upon our selves nor affront upon Christianity as to think That a most gentle and patient Religion can be advanc'd by most ungentle and impatient Ways I should sooner submit to an humble opposition then to the greatest Zealot in the World and sooner deliver my self up to him that would modestly drop a controverted Truth then to such as seek tempestuously to carry it for even Error bashfully and patiently defended endangers Truth in the management of impudent hasty Zeal and gives to it that Lnstre which only good Eyes can see from Gold Alas 't is for want of Considering that men don't see that to disorder the mind in Controversie is a greater mischief then to carry the point can be a benefit in that it is not to be Religious to apprehend rightly but to do well the latter can scarcely be without the former but the former often is without the latter which brings me to my sixth Cause of Persecution 6 hly Another and that no small cause of Persecution is a misapprehension of the word Religion For when once the Ignorance or Prejudice of men has perswaded them to lay more weight upon their own Opinion or Dâ—ssent of their Neighbours then in truth the thing will bear to excuse their Zeal or justifie their Spleen they presently heighten the difference to a new Religion whence we so frequently hear of such reflections as these new Gospels and Faiths upstart Religions and Lights and with the like Scare-crows amuse the Vulgar and render their own design of ruining honest men the more practicable But I would obviate this mischief for a new Religion has a new Foundation and Consequently where there is the same Foundation there cannot be a new Religion Now the Foundation of the Christian Religion is Christ and that only is another Religion then the Christian which professes another Foundation or corruptly adds to that Foundation by adding other Mediators and introducing a new way of Remission of Sin Which cannot be said of the several sorts of Protestants therefore for Protestants to reproach each other with new Religions and Gospels and by their Indecent and Unchristian behaviour to enslave their own Reckoning and draw into more discord is a Sin against God an Injury to the common Cause of Protestancy and to the Security of the Civil Interest of that Country where the Inhabitants are of that Religion as well as a real Injustice to one another for Protestants don 't only agree in the same Fundamentals of Christianity but of Protestancy too that is in the reasons of Separation from Rome which indeed is Christianity Let not every circumstantial difference or Variety of Cult be Nick-named a