fo immediately Gods rival, that these fpeculative debates had none of thofe adherencies," which do fo directly gratifie him, yet still he is fecur'd of gaining fomewhat at rebound; for alas, when mens faculties are thus employed, what Weapons are there left for the defence of true practick vertue, and God knows, fhe needs them but too much: Mens lufts are grown fubtile Disputants, fo that the most improved reafon may find work enough to manage the Conteft; And furely would men of parts timely have bent their endeavours this way, vice could not have got fo ftrong a party. Men are afhamed to be Profelytes to a weak Arguer, as thinking they must part with their reputation, as well as their fin: and certainly nothing is a more general difcouragement from Piety, than the opinion of its votaries not being Perfons of Parts, and exalted Understandings; a Prejudice as old as the time of our Saviour, as may appear from Jo. 7. Would God our greateft Rabbies would fadly confider how much they have contributed to this fcandal, while by laying out their parts on Polemick niceties, they have neglected the more weighty part of their business, & given too much Atteftation to that scandalous Maxim, that Ignorance is the mother of Devotion: Certainly this is quite to mistake their Commiffion, which is not that of a Herauld, to proclaim War amongst men, but that of an Embaffador, to reconcile them first to holiness, and by it to God: And doubtlefs one foul gain'd to Piety, would more promote their account, than many

thousands

up

thousands fecur'd to a Sect or Party. We find how fad the doom was of that Servant who wrapt his Talent, but we have no cause to think it would have been at all eafier, if he had melted the Talent into bullets, to maintain the skirmish with his fellows: Whether that be not the cafe of fome who have receiv'd not the one Talent but the five,I leave it to be difcuffed between God and their own Confsciences; but in the interim, 'tis fad to fee how unhappily men engage their endeavours, which feems to reprefent the reverse of Efay's Prophefie, we having beat our ploughfhares into fwords, and our pruning hooks into fpears, all the Inftruments of fertility and growth in Grace, into Engins of War and difcord; and then it must needs be a moft deplorable condition to which Christianity is reduced; which feems in this to be under the fame calamity, which her diftreft profeffors fuffer from the Turkish tyranny, whileft her hopefullest and moft pregnant Children, are like Fanizaries and Timariots trained up to fight against her. And let none wonder that I call it fighting against her, when yet perhaps none of them do formally renounce her; for that Circumftance only determines the War to be inteftine, not foreign; and if our own fad Experiences had not too much qualified us to judge, I might appeal to the univerfal vote of mankind, which of thofe were the most deftructive. Indeed were there no other Act of hoftility difcernable, but that which we have hitherto infifted on, the inter

cepting

cepting her fupplies, the cutting off from her that time, industry and gifts, whereby fhe would be nourisht and fupported, that were irreparably injurious to her, and confequently moft grateful to that grand Enemy who as hath been fhew'd, makes advantage of our Wranglings of Diffentions with one another, to reak his more inveterate Malice on us all.

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CHAP. X.

A Survey of the Mischiefs arising from difputes, as they fupplant Charity.

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UT alas, the mischief of these debates, can never be defcrib'd by bare negatives, there are multitudes of pofitive ills, that infeparably adhere to them, and those of so deftructive a force, that if Christianity were beleagred and famifht by the former, fhe is ftorm'd and batter'd by thefe, and fo is afcertain'd to fink under all the methods of ruine. In the front of these we may well rank thofe difplacencies and animofities which are the product of our fpeculative differences, and which do indeed fo naturally refult from them, that 'tis not to be hoped fo long as the one continues that the other will ever ceafe. For though in practice we often fee a bewitching Sin dethrone the Reason, and make men act as if they had no fuch fuperior principle

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principle to guide them, yet in matters of Speculation their affections are generally strongly influenc'd by their understandings. We do not only approve, but love thofe notions wherewith we are prepoffeft, which kindness as it propagates its felf to the abettors of the fame Tenets, fo alfo it infinuates diflikes to the oppofers. And as that oppofition advances, fo the difguft does too, till at last the Scene fhifts, and the Perfons are at a greater war than the Opinions. But we need not thus derive a proof from the causes, when the thing does too demonftrably atteft its self by the effects; for what iffues are there of the mortallest hatred, which do not plentifully flow from this fountain. Humane nature we know has but three waies of actuating its Paffions; by thought, by word, and by deeds; and we may furely conclude the feud very bitter that employes all these Engins, as 'tis too vifible this does; for though the former of these be in their own nature infcrutable, to all but omniscience, yet the two later are, according to Chrifts own Rule of the Tree by the fruits, infallible Griterions of them; and those make such liberal difcoveries, that I think I may appeal to any who have efpous'd a party, whether they have not with the firft difcriminating rudiments of their own Sect, imbib'd a fecret confus'd prejudice to all others. Nay, I fear there are but few of fo mortified paffions, as to have stopt there, and not advanc'd to a direct averfion, and alienation of mind. Indeed were it not for this, 'twere scarce poffible

for

for fo many of the vulgar, to be fuch Bigots in their feveral factions; for alas, their Intellects are generally too groß, to have any cleer apprehenfion of the Points they contend for; their Leaders only give them fome general confus'd notions, juft enough to excite their displeasure against all Diffenters, and then their anger muit prefently be call'd zeal, and instead of the more uneafie task of fuppreffing their paffion, this expedient ferves at once to hallow and gratifie it: Nay, fo ridiculous have fome mens prepoffeffions of this kind been, that they would fcarce allow those to be entire men whom they thought not found believers, but have phancied I know not what bodily as well as mental Monftrofities in those they were pleas'd to call Hereticks; a piece of childish credulity which the emiffaries of fome factions have not difdain'd to make their advantage of. But thefe inward difgufts and rancours are but the firft bound of this ball of contention, when this leven is once in the heart, it will quickly diffuse its felf, and both tongue and hands will be tainted with it. Hence comes it, that difputes in religion are managed with fuch virulency and bitterness, that one would think the Difputants had put off much of Humanity, before they come thus to treat of Divinity. The government of the Tongue is a piece of morality which fober nature dictates, which yet in this inftance many even of our greatest Scholars feem totally to have unlearnt; For whether we confider the unfeemly reproaches, or ri

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