Severity should be allowable to Brethren, which was interdicted against Aliens. Is it an eafier crime to reject the entire body of that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints, than to differ in the explication of fome one branch of it? nay, perhaps only of fome corollary and deduction from it, which as far as it is humane may be fallible, and therefore can no more command my affent than it satisfies my judgment; yet this is generally the most that can be affirmed of our differences; For almost what Party is there which do not avowedly own all that Faith which conftituted the first Chriftians; would God we did as uniformly embrace the Charity too; and then moft of our difputes would be fuperfeded, at leaft fo calm'd, that there fhould be none of those destructive effects which they now produce: For alas, how many funeral piles has this prepofterous zeal kindled? So that what fome faid of Draco's Laws may too juftly be applied to our arguments, that they have been writ rather in bloud than Ink. But as Chrift when he forewarn'd his difciples of the enfuing perfecution, tels them not only they fhall be kill'd, but they shall be put out of the Synagogue: So now as if Christians were æmulous of every branch of Jewish cruelty, we tranfcribe that part of the copy too, and either by cauflefs excommunicating others, or feparating our felves, we deny the benefit of publick communion to each other: And this is a greater severity than the former, by how much more implacable our hate is against what

we

we count error, than what we know to be vice; and by how much the concerns of the Soul are more estimable than those of the Body. The inveterateness of thofe Feuds which rife from Opinion, may clearly be discovered in this inftance; let a man have committed all the outrages which may render him unworthy to live, yet when we profecute him to death, we willingly afford him all helps towards his future ftate, and no man is fo inhumane as to refuse to pray, either for or with a Malefactor; yet fome few fpeculative differences are fuch a gulph betwixt us, that we cannot meet even in that we all acknowledge our common Duty, the worship of our God. Certainly among all the accurfed iffues of our contention, there is none more malignant and criminal, than this of Schifm and Separation, and would men judge difpaffionately, more irrational neither: For doubtlefs were our cafe ftated to any fober Heathen, he would never be able to guefs, why they who equally acknowledge the advantage and neceffity of prayer, confefs the fame God, have the fame common wants in this world, and hopes in the next, may not ask in the fame form, and in the fame place. Alas, is it not enough to be at diftance where we differ, but muft we be fo alfo where we agree? Is unity fo dreadful to us, that we must act contradictions to efcape it. Surely this is a ftranger fascination of the fpirit of Divifion, than that in the Gospel Demoniack, which enabled him to break all bonds in funder, and like it, abhors the approaches of

a

non

a Saviour, crying out, What have we to do with thee, thou Jefus the Son of God, art thou come to torment us? Who knows what a powerful Exorcifm the united interceffions of the Chriftian world might have been; had we joyntly deprecated our quarrels, God might have found a way to have compos'd them, though we could not; and our tears might have cemented those breaches which our diffents made, but our feparation widens. I know the venerable names of the Sanctions of Holy Church, the hundred thirty seventh Caof the Code of the univerfal Church, which fays in exprefs terms, "Οτι ο δε αἱρετικοῖς ἢ σχισματικοῖς ound xedar, that we ought not to pray with Hereticks or Schifmaticks, and very many warm expreffions of the Fathers, are producible in this cafe: But till we Excommunicate with the Tears and Sorrows, and publick concernment of the Primitive Christians, who refus'd all acts of kindness only. out of love, and the most ardent Charity, we may by no means lay claim to their pattern, whofe citrangements only flow from malice and inveterate hate. Would we indeed comport with the Example of thofe happy Times, we fhould have fear'd the guilt of Schifm in our felves so much, as not to have lightly charg'd it upon others; we fhould have prayed for the converfion of Diffenters, not laid Anathemas upon them, and prayed for their confufion. St. Paul we fee, Heb. 10. 25. reckons the forfaking of Affemblies, as a degree, at least preparative of Apoftafie; and from his time throughout all the purer ages of the

Church

Church the holy Fathers have generally branded it, as the highest impiety; and no marvel, for it is one of thofe Gyant-like fins, which not only oppreffes men, but invades even God himself. 'Tis the mangling and affaflinating that body to which Chrift owns an infeparable connection; the putting him to head scatter'd limbs, instead of an entire compact body, as if we meant to refute St. Paul, fhew him 'tis poffible that Chrift may be divided. Good God, what fhall we fay when we fee Heathen Souldiers eftimate Chrifts coat higher than Chriftians do his body! they thought the one too good to be parted, but we cease not to tear and mangle the other, and which is yet more monftrous, make it a part of our Religion to do fo. We name our Opinions our Faith, and when under that Title we have enfhrin'd them, we make more barbarous Immolations than ever the most Savage Heathens did. They facrificed fome few objects of their Love, their Children, but we facrifice the very affection, and think our Zeal lukewarm till it have reduced our Charity to ashes. And now if we compare these our Divifions, Wrath and Bitterneß, with those fundamental, Gospel precepts of Unity, Love and Meekneß, we must furely fay we have not there fo learn'd Chrift. And then how ridiculous is it, to pretend a Zeal to that Gospel, whofe very foundations we undermine. Peace is at once the blessing and duty of Christians, and thofe heats of speculative Contests which violate it, will certainly never ferve to make us either good or happy. And therefore

till Charity cease to be an Effential part of Chriftianity (which certainly we must burn our Bibles ere we can fuppofe) we must conclude, that our Difputes, and the ways whereby we manage them, how much foever they pretend to Preserve, do indeed evacuate and destroy true, that is, PraEtick Christianity.

CHAP. XI.

A furvey of the Mischiefs arifing from Difputes, as they engage upon ill Arts and Scandalous Practices, to fuftain the efpoufed Gause and Party.

A

ND yet fo unhappily are many men mistaken, that thefe irregular heats which thus waste the vital fpirits of Religion, are thought the moft Soveraign Cordials to fupport them. The highest Paroxism of this Feaver are deem'd the perfecteft Health. Men efteem the overflowing of their Gall, the exuberance of their Zeal, and then all the Promises to the faithful combatant in Chrifts camp, they confidently appropriate to that their fo eminent Grace; though indeed it can with no more propriety be call'd fo, than Pharaohs lean Kine might be faid to be fat, because they had devour'd thofe that were fo. In plain terms, men lay fo great weight upon their being of right opinions, and their eagerness of abetting them, that they account that

the