that had been in the Houfe of Commons in the Parliament of Ireland, in which there were many Papists; and in it the fenfe he had of the way of treating all differences in Religion, whether great or small, is fo well laid down, that I hope it will be looked on as no ordinary, nor useless piece of Inftruction.

I

S it not a fhame that our two Bodies, the

Church and Common-wealth, fhould exercife mortal hatreds, (or immortal rather) and being fo near in place fhould be fo far afunder in affection; it will be faid by each that other are in fault, and perhaps it may truly be faid, that both are; the one in that they cannot, endure with patience the lawful fuperiority of the worthier Body; the other in that they take no care fo to govern, that the governed may find it to be for their beft behoof to obey: Until which time it will never be, but there will be repining and troubles, and brangles between us. This will be done in my opinion, not by bolstering out and maintaining the errors and unruliness of the lower Officers or Members of our body, but by feverely pu nishing them; and on both fides must be avoided fuch Men for Magiftrates and Minif ters, as feek to dash us one against another all they may.

And would to God this were all; but is it riot a fhame of fhames, that Mens emulations and contentions cannot ftay themselves in matters of this fort, but the holy profeffion of I 2

Di

Divinity is made fuel to a publick fire; and that when we had well hoped all had been either quenched or faked up, it should afresh be kindled and blown up with bitter and biting words? God help us! we had need to attend to this Leffon of Chrift, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; or to that of the Apoftle, It behoves the fervant of God not to contend, but to be meek towards all, inftructing with lenity thofe that be contrary affected, waiting if at any time God will give them a better mind to fee the truth, 2 Tim. 2, 25.

And here give me leave (R. W. and beloyed Brethren and Sifters) to speak freely my mind unto you: I know right well that I fhall incur the reproof of divers, yet I will ne ver the more for that fpare to utter my Confcience; I hope wife Men will affent or fhew me better. For my part, I have been long of this mind, that many in their Sermons and Writings are to blame for their manner of dealing with the adverfaries of their Opinions, when they give Reins to their Tongues and Pens, to railing and reproachful fpeeches, and think they have done well, when they exceed or equal them in this Trade; wherein to have the better is indeed to be the worse : And alledging that Text for themfelves, || That fool is to be answered according to his folly; they do not confider that other, where fuch manner of answer is forbidden, whereby the

I Prov. 26. 5.

an

anfwerer becometh like him: Prov. 26, 4. 15, I. 24, 26.

And this is yet more to be blamed, because fometimes all reafons are laid by, and nothing is foundly refuted, but only hot Words are given, yea, and with a mifconceiving, or misreporting at leaft, of their Opinions, and mak ing every thing worse than it is; which many times ariseth upon ambiguity of Words not ufed in the like fenfe by both fides. What then? Do I approve of tolerations and unions with errors and herefies? Truly I wish not to live fo long. And yet as our Sins are, and our folly too to fall together by the ears about fmall matters amongst our felves, there is juft caufe to fear it: But yet fuch points as may be reconciled, faving the truth, I fee not what should move us to hold off in them, and why we may not feek to agree in word, as we do in meaning: For the reft, their purpofe and endeavours fhall deferve thanks, who bringing them to the feweft and narroweft terms, fhall fet down how far we are to join with our diffenting Brethren, and where for ever to diffent; that fo controverfies being handled without the vain flourish of fwelling Words, and (like proportions) our Opinions being fet down in the leaft terms, Men may. know what to bend their Wits to, and where again to plant their Arguments, not, as many do, roving always at random; but may al ways remember to imitate Chrift's meekness, and to deal with Arguments rather: Let us not envy the Papifts and other Hereticks, the I 3 glory

glory and preheminence in railing, wherein the more they excel, the more unlike they are to Chrift, whofe pattern is of meeknefs, Learn of me, &c.

* Tea, but will fome Man fay, This courfe will not stay Men from backfliding to any error or herefy, &c. Who can keep off his enemy without foot, &c.

+ I. God's Truth needs not to be graced, nor his Glory fought by my fin.

II. Again it is fo perhaps in an ignorant Auditor, and at the firft; but if inquiring himself, he fhall find that they or their Opinions are not fo bad as we make them to be, and would have them feem, it will be a hundred to one that in other things too, they will not feem to be fo bad as they are; and, unless I much mistake, it is not the ftorm of Words, but the ftrength of Reasons, that shall ftay a wavering Judgment from errors, &c, When that like a tempeft is over-blown, the tide of others examples will carry other Men to do as the moft do; but thefe like fo many Anchors will stick,and not come again.

** III. Befides, our Calling is to deal with errors, not to disgrace the Man with scolding Words. It is faid of Alexander, I think, when he overheard one of his Soldiers railing luftily on Darius his enemy, he reproved him, and added, Friend (quoth he) I entertain thee to fight against Darius, not to revile him. Truly it may be well thought that those that take this course shall find but fmall thanks

* Object. † Refp. 1.- S Refp. 2.

** Resp 3.

thanks at Chrift's, our Captain's, hands; and it is not unlike but he would fay to them, were he here on earth again, Masters, I would you should refute Popery, and fet your felvés against Antichrift my enemy, with all the dif coloured Sects and Herefies, that fight under his banner againft me, and not call him and his Troops all to nought.

And this is my poor Opinion concerning our dealing with the Papifts themselves, perchance differing from the practice of Men of great note in Chrift's Family, Mr. Luther and Mr. Calvin, and others; but yet we muft live by Rules, not Examples; and they were Men, who perhaps by complexion, or otherwife, were given over too much to anger and heat: Sure I am, the Rule of the Apostle is plain, even of fuch as are the flaves of Satan, that we muft with lenity inftruct them, waiting that when escaping out of his fnare, they fhould recover a found mind to do God's will, in the place I quoted before.

"

But now when Men agreeing with our selves in the main (yea and in profeffion likewife enemies to Popery) fhall, varying never fo little from us in Points of lefs confequence, be thereupon cenfured as favourers of Popery, and other errors; when Mole-hills fhall be made Mountains, and unbrotherly terms given: Alas! methinks this courfe favours hot of meekness, nay it would hurt even a good cause, thus to handle it; for where fuch violence is, ever there is error to be fufpected; I 4

Af

2 Tim. 2. 25.