contain in them whatsoever is necessary to Christian Faith and Manners That it is a Duty incumbent upon All to read to search and endeavour to find out the sense and meaning of them and to behave themselves answerably That whosoever firmly believes the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and in the gross all the Truths are comprized in them though he should mistake in some particular Truths his Errors will not whilst he is invincibly and not wilfully ignorant prove damnable to him all that God requires of us in order to our Salvation being a sincere and serious endeavour to know and do his will and not that we be impeccable or infallible in this mortal state That they onely err to their eternal ruin which oppose such Truths they know God hath testified That God hath made nothing absolutely necessary to Salvation which is not plainly revealed That no Church of any particular denomination is Infallible and that general Councils Synods Convocations mâ—y and have erred That the imposing a Profession of known Errors and practising known Corruptions is a sufficient cause of Separation That publick approbation makes it but probable that the things they allow and command are good That the opposing my Reason and Authority of Scripture against the Publick is not the opposing my Judgment against it but that of God to that of Man That every man ought to judge for himself which Religion is truest That the Bible is the Religion of Protestants and nothing but that and the plain consequences thereof can they with consistency to their own grounds either believe themselves or require of others That none ought to take up Truth upon the credit of any without asking the reason why That he that endeavours to believe Scripture in the true sense cannot be an Heretick and that it were well if no more then what is Evident in Scripture was required to the Churches Communion That the Rule to judge Controversies by is the Scripture and that no one Man or any company of Men are appointed to judge for the rest These and many other Positions of the same importance are to be had in the writings of our greatest and wisest Protestants which if we would diligently improve into practice would be of excellent use to sweeten our Tempers towards one another and abate those Annimosities Feuds and malicious Dissentions which are the shame and scandal and if Heaven prevent not may be the ruin and destruction of our Nation and Religion Love is a Vertue so Amiable that it is Vniversally spoken well of and those that are sparing of it to others desire it may be liberally expressed to themselves in the opposite Vices of Malice Envy Revenge c. consist not only the Essence of the punishment of the next World but the foundation of most of the Calamities of this Where this Divine Grace with its Concomitant Vertues have their Residence there the mind of a man is calm and serene at great ease in it self and no way injurious or offensive unto any but heartily desirous that the whole World might conspire in one common design of promoting each others good and wellfare and doth not stingily and penuriously limit and confine its desires and endeavours to provide for any particular Sect or Party of Men so great and plentiful a portion nay not his own if he be of any that the rest should fare the worse for it and did this Spirit of Universal love obtain more generally among men what a strange alteration should we behold in the World the Golden Age would spring up to an instant Tygers and VVolves would quit their Savaâ—eness and Cruelty the lost Paradice be restored and in the Prophetick Phrase Instead of the Thorn should câ—me up the Firr and instead of the Brier the Mirtle the VVolf would dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie down with the Kid and the Child play on the hole of the Aspe c. then those black and Hellish Passions which ferment and fret the Spirits of Men and render them as vexatious and uneasie to themselves as troublesome and unpleasant to those they are concerned with would be conjured down to that place of darkness from which they first sprung together with that train of mischiefs and plagues which they scatter and diffuse among men The great design of Gods sending his Son into the World was not to amuse our understanding with the proposing to them abstruse and mysterious Truths or to perswade us to yield an Assent to Doctrines knotty and incomprehensible to believe as some teach both against sense and reason to gaze upon and admire not the brightness and lustre but the darkness and obscurity of Divine Revelation these must needs be ends below so merciful and indulgent a Father and Inadequate to so great an undertaking as was that of the Redeemer whose Principal Intention upon the Propitiation made for the sin of the world by the Sacrifice of himself was to direct mankind to the Practice of the most Generous and Godlike Vertues and make them partakers of a Divine Nature to recover them from sensuality and in dignity and from all filthiness of Flâ—sh and Spirit to teach them to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly to have their Conversations Honest and Orthodox and not to conform themselves to the guise and fashion of the degenerate World and to incourage them not so much to bâ—lâ—eve as do and suffer hard and difficult things by the expectation of a blessed Immortality at his glorious appearance and his Kingdome The Divisions of the Christian Churches will scarce ever be â—bâ—ted till the numerous Artâ—cles which are made necessary terms of Communion be lâ—ssâ—ned and the more subtil and nice ones be accounted as Ecclesiastical determinations ought to be probable and valuable but not indubitable and conclusive He whose Faith and Hope is in God through Jesus Christ and makes his Applications and Addresses unto the Father in the Name and through the Mediation and Intercession of the Son of God which are the Foundations of Christian Religion as it differs from the Mosaick and Natural and is ready to assent to all Articles of Christianity which in eâ—press words are delivered in the Divine Writings which are supâ—os'd to be the fittest because the Holy Spirit Dictated them who knew best in what Language those great Mysteries could be best communicated to our Understandstandings is a Christian in the Gospel sense 'T is certain that in matters of pure Revelation 't is somewhat daring to be wise about what is writ to deviate from that Form of found words is of Divine Inspiration and o make our Comments and Deductions equally Authentick with the Original for all Inferences from Scripture so far as they are but Humane are Fallible and therefore can no further demand our Assent than they satisfie our Judgment * Jo. Smith Thus a learned Author of our own in his discourse of Prophesie We must
external force or power This Position That Liberty of Conscience is not to be granted in Religion is the the greatest injury and disinterest to True Religion can be supposed and brings upon Nations Wars Bloodshed Subversion of Families Deposing Princes Perpetual Enmity and Hatred and all the Works of the Kingdom of Darkness The most truâ—y Religions are most abhorrent from persecution for Conscience sake To these I might add out of this profound Philosopher and Christian Doctor Many more expressions of the same tenor and importance were it not superfluous As a Coronis take these Propositions out of an Author of as great repute for Learning as most that have attempted to prove the Protestant Religion a Safe Way to Salvation Mr. Chill Pag. 161. They are the greatest Schismaticks who make the way to Heaven narrower the Yoke of Christ heavier the Differences of Faith greater the Conditions of Ecclesiastical Communion harder and stricter than they were at first made by Christ and his Apostles Allow the belief of no more difficulties necessary to Salvation now than were in the Primitive Church that no Error is in self destructive which was not then So order Gods Publick Service that plain and honest Christians may without hypocrisy scruple or protestation against any part of it joyn in it then notwithstanding difference in things not plain and therefore not necessary there would be Vnity of Communion Charity and Mutual Tolleration and by these means Schisms and Heresies would be banished the World and those wretched Divisions which rend and tear in pieces not the Coat but the Members and Bowels of Christ with mutual Pride Tyranny Killing Cursing and Damning will receive a blessed Catastrophe Pag 177. The Presumptuous imposing the Senses of Men on the Word of God and laying them on Mens Consciences equally under Penalty of Death and Damnation this vain conceit that we can speak of the Things of God better than in the Words of God the restraining the Understandings of Men from that liberty wherein Christ lest them these make Schisms Immortal Take away Persecuting c. for not subscribing to the Words of Men as the Words of God require of Christians onely to believe Christ and to call no man Master but him onely Take away Tyranny restore Christians to their just and full liberty of Captivating their Understandings to Scripture onely and 't is to be hoped this will quickly reduce us to Truth and Unity I have learnt saith he from the Fathers nothing is more against Religion than to force it from St. Paul that the Weapons of the Christians VVarfare are not Carnal and great Reason for humane violence may make men counterfeit but not believe and therefore fit only to breed Form without and Atheism within 'T is unjust to force VVeak Men by the Profession of a Religion they believe not to lose Eternal Happiness out of a fear they may possibly disturb the States quiet by Opinions by which neither disobedience to Authority or Impiety is taught or licensed They of all men are to be excepted from liberty which teach this Sanguinary Dactrine that 't is lawful by Humane Violence to enforce others If Protestants did compel others to embrace their Reformation and offer violence to their Consciences I excuse them not and blessed had they been had they chose rather to die for their Religion than fight for it This way of violence may perhaps produce Uniformity in a Particular Church or State but Immortalize the greater and more lamentable Divisions of Christendom maintain perhaps the Profession of Truth in one place and the Oppression in an hundred Thus this great Man hath Writ who was able by Reason and Scripture to maintain his Religion and not obliged for want of Rational Arguments to call for the Secular Sword to his Assistance I am aware that the Temper of Mind hereby recommended is by many of a Fiery and Active Spirit decried and interpreted to savour of too great a latitude and to be that luke-warm and Laodicean Humour which is so nauceous and hateful with our Lord That Truth is to be prosecuted with our utmost Care and Intention of Mind and that we cannot be too zealously affected in so good a Cause but ought to express the greatest servency therein Although the Enquiry after Divine Truth and the Propagation of it will justifie our greatest Diligence and Activity yet it will not account for any Irregular and Indiscreet Actions or Passions we shall fall into in the defence and patronage of it the greater Caution and Prudence is at this time necessary to do it real service since it hath suffer'd so much prejudice from their forwardness and heat that have appear'd on its side If I understand what it is to be Zealous for the Truth 't is not to be Passionate and Litigious about it 't is not to give our Natural Tempers when hot and eager the scope of expressing themselves warmly and contentiously for it 't is not to charge those that differ from us with Heresie or Infidelity c. He is the Man that hath a Love and Zeal for Truth that carefully informs his mind concerning it by Enquiry and Consideration that improves it to moderate his Appetites and Passions to resine and sweeten his Temper and Spirit to Correct and Regulate his Life and Manners to make his Converse Beneficial to Men and Subservient to the Honour of the God of Truth The Heresies and Errors which the Apostles so smartly reprehended and warned the Primitive Christians to avoid were such that directly tended to the Subverting Holiness of Life and foster'd Sensuality and Dissolution of Manners and frustrated the gracious design of God in Reconciling the World to himself by the Death and Resurrection of his Beloved Son by turning the Grace of God into lasciviousness making Christ the Minister of Vnrighteousness by taking incouragement to sin because Grace did abound by abusing their liberty to be Servants of Corruption To these Notions and Practices St. Peter gives the name of Damnable Heresies and the Errors of the VVicked and threatens those with fatal Destruction and utterly perishing in their own Corruption that so taught and practiced But when the Apostle hath occasion to Argue with VVeak and Honest Christians which held the Head and built on the true Foundation Jesus Christ though they were Erroneous and had Misapprehensions concerning the Nature of Indifferent Things and Truths of the lesser Magnitude he doth not severely animadvert on them nor was he willing to be positive and lay restraints on their liberty that he might not as he speaks cast a Snare upon them nor confine them where Christ had left them free but gives them general Rules to observe that Love and Peace might be maintained in the free use of their Christian Liberty and that they might manage it so as that it become not a stumbling Block to them that were weak as that they wounded not their brethrens weak consciences by their imprudent
a very plain and authentiquie Warrant by which such power is delegated to them and that they are constituted by the Supream Lord to be his Vicars and Substitutes to demand and recover in his Name the Forfeitures that Infidels and Hereticks make of all their Temporal Felicity by their unhappy ignorance of the way to Eternal However men manage and ventilate the Proposition That dominion is founded in grace yet when it comes to be reduced to practice they are not willing it should pass for truth any longer then the power continues in their own hands and they are able to improve it to particular advantage The fancying that our differing Opinions concerning some difficult Supernatural Truths and some External Modes of Divine Worship makes us of a different Religion from one another 〈…〉 and excludes them that are mistaken from the benefits of the Covenant and the 〈…〉 of God as much as it doth from ours hath been and is one of the most perniciâ—â—â— and deâ—â—ructive Engins by which the peace and happiness of the Christian Churches 〈…〉 undermined which can never be secured so long as we account such persons Eâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Goâ— and Goodness whose belief and practice thwarts ours the necessary and â—aâ—al consequence of which will be rigid Censures and bearing hard upon each other in â—â—nchristian and Inhumane Practices I wish that great Truth which at last God reveal'd to his Apostle was the common Faith of all Christians Viz. That God is no respecter of Persons that he hath no special regard to any particular Parties and distinct Societies of Man to do for them as being under a peculiar Denomination more then for others let their profession be never so fair and specious but that in every Nation in every party those that fear God and work Righteousness and those onely shall be accepted 'T is in vain to expect any Zeal or earnest Contention to defend or destroy any of the Rituals and Outworks of Religion will be of an advantage to us whilst we neglect those indisputable and indispensable Duties we cannot but know our Obligations to None of our contests for Truth and Religion should make us abandon those mild and beâ—ign Vertues which are the glory and perfection of it and when we differ concerning such parts of Christian Faith which they are not assented to do not render the Gospel iâ—effâ—â—tual to attain those great ends whereunto it is design'd if after men have fairly pâ—opos'd the Arguments that oblige them to yield their Assent and moderately heard the Allegations that are offer'd by those of a contrary perswasion both do remain of their former judgment without satisfaction from each other 't is most reasonable that they part as good friends and upon as fair terms as they met and innocently continue their differing Sentiments Few men I doubt give themselves the trouble of a fair and diligent Examination and Enquiry into the Articles of their Belief but either to save themselves the labour of a search take up their Creed by whole sale or for fear of the Event being hazardous by finding upon the trial that the true belief is punishable or unfashionable resolve to continue in and promote the Religion in which they are Educated though they are not able to render any account either to themselves or others wherefore they embrace such Opinions which are handed down to them then those Arguments which equally serve for all Religions alike and therefore ought not to be used for the goodness or truth of any No Religion but 't is too good to be the Subject of Plays and Farces and turned into Ridicule and Burlesque In so Profligate and Atheistical an Age 't is the common concern of all that have Reverence for Deity and regard to its Revelation though they differ in the Explication of â—everal parts and passages of it to keep up the honour of Religion in the main by discountenancing that drolling humour which under pretence of being Satyrical against Hypocrites doth frequently encroach upon true Piety and doth by mistake at least to say no worse wound a Friend instead of an Enemy An exact Agreement and Correspondence in all matters is so far from being absolulely necessary to the happiness of Humane Nature that 't is not Essential in the judgment of the Learned to the Bliss even of the Angels of whose disagreement in some particulars we have a probable Account in the History of Daniel though there is no reason to believe it impair'd their Felicity Different apprehensions of things discreetly and moderately managed renders converse more delightful and our company more acceptable to each other then it can be where we all know and own the same Notion and all our parts are of the same measure and proportion The Bâ—ll of Contention is kept up by an hasty and precipitate rejecting other Mens Sâ—nse and Proposals and by an over-eager and impatient pressing of our own as if what was tendred to us by our Antagonist was not worthy Regard and Consideration and what we â—â—ssâ—â—'d ought to be credited without inquiry and rational satisfaction Were this positive humour banished out of our common Discourses together with it we should be quit of mâ—â—â— of that inflameable matter which keeps the fire of passion and anger like that of Hell from going out and ever being extinct If we enquire after the Coercive Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters of Religion and what is the Adequate Object thereof among those who know that it will be employed for their Interest they are for making broad its Phylacteries and inlarging its exercise and jurisdiction at least to the utmost of its extent If we consult others whose Temporal Concernments are subject to be prejudiced by the Penalties the Law imposeth on Dissenters they urge that whilst they Worship God in the way which he preseribeth in a quiet and peaceable manner no Humane Power ought to disturb and interrupt them but to grant them its protection and provide for their security but be this as it will 't is with me an undoubted Maxime Let the power wherewith the Magistrate is vested be never so absolute 't is given him for the Edification and Benefit and not the Destruction of his Subjects and that the condition of Modest Humble Meek Peaceable and innocent Persons should be rather better than worse by the Civil Magistrates being of the Christian Religion and that even they themselves are not exempted from the Divine commands of Moderation Lenity Compassion Condescention Charity c. but that these Vertues so far as the Publick welfare can be preserv'd ought to be the Principal Ingredients in all their Laws and Constitutions We that are of the Protestant Profession at this time especially ought to remember upon what Principles and Motives we forsook the Romish Communion the more firmly to unite us in mutual love under our smaller differences Some of the Principles which may be as a foundation to this Union are That the holy Scriptures