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A57156 A sermon preached before the peers in the Abby Church at Westminster, November 7, 1666 being a day of solemn humiliation for the continuing pestilence / by Edward Lord Bishop of Norwich. Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676. 1666 (1666) Wing R1281; ESTC R618 19,863 55

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reproach 1 Cor. 6. 5 6 7. Thus doth this most amiable Grace whereby we behave our Selves towards all Men with all Equity Facility Equanimity and Suavity of Conversation attempering the severity of other Vertues with the Law of Love exceedingly conduce to the honour of God and credit of the Gospel yea to our own safety and interest for as a Tempest doth not break the Corn which yields unto it but the Oaks which withstand it nor Thunder so easily hurt Shrubs as Cedars So the wrath and prejudice of Adversaries is exceedingly mitigated and abated by the Humility Moderation and Meeknesse of those that suffer them Lastly Being subject to the same common Passions and Infirmities with other Men and thereupon lyable to be transported into Excess in the use either of our Knowledge Power or Liberty here also comes in the seasonable use of this excellent Precept Let your Moderation be known Moderation of Iudgement Moderation of Power and Moderation of Passions 1. Moderation of Iudgement that we suffer not our Knowledge to puff us up but temper it as the Apostle directeth us with Charity and use it unto Edification 1 Cor. 8. 1. I do not hereby understand Moderation in the measure or degrees of our Knowledge as if we should content our Selves with a Mediocrity and be at our own choyse willingly Ignorant of any part of God's revealed will as we please our selves for we are required to grow in Knowledge 2 Pet. 3. 18. and the Word of Christ must dwell in us richly Col 3. 16. Nor do I understand a Moderation of Indifferency as if it matter'd not what Judgement we were of but had as the Priscilianists claimed a Liberty at pleasure to depart from the Rule of Divine Truth in Outward Profession to serve a present Interest for we are to buy the Truth and not to sell it We can do nothing against the Truth but for it We are to hold fast the Faithfull Word Tit. 1. 9. and having proved all things to hold fast that which is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. But by a Moderation in Judgement I understand these three Things 1. A Moderation of Sobriety not to break in and gaze upon hidden and secret things as the men of Bethshemesh into the Ark 1 Sam. 6. 19. nor to weary our Selves about Questions as the Apostle speaks which are unprofitable and vain Tit. 3. 9. such as that of Peter What shall this Man do John 21. 21. and that of the Apostles Wilt thou now restore the Kingdom unto Israel Acts 1. 6. But to be wise unto Sobriety Rom. 12. 3. and to content our Selves with things Revealed and leave Secret things unto God Deut. 29. 29. in quem sic Cred●mus saith Saint Austin ut aliqua non aperiri etiam pulsantibus nullo modo adversus eum murmurare debeamus And therefore that good Father Gave no other Answer to a curious Question than this modest one Nescio quod Nescio as Judging an humble Ignorance much better than a proud Curiosity 2. A Moderation of Humility and Modesty not to be so opinionative or tenacious of our own private meerly disputable and problematical Conceptions wholly unnecessary to Faith Worship or Obedience as out of a love of them not onely to undervalue and despise the as probable and sober Judgements of other Men but by an imprudent and unadvised publishing of them to obtrude them with over confidence on the belief of others and haply thereby to cause a great disturbance in the Church of God directly contrary to the Counsel of the Apostle Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God Rom. 14. 22. It is not fit that the peace of the Church should be endangered by the bold attempts of every daring Pen. Of this sort was that unhappy Controversie in the dayes of Pope Victor between the Roman and Asiatick Churches touching the time of Easter who though former Bishops of Rome had notwithstanding the different observations in that Case held intimate fellowship with the Asian Bishops did out of excess of Passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Socrates expresseth it Excommunicate all the Asian Churches and made a dolefull disturbance in the Church of Christ upon which occasion the forenamed Historian hath a grave Discourse to shew how several Churches did differ from one another in Matters Ritual and yet retained firm Unity and Communion still 3. Moderation of Charity when in such things wherein a latitude and mutual Tendernesse may be allowed we choose rather according to the Doctrine of the Apostle not to offend our weak Brethren than unseasonably to insist on our own Knowledge and Liberty And truly as it is an Honour which Learned men owe unto one another to allow a liberty of Dissent in Matters of mere opinion Salvâ compage Fidei Salvo vinculo Charitatis Salvâ pace Ecclesiae for those three Faith Love and Peace are still to be preserved so it is a Charity which Good men owe unto one another upon the same Salvo's to bear with the Infirmities of each other not to judge or despise or set at nought our Brethren as useless and inconsiderable Persons but whom God is pleased to receive into His Favour not to cast them out of Ours This Latitude and Moderation of Judgement some Learned men have taken the freedom to extend even to the Case of Subscriptions by Law required the learned Author of the Book called An Answer to Charity maintained and the late learned Primate of Armagh Archbishop Bramhall I shall not take upon me to affix any private sense of mine upon Publick Laws or ever judge it desirable that the Doctrine of the Church of England should have too slack a tye on the Judgement of the Clergy onely sure I am in Points which are not Fidei but Questionum as Saint Austin distinguisheth in Matters of an inferiour nature wherein no Man can rationally hold himself bound to trouble or discompose the Mindes of the People or the Order and Peace of the Church by an unnecessary publishing of his own private Perswasion so that his Opinion and the Churches Quiet may be very well consistent together Learned men have ever allowed this latitude unto one another 2. Moderation of Power by gentle and winning wayes to reform the Manners allay the Distempers and conquer the frowardness of inconstant and discontented Mindes by placide and leasurely steps and degrees to get the possession of them and to model and compose them unto an Equal temper This was the Counsel of the Old men Speak good unto them and they will be thy Servants for ever 1 Reg. 12. 7. as Moderation is by grave and prudent men observed to be the preservative of Power So Cato in Plutarch and Iulius Caesar in that excellent Oration which he made unto the Senate in Dion so certainly it is a special means for the Right administration of it Therefore the Lord chose Moses the meekest man alive for the Government of his Peculiar people Num. 12. 3.