affection thereto if beautifull spectacles harmonious sounds fragrant odours delicate savours do necessarily and certainly please the respective senses why should not with the like sure efficacy the proper objects of our mind affect it if duly represented and conveyed thereto If the wit of the most ingenious Artists the cunning of the deepest Politicians the wisedom of the sagest Philosophers are but meer blindness and stupidity in comparison to the wisedom of God the lowest instance or expression of whose wisedom his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his folly as Saint Paul speaks is wiser than men doth excell the results of man's highest wisedom yet them we admire and commend in men why then do we not much more adore the divine wisedome If the abilities of them who dexterously manage great business or atchieve prosperously great exploits are indeed meer impotency in regard to God's power whose weaknesse that is the smallest effects of whose power is as Saint Paul again tells us stronger than men surpasses the utmost results of humane endeavour yet those things in men we extol and celebrate how can we then forbear to reverence the divine power If the dispensers of freest and largest bounty among men the noblest patriots the most munificent benefactours the most tenderly affectionate friends be in respect of God unworthy to be counted or called good as our Saviour tells us If ye being bad know to give good things and There is none good but God yet such persons are much beloved and applauded how then can we abstain from paying the like measure of affection and respect to the divine goodness if good qualities so inferiour and defective obtain so much from us whence comes it that the infinitely superiour and most perfect excellencies of God do not beget in their proportion a sutable regard and veneration in us toward him whence if not either from our not firmly believing them or not rightly apprehending them or not attentively considering them Our belief of them in gross and at large we may suppose as connected with the belief of God's existence and included in the very notion of God the defect therefore must proceed from the remaining causes want of a right apprehension or neglect of attentive consideration about them as to the first of these it is common for men to have confused imperfect and wrong conceptions about the Divine Attributes especially in the recesses of their mind which although they spare to utter with their mouths yet they vent in their practice if we for instance imagine that we can comprehend the extent of God's designs or fathome the depth of his counsels if we measure and model his reasons of proceeding according to our fancy as if his thoughts were as our thoughts and his ways as our ways or as if he did see as man sees if we can bless our selves in following our own imaginations counsels and devices although repugnant to the resolutions of divine wisedom taking these not to befit or not to concern us as we find many in the Scripture reproved for doing we greatly mistake and undervalue that glorious Attribute of God his Wisedom and no wonder then if we do not upon accompt thereof duly reverence and love God likewise if we concerning the divine Power conceit that notwithstanding it we shall be able to accomplish our unlawfull designs that we may as it is in Job harden our hearts against him and prosper that we can any wise either withstand or evade his power as also many are intimated to doe in Scripture even generally all those who dare presumptuously to offend God we also misconceive of that excellent Attribute and the contempt of God rather then love of him will thence arise If concerning the divine goodness and holiness we imagine that God is disaffected toward his Creatures antecedently to all demerits or bad qualifications in them yea indifferent in affection toward them inclinable to do them harm or not propense to do them good if we deem him apt to be harsh and rigorous in his proceedings to exact performances unsutable to the strength he hath given us to impose burthens intolerable upon us will not such thoughts be apt to breed in us toward God as they would toward any other person so disposed rather a servile dread little different from downright hatred or an hostile aversation than a genuine reverence or a kindly affection toward him If we fancy him like to pettish man apt to be displeased without cause or beyond measure for our doing somewhat innocent neither bad in it self nor prejudicial to publick or private good or for our omitting that which no law no good reason plainly requires of us what will such thoughts but sowre our spirits toward him make us fearfull and suspicious of him which sort of dispositions are inconsistent with true love If on the other side we judge him fond and partial in his affections or slack and easie as it were in his proceedings apt to favour us although we neglect him to indulge us in our sins or connive at our miscarriages will not such thoughts rather incline us in our hearts to slight him and in our actions insolently to dally with him than heartily and humbly to love him if we conceit his favour procured or his anger appeased by petty observances perhaps without any good rule or reason affected by our selves when we neglect duties of greater worth and consequence the more weighty matters of the Law what is this but in stead of God to reverence an Idol of our own fancy to yield unto him who is onely pleased with holy dispositions of mind with real effects of goodness not duties of humble love but acts of presumption and flattery But if contrariwise we truly conceive of God's wisedom that his counsels are always throughly good and that we are concerned both in duty and interest to follow them although exceeding the reach of our understanding or contrary to the suggestions of our fancy concerning his power that it will certainly interpose it self to the hindrance of our bad projects that it will be in vain to contest therewith that we must submit unto or shall be crushed by his hand concerning his goodness that as he is infinitely good and benign so he is also perfectly holy and pure as he wisheth us all good and is ready to promote it so he detesteth our sins nor will suffer us to doe himself our selves and our neighbour any wrong as most bountifull in dispensing his favours so not prodigal of them or apt to cast them away on such as little value them and do not endeavour to answer them as a faithfull rewarder of all true vertue and piety so a severe chastiser of all iniquity and profaneness as full of mercy and pity toward them who are sensible of their unworthiness and penitent for their faults so an implacable avenger of obstinate and incorrigible wickedness in fine as
are we upon the same accompt not to perform ill offices toward any man not to disturb him in the enjoyment of his innocent pleasure nor to hinder him in the advancing his lawfull profit nor to interrupt him in the prosecution of his reasonable designs nor any wise to vex and grieve him needlesly and above all not to detain him in nor to aggravate his affliction For these are actual violations of peace and impediments of good correspondence among men Farther 3. In this Duty of living peaceably is included an obligation to all kind of just and honest dealing with all men punctually to observe contracts impartially to decide controversies equally to distribute rewards to injure no man either in his estate by violent or fraudulent encroachments upon his just possessions or in his reputation by raising or dispersing slanderous reports concerning him For these courses of all others are most destructive to peace and upon the pretence of them most quarrels that ever were have been commenced Justice in its own nature is and by the common agreement of men hath been designed the Guardian of peace and sovereign remedy of contention but not to insist long upon such obvious subjects 4. It much conduceth to the preservation of peace and upholding amicable correspondence in our dealings and transactions with men liable to doubt and debate not to insist upon nice and rigorous points of right not to take all advantage offered us not to deal hard measure nor to use extremities to the dammage or hindrance of others especially when no comparable benefit will thence accrue to our selves For such proceedings as they discover in us little kindness to or tenderness of our neighbours good so they exceedingly exasperate them and persuade them we are their enemies and render them ours and so utterly destroy peace between us When as abating something from the height and strictness of our pretences and a favourable recession in such cases will greatly engage men to have an honourable opinion and a peaceable affection toward us 5. If we would attain to this peaceable estate of life we must use toward all men such demonstrations of respect and courtesie which according to their degree and station custom doth entitle them to or which upon the common score of humanity they may be reasonably deemed to expect from us respective gestures civil salutations free access affable demeanour cheerfull looks and courteous discourse These as they betoken good-will in them that use them so they beget cherish and encrease it in those whom they refer to and the necessary fruit of mutual good-will is peace But the contrary carriages contemptuous or disregardfull behaviour difficulty of admission to converse a tetrical or sullen aspect rough and fastidious language as they discover a mind averse from friendly commerce so they beget a more potent disdain in others Men generally especially those of generous and hearty temper valuing their due respect beyond all other interests and more contentedly brooking injury than neglect Whence this skill and dexterity of deportment though immediately and in its own nature of no great worth and regulating actions of small importance gestures looks and forms of speech yet because it is a nurse of peace and greatly contributes to the delightfulness of society hath been always much commended and hath obtained a conspicuous place in the honourable rank of vertues under the titles of courtesie comity and affability and the opposites thereto rudeness and rusticity have been deservedly counted and called vices in morality 6. This Precept directly prohibits the use of all reproachfull scornfull and provoking language these being the immediate results of enmity and actual breaches of peace Whence Saint Paul conjoins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3. 2. To speak evil of no man to be no quarrellers or fighters but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men For war is managed and that with more deadly animosity with the tongue as well as with the hand There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword saith Solomon and whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword saith David Words are with more anguish felt than blows their wounds are more incurable and they leave a deeper scarr Men usually dread more the loss of their honour than their lives and take more grievously the ravishing of their credit than the depredation of their estate Living peaceably therefore implies as much abstaining from opprobrious words as injurious actions yea more for reviling is not onely a violation of peace but a dishonourable waging of war like shooting arrows dipt in poison and discharging sluggs against our neighbours reputation practices condemned by all as base and inhumane and contrary to the laws of a noble warfare being arguments we affect rather our adversaries utter ruine than a gallant victory over him There be fair ways of disputing our cause without contumelious reflections upon persons and the errours of men may be sufficiently refuted without Satyrical virulency One good reason modestly propounded hath in it naturally more power and efficacy to convince him that is in a mistake or to confound him with shame that is guilty of a fault than ten thousand scoffs and ignominious taunts When we are to express those deeds of nature the performance of which is concealed as containing in it something of supposed turpitude we are wont to veil them in such modest circumlocutions that by the hearers without offence to their bashfulness may sufficiently be understood So when it is needfull or expedient to confute the opinions or reprove the actions of men if we either charitably design their amendment or desire to maintain peaceable correspondence with them it behoves that we do not by using the most broad and distastfull language immoderately trespass upon their modesty and patience that to use Seneca's phrase we do Agere cardm non tantùm salutis sed honestae cicatricis De Clem. lib. 1. c. 17. Have a care not only to cure the wound but to leave a comely scar and not to deform him whom we endeavour to reform for no sore is the easilier cured for being roughly handled and least of all those in manners and opinion A soft hand and a tender heart and a gentle tongue are most convenient qualities of a spiritual Chirurgeon But farther to this purpose 7. If we desire to live peaceably with all men we are to be equal in censuring mens actions candid in interpreting their meanings mild in reprehending and sparing to relate their miscarriages to derive their actions from the best principles from which in the judgment of charity they may be supposed to proceed as from casual mistake rather than from wilfull prejudice from humane infirmity rather than from malicious design to construe ambiguous expressions to the most favourable sense they may admit not to condemn mens practices without distinct knowledge of the case and examining
abstain from such unwarrantable unprofitable and turbulent practices and with a submiss and discreet silence passing over the miscarriages of our Superiours to wait patiently upon the providence and implore the assistence of Him who is the only competent Judge of such and sovereign disposer of all things who hath their hearts in his hands and fashioneth them as he thinks good Farther 12. If we would live peaceably with all men it behoves us not to engage our selves so deeply in any singular friendship or in devotion to any one party of men as to be entirely partial to their interests and prejudiced in their behalf without distinct consideration of the truth and equity of their pretences in the particular matters of difference not to approve favour or applaud that which is bad in some to dislike discountenance or disparage that which is good in others not out of excessive kindness to some to give just cause of distast to others not for the sake of a fortuitous agreement in disposition opinion interest or relation to violate the duties of justice or humanity For he that upon such terms is a friend to any one man or party of men as to be resolved with an implicit faith or blind obedience to maintain what-ever he or they shall affirm to be true and what-ever they shall doe to be good doth in a manner undertake enmity against all men beside and as it may happen doth oblige himself to contradict plain truth to deviate from the rules of vertue and to offend Almighty God himself This unlimited partiality we owe only to truth and goodness and to God the fountain of them in no case to swerve from their dictates and prescriptions He that followed Tiberius Gracchus in his seditious practices upon the bare accompt of friendship and alledged in his excuse that if his friend had required it of him he should as readily have put fire to the Capitol was much more abominable for his disloyalty to his Country and horrible impiety against God than commendable for his constant fidelity to his friend And that Souldier which is said to have told Caesar in his first expedition against Rome that in obedience to his commands he would not refuse to sheath his sword in the breast of his Brother or in the throat of his aged Father or in the bowels of his pregnant Mother was for his unnatural barbarity rather to be abhorred than to be esteemed for his loyal affection to his General And in like manner he that to please or gratify the humour of his friend can be either injurious or treacherous or notably discourteous to any man else is very blameable and renders himself deservedly odious to all others Laelius who incomparably well both understood and practised the rules of friendship is by Cicero reported to have made this the first and chief Law thereof Vt neque rogemus res turpes nec faciamus rogati That we neither require of our friends the performance of base and naughty things nor being requested of them perform such our selves And in the heraldry or comparison of duties as all others must give place to those of piety verity and vertue so after them the duties of humanity justly challenge the next place of respect even above those which belong to the highest degree of friendship due to our nearest relations yea to our Country it self precisely taken abstracted and distinguished from those of humanity For the World is in nature the first the most comprehensive and dearest Country of us all and our general obligations to mankind are more ancient more fundamental and more indispensable than those particular ones superadded to or superstructed on them The peace therefore of the World and the general welfare of men its Citizens ought to be more dear to us and the means conducing thereto more carefully regarded by us in our actions than either the love favour or satisfaction of any particular persons is to be valued or pursued And the not observing this rule may reasonably be esteemed to have a great influence upon the continuance of those implacable feuds and dissensions wherewith the world is so miserably torn and shattered Mens being peremptorily resolved to extoll countenance or excuse promiscuously all the principles and proceedings of the party to which they have addicted themselves and to see no errour fault or abuse in them but by all means to depress vilify and condemn if not to reproach calumniate and persecute the opinions and practices of others and not to acknowledge in them any thing considerably good or commendable whence commonly all apprehend their adversaries extremely unjust and disingenuous towards them and are alienated from all thoughts or however discouraged from all hopes of friendly accommodation and reconcilement But he that would live peaceably with all men must be free in his judgment impartial in his dealing and ingenuous in his carriage toward all not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admiring or wondring at some men as if they were impeccable or infallible nor having the truth in respect of persons abetting in his friends onely what is just and true and allowing the same in others but in neither by signal approbation countenancing any thing false or evil for so demeaning himself he giveth no man just occasion of displeasure or enmity against him 13. If we would live peaceably our selves we should endeavour to preserve peace and prevent differences and reconcile dissensions among others by doing good offices and making fair representations of intercurrent passages between them by concealing causes of future disgust and removing present misunderstandings and excusing past mistakes by allaying their passions and rightly informing their minds by friendly intercessions and pacifick advices For the fire that devoureth our neighbours house threatneth and endangereth ours and it is hard to approach contention without being engaged therein 'T is not easie to keep our selves indifferent or neutral and doing so we shall in likelihood be maligned and persecuted by both the contending parties Blessed are the peace-makers saith our Saviour for they shall be called the sons of God that is they shall be highly esteemed and reverenced for this divine quality wherein they so nearly resemble the God of peace and his blessed Son the great Mediatour but farther without respect to other recompence and from the nature of their employment such are immediately happy and in this their vertuous practice rewards it self that by appeasing others quarrels they save themselves from trouble and enjoy themselves that tranquillity which they procure to others But those informing Sycophants those internuncio's of pestilent tales and incendiaries of discord that from bad nature or upon base design by the still breath of clandestine whispers or by the more violent blasts of impudent calumnies kindle the flames of dissension or foment them among others that by disseminating infamous rumours and by malicious suggestions instill jealousies into and nourish malevolent
not tasting that sweet relish of devotion which have been usually afforded thereto if love reside in the heart it will surely dispose it to a sensible grief it will inspire such exclamations as those of the Psalmist How long Lord wilt thou hide thy face hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it Even our Saviour himself in such a case when God seemed for a time to withdraw the light of his countenance and the protection of his helpfull hand from him or to frown and lay his heavy hand upon him had his soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extreamly grieved and full of a deadly anguish neither surely was it any other cause than excess of love which made that temporary desertion so grievous and bitter to him extorting from his most meek and patient heart that wofull complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But especially when our iniquities have as the Prophet expresseth it separated between our God and us and our sins have hid his face from us when that thick cloud hath eclipsed the light of his countenance and intercepted his gracious influences when by wilfully offending we have as the Israelites are said to have done rejected our God cast him off and driven him from us so depriving our selves of propriety in him and the possession of his favour then if any love be alive in us it will prompt us with those good men in their penitential agonies to be grievously sensible of and sorely to bewail that our wretched condition there will not if we so heartily love God and value his favour as they did be any soundness in our flesh or rest in our bones our spirit will be overwhelmed within us and our heart within us desolate Our heart will be smitten and withered like grass upon the consideration and sense of so inestimable a loss Love will render such a condition very sad and uneasie to us will make all other delights insipid and distastfull all our life will become bitter and burthen some to us neither if it in any measure abides in us shall we receive content till by humble deprecation we have regained some glimpse of God's favour some hope of being reinstated in our possession of him Farther yet 5. Another property of this Love is to bear the highest good will toward God so as to wish heartily and effectually according to our power to procure all good to him and to delight in it so as to endeavour to prevent and to remove all evil if I may so speak that may befall him and to be heartily displeased therewith Although no such benefit or advantage can accrue to God which may increase his essential and indefectible happiness no harm or dammage can arrive that may impaire it for he can be neither really more or less rich or glorious or joyfull than he is neither have our desire or our fear our delight or our grief our designs or our endeavours any object any ground in those respects yet hath he declared that there be certain interests and concernments which out of his abundant goodness and condescension he doth tender and prosecute as his own as if he did really receive advantage by the good and prejudice by the bad success respectively belonging to them that he earnestly desires and is greatly delighted with some things very much dislikes and is grievously displeased with other things for instance that he bears a fatherly affection toward his creatures and earnestly desires their welfare and delights to see them enjoy the good he designed them as also dislikes the contrary events doth commiserate and condole their misery that he is consequently well pleased when piety and justice peace and order the chief means conducing to our welfare do flourish and displeased when impiety and iniquity dissension and disorder those certain sources of mischief to us do prevail that he is well satisfied with our rendring to him that obedience honour and respect which are due to him and highly offended with our injurious and disrespectfull behaviour toward him in commission of sin and violation of his most just and holy commandments so that there wants not sufficient matter of our exercising good will both in affection and action toward God we are capable both of wishing and in a manner as he will interpret and accept it of doing good to him by our concurrence with him in promoting those things which he approves and delights in and in removing the contrary And so surely shall we do if we truly love God for love as it would have the object to be its own as it tends to enjoy it so it would have it in its best state and would put it thereinto and would conserve it therein and would thence contribute all it is able to the welfare to the ornament to the pleasure and content thereof What is it saith Cicero to love but to will or desire that the person loved should receive the greatest good that can be Love also doth reconcile conform and unite the inclinations and affections of him who loves to the inclinations and affections of him who is beloved Eadem velle eadem nolle to consent in liking and disliking of things if it be not the cause if it be not the formall reason or essence as some have made it 't is at least a certain effect of love If then we truly love God we shall desire that all his designs prosper that his pleasure be fulfilled that all duty be performed all glory rendred to him we shall be grieved at the wrong the dishonour the disappointment he receives especially we shall endeavour in our own practice with Holy David to perform 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that God wills desires or delights in to eschew whatever offends him Our desire our delight our endeavour will conspire with and be subordinate to his for it would be a strange kind of love that were consistent with the voluntary doing of that which is hurtfull injurious or offensive to that we love such actions being the proper effects the natural signs of hatred and enmity If any man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a liar saith Saint John and If any man seeth his brother need and shutteth his bowels toward him how doth the love of God abide in him He that in his affections is so unlike so contrary unto God he that is unwilling to comply with God's will in so reasonable a performance he that in a matter wherein God hath declared himself so much concerned and so affected therewith doth not care to cross him to displease and disappoint him how can he with any shew of truth or with any modesty pretend to love God Hence it is that keeping of God's Commandments is commonly represented to us as the most
rest and peace all joy and happiness attend upon it for that The Lord preserveth all them that love him preserveth them in the enjoyment of all good in safety from all danger and mischief and that to those who love God all things co-operate for their good how incomparable a sweetness and delight accompany the practice thereof far surpassing all other pleasures perfectly able to content our minds to sustain and comfort us even in the want of all other satisfactions yea under the pressure of whatever most grievous afflictions can befall us How contrariwise the want thereof will depress us into a state of greatest imperfection and baseness setting us at the greatest distance from God in all respects both in similitude of nature and as to all favourable regard or beneficial communication from him casting us into a wretched and disgracefull consortship with the most degenerate creatures the accursed fiends who for disaffection and enmity toward God are banished from all happiness how it extreamly impoverisheth and beggereth us devesting us of all right to any good thing rendring us incapable of any portion but that of utter darkness how it excludeth us from any safety any rest any true comfort or joy and exposeth us to all mischief and misery imaginable all that being deprived of the divine protection presence and favour being made objects of the divine anger hatred and severe justice being abandoned to the malice of hell being driven into utter darkness and eternal fire doth import or can produce I should also have commended this love to you by comparing it with other loves and shewing how far in its nature in its causes in its properties in its effects it excelleth them even so far as the object thereof in excellency doth transcend all other objects of our affection how this is grounded upon the highest and surest reason others upon accounts very low and mean commonly upon fond humour and mistake this produceth real certain immutable goods others at best terminate onely in goods apparent unstable and transitory this is most worthy of us employing all our faculties in their noblest manner of operation upon the best object others misbeseem us so that in pursuing them we disgrace our understanding misapply our desires distemper our affections mispend our endeavours I should have enlarged upon these considerations and should have adjoined some particular advantages of this grace as for instance that the procuring thereof is the most sure the most easie the most compendious way of attaining all others of sweetning and ingratiating all obedience to us of making the hardest yoke easie and the heaviest burthen light unto us In fine I should have wished you to consider that its practice is not onely a mean and way to happiness but our very formal happiness it self the real enjoyment of the best good we are capable of that in which alone heaven it self the felicity of Saints and Angels doth consist which more then comprehends in it self all the benefits of highest dignity richest plenty and sweetest pleasure But I shall forbear entring upon so ample and fruitfull subjects of meditation and conclude with that good Collect of our Church O Lord who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass man's understanding pour into our hearts such love toward thee that we loving thee above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Third Sermon MATT. 22. 39. And the Second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self THE essential goodness of God and his special benignity toward mankind are to a considering mind divers ways very apparent the frame of the world and the natural course of things do with a thousand voices loudly and clearly proclaim them to us every sense doth yield us affidavit to that speech of the Holy Psalmist The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord we see it in the glorious brightness of the skies and in the pleasant verdure of the fields we taste it in the various delicacies of food supplied by land and sea we smell it in the fragrancies of herbs and flowers we hear it in the natural musick of the woods we feel it in the comfortable warmth of heaven and in the cheering freshness of the air we continually do possess and enjoy it in the numberless accommodations of life presented to us by the bountifull hand of nature Of the same goodness we may be well assured by that common providence which continually doth uphold us in our being doth opportunely relieve our needs doth protect us in dangers and rescue us from imminent mischiefs doth comport with our infirmities and misdemeanours the which in the divine Psalmists style doth hold our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved doth redeem our life from destruction doth crown us with loving-kindness and tender mercies The dispensations of grace in the revelation of heavenly truth in the overtures of mercy in the succours of our weakness in the proposal of glorious rewards in all the methods and means conducing to our salvation do afford most admirable proofs and pledges of the same immense benignity But in nothing is the divine goodness toward us more illustriously conspicuous than in the nature and tendency of those Laws which God hath been pleased for the regulation of our lives to prescribe unto us all which do palpably evidence his serious desire and provident care of our welfare so that in imposing them he plainly doth not so much exercise his Sovereignty over us as express his kindness toward us neither do they more clearly declare his will than demonstrate his good-will to us And among all divine Precepts this especially contained in my Text doth argue the wonderfull goodness of our heavenly Law-giver appearing both in the manner of the proposal and in the substance of it The Second saith our Lord is like to it that is to the Precept of loving the Lord our God with all our heart and is not this a mighty argument of immense goodness in God that he doth in such a manner commend this duty to us coupling it with our main duty toward him and requiring us with like earnestness to love our neighbour as to love himself He is transcendently amiable for the excellency of his nature he by innumerable and inestimable benefits graciously conferred on us hath deserved our utmost affection so that naturally there can be no obligation bearing any proportion or considerable semblance to that of loving him yet hath he in goodness been pleased to create one and to endew it with that privilege making the love of a man whom we cannot value but for his gifts to whom we can owe nothing but what properly we owe to him no less obligatory to declare it near as acceptable as the love of himself to whom we owe all To him as the sole authour and free donour
wits and exciting emulation among them Others there be concerning matters of more weighty moment yet having their resolution depending upon secrets unsearchable or the interpretation of ambiguous words and obscure phrases or upon some other uncertain conjectures and are yet rendred more difficult by being intangled with inextricable folds of subtilty nice distinctions and crafty evasions devised by the parties engaged in them for the maintenance of their causes respectively whence it hath happened though with immense care and diligence of both parts they have been long canvased that yet they do and in all probability will for ever remain undecided So that now to engage in contest about them may be reasonably deemed nothing more than a wilfull mispense of our time labour and good humour by vainly reciprocating the saw of endless contention Other questions there be in themselves of more easy resolution and of considerable importance which yet by extreme opposition of parties are so clouded and overgrown with insuperable prejudices that the disputing them is seldom attended with other success than an inflaming our selves and others with passion Others are by small and obscure parties managed against the common consent and against the positive decrees of the most venerable authoities among men by ventilating which as truth is like to gain little so peace is sure to suffer much For as it is no wise a safe or advised course except in case of necessary defence to subject received opinions to the hazardous trial of a tumultuary conflict their credit being better upheld by a stately reservedness than by a popular forwardness of discourse as buildings stand fastest that are never shaken and those possessions remain most secure that are never called in question so on the other hand to countenance new and uncouth paradoxes as it argues too much arrogance and presumption in confronting our single apprehensions against the deliberate sense and suffrage of so many men yea so many ages of men and is likely to prove a succesless attempt like swimming against the current accompanied with much toil and little progress so it serves no good end but only foments divisions and disturbs both our private and the publik peace But most of all we are to be cautelous of medling with controversies of dangerous consequence wherein the publick weal and quiet are concerned which bare the roots of sacred authority and prostitute the mysteries of government to vulgar inspection Such points ought to be subjects of law not of syllogism and the errours in them to be corrected by punishment rather then confuted by argument neither can it be thought reasonable that the interest of publick peace should depend upon the event of private disputation It concerns us therefore if we would live peaceably in such disputable matters reserving all due reverence to the judgments of the most the best and wisest persons to be content in a modest privacy to enjoy the results of a serious and impartial disquisition patiently enduring others to dissent from us and not attempting by needless fruitless and endless contentions to gain others to our persuasions especially since the truth contended for may not be worth the passion employed upon it and the benefits of the victory not countervail the prejudices sustained in the combat For goodness and vertue may often consist with ignorance and errour seldom with strife and discord And this consideration I shall conclude with those exhortations of Saint Paul Tit. 3. 9. But foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and law-contests decline for they are unprofitable and vain And in 2 Ep. to Tim. cap. 2. v. 23. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they gender strifes And the servant of the Lord that is a minister of Religion must not strive but be gentle to all men apt to teach patient In meekness instructing those that are * contrarily disposed And in the same Chapter v. 14. Of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit to the subverting of the hearers Of so pernicious consequence did Saint Paul esteem unnecessary wrangling and disputing to be But farther 11. If we desire to live peaceably we must restrain our pragmatical curiosity within the bounds of our proper business and concernment not being curiosi in aliena Republ. invading other mens provinces and without leave or commission intermeddling with their affairs not rushing into their Closets prying into their concealed designs or dictating counsel to them without due invitation thereto not controlling their actions nor subjecting their proceedings to our censure without competent authority For these courses men usually look upon as rash intrusions both injurious and reproachfull to them usurping upon that freedom of choice which all men passionately affect to preserve entire to themselves and arguing them of weakness and incapacity to manage their own business neither do men more naturally drive away flies that buzze about their ears and molest them in their employments than they with disdain repell such immodest and unseasonable medlers in their affairs Let no man suffer saith Saint Peter as a busy body in other mens matters intimating that those who are impertinently inquisitive into other mens matters make themselves liable to suffer and that deservedly for their fond curiosity and bold presumption And He that passeth by and medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears saith Solomon that is he catcheth at that which he cannot hold and vainly aims at that which he cannot effect and rashly irritates those which will turn upon him and bite him If therefore we would neither molest others nor be disquieted our selves we must be like natural agents never working ought beyond our proper sphere of activity But especially if we desire to live peaceably we must beware of assuming to our selves a liberty to censure the designs decrees or transactions of publick authority and of saying to our Superiours what dost thou and much more by querulous murmurings or clamorous declamations of bringing envy and odium upon them Few private men are capable of judging aright concerning those things as being placed beneath in a valley and wanting a due prospect upon the ground and causes of their proceedings who by reason of their eminent station can see more and farther then they and therefore are incompetent Judges and unjustly presume to interpose their sentence in such cases But suppose the actions of Superiours notoriously blameable and scandalous and that by infallible arguments we are persuaded thereof yet seeing neither the taxing of nor complaint against them doth in any wise regularly belong to us nor the discovery of our mind therein can probably be an efficacious means of procuring redress and immediately tends to diminish the reputation and weaken the affection due to government and consequently to impair the peaceable estate of things which by them is sustained we are wholly to