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A36078 A Discourse about conscience, relating to the present differences among us in opposition to both extreams of popery and fanaticism. 1684 (1684) Wing D1568; ESTC R8393 25,645 43

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not Faction or Peevishness that makes the Difference there our Charity is as much due to them as it is owing from them to us upon the like occasion For in this case there is but one Rule for them and us to walk and judge by Therefore let a man be never so much in the right let his Zeal for Truth be never so great yet if his Zeal doth devour his Charity sowre and corrupt his Spirit embitter and provoke him beyond what is seemly and convenient let his Cause be never so good his Arguments never so strong if they fail in this all the rest signifies not much the lack of this one thing makes all the rest defective and for the most part unsuccessful For let me appeal to the most zealous Boarnarges of them all can any man who believes the Scripture read the 13th Chapter of St. Paul's fi●st Epistle to the Corinthians which treats purposely on the necessity and commendation of this most excellent Grace of Charity I say can he read that and yet think it possible to be a good Christian or discharge a good Conscience without it For doth he not prefer it to the Tongues of Men and Angels to the Gift of Prophecy and working of Miracles Nay doth he not prefer Charity before the most comprehensive Knowledge miraculous Faith liberal Alms-deeds and voluntary Martyrdom 1 Cor. 3.1 c. Tho' I speak with the Tongue of Men or Angels tho' I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and tho' I have all Faith and tho' I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and tho' I give my Body to be burnt and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Now the Excellency and Advantage which Charity hath over all other Gifts of God's Holy Spirit is proved at large from the wonderful good Offices and Effects thereof Charity suffers long and is kind envies not vaunteth not it self is not pufft up nor easily provoked It rejoyceth in nothing but the Truth it bears believes hopes and endures all things and therefore in the Conclusion he gives Charity the Preference of all others Verse 13. Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Our Religion and consequently our Church though she condemn Divisions and Separations in all those that leave off and depart from her Communion yet doth not wholly exclude them from her Charity and therefore neither should we from ours meerly upon the Difference of Opinion and especially if this Difference be for Conscience sake and not out of Faction and Frowardness as I said before and would always be understood And that I may not be thought to speak without book or affirm more then our Church will own I shall refer you to that excellent piece call'd The Moderation of the Church of England out of which I have collected a few Passages some whereof I have repeated more at large Queen Elizabeth in her Injunctions 1559. declares that Her Majesty being most desirous of all other Earthly things tha● her people should live in Charity both towards God and Man and therein abound in good works Willeth and straightly Commandeth all her Subjects to forbear all vain and contentious Disputation in matters of Religion and not to use in despite or rebuke of any Person these Convitious or Reviling words of Papist Heretick Satismatick or Sacramentary or any such like expressions of Reproach that is we ought not to use these or the like Expressions in way of Reproach or vilifying of one another as some in the heat of their wrangling and Contention are very apt to do to the exasperating rather than convincing of Gainsayers And King James that Learned and Judicious Prince forbids Pulpits to be made Pasquills And gave in charge to the Archbishop That no Preacher of any Denomination whatsoever shall presume to fall into bitter Invectives and undecent Railings against the Persons of either Papists or Puritans but modestly and gravely when they are occasioned by their Text free both the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England from the Aspersions of the Adversaries To which we may add that memorable Passage out of Arch-bishop Laud. The Church of England saith he is not such a Shrew to her Children as to deny her Blessing ordenounce an Anathema against them if some peacebly dissent in some particulars remoter from the Foundation And in the Homily against Contention Serm. 1. We are exhorted therein so to read the Scripture that by reading thereof we may be made the better Livers rather than the more Contentious Disputers And if any thing be necessary to be taught Reason'd and Disputed let us do it with all Meekness Softness and Lenity c. For it is better to give place Meekly then to win the Victory with the breach of Charity c. And again We cannot be joyn'd to Christ our Head except we be glued with Concord and Charity one to another For he that is not of this Unity is not of the Church of Christ which is a Congregation or Unity together and not a division c. But for the Readers further satisfaction therein if he desires it I shall refer him to the Book it self above mentioned where the Learned Author gives an account of the Churches great Charity and Moderation throughout all the Parts and Branches of her Constitution which bespeaks her of a truly Christian and Primitive Temper wherein I wish all her Children would follow and Imitate her And thereby set an Example to all those that are otherwise minded or dissent from our Church in this as well as in other Instances of their Duty For methinks those that would set up for serious Conscientious Persons ought not to break the bond of Christian Charity nor pass the bounds of the Churches Moderation by indulging their passions or giving way to a peevish froward and Invidious Humour against all that differ from them in matters of Faith and Doctrine or purely out of Judgment and Conscience For I could never yet be perswaded that Railing and ill Language against Papists on the one hand or Dissenters on the other is or ought to be a Distinguishing Character of a truly Loyal Son of the Church specially when I consider that most of those that are addicted thereunto are least capable of convincing them otherways Or if they are yet this seems the most unlikely way they can take for the doing of it for we are told That the wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God James 1.20 Now if you would see the Indecency and Unseemlyness of ill Language and reproachful Speeches I need but remind you of the Rude and Slovenly Expressions that are commonly used and with a great deal of Venome spit in the Face of our Church They can hardly find any other name for a Surpliss than that of a Superstitious Rag and Relick of Popery tho' there may be more Popery and Superstition in their conceipt about it