Observation I shall raise from them is this That the last and great Command of our dying Saviour is that Christians should love one another as Christ hath loved them In Handling of which I shall observe this Method 1. I shall inquire who are the Objects of this Love 2. In what respects must we love one another as Christ hath loved us 3. Make some Practical improvement of the whole Discourse 1. The Objects of this Love 1. There is a common Love due to Men as Men all Men are God's Workmanship bearing his natural Image and capable of being serviceable to his Glory Thus Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self all Men are our Neighbours as partakers of the same Nature and capable of the same Happiness Special love to Christians doth not diminish but enlarge our common love to Men Wherever we see any part of Gods Image we must love it Our Saviour when he beheld that rich young Gentleman Mark 10. 21. he loved him he could not but be well pleased with his Morality though he was displeased he went no further Thus all the footsteps of Divine Goodness must be lov'd Vertue even in an Heathen is to be admired This will constrain us to Pity Pray for and hâ—lp all in distress according to our ability We must not be like the unconcerned Priest and merciless Levite in the Parable Luke 10. 30. who passed by the wounded Man and would not relieve him but like the good Samaritan who spoke comfortably to him supplied his Wants and bound up his Wounds 2. There is a Love due to Enemies Other Mens Faults and Sins against us give us no dispensation for the non-payment of this great Debt of Natures Law Loving all of the same kind Christ came to mortifie all Inclinations to Rage and Revenge and commands Affections and Words and Actions of Kindness and Benignity to those that have expressed the contrary unto us We must love our Enemies Mat. 5. 44. be cordially affected towards them wish them all the good in the World especially when they most need the good of their Souls Their Conviction Reformation and Amendment Other Mens Enmity must not pervert or blind our Judgments or hinder us from discerning what is amiable in them nor must it corrupt our Affections or hinder us from loving what is truly lovely We must bless them that curse us Not render reviling for reviling but give them friendly courteous words though they rail against us We must do good to them feed and cloth them if hungry or naked rescue them if in danger comfort them if in distress and all without the least Tincture of Malice or Revenge We must pray for them Forgive them our selves and pray to God to forgive them too Thus did our Saviour in the midst of his dying Agonies forgets not this Testimony of his Love to his imbitter'd Adversaries and with a generosity beyond Example pleads excuses for their Sin saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23. 34. 3. There is a special Love due to all whom we charitably hope to be true Christians To this we are directed by the Text. Whoever makes a seemingly serious profession of Faith and Holiness and doth not disprove it by a contrary practice is to be allow'd the Name and special Love of a Christian. 'T is Gods Prerogative to see the Heart 'T is our Duty to observe the Life and he that makes a credible Profession and doth not live in wilful Sin is charitably to be esteemed as a Member of Christ. Though he differ from us in many Points yet if he holds the Foundations of the Christian Faith and manifests the Grace of God in his Life 't is uncharitable for us to judge he is not the object of Gods special Love and therefore it is unreasonable he should not be the object of ours Though he be weak in Parts and Gifts subject to many Passions and Infirmities consistent with real Grace though his Profession reach not to that heigth as to make him Eminent and his Conversation be not so exact as to make you confident of his Sincerity yet if he profess to be a true Christian and live not in any Sin which is the certain mark of an unbeliever he is to be lov'd as Christ hath loved us Gods Love indeed is Guided by Infallibility he loves none with a special Affection but sincere penitent Believers but our Love must be guided by our own weak and fallible discerning Where we see the Fruits of Piety in Mens Lives we must judge of the truth of their Graces according to the probability which those signs discover Though all be not so Eminent in Grace as Peter Iames and Iohn yet as the weakest Disciples it sincere are accepted by God so ought they to be embrac'd by us Christ will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Nor ought we to despise the Babes in Christ but love them as Members of the same Body and Heirs of the same Inheritance 2. In what respects must we love one another as Christ hath loved us Ans. Not in all Respects Christ so loved us as to purchase Grace and Glory for us But we are not capable of thus Loving one another We cannot pay down a valuable satisfaction for our own Sins much less can we super-erogate or purchase pardon for others Our own Oyl must be perfum'd with the Incense of Christs Merits before it can make our Faces shine before God and we have so little for our selves that we have none to spare for our Brethren Christ alone paid down a compleat satisfaction for them and us nor can we love our Brethren with an equal degree of Love to what Christ did He had not the Spirit by measure but the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him and therefore he lov'd us without any sinful mixture or imperfection but our Love as well as other Graces admit of very great defects The word As therefore doth not denote equality in degree but likeness in kind Our Love to one another must bear some likeness and resemblance of Christs Love to us 1. In the Inward Properties of it 2. In the outward Expressions of it 1. In the inward Properties of it 1. Our Love must be sincere and unfeigned as Christ's was Christ did not Hypocritically pretend Love or Dissemblingly feign Affection to us but sincerely lov'd us His Protestations of Love were all real and hearty not in Word and in Tongue only but in Deed and in Truth Thus ought our Love to be without Dissimulation Rom. 2. 9. A pretended Disciple indeed may like Iudas kiss and betray make large Protestations of kindness to the Saints and under this pretext of Affection hide a malicious heart and contrive their ruin But the true Christians Professions of Love as well as Prayers to God proceed not from feigned Lips 2. Our Love to one another must be fervent as Christ's was 'T was Love incomprehensibly great
ungovernable Lusts are the great Makebates and Dividers he that hath not attained a Government over his Passions is unprepared for Peace Selfishness and Pride Covetousness and Ambition Envy and Malice and Revenge are the bitter Fruits that grow upon the stock of our Ill Natures and are the sad occasion of all the disturbances in Church and State and have rendered Christendom a Field of Blood 'Till these Lusts are therefore subdued and we have gained a victory within outward Peace is impossible he that cannot rule his own Spirit will never long live at Peace with others An Angry Man will stir up Strife Prov. 29. 22. Be ye therefore angry and Sin not Eph. 4. 26. Let not your Anger boyl up to any sinful Excesses 2. Peace implies hearty Love 't is very hard and difficult long to maintain Peace with those we do not heartily love and utterly impossible to keep it up with those we hate Peace without Love is is no better than politick Dissembling and Peace with Hatred an insidious cover of Enmity Love is the only sure and lasting Bond of Peace and Hatred the Fountain of Discord and Violence If we would therefore forbear and forgive one another and let the Peace of God rule in our Hearts we must above all things put on Charity as a Rich Robe our best Ornament and the proper Livery of Christians This is indeed the distinguishing badg of Christ's true Disciples whereas the Disciples of the Pharisees were known by the broadness of their Phylacteries and enlarging the Borders of their Garments and of Iohn Baptist's by their Leanness contracted by Austerities much Fasting and Abstinence Christ would have â— known by their undissembled Love unfeigned Kindness and obliging Condescensions for each others good 3. Peace implies a diligent performance of all Offices of Justice and Humanity we must not love in word and Tongue only but in deed and in truth 1 John 3. 18. Justice is the Guardian and Humanity the Nurse of Peace the only Sovereign Remedy to prevent Disorders and put an end to Strife Punctual observance of Contracts truth in our Words and sincerity in our Promises injuring none in their Estates by fraudulent Incroachments or in their good Names by slanderous Reports is a great conserver of Peace and keeps off those Contentions which otherwise will unavoidably arise A tender Compassion to those in Want and hearty readiness to advice and assist relieve and comfort one another according to our particular Exigencies and Wants is also very necessary in order to the advancing Peace among Brethren 4. Peace implies courtesie and respectfulness this is not only an argument of a generous Education and good Reading but also a great ornament of Religion and required of every Christian Christ indeed came into the World to sweeten our Passions calm our Natures abate the sourness and polish the roughness of our Humours A sour Look sullen Spirit and scornful Carriage is very unbecoming a Christian is the indication of a Mind averse from Peace and provokes disdain in others But on the contrary respectful Gestures courteous Language civil Salutations and an affable Behaviour are accompanied with such winning Charms as few can resist And when a Mans ways thus please the Lord they will please men too and our very Enemies will be at Peace with us Prov. 16. 7. 5. Peace implies candid and favourable Opinions rash Censures uncharitable Surmises severe Reprehensions and unkind Misconstruction of our Neighbours Actions tend mightily to provoke Wrath and stir up Strife whereas equity in our Censures mildness in our Reproofs putting the best Construction upon and making the most favourable interpretation of our Neighbours Carriage and Behaviour is the surest way to conciliate Peace and promote it Christianity indeed teacheth us to be very severe in observing our own Sins but very favourable in reflecting on the Miscarriages of our Neighbours Let others usurp God's Prerogative that they may do the Devils Work turn Searchers of Hearts that they may become Accusers of the Brethren The true Christian hath so much to do at Home that he hath very little leisure to look abroad is so imployed in covering his own Deformities that he hath not time to gaze on the nakedness of others hides his Neighbours Faults with the Mantle of Love and makes all possible allowances that the nature of the action will bear will not conclude a Sin from an inevident sign as Eli from Hannah's Fervency concluded her Drunkenness If our Neighbour be overtaken with a Fault the Peaceable Christian will not from one particular act conclude an Habit nor call that a Mortal Plague which may be only one of the Spots of God's Children Nor will he pre-judge a Scandalous Sinners future State but pity and pray for him and seek to win him to Repentance 6. Peace implies restraint of Pragmaticalness if we would be quiet and at Peace we must mind our own Business 1 Thes. 4. 11. Those that impertinently meddle with things beyond their Sphere of Activity are disorderly Walkers 2 Thes. 3. 11. out of their proper rank and station are like him that taketh a Dog by the Ears Prov. 26. 17. may only irritate the anger of others and cause them to turn upon them and bite them He is therefore no Peaceable Minded Man that plays the Bishop in another Diocess 1 Pet. 4. 15. 2 General The advantages of Peace in Christian Churches 1. This renders the Church most like to God he is the God of Peace the Father of Mercies and not only full of Love but love it self 1 Iohn 4. 16. He is all that is good in the most eminent degree but he is love in a more especial and peculiar manner though all his Attributes be infinite yet his Love and Goodness is peculiarly Sovereign The best description we can frame of him in our Minds or whereby we can represent him to others is that he is Omnipotent Alwise Immutable Goodness under the old Testament a dispensation of Terror when the Riches of Divine Love were not displayed yet even then he accounts his Goodness as his greatest Glory and the most charming Beauty of his Nature And now what better way is there for his Church to be like him than to be at Peace and abound in all mutual Offices of Kindness and Love 2. Peace is the Churches greatest Beauty and Ornament 't was this commended Christianity of old hence Christian were called not Christiani but Chrestiani from a Greek Word signifying their benignity and sweetness of Disposition and Seâ— how the Christians love one another was a common Proverb in thâ— Mouths of Heathens themselves What can be more glorious than to behold the most harmoniouâ— Union and Communion of Saintâ— in the pleasant ways of true Wisdom and Goodness Rage and Fury may be the excellencies oâ— Beasts but Peace and Love is thâ— ornament of Men. How calm is the Mind how serene the
THE Country's Concurrence WITH THE London United Ministers In their late HEADS of AGREEMENT SHEWING The Nature and Advantages of a General Union among PROTESTANTS In Two Discourses Delivered before an Assembly of Ministers in the County of Southampton By SAMVEL CHANDLER Author of The Excellency of the Christian Religion LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry and Iohn Salusbury at the Rising-Sun over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1691. TO THE READER THE late happy Union between Two prevailing Parties among us is a fit Subject of Joy and Thankfulness That Differences which have been managed with too much heat for so many Years should now be so happily composed and the Contending Parties should mutually condescend and concur together in so fair an Agreement is a Blessing we have reason gratefully to acknowledge that the Country should so readily and unanimously agree with their Brethren in the City on the same Terms and throughout the whole Nation there should be such a willing consent to lay aside those distinguishing Names and Terms which have hitherto so miserably divided us These things afford sufficient matter for praise to that God who rules the Hearts of Men and stills the ragings of the People I have long waited that some Abler Pen should publickly express the Countries Sense of this great Mercy I said Days should speak and Multitude of Years should teach Wisdom But there is a Spirit in Man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Iob 32. 7 8. Being invited by my Brethren to Preach before them on this occasion I composed the following Meditations and have now made them publick for more general use I hope the honesty of the Intention will attone for the weakness and unskilfulness of the Manager I am willing to believe that Irenicums will now be more acceptable than they have hitherto been in this wrangling divided Age and the Sons of Peace will be no longer liable to Reproach and Scorn O how happy would it be if this Union were more extensive and an end were put to that Ceremonious War that hath infested our Borders ever since the Reformation God seems by his Providences to make way for such a glorious work he hath not long since by putting us in mind of our common danger inclined us to be more favourable one towards another He hath by surprizing Providences exalted to the Throne a Prince of known Piety and Moderation who hath placed such in the Episcopal Chairs as are Men Famous for their healing truly Christian Spirits happy endeavours have been used for stopping that inundation of Wickedness and Prophaness which hath so wofully overrun our Land All these are happy preparations for a general Union and blessed presages that God hath yet Designs of Mercy towards us and will not suffer our Enemies to prevail against us Let us all therefore help on so good a work by our Hearty Prayers Holy Lives and endeared Love Let us maintain an unity in Love and Affection though we arrive not at Uniformity in Rituals and the Ceremonial parts of Religion In a word to conclude all with the Expressions of excellent Bishop Hall Let us be at Peace with our selves and at War with none but Hell and Rome That these Discourses may be some way useful for the advancement of Love and Peace is the Hearty Earnest Prayer of a Lover of Peace and Truth Samuel Chandler 1 Thes. 5. 13. And be at Peace among your selves NOtwithstanding the frequent commands of our Lord to Love and Unity and the earnest Calls and Persuasions of all his Apostles yet how apt we are to forget and overlook them all our unpeaceable Strifes and censorious uncharitable Contentions are too sad a Witness Though our God be the God of Love and our Saviour the Prince of Peace and Love be the last Legacy and earnest Request of our dying Redeemer yet he that beholds the bitter malice and envy wrath and unchristian Jars of the Professors of the same Faith and Followers of the same Blessed Jesus must needs think it his great Duty to attempt the reviving that Love which is very much decayed and that Charity which hath almost forsaken the Earth When we see the Blood and feel the Smart and hear the Noises of Professed Christians armed with Malice and Spite against each other 't is the duty of every Messenger of Peace to sound a Retreat from this unnatural War and persuade the furious Combatants to cease those Strifes and forbear those hot Contentions which do so much dishonour God disparage Religion grieve our Friends and make such ridiculous sport for our Enemies That therefore I may endeavour to allay these unnatural heats and disorders I have chosen the Words read and if St. Paul had any reason in those early Ages of Christianity when Love most flourished and Christians were most peacefully united together to call upon them to be at Peace among themselves surely we have now far greater occasion to do so since Christianity is broken into so many odious fractions and by-names and every little difference is apt to provoke our Anger and cause our Passions to boyl up to too excessive heights God hath indeed highly favoured us by his Providence by now calming our Spirits removing our Jealousies and Mis-understandings one of another and reconciling those Differences which have unhappily divided us many Years So that now we can strengthen one anohers Hands in the work of our Lord and glory in the title of United Brethren We are now come together solemnly to testify our Thankfulness to God for this happy Union which many of us have long sighed and prayed and waited and laboured for in vain Suffer me therefore to shew you the nature and excellencies of Peace and direct my self and you to those Gospel methods whereby our Happiness may be continued and promoted Be at Peace among your selves For the connexion of these Words we need look back no further than ver 12. where the Apostle having persuaded the Thessalonians to a due respect to their Ministers and Spiritual Guides for their Works sake exhorts them here as a means to this to be at Peace among themselves as if he should have said unpeaceable disorders will grieve your Ministers hearts detract from that just esteem which is due to their Office and render their labours often useless and unsuccessful therefore be at Peace among your selves The Words are plain and easie in themselves and need rather an hearty Meditation and diligent improvement than any laborious Explication The Observation I shall raise from the Words is this That it is the duty and should be the practice of Christian Churches to be at Peace among themselves In handling whereof I shall use this Method 1. Explain the nature of Peace 2. Shew the Advantages of Peace in Christian Churches 3. Add some Directions for the better maintaining and promoting it 1. The nature of Peace 1. Peace implies a command over irregular Passions
Countenance how chearful the Discourse how sweet the Sleep and how full of Content is the whole Life of the Peaceable Minded Man How lovely a melody in the Ears of God and Men doth an Assembly of such Christians make when united together in acts of Religious Worship How much more pleasant are the smooth and even ways of Peace than the rugged Paths of Discord and Contention Is it not much more delightful to behold the Heavens smiling upon us with a serene and chearful Countenance than frowning with Clouds or big with Storms and Thunder Is it not much more sweet to sail in a quiet and calm Sea than to be tost about with a Tempest and be continually in fear of every rolling unruly Wave to hear Harmonious Sounds than grating Janglings and to dwell in a well Governed City than in a wild and savage Wilderness Peace is the way to the truest Pleasure and indeed is itself the greatest Felicity Hence the Angels in their holy Anthem when they wished the greatest Happiness to Men knew not how better to express their Sense than by saying On Earth Peace Good Will to Men Luke 2. 14. 3. Peace is the Churches strength Peace is the sinew of Society as Mony is of War the Cement that holds the parts together and distinguishes the Congresses of Men from Herds of Beasts or which is as bad the tumultuous Confusions of the Rabble Christian Churches might be immortal did they not kill themselves by Divisions the deepest Wounds have been given to Christianity in the Houses of its pretended Friends by Heresies and Schisms rending and tearing the unity of the Body He must be a great Stranger in the History of the Church who knows not that it flourished while it walk'd in love and injoyed Peace among its Children but the adding to the Foundation the Wood and Hay and Stubble of their own Inventions and dividing thereupon gave occasion to the rise of Turk and Pope and all the dismal consequences thereof Divisions stop'd the progress and cramp'd the growth of Christianity and hath so of Reformed Christianity to this day The most successful policy of our Enemies whereby they have done us the greatest mischief of all hath been by fomenting incouraging and cursedly improving our intestine Feuds We have foolishly put Weapons into their Hands or rather been destroying our selves while they have look'd on with Scorn and Laughter Were we but peacefully united among our selves we should quickly dishearten our Enemies and laugh at all the attempts of Rome and France and Hell for our ruin and Destruction Peace would be a mighty Bulwark to defend us and would better prevent the Invasions of our Foes than all our Wooden Walls on the Sea or Fortresses and Castles by Land 4. Peace tends to the comfort of the Church there can be no comfortable communion of Saints no bearing each others burdens no communicating the experiences of the workings of Gods Spirit in one anothers Souls of the answer of our several Prayers and various methods of God's dealings with us in his different ways of Discipline and Comfort so long as we are at variance among our selves When Souls groan under the burden of Sin and Guilt never was Drink so welcom to the Thirsty Traveller as the converse of truly Spiritual Christians to restore such in the Spirit of Meekness and speak Peace unto them from the Scripture and their own Experience But where Divisions are this cannot be had or if it be in some measure is often confined to an inconsiderable Party and each particular division wants the assistance of the rest so that the breach of their Catholick Love and Communion necessarily makes a breach in their comfort and hinders the mutual sympathizing assisting and comforting one another 5. Peace tends to the increase of the Church when our Lord repeated his Petitions for Unity he twice alledgeth one and the same reason that the World might know that God had sent him John 17. 21 23 As if the union and love of his Followers were the strongest proof of the Divinity of their Master and the powerfullest perswasive to Jews and Heathens to acknowledge and receive him for their Lord and Saviour as if his excellent Doctrin admirable Precepts and extraordinary Miracles would not do without it and indeed though Instruction be necessary and People perish for want of Knowledge yet Instruction without Example will do little good and no Example is more open to observation than that of Peace and Love and the want thereof in the Preachers of Truth makes the best Doctrin in their Mouths suspected hardens the Wicked in their sin and tempts many to Atheism If you speak with disagreeing Tongues Unbelievers will say you are Mad and sit down in the Seat of the Scorner to allude to 1 Cor. 14. 23. 6. Peace is a great means of Edifying by the means of Grace The Apostle in Eph. 4. 16. speaks of the close and intimate Union of the Body of Christ as a necessary means to receiving increase from Christ and edifying it self in love and Col. 2. 2. being knit together in love is laid down as a means to the full assurance of understanding to the full practical perswasion of the Truth and excellency of the Gospel and the want of this render'd the solemn Assemblies of the Corinthians fruitless and barren 1 Cor. 11. 17. St. Paul chargeth them with a sad miscarriage in their Spiritual Traffick growing worse in the use of what should have made them better the Holy Supper of the Lord and the reason is given Ver. 18. I hear there be Divisions among you Divisions abate the fervency of our Prayers blunt the edge of our Devotions seize on the vitals of Christianity evaporate the life and power of Religion in impertinent squabble and unless Almighty Grace prevent will quickly spread like a Gangrene so as to eat out the heart thereof 7. Peace in Christian Churches is an Emblem of Heaven the more that part of the Church which is Militant here below doth abound in Love and Peace the more it resembles that part which is triumphant above This is indeed the great difference between Angels and Devils Heaven and Hell the Devils have great degrees of Power and Knowledge perhaps not much below what Angels have but Angels and Glorified Saints abound in Love Sweetness Benignity and live in the joyful uninterrupted exercise of mutual Endearments whereas a Spirit of Malice and Envy Hatred and Revenge is the very complexion of Satan and temper of Hell But O how happy will it be to dwell in that Society where there 's no Mistake or Envy Ignorance or Prejudice or carnal Interest to occasion the least Jar or Discord but all pure Peace Seraphick Love and perfect Harmony as with God so also between themselves where the strange Fire of misguided Zeal is extinguished by the more powerful Flames of Heavenly Love and the unhappy names of dividing Sects are no more known where
dark and deep Mysteries little doubtful Truths and ambiguous Words and Phrases no longer occasion any Brawls or Contentions where Luther and Calvin and all the Saints of God perfectly accord together speak the same Language join in the same Praises and pleasingly entertain and embrace one another with all the endearments of intimate Friends and Companions And as we long for this Blessed State so 't is our great Duty and will be our Happiness to let down as much of Heaven on Earth as we can to anticipate our future joys by an enlarged love towards all Saints and being at Peace among our selves III. General Directions for the maintaining and promoting of Peace 1. Remove the Causes of unpeaceableness the Effects will not be taken away except the Causes cease This Disease will prove Mortal and still Torment us except the Fuel that feeds it be taken away except that Generation of Vipers be slain which hath for so many Ages torn out the Bowels of our Common Mother the Church we must never expect our wide breaches will be healed I shall therefore take a short view of those Distempers that have so miserably infected us that the discovery may help to their Cure and restore the primitive healthful Temper of Christianity and while I mention the Achans that have sickned our Camp and infected our Israel I beseech you that you would cast them out of your Hearts and have no fellowship with these unfruitful Works of Darkness Be ashamed of complaining for want of Peace if you wilfully cherish that poysonous Brood that will otherwise prove your ruin 1. Unmortifyed Sin Ungodliness is the great Divider and till we are partakers of the same sanctifying Spirit 't is impossible we should love as Brethren 'T is as possible for the Wolf to lie down with the Lamb as for Wicked Men to love the truly Godly While we will not work in the same Vineyard nor walk in the same way nor chuse the same Imployment nor delight in the same Spiritual Duties how can it be possible to agree together 'T is a vain thing to pretend agreement in Articles of Faith while we will not lovingly agree in practical Holiness 'T is highly unreasonable for wicked Wretches to rail against Christians like Ahab against Elijah as Troublers of Israel when they themselves are the Grand Incendiaries These Men like Nero of old cast Firebrands into the Sanctuary and then lay their guilt at true Christians Doors They hold the most damnable Errors and practical Heresies and thus render Union impossible They pretend pity to the Wounded Church and yet throw away the Salve and Plaister that should cure it They complain that the Garment of Christ is rent and yet throw away the Needle that should sow it up They pretend to be grieved to see the spiritual Building shaking yet throw away the Lime and Mortar the Pins and the Nails that should cement and join the Parts together Thus do they who cry up Love and Unity and yet hate Holiness wherein Christian Union consists To hear an Ungodly Man who is really of no Religion at all but against the life and practice of all cry out of the many ways of Religion among Christians is as if a Blackmoor should blame another for a Spot in his Face or a Murderer rebuke a Man for an angry Word Follow Peace therefore with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. 2. Pride This we find already arraigned by the wisest of Men as the great Makebate and Troubler of the World Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention As this is true of Civil Strifes so more especially of Religious or rather Irreligious Jars and Contentions Men are so Wise in their own Conceits that they are angry with every one that is not of the same level and impatient of Contradiction while many are very hot in Exclamations against the Political Antichrist they observe not this Antichristian Temper in themselves they are justly offended at others for usurping God's Prerogative sitting in his Throne and claiming a Title of Infallibility but do not these Fools envy the Pope and like Adam desire to be God's that their Name may be honour'd and their Will be done through the Earth Let us therefore entertain an humble suspicion of our own Understandings remembring that an over confident persuasion of our own Knowledge is a certain sign of Ignorance and he that thinks he knows most is commonly most mistaken 'T was not for nothing that the wisest of Men doth so frequently give that caution Be not Wise in thy own Conceit Prov. 3. 3. 26. 12. 3. Censoriousness The censorious Backbiter is the Devils Minister to Preach down Love abate Charity and exhort to the hatred of the Brethren Have not our unnatural heats been owing to this original Are not we too apt to censure those that agree not with us in every punctilio and readily take up an evil Report against them Is not this contrary to the lovely Grace of Charity which thinketh no Evil misconstrues not the Actions and Intentions of others rejoyceth not in Iniquity but believeth all things and hopeth all things is unapt to believe ill without apparent grounds and hopes as long as there is any reason for hope 4. Undue admiration of particular Persons or Parties This was the Corinthian Error that divided and miserably shattered that flourishing Church one liked the powerful plainness of Paul another the eloquence of Apollos and a third the perspicuity of Peter and a fourth was above all outward Ordinances pretending to the immediate Teachings of Christ. Upon this they vilified all others except those that they had set up for an Oracle We may suppose them disputing one with another after this manner One I am of Paul did you ne'er hear Paul Preach how clearly doth he unfold the deep Mysteries of Salvation how sweetly doth he display the unsearchable Riches of Christ how convincingly doth he argue and how excellently doth he direct in the way to Salvation As for Apollos he guilds over his Discourses with specious Eloquence and gaudy Bravery but Paul shews the truth in the plainest Dress which best becomes her and as for Cephas he is indeed fit to Catechize weak and ignorant Christians but he tells me nothing but what I knew before they therefore shew themselves Men of small Judgment that are for Apollos or Cephas I am for Paul Another I am of Apollos Let who will be for Paul and Cephas could I sit alway under Apollos his Ministry how happy should I be How movingly doth he Preach with what a happy fluency doth he insinuate himself into his Hearers and by his Pathetical Eloquence almost constrain attention One while he cloaths his Speech in a Silken Dialect dips each Word in a Tear and steeps each Phrase in Hony that he may win on his Auditors another while he breaths out Flames and Terrors and causes the stoutest