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ESSAY let us take heed that we do not give that VII. which is holy to fuch who have no claim to it,

and give Charity and Chriftian Friendship to those, who seem, according to the Word of God, to have no Pretence to it.

It has been objected indeed against this second as well as against the third Epiftle of St. John, that they have not fufficient Proof of their divine Original: Now it would be too large in this Place to enter into a difcuffion of that Question: But there is nothing faid in this Epiftle that is difagreeable to the Sense of other holy Writers in other parts of Scripture; and by our Protestant Writers thefe Epiftles have been generally represented as part of the Word of God in the New Teftament: Nor can I find fufficient Reason to reject it, merely because fome Perfons that need a more abundant Measure of Indulgence and of Charity than the Scripture seems to allow, will not allow it this poft of Honour, and that is because it excludes them from our Good Efteem, from Chriftian Communion and Friendship.

Yet after all this Cenfure of Momus and his Followers, if any fuch there be, I would ftill hope and perfwade myself, there are fome ferious and pious Souls who have been honeftly feeking after the Truths of Religion, and searching the Word of God to find them, who may have indulged fome uncautious and unhappy Hour, wherein they

have fuffered themselves to be led away into ESSAY this great Snare and Temptation of the evil VII. One; so that they have begun to doubt of this bleffed Doctrine of the atoning Sacrifice for Sin by the Blood of Jefus Christ, tho' it is fo ftrongly, fo exprefsly, and fo often afferted by feveral of the Apostles in their Writings.

'Tis my fincere and earnest Defire, that God would fpeedily break these unhappy Snares, whatsoever they are, by which their Thoughts have been captivated into fo dangerous a Miftake, 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. that he would please to open the Eyes of their Mind by his inlightening Grace, that they may not run on fo far in this way as to be exposed to the Lofs of the Benefit of this only Propitiation for Sin, and lay themfelves open to that fevere Sentence of the Word of God, that there remains no further propitiatory Sacrifice for them, but a certain fearful Expectation, &c. Heb. x. 26, 27. Forgive me, bleffed Jefus, if any of the fofter Influences of animal Nature have warped me afide, while I am treating of this glorious Virtue of Charity, to indulge thefe milder Sentiments, and depart in any Measure from the stricter Senfe and Sentence of thy holy Word.

SECT.

ESSAY
VII.

SECT.

III.

The mischievous Effects of Uncharitableness.

Now if we have not dwelt too long on this Subject, (viz.) in tracing out this Mifchief through its feveral Springs and Properties, and if my Reader be not quite out of Breath, I wou'd afk him to take another Turn with me and walk down to a fhort Survey of the fame Vice in its mischievous Effects; that we may be more warmly animated to pursue this Iniquity to the Death: If it were poffible, we would leave it neither Root nor Branch, Name or Memory in the Chriftian World.

I. The first and most obvious Mifchiefs I meet with among Chriftians of an uncharitable Humour, are the conftant Disquiet of their own Spirits, the Vexation they give their Neighbours, the Injury they do to their own Edification, and to the Edification of all that converfe with them.

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Singulario has a Sett of Notions and Rules whereby he adjufts his own Creed and his Practice; and whatfoever he hears in Religious Conference, or in publick Duty, that does not precifely fquare to his Model, difquiets his Ears, difrelifhes with his Tafte, difturbs his Confcience, and thus prevents all the Benefit that his Soul fhould receive from the Difcourfe, or Worship.

I grant it very lawful for a Man to be ESSAY disgusted with a Sermon, where the greatest VII. part is spent in Notions contrary to his Judgment, and drest up in Language very foreign to his ufual way of Converfe about divine Things; this is fhocking to the Spirit of the best Chriftians, and the Confcience is fo nauseated with the largest part of the Entertainment that his Soul cannot be nourished, and 'tis proper for him to forbear Attendance upon fuch a Preacher, and chuse one more fuited to the Temper of his own Spirit. But Singulario hath an Averfion to a whole Hour's Discourse, because there were three Sentences of a Strain different from his Opinion. He reaps no Bleffing from a Sermon of excellent Compofure, of divine Materials, of an evangelick Frame and just Method, because there's one Expreffion in it that is the Characteristick of another Sect. He fits uneafy under a noble Discourse of Juftification or of Faith, because (it may be) the Minifter doth avoid the Terms Imputed, Meritorious, Condition, and Insirument; and mentions none of the tortured Words of Noise and Party.

I will not indeed commend a Preacher that is always affecting to difguife his own Opinions, and for ever hiding himself in ambiguous Language, and that in Points of Moment, thereby to maintain the everlasting Applaufe of all Sides. But I must chide

Singulario

ESSAY Singulario for the wry Faces he makes at VII. Church when he hears but a Word or two of contrary Sound, or when his Ears mifs and long for a Sett of darling Phrases.

Three Years ago I was in Company with Acharia, a four old Chriftian of a very narrow Spirit, and gave her a gentle Admonition for the frequent Reproaches the caft on the Minifters of Chrift, that did not preach exactly according to her Humour; I blamed that petulant Liberty which the took with all her Neighbours and Acquaintance, to cenfure them feverely for every leffer Difference of Practice or Worship: I recommended to her reading that valuable Sermon of the Reverend Dr. Tillotfon against Evil-speaking; but I could not perfwade her to perufe thofe few Pages, not only because of that ftrong Propenfity fhe had to fpeak Evil of others, but because 'twas the Work of an Arch-Bishop; "which "fort of Office, faid fhe, is a mere Hu

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man Invention, and the Scripture knows "it not." I know another Name which has the fame narrow Spirit. Sequilla hath ever given up the Conduct of her Soul to the Curate of her Parish, and after many Years Attendance on his Ministry, in great Security of Confcience, is well affured that fhe fhall go to Heaven at laft. Perhaps by fome terrible Providence, or by fome plain Word of Scripture, fhe is awakened to

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