Titus iii. 9. against profane and vain babblings; 2 Tim. ii. 16: against strife of words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers; 2 Tim. ii. 14.

In the succeeding age, what loud and intemperate janglings the unadvised zeal of Victor raised, concerning the time of the celebration of Easter, is too well known.

Very remarkable is that passage, betwixt Gregory Bishop of Rome, and Mauritius the Emperor. Cyriacus, the Bishop of Constantinople, would needs style himself Universal Bishop. Gregory doth very gravely advise him, "to refrain from giving himself so foolish a title." Mauritius, the Emperor, interposes; and, finding the quarrel grow hot between two so eminent Prelates, commands the peace; and charges them, "that, for the appellation of a frivolous name, there may not a scandal be raised in God's Church'." Gregory replies modestly and discreetly to the Emperor: "I beseech your Imperial Piety to consider, that there are some frivolous things, which are altogether harmless; but others, again, extremely hurtful": for," saith he, "when Antichrist comes, and shall call himself God, it is a very frivolous thing so to term himself; but yet it is too too pernicious. If we regard the quantity of the word, Deus, alas, it is but two syllables; but if we respect the weight of the iniquity, it is a world of mischief." Both said well, and to our purpose: the Emperor, that frivolous matters may not break the peace; the Bishop, that those points, whose frivolousness is hurtful and pernicious, must be strongly opposed.

Every slight question is not worthy of our engagement. Why would we herein grudge men the freedom of different thoughts? He is no mean Casuist amongst the Romish Divines, that tells us confidently, it is the received judgment of their holiest Doctors, that "it is no inconvenience to hold, that amongst the very angels themselves, there may be a diversity of opinion, in regard of those things which tend towards the end, so long as they all make jointly to the self-same end." How much more must this be tolerated to the best of men! Though our lives differ in the circumference, it is no great matter, so long as they meet in one centre of Essential Truth. It was sound counsel, that Pomeranus gives to the Ministers of God's Word, Ne tot articulis, &c.: That they should not, with so many Articles, and Creeds, and Confessions, confound the minds of plain Christians; but that they should draw up • Ut ab stulti vocabuli se appellatione compescat.

Mauritius præcepit, ne, pro appellatione frivoli nominis, scandalum &c.

Sed rogo ut Imperialis Pietas penset, quia alia sunt frivola, valde innoxia; alia vehementer nociva, &c. Greg. Maurit. Aug. 1. vi. Ep. 30.

* Pet. Aquilanus dictus Scotellus in 2 sent. dict. 11. Ad hoc dico secundum viam sanctorum, quòd nullum inconveniens est, inter Angelos esse opinionum diversitatem, quantum ad ea quæ sunt ad finem, dummodo maneat identitas finis.

y Pomeran. in I Cor. xv.

the sum of their belief into some few heads. Nothing hinders, but that Professors and Licentiates in Divinity may busy their thoughts and spend their hours, upon the knotty and abstruse questions of that sacred Faculty; as those, who would account it a shame to be ignorant of any cognoscible truth: but why should the heads of ordinary Christians be perplexed with those curious disquisitions? Let the Schools engross those nice and deep speculations: let not the Pulpits be vexed with them. And, for us, that are God's Ministers, whatever we may do in our Studies; yet, when we come to speak to the Assemblies of God's people, let us take up the resolution of the blessed Apostle, I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified; 1 Cor. ii. 2.

SECT. 4.

The Fourth Private way of Peace: To labour and pray for further illumination in all requisite Truths.

ALL necessary truths are plain and open; but many profitable truths, which may much concern us to know and wherein we ought to accord, want not some difficulty. We are not bidden to sit down in mere necessaries; but are vehemently called upon, to grow up in knowledge. It is the gracious promise of God to us, by his prophet Hoseas; Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth; Hos. vi. 3. And, it is the daily prayer of the Apostle to God, for his Colossians, That they might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Col. i. 9.

In the fourth place, therefore, it will be the duty of every private Christian, as in the ready way of peace, TO LABOUR

AND PRAY FOR FURTHER ILLUMINATION IN ALL REQUISITE TRUTH, and FOR A READY INCLINATION OF HEART TO A PEACEABLE AGREEMENT THEREIN.

For there are two things, which hinder us from an unanimous conspiring in the same truth: either want of light in the Understanding, that we cannot look so deep into the mysteries of Divine verity as others; or some obstructions in the Will and Affections, through prejudice against the person or matter proposed. Both these must be removed by our prayers; by our endeavours.

2 Tales quæstiones, quales nulla Lex Canonvè Ecclesiasticus necessariò præscribit, sed inanis dissoluti otii certatio proponit; licet ad ingenii acumen exercendum instituantur, tamen interiore mentis cogitatione continere debemus; et neque in publicos populi conventus temerè offerre, neque vulgi auribus inconsultò concredere. Constant. Epistola ad Alexandrum et Arium, Euseb. 1. ii. c. 69.

It was the request of the man after God's own heart, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold the wonderous things of thy Law; Ps. cxix. 18: and, in a real and heavenly compliment with his Maker, I am thy servant : give me understanding, that I may know thy Testimonies; Ps. cxix. 125. It was his, and must be ours; whose continual suit for ourselves must be that, which the blessed Apostle ceases not to make for his Ephesians, That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened; Eph. i. 17, 18. Neither may we expect, that God will work miracles for us; that he will crown our idleness with blessings; that he will force mercies upon us, and tear open our lids that he may shine into our eyes: no; he looks that we should humbly comply with the means, and answer his heavenly motions with the willing obedience of our best endeavours otherwise, This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness more than light; John iii. 19.

:

It is possible for a man to know the truth, and yet to withhold it in unrighteousness; Rom. i. 18. Illumination is not always followed with obedience. There are those, saith the Apostle, which, notwithstanding the light of knowledge, are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; Rom. ii. 8. So as our prayers and endeavours must not be more bent against blind eyes, than against froward hearts; Prov. xi. 20; xii. 8: for there doth naturally reign in us a certain envious perverseness of spirit, which many times sets us off from the acknowledgment of those truths whereof we are inwardly convinced. I have sometimes read in Maldonate's Commentaries, when he falls upon a probable and fair sense of a difficult text, that he subjoins, "I could like that explication well, if it were not Calvin's:" like to that prejudicate Italian, who, being at a deadly feud with great rival of honour, gave his vote, after a nap taken in the Senate, in no other terms than these; "I am against that which N. spake;" and being told that opposite of his had not yet spoken, "Then,” saith he, "against what he will speak"." This disposition makes men such as the Psalmist complains of, Haters of peace; Ps. cxx. 6: of whom the Holy Ghost passeth a heavy doom, Destruction and misery is in their ways; the way of peace have they not known; Rom. iii. 16, 17.

As, therefore, it concerns every man to labour and pray against all unpeaceable affections in himself; so also to strive, both these ways, against the common distempers of others. Even those, that cannot aid God's Church with their counsels,

a Balt. Cast. de Aulico.

with their purses; yet, with their prayers they may; yea, they must: Oh, pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee: Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, Peace be within thee: because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good; Ps. cxxii. 6—9.

Next to our prayers, there is no better way to attain further illumination and settlement in all holy truths, than to walk conscionably after that light we have received. It is a golden rule of our Blessed Saviour, If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God; John vii. 17. Hence it is, that the Jews say, “Abraham had no other master than his own reins:" his humble obedience drew on further entireness with God: for, to him, that hath, shall be given, saith our Saviour: the improvement of one talent is graciously rewarded with more. In vain shall we complain of slackening our work for the want of a greater light, when we sit idle, and do nothing at all by a less.

It was a smart answer, which a witty and learned Minister' of the Reformed Church of Paris gave to a lady of suspected chastity, and now revolted; when she pretended the hardness of the Scripture: "Why," said he, "Madam, what can be more plain than, Thou shalt not commit adultery?" Had she not been failing in the practice of what she could not but know, she had found no cause to complain of the difficulty of that which she could not know: but it seems she, as too many more of us, was of the Athenian strain; of whom Tully says the proverb went, That "they knew what was right, but would not do it"."

Did we not come short of our humble dependance upon God, and our care to be approved of him in known duties, our apprehensions could not miss of those things which concern our peace. Very memorable is that instance of the learned Chancellor of Paris; which, in imitation of St. Paul, he gives, I suppose, of himself in a third person: "I knew a man," saith he, that, after much temptation concerning one of the Articles of Belief, was suddenly brought into so great light of truth and certainty, that there were left no remainders of doubt, no vacillation, but much clearness and serenity; by the command of him that over-rules the waves, &c.: who, by the sole humiliation and captivating his understanding to the obedience of faith and the omnipotence of God, obtained such grace, as that he no more doubted of that point of belief, than of his own being and, when he sought the reason of so great assurance and peace in believing, he did meet with no other, but that so

b M. Durant.

Athenienses scire quæ recta sunt, sed fucere nolle. Cic. de Sen.

he found it; and that he could not convey it into another man." Thus he. Surely our God is still and ever the same. Were not we wanting to ourselves, he would not fail to lead us into all truth; and, the truth being but one, we should happily meet in the same truth: so as now, truth and peace should kiss each other, and we should be blessed in both.

SECT. 5.

The Fifth Private way of Peace: To comply with our brethren so far as we safely may.

FIFTHLY, it shall mainly conduce to peace, that we COMPLY WITH OUR BRETHREN SO FAR AS WE SAFELY MAY; that we walk along lovingly with them, so far as our way goes together; and then, since we must needs, part friends.

That great Council of Milan, however faulty", yet begins well in their Synodical Letters to Eusebius'. "Your dear love is not ignorant, how precious the bond of charity and peace is to be esteemed." Even those, that break the peace, cannot but praise it: how much more should they bid for it, that are true friends to it; and to that amicableness, that attends it!

We cannot keep too much aloof from those without, except it be to fetch them in. How happy were it, if herein we could learn wit of enemies! What a cautious Decree was that, which Clement the VIIIth, made for his Italians, That none of them might dare to dwell in any place under heretics, save where there is an allowed Church with a Roman-Catholic Priest and that no man should be sent forth for traffic to any heretical country, under the age of twenty-five years! And no less strict and wary was that of Gregory the XVth. That no heretic might, under what pretence soever, hire a house, or make his abode in Italy and the isles adjacent". Neither was it without great cause, that the Synod of Laodicea, about the year 364 decreed, That no Christian should celebrate festivals with Pagans, Heretics, Jews. And the Council of Ravenna no less wisely ordered, That no Jew might come forth of his doors, without a roundel of yellow cloth upon his upper garment; that he might be distinguished, for avoidance. I love d Jo. Gerson. De Distinctione Verarum Visionum à Falsis. Novi hominem, qui post multum tentationis, &c.

e Concil. Mediolan. univers. reprobatum.

Lit. Synod. Eusebio Fratri. Non ignorat charissima nobis dilectio tua, &c. Provine. Clem. VIII. an. 1596.

Greg. XV. anno 1622. In locis Italiæ et adjacentium Insularum, &c. Vide Gavant. V. Hæresis.

Synod. Laod. juxta Caranz. Can. 37 et 39.-Hospin. de Origine Fest. Christ. k Conc. Raven. Rubric. 23.