Vol. I. Admiration of fome Men's Perfons or Abilities, which St. Paul himself Condemns? Now, 'tis manifeft that fuch as these are so far from Acting upon just and proper Principles, that they Act upon none at all; their Divifion from us can be imputed only to Fancy or Rashness, and Inconfideratenefs, or what is worse. Such as these certainly can never be faid to have done all that they Lawfully can do for the fake of Peace and Unity. Nor can fuch a Method of proceeding be ever juftified, unless it can be made appear, that it is a Matter left purely to our Liberty and Choice, what Communion we will be of; which can never be till Obedience and Difobedience, Schifm and Unity become things indifferent.

Now, the Number of these is so great, as I believe every understanding Man that hears me this day, well knows that if all thefe fhould return to that Duty which they owe the Government and the Church, I do not question but that Conventicles would be fo thin, that there would need no Laws to diffolve them. I think therefore, I may very reasonably require and charge the multitude, who are rafhly, ignorantly and inconfiderately engaged in Separation, that they return to the Unity of the Church, as they

will Answer for all the difmal Effects of Serm. 1. our Divisions at the Dreadfull Day of Judgment.

2. I demand, whether every Man in a Difference of this Nature ought not to be of a Meek and Teachable Temper, ought not to be willing and defirous to be Inform'd?

This I am fure is fo far again from being unlawful, that it is every Man's Duty; and yet I am afraid, that all who have Travelled to reduce others to a right understanding have juft Reason to complain, that they have found it a far more difficult Task to encounter the Paffions and Prejudices than the Reasons of fuch Men. Alas, how common is it that Men refift and fhun all means and attempts of their Information! How often is it that Men are enraged and provoked, not Inftructed or Inform'd by the most Convincing Truth, deliver'd with Meekness and Integrity! Nay, fuch is very commonly the carriage of fome, that it requires not only a clear Understanding, but approved Courage alfo in any Man who will take upon him to examine and baffle Popular Errors, though with all the softness and gentleness imaginable. I am unwilling to enlarge farther, but I conjure all that hear me this day, if conC 2 cern'd

Vol. I. cern'd in the Subject I am difcourfing of, as they value their Souls, that they do endeavour hereafter to poffefs themfelves with that Meeknefs and Lowlinefs of Mind, which become all those who pretend to a fincere Love of the Truth, which become all those who Love the Peace of Sion: For-I am more than abundantly fatisfied in my felf, that it is more than one half of your Information, to be willing to be Inform'd; and that 'tis not fo much the removal of Mens Errors, as of their Paffions and Prejudices, which is Neceffary to the clofing our Divifions and Breaches. How Reasonable is it for me to require this Temper in all those who would have us believe that they Act with a good Confcience? Common Gratitude, and Humanity, the Love of their Country, and the Love of their God does indifpenfibly call for this Frame and difpofition of Spirit from them: How can they fee thofe Blots and Reproaches with which their manifold Divifions have ftain'd the Beauty and Luftre of the Church of Chrift, without that Sorrow and Melancholy which becomes every Christian that is truly Zealous for the Honour of God? How can they look upon those fresh and bleeding Wounds which their Separation has given to their dear

Native Country, without a bleeding Serm. 1. Heart? How can they fee that Government, under which they enjoy fo many Bleffings, thus torn and fhaken, without a very fenfible tenderness and affliction for it? Were they but thus Affected, they would be fo far from being froward or wilful, from fhunning the means of Information through Wantonness or Obftinacy, that they would refufe no Toil, no Cost for the fake of it; that they would kifs the Feet of those that could bring the glad Tidings of Peace, that could offer them any Light or Instruction which might reftore them at once to the Unity of the Church, and the Peace of their own Confcience, and fo atchieve that Bleffed Work of removing their Scruples, and their, and our Calamities together.

Having thus in two Questions premised in general what were Reasonable to expect from every Man in the Separation.

1. That whoever is Actually Separated without seriously weighing, or rightly understanding what the juft proper grounds of Separation are, fhould return to the Unity of the Church.

2. That every Man ought to be poffeffed with fuch a Meek, Lowly and Teachable Temper, as may render him capable

C 3

Vol. I. capable and defirous of Information. I come now to confider the Point a little more closely and particularly.

You will not hold Communion with us. Why? Because there are Corruptions in our Church, though I know not what they be, I will for this time fuppofe fo; Will ye then hold Communion with no Church but what is utterly free from all Corruptions and Errors? How unpracticable a Principle is this? What Inftances can we find of Churches Conftituted even in Apoftolical and Primitive Times, who were utterly exempt from all Errors and Corruption? Examine the Scripture, confider the Churches at Jerufalem, at Antioch, at Rome, at Corinth, and all those of Afia, and fee whether even in the Apoftles times there were not manifest Errors crept in? It is eafie to judge, how inconfiftent a Principle, this is, if we confider the unavoidable frailties of Humane Nature, from which Governours are not utterly exempt, much less private Men: Or if we confider, that the Interefts of the World do almoft neceffarily and unavoidably mix themselves with the Affairs of Religion, as far as concerns Circumftantials in Church-Government: And this I think were no hard Task for me to fhew by a particu

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