divide the Proteflants, plainly enough fhew their Sentiments upon this Head. In how many Shapes have they appear'd? What Pretences, what Intrigue, what Disguise have they not employ'd, to begin or carry on thofe Animofities, in which they have found too great Succefs? 'Tis rather to be wifh'd than expected, that all who have feparated from the Church of Rome fhould agree in the fame Opinions, or the fame external Rites; but in mutual Forbearance and Charity they may all concur. 'Tis more than time they should: Duty as well as Interest oblige them to it. While Popery is gaining continually upon the declining Intereft of the Reformation; while our perfecuted Brethren feel, in the most fenfible manner, the daily Progrefs of this cruel Superftition upon the Continent; and while the Emiffaries of Rome are fo far from being inactive in this Ifland, at fuch a Juncture 'tis extreamly unfeasonable, and may be very prejudicial, to kindle or revive any Difputes among thofe of the fame Faith. No Benefit fure can arife to the general Interest of Protestantism, from endeavouring to convince its Adverfaries, that different Parties of Proteftants have treated one another as feverely as Papists have treated them all. all. If the Original of these unhappy Difputes was in the main very infignificant or groundless, the Revival of them is still more improper. For the fake of Christianity, therefore, and the Protestant Cause, 'tis to be hoped, that every Attempt to awaken the Paffions of Mankind upon fuch Points, will be for ever difcouraged by the Friends of Truth and Liberty. Why fhould Protestants bite and devour? why calumniate or reproach each other? or why endeavour to afperfe and blacken the great Founders of the Reformation? The common Enemy can do enough of This. 'Tis pity a Hiftory of the Puritans lately published by Daniel Neal, M. A. fhould give Occasion for such Reflections! If either Party has offended, as it may be each in its Turn has done, fince thofe Offences now cease, let them be buried in eternal Oblivion; not only be forgiven, but abfolutely forgot. Iliacos intra muros peccatur & extra. If the Laws were fomewhat fevere upon the Puritans, they, when they had got the Power into their own Hands, took ample Revenge contrary to Law. These things are paft; for the future, if the Nation is not to be blefs'd with a more perfect Agreement, yet, as Christians, and as Proteftants, let us B 2 join join our beft Endeavours in the important Cause of Chriftianity, Proteftantifm, and practical Religion. When united Attempts have got the better of the Infidelity and Immorality of the Age (which certainly demand the first Regard) it will then be time enough for Fellow-Chriftians and Fellow-Protestants to dispute Matters of fo little Confequence as an Organ or a Surplice, a fquare Cap, or a Gold Ring. It may even then be too foon to engage the Minds of People upon Subjects of fo little Moment; but, at prefent, 'tis, upon many Accounts, greatly unfeafonable and improper. Contentions of this Sort, among many other Evils, are apt to produce a Coldnefs and Difregard for the neceffary Duties of Piety and Virtue. Men of all Perfuafions are too prone to fall into this Mistake, and fubtitute a disproportion'd Zeal againft, as well as for, the external and difputed Parts of Religion, in the Place of true Devotion and real Goodness. When the Mind is thus warmly engaged in fuch Difputes, either on one Side or the other, it generally becomes too carelefs of more weighty Matters. Nor is this Effect at all unnatural. One of the common Arts in this religious Controverfy (for even that, to the great Hurt Hurt of real Christianity, is now become a Science) is to heighten the Importance of the Point in Difpute. Matters which to a cool and impartial Man, not engaged in the Controverfy, appear of little Moment, by a skilful Management in this fort of Difputation, may be represented as of the utmost Confequence. Hence Men are led to a vaft Opinion of themselves, for being, as they imagine, fo much wifer than their Neighbours, in an Affair thought very momentous. Mr. N's History amply confirms this unpleafant Truth. In this Narration the World is reminded of thofe Difputes equally fierce and unhappy, which had for their chief Foundation nothing of greater Confequence than the Habit in which the Clergy were to officiate, and a few (very few they were) harmlefs Ceremonies of the, fame indifferent Nature. By thus dividing the Proteftants, they weakened that Interest in the Infancy of it, when its whole united Strength feem'd fcarce fufficient against Popery. And for what Reafon was this ill-tim'd hurtful Contention raised, but chiefly that divine Service might be perform'd in a black Garb rather than a white one; that the Cloak of Geneva, and not the common Surplice, might be the eftablish'd B 3 N's Hift. P. 230. cr blifh'd Drefs? when, after all, the one is dreffing, in a manner, as the Jefuits do; the other, at worst, is only wearing a Part of the Habit of the ParishPriefts. 'Tis natural for a Proteftant to wifh a Veil drawn over fuch a Scene as this; fo warm and hurtful a Contention for fo fmall a Matter. This is no Aggravation of the Cafe, Mr. N. himfelf declares, "Had the Habits and CC a few Ceremonies been left indifferent, both Minifters and People had Ibid. p. 594" been eafy." Again, "the Controverfy with the Puritans had but a "fmall Beginning." How much Difturbance was raifed in the Nation upon that Account, his whole History is á Proof. This Gentleman, upon Enquiry, will find, that the Revival of this Controverfy, and the opening those Wounds which all good Men hoped were effectually healed, meets with little Applaufe from the best Protestants, and the most moderate Men in the Kingdom. Does he imagine there cannot be as frightful Pictures drawn of Calvinistic or Puritanical Perfecutors, as any he has drawn of the Church of England? But what Purpose could this anfwer, except to make the different Parties of Proteftants more cold to each other, |