humble submission to the spirits of the prophets, and to the judgement, order, and peace of the church.

2. Of persons: some are seducers, who, out of pride, enmity against the doctrine which is according unto godliness, carnal ends, desire of advantage and domination, do sow tares in the church, and cause rents and divisions therein. Such were Hymeneus, Philetus, Diotrephes, and others. -Others are seduced people ", who, through ignorance, credulity, simplicity, facility, and flexibleness of spirit, are led away captive by the cunning craftiness of them, who lie in wait to deceive.

Again; some are men of meek, humble, peaceable, and quiet spirits, amongst whom though there be differences of judgement, yet they do, upon the common principles of faith and holiness, agree in love, and join in pursuing the same common salvation; neither monopolizing the privi leges of saints; neither judging or despising the other; neither holding any error supinely, pertinaciously, uncharitably, or factiously. Others are men of turbulent, seditious, and tumultuating dispositions, who love to kindle flames, to foment divisions, to make sides and factions, that they may fish in troubled waters

These things being premised, we may, touching accommodations, thus conclude:

1. There can be no syncretism, or accommodation, where the differences are in points destructive to the foundations of religion, and against the very essentials of faith, worship, and obedience. There can be no reconciliation betwixt Christ and Belial; between damnable heresies, and the doctrine which is according unto godliness. Hereticks are to be admonished, and, in case of pertinacy, to be rejected: therefore there may be no brotherly communion with them. But seduced persons are, in the spirit of meekness, to be instructed"; and if possible, to be restored, and won unto the truth, and delivered from the snare of the devil.

Eph. iv. 14. Isai. iii. 12. Jer. xxiii. 16, 26, 32. xxix. 8. Matth. vii. 15, Acts xx. 29, 30. 2 Tim. iii. 13. Tit. i. 10. 2 Pet. ii. 1. 2 John v. 7. Mark xiii. 22. 2 Tim. ii. 14, 18. Gal. ii. 4. u 2 Cor. xi. 20. 2 Tim. iii. 6. Col. ii. 8. Eph. iv. 14.

z Tit. iii. 10. Euseb.

y 1 Cor. Hist. 1. 4.

* Bish. Laud. Confer. sect. 36. p. 315, 316. x. 21. 2 Cor. vi. 14, 17. Gal. i. 8, 9. c. 13. a 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26.

2. Though the differences, at first view, be not so pernicious and dangerous, yet if it be evident that they be purposely sowed by men of turbulent and ungracious spirits, merely to kindle flames, to foment seditions, to lay the foundations. of perpetual divisions or commotions in church or state, to gratify the common enemy, and to be subservient to such ends and designs, as wherein truth and holiness is endangered; in this case the apostle hath taught us, both by his example, not to give place by subjection for an hour unto such men ; and, by his doctrine, to mark and to beware of them.

3. Where a syncretism and agreement is allowable, yet we must love peace and truth, follow peace and holiness"; not adulterate, or in any case betray, or play the hucksters with the word; as it is said of the Samaritans, that "they feared the Lord, and served their own Gods." "f We must not temper or reduce divine truth to the rules or dictates of our own lusts, nor captivate our conscience to our carnal desires. Jeroboam and Ahaz acted inordinately, when they erected. a worship dissonant to God's will, and subservient to their own. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth" buy it we may; but sell it we must not for any other gain.i

4. Where the fundamentals of religion are safe, and on all sides unanimously embraced, and the differences purely problematical, and such as do not at all endanger the vitals and essentials of religion, mutual meekness, tenderness and forbearance are to be used, as amongst brethren and fellowmembers. Disputes are to be managed with all calmness of spirit; without passion, animosity, exasperation, invidious consequences, or any thing tending to the violation of brotherly love. Hereby we preserve the communion of saints, when we own one another as brethren, and not as strangers. We credit the gospel of peace, and adorn our mutual profession of the same common faith. We make way to the more clear discovery of truth, when no passion

or prejudice doth dazzle our eyes, or overcloud our judgement. We stop the mouths, prevent the insultations, and take away the advantages, which the common adversary promiseth to himself by our differences and dissensions.

The means to be used to such an evangelical accommodation, are, 1. Out of a sincere love of all truth, to wait with humble, docile, and tractable hearts upon God, in the use of such means as he hath appointed, for the revealing of his mind unto us touching those things about which we differ; and for that purpose, with single hearts, to study the scriptures, and to weigh every opinion in the balance of the sanctuary. "This," the apostle saith, "is profitable for doctrine and reproof" to this he referreth the church against all danger of wolves: out of this, our Lord revealeth to his disciples the things which concerneth himself; by this, the ancients desired to have the controversies in their times stated and decided. And when any of them teach us to try doctrines by ecclesiastical tradition, and the witness of the church, they speak of apostolical churches, which Tertullian calleth matrices et originales,' and not barely of the peremptory decision of some one or other present or particular church": for they were able to draw down from the apostles, traducem fidei,' as Tertullian calls it, a doctrinal succession; to assign the time, the authors, and the posteriority of those heresies, which they gainsaid; as he saith, "solemus hæreticis compendii causa de posterioritate præscribere."P Now because we cannot understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God, (for he it is who openeth the heart, and draweth away the veil, and gives us understanding :) and because the scripture hath told us, that God's people shall be taught of him '; therefore we must, in our studying thereof, pray unto God with Job, "That which I see not, teach thou me ;" and with David,

q

12 Tim. iii. 16. Acts xx. 32. Luke xxiv. 27.

m Optatus cont. Parmen.

1. 5.-Aug. Epist. 19. c. 1. ep. 48. et 112. cont. ep. Parmen. 1. 1. c. 2. cont. Lit. Petil. 1. 2. c. 85. de Unitat. Eccles. c. 3. 6, 17, 18, 19. in Psalm. 23. Exposit. 2. ■ Tertul. cont. Hermog. c. 22. Dr. Field, Appendix, part 3. c. 7. p. 42. • Tertul. de præscript. cap. 20, 21. p Advers. Hermog. c. 1. cont. Marcion. 1. 5. c. 19. cont. Praxeam, c. 2. Acts xvi. 14. 2 Cor. iii. 16, 17. 1 John v. 20. r John vi. 45. Aug. de Grat. Christi. c. 13. et de prædestinat. sanc

"Teach me good judgement and knowledge ;" and with the apostle, beg of God "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him ";" that in any thing wherein we are otherwise minded, he will reveal even that unto us.

2. To agree in the fundamentals, in the mystery of godliness, the unity of the faith, the principles of doctrine, the rule by which we are all to walk, in the saving knowledge of God and Christ', unto which eternal life is annexed, and without which it cannot be had; in the spiritual worship of God, calling upon him, and coming unto him, in and by Christ; and in those primary grounds of Christian obedience, repentance, sincerity, love of Christ, self-denial; and where there is an unfeigned and unanimous agreement in these, there is a ground laid for discovery of the truth in matters of smaller difference. Agreement in principles is a fair preparation unto agreement in all those conclusions, which are naturally deducible from those principles and the more clearly we understand the comprehension of principles, the more exactly we shall discern the genuine connexion of true conclusions, and the inconsistency of those which are false and fallacious.

3. In the things whereunto we have attained, "to walk by the same rule, to hold the truth in love, to keep faith and a good conscience. For Christian doctrine is a mystery of godliness; and saving knowledge, a knowledge which is according unto godliness: and therefore the best way to find out that wherein we differ, is, to obey that wherein we agree: the Lord having promised, that they who do his will, shall know his doctrine: that he will teach the meek his way, and reveal his secret to them that fear him ; that unto him who ordereth his conversation aright, he will show the salvation of God."

4. To be spiritual and heavenly minded: for as heavenly bodies, so heavenly minds, are the proper subjects of serenity and tranquillity; storms and tempests

are the effects of earthly exhalations; heavenly orbs are steady and regular, have no combustions nor disagreements in them; schisms and divisions are from the flesh, and come from us as men, not as Christians. As the reasonable soul doth bind the parts of the body together in unity, and when that is gone, they are in a near disposition to dissolve, and fall asunder; so the spirit of Christ is the bond of his body: the apostle calleth it "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The more we have the mind of Christ, the less we shall do things through strife, vainglory, revenge, or any other inordinate passion for the wisdom which is from above, is pure and peaceable"; but that which tendeth unto envying and strife, descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish.

5. To study and cast about for peace; to do all that is possible, and whatsoever lieth in our power, to produce it; to follow after it, and all the requisite expedients which conduce unto it; if it fly, pursue it; if it hide, search for it; find out, as Joash and Josiah did P, masons, and carpenters, and spiritual workmen to repair the breaches of the house: to have our private opinions and problems to ourselves before God, rather than by our unseasonable venting of them, to scandalize and offend our brethren, and to endanger the quiet of the church.

S

6. To be of a meek, humble, and calm spirit. Love is not easily provoked, is long-suffering, kind, self-denying; beareth, believeth, hopeth, endureth all things. A hammer makes no noise upon wool:-so a soft spirit turneth away wrath. Some men are so hot, so opinionative, so contentious, so wedded to their own conceits, so impatient of dissent, that none can have peace with them, who will not mancipate and render up their reason and judgement into their hands. But though it be our duty to try all things, and hold fast truth, when we have found it; yet we must hold it with a spirit of meekness. Meekness is the fittest disposition to receive truth. 66 Receive," saith the apostle," with

i Inferiora fulminant. Sen. Pacem summa tenent. Lucan.

I Cor.

m Phil. ii. 2, 3, 4, 5.

• Rom. xii. 18. xiv. 19. Heb. xii. 14.

P 2 Chron. r 1 Cor. xiii. 5, 7.

q Rom. xiv. 22.