pect upon the ground and caufes of their proceedings, SERM. who by reason of their eminent station can see more and XXIX. farther than they; and therefore are incompetent judges, and unjustly prefume to interpose their sentence in fuch cafes. But fuppofe the actions of fuperiors notoriously blameable and fcandalous, and that by infallible arguments we are perfuaded thereof; yet feeing neither the taxing of, nor complaint against them doth in any wife regularly belong to us, nor the discovery of our mind therein can probably be an efficacious means of procuring redress, and immediately tends to diminish the reputation and weaken the affection due to government, and confequently to impair the peaceable estate of things which by them is sustained, we are wholly to abstain from fuch unwarrantable, unprofitable, and turbulent practices; and with a fubmifs and discreet filence, paffing over the mifcarriages of our fuperiors, to wait patiently upon the providence, and implore the affiftance of him, who is the only competent Judge of fuch, and sovereign Difpofer of all things, Prov. xxi-1. who hath their hearts in his hands, and fashioneth them xxxiii. 15. as he thinks good. Farther, 12. If we would live peaceably with all men, it behoves us not to engage ourselves fo deeply in any fingular friendship, or in devotion to any one party of men, as to be entirely partial to their interefts, and prejudiced in their behalf, without diftinct confideration of the truth and equity of their pretences in the particular matters of difference; not to approve, favour, or applaud that which is bad in fome; to diflike, discountenance, or disparage that which is good in others: not, out of exceffive kindnefs to fome, to give juft caufe of diftafte to others: not, for the fake of a fortuitous agreement in disposition, opinion, intereft, or relation, to violate the duties of juftice or humanity. For he that upon fuch terms is a friend to any one man, or party of men, as to be refolved, with an implicit faith, or blind obedience, to maintain whatever he or they fhall affirm to be true, and whatever they fhall do to be good, doth in a manner undertake enmity against all - de, and as it may happen, ? SERM. doth oblige himself to contradict plain truth, to deviate XXIX. from the rules of virtue, and to offend Almighty God himself. This unlimited partiality we owe only to truth lio. and goodness, and to God, (the fountain of them,) in no cafe to fwerve from their dictates and prefcriptions. He Cic. in La- that followed Tiberius Gracchus in his feditious practices, upon the bare account of friendship, and alleged in his excufe, that, if his friend had required it of him, he fhould as readily have put fire to the Capitol, was much more abominable for his disloyalty to his country, and horrible impiety against God, than commendable for his Luc. lib. i. constant fidelity to his friend. And that foldier which is faid to have told Cæfar, (in his firft expedition against Rome,) that in obedience to his commands he would not refuse to fheath his fword in the breaft of his brother, or in the throat of his aged father, or in the bowels of his pregnant mother, was for his unnatural barbarity rather to be abhorred, than to be efteemed for his loyal affection Prov. xxiv. to his general. And in like manner, he that, to please faith to the- or gratify the humour of his friend, can be either injuwicked, rious, or treacherous, or notably difcourteous to any man righteous; elfe, is very blameable, and renders himself deservedly him hall odious to all others. Lælius, who incomparably well curfe, na- both understood and practised the rules of friendship, is by tions fhall Cicero reported to have made this the firft and chief law Cic. in La- thereof; Ut neque rogemus res turpes, nec faciamus rogati: 24. He that Thou art the people abhor him. lio. That we neither require of our friends the performance of bafe and naughty things; nor, being requefied of them, perform fuch ourselves. And in the heraldry, or comparison of duties, as all others must give place to those of piety, verity, and virtue, fo after them the duties of humanity justly challenge the next place of refpect, even above those which belong to the highest degree of friendship, (due to our nearest relations, yea to our country itself,) precisely taken, abstracted and diftinguished from thofe of humanity. For the world is in nature the first, the moft comprehenfive and dearest country of us all; and our general obligations to mankind are more ancient, more fundamental, and more indispensable, than those particular ones fuperadded to, or fuperftructed on them. The peace SERM. therefore of the world, and the general welfare of men its XXIX. citizens, ought to be more dear to us, and the means conducing thereto more carefully regarded by us in our actions, than either the love, favour, or fatisfaction of any particular perfons is to be valued or purfued. And the not observing this rule may reasonably be esteemed to have a great influence upon the continuance of those implacable feuds and diffenfions, wherewith the world is fo miferably torn and fhattered. Men's being peremptorily refolved to extol, countenance, or excufe promiscuously all the principles and proceedings of the party to which they have addicted themselves, and to see no error, fault, or abuse in them; but by all means to depress, vilify, and condemn (if not to reproach, calumniate, and perfecute) the opinions and practices of others, and not to acknowledge in them any thing confiderably good or commendable; whence commonly all apprehend their adversaries extremely unjust and difingenuous towards them, and are alienated from all thoughts (or however difcouraged from all hopes) of friendly accommodation and reconcilement. But he, that would live peaceably with all men, must be free in his judgment, impartial in his dealing, and ingenuous in his carriage toward all: not Savμálwv жρóowna, Jude 16. admiring or wondering at some men, (as if they were impeccable, or infallible,) nor having the truth in refpect of James ii. 1. persons, abetting in his friends only what is just and true, and allowing the fame in others, but in neither by signal approbation countenancing any thing falfe or evil; for fo demeaning himself, he giveth no man just occafion of difpleasure or enmity against him. 13. If we would live peaceably ourselves, we should endeavour to preserve peace, and prevent differences, and reconcile diffenfions among others, by doing good offices, and making fair representations of intercurrent paffages between them; by concealing causes of future disgust, and removing present misunderstandings, and excufing past mistakes; by allaying their paffions, and rightly informing their minds, by friendly interceffions, and pacific SERM. advices. For the fire that devoureth our neighbour's houfe XXIX. threateneth and endangereth ours; and it is hard to ap proach contention, without being engaged therein. 'Tis not easy to keep ourselves indifferent or neutral; and doing fo we fhall in likelihood be maligned and perfecuted by Matt. v. 9. both the contending parties. Bleffed are the peace-makers, faith our Saviour, for they shall be called the fons of God; that is, they shall be highly esteemed and reverenced for this divine quality, wherein they fo nearly refemble the God of peace, and his bleffed Son the great Mediator. But farther, without refpect to other recompence, and from the nature of their employment, fuch are immediately happy, and in this their virtuous practice rewards itself, that by appealing others' quarrels, they fave themselves from trouble, and enjoy themselves that tranquillity which they procure to others. But thofe informing fycophants, thofe internuncios of peftilent tales, and incendiaries of difcord, that (from bad nature, or upon base defign) by the ftill breath of clandeftine whispers, or by the more violent blafts of impudent calumnies, kindle the flames of diffenfion, or foment them among others; that, by diffeminating infamous rumours, and by malicious fuggeftions, inftil jealoufies into, and nourish malevolent furmifes in the Prov. xvi. minds of men, feparating, as it is in the Proverbs, between To the counsellors of peace is joy. Prov. xii. 20. 26. 14. chief friends, and widening the distance between others: thefe, I fay, from the feeds of variance they scatter among others, reap in the end mifchief and disturbance to themfelves; nor can expect to enjoy the benefit of that quiet, Prov. xvii. which they labour to deprive others of. The beginning of ftrife, faith Solomon, is as when one letteth out water; and he that, to the intent his neighbour's lands fhould be overflown with a torrent of diffenfion, doth unloofe the dams, and cut the banks of former friendship, may (if he be Prov. xxv. wife) expect the mercilefs flood fhould at length reach himself, and that his own habitation fhould be at laft furVid. Prov. rounded therewith. For when men at length begin to be weary, and to repent of their needlefs quarrels, and the diligently mischievous confequences attending them, and to be ingood pro- quifitive into the causes and inftruments of their vexation, 8. xi. 27. He that feeketh they will certainly find out, deteft, and invert the edge of SERM. their displeasure upon thefe wretched makebates; and fo XXIX. the poison they mingled for others they themselves drink cureth faup; the catastrophe of the tragedy (begun by them) is your; but acted upon themfelves; they fink down into the pit they feeketh made for others, and in the net which they hid is their mischief, it own foot taken: Et delator habet quod dedit exitium. Laftly, If we would effectually obferve this precept, we must readily comply with the innocent customs, and obey the established laws of the places where we live. fay first comply with the customs; which also are in effect inferior laws enacted by the tacit agreement of the generality of men; the non-observation of which is upon many accounts very prejudicial to peaceable life. For to thofe concerned in it, it will always feem to intimate a fqueamish niceness, a froward perverfenefs, an arrogant felf-conceitedness, a manifest despifing other men's judgments, and a virtual condemning their practices of fault or folly, and confequently a monopolizing all goodness, and appropriating all wifdom to himtelf; qualities intolerably odious to men, and productive of enmity. It incenfes the people (hugely fufceptive of provocation) with a sense of notable injury done, and contempt caft upon it. For the only authority, which the commonalty can lay claim to, confifts in prefcribing rules of decency in language, habit, gesture, ceremony, and other circumftances of action, declared and ratified by ordinary practice; nonconformity to which is by them adjudged a marvellous irregularity, contumacy, and rebellion against the majesty of the people, and is infallibly revenged and punished by them. There is no preserving peace, nor preventing broils and ftirs, but by pun&tually obferving that ordinary rule of equity, that in cafes of doubtful debate, and points of controverted practice, the fewest should yield to the most, the weakest bend to the strongest, and that to the greates number should be allowed at leaft the greatest appearance of reafon. To which purpose we may obferve, that the best and wifeft men (not to displease those with whom they converfed, as far as their duty to God, and their he that fhall come upon him. |