All this is not spoken to justify undue rigours, such as are without any temper of Christian moderation, or those frivolous controversies about trifles, such as have no foundation in the word ; as about the observance of Easter between the eastern and western churches, which difference grew so high that they excommunicated each other ; or about celebrating the Lord's Supper with leavened or unleavened bread ; or the fierce bickerings between Chrysostom and Epiphanius about Origen's
1 ' Potiiis ruat coelum quara pereat una mica veritatis.' — Luther.
" ' Ne forte cum transisset tempus quo eum credebant esse venturum, et venisse non cernerent, etiam caetera fallaciter Bibi promitti arbitrantes et de ipsa mercede fidei des- perarent.'
3 'OfiooCiaios and 6/iotoi/crtos. * Qeo56xos and OcotSkos.
118 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 3.
books, set on by Theophilns, in pursuit of which many were slain, the senate house pulled down, and the great church at Constantinople set on fire ; nor to justify mere verbal strifes about ' words and names,' forbidden by the apostle, 2 Tim. ii. 14 ; 1 Tim. vi. 4. Vainglorious men, if they can get but a different method of expression, cry. No new light, and so there is a great deal of noise stirred up about a mistake. Nor to justify the breaking of church fellowship and communion, and making rents in the body of Christ, because of difference of opinion in smaller matters, when we agree in the more weighty things. AVe are to ' walk together as far as we are agreed,' Phil. iii. 16 ; and externals wherein we differ, lying far from the heart of religion, are nothing to faith and the new creature, wherein we agree. Gal. v. 6, and vi. 15. The most weight should be pitched upon the fundamentals and essen- tials of religion ; and when there is an agreement there, private dif- ferences in smaller matters should not make us break off from one another. False zeal is unevenly carried out to these lower things, both in opinion and practice ; and usually young professors are eager upon disputes, impatient of contradiction, and lay out all their strength this way, to excuse their care in the more weighty matters of Christianity ; whereas ' the kingdom of God doth not stand in meat and drink, but in peace and righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost,' Kom. xiv. 17. The itch of disputing and zeal for an opinion, rather than religion in the main, are bad characters. Again, when men, though in the right, think there is no religion or holiness but within the compass of such an opinion, this is censorious rigour, or to be * righteous over-much,' Eccles. vii. 17 ; or when a lesser dissent is loaded with all the odious consequences that you can fancy in your thoughts, though disclaimed by the party dissenting ; when Eloi is turned into Elias, and things are perverted by a misinterpretation, as Christ's words were, John ii. 19, compared with Mat. xxvi. 61 ; — briefly, when men upon every small occasion draw all things to extremity, and break out into con- tumely, revilings, persecution, biting and devouring one another,^ it is not zeal, but fierceness and brutish immoderation. Therefore, all this excepted, it standeth us upon to be zealous even to sufferings for the lesser truths, that we may prevent the further encroachments of Satan, and antichrist, his eldest son, upon the liberties and privileges of the saints.
But now, besides the lesser things, there are fundamentals and essentials in religion, which challenge the choicest of our care and zeal, that they may be kept entire and without violation ; the igno- rance of them is damnable, and the denial heretical : to determine what they are is an undertaking of great concernment to the Christian world, but of too high a nature for the present exercise. I shall only mention a few points which seem to be ev irpcoTot^, matters concerning the foundation ; as the creation of the world by God in six days out of nothing, God's providence, man's misery by sin, deliverance by Christ, the necessity of the new creature, the resurrection of the dead, and the everlasting recompenses. These are points of the greatest moment,
^ As Rivet said of Montague, 'Non potest ille quenquam a quo dissentit vel iu levissi- inis sine convitiis nominare.' — Riveti Apol, pro Sanctissima Virgine Maria.
VeR. 3.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 119
though I cannot but say that others also are fundamental ; ^ but these come to mind as being of the most practical concernment.
2. Who must strive, and in what manner. I answer — All in their place, and in that way that is proper to them.
[1.] Private Christians must have a share in this holy contention ; their duty is partly — (1.) To search out the truth, that they may not fight blind- fold, or by an unhappy mistake lavish out their zeal upon fancies which they affect, or ordinances and doctrines of men. People are never so furious as when they have least ground and reason for what they assert ; yea, and error never prevaileth so much as when Christians are all flame and affection without judgment, and do not understand the reasons of that religion which they do profess. See 1 Peter iii. 15, ' A reason of the hope that is in you ;' and 2 Peter iii. 17, lSlov artjpijfiop, ' their own steadfastness ;' that is, such a steadfastness as doth arise from solid grounds in their own hearts, and not merely from the consent of others. (2.) To own the profession of the truth, whatever it cost them. I say, it is their duty to own the profession of the truth ; for the public own- ing of the people it is a great let and restraint to tyranny, and such innovations as otherwise a carnal magistrate would introduce into the church by force and power. See Acts iv. 21, they let them go because of the people ; so Mat. xiv. 5, and xxi. 46. And again, I say they must own it whatever it cost them, for zealous defences are a great honour to the truth. The disputations of the doctors do not commend it to the world so much as the death of the martyrs ; and therefore, though you cannot dispute for the truth, yet you should die for the truth : ' Ye have not yet resisted unto blood,' &c., Heb. xii. 4. We cannot be at too much cost to preserve so precious a treasure to pos- terity. And here even women may put in a share ; they have lives to sacrifice upon the interest of the truth, and usually they do not fall in vain. 2 (3.) To honour the truth by their conversations : there are heretical manners as well as heretical doctrines ; and there are many that are otherwise of an orthodox belief, yet make others sectaries and disciples of their vices : some live atheism ; there are Antinomians in practice ; an apostate is a practical Arminian. Therefore Christians are called to ' hold forth the word of life ' in their conversations, Piiil. ii. 16 ; and to ' make the doctrine of God the Saviour comely,' Titus ii. 10, by glorifying God in that course of life to which they are dis- posed. To preach and write for the truth doth not honour it so much as to * walk in the truth,' 3 John 4 ; and the life is a better witness of the reality of religion than the tongue.^ (4.) To comprise all in a few words, whatever maketh for the truth, either with God or men, all that must the people do : ' We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth,' saith Paul, 2 Cor. xiii. 8. To God you must pray, that he would send forth not only labourers, but champions. Mat. ix. 38 ; not only such as can handle the trowel, but the sword in the battles of