" 0 inihi tarn longie maiicat pars ultima vitoe !" — Virg. Eel. iv. 53.
The present face of Christianity makes the world a wearisome wilderness; nor should I think any thing a more necessary duty than it would be for persons of piety and ability to apologize for the reli- gion of Jesus CJjrist, and to show how unconcerned it is in the ways and practices of the most that profess it, and how utterly another thing it is from what in the world it is represented to be, — so to put
MODERATION AND UNITY OF PROTESTANT rRINCIPLES. 313
a stop unto that atheism which is breaking in njion us from the con- tempt that men have of that idea of Christian religion which they have taken from the manner of its profession and lives of its pro- fessors,— were it not that I suppose it more immediately incumbent on them and us all to do the same work in a real expression of its power and excellency, in such a kind of goodness, holiness, righteous- ness, and heaven liness of conversation, as the world is only as yet in secret acquainted withal. When this is done, the way for a farther agreement will be open and facile; and until it be so, men will light on, —
" Ipsique, nepotesque
Et uati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis;"
we shall have no end of our quarrels. Could I see a heroic temper fall on the minds of men of the several parties at variance, to bid adieu to the world, its customs, manners, and fashions, which are all vain and perishing, — not in a local, corporeal retirement from the men and lawful businesses of it, or a relinquishment of the necessary call- ings and employments in it, but in their spirits and affections; could I see them taking up the cross of Christ, — not on their backs in its figure, but on their hearts in its 'poiuer, — and in their whole conver- sation conforming themselves unto his blessed example, so teaching all others of their parties what it is that they build upon for a blessed eternity, that they may not please and deceive themselves with their conceited orthodoxy in the trifling differences which they have with other Christians; I should hope the very name of persecution, and every thing that is contrary to Christian moderation, would quickly be driven out of Christendom, and that error, and whatever is con- trary to the unity of faith, would not be long-lived after them. But whilst these things are far from us, let us not flatter ourselves as though a windy flourish of words had any efficacy in it to bring us to moderation and unity. At variance we are, and at variance we must be content to be ; that being but one of the evils that at this day triumph in the world over conquered Christianity. This being su})- posed, —
II. Whereas the doctrine of God is a mystery, in the knowledge whereof men attain unto wisdom accordino- to that measure of licht and grace which the Spirit, who divides unto every man as he will, is pleased to communicate unto them, if men would not frame any other rule or standard unto that wisdom, and the various degrees of it, but only that which God himself hath assigned thereunto, the fuel would, upon the matter, be wholly taken away from the fire of our contentions. All men have not, nor, let men pretend what they please to the contrary, ever had, nor ever will have, the same light, the same knowledge, the same spiritual wisdom and understanding.
314 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
the same degree of assurance, the same measure of comprehension, in the things of God. But whilst they have the same rule, the same objective 7'evelation, the use of the same means to grow spiritually wise in the knowledge of it, they have all the agTeement that God hath appointed for them, or calls them unto. To frame for them all, in rigid confessions, or systems of supposed credible propositions, a Procrustes' bed to stretch them upon, or crop them unto the size of, so to reduce them to the same opinion in all things, is a vain and fruitless attempt, that men have for many generations wearied them- selves about, and yet continue so to do. Remove out of the way anathemas uj)on 2^^opositions arbitrarily composed and expressed, 2')Jiilosophical conclusions, rules of faith of a mere human com- posure, or use them no otherwise but only to testify the voluntary consent of men's minds in expressing to theh own satisfaction the things which they do believe, and let men be esteemed to believe and to have attained degrees in the faith according as they are taught of God, with an allowance for every one's measure of means, light, grace, gifts, which are not things in our OAvn power, and we shall be nearer unto quietness than most men imagine. When Chris- tians had any unity in the world, the Bible alone was thought to contain their religion, and every one endeavoured to learn the mind of God out of it, both by their own endeavours and as they were instructed therein by their guides ; neither did they pursue this work with any other end but only that they might be strengthened iu their faith and hope, and learn to serve God and obey him, that so they might come to the blessed enjoyment of him. Nor will there ever, I fear, be again any unity among them until things are re- duced to the same state and condition. But among all the vanities that the minds of men are exercised with in this world, there is none to be compared unto that of their hoping and endeavouring to bring- all persons that profess the religion of Jesus Christ, to acquiesce in the same opinions about all particulars which are any way deter- mined to belong thereunto, esjoecially considering how endlessly they are multiplied and branched into instances; such, for aught ap- pears, the first churches took little or no notice of, nay, neither knew nor understood any thing of them, in the sense and terms wherein they are now proposed as a " tessera" of communion among Chris- tians. In a word, leave Christian religion unto its primitive liberty, wherein it was believed to be revealed of God, and that revelation of it to be contained in the Scripture, which men searched and studied, to become themselves, and to teach others to be, wise in the know- ledge of God and living unto him, and thfe most of the contests that are in the world will quickly vanish and disappear. But whilst every one hath a confession, a way, a church, and its authority, which