Love's Companion, OR, A SHORT TREATISE Of the Nature, Necessity, and Advantages of MODERATION, Being the substance of two Sermons preached at Ousburne, by J. H. M. A. and Minister of Ousburne.  
Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself over-wise, why shouldest thou destroy thyself?  7. Ecclesiast. 16. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Aristot. lib. 2. Ethic. capit. 6. 
LONDON, Printed by Francis Leach, 1656.   

To the Worshipful THOMAS DICKINSON Esq, and a worthy Member of the Honourable House of Parliament  
SIR,  
IT is the observation of a learned man out of Tertullian, that Christ is always crucified between two Thiefs, that is, Truth suffers between two extreme Errors: and I have observed, that the moderate man is ever crushed between two extreme parties, who because he would have them both friends, is looked upon by both as an Enemy. Yet methinks, now, if ever, a Treatise of Moderation should be acceptable, after we have had such sore and sure experience of the evils that arise from its contrary. I know it would have been to as little purpose, to have presented to public view a subject of this nature, in the times of our busy wars, as it is to give advice to a man in the heat, and height of his passion: but now that things after so many years of confusion, are grown more calm and composed; I hope likewise, that men's spirits are accordingly tempered; especially having proved by trial, that because they would suffer nothing before, they are now forced almost to suffer every thing; this is a sharp remedy, but Pride, Uncharitableness, and Hypocrisy, are sore diseases; if the Lord shall hereby cure us of these sins, and afterwards restore, and settle us, we shall have cause to acknowledge his dealing with us, not only just, but merciful.  
One great enemy unto moderation, are deep and dangerous engagements unto a party, which make men of that desperate humour, as to resolve according to the Proverb, That because they have gone over Shoes, they will over Boots too. There is but one thing required to make a wise man, that is, Consideration; yet that Consideration is twofold, either before or after the fact; the former tends to prevent a mischief before it come, the latter to remove and heal it, when through inadvertency it is come; the former is better, yet the latter is good, if not out of season; for as we say, Better late wise than never: But such is the proud humour of deeply-engaged persons, that they refuse to put in practice the latter, because they would not be thought to have neglected the former; and resolve rather to continue fools even ad delirium & insaniam, than they will be thought, once not to have been so wise as they might have been. These men are of the Forlorn hope, and their Word is, Go forward, but their forwardness is frowardness, and if not seasonably repressed by Authority, will precipitate themselves and others into destruction. I confess that to backslide in matters of Religion is both base and sinful; but if a man hath over-shot himself, and gone too far, it is both his wisdom and safety in time to look back. God forbidden, that any who professeth himself to be an Israelite, should think of returning back to Egypt; no, farewell all cringing, and crossing, and bowing, with such like dregs of refined Popery, that they may never return again, till his Holiness by the help of his Catholic Son reduce the Church of England, is my Prayer unfeignedly. But in things that tend to the order and well-being of the Church, which are at present, together with the other, utterly demolished, there is no doubt but Authority will give us leave to look back to the Constitutions of the Primitive Church, and the Constitutions of our own Church formerly (so far forrh as agreeing with them, and not repugnant to the Scriptures) except we should depend upon an immediate Revelation for our direction.  
A second enemy unto Moderation is Hypocrisy, and self-endedness, these make men that they do not so much desire public settlement, as private safety, and causeth them altogether to hold off from engaging themselves to take up the quarrels of the Church, lest if their endeavours should prove unsuccessful, they might suffer by it. Such as these may be observed to stand not in medio, but in bivio, expecting the event, that they may apply themselves accordingly. 
Pelago se non ita commissurum esse, qui● quando liberet pedem refer posset, Melch. Adam in Vit. Bez.  As King Henry the fourth of Navarre told Beza, who urged him to show himself in the quarrel of the Protestants Religion, that he would keep upon the shore, and not launch too are out into the deep; but so that if a storm should arise, he might soon get to land again: A Lesson that, it seems, Baldwin, a man in great esteem among the French, but a very Ecebolus in Religion, taught him. It was once the Speech of a deep Politician, that it was good to follow the truth, but not too near at the heels, lest it should dash out his brains: But if all men were of this mind, when would the quarrels of our Church be taken up? certainly not till the day of judgement, if out Church should continue so long.  
A third Enemy unto Moderation is Pride and popularity, I join them both together, because they seldom go asunder: A man cannot be moderate, who is not settled in his judgement, and humble in his apprehension: now Pride makes a man stiff, where compliance is necessary; popularity makes him base in condescension, where fixedness of resolution is required.  
Lastly, there are some that live by quarrels and dissensions, who are of all others the greatest Enemies unto Moderation. These are of his mind, that bade when the sword was drawn, throw the Scabbard to the Devil. We read in Plutarch of one Demades, by profession a maker of Coffins, that was banished out of the City of Athens, for wishing that he might have good trading; that Wise State truly interpreting the language of his wish; as desiring some Epidemical disease, his private profit being inconsistent with the public flourishing of the Commonwealth: so those people, who are undone, and cannot live but by undoing of others, certainly wish no good to our Church or Nation; but must needs be State Barretours, to keep the sore always raw between Magistrates and Ministers, between Governors and their people.  
Sir, besides all these, I have observed two great evils under the Sun, and they are these. That if a man be zealous he shall presently be accounted immoderate by profane persons, and if he be moderate, he shall be thought to be lukewarm by hot professors: So that between profaneness and indiscretion, it is almost impossible for a man to maintain his reputation; for those which condemn zeal (that keeps itself within its own circuit) under the pretence of immoderation, they are scarce worth the answering: Ahab accused Elijah for the troubler of Israel, and Tertullus St. Paul for a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition, and Michol despised David as a vain person, when in his zeal he danced before the Ark; yet the Holy Ghost commends all these for their zeal; but no where condemns them of Immoderation. For such as condemn Moderation for lukewarmness, if they be observed in the general course of their lives to be conscientious, they are to be pitied & directed; but if they be carnal & Time-serving Professors, they are to be sharply dealt with, and detected, as those whom we may justly suspect for Hypocrisy, and the driving on some privare design. I will only add this, that of all men, they who plead for a Toleration, have the least reason to accuse moderate persons of lukewarmness.  
SIR, I might have added much more to what I have said concerning the Enemies of Moderation. Give me leave to say a little in vindication of men of mine own function, the Priests (as the Sectaries & Stargazers call them) who lie under the Odium of Immoderation. I do freely confess, that if the Lot should be cast, I fear many of our Tribe would be taken; yet even for them I think, I may safely say this, that many speak Against them, for speaking but that, which they themselves think. But for others, who doth not see, that therefore they are accounted immoderate, because they do zealously declare against the Heresies and Corruptions of the times, and the giving of Credence to the predictions of every vain Soothsayer and ginger, falsely so called? Again, I may subjoin this, that many Ministers are more strict than otherwise they would be, because they see, that people are Generally more lose, not only in their practice, but their opinions, than they have been; herein imitating a careful Father, who holds a more strict hand over his child, than otherwise he would, because he sees that his natural inclination, together with the temptations of evil company, provoke him to break out into such disorders, as are not only sin in him, but shame to his Father. Thirdly, therefore it may be, some Ministers are the more stiff, because they know, when they come to a debate, they must be forced to abate something, and cannot with safety abate too much; as a Chapman will ask full as much, as his commodity is worth, because else he knows, that he shall be bidden less than it is worth; all the danger is, that if a man ask too much, perhaps he shall be bidden nothing at all. Lastly, people expect zeal from Ministers, though they care not for it themselves; as many that care not so much for preaching, as to come constantly once on a Lordsday, who yet would be ready to Article against their Minister, if he did not preach twice. That which Luther said sometimes, Nunquam periclitatur Religio, nisi inter Reverendissimos; the Vulgar are ready enough to take up as a Maxim, or an Oracle. It is observed, when Christ was crucified, Pilate the Civil Magistrate absolved him, Caiphas the High Priest condemned him, Judas, his own disciple, betrayed him: people are willing to wash their hands, as Pilate did, and think they have done all well enough, if they can with any colour lay the blame at the Minister's door. Sure it is, cold Ministers make bold sinners; and all the blame will be laid upon the unfaithful Ministry, that should have been burning and shining lights, if Atheism or Heresy grow to an height.  
Sir, I know you bear honourable respects, out of conscience, to all conscientious Ministers, however traduced and maligned by some Apostatical persons. And this (set aside my private engagement, the public recital whereof would not make others more to wonder, than yourself to blush) hath induced me to dedicate this Sermon to you, as a testimony of that honour which I bear to you, and cannot otherwise to the world express. It was intended for you by the unworthy Author, when the other Sermon (concerning Mutual Love) was put forth, if the Printers slackness had not prevented, and I am sure, I have no reason to alter my intentions. For myself, I wish, that the Sermon were but in any respect worthy of your patronage, as you are in every respect worthy of its dedication. For you, I wish, that you may indeed show, that you patronise it by practising it. And that your Zeal may not burn up your Moderation; nor your Moderation choke your Zeal, is the prayer of,  
Sir, October 25th 1656. Your Worships humbly devoted, Josiah Hunter.   

To the Moderate Reader.  
THat I am not ambitious of being seen in Print, this is no small Argument, that I have suffered this Sermon (though ready for the Press) to lie beside me these seven months, when I know, it was expected by divers, to be made public every week: That which hath been a great encouragement, now at last, to expose it, is not hope of gain or credit, but the present calmness and serenity of the times, wherein a Sermon of Moderation shall not be so bold to look out, but it shall be as acceptably taken in. When one presented a Treatise of justice to Antigonus (at that very time besieging a City) he told him, that he came out of season; And it was the saying of a King, when a Treatise of Happiness was offered to him, that he was not at leisure; And perhaps if this Treatise should have been presented to public view, whilst we were in the heat of our civil wars, it might have been thought to have come out of season, and few or none would have been at leisure to read it: But now, after such a blessed cessation of war, insomuch that Counsels of War are turned into Counsels of State, I hope this subject will come in season, and even the Soldier will have leisure enough to read it.  
I know it is a very nice and tickle point, which whosoever undertakes to handle, it will be expected from him, that he should find out the maximum quod sic, and the minimum quod non: and that he should be like those men of Benjamin, who could sling stones at an hairbreadth, and not miss, Jud. 20.16. Antoninus Pius, for his desire to search to the least differences, was called (in a by word) Cumini Sector, a Carver of Cummine seed. But a man cannot be too exact in a subject of this Nature, in dividing (if it were possible) to an hairs breadth between the two extremes of Moderation: wherein (I should be most vainly conceited of myself) if I did not suspect, that I had failed. Yet this I have to plead in way of apology for myself, that it is a subject whereof few have written professedly; None that ever I saw, except Mr. Fuller in his Holy State, of whom I think it no discredit to be a borrower, and so far as I remember, I have not concealed any thing that was borrowed.  
The reason why I entitle this Sermon (Love's Companion) is, because that Moderation is always a Concomitant of Love, and likewise because I intended at first, that it should have been printed with, and joined to that Sermon of Mutual Love. If there be any thing else which I have promised, and thou expectest, I shall (as God gives assistance, and this finds acceptance) endeavour, according to my poor ability, to answer thine expectation; but for the present I have engaged myself to add unto these something concerning the Enemies of Love and Moderation, the greatest part whereof is at present ready. In the mean time, if thou receive any benefit by this, Bless God, and pray for the unworthy Instrument, who is  
Thine to serve thee in our Lord Jesus, JOSIAH HUNTER.   

Love's Companion.  Philipp: 4.5. 
Let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand. 
Text:   
THere are two things, Beloved, which were never more needful to be pressed than now; and they are Moderation and Zeal. Perhaps some may judge this at the first reading to be a strange paradox, but it is a real truth; and if there be any thing strange, it is in the times, into which we are fallen, that do at once require both a great measure of Zeal, & a great deal of Moderation; for who doth not see, that in things of less concernment, mere notions & speculations, how hot we are? here therefore is need of Moderation. But on the other side, who sees not, that in things of weighty importance, both for matter of doctrine and practice, faith and love; how cold we are? here therefore is need of Zeal. How hot many men are in defending an opinion, and yet cold in opposing an heresy? how hot many men are in opposing a ceremony, and yet lukewarm in the maintenance of things of greater concernment? and the truth is, I never knew the violent prosecution of speculations and politics, but it was ever accompanied with a coldness and looseness in piety and practice. I shall make choice of another opportunity to speak concerning Zeal, for the present my subject shall be Moderation.  
And for the right understanding of these words, you must Consider, that these Philippians, to whom the Apostle directs his Epistle, were in a suffering condition; as appears out of 1 Phil. 27. Only let your conversation be, as becometh the Gospel of Christ, standing fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God; for unto you it is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict, which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. Upon these suffering Christians therefore it is, that the Apostle lays this injunction, Let your moderation be known unto all men; adding also a reason to enforce it, the Lord is at hand: how at hand? that is, either for your present succour, as it is in Psal. 46.1. God is our refuge and strength: a very present help in trouble. Or he will come shortly to judgement, and put an end to all your sufferings, and revenge all the wrongs offered to his people; as you have it, James 5.8. Be ye also patiented, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. So that though it be many years off in your account, yet it is not many days in God's account, with whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. 3.8.  
Let your moderation be known to all men. The Vulgar Intetpreter renders it Modestia vestra, your Modesty; which though it be an effect of Moderation yet it is not moderation itself; no more than blushing can properly be said to be modesty, because it is an effect of it; but as blushing proceeds sometimes from modesty, so doth modesty from Moderation. In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, your equity, or rather equability, or equal carriage, being neither too much lifted up in wrath, clamour, or evil speaking, because of the sins of your adversaries; nor too much dejected and cast down be cause of the oppressions & sufferings, which you sustain from your adversaries. Let this your moderation, or equal carriage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be known, that is, let it be such, that it may be manifest; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men; not only your friends, but your enemies; not only to the godly, and such as are well-affected to you, but likewise to the wicked, and such as are illaffected to you. Hence I might give you the observation, That it is not enough, for a Christian to have grace, but he must also in his conversation manifest it, that it may be known to others, even all men. But that which I intent is this,  
That Christians ought to carry themselves so at all times, but especially in suffering times, 
Observe.  that their Moderation may be manifest to all men.  
For the improvement of this point, I will endeavour these three things, 1. To show you what this Moderation is. 2. Why it is the duty of a Christian to express it. 3. Why especially in suffering times. First, What this Moderation is? to which I answer, first negatively, what it is not; where I remove three things. 1. Moderation is not an halting between two opinions, when the thorough believing of one of them is necessary unto Salvation. Elijah said unto the people, How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, then follow him, but if Baal, follow him. 2 Kings 18.20. Such were they we read of 1 Zeph. 5. That worshipped, and that swore by the Lord, and that swore by Malcham. This halting argueth at the best, great weakness and instability both of judgement and affection; if not a corrupt and rotten judgement and affection. Contrary to this halting is upright walking, which is so often and so much commended to us in Scripture. The integrity of the upright shall guide them. Prov. 11.3. As for the Upright he directeth his way, Prov. 21.29. And the way of the Lord is strength to the upright, 10 Prov. 29. Though a man be weak, yet if he be upright, the way of the Lord shall be strength to him, and his uprightness shall guide him and direct him in the way. Halting therefore comes from Hypocrisy, at the least, from unsettledness. We read in 
(b) Mr. Fuller in his Holy State.  Act. 27 12. of an Haven, that lay towards the South-west, and towards the Northwest. It is strange that it could have part of two so opposite parts, North and South; sure it must needs be very winding: Yet there are some men's Souls in such intricate postures, that they lie towards the Papists, and towards the Protestants; and among Protestants there are many that lie towards Anabaptism, Judaisme, Arminianism, etc. such as these we account not of a moderate judgement, but of an immoderate unsettledness; or indeed, the falseness of their hearts is rather to be feared, than the mere fickleness of their judgements. Peter (and therefore no such wonder of other men, though in these times eminent) was not altogether free from this halting between the Jews and Gentiles, and therefore Paul withstood him to the face, and told him openly of his dissimulation. 2 Gal. 11, 12, 13. Only observe what I say; I say that Moderation is not an halting between two opinions, when the through believing of one of them is necessary unto Salvation: Otherwise, if the thing be not necessary unto Salvation, it may be Wisdom sometimes in a moderate man, to suspend his judgement in himself, at least the declaration of his judgement unto others.  
The like also may be said in matters of practice: he is not a moderate man, but a Neuter, that holds off from both, when the Glory of God, and the good of the Church or State doth require him to engage himself on one side. Curse ye Meroz (said the Angel of the Lord) curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof, 
5 Jud. 23.  because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. 
vers. 18.  Whereas Zebulun and Naphtali are highly commended, because they jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. Such a one we account not a moderate man, but an immoderate lover of himself, and his own private interest, who stays in his Tent, when God calls him into the field; and cannot be drawn from the smoke of his own Chimney to quench a public fire. This is baseness of mind, as far below Moderation in the defect; as a proud and ambitious adventuring of a man's self beyond his calling, and without a call, is above it in the excess. He cannot be taxed therefore for a man that exceeds the bounds of Moderation, who being fully assured and convinced of the lawfulness in the general, and the present necessity in particular, doth freely engage himself, though it be to the hazard of his life, in the defence of the truth of the Gospel, and the cause of God, against Papists, Socinians, Anabaptists, Atheists, and profane persons, or whomsoever else of that same coin or stamp.  
By what hath been said, it is apparent, that upright Moderation differs from halting Neutrality in two things, in Sincetity, and in Settledness: the latter flows from the former; for therefore is a moderate man settled, because he is sincere; for Truth is uniform, and always like to itself. The Philosopher saith of a just man, that he is like a die, which is every way even and like itself, turn it how you will, it falls upon an equal botttome: the like might be said of an upright man. But the Neuter is like an unballasted ship, that topless up and down in the Sea, and bends sometimes to one Shoar, sometimes to another, but Lands no where not but that the Ground is good to land on, but he is not resolved yet, on which side he had best to land: and therefore he sails between both, and to keep both in fair hopes, he salutes them sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, but he will Land on neither, till he see he can make his own advantage. The moderate man is not afraid or unwilling to interest himself in the necessary quarrels of the Church; the Neuter, like a profane Atheist, will engage himself on neither, but stands by and laughs at the dissensions of both parties, and cares not much on whose side the Victory fall, so it do but end in peace. He much weighs not whether Truth get the better of Error in this quarrel, so that Peace do but get the better of Dissension, that he may lead a quiet, for whether he lead a godly life or no, he doth but little regard.  
2. This Moderation is not a Lukewarmness in those things, wherein God's glory is concerned; here it is a true Rule, 
Mr. Fuller loc. supr. cit. Turpe est contra ardeuter perversa asserentes, nos pro veritate frigidiores inveniri. Rust. Diac. lib. adversus Acephalos cited by Dr. Plafere in his Pathway to perfection.  Non amat qui non zelat, and they that are thus lukewarm here, shall be too hot hereafter in that Oven, wherein Dough-baked Cakes shall be burnt. And a great shame it is for us to be cold in defending the Truth, when our Adversaries are so hot in opposing it. Saint Paul's spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the whole City given to Idolatry, Acts 17.16. How earnest also was our Saviour, when he drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple? then his Disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine House hath eaten me up, John 2.15, 17. was not Nehemiah zealous when he contended with the Rulers, and said, Why is the House of God forsaken? and in those days (saith he) I saw men working, and bearing all manner of Burdens on the Sabbath day, so I testified against them, and I contended with the Nobles of Judah, and said unto them, what evil thing is this, that ye do, and profane the Sabbath? And when divers Merchants came and brought ware to sell on the Sabbath day, I testified against them, and said unto them, why lodge you all out the Wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. In those days also (saith he) I saw Jews, that had married wives of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab; and their Children spoke half in the Speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews language; and I contended with them and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your Daughters to their Sons, etc. Nehem. 13.11, 15, 18, 21, 24, 25. How zealous also was Asa in his Reformation, where he spared not his own Mother, but removed her from being Queen, because she had made an Idol in a Grove, and Asa cut down her Idol, and stamped it and burned it at the Brook Kidron? 2 Chron. 15, 16. And the same Apostle that enjoins moderation in the Text, tells us also, That it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. Galat. 4 18. and 
(e) Nullum omnipotenti deo tale est sacrificium, quale est zelus animarum. Paulo post; sunt mnita bona, quae aguntur sacrificia, sed holo caustum non sunt, quia totam mentem in amore spirituali minimè incendunt. Greg. super Ezechiel homil. 12.  Gregory saith, That the zeal of the Soul is the most acceptable Sacrifice to God, and makes other Sacrifices to become whole-burnt-offerings unto the Lord. God can less endure Lukewarmness, than if a man were altogether cold; for, speaking after the manner of men, saith he to the Church of Laodicea, I would thou wert cold or hot, so then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, Rev. 3.15, 16. Will you say, he is a moderate man, who can hear the Glorious name of God and his Son Jesus Christ blasphemed, and yet his Spirit not boil within him, with a mixture of anger and grief thereat? is he a moderate man, that shall suffer himself to be drawn away to heresy or idolatry, without making any resistance, when Enticers to Idolatry, how near soever, were to be put to death, Deut. 13.1. Or am I moderate man, if being a Parent, Master of a Family, or a Minister, shall permit an Anabaptist, an Arrian, Arminian or Papist to come and sow their seeds of Errors in my Family and Parish, thereby to seduce my people? Certainly, in such cases as this, a great measure of zeal is necessary, and some extravagancies are excusable, as being errors arden's amoris: to this purpose that of Moses is observable, who having been in the Mount with God, and received from him the Law in two Tables, coming down and beholding the Idolatry of the people, his anger waxed hot, and he cast the Tables out of his hands and broke them beneath the Mount, Exod. 32.19. wherein though Moses was blame-worthy yet the Scripture doth not blame him, so well doth God like of zeal in such cases. 
Joel. 2.13  Rending of Garments were in use amongst the Jews at the Report of blasphemy, and no where that I find condemned; only we are warned to rend the heart more than the Garment, and if any one should censure a man for rending his Garments, or such like action in these days at the hearing of blasphemy, I think he were no less to blame than Eli, for passing the censure of drunkenness upon sorrowful Hannah; 
1 Sam. 1.13, 14.  remembering that of the Apostle, that if a man in this case, to outward appearance, be besides himself, it is for God, 2 Cor. 5.13. Will ye call him a moderate man, who living amongst vicious persons, given to drunkenness, swearing, profanation of God's day, and such like gross impieties, is nothing affected therewith? then Lot was an immoderate man, whose righteous soul was vexed from day to day with the unlawful deeds of the Sodomites: 
2 Pet. 2.8.  much more David, whose eyes ran down with Rivers of tears, 
Psal. 119.136.  because men did not keep Gods Law. That therefore is not moderation, but lukewarmness, which the Lord doth highly abominate and abhor.  
Only mistake me not; I say, a moderate man is not lukewarm in those things, wherein God's glory is concerned; Otherwise, if the thing be indifferent, he is also indifferent, and where the thing is neither good nor evil, he is neither cold nor hot; but in matters of weight and importance, there is none more zealous than he: For indeed, he thriftily treasured up his spirits against such a time, who if he had formerly spent his Lungs about every trifle, would have wanted breath to plead for things of greater concernment. Moderation therefore and lukewarmness do exceedingly differ; the lukewarm man eyeth his own ends and particular profit, the moderate man aims at the Good of others, and the unity of the Church: the moderate man is indifferent in things which are indifferent; but the lukewarm person is indifferent in things which concern the glory of God: the moderate man is full of charity, which makes him lukewarm in things which are mere circumstantial; the lukewarm person is empty of piety, which makes him lukewarm in things which are altogether substantial.  
3. Moderation is not a toleration of things which are destructive unto the essence or foundation of the doctrine and worship of true Christian Religion. In things of lesser moment there is no man more suffering than he, he will suffer others to use their liberty, yea he will abridge himself of his own liberty, rather than be an occasion of casting any man's conscience into straits. In such things he saith, as the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11.16. If any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the Churches of God. If ye look at the pedigree from whence Contention is extracted, you shall easily perceive, that Moderation is nothing a kin to it. I think 
(f) W. Q. in a Sermon on 1 Cor. 11.16.  he spoke not amiss, who said; There was a bastard begotten by anger, nursed by pride, and maintained by wilful contradiction, and when they came to give him a name, they called him Contention. And, as was the name of the child, so was his nature, for as soon as ever he began to go, he went backward, like the Sea-crab; as soon as ever he began to read, he read backward, like the Hebrews; as soon as he began to row, he rowed backward, evermore against Tide and Stream. If this be the nature of Contention, it is altogether contrary to Moderation, which in matters of indifferency will yield far to, and comply much with others.  
But if it be a thing that tends to the subversion of the substance and foundation of Religion derogating from the person or office of Christ, the mediator between God and Man; Gods free Grace in him; that full redemption wrought, and salvation purchased by him; that exact obedience and abundant thanks, which we own to him for this work; or any other fundamental principle of the doctrine of Christ; this a moderate man will by no means tolerate, for he can do nothing against the truth, 2 Cor. 13.8. and for that faith, which was once delivered to the Saints, he will earnestly contend, 
Judas, v. 3.  against all that creep in unawares, bringing in damnable heresies, ungodly men, 
2 Pet. 2.1.  turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the Lord Jesus Christ, that bought them. He thinks a toleration in this sense, to be so far from Religion, that it is against the very light of nature; as is apparent from Moses his reply to Pharaoh; when Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye sacrifice to your God in the land; Moses said, it is not meet so to do, for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? Exo. 8.25, 26. I have a few things against thee, saith Christ, to the Church of Pergamos, because thou hast there the doctrine of Balaam, thou hast also the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate, Rev. 2.14, 15. So saith he to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel to teach and to seduce my servants, Rev. 2.20. A toleration of such doctrines & manners, as the Lord hates, is most intolerable. We read in Ezek. 24.6. of a Woe to the pot, whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it; But where there is a toleration, I cannot see how the scum can be purged out; and certainly, where Magistrates & Ministers will not be at the pains to take off this scum, the Lord himself will do it, but it shall be in a fearful manner. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the bloody City, I will even make the pile of fire great, heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burnt: then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be melted in it, that the scum of it may be consumed, Ezek. 24.9, 10, 11. Andronicus, though in other things bad enough, yet in this was good and imitable, that he would not abide to hear any fundamental point of Religion brought into question; insomuch, that when once two Bishops began to contend about the meaning of that noted place, My Father is greater than I; Andronicus, suspecting that they would fall foul upon the Arrian heresy, vowed to throw them both into the River, except they would be quiet. A way (saith my 
(g) Mr. Fuller.  learned Author, to quench the hottest disputation, by an inartificial answer, drawn from such authority. That is a very remarkable passage, which 
(h) Ammian. Marcell. in vitâ Juliani, quoted by Mr. Baxter in his Eternal rest, part. 1. ch. 7. sect. 14.  Ammianus Marcellinus makes mention of concerning Julian, the greatest Apostate from, and Enemy unto the the Church of God in those times; when he could not bring about his desired ends by a violent persecution, he proclaimed Liberty (saith he) for every party to profess and preach their own opinions, because he thought this would make christian's fall out one with another, and ruin themselves, which he by all his persecutions could not effect, so long as they held and strove together with one mind for the faith of the Gospel; And so by Liberty of Conscience (saith he) and by keeping their children from the Schools of learning, he thought to have rooted out Christianity from the earth. It is an observable passage, and I shall only give you this Comment upon it; that it is a very sad thing, when we shall make use of the most exquisite and deep-studied plots and projects of our greatest enemies, to raise the Church, which they made use of to ruin it: God, I know, can by his infinite power and wisdom, bring order out of confusion, and light out of darkness; but however, this course is in itself neither pious, prudent, nor safe: for not Gods unknown power, but his known will is the rule that we must walk by. Thus you see, what Moderation is not, it is neither neutrality, Lukewarmness, nor a Toleration, in that sense I have showed you. I presume, that all these will pretend, and boldly challenge kindred with Moderation; but it wholly disclaims them, as the base offspring and brood of carnal policy; and not the true children issuing from a sound judgement in matters of faith, sincere piety toward God, and unfeigned charity toward our Brethren, as Moderation doth. As well may ye call prodigality liberality, covetousness good husbandry, and pride neatness; as call either neutrality, Lukewarmness, or a toleration, by the name of Moderation.  
Having showed you, what Moderation is not, I come now to show you, as near as I can, what it is; and ye may take this description of it in the general. 
What Moderation is.  It is a grace, whereby we are enabled in all quarrels, causes and Conditions, so to carry ourselves, as not to offend God, or give any unjust offence to men. A Grace that keeps us from extravagancies and extremes. Now this Moderation may be considered three ways, in the judgement, in the affection, and in the Conversation.  

1. In the judgement.  1. Moderation in the Judgement is a mixture of discretion & charity in ones judgement. Discretion (saith Mr. Fuller) puts a difference between things absolutely necessary to be done and believed unto Salvation, and those which are of a second sort, & lower form, wherein more liberty and latitude is allowed, in maintaining whereof the stiffness of the judgement is abated and suppled, with charity towards his neighbour. A moderate man hath his senses exercised to discern of things which are formal, 
5. Heb. 14.  and things which are fundamental, & knows that it is the maintaining of a fundamental eror, which maker's a man a heretic, nor is it the mere maintaining, but the obstinate maintaining such an error, that givs a man the odious name of Heretic: Obstinacy is the dead flesh, which makes the green wound of an an error, to fester into the old sore of an Heresy. The moderate man considers that some differences of opinions are, as 
(i) Lord Bacon in his Advancement of learn.  one elegantly expresseth it, as the striving of one Israelite with another, and these Moses quiets, and parts them fairly; but other viz. Heresies fight against the foundation, are like the Egyptians fight with the Israelite, whom Moses smites down. 2 Exod. The moderate man distinguisheth of Schismatical and erroneous persons, as 
(k) Mr. Fuller in his character of a good Bishop.  Physicians do of leprous people; some are infectious, others which have the Leprosy called Elephantiasis, are not infectious; some are active to seduce others, others quietly enjoy their opinions in their own consciences; the latter by his mildness he easily reduceth to the truth; whereas the Surgeons rigorous handling of it, often breaks the bone quite off, which formerly was but out of joint: Towards the former he useth more severity, yet endeavouring first to inform them aright, before he cause them to be punished; for to use force first, before people are fairly taught the truth, is to knock a nail into a board, without wimbling an hole for it, which then either not enters, or turns crooked, or splits the wood it pierceth.  
A moderate man doth not, like the two Disciples, presently call for fire from heaven upon an Heretic; he would not have him presently punished, much less put to death; yet he would have him restrained, that he may not seduce: for ye will not suffer a man that hath a running plague-sore, to go abroad to infect, though his shutting up be not in way of punishment, as if he were punished, because he hath the sore, but in way of prevention of contagion, as the restraint of the Leper was under the Law; and if he will not be restrained, but obstinately persist in his error, labouring to seduce others, than the moderate person thinks, he is not any longer gently to be forborn, but more roughly dealt with; for he will not be so charitable to the person of an heretic, as to countenance his error, and prejudice the truth of Christ, which is of more value than any man's life. Charity suffereth long, and is kind, yet it rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. 1 Cor. 13.4.6. 
(l) Mr. Vines in a Sermon, 2 Pet. 2.1.  Some argue against the punishment of Heretics with death, because it is merely an intellectual error: Now, say they, you would not hang a Physician for a murderer, who upon a mistake gives his patient a potion of poison instead of good medicine, nor a madman that breaks out, and slays and kills such as he meets with, because this proceeds from the laesion of his understanding: Now (saith Mr. Vines) though I do not concur with this supposal, that heresy is a mere act of the understanding, for it hath its denomination from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an act of the Will choosing the error; yet thus far I go with it, that such pretended Physicians, as hold that to be poison which is wholesome, and on the contrary, are not to be licenced to practise, nor such mad men suffered to exercise their fury. And if such a Physician shall, after he is forbidden to practise, yet go on, and in the exercise thereof kill a man, I see no reason at all why he should not be put to death, as one guilty of murder; for though it proceed from ignorance, yet it is a pertinacious ignorance.  
In a word therefore, a moderate judgement is a judgement wellweighed with truth and love, one that is neither credulous nor censorious. A moderate man will not have any man's person in such admiration or estimation, as thereby to be drawn to an approbation of his errors; for so he shall wrong the truth, and wrong his own judgement; yet however he hate the error, he hath a charitable opinion of the person that holds it, and walks according to it, so it be not with obstinacy, and a desire to seduce, conceiving that he is misled through ignorance, and upon better information will recant: And if the error be in things of less moment, that are merely circumstantial, he bears with him altogether, being willing that he should speak as a child, and understand as a child, and think as a child, till he come to more maturity of understanding, 
1 Cor. 13.11.  remembering that of the Apostle, That the strong aught to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please themselves, Rom. 15.1. Contrary therefore to this moderate judgement, I say, is first a credulous judgement in the defect, which is apt upon the good opinion it hath of such a man's person, with better liking to entertain his errors, whether in Doctrine or practice, and to think, certainly there is not so much poison in them, because administered by such a person. This though it doth argue much honesty, yet it doth also argue much weakness. Charity is commendable, but not this credulity; I will never be so charitable to any, as to wrong my own judgement and the truth, out of a good affection that I bear to any man's person. 
(m) Cypriani literas non ut canonicas habeo, sed ex canonicis considero, & quoth in iis divinarum Scripturarum autoritati congruit cum laude ejus accipio, quod autem non congruit, cum pace ejus respuo. Aug. adv. Crescon. lib. 2. ca 32.  St. Augustine's practice in this is worthy our imitation; I do not hold (saith he) the writings of Cyprian (though a famous, godly, and learned Martyr) for canonical, but I compare them with those that are canonical, and what I find in them agreeable to the authority of divine writ, I do with his praise receive, but what I find doth not agree with the Scripture, I do with his leave refuse. 2. Contrary to this moderate judgement, is a censorious judgement, and this respects a man's person, as the other did his error. A credulous man is apt too much to like the Error for the Person sake; the censorious too much to dislike the Persons for the Errors sake: now the moderate man goes between both; he likes not the Error one jot better for the Persons sake, no more than he would poison presented in a Golden Cup; neither doth he at the first much more dislike the Person for the Errors sake, till he see him proudly obstinate in his Error after admonition, and take up a lose and carnal course of life in patronage of his Error, than indeed he shakes hands with him, as one departed from the Church, yet with Prayers, that he may rerurn again. A censorious judgement therefore I call that, which is too rash, too harsh. 1. Too rash, judging things before the time. 1 Cor. 4, 5. judging what men will be, before they profess themselves to be so, and what they will do, before they do it. A wisely suspicious judgement is commendable, but a rashly censorious is to be condemned. 2. Too harsh, in judging of men's affections and conditions towards God by one or two unjustifiable actions. 
2 Kin. 9 & 10 cha.  For I am so charitable as to think, that as Jehu destroyed Ahabs' house, and the Idolatry thereof, which was a good action, with a corrupt intention; so may good men sometimes do unjustifiable actions, yet with a sincere and upright intention. Now as he errs in the one hand, that should go about any way to justify their actions; so he errs no less in the other, that doth rigidly censure and condemn their persons and their affections, before they profess themselves to be such. Hence it is, that we are in Scripture so much warned to to take heed of judging. Judge not, that ye be not judged, Mat. 7.1. Why dost thou judge thy Brother, let us not judge one another any more. Rom. 14.10, 13. judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the heart, 1 Cor. 4.5. For though some men's sins are open before hand going before to judgement, yet some mens they follow after, 1 Tim. 5.24. They are so secret or else so specious, that they must be referred wholly to the judgement of the last day. The sum of all is this, a moderate man, though he be not so judicial or judging as to wrong others; yet he is so judicious as not to wrong himself, or wrong the truth, and therefore I say, this Moderation in the judgement is a mixture of discretion and charity.  

2. Moderation in the affections.  2. This Moderation may be considered in the Affections, and that is, when a Christian is seriously sensible of, and thereupon doth hate and grieve for the evils and errors practised and professed by others, yet with much meekness. First, I say, when he doth hate the evils and errors practised and professed by others. Ye that love the Lord hate evil, Psal. 97.10. I hate the works of them that turn aside, saith David, Psalm 101.3. I hate every false way, Psal. 119.104. And the Church of Ephesus, how ever she was in some things defective, having left her first love, yet saith Christ, this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. Rev. 2.6. Again, I say, a moderate man, as he hates, so he grieves for the evils and errors of others, When I came to Jerusalem, saith Nehemiah, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a Chamber in the Courts of the house of God, it grieved me sore, and I cast forth all the Householdstuff of Tobiah out of the Chamber. Nehe. 13.7.8. Every Christian may be thus grieved, as Nehemiah was, when such evils are done, though perhaps they have neither power nor authority to rectify them. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved (saith David) because they kept not thy word, Psal. 119.158. and Psalm 139.21. Am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? There is but little love in that man to God, who doth not grieve at that which grieves God. But then in the last place, I say, the Moderate man, though he do seriously hate and grieve for the evils and the errors done and declared by others, yet it is with much Christian meekness, without wrath and rancour, so far as humane infirmity will permit. I know thy works (saith Christ to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus) and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and hast born, and hast patience, and for my name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted. Rev. 2.2, 3. This is a most notable place to our purpose; I know thy Labour and thy Patience, how thou hast born, and hast Patience, and yet canst bear them which are evil. This might seem to be a manifest contradiction; but it is not; for it becomes a moderate Minister or Christian with all his might to strive to redress such evils, as are within the compass of his power and calling, and what he cannot redress, patiently to endure, being sensible of them, hating them, and grieving for them, but not moved thereby unto a fretting impatience, either against God or man. Thou canst not bear them which are evil, and yet hast born, and hast patience, and for my name sake hast laboured and not fainted. The Lord will render unto every man according to his work, to them who by patiented continuace in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrightousnesse, indignation and wrath. Rom. 2.6, 7, 8. So the Apostle james having declared the wickedness and oppression of rich men, which was not in the power of poor men to redress; Be patiented therefore, (saith he) brethren, unto the coming of the Lord, be ye also patiented, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh; Grudge not one against another, lest ye be condemned; behold the Judge standeth before the door; take the Prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience; behold, we count them happy which endure, James 5.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. If when you do well, and suffer for it patiently, this is acceptable unto God 1 Pet. 2.20.  
Contrary to this Moderation in the Affections, in the defect, is 1. when men are not sensible of, nor do they cordially hate and grieve for the evils and errors of others, how loud and clamorous soever they are against them. So I observe many, who are very invective against the corruptions, innovations and heresies of the times, who yet are nothing affected with the dishonour that is done to God by them, and the decay of religion. As in that uproar, which Demetrius raised, some cried one thing, and some another, and the assembly was confused, for the more part knew not wherefore they were come together, Acts 19.32. So is it among our people, generally they are confused, some cry out against the Sects, heresies, and corruptions of the times for one thing, some for another, and the greater part know not wherefore, only because that they hear others. Some there are again, who profess to detest and be grieved at the corruptions of the times, but it is out of a politic respect, as the Jews, Jo. 11.48. opposed Christ, If we let him thus alone, 
Timemus ne subvertamur, de ignominia verò Christi omnium minime dolemus, Musc. super Joan. cap. 2. v, 17.  say they, all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. So they, if we let these Sectaries alone thus, not the truth of God shall fall in the Streets and be trodden under foot, the Church rooted out, Gods worship destroyed; no, but they will gather to an head, over-runne us, take away our estates from us, and exercise tyranny over us. This is the Ground of the grief of knowing worldly Politicians, not that they care for the promotion of the Church, or the propagation of the Gospel; yet now they profess to stand for them; the reason is, because the present interest of the Church, is something linked with their own interest, and they do but contend for the former with relation to the latter: For were the Church and they at rest from the present disturbers of our peace, ye should have it as much vexed and grieved with the scoffings and profaneness of these men, as now it is with the schisms and heresies of the other. 2. Contrary to this Moderation of the Affections in the excess, is wrath and swelling. Though others do evil, yet that is no warrant for us to do evil. Fret not thyself, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, for evil doers shall be cut off, but those that wait upon the Lord, shall inherit the earth, Ps. 37.7, 8, 9 wrath and envying are numbered among the works of the flesh, as well as seditions and heresies, Gal. 5.20, 21. and we are commanded to put off wrath, anger and malice, as well as blasphemy, they being no less deeds of the old man, and members of the body of death, than the other, Coloss. 3.8. Sure it is, the wrath of man doth not work the righteousness of God, James 1.20. And therefore is meekness so much commended in Scripture, as an ornament of great price in the sight of God, 1 Pet. 3.4. And we are commanded, in evil times, when the fierce anger of the Lord is breaking out, to seek righteousness, to seek meekness, if that we desire to be hid in the day of the Lords wrath, Zeph: 2.2, 3. Unto meekness it is, that so many promises are made, the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of (inward, if they want outward) peace, Ps. 37.11. The Lord lifteth up the meek, Psal. 147.6. He will beautify the meek with salvation, Psal. 149.4. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, Isa. 29.19. It is a great honour to our profession, and stops the mouths of false accusers, 1 Pet. 3.14. If ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terrors, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence, that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed, who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.  

3. Moderation in the Conversation.  3. This Moderation may be considered in the Conversation, and that is, when a man out of zeal to God's Glory, keeping himself within the compass of his calling, doth speak and act against the evils and errors of the times he lives in, and the persons he lives amongst, be they never so great; yet with much modesty and reverence, especially if they be great. Now contrary to this, 1. in the defect is, when men do not or dare not, according to the duty of their general or particular callings, declare their dislike and detestation of the evils and corruptions of the times and places they live in. This proceeds from base pusillanimous fear and cowardice of spirit; whereas we are commanded not to fear their fear, neither to be afraid, but to sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be our fear, and let him be our dread, and he shall be for a Sanctuary. Isa. 8.12, 13. The fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the Lake, that burns with fire and brimstone, Revel. 21.8. This Christ takes for no better than a denial of him, as appears by the opposition, Mat. 12.32, 33. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my father, which is in Heaven; but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father, which is in heaven. Not openly to confess Christ therefore, is to deny him, and if we deny him, he will also deny us, 2 Tim. 2.12. It is said of those that received the mark of the beast, that they received it in their right hand, Rev. 13.16. a place which they might either open or shut; and so either cover or discover the mark, when they pleased: but those that receive the mark of the lamb, Christ Jesus, have it in their foreheads, a place open and obvious to the view of all men, in testimony that they are not ashamed of Christ, and will not either for fear or favour dissemble him. For this you have an excellent place, Isay 44.5. One shall say, I am the Lords, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel: Such shall be their undaunted courage and resolution for God, that they shall not be afraid to make profession in so many words, I am the Lords, and to subscribe their name to it, when they had done. Now, this doth especially concern Ministers, who are purposely set up by God, To cry aloud, to lift up their voice like a Trumpet, and to show the people their sins, Isa. 58.1. Whom God hath set over Nations and Kingdoms, to reot out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, and to build, and to plant, Jer. 1.10. Whom God hath deputed in his stead to judge, yea to judge whole Nations for their wickedness, and to cause them to know their abominations, Ezek. 20.4. And therefore they of all others should not be afraid of, or dismayed at the faces of men, lest the Lord confound them before the people. Jer. 1.8, 17. They should not be afraid of the words, nor dismayed at the looks of men, be they never so rebellious, be they as sharp as thorns and briers, and stinging as Scorpions, Ezech. 2.6, 7. but should, with Peter, testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation, Act. 2.40.  
And as it doth concern Ministers especially, in respect of their particular calling, so it doth concern all men, in respect of their general calling, to declare their dislike of the corruptions and evils of the times and places they live in; having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reproving them, Ephes. 5.11. withdrawing themselves from all such, as are of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, as we are commanded, 1 Tim. 6.5. 2 Tim. 3.5. marking them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which they have learned, and avoiding them, for they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom. 16.17, 18. That so they may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation, among whom they shine as lights in the world, Phil. 2.15.  
2. As fearful cowardice is contrary to Moderation in defect, so Turbulence is contrary to it in the excess: and that is twofold, either in words or actions. 1. Turbulence in words: It is noted by St. Peter of those Heretics and Enthusiasts, which he speaks of, that they speak great swelling words of vanity, 2 Pet. 2.10. and Judas notes the same thing of them also, That their mouth speaketh great swelling words, and uttereth hard speeches, v. 15.16. these hard speeches and swelling words are for the most part uttered against Magistrates and Ministers; as Korah, with his company, gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the Congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the Congregation of the Lord, Numb. 16.3. This is the direct language of turbulent and schismatical persons; and indeed it is the Lord Verulam's note, that if any new sect hath not two properties, it is not to be feared that it will spread; the one is the supplanting or suppressing of Authority established; for nothing is more populous than that; the other is, giving licence to pleasures, and a voluptuous course of life. And therefore let those, which profess themselves such enemies to Sectaries (not their persons, but their opinions) take heed that by their practice they do not approve of them in this particular.  
Sure it is, the tongue is a most unruly member, and is not so easily tamed, as the stomachful horse, or guided as the unwieldy ship; it boasteth great things, and is full of deadly poison, no man can tame it, Jam. 3.3.4. And it is strange to see, what liberty some men (who pretend conscience) will assume unto themselves in this; whereas it is said that Michael the Archangel, when he contended with the Devil about the body of Moses, durst not bring a railing accusation against him, but said, the Lord rebuke thee, Judas 1.9. The truth is, railing is one of the last and basest unworthy shifts of a needy person, and it is to be feared, he who useth it, hath no better weapon. Therefore Paul gives Titus charge, to put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey Magistrates, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness to all men, Tit. 3.1, 2. That was as moderate, yet a resolute answer, which the three Children gave to Nabuchadnezzar: If it be so, our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us out of this fiery furnace, and he will, but if not, be it known unto thee, O King (not O Tyrant, or Persecuter) that we will not serve thy God, nor worship the graven Image which thou hast set up, Dan. 3.17, 18. Alike moderate, and yet resolute, was the answer of Frederick the elector of Saxony, who being prisoner to Charles the fifth, was promised enlargement, and restitution of dignity, if he would come to Mass, Summum in terris Dominum agnosco Caesarem, in Coelis Deum; In all earthly matters I acknowledge Caesar as supreme, but in heavenly God. We are not to revile any, much less the Gods of the people; such hot tongues as are blistered with this venom, surely are set on fire of hell, and are far from this Moderation.  
Again, certainly, so much bitterness even in the just prosecution of the Sects and errors of our times, must needs be condemned; and yet what a deal of it may one meet with in the Press, and sometimes in the Pulpit: so much virulency and bitterness, 
Rom. 3.13, 14.  as if the poison of Asps were under their lips, their mouths are so full of cursing and bitterness. This doth more enrage, but nothing more reclaim them, who are given to schism and innovation, who are more proud, the more proudly they are opposed, and come to increase, and be well liked of amongst ignorant people, as persecuted men, because of such bitter opposition. A fool must not be altogether unanswered; yet he must not be answered foolishly, for than we are like unto him, Prov. 26.4, 5. Now there is nothing wherein a wiseman doth more bewray folly, than in being bitter, when he is in just contention with a fool; it is but a sorry victory that a man gets by conquering of a fool, but if whilst he strive with a fool, he can but rule his own spirit, that is a victory indeed, more considerable than the taking of a City, Prov. 16.32. otherwise, be the cause never so strong that a man defends, if he be passionate, he is weak; and his weakness will his adversary (though without cause) be ready to cast as an aspersion upon his cause; and ignorant people who have but little skill of controversy, are in their opinions led for the most part by the actions of the persons, their Logic lying altogether in inartificial arguments; as Jovinian said to the Arrian and orthodox Bishops, contending for the faith, Of your learning & subtle disputations, I cannot so well judge; but I can well mark and observe, which of your behaviours is most peaceable and fruitful: So your ordinary people are not so able to judge of men's parts, nor of the question that is in dispute; but they can easily see whose carriage is most sober, peaceable, and plausible; and their rule, most what is to judge of the cause by the persons. Passion is one mark of a fool; Anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Eccl. 7.9. and Prov. 27.3. A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty, but a fools wrath is heavier than them both. As a man that is light in his head with drink, or with a disease, if he chance to fall, goes so much more sadly and heavily to the ground, not able to stay or secure himself in his fall; so it is with a fool, the reason why his wrath is so heavy, is because his head is so light, and he hath not reason to counterpoise his passion. When a wise man therefore contending with a fool, shall break out into unseemly passion, what can one say? As Demonax, when he saw one cruel in the beating of his servant, Fie (saith he) forbear, lest by the world you be taken for the servant: So it may be said to a wise man, in rage striving with a fool; fie, forbear, lest by the world you be taken for the fool. Nothing doth so befool a man, as extreme passion, this doth make men fools, that otherwise are not, and show them to be fools that are so: if we cannot tame violent passions; that they may yield to our ease, we should labour at least to smother them by concealment, that they may not appear to our shame. I confess indeed, a wise man dealing with a fool, goes upon much disadvantage one way; he shall be sure to have many provocations unto passion, his irrational reasons, incongruous answers, and groundless distinctions, with his tedious Circumlocutions, must needs be very irksome and unpleasing to a judicious man: and when a fool propounds a question, and it come to be discussed, he shall, as most what he doth, fly from the matter, refusing to be kept within any limits, this is a very great provocation; and his extravagancy in the Action, makes his Opponent sometimes extravagant in his passion: but a wise and moderate man, knowing that he must expect no fair dealing from a fool, should therefore arm himself accordingly beforehand with humble prayer to God, and strong resolution within himself; saying that he will, and praying that he may, take heed to his ways, that he sin not with his tongue, but keep his mouth as with a bridle, whilst the wicked is before him, Psal. 39.1. I do not see how a wise man, when he flies from the matter he is contending about, to fall upon the person that he contends with, can clear himself before God or sober men. When a man contends with a fool, he doth not so much contend against him, as his error, for who, else, would trouble himself with a fool? When a wise man therefore in the heat of contention shall so far forget himself, as to leave the prosecution of the question, to fall upon the person, surely this is more distempered heat than zeal; for he hath now strayed and gone from the business; and he, that makes the fool, and not his folly, the Butt that he shoots at, doth undoubtedly miss the mark: so he may wound the person and make the fool rage, but leaves the error untouched. Again, when a man's passion boiles so within him, as to send forth the scum of evil language, or the froth of uncivil taunts against his adversary, undoubtedly he hath transgressed the bounds of Moderation. Neither railing nor lightness become a wise man, any more than a grave parable doth a fool. A fool will rage's and rail, but what then? do ye expect any better from a briar, than that it should scratch? Wickedness will proceed from the wicked, as saith the proverb of the Ancients, but a wise man will keep off his hand, and keep up his tongue, 2 Sam. 14.13. knowing, that if reason will not convince his adversary, raising will but more exasperate and obdurate him. To shut up this, the moderate man (if God see it good) desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good, (and do much good) and therefore keepeth his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile, Psal. 34.12, 13. not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing, knowing that he is thereunto called, that he may inherit a blessing, 1 Pet: 3.9. For so did our Saviour, he left us an example behind him, that we should follow his steps, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, 1 Pet. 2.21, 23.  
2. Contrary to this Moderation, is turbulence in actions, and that is, briefly, when men, 1: will be stepping beyond the bounds of their lawful Callings, invading the Magistracy or Ministry, and attempting to reform abuses and corruptions in Church and State, when they have no lawful call to it. 
(n) In his coal from the Altar, p. 244.  Mr: Ward wittily calls these men, Fires that cannot keep themselves within their own hearths, Spirits that cannot keep themselves within their own Circles. Such as these, if ye observe them, shall have many corruptions in their own Families unreformed, which lie within the Compass of their duty and ability to reform; and yet they, who have not the skill or will to reform abuses in their own families, will be very hot in talking of reforming the Church, and amending things amiss in the State. So ye never knew any men, that would be presumptuously adventuring upon things, for which they have no command, but they did grossly neglect other things most manifestly commanded. Such men as these, are of most troubled and troubling Spirits; and I know not, whether they trouble others or themselves more: Sure it is, they do trouble others, and they do also trouble themselves, but with little thanks from others. But what is the reason, that many among us should thus run out and forget themselves? Surely they think, that if they should not censure others, and find fault with something (saith 
(o) In his E●●position on Rom. 12.3.  Mr: Parr) they should be accounted no body, and to be blind, and to have little profited in knowledge, when rather this practice shows them to be blind or ill-sighted: for if they did see well and perfectly, they would see reason to persuade them to judge charitably of the State, in which they live, and to keep themselves in their own Callings. When an old man takes a book to read, he holds it far from him; I take it, not for the strength and goodness of his sight, but for the weakness and dimness: So when our Schismatical and contentious Spirits see so well afar off, and so ill near at hand, it argues them to be dull and thick-sighted. When Peter enquired of Christ, What John should do? What is that to thee? saith our Saviour, follow thou me, Joh. 21.21, 22. If things be thus and thus ordered in the Commonwealth and Church by the wisdom of thy Governors, what's that to thee? follow thou Christ, by walking conscionably in thine own calling: Tantumne abs re tuâ otii est tibi, aliena ut cures? wantest thou work at home, that thou art so busy abroad? study to be quiet, meddling with thine own business, as the Lord commandeth thee, 1 Thess: 4.11. 2ly, As he is turbulent who goeth beyond his calling: so he that carries himself turbulently in his calling, opposing government, whether in Church or State, settled by Authority, sowing divisions, and thereby labouring, as Judas and Theudas, to draw away much people after him, Acts 5.36, 37. The moderate man meddles little with Civil Government. Suppose it be usurped, let them look to it that are the Usurpers; if he can but lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, 
1 Tim. 2.2.  he is thankful to God, and obedient to man. It is not a kingdom, or any such thing that he strives for, but only the kingdom of Heaven, and this he steals from the world, whilst they are all busy, and in an hurly-burly about the kingdoms, and government and greatness of this world. He loves not to make parties, and draw away people after him; his principal care is, to draw his family, and then his Neighbours, by a godly life and Christian exhortations, and as many as he can by this means, unto heaven. In a word, the moderate man is not ambitious, and therefore not turbulent, he had rather enjoy the Gospel with quietness, than enjoy a Kingdom with tumult. He passeth silently through the world, without making any noise, or being pointed at with the finger, as he goes along the streets; and if little, that is notable, be said of him; he is sure, that there is nothing notorious done by him. So I have dispatched the first particular, and shown you, as exactly as I could, what this Moderation is, both in the Judgement, Affections, and Conversation. I hasten to the second thing.  

Why we are to express Moderation.  Why it is the duty of a Christian to express Moderation. 1. Because Christian Religion doth enjoin, and not only so (but where it is in truth and in power) doth Reas. 1 also enable us to carry ourselves moderately. Wherefore serves religion, but to guide and govern our affections and Actions? Therefore we are so much Christians, as we can rule ourselves, the rest is but form and speculation. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain, James 1.26. It is but a vain religion and unprofitable, that doth not at once both teach a man, and enable him to rule his tongue, to bridle his passion, and to keep himself within compass. Doth the doctrine of Christianity, which is a doctrine of the Cross and Self-denial, teach men to be immoderate?  
2. As Christian Religion enjoineth Moderation, so Reas. 2 Moderation is an honour to our Religion, and puts to shame such as speak evil of us, and falsely accuse us, 1 Pe●: 3.16. Moderation puts a lustre upon all graces, and therefore is well called by Bishop Hall, the silken string running through the pearl-chain of all virtues. What were Anger without Moderation, but madness? What were Zeal without this, but a fury? as the lower spheres of the heaven would soon set the whole world on fire, if they should not be stayed by the contrary course of the highest sphere in the firmament: so the inferior affections of the mind, if not regulated by a moderate judgement, and the mild motions of the Spirit of God, will soon overheat and overthrow all that a man goes about. The Poets shadowed out this, in Minerva's golden bridle, wherewith she managed her winged Pegasus. 
(p) Tolle hanc & virtus vitium erit, ipsaque affectio naturalis in perturbationem magis convertetur, exterminiumque naturae. Bern. super Cant. Serm. 49. Et fervour d●scretionem erigat, & discretio fervorem dirigat.  Bernard calls Discretion or Moderation, Moderatrix & auriga virtutum: and take away this (saith he) and virtue will become vice, and natural affection itself will turn into perturbation, and overwhelm nature. And therefore saith one, (quoting Bernard, but I cannot find the place) as zeal must erect our discretion, that we be not too slow: so discretion must direct our zeal, that we be not overhasty.  
3. That known and generally received Maxim, which Reas. 3 is the substance of the Law and the Prophets, Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, Mat. 7.12. doth strongly engage us unto Moderation. For we would have others moderate to us, why should not we then be moderate to others? David hit himself a foul blow, when he was so angry against the rich man, that had violently taken away the poor man's lamb, and resolved, that he should die; not considering what he had done to Uriah, 2 Sam. 12.5. How sparing men are of themselves, and how sparing would they have their Brethren to be towards them, and yet how rigid they are to others? Some, saith 
(q) Alii tam vehementer contra aliorum delicta zelantur, ut videri possent esurire & sitire justitiam, si esset apud eos de suis quoque peccatis idem judicium; sed nunc pondus & pondus utrumque abominatio apud deum. Nam contra alios tam impudenter, quàm inutiliter aestuant; seipsos tam incipienter, quam inutiliter palpant. Bern. de advent. Dom. sermon. 4.  St. Bernard, are so zealous against the faults of others, as if they did hunger and thirst after justice; which were very commendable, if they were likewise as zealous against their own Sins, but saith he, Pondus & pondus, divers weights are an abomination to the Lord; and they who do so impudently and vainly censure others, do as foolishly and unprofitably flatter themselves.  
4. The good of others and the peace of the Church do strongly engage us unto moderation; Si virtutum finis ille sit maximus, qui plurimorum spectat profectum, moderatio propè omnium pulcherima est; Ambros. de penitent. lib. 1. adv. Novat. ca 1. If that be the chief end of virtue (saith he) to respect the profit of many, Certainly moderation is the most excellent. The answer of Apollonius to Vespasian was full of excellent instruction; Vespasian asked him what was Nero's overthrow, he answered, Nero could tune and touch the Harp well, but in Government, sometimes he used to wind the Pipes too high, sometimes to let them down too low; Reason 4 And certain it is, that nothing destroys authority so much, as the unequal and untimely interchange of Power pressed too far, and relaxed too much. And if it be asked, what hath been the ruin of our Church (lately one of the famous Churches in the World) what, but because with Nero we could never yet hit of the Golden Mean, but have either been too high or too low. When I consider into what a distracted estate our Church is brought through our mutual and immoderate contentions, I cannot but think of the Prophet's earthen Bottles dashed one against another, Jer. 13.12, 13, 14. and of Philip Duke of Burgundy his Emblem, Flint and Steel beaten one against the other, till both be wasted, affording no other issue but Fire. Between our Yea, and your Nay said 
(r) Inter licet nostrum, & non licet vestrum, mutant & remigant animae Christianorum. Optat. adv. Parmen. Mr. Ward in his coal from the Altar. p. 254.  Optatatus to the Donatists, the Souls of Christians waver and are unsettled. And have not we brought it to the same pass by our immoderate quarrels among ourselves, that many a Christians soul staggers and is unresolved, others leap aside into the Tents of Popery and multitudes perverted and become they know not what themselves. We have made the Devil but too much sport already, who hath thrown in Bones to set us together by the ears, whilst he lets in the common Enemy upon us. Moderation and Charity are the Builders of Churches; strife about Trifles hath wasted many famous ones, and placed the Temples of Mahomet, where the Golden Candlestick was wont to stand. We pity the former ages, contending about levened and unlevened bread, keeping of Easter, fasting on Sundays, etc. the future ages will do the like for us. Oh that the Lord would put into the hearrs both of Governors and parties to these quarrels, once to make an end of these Midiniatish wars; that we might jointly pour out the vials of our zeal upon the Throne of the Beast. God knows, the Church hath not lost, but the Adversaries of it have gotten as much by our immoderate Domestical dissensions; a foreign Enemy cannot wish us a greater mischief, or themselves a greater advantage, than this. This makes the Turks pray to God to keep the Christians a● variance, and encouraged one of their Emperors to say, when his Council dissuaded him from a war against the Germans by reason of their multitude, that he feared them not, because sooner would his fingers be all of one length, than their Princes be all of one mind. As more grievous, and less easy to be borne; for if we mingle sin with our sufferings, it is, as if a man should put poison into some wholesome physic; besides, it is by patience, that we possess our souls in all sufferings, Luke 21.19. and if through immoderation and impatience, we shall be dipo●sest of our Souls in a time of suffering, what a sad condition are we in then?  

Use of Exhortation.  The use of all that hath been said, shall be to exhort us unto Moderation, a grace so excellent, and yet so much out of Grace with the times. I know indeed, that moderate men are commonly crushed between the extreme parties on both sides, and in this world (generally) they get the least preferment; it faring with them as with the guest that sat in the midst of the Table, who could reach to neither Mess, above him, nor beneath him. But to overbalance these temporal inconveniencies of Moderation, I shall offer unto the Readers thoughts the benefits of Moderation, as I find them to my hand, in an author eminent for learning and Moderation. 
The benefits of Moderation.  And  

1 A sound judgement.  1. A well-informed judgement is of itself a great preferment; which a man that wants Moderation seldom hath: for they that have so much heat, usually have but little light, or else their light is no better than darkness, the mist of their passions dims their eyes, that they cannot see clearly. Now what is of more value next to truth, than a judgement well informed with truth? Certainly (saith the Lord Bacon) it is Heaven upon Earth, to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth; all which a moderate Christian hath. It is the greatest folly in the world, for any man in matters of Religion, to entertain a lie, or to possess himself of falsehood; and therefore it requires the greatest care of a Christian, that in Religion he be not found to receive any thing, which is not sound and grounded upon truth. It is royal and noble liberty to be under the command of truth, and the more subject a man is to truth, the more free, noble and raised he is: and of choice a man should deliver himself up absolutely, without any reservation to truth; it is a man's height and excellency thus to do. But it is a man's greatest debasement to enslave his conscience to an error; there is not a greater slave among the Turks than he that doth charge his conscience with a falsehood. For, for any man to lay stress, where God hath laid none, or more than God hath, is to be superstitious; and Superstition is something worse than nothing, the more it grows in being, it is worse than if it had no being, for it is a lie. A superstitious man seems to serve God, when either he doth not serve him at all, or else according to his own fancy, & to observe God superstitiously is worse, in some sort, than to neglect God, for it doth abuse him. That which a man takes for truth in Religion, he submits himself to it, lets it have dominion over his conscience, frames his conversation so, that all his actions may consist with it: and if a man entertain an error or a falsehood in this manner, doth he not then part with all his liberty, doth he not make himself the worst slave in the world? and as it is the greatest cruelty to die by a man's own hand; so it is the basest slavery for a man to submit himself to an error of his own forging. And again, it is the greatest wrong to God; for this is the utmost capacity of a creature, for a creature to entertain this Maxim so, as to say, I will submit myself and all my designs, and my will, will I submit to it, and live by it; I say, thus for a man to receive an error, is the greatest wrong to God, that can be; for no more can be given to God, and so much is to be given to none but God and his truth. And shall a man serve an error thus? it is much better to be no body, than to be somebody thus. That man is not true to his own ease, who chargeth himself with any thing, whereof he hath not assurance. We should never stand deeply charged with any thing but truth, falsehood is a barren thing, and affords no strength or comfort to him, that suffers for it.  
This is very necessary to awaken men, for we are very careless about right information; all, but moderate men, take things upon trust, and pin their faith to this or that man's sleeve. We must not build any other thing than the foundation will bear, if we would have it abide a fiery trial by God or men, 1 Cor. 3.15. Good men's fancies, opinions and conceits, built upon God's foundations will not endure God's fire. We should lay no more stress upon any thing, 
Superstitio, supra quod Stacutum.  than either Scripture or reason hath put upon it. Religion hath two very bad neighbours in the world, on the one side profaneness, on the other superstition (for so I choose to call it according to the notion of the word, though men think otherwise) profaneness denies religion altogether, takes no notice of God in the world; superstition adulrerates religion: profaneness strives to lose man from God, by cutting him off from God altogether; and the superstitious man thinks to bind men to God with things of his own devising, in doctrine, worship, or discipline. This is that therefore, which Divines call Self-denial, as to the understanding, when we deliver up our minds as a fair sheet of paper, to be enstamped upon, and written with the finger of God alone. Any one that steps out of the way, out of affectation or affection to a party, is wanting in this part of Self-denial. Therefore superstition is a piece of folly under a fair appearance of wisdom. The superstitious man thinks he observes God, but his observance is a neglect, yea an abuse of God; he thinks he hath made sure of God, when he hath bound him only, as Delilah did Samson, with cords, which will break, because God never submitted to them; he imagines such and such a thing, but it is all nothing. We should have a care of error therefore; for a man may be superstitious in the seeming good use of Scripture, yea where he seems to be most for God, if he extend a place of Scripture beyond its sense, or if he graft notions upon a Scripture, which neither that Scripture nor another place will bear, he is superstitious; he is not an Interpreter of the Scripture, but makes new Scripture; yea, though those notions pretend to holiness, and have the zeal of holiness written on their foreheads: this very thing is to lie for God, it is but pia fraus, an holy deceit, and so much the worse, because it carries with it such a pretence; and it were better that any truth of God were exposed to hazard, than that we should come in with a lie to maintain it, for by thus doing a man maketh himself the Master of truth, and not a Subject to it.  
Now this benefit hath a moderate man, for the most part above others, a well informed judgement; For he takes more deliberation to consider of things, than hasty and hot spirits do; and whilst the two Adverse parties are wrangling and scuffing about the question, he stands by, and gets the truth from them both; and by his careful observance of them, better than they in their heat can observe themselves, he is able to convince them both of error, if they be but willing to refer their Controversy to Arbitration.  
2. A quiet mind is another advantage of Moderation. 
2. A quiet mind.  He that is immoderate is far from this inward tranquillity; for he is always in an hurry, and his immoderation ariseth from the weakness of judgement, and the strength of violent and inordinate passions in him: and how can such an one enjoy true quiet of mind? especially if you think upon that of Augustine, which is most true, That God hath so ordained it, that every inordinate affection should be a punishment to itself. Any one but a moderate person, seeks for quiet of mind by ratifying, and not by subduing his passions and affections, which when he hath done, his passions grow more by yielding, and he becomes a slave to the forest Tyrant. If a man yield to his passion, is he any more quiet? is he not much more troubled and distracted? is he not himself the instrument of his own vexation, and suffers more violence in his own spirit, than he offers to another? If a man's Covetousness or Ambition hath made him immoderate, and by the sale of his distempered zeal, he hath purchased to himself great revenues and promotions in Church or State, do ye think that this man is now at quiet, doth he not yet thirst after more, or else his wounded conscience bleeds within him, and refuseth to take any content in what he hath? true inward peace ariseth from the subjection of the judgement to the word of God, and the subordination of the affections to such a judgement. And if so, I will be bold to affirm, that inward peace is the sole privilege and prerogative royal of a moderate mind, that hath learned how to rule its self. The immoderate person through the continnal mutinies of his passions, cannot but be subject to perpetual unquietness, and like the troubled sea casting out mire and dirt.  
And that which adds to the inward quiet of a moderate person, 
Mr. Fuller.  is his outward security, for as his temporal hopes are not great, so his fears are the less. He fears not to have the splinters of his party, when it breaks, fly into his eyes, or to be buried under the ruins of his side, if suppressed; that disgrace, which doth usually attend the conquered party in this kind, never troubles him. Thus, if he have not much Credit in the world, yet he hath much security in himself, which is far better; for if he have no hopes to rise, he hath no fears to fall. Yet farther.  

3. A Conscience clear from Schism.  3. A moderate man's conscience is clear from raising Schisms in the Church, and so is not in danger of that woe of our Saviour, Luke 17.2, 3. Woe to him, by whom offences come, it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea. And in this he hath more comfort, than they that rise in this manner have credit. Woe to those Ministers that make unnecessary divisions and parties among the people, that they may get themselves a name, and be cried up by many followers. Certainly some men have a sad account to give to God for the Rents which have been made in the Church. And if any godly men have had an hand in them, I profess, I do even tremble to think, what a sharp Conflict they shall have with themselves, when they come to die, and cast their eye back upon the Church, which they have (though not intentionally) miserably rend, and is not now in their power to heal; they shall be saved, but vix, agrè duriter, hardly, even as by fire, 1 Cor. 3. And for other men, Ostendant quod volunt de Religione & fide digladiantes Theologi, etc. saith one, Let your Swashbucklers or Fencing-Divines pretend what they will for Faith and Religion, they love neither Peace nor Truth truly, if they do not love both. If we would have the waters of piety and verity to be clear, the way is not to stir them and trouble them, but to let them settle in peace, and run down in practice. 
4. Constancy in Religion.   
4. The Moderate man is a great deal more constant and durable in his Religion, whilst violent men reel from one extremity to another. 
Mr. Fuller.  For being here in his way to Heaven, and jogging on a good Traveller's pace, he over-takes and outgoes many violent men, whose hot and ill-grounded zeal, was quickly tired. The Moderate man is always going on in hi● Journey towards Heaven, whereas the other tumbles up and down, but rids no way.  
Lastly, once in an Age it goes very hard, 
Universal applause and approbation in the Conclusion  if the Moderate man be not in fashion, each extreme courts him to make them friends; and surely he hath a great advantage to be Peacemaker between two opposite parties. Time-servers are ofttimes left in the lurch, if they do not only give their word for the times in their constant discourse, but also give their Bond for them, and write in their defence: such when the times turn afterwards to another extreme, are left in the briers, and as Mr. Fuller saith wittily, come off very hardly from the Bill of their own hands. And therefore that Council, which he giveth is (as every thing else, that he hath written) most excellent. He that intends to meet with one in a great Fair, and knows not where, may sooner find him by standing still in some principal place there, than by traversing it up and down: so take thy Stand upon some good ground in Religion, and keep thy Station in a moderate, yet fixed posture, never turning after the times to follow them, and an hundred to one, they will come to thee once in thy life time, and be as glad to meet with thee, as thou wouldst be to meet with them.  
Unto these inducements to Moderation, I will add only some directions, 
Directions to make the word of God our Rule.  and that is this, If ye will be Moderate, make the written word of God your Rule, for the written word is uniform and invariable, and so will he be (so far as humane frailty will permit) that makes the word his Rule; he that keeps close to the word will be uniform and always like to himself; not Proteus like, ever appearing in a new shape. The word of God will balance and settle the Judgement, and teach a man to get the Mastery over his own affections. The word is called a Line, 
In Com. loc. de S. Scripture.  Ps. 19.5. The Hehrew word (as saith Gerrard) doth signify the Tongue of a Balance, Juxta quam aequilibrium constituitur, that makes the Scales even & equal. As we desire Moderation therefore, & to be exact in it (because the more exact it is, the nearer it cometh to an exact aequilibrium) study to know the word in its own sense, then submit to it, and make it your rule. For the improvement of this direction, observe the following particulars.  
1. Make the Word your rule, not the Times. A man cannot be truly moderate and a ; 
1. Not the Times.  the times change so frequently, so suddenly, and sometimes so violently from one extreme to another. The times under Dioclesian were Pagan; under Constantine Christian; under Constantius Arrian, under Julian Apostate; and under Jovian Christian again; and all within the Age of one man, the Term of seaventy years (as saith my Author) Can he have been a moderate man, that should have been always of the Religion for the time being? Our English History gives us an example of such an one, viz. A Bishop of our own Nation, Dr. Kitchen, who for Covetousness could dissemble all Religions with the times, so as to be the Pope's sworn Servant, while he was an Abbot; an half Papist, when King Henry had cast off the Pope; A Protestant under King Henry the sixth; a downright Papist with Queen Mary; a Parliament Protestant again, when he took the oath of Supremacy under Queen Elizabeth. Was this a moderate man? No, but Cambden calls him rightly, the Calamity of his See: And such unsound and unsettled men are the Calamity of this age. Dr. Playfere in a Sermon entitled The Pathway to Persecution, having his Text out of Phil. 3. I press forward towards the mark; saith, that Temporizers run besides the mark by going about in a Circle; they go about many things but bring about nothing; they do omnia pro tempore, nihil pro veritate, all things for the Times, nothing for the Truth; they make a period, but never a full stop; they are always learning, but never come to the knowledge of the Truth. The Times are inconstant and variable; How can that man's carriage then be equable and uniform, who maketh them his Rule to walk by, and not the Word? Religion hath two great Enemies, Superstition and Innovation; he that would not be an old , or a new , must walk between these two, if he would make straight paths unto himself, and his Guide must be the Word. My Son (saith the wise man) fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change, Prov. 24.21. Then we must meddle little with the times; for what is more given to change than they? the Scripture bids us instead of serving the times, to save ourselves from them, Acts 2.40. to beware of them, See that ye walk not as fools, but as wise, because the days are evil, Ephesians 5.16, 17. And then the Apostle adds immediately, Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the Will of the Lord is. We must labour therefore ye see (especially in evil times) to know what the will of God is, out of the Word, that we may follow what is pleasing unto him, not that which is pleasing unto the times: otherwise we are not wise; for the greatest wisdom is to comply with God, as I think, and not with the times. The times that we live in, are evil and perilous times; he that shall bind himself Apprentice to serve them 7 year, shall find it very difficult to serve them, so as always to please the times; and impossible always to serve them, & please God, and remain idem homo. 
2. Not divine Providences.   
2. Make the Word you rule, not divine Providences. We may make dangerous constructions of providences, if we rest in them, & do not compare these Revelations of God in his works, with, and interpret them by the Revelation that he hath made in his word. When David had spent some time and serious thoughts upon the study of that great point touching the outward visible prosperity of wicked men, and the outward seeming infelicity of the godly, he professeth, Ps. 13.16, 17. when I thought to know this it was too painful for me, until I went into the Sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. It was evident from the event, that it was the will of God, the Israelites should be worsted in that war, which they upon just grounds undertook against the Benjamites, Jud. 20. but if any should from hence have concluded, that the Israelites quarrel was not good, because their success was bad, he would have made a dangerous misconstruction of God's providence in that particular case. Therefore we must always make such a construction of the various works of God's providence, as may consist with the verity of the standing and invariable rule of his word: otherwise we shall lose, and incautelously engage ourselves to justify any unwarrantable opinion or practice, which God in his just providence, and for ends at present unknown to us, permits to spread and prosper, when he doth nothing less than approve of them to be true and just. The judgements of the Lord are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out, Rom. 11.33. We must not think therefore to trace him here. If we can parallel any passage of providence with the like instance out of Scripture, than we may probably conjecture what the mind of God is in it; and what disposition of heart, and frame of life the Lord doth expect from us; otherwise we cannot; nor are we to fashion our lives & hearts according to the providence of God, but according to his word, which teacheth us rightly to interpret providence. For providence (generally) is a Revelation of what God had, unknown to us, decreed from eternity that he would do, not a revelation of what he would have us do; unless we know the mind of God in that Providence; which if we cannot gather from the Word, our own fancies are but incompetent Judges, and long enough may we conjecture ere we make a right conclusion. How many strange, and almost not to be paralleled occurrences of Divine Providence have we in this Nation, within a few years met withal? if any one now should have steered his course not according to the Compass of the Word, but every present and sudden apparition of Providence, I do not see how he could keep a straight path; but either he must walk in crooked and byways, and ways not cast up; or else in Circulo, and so for divers years have rid no ground in his journey toward the heavenly Canaan.  
3. Make the Word your rule, 
3. Not the examples of men.  not the judgement or practice of any man, be he never so learned and godly, further than ye see them to be agreeable unto the Word. Christ's example we must follow, for he left us an example, that we should follow his steps, 1 Pet. 2.21. But we may not write after any other Copy farther than we see it to agree with the original. Be ye followers of me (saith Paul) as I also am of Christ, 1 Cor. 11.1. So far as we see any man to follow Christ, we may follow him, but no farther. I presume none of you will say, that we are bound to follow Peter, though a Disciple and Apostle of Christ, in denying his Master. The best men have had their errors and their failings, which we have therefore recorded, to teach us that we should make the example of no man, how godly soever, our rule to walk by: for there is not the best man living, but may and doth sometimes tread awry; and I am persuaded, the Lord suffers men of great parts many times to fall into errors of judgement, and men of much grace to fall foully in their conversation, lest others might have their persons in admiration, if not adoration. Were I a man of the greatest learning, and holiness of Conversation in the world, I think, I should as earnestly pray to God, that others might not trust to me, as that I might not trust to myself; for when I once saw people begin to applaud me, and imitate me, ex industria, I should then be very fearful that the Lord would leave me to myself, as he often doth the most able and Godly men, that people may see they are men of like passions & infirmities with themselves. The Psalmist, (saith Bishop Hall) compares the Law of God to a Lantern, Psal. 119.105. Good example bears it. It is safe following him, that carries the light; but if he walk without the light, he shall walk without me. For that a man should be so wedded to any man's person, that he must make no separation from his infirmities, is both absurdly servile and unchristian.  
And that for which I do the rather urge this so much is, because I see in these times, wherein godly men are of such different opinions, many religious persons judge themselves most secure from falling, by leaning unto the examples of some eminently learned and Godly Ministers: but the safest way is to have recourse to the word; examine by sound reasons, and plain testimonies deduced from thence, whether their opinions or practices be good; and if ye find that the Scripture approves of them, then make use of their example for imitation and encouragement. As a man in a ship hath his hand upon the rudder, and his eye upon the Star: so it is good to have your eye upon the examples of godly and judicious men; but let your hand be always upon the Scripture, let go your hold of that, & ye will run the hazard of making a shipwreck of your faith. I dare confidently say, that there is no truly godly man (though never so learned) will presume so much upon himself, as to impose upon others his example or practice, farther than he can prove the necessity thereof by Scripture; why then should any man take a yoke upon him, which is not laid upon him? I exhort you (saith 
(t) Vos hortamur, ut non quod vobis placet, aut nobis, audire quaeratis; sed quod domino complacet & consonum est Scriptures, Basil. in Hom. adv. Sabellian.  Basil) not so much to inquire what pleaseth you, and what pleaseth me, but what is pleasing to God, and agreeable to the Scriptures. To what inconveniences Augustine had bound himself, if he had strictly tied himself to the Fathers before him (though very holy and of great learning) is well enough known. But 
(u) Alios Scriptores praeter Canonicos ita lego, ut quantâlibet sanctitate, doctrinâve perpolleant, non ideo verum putem, quia ipsi ita senserunt, sed quia mihi vel per alios auctores Canonicos, vel probabili ratione, quòd à veritate non abhorreat, persuadere potuerint. Aug. Epist. 19 ad Hieron.  saith he) other Writers, besides those that are Canonical, I so read, that however they may excel in learning and piety, yet I do not think any thing to be true, merely because they have thought so, unless they can persuade me by certain testimonies of the Scripture, or probable reasons, that what they say is true. But was Augustine willing that other men after him should deal with his Writing, as he did with the Fathers before him? Yes, For 
(x) Negare non possum, nec debeo, sicut in ipsis majoribus, ita multa esse in tam multis opusculis meis, quae possunt iusto judicio ac nullâ temeritate culpari. Aug. ad Vincent. Victor. lib. 2.  (saith he) I neither can nor aught to deny, but as in the Ancients, so likewise in my works there are many things which may justly and without any rashness be blamed. 
(y) Neminem velim sic amplecti omnia mea, ut me sequatur, nisi in ●is, in quibus me non errata perspexerint. Nam propter●ae nunc facio libros Retractionum, ut nec meipsum in omnibus me secutum suisse demonstrem. Aug, lib. de Bon. perseverantiae, cap. 21.  And I would not have any man so to embrace all my writings, as to follow me in all things, unless he see that I have not erred in them; for therefore do I make my book of Retractations, to show that I myself have not in all things followed myself. Above all,  
4. Take heed of making crooked the rule, and wresting it to the maintenance of any ertoneous or self-Conceit. This is a dreadful sin, and he who doth it knowingly, speaketh lies in hypocrisy. It was a fearful evil for Lucifer to say, I will ascend up and be like the highest; is it not as great a sin for any to seek to make the highest become like Lucifer? so do they, that drag down the Scriptures to patronise any erroneous opinion of their own heads, or any evil of their own hearts; they go about to make the blessed God, and the Holy Ghost the Father of lies, than which, what can be more abominable? It is accounted a capital crime in a Commonwealth to put the State's stamp upon false Coin; and to put the stamp of the Spirit of God upon an error, upon a conceit of a man's own, is certainly a great evil before the Lord. We do with one consent blame the Papists, for making the Scriptures a nose of wax, that a man may writhe which way he pleaseth; let not any Protestant practice that, which he so severely condemns in a Papist, be his pretence never so plausible. Yet alas, who doth not see, and cannot but be grieved to see how horribly we wrist the Scriptures? I should not have said it, but that it is too manifest to be hid. For it is but usual, when men's opinions do not agree with the Scriptures, to wrest the Scriptures to make them agree with their opinions. The reason of it is this, Men receive opinions, before they have well examined them by the Scripture; & having once entertained them out of weakness, the strength of their pride causeth them to use this means for the maintaining of them; and though it be but some additional point in Divinity, yet now it must needs be fundamental in Religion, because it is fundamental to his reputation. 
(z) Optimus Scripturae lector est, qui dictorum intelligentiam ex dictis expectat, potius quàm importat et retulerit magis quàm attulerit, nec cogat id videri dictis contineri, quod ante lectionem praesumpserit intelligendum. Hilar, lib. 1. De Trin.  Hilary hath an excellent saying, with which I will shut up this head. He is the best reader of the Scripture (saith he) that carrieth away the sense of any place of Scripture, after he hath read it, not he that bringeth 〈◊〉 with him, and so even after a forcible manner, labours to make that appear to be in such a Scripture, which he presumed was to be found there before he came to read it. Men that do thus, may not unfitly be compared to Camels, that diink not of the fountain (as Historians tell us) till they have pudled in them with their feet.  
But what if the Scripture in some things be silent, prescribing only rules in the general, as that 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done decently and in order, (not peremptorily enjoining any thing in particular to be observed in such a Church) what is most convenient for a moderate man to do in such a case? To this I answer, according to mine own judgement.  
Fifthly, That it is most meet, where the Scripture is silent, we should hearken to the voice of the Church; in the first place the Primitive Church, and next to that, the Church wherein we live. Where the Scripture speaks, I would have the Church only our Comment; but where the Scripture is silent, I would have the Church our Text, and judge it most fitting that men should follow the great Wheel of the Church, and move by that, not reserving any proper poles or motions from the Epycicles of their own brains. It argues monstrous pride in any man, in things of indifferency (for in things of absolute necessity, I presume the Scripture is resolute) to lean unto his own judgement, or the opinion of a party, against the general assent of the Church. I see no reason, why our own Church should be slighted by them, that cannot deny themselves to be her children; much less the Primitive and Ancient Church from the Apostles times. Where the Scripture is silent, let us hearken and adhere to her testimony. I knew that Novelty hath much prevailed against Antiquity in this last age, but I see little hopes of Moderation, till Antiquity come into more estimation, than at present it is. In the mean time, (for so I choose to break off abruptly) Consider what hath been spoken, and the Lord give you understanding and Moderation in all things.  
FINIS.