FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Sectloa '^ V7 ^ i /!^..-, rr ^ ''^ ^i^ ' / / ./^^,»*rfV5^ >/* ' / Irenicum Ecclesiasticum, O R A Humble Impartial /^^ ^^A> APR 23 1932 ESSAY UPON THE Peace of Jerusalem^^ WHEREIN The Analog between Jerufalem and the viilble Church is in fomo Inrtances, briefly hinted. TheNATunE, the Order, the Union, of the vi.Vole Church, together with her Terms of Communion, are particularly confidered, and their Excellency opened. Moreover the following important Points are largely explain'd.' 1 . What is to be underjlood by the Peace of Jerufalem. 2. What by praying for the PjkajCE of Jerufalem. 3. How, and njchy we fhould pray for \X.'^ Peace zxAVrofperityl Under the aforefaid General Heads, the following Particulars are difcufs'd, ^ix,. The Nature, Kinds, Hindrances, Means and A^oti'ves^ of Peace and Union, together with an Anfn^jer to Objections. ALSO A Prefatory Addrefs to the SYNODS of Nenv-Tork k Philadelphia. ■"" 7^7- — — — £)^ GILBERT TENNENT, yf.M. Kom. xii. 18. If it h^poffihle, li've peaceable ^ith oil Men. £phef. iv. 5. Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in tb% Bond of Peace, P^X una Triumphis, inumeris^ melior, *vis unit a fortior. PHILADELPHIA. Primed and Sold by W. BRADFORD, at the Sign of tliC BiUi ill S$cond'Strsef, MDCCA^IX* Prefatory Address, TO THE Reverend, the Synods of New-Tbrk and Phila^ delphia ; and to all the Religious Societies under their re(pedive Care and Charge. Reverend, Honoured, and Belo'ved Fathers and Brethren ! TH E divided State of the Preffcyterian Churches, in this Part of the World, where divine Providence has caft oux Lot, has opened a melancholy Profpedl to my View for fom.e confiderable Space of Time I Which I did not think proper to communicate to others for a Seafon ; rot knowing what were the Sentiments of my Br th en upon either Side of the Qacftion, becaufe I thought, however expedient, honourable ar.d advantageous to the Redeemer's Kingdom, a Re- union might be, yet it was not pradicable, unlefs the Body of both Synods was inclined thereto. But hearing of a Number of both Synods more defirous of Peace and Union of late, and being excited by fome Reverend Members of the Synod of Nc--zv-Tork, and one of the Synod of Philodclphia, to move in this Affair : I did at the laft SelTion of the Synod of Ncnju-Tork, in purfuance of my own Judgement and Inclination, and in compliance with the aforcfaid Excitements, to- gether with fome of my Brethren, make a Motion to the Synod, for Propofals of Peace and Union, which after fome Reafoning upon the Head, was comply'd with, and Meffengers appointed to make Onjeriurei of Peace and Union of both Synods into one, which waq done accordingly, and are now under Confideration. ^ And being inform'd, that the Propofals of Peace ^nd Union^ occafioncd fome Uneafinefs in feveral Societies, I thought it my Duty, to endeavour to remove the Grounds thereof, and promote the glorious 4nd truly evangelical Defign of Peace, as well as I A Z could iv Prefatory Address. could, by committing my Thoughts on that Subjeft to Writing, and expoiing them to publick View ! Mv Moiives to endeavour in earned to promote Peace and Ui'ion are tiiel'e. Not a Liiange of Sfnfi'frenf, about the late Revival of R.eIigion, "No ! 1 do now declare folemnly before the World, that 1 havt fcen no Laiite to a'ter my Opiniun in Relation to it, and therefore I do now belienje its Reality, as much as formerly ; and if after this open and exprefs Declaration, any will unjallly Ccnfure mc with the Contrary, perhaps becaufe I cannot be fo narrow as them- fcives, 1 ("hall take no faiiher Notice of it, than to pity their un- jeafonable Prejudice, and appeal from, -t^ir unrighteous judge- jnent<> to a higher and more impartial tribunal ; to a God that knows all the Thoughts and Deligns of Men ! I cannot come into a Union with any Body of Mcny whereto Acknowledgements contradictory to what I have now declared, arc required, as Terms of Co-ynnunlon : No ! I would rather chufc ^ Prifon, or any kind o(SuJ'r zings: Nor is what I have fa'4 m the following ''reatijc, concerning the Matters of duubtful Specu- lation^ in the Icaft Degree inconfjllent herewith; becaufe thofc Exprcirions do not refpeft the Nature^ Necejjity^ or Value 6f a Woik of Cof 'vcrfion in general, or its Reality and Certainty con- fidered in itfclf ; but only the Uncertainty of the Appearances of fuch a Work in others, to us ; or the Uncertainty of our Judge- mint conceining them. Now between thofe two Things, the X)/^4?r^«r^ is as wide ai between Hea'ven and Earibt between divine Re^jclation and human ConjcSiurc ; if there be any who cannot perceive the Difference, they are to be pitied as Objects of Companion, as Nm Compos * And if they do perceive it, and will not acknowledge it, they dif- ^o er by their Want of O.nbi'r, a bad Cauj:^ which needs fuch iniinccre fophiilical Arts to fupport it ; and dcferve Rcprocf: Sucl\ i would accoll in the Language of ioh to Zophar, Will you /peak ^wickedly for GOD. anri tulk dncii fully for him ? To cry up the Certainty of our Opinion^ about any Inftances of Con'v,iftoii^ in others in our Day, lb as to make it a Badge of DilUn.uicTi^ between, or Engine of Di'vifion among the Profcffors Cf (. hriflianity, is (in its direct Tendency) to abufj God's Work to the Difhonour of his Name, and the Injury of his Kingdom^ in- ll^ad of cxaliirg Con it is to exalt our felves and oit Opinion, (tho' probably theHoroar of God is ferior.fly intended,) which ig alv\ays (relpciting fuch yfcn/ "Matters) precarious aii\dof{(;n parti..l. Tho' I value the late fJ'o-k ot God highly, yet in the mean Time, I ''hink it is fmful to make my Opinion of it. a Term of CnmtvMion to oiUers; for tho' I ani as fully perfuadod a-, ever of ir. X ali:y, yet in the mean i'ime, I believe that my Opinion, and tJiC Opniion of all others abo-it i'uch Matters, is fallible and un- certain : Nor can I fee in the facrt.i S<.iipiures, any Warrant for iinpjiiiig my O/.tiiGn^ or ti)c Opinion ol' otlicro, ref^cc\ing the in- vill redound to God's A'^w^ as well as Manifold Benrfts, Credit^ and Comfort to the Societies of our Denomination, for a long Time to come, in C afe iuch a Re-union be obtained, upon ^ Scriptural Foundation : Generations yet unborn, are like ta reap valuable Advantages by it, and praife God, for it with joy- ful Lips ! I have been likewife encouraged in this, by confider- ing calmly, and as impartially as I could, the Nature of the Con^. troi-erfy, that has fubfiiled among us, which appears to me, to be only about Circumjlantiah ! Permit me, my Reaver end fathers zx\^ Brethren, in all humi'. lity, and with due deference to the judgment of others, to exprefs iny Sentiments, upon this Head, with a peaceful Intention. It fecms to me, that thro' the heat of Debate, the principal Matters Controverted, were either not fo very clearly and dif- tinftly apprehended, or not fo fufRciently and happily attended to^ by the Parties in Controverfey, as could be 'usijhed ! For as upon one Hand the nature and necefjlty oi Cowverfton td GoD, as is reprefented in X.\iQ Scriptures of Truth, and in our Cotfeffion of Faith according to them, was acknowledg'd, and only the Opinion of fome concerning the Reality, or Number of fome late infiances of Con^oerfion, (or refpefting both together) difpiited, and contradi£led» So upon the other Hand, the nature and necefpjy of Order and Government in the Church cf Christ, as they are reprelented in the Holy Scripture, and in our ConfeJJion of Faith, according to them, were alio Acknowledged, and only fome prudential ASis and Rules, not exprefs'd in the facred Scriptures, or our Diredory^ for Worfhip and Government, dilputed and oppos'd. The Subftance of the Points difputed were freely ackno>v- ledg'd by the Renjerend Brethren upon both Sides of the Queftion, t Prefatory Address. vii 5n ^vfllce be charg'd upon them, no I am freely willing to bear ^\\ x\iQ Blame myjilf, in ib good, lb important a Caulc, as that of the Pf^f^ of Christ's A'/V/^y^;/;, I have faiJ nothing of myfelf, or of others, in the following Pages, but wJiat appeared to me ncceil'ary, to promote the valuable Oefi^v in Fie*w. Whatever may be the iilue of this EJpjy, which I chcarfall^T commit to the Dilpofal of the God of Peace and Lo've, yet thif. I muft declare in the mean Time, that I greatly rcjoyce in thit Opportunity, I have before I Die, of exprciiing the very Senti* vients of my Heart, upon fo Amiable and Important anOccafion: Were I to go before the great Judge of all the Earth To-morrow, I fhould be glad to fmifh this immediately before it ! Nothing appears to me, more Beautiful and Glorious, then Teace and Lo've, and Union among the ProfelTors of the RELIGI- ON, of the Meek 2in^ Humble Jesus. And therefore I am griev'd in my Heart, for the narrow Notions, of fom.e Pious, and in other refpeds valuable Men ; who are fondly defiring, or vainly attempting, to promote the good of t.\it Church of Christ, either by multiplying, or continuing^ her unhappy, difhonourable, and dangerous Di'vijions ! Tho' I trufl their Zr^*4i?' T r?o^*^ Jjalah and the P/al/;iiJi lay of themfelves, is com- ^J^vxt^^^ViV-t^ mon to them all. For 'jerufiUms fake 1 'ixill not ^i C^'^C'V Sy^ '^^^'^ ^'y ^^^'^^> dud for Zicns fake I ivill not ^4%^l^^f^ ^^/A«/, until the Ri^hteoufuffs thereof go forth as hrightnffs, and the Sal'vation thereof as a Lamp that burneth. If 1 forget the O Jerufa- lem, let my right Hand forget her cumiing : Let my Tongue clea've to the Roof of TNy Mouth, if I prefer not Jerufalem to my chief Joy. But tho' the People of God are agreed about the Ohjeil of their chief Care and Regard, about the End they aim at ; yet they nre fometimes of very different Sentiments as to fome of the Mea^ fares they concert and purfue to obtain that valuable End, This Diverfity perhaps is owing to their different natural Tem- pers, different Capacities, different Methods of Education, different Opportunities of Converfation, different advances ii: divine Know- ledge and Grace ; and it may be in fome Inilances owing to the infenfible corrupt B-^;als of Prejudice. Now among the different Merfures which good Men propofc for promoting the aforefaid End, namely, the VP'eal of God's vifible Church and Kingdom on Earih, methinks thofe are moll Jikely to be ferviceable, which have the exprefs framp of divine Authority, and agree with all the other Parts of divine Revelation, for God's Wifdom is infinitely fuperior to Mans, and what come& from him, muff needs agree with itfelf, feeing it proceeds from the fame Caule, and has the fame Defign. Of this Kind is the Duty which I am now to difcourfe upon, namely, fcehing the Peace of ""jerufalem. When we only feek Vi, Peace bottom'd upon the exprefs acknowledgment of all efj'ential and neceffary Articles, in Dciirine, Worfip, and Difcipline, con- tained in the facred Scriptures, and in our excellent Wefiminfter Confe£ion of Faith, Catiihifms, and Diri&ory for Worf?:ip and Go- B vertimeni 2 l72troduBion. n.'ertime7it agreeable to them, and no finful Ackrowlcugments are required. 1 fay fuch a Peace is agreeable to the whole S^J^cm of Truth and Di'ty which we are required to believe and perforin b/ the King of the Church, our Lord Jfsus Christ, in in lacred "Word, whofe peculiar Royality it is alone to appoint Terms of Communion, both Chrill-an and Miiiiileria! ; i^nd cnrirdy con- fident \\\x.\\^-\\2il Ldnrty n.i:hir£n.i:ith he has mride us free \ A Plan which is a noble medium between the two extrcams of anti-fcrip- .tural rigour upon the one Hand, and anti-fcriptural laxn>fs upon the otVr ; fuch a Peace being confillcnt with ^I'ruth ar.d Rfihteonf- Tjefs, muft needs be excellent and important. Pray for the Peace of Jcrufalem, h'c. 'Tn\s Pfnlm^ as almoft all interpreters conclude, * was wrote by the PfeJmiJl, when the Ark of God was bro't by Z).?-!;/// to Jcrufahm^ and plac'd in the Tabernacle, to be publickly Sung there by the People of Ifrael^ at the Sealons of their Annuid and Solemn Feilivals ; that fo the People might be induced to fall in Love with Jcrufaltm, and efpccially with the Solemnities of Religious Woriliip there celebrated ! Hence the People are here introduced, as Congratula^ng each other, on occafion of the Opportunity that prefented of going to the Houie of God; 1 nvas glad ^ushcn thry fuid unto vte^ let ui go into the Hcufe of the Lord', our Feet Jhall Jiatid n.i:ithi}i th\' Cctes O frrufalcmy one is here reprefented as comforting himfelf and his fellow Travellers upon the Road, during the fatigues of their Journey to jerufclem, with the Expedation of their Arrival there-, ana tntir being prefent at the Solemnities of publick Worfhip, (in which they Hood) which woald more than compenfaie a'l ti:eir Pains ! The Ijraelites \Cere wont to fing this Verfe upon the Road, while during the Feaft of Pentecojf, they brought the firll Fruits to the Temple, as Vatabulusy Muis, Gejcrus and Selden a- liire us. Gracious Perfons can't bat love the Place where Gods Ho- nour dwells, and his Tabernacles are amiable to them : One Thing they elpecially defire with great Intenfncb, namely, to fee the Beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Tefr.plc. And agreeable to the eftimate and precedent of God himfelf, they cannot but lon;e //?r Gates c/*Zion mere than all the dive/lir^s of ]acoby i. c. pre- fer publick Worfhip to private, bccaufe God is thereby more glo- rified, and, for the general, more peculiarly and eminently prelenr. 'J he dear //7;a;;ar/ walks i'l the midll of the golden Candlellicks, clad with awful and iercnc Majeily, andcloath'd with unparrellePd, inimitable and incxprcflible Beauty and Lullre ! Enrob'd with a Garment down to the Foot, and girt about the Paps wiih a golden Girdle; his Head and his Hair are white like Wool, as white as Snow ; and his F>yes are as a Flame of Fire, and his Feet like unto fine Brafs, as if they burned in a Furnace ; and his Voice as * Alias Monunus, Vutaluius, Muis, Caihlio, HIcion, Mufculus* IntroduBion. % ai tlie Soand of many Waters ; he has in his right Hsnd {c\t^\\ Stars; out of his Mouth goes a fliarp two-cd^ed Sword, and h'S Coui.ter.ance is as the Sun lliining in his Strength. In the Allem- b les of the Church arc the Olive Branches, as the Prophet 7.6- chary reprefents it, which thro the golden Pipes empty the golden Oyl out of thenifelves. From the boundlcfs unexhaufted fullnefs of Christ the anointed, ^-e recci've Grace for Grace, from Christ the Olive Tree, by the Spirit the Olive Branch, all the golden Oyl of Grace is communicated to Believers, which keeps their Lamps burning by continued fupplies of divine Influence, with- out which they would foon hmguilh and expire ! Farther, the People are introduced in this Pfalm, as celebrat- ing thcPraifes o^ yerufalem, and wifliing her Peace and Profpcrity, ^Jerufiilcm is a City that is compuB together, not only in refpedl of the beautiful Order and Connexion of the Houfe?, which were not fcartered here and there as in Vilages, but clolely joined to- gether; but eipecially upon the account of the well conlHtuted ORDER and UNITY, of its Inhabitants, and therefore like to be permanent * ccmpaSi together, partly in its Buildings faith Fool in his Anotation*, which are not difpcrs''d as they are in ^villages, nor di-vidcd into t^o Cities, as it was before, but united and enlarg'd : ( I Chron. xi. 7. 8. ) and principly in its Government and Religion, which was diftinft and oppofite, before David took the Fort of Zion f\-om the JebufitiS. It was a Type of the Gofpel Church faith Henry, which is compact together in Holy Uj-ve and Chrifiian Qorn- munion, \o that it is all one City, THITHER the Tribes- go up to the Tef.ifnony rf Ifreal, to give Thanks to the Name of the LORD ; for there are fet Thrones of Judgment, the Thrones of the Houfe of David ; ferufulem was the Place of general Rendevous or Concourfe, for all the fcattercd. Tribes of y//-^*/ to meet in, to receive Inflruftions from God, and afcribe Glory to him. There was the Tcfi-mony of Ifrael, i.e. by a metonimy the Ark which is called the Tellimony of Ifrael, becaufe of the '^l ables of the Covenant kept in it, which are called the Tcfti- mony (Exod, xxv. 16.) and very reafonably the Tefiimony of If rail, becaufe it was given by God, to Ijrael for their good. Thcre was the Thrones of Judgment, the Supream Courts of Juftice for Ecclefiaftical and Civil Af! airs, the great Sanhedrim or Senate of the Nation, confilling of 72, the Royal Seat allotted to Danjid and his Defcendants. After the aforefaid Commendation of Jerufalem, he proceeds to the Words of our Text, pray for the Feace of Jerufalem, Sec. which contains a pofitive command, together with the Manner how it fhould be performed, prelcribM, and an Excitement thereto ^nex'd. And 2d. the Pfalmiib Refolution in reference thereto, with the grounds thereof. And B 2 id. * Arias Mont^jius, Vatabulus, Muis, Caflalio, Hlcroro, Mufculus',^ 4 The TVords cj the Text explained. ift. We have a Command, pray for the Peace of jernralcnx fray^ beg, intrcat, plead lor, befecch, namely from God, fay Crotius^ Pagr.inc, J^lariana, upon the Place, /. e. ufe the utmoll Importunity and unwearied Vehemence, Peace fo the Synuck and Jrahick ^'erhons and alfo tjic A'crrionsof Pifcator and ,/r/W A/c«- tancusy fayr- Pool in his Synopfs. For Peace, lb Munfier and Chim- nitlu;, feek its Peace and Felicity, bccaufe upon that hangs the Peace of the whole Kingdom, faith Muvfhr. Peace doubtlefs includes the Union of her Inhabitantr, their Protei^ion from Dangers and Enemies, their univerfal Wclll'are, and Enjoyment of all the Good they need. - We Ihould earneiUy pray for the Peace of Jcrifilefny and that therein we may ha\ e Peace. Peace is the Gift of God, and f< r it he will be enquired of. Such as can do nothing clfe for the Peace of ''prufclcrr:, cart pray for it, which is foniething more than lliewing their good- will, for it's the appointed way of tibraining Mercy : 1 he Peace and Wellfare of the Gofpei Church in our Land, is to be ear- nelHy defired and prayM for by every one of us. - Now l\\t Miififur cS praying ior JfrifJem, is prcfcrib'd thus, Tt'occ he ivithin thy IVallsy i. e. to all the Inhabitants within thy Walls, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free : Peace be in all thy Dwellings, Peace be in all thy Fortifications and Armies, let them never be attack'd, or if they arc, let them never be taken ; fo Mufculusy Pagtiine, Hieron. j^ND Profperity 'vAthin thy Palaces, i. e. let abundance of Peace and Felicity be in the Houfes, Courts and Towers of the Great, both of a civil and facred Charadcr : He makes particular jnention of thefe, not for the Sake of Oflentation, but becaufe their Safety eminently extended to inferiors, as many learned Interpreters juftly obierve. * In a Word we arc direded to pray for ail Good to the Inhabit atils in general, and for the Pnnccs and Rulers in particular, who manage the }l,hn of the Church and State, and condudl the Affairs of the Publick, both religious and civil. Now we are encouraged to pray in the Manner aforcfaid, for the Peace cf Jernlalem, by a promife of Profperity, they Jhall Pro/per that lo-ve thee : Thofc that fmcercly love, and heartily pray and rtrive for the Peace and Weal of Jerufnletn, fliall pro/per ; th;u God whom they hereby glorify; will blcfs them, and make at leail their Souls profpcr ; however Men may ccnfure them, G^d will approve of their condu(^, and favour them with his gracious Presence; to this cifetl Arias Matit anus, 2cci^ Gegerus in- terpret the Words. TJiis Encnur^v,,ement is cxaftly agreeable to that which the Prince of Peace vouch fafes. Mat. v. 9. Bleffcd are the Pcace- rmktrsy for thn Joall he called the Children of God. The World Lltfleth the boiilcrous and unquiet, who blow up the Coals of H'ar, ♦ Grncrnr, Symnchni?, Chcmnltius, Munflcr, Pagnlnc, Vatabulus, l,\\i\it Pilcaioi, Hcujy, Pool /;; Loium. The Words of the Text explain* d. g ff^ar^ ScMticn and Divijion^ but they arc blefTcd inderd, in the Judgment of our Saficur, and by his Royal Authority, who (liidy to be quiet, fcekii'.g Peace and puriuing it, and are fo far from fowing the Seeds of Difcoid, or blowing the Coals of Contention, that it is thci;- great Study, their earnelt Dcfire, and unwearied Labour, to make Peace between God and Man, between Man and himfelf, and between Man and his Neighbour, doing this in obedience to God, and from a principle of love to him and his Kingdom ; for thofc that do fo Ihall approve themfelvcs to God as his Children, who is the God of Peace, and fh all hereby evidence the fame to themfelves and others, they Jhall he called the Chil- dren of God. To be a Pence-maker , is to have a peaceable Dif- pofition and Pradcice ; as to make a lye, is to be adidted to lying ; Jo to make Peace, is to have a llrong and hearty Aifeclion to Peace ; to love, dcfite, and delight in Peace, to be in it as our Element, and to iiudy to be quiet ; to endeavour to prei'erve the Peace where it is, that it be not broken, and to recover it where it is broken, both by making and hearkning to propofals of Peace ; where there are debates and divifions among Brethren and Neighbours, doing all we can, confident with Truth and Holinefs, to accom- modate them and repair Breaches : Such Perlons are bleffcd of God however they may be ccnfured by Men, fray for the Peace ff/" Jerufalem, they /hall pro/per thrt lo-'ve thee. Hsre obfervc that a peocealU temper and Behainour is an Evidence of fincere love to Jertfalsm, or to the Church of GOD. But, 2(1. We have th,e Pf'jlmfi\ religious Rcfolution, with the Grounds thereof, for my Brethren and Companions fakcy I hjoHI no^oj fay Peace be ^within thee, i. e. whatever others fpeak or do, I am determined to fliew myfelf the real Friend oi ycrufalfm, by pray- ing and ftriving for her Peace and Wellfare, 1 'will no^M fay Peace henfjifhin thee ', I will pray for thy Peace, I will confult thy Peace, I will plead for thy Peace. * I will fcek thy Good, I will do all within the com.pafs of my Power to promote thy Wellfare, I will fecond my Prayers by earneft and incelTant endeavours : Here obferve, my Brethren, that the Peace and Wellfare of "je- rufnlem, have a near and dear Relation to each other, a clofe and infeparable Connexion ; fo that he who truly and confidently feeks one, mud alio feek the other, and he that oppofes the one does virtually and confequentially (tho' in a mifguided Zeal not de- fignedly) oppofe the other : They are beautiful and infeparable Companions, / ivill fay Peace he 'within thee, I v/ill {eek thy Good ; Truth, Peace, Holinefs, and VAons increase fhould be fought in Harmony, in their mutual Dependance and Conedlion : It may here farther be obfervcd, that wilbing Peace was a com- mon Salutation among the Hcbrtivs, importing all good an4 profperity. Hut, Sirs, it is a dreadful Thing to feparate what God has joined * So the Tignrine and ArabicI; Vcrfions, and that of Caftalio, vid, Pol. Synop. in Loc. 6 TXf Method of Difcourfe, joined, and to fet up one pnrt of Religion in Oppofition to the ctlicr, or oppofe :lie Means to the Knd. And ib it not a lament- able Conrradidion to pretend to pray for the Fence of Jerufaiem, and in the mean 'J inic to labour with all our might by unreaibnable ccmplainls, by indecent tumultuous 'J hreats and Retleetions, to liinder the Aiilwer of our own Prayers ? Would it not be more lelf-confiltent not to pretend to pray at all for the Peace or Profpe- rity of Jifu/nltm, and fo lirike that Cow;/mW alto^c:her out of our Bihiesy leaft it (hould crofs our peevifli, tho' well meant, liumours and murmurs ? Now the Grounds of the cforcfaid Refdution of the Pjahtifi are thefe two, i;>;. ift The real Regard ht had to all his felio-vu Qtizenry to ail the Jfraelitcs^ whom, tho' his Subje6ls and In- feriors, he owns as his Brethren and Companions in the principal Privileges enjo) ed at Jerujalcw, for my Brethren and Compatiins fake, 1 nxill noHM f^y Peace be ^usithin thee, /. e. its the Ben EF IT, the Communion, and Edification of the Saints pf (jOD, whom J Love and Elleein as my Brethren ; and who have frc- <]uently been endcar'd to me, as Companions in Religious Wor- iliip; that is my chief motive, in feeking xht Pence g^ Jeru- fulem, and no Interest or Credit of my own, nothing that concerns me perfonally. And 2d. Another Ground of his pious Re/'o/utton, was tlie Regard he had to the publick Ordinances of the divine M oifliip, which are celebrated with greateil Beauty vl.en the Sons and Daughters of Z/'>« maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the Bo7,d of Piace, and dwell in Harmony. Becaufc of the tloufe of the Lord our God, I fpeak diftinctly upon all that is contained in thefe Veries, which I have chofe for the Subjed of our prefent ^'Jeditations j I would therefore only obferve this Propofition fiom them all, liz. That it is a very important Duty, enjoined upon all by di- vine Authority, to pray for the Peace and Proiperity of yeru- falcm. Pray for the Peace of Jerufaiem, Peace he ^within th^t kValh, and Profprrity nvithin thy Palaces ; for my Brethren and- Companions Sake I 'VJill noiu fay Peace be nxilhin thee. In difcourfmg upon which, let us enquire, I. VV^hat is to be underltood by Jtrufuiem. II. What by the Peace of it. JIJ. What by praying for the Peace of Jerufaiem » IV. How we fliould pray for the Peace and Profperity there- of, and why. Now by Jerusalem we are to underftand the vifble Church. This Title is gi\ en to it in fevcral Paliages of the Old Teilair.ent, fome of whicii have been already mentioned in the Introdudiou to this Difcourfe : And in the Nciu-Tefamcnt it is called the Je- rufaiem thai is fom uLo'JC, 'V.hiih is fro: and the Mother of us all, Ihis TPljy the Church is caVCd Jerufalcm. 7 This Jcruf: Itrn may be faid to be from above, becaufe the Clu r- tf/of Pri^^il gcs whereby Ihc i enrich\i, and La-u;s whereby fhe (ho »iJ be ^^0-^17 nV arc tVom above, from Heaven. This Gofpel Church is free from the Tcke of the Ceremonial Lanv^ and mi;ch niGie fruni the Bondage of human Inn^ention:^ in Dodrine, VVor- fhip or L'iiciplme, impos'd as Terms of Comm.mion. She is inltrumentally tiie Mother of iklievers, in refpeil of Converfion, Growth and Nourillimcnr, by the Word faithfully preach'd; the Sacraments duly difpens'd, a!id Difciplir.e prudently and faithfully adminiller'd, thro' the blciTing of Gtd upon them. The vihble Church is alio called the heuvenly Jtrujalem^ (Hcb. xii. 22) But yc are coTrtc unto tnount Zion, and to the City of the ii'ving GoJy the hea'venly Jarufalem ; now it is fo term'd, bc- caufe its original^ nature and dtftgn are all heavenly. The vifible Church is crJPd Jerufalefn, becauie of the Opder, Union, and Strength of that City, and becaufe of the Teviple of God therein, to which as a Centre of Unity, the far diflane and dilpers'd Tribes of Ijrael reforted to Worfhip God. And are rot Ordi-r and Union neceflary to the Well-Being of the vi- fble Kingdom of Christ? Yes furely. And hence is that di- vine Irjundtion, (i Cor. xiv. 40) Let all Things he done decently tin din order. And hence the Apoftles Joy and Gladnefs, in ob- ferving the Order of the Church at Cc/o/}, (Colof. ii. 5,) Joying end he holding your Order, and the Steadfafmefs of your Fuith in Christ, /. e. your good Conllitution and regular Behaviouf agreeable to the Difcipline appointed by Jtfus Chrif, which has direil tendency to, and happy Influence upon your Perfeverance in Truth and Holinefs. The Original Word fof Order (Tax in,) i. c. good Order (Eutaxian) faith Me?iochius, fignifies that all Things were done among them Right and in Order agreeable to Church Dif- iipUne well concerted ; Moreover that the Manner and Behaviour of every one were regular and orderly, (1. Thtf. iii. 6.) no^jo ive Command you Brethren, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye nxithdranv your fehjcs, from enjcry Brother that nvalks Dif Elderly, and not after the Tradition ye received of Us ; * agreeable to * Obferve uirh what folemn Epha/ts, all that fear CCD in general and the AjV;///^r/ of CHRIST in paiticuiar. are crjoyn'd ro check, and endeafour ro b'rrn«» to a jull Scnfe of their Siri>, thofe that waik iiijorderly, by withrirawinj? from, and Ihnnnint^ tlicir lellowlhip (if gentler Methods avail noc) (o Eraftnus and Piicator. This was a UfR-r !■ ind of Excommiiriication,* like that i Cor. y. 11, fay Aigufiine Chrifofiow, yiqulnas, Cajttj?i. But who are tliolc fhe Apullle w*u'd have treated in this Manner, why fiTch as walk d'jorderiy, c >ntra:y to tiic Orrfcr, l:ftjiu,'ono\ Doc- tr'.ne delivered ro them ; they aie fuch as the lameApoitie lpe»Ks 06 in his hiliEpiiU- ro th^Thifaiovians, v. Chn. and I4. ver. N*w mt txhort ;ou Brethren, warn theyn that are UI^RULT; this is thi laoie Uoidio tacO;j^iuai4 iciigui^S luch ii duiUib liic ^u.^Lciv. Peace, Jt arc 8 The Order of the ^[fibk Church. to which, is the folemn Exhortation of the lame Apolllc, in his firfl Epiitle to the Thc-JftlonianSy /^h Chap, and ly/ Verfe; Fattbermore %vc Bcfeech you Bretl.reny and Exhort you by the LcrJ JE^'JS^ that as ye hwve rccci'v^d of us hoiu ye ought to nxjalk, auJ to tl.cfe GOD, fo ye rwo'ud abound rnore and more. Moreover it fi^^nifies, their Conient to, and Concord in the Foundation Dodrinei, and Duties of Religion ; for it alludes to a Hand or Company of Soldiers, well inilruded in the Art q( War, and in good Order, gathered together into a clofe compact Body ; agreeable to that beautiful and n;emorablc Exprefilon in our Context, of Jerusalem's being a City cou.pa.'hd tcgtthcr. As mauy as 'walk according to this Rulcy fcace be on thun and Mercy, and on the Ifrad of GOD, (Gala. vi. 16 J The Word Rule Canoon, fignines a Way made according to Kule, evidently right, and Uridly exact, fays BiXa, and the original Word ScichciKy fignifies to go on in a certain Order, and not to tranf- grefs the right Line prefcrib'd by Divine authority ; fays the fame learned Author : The Word Be is not in the Original, which rus thus, Peace upon them, and Mercy ; thefe Blcifir.gs are repre- fented as prefcnr, bccaufe certainly future, according to the Ui'age of the Koly Scripture, which lometimes reprefents 'ihings that \Vill furely come to pafs, either as prcfeut or pall already ; thus bccaufe Christ will certainly come to judge the World, he it therefore reprefcnted as upon his way, (Rev. i. 7.) Behold he co7ncth'with the Clouds. And becaufe Christ was certainly to be (lain in the fulnefs of Time for the Sins of Men, he is therefore fpoke of as the Lavihjlain pom the Foundation of the World, to fjgnify that he Ihould be as certainly (lain in the appointed Time, as if he were already llain ; as many as walk according to this Kule, Peace fliall furely be upon them and all God's fpiritual Ifracl, whether Jews or Gentiles. Peace, /, e. all Good and Happinefs, thus Grace and Peace arejoin'd, (i Cor. i. 3.) Grace itnioyoii, and Peace fro/n God our Father y and from the Zor./Jefui Chrill. ^xtunquht, idle, and cur'cus iijcjulrers into others Affairs; who do not jiccp their own Pbce and Order, doin^ the proper Durlcs thcrcot ; hut disturb others in their Spheres, it is a Metaphor taken from the Soldier f thut leave their Ranks, and Iholc about the Country in a contus'd irre- gular Manner} io E(ilus, Symjchus, Hatnond. in particular Men may be faid to be D.fordcrly, thcic Ways. 1/?- viz. In N^f«r^/ rcfpcs^ts, when they obfei ve not tlic Direfllonf €>i Keajon, m the pertorniance ot the Duties of Natural Relation. zd. \vl Civil refpcds, either when tlu-y live \\ichout a calling, or flCf^lcd the proper Bulinefs of it, and intrude inro other People's. 7,d. In Spiritual relpcdts, when they Ncgltd or Tranf^rcfs th« Rules and Older of their walking in a Chuich State (which are of a Divine prefciption) cither with reijK'vt to their PafiorSy or 07ie another. The Original Woid faith £ni/7/J»^, alio intends thofc, that arc "n» tracktable and objlinate, who retufe to obey the Oraer ot CHRIST'! Church, and Io diiturb the publick Peace. Now all Inch are to be taithtuily wjrn'd and adwonifh^d, of thci^ iin and Dflngfr, and diic9UuunaiKcd in ciicii fumulfuous Pi'Qitedings, Ihe Order of the vifihle Clmrch. 9 Chriil. The {amc form of SaluLition is repeated elfcwhcrcv (2 Cor. i. 2. Ephef. i. 2. Rom. i. 2*.) In 2 Tim. \ 2. Grace Mercy ard /'r/7rr arc joined, 1 would add only one Scripture more to illuflrate this Point, which is {yiot, x. 13.] And if the lioufc he ^ivorthy let ycur Peace come upon it, i. e. that fafcty and felicity you wi(h for in your Salutation ; for the Greeks in Imitation of the Hehe~Lis, defigned to exprefs by the Word Peace, all that was good and delirable, as Groiiusy Pijcutor, and Cafialio juftly ^Dbferve. To wliat has been faid, I may add thefe Scriptures following, (l Cor xvi. 1.) us I ha've gii^c77 Order to the C!:urchts of Qz\?iK\Z^, (Tit. i. 5 ) Por this Caufe left I thee in Crete, that thou jhouldfl jet in order the Things that are . are rhe ligur.'}:e and /*J/- fii/ig vcrlions, and thofc alfo of Pijcifor aiid D^za, 10 ^be Union of the vi/ibk Church, himfclf upon their Enemies. (Jof, lo.J O the Stapenduous pre^ vailencc oi heliei,ing Prayer*! that thus in a Moment can controul, the ellablilh'd Laws of Nature! and Hop the Motions of ihe heavenly Bodies ! This may bring to our wcllcome Remembrance, that famous Scripture, (Ifa. xlv. ii«) Ccmimitig the li'ork cf my Hands commend ye me. Herein the Alniighty, by a Conde- fcention truly allonilhing and inexprciTible, puts equal Honour upon, and gi\es equal encouragement to believing Pjayer ! Prry Jor the Peace of Jerufaiem, they jhull Picjper that loar Lat'n, TremeUut ex f)'r, and Bi^as, veiiions, Ctjcian, Pijcator, Lrajms, P.'Jor, y^tM^as^ Sp/idchus, ^he Union of the vi/jhle Church., it Order, ar.d drawn up in Bnttr.lia, with their proper mih'tary Ilnfigns, Arms and Ohicers, ready to repel with \'a]our, Condud, and Succefs any Afl'ailants. Pray obierve, my Brethren, that the great God pofitively Commands us to keep the Vuily cf the Spirit in the Btnd of Peace, (Ephef. iv, 3 ) Every Word of this blefled Precept is big with En-phajis, {Spudazot.'tts ttreitty ten rvoteta tou pneumatoSy en to fun- dcjvw tes tinnes) l^.e Word tranllatcd kecpy ( fpudaTLcntes) fig- rifies our carneft erdcavour to prefervc a Thing with greac iludy, folicitudc and labour. This Precept is truly Evangelical ; the i.aw requires abfolute Ferfedlion upon pain of Deaih, but Christ urges our intenfe and diligent Endeavour after O- bedicRce. But what is it that we ihould keep with Co great Care and Pains? Why the Unity of the Sfifit^ [ten cnotcta tou pntvmntos) the Onenefs of the Spirit ; it is that Onencfs which he had fpoken of in the fecond and third Chapters of this Book, i;iz. of the Body of Chrifty coniposM of different forts of People, united to one Head, Lh if 'ffus, at Icaft in Appearance and ProfefFion. The Apoille calls the Unity of the I'ifble Churchy the Unify of the Spirit, not only bccaiife there is ^ real fpiritual and faring Union, between feme of tiiQ vifible Church to Christ form'd by the Holy Spirit, from which the reft are (SynecdochicalJy) denominated ; but alio becaufe the external Union of the whole Church, is not jjodiiy, but Spiritual, namely of Minds agreeing among themiches. Moreover as the 'vifhh Church is not the natural Body of Christ, and yet has a religious Relation to him, it may therefor© be calPd his fpiritual or myftical Body vifible, or in Profeifioii at lea ft ; therefore the Union muft be fpiritual alfo, of the fame Kind with the Body to which it belongs. Bh SIDES God, who is a Spirit, is the Author q{ this external Union of profeinng Chriftians into Church Fellowfliip, or of their beii^g outwardly in Covenant with him, which has a fpi- ritual and r.chle iendcnry to engage them to be the Lords j to afFecl their Spirits and turn them from Sin to God ; in which re- ipecl this external religious Relation to the Father of Spirits, mar be truly called the Unity of the Spirit : So that here a two-fold Unity of the Spirit is enjoyn'd, T'iz. interne,/, of the Mind, ia Sentiment and of the Will in AfFedion ; and externa/ in a joint partaking of outward, but fpiritual. Ordinances of Worihip. The Word Bond (fundtfnos) fignifies, that which conneds one Thing with another, or that which joins one Thing to another. Now the Bond here enjoined is Peace. ( eirene para to eis en eiren, a coneciendo in unufn, fays Pa for) The etymology of the "Word Peace fignifies to connect or join different Things into one ; and this truly is the tendency of Peace ; it removes Prejudices, ^ffwages Relcntments, conciliates and unites Mens Minds, and C 2 thus 1 2 I'be Union cf the 'Vijible Church. thus it preferves the Unity of the Church of God, which 5€i' broken by angry Contentions and Debates. PEACE cannot be kept without mutual forbearance in lefler' Things which Mankind are apt to entertain very different Sen- timents of : But forbearance has no Place among the fcrce and furious, but only among the humble and /}irtk, Urity cannot be prcfcrved wlicre PriJc and En'vy reign which arc its irreconcila- ble Enemies f Now if the Command of God obliges us to prevent as much as in us lyes, in the Ufe of all lawful JMcins, a Breach of the exter- nal Union of the Church of God, then l'>y a necciiary Confe- quence, the fame Command of God, obliges us to ufe all lawful Means to recover this Union, wheti it is broke : 'IhciQ tv/o- Ihings have an infcparable Connection, he there Core that denies one, denies both confcqucntially, and fo oppofes the commanding Authority of Almighty GOD. The Apoftle urges the aforefaid Un'Itv, enjoln'd ifi the Verfes' immediately follow ing, by thefe Arguments, ^-jIz.. That there is but okc Body myilical, the vifible Church, th©- Type whereof was the '^■fcwljh Tabernacle, and in the room there- of afterwards one Temple. We are one. Boil)\ fays Tirtullj.i::^ from a confciGncicus Regard to the Unity of Religion and Diicipliney and Hope of the Covenant, * Seeing the Church is but one j.ody, fcecaufe of it's external, vifible and" liated ConjundlJon, in religious Oliices, it is therefore the Duty of tliofe who are Members of it, to endea\ our to preferve it's Unify ; to this effefl fpeak Z/V, as Bf^^a thinks, may be taken for the human Tl/Z-.v/, thofe that join in Church- fellowfhip, agree in Mind, and Spirit among themfclvcs, as if they were but one Spirit, which cannot dikigree with itfelf. What is more monilrous than for a. Man to rife up againlt iiimfelf^ 33 Tiri7ius and Zanchy obfervc. OiNE Hope of ycur Chilling, we expc6l one and the fame eternal Salvation, ihcOhjcSl of Hope-, the Apollle by a Metonimy calls Hope, becaufe of their Relation to each other : now feeing we ail expedl the fame eternal Felicity, why fhould we difagree and di- vide ill our way to it Y I'he Hope to which we are called can- not be divided ; thus Mcnochius, Z^anclv;, Symachus. One Lord of tiie Church by the Father's Appointment, idz, ]e&us Christ, who is the Redeemer, Saviour, Head and Go- vernor of the Church ;• who neither will nor can be divided^ whom ncvcrihelefs fuch Labour (virtually) to divide and tear, who promote t Gror. 7.anchy, Rcza, Krafmns, Ffpnaclms, Mcnochius, Vatabnlus. * Corpus funnis, rie confcicnria rcligioois, ct di(ci];linc uiiiucc, pC 5^1 Foederis. TtJtuli. in apoio^ct. The Union of the vifJjJe Church, t^ promote Schifms Contentions and Confr.fions in the vifibic Churchj, lb 7^anih^y ihotlus, Vot-JJius^ Ernftnus, Mettochiiis. One Fuirhy one Rule of Faith, contained in the Scriptures, which wc all follov/, or one Doftrine of Salvation, which we all believe, which was always one, and therefore the Faith of the whole Church viilble ; to this EfTedl, ErafmuSf Zanchyy Grofius^ Mt'ttothiusy '^Tir'iNus. One Baptifm, one Mod* of profefiing this Faith, tvs;. by Bap- tifm, as Atting oblerves ; as all have the fame Faith, fo all have the fame Symbol of Faith, Bnptifm, which was always one, evca before Christ's coming in the Flcih, it was the fame as to the Thing lignified, and now one alfo not only in that Refpect, but likewife as to the external Sign, fo Grotius and Zatuhy, and {- think juftly. One god and Father of all, who is aho've ally in refpe<5l of abfolute and univerfal Empire, cffcntial and tranfcendent Excellen- cy, and thro' all, who by his Providence permeats, upholds, and rules all, and more efpecially the Members of his vifible Kingdom, and in you all, uniting you to himfelf at Icaft vifibly, as one Fa- ther of all by Jesus Christ ; this laft Claufe refpecls God the Father perfcnally, the other tv/o Perfons being before -mentioned^, thus ErapnuSy Hieronimnsy Grotius, Fool, and Others. Obsex-ve how the bleiicd Apoitle labours this important and jnomentuous Point, ^oi'z. the extemrd Union of the C/^«rr/^ 'vifihlci he is not fatisfied with mentioning the exprefs Command of God enjoining all to labour for it, by the higheft Authority, No ! but knowing the llrong natural Aversion of Mankind againfl it, he urges our Compliance, by a beautiful Train of pertinent and ner- vous Reafonings, fumarily reprefcnted, with amiable Elegance, and Energy of Addrefs, to gain our naturally reludlant Confent* to our Fionour, our Duty, and our Interell! God knows there is great Need of the aforefaid Frecept, and all the poignant Arguments whereby it is enforc'd, and of our attending thereto with all our Powers ; for the Breaches of LhiioH' among the vifible Members of Christ's Body, are as common a*. they are difhonour^ble and fatal ! The Ignorance, the Pride, the Humour and Prejudice of Men's Hearts, difpofe them flrongly to "lun into inumerable Se6ls, Parries, and Factions ; -nd that under religious Pretexts of greater Purity, l^c, and doubtlefs in divei:* Inftanccs with pious Intentions, as if Christ mull be divided, aft- if his Kingdom was like to be llrengthened by crumbling it into little Parties, and fetting them by the Ears to tear one another to Pieces about Circumibntials, v/hile thro' the uniiappy Influence of angry Debate, the chief Things of Religion, are for a Time, too much neglected, and the common Enemy laughs in his Sleeve at- both! Satan has more Senfe than that comes to, he knjows by long Experience, that the Way for him to command, is to divide, ana . tlierefore he encoura^ei pii'ijtvn, Wv,k, all iiij Mi^Kf,. he fecretly 14 ^h^ Union of the ii/lldc Church, blows up People's P/vVr, Prejudice and Tlrfentinevt^ againft eacH o her, tnat lo he may bring them to open Ruptures, as well as f.x them in that unhappy ^tate, if polhble beyond a Retrieve : Then the Name of God is diflionoured, his People rendered contempti- ble, and Brethren by Profclliou and Principle in Fundamentals, as finfully as milerably engaged to vex and hurt one another inftead of promoting their own, each others, r.nd the publick good, and all this under religious l^retexts of 7.eal for God, which makes fuch Conduift fit tlie eaficr on Men's Minds; O Siij^ ! Is not the Chrillian Church divided enough already, without any new Addi- tions ? Confider how the .'/Vt-j, Turks, t^r.gnns and Deifts are lirengthcncd in their Prejudices againlt C hriftianity altogether, by the fcandalous Contentions and Divifions of the Profeilors of ii \ And yet more and more new Seds arc llarting up now and then ! thro' the Agency of Men of hot Tempers, and narrow Minds, Lord have JSlercy upon us ! What fliail be the I'nd of thefe Things ? It is fiiocking to think of the Divifions that are now in Scotland ! O ! the needlefs finful Scbifms of the vifible Church, de- ferve to be bewailed if pofTihle with 1 ears of Blood ! It would look more like the Spirit of Chriflianity, to endeavour by peaceable, calm and condelcending Methods, to unite if poflible, the maia Bodies of the Protcllants (who hold the fame Foundation Princi- ples) into one, than to tear afrefli the feamlels Coat of Christ into more Pieces and Shreds. But on the contrary, hoiv fdenfavt is if for Brethren to divcll together in Unity ? As thePfalmill informs us, Pf. cxxxiiii. i. Here obfcrve, that this Pfalm was compo^'d upon the happy Occa- fion of the Concluhon of the Civil Wars, between tlie two Houfes of Saul and Dat-id, in which having felt the fad Effects of Difcord •and Divifion, both the King and People were more fenfible of the Blefling of Peace and Union. BEHOLD hoiio good, and ho^w flcafant it is for Brethren to d'vcell together in Unity. It is like the precious Oint?nnit upon the Head, that ran doe coninion -but juft Proverb, unitu'visjortior, Forcey united are Irrongcr. But befidcs Unity and Or^tr, Jcrufalcm had imprcgr.iible Fort.-cjfcs for Defence againil her Enemies. And i« not the vifibJe Church built upon a Rock, agaiuj} ^vjlAcb the Kjatcs of Hell jhall not prenjail ', the AJunition of Rocks is hct Dtfer.ce, end under the l^i'.'g cf fehovah Jhc may fuftly trujl. jERUSylLEM was exceeding J^eautiful in xcfpeet' of its a- grecabic Situation and magnificent Structures, particularly the ^JuKple, which was the Wonder of the World, beautiful for Situation, the fey of ihc <^'jhole Envth Is Alcuf:t Zion, or. the Sides cf ihs North, the City of the great King. (Pf xlviii. 2.) And licnce Ae was caird even by Stranger^ the perfc^ion of Beauty^ '(Lam. ii. 5.) And is not the viiible Cjiarch upon this Account, ccmpar'd to her. (Cant. vi. 4) Thou art Beautiful O my Love as ^/Vs^, comely as '^■ferufalem. Tke Church beeaufe of its fupcriour Meeh:cfs and amiablenefs, IS like wife com par 'a to a Lilly and a Dove, as a Lilly among Thoi niy fo is try Lo^ve c.nicng the Daughters ; O my Doe- dience to them, and Suhje^Iion to the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. It is called the Kingdom of Hea'ven, bccaufe the Original of the Confiitution of the vifible Church, was from Heaven and the Ten- dtuy thereof is Heavenly, and the final Ifue to all that fmcerely and belie vingly obey the Laws of this Kingdom, is Hcdven or ^aivation : And hence the King of it is faid to be ihc Authcr of eternal Salvation to all that obey himn CiOy ihe Father has The vifibk Church called the Kingdom of Heaven. 19 Jias fit his beloied Son upon lis holy Hill of Zion, (Pf. ii 6.) /. e. conftituted him King over the lifible Churchy of which 7.ycn is the Beginning, Foundation and Mother, as is evident from the Character given it, Hcly Hill, it was called Holy^ becaufc of the leml'k built there, which was a Figure of the Church of Christ. (Ija. Ix 14. H(b. xii. 22. Re-j. xiv. i.) God is faid to fend the Rod of lis Strtngth out »f Zyon, (Pf. cx. 2.) /. e, his ever- lafting Gofpcl and the Power of his Spirit working with it ; of the fame Tendency is that notable Saying of the Prophet Ifaiah (ii. 3.} For out of Zyon jT^nll go forth a Lu^jj, and the IVord of the Loid from Jerufalem : The Mountain of 7ycn had two Hills, upon one of which was placed the CojUe of David, and upon the other the Temple, under a twofold Magiftracy, li^z. Political and Ecclefiallical, the Church lives and is prote<5ied ; which is called God's hcly Mcuntciv, or Mountain of his Holinefs in many Places of Scripture^ or Sanftuary, elfewhere we read of the Mountain of Holimf. (Jer. xxxi 20.) arA People of Holir.ffs, (Dan. ix. 24.) This Mountain was calPd hch, no: inherently but relatively, be- caufe of the Jrk tranflated there, and on Account of the "Temple % being built there. {zSam. vi. 17. i Chron.xvl. i.) What I have offered by way Explication upon Pf. ii. 6. is agreeable to the Sentiments of many learned Interpreters.* The vifible Church is juflly called the Kingdom of Heaven in Scripture, tho' there are many Hypocrites in it ; becauie Christ governs it as a King, and there is a remnant in it, that are vvillingly fubjecl to his governing Authority, who is the Lord from Heaven, from whom as the better part it is deno- minated, this Church is the Kingdom of Heanjen upon Earth. 2. The I^efign of this Parable is twofold, ift. To fhew that the State of the vifible Church is a mix'd State in this Woi-ld ; it jconfift?, as our Lord informs u?, of Wheat and Tares, the Chil- dren of the Kingdom, and the Children of the wicked one, good and bad. And 2d. 1 hat the Servants of the Church, the Miinfters and other Church Of.cers, muft not attempt to leparate the bad from the ^co^/, who are in the vifible Church, who have fach a refem.blancc of Wheat, of Piety in their outward Appearance, that they cannot be rooted our, without the Hazard of a millake, ^nd in confcquence of it, rooting up the Wheat with them, as Mr. Pool oblerves. The Cafe is here fairly ftated, and an explicit Anfwer given thereto by our Lord fcfusChriJi. The zealous Servants who were very dcfirous and forward to have a perfeff Church upon Earth, and to this purpofe to have the Tares rooted out of it, enquire of their Mailer, what was his Will and Pleafure in this Cale? Wilt thou then that ive ga and gather them tip ; obferve it was not the openly Prophane or avowed Hereticks, that divulge their Sentiments, for thefe may be known, and according to the D 2 exprefs * Gegcrus, Pifcator, Ainfworth, Vatabulu.', Pagnin, MufculiiS Pool, Hcnery, 20 ne Parahk of the Teres explain* d. cxprefs Order of God clfewhcre related, are to be cafl out of the i. nurch, or out of Communion with it, No! But it was the clofc Hypocrites, who were Dodrinally found in main Points of Truth, and outwardly regular in Condadt, that the Servants wanted to be tampering with, and cad out ; and it kcms they imagiucd that they were fufficiently qualified for that awful Province of fcarch- ing the Hearts of others, and juding of their invifible Grace ! O lamentable Vanity ! But Chrijl was not of their Opinion, their Mailer was not of their Mind, he ftop'd their well meant but dangerous Career^ by a plain, authoritative and well grounded Negative to their Qucilion, Nay, Icaji nxhile ye gather up the Tares^ ye root up alfo the Wheat ijuith them, i. e. you are not qua- lified for, you are not equal to that tas/i you are fo ready to engage in, and fo fond to undertake, 'viz. of judging and de- termining about the States of Mens Souls, from their inward, fpiritual and iavifible Experiences, and making your Sentiments about them ^c,'»:s of Communion ; and therefpre let them gron.v to- gether until the Har'Vfj}, that is, to the End of the ^orld, as our Lord himfelf explains it, /. e. let the good and bad continue in the Bofom and Fellowfhip of the vifiblc Church till the End of Time, the General Judgment, the Confumation of all Thing?, and then the Angels fhall make a full and final Separation between them in that Day, namely, of the general Judgment, when the Lord of Hofts makes up his "Je^vels, then, and not before, ye Jhali certainly dif- cern betn,veen the Righteous and the nxicked, Iclnueen him that fcrietb God, and him that fer'veth him not. (Mai. iii. 17, 18) Obseiive, my Brethren, that 0:1 r Lord Jefus Chrijl, the Wif- dom of the Father, and the King of the Church, who knows beft how to promote the good thereof, and wjio only is veiled with rightful Authority to prefcribe Laws thereto, whatever fome good Men fondly imagine, or whatever pious Purpofes tJiey have of purifying the C^^hurch by Methods of their own devifmg notwithitanding j pofitively cotnmands his Servants to let the 7ares and IVhiat groiv together until the Harnujt. There is one Laivgi'ver, 'who is able to fai:e and to dejiioy, ce Laws for their Souls, *• (t^ro. viii 15, 16. Ifa. xxxiii, 22. JSI. iv. 19.) By this he ** intimates, that they did invade God's Right, who took upon " them a legiflative power in prefcribing to other Mens Con- ** fciences, and making ihcir oun Will the Rule of the others *' Duty. H'ho is able to fanje and d, firry both temporally and eter- •' nail}, [Dcut. xxxii, 39. 1 Sam. r*. 6. and Ifa. xliii. 13.) ** whereas other Lav.-givers cannot fave or dellroy Mens Souls, ** nor fo much as their Lives, without God's concurrence IVho " art thou that judgrfi another, what a forry C rcaturc, a Man, a ** Worm, that tJiou ihouldll life up thy id^ into God's Place, ** and ^he S'iinilitude of the 'Tares farther centered 2 1 " and make thyfclf a Judge of one not fubjeft to thee, the Ser" ** vant of another Mailer. (Rom. xiv. 4.) It is a fond Thing *' for thee to take upon thee the Power of a Judge, when thoii *' hall no Power of faving or dellroying, rewarding or punifliing.'* Thus Mr. Pool. And fliall we, Sirs, under pious pretexts of purifying the Church, in our own way, openly rebel againll the Authority of our King and Sovereign, prefer our U'ildo??], I might jullly fay foUst to his infinite Undirjtanding^ and rcflc6l upon his Fidelity and Cr.re for his Churches good, as if he had not given a fufhci- ent Syjlan of Z.<:7ti for its good Government and Advantage, without our Additions. God forbid ! &IRS, all Methods of purifying the Church of Chrijly by mea- fures of human Contrivance, notwithllanding of their fair Face, and the good defign of their zealous formers, are mifcheivous to it ; they rob us of the Liberty njjhereiL-ith Chriji has made us free, puff up foolifh Mortals with Pride of Attainments they have not ; fet them in chafe of the Knowledge of other Peoples Hearts, which they cannot attain, to the negled: of their own, which they may in fome Degree attain, and rend the Body of Lhrijl in pieces, by dilates, ewvyings, njoraths, Jlrifes, hackbitings^ njcijperings, fwcllitigs, tumults, (2 Cor xii. 2o.) And therefore let us inviolably obferve the exprefs command of our Mailer, let them grcvj together till the Har^jeji. I fhall beg leave to cite a Paragraph of Mr. Henry s Annota- tions on the Parable I have mentioned, which I think is very excellent. *' Isotc, It is not pofTible for any Man infallibly to " dillinguifh between l^arvs and IVheat, but he may be miflaken, ** and therefore fuch is the Wifdom and Grace of Chriji, that ** he will rather permit the Tares, than any way endanger the ** Wheat. 'Tis certain fcandalous Offenders are to be cenfured, and ** we are to withdraw from them : Thofe that are openly the ** Children of the wicked one, are not to be admitted to fpecial ** Ordinances ; yet 'tis poiiible there may be a Difcipline either ** fo miflaken in its Rules, or fo over nice in the Application ** of them, as may prove vexatious to many that are truly godly ** and confcientious : Great Caution muftbe ufed in inflitfling and •* continuing Church cenfures, leafl the Wheat be trodcn down *' if not pluck'd up ; the Wifdon from abo-ue, as it is pure fa *' it is peaceable ; and thole that oppofe themfelves, muft not be " cutof, but inflrudled and with MkEKNEss. {2 Tim. ii. 2^.) The ** Tares if continued under the Means of Grace, may become ** good Corn, therefore have Patience with them. ** Note, The overhaily and inconfiderate Zeal ofChrifs Ser* ** 'vants, before they have confulted with their Mijier, is fome- ** times ready, with the Hazard of the Church, to root out all *' that they prefume to be Tares, ^ilt thou than that "we go ** and gather them up.'''* of 2 2 Tie Sifniliiude of the T:!iTt^ farther conjidered. Of th€ fame Sentiments are many other learned Interpreters, * If it be laid thatCuRnsr in his Explication of the aforefaid Parable, fignifies that the Field is the World. I Jfijhvcr, with Mr. Hiury, that tlirWord World there fignifies the vifible ^ hurch, fcattcrcd all the World over, not confin'd to one Nation : In the farabh it's called Chrijt's Field, for all Things are delivered to him of ''he Father, and to imagine that th^ tl'crld in this Pallage o^ c^-'pture, is not to be taken in the aforefaid limited Senff,. i: lo fuppofe that Chriil himfelf fpeaks befides the Point he hnu undertaken to fpeak upon, which is ab.- furd, and therefore ihrt cannot be true which it flows from. If it again be iug^^flcd, that the gathering up of the Tares mentioned in ihc -iforefaiu Parable, intends, a putting of them to Death, and fo is not applicable to confirm that for which it i^ aducM. I Anfi:cr, that to charge fuch tl Blood thirlly Difpofition upon x)\c Servients of Christ in general, without clear Ground and Kcceinty from the Text, is very uncharitable, and therefore fm- fal. i\ow there is no Necefiity to take the Words fo, for there arc other V/ays of putting People out of the vifible Church with- out killing of them : And as fuch a glofs is uncharitable, fo it is irrational and abfiird, becaufe it fuppofes a Difpofition in the Ser- vants of Christ to put Members of the vifible Church to DeatU xncerly for their want of Grace uncxprefled by Speech and A«Stion ; fer the Parable treats of Tares that do fo nearly relemble the Wheat, that they cannot be certainly dillinguifhed from it by the xnoft pious and intelligent : Now to kill People meerly for the ■want of faving Grace, unevidenccd by any Inftance of criminal Condud prejudicial to Society, is fuch a monjler of Barbarity and Nonfenfe, that the very woril Perfecutors that have ever appeared upon the Stage of the World, fmce the Foundations of it were laid, have not (fo far as I know) been guilty of it ; and to lup- pofe the Mifiifurs of CbrijTs Religion, in general, to be more cruel • yJz, Lucas, Brugpifis, Munflerus, Shnachus, Grct.'us, Zegerus, Hcronhms, Deza. Tlie Word Tares {xlxa^^ia) ligiiities a kind ot i;uruf Wheat, which can't be puli'd up without pulling uy ihe I4'heat ^lun^ ■with it, it is a kind oi Cocke I ov Daniel, which fprings from Wjieac corrupted, or otlier kinds ot Grain corrupted, which is very like to Wheat, (prings up before the Hawdl, and is very difficult to lie di(lin- f;uifh*d from Whratj thus Scu.'tetus, Brederadius, Theophraffus, Rew- crtUT, DodoniBs, PomPmus, and Sakl?ius ; the fame is call'd by Virgil, ififelix Loli:.m; Mathew alone ufcs this Word; and always in tlie plural Number (xixania, ofuaji Sitoizaiiia, quod idzatie infideat (lio, ct €umco crtfftit,) the original Word tranlhttd T^re implies its luting upon thcWheat, and ^rowinf; together with it, as Gualiperius and Shmidius oblcrve, and therefore a two-fold kind of Wheat is intended, rjlz. that which is noble, and that which is degenerated, and fordid, by v\hich we are to undcrlland good and bad Clnillians, both dillinct from other Mtn, and diitindt among thcmfcivcs. Thus Do:Lor Light' f)OP. ne vifiUe Church compar'^d to a Flooi^. 2J cruel and ronfcnrical then all the rcfl: of Mankind, is no great Compliment either to it or them. Besidhs fuch aglofs is contrary to the Words of the Parable ^ it is not living abfolutcly in the World that ChriJ} fpcaks of, but living refpcdivcly in a State of external Union in the viiible Church, let them both gro-iu together till the Harnjrjf : And it is coritrar/ to the D^tgn and Explication of the Parable. Thh Defign of the Parable is to fhew that the vifible Cliurch or Kingdom of Christ, which is joined together by an exter- nal Ijond o{ Urjic?j^ is composM of good and bad, and will remain mixed till the End of Time ; and that we ought to let it remain fo, ought to let them grow together, bccauie we are not capable to make a judicial aduai Dijiindion between faints and Hypocrite3^ without doing Injury to the former. I'he Thing in view is the unlawfulnefs of breaking the C/^arr/^a outward L^Wrw, becaufe of our Judgment about internals ; which is contradiiled by the aforcfaid glofs ; for tho' it acknowledges the finfulnefs of killing People meerly becaufe we judge they want invifible Grace ; yet it allows of a Breach of the Churches Union upon that (lender Foundation, which oppofes Christ's Sentiment and the Reafonof it, which is this, the Danger of doing wi'ong thro' our incapacity, which does not only conclude againft the higheft Degrees of wrong, but every Degree of it, and all Methods of Management tending thereto ; becaufe all wrong is of the l^ime general Kind, all unrcafonable and contrary to the Law of Nature. As Church fello^'jhip is a valuable Priviledge, fo of confequence to be de- prived of it, without juft Caufc, is unjuft, as really as to be un- jultly deprived of Life, tho' not in fo great a Degree; and therefore all Attempts that are like to involve us in either of thcfe Evils, fliould be carefully avoided. Nor is the aforefaid glofs agreeable to our Lords Interpretation of the Parable, which informs us, that the Angels /hall gather 9ut of his Kingdom all Things that Offend, and them ivhich do Iniquity, and Jhall cajf them into a Furnace of Fire, i. e. the An- gels, as Inftruments of divine Jurtice, fhall feparate the wicked from the good, with whom in this Life fome of them have affo- ciated in Church Fellowlhip, and call them into a Place of Mi- fery. But will they deftroy the Life they have, or anihilate their Exigence ? No. Our Saviour affurcs us, that there fhall he seep- ing and gnafnng of Teeth, But to proceed ; The 2d. Similitude which I would difcoarfe of, is that men- tioned by John the B apt if, [Mat. iii. 12.) whereby the vifible Church of Christ is compared to a Floor, upon which is Chaff and Wheat, nx:hofe Fan is in his Hand, and he ivill thoroughly purge his Floor, and gather his H'^heat into the Garnsr, bat he lAiill burf} vp the Chaff luith unquenchable Fire, Here obferve the following Particulars. I That the 'vifble Church is Chrifl's Floor, (Ifa. xxi. 10.) the Temple, a Type of it was bi)iU upoaa tiirefhijDg Floor. ' a. Tha^ 24 ^hc F^'^ of Jndgment in Chrid's Tltwd: 2. That in this Floor there is a mixture of CbaJ~ and Wheat i good and bad, in the fame outward Communion. 5. That there is a Day coming, when there fliall be a full iind final Separation made between riie Chuff and Wheat ^ viz. the Day of Judgment, then there will be a vifible Diftincftion be- tween the Good and Bad, in refpeit of their Dodtrines, their Works, their Perfons, (i Cor. iii. 13--15. Mutt. xxv. ;2.) Bef.re him jh all be gathered all Nations y and he jhall separate them $ne Jro7n another, as a Shepherd diuidcth his Sheep from the Goats. 4. That the Lord Jesus Christ is only capable, to make a true a jult and final i^eparation^ or DiftinAion among Alcn uni- vcrfally according to their States and Adio):s ; being the Wifdom of his Father, and all Eye, and that he alone has Authority to occupy tliis important Province, and execute this difficult Trull ; feeing all Judgment is comm.irted to him, and to him only, by his Father; and hence we are tofd, that his Fan in hib Hand, which is threefold, fays Brugcnfis, viz. a Fan of Dodrone, of the Crofs, and of 'Judgment. A Fan of Doelrinc, whereby fome internal Diflindion is made between good 2.nd bad, while the Nature and Characters of true Chriftianity, are fcripturally and gautioufiy open'd, while the Pro- mifcs and Threatnings arc diilindly and pertinently proposed and pronounc'd. A Fan of the Crofs, or 6f Sufferings upon a religious Account, ■whereby fometimcs much Chaff is blown away from the Wheat. A Fan of Judg?ne7}t, whereby Christ fcarches the Heart and "Reins of all the Children of Men, and diftingui'.lies the mod fubtie Hypocrite from the truly Pious, and will openly feparate them all from each other, hi the great Day of his coming, in vertue of a iupreme judicial Authority, afllgn'd him by his Father, as a Re- >vard of his Abafement ; this is his peculiar Prerogati-ue and in- communicable Royalty, which it is great Sacri/edge for any to affume. This Fan of Judgment, which is principally intended in the aforefaid Words, for till the Time of the lall Judgment the floor of the vifible Church fhall not be tlioroughly purged, 1 fay, this Fan of Judgment is in Christ's Hand alone, exclufive of all Competitors to his Croivn and Dignity ! As this Similitude plainly reprefents the mixed State of the vi- fible Church of Christ, namely, that it confilh of real Saints and clofe Hypocrites, fo it fliews with equal Evidence, that it is Christ alone that is qualified with competent Capacity, and veft- cd with rightful Authority, to make a judicial univerfal Separa" tion between them : And of Confequence, that it is an unjull Pre- sumption and criminal Invafion of his royal Prerogati^ve, for any of the Children of u^datn to affume and attempt it, what- ever be their civil or religious Charader or their fuperior En- dowments notwithllanding. But to proceed ; a gd. Similitude, which is very remarkable and inftruAive, /lonccrnin^ the Nature and State of the t.//;^/*.' Church of Christ ne vifihle Church like a Net in the Sja. 25 bn Earth, wc h.ive in the 1 3th Chapter of MattheiL\ the 47th, 48th, and 49th Verlcs, Agoin^ the Kingdom of Htanjen is like unto a Nety that n.vas caji into the Sea, am] gathered nf every Kind^ ;^, tend to dillurb the Pence of the Chuixh of Christ, ^ break its Vnicn and turn all into a Flame? What can be the Caufe of fuch unkind, unjuft Proceed- ing, fo directly contrary to the exprefs and pofitive command of the King of the Church ? Is it Ignorance or is it forgetfulnef of this <■ ommand and Inftltution, or is k Pride and Sti/bornefs, that will not faffer us to Hoop, to fubmit to the Kingly Authority of the great Redeemer ? And do we by fuch a kind of Conduct, con- form to the/^7:v of Nature and Nr>tions, which requires that Per- ions be heard before they be condemned, or do by others as we would have them do by us r* The RefolutioR of thefe Queftions, let our own Confcicnces determine. But as to the Notion of excommunicating Perfons, either by Separating from, them at firlt, or by continuing contentedly in a Stale of Separation, v/ithont the Ufe of Means »o get it removed, v>'hcn there is any probability of Succefs, (which arc indeed fub- ilantially the fame) on the account of diiTerent Opinions in C/>- tunifantii'ls in Doctrine, and ading accordingly ; or on account of our Judgment Or Perfwafion of their being gracltfs or with- out Chrlilian Experience ; altho' there are fcandalous Prrf dents for the former of thefe, in the violent Ferments and Animofities that We ND I T. 1 N E doth not only afTi'm thst the S;icramcnts of Con- firm:irion may oi-^nnically he^jin Faicii, hut acMs, that this is the or- thodox ("Opinion, he .uu'ans the generally or univerfally rcceiv'd Opini- on ol' the Calvinid Churches. Kxcr. 81. pa^. 1311 and iz. Bh z A propofcs rLefe two Rii es or Maxims, viz,. 1. That the Sup- j)cr is inlHtutcd for Difciples, and that all fuch as pro.'cfs Chrill are I)i((ipe?. Mr. Thoynat Hooker, is of the fame Sentiment with B^z^ before-men« tioncd. Sec iiurnjcy , p:ig. 41. 42. Of the fame Sentiment like wife are McfTrs. BAiib^ Himpbr)' , Tnnfon, all which hive wrote in dcfcnlc of it. Mr. Stoddard, oi New-Englami, joins liis Suffrage to rhofe juO men- tioned, snd h.8 wrote ill fmdicationoi it, a 13ooK, entitled, jin ^t» fcfll fo the UflVicd* ^he Terms of Communion of the vifiblc Church. 29 that arofc even in the early Times of Chriftianity, between the Eiijitrn and ly'tjiern Churches^ which came to that pitchy that they excommunicated one another, and that tor no greater Matter than the (jbfcrvation of Eajier upon different Days ! Much lika this wai the Ferment and Prejudices that arofe between the Jt^'ji/h and Gentile Chrillians, and their uncharitable Condud towards each other, which were flill of an earlier Date. Prifidcnts that demand our pity ^nd cautiotiy bjt deferve not our Imitation ! but of the latter 1 know no Example in Scripture or Hillory ; and far lefs is there any Foundation in the ticly Scriptures^ or in our excellent Co>if^£iion of Faith ^ for fuch unaccountable Proceedings ! No ! Our Church is fo far from fuch an unrcafonable, uncharita- ble and Church dividing Principle, that Ihe does not make her Opinion of Peoples fccrtt fpiritual Experiences the Ground ol a far i«fs cenj'ure, viz. o( fit/pending them from the Lords Supper for a Time: Nor does flie make a Difference in circumliantial Points, (fo far as I know) a failicient Ground for any Cenfare at all. You know, my Reverend and Beloved Fathers and Brethren, it is our bounden Duty to beware 0^ d\\ fuprrjiitious human In^oentiofis^ in Dodirine, Worjhip and Difcipline, however pioufly they are de- fign'd and zealoufly they are defended notwithilanding. We are commanded by fupream Authority to Jiand faji in the Liberty twherenxith Chrill has made us free^ lecjl nve be entangled in a Take of Bo7idage, The Lord Jcfus is the only King and Head of his Church; he alone is her Lawc-glvcry ivho is able to fa. This Peace is an imaluable Jewel, the b^elTcd Eegnc-^ which the blefled Jcfus left to his Dilciples j the agreeable reft of the Soul, and the Life of Life ; hereby we are fwcctly fupported under every prefent prclTure, and fufficicntly fortify 'd • Pax- Dei, efl bcllum, contra fatanam. Peace with God is War againft the nevll. I Union ro God in Chrift by Faith, is the Ground of Commuaioil fn the divine Love. Of Peace Ojconomic^ul. ji fortlfy'd againft every uneafy fear of future Mifcry and Danger. 1 hib makej the Soul ferene under the moil glooiny a. id for- »iidable afpeds of Providence ; liable and unQiaken amidll all th« Revolutions of Nature, and (hifting Scenes of Time. PEJCE with our Neighbour is threefold, viz. OEconcmJcal, Pvliiical, Eicbfiajiical. PEACE OEconornicaly or quiet in the Family^ is a comforta- ble Privilege, ^Pfal. cvii. 41.) He fctteth the Poor on high from, Jj/iidioTty and tnaketh him F ami lies like a Flock ; the Rlglteous Jf-uill fee it and rc'yyce, and all Iniquity Jhall ftop her Mrutb. Among the furpriznig Changes which a fovereign Pro^uidence brings to pais Ibnietimes among the Affairs of the Children of Men,, this that the Pj'ulmijt mentions -in this Pfalm, is very remarkable. Ihat while the Almighty abafes the Great and Honourable, pours Contempt on Princes that abufe their Authority, and flight his Mercy, while he dethrones them from their Grandeur and Dignity, reduces them to dillrefling ftraits, and Caufes them to wander in the Wildernefs where there is no Way ; ba.'ftes their Councils, and breaks their Pride and Pomp. He in the meaa Time exalts the Humble, he fetteth the Poor on high, he raifes them from the Dull of meanefs ar.d obfcurity, tQ Places of Truft and Honour. And that which adds equal Security, Beauty and Eafe to their EU'-jation, is the number and quietnefs of their Children and Families, he mc.kcs their FuNiilirs like a Flock ; a Flock of Sheep ; numerous indeed ; but meek, peaceful, uieful, fociable,. in this refemblmg the true and living Members of the Church of Chrill, who are cloathed with this inllruclive amiable Charaditr. {John X ) When ones Family is quiet and calm, it is a noble Ajylu7n, a little Sanduary to retreat to from Tempefts abroad, a great Satisfadion and Support in Life, that fooths all our Sorrows, fweetens ail our Labours and Anxieties, and lulls every Grief to reft. Bat the Contrary is no little Addition to our other Calamities ; it ftorms us from our proper Place of Refuge and Retreat; puts Vinegar and Nitre into our Wounds, and adds double weight to all our Woes ! PEACE Political, or quiet in the State ^ (of the right Kind) is a freedom from War, with National Enemies, upon a fafe and honourable Foundation, and a Union and Harmony among our- ielves, refpefting Matters of a civil Nature. Then we no more hear the confus'd noife of the Warricr^ or fee Garments roiPd in Bloody a rueful, pilious lpetl:acle, that can- not but excite, in generous Bofoms, the fofteft Sympathy's of Sor- row, the tendereft Sentiments of Humanity ! How amiable, defirable and valuable a Benefit muft ^o/zV/Va/ Peace (of the right Kind) be ; it opens a pleafing fcene of Pi.nty before us, and frees us from innumerable Jnxiitiesy l^Pfal. clxvii. 14.) He maketb Peace in thy Borden and filet h thee -iLith the Jincjt •f the Wheat. It muft needs be an entertainins Profpe«5t to Ucvout Noah^ 32 Of Peace Ecclefiaftical. after he had been fo long exposM to a conftant Scene of ex- traordinary Terror^ by a more Ihocking hru)tdntion then any of the Sons of Men had ever fecn before ; lo long immur'd in a float- ing Callle of immenic and unweildly bulk, which had neither htlm nor Compofs to check its random Motions, amidll a vail abyls of Waters, upon the foaming a..gry Main, together with fo prodigious and troublefome a l-'amily, no lels tiian a World of Animals in its capacious Bofom ; Creatures of every Kind and Form, amiable and hideous, mild and malignant : 1 fay it mull needs be agreeable to him to feel tiiis valt Machine rtjt from its wild wandrmgs, upon the lof^y lummit of Ararat ! To hear no more grating noify Murmurs of defcending Torrents, or awful Shrieks of expiring Mortals, abandoned to the depths of Woe, frightned at the difmal Symptoms of Natures Catajirophe; and their own approaching Fate ; upon his opening of the Ark to behold the ail'waging Waters, and the miid, returning, faithful Do-uf, returning not on a lingering IVing, bat with a rapid Flighty carrying the amiable Emblem of Peace, an Oli^e Leaf in her Mouth, an agreeable Symptom of the Rc/urredion of entomjd Nature, a lure Sign of her emerging above her watry PrefTures, into her original Form, Beauty and Uie. (at leall in Tome Degree) Give me leave, my dear '^-rethrcn, to make this brief Reflection, in pn/Jant, O happy, thrice happy, are all thole who finding no more rejl in this weary World, this mazy Labyrinth of Labour and of Woe, do fly with an eager iving by Faith to Christ, the Sanftuary, the Ark of the oppreiled, the Reft of the weary, the Ballom of the wounded : This glorious God-Man, our venera- ble Imanuel, will fave thofe that Trull in him, from the awful torrents of divine Refentment, and from flnking in the Sea of Jehovah's anger. He is, as the Prophet Ifaiah expreflies it, ti hiding Pln.ce from the Wind, and a convert from the Tempfjl^ as Rivers of Water in a dry Place, and as the Shado-xv of a great Rock in a nveary Land. But J proceed, PEACE Eccltfiajlical, or Peace in the Church, is oppofed both to Schifm from within, in its own Body, and Perfcution from without, from open Enemies. This Ptace, with Truth and Righte- cufnefs, is one of the moll important Mercies upon Earth. Now the Peace of ""jerufalem, whicii we fliould pray for, includes all the Kinds of Peace I have mentioned : When we ufe this Petition in our Prayers, we beg or fupplicate that the Members of the vifiblc Church may have Peace with God, Peace in their own Confciences ; Peace in their private Families ; Peace be Kvithin thy Walls ; and likewife that there may be Peace in the i^tate. Prof- ferity in her Palaces ; and particularly that their may be Peace in the Church, Peace in Jcrufalcm, that Ihe may be as a City compaSl together. Nov/ feing that the Peace of the Church, is cfpecially intended, let us fix our Meditations upon this momentuous SubjeSl, for a little while, and enquire, what is intended by the Puace of Je- rusalem? Im JVbat the Peace of J-riifalem fiippofcs. 2'i Ik anfwer to this Enquiry, let it be obfcrv'd, ih;it Peace gene- JTftlly fuppofes Debet: and Contention preceeuing, which ala., to the great Scandal of C'hrillianity, is too natural and common among the ProfeQbrs of it ; the principal Caufes of which, are unUind treattn:ut of one another, dilYerent Stntimnits in imaller Matters, of curious Speculation, which have little Influence up- on Praiiticc ; the remaiiuljrs of Corruption in all Men, which the grand Enemy of the Churches Peace inllamcs, by raifing/r///^r Reports, and cfpecially when they keep at a DiiUncc from each other, and aggravaiinj; true ; and by afcribing every Thmg faid and done, to a bad Dcfign ; as well as by working upon the Ignorance and Narrownefs of fome Mens Minds, the peculiar heat of their Tempers, and warmth of their Imaginations. Now as /'t'^r^ generally fuppofes Contentiojt and Debate, and fometimes in confcqucnce thereof, an open Breach of Union, fo under this View, it i?np!ies thefe Things follov/ing, oul which is common to People in younger Years, when they begin to profcfs Religion, and to be frightned at the Anfwer of our own Prayers for VVifdom and Xnowledo^e, as well as fliun the granting of our Requells with as much Care as poiTible, in order to keep our Credit with thofe of our own Caji and Utatiire : For if it happen that we are by a larger View of Things, conilrained to ditler, tho' upon the firmeit Foundation of Reafon and Re^oelation, the Breadth of a Hair in after Years, from our firll raw and indigefted Notions of Things, it is an unpardonable Imauity and Scandal, not to be wiped away. And if that be the Cafe, that we muft hold every No- tion we have had, right or wrong, it is certainly bell to avoid clofc thinking upon Things altogether, and examining of them, Icall thereby we be forc'd to quit fome Notion we have held before, or in other Words, we muft maintain, with the Papijis, that Ignorance is the Mother of De^voticn ! Farther. 2. The Propofals of Peace fhould be Condifcending ; for it is fuch only that have a tendency to remove Prejudices, and con- ciliate mutual Love and Refpe(n: ; every Thing fhould be given up for Peace, but Truth and Holinefs. The more we give up our Hiannurs, our Pride our Prejudices, yea our Credit among the Ignorant of Mankind, if the Cafe require it, and we do no In- julticc to ourfelves therein, the more we obey the Precepts and An- Aver the Dcfgn of tlie G of pel of oar Lord Jesus Christ, which enjoins us t^o deny ourfel-ves, to take up the Crofs of our Mafter, Xii fKortify ow^ Corruptions, and let not our Rigour and Stijj'ncft (in fmali Things) but our Moderation be kno^vn to all Men. 3. Thk Propofals of Peace and Union fhould be Scriptural, fuch as the King of the Church has appointed, and no other; not fuch as fome Devout Men, of narrow Mind-j and hot Tempers, have contrivM, with a pious Furpofc lo maiiUaia Truth and promote the The Scriptitrd Terms of Peace and Untcn. 35 .the Purity of the Church : Let tlicir Piety and Learning be never ib great, and their Defigns never fo good, they have no Autho- rity to impofe their Noiions, about Circum/iatitials, as Terms of Communion. In general I may obfcrve, that the Terms that fliould be pro- pos'd, are fuch as tend to preferve and tranfmit, pure and uncor- rupted, to the latell Porterity, the effcntial ;:nd necefTary Truths of Christ on the one Hand, and yet to maintain inviolable the Liberty fivhercnvith Chrift hns viade us free, upon the other, and not entangle ourfelves again with a new I'oke of Bondage of human Invention, and thereby open awful Occafion for a coa- tinued feries , of i»chifm?, Convulfions and Confufions in the Church of God, Now the fcriptural Terms of Ecclefiaflical Peace ard Union, are either Do8ririal or Fmnical. The DodrinalTcrrn of Feacc and Union which our Lord has appointed, is a Confcllion of ejjcntial and necclFary Artichs, in Dodrine, Worfliip and Difcipline, contained in the holy Scriptures, agreeable to wiiichare our excellent Wcjlniinjler ConfcJJlon of Faith, Catcchifms and Direttory for Worfhip and Government. These Tcrtjis are truly Scriptural, inafmuch as we are enjoin'vl. jn the facred Oracles, by the fame fupream Authority, to rejeEl Heriticks, or thofe that obflinately \iQ\'\ fundamental Errors, after the firft and 'Jrcond Jdfnonition, and in the mean Time to recei-vi the Weak, who hold circumftantial Errors, being in other Things found. We are of Confequence, plainly direded to make efj'cn' tial and nccrfary Articles only. Terms of Cc>m?nunion, And indeed thefe terms are rational, Catholick, and peaceable, they may be defended by Argument, and no other that I know of, tlicy are a noble Mcdiinn between two dangerous Extreams of unjaflifyable f-jcrity upon the one Hand, and Criminal laxnef, on the other, the former of which encroaches upon our Liberty, and the latter is Prejudicial to Truth, both which ought to be ever Dear to us ! If any other Method befidcs what is before men- tioned be taken, either fundamental Truths will be beiray'd, or good Men rejedled, whom we are commanded to receive, and who when receiv'd, are like to be of fervice to Christ'j Kingdom. Nor. fliould it be lightly pafTed over, that we fhou'd not receive the V/eah, to doubtful difputations, i. e. we fliou'd not diilrefs and enfnare them, with Debates about Things of fmall Moment, which are comparatively doubtful and uncertain, not only obfcure in their own Nature, but fuch as there is no abfolute promife of the Holy Undion to lead all good Men to the Know- ledge of; and feeing the Cafe is fo it is no Argument either of good Judgment or great Humility, to be very peremptory and confident about fuch Things, becaufe the confidence is difpro- portion'd to its foundation, the foundation is obfcure and un- f ertain what good and great Men differ about, ^id ihe coniidencc F 2 is 3 6 The Seripfual Terms of Peace and Umo7f, is fo peremptory and certain as if they were not liable to Miftake, but were exempted peculiarly from the common Frailties and Wcakneiles of human Nature ; will a difcreet Man ralfe a Supers llru(5ture larger then its B^yJJs, or will our Paffions and Prejudices alter the Nature of Things ? * The ahu/e of thefe Te/y.vs cannot take awf^ the regular Ufe of tiiem, no more than the abufe of other good Things can reafonabiy deprive us of the comfort of them. And tho' the Number of eJlcntial and neceffary Articles has not Iiitherto been determined, by any Church that I know of, yet every Perfon, and of v.-onfcquence ^every Church, as fuch, muil certainly have a right to determine for themfelves, what they reckon to be fuch. But to proceed, The Practical "Term of Peace and Union in Churches wheie there are complaints of MifccvJuSl, are either an Exprefs verba^ acknowledgement of them in Things of a Moral nature, or a Refcnnation from them. No doubt in Churches formed and united, an explicit open ver- bal Acknowledgment, fhiould be required, efpecially for grofs In- flances of immoral Conduft, which the Light of Nature teaches the Sinfulnefs of. But when the Church is either in its Infancy not fully form'd, or in a broken and di-vickd State, and when there is a Reformation from the Evils complain'd of, and urging a ^jerbal Ackno^'Aedgemtnt tends to open v/ider the bleeding Wounds of the Church, to tear lier in pieces ; and confequently to deftroy her ; it Ihould not be infiHied on even in refpecl of grofs Immorality ; becaule the Defign of Dijcipli'fie is anfwered by Reformation in fuch Cafes, and much lefs Ibould it be even propofed at all, in Matters which are (com- paratively fpeaking) of a doubtful Nature, and have long lince Jiappened ; to fay that there ihould be no Moderation us'd in the ' P?fcipline of the Church, [no epeceia juris) no Variation of it's Exer- cije, under different Circumflances and A'peiSl-, in fuch a Manner as tends to.preferve the Church from Ruin, is to fay in cjfed that it is unreafonable and indefenfible, and confequently to impute to Jesus Ch?.ist the Author of it, either want of IVifdom, or want of J^o've, in forming the flan or Model of it's Inftitution, both which are falfc, and blafpLemous, and of Confequence that from which fuch Confequences natr,:fally and eafily flow ^ to apply the fame Medicine to the Body in all the Variety of it's Maladies in the fame Manner, and in the fame Degre, would tend to kill inftead of a Cure, and thus it is in Ecclcfiairical Matters. But 3. Peace does not only imply a C'[fatio'(i of Arms, and Pro- fofals of iicommadaticn, but Yikcmic om'ii'CicerQ Acceptance of them, ^ftcr due Deliberation upon their Nature and Importance, and with full P eiblution thro' divine Grace to adhere thereto, 4. It * Stabit opqs mllius, fi bene fixa Bafis. The SupexUl'uflure will llfjnd the fiinjer> Uiat the F^uuriation be well iairf* ^ Peace impUes Love and friendly Ofices. 57 4. It implies real RecoriciIiafio7i upon this Acceptance j when the Terms of Peace propofed are mutually come into, we fhould then bury in perpetual Obli'vlon pait Ojj'rjices, as tho' they had jiever been, and return to a State of fmcere Friendjhip, with the fame Readinefs, as tho' there never hr.d been any Breach ; if our Brother offends us, as our Lord obferves, not only fe^jen times ^ but fenjenty times ffven ; ^jce Jhould forgi've him, and Sirs, the greater the Gftences have been, the n.ore noble and Cxodlike is the For- givenefs ! 5. Peace implies a Union by Lc^^e (at leaft) to thofe we are reconciled to. Lcve is the Band of Souls, (gluten animcrum) the Cemint of Socielies, without which they canno.t continue or fubfift comfortably, or proLtably in a State of Union. Love is the Sub fiance of the Lanx, the Scope of the Gcfpel, the Glojy of Chrifiianity ; by this we imitate the bleilcd God, in one pf his mod amiable Attributes, which he himfelf reckons his Glo- ry [Ex 34 ) By this we promote the Rtiigim oi the mi:ek and peccable Je/us, more eftedluaily than by all our aiigry Contentions and Debates, about lefTer Things ; by this we adorn our ProfeiTion and Character, in the Eyes of all Mankind, who are not blinded and byafs'd by the Force of PaJJton and ?yeji-cUce\ and the morp numerous, and as we fuppofe heinous, the Offences have been that we pafs over, the mors eminent, the more noble, the more Chrift-like is our Lo^je ; becaufe it is the more free and im- merited, the more ftrong and efficacious. 6. Peace implies the Performance of /r/V;?.-//)> Offices, to each pther, after Reconciliation to and Union with our Brethren. O how ftately and glorious does it look, not only to pafs by Offences, and love with our Hearts, thofe who have done us Injury, but to delight to do them all the kind Offices in our Power, and contend with them who fhall lo-ve moil, and exceed each other in Courtely and Gentlenefs, in A6ls of Benignity and Endearment ! This ! this ? isvj dear, reverend, honoured and beloved Brethren ! is the Reli- gion of the holy Jesus, it breathes Sweetnefs and Mercy, it fmells of the fragrant Spices of Heaven : O it imitates the gra- cious Dealings of the blelTed God, with his poor fmful froward Creatures, in which, are flupenduous Stoops of condefcending hum- ble Majelly, mixed with aftoniihing, incomprehenfible, inexprefTible, and unparallePd Difplays of the llrongeft, purell AiFedion, the richeft Benignity, and tendereft Mercy and Love ! O, the breadth, the length, the depth, the height of the Lo've of Christ which pafieth Knowledge ! Let us imitate it, dear Sirs ! that we may be filled with the Fulnefs of God; let us e Law of Mofe.s, wjiicb, as Brajtms truly ob^rves, he always revered. No i buc onljr 44 57j^ 5/;^^^/ Slander conjidcred. Now there are various kinds of evil Speaking, which are pernicioas to the Peace of Society, the chief of which are thefc two, viz. Slander and rajh judging, . The firft of thefe, viz. Slander, is manifold and exceeding malignant, (Prov. x. i8.) He that hideth hatred ivith lying Lip^ and he thut uttereth Slander, is a Fool. All Malice is folly and wickednefs ; it is fo when concealed by Flattery and DifTimula- tion : Lying Lips a'e bad enough of theirifelves, but have a pe- culiar Perverfenefs in them when made a cloak of Malicioufnefs ; and cannot be hid from God, who is Omnifcient, to him the Varknefs is as the Light, and the Midnight as the Ajoming. Nor is it any better when vented in fpicefal and mifcheivous Language pnly explains irs true meaning, and fhews its Spirirual extent, ob- fcrving tiiat it reaches rhe Mind, and fixes reafonable Boundaries to its Sentiments, and Paffions, which are the proper Sources of Speech and Adion. Our Lord only oppos'd the corrupt and narrow Gloffes of the Scriber upon the Moral Lav? , which confin'd its Obligation, only to overt Atts, of- Violence and Murder : But our Sa'viour on the contrary obferves, that it alfo forbids angry Difpofitions, and angry Speeches, both more and lefs repror;chiul,^whicb, proceeds theiebom, and which naturally tend to, and often iflue in Violence and Blood. ^ He is truly a Murderer, who has a Murdering Mind, which he cer- tainly has who is angry with, and reproaches his Brother without a Caufej reproi'ch is no farther from Wrath, then beating from re- proach, and Murder from beating : There is a drc'^dful train and con- ■nciiion, between the ditTpeient Degrees of this H nious and Perilous Iniquity. Anger that TranTgrefTes, the bounds of Reafon and Decency, lias no Meafure, we know nor where it will terminate ; our Lord lieie info; ms us, rhac not only greater but fmaller Ijc'grees of rafh «w^tT, either confin'd to the fiV^iirf oi exptcfs'd in Speech, more or lefs Teriling, are rcaly Sinful, and do expofe to eternal Punifhmcnt, pro- pOitioned in weight, to the Degree thereof. To which Do 'tor L/^/7:foo2^, adds temporal Punijhmerits In {ome CaCes by the Magi (irate, as follows: " By the Ji^dgment, (fairh he) is meant, the Judgement of God, by . '* the Co'jncil, and Hell- Fire, not only the Judgment and Ven.geance of ** God, but the Judgments and Punifliments, rhat are inflidud in •^ the Courts of Men, that are Magiifiates who bear not r^s «5 Sword in vain, fo tiiat the Sence is this, I fay unro you, that «' if a Man doth but in his Heart nouiifh wrath and anger a- •' giinfl another, without a jult Caufe, and lets it grow up into «< Maiice, and thoughts and dclires of private Revenge, tho' he be not *' by it Obnoxious to Courts of Juitice, who can only determine •'upon overt Ai£fs, yet he is accountal^ie to God, rnd liable to his *'. Judgment, but if Men fufi^er their PalTions to breakout, into revi- <',. ling Terms, fuch zs Raca, li.^nifying a vain Perfon, or thou Fonl,^ *' fpcaking this from c.ni;tr orlnialice, they are not only liable to the ** ercmai Vengeance of God. but ought to be puniih'd by the civil *' Magiflratej every civil Government is oblig'd to puniib fuch Offence?, «' as being the begiiuiing of Murder, previoii? (o it, and Indications ot «' Murderons Heart?, i^ea^ts fnl of tha-" 'Ahich in the Eyes of God if •* Mrdc.-." I John iii. 15, Whofoever hateth his Brother, is a MurdertT) mttd /^ hiOiBf that m ^d^rer hitch 6Urna^ Lije ablUing in him. ^he Evil of Perjary reprefented, 45 Language, he that utter eth Slander is a Fool, for God will fooner or later bring forth that Righteoiifnefs as the Light, which is hereby clouded and eclipfed, and will find an expedient to roll, the unjuft Reproach away. . Now the general Nature of the Sin of Slander, confihs ma fal/e Accufation of our Neighbour, which is forbidden by the ninth Command, and is a great Wickednefs, confidered m every Ihape and form r t j- IF it is publicklyand upon Oath before civil Courts of Judi- cature, it is called, hearing fal/e mtnefs againfi our Neighbour, or Perjury, which is forbidden by the ninth Command, and is an Evil of horible malignity ! When we call God to V/itneis what we know to be falfc, it is one of the bafeft Blafphemies, the rudeft Infults that can be offered to the Deity, and one of the greatelt Injuries to Men that can be committed. He that invokes the Al- mighty to attefl a Lye, either imagines that he knows not the fruih, and fo imputes Ignorance to him ; or that he is not dif- pleafed with it, and fo denies his Purity ; or that he is not able to avenge it, and fo contemns his Power and Almightmels. Now is there much difference between denying thefe Perfeftions of 'jehonjah, without which he cannot exiil, and the Atheiftical denial of hi^ Being altogether ? No furely. And as to Men, Perjury is not only a wrong to particular Perfons, but it is "ireafon againft human Society in general ; it faps the very Foundations of publick Peace and Juftice, and the private Security of every Mans Property, Honour, Life, and Fortune ; yea and cruelly turns the equitable Laws, which were defign'd for the Defence of the Inocent, and Punilhment of ths. Guilty, into an Engine of Ruin to the former, and Promotion to t\it la'tter ! What can be more horrible than this ? Juilly therefore docs This Iniquity entails a Curfe upon the Perfon guilty of it, and hi& PoUerity, (Zee. v. 4.) / will bring the Curje forth, faith tha lord of Hofts, and it (hall enter into the Houfe of the Thief and of him that f^Aj ear eth falfely by my Name, and it Jhall remain im the fnidft of his Houfe, and confume it, ^ith the timber thereof^, and the Stones thereof. But when Slander is out of Court, and before a Perfons- Face, and accom.panied with harlh Words, it is term'd railing, t:Jude 9.) We are told, that when Michael the Archangel, con- tended with the Devil about the Body of Mofes, he did not bring ng' inji him a railing Accufation, he knew he was no m^tch for Satan at that, which is the Bufinefs of his proper Province ; ic is his conrtant Pradice to accufe the Brethren, (Rev, xii. 10.) the good Angel only mildly faid, the Lord Rebuke thee. And aar Railers and falfe Acc>.fers are faithful followers of their Father the Det'il, ^juho was a lyar and a murderer from the Beginnings ^nd abode not in the Truth j iQ the ApqIUq Petsr aifurei us, that' ^C Ihe Perverfenefs of Backbitting.' ihey are as natural Brute Beajis, made to be taken and dcJirofd% ihat they /peak ^^il of the things they underjland not, and jhall utterly perijh in their onjon Corruption. (2 Pet. ii. lo— 12.) Moreover^ Flattery in Peoples Prefence, or unjuft Commen- idation, the Evil contrary to the former, ought with great Care to be avoided. Jt is a mean fordid Iniquity, as contrary to good Manners as it is to Religion, tho' it pleafes ignorant proud Pe- dants, it putrs n^iodeft and virtuous Perfons to the hlujh, in Company, and is a kind of Perlecution. The Pfalmijl x^^xti^TiX.% it; to be the Charaaer of the wicked, (PM. v.. 9.) 'There is no faithfidnejs ite their Mouth, their throat is an open Sepulchre ; how fo, why ? ihey Flatter with their Tongue ; ?.nd elTewhere he a Jares us, that God 'vj ill rut off all flattering L:ps, {Pfal. xii. 3) Does not the \>ii(Q Man jailly advife us^ not to meddle 'with him that Jiattereth ^ithhis Lips, (Pro XK. 19.) BcqzjSc ^ Flatieter, as he elfewher^ obferve?, fprecJcih a Net for our Feet, ab artfully as difingenoufly la)s a Trap for us, \iy foothirg ouj- Vani.y, working on our weal^ Side, and fo eitedis our ruin, (Pro. xxix. 5. & xxvi. 28.) But Slandr behind ones back is calkd \^ Scripture nvhifpering^ hackbiting, fupplanting, tatli: g^ all whicJji .are cowardly., fneaking .and pernicious Iniquities ; Pro^u. xviii. S, The Words of a Taler hearer as Wounds go into the inermoft Parts 4tf the Belly. (Prov. .xxvi. 2C.) W he;£ there is no Wood the Fire goeih out, fo nvhere there is no Talebearer, the Strife ceafeth (Pro. xvi. 28.) A fror ■nvard Man fo^wcth Strife, and a nxjhifperer fcparateth chief Friends. But on the contrary we are told, (Pf. xv. 3. J That the good Man Backbit eth not e command and exhort by our Lord JESUS CHRIST, that with ^'etnefs, they work and eai their omn Bread. ' * The Apollle in this Verfe makes mention of many awful Dlfor- ders (abounding among the Corinthians) with a proper Senfe of the E- vil or them ; which every good Man fhould be affeiied with, and more efpcci ally the ^^?f^w^« upon the Walls oi Jerufalem, the Minillers ot the Gofpel of Chrift ; whofe Bufmeis it is to weep in fecret Places for Peoples Pr/V(?, as well as between the Forehand theater; and to f/7 to God for them, that Jehovah would ipare them and not give up his Heritage to reproach : And alfo to reprove them faithfully, whethef they will hear or whether they will forbear. . How can they be otherwife than grieved for fuch Diforders as the Apoftle mentions in the Verfe atorefaid, conftdering the " Difhonour that is thereby Caft upon the Name and Ways ot God, the Injury that is done to the Souls of Men, and to the Peace and Wellfare of So- ciety. The Particulars which he fpeaks of are thefe following. DEBATES (ereis) Battles ot Words, engaged in only for the fake of Victory; fo Erafmus. ' ,; ENVYING, {zeloi) Emulation or heats of PafTion, proceeding from envying of others natural or acquired Endowments or Poffeffions j to this purpofe Beza, Erajmus. WRATHS, {thumoi) the ragings or ferments of burning Anger, (fee Ads xix .2,8. Gal. v. 20. Ephel. iv. 31. Col. iii. 8.) thus Crotius and Menochius. STRIFES, (er/V^m) chidings, contentions, wrangling?, both in Dif- pofition, Speech and Adion ; Erajmus, Cajetan, and Grotius. (See Roiib ai.8. Philip, i. 16. Jam. iii. 14—15.) BACK8ITINGS, or Detradions, {catalalei) derived ffrom cata contn^ tt laleo loc^uor) from Words that fignify to fpeak againll one j and hence it is called in general evil /peaking, (i Petr ii. i. Rom. i. 3.) Pafor. WHISPERINGS, (pjithurifmoi) who fccretly bite their Neighbour*, and fuggeft evil Sufpicions, that they may feparate Friends. It lignir £es to utter Slander againft another fecrctiy, into the Ear (Pfa. xli. 7.) Erajmus, Memcius, Symachus, Toilet us, Pareus, Grotius. Of this Ov'd fpeaks Llnguaque rejert audita Sujurro, Slanderers, Revilers, and Back- biters, by evil Speeches hurt anothers fame, more openly, but the U^ifperer more flighly, foftly, and fccretly, and fometimes even unde^* the Umbrage of Fricndfhip, this is ^ new way pf (^iumniating, fay SttiiPonitsjf ^e mi/chief of Tale-bearing. 49 Of all Incendaries to Mi/chief, Supplant erSy Tattlers y Bufy-Bodies and Backbiters are the vvorll ; they are the Bane of Company, the Pejis of Society, t^e lumber and burthen of the Creation, under which it groans and tra'vails e^ven until no^j ; lome of the moil contemptible, but pedilent Animals^ whofe Bufineis it is to ac- cufe the Brethren, to fow the Seeds of t-'ontention, and inflame Debate, with ignoble Pleafure and unwearied Indultry ; and like the Salamander to dwell with Delight in the Flames they have kindled. The flanderous Inveftives of fuch,'fhould be rejected with abhorrence, as the North Wind drives a'^vay Rain, fo does an angry Countenance a hack-biting Tongue. Almighty God ex- prefly prohibits this Pradlice, (Lev. xix. 16.) Thoujhalt not go up and doujn as a tale-bearer among tny People^ Upon which Mr. H Henry Suetonius and PoUbyus, to accuje, in Apologies, and condemn in Praife, excufando opprohrare, et Laudantem Ledere, SsVELLINGS, {phufiojeis) \t iignihes Perfons being puffed up with Pride, as a Blad er with Wind, or a Dropfical Man with Water, on ac- count of real or fuppofed Graces, Wifdom »r Wealth, 8cc. Ot fucfi the Apoftle fpeaKs (i Cor. iy. 18, 19. and v. 2, and vni. i. and xiii. 4.J in all wh'ch Places the fame original Word is ultd, that iignifies a proud Carriage, ilriiting and vaunting, and the fuelling; oF the Mind. MtntaiMs, Erajmus, Symachus, Grotius, Menuch'as, and PajHor, TUMULTS \acata.i.ijta'.) confufion?, diforderi, uproars, whereby others quiet is dilturbt-d j Bez,a, Pajor, Pljcator^ or Std'tions, which often fpring from Schifms and Confuiion, zsGroti^s and Clement (in his Epiftieto the Corinthians) informs us. SecLuk. xxi, 9. When ye (hall hear of Wars and Commotions, which is the lame Word in the Original. Now a? the Apolt'e P.j«/ liiJnihes, that he ieaied when he came to Con?tthhcJh]uld?iot find them fuch as he would y that is thoroughly le- form*d from the aforef^id awtul and pernicious Diforders ? fo hefear'd thathejhouldbefoundtothe-r», juchasthey vouidnat, i. e. he fcar'd thac he ihou Id be obliged in Duty tij his Matter, and faichfulncfs to them, contrary to his own Inclination (which would chufc rather the fotc and render (trains ot Love and Endearment, than the harft Language of Reproof) to ul'e Severity with them, as a ftcrn difpleaftd Father, to cry aloud and not to fpare, to lift up his Voice like aTiumpct, and fliew God's prorenTmg People their Tranfgrelfions, and the Houfe ot Ja^ tob their Sins. {Ija. Iviii. i.) which probably would not be very plea- fing to fome of them, tho' necciTary and pi oficable ; fo Plfcator, Bez,a, Pagnlne. The A pottle fpeaks much in the fame Language, (1 Cor. iv. 18, 21.) Now are ye pufed upy what will ye, Jhall 1 come unto you with * ]Kod,orin Love, and in the Spirit of hkeknejs. His Mmd was relu^ianc to feverity and fharp jeproor; he would have been exceeding glad there had been no Occauon for it, but it was rendered necctfary by their Dif- orders, as acorofive Remedy for tiieir Cure, and that of divine Appoint- ment, {Tit. i. 10, 13.) for there are many unruly and vain talkers and de- ceivers, wherefjiC Rebuke them jharply, that they may be found in the Faith. Tnc Word unruly (anupota^oi) fignitics, refraitory, inrraitable, ftrangers to a yielding Temper, obitinate, untaimed, and averfe to the Difcipline of the Church ot Chrift. The Word jharply (apotomoos) fignifies, cuttingly, pointedly j i: comes from the Vat) ttmm jtco, CO cue. -^ 50 ^rhe Evil of Slander. Benry glofTeth thus, " 'Tis as ill an Office as a Man can put *^ himfelf into. To be a publifher of others PWens faults, divulg'- ** ing v;hat was fecret, aggravating Crimes, and making the ** woril of every Thing that was amifs, with defign to blall " and ruin i\i ens Reputation, and to fow difcord among Neighbours. " The Word us'd for a Talebearer, fignifiss a Pedlar^ or petty " Chapman, the Interlopers of Trade, for Tale-bearers pick up •*■ illnatur'd Stories, at one Houfe, and uttev them at another, ** and cornmonly barter Manders by way of exchange." This evil is condem'd in Pro. xi. l'^. A tale-bearer re^jeaUth fecret s^ hut he that is of afcdxhjul Spirit concealcth the Matter. (Pro. XX. 19) He that goeth about as a tale-bearer, rcvecleth Secrets, therefore meddle not ivith him that flattereth ^vAth his Lips, Slanderers, of every Kind, are Madmen ivho cajl about Firebrands Arronvs, and Death, and yet fay they are in Sport. The Pfilmift compares Dogg's malicious Tongue to a iharp Razor. And certainly ilanderers Tongues are like Razors, that not only wound Mens Charaders, but even fometimes cut their Throats. Jt is an Evil that difparages human Nature, and tends ta disband civil Society altogether. It is diredly contrary to the Apollles Exhortation, (Ephef iv. 31, 32,) Let all bittemef, and wjrath, and e^ to one another. But if lying be in- dulged, how can Society be promoted, when mutual Confidence and Love are broken ? Seeing that Truth is a Debt we owe to all that we converfe with, lying mufl needs be unjuft and lead' to every Injury, Violence, and Rapine. Thefc Evils naturally follow Mens making no Conicience of performing their Pro- miles and Contrads. ' Lying is bafe and ignoble; it juftly brings a blot upon the Character of LJ.n who is guilty of it, when it is found out, as it generally is at the long r:m, becauie of their Inconfillencies : It ihews a ba;e. cowardly ' Difpofition not to dare to tell the Truth. This Evil is not only hated bv God, but by good Men. I hate and abhor lying, faith the Pfalmill, he that tells Lies pall not tarry in Thy lioufc, ^Pfal. ci. 7.) • L"viNGis an Imitation of the De-vil, ivho nvhen he fpeaketh a Lvc, fpeaketh of his o-ujn, i. e. agreeable to his natural Inclination and Genius, f.r he is a lyar and the Father of it, he nvas a Mur- de/erfom tie Btginh'ir^g, and abode net in the Trulh. (Joh. viii. 44 ) Cbferve Mali.e is joined with lying, in the Character of Satan ; he is a M«/^^rtr as wcil as a Lyi-, to fhew that malicious lying is the firjt born of the Lt-inl, the B, ginning of his Strength, for by Lyes he prevailed over Mankind at firll, and therefore this is his' darling .^in. When Perfons lye, they but repeat what Satan diclates ; hence is that faying of Peter'' s, (Adt v. 3.) Why hath Satan flfd thine Heart to lie unto the Holy Ghof ? Lying is not only very Criminal but very Dangerous, it cracks the Credit of the Guilty Perfon, when fduud out; thofe that are accullom'd to lye, will not be believed when they fpeak the Truth ^he Nature and Evil of rafh-Judlng. 53 Truth ; and its generally found out pretty foon ; its generally and juftly efteem'd to be one of the bafeji culls , becaufe it bewrays a cowardly fear of Man, and moft daring Contempt of God ! whoever lyes does it out of fome fordid fear, leaft fome Incon- venience Ihould come upon them if they told the Truth : And this Mo7itaign in his EfTays, gives as the Reafon '.vhy the '^- harge of lying is the moil reproachful Ignominy, which can be call upon any, and therefore excites Men to the mofl warm refent- ments : Indeed lying unfits Perfons for common Converfe, and for ail Bufinefs. Eefides, Lying, excvofes to the Vengeance of God forever, (Rcv.xxi. ult.) Without are Dogs a7id Scrceicrsy and e'very one