ferior opinion the seat of unity, and will not unite in the essentials of Christianity, endeavouring in love to accord as well as they can in the rest. Though the truth of the whole Scripture, that is known to be holy Scripture must be acknowledged; yet the understanding of the meaning of the whole Scripture is not of necessity to salvation, or church unity: otherwise woe to every one of us! For there is no man on earth that hath the perfect understanding of all the holy Scriptures. And yet all that is in it propounded to be believed is 'de fide' matter of faith, and it is our duty to believe it, and understand it, and our sin that we do not; but not a sin that proves us graceless, or unjustified. I wonder the Papists have not venial errors in matter of faith, as well as venial sins against moral precepts! But all that is 'de fide,' must with some of them be fundamental or essential to Christianity. The Scripture is a full and beautiful body, which hath its flesh, and skin, and a multitude of nerves, and veins, and arteries, as well as the head, the heart, and stomach, and other natural parts; without which parts, that are the seat or chief instruments of the animal, vital and natural spirits, the body were no body, All in the Scripture is true and useful, but all is not essential to Christianity. And in the essentials all Christians do agree; and if you would know how such should behave themselves to one another, hear the Holy Ghost himself, (Phil. iii. 12-16,) "Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things that are before, I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded; and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you: Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." So 1 Cor. iii. 11-15. "Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If

any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward: If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." Errors may bring heavy judgments in this life, and out of this fire the erroneous may escape, and not fall into the eternal fire; for thus will God "sit as a refiner, and purifier of silver, and will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Mal. iii. 2,3.) Dislike every error, and escape as many as you can; but think not that every error must dissolve our unity, or that every truth is necessary to our unity.

And where you say that all sorts do plead the Scriptures, I answer, 1. That all sorts of Christians in the essentials do rightly understand the Scripture. 2. And for the rest, their very pleading that, shews that all sorts are convinced that it is the rule of truth, even where they do not understand it. 3. And this is no proof of the insufficiency of Scripture, but of the imperfection of men's understandings; and instead of seeking for another rule, you should labour for a better understanding of this, and use the help of ministers thereto. The law of the land is the rule of the subjects' actions, and tenures; and yet what controversies are about it, even among the wisest lawyers! and one pleadeth it for one cause, and another saith that the law is for the contrary cause! Yea, one judge differs from another. What then! must we cast away the law? Let us know where to have a better first! But rather, men should labour to know it better, and meddle not contentiously with the niceties of it without need. And thus we must do about the law of God. Agree in the essentials, and learn the rest as well as we can.

7. Another great impediment to our concord is, abundance of dividing, unpeaceable principles, that be grown into credit, or entertained in the world: and if such principles meet, with the most peaceable disposition, they will make the man become unpeaceable. For the best men that are will think they must obey God; and therefore when they mistake his will, they will think they will do well when they are sinning against him. There are too few in the world of a peaceable principle: Some lay all peace, as is said, on the opinions of their own parties; and some lay it on a multitude of such low opinions, and such doubtful things, that they might know can never be the matter of universal con

sent: Some think they must not silence any thing which they conceive to be a truth, for the peace of the church, or the promoting of greater undoubted truths. Some think they ought to reproach and disgrace all that are not of their mind; and some think they ought to destroy them, or cast them out, and think this a part of their faithfulness to the truth of Christ, and that this is but to help him against his enemies. And there is no more desperate principle of division and persecution than this uncharitableness, which makes the children of God, and the members of Christ, to seem his enemies, and then use them as his enemies: To dress them in a false attire, as they did Christ, and then smite him: To put them in the shape of schismatics, or heretics, or devils, as the Papists do when they burn them, and then use them accordingly. Many more unpeaceable principles I might recite; and if it were not too tedious, I think it would be useful.

8. Another hindrance of unity and peace is, a carnal zeal in matters of religion, which is frequently mistaken for the true zeal of the saints. When men are confident that their opinions are the truth, and overvalue them as to the necessity, because they are their own, though they observe not the reason, they presently think they must be -hot against all the gainsayers of their opinions; and herein they place the most, or at least too much of their religion.

There is not one of many that hath this zeal, but thinks it is of God, and is part of their holiness. When as it is often from the devil and the flesh, even when the doctrine is true which they contend for. You may know it from true zeal by these following marks. 1. It is more for controversies and speculations than for practical holiness. 2. It is selfish, and kindled by an overvaluing their own conceits or ways. 3. It is private, and would promote a lower truth to the loss of a greater, or a doubtful point to the loss of undoubted truth; or a single truth to the loss or hindrance of the body of common truth; and it is hotter for a party than for the catholic church, and will promote the interest of an opinion or party, to the wrong of the common interest of the church, 4. It is blind, and carries men to sinful means; as resisting authority, order, or ordinances, or the like. 5. It is unmerciful and unpeaceable, and little sensible of the case of others, or smart of the divided church. Many are calling for fire from heaven for the cause of Christ, that little "know what

spirit they are of." (Luke ix. 55.) O how true is this of many, that think they excel in knowledge or zeal, and are but defending the truth against erroneous adversaries! But "who is the wise man, and endowed with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom: But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth: This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish: for where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work: But the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James iii. 13 to the end.) But of this I have formerly spoken at large in many sermons on these words of James. Dividing zeal is a grievous distracter of the church's peace.

6. Another hindrance is, that of the many that are for peace and unity, there are few that have any great skill to promote it, and those few that have skill, want opportunity or interest, and are cried down by the opposers. There is a great deal of skill necessary to discern and manifest the true state of controversies, and to prove verbal quarrels to be but verbal, and to take off the false visors which ignorance and passion puts on them, to aggravate the differences that are debated. There is much wisdom necessary for the securing of truth, while we treat for peace, and the maintaining peace, while we defend the truth. Alas, how few escape one of the extremes in most differences themselves, and, therefore, are unfit reconcilers of others. Few are possessors of that blessed light that doth shew the error of both extremes, and must be the means of our concord, if ever we agree! Few know that truth between contrary errors in which both must meet. How much skill also is necessary to deal with touchy, froward spirits, and to handle both nettles and thorns that must be dealt with. And how few men of wisdom and peace are much regarded by the firebrands of the churches! And how few of them have language, and health, and maintenance, and authority, and a skilful activity to set others on work, which are almost needful for this healing design? And what abundance of private wishes have been buried by the most skilful men for want of

opportunities! And how many private writings cast by, that have that in them that deserved public entertainment, and might have been very fit instruments for this healing work.

10. And the various carnal interests of the world, are an exceeding hindrance to the church's peace. The interest of one prince lieth for one party; and another is for another party: one prince thinks it for his interest to unite, and another thinks it for his interest to divide, or secretly to cherish and continue divisions. The ministry also have too oft a carnal interest, which lieth usually in siding with the prince; and the great carnal interest of the Roman clergy lieth sticking close to the Pope. The people hereupon are commonly in such distractions and disturbances, by wars, or secular cares and wants, that motions of peace can scarcely be heard, or attended to; but the noise of guns, drums, and lamentations, and reproaching of enemies, drowneth all. And when the crossing of secular interests hath made them one another's enemies, they will hardly treat as friends for unity in religion, or the healing of the church.

11. And it is no small hindrance that the princes of the earth are commonly so bad, as either to be strangers to the true interest of Christ and his church, or else to prefer their own before it. It is they that have the greatest interests and opportunities, and might do most for unity if they would. And withal they think that nobody should meddle without their leave; and commonly when they do nothing themselves, they will not suffer the ministers to do it that are their subjects. How easy were it with the Christian princes and states, if they had so much wit and grace to agree together, to bring the churches in their dominions to much agreement. But alas, highest places have greatest temptations, and therefore too oft the worst men: so that they that should do it, and might do it, have no heart to it. And the princes are very rare that prefer Christ's interest before their own; and have truly learned the lesson of denying themselves, and forsaking all they have for him. The great work of converting the heathen world should be promoted by them; but how little is there done in it by any princes!

12. Moreover, the multitude are everywhere almost averse to holy unity and peace: Their dispositions are against it: their principles are against it: their parts unfit for it: and yet how to do it without them will be hard. For 1. They