by others." A rigid spirit, and a stiffness about indifferent things, he very much disliked; especially when attended with uncharitableness. He thought "there was always reason to suspect those persons and principles, that would alienate our hearts from any of the faithful servants of Christ, because they do not agree with our sentiments about the circumstantials of religion; and that christians had great need to be cautious, lest they abuse their liberty to gratify those irregular passions, which, to whatever high original they may pretend, were indeed to be traced no higher than a carnal principle, and to be numbered among the works of the flesh." It grieved him to see impositions upon conscience any where; especially among dissenters, as they were so evidently contrary to their own principles. "Our interest, saith he, hath received great damage by unscriptural impositions and uncharitable contentions with each other."

It appears from what was said above of his behaviour to his pupils, that he thought it unjust in itself, and very injurious to the interest of religion, to be rigorous with young ministers and students about their particular sentiments, and to tye them down to profess their assent to formularies, containing points of a very abstruse or a very doubtful nature: He thought it also foolish in the imposers, as being likely to prejudice them against those points, and drive them into the opposite, and perhaps worse extreme. When therefore the author of "Christianity not founded on Argument" had derided this practice, he left others to defend it, who were chargeable with it, or approved it. It was an inviolable maxim with him, "never to condemn his brethren as having forfeited all title to the name of christians, because their creeds or confessions of faith did not come up to the standard of his own; yea, he thought that if it were a matter that seemed of so great importance, as to give some room to suspect, that the mistake was fatal (which surely nothing can be, which does not greatly affect men's temper towards God and each other) even that consideration should engage us to gentleness and tenderness, rather than severity, if peradventure we may remove their prejudices."*

He thought separations in churches very seldom happened, but there were errors and faults on both sides. In some instances of this kind, both parties made their appeal to him; and, upon the most impartial survey of the grounds of the difference, he sometimes saw reason to blame, and therefore often displeased

*Sermon on Candour.

both. In some of those, which came to his knowledge, and which arose from the people's dislike to their ministers, he found them owing to the departure of those ministers, from what their people apprehended the most weighty truths of the gospel; to their want of a more serious spirit, and a due sense of the importance of their work; to their not addressing their hearers in a plain, lively manner; or to their neglecting pastoral inspection, and complying too much with fashionable diversions and follies; and then shewing too warm a resentment, if their people expressed any dissatisfaction on these accounts. In some letters on such occasions, he thus expresseth himself; "The edification and comfort of souls does not depend on those niceties of sentiment and expression, which too often divide wise and good men; but on something common to them all, which, because we forget, we quarrel with one another about other things. It is for want of going so far, as they reasonably might, and in duty ought, even upon their own principles, that so many rash young men ruin their reputation and usefulness and the congregations under their care. I have seen some instances of divisions, which have been owing to the over-bearing temper of some wealthy men, and despising the poorer sort. No pains have been taken, by meekness and condescension, to lessen their prejudices; though some of them are, in other respects, most excellent persons; and their zeal, though carried perhaps to an extreme, ariseth from a deep conviction of the importance of religion and the gospel; while a great deal of what is called charity in others, is either ignorance of religion or indifference to it. I have seen many bigots for liberty, and a remarkable want of candour in some great pretenders to it. I have known some leaders in that cause, which declares most for charity, who have not been very ready to put a charitable construction upon the conduct of those, who were not in the same sentiments; but have imputed their zeal to the love of money or power. The boasted patrons of liberty would have exclaimed, if all the good things they have done were to be charged to some such low motive. We should then have heard much of its being the prerogative of God to judge hearts, and the like. Such reasoning is no less true and applicable in one case, than in the other. What pity is it we should be so inconsistent with ourselves!-I think persons have a right to judge for themselves in the choice of their ministers, and that it is a very unwarrantable infringement of christian liberty to deny that right, or shew any resentment towards those who make use of it; and in protestant dissenters, quite inexcus

able. In cases of separation, I think it the wisdom and duty of my brethren, to treat any minister, whom a church separated from theirs shall chuse, with whatever degree of kindness and respect his temper and conduct might entitle him to in any other situation; without imputing to him any thing, that might seem matter of complaint in that body of men, from whom he received the invitation. It is most for the peace of ministers and the churches over which they preside, that those, who are discontented under their ministry, should have a place to receive them, rather than continue where they were on uneasy terms. God knows, I have no part in dividing counsels, though I have been charged with it, or any thing that should alienate the hearts of good men from each other."

Upon these maxims he acted himself, and found the comfort of it. There was a congregation in Northampton, which chiefly consisted of those, who had separated from his before he settled there: Nevertheless he lived upon the most friendly terms with them, as he believed they acted agreeably to the convictions of their own consciences. He rejoiced when they had a worthy minister of moderate principles, treated him in a brotherly manner and did him all the service in his power: particularly, he procured for him an annual allowance towards his better support, by the favourable representation he made of his temper and character, and by assuring those, who were concerned in the allowance, that he should take it as no offence to himself. He was desirous to turn the zeal of his brethren into a right channel, to persuade them to suspend at least their debates upon smaller matters, that they might with united efforts concur in prosecuting that great design, for which the gospel was revealed, the spirit given, and their office instituted. it is so evident, saith he, that irreligion hath gained ground upon us, while we have been attending to other, and, to be sure, lesser matters, let us, by a plain, serious, zealous way of preaching the most vital truths of christianity, joined with a diligent inspection of the souls committed to our care, try what can be done to prevent the progress of this growing apostacy, and recover the ground we have lost. Ignorant and prejudiced men may perhaps accuse us of bigotry or enthusiasm; but let us do our best to convince them of their error, by the candour of our temper and the prudence of our conduct*."

،، Since

* Sermons on Regeneration, Pref.

While he was thus candid and moderate towards his protestant brethren, he had a just abhorrence of the tenets of popery, and especially its persecuting spirit; as he hath shewn in his comments on those passages of the New Testament, which refer to this great apostacy, and in his much admired sermon, on "The Absurdity and Iniquity of Persecution for Conscience Sake in all its Kinds and Degrees." How he considered and estimated the difference between the churches of England and Rome, will be seen in the following passage from one of his sermons against popery, (mentioned above) page 52, shewing how reasonable and necessary the reformation was, and how justifiable our continued separation from the Romish church is. "My brethren, pardon the freedom of my speech. I should have thought it my duty to have separated from the church of Rome, had she pretended only to determine those things, which Christ has left indifferent: How much more, when she requires a compliance with those, which he hath expressly forbid? When she has the insolence to say, You shall not only confine yourself to a prescribed form of words, but you shall worship in an unknown tongue: You shall not only bow at the venerable name of our common Lord, but you shall worship an image: You shall not only kneel at the communion, but kneel in adoration of a piece of bread: You shall not only pronounce, or at least appear to pronounce, those accursed, who do not believe what is acknowledged to be incomprehensible, but those who do not believe what is most contrary to our reason and senses. When these are the terms of our continued communion, the Lord judge between us and them! Had nothing but indifferent things been in dispute, we should have done, as we do by our brethren of the church of England, taken our leave of them with decency and respect: We would have loved them as our brethren, while we could not have owned them as our lords. But when they require us to purchase our peace, by violating our consciences and endangering our souls, it is no wonder that we escape as for our lives: retiring, not as in the former case, from an inconvenient lodging, where we are straitened for want of room, but from a ruinous house, where we are in danger of being crushed to pieces; or rather, we retire with indignation and horror, as from a den of thieves, where we must be either the associates or the sacrifices of their wickedness. And to all their terrors and threatnings, we oppose the awful voice of God, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers

of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities; Rev. xviii. 4, 5.

SECT. IV.

His Benevolence, Affability, public Spirit, and Liberality.

DR. DODDRIDGE was very much of the gentleman, understood the decorum of behaviour, and was solicitous to treat others with those forms of civility and complaisance, which are usual among well-bred people. "I know, saith he, that these things are mere trifles in themselves, but they are the outguards of humanity and friendship, and effectually prevent many a rude attack; which, taking its rise from some little circumstance, may nevertheless be attended with fatal consequences." The waspishness of some learned and good men, and the acrimony, with which they treat others whom they think their inferiors in knowledge and science, or who differ from them in sentiments, were very disagreeable to him. He had contracted nothing of that moroseness and distance, which persons of great reading, and those who are engaged in a constant hurry of business, are apt to discover in their converse, especially with their inferiors. There was nothing uncivil or forbidding in his behaviour; nothing overbearing or harsh in his language. He was easy of access to the poorest, when they came to him about their afflictions or religious concerns, and would leave his most favourite studies to hear their complaints, to counsel, comfort and pray with them; he treated them with tenderness, yet lessened not himself by unbecoming familiarity. He thought such a deportment peculiarly incumbent on the ministers of the gospel and the instructors of youth; out of regard to their general character, the influence of their example, and from a concern to lead all with whom they conversed, especially those under their care, to entertain a favourable opinion of their humility and readiness to serve them. In consequence of such an opinion, they will be more free in their conversation with them, especially in communicating their spiritual concerns, than they would be, if they saw them difficult of access or austere in their manner of conversing.

His temper was unsuspicious, mild and sweet; and in his tongue was the law of kindness. This, it must be owned, was sometimes carried to an excess; especially in younger life. His candour led him to think more favourably of some