BEfore I proceed to the distinct speaking to the Words of my Text, it is necessary that I first lead you to the Consideration of the Apostle's Method and Design in two or three of the foregoing Chapters.

Now the sum of that which the Apostle is arguing, is laid down in the 13th Chapter of [Page 2]this Epistle: In the whole he is managing the Jewish and the Christian Professors, and such as were partly of one, and partly of the other Per­swasion, with all the caution and wariness that can be possibly, that he may give none offence to either: And in order to this he lays down Rules that ought to be universally received by Men of all Pretensions. And these he begins with in the 13th Chapter and first Verse, Let every soul, saith he, be subject to the higher pow­ers, for there is no power but of God; therefore let your lesser Disputes be of what nature they will, if you believe a God, you must be Obedi­ent, for the powers that be are ordained of God; as if he had said, Nothing in Christianity ought to be pretended, or made use of, to give any man Immunity from Obedience; for this from all Subjects, of what Quality soever, is due to those to whom Allegiance belongs. And this Doctrine he prest in opposition to some that St. Peter and St. Jude reprehended, viz. Such as de­spise Government, and are self-willed and presum­ptuous, and that are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities, 2 Pet. 2.10. And this Obedience he presses v. 5. that it must be from the heart: It's possible a cunning Rebel, or prosperous Often­der, [Page 3]may avoid Wrath and Punishment, and therefore his Obedience must not be for fear of Wrath only, i. e. not only so far as will keep him from a Fine, a Prison, or a Gallows; but it must be from his Conscience, i. e. in Obedi­ence to the Constitution of God, whose Officer he is: For every Supreme Magistrate, Legally placed in any Kingdom, hath, and must be thought to have, Commission from God, tho' he be an Heathen.

And after the Apostle had managed this Ar­gument throughly, how Christians should car­ry themselves towards their Governours, he then descends to tell us how they should carry themselves one towards another; and for this he lays down Love and Charity, and Bearing one with another, as the Foundation and Ground-work of all good Christian Conversa­tion; and here at the time of writing this Epi­stle he found great Divisions and Dissentions already crept into the Church of Jewish Belie­vers, not only against the Gentiles, but likewise among themselves, some Converts clearly di­scerning that they had a freedom from the Ju­daical Yoke, and others conceiving themselves still to be under that Dispensation; and hence [Page 4]came the Quarrel, viz. That those that were zealous for the Mosaical Law, condemned and were angry at all others, as Breakers of God's Law, that did not observe them as they did; and on the other hand, they that were instructed in the Knowledge of their Christian Liberty, were resolved to maintain that Liberty which was purchased by Christ, and were apt to despise and contemn those that still continued scrupulous in the abolisht Judaical Rites, and so between the one and the other, the Christian Communion was likely to be broken, and an inveterate Se­paration to be made among them; and to both of these St. Paul applies himself, Those of you that do not think your selves bound to observe those Laws, you that understand better, do not you reject the scrupulous or erroneous Judai­zer, but receive him to your Communion; Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye, but yet so receive him, as that he may not thereby be en­couraged to take too much upon him; receive him, but not to doubtful disputations; as if he had said, If he be weak and erroneous in him­self, let him not be censorious and troublesome to others; do not you despise and reject him, neither perswade I that he should molest you; [Page 5]so that this Chapter was writ, and this Advice here given, that the strong might be gentle and courteous towards the weak, and not the weak from hence be clamorous against the strong, as some (especially in these days) make this and such like advice in Holy Writ, to be as it were a Shelter and a Sanctuary for them to do and say what they please, under the pretence of Weak­ness, and that prudent and legal Restraints must not be talkt of, without grieving or judging our Brother. But there is a great deal of diffe­rence between mildly and wisely indeavouring to reduce men to Catholick Communion, and between offering any Offence, or Despising them, as I shall shew farther anon; and St. Paul plainly doth it in the following Chapter; for if, saith he, after so much Charity and Tenderness and Good-will that the strong bear towards the weak, they do not hearken, then the Offence lies on their side, and at their doors and Con­sciences, Rom. 16.17, 18. Now I beseech you Bre­thren mark them which cause divisions and offences, and if after all the friendly Offers you make to Communion, they will not comply, avoid them, for they which are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly and interest, and by [Page 6]good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. And thus for the introducing my ensuing Discourse, I have shewed you the De­sign of the Apostle; which is as I shew'd you,

1. To lay down hearty Obedience to Magi­strates, as the indispensible Duty of all Christi­ans, and Men that own a God.

2. To have Christians friendly towards each other, the strong not to Despise or Scorn the weak, and the weak not to Clamour at and Cen­sure the strong; that the strong should more value his Brother's Soul, than a needless hu­mouring and pleasing himself, ch. 15. v. 1. and that the weak should not be Loud and Positive in Disputations that he doth not understand: And that all in their several places may do this, he proposeth both the Fountain and Example of all Heavenly and Christian Graces, Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus, wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

Upon these Words I shall briefly and plainly discourse upon these following things.

1. Give a short and easie Explication of the Words of the Text.

2. In some few Words touch upon the Duty of Obedience to Magistrates.

3. I shall principally endeavour to shew you how we ought to carry our selves towards each other with reference to Communion, the Strong to the Weak, and the Weak to the Strong; which may serve as a Method or Incitement to us to be like-minded one towards another, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorisie God, and receive one another as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

4. Conclude with some Practical Reflexions upon the Whole.

As for the Text, the Apostle is here wishing a very great Blessing upon the Infant Christian-Church; and he founds the Rise of all Blessings in God: And so the meaning of the Words is this; Now (saith he) I have laid down as amply and as plainly as I can the Duty of Christians one towards another, I beseech God, who is the Fountain of Patience and Consolation, the God of Patience and Consolation, i. e. the God from whom all Patience and Consolation comes, make you to be like minded one towards another, i. e. cause that you may all think and own the very self-same thing, lest through diversity of [Page 8]Opinions, there arise Discords, Hatreds, Separa­tions, Offences, and Scandals, to the great da­mage of the Church and Glory of God: Or if there be some little difference in Opinion among you, don't separate, and break asunder, and rend the Communion of the Church of Christ; yet still be like minded one towards another, i. e. come with equal degrees of Charity and Love one towards another, and hope the best one of ano­ther: for that the sense no doubt is, that by like-mindedness is meant agreeing in the same Truths, [...], to think the very same thing. So that the plain meaning no doubt is this; God grant, saith the Apostle, that your Heats and Differences being laid aside, whether about the Observation of Meats, or Days, or the like, that you may think and agree mutually in the same thing, and that according to Christ Jesus: This is added, to restrain them from agreeing in any false or erroneous Opinions; but wishes their sense of Religion to be agreeable to Christ, the Author of all Truth.

That you may with one mind and one mouth glo­rifie God: That when you come to pray to, or praise God, you may not onely do it in the same Form and sound of Words, but also with all [Page 9]your Minds full of mutual Affection one to­wards another, without any surly demeanour, contempt, hatred, or censuring of each other, that you may do it so unanimously, as if there were but one Mind and one Mouth among you. He would have the Weak and the Strong lay aside their Differences, and joyn in the Fun­damentals, to glorisie God together.

Wherefore, saith he, receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God: i. e. Look upon each other as Brethren; in all hu­mility of kindness and condescension, embrace and succour one another: In stead of despising and driving Men from your Communion, help up them that are fallen, let one endeavour to bring the other to himself, the Strong reduce the Weak, the Learned the Ignorant, and the be­lieving Gentile, the prejudiced Jew: and let him cherish, and instruct, and be tender of him, with a Brotherly Care and Affection.

Even as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Christ did much more than all this for us, that he adviseth us to do one for another. Christ did not disdain us, that are more unworthy of his Presence, than we are of each others. So our Saviour saith by St. John, ch. 17. v. 24. Fa­ther, [Page 10]I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. So that Christ recei­ved us into the Fellowship and Partnership of the Glory of God, and therefore we ought to re­ceive one another.

So that the whole meaning of the Text is, The Apostle beseeches God to grant them the same Sentiments and Understanding of the true Religion of Christ; or if they have not just the very same Sentiments of things in every Parti­cular, (as it may be few Men have) yet that they would not rend and tear Christ's Church, but would lay aside their dislikes of each others pri­vate Opinion, and with one Heart and one Mouth joyn together in Publick Duties and Or­dinances, and receive one another in the visible Communion of the Christian Church: that the Weak should not as Malecontents go to separate themselves, and throw away their Souls; nor the Strong (as having a clearer Understanding) dis­dain to joyn with the Weak; but that we should receive one another, to the helping each other for­ward in Grace, as Christ also offers to receive us to the Eternal Being with him in Glory. And now having spoke distinctly to the Words of [Page 11]Text, I shall pass to the second thing, which I shall insist on very briefly. And that is,

2. To consider that great Duty of Obedi­ence to Magistrates. And this I should not have mentioned now, but onely that St. Paul lays it down as the first step to Peace and Order in the Christian Church; and likewise because the Di­spute of Days and Meats, &c. is out of doors between us and our Brethren the Dissenters, and because they seem as much blunder'd and puz­led about the extent of Obedience to our Laws, as the Jews were of theirs; which is the reason why I touch upon this Duty as I go. And in­deed their being so much mistaken in the extent of Christian Obedience, is that (I fear) which makes them take so little notice of the Laws of a Reformed Christian Prince: for if the Power of a Heathen Prince be from God, and that he that resists him, shall receive damnation to himself; much more, when one (as I may say) after God's own heart is in the Throne, when he counte­nances that same Religion which we pretend to love at our very Hearts, and which our Fore­fathers sealed with their Blood.

These Considerations (methinks) might make us run Voluntiers in Obedience to him, and [Page 12]cause us to stifle all the little Tricks and Humours of our own, when God and the King go thus together in our Israel. Nay, besides all this, our Laws are not the Breath of one single Per­son only, but proceed from the mature Delibe­ration of Men of our own chusing, to repre­sent our Grievances, and take care that no hea­vier Burdens be laid on our Bodies, or Minds, than themselves, as Fellow-subjects, are ready to bear. And yet strange it is, that after all these wonderful Priviledges, we should have some re­pining at, and others defying our admirable Form and Methods of Government; that they should allow none to be Lords over them; and that the Pretence of Christian Liberty, should fight and set it self against the Laws of God and Man: and this we see by too sad and daily ex­perience it doth. Whereas were our Prince in his Judgment a Heathen, in his Power furnish'd to be arbitrarily and uncontrolably Cruel, and in his Will and Inclinations delighting to crush and grieve his Subjects; yet to this Power we must be obedient. In short, be the Prince what he will, God requires a thorow Obedience one way or other; and therefore the thoughts of a Gracious, a Merciful, and a Reformed Prince, [Page 13]should make us so proud of, and pleas'd with our Governour, as not to thwart him upon Straws and Trifles. No Master, tho never so mean, but expects Dutifulness from his Servant: No Father, tho never so poor, but requires Obe­dience from his Child. And why should a Prince (who is above us all) suffer himself to be mock'd, when no body else will? Why should he be called a Law-maker of his Country, if every humourous fanciful Person may control his Authority when he pleaseth? This seems a great Affront to the Supreme Power on Earth, especially a Power so great as to be ordained of God: Tho I really fear many Christians do not know what they do, when, to the indulging some Humours of their own, they bid Adieu to all Authority, and do what in single Persons lies to the dividing Christians, and confounding Church-Order and Discipline. But I hope bet­ter of you, my Brethren; and therefore I shall not insist any more upon this Head, only ad­ding that of the Apostle, That you must be sub­ject, not only for wrath, but conscience sake, i. e. You must make Obedience to Governors as sin­cerely your Desire and Endeavour, as any other Gospel-duty whatsoever. But I design'd only [Page 14]to touch upon this Head; and therefore shall pass to the next Head; and that is,

3. How Christians should carry themselves towards each other with reference to Commu­nion, viz. the Strong to the Weak, and the Weak to the Strong, that so we may be like minded one towards another.

The Strong are those that have an exact Knowledge of Things both Lawful and Unlaw­ful, and which think nothing that is Lawful to be Unlawful.

The Weak are those that think one or more Things that are Lawful, to be Unlawful: and their Weakness consists in their doubting and mistaking Judgments about Things that are Lawful.

The Strong in the Apostles days were those that thorowly understood what Liberty they had by Christ from the Jewish Ceremonies.

The Weak in those days were those that thought well of Christianity, and yet for all that were unwilling quite to throw off the Ce­remonial Law, that stood upon Meats and Days, &c. tho the Gospel acquitted them.

The Strong in our days are those that are heartily obedient to all the Laws of Magistrates, [Page 15]that are not forbidden in Gods Word; and that are satisfied that a Prince hath Power to enjoyn any thing in our Worship, that is not excepted against in the Gospel.

The Weak in our days are those that either can't or won't distinguish between Articles of Faith, and Modes of Worship; that think they are not obliged, nay, that they ought not to obey their Governours, as to the enjoyning In­different Things in their Worship, because they are not commanded in Words at length in the New Testament.

And now having named to you the Men and the Thing, I shall proceed humbly to offer some Rules to your Consideration, and so conclude.

And in these I shall apply my self to the Strong and the Weak; and because St. Paul in this Chapter begins with the Strong, I shall do so too. We therefore that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, especially if the Weak are as they were in those days, (and perhaps had some reason to be) in a great strait which to take; for it was doubtless very hard for Men then, especially those that were Zealous, to throw off a Religion almost wholly, and run with immediate satisfaction into another. It [Page 16]was doubtless a great Surprise to them, that after a Religion had flourish'd about Four thousand years, and had been owned by God as the True in all Ages before: I say, 'twould make any Man at a stand, to see one Person come and tell us of a sudden, That neither Circumcision nor Ʋn­circumcision availed any thing; that Meats and Days were all alike; and that the Old allowed and established Law, must give way to a New Gospel. I question, if any of us had lived in those days, and been bred up in the strictest Knowledge of the Law, how many of us would instantly have turned Christians; especially since so many of us now stumble, and are mistaken about the Gospel, tho the World hath been so long inur'd and accustomed to its Doctrine: so that there was great reason in those days for the Strong to bear with the Weak, because the Difficulties of rightly judging and discerning Things were ve­ry strong and masculine, enough to throw down weak Minds But when Weakness is pretended, to make way for Confusion; when Men will pre­tend they are weak at one time, and will take it amiss when you go to instruct them as such at another; this looks rather like Wilfulness, than the Weakness St. Paul here means.

But I am very well aware, that there is a very popular and current Observation in our days, which seems a great Objection against what I have hitherto said; and that is, That Men can no more be supposed to be alike in Judgment, than they are in Features. But the Case is not at all the same. Men would, no doubt, be all exactly Featured alike, if God had design'd they should be so, and had drawn them all as Copies from the same Original: But he hath given us all the very self-same Law and Rule; he hath given us the same Faculties to judge with; and therefore it might justly be expected we should all think the same things. One Soul hath no unlikeness to another, but onely from the different Hu­mours and Sentiments it receives: And if the Rules be all the same to manage our Souls by, whence comes the Unlikeness? Not from the necessary imprest Features of the Soul, but from the wrong Apprehension and Management of the Rule. So that 'tis no fault not to be alike in outward Features, because God never designed us all the self-same external Aspect: But 'tis a Crime not to think the self-same truth, according to Christ Jesus; because this was the Reason of Gods giving us one unalterable Rule, that we [Page 18]should with one mind and one heart glorifie him. But I must pass to the several Considerations, some to the Strong, and some to the Weak, and so conclude.

1. To the Strong, I desire them to consider these following Things, with reference to the Weak. By the Weak I mean those that are re­ally so, and not such as use it for an obstinate and ungovernable Pretence.

1. I desire the Strong to consider, That their weak Brethren seem to have somewhat to say for themselves. When I hear a Man telling me that he hath been educated in such an Opinion, and his Parents before him, nay, and that he doth not owe his Opinion onely to the Font, but that he hath strove, and prayed, and read, and con­sidered, and conferr'd; that after all his Exami­nation, he cannot find that he hath any love for any Opinion, more than his unconquerable Perswasion fixes him: I say, when we hear a Man sincerely, and from the bottom of his Heart, saying, That he cannot distinguish things as others can; that he cannot think that Indif­ferent which others do; that he cannot admit things that are really Lawful in others Opinion, to appear so in his: A Man that is Strong ought [Page 19]to pity such a ones Weakness: Tho, to my ap­prehension, 'tis very strange, if what these Men tell us, be true; 'tis very odd, that a Man out of the Church shall tell us, by his Eye-sight, that a House is a House, a Tree a Tree, and a Man a Man, and see these things as clearly as any Man else; and yet have this Man into a Church, and you can't perswade him, but that a plain whited Wall is a Carved or a Molten Image: For this is really the Case; Take these Men in Worldly Business, and they are as intelligent and as strong and as rational as others: but in Religion they are as odd and aukerd and untractable: Tho, methinks, 'tis very sad, that that Religion which Christ designed to enlighten, should cloud and maze their Understandings: But yet thus we oft see it is, Men are thus either in pretence or reality weak; however that be, we must leave them to God, bear with their Weakness, and be glad to see them in our Communion. And if I can any thing judge of the Temper of those that are of the Church of England, I dare vouch for the wiser and soberer part of them, that they do not disdain Communion with the weakest Brother. But alas! the Case is now altered from that in St. Paul's days; the VVeak refuse [Page 20]Communion with the Strong, which seems to give a great contradiction to their pretended Weakness; for those that really know them­selves weak, would not throw themselves out to the wide World, and pretend to take greater care for themselves, than God in his Providence, and their Governours by their great Care offer to them. But,

2. The Strong ought to bear with and pity the Weak, in that they expose their Persons and Fortunes to the Censure of the Magistrate, upon Needless things. Real Martyrdom, and laying down our Lives and Estates for the Truth, is highly commendable in the Eyes of God and Man: But to withstand and contend with the Supreme Magistrate, when he is doing the true part of his Duty, is really a very great Evil; for a good Magistrate is the great Crown and Bles­sing of a Nation; for by prudent Exercise of good and righteous Laws, he reduces many to a good and right Understanding of Things, that it may be would not else mind or consider about Religion: And if the Magistrate doth not take care of his Subjects Souls, as well as their Bodies, he bears the best part of his Sword in vain; for People are very apt to run into [Page 21]strange Enthusiasms, when every Man may cut out what Religion he pleases; and we may well think a Prince blame-worthy in this Particular, if God own him as his Deputy and Vicegerent, and yet he doth nothing for God in all his Go­vernment. And indeed we have all the reason in the World to give all due respect to the Laws (especially) of Good Princes; for the higher the Office, the greater the Grace that descends upon them. But yet notwithstanding the Prince, as a part of his Duty, takes care to see Religion ex­ercis'd; yet too many there are that dare to of­fend, and expose their Lives and Fortunes to the dint of his Laws, and that for little, potty, trivial things: And these the Strong ought to pity; they seem to be in earnest, when their Blindness will enable them to part with that which is dear to them, rather than obey. Therefore when we see any of our weak Brethren in trouble because of their Weakness, let us not deride and con­temn them because of their Weakness, but pity them, that they do not see tho Mercies of God; in so good a Prince, and such good Laws. Let us not, I say, despise them; for, as the Apostle argues, Who made thee to differ? Was it not the Grade of God that rescued thee from this Weak­ness? [Page 22]And indeed the Sufferings even of a no­torious Malefactor are pitiable, as we have a ge­neral Respect for Humane Nature. And this will induce our weak Brother to think that we are loving, and tender, and Christian-like, when we do not mock at, but pity their Calamity. Tho 'tis very fit and meet that good and righte­ous Laws should take place, and be executed upon Offenders; yet 'twould be hard, if those that are to execute these Laws, or any other, should superadd any Censure, or intermingle any sort of Treatment, that the Laws will not directly allow or do not expresly enjoyn. 'Tis no Persecution to put good and justifiable Laws in Execution; but it looks like one, when those that are to do it, rejoyce in their Brothers Suf­ferings. But,

3. The Strong should consider and pity the Meanness and Confusion of their Faith and Un­derstanding. Now Faith, as the Scripture saith, comes by hearing; and therefore this Fault I shall rather chuse to lay upon their Teachers, than upon them; tho 'tis in part their fault, to make no better a Choice. And I must confess, I take it to be the particular sleight of their Preachers to cut out Work for themselves, to make their [Page 23]Hearers of nice and bogling Consciences, that they may have them under their Dominion, to raise such Scruples that they and none else care to answer, and render Religion an odd and un­intelligible Undertaking. I must confess, I have not much heard their Sermons; but I have perus'd some of their Books, where a great deal of what they say is very formidable, and some again unintelligible Doctrine; where Nineteen Marks of Grace are set down, and strictly re­quired, when Two, or it may be never a one of them, will serve the turn. Now, for my part, I heartily pity any Hearer, that with Awe and Reverence puts his Soul into the Hands of a Teacher that is not Faithful, that drags him thorow a rough and tempestuous Way, when a much plainer and casier is nigh at hand. Christ came to make Religion plain and easie; and if any Man that puzzles and entangles it, be his true Embassadour, judge ye. But having some Considerations to add to the other sort of Men, the Weaker Brethren, I shall pass to them, and speak but briefly to them, and so conclude. And to these my Request is,

1. To have a competent and becoming Re­verence for Authority. And here I do not go [Page 24]perswade these Men into the Notion of Infallibi­lity, as if all their Governours did or said were as infallible as any part of the New Testament; but to desire them to have in themselves ductile, obedient, governable, and perswasive Frames of Spirit; not to be morose, or peevish, or sowr, or obstinate: And let the Consideration of his being the Power and the Ordinance of God, carry them beyond all their little Doubtings and Ob­jections. A meek, and a quiet, and a submissive Frame of Spirit, is in the sight of God of great price.

2. My Desire to the Weak of our days is, seriously to consider, That the Government can never provide against all the petty Exceptions of every particular Person; and that 'tis impos­sible that all the Dissenters can be pleas'd. Is not this to be prov'd within our Memory, when the Presbyterian and Independent (tho now they love so dearly) were as much Antichristian one to another, as now We are to Both? And if at this time the Government goes to comply with the Conscience of the Presbyterian, what then will become of the Independent? If the Mouths of both these can be stopp'd, what must be done for the Anabaptist? Or if these could be [Page 25]complied with too, what shall we do for the great Numbers of Dissenting Quakers? All these come in with a pretended equal Cry and Loud­ness of Conscience; and if these Dividers can­not condescend to each others Weakness, how can they expect the Government should? There­fore when they desire that the Governours should make such Laws as shall suit every Mans Conscience, that's impracticable, nay, and im­possible, without bringing absolute Confusion into the Church and State: Nay, themselves, I dare say, do not desire the Laws should be made so loose, as to take in all the several Sects of Dissenters; and if it takes in one Party that is blinded and weakned by his Conscience, why not another? If they object, That a little Con­descension would take in some: I beseech them, On whose side ought the Condescension to lie? Is it not more feasible that particular Persons may come into the Church, than that the whole Form of Church and State-Government must be new-molded for them? If this be an hum­ble or modest Demand, I leave every Man (that can) to judge; and I think we may safely un­dertake that the Government will grant, when all the Dissenters are agreed what to ask, I mean, [Page 26]that will make us all one, according to Christ Jesus.

3. My Desire to the weak Brethren is, not to place Religion, or the Suspension of it, in little trifling Indifferent Things. This was that our Saviour highly blamed in the Pharisees: Nay, is it not the extreme Dotage of some in our days, that think a Tag more the Gospel-mode than a Ribband, or a short Black Coat more Edifying and Evangelical, than a Gown or a Surplice? This is that which we really and truly call Su­perstition in the Church of Rome, that a Stick set on cross should be more Reverend and Vene­rable, than in any other Posture. The Sub­stance and Truth of Religion lies in great and weighty Matters; and these (thanks be to God) our Dissenters own we retain in the Doctrine of the Church of England: And therefore why do they fly us by reason of our Ceremonies? All that we say for them, is, That they are Ancient, and Decent; and who fitter to judge of Order and Decency, than our Governours? If they ob­ject, Had these things been used in our Saviours time, they had not scrupled them: But how are we assured that they speak truth in this Matter? The Sacraments were used in our Saviours time, [Page 27]and yet a great number of our Dissenters scru­ple them: The Creed was compiled in the Apo­stles time, and yet most of them boggle at some part of it, viz. The Communion of Saints, and the truest and most intelligible Notion of the Holy Catholick Church. Besides, Christ and his Apostles had then neither Room, nor External Authority to plant and perfectly settle a Visible Church; they could instil their Doctrines, and General Rules of Faith, but could not descend to all the Particular Modes of Worship: these we derive as faithfully as we can from the Pri­mitive Christians, which all sober and wise Men have a great Veneration for. And indeed the Apostle hath given fair Power and Encourage­ment to Magistrates to be doing, when he bids them take care that all things be done decently and in order. And who is the best Judge of Order and Decency, the Magistrate (the Ordinance of God) or the Weak Brother, I shall leave to Wise Men to determine. And whereas they oft object, That the Government must not enjoyn any thing but what is expresly commanded in the Scriptures: If they will turn the same Argu­ment fairly, it will amount to thus much direct­ly against themselves, viz. That they must not [Page 28]deny Obedience in any thing that is not positive­ly and in plain Words forbidden; unless they think the Scripture allows them more Liberty than it allows the Magistrate, or that they shall have Liberty to disobey in those very Cases, in which the Prince shall not have Power to enjoyn: And then let them shew us where the Scriptures deny a Surplice, or any other of our Ceremo­nies retained and used. And do they deny Compliance because of the Tenderness of their Conscience? The Magistrate doth likewise, out of his tender Love and Care for the Church, and Uniformity in our Worship, enjoyn them; as well knowing, that some External Form of Church-Government is absolutely needful; and none yet, after several Trials, can be pitch'd up­on, that are more decent, and less offensive.

4. My last Desire to weak Brethren is, that they would not throw themselves out of the Commu­nion of Christs Catholick Church. By this they frustrate the Design of Christs coming into the World, and Dying for us. He came to make us all one: And, I perceive, they take it mightily in dudgeon to be Excommunicated; which (as they manage the Case) is onely a Publick Confirma­tion of what they themselves have done long [Page 29]before. St. Paul doth not seem to imagine, that they would throw themselves out of Commu­nion; but was afraid that the Strong would not Communicate with them: And this we desire with all our Souls to do; but, the mischief of it is, our weaker Brethren think themselves Holier and Wiser, and, if so, much Stronger than we. And to these I may well use those Words of the Wise-man, onely advisable in such Cases as these, Eccles. 7.16. Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thy self over wise; for why shouldest thou destroy thy self? And why should these Men, under a needless and unjustifiable Pretence of Sanctity, hazard their Souls, by rending the Communion of Christs Church, and by Diso­bedience to Gods Governours? and their Bo­dies and Estates, by undergoing the Penalty of our National Laws? Who hath required this at their Hands, that they should set up for Martyrs, before they are called to bear witness to the Truth of Christ? And I wish to God these Men would seriously consider, what 'tis to be out of the Communion of the Catholick Church. If there be but One Church, why do they not Communicate with us? why do they go out from us? If there be Two Catholick Churches, [Page 30]what becomes of an entire Article of our Creed? Indeed there is no sense in that Assertion. But I must not, I need not add any more to these Par­ticulars. I hope what I have said, will not be look'd upon either as sharp, uncharitable, or un­seasonable: What I have said, is spoke out of a real desire that you would be like minded one to­wards another, that you would receive one another, as Christ also received us, to the Glory of God. I am well aware, that Men are not like Iron, to be hammer'd when they are heated, or to be hector'd and jeer'd into Communion and Reli­gion; and therefore I have been all along plead­ing for the contrary: But I hope no Man will be angry, when we modestly and sincerely tell him the Truth, as I have endeavoured plainly to do: Especially, I would not leave any Distaste with you, as to my Person or Temper, now in this last Exercise I am performing among you; for this would be ill Policy with respect to my Future Undertakings, and an ill Requital to that Kindness I own I have received from all Parties among you. I shall onely beg your Prayers and Well-wishes for my Future Undertakings, and Success in my Performances, and conclude all with those Words of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13.11, [Page 31]14. Finally, Brethren, farewell; be perfect, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the commu­nion of the Holy Ghost, be with, bless, preserve, and guide you, from this time forth for evermore. Amen.