&B;;;r lr•lttl ~Cbt1Z. Chap+~ect.u. ---~_:__ __ arc 1ih. cfilt1ti...4!~ ol Chritiiani:y, wi thm~~ \Vhich no heaven, no fJivation: nor need rhc ri. pLf1 (:1. i!l.iJPS CO!ltl:Olli th j-; Jdfc 11; for principles are of daily urc for them, yea (IJey mu([ con;it;t;:_;tJy_livc t.Jp~n rb~m, as on th:tr_bread an~ dtin~: the waHt ofthis knvwlcdge !s thccaufc olmuch L..rch~and Apo(bh! :11 thcfe dtfmal ttmes; and the nor dii;elling am! in:pro ingof t!11s l<nowkdge is the caufe r>f mu,·h ofthe hypocri!.~,and (CJf-dccciving kind ofrclig' ouh;tfs <hat in thck times have fo r;cvJi!ed . Come then, and be well ground– ed 111 rhcf: luncllmcnt.1 l;; you h.\ VG them 111 every Catcch1fin opened to you, and laid b. fore you ; and thus you arc liiHtt tolhnd in a time of trial, and to refill Satan in his fie– ry dutS, and to hold Llll.and to j!,WW U? in the lrnowkdge ofthe,fupcrtlruCl:urc. Its our mr!c:ry, JJh:lSJtans advant.tg~._that Chr1!1i..:.ns are fil earnd1 about circumltantialc; and neg. !td: the gr~ot fundamewoh,upon w:1ich the eternal being of their precious fouls depends :: Ta:<e heed ol fp~nding, or rather mit-fpending yourprecioustioncand thought: in nc.dkfs Contro·llrfi ,s, in doubrf.,ll difpurations. Satan hath not prevailed in atJy thint; like to thl"· Tt1is c1tfech fiding, anJ v1in names: which adminificn much tewell to the tire of contention; la much blown up by evil fpirits. Oh what Ctrangc and flrong contells hove you u(ually met with, about Church.governments>. whlt br,achcs have been among br~thren abo-1t matters ol Difcipline? Have they not (like fooli(h children) thrown dirt in one anothers faces, whiles the common e– nuny hath wcakned and infulted over them all 1 I am exceedingly taken with thole Di <ines, who decline ( as much as they may) thefc ne~dlelfe Controvcrfies. It is faid of Zrci>HyVrfim, tlut his enemies troubling him, and crying out agai-ni[ him tha t he was a Sacram.entarian, he((, naturally abhorred brawlcs, and in his judgment fo diJliked EcckfiJilical cor.tcncions, that he chofe rather t? leave Vr.<~iFave his n ative phce, and to wander whrther the Lord iliou\d d1rect lmn, that he mrght lrve in quiet, anJ p1cach necctTary, practical, f<ving t•·uths. No"e are more apt to f11l into errours th•n they that bulic th.:m(elves moll with unnecelf,ry, curious, circumfht1tial points: lr; rue difli:renccs that lu ve been am<•Hg!t us about Difcipline, and Eccldjaflical Go– vernment; it was Mr. P•lnms faying, 7hs is tbe jaliJJj•in~ jlay of my f.J:ti, tiJJt if . Di[cipline btl hew as ncceff"Y as Dourmc, the Ad wife, the AU·merciful G1d would n.. t l>ave ltft tbe o,Je i" the dJtl:,_, Jnd revealed tbe vtber fo cle;r : and hen~e he ad viCed all, to avoid doubtful! difputarion s , he loo!;r on th,m as the defign ofS>tan npon th~ Saints, which he ddlrcd to impaa unro them, acd of wh1ch ht bad them to beware. Of all the Books I tvtr read abo"t thrs, l cummend that Ircnicum lately compofcd by Mr. Sti!indlw. 3. Get an humble heart, and a meek fpirit : God is [aid to reveal hi1 fecrcts to babe; ( i. ) to the humble and mee~ ; Themrei( "ill be _v,uide ;,. judgemem Jlld tbe meek wid ~ .. ·;•t.t. 12 ' :; • he teacl> his ,.ay.- Go,,[ will t-r.;ak :\Js mind to the bro~t n rn heart ; that is the way a ' 2 5· 9 · to tir.d out any truth in general, and this and that [Jcrt icular truth in controvcrfie: Eze,4 3 .ro,ll. You !Cc thisin Eze!;: 3• 1o,! 1•. Tl."" fo,z ofmm, fihrv tbe houje to the houfe of Ifrael. , th,rt tbry may be afhamrci ofrbur znzq.ltt.Jrs, apd !et tbrm meajure the pattern; a;td if they be aP.>amed of all tb::t tbcy have dJ,ze, the.. fhZ•P them the form oftbe houfi and tl;e jajhiUJt thrreof, and the goi,,gs out thmof and tbe MJu,tgJ in thtreof, and ,a/1 tbe formt there·!, and<lit tbe Ordi"""" tbcrc'f arld all the L"-:PI tbcreof. Oh what contenti– ons Ju ve we about the tor m ot GovtlUn,cnt iuthe houfe of God 1 what tiring as enemies uponoue another, who arc alt[.,d,:icrs under the fame Captain , Ouilll This makes fome !3dly thalli that 111 11 t( ltcs anJ contcndings for the truth, men are rather Satans then Saints to ur.L .)on1cr; nthtr u:mpters to fin , then In this I high. helpers of the gnccs of each other. 0 thJ' G -cl would give ushumble and meek ly commend , fpllits J 0 that we would fervc one anot•l.r, bear one .;vith another, and build up Mr. St~llmgh · 1 1· f' · l d l t 0 · e ili -d of d · jfeetJ fpirit.his one anoc er 1II 10 y J!C 1 an OV!.! • nut W;.. wer~ on a .tmc our omg_s, w.apsnfa/~e and of our iniquities! O:nainly this were the way .to find eut the truth of God m for the every Comrovn!ic. Church". •• walk anlwerably to thofe manifeCtations you have, walk in conformity to that '"""'''1 d>f~o. me~fluc of truth you have received; and when God fees yvn faithful i,, a little, verS>t c car Y• then will he rcvNl more to you ; when lae lees you walk up to the lcght which he hath made known, then will he reveal his whole mind to you, [o far as is neceJfary tor your falvation. You have a plain Scripture for this,tLct w thmfore aJ many <IJ /,e per– feu be tbus minded, and ifi;t any >hiugye be otherwife mind1d, God {ball revealeven thiJ un· ·~ 1 3· ·i~P 1 toy.m. As many a1 be perjtQ, (i) as m.1nyas a xc upri~;hr or finccre; ,or as man~ as arc. perled,asmany asarelully rdlrudcd intheeffentials ol Chri.liianity, and truly Hrr~e for Clmllcan
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