Serin. 26, the life of Religion without publick ordinances ? 603. In a word, hot difputing, and cold living, or zeal in frnaller, and Luke - warmnels in greater matters, is the ruine of grace in our felves, the confirming of fin in others, and the needlefs hazarding our outward conccrnments and be,.raying them rattily to the violence of wicked and ungodly men, , 3. In your converfe with thofe who are without , chufe moldy to infift upon common and acknowledged principles , rather than controverted points ; if I were to live among , and converfe with Papit }s, I would chufe much rather to urge them to abflain from lying, drunkennefs, malice, &e, and to have good thoughts of God, to have a continual fcnfe of their dependance upon him and there- fore continually to recommend themfelves unto him by holy prayer, to be meek and patient, and charitable , rather than to difpute how many Sacraments there be or how the bread the wine is the body and blood of Chrifl ; for good counfel and fober exhortations fpeak love to mens fouls, whereas difputes and arguings are ufually thought to proceed only from love to our own notions, and a de« fire to oppofe others; and indeed if men did not place too much of their Zeligion in oppofng others, they might much more fafely, and much more profitably converfe with thofe of different opinions, yea of different Religions. 4. When you do touch upon controverted points, rather enquire and propound , than pofitively affert , and violently oppofe ; though I judge the Mafs of Rome , as by them ufed to be a piece of as grofsidolatry, as the world can fhcw, yet were Ito converfe among Papifts I would not fall foul upon them as the groffeft Idola- ters ; but as more defining truth fhould be honoured , than they re- proached , I would calmly and meekly propound my reafons as grounds of doubting, rather than clear demonf} rations ; for Lure it is, that a fudden and violent affault, will caufe an adverfary to gather up his ílrength as violently to oppofe , whereas a calm propound- ing of reafons, or doubts may work him to a ferious confideration, which is the firf} ftep to the difcovery of error and acknowledging of truth ; for the one kindles a define of knowing the other , a defire ofoppofng, yea of perfecuring. 5. When you think your felves bound to reprove the fins,of others , let it be done with a due .confideration of the circumfiances of time /place and 'perfons ; and indeed there's fcarce any part of a Chriflcans converfe with others , that more requires prudence and wifdom than that of reproving others; and great care is to be had H b h h that
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