1JireElions againjl SciJifm. §. I05· DireCt. 22. Keep not jlra1zge to thofe from rtl·om ;·ou differ, but be acquaintfd with them, Dire{/. ~2' and plscidly bear what they have to foy for :hem[tlve~ : Or el{t converfe with th~m in Chrifli.an Love in R~.'ad the aU thofe dutin in which you .are agreed, and thu ( if you mver talk.. of your differmcet) w1U domuch ~egChflp. 2 1· to reconcile y.1u in all the reft. It is rhc corn In: on way of divifio~, un~haritablenefs, yea, _and cruelty e ·.:o at Iafl, to receive hard repotts of thofc that differ from us, behmd th~tr backs, and to believe and ag- Prince Frede-~. grav.uc all, and proceed to detraction and contention at a difb.nce, and in the dark; and never rk~. of Mrnz– be familiarly acquainted with them at all: There is fornething in the apprehcnfion of places, and ~f/gard bei~g pr~fons, and 1hings by t~~ t)•t fight~ which no ~epous are able to ~atch: And fo there is that ~ati~f~- ~"~i~~;; ~nfto Chon about men by fam1har acquamrance, whtch we cannot attam by hear~ay from any ho_w J.ud!ct- the Reformed ous foever. All factions commonly converfe together, and fcck no famthar convcrfe Wtth mhers, Prortftuns, but believe them to be any thing thats naught, an4 then report them to be fo, before they ever knew when he h:td the perfons of whom they fp,ak: I am perfwaded this is one of the greatefi feeders of enmity un. ll~cn:uGf~eva: charirablcnefs, contention and Jhndcrs in the world. ·1 fpcak it upon great o~fervarion and experi· : .. : ~e~~~t~:~ ence; 1have [cldom heard any man bitterly oppofc the fcrvants ofChrilt, but euhcr the grotly wick- fay, Gm."'l).t ed, or thofe that never had much acquaintance with them ; And I fee commonly, how bitter foever ~ i:t Hrlvttilf. men were before, when once they converfc together, and gtew acquainted, they are more rccon- 111~; mult~ ~~ ciled ·: The reafon is, partly bccau((: they find Jt{1 evil, an,d more good in one another than before they ~=~: ~1h'tJ.. did believe to be in them; and partly becaufe uncharitablenefs and malice, being an ugly monO:er, quibus j;;; · is bolder at a diHance, bm a!hamed of it felf before your face : And therefore the pens of the ~!ldivi: ut Champions of malice, are ufually more bitter than their tongues when they fpeak to you bee to TofJ.:tlllts at/ Pt– face. Of all the furious adverfarics that have raged againfi me in th~. later part o_f my li~e, I re- ~~:;~w;t; i-t member not one enemy that I have or ever had, that wn ever fam1har or acquatnted wtth me:: Curric. p.t6. And I have my fclf heard ill reports of many: which by perfonal acquaintance I have found to be all falfc. Keep together, and either filence your differences, or gently debate them; yea, rather chide it out, than withdraw afunder: Familiarity feedeth Love and Vnity. . ~· ro6. Dired:.23· Tfhtn evtr you loolz at any corruption in theChurch, loo~ al{o at tbt contrary tx- Dird1 23 trram, and fie and avoid 1he dtt1tf!,!'r of one as rtell aJ ofthe other. Be fure every error and Church-cor- • • ruption hath its extream: And if you do n0t fee it, and the danger of ir, you are the likcr to run into it· Look well on both fides if you would be fafe. ~- ro7. Direct. 24. Worjhip God yout [<lvu in the t•re_l! mam.,r, and under the moft edifYing Mi- Diretl. 2 niftrJ that lawfully yor~ can artam : bttt be Hot too forward to condemn otbers 1hat reach not to y gur mea· +- fi~re, or attailt not fo mre:h happinefs : And dwy not perfontd communion {ometimeJ, with Churches that art more blemijhed, and fit for Commrmio;t. A·1d when you cannot joyn locally with them, let them have. the communion of your Hearts, in faitb, and charity, and prayer for each other. I fear ,110t here openly to tell the world, that if I were turned loofe to my own liberty, I would ordinarily wor01ip God in rhat manner that I thought moll pure, and agreeable to his ~ill and Word: but I would fometimes go to the Churches of other Chrifiians, that were fit for ChriUian communion, if rhere were fuch about me: Sometime to the lndependants, fometirne to the moderate ·Anabaptilts, fomerime to fuch as had a Liturgic as faulry as that of theGreek or the Ethiopian Churches: to fhew by my practice, what communion my hearc htth With them all. 9· Io8. Direct. '25· Ta~e heed tb.:t you imertji not Religion or tbe Clmrch in Civil difference!: Thi3 D" ea . t!' error hath divided and ruined many famous Churches, and mofi i.c.jurioufly mtde the holy truth and lr • 2 ~· worfl)ip of God to be a reproach and infa~y among felfilh putia_l carnal men. when Princes and Since the wri– States fall our among thernfelves 1 they Will needs draw the Mimfters to their fides, and then one tin<> of this r fide will certainly condemn them, and call them all that felf-intereft and malice can invent ; And ha~e publilh– commooly ~vhcn the contr_overfie is only in point of Law or Poiiticks, it is Rtligio 11 that bears ed a Book the blameot all: and the d1fferences ofLawyers and Sratcfrnen mufi be charged upon Divines, that ~~:-~e:c~:!cbthe Devil may_ b~ abl~ to make them ufdefs 1 • as to the good of all that party that isagainli them, and ojvifioils, and may make Reltg10n tt felf be called Rebellion. And 0 that God would m1incain the Peace of a Dt{trmofit: Kingdoms; and Kings and Subjeds were all Lovers of peace, the rather becaufc the differences in which l~andle States do caufe fo commonly divifions in the Church. Ir would make a man wonder (and a lover thcfe f 11 ; 1 ngs of Hifiory to lament ) to ob{Crvc in the differences between the Pope and Henry the fo~rth, and othe-r more u l'· Ernpcroms, how the Hillorians are divided , one half commcnding him that the other half condernncth; and how the B!!hop; and Churches were one half for the Pope, and the other for the Empcrour; and one half Hill accounted Rebels or Schifmaticks by the other, though they were all of one Religion. It is more to ruine the CIJnrch, than Kingdoms, that S1tan laboureth fo much to kindle Warrs, and breed Civil differences in the world : And therefore let him that loveth the Churches Peace, be an obedient Subject; and an enemy of Sedition, and a Lover and defender of the Civil Peace and Govemment in the place that God hath fet him in: For this is pleafing unto God• . 9· I C9· I ~now ther~ are_fomc, that with_ too _bloody and calamitous fuccefs, have in mofi ages, gwen other kmd of D1~c6bons, for the eXtJJpatton of E.rror, Herefie and Schifm, than I have here given l But God.hath fhll ~aufcd the moLt wife, and holy, and charitable, and experienced Chrifiians B!d.:t Hi(t. to bear their tdlunony agamfi them ! And he hath ever c:aufed their way of cruelty to turn to their Etcicf: trb. r. own !hame: And though ( like Treafons and Robberies) it f~em for the time prefent to ferve their ~;;li:~;at Ea'ilbmiJ) & :1 Dotloribu1, au8:oribu!"1]U~ fux f:tluti~, f.-rvitium ChriR:i volunruium, non coatlitiumed~7:er~ ~~. Ddddd
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