562 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, ment lamentably darkened and perverted, whenever contentious zeal prevaileth, and passions do perturb the quiet and orderly ope- rations of the soul. He wanteth both the knowledge and the ex- perience, and the mellowness of spirit, which riper Christians have attained : he hath a 11ss degree of charity, and is less acquainted with the mischiefs ofitnpeaceableness; and therefore it is the corn- mon course of young professors to beeasily tempted into impeace- able ways ; and when they have long tried them, (if theyprove not hypocrites) to come off at last upon experience of the evilsof them; and so the young Christians, conjunct with some hypocrites, make up the rigorous, fierce, contentious and vexatious party ; and' the aged, ripe Christians make up the holy, moderate, healing party, that groan and pray for the church's peace, and mourn in secret both for the ungodliness and violence which they cannot heal. Yea, the difference is much apparent' in the books and. sermons which each of them is best pleased with. The ripe, experienced Christian .loveth those sermons that kindle love, and tend to peace; and love such healing books as do narrow differences and tend to reconcile and heal ; such as Bishop Hall's Peace -maker, and " Pax Terris," and all his writings; and Bishop Davenant's, Bishop Mor- ton's, and Bishop Hall's "Pacificatory Epistles to DurNus," and " Mr. Burroughs' Irenicon," Ludov. Crocius, Amyraldus, Junius, Parwus's and many other Irenicons written by foreign divines, to say nothing that are upon single controversies. But the younger, sour, uncharitable' Christians are better pleased with such books and sermons, as call them aloud to be very zealous for this or that contested point of doctrine, or for or against some circumstance of worship or church discipline, or about some fashions, or customs, or indifferent things, as if the kingdom of God were in them; Rom. xiv. 1, 2. 15, 16. 3. But the seeming Christian is either a mere temporizer, that will be of that religion,.whatever it be, that is most in fashion, or which the higher powers are of, or which will cost him least ; or else he will run into the other '.extreme, and lift up himself by af- fected singularities, and by making a bustle and stir in the world, aboutsome small and controverted point ; and careth not to sacrifice . the peace and safety of the church to,the honor of his own opin- ions. And as small as the Christian` church is, he must be of a smaller society than it, that he maybe sure to be amongst the best; while indeed he bath no sincerity at all, but placeth his hopes in being of the right church, or party, or opinion ; and for his partyor church, he burneth with a feverish kind of zeal, and is ready to call for fire from heaven; and to deceive him, the devil sendeth him some from hell, to consume them that are not of his mind: yet doth he bring it, as an angel of light, to defend the truth and
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