z t 06 Gofpel-Converfation. his meaning is not (when he faith, that you (hall be of one Spirit, and ofone mind) that men fhould give up their judg- ments and confciences to the opinions ofother men, that others (according to their power) may again lord it over us, and fo en- (laveour felves to draw in their yokes, to grind in their Mills; and plow with their Affes, yea that were againft other Scrip- tures. No,but the meaning is this, That we fhould labor to find out what is truth, fearch for it as for filver, and go according towhat light we have, but yet fo, though we fhoulddiffer, to keep the unity ofthefpirit in the bondofpeace, and joyn in all things that we can, and walk fo lovingly, that it may appear, that if there be difference, it is meetly that which confcience makes, becaufe we dare not deny what we are perfwaded in confcience is a truth : We cannot put out theconvincing light of the can- dle of the Lord which is fet up withinus, yet we can live in uni- ty and peace and be ufeful one to another, communicating our gifts and graces, comforts and experiences one to another as it becomes Chriftians. And indeed it is a greater honor to the gofpel; for men though they do differ in their judgments, yet if they can keep theunity ofthe Spirit in the bandofpeace, I fay, it is a greater honor to the gofpel than if they were all of the fame mind. You know the Turks theyare all ofone mind, but I can- .not fay fo ofthe Papifis, yet they have a chain to keep them to- gether. We reade of the Egyptians, that when it was darknef among them, they fat fäl1 and kept dole together, but when it carne tobe light, every manwent ahout his own bufinefs : fo when light doth begin to break forth, and there's liberty given to fearch into truths; we cannot imagin that at the very firft men fhould be of the fame judgment, except they will give up theirconfciences and facrifice their reafon one to another , but though they be not of one judgment, yet there may be kept a bleffed unity of affedion, there may be a golden girdle clap- fed about their loyns : yea, andof prat` ice fo far as men can with peace ofconfcience, and joy in the holy Ghoft, fo as not to fin againft Confcience and Light ; Unity of affection and praaice Mould be endeavored to the utmoft, and it is a molt Cbriftian thing fo to do; and certainly this fhould be ftudied and endeavored by us , a much as lieth in us. Me thinks wh.n
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