ESSAY VII. 20.3 Spirit of the best christians, and the conscience is so nauseated with the largest part of the entertainment that his soul cannot be nourished, and it is proper for him to forbear attendance upon such a preacher, and chuse one more suited to the temper of his own spirit. But Singulario bath an aversion to a whole hour's discourse, because there were three sentences of a strain differ- ent from his opinion. He reaps no blessing from a sermon of excellent composure, of divine materials, of an evangelic frame and just method, because there is one expression in it that is the characteristic of another sect. He sits uneasy under a noble dis- course of justification or of faith, because, it may be, the minister doth avoid the terms imputed, me'itorious, condition and instru- ment ; and mentions none of the tortured words of noise and party. I will not indeed commend a preacher that is always affectingto disguise his own opinions, and for ever hiding himself in ambiguous language, and that in points of moment, thereby to maintain the everlasting applause of all sides. But I must chide Singulario for the wry faces he makes at church when he hears but a wordor two of contrary sound, or when his ears miss and long for a set of darling phrases. Three years ago I was in company with Acharissa, a Sour old christian of a very narrow spirit, and gave her a gentle ad- monition for the frequent reproaches she cast on the ministers of Christ, that did not preach exactly according to l er humour ; I blamed that petulant liberty which she took with all her neigh- bours and acquaintance, to censure them severely for every lesser difference of practice or worship : I recommended to her read- ing that valuable sermon of the reverend Doctor Tillotson, " Against Evil-speaking ;" but I could not persuade her to pe- ruse those few pages, not only because of that strong propensity she had to speak evil of others, but because it was the work of an archbishop; " which sort of office, said she, is a mere hu- man invention, and the scripture knows it not" I know another name which has the same narrow spirit. Sequilla hath ever given up the conduct of her soul to the curate of the parish, and after many years' attendance on his ministry, ingreat security of conscience, is well assured that she shall go to heaven at last. Perhaps by some terrible providence, or by some plain word of scripture, she is awakened to a deep and frightful sense of sin, and danger of eternal death. She is visited by the curate, and though he saith some good things to her, yet she finds not the way of peace. A kind neighbour recommends to her some book of consolation written by a dissenter, but she refuses the book and thecomfort at once, lest she should be guilty of that dam- nable sin of separation from the church. How can I ever, said she, expect the peace of God from the pen of a schismatic ? And thus endures the, racks of conscience rather than she will
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