of a vijhle Church of Chr Jl. I25 pane. G/.ve 2 reuee to tlae jt;.v, tit to t ae Gel tile, nor tr t .e Ci)k ch of Goe'Y We ilsouììd be ers of that bieirtd Aper ±ile -in this, who did er.csciiv hiatifelf w keep a Con- fcience void of Otcnce towards God and towards Man. In particular, + +e fhould be careful of peisfonal Wrongs tb our Brethren in our Dealing; we fhould rather fufur wrong than do ivrong. z. We fhould be earefil we do not take Offence upon every light Occallon. Some Perfor;s are fo touchy, that a (mall Matter offends them, and a ii.tle Spark kindles a great Fire. If we make a Man an offender for a Word that is not pleafant to us, we are not like to maintain Peace any long time: There muff be bearing and for- bearing, if we would preferve Peace; that is, we mat bear and forbear, where we may -fo do it, and keep our felves free from Sin. 3. We mull beware andcarefully avoid Parton in all our Debates of Things. That unruly Corruption bath oft -times a great hand in the Breach of Peace. It is one of the great Make -baits in Churches...11 is rare that Pafiion doth ifiue any thingofaControverfj ,butoft . times7Debates are iffued in Pafiion, Men fall into a f-Teat and fo break off their Debates, without ifiuing any thing; and the Breach was not fo wide before, but it is now made much wider; and by the indigefted Words that are haflily fpoken, .Ad- vantage is taken to ee.creafe the Difference. Solomon was noted for a Man of great Wifdom, and he was like. wife a Man of great Experience, and one thatwas infpired bythe Spirit of God : He tells us, that a foft .4nfwer turns away Wrath, and grie vous Words ftir ufi finger. This then is not the way to make Peace : We fhould 'till remem- ber that the -Wrath of Man doth not accomplifh the Righteoufnefs of God. 4.. We fhould be careful to keep down Spiritual Ï'ride, that we be not proud of Parts and Gifts, no nor yet of Graces; that we do not look on our felves as taller by the Head and Shoulders than our Brethren,. and,fo.expea that every bodies Sheaf fhould make obeyfance unto ours, $Q/pmon tells us, that only by Pride corzeth Contention. Prov. io. As if there were no other moving Caufe, or ra- ther
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=