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243 due Information, no evil Confequence of expofing Authority, restrains Perfons of this meddling Temper from pronouncing their Opinion boldly of the greatest Mysteries of Religion, of the most deliberate Actions of State, of the greatest Secrets of War and Peace, of the Fitness or Unfitnefs of all Perfons for all Truft and Business; and, in short, it is from this unhappy Temper that every the fillieft Clown will boldly take upon him to cenfure the Actions of his Prince or Governor, and, as much as in him lies, to breed and foment those Misunderstandings, which, being brooded by Discontent, and spread through great Numbers, come at laft to end in Schifms in the Church, and Seditions and Rebellions in the State: (c) So great a Matter doth a little Fire kindle. There is no greater either Inftrument or Ornament of Peace, than for every Man to keep his own Rank, and to do his own Duty, without ufurping an undue Authority over his Neighbour, or pretending to cenfure his Superiors in Things wherein he himself is not justly aggrieved.

7. There is no greater Enemy to this Duty of Peace-making, than the common Practice of running into Parties and Factions, and espousing thefe Parties by the Lump, fo as to think ourfelves obliged to defend all their Principles, Cuftoms, and Actions, and to condemn all thofe of the oppofite Side. This is a Way to propagate Differences from Generation to Generation, and, instead of Love and Peace, to make it a Duty to propagate a Spirit of Rancour and Animofity, to vilify and depreciate all the good Things we find in our Adverfaries, purely because they are theirs; R 2

(c) Jam, iii. 5

and,

and, perhaps, to run into the contrary Vices, purely for Diftinction fake. By this Means we confine all our Duty to that of our own Party, and take upon us, as it were, to excommunicate all others, and to think that common Justice and Charity is none of their Due; but if ever we mind to cement into one Body, as our common Christianity obliges us, this Spirit of Faction and Divifion must be totally extirpated, and we must learn to be Friends of Truth, and Virtue, and Goodness, where-ever we can find them, and to follow Peace with all good Men, of whatfoever Deno

mination.

8. Lastly, If we would learn this, Duty of Peaceableness and Peace-making, let us obferve, on the one Hand, what are the ufual Caufes and Occafions of Difcord, and avoid them; and, on the other Hand, what are the common Procurers and Promoters of Peace and good Neighbourhood, and in our Practice keep up and encourage them.

Particularly, of the firft fort, let us avoid every thing that favours of Pride, Vanity, Cozenage, Oppreffion, Exaction, taking Advantage of little Trefpaffes, Litigioufnefs, Whispering, Tale-bearing, unneceffary repeating or aggravating former Mifdemeanors, Cenforioufnefs, Difputaciousness, or whatever is contrary to Chriftian Civility and Courtesy: It requires a conftant good Guard upon ourselves, as well as an univerfal good Will to Mankind, neither to give, nor to be too apt to take Offence. And because there is one general Enemy to this Vigilance over ourselves, namely, Drunkenness, which drowns Reason, and gives a Loofe to Paffion; therefore he who loves Peace, will be upon his Guard against this Vice alfo:

For

For (d) Who bath Wo? fays Solomon, Who hath Sorrow? Who hath Contention? Befides feveral other Mischiefs there reckoned up: It is He that tarries long at the Wine, and intoxicates himself with ftrong Drink.

And of the fecond Sort, the Procurers of Peace, let us particularly cherish all the obliging, indearing, and good-natured Virtues, fuch as Charity, Humanity, Hofpitality, Civility, and all the laudable, innocent, and friendly Cuftoms of the Country and Place where we live, carrying ourfelves dutifully to our Superiors, and modeftly to our Inferiors, and lovingly and kindly to all; (e) Following Peace with all Men, as well as Holinefs, without which none shall fee God.

So much for the general Precepts helping us to the Practice of the Duty of Peaceableness and Peace-making. I fhould next have proceeded to the Confideration of fome more particular Precepts for this Duty incumbent upon us, as we are Members of civil or ecclefiaftical Society; but being unwilling to trefpafs on your Patience, I shall refer this to another Opportunity. Now to God the Father, &c.

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SERMON XIII.

MAT. V. 9.

Bleed are the Peace-makers: For they shall be called the Children of God.

The Second Sermon on this Text.

H

AVING in a former Difcourfe entered upon these Words, there were three Things I proposed to do in the handling of them.

1. To give you a Description of the Duty of Peace-making.

2. To confider the Privilege annexed, what it is to be called the Sons of God.

3. To fhew how the Compliance with the Duty of Peace-making disposes and entitles us to this Privilege.

As to the first of thefe, the Defcription of the Duty of Peace-making, after I had told you negatively what it is not, and fo cleared it from fome wrong Notions Men might be apt to have of it; I proceeded to the pofitive Rules and Exercises of it: And finding this a Subject of great Copioufnefs and Variety, I propofed,

1. To confider the chief of the general Precepts belonging to it, directing our Practice of the Duty of Peace-making in general.

2. To confider fome more particular Precepts relating to the Practice of this Duty under particular Circumftances, as we are Members of ecclefiaftical or civil Society.

As to the general Precepts relating to the Duty of Peace-making in general, I then dispatched them, and fhall proceed now to the more particular ones, relating to the Practice of this Duty in particular Circumftances, as we are Members of ecclefiaftical or civil Society.

I fhall begin with the Duty of Peaceableness and Peace-making as we are Members of the Church, of ecclefiaftical Society; which Duty is but little understood in the Theory, and yet lefs regarded in the Practice. The chief Branches of it I take to be these.

I. That we carefully avoid all Errors and Herefies, by acquainting ourselves with, and firmly believing and adhering to the Doctrine of the Gospel as it is left us by Chrift and his Apostles, and recorded in the holy Scriptures.

II. That in the Exercife of Church Government and Discipline we fubmit ourselves to fuch Rulers, Paftors and Teachers, as Chrift has appointed in his Church.

III. That we preserve Peace and Union with all Members of the Chriftian Church, unless finful Terms of Communion are required.

IV. That we exercise brotherly Love fo far as to allow Chriftian Liberty in Things indifferent to all other Churches, without condemning them for not complying exactly with our Model.

V. That there be a mutual Propenfity and Inclination to Peace, by facrificing our private OpiR 4 nions

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