apart to return thanks to God for fome public bleffing, the time is employed in ftirring up one part of the congregation against the other, by representations of things and perfons, which God in his mercy forgive those who are guilty of.

THE laft caufe I fhall mention of the want of brotherly love, is that unhappy difpofition towards politics among the trading people, which hath been induftrioufly instilled into them. In former times, the middle and lower fort of mankind feldom gained or loft by the factions of the kingdom; and therefore were little concerned in them, further than as matter of talk and amufement: but now the meanest dealer will expect to turn the penny by the merits of his párty. He can reprefent his neighbour as a man of dangerous principles; can bring a railing accufation against him, perhaps a criminal one; and fo rob him of his livelihood, and find his own account by that much more than if he had difparaged his neighbour's goods, or defamed him as á cheat. For fo it happens, that inftead of inquiring into the fkill or honefty of thofe kind of people, the manner is now to inquire into their party, and to reject or encourage them accordingly; which proceeding hath made our people in general fuch able politicians, that all the artifice, flattery, diffimulation, diligence, and dexterity in undermining each other, which the fatirical wit of men hath charged upon courts; together with all the rage and violence, cruelty and injuftice, which have been ever imputed to public affemblies; are with us (fo polite are we grown) to be feen among our meaneft traders and artificers in.the greatest perfection. All which, as it may be matter of fome humiliation to the wife and mighty of this world, fo the effects thereof may perhaps in time prove very different from what, I hope in charity, were ever forefeen or intended.

II. I will therefore now, in the fecond place, lay open fome of the fad effects and confequences which our animofities and mutual hatred have produced.

AND the first ill confequence is, that our want of brotherly love hath almost driven out all fenfe of religion from among us; which cannot well be otherwife: for

fince our Saviour laid fo much weight upon his difciples loving one another, that he gave it among his last inftructions; and fince the primitive Chriftians are allowed to have chiefly propagated the faith, by their frict obfervance of that inftruction; it must follow, that, in proportion as brotherly love declineth, Chriftianity will do fo too. The little religion there is in the world, hath been obferved to refide chiefly among the middle and lower fort of people, who are neither tempted to pride and luxury by great riches, nor to defperate courfes by extreme poverty: and truly I upon that account have thought it a happiness, that those who are under my immediate care are generally of that condition. But where party hath once made entrance, with all its confequences, of hatred, envy, partiality, and virulence, religion cannot long keep its hold in any state or degree of life whatsoever. For if the great men of the world have been cenfured in all ages for mingling too little religion with their politics, what a havock of principles must they needs make in unlearned and irregular heads of which indeed the effects are already too, vifible and melancholy all over the kingdom.

ANOTHER ill confequence from our want of brotherly love is, that it increaseth the infolence of the Fanatics. And this partly arifeth from a mistaken meaning of the word moderation; a word which hath been much abused, and handed about for feveral years past. There are too many people indifferent enough to all religion; there are many others who diflike the clergy, and would have them live in poverty and dependence. Both these forts are much commended by the Fanatics for moderate men, ready to put an end to our divifions, and to make a general union among Proteftants. Many ignorant well-meaning people are deceived by thefe appearances, ftrengthened with great pretences to loyalty: and thefe occafions the Fanatics lay hold on to revile the doctrine and difcipline of the church, and even infult and opprefs the clergy, wherever their numbers or favourers will bear them out; infomuch that one wilful refractory Fanatic hath been able to disturb a whole parish for many years together. But the most mode→ rate and favoured divines dare not own, that the word moderation

moderation with refpect to the Diffenters can be at all applied to their religion, but is purely personal or prudential. No good man repineth at the liberty of confcience they enjoy; and perhaps a very moderate divine may think better of their loyalty than others do; or, to speak after the manner of men, may think it neceffary, that all Proteftants fhould be united against the common enemy; or out of discretion, or other reasons best known to himself, be tender of mentioning them at all. But still the errors of the Diffenters are all fixed and determined; and must, upon demand, be acknowledged by all the divines of our church, whether they be called, in party-phrafe, high or low, moderate or violent. And further, I believe it would be hard to find many moderate divines, who, if their opinion were afked, whether Diffenters should be trusted with power, could according to their confciences answer in the affirmative: from whence it is plain, that all the ftir which the Fanatics have made with this word moderation, was only meant to increase our divifions, and widen them fo far as to make room for themselves to get in between. And this is the only scheme they ever had (except that of deftroying root and branch) for the uniting of Proteftants, they fo much talk of.

I shall mention but one ill confequence more, which attends our want of brotherly love; that it hath put an end to all hofpitality and friendship, all good correfpondence and commerce between mankind. There are indeed fuch things as leagues and confederacies among thofe of the fame party; but furely God never intended, that men fhould be fo limited in the choice of their friends however, fo it is in town and country, in every parish and street; the pastor is divided from his flock, the father from his fon, and the houfe often divided against itself. Mens very natures are foured, and their paffions inflamed, when they meet in party-clubs, and fpend their time in nothing else but railing at the oppofite fide: thus every man alive among us is encompassed with a million of enemies of his own country, among which his oldest acquaintance, and friends, and kindred themselves are often of the number. Neither can people of different parties mix together without constraint, fufpicion,

fufpicion, and jealoufy; watching every word they fpeak, for fear of giving offence; or elfe falling into rudeness and reproaches, and fo leaving themselves open to the malice and corruption of informers, who were never more numerous or expert in their trade. And, as a further addition to this evil, thofe very few, who, by the goodnefs and generofity of their nature, do in their own hearts despise this narrow principle, of confining their friendship and esteem, their charity and good offices, to those of their own party, yet dare not discover their good inclinations, for fear of lofing their favour and intereft. And others, again, whom God had formed with mild and gentle difpofitions, think it neceffary to put a force upon their own tempers, by acting à noify, violent, malicious part, as a means to be distinguished. Thus hath party got the better of the very genius and conftitution of our people; fo that whoever reads the character of the English in former ages, will hardly believe their prefent pofterity to be of the fame nation or climate.

III. I fhall now, in the last place, make use of fome motives and exhortations, that may perfuade you to embrace brotherly love, and to continue in it. Let me apply myself to you of the lower fort, and defire you will confider, when any of you make use of fair and enticing words to draw in cuftomers, whether you do it for their fakes or your own. And then for whose fakes do you think it is, that your leaders are so induftrious to put into your heads all that party-rage and vi rulence? Is it not to make you the tools and inftruments, by which they work out their own defigns? Has this fpirit of faction been useful to any of your worldly concerns, except to thofe who have tra ded in whispering, backbiting, or informing, and want ed skill or honefty to thrive by fairer methods? It is no business of yours to inquire, who is at the head of armies, or of councils, unless you had power and skill to chufe, neither of which is ever like to be cafe: and therefore to fill your heads with fears and hatred of perfons and things of which it is impoffible you can ever make a right judgment, or to fet you at variance with your neighbour, because his thoughts are not the

your

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fame as yours, is not only in a very grofs manner to cheat you of your time and quiet, but likewife to endanger your fouls.

Secondly, In order to reftore brotherly love, let me earneftly exhort you to ftand firm in your religion, I mean the true religion hitherto eftablifhed among us; without varying in the least, either to Popery on the one fide, or to Fanaticism on the other: and in a particular manner beware of that word, moderation; and believe it, that your neighbour is not immediately a villain, a Papist, and a traitor, because the Fanatics and their adherents will not allow him to be a moderate man. Nay, it is very probable, that your teacher himself may be a loyal, pious and able divine, without the leaft grain of moderation, as the word is too frequently understood. Therefore, to fet you right in this matter, I will lay before you the character of a truly moderate man; and then I will give you the defcription of fuch an one who falfely pretendeth to that title.

A man truly moderate is fteady in the doctrine and difcipline of the church, but with a due Chriftian charity to all who diffent from it out of a principle of confcience; the freedom of which, he thinketh, ought to be fully allowed, as long as it is not abused; but never trufted with power. He is ready to defend with his life and fortune the Proteftant fucceffion, and the Proteftant established faith, against all invaders whatsoever. He is for giving the crown its juft prerogative, and the people their just liberties. He hateth no man for differing from him in political opinions; nor doth he think it a maxim infallible, That virtue fhould always attend upon favour, and vice upon difgrace. These are fome few lineaments in the character of a truly moderate man.

Let us now compare it with the defcription of one who usually paffeth under that title.

A moderate man, in the new meaning of the word, is one to whom all religion is indifferent; who, altho' he denominates himfelf of the church, regardeth it no more than a conventicle. He perpetually raileth at the body of the clergy, with exceptions only to a very few, who he hopeth, and probably upon falfe grounds, are as ready to betray their rights and pro

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