love, feemeth to be, that this duty is not so often infifted on from the pulpit, as it ought to be, in fuch times as thefe: on the contrary, it is to be doubted, whether doctrines are not sometimes delivered by an ungoverned zeal, a defire to be diflinguished, or a view of interest, which produce quite different effects; when, upon occafions fet apart to return thanks to God for fome public bleffing, the, time is employed in stirring up one part of the congregation against the other, by reprefentations 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 industriously inftilled 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 amusement: but now, the meaneft dealer will expect to turn the penny by the merits of his party. He can represent his neighbour as a man of dangerous principle; 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 disparaged his neighbour's goods, or defamed him as a cheat. For fo it happens, that inftead of inquiring into the skill or honefly of those kinds of people, the manner is now to inquire into their party, and to reject or encourage them accordingly; which proceeding,

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 some 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 foreseen 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 firft ill confequence is, that our want of brotherly love hath almoft driven out all fenfe of religion from among us; which cannot well be otherwise: for fince our Saviour laid fo much weight upon his difciples loving one another, that he gave it among his laft inftructions; and fince the primitive Chriftians are allowed to have chiefly propagated the faith, by the ftrict obfervance of that inftruction; it muft 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,

people, who are neither tempted to pride and luxury by great riches, nor to desperate courses 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 muft they needs make in unlearned and irregular heads? of which, indeed, the effects are already too visible 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 ariseth from a miftaken meaning of the word moderation; a word which hath been much abufed, and handed about for feveral years past. There are too many people indifferent enough to all religion; there are many others who dislike the clergy, and would have them live in poverty and depen-` 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 wellmeaning people are deceived by thefe appearances, ftrengthened with great pretences to loyalty; and thefe occafions, the Fanatics lay hold on, to re

dence.

vile the doctrine and difcipline of the church, and even infult and opprefs the clergy, whereever 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 moderate and favoured divines dare not own, that the word 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 fpeak after the manner of men, may think it neceffary, that all Proteftants fhould be united against the common enemy; or, out of difcretion, or other reasons beft known to himself, be tender of mentioning them at all. But ftill the errors of the diffenters are all fixed and determined; and muft, 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 asked, whether diffenters fhould be trufted with power, could, according to their confciences, anfwer 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

déftroying root and branch) for the uniting of Proteftants, they fo much talk of.

I fhall mention but one ill confequence more, which attends our want of brotherly love; that it hath put an end to all hospitality 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 paftor is divided from his flock, the father from his fon, and the house often divided against itself. Mens very natures are foured, and their paffions inflamed, when they meet in partyclubs, and spend their time in nothing else bat railing at the oppofite fide: thus every man alive among us is encompaffed with a million of enemies of his own country, among which his oldest acquaintance, and friends, and kindred themfelves, are often of the number. Neither can people of different parties mix together, without constraint, fufpicion, and jealousy; watching every word they speak, for fear of giving offence, or elfe falling into rudeness and reproaches: and so 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 goodness and generofity of their nature, do in their own hearts defpife this narrow prin