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ciple, 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 losing 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 a 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 present posterity to be of the fame nation or climate.

III. I shall 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 one 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 fo industrious to put into your heads all that party-rage and virulence? 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 you in your worldly concerns, except to those who have traded in whif pering, backbiting, or informing, and wanted skill or honefty to thrive by fairer methods? It is

no

no bufinefs 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 your 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 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 restore brotherly love, let me earnestly exhort you to stand 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 Fanaticifm 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 Papift, and a traitor, because the Fanatics and their adherents will not allow him to be a mo derate 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 discipline of the church, but with a due Chriftian charity to all who diffent from it,

out

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 juft 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. Thefe are fome few lineaments in the character of a truly moderate man. Let us now compare it with the description of one who ufually paffeth under that title.

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A moderate man, in the new meaning of the word, is one to whom all religion is indifferent; who, although 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 ready to betray their tights and properties as himfelf. He thinks the power of the people can never be too great, nor that of the prince too little; and yet, this very notion he publifheth, as his beft argument to prove him a moft loyal fubject. Every opinion in government, that differeth in the leaft from his, tends directly to Popery, flavery, and rebellion. Whoever lieth under the frown of power, can, in his judgment, neither have common fenfe, common honefty, nor reliVOL. II.

gion.

gion. Laftly, his devotion confifteth in drinking gibbets, confusion, and damnation; in profanely idolizing the memory of one dead prince, and ungratefully trampling upon the ashes of another.

By these marks, you will easily distinguish a truly moderate man, from those who are commonly, but very falfely, fo called: and while perfons thus qualified, are so numerous, and fo noisy, so full of zeal and induftry to gain profelytes, and spread their opinions among the people, it cannot be wondered that there fhould be fo little brotherly love left among

us.

Lastly, It would probably contribute to restore fome degree of brotherly love, if we would but confider, that the matter of thofe difputes, which inflame us to this degree, doth not, in its own nature, at all concern the generality of mankind. Indeed, as to thofe who have been great gainers or lofers by the changes of the world, the cafe is different; and, to preach moderation to the first, and patience to the laft, would perhaps be to little purpose. But what is that to the bulk of the people, who are not properly concerned in the quarrel, although evil inftruments have drawn them into it? For, if the reafonable men on both fides were to confer opinions, they would find neither religion, loyalty, nor intereft, are at all affected in this dispute. Not religion, because the members of the church, on both fides, profess to agree in every article: not loyalty to our prince; which is pretended to by one party

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as much as the other, and therefore can be no fubject for debate: not intereft, for trade and industry lie open to all; and, what is further, concerneth those only who have expectations from the public. So that the body of the people, if they knew their own good, might yet live amicably together, and leave their betters to quarrel aamong themselves, who might also probably foon come to a better temper, if they were less feconded and supported by the poor deluded multitude.

I have now done with my text; which I confefs to have treated in a manner more fuited to the present times, than to the nature of the fubject in general. That I have not been more particular in explaining the feveral parts and properties of this great duty of brotherly love, the apostle to the Theffalonians will plead my excufe. Touching brotherly love, (faith he,) ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. So that nothing remains. to add, but our prayers to God, that he would please to restore and continue this great duty of brotherly love or charity among us, the very bond of peace, and of all virtues.

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