He that is largeft in his thoughts about. God's Approbation, hath the only true Title to a Catholick Spirit, and an extenfive Brotherly-kindness. But I confefs, I have other notions of Charity: And never fhall understand that that hath any thing to do with the Judgment in the search after Truth, and the Will of God and never, I hope, fhall tax any Man with the Want of Charity, for the fake of the Doctrines He Preaches,or the Principles He Argues upon. And pray confider, that to make out this Charge of yours against me, you must either fuppofe, that I was led to my Principles at firft by an uncharitable and narrow frame of Spirit; which I am fure You will not fay, because you have not the least ground for it or elfe, you must charge me with this defect, merely on the account of the Confequences of my Principles; which I could hardly think you capable of doing. For when I think I have full antecedent proof for the Truth of them, I am no more blameable for the Confequences of them, they never fo harfh, than if they were fuch as the best natur'd Man in the World could wish them to be.

be

And

I'm fure you your felf would think it hard to be reprefented to the World as a Person of little Charity, and no Catholick Temper, on account of any unpleaJant confequences, which might be fix'd upon a Doctrine which you judge to be founded on Scripture. But if you ftill perfift in charging me with the want of an Extensive Brotherly-kindness for the fake of the Confequences of my Principles; I defire to know, what thefe Confequences are. The utmost you can make of them is this, that Honeft Men may be mistaken in their Ordaining others,and in their being Ordained themselves, to the Ministry: And that God doth not approve of them in this their Behaviour. These are the only tonSequences which you can juftly fix upon Me: For, as for the invalidity and unpro fitableness of all their Miniftrations to the People, I have difclaimed it, and fuffici ently fhewn the Unreasonableness of it; and will go on to defend what I have faid upon it: And that (with your good leave) ftill upon Mr. Baxter's Principles. Now what is there fo mighty terrible in thefe that fhould affright any Man from embracing the Principles I have efpouf ed? Nay, what is there in the Confe

quences

quences of my Principles, comparable to the Confequences of that Principle, that the Benefit of Spiritual Administrations depends upon the Authority of Him that Adminifters? In the efpoufing of which Principle you agree with Mr. Dodwell. Were it a true way of judging, I fhould defire that the Truth of our Principles might be determined by the Confequences of them. But I know it is a very fallible and unjust method: And, as the ConSequences of my Principles had nothing to do in the recommending them to my Underftandig; fo I will be careful not to charge any one with Want of Charity for the fake of those things in which Cha rity can have no part. And I cannot but hope,that though I be not the first whom you have charged after this manner, and on this very account; yet I fhall be the laft, whofe Temper and Brotherly-kindness you will call in queftion, for the fake of his Principles. It is one part of Charity not to charge all the hard Confequences of a Doctrine upon the Perfon who teaches it; because He may difown them, tho" they appear to Us to follow from it. And, certainly, it is a part of Charity not to charge Him with Uncharitableness,for the

fake

fake of these Confequences: And fuch a part of Charity as You will not, I hope, any longer deny to One who hath not fo much as provoked You to this fort of Behaviour. When a Doctrine is void of all antecedent proof, or can pretend to but very little; then let it be embraced, or rejected, according to its Confequences. When two Doctrines feem to have equal antecedent proof; then let the Confequences of each be weigh'd, and they may reafonably help to determine the Contest between them. Thefe Ufes we may justly make of the Confequences of any Do trines. But as for judging of the Tem per, or Humility, or Charity of any PerJon, from them; had I been guilty of it, I would acknowledge, that I had been fadly defective in a Catholick Spirit, and an Extenfive Brotherly-kindness.

In one of the Paffages before-cited you do, indeed, tax me with the Want of Charity upon another account,the ground of which I muft now fet before the Readers Eyes, that He may judge himfelf of it. You fay, Re-ordination is fuch a difficulty in the way to Union, as can never be got over. You ftill go on to Ordain others, i. e. You go on to lay

(as

p. 6.

(as my Words are) what you account an in Real. of fuperable Difficulty, which would otherwise be Conf. P.1. wanting, in the way towards fuch an Union as You fay you defire. Then I add, Pardon us, if we cannot think that this Practice is agreeable to that defire of Peace and Concord you exprefs, which feems to Us as if you rather defired to prevent it, unless it could be brought about wholly in your own way. These are my Words, and upon these You tell me, that a little more Charity might do me no Diskindnefs. I return not yourComplement; but appeal to all who can read the Sentence, whether it be not a very natural Thought, that the laying an infuperable Difficulty in the way to Union feems rather agreeable to a defire of preventing it (unless it can be had upon. your own Terms) than of obtaining it; and also whether this Thought could be expreffed more inoffenfively, than I have expreffed it. And were it not fo Natural in it felf, and fo Inoffenfively expreffed; yet I would Appeal to your felf, and ask You, whether You will be content with the Name of Uncharitable, because you think you have Reason to Charge the Church-men (as You often do) with the want of any defire after Union, unless C

all