TESTIMONIES IN BEHALF OF CANDOUR & UNANIMITY, BY DIVINES AMONG THE PROTESTANT DISSENTERS. PHILIP DODDRIDGE, D. D. IF there be, therefore, any confolation in Chrift, if *The places mentioned after the minifters names are the towns where they exercised their ministry; and when no names of places are specified, the minifters were settled in London, or in its vicinity. It became neceffary to use this mode of characterifing the Divines of the Kirk of Scotland, and among the Diffenters, because they have not, like thofe of the Church of England, any ecclefiaftical dignities by which they are distinguished. It gave me particular pleasure, when looking into the works of the amiable and learned Doddridge, to find that he had published a fermon, in which he illuftrates and urges the virtues of Chriftian candour and unanimity, which it is the object of this little work to recommend. The above teftimony fo fully expreffes my own fentiments on the tainly is, a test of true eloquence, that it is fuited to strike powerfully upon the minds of all, however different in genius, education, or rank, I cannot but conclude that every one here prefent must already acknowledge thefe words to be a remarkable fpecimen of it, even before we proceed particularly to illuftrate them; and having felt fomething of their pleasing energy, while we have been reading them, is ready to confefs, that the fentiment they contain is finely conceived, and pathetically expreffed. But ill fhall we answer the great design of the Apoftle, if we reft in the mere acknowledgment of this. His views were much more worthy of him whofe minifter he was: he laboured to diffufe, through the breafts of his fellow Chriftians, that hirit of love which was in his own, as a conftant fpring of living water. And what more convincing proof can be given of the deplorable diforder of men's minds, than that fuch addreffes, proceeding from fuch a man, yea, I will add, the yet more forcible address of his divine Master and ours, fhould have produced fo little effect; that such discord and animofity subject, that I have made it introductory to the remaining contents of the volume. Of this fermon, Dr. Kippis, in his Life of Doddridge, has justly observed, "This is an admirable discourse, and exhibits a fine transcript of the author's own mind, which was fully attuned to the virtue he recommended." Dr. Doddridge died, 1751, at Lisbon, whither he went for the recovery of his health. fhould fo early, fo long, I had almost said so univerfally prevail in the Chriftian church, amidst all the incentives, amidst all the intreaties, amidst all the tender adjurations, as well as the godlike examples, which the facred oracles exhibit to charm us into the mot endeared affection. But, alas! thefe incentives and intreaties, thefe adjurations and examples, are overlooked, as not having luftre enough to detain our attention. For we too generally seem to study our bibles (if we study them at all) for amufement or oftentation, rather than practical inftruction. We fix on fome curious incident or high fpeculation, and are first ingenious to explain it where it cannot be explained, and then impaffioned to defend it, as if it were fundamental truth, till we beat out the facred gold fo thin, that every breath of air carrics it away whilft the plain things, that tend to inspire an heavenly temper, and lead us on to the most exalted goodness, are flightly paffed over, as too obvious and vulgar to engage our attention, or excite our emulation. Thus we feed our pride by what was intended to humble it, and make that the prize of mutual contention, which was defigned to be the bond of love. What wife man has not observed this? What good man has not lamented it? Yet, alas! who fo wife as in all instances to have avoided it? Who fo good as to have exerted himself to the utmost to cure it? Where we, and our brethren, agree in attending to the one thing which 'Christianity was defigned to teach us, furely an agreement in that fhould unite our minds more than any difference, consistent with that agreement, should divide them. To reverence with filial duty and love the God of heaven, and to adore him with integrity of heart; to honour Jefus, his fon, as his brightest image, fubfcribing to the truth of all he is known to have revealed, and the authority of all he is apprehended to command; confcientiously to abftain from every known evil; and to practice, as far as human infirmity will permit, the comprehenfive precepts of living foberly, righteously, and godly, ftill looking for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal life; affuredly expecting a future judgment, and an eternal world; carefully endeavouring to prepare for both, by fetting the affections on those great objects which the gofpel opens to our view; and finally, being habitually ready to facrifice life, and all its enjoyments, to that blessed hopeThis, this, my brethren, is the effential character of every Christian; and where we fee this, fhould we efteem it a difficult thing to live peaceably with him in whom we difcern it? Should we arrogate it to ourselves as any high praife, that we do not cenfure, that we do not grieve, that we do not injure him, because he follows not us? Is this the man to be hated or fufpected? I will add, can we refuse to esteem and embrace him, merely because he worships in another affembly, or according to a different form; because he expreffes his apprehenfions about fome of these doctrines in different words; because he cannot fee all that we think we difcern in fome paffages of fcripture; or because he imagines he fees fomething which we difcern not? Is it, after all, fo great a matter to love a character, which, amidst all its imperfections, is, in the general, fo juftly amiable? Nay, instead of thinking much of any acts of kindness which it is in our power to perform for fuch a fellow difciple, ought we not rather to lament that we can do no more for his fervice? Ought we not to endeavour rather to fupply, in our fervent prayers to God, the lack of that further fervice which Chriftian benevolence dictates, but which the narrow limits of our condition and our nature will not allow us to perform ? Love not only guards the mind from the furious and diabolical paffions of rage, envy, malice, and revenge, which tear it like a whirlwind, which corrode it like a cancer, which confume it like rottennefs in the bones, but fills it with a thousand gentle and pleafing sensations. Love diftils a fragrant balm into the foul, that, while it heals the wounds which contrary paffions have made, diffufes a moft grateful and reviving perfume, moft juftly compared to the ointment poured |