perience, that both the finding out, and receiving Divine Truths found out by Others, is a Special Gift of God. Ch.10. Sect. 9. I cannot close the whole of this better than with that Obfervation of his, of a long time (as he tells us) made; That there is a kind of Sanctity of Soul and Body, that Dial. 1. is of more Efficacy for the receiving and retaining of Divine Truths, than the greatest Pretences to Difcurfive Demonftration. Those that please may fee this Divine Sagacity of his more at large represented in the Place Cited. Numb. 4. THERE are now fome more things behind, that I muft alfo fpeak to, before I His Senfe of can complete the Defcription of the Doctor, both Church the Publick; or arrive at his laft Exit. As, amongst and State. other things, it will be but Neceflary to give fome due Account, how he stood affected to the Affairs of the Publick; what he thought of the State of the World in general, that of Christendom more especially, (reform'd and unreform'd) with our own moft Excellent Church Eftablish'd in particular here amongst our felves; our Settle ment indeed both in Church and State. AND firft for what concerns Our own His Senfe of Church, to begin with that chiefly; He was Our Own a fincere Honourer and Approver of it: And Church;and of look'd upon its Plan and Reformation to Divifions a be the most Orderly, the most Perfect, and mong us. the most according to the Primitive Pattern (before the Grand Apoftafy came in) of any M 3 in the World. He had a very High Veneration for the Zeal and Judgment, the Wifdom and the Piety of Our First Reformers; and hath writ as Excellent a Vindication of them and of Our Church, which he annex'd to the End of Synopfis Prophetica, or Second Part of his Mystery of Iniquity; Shewing (as before, the grofs intolerable Errors and Corruptions of Popery, fo here) the Excellency and the Purity of Our own Church and Conftitution: Which he makes to be as free from Antichriftianifm (and that furely very juftly) as the other is notoriously guilty of it. And here omitting many others, I cannot but now tranfcribe a few things from him, as I have likewife upon occafion all along done, to fhew his Senfe and Way as to these Matters: And this chiefly out of that Advertisement of his on Mr. Jof. Glanvill's Letter to himself, printed with the Last Edition of Sadducifmus Triumphatus; and reprinted afterwards in his Preface to Paralipomena Prophetica. He expreffeth firft a very great Zeal for the Acknowledgment of what he calls the Symmetral Times of the Antient Church; that is to fay, the Times of the First 400 Years more generally fpeaking, before the great Apoftafy appear'd (" Within which Advertisement time the Divinity of Christ, and Trinity of pag. 554. "the Godhead, was profefs'd as Publick Ar"ticles of the Church; and the Distinction of "Bishops and Presbyters own'd. Whence it is "Demenftrable, how Innocent the One is, and "how "how Orthodox the Other.) He is also highly Earnest, as for the Unity of our own, so of all the Reform'd Churches in general; and exceedingly against the mischievous, and (without a better Judgment and more Chriftian Temper) eternal Cavils and Schifms in them. And then he goes on thus; "The Enemies whereof, what do they "defire, what do they endeavour more, "than to divide and Sub-divide us? to "hurry us into Opinions and Practices as un"like the Antient and Apoftolick Church as "may be? to make us appear as Whim"fical and Ungovernable as they can; "thereby to expofe us to Contempt and "loathing; and to harden the Hearts of the "Princes and Prelates of Christendom àgainst "a juft Reformation; and thofe that have "Reform'd, to make them half fick and "weary of the Reformation, by reason of "the Unfettlednefs and Distraction of the "People? Doth the Spirit of Christ then "lead to the Deftroying and Laying wast "his own Church and Kingdom? Certainly "that Spirit that hinders the Growth, and "hazards the Being of the Kingdom of "Chrift, muft be, not the Spirit of God, "but the Spirit of Giddinefs, of Error and Delufion. દ He speaks with fome Sharpnefs indeed of forfaking the Guide of the Antient Church, before (as I have faid) its great Degeneracy (according to either Reafon, Hiftory, or Prophecy) and of running into dark Holes of Schifmatical Conventicles; and M 4 fo Pref. to Expof. fo of this Odious Spectacle of Multifarious Schifms under the Pretence of a more Pure and Spiritual Difpenfation. Whereas, "Thanks be to God (faith he elsewhere) Things "are in fo good a Frame for Example in "our English Church, that nothing hin"ders but that a Man may be a most Per"fect and Accomplish'd Chriftian holding "Communion with her. And afterwards thus ; "Whence thofe "People that fo flight and vilifie the Re"formation, which God's Providence hath "brought to pafs amongst us, their In"gratitude is monftrous and horrid; and I A pray God, it may be never laid to "their Charge. They will be Reforming "the Reform'd Churches in things indifferent; "why do they not reform themselves from "their own Vices and Corruptions which "are not indifferent; &c. The whole is very worthy our Obfervation; but I omit the reft to avoid Tedioufnefs. I cannot but add a Part of another Paragraph out of that Advertisement of his above mention'd; because of both the Weight and Elegancy of it. The Other Scene of things, as I no"ted above, hardens the Hearts of the "Princes and Prelates of Christendom: Who cannot but think it a Sorry Exchange to "accept of Presbytery, which would prove "but a Democratical Papacy, for the Order "of Epifcopacy; or a Difmal Spectacle to "fee the Body of Christ mouldred into an * Infinity of Sects and Schifme, as a dead “Çar. "Carcafe diffolv'd into a Multitude of "Crawling Worms; and the Decent Gran"deur and Splendour of the Church to "dwindle into difpers'd Companies of "Obfcure Conventicles; and the just and ho"nourable Revenues of it to fhrink into the "Poor Arbitrarious Pittances of either "the Appointment of the State, or uncer"tain Benevolence of the Fickle People. This was the Doctor's Mind on this fide and that grounded upon a Mature Judgment, and Experience of things. It appears, that he had in general a very great Senfe of Peaceableness and Submiffion unto all Governours; and lamented much the Divifions (as every Wife Man must also neceffarily do) that are made fo easily as we fee, upon I know not what Petty Forms, and little Endlefs Models and Superstitions of our Own. It deferves here to be particularly obferv'd, that tho' the Apoftle in Scripture is very much for Forbearance, and the Exercife of Charity towards fome Weak Perfons that are there mention'd, in Matters relating only to the Jewish Law, (and they feem therefore to have been the more Excufable in them) yet 'tis very Evident, that he placeth it on the Score of their mere Weakness; and that otherwise there was not the leaft Reafon for any fuch Fearfulness or Difpute. Which (to fpeak freely) I confefs, I take to be very much the Cafe as to Our own Differences here amongst Our felves: And that they plainly pro |