proceed from little but Narrowness of Mind, a mifguided Zeal, and a Miftake wholly in the Nature and Genius of Chrifianity. Infomuch that I cannot but at times exceedingly, wonder, that at this time of Day, and after all that hath been writ on thefe Subjects, and amongst Perfons alfo of fo much Understanding in other Matters, fuch unhappy Contests, and moft untoward Divifions, fhould be ftill found to prevail amongft us; when they are fo Contrary, as I but now hinted, to the very Strain of the Gofpel, and to all the foundest Reafon or Faculties of a Man; when of all Things that I know, they give the greatest Advantage to the Common Enemy; when they are fo Different and Multifarious, and yet all pretend (though fo impoffible a Claim) to be no other than the Truth of God it felf; when they are fo far from the Life and Subftance of Religion agreed unto by all; when Our Establish'd Church is fo remote from the Errors and Idolatries of Popery; nor less really Excellent in its own Frame and Conftitution; and when it ought indeed to be so great a thing that fhould caufe a Religious Separation, as appears from Matth. 23. 2, 3. when laftly the Injunctions in Scripture are fo earneft, and repeated, as for the Peace and Unity, fo against the Divifions of the Church of God, even where matters did not proceed fo far as to any Actual Separation; in which Cafe we may easily imagine,, how much the Zeal of the Apostle would have been been redoubled; as we find actually it was, Gal. 2. 11, &c. But this is no place for Arguing or Difpute; nor do I any ways intend it: If that would do the work, it hath been done fufficiently: But fomething much Better (viz. the Holy Spirit of God; or the Fruits of it, true Chriftian Judgment and Temper) muft put an end to the Breaches of the Church. I wonder not fo much at the Common People (for thefe, all the World knows, are very easily mif-led) but at thofe chiefly that are of greater Knowledge: And I should do it much more; but that I confider, how much the Errors, Paffions, Interefts, Peculiarities, and Prejudices of Men are Various and unaccountable here in this Life. But having reprefented thus the Sense of the Doctor on One hand, I must also be fo Just as to do it on the Other. He was not for either Rancour or Perfecution. He thought, that all Perfons making Confcience of their ways, and that were themselves Peaceable, and for granting of a Liberty unto Others, ought not to be feverely us'd or profecuted; but born with as befits. Weak Members, till God fhall give a greater Light. The fierce and rigid, the factious, formal, or the hypocritical, he greatly diflik'd on all Sides; as lying (in their manners and degrees, wherever to be found) in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity. This, it is well known, was his avow'd Principle, and I need not to speak farther Advertisement farther of it; but fhall only fubjoin his own Conclufion upon thefe Matters in the Place that hath been already more than before Cited. Once Cited; fuch as, confidering the Season when it was first written, may fhew his juft Temper as to thefe Points in all Times and Poftures whatsoever. Pref.toTetra, &c. "And verily this Fanatical Diftemper "is fo Heinous and Abominable, that they "that are on the right Side, ought to take "heed how in the leaft Shew they imitate "it: For a Man may be Factiously affected "in a Right Caufe; and bear an over"proportionated Zeal for things of Small"er Concern, out of an over-heighten'd A"nimofity against the prefent Sects, to the "Hazarding the quiet Settlement of the "Whole. And if any one be so affected, "I appeal to the Sober, if he may not "juftly be reputed to play the Sectarian, "though it be against the Sectaries. No "fuch Cure for our Breaches and Wounds, "as the most profound Humility in all "Parties, and unfeign'd Mutual Love and Charity. Of which Virtues of Graces "whofoever is found deftitute, let him "call himself (of whatever Denomination) "Chriftian, as loud as he please, he hath "really in him not one Spark of Saving "Chriftianity. In fhort, He was always of the Church of England, never Communicating (as he exprefly tells us) with any Other Church befides. And I know not whether I should add here a little Paflage by the by; viz. That That the Doctor Obferving Our Churches, at the Hours of Prayer, to be almost empty, and to have only perhaps in them a few Old Women, and fometimes more Dogs than Chriftians, he faid with a fenfible Emotion, That he believ'd GOD would not bear long with it. Which may deferve to be confidered, and that with fome Serioufnefs, by too great a Number of its profefs'd Members; and even many fuch as pretend perhaps to a more than Ördinary Zeal and Concern for it. But to proceed. 5th. Preface to REFORMED Christendom he look'd His Senfe of upon in the grofs as the Kingdom of God, in the ReformaOppofition to the Papacy, or that of An- tion; and of the Church of tichrist. He had a high Senfe therefore, Rome. as was before hinted, of their Agreement amongst themselves in Worship, if poffible, Dial. 4th and as well as Doctrine ; and in an External Frame fo far as may be Neceffary, as well Expof.on Dan. as in their Outward Profeffions of Faith; of &c. their exhibiting unto all the fame unexceptionable Pattern as he fpeaks) of Antiquity. And if this cannot yet be, that they would at least join in a Sincere mutual Love and Amity; and in a moft Cordial Concern for one another; and by this moft Chriftian Band, as alfo by the greatest Prudence that may be, hold clofe together against the Artifices and the Strength of the Common Adverfary; Whofe Polity I look upon as the affur'd grand Seat of Corruption and Apofafy in the Church of God. The The Truth is, there was no Perfon whatever, that had a truer Senfe of the deep Errors and Idolatries of Romanism, than he himself had; a greater Zeal and Abhorrence against the fix'd Frauds and Cruelties of it; the most Barbarous Corruptions, and wretched Sanguinary Perfecutions of that Apoftatiz'd Church; or that in livelier Colours hath Pictur'd and reprefented thefe to the World; and yet without all Bitternefs, Perfonal Malevolence, or Superftition of Temper whatfoever: No Man wifhing better to the Church in general, or even Romanists in particular, and especially unto private and well-meaning Members, than he did Profeffing folemnly to take as little Pleasure in finding thefe Antichriftian ·Characters amongst 'em, as in the Discovery of So many Plague-Tokens upon the Bodies of his dearest Friends and Relations. But as to their Church at large, or Establish'd Conftitution, he look'd upon it no otherwife than as the Grand Mystery of Iniquity, or Secret working of Satan, and yet at the fame time in a way of palpable OppoSee Myft. of I-fition to the Great Mystery of Godliness: And the true Idea he hath in fome Senfe, but too fully and of Antichri- exprefly made it out, in a learned and moft ftianifm. elaborate Treatife writ for that Purpose. See Preface to Myft. of Iniq. niquity; or Thefe things alfo, with the moft Learned Mr. MEDE, and many Others, he conceiv'd, in the deepest and most Tragical Figures, to lie delineated in the Fifions and Prophefies of Scripture; and particularly in thofe of Daniel and the Apocalypfe: While the |