our bleffed Saviour, in a peaceable Condefcention, conforms himself to the Practice of the Church in which he lived and because the Romans Manner of Difcumbency or Sitting was then the received Custom among them, he likewife fits with his Difciples. And therefore let me only by the Way note to you,. that this Sitting of our Saviour at his Supper, is most imprudently and unwarily urged against our Kneeling. For their Argunient may forcibly be retorted against them, that because Chrift fate at his Supper, therefore we ought to kneel. For fince there was fo much to be faid for ftanding at the Paffover, out of the express Word of God, and the Primitive Institution, and yet our Saviour, out of Compliance to the Ufage of the Church, chose rather to fit; how much more ought we, who have nothing left to determine the Gesture, conform our felves to the Ufage of the Church in which we live, and whofe Members we are For this is to conform our felves, not indeed to the Gesture, for fo neither do, our Opposers themselves, but to the Intent and Defign of Chrift, which was Peace and Unity.

A

And thus you fee how Chrift was sent into the World to be a Minister of Peace;

to preach it in his Doctrine, and to commend it to us by his Practice and Example. The Gofpel is the Gofpel of Peace, the Precepts of it are all meek and peaceable, the Minifters of it are Ambaffadors of Peace, and the Fruits of it, where it hath its due Effect, are Joy and Peace.

But here it may be objected, How is it then that our Saviour himself tells us, Matth. 10. 34, 35. Think not that I came to Send Peace on the Earth: I came not to fend Peace, but a Sword. For I am come to fet a Man at Variance against his Father, and the Daughter against the Mother, and the Daughter-in-Law against her Mother-in-Law And one would think this is far enough from. turning the Heart of the Fathers to the Children, and the Heart of the Children to the Fathers. And do we not find it by obvious Experience, that Religion bath fowed more Strifes and Diffentions, and occafioned more Tumults and Uproars in the World, than ever Tyranny or Ambition did?

To this I anfwer, We must distinguish between the direct End of Chrift's coming into the World, and the accidental Iffue and Event of it. The End of Christ's coming, was to pacify the World, and to teach it a Religion that is pure and

peaceable.

peaceable. But accidently the Event hath proved quite contrary: For Religion being avowedly the dearest and most precious of all our Enjoyments, Men are apt to preserve it by undue and violent Courfes. And because we can never think it fecure enough, unless others embrace it too, we are generally very ready to impose our own Sentiments upon them, and to judge that we do them no Wrong whilft by any Means we constrain them to what, in our own Opinion, is most excellent, and the only Truth, which all ought to profefs: And therefore those who were zealous for their Heathenish Superstition and Idolatry, embroil'd the whole World in Perfecutions and Blood to suppress the growing Doctrine of Chritianity. And among those who profess Christianity it felf, what Heats and Animofities, endless Controverfies, and perpetual Contentions are there agitated, each Sect and Party blowing up the Coals, 'till they have put both Church and State into a Combuftion, and Differences about fmall and trival Matters have too often broken forth into all the Extremities of Rage, War, and Bloodfhed. But yet this is not to be imputed to the Religion of Chrift, but to the Pride and Ignorance of Men: Their Ignorance, in that they know Fe 2

not

not the Truth; or their Pride, in that they will not fubmit unto it. The Gospel is free from all that Blood that hath been rafhly and unwarrantably shed in Quarrels about it. It teacheth us the Way of Peace perfectly; and would all Men be perfwaded to fubmit their Paffions and their Interests to the Precepts of it, we might foon beat our Swords into Plough fhares, and our Spears into Pruning-Hooks; for the whole Spirit of the Gofpel breaths nothing elfe but Love and Obedience, Condefcenfion and Yielding: Love to one another; Obedience to our Superiours; Condefcention and Yielding either to the Malice of our Enemies, or the Weakness of our Brethren.

But, alas! Pride and Paffion, and SelfIntereft, and a stiff Adherence to former Apprehenfions, have nowadays eaten out the Meekness and Patience of a Christian Spirit. Each values himself by the Boldnefs of his Oppofition. He that can find moft Faults, and moft bitterly inveigh against them, is the beft Man; and whofoever hath but Wit enough to make a quick and confident Reply, begins now to think of fetting up for himself to head a Party,and control all Orders both Civil and Sacred. And I wish they may never again attempt to write themselves

Saints in the Rubrick of their Brethrens
Blood. By Dad!

be fo

And yet, I pray, confider what are all our Diffention's about? Did we differ in any Fundamental Points either of Faith or Practice We were then indeed to contend earnestly for them, and to refift unto Blood; yet not the Blood of others, but our own. But when mere Modes and Circumstances, Things altogether in themselves extraneous to Religion, and by all Parties acknowledged not to be neyet ceffary nor effential to it, fhall eagerly contested, as if the whole Weight of Religion, aud the Eternal Salvation or Damnation of Mens Souls turned upon those Hinges, to the Violation of Charity, Peace and Order; what can we think, but that God may be justly provoked to try whether we will be as zealous about the neceffary and vital Principles of Religion, as we are hot and fiery, about fmall Indifferences and unconcerning Circumstances. For my Part, I shall always think that the Power and Savour of the Gofpel hath taken moft Hold on those who are willing, for the Prefervation of fuch an ineftimable Bleffing as Peace, to comply with any Thing, and to do any Thing but Sin. So long as the Doctrine of Faith which we preach, the Duties

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