with partiality and human paffions; it will fe cretly bring malice, under the name of zeal, into your minds and words; in a word, it is a fecret but deadly enemy to Chriftian love and peace. Let them that are wifer, and more orthodox and godly than others, fhew it as the Holy Ghoft directeth them, James, chap. iii. ver. 13, 14, &c. Who is a wife man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him fhew out of a good converfation his works, with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying (or zeal) and firife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom defcendeth not from above, but is earthly, fenfual, and devilish: for where envying and ftrife is, there is confufion, and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreuted, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality (or wrangling) and without hypocrify. And the fruit of righteoufness is fown in peace of them that make peace.

Chriftian Directory.

ROBERT BARCLAY,

APOLOGIST FOR THE QUAKERS. DIED 1691.

CHR

HRIST abundantly hath fhewn by his example, whom we are chiefly to imitate in religious matters; that is, by perfuafion and the

power of God, not by whips, imprisonments, banishments, and murderings, that the gospel is to be propagated; and that thofe that are the propagators of it, are often to fuffer by the wicked, but never to cause the wicked to fuffer. When he fends forth the difciples, he tells them, he fends them forth as lambs among wolves, to be willing to be devoured, not to devour; he tells them of their being whipped, imprisoned, and killed for their confcience, but never that they fhall either whip, imprison, or kill-and, indeed, if Christians must be as lambs, it is not the nature of lambs to destroy or devour any.

It was contrary to the nature of Christ's gofpel and ministry to use any force and violence in the gathering of fouls to him. This he abundantly expreffed in his reproof to the two fons of Zebedee, who would have been calling for fire from heaven to burn thofe that refused to receive Chrift. It is not to be doubted but this was as great a crime as now to be in an error concerning the faith and doctrine of Chrift. That there was not power wanting to have punished those refusers of Chrift, cannot be doubted; for they that could do other miracles might have done this alfo. And, moreover, they wanted not the precedent of an holy man under the law, as did Elias-yet we fee what Chrift faith to themYe know not what spirit ye are of; for the Son of

man is not come to defroy men's lives, but to fave Here Chrift fhews that fuch kind of zeal

them.

was no ways approved by him; and fuch as think to make way for Chrift, or his gospel, by this means, do not understand what Spirit they are of. But if it was not lawful to call for fire from heaven to deftroy fuch as refufed to receive Chrift, it is far lefs lawful to kindle fire upon earth to defroy thofe that believe in Chrift, because they will not believe, nor can believe, as the magiftrates do, for confcience fake. And if it was not lawful for the apoftles, who had fo large a measure of the fpirit, and were fo little liable to mistake, to force others to their judgment-it can be far lefs lawful now for men that, as experience declareth, and many of themfelves confefs, are fallible, and often mistaken, to kill and deftroy all fuch as cannot, because otherwife perfuaded in their minds, judge, and believe in matters of confcience, just as they do. And if it was not according to the wisdom of Christ, who was, and is, King of Kings, by outward force to conftrain others to believe in him or receive him, as being a thing inconfiftent with the nature of his miniftry and fpiritual government, do not they grofsly offend him that will needs be wifer than he, and think to force men, against their perfuafion, to conform to their doctrine and worship? The word of the Lord faid,

not by power and by might, but by the Spirit of the Lord; but thefe say, not by the spirit of the Lord, but by might and carnal power.

Apology for the Quakers.

WILLIAM BATES, D. D.

DIED.-1699.

WE are commanded, above all things, to have

fervent charity among ourselves. This principally refpects Chriftians, who are united by fo many facred and amiable bands, as being formed of the fame eternal feed, children of the fame heavenly Father, and joint heirs of the fame glorious inheritance. Chriftian charity hath a more noble principle than the affections of nature; for it proceeds from the love of God, fhed abroad in believers, to make them one heart and one foul, and from a more divine pattern, the example of Chrift, who hath by his fufferings reftored us to the favour of God, that we should love another even as he hath loved us. This duty is most strictly enjoined, for without love, angelical eloquence is but an empty noise (1 Cor. 13.) and all other virtues have but a falfe luftre : prophefy, faith, knowledge, miracles, the higheft outward acts of charity or self-denial, the giving our estates to the poor, or bodies to mar

tyrdom, are neither pleafing to God, nor profitable to him that does them.

God difcovers his nature, that we may imitate him, and his works, that we may glorify him. All the precepts of the gospel are to embrace Christ by a lively faith, to feek for righteousnefs and holiness in him; to live godly, righteously, and foberly, in the prefent world. When our Saviour was on earth, the end of his fermons, as appears in the gofpels, was to regulate the lives of men; to correct their vicious paffions, rather than to explicate the greatest myfteries. Other religions oblige their disciples, either to some external actions that have no moral worth in them, so that it is impoffible for any one that is guided by reafon to be taken with such vanities, or they require things incommodious and burthenfome. The priests of Baal cut themfelves; and among the Chinese, though in great reputation for wifdom, their penitents expose themselves, half-naked, to the injuries of the sharpest weather, with a double cruelty and pleasure of the devil, who makes them freeze here, and expects they should burn for ever hereafter. It is not the most strict obfervance of ferious trifles, nor fubmitting to rigorous aufterities, that ennobles human nature, and commends us to God. The moft zealous performers of things indifferent, and that chaftise themselves with a bloody difcipline, labour for nothing, and may pass to hell through purga