restore the kingdom unto Israel?' (Acts i. 6) But to be wise unto sobriety, (Rom. xii. 3) and to content ourselves with things revealed, and leave secret things unto God; (Deut. xxix. 29) "in quem sic credimus," saith St. Austin, "ut aliqua non aperiri etiam pulsantibus nullo modo adversus eum murmurare debeamus." And therefore that good Father gave no other answer to a curious question, than this modest one, Nescio quod nescio;' as judging an humble ignorance much better than a proud curiosity.

2. A moderation of humility and modesty; not to be so opinionative or tenacious of our own private, merely disputable and problematical, conceptions, wholly unnecessary to faith, worship, or obedience,—as, out of a love of them, not only to undervalue and despise the probable and sober judgements of other men, but by an imprudent and unadvised publishing of them, to obtrude them with over-confidence on the belief of others, and haply thereby to cause a great disturbance in the church of God; directly contrary to the counsel of the apostle, "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God." (Rom. xiv. 22) It is not fit that the peace of the church should be endangered by the bold attempts of every daring pen. Of this sort was that unhappy controversy in the days of Pope Victor, between the Roman and Asiatick churches, touching the time of Easter; who though former bishops of Rome had, notwithstanding the different observations in that case, held intimate fellowship with the Asian bishops, did, out of excess of passion, auerga Jegμarteis, as Socrates expresseth it, excommunicate all the Asian churches, and made a doleful disturbance in the church of Christ upon which occasion, the forenamed historian hath a grave discourse, to show how several churches did differ from one another in matters ritual; and yet retained firm unity and communion still.

3. Moderation of charity, when in such things, wherein a latitude and mutual tenderness may be allowed, we choose rather, according to the doctrine of the apostle, not to offend our weak brethren, than unseasonably to insist upon our own knowledge and liberty. And truly as it is an honour which learned men owe unto one another, to allow a liberty of dissent in matters of mere opinion, "Salvà compage fidei, salvo vinculo caritatis, salvâ pace Ecclesiæ;" (for those three,

b

'faith, love, and peace,' are still to be preserved) so it is a charity which good men owe unto one another, upon the same salvo's, to bear with the infirmities of each other; not to judge, or despise, or set at nought our brethren, as useless and inconsiderable persons; but whom God is pleased to receive into his favour, not to cast them out of ours. This latitude and moderation of judgement, some learned men. have taken the freedom to extend even to the case of subscriptions by law required. The learned author of the book called 'An Answer to Charity maintained,' and the late learned primate of Armagh, archbishop Bramhall. I shall not take upon me to affix any private sense of mine upon publick laws, or ever judge it desirable, that the doctrine of the church of England should have too slack a tie on the judgement of the clergy; only sure I am, in points which are not fidei' but quaestionum' (as St. Austin distinguisheth) in matters of an inferior nature, wherein no man can rationally hold himself bound to trouble or discompose the minds of the people, or the order and peace of the church, by an unnecessary publishing of his own private persuasion, so that his opinion and the church's quiet may be very well consistent together; learned men have ever allowed this latitude unto one another.

2. Moderation of power, by gentle and winning ways, to reform the manners, allay the distempers, and conquer the frowardness of inconsistent and discontented minds; by placid and leisurely steps and degrees, to get the possession of them, and to model and compose them unto an equal temper. This was the counsel of the old men : Speak good

66

"For the Church of England, I am persuaded that the constant doctrine of it is so pure and orthodox, that whosoever believes it, and lives according to it, undoubtedly he shall be saved; and that there is no error in it which may necessitate or warrant any man to disturb the peace, or renounce the communion of it. This, in my opinion, is all, intended by subscription; and thus much if you conceive me not ready to subscribe, your charity, I assure you, is much mistaken :" In the preface, sect. 40.

"We do not suffer any man to reject the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England at his pleasure; yet neither do we look upon them as essentials of saving faith, or legacies of Christ and his apostles; but in a mean, as pious opinions, fitted for the preservation of unity. Neither do we oblige any man to believe them, but only not to contradict them." In the Treatise called, Schism guarded and beaten back upon the right owners,' &c. sect. 1. cap. 11. p. 190. See also his Just Vindication of the Church of England,' c. 6. p. 156.

unto them, and they will be thy servants for ever." (1 Kings xii. 7) As moderation is by grave and prudent men observed to be the preservative of power; so Cato in Plutarch, and Julius Cæsar in that excellent oration which he made unto the senate in Dion: so certainly it is a special means for the right administration of it. Therefore the Lord chose Moses, the meekest man alive,' for the government of his peculiar people. (Num. xii. 3) And of Christ the Prince of Peace it is said, that he would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax;" (Matth. xii. 22) as he saith of himself, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly." (Matth. xi. 29) And the apostle beseecheth the Corinthians by the 'meekness and gentleness of Christ.' (2 Cor. x. 1) So the same apostle expresseth his tenderness towards the church, by the affections, sometimes, of a father; (1 Cor. iv. 15) sometimes, of a mother; (Gal. iv. 19) sometimes, of a nurse. (1 Thess. ii. 7) He calleth upon Timothy, " in meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves, because the servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men;" (2 Tim. ii. 24, 25) and upon Titus, "to show all meekness to all men.” (Tit. iii. 2) Rulers are called healers.' (Isa. iii. 7) And "a physician," saith Plutarch, "will, if it may be, cure the disease of his patient rather by sleep and diet, than by strong purges."-Grave writers have observed, that, even in the avenging of conquered enemies, moderation is advantageous. to the conqueror. "He," saith Thucydides, "who is kind to an enemy, provideth for his own safety:" and surely it cannot but be useful for healing distempers, amongst a long dilacerated and discomposed people, "ut quod belli calamitas introduxit, hoc pacis lenitas sopiret," to use the words of Justinian the emperor. A course observed with rare clemency by our most meek and gracious Sovereign, in the 'Act of general pardon and indemnity' towards his people.

I do often sadly recount with myself the woful distractions, which are in this once flourishing church, occasioned by the wantonness of some, and subtilty of others; and can scarce arrive at any other expedient than Abraham's 'Jehovah Jireh.' (Gen. xxii. 14) I do not need at all, neither shail I at all presume to bespeak, the reverend governors of the church, in this case of moderation, in any other way than the apostle doth the Thessalonians in the case of brotherly love.

As touching moderation, "Ye need not that I write untoyou; for you yourselves are taught of God to show all meekness to all men, and to restore those that are overtaken in a fault, with the spirit of meekness, and indeed you do it."— One thing I assure myself would greatly conduce to the healing of our divisions, and reducing of many unto the communion of the church who have departed from it,-If all the other ministers of the gospel, in their respective places, would every where preach the word with that soundness, evidence, and authority, and so commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God; reproving sin not with passion, wrath, and animosity, but with the spirit of meekness, and by the majesty and authority of the word; (which alone can convince and awe the conscience) would lead such holy, peaceable, and inoffensive lives; would treat all men with that prudence, meekness, and winning converse, that all who see and hear them, may know that God is in them of a truth; that they do indeed love the people's souls; and so faithfully discharge their trust, as those that do, in good earnest, resolve to save themselves and those that hear them. Thus are all the interests of a Christian church by all the officers therein, to be managed and preserved with that wisdom which is from above;' which (St. James tells us) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good works, without partiality, and without hypocrisy, whereby the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that seek peace."

3. Moderation of passion; when we suffer not our passions to anticipate right reason, or run beyond the dictates of practical judgement; when they fly not out beyond their due measure, nor transport us unto any indecency or excess; when they do not, like a troubled sea, cast up mire and dirt; but are like the shaking of clean water in a crystal glass, which only troubleth it, but doth not defile it. For this purpose, we must keep sanctified reason always in the throne. The higher and more heavenly the soul is, the more sedate and calm it will be; "Inferiora fulminant: pacem summa tenent." We must get the heart balanced with such graces as may, in special manner, establish it against perturbation of passion, with clearness of reason, serenity of judgement, strength of wisdom, sobriety and gentleness of spirit,

humility and lowliness of mind, (for ever the more proud, the more passionate) with self-denial: for all impotency of affections is rooted in an inordinate self-love. This will transport a man to furious anger, to insatiable desires, to excessive delights, to discruciating fears, to impatient hopes, to tormenting sorrows, to gnawing emulations, to overwhelming despairs. The heart,' saith the apostle, is established by grace.' (Heb. xiii. 9)

We have thus largely considered the duty here required, which the apostle would further have to be "such a moderation, as becometh them as Christians." And therefore the precept is closed in on all sides of the text with certain peculiarities of Christians, rejoicing in the Lord;' verse 4. And what can befal a man to shake and discompose his heart, who hath a Lord always to rejoice in? Nearness of that Lord; the Lord is at hand.' And what is there in all the world, the beauty whereof can bewitch with inordinate love, the evil whereof can tempt to immoderate fears, the heart which can, by faith, see Christ coming quickly with a far more exceeding and abundant weight of glory?-An access in prayer and supplication unto the throne of grace, v. 6. And what evils can disquiet the heart of that man with anxious, excessive, and discruciating cares, who hath the bosom of a Father in heaven to pour out his requests into?-Lastly, the peace of God which passeth all understanding; and what perturbations are able to storm such a soul as is garrisoned with divine. peace? There is a mere philosophical moderation, "quæ mimice affectat veritatem," as Tertullian speaks. But Christian moderation is that which is founded in the law of Christ; which requireth us not to resist evil, to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, to do good unto those that hate us, to recompense to no man evil for evil, to weep as though we wept not, and to rejoice as though we rejoiced not.' It is founded in the love of Christ: the sense and comfort whereof balanceth the soul against the assault of any other perturbations. It is regulated by the example of Christ; of whom we learn to be meek and lowly, to forbear and to forgive; who when he was reviled, reviled not again; who prayed for his persecutors, and saved them by that blood which their own hands had shed. It is wrought by the Spirit of Christ; the fruits whereof are "love, joy, peace, long-suf