'Were the Circulation of the Blood as 'much difputable in Phyfick, as Pargatory, 'Tranfubftantiation, and many other things

are in Divinity; and did fome Doctors • build their Practice upon the Stagnation of the Blood, and others, upon the CircuC lating of it: Wou'd not each fide of these, < cry down the Practice of the other, as founded upon a mortal Error; (fince both fides of a Contradiction can never be true) and by confequence, that they who take the wrong fide, muft needs Murder the Bodies of Men? On the contrary, we shou'd find them both upon the matter equally 'fuccessful in their Practice; because the 'Force of Phyfick, depends not so much upon Speculation, and Hypothefes, as Obfervation and Practice. In like manner ' in Divinity, it is ea fie for Men to give plaufible Arguments for any thing, and which, they themselves, will call Demonftration; and to affert, that the Erring fide, or the fide that differs from them, C muft needs Ruine the Souls of Men. Whereas, we find that Error has not fo great an Influence upon People's Lives, as C they wou'd make us believe; but that upon the matter, thefe differing Parties are equally Successful in the Practice of Piety: (that is to fay, there are good Men of all Parties in the Chriftian Church, except 'fuch as deny the very Fundamentals of of Religion) Church men, and Diffenters, • Arminians and Calvinists, have all pro

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duc'd

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' duc'd very pious Men; and that, because the regulating Mens Lives and Actions, does not depend fo much upon their Underftandings, as upon their Wills and Affe &tions; not fo much on Speculation, as on • Exercife and Practice. God knows, how to excuse these Errors of our Judgment, ' provided we keep a good Confcience, and take care to follow it.

The Divifions which prevail among Chriftians, he heartily bewail'd: He faw, how much of Paffion and worldly Intereft there was in them; and how Deftructive they are to Piety and Charity. But then he consider'd, that Charity oblig'd him to look upon all Chriftians, as his Brethren; as Children of the fame Father, and Members of the fame Family to which he belong'd; and confequently, that he must not Hate nor Perfecute any of them: That he ought to lament their Divisions, and do all that in him lay, to heal their Breaches, and cure their Animofities; but ftill, they had a right to his Charity, and to his Prayers.

But Mr. Bonnell always expreffes his own Sense in the fittest Words, and in the cleareft manner. And this being a matter of great Moment, 'tis to be hop'd, that the Judgment of one fo eminent for Piety, and Charity, will have its juft Weight, with every confidering Reader.

"Chriftian Religion (fays he) is but one: & The Belief of one Trinity in Unity, and the Redemption of the World, by the In

on;

carnation and Paffion of the Lord Jefus Chrift; and a Life anfwerable to this Be lief. This is the Ground and Substance of it. But becaufe, God has thought fit for the humbling of Men, to leave their Minds fubject to Error, (the Error of the Judgment, not being Sin, but of the Will,) there have arifen feveral differences ፈ among the Profeffors of this one Religieach endeavouring what they can (as is natural to Men, fond of their own Productions) to raise the Merit of their 'differences; and to pretend them to be of more Effential nefs,and weight in Religion, than indeed they are. Evil minded and Politick Men, knowing the eagerness of Mankind in Points of Religion, whet on this Zeal to promote their worldly Defigns. The matter fpreading, and many being engag'd in it, who have no Religion at all, cry up thefe differences, as the Tefts and Soul of Religion. Thus the World runs into Factions, and good Men filently wonder, and grieve. They are fenfible, that none of all thefe differences, are Religion; and that the zeal of abetting them, is nothing elfe but worldly Faction; that pious Men, may abound in their own Senfe, and may differ from others, in matters of Judgment, (which are not inconfiftent with the abovemertion'd Subitance of Religion,) while with Modefty, Humility and Submiffion, they keep them to themfelves. Thus all Pro

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* feffors of this one Religion may Unite and all true ones do Unite, in the Bond of Charity. But thofe that infist on those differences, with fuch zeal as they fhou'd 'do on the Substance, have either no Relion, or almost none at all. Hence it is, we fo often hear; of what Religion are you? As if there were feveral Religions in the Chriftian World. In Sum, the Question ought not to be, of what Religion? but, of what Faction? They that run their differences high, and infift on them, more than on the Substance, in which all true Christians agree; let them pretend what < they will, are not Religious but Factions; that is, have not Spiritual, but worldly 'Designs to ferve; worldly Paffions to gra'tifie.

In another Place, upon the fame Subject, he expreffes himself, as follows.

There has been no Age of the Church,' in which the Devil has not found means to bring in fome matter of Divifion; taking ⚫ occafion by Mens imperfect Judgments corrupt Humours, Factioufness, Irreligiousness and worldly Designs. And in every Age, the Division on foot, feems weighty, and of great Importance, however flight it be ' in it felf. And the Reafon is, becaufe this World is interwoven with it; worldly Profits, Advantages, and Honors, and Mens Heats and Animofities arifing from • thence.

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But when these are ceas'd, and after A· ges come to confider the differences in cold Blood, and freedom from those fecular things, that accompany'd them in the Times when they were on Foot; C they can't but admire at the madness of Men; and wonder what it was, fhou'd put them into fuch Heats, about fuch Trifles. The Reafon plainly is, that worldly defigning Mcn, knowing that nothing Animates Men's Zeal fo much, as what relates to Religion, carry on their Designs, under 'Notions of it: For Inftance, if those a

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bout the governing Part of a State, have 4 a mind to make more room for their 'Friends, by excluding others from Favour:

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Or, on the other hand, if Men have Am'bition to make themselves Popular, and any • difference be fow'd by the Devil (who is the fower of Tares) among the People, both these Parties fhall efpoufe the oppofite part of this difference; and endeavour to run down their Adverfaries, till the matter run fo high in the notion of the Vulgar, as if Heaven and Damnation depended on it. Heretofore, the Church Communicated Infants, as thinking it neceffary to Salvation; now it doth not: Wou'd it not be a fad thing, that Blood 'fhou'd be drawn in this Controverfie on either fide? and yet how often is it done upon much lefs? How high did the Predeftinarian and Arminian controversie run but lately. And yet how flight does it • feem