ESSAY in the Heart, is abfolutely required to make VII. up inward Chriftianity; and the Appearance of it in the Life is a moft neceffary Part of Godliness.

'Tis true indeed, that all Graces and Virtues are very imperfect in this present State, and there is much of Uncharitablenefs remaining in many a good Man: But that Man can never be good that has no Charity. Zelotus has spent his Life in declaiming against fome little Modes and Gestures ufed in Worship by his Fellow Chriftians, or in impofing fome uninftituted Ceremonies on the Confciences of his Brethren. He hath ftir'd up the Magiftrate to perfecute fome of them to Prifons, and almost to Death. He flatter'd his Confcience with Hopes that his Zeal for the Church should not only render him acceptable at the last Day, but provide him a large Reward: He lies now languishing upon a Bed of Sickness, on the very Borders of Eternity, and is terribly awaken'd to behold his own Mistake; while he stands within Sight of the Tribunal of Chrift, and the Face of the Judge, his former Practice appears to his Confcience in its true and frightful Shape; the Fire that hath animated him against his Brethren, now flashes in his Soul, and difcovers its infernal Source; now he dreads to be made an Example of the fame Vengeance among Devils, with which he hath pursued his Fellow

Fellow/ Mortals; he groans out his laft ESSAY Breath in bitter Agonies; cries to the God VII. of Love for Mercy upon his departing Spirit; and expires almost without Hope. He is gone. But we leave his Soul to the Compaffions of a God who can better pardon his mighty Errors, than he would forgive others in their little Miftakes.

Thus dreadfully hath this Vice of Uncharitablencfs prevailed against the Honour of Christianity, and the Peace of Mankind. Thus facrilegioufly hath it taken away one of the brightest Marks of the best Religion, and that is Love. It hath defaced the Beauty of our Holy Profeffion, fcandalized the facred Name that we bear, made a Slaughter-house of the Church of Christ, and deceived the Souls of Men to their own eternål Ruin.

Juft as I had finifh'd this Effay, Pharifaino happened to come into my Study, and taking up the firft Leaf, read the Title, and was perfuaded this Difcourfe must be written against himself.

<if

"No (faid 1) there is not any Man alive perfonally intended in these Papers, but you pleafe to peruse them, and shall apply the Characters to yourself, I hope you will confefs Divine Providence has "led you into a Conviction of your falfe "Zeal." Pharifaino fat him down immediately, and with a running Eye paffed thro' Y

every

ESSAY every Page. And tho' the frequent Wrinkle VII. of his Brow discovered his inward Chagrin and Disgust, yet he paid me many a Ceremony; and" behold (faid he) how Language and Fancy will drefs up Zeal like a Monster to fright Men out of their Fervour of Spirit.

"I have heard, added he, that you have "fome Skill in Painting, pray draw me the Figure of this Uncharitableness in just and

proper Colours; this Monfter which you "complain has fo narrow'd and disgraced, "and murdered Chriftianity." I will attempt it, Pharifaino, if you will furnish me with a Sheet of large Paper, and that of the fairest Kind, to reprefent the Christian Church in this World. First, I will pare it round, and reduce it to a very small compafs; then with much Ink will I ftain the Whiteness of it, and deform it with many a Blot; at the next fitting I will ftab it thro' rudely with an Iron Pen; and when I put the laft Hand to compleat the Likeness, it fhall be fmear'd over with Blood.

APPEN

I

1

ள்ள

F the Scandal and Cruelty of an uncha

ritable Temper have not been defcribed in Characters fufficiently frightful, it must be imputed to a Want of Skill in the Hand that attempted it, for there is no Want of formidable Features in the Vice itself. Perhaps a little and unknown Pen hath not Force enough to wage fuccefsful War against this mighty Iniquity; and the Printer, in two or three vacant Pages, permits me to call in the Aid of fome great and well known Names: Names who fought against it in their Lives, who being dead, yet fpeak, and plead heartily that it may be deftroyed. They efpoufed the Caufe of Charity with a warm Zeal, being perfuaded that it made a confiderable Part of our Religion, and that the contrary Humour was deftructive to all that is called Chriftian.

Since this Infection is not confined to one Party of Men, but hath fpread itself wide through all Chriftian Societies among us, I have taken the Liberty in the foregoing Leaves to ftrike at it wherefoever I found it; and those who hide this Venom in their Heart fill, to whatsoever Tribe they be

Y 2

long,

ESSAY

VII.

ESSAY long, let them hear the Words of their VII. dead Fathers: Let them blufh at their own Folly, and no longer refufe to be healed.

Archbishop Tillotfon in his Works in Folio, Page 217, acquaints us that other Sects were diftinguished by little Opinions, or by Jome external Rites and Obfervances in Religion; but our Saviour pitches upon that which is the most fubftantial, the most large and extenfive, the most useful and beneficial, the most human, and the most divine Quality of which we are capable, and that is Love. And P. 126. He declares that Uncharitablenefs is as bad an Evidence, either of a true Chriflian or a true Church, as a Man would wifh. Damning of Men is a very hard Thing, and therefore whenever we do it, the Cafe must be wonderfully plain. And P. 364, We fhould rather be contented to err a little on the favourable and charitable Part, than to be mistaken on the cenforious, and damning Side. Our bleffed Saviour frames kis Parables with a remarkable Biafs to the charitable "Side, to reprove the Uncharitableness of the Jews, who pofitively excluded all the rest of Mankind befides themselves, from all Hopes of Salvation. An odious Temper, which to the infinite Scandal of the Chriftian Name and Profeffion bath prevailed upon fome Chriftians to a notorious Degree.

Dr. Owen in his Difcourfe of the Perfon of Chrift, P. 222, faith, One Chriftian who