ferious Study of Piety. Fly thofe carnal Lufts, be not conform'd to your former or worldly Defires; avoid Revelling and Rioting, and other Practices more pleafing to the Flesh than 'wholefom to the Spirit, and compofe your Minds to endure the greatest Perfecution for the Truth, and endeavour by all means that your Hearers may do the fame: And that not only with vain Words, which are easily refuted by other Tenets of yours, as we have feen in the foregoing Chapters; but rejecting all Falfitys, ufe fuch Arguments, as none, unless he be extremely wicked, can refift. In fhort, implant it deeply in the Minds of all Men, that Truth overcometh by Holinefs and Patience. And I beseech God, the Author of Truth, and moft bountiful Rewarder of true Piety, and moft fevere Revenger of Impiety, to diffufe the ways of Truth into all the Corners of the World, and to replenish with his Holy Spirit your Hearts, and the Hearts of all those that are defirous of their own Salvation; that they may caft away that which is falfe, avoid that which is wicked, feek that which is true, and find it being fought, and receive it being found, and hug it being receiv'd, and compofe their whole Life according to the Prefcript thereof; and with a courageous Heart endure whatsoever Calamitys happen to them, and fo expect the glorious Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and with joy receive at his hands an immarceffible Crown of Glory. Let God grant it thro his Son Jefus Chrift our Lord, to whom be Honour and Glory for ever. Amen.

Phenir

Phenix XXIII.

Differtatio de Pace, &c. Or, a Difcourfe touching the Peace and Concord of the Church.

Suppos'd to be written by Mr. John Hales of Eaton.

The Publisher to the Reader.

HE Author of this Difcourfe, Chriftian Reader, a Man, as

it appeareth, both Pious and Learned, knowing that of all the Familys and Societys of Christians, they are most hated, who by their Profeffion and Writings maintain the Opinion of Socinus touching the Effence and Office of Chrift, endeavour'd by this Difcourfe to abate the Hatred of certain Zealots against the Socinians; not that he approv'd their Doctrine (for he once and again disowns it) but because he was perfuaded, that if the harsh Judgments of Men were once mitigated concerning the most odious Opinion of all, the Heat of that bitter Zeal wherewith Chriftians are generally incited to perfecute Diffenters in Religion, would by degrees evaporate. But if thou, Chriftian Reader, doft from thy Heart afpire to the knowledg of God, and his Son Jefus Chrift, therein, as Chrift himself teftifieth, eternal Life doth confift, John 17.3. Fetch not the beginning thereof either from Socinus (a Man otherwife of great understanding in the

Mystery

349 Myftery of the Gospel) nor from his Adverfarys, but being mindful of thofe Words, Luke 10. 22. None knowing who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him; lay afide for a while Controverfal Writings, together with those prejudicate Opinions that have been inftil'd into thine unwary Understanding, and closely applying thy felf to the fearch of the New Covenant, moft ardently implore the Grace of Chrift, that he would be pleas'd to manifeft himself and the Father to thee, and make no doubt but the true Light will at length illuminate the Eyes of thy Mind, that thou mayft walk in the way that leadeth unto Life. Farewel.

A Difcourfe touching the Peace and Concord of the Church.

CHAP. I.

The Lot of Truth and Innocency in this World. A Guess of the Author touching himself.

T

RUTH was never call'd into queftion, but Innocen cy was fain to plead for her felf at the fame Bar; nor hath the one been more hated than the other always envy'd. Indeed we Men are very prone to Evil, and therefore hate not only the open freedom of a true Judgment, but also the tacit Cenfure of another's Integrity. Nor is this a Crime peculiar to our Age. 'Twas heretofore the disposition of Wickedness, no lefs to fear the mute Innocency of another, than the living Voice of a Reprover; nor can it be otherwise hereafter, but that Vertue fhould become a Goad to their Senfes, whofe Minds have been feiz'd with Vices. But tho our Wickedness may feem to have a kind of Right to deteft fuch Truth as toucheth the Ulcers of our Sins, yet why should we abominate her that cafts a harmless Eye towards Heaven? Is it because, as both these cure the two Diseases of the Mind, our Errors namely, and our Vices, fo we are delighted with both thofe Diftempers? Undoubtedly here lies the pinch. We are more enamour'd of our Errors than of all our Darlings, either because they wink at the fcapes and dalliance of our Affections, or because we are en

rag'd

rag'd against Diffenters with obftinate prejudice and frantick affectation of Partys. Howbeit, we never err with greater delight than about the fenfe of divine Matters, and are fo far from acknowledging thofe flips (the Witnesses of human Imbecillity) that we account them for Oracles. Nor is our Rashness content to have pleas'd her felf herein, but obtrudeth her Notions upon others againft their Wills; and the Licence of determining is wont to affume fo much to it felf, that it excludeth a liberty of diffenting in the smallest tittle. After the Judgments of Mankind had been opprefs'd in this manner, the Church for many Ages was overspread with thick Darkness, whilft the greateft part had neither liberty to utter what they understood, nor lift to understand what they might not utter. And tho there have been so many Winds and Storms of Contention in the Chriftian World, yet have they not to this very day been able to difpel fo great a Fog; fo that amidst the Clouds difpers'd over all the Sky, there are fome few who thro the Intervals behold the whole face of the Sun; whilft others fee afar off fome gleams of the Light, but shall e'er long difcover the very Sun it self. The Truth being thus muffled with Errors, hath not yet fhewn her self to all with a full Countenance, altho she hath aforehand darted out the Rays of her Light unto a great part of Men. But whatsoever is to come hereafter, divine things are at present envelop'd with grofs Darkness; yet is there nothing that more obfcureth the Mystery of eternal Salvation, than the Ignorance of the way that leadeth us to the top of so great Happiness: For as all things fituated on high, are wont to have a hard and difficult accefs; fo alfo hath that towring height of the Life to come. Nor is it for every Man to get up thro fteep Afcents, especially for them whose earthly Minds and dull Spirits prefs them down to low Defires.

And therefore to the great deftruction of Mankind, another way to Happiness hath been invented, eafy indeed and expedite, but fuch as reacheth not to the end aim'd at: For the greateft part of Men, thinking it very toilfom to afcend thither by Holiness of Life, fought out a fhorter cut, confifting in the mere Confeffion of Faith. And this is the way by which the greatest part as yet think to afcend to Heaven, not caring what their Actions are, fo their Opinions be right; and tho extremely curious to pry into other things, yet have no regard to their Life and Manners: So that it is no marvel, inasmuch as Men every where take greater care of their Wit than of their Minds, that the very leaft failing in the knowledg of divine things fhould be efteem'd of greater moment to eternal Destruction, than the Commillion of

the

the fouleft Crimes. But this feemeth fomewhat monftrous, how fome men fhould arrive at fo much Confidence as that, tho in their Life and Manners they, even against their Wills, acknowledg'd the Failings of their Mortality, yet in their Judgments and Opinions they fhould forget their Condition: and tho in the very Soul of Faith, I mean good Works, they do by reafon of their Sins fo often flip, Thould yet imagine that in the Carcafe only, I mean Faith, they cannot poffibly offend. For whence proceedeth this blind and precipitant Humour of condemning others, but from rashness of defining? Whence fo great boldness of determining, but from the prefumption of an infallible Judgment? And, which is worft of all, Man now-a-days can no fooner fail in his Understanding, but prefently his Honefty is reproach'd, and oftentimes the reprehenfion of Opinions degenerateth into the accufation of Manners. As for my felf, before I launch out of the Haven, I do already forefee Storms; nor am I in fo great fear for the Opinion which I propofe in this Difcourfe, as for my Credit and Security. For how few are there who will cenfure this Treatife, without doing Injury to the Author? Who is there that will fet a Mark on fome Miftake thereof, and not withal brand me with fome Reproach? If any thing here fhall feem falfe to fome Men, they will account me not only a Liar, but an impious Perfon. They will call me Deceiver, and Patron of damn'd Herefy; and this Writing will be fo fifty-cuff'd by many, that I my felf perhaps, were I known, fhould not efcape Scot-free. But my Mind being pure and untainted, will from my Conscience reap the Fruit of my Labour, which was due to it from the Judgments of Men: nor will I efteem it a weak Argument of having defended the Truth, to have my Innocency fo wickedly traduc'd; for the fame Spirit is wont to oppofe both of them. Nor ought it to feem ftrange to any Man, that a moft true Opinion fhould be unjustly tax'd of Error, when he shall fee his own Innocency circumvented with false Accufations. Nevertheless I inftantly befeech them, who after they have read this Difcourfe, fhall vote concerning my Reputation, that they would not charge me with other Mens Faults, and that my harmless freedom may not be any prejudice to me. Let none impute to me the Patronage of Error, if I have perhaps been favourable unto fuch as err; unless he suppose it to be the Duty of a Man, when he is difpleas'd with the Vices, to be angry with the Perfons alfo.

CHA P.