immediately concerned with and related unto at prefent, I do therefore, in a more fpecial manner, address myself to you at this time. And I hope you will bear with me, if from my fincere refpect for your welfare, I detain you a while here before ye enter upon the perufal either of my Apocalyptical Thoughts following, or the other Difcourfes, which I do prefent you with, at your own desire. For in cafe either of death, or being otherwife rendered incapable to ferve you, I am willing to give a vent to my thoughts and affection at this time, that, whatever comes of me, the following Difcourfes, together with this, may stand as a lafting witnefs of my real concern for your fouls welfare.

In the first place, therefore, I do declare, that though I am not willing to ftate my fufferings upon little matters or modes of worship and expreffion, yet I can fincerely say, that should the divine Providence call me to lay down my life for the truths themselves which I have preached among you, I hope I fhould be fo far from quarrelling with the procedure of God this way, that I fhould rejoice in fuch a martyrdom. And, as I hope I have not contradicted in my life

what I have

preached

preached in the pulpit, whatever my infirmities may have been; fo I prefume it will not be looked upon as pride or vanity, if I fay with the great Apostle (though as to the last clause I do not pretend to have been any pattern to you), Finally, brethren, whatfo

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ever things are true, whatfoever things are "venerable, what foever things are juft, what"foever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good

report; if there be any virtue, and if there "be any praife, think on these things. Thofe things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and feen in me, do, " and the God of peace fhall be with you."

For, in the next place, I thank God, that he that knows the fecrets of all hearts, doth teftify together with my confcience, that a fincere concern to be useful to our common Chriftianity, was the thing that did at firft influence me to enter upon this great work of the miniftry, and hath ever fince engaged me, though under more difcouragements than moft men, to continue and labour in it. So that it is matter of fweet reflection to me, that I never gave any occafion to brand our holy profeffion with the odious name of prieft

craft,

craft, whatever any others may have done. For, as I have had no other ambition than to engage and draw men over to the great and catholic interefts of Chriftianity itself, in order to their becoming the followers and fervants of our glorious God and bleffed Saviour, fo I am fure I can confidently fay, without any vanity or affectation (for which I dare appeal not only to you, but all others that have known me ever fince I began to preach), that there is not one in the world that ever had just occafion fo much as to think that I did at any time attempt to bring any perfon over to my way as a party. And, as thus I have been far from seeking either honour, interest, or popularity, fo there are not a few that can bear me witness, that I have incurred the cenfures of fome men of very different denominations, because I could never be induced to think that religion did properly stand in the rituals of any of the contending parties.

The differences therefore, but especially the animofities, that are among Proteftant Christians, have ever been grievous and afflictive to me, and to heal these I could cheerfully be offered up a facrifice, if I can be fuppofed to be confcious of the fentiments and

movements

movements of my own foul. For though we of this congregation differ from all others that diffent from the epifcopal communion in this, that we are, in a peculiar fense, upon a National Foundation, viz. in as far as we not only own the fame church government, but keep up the fame way that the church of Scotland ufeth in her public administrations; to which most of us belong as natives, and all of us as profelytes: yet I must publickly own, that abftracting from this, I am a diffenter from that party that engross and monopolize the name of the church of England. For, though I have ever looked upon other controverfies as more edifying and momentous than those unhappy ones which have kept that great body and ours divided, yet I have fo far confidered them, as hitherto to find no reafon to quit the way I was educated in, notwithstanding the specious reafons made ufe of to prejudice people against us as fchifmaticks, rather than to convince us that we are fo.

Therefore, in the third place, I cannot but own (without any defign to reflect upon them that differ from me in fuch matters) that I look upon that way as neareft to the Chriftian inftitution, which has the fewest and most na

tural

tural and unaffected, and confequently moft fpiritual rites and ceremonies, in the performance of gofpel ordinances. For as a * learned conformist fays, in a book which he did afterwards indeed feem to differ from, but never attempted to retract or refute, and perhaps was never able to do: "Certainly, the pri"mitive church, that did not charge men "with fuch a load of articles as now in "thefe latter ages men are charged with, "would much lefs have burdened men with

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impofing doubtful practices upon them as "the ground of church communion. There "is nothing then that the primitive church "deferves more imitation in by us, than that "admirable temper, moderation, and conde"fcenfion, which was used in it towards all

the members of it. It was never thought "worth the while to make any ftanding laws "for rites and cuftoms, that had no other

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original but tradition, much lefs to fufpend men from her communion for not obferv

ing them." And if this was the practice of the primitive church, it was eminently fo in the apoftolical age; to whom, as actuated by the Holy Ghost, it feemed good to require no

4

* Stilling. Iren. page 122, and 68.

thing