way different from what happens as to every duty incumbent on us as men or Chriftians.

II. Let us now come to the fecond part of this difcourfe, and confider what reafon there is to to believe, that charity in fcripture, is a duty altogether diftinct from forbearance, and founded on diftin&t principles.

One general confideration will go nigh to prove this of itfelf, viz. That forbearance, as has been fhewn in the preceding pages, hath limits, beyond which it is culpable; whereas charity hath none, at least as to its object. There is no perfon or character that can be conceived, for which we are allowed to be without charity. With respect to forbearance, the object of it is clearly pointed out in the paffages where it is fpoken of, and is the difference of opinion as to fmaller matters, viz. the lawfulness or unlawfulness of meats and drinks, and whether certain days were holy or common. But there is no paffage in which charity is spoken of, that gives the leaft hint, or indeed that leaves room to fuppofe that it hath any limits as to its object. Charity, we are told, is the end," or fum, "of the commandment." And indeed it is the fame thing with love, which is the fulfilling of the law. And in the explication which our Lord gives of the fum of the fecond table of the law, in anfwer to that question, Who is my neighbor? he plainly teaches us by the parable of the Samaritan, that all men are our neighbors. There was a great opposition, in point of religion, between the Jews and Samaritans; yet he fhews plainly, that this ought not to obftru&t the exercise of charity, in the true fense of that word. For this reafon, I think it highly probable, that forbearance is different from charity; the one points out our duty to our fellow Chriftians in certain circumftances, and the other includes our duty to our fellowcreatures at all times.

This will be confirmed, by reflecting that the word which, in fome places, is tranflated charity, is the fame, in all other paffages without variation in any one of them, with that is tranflated love. agape is the New Teftament word for charity, which, as it is generally tranflated love, fo I do

not fee the leaft reafon for altering the tranflation, in those places where charity is fubftituted in its room. Charity then is love; that is to fay, it is a fincere and fervent af fection to others, and a defire of their welfare, temporal and eternal. This not only may confift with, but of itself naturally produces, the strongest abhorrence of their wicked principles, and the deepest concern for their dangerous flate. There is a great affinity between the sentiments we ought to entertain with regard to error and vice. Our love to vicious perfons ought not to carry in it any approbation or indulgence of their vices, and far lefs any belief of the fafety of their state; but an earneft concern to bring about their reformation. In the fame manner, a fincere and fervent charity for erroneous perfons, does not imply any approbation of their opinions, or fuppofition of their confiftency with foundness in the faith, but an earnest defire to recover them, if poffible, from their unhappy delufion. Nay, though a man be fo narrow-minded, as to judge those whom he ought to forbear, it may, very poffibly, be attended with no breach of charity; because there may be as much love to his neighbor in that person's heart, and as much concern for his welfare, as if he had feen more clearly his own miftake. The apoftle Paul calls thefe weak perfons, and afcribes their conduct to the imperfections of their judgment. It was the ftrong, or those who had more knowledge, that he blamed, as not walking charitably, when they would not abstain from meat, to prevent their brethren's offence.

It will be an additional confirmation of this meaning of charity, that it makes the feveral duties of Christians at once clear and intelligible, and confiftent one with another, by leaving to each its full scope, and its proper object. If we take charity in the fenfe which I have rejected, there will be a continual oppofition between zeal and charity; and in proportion as you increase in any one of them, you must neceffarily fail in the other. And indeed this feems to be verified in experience; for those who efpouse this fort of charity, do frequently fall into fo cool a ftate in point of zeal, that they give themfelves little trouble, either in inftructing the ignorant, or reproving the

vicious; and are not backward in ftigmatizing thofe, as narrow-minded and uncharitable, who do. But if we take charity for unfeigned love, then, inftead of oppofition, there is the most perfect harmony between one duty and another. So far from hindering, or even limiting each other in their exercife, they strengthen each other in principle, and direct each other in their application.— The more fervent love I have for my fellow-creatures and my fellow-chriftians, it will but excite my zeal to promote their benefit, by endeavoring to convince them of any dangerous mistake, and deliver them from the dominion of every vicious practice. At the fame time, this love will naturally produce forbearance, where it is lawful and proper; because, if I love any perfon fincerely, I will judge of him candidly, and not impute any bad fentiment or practice to him without neceflity. It will prevent us from interfering with others where we ought not, and will urge us to activity and diligence where the cafe feems really to call for it.

This fubject may be well illuftrated by parental affection, when it is both ftrong in its principle, and well directed in its exercife. It will certainly prevent a parent from judging hardly of his children, or being eafily incensed against them, on wrong or doubtful information: but it will be fo far from making him think favorably of their mistakes, either in principle or practice, that the more tender his love, the greater his concern to prevent their being mified, or to recover them if they have gone afiray. Examples to be fure there are many, of a sort of love in parents to their children, that operates like the falfe charity I am now pleading againft, making them blind to their failings, and even partial to their crimes: but I think it must be allowed, that all fuch partiality and indulgence is a weakness, instead of a virtue, in the parent, and is commonly a curfe, inftead of a bleffing, to the child. To have juft apprehenfions of the feveral duties of the Chriftian life, we must always confider their relation to, and dependance upon one another. There are fome fins oppofite to, and deftructive of each other; but there is no truly good difpofition, that is not perfectly

confiftent with, or rather that does not improve and ftrengthen every other. It is remarkable, that in fcrip-ture, the duties of reproof and correction are frequently attributed to love as their principle, not only in God, but in man: "Whom the Lord loveth he chaftifeth, and "fcourgeth every fon whom he receiveth.""He that fpareth the rod, hateth his fon; but he that loveth him, "chafteneth him betimes."-" Thou shalt not hate thy "neighbor in thy heart; but fhalt in any wife rebuke him, "and not fuffer fin upon him."

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Upon the whole, fince this interpretation of charity is not only moft agreeable to fcripture, but moft confiftent with itself, and with every other branch of the Chriftian character, I hope it will be received, at least fo far as to leffen the cry of uncharitableness against thofe who, from the united principles of love to God and man, think themfelves obliged to oppofe the progrefs of grofs error. I plead for this only when they make use of just and lawful means, and act in a manner becoming Chriftians, in meekness inftructing those that oppose themselves. For though I have fhewn, that true charity is as favorable to zeal as to forbearance, and to both alike in their proper place, I am fenfible that there may be zeal where there is little or no charity; and, in that cafe, it will fhew itfelf in "wrath, ftrife, feditions, herefies." This happens chiefly, when a weak person who judges rafhly, is also of an envious or malicious difpofition. The first of these may be fometimes without the other; they may, however, also be joined in the fame perfon; and then it will certainly be attended with "confufion, and every evil work." But when a deep fenfe of the evil of departing from the faith to the perfons themfelves, and the danger of corrupt doctrine infecting the whole lump, induces any to ftand up in defence of the truth, to oppose the introduction of erroneous teachers, or to attempt the expulfion of those who have crept in unawares; let them be called unreasonable if you please, and let their mistake be pointed out, but I beg that they may not be abused and vilified as uncharitable. The reafon of my requeft is, that it is more than probable they do this from a ftrong conviction, that they

are obliged to it by the exprefs command of Chrift. I de clare this to be my own perfuafion, after the most impartial fearch of the fcriptures of which I was capable; and certainly it is at least pollible, that we may have, notwithftanding, a fervent love to our brethren, and a desire of their welfare. We may love them as men, even when we cannot judge them to be faints; and we may love them as Chriftians, even when we think they are in many things to be blamed; nay, I hope we may heartily forgive them as enemies, notwithstanding all their bitterness and rancor against us. But if, after all, this requeft cannot be obtained; if we cannot alter our judgment, and they will ftill infift that we are therefore without charity, that is to fay, without chriftianity; they must confefs, that here is one opinion which they will not tolerate, and to which, in their own fenfe, no charity is due.