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at this Time required of all Christians as necessary, all their Differences would immediately cease, and whatever Disagreement remained in Opinions, it would not belong to the Body of the Church, but to private Persons; every one of which must render an Account of their Conscience to God. If they did but once understand that they were agreed in the principal Matters as they really are agreed, and would bear with one another in other Things, and would not endeavour to bring over others to their Opinions or Rites, by Force or other wicked Arts; this would be the only Agreement that can be expected on Earth. (a) In this Ignorance and Want of Knowledge in Mankind, hindered by so may Passions, no prudent Person can expect that all can be brought, either by Force or Reason, to think and do the same Thing. The more generous and understanding Minds can never approve of Force, which is the Attendant of Lies, and not of Truth: Nor do they who are less learned, or who are blinded by Passion or the Prejudices of Education, or any other Thing, as the far greatest Part will always be, fully understand the Force of Reason; nor in the mean Time, are they to be compelled to do or speak contrary to what they think. Let them who preside in the Government of the Church think it sufficient, that

"enter in an Agreement, than by carefully separating those "Things that are necessary, from those that are not; and "that their whole Care be employed in agreeing about the necessary Things; and that in those Things that are not "" necessary, there be an Allowance made for Christian Li"berty, &c.

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(a) In this Ignorance and Want of Knowledge, &c.] It was very well said by Hilary, concerning the Trinity, Book X. Chap. 70. "That God does not invite us to Happiness through "difficult Questions, nor confound us with various Sorts of Eloquence. Eternity is plain and easy to us, to believe that "God raised up Jesus from the Dead, and to confess him to "be Lord."

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Men,

Men, through the Help of the immortal God, believe the Gospel; that That Faith alone is to be preached as necessary; that the Precepts of it alone are to be obeyed, and Salvation to be expected from the Observation of its Laws; and all Things will go well. Whilst human Things are made equal with Divine; and doubtful Things, to say no worse of them, equalled with those that are certain, there can be no End of Contention, no Hopes of Peace; which all pious Men ought, with their most earnest Wishes, to desire of the great God, and to endeavour to promote as far as in their Power.

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BOOK II.

Against INDIFFERENCE in the CHOICE of our RELIGION.

SECT. I.

That we ought to have a Love for Truth in all Things, but more especially in such as are of great

Moment.

I THINK that Person judged very rightly,

(a) whoever he was, that said, there is an eternal Alliance betwixt Truth and the Mind of Man; the Effects of which, though they may sometimes be, as it were, suspended or discontinued for a While, by reason of the Inconstancy and Affections of human Nature; yet the Alliance itself can never be entirely broke. For No

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(a) Whoever he was, that said, &c.] John Smith in his Select Discourses, published at London, 1660. Hence St. Austin, in his CXLth Sermon concerning the Words of the Evangelist St. John, Tom. V. Col. 682. Every Man "searches after Truth and Life; but every Man does not "find the Way to them." And again, Sermon CL. Col. 716. "The Mind cannot endure to be deceived. And "how much the Mind naturally hates to be deceived, we 66 may learn from this single Thing, that every Man of Sense "pities a Changeling. If it were proposed to any one, whe"ther he would choose to be deceived, or to persist in the "Truth; there is Nobody but would answer, that he had "rather persist in the Truth."

body

body is desirous of being deceived; nay, there is Nobody but had rather know the Truth in any Matter whatsoever, but especially in any Matter of Moment, than be mistaken, though it be only in Things of mere Speculation. We are naturally delighted with Truth, and have as natural an Aversion to Error; and if we knew any Way in which we could certainly arrive at Truth, we should most readily enter into it. Hence it is, that there always have been found very eminent Men, whom all the World have most highly applauded, because they spent their whole Lives in the Pursuit of Truth. There have been, and are at this Day, innumerable Natural Philosophers and Geometricians, who have taken incredible Pains to come at Truth; and who affirm, that they never feel (a) so great Pleasure as when they find out a Truth which they have long been in Search after. So that the Love and the Knowledge of Truth may very justly be reckoned. amongst the many other Things that Men excel Brutes in.

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BUT all Truths are not of the same Moment, and many theoretick Notions, though they be true, may be laid aside, because little or no Advantage can be had from them, and therefore it is not worth while to be at much Pains about them; but, on the other Hand, there are some Truths of so great Moment, that we justly think them worth purchasing at any Rate. Of this Sort are all those that relate to our Well-being and Happiness; the Knowledge of which is most valued by every Body, and most diligently pursued by them. To which if we add, that the Consequence of a well-spent and happy Life (and we must always allow, that what is good, that is agreeable to Truth, is also an

(a) So great Pleasure, &c.] See the Life of Pythagoras in Diogenes Laertius, Book VIII. 12.

Ingredient

Ingredient of Happiness) during our short Stay here, will be an eternal Happiness hereafter, as all Christians of every Sect whatsoever profess to believe; we cannot but own that the Knowledge of the Way by which we may arrive at such Happiness, cannot be purchased at too dear a Rate.

SECT. II.

Nothing can be of greater Moment than Religion; and therefore we ought to use our utmost Endeavours to come at the true Knowledge of it.

OUR Business is not now with such Persons as despise all Religion; these have been sufficiently confuted by that great Man Hugo Grotius, in the foregoing Books; which whosoever has read, with a Mind really desirous of coming at the Truth, can have no Doubt, but that there is a God who would be worshipped by Men; and as Things now are, with that very Worship which is commanded by Christ; and that he has promised everlasting Happiness after this mortal Life, to all who thus worship him.

THUS much being allowed, Nobody can doubt but that Religion is a Matter of the highest Concern; and therefore, as we see that Christians do not consist of one entire Body, we ought to endeavour to find out which Sect of them is most agreeable in its Doctrines and Precepts, to those which are left us by Jesus Christ; for we cannot have an equal Regard for them all, because some of them are so very different from others, both in Doctrine and Worship, that they accuse one another of the greatest Errors, and of having corrupted the Divine Worship; nay some of them speak of the Rest, as absolutely excluded eternal

Life..

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