1.

It is, indeed, a very moving and uneafy SERM. Confideration, that, from the time of its firft Appearance to this very Day, fuch an ufe hath been made of it, or of fomething or other supposed to belong to it, as hath tempted fome to think that the Mischief it hath given Rife to, in the World, is not countervailed by all the Good it hath hitherto brought forth. And there needs but a very little Knowledge in the Hiftory of former Times, or the Tranfactions of these later Ages, to make one with that there were much less reason to think fo, than there appears to be.

What our Saviour chiefly had an Eye to, in the Text, was, probably that Perfecution; and those Inftances of Malice; which He faw it would occafion in the World, at its first appearance: that Hatred of Chriftians it would produce in the Breasts of Unbelievers; and thofe Storms of Perfecution, which the Profeffion of it would raise against them. But, as He could not likewife be ignorant of those Hatreds and Animofities it would, in after Ages, raife amongst Chriflians themselves, against one another; to the disturbing, and ruining their common Peace and Quiet: fo, He did not (we may be fure) exclude these ;

SERM. but had an Eye to them all, in the Words of the Text.

I.

When Chriftianity first appeared, and first was preached; the Prejudices and Paffions of Men ran high against it: as it was a Contradiction to their received Ways of Worship; to their former and settled Principles; to the Dictates and Practices of their Forefathers; and to their own indulged Lufts, and evil Habits. And so the very Profeffion of it, much more the bold Preaching of it, allarmed all Mankind against the Men who profeffed and preached it. They were hated by their nearest Relations; they were expofed to the greatest Evils in Life: and they were perfecuted even to Death: All Countries were disturbed at them; and all Princes, and Magistrates made it their Business to extirpate them. This was their Cafe almoft conftantly, till their Numbers increased; till Christianity became the Established Religion of whole Nations; and Princes became the Temporal Patrons of the Church. thus did this Religion which Jefus came to plant in the World, give an Allarm to the Kingdoms of it: and was made the Handle to unspeakable Disquiet and Disturbance, Malice and Perfecution, in it.

And

But when it came to be the fettled Reli

I.

gion; to have the Approbation, and Counte-S E R M. nance of Princes; and to enjoy the favourable Look of the great Men of this World: what a glorious Scene would any one expect, who seriously looks into the Defign, Nature, and Precepts of it? What a Scene of Calmnefs and Serenity of Mind; of Mortification, and Conqueft of thofe Paffions and Lufts, from whence proceeds all the Mischief in the World? What a Scene of Love and Beneficence to one another; of Joy and Delight in one another's Happiness; of Openness and Freedom; of Sincerity and Kindness; of Humility, Condefcenfion, Humanity, and Meekness? What could Any one expect, who searcheth into the Gofpel, more than the Humours and Actions of Mankind, but that Peace and Holinefs fhould have kiffed each other; that Contentment and Happiness fhould have flourished in the Earth; that all that could contribute to the Quiet and Satisfaction of the World, fhould from this Time have abounded in it?

Would you think, That, as foon as the Chriftians had Reft from the World about them, their Paffions ran as high against one another as the Paffions of the unbelieving World had done against them before? Would you imagine that they turned from suffering gloriously,

B 4

SERM. gloriously, to biting and devouring; to ha-
I. ting and condemning one another? That

their strongest and most avowed Hatreds,
their most fatal Divifions and Animofities,
took their Rife from, and had their Founda-
tion in, fome Point of Religion, fome Point
of Faith, or Worship? And that they were
often more concerned for fome infignificant
Matter, or fome Point of Speculation, that
the Gospel had not fo abfolutely determined,
as to leave no room for Diversity of Opinions;
That they were too often, I fay, much more
zealous to defend, or oppofe, Thefe, than to
preserve the Obligation, and secure the Prac-
tice, of the weightier Matters of the Gospel?
Yet thus it was: and thus it hath been ever
fince, to that Degree, that it is now hardly a
Question whether more Unkindness and Inhu-
manity, more Malice and Hatred, more Vio-
lence and Barbarity, have been fhewn by
Heathens and Infidels towards Chriftians for
the fake of their Religion; than have been
fhewn by Chriftians towards one another, on
the score of fome Religious Differences.

The contending with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of Truth, and Meekness, for the Purity of Faith and Worship once delivered to the Saints, was truly commendable and praiseworthy. This fort of Contention

for

I.

the Gospel, in the Spirit of the Gospel, hath SER M. ever tended to the increafing of Charity, as well as to the manifefting of Truth. But a falfe Zeal quickly devoured it, and took its place: and very foon prompted Men of ill Tempers, and worldly Defigns, to make a greater Distinction amongst Christians, than need; to ftigmatize honefter Men than themfelves with hard Names, and odious Appellations: and then, to treat them contumeliously, and as Perfons unfit to be dealt with in the Ways of Humanity, and Candour. And, on the other fide, this fame Pretenfe gave occafion to Men of Parts and Paffion, when they faw themselves likely to be oppreffed, to strengthen themselves in their Opinions; to form Parties upon a Foundation distinct from that of the flourishing Party; to enter into close Designs and Combinations; and fo to help forward the Disturbance and Disquiet of the Christian Church.

If we pass from thefe firft Ages downwards; who can speak, or hear, of fuch things, as have been publickly transacted amongst Christians, on Religious Accounts, without a very fenfible Commotion within? We may read it in Hiftories, and we may fee it with our Eyes, that there is an immortal Hatred Uneasiness not ever likely to cease, between Chriftians of feveral Denominations. There

an

are