as Nilus, archbishop of Thessalonica, doth largely declare in a book purposely written on that argument. Excellent counsel is that of Solomon, not only in a case he there puts, but in divers others;" If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place." Eccles. x. 4. E sede itio,' may, with a little heat, turn into seditio.' Consider, all are not eyes and hands in the body of Christ, to take upon them the burden of great affairs; and truth can seldom be worse served, than when a man who indeed loves it, but hath not parts nor learning enough to be a champion for it, shall put himself unseasonably upon disputes; and, so as he spake, • Veritatem defendendo concutere,' to betray the truth by a weak defence. "Are all apostles?" saith Saint Paul; "Are all prophets? Are all teachers ?" Hath not God dealt to every man a several measure? Hath he not placed every man in a several order? Have we not all work enough to do in our own places, except we rush into the labours, and intrude ourselves on the business of other men? Hæc magistro relinquat Aristoteli, canere ipse doceat." It was a smart rebuke of Tully against Aristoxenus the musician, who would needs turn philosopher:whereunto agreeth that answer of Basil the Great to the clerk of the Emperor's kitchen, when he jeered him for his soundness against the Ariam faction, Σόν ἐστι, τῶν ζωμῶν καρύκης φροντίζειν, « Your business is to look to the seasoning of your broth, and not to revile the doctrine or the doctors of the church." Let us, therefore, content ourselves with the apostle's ruleEvery man to abide in the calling, and to keep the station wherein God hath set him; (1 Cor. vii. 24) and not out of ambition, discontent, emulation, or any other polypragmatical distemper, to grow weary of our own employments, and to immix and interpose ourselves in things, which are without and above order.

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Fourthly; Hereunto much conduceth, a brotherly mildness towards those who are contrary-minded: a mutual Guyxaτáßaris, and condescension' to the weakness of one

• Tusc. Quæst. Theod. Hist. 1. 4. cap. 17. b Οὔ τοι, τέκνον ἐμὸν, δέδοται πολεμήϊα έργα· 'Αλλὰ σὺ γ ̓ ἱμερόεντα μετέρχεο ἔργα γάμοιο. Ταῦτα δ' Αρηϊ ποῷ ε Συμπε kal 'Аońη wára μeλýoei, Iliad. e. Vid. Euseb. 1. 5. hist. cap. 24. pievexoñvai тoîs dodeveσrépoîs, Basil. Epist. 203.-Vid. elegantissimum Naz. locum, Orat. p. 12. 203.

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another, as the Apostle adviseth, Rom. xv. 1. Acrimony indeed, and sharpness of rebuke, is sometimes necessary towards men of obstinate and pernicious minds: (Tit. i. 13. Gal. ii. 5) but amongst brethren, yea, adversaries that are not incorrigible, all things ought to be carried with lenity and meekness. (Gal. vi. 1, and v. 13. 2 Tim. ii. 25) Epiphanius telleth us of some creatures, that the more they sting, the less they hurt: and surely in any dispute it is a strong presumption, that that man doth least hurt with his argument, who betakes himself to biting, and to intemperate language. In these things, therefore, we should carry ourselves non ἀλλοτρίως, sed ἀδελφικώς ; as brethren, and not as enemies; not to uncover the nakedness, or to put our feet on the breasts of our brethren :f but as it is said of Athanasius the Great, that he was Dissidentibus magnes,' by his meekness he drew those who dissented from him; so should we make the truth a gainer, by our mild handling of those that from us. vary Ἡτληθῶμεν ἵνα νικήσωμεν. » It was the grave and pious advice of Nazianzen, "Let us yield to our brethren, that we may overcome them ;" as a flint is easily broken upon a pillow, which yields unto it.

h

Lastly; So long as there is sound agreement in fundamental truths, and in the simplicity of the gospel, we ought rather to deny our wits, and to silence our disputes' in matters merely notional and curious, which have no necessary influence unto faith and godly living, than, by spending our precious hours in such impertinent contentions, for gain of a small truth, to shipwreck a great deal of love; for while we perplex the minds of men with abstruse and thorny ques tions, we take off their thoughts from more necessary and

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d Sepis morsus non nocet: Epiph. Hæres. 36. Vespa quò acrius pungit, minus lædit. Hæres. 44. e Rationibus victi, dentibus vincunt. Bas. Ep. 80 Dum alter alteri anathema esse cœpit, propè jam nemo Christi est: Hil. contr. Const. Hæretici, argumentis victi, calumnias meditantur: Athan, ad Adelph. cont. Arian. Istæ sunt Hæreticorum machinæ, ut convicti de perfidia, ad maledicta se conferant: Hier. Apol. contr. Ruff.-Vid. Aug. Ep. 14. et tom. 4. quæst. ex. Matth. c. 11. cont. lit. Pet. 1. 3. c. 1. contr. Crescon. Grammat. 1. 4. c. 3.— Nazianz. Orat. 51. † Λὰξ ἐν στήθεσι βαίνων. g Nuzian. Orat. 21. p. 392. h Naz. Orat. 14. i Non minus interdum oratorium est tacere quàm loqui: Plin. 1. 6. Ep. 7.-Vid. Basil. contr. Eunomium, 1. 1. verb. prim. Ne majus malum incurratur ex scandalo, quam bonum percipiatur ex vero: (ita enim legendum, non verbo) Aug. Ep. 85.-Urbem produnt, dum castella de

fendunt: Cic. lib. 2. de divin.

spiritual employments. It was a wise and seasonable rebuke which the mariners, in a dangerous tempest, gave to the philosopher who troubled them with an impertinent discourse, Ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμεθα, και συ παίζεις, We perish whilst thou trifest. ' Let it never be said so of any of us, that while we wrangle about scholastical notions and questions that gender strife, those whose poor souls, ready haply to sink under the tempest of sin and death, cry out, like the man of Macedonia, in St. Paul's vision, come and help us," for want of that plain and compendiary way of faith, repentance, good works, spiritual worship, and evangelical obedience which should be taught them, become a prey to that envious man; who, while we sleep, will be sure to watch, and go about seeking whom he may devour. Let us therefore leave our smaller disputes to Elias," quando venerit;' and let us speak to the people, τà Toũ XpioTou, as Holy Iguatius saith," those things which make men confess that God is in us of a truth, and that certainly it is Christ which speaketh by us, God leadeth not his people unto eternal life, by knotty and inextricable questions: "in absoluto ac facili est æternitas," as Saint Hilary excellently speaketh ;P no need of verbal wranglings, or of contentious disputes. Πιστεύειν συμφέρει, καὶ σέβειν, καὶ προσκυνεῖν σιωπῇ: It is the godly counsel of great Athanasius. We have no need of curiosity' after the gospel of Christ our work is to make men Christians in their holy religion, and not critics: to bring them unto faith, and not ⚫unto doubtful disputations; to feed their souls, and to guide their consciences, not to dazzle their eyes, nor to puzzle their judgements, nor to perplex their conceits, nor to please their humours, nor to tickle their fancies, nor to foment their jealousies and censures of things or persons, by novel, spe

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1 A. Gel. 1. 1. cap. 2. Vid. G. Naz. fusè et eleganter, Orat. 14. p. 220. 221.-Orat. 26. p. 445, 446. Orat. 35.-Aug. de Gen. ad lit. lib. 2. cap. 9. Ut Areopagitæ causas quasdam in annum centesimum differebant; Aul. Gell. 1. 12. cap. 7. Quædam quæstiones sunt Toû wapórтos kaipoû, quædam Toû μéλ• Ignat. Epist. λοντος αἰῶνος, καὶ τῆς ἐκείθεν ἐλευθερίας. Νaz. Orat. 14.

ad Ephes. P Hil. de Trin. lib. 10. juxta finem.-Vid. Epiph. Hæres. 35. Athan. Orat. Unum esse Christum, et ad Serapion. p. 191. Mn diaμáxeσdas, r Cuἀλλὰ τῷ φρονήματι τῆς εὐσεβίας συμφωνεῖν. Epist. ad Antiochenos. • Πιστοὺς ἀντὶ τεχνολογεῖν. riositate opus non est post Evangelium: Tert.

Nazian. Orat. 35.

Aug. Ep. 56.

Rom. xiv. 1. Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 21. p. 149, 150.

cious, and unpractical curiosities. If we will believe him, who, for his judgement and learning, had the surname of "Theologus" given him; this is the right way of being a sound divine. It is Gregory Nazianzen, in his 29th oration, at the latter end of that oration, whose judgement shall put an end unto the handling of the first question; the next I will pass over with more brevity, and that for memory's sake, in these few expressions.

1. The right way to compose differences amongst men, is ὑπακοὴ, and ὁμόνοια, a joint obedience " to the truths wherein all agree, and pursuance of those pious ends which all profess. This is the Apostle's rule in this very case; "Whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things." (Phil. iii. 16) For indeed the love of God, and conscience of his commandments, is the right way to know him, and the secrets of his word. "If any man will do the will of God, he shall know the doctrine." (John vii. 17) "And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (1 John ii. 3, 4) And in all knowledge which is intended for practice, that of the philosopher is most true, "those things which we learn to do, we learn by doing." Now the knowledge of divine truths is not barely intellectual for the brain, but experimental for the conscience, and consisteth much in the taste of spiritual things. It is the expression of Saint Basil, quod in cibis gustus, in sacris intellectus ;" and the Apostle calleth it "knowledge unto godliness." (1 Tim. vi. 3) They, therefore, who can resolve to keep a good conscience, and not vitiate the palate of their mind with any morbid humours, are most likely, by the other helps of learning and industry, to find out the truths wherein they disagree: for the very

u Ex mandato mandata cernimus: Hilar. in Psalm 118. G. Si in lumine Christi ambulare volumus, à præceptis ejus et monitis non recedamus; Cypr. 1.1. Ep. 3. ad Cæcil. Toûтo yvwσis Oεoû, Týpnσis evтoλŵv. Basil, de Mart. Manante, et in Psalm 33. in illud, Gustate et videte.' Kakóтexvov nv oopla OVK EiσEλEVOEтal. Naz. Orat. 6. et Orat. 33.-Nisi fidelium operum usus præces. serit, doctrinæ cognitio non apprehendetur; Hilar. in Psalm 118. B. I A μανθάνομεν ποιεῖν, ποιοῦντες μανθάνομεν. Αrist. Ethic. l. 2. c. 1.-Video multos parvo ingenio, literis nullis, ut bene agerent, agendo consecutos; 1. 6. Epist. 29.— Vid. Afran. et Pacuvium apud A. Gell. 1. 13. cap. 8. y Basil, Reg. Brevior. interrog. 279.-Job xii. 11. Psalm cxix. 66. Job xxxiv. 3.

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philosopher could say, that "wickedness doth putrefy the principles of the mind;" and "such as are men's courses of life, such likewise are the dispositions of their minds towards practical truth." A corrupt heart doth usually make a corrupt judgment, "dum his quæ volumus, doctrinam coaptamus." It concerns us therefore not to be like painters (it is the similitude of Methodius) that can draw a ship on a table, but are not able to build a ship for use; that can write and discourse of doctrine in papers, but not to express the truth of it in our lives;-but by our unanimous obedience to the truths we know, to dispose ourselves for the discovery of those we do not know. Justin Martyr confesseth, that it was the lives of the Christians which taught him Christian religion. There are extant two epistles of Basil the Great, Ad Presbyteros Tarsenses;' wherein speaking of differences in the church, he adviseth this as the most compendious remedy.

1. Whatever we may, συμπεριενεχθῆναι τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις, το condescend unto the weak, and then to hold firm our argument in the foundation of faith.

2. Proμadía. A docible and tractable disposition; whereby, being sensible of our own natural blindness in the things of God, we first betake ourselves unto him by fervent prayer, imploring the guidance of his Holy Spirit, that wherein we are otherwise minded, he would reveal even that unto us. (Phil. iii. 15) For prayer is an excellent key unto the Holy Scriptures. It was a pious speech of Saint Austin, f That they who are meek and humble in heart, "plus cogitando et orando proficiunt, quàm legendo et audiendo.”

2. When hereby out of a serious and single-hearted love of truth, we address ourselves to the study of Holy Scriptures, not bringing along with us our own private conceits," and then

• Αἱ ἀκροάσεις κατὰ τὰ

• Κακία φθαρτικὴ ἀρχῶν. Arist. Eth. 1. 6. c. 5. ἔθη συμβαίνουσιν· ὡς γὰρ εἰώθαμεν, οὕτως ἀξιοῦμεν λέγεσθαι. Arist. lib. 1. Mem taphys. b Hilar. de Trin. 1. 10.—Aug. de doctr. Christ. li. 2. c. 6. de moribus Ecclesiæ, 1. i. c. 17, 18, 27. Apolog. 1. p. 51.

Apud Epiph. Hæres. 64.

d Justin. Basil. Epist. 203, 204. f Aug. Epist. 112. g Vid. Iren. 1.3. c. 2. Non imponendus Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 24. sensus sacris literis, sed expectandus; Hil. de Trin. lib. 1. cap. 7. passim. Toû γράμματος ἱερόσυλοι, καὶ τὸν νοῦν τῶν γεγραμμένων κλέπτοντες. Νaz. Orat. 36. Scripturas secundum suum sensum legunt: Aug. de Gr. Chr. cap. 42 -Simplicitatem sermonis Ecclesiastici id volunt significare, quod ipsi sentiunt: Epiph. ad