be that loveth not his Brother; and that SER M. if any man fay, I love God, and hateth XIV. bis Brother, he is a Liar: And yet we are still fo weak, as frequently to reverse the Text, and think we can no way fo zealously show forth our Love towards God, as by Hatred and ill treatment of our Brethren. Our Lord feverely rebuked his Disciples, telling them they knew not what Spirit they were of, when they would have called for Fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans: And yet men are ftill fo foolish, as to be continually defirous of ufing Methods of Force, even Chriftians against each other. The immediate and neceffary Effects of This Uncharitableness and Bitterness of Spirit, is, that the true Fruits of Virtue and Righteousness and real Goodness are (comparatively speaking) neglected and lightly efteemed; that Superftition and Bigotry and abfurd Notions of Religion prevail among the Weak; and thofe who have more difcernment, who have difcernment enough to fee, and yet not enough to fee Through these Abfurdities, are tempted to Atheism, Scepticism, and Infidelity. All

SERM. which things being obferved by those who XIV. are without; inftead of being moved to

glorify our Father, which is in Heaven, as our Light Shining before them ought to cause them to do; they are on the contrary, by our Works of Darkness which they behold, confirmed in their Unbelief; and the Name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles, through Us, as it is written. This is the great Reproach to Chriftians, and the Great Impediment to the Progrefs of Chriftianity. This is that which makes the Pagan and Mahometan World ftill fuperior in Number to the Christian; and that even in the midst of the Light of the Gospel itself, yet Infidelity prevails beyond meafure.

BUT 'tis an eafy thing to fee the ill confequences of Uncharitablenefs, and to complain of the Mischiefs that arife from the Divifions among Chriftians. The Difficulty is, and the more ufeful part is, to find how to remedy them. Now 'tis very evident there are but Two poffible Ways by which the Divifions among Chriftians can have an End put to them. The one is, what all parties of Men are generally

I

generally very fond of, but which can S ER M. never poffibly be accomplished; and if XIV. it could, 'twould be the Destruction of Christianity itself. The other is, what would very easily and effectually cure the Evil, but what All parties are always very unwilling to put in Practice. The Method of curing Divifions, which Every party of men are very fond of, is, that thofe of all other opinions would at a venture unite in fubmitting to Them The Effect of which, if it could be accomplished, would be, not the Establishment of the Gofpel of Chrift, but of fome Worldly Power and Dominion in the ftead of it; as is more particularly notorious, in all Places where Popery has prevailed. But indeed This method of Union is altogether impoffible to be accomplished. For as every party of Chriftians reproaches all others, with caufing Schifms and Divifions by not coming into Their opinions; fo the others reciprocally caft the fame reproach upon Them, for not coming into Theirs: And thus the Fire of mutual Uncharitableness is blown up for ever, while Both fides

are

SER M. are perhaps equally, or perhaps unequalXIV. ly, in Fault. For the cafe is exactly the fame, in Moral matters, as in things natural. In Nature and Truth, real Mo tion belongs only to That Body, which changes the Abfolute Place it was in; but relative Motion, or the parting of one body from another, belongs equally to the Body from which another is removed, as to That which itself moves. Thus likewife in Morality; the Real Sin, or Guilt, of caufing Schifms and Divifions, lies always at the door of Him who departs from the Truth, and who lays the Stress of Religion where Chrift has not laid it: But the relative Schifms or Divifions themSelves, by which Chriftians are parted from each other, are always, by All Parties equally, laid to the Charge of their Adverfaries; And it must not be expected, that they can ever be cured, by any One Party fwallowing up all the rest. The Other therefore, and the Only True Method, of remedying Divifions ; but which All parties are generally very unwilling to put in Practice, is, that every party of Chriftians, forbearing to infift

and

and to lay too much Weight on their own SIRM. XIV. diftinguishing Doctrines or Inventions of Men, fincerely endeavour to unite upon the foundation of the Gospel itself, that is, the original undifputed Doctrines and Commandments of Chrift; and in all other things, by mutual Charity and Forbearance, Tenderness and Good-will, preferve the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace; according to St Paul's direction, Rom. xiv. 3, Let not him that eateth, defpife him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth.

IV. IT remains, in the Laft place, that I draw fome useful Inferences from what has been faid, and fo conclude. And

Ift, FROM what has been faid concerning the Nature of the Virtue of Charity, and its oppofite Vice, we may fee clearly whence it comes to pass, that St Paul in his Catalogue of great Wick. edneffes, Gal. v. 20, among uncleanneffes, idolatry, murders, drunkenness and revelling, reckons alfo hatred, variance and ftrife, feditions (or Schifms,) herefies and fuch like, as being Works of the Flesh. "Tis evident, differing in judgment or opiVOL. III. Y

nion