tues which I have made to enter into the perfection of the character. This objection, though the one moft infifted upon, is evidently both falfe and foolifh. No reader, of true difcernment can imagine any fuch thing. If it were fo, there would be no occafion for my book at all; on the contrary, the various maxims inferted in it, and the various examples produced in illuftration of them, do fhew that there are different degrees of perfection, even amongst the moderate themfelves. They are a body, every member of which has neither the fame abilities, nor the fame office. They are also a body moft firmly united, for mutual defence and fupport: fo much, I confefs, I intended to intimate; and that, on this account, they are intitled to a fort of community of goods, and mutual participation of each other's excellencies. A head may very well boast of the beauty, elegance and activity of the hands, or the comely proportion and ftrength of the limbs belonging to it and yet, though they are one body, it would be ridicu lous to fuppofe, that the head or hands are always in the dirt, when they have the feet to carry them through it.

This metaphor of a body, however common, is one of the jufteft and moft fignificative imaginable, out of which a very long allegory might be formed; but I fhall profecute it no farther at this time, except to acknowledge, that it convinces nie of one real omiffion in my plan, viz., that what hath been just now hinted, I ought to have inferted as a thirteenth maxim, and illuftrated it at large.* It would have been eafy to fhow, that the moderate are remarkable for the most perfect union and harmony, and for a firm and ftedfaft adherence to each other, in the pro fecution of their defigns. Neither is there any inftance in which there is a ftronger contraft or oppofition between them and the orthodox; as manifeftly appeared from the conduct of both parties in the General Affembly 1753. A friend of ours called the enemy, upon that occafion, a parcel of conscientious fools: had he then read the following maxims, which prove, that they have as little conscience as wisdom, it is probable he would have beflowed on them their true and proper character.

*This was done in the third edition.

T

ECCLESIASTICAL

CHARACTERISTICS.

INTRODUCTION.

T1

HE reader will doubtlefs agree with me, that moderation is an excellent thing, and particularly the nobleft character of a church-man. It is alfo well known, that as all churches have ufually in them a moderate, and a zealous, high-flying, wild party; fo our church hath at prefent a certain party, who glory in, and fight for moderation; and who (it is to be hoped juftly) appropriate to themfelves wholly the character of moderate men neither is it a fmall prefage of a glorious and blessed state of the church, in its approaching periods, that so many of our young men are fmitten with the love of mode ration, and generally burn with defire to appear in that noble and divine character.

This hath inspired me with the ambition and expectation of being helpful in training up as many as are defirous of it, in this moft ufeful of all fciences. For however perfectly it is known, and however fteadily practifed by many who are adepts; and notwithstanding there are fome young men, of pregnant parts, who make a fudden and furprifing proficiency, without much affiftance; yet I have often obferved, that there are feveral perfons, who err, in many instances, from the right path, boggle at funVOL. III. Dd

dry particular steps of their leaders, and take a long time before they are thoroughly confirmed in their principles and practice. The fame perfons alfo, by an unstable conduct, or by an imprudent or unfeasonable discovery of their defigns, have brought a reproach upon their party, and been an obstruction to whatever work they had then in hand.

Thefe bad effects, I humbly conceive, flow chiefly, if not only, from the want of a complete fyftem of moderation, containing all the principles of it, and giving a dif tinct view of their mutual influence one upon another, as well as proving their reasonablenefs, and fhowing, by examples, how they ought to be put in practice.

There is no work of this kind, to my knowledge, yet extant, which renders my prefent undertaking of it the more laudible, and will, I hope, render it the more acceptable.

I muft inform the reader, that after I was fully con vinced of the neceffity of fome fuch piece as what follows, but before I entered upon it myself, I earnestly intreated feveral of the most eminent men of the moderate stamp among us, those burning and fhining lights of our church, who are, and are esteemed to be, our leaders, that fome of them would fet about it. However, they all devolved it upon me; and made this fatisfying excufe for themselves, that they were fo bufied in acting moderation, that they could not have time to write upon it. This foon led me to think, what would become of many noble defigns, and what advantage our difcontented zealots might take, if any of the expert fteerfmen of this ecclefiaftical veffel of ours fhould retire from the helm; but fo long time as would be necessary to bring a work of fuch a nature, to the perfection in firength, fymmetry, and elegance, that the reader will perceive even this of mine is arrived at.

I fhall now proceed to the principal part of the work, after I have informed the reader of the plan of it; which is briefly this, to enumerate diftinctly and in their proper order and connexion, all the feveral maxims upon which moderate men conduct themfelves: and foraf

much as the juftice of many of them, being refined pieces of policy, is not very evident at firft fight, I fhall subjoin to each an illuftration and confirmation of it, from reafon or experience, or both. N. B. I fhall make but very little ufe of Scripture, becaufe that is contrary to fome of the maxims themselves; as will be seen in the fequel.

MAXIM I

All ecclefiaftical perfons, of whatever rank, whether principals of colleges, profeffors of divinity, minifters, or even probationers, that are fufpected of herefy, are to be esteemed men of great genius, vaft learning, and uncommon worth; and are, by all means, to be fupported and protected.

ALL moderate men have a kind of fellow-feeling with herefy, and as foon as they hear of any one fufpected, or in danger of being prosecuted for it, zealoufly and unanimoufly rife up in his defence. This fact is unqueftionable. I never knew a moderate man in my life, that did not love and honor a heretic, or that had not an implacable hatred at the perfons and characters of herefyhunters; a name with which we have thought proper to ftigmatize thefe fons of Belial, who begin and carry on profecutions against men for herefy in church

courts.

It is related of the apostle John, and an ugly story it is, that upon going into a public bath, and observing the heretic Cerinthus there before him, he retired with the utmost precipitation, left the edifice fhould fall, and crufh him, when in company with fuch an enemy of the truth. If the ftory be true, the apoftle's conduct was ridiculous and wild; but Dr. Middleton has shown that the story is not true; and indeed, the known benevolence and charity of John's writings make it highly probable. However, not to enter into that controverfy, whether it be true or not, the conduct of all moderate inen is directly oppofite.

As to the justice of this maxim, many folid reafons may be given for it.Compaffion itself, which is one of the finest and most benevolent feelings of the human heart, moves them to the relief of their diftreffed brother. Another very plain reafon may be given for it: moderate men are, by their very name and constitution, the reverse, in all refpects, of bigotted zealots. Now, it is well known, that many of this last fort, both clergy and common people, when they hear of a man fuf pected of herefy, conceive an averfion at him, even be fore they know any thing of the cafe; nor after he is acquitted (as they are all of them commonly in our church courts) can they ever come to entertain a favorable opinion of him. The reverse of this then is, to be as early and as vigorous in his defence, as they are in his prosecution, and as implicit in our belief of his orthodoxy, as they are in their belief of his error,

I remember, when I was difcourfing once to this purpofe, a certain raw unexperienced perfon faid, he had always thought, that not moderation, but lukewarmnefs and indifference to truth, was the reverfe of exceffive zeal; and that moderation was fituated in the middle betwixt the two. To whom I answered, Young man you do not reflect, that no fierce man can be refifted but by one as fierce, nor overcome but by one fiercer than himself; if, therefore, no body would oppofe the zealots, but fuch calm midímen as you mention, in every fuch inftance the balance of power muft lean to their file, and the poor heretic muft fall a facrifice, to the no small detriment of the caufe of moderation; which by the bye, is commonly fupported by the heretics in their flations, and therefore they deferve a grateful return.

This brings to my mind another reafon for the maxim, viz. That heretics being fo nearly related to the moderate men, have a right to claim their protection out of friendship and perfonal regard. This ferves a very noble end; for it vindicates the Chriftian religion from the objection of fome infidels, who affirm that it does not recommend private friendfhip; now moderate men having all a very great regard to private friendship, and