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nor there, but that the whole is a Babel of Contention, and that were the emblematic Dove fent forth from the Ark of God amongst us, he would find little Reft for the Sole of her Foot; nay, to fuch a Heighth have the Waters of Strife prevailed as fcarcely to afford her an Olive Branch for a Token of Peace upon the Earth: Now where Envying and Strife is, there is not only Confufion, but every Evil Work, Wickedness in High Places, and Wickednefs in Low.

Great Pains and much Invention have been employed by Authors of different Perfuafions to fix the Character of Antichrift on this or that particular Church: Some of our own, learnedly wife in their Expofitions of the Apocalypfe, have fancied that this Mystery of Iniquity, in every Limb and Feature, is exactly and fingly pourtrayed in the Bishop of Rome; and fome among the weaker of the Proteftant' Diffenters, led by an educational Prejudice againft Epifcopacy have divided the Hoof, and given one half to the Church of Rome and the other to the Church of England, not knowing that Antichrift has no more to do with the Hierarchical than with any'

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other Form of Church Government; that he is not confined to any particular Characters, Places, or Churches, but hath fet his Foot on the Breadth of the whole Earth, and erects his Throne as eafily in a Synod of Prefbyters as in a Confiftory of Cardinals: For wherever there is a Thirst after earthly Dominion, or the Exercife of tyrannical Power over Mens Confciences; wherever the fame Hands that deal out the myftical Body and Blood of Christ are defiled with the Wages of Unrighteoufnefs; wherever those Hearts which fhould be Temples of the living God, and bear the Image and Superfcription of the humble Jefus, are exalted in Pride above their Brethren ; wherever any thing that is in Man, or can be of Man, ufurps the place of Chrift, and robs Him of any Part of the Honour of our Salvation; and laftly, wherever Perfecution hangs out her bloody Flag for the ravening Wolves to hunt and devour the harmless Sheep of Chrift; whether this be at Rome or Geneva, among Papifts, Lutherans, Calvinifts, or others There Abomi

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That is a common Error and fatal in its Confequences to true Religion, which places more to the account of the outward Conftitution of that national Church to which Men belong, than to the Life and Power of Godliness: Hence it is, that moft of the Disputes which have exercised the Pens and Patience of Writers and Readers, have been about the external Polity, the Ceremonies, or the different Opinions of this or that Church, rather than concerning the Fundamentals of Chriftianity; and hence that in general People do not fo much mean by making Converts the winning of Souls to Chrift, and bringing them under the powerful Influences of Gofpel Salvation, as making them Profelytes to fome particular Modes of Worship, or to a certain Way of Thinking about Religion. That Sameness of Communion in Externals among Chriftians, who are united in Spirit and Affection, is a defirable thing no one can well deny; but that fuch Agreement in all outward and ceffary things is neceffary or to be expected, ought not to be affirmed for were People divefted of that Pride, Selfifhnefs, andImpatience which fo indifpofe them for bearing with others, they might find

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that different outward Communions among Cbriftians, are as compatible with the Peace of the Univerfal Church, as different Bodies Corporate are with the Peace of a Kingdom; Ifpeak of fuch Chriftian Societies as build upon one Foundation, hold the fame Head, and maintain no Principles contrary to the Effence of Faith or the Safety of the Government: Such different Families of Chriftians, if the Expreffion may be allowed, amicably diffenting concerning leffer Points, and applying St. Paul's Doctrine of Moderation about Meats and Drinks to the refpective Subjects of their Difference, may have been permitted in the Church from the Beginning to ferve as fo many Checks one upon another to restrain from diforderly Walking, to excite holy Emulations, to afford various Occafions for the Exercife of Chriftian Charity, to prevent Combinations to corrupt the Scriptures, or as a Means to preferve or revive some precious Truth or Doctrine that might otherwife fuffer Lofs: But, tho' fome or other of thefe good Ends may hereby be anfwered through the over-ruling Power of Providence, yet it would confeffedly be making a bad Ufe of this Argument to form it into a Pretext for Divifions entered upon

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upon through Wantonnefs, or to palliate the Guilt of caufelefs Schifms grounded in Fondness for Novelty and Change.

What has here been faid in Favour of tender Confciences well agrees with the Temper and Moderation of our excellent Church in this Matter; ye fome, otherwife minded, object to all fuch charitable Indulgence, That God is the God of Order and not of Confufion: But the Application of this Text obtains no proper Place here, as Order is well confiftent with Diversity, tho' not with Confufion, nay Diverfity, in. pro→ per Difpofition and Arrangement, is in fre quent Inftances the very Beauty of Order; and fuch Diverfity is vifible in all God's Works; every Genus of Animals and Vege tables in their different Tribes bears Teftimony to this Truth, and doubtless the Bleffed Angels and Spirits of juft Men made perfect, belong to different Claffes and Governments, according to their various Kinds and Degrees of Excellence, and their different Capacities for Glory: If Men therefore differ, let it be according to their Order and to the Will of God, and then all is well; their Differences then become only as different Notes in a Pfaltery, whofe Variety har

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