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ftumble and are impatient at the leaft dividing of one vifible congregation from another, though it be not in fundamentalls; and through our forwardnes to fuppreffe, and our backwardnes to recover any enthrall'd peece of truth out of the gripe of cuftom, we care not to keep truth separated from truth, which is the fierceft rent and difunion of all. We doe not fee that while we ftill affect by all means a rigid externall formality, we may as foon fall into a groffe conforming ftupidity, a stark and dead congealment of wood and hay and stubble forc't and frozen together, which is more to the fudden degenerating of a Church than many fubdichotomies of petty fchifms. Not that I can think well of

every light feparation, or that all in a Church is to be expected gold and filver and pretious stones: it is not poffible for a man to fever the wheat from the tares, the good fish from the other frie; that must be the Angels Ministery at the end of mortall things. Yet if all cannot be of one mind, as who looks they should be? this doubtles is more wholsome, more prudent, and more Christian, that many be tolerated, rather then all compell'd. I mean not tolerated Popery, and open fuperftition, which as it extirpates all religions and civill fupremacies, To it felf fhould be extirpat, provided firft that all charitable and compaffionat means be us'd to win and regain the weak and the mifled: that alfo which is "

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impious or evil abfolutely either against faith or maners no law can poffibly permit, that intends not to unlaw it felf: but thofe neighbouring differences, or rather indifferences, are what I speak of, whether in fome point of doctrine or of difcipline, which though they may be many, yet need not interrupt the unity of Spirit, if we could but find among us the bond of peace. In the mean while

if

any one would write, and bring his helpfull hand to the flow-moving Refor mation which we labour under, if Truth have fpok'n to him before others, or but feem'd at least to speak, who hath fo bejefuited us that we fhould trouble that man with asking licence to doe fo worthy a deed? and not confider this,

that

that if it come to prohibiting, there is not ought more likely to be prohibited then truth it self; whofe first appearance to our eyes blear'd and dimm'd with prejudice and cuftom, is more unfightly and unplaufible then many errors, ev'n as the perfon is of many a great man flight and contemptible to fee to. And what doe they tell us vainly of new opinions, when this very opinion of theirs, that none must be heard, but whom they like, is the worst and new.ft opinion of all others; and is the chief caufe why fects and fchifms doe fo much abound, and true knowledge is kept at diftance from us; befides yet a greater danger which is in it. For when GOD fhakes a

ftrong and healthfull

Kingdome with

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commotions to a generall reforming, 'tis not untrue that many fectaries and false teachers are then bufieft in feducing; but yet more true it is, that God then raises to his own work men of rare abilities, and more then common industry not only to look back and revise what hath bin taught heretofore, but to gain furder and goe on, fome new enlightn'd steps in the discovery of truth. fuch is the order of GoD's enlightning his Church, to dispense and deal out by degrees his beam, fo as our earthly eyes may best sustain it. Neither is God appointed and confin'd, where and out of what place these his chosen shall be first heard to fpeak; for he fees not as man fees, choofes not as man chooses, left

For

we

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