Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

Propos. 2. These Differences may and should be managed with Charity▪ Not but that Unity should by all good men be first endeavoured; and to that end, they should all impartially seek for Truth, on which side soever it lies; and this every humble diligent man shall find. The Spirit of God, which is promised unto his Church, and which every true Believer shall have for asking, will guide all such into all necessary saving Truth; and all other Unity save in the Truth, is but Conspiracy: Accursed is that Charity, saith Luther, which is preserved by the Shipwreck of Faith or Truth, to which all things must give place, both Charity, yea on Apostle, yea an Angel from Heaven. If the one must be dispensed withal, it is Peace and not Truth. Better to have Truth without public Peace, than Peace without saving Truth: So Dr. Gauden. We must not sail for the Commodity of Peace beyond the Line of Truth; we must break the Peace in Truths quarrel, so another Learned man. But this is to be understood of necessary and essential Truths, in which Case, that Man little consults the Will and Honour of God, who will expose the Truth to obtain (as saith Nazianzen) the repute of an easy mildness: Speciosum quidem nomen est pacis, & pulchra opinio Unitatis, sed quis dubitat eam solam Ecclesiae pacem esse, qua Christi est, saith Hilary. But when as, after all such endeavours have been used, as are within the reach of a Mans Parts and Calling, ••ill Differences do remain in smaller matters, these ought to be managed with all Charity; that is, with true Love, a Love of Honour and respect to those that are above us; a Love of Condescension and forbearance to those that are below us; and a Love of hearty Good-will and Kindness to those that are equal to us; for Aquinas well saith, that that Concord which is the Effect of Charity, is the union of Affections not of Opinions: There may be the same Love in the Heart, where there are not the same Notions in the Head; and this will keep the strong Christian from despising the weak, and this will keep the weak Christian from censuring and judging the strong. They may be of the same Heart, who are not every way of the same Mind; or else there could scarce be real Affection between any two Persons in the World: Pax non est consensio ingeniorum, sed conjunctio animorum; sentire in omnibus tecum, nunc quidem non possum, sed amare debeo;

Propos. 2. These Differences may and should be managed with Charity▪ Not but that Ʋnity should by all good men be first endeavoured; and to that end, they should all impartially seek for Truth, on which side soever it lies; and this every humble diligent man shall find. The Spirit of God, which is promised unto his Church, and which every true Believer shall have for asking, will guide all such into all necessary saving Truth; and all other Ʋnity save in the Truth, is but Conspiracy: Accursed is that Charity, saith Luther, which is preserved by the Shipwrack of Faith or Truth, to which all things must give place, both Charity, yea on Apostle, yea an Angel from Heaven. If the one must be dispensed withal, it is Peace and not Truth. Better to have Truth without publick Peace, than Peace without saving Truth: So Dr. Gauden. We must not sail for the Commodity of Peace beyond the Line of Truth; we must break the Peace in Truths quarrel, so another Learned man. But this is to be understood of necessary and essential Truths, in which Case, that Man little consults the Will and Honour of God, who will expose the Truth to obtain (as saith Nazianzen) the repute of an easie mildness: Speciosum quidem nomen est pacis, & pulchra opinio Ʋnitatis, sed quis dubitat eam solam Ecclesiae pacem esse, qua Christi est, saith Hilary. But when as, after all such endeavours have been used, as are within the reach of a Mans Parts and Calling, ill Differences do remain in smaller matters, these ought to be managed with all Charity; that is, with true Love, a Love of Honour and respect to those that are above us; a Love of Condescention and forbearance to those that are below us; and a Love of hearty Good-will and Kindness to those that are equal to us; for Aquinas well saith, that that Concord which is the Effect of Charity, is the union of Affections not of Opinions: There may be the same Love in the Heart, where there are not the same Notions in the Head; and this will keep the strong Christian from despising the weak, and this will keep the weak Christian from censuring and judging the strong. They may be of the same Heart, who are not every way of the same Mind; or else there could scarce be real Affection between any two Persons in the World: Pax non est consensio ingeniorum, sed conjunctio animorum; sentire in omnibus tecum, nunc quidem non possum, sed amare debeo;