The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

Evermore distinguish between the necessary truths and duties, and those which are not of necessity; and between the Tolerable and the intolerable errors: And never think of a Common Unity or Concord, but upon the terms of necessary points, and of the primitive simplicity of doctrine, discipline and worship; and the forbearance of dissenters in tolerable differences.

Evermore distinguish between the necessary truths and duties, and those which are not of necessity; and between the Tollerable and the intollerable errours: And never think of a Common Unity or Concord, but upon the terms of necessary points, and of the primitive simplicity of doctrine, discipline and worship; and the forbearance of dissenters in tollerable differences.

IF I were to speak but once to the world whilst I lived, this should be my Theme: And yet (for ought that I can perceive by any visible effects) I never spake of any thing with less success. One party writeth copiously of the mischiefs which will •ollow Toleration. And they say true, i• they mean the toleration of things intolerable: The other write as copiously of the necessity of Toleration and Liberty of Conscience: And they say true, if they mean only the Toleration of things tolerable. But neither of them saith true if they mean universally, and speak in any other sense: There is nothing more plain and sure, than that the tolerating of all errors and faults which conscience may be pretended for, or of none at all, are utterly destructive of Christian and humane peace and safety. He is scarce well in his wits that holdeth either part universally and unlimitedly: For the one would have no Government, ⟨p. 361⟩and the other would have no subjects to be governed. Seeing therefore bounds and limits there must be, we may reckon them as the third sort of distracted persons, who think that the bounds are so undiscoverable, that the mention of them is in vain; and therefore either All or None must be tolerated according as Rulers are disposed, or their interest seemeth to require: And therefore they say, What points be they that are necessary, and what unnecessary? What errors are tolerable, and what are intolerable? Can you name and number them? Or, who must be the judge? To which I answer.