All this is not spoken to justify undue rigours, such as are without any temper of Christian moderation; or those frivolous Controversies about trifles, such as have no foundation in the Word, as about the Observation of Easter, between the Eastern and Western Churches, which difference grew so high that they excommunicated each other; or about celebrating the Lords Supper with leavened or unleavened bread; or the fierce bickrings between Chrysostom and Epiphanius about Origens Books, set on by Theophilus, in pursuit of which many were slain, the Senate house pulled down, and the great Church at constantinople set on fire. Nor to justify mere verbal strifes about words and names forbidden by the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2. 14. 1 Tim. 6. 4. Vain glorious men if they can get but a different method or expression, cry no new light, and so there is a great deal of noise stirred up about a mistake. Nor to justify the breaking off Church-fellowship and communion, and making rents in the Body of Christ, because of difference of opinion in smaller matters, when we agree in the more weighty things: We are to walk together as far as we are agreed, Phil. 3. 16. and externals wherein we differ, lying far from the heart of Religion, are nothing to faith and the new creature, wherein we agree, Gal. 5. 6. and 6. 15. The most weight should be pitched upon the fundamentals and essentials of Religion; and when there is an agreement there, private differences in smaller matters should not make us break off from one another: False zeal is unevenly carried out to these lower things both in opinion and practise; and usually young Professors are eager upon disputes, impatient of contradiction, and lay out all their strength this way, to excuse their care in the more weighty matters of Christianity; whereas the Kingdom of God doth not stand in meat and drink, but in peace, and righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. The itch of disputing and zeal for an opinion, rather then Religion in the main, are bad characters. Again, when men, though in the right, think there is no Religion or holiness but within the compass of such an opinion, this is censorious rigour, or to *be righteous over-much; or when a lesser dissent is loaded with all the odious consequences ⟨p. 165⟩that you can fancy in your thoughts, though disclaimed by the party dissenting;
All this is not spoken to justifie undue rigors, such as are without any temper of Christian moderation; or those frivolous Controversies about trifles, such as have no foundation in the Word, as about the Observation of Easter, between the Eastern and Western Churches, which difference grew so high that they excommunicated each other; or about celebrating the Lords Supper with leavened or unleavened bread; or the fierce bickrings between Chrysostom and Epiphanius about Origens Books, set on by Theophilus, in pursuit of which many were slain, the Senate house pulled down, and the great Church at constantinople set on fire. Nor to justifie meer verbal strifes about words and names forbidden by the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2. 14. 1 Tim. 6. 4. Vain glorious men if they can get but a different method or expression, cry no new light, and so there is a great deal of noise stirred up about a mistake. Nor to justifie the breaking off Church-fellowship and communion, and making rents in the Body of Christ, because of difference of opinion in smaller matters, when we agree in the more weighty things: We are to walk together as far as we are agreed, Phil. 3. 16. and externals wherein we differ, lying far from the heart of Religion, are nothing to faith and the new creature, wherein we agree, Gal. 5. 6. and 6. 15. The most weight should be pitched upon the fundamentals and essentials of Religion; and when there is an agreement there, private differences in smaller matters should not make us break off from one another: False zeal is unevenly carryed out to these lower things both in opinion and practise; and usually young Professors are eager upon disputes, impatient of contradiction, and lay out all their strength this way, to excuse their care in the more weighty matters of Christianity; whereas the Kingdom of God doth not stand in meat and drink, but in peace, and righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. The itch of disputing and zeal for an opinion, rather then Religion in the main, are bad characters. Again, when men, though in the right, think there is no Religion or holiness but within the compass of such an opinion, this is censorious rigor, or to *be righteous over-much; or when a lesser dissent is loaded with all the odious consequences ⟨p. 165⟩
- *Eccl. 7. 17.
