them can neither be Required by the Law of Charity, nor Confiftent with

it.

Indeed a Mutual Good Opinion amongt men is fo Agreeable, and Lovely, and Defirable, and, in Moft cafes fo Neceffary, that we should be exceeding Cautious of failing in it, or Diminution of it; that we should be to the Utmost Careful of Preferving and Defending it, as long as ever there is the least Foundation for it to ftand on, and, that we should be heartily Grieved and Afflicted, when, in any Inftance, it must of Neceffity be excluded.

Many other branches of Charity are Neceffary duties, even towards the Worst of men, whether in respect of Faith or Manners. We are Indifpenfably bound, most Sincerely and Affectionately to Commiferate their Condition; to weep and mourn for the manifest Danger they are in, though they Themselves are not fenfible of it; to offer up our most Ardent prayers to God, for their Conversion, and, to contribute towards that Converfion, according to our Capacities and Op

portu

portunities. But ftill we May, and Ought to be thus Affected to them, without running into an Approbation of them. Habitual and Notorious Sinners have no more Right to our Intire Good Opinion, than to our Imitation of them. For Charity does not Oblige us to Abandon Common Sense; and our Bleffed Lord, the Perfect Pattern of Charity hath taught us, that the tree is known by his fruit. Nor can it ever Confift with Charity, which ever Implies an Intire Love of God, Throughly to Approve of His Open Ene

mies.

And the cafe is much the fame, in refpect of Those who Offend against the Rules of Belief, as of Those who break in upon the Rules of Action. But of fome have Compaffion, making a Difference. Charity will not fuffer any one to throw off a Good Opinion of Thofe, who, though they be Attempted, and Shaken, and become Weak in Faith, by the Infinuations and Artifice of Deceivers, have not yet caft off their First faith, but appear Modeft, and Humble, and Tractable, and Defirous to come unto the knowledge

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ledge of the Truth. But if any man takes up Heretical opinions, in Opposi~ tion to the Mysteries plainly propofed to our Belief in the Scripture, and remains Obftinate and Perverfe, and Incorrigible in the Profeffion and Vindication of fuch his Opinions, and in the Disbelief and Difavowance of those Mysteries, which God hath required us to Believe; we are no more obliged, by the Law of Charity, to entertain an Intire Good Opinion of him, than we are by the Rule of Faith, to become Unbelievers with him.

We cannot Avoid thinking, though we cannot be Easy under the Thought, that men are Infidels, when they Profefs themselves to be fo: And Charity, which always fuppofeth a Stedfast Faith, and an Inviolable Love of God, and of the Truth, can never Confist with a Perfect Approbation of Thofe, who do Refolutely and Notoriously Difobey and Dishonour God, by Disbelieving, and Rejecting, and Oppofing the Truths, which he Exprefly Requires them to Believe. And This, which is fo Clear in it Self, appears under as Full a Light, in the Scriptures,

Scriptures, the Rule of our Duty, in This, as in every Other Particular. What 0pinion could St. Paul, fo Eminent for his Charity, * and filled with the Holy Ghoft, be supposed to have of Elymas the Sorcerer, when he thus Addrefs'd himself to him: O full of all Subtilty, and all Mifchief, thou Child of the Devil, thou Enemy of all righteousness! And what Opinion could our Bleffed Saviour himself be supposed to have of the Corrupted Scribes and Pharifees, when he Denounced the feverest Woes against them, and styled them, † Blind Guides and Hypocrites, Serpents and a Generation of Vipers.

It will eafily Appear, that there is no room for this notion, which is apt to arife from Good Nature, or, from a Worfe Principle, in fome mens minds, That we should ftill retain a Good Opinion of those, who Differ from us in matters of Judgment and Pure Belief, because in Heaven all Differences of Sentiments and Opinions will be Reconciled,

*Acts. xiii. 9, 10.

Matt. xxiii. 23, 24, 33. and

and all mens Thoughts, which, upon Earth were wont to Clash and Interfere, will be reduced to an intire Agreement. A Declaration of this kind, concerning mens Different opinions in this life, fhould not be made in General terms, but under fome Diftinctions and Reftriction. For, though it be very plain, That mens Differences concerning things Temporal must cease with the Things themfelves, and will not Debar them of God's Mercy, provided that fuch Differences be not attended, either with fuch Outward Behaviour, or fuch Inward Difpofitions as are Forbid in the Gospel, and, That mens Different Opinions concerning Those things of Religion, which are Indifferent in their Nature, and are not become Neceflary because Commanded by Proper Authority, are confiftent with their Salvation: And, though it be Inconsistent with the Joys of Heaven, that there fhould be any Differences of Opinion There; yet This does not at all concern the Wretched cafe of those, who are Obftinate and Inflexible, in Disbelieving, and Contradicting, and Oppo

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