that offences should not come;' the air may sooner become wholly fixed, and the sea continue in a perfect rest, without waves or undulations, than human conversation be altogether free from occasions of distaste, which he that cannot either prudently dissemble, or patiently digest, must renounce all hopes of living peaceably here. He that like tinder is inflammable by the least spark, and is enraged by every angry word, and resents deeply every petty affront, and cannot endure the memory of a past unkindness should on any terms be defaced, resolves surely to live in eternal tumult and combustion, to multiply daily on himself fresh quarrels, and to perpetuate all enmity already begun. Whenas by total passing by those little causes of disgust the present contention is altogether avoided, or instantly appeased, our neighbor's passion suddenly evaporates and consumes itself; no remarkable footsteps of dissension remain; our neighbor, reflecting on what is past, sees himself obliged by our discreet forbearance, however all possible means are used to prevent trouble and preserve peace. To this purpose, The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression,' saith Solomon: and, He that covereth a transgression seeketh love,' saith the same wise prince. But farther,

9. If we would live peaceably with all men, we must not over highly value ourselves, nor over eagerly pursue our own things. We must not admire our own endowments, nor insist on our deserts; for this will make us apt to depreciate others, and them to loath us. We must not be over tender of our credit, and covetous of respect; for this will render us apt to take exceptions, and engage us in troublesome competitions for superiority of place, and pre-eminence in the vain opinions of men. 'He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife' and, Only (that is, chiefly) from pride cometh contention,' saith Solomon. We must not be much addicted to our own interests, for this will dispose us to incroach on the concernments of others, and them to resist our attempts, whence conflict and enmity will necessarily arise. We must not prefer our own judgments, and imperiously obtrude them on others; nor be pertinacious in persuading them to embrace our private opinions, nor violently urgent to a compliance with our humor.

For these things are intolerably fastidious in conversation, and obnoxious to be charged with usurpation and iniquity; all men naturally challenging to themselves an equal, or at least a proportionable share of reason, together with the free conduct of their lives uncontrollable by private dictates. If therefore we desire to live quietly, and not needlessly to disoblige or displease others, we should be modest in esteeming our own abilities, and moderate in pursuing our own advantages, and in our converse not less complacent to others than we desire they should be to us; and as liberal in allowing leave to dissent from us, as we are bold in taking freedom to abound in our own sense. And if in debate a modest declaration of our opinion, and the reasons inducing us thereto, will not prevail, it behoves us to give over such a successless combat, and to retire into the silent enjoyment of our own thoughts. From not observing which rule, discourse grows into contention, and contention improves into feud and enmity.

10. If we would live peaceably, it concerns us to abstain from needless contests about matters of opinion, and questions either merely vain and frivolous, of little use or concernment; or over nice and subtile, and thence indeterminable by reason; or that are agitated with extraordinary eagerness and heat of passion; or such as are already defined by general consent; or such on the decision of which the public peace and safety do depend. There are some controversies prickly, like brambles, and apt to scratch those that handle them, but yielding no savory or wholesome fruit: such as concern the consequences of imaginary suppositions, the state and circumstances of beings to us unknown, the right application of artificial terms, and the like impertinent matters; which serve to no other purpose but the exercise of curious wits, and exciting emulation among them. Others there be concerning matters of more weighty moment, yet having the resolution depending on secrets unsearchable, or the interpretation of ambiguous words and obscure phrases, or on some other uncertain conjectures; and are yet rendered more difficult by being entangled with inextricable folds of subtilty, nice distinctions, and crafty evasions, devised by the parties engaged in them for the maintenance of their causes respectively; whence it hath happened, though with immense care and dili

gence of both parts they have been long canvassed, that yet they do, and in all probability will for ever remain undecided. So that now to engage in contest about them may be reasonably deemed nothing more than a wilful mispense of our time, labor, and good humor, by vainly reciprocating the saw of endless contention. Other questions there be in themselves of more easy resolution and of considerable importance, which yet by extreme opposition of parties are so clouded and overgrown with insuperable prejudices, that the disputing them is seldom attended with other success than an inflaming ourselves and others with passion. Others are by small and obscure parties managed against the common consent, and against the positive decrees of the most venerable authorities among men, by ventilating which as truth is like to gain little, so peace is sure to suffer much. For as it is nowise a safe or advised course (except in case of necessary defence) to subject received opinions to the hazardous trial of a tumultuary conflict, their credit being better upheld by a stately reservedness than by a popular forwardness of discourse; as buildings stand fastest that are never shaken, and those possessions remain most secure that are never called in question: so, on the other hand, to countenance new and uncouth paradoxes, as it argues too much arrogance and presumption in confronting our single apprehensions against the deliberate sense and suffrage of so many men, yea so many ages of men; and is likely to prove a successless attempt, like swimming against the current, accompanied with much toil and little progress, so it serves no good end, but only foments divisions, and disturbs both our private and the public peace. But most of all we are to be cautelous of meddling with controversies of dangerous consequence, wherein the public weal and quiet are concerned, which bare the roots of sacred authority, and prostitute the mysteries of government to vulgar inspection. Such points ought to be subjects of law, not of syllogism, and the errors in them to be corrected by punishment, rather than confuted by argument: neither can it be thought reasonable that the interest of public peace should depend on the event of private disputation. It concerns us therefore, if we would live peaceably in such disputable matters, reserving all due reverence to the judgments of the most, the best and wisest

persons, to be content in a modest privacy, to enjoy the results of a serious and impartial disquisition, patiently enduring others to dissent from us, and not attempting by needless, fruitless, and endless contentions, to gain others to our persuasions; especially since the truth contended for may not be worth the passion employed on it, and the benefits of the victory not countervail the prejudices sustained in the combat. For goodness and virtue may often consist with ignorance and error, seldom with strife and discord. And this consideration I shall conclude with those exhortations of St. Paul, Tit. iii. 9. But foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and law-contests, decline; for they are unprofitable and vain.' And in 2 Ep. to Tim. ii. 23-25. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they gender strifes; and the servant of the Lord (that is, a minister of religion) must not strive, but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that are contrarily disposed.' And in the same chapter, ver. 14.

Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, to the subverting of the hearers:' of so pernicious consequence did St. Paul esteem unnecessary wrangling and disputing to be. But farther,

11. If we desire to live peaceably, we must restrain our pragmatical curiosity within the bounds of our proper business and concernment, not [being curiosi in aliena republ.] invading other men's provinces, and without leave or commission intermeddling with their affairs; not rushing into their closets, prying into their concealed designs, or dictating counsel to them without due invitation thereto; not controlling their actions, nor subjecting their proceedings to our censure, without competent authority. For these courses men usually look on as rash intrusions, both injurious and reproachful to them, usurping on that freedom of choice, which all men passionately affect to preserve intire to themselves, and arguing them of weakness and incapacity to manage their own business: neither do men

* According to St. Paul's advice, 1 Thess. iv. 11. 'Strive (or be ambitious) to be quiet, and to mind your own business.' (TIUEZ σθαι ἡσυχάζειν, καὶ πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια.)

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more naturally drive away flies that buz about their ears, and molest them in their employments, than they with disdain repel such immodest and unseasonable meddlers in their affairs. Let no man suffer, saith St. Peter, as a busy-body in other men's matters' intimating that those who are impertinently inquisitive into other men's matters, make themselves liable to suffer (and that deservedly) for their fond curiosity and bold presumption. And, he that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears,' saith Solomon; that is, he catcheth at that which he cannot hold, and vainly aims at that which he cannot effect, and rashly irritates those which will turn on him and bite him. If therefore we would neither molest others, nor be disquieted ourselves, we must be like natural agents, never working aught beyond our proper sphere of activity. But especially, if we desire to live peaceably, we must beware of assuming to ourselves a liberty to censure the designs, decrees, or transactions of public authority, and of saying to our superiors, What doest thou? and much more by querulous murmurings, or clamorous declamations, of bringing envy and odium on them. Few private men are capable of judging aright concerning those things, as being placed beneath in a valley, and wanting a due prospect on the ground and causes of their proceedings, who by reason of their eminent station can see more and farther than they ; and therefore are incompetent judges, and unjustly presume to interpose their sentence in such cases. But suppose the actions of superiors notoriously blameable and scandalous, and that by infallible arguments we are persuaded thereof; yet seeing neither the taxing of, nor complaint against them doth in any wise regularly belong to us, nor the discovery of our mind therein. can probably be an efficacious means of procuring redress, and immediately tends to diminish the reputation and weaken the affection due to government, and consequently to impair the peaceable estate of things which by them is sustained, we are wholly to abstain from such unwarrantable, unprofitable, and turbulent practices; and with a submiss and discreet silence, passing over the miscarriages of our superiors, to wait patiently on the providence, and implore the assistance of him, who is the only competent Judge of such, and sovereign Disposer of