ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 301 



to the principles. For he may seem a disciple of Nicodemus, 

 who shall obstinately inquire, " How can a man be born when 

 he is old ?" k But he can be esteemed no disciple of St. Paul, 

 who does not sometimes insert in his doctrine, " I, not the 

 Lord," or, according to my judgment,' which is the style that 

 generally suits with inferences. Whence it seems a thing of 

 capital use and. benefit, to have a sober and diligent treatise 

 wrote concerning the proper use of human reason in divinity, by 

 way of a divine logic. For this would be like an opiate in medi- 

 cine ; and not only lay asleep those empty speculations which 

 sometimes disturb the schools, but also allay that fury of con- 

 troversy which raises such tumults in the Church. This trea- 

 tise, therefore, we place among the things that are wanted, under 

 the name of the Moderator, or the true Use of Human Reason 

 in Theology. 



It is of the utmost importance to the peace of the Church, to 

 have the covenant of Christians prescribed by our Saviour in 

 two particulars that seem somewhat contradictory, well and 

 clearly explained ; the one whereof runs thus : " He who is not 

 with us is against us ;" m and the other thus : " He who is not 

 against us is for us ; " * whence it plainly appears, that there are 

 some points wherein he who differs is to be excluded the coven- 

 ant; and others again, wherein Christians may differ, and yet 

 keep terms. The bonds of the Christian communion are, one 

 faith, one baptism/* etc., not one ceremony, one opinion, etc. 

 Our Saviour's coat was seamless ;/> but the garment of the 

 Church of many colors. The chaff must be separated from the 

 wheat, but the tares in the field are not to be hastily plucked up 

 from the corn. Moses, when he saw the Egyptian contending 

 with the Israelite, did not say, " Why strive ye ? " but drew his 

 sword, and killed the Egyptian ; but when he saw two Israelites 

 fighting together, though the cause of one of them might have 

 been unjust, yet he says to them, " Ye are brethren, why strive 

 ye?" 9 All which being well considered, it seems a thing of 

 great use and moment to define what, and of how great latitude 

 those matters are, which totally cut off men from the body of the 

 Church, and exclude them the communion of the faithful. And 

 if any one shall imagine this done already, we advise him seri- 

 ously to reflect, with what justice and moderation. But it is 

 highly probable, that whoever speaks of peace will meet with 

 that answer of Jehu to the messenger : " What has peace to do 



