whole Army was defeated; and the Scrip ture gives this Reafon of it, because they were not of the Race of thofe Men, by whom Ifrael was to be faved. Now every Man is not made to be a Defender of the Faith; and they who have no Talent for it, may be fure it is no Part of their Calling; and that God requires no more of them than the Edification of a Christian Life; which is the best Proof they can give of the Truth of the Religion they profefs.

But let a Perfon be never fo capable of maintaining the Truth, yet if the adverse Party be harden'd against it, either by natural Obftinacy, Intereft, or Prejudice of Education, 'tis all Labour loft to attempt to undeceive him: Such a one is blind, because he will be fo; and if you will needs. force him to open his Eyes by the Dint of Argument and Reafon, 'twill have no other Effect, than to make him fhut them the clofer, that he may not fee the Light, which would convince him of his Error. A Perfon, under these Circumftances, bates the Light, as Christ expreffes it; and the clearer it is, the more it offends him: And therefore, since doing an ungrateful Thing can never be a proper Means to make Converts, it follows that Difputes in this Cafe can be of no Manner of Ufe, but will rather ferve to

make

make the adverfe Party more obftinate in his Error: Oppofition and Contradiction will but put him upon his Guard, and excite him to a more industrious-Application to elude or baffle the Reasons you bring to convince him.

So that 'tis plain, that Charity cannot be the Motive of entring into Disputes with Perfons thus difpofed; fince there can be no Charity in applying Remedies, which will only inflame the Distemper: And therefore, in Cafes like this, a modest Silence is ever preferable to a noisy Difpute: And if our Charity be disappointed by it in its Defire of propagating the Truth; it finds at least its Account in preferving Peace, which is always a desirable Good, and exprefly recommended by St. Paul, who exhorts us to have Peace with all Men, as far as is poffible; nay, and by Chrift himself, who ftiles all Lovers of Peace Blessed; and affures them that they fhall be in a special Manner called the Children of God.

The

The LIID ENTERTAINMENT.

The fame Subject continued.

If it be poffible, as much as lieth in you, have Peace with all Men. Rom. xii. 18.

I

Have fhewed, in my last Discourse,

how wary we ought to be not to give Offence, by an indifcreet Forwardness, in contradicting our Neighbour: However, fince an unreasonable Conftraint would utterly destroy the principal Fruit of Society; because the chief End of Converfation is to communicate our Thoughts to one another, which cannot be done, unless Men have a decent Freedom allowed them to fpeak their Mind; and fince it may alfo be reasonably fuppofed, that all Men are not of that obftinate Temper, as to be fond of their Errors, efpecially in Matters of Importance; it follows, that a modeft Contradiction may be both useful and acceptable in certain Occafions, and absolutely neceffary in others; namely, when there is a Probability that our Speaking will be profitable, and our Silence prejudicial to the fpiritual or temporal Good of our Neighbour: The only Point then that

remains

remains to be examined is, what Precautions are neceffary, in order to prevent our giving Offence in the Manner of Contradicting; which fhall be the Subject of this Difcourfe.

Oppofing Mens Opinions or Inclinations, even in Matters wherein their Interest or Honour is concerned, is one of those ungrateful charitable Offices which must be managed with the utmoft Tenderness: For, tho' Neceffity cannot but justify the doing a harfh Thing, nothing can juftify the doing it in a harsh Way; and, in Reality, 'tis not fo much the Harfhness of the Thing itself, as the Manner of doing it, that often gives Offence; because it makes Men judge, that our principal Aim is not to do them Good, but to take a Pleasure in giving them Pain; and whenever any one has that Opinion of us, all we can fay to him is received with Prejudice, and lost upon him.

Hence it is that fraternal Correction, admonishing a Perfon of his Faults, or advifing him contrary to his Inclinations, tho' they be all charitable Offices, and many Times abfolutely neceffary, yet become very often fruitless, because we are not careful enough to correct the Bitterness, which is infeparable from thefe Duties; but rather increase it, by mixing fome of our own

Gal

Gall with it: And fo 'tis in the Cafe of contradicting Mens Opinions; the doing it, in many Cafes, carries Bitterness with it; but the Way of doing it may be fo temper'd with Sweetnefs, that no reasonable Perfon can take Offence at it.

I will not, however, pretend to give Rules fo univerfal, as fhall fuit all Perfons and Conditions; they will arife naturally from the Occafions we fall into, and the Difference of Circumftances must in a great Measure lead us to them: For the Way of treating with thofe that are above us, either in Quality or Authority, is certainly very different from that of converfing with Equals or Inferiors: Superiors are not to be spoken to but with Deference and Refpect: A fmart or fnappish Way of contradicting them is both unmannerly and undutiful; and a Perfon furprised into this Fault ought to make fome Atonement for it upon the Spot: All Manner of Civility is likewife due to Equals, when we deliver our Sentiments in Oppofition to theirs; and even Inferiors have a Title to a certain Affability, which may make them, in fome Measure, forget the Lowness of their State: So that a Regard is certainly to be had to the Difference of Perfons and Conditions; and the only general Rule, I know of, is to ftudy the Humour and

Temper