Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/210

 Here we may obſerve, and I hope it will not be amiſs to take notice of it, that a near View of Death would ſoon reconcile Men of good Principles one to another, and that it is chiefly owing to our eaſy Scituation in Life, and our putting theſe Things far from us, that our Breaches are fomented, ill Blood continued, Prejudices, Breach of Charity and of Chriſtian Union ſo much kept and ſo far carry’d on among us, as it is: Another Plague Year would reconcile all theſe Differences, a cloſe converſing with Death, or with Diſeaſes that threaten Death, would ſcum off the Gall from our Tempers, remove the Animoſities among us, and bring us to ſee with differing Eyes, than thoſe which we look’d on Things with before; as the People who had been uſed to join with the Church, were reconcil’d at this Time, with the admitting the Diſſenters to preach to them: So the Diſſenters, who with an uncommon Prejudice, had broken off from the Communion of the Church of England, were now content to come to their Pariſh-Churches, and to conform to the Worſhip which they did not approve of before; but as the Terror of the Infection abated, thoſe Things all returned again to their leſs deſirable Channel, and to the Courſe they were in before.

I mention this but hiſtorically, I have no mind to enter into Arguments to move either, or both Sides to a more charitable Compliance one with another; I do not ſee that it is probable ſuch a Diſcourſe would be either ſuitable or ſucceſsful; the Breaches ſeem rather to widen, and tend to a widening farther, than to cloſing, and who am I that I ſhould think myſelf able to influence either one Side or other? But this I may repeat again, that 'tis evident Death will reconcile us all; on the other Side the Grave we ſhall be all Brethren again: In Heaven, whether, I hope we may come from all