AMONG many other things, which may justly recommend the Christian Religion to the ap­probation of mankind, the in­trinsick goodness of it is most apt to [Page 2]make impression upon the Minds of seri­ous and considerate men. The Miracles of it are the great external evidence and confirmation of its truth and Divinity; but the morality of its doctrines and pre­cepts, so agreeable to the best reason and wisest apprehensions of mankind, so ad­mirably fitted for the perfecting of our natures and the sweetning of the spirits and tempers of men, so friendly to hu­man Society and every way so well cal­culated for the peace and order of the World. These are the things which our Religion glories in as her crown and ex­cellency. Miracles are apt to awaken and astonish, and by a sensible and over­powering evidence to bear down the pre­judices of Infidelity; but there are secret charms in goodness which take fast hold of the hearts of men and do insensibly, but effectually, command our love and esteem.

And surely nothing can be more pro­per to the occasion of this Day, than a Discourse upon this Argument; which so directly tends to correct that unchri­stian spirit, and mistaken zeal, which hath been the cause of all our troubles and confusions, and had so powerfull an influence upon that horrid Tragedy [Page 3]which was designed, now near upon four­score years ago, to have been acted as up­on this Day.

And that we may the better under­stand the reason of our Saviour's reproof here in the Text, it will be requisite to consider the occasion of this hot and fu­rious zeal which appeared in some of his Disciples. And that was this; Our Sa­viour was going from Galilee to Jerusa­lem, and being to pass through a Village of Samaria he sent messengers before him to prepare entertainment for him; but the People of that Place would not re­ceive him, because he was going to Je­rusalem: the Reason whereof was, the difference of Religion which then was be­tween the Jews and the Samaritans. Of which I shall give you this brief ac­count.

The Samaritans were originally that Colony of the Assyrians, which we find in the Book of Kings was, upon the Cap­tivity of the Ten Tribes, planted in Sa­maria by Salmanassar. They were Hea­thens, and worshipped their own Idols, till they were so infested with Lions, that for the redress of this mischief they desi­red to be instructed in the worship of the God of Israel, hoping by this means to [Page 4]appease the anger of the God of the Coun­try; and then they worshipped the God of Israel together with their own Idols; for so it is said in the History of the Kings, That they seared the Lord, and served their own Gods.

After the Tribe of Judah were return­ed from the Captivity of Babylon, and the Temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt, all the Jews were obliged by a solemn Co­venant to put away their Heathen Wives. It happened that Manasses, a Jewish Priest, had married the Daughter of San­ballat the Samaritan; and being unwil­ling to put away his Wife, Sanballat ex­cited the Samaritans to build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim near the City of Samaria, in opposition to the Temple at Jerusalem, and made Manasses his Son-in-law, Priest there.

Upon the building of this new Temple there arose a great feud between the Jews and Samaritans, which in process of time grew to so violent a hatred that they would not so much as shew common civility to one another. And this was the reason why the Samaritans would not receive our Saviour in his journey, because they perceived he was going to worship at Jerusalem.

At this uncivil usage of our Saviour, two of his Disciples, James and John, pre­sently take fire, and out of a well-meaning zeal for the honour of their Master, and of the true God, and of Jerusalem the true place of his worship, they are imme­diately for dispatching out of the way these Enemies of God, and Christ, and the true Religion; these Hereticks and Schismaticks, for so they called one ano­ther. And to this end they desire our Saviour to give them power to call for fire from Heaven to consume them, as Elias had done in a like case, and that too not far from Samaria; and it is not improbable that their being so near the place where Elias had done the like be­fore, might prompt them to this re­quest.

Our Saviour seeing them in this heat notwithstanding all the reasons they pre­tended for their passion, and for all they sheltered themselves under the great Ex­ample of Elias, doth very calmly but severely reprove this temper of theirs, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of: for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them.

Grotius observes, that these two excel­lent Sentences are lest out in a Manuscript [Page 6]that is in England. I cannot tell what Manuscript he refers to, but if it were a Copy written out in the height of Pope­ry, no wonder if some zealous Transcri­ber offended at this passage, struck it out of the Gospel, being confident our Savi­our would not say any thing, that was so directly contrary to the current Doc­trine and practice of those times. But thanks be to God, this admirable Saying is still preserv'd, and can never be made use of upon a fitter occasion.

Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of: That is, Ye own your selves to be my Disciples, but do you consider what spirit now acts and governs you; Not that surely which my Doctrine de­signs to mould and fashion you into, which is not a furious and persecuting and destructive spirit, but mild and gen­tle and saving; tender of the lives and in­terests of men, even of those who are our greatest Enemies: You ought to con­sider, That you are not now under the rough and sowr Dispensation of the Law, but the calm and peaceable Institution of the Gospel; to which the spirit of Elias, though he was a very good man in his time, would be altogether unsuita­ble. God p rmitted it then, under that [Page 7]imperfect way of Religion, but now un­der the Gospel it would be intolerable: For that designs universal love, and peace, and good-will: and now no difference of Religion, no pretence of zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justifie this passio­nate and fierce, this vindictive and exter­minating spirit.

For the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them. He says in­deed elsewhere, that he was not come to send Peace, but a Sword; which we are not to understand of the natural tendency of his Religion, but of the accidental e­vent and effect of it, through the malice and perverseness of men: But here he speaks of the proper intention and design of his coming: He came not to kill and destroy, but for the healing of the Nati­ons; for the salvation and redemption of Mankind, not onely from the wrath to come, but from a great part of the evils and miseries of this life: He came to dis­countenance all fierceness and rage and cruelty in men, one towards another; to restrain and subdue that furious and unpeaceable Spirit, which is so trouble­some to the world, and the cause of so many mischiefs and disorders in it: And to introduce a Religion which consults [Page 8]not only the eternal Salvation of mens souls, but their temporal peace and secu­rity, their comfort and happiness in this world.

The words thus explained contain this Observation, That a revengeful and cruel and destructive Spirit, is directly contrary to the design and temper of the Gospel, and not to be excused upon any pretence of zeal for God and Religion.

In the prosecution of this Argument, I shall confine my Discourse to these Three heads.

First, To shew the opposition of this spirit to the true▪ Spirit and design of the Christian Religion.

Secondly, The unjustifiableness of it upon any pretence of zeal for God and Re­ligion.

Thirdly, to apply this Discourse to the occasion of this Day.

I First, I shall shew the opposition of this spirit to the true Spirit and design of the Christian Religion: That it is directly op­posite to the main and fundamental Pre­cepts of the Gospel, and to the great Paterns and Examples of our Religion, [Page 9]our Blessed Saviour and the Primitive Chri­stians.

1. This spirit which our Saviour here reproves in his Disciples, is directly op­posite to the main and fundamental Pre­cepts of the Gospel; which command us to love one another, and to love all men, even our very enemies; and are so far from permitting us to persecute those who hate us, that they forbid us to hate those who persecute us: They require us to be merciful as our Father which is in Heaven is merciful; to be kind and tender-hearted, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us: And to put on as the elect of God, bowels of mercy, meekness and long-suffering, and to follow peace with all men, and to shew all meekness to all men; And particulary the Pastors and Governors of the Church are especially charged to be of this temper, The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men; apt to teach, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. To all which Precepts, and many more that I might reckon up, no­thing [Page 10]can be more plainly opposite than inhumane Cruelties and Persecutions, treacheroos Conspiracies and bloody Mas­sacres, a barbarous Inquisition, and a holy League to extirpate all that differ from us. And instead of instructing in meekness those that oppose themselves to convert men with fire and faggot, and to teach them as Gideon did the men of Succoth with briars and thorns; and instead of waiting for their repentance, and endeavouring to recover them out of the snare of the De­vil, to put them quick into his hands, and to dispatch them to Hell as fast as is possible. If the precepts of Christianity can be contradicted, surely it cannot be done more grosly and palpably than by such practises.

2. This spirit is likewise directly op­posite to the great Paterns and Examples of our Religion, our Blessed Saviour, and the Primitive Christians. It was prophe­sied of our Saviour that he should be the Prince of peace, and should make it one of his great businesses upon earth, to make peace in heaven and earth, to re­concile men to God and to one another, to take up all those feuds and to extin­guish all those animosities that were in the world; to bring to agreement and a [Page 11]peaceable demeanour one towards ano­ther those that were most distant in their tempers and interests, to make the lamb and the wolf lie down together, that there might be no more destroying nor de­vouring in all Goll's holy mountain; that is, that that cruel and destructive spirit which prevailed before in the world should then be banished out of all Christian so­cieties.

And in conformity to these predicti­ons, when our Saviour was born into the world the Angels sang that heavenly An­them, Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good will among men. And when he appeared in the world his whole life and carriage was gentle and peacea­ble, full of meekness and charity. His great business was to be beneficial to o­thers, to seek and to save that which was lost; he went about doing good, to the bodies and to the souls of men: his mi­racles were not destructive to mankind, but healing and charitable. He could, if he had pleased, by his miraculous power have confounded his enemies, and have thundred out death and destruction a­gainst the Infidel world, as his pretended Vicar hath since done against Hereticks. But intending that his Religion should be [Page 12]propagated in human ways, and that Men should be drawn to the profession of it by the bands of love and the cords of a man, by the gentle and peaceable methods of Reason and perswasion; he gave no example of a furious zeal and religious rage against those who despised his Do­ctrine. It was propounded to men for their great advantage, and they rejected it at their utmost peril. It seemed good to the Author of this institution to compell no man to it by temporal punishments. When he went about making proselytes he offered violence to no man, only said, If any man will be my disciple, If any man will come after me. And when his disci­ples were leaving him he does not set up an Inquisition to torture and punish them for their defection from the faith, only says, Will ye also go away?

And in imitation of this blessed Patern the Christian Church continued to speak and act for several Ages. And this was the language of the holy Fathers, Lex nova non se vindicat ultore gladio, the Christian Law doth not avenge it self by the sword. This was then the style of Councils, Nemini ad credendum vim inferre, to offer violence to no man to compell him to the Faith. I proceed in the

II Second place, to shew the Ʋnjustifiable­ness of this spirit upon any pretence what­soever of zeal for God and Religion. No case can be put with Circumstances of greater advantage and more likely to justify this spirit and temper, than the case here in the Text. Those against whom the Disciples would have called for fire from heaven, were Hereticks and Schismaticks from the true Church; they had affronted our Saviour himself in his own person; the honour of God, and of that Religion which he had set up in the World, and of Jerusalem which he had appointed for the place of his wor­ship were all concerned in this case: so that if ever it were warrantable to put on this fierce and furious zeal, here was a case that seemed to require it: But even in these circumstances our Saviour thinks fit to rebuke and discountenance this spirit, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. And he gives such a reason as ought in all differences of Religion, how wide soever they be, to deter men from this temper, For the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them; that is, this Spirit is utterly incon­sistent with the great design of Christian [Page 14]Religion, and the end of our Saviour's coming into the world.

And now, what hath the Church of Rome to plead for her cruelty to men for the cause of Religion, which the Disci­ples might not much better have pleaded for themselves in their case? what hath she to say against those who are the ob­jects of her cruelty and persecution, which would not have held against the Samaritans? Does she practice these se­verities out of a zeal for truth, and for the honour of God, and Christ, and the true Religion? Why, upon these very accounts it was, that the Disciples would have called for fire from Heaven to have destroyed the Samaritans. Is the Church of Rome perswaded that those whom she persecutes are Hereticks and Schismaticks, and that no punishment can be too great for such offenders? So the Disciples were perswaded of the Samaritans; and upon much better grounds: Only the Disciples had some excuse in their case, which the Church of Rome hath not; and that was Ignorance: And this Apo­logy our Saviour makes for them, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of: They had been bred up in the Jewish Re­ligion, which gave some indulgence to [Page 15]this kind of temper, and they were able to cite a great Example for themselves; besides, they were then but learners and not throughly instructed in the Christian Doctrine. But in the Church of Rome, whatever the case of particular persons may be, as to the whole Church and the Governing part of it, this ignorance is wilful and affected, and therefore inex­cusable. For the Christian Religion, which they profess to embrace, does as plainly teach the contrary as it does any other matter whatsoever: and it is not more evident in the new Testament that Christ died for sinners, than that Christi­ans should not kill one another for the misbelief of any Article of revealed Reli­gion; much less for the disbelief of such Articles as are invented by men, and im­posed as the Doctrines of Christ.

You have heard what kind of Spirit it is, which our Saviour here reproves in his Disciples. It was a furious and de­structive Spirit, contrary to Christian charity and goodness. But yet this may be said in mitigation of their fault, that they themselves offered no violence to their enemies: They left it to God, and no doubt would have been very glad that he would have manifested his seve­rity [Page 16]upon them, by sending down fire from Heaven to have consumed them.

But there is a much worse Spirit than this in the world, which is not only contrary to Christianity, but to the com­mon Principles of Natural Religion, and even to Humanity it self: Which by fal­shood and perfidiousness, by secret plots and conspiracies, or by open sedition and rebellion, by an Inquisition or Massacre, by deposing and killing Kings, by fire and sword, by the ruine of their Country, and betraying it into the hands of Foreign­ers; and in a word, by dissolving all the bonds of humane Society, and subvert­ing the peace and order of the World, that is, by all the wicked ways imagina­ble doth incite men to promote and ad­vance their Religion. As if all the world were made for them, and there were not only no other Christians, but no other Men besides themselves; as Babylon of old proudly vaunted, I am, and there is none besides me: And as if the God, whom the Christians worship, were not the God of order but of confusion; as if he whom we call the Father of mercies, were delighted with cruelty, and could not have a more pleasing sacrifice offered to him than a Massacre, nor put a greater [Page 17]honour upon his Priests than to make them Judges of an Inquisition, that is, the Inventors and decreers of torments for men more righteous and innocent than themselves.

Thus to misrepresent God and Religi­on, is to devest them of all their Majesty and Glory. For if that of Seneca be true, that sine bonitate nulla majestas, without Goodness there can be no such thing as Ma­jesty, then to separate goodness and mercy from God, compassion and charity from Religion, is to make the two best things in the world, God and Religion, good for nothing.

How much righter apprehensions had the Heathen of the Divine Nature, which they looked upon as so benign and bene­ficial to mankind, that (as Tully admira­bly says) Dii immortales ad usum homi­num fabrefacti penè videantur, The nature of the immortal Gods may almost seem to be exactly framed for the benefit and ad­vantage of men. And as for Religion, they always spake of it as the great band of humane Society, and the foundation of truth, and fidelity, and justice among men. But when Religion once comes to supplant moral Righteousness, and to teach men the absurdest things in the [Page 18]world, to lye for the truth, and to kill men for God's sake: when it serves to no other purpose, but to be a bond of con­spiracy, to inflame the tempers of men to a greater fierceness, and to set a keener edge upon their spirits, and to make them ten times more the children of wrath and Cruelty than they were by nature, then surely it loses its nature and ceases to be Religion: For let any man say worse of Atheism and Infidelity, if he can. And, for God's sake, what is Religion good for, but to reform the manners and dis­positions of men, to restrain humane na­ture from violence and cruelty, from falshood and treachery, from Sedition and Rebellion? Better it were there were no revealed Religion, and that humane nature were left to the conduct of its own principles and inclinations, which are much more mild and merciful, much more for the peace and happiness of hu­mane Society; than to be acted by a Religion that inspires men with so wild a fury, and prompts them to commit such outrages; and is continually sup­planting Government, and undermining the welfare of mankind; in short, such a Religion as teaches men to propagate and advance it self by means so evidently [Page 19]contrary to the very nature and end of all Religion.

And this, if it be well considered, will appear to be a very convincing way of reasoning, by shewing the last result and consequence of such Principles, and of such a Train of Propositions, to be a most gross and palpable absurdity. For example, We will at present admit Popery to be the true Religion, and their Do­ctrines of extirpating Hereticks, of the lawfulness of deposing Kings, and subver­ting Government by all the cruel and wicked ways that can be thought of, to be, as in truth they are, the Doctrines of this Religion: In this Case, I would not trouble my self to debate particulars; but if in the gross, and upon the whole matter it be evident that such a Religion as this is as bad or worse than Infidelity and no Religion, this is conviction enough to a wise man, and as good as a Demon­stration, that this is not the true Religion, and that it cannot be from God.

How much better Teachers of Religi­on were the old Heathen Philosophers? In all whose Books and Writings there is not one Principle to be found of Trea­chery or Rebellion; nothing that gives the least countenance to an Association [Page 20]or a Massacre, to the betraying of ones Native Country, or the cutting of his Neighbours throat for difference in opini­on. I speak it with grief and shame, be­cause the credit of our common Christiani­ty is somewhat concerned in it, that Pa­naetius and Antipater and Diogenes the Stoick, Tully and Plutarch and Seneca were much honester and more Christian Casuists, than the Jesuits are, or the generality of the Casuists of any other Order, that I know of, in the Church of Rome. I come now in the

III Third and last place, to make some Ap­plication of this Discourse.

1. Let not Religion suffer for those faults and miscarriages which really pro­ceed from the ignorance of Religion, and from the want of it. That under colour and pretence of Religion, very bad things are done, is no argument that Religion it self is not good: Because the best things are liable to be perverted and a­bused to very ill purposes, nay the cor­ruption of them is commonly the worst; as, they say, the richest and noblest Wines make the sharpest Vinegar. If the light that is in you, saith our Saviour, be [Page 21]darkness, how great is that darkness?

2. Let us beware of that Church which countenanceth this unchristian spirit here condemned by our Saviour; and which teaches such Doctrines, and warrants such Practices as are consonant thereto. You all know, without my saying so, that I mean the Church of Rome; in which are taught such Doctrines as these, That He­reticks, that is, all who differ from them in matters of Faith, are to be extirpated by fire and sword; which was decreed in the third and fourth Lateran Councils, where all Christians are strictly charged to endeavour this to the uttermost of their power, Sicut reputari cupiunt & haberi fideles, as they desire to be esteemed and accounted Christians. Next their Doctrines of deposing Kings, and of absolving their subjects from obedience to them; which were not only universally believed, but practised by the Popes and Roman Church for several Ages. Indeed this Doctrine hath not been at all times alike frankly and openly avowed, but it is undoubted­ly theirs; and hath frequently been put in execution, though they have not thought it so convenient at all turns to make profession of it. It is a certain kind of Engine, which is to be screw'd up [Page 22]or let down as occasion serves; and is commonly kept like Goliah's Sword in the Sanctuary behind the Ephod, but yet so that the High-Priest can lend it out upon an extraordinary occasion.

And for Practices consonant to these Doctrines, I shall go no further than the horrid and bloody Design of this Day. Such a Mystery of Iniquity, as had been hid from ages and generations; Such a Master-piece of Villany, as eye had not seen, nor ear heard, nor ever before entred into the heart of man: So prodigiously Barbarous, both in the substance and cir­cumstances of it, as is not to be paral­lell'd in all the voluminous Records of Time from the foundation of the World.

Of late years our Adversaries (for so they have made themselves without any provocation of ours) have almost had the impudence to deny so plain a matter of fact; but I wish they have not taken an effectual course by fresh Conspiracies, of equal or greater horror, to confirm the be­lief of it with a witness. But I shall not anticipate what will be more proper for another Day, but confine my self to the present Occasion.

I will not trouble you with the particu­lar Narrative of this dark Conspiracy, nor the obscure manner of its discovery, which Bellarmin himself acknowledges not to have been without a Miracle. Let us thank God that it was so happily discovered and disappointed, as I hope their present de­sign will be by the same wonderful and merciful providence of God towards a most unworthy People. And may the lameness and halting of Ignatius Loyola, the Founder of the Jesuits, never depart from that Order, but be a Fate continual­ly attending all their villanous Plots and Contrivances.

I shall only observe to you, that after the discovery of this Plot the Authors of it were not convinced of the evil, but sorry for the miscarriage of it. Sir Eve­rard Digby, whose very original Papers and Letters are now in my hands, after he was in Prison, and knew he must suf­fer, calls it the best Cause; and was extremely troubled to hear it censured by Catholicks and Priests, contrary to his ex­pectation, for a great sin: Let me tell you, says he, what a grief it is, to hear THAT so much condemned, which I did believe would have been otherwise thought of by Catholicks. And yet he concludes [Page 24]that Letter with these words: In how full joy should I dye, if I could do any thing for the Cause which I love more than my life? And in another Letter he says, he could have said something to have mi­tigated the odium of this business, as to that Point of involving those of his own Religion in the common ruine, I dare not (says he) take that course that I could, to make it appear less odious, for di­vers were to have been brought out of dan­ger, who now would rather hurt them than otherwise. I do not think there would have been three worth the saving that should have been lost. And as to the rest, that were to have been swallow'd up in that destruction, he seems not to have the least relenting in his mind about them. All doubts he seems to have look'd upon as temptations, and intreats his Friends to pray for the pardoning of his not sufficient striving against temptations since this business was undertook.

Good God! that any thing that is called Religion should so perfectly strip men of all humanity, and transform the mild and gentle race of mankind into such Wolves and Tygers, that ever a pretended zeal for Thy glory should in­stigate men to dishononr Thee at such a [Page 25]rate! It is believed by many, and not without cause, that the Pope and his Faction are the Antichrist. I will say no more than I know in this matter; I am not so sure that it is he that is parti­cularly designed in Scripture by that Name, as I am of the main Articles of the Christian Faith: But however that be, I challenge Antichrist himself, who­ever he be, and whenever he comes, to do worse and wickeder things than these.

But I must remember my Text, and take heed of imitating that Spirit which is there condemned, whilst I am inveigh­ing against it. And in truth it almost looks uncharitably to speak the truth in these matters, and barely to relate what these men have not blush'd to do. I need not, nay I cannot, aggravate these things; they are too horrible in themselves, even when they are express'd in the softest and gentlest words.

I would not be understood to charge every particular person who is, or hath been in the Roman Communion, with the guilt of these or the like practises: But I must charge their Doctrines and Principles with them; I must charge the Heads of their Church, and the prevalent [Page 26] teaching and governing part of it, who are, usually the contrivers and abetters, the executioners and applauders of these cursed Designs.

I do willingly acknowledg the great Piety and Charity of several persons who have lived and died in that Communion, as Erasmus, Father Paul, Thuanus, and many others; who had in truth more, goodness than the Principles of that Reli­gion do either incline men to, or allow of. And yet he that considers how uni­versally almost the Papists in Ireland were engaged in that Massacre, which is still fresh in our memories, will find it very hard to determine how many de­grees of innocency and good nature, or of coldness and indifferency in Religion, are necessary to overballance the fury of a blind zeal and a misguided Consci­ence.

I doubt not but Papists are made like other men. Nature hath not gene­ally given them such savage and cruel dispositions, but their Religion hath made them so. Whereas true Christianity is not only the best, but the best-natur'd In­stitution in the world; and so far as any Church is departed from good nature, and become cruel and barbarous, so far [Page 27]is it degenerated from Christianity. I am loth to say it, and yet I am confident 'tis very true, That many Papists would have been excellent Persons and very good Men, if their Religion had not hindered them; if the Doctrines and Principles of their Church had not perverted and spoil­ed their natural Dispositions.

I speak not this to exasperate You, wor­thy Patriots and the great Bulwark of our Religion, to any unreasonable or unnecessary, much less unchristian Severities against them: No, let us not do like them; let us never do any thing for Religion that is contrary to it: But I speak it to awaken your care thus far, That if their Priests will always be putting these, pernicious Principles into the minds of the People, effectual Provision may be made, that it may never be in their Power again to put them in Practice. We have found by Experience, that ever since the Reforma­tion they have been continually pecking at the Foundations of our Peace and Re­ligion: When God knows we have been so far from thirsting after their Blood, that we did not so much as desire their disquiet but in order to our own necessary safety, and indeed to theirs.

And God be praised for those matchless Instances which we are able to give of the generous humanity and Christian temper of the English Protestants. After Q. Marys Death, when the Protestant Religion was restored, Bishop Bonner not­withstanding all his Cruelties and But­cheries was permitted quietly to live and dye amongst us. And after the Treason of this Day, nay at this very time since the discovery of so barbarous a Design, and the highest Provocation in the World, by the treacherous Murder of one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, a very good Man and a most excellent Magi­strate, who had been active in the dis­covery of this Plot; I say, after all this, and notwithstanding the continued and insupportable insolence of their Carriage and Behaviour, even upon this occasion, no Violence, nay not so much as any inci­vility, that I ever heard of, hath been of­fer'd to any of them. I would to God they would but seriously consider this one difference between our Religion and theirs, and which of them comes nearest to the Wisdom which is from above, which is peaceable, and gentle, and full of mercy. And I do heartily pray, and have good hopes, that upon this occasion God will [Page 29]open their eyes so far, as to convince a great many among them, that that can­not be the true Religion which inspires men with such barbarous minds.

I have now done, and if I have been transported upon this Argument some­what beyond my usual temper, the Oc­casion of this Day and our present cir­cumstances will, I hope, bear me out. I have expressed my self all along with a just sense, and with no unjust severity, concerning these horrid Principles and Practises; but yet with great pity and tenderness towards those miserably sedu­ced Souls, who have been deluded by them, and ensnared in them. And I can truly say, as the Roman Orator did of himself upon another occasion, Me na­tura misericordem, patria severum, crude­lem nec patria nec natura esse voluit. My nature inclines me to be tender and com­passionate; a hearty zeal for our Religion, and concernment for the publick welfare of my Country, may perhaps have made me a little severe; but neither my natu­ral disposition, nor the temper of the English Nation, nor the Genius of the Protestant, that is the true Christian Re­ligion, will allow me to be cruel.

For the future, Let us encourage our [Page 30]selves in the Lord our God; and commit our Cause, and the keeping of our Souls to Him in well doing: And, under God, let us leave it to the wisdom and care of His Majesty, and His two Houses of Par­liament, to make a lasting Provision for the security of our Peace and Religion, against all the secret contrivances and open attempts of these sons of violence. And let us remember those words of Da­vid, Psal. 37.12, 13, 14, 15. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth up­on him, with his teeth: The Lord shall laugh at him, for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and bent their how, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation: Their sword shall enter into their own hearty, and their bows shall be broken.

And I hope, considering what God hath heretofore done, and hath now be­gun to do for us, we may take encou­ragement to our selves against all the Enemies of our Religion, which are con­federated against us, in the words of the Prophet, Isa. 8. 9, 10. Associate your selves, O ye People, and ye shall be broken in pieces, and give ear, all ye of far Coun­tries: Gird your selves, and ye shall be [Page 31]broken in pieces: Gird your selves, and ye shall be broken in pieces: Take counsel to­gether, and it shall come to nought: Speak the word and it shall not stand. FOR GOD IS WITH ƲS.

And now what remains, but to make our most devout and thankful acknow­ledgments to Almighty God, for the inva­luable blessing of our Reformed Religion, and for the miraculous Deliverance of this Day, and for the wonderful Discovery of the late horrid and barbarous Conspiracy against our Prince, our Peace, and our Religion.

To Him therefore, our most gracious and merciful God, our Shield, and our Rock, and our mighty Deliverer: Who hath brought us out of the land of Egypt, and out of the House of bondage; and hath set us free from Popish Tyranny and Super­stition, a yoke which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear.

Who hath, from time to time, deliver­ed us from the bloody and merciless designs of wicked and unreasonable men; and hath render'd all the plots and contrivan­ces, the mischievous counsels and devices of these worse-than-Heathens, of none ef­fect.

Who did as upon this Day, rescue our King and our Princes, our Nobles and the Heads of our Tribes, the Governours of our Church and the Judges of the Land, from that fearful Destruction which was ready to have swallowed them up.

Who still brings to light the hidden things of darkness, and hath hitherto pre­served our Religion and Civil interests to us, in despight of all the malicious and restless attempts of our Adversaries.

Ʋnto that great God, who hath done so great things for us, and hath saved us by a mighty Salvation: Who hath delivered us, and doth deliver us, and, we trust, will still deliver us: be glory and honour, thanksgiving and praise, from generation to generation. And let all the people say Amen.

THIS caution and counsel was gi­ven upon occasion of the false Prophets and Teachers that were risen up in the beginning of the Christian Church, who endeavour­ed to seduce men from the true Doctrine of the Gospel delivered by the Apostles of [Page 70]our Lord and Saviour. And these teach­ing contrary things, could not both be from God: and therefore St. John calls upon Christians to examine the Doctrines and Pretences of those new Teachers, whether they were from God or not. Believe not every Spirit; [...]hat is, not e­very one that takes upon him to be in­spired and to be a Teacher come from God: But try the Spirits; that is, exa­mine those that make this pretence, whether it be real or not; and examine the Doctrines which they bring, because there are many Impostors abroad in the World.

This is the plain sense of the Words: In which there are contained these four Propositions.

First, That men may, and often do, falsly pretend to Inspiration. And this is the reason upon which the Apostle grounds this Exhortation: Because many false Prophets are gone out into the world, therefore we should try who are true, and who are false.

Secondly, We are not to believe every one that pretends to be inspired, and to teach a Divine Doctrine: This follows upon the former; because men may falsly [Page 71]pretend to Inspiration, therefore we are not to believe every one that makes this pretence. For any man that hath but confidence enough, and conscience little enough, may pretend to come from God. And if we admit all pretences of this kind, we lie at the mercy of every crafty and confident man to be led by him into what delusions he pleaseth.

Thirdly, Neither are we to reject all that pretend to come from God. This is sufficiently implied in the Text; for when the Apostle says believe not every Spirit, he supposeth we are to believe some; and when he saith try the Spirits whether they be of God, he supposeth some to be of God, and that those which are so are to be believed. These three Observations are so plain that I need only to name them, to make way for the

Fourth, Which I principally designed to insist upon from these Words. And that is this, That there is some way to dis­cern mere pretenders to Inspiration, from those who are truly and Divinely inspired: And this is necessarily implied in the A­postles bidding us to try the Spirits whe­ther they are of God. For it were in vain to make any trial, if there be no way to discern between pretended and real Inspi­rations.

Now the handling of this will give oc­casion to two very material Enquiries, and useful to be resolved.

• I. How we may discern between true and counterfeit Doctrines: those which really are from God, and those which only pre­tend to be so?
• II. To whom this judgement of discerning doth appertain?

I. How we may discern between true and counterfeit Doctrines and Revelations? for the clearing of this I shall lay down these following Propositions.

I. That Reason is the faculty whereby Revelations are to be discerned; or to use the phrase in the text, it is that whereby we are to judge what Spirits are of God, and what not. For all Revelation from God supposeth us to be men, and to be indued with Reason; and therefore it does not create new Faculties in us, but propounds new Objects to that Faculty which was in us before. Whatever Doc­trines God reveals to men are propounded to their Understandings, and by this Fa­culty we are to examine all Doctrines which pretend to be from God, and up­on [Page 73]on examination to judge whether there be reason to receive them as Divine, or to reject them as Impostures.

2. All supernatural Revelation supposeth the truth of the Principles of Natural Reli­gion. We must first be assured that there is a God, before we can know that he hath made any Revelation of himself: and we must know that his Words are true, otherwise there were no sufficient reason to believe the Revelations which he makes to us: and we must believe his Authority over us, and that he will re­ward our obedience to his Laws, and punish our breach of them; otherwise there would neither be sufficient obligati­on nor encouragement to Obedience. These and many other things are suppo­sed to be true, and naturally known to us, antecedently to all supernatural Re­velation; otherwise the Revelations of God would signifie nothing to us, nor be of any force with us.

3. All Reasonings about Divine Revela­tions must necessarily be governed by the Principles of Natural Religion: that is, by those apprehensions which men na­turally have of the Divine perfections, and by the clear Notions of good and e­vil which are imprinted upon our Na­tures. [Page 74]Because we have no other way to judge what is worthy of God and credi­ble to be revealed by him, and what not, but by the natural notions which we have of God and of his essential perfecti­ons: which, because we know him to be immutable, we have reason to believe he will never contradict. And by these Principles likewise, we are to interpret what God hath revealed; and when any doubt ariseth concerning the meaning of any divine Revelation (as that of the Holy Scriptures) we are to govern our selves in the interpretation of it by what is most agreeable to those natural Notions which we have of God, and we have all the reason in the World to reject that sense which is contrary thereto. For in­stance, when God is represented in Scrip­ture as having a humane shape, eyes, ears and hands, the Notions which men natu­rally have of the Divine Nature and Per­fections do sufficiently direct us to inter­ptet these expressions in a sense worthy of God, and agreeable to his Perfection: And therefore it is reasonable to under­stand them as rather spoken to our capa­city, and in a Figure, than to be literal­ly intended. And this will proportiona­bly hold in many other cases.

4. Nothing ought to be received as a Revelation from God which plainly contra­dicts the Principles of Natural Religion, or overthrows the certainty of them. For in­stance, it were in vain to pretend a Re­velation from God, That there is no God, because this is a contradiction in terms. So likewise to pretend a command from God, That we are to hate and despise him; because it is not credible that God should require any thing of Reasonable Crea­tures so unsuitable to their Natures, and to their Obligations to him; Besides that such a Law as this does tacitly involve a contradiction; because upon such a sup­position, to despise God would be to o­bey him; and yet to obey him is certain­ly to honour him. So that in this case to honour God, and to despise him, would be the same thing, and equal con­tempts of him. In like manner, it would be vain to pretend any Revelation from God, That there is no life after this, nor rewards and punishments in another World: because this is contrary to those natural apprehensions which have generally pos­sest mankind, and would take away the main force and sanction of the divine Laws. The like may be said concerning any pretended Revelation from God, [Page 76]which evidently contradicts those natu­ral Notions which men have of good and evil; as, That God should command, or al­low Sedition and Rebellion, Perfidiousness and Perjury; because the practise of these would be apparently destructive of the peace and happiness of Mankind, and would naturally bring confusion into the World: But God is not the God of Confusi­on, but of Order, which St. Paul appeals to as a Principle naturally knowu. Upon the same account nothing ought to be entertained as a Divine Revelation which overthrows the certainty of the Principles of natural Religion; because that would take away the certainty of Divine Reve­lation it self, which supposeth the truth of those Principles. For instance, who­ever pretends any Revelation that brings the Providence of God into question, does by that very thing make such a Revelati­on questionable. For if God take no care of the World, have no concernment for humane affairs, why should we believe that he makes any Revelation of his Will to men? And by this Principle Moses will have false Prophets to be tried: Deut. 13.1. If there arise among you a Prophet, and giveth thee a sign or wonder, and the signor the wonder come to pass whereof he [Page 77]spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after o­ther Gods, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet: And he gives the reason of this, ver. 5. Because he hath spoken unto you to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the Land of Egypt. Here is a case wherein a false Prophet is supposed to work a true Miracle to give credit to his Doctrine, (which in other cases the Scripture makes the sign of a true Prophet) but yet in this case he is to be rejected as an Impostor: Because the Doctrine he teacheth would draw men off from the worship of the true God who is naturally known, and had mani­fested himself to the people of Israel in so miraculous a manner, by bringing them out of the Land of Egypt. So that a Mi­racle is not enough to give credit to a Prophet who teacheth any thing contra­ry to that natural Notion which men have, That there is but one God, who only ought to be worshipped.

5. Nothing ought to he received as a Divine Doctrine and Revelation, without good evidence that it is so: that is, with­out some Argument sufficient to satisfie a prudent and considerate man. Now (supposing there be nothing in the mat­ter [Page 78]of the Revelation that is evidently contrary to the Principles of Natural Re­ligion, nor to any former Revelation which hath already received a greater and more solemn attestation from God) Mi­racles are owned by all Mankind to be a sufficient Testimony to any Person, or Doctrine, that are from God. This was the Testimony which God gave to Moses to satisfie the people of Israel that he had sent him; Exed. 4.1, 2. Moses said, They will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. Upon this God endues him with a power of Miracles, to be an evidence to them, That they may believe that the God of their Fathers, A­braham, Isaac and Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And all along in the Old Te­stament, when God sent his Prophets to make a new Revelation, or upon any strange and extraordinary message, he al­ways gave credit to them by some Sign or Wonder which they foretold or wrought. And when he sent his Son into the World, he gave Testimony to him by innumerable great and unquestionable Miracles, more and grearer than Moses and all the Prophets had wrought. And there was great reason for this: because [Page 79]our Saviour came not only to publish a new Religion to the World, but to put an end to that Religion which God had in­stituted before. And now that the Gospel hath had the confirmation of such Mira­cles as never were wrought upon any o­ther occasion, no Evidence inferiour to this can in reason controul this Revelati­on, or give credit to any thing contrary to it And therefore though the false Prophets and Antichrists, foretold by our Saviour, did really work Miracles, yet they were so inconsiderable in comparison of our Saviour's, that they deserve no credit in opposition to that Revelation which had so clear a Testimony given to it from Heaven by Miracles, besides all other concurring Arguments to confirm it.

6. And Lastly, No Argument is suffici­ent to prove a Doctrine or Revelation to be from God, which is not clearer and stronger than the Difficulties and Objections against it: Because all assent is grounded upon Evidence, and the strongest and clearest evidence always carries it: But where the evidence is equal on both sides, that can produce nothing but a suspense and doubt in the mind whether the thing be true or not. If Moses had not confuted [Page 80] Pharaoh's Magicians by working Miracles which they could not work, they might reasonably have disputed it with him who had been the true Prophet: But when he did works plainly above the power of their Magick and the Devil to do, then they submitted, and acknowledged that there was the Finger of God. So likewise, though a person work a Miracle (which ordinarily is a good evidence that he is sent by God) yet if the Doctrine he brings be plainly contrary to those natural No­tions which we have of God, this is a bet­ter objection against the truth of this Doc­trine than the other is a proof of it; as is plain in the case which Moses puts, Deut. 13. which I mentioned before.

Upon the same account no man can reasonably believe the Doctrine of Tran­substantiation to be revealed by God: be­cause every man hath as great evidence that Transubstantiation is false, as any man can pretend to have that God hath revealed any such thing. Suppose Tran­substantiation to be part of the Christian Doctrine, it must have the same confir­mation with the whole, and that is Mi­racles: But of all Doctrines in the world it is peculiarly incapable of being proved by a Miracle. For if a Miracle were [Page 81]wrought for the proof of it, the very same assurance which a man hath of the truth of the Miracle, he hath of the falshood of the Doctrine, that is, the clear evidence of his senses for both. For that there is a Miracle wrought to prove, that what he sees in the Sacrament is not bread but the body of Christ, he hath onely the evidence of his senses; and he hath the very same evidence to prove, that what he sees in the Sacrament is not the body of Christ, but bread. So that here ariseth a new controversie, whether a man should believe his senses giving testimony against the Doctrine of Tran­substantiation, or bearing testimony to the Miracle which is wrought to confirm that Doctrine: For there is just the same evidence against the truth of the Doc­trine, which there is for the truth of the Miracle. So that the Argument for Tran­substantiation, and the Objection against it, do just ballance one another; and where the weights in Both Scales are e­qual, it is impossible that the one should weigh down the other: and consequently Transubstantiation is not to be proved by a Miracle; for that would be, to prove to a man by something that he sees, that he does not see what he sees.

And thus I have endeavoured, as briefly and clearly as I could, to give satisfaction to the first Enquiry I pro­pounded, viz. How we may discern be­tween true and counterfeit Revelations and Doctrines: I proceed now to the

II II To whom this judgement of Discern­ing does appertain. Whether to Christians in general, or to some particular Person, or Persons, authorised by God to judge for the rest of mankind, by whose judg­ment all men are concluded and bound up. And this is an enquiry of no small Importance; because it is one of the most fundamental Points in difference between Us and the Church of Rome. And how­ever in many particular Controversies, as concerning Transubstantiation, the Com­munion in one kind, the Service of God in an unknown Tongue; the business of Indul­gences, the Invocation of Saints, the Wor­ship of Images, they are not able to offer any thing that is fit to move a reasonable and considerate man; yet in this Contro­versie, concerning the Judge of Contro­versies, they are not destitute of some specious appearance of Reason which de­serves to be weighed and considered. Therefore that we may examine this [Page 83]matter to the bottom, I shall do these three things.

• 1. Lay down some Cautions and Li­mitations whereby we may understand how far the generality of Christians are allowed to judge in matters of Religi­on.
• 2. I shall represent the grounds of this Principle.
• 3. Endeavour to satisfie the main Ob­jection of our Adversaries against it: And likewise to shew, that there is no such reason and necessity for an universal infallible Judge as they pretend.

I I. I shall lay down some Cautions and Limitations, by which we may under­stand how far the generality of Christians are allowed to judge in matters of Religi­on.

First Private Persons are onely to judge for themselves, and not to impose their Judgement upon others, as if they had any Authority over them. And this is reasonable, because if it were o­therwise, a Man would deprive others of that Liberty which he assumes to himself, [Page 84]and which he can claim upon no other account, but because it belongs to others equally with himself.

Secondly, This liberty of judging is not so to be understood as to take away the necessity and use of Guides and Teachers in Religion. Nor can this be denied to be a reasonable limitation; because the knowledge of Revealed Religion is not a thing born with us, nor ordinarily super­naturally infused into men; but is to be learned as other things are. And if it be to be learned, there must be some to teach and instruct others: And they that will learn, must be modest and humble; and in those things, of which they are no competent Judges, they must give credit to their Teachers, and trust their skill: For instance, every unlearned man is to take it upon the credit of those who are skilfull, that the Scriptures are tru­ly and faithfully translated; and for the understanding of obscure Texts of Scrip­ture, and more difficult points in Religi­on, he is to rely upon those, whose pro­per business and employment it is to ap­ply themselves to the understanding of these things. For in these cases every man is not capable of judging himself, and therefore he must necessarily trust o­thers: [Page 85]And in all other things he ought to be modest; and unless it be in plain matters, which every man can judg of, he ought rather to distrust himself than his Teacher.

And this respect may be given to a Teacher without either supposing him to be infallibe, or making an absolute re­signation of my judgment to him. A man may be a very able Teacher (suppose of the Mathematicks) and fit to have the respect which is due to a Teacher, tho he be not infallible in those Sciences: and because Infallibility is not necessary to such a Teacher, it is neither necessary nor convenient that I should absolutely resign up my Judgment to him. For though I have reason to credit him, within the compass of his Art, in things which I do not know, I am not therefore bound to believe him in things plainly contrary to what I and all mankind do certainly know. For example, if upon pretence of his skill in Arithmetick, which I am learning of him, he should tell me, That twice two do not make four, but five; though I believed him to be the best Mathematician in the World, yet I cannot believe him in this thing: Nor is there reason I should; because I did not [Page 86]come to learn this of him, but knew as much of that before as he or any man else could tell me. The case is the same in matters of Religion; in which there are some things so plain, and lie so level to all capacities, that every man is almost equally judg of them: As I shall have occasion farther to shew by and by.

Thirdly, Neither does this liberty of judging, exempt men from a due submis­sion and obedience to their Teachers and Governors. Every man is bound to obey the lawful Commands of his Gover­nors: and, what by publick consent and Authority is determined and established, ought not to be gainsaid by private Per­sons, but upon very clear evidence of the falshood or unlawfulness of it. And this is every mans duty, for the main­taining of Order, and out of regard to the Peace and Unity of the Church; which is not to be violated upon every scruple and frivolous pretence: And when men are perverse and disobedient, Autho­rity is Judg, and may restrain and punish them.

Fourthly, Nor do I so far extend this Liberty of judging in Religion, as to think every man fit to dispute the Con­troversies of Religion. A great part of [Page 87]people are ignorant, and of so mean ca­pacity as not to be able to judge of the force of a very good Argument, much less of the issue of a long Dispute; and such persons ought not to engage in dis­putes of Religion; but to beg God's di­rection, and to rely upon their Teach­ers; and above all to live up to the plain dictates of natural Light, and the clear Commands of God's Word, and this will be their best security. And if the provi­dence of God have placed them under such Guides as do seduce them into Error, their Ignorance is invincible, and God will not condemn them for it, so long as they sincerely endeavour to do the will of God so far as they know it. And this being the case of many, especially in the Church of Rome, where Ignorance is so industriously cherished, I have so much charity as to hope well concerning ma­ny of them: And seeing that Church teacheth and enjoins the people to wor­ship Images, it is in some sense charitably done of them not to let them know the second Commandment, that they may not be guilty of sinning against so plain a Law. Having premised these Cautions, I proceed in the

II II. Place, To represent to you the grounds of this Principle of our Religion, viz. That we all [...]w private persons to judge for themselves in matters of Religion.

First, Because many things in Religi­on, especially those which are most ne­cessary to be believed and practised, are so plain that every man of ordinary ca­pacity, after competent instruction in matters of Religion (which is always to be supposed) can as well judge of them for himself, as any man or compa­ny of men in the world can judge for him. Because in these he hath a plain Rule to go by, Natural Light and clear Revelation of Scripture. And this is no new Principle of the Protestants, but most expresly owned by the ancient Fa­thers: Whatever things are necessary, are plain, saith St. Chrysostom. All things are plainly contained in Scripture which concern faith and a good life, saith St Austin. And nothing can be more rea­sonable than that those things which are plain to every man should be left to eve­ry man's judgment. For every man can judg of what is plain; of evident Truth and Falshood, Virtue and Vice, of Do­ctrines and Laws plainly delivered in [Page 89]Scripture, if we believe any thing to be so, which is next to madness to deny. I will refer it to no mans Judgment up­on earth to determine for me, Whether there be a God or not? Whether Murder and Perjury be Sins? Whether it be not plain in Scripture, That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, That he became man, and died for us, and rose again? So that there is no need of a Judg in these cases. Nor can I possibly believe any man to be so abso­lutely infallible, as not to call his infalli­bility into question, if he determines any thing contrary to what is plain and evi­dent to all mankind. For if he should determine that there is no God, or that he is not to be woshipped, or that he will not punish and reward men, or, which is the case that Bellarmin puts, that Virtue is Vice, and Vice Virtue; he would hereby take away the very foundation of Reli­gion; and how can I look upon him any longer as a Judg in matters of Religion, when there can be no such thing as Reli­gion if he have judged and determined right?

Secondly, The Scripture plainly allows this liberty to particular and private Per­sons to judg for themselves. And for this I need go no farther than my Text, which [Page 90]bids men try the Spirits whether they be of God. I do not think this is spoken only to the Pope or a General Council, but to Christians in general; for to these the Apostle writes. Now if St. John had believed that God had constituted an in­fallible Judge in his Church, to whose Sentence and Determination all Christi­ans are bound to submit, he ought in all reason to have referred Christians to him for the trial of Spirits, and not have left it to every man's private judgment to examine and to determine these things. But it seems St. Paul was likewise of the same mind; and though he was guided by an infallible Spirit, yet he did not ex­pect that men should blindly submit to his Doctrine: Nay, so far is he from that, that he commends the Bereans for that ve­ry thing for which I dare say the Church of Rome would have check'd them most severely, namely, for searching the Scrip­tures to see whether those things which the Apostles delivered were so or not: This liberty St. Paul allowed; and though he was inspired by God, yet he treated those whom he taught like men. And indeed, it were a hard case that a necessi­ty of believing Divine Revelations, and rejecting Impostures, should be imposed [Page 91]upon Christians; and yet the liberty of judging, whether a Doctrine be from God or not, should be taken away from them.

Thirdly, Our Adversaries themselves are forced to grant that which in effect is as much as we contend for. For though they deny a liberty of judging in parti­cular points of Religion, yet they are for­ced to grant men a liberty of judging upon the whole. When they of the Church of Rome would perswade a Jew, or a Hea­then, to become a Christian; or a Here­tick (as they are pleased to call us) to come over to the Communion of their Church, and offer Arguments to induce them thereto; they do by this very thing, whether they will or no, make that man Judge which is the true Church, and the true Religion. Because it would be ridiculous to perswade a man to turn to their Religion, and to urge him with Reasons to do so, and yet to deny him the use of his own judgement whether their Reasons be sufficient to move him to make such a change. Now, as the A­postle reasons in another case, If men be fit to judge for themselves in so great and important a matter as the choice of their Religion, why should they be thought [Page 92] unworthy to judge in lesser matters? They tell us indeed that a man may use his judgement in the choice of his Religion; but when he hath once chosen, he is then for ever to resign up his judgment to their Church: But what tolerable reason can any man give, why a man should be fit to judge upon the whole, and yet unfit to judge upon particular Points? especially if it be considered, that no man can make a discreet judgment of any Religion, be­fore he hath examined the particular Doctrines of it, and made a judgment concerning them. Is it credible, that God should give a man judgment in the most fundamental and important matter of all, viz. To discern the true Religion, and the true Church, from the false; for no other end, but to enable him to chuse once for all to whom he should resign and inslave his judgment for ever? which is just as reasonable as if one should say, That God hath given a man eyes for no other end, but to look out once for all, and to pitch upon a discreet person to lead him about blindfold all the days of his life. I come now to the

III III. Thing I propounded, which is, To Answer the main Objection of our Adver­saries [Page 93]against this Principle; and likewise to shew that there is no such Reason and necessity for an universal Insallible Judge, as they pretend. Now their great Ob­jection is this, If every man may judge for himself, there will be nothing but confusion in Religion, there will be no end of Controversies: so that an univer­sal infallible Judge is necessary, and with­out this God had not made sufficient pro­vision for the assurance of men's Faith, and for the Peace and unity of his Church: Or, as it is expressed in the Canon Law, aliter Dominus non videretur fuisse discretus, otherwise our Lord had not seem'd to be discreet. How plausible soever this Objection may appear, I do not despair but if men will lay aside pre­judice, and impartially consider things, to make it abundantly evident, that this ground is not sufficient to found an Infal­lible Judge upon. And therefore in an­swer to it, I desire these following parti­culars may be considered.

Firft, That this which they say, ra­ther proves what God should have done according to their fancy, than what he hath really and actually done. My Text expresly bids Christians to try the Spirits, which to any man's sense does imply [Page 94]that they may judge of these matters: But the Church of Rome says they may not; because if this liberty were permit­ted, God had not ordered things wisely, and for the best, for the peace and unity of his Church. But, as the Apostle says in another case, What art thou, O man, that objectest against God?

Secondly, If this reasoning be good, we may as well conclude that there is an universal infallible Judge set over the whole world in all Temporal matters, to whose Authority all mankind is bound to submit. Because this is as necessary to the peace of the World, as the other is to the peace of the Church. And men surely are every whit as apt to be obsti­nate and perverse about matters of Tem­poral Right, as about matters of Faith. But it is evident in fact and experience that there is no such universal Judge, appointed by God over the whole World, to decide all Cases of temporal Right; and for want of him the World is fain to shift as well as it can. But now a ve­ry acute and scholastical man that would argue that God must needs have done whatever he fancies convenient for the World should be done, might by the ve­ry same way of Reasoning conclude the [Page 95]necessity of an universal infallible Judge in Civil matters, as well as in matters of Religion: And their aliter Dominus non vide­retur fuisse discretus, otherwise God had not seem'd to be discreet, is every whit as cogent and as civil, in the one Case as the other.

Thirdly, There is no need of such a Judge, to assure men in matters of Religion; Be­cause men be sufficiently certain without him. I hope it may be certain and clear e­nough That there is a God; and That his Providence governs the World; and That there is another Life after this, though nei­ther Pope nor Council had ever declared any thing about these matters. And for Re­vealed Doctrines, we may be certain e­nough of all that is necessary, if it be true which the Fathers tell us, That all things ne­cessary are plainly revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

Fourthly, An infallible Judge, if there were one, is no certain way to end Contro­versies, and to preserve the unity of the Church; unless it were likewise infallibly certain, That there is such a Judge, and, Who he is. For till men were sure of both these, there would still be a Controversy, whether there be an infallible Judge, and who he is. And if it be true which they tell us, That without an infallible Judge Controversies [Page 96]cannot be ended, then a Controversie con­cerning an infallible Judge can never be ended. And there are two Controversies actually on foot about an infallible Judge; One, Whether there be an infallible Judge or not? which is a Controversie between Us and the Church of Rome: and the other, Who this infallible Judge is? which is a Con­troversie among themselves, which could never yet be decided: And yet till it be de­cided, Infallibility, if they had it, would be of no use to them for the ending of Con­troversies.

Fifthly, There is no such absolute need, as is pretended, of determining all Con­troversies in Religion. If men would devest themselves of prejudice and interest, as they ought, in matters of Religion, the ne­cessary things of Religion are plain enough, and men would generally agree well e­nough about them: But if men will suf­fer themselves to be by assed by these, they would not hearken to an infallible Judge, if there were one; or they would find out some way or other to call his Infallibility into question. And as for doubtful and les­ser matters in Religion, charity and mutu­al forbearance among Christians would make the Church as peaceable and happy, as perhaps it was ever design'd to be in this [Page 97]World, without absolute unity in Opinion.

Sixthly and Lastly, Whatever may be the inconveniences of mens judging for themselves in Religion, yet taking this Principle with the Cautions I have given, I doubt not to make it appear, that the in­conveniences are far the least on that side. The present condition of humane Nature doth not admit of any constitution of things, whether in Religion or Civil mat­ters, which is free from all kind of excepti­on and inconvenience: That is the best state of things which is liable to the least and fewest. If men be modest, and humble, and willing to learn, God hath done that which is sufficient for the assu­rance of our Faith, and for the peace of his Church, without an infallible Judge: And if men will not be so, I cannot tell what would be sufficient. I am sure there were Heresies and Schisms in the Apostles Times, when Those who governed the Church were certainly guided by an infallible Spirit. God hath appointed Guides and Teachers for us in matters of Religion, and if we will be contented to be instructed by them in those necessary Articles and Duties of Religion, which are plainly contained in Scripture; and to be counselled and directed by them [Page 98]in things that are more doubtful and diffi­cult, I do not see why we might hot do well enough without any infallible Judge or Guide.

But still it will be said, Who shall judge what things are plain and what doubtful? The answer to this, in my opinion, is not difficult. For if there be any thing plain in Religion, every man that hath been duly instructed in the Principles of Religtion can judge of it, or else it is not plain. But there are some things in Religion so very plain, that no Guide or Judge can in reason claim that Authority over men, as to oblige them to believe or do the contrary; no, though he pretend to Infallibility; no, though he were an Apostle, though he were an Angel from heaven. S. Paul puts the case so high, Gal. 1.8. Though we, or an Angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than what you have received, let him be accursed: which plainly supposeth that Christians may and can judge when Doctrines are contrary to the Gospel. What? not believe an Apostle, nor an Angel from heaven, if he should teach a­ny thing evidently contrary to the plain Doctrine of the Gospel? If he should de­termine Vertue to be Vice, and Vice to [Page 99]be Vertue? No; not an Apostle, nor an Angel; because such a Doctrine as this would confound and overturn all things in Religion. And yet Bellarmin puts this very Case, and says, If the Pope should so determine, we were bound to believe him, unless we would sin against Consci­ence.

I will conclude this Discourse by put­ting a very plain and familiar Case; by which it will appear what credit and au­thority is fit to be given to a Guide, and what not. Suppose I came a Stranger in­to England, and landing at Dover took a Guide there to conduct me in my way to York, which I knew before by the Mapp to lie North of Dover: having commit­ted my self to him, if he lead me for two or three days together out of any plain Road, and many times over hedge and ditch, I cannot but think it strange, that in a civil and well inhabited Coun­try there should be no High-ways from one part of it to another: Yet thus far I submit to him, though not without some regret and impatience. But then if after this, for two or three days more he lead me directly South, and with my face full upon the Sun at noon day, and at last bring me back again to Dover [Page 100]Pere; and still bids me follow him: Then certainly no modesty do's oblige a man not to dispute with his Guide, and to tell him surely that can be no way because it is Sea. Now though he set never so bold a face upon the matter, and tell me with all the gravity and au­thority in the world, That it is not the Sea but dry Land under the species and appearance of Water; and that whatever my eyes tell me, having once commit­ted my self to his guidance, I must not trust my own senses in the case; it being one of the most dangerous sorts of Infi­delity for a man to believe his own eyes rather than his faithful and infallible Guide: All this moves me not; but I be­gin to expostulate roundly with him, and to let him understand that if I must not believe what I see, he is like to be of no farther use to me; because I shall not be able, at this rate, to know whether I have a Guide, and whether I follow him or not. In short, I tell him plainly, that when I took him for my Guide, I did not take him to tell me the difference be­tween North and South, between a Hedge and a High-way, between Sea and dry Land; all this I knew before, as well as he or any man else could tell me; but I [Page 101]took him to conduct and direct me the nearest way to York: And therefore after all his impertinent talk; after all his Mo­tives of Credibility to perswade me to be­lieve him, and all his confident sayings, which he gravely calls Demonstrations, I stand stifly upon the shore, and leave my learned and reverend Guide to take his own course, and to dispose of himself as he pleaseth; but firmly resolved not to follow him. And is any man to be blamed that breaks with his Guide upon these Terms?

And this is truly the Case, when a man commits himself to the Guidance of any Person or Church: If by virtue of this Authority, they will needs perswade me out of my senses, and not to believe what I see, but what they say; that Vertue is Vice, and Vice Vertue, it they declare them to be so: And that because they say they are Infallible, I am to receive all their Di­ctates for Oracles, tho never so evidently false and absurd in the Judgment of all Mankind: In this case there is no way to be rid of these unreasonable People, but to desire of them, since one kindness de­serves another, and all Contradictions are alike easie to be believed, that they would be pleased to believe that Infidelity is [Page 102]Faith, and that when I absolutely renounce their Authority, I do yield a most perfect submission and obedience to it.

Upon the whole matter, all the Reve­lations of God, as well as the Laws of men, go upon this presumption, that men are not stark fools; but that they will consi­der their Interest and have some regard to the great concernment of their eternal salvation. And this is as much to secure men from mistake in matters of Belief, as God hath afforded to keep men from sin in matters of Practice. He hath made no effectual and infallible provision that men shall not sin; and yet it would puz­zle any man to give a good Reason, why God should take more care to secure men against Errors in belief, than against sin and wickedness in their Lives.

I shall now only draw three or four In­ferences from this Discourse which I have made, and so conclude.

1. That it is every mans Duty who hath ability and capacity for it, to endeavour to understand the grounds of his Religion. For to try Doctrines is to inquire into the grounds and reasons of them; which the better any man understands, the more firmly he will be established in the Truth, and be the more resolute in the day of [Page 103]Trial, and the better able to withstand the Arts and assaults of cunning Adversaries, and the fierce storms of Persecution. And on the contrary, that man will soon be moved from his stedfastness who never examined the Grounds and Reasons of his belief. When it comes to the Trial, he that hath but little to say for his Religion will probably neither do nor suffer much for it.

2. That all Doctrines are vehemently to be suspected which decline Trial, and are so loath to be brought into the light; which will hot endure a fair Examination, but magisterially require an implicite Faith: Whereas Truth is bold and full of courage, and loves to appear openly; and is so secure and confident of her own strength as to offer her self to the severest Trial and Examination. But to deny all liberty of Enquiry and Judgment in matters of Religion is the greatest injury and dispa­ragement to Truth that can be, and a ta­cite acknowledgment that she lies under some disadvantage, and that there is less to be said for her than for Error.

I have often wonder'd why the People in the Church of Rome do not suspect their Teachers and Guides to have some ill de­sign upon them, when they do so industri­ously [Page 104]debar them of the means of Know­ledge, and are so very loath to let them understand what it is that we have to say against their Religion. For can any thing in the world be more suspicious than to perswade men, to put out their eyes, up­on promise that they will help them to a much better and more faithful Guide? If any Church, any Profession of men, be unwilling their Doctrines should be expo­sed to Trial, it is a certain sign they know something by them that is faulty, and which will not endure the light. This is the account which our Saviour gives us in a like case, It was because mens deeds were evil that they loved darkness rather than light. For every one that doth evil hateth the light; neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved: But he that doth the truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.

3. Since Reason and Christianity al­low this liberty to private persons to judg for themselves in matters of Religion, we should use this priviledg with much mo­desty and humility, with great submission and deference to our Spiritual Rulers and Guides, whom God hath appointed in his Church. And there is very great need of [Page 105]this Caution, since by experience we find this liberty so much abused by many to the nourishing of Pride and Self-conceit, of Di­vision and Faction; and those who are least able to judge, to be frequently the most forward and confident, the most peremp­tory and perverse: and instead of demea­ning themselves with the submission of Learners, to assume to themselves the au­thority of Judges, even in the most doubt­ful and disputable matters.

The Tyranny of the Roman Church o­ver the Minds and Consciences of men is not to be justified upon any account; but nothing puts so plausible a colour upon it, as the ill use that is too frequently made of this natural Privilege of mens judging for themselves in a matter of so infinite con­cernment, as that of their eternal happi­ness. But then it is to be consider'd, that the proper remedy in this Case, is not to de­prive men of this Privelege, but to use the best means to prevent the abuse of it. For though the inconveniences arising from the ill use of it may be very great, yet the mis­chief on the other hand is intolerable. Re­ligion it self is liable to be abused to very bad purposes, and frequently is so; but it▪ is not therefore best that there should be no Religion: And yet this Objection, if it be of [Page 106]any force and be pursued home, is every whit as strong against Religion it self, as a­gainst mens liberty of judging in matters of Religion. Nay I add farther, that no man can judiciously embrace the true Religion, unless he be permitted to judge, whether that which he embraces be the true Reli­gion or not.

4. When upon due Trial and: Examinati­on we are well setled and established in our Religion, let us hold fast the prosession of our Faith without wavering; and not be like Children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine, through, the sleight of men, and the cunning craftiness of those who lye in wait to deceive. And above all, let us resolve to live according to the excellent Rules and Precepts of our holy Religion; let us heartily obey that Doc­trine which we profess to believe. We, who enjoy the Protestant Religion, have all the means and advantages of understan­ding the Will of God, free liberty and full scope of enquiring into it, and informing our selves concerning it: We have all the opportunities we can wish of coming to the knowledge of our Duty: The Oracles of God lie open to us, and his Law is continually before our eyes; his word is nigh un­to us, in our mouths, and in our hearts; (that [Page 107]is, we may read it and meditate upon it) that we may do it: The Key of Knowledge is put into our hands, so that if we do not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, it is we our selves that shut our selves out. And where there is nothing to hinder us from the knowledge of our Duty, there certain­ly nothing can excuse us from the practice of it. For the End of all knowledge is to di­rect men in their duty, and effectually to engage them to the performance of it:The great business of Religion is, to make men tru­ly good, and to teach them to live well. And if Religion have not this effect, it matters not of what Church any man lists and enters himself; for most certainly, A bad man can be saved in none. Though a man know the right way to Heaven never so well, and be entred into it, yet if he will not walk there­in, he shall never come thither: Nay, it will be an aggravation of this man's unhappi­ness, that he was lost in the way to Heaven, and perished in the very road to Salvation. But if we will in good earnest apply our selves to the practice of Religion, and the obedience of God's holy Laws, his Grace will never be wanting to us to so good a purpose.

I have not time to recommend Religi­on to you at large, with all its advantages. [Page 108]I will comprise what I have to say in a few words, and mind them at your peril. Let that which is our great concernment be our great care, To know the Truth and to do it, To fear God and keep his Commandments. Considering the Reasonableness and the Reward of Piety arid Vertue, nothing can be wiser; and considering the mighty assi­stance of God's Grace, which he is ready to afford to us, and the unspeakable satisfa­ction and delight which is to be had in the doing of our duty, nothing can be easier▪ Nothing will give us that pleasure, while we live; nothing can minister that true and solid comfort to us, when we come to die: There is probably no such way for a man to be happy in this World; to be sure, there is no way but this to escape the intolerable and endless miseries of another World.

Now God grant that we may all know, and do in this our day, the things that belong to our peace, for his Mercies sake in Jesus Christ; To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for ever. Amen.

THese Words contain one of the chief grounds of encouragement which the Christian Religion gives us against the fear of death. For our clearer [Page 216]understanding of them it will be requisite to consider the Context, looking back as far as the beginning of the Chapter; where the Apostle pursues the argument of the foregoing Chapter; which was to comfort and encourage Christians under their afflictions and sufferings from this consideration, that these did but prepare the way for a greater and more glorious reward; Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And suppose the worst, that these sufferings should extend to death, there is comfort for us likewise in this case, ver. 1. of this Chapter, For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, &c. If our earthly house of this tabernacle; he calls our bo­dy an earthly earthly house, and that we may not look upon it as a certain abode and fixed habitation, he doth by way of correction of himself add, that it is but a tabernacle or tent which must shortly be taken down: And when it is, we shall have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. This is a description of our heavenly habita­tion, in opposition to our earthly house or tabern [...]. It is a building of God, not [Page 217]like those houses or tabernacles which men build, and which are liable to decay and dissolution, to be taken down or to fall down of themselves, for such are those houses of clay which we dwell in whose foundations are in the dust, but an habitation prepared by God himself, a house not made with hands; that which is the immediate work of God being in Scripture opposed to that which is made with hands and effected by humane con­currence and by natural means: And be­ing the immediate work of God, as it is excellent, so it is lasting and durable, which no earthly thing is; eternal in the heavens, that is eternal and heavenly.

For in this we groan earnestly; that is, while we are in this body we groan by reason of the pressures and afflictions of it. Desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. Desiring to be clothed upon; that is, we could wish not to put off these bodies, not to be stripp'd of them by death, but to be of the number of those who at the coming of our Lord without the putting off these bodies shall be changed and clo­thed upon with their house which is from heaven, and without dying be invested [Page 218]with those spiritual and glorious and hea­venly bodies which men shall have at the Resurrection.

This I doubt not is the Apostle's mean­ing in these Words; in which he speaks according to a common opinion among the Disciples grounded (as St. John tells us) upon a mistake of our Saviour's words concerning him, If I will that he tarry till I come: upon which St. John tells us that there went a Saying among the brethren that that disciple should not die; that is, that he should live till Christ's coming to Judgment, and then be chan­ged; and consequently that Christ would come to Judgment before the end of that Age. Suitable to this common opinion among Christians the Apostle here says, in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, if so be that being clothed we shall no be found naked. It hath puzzled In­terpreters what to make of this passage, and well it might; for whatever be meant by being clothed, how can they that are clothed be found naked? But I think it is very clear that our Translatours have not attained the true sense of this passage, [...], which is most naturally [Page 219]rendred thus, if so be we shall be found clothed, and not naked: That is, if the coming of Christ shall find us in the bo­dy and not devested of it; if at Christ's coming to Judgement we shall be found alive, and not dead. And then the sense of the whole is very clear and current: we are desirous to be clothed upon with our house from heaven (that is, with our spiritual and immortal bodies) if so be it shall so happen that at the coming of Christ we shall be found alive in these bodies, and not stripp'd of them before by death. And then it follows, For we burthened (that is, with the afflictions and pressures of this life) not that we would be unclothed (that is, not that we desire by death to be devested of these bodies) but clothed upon (that is, if God see it good we had rather be found alive, and changed, and without putting off these bodies have immortality as it were su­perinduced) that so mortality might be swallowed up of life. The plain sense is, that he rather desires (if it may be) to be of the number of those who shall be found alive at the coming of Christ, and have this mortal and corruptible body while they are clothed with it changed into a spiritual and incorruptible body, [Page 220]without the pain and terrour of dying: of which immediate translation into heaven without the painfull divorce of soul and body by death, Enoch and Elias were exam­ples in the old Testament.

It follows, ver. 5. Now he that hath wrought for us the self same thing is God: That is, it is he who hath fitted and pre­pared us for this Glorious change: who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit. The Spirit is frequently in Scripture cal­led the witness and seal and earnest of our future happiness and blessed resurrection or change of these vile and earthly bodies into spiritual and heavenly bodies. For as the resurrection of Christ from the dead by the power of the holy Ghost is the great proof and evidence of immortality; so the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelling in us is the pledge and earnest of our Resurrection to an im­mortal life.

From all which the Apostle concludes in the words of the Text, Therefore we are always confident, that is, we are al­ways of good courage against the fear of death, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord, [...], which may bet­ter be rendred whilst we converse or so­journ in the body, than whilst we are at [Page 221]home; Because the design of the Apostle is to shew that the body is not our house but our tabernacle; and that whilst we are in the body we are not at home, but pilgrims and strangers. And this notion the Heathens had of our present life and condition in this world. Ex vita discedo (faith Tully) tanquam ex hospitio non tanquam ex domo; commorandi enim natu­ra diversorium nobis, non habitandi locum dedit. We go out of this life as it were from an Inn, and not from our home; nature having designed it to us as a place to sojourn but not to dwell in.

We are absent from the Lord; that is, we are detained from the blessed sight and enjoyment of God, and kept out of the possession of that happiness which makes Heaven.

So that the Apostle makes an immedi­ate opposition between our continuance in the body, and our blissfull enjoyment of God; and lays it down for a certain truth, that whilst we remain in the body we are detained from our happiness, and that so soon as ever we leave the body we shall be admitted into it, knowing that whilst we converse in the body we are ab­sent from the Lord. And ver 8. we are willing rather to be absent from the body [Page 222]and present with the Lord; intimating that so soon as we quit these bodies we shall be admitted to the blessed sight and en­joyment of God.

My design from this Text is to draw some useful Corollaries or Conclusions from this Assertion of the Apostle, That whilst we are in these bodies we are detained from our happiness; and that so soon as ever we depart out of them we shall be admitted to the possession and enjoyment of it. And they are these,

1. This Assertion shews us the vanity and falshood of that Opinion, or rather dream, concerning the sleep of the Soul from the time of death till the general Resurrection. This is chiefly grounded upon that frequent Metaphor in Scripture by which death is resembled to sleep, and those that are dead are said to be fal­len asleep. But this Metaphor is no where in Scripture, that I know of, ap­plied to the soul but to the body resting in the grave in order to its being awake­ned and raised up at the Resurrection. And thus it is frequently used with ex­press reference to the body, Dan. 12.2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the [Page 223]earth shall awake. Matth. 27.52. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which slept arose. Acts 13.36. David after he had served his own genera­tion by the will of God fell on sleep, and was laid to his fathers and saw corruption; which surely can no otherwise be under­stood than of his body. 1 Cor. 15.21. Now is Christ risen from the dead and be­come the first-fruits of them that slept: that is, the resurrection of his body is the earnest and assurance that ours also shall be raised. And ver. 51. We shall not all sleep, but shall all be changed; where the Apostle certainly speaks both of the death and change of these corruptible bodies. 1 Thessal. 4.14. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him; That is, the bodies of those that died in the Lord shall be raised, and accompany him at his coming. So that it is the bo­dy which is said in Scripture to sleep, and not the soul. For that is utterly in­consistent with the Apostles Assertion here in the Text, that while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord, and that so soon as we depart out of the body we shall be present with the Lord. For surely to be with the Lord must signifie a state [Page 224]of happiness, which sleep is not, but on­ly of inactivity: Besides, that the Apo­stle's Argument would be very flat, and it would be but a cold encouragement a­gainst the fear of death, that so soon as we are dead we shall fall asleep and be­come insensible. But the Apostle useth it as an Argument why we should be wil­ling to dye as soon as God pleaseth, and the sooner the better, because so soon as we quit these bodies we shall be present with the Lord, that is, admitted to the blissful sight and enjoyment of him; and while we abide in the body we are detained from our happiness: But if our souls shall sleep as well as our bodies till the general Resurrection, it is all one whether we continue in the body or not, as to any happiness we shall enjoy in the mean time; which is directly contrary to the main scope of the Apostle's Argu­ment.

2. This Assertion of the Apostle's doth perfectly conclude against the feigned Purgatory of the Church of Rome; which supposeth the far greater number of true and faithful Christians, of those who dye in the Lord and have obtained eternal re­demption by him from hell not to pass [Page 225]immediately into a state of happiness, but to be detained in the suburbs of Hell in extremity of torment (equal to that of hell for degree, though not for duration) till their fouls be purged, and the guilt of temporal punifhments, which they are liable to, be some way or other paid off and discharged. They suppose indeed some very few holy persons (especially those who suffer Martyrdom) to be so perfect at their departure out of the body as to pass immediately into Heaven, be­cause they need no purgation: But most Christians they suppose to dye so imperfect that they stand in need of being purged; and according to the degree of their im­perfection are to be detain'd a shorter or a longer time in Purgatory.

But now, besides that there is no Text in Scripture from whence any such state can probably be concluded (as is ac­knowledged by many learned men of the Church of Rome) and even that Text which they have most insisted upon (they shall be saved, yet so as by fire) is given up by them as insufficient to con­clue the thing. Estius is very glad to get off it, by saying there is nothing in it against Purgatory: Why? no body pretends that, but we might reasonably [Page 226]expect that there should be something for it in a Text which hath been so often pro­duced and urged by them for the proof of it. I say, besides that there is nothing in Scripture for Purgatory, there are a great many things against it, and utterly inconsistent with it. In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, which was designed to represent to us the different stares of good and bad men in another world, there is not the least intimation of Purgatory, but that good men pass immediately into a state of happiness, and bad men into a place of torment. And St. John, Rev. 14.13. pronounceth all that dye in the Lord happy, because they rest from their labours; which they cannot be said to do who are in a state of great anguish and torment, as those are supposed to be who are in Purgatory.

But above all, this Reasoning of Saint Paul is utterly inconsistent with any ima­gination of such a state. For he encou­rageth all Christians in general against the fear of death from the consideration of that happy state they should immediately pass into, by being admitted into the presence of God; which surely is not Purgatory. We are of good courage (says he) and willing rather to be absent from [Page 227]the body: And great reason we should be so, if so soon as we leave the body we are present with the Lord. But no man sure would be glad to leave the body to go in­to a place of exquisite and extreme tor­ment, which they tell us is the case of most Christians when they dye. And what can be more unreasonable, than to make the Apostle to use an argument to comfort all Christians against the sear of death which concerns but very few in comparison? So that if the Apostle's rea­soning be good, that while we are in this life we are detained from our happiness, and so soon as we depart this life we pass immediately into it, and therefore death is desirable to all good men: I say, if this reasoning be good, it is very clear that Saint Paul knew nothing of the Doctrine now taught in the Church of Rome con­cerning Purgatory; because that is utter­ly inconsistent with what he expresly as­serts in this Chapter; and quite takes away the force of his whole Argument.

3. To encourage us against the fear of death. And this is the Conclusion which the Apostle makes from this consideration. Therefore (says he) we are of good cou­rage, knowing that whilst we converse in the [Page 228]body we are absent from the Lord. There is in us a natural love of life, and a natu­ral horrour and dread of death; so that our spirits are apt to shrink at the thoughts of the approach of it. But this fear may very much be mitigated and even over­ruled by Reason and the considerations of Religion. For death is not so dreadful in it self, as with regard to the conse­quences of it: And those will be as we are, comfortable and happy to the good, but dismal and miserable to the wicked. So that the only true antidote against the fear of death is the hopes of a better life; and the only firm ground of these hopes is the mercy of God in Jefus Christ, up­on our due preparation for another world by repentance and a holy life. For the sting of death is sin; and when that is taken away the terrour and bitterness of death is past: And then death is so far from being dreadful, that in reason it is extremely desirable; because it lets us into a better state, such as only deserves the name of life. Hi vivunt qui ex cor­porum vinculis tanquam è carcere evolave­runt: vestra vero quae dicitur vita, mors est. They truly live (could a Heathen say) who have made their escape out of this prison of the body; but that which men [Page 229]commonly call life is rather death than life. To live indeed, is to be well, and to be happy; and that we shall never be till we are got beyond the grave.

4. This Consideration should comfort us under the loss and death of Friends, which certainly is one of the greatest grievances and troubles of humane life. For if they be fit for God, and go to him when they dye, they are infinitely hap­pier than it was possible for them to have been in this world: and the trouble of their absence from us is fully balanced by their being present with the Lord. For why should we lament the end of that life which we are assured is the be­ginning of immortality? One reason of our trouble for the loss of friends is be­cause we loved them: But it is no sign of our love to them to grudge and repine at their happiness. But we hoped to have enjoyed them longer: Be it so; yet why should we be troubled that they are hap­py sooner than we expected? but they are parted from us, and the thought of this is grievous: But yet the considerati­on of their being parted for a while is not near so sad, as the hopes of a happy meet­ing again, never to be parted any more, [Page 230]is comfortable and joyful. So that the greater our love to them was, the less should be our grief for them, when we consider that they are happy, and that they are safe; past all storms, all the troubles and temptations of this life, and out of the reach of all harm and danger for ever. But though the Reason of our duty in this case be very plain, yet the practice of it is very difficult; and when all is said, natural affection will have its course: And even after our Judgment is satisfied, it will require some time to still and quiet our Passions.

5. This Consideration should wean us from the love of life; and make us not only contented but willing and glad to leave this world, whenever it shall please God to call us out of it. This Inference the Apostle makes, ver. 8. We are confi­dent, I say, and willing rather to he absent from the body, and present with the Lord. Though there were no state of immorta­lity after this life, yet methinks we should not desire to live always in this world. Habet natura (says Tully) ut aliarum rerum, sic vivendi modum: As na­ture hath set bounds and measures to other things, so likewise to life; of which men [Page 231]should know when they have enough, and not covet so much of it till they be tyred and cloyed with it. If there were no other inconvenience in long life, this is a great one, that in a long course of time we unavoidably see a great many things which we would not; our own misfortunes and the calamities of others; publick confusions and distractions; the loss of Friends and Relations; or which is worse, their misery; or which is worst of all, their miscarriage: Especially, a very infirm and tedious old age is very undesirable: For who would desire to live long uneasie to himself, and trouble­some to others? It is time for us to be willing to dye, when we cannot live with the good will even of our friends: when those who ought to love us best think much that we live so long, and can hardly forbear to give us broad signs that they are weary of our company. In such a case a man would almost be contented to dye out of civility; and not chuse to make any long stay where he sees that his company is not acceptable. If we think we can be welcome to a better place, and to a more delightful society, why should we desire to thrust our selves any longer upon an ill-natured world, [Page 232]upon those who have much adoe to re­frain from telling us that our room is better than our company?

Some indeed have a very happy and vigorous old age, and the taper of life burns clear in them to the last: Their un­derstandings are good, their memories and senses tolerable, their humour plea­sant and their conversation acceptable, and their Relations kind and respectful to them. But this is a rare felicity, and which seldome happens but to those who have lived wisely and vertuously, and by a religious and regular course of life have preserved some of their best spirits to the last, and have not by vice and extrava­gance drawn off life to the dregs, and left nothing to be enjoyed but infirmities and ill humours, guilt and repentance: But on the contrary have prudently laid up some considerable comforts and supports for themselves against this gloomy day; having stored their minds with wisdom and knowledg, and taken care to secure to themselves the comfortable reflexions of an useful and well-spent life, and the favour and loving-kindness of God which is better than life it self. But generally the extremities of old age are very pee­vish and querulous, and a declining and [Page 233]falling back to the weak and helpless con­dition of Infancy and Childhood. And yet less care is commonly taken to please aged persons, and less kindness shewed to them (unless it be in expectation of re­ceiving greater from them) than to Chil­dren: because these are cherished in hopes, the others in despair of their growing better. So that if God see it good it is not desirable to live to try nature, and the kindness and good will of our Rela­tions to the utmost.

Nay there is reason enough why we should be well contented to dye in any Age of our life. If we are young, we have tasted the best of it: If in our mid­dle Age, we have not only enjoyed all that is desirable of life, but almost all that is tolerable: If we are old, we are come to the dregs of it, and do but see the same things over and over again, and continually with less pleasure.

Especially if we consider the happiness from which we are all this while detain­ed. This life is but our Infancy and child­hood in comparison of the manly plea­sures and employments of the other state. And why should we desire to be always children; and to linger here below to play the fools yet a little longer? In [Page 234]this sense that high expression of the Poet is true.

The Gods conceal from men the sweetness of dying, to make them patient and contented to live.

This life is wholly in order to the other. Do but make sure to live well, and there is no need of living long. To the pur­pose of preparation for another world, the best life is the longest. Some live a great pace, and by continual diligence and in­dustry in serving God and doing good, do really dispatch more of the business of life in a few years, than others do in a whole Age; who go such a santring pace to­wards Heaven, as if they were in no haste to get thither. But if we were al­ways prepared we should rejoyce at the prospect of our end; as those who have been long tost at Sea are overjoyed at the sight of Land.

I have now done with my Text, but have another Subject to speak of; that excellent Man in whose Place I now [Page 235]stand; whom we all knew, and whom all that knew him well did highly esteem and reverence. He was born in Shrop­shire of a worthy and ancient Family, the 11th of March, 1609. was the sixth Son of his Father: and being bred up to learning and very capable of it, was sent to the University of Cambridge, and plan­ted there in Emanuel College, where he was chosen Fellow, and was an excellent Tutour and Instructour of Youth, and bred up many persons of great Quality, and others, who afterwards proved useful and eminent; as many perhaps as any Tutour of that Time.

About the age of four or five and thirty he was made Provost of King's College; where he was a most vigilant and prudent Governour, a great encou­rager of Learning and good Order, and by his careful and wise management of the Estate of the College brought it into a very flourishing Condition, and left it so.

It cannot be denied (nor am I much concerned to dissemble it) that here he possess'd another Man's place, who by the iniquity of the Times was wrongfully ejected; I mean Dr. Collins the famous and learned Divinity-Professor of that [Page 236]University. During whose life (and he lived many years after) by the free con­sent of the College there were two shares out of the common Dividend allotted to the Prevost, one whereof was constantly paid to Dr. Collins, as if he had been still Prevost. To this Dr. Whichcot did not only give his consent (without which the thing could not have been done) but was very forward for the doing of it, though hereby he did not only considera­bly lessen his own profit, but likewise in­curr no small censure and hazard, as the Times then were. And lest this had not been kindness enough to that worthy Per­son whose Place he possessed, in his last Will he left to his Son, Sir John Collins, a Legacy of one hundred pounds.

And as he was not wanting either in respect or real kindness to the rightful Owner, so neither did he stoop to do any thing unworthy to obtain that Place; for he never took the Covenant: And not only so, but by the particular friendship and interest which he had in some of the chief of the Visitours he pre­vailed to have the greatest part of the Fellows of that College exempted from that Imposition; and preserved them in their Places by that means. And to the [Page 237]Fellows that were ejected by the Visitours, he likewise freely consented that their full Dividend for that year should be paid them, even after they were ejected. A­mong these was the Reverend and ingeni­ous Dr. Charles Mason; upon whom af­ter he was ejected, the College did confer a good Living which then fell in their gift, with the consent of the Prevost, who, knowing him to be a worthy man, was contented to run the hazard of the dis­pleasure of those Times.

So that I hope none will be hard upon him, that he was contented upon such terms to be in a capacity to do good in bad Times.

For, besides his care of the College, he had a very great and good influence upon the University in general. Every Lord's day in the Afternoon, for almost twenty years together, he preached in Trinity Church , where he had a great number not only of the young Scholars, but of those of greater standing and best repute for Learning in the University his constant and attentive Auditors: And in those wild and unsetled Times contributed more to the forming of the Students of that U­niversity to a sober sense of Religion than any man in that Age.

After he left Cambridge he came to London, and was chosen Minister of Black-Friars, where he continued till the dreadful Fire: And then retired himself to a Donative he had at Milton near Cam­bridge: where he Preached constantly; and relieved the poor, and had their children taught to read at his own charge; and made up differences among the neighbours. Here he stayed till, by the promotion of the Reverend Dr. Wil­kins, his Predecessour in this Place, to the Bishoprick of Chester, he was by his inter­est and recommendation presented to this Church. But during the building of it, upon the invitation of the Court of Al­dermen, in the Mayoralty of Sir Willi­am Turner, he preached before that Ho­nourable Auditory at Guild-Hall Chapel every Sunday in the afternoon with great acceptance and approbation, for about the space of seven years.

When his Church was built, he be­stowed his pains here twice a week, where he had the general love and respect of his Parish; and a very considerable and judicious Auditory, though not very numerous by reason of the weakness of his voice in his declining age.

It pleased God to bless him, as with a plentifull Estate, so with a charitable Mind: which yet was not so well known to many, because in the disposal of his charity he very much affected secrecy. He frequently bestowed his alms (as I am informed by those who best knew) on poor house-keepers disabled by age or sickness to support themselves, thinking those to be the most proper objects of it. He was rather frugal in expence upon himself, that so he might have where­withall to relieve the necessities of o­thers.

And he was not onely charitable in his life, but in a very bountiful manner at his death; bequeathing in pious and charitable Legacies to the value of a thousand pounds. To the Library of the University of Cambridge fifty pounds: and of King's College one hundred pounds: and of Emanuel College twenty pounds: To which College he had been a conside­rable benefactour before; having founded there several Scholarships to the value of a thousand pounds, out of a Charity with the disposal whereof he was entrusted, and which not without great difficulty and pains he at last recovered.

To the Poor of the several Places where his Estate lay, and where he had been Minister he gave above one hundred pounds.

Among those who had been his Ser­vants, or were so at his death, he dis­posed in Annuities and Legacies in mo­ney to the value of above three hundred pounds.

To other charitable uses and among the poorer of his Relations, above three hundred pounds.

To every one of his Tenants he left a Legacy according to the proportion of the Estate they held, by way of remem­brance of him: And to one of them that was gone much behind he remitted in his Will seventy pounds. And as became his great goodness, he was ever a re­markably kind Landlord, forgiving his Tenants, and always making abatements to them for hard years or any other ac­cidental losses that happened to them.

I must not omit the wise provision he made in his Will to prevent Law-suits a­mong the Legatees, by appointing two or three persons of greatest prudence and Authority among his Relations final Arbi­trators of all differences that should arise.

Having given this account of his last Will, I come cow to the sad part of all: sad, I mean, to us, but happiest to him. A little before Easter last he went down to Cambridge: where, upon taking a great Cold, he fell into a distemper which in a few days put a period to his life. He died in the house of his ancient and most learned Friend, Dr Cudworth, Master of Christ's College. During his sickness he had a constant calmness and serenity of mind: and under all his bodily weakness possest his soul in great patience. After the Prayers for the Visitation of the Sick. (which he said were excellent Prayers) had been used, he was put in mind of receiving the Sacrament; to which he answered, that he most readily embraced the proposal: And after he had received it, said to Dr. Cudworth, I heartily thank you for this most Christian office: I thank you for putting me in mind of receiving this Sacrament: adding this pious ejacu­lation, The Lord fulfill all his declarations and promises, and pardon all my weaknes­ses and imperfections. He disclaimed all merit in himself; and declared that what­ever he was, he was through the grace and goodness of God in Jesus Christ. [Page 242]He expressed likewise great dislike of the Principles of Separation; and said he was the more desirous to receive the Sacrament that he might declare his full Communion with the Church of Christ all the world over. He disclaimed Popery, and, as things of near affinity with it, or rather parts of it, all superstition, and usurpation upon the consiciences of men.

He thanked God, that he had no pain in his body, nor disquiet in his mind.

Towards his last he seemed rather un­willing to be detained any longer in this state; not for any pains he felt in himself, but for the trouble he gave his friends: saying to one of them who had with great care attended him all along in his sickness, My dear friend, thou hast taken a great deal of pains to uphold a crazy body, but it will not do: I pray thee give me no more Cordials; for why shouldst thou keep me any longer out of that happy state to which I am going. I thank God I hope in his mercy, that it shall be well with me.

And herein God was pleased particu­larly to answer those devout and well­weighed petitions of his which he fre­quently used in his Prayer before Sermon, which I shall set down in his own words, & I doubt not those that were his constant [Page 243]hearers do well remember them; And superadd this, O Lord, to all the grace and favour which thou hast shewn us all a­long in life, not to remove us hence but with all advantage for Eternity, when we shall be in a due preparation of mind, in a holy constitution of soul, in a perfect renun­ciation of the guise of this mad and sinful world, when we shall be intirely resigned up to thee, when we shall have clear acts of faith in God by Jesus Christ, high and re­verential thoughts of thee in our minds, in­larged and inflamed affections towards thee, &c. And whensoever we shall come to leave this world, which will be when thou shalt appoint (for the issues of life and death are in thy hands) afford us such a mighty power and presence of thy good Spi­rit that we may have solid consolation in believing, and avoid all consternation of mind, all doubtfulness and uncertainty con­cerning our everlasting condition, and at length depart in the faith of God's Elect, &c. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.

Thus you have the short History of the life and death of this eminent Person; whose just Character cannot be given in [Page 244]few words, and time will not allow me to use many. To be able to describe him aright it were necessary one should be like him; for which reason I must con­tent my self with a very imperfect draught of him.

I shall not insist upon his exemplary pi­ety and devotion towards God, of which his whole life was one continued Testimo­ny. Nor will I praise his profound Lear­ning, for which he was justy had in so great reputation. The moral improvements of his mind, a Godlike temper and disposition (as he was wont to call it) he chiefly valued and aspired after; that universal charity and goodness, which he did conti­nually preach and practise.

His Conversation was exceeding kind and assable, grave and winning, prudent and profitable. He was slow to declare his judgment, and modest in delivering it. Never passionate, never peremptory: so far from imposing upon others, that he was rather apt to yeild. And though he had a most profound and well-poized judgment, yet was he of all men I ever knew the most patient to hear others dif­fer from him, and the most easie to be convinced when good Reason was offe­red; and, which is seldom seen, more [Page 245]apt to be favourable to another man's Rea­son than his own.

Studious and inquisitive men common­ly at such an age (at forty or fifty at the utmost) have fixed and setled their Judg­ments in most Points, and as it were made their last understanding; supposing they have thought, or read, or heard what can be said on all sides of things; and af­ter that, they grow positive and impati­ent of contradiction, thinking it a dispa­ragement to them to alter their judgment: But our deceased Friend was so wise, as to be willing to learn to the last; knowing that no man can grow wiser without some change of his mind, without gai­ning some knowledge which he had not, or correcting some errour which he had before.

He had attained so perfect a mastery of his Passions, that for the latter and grea­test part of his life he was hardly ever seen to be transported with Anger: and as he was extremely carefull not to provoke a­ny man, so not to be provoked by any; using to say, if I provoke a man he is the worse for my company, and if I suffer my self to be provoked by him I shall be the worse for his.

He very seldom reproved any person in company otherwise than by silence, or some sign of uneasiness, or some very soft and gentle word; which yet from the re­spect men generally bore to him did often prove effectual: For he understood hu­mane nature very well, and how to apply himself to it in the most easie and effectual ways.

He was a great encourager and kind directour of young Divines: and one of the most candid hearers of Sermons, I think, that ever was: So that though all men did mightily reverence his Judgment, yet no man had reason to fear his Cen­sure. He never spake well of himself, nor ill of others: making good that say­ing of Pansa in Tully, neminem alterius, qui suae consideret virtuti, invidere; that no man is apt to envy the worth and vertues of another, that hath any of his own to trust to.

In a word, he had all those vertues, and in a high degree, which an excellent temper, great consideration, long care and watchfulness over himself, together with the assistance of God's grace (which he continually implored, and mightily relied upon) are apt to produce. Parti­cularly he excelled in the vertues of Con­versation, [Page 247]humanity, and gentleness, and humility, a prudent and peaceable and reconciling temper. And God knows we could very ill at this time have spared such a Man; and have lost from among us as it were so much balm for the healing of the Nation, which is now so miserably rent and torn by those wounds which we madly give our selves. But since God hath thought good to deprive us of him, let his vertues live in our memory, and his example in our lives. Let us en­deavour to be what he was, and we shall one day be what he now is, of blessed memory on Earth, and happy for ever in Heaven.

And now methinks the consideration of the Argument I have been upon, and of that great Example that is before us, should raise our minds above this world and six them upon the glory and happi­ness of the other. Let us then begin hea­ven here, in the frame and temper of our minds, in our heavenly affections and conversation; in a due preparation for, and in carnest desires and breathings af­ter that blessed state which we firmly be­lieve and assuredly hope to be one day possessed of: when we shall be removed [Page 248]out of this sink of sin and sorrows into the Regions of bliss and immortality: where we shall meet all those worthy and excellent persons who are gone before us, and whose conversation was so delightfull to us in this world; and will be much more so to us in the other, when the spi­rits of just men shall be made perfect, and shall be quit of all those infirmities which did attend and lessen them in this mortal state: when we shall meet again with our dear Brother, and all those good men whom we knew in this world, and with the Saints and excellent persons of all Ages to enjoy their blessed friendship and society for ever, in the presence of the blessed God where is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for e­vermore.

In a firm persuasion of this happy state let us every one of us say with David, and with the same ardency of affection that he did, As the Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God: My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; O when shall I come and appear before God? That so the life which we now live in this world may be a patient continuance in well doing in a joy­full expectation of the blessed hope and the [Page 249]glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all ho­nour and glory, now and for ever.

Now the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us per­fect in every good work to do his will; wor­king in us always that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; To whom be glory for ever. Amen.

THese are the words of Joshua; who, after he had brought the People of Israel thorough many difficulties and [Page 372]hazards into the quiet possession of the promised land, like a good Prince and Father of his Country was very sollici­tous, before his death, to lay the firmest foundation he could devise of the future happiness and prosperity of that People in whose present settlement he had, by the blessing of God, been so succesfull an instrument.

And because he knew no means so ef­fectual to this end, as to confirm them in the Religion and Worship of the true God, who had by so remarkable and miraculous a Providence planted them in that good Land; he summons the people together, and represents to them all those considerations that might en­gage them and their posterity for ever, to continue in the true Religion. He tells them what God had already done for them, and what he had promised to do more, if they would be faithfull to him: And on the other hand, what fear­full calamities he had threatned, and would certainly bring upon them, in case they should transgress his Covenant, and go and serve other Gods. And after many Arguments to this purpose, he con­cludes with this earnest Exhortation at the 14th. verse, Now therefore fear the [Page 373]Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the Gods which your father served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

And to give the greater weight and force to this Exhortation, he do's by a very eloquent kind of insinuation as it were once more set them at liberty, and leave them to their own election: It be­ing the nature of man to stick more sted­fastly to that which is not violently im­posed, but is our own free and deliberate choice: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, chuse you this day whom you will serve.

Which words offer to our consideration these following Observations.

1. It is here supposed that a Nation must be of some Religion or other. Joshua do's not put this to their choice, but takes it for granted.

2. That though Religion be a matter of choice, yet it is neither a thing indifferent in it self, nor to a good Governour, what Re­ligion his people are of. Joshua do's not put it to them as if it were an indifferent matter whether they served God or Idols; he had sufficiently declared before which of these was to be preferred.

3. The true Religion may have several prejudices and objections against it: If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, in­timating that upon some accounts, and to some persons, it may appear so.

4. That the true Religion hath those real advantages on its side, that it may safely be referr'd to any considerate mans choice. And this seems to be the true Reason why Joshua refers it to them: Not that he thought the thing indifferent, but because he was fully satisfied that the truth and goodness of the one above the other was so evident, that there was no danger that any prudent man should make a wrong choice, If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, chuse you this day whom you will serve; intimating, that the plain difference of the things in competition would direct them what to chuse.

5. The Example of Princes and Gover­nours hath a very great influence upon the people in matters of Religion. This I collect from the Context: And Joshua was sensible of it; and therefore though he firmly believed the true Religion to have those advantages that would cer­tainly recommend it to every impartial mans judgment, yet knowing that the multitude are easily imposed upon and led [Page 375]into error, he thought fit to encline and determine them by his own example, and by declaring his own peremptory resolution in the case, Chuse you this day whom you will serve; as for me, I and my house will serve the Lord. Laws are a good security to Religion; but the Ex­ample of Governours is a living Law, which secretly overrules the minds of men, and bends them to a compliance with it.

The Lives and Actions of Princes have usually a greater sway upon the minds of the People than their Laws.

All these Observations are I think very natural, and very considerable. I shall not be able to speak to them all; but shall proceed so far as the time and your patience will give me leave.

First, It is here supposed that a Nation must be of some Religion or other. Joshua do's not put it to their choice, whether they would worship any Deity at all. That had been too wild and extravagant a supposition, and which it is likely in [Page 376]those days had never entered into any mans mind. But he takes it for granted that all people will be of some Religion; and then offers it to their consideration which they would pitch upon, Chuse you this day whom you will serve, whether the Gods which your fathers served, &c.

Religion is a thing to which men are not only formed by education and cus­tom, but, as Tully says, Quo omnes duce naturâ vehimur, It is that to which we are all carried by a natural inclination: which is the true Reason why some Re­ligion or other hath so universally prevai­led in all Ages and places of the world.

The temporal felicity of men, and the ends of Government can very hardly, if at all, be attained without Religion. Take away this, and all Obligations of Conscience cease: and where there is no obligation of Conscience, all security of Truth and Justice and mutual confidence among men is at an end. For why should I repose confidence in that man, why should I take his word, or believe his promise, or put any of my Interests and concernments into his power, who hath no other restraint upon him but that of humane Laws, and is at liberty in his own mind and principles to do whatever [Page 377]he judgeth to be expedient for his inte­rest, provided he can but do it without danger to himself? So that declared A­theism and Infidelity doth justly bring men under a jealousie and suspition with all mankind: And every wise man hath reason to be upon his guard against those, from whom he hath no cause to expect more justice and truth and equity in their dealings than he can compel them to by the mere dint and force of Laws. For by declaring themselves free from all other obligations they give us fair warn­ing what we are to expect at their hands, and how far we may trust them. Reli­gion is the strongest band of humane Society; and God so necessary to the welfare and happiness of mankind, as it could not have been more, if we could suppose the Being of God himself to have been purposely designed and contrived for the benefit and advantage of men: So that very well may it be taken for granted, that a Nation must be of some Religion or other.

II Secondly, Though Religion be a matter of our choice, yet it is neither a thing in­different in it self, nor to a good Governour, what Religion his people are of. Notwith­standing [Page 378]the supposition of the Text, Jo­shua doth not leave them at liberty whe­ther they will serve God or Idols; but by a very Rhetorical Scheme of Speech endeavours to engage them more firmly to the worship of the true God.

To countenance and support the true Religion, and to take care that the peo­ple be instructed in it, and that none be permitted to debauch and seduce men from it, properly belongs to the Civil Magistrate. This power the Kings of Israel always exercised, not only with allowance, but with great approbation and commendation from God himself. And the case is not altered since Christia­nity: The better the Religion is, the bet­ter it deserves the countenance and sup­port of the Civil Authority. And this Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion was never called in question, but by the Enthusiasts of these later times: And yet among these, every Father and Master of a Family claims this Power o­ver his Children and Servants, at the same time that they deny it to the Magistrate over his Subjects. But I would fain know where the difference lyes. Hath a Mas­ter of a Family more power over those un­der his Government than the Magistrate [Page 379]hath? No man ever pretended it: Nay, so far is it from that, that the natural Authority of a Father may be, and often is, limited and restrained by the Laws of the Civil Magistrate. And why then may not a Magistrate exercise the same power over his Subjects in matters of Re­ligion, which every Master challengeth to himself in his own Family, that is, to establish the true worship of God in such manner and with such circumstances as he thinks best, and to permit none to af­front it, or to seduce from it those that are under his care. And to prevent all misunderstandings in this matter, I do not hereby ascribe any thing to the Ma­gistrate that can possibly give him any pretence of right to reject God's true Re­ligion, or to declare what he pleases to be so, and what Books he pleases to be Cano­nical and the Word of God; and conse­quently to make a false Religion so cur­rant by the stamp of his Authority, as to oblige his Subjects to the profession of it: Because he who acknowledgeth himself to derive all his Authority from God, can pretend to none against Him. But if a false Religion be established by Law, the case here is the same as in all other Laws that are sinfull in the matter of them, [Page 380]but yet made by a lawfull Authority; in this case the Subject is not bound to profess a false Religion, but patiently to suffer for the constant profession of the true.

And to speak freely in this matter, I cannot think (till I be better inform'd, which I am always ready to be) that any pretence of Conscience warrants any man, that is not extraordinarily commis­sion'd as the Apostles and first Publishers of the Gospel were, and cannot justifie that Commission by Miracles as they did, to affront the establish'd Religion of a Nation (though it be false) and openly to draw men off from the profession of it in contempt of the Magistrate and the Law: All that persons of a different Re­ligion can in such a case reasonably pre­tend to, is to enjoy the private liberty and exercise of their own Conscience and Religion; for which they ought to be very thankfull, and to forbear the open making of Proselytes to their own Religi­on, (though they be never so sure that they are in the right) till they have ei­ther an extraordinary Commission from God to that purpose, or the Providence of God make way for it by the permission or connivance of the Magistrate. Not but [Page 381]that every man hath a Right to publish and propagate the true Religion, and to declare it against a false one; but there is no Obligation upon any man to attempt this to no purpose, and when without a miracle it can have no other effect but the loss of his own life: unless he have an immediate command and Commission from God to this purpose, and be endued with a power of miracles, as a publick Seal and Testimony of that Commission, which was the case of the Apostles, who after they had received an immediate Commission were not to enter upon the execution of it, but to stay at Jerusalem, till they were endued with power from on high. In this case a man is to abide all hazards, and may reasonably expect both extraordinary assistance and success, as the Apostles had; and even a miraculous protection till his work be done; and af­ter that, if he be call▪d to suffer Martyr­dome, a supernatural support under those sufferings.

And that they are guilty however of gross Hypocrisie who pretend a further obligation of Conscience in this matter, I shall give this plain Demonstration, which relies upon Concessions generally made on all hands, and by all Parties. No [Page 382]Protestant (that I know of) holds him­self obliged to go and Preach up his Reli­gion and make Converts in Spain or Italy: Nor do either the Protestant Ministers or Popish Priests think themselves bound in conscience to Preach the Gospel in Tur­ky, and to confute the Alcheran, to con­vert the Mahometans. And what is the Reason? because of the severity of the Inquisition in Popish Countreys, and of the Laws in Turky. But doth the danger then alter the obligation of Conscience? No certainly; but it makes men throw off the false pretence and disguise of it: But where there is a real obligation of Conscience, danger should not deter men from their Duty, as it did not the Apostles: which shews their case to be different from ours, and that probably this matter was stated right at first. So that whatever is pretended this is certain, that the Priests and Jesuites of the Church of Rome have in truth no more obligati­on of conscience to make Converts here in England than in Sueden or Turky; where it seems the evident danger of the attempt hath for these many years given them a perfect discharge from their duty in this particular. I shall joyn the

Third and Fourth Observations toge­ther. That though the true Religion may have several prejudices and objections a­gainst it, yet upon examination there will be found those real advantages on its side, that it may safely be referred to any consi­derate mans choice: If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, chuse you this day whom you will serve. If it seem evil unto you, Intimating that to some persons and upon some accounts it may appear so. But when the matter is truly repre­sented, the choice is not difficult, nor requires any long deliberation, Chuse you this day whom you will serve. Let but the Cause be fully and impartially heard, and a wise man may determine himself upon the spot, and give his Verdict with­out ever going from the Bar.

The true Religion hath always layen under some prejudices with partial and in­considerate men; which commonly spring from one of these two Causes, either the Prepossessions of a contrary Religion, or the contrariety of the true Religion to the vici­ous inclinations and practices of men, which usually lyes at the bottom of all preju­dice against Religion. Religion is an enemy to mens beloved lusts, and there­fore they are enemies to Religion. I be­gin [Page 384]with the first, which is as much as I shall be able to compass at this time.

I. The Prepossessions of a false Religion; which commonly pretends two advanta­ges on its side, Antiquity and Ʋniversa­lity; and is wont to object to the true Religion Novelty and Singularity. And both these are intimated both before and after the Text: Put away the gods which your Father served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt: And chuse you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your Fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell. Idolatry was the Religion of their Fathers, and had spread it self over the greatest and most ancient Nations of the world and the most fa­mous for Learning and Arts, the Chalde­ans and Egyptians; and was the Religi­on of the Amorites and the Nations round about them. So that Joshua represents the Heathen Religion with all its strength and advantage, and do's not dissemble its confident pretence to Antiquity and Ʋni­versality, whereby they would also insi­nuate the Novelty and Singularity of the worship of the God of Israel. And it is very well worthy our observation, that one or both of these have always been [Page 385]the Exceptions of false Religions (especi­ally of Idolatry and Superstition) against the true Religion. The ancient Idolaters of the World pretended their Religion to be ancient and universal, that their Fa­thers served these Gods, and that the worship of the God of Israel was a plain Innovation upon the Ancient and Catholick Religion of the world, and that the very first rise and original of it was within the memory of their Fathers; and no doubt they were almost perpetually upon the Jews with that pert question, Where was your Religion before Abraham? and tel­ling them, that it was the Religion of a very small part and corner of the world, confined within a little Territory: But the great Nations of the world, the E­gyptians and Chaldeans, famous for all kind of knowledge and wisedom, and indeed all the Nations round about them, worshipped other Gods: And therefore it was an intolerable arrogance and singula­rity in them, to condemn their Fathers and all the world, to be of a Religion dif­ferent from all other Nations, and here­by to separate themselves and make a Schism from the rest of mankind.

And when the Gospel appeared in the world, which the Apostle to the Hebrews (to prevent the scandal of that word) calls the time of Reformation, the Jews and Heathen still renewed the same Ob­jections against Christianity. The Jews urged against it, not the ancient Scriptures and the true word of God, but that which they pretended to be of much grea­ter Authority, the unwritten Word, the ancient and constant Traditions of their Church; and branded this new Religion with the name of Heresie, After the way (saith St. Paul) that you call Heresie, so worship I the God of my Fathers; belie­ving all things that are written in the Law, and in the Prophets: By which we see, that they of the Church of Rome were not the first who called it Heresie to reject humane Traditions, and to make the Scriptures the Rule of Faith: This was done long before by their reverend Pre­decessors, the Scribes and and Pharisees.

And the Gentiles, they pretended a­gainst it both Antiquity and Ʋniversality, the constant belief and practice of all A­ges, and almost all Places of the World; Sequimur majores nostros qui feliciter secuti sunt suos, says Symmachus, We follow our [Page 387]Fore-fathers, who happily followed theirs; But you bring in a new Religion, never known nor heard of in the World before.

And when the Christian Religion was most miserably depraved and corrupted, in that dismal night of Ig­norance which overspread these Western parts of the World about the Ninth and Tenth Centùries; and many pernicious Doctrines and Superstitious Practices were introduced, to the wofull defacing of the Christian Religion, and making it quite another thing from what our Savi­our had left it; and these Corruptions and Abuses had continued for several A­ges: No sooner was a Reformation attem­pted but the Church of Rome make the same outcry of Novelty and Singularity: And though we have substantially answe­red it a thousand times, yet we cannot ob­tain of them to forbear that threadbare Question, Where was your Religion before Luther?

I shall therefore apply my self to an­swer these two Exceptions with all the brevity and clearness I can: And I doubt not to make it appear, that as to the point of Ʋniversality (though that be no-wise necessary to justifie the truth of [Page 388]any Religion) ours is not inferior to theirs; if we take in the Christians of all Ages, and of all parts of the World: And as to the point of Antiquity, that our Faith and the Doctrines of our Religion have clearly the advantage of theirs; all our Faith being unquestionably ancient, theirs not so.

1. As to the Point of Ʋniversality. Which they of the Church of Rome, I know not for what reason, will needs make an inseparable property and mark of the true Church. And they never slout at the Protestant Religion with so good a grace among the ignorant People, as when they are bragging of their Num­bers, and despising poor Protestancy be­cause embraced by so few. This pesti­lent Northern Heresie (as of late they scornfully call it) entertained it seems only in this cold and cloudy Corner of the World, by a company of dull stupid People, that can neither penetrate into the proofs nor the possibility of Transub­stantiation; whereas to the more refined Southern Wits all these difficult and ob­scure Points are as clear as their Sun at Noon-day.

But to speak to the thing it self. If [Page 389]Number be necessary to prove the truth and goodness of any Religion, ours upon enquiry will be found not so inconsidera­ble as our Adversaries would make it. Those of the Reformed Religion, accor­ding to the most exact calculations that have been made by learned men, being esteemed not much unequal in number to those of the Romish persuasion. But then if we take in the ancient Christian Church, whose Faith was the same with ours; and other Christian Churches at this day, which all together are vastly greater and more numerous than the Roman Church, and which agree with us, several of them in very considerable Doctrines and Prac­tices in dispute between us and the Church of Rome, and all of them in dis­claiming that fundamental point of the Roman Religion, and Summ of Christiani­ty (as Bellarmine calls it) I mean the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome over all Christians and Churches in the World, then the Number on our side will be much greater than on theirs.

But we will not stand upon this advantage with them. Suppose we were by much the sewer. So hath the true Church of God often been, without [Page 390]any the least prejudice to the truth of their Religion. What think we of the Church in Abraham's time, which for ought we know was confined to one Family; and one small Kingdom, that of Melchisedec King of Salem? What think we of it in Moses his time, when it was confined to one People wande­ring in a Wilderness? What of it in Elijah's time, when besides the two Tribes that worshipped at Jerusalem, there were in the other ten but seven thousand that had not bowed their knee to Baal? What in our Saviour's time, when the whole Christian Church con­sisted of twelve Apostles, and seventy Disciples, and some few Followers beside? How would Bellarmine have despised this little Flock, because it wanted one or two of his goodliest marks of the true Church, Ʋniversality and Splendor? And what think we of the Christian Church in the height of Arianism and Pelagia­nism, when a great part of Christendom was over-run with these Errors, and the number of the Orthodox was inconsidera­ble in comparison of the Hereticks?

But what need I to urge these Instan­ces? As if the Truth of a Religion were [Page 391]to be estimated and carried by the major Vote; which as it can be an Argument to none but Fools, so I dare say no ho­nest and wise man ever made use of it for a solid proof of the truth and goodness of any Church or Religion. If multitude be an Argument that men are in the right, in vain then hath the Scripture said, Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil: For if this Argument be of any force, the greater Number never go wrong.

2. As to the Point of Antiquity. This is not always a certain Mark of the true Religion. For surely there was a time when Christianity began and was a new Profession, and then both Judaism and Paganism had certainly the advantage of it in Point of Antiquity. But the pro­per Question in this Case is, Which is the true Ancient Christian Faith, that of the Church of Rome, or Ours? And to make this matter plain, it is to be considered, that a great part of the Roman Faith is the same with Ours; as, namely, the Arti­cles of the Apostles Creed, as explained by the first four General Councils. And these make up our whole Faith, so far as concerns matters of meer and simple Belief, that are of absolute ne­cessity [Page 392]to Salvation. And in this Faith of Ours, there is nothing wanting that can be shewn in any ancient Creed of the Christian Church. And thus far Our Faith, and theirs of the Roman Church, are undoubtedly of equal Antiquity, that is, as ancient as Christianity it self.

All the Question is, as to the matters in difference between us. The principal whereof are the twelve new Articles of the Creed of Pope Pius the IV, concer­ning the Sacrifice of the Mass, Transub­stantiation, the Communion in one kind only, Purgatory, &c. not one of which is to be found in any ancient Creed or Confession of Faith generally allowed in the Christi­an Church. The Antiquity of these we deny, and affirm them to be Innovati­ons; and have particularly proved them to be so, not only to the answering, but almost to the silencing of our Adver­saries.

And as for the negative Articles of the Protestant Religion, in opposition to the Errors and Corruptions of the Romish Faith, these are by accident become a part of our Faith and Religion, occasio­ned by their Errors; as the renouncing of the Doctrines of Arianism became [Page 393]part of the Catholick Religion, after the rise of that Heresie.

So that the Case is plainly this; We believe and teach all that is contained in the Creeds of the ancient Christian Church, and was by them esteemed ne­cessary to Salvation: and this is Our Re­ligion. But now the Church of Rome hath innovated in the Christian Religion, and made several Additions to it; and greatly corrupted it both in the Doc­trines and Practices of it: And these Ad­ditions and Corruptions are their Religion, as it is distinct from ours; and both be­cause they are Corruptions and Novelties we have rejected them: And our rejec­tion of these is our Reformation: And our Reformation we grant (if this will do them any good) not to be so ancient as their Corruptions: All Reformation necessarily supposing Corruptions and Er­rors to have been before it.

And now we are at a little better lei­sure to answer that captious Question of theirs, Where was your Religion before Luther? Where-ever Christianity was; in some places more pure, in others more corrupted: but especially in these Western parts of Christendom overgrown for seve­ral [Page 394]Ages with manifold Errors and Cor­ruptions, which the Reformation hath happily cut off, and cast away. So that though our Reformation was as late as Luther, our Religion is as ancient as Chri­stianity it self. For when the Additions which the Church of Rome hath made to the ancient Christian Faith, and their Innovations in practice are pared off, that which remains of their Religion is ours; and this they canot deny to be eve­ry tittle of it the ancient Christianity.

And what other Answer than this could the Jews have given to the like Question, if it had been put to them by the ancient Idolaters of the World, Where was your Religion before Abraham? but the very same in substance which we now give to the Church of Rome? That for many Ages the Worship of the one true God had been corrupted, and the Worship of Idols had prevailed in a great part of the World: that Abraham was raised up by God to reform Religion, and to reduce the Worship of God to its first Institution; in the doing whereof he necessarily separated Himself and his Fa­mily from the Communion of those Ido­laters. So that though the Reformati­on [Page 395]which Abraham began was new, yet his Religion was truly ancient; as old as that of Noah, and Enoch, and Adam. Which is the same in substance that we say, and with the same and equal rea­son.

And if they will still complain of the Newness of our Reformation, so do we too, and are heartily sorry it began no sooner; but however better late than never. Besides, it ought to be conside­red, that this Objection of Novelty lies against all Reformation whatsoever, though never so necessary, and though things be never so much amiss: And it is in effect to say, that if things be once bad, they must never be better, but must always remain as they are; for they can­not be better, without being reformed, and a Reformation must begin sometime, and whenever it begins it is certainly new. So that if a real Reformation be made, the thing justifies it self; and no Objection of Novelty ought to take place against that which upon all accounts was so fit and necessary to be done. And if they of the Church of Rome would but speak their mind out in this matter, they are not so much displeased at the Refor­mation [Page 396]which we have made because it is new, as because it is a Reformation. It was the humour of Babylon of old (as the Prophet tells us) that she woud not be hea­led; Jer. 51.9. and this is still the temper of the Church of Rome, they hate to he refor­med; and rather than acknowledge them­selves to have been once in an Error, they will continue in it for ever. And this is that which at first made, and still conti­nues the breach and Separation between us; of which we are no-wise guilty who have onely reformed what was amiss, but they who obstinately persist in their er­rors, and will needs impose them upon us and will not let us be of their Commu­nion unless we will say they are no Er­rors.

II II. The other Prejudice against the true Religion is, the contrariety of it to the vicious inclinations and practices of Men.

It is too heavy a yoke, and lays too great a restraint upon humane Nature. And this is that which in truth lies at the bottom of all Objections against Religion, Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.

But this Argument will require a Dis­course [Page 397]by it self, and therefore I shall not now enter upon it; onely crave your pa­tience a little longer, whilst I make some Reflections upon what hath been already delivered.

You see what are the Exceptions which Idolatry and Superstition have always made, and do at this day still make, a­gainst the true Religion; and how slight and insignificant they are.

But do we then charge the Church of Rome with Idolatry? Our Church most certainly does so, and hath always done it from the beginning of the Reformation; in her Homilies, and Liturgy, and Canons, and in the Writings of her best and ablest Champions. And though I have, as im­partially as I could, consider'd what hath been said on both sides in this Controver­sy; yet I must confess I could never yet see any tolerable defence made by them against this heavy charge. And they themselves acknowledge themselves to be greatly under the suspicion of it, by say­ing (as Cardinal Perron and others do) that the Primitive Christians for some Ages did neither worship Images, nor pray to Saints, for fear of being thought to approach too near the Heathen Idolatry: And which [Page 398]is yet more; divers of their most learned men do confess, that if Transubstantiation be not true, they are as gross Idolaters as any in the World. And I hope they do not expect it from us, that in comple­ment to them, and to acquit them from the charge of Idolatry, we should pre­sently deny our senses, and believe Tran­substantiation; and if we do not believe this, they grant we have Reason to charge them with Idolatry.

But we own them to be a true Church; which they cannot be, if they be guilty of Idolatry: This they often urge us withall, and there seems at first sight to be something in it: And for that reason I shall endeavour to give so clear and sa­tisfactory an answer to it, as that we may never more be troubled with it.

The truth is, we would fain hope, be­cause they still retain the Essentials of Christianity, and profess to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith, that notwithstanding their Corruptions they may still retain the true Essence of a Church: as a man may be truly and re­ally a man, though he have the plague upon him; and for that reason be fit to be avoided by all that wish well to them­selves [Page 399]But if this will not do, we can­not help it. Therefore to push the mat­ter home; Are they sure that this is a firm and good consequence, That if they be Idolaters, they cannot be a true Church? Then let them look to it. It is they, I take it, that are concerned to prove themselves a true Church, and not we to prove it for them. And if they will not understand it of them­selves, it is fit they should be told that there is a great difference between Con­cessions of Charity and of Necessity, and that a very different use ought to be made of them. We are willing to think the best of them; but if they dislike our Charity in this point, no­thing against the hair [...] they will for­give us this Injury, we will not offend them any more: But rather than have any farther difference with them about this matter, we will for quietness sake compound it thus; That till they can clearly acquit themselves from being I­dolaters, they shall never more against their wills be esteemed a true Church.

And now to draw to a Conclusion.

If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, and to worship him only; to pray to him alone, and that only in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ, as he hath given us Commandment; be­cause there is but one God, and one Media­tor between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus. If it seem evil unto you, to have the liberty to serve God in a Language you can understand; and to have the free use of the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make men wise unto Salvation; and to have the Sacraments of our Reli­gion entirely administred to us, as our Lord did institute and appoint.

And on the other hand, if it seem good to us, to put our necks once more under that yoke, which our Fathers were not able to bear: If it be really a Prefer­ment to a Prince to hold the Pope's Stir­rup, and a Privilege to be deposed by him at his pleasure, and a courtesie to be kill'd at his command: If to pray with­out Understanding, and to obey without Reason, and to believe against Sense; if Ignorance, and implicit Faith, and an Inquisition, be in good earnest such char­ming and desirable things: Then wel­come Popery; which, wherever thou [Page 401]comest, dost infallibly bring all these wonderfull Privileges and Blessings along with thee.

But the Question is not now about the choice, but the change of our Religi­on, after we have been so long settled in the quiet possession and enjoyment of it. Men are very loth to change even a false Religion. Hath a Nation changed their Gods, which yet are no Gods? And surely there is much more reason why we should be tenacious of the Truth, and hold fast that which is good.

We have the best Religion in the World, the very same which the Son of God revealed, which the Apostles planted, and confirmed by Miracles, and which the noble Army of Martyrs sealed with their Blood: And we have retrench'd from it all false Doctrines and superstitious Practices which have been added since. And I think we may without immodesty say, That upon the plain square of Scrip­ture and Reason, of the Tradition and Practice of the first and best Ages of the Christian Church, we have fully justified Our Religion; and made it evident to the World, that our Adversaries are put to very hard shifts, and upon a perpetual disadvantage in the defence of Theirs.

I wish it were as easie for us to justifie our Lives as our Religion. I do not mean in comparison of our Adversaries (for that, as bad as we are, I hope we are yet able to do) but in comparison of the Rules of our holy Religion, from which we are infinitely swerv'd; which I would to God we all did seriously consider and lay to heart: I say, in comparison of the Rules of our Holy Religion, which teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present World, in expectation of the blessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, &c.

THese words, as I have already de­clared in the former Discourse, are the last counsel and advice which Joshua gave to the People of Israel, after he had safely conducted them into the Land of Canaan. And that he might more ef­fectually perswade them to continue sted­fast in the worship of the true God, by an eloquent kind of insinuation he doth as it were once more set them at liberty and leave them to their own choice; If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, chuse you this day whom you will serve.

The plain sense of which Words may be resolved into this Proposition, That notwithstanding all the prejudices and objections against the true Religion, yet it hath those real advantages on its side [Page 404]that it may safely be referred to any im­partial and considerate man's choice; If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord; in­timating that to some persons, and upon some accounts, it may seem so; but when the matter is throughly examined, the re­solution and choice cannot be difficult, nor require any long deliberation, Chuse you this day whom you will serve.

The true Religion hath always layn un­der some prejudices with partial arid in­considerate men, arising chiefly from these two Causes; the prepossessions of a false Reli­gion; and the contrariety of the true Reli­gion to the inclinations of men, and the un­easiness of it in point of practice.

First, From the prepossessions of a false Religion; which hath always been wont to lay claim to Antiquity and Ʋniversality, and to charge the true Religion with No­velty and Singularity. And both these are intimated before the Text; Put away the Gods whom your Fathers served, on the other side of the Flood and in Egypt, and chuse you this day whom you will serve. It was pre­tended that the worship of Idols was the ancient Religion of the world, of those great Nations, the Egyptians and Chalde­ans, and of all the Nations round about them. But this hath already been consi­dered at large.

Secondly, There are another sort of pre­judices against Religion, more apt to stick with men of better sense and reason; and these arise principally from the contrariety of the true Religion to the inclinations of men, and the uneasiness of it in point of prac­tice. It is pretended that Religion is a heavy yoke, and lays too great a restraint upon humane Nature, and that the Laws of it bear too hard upon the general in­clinations of mankind.

I shall not at present meddle with the speculative Objections against Religion, upon account of the pretended unreaso­nableness of many things in point of Be­lief: because the contrariety of the true Religion to the inclinations of men, and the uneasiness of it in point of practice, is that which in truth lies at the bottom of Atheism and Insidelity, and raises all that animosity which is in the minds of bad men against Religion, and exaspe­rates them to oppose it with all their wit and malice: Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. And if this prejudice were but once removed, and men were in some measure reconciled to the practice of Religion, the speculative Objections against it would almost vanish of themselves: for there wants little else [Page 406]to enable a man to answer them, but a willingness of mind to have them answe­red, and that we have no interest and in­clination to the contrary. And therefore I shall at present wholly apply my self to remove this prejudice against Religion, from the contrariety of it to the inclinations of men, and the uneasiness of it in point of practice.

And there are two parts of this Objec­tion.

• 1st. That a great part of the Laws of Religion do thwart the natural inclinati­ons of men, which may reasonably be sup­posed to be from God. And,
• 2ly. That all of them together are a heavy yoke, and do lay too great a re­straint upon humane Nature, intrenching too much upon the pleasures and liberty of it.

I. That a great part of the Laws of Reli­gion do thwart the natural inclinations of men, which may reasonably be supposed to be from God. So that God seems to have set our nature and our duty at variance, to have given us appetites and inclinations one way, and Laws another: which if it were true must needs render the practice of Religion very grievous and uneasie.

The force of this Objection is very smartly expressed in those celebrated Ver­ses of a Noble Poet of our own, which are so frequently in the mouths of many who are thought to bear no good will to Reli­gion.

So that this Objection would sain charge the sins of men upon God; first upon ac­count of the evil inclinations of our Na­ture; and then of the contrariety of our duty to those inclinations. And from the beginning man hath always been apt to lay the blame of his faults where it can least lye, upon goodness and perfection it self. The very first sin that ever man was guilty of he endeavoured to throw upon God: The woman whom thou gavest me (saith Adam) she gave me of the tree, and I did eat: And his posterity are still apt to excuse themselves the same way. But to return a particular answer to this Ob­jection.

1. We will acknowledge so much of it as is true; That there is a great dege­neracy and corruption of humane Nature, from what it was originally framed when it came out of God's hands: of which the Scripture gives us this account, that it was occasioned by the voluntary trans­gression of a plain and easy Command given by God to our first Parents. And this weakness contracted by the fall of our first. Parents naturally descends upon us their Posterity, and visibly discovers it self in our inclinations to evil, and im­potence to that which is good.

And of this the heathen Philosophers, from the light of nature, and their own experience and observation of themselves and others, were very sensible; that hu­mane Nature was very much declined from its primitive rectitude, and sunk in­to a weak and drooping and sickly State which they called a [...], the moulting of the wings of the soul: But yet they were so just and reasonable as not to charge this upon God, but upon some corruption and impurity contracted by the Soul in a former State, before its union with the Body. For the descent of the Soul into these gross earthly Bodies they looked upon as partly the punishment [Page 409]of faults committed in a former State, and partly as the opportunity of a new tryal in order to its purgation and recovery. And this was the best account they were able to give of this matter, without the Light of Divine Revelation.

So that the degeneracy of humane Nature is universally acknowledged, and God acquitted from being the cause of it: But however, the posterity of Adam do all partake of the weakness contracted by his fall, and do still labour under the mi­series and inconveniences of it. But then this degeneracy is not total. For though our faculties be much weakned and dis­ordered, yet they are not destroyed nor wholly perverted. Our natural Judgment and Conscience doth still direct to us what is good, and what we ought to do; and the impressions of the natural Law, as to the great lines of our duty, are still legible upon our hearts. So that the Law written in God's Word is not contrary to the Law written upon our hearts. And therefore it is not truly said, that we are born under one Law and bound to another. But the great disorder is, that our inferi­riour faculties, our sensitive appetite and passions, are broke loose and have got head [Page 410]of our Reason, and are upon all occasions apt to rebel I against it: but our Judgment still dictates the very same things which the Law of God doth enjoyn.

It is likewise very visible, that the sad effects of this degeneracy do not appear equally and alike in all: whether from the better or worse temper of our Bodies or from some other more secret cause, I shall not determine, because I know not: But that there is a difference is evident. for though a proneness to evil, and some seeds of it be in all, yet we may plainly discover in many very early and forward inclinations to some kinds of vertue and goodness; which being cultivated by E­ducation, may under the ordinary influ­ence of God's grace be carried on with great case to great perfection.

And there are others who are not so strongly bent to that which is evil, but that by good instruction and example in their tender years they may be swayed the other way, and without great difficulty formed to goodness.

There are some indeed (which is the hardest case) in whom there do very early appear strong propensions and incli­nations to evil, especially to some par­ticular kinds of vice: But the case of these [Page 411]is not desperate; though greater attenti­on and care, and a much more prudent management is required in the education of such persons to correct their evil tem­pers, and by degrees to bend their incli­nations the right way? and if the seeds of piety and vertue be but carefully sown at first, very much may be done by this means, even in the most depraved Na­tures, towards the altering and changing of them; however, to the checking and controuling of their vicious inclinations. And if these persons, when they come to riper years, would pursue these advanta­ges of education, and take some pains with themselves, and earnestly seek the assistance of God's grace, I doubt not but even these persons by degrees might at last get the mastery of their unhappy tempers.

For next to the Being and perfections of God, and the immortality of our own Souls, there is no Principle of Religion that I do more firmly believe than this, that God hath that love for men that if we do heartily beg his assistance, and be not wanting to our selves, he will afford it to every one of us in proportion to our need of it; that he is always before hand with us, and prevents every man with the gracious offers of his help. And I doubt [Page 412]not but many very perverse Natures have thus been reclaimed. For God, who is the Lover of Souls (as the Son of Sirach calls him) though he may put some men under more difficult circumstances of becoming good than others, yet he leaves no man under a fatal necessity of being wicked and perishing everlastingly. He tenderly con­siders every man's case and circumstances, and it is we that pull destruction upon our selves, with the works of our own hands: But as sure as God is good and just, no man in the world is ruined for want of ha­ving sufficient help and aid afforded to him by God for his recovery.

2. It is likewise to be considered that God did not design to create man in the full possession of happiness at first, but to train him up to it by the tryal of his obe­dience. But there could be no tryal of our obedience without some difficulty in our duty: Either by reason of powerfull temptations from without, or of cross and perverse inclinations from within.

Our first Parents, in their state of inno­cency, had only the tryal of temptation without; to which they yielded, and were overcome; having only a natural power to have resisted the temptation, without any aid of supernatural grace: [Page 413]And that weakness to good, and proneness to evil, which they by wilfull transgres­sion contracted, is naturally derived to us; and we necessarily partake of the bit­terness and impurity of the Fountain from whence we spring. So that we now la­bour under a double difficulty; being as­saulted by temptations from without, and incited by evil inclinations from within: But then, to balance these, we have a double advantage; that a greater reward is proposed to us, than for ought we know would have been conferred on our first pa­rents had they continued innocent; and that we are endued with a supernatural power to conflict with these difficulties. So that, according to the mercifull dispen­sation of God, all this conflict between our inclination and our duty does only serve to give a fairer opportunity for the fitting tryal of our obedience, and for the more glorious reward of it.

3. God hath provided an universal re­medy for this degeneracy and weakness of humane Nature: So that what we lost by the first Adam is abundantly repaired to us by the second. This St. Paul tells us at large, Rom. 5. that as by one man sin en­tered into the world, and death by sin; so the Grace of God hath abounded to all men by Je­sus [Page 414]Christ: And that to such a degree, as effectually to countervall the ill effects of original sin, and really to enable men, if they be not wanting to themselves, to master and subdue all the bad inclinations of nature, even in those who seem to be naturally most corrupt and depraved.

And if this be true, we may without any reflexion upon God acknowledge, that though he did not at first create man sick and weak, yet he having made him­self so, his posterity are born so: But then God hath not left us helpless in this weak and miserable State, into which by wil­full transgression mankind is fallen: But as he commands us to be sound, so he af­fords us sufficient aids of his grace by Jesus Christ for our recovery.

And though there is a Law in our Mem­bers warring against the Law of our Minds, and captivating us to the Law of Sin and Death; i. e. though our sensitive appetite and passions are apt to rebell against the reason of our minds and the dictates of our natural Concience, yet every Christi­an may say with St. Paul, thanks be to God, who hath given its the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, i. e. hath not left us destitute of a sufficient aid and strength to enable us to conquer the rebellious mo­tions [Page 415]of sin, by the powerfull assistance of that grace which is so plentifully offered to us in the Gospel. And this is the case of all those who live under the Gospel: As for others, as their case is best known to God, so we have no reason to doubt but that his infinite goodness and mercy takes that care of them which becomes a mer­cifull Creatour: Though both the mea­sures, and the methods of his mercy to­wards them are Secret and unknown to us.

4. The hardest contest between man's inclination and duty, is in those who have wilfully contracted vicious habits, and by that means, rendred their duty much more difficult to themselves; ha­ving greatly improved the evil inclinati­ons of nature by wicked practice and cu­stom. For the Scripture plainly supposeth, that men may debauch even corrupt na­ture, and make themselves ten fold more the Children of wrath and of the Devil than they were by Nature.

This is a case sadly to be deplored, but yet not utterly to be despaired of. And therefore those who by a long progress in an evil course, are plunged into this sad condition, ought to consider that they are not to be rescued out of it by an or­dinary resolution, and a common grace of [Page 416]God. Their case plainly requires an ex­traordinary remedy. For he that is deep­ly engaged in vice is like a man laid fast in a bogg, who by a faint and lazy strug­gling to get out, does but spend his strength to no purpose, and sinks himself the deeper into it: The only way is, by a resolute and vigorous effort to spring out, if possible, at once. And therefore in this case, to a vigorous resolution there must be joyned an earnest application to God for his powerfull grace and assistance, to help us out of this miserable State. And if we be truly sensible of the desperate danger of our condition, the pressing ne­cessity of our case will be apt to inspire us with a mighty resolution. For power and necessity are neighbours, and never dwell far asunder. When men are sorely urged and pressed, they find a power in them­selves which they thought they had not. Like a coward driven up to a wall, who in the extremity of distress and despair will fight terribly and perform wonders: or like a man lame of the Gout, who be­ing assaulted by a present and terrible dan­ger forgets his Disease, and will find his legs rather than lose his life.

And in this, I do not speak above the rate of humane Nature, and what men [Page 417]throughly roused and awakened to a sense of their danger, by a mighty resolution may morally do, through that Divine grace and assistance which is ever ready to be afforded to well resolved minds, and such as are sincerely bent to return to God and their Duty. More than this I cannot say for the encouragement of those who have proceeded far in an evil course: And they who have made their case so very desperate, ought to be very thankfull to God that there is any remedy left for them.

5. From all that hath been said, it evi­dently appears, how malicious a suggesti­on it is, that God seeks the destruction of men, and hath made his Laws on purpose so difficult and cross to our inclinations that he might have an advantage to ruine us for our disobedience to them. Alas, we are so absolutely under the Power of God, and so unable to withstand it, that he may destroy us when he pleaseth, without seeking pretences for it: For who hath resisted his will? If goodness were not his nature, he hath power enough to bear out whatever he hath a mind to do to us. But our destruction is plainly of our selves, and God is free from the bloud of all men. And he hath not made the way to Eternal [Page 418]Life so difficult to any of us, with a design to make us miserable, but that we by a vigorous resolution, and an unwearied dili­gence, and a patient continuance in well doing, might win and wear a more glori­ous Crown, and be fit to receive a more ample reward from his bounty and good­ness: yea, in some sense, I may say, from his justice; For God is not unrighteous, to forget our work and labour and love. He will fully consider all the pains that any of us take in his service, and all the difficul­ties that we struggle with out of love to God and clashing of our duty with our in­clination, is I hope fully answered: Since God hath provided so powerfull and effec­tual a remedy against our natural impo­tency and infirmity, by the Grace of the Gospel.

And though to those who have wilfully contracted vicious habits a religious and vertuous course of life be very difficult, yet the main difficulty lyes in our first en­trance upon it; And when that is over, the ways of goodness are as easy as it is sit any thing should be that is so excellent, and that hath the encouragement of so glorious a reward. Custome will recon­cile men almost to any thing: but there [Page 419]are those charms in the ways of wisedom and vertue, that a little acquaintance and conversation with them will soon make them more delightfull than any other course. And who would grudge any pains and trouble to bring himself into so safe and happy a condition: After we have tryed both courses, of Religion and Pro­faneness, of Vertue and Vice, we shall cer­tainly find, that nothing is so wise, so ea­sie, and so comfortable as to be vertuous we are inwardly convinced we ought to do. Nor would I desire more of any man in this matter, than to follow the soberest convictions of his own mind, and to do that which upon the most serious consi­deration at all times, in prosperity and affliction, in sickness and health, in the time of life and at the hour of death, he judgeth wisest and safest for him to do. I proceed to the

II Branch of the Objection; that the Laws of Religion (and particularly of the Christian Religion) are a heavy yoke, laying too great a restraint upon humane nature, and entrenching too much upon the pleasures and liberty of it.

There was, I confess, some pretence for this Objection against the Jewish Re­ligion; which by the multitude of its po­sitive Institutions and external observan­ces must needs have been very burthen­some. And the same Objection lyes a­gainst the Church of Rome, who (as they have handled Christianity) by the unrea­sonable number of their needless and sense­less Ceremonies, have made the yoke of Christ heavier than that of Moses, and the Gospel a more carnal Commandment than the Law. So that Christianity is lost a­mong them in the trappings and accou­trements of it: with which instead of a­dorning Religion they have strangely dis­guised it, and quite stifled it in the crowd of external Rites and Ceremonies.

But the pure Christian Religion, as it was delivered by our Saviour, hath hardly any thing in it that is positive; except the two Sacraments, which are not very troublesome neither, but very much for our comfort and advantage, because they convey and confirm to us the great bles­sings and privileges of our Religion. In other things, Christianity hath hardly imposed any other Laws upon us but what are enacted in our Natures, or are agreeable to the prime and fundamental [Page 421]Laws of it: nothing but what every man's reason either dictates to him to be neces­sary, or approves as highly fit and reaso­nable.

But we do most grosly mistake the na­ture of pleasure and liberty, if we pro­mise them to our selves in any evil and wicked course. For, upon due search and tryal it will be found, that true plea­sure, and perfect freedom, are no where to be found but in the practice of vertue, and in the service of God. The Laws of Religion do not abridge us of any pleasure that a wise man can desire, and safely en­joy, I mean without a greater evil and trouble consequent upon it. The pleasure of commanding our appetites, and gover­ning our passions, by the rules of Reason (which are the Laws of God) is infinitely to be preferred before any sensual plea­sure whatsoever: Because it is the plea­sure of wifedom and discretion; and gives us the satisfaction of having done that which is best and fittest for reasonable Creatures to do. Who would not rather chuse to govern himself as Scipio did, a­midst all the temptations and opportuni­ties of sensual pleasure which his power and victories presented to him, than to wallow in all the delights of sense?

Nothing is more certain in reason and experience, than that every inordinate appetite and affection is a punishment to it self; and is perpetually crossing its own pleasure, and defeating its own satisfacti­on, by over-shooting the mark it aims at. For instance, Intemperance in eating and drinking, instead of delighting and satisfy­ing nature, doth but load and cloy it; and instead of quenching a natural thirst, which it is extremely pleasant to do, cre­ates an unnatural one, which is trouble­some and endless. The pleasure of Re­venge, as soon as it is executed, turns into grief and pity, guilt and remorse, and a thousand melancholy wishes that we had retrained our selves from so unreasonable an Act. And the same is as evident in o­ther sensual excesses, not so fit to be de­described. We may trust Epicurus for this, that there can be no true pleasure with­out temperance in the use of pleasure. And God and Reason have set us no other bounds concerning the use of sensual plea­sures, but that we take care not to be in­jurious to our selves, or others, in the kind, or degree of them. And it is very visible, that all sensual excess is naturally attended with a double inconvenience: As it goes beyond the limits of nature, [Page 423]it begets bodily pains and diseases: As it transgresseth the rules of Reason and Re­ligion, it breeds guilt and remorse in the mind. And these are, beyond comparison, the two greatest evils in this world: a dis­eased body, and a discontented mind, And in this I am sure I speak to the inward feeling and experience of men; and say nothing but what every vicious man finds, and hath a more lively sense of, than is to be expressed by words.

When all is done, there is no pleasure comparable to that of Innocency, and freedom from the stings of a guilty con­science: This is a pure and spiritual plea­sure, much above any sensual delight. And yet among all the delights of sense, that of health (which is the natural con­sequent of a sober, and cha [...]te, and re­gular life) is a sensual pleasure far beyond that of any Vice: For it is the life of life; and that which gives a gratefull relish to all our other enjoyments. It is not indeed so violent and transporting a pleasure, but it is pure, and even, and lasting, and hath no guilt and regret, no sorrow and trouble in it, or after it: which is a worm that infallibly breeds in all vicious and un­lawfull pleasures, and makes them to be bitterness in the end.

All the ways of sin are so beset with [Page 424]thorns and difficulties on every side, there are so many unanswerable objections a­gainst Vice, from the unreasonableness and ugliness of it, from the remorse that attends it, from the endless misery that follows it, that none but the rash and in­considerate can obtain leave of them­selves to commit it. It is the Daughter of in­advertency, and blindness, and folly; and the Mother of guilt, and repentance, and woe. There is no pleasure that will hold out and abide with us to the last, but that of Innocency and well-doing. All sin is folly; and as Seneca truly says, omnis stultitia laborat fastidio sui; all folly soon grows sick and weary of it self. The plea­sure of it is slight and superficial, but the trouble and remorse of it pierceth our very hearts.

And then as to the other part of the Objection, That Religion restrains us of our liberty: The contrary is most evi­dently true, that sin and vice are the greatest slavery. For he is truly a slave, who is not at liberty to follow his own judgment, and to do those things which he is inwardly convinced it is best for him to do: but is subject to the unreasonable commands, and the tyrannical power and violence of his lusts and passions: So that he is not master of himself, but other [Page 425]Lords have got dominion over him, and he is perfectly at their beck and com­mand. One vice or passion bids him go, and he goes; another come, and he comes; and a third, do this, and he doth it. The man is at perpetual vari­ance with his own mind, and continually committing the things which he con­demns in himself. And it is all one, whe­ther a man be subject to the will and hu­mour of another person, or to his own lusts and passions. Only this of the two is the worse; because the Tyrant is at home, and always ready at hand to domineer o­ver him: he is got within him, and so much the harder to be vanquished and overcome.

But the service of God, and obedience to his Laws is perfect liberty. Because the Law of God requires nothing of us, but what is recommended to us by our own reason and from the benefit and ad­vantage of doing it: nothing but what is much more for our own interest to do it, than it can be for God's to command it. And if in some things God exact obedi­ence of us more indispensibly, and under severer penalties, it is because those things are in their Nature more necessary to our felicity. And how could God possibly have dealt more graciously and kindly [Page 426]with us, than to oblige us most strictly to that which is most evidently for our good: and to make such Laws for us, as if we live in obedience to them will infal­libly make us happy. So that taking all things into consideration, the interest of our bodies and our souls, of the present and the future, of this world and the o­ther, Religion is the most reasonable and wise, the most comfortable and compen­dious course that any man can take in or­der to his own happiness.

The consideration whereof ought to be a mighty endearment of our duty to us, and a most prevalent argument with us to yield a ready and chearfull obedience to the Laws of God; which are in truth so many acts of grace and favour to man­kind, the real privileges of our nature, and the proper means and causes of our happiness: And do restrain us from no­thing, but from doing mischief to our selves, from playing the fools and making our selves miserable.

And therefore instead of opposing Re­ligion, upon pretence of the unreasonable restraints of it, we ought to thank God heartily, that he hath laid so strict an obligation upon us to regard and pursue our true interest; and hath been pleased [Page 427]to take that care of us, as to set bounds to our loose and wild appetites by our duty; and in giving us rules to live by, hath no ways complyed with our inconsi­derate and foolish inclinations, to our real harm and prejudice: But hath made those things necessary for us to do, which in all respects are best for us; and which, if we were perfectly left to our own li­berty, ought in all reason to be our free and first choice: And hath made the folly and inconvenience of sin so grosly palpa­ble, that every man may see it before­hand that will but consider, and at the beginning of a bad course look to the end of it: and they that will not consi­der, shall be forced from wofull experi­ence at last to acknowledge it, when they find the dismal effects and mischievous consequences of their vices still meeting them at one turn or other.

And now, by all that hath been said upon this Argument, I hope we are sa­tisfied that Religion is no such intolerable yoke; and that upon a due and full con­sideration of things it cannot seem evil unto any of us to serve the Lord: nay, on the contrary, that it is absolutely ne­cessary, both to our present peace and our future felicity: And that a religious [Page 428]and vertuous life is not only upon all ac­counts the most prudent, but after we are entred upon it, and accustomed to it, the most pleasant course that any man can take: and however inconsiderate men may complain of the restraints of Religion that it is not one jot more our duty, than it is our privilege and our happiness.

And I cannot think that upon sober consideration any man could see reason to thank God to be released from any of his Laws, or to have had the contrary to them enjoyned. Let us suppose, that the Laws of God had been just the Re­verse of what they now are; that he had commanded us, under severe penalties, to deal falsly and fraudulently with our neighbour; to demean our selves un­gratefully to our best friends and bene­factors; to be drunk every day, and to pursue sensual pleasures to the endange­ring of our health and life: How should we have complained of the unreasonable­ness of these Laws, and have murmured at the slavery of such intolerable impo­sitions? And yet now that God hath commanded us the contrary, things eve­ry way agreeable to our reason and inte­rest, we are not pleased neither. What will content us? As our Saviour expostulates in [Page 429]a like case, whereunto shall I liken this gene­ration? It is like unto Children playing in the Market-place, and calling unto their Compa­nions, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned, and ye have not lamented. This is perfectly childish, to be pleased with nothing; neither to like this, nor the contrary. We are not contented with the Laws of God as they are, and yet the contrary to them we should have estee­med the greatest grievance in the World.

And if this be true that the Laws of God, how contrary soever to our vicious inclinations, are really calculated for our benefit and advantage, it would almost be an affront to wise and considerate men to importune them to their interest; and with great earnestness to persuade them to that which in all respects is so visibly for their advantage. Chuse you therefore this day whom you will serve; God, or your lusts. And take up a speedy re­solution in a matter of so great and pres­sing a concernment; chuse you this day.

Where there is great hazard in the do­ing of a thing, it is good to deliberate long before we undertake it: but where the thing is not only safe but beneficial, and not only hugely beneficial but highly necessary; when our life and our happi­ness [Page 430]depends upon it, and all the danger lies in the delay of it; there we cannot be too sudden in our resolution, nor too speedy in the execution of it. That which is evidently safe, needs no delibe­ration; and that which is absolutely ne­cessary, will admit of none.

Therefore resolve upon it out of hand; to day, whilest it is called to day, lest d­ny of you be hardened through the deceit­fulness of sin. In the days of your youth and health; for that is the acceptable time, that is the day of salvation: Before the evil day comes, and you be driven to it by the terrible apprehension and ap­proach of death, when men fly to God only for fear of his wrath. For the grea­test Atheists and Infidels, when they come to dye (if they have any of that reason left, which they have used so ill) have commonly right opinions about God and Religion. For then the considence as well as the comfort of Atheism leaves them, as the Devil uses to do Witches when they are in distress. Then with Nebuchad­nezzar, when they are recovered from be­ing beasts, they look up to heaven and their understanding returns to them: Then they believe a God, and cannot help it: they believe, and tremble at the [Page 431]thoughts of him. Thus Lucretius, one of their great Authors, observes, that when men are in distress, ‘Acrius advertunt animos ad Religionem,’

The thoughts of Religion are then more quick and pungent upon their minds,

Mens words then come from the bot­tom of their hearts; the mask is taken off, and things then appear as in truth they are.

But then perhaps it may be too late to make this choice: Nay then it can hardly be choice, but necessity. Men do not then chuse to serve the Lord, but they are urged and forced to it by their fears. They have served their lusts all their life long, and now they would fain serve them­selves of God at the hour of death. They have done what they can, by their inso­lent contempt and defiance of the Almigh­ty, to make themselves miserable; and now that they can stand out no longer a­gainst him, they are contented at last to be beholding to him to make them happy. The mercies of God are vast and bound­less, [Page 432]but yet methinks it is too great a pre­sumption in all reason, for men to design before-hand to make the mercy of God the sanctuary and retreat of a sinfull life.

To draw then to a Conclusion of this Discourse. If safety, or pleasure, or li­berty, or wisdom, or vertue, or even happiness it self have any temptation in them, Religion hath all these baits and allurements. What Tully says Philoso­phy is much more true of the Christian Religion, the Wisdom and Philosophy which is from above; nunquam satis lau­dari poterit, cui qui pareat, omne tempus aeta­tis sine molestia degere possit. We can never praise it enough, since whoever lives accor­ding to the rules of it, may pass the whole age of his life (I may add, his whole durati­on, this life and the other) without trouble.

Philosophy hath given us several plausi­ble rules for the attaining of peace and tranquility of mind, but they fall very much short of bringing men to it. The very best of them fail us upon the greatest occasions. But the Christian Re­ligion hath effectually done all that which Philosophy pretended to, and aimed at. The Precepts and Promises of the Holy Scriptures are every way sufficient for our comfort, and for our instruction in [Page 433]righteousness: to correct all the errours, and to bear us up under all the evils and adversities of humane life: especially that holy and heavenly Doctrine which is con­tained in the admirable Sermons of our Saviour, quem cum legimus, quem Philoso­phum non contemnimus? whose excellent discourses when we reade, what Philoso­pher do we not despise? None of the Philosophers could, upon sure grounds, give that encouragement to their Scholars which our Saviour does to his Disciples; take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easie, and my burthen is light.

This is the advantage of the Christian Religion sincerely believed and practised, that it gives perfect rest and tranquillity to the mind of man: It frees us from the guilt of an evil conscience, and from the power of our lusts, and from the sla­vish fear of death and of the vengeance of another World. It builds our comfort upon a rock, which will abide all storms, and remain unshaken in every condition, and will last and hold out for ever: He that heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them (saith our Lord) I will liken him to a wise wan, who built his house upon a rock.

In short, Religion makes the life of [Page 434]man a wise design, regular and constant to its self; because it unites all our reso­lutions and actions in one great end: Whereas without Religion the life of man is a wild, and fluttering, and inconsi­stent thing, without any certain scope and design. The vicious man lives at randome, and acts by chance: For he that walks by no rule can carry on no settled and steady design. It would pity a man's heart to see, how hard such men are put to it for diversion, and what a burden time is to them; and how soli­citous they are to devise ways, not to spend it but to squander it away. For their great grievance is consideration, and to be obliged to be intent upon any thing that is serious. They hurry from one vanity and folly to another; and plunge themselves into drink, not to quench their thirst, but their guilt: and are be­holding to every vain man, and to eve­ry trifling occasion, that can but help to take time off their hands. Wretched and inconsiderate men! who have so vast a work before them, the happiness of all eternity to take care of and provide for, and yet are at a loss how to employ their time! So that Irreligion and Vice makes life an extravagant and unnatu­ral [Page 435]thing, because it perverts and over­throws the natural course and order of things. For instance; according to na­ture men labour to get an Estate, to free themselves from temptations to rapine and injury; and that they may have wherewithall to supply their own wants, and to relieve the needs of others. But now the covetous man heaps up Riches, not to enjoy them, but to have them; and starves himself in the midst of plenty, and most unnaturally cheats and robbs himself of that which is his own; and makes a hard shift to be as poor and miserable with a great Estate, as any man can be without it. According to the design of nature, men should eat and drink that they may live; but the vo­luptuous man onely lives that he may eat and drink. Nature in all sensual enjoy­ments designs pleasure, which may cer­tainly be had within the limits of vertue: But vice rashly pursues pleasure into the enemies quarters; and never stops, till the sinner be surrounded and seized upon by pain and torment.

So that take away God and Religion, and men live to no purpose; without proposing any worthy and considerable end of life to themselves. Whereas the [Page 436]fear of God, and the care of our immor­tal Souls, fixeth us upon one great de­sign, to which our whole life, and all the actions of it are ultimately referr'd, ubi unus Deus colitur (saith Lactantius) ibi vita, & omnis actus, ad unum caput, & ad unam summam refertur; when we acknowledge God as the Author of our Being, as our Sovereign, and our Judge, our end and our happiness is then fixed; and we can have but one reasonable de­sign, and that is, by endeavouring to please God to gain his favour and prote­ction in this World, and to arrive at the blissfull enjoyment of him in the other: In whose presence is fullness of Joy; and at whose right hand are pleasures for ever­more. To Him, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, domi­nion and power, now and for ever. Amen.

COnsidering the great difficulty of re­claiming those who are far gone in an evil course, it is no more than needs to use all sorts of Arguments to this pur­pose: From the consideration of the evil of sin, and of the goodness of God and his wonderfull patience and long-suffering towards us in the midst of our infinite Provocations: From his great mercy and pity declared to us in all those gratious means and methods which he useth for our recovery: And from his readiness and forwardness after all our Rebellions to re­ceive us upon our repentance, and to be perfectly reconciled to us as if we had never offended him: And from the final [Page 438]issue and event of a wicked life, the dis­mal and endless miseries of another World, into which we shall inevitably fall except we repent in time and return to a better mind: And lastly, from the danger of being hardened in an evil course, past all remedy and hopes of Repentance.

And yet I am very sensible that to dis­course to Men of the impossibility, or at least the extreme difficulty, of rescuing temselves out of this miserable state seems to be an odd and cross kind of Ar­gument, and more apt to drive people to despair than to gain them to repen­tance.

But since the Spirit of God is pleased to make use of it to this purpose, we may safely rely upon infinite Wisedom for the fitness of it to awaken sinners to a sense of their condition, in order to their recovery. For here in the Text, after terrible threat­nings of Captivity and desolation to the People of the Jews, who were extremely wicked and degenerate, thorough an uni­versal depravation of manners in all ranks of men from the highest to the lowest, so that they seemed to stand upon the brink of ruine, and to be fatally devoted to it; to add to the terrour and force of these threatnings, God by his Prophet repre­sents [Page 439]to them the infinite danger and ex­treme difficulty of their case, to see if he could startle them by telling them into what a desperate condition they had plun­ged themselves; being by a long cu [...]om of sinning so far engaged in an evil course, that they had almost cut off themselves from a possibility of retreat; so that the difficulty of their change seemed next to a natural impossibility. Can the Ethiopi­an change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots? then may ye also do good that are accustom'd to do evil.

The Expression is very high, and it is to be hoped somewhat Hyperbolical, and above the just meaning of the words. Which are, I think, only designed to sig­nisie to us the extreme difficulty of ma­king this change; which is therefore re­sembled to a natural impossibility, as com­ing very near it, though not altogether up to it.

And that this Expression is thus to be mitigated, will appear more than proba­ble, by considering some other like passa­ges of Scripture. As, where our Savi­our compares the difficulty of a rich Man's Salvation to that which is naturally im­possible, viz. to a Camels passing thorough the eye of a Needle: Nay, he pitcheth [Page 440]his expression higher, and doth not onely make it a thing of equal but of greater difficulty; I say unto you, it is easier for a Camel to go thorough the eye of a Needle, than for a rich man to enter into the King­dom of God. And yet when he comes to explain this to his Disciples, he tells them that he onely meant that the thing was very difficult, how hard is it for those that have riches to be saved? and that it was not absolutely impossible, but spea­king according to humane probability: with Men this is impossible, but not with God.

And thus also it is reasonable to under­stand that severe passage of the Apostle, Heb. 6.4. It is impossible for them that were once enlightened, if they fall away, to renew them again to Repentance. It is im­possible, that is, it is very difficult.

In like manner we are to understand this high Expression in the Text, Can the Ethiopian change his Skin or the Leo­pard his Spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil; that is, this moral change of men, settled and fix­ed in bad habits, is almost as difficult as the other.

From the words thus explained two things will properly fall under our Con­sideration.

First, The great difficulty of reforming vitious habits or of changing a bad course, to those who have been deeply engaged in it and long accustomed to it.

Secondly, Notwithstanding the great difficulty of the thing, what ground of hope and encouragement there is left that it may be done. So that notwithstand­ing the appearing harshness of the Text, the result of my discourse will be, not to discourage any, how bad soever, from attempting this change, but to put them upon it, and to perswade them to it; and to remove out of the way that which may seem to be one of the strongest Objections against all endeavours of men very bad, to become better.

I I. First, The great difficulty of refor­ming vitious habits, or of changing a bad course, to those who have been deep­ly engaged in it and long accustomed to it. And this difficulty ariseth, partly from the general nature of habits indisse­rently considered whether they be good, or bad, or indifferent; partly, from the particular nature of evil and vitious ha­bits; and partly, from the natural and judicial consequences of a great progress and long continuance in an evil course. [Page 442]By the consideration of these three parti­culars, the extreme difficulty of this change, together with the true causes and reasons of it, will fully appear.

1. If we consider the nature of all Ha­bits, whether good, or bad, or indiffe­rent. The custom and frequent practice of any thing begets in us a facility and ea­siness in doing it. It bends the powers of our Soul, and turns the stream and current of our animal Spirits such a way, and gives all our faculties a tendency and pliableness to such a sort of actions. And when we have long stood bent one way, we grow settled and confirmed in it; and cannot without great force and violence be restored to our former state and con­dition. For the perfection of any habit whether good, or bad, induceth a kind of necessity of acting accordingly. A rooted habit becomes a governing Princi­ple, and bears almost an equal sway in us with that which is natural. It is a kind of a new nature superinduced, and even as hard to be expelled as some things which are Primitively and Originally natural. When we bend a thing at first it will endeavour to restore it self; but it may be held bent so long till it will continue so of it self and grow crooked; and then [Page 443]it may require more force and violence to reduce it to its former streightness than we used to make it crooked at first. This is the nature of all habits, the farther we proceed the more we are confirmed in them: and that which at first we did vo­luntarily, by degrees becomes so natural and necessary that it is almost impossible for us to do otherwise. This is plainly seen in the experience of every day, in things good and bad, both in lesser and greater matters.

2. This difficulty ariseth more especi­ally from the particular nature of evil and vitious habits. These, because they are suitable to our corrupt nature, and con­spire with the inclinations of it, are likely to be of a much quicker growth and im­provement, and in a shorter space, and with less care and endeavour, to arrive at maturity and strength, than the habits of grace and goodness. Considering the propension of our depraved nature, the progress of vertue and goodness is up the hill, in which we not onely move hardly and heavily, but are easily roll'd back: but by wickedness and vice we move down­wards; which, as it is much quicker and easier, so is it harder for us to stop in that course, and infinitely more difficult to re­turn from it.

Not but that at first a sinner hath some considerable checks and restraints upon him, and meets with several rubs, and difficulties in his way; the shame and unreasonableness of his vices, and the trou­ble and disquiet which they create to him: But he breaks loose from these restraints, and gets over these difficulties by degrees: and the faster and farther he advanceth in an evil course the less trouble still they give him, till at last they almost quite lose their force, and give him little or no disturbance.

Shame also is a great restraint upon sin­ners at first, but that soon falls off: and when men have once lost their innocence, their modesty is not like to be long trou­blesome to them. For impudence comes on with vice, and grows up with it. Les­services do not banish all shame and mo­desty, but great and abominable crimes harden mens foreheads and make them shameless. Were they ashamed (saith the Prophet) when they committed abomination? nay they were not ashamed, neither could they blush. When men have the heart to do a very bad thing they seldom want the face to bear it out.

And as for the unreasonableness of vice, though nothing in the World be more e­vident to a free and impartial judgment, and the sinner himself discerns it clearly enough at his first setting out in a wicked course.

He offends against the light of his own mind, and does wickedly when he knows better: yet after he hath continued for some time in this course and is heartily engaged in it, his foolish heart is darken'd, and the notions of good and evil are ob­scured and confounded, and things appear to him in a false and imperfect light: His lusts do at once blind and byass his understanding; and his judgment by de­grees goes over to his inclinations; and he cannot think that there should be so much reason against those things for which he hath so strong an affection. He is now engaged in a Party, and facti­ously concerned to maintain it, and to make the best of it: and to that end, he bends all his wits to advance such princi­ples as are fittest to justifie his wicked practices; and in all debates plainly sa­vours [Page 446]that side of the Question which will give the greatest countenance and encouragement to them. When men are corrupt and do abominable works, they say in their hearts there is no God, that is, they would fain think so. And every thing serves for an Argument to a willing mind; and every little objection appears strong and considerable, which makes a­gainst that which men are loath should be true.

Not that any man ever satisfied himself in the Principles of Infidelity, or was able to arrive to a steady and unshaken per­suasion of the truth of them, so as not ve­hemently to doubt and fear the contrary. However, by this means many men though they cannot fully comfort, yet they make a shift to cheat themselves; to still their Consciences and lay them asleep for a time, so as not to receive any great and frequent disturbance in their course from the checks and rebukes of their own minds. And when these restraints are removed, the work of iniquity goes on a­main, being favoured both by wind and tide.

3. The difficulty of this change ariseth likewise from the natural and judicial consequences of a great progress and long [Page 447]continuance in an evil course. My mea­ning is, that inveterate evil habits do partly from their own nature, and partly from the just judgment and permission of God, put men under several disadvanta­ges of moving effectually towards their own recovery.

By a long custome of sinning mens Consciences grow brawny, and seared as it were with a hot iron; and by being of­ten trampled upon they become hard as the beaten road. So that unless it be up­on some extraordinary occasion, they are seldom awakened to a sense of their guilt. And when mens hearts are thus hard, the best counsels make but little impression upon them. For they are steel'd against reproof, and impenetrable to good advice; which is therefore sel­dom offered to them, even by those that wish them well, because they know it to be both unacceptable, and unlikely to prevail. It requires a great deal of good nature in a very bad man, to be able patiently to bear to be told of his faults.

Besides, that habitual wickedness is naturally apt to banish consideration, to weaken our resolution, and to discourage our hopes both of God's grace and assis­tance, and of his mercy and forgiveness; [Page 448]which are the best means and encourage­ment to repentance.

Sin is a great enemy to Consideration: and especially when men are deeply plun­ged into it, their condition is so very bad, that they are loth to think of it and to search into it. A vitious man is a very deformed sight, and to none more than to himself; and therefore he loves to turn his Eyes another way, and to divert them as much as he can from looking upon himself. He is afraid to be alone, lest his own mind should arrest him, and his Conscience should take the oppor­tunity to call him to an account. And if at any time his own thoughts meet with him, and he cannot avoid conside­ration, he is ready to say as Ahab did to Elijah, hast thou found me, O my enemy! and is as glad to shake it off as a man is to get rid of a Creditor, whom because be knows not how to satisfie, he cares not to speak with him. Consideration is the great troubler and disturber of men in an evil course, because it would repre­sent to them the plain truth of their case; and therefore they do all they can to keep it off, as those who have improvi­dently managed their affairs, and been ill husbands of their estates, are loth to [Page 449]make up their accounts, lest by that means they should be forced to under­stand the worst of their condition.

Or if consideration happen to take them at an advantage, and they are so hard prest by it that they cannot escape the sight of their own condition, yet they find themselves so miserably entangled and hamper'd in an evil course, and bound so fast in the chains of their own wickedness, that they know not how to get loose. Sin is the saddest slavery in the World; it breaks and sinks mens Spirits, and makes them so base and ser­vile that they have not the courage to rescue themselves. No sort of slaves are so poor spirited as they that are in bon­dage to their lusts. Their power is gone, or if they have any left they have not the heart to make use of it. And though they see and feel their misery, yet they chuse rather to sit down in it, and tame­ly to submit to it, than to make any re­solute attempt for their Liberty. What the Prophet says of whoredom and wine is proportionably true of other vices, they take away the heart. Every lust that we entertain deals with us as Dalilah did with Sampson, not only robbs us of our strength but leaves us fast bound: so that if at a­ny [Page 450]time we be awakened to a sense of our condition, and try to rescue our selves from it, we find that our strength is de­parted from us, and that we are not able to break loose.

And as long custom and continuance in sin deprives us of our strength, so it discourageth our hopes, both of God's grace and assistance, and of his mercy and forgiveness. For why should men expect the continuance of that grace which they have so often received in vain? After so many provocations, how can we look the offended Majesty of God in the Face? how can we lift up our eyes to heaven with any hopes of mercy and forgiveness there? Despair doth almost naturally spring from an evil Conscience: and when men are thoroughly awakened to a sense of sin, and of the infinite evil of it, as they cannot easily forgive themselves, so they can hardly believe that there is good­ness enough any where to forgive them.

But besides these disadvantages, which are natural and consequent upon a vi­tious course; by the just judgment of God, his Spirit is withdrawn from them, and they are given up to their own hearts lusts, to commit all iniquity with greediness. And then there is hardly a­ny [Page 451]thing left, ether to restrain them in their evil course, or to recover them out of it.

And not only so, but by the just per­mission of God, as men grow worse and more wicked, the Devil hath a nearer access to them and a more immediate power over them. So the Scripture tells us, that wicked men are led captive by Satan at his pleasure, and that the evil one works and acts in the Children of diso­bedience: They are as it were possest and inspired by him. And what can be ex­pected from this cruel and malicious ene­my of mankind, but that he will conti­nually be punishing them on from one wickedness to another, till he drive them first into despair, and then, if God per­mit him, into eternal perdition?

And what a forlorn state is this? when men are thus forsaken of God, and left without check, blindly and headily to follow the sway of their own tempers, and the bent of their own corrupt hearts? when they are continually exposed to temptations strongly inviting them to evil; and God lets the Devil loose upon them to manage those temptations with his utmost skill, and to practise all his arts and wiles upon them? In these cir­cumstances [Page 452]men almost infallibly run in­to sin, as sure as men wander in the dark, and are in danger of falling in slippery places, and of being entangled when they continually walk in the midst of snares cunningly laid for them. It is not in men thus disabled and entangled, to order their own steps, and to restrain their in­clinations and passions in the presence of a powerfull temptation. At the best, we need God's direction to guide us, his con­tinual grace to uphold us, and to guard and preserve us from evil; and much more do we stand in need of it, when we have brought our selves into these wretch­ed circumstances; but then alas! how little reason have we to hope for it?

Blind and miserable men! that in des­pite of all the mercifull warnings of God's word and providence, will run themselves into this desperate state, and never think of returning to a better mind, till their retreat is difficult almost to an impossibi­lity. I proceed to the

II II. Head of my Discourse, which was to shew that the case of these persons, though it be extremely difficult, is not quite desperate; but after all, there is some ground of hope and encouragement [Page 453]left that they may yet be reclaimed and brought to goodness. Indeed humanely speaking, and according to all appea­rance and probability, the thing seems to be very hopeless, and next to an impos­sibility; but yet what our Saviour says concerning the difficulty of a rich man's Salvation will reach also to this case, though much more difficult; those things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

And this will appear, if we consider that even in the worst of men there is something left which tends to reclaim them, to awaken them to consideration, and to urge and encourage them to a vi­gorous resolution of a better course: And this accompanied with a powerfull assi­stance of God's grace, which when sin­cerely sought is never to be despaired of, may prove effectual to bring back even the greatest of sinners.

1. There is left, even in the worst of men, a natural sense of the evil and unrea­sonableness of sin; which can hardly be ever totally extinguished in humane na­ture. For though the habits of great vices are very apt to harden and stupifie men, so that they have seldom a just sense of their evil ways, yet these persons are some­times [Page 454]under strong convictions, and their consciences do severely check and rebuke them for their faults. They are also, by fits, under great apprehension of the dan­ger of their condition, and that the course which they are in, if they continue in it, will prove fatal to them, and ruine them at last: Especially, when their con­sciences are throughly awakened, by some great affliction, or the near approach of death and a lively sense of another World. And the apprehension of a migh­ty danger will make men to look about them, and to use the best means to avoid it.

2. Very bad men when they have a­ny thoughts of becoming better are apt to conceive some good hopes of God's grace and mercy. For though they find all the causes and reasons of despair in themselves, yet the consideration of the boundless goodness and compassions of God (how undeserved soever on their part) is apt to kindle some sparks of hope, even in the most desponding mind. His wonderfull patience, in the midst of our manifold provocations, cannot but be a good sign to us, that he hath no mind that we should perish, but rather that we should come to repentance; and [Page 455]if we do repent, we are assured by his promise, that we shall be forgiven. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy. If we confess our sins, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

3. Who knows what men throughly rouzed and startled may resolve, and do? And a mighty resolution will break through difficulties which seem insupera­ble. Though we be weak and pitifull Creatures; yet nature when it is mighti­ly irritated and stir'd will do strange things. The resolutions of men upon the brink of despair, have been of an in­credible force: and the Soul of man in nothing more discovers its divine power and original, than in that spring which is in it whereby it recovers it self when it is mightily urged and prest. There is a sort of resolution which is in a manner invincible, and hardly any difficulty can resist it or stand before it.

Of this there have been great instan­ces in several kinds. Some by an obsti­nate resolution, and taking incredible pains with themselves, have mastered great natural vices and defects. As Socrates and Demosthenes, who almost, ex­ceeded all mankind in those two things [Page 456]for which by nature they seemed to be least made, and most unfit. One, in go­verning of his passions, and the other in the mighty force and power of his elo­quence.

Some, that by intemperance have brought themselves to a dropsie, which hath just set them upon the brink of the grave, by a bold and steady purpose to abstain wholly from drink for a long time together, have rescued themselves from the jaws of death.

Some that had almost ruined themselves by a careless and dissolute life, and having run themselves out of their estates into debt, and being cast into prison, have there taken up a manly resolution to retrieve and recover themselves; and by the indefatigable labour and study of some years, in that uncomfortable retreat, have mastered the knowledge and skill of one of the most difficult Professions, in which they have afterwards proved great and e­minent.

And some, in the full carriere of a wick­ed course, have by a sudden thought and resolution, raised in them and assisted by a mighty grace of God, taken up pre­sently and made an immediate change from great wickedness and impiety of life [Page 457]to a very exemplary degree of goodness and vertue.

The two great encouragements to ver­tue which Pythagoras gave to his Scholars were these; and they were worthy of so great a Philosopher; First, Chuse always the best course of life, and custome will soon make it the most pleasant. The other was this, that Power aad Necessity are Neigh­bours and never dwell far from one another. When men are prest by a great necessity, when nature is spurr'd up and urged to the utmost, men discover in themselves a power which they thought they had not, and find at last that they can do that which at first they despaired of ever being able to do.

4. The grace and assistance of God when sincerely sought, is never to be despaired of. So that if we do but hear­tily and in good earnest resolve upon a better course and implore the help of God's grace to this purpose, no degree of it that is necessary shall be wanting to us. And here is our chief ground of hope. For we are weak and unstable as water; and when we have taken up good resolutions do easily start from them. So that fresh supplies, and a continued assis­tance of God's grace is necessary to keep [Page 458]up the first warmth and vigour of our resolutions, till they prove effectual and victorious. And this grace God hath promised he will not deny to us, when we are thus disposed for it; that he will give his H. Spirit to them that ask it; that he will hot quench the smoaking flax, nor break the bruised reed, untill he bring forth judg­ment unto victory.

All that now remains is to apply this to our selves: And we are all concerned in it: For we shall all find our selves com­prehended under one of these three Heads. Either we are of the number of those few happy Persons, who by the influence and advantage of a good education were never engaged in a bad course: Or of those who have been drawn into vice, but are not yet far gone in it: Or, of those who have been long accustomed to an evil course, and are grown old and stiff in it.

The first of these having great cause to thank God for this singular felicity, that they were never ensnared and intangled in vitious habits, that they have not had the trial of their own weakness under this miserable slavery, that they never knew what it was to be out of their own power, to have lost their liberty and the [Page 459]Government of themselves. When we hear of the miserable servitude of the poor Christians in Turkey we are apt, as there is great reason, to pity them, and to think what a blessing of God it is to us that we are not in their condition: And yet that slavery is hot comparable to this, either for the sad nature, or the dismal conse­quences of it; or for the difficulty of be­ing released from it. And let such Per­sons, who have been thus happy never to have been engaged in an evil course, preserve their innocency with great ten­derness and care, as the greatest Jewel in the World. No Man knows what he do's, and what a foundation of trouble he lays to himself, when he forfeits his in­nocency, and breaks the peace of his own mind; when he yields to a Temptation, and makes the first step into a bad course. He little thinks whither his lusts may hur­ry him, and what a monster they may make of him before they have done with him.

2. Those who have been seduced, but are not yet deeply engaged in an evil course, let them make a speedy retreat, lest they put it for ever out of their pow­er to return. Perhaps their feet onely are yet ensnared, but their hands are at [Page 460]liberty, and they have some power left, whereby with an ordinary grace of God they may loose and rescue themselves. But after a while their hands may be manacled, and all their power may be gone; and when they are thus bound hand and foot, they are just prepared, and in danger every moment, to be cast into ut­ter darkness.

3. As for those, who are gone very far and are grown old in vice, who can forbear to lament over them? for they are a sad spectacle indeed, and the truest object of pity in the World. And yet, their recovery is not utterly to be despai­red of; for with God it is possible. The spirit of God, which hath withdrawn himself, or rather hath been driven away by them, may yet be persuaded to return and to undertake them once more, if they would but seriously rosolve upon a change, and heartily beg God's assistance to that purpose. If we would take up a mighty resolution, we might hope that God would afford a miraculous grace to second it, and make it effectual to our re­covery. Even in this perverse and dege­nerate Age in which we live, God hath not been wanting to give some miraculous instances of his grace and mercy to sin­ners, [Page 461]and those perhaps equal to any of those we meet with in Scripture, of Ma­nasses, or Mary Magdalen, or the penitent Thief; both for the greatness of the of­fenders, and the miracle of their change: To the end that none might despair, and for want of the encouragement of an ex­ample equal to their own case, be dis­heartned from so noble an enterprize. I am loth to put you in mind how bad some have been, who yet have been snat­ched as Firebrands out of the fire; and that in so strange a manner, that it would even amaze a Man to think of the wonder of their recovery: those who have sunk themselves into the very depth of infideli­ty and wickedness, have by a mighty hand and out-stretched arm of God been pluckt out of this horrible Pit. And will we still stand it out with God, when such great Leaders have given up the cause, and have surrendred and yielded up themselves willing Captives to the grace of God? that omnipotent grace of God, which can easily subdue the stoutest heart of Man, by letting in so strong a light upon our minds, and pouring such terri­ble convictions into our consciences, that we can find no ease but in turning to God.

I hope there are none here so bad, as to need all the encouragement to re­pentance which such examples might give them: encouragement I say to repen­tance: for surely these examples can en­courage no Man to venture any farther in a wicked course: they are so very rare, and like the instances of those who have been brought back to life after the sentence of death seemed to have been fully executed upon them.

But perhaps some will not believe that there have been such examples; or if there have, they impute all this either to a disturbed imagination, or to the faint and low spirits of Men under great bodily weakness, or to their natural cowardize and fear; or to I know not what foolish and fantastical design of completing and finishing a wicked life with an hypocriti­cal death. Nothing surely is easier than to put some bad construction upon the best things, and so slurr even repentance it self, and almost dash it out of counte­nance by some bold, and perhaps witty saying about it. But oh that Men were wise; oh that Men were wise! that they understood, and would consider their lat­ter end! Come, let us neither trifle, nor dissemble in this matter; I dare say every [Page 463]man's Conscience is convinced, that they who have led very ill lives have so much reason for repentance, that we may easi­ly believe it to be real. However, of all things in the world, let us not make a mock of repentance; that which must be our last sanctuary and refuge, and which we must all come to before we die, or it had been better for us we had never been born. Therefore, let my coun­sel be acceptable unto you, break off your sins by repentance, and your iniquities by righteousness: And that instantly, and without delay; lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin. If we have been enslaved but a little to a vitious course, we shall find it a task difficult e­nough to assert our own liberty, to break these bonds in sunder and to cast these cords from us: But if we have been long under this bondage, we have done so much to undoe our selves, and to make our case desperate, that it is God's infinite mercy to us that there is yet hope. Therefore, give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while you look for light, he turn it into darkness and the sha­dow of death. I will conclude with that encouraging invitation, even to the grea­test [Page 464]of sinners, to repentance, from the mouth of God himself, Isa. 55. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your Soul shall live: seek the Lord while he may be found; and call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mer­cy, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.

To him let us apply, out selves, and humbly beseech him, who is mighty to save, that he would stretch forth the right hand of his power for our deliverance, from this miserable and cruel bondage of our lusts: and that as the rain cometh down from Heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud; so he would grant that his word may not return void, but ac­complish his pleasure, and prosper in the thing to which he sent it; For his mercy sake in Jesus Christ, To whom with the Fa­ther and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory now and for ever. Amen.

THE Scribes so often mentioned in the Gospel, were the great Do­ctors among the Jews, the Tea­chers and Interpreters of the Law of God. And because many of them were of the Sect of the Pharisees, which above all others pretended to skill and knowledge in the Law, therefore it is that our bles­sed Saviour do's so often put the Scribes and Pharisees together. And these were the men of chief Authority in the Jewish Church; who equalled their own un­written word and traditions with the Law of God: Nay our Saviour tells us, they [Page 466]made the Commandments of God of none ef­fect by their traditions. They did in effect assume to themselves infallibility; and all that opposed and contradicted them they branded with the odious name of Hereticks. Against these our Saviour de­nounced this Woe here in the Text, Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men, &c.

All the difficulty in the words is, what is here meant by shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men: St. Luke expres­seth it more plainly, ye have taken away the key of knowledge, ye entred not in your selves, and them that were entring in, ye hindered. By putting these two expres­sions together we shall the more easily come at the meaning of the Text. Ye have taken away the key of knowledge, and have shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. This Metaphor of the key of know­ledge is undoubtedly an allusion to that known custome among the Jews in the admission of their Doctors. For to whom­soever they gave Authority to interpret the Law and the Prophets, they were so­lemnly admitted into that office by deli­vering to them a Key and a Table-book. So that by the key of knowledge is here [Page 467]meant the interpretation and understand­ing of the Scriptures; and by taking a­way the key of knowledge, not onely that they arrogated to themselves alone the understanding of the Scriptures, but like­wise that they had conveyed away this key of knowledge, and as it were hid it out of the way, neither using it them­selves as they ought, nor suffering others to make use of it.

And thus they shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men; which is very fitly said of those who have locked the door against them that were going in, and have taken away the key. By all which it ap­pears that the plain meaning of our Sa­viour in these Metaphorical expressions is, that the Scribes and Teachers of the Law, under a pretence of interpreting the Scri­ptures, had perverted them and kept the true knowledge of them from the People: Especially those Prophecies of the Old Tes­tament which concerned the Messias. And by this means the Kingdom of Heaven was shut against men: And they not only rejected the truth themselves, but by keeping men in ignorance of the true meaning of the Scriptures, they hindered many from embracing our Saviour's Do­ctrine, and entering into the Kingdom of [Page 468]Heaven, who were otherwise well enough disposed for it.

Having thus explained the words, I shall from the main scope and design of them observe to you these two things.

• 1. The Necessity of the knowledge of the holy Scriptures in order to our eter­nal Salvation. It is called by our Savi­our the key of knowledge, that which lets men into the Kingdom of Heaven.
• 2. The great and inexcusable fault of those who deprive the People of the know­ledge of the holy Scriptures. They hut the kingdom of heaven against men, and do what in them lies to hinder their eternal Salva­tion; and therefore our Saviour denoun­ceth so heavy a woe against them.

I shall speak briefly to these two Obser­vations; and then apply them to those who are principally concerned in them.

I I. First, I observe hence the Necessity of the knowledge of the holy Scriptures in order to our eternal Salvation. This is by our Saviour called the key of know­ledge, that which lets men into the King­dom of Heaven.

Knowledge is necessary to Religion: It is necessary to the Being of it; and ne­cessary to the life and practice of it. [Page 469] Without Faith (says the Apostle) it is impossible to please God: Because Faith is an act of the understanding, and do's ne­cessarily suppose some knowledge and ap­prehension of what we believe. To all acts of Religion there is necessarily requi­red some act of the Understanding; so that without knowledge there can be no devotion in the service of God, no obedi­ence to his Laws. Religion begins in the Understanding, and from thence descends upon the heart and life. If ye know these things (says our Saviour) happy are ye if ye do them. We must first know God, before we can worship him; and under­stand what is his will, before we can do it.

This is so very evident, that one would think there needed no discourse about it. And yet there are some in the World that cry up Ignorance as the Mother of Devo­tion. And to shew that we do not wrong them in this, matter, Mr. Rushworth in his Dialogues (a Book in great vogue among the Papists here in England) does expres­ly reckon up Ignorance among the Parents of Religion. And can any thing be said more absurdly and more to the dispa­ragement of Religion, than to derive the pedegree of the most excellent thing in [Page 470]the world from so obscure and ignoble an Original; and to make that which the Scripture calls the beginning of wisdom, and the excellency of knowledge, to be the Off-spring of Ignorance and a Child of darkness? Ignorance indeed may be the cause of wonder and admiration, and the mother of folly and superstition: But surely Religion is of a nobler Extraction, and is the issue and result of the best wis­dom and knowledge; and descends from above, from the giver of every good and perfect gift, even the father of lights.

And as knowledge in general is neces­sary to Religion, so more particularly the knowledge of the holy Scriptures is necessary to our eternal Salvation. Because these are the great and standing Revelati­on of God to mankind; wherein the Na­ture of God, and his Will concerning our duty and the terms and conditions of our eternal happiness in another World are fully and plainly declared to us.

The Scriptures are the Word of God; and from whence can we learn the will of God so well as from his own mouth? They are the great instrument of our Sal­vation; and should not every man be ac­quainted with that which alone can per­fectly instruct him what he must believe, [Page 471]and what he must do that he may be sa­ved? This is the testimony which the Scripture gives of it self, that it is able to make, men wise unto salvation; And is it not very fit that every man should have this wisdom, and in order thereunto the free use of that Book from whence this wisdom is to be learned?

II II. Secondly, I observe the great and inexcusable fault of those who keep men in Ignorance of Religion, and take away from them so excellent and necessary a means of divine knowledge as the H. Scriptures are. This our Saviour calls taking away the key of knowledge, and shut­ting the Kingdom of Heaven against Men, That is, doing what in them lies to ren­der it impossible for men to be saved. For this he denounceth a terrible Woe a­gainst the Teachers of the Jewish Church: Though they did not proceed so far as to deprive men of the use of the H. Scriptures, but only of the right knowledge and un­derstanding of them. This alone is a horrible impiety, to lead men into a false sense and interpretation of Scripture, but much greater to forbid them the reading of it. This is to stop knowledge at the very Fountain-head; and not only to [Page 472]lead men into Errour, but to take away from them all possibility of rectifying their mistakes. And can there be a grea­ter sacrilege, than to rob men of the word of God, the best means in the world of acquainting them with the will of God and their duty, and the way to eternal happiness? To keep the people in Ignorance of that which is necessary to save them, is to, judge them unworthy of eternal life, and to declare it do's not be­long to them, and maliciously to contrive the eternal ruine and destruction of their Souls.

To lock up the Scriptures and the ser­vice of God from the people in an unknown, tongue, what is this but in effect to for­bid men to know God and to serve him; to render them incapable of knowing what is the good and acceptable will of God; of joyning in his worship, or performing any part of it, or receiving any benefit or edification from it; And what is, if this be not, to shut the Kingdom of Hea­ven against men? This is so outragious a cruelty to the souls of men, that it is not to be excused upon any pretence what­soever: This is to take the surest and most effectual way in the world to destroy those for whom Christ dyed, and directly to [Page 473]thwart the great design of God our Saviour, who would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Men may mis [...]ry with their knowledge, but they are sure to perish for want of it.

The best things in the world have their inconveniences a [...]ding them, and are liable to be a [...]used; but surely men are not to be ru [...]d and damned for fear of abusing their knowledge, or for the pre­vention of any other inconvenience what­soever. Besides, this is to cross the very end of the Scriptures, and the design of God in inspiring men to write them. Can any man think that God should send this great light of his Word into the world, for the Priests to hide it under a bushel; and not rather that it should be set up to the greatest advantage for the enlighten­ing of the world? St. Paul tells us, Rom. 15. 4. That whatsoever things were writ­ten, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scrip­tures might have hope. And 2 Tim. 3.16. That all Scripture is given by inspiration of God; and is prositable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. And if the Scriptures were written for these ends, can any man have the face to pretend that they do not con­cern [Page 474]the people as well as their teachers? Nay St. Paul expresly tells the Chur [...] of Rome, that they were written for their learning, however it happens that they are not now permitted to make use of them. Are the Scriptures so usefull and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness? and why may they not be used by the people for those ends for which they were given? 'Tis true indeed they are fit for the most knowing and learned, and sufficient to make the man of God perfect, and through­ly furnished to every good work (as the Apostle there tells us.) But do's this ex­clude their being profitable also to the people; who may reasonably be presu­med to stand much more in need of all means and helps of instruction than their Teachers? And though there be many difficulties and obscurities in the Scriptures, enough to exercise the skill and wit of the learned, yet are they not therefore either useless or dangerous to the People. The ancient Fathers of the Church were of another mind. St. Chry­sostome tells us that, ‘Whatever things are necessary are manifest in the Scrip­tures. And St. Austin, that all things are plain in the Scripture, which concern [Page 475]faith and a good life; and that those things which are necessary to the Sal­vation of men, are not so hard to be come at, but that as to those things which the Scripture plainly contains, it speaks without disguise like a familiar friend to the heart of the learned and unlearned.’ And upon these and such like considerations, the Fathers did every where in their Orations & Homilies charge and exhort the people to be conversant in the holy Scriptures, to reade them daily and diligently and attentively. And I challenge our Adversaries to shew me where any of the ancient Fathers do dis­courage the people from reading the Scri­ptures, much less forbid them so to do. So that they who do it now have no Cloak for their sin: And they who pre­tend so confidently to Antiquity in other cases, are by the evidence of truth for­ced to acknowledge that it is against them in this. Though they have ten thousand Schoolmen on their side, yet have they not one Father, not the least pretence of Scripture, or rag of antiquity to cover their nakedness in this point.

With great reason then does our Savi­our denounce so heavy a Woe againd such teachers. Of old in the like case God [Page 476]by his Prophet severely threatens the Priests of the Jewish Church, for not in­structing the people in the knowledge of God, Hosea 4.6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast re­jected knowledge, I will also reject thee; thou shalt be no more a Priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thy Children. God, you see, lays the ruine of so many Souls at their doors, and will require their blood at their hands. So many as perish for want of knowledge, and eternally mis­carry by being deprived of the necessary means of Salvation, their destruction shall be charged upon those who have ta­ken away the key of knowledge, and shut the kingdom of heaven against men.

And it is just with God to punish such persons, not only as the occasion, but as the Authours of their ruine. For who can judge otherwise, but that they who deprive men of the necessary means to a­ny end, do purposely design to hinder them of attaining that end? And whatever may be pretended in this case; to deprive men of the holy Scriptures, and to keep them ignorant of the service of God, and yet while they do so, to make a shew of an earnest desire of their Salvation, is just [Page 477]such a mockery, as if one of you that is a master should tell his prentice how much you desire he should thrive in the world, and be a rich man, but all the while keeps him ignorant of his trade in order to his being rich; and with the strictest care imaginable conceals from him the best means of learning that whereby a­lone he is likely to thrive and get anestate. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypo­crites.

By what hath been discoursed upon this Argument, you will easily perceive where the Application is like to fall. For the Woe denounced by our Saviour here in the Text against the Scribes and Pha­risees, falls every whit as heavy upon the Pastours and Teachers of the Roman Church. They have taken away the key of know­ledge with a witness; not only depriving the people of the right understanding of the Scriptures, but of the very use of them: As if they were so afraid they should understand them, that they dare not suffer them so much as to be acquain­ted with them.

This Tyranny that Church hath exer­cised over those of her Communion for several hundreds of years. It grew upon them indeed by degrees: For as by the [Page 478]inundation of Barbarous Nations upon the Roman Empire the Romans lost their Lan­guage by degrees, so the Governours of that Church still kept up the Scriptures and the service of God in the Latin tongue; which at last was wholly unknown to the common people. And about the ninth and tenth Centuries, when by the general consent of all their own Historians gross darkness and ignorance covered this part of the world, the Pope and the Priests took away the key of knowledge, and did (as I may so say) put it under the door for several Ages; till the Reformation fetch­ed it out again, and rubbed off the rust of it.

And I profess seriously that hardly any thing in the world, was ever to me more astonishing, than this uncharitable and cruel usage of the people in the Church of Rome. And I cannot tell which to wonder at most, the insolence of their Governours in imposing upon men this sensless way of serving of God, or the patience shall I call it, or rather stupidity of the people in enduring to be so into­lerably abused. Why should reasonable creatures be treated at this rude and bar­barous rate? As if they were unworthy to be acquainted with the will of God; [Page 479]and as if that which every man ought to do, were not fit for every man to know: As if the common people had only Bodies to be present at the service of God, but no Souls; or as if they were all distracted and out of their wits, and it were a dan­gerous thing to let in the light upon them.

But to speak more distinctly. There are two things we charge them withall, and which they are not able to deny. Their performing the publick service of God in an unknown Tongue; and depri­ving the People of the use of the Scrip­tures. And I shall first tell you what we have to say against these things, and then consider what they pretend for them.

1. As for their performing the service of God in a tongue unknown to the People. And I begin with St. Paul, who in his first Epistle to the Corinthians hath a whole Chapter on purpose to shew the unreasonableness of this thing, and how contrary it is to the edification of Chri­stians. His discourse is so plain and so well known, that I shall not particularly insist: upon it. Erasmus, in his Annota­tions upon this Chapter, breaks out (as well he might) into admiration at the practice of the Church of Rome in his [Page 480]time. Hâc in re mirum quam mutata sit Ecclesiae consuetudo: ‘It is wonderfull (says he) how the custom of the Church is altered in this matter. St. Paul had rather speak five words with understan­ding, and so as to teach others, than ten thousand in an unknown tongue. Why does the Church doubt to follow so great an Authority, or rather how dares she to dissent from it?’

As for the practice of the ancient Church let Origen bear witness. ‘The Grecians (saith he) in their prayers use the Greek, and the Romans the Latin tongue; and so every one according to his Language prayeth unto God, and praiseth him as he is able.’

And not only in Origen's time, but for more than the first six hundred years, the service of God was always performed in a known Tongue. And this the learned men of their own Church do not deny. And Cardinal Cajetan (as Cassander tells us) said it was much better this Custom were restored; and being reproved for saying so, he said he learned it from St. Paul. And Bellarmine himself confesseth that the Armenians, Egyptians, Ethiopi­ans, Russians, and others do use their own Language in their Liturgies at this day.

But it is otherwise now in the Church of Rome, and hath been for several Ages. And it seems they lay great stress upon it, not only as a thing or great Use, but Necessity. For Pope Gregory the VII. forbids the Prince of Bohemia to permit to the People the celebration of divine of­fices in the Sclavonian Tongue; and com­mands him to oppose them herein with all his Forces. It seems he thought it a cause worthy the fighting for: and that it were much better the People should be killed, than suffered to understand their prayers.

But let us reason this matter a little calmly with them. Is it necessary for men to understand any thing they do in Religion? And is not Prayer one of the most solemn parts of Religion? and why then should not men understand their Prayers as well as any thing else they do in Religion? Is it good that people should understand their private Pray­ers? that (we thank them) they allow: and why not the publick as well? Is there less of Religion in pub­lick prayers? is God less honoured by them? or are we not as capable of being edified and of having our hearts and af­fections moved and excited by them? Where then lies the difference? The more [Page 482]I consider it the more I am at a loss what tolerable reason any man can give why people should not understand their publick devotions as well as their private. If men cannot heartily and devoutly pray alone, without understanding what they ask of God, no more (say I) can they hearti­ly and devoutly join in the publick pray­ers which are made by the Priest with­out understanding what they are. If it be enough for the Priest to understand them, why should not the Priest only be present at them? unless the people do not meet to worship God, but only to wait upon the Priest. But by saying the Priest understands them, it seems it is better some body should understand them than not; and why is not that which is good for the Priest good for the people?

So that the true state of the Controver­sie is, whether it be fit that the people should be edified in the service of God; and whether it be fit the Church should order things contrary to edification? For it is plain that the service of God in an unknown tongue is useless and unprofitable to the People: Nay, it is evidently no publick service of God, when the Priest only understands it. For how can they be said to be publick prayers if the People do [Page 483]not join in them? and how can they join in that they do not understand? and to what purpose are Lessons of Scripture read, if people are to learn nothing by them? and how should they learn when they do not understand? This is as if one should pretend to teach a man Greek, by reading him Lectures every day out of an Arabick and Persian Book, of which he understands not one syllable.

II II. As to their depriving rhe people of the use of the Holy Scriptures. Our bles­sed Saviour exhorts the Jews to search the Scriptures; And St. Paul chargeth the Christians that the word of God should dwell richly in them; And the ancient Fa­thers of the Church do most frequently and earnestly recommend to the People the reading and study of the Scriptures: How comes the case now to be so alte­red? sure the word of God is not changed; that certainly abides and continues the same for ever.

I shall by and by examine what the Church of Rome pretends in excuse of this Sacrilege. In the mean time I do not see what considerable Objections can be made against the People's reading of the Scriptures, which would not have held as well against the writing and publishing [Page 484]of them at first in a Language understood by the People: As the Old Testament was by the Jews, and the Epistles of the Apos­tles by the Churches to whom they were written, and the Gospels both by Jews and Greeks. Were there no difficulties and obscurities then in the Scriptures, ca­pable of being wrested by the unstable and unlearned; were not people then li­able to errour, and was there no danger of Heresie in those Times? And yet these are their great Objections against putting the Scriptures into the hands of the people. Which is just like their arguing against giving the Cup to the Laity from the in­conveniency of their beards, lest some of the consecrated wine should be spilt upon them: As if errours and beards were inconveniencies lately sprung up in the world, and which mankind were not lia­ble to in the first Ages of Christianity.

But if there were the same dangers and inconveniencies in all Ages, this Reason makes against the publishing of the Scri­ptures to the people at first, as much as against permitting them the use of them now. And in truth all these objections are against the Scripture it self: And that which the Church of Rome would find fault with if they durst, is, that there should be any such Book in the world, and [Page 485]that it should be in any bodies hands, learned or unlearned; for if it be dange­rous to any, none are so capable of doing mischief with it as men of wit and lear­ning. So that at the bottom, if they would speak out, the quarrel is against the Scriptures themselves. This is too evident by the counsel given to Pope Julius the III. by the Bishops met at Bo­nonia to consult about the establishment of the Roman See: Where among other things they give this as their last advice, and as the greatest and weightiest of all, That by all means as little of the Gospel as might be, especially in the Vulgar Tongue, should be read to the people; and that little which was in the Mass ought to be sufficient: neither should it be per­mitted to any mortal to read more. For so long (say they) as men were con­tented with that little, all things went well with them; but quite otherwise, since more was commonly read. And speaking of the Scripture, they give this remarkable testimony and commendati­on of it; this in short is that Book which, above all others, hath raised those tempests and whirlwinds which we were almost carri­ed away with. And in truth, if any one diligently considers it, and compares it with [Page 486]what is done in our Church, he will find them very contrary to each other, and our Doctrine not only to be very different from it, but repugnant to it. If this be the case, they do like the rest of the Children of this world, prudently enough in their Generation: Can we blame them for be­ing against the Scriptures, when the Scrip­tures are acknowledged to be so clearly against them? But surely no body that considereth these things would be of that Church, which is brought by the un­deniable evidence of the things them­selves to this shamefull confession, that several of their Doctrines and Practices are very contrary to the Word of God.

Much more might have been said against the practice of the Church of Rome in these two particulars, but this is sufficient.

I shall in the second place consider, what is pretended for them. And indeed what can be pretended in justification of so contumelious an affront to mankind, so great a Tyranny and cruelty to the Souls of men? hath God forbidden the People to look into the Scriptures? No; quite contrary. Was it the practice of the an­cient Church to lay this restraint upon men; or to celebrate the service of God in an unknown Tongue? our adversaries [Page 487]themselves have not the face to pretend this. I shall truly represent the substance of what they say in these two points.

I I. As to the service of God in an un­known tongue they say these four things for themselves.

1. That the people do exercise a gene­ral devotion, and come with an intention to serve God; and that is accepted, though they do not particularly understand the prayers rhat are made, and the lessons that are read.

But is this all that is intended in the service of God? do's not St. Paul expresly require more? that the understanding of the people should be edified by the parti­cular service that is performed? And if what is done be not particularly under­stood, he tells us the People are not edi­fied, nor can say Amen to the prayers and thanksgivings that are put up to God; and that any man that should come in and find people serving of God in this unpro­fitable and unreasonable manner would conclude that they were mad.

And if there be any general devotion in the people, it is because in general they understand what they are about; and why may they not as well understand the [Page 488]particular service that is performed, that so they might exercise a particular de­votion. So that they are devout no far­ther than they understand; and conse­quently as to what they do not under­stand, had every whit as good be absent.

2. They say, the prayers are to God, and he understands them; and that is e­nough. But what harm were it, if all they that pray understood them also: Or indeed how can men pray to God without understanding what they ask of him? Is not prayer a part of the Christi­an worship? and is not that a reasonable service? and is any service reasonable that is not directed by our understand­ings, and accompanied with our hearts and affections?

But then what say they to the Lessons and Exhortations of Scripture, which are likewise read to the people in an un­known tongue? Are these directed to God, or to the people only? And are they not designed by God for their instruction; and read either to that pur­pose or to none? And is it possible to in­struct men by what they do not under­stand? This is a new and wonderfull way of teaching, by concealing from the people the things which they should learn. [Page 489]Is it not all one, as to all purposes of edification, as if the Scriptures were not read, or any thing else in the place of them? as they many times do their Le­gends, which the wiser sort among them do not believe when they read them. For all things are alike to them that un­derstand none; as all things are of a co­lour in the dark. Ignorance knows no difference of things; it is only know­ledge that can distinguish.

3. They say that some do, at least in some measure, understand the particular prayers. If they do, that is no thanks to them. It is by accident if they are more knowing than the rest; and more than the Church either desires or intends. For if they desired it, they might order their service so, as every man might un­derstand it.

4. They say that it is convenient that God should be served and worshipped in the same Language all the world over. Convenient for whom: For God? or for the People? Not for God surely. For he understands all other Languages as well as Latin, and for any thing we know to the contrary likes them as well. And certainly it cannot be so convenient for the People because they generally un­derstand [Page 490]no Language but their own; and it is very inconvenient they should not understand what they do in the ser­vice of God. But perhaps they mean that it is convenient for the Roman Church to have it so; because this will look like an argument that they are the Catholick or universal Church, when the Language which was originally theirs shall be the universal Language in which all Nations shall serve God; and by this means also they may bring all Nations to be of their Religion, and yet make them never the wiser; and this is a very great conveni­ence, because knowledge is a troublesome thing, and ignorance very quiet and peace­able, rendring men fit to be governed, and unfit to dispute.

II II. As to their depriving the people of the Scriptures, the summ of what they say may be reduced to these three Heads.

1. That the Church can give leave to men to read the Scriptures. But this not without great trouble and difficulty: there must be a Licence for it under the hand of the Bishop or Inquisitor, by the advice of the Priest or Confessor, concer­ning the fitness of the Person that desires this privilege; And we may be sure they [Page 491]will think none fit, but those of whom they have the greatest confidence and se­curity: And whoever presumes to do it otherwise, is to be denied absolution; which is, as much as in them lies, to damn men for presuming to read the Word of God without their leave.

And, whatever they may allow here in England, where they hold their people upon more slippery terms, yet this privi­lege is very rarely granted where they are in full possession of their power, and have the people perfectly under their Yoke.

2. They tell us they instruct the peo­ple otherwise. This indeed were some­thing if they did it to purpose; but gene­rally they do it very sparingly and slight­ly. Their Sermons are commonly made up of feigned stories and miracles of Saints, and exhortations to the worship of them (and especially of the blessed Virgin) and of their Images and Relicks. And for the truth of this I appeal to the innumerable Volumes of their Sermons and Postils in print; which I suppose are none of their worst. I am sure Erasmus says that in his time in several Countries the people did scarce once in half a year hear a pro­fitable Sermon to exhort them to true pi­ety. [Page 492]Indeed they allow the people some Catechisms and Manuals of devotion; and yet in many of them they have the con­science and the confidence to steal away the second Commandment in the face of the eighth.

But, to bring the matter to a point, if those helps of instruction are agreeable to the Scriptures, why are they so afraid the people should read the Scriptures? if they are not, why do they deceive and delude them?

3. They say that people are apt to wrest the Scriptures to their own destruc­tion, and that the promiscuous use of them hath been the great occasion of Heresies. It cannot be denyed to be the condition of the very best things in the world, that they are liable to be abused: health and light and liberty, as well as knowledge. But must all these be there­fore taken away? This very inconveni­ence of peoples wresting the Scriptures to their own ruine St. Peter takes notice of in his days; but he do's not therefore forbid men the reading of them, as his more prudent Successours have done since. Suppose the reading of the Scriptures hath been the occasion of Heresies; were there ever more than in the first Ages of Chri­stianity; [Page 493]and yet neither the Apostles nor their Successours ever prescribed this re­medy. But are they in earnest? must not men know the truth for sear of fal­ling into Errour? Because men may pos­sibly miss their way at noon-day, must they never travel but in the night, when they are sure to lose it?

And when all is done, this is not true, that Heresies have sprung from this cause. They have generally been broached by the learned, from whom the Scriptures neither were, nor could be concealed. And for this I appeal to the History and Experience of all Ages. I am well assu­red the ancient Fathers were of another mind. St. Chrysostome says, if men would be conversant in the Scriptures, and attend to them, they would not only not fall into errours themselves, but rescue those that are deceived: And that the Scriptures would instruct men both in right opinions and a good life. And St. Hierome more ex­presly to our purpose. That infinite evils arise from the Ignorance of the Scriptures; and that from that cause the most part of Heresies have come.

But if what they say were true, is not this to lay the blame of all the ancient Heresies upon the ill management of things [Page 494]by our Saviour, and his Apostles, and the holy Fathers of the Church for so many Ages, and their imprudent dispensing of the Scriptures to the people. This in­deed is to charge the matter home; and yet this consequence is unavoidable. For the Church of Rome cannot justifie the piety and prudence of their present prac­tices, without accusing all these.

But the thing which they mainly rely upon as to both these practices is this. That though these things were otherwise in the Apostles time, and in the Antient Church, yet the Church hath power to alter them according to the exigence and circumstances of time. I have purposely reserved this for the last place, because it is their last refuge; and if this fail them they are gone.

To shew the weakness of this pretence, we will, if they please, take it for gran­ted, that the Governours of the Church have in no Age more power, than the Apostles had in theirs. Now St. Paul tells us, 2 Cor. 10.8. that the Authority which the Apostles had given them from the Lord was only for edification but not for destruction: And the same St. Paul makes it the business of a whole Chapter to shew that the performing the publick [Page 495]service of God, and particularly Praying in an unknown Tongue, are contrary to edification; from which premisses the conclusion is plain, That the Apostles themselves had no Authority to appoint the service of God to be performed in an unknown Tongue; and surely it is Arro­gance for the Church in any Age to pre­tend to greater Authority than the Apo­stles had.

This is the summ of what our Adver­saries say in justification of themselves in these points. And there is no doubt, but that men of wit and confidence will al­waies make a shift to say something for any thing; and some way or other blanch over the blackest and most absurd things in the world. But I leave it to the judg­ment of mankind whether any thing be more unreasonable than to tell men in ef­fect, that it is fit they should understand as little of Religion as is possible; that God hath published a very dangerous Book, with which it is not safe for the people to be familiarly acquainted; that our blessed Saviour and his Apostles and the ancient Christian Church for more than six hundred years were not wise managers of Religion, nor prudent dis­pensers of the Scriptures; but like fond [Page 496]and foolish Fathers put a knife and a sword into the hands of their Children, with which they might easily have foreseen what mischief they would do to them­selves and others. And who would not chuse to be of such a Church which is provided of such excellent and effectual means of Ignorance, such wise and infal­lible methods for the prevention of know­ledge in the people, and such variety of close shutters to keep out the light?

I have chosen to insist upon this Argu­ment, because it is so very plain, that the most ordinary capacity may judge of this usage and dealing with the souls of men: which is so very gross that every man must needs be sensible of it; because it toucheth men in the common rights of humane nature, which belong to them as much as the light of heaven, and the air we breath in.

It requires no subtilty of wit, no skill in Antiquity, to understand these Con­troversies between Us and the Church of Rome. For there are no Fathers to be pretended on both sides in these Questi­ons: They yield we have Antiquity on ours: And we refer it to the common sense of Mankind, which Church, that of Rome or Ours, hath all the right and [Page 497]reason in the world on her side in these debates? And, who they are that tyran­nize over Christians, the Governours of their Church or ours; who use the peo­ple like sons and freemen, and who like slaves; who feed the flock of Christ com­mitted to them, and who take the Chil­drens bread from them? Who they are that when their Children ask bread, for bread give them a stone, and for an egg a serpent; I mean the Legends of their Saints instead of the holy Scriptures, which are able to make men wise unto salvation: And who they are that lie most justly under the suspicion of Errours and Corruptions, they who bring their Doc­trine and Practices into the open light, and are willing to have them tryed by the true touchstone, the Word of God; or they who shun the light, and decline all manner of tryal and examination? and who are most likely to carry on a worldly design, they who drive a trade of such mighty gain, and advantage un­der pretence of Religion, and make such markets of the ignorance and sins of the people; or we whom malice it self can­not charge with serving any worldly design by any allowed Doctrine or Prac­tice of our Religion? For we make no [Page 498]money of the mistakes of the people, nor do we fill their heads with vain fears of new places of torment to make them willing to empty their purses in a vainer hope of being delivered out of them. We do not like them pretend a mighty bank and treasure of Merits in the Church, which they sell to the people for ready money, giving them bills of Exchange from the Pope to Purgatory; when they who grant them, have no reason to be­lieve they will avail them, or be accep­ted in the other World.

For our parts we have no fear that our people should understand Religion too well: We could wish, with Moses, that all the Lord's people were Prophets: We should be heartily glad the people would read the holy Scriptures more diligently, being sufficiently assured that it is their own fault if they learn any thing but what is good from thence: We have no Doctrines or Practices contrary to Scrip­ture, and consequently no occasion to keep it close from the sight of the people, or to hide any of the Commandments of God from them: We leave these mean arts to those who stand in need of them.

In a word, there is nothing which God hath said to men, which we desire should [Page 499]be concealed from them; Nay, we are willing the people should examine what we teach, and bring all our Doctrines to the Law and to the Testimony; that if they be not according to this Rule, they may neither believe them nor us. 'Tis onely things, false and adulterate which shun the light and sear the touchstone. We have that security of the truth of our Re­ligion, and of the agreeableness of it to the word of God; that honest confidence of the goodness of our Cause, that we do not forbid the people to read the best Books our Adversaries can write against it.

And now let any impartial man judge whether this be not a better argument of a good Cause, to leave men at liberty to try the grounds of their Religion, than the courses which are taken in the Church of Rome, to awe men with an Inquisition; and, as much as is possible, to keep the common people in Ignorance, not onely of what their late Adversaries, the Pro­testants, but their chief and ancient Ad­versary, the Scriptures have to say against them.

A man had need of more than common security of the skill and integrity of those to whom he perfectly resigns his under­standing; this is too great a Trust to be [Page 500]reposed in humane frailty, and too strong a temptation to others to impose upon us; to abuse our blindness, and to make their own ends of our voluntary Ignorance and easie credulity. This is such a folly as if a rich man should make his Physici­an his heir; which is to tempt him either to destroy him or to let him die, for his own interest. So he that trusts the care of his soul with other men, and at the same time by irrevocable Deed settles his understanding upon them, lays too great a temptation before them to seduce and damn him for their own ends.

And now to reflect a little upon our selves. What cause have we to bless God who are so happily rescued from that more than Egyptian darkness and bondage, wherein this Nation was detained for se­veral Ages; who are delivered out of the hands of those cruel task-masters, who required brick without straw; that men should be religious without competent understanding, and work out their own salvation while they denyed them the means of all others the most necessary to it; who are so uncharitable as to allow us no salvation out of their Church, and yet so unreasonable as to deny us the very best means of salvation when we are in it?

Our Fore-fathers thought it a mighty privilege to have the Word of God resto­red to them, and the publick prayers and service of God celebrated in a known Tongue: Let us use this inestimable pri­vilege with great modesty and humility; not to the nourishing of pride and self-conceit, of division and faction; but as the Apostle exhorts, Let the word of God dwell richly in you, in all wisedom; and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, unto which ye are called in one body; and be ye thankfull.

It concerns us mightily (with which admonition I shall conclude) both for the honour, and support of our Religion, to be at better union among our selves, and not to divide about lesser things: and so to demean our selves, as to take from our Adversaries all those pretences whereby they would justifie themselves, or at least extenuate the guilt of that hea­vy charge, which falls every whit as justly upon them as ever it did upon the Scribes and Pharisees, of taking away the key of knowledge, and shutting the kingdom of hea­ven against men; neither going in themselves, nor suffering those that are entring to go in.