prescribe the use of thofe means. I might add, that the principles of fanaticism are commodious enough for finners, fo that. I do not wonder, that some of them should go over to that party. A devotion which confifts in acknowledging a man's own nothingness, or in contemplation and filence, is much more acceptable to a corrupt perfon, than an exact morality, which obliges a man, to do acts of repentance, to put his own hand to the work, and to fet about the reforming of his life, and the practising of Christian virtues.

Upon the whole matter, fanaticifm, makes religion contemptible because the men of the world confound true with mystical piety. They fanfy that a man cannot be devout, without being fomething vis fionary and enthufiaftical; and that devotion does not well agree with fense and reafon.

The prejudices I have mentioned in this chapter, are not the only ones which foment and cherifh corruption; fome others might have been added, but they may more conveniently be ranged under the titles of fome of the following chapters. What I have faid in this, does yet farther fhew the neceffity of good inftruction; which may conquer these prejudices, and give men true notions of religion and piety.

1

The Maxims and Sentiments which are made ufe of to authorize Corruption. **T has been fhewn in the two preceding chapters, that men are I generally involved in ignorance, and that they entertain fuch xx notions concerning religion and piety, as muft of neceffity maintain corruption in the world. But they are likewife poffeft with divers particular maxims and fentiments, which lead directly to hibertinism. A modern author very well obferves; *That people are not only very little acquainted, with the extent of that purity which the Gospel requires; but that they are befides full of maxims, incomparably more pernicious, than errors of pure fpeculation. These maxims do the more certainly produce corrup tion, because they are ufed to authorize and countenance it. And in fact, men's blindness and licentioufnefs are come to that pass; that not being contented with the practice of vice; they do befides plead autho rity for an ill life. They proceed fo far as to defend the caufe of corruption; they difpute with thofe that condemn them, and they vent fuch maxims and fentiments, as (if we believe them) will justifie, or at least excufe all their diforders. I could not omit here the examining of those maxims, fince their effect is fo pernicious; I fhall therefore obferve them as the third caufe of corruption.

The maxims and fentiments which favour corruption ate of two forts, Some are vifibly profane and impious; fuch are a great many maxims of the libertines, which go for, currant in the world; but there are others

• New Moral Ejays, Tom. I. in the preface. VOL. VI. K

which

which men pretend to draw from religion. I fhall infift particularly upon the latter, because as they are taken from religion it felf, they are by much the more dangerous. When profane people undertake to defend vice with maxims which are manifeftly impious, we ftand upon our guard against them, and we may confute them by the maxims of religion. But when they employ religion and the truths of it, in the defence of vice; the danger of being feduced is infinitely greater.

I fhall reduce the maxims which are made use of to authorize corrup tion to these four orders.

I rank thofe in the first order, by which men endeavour to prove, that holiness is not abfolutely neceffary.

The fecond order contains thofe which tend to fhew, that the practice of holiness is impoffible.

The third comprehends those which infinuate, that it is dangerous for a man to apply himself to good-works.

The fourth and the laft includes thofe which are alledged to excuse corruption.

But as it is not lefs neceffary, to know the remedies againft corruption, than to discover the caufes of it; I fhall not only mention, but as I go on confute those maxims.

I. Although nothing is more clearly afferted in the Gofpel, than the neceffity of good-works; yet Chriftians entertain many opinions which deftroy this neceffity, and which consequently open a door to licentious nefs. The neceffity of good-works cannot be overthrown but one of these two ways; either by faying, that God does not require them; or elfe by maintaining, that tho' God requires them, yet a man may be faved without the practice of them.

1. In order to prove that God does not require fanctity, and goodworks, as a condition abfolutely neceffary to falvation, these two maxims are abufed. 1. That we are not faved by our works. And 2. And 2. That faith is fufficient to falvation. The first of thefe maxims is intended to exclude good-works; and by the fecond men would fubftitute another mean for obtaining falvation. I referr the difcuffing of these two maxims to the next chapter, because they are drawn from the holy Scripture.

II. Men endeavour to perfuade themfelves, that tho' they neglect holinefs, yet for all that, they fhall not be excluded from falvation. And that which contributes moft to flatter them in this imagination, is firft, the notion they have formed to themfelves of the mercy of God. God, fay they, is good, and will not judge us with the utmost rigour. This is faid every day, and it makes every body hope for falvation. The Divine mercy indeed is without queftion, the only ground we have to hope for falvation. But the vileft affront we can offer to that mercy, is to make it an occafion of fecurity. Becaufe God is good and merciful, must not we therefore endeavour to please him? May we freely offend him, be caufe he is good, and we hope he will forgive us??

Those who reafon at this rate, understand very little what the Divine mercy is. They muft fuppofe that it extends indifferently to all men without any regard to their obedience or disobedience. But this fuppo fition is evidently falfe, and contrary to the holy Scripture. The effects of God's mercy, are promifed only to thofe who fear him and depart from

i

evil;

evil; and by confequence, it is a falfe and pernicious maxim, to fay, So much holiness is not neceffary; God is good, and he will not mark feverely what is done amifs. This is to afcribe to God an easiness and a connivance, utterly unbecoming the fovereign Judge of the world.

It is faid befides, That God will not judge us rigorously. That indeed, is true; God is indulgent towards us, and the Gofpel is a covenant of grace, in which God has a great regard to our prefent condition, and weakness. But it is likewife certain, that God will judge us according to the rigour of the covenant of grace; and that no falvation is to be had for those who do not fulfil the condition of the Gofpel; now this condition, is a true faith, inciting us to holiness. This must be granted, and we must acknowledge the neceffity of performing this condition, and of leading a holy life; or elfe the Gofpel is but a jeft; and we must fay, that God does not fpeak feriously in it; that indeed he preferibes certain conditions, that he commands and threatens; but that nothing of all this is to be ftrictly understood; fo that tho' a man does not comply with the conditions which God requires, yet he fhall feel the effects of his clemency. If this is true, there is an end of the Chriftian religion.

A

2. It will no doubt be replied, That provided a man repents, and afts God's forgiveness, he fhall be faved. This is an unquestionable truth; fo by repentance we mean that, which the Gofpel requires, and which confifts in a fincere deteftation of fin, in true converfion and amendment of life. But this is falfe, if by repentance, we mean only a general confeffion of fins, accompanied with fome fenfe of grief and fear, whereby finners hope at the hour of death, to attone for all the diforder of a vitious life. I would fhew here that this is no faving repentance, but that I am to handle this matter purpofely in another chapter.

If men commonly neglect thofe things, which are not very neceffary; they apply themfelves much lefs, to thofe which they think to be impoffi ble. Now this is the notion which men commonly have of piety. It is faid first, That it is impoffible for a man to be fo holy, and to do that which God commands. A great many like the precepts of the Gofpel very well, and acknowledge their juftice and excellency, Would to God, fay they, we could live thus, but we are not able to do it: and being poffeft with this opinion, they ufe no endeavour to practise those duties which they own to be juft; or to attain to that holinefs, to which God calls them. And indeed, what man would attempt that, which he looks upon as impoffible. Now what is faid of man's incapacity to do good, is very true, when we speak of man confidered barely as man, in the corrupt ftate of nature. But the question is, Whether thofe whom God has refcued out of that ftate, and called to the communion of the Gofpel, are incapable to arrive at that degree of holiness, which he requires of them? The Apoftles gives us another notion of those who know and believe in Jefus Chrift, They represent to us indeed the miferable condition in which men natu rally are, and the greatnefs of their corruption; but they tell us at the fame time, that Chrift is come to deliver them from that state, that a Chriftian can do all things through Chrift, that strengtheneth him: † that he is perfect and throughly furnished to all good works: that he who loves God keeps bis commandments, and overcomes the world. This plainly imports, 1 John ver. 34.

• Phil. iv.

13.

K 2

+ 2 Tim. xi. 21.

that

that we are no longer in that flate of corruption and death, wherein man being left to himself, is a flave to fin, or at leaft that we ought to be no longer in that state, after all that which the grace of God has done for us. It is the greatest injury, that can be done to Chrift and his grace, to fay, That his coming, his death, his Gospel, and his Spirit, are not able to fanctify men; and that after they are redeemed and adopted by God, it is impoffible for them to be good, and to do what he commands.

If this was true, where would be the power of the Chriftian religion, and what could we think of God's proceeding when he addreffes his commandments to us? At this rate, he gives us a law, not that we should keep it; but rather to convince us that we cannot obferve it. In this cafe, what will become of our Saviour's precepts, and what are we to think of those pure and exalted morals which he has left us? Evangelical holinefs will be nothing elfe but an imaginary and unpracticable fanctity. Those ideas of perfection will be but meer ideas, without any reality; like thofe of that philofopher, who form'd a fine fcheme of the best government of a common-wealth; but it was a project which could never be executed. It were to be wifhed, we might remember, that, thanks be to God, we are no longer heathens; and that men fhould be encouraged, and not difheartened by extravagant maxims and difcourfes. Which is the imitating thofe cowardly fpies, who after they had viewed the land of Canaan, went about to difpirit the Ifraelites, and to perfuade them, that the conqueft of that land was impoffible.

2. It is not only faid, that we are not able to be fo holy as the Gofpel requires; but it is added befides, that God would not have us be fo; that he makes use of fin to keep us humble, and to make us feel the conftant need we have of his grace, as well as to kindle in us, the defire of a better and more perfect life. This maxim reprefents corruption, as a thing unavoidable, agreeable to the will of God, and in fome meafure ufeful. But what can be more false than to pretend, that God would not have us to be holy? Why then does he command us to be fo? Why does St. Paul fay, *This is the will of God, to wit, your fanctification? What can be meant by these words of St. Peter, As he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all manner of converfation; for it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy? If it be faid, that God would have us to be holy, but not perfectly holy, as we fhall be in heaven: I ask no more, Who did ever pretend that we ought to be as holy in this world, as we are to be in the life to come? Nothing elfe is required of men, but that they fhould be as holy, as God would have them to be, and as holy as his grace enables them to be in this life. To alledge against this, That God would not have us be fo holy; is a ridiculous evafion, which implies a contradiction. Befides, this maxim taken in that fenfe, which it firft offers to the mind, feems to make God the author of fin. For it fuppofes, not only that God would not have us to be fo holy, but which is more ftrange, that he wills the contrary, that he has his views, defigns, and reafons, why he fhould not permit us, to attain that degree of holinefs, to which the Gofpel calls us. That is the meaning of these words, That God makes use of fin, to keep us humble, to make us feel the need we have of his grace, and to make us long for another life. If it was faid only, That God had fome reasons to permit fin:

fuch

fuch an affertion would be true; but thofe who alledge this maxim, to excuse themselves from obeying the Gofpel, afcribe to God a pofitive defign; and a direct intention, which renders that obedience impoffible; which derogates from his holiness and juftice, and which is manifeftly contrary to thofe declarations which he himself has made in Scripture. If it were further faid, That our fins ought to humble us, and that they fhould ferve to make us wifer, and more circumfpect for the time to come, and to raise in us a longing after a happier state; this would be very reasonable. But it does not follow from thence, that we are to afcribe to God, thofe views and intentions which this maxim afcribes to him. There is a vaft difference between the defign which God propofes to himself, and the event of things. Thefe two fhould never be confounded. Neither ought the natural effect of fin, to be confounded with the confequences of it. The natural effect of fin can be no other but evil; if the confequences of it are not always fatal, and if men reap fome advantage from it, that is, as we fay, by accident. However God has no need of vice to form us to humility; he has other means to humble us, and to make us feel the need we ftand in of his grace; without being neceffi tated to let us live under the dominion of fin, to produce thofe difpofitions in us. And there remain ftill even in the very holiest men, matter enough for them to have recourse to the Divine mercy, and to afpire to a better life, notwithstanding all the progrefs they can make in holiness. This will be fully cleared in the fequel of this chapter.

3. Here is another maxim which is pretty common; it is faid, That this world is the place of corruption, that this life is the time of fin, and that boliness is referved for heaven. Men's minds are fo infected with this imagination; that we hear it faid every day, even by those who have some piety; That we live in this world only to offend God, and that we do nothing but fin. But certainly, nothing is more contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel, than this: for tho' it is true, in a found fenfe, that this world is the place of corruption, and that fin will never be intirely abolished but in heaven; yet that does by no means excufe us from ferving and fearing God, as long as we live here. The first thing a Christian ought to know; is that God has placed him in this world, not to offend, but to to glorifie and ferve him. The gospel tells us, every where, that this life is the time which God gives us to fanctify our felves in. That this earth is the place where Chriftian virtues are to be practifed; that now is the time to labour, to walk, to fight, and to fow, if we intend to obtain falvation; and that whoever neglects thefe duties fhall be fhut out of heaven. In the life to come thefe opportunites will be over, the door will be fhut, and the sentence which God fhall pronounce at the day of judgment, will be founded upon that which men do in this life.

Nay, we may draw an argument from the nature of holiness it felf, to demonftrate, that the practice of it is not referred to another life. The greatest part of the duties which God prescribes; fuch as repentance, patience, chastity, fobriety, almfgiving, and hope, cannot be practifed in heaven. Here then, is the time, the place, and the opportunity, to perform thefe duties. Let us reflect upon what St. Paul fays, in his epiftle to Titus, chap. xi. There he declares, That the grace of God which brings Jaluation, teaches men to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent

K 3

world.