demonstration, and insensible to the most ra tional and affecting persuasion. These positions, mere opinions and prepossessions before examination, became demonstrative truths after a course of diligent search; and these general principles have operated in the choice of the sermons, which compose this volume of the principal doctrines of Christianity.

But, previous to all inquiries concerning the doctrines of Christianity, it is absolutely necessary to establish that of CHRISTIAN LIBERTY; for, say what we will, if this preliminary doctrine of right be disallowed, voluntary piety is the dream of an enthusiast; the oracles of God in the Christian world, like those of the Sybils natorial sense; and the whole Christian mission, from the first prophet down to the last minister, is one long muster-roll of statesmen's tools, a disgrace to their species, a contradiction to their profession, a dishonour to their God!

ed therefore to explain myself, and to bespeak | a candid attention, while I endeavour to do so. Very early in life I was prepossessed in favour of the following positions:-Christianity is a religion of divine origin-a religion of divine origin must needs be a perfect religion, and answer all the ends, for which it was revealed, without human additions. The Christian religion has undergone considerable alterations since the times of Jesus Christ and his apostles, and yet, Jesus Christ was then accounted the finisher, as well as the author of faith, Heb. xii. 2. The doctrines of revelation, as they lie in the inspired writings, differ very much from the same doctrines, as they lie in creeds of human composition. The moral pre-in pagan Rome, are sounds convertible to secepts, the positive institutes, and the religious affections, which constitute the devotion of most modern Christians, form a melancholy contrast to those, which are described by the guides, whom they profess to follow. The light of nature, and that of revelation; the operations of right reason, the spirit of the first, and Christian liberty in Italy, is liberty to be a the influence of the Holy Ghost, the soul of Roman Catholic, that is, liberty to believe what the last: both proceeding from the same uni- the bishop of Rome affirms to be true, and liform Supreme Being, cannot be supposed to be berty to perform what he commands to be destructive of each other, or, even in the least done. Christian liberty in some reformed degree, to clash together. The finest idea, that churches is liberty to renounce what the reforcan be formed of the Supreme Being, is that of mers renounced, to believe what they affirmed, an infinite intelligence always in harmony with and to practice what they required. But we itself: and, accordingly, the best way of proving who have not so learned Christ, define Christian the truth of revelation is that of showing the liberty otherwise: and if we be asked, What is analogy of the plan of redemption to that of Christian liberty? we answer, It is liberty to be creation and providence. Simplicity and ma- a Christian. One part of Christianity consists jesty characterize both nature and Scripture: of propositions to be believed. Liberty to be simplicity reduces those benefits, which are es- a Christian believer, is liberty to examine these sential to the real happiness of man, to the propositions, to form a judgment of them, and size of all mankind; majesty makes a rich pro- to come to a self-determination, according to vision for the employment and superadded fe- our own best abilities. Another part of Chrislicity of a few superior geniuses, who first im- tianity consists of duties to be performed. Liprove themselves, and then felicitate their in-berty to be a practical Christian, is liberty to ferior brethren by simplifying their own ideas, by refining and elevating those of their fellow creatures, by so establishing a social intercourse, consolidating fraternal love, and along with it all the reciprocal ties, that unite mankind. Men's ideas of objects essential to their happiness, are neither so dissimilar nor so numerous, as inattentive spectators are apt to suppose. Variety of sentiment, which is the life of society, cannot be destructive of real religion. Mere mental errors, if they be not entirely innocent in the account of the Supreme Governor of mankind, cannot be, however, objects of blame and punishment among men. Christianity could never be intended to destroy the natural rights, or even to diminish the natural privileges of mankind. That religion, which allows the just claims, and secures the social happiness of all mankind, must needs be a better religion than that, which provides for only a part at the expense of the rest. God is more glorified by the good actions of his creatures, expressive of homage to him, and productive of universal, social good, than he is by uncertain conjectures, or even accurate notions, which originate in self-possession and terminate in social disunion. How clear soever all these maxims may be, a certain degree of ambition or avarice, ignorance or malice, presumption or diffidence, or any other irregular passion, will render a man blind to the clearest VOL. I.-4

perform these duties, either as they regard God, our neighbour, or ourselves. Liberty to be a Christian, implies liberty not to be a Christian, as liberty to examine a proposition, implies liberty to reject the arguments brought to support it, if they appear inconclusive, as well as liberty to admit them, if they appear demonstrative. To pretend to examine Christianity, before we have established our right to do so, is to pretend to cultivate an estate, before we have made out our title to it.

The object of Christian liberty, that, with which a man, who would examine Christianity, has to do, is a system of Christian doctrine: but, having established the doctrine of right, before we proceed to exercise this right by examining the religion proposed to mankind by Jesus Christ, it is absolutely necessary to inquire what we ought, on sound principles of just and fair reasoning, to expect to find in it. I know some truths without revelation. I have a full demonstration in nature, that there is one God-that it is impossible there should be more than one-that he is an intelligent spirit-and that he is a wise and bountiful Being. Should any religion, which pretends to be divine, affirm that there is a plurality of gods; God is not an intelligent Spirit-God is an unwise and an unkind being-I should have a right to reject this pretended revelation. Indeed, should a revealed religion allow my de

monstrations, and afterwards explain them in a manner quite subversive of my former explications of them: should it affirm, God is, as you say, a wise and bountiful being: but he displays his wisdom and goodness not in governing his intelligent creatures, as you have imagined; such a moral government, I will prove to you, would show a defect of wisdom and goodness; but he displays the supreme perfection of both, by providing for such and such interests, and by bestowing such and such benefits, as have either escaped your notice, or were beyond your comprehension. In this case I ought not to reject revelation, for, although I can demonstrate without inspiration the wisdom and goodness of God, yet I cannot pretend by the light of nature to know all the directions, and to ascertain all the limits of these perfections.

Lay Christianity before me who will, I expect to find three things in it, which I call analogy, proportion, and perfection. Each of these articles opens a wide field of not incurious speculation, and each fully explained and applied, would serve to guide any man in his choice of a religion, yea, in his choice of a party among the various divisions of Christians: but alas! we are not employed now-adays in examining and choosing religious principles for ourselves, but in subscribing, and defending those of our ancestors! A few hints then shall serve.

By analogy I mean resemblance, and, when I say revealed religion must bring along with it an analogical evidence, I mean, it must resemble the just dictates of nature. The reason is plain. The same Supreme Being is the author of both. The God of nature has formed man for observing objects, comparing them together, laying down principles, inferring consequences, reasoning and self-determining; he has not only empowered all mankind to exercise these abilities, but has even constrained them by a necessity of nature to do so; he has not only rendered it impossible for men to excel without this exercise, but he has even rendered it impossible for them to exist safely in society without it. In a word, the God of nature has made man in his own image, a selfdetermining being, and, to say nothing of the nature of virtue, he has rendered free consent essential to every man's felicity and peace. With his own consent, subjection makes him happy; without it, dominion over the universe would make him miserable.

and concealed from all the rest of his fellow creatures; and the glory of civil society is not to encroach on the moral government of God. Christianity comes, pretends to come from the God of nature; I look for analogy, and I find it: but I find it in the holy Scriptures, the first teachers, and the primitive churches. In all these, I am considered as a rational creature, objects are proposed, evidence is offered: if I admit it, I am not entitled thereby to any temporal emoluments; if I refuse it, I am not subjected to any temporal punishments; the whole is an affair of conscience, and lies between each individual and his God. I choose to be a Christian on this very account. This freedom which I call a perfection of my nature; this self-determination, the dignity of my species, the essence of my natural virtue; this I do not forfeit by becoming a Christian; this I retain, explained, confirmed, directed, as sisted by the regal grant of the Son of God. Thus the prerogatives of Christ, the laws of his religion, and the natural rights of mankind being analagous, evidence arises of the divinity of the religion of Jesus.

I believe it would be very easy to prove, that the Christianity of the church of Rome, and that of every other establishment, because they are establishments, are totally destitute of this analogy. The religion of nature is not capable of establishment, the religion of Jesus Christ is not capable of establishment: if the religion of any church be capable of establishment, it is not analogous to that of Scripture, or that of nature. A very simple example may explain our meaning. Natural religion requires a man to pay a mental homage to the Deity, to venerate his perfections, by adoring and confiding in them. By what possible means can these pious operations of the mind be established? could they be forced, their nature would be destroyed, and they would cease to be piety, which is an exercise of judgment and will. Revealed religion requires man to pay a mental homage to the Deity through Jesus Christ, to venerate his perfections by adoring and confiding in them as Christianity directs; by repentance, by faith, by hope, and so on. How is it possible to establish those spiritual acts? A human establishment requires man to pay this Christian mental homage to the Deity, by performing some external ceremony, suppose bowing to the east. The ceremony, we grant, may be established: but, the voluntary exercise of the soul in the The religion of nature, (I mean by this ex-performance, which is essential to the Chrispression, here, the objects, which display the nature of the Deity, and thereby discover the obligations of mankind) is in perfect harmony with the natural constitution of man. All natural objects offer evidence to all: but force it on none. A man may examine it, and he may not examine it; he may admit it, and he may reject it: and, if his rejection of the evidence of natural religion be not expressed in such overt acts as are injurious to the peace of civil society, no man is empowered to force him, or to punish him; the Supreme moral Governor of the world himself does not distinguish him here by any exterior punishments; at most he expresses his displeasure by marks attached to the person of the culprit,

tianity of the action, who in the world can establish this? If the religion of Jesus be considered as consisting of external rites and internal dispositions, the former may be established; but, be it remembered, the establishment of the exterior not only does not establish the interior, but the destruction of the last is previously essential to the establishment of the first.

No religion can be established without penal sanctions, and all penal sanctions in cases of religion are persecutions. Before a man can persecute, he must renounce the generous tolerant dispositions of a Christian. No religion can be established without human creeds; and subscription to all human creeds implies two

dispositions contrary to true religion, and both | sion from all public schools, a deprivation of expressly forbidden by the author of it. These all honours, which he might be supposed on two dispositions are, love of dominion over other accounts to merit, an exclusion from all conscience in the imposer, and an abject pre- offices of trust, credit, and profit, in some cases ference of slavery in the subscriber. The first a loss of property, in others imprisonment, in usurps the rights of Christ; the last swears others death. In this supposed case, I ask, allegiance to a pretender. The first domi- would not the establishment of this system be neers, and gives laws like a tyrant; the last an open violation of the doctrine of analogy, truckles like a vassal. The first assumes a and should I not have a right to reason thus? dominion incompatible with his frailty, impos- The revelation itself is infallible, and the ausible even to his dignity, yea, denied to the thor of it has given it me to examine: but the dignity of angels; the last yields a low sub-establishment of a given meaning of it renders mission, inconsistent with his own dignity, and ruinous to that very religion, which he pretends by this mean to support. Jesus Christ does not require, he does not allow, yea, he expressly forbids both these dispositions, well knowing, that an allowance of these would be a suppression of the finest dispositions of the human soul, and a degrading of revelation beneath the religion of nature. If human inventions have formerly secularized Christianity, and rendered such bad dispositions necessary in times of ignorance, they ought to be exploded now, as all Christians now allow this theory: The Son of God did not come to redeem one part of mankind to serve the secular views, and unworthy passions of the other: but he obtained freedom for both, that both might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives. Luke i. 74, 75. When churches reduce this theory to practice, they realize in actual life, what otherwise makes only a fine idea decyphered in books, and by so doing they adorn their Christianity with the glorious evidence of analogy.

examination needless, and perhaps dangerous. The God of nature has given me eyes, instruments, powers, and inclinations to use them; eyes, faculties, and dispositions as good as those of my ancestors, and instruments better: but all these advantages, which may be beneficial to me, if they confirm the truth of the explication; may be fatal to me, if they lag behind, or ken beyond the bound of the creed. Nature says, a constellation is a collection of stars, which, in the heavens, appear near to one another. This is a plain simple truth, I open my eyes, and admit the evidence. Revelation says, each fixed star is a sun, the centre of a system, consisting of planets inhabited by intelligent beings, who possess one sense and two faculties more than the inhabitants of this globe, and who worship the most high God in spirit and in truth. I cannot comprehend this whole proposition: but there is nothing in it contrary to the nature of things; and I believe the truth of it on the testimony of the revealer. The established explication of this proposition is that of Ptolemy. He numbered the stars in the constellation Bootes, and found them, or supposed he found them, twenty-three, and this number I am to examine and approve, teach and defend against all opponents. What shall I say to Tycho, who affirms, Bootes contains only eighteen? Must I execrate Havelius, who makes them fifty-two? After all, perhaps Flamstead may be right; he says there are fifty-four. Does not this method of teaching astronomy suppose a hundred absurdities? Does it not imply the imperfection of the revealed system, the infallibility of Ptolemy, the erroneousness of the other astronomers, the folly of examination, or the still greater madness of allowing a conclusion after a denial of the premises, from which it pretends to be drawn? When I was an infant, I am told, I was treated like a man, now I am a man, I am treated like an infant. I am an astronomer by proxy. The plan of God requires faculties, and the exercise of them: that of my country exchanges both for quiet submission. I am, and I am not, a believer of astronomy.

Suppose the God of nature should think proper to reveal a simple system of astronomy, and to require all mankind to examine and believe this revelation on pain of his displeasure. Suppose one civil government, having examined this revelation, and explained the sense, in which they understood it, should endeavour to establish their explication by temporal rewards and punishments. Suppose they should require all their subjects to carry their infants in their arms to a public school, to answer certain astronomical interrogations, to be put by a professor of astronomy; as, in general, wilt thou, infant of eight days old! wilt thou be an astronomer? Dost thou renounce all erroneous systems of astronomy? In particular, dost thou admit the true Copernician system? Dost thou believe the revealed explication of this system? And dost thou also believe that explication of this revelation, which certain of our own predecessors in the profession believed, which we, your masters and parents, in due obedience, receive? Suppose a proxy required to answer for this infant; all this, I, proxy for this child, do steadfastly believe; and Were it affirmed, that a revelation from suppose from this hour, the child became a re-heaven established such a method of mainputed astronomer. Suppose yet farther, this taining a science of speculation, reasoning, and child should grow to manhood, and in junior practice, every rational creature would have a life should be pressed, on account of the obli- right to doubt the truth of such a revelation; gation contracted in his infant state, to sub- for it would violate the doctrine of analogy, scribe a certain paper called an astronomical by making the Deity inconsistent with himcreed, containing mathematical definitions, as- self. But we will pursue this track no further; tronomical propositions, and so on, and should we hope nothing said will be deemed illiberal; be required for certain rewards to examine and we distinguish between a constitution of things, approve, teach and defend this creed, and no and many wise and good men, who submit to other, without incurring the penalty of expul- it, and we only venture to guess, if they be

wise and good men, under such inconveniences, they would be wiser and better men without them: at all adventures, if we owe much respect to men, we owe more to truth, to incontrovertible, unchangeable truth.

ment would be at once a renunciation of their right to hold by the original grant, and of their lord's prerogative to bestow.

What can a declaimer mean, when he repeats a number of propositions, and declares the belief of them all essential to the salvation of man? or what could he reply to one, who should ask him, which man do you mean, the man in the stall? Is it Sir Isaac Newton: or the man in the aisle? It is Tom Long, the carrier. God almighty, the creator of both, has formed these two men with different or

A second character of a divine revelation, is proportion. By proportion I mean, relative fitness, and, when I affirm a divine revelation must bring along with it proportional evidence, I mean to say, it must appear to be exactly fitted to those intelligent creatures, for whose benefit it is intended. In the former article we required a similarity between the re-gans of body, and different faculties of mind; quisitions of God and the faculties of men: in this we require an exact quantity of requisition commensurate with those faculties. The former regards the nature of a revelation; this has for its object the limits of it. Were it possible for God, having formed a man only for walking, by a messenger from heaven to require him to fly, the doctrine of analogy would be violated by this requisition; and were he to determine a prodigious space, through which he required him to pass in a given time, were he to describe an immense distance, and to enjoin him to move through it with a degree of velocity impossible to him, the doctrine of proportion would be violated; and the God of revelation would in both cases be made contradictory to the God of nature.

he has given them different advantages and different opportunities of improving them, he has placed them in different relations, and empowered the one to teach what the other, depend on his belief what will, is not capable of learning. Ten thousand Tom Longs go to make up one Newtonian soul. Is it credible, the God who made these two men, who thoroughly knows them, who is the common parent, the just governor, and the kind benefactor of both, should require of men so different, equal belief and practice? Were such a thing supposable, how unequal and disproportional, how inadequate and unlike himself must such a Deity be! To grasp the terraqueous globe with a human hand, to make a tulip-cup contain the ocean, to gather all the light of the an-universe into one human eye, to hide the sun in a snuff-box, are the mighty projects of children's fancies. Is it possible, requisitions similar to these should proceed from the only wise God!

The Christian revelation, we presume, swers all our just expectations on these aráicles; for all the truths revealed by it are analgous to the nature of things, and every article in it bears an exact proportion to the abilities of all those, for whose benefit it is given. Our Saviour treats of the doctrine of proportion, in the parable of the talents, and supposes the Lord to apportion the number of talents, when he bestows them, and the rewards and punishments, which he distributes for the use, and abuse of them, to the several ability of each servant, Matt. xxv. 14. St. Paul depicts the primitive church in all the beauty of this proportional economy; The same God worketh all diversities of operations in all differences of administrations, dividing to every man severally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 5, 6. 11. This economy, he says, assimilates the Christian church to the human body, and gives to the one as to the other strength, symmetry, and beauty, evidently proving that the author of creation is the author of redemption, framing both by one uniform rule of analogy and proportion. Full of these just notions, we examine that description of revelation, which human creeds exhibit, and we perceive at once, they are all destitute of proportional evidence. They all consist of multifarious propositions, each of which is considered as essential to the whole, and the belief of all essential to an enjoyment of the benefits of Christianity, yea, to those of civil society, in this life, and to a participation of eternal life in the world to come. In this case the free gifts of God to all are monopolized by a few, and sold out to the many at a price, far greater than nine-tenths of them can pay, and at a price, which the remaining part ought not to pay, because the donor has not empowered these salesmen to exact any price, because by his original grant all are made joint proprietors, and because the pay

There is, we have reason to believe, a certain proportion of spirit, if I may be allowed to speak so, that constitutes a human soul; there are infinitely different degrees of capability imparted by the Creator to the souls of mankind; and there is a certain ratio by necessity of nature, between each degree of intelligence and a given number of ideas, as there is between a cup capable of containing a given quantity, and a quantity of matter capable of being contained in it. In certain cases it might serve my interest could the palm of my hand contain a hogshead: but in general my interest is better served by an inability to contain so much. We apply these certain principles to revelation, and we say, God hath given in the Christian religion an infinite multitude of ideas; as in nature he hath created an infinite multitude of objects. These objects are diversified without end, they are of various sizes, colours, and shapes, and they are capable of innumerable motions, productive of multifarious effects, and all placed in various degrees of perspicuity; objects of thought in the Christian religion are exactly similar; there is no end of their variety; God and all his perfections, man and all his operations, the being and employment of superior holy spirits, the existence and dispositions of fallen spirits, the creation and government of the whole world of matter, and that of spirit, the influences of God and the obligations of men, the dissolution of the universe, a resurrection, a judgment, a heaven, and a hell, all these, placed in various degrees of perspicuity, are exhibited in religion to the contemplation of intelligent creatures. The creatures, who are required to contemplate

these objects, have various degrees of contem- | three consequences would follow. First, Subplative ability; and their duty, and conse- scription to human creeds, with all their apquently their virtue, which is nothing else but pendages, both penal and pompous, would roll a performance of duty, consists in applying all back into the turbulent ocean, the Sea I mean, their ability to understand as many of these from whence they came; the Bible would reobjects, that is, to form as many ideas of them, main a placid emanation of wisdom from as are apportioned to their own degree. So God; and the belief of it a sufficient test of many objects they are capable of seeing, so the obedience of his people. Secondly, Chrismany objects it is their duty to see. So much tians would be freed from the inhuman necesof each object they are capable of compre- sity of execrating one another, and by placing hending, so much of each object it is their Christianity in believing in Christ, and not in duty to comprehend. So many emotions they believing in one another, they would rid reveare capable of exercising, so many emotions it lation of those intolerable abuses, which are is their duty to exercise. So many acts of de- fountains of sorrow to Christians, and sources votion they can perform, so many Almighty of arguments to infidels. Thirdly, OpportuGod will reward them for performing, or pun-nity would be given to believers in Christ to ish them for neglecting. This I call the doctrine of religious proportion. This I have a right to expect to find in a divine revelation, and this I find in the most splendid manner in Christianity, as it lies in the Bible, as it was in the first churches, and as it is in some modern communities. I wish I could exchange the word some for all.

exercise those dispositions, which the present disproportional division of this common benefit obliges them to suppress, or conceal. O cruel theology, that makes it a crime to do what I have neither a right nor a power to leave undone!

I call perfection a third necessary character of a Divine revelation. Every production of an intelligent being bears the characters of the intelligence that produced it, for as the man is, so is his strength, Judg. viii. 21. A weak genius produces a work imperfect and weak like itself. A wise, good being, produces a work wise and good, and, if his power be equal to his wisdom and goodness, his work will resemble himself, and such a degree of wisdom, animated by an equal degree of goodness, and assisted by an equal degree of power, will produce a work equally wise, equally beneficial, equally effectual. The same degrees of goodness and power accompanied with only half the degree of wisdom, will produce a work as re

This doctrine of proportion would unroost every human creed in the world, at least it would annihilate the imposition of any. Instead of making one creed for a whole nation, which, by the way, provides for only one nation, and consigns over the rest of the world to the destroyer of mankind; instead of doing so, there should be as many creeds as creatures; and instead of affirming, the belief of three hundred propositions is essential to the felicity of every man in both worlds, we ought to affirm, the belief of half a proposition is essential to the salvation of Mary, and the belief of a whole one to that of John, the belief of six propositions, or, more properly the exami-markable for a deficiency of skill as for a renation of six propositions, is essential to the salvation of the reverend Edward, and the examination of sixty to that of the right reverend Richard; for, if I can prove, one has sixty degrees of capacity, another six, and another one, I can easily prove, it would be unjust to require the same exercises of all; and a champion ascribing such injustice to God would be no formidable adversary for the pompousness of his challenge, or the caparisons of his horse: h's very sword could not conquer, though it might affright from the field.

The world and revelation, both the work of the same God, are both constructed on the same principles; and were the book of scripture like that of nature laid open to universal inspection, were all ideas of temporal rewards and punishments removed from the study of it, that would come to pass in the moral world, which has actually happened in the world of human science, each capacity would find its own object, and take its own quantum. Newtons will find stars without penalties, Miltons will be poets, and Lardners Christians without rewards. Calvins will contemplate the decrees of God, and Baxters will try to assort them with the spontaneous volitions of men; all, like the celestial bodies, will roll on in the quiet majesty of simple proportion, each in his proper sphere shining to the glory of God the Creator. But alas! We have not so learned Christ!

Were this doctrine of proportion allowed,

dundancy of efficiency and benevolence. Thus the flexibility of the hand may be known by the writing; the power of penetrating, and combining in the mind of the physician, may be known by the feelings of the patient, who has taken his prescription: and, by parity of reason, the uniform perfections of an invisible God may be known by the uniform perfection of his productions.

I perceive, I must not launch into this wide ocean of the doctrine of perfection, and I will confine myself to three characters of imperfection, which may serve to explain my meaning. Proposing to obtain a great end without the use of proper means-the employing of great means to obtain no valuable end-and the destroying of the end by the use of the means employed to obtain it, are three characters of imperfection rarely found in frail intelligent agents; and certainly they can never be attributed to the Great Supreme. A violation of the doctrine of analogy would argue God an unjust being; and a violation of that of propor tion, would prove him an unkind being; and a violation of this of perfection, would argue him a being void of wisdom. Were we to suppose him capable of proposing plans impossible to be executed, and then punishing his creatures for not executing them, we should attribute to the best of beings, the most odious dispositions of the most infamous of mankind. Heaven forbid the thought!

The first character of imperfection, is propos