services as naturally tended, through the weakness of their natures, to make their spirits too angry and fierce, not to fay cruel. As for inftance, that of deftroying God's and their enemies, and fometimes their innocent children too, and the cattle that belonged to them. And feveral connivences and indulgencies they had (as in the cafes of divorce and polygamy and revenge) which did not a little conduce to the gratifying of fenfuality, and the animal life; all which are taken away by our faviour Chrift. These things, with diverse others, made it in an ordinary way impoffible for those people to arrive at that height of virtue and true goodness, that the Gospel defigneth to raise us to. And though we find fome of them very highly commended for their great fanctity; we are to understand thofe encomiums for the most part, at least, with a reference to the difpenfation under which they were; and as implying a confideration of the circumstances they were in, and the means they enjoyed.

And thus have we fhewed what a moft admirably effectual course our bleffed Saviour hath taken to purifie us from all filthiness both of the flesh and fpirit, and to make us in all refpects righteous and holy: and how much the Chriftian difpenfation excelleth others as to its aptness for this purpose. And from what hath been faid we may fafely conclude, That neither the world, nor any part of it was ever favoured by God with means for the accomplishment of this work, comparable to those which are contained in the Chriftian religion.

So that, well might S. Paul call the Gospel of Christ the power of God to falvation (z), that is, both from mifery and the cause of it. Well may the weapons of the Chriftian warfare be faid not to be carnal and weak, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of frong holds, and cafting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it felf against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift (a). Great reafon had Clemens Alexandrinus to call our Saviour ávłęwπÓTYTO wardayoy, the inftructer and school-master of humane nature; and to fay, as he doth in the following words, That he bath endeavoured to fave us by using with all his might, all the inftruments of wisdom, or all wife courfes, and draws us back by many bridles from gratifying unreasonable appetites. And Justin Martyr, fpeaking of the Gospel, had caufe pathetically to break out as he did, in thefe words, water desväv pevyadevlńgior, &c. to thou expeller and chafer away of evil affections! O thou extinguisher of burning lufts! This is that which makes us not · poets or philofophers or excellent orators, but of poor mortal men makes us like fo many immortal gods, and tranflateth us from this low earth to those regions that are above Olympus. And well, again, might the fame good Father, having throughly acquainted himfelf with the Stoick and Platonick philofophy, (by which latter he thought himself to have gained much wif dom) and at laft by the advice of an old man a ftranger, having ftudied the Gofpel, thus exprefs himfelf, ταύτην μόνην φιλοσοφίαν ἕυρισκον ἀσφαλῆ xcuμgogor, &c. ‡ I found this alone to be the fafe and profitable philosophy, and thus and by this means became I a philofopher.

Simplicius

• Pædag. p. 120. Dialog. cum Tryph. p1 225.

*Simplicius faith thus of Epictetus his Enchiridion, That it hath word rò deasresor ny nivnixèr, so much of powerfulness, and pungency, that those which are not perfectly dead, muft needs come to understand thereby their own affections, and be effectually excited to the rectifying of them. Could he give such a character as this of that little book of his Brother-heathen; what can be invented by us high enough for the Gospel? That, as very fine a thing as it is, being extremely weak and infufficient for the purpose upon the account of which he praiseth it, if compared with this bleffed book.

CHA P. XVI.

An Objection against the wonderful Efficacy of the Chriftian Religion for the Purpofe of making Men holy, taken from the very little fuccefs it hath herein, together with the prodigious Wickedness of Christendom. An Anfwer given to it in three Particulars, viz. 1. That how ill foever its Success is, it is evident from the foregoing Difcourfe, that it is not to be imputed to any Weakness or Inefficacy in that Religion. The true Caufes thereof affigned. 2. That it it is to be expelled that thofe fhould be the worfe for the Gospel, that will not be bettered by it. 3. That there was a Time when the Gospel's fuccefs was greatly answerable to what hath been faid of its Efficacy. And that the Primitive Chriftians were People of most unblameable and holy Lives. The Gnoflicks improperly called Chriftians in any fence. The Primitive Chriflians proved to be Men of excellent Lives, by the Teftimonies of Fathers contained in their Apologies for them to their Enemies; and by the Acknowledgments of their Enemies themselves. An Account given in particular of their meek and submissive Temper, out of Tertullian.

XXF it be now objected against what we have faid of the admirable I efficacy of the Chriftian religion for the purpose of making men holy, That there is but very little fign of it in the lives of those that profefs to believe it: for who are more woefully loft as to all true goodness, who are more deeply funk into fenfuality and brutishnefs, than are the generality of Chriftians? Nay, among what fort of men are all manner of abominable wickedneffes and villanies to be found to rife, as among them? Upon which account the name of Christian stinks in the noftrils of the very Jews, Turks and Pagans. Beatly intemperance and uncleanneffes of all forts, the moft fordid covetoufnefs, wretched injuftice, oppreffions and cruelties; the most devilish malice, envy and pride; the deadlieft animofities, the most outragious feuds, diffentions and rebellions; the plaineft and groffest idolatry, higheft blafphemies and moft horrid impieties of all kinds are in no part of the world more obferable than they are in Chriftendom ; nor most of them any where so obfervable. And even in those places where

• Page-z.

where the Gospel is most truly and powerfully preached, and particularly in this our nation, there is but little more to be taken notice of in the far greater number, than the name of Chriftians; nor any more of religion, than infignificant complementings of God, and a mere bodily worship of him. But what abominable vice is there, that doth not here abound? Nay, where doth the highest and most daring of impieties, viz. Atheism it felf, fo boldly fhew its head as it doth here? And as for those among us that make the greatest pretences to Christianity, befides a higher profeffion, a more frequent attendance on ordinances, and a mighty zeal for certain fruitless opinions they have taken up, and little trifles which fignifie nothing to the bettering of their fouls, and carrying on that which we have fhewed is the Defign of Christianity; there is little to be obferved in very many, if not moft, of them, whereby they may be diftinguished from other people. But as for the fins of covetoufnels, pride and contempt of others, difobedience to authority, fedition, unpeaceableness, wrath and fierceness against those that differ in opinion from them, cenforiousness and uncharitableness; it is too obvious how much the greater part of the fects we are divided into are guilty of most, if not all of them. And that which is really the power of godinefs doth appear in the converfations of but very few.

God knows, the wickednefs of thofe that enjoy and profefs to believe the Gospel, is an extremely fertile and copious theme to dilate upon; and is fitter to be the fubject of a great volume (if any one can perfwade himself so far to rake into fuch a noysome dunghil, as fure none can, except enemies to Christianity) than to be difcourfed by the bye, as it is here. Nor can there be any eafier tafk undertaken than to fhew, that not a few mere Heathens have behaved themselves incomparably better towards God, their neighbour, and themselves, than do the generality of thofe that are called Chriftians. Nay, I fear it would not be over-difficult to make it appear, that the generality of those that never heard the Gospel, do behave themselves in feveral respects better than they do.

But I have no lift to entertain my felf or reader with fuch an unpleafant and melancholy argument, but will betake my felf to answer the fad objection which is from thence taken against the truth of our laft discourse.

1. And, in the first place, let the Gofpel have never fo little fuccefs in promoting what is defigned by it; whoever confiders it, and what hath been faid concerning it, cannot but acknowledge that it is in it felf as fit as any thing that can be imagined for the purpose of throughly reforming the lives, and purifying the natures of mankind; and alfo incomparably more fit than any other courfe that hath ever been taken, or can be thought of. So that we may certainly conclude, That the depravedness of Christendom is not to be afcribed to the inefficacy of the Gofpel, but to other causes: namely, men's unbelief of the truth of it: as much as they profefs faith in it: their inexcufable neglect of considering the infinitely powerful motives to a holy life contained in it; and of ufing the means conducing thereunto prescribed by it. And these are infeparable concomitants, and most effectual promoters of each other. Every man's inconfideration is proportionable

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to his incredulity, and his incredulity to his inconfideration: and how much of carelesness is visible in mens lives, fo much of unbelief doth poffefs their hearts; and fo on the contrary. Upon which account to believe and to be obedient, and not to believe and to be difobedient, are fynonymous phrases, and of the fame fignification in the New, and likewife in the Old Teftament. Now it is a true faying of Tertullian, Pervicacia nullum oppofuit remedium Deus, God hath provided no remedy, that is, no ordinary one, against wilfulness. And though the Gospel hath such a tendency as hath been fhewn, to work the most excellent effects in men, yet it doth not operate as charms do, nor will it have fuccefs upon any without their own concurrence, and co-operation The excellent rules of life laid down in the Gospel muft neceffarily fignifie nothing to thofe, that only hear or read them, but will not mind them. Its promifes or threatnings can be exciting to none, that will not believe, or confider them: nor can the arguments it affordeth to provoke to affent, be convincing to any but thofe that impartially weigh them; its helps and affistances will do no good, where they are totally neglected. And though there be preventing as well as affifting grace going along with the Gofpel, for the effectual prevailing on mens wills to use their utmost endeavour to fubdue their lufts, and to acquire virtous habits; yet this grace is not fuch as that there is no poffibility of refufing or quenching it. Nor is it fit it should, feeing mankind is indued with a principle of freedom, and that this principle is effential to the humane nature.

I will add, that this is one immediate caufe of the unsuccessfulness of the Gospel, to which it is very much to be attributed; namely, mens ftrange and unaccountable miftaking the defign of it. Multitudes of those that profess Christianity are fo grofly inconfiderate, not to say worse, as to conceive no better of it than as a fcience and matter of Speculation and take themselves, (though againft the cleareft evidences of the contrary imaginable) for true and genuine Chriftians, either because they have a general belief of the truth of the Chriftian religion, and profefs themselves the Difciples of Chrift Jefus in contradiftinction from Jews, Mahometans, and Pagans; and in and through him alone. expect falvation: or because they have fo far acquainted themfelves with the doctrine of the Gospel, as to be able to talk and difpute, and to make themselves pals for knowing people: or because they have joyned themselves to that party of Chriftians which they prefume are of the purest and most reformed model, and are zealous sticklers for their peculiar forms and difcriminating fentiments; and as ftiff oppofers of all other that are contray to them. Now the Gospel must neceffarily be as ineffectual to the rectifying of fuch mens minds, and reformation of their manners, while they have fo wretchedly low an opinion of its defign, as if it really had no better: and fo long as they take it for granted its main intention is didažas, & Beàliãoas, 10 make them orthodox, not virtuous, it cannot be thought that they thould be ever the more holy, nay, 'tis a thousand to one but they will be in one kind or other the more unholy for their Chriftianity.

And lastly, There are feveral untoward opinions very unhappily inftilled into profeffors of Chriftianity, which render the truths of the

Gospel

Gospel they retain a belief of, infignificant and unsuccessful as to the bettering either of their hearts or lives, as infinitely apt and of as mighty efficacy as they are in themselves for those great purposes.

2. Secondly, Whereas it was faid alfo, that the generality of heathens live in diverse respects better lives, than do multitudes, and even the generality, of thofe that profefs Chriftianity; it is fo far from being difficult to give a fatisfactory account how this may be without difparaging our excellent religion; that it is to be expected that thofe people fhould be even much the worse for it, that refufe to be bettered by it. It is an old maxim, that Corruptio optimi eft peffima: the best things being fpoiled, do prove to be the very worst: and accordingly, nothing lefs is to be looked for, than that degenerate Chriftians fhould be the vileft of all perfons. And it is alfo certain, that the best things, when abused, do ordinarily ferve to the worst purposes; of which there may be given innumerable inftances. And fo it is, in this prefent case. St. Paul told the Corinthians, that he and the other apoftles were a a favour of death unto death, as well as of life unto life (b). And our Saviour gave the Pharifees to understand, That for judgment he was come into the world; that thofe that fee not, might fee; and that those that fee, might be made blind (c); that is, That it would be a certain confequent of his coming, not only that poor ignorant creatures should be turned from darkness to light, but also that those which have the light, and fhut their eyes against it, thould be judicially blinded. And the forementioned Apoftie, in the first Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, faith of those that held the truth in unrighteousness, that would not fuffer it to have any good effect upon them through their close adhering to their filthy lufts, that God gave them up to the most unnatural villainies, permitted them to commit them by with-holding all restraints from them; and likewise gave them over is vev ddézipov, to a reprobate mind, So that, from the juft judgment of God it is, I fay, to be expected, that depraved Chriftians fhould be the most wicked of all people: and therefore it is fo far from being matter of wonder, that thofe that will not be converted by the Gospel, fhould be fo many of them very horribly prophane; that that it is rather fo, that all thofe which, having for any confiderable time lived under the preaching of it, continue difobedient to it, fhould not be fuch. In the pureft ages of the church, were degenerated Chriftians made in this kind moft fearful examples of the divine vengeance: And fo utterly forfaken of God, that they became, (if we may believe Irenæus, Tertullian, and others of the ancient Fathers) not one whit better than incarnate devils. Nor were there to be found in the whole world in those days, and but rarely fince, fuch abominable and most execrable wretches as they were. Í have fometimes admired that humane nature should be capable of fuch a monftrous depravation, as several stories recorded of them do fpeak them to have contracted; But,

3. Thirdly, If we muft needs judge of the efficacy of the Gospel for the making men holy, by its fuccefs herein; let us caft our eyes back upon the first ages of Chriftianity, and then we fhall find it an eafie matA a 4

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