and he was able to beftow what measure he pleafed, both of spiritual gifts and graces, upon others. He meant however by this benediction to confer only the ordinary ones: for the extraordinary, you know, were referved till after his afcenfion. Far be it from the Bifhops of his church to claim, even in refpect of the former, the powers which he had. But ftill these words in our mouths, when spoken over you, properly express, in the first place, the communication of that authority, which proceeds from the Holy Ghoft. For we read, that the Holy Ghoft faid, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work, wherunto I have called them (u): and that the latter of thefe exhorted the elders of the church of Ephefus, Take heed to the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overfeers (w). They alfo exprefs, in the second place, our earnest request to the Father of Mercies, that you may at all times enjoy fuch proportions, both of the graces and gifts of the Spirit, as will be needful for you: which request, if it be not your own fault, will prove effectual; because having, in the common courfe of his Providence, appointed us, though unworthy, to act in this behalf, he will affuredly be ready to own and bless our minis trations. It follows very foon: whofe fins thou doft forgive, they are forgiven; and whofe fins thou doft retain, they are retained. Thefe again are the words of Chrift to his Apoftles, immediately after the former. But he did not grant to them the power, either of retaining the fins of penitent perfons, or of forgiving the impenitent. Nor do we pretend to grant, by uttering them, all the powers, which the Apostles had in this refpect. They had the difcernment of fpirits (x): and could fay with certainty, when perfons were penitent, and confequently forgiven, and when not (y). They were able alfo to inflict miraculous punifhments on offenders; and to remove, on their repentance, the punishments, which had been inflicted. These words will convey nothing of all this to you. But ftill, when we use them, they give you, first, an affurance, that according to the terms of that Gofpel, which you are to preach, men fhall be pardoned or condemned: fecondly, a right of inflicting ecclefiaftical cenfures for a fhorter or longer time, and of taking them off; which, in regard to external communion, is retaining or forgiving offences. This power, being beftowed for the edification of the church, must be reftrained, not only by general rules of order, but according to the particular exigencies of circumftances. And our church wifhes, with much reason, for circumftances more favourable to the exertion of it (z). But how little foever exerted, the power is inherent in the office of priesthood. And though we are no more infallible in our proceeding and fentences, than temporal judges are in theirs; yet our acts, as well as theirs, are to be respected, as done by competent authority. And if they are done on good grounds alfo, whatever we shall bind or loofe on earth, will be bound or loofed in heaven (a). Nor will other proofs of repentance be fufficient in the fight of God, if fubmiffion to the difcipline of the church of Chrift, when it hath been offended, and requires due fatisfaction, be obftinately refused, either from haughtiness or negligence. (u) Acts xiii. 2. (y) Acts viii. 21, 23. VOL. VI. To (x) 1 Cor. xii. 10. (z) Office of Commination. (a) Matth. xviii. 18, (w) Acts xx. 28. H To thefe words is fubjoined the concluding charge: and be thou a faithful difpenfer of the word of God, and of his holy facraments. This then is the stewardship committed to you. And you cannot but fee, in what a profane and corrupt age it is committed to you: how grievously religion, and its minifters,, are hated or defpifed; how lamentably both they, and its other profeffors, are degenerated and divided. Your business will be, each within the fphere of his influence, to prevent thefe things from growing worfe; which, bad as they are, they ftill may; and, if poffible, to make them better; or at least, to recover or preserve fuch, as you can, from the general depravity. But you will never fucceed in your attempts for this purpose, either by bitterness against Infidels, Heretics and fectaries, or by contempt and ridicule of enthufiaftic or fuperftitious perfons. The only right method is a very different one: diligent study, to fit yourselves more completely for teaching and vindicating the truths of Chriftianity: Scriptural and rational inftruction, affiduoufly given, with zeal and mildnets duly tempered, and fuited to the capacities and condition of your hearers: a willing and devout and affecting performance of all facred rites, whether in the church or elsewhere: but above all, a behaviour, innocent, humble, peaceable, difinterested, beneficent, abftemicus, difcreet, religious. Take heed therefore to your fteps: and walk in the prefent evil days with fuch piety and caution, that, as the office exhorts, you may neither offend, nor be occafion that others offend; but may cut off occafion from them which defire occafion (b) against you; that they who are of the contrary part, and falfely accufe your good converfation in Chrift, may be ashamed (c) of themfelves; or however, that your Mafter and Judge may not be ashamed of you (d) at the great day, but pronounce over each of you, Well done, good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord (e). (b) 2 Cor. xi. 12. (d) Mark viii. 38. Luke ix. 26. (c) Tit. ii. 8. 1 Pet. iii. 16. (e) Matth. xxv. 21, A TREATISE W PREFACE. E have reason to wonder at the great corruptions that at present are to be found among Christians. The religion they profefs, does chiefly tend to fanctify men, and to purge the world from corruption and vice; and one would think it should produce that effect, fince it affords fuch a clear light, fuch powerful motives, and such effectual helps to holiness. Notwithstanding all this, whoever enquires into the notions and manners of Chriftians, must have no great share of fincerity or judgment; if he does not acknowledge, that religion has but little influence, upon their minds, and that there is an amazing contradiction between their lives and the rules of Chriftianity. This corrup H 2 tion tion is fo evident and fo generally confeffed, that I need not ftand to prove it. Taking it then for granted, that Chriftians live in a great neglect of their duties; it is natural to enquire into the Caufes of this corruption, and to confider what remedies fhould be applied to it. This is what I intend to do in this Treatife, in hopes that fuch an enquiry will not be altogether unufeful. For firft, it may contribute to maintain the honour, and the truth of the Chriftian religion, and to confute infidels and libertines, who are apt to defpife it, because it's precepts are little practifed. If religion, fay they, be true and divine, How comes it to pafs, that it has fo little efficacy, and that there appears fo much diforder and licentioufnefs among the profeffors of it? To undeceive fuch men, and to infuse into them a greater refpect for religion, it is of very great importance to discover the caufes of the decay of piety; and to thew, that if men are corrupted, it is not becaufe Chrift's religion is infufficient to introduce virtue and order into the world; but that this c lows from fome other caufe, and that if Christians did what they might and ought to do, true piety would not be fo uncommon as it is amongst them. ་་ A fecond advantage which may be reaped from this enquiry; is this; it will appear by it, that how great foever the corruption may be; it is not however, as many imagine, paft remedy. Which imagination, is a moft dangerous prejudice; while men look on it as impoffible to stem the tide of corruption, and to re-establish order and purity of manners in the world; they do not fo much as attempt it, they let things go on at the same rate; and fo the diforder increases and spreads farther. It cannot be denied, but that the corruption is great, general and inveterate; but God forbid, we should look upon it as an incurable disease. The fountains of it may eafily be difcovered; and it is not impoffible to ftop them. I hope this will be acknowledged by thofe, who fhall attentively, and without prepoffeffion confider, what is propofed in this work. Thirdly, There is no means more likely to remove this corruption, than to cut off the occafions of it: that is the fureft as well as the most compendious method. One of the main reafons, why fo many excellent books defigned to infpire men with a love of religion and piety, have not all the effect that might be expected from them; is, that the authors do not fufficiently obferve the general caufes of the depravation of manners. It is to little purpose to deplore the corruption of the age, to exhort men, and to give them fine leffons of morality: the work of reformation cannot be much advanced, as long as the evil is not taken in its caufe, and as long as fuch principles and abuses continue among Chriftians, as are, and will always be, obftacles to the progress of the Gospel. Lastly, I confidered that this matter had not yet been thoroughly handled by any author, at least that I know of. Of those who have touched upon it in their books; fome have confined themselves to confiderations purely moral, and others to theological reflections, upon the errors which are in vogue, or upon the controverfies which divide Chrif, tians; but they have omitted many things which feem effential; no doubt, doubt, because they did not intend to treat this subject purpofely, or becaufe they did not take a view of the whole extent of it. fo As thefe confiderations have made me wifh for a long while that among many able men who write about religion, fome might undertake fo important a fubject; fo they have determined me to publifh thefe Effays upon the Caufes of Corruption; hoping that others will apply themfelves to the full difcuffion of thofe matters, which are here but imperfectly hinted at. But that the scope of this Treatife may be the better understood; and that no body may expect that in it, which according to the fcheme I formed to myfelf, ought not to have a place here; I fhall acquaint the Reader with one thing, which he may perhaps have foreseen, from what has been already said. I do not propofe to myself to handle this matter in the way of the divinity fchools. No man therefore ought to wonder, if I fay nothing of the ftate in which all men are born; nor of that inclination to vice which is obferved in them. For tho' this is the first original of corruption; yet certainly this corruption would be much lefs, if Chriftians did ufe the means which God affords them, to overcome it; and if there were not other fources which feed and strengthen that vitious propenfity. Befides, I do not confider corruption in general, as it is common to all mankind, but I enquire into the Caufes of the Corruption of Chriftians in particular. Neither do I defign to write a moral treatife; fo that it must not be expected, that I fhould difcourfe of felf-love and pride, and of all the other paffions, which are the ordinary occafions of men's fins; or that I fhould trace out all the particular caufes of every fin. This would carry me too far; and fuch things have been often examined. I therefore apply myfelf only to the general Caufes; and I manage the matter thus. I divide this Work into two parts, because the Caufes of Corruption may be of two forts. I fhall call those of the first fort, particular or internal; because they are within us, and to be found in every particular man that lives ill. Thofe of the fecond fort, which are more general, I name external, because they proceed rather from certain outward circumftances, and from the unhappiness of the times; than from the fault of particular perfons. The Caufes I fhall treat of in the First Part, are no other, but the ill difpofitions in which moft Chriftians are, and which hinder their applying themselves to piety: and of thefe I fhall obfervé nine. I. Ignorance. II. Prejudices and falfe Notions con- II. The Want of Difcipline. V. A falfe Modefty. VI. The delaying Repentance. VIII. Worldly Bufiefs. the IV. V. Education. H 3 I declare |