what we ought to be. And the prefent ftate of things calls loudly upon us, to correct our mistakes, to fupply our deficiences, and do all we are able for the honour of God, and the happiness of mankind.

If we can be unconcerned now, we have neither piety nor common prudence in us. And if we are concerned in earnest, we shall be very defirous, both to avoid all wrong methods of fhewing it, and to make use of all right ones.

In

Complaining of our fuperiors for thofe evils, which perhaps they cannot prevent; or complaining of them with difrefpet, for what we may apprehend they could prevent, would both be undut.ful and imprudent conduct: would give our adverfaries joy, and do our cause harm. deed to beg earnestly of God, that he would direct the hearts of thofe, who prefide over the public welfare; and humbly to reprefent to them, on all fit occafions, the declining state of religion, the importance and the means of preferving it; these things are unquestionable duties. But then we must always approve ourfelves, at the fame time, conscientiously loyal both in word and deed; reafonable in our expectations; fincerely grateful for the protection, which we are affured of enjoying; and duly fenfible, that every thing of value to us, in this world, depends on the fupport of that government, under which we now live. We cannot be good men, if we are bad fubjects: and we are not wife men, if we permit ourselves to be fufpected of it.

A fecond proper caution is, That to speak unfavourably of liberty, religious or civil, instead of carefully distinguishing both from the many abuses of them, which we daily fee; or to encourage any other restraints on either, than public utility makes evidently needful; can only ferve to increase that jealoufy, which being in former ages grounded too well, hath been moft industriously heightened, when there never was fo little pretence of ground for it; that the claims of the clergy are hurtful to the rights of mankind. It concerns us greatly to remove fo dangerous a prejudice against us as this: not by renouncing those powers, which the Gospel hath given us; for we are bound to affert them: but by convincing the world, that they are perfectly innocent; and avoiding all appearance of afsuming what we have no right to: by fhewing our abhorrence of tyranny, especially over the confciences of men; and fatiffying them fully, if poffible, that we preach not ourselves, but Corift Fefus, the Lord; and ourselves, their fervants for his fake (b). Then, with refpect to the privileges, that we derive from human authority: as, on the one hand, receding from any of them without cause is only inviting fresh encroachments, and giving needlefs advantages to fuch as will be fure to lose none: so, on the other, ftraining them too far is the likelieft way to deftroy them all at once: and both our usefulness and our fecurity depend very much, on our appearing plainly to defire nothing inconfiftent with the common good; to have the trueft concern for all reasonable liberty, and to be zealous only againft licentiousness and confu

fion.

Thirdly, If we should be tempted to oppofe profaneness, by encouraging the oppofite extreme of fuperftition: this alfo would be unjuftifable in itself; would have bad effects upon as many as we might mif

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(b) 2 Cor. iv. 5.

lead;

lead; and give great opportunities to all that should fee them mifled, ei ther of accufing religion, or expofing us, as corrupters of religion. Not that we are to give up inconfiderately, whatever fome perfons are pleased to charge with fuperftition: for there would be no end of conceffions at that rate but only to avoid encouraging any thing, that can be justly charged with it; and then we fhall ftand upon fure ground. For nothing can be more unjuft, than thofe imputations of it, which our adverfaries are fo fond of throwing, fome upon Chriftianity itself, others on the doctrine and worship of that church, of which, through God's 'merciful Providence, we have the happiness to be members.

Another very pernicious error would be, if we should think to serve our cause by intemperate warmth in it. Chriftian zeal indeed is a duty, that never was more needful, and never lefs fhewn. But paffion will do no good. If expressed against those, who are indifferent about religion, it will turn them into enemies: if against the enemies of religion, it will make them yet more vehement enemies. Befides, the extravagant things, that men fay and attempt against us and our profeffion, are not always defigned injuries; but frequently the effects of mifrepresentations, and prejudices, that have imperceptibly taken hold on perfons, who otherwife mean tolerably well. Now mildness to fuch as thefe, is but justice and to all others, it is prudence. Railing is the province which our adverfaries have chosen: and let us leave it to them. For whatever fuccefs they may meet with that way, as indeed they excel in it, we fhall meet with none: but only make the fpirit of Chriftianity be misunderfood and ill fpoken of, by our own want of it. Therefore, how injuriously foever we may be treated, let us return neither injurious nor harsh treatment for it: nor endeavour to mark out those persons for objects of popular hatred, who are ever fo unwearied in labouring to make us fo. Yet, at the fame time we must never court irreligious men by wrong compliances; never contribute to increase their power of doing harm; never defert our duty, either for fear of them, or favour from them. But then let us defend both religion and ourfelves, with that fairnefs and decency, as well as courage, which becomes our function: acknowledge ingenuously whatever can be alledged against us with truth, only claiming equitable allowances; and where charges are untrue, yet ufe mild expoftulations, not reproaches; and try to fhame our opposers by the reasonablenefs of what we fay, rather than exafperate them by the vehemence of it. They indeed have little caufe either to complain or to triumph, if under fuch grofs provocations as they give, our temper fometimes fails: but we have great caufe to do our utmoft, that it fail not.

And if undue feverity of fpeech muft be forborn towards profeffed enemies; much more to thofe, who may, for aught we know, defign themfelves for friends. Indeed, when it is evident, that men only put on a pretence of wishing well to Chriftianity, or the teachers of it; and, whilft they affect to charge us with uncharitablenefs for questioning their fincerity, would defpife us for believing them: there we must be allowed to fee what plainly appears; and to fpeak of them, both as adverfaries, and unfair ones. Or when doctrines, whatever the intention of propagating them be, are inconfiftent either with the whole or any part of our religion; it is no uncharitablenefs, but our duty, to lay open the falfhood

2

in

falfhood and the danger of them. Nay, fuppofing only the legal establishment of religion, or fome branch of it be attacked; yet the attempt. may both be injurious enough to us, and detrimental enough to the public, to deserve a vigorous oppofition. But to fhew paffion and bitterness any of these cases; to take pleasure in making men's mistakes or defigns thought worse than they are; to judge harfhly of them with respect to another world, or expofe them to ill ufage in this; to refuse them due allowances for human infirmity, or be more backward to own their merits, than to fee their faults: fuch behaviour, instead of promoting truth, will prejudice the world againft it; will give unbelievers dreadful advantages, and for ever prevent that union amongst Christians, which would procure us, above all things, the esteem of men, and the bleffing of God.

From these improper methods of fupporting religion, let us now proceed to the proper ones. And they will naturally fall under the general

heads of our instructions and our lives.

Giving instructions requires knowledge. And therefore, as a competent degree of it is justly expected of perfons, before they enter into holy orders: fo, when they enter, the care of making a continual progrefs in it is folemnly promifed by them, and covenanted for with them. What may be a very good beginning, is by no means a fufficient stock to go on with; and even that will leffen, if no pains be taken to increase it. Continued application then is a duty of importance. Perfons of lower abilities and attainments are in danger, without it, of being useless and defpifed: and they, who fet out with greater advantages, are bound to endeavour at doing, in proportion, greater fervices to the church of God. Without exception therefore, all who are engaged in so serious an employment as ours, if they have any regard either to their duty or their character, must take care, not to be more remarkable for their diverfions, than their ftudies; nor indolently to trifle their time away, instead of employing it to good purposes. And though moft parts of learning will be ufeful to us, and all parts ornamental; yet we must be sure to remember, what we have been folemnly admonished of, that no attention to any thing elfe, ought ever to draw us away from the pursuit of fuch knowledge, as is properly theological. For to excel in other things, and be deficient in that, cannot but caft a grievous reflection; either on us, for not studying what we profefs; or on our profeffion, as having little in it worth ftudying. Our principal bufinefs therefore muft be, to obtain a thorough acquaintance with the Chriftian faith: first the grounds, then the doctrines of it. And the previous qualifications for attempting this are, a due knowledge of the rules of right reasoning, and of the moral and religious truths which nature teaches; of the state of the world in its earlier ages, and in that when Chriftianity firft appeared. These preparations being made, the great thing requifite in the next place is a diligent fearch into the holy Scripture. For there it is, that both the authentic system of our belief, and the chief evidence for it, are exhibited to our view. Scripture therefore, above all things, the Infidel endeavours to ridicule; the miftaken Chriftian, to wreft in fupport of his errors: and if we defire, either to confute them, or to fatisfy ourselves; our only way muft be, to understand it well. For

43

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which

which end it is quite neceflary, that we make the original language, at leaft of the New Teftament, familiar to us and were that of the Old more commonly ftudied, the advantages would be very confiderable.

In order to fee clearly, on what ground our belief ftands; together with the facred volumes themfelves, the writings of such learned perfons, as have proved their authority, and vindicated their accounts of things, must be carefully read; and attentively compared with those objections against them, which have been revived of late, dreffed up with fo much art, and spread abroad with fo much diligence. For in our prefent circumstances, we are always liable to be attacked: and confider, what an unhappy triumph it would afford, fhould we be found unprovided of a rational defence. It is very true, the general evidence, which we have for our faith, is abundantly fufficient of itself, to overbalance many difficulties concerning it, and ever fo many cavils against it. But yet our being unqualified to give more particular anfwers, where they can be given; as indeed there are few cafes, where they cannot; may often prove a great reproach to us, and a great ftumbling-block to others.

Next to the grounds of religion, the doctrines of it, especially the more important and difputed ones, ought to be ftudied, with fuch diligence and impartiality, as may beft difcover to us the nature of every opinion, and the force of every argument: that fo we may neither load Christianity with what doth not belong to it: nor betray, inftead of defending it, by giving up what doth; but faithfully keep that which is com mitted to our trust (c), both entire and unmixed. To fecure this great end, we must ever adhere ftrictly to the word of God, fairly interpreted by the help of all fuch means as Providence hath given us and carefully avoid, on the one hand, fondness of novelty; and on the other, overgreat reverence of antiquity, efpecially fuch as comes fhort of the earlieft. But against the former of thefe, it is peculiarly needful to caution the rifing generation; whom the rafhness of youth, and the petulant fpirit of the prefent age, too often hurries into a ftrange vehemence for any imagination, which they have happened to take up; and prompts them to fly out against established doctrines, without having always the patience even to understand them. Such therefore fhould be exhorted to learn a proper degree, both of filence and suspense, till cooler thought, and farther inquiry, make them fitter judges of things. But belides those controverfies, to which this caution chiefly relates; that between the Papifts and us deferves at prefent to be well ftudied, by fuch of you, as live in the neighbourhood of any. For feldom have they fhewn more zeal or more artifice than of late, in their attempts of making profelytes. And therefore it is of great confequence, that we provide ourselves against them, with a fufficient knowledge of their real doctrines, their most specious pleas, and the proper anfwers to them. Another fubject, with which we are concerned to be well acquainted, is what relates to the government and worship, difcipline and establishment of our own church. Different parts of our ecclefiaftical conftitution are frequently cenfured, by different forts of perfons, with very different views though indeed

(1 Tim. vi. 20,

the

the most oppofite of them have appeared, for fome time, unaccountably difpofed to unite against us; and believers to join with Infidels in ufing their Chriftian brethren ill. It may therefore be of great ufe, to inform ourselves diligently concerning every thing of this nature, which is fpoken of to our prejudice; and be always ready to fhew the genuine ftate of the cafe, with mildnefs and fairnefs. But no controverfies, however needful, must be suffered to divert our attention from what is of all things the most needful, the ftudy of practical religion, and of the common duties of life. These are the things, which mankind are most apt to fail in, and most concerned not to fail in and therefore spending much time upon them, obtaining a thorough infight into them, and having a deep fense of them, is the very foundation of doing good, both to others and to our own fouls.

A competent provifion of knowledge being fuppofed, the next thing is communicating it to those who are under our care, in fuch manner as their circumstances require.

The proofs of religion, both natural and revealed, all men fhould be taught, and especially at prefent, in the most intelligible and convincing manner. As for the objections against either: fuch as it may be fuppofed they have thought or heard of, should be diftinctly answered; but the reft obviated only, as occafion offers. For to enter into them farther, would be mifpending time. Next to the truth of religion, they fhould have its importance laid before them. The neceffity of a moral life moft men will own in general terms: only what they are pleafed to call so, is often a very immoral one, both with respect to their fellowcreatures, and the government of themfelves. But regard to piety is ftrangely loft, even amongst perfons, that are otherwife tolerably ferious. Many have laid afide all appearances of it: and others, who would seem to keep them up, do it with evident marks of indifference and contempt. It should therefore be induftriously fhewn and inculcated, that an inward sense of love and duty to God, founded on juft conceptions of him, and expreffing itself in frequent acts of worship, conftant obedience and refignation to him, is in truth the first and great commandment (d), the principal and most important of moral obligations. But then, befides thofe inftances of piety, which reafon requires of us, there are others, founded on relations equally real, and confequently deferving equal regard, enjoined by revelation. The utmost care therefore ought to be ufed, confidering the prefent difpofition of the world, to convince men of what moment the doctrines and duties of the Gospel are. reason fufficient for nothing in religion, is to overturn every thing. But to infift on its infufficiency for many moft valuable purposes, which revelation is fully fufficient for, and on the neceffity of obferving whatever God hath thought fit to command, this is doing but common juftice, though a very feasonable piece of juftice, to the doctrine of our bleffed Saviour, and the authority of our Maker.

To make

When once men are brought to understand the value of Chriftianity, the next thing is, to give them a proportionable folicitude for it: to make them obferve, how vifibly the belief and practice of it decay, and how dreadful the confequences must be and are; to fhew them, that re

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(d) Matth. xxii. 38,

ligion