44y, If Chriftians have fome knowledge concerning the duties of morality; yet that knowledge is too general and fuperficial. They know perhaps in the main, that fome fins are to be avoided, and fome virtues to be practifed: but chat they only know confufedly, they content themselves with fome general ideas, which for the most part prove useless and infignificant. The defign of morality, is to regulate mens actions, in all the circumstances they may be in, and to teach them how they ought to behave themselves, in all the different cafes and emergencies of life. Now as thefe cafes and circumftances are infinitely various, it is neceffary that men fhould know their duty with fome exactness, and that they fhould have rules at hand applicable to all particular cafes, by the help of which they may difcern, what is lawful from what is not. For here fuperficial knowledge and general ideas, will not ferve the turn; because they do not determine particular cafes.

The principles of morality are clear, but it is requifite to make a juft application of them, and to draw right confequences from them. Every body acknowledges, that wrong is not to be done to any man, but few know what the doing of wrong is. There are innumerable ways of violating juftice in relation to our neighbours, or of getting money, which are finful; and yet thefe are made ufe of every day, and people think that there is no harm in them; and fo they are guilty of cheating, extortion and injustice, and they do not know it. Whence does this proceed but from ignorance, or from thofe general and fuperficial notions which I have mentioned? This is one of the reafons why fome books and difcourfes of piety produce fo little effect, they handle things only in the lump; they treat of virtues and vices, of temperance, of covetoufness and injuftice; they exhort and threaten; but they ufually go no further than generallities, and they feldom defcend to thofe particulars, which are fo neceflary to inform and direct the confcience.

5ly. Men are no lefs ignorant concerning the degrees, than they are concerning the parts of holinefs. Chriftians are not only obliged to the practice of many virtues; but they ought befides that to practice them in the most perfect manner. Our Saviour does not require in his difciples a mean and ordinary degree of holiness; but he calls them to perfection. He demands that they fhould carry virtue much farther, than either the heathens or the Jews did, that they fhould practice charity, even to the loving of their enemies, that they fhould be fo patient, as to think it their happiness to fuffer; fo humble as chearfully to bear contempt and injuftice; fo pure, as to banish all uncleannefs from their very thoughts; and fo of all the other virtues. But an infinite number of Chriftians, are ftrangers to these ideas of perfection. They never knew the extent of the duties of Chriftianity; they have neither tenderness of confcience, nor elevated fentiments about morality. They think they do much, if they obferve that which is moft fimple and eafie in every virtue; they confire themfelves to that, and aim at no other perfection; fo that fublime virtue and piety are not to be fought for amongst them.

6ly, Laftly mens ignorance docs not only appear in that they do not know their duty; but it does likewife difcover it felf in this, that they do not know themfelves. The knowledge of one's felf is a capital point in religion. For it is not enough to be informed of ones duty; every

hallow

one must know befides, whether he obferves it or not, whether he really has religion and piety; for upon this depends the judgment he is to make of himself, and of his own condition: now people are as much in the dark about this article, as about the others I have mentioned. The greateft part of men live without reflecting upon themselves, and in a prodigious unconcernednefs about their fpiritual ftate. They do not trouble themselves to inquire, whether they are of the number of good or bad men, whether they are in a ftate of grace, or of damnation or not. Or, if at any time they take this into confideration, they most commonly flatter themselves, by pronouncing too favourable a judgment upon their own condition. There are many who boldly rank themselves among good men; and yet are not able to give a folid reafon of that opinion they have conceived of their own probity and virtue; nay they are perhaps actually engaged in vice and impiety. If they are but free from noify and fcandalous fins, if they feel now and then fome good motions, if they have fome good qualities, or an inclination to fome virtues, or an abhorrence of fome vices; that is enough to fill them with a good opinion of themselves. Now when men are thus blinded by felf-love, and do not know themfelves; there is but little hope of them, and they will undoubtedly fall into a ftate of fecurity.

Thefe confiderations plainly fhew, if I am not miftaken, that men for the most part live in very great ignorance. But I think my felf bound to answer an objection, which may be offer'd against what has been faid. Some will think no doubt, that it is very difficult for men, to be fo well inftructed as I fuppofe they ought to be; and that the people are not capable of fuch an exact knowledge of morality.

To satisfie those who make this objection, and to clear this matter Fully I obferve firft; that by all I have faid, I do by no means pretend, that all Chriftians can, or ought to be equally inftructed. I know that there are degrees of knowledge, and that in morality, as well as in doctrines, divines and men of parts, go a great way beyond the bulk of mankind. It is fufficient for every one to be inftructed, according to his capacity and his condition. But after all, it must be granted, that the knowledge of the principles of morality, is neceffary to every body; or elfe we muft ftrike feveral precepts out of the Gofpel; unlefs that we imagine that thofe precepts, are intended only for à fmall number of learned and fubtil men; which is directly oppolite to our Saviour's words, who faid, that his doctrine is defigned for all mankind, for the little ones and the fimple, rather than for the wife and prudent. There is no Chrif tian but ought to be a fpiritual man and taught of God. When St. Paul fays, prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Whatsoever things are true, whatfoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatfoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praife think on these things. When St. Peter exhorts Chriftians. to add to their faith all Chriflian virties, to grow and abound in all thefe virtues; fuch exhortations do belong equally to all the profeffors of Chriftianity.

It must not be faid, that there are men in the world of

I 2

Matth. xi. 25. i Cor. x. John vi. 45. 1 Theff. v. 20.

very

dull and

fhallow

Phil. iv. 8. 2 Pet. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8.

fhallow capacities, and that country people and mechanicks cannot comprehend all these maxims of morality. This is not fo difficult as it is imagined, The duties of morality are clear, they presently affect a man, because they are confonant, to the common notices and fentiments of confcience. Chufe what part of morality you please, and you may with due endeavours, make either a handy-crafts-man, or a day-labourer apprehend it; fo you confine your felf to the knowledge and practice of thofe duties which are neceffary to fuch people in their feveral callings. Is there any thing more fubtil or difficult in the rules of morality, than there is in a hundred dexterities and fhifts, which are practifed in the affairs of this life; and which common people can attain too without any great pains? If therefore mens understandings are fo grofs and itupid in moral matters; it is not because these matters are above their reach; but because they were never taught them, or never applied themfelves to them. We ought not to judge of what men might be by what they are. The best ground becomes barren, when it is not cultivated, If things were well ordered among Chriftians, in relation efpecially to the inftruction of the people, and the education of children; the generality of them would not be fo ftupid and ignorant as they are. We may therefore conclude, That ignorance is one of the general Caufes of Corruption. Chriftians being ill informed of the truths and duties of their religion; and wanting inftruction both as to faith and manners, they muft needs live in a great neglect of religious matters.

It may be afked, Whence does this Ignorance proceed? I fhall obferve three principal Caufes of it. The firft is Education; the way in which children are bred up, does infallibly lead to Ignorance. The fecond is the want of means to get good inftruction, and particularly the defect of thofe inftructions which are delivered to Chriftians, in fermons, catechifins, and books. The third is the floth and carelesness of men, who will be at no pains to acquire neceffary knowledge. We might beftow very weighty confiderations upon every one of these three heads; but fince they will come again in our way, in the fequel of this Treatife, it is enough to have pointed at them in this place, as the three main fources of Ignorance. In truth, if men are ill educated, if they are deftitute of the neceflary means of inftruction, and take no care about it; whence should they have fufficient knowledge? unless they were inftructed by miracles, by revelations, and inspirations, they cannot but be ig norant and corrupt.

But now if Ignorance be the firft Caufe of Corruption; it is plain that the first remedy to be ufed against Corruption, is the removing that Ignorance. It is that we are to begin at, if we would bring back Chriftians, to a life worthy of the religion they profefs. Exhortations, cenfures, and all other fuch methods will fignifie nothing, as long as mens minds are not prepared by proper inftructions.

From all that has been faid in this chapter, it may be gathered, That the right way to inftruct men, is before all things to convince them of the truth of religion; and to make them fenfible that there is nothing more certain, or of greater confequence in the world, than the principles of Chriftianity. The belief of the General Truths, ought efpeially to be well fixed in their minds; as that there is a God, a Provi

dence,

dence, a judgment and another life. After this we muft proceed to the Particular Truths of the Gofpel, and as we go on in explaining them, we ought to fhew, what influence thofe truths have upon holiness and falvation.

But the most important thing of all, when thefe truths are fettled; is to fhew, that the bare knowledge of the Chriftian doctrines, is not able to make men happy; that the fcope of religion, is to make men truly good; and that without piety and good works there is no falvation.

It will not be fufficient to recommend fanctification in general, but the nature of it must befides be diftinctly explained; it must be fhewed which are the general and particular obligations of a Chriftian life, and what fins are contrary to thefe. And here those whose business it is to inftruct the people, ought to be as particular, as poffibly they can; fhewing upon each virtue and vice what the nature of it is, and what are the feveral characters, kinds, and degrees of it; and propofing likewise the motives which fhould difcourage men from thofe vices, and prompt them to the practice of the oppofite virtues; as alfo the directions which may facilitate the performance of all these duties. When teachers fhall go thus to work, they will foon perceive fome amendment; God's bleffing will accompany the use of thofe means which he has appointed. Chrif tians being rightly informed, will of their own accord apply themselves to virtue; Corruption will leffen by degrees; and Chriftianity recovering its ancient luftre, will begin to appear with another face than it does at this day.

CAUSE II.

Prejudices and falfe Notions concerning Religion.

**OW ignorant and corrupt foever men may be, they cannot H live abfolutely without religion; very few at least can go fo far. If they are hindered by their Corruption, to know and practife pure Chriftianity; yet a remnant of light and confcience within them, does not fuffer them to run themselves wholly into irreligion, and to lay afide all thoughts of falvation. But to reconcile thefe two principles, of which one draws them off from religion, and the other leads them to it; they form to themselves fuch ideas of religion, as are agreeable to their inclinations, and flatter their fecurity; and being poffeffed with those ideas, they confirm themselves more and more in their Corruption. These falfe Notions and Prejudices are worfe than Ignorance, and prove a greater obftacle to the reviving of virtue and piety. It is better to deal with men who are fimply ignorant, than with people who have wrong apprehenfions, and are full of prejudices. The former being not prepoffeffed, may more eafily be reclaimed; but it is much harder to prevail upon preingaged perfons, especially in point of religion; becaufe while they maintain their errors, they fancy they defend the truth, and that they

I 3

promote

promote the glory of God. Falfe Notions and Prejudices in Religion, are therefore one of thofe Caufes of Corruption, which it concerns us moft to take notice of. I fhall endeavour to point at the chief of them in this chapter.

I. The firft fhall name, is the opinion of thofe, who think that religion is intended only to comfort men, and to render them happy. And it is no wonder that men fhould commonly refolve all religion into this. The defire of happiness is natural to men; and as they are fenfible upon ferious confideration, that perfect happiness is not to be obtained in this world, if it were for no other reafon but that they muft die; they seek in religion fome confolation and remedy, against that fatal neceffity, of quitting all the pleasures and advantages of this prefent life. Indeed the fenfe of their Corruption fhould reftrain them from flattering themfelves with the hopes of falvation; but they rely upon the affurances of the Divine Mercy, which religion gives to men; and they perfuade themfelves, that their fins will not obftruct their felicity. This is properly the Notion which men entertain of Religion, and that which they think it is good for. But that religion fhould indifpenfably oblige men to fear God and to live well, and that without this, there is neither true religion, nor happinefs; is that which is not commonly believed.

There is no question but that the design of religion is to confort men, and to lead them to happinefs. This was God's purpofe in fending his Son to redeem the world. But this is not the only end of religion; it is intended befides for the glory of God and the fanctification of men; and it does properly confift in the fervice and obedience which are paid to God. Salvation is, a confequence of this fervice, and a gratuitous reward, which God is pleafed to bestow upon those, who honour and fear him. Nothing therefore is more abfurd than the conceit of thofe, who look only upon that fide of religion, which promifes comfort and falvation; and nothing is more dangerous or more apt to make men remifs and carelefs in their duty; yet this imagination is very common, and if I was to define religion, by the ordinary apprchenfions which men have of it, I would fay; that it is nothing elfe, but a mean to bring finners to heaven, and to make men eternally happy, whatfoever their courfe and manner of life may be.

II. But men would not fo eafily promife themfelves falvation, if they had not very mean and imperfect ideas of religion. Ifhall therefore obferve.

Secondly, That men commonly place Chriftianity, either in bare knowledge, or in an external profeffion, or in confidence. But holiness does not make a part of their Notion of Religion, or at best it makes but a very inconfiderable part of it.

It is not to be denied but that knowledge is effential to religion, and that as it holds the first rank in it, fo it is the foundation of it all. it is impoffible to engage men to holinefs, without laying firft in them Nay the foundation of good and found doctrine. This I have proved in the firft chapter of this Treatife. An outward and publick profefion is likewife effential to religion, for one cannot be a Chriftian without it. further, it is beyond all doubt, that religion infpires confidence, peace And and joy. The knowledge of Chrift, and of the falvation he has procur

u

ed