But though this be very unhappy, that fo excellent a reformation, founded upon the freeft principles of inquiry, common to all that had fouls to fave, fhould fo miferably degenerate into formality and ignorance, implicit faith and blind obedience; yet that part of our history is most lamentable to me, where we find the "Noble Bereans," the diligent inquirers, people that defire to "prove all things," that they may "hold "faft that which is good; fuch as would fee with their own eyes, and that dare not transfer the right of examination of points that fo nearly concern their immortal fouls to any mortal man; but who defire to make their faith and religion, the faith and religion of their confcience and judgment, that on which they dare depend, and reft their eternal happiness in the day of judgment; that thefe, I fay, fhould, instead of being cherished, be therefore expofed to the displeasure of the clergy, the scorn of the rude multitude, and the profecution of the civil magiftrate, has fomething in it, I confefs, that is harsh and anxious to remember; and I only do it for this purpose, that it may put us in mind of our great declenfion from primitive Proteftancy, and how much human authority has crept into the affairs of religion, fince that time of the day, when we made it a prime article of our Proteftant creed to reject and renounce it.

And that you may yet see yourselves fhort of your own pretences, if not contrary to your express principles, and how much you have narrowed yourselves from the use of your firft principle; let us fuppofe a Turk is convinced, that Chrift is that, which he believed Mahomet to be, the "Greatest of all prophets;' that Mahomet was an impoftor; that Jefus is the only Saviour and Mediator; but, being catechistically taught the two natures in one perfon, the hypoftatical union, in fine, the Athanafian creed, and other articles of faith, or rites of your church, not fo clearly expreffed in fcripture, nor easily apprehended or affented to; will not this poor creature be looked upon either as infidel or heretick, and deprived of all fhare in Chrift or Chriftian

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Christian fellowship, because his weakness, or underftanding, will not allow him to come up to the full inventory of articles believed and impofed by you? Certainly you must either be partial, and give him that liberty you deny to perfons of equal tendernefs; or elfe you must, after your prefent ftraitness, conclude him infidel or heretick, though he believe One God, • Chrift to be the only mediator, the gift of the spirit, the neceffity of holiness, communion and charity." But I would befeech you that we may confider if this bears any proportion with the wisdom and love of God, in fending Chrift into the world to fave you and

me?

"

The apostle "became all unto all, to win some;" but this is becoming all unto none, to force all :" he thereby recommends the utmost condefcenfion that can be lawful; but this use of human authority seems to make it unlawful to condefcend: as if faith per force were better than love; and conformity, however it be come at, than Chriftian condefcenfion.

The bleffed apoftle had his eye to the good intention and fober life of the weak, and used an holy fort of guile to catch them: he feems as if he diffembled the knowledge of thofe averfe opinions which they held, or the neceffity of their embracing thofe doctrines, which, as yet, they might not believe. He fell not to debate and canvafs points in difference between them; which, instead of union, would have inflamed the difference, and raised contention: no, no," he became all unto "all;" that is, he stooped to all capacities, and humbled himself to thofe degrees of knowledge that men had, and valued that which was good in all; and with this sweetness he practifed upon them to their farther proficiency in the school of Chrift. These allurements were all his injunctions. Nay, in this cafe he makes it an injunction to use no other: "Let us therefore," fays he," as many as be perfect, be thus minded; and "if in any thing ye be otherwife minded, God shall re

• Phil. iii. 15.

veal even this unto you." Which is to fay, You fhall ⚫ not be impofed upon, ftigmatized, or excommuni⚫cated, for want of full fatisfaction, or because you do < not confent before conviction; for, "God fhall reveal it to you;" you shall see and know what you do, and to God you fhall owe your knowledge and conformity, and not to human authority and impofition: 'your faith fhall not be implicit, nor your obedience blind; the reason of your hope fhall be in you.'

Pray let us compare this with the language of our own times; where, because people cannot come up to the prescriptions of men, but plead the liberty of disfent, though with ever fo much fobriety and true tenderness of conscience, they are upbraided after this manner: Are you wiser than your fuperiors? Were ' our fore-fathers out of the way? Did nobody know the truth 'till you came? Are you abler than all our • ministers and bishops, and your mother the church? • Cannot it content you to believe as he believes? Is not this pride and prefumption in you, a defign to make and head fects and parties?' With the like en

tertainment.

Now this is that which you yourselves, at leaft in the perfons of your ancestors, have ftiled Popery; yea, Popery in the abstract; to wit, implicit faith and blind obedience: if fo, then, fay I, let us alfo have a care of Popery in Proteftant guife; for that Popery is likely to do us more injury that is leaft fufpected. I beg you, by the love of God and truth, and as you would lay a fure foundation of peace here, and eternal comfort to your own fouls, that you would confider the tendency of upbraiding and violently over-ruling the diffent of confcientious and peaceable people: for if you will rob me once of the liberty of my choice, the use of my understanding, the diftinction of my judgment, no religion comes amifs; indeed it leads to no religion. It was the faying of the old king to the then prince of Wales and our prefent king; Make the religion of your education the religion of your judgment:' which to me is of the nature of an appeal from his education

to his judgment, about the truth of his religion that he was educated in: and that religion which is too tender to be examined is unfound: "Prove all things, and "hold fast that which is good," lies as an impeachment against impofition, delivered upon record by the apostle Paul, in the name of the Holy Ghoft. It was the fame apoftle that commended the Bereans of old, for that they "diligently fearched the fcriptures,' whether those things, delivered by the apostles concerning the Meffiah, were true.

Nay, Chrift himself, to whom all power was given in heaven and in earth, fubmitted himfelf to the test: he did not require them to believe him, because he would be believed; he refers them to the witness that God bore to him: "If I bear witness of myself, my "witness is not true." He alfo fends them to the fcriptures; and pleads the truth of his authority from that of his doctrine and miracles: " If I had not done among them the works which none other man did." And, finally, challenges them to convince him but of one fin: "Which of you convinceth me of fin? And "if I fay the truth, why do ye not believe me?” He offers to reason the matter, and submit himself to the judgment of truth; and well he might, who was truth itself.

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But an impofing church bears witness of herself, and will be both party and judge: she requires affent without evidence, and faith without proof; therefore false. Christian religion ought to be carried on only by that way by which it was introduced, which was perfuafion: "If any man will be my difciple, let him take up his crofs, and follow me:" and this is the glory of it, that it does not destroy, but fairly conquer, the underStanding.

I am not unacquainted with the pretences of Romanifts to Abnegation, to a mortified and felf-denying life; and I do freely acknowledge, that the author of the "German Theology," Taulerus, Thomas à Kem

P John v. 31, 324, 37, 39., 9 John xv. 24.

[ John viii. 46.

pis, and other myfticks in that communion, have written excellent practical things; but there is fcarcely any thing of this violent Popery in those tracts: on the contrary, the very nature and tendency of them is diametrically oppofite to the compulsory spirit and conftitution of that church, and all others that practife impofition in religion, whatever name they walk under.

And as it is one great mark of the falfe church to pervert the right end of true doctrine, fo hath she excelled in the abuse of that excellent word felf-denial : for fhe hath translated it from life to understanding, from morals to faith: fubjugare intellectum in obfequium fidei, to fubject the understanding to the obedience of faith," is the perpetual burden of their fong, and conclufion of their conferences. But what is this faith? That which conquers the world, and purifies the heart? By no means: but it is to believe that the church of Rome is the true church, and the Pope Chrift's vicar, and the vifible bead of that church.

Thus that felf-denial, which relates to our wills and affections in a corrupt ftate, they apply to the use of our understanding about religion: as if it were the fame thing to deny that which we understand and know to be the will of God that we should deny, (which is the Christian self-denial) and to deny that very know ledge and understanding which is God's gift and our honour. Whereas religion and reafon are fo confiftent, that religion can neither be understood, nor maintained, without reafon. For if this must be laid aside, I am fo far from being infallibly affured of my falvation, that I am not capable of any measure or diftinction of good from evil, truth from falfhood. Why, I have no understanding; or, at least, not the ufe of any. All the disadvantage the Proteftant is under in this, is that of his greater modefty, and that he submits his belief to be tried, which the other refufes, under the pretence of unaccountable infallibility: to that authority reafon demurs; right reafon I mean; the REASON Of the first nine verfes of the first of John; for fo Tertul