difcord, animofity and confufion that have troubled this kingdom. And it feems to have been the great ftratagem of Satan, to prevent the fpreading of the

Glorious gofpel of falvation' in the world, by taking men off from the ferious purfuit of piety and charity, humility and holy living, peace and concord; and, under pretence of more raifed apprehenfions, and fublime knowledge of religion, to put them upon introducing curious and doubtful queftions, that have given occafion, first for contention, and that for perfeçution. This was no more uncondemned, than unforefeen of the apostle Paul, who exhorted his beloved fon Timothy, I Tim. vi. 3, 4, 5. "To avoid thofe "that doted about queftions;" thofe men that would be thought skilful, inquifitive fearchers after truth, fuch as love to exercife their faculties, and improve their talents but let us hear his judgment, "Of "which," fays he, "cometh ftrife, railing, furmifes, "perverse difputings of men of corrupt minds." And the truth is, none elfe love fuch difputings: they, who feek a daily victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, and prefs fervently after fellowship with God, and that confolation that enfues fuch an employment of their time, have very little to lofe upon contention about words. I could wifh I were able to fay, that vain controverfy were not our cafe! but this is not all, the apoftle does exprefly tell Timothy, that "if any man confent not to wholefome words, even "the words of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the doc"trine that is according to godlinefs, he is proud, "knowing nothing, but doting about queftions," &c. They were fuch as used " Philofophy, and vain "deceit," as he writes to the Coloffians, Col. ii. 8. "Beware," fays he, "left any man spoil you through "philofophy and vain deceit," (that is, draw them away from the fimplicity of the gofpel, and the wholesome words of Chrift) " after the traditions of "men, after the rudiments of the world, and not "after Chrift." He ufed no human wisdom, yet he fpake wisdom; but it was in a mystery; though to the

humble

humble disciples of Jefus nothing was plainer; but it was a mystery to the wife men of this world." And truly, they that are not unacquainted with the more degenerate ages of the Greek philofophers, how philofophy, once taken for the Love of virtue and selfdenial,' which they esteemed the trueft wisdom, and was begun by men of ordinary rank, but great example of life, became little elfe, than an art of wrangling upon a multitude of idle queftions,' and fo they entertained the apostle Paul at Athens, may very well guefs which way apoftacy entered among Christians; efpecially when we confider, that in the third and fourth centuries, the heathen-philofophers had the education of Chriftian youth, and that no man had any re putation among the Chriftian doctors, who was not well initiated in the philofophy, rhetorick, and poetry of the Gentiles. Which made for impurity of language, and laid a foundation for great feuds in the church: CHRIST and his doctrine must be proved by Ariftotle and his philofophy. Yes, Ariftotle muft explain SCRIPTURE, and by degrees methodize the loofe parts of it, and reduce them to formal propofitions and axioms; and by the help of fuch philofophers, the poor fishermen were taught to speak metaphyfically, and grew polite in the fenfe of Athens, who, to fay true, were neither guilty of using nor understanding it. But as the first rules of philofophy were few and plain, and confifted in virtuous living; fo the Chriftian religion was delivered with much brevity, yet much plainnefs; fuited to the capacity of the young, the ignorant, and the poor; to inform their understandings, fubdue their affections, and convert their fouls to God, as well as perfons of more age, knowledge, and ability.

And truly, when we confider the fmallness of the writings of the evangelifts, the shortness of Chrift's sermons, the fewness of the epiftles writ by the apof⚫tles, and the many and great volumes of commentators and criticks fince,' we may juftly fay, the text is almoft loft in the comment, and truth bid, ra•ther than revealed, in those heaps of fallible appre

henfions.*

<henfions.' Where, by the way, let me fay, that < the voluminoufness of the books is no fmall token of the unclearness of the writers; for the more evident, and better digefted any matter is, the more eafy and fbort it will be in expreffing.' But after the Christians had declined the fimplicity of their own religion, and grew curious and wanton, loving God above all, their neighbours as themselves, and keeping the plain commandments of Chrift, that relate to good life, became but ordinary and homely things:" their eafinefs rendered them contemptible: they gave but little pleasure to fpeculative minds; they had nothing in them above ordinary capacities; and it seemed hard that men of inquifitive and raised spirits, fhould fit down with the leffon of rufticks and peasants' philofophers did not do fo; and they would be like other nations. It was not enough now to know There was a GOD,' and that he was but One, juft and good, 'the observer of their actions, and the rewarder of 'their deeds, and that therefore they should serve ' him;' but they must be diftinctly informed of his nature, and all his attributes, his purposes and his decrees, and the suitableness of them all to the line and plummet of their understanding: So that God was to be, what their conclufions would allow him to be; 'that yet knew not themselves.' Nor did it fatisfy that there was a Chrift; that this Chrift was the Son of God; that God fo loved mankind, as, beholding them in a way of destruction, he sent his fon to proclaim pardon upon true repentance, and offered a general reconciliation to as many as received and embraced his teftimony; and that to that end he laid down his life a ranfom, rofe and afcended, and gave his good fpirit to lead his followers, after his example, in the way of truth and holiness: but they must search into the fe'cret of this relation; how, and after what manner, • he is the Son of God? His nature, power and perfon must be difcuffed: they will be fatisfied in this, before they can find in their hearts to believe in him.' Next, Whether he be the caufe, or the effect, of • God's

God's love? What was that price he paid, and ranfom he gave? And how he died for us? If properly and ftrictly, or tropically and elegantly, to fatisfy the justice of God? and whether God could, or could not, have faved man another way? If this mercy · were offered to all, or but fome? And whether acceptance and repentance be with the confent of the creature, or by an irrefiftible grace? What body he rofe and afcended with? And what bodies we fhall have in the resurrection, in nature, ftature, and proportion?' Laftly, What this spirit is, that comes from Chrift? If it comes from God alfo? Whether it be God, or an inferior minister? How it exifts? If a perfon, in what relation, degree, or dignity it ftands to the Father and Son?' With abundance more of this unreafonable ftrain, flowing from the curious, ungoverned, and reftlefs minds of men. No man would be used

>

by his fervant as they treat God. He must wait our leifure, before we will believe, receive, and obey him : his meffage is obfcure, we do not understand it; he muft gratify our curiofity; we desire to be better fatisfied with it before we believe or deliver it; it comes not presently up to mens understandings; it is too obfcurely expreffed; we will explain it, and deliver it with more caution, clearness and fuccefs, than it is delivered to us. Thus God's revelation hath been scan, ned, and his precepts examined, before licensed by his creature: man would be wifer than God; more wary than the Holy Ghoft. Our Lord, it fhould feem, understood not what kind of creature man was; he wanted his wifdom to admonish him of the danger; or haply he thought not upon that corruption, which fhould befall mankind in thefe latter ages of the world, which might require the abilities of men to supply the wants and defects left by the Holy Ghost, in the wording of the fcripture.-I wrong not this practice; I render it not more odious than it is: it is an inexcufable piece of prefumption, that which debafes the external teftimony of God, and draws men off from that which is eternal too. It introduces the traditions of men, in the room of God's records, and

fetteth

fetteth up their judgments and refults for the rule of Christian faith, and canons of Chrift's church. This is one of those things that made Rome fo hateful, and her yoke intolerable, to our predeceffors: pretended deductions from fcripture, put in the room of fcripture, with a fuperfedeas to all diffent upon ever so just a ground of diffatisfaction.

I beseech you, Proteftants, by the mercies of God, and love of Jefus Chrift, ratified to you in his most precious blood, Flee Rome at home:' look to the enemies of your own house! have a care of this prefumption; carry it not too high; lay not ftrefs, where God has laid none, neither use his royal ftamp to authorize your APPREHENSIONS in the name of his IN

STITUTIONS.

I do not fay, that men are never to express their minds upon any place of fcripture to edification: there is a Christian liberty, not to be denied; but never to lay down articles of faith, which ever ought to be in the very language of holy writ, to avoid temptation and ftrife. You see how the contrary method hath been the great make bait in all ages, and the impofition of fuch opinions the privilege of hypocrites, but the fnare of many honeft minds; to be fure the fad occafion of feuds and miferable divifions. It was plainly feen, that by the many difputes that rofe from hence, mens wits were confounded with their matters; truth was loft, and brotherhood was deftroyed. Thus the devil acted the part both of opponent and defendant, and managed the paffions of both parties to this end, which was difcord. And but too many were ready to persuade themselves, from the miscarriages on both fides, That 'nothing certain could be concluded about religion;' for it fo fell out, that whilft men were perpetually wrangling and brawling about fome one opinion of religion, the most important points of faith and lifewere little regarded, unity broken, amity destroyed, and those wounds made, that were never clofed but with the extinction of one party; not a Good Samaritan' being to be found to heal and close them.

Now