TH HE acceptance this addrefs has found with all forts of people, to whofe hands it has come, who value religion for the fake of piety, more than out of intereft or formality, hath brought it a fecond time to publick view. It was writ in the year 1679, as a Chriftian expedient for peace and fafety: but our animofities were then too great, to confider of the beft means to obtain them; which ftood, and does, and will ever ftand, in a thorough reformation of hearts and lives:' elfe God, that cannot lie, in the ways of his providence, will undoubtedly meet with us, as he has often done and yet will do, to our great confufion, if we do not fpeedily repent and forfake thofe courfes by which he is provoked against us. The defign of the author was that of Chriftianity, to mend the fpirits and lives of men, by fhewing the odioufnefs of fin, 'the vanity of self, and the beauty of virtue,' with the lamentable confequences that never fail to attend the one, and the advantages that always follow the other, wherefoever they are entertained, both to private perfons and governments, to church and state. In which, as he went to the bottom, and dealt plainly with every party, fo he did it without any animofity to their perfons; and fhews he laboured their reforma Note This Preface was firft put to a fecond edition of this book. tion, affectionately, truly and thoroughly, both by letting them fee the fnares they have fallen by, and how to get out of them. Three words may be faid to comprehend this whole treatise: VICE, PRESUMPTION, and VIOLENCE; for under them is comprised the matter he strikes at, from first to laft. They have their agreeable contraries, VIRTUE, HUMILITY, and CHARITY, if not UNITY, But we cannot come at them while the other stand in the way. He has expofed vice in its deformities, and pointed to us the inevitable and difmal effects of it, in those countries where it has prevailed: a feasonable and informing lecture for our own times; which he chiefly refers to the civil magiftrate, whofe duty therein he fhews and preffes, with the next and proper means to fupprefs it; to wit, by a due execution of our juft laws upon the prefent vicious livers, and a better education of our youth; that by preferving them from the infections of vice, the next generation at least may have some better pretence to virtue, He is very close, and perhaps sharp, upon prefumption in religion. This he detects likewife, and the many mischiefs it has done to Chriftian fellowship, and civil fociety too, by fetting up men's opinions for articles of faith, and ties of religious communion; mistaking the nature of true faith, and debafing morality, in its work and weight in religion; and fubjecting reason and truth to the refults of human authority: whereby it has happened, that people have not had the witnefs in themselves for what they have embraced, nor their own convictions to warrant their conformity or profesfion; but an ancestor, a minifter, their education, for the best reason and proof of their confeffion. And such as could not frame themselves to an eafy compliance, but fuffered inquiry to take place of authority, and would not allow an ipfe dixit, or a conftable's staff, for a fufficient resolution of their fcruples, have fuffered deeply in their perfons or eftates, Not Not that I would have church-fociety, or authority, to be defpifed; they that do fo, are much in the wrong let every thing have its due place and juft fhare; parents, education, church-power, &c. But let them have no more. Let God have his part, who is fovereign of the confcience, and to whom every knee muft bow and they that bow in point of religion, without the convictions of his fpirit, are rather idolaters than believers; to be fure they are merely formalifts, and guilty of that implicit faith and blind obedience, which at other times we make so great a fault, and a fufficient reafon of feparation. : ; Violence, which is the last word, and that takes up the last part of this difcourfe, to which the prefumption before expreffed naturally tends, is that coercive power, used by those who are the strongest party, to impofe their opinions and formalities upon the reft, at the hazard of their lives or estates that refufe to conform though they diffent out of pure confcience to God: the breaches, ruin and destruction that have followed upon penal laws for religion, as they rife from creed-making, and the impatience of men to bear diffent from their own opinions, are become the scandal of Chriftianity all over the world. Thefe two words, prefumption and violence, are more immediately referred to the clergy of all perfuafions, every-where; though their hearers are invited to examine themselves, how far they lie under the guilt hereof, or are touched with a difpofition to entertain the fpirit that leads to perfecution about religion. Nor does the author charge it upon every one of the clergy: but the faulty are reprehended, and the ignorant inftructed, and the guiltless commended and confirmed in their moderation. And what is faid of this kind of the clergy, may be yet as reasonably faid of the laity for though it is true that the civil officers that often prove the most violent executioners of penal laws for religion, are from among them; yet it is as true, that from among them alfo are found the moft temperate and merciful fpirits, that will least touch with cruelty, and are the most fenfible of the miseries of the perfecuted, and exprefs the greatest compaffion for them, and from whom, at laft, the best part of their relief comes. But to avoid comparisons, and do what we can to be wholly upon the healing and truly reforming hand, it is greatly to be wifhed that the practice of piety were the main end and scope of men, the fubject of their care and emulation; and that their hatred were to things, not to perfons; to fin, and not to finners. If we were as captious at our own actions, as we are at other people's faiths, we fhould live better lives, and they would live better by us: for fo holiness and peace would be promoted. O that we could but once be perfuaded to think of "working out our own "falvation!" It is not knowing, but doing, that recommends us to God, gives us peace, and fits us for heaven. That were the ready way to make our cc great calling and election fure." And what are we called to, but to holiness, to godlinefs, to purity? which makes us fit to fee God, and that fits us for heaven, "For without holinefs, no man," fays the apostle, "fhall fee the Lord." He did not fay without tongues, without philofophy, or without being an able difputant, a critick, a formalift, we should not fee the Lord; but without holiness: for it is the peculiar privilege of the "pure in heart, to fee God;" who is alfo of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; without "recompenfing it with tribulation and wrath. Let us then humble ourselves to his voice, bow to his will, and fet ourselves to love his law, and keep his commandments. We may remember who it was that faid, "I have seen an end of all perfection, but thy com"mandments are exceeding broad." There is a glory, a comfort, a treasure in them not to be equalled; but known only to thofe that do obferve them. For "Wisdom leads her children in the ways of righte"oufnefs, in the midst of the paths of judgment, and "causes them that love her to inherit fubftance, and "fhe fills their treasure." Riches and honour, and length of days are in her hands, and are the portion she often bestows upon her children: what, then, have we we to do, but to hearken to her voice, and turn at her reproof, that we may live? The fpirit of wifdom will be upon us; yea, the fpirit of God and of glory will reft upon us. An ornament, a dignity, above that of earthly crowns and diadems. There were hopes of us, if we were but religious in earneft; every one in his own way; not falfe, cold, and unfaithful to what we pretend. I mean not exteriors now, but the holy fear of God, which all profefs, and none truly have that live without an awful fenfe of his will and omniprefence. It is this that would teach us humility, and that would bring us to divine charity, till unity comes; which certainly would be very pleasant to God, very exemplary to the world, and honourable for religion, as well as comfortable for ourselves: for religion at heart would exercise our eyes more within than without, at home than abroad; and to conquer our fins and felves, would be a fatisfaction tranfcending that of victory over the arguments and perfons of our adverfaries. Have we faith? Let us add then to our faith, virtue, or it is good for nothing; and to our virtue, knowledge, that it may be the more useful; and to knowledge, temperance, that we may not be conceited; and to temperance, patience, left we faint by the way; and to patience godliness, that we may be devoutly religious; and to godlinefs, brotherly kindness, that our zeal do not over-run love and fellowship; and to brotherly kindness, charity, the top of all virtues and graces; without which, religion is a cypher, a bubble, an apparition at moft; no folid or valid thing. Charity is comprehenfive of all right love. It reaches to God, to our neighbour, and ourselves, both inwardly and outwardly: it reaches to heaven, as well as to the ends of the earth. It loves all, and acts towards all upon a principle of love; yea it is that love. "Charity," fays the apoftle, " fuffers long and "is kind: charity envieth not: charity vaunteth "not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself • Cor. xiii. 5, 6, 7, 8. "unfeemly, |