we find those Christians, who live in the habitual neglect of the means of grace. I have heard people who never were at the altar, and perhaps never intended it, comforting themselves with this consideration, that they never did any harm to any body: when they should rather have asked themselves, what good they ever did to themselves, or to any body else, for the love of God? Without which, all the virtues of man are nothing; and if he places any dependence upon them, they are worse than nothing. If a man is to be saved by the Christian religion, he must be a Christian in his life: but simple morality is not Christianity: it has neither faith, hope, charity, prayer, fasting, nor alms, which are the duties of the Christian life. If we mean to serve God, we must serve him in his Church, and conform to its ordinances. If we do good to our neighbours, we must do it on a principal of faith; and a cup of cold water given on this principle, is of more value in the sight of God, than all the treasures of the Indies, if they are distributed from the proud heart of unbelief: and he is certainly in unbelief, who doth not direct himself by the rules, and act upon the principles, which God hath delivered to the Church.

Nearly related to the sufficiency of moral vir

tue,

tue, is the principle of sincerity, which was set up in the last age, as sufficient of itself to justify man in the sight of God, independent of the authority and benefits of his Church: so that if a man be not a hypocrite, it matters not what religion he is of. If sincerity, as such, independent of any particular way of worship, can recommend man to the favour of God, then there can be no difference as to merit between a sincere martyr, and a sincere persecutor: and he that burns a Christian, if he be but in earnest, hath the same title to God's favour, as he that is burnt for believing in Jesus Christ. This position, (in the sense of it) absurd and monstrous as it must appear, was the support of a controversy in this kingdom, in which a Bishop led the way*, and was followed and ap

plauded

* Thus did the famous Bishop Hoadley comfort all the Sectaries and Enthusiasts of his time: "When you are secure of your integrity before God-this will lead you not to be afraid of the terrors of men, or the vain words of regular and uninterrupted succession, authoritative benedictions, excommunications-nullity or validity of ordinances to the people on account of niceties and trifles, or any other the like dreams." I can venture to say, there never was a cause more effectually battled and exposed upon earth, than this of Bishop Hoadley, against the Church, and Church Communion, in the Two Letters and the Reply of Mr. William Law, which every Clergyman of the Church of England

ought

plauded by all the libertines and loose thinkers of the nation, who foresaw that the argument would end in the dissolution of the Church as a society: and therefore they made him a thousand compliments.

If we consider how the mind of man is influenced by custom and education, and that his conscience and self-approbation will be according to his principles; then we shall see that sincerity, if admitted, would sanctify all the wickedness under Heaven. St. Paul, as a zealous Jew, verily thought (that is, he was sincerely of opinion) that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth; so he persecuted the Christians furiously, and breathed out threatenings and slaughter. Now as he had a good meaning in all he did, to what end was he converted, when his sincerity would have saved him in his former way? After his mind was better enlightened, he pronounced himself to have been the greatest of sinners, for what he had done in the sincerity of his heart.

Thus it would be in all other cases; he that acts sincerely upon bad principles, must be a

bad

ought to read, that he may know what ground he stands upon, and against what enemies he may be called forth to maintain it.

bad man; a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit: and, not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. Upon the whole, he that will be saved, must be saved in the way which God hath appointed, and not in any way of his own Wę shall be judged at last according to God's word, not according to any persuasions we may have taken up, through the prejudices of education, or the perverseness of our own hearts; all of which are indeed no better than dreams, having no foundation but on that loose bottom of human imagination, on which are built all the visions of the night, and all the heresies in the world.

If these doctrines of absolute election, immediate inspiration, the sufficiency of moral virtue, and justification from sincerity, were true; it would follow, that God is unwise, inconsistent, and improvident. For if he appoints a visible Church and its ordinances, as necessary to make us members of the kingdom of Heaven; and if he began the way of salvation by adding to the Church such as were to be saved; and yet, with all this, has another private way of saving men, by a secret decree which has no regard to any outward means; he is inconsistent in ordaining them. And also, as the doctrine of immediate Inspiration,

VOL. IV.

G G

Inspiration, or new Revelation, without any signs or credentials from Heaven, opens a way to every possible delusion of the mind, either from its own vain conceits, or the suggestions of evil spirits; God must be improvident, in not securing us against such dangerous impositions, which may introduce all kinds of wickedness into the world, under the sanction of a divine authority an impostor having nothing to do, but to persuade himself, as any madman may do, that he acts by immediate inspiration. With this persuasion, men have butchered one another to make bloody baptisms; have set themselves up as kings and rulers of the new Jerusalem; have taken plurality of wives, and blasphemously personated God himself*. All the disorders of the last century were committed by fanatics, who assumed a privilege of seeking the Lord, and consulting, and receiving answers from him; while their minds were bent upon the most horrible crimes of rebellion, robbery, sacrilege, persecution, and murder.

Then as to moral virtue, if that can save those who are not added to the Church, it must follow, that man never was lost, and that Christ

need

* See Ross's View of all Religions; particularly the ac count of the Anabaptists of Germany.