who wanted to impofe a yoke on confcience, and
who under pretext of meats and days were at-
tempting to join Mofes with Jefus Chrift, as if
chriftians were yet obliged to pbferve the ceremo-
nial law: then the apoftle has no patience with
then:;, but condemns and anathematifes them, as
people who preached another gofpel, and exhorts
the faithful to Jiand faji in the liberty, wherewith
Chrijl had made them free, and not to he entangled
again with the yoke of bondage. Gal. v. i. (4)

So

^rcn mourning for the capti- apt to flir people up plenti-

vity of their fathers ? fathers fully to relieve them, and

lamenting the poverty of carefully to avoid them : and

their children ? mothers dif- compared with the ftate of a

abled from watching over the criminal before God, en-

conduft pf their daughters, flaved by his vices, and in

daughters incapable of con- his laft moments abandoned

tributing to the fubfiftenceof by all to his miferies, how

their jn others ? Many ene- touching and ufeful the

mies to infult them, few, or fight? Flechier/erm. tom.n.

no friends to comfort them, ^atrieme Exh. pour Is prij.

yio charitable hands to re- (4) Remark different ccca-

Ijevethem! &c." fions. This rule regards what

The whole is amoft affed- our divines Z3\\ faming con^

jii£- piiture of Jail-jniferics, iradi^ions^ and is in general

ths



( iS3 )

So again, wlien you find in the gofpel, that
Jefus Chrift fometiines forbad his difciples to

publilh



the true conciliator of appa-
rent inconfiftencies, Sauria
has a fine fermon on the uni-
formity of God in his con-
duft; in which he proves to
a demonilration, — that God
is of one mind — that his de-
fign in revelation is uniform
—and that this uniformity
ofdelign neceffarily produced
a variety of difpenfation. S.
Paul had taken up this fine
notion of the deity, i Cor.
xii. and from him Saurin
took it.

1. This principle afi*ords
proof of the divinity of C/^r?/^
tianity in general, and of fe-
veral of its doclrines in parti-
cular. It is the only fyllem
of theology, that provides
for the felicity of man by
harmonizing all the perfec-
tions of God with all vifible
appearances in the world of
nature, In the vv^ays of pro-
vidence, and in the nature
and conditions of mankind.

2. This doftrine recon-
ciles feeming difFcrerces in

fcripture, by (hewing that on
different occafions it was pro-
per to fay and unfay, to al-
low and difallow, toeftabliflx
an ceconcmy, and to diflblve
it. Revelation contains a
record of the laws, by which
God's kingdom in various
circumftances has been go-
verned. In the patriarchal
ftate one fet of laws was ne-



cefTary— in the mofaical an-
other — and in the chriftian a .
third, different from both.
Samuel reafoned with the
jews on this principle con-
cerning the righteous a£ls of
the Lord to them and to their
fathers, i Sam. xii. 6, 15.
According to him, kings,
priells, prophets, ordinances,
eilablifliments, captivities, ail
were appointed for the pro-
ducing of moral reftitude,
or obedience, and, for the
produdion of this, different
treatment was necelTary on
different occafions.

3. The doftrines of mira-
cles, gifts, prophecies, ^>ijions,
extraordinary reuelations, and
fuch like, are all concerned
in this article ; for all thefe
were occafional benefits,
granted in fpecial cafes, and
not to be perpetuated in the
chriftian church.

4. Occafion is an article
of confequence in church-
difcipline. We do not ima-
gine, that the chrillian reli-
gion is alterable by us ; we
only fay, there are in church-
government certain obvious,
large outlines, and there is
a difcretionary power lodged
in chrillian focieties to f.U
them up. For example, 2
Chron. xxx. 18. A multitude
of the people had not cleanfed
themfel'ves, yet did they eat the
paJfo^^<er cth^vu-ife than nuas

written



( iS4 )

publifh tke miracles, that he wrought, and to
declare his divinity : and, at other times, that he
ordered them to publifh upon the houfe-tops what

they



tvoritten — Ezra x. lo, ii, 9.
E%ra the priejt Jiood up, and
all the congregation made co7i-
feffion in the Jlreet trembling
for the great rain — Mat. xii.
4. Danjid ate the Jhen.v-bread,
*which it nuas not laiuful to

eat Mat. x. 27. Gal. ii.

2. Speak in the light, preach
upon the houfe tops. I com-
municated the go/pel pri'vate'y
— Adts xvi. 33. The jailer,
and all his 'were baptized in
the night.

It lias been a queftion with
divines, whether if an ordi-
nance were lofi, baptifm
fuppofe, it could be revived,
and who fhould be the ad-
miniilrator ? Henry Law-
rence, efq; the reverend
Meffrs. Spilfbury, Tombes,
and others of our primitive
Englifh baptifts affirm, that
in fuch a cafe an unbaptized
perfon might warrantably
baptize, and fo begin a re-
formation. Ep. Burnet fays,
the fame queltion was de-
bated in the eftablifhed
church at the reformation ;
we are forry to add, ic was
too often debated on an old
popifh principle, right to ad-
minijler facratnents by an un-
interrupted fuccejjion. See
Crojhfs Bijl. ofBaptiJis, ■vol.
i. chap. 2.

5. Occafion is, as our au-
thor fhe\v£, a fourCe of in-



vention of arguments in
preaching. To obferve the
occafion of a text is often the
ealieft way to arrive at the
fenfe of it. The occafion of
the fermon is often the befl
guide in the choice of a fub-
jeft to fupply it. Fafts —
thankfgivings — commemora-
tions — ordinations — affocia-

tions farewells funerals

— Lord's fuppers church-
meetings — all require dif-
courfes fitted to occafions,
incidents, occurrences, &c.

There feem to me to be
four ideas in the complex
notion of a good controver-
fialift, in regard to a dexte-
rous, opportune ufc of the
fword of the fpirit. He will
gi^e no occafion to the ad-
verfary. I Tim. v. 14.—
he will cut 0^ occafion given
by others, 2 Cor. xi. iz.—
he vj'iU/eei occafion to annoy
his opponent, Jud. ix. 33.
xiv. 4 — He will ?iot ufe this
liberty for an occafion to the
flelh. Gal. v. 13. Such a
polemical divine was the
great S. Paul, and he there-
by obtained a right to fay, I
give you occafion to glory on
my behalf. 2 Cor. v. 12.

Hi7n, that is njjeak in the
faith, recei've. That is, fay
our beft divines, receive him
\viX.o communion. S. Paul treats,
in the xiv. of Romans of the
doc-



( J85 )

they had heard in private, and to preach to all
ftations the myfteries of his kingdom; you miift
remark, that this difference is owing to different
occafions. While Jefus Chriil was upon earth,
the myfteries of his kingdom were covered with
the vail of his humiliation, it being neceffary in
fome knk to conceal them : but after his exal-
tation, it became proper to publiHi them to the
whole earth. (5)

The



dodlrine of toleration, and
in Galatians of that of im-
pofition. Mr. Henry, there-
fore, well obferves on this
place, ihey were not diffe-
rences of judgment, which
did mifchief in the primitive
churches : but it was a mif-
management of thofe diffe-
rences, that produced evil
confequences. Some would
not tolerate ; and others
would impofe. It is a folly
to call any thing impofed in-
different ; for impofition
makes it important.

Stand faji in the liberty^
nvhereivith Chrift hath made
us free. Jefus Chrift left
ci'v'il liberty in Jlatu quo ;
the objeft of contemplation
here, then, is religious liberty.
Chrift hath enfranchifed his



hath freed it from the curfs
of the moral law, and from,
the obfer'vation of Jewilh pe-
lity, or church-law. The
church of Rome has wilfully
fubjefted itfelf to a polity
made up of Jewilh and Pa-
gan ceremonies, and is be-
come, as Dr. Chandler has
well expreffed it, "a reli-
gion only fit for knaves and
fools, who have facriiiced all
the valuable interefts of man-
kind, or have not fenfe fuf-
ficiently to prize them.'*
See his excellent y^rw. againjl
popery at Salter s ball, I Tim.
iii. 15:.

Of any church, that pre-
tends to give liberty, and
yet reftrains freedom of
thought by fubfcription to
human creedt, it may be
truly faid.



church, that is to fay, he

She hath enfranchis'd them

Upon fome other pa^n for fealty. Shah/peare,

In all fuch churches.

Placid fubfcribers mortgage their eftate.

And paivn their beft, and laft-remaining piece of plate.
(5) Teach all nations. Mat. is hardly a paffage of fcrip-
19, 20. There ture to be produced of more



xxvui



Vol. II.



A a



con-



( i86 )

The fame diverfity may be remarked In what
the Lord Jefus faid to the Canaanitifh woman — ■

that



confequence than this. It
contains the coinmijjion given
by our afcending king to his
apoflles. Our divines con-
neft the words with Mark
xvi. 17, i8. Luke xxiv. 49.
iind obferve, they are divifi-
l)Ie into feveral parts or
claufes of the moft beautiful
Jimplicity, full of Itrong ar-
gument, and refiftiefs mo-
tives of perfuafion and ac-

tjuiefcence. All po-iver is

given unto me in heanjc7i and in
earth— Go ye therefore into all
the nuorld — teach all nations —
preach the go/pel to every crea-
ture — Teach the?n to obferve
all things ivhatfoever I com-
mand you — baptize them in the
fame of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy GkoJ}—~
Hi that helieveth and is bap-
Jiz:.ed, fiall he fav d — He that
helieveth not Jhall be damned—
Behold, I fend the promife of
my father to yon — T'arry ye
at yerufakm, until ye be en-
dued vuith poaver from on high
— 'Signs Jhall irjllotv theniy that
helievt — In my name they Jhall
tuft out devils'— they Jhall fpeak
nvith nevj tongues — If they
drink any deadly thing, it fyall
3iof hurt them — 'They Jhall lay
hands on the Jick, and they
f^all recover — lo! I am ivith
you alvuay, even unto the end
of the <ivorld.

For the fublimity of the
ft^lc of this commiffion fee



Black^vaWs Sacred Clajfich,
vol. ii. ch, 2. And for the
importance of it in regard to
baptifm, admiflion of mem-
bers, and fuch like truths.
Dr. 'John Calebs fxthferm. 1 1
vol. of ftrmons.

The Acls of the apoftles is
the bed expofition of this
glorious commifnon, for
there we fee by clear indubi-
table fafts how they, who ex-
ecuted it, underllood it. I
call this an important paf-
fage, becaufe, expounded by
Acls, it decides innumerable
queftions in theology. Who
is Chrift, and by what au-
thority does he aft ? He is an
uuiverjal king, and his king-
• dom is allowed by his Father
to extend over all perfons
and places — How did this
king prove his right, and af-
certain his dominion ? By
fgns, and wonders, and
mighty deeds — Did he con-
fign over to his apoflles a
power of legiflation ? No,
he ordered them to teach what
he had commanded — Might
the apoftles teach and enjoin
whatever he had not prohi-
bited ? They might not.
They were to teach an
obj'crvation of what he had
pojitively iaftituted — Might
they preach the gofpel to
finners? To every rational
creature in the whole world
— Is the religion to be pro-
pagated



( IS; )

that he was only fent to the lojl Jljeep of the houfe of
Jfrael — and that it was not meet to givr. the children'' s
bread to dogs. This feems contrary to an almo(t
infinite number of paffages of fcripture, which
affirm, Jefus Chrift is the light of the Gentiles (6)—

to



pagated local, national, par-
tial? It is univerfal — May it
be propagated by fire, and
fword, and penal fanftions ?
It may not. It is to be fpread
by teaching — What is pre-
vioufly necefTary to baptifm ?
Profeflion oi faith in the gof-
pel — Is baptiJni a Handing
ordinance ? It is an injundioK,
and has never been repealed,
and herein it differs from
fromifes of miraculous gifts,
and portions of divine alfif-
tance, which depend on the
difcretion of the promifer —
Does the chrillian fyitem al-
low a preacher of the gofpel
to preach terror ? He is to
preach to unbtlie'uers, and to
denounce damnation — Is chrif-
tianity to continue? To the
fw^of the world — Is it to be
continued by the mere aid of"
learning, reafon, eloquence,
&c. ? The prefence of Chriji
is to be fuperadded. Thefe,
and many other articles, hold
forth this "word of life to the
fpecial attention of a chrillian
minifter, and, by a proper
regard to it, he ma^ rejoice /'«
the day of Chrift., that he hath
not run in lain, nor laboured
in niai77. Pinl. ii. 1 6.

(6) Light to the Gentiles,
Rfligious bigotry was the
national fin of the Jews, tiit-y



affeiled an infignificant
haughtinefs in fpeaking of
the reft of mankind, and
called them the nations, the
gentiles, barbarians, and fo
on. The firll chriltians, be-
ing jews by birth, bore ths
iCandal of this national fin,
after they had imbibed th«
benevolent fpirlt of the gof-
pel. The curt, and fome-
times obfcure ftyle of Taci-
tus, has given occafion to
feveral learntd men to dif-
pute the meaning of his well-
known expreiiion, odio humani
generis coji'viSii funt . ( A n n al .
1. XV. c. 44.) Some think, he
means toi^iy , All mankind hnied
Chriftians ; others think, it
fhould be underllood, Chrif-
tians nated all mankind. The
latter feems moft natural,
and agreeable to his defign ;
for, it is plain, he is fpeak-
ing of what he called an ex-
ecrable fuperftition, taught by
Chrift a Jew, and pracli cd
by Jewiih followers. The
defcription does not fit chrif-
tians : but it does Jews, who
were raving mad on account
of that alTociation of Gen-
tiles with [ews, which chrif-
tianity propofed to make.
S. Paul defcribes them in the
fame manner, i Thefl". ii,
15, 16. They UUcd the L.rJ
A a 2 y^us



( iS8 )

to him fljall the gathering of the people he. Thefe
and all other fuch paffages will perfedtly agree, if

you



Jffus — and their nnjcn prophets
' — thcyperfccute ui — thev pleafe
nof God — -they are the cmmies
of all mankind — they forbid iis
to fpcak to the Gentiles, that
thev might be fa'vrd.

Dr. Sclater, one of our old
divines, remarks, not im-
properly, on this place, that
•' all, who hinder the preach-
ing of the gofpel are to be
reputed capital enemies to
all mankind, by depriving
people of the greatefl good."
There is a great deal of
meaning in this expreffion.
The evident defign of the
gofpel is to produce the uni-
verfal focial felicity of all
mankind. Now the felicity
of intelligent beines cannot
be produced without the re-
moval of ignorance, vice,
and infenfibility, the thr(?e
chief caufes of humalft mi-
fery. In order to remove
thefe, the gofpel gives us
a fet of juft true notions — a
clafs of njiriues — and power-
ful motives to encxao-e us to
admit the firft and to praftife
thelafi:. But thefe three re-
medies, contained in the gof-
pel, are to be conveyed out
of the book into the man ;
for as they lie in the letter
they operate nothing. Now
this is the work of a gofpel
minifter, as an in fir u men t in
the hand of the holy fpirit;
and l;e, v/ho confideri the



produ6lion of the greateft
focial good as the pole-ftar
of his miniilry, will not
greatly err in executing it.
His aim will be to give light
to them, who fit in dark-
nefs ; to difplace confufion,
to eftablifh order, and to
impel men to aftion by pro-
per motives.

Thefe feem to ht four great
objedls, which deferve the
attention of fuch a man. i.
Pcrfecuiion. He, who perfe-
cutes a chriitian minifter for
preaching the gofpel, ought
to be reputed an enemy of
mankind. 2. What refrains
freedom of thought, without
which no man can form prin-
ciples of his own, is an ini-
mical invafion of the rights
of all mankind. 3. Tedious
repetitions of human rituals.
in divine worlhip, crowding
the preaching of the divine
word up into a corner to
make room for hum.an in-
ventions, are on the fame
fide againft the rational inr
telHgent rights of all men.
4. Obliging all miniilers to
preach by any one fet of rules,
of grammar, rhetorick, the-
ological phrafeology, and fo
on, deferves to be clafled
with the former a6ls of hof-
tillty. The firft of thefe
crimes takes away the/Z^/i/ — ^
the fecond wounds the eye,
tiiat fhould fee in it — the third

fliCWS



( iSp )

you diftlnguifli time, and occafion. While Jefns
Chrift was upon earth, he was the minijler of the

circum-



fhews that objeft in ten ml-
7iiites only, which cannot be
underltood without the atten-
tion of an hour — and the
fourth precludes the benefit
to be derived from feeing the
object, by confining it to a
fixed point, at which indeed
fome eyes can fee it bed:
but where others cannot pof-
iibiy fee it at all. In a plan
aiming fimply at the felicity
of our fellow-creatures, there
is neither grammar nor rhe-
torick, phrafeology, propri-
ety, fyllem, nor fenfe : but
the information, fanflifica-
tion, and falvation of the au-
ditors is ail in all. Propriety
in a barn may be impropriety
in a cathedral: but if it in-
form, fanclify, and fave a
foul in a barn, it ought to
pafs for propriety ; for it is
in effeft fenfe, fyllem, learn-
ing and all.

It has been a faHiioa with
feme divines 'to divide their
fermons hy figure. The Spa-
ni{h preachers havs delighted
much in this method, and
fome of them have laid down
rules for preaching thus. The
preacher is going to fill his
auditors with difguft with fin.
In order to this he takes a
text, that diffuades from fin
in general. In his introduc-
tion he calls fin dijeofie, and
then treats of various vices



under the notion of bodily
diforders. An auditor feems
. to be in a county hofpital>
and the chaplain leads him
from ward to ward, from bed
to bed, and le£lures him at
every paufe. This is not a
method of preaching I fhould
choofe, however, I am fome-
times edified by it ; and 1
never dare prefume to pro-
fcribe the method, fbr it may
be eafieft to fome auditors to
come at the ideas of the
preacher by means of fuch fi-
gures, andif they beinformed,
and their felicity produced,
the end is anfwered, the chap-
lain and I are happy in fee-
ing it, and thus we approve
of what we do not like. Give
the gentiles light : that is all.
Cardinal Borromeus, in his
oration to the clergyof Milan,
at opening his fixth provin-
cial council, delivered his
ideas in this manner. " A6ts
XX. 28. Take heed iherefiore
unto ■^oiirfiel'ves, and to all ih:
fi.ock. Sec. Two things we
muft attend to — the prcfent
fick flate of the diocefe — and
the 7iiedicines proper for reco-
vering the patients commit-
ted to our care. Let us con-
fider fhe province as one large
hofpital. See, fride is a fpi-
ritual dropfiy — The conatpij-
cence of youth is a \i\^\ fe^ver
~~l)ru7tken7ipfs is madncfs — ■
Some



(



I 00



)



circumcifioriy as S. Paul fpeaks, that is, his pcrfo-

nal



Some are leprous — others pn^
ralytic — fome zxelame — others

ilumb fome t^eaf — C'ti.ers

Hind — &c. Theie difeafes,
dangerous in patients, are
intolerable in phyjidans, cie-
rical blinJnefs, lamep.'ris, &c.
are iniuffer3ble."This is really
a good difcourfe, and a great
iuany juft and adequate ideas
are taught under images in
ibemftl-vcs difagreeable : but
in their effeds, perchance,
not fo. faft. In(iru£l. Carol.
Borromesif orat. vi.

Let us judge thus of our
own divines, who have ex-
pofed religious knowledge
to view, I. Under medical
images. — Preferv?,tive ottria-
cle, [treacle] againft the
poyfon of Pelagius. By Dr.
Will. Turner, 1551. — Difco-
very of ten Englifh lepers,
very noifom to the church- -
I. A fchifinatike. 2. A
church-robber. 3. A fimo-
niacke, fire. ByTho.Timme,
l592.-<-The fick ma.n''s /alue,
&C. By Tho. Becon, 1591.
. — A weapon -y^/i/<? for the
church'syor^i. Stillingfleet. —
The Anatomy of the Mafle,

J555-

2. Mujical images. — Har-
mony from heauen — ^ong of
Simeon, Lukeii. 29. — "Trum-
pet of the foul, Eccl. xi. 9.
by Ken. Smitli, 1595. — The
upcbfring of the MalTc, written



meeccr, J 5 5 '



-David '3



Harp.Yjv^. 115 Pfalm. Tho.
Becon. 1567. — Dromme of
doom ef- day.

3. Natural images — Seven
S,ob! of a forrowful foul. Will.
Hurinis, 1578. Seven peni-
s^ential pfalms in metre — Hi've
iuil of hcney. Genefis in
metre. Handful of honni-

Juckles — Diatnond of devotion.
Fleming, 1580.,

4. Trade images. The
fr<?/> for to die, 1506 — Hea-
venly thrift, Luke viii. 18.
Chriil. Shutte. 1577. — The
ripping up of the pope's y«r-
del, (a fardel was a pedlar's
pack.) — The ijuay to tvcalthf
by Rob. Crowley, 1550.

There would be no end of
tranfcribing titles. Mirrors
— looking glaffes — -Jpyin} glajfes
— -fpeilacles fur blind lapifts
— pathn.vays — ladders — d: ors —
pats for preachers — alarms for
finners — cordials for faints —
combats with the devil — and
foi/ons for the pope — Thefe
were the names of fome of
the artillery, with which our
anceftors befieged courts and
pulpits, fynods and fchools,
then occupied by papifts,
and with which they actually
drove them thence. 1 feel a
facred awe at beholding the
venerable old inftruments,
" ftirring up dialogues be-
tween Lent and liberty — deli-
berate aunfweares to prove
papilies antichriitiari fckijv\u-^^
tikii



( 19^ )

tial minifterial commiflion was only to the Jews •

but



tihs-^znd apologies for thofe dog of hell charged with
Englifhe preachers, which falfe doSlrine." 1 love to hear
Cerberus, the three-headed them iing,

" God fave the king, and fpeed the plough.

And fend the prelates care inough,

Inough, inough, inough."

See MaiinfeJl's Catalozuc. black tinder-box, that ftands



Croivley, Pierce Ploivman, £iC.
Ouranceltors had certainly
a very high opinion of their
own produdions ; they called
them demo7iJlrati - ue orations —
defenfative expofitions — piti-
oi<;j lamentations — faithful6.e-
finitions — godly exercifes —



in a footy hole in the kitchen
chimney. Venerable flint
and Heel, tinder and tin t
Parent of all this light and
heat! Peace be v>ith you !

(7) Ohferi'e occafions, Tlie
abufcofany thing vvilljuftify
a preacher in decrying oit



r/^,^/ godly injunftions — right one occafion what on another

godly and learned traftations he would recommend, ** there

— -/?«^k/<2/- meditations — golden are two reafons of difguil

colleftions — -fi'seet and com- with, kr.o^jjledgc. i. The little

fortable things for the poor progrefs, which they make,

foul — ghojiiy perfuafions— y^- v.ho carry their inveftigations

rnphical queltions — and di- fartheft. In proportion to

'vine refponfes — ■je - wcls of joy the advance, that we make

— ffl/?/^/ of comfort — potations in this wide field, we dlfco-

for Lent — and pomanders for ver new and unbounded

Eafler — profitable books for fpaces, or, (hall I fay, new

man's /<?«/, and right com- abylTes beyond our fkill to



fortable for the body ; to all
which we add our devotional
wtfl:i : May inflexible criti-
cifm never fummon you into
court ! There arc in the
honfe v/here I write this fe-
veral good fires, and candles
in proportion, tothenofmall
comfort of the family this
fnowy evening : but I proteft,
I believe, were a man to trace
them to their origin, he
would travel from candle to
candle, from fire to fire, till
ie arrived at Mrs. Cook's



fathom ? the more we are
nourifhed in the deep palture
of human fcience the more
hungry we are; the rye is nr-
'ver fatisfied inith Jining, nor
the ear H.vlth hearing, and of
7naking many books there is mb
end.

2. The little juftice, that
is rendered in the world to
thofe, who excel ia know-
ledge, is another realon of
difguft. He, that incrcefeth
kno-jjledge, incrcafeth forrc^v ;
;'/ bappeneth to me even as to a
fcoL



7



192



but when he was exalted to glory, his miniftrjf
extended over the whole earth: (7)



fool. Yes, after you have
devoted your youth, injured
your health, and fpcnt your
fortune to inform your own
mind, and to enable you to
inform thofe of others, // ^vjtll
happen to you even as it hap-
feneth to a fool. You will be
told, fciences are unworthy
the purfuits of a man of qua-
lity. A Plebeian, who fets
up for a man of quality, will
tell you, a man of birth and
breeding fliould afplre at
fomething more noble than
queftions" of jurifprudence,
cafes of confcience, and ex-
pofitions of fcripture. You
will be told, there does not
require fo much knowledge
to fhine in political flations,
and to judge upon tribunals
concerning the fortunes and
lives of your fellow-citizens.
Youno- prefumptuous lads