forward to conclude it an obvious truth, which, if dairy-maids, perfect mathematicians, as to have we had sought, we could not have missed. No-them perfect in ethics this way: hearing plain thing seems hard to our understandings that is commands is the sure and only course to bring once known and because what we see, we see them to obedience and practice; the greatest part with our own eyes, we are apt to overlook or for- cannot know, and therefore they must believe. get the help we had from others, who showed it And I ask, whether one coming from heaven in the us, and first made us see it; as if we were not at power of God, in full and clear evidence and deall beholden to them for those truths they opened monstration of miracles, giving plain and direct the way to, and led us into: for knowledge being rules of morality and obedience, be not likelier to only of truths that are perceived to be so, we are enlighten the bulk of mankind, and set them right favorable enough to our own faculties to conclude in their duties, and bring them to do them, than that they, of their own strength, would have attain- by reasoning with them from general notions and ed those discoveries without any foreign assist-principles of human reason? And were all the ance; and that we know those truths by the duties of human life clearly demonstrated, yet I strength and native light of our own minds, as conclude, when well considered, that method of they did from whom we received them by theirs, teaching men their duties would be thought proonly they had the luck to be before us. Thus the per only for a few, who had much leisure, improvwhole stock of human knowledge is claimed by ed understandings, and were used to abstract every one as his private possession, as soon as he reasonings; but the instruction of the people (profiting by others' discoveries,) has got it into his were best still to be left to the precepts and prinown mind and so it is; but not properly by his ciples of the gospel. The healing of the sick, the own single industry, nor of his own acquisition. restoring sight to the blind by a word, the raising, He studies, it is true, and takes pains to make a and being raised from the dead, are matters of progress in what others have delivered; but their fact, which they can without difficulty conceive; pains were of another sort, who first brought those and that he who does such things, must do them truths to light, which he afterwards derives from by the assistance of a divine power. These them. He that travels the road now, applauds things lie level to the ordinariest apprehension; his own strength and legs that have carried him so he that can distinguish between sick and well, far in such a scantling of time, and ascribes all to lame and sound, dead and alive, is capable of this his own vigor, little considering how much he owes doctrine. To one who is once persuaded that to their pains, who cleared the woods, drained the Jesus Christ was sent by God to be a king, and a bogs, built the bridges, and made the ways pass- Saviour of those who do believe in him, all his able; without which he might have toiled much commands become principles; there needs no with little progress. A great many things which other proof for the truth of what he says, but that we have been bred up in the belief of, from our he said it: and then there needs no more but to cradles, and are notions grown familiar, (and, as it read the inspired books to be instructed; all the were, natural to us, under the gospel,) we take duties of morality lie there clear and plain, and for unquestionable obvious truths, and easily de- easy to be understood. And here I appeal, whemonstrable; without considering how long we ther this be not the surest, the safest, and most might have been in doubt or ignorance of them, effectual way of teaching; especially if we add had revelation been silent. And many are be- this further consideration, that as it suits the lowholden to revelation who do not acknowledge it. est capacities of reasonable creatures, so it reaches It is no diminishing to revelation, that reason gives and satisfies, nay, enlightens the highest. The its suffrage too, to the truths revelation has dis- most elevated understandings cannot but submit covered. But it is our mistake to think, that be- to the authority of this doctrine as divine; which cause reason confirms them to us, we had the first coming from the mouths of a company of illiterate certain knowledge of them from thence, and in men, hath not only the attestation of miracles, but that clear evidence we now possess of them. The reason to confirm it, since they delivered no precontrary is manifest, in the defective morality of cepts but such as, though reason of itself had not the Gentiles before our Saviour's time, and the clearly made out, yet it could not but assent to want of reformation in the principles and mea- when thus discovered, and think itself indebted for sures of it, as well as practice. Philosophy seem- the discovery. The credit and authority our Saed to have spent its strength, and done its utmost; viour and his apostles had over the minds of men, or if it should have gone further, as we see it did by the miracles they did, tempted them not to not, and from undeniable principles given us ethics mix (as we find in that of all the sects of philosoin a science like mathematics, in every part de-phers, and other religions) any conceits, any monstrable,this yet would not have been so effectual to man in this imperfect state, nor proper for the cure. The greatest part of mankind want leisure or capacity for demonstration, nor can carry a train of proofs, which in that way they must always depend upon for conviction, and cannot be required to assent to till they see the demonstration. Wherever they stick, the teachers are always put upon proof, and must clear the doubt, by a thread of coherent deductions from the first principle, how long, or how intricate soever that be. And you may as soon hope to have all the day-laborers and tradesmen, the spinsters and

wrong rules, any thing tending to their own byinterest, or that of a party, in their morality: nc tang of prepossession or fancy; no footsteps o pride or vanity; no touch of ostentation or ambition appears to have a hand in it it is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much, nothing wanting: but such a complete rule of life, as the wisest men must acknowledge, tends entirely to the good of mankind; and that all would be happy, if all would practise it.

173. 3. The outward forms of worshipping the Deity wanted a reformation: stately buildings, costly ornaments, peculiar and uncouth habits,

and a numerous huddle of pompous, fantastical, cumbersome ceremonies, every where attended divine worship. This, as it had the peculiar name, so it was thought the principal part, if not the whole of religion; nor could this possibly be amended whilst the Jewish ritual stood, and there was so much of it mixed with the worship of the true God. To this also our Saviour, with the knowledge of the infinite, invisible, supreme Spirit, brought a remedy, in a plain, spiritual, and suitable worship. Jesus says to the woman of Samaria: "The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father: but the true worshippers, shall worship the Father both in Spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship." To be worshipped in spirit and in truth, with application of mind and sincerity of heart, was what God henceforth only required. Magnificent temples, and confinement to certain places, were now no longer necessary for his worship, which by a pure heart might be performed any where. The splendor and distinction of habits, and pomp of ceremonies and all outside performances, might now be spared. God, who was a spirit, and made known to be so, required none of those, but the spirit only; and that in public assemblies, (where some actions must lie open to the view of the world,) all that could appear and be seen, should be done decently, and in order, and to edification. Decency, order, and edification were to regulate all their public acts of worship; and beyond what these required, the outward appearance (which was of little value in the eyes of God) was not to go. Having shut out indecency and confusion out of their assemblies, they need not be solicitous about useless ceremonies: praises and prayer humbly offered up to the Deity, was the worship he now demanded; and in these every one was to look after his own heart, and know that it was that alone which God had regard to, and accepted.

might have argued the other way, and concluded, that, because the good were most of them illtreated here, there was another place where they should meet with better usage; but it is plain they did not. Their thoughts of another life were, at best, obscure, and their expectations uncertain. Of manes, and ghosts, and the shades of departed men, there was some talk; but little certain, and less minded. They had the names of Styx and Acheron, of Elysian Fields and seats of the blessed; but they had them generally from their poets, mixed with their fables, and so they looked more like the inventions of wit and ornaments of poetry than the serious persuasions of the grave and the sober. They came to them bundled up amongst their tales; and for tales they took them. And that which rendered them more suspected, and less useful to virtue, was, that the philosophers seldom set on their rules on men's minds and prac tices by consideration of another life. The chief of their arguments were from the excellency of virtue; and the highest they generally went, was the exalting of human nature, whose perfection lay in virtue. And if the priest at any time talked of the ghosts below, and a life after this, it was only to keep men to their superstitious and idolatrous rites, whereby the use of this doctrine was lost to the credulous multitude, and its belief to the quicker sighted, who suspected it presently of priestcraft. Before our Saviour's time, the doctrine of a future state, though it were not wholly hid, yet it was not clearly known in the world. It was an imperfect view of reason; or, perhaps, the decayed remains of an ancient tradition, which rather seemed to float on men's fancies, than sink deep into their hearts. It was something, they knew not what, between being and not being.Something in man they imagined might escape the grave; but a perfect complete life of an eternal duration, after this, was what entered little into their thoughts, and less into their persuasions. And they were so far from being clear herein, that 174. 4. Another great advantage received by we see no nation of the world publicly professed our Saviour, is the great encouragement he brought it, and built upon it; no religion taught it; and it to a virtuous and a pious life; great enough to sur- was no where made an article of faith and princimount the difficulties and obstacles that lie in the ple of religion till Jesus Christ came of whom it way to it, and reward the pains and hardships of is truly said, that he at his appearing "brought those who stuck firm to their duties, and suffered life and immortality to light." And that not only for the testimony of a good conscience. The por- in the clear revelation of it, and in instances shown tion of the righteous has been in all ages taken of men raised from the dead, but he has given us notice of to be pretty scanty in this world: virtue an unquestionable assurance and pledge of it in and prosperity do not often accompany one an- his own resurrection and ascension into heaven. other, and therefore virtue seldom had many fol- How hath this one truth changed the nature of lowers; and it is no wonder she prevailed not things in the world, and given the advantage to much in a state, where the inconveniences that piety over all that could tempt or deter men from attended her were visible and at hand, and the re-it! The philosophers, indeed, showed the beauty wards doubtful and at a distance. Mankind, who are and must be allowed to pursue their happiness, nay, cannot be hindered, could not but think themselves excused from a strict observation of rules, which appeared so little to consist with their chief end-happiness, whilst they kept them from the enjoyments of this life; and they had little evidence and security of another.* It is true, they

This is unjust to the philosophers. The immortality of the soul was as firmly believed then as it is now; and the same virtues were supposed to secure happiness in a future state. With the knowledge

of virtue: they set her off so as drew men's eyes and approbation to her; but leaving her unendowed, very few were willing to espouse her.The generality could not refuse her their esteem and commendation, but still turned their backs on her, and forsook her, as a match not for their turn. But now there being put into the scales on her side, "an exceeding and immortal weight of glory,"

Locke possessed of antiquity, I can hardly conceive how he could write this passage, which is in contradiction with what remains to us of genuine ancient philosophy.-ED.

interest is come about to her; and virtue now is those who will be ready to object, if the belief of visibly the most enriching purchase and by much Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, together the best bargain. That she is the perfection and with those concomitant articles of his resurrection, excellency of our nature; that she is herself a rule, and coming again to judge the world, be all reward, and will recommend our names to future the faith required as necessary to justification, to ages, is not all that can now be said for her. It what purpose were the epistles written; I say, if is not strange that the learned heathens satisfied the belief of those many doctrines contained in not many with such airy commendations. It has them, be not also necessary to salvation? And another relish and efficacy to persuade men, that if what is there delivered, a Christian may believe if they live well here, they shall be happy here- or disbelieve, and yet nevertheless be a member after. Open their eyes upon the endless unspeak-of Christ's church, and one of the faithful? To able joys of another life, and their hearts will find this I answer, that the epistles were written upon something solid and powerful to move them.*- several occasions; and he that will read them as The view of heaven and hell will cast a slight upon | he ought, must observe what it is in them is printhe short pleasures and pains of this present state, cipally aimed at; find what is the argument in and give attractions and encouragements to virtue, hand, and how managed, if he will understand which reason and interest, and the care of our-them right, and profit by them. The observing selves, cannot but allow and prefer. Upon this of this will best help us to the true meaning and foundation, and upon this only, morality stands mind of the writer; for that is the truth which is firm, and may defy all competition. This makes to be received and believed, and not scattered it more than a name, a substantial good, worth all sentences in a Scripture language, accommodated our aims and endeavors; and thus the gospel of to our notions and prejudices. We must look into Jesus Christ hath delivered it to us. the drift of the discourse, observe the coherence and connection of the parts, and see how it is consistent with itself, and other parts of Scripture, if we will conceive it right. We must not cull out, as best suits our system, here and there a period or a verse, as if they were all distinct and independent aphorisms: and make these the fundamental articles of the Christian faith, and necessary to salvation, unless God has made them so.There be many truths in the Bible, which a good Christian may be wholly ignorant of, and so not believe, which, perhaps, some lay great stress on, and call fundamental articles, because they are the distinguishing points of their communion. The epistles, most of them, carry on a thread of argument, which in the style they are written, cannot every where be observed without great attention. And to consider the texts, as they stand and bear a part in that, is to view them in their due light, and the way to get the true sense of them. They were written to those who were in the faith, and true Christians already; and so could not be designed to teach them the fundamental articles and points necessary to salvation; the epistle to the Romans was written to all "that were at Rome, beloved of God, called to be the saints, whose faith was spoken of through the world," chapter i. 7, 8. To whom St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians was, he shows, chapter i. 2, 4, &c.: "Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints; with all them that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge: even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." And so likewise the second was, "To the church of God at Corinth, with all the saints in Achaia," chapter i. 1. His next is to the churches of Galatia.

175. 5. To these I must add one advantage more we have by Jesus Christ, and that is, the promise of assistance. If we do what we can, he will give us his Spirit to help us to do what, and how we should. It will be idle for us, who know not how our own spirits move and act us, to ask in what manner the Spirit of God shall work upon us. The wisdom that accompanies that Spirit knows better than we how we are made, and how to work upon us. If a wise man knows how to prevail on his child, to bring him to what he desires, can we suspect that the Spirit and wisdom of God should fail in it, though we perceive or comprehend not the ways of his operation? Christ has promised it, who is faithful and just, and we cannot doubt of the performance. It is not requisite, on this occasion, for the enhancing of this benefit, to enlarge on the frailty of minds, and weakness of our constitutions; how liable to mistakes, how apt to go astray, and how easily to be turned out of the paths of virtue. If any one needs go beyond himself and the testimony of his own conscience in this point; if he feels not his own errors and passions always tempting him, and often prevailing against the strict rules of his duty, he need but look abroad into any age of the world to be convinced. To a man under the difficulties of his nature, beset with temptations, and hedged in with prevailing custom, it is no small encouragement to set himself seriously on the courses of virtue, and practice of true religion, that he is, from a sure hand, and an almighty arm, promised assistance to support and carry him through.

176. There remains yet something to be said to

In the Essay on the Human Understanding, however, he had said:-"Let a man be ever so well persuaded of the advantages of virtue, that it is as necessary to a man who has any great aims in this world, or hopes in the next, as food to life; yet, till he hungers and thirsts after righteousness, till he feels an uneasiness in the want of it, his will will not be determined to any action in pursuit of this confessed greater good; but any other uneasiness he feels in himself shall take place, and carry his will to other actions." Book ii. ch. 21. § 35.-ÉD.

That to the Ephesians was, "To the saints that were at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." So likewise, "To the saints and faithful brethren at Colosse, who had faith in Christ

Jesus, and love to the saints." "To the church | my of the Jews, and reference to the records of of the Thessalonians." "To Timothy, his son in the Old Testament. And as for the general epis the faith." "To Titus, his own son after the tles, they, we may see, regard the state and exicommon faith." "To Philemon, his dearly be- gencies, and some peculiarities of those times.— loved, and fellow-laborer." And the author to the These holy writers, inspired from above, wrote Hebrews, calls those he writes to, "Holy brethren, nothing but truth, and in most places very weighty partakers of the heavenly calling," chapter iii. 1. truths to us now; for the expounding, clearing, From whence it is evident, that all those whom and confirming of the Christian doctrine, and esSt. Paul wrote to, were brethren, saints, faithful tablishing those in it who had embraced it. But in the church, and so Christians already, and there- yet every sentence of theirs must not be taken fore wanted not the fundamental articles of the up and looked on as a fundamental article, necesChristian religion; without a belief of which they sary to salvation; without an explicit belief wherecould not be saved: nor can it be supposed, that of nobody could be a member of Christ's church the sending of such fundamentals was the reason here, nor be admitted into his eternal kingdom of the apostle's writing to any of them. To such hereafter. If all, or most of the truths declared also St. Peter writes, as is plain from the first in the epistles, were to be received and believed chapter of each of his epistles. Nor is it hard to as fundamental articles, what then became of those observe the like in St. James and St. John's epis-Christians who were fallen asleep (as St. Paul tles. And St. Jude directs his thus: "To them witnesses in his first epistle to the Corinthians, that are sanctified by God the Father, and pre- many were) before these things in the epistles served in Jesus Christ, and called." The epistles were revealed to them? Most of the epistles not therefore being all written to those who were al- being written till above twenty years after our ready believers and Christians, the occasion and Saviour's ascension, and some after thirty. end of writing them could not be to instruct them 177. But further, therefore, to those who will in that which was necessary to make them Chris- be ready to say, may those truths delivered in the tians. This it is plain they knew and believed epistles, which are not contained in the preaching already; or else they could not have been Chris- of our Saviour and his apostles, and are therefore tians and believers. And they were written upon by this account not necessary to salvation, be beparticular occasions; and without those occasions lieved or disbelieved without any danger? May a had not been written, and so cannot be thought Christian safely question or doubt of them? To necessary to salvation; though they resolving this I answer, that the law of faith, being a covedoubts, and reforming mistakes, are of great ad- nant of free grace, God alone can appoint what vantage to our knowledge and practice. I do not shall be necessarily believed by every one whom deny, but the great doctrines of the Christian faith he will justify. What is the faith which he will are dropped here and there, and scattered up and accept and account for righteousness, depends down in most of them. But it is not in the epis- wholly on his good pleasure; for it is of grace, tles we are to learn what are the fundamental ar- and not of right, that this faith is accepted. And ticles of faith, where they are promiscuously, and therefore he alone can set the measures of it; without distinction, mixed with other truths in dis- and what he has so appointed and declared is courses that were (though for edification indeed, alone necessary. Nobody can add to these funyet) only occasional. We shall find and discern damental articles of faith, nor make any other nethose great and necessary points best in the preach-cessary, but what God himself hath made and deing of our Saviour and the apostles, to those who clared to be so. were yet strangers, and ignorant of the faith, to bring them in, and convert them to it. And what that was we have seen already, out of the history of the evangelists and the Acts; where they are plainly laid down, so that nobody can mistake them. The epistles to particular churches, besides the main argument of each of them (which 178. The other parts of divine revelation are was some present concernment of that particular objects of faith, and are so to be received. They church to which they severally were addressed) are truths, whereof no one can be rejected; none do in many places explain the fundamentals of the that is once known to be such, may or ought to be Christian religion; and that wisely, by proper ac- disbelieved; for to acknowledge any proposition commodations to the apprehensions of those they to be of divine revelation and authority, and yet to were written to, the better to make them imbibe deny or disbelieve it, is to offend against this funthe Christian doctrine, and the more easily to com- damental article and ground of faith, that God is prehend the method, reasons, and grounds of the true. But yet a great many of the truths revealed great work of salvation. Thus we see in the epis- in the gospel, every one does, and must confess a tle to the Romans, adoption (a custom well known man may be ignorant of, nay, disbelieve, without amongst those of Rome) is much made use of, to danger to his salvation; as is evident in those who, explain to them the grace and favor of God, in allowing the authority, differ in the interpretation giving them eternal life; to help them to conceive and meaning of several texts of Scripture, not how they became the children of God, and to as- thought fundamental: in all which it is plain the sure them of a share in the kingdom of heaven, as contending parties, on one side or the other, are heirs to an inheritance. Whereas the setting out, ignorant of, nay, disbelieve the truths delivered in and confirming the Christian faith to the Hebrews, Holy Writ, unless contrarieties and contradictions in the epistle to them, is by allusions and argu- can be contained in the same words, and divine ments, from the ceremonies, sacrifices, and econo- I revelation can mean contrary to itself.

And what these are which God requires of those who will enter into, and receive the benefits of the new covenant, has already been shown. An explicit belief of these, is absolutely required of all those to whom the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and salvation through his name proposed.

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