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World. Happy, fhould we, who are autho riz'd to difpenfe God's Word and Ordinances, be, could we roufe thefe lewd Debauchees out of thofe horrid Sins they wallow in ; were it poffible to awake thofe more plaufible Hypocrites out of their Lethargick Indifference, and make them zealous and fincere in performing their Duties, and minding thofe things belong ing to their Peace, before they be for ever hidden from their Eyes.

But is the Matter mended among our Church-Dividers? Are not their publick Affemblies the common Refuge of the vile and base the Nefts of ignorant and fupercilious Hypocrites? Are not their own Complaints, (when they are in a ferious Mood, and have no Interefts to purfue among their Followers) are not their Complaints as loud, of the Vi cioufnefs and Impieties of thofe, who make up their Congregations, when their Teachers can fcarce difcover any Sign of Grace among a Thoufand of them, but that of feparating from the Eftablifh'd Church? Are God's Ordinances more attended among them? Prayers fent up to Heaven more unanimoufly? Sacraments, as they call them, more frequently, more humbly and more devoutly adminiftred there than among our felves? I have known my felf, a feparate Congregation, which ufually amounted to more than a thoufand, where the Members, admitted to all Ordinances, did not amount to Fourfcore: Were all that Rabble of an Auditory in the higheft Form in religious Improvement? Or, indeed, are any Members of fuch Congregations, more knowing in the Fundamentals of true Religion, or more con

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verfant in the Word of God, than those who ordinarily attend our conformable Affemblies? Upon Conference with many of them, I have not found them fo. What then must we conclude the wretched Condition of those to be, who fly from our Communion, and yet dare not join with theirs? If our Doctrines and Discipline be truly Evangelical, why do they forfake them? If thofe of the Diffenters are fuch, why do they not clofe intirely with them? Are they Chriftians in their own Senfe and Way? or are they none> Their being Hearers of thofe, whom they call Chriftian Teachers, does not prove them fuch Jews or Pagans may hear even Apoftles themfelves, and yet not be a whit the more Believers. Is the entring into the Communion of fome Church neceffary to Salvation? Then the Refusal to enter into it, where a lawful Communion may be had, is a damning Sin. Is it not neceffary to Salvation? Let me then ask thofe, who think fo, that Question, which they have fo often put to us: Is it fit to break the Unity of the Church of God, for the Sake of Things in their own Nature unneceffary? And for what is it, that these Neuters leave the establish'd Church; fince there, at laft, they never enjoy all the Means of Grace > If fuch Perfons are not infected with a Laodicean Lukewarmnefs; it is hard to find out any, who labour under that unhappy Diftemper. Would to God fuch People were either hot or cold, that we might know, where to find them at laft, and by what Names to call them. O that it might not be their Lot, fhould I fay, or rather that it might not be our general Lot

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to be fpued out of the Mouth of God! I am fure that there's no Indifferency between a State of Salvation,and a State of Damnation; there is no middle Region to beftow the negligent and unfruitful in. I am fure, that they can pretend to no Divine Bleffing, to no Edification at all, who fpend all their Days in Hearing, tho' it were in Hearing Angels, who yet never arrive at Knowledge or Devotion enough to remember the Death of their Saviour againft his Second Coming. But how impoffible it is, that Men fhould profit to Salvation, in dividing Ways, or under unlawful or uncommiffion'd Teachers, will yet appear more evident from the Third Original Propofi

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III.

1.

CHAP. XII.

The Third general Propofition laid down. What meant by the Word Antichrift and Antichriftian, confider'd. Who thofe are, to whom the Title of Antichriftian belongs. Thofe ift, who live generally in Oppofition to Divine Laws zdly, Thofe, who deny that Chrift the Son of God is come in the Flefhdly, Thofe, who being lawfully call'd to the Priesthood, yet prefume to preach falfe or unfound Doctrines; 4ly, Thofe, who will take upon them to inftruct the Flock of Chrift without a Call. The Characters, diftinguishing fuch Preachers from all others, more diftinctly inquired into.

WE

E are now come to the THIRD Original Propofition laid down from St. John's Text, and it is this; That thofe Perfons, who without a lawful Call, take upon them the Paftoral Office in the Church of Chrift, are led altogether, by an Erroneous and Antichriftian Spirit, and confequently are Deceivers. In Order to the better clearing of which Affertion, we shall shew,

1. What is meant by thefe Names or Titles of Antichrift, or Antichriftian?

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2. Who they are, to whom that Name or 2. Title of Antichriftian more efpecially belong.

3. We fhall lay down fome particular Marks 3. or Characters, by which we may certainly know,who thofe Antichriftian Deceivers are, to whom our Affertion peculiarly relates >

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1. Then we are to inquire, what is meant by thofe Names or Titles of Antichrift or Antichriftian? Now here we may obferve, that this Word or Title is never us'd by any of the Penmen of the holy Scriptures, but only St. John, that bleffed Difciple of his Master's Love, one of the moft tender and compaffio nare Souls of a meer Man, whom the World ever was acquainted with; who is always exhorting the Followers of Jefus Chrift to Love and Charity, and all whofe Writings feem to have been indited by that Love, which he fo earneftly recommended to the Children of Light. This Man only makes Ufe of this odious Name, and fays enough to convince us, that it belongs to many. We find, indeed, St. Paul mentioning that Man of Sin, whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit of his Mouth, and hall deftroy with the Brightness of his Coming. And we find, that the fame Perfon fuppos'd 2 Thef. 2. to be meant by St. Paul, in that Text, is call'd,8. The Antichrift, by the Antients. But great Difputes having been rais'd concerning the Perfon, there ftiled, The Man of Sin, and to whom it belongs, and the Inquiry into it being wholly impertinent to our prefent Business, we fhall take no farther Notice of it here.

As for the Name of Antichrift, it fignifies directly, one who is againft Chrift, or an EneQ2

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