Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

are bewildred in endless Mazes. If we hope for Salvation by joining with those of the Presbyterian Communion; the Independent tells us, there's fomething lacking yet: If we communicate with the Independents, the Anabaptifts find us ftill encumbred with fome of the Rags of Rome, and that our inward State is very dangerous, if we reform no farther. The Quaker condemns all these, and affures us, by as good Authority as any of the reft, that the true Chrift whom we pretend to feek, is only in himself, without whofe Indwelling we are all no better than Reprobates, meer Children of Darkness, and who have no Light in us. And thus let a Man turn himself which Way he pleafes, to this or any other Party; he ftill draws all the reft about his Ears, and like the Dove when fent the firft Time out of the Ark, he can't among them all find where to reft his Foot.

Now if we examine the Arguments of every Party, they are all the fame, and all of equal Strength and Truth. And the ferious Confideration of this very Thing has been happily effectual to the reducing of many poor wandring Sheep to the Fold of the establish'd Church of England, and to confirm all, who have been educated in its Communion, firm and unconquerable by all the repeated Importunities and crafty Stratagems of the Sons of Separation. If we can be fo fimple as to imagine that there's no Hypocrify in the Bottom of thefe Things; our next Step may be to deny, that there ever was fuch a Thing as a Hypocrite in the World. For, for Men to study to ad

vance

[ocr errors]

vance particular Parties, tho' at the Expence of our holy Religion it felf; to preach up private Conceits or Opinions inftead of the uncontroverted Doctrines of Jefus Chrift; This unhappy Practice proves, that after all their fair Shows, the Salvation of the Souls of Men is the laft Part of their Care; that to have a great Intereft in the World, and to be admir'd by it for their imaginary Sanctity, is what they, above all Things, labour for: That, that Society of Men is the most formidable to them, not where Errors of all Sorts are most eagerly promoted, or where Mens eternal Salvation runs the greatest Hazard, but where fober Decency and Order is obferv'd, where found and truly Apoftolical Government is fettled in the Church, and every Thing proceeds according to the primitive Pattern; and all because wife Men find unanfwerable Reasons why they fhould unite ftrictly and unalterably with fuch a Church, to the utter Ruin of all their vain Hopes and delufive Pretenfions. In short, that Perfon, whoever he is, who denies the juft Power of his lawful Superiors, whether Temporal or Spiritual, in Matters within their proper Sphere, which are neither commanded nor forbidden by anyDivine Law; tho' fuch a Perfon pretend Piety, never fo much; his real Bufinefs is, to confound all regular and rightful Authority; to make his lawful Superiors only fo many Puppets, to act and move, according to the Direction of others. They lay the Foundations of eternal Schifms in the Church, and Seditions in the State; they are acted in earneft by an erroneous

and

and Antichriftian Spirit: They are dangerous Enemies to the Name and Gofpel of Chrift, and can neither be good Chriftians, nor good Subjects.

CHAP.

CHAP. XIV.

The Fourth Propofition from the Text; viz. That it is an unquestionable Evidence of a found and understanding Believer to diftinguish well between Seducers or falfe Teachers and the Lawful Minifters of God's Word; and confequently to avoid the one, and to reverence and obey the other. The Means to know the Falfe from the True. 1. They make it their Bufinefs to affault the weakest first. 2. They exprefs an extraordinary Industry in thofe Courses in which they engage themselves. 3. They apply themselves exactly to all Changes according to the Inftructions they receive from the Heads and Guides of the feveral Parties. 4. They are prone to the most fordid and bafeft Flatteries. 5. They make it their Bufinefs, according to the Stations they are in, to expofe God's lawful Ambaffadors, bis Ordinances, and the whole Scheme of Evangelical Religion, to the utmoft Contempt. The Duty of fober Chriftians, when their Souls are endanger'd by the Sophiftry of fuch falfe Teachers. 1. To embrace and adhere to the Law and Word of God, and that only. 2. To chufe and to hold faft that Truth, and thofe Means of Salvation

as

IV.

as they are laid before them in the unadulterated Word of God, ftedfaftly and without wavering. 3. That they would stand with the utmost Care upon their Guard, against all Seducers and Innovators, whether fuch as feparate from, or fuch as are yet in Communion with, that Branch of the Catholick Church which it in thefe Kingdoms.

Wration of the Fourth and laft Propofiti

E come at Length to the Confide

on laid down in the Beginning of these Dif courfes to be treated of; and it was this;

FOURTHLY,That it is an unquestionable Evidence,that a Man is a found and understanding Believer, if he diftinguishes well between Seducers or falfe Teachers, and the lawful Minifters of God's Word, and confequently carefully avoids the one, but reverences and obeys the other.

And here we find the great Neceffity there is of Wisdom or true Prudence in a Chriftian. Where there are a thousand By-ways, it requires a great deal of Judgment to find out which is the right Way, and with an unalterable Refolution to perfift in it. Wit and Brisknefs of Fancy are of very little Effect here: They may be made ufe of by true Wisdom and found Judgment, as Inftruments to affift the travelling Pilgrim; but of themselves they are too light and airy, apt to puff up fuch as have them, at an extravagant Rate, and ge

nerally

« FöregåendeFortsätt »