his Cenfures, as we may learn from the general Import of the Epiftle to the Galatians. It was an Error then to believe the Continuance of the obliging Nature of the Ceremonial Law: But if any one did believe otherwife; provided he kept his mistaken Faith only to himself, and did not trouble the Church of God with it, or break its Peace on any fuch Account, his Error, tho' an Error, would have no fatal Influence upon his future State. But if he who was in an Error himself, would be bufy in endeavouring to make Profelytes to that Error, and would lay any Weight upon his clofing with that Error, and would perfuade Men that the entertaining and practifing upon that erroneous Notion would conduce in a very extraordinary Manner to their Salvation; Such a Perfon, according to St. Paul's Judgment is accurfed,and his Errors accompanied with thofe unhappy Circumftances, are damnable.

This, as it fhews the Danger of those who are inftrumental to the perverting of others to Extremes; fo it inftructs us farther, viz. That if any, by the Mercy of Almighty God, do recover themfelves out of the Snare of the Devil, they are under the ftrongest Obliga tion in the World to endeavour by an induftricus Propagation of the Truth, to make the beft Amends they can to the Church of God, for that Scandal they may at any Times have given it by their former Mifcarriages. And indeed, we have no Inftances of Men truly reform'd from, their former Errors, whether in Faith or in Fractice, but who have approv'd themselves to the World this Way: For in

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deed, 'tis a particular Duty incumbent upon every penitent Chriftian to examine seriously where he has been moft guilty of tranfgreffing the Laws of God, and to evidence his Deteftation of his former Crimes by a more diligent Practice of the contrary Vertues. This then we expect with affured Confidence from those who now embrace the Communion of the Church of England, under its prefent Circumftances. And let but these and others reflect feriously upon what they have formerly heard on this Subject, and they'll find unanswerable Reafons for their Perfeverance in that Communion. If to enjoy God's Word preach'd in its original Purity; if to enjoy his Ordinances frequently and entirely, without Addition or Diminution; if to live under the Do&trine and Infpection of true and lawful Paftors, fent by God himself, as they are fent according to that Order originally prefcrib'd by himself to his Church; if to have a true Miniftry and true Ordinances be Privileges worth defiring, you have them: if they be worth preferving, your due Care to act according to the Means of Grace you enjoy, may preferve them. God will always blefs and profper that good Seed which is fown upon good Ground, and it will bring forth Fruit in Abundance. It is hard to determine whether a well-meaning People under the Guidance of an ufurping Ministry, or a lawful Miniftry with a difobedient People, be the more unhappy. Only the lawful Paftor, if he does his Duty, may fave himself, tho' he can't be inftrumental to fave those who hear him. The well-meaning People, at least such as we may Ee 2 cha

charitably fuppofe to mean well, may live under greater Aufterities than compleat and fincere Chriftians themfelves, and yet at laft may be eternally damn'd with their Teachers. It were an eafy Matter to prove this Truth by feveral Inftances from Scripture. But tho' it may found harfhly, it is plainly enough to be underftood without them by thofe who converfe much with the Word of God. I told you formerly who were falfe and Antichriftian Teachers; that they were fuch as preach'd without a lawful Commiffion, or fuch as having a lawful Commiffion, make use of it to introduce and promote false and Antichriftian Doctrines, of which we have some fatal Inftances at this Day. From all which I then inferr'd, and muft now re-enforce it, how dangerous it would be for you who are now in the Communion of the lawfully efta blish'd Church of England, to defert it either for the Church of Rome, or for any of the numerous Clans of Separatifts among our felves, all which Parties are engaged under one or other of the fore-named Circumftances. It is poffible, perhaps, for a Man to obtain eternal Life under the Conduct" of one who en deavours to propagate Falfhood, as those who were guided by the Scribes and Pharifees of old; but every one muft know, that it cannot be obtain❜d under them without a great deal of diftinguishing Wifdom and Difficulty: And no Man would run the Hazard, if he knew how to avoid it. For a Man to obtain the fame Happiness under the Management of a falfe Guide, or one who has no lawful Call to take upon him the Office of a Guide, is almost

almoft miraculous. It is like one of those Cures which our Saviour wrought without any vifible Means. Such Miracles may be done where any of the ordinary Means are wanting; but where the ordinary Means are to be had,thofe who expect any fuch Miracles tempt God, and delude themselves, and take abundance of Pains to be undone.

What I have known fome who have liv'd during the Time of their Health in a continual Diffatisfaction with the Church of England, leave as a Legacy to their deareft Friends when they come to lie upon their Death-Beds, viz." That they should make hafte to join with the Church of England, and always adhere fteadily to the Communion of it, for that they themselves after all their "former Doubts and Scruples, had found that ❤ Communion the most fatisfying to a depart

ing Soul" the fame Advice, were I now going to give up my great Account to my eternal Judge, as I quickly muft, would I give to you, and might found it almost upon the fame Ground: I'm fure upon one that's every whit as firm and found. It has been no fmall Part of my Bufinefs to enquire into the Principles and Reafons of the feveral contending Parties, and I have never yet been able to find any Rock fo ftrong as that which the Church of England, in contradiftinction to all other pretendedly religious Societies in thefe Kingdoms, builds upon, nor any Superftructure fo firm or regular, as what the has rais'd upon that excellent Foundation. And had I no other Argument to perfuade you to

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believe me in this Affertion; I think it fufficient at this Time to affirm that the violent and united Oppofition of all thofe Parties who are, in common Opinion, at fuch_mighty Odds among themselves, against the establish'd Church of England, is fo undoubted an Evidence of her being the only true Church of God in thefe Nations; as that, fince our Saviour's Time, there has been no clearer Proof of any National Church's having been a found Member of the Catholick Church, ever offer'd to the obferving World,

Had we, with the Church of Rome, deferted the written and undeceiving Word of God for unwritten and uncertain Traditions; or with our Separatifs, renounc'd the Discipline and Government of the truly antient Catholick and Apoftolick Church, or any Part of its Doctrine for Novelifm and Falfhood; had we, with the Generality of Diffenters, neglected the Reading of God's holy Word in publick, or condemn'd it with Papifts, we might juftly have incurr'd the fevereft Cenfures. But fince we appeal only to that infallible Tribunal of God's Word, as interpreted by thofe who liv'd nearest to our Saviour's Times; fince we have declared and fhall be always ready to ftand by,and make good our Declaration, that, what thing foever, which is or may be required by us, of thofe in our Communion, can be prov'd finful, by either the Word of God or indifputable Antiquity, fhall upon the Proof fairly made, be prefently laid afide, and be as freely condemn'd by our felves as by any of our Enemies, fince of a great many

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