confining it's sense to this or that parti cular System of Metaphyfical Divinity which each Sect has formed to itself. Surely every party fhould grant to others. the fame liberty they take to themselves. If they will form explanations of their own, other people fhould not be blamed by them for doing the fame. And methinks All should agree in acknowledging as Brethren All who profess the Faith of Chrift crucified as it is revealed by God himself. The great defign of the Christian Religion is not to make men more skilful in Philofophy, or more fubtil in difputations but it is to make them more holy and more virtuous than they could be without it. I know very well that this way of speaking will give offence to fome Gentlemen who value themselves upon what they call Orthodoxy, and give out, with the highest affurance, that the very Being of Christianity depends upon their particular Syftem. But this pertinacious adherence to their own fchemes is what what hurts Chriftianity, by expofing it to the contempt of Infidels, and destroying that brotherly love and charity amongst Christians themselves, which is their greateft glory, and should be the certain mark and characteristic of their being the Difciples of Chrift indeed, a Virtue of more worth than all the Faith in the world, and without which, Faith will be fo far from ftanding us in ftead, that it will be the cause of our greater condemnation. O BUT, fome will fay, we fhould take care to fecure the FUNDAMENTALS of Christianity and have them believed.. But this is a word of no certain fignification. I will venture to affirm, that a Perfon who believes the Bible believes all the Articles of the Chriftian Revelation. But if we take the feveral Expofitions of thefe Articles which the feveral Sects of Chriftians give us as the Fundamentals of Chriftianity, where fhall we ftop! Every Abfurdity becomes a Fundamental: and the the twelve Articles, added to the Creed by Pope Pius the IVth, become, every one of them, as fundamental as the twelve Articles of the Apostles; and the belief of them enforced with the fame dreadful Anathemas. Happily for us there are no Difputes about the Practical Parts of Chrif tianity. All agree in acknowledging, that we fhould love the Lord our God with all our heart, and our Neighbor as ourfelves; that we fhould live foberly, righteoufly and godly in this world, that we fhould vifit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keep ourselves unspot-ted from the world, &c. These are the great ends of Religion; and all the fpeculative Doctrines of Christianity are only means to bring about thefe ends. But if instead of this, We regard these Means as the Ends themselves, or use them as the means to contrary ends, whatever may be our pretence, we pervert the defign of Christianity, we turn our backs to true. Religion, and run after a vain Phantom that that will lead us away from the plane and delightful paths of Love, Unity and Concord, into the inextricable and thorny Labyrinths of Variance, Hatred, and every evil work. IF Men would content themselves in being wife to Salvation, without defiring to penetrate into things which all acknowledge to be above our comprehenfion; or if they would fuffer others to acquiefce in what God Almighty hath been pleased to reveal of himself, then we should see Peace and Charity every where prevail, and our divine Religion become the happiness, the glory, and the univerfal Profeffion of the whole Earth. But alas! There is nothing that Chriftians lefs agree in than in understanding and pursuing their common Intereft. Every Sect is fo furprizingly fond of it's own System, that rather than give that up, they would facrifice the great Intereft of Christianity itself, which can only be advanced by giving Glory Glory to God in the higheft, and pro moting Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards meh. I cannot help wishing that our Governors would seriously confider the ftate of Religion in this Country. It is at present in a very declining condition; and I am perfuaded nothing will recover it but returning to it's first principles. The world was converted to Christianity by the holy Scriptures; and true Chriftianity can only be fupported by adhering to them, and to them alone. Every Addition, or Imposed Interpretation, weakens the authority of the Divine word by making human decifions equal to it. There is no way of defending the Chriftian Religion against the violent attacks that are made upon it, but by removing the many abfurd out-works which have at feveral times been raised by very unfkilful builders, and which have proved only Coverts and Retreats to it's affailing enemies. Cranmer in a fpeech in Convocation, the beginning of Edward the VIth's |