for two or three days together out of any plain road, and many times over hedge and ditch, I cannot but think it ftrange, that, in a civil and well inhabited country, there fhould be no highways from one part of it to another; yet thus far I fubmit to him, though not without fome regret and impatience. But then, if after this, for two or three days more, he lead me directly fouth, and with my face full upon the fun at noon-day, and at last bring me back again to Dover pier, and still bids me follow him; then certainly no modesty does oblige a man not to difpute with his guide; and to tell him, furely that can be no way, because it is fea. Now, though he fet never fo bold a face upon the matter, and tell me with all the gravity and authority in the world, that it is not the fea, but dry land, under the species and appearance of water, and that, whatever my eyes tell me, having once committed myself to his guidance, I must not truft my own fenfes in the cafe, it being one of the most dangerous forts of infidelity for a man to believe his own eyes, rather than his faithful and infallible guide: all this moves me not; but I begin to expoftulate roundly with him, and to let him understand, that, if I must not believe. what I fee, he is like to be of no farther ufe to me; becaufe I fhall not be able, at this rate, to know whether I have a guide, and whether I follow him or not. In fhort, I tell him plainly, that when I took him for my guide, I did not take him to tell me the difference between north and fouth, between a hedge and a highway, between fea and dry land; all this I knew before, as well' as he or any man elfe could tell me but I took him to conduct and direct me the nearest way to York. And therefore, after all his impertinent talk, after all his mo tives of credibility to perfuade me to believe him, and all his confident fayings, which he gravely calls demonftrations, I ftand ftiffly upon the fhore, and leave my learned and reverend guide to take his own courfe, and to difpofe of himself as he pleaseth; but firmly refolved not to follow him. And is any man to be blamed that breaks with his guide upon thefe terms?

And this is truly the cafe, when a man commits himfelf to the guidance of any perfon or church. If, by virtue of this authority, they will needs perfuade me out of

my

369 my fenfes, and not to believe what I fee, but what they fay; that virtue is vice, and vice virtue, if they declare them to be fo; and that, because they fay they are infallible, I am to receive all their dictates for oracles, though never fo evidently falfe and abfurd in the judgement of all mankind: in this cafe, there is no way to be rid of thefe unreasonable people, but to defire of them, since one kindness deferves another, and all contradictions are alike easy to be believed, that they would be pleased to believe that infidelity is faith; and that, when I absolutely renounce their authority, I do yield a most perfect fubmiflion and obedience to it.

Upon the whole matter, all the revelations of God, as well as the laws of men, go upon this prefumption, that men are not stark fools, but that they will confider their intereft, and have fome regard to the great concernment of their eternal falvation. And this is as much to fecure men from mistake in matters of belief, as God hath afforded to keep men from fin in matters of practice. He hath made no effectual and infallible provision, that men fhall not fin; and yet it would puzzle any man to give a good reason, why God fhould take more care to fecure men against errors in belief, than against sin and wickedness in their lives.

I fhall now only draw three or four inferences from this difcourfe which I have made, and so conclude.

1. That it is every man's duty who hath ability and capacity for it, to endeavour to understand the grounds of his religion. For to try doctrines, is to inquire into the grounds and reasons of them; which the better any man understands, the more firmly he will be established in the truth, and be the more refolute in the day of trial, and the better able to withstand the arts and affaults of cunning adverfaries, and the fierce ftorms of perfecution. And, on the contrary, that man will foon be moved from his steadfastnefs, who never examined the grounds and reafons of his belief. When it comes to the trial, he that hath but little to fay for his religion, will probably neither do nor fuffer much for it.

2. That all doctrines are vehemently to be fufpected which decline trial, and are so loth to be brought into the light; which will not endure a fair examination, but ma

gisterially

gifterially require an implicit faith: whereas truth is bold, and full of courage, and loves to appear openly; and is fo fecure and confident of her own ftrength, as to offer herself to the feverest trial and examination. But to deny all liberty of inquiry and judgement in matters of religion, is the greatest injury and difparagement to truth that can be; and a tacit acknowledgement, that fhe lies under fome difadvantage, and that there is lefs to be faid for her than for error.

I have often wondered why the people in the church of Rome do not fufpect their teachers and guides to have fome ill defign upon them, when they do fo industriously debar them of the means of knowledge, and are so very loth to let them understand what it is that we have to fay against their religion. For can any thing in the world be more fufpicious, than to perfuade men to put out their eyes, upon promife that they will help them to a much better and more faithful guide? If any church, any profeffion of men, be unwilling their doctrines fhould be expofed to trial, it is a certain fign they know fomething by them that is faulty, and which will not endure the light. This is the account which our Saviour gives us in a like cafe. It was because mens deeds were evil; that they loved darkness rather than light: for every one that doth evil, hateth the light; neither cometh herto the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved: but he that doth the truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeft, that they are wrought in God.

3. Since reafon and Christianity allow this liberty to private perfons, to judge for themselves in matters of religion, we fhould use this privilege with much modesty and humility, with great fubmiffion and deference to our fpiritual rulers and guides, whom God hath appointed in his church. And there is very great need of this caution; fince, by experience, we find this liberty fo much abused by many, to the nourishing of pride and felf-conceit, of divifion and faction; and those who are leaft able to judge, to be frequently the most forward and confident, the moft peremptory and perverfe; and, inftead of demeaning themselves with the fubmiffion of learners, to affume to themselves the authority of judges, even in the most doubtful and disputable matters.

The

The tyranny of the Roman church over the minds and confciences of men is not to be juftified upon any account: but nothing puts fo plaufible a colour upon it, as the ill use that is too frequently made of this natural privilege, of mens judging for themselves in a matter of fo infinite concernment, as that of their eternal happiness. But then it is to be confidered, that the proper remedy in this cafe is not to deprive men of this privilege, but to use the best means to prevent the abuse of it: for though the inconveniencies arifing from the ill use of it may be very great, yet the mischief on the other hand is intolerable. Religion itself is liable to be abused to very bad purposes, and frequently is fo; but it is not therefore beft that there fhould be no religion: and yet this objection, if it be of any force, and be pursued home, is every whit as ftrong against religion itself, as against mens liberty of judging in matters of religion. Nay, I add farther, that no man can judiciously embrace the true religion, unless he be permitted to judge whether that which he embraces be the true religion or not.

4. When, upon due trial and examination, we are well fettled and established in our religion, let us bold faft the profeffion of our faith without wavering; and not be like children, toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, through the flight of men, and the cunning craftiness of thofe who lie in wait to deceive. And, above all, let us refolve to live according to the excellent rules and precepts of our holy religion; let us heartily obey that doctrine which we profefs to believe. We who enjoy the Proteftant religion, have all the means and advantages of understanding the will of God, free liberty, and full scope of inquiring into it, and informing ourselves concerning it. We have all the opportunities we can wifh of coming to the knowledge of our duty. The oracles of God lie open to us, and his law is conti nually before our eyes: His word is nigh unto us, in our mouths, and in our hearts, (that is, we may read it and meditate upon it) that we may do it. The key of knowledge is put into our hands; fo that, if we do not enter into the kingdom of heaven, it is we ourselves that shut ourfelves out. And where there is nothing to hinder us from the knowledge of our duty, there certainly nothing

can

can excufe us from the practice of it: for the end of all knowledge is, to direct men in their duty, and effectually to engage them to the performance of it. The great bu finefs of religion is, to make men truly good, and to teach them to live well. And, if religion have not this effect, it matters not of what church any man lifts and enters himself; for, most certainly, a bad man can be faved in none. Though a man know the right way to heaven never fo well, and be entered into it; yet if he will not walk therein, he shall never come thither: nay, it will be an aggravation of this man's unhappiness, that he was loft in the way to heaven, and perished in the very road to falvation." But if we will in good earnest apply ourselves to the practice of religion, and the obedience of God's holy laws, his grace will never be wanting to us to fo good a purpose.

;

I have not time to recommend religion to you at large, with all its advantages. I will comprise what I have to fay in a few words; and mind them at your peril. Let that which is our great concernment be our great care, to know the truth, and to do it to fear God, and-keep his commandments. Confidering the reafonableness and the reward of piety and virtue, nothing can be wifer. Confidering the mighty affistance of God's grace, which he is ready to afford us, and the unfpeakable fatisfaction. and delight which is to be had in the doing of our duty, nothing can be eafier: nothing will give us that pleasure while we live nothing can minister that true and folid comfort to us when we come to die. There is probably no fuch way for a man to be happy in this world; to be fure, there is no way but this to escape the intole rable and endless miferies of another world.

Now, God grant that we may all know and do, in this our day, the things that belong to our peace, for his mercies fake in Jefus Chrift: To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The end of the First Volume.