and his Patience, if not to excite his Zeal, and improve his Knowledge.

2. A fecond thing, required to this Docility, is, That a Man be free from Paffion.

This disturbs the Mind, and blinds the Reafon, and hinders many times the beft Doctrine from producing any fuitable Effects upon us.

Those who are fubject to the Command of their own Affections, judge more according to the Inclinations of them, than to the Dictates of right Reafon. He that efpouses a Party or Intereft, that loves an Opinion, and defires it fhould be true, eafily approves of whatsoever does but feem to make for it; and rejects, almost at all Adventures, whatfoever appears against it. How does the Hope and Defire of Honour, or Favour, or Fortune in the World, carry Men away to the vileft Things for the Profecution of it? And fo all the other Paffions of the Mind; whether it be Fear or Pleafure, or whatever elfe be the Affection that rules us; they hinder the Reafon from judging aright, and weighing impartially what is delivered to us; and 'tis great odds, but fuch an Auditor receives or condemns the DoEtrine of Chrift, not according as the Authority of Holy Scripture, and the Evidence of right Reafon require he fhould, but as his own Paffions and Inclinations prompt him to do.

3. A Third Thing required to Docility, is, That a Man be free from Prejudice.

He that will advance any Thing in the finding out of Truth, muft bring to it that Traveller's Indifference which the Heathen fo long fince recommended to the World: He must not defire it fhould lie on the one fide rather than the other, left his defire

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defire that it should, prompt him without just reafon to believe that it does.

And fo in Religion too: He that will make a right Judgment, what to Believe, or what to Practife, muft firft throw off all Prejudice in Favour of his own Opinion, or against any others; And refolve never to be fo tied up to any Point or Party, as not to be at all times ready impartially to examine whatfoever can reasonably be objected against either.

How far the want of this does at this Day divide the Church of Chrift, I would to God we had not too great reafon on all fides to Complain. There are many among us fo ftrangely engaged by falfe Principles to an ill Caufe, that 'tis in vain to offer them the cleareft Arguments to convince them.

If you bring them Scripture, 'tis true that must be heard, but then be it never fo plain they are not competent Fudges of the Meaning of it: And they durft not trust their own Interpretation to tell them, that Abraham begat Ifaac, if the Church fhould think fit to expound it otherwife. For fuch and fo plain are many of thofe Paffages that we alledge against them, to fhew their Corruptions in a great Part of thofe Things wherein they differ from us.

If you offer them Reason, as clear as the plainest Demonftration; why, that were well: But ftill Private Reafon may Err, and the Church cannot.

Convince them by their Senfes, which one would think fhould Convince any Body; Defire them to confult the Verdict of their own Eyes, and Mouths, and Nofes, and Feeling: 'Tis to no purpose, the Senfes may deceive them, but the Church cannot.

Thus have they fuffer'd themselves to be conjured into a Circle, out of which 'tis impoffible

ever

ever to Retrieve them. Senfe, Reafon, Scripture, All are of no force against this one Prejudice of their Churches Authority; though at the fame Time they know not either what the Church is to whom Chrift's Promifes are made, nor where to find it, nor what it has decided, nor wherefore they at all adventures attribute to their own the Title of the only true Church.

Such Hearers as thefe, are Unteachable and Un* profitable: And we ought certainly, by their Example, to beware of fuch an Indifpofition, as is able to lead Men into fo ftrange a Slavery; and make them believe they are never more in the Right, than when they have put themselves out of a Capacity of ever being fo upon any certain Grounds, and otherwife than by meer Chance.

4. A Fourth and laft Thing required to Docility, is a Freedom from Obftinacy,

This is an Indifpofition for the most part Confe quent upon that I the last mentioned, and fuch as whereever it is found, renders a Man utterly incompetent to receive any Benefit by the best Inftruction. It is called by St. Paul, vos donquC,

a reprobate Mind, a Mind void of Rom. i. 28. Fudgment. When Men refolve they

they will not be inftructed, but affect Ignorance; and either to keep up a Faction, or to ferve their prefent Interests, or to indulge themselves the more freely in their Sins, fiee both the means and the defire of Knowledge.

And this, or fomewhat like it, is again the Case of those of the other Communion. Who not content with the Prejudices I before-mentioned in favour of themselves and their own Opinions, do

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See Pontif. R.
Ordo ad re-

moreover engage their Profelytes by a moft Solemn Oath, never upon any Account, or by any Argument what fo ever, to be drawn out of thofe Errors in which they have engaged them.

concil. Hær.

Such then is the Nature, and these the Vices that are to be avoided by us, in order to the fecond Qualifications required in a Chriftian Auditor, viz. Docility.

3. The next I mention'd was, That he must be Diligent.

By which I mean, not only a carefulness to attend upon all the publick Means of Inftruction which God is pleafed to afford us; but yet much more, to apply thofe Means to a right and due End. To be fedulous and diligent in embracing the Opportunities of Hearing, is indeed very commendable, and the Duty of every Chriftian; but yet if his Diligence ftop here, he may for all that reap but little Benefit by all his Care. He that will be truly fedulous, as he ought to be, Let him,

ift, When he comes to thefe Holy Exercifes, be very careful that he attend with all his Soul to what his delivered; ; But efpecially if any Thing chance to be fpoken in which his Confcience tells him that he was either altogether Ignorant before, or not fufficiently inftructed in it.

A

2dly, When he has done this, Let him be careful to take the first Opportunity to retire within himself, and call to remembrance the Things that he has Heard: And either by writing, or fome other way, let him provide for the future Prefervation of it. But especially,

3dly,

3dly, Let him employ his utmoft Diligence in the Practice of what he Hears: Let him confider, that this is the great End to which all his Knowledge in the Mystery of Godliness is to be referr'd: And that without this, he, fhall become but the more inexcufable for all the reft; For

be who knows, his Mafter's Will, and Luke xii. 47. does it, shall be beaten with many Stripes.

It was for this that God fent his Son to Preach his Gospel to the World; And, 'tis for this, that we still are commiffioned by him to declare to you your Duty, and prefs you with the ftrongest Arguments, the Hopes and Terrors of Eternity, to be careful and fedulous in the performance of it. The End of Chriftianity was not to puff us up, but to Edify us: To make us Better rather than more Knowing, and more Knowing only that we may be Better. They are not the Hearers of the Word that fhall be juftified before God, but the Doers of it. It is but a half Diligence that carries Men to learn their Duty; He is the truly Sedulous Chriftian indeed, who both feeks with all earnestness to know what God requires of Him, and then as carefully endeavours to put it in Practice.

Now to this end, and to conclude all,

4thly, He that will Hear as he ought to do, muft to all these other Qualifications add his fervent Prayers to God for his Amftance.

It is not an eafy Matter to become a Perfect Chriftian: So high and excellent are the Precepts of the Gospel, and in many Things fo contrary to the Interefts and Inclinations of fenfual Men; that C 3 without