fedfaft in the Faith. A good Chriftian must be able to give fome more reafonable Account of his Faith than this, if ever he means to be fecurely firm in the Profeffion of it. His Creed muft be founded on fome better Authority, than a bare Credulity. And 'twill be a very ufelefs Plea at the last Day, that a Man believed as his Church believed, when he might have had the Opportunity of a better Information, fhould he chance by fo doing, to live and die in a damnable Herefy; unless he can render fome tolerable Account either wherefore his Church believed fo, or at least, wherefore it was that he fubmitted himself fo fervilely to her Authority.

But he that believes with Knowledge, because he is clearly and evidently perfwaded that it is the Truth, need never fear either the Danger or Imputation of fuch an Obftinacy, for his Firmness in adhering to his Faith. If, for Inftance, a Member of the Church of England reads in his Bible thofe exprefs Words of the Second Commandment, Thou shalt not make to thy felf any graven Image, nor the Likenefs of any Thing that is in Heaven above, &c. Thou Shalt not Bow down to it, nor Worship it: If he looks forward to the Hiftory of the New Teftament, and there in the Inftitution of the Bleffed Eucharift, fees thofe Words, Drink ye ALL of this, in as plain and legible Characters, as thofe others, Take and Eat; and thereupon refolves never to be prevailed upon, either to Bow down himself before an Image, or to give up his Right to the Cup, as well as to the Bread in that Holy Sacrament, whatever Gloffes may be made, or Pretences be used to induce him to either; 'tis evident that fuch a Firmness as this, cannot be called Obftinacy, unless these Scriptures be no longer the Word of God, or that no lon

G4

ger

Acts iv. 19.

ger a Principle of Scripture, that in Matters of plain and undoubted Command, we are to obey God rather than Man.

And in these and the like Inftances, where the Matter is clear, even to Demonstration, there is no Doubt to be made, but that fuch Knowledge will certainly fecure us against the Charge and Danger of Obftinacy. But because all Points in Debate are not thus Evident, but on the contrary, many are not a little obfcure; therefore for the fecuring our felves from Danger, in our Adherence to thefe too, we mult to our Knowledge add,

2dly, A fincere Zeal to difcover the Truth, with an affectionate Charity to thofe that differ from

us.

In fuch Cafes as this, though we must believe and profefs according to what appears to us at prefent to be the Truth; yet fince the Evidence is not fuch, as to exclude all Poffibility of our being miftaken, our Adherence to it must be qualified with this Referve, neither rafhly to cenfure those who are otherwife Minded, nor obftinately to refolve never to change our Opinion, if we fhould perhaps be hereafter convinced that we ought to do fo.

Now in order hereunto, it is not neceffary that a Man fhould either fluctuate in his prefent Faith, or not be firmly perfuaded that he hail never fee any Reafon to forfake it. It is fufficient to take off the Imputation of Obftinacy, that our Stedfaftness be fuch as not to exclude either a Readinefs of being better informed, if that be poilible; or of making, upon all Occafions, a ftrict and impartial Enquiry into the Grounds and Reafon of our Faith; or even of hearing freely whatever Objections can fairly be brought

brought against it. And all this with a fincere Defire, and ftedfaft Refolution to discover and embrace the Truth, wherefoever it lies; Whether it be that which we now fuppofe to be fo, or whether it shall be found to be on the contrary. fide. He who is thus difpofed in his Mind at all times to receive Inftruction, and never prefumes rafhly to condemn any one that is thus in like manner difpofed, however otherwise difagreeing in Opinion from him; need never fear that his firmnefs is any other than that Wife and Chriftian fedfaftnefs which our Text requires, not fuch an Obftinacy as both that and we most justly deteft and condemn.

But here then we must look to the other extreme, and take heed, left for fear of being perverfly conftant to our Faith, we fall into a weak and criminal Inftability. To prevent this, thefe three Things may be confidered:

It, That we carefully avoid all Unworthy Motives of changing our Religion.

2dly, That we be not too apt to entertain an ill Opinion of it.

3dly, That if any Arguments fhall at any time be brought againft it that may deferve our confidering; we then be fure to give Them that due and diligent Examination, that we ought to do.

Ift, He that will be ftedfaft in the Faith, muft above all Things take heed to arm himself against all unworthy Motives of changing his Religion.

It is very fad to confider what unchriftian Means are made ufe of by fome Perfons to propagate their Religion: And a Man need almoft no

other

other affurance that it cannot be from God, than to fee the Profeffors of it purfue fuch Methods for the promoting of its Intereft, as moft certainly never came down from above.

Thus, if a Man's Fortunes be mean, or his Ambition great; If Religion has not taken fo deep Root in his Soul as to enable him to overcome the Flatteries and Temptations of a prefent Intereft and Advantage, then there fhall not be wanting a Seducer prefently to fhew him, that he mu needs be out of the right Way, because it is not that which leads to Preferment. And 'tis great odds but a good Place, or an Honourable Title, will quickly appear a more infalible Mark of the true Church, than any that Scripture or Antiquity can furnish to the contrary.

If this will not do, and Intereft cannot prevail, then the other governing Paffion of our Minds, Mens Fears, are tried. Inftead of thefe Allurements, the Falfe Teacher now thunders out Hell and Damnation against us. Nothing but Curfes and Anathema's to be expected by us if we continue firm in our Faith. And it fhall be none of the Prophets nor his Churches Fault, if all the Horrors and Miseries of this prefent Life be not employ'd against us, in Charity, to prevent our falling into the Everlasting Punishments of the

next.

The Truth is, I am afhamed to recount what unworthy Means fome have not been afhamed to make use of to promote their Religion, and draw us away from our fted faftnefs. France and Savoy, Hungary and Germany; The Old World and the New, have all, and that but very lately been witneffes what ways it is that Popery has, and does,

and

and if ever it means effectually to prevail, muft take to propagate its interest:

---Animus meminisse horret, luctuq; refugit.

Now he that fhall be fo unhappy as to fuffer himself by any of these Motives, which a conftant Man might and ought to have overcome, to be feduced from the right Faith; he may deferve indeed to be pitied now, but I fear he will hardly be hereafter excused.

But it is not fufficient to fecure our felves against this Danger. He that will be conftant in his Religion, as he ought to be, must fee,

2dly, That he be not too apt to entertain an ill Opinion of it.

For if it be Obftinacy on the one hand, not to admit of any Conviction tho' never fo clear and reasonable; it is certainly a great Weakness on the other, to be affrighted at every shadow of an Argument, and to put it in the Power of every little Difputer to prejudice us against our Religion, because one who is its profeffed Enemy, rails against it, and pretends it is a very ill One.

He would, I believe, be thought a very credulous Perfon indeed, who fhould begin to stagger and fall into a trembling, tho' he faw himself upon plain and even Ground, because a bold and fanciful Man is very pofitive that 'tis a precipice. And doubtlefs that Man is no lefs to be pitied, that is frighted for fear he fhould be in the wrong, tho' he has the undoubted Authority of Scripture and Antiquity, nay, and even of Senfe and Reason too on his fide, as often as every Common place Trifler fhall think fit to run over his Divifion

upon