--and because thro' Sloth and blind Obedience Men exa

Y

“min'd not the Things they were taught; but like Beasts "of Burden patiently couch'd down, and indifferently un

"derwent whatever their Superiors laid upon them.

"And can we, fays Dr. Burnet, think without Astonish- Burnet's Serm

ment, that fuch Matters, as giving the Sacrament in leavened or unleavened Bread; or an Explication of the Pro"ceffion of the Holy Ghoft, whether it was from the Fa

ther and the Son, or from the Father by the Son; cou'd "have rent the Greek and Latin Churches fo violently one "from another, that the Latines, rather than affift the "other, look'd on till they were destroy'd by the Ottoman "Family?"

AND other Inftances he gives of fatal Disturbances from Difputes about Trifles; as the removing the Pictures of certain Bishops out of a Church occafion'd Image-Worfhip; for those who oppos'd their Removal, went so far as to maintain, that Pictures ought not only to be fet up. but worshipp'd; which caus'd not only great Disorders in the Eaft, but made Italy to revolt at the Pope's Infstigation: This Contest too begat another, Whether the Sacrament was only the Image, or the very Subftance of Chrift?

I might add, that the Difpute between the Lutherans and Calvinifts about the Sacrament, tho' it has created fuch fierce Animofities, is meerly verbal; fince both Sides are against any Change in the Elements, and both Sides maintain a real Presence of the Body of Christ.

I need not have gone to diftant Times and Places for Inftances, our own late Divifious and Perfecutions about fuch trifling Things, as Rites and Ceremonies, nay, Habits and Postures, wou'd in all likelyhood have ended in the utter Ruin both of Church and State, had not the blessed Revolution interpos'd.

T 2

Ann. 1681.

B. I

fo

B. I wou'd not have you treat what you call Poftures so ir reverently; ought not People to kneel at their Devotions? A. THE whole Christian World for many Ages thought Daillee of the not; and the Anti-Nicene Fathers, as well as the Council. Fathers, 1. 2 of Nice, forbad Kneeling on all Sundays, and all other Days 337. between Eafter and Whit-funday.

c. 6. p. 336,

In a Word, if thofe Sentiments must be true, which tend. moft to make Men love and honour God, by giving the brightest and noblest Ideas of his. Wisdom and Goodness ;* and which free him from the Imputation of Change and Inconftancy, and from impofing from Time to Time arbitrary Commands; and from Partiality and Refpect of Perfons ;what I have laid down must be true; and the contrary, not. only false, but impious: But however, fince this is a Point of the utmost Confequence, I fhall proceed to other Arguments, and fhew how inconfiftent it is with the Good of Mankind, to fuppofe any merely pofitive Things to be Part of the Ingredients which constitute True Religion.

CHA P..

The fuppofing Things meerly pofitive to be made the Ingredients of Religion, is inconfiftent with the Good of Mankind as well as the Honour of God.

T

HE Happiness of human Society, and of every particular Member confifting in the due Obfervation and Practice of Morality; whatever diverts, or difcourages That, muft be highly injurious: Now 'tis certain, that the Mind may be over-loaded as well as the Body; and the more it is taken up with the Obfervation of Things, which are not of a moral Nature, the less it will be able to attend to thofe that are; which requiring the Application of the whole Man, can never be rightly perform'd, while the Mind, by laying Stress on other Things, is diverted from attending on them; especially, if it be confi→ der'd, that Superftition, if once fuffer'd to mix with Reli gion, will always be gaining Ground: If Reafon is to be heard, no unneceffary Things will be admitted; but if it be not, where shall we stop? If People are once brought to believe fuch Things are good for any Thing, they will be apt to believe they are good for all Things; at least, Pretences will never be wanting for a thousand Things of this

Nature;

Nature; and there's nothing of this Kind that Men will not come into, if they are made to believe they carry any Merit with them: These they will be punctual in observing, in Hopes to atone for indulging themselves in their darling Vices; which they, not knowing how to leave, and yet willing to fecure their future Happiness, hope by the Help of fuch Expedients, to compound with Heaven; and then vainly imagine, they cannot have too many Things of this Nature; or fhew too great a Zeal for the Practice of them, when affur'd by their Priefts (who, as they fondly imagine, know the whole Counsel of God) that they are acceptable to the Deity; and tend to make him propitious to the religious Obfervers of them.

THE Banditti, and Bravoes moft religiously observe the Orders of their Church, about not eating Flesh, &c. and Instances of this Nature might be produc'd from the most immoral in all Churches; who, not fatisfy'd with practifing fuch Things themselves, think it highly meritorious to compel others to do the fame. And, indeed, the Subftance of Religion has been destroy'd in moft Places to make Room for Superftition, Immorality, and Perfecution; which last, when Men want Reason to support their Opinions, always fupplies its Place. And are there not even now, Numbers in the beft reform'd Churches, of the fame Chrift. Life Sentiments with thofe Dr. Scot complains of? "Who, be fays, c. 6. p. 376." perfuade themselves, that God is wonderfully concern'd

Vol. 1. P. 2

"about fmall Things, about trifling Opinions and indiffe"rent Actions, and the Rites and Modes, and Appendages " of Religion; and under this Perfuafion they hope to atone "for all the Immoralities of their Lives, by the Forms and "Outfides of Religion; by uncommanded Severities, and "affected Singularities; by contending for Opinions, and

ftick

ftickling for Parties; and being pragmatically zealous a"bout the Borders and Fringes of Religion. And,

I'm afraid 'tis but too true, as is observ'd in the Letters

concerning Inspiration; that " Men have thought it an Ho-Eng. Trandnour to be stil'd that which they call zealous Orthodox, P. 108.

6

"to be firmly link'd to a certain Party, to load Others with "Calumnies, and to damn by an absolute Authority the "reft of Mankind; but have taken no Care to demon"strate the Sincerity and Fervour of their Piety, by an ex"act Observation of the Gospel Morals; which has come

to pass by Reason that Orthodoxy agrees very well with "our Paffions; whereas the fevere Morals of the Gospel are incompatible with our Way of Living." And One: wou'd be apt to think, that Zeal for fpeculative Opinions, and Zeal for Morality were scarce confiftent, fhou'd he form his Judgment from what he fees most practis'd. "Moral Chrift. Life "Goodness, fays Dr. Scot, is the great Stamp and Impress "that renders Men current in the Efteem of God; where

as on the contrary, the common Brand by which Hypo"crites and falfe Pretenders to Religion are ftigmatiz'd, is "their being zealous for the Pofitives, and cold and indif "ferent as to the Morals of Religion.

P. 2. Vol. I.

c. I. P. 53.

Virtue & Me

"AND, in general, we find mere moral Principles of fuch Inq. concern. "Weight, that in our Dealings with Men, we are feldom rit, Treat. 4. "fatisfy'd by the fullest Affurance giv'n us of their Zeal in ↳ 1. p. 6. Religion, till we hear fomething further of their Charac"ter. If we are told a Man is religious, we ftill ask What are his Morals? But if we hear at firft that he has ho"nest moral Principles, and is a Man of natural Justice, "and good Temper, we feldom think of the other Quef"tion, Whether he be religious and devout ?

Ir