the end of fecular greatnefs and dominion, than any other church hath done the ends of true religion, the glory of God, and the falvation of the fouls of men ; 10 that there is hardly any doctrine or practice peculiar to that church, and differing from our common Chriftianity, but it hath a direct and vifible tendency to the promoting of fome worldly interest or other. For instance, why do they deny the people the holy fcriptures, and the fervice of God in a language which they can understand; but that by keeping them in ignorance, they may have them in more perfect flavery and fubjection to them? Why do they forbid their Priefts to marry, but that they may have no intereft diftinct from that of their church, and leave all to it when they dy? To what end is auricular confeffion, but to keep people in awe, by the knowledge of their fecrets? Why muft the laíty only receive the facrament in one kind, but to draw a greater reverence to the Priest, whofe privilege it fhall be to receive in both? And why is the intention of the Prieft neceffary to the efficacy of the facraments, but to perfuade the people, that notwithftanding the gracious intention of God toward mankind, they cannot be faved without the good-will of the Prieft? The doctrines of purgatory and indulgences, are a plain device to make their markets of the fins and fouls of men. I might inftance in a hundred things more in that church which are of the fame tendency. This St. John foretold fhould be the character of the fpirit of Antichrift, that it fhould be a worldly fpirit, and the doctrines of it fhould ferve a fecular intereft and defign, 1 John iv. 5. They are of the world, and they speak from the world, and the world hears them. What church is there in the world fo true throughout to the intereft of religion, as this worldly church hath been to its own fecular power and greatness? 2dly, The children of this world are wifer in the choice of means in order to their end; and this is a great part of wisdom. For fome means will bring about an end with lefs pains and difficulty, and expence of time than others. And the men of the world world are very ingenious in difcerning the fitness and force of means to their feveral ends. To what a certainty have men reduced all the ways and arts of gain, and growing rich, and of rifing to honour and preferment? What long trains will men lay to bring about their defired end? What fubtle methods have men devifed, to infinuate themselves into court; and when they are there, to plant themfelves in the eye of their Prince, and in the funfhine of his favour and then they have as many ways of worming others out, as of screwing themfelves in. But in the concernments of our fouls, and the affairs of another world, how dull and injudicious are we! And how aukwardly and untowardly do we apply means to ends, as if men were only wife to do evil, but to do good had no understanding, as the Prophet complains! By what incongruous and irregular means do many (who would feem to be, and fometimes perhaps are, very zealous in religion) endeavour (as they think) to promote God's glory, by pious frauds and counterfeit miracles, and telling officious lies for God? What a compafs do many men fetch to go to heaven, by innumerable devices of will-worfhip, by voluntary feverities, neither pleafing to God, nor profitable to men? By tedious pilgrimages and fenfelefs ceremonies, and innumerable little external obfervances, of no virtue or efficacy in religion; and by wandering through a wilderness of opinions, and the bushes and brakes of unprofitable queftions, and controverfies? whereas the way to heaven lies plain and ftraight before us, cónfifting in fimplicity of belief, and in holiness and innocency of life. Not but that there are great differences in the church.of Rome between the fecular Priefts and the regular, between the Janfenists and the Jefuits; but they ftill unite in a common intereft, and are fubject to Antichrift their common head. They do not feparate from one another, and excommunicate one another, and declare against one another, that they are not of the true church. Satan never cafts out Satan; and though he loves divifi divifions among Chriftians, yet he always takes care, that his own kingdom be not divided against itself, fo as to endanger the ruin of it. And whenever they have any hopeful defign for the extirpation of Proteftants, they can lay afide their enmities, and be reconciled in fuch a defign. Then the Pope and the Kings of the earth take counjel together, and like Herod and Pilate, when Chrift was to be crucified, can be made friends at a day's warning. Whereas the divifions of the true church are pernicious to it, and, as we fee at this day among ourselves, our fenfeless differences and wild heats on both fides, do contribute to the fetting up of Popery, and the ruin of the reformed religion; and yet no perfuafion, no experience can make us wifer. 3dly, The children of this world are commonly more diligent in the ufe of means for the obtaining of their end; they will fweat and toil, and take any pains, rife up early, and ly down late, and eat the bread of carefulness; their thoughts are continually running upon their bufinefs, and they catch at every opportunity of promoting it; they will pinch. nature and harafs it; and rob themselves of their reft, and all the comfort of their lives, to raise their fortune and eftate. What drudges were Cæfar and Alexander in the way of fame and ambition? How did they tire themfelves and others with long and tedious marches? To what incoveniencies and dangers did they expofe themfelves and thousands more? What havock and deftruction did they make in the world, that they might gain to themselves the empty title of conquerors of it? When the men of the world engage in any defign, how intent are they upon it and with what vigour do they profecute it? They do not counterfeit a diligence, and feem to be more ferious and induftrious than in truth they are; they are rather hypocrites the other way, and would conceal their covetoufnefs and ambition, and not feem to afpire after riches and honours fo much as indeed they do. VOL. VI. But But in the pursuit of better things, how cold and remifs are we? With what a careless indifference do most men mind their fouls? How negligent and formal, and many times hypocritical are they in the fervice of God, and the exercise of religion? With what a pitiful courage, and with what faint fpirits do they refift fin, and encounter the temptations of it? and how often, and how easily are they foiled and baffled by them! 4thly, The men of the world are more invincibly constant and pertinacious in the purfuit of earthly things; they are not to be bribed or taken off by favour or fair words; not to be daunted by difficul ties, or dafht out of countenance by the frowns and reproaches of men. Offer an ambitious man any thing fhort of his end and aim, to take him off from the profecution of it, he fcorns the motion, and thinks you go about to fool him out of his interest. Bait a covetous man with temptations of pleasure, to get his money from him, how generously will this mean-fpirited man trample upon pleasure, when it would tempt him from his defign of being rich? Difficulties do not daunt them, but whet their courage, and quicken their endeavours, and set a keener age upon their fpirits. Give an ambitious man almost a demonftration of the impoffibility of his attempts: contrà audentior ibit, he will go on fo much the more boldly and refolutely. In the ways of religion men are apt to be difcouraged, and put out of countenance by contempt and reproach; but a covetous man is not to be jeered and flurted out of his money and eftate; he can be content to be rich, and give leave to those that are not so, to laugh at him. Populus mihi fibilat, at mihi plaudo. The rich worldling can hug himself in his bags, when the world hiffeth at him; he can bear to be hated and perfecuted, and have all manner of evil fpoke against him for money fake: And in the pur fuits of these defigns, men will with great refolution encounter enmity and oppofition, and endure great fufferings and perfecution. How many have been martyrs to their lufts, and have facrificed their eafe and health, and even their lives, in the profecution of their ambitious, and covetous, and voluptuous defigns! But, on the other hand, how easily are men checked and diverted from a good courfe, by the temptations and advantages of this world; how many are cold in their zeal for religion, by the favour and friendship of this world? And as their goods and eftates have grown greater, their devotion hath grown lefs. How apt are they to be terrified at the apprehenfion of danger and fufferings; and by their fearful imaginations, to make them greater than they are, and with the people of Ifrael, to be disheartened from all further attempts of entering into the land of promife, because it is full of giants, and the fons of Anak? How easily was Peter frighted into the deni al of his Mafter? And when our Saviour was apprehended, how did his difciples forfake him, and By from him? And though they were conftant afterwards to the death, yet it was a great while before they were perfectly armed and fteeled against the fear of fuffering. 5thly, The men of the world will make all things ftoop and fubmit to that which is their great end and defign; their end rules them and governs them, and gives laws to all their actions; they will make an advantage of every thing, and if it will not ferve their end one way or other, they will have nothing to do with it. If an ambitious man feek wealth, it is but in order to his defign to purchase friends, and ftrengthen his intereft, and to make his rifing the easier; he will lay his whole eftate at the ftake, rather than mifs of his end. The covetous man will quit his pleafure, when it lies crofs to his intereft; if he have any expenfive luft and chargeable vice, he will turn it off, or exchange it for fome more frugal and profitable fin. X 2 But |