SERM. Jews againft Chrift, are ftill urged against the Chrif XVI. tian Church; I mean against that pure and reformed

part of it which is, by God's Bleffing, eftablished in thefe Realms. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? was the Queftion of the unbelieving Jews. Can there any good thing come out of Rome? Can a Church built out of the Ruins of Popery, and which retains so many of her needlefs Ceremonies, be a truly Apoftolick Church? is the Queftion of our Diffenting Brethren. On the other hand, it is argued with as much Warmth by the Romanifts, Can there any good thing come from the Spirit of the Reformers? Can Men of fuch Paffions and Resentments, who appear by their whole Conduct and Behaviour to have been acted either by Avarice or Revenge, be fuppofed to have intended the Good of Mens Souls; or to have had the Interefts of Religion at heart? Was not the Reformation accomplished with fuch Views and Motives, and upon fuch Principles of human Policy, as favour'd more of this World than the next? Now thefe and fuch like Queftions, whether they have any Foundation in Fact or no, are quite befide the Subject in dispute. The way to discover whether Jefus were the Meffiah, was to confider his Life and Actions, his Doctrines and his Miracles, and if they agreed with the Defcription given by Mofes and the Prophets, no matter in what City he was educated, nor what opprobrious Titles he might bear. So again, in our Difputes at present, if we would know whether the Religion profeffed in this Nation, be the Religion of Chrift, or no, we have nothing to do, but to confult our Bibles; and if it appears to be built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift bimfelf being the chief Corner-Stone, no matter by

what

what means the Reformation was effected, nor out SERM. of what Church we sprung.

XVI.

But it is the Fault of all Sects and Parties, that w they first conceive an ill Opinion of their Adversaries, and then refuse to hearken to their Arguments. It is pity, so good a Religion as ours fhould be taken up upon no better Grounds. But if we will harbour fuch Prejudices and Averfions, it is - more our Good-Fortune, than our Merit, that we are ever in the right. For upon the fame Grounds, that we embrace a right Religion, we might, if our Birth and Education had led us to it, as readily have embraced a wrong one. It is the Advice of the Apoftle to prove all things, and to hold fast that which is good. Inftead of that, we resolve to hold faft one thing, and reject all others, whether good or bad. Now what Virtue is there in fuch a Faith as this; or what can be pleaded in its behalf, that may not with as much reafon be urg'd against it? If People are not so candid and ingenuous, as to allow the Arguments of their Adversaries a fair Examination; in the firft Place, if they are in the wrong, it is plain they can never rectify their Error; and in the next Place, if they happen to be right, which is more than they can be sure they are, they will never be able to convince an Adversary ; because it will appear from their whole Conduct and Behaviour, that they are governed by mere Prejudice and Partiality.

But there is another very dangerous Prepoffeffion of this kind, which is taken, not against any Sect or Party, but against the Persons and Characters of Men. Now, when we happen to take fuch a Distaste to our Teachers, there cannot be a greater Hindrance to our Reformation. Had Nathaniel continued

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SERM, tinued in his firft Opinion, that nothing good could XVI. come out of Nazareth, all that our Saviour said, had been loft on him. This, I am afraid, is a very common Cafe. We first entertain an Averfion to the Perfon, and then the beft Advice is useless. And yet, if we would confider this Matter as we ought, the Blame would all fall upon ourselves. For allowing the Perfon who undertakes to teach me, to be a wicked and immoral Man (which is the worst Cafe that can be supposed) yet why may not I be the better for his Inftruction? He may very well understand his Duty, and know how to recommend it to others, though he has not the Grace to practife it. A Person that is serious and well-difpofed, will not confider the Man, but the Doctrine; and I am afraid it is more the Fault of the Hearer than the Speaker, when an earnest Exhortation to the Practice of our Duty does not meet with a suitable Effect. So again, with respect to the Preacher's Abilities; if I have not a great opinion of his Parts and Learning, yet fure I may afford him my Attention. I hope no body who undertakes to preach the Gospel, is unacquainted with the plain Duties of Christianity and if so, there is none fo ignorant but the wifeft of us may receive Benefit from his Advice. There are few who want to be taught their Duty fo much, as to be put in mind of it; and if the Importance of the Subject will not excite our Attention, all the Treafures of Eloquence will be thrown away upon us. They may perhaps make an Impreffion upon the Ear, but they will never have an Influence upon the Heart; fuch a one, at least, as will be permanent and lasting, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

But

who with

But there is a ftrange Revolution in the State ofSER M. Preaching, fince it was first introduced amongst us. XVI. It was intended for the Hearer's Benefit; and he was content, while the Hour-Glass was running, to give ear to the Phyfician of his Soul, great Freedom laid open his Maladies, and then prescribed a Method for the Cure of them. But we are now grown fuch Cafuifts in Divinity, that no body thinks he wants Inftruction. The Preacher is confidered as a Perfon, who, for the space of half an Hour, is obliged, for the Diverfion or Amusement of his Audience, to ftand the Mark of publick Cenfure. "Tis a great chance if any body is the better for him; and 'tis well if he preferves his. Character. The Truth is, we fit down to a Sermon as to an Entertainment, where, befide the fubftantial Duties of Religion, we expect fomething of the Garniture of Art; fome lofty Flight of Fancy, fome Beauty or Majesty of Expreffion, or fome surprising turn of Thought., If the Preacher has too juft a Senfe of what he is about, to gratify fuch itching Ears, we are fure nothing good can come from him; sơ we even employ our Thoughts fome other way, or compose ourselves very comfortably to fleep. Now I appeal to any fober and confiderate Perfon, whether People who come to Church with fuch Views and Expectations, are likely to be the better for Inftruction, and whether it be not more the Fault of themselves, than their Teachers, if they return no better Chriftians than they came.

But I am afraid this ugly Prejudice is fometimes carried further ftill, and falls upon the whole Order in general. Confidering the Opinion which fome People form, or would make us believe they form of our Order, I should think it no ftrange or surprising Question

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SERM.Queftion, Can there any good thing come from the
XVI. Priesthood? Can People, whose Business it is to teach

us, and who are maintained and supported for fo do-
ing, be supposed to have any other View in what
they tell us, but to fecure their own Interest and Ad-
vantage? We must in Charity fuppofe, that those
who make this Objection, do not in their Hearts al-
low the Force of it. Otherwise we may be tempted
to think, that they would not fcruple, if their Ne-
ceffities required it, to act fuch a part themselves.
However, if they do believe it in good earnest, they
certainly lie under the greatest Disadvantage, the
greatest Incapacity to receive Inftruction, that Igno-
rance and Prejudice can expose them to. But here,
I cannot but obferve how unreasonable it is, that
People who are fuch Advocates for the Liberty of
Thinking, and call fo loudly to have their own No-
tions confider'd, fhould condemn the Doctrines of a
whole Order of Men, without allowing them the
Favour of being heard. They have, doubtlefs, a
Right to judge for themselves, and to examine all
Arguments that are propofed to them, and it would
be well if they did it more than they do. But it is a
cruel and injurious abufe of that Liberty, first to caft
odious Reflexions upon the Name of their Adversa-
ries, and then call Religion, Artifice. This is the
Effect of downright Prejudice, and directly contrary
to that favourite Notion, which they themselves feem
fo forward to advance. But who foever attempts to
reform Mens Manners, will be fure to meet with Ene-
mies enough.
To what else can we impute that
Spirit of Cenfure and Oppofition, which the Ministers
of Chrift so often meet with, in the Discharge of
their facred Functions ? that Readiness to expose their
little Errors and Mifcarriages, and fometimes to tra-

duce