If, by the bleffing of God upon our common endeavours to lead and to be led into all truth, I fhall be fo happy as to bring you to entertain the fame views of these things with myself, we shall rejoice together; and if, after all that I may be able to advance, you fhould ftill think differently from me, I truft you will, at least, be disposed to think with more candour of fome of your fellow-chriftians, who love the gofpel, and are zealous for its honour, though you may think them mistaken in their conceptions concerning it. Let me intreat you therefore, my brethren, to give me a patient and candid hearing. Attend, in the spirit of meeknefs, to what I fhall fay from the earneftness of my heart; and exercise the reason which God has given you upon this occasion, which is the nobleft on which it can be exercised, and for which you may, therefore, conclude, that it was principally given you.

1. OF THE USE OF REASON IN MATTERS OF

RELIGION.

BE not backward, or afraid, my brethren, to make use of your reason in matters of religion, or where the fcriptures are concerned. They both of them proceed from the fame God and Father of us all, who is the giver of every good and every perfect gift. They cannot, therefore, be contrary to one another, but must mutually illuftrate and enforce one another. Befides, how can we distinguish one scheme of

religion

religion from another, so as to give the preference to that which is the most deserving of it, but by the help of our reason and understanding? What would you yourselves fay to a mahometan, whom you would perfuade to abandon the impofture of Mahomet, and embrace christianity, but bid him ufe his reafon, and judge, by the help of it, of the manifeft difference between the two religions, and the great fuperiority of yours to his? Does not God himself appeal to the reason of man, when he condefcends to ask us, Whether his ways be not equal? Ezek. xviii. 29. Does not the apostle exhort us that, in understanding we be men? I Cor. xiv. 20. Are we not expressly commanded to prove all things, and then hold faft that which is good? I Theff. v. 21. Also when we are commanded to fearch the fcriptures, John v. 39. more must be meant than merely reading them, or receiving implicitly, the interpretations of others. Searching muft imply an earnest endeavour to find out for ourselves, and to understand the truths contained in the scriptures; and what faculty can we employ for this purpose, but that which is commonly called reafon, whereby we are capable of thinking, reflecting, comparing, and judging of things?

Diftruft, therefore, all those who decry human reafon, and who require you to abandon it, wherever religion is concerned. When once they have gained this point with you, they can lead you whither they please, and impose upon you every absurdity which A 2

their

their finifter views may make it expedient for them that you fhould embrace. A popish prieft would require nothing more than this, to make you believe the doctrine of tranfubftantiation, and that a man is infallible; or to perfuade you to commit the most flagrant wickedness, as a means of doing God fervice. For the first of these articles they do not fail to urge the words of fcripture, which exprefsly fay, concerning the bread that is ufed in the Lord's fupper, that it is the body of Chrift; Matt. xxvi. 6. and there is no poffibility of replying to them, but by appealing to reafon, as the neceffary and proper judge of the fenfe of fcripture. The papift, therefore, as might well be expected, is forward, on all occafions, to vilify human reason, and to require men to abandon it; but true proteftants will not part with it. It is by the help of reason, in conjunction with the fcriptures, that we guard ourieives again the grois delufions of the papists, who, after relinquishing reafon, have been made to believe a lie; and by the diligent and continued ufe of the fame power, let us endeavour to combat every remaining error, and trace out and reform every corruption of christianity, till we hold the pure truth as it is in Jefus, and obey it in the love thereof.

Do not think that, by recommending the use of reason, I am about to decry the scriptures. My appeal fhall be to both, upon every fubject on which I address you; and I think you cannot but fee that the plainest and most obvious fenfe of the fcriptures is in favour of thofe doctrines which are most agreeable to

realon.

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reafon. A good man will rejoice to see them thus go hand in hand, mutually illuftrating and enforcing one another.

II. OF THE POWER OF MAN TO DO THE WILL OF GOD.

ONE of the fubjects with respect to which I earneftly wish that you would attend to the voice of reafon and the scriptures, and with respect to which one mistake will be followed by many others, and mistakes of great confequence, is concerning the power of man to do the will of God. It is a favourite opinion with many teachers of religion, that men have naturally (or by that conftitution and frame which God their maker hath given them) no power at all to do any thing that is good, not even to think a good thought, much less actually to obey any of the commands of God; fo that, if men were left to themfelves, they could do nothing but fin, and must be under a neceffity of aggravating their condemnation, by every thought, word, and action of their lives. But, my brethren, how does this doctrine agree with the scriptures, and particularly with the manner in which the Divine Being conftantly expoftulates with the finful fons of men; as when he fays to the jews, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Wash ye, make you clean. Ceafe to do evil, learn to do well, &c. &c. &c. Ifa. i. 16.

Is it not plain from this, that it depends upon men themselves, whether they will repent and turn to God

or not? And how can it depend upon themselves, if they have not, naturally, a fufficient power to do it? You cannot think that God would command, and expect obedience, when he had not given power to obey; and much less that he would urge men to provide for their own fafety and happiness, when himfelf had put an effectual bar in the way of it.

Suppofe that any man's children were shut up in a building that was on fire, while he himself was without, and had the key; and that, inftead of opening the door, to favour their efcape, he fhould only call out to them to flee out of the place, in order to avoid inftant deftruction; and that, as the neceffary confequence of this, they should all perish in the flames before his eyes; what would you think of fuch a father? You would want words to exprefs your abhorrence of his cruelty; and yet in this very light do many chriftian divines reprefent the conduct of that God whofe tender mercies are over all his works, and who has folemnly declared, that he hath no pleasure in the death of a finner but rather that he would turn from his way and live. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. yea, who would bave all men to be faved. Tim. ii. 4.

The conduct of our merciful God and Father is certainly far different from this, and more agreeable to reafon and equity. If he defigned us to be accountable creatures, and treats us as fuch, we must have talents given us, which we may either improve, or mifimprove. If we be the subjects of his moral government,