. ■: ;• V, r ;;\»r . ':1'-»?(■'» I'/’.’. LIBRARY (The a logical ■ J e m i u a v y , PRINCETON, N. J. A IS o. Gets6j . A . BR 45 .B35 1816 Bampton lectures I * f # / * \ ■f 4 * ¥ • ■ * < 'l ✓ CHRISTIAN UNITY DOCTRINALLY AND HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED, IN * EIGHT SERMONS PREACHED BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, IN THE YEAR MDCCCXVI, AT THE LECTURE FOUNDED BY BY . ' / THE LATE REV. JOHN BAMPTON, M. A. CANON OF SALISBURY. JOHN HUME SPRY, M. A. VICAR OF HANBURY, STAFFORDSHIRE, AND MINISTER OF CHRIST CHURCH, BIRMINGHAM. OXFORD: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE AUTHOR. SOLD BY J. PARKER, OXFORD) MESSRS. RIV1NGTON, ST. PAUL’S CHURCH YARD) AND J. HATCHARD, PICCADILLY, LONDON. 1817. > # ' * ’i t V . , . . ■ ■ " n' > - , ' ■ ■' >\ ^ ■#*$§ $* •v Vi - - 1 ' i ;'-• 2 m 'U. -^OPtRTy 0^ P Ri H C E TON THEOLOGICAL # * 1 ^fr|»amf5v* v v *>, .V -■ , ■ : ■ -V ■: jj - ■ ■ -•> . • .! 1 ’ w •• , ' - . t - **# * •T 4 m . I 'vf V-? > 15 ‘VTHEGLQGH Tfcl. c\ . 4* SERMON I. John xvii. 20, 21. Neither pray I for these alone, hut for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou , Father , art in me , / m thee, that they also may be one in us. *i ■■ i i i» - i \ V t y No single precept could have recom¬ mended the duty of Unity so forcibly to the hearts and consciences of Christians, as this petition of their Saviour. The thoughts of the blessed Jesus, now ready to offer himself upon the cross, as a sacri¬ fice of atonement for mankind, were wholly occupied in providing for the welfare of those, whom he was about to leave. The last legacy he bequeathed to them, was a “ peace the last commandment he is¬ sued, that they should b “ love one an- a John xiv. 27- b John xv. 12. B l 2 SERMON I. “ otherthe last prayer he uttered on their behalf, that they might be “ one.” That this prayer should have been unavailing; and that man, for whose benefit it was pre¬ ferred, should have opposed obstacles, as yet insurmountable to its accomplishment; are facts, to which experience alone could have extorted our assent. Such however is the truth ; Christian unity has been hi¬ therto unattainable, because Christians would not be united; and the state of the world, from the Apostolic age to the pre¬ sent time, has constantly verified the me¬ lancholy prediction ol our Lord, that c he “ came not to give peace on earth, but ra- “ ther division.” It would be waste of time to prove, that this is no necessary result of Christianity ; for the very supposition would involve ab¬ surdity, if not blasphemy: it would infer, in direct opposition to the testimony of Scripture, aud the dictates of leason, that God is the author of confusion; it would represent the divine Founder of our holy c Luke xii. 51. SERMON I. 3 religion, praying for the peace and har¬ mony of those, among whom he had him¬ self sown the seeds of unavoidable discord and hostility. As well might it be main¬ tained that God loveth not righteousness, because Christianity does not make all its professors holy; or that he hath d “ pleasure “ in the death of him that dieth,” because e “ many shall seek to enter” into the gate that leadeth unto life, “ and shall not be “ able.” We know that it was the will of Jesus Christ, that his Disciples should dwell together in unity; his exhortations, his commandments, and above all the earnest prayer of which the text forms a part, all prove this. But Omnipotence itself is li¬ mited by its own enactments ; and f when God created man a free agent, and an ac¬ countable being, he resigned all control over his conduct subversive of that free¬ dom, and inconsistent with that responsi¬ bility. Where therefore his own eternal interests are concerned, man has it in his Ezek. xviii. 32. e Luke xiii. 24., f See Note I. Appendix. B 2 4 SERMON I. power to defeat the purposes of God; and such is the fatal perverseness of his nature, that this power is too often exerted to the ruin of his own soul and those of his bre¬ thren. When then Christians are s “ con- “ tentious” and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness; h “ when they go in “ the way of Cain,” and, instead of loving as brethren, ‘ “ bite and devour one an- “ other,” and cherish k “ bitter envying and “ strife in their heartsit is not because Christianity has not taught them unity and mutual love, but because they refuse to listen to its precepts; because they are Christians in name only, and have not yet learned what our Saviour meant, when he prayed that all who believed on him, through the word of his Apostles, might “ be one, “ even as he is one with his Father.” Much indeed has been written to little pract ical advantage on the subject of Chris¬ tian unity ; and some have been most 1 en¬ thusiastic in its praises, whose conduct g Rom. ii. 8. i Gal. v. 15. 1 See Note II. Appendix. h Jude 11. k James iii. 14. SERMON I. 5 has been in many respects hostile to that peace, which they have extolled. Charity forbids us to believe, that these persons, many of whom were famous in their gene¬ ration, conspicuous for ardent zeal, and unaffected piety, were insincere in their professions; that they loved the strife which they promoted, or despised the unity which they were the unhappy instruments of de¬ stroying. But though it would ill become us to bring such a charge against them ; yet the too frequent contradiction exhibited between their writings and their actions sufficiently proves, that the real nature of Christian unity has sometimes been griev¬ ously mistaken; since those, who have professed themselves to be its warmest ad¬ vocates, and have been deficient neither in zeal nor ability to promote the cause they undertook to defend, appear in the result to have employed their talents, ra¬ ther in weakening than in giving strength to the foundations, upon which it must be built. This fact, which an appeal to the ecclesiastical history of our own country will establish upon authority not to be 6 SERMON I. shaken, will of itself justify the inquiry in¬ tended to be pursued in the present Lec¬ ture ; in which, as introductory to a more enlarged discussion of the important sub¬ ject of Christian unity, as it affects the character, the conduct, and the interests of our own Church, I shall endeavour to ex¬ plain generally the nature of that union, by which our blessed Lord prayed that his Disciples might be distinguished; and to shew, that its production and security formed one great purpose of the religion, which he came to establish. m The lan¬ guage of the text carries our ideas upon this subject as high as the human intellect can reach. “ Neither pray I for these “ alone, but for them also which shall believe “ on me through their word ; that they all “ may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, “ and I in thee, that they also may be one “ in us: that the world may believe that 66 thou hast sent me.” The model, then, by which the unity of Christians is to be fashioned, is perfect; they are to be one m See Note III. Appendix. SERMON I. 7 with each other, even as Christ is one with the Father. The copy of this model must of necessity bear the character of the ma¬ terial, of which it is composed; and when such an imperfect being as man is taught, in any particular, to imitate his Maker, the precept must be interpreted, with due allowances for the infinite disproportion be¬ tween God and his creatures. But although the unity of Christians can¬ not be equal in degree, still it should be si¬ milar in kind, to that which it is intended to resemble. And the duty of establishing and preserving it, is to be confined within no other limits, than those which the na¬ ture of man necessarily imposes on his ex¬ ertions. If every Christian would sincerely and constantly regulate his heart and his affec¬ tions, his opinions and his practice, by the precepts of the Gospel; doubtless a per¬ fection of unity, hitherto existing only in the imaginations of the benevolent and pious, might obtain among us. But while men continue to be actuated by prejudice and passion, rather than by motives of rea- B 4 8 SERMON I. son and duty; while religion itself is but partially obeyed by the best, and wholly disregarded by many, who profess their belief of its truth and obligation; such a state of things must rather be the object of our prayers and wishes, than of our expec¬ tations : it may be desired upon the earth, but it can be enjoyed only in heaven. Our Lord himself n “ knew what was in “ man he did not therefore trust to indi¬ vidual feelings, for the preservation of that bond, by which he intended his disciples to be connected: and if the object of his prayer is ever accomplished, it must be done, not by the mere impulse of benevo¬ lent sentiments; but by the association of Christians, upon the plan marked out for them by the Apostles, under his direction. But since many have taken very errone¬ ous views of this important subject, by confounding Christian unity with the dis¬ positions of mind, which every Christian ought to cultivate; it may be necessary to examine one or two mistaken notions of it, * John ii. 25. SERMON I. 9 before we proceed to inquire what are really its essentials. I. First, then, Christian unity is not merely a tie of mutual affection. ° That %/ we should “ love our neighbour as our- “ selves,” is indeed one great distinguish¬ ing precept of revealed religion ; and where true unity is preserved, the obligations of this precept will doubtless be most strongly felt: but the law, which binds us generally to do good to all, even to our enemies, must not be mistaken for that special bond of union, which connects us as Christian brethren. We mav cherish sentiments of good-will towards persons, whose opinions and conduct we are bound in conscience to oppose: but they who would be one with each other, as Christ Jesus is one with his Father, must P “be perfectly joined to- “ gether, in the same mind, and in the “ same judgment;” nay, more than this, they must <1 “ walk by the same rule,” and “ speak the same thing.” Christian unity ° Mark xii. 31. PI Cor. i. 10. *1 Phil. iii. 16. 1 Cor. i. 10. 10 SERMON I. in the true scriptural sense of the term, is undoubtedly the best preservative of Chris¬ tian benevolence ; for they who 1 “ have the same love/' who are “ of one ac- “ cord, and of one mind” upon religion; a subject so deeply involving all that can interest the passions and affections ; will be much more likely to s “ live in peace, than they who differ on a point of such im¬ portance. But though its evident tendency is to foster Christian benevolence, yet is the one by no means to be identified with the other : and they who make that tie, by which Christians should be united, to consist wholly in mutual kindness, forbear¬ ance, and good-will, are as defective, in their conception of the true principles of Church membership, as they are in their view of the nature of civil society, who re¬ solve all the duties of men, as citizens, and subjects, into a vague indefinite Philan¬ thropy. II. As Christian unity is not merely a union of hearts and affections, so neither r Phil. ii. 2. s 2 Cor. xiii. 11. SERMON I. 11 does it consist in, or require an entire union of opinion. We are indeed enjoined to be “ all of one mind and it was one distinguishing glory of the infant Church, for the short time that it presented a per¬ fect model of union, that the tc ‘ multitude “ of them that believed were of one heart “ and one soul.” But still, these words must be understood in a sober and qualified sense, or we shall destroy the possibility of unity, by making that essential to it, which never can be obtained. It is certainly essential to unity, that the fundamentals of Christianity be preserved inviolate. Reason itself seems to prove, that he who holds not the Christian Faith, 11 cannot with propriety be called a Chris¬ tian : for as the name was first invented to denote those, who believed that Jseus was the Christ; he who believes not the record which God gave of his Son, but doubts, or denies any of those characteristic doc¬ trines, by which this record is to be dis¬ cerned from all other systems of religion ; t Acts iv. 32. See Note IV. Appendix. u 12 SERMON I. can neither justly claim to be reckoned of their company, nor properly assume that title, which especially distinguishes them from the rest of mankind. The Scriptures also, as might be expect¬ ed, speak strongly and decidedly upon this subject. They teach us to x “ hold fast “ the form of sound words;” and to y “ stand “ fast in one Spirit, with one mind striving “ together for the faith of the Gospeland lest we should be seduced from these saving truths, they warn us to withdraw from all who z “ consent not to wholesome words, “ even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “ and the doctrine which is according to “ godliness;” and assure us, that even a “if “ an angel from heaven should preach any “ other Gospel unto us,” than that which the Apostles preached, he must “ be ac- “ cursed.” There are however many less important points of Christian doctrine, on which some variety of opinion may safely be allowed. For though the word of God * 2 Tim. i. 13. * 1 Tim. vi. 3, 5. y Phi!, i. 27. a Gal. i. 8. SERMON I. 13 is truth, and can admit of but one right interpretation ; still, as the minds of men are differently constituted ; as all have not the same opportunities of information, or the same abilities ; in matters of inferior moment, on subjects which are obscurely delivered, and therefore hard to be un¬ derstood, the b ignorant may err, and the learned differ, without a breach of unity. Nay, though such difficult questions should give rise to protracted controversy, the study and investigation thus promoted will tend to serve the cause of truth ; and provided the bounds of Christian modera¬ tion be not overpassed, neither the peace nor the unity of the Church can sustain a serious injury from the discussion. In our inquiries then into the nature of Christian unity, these cautions are to be observed; first, that we do not con¬ found it with that, which is generally, and should be always, its effect; as they seem to do, who resolve it into a mere union of affection: secondly, that we do not so mis- b See Note V. Appendix. 14 SERMON I. interpret the unanimity recommended by the Apostles, as to exclude even a shade of difference, upon the most trivial ques¬ tion ; and then imagine that unity cannot exist, where this unattainable harmony of opinions is not to be found. We may love our neighbours, and do them good, with¬ out living in religious unity with them; for such was the feeling and the conduct of the benevolent c Samaritan towards the wounded Jew: and we know that the unity of the Church is not violated by every disagreement in sentiment, respect¬ ing things indifferent, which may arise among its members; for St. Paul himself, as we learn from his directions to the d Ro¬ mans concerning meats, and the observ¬ ance of particular days, left such matters as these to the private conscience of each individual; restricting him only to such a maintenance of his opinion, as might be consistent with the peace of the Church, and the spiritual welfare of his brethren. c Luke x. 33. d Rom. xiv. SERMON I. 15 If we would form any correct idea of real Christian unity, we must go back to the first preaching of Christianity itself: we shall then discover, in what manner the disciples of Christ were originally one; and this will shew us, how we may preserve a similar union, not only with each other, but with the Catholic Church, of all ages, and in all countries. Through whatever channel our inqui¬ ries may be pursued, they will end in the same point at last; and the history of every Church, which existed for the first fifteen hundred years of Christianity, will conduct us to Jerusalem; and to that con¬ gregation of e one hundred and twenty per¬ sons, who met together, after our Lord’s ascension. This society, to which three thousand souls were shortly after added, by the f preaching of St. Peter on the day of Pente¬ cost, constituted the first Christian Church: and our Saviour himself bore testimony to its connection with him, as its head, by e Acts i. 15 f Acts ii. 41. 16 SERMON L •V sending the Comforter, to abide with it, according to his promise. From this Church the Apostles went forth, as the Spirit of God directed them ; and, in their separate provinces, erected other Churches, upon the same platform, and after the same model. Each of these soon comprehended within it many sepa¬ rate congregations, under rulers and go¬ vernors receiving their commission from Apostolic authority; and was distinguished by its appropriate appellation, as the g “ Church at Corinth;” the h “ Church at “ Antioch;” but all were known as one body, under the title of the 1 “ Church of “ Christ.” There was then, from the first, a com¬ mon bond of union, by which Christians, in every part of the world, were formed into one society. Each individual was a member of some particular congregation, under its own pastor; that congregation was connected with others in the same Church, by the superintending authority s 1 Cor. i. 2. h Acts xiii. I. Eph. v. 23. SERMON I. 17 ot one bishop; and all these episcopal Churches were subordinate to one head, even Jesus Christ; the Author of that faith, which they all professed; the Founder of that kingdom, of which they considered themselves to form a part; the Fountain of that spiritual power, k u by which the whole u body of the Church is governed.” Such is a brief summary of the infor¬ mation, to be gathered from the Scrip¬ tures, upon this subject. The Evangelist St. Luke records the labours of the Apo¬ stles, and particularly those of St. Paul and his associates, much of which he him¬ self personally witnessed: he describes them as travelling from city to city, and from province to province; preaching the Gos¬ pel; converting disciples; collecting them into societies; and ordaining ministers to rule over each, who were to be account¬ able to them for the discharge of their sa¬ cred office. To some of these societies, or churches, so constituted, the Epistles of St. Paul are addressed: and from them we k Collect for Good Frida) r . C 18 SERMON I. learn, not only the extent of the spiritual authority, which he himself, as the chosen apostle of Christ, felt justified in assuming; but also the form of government, which, in common with his fellow labourers, the other Apostles, he framed, and the means, which he provided for its perpetuity. All these churches then, wherever they were situated, had the same common ori¬ gin ; for they were built upon one foun¬ dation, by those k “ wise masterbuilders/’ who received their commission immedi¬ ately from Christ himself. This unity of 1 origin was deemed so essential to the cha¬ racter of a true Church, in the early ages of Christianity, that it is applied by the Fathers as a touchstone, by which the false pretensions of heretics to be so es¬ teemed might be at once discovered. “ Let them produce/' says m Tertullian, “ the origin of their churches; let them iC unfold the order of their bishops; so cc proceeding, by regular succession, from k l Cor. iii. 10. 1 See Note VI. Appendix. m See Note VII. Appendix. SERMON I. 19 cc the beginning, that their first bishop “ may be shewn to have been appointed, “ either by one of the Apostles, or by “ apostolical authority.” Unless this could be satisfactorily ascer¬ tained, they could not be deemed any part of Christ’s spiritual kingdom, because they “ were not governed by his delegated autho¬ rity : and where such a defect of origin existed, the n holy Father rightly judged, that it not only deprived them of all claim to be called churches of Christ; but also sufficiently accounted for their heretical depravations of his doctrine. He knew that the true qualities of a stream will best be discovered by tracing it to its source. The water indeed which issues from the Rock of ages may be so corrupted in its passage, as to lose its salutary virtues; but the casual impurities contracted in its course will at any time be removed by clearing the channel through which it flows: while no cleansing can ever purify the stream, which issues from a corrupted See Note VIII. Appendix. n 20 SERMON I. source ; nor render that the living water* which springs not from the well of life. The unity of the Church does not however depend merely on its common origin*-nor on its subordination to one supreme head. There must be some points* in which all its component parts agree; some things which all hold in common; and which ren¬ der them essentially and evidently one* though composed of different individuals* situated in different places* and existing at different times. Societies of Christians may be formed* upon any plan suggested by the imagination of their founders; and they may profess their obedience to the oU great Shepherd of the sheep but this will not entitle them to be considered as parts of that one holy Catholic Church, which he himself founded. None can be so considered* unless they not only can shew that they derive their origin from Apostolic authority ; but that they preserve inviolate whatever is essential to that holy and peculiar fellowship* by 0 Heb. xiii. 20. SERMON I. 21 which it was our Saviour’s will that all churches of the saints, in all ages, should be connected with each other, and sepa¬ rated from the world of the unbelievers. The true Church of Christ may be known, then, by the following character¬ istics ; each of which constitutes a part of that unity, which we are endeavouring to illustrate. 1. It must be built upon one common foundation, even Jesus Christ; for we are positively assured that P “ other foundation “ can no man lay, than that is laid :” and in another place it is declared, that the Church is q “ built upon the foundation “ of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus “ Christ being the chief corner stone.” And as the foundation of every part of it must be the same, so ought the superstruc¬ ture to be similar. God is not a r God of confusion, but of order: since there¬ fore the Church is called, s “ the house of God;” and since we are taught to be- P 1 Cor. iii. 11. 3 Eph. ii. 20. r 1 Cor. xiv. 33. s Heb. iii. 6. C 3 6 ( 22 SERMON I. lieve, that it is 1 “ a building fitly framed “ together in Christ/’ that it may become “ a holy temple unto the Lord /’ we must believe, that the plan of the divine archi¬ tect is uniform; and that this Church, wherever it is builded according to his di¬ rections, will present the same appearance, the same perfect symmetry, and due pro¬ portion of all its parts to one another, ac¬ cording to their dignity and use. Wherever then a part of the true Church exists, there we reasonably expect to find that form of government which the Apo¬ stles established; for since it is a spiritual society, instituted by God, who originally set in it the different orders of men by whom it was to be ruled; where that con¬ stitution is not to be found ; where Chris¬ tians are united together by any code of laws, or system of government, of mere human invention ; there may indeed be an association of men serving God, and pro¬ fessing to believe in Christ; but can we say without a solecism that there is a Christian Church ? * Eph. ii. 21, 22. SERMON L 23 2. u Another characteristic of the Church of Christ is, that it holds one common system of faith and worship; that where¬ soever dispersed throughout the whole world, its members agree in believing those doctrines, which Jesus Christ and his Apostles taught; and in observing a mode of publicly serving God, in all its leading features essentially the same. Every Na¬ tional Church is indeed possessed of power and authority to decree rites and ceremo¬ nies for the use of its members; and is restrained in the exercise of that power by no other tie, than the apostolic injunction, that, x “ all things should be done decently “ and in order.” But there are certain essentials of Christian worship, which the Supreme Head of the Church has himself ordained; the observance of which is therefore every where indispensable. Undoubtedly we should not call that a Christian Church, where the two sacra¬ ments, which Christ himself ordained as means of grace, and pledges of his favour u See Note IX. Appendix. x 1 Cor. xiv. 40. 24 SERMON I. and assistance, were either entirely ex¬ cluded from the public devotions of its members, or not duly administered. Such then are the y marks by which every true Church of Christ must be distinguished: where these marks are found, there is a portion of the spiritual kingdom of the Lord our Redeemer established; and by z virtue of these, the whole body of Christ is to be accounted one; however dispersed throughout the world, however locally di¬ vided into national churches, into archie- piscopal provinces, or into episcopal dio¬ ceses, and parochial districts; however also the several national, or provincial churches of which it is composed may be distin¬ guished from each other by their own pe¬ culiar observances; by differences in that part of their ritual, which is of human au¬ thority only; or in the interpretation of such opinions, as do not affect the fun¬ damental doctrines of Christianity. The Church thus constituted derives its origin y See Note X. Appendix. z See Note XI. Appendix. SERMON I. 25 from one common source : it is built upon the same foundation, and after one uni¬ form model: it is subject to the same form of government, administered' by persons to whom the commission, by which they act, has been regularly handed down from the Apostles: it addresses its prayers to the same God and Father of all, relying upon the merits and mediation of one Sa¬ viour, the God incarnate, for their accept¬ ance : it professes therefore one common faith, it is solaced by one common hope, and participates in those sacraments, which bind all its members by the same condi¬ tions, and under the same penalties, to ho¬ liness of life and conversation; to love God with all their hearts, and their neighbour as themselves. If we consider the effect, which the Christian Church, framed upon such prin¬ ciples, and adhering steadfastly to its own constitution, must have produced upon the conduct and affections of mankind, wherever it was established ; it will be ea¬ sily perceived, that when our Saviour prayed, that his Disciples might be one, 26 SERMON I. he neglected nothing which could be de¬ vised, consistently with the freedom of hu¬ man will, to secure the object of his peti¬ tion. For what can be a conceived more like¬ ly to promote peace on earth, than a spiri¬ tual association, which, at once indepen¬ dent of all human institutions, and inter¬ woven with them, should by degrees per¬ vade every region of the globe ; and offer to persons of all nations, characters, and habits, the same objects of faith and hope, the same motives to moral action?—an association which, while it acknowledged its dependence upon one supreme head, its origin from one common fountain, its ob¬ ligation to obey the same code of laws, should be connected by an external system of discipline essentially one ; and ruled by governors, deriving their authority from the same source, and responsible for their administration of it to the same Lord ? What could tend more forcibly to che¬ rish sentiments of good-will among men, a See Note XII. Appendix. SERMON I. 27 than a common bond of union, by which all Christians, of every country, should be taught to consider each other as brethren, and to love each other as themselves ? How could men have despised those, whom they knew to be partakers in the same spiritual privileges in which they gloried, to be walking by the same rule, bound by the same duties, animated by the same hopes, worshipping the same God? How could any Christian have vexed or persecuted those, for whose sakes, as well as for his own, he acknowledged that his Saviour had died; those whom he expected hereafter to meet at the tribunal of an impartial judge; and with whom, if they both ad¬ hered with equal steadiness to their com¬ mon engagements, he hoped to live for ever in heaven ? To the mind of a reflecting person, who has embraced Christianity, not as a nomi¬ nal distinction only, or as a mere specu¬ lative system of doctrine, but as his reli¬ gion; as the rule by which he is to walk in this life, and be judged in the next; any one of these considerations would appear 28 SERMON I. sufficient to induce him to cultivate that b “ peace of God/’ which the external ties of Christian unity were intended to pre¬ serve, and which is indeed the very spirit of unity itself. Still, though the obligation to maintain this c “ unity of the Spirit in tc the bond of peace” is thus undoubted, all those inducements have not yet proved strong enough to effect its accomplishment. Where the Lord of the vineyard has sowed wheat, the enemy has contrived to scatter tares; and so artfully has the work of disorder and destruction been carried on, that every motive to charity has been made an occasion of dissension ; the graci¬ ous plan, which was intended to secure the interchange of brotherly love and kindness between every individual, and every con¬ gregation of Christians throughout the world, has become itself the subject of controversy, and the cause of division; and the fiercest contentions have arisen out of the discussion of those very essentials of unity, which were ordained to be the ties of mutual harmony and peace. So far has the b Phil. iv. 7. c Eph. iv. 3. SERMON I. 29 evil proceeded, that the true nature of Christian unity has been lost sight of; men have disputed about the different compo¬ nent parts of the common bond of Chris¬ tians, till its character, as a whole, has been forgotten; and the subject itself has been deemed rather matter of speculation, than of practical utility. The golden chain, by which the great Author and Finisher of our faith intended to connect every indi¬ vidual who bore his name with each other, and with himself, has been removed, link by link, until what remains of it is wholly incompetent to the purpose, for which it was framed; while the very persons, who, with fretful impatience, have cast away the bonds of their Master and Lord, as if con¬ scious of the necessity and importance of the union thus rashly dissolved, have en¬ deavoured ineffectually to supply its place by inventions of their own. t The miserable inefficiency of these ef¬ forts fully proves the vanity and the dan¬ ger of interfering with the ordinances of God: they have hitherto produced no¬ thing, but a mixture without concord; a 30 SERMON L combination, without harmony; a seeming agreement, without a single point of real union. The utmost which has been ef¬ fected, has amounted only to a short-lived dissimulation of cherished antipathies; a cloak of friendship, assumed to conceal opinions, views, and interests never tOvbe reconciled ; which those, whom some tem¬ porary object induces to suppress for the moment, appear to compromise, only that they may be able ultimately to enforce them, with increased authority. If this be Christian unity, how shall the earnest prayer of Christ be accomplished by its establishment? or wherein will his Church have attained to that singleness of views and interests, of principles and affections, of nature and of essence, which must have been the object of its Divine founder, when he intreated, that, as he was one with his Father, and his Father with him, even so all his disciples might be one also. The question may be left to answer itself. But since the great adversary of our holy reli¬ gion has so far prevailed, as to introduce dissension under the semblance of unity, SERMON I. 31 and mutual disagreement under that of peace; it becomes us to be aware of his devices, prepared to resist them, and, if it please God, to check their progress. This cannot be effectually done, until we have obtained a clear view of that entire system of harmony and love, which our Lord himself intended to establish ; that we may distinguish the spurious union, which it becomes every one, in his own place and station, strenuously to combat, from that genuine blessing, which should be the ob¬ ject of our earnest wishes, our continual pursuit. For this purpose, the following Dis¬ courses will be devoted to an inquiry into the essentials of Christian unity ; the causes which have operated to interrupt it; and the circumstances which have hitherto counteracted every project jor its restora¬ tion. For the more perspicuous and satisfac¬ tory conduct of this investigation, it is in¬ tended, 1. First, to state the means provided by our Saviour for the maintenance of unity, 32 SERMON I. by the institution of the Christian priest¬ hood ; to which holy order, as constituted by the Apostles, has the government of the Church been intrusted. 2. Secondly, it is proposed to inquire, how far an agreement in certain doctrines, and a conformity to particular modes of worship, are to be considered as necessary to the preservation of unity ; the former as the way by which Christians are c “ builded together, upon the foundation of the “ Apostles and Prophets, for an habitation Ci of God through the Spiritthe latter, as it ensures to every member of the Church that great privilege of his high calling, a participation in the ordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost; and conduces to that order and decency, which ought to characterize the devotions of a Christian congregation. 3. The essentials of Christian unity thus ascertained, the inquiry will be directed, in the third place, to the principal causes of that disunion, so long and so unhappily prevailing among those, who profess to be servants of the same Lord. c Eph. ii. 20, 22. SERMON I. 33 4. The principles and conduct, by which our own Church has been distinguished in times of trouble and discord, will next pass under consideration; with a view to shew, that, far from having caused, or perpetu¬ ated the offences, which have so long dis¬ turbed her tranquillity, their prevention or removal have been the objects of her continual endeavour, her earnest solici¬ tude. 5. The different attempts to heal the breaches of Christian unity, which have been made, either by individuals, or by associations formed for that purpose, will then be traced ; that the injurious conse¬ quences, which have resulted from these ineffectual exertions, may be clearly per¬ ceived. 6. Lastly. The discouraging reflections, which such a review of former mistakes and disappointments is calculated to awaken, will be best allayed, by turning our thoughts to that great consummation, which the language of Scripture appears to justify us in expecting; when the crooked shall at last be made straight, and the rough places D 34 SERMON 1. plain; when the truth of Christianity shall prevail over every effort, made by the spi¬ rit of error and delusion; and the c peace of God shall rule in the hearts of his servants, and make them all one in Christ Jesus. And as it becomes us, while we console ourselves by looking forward to this joyful period, to endeavour, by every means in our power, to hasten its arrival; some reflec¬ tions upon the duty of Christians in these days of confusion and disorder; upon the remedies, which they have it in their own power to apply to them, the dispositions, which they should cherish, and the rule by which they should walk in such dangerous 4imes, will form a proper conclusion to the whole inquiry. The subject, which it is thus proposed to discuss, has been under¬ taken, with a deep and anxious sense of its difficulties and importance ; with no inten¬ tion of widening breaches, which all must wish to close; or of irritating feelings, al¬ ready much too sensitive ; but with a sin- SERMON I. 35 cere desire of recalling, if possible, the heated and distracted minds of Christians to a sober consideration of their common interest and duty ; and of laying before the younger part of this congregation such a view of that real unity, which our Lord in¬ tended to establish, as may guard them against the dangerous errors, by which some perhaps of its most conscientious ad¬ vocates have been hitherto misled. Many fallacious descriptions of this bless¬ ed state are indeed abroad in the world ; descriptions but too well calculated to blind the judgment, while they gain upon the affections; and to make the most benevo¬ lent feelings, and the most pious inten¬ tions, the instruments of disorganization and confusion. Many projects, plausible and attractive in their appearance, are continually recommended, and ardently supported, for the professed purpose of softening the acrimony of religious dissen¬ sion, and uniting the affections of Chris¬ tians. Experience however has fully proved, that while some of these are inefficient, others are more dangerous in their tendency D 2 36 SERMON L to the interests of pure religion, even than the discord, which it is their object to re¬ move. But the devices, which the good providence of God has formerly brought to nothing, are still again resorted to, and in a more insinuating and seductive A form. If those therefore, on whom the important charge of defending the vine¬ yard of the Lord is hereafter to devolve, would be prepared to detect, expose, and defeat such attempts, they must learn wisdom from the experience of former times of trouble and conflict; that being fully instructed in the dangers, to which the Church has repeatedly been exposed, by the attacks of open enemies, or the insidious exertions of pretended friends, they may be enabled to e “ mark those “ who cause divisions/’ whatever may be their pretext, and to “ avoid themand that knowing what real unity is, they may seek it, as the greatest of temporal bless¬ ings ; as the best preparation for that heavenly state, where charity, the leading e Rom. xvi. 17. SERMON I. 3 7 grace of Christianity, shall reign trium¬ phant in every heart; when faith is ab¬ sorbed in vision, and hope is swallowed up in enjoyment. SERMON II. Eph. iv. 11, 12. And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. It is impossible to read this plain state¬ ment without perceiving, that our Lord Jesus Christ intended his disciples to be formed into a society, under rulers and go¬ vernors appointed by himself; for they are expressly called “ the body of Christ;” and the several a officers, by whose ministration they were to be u edified” and “ per- “ fected,” are said to have been “ given by “ him.” The Apostle does not indeed here enu¬ merate the different orders of the priest- * See Note XIII. Appendix. D 4 40 SERMON II. hood, as we find them afterwards establish¬ ed ; because it was not his object to in¬ struct the Ephesians in the particular form of ecclesiastical government ordained by Christ; but to convince them that it was their duty to maintain the b “ unity of the “ Spirit in the bond of peace/’ And this he does, by shewing them that they were members of a society, expressly instituted for the preservation of unity; and for that reason provided by its divine Founder with ministers of different ranks, and separate duties; each of whom in his station was to labour for the peace and good order of the Church; and to lead its members, by de¬ grees, to that perfection of knowledge and practice, which he afterwards calls c “ the “ measure of the stature of the fulness of “ Christ.” The text therefore, speaking of the Church as a visible society framed by Christ; and declaring that they who bear rule in it, officiate by virtue of a com¬ mission received from him; naturally di- b Eph. iv. 3. c Eph. ir. 13. SERMON II. 41 rects our thoughts to that subject, which it is the design of the present discourse to illustrate. If the Church be a visible so¬ ciety, it must have a visible form of go¬ vernment ; that form of government must be administered by certain fixed and lawful authorities; and to that government every man, who continues a member of the so¬ ciety, is bound to conform; and to obey the power, by which it is administered. These propositions are assumed as the basis of the whole argument; and they lead us to inquire, what was the form of Church government which our Saviour in¬ stituted ; and who were the rulers appoint¬ ed by him to uphold its authority. That no doubt might remain in the mind of Christians, as to the nature of that Church into which they were ad¬ mitted, it is spoken of in the Scriptures under various names, which all illustrate the same truth; that it is a spiritual incor¬ poration, of which Christ is the head. It is called the d “ kingdom of heaven,” the Matt. xiii. 11. r 42 SERMON II. i e (( dominion of Christ/’ the f “ city,’ r the g “ house/’ and the h “ household of “ God every one of these terms conveys the idea of association, and declares the head or governor of this society to be the Lord Christ. To distinguish it however from mere temporal governments, all of which may in some sense be called the kingdom of God, since he ruleth over all; and to con¬ vince us that the sovereignty of Christ over his Church is of a more specific and par¬ ticular kind, than the superintendance of God’s providence over secular kingdoms ; we are told in the text, and in other parts of Scripture, that the Church is 1 “ the “ body of Christ,” k united to him, and under his influence, as the natural body is joined to the head, and directed by it; and that by virtue of our admittance into it, we are all become 1 members of this one body, and are therefore bound to obey him, and to love one another. e Dan. vii. 14. f Heb. xii. 22. S Heb. x. 21. h Eph. ii. 19. 1 Eph. i 23. Col. i. 24. k See Note XIV. Appendix. 1 Rom. xii. 5. SERMON II. 43 The Church then, being a spiritual so¬ ciety, taken out of the world, yet existing in it; intimately connected with the tem¬ poral governments of the nations in which it is planted, yet in its spiritual character independent of them all; it was necessary for its 1 preservation, that it should possess a form of government of its own, binding all its members together by a common rule of obedience, and training them in the du¬ ties of their new profession. Government is indeed m essential to the very being of a society; without it men may congregate, but they cannot associate; the constitution to which they submit is the bond which unites them; and when this is dissolved, they are reduced again to the state of un¬ connected individuals. This constitution was also necessary for the defence of the Church against external enemies, as well as for the maintenance of its internal peace and security. It is to be remembered, that this spiritual kingdom 1 See Note XV. Appendix. m See Note XVI. Appendix. 44 SERMON II. existed for three hundred years after the resurrection of its divine Founder, not only unsupported and unprotected by any tem¬ poral authority, but in defiance of all hu¬ man power, which was exerted in vain to resist its influence, and effect its destruc¬ tion. In those days of trial and persecution, Christians, wherever dispersed throughout the world, formed but n one body, under one head; professing the same faith; bound by the same laws; obeying rulers si¬ milar in office, authority, and appointment: and this it was which enabled the Church to flourish and increase, notwithstanding all the fury and malice of its enemies. Had the kingdom been occ divided against itself,” it must have been “ brought to desola- “tion;” its union was its strength; and the principal bond of this union, was obe¬ dience to a common form of government, administered by officers appointed by, and responsible to, the same sovereign Lord. The necessity of this constitution, as the safeguard of the Church, will still further 11 See Note XVII. Appendix. 0 Matt. xii. 25. SERMON II. 45 appear, when we consider, that it was not composed of a few individuals only ; hold¬ ing their meetings in a small confined dis¬ trict, and possessing a power of immediate communication with each other upon every emergency : but that, even at this early period, it had extended itself throughout the then known world; that its p con¬ gregations were to be found in every pro¬ vince, and in every city ; that its members were confined to no one rank or order of men, but abounded in all; that they pleaded in the courts of justice, and fought in the armies of the nations, who were leagued for their destruction ; that they were conspicuous among the high and the low; that they partook in the delibera¬ tions of the senator, and the gains of the merchant; that they inhabited the palaces of the rich, as well as the cottages of the poor; so that an eloquent p apologist scru¬ pled not to affirm, that, if the Christians were to withdraw themselves into deserts from the dominion of their persecutors, P See Note XVIII. Appendix. 9 See Note XIX. Appendix. 46 SERMON II. the Romans would want subjects to go¬ vern, and the empire would reckon more enemies than citizens. What then could have preserved this body, so widely dispersed, and composed of materials so various; what could have connected the noble, with his slave; the % learned and elegant Greek, with the unlet¬ tered barbarian; the conqueror and the vanquished, by ties which no human force could dissolve; but the powerful operation of conscientious adherence to one common system of spiritual discipline and subordi¬ nation ? As the Church could not have main¬ tained its ground against external attacks, had not a common form of government, universally acknowledged, reverenced, and obeyed by its members, given it that com¬ pactness and solidity, that community of interest and affection, requisite to sustain it under the discouraging circumstances of its first establishment; so neither could it have escaped the evils of internal r discord; r See Note XX. Appendix. SERMON II. 4 7 evils at any time to be deplored, as weak¬ ening its influence, and undermining its authority; but, in its then infant state, necessarily fatal to its very existence. The abilities and inclinations, the views and interests of men are so different, that mutual independence must, almost of ne¬ cessity, produce mutual dissension: and had not the Apostles been enabled to de¬ legate to successors the power they them¬ selves possessed ; and to frame a system of government, of perpetual duration and authority; the Church could not, humanly speaking, have survived its original rulers. For as s when there was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes; so no sooner would the power of enforcing submission to some legal govern¬ ment have ceased, than the Christian society must have been dissolved; and the Christian faith, without some extra¬ ordinary interposition of Providence, must have perished with it; for every one being left free to think, as well as to act for s Judges xvii. 6. 48 SERMON II. himself, the religious opinions of men would have speedily become as various and dis¬ cordant, as their dispositions and infor¬ mation. But that we may not seem to build upon mere abstract reasoning, when proofs of a more direct and convincing nature are within our reach; let us examine the evi¬ dence afforded by the language of Scrip¬ ture, in support of the positions which it is our object to illustrate and confirm. That the Church, from the first, pos¬ sessed a form of government of its own, in its origin and its object independent of the civil institutions of the countries, in which it existed, is a matter of fact; to be proved, as all facts are, by reference to authentic history. That this form of go¬ vernment was originally established under divine direction, and that it was adminis¬ tered by persons, whom Christ himself au¬ thorised to exercise it; that these persons, acting under the same guidance, appointed their assistants and successors in the mi¬ nistry, expressly enjoining them to conse¬ crate others, by whom the power they SERMON II. 49 possessed might be handed down from age to age; are truths, respecting which the declarations of the inspired writings are explicit and decisive. So that we may confidently affirm, that the evidence of that divine commission, by virtue of which the holy office of the priesthood is now exercised in the Christian Church, is at least as complete and satisfactory as that, on which we are contented to receive any historical fact whatever; inasmuch as the authenticity of the holy Scriptures rests upon authority more unquestionable per¬ haps than that of any mere human com¬ position. It will not be denied, that the Apostles themselves were invested with plenary power, before they entered upon the du¬ ties of their high office. ta As the Father “ hath sent me,” said our Saviour, “ even “ so send I you; and when he had said “ this, he breathed on them, and saith “ unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: “ whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remit- i John xx. 21, 22, 23. E 50 SERMON II. “ tecl unto them ; and whosesoever sins ye “ retain, they are retained.” No form of words can be conceived capable of impressing our minds with a higher idea ot apostolic authority than this commission, which constitutes them, not only the pastors and teachers, but the lawgivers and judges of that Church, which they were to found. Should it be objected, that this commission was merely personal, and that it ceased with the lives of those, on whom it was bestow¬ ed ; it may be answered, that we have the same "evidence to prove the continuance of the commission to the successors of the Apostles, as to substantiate the fact of its having been originally granted to them. For he, who is the source of all power, and from whom alone, whatever is done by the governors of the Church derives its sanction, expressly declared, that the au¬ thority, with which the ministers of his word were invested, was not temporary, but permanent; that it was not granted to See Note XXL Appendix. u 51 SERMON II. the Apostles only, to enable them to build the Church, but to their successors also, throughout all ages, that they might up¬ hold and preserve the edifice entrusted to their care. x “ Lo I am with you alvvay, “ even unto the y end of the world/’ From these facts, which are recorded in the Scriptures, and which seem necessa¬ rily to imply that which other historical testimony confirms, we infer, that the Apostles, in the exercise of the power thus vested in them, instituted that ecclesias¬ tical polity, which was maintained in the Church, without interruption, until the period of the Reformation; and is, even now, preserved unimpaired, in the greater part of the Christian world. We are told by the evangelist, that after our Saviour’s z “ passion, he shewed him- 6 ‘ self alive to his Apostles by many infal¬ lible proofs; and continued with them “ forty days, speaking of the things per- “ taining to the kingdom of God.” That x Matt, xxviii. 20. y See Note XXII. Appendix. z Acts i. 3. 52 SERMON II. by the 66 kingdom of God” we are here to understand the visible association of Chi is- tians for religious purposes, under a go¬ vernment divinely appointed, may leason- ably be a presumed ; and the subsequent conduct of those, to whom these discourses were addressed, will furnish us with the best criterion, by which to judge of their subject and intent. . When then we know, that the Lord Jesus held many conversations with his Apostles relative to the economy of his kingdom ; and are also certain, that, in all which related to the due discharge of their office, as the founders and first rulers of this kingdom, they acted under the espe¬ cial influence of the Holy Spirit, sent by him to guide them into all truth ; we can¬ not hesitate to believe, that the order of government, which they solemnly appoint¬ ed, and strictly enjoined their successors to continue, was of divine institution, and was intended to be of perpetual use in the Church. a See Note XX11I. Appendix. SERMON II. 53 The power exercised by the Apostles themselves is easily to be collected from their own acts, as recorded by St. Luke, and from the Epistles of St. Paul. Therein we learn, that they took cognizance of the opinions and practice of their disciples ; b forbidding them to exercise some civil rights, as contrary to their c Christian duty; punishing them by spiritual censures, and by exclusion from spiritual privileges, for offences against the d moral law; and by similar penalties coercing those, who made c “ shipwreck of their faith,” and blasphem¬ ed the worthy name by which they were called. In addition to this judicial authority, they performed all the offices of the priest¬ hood ; preaching, baptizing, administering the Lord’s Supper, and f offering up the common devotions of the disciples in their public congregations. And they also assumed certain peculiar powers, which none but their own order b See Note XXIV. Appendix. c 1 Cor. vi. 1. d 1 Cor. v. 5. e 1 Tim. i. 19, 20. f See Note XXV. Appendix. 54 SERMON II. were allowed to exercise: they only could lay hands upon baptized persons, to f con¬ firm them in possession of the privileges of Christianity ; and they only could ? or¬ dain ministers to officiate in the Christian priesthood. Such, exclusive of all especial gifts and graces, was their ordinary authority, as rulers in the Church of Christ; and this authority we know that they commit¬ ted to others, who were to act as their successors. They were to h ordain elders, to preside over them, and take care that they taught no other doctrine than the 1 truth; they were to superintend the pub¬ lic k service; to be examples to the be¬ lievers 1 ; to be themselves teachers, and preachers of the word m ; and to maintain their supremacy over the elders and dea¬ cons, against all who presumed to n gainsay or despise its exercise. In a word, it is impossible to read the f Acts viii. 14. s Acts xiv. 23. h 1 Tim. v. 22. 2 Tim. ii. 2. Tit. i. 5. i 1 Tim. i. 3. . k 1 Tim. ii. 1. l 1 Tim. iv. 12. m 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2. Tit. ii. 1. n 1 Tim. iv. 12. Tit. ii. 15. SERMON II. 55 two Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy, and that to Titus, without acknowledging, that they were admitted by him to a full parti¬ cipation in his own authority; that the power of ° ordination was committed ex¬ clusively to them, in the churches over which they were appointed to preside; and that all the members of these churches, whether laity or clergy, were placed under their government; and made responsible to them for their religious conduct. Though we have not the same infallible testimony of Scripture respecting the practice of the Apostles in the other churches which they planted, we could not have doubted, that' they all pursued the same rule, even had history been silent upon the subject. Rut this is not the case. We have abundant p authority for asserting, that they left their successors every where established; and that, from that period to the present, the same distinction of office, and spiritual power, has been regularly 0 See Note XXVI. Appendix. P See Note XXVII. Appendix. E 4 56 SERMON I. preserved, which now is maintained in our own excellent Church. Such then being the evidence by which the fact is supported, that what is now called the episcopal form of Church go¬ vernment was originally of apostolic insti¬ tution, and has been regularly derived to us from its founders; it is of little conse¬ quence by what name the successors of the Apostles, in their peculiar powers of ordination and supremacy, were distin¬ guished. It may be allowed, that the title, by which they are at present known, is not exclusively appropriated to them in the Scriptures; although it is certain, that by this title they were designated in the age immediately succeeding. Granting however thus much, what do we concede ? Our Saviour himself is men¬ tioned by the sacred writers under many different appellations: he is called the q Messiah, the r Redeemer, the s Saviour, 9 John i. 41. r Isaiah lxiii. 16’. s 2 Pet. iii. 18. et passim. SERMON II. 57 the tHead, the 11 King, the x Lord, the > High Priest, the z Bishop, the a Deacon. Yet this variety of titles has never caused any confusion among Christians, with re¬ spect to the real nature of his office. The Apostles are styled b presbyters and "dea¬ cons; yet we readily understand that their office in the Church was essentially dif¬ ferent from that of the presbyters and dea¬ cons, properly so called. It must indeed be confessed, that the d controversy, which has been built upon the promiscuous use of these several names in Scripture, did not originate from any real difficulty of distinguishing the different orders in the Christian priesthood. The unvarying prac¬ tice of the whole Church for so many centuries sufficiently proves, that this dis¬ tinction was well defined, and universallv understood. But when the unhappy cir¬ cumstances, under which the Reformation * Ephes. i. 22. u 1 Tim. vi. 15. x 1 Tim. vi. 15. et passim. y Heb. iv. 14. z 1 Pet. ii. 25. a R 0 m. xv. 8, b 1 Pet. v. 1. c 2 Cor. iii. 6. Ephes. iii. 7* d See Note XXVIII. Appendix. 58 SERMON II. was accomplished in foreign countries, had induced, perhaps compelled, some of its leaders, to depart from the original consti¬ tution of the Church; their immediate successors, influenced by implicit venera¬ tion for their character to adhere to the innovations which they had introduced, as well as the reforms which they had ef¬ fected, were tempted to borrow arguments for the justification of their conduct, from the indifferent use of these titles, in the days of the Apostles. There is not however, it may be confi¬ dently affirmed, any historical fact, ca¬ pable of more complete authentication than this; that the Apostles appointed a superior order of men in the Church, to whom alone, among other peculiar pri¬ vileges, was committed the power of con¬ tinuing their own succession, and that of the other members of the priesthood. The distinction of the office is, as we have seen, strongly marked in their own writings; and in the age immediately suc¬ ceeding, when many of the churches still remained under the superintendance of SERMON II. 59 those set over them by the Apostles them¬ selves ; and almost all were under the di¬ rection of persons, who had either known these holy men, or had been brought up at the feet of their disciples ; this distinction was not only recognized, but e insisted upon in the most forcible terms, as essen¬ tial to the very being of the Church. Are we then to believe, that the Apostles erred in framing this constitution for the Church, and enjoining its continuance? or that their successors imposed a form of govern¬ ment of their own invention upon the whole body of Christians, as that which the Apostles established ? or shall we suppose, that an hierarchy, confessedly of apostolic origin, received as such by the whole Church for fifteen hundred years, and considered as essential, not only to its welfare, but to its very existence, as a divinely constituted society, ceased on a sudden to be neces¬ sary, and even became pernicious, super¬ stitious, and abominable in his sight, under whose especial direction it was originally formed ? e See Note XXIX. Appendix, 60 SERMON II. The first of these suppositions requires no refutation: and until it can be f proved, that some congregation of Christians in the first century publicly protested against the usurpation of those, who claimed their spi¬ ritual obedience, and who attempted to impose upon them, as an apostolic institu¬ tion, an episcopacy, which the Apostles never ordained; we may assume it as an undoubted fact, that no such usurpation ever took place, no such imposition was ever practised. Nor, thirdly, can it be admitted, that any change has since been made, which has invalidated the authority, or destroyed the necessity of episcopacy. The very persons, who first believed themselves compelled, for a time, to dis¬ pense with it, maintained no such opinion. On the contrary, they s lamented it as a serious, though, as they conceived, an un¬ avoidable evil; declaring, in the most ex¬ plicit terms, their reverence for the episco- f See Note XXX. Appendix. 5 See Note XXXI. Appendix. SERMON II. 61 pal order, and their anxiety to abide by any conditions, short of a sinful departure from the faith of Christ, under which it might be retained. How far the reasons, by which these illustrious men justified their conduct, were well founded, it is now unnecessary to inquire; but that they were actuated by an ardent zeal for the truth of Christi¬ anity cannot be questioned; for they cheer¬ fully hazarded their lives in its defence. It is certain that the difficulties, which op¬ posed their endeavours to preserve the dis¬ cipline as well as the faith of the Church, according to the primitive model, were very great; and, though they failed to re¬ move them, we have no reason to doubt that they were sincere in their wishes and attempts to succeed: nay, the very earnest¬ ness with which they pleaded the insuper¬ able necessity of their situation, as their apology for setting up a new form of eccle¬ siastical polity, will sufficiently prove, that they admitted the authority of that govern¬ ment, which the Church, until then, had universally received. G2 SERMON II. It must not however he hastily 1 con¬ ceded, that the excuse, which they pleaded for departing from the primitive model, may justify their successors in adhering to novel institutions, when similar obstacles no longer interposed to prevent their re¬ turn to episcopacy. If this continued rejection of the apo¬ stolic regimen be defended at all, it must be upon very different grounds. But this is a question, which it belongs not to our pre¬ sent subject to discuss : undoubtedly many allowances are to be made for habits of thought, and prejudices of education ; and it will be our wisdom, as well as our duty, to leave the decision of such matters to that Being, who k 6C searcheth the hearts” of men. He alone knoweth how far ig¬ norance is so invincible, or prejudices are so strong and sincere, as to be warrantably alleged in defence of a departure from his positive institutions. It is however im¬ portant to remark, that this unhappy devi¬ ation from the apostolic form of Church > &t‘e Note XXXII. Appendix. k Horn. viii. 27. SERMON II. 63 government has afforded demonstrative proof of the utility, nay of the necessity of that government, as an instrument of unity. For it is an indisputable fact, that here- sies and schisms have grievously 1 increased since that period; and that they have abounded no where so much, and so fa¬ tally, as among those, who have thrown off the salutary superintendance of that hierarchy, originally appointed “ for the “ perfecting of the saints, for the work of u the ministry, for the edifying of the body “ of Christ.” There was, we know, a period in our own national history, when the persevering efforts of a designing and powerful faction in the State, co-operating with religious prejudices and animosities, and perhaps too much assisted by the ill digested and vacillating measures of a weak, though well meaning government, had succeeded in shaking the pillars both of Church and State to their very foundations. Even a slight acquaintance with the 1 See Note XXXIII. Appendix. / 64 SERMON II. events of these distracted times will point out the danger of removing the salutary restraints of established forms and consti¬ tuted authority; and will sufficiently prove to us, that Christian unity cannot long be preserved, when the Christian priesthood is rejected. They who assume a right to consecrate their own priests, will soon fol¬ low the example of m Mi call theEphraimite yet one step farther, and make their own religion. The busy spirit of innovation, and the bold restlessness of speculation, can only be effectually checked by an ha¬ bitual reverence for long established ordi¬ nances and legitimate power: and as they who have chosen their own civil rulers have generally obeyed them no longer than their prejudices were flattered, or some temporary and sinister purposes promoted by the mock submission; so they who appoint their own religious teachers will never scruple to withdraw themselves from their ministry, when it ceases to be accept¬ able to their capricious humour; and thus a door will be opened, for the introduction ra Judges xvii. 5. SERMON II. 65 of every species of will-worship, until the faith once delivered to the saints is wholly lost, amidst the wild ravings of enthusiastic fancy, or the subtle refinements of an in- 1 novating philosophy. To prevent this evil, to preserve and to extend the confession of the true faith, to do the work of the ministry, to perfect the Christian world in the knowledge and the practice of their duty, and to edify the Church, which is his body, did our Lord, at the first, “give some, apostles; and “ some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; “ and some, pastors and teachers;” ap¬ pointing unto each his peculiar office; that n “ by the effectual working of every “ part,” all might be taught to “ speak “ the truth in love,” and grow up by degrees ° “ unto the measure of the “ sta¬ ture of the fulness of Christ.” But where the plan, which he in wisdom or¬ dained for the government of his Church, is despised, and men vainly undertake to new model his kingdom; there will neces¬ sarily follow confusion, and every evil wor k : “ E P he s. iv. 16. 15. O Ephes. iv. 13. F 66 SERMON II. the Gospel will be at the mercy of every intruder, who fancies himself qualified to interpret it; and the unlearned and igno¬ rant, who must necessarily constitute the larger portion ol every community, whe¬ ther civil or religious, will be P 64 as chil- tc dren, tossed to and fro, and canied about 46 with every wind of doctrine, by the 44 sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, 44 whereby they he in wait to deceive. Far be it however from us to inculcate the necessity of a blind submission to in¬ fallible guides. The Church of England makes no pretence herself to such infalli¬ bility ; she requires no such submission. Her priesthood is composed of men, who, far from presuming to lord it over God's heritage, are well aware that they also arc~ compassed with infirmities; and, if they desire to be highly esteemed in love, of those whom they are appointed to teach, seek not this tribute as due to their per¬ sonal merit or holiness, but for the sake of that work, to which they have been or¬ dained. P Ephes. iv. 14. SERMON II. 67 But, though ready to confess that their treasure is committed to them q“in earthen “ vessels,” and that “ the excellency of “ the power is of God,” and not of them¬ selves, they know from whom they have received it: and while they deeply feel the awful responsibility under which they are bound to dispense it, for the edifying of those entrusted to their superintendance, they claim to be considered as the r “ am- “ bassadors of Christ.” They desire to be obeyed no farther than their directions are founded upon the revealed word of God; but they fearlessly declare, that, within these limits, they have a legitimate autho¬ rity, which no man can disregard or dis¬ obey, but at the fearful hazard of his dis¬ pleasure from whom it is derived. They therefore deem themselves empow¬ ered, nay bound, to s “ reprove, rebuke, “ and exhort,” with all authority; to pre¬ serve, as far as in them lies, ‘ “ the faith “ once delivered to the saints” in all its pri- s 2 Cor. iv. 7 . 5 2 Tim. iv. 2 . 1 2 Cor. v. 20. 1 Jude 3. 68 SERMON II. native purity; to persuade their flocks to mutual love and to good works, to main¬ tain u “ the unity of the Spirit in the bond “ of peace,” and to dwell together as bre¬ thren, in the profession of one common re¬ ligion, in the nourishment of one common hope, in dutiful obedience to those who have the rule over them, as commissioned by him, who alone is * “ head over all “ things to the Church,” even Christ Jesus. Considering themselves to be the appoint¬ ed guardians of Christian unity, they must labour to support it; but while, in imitation of those, from whom their authority has been transmitted, they y “ fight the good “ fight of faith,” as soldiers of Jesus Christ; it is to be hoped, that they will ever re¬ member, that z “ the weapons of their war- “ fare are not carnal.” They are the ministers of him, who was not sent a “ to destroy men’s lives, but to “ save them;” and therefore, although it behoves them patiently to argue with the u Ephes. iv. 3. 31 Ephes. i. 22. rl Tim. vi. 12. z 2 Cor. x. 4.v a Luke ix. 56. 69 SERMON II. doubting, firmly to remonstrate against error, and boldly to reprove the gainsayer and the blasphemer; still there is a point, beyond which they have no licence to pro¬ ceed ; and they who, unconvinced by their arguments, or uninfluenced by their exhor¬ tations, prefer to walk in the way which their own conscientious, though, as we be¬ lieve, mistaken views of Christianity incline them to pursue, must be left to his judg¬ ment, who b “ knoweth whereof we are “ made, and considereth that we are but “ dust.” The Church of England has herself been tried and purified by the fires of persecu¬ tion ; and her ministers have shewn, that they can patiently suffer for the truth, as well as resolutely defend it. But this is not the whole, perhaps not the chief of her praise: as she has been firm in adver¬ sity, so has she been tolerant and mode¬ rate in prosperity: she has not exalted herself proudly among her sister Churches; nor has she tyrannized over the lives and b Psalm ciii. 14. SERMON II. 70 and consciences of her own members. Contented with preaching and exhorting to unity, she has still preserved the spirit of charity to those whom her example could not persuade to embrace it: and while she laments the disunion which pre¬ vails, and sees with sorrow that the same spirit, which has separated some from her communion, has in like manner divided them in endless confusion against each other, she still preserves the language and the practice of the Prophet Samuel; and to all that her alienated children have ob¬ jected against her, she has this answer to return, of unaltered moderation, of unex¬ tinguished love; c £t God forbid that I “ should sin against the Lord in ceasing cc to pray for you : but I will shew you the “ good and the right way. Only fear the “ Lord, and serve him in truth with all “ your heart: for consider how great things “ he hath done for you.” In the language of grateful exultation may she exclaim, d “ The Lord hath done great things for us, c 1 Sam. xii. 23. d Psalm cxxvi. 3. SERMON II. 71 “ whereof we are glad !” When, with the page of history open before us, we reflect upon the storms which have passed over her, upon the trials she has endured, and the deliverances she has received; and when we compare her present state with that of the Protestant communions whose reformation was coeval with her own; we cannot but confess, that the e “ hand of the “ Lord has been upon her for good.” She has indeed been visited with affliction ; but it has been for the trial and confirma¬ tion of her faith, and the increase of her glory. Not only has she been enabled to f “ keep that which was committed to her “ trust;” to preserve her scriptural doc¬ trine, her holy worship, her episcopal con¬ stitution ; but, while misery and unhappi¬ ness have prevailed around her, she has rejoiced in the temporal prosperity, as well as the spiritual edification, of her children. Shall it then be said, that these things afford her no claim to the veneration and obedience of those, who have so long flou- c Ezra viii. 22. f 1 Tim. vi. 20. SERMON II. 72 rished under her protection? If she be deni¬ ed the voice of authority, may she not be permitted to use s “the word of exhorta¬ tion ?” May she not intreat them, no longer to undervalue the blessings, which are placed within their reach; no longer to forsake that fold, which has been so signally de¬ fended ? The question well deserves con¬ sideration. If the Church of England have continued faithful; if the h “ law of truth “ has been in her mouth and it has been her constant labour, to “ turn many from “ iniquity(and that such has been her conduct, presumptive proof, at least, is afforded by her preservation;) then may she hope, that her wandering children may yet be persuaded to see their error, and i “ ask for the old paths, where is the “ good way, that they may walk therein, “ and find rest for their souls/' s Heb. xiii. 22. h Mai. ii. 6. 1 Jer. vi. 16. SERMON III. Ephesians iv. 13. Till we all come In the unity of the faith , and of the knowledge of the Son of God , unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. AS the Apostle, in the preceding verse, had stated the necessity of a divinely ap¬ pointed ministry, to promote the edifica¬ tion of the Church; so, in the present, he declares, that it is the object of their la¬ bours, to lead the Christian to perfection, while he adheres to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God : thus teaching us, that agreement in faith, or doctrine, is essential to that unity, which the priesthood, according to the plan laid down by an all-wise Providence for man’s salvation, was to be the great in¬ strument of promoting. They who are not aware of the confi- SERMON III. 7 4 dence with which propositions, almost self-evident, are sometimes questioned by the supporters of an opposite system, might suppose, that this would be univer¬ sally admitted as a point incontestable; that there can no more be a multiplicity of true faiths, than there can be a plurality of true Gods. Yet, while every sect and denomination of persons professing Christianity assents to the latter position, as one of the first elements of religious truth, the a former has not been considered as equally unex¬ ceptionable : and they who have assumed it as an axiom, and have built their argu¬ ments upon it, have been sometimes stag¬ gered and confounded, at finding a propo¬ sition, in their view of the subject so unde¬ niable, boldly resisted. This course of proceeding reduces us to the necessity of proving what might otherwise have been considered as granted; and instead of being satisfied with assert¬ ing, in the language of holy Writ, that as a See Note XXXIV. Appendix. SERMON III. 75 there is but “ one Lord/’ so also there can be but “ one faith we are called upon to demonstrate the connection of these two propositions; and to shew, that, il God be one, and his dealings with man one, which all Christians allow, then our faith must be one also b . By the term faith, we mean a firm be¬ lief in those peculiar and fundamental doc¬ trines of our holy religion, which God has revealed to us in the Scriptures; doctrines which respect his nature, his counsels, and his operations. But we cannot otherwise conceive of God, than as a Being immut¬ able and true; we must then allow, that it is impossible for him to have made contra¬ dictory declarations concerning his own nature, and that his purposes respecting man cannot have suffered change. If therefore it be admitted, that God has vouchsafed to man a revelation of his will, since this will can be but one, the words in which it is revealed must be intended to bear some precise and definite meaning, b See Note XXXV. Appendix. 76 - SERMON III. discoverable by those who rightly study them; that this one will may be under¬ stood by all in the same manner: other¬ wise the Scriptures, which were professedly given to bring men to the knowledge of the truth, as far as their finite intellects are capable of receiving it, would impart no certain information even to the most diligent student. It may indeed happen, from various causes, that some will fail in their attempts to discover the genuine sense of Scripture, and that the same passages will sometimes be very differently interpreted; but two c interpretations, thus differing, though they may both be erro¬ neous, cannot both be right; for the real meaning must ever continue as unalterable, as is the character of that truth which it discloses. That a God of mercy will make all due allowances for mistakes, aris¬ ing from unavoidable ignorance, or uncon¬ querable prejudices, we must believe. But, while we trust that pardon will be vouch¬ safed to every unwilling deviation from c See Note XXXVI. Appendix. SERMON III. 77 the true standard, we are still bound to maintain, that such a standard has been set up; that there are some fundamental principles of doctrine, laid down in the Scriptures, for the information and direc¬ tion of man; since no other view of the object of a divine revelation can be re¬ conciled with the attributes of that Being, who can neither deceive us, nor be himself deceived. This cursory view of the argument, from the immutability and truth of the divine nature, may perhaps satisfy the reflecting and impartial reasoner, that unity is an essential property of true Christian faith. But, as the question is of primary import¬ ance, and as prejudices have been enter¬ tained on the subject, which cannot be ✓ easily removed, it may not be useless to shew, First, that the Scriptures decidedly maintain this position; Secondly, that the Church, from the earliest ages, has acted upon a conviction of its truth ; and, Third¬ ly, that the very nature of faith admits not of that variety, which some have consi¬ dered to be compatible with its purity. 78 SERMON III. I. We can obtain no higher proof of the necessity of faith, than that contained in the solemn commission given to the Apostles by our Saviour before his ascen¬ sion ; d “ Go ye into all the world, and u preach the Gospel to every creature. He “ that believeth and is baptized, shall be “ saved; but he that believeth not, shall “ be damned.” By the belief here required as a condi¬ tion of salvation, it is evident that we are to understand, an assent to the truth of those particular doctrines, afterwards taught by the Apostles under the direction of the Holy Spirit; those doctrines, which St. Paul calls c “ the whole counsel of God and which are commonly styled in Scrip¬ ture, “ the faith,” because they form the distinguishing creed of a Christian. It can scarcely be doubted by any, that these holy men, all acting under the same divine in¬ fluence, were of one mind as to the pre¬ cepts they were commissioned to deliver; but should evidence of this fact also be re- d Mark xvi. 15, 16. * Acts xx. 27* SERMON III. 79 quired, it may be obtained from the lan¬ guage of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Re¬ proving them for their divisions, and for their propensity to attach themselves to particular instructors, one crying, f “ I am “ of Paul,” another, “ I am of Apollos;” he says, “ Who then is Paul, and who is “ Apollos, but ministers by whom ye be- c£ lieved, even as the Lord gave to every “ man?” Thus plainly inferring, that, who¬ ever was their teacher, the doctrine must be the same; since they spake not of them¬ selves, but as the servants of Jesus Christ, the Author of that faith which they preached. If then it be allowed, that a belief of some fundamental truths, to be taught by the Apostles, was required by our Saviour as an indispensable condition of salvation; and that they, being all sent by the same Lord, and directed by the same Spirit, must have spoken the same things; it will follow, that ? “ the faith” means always one and the same system of doctrines; f 1 Cor. iii. 4, 5. s See Note XXXVII. Appendix. 80 SERMON III. which, although they are not to be found artificially arranged in the Scriptures, may be clearly understood and satisfactorily deduced from them, by careful exami¬ nation ; and when so deduced, are to be received as the substance of that teaching, which the Apostles delivered orally to their immediate disciples. Thus when we are told, that, in conse¬ quence of a progress made by St. Paul and Timothy through the cities of Phrygia and Galatia, h “ the churches were establish- “ ed in the faith we shall understand by that term, the peculiar doctrines of that Gospel, which they preached. In his Epi¬ stle to the 1 Philippians, the same Apostle desires to hear of them, that “ they stand “ fast in one spirit, with one mind striving “ together for the faith of the Gospel thus not only speaking of the Christian doctrine as a defined and known system, but declaring that they who would walk as becometh that Gospel, must adhere to it with unanimity. And instructing Timothy Phil. i. 27. h Acts xvi. 5. 1 SERMON III. 81 how to conduct himself in the episcopal office, he forewarns him, that k “ in the lat- “ ter days, some shall depart from the “faith and points out others to his no¬ tice, who, having been seduced by u ‘ the “ love of money, which is the root of all “ evil, have erred from the faith that is, from the saving doctrines contained in the Gospel. In other places, the term is used in a sense somewhat more comprehensive, though still signifying that one code by which all Christians were to be bound. Thus we read, that Felix sent for St. Paul, and m “ heard him concerning the faith in “ Christwhere “ the faith” means, not only the distinguishing doctrines, but also the great moral precepts of the Gospel; for the Apostle, on this occasion, “ rea- “ soned of righteousness and temper- “ ance,” as well as of a “ judgment to “ come.” If then it be admitted, that what God has clearly revealed in the Scriptures is of necessity to be believed upon his testi- k l Tim. iv. 1. * 1 Tim. vi. 10. m Acts xxiv. 24 . G 82 SERMON III. mony, it will follow, that the doctrines, which make a part of this revelation, are to be accepted simply as they are revealed. The faith therefore, by which Christians are to be distinguished, and for which they are to strive, ought to be one and the same : for a reference to that Scripture, in which it is contained, proves that it is not a mere system of opinions, which every person is at liberty to frame for himself, by affixing that sense to the word of God, which may best suit his prejudices or his self-conceit; but a connected series of doctrines, taught by men, who n “ spake “ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost;” and who could have had but one ob¬ ject, that of inducing all who heard them to believe, as they did, that the important truths which they were instructed to de¬ liver came from God, and were to be ac¬ cepted in singleness and sincerity of heart by all who sought his favour. II. We have abundant evidence, that such has ever been the settled conviction " 2 Pet. i. 21. SERMON III. 83 of the Church; because, from the earliest days, some confession has been adopted by every branch of it, to which the several members of that branch have been re¬ quired to adhere. The Scriptures, it is true, contain no regular formulary of faith ; and the reasons why they do not must be obvious to every one, who knows the parti¬ cular design with which each of the sacred books was written. But there is strong ° ground for believing, that forms, in no essential particular differing from that now commonly received under the title of the Apostles’ Creed, were used in the churches which they founded, and were sanctioned by their authority. Many passages moreover, in the writ¬ ings of the early Fathers, shew, that the fundamental articles of the Christian faith were, from the first, drawn out in regular order; for the purpose of establishing a rule, by which error might be distinguished from truth. p Ignatius, the companion of O See Note XXXVIII. Appendix. P See Note XXXIX. Appendix. 84 SERMON III. the Apostles and the disciple of St. John, warning the Trallians against the Gnostic heresy, delivers a summary of the Scrip¬ ture doctrine concerning our Saviour, and exhorts them to be deaf to all who do not teach it. q Irenseus recapitulates the arti¬ cles of a creed, which he declares that the Church, wherever dispersed throughout the whole world, receives, maintains, and be¬ lieves, as if it had but one heart and one soul; teaching and delivering it, as with one mouth. r Tertullian gives a similar rule of faith, as instituted by Christ; and asserts that no questions are raised against it, but those which heretics have intro¬ duced : and, in 8 another place, he declares of the same rule, that it is “ altogether, “ one, alone, immoveable, and unalter- “ able.” Were it necessary to pursue the investi¬ gation farther, every one of the Fathers might be appealed to; for perhaps there is not any position on which their sentiments n See Note XL. Appendix. r See Note XLI. Appendix. s See Note XL] I. Appendix. SERMON III. 85 will be found to be more unanimous than on this; that he who would be “ perfect,” or arrive unto “ the measure of the stature “ of the fulness of Christ,” must hold the one true faith once delivered to the saints, and now preserved in the Scriptures. But it is needless to dwell on individual testimony, when we may refer generally to all the Fathers of the first Nicene Council, the free, unbiassed representatives of the whole Christian Church. What, it may be asked, could have ‘summoned so many venerable bishops from their sacred charge; what could have induced so many learned and pious pastors to absent themselves from their flocks, and to journey even from the remotest parts of the then known world, to dignify this synod by their pre¬ sence, and assist its deliberations by their collective wisdom, but a deeply rooted sense of the paramount duty of establishing the unity of the faith ? Had these holy men conceived that every Christian may frame his creed for t See Note XLIII. Appendix. , G 3 86 SERMON III. himself; that the God of truth and unity will not be displeased at the various and discordant opinions of his worshippers; or that any system of belief, supposed to be derived from the Scriptures, may be equally available to salvation, provided it be held in sincerity; neither the heresy of Arius, nor any other departure from the primitive doctrine, would have moved their indignation, or excited their fears. Far different were their sentiments respecting the nature of that faith to which salvation was promised; and the extent of their own duty, as its appointed guardians. The fearful woe denounced against those who believed not what the Apostles taught, was deeply impressed upon their hearts : they knew how solemnly they had been charged, to contend earnestly for the truth; and how tremendous would be their punish¬ ment, if they neglected to preserve the sacred deposit, as it had been delivered to them, whole and undefiled. And therefore, when the holy name of their Lord and their God was blasphemed, and a prophane attempt was made to rob SERMON III. 87 him of his glory, and to reduce him to a level with the creatures whom he himself had formed; they cheerfully obeyed the call, which summoned them to bear public testimony to the apostolic doctiine, and to establish, by the universal consent of the Catholic Church, that uniformity of faith, by which true Christians must evei be dis¬ tinguished. Here then we may safely rest; for higher evidence of the general sense of the Church cannot possibly be produced than that of this council ; which has been justly u styled, by the learned and inde¬ fatigable defender of its confession, “ the “ most august and holy assembly ever “ witnessed by the Christian world, since “ the death of the Apostles/’ III. It has however been contended, that a unity of faith cannot be necessary, because it is impossible to be obtained; that the mere natural difference of intel¬ lectual faculty, by which mankind is dis¬ tinguished, will ever create differences of opinion \ and that the attempts to make all men think alike on religious subjects, u See Note XLIV. Appendix. 88 SERMON III. is as hopeless, as to reduce their stature, their features, or their mental attainments, to one common standard. They who ar¬ gue in this manner appear to mistake the question ; and to have formed erroneous ideas, even of the nature of faith itself, as an x assent of the mind to the truth of a divine revelation. For, so considered, the very * nature of the evidence on which faith is built, and the character of the revelation . which is proposed to its acceptance, seem to preclude that discussion, which might generate variety of sentiment. The truths which are its subject not being in themselves inferable from any data discoverable by man's natural faculties, there is no room for speculating upon them, as if they were the deductions of human reasoning. They are rendered credible, not as established by such species of argument, but as proved to be communicated by a Being of unerring wisdom. Wherever therefore the record containing them is acknowledged to be of divine original, there they ought to be re- x See Note XLV. Appendix. r See Note XLVI. Appendix. SERMON III. 89 ceived in the precise sense in which the record delivers them; a sense to be de¬ duced from the literal meaning and gram¬ matical construction of its language, by the same process which enables us to under¬ stand the works of any secular author. Something more than 2 opinion, ground¬ ed on mere abstract reasoning, was the foundation of St. Peters steady adherence to his heavenly Master; when, for himself and his fellow Apostles, he declared, a “We “ believe and are sure, that thou art the “ Christ, the Son of the living God something more than the result of mere human conjecture was also the faith ex¬ acted by Philip from the Eunuch, as the condition of his admission into the family of God ; b “ If thou believest with all thine “ heart,” said he, “ thou mayest be bap- “ tized.” In these instances, no mere speculative opinion was required or professed; it was a firm and rooted conviction, that the fact was even as it was delivered. And he * See Note XLVII. Appendix. » John vi. 69. b Acts viii. 37. 90 SERMON III. who remembers, that the faithful Christian does not believe the doctrines of his re¬ ligion, because he barely supposes that they may be true, but because he is as¬ sured, upon the infallible testimony of God, that they are so, will allow, that, with re¬ spect to doctrines thus delivered and at¬ tested, all reasoning is irrelevant, which precludes a reference to that evidence on which they depend. Our Church accord¬ ingly declares, that c 44 nothing is to be re- 44 quired of any man, that it should be be- 44 lieved, as an article of the faith, which is 44 not read in Scripture, or may be proved 44 thereby.” This she regards as the only testimony relative to divine things, which can demand that unreserved assent, and that d submission of the understanding, which are essential to faith. She calls upon her members to receive the three creeds she has adopted, not merely on account of their an¬ tiquity, nor even of their universal reception in the Church throughout so many ages; though both these circumstances may well c Article VI. d See Note XLVIII. Appendix. SERMON III. 91 entitle them to the veneration of every Christian; but because c “ they may be “ proved by most certain warrants of holy “ Scripture.” It has been objected to this course of argument, that it inculcates a blind and implicit credulity, unworthy a being, to whom the Creator has given the faculty of reason as his director. To this however it may be answered, that, although reason be competent to di¬ rect us in the affairs of this life, it is not, and f cannot be, without instruction from above, a sufficient guide in our religious concerns; for it cannot teach us to walk in a path which it is not able to discover: and since we never could have known the way which leadeth unto life, unless God had revealed it; revelation must first enlighten reason, to qualify it to be our conductor. Hence the Apostle declares, that we g “ walk by faiththat is, our conduct, as Christians, is determined by our belief in those doctrines, which God has given us C Article VIII. f See Note XLIX. Appendix. S 2 Cor. v. 7* 92 SERMON III. for our direction. But, though we refuse to unenlightened reason that supremacy over faith which it has sometimes arro¬ gantly claimed, we by no means exclude it from its proper office, in which it is eminently useful, and indeed absolutely necessary. h Reason is employed in its own sphere, when it is exerted to try the evidence on which revelation is supported. It is com¬ petent to determine, whether the holy Scriptures have sufficient claim to be be¬ lieved, as the compositions of men divinely inspired, and what > particular doctrines they inculcate. But when once reason itself has decided, that the Bible is the word of God; and that those fundamental doctrines, which the Church has uniformly maintained, are to be found in it; it then becomes irrational to say, that such doctrines may yet be made subjects of doubt as to their truth; or that they may be altered or rejected, in compliance with human notions of their probability or expediency. h See Note L. Appendix. * See Note LI. Appendix. SERMON III. 93 The same k reason which demands our assent to credible testimony, also proves the necessity of believing what it attests, according to the plain and natural mean¬ ing of the terms in which it is conveyed. Since then the faith of a Christian is built upon the word of God himself, which is infallible, we conceive not how it can be otherwise than one. When facts are stated upon human authority only, if we have no reason to doubt the integrity or the know¬ ledge of the relator, we do not hesitate to believe them to be as he has asserted; nor do we think ourselves justified in torturing his words, to impose upon them different senses. How then can they be defended, who deal thus with the language of a God of infinite wisdom and holiness ? How can they suppose, that the words which the Holy Ghost has dictated, may be fairly made to bear any interpretation, which the perverted subtlety of man can impose on them ; or that more than one faith can be built upon the same foundation ? k See Note LII. Appendix. 94 SERMON III. The position then under consideration may now, I trust, be considered as suffi¬ ciently established. It has been tried by the rule of Scripture, and by the practice of the Church; and it has appeared, that as truth is one, so the faith of Christians must be one also; that this one faith is by the word of God declared to be an in¬ dispensable condition of salvation; and that in the primitive Church, which ad¬ hered to the instruction and the example of the Apostles themselves, it was con¬ stantly so regarded. By investigating also the nature of faith, as an assent of the mind, upon the autho¬ rity of divine revelation, to certain truths not discoverable by human inquiry; I have endeavoured to shew, that it is irreconcile- able with the principles of sound reasoning to suppose, that this revelation can speak other than one and the same meaning to all who interpret it aright; or that we are at liberty to understand it in any sense but that which the manifest import of the lan¬ guage proves that it was intended to convey. SERMON III. 95 • The result then of the inquiry may be thus briefly stated : our blessed Lord has declared, that none but they who believe in him can be his disciples; and that all may know what they are to believe, he has left upon record with the Church the doctrines which she is to teach. These doctrines are to be found in the holy Scriptures; whence they are to be gathered, not from a few dark or doubtful o 7 passages, but from the full, clear, and har¬ monious testimony of all the inspired writ¬ ers; by each of whom, in his own method, varied according to the specific purpose of his labours, but still under the controlling influence of the same Spirit of truth, they have been stated, illustrated, and en¬ forced. Taken together, these doctrines consti¬ tute that one faith, by which alone we can arrive unto “ the perfect man, unto the “ measure of the stature of the fulness of “ Christ;” and therefore, he who does not 1 hold this ra “ form of sound words,” 1 See Note LIII. Appendix. m 2 Tim. i. 13. 96 SERMON III. as the Apostle calls it, cannot be a par¬ taker in that fellowship, which connects him with Christians as a member of the same body, and with Christ as its head. They who have perversely wandered from the true faith, have therefore ever been considered as destroyers of Christian unity. St. Paul indeed n declares, that ° heresy may be made to serve a good pur¬ pose, as it affords an opportunity to true believers to shew their faith, by a stedfast opposition to it; but in another place he reckons it among those p u works of the 6C flesh,” which may exclude a man from an inheritance in the kingdom of God; and he directs Titus to reject a heretic, after due admonition, considering him as one that p “ is subverted, and sinneth, being “ condemned of himself;” “ that is,” says the learned Hammond, “ inflicting upon “ himself that punishment, which the “ Church is wont to do upon malefactors, “ by cutting himself off from her commu- “ nion.” n 1 Cor. xi. 19. 0 See Note LIV. Appendix. ' P Gal. v. 20. q Tit. iii. 10, 11. SERMON IIL 97 The language of those who immediately succeeded the Apostles in the government of the Church, and who must be supposed to have been intimately acquainted with their sentiments and practice, may also be allowed to have considerable weight in de- termining this question : and they are r unanimous in considering a departure from the fundamental articles of the Chris¬ tian faith, as a breach of Christian unity; separating those who are guilty of it from the flock of Christ, and depriving them of the privileges of his covenant. It is indeed impossible to conceive, that real unity can exist without the one faith is preserved; and all attempts to s promote it by stifling controversies, and concealing breaches which we cannot heal; by un¬ warrantable compromises, or mere exter¬ nal conciliation; will either wholly fail, or will produce, at best, a temporary union, by the permanent sacrifice of truth. The history of eighteen centuries has suflici- r See Note LV. Appendix. # See Note LVI. Appendix. H 98 SERMON III. ently proved to all who are inclined to learn wisdom from experience, that there can be no real concord among Christians, but that which is built, as the unanimity of the first converts at Jerusalem was, upon a stedfast adherence to the doctrine and fellowship of the Gospel. Religion is a matter, too nearly and too deeply interesting, to be compatible with indifference. Where every thing which can awaken the feelings or influence the hopes of mankind is at stake, it will be ever difficult to prevent men from con¬ tending even about points of little mo¬ ment; much more so, to temper a laud¬ able zeal for doctrines of real importance with charity towards their opponents. Even where this is most perfectly done, unity must be lost, though charity be preserved. For though our detestation of heretical opinions be joined with pity for those who unfortunately hold them; though we be ready earnestly and sincerely to pray, that such persons may once more be brought home to the flock of Christ; until that de¬ sired event be accomplished, we cannot SERMON III. 99 but regard them as straying from the fold, exposed to enemies whom they may be unable to encounter, and violating the integrity of the Christian Church. But if, unmoved by these considerations, we seek to build up the breaches in the Church 1 “ with untempered mortar;” and to make all men, of all persuasions, dwell together as the brethren of the Lord, by teaching, that unity in fundamentals is not necessary; or by inducing the unwary to believe, that no doctrines which have been made the subjects of controversy are in themselves fundamental; open dissensions may for a time be prevented, and the voice of controversy may be heard no longer: but it is to be feared, that Christianity it¬ self may perish with the contests, by which its truth has hitherto been maintained; and the silence which will follow, may be the silence of death. For they who are once taught that all modes of faith are equally right, will soon persuade themselves that none are necessary; and the useful, though t Ezek. xiii. 10. H 2 100 SERMON IIL sometimes excessive, and often ill direct¬ ed zeal, with which men have hitherto u “ striven together for the faith of the “ Gospel,” will be succeeded by the dull and heartless apathy of a deistical philo¬ sophy. The language of our Saviour and his Apostles appears to warrant an opinion, that the latter days will be marked by the prevalence of infidelity. For the many intimations to be found in the New Tes¬ tament, of a remarkable defection from the saving doctrines of the Gospel, which is to precede the great and terrible day of the Lord; although, in their primary sig¬ nification, they may have referred to the falling away of the Jews, before the de¬ struction of their city and temple; have been generally expected to receive their final accomplishment in a more extensive apostasy, by which the Church itself would be nearly brought to desolation. Various have been the events, to which these predictions have been supposed to u Phil. i. 27 . SERMON III. 101 relate. It was natural indeed, that pious and reflecting men, deeply impressed with the importance of those occurrences which they themselves witnessed, should have been led to imagine, that in each of the temporary triumphs of error or infidelity over revealed truth, they could trace the completion ol prophecy. As years have rolled away, these several applications have, in their turn, been found in some respects unsatisfactory; and the predictions themselves, as yet unfulfilled, stand as bea¬ cons in the sacred pages, to warn us of the trials which await the Church; and to teach us, who x “ look for such things,” to be diligent, that we at least “ may be “ found of him,” whose speedy coming they will signify, “ in peace, without spot and blameless.” The signs of the times have indeed been often misinterpreted, and the minds of some have been shaken and troubled without cau^fc, as if y“ the day of Christ” was at hand. But such mistakes affect x 2 Pet. iii. 14. y Phil. i. 6. SERMON III. 102 not the veracity of prophecy. The word of God standeth sure: and though we know not the day nor the hour, which he has appointed for the execution of his pur¬ poses ; and all our conjectures and re¬ searches on the subject may end in disap¬ pointment; assuredly, whatever is written shall be accomplished in its season ; and they, whose lot may fall to them in the latter days, will probably witness an apo¬ stasy, more general and more fatal than any which has yet afflicted the world. To this apostasy, neither the partial fall¬ ing away of Judaizing Christians, nor the more extended corruptions of Romish su¬ perstition, nor even the atheistical frenzy, which was permitted for a season to be the scourge and disgrace of our own times, may be compared. So wide indeed will its influence be spread, that it is even made a question, whether, when “ the “ Son of Man cometh,” he shall z “ find faith on the earth !” whether, among the multitudes of every nation and lan- 2 Luke xviii. 8. SERMON III. 103 guage, which profess to believe on his name, and to be zealous for his service, even a small remnant shall be left of those, who are truly his disciples ! What then are the reflections, which the pros¬ pect of such a fearful departure from the truth should inspire ? Should it not lead us seriously to consider, whether the pre¬ vailing spirit of our times may not favour the increase of error? whether they, who disregard that unity of faith, which the Scriptures require, and they, who neg¬ lect to enforce it, by argument, by per¬ suasion, by intreaty, may not unintention¬ ally cooperate, the one by their thought¬ lessness, and the other by their silence, to hasten this predicted triumph of infide¬ lity? The character of that apostasy, to which the Scriptures refer, is not precisely defined: but perhaps we shall not alto¬ gether err if we conceive, that it will not consist in an open denial of Christ; but rather in that strange diversity of opinions, that exaltation of imaginations above re¬ vealed truth, that moulding of the Scrip¬ tures after the fashion of human preju- H 4 104 SERMON III. dices, of which too many instances are daily forcing themselves upon our obser¬ vation. By those then, who are convinced that in the doctrines of the Church of England the true faith is now to be found, the path of duty can scarcely be mistaken. Tak¬ ing their stand on that foundation on which she has built, they will be stedfast and immoveable: their firm and temperate resistance of plausible, but unauthorized novelties will prove, that they are faithful a “ stewards of the mysteries of God:” and if it please him still to raise up those within her pale, who are thus prepared to defend and uphold her, the prediction of the Evangelical Prophet may yet be ful¬ filled in her favour; and the generations to come may b “ see our Jerusalem a quiet “ habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be “ taken down ; not one of the stakes “ thereof shall ever be removed, neither “ shall any of the cords thereof be bro- “ ken.” a 1 Cor. iv. 1. b Isai. xxxiii. 20. SERMON IV. Acts ii. 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship , and in breaking of bread , and in prayers. Such is the account preserved in the sacred pages, of the practice of the Chris¬ tian Church in its infant state; presenting a striking instance of that perfect unity, by which its earliest records are distin¬ guished. It is humiliating to reflect how faint a resemblance we find, to this entire agreement in faith and worship, in suc¬ ceeding ages. But the certainty that the Church has once been, what our Saviour intended it to be, will prove at least, that there is no physical impediment to the re¬ currence of such a blessed state of har¬ mony and peace; while the example itself leads us to consider the conduct by which 106 SERMON IV. alone that state can be restored. The time and the method of its restoration must be left to him, who alone can a “ or- “ der the unruly wills and affections of “ sinful men:” but the preparation for it we can, and we ought to make; by form¬ ing a clear idea of the essentials of that unity, which it is our duty to recommend; and by inculcating, each in our proper sphere and station, those arguments best calculated to enforce their observance. The whole Church at this period con¬ sisted of little more than three thousand persons : of these, a small number had been companions of our Lord during the whole of his ministry; they had witnessed his exemplary holiness and his divine mi¬ racles, and been the attentive hearers of his heavenly doctrines: but the majority were recently converted ; they were a por¬ tion of those b “ devout Jews from every “ nation under heaven,” who, being as¬ sembled in Jerusalem at the day of Pen¬ tecost, had been so far affected by the mi- a Liturgy. b Acts ii. 5. SERMON IV. 107 raculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, and its wonderful effects, as to be induced by St. Peter’s sermon on that occasion to embrace the faith of a crucified Redeemer. These, we are told, were baptized; and being thus made members of the Church, they proved the sincerity of their profes¬ sion, and their due sense of the obligations which it entailed upon them, by adhering stedfastly to the one true doctrine taught by the Apostles; by continuing in their fellowship, or society; submitting to the discipline and government established by them; and by partaking in the same re¬ ligious ordinances and modes of worship, in “ breaking of bread, and in prayers.” A due provision for the maintenance of Christian unity thus appears to have been coeval with the establishment of the Church itself. As the Apostles permitted no other system of association to prevail among their converts, we may consider this to be a strong proof of their conviction, that the brethren in Christ could never dwell toge¬ ther as brethren ought, on any other terms: 108 SERMON IV. and we may conceive it to have been not unintentional^ on the part of the inspired historian; that the very first mention; which occurs in his narrative, of Christians as a connected body; should be accompanied by a clear indication of the principles of their union. Thus did the original Church become a model for all which succeeded it; and the steady continuance of its mem¬ bers in the doctrine and discipline of the Apostles, in the sacraments which their divine Master had ordained, and in a common form of devotion, stands upon record in the sacred volume, as if designed to teach us, that the disciples of Jesus Christ were to be separated from the world of the unbelievers ; and that by these cha¬ racteristic practices, each a pledge of mu¬ tual good offices, they were ever after to be united, as by an inviolable bond of affection. In prosecution of the plan originally laid down, I have already considered Christian unity, as it should be exemplified in sub¬ mission to the form of Church government established by the Apostles; and in the SERMON IV. 109 maintenance of the one true faith, which they were commissioned to teach. I am now to examine, how far agreement in modes of worship is essential to its preser¬ vation. It was to be expected, that he, who prayed so earnestly that his disciples might be one, would ordain some external rites or ceremonies, significant of their profes¬ sion, their expectations, their high calling, and their solemn obligations; constituting a bond of union to themselves, as well as an outward sign of that union to others. For what can operate more strongly to preserve a religious association, than a com¬ mon participation in some simple and af¬ fecting offices of devotion ; which, unalter¬ able in their signification, may c remind the individuals of whom this association is com¬ posed, that they are all sharers in the same hopes and privileges, bound to the per¬ formance of the same duties, and thus distinguished from those around them ? These, as ordinances of universal obliga¬ tion, in every age and every country, were c See Note LV1I. Appendix. 110 SERMON IV. necessarily few and simple; but they were sufficient to instruct the household of faith, that all its members, however dispersed throughout the world, were travelling in the same road, and equipped in the same man¬ ner for their journey; that they must meet hereafter before one tribunal, and might live together in the eternal enjoyment of bliss and glory. These great objects thus secured, the daily wants and duties of each, the mode of keeping up in the minds of all a due sense of their holy pro¬ fession, and of rendering the continual sa¬ crifice of associated praise to him, who had d 66 called them in one body,” were left to be provided for by particular churches, as the circumstances of their members might seem to require. Thus, to the ordinances immediately of divine insti¬ tution, by partaking in which every Chris¬ tian was awakened to a sense of his fellow¬ ship with the whole society of believers, were added also others of human appoint¬ ment; and these, as well as the former, were binding upon the conscience, because d Col. iii. 15. SERMON IV. Ill enjoined by that authority, to establish laws for its own preservation, and rules for the orderly conduct of its proceedings, which is essential to the existence of every society, civil or religious. Of both these kinds of institutions the chapter before us gives an instance. It tells us, that those who joined themselves to the Apostles were baptized; and that being thus admitted unto 46 their fellow- 44 ship,” they continued stedfastly in breaking of 44 bread, and in prayersnot only in a conformity to that mode of wor¬ ship, appointed for their own particular Church; but also in partaking of that most holy mystery, here called 44 the breaking of 44 bread,” by which all Christians were to be especially distinguished. In considering, then, that particular branch of Christian unity, which the latter part of the text so clearly marks out, our inquiry will neces¬ sarily divide itself into two heads. We may first examine the duty of conforming to the particular ritual of that Church, to which we may happen to belong: and, secondly, that agreement in the great dis- 112 SERMON IV. tinguishing features of Christian worship, which forms a visible bond ot union, con¬ necting all Churches throughout the world. I. It has been already shewn, that the Church is a society constituted by God himself, that the true faith may be pre¬ served, and the edification of its members duly provided for: and hence it follows, that, a e power must be vested in the rulers of this society, to decree rites and cere¬ monies for the decent regulation of its public proceedings; since, otherwise, these important objects could not be attained. The authority, thus inherent in the Church, has however its limits ; it extends not to the enactment of any thing f “ con¬ s' trary to God’s word writtenfor that word is the depository of his will, and must be the rule of their conduct, who govern in his name. When this limit is not ex¬ ceeded ; when the Church cannot be justly charged with enjoining superstitious, pro¬ fane, or antichristian rites or ceremonies ; her members are g bound to conform to the e See Note LVIII. Appendix. f Article XX. g See Note LIX. Appendix. SERMON IV. 113 rules she lays down for their observance; and every wilful and systematic departure from them h involves a breach of Christian unity. Such then being the legitimate autho¬ rity of the Church, it is our first object to inquire, whether it can be an undue exer¬ cise of that authority to frame liturgies for the use of her communion; for it is chiefly in this particular that her power has been questioned. * Public worship undoubtedly forms an essential part of a Christian’s duty; and it is one of the great means of his edification, which, we have already seen, the Church is bound to promote. It is also assumed as unquestionable, that it belongs to the priesthood only to minister unto the peo¬ ple in things pertaining to God; to speak to them in the public assembly, as well as to admonish them in private, as k “ ambas- “ sadors for Christ;” and to present their united supplications and thanksgivings in his name before the throne of his Father. h See Note LX. Appendix. 1 See Note LXI. Appendix. k 2 Cor. v. 20. 1 114 SERMON IV. If, then, public worship be necessary; and if in that worship it be the office of the priest to offer up the prayers of the con¬ gregation ; it will be difficult to shew, that this can be effectually done, but by the use of some form, generally known, understood, and observed : for thus only can the hearts and wishes of the assembled worshippers be all directed towards the same object; or the words which are uttered by the mini¬ ster be properly called their prayers as well as his own. Astonishment or admiration may indeed be excited by the eloquence or fervour of an extemporaneous effusion ; but astonish¬ ment and admiration are not devotion: far from it; they call the mind from heaven to earth, and fix its attention upon the conduct and attainments of a fallible mor¬ tal, instead of carrying it up in humble adoration to the footstool of that Almighty God and Saviour, in whose service it ought to be engaged. The 1 legitimate objects of all religious worship may be reduced to two; the glory i See Note LXIL Appendix. SERMON IV. 115 of God, and the supply, either of our own wants, or those of others, for whom we are bound to pray. But he who is really de¬ sirous of rendering due honour unto the Lord his God, will take care to pay that necessary tribute in the manner which God has appointed; and as he is taught by an Apostle, that Christians should m ss glorify God with one mind and one “ mouth,'” he will be convinced, that the praises of a public congregation can never be acceptable in his sight, unless they are thus offered. In like manner, as our n Sa¬ viour has graciously promised, that where his worshippers ° agree in their petitions, his heavenly Father will hear and grant them; no faithful Christian will think it a matter of indifference, whether a mode of public worship be adopted, which renders that P agreement almost impossible, or whether the most effectual means be taken for its preservation. On the contrary, he will consider, that the conditions of this m Rom. xv. 6 . n Matt, xviii. 19. 0 See Note LXIII. Appendix. P See Note LXIV. Appendix. 116 SERMON IV. promise furnish an argument in tavour of an established liturgy, which no man, who values the favour of God, can lightly dis¬ regard. Such have been the grounds, on which they who have argued a priori, from the necessity of the case, have maintained, that the Church, in enjoining the use of a com¬ mon form of prayer, has not exceeded the authority vested in her, for the spiritual benefit and edification of her members. Admitting, however, for the present, that such arguments prove only the expediency of a liturgical service; let us proceed to inquire, what further testimony can be pro¬ duced of its lawfulness. The ritual of the Jewish Church fur¬ nishes us with evidence, that forms, as such, far from being displeasing to God, have been sanctioned by him in one in¬ stance at least, as best calculated to promote the object of public worship. And though the service of the temple, accommodated only to the peculiar circumstances of the Jewish nation, was of necessity abolished, when the purpose was accomplished for SERMON IV. 117 which it was ordained; yet it by no means follows, that therefore all forms and cere¬ monies became from that time unlawful; or that the Christian Church was to have no ritual at all, because the Jewish law of ceremonies was done away, as inapplicable to the circumstances of this new covenant. A very different conclusion may with propriety be drawn from the declaration of the Apostle, that q “ we have an altar, “ whereof they have no right to eat, who “ serve the tabernaclefor in this pas¬ sage, the commemorative sacrifice of the Christian is expressly opposed to the typi¬ cal offerings of the Jew ; and the Hebrews are taught to look from the ritual, which they were henceforward to renounce, to that new and spiritual service, that conti¬ nual sacrifice of praise, to be offered unto God by Jesus, the great High Priest of their new profession. We have also direct proof, that our Saviour thought it right to anticipate the wants of his Church, by s composing a prayer for his disciples; not 9 Heb. xiii. 10. r See Note LXV. Appendix. s See Note LXVI. Appendix. 118 SERMON IV. only that it might form a part of all their devotions, both public and private; but that it might serve as a model by which their other common petitions were to be framed: and as if to sanction as highly as possible the use of common forms, he constantly attended the public worship of the temple and the synagogue; and him¬ self used the hymns of the Jewish ritual, on a remarkable ‘occasion, in his private devotions with his disciples. We know also how strongly he recommended asso¬ ciated worship, declaring, that he would honour the assemblies of Christians with his u especial presence; and we have al¬ ready adverted to the blessing which he taught them to expect, who on such occa¬ sions offered up to him with one accord their associated supplications. Although therefore it may be admitted, that no x formal and positive statute can be produced from the Scriptures, directing the Church to provide a form of prayer, or to ordain any other rite or ceremony; this t Matt. xxvi. SO. u Matt, xviii. 20. * See Note LXVII. Appendix. SERMON IV. 119 silence cannot be allowed to counter¬ balance the indirect, but powerful evi¬ dence which they contain, that she both possessed and exercised this power from the first; it rather proves, that it was judged superfluous formally to vest her with a privilege so clearly inherent in the very nature of a spiritual society. Nor does the general usage of the inspired writers teach us to expect this direct evi¬ dence ; the fact was sufficiently notorious ; and it was unnecessary to declare the law¬ fulness or expediency of that, which their own constant practice sufficiently justified. When we find St. Paul giving the Co¬ rinthians so many rules for the regular per¬ formance of public worship; y providing so carefully that all things should be done for z “ the use of edifying;” that no prayers or thanksgivings should be offered, but such as the unlearned might understand and partake in; that every thing should be a “ done decently and in order,” with a due subordination, not only of the dis- y See Note LXVIII. Appendix. 2 Ephes. iv. 29. a 1 Cor. xiv. 120 SERMON IV. ciple to his teacher, but of the ministers also to each other, according to their rank; and this, because b “ God is not the au- “ thor of confusion, but of peacewe can no longer hesitate to acknowledge, that the authority claimed by the Church, to regulate and direct the public worship of her members by some settled form, is no more than the sure word of Scripture, and the practice of the Apostolic Church at Corinth, fully confirms. If, by continuing the inquiry, we dis¬ cover, that forms of prayer were in early and universal use among Christians ; this will add greatly to the weight of testimony in favour of their lawfulness, as well as their expediency. The fact then may be c traced in the writings of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian; all of whom speak of particular forms used in their times in different churches. We have also very ancient liturgies yet pre¬ served ; which,’ although they have de¬ scended to us in a corrupted state, and b See Note LXIX. Appendix. c Sec Note LXX. Appendix. SERMON IV. 121 were certainly not composed by the holy Apostles, whose names they bear, may with great probability be considered as productions of the apostolic age, and as founded, in some degree, upon the prayers used by these holy men, or by those whom they appointed their successors. it may readily be believed, that, while expe¬ rience proved the necessity of an esta¬ blished form, the veneration in which the first inspired teachers of the Gospel were held would induce every Church to frame its liturgy, as nearly as possible, upon the model of the prayers which they had used during their personal ministry; and as the resemblance must have been notorious, it would stamp the form which bore it with a peculiar value. But, whether we attribute the names, by which these litur¬ gies were afterwards distinguished, to such a traditionary resemblance, or not; still the d fact with which we are chiefly con¬ cerned is unimpeachable; namely, that the use of public forms may be traced to d See Note LXXI. Appendix. 122 SERMON IV. the earliest age of the Church. Upon no other principle indeed can we account for their evident universality in after times* No ingenuity of reasoning can render it credible, that the whole Church, or any particular branch of it, should at once have departed from the primitive mode of public worship, and endeavoured to bind its members to the use of a common litur¬ gy ; and that such an innovation should have met with no resistance, but have been so quietly and universally submitted to, that it is now impossible to trace even the period of its introduction. The history of the Church abundantly proves, that zealous and faithful men were always to be found in it, who would stre¬ nuously have opposed such an unautho¬ rized deviation from its godly discipline, had it been attempted: nor can it be be¬ lieved, that, while some documents remain of every other controversy, which disturbed the peace of Christianity; while the re¬ membrance of every heresy is preserved, in the works of its author, or the answers of his opponents ; while every schismatical SERMON IV. 123 aberration from established discipline has been faithfully recorded; this great and momentous change should have been pass¬ ed over in silence. Until then it can be Shewn, that the primitive churches used no liturgies; that they were altogether the invention of a later age, and were then publicly protested against, as an unlawful innovation; we must be allowed to con¬ sider the universal practice of so many centuries as affording sufficient proof, not only that the authority which originally imposed them was unquestionable, but that the e wisdom and necessity of the ap¬ pointment was manifest. If then the power and authority of the Church to ordain rites and ceremonies cannot be disproved, it must be the duty of all her members to conform to her constitutions. Nothing short of clear and positive evidence, that this power has been illegally exercised ; that the public service of a particular Church is profaned by su¬ perstitious or idolatrous practices; or that c See Note LXXII. Appendix. 124 SERMON IV. forms and ceremonies have been intro¬ duced into it, manifestly repugnant to the doctrines of Christianity, and incompa¬ tible with the duties which it enjoins, can justify a departure from them. And every departure admitting not of such an apo¬ logy, is a f breach of Christian unity; which can only be maintained, when the mem¬ bers of the Church, in strict imitation of that primitive society spoken of in the text, “ continue stedfastly,” not only in her apostolic “ doctrine,” but also in her “ fellowship” and in her “ prayers.” II. As each particular Church has the power of appointing its own ritual, which its members cannot disregard without a breach of unity ; so are there certain or¬ dinances of public worship, to which all Christians and every Church are equally bound to conform, because they are of divine institution and perpetual obliga¬ tion. The Church, being a society chosen out of the world, was to be distinguished from f See Note LXXIII. Appendix. SERMON IV. 125 it by some external ceremonies peculiar to itself; which might closely s unite its mem¬ bers, however locally separated, and might become a sign and seal of that faith and those privileges, by which they were to be known from the rest ol mankind. Such are the two sacraments ; which, whether we consider their origin or their object, will appear to be equally binding upon all Christians of every age : for they were in¬ stituted by our Saviour himself; the one, as the gate of admission unto the cove¬ nanted privileges of his spiritual kingdom ; the other, as a perpetual memorial of the death he suffered for us, and of the bene¬ fits resulting to us from that sacrifice. Who then can read our Saviour’s so¬ lemn declaration to Nicodemus, that, h “ except a man be born of water and of “ the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- “ dom of heaven,” and conceive himself at liberty to reject the sacrament of bap¬ tism? Or who can profess himself a be¬ liever in the propitiatory sacrifice offered s See Note LXXIV. Appendix. h John iii. 5. 126 SERMON IV. by Jesus Christ upon the cross for the sins of man, and refuse to celebrate and shew forth this death, by the simple, yet significant mode of commemoration, which he has appointed ? Even, then, if baptism were a mere rite of admission into the Christian Church, and the Lord’s Supper no more than a commemoration of our Saviour’s death; the certainty that He himself commanded us to observe them, would sufficiently bind them upon all who call themselves Chris¬ tians. But they are much more; they are sacraments; outward and visible signs, of inward grace bestowed upon us, they are at once the means of procuring it, and pledges granted by God himself to assure us of its reception. The baptized Chris¬ tian is a different being from the unbap¬ tized heathen: the one possesses faculties and affections, privileges and expectations, to which the other is of necessity a stran¬ ger : by baptism, he is, as the Church ex¬ presses it, made “ a member of Christ, a u child of God, an inheritor of the kinc:- “ dom of heavenand, as such, a new SERMON IV. 127 principle is implanted within him, by which he is rendered capable of cultivating the desires, and performing the duties, indis¬ pensable in all, who are admitted into this new and spiritual state. Such then being the benefits conferred in baptism, it cannot be doubted, that the sacrament, which admits us into the fa¬ mily of God, and gives us a share in the privileges set apart for his household, must also be essential to Christian unity: for it cannot well be conceived, that he can be one with the Church, which is composed of God’s children, who has no part nor lot in their adoption and inheritance; and is incapable of performing the duties, expected from them, having never ‘ par¬ taken in that spiritual regeneration, by which the new man is raised up in the human heart, and power is given to the fallen sons of Adam to triumph over the enemies of his salvation. While, however, we thus lay down the scriptural rule with that precision which becomes the stewards i See Note LXXV. Appendix. 128 SERMON IV, of God’s mysteries ; still we speak as men, commissioned plainly to declare the coun¬ sel of God, but by no means affirming more, respecting any part of the divine plan of redemption by Jesus Christ, than has been clearly revealed. We presume not to say, that no possible case can be imagined, in which God may dispense with his own ordinances; but such and so decided is the language of Scripture respecting the nature and the efficacy of baptism, as the appointed means of ad¬ mission into that state of salvation, in which every member of Christ’s Church is or has been placed; and as the channel through which the ordinary gifts of the Spirit are bestowed, to enable us to per¬ form the duties of our Christian calling ; that the want of it can be excused by no¬ thing but an insuperable necessity. Of that necessity, be it remembered that God will be the judge, and not man. To him therefore we should be satisfied to leave the case of those, who unhappily have not participated in this sacrament; asserting only, in the moderate and well SERMON IV. 129 weighed language of our own excellent Church, that k “ baptism is generally ne- “ cessary to salvation.” If the sacrament of baptism be essential to Christian unity, because it is the ap¬ pointed means of admission to that com¬ munity of hopes and privileges, which binds Christians together; the sacrament of the eucharist is so to be considered, be¬ cause it is the instituted mode of confirm¬ ing these hopes, and preserving to us the enjoyment of these privileges ; because it is, moreover, the service by which Christ himself has commanded us to express our sense of them ; to seek a continuance of them; and solemnly to devote ourselves, our souls and bodies, to the performance of those duties, both towards God and man, on which our final salvation is made to depend. There is perhaps no particular, in which the sentiments of Christians have suffered so melancholy, so humiliating a change, as in their reverence for this holy sacra- k See Note LXXVI. Appendix. K 130 SERMON IV. ment ? and their sense of its necessity. Among the first recorded practices of the Christian Church, we find this, that its members “ continued stedfast in breaking “ of bread.” During the lives of the Apo¬ stles, so full and deep was the conviction of its importance and obligation, that we have no account of an assembly for the purpose of devotion, where the Lord’s Supper was not celebrated. For many ages after, it continued the distinctive mark of the Christian profession; that high and awful mystery, by which the dis¬ ciples were separated unto God, as 1 “ a “ peculiar people, an holy nation.” Their ordinary services, their prayers, and their sermons, were accessible to all; the infidel, as well as the believer, was invited to come, and listen to the word of God; he was permitted to witness the pure worship of prayer and praise, which they offered; and, if he pleased, to join in its celebra¬ tion. But from the table of the Lord, all were m excluded, but the faithful. 1 1 Pet. ii. 9. m See Note LXXV1I. Appendix. SERMON IV. 131 Not only was no heathen allowed to be present at this great solemnity, but even Christians themselves, unless they n “ adorned the doctrine of God their Sa- “ viour,” by the purity of their lives and conversation, were not admitted to taste of the heavenly banquet! And let it be bbserved, that, while the denial of this holy sacrament was judged the °greatest temporal punishment, which the Church had power to inflict, even on the most no¬ torious sinner; so highly, may we not add so properly, were its benefits appreciated, that no other was found necessary. The contrast between modern neglect and those times of primitive discipline, is too painful to dwell upon : it is our lot to live in times, when, partly it may be al¬ lowed from wanton and unjust exertion of ecclesiastical power, in an age of darkness and usurpation; but more from that over¬ weening spirit of independence, which grew out of successful opposition to it; the censures of the Church have lost all 11 Titus ii. 10. , 0 See Note LXXVIII. Appendix. 132 SERMON IV. their efficacy : and so far has this holy sa¬ crament sunk in estimation, that many who call themselves Christians, and pro¬ fess to be in unity with the Church, wil¬ fully abstain from the Lord’s table, and thus cut themselves off from one of the greatest of their spiritual privileges. Some, doubtless, fall into this grievous error through mistaken, though reverent views of the eucharist itself, or of the pro¬ per p preparation for receiving it : but many? very many, especially among those whose superior education and attainments would lead us to expect better things from them, are found to neglect this most im¬ portant benefit of their Christian calling, for no other reason, than that they have never seriously thought of its nature or its value. If however that Church which was founded by the Apostles, which grew up under their especial superintendance, and enjoyed the advantage of their ex¬ ample, may be considered as a model, by which we are to q “ build up ourselves on p See Note LXXIX. Appendix. q Jude 20. SERMON IV. 133 “our most holy faiththen vve must “ continue stedfast in the Apostles’ doc- “ trine and fellowship, in breaking of “ bread, and in prayers.” But if not; if Christianity has changed its character, and some new lights have sprung up in these latter days, which shew that the precepts of the Gospel are no longer obligatory ; that the practice of Christ’s immediate disciples is no rule for our conduct; and that his most solemn institutions may be safely neglected, or despised, by those who call themselves members of his body, and heirs of his kingdom; then may unity of prayers or sacraments, of doctrine or of discipline, be alike disregarded as antiquated and obsolete observances, in which we have neither interest nor concern. Such opi¬ nions, so utterly irreconcileable with every idea of Christian association and duty in¬ culcated by the Scriptures, require no re¬ futation : to state them plainly, is to shew their deformity and their danger. But between them and conformity to the practice stated in the text, there can be 134 SERMON IV. no alternative. If men may not worship God according to the dictates of their own vain imaginations, where shall they look for direction, but to his revealed word? or what purer example can they propose to themselves, than that of the Church which the Apostles in person ruled? In the Scriptures they will find evidence suffi¬ ciently strong to satisfy all who will impar¬ tially weigh it, that the Church has a power, inherent in herself, to make the necessary provisions for the decent and or¬ derly celebration of her public service; and that, independent of all such regu¬ lations, which, as they may be varied ac¬ cording to the circumstances and situation of each particular branch of it, are binding only upon the members of that branch; there are divine offices, even the two sa¬ craments, appointed by Christ himself, and therefore of perpetual and universal obli¬ gation. No society of Christians can set these aside, without forfeiting its title to be es¬ teemed a part of the body of Christ; no Christian can neglect them, without vir- SERMON IV. 135 tually cutting himself off from the commu¬ nion of saints, and hazarding his eternal salvation. If from the state of public con¬ fusion and disorder, of individual peril and uncertainty, consequent upon such an un¬ authorized deviation from the rule of Scripture, and the practice of the first dis¬ ciples, as recorded by the Evangelist for our instruction, we turn to the consider¬ ation of that unity of devotion, recom¬ mended by the text, and enforced by the discipline of our own Church; how fair, how lovely is the prospect! If any spectacle can give 11s an idea of heavenly occupations and delights in this our mortal state, it must be that of a Christian congregation, prostrate before the footstool of the same God; and joining with one heart and one soul in the same fervent and devout expressions of faith, of hope, of gratitude, of reverence, of obe¬ dience. When then the mind is carried on from a single congregation thus employed to the idea, that the whole national Church is at the same time engaged in hallowing the K 4 I 136 SERMON IV. Christian sabbath by one common act of devotion ; striving together in prayer; and pouring forth from every town and every village the same voice of supplication, praise, and thanksgiving, in his name who is the Saviour of all; can we doubt the r prevailing efficacy of such an offering, when sincerely made ? or can we imagine a closer resemblance to the conduct of that heavenly assembly, which s “ serveth “ God day and night” continually ! When to this we add, that every mem¬ ber of the Church has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and received into the number of God’s faithful and elect chil¬ dren by baptism; what shall we require to complete the picture, but that they, who thus have been admitted into the fellow¬ ship of Christ’s religion; who thus abide in the doctrine, and join in the prayers of that Church, which may justly claim to be 1 “ built upon the foundation of the Apo- “ sties and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself “ being the chief corner stone should r See Note LXXX. Appendix. s Rev. vii. 15. 1 Ephes. ii. 20. SERMON IV. 137 also u continue stedfast,” in the great leading characteristic of true 'Christian worship, “ the breaking of bread !” Thus connected by every external bond of unity, and u “ going up with the multi- “ tude to the house of God, with the “ voice of joy and praise,” it might be hoped, that the Spirit of Peace, of which they would then be made partakers, would also dwell in their hearts; and accompa¬ nying them into the world, and directing them in their daily conversation, as well as in their religious services, would induce them to x “ follow peace with all men ;” and to prove that they were the faithful disciples of him y “ who loved us, and “ gave himself for us,” by the love which they uniformly manifested one towards another. u Psalm xlii. 4. x Heb. xii. 14. y Gal. ii. 20. ' '3 \ i v i' ■ ' : : 7 • • . ’! ’V .hr? ■ u v•. / 7 ** i.-uh •• N • ;? 'i '■1 tt ’l f ' *: h;ti:7; Hi 7<1 fl Vfi' I i . 777 ’ • ; * : ’ • ; •; r: i r r y<: . .7 >7 % *■- ’ Si K *i 7.'. r , • 7 . ; 7 . .7 r- fl * •» « ■ ■. . r-i- • . j * /Iff \ «*t : i * u u$sn:» ■>. * *. : . , 7- « / r « - T -7i ■ V -«< . • ■7 i j, ■ t h'i l< a ) f Vi W>- > • : . .. , f . ; «■ ' 1 J ' 7 , .. ;ru. ; SERMON V. 1 Cor. iii. 3. * ' 5; J **{ , I •• ' i ' .» .* ../• . . . J ' k Whereas there is among you envying , aw*/ ?, and divisions , are ye not carnal , WHEN the present distracted state of the Christian world is compared with the har¬ mony and union which prevailed in the infant Church at Jerusalem, as described by the Evangelist; so lamentable a de¬ parture from primitive excellence cannot but excite sensations of humiliation and sorrow in the mind of every man, who is zealous for the honour of his religion, and well instructed in the duties of its pro¬ fessors. Little consolation will such a person de¬ rive from knowing, that the divisions which now harass the Church are not peculiar to the present day. For he will perceive that their danger is not less alarming, nor 140 SERMON V. their guilt less deadly, because we have in¬ herited them from our forefathers, or can discover the injurious operations of their influence in almost every page of ecclesi¬ astical history. The language of the Apo¬ stle in the text shews indeed, that the evil had begun to work even in his days; but it proves also, to the confusion of the pre¬ sent generation, that it was then universally known, deplored, and censured as an evil: men were not accustomed to a regard it with indifference ; it had not so far insinu¬ ated itself into the very vitals of Christi¬ anity, as to render the remedy, by which alone it could be counteracted, as intolera¬ ble as the disease; nor were there to be found any so hardy or so blind, as to deny the mischief of disunion, or to maintain, that religious discord is not unpleasing in the sight of God. Still however it will be useful to trace these divisions to their source; for such an investigation will at least empower us to attach the guilt of producing them where it ought to be fixed; a See Note LXXXI. Appendix. 141 V. SERMON V. and to shew that the contests and animo¬ sities, which have disturbed the Church, are not to be rashly attributed to the miscon¬ duct of its ministers, much less to any in- S J V herent defects in our holy faith itself; but rather to the perversity of that nature, which it was intended to reform. The first breach of unity upon record took place in the church at Corinth, when under the immediate superintendance of St. Paul, whose authority was in vain ex¬ erted to repair it: for though he succeeded in restoring a temporary harmony, the epistles written by b Clement to the same Church, not long after the martyrdom of that Apostle, bear testimony to the dissen¬ sions by which it still continued to be agi¬ tated. Hence then it is manifest, that schism and contention may disturb a church, although no possible charge of deficiency, either in zeal or ability, can be brought against its ministers. Where the Apostles themselves officiated, there could have been no pretence for such b See Note LXXXII. Appendix. i 142 SERMON V. an accusation : their doctrine could not have differed in essential points; none of them could have been wanting in diligent attention to the laborious duties of their important office; and the Holy Spirit vouchsafed to all the same confirmation of their mission, by granting c “ signs and “ wonders to be done by their hands.” Yet the Corinthians formed into parties, and affected to class themselves under dif¬ ferent teachers; forgetting that they had all been called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ; and that, as brethren, it became them to be d “ perfectly joined together in “ the same mind, and in the same judg- “ merit.” It requires then little argument to prove, that the original causes of disunion are not to be found in the nature of Christianity itself, nor to be charged upon the frailties or defects of its teachers. As God is love, and willeth that his disciples should love one another, his precepts must tend to promote the harmony in which he delights: c Acts xiv. 3. d 1 Cor. i. 10. SERMON V. 143 and though the ministers of Christ will never be wholly exempt from the infirmities of their brethren; their personal defects cannot justify rebellion against the autho¬ rity, by which they are appointed; nor can the spirit of disorder and contention, which manifested itself even under the rule of the Apostles, be justly imputed to the e weaknesses or errors of their uninspired successors. As if however to remove all ground for such an imputation, and to vindicate those who were to follow him and his fellow-labourers in their sacred office from being undeservedly censured, as the authors of an evil, which the predictions of his blessed Master had taught him to con¬ sider as inevitable; St. Paul takes occasion in the text to fix upon the Corinthians themselves the guilt of that sin, which, in the discharge of his apostolic office, it became him to reprove. “ Whereas there “ is among you envying, and strife, and “ divisions, are ye not carnal?” Your con¬ tests, far from being a consequence of e See Note LXXXIII. Appendix. 144 SERMON V. your conversion to Christianity, are a con¬ vincing proof, that ye are yet in great measure strangers to its influence ; that ye submit to be directed by carnal impulses, instead of yielding yourselves as servants to Jesus Christ, and obeying the suggestions of his Holy Spirit. Whether such is the true import of these words, “ ye are car- “ nal,” will best be determined by the context. The Apostle tells them, that he cannot yet declare unto them the whole mystery of the doctrine of Christ, nor speak unto them in the language, which, as a minister of Christ, he wished to employ, because they were unable to bear it; not having wholly f laid aside those evil pro¬ pensities of a depraved nature, which were to be exchanged for humility, peaceable¬ ness, and docility, before their minds could be competent to the admission and com¬ prehension of divine truth. He therefore compares them to “ babes/’ who are “ fed “ with milk,” because they cannot digest the food of men; thus giving them to un- f See Note LXXXIV. Appendix. SERMON V. 145 derstand, that what they had hitherto learn¬ ed from him were but the first s rudiments of Christian knowledge; simple elements, adapted to the intellect of children, and preparatory only to that more full and perfect information, which was reserved for those who had ears to hear and hearts to receive the treasures of heavenly wisdom. “ I, brethren, could not speak unto you “ as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, “ even as unto babes in Christ. I have “ fed you with milk, and not with meat: which she has already appointed, even in deference to any, who may presume upon their own peculiar sanctity or knowledge. On the contrary, the very directions of the Apostle, which have been sometimes quoted in favour of such positions, are im¬ mediately preceded by an exhortation to submit to all lawful authority, as a point of r 2 Tim. ii. 23. s 1 Tim. i. 4. t See Note CXXVII. Appendix. 206 SERMON VI. Christian duty; to submit, u “ not only for “ wrath, but also for conscience sake not only from fear of the penalty, to which disobedience may subject us, but because x “the powers that be, are ordained of God,” and “ he that resisteth the power, resisteth “ the ordinance of God.” They who have chosen rather to leave the Church, and break the unity of the body of Christ, than comply with terms of communion, which involve no sinful dereliction of Christian duty, must remember, that the offence in this case lies in their schism, not in the lawful exercise of power, which that schism has resisted. The Church, in her anxiety to preserve peace, may concede much to the wishes of her scrupulous children ; she may alter the language of her forms, or the ceremonial of her public services, so far as to meet any rational or even plausible objection: but where she does not think fit to yield, either because the proposition appears in itself unreasonable, or because she has u Rom. xiii. 5. x Rom. xiii. 1,-2. SERMON VI. 207 ground for believing, that the inconveni¬ ences resulting from concession would over¬ balance its advantages; there the obligation to obedience on the part of the rejected petitioners remains in full force, and the woe denounced in the text must fall on those* by whom submission is thus wan¬ tonly refused. In the instance which we have consi¬ dered, the determination of our Church was grounded upon an accurate knowledge of the character and designs of those, with whom she was committed. They spoke indeed most pathetically of the mischiefs resulting from disunion ; of the injustice of separating ministers from their parishes* and depriving them of their benefices, for nonconformity. Rut it must not be for¬ gotten, that they caused the very divisions which they affected to lament; that they J drove the clergy, with every species of cruelty and insult, from their preferments* for refusing to take a rebellious and schismatical engagement; and that, though y See Preface to “ Walker’s Sufferings of the Clergy. ,y 208 SERMON VI. earnest pleaders for indulgence to tender consciences when themselves under autho¬ rity, in the time of their power they were the decided z opponents of toleration. It was also well known, that their views were not limited to a revision of the Li¬ turgy, or an abolition of a few indifferent ceremonies; that they contemplated an alteration of the very constitution of the Church; and that nothing less than such an adoption of the Genevan model, as might have paved the way for their return to ecclesiastical power, would have satisfied their demands. To have yielded to such persons would have been rather reprehensible weakness, than Christian moderation. It is indeed the duty of the Church to bear with the froward, and to a “ support the weakbut she is also ordained to be b “ the pillar and “ around of the truth:” for this purpose O till authority was committed to her ; and had she surrendered it into the hands of those, who sought it that they might introduce z See Note CXXVIII. Appendix. a 1 Thess. v. 14. b 1 Tim. iii. 15. SERMON VI. 209 their own imaginations into God’s service, and mingle their own opinions with the doctrine of Christ; she would have been guilty before God and man of having be¬ trayed that Gospel, which she had been raised up to preserve and defend. Relying therefore for support upon the wise pro¬ visions of that national constitution, with which her polity is inseparably interwoven, her object has since been to maintain her t. own doctrine and discipline unimpaired. And with that temperate spirit of true charity, which becomes the moderation of her character, she has ever been ready, as far as a due regard for her own security would allow, to promote every measure of tolera¬ tion proposed for the benefit of those, who must now be considered as formally sepa¬ rated from her fold. To the candid and impartial among this class of Christians we may confidently appeal for the full confirmation of this truth. The sense of political inferiority may irritate the am¬ bitious, or the decent splendor of our na¬ tional establishment mortify the envious; the tongue of the adversary may be sharp- p 210 SERMON VI. ened by occasional controversy, or tempo¬ rary clamour may be excited by the firm¬ ness with which every attempt to remove the barriers of our ecclesiastical constitu¬ tion has been resisted: but the wisest and the best of our dissenting brethren have never been unwilling to acknowledge, that they have always felt themselves most secure under its tolerant supremacy; and that, if political power or influence must be be¬ stowed exclusively on any one class of Christians, to the Church of England alone it can be safely confided. SERMON VII. Matt. xii. 30 . He that is not with me is against me ; and he that gathereth not ivith me scattereth abroad. It has been strongly, though somewhat coarsely observed by an eminent noncon¬ formist a divine, that “there is no part of “ religion that Satan does not endeavour “ to destroy, under pretence of promoting ee it.” Those who have most attentively considered the history of the Church, may perhaps be inclined to admit the truth of the position to its full extent; as that his¬ tory will suggest to them many reasons for believing that the cause of Christianity has suffered more injury from the labours of its pretended advocates, than from the perse¬ cutions of its avowed enemies. The oppo- sition of the latter has generally tended to a Baxter. Cure of Church Divisions, p. 270, P 2 212 SERMON VII. confirm and strengthen that faith, which they designed to destroy; while the former, by insidiously mixing themselves with the friends of religion, by misleading their judg¬ ment, misdirecting their zeal, and misap¬ plying their exertions, have seldom failed to perplex its doctrines, and counteract its salutary operation on the human heart. In no instance perhaps has this been more strikingly exemplified, than by the attempts which have been made, from time to time, to weaken or destroy the very foundations of Christian faith, under pre¬ tence of restoring unity among its pro* fessors. Every well informed disciple of the bless¬ ed Jesus is persuaded, that b u envying and “ strife” are unbecoming his holy calling, and is anxious to promote a better spirit among his brethren. Upon this predispo¬ sition therefore in favour of unity, the ene¬ my has presumed; and, well aware that its real nature is in general but imperfectly understood, and that its most zealous ad¬ vocates are not always fully instructed in b 1 Cor. iiL 3. SERMON VII. 213 the proper means of securing it, he has too often made it a pretext for engaging them in labours, more likely to terminate in the overthrow of religion itself, than in the accomplishment of their favourite ob¬ ject. It was the design of a former dis¬ course to shew, that the Church of Eng¬ land, forming her idea of real Christian unity from the language of those Scriptures, to which she has steadily adhered, as the guide of her conduct, and the rule of her opinions, has employed every legitimate means in her power for its preservation. But the same wisdom which taught her how Christians should be one, enabled her also to discover, that, beyond a certain limit, it was neither safe nor right to seek their union; lest the substance itself should be lost in the pursuit of the shadow, and mu¬ tual peace should be promoted, not for the sake, but by the sacrifice, of truth. The contests of which Christianity lias been at least the pretext, if not the cause, may be ranked among the most furious and destructive which have visited the world ; and, from its first promulgation to 214 SERMON VII. the present hour, the folly of some, the pride and obstinacy of others, and the un¬ controlled passions of the many, have pre¬ sented insuperable impediments to the pre¬ servation of that unity, which it was our blessed Lord’s desire to establish among his disciples. But ought we therefore to listen to any rash projector, who would persuade us to put Christianity itself to hazard, for the sake of ending the conten¬ tions by which it has been disgraced ? Or should we conceive his scheme to be wise, or his motives to be pure, who would urge the propriety of conceding even one fun¬ damental article of our creed, that the offence of those, who have presumed to question or deny it, might be speedily and effectually removed ? The answer to such questions may be safely anticipated. None will consent to renounce doctrines which they consider to be fundamental, in order to conciliate the errors or the prejudices of others; and all will probably determine to maintain what they conceive to be the common faith, as a possession far too precious to be relin- SERMON VII. 215 quished, because its perfect work among us has hitherto been impeded by the blind¬ ness and perversity of human nature. It may then be assumed, that there is a price, at which even Christian unity, de¬ sirable and lovely as it is, would be too dearly purchased: that it is not the only thing, nor the chief thing, which we have to seek and provide; and that those who so esteem it, and risk even truth itself to procure it, are neither to be followed nor commended. The language of our Saviour in the text may perhaps be not improperly applied to warn us against such projectors; as it de¬ clares, that there is a mode of gathering, which tends to scatter, rather than to unite; and that* whatever may be the mo¬ tive of those who do not act with him, the effect of their conduct will be injurious to the work, which he came into the world to perform. He had exposed the perverse misrepre¬ sentations, which attributed his miracles to demoniacal influence, by stating this sim¬ ple and undeniable truth; that no plan p 4 216 SERMON VII. can be accomplished, no power upheld, but by unity of effort. u Every kingdom “ divided against itself is brought to deso- u lation; and every city or house divided u against itself shall not stand : and if Sa- cc tan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom “ stand ?” Still further to shew the natural conse* quence of divisions, he reminds his hearers of an aphorism of their own, against the force of which they could take no except lion. “ He that is not with me is against u me; and he that gathereth not with me “ scattereth abroad;” leaving them to draw from it the following unavoidable infer¬ ence; that the conduct which they ad¬ mitted to be in general so injurious, was not likely to have been adopted on that particular occasion; that if nothing less than the steady and uniform direction of its power towards its own preservation can effectually promote the welfare of any go¬ vernment, Satan could not, without ab¬ surdity, be supposed to be so grossly neg¬ ligent of his own interests, as to divide SERMON VII. 217 against himself, by providing his avowed adversary with weapons to overthrow his kingdom. Assuming then that the proverbial say¬ ing thus objected by our Saviour to these Jewish cavillers, may be accommodated without impropriety to the subject before us, it will perhaps admit of being thus pa¬ raphrased. 6C He that is not with me,” that is, he who does not act under my di¬ rection and authority, “ is against me;” his labours, though apparently directed to the same end, are in fact opposed to mine; he divides those whom I would have col¬ lected in one, even while he seeks to ga¬ ther them ; and, by breaking down the fences of that one fold, which it is my de¬ sign to form, he scatters the sheep, seduc¬ ing them from my pastures, depriving them of my protection. If we may be c allowed thus to employ the language of the text, it will powerfully illustrate the fatal effects of those “ labours “ for peace,” which are conducted under c Sec Note CXXIX. Appendix. 218 SERMON VII. the irregular impulse of private imagina¬ tions, rather than according to the dictates of Jesus Christ and his Apostles. The event of many arduous contests, and of many a plausible, but unsuccessful plan for preventing their recurrence, has proved that the ministers of Christ can never properly discharge their sacred func¬ tion, as the watchmen of Israel, the shep¬ herds of Christ’s flock, the stewards of his mysteries, unless they be convinced, that, however desirous they may feel to provide for “ the things which make for peace,” it is their first duty to maintain the truth ; and that every project for uniting Chris¬ tians upon any other terms has hitherto increased the evil which it was intended to remedy. The historical evidence by which this position is supported may be arranged under three separate heads. I. The first will include a cursory view of those projects, which have had for their object the reunion of Protestants and Pa¬ pists. II. Under the second maybe ranked the SERMON VII. 219 attempts to restore unity among the dif¬ ferent classes of Protestants in foreign countries. III. The third may comprise the various plans which have been proposed for the reconciliation of the Church of England and her dissenting brethren. This general view of the subject, while it enables us to ascertain the common principle upon which all these undertak¬ ings have been conducted, may perhaps suggest, in that principle, the cause of their failure, by ranking them under that species of gathering, which tends to scatter, rather than unite. I. Of the efforts made by the Church of Rome to promote Christian unity little can be said, and that little must be unfa¬ vourable. To the repeated and earnest declarations of the Reformers, that they were anxious to prevent divisions, and to preserve the unity of the Church by any sacrifice which they could conscientiously make; she answered only by an haughty avowal of her determination to maintain the doctrines, which they disclaimed as un- 220 SERMON VII. scriptural; and to abide by the practices, against which they protested as supersti¬ tious and idolatrous. To their appeals in favour of primitive truth and discipline, she obstinately refused to listen; and their arguments she at¬ tempted to silence by the exertion of au¬ thority. She d wished indeed that Chris¬ tians should be “ all of one mindbut it was an unanimous submission to her usurp¬ ed supremacy, rather than to the faith of the Gospel, which she endeavoured to en¬ force. The days of primitive suffering might have taught her the vanity of labouring to subdue the mind by torturing the body; and from the lives of those martyrs whom she affected to venerate, she might have learned to despise the folly, as well as to detest the cruelty, of religious persecutions. In the arrogance however of assumed in¬ fallibility, she refused to receive instruc¬ tion from the experience of former ages; and the breach which prudent concession d Sec Note CXXX. Appendix. SERMON VII. 221 might speedily have closed, her violence rendered irreparable. In this kingdom more particularly, it cannot be doubted that the Protestant cause was greatly pro¬ moted by the blind fury of its antagonists. The foundations of the fabric which our Reformers raised, were laid in knowledge and in piety; but they were cemented with blood : the light which their good works and indefatigable labours diffused, was steady and brilliant; but it was at the c stake, and by the bright example of suf¬ fering for righteousness sake which they there exhibited, that they kindled that holy zeal for the true faith of the Gospel, which opposition has never since been able to quench. From them did our excellent Church receive the sacred deposit; and while their memory adorns her annals, will she labour to preserve her precious charge, uncor- rupted by the fraud, uninjured by the vio¬ lence of its enemies. But though such has been the spirit and c .See Note CXXXI. Appendix. 222 SERMON VII. conduct of the Roman Church, individuals have occasionally arisen in her commu¬ nion, who have endeavoured, by the gen¬ tler methods of persuasion and argument, to restore the dominion of peace. Among their labours, the well known consultation of Cassander will ever hold a conspicuous place. Whatever may be thought of the principles on which this work is composed, there can be no doubt that its pious author was actuated by a sincere desire of restor¬ ing peace to the Christian world. He doubtless thought, that the tenets ot his Church fairly admitted of such an ex¬ planation, as might satisfy the scruples, and allay the fears of those, who had departed from her communion. But although it may be allowed, that he has conceded all which a consistent Romanist could grant; yet his concessions, even had they received the sanction of authority, fall far short of that, which a consistent Protestant must require. And while he thought himself obliged to insist on the f supremacy of the f See Note CXXXII. Appendix. SERMON VII. 223 Pope, as essential to the preservation of unity and order; the Reformers, who well knew how deeply injurious the admission of this claim had already proved, could not be expected to accede to his pro¬ posals. As a sincere advocate of peace, as earnestly desirous of restoring it upon terms, which he conceived to involve no sacrifice of truth, the name of George Cas- sander will ever stand high in the estima¬ tion of the pious and the good of every communion: and though his efforts were ineffectual; though they were never coun¬ tenanced by his own Church ; though he himself might be mistaken in his estimate of their beneficial tendency; yet, as an ex¬ ample of a spirit uninfluenced by the pre¬ judices, untainted by the sophistry, and unembittered by the rancour which has too generally prevailed among the advo¬ cates of the Papacy, they should never be forgotten. Far different is the judgment which we are compelled to pass upon the labours of 5 Bossuet. If indeed the cause of union s See Note CXXXIII. Appendix. 224 SERMON VII. could be effectually served by sophistry and deception; if the interests of Christi¬ anity could be promoted by clothing error in the garb of truth; by persuading the unwary Protestant, that the grounds of his separation from the Roman communion were laid in misconception and misrepre¬ sentation; that her idolatries were only imaginary; that the practices, which her adversaries had denounced as superstitious, were innocent at least, if not laudable or useful; and that the doctrines, which they had rejected as unscriptural and antichris- tian, were only objected to because they were misunderstood: if success in such attempts could really benefit religion, or be acceptable to its divine founder, then might the exposition of Bossuet merit com¬ mendation : if otherwise, we may rejoice that in our own Church, and among our own prelates, a champion arose to detect the fallacies, and repel the attack of such an enemy. While then such is the character, which the excellent Archbishop Wake has inde¬ libly affixed to this celebrated work, we SERMON VII. 225 must still look in vain for any sincere at¬ tempt on the part of the Roman Church, to repair the evil consequences of her own obstinacy and error. In a better spirit, though with mistaken ingenuity, did h Grotius endeavour to give effect to the labours of Cassander. His * « wish for peace, and his despair of effectu¬ ally resisting the Papal power, evidently biassed him in favour of the Romish doc¬ trines : but however we may pardon the motive which thus prevailed over his bet¬ ter judgment, yet we cannot lament that his project met with no support, and can be ranked only with the unprofitable spe¬ culations, to which many an active mind is occasionally devoted. The only step towards a 1 negociation for reunion, upon terms alike beneficial to the cause of truth and peace, was taken by the same English Prelate, who so tri¬ umphantly repelled the sophistries of Eos- suet. When the arrogance of the Roman Pontiff had provoked the Gallican Church h See Note CXXXIV. Appendix. * See Note CXXXV. Appendix. Q 226 SERMON VII. to resist a tyranny which it could no longer bear, the venerable primate stood forward as became his character and station ; and to the overtures of reconciliation made by some leading divines of that Church, he answered in the genuine spirit of apostolic unity. The correspondence which took place on this occasion has been preserved; and it proves that, although sincerely desir¬ ous of a union upon proper principles, he never would have consented to any in¬ fringement upon the independence of our national Church; far less to the compro¬ mise of those fundamental truths, which it is her duty to preserve. That such an op¬ portunity was lost, must be attributed to causes which neither affect the character of our Church nor of its primate. She may justly assert, that the moderation which has always distinguished her was not then forgotten; and that another in- stance was thus afforded of the prudence which has ever enabled her to combine an undeviating resistance of error, with a spi¬ rit of brotherly kindness and charity to¬ wards those by whom it is maintained. SERMON VII. 227 II. While these ineffectual attempts to restore that unity, which the corruptions of the Church of Rome and the arrogance of its Pontiffs had destroyed, served only more strongly to mark the line of distinc¬ tion between error and truth, by contrast¬ ing the conduct, as well as the arguments of their supporters; similar efforts to re¬ duce the leading Protestant persuasions in foreign countries to one common form of communion proved equally unsuccessful. The points of k difference between the Lutherans and the Calvinists were neither few nor unimportant; and though appa¬ rently of a speculative nature, they in¬ volved fundamental doctrines; and in their consequences could not but affect the practice, as well as the faith, of their ad¬ vocates. The peculiar doctrines of Calvin respect¬ ing the divine decrees, were regarded with detestation by the Lutherans : while, on the other hand, their opinions relative to the person of Christ; the nature, efficacy, k See Note CXXXVI. Appendix. 228 SERMON VII. and necessity of baptism; and the real presence in the eucharist, were rejected with equal warmth by the Calvinists. AVhen such were the subjects of discussion, it was not to be expected that the labours of a few individuals, however able or zealous in the cause they undertook, could so far conquer prejudices, or reconcile antipa¬ thies, as to unite the jarring disputants in the bonds of Christian fellowship and bro¬ therly love. The obstacles, which the mere infirmities of human nature must ever op¬ pose to such an attempt, were of them¬ selves sufficiently formidable; but could they have been surmounted, these various plans were so radically defective, that no real advantages to the cause of Christianity could have resulted from their success. Deeply impressed with the value of peace, and enthusiastic in their pursuit of it, the authors of the various 1 Irenica which were published at this period seem to have been careless of the price at which it was to be obtained; and when they proposed a 1 See Note CXXXVII. Appendix. SERMON VII. 229 system of mutual concession, or the adop¬ tion of some middle terms, by which the opposite parties might be outwardly united, without renouncing those conflicting opi¬ nions, which had occasioned their separa¬ tion ; they seem to have forgotten that Christian love must be m “ without dissi- “ mulationand that, while the seeds of enmity are cherished in the heart, antipa¬ thies are rendered more deadly by the ne¬ cessity of concealment. If however these reconcilers had so far succeeded in thefr labours, as to produce a general convic¬ tion, that Lutherans and Calvinists, in all their various modifications, might each hold their opinions in peace, for that the peculiarities of both were equally unessen¬ tial ; still it was at least possible, that such a persuasion might have been more really n injurious than the contentions which it terminated. Whether indeed their object, had it been attainable, would have secured those blessings to Christendom, or raised that bulwark to Protestantism which they m Rom. xii. 9. n See Note CXXXVIII. Appendix. 230 SERMON VII. fondly expected, may best be determined by those, who consider the effects pro¬ duced by apathy and indifference upon the human mind. For may it not be as¬ serted, that the mutual indulgence which they inculcated is as incompatible with any other state of feeling, as a general respect for all modes of faith is destructive of real attachment to the one true doctrine contained in the Scriptures ? III. While the truth of Christianity was thus inconsiderately hazarded in foreign countries, by the advocates of union ; the Church of England was not without her full share of the calamities, which such at¬ tempts, when made by injudicious or ill designing projectors, will seldom fail to produce. Peace and unity were the pro¬ fessed objects of some of her bitterest ene¬ mies. To establish “ such an uniformity “ in religion, as might enable them and “ their posterity after them to live as “ brethren in faith and love,” was the avowed intention of those conspirators against the Church and their lawful so¬ vereign, who imposed “ the solemn SERMON VII. 231 ° “ League and Covenant’' upon their de¬ luded countrymen at the commencement of the great rebellion. P a That the Lord “ might be one, and his name one in the cc three kingdoms/’ they proceeded to de¬ stroy all existing establishments, and re¬ move every barrier which had been erected to preserve the purity and the unity of the faith. They swept the national Church with 4 a the besom of destruction /’ they abolished her Liturgy and her discipline; they r drove her clergy from their cures; and sanctioned the "rhapsodies of every fanatical preacher, who was willing to per¬ vert the Scriptures to the purposes of fac¬ tion, and teach the abettors of rebellion, sacrilege, and murder, that they were doing God service, and promoting the establish¬ ment of his kingdom. The consequences of such a system may 0 See Note CXXXIX. Appendix. P See Clarendon’s History of the Rebellion, b. vii. vol. 2. p. 287. folio. q Isaiah xiv. 23. r See Walker’s Sufferings of the Clergy, part 1. s See Note CXL. Appendix. 232 SERMON VII. be best set forth in the language of those, who, after labouring long and zealously in its support, lived to see and to confess their error. One of them thus proclaims the result of his own observation. “ As in “ commonwealths, where the bands and ct sinewes of civil government are cut “ asunder, and no conjunction or associ- “ ating of a people into or under govern- “ ment, politicians say, that in such times, “ every vian is at warre with every man , “ every man is an enemy to every man ; so “ the Lord for our sinnes hath poured “ this evill upon us, that we lye in confu- “ sion, almost every man is divided from “ every man, and so deepe hath the ma- 66 lady taken root, that many are in love “ with it, and like their very divisions ; “ and as it is in popular tumults, no man “ will heare any man, but still the confused “ noise goes on ; so in truth is it with us, “ we are not willing to heare of agreement, “ he is almost an enemy, who would la- “ bour a pacification or reconciliation !” fc 1 Stephen Marshall’s Spittle Sermon, April 16*52. See also Note CXLI. Appendix. SERMON VII. 233 Such then was the effect of this great effort to restore unity, peace, and concord, by removing ancient landmarks, and con¬ founding the distinction between truth and error, in order to prevent the disputes they had occasioned. The remedy indeed was powerful, but in its operation it was found to be far more fatal than the disease for which it was prescribed; and they who had blindly concurred in the work of destruction soon found, that, by abolish¬ ing the apostolic form of Church govern¬ ment, they had exposed the faith itself to the assaults of its worst enemies; and that instead of promoting peace by their indis¬ creet and unwarrantable concessions, they had justified discontent, and legalized re¬ sistance. It might have been supposed, that the miseries and horrors which attended this attempt to gather together in one those, whom differences of opinion upon funda¬ mental points rendered wholly irreconcile- able, would have taught wisdom to suc¬ ceeding generations. They might have learned from the sufferings of others, how 234 SERMON VII. truly it was said, that u “the cheating noise “ and name of unity hath been the great di- “ vider of the Christian world;” and in¬ stead of being deluded by a mere outward shew of harmony, they might have known, that no religious union can be permanent or beneficial, unless it be established upon the basis of x “ one Lord, one faith, and “ one baptism.” Then would they have ceased from vain endeavours to gather, where no harvest was prepared; to unite, where no affinities existed; and they would never have hazarded the best interests of that Church, which they had solemnly pledged themselves to support, by fruitless projects to conciliate those, whose conduct had already proved, that they would be satisfied by nothing less than her destruc¬ tion. The remembrance of the y “ bitter envy- “ ings, and strife,” and divisions, which ensued among themselves, when the only bond of their union was broken by the downfall of that Church which they had u Baxter's Cure for Church Divisions, p. 2 ? 6 . x Ephes. iv. 5. y James iii. 14. SERMON VII. 235 associated to overthrow, might have in¬ structed the wiser and more moderate of the dissenters also to study the things that make for peace, rather than to seek for the preeminence at the risk of utter destruc¬ tion : and when the Church was once more restored to her ancient supremacy, to be contented with the tranquil shelter of that toleration which she was ever ready to afford them. The rest however, which would have re¬ sulted from such discriminating prudence on the part of her own members, and such a wise forbearance in those who had se¬ parated from her communion, the Church has not hitherto been permitted to enjoy. Scarcely was she emancipated from the grinding tyranny of those whom “ the so- ct lemn League and Covenant” had armed against her; scarcely had she seen her prelates reinstated in their dignities, and her clergy recalled to the discharge of their pastoral office; scarcely did her churches again resound to the hallowed strains of her venerable Liturgy, and her members were once more fed with the pure and un- 236 SERMON VII. adulterated word of God, when the contest was again renewed, and she was called upon to defend that godly quietness, now happily restored within her own pale, against the advocates of unity without uni¬ formity, and peace without reconciliation. From that time to the present has the struggle been maintained: various indeed have been the devices of the enemy, but the ultimate object has uniformly been the same; the removal of every defence erected for the preservation of the Establishment, that the ministry of the Church might once more be opened to those, who have plainly declared that they would neither conform to her ritual, submit to her discipline, nor inculcate her doctrine. This design, carried on by some who professed themselves anxious for the wel¬ fare and security of the Church, derived at least an apparent z sanction from the rule for interpreting her Articles laid down by a celebrated Prelate in his well known Exposition. This rule seemed to allow z See Note CXL1I. Appendix. SERMON VII. 237 those diversities of opinion, which the Ar¬ ticles themselves were framed to prevent; by encouraging persons of opposite tenets to believe, that each might possibly find a shelter under some ambiguity in their lan¬ guage, and that they might be subscribed without prevarication, in any sense which might be affixed to them by the ingenuity of the subscriber. Under the influence of the same persons, whose benevolent but mistaken views this Exposition thus seemed to favour, a a Com¬ prehension was also projected, as the best remedy for the evils of religious disunion : and that every obstacle to this attempt might be removed on the part of the Church, it had been proposed, that the Liturgy should undergo a new revision, for the purpose of altering or removing every passage which might offend the scruples of those, by whom it had been hitherto re¬ jected. And as this could not be speedily or easily effected, evasions of the laws, which rendered conformity to the esta- a See Note CXLIII. Appendix. 238 SERMON VII. blished Church a necessary qualification for places of political trust or employment, were openly defended; and occasional b conformity was justified, as an expedient by which the restrictions of the Test Act might be conveniently and profitably re¬ laxed. The vigilant opposition of the great ma¬ jority of the clergy prevented the evils which would probably have resulted from the success of the former scheme; but it was not until after a long and persevering contest, that the practice of occasional conformity, which the conscientious dis¬ senters themselves hesitated to defend, was prohibited by legislative interference. The silent indifference with which all these efforts were regarded by those whom they were intended to conciliate, sufficiently evinced their fruitlessness and vanity. It was not comprehension at which they aim¬ ed, but supremacy; and if in any instance they supported some of their adherents in an occasional conformity to the ritual of b See Note CXLIV. Appendix. SERMON VII. 239 the Church, it was that the political inter¬ ests of the body might be promoted, by their participation in civil authority. But although this project wholly failed as a measure of union, yet it afforded another illustration of our Saviour’s de¬ claration, that “ he who gathereth not with 66 him scattereth abroad.” The enemies of the Church were neither softened nor conciliated, but the seeds of dissension were sown within her own bosom. The ingenuity which was employed to shew that many different meanings might be attached to her Articles, rather than to determine their true interpretation, rendered them a sub¬ ject of unceasing contention, instead of a bond of unity ; and the c arguments urged in defence of the occasional conformists inculcated a persuasion, that all modes of Christian worship and Church govern¬ ment are rather matters of ecclesiastical ordinance than of divine institution; and that the public devotions of every commu¬ nion are equally acceptable to God, pro- c See Note CXLV. Appendix. 240 SERMON VII. vided those who partake in them are sin¬ cere in their intention. These unscriptural positions, afterwards sanctioned and defended by the dignified station and polemical ability of cI Bp. Hoad- ley, gave rise to that long protracted strug¬ gle, in which the enemies of episcopacy were gratified by the unseemly spectacle of the inferior clergy arrayed against a bi¬ shop, in support of the Christian priest¬ hood, and the fundamental doctrines of its religion. Over such disputes, during which the cause of truth itself was too often equally disgraced by the assaults of its enemies and the bitterness of its defenders, we would willingly draw a veil; were it not that the history of former errors may teach those who study it to avoid the conduct they disapprove, and the angry feelings they deplore. Let it not be forgotten also, that to this very controversy the Church is indebted for the most powerful defence of her apostolic constitution, which her li¬ d See Note CXLVI. Appendix. SERMON VII. 241 terary annals can produce. The Letters of Law will long preserve the memory of that struggle which occasioned them; and now, when the passions it excited are forgotten, and the combatants whom it called into the field are mingled with the dust; to them may the theological student be con¬ fidently referred for information, which will teach him at once to venerate and defend that Church, among whose ministers he aspires to be enrolled. With similar unwillingness to comme¬ morate the failings of those who are now called to their account, would I pass over the ill advised petitions against subscrip¬ tion to the Thirty-nine Articles, which the wisdom of the legislature rejected in the latter part of the last century. Feelings of affection for our excellent Church, and of godly jealousy for the collective character of her ministers, will ever oblige us to la¬ ment, that even a few of her clergy should have been then found, so far forgetful of their duty to her and to themselves, as pub¬ licly to express an anxiety to be relieved from the obligations, which they had vo¬ lt 242 SERMON VII. luntarily contracted to maintain her doc¬ trines. But to such conduct the present subject would not hare required me even to allude, had not the advocates for these petitions seriously defended their object, as calcu¬ lated to e strengthen the Church of Eng¬ land, by lessening the number of her op¬ ponents. To such perverted reasoning it is now unnecessary to reply; as matter of history, the measure itself cannot be entirely for¬ gotten ; and it will remain as one proof among many, that injudicious attempts to establish the semblance of unity and peace will ever scatter strife and dissension even among those, who, but for such interference, might have walked together as friends. While however we lament the mistakes from which such evils have arisen, let us not hastily impute to those, who laboured under them, an obliquity of motive, to which, no doubt, the hearts of many were wholly strangers: let us rather believe, e See Note CXLVII. Appendix. SERMON VII. 243 that, ardent in the pursuit of one of the greatest blessings which Christianity was designed to produce, they considered not the proper means of securing their object; than that they delighted in the confusion and disorder, which their ill digested plans were but too well calculated to produce From the evidence which the history of the Church, from the period of the Refor¬ mation, appears to furnish, what inferences then are to be drawn ? We have seen that the efforts which have been made at diffe¬ rent times, and by various individuals, to establish peace and unity among the pro¬ fessors of a religion which breathes nothing but harmony and love, have not only failed, but have increased the evil they were intended to remedy. Shall we then suppose, that he who earnestly prayed that his Church might be one, has rendered unity really unattainable ? or that, while he has commanded us to study the things which make for peace, he has ordained that obedience to his will shall promote the cause of disunion ? May we not rather con¬ ceive, that schemes so uniformly unsuc- r 2 244 SERMON VII. cessful have also been radically defective; and that the cause of their disappointment is to be traced in the erroneous principles on which they were framed ? Shall we not be induced to conclude, that their advo¬ cates, however sincere in their intentions, were mistaken in their conduct; and that the union which they sought was incom¬ patible with the welfare of that religion, with whose institutions it was to be inter¬ woven ? It the foundations of real Christian unity are only to be laid in Christian truth; then are those only to be accounted its pro¬ moters, who in the true spirit of the Apo¬ stle’s admonition, f “ contend earnestly for “ the faith once delivered to the saints if our blessed Lord, when he petitioned for the unity of his disciples, intended that they should be one, not as men only, but as Christians ; as professors of one faith, mem¬ bers of one holy Catholic Church, and ser¬ vants of one Master; no reconciliation founded upon hollow compromises and in¬ sincere concessions can be framed according f Jude 3. SERMON VII. 245 to his will. They who thus gather, seek not the pure and perfect peace of genuine Christianity; they have contented them¬ selves with attempting to purchase a mere cessation of hostilities bv the indulgence of error; and, instead of strengthening the bul¬ warks of that Church, which was intended to be the guardian of the truth, they have rather leagued with its adversaries to pro¬ mote her overthrow. Little consolation will it prove to her defenders to be convinced, that they de¬ sired not the ruin which they thus contri¬ buted to produce; and that they were unconscious of the mischievous tendency of their ill directed labours. It imports not, that they s “ prayed for the peace of “ Jerusalem,” or that they toiled for its restoration. It is to the effect, and not the design of their labour which we are to look, if we would learn wisdom from the page of history. Let it not then be said, that we delight in recording the failings of those who have preceded us; or that we in- g Psalm cxxii. 6. 246 SERMON VII. dulge in censure, where it can no longer be repelled. We judge them not, we condemn them not: with humble confidence in the justice and the mercy of him, before whose tribunal they are called, we hope that on that awful day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, no perversity of will, no voluntary blindness may be laid to their charge. Rut, though we h “ judge “ nothing before the time,” it is our duty to inquire what was the fruit of their ex¬ ertions. And if by this criterion we may ascertain, that they ‘ “laboured in vain, and “ spent their strength for nought;” where will be our excuse, if we neglect to profit by the example which has perhaps been re¬ corded for our admonition ? what shall we plead in our defence, if, by seeking to ga¬ ther as they did, we also be found to have scattered abroad ? But if we would learn the whole of that lesson which such an investigation may be capable of teaching, it will become us to consider the effects of these pacific efforts h 1 Cor. iv. 5. ‘ Isaiah xlix. 4. SERMON VII. 247 in all their bearings. We shall find, it is to be feared, that their evil consequences have not been limited to the disappoint¬ ment which has been experienced by their authors, nor to the temporary increase of bitterness and contention which has gene¬ rally attended their progress. When the advocates of peace persuaded themselves, that some latitude of interpre¬ tation, even on important points, might fairly be allowed for the sake of reconciling conflicting opinions, that those who could not agree in discipline, might compromise their differences by uniformity in doctrine; or that, where the same form of ecclesias¬ tical government was preserved, doctrinal points should not be too severely investi¬ gated ; they raised their hands to remove the barriers of the faith, and exposed the sanctuary of Christianity to the inroad of its adversaries. It may be granted, that the first con¬ cessions were, in themselves, comparatively unimportant; that Cassander would not have surrendered what he consider ed to k See Note CXLVIII. Appendix. 248 SERMON VXL be the apostolic constitution of the Church; nor 1 Grotius, what he believed to be the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel: but certain it is, that those who followed in the track which they had marked out, imitated neither their moderation nor their caution. Too soon did it become apparent, that where peace was the great object of desire, every doctrine which had occasioned dis¬ pute would be surrendered as unimpor¬ tant ; and our holy faith itself would soon be resolved into that cold system of philo¬ sophic deism, which has been dignified with the title of uncontroverted Christi¬ anity. Such was the tendency of that system, which declared, that “ a man’s title to God’s “ favour cannot depend upon his actual iC being or continuing in any particular Ci method, but upon his real sincerity in “ the conduct of his conscience:”—a po¬ sition, which, could it have been establish¬ ed, would have removed at once the ground of every controversy, and pro¬ vided an effectual remedy for religious dis- 1 See Note CXLVIII. Appendix. SERMON VII. 249 sension, by involving the faith, the worship, and the discipline of the Church in one common ruin. Such attempts have indeed met with opponents, acute in discovering, and active in repelling the danger which they me¬ naced. But let it not be supposed, that they were harmless, because they were de¬ feated. The Church has hitherto, by the blessing of God, survived the contest; but she has suffered from the struggle. The advocates of truth have retired conquerors from the field of controversy; but the number of those who rejoiced in their tri¬ umphs has, it is to be feared, rather dimi¬ nished than increased. Argument, how¬ ever in itself convincing, can seldom effec¬ tually arrest the progress of popular de¬ lusion : for error accommodates itself to minds, which are impervious to truth; and the plausible sophistries of its teachers will be greedily adopted by those, who have neither inclination to receive, nor ability to comprehend the deductions of reason. Hence have the unthinking and unwary been taught to regard the resolute defend- 250 SERMON VII. ers of primitive truth and order with an eye of suspicion or dislike, as the real dis¬ turbers of the Christian world ; and, wea¬ ried with the contests, which the continual incursions of the enemy have rendered un¬ avoidable, they have hailed the tranquillity of indifference, as their only refuge from the turbulence of controversy, and the rancour of polemical disputation. Such then is the great, the growing evil with which we have to contend. T. he sanc¬ tuary of the Church of England is yet in¬ violate, her doctrines uncorrupted, her con¬ stitution unimpaired: surrounded as she is by enemies, and exposed to dangers, she still cherishes within her bosom a host of defenders, of integrity unimpeached, of vigilance unwearied, in ability preeminent. Where then, it may be said, is the ground for apprehension or alarm ? Alas ! when Absalom had m stolen away the hearts of the men of Israel ; and the multitude, who should have ranged themselves on the side of David, turned and fought against him; little did it profit him, that his title was le¬ m 2 Samuel xv. 6. SERMON VII. 251 gitimate, or that his chosen friends were loyal and brave. And little, it is to be feared, will it avail our excellent Church, that she is sound in the faith, if the love of her members have waxed cold; or that her clergy are able and zealous, if a pre¬ vailing lukewarmness have deadened the hearts of their flocks against the influence of their ministrations. It is this general indifference, the fatal offspring of ill regulated attempts to secure a blessing at present unattainable, which awakens our fears, and too often palsies our exertions. He whose word is truth has declared, “ that a kingdom divided “ against itself falleth.” Where then di¬ visions are to be found, little does it mat¬ ter, whether they are caused by open hos¬ tility, or encouraged by passive neutra¬ lity ; their existence, in either case, is incompatible with the safety of that spi¬ ritual kingdom committed to our charge ; and it becomes us to be prepared to re¬ medy the latter evil, as we are, I trust, yet fully competent to resist the former. That then the zeal of those who are 252 SERMON VII. professedly members of our venerable es¬ tablishment may be neither cooled by in¬ difference nor misdirected by enthusiasm, let us be ourselves examples of that steady perseverance and indefatigable watchful¬ ness, which we would recommend: let us endeavour to convince them, that the peace they covet is not to be attained, as they have been unwarily prevailed on to seek it; and that real union never can be purchased by concessions made to the sons of confusion and disorder. Let us remind them, that God alone can m “ tame the « unruly wills and affections of his sinful u creatures;” and that it is his peculiar province, to 11 make men of one mind in 64 an house.” If then they look forward with hope to that day, when it shall please him to build up his kingdom upon earth ° “ in 44 righteousness, and peace, and joy in the 44 Holy Ghost;” if they are anxious to pre¬ pare the way for its establishment, their duty has been plainly marked out in the Scrip¬ tures; they must p “ continue in the faith m Collect, fourth Sunday after Easter. n Liturgy. ° Rom. xiv. 17* P Col. i. 23. ii. J, / SERMON VII. 253 “ as they have been taught/' and take care that their <1 “ conversation be such as “ becometh the Gospel of Christ/' ever bearing in mind the declaration of the r Apostle, that they who would live in peace must first be perfectly united in the common faith, and then “ the God of love “ and peace will be with them." q Phil. i. 27. r 2 Cor. xiii. 11. See Hammond’s interpretation of xctTagTigopai. Also Eisner, as quoted by Schleusner, and his own explanation of 1 Cor. i. 10. / * s * ' . ■ % I / SERMON VIII. J John x. 16. Other sheep I have , which are not of this fold: them also I mast bring , and they shall hear my voice ; and there shall he one fold , and one shepherd. The careful investigator of revealed truth will not fail to be struck with many passages in the sacred canon, which point to a state of moral and religious perfection hitherto without example in the world; when Christianity shall obtain its due in¬ fluence over the opinions and conduct of mankind, and the fruit of a “ righteousness “ shall be peace, and the effect of righte- “ ousness quietness and assurance.” Such predictions will furnish him with a reply to those sophists, who would depreciate our holy faith, by insidiously comparing the a Isaiah xxxii. 17. 256 SERMON VI1L external result of its precepts with the greatness of its pretensions; and profess their inability to conceive, that the Son of God would descend from heaven, to esta¬ blish a religion apparently so feeble in its moral operations, and hitherto received by so inconsiderable a portion of those, whose present comfort and eternal salvation it was confessedly designed to promote. It may indeed be justly urged, in reply to these suggestions, that the real advan¬ tages derived to man from the incarnation and sufferings of his Saviour, would be very inadequately represented by a mere view of the outward circumstances of Chris¬ tians. The ameliorating and sanctifying influence of our holy religion; its powers of restraint and encouragement; the com¬ forts and the joys which it imparts; can¬ not be fully appreciated, but by tracing it in the privacy of domestic habits; in the character and conduct of those who are least known and regarded by the world; in the closet of the penitent, in the house of the mourner, or the chamber of the diseased. It may also be remarked, that SERMON VIII. 257 / > no conclusive argument against the bene¬ ficial effects of Christianity, can be drawn from the comparatively limited sphere of its acceptation among the nations of the earth. For it would not perhaps be diffi¬ cult to shew, that many parts, even of the heathen world, are now partakers in tem¬ poral benefits, which are the legitimate fruit of Christianity; and we are by no means justified in imagining, that those only to whom the Gospel has been preached, will profit by the sacrifice of atonement made by him, who is b “ the Saviour of all “ men,” but in a more especial manner of those that believe. The c wisdom of God may have determined to render the cross of Christ available, though in a manner incomprehensible to us, to the salvation of those, who have not been permitted to hear the glad tidings of his coming. And, without presuming to decide upon a sub¬ ject not clearly revealed, our confidence in that justice and mercy inseparable from the divine nature, should prevent us from b i Tim. iv. 10. c See Note CXLIX. Appendix. S 258 SERMON VIII. forming any conclusions, which may even seem to derogate from the perfection of these attributes. Still however it may be allowed, that, if we limit our consideration to the visible effects of our holy faith, neither the re¬ cords of history, nor the testimony of ac¬ tual experience, can warrant our belief, that the reign of the Messias has yet been attended by all its predicted temporal blessings; and we are irresistibly impelled to conclude, that a far more widely ex¬ tended reception of his Gospel, a far more beneficial operation of his commandments, is to be expected. The encouragement, which appears to be given by the language of holy Writ to this expectation, has in¬ deed been often abused. Of the d theories which have been built upon it, some have been in the highest degree extravagant and e mischievous, giving the reins to every inordinate propensity of the human heart, and sapping the foundations of all established authority, whether civil or re- d See Note CL. Appendix. e See Note CLI. Appendix. SERMON VIII. 259 ligious; while others, though less injurious in their tendency, have partaken more of visionary speculation, than was consistent with the sober interpretation of revealed truth. But without dwelling upon the sin¬ ful absurdities, which have rendered the former class abominable in the view of every pious and intelligent Christian ; or further particularizing the opinions of good and learned, though fanciful writers, who have perhaps awakened a prejudice in the minds of some, even against the truth it¬ self, which their exaggerations have disfi¬ gured ; it is an historical fact, that in every age of the Church a belief has prevailed, that a time of greater doctrinal and moral perfection was approaching ; in which Christianity should shine forth with a lustre as yet unknown, and its professors should be perfectly united in faith and af¬ fection. To such a period, the language of our Saviour in the text appears to direct our attention: “ Other sheep I have, which “ are not of this fold: them also must I “ bring, and they shall hear my voice ; 260 SERMON VIII. “ and there shall be one fold, and one “ shepherd.” May we not be allowed to paraphrase this passage thus ? I have dis¬ ciples whom ye yet know not: they belong not indeed to the Jewish Church or na¬ tion, but their hearts are prepared for my doctrine ; and when they are called by the ministry of my Apostles and their suc¬ cessors, they also shall hear my voice, f “ receiving the word” with gladness and “ readiness of mind,” and submitting themselves, in all sincerity of faithful obe¬ dience, to my directions. “ Them also “ must I bring they shall be e added to my Church : and when this great work is completed, and these Gentiles are wholly brought in ; then shall the influence of my Gospel be fully manifested in the harmony of its professors; and all being perfectly joined together in the profession of the same faith, and in obedience to the same form of external polity, there shall be henceforth but “ one fold,” as there is but “ one shepherd.” f Acts xvii. 11. s See Note CLII. Appendix. SERMON VIII. 261 Viewing then the text in this light, to what period in the annals of Christianity shall we look for its accomplishment? We know that when the h “ blindness” which had “ happened in part to Israel,” and had closed the minds of God’s once chosen people against the doctrine of sal¬ vation, obliged the Apostles to ‘ “ turn to the “ Gentiles,” they traversed every region of the then civilized world, proclaiming the glad tidings of the Gospel; making converts, founding churches, and thus extending the spiritual dominion of the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls. We know also, how rapid was the growth of that seed which they planted; that, even under the most discouraging circumstances, it flourished and spread ; until, like the k grain of mustard in the parable, it be¬ came a great tree, and nations reposed under its shadow. Still, however, this in¬ fluence, so soon obtained, so widely ex¬ tended, though wonderful in itself, and strongly attesting the overruling provi- h Romans xi. 25. 1 Acts xiii. 46 . k Matthew xiii. 32. 262 SERMON VIII. dence of him, who giveth the hearing ear and the understanding heart, fills not up the idea which the language of the text suggests. For though other sheep were brought in, and the 1 u redeemed of the “ Lord were gathered out of all lands, 46 from the east and from the west, from 44 the north and from the south though all agreed in acknowledging one common shepherd, even Jesus Christ, in whose name they had believed ; yet when can it be said that the fold has been one ? Can we trace the unity which such a declara¬ tion would induce us to expect in the contests of the first Christians, when the Jewish convert was arrayed against his Gentile brother; the one, insisting upon the burdensome ceremonies of his own ab¬ rogated ritual; the other, not only reject¬ ing these m “ beggarly elements/’ as they were styled by St. Paul, but uncharitably despising those, by whose inherited preju¬ dices they were upheld ? Or shall we seek this unity in any par- 1 Psalm cvii. 2, 3. m Galatians iv. 9. SERMON VIII. 263 ticular church, which the Apostles found¬ ed ? n “ Envying, strife, and divisions” ba¬ nished it from Corinth. Of the Galatians, many, even under the great Apostle’s in¬ spection, were ready to °“bite and devour “ one another.” To the Ephesians, he was obliged strongly to urge the duty of p “ keeping the unity of the Spirit in the “ bond of peaceand his monitory ex¬ hortations to the 9 Philippians and r Colos- sians, as well as the anxiety which he ex¬ pressed for the spiritual confirmation of the s Thessalonians, all tend to prove, that the sons of confusion had already com¬ menced their disorganizing labours. As we descend, the prospect darkens before us; and the last testimony borne by the sacred records to the state of Christi¬ anity, prepares us but too well for the dis¬ cord, which marks the later periods of ec¬ clesiastical history. Of the 1 seven churches addressed in the Apocalypse, two only are exempted from the censure of having in n l Cor. iii. 3. ° Gal. v. 15. P Eph iv. 3. q Phil. iii. 2. r Col. ii. 4. et seq. 5 1 Thess. iii. * Apoc. ii. iii. 264 SERMON VIII. some degree departed from the purity and unity of the faith. Heresies had deformed the doctrine, and idolatries polluted the worship, of the remaining five. From that period to the present, where shall we discover such an uniform adop¬ tion of the same doctrine, such mutual charity, such tranquil submission to one system of discipline, as seem requisite to the full accomplishment of our Saviour’s prediction ? Many indeed have been the temporal benefits conferred upon the world by Christianity; and however the vices or the passions of mankind may have coun¬ teracted its influence, these benefits are still perceptible wherever its knowledge has been extended. But its full effect has, perhaps, never yet been witnessed: and while it continues to be in itself a source of bitterness and envy, of contests and divi¬ sions ; while its professors are separated from each other, by almost every possible modification of belief, and agree in little* else, besides a nominal acknowledgment of one common Saviour; we must either be induced by past experience to conclude, SERMON VIII. 265 that real Christian unity is a blessing, which man in this present life is incapable of enjoying; or we must look forward in hope to some appointed time, when he, who knows how to bring order out of con¬ fusion, shall say unto these unruly waves, u “ Peace, be stilland the tempest of conflicting opinions shall subside into a calm at his command. It will be the object of the present dis¬ course, I. First to lay some ground of scriptural authority, on which the latter opinion may be supported. II. Secondly to consider the duties which devolve on those, who cherish such an expectation. I. The different prophecies which have been supposed by learned interpreters to bear upon this subject, if separately consi¬ dered, would lead to an investigation, on which the limits of this discourse do not allow me to enter. It may be sufficient to bring forward one remarkable prediction of Isaiah ; which, after all due allowance is u Mark iv. 39. 266 SERMON VIII. made for the bold and figurative language of the Prophet, will still be found so wholly inapplicable to any known state of society, that we are, in a manner, com¬ pelled to look forward to ages yet to come, for its accomplishment. And, thus view¬ ed, it will appear to justify the hope, which has been so generally and so fondly che¬ rished, that the prayer of our Saviour shall finally prevail; that his disciples shall be all one; and the divinity of his mission shall be manifested to the world, not only by the excellence of his doctrine, or the testimony of those who were witnesses of his miracles; but by its effect upon the hearts and conversation of his followers ; by their perfect unity and mutual affection. In the eleventh chapter of his prophecy, after describing the qualifications, the con¬ duct, and the character of the Messiah, the inspired writer thus represents the ef¬ fect of that religion, which this mysterious personage was to promulgate. “ The wolf “ also shall dwell with the lamb, and the “ leopard shall lie down with the kid; and “ the calf, and the young lion, and the SERMON VIII. 267 “ fatling together; and a little child shall “ lead them. And the cow and the bear “ shall feed; their young ones shall lie down “ together: and the lion shall eat straw like 6< the ox. And the sucking child shall play “ on the hole of the asp, and the weaned “ child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ £< den.” These highly poetical expres¬ sions have received the same interpreta¬ tion from every Christian commentator. To all they have appeared to describe the final influence of that religion of purity and love, which was to reform the evil, and civilize the ferocious ; that religion, by whose sanctifying power, sin, the great cause of human misery, was to be van¬ quished ; and those turbulent passions of the natural man, from whence come x “ va- “ riance, emulations, and wrath,” as well as “ seditions and heresies,” were to be brought under subjection to the command¬ ments of the God of peace. If this reli¬ gion has not yet brought forth such fruits; if it has hitherto proved a cause of conten¬ tion, rather than the harbinger of unani- x Galatians v. 20. 268 SERMON VIII. mity; shall we therefore doubt its efficacy ? ' Or shall we presume to suppose, that God is y “ slack concerning his promise,” be¬ cause all things yet continue in their former state of disunion ? Rather let us believe, that the promise itself is suspended upon conditions as yet unfulfilled: let us be con- %> vinced, that Christianity has not yet worked z peace on earth,” only because its pre¬ cepts are not yet fully known, its sanctions are not yet universally acknowledged. The prophet himself seems to encourage us in looking forward to a future day; when, dropping in part the language of metaphor, he proceeds to say, a “ They « shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy “ mountain : for the earth shall be full of “ the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters “ cover the sea.” When then the truths of our holy religion shall have been thus diffused and accepted; when the stony hearts of the hitherto untutored barbarians shall have been softened, and from them God shall have raised up b “ children unto y 2 Peter iii. 9. z Luke ii. 14. a Isa. xi. 9. b Matt. iii. 9. 1 SERMON VIII. 269 “ Abraham/’ as he has already done from us; when the words of the Psalmist shall have been fulfilled, and the Son shall have received c “the heathen for his inheritance, “ and the uttermost parts of the earth for “ his possessionwhen d “ all nations shall “ flow unto the mountain of the Lord’s “ house;” when they who have not yet heard the name of Christ shall e “ kneel “ before himand they who now imper¬ fectly and ignorantly worship him shall become truly his disciples: then shall that come to pass which is written in the prophecy of Zephaniah; f “ God shall turn “ unto the people a pure language, that “ they may all call upon the name of the “ Lord, to serve him with one consent.” The days of injury and destruction, of strife and contention, shall have an end. The churches shall find rest as at the first; and g “ walking in the fear of the Lord, “ and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. “ they shall be multiplied.” How or when this great event shall take c Psalm ii. 8. d Micah i»v. 1. e Psalm lxxii. 9. f Zeph. iii. 9. s Acts ix. SI. / 270 SERMON VIIL place, we have not been informed: but it is worthy of remark, that concord and unity are ever represented in the Scrip¬ tures as the attendants of Christian know¬ ledge ; the knowledge, not of the head only, but of the heart; that true practical wis¬ dom, which has been emphatically termed ha the fear of the .Lord/’ When the love of this knowledge fully prevails; when men shall have learned to 1 “ lay aside all ma- « lice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and (i envyings, and all evil speakings, and to u desire the sincere milk of the word that « they may grow thereby;” then shall re¬ ligion have her perfect work; the fruit of righteousness shall flourish and abound; and the ka peace of God shall keep the “ hearts and minds of all his worshippers 6C through Christ Jesus.” Then may the saying of our Saviour in the text be fulfilled. And as all agree in obedience to 66 one shepherd, so may all be united in one common fold; that apo¬ stolic Church, within whose pale the faith, h Prov. i. 7- i 1 Pet. ii. 1. k Phil. iv. 7‘ SERMON VIII. 271 which its inspired founders taught, has been preserved; the sacraments, which they delivered as of divine institution, have been duly administered ; and the form of government, which they appointed, has ever been maintained. Thus will the disciples of Jesus Christ be one, even as he is one with his Father: one, not in outward seeming, but in in¬ ward verity; one, not by fortuitous collec¬ tion in the same place; not by the mere nominal distinction of their common call¬ ing; not by a temporary association for some secondary purpose; not by a com¬ promise of irreconcileable differences, or a covenanted indifference to all which had hitherto divided them; but one in faith, in loyalty, in holiness, in charity. They shall 1 “ love as brethren, 5 ’ because as brethren they have learned to reverence the same God and Father of all, to live as members of one spiritual family, and to conform in sincerity to its institutions; because, in one word, they have been taught to submit their 1 1 Peter iii. 8. SERMON VIII. 272 understanding to the instruction, and their will to the commandments of him, whom they call their Master; even Jesus Christ, their Redeemer and their God. II. Having thus shewn, that our expec¬ tation of this event is founded upon scrip¬ tural authority; I am next to inquire, what are the duties which Christians, ani T mated by such hopes, may be called upon to perform. We know that they who seek for bless¬ ings from the hand of God are not only required to pray with entire confidence in his power and goodness, but also dili¬ gently to m use every lawful method of pro¬ curing for themselves the object of their petitions. n “ The husbandman that la- “ boureth is partaker of the fruits.” And though, to attribute our success in any _ pursuit entirely to our own prudent and skilful employment of secondary means, without any regard to that overruling Pro¬ vidence, whose blessing alone can render human skill or prudence available to its m See Note CLIII. Appendix. n 2 Tim. ii. 6. SERMON VIII. 273 object, would savour of impious presump¬ tion ; on the other hand, to believe that God will hear the prayer of the slothful, or that he will assist us when we endea¬ vour not to help ourselves, is the part of folly or fanaticism. If then it is allowed us to pray for the peace of our Jerusalem, doubtless we may also lawfully endeavour to promote its establishment; and while we look forward with eager longing to the time, when all Christians shall be united, not only °“in word or in tongue, u but in deed and in truth;” it certainly becomes us to put away from us all which can occasion divisions, and to cultivate, by every due method, that unity which we desire. The well instructed and consistent friend of Christian peace will however be careful, that his zeal to promote it injures not the cause which he desires to serve. He will therefore patiently wait for the accom¬ plishment of those promises, from whence his hopes derive their origin; and he will diligently employ himself in the defence of 0 1 John iii. 18. T SERMON VIII. 274 the truth, knowing that real unity can be built upon no other foundation. The failure of every previous attempt to accelerate the approach of that blessed period to which we are allowed to look forward, will sufficiently teach such a man the duty of patience. In the miseries which have been already produced by these hasty and intemperate projects, he will perceive the evil of disregarding the means, and looking only to the end; and he will learn the folly and the guilt of sacrificing the blessings which we possess, for untried and speculative advantages. He will not think so meanly of divine Providence, as to believe, that its purposes can only be accom¬ plished by the irregular exertions of man’s unrighteous zeal; nor will he suppose, that God, who has given us a law by which our conduct is to be guided, will be pleased with those who deviate from it, under the vain pretence of rendering him services which he has never required. Of this he will be assured, that whatsoever cannot be attained by steady adherence to known duty, it is neither safe nor right to pursue; SERMON VIII. 275 and that they who quit the sphere in which they have been placed, or neglect the work which it was their bounden duty to per¬ form, that they may employ themselves in unbidden labours, will aggravate every sin of omission with which they may be charge¬ able, by their presumptuous intrusion into an office, which they were neither enabled nor appointed to undertake. Such conduct is alike inconsistent with the faith and the humility, which ought to adorn the Christian character. God, in his good providence, has appointed a set time for the accomplishment of his pur¬ poses ; and that time man can neither hasten by his impatience, nor retard by his opposition. Well convinced therefore of this, P u He that believeth shall not make “ haste it will be sufficient for him to know, that peace shall hereafter <1 “ flourish “ out of the earth;” and brethren in pro¬ fession shall be united as brethren in love. This will be his consolation, when he con¬ templates the disorder and confusion which P Isaiah xxviii. 16*. 9 Psalm lxxxv. 11. 276 SERMON VIII. now obscure the brightness of religion; and though his soul may be vexed within him, at the perverseness and folly of those, who distract the Christian world by cause¬ less separation and unnecessary disputa¬ tions ; though his spirit may vent itself in earnest prayer to God, that he would be pleased shortly to establish that harmony, which he has taught him to desire; yet, relying upon the wisdom of his heavenly Master, and confident that what he has promised shall be performed in its season, r “ though it tarry, he will wait for it,” though it be withheld, he will neither mur¬ mur nor despair. And as faith would thus check the murmurs of impatience; so would humility, if properly cherished, prevent the intemperate exertions which so often counteract their own object. For they who are deeply conscious of their own inability properly to discharge those obvious duties, which are of continual obligation, will not voluntarily enlarge the sphere of their labours, by engaging in r Habakkuk ii. 3. SERMON VIII. 2 77 the conduct of those plausible, but often dangerous experiments, which the seducer or the visionary are ever ready to propose to men of unwary benevolence. It is indeed too much the disposition of the present age, to neglect the plain and unostentatious employments of private duty, and to exhaust its powers in vain at¬ tempts to reduce to practice the splendid theories of speculative philanthropists. The ardent and enthusiastic gaze on the paint¬ ings of their own imagination, until they mistake them for realities; and, intoxicated with an ambition to make themselves a name among the benefactors of mankind, they too often overstep the limits, to which a more lowly opinion of their own talents would confine them ; they attempt to be wise above what is written, to fathom the counsels of almighty wisdom, and to de¬ termine for themselves the proper time, and the most effectual method, of promot¬ ing the cause of religion. The meek and humble Christian will rather labour to do that will of God, which he knows to be revealed; and will believe, SERMON VIII. 278 that all which cannot be obtained by perse¬ vering in the strait path of his command¬ ments, we are neither required to seek, nor empowered to secure. The peacemaker is not however con¬ fined to a state of mere passive quiescence, but has many active duties to discharge. It remains with him to look well to that foundation of Christian doctrine, on which alone the peace of Christians can be se¬ curely built; and here the energies of the most resolute and indefatigable mind may find ample employment. Even if an union could be attained by a surrender of truth, the most ardent admirer of this blessing would hesitate, before he thus consented to exchange the greater for the lesser good : but if the really conscientious have ever felt it difficult to determine, when such an alternative was proposed to them ; the doubts by which they have been ha¬ rassed may now give way to the convic¬ tion, that all such concessions would be fruitless. The experiment has been tried at various times, by different projectors; and their anxiety to succeed has rendered SERMON VIII. 279 them, as we have already seen, profuse even to prodigality in their offers. Neither the purity of our holy faith, nor the con¬ stitution of the Church, nor the due admi¬ nistration of the sacraments, has been con¬ sidered as too precious to be bartered for a cessation of religious contests. But all have been hazarded in vain: truth has been depreciated, the authority of the Church weakened and degraded, the wor¬ ship of God itself debased, and his ordi¬ nances profaned, neglected, or despised : but still Christians have continued strangers to peace; and the spirit of discord and animosity has retained its dominion. What wise or good man then will longer perse¬ vere in so hopeless, so injurious an under¬ taking ? The dictates of a sound discretion and a well regulated sense of duty, will teach such a person rather to devote his time and his faculties to the preservation of that sound doctrine, which is committed to his trust; than to waste his strength in vain s attempts to promote an imaginary 5 See Note CLIV. Appendix. 280 SERMON VIII. concord, which both reason and experi¬ ence prove to be unattainable. It has been already remarked, and the attentive reader of the Scriptures will not fail to observe, that, in many instances, the peace which they promise is made to de¬ pend upon the prevalence of religious knowledge. “ All thy children,” says the Prophet t Isaiah, “ shall be taught of the “ Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy “ children.” ts God,” says 11 Jeremiah, “ shall reveal unto his people abundance “ of peace and truth.” St. Paul gives us no reason to expect, that Christians will live in harmony, until the love of truth has subdued their prejudices and their obsti¬ nacy, and they have learned x “ with one “ mind and one mouth to glorify God.” Then he encourages them to hope, that he, whom they thus unite in adoring, will “ fill them with joy and peace in believ- “ ing.” The lover of that tranquillity which real unity will produce, may thus learn how it 1 Isaiah liv. 13. x Rom. xv. 6, 13. u Jer. xxxiii. 6. SERMON VIII. 281 is to be sought. If indeed he can be satis¬ fied with momentary quiet and seeming reconciliation, such objects are attainable by other means; indifference may provide the one, and hypocritical compromises the other : but they who expect any real bless¬ ings to result from such sources; they who trust to y“ good words and fair “ speeches,” when war is in the hearts of those who utter them ; have raised the fabric of their expectations on the sand, which the first storm that visits it will sweep away. He therefore, who aspires to the character of a wise builder, will lay his foundation in that faith once delivered to the saints; not doubting that if this be well secured, God will cause peace to rest upon it; and under his protecting provi¬ dence, those Christians who maintain it shall be “ z builded together for an habita- “ tion of God through the Spirit.” It is our peculiar blessing to have been educated in a Church, where the doctrine which flowed from the mouth of our Sa- z Ephesians ii. 22, y Romans xvi. 18. 282 SERMON VIII. viour, and was explained and recorded by his Apostles, still continues to be preached. Her confessions, her liturgy, her hierarchy, all have been tried in the fire, and all have stood the test with undiminished brightness. In this Church then, if any where in the world, the purity of apostolic truth and order yet remains. This is not, I trust, the language of vain confidence, but of sober conviction : it speaks an opinion, not founded merely upon the eulogies of her friends; but on the acknowledgments of many who are independent of her autho¬ rity, and wholly unconnected with her by local situation. It affirms no more than her most inveterate enemies, even in the rage and fury of their controversial war¬ fare, have been unable to disprove. Some of these, while they disturbed her peace, never ventured to impute to her funda¬ mental errors in doctrine, nor sinful terms of communion; while they hazarded her very existence, for the sake of a speculative purity, some even bore a testimony against a See Sermon VI. Notes, Appendix. SERMON VIII. 283 the sin of dividing from her; and allowed that the points in which they urged im¬ provement, were such as neither affected her title to be reckoned a true and sound Church of Christ, nor, if they were retain¬ ed, would justify separation. Nurtured then in such a Church, called, as many of us already are, and as many more will be, by profession, to teach and defend her doctrines ; and bound as we all are, even by the laws of self-preservation, to uphold that society, of which we form a part; shall we hesitate to determine how we are to seek for peace ; or can we find a surer road to it, than by maintaining that truth, of which the Church of England is the bulwark ? We may indeed earnestly en¬ deavour to remove the prejudices and con¬ ciliate the affections of those, who now are leagued against her; but if to accom¬ plish this be beyond our power, what re¬ mains, but to preserve concord within her walls? to look well to her defences, that no adversary overpass them in the guise of friendship, and sow dissension even in her palaces and in her streets? From external 284 SERMON VIII. attacks she has, comparatively, little to apprehend ; but il the ^ time should come, when her own internal harmony is disturb¬ ed ; when differences arise among her de¬ fenders; and the faith, which she is called upon to preserve, is evil spoken of, and corrupted by her own children; then will the pillars of truth be undermined, and the sanctuary of peace will be brought to desolation. Happy indeed would it be foi the whole Christian world, if all who pro¬ fess the common faith could love as bre¬ thren : and what, it may be asked, can be devised, more likely to promote an object so universally desired, than the example of one Church at least, c “ built as a city which “ is at unity in itself?” or how can we contribute to raise such an edifice more securely, than by adhering, with the stea¬ diness and sincerity of conviction, to the faith, the worship, and the discipline, which we have solemnly bound ourselves to sup¬ port ? Strong then and urgent does the appeal become to those who love unity, that they b See Note CLV. Appendix. c Psalm cxxii. 3. SERMON VIII. 285 uphold it in that family of God, to which they particularly belong, and for whose interests it is their greatest duty to provide. If they first seek the things which make for the peace of their own Church, and contribute to the edification of her mem- bers; then will they not only have fulfilled their own appointed office, but, by so do¬ ing, will have provided, in the only effec¬ tual method in their power, for the union of the Christian world. How much more wisely, how much more profitably will they be thus employed, than in attempting to ascertain what sacrifice of truth will be * sufficient to conciliate the enemies of peace; and how far the common faith must be deprived of its characteristic doc¬ trines, in order to lower it to that standard, to which all opinions may safely be re¬ ferred ! Long enough has the world been deluded by such efforts ; long enough has the holy cause of our religion suffered from the wantonness of such projectors ! Happy will it be for the Church of England, and for mankind in general, if her members are at length persuaded to set a different 286' SERMON VIII. example; if, steadily maintaining that doc¬ trine, against which scepticism itself has never yet been able to allege a plausible objection; if, scrupulously conforming to that mode of worship, which has establish¬ ed its excellence, even on the futile cavils of its most strenuous opponents; if, reve¬ rencing and obeying that apostolic form of Church discipline, which has been the nurse of confessors and martyrs, and the uncorrupted guardian of the word and sa¬ craments; they stand fast in the Lord,” and are e “ at peace among themselves.” Then might we hope, that, wearied with their own unprofitable contests, they who have separated from the Church would at length be persuaded to return to the place of their rest, and seek in her sanctuary that godly quietness, that consolation “ in Christ,” that “ comfort of love,” that “ fellowship of the Spirit,” which can never be found, where a perpetual struggle for the preeminence agitates the councils of self-appointed teachers, and an insa- d Phil, lv* 1. e 1 Thess. v. 13. * Phil. ii. 1. SERMON VIII. 287 tiable desire of speculative improvement urges the giddy and inconstant multitude to perpetual innovation. Every faithful member of the Church of England will earnestly pray, that such may be the blessed effect of her perseverance. It is thus that he will wish to see her tri¬ umph ; to this supremacy he will desire that she may be exalted. The ways of violence and compulsion he will abhor ; and however he may lament the errors of those, who have wandered from her fold, by argument and persuasion alone will he desire to reclaim them: he will use no influence, but that of truth; he will seek for no proselytes, but those who return upon conviction. The language of pro¬ phecy will encourage him to look forward to a day, when s “ all shall know the Lord “ from the least to the greatestand well assured that this knowledge will unite those whom it enlightens , he will conceive, that the welfare of the Church will be best secured, and her influence best extended, by maintaining the purity of her consti- s Jeremiah xxxi. 34. 288 SERMON VIII. tution and her doctrine; humbly trusting, that, if she thus h “ holds fast what she “ already has, untd the Lord come,” she may be made the instrument in his hand, of ‘“lifting up the ensign” of his holy faith unto the ends of the earth ; and that to her may be “ the gathering of the na- “ tions.” h Apocalypse ii. 25. > Isaiah xi. 12. APPENDIX U * ■ ' * V - • 1 s . ' . - - 1 V A> 1 / SERMON L NOTE I. ThE free agency of man is thus finely illustrated by the author of the Book of Ecclesiasticus : “He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hands of his counsel; if thou wilt, to keep the com¬ mandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thine hand unto whether thou wilt. Before man is life and death, and whether him liketh shall be given him. For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things : and his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man. He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin.” Ec- clus. xv. 14 — 20.) It may perhaps be objected, that the son of Sirach, by thus representing man as able to keep the commandments, and to perform ac¬ ceptable faithfulness, if he will, affords a shelter to the errors of those, who teach that there is a power in man’s nature, independent of the grace of God, both to will and to perform that which is good. But to such an objection the answer will be this; that neither the context, the circumstances under which he wrote, nor the general drift of his reasoning, suggest this as his in¬ tended meaning. His discourse is wholly popular; his object is not to enter into the discussion of abstruse and difficult questions, but to inculcate general doctrines, in a clear and^ striking manner. It is in this way, and with this view, that he speaks of their situation to whom God makes known his laws; before whom he hath set fire and water, life and death, that they may choose that which seems to them best to follow. He u 2 292 APPENDIX. does not think it necessary to determine, what portion of the power of choice is inherent in man's nature, and what part of it is the gift of grace: he contents himself with declaring, that man has this power, and that to exert it properly, is his indispensable duty. Our own judicious Hooker speaks with the same decision on this subject; doubtless with no intent to favour the heresy of Pelagius, hut with a view to establish the general doctrine^ of free agency, as the only ground on which man’s responsibility could be built. “ Man, in perfec¬ tion of nature, being made according to the likeness of his Maker, resembleth him also in the manner of working; so that whatsoever we work as men, the same we do wittingly work and freely; neither are we ac¬ cording to the manner of natural agents anyways so tied, but that it is in our own power to leave the things we do undone.” Eccles. Pol. lib. i. sect. 7- “Ho- mini,” says the learned and logical Stapfer, “ competit libertas: ergo Deus, qui ipsi libertatem dedit, etiam libertati illi convenienter cum illo agit. Cum Deus libertati illi convenienter cum homine agat, sequitur hominem in actionibus suis liberum esse; cum vero libertas consistat in spontanea determinatione ad al- terutrum oppositorum, hinc Deus ita cum homine agit, ut homo se in actionibus suis spontanee ad alteru- trum oppositorum determinare possit.” Instit. Theol. Polem. vol. i. c. 3. s. 12. Again: “ Homini corn- petit libertas, quae fluit ex ipsa animae essentia: imo ilia ipsi adeo essentialis est, ut nisi homo liberam ha- beret voluntatem, humanam naturam exuisset; quae li¬ bertas etiam requiritur ad fundamentum omnis reli- gionis: religio enim, cum tota doetrina morali, sine libertate tota concideret; tarn ratione cultus, quam praemiorum et poenarum.” Ibid. vol. i. c. 3. s. 19. When however we speak of man’s free will; his fallen state, and impaired faculties in consequence of the fall, must not be forgotten. In this, as in every other re¬ spect he has to deplore the fatal consequences of that event; which, while it destroyed the innocence, and de¬ graded the dignity, weakened also all the nobler powers of his nature. “The condition of man,” as our Article has very clearly expressed the doctrine, “ after the fall APPENDIX. 293 of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God/’ Art . 10. In what relates then to things spiritual, the will of man, in his present natural state, cannot be said to be, in all particulars, free and independent. It is indeed abso¬ lutely free to reject the offer of salvation; for we have authority from Scripture to assert, that even when God calls and invites, man may refuse to come. But we say not that he is of himself able to will its acceptance: this power and liberty, which w r as his original birthright, he can now only receive from the preventing graces of that Spirit, bestowed by Jesus Christ. “ If the son maketh us free , we shall be free indeed; but without grace, freewill to good is not once to be imagined in fallen man.” Plaifere’s Appeal to the Gospel. Tracts , p. 92. The same Author has thus excellently stated the true sense, in which freedom of will may be predi¬ cated of fallen man. “ Freedom of will I contend for ; but it is on the left side, as I may call it, it is to will evil; that is, under the grace of God, or notwith¬ standing the grace of God, whereby I may will good, I may decline to evil, and leave the good. This was in Adam before his fall, a single, innocent possibility to decline to evil: nor should it seem strange that a creature should be mutable, or that it should be pro¬ per to God to be unchangeably good, or that the very supernatural grace that Adam had for his corrobora¬ tion to good, did not render his will immoveable to evil. This natural freedom to evil is called resistentia connata , which Dr. Ward confesseth is not taken away by grace, nor perhaps is it desirable that it should be, since it is the root of the praise of human right¬ eousness ; for he is to be commended that could trans¬ gress, and would not; not he that was good, and could be no other. Nor ought the example of the unalterably holy and righteous God to be objected against this, since he is above and out of all predi¬ caments wherein we are. This natural freedom to evil remaineth in man fallen, and there is now come to it, over and above, resistentia adnata , a precipitate prone¬ ness unto evil, out of our thraldom to the dominion and u 3 294 APPENDIX. tyranny of Satan.” Ibid . p. 94. To the same purpose are the following observations of South. ct Doubtless the will of man in the state of innocence had an entire free¬ dom, or perfect equipendency and indifference to either part of the contradiction, to stand , or not to stand; to accept , or not to accept, the temptation. I will grant the will of man to be now as much a slave as any one will have it, and to be only free to sin; that is, instead of a liberty to have only a licentiousness; yet cer¬ tainly this is not nature, but chance. We were not born crooked; we learned these turnings and wind¬ ings of the serpent; and therefore it cannot be but a blasphemous piece of ingratitude to ascribe them to God; and to make the plague of our nature the con¬ dition of our creation.” South , vol. ii. Serin. 2. p. 57- NOTE II. In another portion of these Lectures, I shall have occa¬ sion to substantiate this position more at large; at pre¬ sent, it may be sufficient to produce the following strong appeal against divisions, from the writings of one, who stood among the most conspicuous of those assailants, under whose attack the Church of England was for a time permitted to fall. « In the next place let us consider the greatnesse of this sin,” (schism,) u and the rather, because in truth the name and charge is growne so common amongst us, (as formerly the name of Puritan was,) that many make no account of it, whether they be charged justly or unjustly with it; but whoever considers of it ac¬ cording to the sense of the Scripture will finde, that the sinne of schisme is a most hainous sinne; the great- nesse of it is not easily set forth in words, whether you consider it in the nature of it, or in the effects of it. In 1. The nature of it; it’s contrary to one of the highest ends of Christ’s great undertaking, which is, that all his people should bee one, he dyed to that end, to make them one with himselfe, and one with one another, he begged it of his Father, that they should bee one; now this sinne tends to frustrate this great designe of Jesus Christ. APPENDIX, 295 u And secondly, It is contrary to all the commande- hients of Christ, for all the commands which he hath given to his people for the ordering of their conver¬ sation, himselfe tells us, that the end of the command¬ ment is love. 2. If we consider the effects of it, they are most dreadful and mischievous: for first, it is wonderfully dishonourable to Jesus Christ; for whereas he holds out to all the world, that his people are one house , one body, one city , which is at unity, compacted together, &c. This is a public confutation of it, makes Jerusalem appeare as a Babel, a city of confusion, a kingdom divided, wherein is nothing but disorders , and tumults , and the like. And as it is dis¬ honourable to Christ, so it wonderfully hinders and destroys the edification of the Church, bothe the edi¬ fication of them who make the schisme, and the edifi¬ cation of them from whom the rent is made, depriv¬ ing them of that spirituall good they might, and should receive and supply from, and to one another; for though Jesus Christ the head be the onely foun- taine of our spiritual life, yet it is as true that Christ’s usuall way of exercising, strengthening, increasing, and perfecting it, is in the fellowship of the body, that by what every joint supplies , the ivhole may be increas¬ ed; so that if we weigh it seriously, we must conclude that as nothing within the bounds of the Church more argues a conformity to the spirit of the Gospel then the study of unity, peace, and concord, so few things, more argue an opposition to Christ’s worke, and his people’s good, then this spirit of division.” Stephen Marshall's Sermon before the Lord Mayor at the Spittle , Easter Monday , April 1652. p. 22< NOTE III. ce Illud h Yjfiv scribet Bodius in sacerdotali J. C. orat. P; 49. rationem vel qualitatem istius unitatis fidelium hie magis. determinat, quod inter se uniti fideles, simul arctissimam cum Patre et Filio unionem com- munionemque habentes, in his quasi esse et manere debeant. Koecheri Analecta in fVolfii curas ad Joh. xvii. 21. 296 APPENDIX. NOTE IV. i( As he that should in any principal doctrine differ from Plato (denying the immortality of the soul, the providence of God, the natural difference of good and evil) would not be a Platonist: so he that dissenteth from any doctrine of importance, manifestly taught by Christ, doth renounce Christianity” Barrow on the Unity of the Church. NOTE V. On this subject it has been well observed by Bp. Hall, in his “ Peace Maker,” that, “ there is just place for Canus his distinction, betwixt truths of Christian doctrine , and truths of Catholic faith; there being in the former great latitude and variety, in the latter more narrowness and restraint. As there is no truth, therefore, which may be a meet subject of our con¬ tempt or opposition; so there are some truths, which may be too much striven for, others never enough . Of which last kind are those, which do mainly concern the grounds of our Christian religion.” Bp. Hall's JVorks, folio, vol. iii. p. 558. And a more acute and argumentative writer than Bp. Hail has made an ob¬ servation, which tends to the same point. “ There are,” says he, “ points of less moment more obscure¬ ly delivered, in which Christians with breach of unity may dissent, about which they may dispute, in which they may err without breach of unity , or prejudice to charity .” Barrow on the Unity of the Church. NOTE VI. This subject is thus beautifully illustrated by Cy¬ prian. 66 Ecclesia quoque una est, quae in multitudi- nem latius incremento foecunditatis extenditur: quo- modo solis multi radii, sed lumen unum: et rami ar- boris multi, sed robur unum tenaci radice fundatum: et cum de fonte uno rivi plurimi defluunt, numero- sitas licet diffusa videatur exundantis copiae largi- tate, unitas tamen servatur in origine. Avelle radium solis a corpore, divisionem lucis unitas non capit: ab arbore frange ramum, fractus germinare non po- APPENDIX. 297 terit: a fonte prsecide rivum, praecisus arescet. Sic Kcclesia domini luce perfusa per orbem totum radios suos porrigit, unum tamen lumen est, quod ubique diffunditur, nec unitas corporis separatur: ramos suos in universam terram copia ubertatis extendit, proflu- entes largiter rivos latius expandit : unum tamen caput est, et origo una, et una mater, foecunditatis succes- sibus copiosa.” Cyprian, de Unitate Ecclesice. Edit. Oxon. p. 108. NOTE VII. “ Edant ergo origines ecclesiarum suarum, evolvant ordinem episcoporum suorum, ita per successiones ab initio decurrentem, ut primus ille episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis, vel apostolicis viris, qui tamen cum Apostolis perseverarit, habuerit auctorem et anteees- sorem. Hoc enim modo Ecclesise apostolicaa census suos deferunt. Sicut Smyrnseorum Ecclesia Poly- carpum ab Joanne collocatum refert : sicut Roma- norum Clementem a Petro ordinatum itidem. Per- Inde utique et cseteree exhibent quos ab Apostolis in episcopatum constitutos Apostolici seminis traduces babeant. ,, Tertullianus de Prrescript. Hceret . Edit Rigalt. p. 213. NOTE VIII. cc Proinde ecclesias apud unam quamque civitatem condiderunt (Apostoli) a qui bus traducem Jidei et se- mina doctrines f ceterse exinde ecclesiae mutuatse sunt et quotidie mutuantur ut Ecclesiae fiant. Ac per hoc et ipsse Apostolicae deputantur, ut soboles apostoli- carum ecclesiarum. Omne genus ad originem suam censeatur necesse est. Itaque tot ac tantae Ecclesiae una est ilia ab Apostolis prima, ex qua omnes. Sic omnes prima, et Apostolicae, dum una omnes probant unitatem : dum est illis communicatio pacis, et appel- latio fraternitatis, et contesseratio hospitalitatis, quae jura non alia ratio regit, quam ejusdem sacramenti una traditio.” Tertullianus de Prescript. Hceret. Edit. Ri¬ galt. p. 208. NOTE IX. “ Communis est omnibus Christianis religionis Doo APPENDIX. 298 Irina, qua instituuntur Deum Patrem, Filium, et Spi- iritum Sanctum venerari ut auctorem aeternae salutis homini misero ex mera liberalitate decretae, eidemque impetrandae per obedientiam Filii Dei, Christi Jesu, et ad sententiam Dei Patris applicandae per gratiam Spi- ritus Sancti. Idem iis est sanae doctrinae principium* codex librorum Veteris et Novi Testamenti, sic dic- tus. Eadem proin fides, et cum Fide sci- entiae, sapientiae, (rcoppoo-uvijs, reverentiae Dei, et qua- liumcunque virtutum Christian arum. Inde com- munia ipsis benefieia gratice, justitice, liber tatis, sancti- monice, et conservations . Eadem spes magnae salutis /xsra $ogiK aloovlov. Tandem, cum doctrinae religionis ipsa respondere debeat religio : idem Christianis om¬ nibus est cultus Dei in Christo, tarn privatus quam publicus, ejusque symbola, quae sacramenta appellamus. Pauli verba, (1 Cor. xii. 13.) Per unum Spiritum. nos omnes in unum corpus baptizati sumus, et Judaei, et Graeci, et servi, et liberi, et omnes poti sumus in eun- dem Spiritum; h. e. ut eadem Spiritus dona et opera- tiones participations.^ Vitringa, Observat . Sacr. lib. v. c. 7- s. 9. p. 106*. NOTE X* “ Si veteris ecclesiae Christianae doctores hie consula- mus, videntur passim hanc amplexi esse sententiam, communionem credentium in sacris publicis, coena Do¬ mini, et mutuis fraterni amoris officiis, non celebrari sub hypothesi , sed u7tXmc, absolute. Supponebant illi et persuasum sibi habuisse videntur, omnes, qui bap- tismali aqua post antecedaneam preparationem rite tincti, ecclesiae Christianae adjunguntur, per gratiam Spiritus Sancti vere regenerari, atque adeo ecclesiam Christianam esse coetum liominum, qui secundum potissimam sui partem (hypocritis nimirum, qui pauci numero in ea latere poterant, exceptis:) gratiam Spi¬ ritus Sancti renovantem et sanctificantem participabant. Proinde Eeclesice adscriptum esse, fere tantundem esse ac ccelesti adscriptum esse civitati. Nomen suum in diptychis Ecclesiae habere, idem fere esse quod no¬ men suum inscriptum habere ipsi albo electorum Dei. Ecclesiae contra communione secludi , sive, Sacramento 299 APPENDIX. corporis et, sanguinis Domini exauctorari, et arceri ab omni communication fraternitatis , Tertulliani rursus dictione; ad uxor. lib. ii. cap. 3. dubiam facere spem salutis, et aeterni exitii metum incutere ; quippe sup- ponebant, extra communionem Ecclesice externam , quam cum communione sanctorum mystica et spirituali confun- debant, neminem servari. Turn praeterea, quae his af- finia sunt, et ex eodem fonte hausta; episcopos in Ec- clesia Christiana ipsius Christi Jesu vices et perso¬ nam sustinere ; ab iis, rite et ordine electis qui se se- parabant, se simul separare a communione ipsius Christi; qui ab episcopis post poenitentiam publice secundum discipline ecclesiasticae canones actam ab- solvebantur , et dignitati sue restituti osculo pads ho- norabantur; ab ipso Deo et Christo Judice absolvi in foro coelesti: denique que omnium ejusmodi hypo- thesium audacissima erat, actum esse de salute om¬ nium illorum, qui se schismate secernebant ab externa Ecclesie et sacrorum communione: etiamsi hactenus nec heresi infecti, nec criminibus, professionem Chris- tianismi destruentibus, obstricti essent. Que sin¬ gula facile mihi foret ex sententiis et disciplina doc- torum Ecclesie primeve prolixe adstruere, si periti- oribus ignota essent, aut ratio instituti nostri id per- mitteret.” Vitringa , Observat . Sacr. lib. v. cap. 8. s. 4., p. 118. Vitringa’s testimony on this important subject is the more valuable, inasmuch as it makes against his own argument. He indeed, though his respect for truth induces him to confess, that such were the opi¬ nions held by the primitive Church, does not scruple to dissent from them. His own ideas of Church commu¬ nion were very loose and indeterminate, and such as seem scarcely compatible with the existence of such a sin as schism. He allows any man to join himself to any sect of Christians, whose profession and discipline he may approve ; provided that, notwithstanding this external connection, he will consider his real commu¬ nion with the society he has thus joined, to be merely hypothetical, depending entirely upon this condition; that his preference of this sect is justifiable, and that it is really a part of the Church of Christ. 66 Nimi*. 300 APPENDIX. rum adjungo me liuic vel illi coetui Christiano, cujus professio et disciplina mihi placent, sub hac jj oy,ovolu$ xou rrj$ ogo^jyj fVolfii Cured Philologicce in Matth. xxviii. Koecher, in his Analecta Philologica, maintains the same interpretation. r senate, may be an assembly of apostles, or one apo¬ stle and some bishops, who jointly laid their hands on Timothy, as the twelve did in the ordination of the first deacons. Thus this passage was understood by the au¬ thor of the Ethiopic Version, in which the hands of the presbytery are translated, the hands of the bishops. And the same explication is given by St. Chrysostom, The- ophylact, and other Greek expositors, who assign this reason for it, that presbyters cannot ordain a bishop Potter on Church Government , eh. 5. IV. If however it be granted, that the word 7rpe$ ’I>;croyc 'Kpurrog tuj TrUTQi, xal T£0 '^TpsT^VTSpiM COC T0l$ T At0(TT0?\0K’ TOl/f he hlCiM- voug evTpe7reg ©sou hjoXrpj. M>]£ej£ rs hrunio'Korj r) -KpaaviTv) twv ayrjxovTwv eig rrjv exxtyor'iuv. ’Exe/v>j (3eGulce. APPENDIX. 325 eb^ugiTTla. rjys/cr^co yj u 7 ro tov sirlaxoTrov «cr«, >j o> av auro^ Itt<- Tf?s\J/vi‘ Oirov uv 7 ’KpKTTOs Ixci >) xotSoXixrj sxx\y)jT5 oTav vfiv xwp)g ’frja-S XgKTTe AaA>j rtg, t 5 ex ysvovg tS ex Maglag, og aA»j $cog eyevvrj$Y] eficcyev re xa) hisv, aXyScug e7r) TIovtIov UiXoctb, aXrjSwg eg-uu- pcu^Yj xca ci7TE§avsv, (3\e7rdvToov tcuv sirovpocvioov, emysiMv, xa\ V7TOX$ovlwr og x. a\v)§cog yyepSrj coco vsxpcbv, eyelpuvrog ocutov tS irotTpog coitov' xcltoc to oy,oiW[Act, cog x, Yifjcoig Tovg 7 n$ ~evovTug avTco ovrcog eyepH 6 7roiTYjp uuts ev Xpig-w ’I)j< 7 oD, « X°°P^ T ® *\Y)Sivbv ex exoysv. Ignatii Epist . ad Trallianos, s. 9. Edit. Pearson, p. 34. NOTE XL. 'H gev yuq ’ExxA>j via, xulireq xa§' ohYjp rrjg otKOvgevyg scop 338 APPENDIX. TTSgOtrOOV TV)£ yrjg die(T 7 rUppCeVY) 7 TUpot 8s TCOV *Al rOfOAcOV, Xu) TtoV exelvcov pcuSqrwv zjupuXu§Sjv, Xj rug SuXucr- ]js Y^xerepug (TMTYiplug* x, elg irvsvpeu uyiov, ro foot rtbv irpo^rcov xexY]pvybg rug o\xovo[xtug 9 xa) rug eXevtrsig, xu) ryv ex HupSevu yevvYjtnv, xu) rb 7ra$0£, x, t^v eyepcnv ex vsxpcbv, xu) ryv evtrupxov e\g rsg xpuv&g uvu - Avj\f/iv rS YiywnYifjtEVS XpirrS ’IrjcrS rS Kup/« x, t^v ex rwv ipuvtav ev rr, 8o£>) rov Yiurpbg irupstrluv uvr S, hr) rb uvu- xejcr« rto Kvplcp Yj[xcbv, xu) 0=«3, xu) CToorYjpi , x, /3acnAs7, xara rvjv evloxiuv r5 Tlurpbg rS uopura, iruv yo'vu xapj/v) ElTzpuvioov xu) eiriyetoov xu) xurux$oviMV, xu) iruru yXobtrcu e^opcoXoyYjcr^rui uvr to, xu) xplnv hxuiuv ev roig iruat irotYitrYirur rot pcsv nveupcurixu rrjg 7rovYjplug, xu) uyyeXag txu- puGe$Y)Xorug, xu) ev oarocrrutrlu yeyovorug ,• xu) rtig uT roig 8s hxuloig, xu) otrloig, xu) rug evroXug uvrov reryprjxo'cri, xu) ev rp uyuTry uvrn $tufxe[xevYixog irpo- s^ujx sv, >} ’ExxXr]j, sxi- fjtsXwg qvXuGtrsi, cog hot olxov olxstru' xu) o^olcog irt^evsi rsroig, obg [xluv vf/up^v xu) rrjv uvrrjv s^8(ra xuplluv, xu) trvptpwvcvg ruvru xrjpvcrcra , xu) SiSucrxst, xu) irupublhootnv, tug ev erro/xu xsxTijjasvrj* xu) yup ul xurot rov xorpcov huXexroi uvo[X0HXj «AA* r) Ivvuixig ryg iruguboretag ptlu xu) yj uvrv). Irenceus adversus Hcereses , lib. i. cap. 2, 3. NOTE XLI. u Regula est autem fidei, ut jam bine quid defenda¬ nts profiteamur, ilia scilicet qua creditur, unum om- nino Deum esse; nec alium praeter mundi conditorem ; qui universa de nihilo produxerit, per verbum suum primo omnium demissum: id Verbum filium ejus appel- latum, in nomine Dei varie visum a Patriarchis, in Pro- phetis semper auditum, postremo delatum ex spiritu patris Dei et virtute, in virginem Mariam, carnem fac¬ tum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum egisse Jesum Chris¬ tum : cxinde praedicasse novam legem, et novam pro- APPENDIX. 339 missionem regni caelorum: virttites fecisse: fixum cruel; tertia die resurrexisse; in caelos ereptum sedisse ad dex- teram Patris: misisse vicariam vim Spiritus sancti, qui credentes agat: venturum cum claritate, ad sumendos sanctos in vitae aeterme et promissorum ceelestium fructum et ad profanos adjudicandos igni perpetuo, facta utriusque partis resuscitatione cum carnis restitutione. Hsec re- gula a Christo, ut probabitur instituta, nullas habet apud nos quaestiones, nisi quas hacreses inferunt, et quae haereticos faciunt.” Tertulliani de^Prcescript. Heereticor. p. 206. Edit. Rigalt. NOTE XLlI. C£ Regula quidem fidei una omnino est, sola immo- bilis, et irreformabilis, credendi scilicet in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem, et filium ejus Jesum Christum, natum ex virgine Maria, crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, tertia die resuscitatum a mortuis, recep- tum in eaelis, sedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris, ventu¬ rum judicare vivos et mortuos per carnis etiam resur- rectionem. ,> Tertulliani de Virginibus veland* Edit. Ri- galt< p. 173. NOTE XLIII. Of this celebrated council we have the following in¬ teresting account. 8s rij$ Traps try $ p£0£»s/a£, smaxdnoov y,h n\Y]$o$ Yjv Tgiaxoaloov agiSpov vnepoixovTigyacr snop^evoov 8e 01 $ nypsaSuTspoov, xa\ Siaxo'vwv, axo\s§cov ts nXslaTtav oaoov krspcov «8* y)v api^poo$ sl$ xoiTa\r]^iv toov 8s ts ©sS A siTspyobv oi posv dienpsnov ao$la$ Xoyop, ol 8s fils aTSppoTYpri xui xctpTsploc$ vnopoovfp ol 8e rob p,eto§ lucerna, Christi bajulans lumen. Qid ergo relinqmmt prceconium Ecclesice , imperitiam sanctorum presbyterorum arguunt, non contemplantes, quanto pluris sit idiota religiosus a blasphemo et impudente sophista. Tales sunt autem omnes hceretici, et qui se plus aliquid praeter veritatem invenire putant, sequen- tes ea quae praedicta sunt, varie et multiform iter, et im- becille facientes iter, de iisdem non semper easdem sen- tentias habentes, velut caeci a caecis circumducuntur, juste cadent in sublatentem ignorantire foveam, semper quaerentes, et nunquam verum invenientes. Fugere- igitur oportet sententias ipsorum , et intentius observare, uti.ne vexemur ab ipsis : confugere autem ad ecclesiam, et in ejus sinu educari, et domin’*cis scripturis enutriri.” Irenceus advers . Hceres. lib. v. cap. 20. p. 430. Edit. Grabe. It was the opinion of Tertullian, that heresy of itself was to be considered as a sufficient proof, that those which were infected by it were not true apostolic churches: while the maintenance of the true faith was of itself sufficient evidence of Catholicism, even in those churches, which could neither trace their foundation to the Apostles, nor their immediate successors. “ Ipsa enim doctrina eorum” (haereticorum nempe) “ cum Apostolica comparata, ex diversitate et contra- rietate sua pronuntiabit, neque Apostoli alicujus auc- toris esse, neque apostolici: quia sicut Apostoli non di- versa inter se docuissent, ita et apostolici non contraria Apostolis edidissent. Nisi illi qui ab Apostolis didi- cerunt, aliter praedicaverunt. Ad hanc itaque formam probabuntur ab illis Ecclesiis quae licet nullum ex Apo- stolis vel Apostolicis, auctorem suum proferant, ut multo posteriores, qu?e denique quotidie instituuntur: tamen in eadem fide conspirantes, non minus Aposto- licae deputantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae. Ita omnes haereses ad utramque formam a nostris Ecclesiis 346 APPENDIX. provocatse, probent se quaqua putant Apostolicas. Sed adeo nec sunt: nec probare possunt quod non sunt: nec recipiuntur in pacem et communicationem ab Ec- clesiis quoquomodo Apostolicis, scilicet, ob diversita- tem sacramenti nullo modo Apostolicse.” Tertull. de Prcescript. Hceret. p. 213. Edit. Rigalt. Shortly after he declares, that heretics, inasmuch as they have violated the unity of the faith, are strangers and enemies to the Apostles. 66 Unde autem extranei et inimici Apostolis haeretici nisi ex diversitate doctrinae, quam unusquisque de suo arbitrio, adversus Apostolos aut protulit aut recepit.” Ibid, ut supra, p. 216. The testimony of Cyprian is equally decisive. Speak¬ ing of an attempt to reconcile the divisions in the Church by fallacious compromises, he says ; “ Pacem putant esse, quam quidam verbis fallacibus venditant. Non est pax ilia, sed bellum : nec Ecclesice jungitur qui ab evangelio separatin'.” Cyprian, de Lapsis , p. 128, 129. Edit. Oxon. NOTE LVI. This did not escape the penetration of Melancthon; who, though he was ardently desirous of restoring peace and unity to the Church, was fully convinced that such expedients could not, in the nature of things, advance the object of his desire. “ Si condentur arti- culi Jlexiloqui , qui non funditus tollant controversias, sed tantum involvant: hi multo majores dissipationes efficient, quia utraque pars detorquebit eos ad confir- mandas suas res, et alii aliter interpretabuntur. De- inde puerile est, et indignum sapientibus viris in Ec- clesia, sic ludere ambiguitatibus.” Melancthonis Epiv stoics, p. 8. ad Nicol. Granvellnm. SERMON IV. « NOTE LVII. Sub hisce enim symbolis et figuris” (sacramentis gratiae scilicet) “Dominus clarissime repraesentavit, ha¬ bere credentes partem singulos suam de iisdem bene- ficiis gratiae, et hoc argumento illos validissime obligari ad arctissimum interioris et fraternae amicitiae commer- cium. Ubi enim videmus plures eandem religionis doctrinam profitentes una eademque mergi aqua , et jam veluti mersos et necatos, emergere rursus, et tan- quam ex morte suscitatos ad novam lucem vitamque prodire : quid ea res aliud evidentius ad mentem meam referat, quam credentes ejusdem mortis et vitce virtute communionis, quam cum Christo Jesu colunt et profi- tentur, participes esse ? Quando rursus ipsi illi Christi¬ ana© professionis homines ad eandem mensam eundem participant cibum et potum , tanquam vitae suae spiritu- alis symbolica alimenta : quis non mox in hanc veniat cogitationem, illos eandem agnoscere vitae suae spiritu¬ als causam, obedientiam Christi , et hac ipsa commu- nione, consociari ad mutua sincerae charitatis officia ? Sic utique Paulus omnes in Christum credentes bap- tizari ait els ev 0 [j,e§'x, euA oyovfiev tov 7roi>]Tyv tmv %/XVTCJOV $l!X TOO VlOV O.VTOV ’1 Y]CT0V XgKTTS, XCc) diet 'CTVSOfJ.OtTOg TOO ay loo' xai rjj too y}\Ioo As yo^svYj Y)/xspa 'Gtuvtcjov xxtu. TZoXeig yj aypobg p.s vovtoov hr) to koto (rvvsXevTig ytvsToLf , xa) ra uno- pVYlfJLOVsVfAGlTa. TWV «7T0f0AcOV, Y} TO. (TOyypy.[AtJ*CiTX TWV 'STpO^YjTobv a a 354 APPENDIX. SiVCt'yiVWG'XSTOLI /£S%pi$ hy^OOpsl. ElTOL 7TUV(TUySV0U TOV avciyivwcr -» xovtoj, 6 'GTpostTTwg §ia A 6yoo tyj v vouSscrlav xa) 'crgoxArjcnv tJj£ twv xaAwv tovtcjov [JMfAy&scat; zvoiiiTcq’ ensiTot ccvuTTay.eSa xOivrj ttccutsz, xa) fiDp^aj / Grs[A%0[JL3V' xa1 i&pos§a>£* xai o 7 rpo£v axpocvp,evoov. [xyj rig tcov uttIo-toov. p*y) rig tcuv erspo^oov. Whence we learn, that the former part of the service was open to all who chose to partake in it; not only to the catechumens, those who were under that previous course of discipline and instruction re¬ quired of the candidates for baptism; but even to he¬ retics and unbelievers. But that none of these were permitted even to be present at the consecration of the eucharist. Vid. Apost. Const, lib. viii. cap. 12. Edit. Cotel. NOTE LXXVIII. For a full account of the discipline of the primitive Church, and the difference between the lesser and greater excommunication, the reader is referred to Bingham’s Ecclesiastical Antiquities, vol. ii, b. 16. c. 2. folio. London, 1727* 364 APPENDIX. NOTE LXXIX. I trust it will not be supposed, that I would lessen the reverential regard, which these holy mysteries de¬ mand from every Christian; or undervalue the neces¬ sity of a serious and careful preparation for partaking in them. But every clergyman finds reason to regret the effect, which an excessive alarm, excited perhaps by the strong language of some well intended treatises on the work of preparation, has produced on the minds of • many pious persons, especially among the lower and uneducated classes. This effect he will often find it impossible to remove, either by public exhortation, or by private admonition : and its consequences he will lament to witness, in the systematic non-attendance of many, whom he has reason to suppose, in every other respect, sincere and zealous in the discharge of their duty. On this very serious subject, the following ob¬ servations of Waterland are well worthy consideration. “ Since it is allowed on all hands, that there can be no just bar to frequency of communion, but the want of preparation , which is only such a bar, as men may themselves remove if they please 5 it concerns them highly to take off the impediment, as soon as possible, and not to trust to vain hopes of alleviating one fault by another. It was required under the law, that a man should come holy and clean and well prepared to the passover: but yet his neglecting to be clean (when he might be clean) was never allowed as a just apology for his staying away. No : the absenting, in that case, was an offence great enough to deserve the being cut off from God’s people ; because it amounted to a dis- esteeming, and, in effect, dishonouring God’s covenant . The danger of misperforming any religious duty is an argument for fear and caution , but no excuse for neg¬ lect: God insists upon the doing it, and the doing it well also. The proper duty of the high priest, under the law, was very dangerous employ, requiring the ex- actest care and profoundest reverence: nevertheless, there was no declining the service, neither was the ex¬ actness of the preparation, or qualifications, any proper excuse to be pleaded for non-performance. It was no APPENDIX. 365 sufficient plea for the slothful servant, under the Gospel, that he thought his master hard to please, and there¬ fore neglected his bounden duty : for the use he ought to have made of that thought, was, to have been so much the more wakeful and diligent in his master’s ser¬ vice. Therefore in the case of the holy communion , it is to very little purpose to plead the strictness of the self- examination, or preparation, by way of excuse either for a total, or for a frequent, or for a long neglect of it. A man may say, that he comes not to the table, because he is not prepared, and so far he assigns a good reason : but if he should be further asked, why was he not pre¬ pared, when he might; there he can only make some trifling insufficient excuse, or remain speechless.” Wa- terland on the Eucharist, ch. xiv. p. 565. NOTE LXXX. “ Unto Christian assemblies there are most special promises made. St. Paul, though likely to prevail with God as much as any one, did notwithstanding think it much more, both for God’s glory and his own good, if prayers might be made and thanks yielded in his behalf by a number of men. The prince and people of Nineveh assembling themselves as a main army of supplicants, it was not in the power of God to with¬ stand them. I speak no otherwise concerning the force of public prayer in the Church of God, than before me Tertullian hath done, We come by troops to the place of assembly, that being bonded as it were together, we may be supplicants enough to besiege God with our prayers : these voices are unto him acceptable.” Hooker's Ec¬ clesiastical Polity, b. v. s. 24. He quotes also the fol¬ lowing strong assertion of St. Ambrose. “ Multi mi¬ nimi, dum congregantur unanimes, sunt magni: et mul- torum preces impossible est contemni.’-' De Pcen. “A harmony of confessions,” says Bp. Womacke, “ ring a loud peale in the eares of men, and a sweete one in the eares of God: when all the devotions of a whole king¬ dom are twisted into one cable, it must needs be strong, and almost invincible with the Almighty.” Beaten Ode for the Lamps of the Sanctuarie, by L. Womacke, 4to. 1641. p. 10. SERMON V. NOTE LXXXI. The language of the Fathers upon this subject; their earnest exhortations to Christians, to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; prove that they were fully aware of the dangers to be apprehended from the dissensions, which even then had broken out among them. To the Magnesians Ignatius writes thus; WavTsg xv bpoqSciav 0;« A u£ovTsg } IvTpewsoSs aXXYjXoig, Xj fXY\Se)g xutu < rapxa /3Ae7 tetco too ■srAijcriov, aAA’ sv T yoS Xpifcp aAA>jA sc Sia- rnravTog ayuTruTS. M>]6=v eg-co sv vpuvo § vvYj(rsTcq ufxag {Asp'io’cq, aXX svcu^YjTs rep sTiiaxoTiop^ X, TO\g mpoxaSYifxsvoigy sic tvttov xa\ SiSayrjv arpSugarlag. 'Qcmsg ovv o xvpiog civsu too zraTpog ovSsv STTOlYjG-SV, TJVCO/XSVOg COV, STS Si SUVTS , STS SlU TOOV aiTOfOXoOV, 00- tmc fiYjds vpslg avsv too s%kjx6%s, x, tcov 'vrpsa£vTsgwV) p^Ssv 'srpaa~(TSTS. [xyds 7rsipa* svbg izraTpog •GrposXSoVTa, x slg iva qvtu x, yoopYjTavTa. Ad Mct 0 '- nesiosEpist. ss. 6,7. To the Philadelphians he says, Expavyao'a [xstu^v cov, sXaXsv fxsyaXy (poovY)’ Top STZiG’xoTtcn 'srpoo sysTs, Xj Top 'GTpscr&uTspiop, Xj Siaxovoig. O l Ss vtotitsv- cavTsg fxs , cog 'GrrpoeiOOTu tov [xspiorfxdv tivoov , Xsysiv tovtu, fxap- Tog §= pci sv op SsSs/xciJ, oti cctto crapxbg uvSpooTrlvYjg sx syvoov . To Ss zjvsvpa sxYjpvcrarsv , Xsyoov tuSs' yoop)g tov stutxotts [XYjSsv 'GtoisIts' TY t v crugxa 6[x cov cog vaov ©soo ty^sIts" tyjV svcociv uyaTZUTS' Tsg psgio’fxovg (psvysTs * fxifXYjTa) ylvscrSs Trjcoo Xgi(r- too, cog x, avTog too 'sraT^og ocotoo. PhUadelph. Epist. s. 7* lrenaeus thus denounces the schismatics of his days, as obnoxious to divine wrath and vengeance. ’Avaxpivel Ss (xsd) Toug tu (T-yla-puTa spyutypivovg, xsvovg ovTag APPENDIX. 36? t« (-)=« ayonrYis, xcd to ’foiov XvctitsX sg toare jm\et9ev A oycuv ’hjcrov too xvplu ^cov. shs yap- Otial T w urtpu™ | X8 atfroi vregireMpai a U W .X, xotTatvovTtr&jvctj s\g tyiv daAao-o-av, ? sW r£v pnouv txoo (TKuvbaKtTooi. rb crxicr^u fyw»v woAAofc hirrpe^ev, zroXXoug sig afywav efoAfv, tsroAAo&j gfc hraypfo, rovg ^vrug fa*g ^ U Z^ V . *. a< s ni(j,ovos vftcuv Iutiv >j fang. Clementis ad Cor. Epi$t. i. s. 46*. Edit. Cotelerii. NOTE LXXXIII. The hasty and inconsiderate persons, who seek to find an apology for their own separation in the failings and weaknesses of those, whose ministry they renounce, would do well to apply to themselves the reproof, which Cyprian addressed to the separatists of his time; who urged a somewhat similar plea in defence of their con¬ duct; and sought to conceal their own schism, under an affected abhorrence of some irregularities, which they conceived to exist in the Church. “Etsi videntur in Ecclesia esse zizania, non tamen impediri debet aut tides aut caritas nostra, ut quoniam zizania esse in Ec¬ clesia cernimus, ipsi de Ecclesia recedamus. Nobis tantummodo laborandum est ut frumentuin esse possi- mus, ut cum cceperit frumentum dominicis horreis condi, fructum pro opere nostro ac labore capiamus* Apostolus in epistola sua dicit : In domo autem magna non solum vasa sunt aurea, et argentea; sed et lignea, et fictilia, et quaedam quidem honorata, qusedam vero inhonorata. Nos operam demus, et quantum possumus laboremus, ut vas aureum vel argenteum sirnus: cete- rum fictilia vasa confringere Domino soli concessum est, cui et virga ferrea data est. Esse non potest major Domino suo servus. Nec quisquam sibi quod soli filio pater tribuit, vindicare potest ; ut putet aut ad aream ventilandam et purgandam palam ferre se jam posse, aut a frumento uni versa zizania humano judicio segre- g are - Superba est ista obstinatio, et sacrilega prse- sumtio, quam sibi furor pravus assumit: et dum domi- num sibi semper quidam, plusquam mitis justitia de- poscit, assumunt, de Ecclesia pereunt: et dum se inso- b b APPENDIX. 370 lenter extollunt, ipso suo tumore coecati veritatis lumen amittunt.” Cyprian. Epist, liv. p. 99. Edit. Oxon. NOTE LXXXIV. Tanquam habentes in vobis vestigia affectuum non satis Christianorum.” Grotius , Annot . in 1 Cor. c. iii. v. 1. NOTE LXXXV. 16 Sermones qui coram omnibus habentur, accommo- dantur captui partis majoris. Pars autem major Corin- thiaci coetus non multum adbuc in doctrina Christi, quae spiritualis erat, profecerat. Ideo magics adhuc opus habebant instillatione praeceptorum Christi ad edoman- das affectuum malorum reliquias, quam explicatione figurarum, quae latebant in veteri historia, et novi foederis res adumbrabant. Est germanus huic locus, et hunc explicans, ad Hebraeos, c. iv. 11, 12, 13, 14. ubi pariter lac sunt elementa Christianae religionis, cibus vero explicatio mysteriorum in veteri historia latentium. Haec conveniunt iis qui multum profecere in pietate : ilia necessaria sunt incipientibus.” Grotius , ut sup . NOTE LXXXVI. u Inter opera carnis enumerat Apostolus et h X o c Sir, you have a Church in these king- APPENDIX. 381 doms, partly so framed of old, and partly by great la¬ bours of late so restored, that now no Church whatso¬ ever comes nearer than yours to the form of the primi¬ tive flourishing Church, having taken just the middle way between those that offended in excess and defect: in which moderation the Church of England hath obtain¬ ed this first of all, that those very persons who envied her happiness, yet by comparing one with the other, have been compelled to praise her/ ” Puller , ut supra . NOTE XCIX. Bishop Hall, in his “ Episcopacy by divine Right,” after producing the evidence of various celebrated men among the foreign Reformers, in favour of that model of ecclesiastical government preserved in the English Church, concludes with the following interesting anec¬ dote. “ What should I need to thicken the air with clouds of witnesses ? There is witnesse enough in the late Synod of Dort; when the Bishop of Llandaffe had in a speech of his touch’t upon episcopal government, and shewed that the want thereof gave opportunities to those divisions that were then on foot in the Nether¬ lands ; Bogermannus, the president of that assembly, Stood up, and in good allowance of what had been spoken, said, ‘ Domine, nos non sumus adeo felices c Alas, my Lord, we are not so happy.’ Neither did he speak this in a fashionable compliment, (neither the person, nor the place, nor the hearers were fit for that,) but in a sad gravity, and conscionable profession of a known truth; neither would he, being the mouth of that select assembly, have thought it safe to passe these words before the de¬ puties of the States, and so many venerable divines of foreign parts, besides their own, if he had not supposed this so clear a truth as that synod would neither dis¬ relish nor contradict.” Hall’s Works, folio, vol. iii. p. 127. NOTE C. When our Reformers declared, that holy Scripture was the only rule of faith, (Art. 6.) and antiquity the best interpreter of Scripture; (see Canon set forth in our Church with the Articles, A. D. 157 L) th e y P ro " 3S2 APPENDIX. vided, as far as human wisdom could provide, against those vexations and endless controversies, which the oppositions of science falsely so called, and a vain desire of being wise above what is written, so frequently pro¬ duce to the disturbance of Christian unity, and the un¬ avoidable breach of that charity, of which unity is the best preservative. To this wise and temperate deter¬ mination we find the foreign writers of those days fre¬ quently referring with unqualified approbation. “ Non possum non laudare pneclarum Angliae canonem anni 1571. Imprimis vero videbunt concionatores, ne quid unquam doceant pro concione, quod a populo religiose teneri et credi velint, nisi quod consentaneum sit doc- trinae Veteris aut Novi Testamenti; quodque ex ilia ipsa doctrina Catholici Patres ac veteres episcopi colle- gerint.” Grotius, cle Imp. sum. potest, c. vi. s. 9. An¬ other testimony of Grotius I find cited by Gloster Rid¬ ley, in his first letter to the author of the Confessional, which farther illustrates his opinion. “ In Anglia vides quam bene processerit dogmatum noxiorum repurgatio; liac maxime de causa quod qui id sanctissimum nego- tium procurandum suscepere, nihil admiserint novi, nihil sui; sed ad meliora secula intentam habuere oculo- rum aciem.” Epist. ad Joan. Corvin. Is. Casaubon, in a letter to Heinsius, thus alludes to the same rule of our Church. “ Whereas I own no other foundation of true religion, than the holy and divine inspired Scrip¬ tures, with Melancthon and the Church of England, I wish all doctrines of faith were brought to us, derived from the fountain of Scripture by the channels of an¬ tiquity; otherwise what end will there be of innova¬ tion ?” Casaubon, Ep. Eccles. as quoted by Puller, Moderation, Sac. p. 81. In another part of the same work may be found the following citations to the same effect. “ Very famous,” saith Dr. Tully, “ through the whole world is the most prudent moderation of the Church of England in her definitions of faith, in which surely to all she oilers herself in so equal a poise, that she can afford no offence to sober minds and lovers of truth; nor doth she give any occasion of cavilling to slight and petulant dispositions, of which in our age there is such a swarm. And Sancta Clara saith, the APPENDIX. 383 English confession goes on safely within this latitude, neither binding its followers to one side or other, hut freely leaves these matters (of controversy) to scholastic disputation.” Puller , ut supra , p. 139. Upon this view of the subject, a late ornament of our Church has thus delivered his opinion: and every student in divinity, who wishes to be able to form a proper estimate of the superior claims of our establish¬ ment to his reverence and affection, will do well to fol¬ low his advice. “ Profuerit etiam Ecclesiae Anglicanas libros cum his a ’conferre, ex qua comparatione luculen- tior, ut opinamur, evadet prudentia Ecclesiae nostrae, quae cum antiquarum confesstonum, praeeipue Augus- tanae, vestigiis inhaeserit, et studiosa certe fuerit, ut cum aliis communionem retineret, et in offensionem quam minimam incurreret, summam tamen cautelam adhibuit, nequid durum aut facile abutendum suis im- poneret, et in eo laboravit maxime, ut illud quod ex utraque parte certum sit et plane verum constanter te- neret, caetera in medio relinqueret.” Prafat.ad Syllogen Confess. Oxon. 1804. NOTE Cl. One of Hooper’s objections to the habits was, tluit tc they were inventions of Antichrist, and that we ought to be estranged, not only from the Pope, but from all his devices.” To this Peter Martyr, who, though, in his private judgment he was unfriendly to the habits, was yet too wise and moderate a man to think of re¬ sisting the injunctions of lawful authority iq matters indifferent, answered; that the distinction of garments existed in the Church before the tyranny of the Pope; « Nor did he think that, in case it were granted that it was invented by the Pope, that the iniquity of Popery was so great, that whatsoever it touched was so dyed and polluted thereby, that good and godly men might not use it to any holy purpose. Strype s Cranmer , b. ii. c. 17. . . ... . (C Calvin and some others,” says Stillingneet, did not cease by letters, and other ways, to insinuate, that » Nempe. Confessionibus exterarum Ecclesiarum. 384 APPENDIX. our Reformation was imperfect, so long as any of the dregs of Popery remained. So they called the use of those ceremonies, which they could not deny to have been far more ancient than the great apostasy of the Rtiman Church. Calvin, in his letter to the Protector, avows this to be the best rule of Reformation, to go as far from Popery as they could; and therefore, what habits and ceremonies had been abused in the time of Popery were to be removed, lest others were hardened in their superstition thereby.” Unreasonableness of Se¬ paration , part i. pag. 14 . NOTE CII. A very interesting account of the troubles at Frank¬ fort will be found in the Phoenix, vol. ii. It was evi¬ dently written by a friend of the Nonconformist party; but it contains a clear statement of the facts as they occurred, although interspersed with reflections, which shew the bias of the author’s mind. A brief relation of this unhappy dispute may also be found in Stilling- fleet’s Unreasonableness of Separation, part i. NOTE CIII. See Phoenix, vol. ii. p. 47 , 48 ; also the Letter of the Congregation at Frankfort to the Students of Zu- rick, p. 58 . Again, p. 63 , the author tells us, u At length it was agreed that the order of Geneva (which then was already printed in English, and some copys there among them) should take place as an order most godly and farthest off from superstition.” See also the Letter of Knox and others to Calvin, requesting his judgment upon the English Liturgy, p. 64 ; and the ac¬ count of Knox’s, Sermon, p. 72 . NOTE CIV. In his Letter to Cranmer, Calvin shews an inclination to come into England. « Quantum ad me attinet, si quis mei usus tore videbitur, ne decern quidem maria, si opus sit, ob earn rem trajicere pigeat. Si de juvando tan turn Angliae regno ageretur, jam mihi ea satis legi- tima ratio toret.” 1 he minute detail into which he en¬ ters, in his letter of advice and direction to the Pro- APPENDIX. 3S5. tector Somerset, sliews what would have been the nature ot his interference, had his offer been accepted. Cran- mer, however, was contented with corresponding with him; and perhaps the hasty and impetuous temper of the man, which was apparent, not only from his con¬ duct at Geneva, but also from the very pressing and even censorious terms in which he urged the Archbi¬ shop to proceed more quickly in the work of Reforma¬ tion, may have disgusted him; and awakened his fear of the consequences which might result from the more immediate and personal exertions of such a character. Heylin indeed says, that “ the Archbishop knew the man, and refused his offer of assistance.” Hist . of Re¬ form. an. 1548. NOTE CV. See Phoenix, vol. ii. p. 78. and the whole tenour of the language used throughout the tract, in speaking of the Nonconformist party. NOTE CVI. A remarkable anecdote of Cartwright’s repentance may be mentioned, upon the authority of Sir H. Yel- verton; who, in his Epistle to the Reader, prefixed to Bp. Morton’s 11- NOTE CXIV. Calvin’s writings will furnish satisfactory evidence that his sentiments have not been too favourably stated on the present occasion. When the dissentients at Frankfort requested his opinion of the English Service Book, he answered; “In the Liturgy of England I see that there were many tolerable foolish things,” (tolera- biles ineptias;) “by these words I mean, that there was not the purity which was to be desired. These vices, though they could not at the first day be amended, yet seeing there was no manifest impiety, (nulla manifesta impietas,) they were for a season to be tolerated.” Such is Wittingham’s translation of the passage from the original letter; see Phoenix vol. ii. p. 69. That he had no objection to a liturgy; nay more, that he thought it expedient, that strict conformity to an established form should be exacted from all ministers; and that he gave this opinion with immediate reference to the English Liturgy, rests also upon the authority of his own words. “ Quod ad formulam precum et rituum Eeclesiasticarum valde probo, ut certa ilia extet, a qua pastoribus disce - dere in functione sua non liceat; tarn ut consulatur quorundam simplicitati et imperitiae, quam ut certius ita constet omnium inter se Ecclesiarum consensus.” Calvbd Epist. Protectori An glim. That he did not entirely condemn the habits and ceremonies retained in our Church may be reasonably inferred; 1st. from his having persuaded Hooper to I APPENDIX. 397 conform, rather than suffer deprivation : (Calvin. Epist. 120. fol. 217 , as cited Cassand. Ang. p. 162.) 2dly, from his declared opinion, that it is better to be satisfied even with a lower degree of reformation in things indiffe¬ rent, than to trouble the peace of the Church by an ex¬ cessive stiffness and asperity. “ Hoc quoque ad disci¬ pline moderationem in primis requiritur quod Augusti¬ nus contra Donatistas disputat, ne vel privati homines, si viderint minus diligenter a seniorum concilio vitia corrigi, discessionem propterea continuo ab Ecclesia faciant ; aut ipsi pastores, si nequeant ex animi sui voto omnia repurgare quae correctione indigent, ideo abji- ciant ministerium, vel inusitata asperitate totam Eccle- siam perturbent.” Calvini Instit. lib. iv. c. 12. s. 11. That he had no insuperable dislike to bishops, that he neither objected to the retaining of the episcopal form of government in other churches, nor was determined against its restoration in his own, provided the change could have been made at his own time, and under his own direction, we have also historical proof to bring forward. In the Confession of Faith, drawn up in the name of the Gallican Churches, there is a distinct ad¬ mission, that reverent attention is to be paid to bishops rightly discharging their duties. “ Fatemur ergo epi- scopos sive pastores reverenter audiendos, quatenus pro sutse functionis ratione verbum Dei docent.” In Calvin’s treatise De Necessitate Reformandae Ecclesiae, the following passage occurs : “Talem si nobis hierar- chiam exhibeant in qua sic emineant episcopi ut Christo subesse non recusent, ut ab illo tanquam unico capite pendeant, et ad ipsum referantur &c. turn vero nullo non anathemate dignos fatear, si qui erunt qui non earn reverenter summaque obedientia observant.” It is also upon record, that Calvin made a formal offer to King Edward VI. to make him the defender of the re¬ formed churches; and to admit bishops in them for the better preservation of unity and concord. See Strype’s Mem. of Cranmer, b. 2. c. 15; also Strype’s Parker, b. 2. c. 2; where a more detailed account of the overture itself, and the cause of its failure, may be found. APPENDIX. 398 NOTE CXV. When a direct appeal was made to Beza by the Non¬ conformists, and he was requested to advise them how they should act; having unequivocally declared his own dislike of the habits and ceremonies of which they com¬ plained, he then proceeds to enforce the duty of sub¬ mission, in this case, to the injunctions of lawful autho¬ rity; and to warn them against giving occasion to Satan to disturb the Church, by their obstinacy. u Quid ergo (inquiunt patres) nobis, quibus ista obtruduntur facien¬ dum censetis ? Respondemus distinctione hie opus esse: alia enim est ministrorum, alia gregis conditio. Deinde possunt, ac etiam debent multa tolerari, quae tamen recte non praecipiuntur. Itaque primum respondemus, etsi ista nostro quidem judicio non recte revehuntur in Ecclesiam, tamen quum non sint ex earum rerum genere, quae per se impiae sunt, non videri nobis illas tanti mo- menti, ut propterea vel pastoribus deserendum sit potius ministerium quam ut vestes illas assumant, vel gregibus omittendum publicum pabulum, potius quam ita ves- titos pastores audiant. Tantum ut et pastores et greges in conscientiam non peccent (modo salva sit doctrinae ipsius sive dogmatum puritas) suademus pastoribus, ut postquam et eoram R. M. et apud Episcopos suas con- scientias modesta quidem (sicut Christianos ab omni tumultu ac seditione alienos decet) et tamen gravi, prout rei magnitudo requirit, obtestatione liberarint, aperte quidem apud suos greges ea inculcent, quae ad tollendum hoc oftendiculum pertinent, et in istorum etiam abusuum emendationem, prudenter simul ac pla- cide, prout occasionem offeret Dominus, incubant. Sed ista tamen, quae mutare non possunt, ferant potius quam Ecclesias ob earn causam deserendo, majoribus et peri- culosioribus malis occasionem Sathanae nihil aliud quae- renti priebeant. Gregibus autem (integra manente doc¬ trine) suademus ut doctrinam ipsam nihilominus attente audiant, sacramentis religiose utantur, suspirent ad Do- minum, donee seria vitae emendatione, ab eo impetrent quod ad integram Ecclesiae instaurationem requiritur.’ 5 Beza ad quosdam Anglicance Eccles. Fratres Epistola. APPENDIX. 399 NOTE CXVT. The author of the “ Second Answer for Communi¬ cating/’ who defends T. Cartwright’s Letter to Harri¬ son, Brown’s colleague, against Separation, (see Note CVI.) proves “ joyning with the Church a duty necessa¬ rily enjoined him of God by his providence, through his being and placing in a particular church, and justly required of him by the church or spiritual body through that same enforcing law of the coherence, and being together of the parts and members, which is the express ordinance of God. So that,” saith he, “ unless I hold the congregation whereof I am now, disannulled, and become no Church of Christ, for the not separating an unworthy member, I cannot voluntarily either absent myself from their assemblies to holy exercises, or yet depart away being come together, without breach of the bond of peace, sundering the cement of love, em- pairing the growth of the body of Christ, and incurring the guilt of schism and division.” To the same pur¬ pose elsewhere. Richard Bernard calls it, “an uncharit¬ able and lewd schism which they were guilty of,” (Answer to Ainsworth, p. 13.) But I need not mention more particular authors, since in the grave confutation of the errours of the separatists, in the name of the Noncon¬ formists it is said, That because we have a true Church, consisting of a lawful ministry, and a faithful people, therefore they cannot separate themselves from us, but they must needs incur the most shameful and odious reproach of manifest schism. And concerning the state of the persons who lived in separation, they say, We hold them all to be in a dangerous estate, (we are loth to say in a damnable estate,) as long as they con¬ tinue in their schism.” See Stilling fleet’$ Unreasonable¬ ness of Separation, p. 30. NOTE CXVII. Thomas Sampson, Dean of Christ Church, and Law¬ rence Humphrey, President of Magdalen College, who were the leaders of that party, which in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth’s reign refused the habits; being called upon to subscribe a declaration drawn up by the 400 APPENDIX. bishops, that the habits might be worn without sin, “modo omnis cultus et necessitatis opinio amoveatur;” set their names to the paper, adding moreover this ob¬ servation : (e Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expedi- unt: omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia sedificant.” Thus allowing the lawfulness of the vestments ; though, on account of their assumed inexpediency, they declined to use them. (See Strype’s Parker, b. 2. c. 23.) Some years after, Humphrey conformed. (Ibid. b. 3. c. 1.) Rei- nolds, Sparkes, Chaderton, and Knewstub, the four commissioners for the non-conformists at Hampton- Court, not only conformed themselves, but, as we have already seen in the case of Sparkes, (Notes CVI. CVII.) they studiously endeavoured to induce others to follow their example; (see Cassander Ang. p. 163.) Cartwright himself affirmed, that the use of the surplice was a thing indifferent, and he persuaded his brethren to use it, rather than suffer deprivation. (Ibid p. 46.) Sprint, the author of the Cassander Angl. declares the ground on which his own conviction of the lawfulness of con¬ formity had been built. u For the ill conceit I had,” says he, u against the ceremonies, I beganne to search into the judgement of our best latter w r riters, and the practice of reformed churches, from whence I w T ent into antiquitie of primitive and purer times; where, with one consent and harmonie of judgement, I found them, for the practice of farre more, and more offensive ceremo¬ nies then ours may be supposed, and chiefely in this case. This was a ground to stay my judgement and build my resolution. From which, when once I found it, in conscience I could not, in modestie I durst not, depart in haste. For with what shew or conscience should any man turne his backe in dislike, or his face in opposition to the judgement and practise of all churches of Christ since the Apostles ? and from all those worthy lights, those spirituall persons, the teach¬ ers of the churches, the champions of the truetli, the masters of religion, by whom, and by whom onely, God hath in all ages propagated his Gospell, converted soules, confirmed veritie, confuted heresies, and errors, builded Christes Church, discovered and overthrowne the church of antichrist ? Cheifly seeing it is the judgement, not of APPENDIX. 401 one or two, nor of some against some other, but even of all, not one excepted, which is of note or classicall authority. And none against this judgement, excepting convicted and condemned hereticks and schismaticks, such as Donatists, Anabaptists, and our later Brownists. From thence I looked into the reasons moving them unto this judgement, and that practise, which in this Tractate are set downe. So that here is no noveltie broached, or fancy of mine own proposed to thy view, (Christian reader,) but antiquity and universality; not papall but evangelieall, according to the Scripture; not of carnall, but of spirituall persons, which may be to thy conscience as an avrog e 9* Gal. v. l, 2. Acts xv. 20, 24, 28, 29* Acts xvi. 3. Acts xviii. 18 . 414 APPENDIX. laws of God and man, for the rule of that their con* science. But these zealots were above that legal ordi¬ nance of doing as they would be done by ; nor were their consciences any longer spiritually weak, when their in¬ terest was once grown temporally strong. And then notwithstanding all their pleas of tenderness, and out¬ cries against persecution, whoever came under them,^nd closed not with them, found them to be men whose bowels were brass, and whose hearts were as hard as their foreheads.” South , ut supra , vol. iii, Serm. V. SERMON VII. NOTE CXXIX. There is a passage in St. Luke’s Gospel, which seems at first sight not easily to be reconciled with this application of the text. He informs us, that, on a cer¬ tain occasion, St. John said unto our Lord; (( Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we for¬ bade him, because he followeth not with us : and that u Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us.” (Luke ix. 49, 50.) This injunction, separately considered, may appear to give a sanction even to irregular attempts to promote the in¬ fluence of Christianity ; and to teach, that unity of de¬ sign, rather than of operation, was required by our Sa¬ viour of the labourers in his vineyard. As however this can scarcely be admitted to have been his meaning, without implying, that his judgment upon a particular case was calculated to make void the obligations of his general precepts; and as we have already seen, that the Apostles, in framing the constitution of the Church, acted in conformity to the spirit of these precepts, guarding, as far as it was possible, against all intrusion upon their sacred function, by those who were not re¬ gularly appointed to execute it; we shall not hasti y acquiesce in such a comment. It is an acknowledged rule in divinity, that no par of Scripture may be so explained as to contradict an¬ other. And when two precepts, equally plain in their language, seem to imply a contradiction, the c i icu y can only be solved by a reference to the con ex o both, and by a due consideration of the circumstances under which they were delivered. 416 APPENDIX. We are led then to inquire, whether there were not some particularities in the case of him whose labours St. John would have forbidden, which should prevent its being drawn into a precedent, or used to defend the conduct of those to whom the text has been considered to be applicable. The Evangelist does not tell us who this person was, or enable us to account for his not fol¬ lowing with the disciples of the blessed Jesus, although he believed in his name; but he mentions one thing concerning him, which entirely separates his case from that of those who may be inclined to shelter their irre¬ gular zeal under his example. He performed miracles in the name of Jesus; and these miracles, as they di¬ rectly tended to the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan, could only have been worked under divine authority and by divine assistance. “ Master,” saith St. John, tc we saw one casting out devils in thy name.” It was for this reason, as St. Mark informs us, (Mark ix. 38, 39.) that our Saviour himself rebuked the zeal which would have checked this man’s exertions. <£ Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.” This was the test of his commission : though not of the company of the disciples, he was a partaker of their faith, and a fellow labourer with them in the same pious work ; and our Saviour himself had given the most convincing proof, that he approved of his conduct, by permitting him to cast out devils in his name. The two passages therefore, which, on a hasty pe¬ rusal, may perhaps, from the cast of their language, appear to be opposed to each other, when carefully examined, will be found to be in no respect discordant. The answer of our Saviour recorded in St. Luke’s Gos¬ pel contains a particular injunction, issued to suit a temporary purpose and an extraordinary occasion ; ap¬ plicable to him alone, to whose conduct it originally referred, and in whose case there were circumstances so peculiar and extraordinary, as to make it an evident exception to every general rule of discipline which the Scriptures contain. If however this case should be urged to prove, that the strict laws of discipline may on APPENDIX* 417 some occasions be dispensed with ; it may be answered* that it would ill become us to maintain that God has so irrevocably bound himself by his own ordinances, that, on no occasion, and under no circumstances, he can deviate from them : but still we may reasonably re¬ quire the same evidence of his having sanctioned the deviation, as originally shewed that he had established the rule. The Apostles, in the exercise of their mi¬ nistry, settled the government of the Church ; and the miracles they did were a sufficient testimony, that they acted under divine authority. If any new teacher should arise, and assume a right to speak in the name of God, independent of that regular appointment received from them through their successors ; it may be reasonably expected, that he produce the same evidence that God is with him, which they did. If he can work a miracle in the name of Christ, his commission will be as un¬ doubted, as if received through the regular channel; but until his call be thus attested, we cannot be justi¬ fied in expecting any real or permanent advantage from nis labours. It may probably be argued in favour of irregular ex¬ ertions, that St. Paul himself rejoiced in the ministry of those who “ preached Christ,” even though they did it u of contention, and not sincerely;” being convinced that good must be done by any attempts to propagate and extend the dominion of Christianity. The lan¬ guage however of this great Apostle will not perhaps, upon investigation, be found to favour the cause of those, whom, in this case, it would be quoted to serve; even though it should lead us to believe, that some be¬ nefit may possibly result from a preaching so little praiseworthy as that to which he alludes. “ Some,” says he, “preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good-will; the one preach Christ of con¬ tention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds : but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel. What then ? notwithstand¬ ing, every way, whether in pretence or in truth* Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea and will re¬ joice.” (Phil. i. 15 .) Before this passage can bear upon the question before us, it should be made clearly E e 418 APPENDIX. to appear; first, that the envy, strife, and contention, spoken of by the Apostle, relate to a departure from the established order and discipline of the Church; se¬ condly, that by rejoicing in such preaching, he shewed his approbation of the conduct of the preachers; and thirdly, that he admitted the benefits resulting from their ministry to be so great, as to counterbalance the evil of the spirit by which they were actuated. 1. It is however the opinion of learned commentators on this passage, that by the envy and strife which the Apostle attributes to these preachers, he alludes solely to their personal enmity to him; (see Wolfii cur. Phi- lolog. Grotii. Annot.) that he means not to accuse them of having intruded into this sacred office, in opposition to the established laws of the Church ; but of having exercised the power, which had been regularly imparted to them, rather in a spirit of hostility to him, (see Whit¬ by ad locum,) than with a sincere wish of spreading the knowledge of the Gospel. And this interpretation is certainly favoured by his assertion, that they 66 preached Christ in pretence, and not in truth and that they were not “ sincere” in their labours ; but supposed that by them, they should 6C add affliction to his bonds.” Should this be allowed to be the true meaning of the Apostle’s words, it may be difficult to conceive that any argument can be drawn from them, in favour of their labours, who are unhappily divided against the Church. 2. But even on the supposition that the contentious persons of whom the Apostle speaks were in similar circumstances with those of the present day, who have unhappily separated themselves from their brethren ; may we not ask, how does the Apostle countenance their separation ? He rejoices indeed, “ in that Christ was preached by them,” though from improper mo¬ tives; but does he therefore teach, that it is lawful to do evil that good may come ? Even while he expresses his joy at the effect of their preaching, he hesitates not to condemn them as contentious, as envious, as insincere. 3. Nor can we suppose that the Apostle, the great preacher of unity, the constant advocate for order, the strict assertor of discipline, could have rejoiced in the ministry of such unauthorized labourers; however APPENDIX, 419 some temporary benefits might appear to result from it. He who declared, that “ they who caused divisions or offences served not our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Rom. xvi. 17 , 18.) never would have approved of those, who, while they preached the Gospel of Christ, could not but have encouraged a spirit of rebellion against his authority. That motives of personal enmity would have had no weight with him we may well imagine; that he would rejoice in the successful exertions of those, who, though his fellow-labourers, bore him no good-will, we cannot doubt: but that he could have felt pleasure in contemplating the acts of those preach¬ ers, whose envy and strife were directed, not against himself, but against the government of that Church which he had been so earnestly employed in constitut¬ ing, the whole tenour of his doctrine and his conduct forbids us to allow. Vain then must be every attempt to elicit from the language of this great master-builder any approbation of those, who would divide the house which he had contributed to raise; on the contrary, acting as one fully sensible of the meaning and the necessity of the caution conveyed in the text, he taught us plainly and decidedly “ to mark those who caused divisions, and to avoid them;” (Rom. xvi. 17.) Before I quit the subject of the text, I would willingly call the observation of the reader to a paraphrase of the passage by Zuinglius, as cited by Meisner in his review of a celebrated scheme of pacification, which will be noticed in its proper place. “ Non possum hie” (says Meisner) “quin Zuinglii verba adducam, quae a Marlo- rato ad eum locum recensentur : medium non relicjuit Christus, inquit, aut colligere oportet cum eo, aut dis- pergere cum Satana. Ergo videtur simul his verbis hy- pocritas quosdam allocutus, qui eum esse Messiam dis- simulabant, quasi dicat, Multi inter vos qui omnia dissi- mulant, neutri parti adhserentes. Sed si vere essetis discipuli mei, si vere crederetis mihi, adjungeretis vos plebi et confitemini, me virtute Dei ejecisse daemo- nium, ageretisque pro tarn immenso beneficio gratias Deo. Cum hoc nolitis, deberetis vos palam adjunxisse alteri parti, quae factum meum caluinniatur, et daemoni ascribit. At quia dissimulate, certissimum signum est, 420 APPENDIX. vqs mecum non esse, nee mecum colligere, sed dispef" gere potius, adhaeretis calumniantibus . me, utcunque dissimuletis. 6 Observent ista,’ pergit, 6 qui hodip neutri parti addicti sunt, nihilque religionem Cbristi, et veritatem evangelicam curant, quorum magnus est numerus.’ ” JMeisner . Trenicum Lhirwanuin , p. 424. NOTE CXXX. The law of the Six Articles (see Note XCIII.) was framed in this spirit; and is a proof that, even where the temporal supremacy of the Roman Pontiff had been renounced, the same mode of enforcing submission to the peculiar doctrines which the Roman Church had taught, was carefully adhered to by the advocates of its superstition. u In this parliament, synode, or convo¬ cation,” says Fox, “ certaine articles, matters, and questions, touching religion, were decreed by certaine prelates, to the number especiallie of six, commonly called the Six Articles, to be had and received among the king’s subjects, in pretence of unitie. But what unitie thereof followed, the groaning hearts of a great number, and also the cruell death of divers, both in the daies of King Henrie and of Queene Mary, can so welt declare, as I pray God, never the like be felt here¬ after.” Wordsworth’s Eccles. Biog. vol. iii. p. 470. NOTE CXXXI. The almost prophetic language of the venerable La¬ timer, when the kindled fagot was placed at the feet of his fellow sufferer, should ever be remembered. “ Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” That expectation, which contributed to support these holy men under the fiery trial which awaited them, has, by God’s blessing, been fully accomplished. But their ex¬ ample began to produce its effect sooner than they could have imagined. For even at the moment, when, with true Christian heroism, they were strengthening themselves under torments, by the hope that the pure religion of Christ would flourish by their death; that heroism was working its effect, in one of the spectators APPENDIX. 421 of their martyrdom. Julius Palmer, an ingenious young man, and Fellow of Magdalen College in Oxford, had been through King Edward’s reign a warm and zealous Papist; and now attended the execution of Ridley and Latimer, with an anxious desire to discover something in their behaviour, which might justify him in believ¬ ing that they were not sincere in their profession; or that they were obstinate enthusiasts, not real martyrs to the truth. “ But he rose,” says their biographer, "4 tries; his case certainly bears a near, w ,h ,h f lurches of those coun- to that of those persons, whose conducMh^W*" was . a ‘ first ln > J S'ncd scarcely ventured to justify. e 1 mcn of ,,,eir own P art T APPENDIX. 449 ( Calami/s Baxter , vol. i. p. 630, 632, 633.) In a postscript addressed to occasional separatists, in “Dau- beny s Guide to the Church,” the reader will find some observations, which will give him a much clearer idea of his duty, as a member of our own excellent Church, than can be drawn from the language above quoted. NOTE CXLVI. . Bp Hoadley, in his “ Preservative against the Prin¬ ciples and Practices of the Non-Jurors,” published A. D. 1716, laid down the following positions, as “ the first principles of all truth and Christianity in its first simplicity.” That “ every man may find it in his own conduct to be true, that his title to God’s favour can¬ not depend upon his actual being or continuing in any particular method; but upon his real sincerity in the conduct of his conscience.” That “ the favour of God follows sincerity, considered as such ; and consequently equally follows every equal degree of sincerity.” That “ when men are secure of their integrity before God, and of their sincere disposition to search after his will, and to receive the truth, in the love of truth, whenso¬ ever and from whomsoever it is offered, this will lead them (as it ought all of us) not to be afraid of the ter¬ rors of men, or the vain words of, regular and uninterrupted successions ; authoritative benedictions, excommunications , or absolutions ,* nullity or validity of God’s ordinances to the people, upon account of niceties and trifles; or any other the like dreams.” It was maintained by his acute opponent, that by the latter position thus much must be implied : “ Be not afraid of the terrors of men, who would persuade you of the danger of being in this or that communion, and fright you into particular ways of worshipping God; who would make you believe such sacraments and such clergy are necessary to recommend you to his favour: these we may contemn, if we are but secure of our in¬ tegrity.” And when taken in connection with the two former positions, (and in the Bishop’s tract they form a connected series of argument; the several propositions being only disjoined from each other by the instances which he has selected to illustrate each as he proceeds,) G g 450 APPENDIX. Mr. Law considers himself justified in asserting, that 66 he has not wrested his Lordship’s meaning by saying, that, according to these notions, if a man be not an hy¬ pocrite, it matters not what religion he is of. Not only sincere Quakers, Ranters, Muggletonians, and Fifth Monarchy Men, are as much in the favour of God as any of the Apostles; but likewise sincere Jews, Turks, and Deists, are upon as good a bottom, and as secure of the favour of God, as the sincerest Christian. For your Lordship saith, it is sincerity, as such, that pro¬ cures the favour of God. If it be sincerity, as such, then it is sincerity independent and exclusive of any particular way of worship: and if the favour of God equally follow every equal degree of sincerity, then it is impossible there should be any difference, either as to merit or happiness, between a sincere martyr and a sincere persecutor; and he that burns the Christian, if he be but in earnest, has the same title to a reward for it, as he that is burnt for believing in Christ.” Law's first Letter to Bp. Hoaclley. To follow Mr. Law through his whole examination of these and other positions laid down by his oppo¬ nent, would be here unnecessary ; for the three letters, in which it is contained, are by no means difficult of access. Besides, the argument itself would suffer from compression ; and it would be alike unjust to the learn¬ ed writer, and to the cause he was advocating, not to leave him to maintain it in his own words. A careful perusal and comparison of these letters with the publi¬ cations they were designed to answer, will be a useful exercise for the theological student. Bp. Hoadley’s works are printed in three large folio volumes: the first of these contains the u Preservative;” and the se¬ cond, all his tracts relative to