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LIBRARY 
 
 OF THK 
 
 AT 
 
 PRl]^€ETO]¥, IX. J. 
 
 DONATION OF 
 
 SAMUEL A O N E W , 
 
 VY P H I 1, A 1) >: t, T H 1 A . PA. 
 
 Letter Jf 3 — ^ 
 
 .Vo. - ^ ' 
 
 ^ at 
 
 U Case, Division iL 
 
 I ^^^'^f^ Section " 
 
 Booh, 
 
 ^ e-^^>Q cs^^« ec^^i S^^^^-^<^^>6V^^35 V 
 
 
THE 
 
 Nature, Folly, Sin, and ^Danger 
 
 Of being 
 
 Righteous over-much**^ 
 
 With a particular VIEW to the 
 
 Doctrines and • Pradlices 
 « 
 
 Of certain 
 
 Modern Enthusiasts. 
 
 B E 1 N G T H E 
 
 Subftarice of Four Discourses 
 
 LATELY 
 
 Preached in tht Parifh-Churches of Chriji- 
 Churchy and St. Lawrence Jewry^^ London ; 
 and St. Martinis in the Fields^ Weftminfier. 
 
 By JOSEPH TRAP?, D.Z). 
 
 The Thip. D Edition. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for S. Austen, at the Angel and Bible in 
 St. Paul's ' Church-yard -, L. Gilliver and 
 J. Clarke, at Homer' s-Head in Fleet-Street ; 
 and Sold by T. CoOPfiR, ia F^tir'tfofter Row, 
 Mdccxxxix, Priee is. 
 
EccLEs. vii. 1 6. 
 
 Be 7tot righteous over-much \ nei- 
 ther make thyfelf over -wife : 
 Why pjouldjl thou dejiroy thyfelf f 
 
 ^Ighteous over-much ? may- 
 one lay: Is there any 
 Danger of that? Is it e- 
 venpoffible? Can we be 
 too good? Or if that 
 might be ; is there any 
 Occafion, however, of warning againtt 
 it in Thefo' TimeSy when the Dangct 
 is manifelily on the other Extreme ; 
 when all manner of Vice and Wick- 
 ednefs abounds to a degree almoft un- 
 heard of? I only anfwer at prefent, 
 that to be righteous over-much is itielf^ 
 often at leaft, one Sort of Vice and 
 Wickednefs^ and a very bad Sort too: 
 1 fay often, at leaft- becaufe fome- 
 times 'tis rather Folly ^ than Stn\ always 
 one or the other ; and not fcldom a 
 mixture of Both : And eycn when 'tis 
 
 B 
 
 Folly 
 
[2] 
 
 Folly only, it has a dangerous Tendeni- 
 cy, and is of pernicious confequence: 
 And there feems to be a great deal of 
 it in This Age and Nation. For the 
 reft; thefe Queftions will be fully an- 
 fwer'd in the Progrefs of my enfuing 
 Difcourfe. I only obferve farther in this 
 place, that the Word CDDV^n in the Ori- 
 ginal, which our Verfion renders de- 
 jiroy thyfelf^ may well^ be tranflated 
 flupfyy hejot^ or infatuate thyfelf, I 
 Ihall take in both ; and fliew 
 
 I. Firjl^ What we may reafonably 
 understand by being righteous over^ 
 much, and O'-jer-wiJe. 
 
 II. Secondly^ The extreme JVeaknefs 
 
 and Folly of it- and its Contrariety to 
 
 found Reafon, and true Religion. JVhy 
 
 Jhouldejt thou b'ecomefliipd, andfoolijlo? 
 
 III. Thirdly^ Its dangerous Tendency^ 
 and fernicious Confequences, ff^hy 
 pouldeji thou defiroy thyfelf ? 
 
 IV. In the fourth and laft place, I 
 Ihall add fomething by Way of Appli- 
 cation. 
 
 tFirJi 
 
[3] 
 
 I. Flrjl then, What we may rea- 
 Ibnably underftand by being righteous 
 O'iyer-mnch.'lt will not ^i little contri- 
 bute towards the clearing of this Mat- 
 ter, to lay before you in a Short View 
 the various Interpretations which have 
 been put upon this Text by learned 
 Commentators or Expofitors : Which I 
 fiiall therefore do in the firfi: Place ; and 
 then come to a more clofe and de- 
 terminate State of the Point before us. 
 Setting afide then the Expofition of 
 Thofe who would have the Words to 
 be fpoken, not in the Perfon of Solo^ 
 mon himfelf, but in that of a carnal, 
 and corrupt Reafoner, perfuading Men 
 to Indifference and Neutrality in Reli- 
 gion; as if he fhould have laid, fince 
 Vertue is expofed to fo many Dangers ; 
 be not zealous or pertinacious in its 
 Caufe, but yield and give way to 
 Times and Circumftances'i;! fay fetting 
 afide This, (tho* 'tis certain that the 
 Royal Preacher, in feveral Paffages 
 of this Book, fpeaks, by Way of Pr^- 
 JQpopaia^ not his own Senfe, but that: 
 of others, even of Infidels, and Ene- 
 mies to all Religion) and fappofing 
 hin:i here, to deliver his own real 
 Thoughts^ he means, fay fome, not 
 JB % Righte^ 
 
[4] 
 
 Righteoufnefs itfelf, but the Appearance 
 of it, as thus ; Do not arrogate to your-? 
 felf more Vertue and Wifdom than 
 you really have. He had been treating 
 before, fay others, concerning the law- 
 ful, right, and laudable Ufe of worldly 
 Goods ; and here he guards againft an 
 Extreme upon that Subjed. Do not, out 
 of an immoderate,'and miftakenSanftity, 
 utterly reject all Enjoyment of worldly 
 Pleafures, Honours, Riches, gjc. nor 
 too much macerate the Body by Watch- 
 ings, and Fafting. Again; Be not j^/- 
 ferjiitious : An over-ftrain'd Piety de- 
 generates into Superftition. Thofe are 
 righteous o^oer-mtich^ who to the Works 
 prefcribed, and commanded by God add 
 Works of Supererogation, extraordinary 
 uncommanded TerfeB'wns^ as they ima- 
 gine them to be ; tho' in fo imagin- 
 ing they are miftaken. Others thus; 
 Be not too rigid, and fevere in cen- 
 furing, and reproving your Neigh- 
 bour for his Faults. Many take it 
 for the utmoft Rigour of punithe 
 Juftfce^ to the Exclufion of Equity^ 
 by infifting upon the ftriSeft Letter 
 of the Law, and Severity of Juflice; 
 when, in all Reafon and Equity, 
 there is Room for Mercy : Here that 
 
 ^ommpi^ 
 
Cs] 
 
 common Saying takes Place ; Summttm 
 jus fumma injtirta^ the height of Ju& 
 tice is the height oflnjuftice. Hither 
 likevvife may be reduced the Error 
 of thofe who think it necelTary to 
 go to the "very utfnoft in every thing j 
 As alfo the Indifcretion of an over- 
 heated Zeal in expofing ourfelves to 
 Dangers, when there is no Neceflity, 
 nor even Occafion for it. This is 
 not only going to the utmojl^ which 
 is not always jiecejjary ; but going too 
 far^ which is always wrong. -^ 
 
 For in the next Place (that we may 
 now come to a more dole, and dire^ 
 State of the Point before us) moft Ver- 
 tues have an Extreme on each Side. 
 We may over-do^ and be exce/fn^e^ as 
 well as under-do^ and be defe^ive* 
 But to be too good is impoffible : What 
 then is the Meaning of being righteous, 
 good, or vertuous over-r/iuch ? I an- 
 fvver, there is, and can be, no fuch 
 Thing, properly^ jlrtBly^ and literally 
 fpeaking. But the Expreffion is ow- 
 ing to the Imperfedion of Language. 
 One of the Extremes, mz. That in 
 Excefs, tho' allowed to be a Fault, is 
 made (very improperly) to denominate 
 the Perfon to whom it belongs excef^. 
 
[6] 
 
 Jl'dely "vertttous. Thus Men are faid to 
 be charitable, fober, merciful, ^i\ ta 
 a Fault : Which is the fame, in Effed, 
 as to fay, they are fo qjery ^oertuous' 
 that they are "oidous. If we make this 
 Excefs to be a Faulty as it certainly is^ 
 we fhould not join it with Charity, 
 Sobriety, Mercy, ^c. from which it 
 deviates ; unlefs we would make an un- 
 accountable Coalition between Vice and 
 Vertue. The Truth of the Matter 
 therefore is, as I faid : We want Words 
 to exprefs thofe Vices by, which are 
 the Extremes in Excefs of thofe Ver- 
 tues juft now mentioned, and feveral 
 others : And fo, when we would com- 
 municate our Thoughts concerning 
 them, for want of a better Way of 
 fpeaking, we fay fuch a one is devout, 
 temperate, gr. to a Fault* Thus by 
 the Scantinefs of Language we join to-, 
 gether two very different, and difagree- 
 ing Ideas : and a very great Defed in 
 Language it is. Whenever any Ver- 
 tue rifes beyond its due Bounds, and 
 runs into an Extreme ; it Ipfes its Na- 
 ture, and degenerates into Vice : And 
 iince it lofes its Nature, it ought to. 
 lofe its Name too. Stridly, and pro- 
 perly fpeaking therefore, 'tis in^polfn 
 
 ble. 
 
[7] 
 
 ble to be rjghteous oi^er-much : But 
 the Meaning is, be not exceffive in any 
 Thing, tho' the Thing itfelf be never 
 fo good : For tho' the Thing itfelf be 
 good, the Excefs of it is Evil. Thus 
 for inftance : Almf-gt'oing is very ex- 
 cellent ; but to beltow jo much upon 
 the Toor^ as not to vmkQ fufficknt Pro- 
 vifion for one's ow7t Family^ is a great 
 Sin. Rajhnefs^ or Fool-hardinefs is a 
 Fault on the excejftve Side of Courage ; 
 as well as Coward'tfe on the defe£fwe.j^ 
 4 To be conftant and frequent in Grayer ^ 
 and other religious Exercifes, is the 
 Duty of every Chriftian ; but that to 
 ^fend fo much Time in thofe Exercifes 
 as to neglect all other necelfary Duties, 
 or even any one other neceffary Duty, 
 is contrary to his Duty, the very 
 Sound of the Words fufEciently informs 
 us. Tride is a great Sin ; but an ex^ 
 ceffroe O'Der-Jlrain'd Bumil'tty is a Fault 
 too, as well as Folly • tho' not fo great 
 a one as the other. The Vice of /;/- 
 temperance in Eating, and Drinking, 
 is plain to every Body :' On the other 
 Extreme, to eat nothing but Bread 
 and Herbs^ and drink nothing but JVa^ 
 ter^ unlefs there be a particular Reafoa 
 for it, is Folly at beft j therefore no 
 
 Virtue : 
 
[8] 
 
 Verttte : *Tis the Excefs of Temper 
 ranee, therefore a Fault ; tho' not near 
 fo great a one^ as the other Extreme^ 
 Intemperance. It may here be obferv- 
 ed, by the Way, that the two Ex- 
 tremes of many Vertues are in the com- 
 mon Books of Ethicks wrong mark^d^ 
 diftinguifh'd by Names quite contrary 
 to what they fhould be. Thus (to 
 omit feveral other Inftances) to Tem- 
 perance, fay they, is opposed in Excefs 
 Intemperance ; in Defect, too much 
 Abftinence. Intemperance indeed con- 
 lifts in one Sort of Excels, /. e. The 
 Excefs of Meat and Drink : But fure 
 it is the Defed of Temperance. The 
 Excefs of it is too much Abftinence. 
 
 But to return. Wholly abftaining 
 from Things indifferent^ and innocent 
 in themfelves, as forbidden^ and iin^ 
 lawful^ is a fignal Inftance of being 
 righteous over-much: And fo on the 
 other hand is making Things /W/^r^^^ 
 to be necejfaryy and matters of Duty^ 
 This leads us to obferve, that if the 
 Excelfes of fome Vertues be (as they 
 are) rather Follies than Faults^ or ra-« 
 ther Faults than Sins^ in the Perfons 
 themfelves who praSife them; yet to 
 impofe them u^on others as neceffary, 
 
 and 
 
[ 9 ] 
 
 iand to deter others from the contr^ry^ 
 as urilavvfal, is greatly and grievoufly 
 finful. Becaufe it is teaching for Doc^ 
 trines the Commandments of Men^ (as 
 6ur Saviour taxes the Pharilees, Mark. 
 vii. 7.) adding to the Laws of God ; 
 ^nd by their own Authority (/. e. none 
 at all) making that necefifary on the 
 dne hand, and unlawful drt the other, 
 which God never made fo : Befides 
 their obtrudinp; feme Dodrincs, and 
 Praftices, as taught and commanded 
 by the Chriftian Religion, and as the 
 Perfeftion of it, which are in truth 
 contrary to it. \- 
 
 In fliort; to be righteous Over-much 
 IS to place much Religion (where there 
 IS really none, but the Contrary) in Ex-' 
 iraordinaries^ in new Inventions^ and 
 ftriking out into Bje - faths. Some 
 Things of this Nature, I doubt not, 
 proceed from d. good Defign ; tho', I 
 think, not from 2, good ^Judgment}' For 
 inftance. Let ill Men praftife all 
 fchriftian Vertues; particularly go to 
 Church even upoh ordinary Days, as 
 often as theit rteceffary Bufinefs will 
 permit them ; itid upon Sundays, at-^ 
 tend Divine Service frdm the Begin-* 
 G ning 
 
[ 10 ] 
 
 ning to the End, Morning, and After-^ 
 noon, doing every Thing which our 
 Church prefcribes in her publicfc Of-^ 
 fices ; then go home, and employ a 
 good Part of the Remainder of the 
 Day (for it is not neceffary they fhould 
 fo employ it all) in Reading, Medita- 
 ting, and Praying, partly in private, 
 partly with their Families: \¥hatever 
 religious Exercife goes beyond this, 
 were, I think, better let alone *, I fay, I 
 think: For I do not prefunie directly to 
 cenfure, much lefs condemn it; but only 
 fpeak my own Opinion. Yet one or 
 two Circumftances more I muft take 
 leave not only to mention, but fome- 
 •what more than rnention. For Lay-' 
 mm to officiate in reading Trayers to 
 any Ajfembly^ except their own Famt- 
 I'tes^ is an Encroachment upon the Of- 
 fice of thofe who are ordain'd to holy 
 Functions ; and I fear takes oft from 
 the Reverence and Refped due to them^ 
 And for unletterd Laics to take upon 
 them to expound or interpret the Scrip- 
 tures, is neither laudable, nor juftifi- 
 able ; it tends to the Coniirmation, not 
 |:he Removal of Ignorance ; and lays a 
 Temptation in their Way to think more 
 
 highly 
 
[ ^^ ] 
 
 highly of themfehes^ than they ought 
 to think. A; 
 
 Which naturally leads us to that 
 other Expreflion of the Text, neither 
 be thou over-'Wif^y i. e. (as the wi- 
 feft of Men, Solomon in another 
 Place, and the great Apoftle' St. 
 Tatil after him, fpeak) be not 'wife hi 
 thine own Eyes^ or /// thi^ie own Con^ 
 ceit. Prov. iii. 7. Rom. xii. 16. or (in 
 other words) do not imagine thou art 
 wifer than thou really art. And the 
 Connexion between being righteous 
 over-much^ and being over^wije^ i. e. 
 vain and felf-conceited, is very evident 
 both from P^eafon, and Experience. 
 When once a Perfon has taken it into 
 his Fancy that he is more than ordina- 
 rily holy'j he of courfe imagines that he 
 is more than ordinarily wife ; for what 
 (fays he) is Holinefs, but the trueft 
 Wifdom ? And befides ; one of his 
 tranfcendent Advances in Piety muft 
 needs be ailifted with extraordinary Il- 
 luminations to improve his Underftand- 
 ing : And fo he goes on, mifapplying 
 thofe Words of the Pfalmift, / lui've 
 more Underflanding than my Teachers ; 
 for thy Tejiimonies are my Study : I 
 C z ■ am 
 
[ 12] 
 
 am wifer than the aged^ hecaufe I keep 
 thy Commandments. Pfal. cxix. ^^y 
 
 However that be • do we not fee 
 in fact, that thefe righteous over-much 
 are likewife ov.er-wtfe : i. e. wife in 
 their qwn Conceits?. Do not ignorant, 
 illiterate People prefu me to expound the 
 Scripttres ?■ which can never be done 
 as it fhould be, but by Perfons skiird 
 in Languages, Hiftory, and Antiquity, 
 and fuch as have made Learning their 
 Study, and ProfefEon. Suppofe ano- 
 ther, tho' in holy Orders, yet a raw 
 Novice, very lately initiated into them, 
 Ihall, upon the Principle of being righ- 
 teous over-mtichy take upon him, at 
 his firft fetting out, to execute, as ic 
 were, the Office of an Apoftle, to be 
 a Teacher, not only of all the Laity, 
 in all Parts of the Kingdom, bqt of the 
 Teachers themfelves, the learned Cler- 
 gy, many of them learned before he was 
 born ; to reflect upon, and cenflire them 
 as if they did not know their Duty, 
 or would not do it, without being in- 
 itrufted, and reprov'd hy Him '^ what 
 |s This but an Outrage, upon com- 
 xnon Decency, and common Senfe ; the 
 
 Peight:> 
 
[ ^3 ] 
 
 Height ofPrefamption, Confidence^ and 
 Self-Sufficiency; fo ridiculous as to cre- 
 ate the greateft Laughter, were it not 
 fo deplorable and deteftable, as to cre- 
 ate the greateft Grief and Abhorrence? 
 Efpecially ; if vaft Multitudes are fo 
 fottifh, and wicked too, as in a tUr 
 multuous manner to run madding after 
 him ? Surely it is fhocking, and pror 
 digious, for fo young a Son oflL^si to 
 take fo much uj^on htm. ' 
 
 Having thus under my Firft He^d 
 confider'd What we may here reafona- 
 bly tmderjiand by being righteous over-- 
 miichy and over-wife ; I proceed now* 
 to fhew, under my Second, - 
 
 II. The extreme Folly and Weaknefs^ 
 of it • and its Contrariety both to found 
 Realbn and true Religion. This may 
 in a good meafure be coUeded from what 
 has been faid already, in ftating the 
 Nature of being righteous over-much. 
 For from thence it has appeared, that 
 it is an Extreme \ that it is Excefs ; 
 that it is a Deviation from Vertue\ 
 therefore vicious ; therefore contrary to 
 right Reafon^ and true Morality^ there- 
 fore to the Chrijiian Religion. But I Ihall 
 "^ ' ' now 
 
C H ] 
 
 flow more explicitly iinfold this Mat- 
 ter, by inftancing in forne Particulars 
 not yet mentioned, and enlarging upon 
 others, which have been only men- 
 tioned • by which the righteous O'ver-- 
 much would impofe their extraordina- 
 ry No'oelties upon us , give a fhort 
 Specimen (for that will be fufScient) 
 of our Arguments againji them ; of 
 Theirs in defence of them ^ and of cur 
 Anfwers to them. 
 
 Thefe DoSrines and Pradices of 
 theirs, I fay, are fo fir from being the 
 Perfeftion of Chriftianity ; that they 
 are repugnant to it, as well as to Rea- 
 fon. Thefe Men tell us, that accord- 
 ing to the Spirit and Genius of the 
 Chriftian Religion, we muft abfolutely 
 renounce all the Poffeflions and Enjoy-, 
 ments of the World, and have nothing 
 at all to do vvith them \ '' That not 
 *' only the Vices (I fpeak the Words of 
 ^' one of thefe Writers) '^ the Wicked- 
 ** nefs, and Vanity of this World, but 
 *' even its moft lawful and allowed 
 ^ Concerns, render Meri unable to en- 
 ^^ ter, and unworthy to-be received in- 
 
 " tQ 
 
 "^ Mr. Lvov's ChrlHian Perf^dlion, p. Jit 
 
[ ^5] 
 
 ^ to the true State of Chriftiariity/* 
 That f " the Wirdom from above con-* 
 •' demns all Labour, as equally fmit- 
 " lefs, but that which labours after 
 *^ everlafting Life."' So here's an ut- 
 ter Condemnation of all Trades, and of 
 all Profeffions except one, if that be 
 excepted • of all Buiinefs, and fecular 
 Concerns whatfoever. According ta 
 the fame Divinity, 'tis a Sin to be rich j 
 a Chriftian ought not to leave an Eftate 
 behind him, when he dies ; but is 
 obliged to fell all he has, and give it 
 to the Poor. Going to Law is abfo- 
 lutely unlawful, even on the defenfive 
 Side ; fo that if a Man fues you for 
 your Houfe or Land, without the leaft 
 pretence of Right, you are bound to 
 recede from your Right, and let him 
 have it, rather than defend it. That 
 no Sort of Gayety or Expenfivenefs in 
 Drefs is permitted to any Perfons what- 
 foever: No fort of Recreation or Di- 
 verfion; nothing but an univerfal Mor- 
 tification, and Self-denial: No Plea- 
 fure, but from .Religion only; fo that 
 to tafte an agreeable Fruit, or fmell to 
 a Rofe muft be unlawful; The bodily 
 
 Appetites 
 t P' 73. 
 
- [ i6 ] 
 
 Appetites muft not be in the leaft Dc« 
 gree gratify 'd, any farther than Js ab- 
 iolutely ncceffiiry to keep Body and 
 Soul together, and Mankind in Being: 
 No Allowances are to be made for 
 Melancholy, Misfortune^ or human In- 
 firmity ; Grief muft be cur'd only by 
 Prayer ^ to divert it (as the World 
 fpeaks) by worldly Amufcments, is 
 carnal and unehriftian: No Books muft 
 be read, but Books of Piety : Everi 
 the noble Writings of the ancient 
 Greeks and Romans are unfit to be 
 perus'd by a Chriftian; who ought to 
 renounce human Learning, and kno'w 
 nothing but Jefus Chrift, and Him cru- 
 cify d. Now is it not a fufficient Con- 
 futation of all This, to appeal to com- 
 mon Senfe; and then ask every Chrif- 
 tian, Whether what is inconfiftent with 
 That, can be confiftent with Chriftia- 
 nity? The Apoftle, Ro7n, xii. i. bids 
 us prefent our Bodys to God; but thefe 
 Men talk as if we had no Bodys at all. 
 The true and judicious Profeffors of out 
 Religion fay of Reafon and Chriftia- 
 nity what St. Taul fays of the Law 
 and Faith, Rom. iii. 31. Do we then 
 make 'void Reafon through Chrifti- 
 
 anity " 
 
 ? 
 
[X7] 
 
 anity ? Godforbid\yeawe ejlablijh Rea- 
 son. 
 
 ButThofe who maintain thefeflrange 
 Doctrines will perhaps alledge, that we 
 fuppofe the Thing in queftion : That 
 the faid Dodrines are contain'd in 
 Scripture ; therefore are agreeable to the 
 Chriftian Religion, and confequently to 
 Reafon, according to our own Ac- 
 count. But I anfsver, none of them, 
 can be prov'd from Scripture, and fome 
 of them are contrary to it. Our 
 blefled Saviour came eat'tng and drink" 
 ijig^ was prefent at Weddings, and o- 
 ther Entertainments; na/, at one of 
 them worked a Miracle to make Wine, 
 •when it is plain there had been more 
 drank than was abfolutely neceflary for 
 the fupport of Nature; and confe- 
 quently fomething had been indulged 
 to Pleafure, and Chearfulnefs. If it 
 be a Crime to be rich ; how comes 
 St. Tatil to give Precepts and Com- 
 mands to rich Men as fuch, without 
 the leaft Cenfure, or Refledjon upon 
 them for being fo ? Charge them that 
 are rich in this Worlds that they 
 be not high'7nindedy nor truft in nncer-- 
 tain Riches., but in the living God^ 
 
 D ^ji^ho 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 who gweth ns all Things richly to en- 
 joy : [By the way it appears from hencCy 
 that we may enjoy theie Things ; confe- 
 quently this Sort of Enjoyment is not 
 unlawfal.3 That they do good^ that they 
 be rich in good Works ^ ready to dijlri^ 
 biite^ willing to commtmicate'^ laying 
 v.p m Store for themselves a good Foun- 
 dation agmijl the Tune to come^ that 
 they may lay hold on eternal Life: 
 I Tim. vi. 17, 18, I5>. Nay this Text 
 is a Proof of the contrary : For 
 it leems a rich Man may be a good 
 Man, be rich in good Works ^ go to 
 Heaven, and lay hold on eternal Life* 
 The fame Apoftle advifes Chriftians, 
 even in Times of Perfecution, fo to 
 iife the Worlds as not to abiife it ; i Cor. 
 vii. 31. We may tife it then: Which 
 lure no-body would <do ., (it would not 
 be worth while) unlefs by tifiJig it he 
 in fome oieafure enjoy d\t,\{ wo Books 
 are to be read, but lacred and divine 
 ones, if no Heathen Authors particu- 
 larly mufl: be perused by Chriftians; 
 how happens it, that . St. ""P^^/// was 
 learned in the Wifdom of the Greeks 
 and Rmians^ (as Mofes was in That 
 of the Egyptians) feveral times quotes 
 
 the 
 
[ '9 ] 
 
 the V7iitings of the Greek Poets, and 
 incorporates them into the Body of 
 his own ? We ought not, they fliy, 
 to blame their Doftrines for being 
 ftrift : And we would not, if they 
 were true. As the Cafe ftands ; we do 
 not blame them only for being firtB^ 
 but for being fal[e : We are for as 
 much Striclnefs as Chrillianity requires ; 
 which indeed is a great deal ; and no 
 more need be added : But we will ne- 
 ver allow, that a Doilrine mull be 
 eminently Chrijltan^ merely becaufe 
 'tis flrt^\ when at the fame time 
 we can prove, that it is contrary t9 
 Chriftianity^ as well as to Re af on. -j- 
 But Texts of Scripture are urg*d to 
 prove thefe their Doctrines. Our Sa- 
 viour declares, that '■ji^hofoever forfakes 
 not all that he has cannot be lots D'lf-* 
 cifle. And the young rich Man in the 
 Gofpel, tho* very well inclined, coulcj 
 not be a Chriftian ; becaufe he would 
 not fell his Eftate, and give it to the 
 Poor, But befides thd.t forfaking all 
 may very well mean no more, thaa 
 behig ready to do fo^ whenever the 
 Difcharge of our Duty fhall require it, 
 (and This what Chriftian denies ? ) 
 
 D 1 wiU 
 
[ 20] 
 
 will any one lay, that the Cafe is the 
 fame with Chriftians in all Ages, as it 
 was in the Days of Chrift, and his Apo- 
 illes? Is not the Cafe quite alter'd ? 
 Every- body knows, that in thofe 
 Times, it was almoft impojQTible for 
 a Man to adhere to Chritt, without 
 hazarding the Lofs of his temporal 
 Goods, and even of his Life? But is 
 it fo now ? Our Saviour, it is further 
 alledg'd, commands his Difciples to 
 take no thought^ what they Jhonld eat^ 
 dr'tnky or wear : But the Words in the 
 Original //« i^i^tfj-vSirt, * be not anxious, 
 follicitous, or diftraded, are far from 
 excluding all Care, or Concern about 
 thefe Things. In another Place, it is 
 argued, he has thefe Words ; Lahotm 
 not for the Meat that feri/heth^ but 
 for that Meat which endureth unto e- 
 "verlaji'mg Ltfe^ f i. e. according to 
 the Hebrew Idiom^ perpetually made 
 ufe of by the Writers of the New Tef- 
 tament, not fo much for the one as 
 for the other. And the firae may be 
 faid of that other alledg'd Text, ^ Lay 
 71 ot ftp for yonrjeh^s Treafures on 
 
 Earthy 
 
 * lUtth. vi. 25. f J oh. vi 27. 
 
 il Matth. vi. 19, ;q. 
 
[ 21 ] 
 
 Earthy hut Treasures hi He^'ven \ i. e. 
 be iiilinitcly more careful for the latter, 
 than the former. Thofe Expreffions of 
 our blefled Lord, Matth, v. turning 
 one Cheeky when the other is [mitten \ 
 gfoing the Cloak^ when the Coat is de- 
 inanded^ &c. feeming to forbid all re- 
 pelling of Force and Violence, parti- 
 cularly Law-fuits, are only prover-^ 
 bial and hyperbolical Phrafes, prohi-? 
 biting Revenge, and a litigious Tem- 
 per ; commanding a patient Enduring 
 of Injuries, in lefler Matters, or when 
 they are in any degree tolerable, ac- 
 cording to the Dictates of fober Rea^ 
 fon. Prudence, and Equity. In the 
 fame Chapter, he feems at lirft View 
 to forbid all Manner of Swearing : 
 but the Context reftraining it to com- 
 mon Converliition, would any one in- 
 terpret it literally ? Efpecially fince in 
 other Places of Scripture fome fwear- 
 ing is commanded' and the Apoftles, 
 the Angels, and God himfelf recom- 
 mend it by their Examples? It is well 
 known what wild Work v/e muft 
 make with the Scriptures, and indeed 
 with all other Writings of any Depth 
 and Difficulty j if we t^ke everjy Word 
 
 ?n4 
 
[ 22 ] 
 
 aad Exj^refion in its fiyft^ literal^ and 
 mofl rigorous Signification^ without at- 
 tending to the main Drift and Scope 
 of the Writer, and explaining what 
 is obfcure by w^hat is eafy and obvi- 
 ous. I only hint at thefe their Rea- 
 fonings from Scripture , to give a Spe- 
 cimen or Sample of them ; not pre- 
 tending to anfwer their Arguments at 
 large ^ which indeed it, is not worth 
 while to do, they being not confi- 
 derable enough to be formally and 
 profelTcdly refuted. ^- 
 
 The Truth is, all their Arguments 
 both from Reafon and Scripture are (as 
 all Arguments ever muft be that are 
 contrary to Common Senfe) entirely fil- 
 lacious, and inconclufive ; confound- 
 ing: verv diftind Ideas with one ano- 
 ther ; as the Jbiije of a Ihing with 
 the Ufe of it ; chiefly with only ; dan^ 
 ^erous with nnlawfuly £^c. In the 
 Couvfc of their Reafonings one Thing 
 is mijlaken 'for another. As, v/hen it 
 is propos'd to be prov'd, that it is 
 unlawful to take Pleafure in any of 
 this World's Goods; the Arguments 
 prove no more than the Unlawfulnefs 
 pf JvU^^urVj which no-body denies. 
 
 They 
 
[ 23 ] 
 
 They are Itkewife (as is iifual upoa 
 thcfe Occafions) inconfiftent with thcm- 
 fch^es, and run into manifeft Self-con- 
 tradidions. Thus one of thcfe Wri- 
 ters, as I fald, pofitively afferts, that 
 all Chriftians, in all Ages, are obli- 
 ged to fell all they have, and give it to 
 the Poor. But being aware, I fuppofe, 
 of fome Objeftions (as it would be 
 ftrange indeed if he ftiould not) he 
 dfewhere fays, that * " He fufficicnt- 
 " ly felleth all, v/ho parteth with the 
 " Self-enjoyment of it, and maketh it 
 " the Support of thofe that want it/' 
 To pafs by that odd Expreffion Self- 
 enjoyment of it; it feenis then at laft 
 hy felling all is meant, not felling ^\l ^ 
 but not enjoying any Thing, and fup- 
 porting the Poor. Tho' this is a won- 
 derful Way of explaining one's felf ; 
 I deny even this : And how is it prov'cl 
 that we muft enjoy none of thefe 
 Things ? Why, by no Arguments, but 
 fuch as conclude only againft Luxury^ 
 and Covetoufnefs ; as I obfcrv'd be- 
 fore. ^^ 
 
 Law ofChrrjrumPfrfcillQV, P 
 
[ '^4 ] 
 
 Many Things indeed ^rc intermixed 
 'with thefe fingular Doftrines, which 
 are true, and of great Importance. This 
 World is certainly very vain, and a 
 mere nothing in comparifon of the 
 World to come : It is as certainly our 
 Duty to live above it, to be heavenly- 
 minded, and to fet our AfFcftions upon 
 things above, more than upon things 
 on Earth. But does it from hence 
 follow, that we muft have nothing to 
 do with the World, but, literally fpeak- 
 ing, live in it,, as if v/e were not in it? 
 Qaeftlonlcfs, Self-denyal, Mortificati- 
 on, and taking up our Crofs, is necef- 
 fary ^ and we ftiall be fure to have 
 Opportunities enough for it, by re- 
 filling our vicious Appetites, and pa- 
 tiently fufFering Afflidions. 1 grant 
 too, that fome voluntary Suffering in- 
 flided upon ourfelves, as Fading, i^c\ 
 is ordinarily very requifite; and in 
 fome Cafes little lefs than neceffary. 
 But why muft we allow ourfelves no 
 Plcafure in worldly Things ? Is there 
 no fuch Thing as innocent Diverfion? 
 Or will any body in his Wits fay fo ? 
 We Ihould ufe our Flcfn, as a good 
 King would his Subjects, or a good 
 
 Matter 
 
[ 25 ] 
 
 Mailer his Servants; that is, keep it 
 in due Subjedion, not pamper it into 
 Rebellion, or Difobedience; yet not 
 be unneceffarily cruel to it, nor tor- 
 ment It for the fake of tormenting 
 it. We muft, it is no lefs true, re- 
 nounce the Pomps and Vanities of 
 the World : But how ? So as not to 
 foiloWj or be ltd by them \ as our 
 Church fpeaks; that is, not be enflav'd 
 by them, or immoderately given up 
 to them. But furely fome Chriftians not 
 only may, but muft, admit oiTomfs\ 
 otherwife, what would become of So- 
 vereignty, and Magiftracy ? And all 
 Chriftians muft have to do with fome 
 Vanities ; or elfe they muft needs go 
 out of the World indeed ; for the World 
 itfelf is all over Vanity. I grant too, 
 that many who are thought good 
 Chriftians are not (it is to be feared) 
 truly fuch : This I not only grant, 
 but infift upon. But why muft fo 
 much Falfliood be built upon fo much 
 Truth ? Why muft we be ftrain'd up 
 to fuch a Pitch of Striftnefs, as is not 
 only not required by Chriftianity, but 
 inconfiftcnt with it ? 
 
 E III. I. 
 
[ 26] 
 
 III. I proceed now, in the Third 
 Place, to fhevv the dangerous Tenden- 
 ry, and pernicious Confequences of be- 
 ing righteous over^much^ and over^ 
 wife. IVhy foouldeji thou deflroy thy^ 
 felf ? Here we muft premife, that as 
 there are feveral Sorts, and Degrees of 
 being righteous over-fnuch ; they are 
 not all equally vicious, nor equally 
 dangerous, and deftruciive. In Some, 
 it proceeds rather from Folly, and 
 Weaknefs of Judgment, than from 
 any more malignant Principle. In 
 Some, it is attended with Pride, and 
 Self-conceit ; In Others not. In Some, 
 'tis well-meaning Weaknefs ; in Others 
 ill-meaning Hypocrify : But in All, 
 "tis wrong and vicious ; tho' not e-r 
 qually fo. I fay, vicious, as well as 
 wrong, oven in the belt of them. 
 For neither IVeaknefs of Judgment y 
 nor even a good Intention in the P^r- 
 fon^ can pofTibly alter the Nature of 
 the Thing, All Deviations firom Ver- 
 tue are, "and muft be, in themfelves 
 vicious ; and the Tendency of them 
 dangerous more, or lefs ; whatever be 
 the Principle of them \ or with what- 
 ever other accidental Circumftances 
 
 they 
 
C 27 ] 
 
 they are attended. This being pre- 
 mis'd,'I proceed. 
 
 Thefe Extraordinarys, and ExcefTes, 
 do infinite Mifchief to Religion, and 
 the Souls of Men. The other Extreme 
 indeed is fo far more pnikious^ as it 
 is more common : Bat ftill This is 
 pernicious too : And becaufe it is 
 not fo much obferv'd, or apprehended, 
 as the other, it is upon that account, 
 as well as others, carefully to be 
 guarded againft. It dcjefts and per^ 
 plexes Perfons truly and fmccrely re- 
 ligious, making thera think they do 
 not their Duty, when they really do : 
 On the other Hand, it hardens the 
 wicked, and profane^ making them 
 explode the Chriftian Religion, as be- 
 ing impradicable, and by confequence 
 irrational : Of w^hich more prefently. 
 Thefe righteous over-much therefore 
 and over-wife give great occafion to 
 the Enemies of the Lord to blaffheme : 
 They bring up an evil Refort upon 
 the true genuine Chriflianity \ as the 
 Spies from the Camp of the Jfrae- 
 lites did upon the good Land they 
 were fent to fcarch : Only with this 
 Difference \ They had feen, and were 
 E % ^cc^uaintecj 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 acquainted with the good Lafiai vihkh 
 they mifreprefentcd , and traduced ; 
 whereas Thefe are not acquainted with 
 the true Spirit, and Genius of Chrifti- 
 anity. They even give Countenance 
 and Encouragement (however unde- 
 fignedly) to Thofe who are vicious 
 in the other Extreme, to the Leud, 
 and Debauch'd, the Irreligious, and 
 Profane. So far are we from afting 
 imprudently, or improperly, while we 
 ftiew the Danger of this Extreme, at a 
 Time when we fee, and acknowledge 
 that the other is fo prevailing : Tho* 
 let it be remembered, by the way, 
 that this, of which we are difcour- 
 fing, is more than ordinarily prevail- 
 ing too: And I fay it gives Encou- 
 ragement even to Thofe of the con- 
 trary Extreme. For when they fee 
 the htghejt Trofejjors of Religion teach- 
 ing fuch abfurd Dodrines, and fecond- 
 ing them with fuch abfurd Prafticcs ; 
 they flatter themfelves (tho* indeed 
 very foolifhly) that Religion itfelf is 
 an abfurd Thing, and that there is 
 no Truth, or folid Reafon in it : And 
 fo are hardened, and confirmed in 
 their Libertinifmr, and diflblute Courfe 
 
 of 
 
[ 29] 
 
 of Living, in their Profanenefs, and 
 Infidelity. Why thzxdox^jhouldjl thm 
 dejlroy thyielf^ Thou righteous over^ 
 mtichj by deftroying others, in caft- 
 ing fb much Scandal, and Reproach 
 upon Religion ? 
 
 But to come more clofely and direft- 
 ly, to the Perfons themlcl ves, S&eji th^^u 
 a Man isjt^e in his own Conceit /? Ther4 
 is more hope of a FooL^ than af him^ 
 fays the wifeft of Men, the Author 
 of my Text, in another Place, Trov. 
 xxvi. 12. And we fee that to be 
 wije in ones ozvn conceit y and righ* 
 teous over-much are here join'd to- 
 gether. Alas ! Generally fpeafcing 
 a great Part of our Lives is fpent, 
 before we are wife enough to per- 
 ceive that we are Fools ; before wc 
 know enough to be fenlible of our 
 Ignorance. For the more we truly 
 know, the more fenfible we are how 
 little we know : The Knowledge e- 
 ven of the moft Learned being in- 
 finitely exceeded by their Ignorance : 
 But then they know That Ignorance ; 
 which perhaps is the befl: Part of their 
 Knowledge. True Wifdom therefore 
 is always modeft, dijfHdent, and hum- 
 ble: 
 
[ 30] 
 
 ble: But real Ignorance is apt to be 
 confdent, pragmatical, and prefump- 
 tuous. /Tis for this Reafon that Thofe 
 who run into the Follys of which we 
 are fpeaking, are for the moft Part 
 young People- who are prone to be 
 forward, and affuming : Whereas a 
 confiderable Portion of our Lives is 
 fpent, before we come to any matu- 
 rity of Judgment ; for to That 
 Experience very much contributes. 
 Thefe more efpecially are apt to be 
 cver^wifey or wife in their own 
 conceits : And what the wifclt of 
 Men fays of fuch we have juft nov/ 
 heard. To which RefleBion of Plis 
 in That Place, we may add his Ad- 
 mce in another ^ partly cited before. 
 Be not wife in thine own Eyes : Fear 
 the Lordy and depart from E- 
 'dil, Trov, iii. 7. Plainly intimating 
 that thofe who are wife in their own 
 conceit^ or over-wife^ which is here 
 join'd with being righteous over-much^ 
 have not the trne Fear of God, and 
 do not depart from Evil; however 
 they may imagine themfelves to be 
 more wife, and righteous, than others. 
 To which we may add That of the 
 
 fani^ 
 
[31] 
 
 Hime infpired Writer in another Place, 
 Trtde goetb before DeJiru£tion. Pr6v<, 
 xvi. 1 8. 
 
 But perhaps it will be faid, that 
 Thofe, of whom we are fpeaking, are 
 fo far from being proud, that they are 
 the fooreji in Sprite the meekeft, 
 the moll humble, and mortify'd of 
 Mankind. But there is a mighty dif. 
 ference between x\ppcarance and Re- 
 ality : There is often the deepeft Pride, 
 where there is no high, or lofty 
 Look ; and the Height of Confidence 
 and Self-fufficiency, under the Guife 
 and Semblance of the greatcft Mo- 
 defty. But how then Ihall we ^/i- 
 fingtiijh*-, fince we know not the 
 Hearts of Men? I anfwer, We cer- 
 tainly ought to judge charitably ; 
 and believe every Man to be what 
 he fcems^ if he feems to be good ; 
 unlefs we have Proof and Evidence 
 of the contrary. By their Fruits 
 therefore ye Jhall know them ; as our 
 Saviour fpeaks of Thofe who come 
 in Sheefs Cloathing^ but inwardly 
 are ravening PVohes. Matth. vif. 
 i^, 1 6. A Pharifaical Often tation, 
 and outward Show of Piety, Tray-- 
 
hg^ or Singing Pfalms /;/ t/je Corner} 
 oj tho Streets ^ to be feen of Mefiy 
 (Matth. vi. J.) is one undoubted Sign 
 of Pride, and That the worft fort of 
 it, Spiritual Tride, Again; He is 
 proud, who exercifes himfelf in great 
 Matters which are too high for him^ 
 Pfal. cxxxi. 1. who pretends to be 
 more than ordinarily knowing in things 
 which he knows nothing of; who 
 peremptorily cenfures his Betters, and 
 takes upon him to teach his Teach- 
 ers. All which (to omit many other 
 Inftances) is contrary to the Sprit 
 and Genius of the Gofpel^ to the 
 Modefly and Humility of the Chri- 
 flian Religion. Thefe, and fuch like, 
 Symptoms are certain Indications of 
 Pride, and That the worft Sort of 
 it. Or if not Pride (for I defire to 
 judp;e as favourably and fbftly as 
 poffible) 'tis a Folly that approach- 
 es very near to Madnefs ; and the 
 Confequences of it are never the 
 lefs pernicious to others, whatever 
 is to be faid of the Perfons them^ 
 fclves. 
 
 But 
 
L33l 
 
 But fuppofing this difeafe to be of the 
 wor/i forty it is one of the moft dange- 
 rous that can be imagined ; perhaps the 
 moft dangerous of any. For befides the 
 confideration of Pride, fpiritual Pride, 
 already taken Notice of 5 what is it but 
 calling Evil Good, and Good Evil ; put^ 
 ting Darknefi for Lights and Light for 
 Darknefs -, putting Bitter for Sweet , and 
 Sweet for Bitter? Ifa. v. 20. Excejfes 
 and Extremes, which are always Vtces^ 
 being extolled and recommended as the 
 PerfeBion of Virtue ? But the moft 
 dangerous Circumftance is this ; that 
 fuch perfons are of all the moft dif- 
 ficult to be reclaimed ivovci their Errors 
 and Vices. Others, tho' very bad Men, 
 and difficult enough to be reformed, are 
 fenfible however that they are bad Men j 
 but with thefe 'tis quite the reverfe: In 
 their own Imagination their Errors are 
 the Height of Wifdom, and their Sin& 
 and Vices the moft perfed Vertues. 
 They think themfelves the greateft Saints ; 
 when in truth, and for that very Rea- 
 fon, the grand Enemy (as it is to be 
 feared) has the fafteft hold of them ; 
 they are under jlrong Delifion, in the Gall 
 of Bitternefs^ and in the Bond of Ini- 
 quity. They may indeed (and God grant 
 they may) be convinced, and forfake the 
 F Error 
 
\ [ 34] 
 
 Error of their Ways ; nay, by bis Grace 
 they certainly will ; if laying afide Pre- 
 judice, they liften to the fober Didates 
 of right Reafon, and found Religion. 
 
 Farther ; as to be thus righteous over- 
 much is in itjelf very daJtgerous and per- 
 nicious ; fo there is great danger of Peo- 
 plcsfalling mto it. Tho' the other Ex- 
 treme be more common 5 yet this (as I 
 hinted before) is common like wife. To 
 run from one Extreme to another, or 
 at leaft -to be in one Extreme, or other, 
 is the weak Side of human Nature. 
 And this on the exceffive part is the 
 more fallacious of the two : becaufe the 
 ofher is plain and obvious to every bo- 
 dy ; but here Vice has the Appearance^ 
 and even the Name of Vertue ; which 
 there it has not. DrunkeJineJs^ or any 
 other Intemperance .^ for Example, can 
 never pa(s for a Vertue ^ but joolijlo ex- 
 cejjive AbjVinence may. 
 
 Then for the fpread'mg, propagating, 
 and diffufmg of thefe extraordinary no- 
 vel Dodrines and Pradices ; there is 
 great Danger of that alfo. The Gene- 
 rality, the main Bulk of the People, are 
 injudicious, and eafy to be impofed up- 
 on. They are wonderfully ftruck with 
 every Thing that is ?i.ew and unuj'ual^ 
 (another Weaknefs of human Nature) 
 
 never 
 
C 35 ] 
 
 never confidering, that Truth is the old- 
 eft Thing in the World; and that in 
 Religion and Morality whatever is 
 really new, is certainly falfe. To gratify 
 their itch of Curiofity, they run in Mul- 
 titudes after thefe extra-regular Novelifts; 
 not thinking of the Danger they incur by 
 fo doing. In Tfuih, there is fcarce any 
 Thing, among all the Tbanomena^ or 
 Appearances of Nature, more aftonifli- 
 ing and unaccountable than popular 
 'Error and Delufion \ one Fool {^ls the com- 
 r on Saying i^) making many. Much in- 
 deed might be faid in the fpeculative 
 Way, to give fome Account of it : But 
 I have not Time, nor is it my Bufmefs 
 at prefent; it being rather Matter of 
 Philofophy, than Divinity j of Curioii- 
 ty, than Edification. Thus much only 
 in general : It proceeds from great Weak- 
 nefs, and want of Judgment ; from the 
 univerfal Depravation and Corruption of 
 human Nature, by the Fall of Man; 
 as does all Folly, Error, Sin, and Mife- 
 ry : But then let it be ever remembered, 
 that God has provided, and put into 
 our Hands, a Remedy for all this j that 
 is right Reafon and holy Scripcure : 
 which if we do not make ufe of, it is 
 our own Fault, and we muft feverely 
 aniwer for it at the Day of Judgment. 
 F 2 i!Ldd 
 
C 36] 
 
 Add to this, that the great Enemy of 
 Souls adapts his Temptations. to allforU 
 ofT'empers and Difpofitions. Thofe who 
 are inclined to be profane and debauch'd, 
 we need not fay how eafily he prevails 
 upon. But as for thofe who are dif- 
 pofed to be good and virtuous ; if he 
 cannot prevail with them to be vicious^ 
 commonly fo caltdy he labours to make 
 them over-virtuous, that is, vicious^ tho' 
 not commonly fo called : And fo involves 
 them in the Dangers and Mifchiefs of 
 which we are fpeaking. 
 
 Some more of which, not yet taken 
 Notice of, are thefe following. The 
 two great Hindrances of Salvation are 
 Prejumption in the one Extreme, and 
 Dcjperation in the other. Now this 
 over -much Right eoujnefsy or Right eoufnefs 
 falfely fo called^ is apt to produce both 
 thefe 5 Prefumption in fome, Defpair in 
 others. For a Man to conceit himfelf 
 tranfcendently virtuous and holy, when 
 he is not fo at all -, to think himfelf r^r- 
 tain of Salvation^ when he is in great 
 T) anger of Damnation^ is manifeftly the 
 higheft Prefumption imaginable. Ano- 
 ther, on the contrary, being perfuaded 
 that it is bi^ Duty to do thofe extraor- 
 dinary Works above fpecified,with many 
 fuch like \ and finding that he neither 
 I does. 
 
f 37 ] 
 
 does, nor is able to do them, Is tempted 
 to defpair of his Salvation, as fome of 
 late, we are told, have adlually done. 
 They have been made Jlark mady and 
 received into Bedlam, as fuch. And 
 was the Religion of Jefus Chrift, that 
 reasonable Service *, as St. Paul ftyles it, 
 intended to make People mad ? Is this 
 for the Honour of Chriftianity ? Others, 
 we are told, by immoderate Abftinence, 
 have ftarv'd themfelves to Death. To 
 thefe the Words of my Text are appli- 
 cable in the ftrideft Senfe, Be not righ- 
 teous over-much ; why fiouldjl thou de- 
 stroy THYSELF ? 
 
 The Mifchiefs done of late, and in 
 fo (hort a Time, by fuch Docftrines and 
 Teachers, are fufficiently known to the 
 World. They have fet the neareft and 
 deareft Relations at variance; difturb'd 
 the Quiet of Families ; nay, thrown 
 whole Neighbourhoods and Parifhes in- 
 to Confufion. 
 
 The Church itfelf, as a regular, well- 
 ordered Soctety, is by thefe irregular up- 
 ftart Societies, even by the ie/i of them, 
 and much more by the worjl, greatly 
 weakened and impaired. By thefe Ex- 
 traordinaries they take off from the Re- 
 
 • Rom. xij. I. 
 
 verencc 
 
[ 38 ] 
 
 verence due to the ordinary flanding 
 Rules and Laws of the Church. For 
 tho' they do conftantly attend divine 
 Service, as prefcribed in the publick Of- 
 fices ; yet I appeal to all dtfcerning and 
 judicious V^cv{ons, whether, in the Nature 
 of Things, they are not likely to icx. a 
 greater Value upon their oitm particular 
 Meetings and Exercifes^ fet up purely by 
 their own Fancies, and commanded by 
 no Authority of God, or Man. To be 
 plain ; If what 1 am informed of thefe 
 Meetings be true, they are Schifmatical, 
 io their Tendency at leaft, tho' not fo 
 defign d : For there may be a Schifm in 
 the Church, as well as a Schifm from 
 it. If it be true, that they conlift of 
 confiderable Numbers, that they have 
 Prayers (fome too extemporary ones) 
 and Preaching, or fomething like it; I 
 do not fee how they can be deemed Le- 
 gal Affemblies. The publick Meetings 
 of Proteftant Diffenters from the Church 
 are tolerated by Law, and licens'd by 
 Authority ; but I never heard that thele 
 are eirher: if they ihould be, I doubt 
 there would be more Danger to the 
 Church from a kind of Half-Diflenters 
 in it, than from thole who are total 
 DifTcntersyr^?/;/ it. Now that the weak- 
 ening of our pure, primitive, Apoftoli- 
 
 ca! 
 
C 39 1 
 
 cal Church, as a Society, muft needs 
 weaken the inward Power of Godlinefs^ 
 is evident , becaufe the Ordinances of 
 the Church are the Outworks and For- 
 tifications of inward Chriftian Piety and 
 Vertue. 
 
 But there is one Mi/chief of being 
 righteous over.much^ which I have re- 
 fer ved for the lajl^ to be more largely 
 and particularly confidered : Which is 
 this, that it tend^ at leaft to that baneful 
 Plague Enthusiasm. It is itfelf fome- 
 what nthiifiajiical at bed; and tends ^ 
 as I fa Id, to downright Enthufiafm, I do 
 not fay, that all R'^ghteous over-much ^.tq. 
 Enthufiajls', but I do fay, that in all 
 Ages Enthuf.ajis have been righteous ove?'- 
 much 5 they began with the lajl-mentiondy 
 and ended with the other. And is it not 
 fo in thefe Times ? To what a Height 
 of Fanatick Madnefs in DoBrine^ as well 
 as TraBicCy are fome advanced, who fet 
 out ac firft with an Appearance of more 
 than ordinary Sa?2Bity in PraBice only ? 
 
 By Enthufiafm is meant a Perfon's ha- 
 ving a ftrong, but falfe Perfuafion, that 
 he is divinely iifpred-y or at leaft, that 
 he has the Spirit of God fome way or 
 other y and This made known to him in 
 a particular and extraordinary Manner. 
 Whether our modern Righteous over-much 
 
 da 
 
[ 40 ] 
 
 do as yet pretend to a Spirit ofTrophecyj 
 I cannot fay : I hear, however, they talk 
 of Dreams, Vifions, and Revelations, Be 
 that as it will, we now fee thtw Anions: 
 and I argue thus. Either they think 
 ihemfelves infpired, or they do not. If 
 they do^ they are Enthufiafts ; becaufe 
 that Perfuafion of their being infpired 
 is fupported by no Evidence^ and con- 
 fequentlyy^^: For to thofe who were 
 really infpired by God, of old, He al- 
 ways g2ivc Evide?2cey and Pr^^'that they 
 were fo ; and always muft ; becaufe 
 otherwife the Infpirarion is of no Uie. 
 If they do not^ they are mad another way\ 
 luppofing themfelves, without extraor- 
 dinary Affiftancc from God, to be ca- 
 pable of performing Things, which, 
 without fuch Affiftance, 'tis impoffible 
 they fhould perform : That Perfons 
 wholly unlearned, for Inftance, or very 
 little learned, whether Laic or Eccle- 
 fiaftic, (houid by their own mere Abili- 
 ties interpret, or expound difficult Places 
 of Scripture, which cannot be done, 
 without very great Learning. Take it 
 which way you will, they are either 
 mad in Enthnjiafm, or mad in Ignorance^ 
 Pride, and Confidence: Pride and Confi- 
 dence, fhocking and prodigious, not only 
 in a Chrijiian^ but in a Himan Creature. 
 
 But 
 
[41] 
 
 fiut to return to certain Enthufiafm > 
 Since thofe of whom we are fpeaking 
 pretend, if not to diredt divine Revela- 
 tion, and Prophecy J yet to fome extraor- 
 dinary Motions^ and Impulfes of the Spirit-: 
 I aflc them. What Proof hd^vQ they of 
 fuch Motions or Impulles ? Why, they 
 fay, they have the firongeji Perfuajion of 
 them. And I fay, there is jlrong Delu- 
 Jion, as well 2lS Jlrong Perjuajion -, and the 
 latter is moft certainly the former^ if 
 there be no Evidence to prove it other- 
 wife. O! but they zx^ fure of it ; they 
 fee it ; they feel it : And do we wane 
 Reafons and Arguments to convince us, 
 that the Sun fliines at Noon-day? or 
 that wc feel any outward Impreffions 
 made upon our Bodies ? I anfwer ; This 
 is arguing from a mtvc Metapior ; which 
 was never yet allowed to be good Ar- 
 guing. Do they then fee the Light of 
 the Spirit within them, in asy?r/^, pro- 
 per, and literal a Scnfe, as wq Jee the 
 Light of the Sun ? Ovfeel his Impulfes 
 juji in the fame manner as by natural Sen- 
 fation we feel Pleafure, or Pain, or any 
 other Impreffions made upon our Bo- 
 dys ? If they reply they do, 'tis perfect 
 Phrenzy : All the World knows it to be 
 falfe J and thofe, who talk at this Rate^ 
 are not fit to be talUd with ac all. If 
 G they 
 
C 42 ] 
 
 they fay they do not^ we are come back 
 to th^Jlrong certain Perjuafion aforefaid. 
 For nothing elfe is meant by this Seeing^ 
 and this Feeling : And to that Perfuafton 
 we have fpoken already. In fhort, their 
 Argument ftandsThus : It is fo, because 
 it is fo J and they are fure^ because 
 they are fure : And what an Argument 
 that is, let any one in his Senfes 
 judge. 
 
 However, fure they are^ it feems : At 
 fuch a Place and Time exaftly, they felt 
 the Spirit rufh upon them ; and fo can 
 give a ready Anfwer to that old Fanatic 
 Queftion: Wheii and where, at what 
 Place, at v^hatTime, on what Day of 
 the Month, at what Hour of the Day, 
 did the Spirit come pouring upon you 
 with irrefiftible Force, and feize you as 
 his own ? This, I fay, is nothing but 
 a Revival of the old Fanaticifm in the 
 laft Century ; when all manner of Mad- 
 nefs was pradis'd, and all manner of 
 Villainy committed in the Name of the 
 Lord^ as thofe profane Hypocrites, or 
 Enthufiafts, or both, at that time ex- 
 prefs*d themfelves. But what do they 
 mean by having the Spirit ? Being hrn 
 again of him, or, in other Words, be- 
 ing regenerate ? If fo ; I aik, have we 
 not the new Birth, and, in this Senfe, 
 
 the 
 
C 4.0 
 
 the Spirit ; if we have a ftedfaft Faith 
 in God and Jefus Chrift, a Faith lively, 
 ^nd produdive of Good Works 5 if we 
 heartily repent of all our Sins, and ef- 
 fedtaally reform them j if our Confci- 
 ences, in the main, condemn us not, 
 but acquit and applaud us ? They an- 
 fwer, it feems, that all this is nothing ; 
 unlefs we Jee, feel^ or hear fomething 
 within us. Being afk'd what xh^ifome- 
 thing is, they reply ; They only perceive 
 it, but cannot explain it. This now (if 
 any thing more be meant by it, as they 
 plainly do mean fomething more, tho*^ 
 they know not what, than a good Con- 
 fcience^ and the Comforts of the Holy 
 Ghoft confequent upon ir, which who 
 denies ?) is downright Enthufiafm and 
 Fhrenzy in Religion. -"Tis dethroning 
 the higher Power of the Soul, Judg-- 
 ment -, and fetting up the lower Faculty, 
 Fancy, or Imagination, in its room. 
 And when ihsit grand Deceiver, the Z)^- 
 vily has the Scene of Fancy or Imagina- 
 tim left clear to himfelf, to aft his lUu- 
 lions and Impoftures upon 5 it is eafy to 
 judge what dreadful Confequences are like 
 to follow. That there is fuch a thing 
 as the Operation and Influence of the 
 Holy Spirit upon our Souls (for what 
 ^Ife is God*s Grace^ without which we 
 
 G 2 caa 
 
I 44 1 
 
 can do no good thing ?) tho' we cannot 
 diftinguifti it from the Operations of our 
 own Minds, is not only granted, but in- 
 fifted upon, by all fincere and judicious 
 Chriftians. But what Reafon, what 
 Scripture, is there for this inward Seeing, 
 Feelings and 'Hearing? Read, by all 
 means (I earneftly recommend it) the 
 excellent Bifhop Btdh incomparable Dif- 
 courfe Concerning the Spirit of God in 
 the Faithful ; how and in what manner it 
 doth bear Wttnefs vjith their Spirits, that 
 thev are rhe Children of God ; aiid what 
 Deg^^e of Hope or Perfuafwn concerning 
 their Adoption this Witnejs of the Spirit 
 "doth ordinarily produce in the Faithful\ 
 upon [his Text of the Apoflle, Rom. viii. 
 ver. J 6. ^he Spirit beareth Witnefs with 
 our Spirit^ that we are the Children of 
 God, It is the Third Dilcourfe in his 
 Third Volume. Read it, I fay, over and 
 overs and digeft it thoroughly in your 
 Thoughts. I might in truth fay the 
 fame of all his admirable Difcourfes. 
 There you will fee difficult Scriptures 
 r^^/^' interpreted and expounded; there 
 you will fee the Difference between true 
 Podtrine and falfe, between found Di-- 
 vinity and Enthufiafm ; between the 
 deepeft, yet cleareft Learning, join'd with 
 jhc greateft Huniility, on the one hand, 
 
 and 
 
[45 ] 
 
 and ignorant, illiterate Pride, and Confi- 
 dence, on the other. 
 
 The *\Do^rines they graft upon this 
 wild Perfuafion of their having ^nd feel- 
 ing the Spirit^ are (like the Perluaiion 
 it (elf) falfe and pernicious. Such as 
 thefe : No Man can be in a State of 
 Salvation, without being fure of it; and 
 on the other hand, if he be ftire of it, 
 he is certainly in it : Meaning by the 
 Word fure^ moft ftrongly and thorough- 
 ly perfuaded. This, I fay, is hoxh fa/fe^ 
 and pernicious. Falfe -y Becaufe it makes 
 the Reality of Things depend upon our 
 Perfuafion concerning them ; than which 
 nothing can be more fenfelefs and ab- 
 furd : On the contrary, our 'perfuafion^ 
 if true, muft be founded upon the 
 I'ruth and Reality of Things. Pernicious \ 
 Becaufe here again we have Defpair on 
 the one hand, Prefumption on the o- 
 ther. The former Part of this Doc- 
 trine tends to plunge into Defpair Thofe 
 who, whether nsoith^ or without Reafon, 
 have not this ftrong Perfuafion of their 
 being in a State of Salvation; and the 
 latter to confirm in the Height of Pre- 
 fumption Thofe who, without Reafon, 
 have it. The real Truth of the Matter 
 is this. It is one thing to be certain^ 
 ly in a good State ; and another thing 
 
 to 
 
1146 1 
 
 to be certain of it: Tho* between thofc 
 two very different things thefe falfe Spi- 
 ricualifts feem to make no DifUnCfion. 
 A Man may be in a State of Salvation, 
 and yet by reafon of Melancholy, Weak- 
 nefs of Judgment, or even Modefty and 
 Humility, think he is not: On the con- 
 trary, he may be in a very bad way ; 
 and yet by reafon of a fanguine Tem- 
 per, Prefumption, Pride, or Enthufiafm, 
 conceit himfelf to be in a very good one. 
 Thefe People therefore may have the 
 llrongeft Perfuafion of their being in the 
 fure Way to Heaven, and yet be far 
 from it 5 nay thejartber^upon the Account 
 of that very Perfuafion, And others may 
 be, certawly^ in tlic number of thofe who 
 fhall be faved, yet be doubtful concern- 
 ing it, nay verily perfuaded of the con- 
 trary. What Proof again have thefe 
 Men for their confident Affertions ? Why 
 none at all ; but, juft as before, they 
 are fure. But I afk once more, Why 
 are they fiire ? Upon what Grounds^ 
 what Evidence? There it all turns; 
 that is the only Queftion to the Pur- 
 pofe: If Thar be not well anfwercd, all 
 the reft is empty and infignificant. And 
 yet, upon this groundlefs Confidence, 
 how do they flatter and delude them- 
 filves 5 how judge and condema otl:)ers ! 
 
[ 47 ] ; 
 
 Do yow feel the Spirit within you ? Arc 
 yo\x feelingly fure of your Salvation ? The 
 Anfwer being given in the Negative, as 
 it well may, and yet thofe who give it 
 be very fafe ; the immediate Reply is. 
 Then you are damn'd. Who can 
 hear this without Horror and Deteftati- 
 on ? Who can bear the audacious Pre- 
 fumption and Uncharitablenefs of thefe 
 Wretches ; thus, like Solomons Mad-man, 
 Prc'u.xxvi. 1 8. cajltng their Firebrands^ 
 Arrows^ and Death ; zx\A fending to Hell 
 (only becaufe they are not of their own 
 frantick Perfuafon) millions of Chrifti- 
 ans much better than themfehes ? 
 
 I have ftill fomething to add con- 
 cerning their pretended AJfurance^ or 
 Certainty of their having the Spirit, 
 This falfe Affu ranee may (and I hear 
 does) produce very mifchievous EfFeds, 
 different from^ znd even contrary to each 
 other ; according to the different Tem- 
 pers of different Perfons. Some argue, 
 that fmce they have received the Holy 
 Ghojiy every Sin they afterwards com- 
 mit is a Sin againji the Holy Ghoff and 
 therefore unpardonable : So they are 
 driven to Defperation and Madnefs on 
 that Side. Others, may imagine, as fome 
 have adually done, that fince they have 
 the Holy Ghojiy they cannot fn at all\ at 
 
 leaft 
 
[ 48 ] 
 
 leaft not fo far as to mifs of Salvation 2 
 Either the groffe/l Immoralities,2LS Fornica- 
 tion and Adultery, are in them no Sins : or, 
 if they are -, yet, having once the Spirit^ 
 being once regenerate, and born again, 
 they cannot ^m ally fall away fromGrace^ 
 nor ceafe to be the Children of God. 
 This is reviving the old, exploded, and 
 fo often folidly confuted Dodrine of ^^- 
 folute certain Perfeverance^ in the Rege-^ 
 nerate: A Doftrine which, I verily be- 
 lieve, has contributed more to the Ruin 
 of Souls, than any other that can be 
 well imagined. For ift. How does it 
 appear that they are regenerate? Their 
 Jlrong Perfuajion without Proof will ne- 
 ver prove it ; as we have often had oc- 
 cafion to obferve. But 2dly, Suppofing 
 them to be fo ; the Dodrine of abfolute 
 certain Perfeverance even in the truly 
 Regenerate is falfe again in itfelf, and 
 pernicious in its Confequences. 
 
 I ft Falfe, Thou flandeji by Faith y 
 fays the Apoftle \ be not high-minded^ 
 but fear, Rom. xi. 20. Why fhould he 
 fear, if he ftands, and is fure not to fall? 
 I know this Paflage is thought by many 
 to relate not to particular Perfons with 
 regard to their eternal Salvation, but to 
 whole Nations converted from Hea- 
 
 thenifm. 
 
[ 49 ] 
 
 thenifm, as compared with the People 
 of the Jews, inrefpedlof their once pe- 
 culiar temporal Privileges: And indeed 
 I am of the fame Opinion myfelf. 
 However, fmce thofe who aflert abfo- 
 lute indefectible Perfeverance in parti-^ 
 cular Perfons interpret Sc. Paul's Dif- 
 courfe of Predefli?2afing^ Choofing^ Re- 
 je51ing. Standing and Fallings as relating 
 to particular Perfons^ and ih^in fpiritual 
 State 'y the Argument will hold ^^ ho- 
 minem^ according to their Expofition ; 
 and I fee not how they can evade ir. 
 In another place the fame Apoftle has 
 thefe words: het him that thinketh he 
 Jlandetky take heed left he fall i Cor, 
 X. 12. Now either he really flands, as 
 well as thinks he does ; or only thinks 
 he {lands, but really does not : If the 
 latter^ nothing need be faid to it : He 
 is mijlaken even in thinking he {lands, 
 or is regejierate 5 and fo can ju{lly de- 
 duce nothing from this Dodlrine of 
 abfolute Perfeverance, fuppofing it to 
 be true. . If the former , if he really 
 (lands, as well as thinks he does; yet 
 it feems he may fall ; otherv^^ife, why 
 fhould he take Heed le{l ht JJmdd fall? 
 St. Peter thus admoni{hes thofe to whom 
 he writes: Give Diligence to make your 
 Calling and Ele5lion jure, 2 Pet. i. la. 
 H Whatever 
 
[ 50 ] 
 
 Whatever be meant by Calling and 
 ^leBion, "Diligence, it feems, muft be 
 employed to make it fure ; therefore 
 it is not fure of itfelf, Si. Paul advifes 
 all in general, the moft regenerate 
 not excepted, to work out their Salva^ 
 tion with Fear and Trembling, Phil, ii^ 
 12. What Occafion for Fear and 
 trembling, or even for working, if their 
 Salvation be fure already ? The Juji 
 fiall live by Faith. Heb. x. 38. And if 
 he draw back^ my Soul Jhall have no 
 Pleajure in him. The yuft then, he 
 who lives by Faith (that is, fure the 
 truly Rege?ierate) may draw back-, fo 
 draw back, that God's Soul JJj all have 
 710 Pleafure in him : And if fo, certain- 
 ly he falls, and periilies everlaftingly, 
 I cite the Paffage exadly according to 
 the Truth of the Original : For thofe 
 Words [any Man] are added in our 
 Englifi Verlion, without the leafl: Sha- 
 dow^ of Reafon or Authority. It would 
 be endlefs to produce all the Texts 
 to the fame Purpofe. It appears from 
 the whole Tenor of the Gofpel, that 
 the Chriftian Life is a militant State, a 
 State of Warfare ; therefore of Danger 
 niore orlefs; and that (ordinarily fpeak- 
 ing f^t lead) wq cannot be fore of 
 
 lleaven. 
 
[5.] 
 
 Heaven^ 'till we are in n, or juft e?itmng 
 into it. 
 
 The Defenders of this Dodrinc in- 
 deed alledge Texts of Scripture to ju- 
 ftify it : Bat their Arguments from them 
 have been long fince abundantly anfwer- 
 ed by our learned Divines. 1 will pro- 
 duce one or two of them, for a Specimen 
 or Sample only. Our Saviour fpeaking 
 of Falfe Ch7''tjls fays, they fiall Jhew 
 Signs and Wonders:, injbmuch that ^ if it 
 were pojjibky they fiall deceive the very 
 Ele5ty Matth. xxiv. 24. From whence 
 it is inferred, that the Eledl cannot pof- 
 fibly be deceived^ and confequently not 
 fall away. But ift, Who are the Eled? 
 If by that Word be meant thofe who 
 are by God chofen to Salvation, yet is 
 every one fo, that fancies himfelf fo ? 
 But in Truth, the Word Eie5ly both in 
 Scripture, and the Writings of the pri- 
 mitive Fathers, generally at leaft, means 
 no more than Chrijiians, as diftinguifh- 
 ed from Jews and * Heathens. 2dly, If 
 the Ferfons here meant could not be de- 
 ceived hy falfe Miracles y yet they might fi- 
 mWy fall away hyfomethingelfe, 3dly,The 
 
 * See Whitby on Mark xiii. 20. and other Com- 
 mentators. 
 
 H 2 Words 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 Words ei Svvct7ov, if poffibk, may very 
 well relate to ihofe who {hall endeavour 
 to deceive^ and may be rendered thus: 
 They fliall do all they pojtbly can to 
 deceive thofe there mentioned; which 
 does not imply that thofe Perfons can- 
 not pojjibly be deceived. They argue 
 farther from i John iii. 9. Whofoever is 
 horn of*God doth not commit Sin^ for his 
 Seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot 
 commit Sin, becatife he is born of God, 
 But why muft this prove, that he who 
 is really born of God C'd.xiwoi finally fall 
 away? Why may it not as well (or 
 rather much better, efpecially fince fo 
 many other Texts of Scripture affert 
 the contrary Dodrine) be no more than 
 an Explanation of the iiew Birth-, de- 
 claring wherein it confifis 5 at leaft what 
 is the certain Proof or Evidence of if. 
 To be born of God is not to commie 
 Sin, /. e. great and grievous Sin (for 
 271 many things we offhid all. James iii. 
 2.) And he who is fo, does not, and 
 cannot commit ir, while he is fo : Be- 
 caufe, while he is fo, his Seed (/. e, 
 the Grace^ or word of God) remain- 
 eth in him. But does it therefore fol- 
 low, that he cannot lofe it, when fo 
 many plain Scriptures affure us that he 
 3 may ? 
 
C 53 1 
 
 may ? The fewer and obfcurer Texts 
 certainly ought to be interpreted by 
 the greater Number, and the more 
 plain and eafy. But were Scripture filent 
 in this matter; does not our own Reafon 
 tell us, that, with refped to the Health 
 of his Soul, siS well as of his Body, a 
 Man may be in a good State at one 
 time, and in a l?ad one at another ? 
 that the Grace of God may be abufed? 
 and that upon fuch Abufe it may be 
 withdrawn? What can be more obvious 
 and rational than this? 
 
 That the Dodrine we have been 
 examining, if it be falfe, as I have 
 fliewn it to be, mujl be pernicious, is 
 plain of itfelf: For he who \% firmly 
 perfuaded that he is abfolutely fafe^ when 
 he is \n great Danger, muft needs be 
 in the more Danger upon the account 
 of that very Perfiiafion, We furely 
 want no Arguments to prove, that 5^- 
 curity in a State of War and Peril is 
 of moft dejiru6live Confequence. 
 
 The Truth is, thefe extraordinary 
 Spiritualifis, notwithftanding their high 
 Profeffions, have in all Ages propagated 
 Do^rines deftrudive of a holy Life: 
 And their Pra^ices too, notwithftand- 
 ing their Pretences to the greateft Ri- 
 gour, 
 
[ 54 ] 
 
 gour, StricSnefs, and Severity, at theif 
 firft fetting out, have at laft been grofly 
 and fcandaloufly immoral. Nor is this 
 at all ftrange : When once Men have 
 forfaken the via regia, the King^s High- 
 way to Heaven, as plainly marked out 
 in Holy Scripture ; deferted the {land- 
 ing Rules and Orders of an excellently 
 conftituted Church, as ours is, and ran- 
 into fuch wild Vagaries as have been 
 often feen, and nov^r are feen -, God 
 only knows where they will flop t 
 They may be fo far given up to the 
 Spirit of Delujion^ as to run into the 
 greateft Excefs of Riot. The Montanijls 
 of old, and the German Anabap- 
 tiftsy about 240 Years fince, are In- 
 ftances of this ; to omit others, both 
 ancient and modern. It appears from 
 Hiftory and Experience, that the Gra- 
 dation has been ufually this : Righteous 
 
 over ' much in Practice Righteous 
 
 over-much in PraBice and DoBrine — 
 Immoral and Profigate in Both: And 
 this fill with a Cojitinuation of the 
 Pretences to an extraordinary Meafure 
 of the Holy Spirit. It is evident 
 from that of the Apoftle, 2 Tiim. iii. 
 2, 3, 4, J. That the ijoorjl of Men 
 may have a Form of Godlinef ; He is 
 
 by 
 
C 55 ] 
 
 by very learned Writers fuppofed to re^ 
 fledl particularly upon thar filthy Sedl 
 the Gnojiicks'y who wallowed in all 
 manner of Vice and Wickednefs, and 
 even taught for Dodrines the moft 
 deteftable Impurities. Whether St. Paul 
 in that Place means Them, ov no-, cer- 
 tain it is, the Founder of their Sedl, Simon 
 Magus, was a moft leud Wretch both 
 in Pradice and Doftrinej and yet was 
 called the great Power of God. Our 
 prefent Pretenders to Saintfhip have 
 among them (it is notorious) Women 
 of a moft infamous and proftitute Cha- 
 rader: And they fay, it feems, that by 
 joining with T^hem, from being great 
 Sinners they become Saints ; all being 
 fuch who are of their Way, and all 
 others Reprobate. This is generally 
 the impudent and unchriftian Aflertion 
 of Seducers and falfe Teachers; as of 
 the Novatians and Do?2ati/is of old, of 
 the Papifts now -, and of moft Here- 
 ticks, Schifmaticks, and Enthufiafts, 
 both ancient and modern. It is com- 
 monly reported, that Thofe, with whom 
 we have now to do, maintain other 
 Tenets utterly deftrudive of Chriftian 
 Piety. I do not affirm this, becaufe 
 I cannot ftridly prove it : But I have 
 
 heard 
 
[ 56] 
 
 heard it affirmed by many. This I 
 am fure of, it is likely to be true ; 
 becaufe, fmce they are Revivers of An- 
 timmianifm, in the Dodrines I have 
 above confidered, it is highly probable 
 they are fo in others, ' tho* perhaps 
 not in all. And of the Antinomian 
 Syftem in the main take the fhort 
 Account which follows. " They wer^ 
 '' fo called, for rejedling the Law as 
 *' of no Ule under the Gofpel. They 
 " fay that good Works do not further, 
 " nor evil Works hinder Salvation : That 
 ** the Child of God cannot fin ; that 
 ^^ God never chaftifeth them, nor pu- 
 " niflieth any Land for its Sin : That 
 " Murder, Adultery, Drunkennefs, ^c, 
 '' are Sins in the Wicked, but not in 
 " them : That the Child of Grace, be- 
 " ing once afllired of Salvation, never 
 " doubteth afterwards : That no Man 
 '' fhould be troubled in Confcience for 
 *' Sin: That no Chriftian (liould be 
 *^ exhorted to perform the Duties of 
 <^ Chriftianity : That an Hypocrite may 
 " have all the Graces that were in 
 " Adam before the Fall: That Chrift 
 '' is the only Subjed of all Grace : 
 '' That no Ciiriftian believetb, or work- 
 " eth any good, but Chriilonly be- 
 
 " lieveth 
 
C 57 ] 
 
 '' lieveth and worketh ; that God doth 
 *' not love any Man for his Holinefs ; 
 ^' that Sandtification is no Evidence of 
 '' Juftification, &c * 
 
 I have not Time fo much as to men- 
 tion many other Particulars which oc- 
 cur to my Thoughts : But one more, not 
 yei mentioned, muft by no means be 
 entirely omitted. We have heard of 
 Field-Conventicles in Scotland among the 
 Enthufiafts of that Country : which yet, 
 I think, were there always fufiprejfcd by 
 the Authority of Church, or State, or 
 Ifoth. We have in former Times had 
 fomcthing of this Nature in England, as 
 praftifed by Brownifts,Anabaptifts, Qua- 
 kers, Ranters, or fuch like. But for a 
 Clergyman of the Church of England to 
 pray, and preach, in the Fields in the 
 Country, or in the Streets in the City, 
 is perfe^iy new, never heard of before $ 
 a frejh Honour to the blejjed Age, in 
 which We have the Happinefs to live. 
 To pray, preach, and fing Pfalms, in 
 the Streets and Fields, is worfe, if pof- 
 fible, than intrudi?7g into Pulpits by 
 
 * Collier's Di£\ionary ; under the Article Antinomt- 
 mm. See alfo Bp. -5a//'s Sermons, Vol.1, p. 12, 13, 
 14, 15. 
 
 I downright 
 
downright Violence, and Breach of the 
 Peace ; and then denying the plain '^Faft 
 with the moll infamous Prevarication ^. 
 I could fay much here ^ but am quite 
 ajhamed to fpeak upon a Subjed, which. 
 is a Shame and Reproach, not only to 
 our Church and Country, but to human 
 Nature itfelf. I will only add fomp 
 fhort Queries : Can it promote the Chris- 
 tian Religion, to turn it into Riot, Tu- 
 mult, and Confufion ? To make it ridi- 
 culous and contemptible,- and expofe it 
 to the Scorn and Scoffs of Infidelsj and 
 Atheifts? St. P^^^/ commands that all 
 things (in the Publick Service and Wor- 
 fliip of God) be done decently, and in 
 order. Is this decent and orderly ? If 
 it be alledged (as I think 'it is) that 
 Chrift, and his Apoftles, prayed and 
 preached in the Fields, on Mountains, 
 on the Sea-Shore, &c. I ask, have thefe 
 Creatures the fame Spirit and Power 
 that they had ? Thty fee tn to fay they 
 have indeed : But if they direBly fay 
 fo, do they not blafpheme ? Do they work 
 Miracles, as our Saviour and his Apoftles 
 did ? Or give the leajl Proof oithQ Spi- 
 
 * Slee the PFeeify Mifcellany concerning the forcible 
 Intrufion into the Pulpit at St. Marram's, Wejiminjier. 
 
 % rit 
 
C 59 ] 
 
 rit they pretend to? Is Chriftianitynow 
 in its Infancy, as it was then ? Was the 
 Church then eftabhfhed, as it is now ? 
 Are we now to be converted to Chriftianity 
 from Judaifm or Heathenifm, as People 
 were in thofe Days ? Or if we were) are 
 fuch falfe and fpurious Apoftles as thefe 
 able to convert us ? I might here very 
 properly urge the Canons * of the Church 
 of England ; and (if I miftake not) the 
 Laws of the Civil State. But the Thing, 
 tho* deteftable, and of mod pernicious 
 Tendency, is, in another View, too con- 
 temptible to be longer infifted upon. Ic 
 would likewife be cndlefs, as well as 
 naufeous, to make Reflections, tho* ne- 
 ver fo juft, upon that Rhapfodyof Mad- 
 nefs, Spiritual Pride, and little lefs than 
 Blafphemy, if not quite fo 5 which this 
 Field-Preacher calls his Journal: And 
 fo I fay no more of it; but fhall con- 
 clude all with fome Obfervations upon 
 otbersy and fome Application to our- 
 felves. As to the former 5 let it be ob- 
 ferved, 
 
 I ft. That this Error of being righte^ 
 ous over-much {WkQ other Errors) pro- 
 ceeds from confidering only one Side of 
 
 » See Canon LXXII and LXXIII. 
 
 I 2 Things 5 
 
C 60 ] 
 
 T'hings \ and not taking in the whole Com^ 
 J>afs of an Argument or Subjeft. Did 
 we duly rejleB upon both Extremes, we 
 fliould never fall into either of them. 
 What! fays the Halj -Thinker^ is not 
 Charity to the Poor a mod excellent 
 thing ? And can I be too charitable ? 
 Can I therefore beftovv too much upon 
 the Poor ? 1 anfwer ; Would you con- 
 fider the other fide, you would perceive, 
 that tho' you cannot be too charitable, 
 yet you may beftovv too much upon the 
 Poor, to the Ruin of your Wife and 
 Children 3 which is not Charity^ but 
 Madnefs, and a great and moji grievous Sin. 
 Did you never hear of that common 
 and very true (tho* often indeed mif- 
 apply'd) Saying, Charity begins at Home? 
 Or, to urge a much better Authority 
 than a vulgar Proverb; Did you never 
 read that of St. Paul^ i Tim. v. 8. If 
 any provide not for his own^ andfpecially 
 thofe of his own Houfe ; he hath deny d 
 the Faith ^ and is worfe than an Infidel? 
 The fame Half-Thinker proceeds : Can 
 I pray too much, when the Apoftle 
 fays Pray without ceafing? I anfwer, 
 Yes, you may : For the fame God who 
 gave us Scripture, gave us common Senfe: 
 Which tells us that thofa Words can 
 
 mean 
 
[ 6i ] 
 
 mean no more, than being always in an 
 habitual State of praying, and a^ually 
 praying both in publickand private, fre- 
 quently and conjlantly j not fpending ali 
 our Time in it, no nor the greateft Pare 
 of ir, nor any Thing like it: Becaufe, if 
 we fliould, we could not do the Bufinefs 
 of our ordinary CalliiigSy nor perform 
 many other even Chrtfiian Duties {finely 
 fuch) which our Religion as much re- 
 quires of us, as Prayer itfelf. And fo 
 of the reft. 
 
 ^dly. It is to be obferved, that a great 
 Part of what has been faid in this Dif- 
 courfe is applicable not only to our new 
 Enthujiajlsy but to thofe of longer Stand- 
 ing', as the fakers, fone of the moft 
 peftilent Sedts that ever infefted the 
 Chrijiian Church ) the Anabaptijisy many 
 of whom, among the ignorant Country 
 People at leaft, are perfedt Enthujiajls ; 
 and, perhaps, fome others. All their 
 Doftrine turns upon ftrange unaccounta- 
 ble Notions about the Spirit and inward 
 Lights i by which they know not what 
 they mean, and which they confidently 
 a[fert without any Sort of Proof The 
 ^takers, in particular, tell us that the 
 Lig/jt within them admits oino Proofs be- 
 caufe it IS filf-evident as ^frji Principle y 
 
 that 
 
[ 62 ] 
 
 thai is, they are fure^ becaufe teby are 
 pre^ihsy feCy and feel, and hear inward- 
 ly ;" the Folly and Infatuation of which 
 I think I have fufficiently, tho' briefly, 
 cxpofed. 
 
 " o^dly. Obferve the ftrange Inconfijlency 
 and Self-Contradi^ion of thefe Enthuji' 
 ajis. They pretend to extraordinary 
 Stri5tnefs in Pra£fice y yet teach Doc 
 trines utterly fubverfive of common Mo» 
 rality, I have proved this ; and there- 
 fore may be allov^r'd to ajffirm it. How- 
 ever, they talk much of the Comforts 
 they feel within them ; the Prefence of 
 God with them ; their Enlargements in 
 Devotion ; and fuch like. But may not 
 all this, which they imagine to be the 
 Illapfe of the heft Spirit , be really the 
 Delufon of thp worjl ? Nay, is it not 
 certainly fo ; if their Doftrines and Prac- 
 tices are contrary to the Gofpel^ as I have 
 (hewn them to be ? Whatever may be 
 thought by fome of the fakers in par- 
 ticular ; Thofe who are well acquainted 
 with thefe Matters are, I believe, pret- 
 ty well fatisfy'd, that, tho* they began 
 with being righteous over-much y and 
 adted in a wild Manner under Pretence 
 of extraordinary Sanftity 5 yet they arc 
 at frefent not overladen with Religi- 
 on, 
 
[63 ] 
 
 on, not altogether fpiricual ; but have 
 at leaft very near as much Regard 
 for this World, as for the ?iext. As to 
 our new Enthujiafts ; if they go on in their 
 Way, we may exped: in a (hort Time 
 to hear them revive the old profane ri- 
 diculous Jargon of being Godded with 
 Ood, and Chrijled with Chriji ; of In- 
 dwellings, Outgoings^ being carried out in 
 Duty ( fuch was the Cant in thofe Times, 
 now, belike, 'tis Enlargements) oi rejiing^ 
 lyings rolling upon Chriji ; with many 
 other uncouth Phrafesj which muft needs 
 be difguftful to every fober Chriftian. 
 
 /^thlyy It is very obfervable that the 
 Righteous over-^muchy the Enthujtajis and 
 fatfe Spiritualijis have, in all Ages, hated 
 the ejiablifi'd Church and Clergy ; of late 
 Years, and here m England, particularly: 
 Which 1 think is much to the Honour of 
 the Church and Clergy. They may ap- 
 ply to themfelves with Regard to God 
 and Religion, what Cicero faid of himfelf 
 with Regard to the Common- Wealth of 
 Rome ; That all who are Enemies to God 
 and Religion are Enemies to them like- 
 wife. What envenomed Arrows have 
 been fhot againft us by the Lewd and 
 Debauched, the Ungodly and Profane, 
 ;he Infidels and Atbeifts^ is fufficiently 
 
 known : 
 
[64] 
 
 known : And it is as well known that 
 the Pretenders to extraordinary Holinefs, 
 falfe Prophets,and Enthufiajis oi2\\ Kinds, 
 have given abundant Proof of their III- 
 will to us^ and our Sion, To pafs over 
 the inveterate Malice of th.t fakers-, the 
 pretended Prophets about thirty Years 
 ago, in their EfFufions of blafphennous 
 Nonfenfe, which they caird Warnings^ 
 uttered the mofl virulent Invedives a- 
 gainft the Clergy in general : Our pre- 
 fent Enthujiafisy it is faid, do the fame; 
 and none more, than thofe who are Cler^ 
 gymen themfehes. What Sort of Clergy* 
 7)ten, or even Men they are, let the World 
 judge. The Reafon why all the Enemies 
 of the Chrijlian Religion among us, how- 
 ever they may differ in other Refpedls, 
 do yet, by the Devil's Policy, and their 
 own Inclinations, unite in one Body 
 againft the ejlablipd Church and Clergy^ 
 is this very plain one ; becaufe the efta^ 
 blijh'd Church is the Eortrefs, xhtjirong 
 Hold of the Chrijlian Religion ; and the 
 Clergy the Garrifon, or Soldiers that de- 
 fend it. 
 
 Having made thefe Obfervations upon 
 Others^ let us in the next Place make 
 fome Application to Ourfehes. 
 
 For 
 
[ 65 ] 
 
 I. Firft, then, let us grieve and mourn 
 for all deluded and deluding Perfons; be- 
 feeching God to give them a right Un* 
 derftanding in all Things relating to their 
 eternal Happinefs* 
 
 II. Confidering that to the Prevalency 
 of Immorality and Profanenefs, Infide- 
 lity and Atheifm, is now added the Peft 
 of Enthujiafm ; our Profpedl, it muft be 
 ov^n'd, is very fad and melancholy . Lee 
 us mourn and pray, and cry mightily to 
 God 5 but not be dejeded, or defpond. 
 Let us all, in our feveral Stations^ with 
 prudent Activity, and a Tueal according to 
 Knowledge^ join our Endeavours to flop 
 the Growth of all thefe Mifchiefs ; and 
 then with entire Refignation leave the E- 
 vent to God. Hypocrify and Enthujiafm are 
 no new Things : Thefe Ignes Fatui^ thefe 
 glaring Meteors^ have often appeared in 
 this Nation : But they have foon difap- 
 pear'd ; and 'tis to be hoped they will 
 do fo now. Popular Madnefs, like a fud- 
 den Land-Floody may run high for a 
 Time ; but feldom lafts long. True it is 
 indeed, tho' the Ignis Fatum foon difap- 
 pears; it may draw People imo Ponds or 
 ^itchesy before it does fo : And the Land^ 
 Floody tho' not lading long, may dekge 
 a C ountryy ^nd do infinite Mifchiefs before 
 it runs off. The Cafe is exadly the fame 
 
 K here^ 
 
[ 66 ] 
 
 here ; and, in my humble Opinion, might 
 deferve the Confideration of Some^ whom 
 I will not prefume to mention. There- 
 fore, 
 
 III. Go not after thefe Impoftors, and 
 
 Seducers 5 bur (hun them as you would 
 
 the Plague. Having a Form ofGodlinefs ; 
 
 but denying the Power thereof: Fromfuch 
 
 turn away^ fays the Apoftle 2 T^im, iii, 
 
 5. Many, I doubt nor, follow them out 
 
 oi mere Curiofty ; but 'tis a vicious Curio- 
 
 fity : 'Tis /infill ; bccaufe it is partaking 
 
 of other Mens SinSy ( i T'im. v. 22.) by 
 
 giving Countenance and Encouragement 
 
 to them, however tmdefgnedly. But how 
 
 many more, tho* greatly defpifing both 
 
 their Perfons and their Doftrines, yet run 
 
 after them ; that they may feem to in- 
 
 cre^fe the Number of their Difciples, and 
 
 fo give them Credit and Reputation, 
 
 with a real formed Defgn, to helpfor^ 
 
 ward the Mifchiefihcy are doing! Thefc 
 
 are the Efiemies of our Religion^ and 
 
 Churchy of every Denomination ; among 
 
 whom, the Papists you may be fure, are 
 
 neither the leaft induftrious, nor the leaft 
 
 delighted : Thefe Frotefiant Enthufaftsy 
 
 with all Frotejlant Hereticksy SchifmatickSy 
 
 ^nd falfe Teachers y on the one Hand, and 
 
 the Free-thinkerSy Infidels^ DeiJlSy and 
 
 3 Atheijis 
 
[ 67 ] 
 
 Athetfts on the other, are doing their 
 Work for them, to their Hearts Defire. 
 IV. Laftly, let us make fo good a Ufc 
 of the Excefes we have been confidering ; 
 as by them to be put in Mind oiour own 
 Defedls. To omit the groffer Immorali- 
 ties, with which this profligate Age 
 abounds, and concerning which the Cafe 
 is fo plain ; how many are there, who, 
 tho' thought by themfelves and others, 
 to be good Chriftians, are yet far from 
 being fo! How many who never, or at 
 leaft but feldom, receive the blejQed Sa- 
 crament ; tho' 'tis the indifpenfable Duty 
 of every Chriftian to receive it frequent- 
 ly ! Who negled private Prayer ; tho* 
 without the frequent and conftant Per- 
 formance of that Duty, 'tis impoffible to 
 enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! 
 Who might come to Church on Week" 
 daysy as well as SundaySy if they would ; 
 yet do not, tho' they have nothing elfe to 
 do! How many, who, tho' they are not 
 Drunkards commonly fo call'd are yet 
 intemperate in Drinking ! Who allow 
 themfelves in unlawful Diverfions, or are 
 immoderate in lawful ones ! Who, tho' 
 not guilty of any fcandalous Crime, in 
 common Eftimation, are yet carnal, fen- ' 
 fual, worldly-minded, and Lovers of 
 Pleafure more than Lovers of God! How 
 K 2 many, 
 
[ 68 ] 
 
 many, who, being very rich, imagine 
 they are charitable, if they now and then 
 give a fmall Piece of Money to the Poor; 
 when they ought to give largely and li- 
 berally! — Who, under Pretence of />ro- 
 ^'iding for their Families^ are Jhamefully 
 covetous^ and obferved to be fo by every 
 Body but themfelves ! h dangerous Delu^ 
 fon this laft ; and very often, I fear, a 
 fatal one. I might mention numerous 
 Inftances more; which, together with 
 thefe now mention'd, you, to whom I 
 have fo long minifter'd, know, and are 
 my Witneffes, I have ofcen, and with 
 the greareft Earneftnefs infifted upon. 
 So far have I been from relaxing the 
 rr^/ Obligations of our holy Religion ; 
 that, perhaps, I have been thought by 
 Some to be too rigid and fevere : Tho', 
 to the beft of my Judgment and (Jnder- 
 ftanding, I have not err'd on either Ex- 
 treme ; but have v^ith all Faithfulnefs 
 reprefented to you the irue Will of God, 
 as reveaVd in the iacred Scriptures. And 
 the reft of the Clergy, moft of them at 
 leaft, can, I am confident, truly fay 
 the fame of themfelves. 1 {hould not 
 have raid fo much upon this Article ; 
 did not the Calumnies and lying Slanders 
 caft upon us by our Enemies, (tho^ 
 Clergymen themfelves ) thefe proud pha-^ 
 
 rifaical 
 
[69] 
 
 rifaical Enthufiajis^ render it very pro- 
 per, if not quite neceffary. Far be it 
 from us (as it ever has been) to preach 
 fmooth Things to pleafe Men j to diffemble 
 the real "Terrors of the Lord 5 or in any 
 wife to handle his Word deceitfully. How 
 often do we tell you ( nay, ijohat elfe^ al- 
 moft, do we tell you ? ) that without F^/V/& 
 and a good Life, you will undoubtedly pe^ 
 rijh everlajlingly f What is a good Life^ 
 is indeed the Queftion : In that our great 
 Bufinefs is to inftrudl you. It is, in 
 fhort, living up to the ftrideft ( I fay the 
 fri^ejl) PvQCQpts of the Gofpel really 
 fuch ; but by no Means going beyond them. 
 However, as I faid, let the Excejfes of 
 Others remind us of our own Defciencies-y fo 
 as that we may thoroughly ajid efFedtu- 
 ally reform them. Let us earneftly 
 befeech God to fend forth his Light and 
 his Truth 'y that we may all fully difco- 
 ver thefe Depths of Sat any this Myflery 
 of Iniquity, upon which we have been 
 difcourfing: But let us not, to avoid En- 
 thufafm, fall into ColdnefSy or Lukewarm^ 
 nefs in Religion # nor be too little righ- 
 teous^ for Fear of being righteous over^ 
 much, 
 
 FINIS. 
 
Lately PMiJhed in T'wo Volumes 8^. 
 
 Printed for S. Au s t e n in St. PauVs Church- 
 yard^ andh.GiLLivERinJPleefftreefy 
 
 A Pre/ervafive againft unfettled 
 Notions and want of Principles 
 in Religion. 
 
 In feveral Difcourfes upon fele(5l Subjects; 
 relating to Diverfity of Opinions. The Diffi- 
 eultys of the Scriptures. Private Judgment. 
 Prejudice, Free-thinking, Ecclefiaftical Au- 
 thority, Crccids, ArticJes, and Subfcriptions, 
 Popular Errors, and the Encroachments of 
 Infidelity, tierefy, and Schifm. 
 
 By JOSEPH rPAPP, D. D. 
 
 Vicar of Chriji Churchy London. 
 
 Jftbe Foundations le^iefiroyed^ what can the 
 
 Righteous do ? Pft xi. 3. 
 It mtift needs he that Offences come j hut wo 
 
 to that Man^ hy whoin the Offence cometh^ 
 
 Mat. xviii. 7. 
 
Date Due , 
 
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