[SERM. nothing but to make and propagate Herefies. For, as I take it, it is not fo much the Liberty of venting a fingular Opinion or Interpretation, which makes new Sects and Herefies; for indeed that is often neceffary for finding out the Truth, that Men shake off the Yoke of Opinions which they fucked in only through the Prejudices of Education; but the Thing which makes Herefies is, that when once Men have published their Opinion, they are Proof against Conviction; and will right or wrong tenaciously adhere to it, and propagate it against the most convincing Arguments, and will by no Means fuffer themselves to be brought off or undeceived. It was from the fame Spirit that they put on fuch a mighty Affectation of Sanctity with their long Prayers, down Looks, disfigured Faces, broad Phylacteries, impofing on the weaker Sex, and preying on their Estates, to carry on the Defigns of their Godly Party. Finally, it was from this Spirit of Party and Spiritual Pride, that they raged with Envy against all that were not of their Faction, and fet themselves firft by all the Arts of Calumny to vilifie and defame them, and then by all their Power and Intereft to ruin and destroy them; for no other Reason, but left [their growing Fame fhould eclipse their Own. This was visibly the Part they acted towards our Bleffed Lord. They had their Spies out continually to watch all Advantages against him; they came like Men that were defirous to learn of him; and propofed their enfnaring Questions; they brought him upon difficult, dangerous. Subjects, on Purpose that they might trepan and accufe him. They fuborned falfe Witneffes to pervert his Words, and with

their own Additions and Gloffes at least, to make them Criminal. They defamed him with all manner of Calumnies, of Herefie, Treafon, and Immorality. When his Miracles were fo publick that they could not be hid, they had the Wickedness to fuggeft, that he wrought them by the Power of Magick, and caft out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils, Mark iii. 22. and at last, when, notwithstanding all their wicked Arts, his Fame increased, fuch Things having been wrought by him as were fufficient to convince all Mankind, and them too, if their Pride and Envy had not made them Proof against Conviction; when, notwithstanding all their Calumnies, the World was like to go after him, upon his raifing of Lazarus from the dead, they then combined under a Form of Juftice to cut him off. This is a true Picture of that Spirit of Pride and Party, which daily produces fo many Tragedies in the World, and which had fo great a Hand in framing this bloated Pharifaical Righteousness; which therefore we fhould by all means ftudy to decline and avoid.

Inf. §. 3. I fhall make but one Inference more from the Words, and have done; and it fhall be to confute an Error of some of the Popish Writers on this Sermon, as if feveral of these fevere Injunctions had not been defigned by our Saviour as neceffary Precepts, but only as Counfels of Perfection. And of Affinity with this, is another Error of fome of that Church, as if they were not fitted for the ordinary Chriftians of the World, but for those who have taken upon them ftrict Monaftick Vows or Sacred Orders: And there are really fome among our felves, who have laid down fuch Principles, as help private Chriftians to creep VOL. II.

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[SERM. out from the Obligation of these Duties; by interpreting feveral Parts of them to relate peculiarly to the Apoftles, when I think it very certain there were no fuch Officers as Apoftles appointed at the Time when this Sermon was preached, as I have proved in another Difcourfe. But there is one Thing in my Text, which at once confutes all thefe Opinions; and that is, that our Saviour makes this Evangelical Righteousness, which is here fet oppofite to the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, and is more particularly described in the fubfequent Parts of this Sermon, to be a neceffary Condition of Salvation, without which we shall in no cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Let this for ever stop the Mouth of all fuch bold Afferters. And therefore let Us with the utmost Application and Diligence, as a Thing of that infinite Confequence. requires, fet about the Study of this Gofpel-Righteousness, as ever we expect to avoid Hell, and to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. For which God of his infinite Mercy in due Time prepare us all, through the Mediation of Jesus Christ, our Bleffed Saviour and Redeemer: To whom, &c.

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SERMON VIII.

MATT. V. 21.

Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old Time, Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, fhall be in danger of the Judgment.

Ver. 22. But I fay unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, fhall be in danger of the Judgment: and whosoever fball Jay to his Brother, Raca, fhall be in danger of the Council: but whofoever shall fay, thou Fool, fhall be in danger of Hell-fire.

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The Firft Sermon on this Text.

OR discovering the Connexion of these Words with what goes before, we need but look back to the 17th Verfe, where our Saviour acquaints his Hearers, that he was not come to defroy, but to fulfil the Law and the Prophets. In Pursuance of which Affertion, after he had at the 18th and 19th Verfes guarded them against the Destruction of the Law; fecuring the very Leaft of it's Precepts from being encroached upon by the Doctrine or Example of their Teachers; he proceeds at the 20th Verse to the making good the other Part of the Affertion, of his Defign of Fulfilling or Perfecting the Law; where after having laid down in general, that unless their Righteousness

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Righteoufnefs fhould exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, (who were reckoned the best Teachers of the Law at that Time) they should in no cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; he goes on next to fome particular Inftances of this Truth; in which it was necessary that they should proceed to higher Degrees of Duty, than were required by the Scribes and Pharifees. And the first he inftances in, is this of my Text: Ye have beard that it was faid by them of old Time, Thou halt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the Judgment. But Ifay unto you, that whofoever is angry with his Brother without aCaufe, shall be in danger of the Judgment: and whosoever shall fay to his Brother, Raca, fhall be in danger of the Council: but whosoever shall fay, thou Fool, shall be in danger of Hell-fire. He fays not, Ye have read; but, Ye have heard: that is, ye have been thus taught by the Jewish Doctors, the Scribes and Pharifees, that it was faid by them of old time; or rather, as it is in the Margin of our Bibles, to them of old time; that is, that Mofes gave this Precept to our Forefathers in the Sixth Commandment, Thou Shalt not kill: And whosoever shall kill, &c. i. e. This Commandment thefe Doctors taught you to look upon as no other than a Judicial or Political Precept, prohibiting only the external Act of Murder, upon Pain of being tried by the Criminal Court for your Life; thus confounding it with that other Precept of the Judicial Law of Mofes, Num. xxxv. 30. Whofo killeth any Perfon, the Murderer fhall be put to death by the Mouth of Witnefes; without extending it to any farther Obligation on the Confcience; or confidering any farther Penalty in the World to come.

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Say