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felf-denial, by which Christians are obliged to walk, to govern their inward thoughts as strictly as their outward actions, to refift their dearest appetites and most natural inclinations, and to tafte even the innocent and allowed pleasures of life but fparingly; in a word, to live, as it were, out of the body, even while they continue in it, and are chained to it. Now, no ftruggle of this kind can be joyous, but grievous, while it lafts: and it lafts usually, in fome degree or other, as long as life itself; a complete maftery of our appetites being what the best of men in this life do very rarely attain. So that the state of Christians, even when they are not actually perfecuted, is yet a perpetual ftate of warfare and voluntary fufferings; fuch as neither the profeffors of the Jewish religion, nor of any other religion but that of Chrift, were ever bound to undergo. And this confideration, added to that of the external fufferings to which Chriftians are expofed, is indeed fufficient (though thofe fufferings, in themselves confidered, be not fufficient) to juftify the apoftle's affertion, that, without hope in another life, Chriftians would be the (leaft happy or) most miferable of all men.

But if the apostle's argument (when limited to a ftate of perfecution) be not conclufive in general; it is much less fo with respect to thofe Corinthians, to whom it is particularly addreffed, and who gave rife to that fuppofition in the text, on which his inference is there founded For how can an affertion, " relating merely to a bitter state of perfecution," include the cafe of thofe Corinthians, who neither then were, nor had ever

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been, in fuch a ftate, fince the gospel was firft planted among them? That the Corinthians had been then grievoufly (or at all) perfecuted, appears not from ecclefiaftical history or the facred writings. On the contrary, they are represented by the apostle himself in this very epiftle, as abounding in wealth and eafe, and free from all external preffures and troubles. "Now ye are full, now ye are rich (fays he) ye have reigned as kings without us," 1 Cor. iv. 8. The fchifms and divifions, the heinous impurities, the intemperance and litigioufnefs, with which he reproaches fome of them, are fufficient evidence that they had not as yet been under any general perfecution; for these are the vices of profperity and abun dance *. The only difficulty they seem then to have laid under, was a temptation to partake of the public feafts of their fellow-citizens, in which they fed upon the facrifices offered to idols. These entertainments were very grateful to a people naturally lovers of pleafure, and bred up in eafe and luxury, as thofe of Corinth were: and perhaps the Chriftians of that place might find themselves under fome little inconveniences, for refufing to partake of them.

But furely nothing of this kind could deferve the name of an affliction, much less of a perfecu

• Of their calm plentiful, and profperous eftate, many years afterwards, St. Clement, in his epistle to the Corinthians, witneffes - πασα δόξα και πλαλυσμοσ (fays he) εδόθη υμιν (and the ill use they made of it as follows) Ý exelideoDn to yey gaμμevov, Εφαγεν, και επιεν, και επηατυνθή, και επαχύνθη, και απηλάκηςεν, ο ηγάπης EX TUTOU (Né, À egif, xai sa61o, &ɔ. Clem Ep. jun.

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tion; and therefore with relation to thefe, and all other trials of their ftedfaftnefs which they had hitherto met with, the apoftle exprefly affirms, that no temptation (i. e. no afflictions; for fo the word, was, often fignifies in the N. T.) had taken them but fuch as was common to men, Chap. X. 13. that is none but what what was ordinary, and eafy to be born.

'Thefe being the circumftances under which the Corinthians then were, and the argument, which the apoftle here advances in behalf of a future state, being intended to reach their particular cafe; can we think it poffible, that he fhould draw it merely from a ftate of "grievous fufferings, and bitter perfecutions," to which thofe Corinthians were utter ftrangers? No; certainly, when he coneludes the Corinthian Chriftians more miferable than other men, who had not embraced Chriftianity; it must be on the account of fomewhat, which, as Chriftians, they had actually felt; at leaft not purely for a reafon, the force of which they had no ways experienced.

He argues indeed afterwards, in the fame chapter, (ver. 30, 31. 32.) from the head of perfecution. But when he doth fo, we may obferve, that, with great propriety and juftness, he confines his reflexions of that kind to himself, and his own particular fufferings. 'Tis he that fought with beafts at Ephefus, ver. 30. that died daily, ver. 32. that was in jeopardy every hour, ver. 31. and it is his own folly that he there proclaims, and condemns, if he fuffered all this, without a well-grounded hope of a future reward; but he doth not endeavour (there, or elsewhere) to prove

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the Corinthians, fools, on the account (much lefs, folely on the account) of fufferings which they had never undergone.

Upon the whole therefore, I conclude, that, when St. Paul fays, "If in this life only we have "hope in Christ, we are of all men moft miferable;" he there confiders Chriftians, as denying themfelves in the pleasures and advantages of this world, for the fake of Ghrift, and not merely as perfecuted for their Chriftianity.

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Nothing now remains towards making good this interpretation of St Paul's words, but to fhew that the ftream of Expofitors falls in with it. And fo indeed it doth : for this text hath been thus expounded by writers both antient and modern; Greek and Latin; by Papifts and Proteftants; Lutherans and Galvinifts by Divines of the Church of England and by thofe who feparated from her communion. What our own Divines have faid in this cafe (even where they profeffed to explain the text) I have amply fhewn*: As to other authorities, the narrow bounds of a Preface (already too much extended) will not allow me to recite them in terms. I can only refer the Reader to the Authors themfelves +, who fpeak very home to the point, and do all of them reprefent the apostle's decifion as built on the

* I now add to them, Affimblies Notes upon the Place. Gataker, Adverf cap xvii Jackson, Vol ip 456.

↑ Theophylact. in lor. Pfeudo Ambrofius, Hieronymus, Anfelm. Remig Ep Rem Eraimus, Calvin, Luther, Mar. lorat, Juftinianus, Arctius, Hugo de Sancto Charo, Mufculus, Cornelius a Lap Claud. Guilliaud. David Paræus, Tileman. He hasius, Pifcator, Episcopius de lib. Arb. e iv. Mr. Locke

VOL. II.

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peculiar difadvantages, which Christians lie under, in point of worldly enjoyments, and not as reftrained merely to a State of perfecution. And thefe (had I room to produce them) would be fo many fresh evidences of the rafhness or infincerity of my accufer, where he represents the Affertions, by me laid down, to be fuch as were "never before seriously maintained by any perfon ❝ of virtue and understanding," L. p. 19.

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III. Having now fully confidered the two firft Articles of his charge, and fhewn, that my doctrine is fo far from being new, that it is main tained by the most pious and judicious pens, and is exactly agreeable to the fenfe of St. Paul; I am the lefs concerned thoroughly to examine what is faid of it under the 34 Head of Accufation, viz. that it is "falfe and pernicious in itfelf." For if the authority of these eminent Writers, and of the bleffed apoftle himself, will not juftify it in that refpect, nothing elfe wil. Befides, in the paffages which I have before cited at large from our own Divines, most of the reflexions and reafonings, which make out the truth of both my pofitions, are already fuggefted; and therefore need not here be repeated and applied to every little exception made by this author. Nor hath he himself put me under any neceffity of doing it, by his method of attacking my doctrine: for he pretends only to prove it falfe, by offering fome obfervations on my manner of proceeding in the 'argument I have undertaken :' L. p. 6. 20. As if Obfervations on my manner of proceeding' in argument, would determine the truth or falfhood of the argument itself! And yet this is the mark,

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