SERM. Establishment to their Utility, and could H. claim at the utmoft but an equal Sanctity and Reverence. The Conclufion was, our Inftruction from the Leffon in the Text, to hold no Rule of any Pofitive or Temporary Law of God, whether relating to his Honour and Service, or to the external Government of his People, with fuch Strictness as would not confift with the Duties or Privileges which flow from the Nature of Mercy, Goodnefs, Truth, and Juftice. At that Time I only named our own Privileges, and profecuted the Argu-ment as it relates to our Neighbours Benefit and our Obligation. To which I was determin'd, by the State of the Cafe which introduced that Text, whereby our Lord acquitted himself of the Injunction to abftain from the Company of Publicans and Sinners, only that he might be at Liberty to labour for the Advantage of their Souls. Accordingly I infifted upon those Difpenfations to Lower Services, which a Call to the Higher gives; and contented myself with fetting forth, how the Works of Justice and Charity, in Favour to other Men, took Place upon every Competition

of

of the Circumftantial and Secondary Part SERM. of Religious Appointments,

But the Use our Lord makes of thofe fame Words in my present Text calls upon me to pursue what was omitted concerning Privileges, the Relaxation of fuch Laws for our own Sakes, and in Merty to ourselves. Indeed one feems to follow from, or rather to be contain'd in the other; fince Almighty God is equal to All, and what Liberty he grants to my Neighbour, he grants to me. My Love to myself is made the Standard of my Love to him; and then how should I not have the Liberty on my own Account, which I am bound to use on his? Therefore, as you have feen in the ixth of St. Matthew, that a Pofitive Law of God was well broken by our Saviour, out of Charity to the Souls of the Publicans: Here in the xiith you will fee, that another was well broken by his Disciples in Charity to their own Bodies; and learn to apply to both (and many like) Cafes one common Vindication, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice.

II.

But

SERM. But before I proceed to the full Proof II. and further Handling of this Matter, I would, premise fome Confiderations of the Ufe and Neceffity of opening fuch a Subject For fome will fay, What Need -is there to talk to People of their Liberties or Indulgences in Religious Duties? Are they not even too quick-fighted at efpying them, too favourable Cafuifts to themfelves, and need no Prompting to underftand the Privilege of their Neceffities? Let us rather extend the Limits of Duty fomething farther, and bind it on fomething freighter than the Rule itself hath done, to obtain the utmost that's poffible; for after all, Mankind will without doubt in Practice fall too too fhort of their Obligations. But this Reasoning ought not to deter us altogether, though it be somewhat fpecious in itself, and rife from a good Intention and Zeal of Piety. For it is not only without any Foundation in the Word of God, but rather by its own Nature contrary to it. And then, for the Confequences of fuch a Proceeding, there is caufe enough to apprehend, they may

be

be very pernicious, as well in Belief as SERM. Practice,

If

The First and most general of these is, the falling from one Error to another. People are taught wrong, or must not be untaught their Misconceptions concerning the Bounds of Chriftian Duty and Liberty; who knows if the Matter will ftop where they that cherish fuch Miftake would have it? It is a common Obfervation, that Error is of a fruitful Nature; and moft Men understand, that poffibly, from one falfe Conclufion allow'd, a Hundred more may be impofed upon them. And therefore, ftrictly speaking, we cannot admit the vulgar Phrase of an innocent Error. It may indeed be innocent now, and to this Man, and yet be full of infinite Mischiefs to other People, or another Age. Of this they that have any Knowledge in the Hiftory of Mankind, or of the Church alone, can give lamentable and numerous Inftances; where the wary Silence of fome, giving Way to the unhappy Warmth of others, THAT has gain'd an Establishment, which in a few Years establish'd fomething else of such a VOL. I. D Nature

II.

II.

SERM. Nature as neither dreamt of, but would have given their Lives to prevent. Let us therefore not forget that of Solomon, Buy the Truth, and fell it not; fince without a Spirit of Prophefy we are not able to comprehend the Value of what we fell, and how dearly ourselves or Pofterity may pay for the Advantage we now exchange it with.

But though nothing of this fhould follow, yet the Straining of any Duty above its true Pitch, and excluding the Indulgence which our Lord allows, is apt of itfelf to create divers Mischiefs very prejudicial, if not ruinous, to our Christian Courfe. For in the firft Place, while fome (as in all Probability many will) understand their Liberty, and act accordingly, which others look upon as a meer Licence of Impiety; what a Scandal and Breach of Charity; what Reproaches and Divifions may we not apprehend? And would to God we could only reafon to this Purpose, and that his Church did not even now feel and labour under these too certain Confequences.

Secondly,