SER M. which, alone, ever was, and ftill remains,

IX.

the true Honour of all the Great and Noble of this World, as well as their Duty and Happinefs.

It is

I have thus, in the best Manner I could, explained and enforced a very important Declaration of our Bleed Lord, concerning the Practice of all the Moral Duties of His holy Religion and, I hope, in doing this, I have been preaching Chrift, and his Doctrine. the Glory of His Gospel, that the great Defign of its Founder was to direct his Followers to the whole System of Natural Religion, or Morality. His Doctrine, upon which He refts their Happiness, is Virtue. His Life was an unfpotted Example of all Virtue. His Death is the greatest Argument for Virtue. And his Sufferings are blafphemed, when they are reprefented as defigned for the Advantage of any Sinners, but fuch as have forfaken their Sins, and are returned into the Paths of Virtue. Let Every One, therefore, who profeffes to follow Chrift, as his Mafler, learn of Him; and take his Yoke, and his Burthen, upon Him: And he will find Reft to his Soul, in a Conduct agreable to his own Mind, in every Part, and every Relation, of Life, here; and unfpeakable Happiness, hereafter.

of

Of PERSECUTION on Account of

RELIGION.

SERMON X.

ROM. xiv. 4.

Who art Thou that Judgest Another Man's Servant? To his own Mafter, He ftandeth, or falleth.

a

N a former Difcourfe upon these Words, s ER M. I obferved, that the Foundation of all X. outward Perfecution, for any fort of Differences about Religion, was laid in the Mind within; that the first Step was the Inward Act of Cenfuring and Judging our Neighbours, on Account of what They esteem, as any Part of the Worship or Service of God: But that the Evil feldom ftopped there, but was generally observed, when Opportunity offered,

a Note, This was the Second Sermon upon this Text. See the First in p. 47. of this Volume.

to

SERM. to break out into open Violence to Men's X. Bodies or Eftates, for the Sake of their Confciences.

This being the Cafe, the first Step I chose to take, was to attempt the Cure of that wicked Distemper of Mind within; or, to fhew the inexcufable Iniquity of the Inward Act, before it can proceed to Outward Evils. This I endeavoured to do, by obferving,

1.

1. That we are not qualified thus to fit in Judgment upon One Another.

2. That it is not the Province of Us, who are but Fellow-Servants to the fame Mafter.

3. That it is a Province, which our Great and Common Mafter hath peculiarly reserved to Himself. And,

4. That it is our great Business to prepare for the final Judgment of Ourselves, and not to be found judging Others.

But, as Men have been, in all Places almoft, and in all Times, obferved to proceed from Inward Cenfures, to the Application of Outward Force, and Worldly Evils, in Matters purely Spiritual, and belonging to Confcience; I fhall now purfue this Subject farther; and endeavour, in the plainest Manner poffible, to shew the great and unpardonable Iniquity of all Outward Perfecution, on Religious Accounts: And this, by fuch Confiderations, as will

at

at once determine That, and answer the chiefs ERM. Pretences alledged by Any Men for it.

Now, this Great Evil of Perfecution is, by All fuch Patrons of it as fpeak feriously of believing the Gospel, and regarding the Salvation. of Mankind, always avowed, to be built upon the Great Importance to All Men, that They fhould be Believers of the One only true Religion, and found Members of the One only true Church of Chrift, in order to their Eternal Salvation: And upon the Duty of bringing Men to their own Happiness, by Force of Outward Evils, when other Methods fail. I know, there is Another Reason, or Excufe, for it, fometimes mentioned; taken from the Peace and Quiet of Society, and of the Chriftian World about Us, which is pretended to require fuch an Agreement, as this Outward Force is defigned to produce and establish. But this, (not to mention that it is built upon a great Mistake, directly contrary to Truth and Experience) being merely of a political Nature; and plainly founded upon the Wicked Maxim, that it is of no Importance what is True, or Falfe; what is pleafing to Almighty GoD, or not; and throwing Religion quite out of the Question; I fhall not now enter at all into the Merits of fo weak and worldly a Pretense; but shall only confider the Former:

X.

SER M. which, being the most honourable Pretenfé X. for Perfecution, is always the most avowed: Few caring to own that they mean nothing but this World, and their own Power, or private Intereft, in it. This then being plainly put upon the Importance of right Sentiments about Religion, and the true Church of Chrift, out of which there can be no Salvation,

.

I. The firft Confideration which offers itself, is this; that fuppofing, the Importance of Truth would juftify Us; yet, without the Certainty of our being Infallible, in what we ourfelves hold to be Truth in Ṛeligion, it would be most unreasonable, and inexcufable, to act againft our Fellow-Creatures, by the Application of Outward Force. Perfecution, you may know from all History, takes a great Compass, and is feen to exert itself, not only with Regard to the Fundamental Truths of all Religion; but, (We may fay, chiefly and most commonly,) for the Support of Thofe many inferior, or leffer Points, in which the Thoughts of ferious and fober Men ever were, and ever are likely to be, different. And if, in Thefe, or any of Thefe, We make a wrong Judgment; then, Every Step we take is not only out of the Paths of Charity, but of that Truth likewife, the Name