the State of Tepidity, tho' abfolutely pre ferable to that of profefs'd Libertines, is attended with fome Dangers, in which the other is not concern'd; and is in Effect fo difpleafing to Almighty God, that he theatens the luke-warm with an eternal Separation from him. This is the Truth I intend to make out in this Entertainment. But leaft Perfons of a scrupulous Confcience should by Mistake appropriate to themselves, what belongs no ways to them, because their State is diametrically oppofite to that of Tepidity; I fhall firft draw out at large the Character of a tepid or luke-warm Chriftian, that they who are concern'd, may see themselves in it, and they who are not, may not be frighten'd with Dangers, which are at the greateft Distance from them.

St. Anfelm has epitomized the whole Character of a luke-warm Chriftian in this fhort Sentence. Tepidus eft, qui inter Virtutes et Vitia fluctuat. He is one that wavers between Virtue and Vice: For he is in a kind of middle State between the Zealous or devout Chriftian on the one Hand, and loofe Livers on the other; being neither bad enough to be counted Vicious in the Eyes of the World, nor Good enough to be truly Virtuous in the Sight of God. He Aims to serve two

Masters

Mafters at once, and divide himself equally between God and the World, fo as to gratify Nature with all the Conveniences and Pleafures of this Life, without for. feiting his Title to the Rewards of the next: For his chief Bufinefs is to purchafe Heaven at as eafy a Rate as is poffible, and renounce no more of prefent Satisfaction for it than he must needs. This makes him always inquifitive to know the exact Limits of any Obligation; and tho' there appears in this a Concern not to tranfgrefs, it proceeds however, from an ill Root, viz. a Fear of Over-doing. that whereas Perfons of a tender Confcience are commonly apprehenfive of falling fhort of their Duty, the tepid Chriftian's greatest Care is never to go beyond it; and he is always more afraid to do too much than too little...

So

It is true, he expreffes an Abhorrence of walking in the road Way; because the Gospel declares it leads to Hell and everlafting Perdition, which he fays he is refolved to avoid: But he is for enlarging the narrow Way as much as may be and for that Purpofe is always provided with a good Stock of Cafes that favour Liberty, and may ferve upon Occafion to bring his Confcience over to his Inclinations: For fince he knows himself obliged under Pain

of

of eternal Damnation, to keep both the Commandments of God, and Precepts of the Church; therefore to prevent his being too uneafy under the Burthen, he usually endeavours by forced Interpretations to accommodate them fo to corrupt Nature, that Confcience and Self-Love may be both fatisfied at once. In a Word, the highest Pitch of Virtue he afpires to, is to avoid great Crimes and mortal Sins: But as to venial Sins, he is fure they will never damn him; and for his Part, he's not ambitious to be a canonized Saint, but will be fatisfied with any Place in Heaven; fo that if any Difpute arifes betwixt his Conscience and his Inclinations, he examines not whether the Matter in Question be lawful or unlawful, but whether it be a venial or mortal Sin. If he judges it to be but venial, his Inclination generally carries it against his Duty.

But the main Priple he pretends to govern himself by, and which gives the most plaufible Colour to his Actions, is, that all Virtue confifts in a Mean; that Extremes of any kind are blameable, and every Thing ought to be done with Moderation: For he pretends to be a great Lover of moderate Ways, as being both lefs dangerous and more lafting: And without all Difpute it is the Golden Rule of

human

human Life, if not abused by Mifapplication: For the very beft Principles, if taken by the wrong Handle, may lead to the most dangerous Errors. And fo it happens in the Cafe of the luke-warm Chriftian, who pretending to fteer his Courfe to Heaven in a middle Way between Bigotry and Libertinifm, generally mistakes his Way, and ftrikes upon one of the Rocks he pretends to avoid: Because judging of Things by Inclination, which always favours the loofer Side, he often takes that for the middle Way, which borders very close upon the worft of the two Extremes; and fo for Fear of Erring a little on the Right Side, he commonly goes a great deal out of his way towards the Left.

As for Inftance, profefs'd Libertines ftick at nothing, but let loofe the Reins to all their irregular Appetites, without any Regard to Duty or Confcience; and this without all Difpute is the Extremity of Wickednefs. Devout and zealous Chriftians are on the contrary, not only folicitous to fatisfy all Duties of Obligation, and avoid whatever is prohibited under Pain of eternal Damnation, but often go fome Steps beyond the literal Injunction of the Precept; practife many Works of Supererogation, and mortify their Humours even in Things that are indifferent. Now this the

tepid Chriftian looks upon as a high ftrain of Bigotry, and therefore only pretends to keep in what he calls his middle Way between these two.

I fhall exemplify in the Duty of Fafting, which has two Branches: First, to abstain from Flesh; and Secondly, to eat but one Meal; both which being troublesome to Nature, any flight Indifpofition, which he may magnify to his Phyfician or Director, as he pleases, ferves for a fufficient Pretence to plead for a Difpenfation; which being obtain❜d, his Confcience as well as Body is at Eafe. But if there be no manner of Pretence for a Difpenfation, and this troublesome Tafk muft needs be performed, he ftudies at least to make it as eafy as he can within the Limits of the Precept. So that what with good large Allowances both in the Morning and at Night, and the Liberty he gives himself over and above of Drinking betwixt Meals as much as upon other Days, he ftrains the Commandments as far as he thinks he may, without manifeftly breaking it: And this he calls his middle or moderate Way between the extravagant Loofenefs of profefs'd Libertines, and the fcrupulous Niceties of Devotees.

By the fame Rule he fquares the Method of his Devotions. As for Inftance; the Church commands no other particular Du

ty