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SERMON I

LUKE XII. 57.

YEA, AND WHY EVEN OF YOURSELVES

JUDGE YE NOT WHAT IS RIGHT.

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E may confider this fevere remonftrance of our Saviour as addreffed to unbelievers of every age, we may confider it as an urgent call to exercife their understanding with diligence and impartiality upon religious fubjects. No blind deference to authority and established opinions is required, no fervour of imagination is to be substituted in the place of cool reflection and found judgment. a To * To prove all things and to hold fast to that which is good, to temper zeal with knowledge, to place the will and affections under the guidance of reason is the uniform admonition of our divine Mafter and his Apoftles.

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b

How fevere was the reproof which he administered to the Jews? Ye hypocrites, ye can dif cern the face of the sky, and of the earth, ye discover in the common incidents and events of things fufficient penetration and discernment, how is it that ye cannot use the fame. degree of attention in examining the proofs of my divine miffion?

We live in an age of which credulity is not the leading imperfection. In defence of our religion no pious frauds can be practised, no fpecious arguments will be admitted. And while it is our duty to ftand forth as those who have not followed cunningly devifed fables, we are furrounded by fo numerous an hoft of adverfaries, that we must be cautious how we put on our fpiritual armour, and left we expofe to danger the walls of our defenced city. All our vigilance will be scarce fufficient for the conflict. May He, who teacheth man knowledge, and giveth ftrength for the battle, fupport and affift us; may he give a bleffing to the weakest and most imperfect endeavours, and may zeal and fincerity compenfate for the weakness of our performances.

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b Luke xii. 56.

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The general defign of the difcourfes to be delivered to this audience is a Vindication of the Church of England against the objections of the principal Sects.-And this vindication will begin with an attempt to ftate the use and the abuse of our own faculties, the true notion of inspiration with the objections brought against it, and the authority of the ancient Fathers.

After which, the natural progrefs of dif quifition will lead us to investigate the principles of the Reformation and the general conduct of the Reformers.

An enquiry will next be made into the reafonableness of feparation from a difcuffion of the specifick doctrines which are the subject of controverfy between us and our diffenting brethren. -The whole will be concluded with fome obfervations upon the prefent ftate of religion, and some conjectural remarks upon prophecies which yet remain to be fulfilled.

The fubject of the prefent difcourse, in conformity to the words of the text, is the ufe and abuse of reafon in matters of religion.

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