"monly the time of heat and anger, and it ends often in a bad choice, and in the " alienation of the minds of many men from "their brethren, and from their minifter, worthy or not worthy"...

The Puritans complained, that though the Doctrine of Predeftination was to be found in the Articles of the Church, yet they were prohibited from preaching it. The truth is, from the very beginning of the Reformation, fome of the wifeft men were well aware of the difficulty of the fubject, and yet were compelled, by the neceffity of the times, to frame an Article, which, comprehending two parties widely differing from each other, is more an article of peace than of information. We are no ftrangers in these days what gloominefs on the one hand, and what prefumption on the other, the doctrine has created. Instead of that comfortable hope of a gracious reception from the Father of Mercies, which every true Chriftian feels when he enters or leaves the House of God, we fee many unhappy men entering or leaving their conventicles with downcaft looks and fad countenances, their health is gradually impaired, and the pleasures of friendly intercourfe

course are totally loft. We may say of their Religion, with truth, that it hath neither the promife of this life, nor of that which is to come. And we may affert, with equal truth and confidence, that no government in any age could iffue forth a more wife, a more ufeful, and a more confolatory prohibition on the fubject of Religion, than this very Prohibition which the Puritans fo feverely condemned.

That the Articles concerning grace, faith, and good works, lean towards the fide of enthufiafm, is neither to be condemned nor wondered at. The errors to which they were opposed will at once explain and justify fuch language. It is a familiar but expreffive comparison, that, to make the crooked straight, we must bend the contrary way. Opposite errors in our times require a different kind of religious inftruction, and yet it is a falfe and malicious charge against the established Clergy, that they do not fufficiently enforce the neceffity of faith, and the true efficacy of grace.

The advocates for a new eftablishment, and the oppofers of all establishments, have enquired,

enquired, whether, upon the fuppofition that the Reformation had been deferred till our days, the Articles would not have been materially different from the prefent. No advantage is given by allowing that they certainly would. In proportion to the dangers which furround us, we naturally prepare our defence. That he who engages to fupport a fyftem may, in the progress of life, find, or, which is the fame as to the effect upon his conduct, imagine, himself mistaken, cannot be denied. But the evils arifing from ignorance, instability, and prefumption, are infinitely greater than any one establishment ever produced; for in all of them we must often diftinguish the misconduct of individuals from the feeming or the real imperfections of the establishments themselves.

Articles, like human laws, are liable to perverfion, evafion, or mifconftruction. The prudence and the industry of Interpreters diminishes thofe evils which it cannot prevent. Ours are usefully retained, as comprehending a hiftory of the religion of the times in which they were framed, and as expreffing the reasons of our feparation from the Church of Rome on the one hand, and the Puritans on the other. And though he, who keeps the

moderate

moderate path between two parties, be in danger of displeasing each, yet he gains the approbation of the cool and confiderate; and if party zeal deprive him of much praise, and subject him to much cenfure, during his lifetime, pofterity will applaud his magnanimity, and vindicate the propriety of his conduct.

Our Reformers, aided by the civil power, laid the foundation of religious liberty; fucceeding times enacted laws to strengthen what was weak, and to amend what was imperfect. The hierarchy is difarmed of all its terrors; ecclefiaftical law is adminiftered principally by the laity; and that power in temporal concerns, which by a forced conftruction was first granted to the Church, and continued to be exercised by spiritual perfons, is now in the hands of profeffional men, acting with all the regularity and accuracy of other courts, Let every attempt to excite jealousy between one kind of jurifdiction and another be opposed with unremitting induftry; and if the oppofition fhould not meet with deserved success, may it never betray us into murmuring and difcontent, but animate our endeavours to be true and faithful minifters of the Prince of Peace.

SERMON

SERMON V.

2 COR. I. 24.

NOT FOR THAT WE HAVE DOMINION OVER YOUR FAITH, BUT ARE HELPERS OF YOUR JOY.

F the Church of England, affifted as fhe

has been from time to time by the Legiflature, claimed an absolute authority over the belief of mankind, fhe might be justly charged with intolerance; and the words of the text, instead of being what we apprehend them to be, the rule of her conduct, would only be the fentence of her condemnation. To claim greater deference than was claimed by the Apostles themselves would be the very height of prefumption. * A well known Hiftorian, who omits no opportunity of ridiculing or disparaging reli