II.

and the Church of God: and therefore, this SE RM. must be the Engine to fet forward their Undertakings; and their unhallowed Lips muft profane holy Words, that these holy Words may sanctify their unhallowed Actions. Thus, for instance, if the Bounds of Power are to be enlarged beyond right and juft; if a Number of Men must be extirpated, banished, or depressed; fomething in Religion and the Church is often brought in, to colour over the vile Wickedness; to fhelter it from Scandal, and ripen it for Succefs. If a Prince's favourable Smile be to be obtained for one Sort of Men, and his Displeasure to be kindled against another; it is often feen that nothing will more effectually do this, than fome Confideration taken from their Difference in Opinion, or Practife, with relation to Religion, and the Worship of God.

This Method is frequently made ufe of by those who mean nothing more than the compaffing their own Defigns; the inlarging their own Credit and Intereft; the ingratiating themfelves with fome whofe Favour may turn to good account. And fo the Peace of Human Society; the Quiet of the World; and the Satisfaction and Contentment of their Neighbours, are facrificed, at all Adventures, to their own private Covetoufnefs, or Ambition, or Pride, or Revenge, or fome wicked Humour

or

SERM. or other. And because nothing better can be

II.

pretended, Religion must be drawn into the Quarrel: whilft thefe Men themselves, who are the forwardeft to hide themselves under the Mafque of fomething Holy, are of all others the most ready to reproach Religion it felf on this very Account; and the first to object against it the many Disturbances, and Difquiets, it hath occafioned in the World.

It is indeed, abfurdly ridiculous, to hear Men of notorious Loofenefs, Men of profane and Atheistical Converfations, folicitous about the Honour of God: and to fee, how Men, who have either never appeared at the Public Worship, or never appeared there with Decency, can, upon Occafion, conceive a mighty Concern for the Credit and Beauty of it; how their Breafts can labour with the Heat of a pious Zeal; and all their Designs and Endeavours, on a fudden, be directed to the maintaining and fupporting the Church of God. But this must be expected, we fee plainly, whilst there are wicked and defigning Men, under the Covert of the Chriftian Profeffion, in this World. For they that have selfish, and unchristian Defigns; they that make no fcruple of cherishing Ambition, or Pride, or Covetoufnefs, or Revenge, will never make any fcruple of ufing Religion, and the Church, as Inftruments to promote the Defigns fuch

Tempers

Tempers of Mind will put them upon.

to this,

Add SER M.

3. Thirdly, That much of the Unhappiness we are now speaking of, may have proceeded from the Paffions, and Weakneffes, and Imprudences, of fincere Chriftians; Chriftians that truly defign well, and defire to promote the Honour of their Mafter, and their Religion. A good Chriftian will never indeed knowingly interpofe in the promoting any Defign, or advancing any Caufe, to the Deftruction of the Peace and Quiet of the Chriftian World: but a good Chriftian is not always fecure, or out of danger of being impofed upon; when this Caufe is varnished over, and painted before his Eyes, fo as to appear quite another thing. Honest Men are often led by Knaves; and made the Tools of thofe, whom they would abhor, if they knew their Infides. They are often drawn in, to give Credit to a Cause, which, without their Prefence, would not be tolerable: That so their Example may be urged in Defense of what wants better Arguments.

Christianity doth not make Men more difcerning, or more learned in the Wisdom of this World, than it finds them. But yet, it neither commands, nor difpofes, Men to be cheated, and impofed upon by every Pretense. It doth not instruct them to put on an

II.

II.

SER M. Air of Unconcernedness, or Indifference, in what refpects the Happiness of Mankind, or the Society they belong to: Nor doth it educate them in Stupidity; or a Disregard of every thing but their own private Devotion and Piety. But, as it is far from fending them into Defarts, and Solitudes; into Places unfrequented by human Society; as it chiefly commends to them the Practife of those Virtues that adorn Converfation, and make the World about them happy: So it recommends to them fomewhat of the Wisdom and Cunning of Serpents, as well as the Harmleffnefs and Innocence of Doves; left the wicked and defigning Part of the World fhould manage their Innocence and Simplicity to the Mischief of others, and the Ruin of Peace; and render their Harmleffness as fatal in its Influence upon the World, as if they were clothed with Barbarity, and Cruelty. It is no advantageous Part, therefore, of a good Man's Character, who is obliged to act in Society, that He fees with other Men's Eyes, or hears with other Men's Ears; or that he is, out of an affected Negligence, or fond Opinion of another's Abilities, or want of Refolution, led blindfold by others: because he may often be furprized into Things of very ill Confequence; and, when he little thinks of it, bring a Scandal upon that Religion he heartily loves, by

an

an unwary helping to make it ferve the Pur- SERM, pofes of Hatred, and Divifion.

What I have faid under these two laft Headsis, That there are wicked and designing Men in the World, who will, if it be poffible, contrive their Designs fo, as that Religion and the Church, fhall be drawn in, to bear no inconfiderable Part in them; and that there are good and pious Men who will not be at the pains to examine their Defigns thoroughly; or who cannot see through all the Colour they can lay upon them; or who are too easily cheated, and alarmed by their Pretenfes: And that upon these Accounts it must fo happen, that fomething in Religion will be too often made the Occafion of Disorder, and Uncharitableness, and Diffenfions, and Perfecutions, in the World of Chriftians.

4. But, Fourthly, Much of this Unhappiness hath proceded from Mens not being contented with the Simplicity of Chriftianity, as it is to be found in the Gofpels; from their making new Creeds; their adding new Articles of Faith to those laid down in the New Testament; and laying new Impofitions upon the rest of Chriftians, unknown to Christ and his Apoftles. This I may fafely affirm, that had Chriftians been always content with a mutual Agreement in the fundamental Do&rines of their Religion, as they lie in the Gospel it

felf

II.