in the fame Way of Worship, Difcipline and Govern ment, they wou'd appear all alike, and therefore fuch Oppofitions do little more than turn up the Mire and Bottom of Mens Minds, and bring forth the Blade of that Seed which before lay cover'd in the Ground of the Heart. For inftance, When the Arian Herefy reviv'd and had brought over King and Court to nurse it, and pleaded not only Toleration, but Eftablishment and Univerfality; and the Storm blew high and beat vehemently upon the Church of God, upon the Profeffors of the True Faith; then the Wolves ftrip'd off their Sheeps clothing and devour'd in their own Shape; then the Men of this World appear'd without Difguife, and as the Author of Ecclefiafticus faith, with Hands fretch'd out to receive and not to pay; then the Hypocrites pull'd off their Mask, and plainly fhew'd, that Eafe, Safety and Intereft was their Religion; then the Moderate, the Lukewarm, the Indifferent, and fuch as were never well on, fell off from the Church like Leaves in Winter, then were different Parties, dif ferent Hereticks united, and the Pilates and Herods made Friends together for a while, by Setting at naught and mocking the Divinity of Chrift: Then New Forms of Faith, and foftning Creeds were drawn up every Day; then Pride and Vanity, Avarice and Ambition, Levity and Weaknefs, Revenge and Cruelty, Malice and Treachery, came all from behind the Gurtain and fhew'd themselves openly to the World; and were a very inftructing Scene, and for that end permitted by Providence, to fuch as were difpos'd to grow wifer by Example. Efpecially on the other hand, if we confider, that as a Counterballance to thefe Evils, the fame Herefy brought forth a noble Army of Martyrs and Confeffors upon the Stage: For then the Power of Godliness appear'd diftinctly from the Form; then a knowing Zeal and a well grounded Integrity were ften to the Bottom; then Probity and Sincerity, Courage and Conftancy, Refigna

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Refignation and Meeknefs, Fortitude and Patience, and every Chriftian Virtue thone in Perfection; then every true Lover of Jefus Chrift ftood as it were upon the house-top in the Eye of the World, and Athanafius appear'd in Glory. This dangerous Herefie rouz'd the Orthodox, and put 'em upon double Duty 3 Oppofition whetted their Induftry, and fet an Edge upon their Wit, and put all their Hands and Heads upon the Stretch to countermine the Enemy: This made 'em more diligent in inquiring into the ancient Rules of Faith, and the Traditions of Apoftolick Churches. This made 'em more curious in comparing the feveral Copies of the facred Text, to find out the Mutilations, Maimings, Interpolations, and the falfe Colons of Hereticks. This made 'em Atudy the holy Scriptures over and over again with more Application and Accuracy, and exprefs themfelves with more Caution and Exactnefs. From whence Pofterity receiv'd many confiderable Advantages. The Canon of Scripture was better prov'd, and the Copies more correct and pure, many dark Paffages brought to light, and better explain'd; many neceffary Points fettled, many admirable Books written, and in a word, the true Doctrine establish'd upon better and furer Grounds, than in all Probability it would have been, had there been no fuch thing as He refie to make good Men beftir themselves to the utmoft for the fecurity of the Faith.

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To the fame purpose St. Auftin tells us, That

Multa latebant in Scripturis, & cum pracifi effent Heretici, quaftionibus agitaverunt Ecclefiam Dei; Aperta funt que latebant; & intelle&ta eft voluntas Dei. Numquid enim perfe&tè de Trinitate tractatum eft, antequam oblatrarent Ariani? Numquid perfectè de Pœnitentiâ tractatum eft, antequam obfifterent Novatiani? fic non perfette de Baptifmate tractatum eft, antequam contradicerent foris pofiti Rebaptizatores. Nec de ipfâ unitate Chrifti enucleatè dilla erant que dicta funt, nifi poftea quam feparatio illa urgere cœpit Fratres infirmos. Ut jam illi qui noverant hec tractare atq; diffolvere ne perirent infirmi folicitati queftionibus impiorum, Sermonibus & Difputationibus fuis obfcura legis in publicum deducerent. Vid. Auguft. in Pfal. 54. & in illa verba, ( appropinquavit cor illius) item lib. 16. de Civitate Dei, cap. 2.

many

many things in the Scriptures lay bid, and when excommunicated Hereticks were continually embroiling the Church of God with Queftions, then thefe Obfcurities were brought to light, and the Will of God understood. For bad we any complete Treatife of the Trinity, before the Arians open'd their Mouths against it? Had we any perfed Trad about Repentance, till the Novatians oppos'd it? Had we any fet difcourfe about Baptifm till Heretical Rebaptizers contradicted the Practice of the Church? So neither bad we any thing thoroughly, and to the bottom examin'd and stated concerning the very Unity of the two Natures in the Perfon of Chrift, as now we have, till the feparation thereupon began to endanger the weak Brethren. When those who had Ability and Skill in untying such Knots, did by their Dif courfes and Difputations bring these bidden things of the Law to light for the Prefervation of the Infirm, who were pefter'd with fuch Questions by ungodly Men. If then the Allwife Providence can make all things work together for good, to them that love God; if he can fetch Light out of Darkness, and make even Schifms and Herefies in many refpects beneficial; if he permits 'em to be for the greater Advancement in divine Truths, for a more diligent Application of our Studies to the Word of God, for the Trial and Manifeftation of the Faithful in this World, and for greater Degrees of Glory in the next, and for many other excellent Ends; then I hope it fufficiently ap pears, That the Being of Herefies are no Objection against the Goodness of any Church, or the Truth of the Chriftian Faith; which was the fecond General to be made out; and fo I come to the Third and laft, That Matters of Faith are as neceffary to Salvation as Matters of Practice.

There are in the World not a Few who ftand very much upon their Veracity, their Honour, and the Morality of their Lives; who profefs to believe a God, and are not against Following the Light of Nature; but for believing reveal'd Religion, they fay with the

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great Syrian, the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing. But if you look into the bottom of this Pre tence, and enquire how it comes to pass that they profefs to believe in God, and yet refufe to believe in Chrift, you will find the main Reafon to be this that they can be Deifts at a much eafier rate than Chriftians; that their Notion of a God is of a more flexible and complying Nature; that Truth, and Juftice, and Holinefs, are no effential Attributes of their God, and therefore that by his Nature he is not oblig'd to punish the Breach of his Laws, much lefs in fo fevere a manner as is declar'd in the Gofpel. To fuch a Notion of a Deity, to an Idol of their own making that cramps 'em not in their Enjoyments, and will not call 'em to an account for their Actions, they can bow down and worship, that is, according to their Prophet Epicurus, pay a decent Refped to one that is fo much above them. And as for the Light of Nature, they can make that what they pleafe, and fo live how they pleafe; for what is Nature (fay they) but Inclination and Cuftom? And what have not Men Inclination or Cuftom for? They have Inclination and Cuftom for all forts of Vices; they have Cuftom for all forts of Religions, and for no Religion at all, and fo from the Light of Nature can arife no Obligation at all. Whereas the Laws of the Gofpel are too fe vere and holy for them, the Precepts too exprefs and pofitive to be eluded, and the Threatnings bare and terribly glittering, like a Sword drawn from the Scabbard, and pointed directly at our Hearts, and therefore we must turn away our Head, or comply with its Rules, or we cannot be eafie. Men love Darknefs, because their Deeds are evil, and they hate the Light because it fhews them; and therefore the Light of the Gospel is as troublesome to a wicked Man, as the Light of the Sun fhining fall upon the Face of a Perfon who has a mind to fleep, he draws the Cur tain to be at rest.

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Some

Some others there are who wou'd fain pass for mighty Orthodox, and for the only fincere Lovers of Truth, and who are wonderfully florid in their Encomiums upon Chriftian Morality, but yet don't care for a Form of found Words; they look upon fo many establish'd Articles of Faith, as fo many Impofitions upon the Liberty of Free Thinkers, and are by no means willing to bring their Understandings into Captivity, and for believing out of fight. But if a Creedholder might take the Liberty of talking freely with these Freemen of Reafon, I would tell them, that a Form of found Words, or Creed there certainly was, drawn up either by the Apoftles themselves, or fome of their Companions, and depofited in the Apoftolick Churches, as the Measure or Standard of Faith; and that the most Primitive Chriftians who preach'd up the Neceffity of living according to the Gofpel Ethicks, and who dy'd too fuch Deaths as their Latitudinarian Enemies think it not a Duty to do, these very Martyrs and Confeffors, I fay, one and all, concluded themselves as much oblig'd to believe according to the Rule of Faith, which was their Creed, and to conform to it in their Interpretations of the Gofpel, as to live foberly, righteoufly and godly; and that Hereticks, who either adulterated the Faith, or ftole from, and diminish'd it, were in as damnable a Condition, as those who liv'd in a conftant Breach of the Seventh and Eighth Commandments. For Inftance, Ignatius, the faithful Difciple of the beloved and loving Apostle St. John, with all his Charity and Meeknefs could find no better Names for Hereticks, than Beafts in human Shape. Again, If then fuch as have thus defiled themselves according

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· Προφυλάσσω ἢ ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ ἢ θηείων 7 ανθρωπομόρφων. Epift. ad Smyrn.

· Ει ἔν, οἱ καὶ σάρκα ταῦτα πράποντες, ἀπέθανον ; πίσω μᾶλλον ἐὰν πίςιν δεῖ ἐν κακῇ διδασκαλία φθείρη, τα Ιησᾶς χειρὸς ἐςαυρώθη; ὁ τοιῖτ ρυπαρός γυόμμΘ εἰς τὸ πῦς τὸ ἄσβεσον χωρήσε, ὁμοίως καὶ ακέων αυτό. Epift. ad Ephef.

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