could be secure if that were once admitted; it being a principle which must breed everlasting confusion. Bad men embrace it, and cry it up to the skies, because they delight in mischief, and hate the power of God. Where the people are King, God is not God; nor will be, till he shall re-assert his rights, and put down all usurpation. SCHISM. The same principle which disturbs the order of civil government breaks the peace of the Church. When it operates against the State, it is called the power of the people; but in religion it is called private judgment, and sometimes conscience; but it always acts against the judgment of authority. It has been a great misfortune of late times, that we have been partakers in other men's sins, by making too light of the offence and danger of schism, What self-interest denominates liberality and charity, is really nothing but indifference or ignorance. The Church being the Church of God, it cannot be in the power of man to put ministers into it, and give them authority to act. The rule of the scriptures is therefore absolute, that no man taketh this honour unto himself, himself, but he that is called of God; which calling must be visible, because that of Aaron was so, who is the pattern in the scriptures. Ministers in the Christian Church act for God to the people; which they cannot do without God's Commission. The rule and its reason are both plain to common sense, and want no explanation. It is to be considered farther, that if the promises of God are made to his Church, no man can expect to obtain them by joining himself to any other company of men, after his own fancy. The ark of Noah was a pattern and pledge of the Church of Christ, and the persons saved in it were saved by water, as we are by baptism; so the Church of England understands it. Now let us only ask ourselves, what became of those who were out of the ark? The parallel will suggest what great danger there must be to those who are out of the Church. Thus did primitive Christians argue, and unless they had privileges which we have lost, we must argue in the same manner now. If not, we do dishonour to the grace of God, who hath mercifully taken us into the ark of his Church, and our indifference will do no good nobody will be gained by it; offences among men will be multiplied, and the autho rity of God's religion will be weakened for if the Church may be any thing, men will soon conclude it may be nothing; and who will not own, if his eyes are open, that much of the relaxation and confusion of modern times hath arisen from the poor low ideas which some good men have entertained and propagated upon this great subject?-Others, who have dared to argue of late years as Christians did of old, have been branded with the name of high Churchmen, and very deservedly; for we know of no other true Churchmen; but faction, seeking rest for itself, can find none, but by inventing names and distinctions which have no sense in the mouth of a Christian; they are all of this world, and calculated to serve some carnal purpose. Rebellion in the State comes forward at this time with a more threatening aspect toward religion, than it ever yet assumed. amongst mankind; yet, if due enquiry be made, the same near alliance will still be discovered as hath always subsisted between schism and rebellion, Wise people should consider, that whatever examples there may have been of piety, learning, wit, or wisdom, joined with schism, they can never prove that schism is no sin; no man can be taken as an authority against against the laws of God; and the great law of charity is supreme over all. It is not kindness, but meanness, which shows respect to sin in any man; for no man's person can render sin respectable. What is convenient to him, if pernicious in itself and its consequences, ought to be detestable to us; and if offence must be given, it is better to offend man than God.Tenderness to schism may be a fine thing, and pass for true piety, so long as men shall judge one another; but when God shall judge us all, it must give an account of itself to Him who is no respecter of persons. REVELATION. The light of the Church is the scripture; but from man's invention, and the fashion of the times, another light hath arisen among us, and is now in its meridian. There are some who would retain both, supposing them to be consistent; while others, knowing they are not so, make use of the one against the other. The first offence of man was a desire of wisdom independent of God; but in the things of God, we must be all taught of God, as man was at first; and till we are so taught, we must sit in darkness, as the heathens did, from the time when when they became their own teachers. The example of the whole heathen world yields us a demonstration that wisdom in religion is not natural to man; the very supposition is an absurdity, contrary to fact and reason; for if nature cannot keep the wisdom of religion when it hath it, who will expect that it should find it out when it hath it not? Besides, the eye of man, and the mind of man, are both under like circumstances. The eye can see, and the mind can understand; but as the eye cannot see the things of this world without light, so neither can the mind see the things of the other world, without revelation. It is dishonourable to God, and ungrateful, to look within ourselves for another rule, when he hath given us one from himself; and by admitting such a thing, the world hath been self-deceived and corrupted, till now the gospel is rejected, and what is falsely called reason (but under the present use of it, is infatuation) hath taken its place. What nature hath falsely and proudly claimed, that we have weakly allowed to the deists; and they have now taken full advantage of it. This evil was long foreseen; but not in all its magnitude, till it lately displayed itself to the world. O fatal day for England! when the |