wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every foul of man that doeth evil. Will they accufe Saint Paul of uncharitablenefs? For the other condition of Faith, hear our bleffed Saviour's commiffion to his difciples, as recorded by Saint Mark. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. "He that believeth, and is baptized, "thall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be "damned." Will they dare to charge the Redeemer of mankind with uncharitableness? But I forget: they will not allow Jefus to be more than Man; and as fuch, the obfcure and illiterate fon of an honest Carpenter: of course not likely to know so much of the Religion inftituted by Himself, as the enlighten'd Adepts of modern Philofophy! We, more humble Chriftians, acknowledge the terms of our falvation to be fuch as are announc'd by the fole Author of that falvation, even the bleffed Jefus, the everlasting God of truth and love to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, three Perfons and One God, be addrefs'd all prayer and praise from men and Angels, even all in heaven and earth, for ever and ever.

84

SERMON VII.

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY APRIL 19, 1795.

ALTHOUGH in the prosecution of this plan which I have undertaken I have already proceeded to the extent of fix discourses, yet have I fcarcely faid a fingle word in vindication of the Church of England, as the stands in contradiftinction to the Prefbyterian. In my third Sermon indeed I acquainted you with the ground and origin of the diftinction; which rested solely on a difference of opinion at the time of the Reformation with refpect to Church-government. Our English Reformers, approving of an Ecclefiaftical Hierarchy, and due fubordination, adopted, or rather retain'd the Episcopal form of government; both as more confonant to the primitive model of Antiquity, and as more congenial to the spirit of our Civil Conftitution.

ftitution. Others who follow'd the opinions of the famous Calvin, and among them our Scottish Brethren, (Brethren now, but in those days most commonly Foes,) prefer'd a difcipline of more equality, and lefs fubordination. Among them therefore the Hierarchy was abolish'd, and the management of their Church being committed to Synods, or affemblies compos'd of Priefts and Lay-Elders, both compriz'd under the denomination of Prefbyters; thence arofe the title of Prefbyterians. In the fame third Sermon you may farther remember, that after giving a general outline of the Church of England, I defir'd you particularly to notice, that what had been faid was by way of relation only, not of vindication; this latter being referv'd for a future difcuffion, after points of much greater confequence should have been previously confider'd.

These points have now been pretty fully confider'd; my three last discourses having been wholly dedicated to the defence of the doctrine of the Trinity, and the vindication of our Church for retaining in her fervice that grand bulwark of the Trinitarian doctrine against every fubterfuge and quibble of Sophistry, the Athanafian Creed. And here it may be proper to explain more fully what I have hitherto

G 3

hitherto but barely hinted; which is, that this controversy respecting the Trinity has in fact nothing to do with the Prefbyterians, as fuch. The Prefbyterian Church, or as more commonly call'd, the Kirk of Scotland, is on this point no less orthodox than the Church of England. Calvin, who may be ftil'd the Father of Prefbyterianism, was a Trinitarian, as well as Luther, and the other Reformers; and fo are all his genuine difciples to this hour. However they may differ from us respecting Church-government and discipline, and even in fome lefs material points of doctrine; however opinions might vary concerning preconceiv'd forms of prayer, or Liturgies in general, and that of the Church of England in particular, with it's feveral ceremonies and offices: yet in the leading article of the Trinity, or the acknowledgment of three Perfons in one God, the Faith of all Chriftians was alike. Papifts, Prefbyterians, Sectaries of every denomination, join'd in abhorrence of that peftilent herefy, which, as I have already obferv'd, was first broach'd by Simon Magus, afterwards propagated by Arius, and laftly reviv'd by Socinus. A herefy, whose abettors, whatever they may think of themselves, have no more right to the. appellation of Chriftians, than the followers of Mahomet or Confucius. They profefs indeed to be

lieve in the Chriftian Revelation, but torture that Revelation out of it's Christianity. And on this account it was, that with the confent of all parties the oppugners of the Trinity were excepted out of

the Act of Toleration.

But in thefe latter days whereon our lot is fallen, a new and unheard of Phænomenon hath appear'd in the world. A set of men started up on the Continent, openly profeffing to explode Christianity, and in it's room to fubftitute what they are pleas'd to call Philofophy. Trufting folely to the strength of their own reafon, their leading maxim of course is, to reject and difbelieve whatsoever is beyond the power of that reafon to comprehend. On this principle it requires no great penetration to fee what fate the doctrine of the Trinity must expect at their hands, even should they admit the truth of other parts of Revelation. Farther, declaring themselves champions of unqualified liberty, and obferving the close alliance between Popery and Defpotifm; at the fame time not distinguishing between the corruptions of Popery and the genuine purity of Christianity; they rafhly concluded that Christianity itself, nay that all Religion must be incompatible with liberty, and that no man can be ftrictly and properly free, while fubject to a fupreme

G4