V.

felves conformed, and exhorted other chri- SERM. ftians to conform for the fake of peace and charity, to customs in themfelves merely indifferent; fome ufages which in the apoftolic age obtained, are now by the univerfal consent of the churches laid afide, fuch as the kiss of Charity, and the order of deaconeffes; the confequence from all which feemeth to be, that these points, bëing in their nature not important, and variable, the determination of them is left to human prudence, and what prudence is fo equal to it as that of governors either ecclefiaftical or civil, who are friends to the inte rests of religion? That fuch matters, however, must neceffarily be determined; for a diverfity of opinions concerning them, and in pursuance of it, a diverfity of practice, be the occafion of ftrife and alienation of affections amongst christians, hindering their common edification, order, and peace, which by the general rules of fcripture, and the genius of our religion, ought to be carefully preferved; and nothing is more earnestly urged or more frequently inculcated by the apostles upon the profeffed fervants of Jefus Christ, the members of his body, than an affectionate unity, and uninterrupted concord ; and finally, fince this authority is ordained

may

SERM. for, and neceffary to, fo valuable ends, it V. ought to be maintained inviolably. Rulers,

indeed, fhould use their power with moderation, taking care not to overload religion with many useless rites, fuch especially as are indecent; but private chriftians ought to be fubject for confcience fake, without any other limitation than this, that God is to be obeyed rather than man, and they cannot be bound to do what appeareth to them in itself evil; whether the rites prefcribed be expedient or inexpedient, they are not proper judges, nor need to give themselves trouble about it, being fatisfied in this, that any inexpediency may be submitted to, rather than break the peace and order of the church by disobedience to the decrees of their lawful fuperiors, which is finful.

Some part of this reasoning is plausible; but if it be diligently and impartially exa mined, I doubt it will not be found folid nor agreeable to that truth of the gospel which the apoftle Paul fo zealously contended for, that it might continue uncorrupted in the chriftian church; For, in the first place, the precedents which are referred to amongst the Jews in our Saviour's time are of no weight; it was an age of

great

great degeneracy, when the people, inured SERM. to a fervile state of mind, and to grofs fu- V. perftition, having in a great measure loft the fenfe of true piety and respect to the divine moral precepts, were ready to fubmit to any innovations in religion which were imposed upon them. But that our Saviour never reproved them for this, is evidently a mistake; for he often, and with just seve rity, inveighed against their traditions, Mark vii. 7, 13. as tending to corrupt religion, and render the commandments of God of none effect, by teaching men to lay ftrefs upon infignificant ceremonies, while they neglected substantial piety and virtue, which is ftill justly complained of as the greatest inconvenience attending the impofition of indifferent things in religion. And that our Lord chofe, for the pofitive rites of his inftitution, two ceremonies which were formerly used amongst the Jews in admitting profelites, and in celebrating the passover, only proveth, that the things were innocent, and had no antecedent unfitnefs in themfelves, but may and ought to be used in religion, when enjoined by a proper, that is, by divine authority; not that they might be lawfully imposed by the mere precept of

men.

SERM. 2dly, That the external circumftances of V. religion are not particularly determined by authority in the New Teftament, is an argument that there is no need it should be fo determined; for if there were, what reafon can be imagined why the apostles, whofe power was at least equal to that of any fucceeding ecclefiaftical rulers, should not have fixed fuch circumstances for their own time, fubject however to fuch alterations as to the wisdom of governors fhould afterwards feem meet. But, on the contrary, it is acknowledged, that the practice of the apostles, and of other chriftians by their advice, was not uniform but variable, directed wholly by expediency, as it appeared to every man judging for himself: Indeed, it is evident from what hath been already faid*, that the principle of liberty, fo ftrenuously afferted by St. Paul, conftantly directed his practice in fuch cafes; for as he frequently conformed to indifferent ufages, when it was left free to himfelf, and he faw that his conforming would probably tend to the furtherance of the gofpel; fo whenever they were impofed as neceffary to the ends of religion, or chriftian fellowship, he always refifted, and would not give place by fubjec

*Sermon II.

V.

tion fo much as for an hour; so far was he SERM from fubmitting indifferent things to the authoritative decifions of men. As to the holy kifs, or the kifs of charity, and the order of deaconeffes, there feem to have been fuch customs amongst the primitive christians, but no decrees either enjoining or abolishing them, of the apoftles themfelves, or of any other authority in their time, whatever may be found in what are called the apoftolical conftitutions, and other ecclefiaftical canons of later ages; and for the paffages in the writings of St. Paul which refer to thefe ufages, 1 Cor. xvi. 20. and 1 Tim. v. they do not mean to lay any ftrefs on the being or continuance of them in the church, but, which was much more worthy of him, and agreeable to his fpirit, to fhew the religious temper of mind and manner of behaviour, which ought to accompany the most indifferent actions in a chriftian's life: Thus his directions to falute one another with a holy kiss, or a kiss of charity, relate principally, not to the external act, but the purity and charity of the heart in doing it; and the rules concerning the character and behaviour of aged women who were employed in miniftering to the poor, and fupported at the public expence of the

I

church,