XII.

But fourthly, It must not be concealed SER M. that another End of Providence in fuffering Herefies and Infidelity to infeft his Church, is to punish and afflict her for her Carelessness and Neglect, and by that Means to awaken and rouze her from her Lethargy and Sloth. This indeed ought more properly to have been fpoken to in the firft Place; as being, for the moft Part, the firft End which Providence has in View, and the Reafon withal, not only why Herefies should continue when raised, but also why they should be suffered at first to arife. Infomuch that though the former Advantages, which have already been enlarged upon, are alfo intended by Providence from his Permiffion of Error; yet in Comparison with this, they are only secondarily fo, or as they are the natural Effects of this Method of chaftizing us: Juft as all other his Punishments, though defigned at first to afflict, are intended, in the end, to better and improve us. However that the Defign

of Providence in his Permiffion of Herefies is to punish his Church for her Careleffness and Neglect, and by that Means to awaken her from her Lethargy and Sloth, is plainly enough hinted by our Saviour's Parable concerning the Wheat and the Tares. It was whilft the Hufbandman

SERM. Hufbandmen flept, that the Enemy came and XII. fowed Tares among the Wheat, Mat. xiii. 24, 25. Had they been watchful and stood upon their Guard, the good Seed would have grown up pure and unmixed. So that the appearing of the Tares at the fpringing up of the Blade, was both the Effect and the Punishment of the Husbandman's Sloth.· It is just fo in the Church: Were her Watchmen and Guides but careful of their Charge, and always and earnestly to contend for the Faith; it would be difficult for the Enemy to break in upon her Doctrine, or to corrupt it with the Leaven of Herefy and Error. But when a careless Indifference, or Unconcernedness for Religion, shall invade or poffefs those that are appointed to be Guardians of it's Truth; it is no Wonder if the Father of Wickedness and Lies should endeavour to corrupt it with false Notions and Schemes. Nor can any imagine it to be unjust in God to fuffer fuch Endeavours to meet with Succefs; fince in his ordinary Difpenfations, this is the most natural and likely Means to awaken the Church into Watchfulness and Care, by letting her see what Confequences attended her Security and Eafe.

XII.

Having here done with the Doctrine of myS ER M. Difcourfe, I fhall endeavour to make what I have faid as ufeful as I can, by fhewing what Influence the Confideration of it ought to have upon our Thoughts.

From what has been faid then, let us learn in the first Place, not to be furprized at the starting up of new Doctrines, nor to waver in our Faith because fome Men oppofe it. We fee it has been foretold that fuch Things will happen-It must needs be, faith our Saviour, that Offences come, or, as it is expreffed in St. Luke, It is impoffible but that they will come; i. e. It is impoffible but that Lets and Impediments to the Progrefs of the Gospel will arife in this World. There must be Herefies, faith the Apostle in my Text. And fo there were in the firft and pureft Ages of the Church; even whilft the Apostles themfelves were living, as the Apostles themselves tell us. For we find St. Paul befeeching the Romans to mark them who caufed Divifions and Offences contrary to the Doctrines which they had learned, and to avoid them, Rom. vi. 17. The Corinthians he blames for dividing themselves into Parties and Factions, faying, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Chrift, 1 Cor. i. 12.

The

SERM. The Galatians were, even to the Marvel of

XII. the Apostle, foon removed from him that called

them, through the Perfuafions and Delufions
of those that troubled them, and would have
perverted the Gospel of Chrift, Gal. i. 6, 7.
and the Coloffians alfo were in danger of being
beguiled with enticing Words, and of being
Spoiled through Philofophy and vain Deceit,
after the Traditions of Men, after the Rudi-
ments of the World, and not after Chrift,
Col. ii. 4, 8. Neither was it only thefe lef-
fer Schifms that difturbed the Church in dif-
ferent Regions and distant Parts; but grofs
and fundamental Herefies alfo, had, notwith-
ftanding all the Apostles could do, got Footing
amongst them.
St. Paul tells Timothy that
fome, in thofe very early Times, having put
away Confcience, concerning Faith had made
Shipwreck, 1 Tim. i. rg. Even then fome
ungodly Men, as St. Jude alfo tells us, had crept
in unawares, turning the Grace of God into
Lafcivioufness, and denying the only Lord God,
and our Lord Jefus Chrift, Jude 4. And if
we take a View of the feven Churches of Afia,
celebrated in the Revelation of the Divine St.
John, we shall meet with a Synagogue of Sa-
tan in the Church of Smyrna, Rev. ii. 9.
with the Doctrine of the Balaamites and Ni-
colaitans,

"

XII.

colaitans, which the Spirit hated, in the SER M. Church of Pergamus, Rev. ii. 14, 15. Hereticks ftigmatized with the Name of Jezebel in the Church of Thyatira, Ib. 20. and in the Church of Ephefus, one of the pureft of them all, Impoftors and Counterfeits, who faid they were Apoftles, and were not, but upon Trial were found Liars, Ib. 2. So that there never was, nor ever will be a Church, entirely at Unity in itself, till we come to the general Affembly and Church of the Firft-Born, which are written in Heaven, where the Spirits of juft Men are made perfect, Heb. xii. 23. That we are not to expect such a Thing now, but rather that the Gospel will be more queftioned and oppofed, as the World waxes older and grows towards an End; the Sacred Writings frequently forewarn us. The Spirit, (faith St. Paul) Speaketh exprefly, that in the latter Times fome shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils; Speaking Lies in Hypocrify, having their Confcience feared with a hot Iron, 1 Tim. iv. I, 2. Let ne Man (therefore faith he) deceive you by any Means: For that Day, i. e. the Day of the Lord, of Chrift's glorious Kingdom, fhall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of VOL. II.

S

Sin