year; which he calls a secret tradition from the apostles, but hath no more truth in it than the other.

Now if in the first ages, when they were so near the fountain and beginning of tradition, men were deceived, nay, such great men as these were deceived, and led others into errors in these matters; we cannot with any safety trust to traditions that have passed, men pretend, from one to another until now; but which we can find no mention of in any writer, till some ages after the apostles; and then were by somebody or other, who had authority in those days, called apostolical traditions, merely to gain them the more credit. Thus Andreas Cæsariensis, in his Commentaries upon the Book of Revelation, p. 743, saith," that the coming of Enoch and Elias, before the second coming of Christ," (though it be not found in scripture,) "was a constant report received by tradition without any variation from the teachers of the church.

Which is sufficient to shew how ready they were to father their own private opinions upon ancient universal tradition; and how little reason we have to trust to that which was so uncertain, even in the first ages, and therefore must needs be more dubious now.

Thus I have endeavoured to lay before the eyes of those who will be pleased to look over this short treatise, what they are to think and speak about tradition. It is a calumny to affirm, that the church of England rejects all tradition; and I hope none of her true children are so ignorant, as when they hear that word, to imagine they must rise up and oppose it. No, the scripture itself is a tradition; and we admit all other traditions which are subordinate, and agreeable unto that, together with all those things which can be proved to be apostolical, by the general testimony of the church in all ages: nay, if any thing not contained in scripture, which the Roman church now pretends to be a part of God's word, were delivered to us, by as universal uncontrolled tradition as the scripture is, we should receive it as we do the scripture.

But it appears plainly, that such things were at first but private opinions, which now are become the doctrines of that particular church, who would impose her decrees upon us under the venerable name of apostolical universal tradition;

which I have shewn you hath been an ancient cheat, and that we ought not to be so easy as to be deceived by it; but to be very wary, and afraid of trusting the traditions of such a church, as hath not only perverted some, abolished others, and pretended them where there hath been none, but been a very unfaithful preserver of them, and that in matters of great moment, where there were some; and lastly, warrants those which it pretends to have kept, by nothing but its own infallibility. For which there is no tradition, but much against it, even in the original tradition, the holy scriptures; which plainly suppose the Roman church may not only err, but utterly fail and be cut off from the body of Christ; as they that please may read, who will consult the eleventh chapter to the Romans, ver. 20-22; of which they are in the greater danger, because they proudly claim so high a prerogative as that now mentioned, directly contrary to the apostolical admonition in that place, Be not highminded, but fear.

CONCLUSION.

I shall end this discourse with a brief admonition, relating to our Christian practice.

And what is there more proper or more seasonable than this? While we reject all spurious traditions, let us be sure to keep close to the genuine and true. Let us hold them fast, and not let them go.

Let us not dispute ourselves out of all religion, while we condemn that which is false; nor break all Christian discipline and order, because we cannot submit to all human impositions.

In plain words, let us not throw off episcopacy, together with the papal tyranny.

We ought to be the more careful in observing the Divine tradition delivered to us in the scripture, and according to the scripture; because we are not bound to other.

While we contend against the half-communion, let us make a conscience to receive the whole frequently. It looks like faction, rather than religion, to be earnest for that which we

mean not to use.

In like manner, while we look upon additions to the scrip

ture as vain, let us not neglect to read and ponder those holy writings.

When we reject purgatory as a fable, let us really dread hell fire.

And while we do not tie ourselves to all usages that have been in the church, let us be careful to observe, first, all the substantial duties of righteousness, charity, sobriety, and godliness, which are unquestionably delivered to us by our Lord himself and his holy apostles: and secondly, all the ordinances of the church wherein we live, which are not contrary to the word of God. For so hath the same Divine authority delivered; that the people should obey those that are their guides and governors, submitting themselves to their authority, and avoiding all contention with them, as most undecent in itself, and pernicious to religion; which suffers extremely, when neither ecclesiastical authority nor ecclesiastical custom can end disputes about rites and ceremonies.

Read 1 Thess. v. 12; Heb. xiii. 17; 1 Cor. xi. 16; and read such places, as you ought to do all the other scriptures, till your hearts be deeply affected with them.

For be admonished, in the last place, of this; which is of general use, and must never be forgotten; because we shall lose the benefit of that celestial doctrine which is delivered unto us, if we do not strictly observe it: that "as this evangelical doctrine is delivered down to us, so we must be delivered up to it." Thus St. Paul teaches us to speak in Rom. vi. 17. where he thanks God that they who formerly had been servants of sin, did now obey from the heart that form of doctrine, unto which they were delivered. So the words run in the Greek, (as the margin of our Bibles informs you,) εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε.

This is the tradition which we must be sure to retain, and hold fast above all other; as that without which all our belief will be ineffectual.

This is the very end for which all Divine truth is delivered unto us, that we may be delivered, and make a surrender of ourselves unto it.

Observe the force of the apostle's words; which tell us, first, that there was a certain form of Christian doctrine which the apostles taught, compared here to a mould (so the word túños,

form, may be translated) into which metal, or such like matter is cast; that it may receive the figure and shape of that mould.

2. Now he compares the Roman Christians to such ductile, pliable matter; they being so delivered or cast into this form or mould of Christian doctrine, that they were entirely framed and fashioned according to it; and had all the lineaments, as I may say, of it expressed upon their souls.

3. And having so received it, they were obedient to it; for without this, all the impressions, which by knowledge or faith were made upon their souls, were but an imperfect draught of what was intended in the Christian tradition.

4. And it was hearty obedience, sincere compliance with the Divine will; such obedience as became those who understood their religion to be a great deliverance and liberty from the slavery of sin, (before spoken of,) into the happy freedom of the service of God.

5. All which, lastly, he ascribes to the grace of God, which had both delivered to them that doctrine, and drawn them to deliver up themselves to it; made their hearts soft and ductile to be cast into that mould, and quickened them to Christian obedience; and given them a willing mind to obey cheerfully. All this was from God's grace, and not their merits; and therefore the thanks was to be ascribed to him, who succeeds and blesses all pious endeavours.

Now according to this pattern let us frame ourselves; who, blessed be God, have a form of doctrine delivered to us in this church, exactly agreeable to the holy scriptures, which lie open before us; and we are exhorted not only to look into them, but we feel that grace which hath brought them to us, clearly demonstrating, that we ought to be formed according to the holy doctrine therein delivered, by the delivery of ourselves unto it by the delivery of our mind, that is, to think of God, and ourselves, and of our duty in every point, just as this instructs us; and by the delivery of our wills and affections, to be governed and regulated according to its directions. And when we have consented to this, we find the Divine grace representing to us the necessity of an hearty obedience to what we know and believe, and have embraced as the very truth of God. To this we are continually drawn and mightily

moved; and if we would shew our thankfulness for it, let us follow these godly motions, and conform ourselves in all things to the heavenly prescriptions of this book; being confident that if we do, we need not trouble ourselves about any other model of religion, which we find not here delivered.

For if you desire to know what form of doctrine it is, to which the apostle would have us delivered; it is certain it is a doctrine directly opposite to all vice and wickedness. For herein the grace of God was manifested, he tells the Romans, in that it had brought them from being slaves of sin, heartily to obey the Christian doctrine; which taught, that is, virtue and piety.

Now to this the present Romanists can pretend to add nothing. All the parts of a godly life are sufficiently taught us in the holy scriptures. And if we would seriously practise and follow this doctrine, from the very heart, we should easily see there is no other but what is there delivered. For whatsoever is pretended to be necessary besides, is not a doctrine according unto godliness, (as the apostle calls Christianity,) but the very design of it is to open an easier way to heaven, than that laid before us in the holy scriptures; by masses for the dead, by indulgences, by satisfactions, and the merits of the saints, and several other such like inventions; which have no foundation in the scriptures, nor in true antiquity.

That is a word indeed, which is very much pretended. Antiquity, they say, is on their side; but it is nothing different from what hath been said about tradition. And if we will run up to the true antiquity, there is nothing so ancient as the holy scriptures. They are the oldest records of religion; and by them if we frame our lives, we are sure it is according to the most authentic and ancient directions of piety, delivered in the holy oracles of God. So both sides confess them to be. And if the old rule be safe, "That is true which is first," we are safe enough; for there is nothing before this to be our guide; and there can be nothing after this but must be tried by it. According to another rule, as old as reason itself, "The first in every kind is the measure of all the rest." And, as sure as that there is a gospel of God's grace, they that walk after this rule, (this Divine canon,) peace shall be upon them, and mercy; they being the true Israel, or church of God.