Again let me repeat, that as there were offenders under the old law, and yet the law was "holy, juft, and good;" fo in the pureft congregation in point of doctrine, there may be the most corrupt and barren members. Our church urges no general or particular claims to infallibility. She is a "congregation of faithful men, in which

the pure word of God is preached, and the facraments duly ministered according to Chrift's ordinance, in all things "that of neceffity are requifite to the "fame*." But "as no congregation can "be affembled in unity of worship, with❝out many previous forms and binding! << rules, not abfolutely prescribed by fcrip-: C6 ture,

aud the judgement of a tribe, were promised. In. oppofition to the doctrine of invincible grace, fee. page 216. These references are enough to disprove what fome of our opponents would persuade the un-. informed to believe, that this great luminary of our.. church was a Calvinist..

*ture," it follows, that as what is human must be imperfect, there will be fome defects in the conftitution of the fociety, as well as faults in the practice of its members. Allowing that those who seek to remedy these errors are really influenced by fingleness of heart, these renovators are ftill not angels, but men, finite beings, not guided by the unerring wisdom of God. Whoever knows the world, will confefs that more mifchief is done by defective judgement, than by pofitive depravity. The wisdom of paft ages has erected for us a noble pile,, under which we may fafely shelter. Its architecture is conftructed by those established rules which enfure beauty, ftrength, convenience, and durability. In the ornaments, the builders have somewhat indulged their fancy; and neglect has not only obliterated fome of its exquifite carvings, but the injuries that • Hey's Lectures.

it

it has received from external violence make it necessary to repair its parapets, and to strengthen its walls with additional buttreffes. Yet all who feel the comfortable protection of this venerable fanctuary, will equally guard against the admiffion of new and fantaftical embellishments on the one hand, and those retrenchments that would eventually weaken the building on the other; even though they were recommended by the plea of rendering it more light and airy, and better adapted to the prefent times. The errors and the pertinacity of the papacy impofed an awful refponfibility on our ancestors. Bleffed be God! we are not called upon to build a church, but to defend one. Let us fight her battles with the holy weapons of Chriftian charity, and endeavour by the livelinefs of our faith, and the innocency of our lives, to prevent her from becoming that adulterous and barren spouse, who shall

be

be finally repudiated by her long-suffering but righteous Lord.

While one description of our adverfaries accufes us for neglecting morals, another charges us with being cold formalifts, and dependers upon our own righteousness. I trust thefe cenfures are, generally speaking, unjuft. But the appeal must be made to the Searcher of hearts, not to the partial fhort-fighted judgement of man. Much industry has of late been ufed, in obtruding upon popular attention, the biographical characters of fchifmatics and non-conformifts. I mean not to question the verity of the high qualifications afcribed to them. I fincerely wish their virtues may be fuch as will ftand the fcrutiny of the great audit. But as a warning to others I must remark, that the diftinguishing feature of their characters, which feems to be the reason for giving them this celebrity, was a fault or a mis

fortune

fortune, not an excellence or advantage. While their diffent from the establishment is placed in the most prominent point of view, are we uncandid in fufpecting that thefe worthies are not removed from "the "cool fequestered vale of life," and held up to public estimation, to recommend. the practice of Christian or domestic duty;, but to give a preponderance to the party which they efpoufed, and to feduce those: by example, who cannot be convinced by argument? The true method of parrying fich affaults is, not to rake into the secrets of private families for petty anecdotes of detraction; but to remember, that we alfo are inhabitants of "a city that is fet on a bill and cannot be bid." Though we are forbidden to. " do our good works" purposely to be seen of men," or to look to the praife of our fellow-mortals as an adequate and fubftantial reward; yet we are commanded to avoid all occafion of

reproach,