What is most to be lamented in the fyftem I have stated, is its tendency to lead those who embrace it to lay an undue ftrefs upon it, and to think that all who reject it deny the Lord that bought them, and are

enemies

"man meet to receive the grace of God; and yet

the neglect of them is more finful and displeasing to "God." Affembly's Confeffion of Faith, chap. 16th, fect. 7th." Infants and others, if elected, are faved. "But all not elected, though called by the miniftry "of the word, never come to Christ, and, therefore, *cannot be faved; much lefs can men, not profeffing the Christian religion, be faved in any other way whatever, be they never fo diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they profefs; and to affert they may, is very pernicious, and to be detefted." Ib. chap. 1oth, fect. 31 and 4th. Concerning all who oppofe fuch doctrines as thefe, and maintain opinions contrary to the known principles of Chriftianity, they fay, "they may be lawfully called to account, and proceeded against by the cenfures of the church, and the power of the civil magiftrate; who has authority, and whofe duty it is to preferve unity in the church, to keep the truth of God pure and entire, and to fupprefs herefy." But at the fame time it is added, that in doing this, the civil magistrate is to be only the executioner of prefbytebies and fynods, "with whom he is to confult and advife, and to whom it belongeth to decide controverfies of faith, and to fet down rules for the ordering of the public worthip of God, and government of his church, and authoritatively to determine the fame ; which determinations are to be received, with reverence and fubmiffion, as corning “fiom

P 2

enemies to God and Chrift. This contracts their benevolence, and difpofes them to view, with difguft, a confiderable part of their Christian brethren, it being scarcely poffible they should love those whom they think God hates. Such uncharitableness is miferable and frightful. Let us avoid it as much as we can. It will be more inexcufable in us than it is in them, in proportion to the degree in

which

" from a power which is the ordinance of God." Ib. chap. 20th, fect. 4th. chap. 23d, fect. 3d. and chap: 31ft, fect. 3d. How adverfe to every principle of religious liberty and charity are thefe decifions? Many in this affembly had fmarted feverely under the exercife of prelatical authority; and this should have led them to deteft fuch principles. But it appears from this Confeffion of Faith, and their fubfequent conduct, that they wanted only to transfer the feat of church tyranny, and the powers of perfecution from the bishops to themselves. In justice, however, to their characters, it thould be confidered, that their narrowness and intolerance were the faults of the age in which they lived.. They had not yet escaped far enough from the darkness of popery, to enjoy the light and comfort of enlarged fentiments. Thofe venerable reformers, in particular, to whom we owe our prefent Church Service, and the 39 Articles were excellent men; and though, from a regard to what they thought to be facred. truth, they would burn others, they proved that, from the fame princi ple, they would alfo burn themfelves-I must add, that this is an apology for them which renders their fucceffors, in the prefent times, more inexcufable. The dark age is gone; and yet its errors and barbarities are continued to burden the confciences of good men and to mislead and difgrace the national worship.

which our fentiments are more liberal. And in this lies one unfpeakable advantage of liberal fentiments. They open our hearts to all about us, and communicate catholic difpofitions. By connecting the favour of God with nothing but an honeft mind, and caufing us to think of him as a friend to every fincere inquirer, they leave room for the exercife of all the kind affections. They ex-tirpate the wretched prejudices which make us fhy of one another; and enable us to regard, with equal fatisfaction and pleasure, our neighbours, friends, and acquaintance, be their modes of worship, or their systems of faith, what they will..

But I have detained you too long. What I am next to proceed to is an account of the scheme of Christianity which has been com. monly called Socinianifm. This shall be referved for the next difcourfe..

SERMON

SERMON

VIII.

Of the Chriftian Doctrine as held by Unitari

ans and Socinians.

1 TIMOTHY, i. 11.

THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF THE BLESSED GOD.

IN difcourfing to you from these

words, I have proposed to give you an account of that Gospel here called by St. Paul, the glorious Gofpel of the bleffed God. In doing this I have propofed to fhew you, First,

* By Unitarians I mean those Chriftians who be fieve there is but one God, and one object of religious worthip; and that this one God is the Father only, and not a Trinity confifting of Father, Son and Ho'y Gholt. An Unitarian, therefore, may or may not be a believer in Chrift's pre-existence; and it will

appear

First, What thofe Articles of the Chrift ian faith are about which all Chriftians are agreed. This was the fubject of my first difcourfe; and, in fpeaking to you upon it, I endeavoured to fhew you, that all Chriftians are agreed with refpect to what is most important in the information given us by the Gofpel-That the differences among them are chiefly different modes of explaining thofe fundamental facts which all equally believe. And that,. confequently, thefe differences afford no juft reafon for any alarm to thofe Christians who may be unac quainted with the disputes which have taken place in the Chriftian church. We all believe, I. obferved, that the glad tidings which the Gospel brings are, Peace on earth, and good will towards men, by the promise it makes of pardon and favour, and a refur rection from death to an endless life, through that great Meffiah who died and rofe again.. And this is all that can be interefting to us as guilty and mortal creatures.

I proceeded from hence to give you an account of the different fchemes of the Gospel which have been adopted by Christ

ians,

appear in the fequel, that those who deny this doc-trine have, on this account, no more right to this ap pellation than thofe ancient Heathens had, who, though they might believe in one Supreme Divinity yet worthipped deified hunan fpirits.