The Introduction.

fubject might fall fhort of anfv expectation of men of worldly experience, I laid afide the defig then, I confine my meditations Religious Perfection; I examine of it, both in general, and in P not only ftating the true notion alfo defcending to the feveral bra parts of it; I free it from thofe and difputes that perplex and inc I lay down the motives to it, and the ways of obtaining it.

After this fhort account of m the next thing I am to do, is to p I can, those prejudices which m wholly fruftrate, or at least very n der and diminish the fuccefs and in it. Some are apt to startle at mention of Perfection; they ha tained fuch humble thoughts, not human nature, but, as it feems, grace too and evangelical right that all talk of Perfection feems like the preaching a new gofpel, a truding upon the world a fantastic of proud and pretending morali this fear will foon vanifh, whe fuch; that I difcourfe of the Per men, not angels: and, that I treat like a monk, or a fublime and fubt man, but like one, who have be converfant with the doubts and

with the fears and frailties of human nature, and departing fouls. I do not pretend to bless the world with the discovery of new truths. If at any time I place old ones in a better light; if I wipe off the duft, which dispute and time, and the corruption of manners, has here and there scattered upon them, 'tis the utmost I aim at.

But how numerous, will fome fay, are the controverfies that have in every age perplexed this fubject? Grace and nature, perfection and fin, merit, fupererogation, &c. these are themes that have exercised and embroiled the Church of Christ, almost through all the feveral ages of it down to this day: and with how little advantage to the honour of Christianity, and the intereft of virtue, have the brightest parts, and the deepest learning been here employed? To this, all I have to fay, is, I write practically, and confult the intereft of fouls, not parties. I cannot but fee, and that withi trouble and regret, how much Christianity has in almost all times fuffered by thofe nice and subtle, by thofe obftinate and paffionate difputes, with which writers have even oppreffed and ftifled the most practical subjects; and do moft earneftly defire to fee the fpirit of Polemical divinity caft out of the Church of Chrift, and that of a practical and experimental one established in the room of it. Tho' therefore, I have confidered

those

those controversies which concern my subject, it was with no other defign, than to guard and fortify my reader against the ill influence of feveral errors, with which they abound. I decline all useless fpeculations, and labour wholly to restore religion to its native ftrength and beauty; fo that I think this objection will not touch me, who do not propose to write a learned, but a useful book.

If any man be apprehensive, that'tis impoffible to affert the doctrine of Perfection, without looking a little too favourably towards Pelagianifm or Enthufiafm, or fomething of this kind; I do here assure such a one, that I advance no Perfection that raises men above the ufe or need of means, or invites them to neglect the word, prayer, or Sacraments, or is raised on any other foundation than the gospel of Christ. I revive not Pelagianifm, nor clash with St Austin; I need not those conceffions which he makes Cæleftius in the close of his book de Perfectione fuftitia. I am perfuaded that the ftrength of nature is too flight a foundation to build Perfection on: I contend for freedom from no other fin than actual, voluntary, and deliberate and let concupifcence, or any unavoidable diftemper, or diforder of our nature, be what it will, all that I aim at here is, the reducing, not extirpating it. And finally, how earnestly foever I

exhort to Perfection, I can very well content my self with St. Auftin's notion of it, namely, that it is nothing elfe, but a daily progress towards that pure and unspotted holinefs, which we shall attain to in another life. Thus, I think, I have fufficiently guarded this following difcourfe against the mifapprehenfions and jealoufies of all, who have any serious concern for religion, how much foever they may be fwayed by fome particular opinions. But after all, I do not expect that it should meet with a very obliging reception from a great part of the world. Many there are, who will ever openly rally and ridicule all attempts of this kind: and there are others, who will fecretly flight and inwardly defpife them, as the vain and fond projects of well-meaning indeed, but very weak and unexperienced mortals. But this moves me little; thefe men are generally too much ftrangers to fincerity, to be competent judges of Perfection: nor do I wonder, if the corrupt and vicious part of mankind be infected with as much malice and envy against extraordinary goodness, as fome are againft power and greatnefs. The consciousness of much bafeness and corruption in one's felf, is apt to make one strive to bring down all mento the fame level, and to believe that there is nothing of Perfection in the world, but only a groundless or hypocritical pretension to

it. This is an opinion that ill men greedily embrace, because it gives them fome kind of peace, fecurity, and confidence whereas the contrary opinion, as it would be apt to make them afhamed of their prefent ftate, fo would it make them fearful and apprehenfive of their future one. I write not therefore to fuch as these, nor can be much concerned what cenfure they pafs on a defign, against which they have. an inveterate and obftinate averfion.

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The method I observe in this treatise is : in the first fection, I confider Perfection more generally in the fecond, the feveral parts of it; and in the laft, the obstacles and impediments of our attaining it. In the two first fections, I always firft fix and explain the notion of that ftate of virtue which I difcourfe of. Next I proceed to the fruits or advantages of it; and in the laft place prefcribe the method by which it may be attained.

SECT.