nor in the fubftance of outward actions, as SERM. that whereby they are fatisfied: But the XIV. lawgiver, to whom all things are naked and manifeft, and who hath endued us with felf-reflecting powers, and a sense of good and evil, he demandeth our hearts, the proper exercise of our affections, and of our active felf-determining powers: Our opinions are neither morally good or evil, otherwife than in confequence of this primary obligation; all the virtue which is in them, is derived from integrity of good affections, and a diligent application of our minds to the discovery of truth; and for external acts, as the intention of the divine law is not completely fulfilled in them, they are no farther neceffary to our acceptance, nor doth the conscience itself lay the ftrefs of its confidence upon them any farther, than as they are the certain evidences and infeparable fruits of good inward difpofitions. But though wrong opinions in religion and morals, are only fo far criminal as they proceed from depraved affection or negligence; when they are embraced, they tend to increase that depravity of heart and corruption of manners. This is the cafe of fuperftition, which hath produced very mifchievous effects in the world. When men have SERM. have imbibed false notions of the Deity, and : XIV. the way of pleafing him, their minds are: corrupted from the fimplicity of a rational devotion; instead of which, they run into empty forms and idle ceremonies, nay, into barbarous and unnatural crimes. But fuch falfe notions do not at all excuse the crimes which they produce, becaufe, as I have already observed, they are themselves faulty in the foundation of them, proceeding from inattention, and especially from a defect of good difpofitions, or the prevalence of evil. ones; and because the wicked courfe of actions to which they lead, is directly contrary to that sense of good and evil so deeply engraven on the minds of men, as to condemn their vices in fpight of all pretences to justify themselves. This the apostle Paul, in the 1ft to the Romans, illuftrateth in the inftance of the Gentile idolatry introducing a deluge of vice; he faith, they went into most abfurd opinions concerning the divine nature, changing the glory of God into images; and the confequence was, that they were abandoned to vile affections, and to the most heinous unnatural wickedness in practice. But then he fheweth wherein the real malignity of their errors, and the unhappy fruits of them confifted; their erro neous neous opinions did not proceed from weak- SER M. nefs, but they held the truth in unrighteouf XIV. nefs; they knew God, but perverfely would not glorify him, nor were thankful; they became vain in their imaginations; and ver. 28, Because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, they were given up to a reprobate mind; and the progress of their vices he doth not impute merely to their erroneous opinions, but to their lufts rebelling against the voice of reafon and confcience. I have infifted fo much on this subject, not merely because the mistaken notion I proposed to refute is an error in fpeculation, but especially because it has a very bad influence on practice. When men have once got into this perfuafion, that their true religious belief, and the regular conformity of their external acts to the letter of God's law, will recommend them to his favour, their attention is diverted from the goodness of their affections, and the uprightness of their hearts, which is the only just foundation of confidence; and thus their religion degenerateth into hypocrify. Thus the Jewish zealots, whofe falfe pretences are largely refuted by St. James in his epiftle, imagined that their faith would fave them, while they SERM. they were contentious, and obeyed not the XIV. truth, but obeyed unrighteoufness, and prac tifed cruelty. And the Pharifees placed their hope of acceptance on the exact observance of pofitive inftitutions, and the outward appearance of fanctity in their lives, while they indulged themselves in pride and covetoufnefs: But our Saviour fheweth their infincerity, comparing them to whited fepulchres, which appear outwardly beautiful, but within are full of dead mens bones and all uncleannefs; fo they appeared righteous before men, but within were full of hypocrify and iniquity; and in proportion, still so far as this dangerous notion prevaileth, fincerity is neglected, which only can render us acceptable to God. Not only fo, but men judge the fame way of others as they do concerning themfelves, and imagining they have got poffeffion of the orthodox faith, and what they call the true religion, that is, the right modes of worship, and other outward performan→ ces, they pronounce damnation on all who differ from them. Hence arife mutual hatreds, contentions, and animofities, about religion, whilst real religion, that is, fincerity, is not at all attended to; hence perfecution for confcience fake, and under the pretence 2 pretence of charity. Methinks it fhould be SERM. a ftrong prejudice against the opinion I am XIV. now confidering, that it produceth fo much mischief among men ; but at the fame time it is founded on a grofs error concerning God, and his way of proceeding in judging men, and concerning the nature of religion, What can induce men to impofe on the confciences of others, and punish them for not complying with their religious decrees? The most charitable account is, that they think in these things religion confifteth, and by them men will be acceptable to God: But feeing human authority is ufed, and force, it is evident there is an oppofition of judgment, and the compliance of the perfecuted must be against the light of their confciences, for which, according to the doctrine of this text, they are felf-condemned, and the only juft foundation of their confidence towards God is deftroyed. Thus it is apparent that perfecution, in all its kinds and degrees, and in the best light in which it can be fet, instead of promoting religion, it can only be defended and practised on the ruins of fincerity, in which true religion confifteth; and instead of tending charitably to render men acceptable to God, the natural tendency of it is to fubvert the |