Q86 ON THE CORRUPTION Sects it, because it is repugnant to his pride, and mortifying to his self-love. Christianity hangs on a few plain truths ; " that God is, and that he is the rewarder of all that seek him ;" that man has apostatised from his original charac- ter, and by it has forfeited his original destination ; that Christ came into this world and died upon the cross to expiate sin, and to save sinners ; that after his ascension into Heaven, he did not leave his work imperfect. He sent his Holy Spirit, who performed his first office by giving to the Apostles miraculous powers. His offices did not cease there ; he has indeed withdrawn his miraculous gifts, but he still continues his silent but pow- erful operations, and that in their due order -first, that of convincing of sin, and of changing the heart of the sinner, before he assumes the gracious character of the Comforter. What need, then, of heresies to perplex doctrines, or of phi- losophy to entangle; or ofwill-worshippers to multiply them ?
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