Serra. IV. OfConfiancy in the Profe/Jon ofthe True Religion. in wait to deceive. For when he is attempted, he will either defend his Religion, or not : If he undertake the Defence of it, before he bath examined the Grounds of it, he makes himfelf an eafie Prey to every crafty Man that will fet upon him ; he expofeth at once himfelf to Danger, and his. Religion to Difgrace : If he decline the Defence of it, he muff be forced to take Santuary in that ignorant and obstinate Principle, that becaufe he is' of an Infallible Church, and fare that he is in the right, therefore he never did nor will examine whether he be fo or not. But how is he, or can he be fare, that he is in the right, if he have no other Reafon for it, but his Confidence, and his being wfer in his own conceit, than Seven Men that can render a Reafon ? It is a fhameful thing in a wife Man, who is able to give a good Reafon of all other Actions and Parts of his Life, to be able to fay nothing for his Religion, which concerns himmore than all the Ref. 2, To examine and underftand the Grounds of our Religion, will be a good means (by. the Aí6ftance of God's Grace) to keep us conftant to it, even under the fiery Tryal. When it comes to this, that a Man mutt fuffer for his Religion, he had need to be well eftablifhed in the Belief of it ; which no Man can fo well be, ashe that in fome good meafure underftands the Grounds and Reafons of his Belief. , A Man would be well affured of the Truth andGoodnefs of that, for which he would lay down his Life ; othprwife he dies as a Fool dies, he knobvs not for what. AMan would be loth to fet fuck a Seal to a Blank, kmean to that which he bath no fufficient Ground and Reafon to believe to be true ,á which, whether he hath or, not, no Man that bath not examined the Grounds of his Religion can be well affured of. This St. Peter prefcribes, as the heft Preparative for fuffering for Righteoufnefs fake, the rfi. Ep. of Peter, 3, 14, 15. But ifyefiner for righteoufnefs fake, happy are ye ; And be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled ; But fantlifie the Lord God in your hearts; (that is, make him the great Obje& ofyour Dread and Truft) and be ready always to give an anfwer to every Man that asketh you aReafon of the hope that is in you. Secondly; The holding fafi the ProfeJon ofour Faith without wavering, loth not imply, that Men fhould obftinatelyrefufe to hear any Reafon againft that Religionwhich they have embraced, and think to be the true Religion. As Men fhould examine before they chufe ; fo after they have chofen, they fhould be ready to be better informed, if better Reafon can be offered. No Man ought to think himfelf fo infallible, as to be privileged from hearing Reafon, and from having his Do&rines and Di&ates 'tryed by that Teft. Our Bleffed Saviour himfelf, the molt Infallible Perfon that ever was in the World, and who declared the Truth, which he had heard ofGod, yet He offered himfelf and his Do&rine to this Tryal. john 8. 46. Which ofyou convinceth me of fin ? that is, of Falfh000fand Error ? And if I fpakk the truth; why do ye not believe me ? He was fare he fpake the Truth; and yet for all that, if they could convince him of. Error and Miftake, he was ready to hear any Rea- fon they . could bring to that purpofe. Though a Man be-never fo fore, that ha is in the true Religion, and never fo refolved to continue Conftant andStedfaft in it; yet Reafon is always to be heard, when it is fairly offered. And as we ought always to be ready to give an Anfwer to thofe who ask a Reafon of the Hope and Faith that is in us ; fo ought we likewife to be ready to hear the Reafons which others do fairly offer againft our Opinion and Perfwafion in Religion, and to debate the matter with them ; that if webe in the right, and they in the Wrong, we may refifie their Miftakes, and in/lruft them in meeknefr, ifGodperadventure maygive them Repentance zo the acknowledgment of the Truth. We are not only to examine our Religion, before we peremptorily fix upon it;. but after we are, as we think upon the heft Reafon, effablifht and fettled in it. Tho' we ought not to doubt and waver in our Religion upon every flight and trifling Obje&ion that can be brought againft it ; yet we ought always to have an Ear open to hear-Reafon, and confider any thing of Weight and Moment that can be offered to us about it. For it is a great Difparagement to Truth, and F a argues 35 -.
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