Serm. V. OfConfiancy in the ProfeJJîon of the True Religion. 3 9 4. Againfl all vain Promifes of being put into a rarer -Condition, and ground- lefs Hopes of getting to Heaven upon eafier Terms in another Religion. 5. Againft all the cunning Arts and Infinuations ofbufy and difputing Men, whofe Defign it is to unhinge Men from their Religion, and to gain Profelytes to their own Party and Fadion. I !hall go over thefe with as much Clearnefs and Brevity as I can. I. We fhould hold fall the Profeon of our Faith, againft the Confidence of Men, without Scripture or Reafon to fupport chat Confidence. All Religion is either Natural or Inftituted. The Rule ofNatural Religion is the commonRea- fon of Mankind : The Rule of Inllituted Religion" is Divine Revelation, or the Word of God ; which all Chriltians before the Council of Trent did agree to be contained in the holy Scriptures. So that nothing can pretend to be Religion, but what can be proved to be fo, one or both of thofe ways ; either by Scripture, or byReafon, or by both. And how confident foever Men may be of Opinions deftitute of this Proof, any Man that underftands the Grounds of Religion, will without anymore ado reject them, for want of this Proof; and notwithflanding any pretenced Authority or Infallibility of the Church that impofeth them, will have no more Confideration and Regard ofthem, than of the confident Dilates and Affertions ofany Enthufiaft whatfoever ; becaufe there is no reafon to have regard to any Man's Confidence, if the Arguments and Reafons which he brings, bear no Proportion to it. We fee in Experience, that Confidence is generally ill grounded, and is a kind of Paffion in the Underftanding, and is commonly made ufe of, like Fury and Force, to fupply for the Weaknefs and Want of Ar- gument. If a Man can prove what he fays by good Argument, there is no need of Confidence to backand fupport it. We may at any time truft a plain and fub- ftantial Reafon , and leave it to make its own way, and to bear out it felt But if the Man's Reafons and Arguments be not good, his Confidence addsnothing ofreal Force to them, in the Opinion of wife Men, and tends only to its own Confufion. Arguments are like Powder, which will carry and do Execution ac- cording to its true Strength ; and all the reft is but Noife. And generally none are fo much to be fufpededof Error, or a Defign to deceive, as thofe that pretend molt confidently to Infpiration and Infallibility ; as we fee in all forts of Enthu- fiafts, who pretend to Infpiration, although wehave nothing but their own Word for it; for they work no Miracles ; and all Pretence to Infpiration and Infallibi- lity, without Miracle, whether it be in particular Perfons, or inwhole Churches, is Enthufiaftical ; i. e. a Pretence to Infpiration, without any Proofof it. And therefore St. Paul was not moved by the Boafting and Confidence of the Falfe Apoftles; becaufe they gave no Proofand Evidence of their Divine Infpira tion and Commiffion, as he had done ; for which he appeals to the Senfe of Men, whether lie had not wrought great Miracles; which the Falfe Apoftles had not done, though they had the Confidence to give out themfelves to be Apoftles as well as he; 2 Cor. 12. 11, 12. I am (lays he) become a fool in glorying, ye have compelled me. And truly the figns of an Apoftle were wrought among you in all patience, infagns, and wonders, andmighty deeds. AndRev. 2. 2. Chrift there commends the Church of Ephefus, becaufe/he had tried them which faid they were Apa/lles, but were not ; and had found, them liars. And as we are not to believe every one that fays be is an Apoffle, fo neither every one that pretends to be aSucceffor of the Apoftles, and to be endued with the fame Spirit ofInfalli- bility that they were: For thefe alfo, when they are tried whether they be the Succeffors of the Apoftles or not, may be found Liars. And therefore St. John cautions Chriflians not to believe every Spirit, (that is, every one that pretends to Divine Infpiration, and the Spirit of God,) but to try thefpirits whether they be ofGod; becaufe many falfe Prophets are gone out into the world, i John 4. I. And therefore the Confidence of Men in this kind ought not to move us, when their Pretence to Infallibility is deftitute of the proper Proof and Evidence of it, which is a Power.of Miracles; and when their Doctrines and Prafices have nei- ther the Evidence of Reafon or Scripture on their fide. For
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