Serm. VII. OfConfiancy in the Profe//ïon ofthe I rue Religion. 5i IId Place, Pofitively, To explain the Meaning of this Exhortation : And to this purpofe I propofed to confider, Fir/l, What it is that we are to hold faft ; viz. the Confefon'or Prófefon of our Faith ; The Ancient Chriftian Faith which every Chrjian makes Prófeffion of in his Baptifm : Not the Doubtful and Uncertain Traditions of Men, nor the Im- perious Di &ates and Do&rines of anyChurch (whichare not contained in the Holy Scriptures) impofed upon the Chriftiau World, though with never fo confident a Pretence of the Antiquity of the Do&rines, or of. the Infallibility of the Propo- fers of them. And-then I proceeded, in the Second Place, to Phew how we are to holdfall theProfelion of our Faith,zoithout wavering; and I mentioned thefe following Particulars, as probably, implied and comprehended in the Apoftles Exhortation. ì. That we fhould hold fall the Profejon of our faith againft the Confidence of Men, without Scripture or Reafon to fupport that Confidence. 2. And Much more againft the Confidence of Men, contrary to plain Scripture, and Reafon, and the common Senfe ofMankind } under both which Heads I gave feveral Inftances of Do&rines and Pra&ices impofed with great Confidence upon the World, fome without, and others plainly againft Scripture, and Reafon, and the common Senfe of Mankind. 3. Againft all the Temptations andTerrors of the World; the Temptations of Fafhion and Example, and of worldly. Intereft. and Advantage ; and againft the Terrors of Perfecution and Suffering for the Truth. Thus far I have gone, I fhall now proceed to the Two other Particulars which remain to be fpoken to. 4. We are to holdfait the Profè/fìon of our Faith, againft all vain Prornifes of being put into a fafer Condition, and groundlefs Hopes of getting to Heaved upon eafier Terms, in fome other Church and Religion. God hath plainly de- clared to us in the Holy Scriptures, upon what Terms and Conditions we may ob- tain Eternal Life and Happmefs, and what will certainly exclude us from it ; That except we repent, (i. e.) without true Contrition for our Sins, acid for faking of them, we (hall perifh; That without Holinéfr no Man _hall fee the , Lord ; That no Fornicator, or Adulterer, or Idolater, or Covetous Perfan, nor any one that lives in the pratlice of fuch fins, (hall have a,y Inheritance in the King: dom ofGodor Chrifl. There is as great and únpaffable a Gulf fixt between Hea- ven and a wicked Man, as there is betwixt Heaven and Hell. And when Men have done all they can to debauch and corrupt the Chriftian Do&rine, it is impoflible to, reconcile a wicked Life with any reafonable and well -grounded Hopes ofHap- pinefs in another World. No Church hath that Priviledge, to fave a Man upon any other Terms, than thofe which our Bleffed Saviour hath declared in his holy Gofpel. All Religions are equal in this ; That a bad Man can be Saved in none of them. The Church of Rome pretends their Church and Religion to be the only fafe and fure way to Salvation ; and yet, if their Do&rine be true, concerning the In- tention of the Prieft, (and if it he not, they are much to blame in making it an Article of their Faith) I fay, if it be true, that the Intention of the Prieft is neceffary to the Validity and Virtue of the Sacraments; then there is no Reli- gion in the World, that runs the Salvation of Men upon more and greater Hazards and Uncertainties, and fuch as by no are and Diligence of Mati in working out. his own Salvation, are to be avoided and, prevented. As for the eafier Terms of Salvation which they offer to Men, they lignifie nothing, if they be not abl@ to make them good ; which rio Man can reafonably, believe they can do, that bath read the Bible, and Both in any good meafure underftand the Nature of God, and the Defign òf. Religion. For Inftance ; That after the long Courfe of a moft lewd and flagitious Life, a Mari may be re- conciled to God, and have his Sins forgivenat the laft Gafp, upon Confeffion of them to the Prieft, with that imperfe& degree of Contrition for them, which they call Attrition, together with the Abfolution of the Prieft. Now Attrition is a Trouble for Sin, ineerly for fear of the Punifhment of it. And this, together with Confe /ion; and the Abfolistion of the Prieft, with= out
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