Of Con,flancy in the Piofefon of the '[rue Religion. Vol. I. out any Hatred of Sin for the Evil and Contrariety öf it to the holy Nature and Law of God, and without the leaft Spark of Lové to God, will do the Sinner's bufìnefs, and put him into a State of Grace and Salvation, without any other Grace or Difpoltion for Salvation, but only the Fear of Hell and Dam- nation. This, I éonfefs, is eafie : But the great Difficulty is, to believe it to be true. And certainly, no Man that ever ferioufly confdèred the Nature of God and Religion, can ever be perfwaded to build the Hopes of his Salvation upon fuch a Quick.fand. The Abfolution of all the Priefts in the World will not procure the ,Forgivenefs of God for any Man, that is not difpofed for his Mercy by fuch a Repentance, as the Gofpel require ; which I at fore is very different from that which is required by the Council of Trent.. They that offer Heaven to Men upon fo very large and lode Terms, give great caufe to fufpen, that they will never make good their Offer ; the Terms arq fo unreafonably" cheap and eafie, that there muff be force Fraud and Falfh Dealing. And on the other hand, nothing ought to recommend our Religion more to a wife and confederateMan, than that the Terms of Salvation which we propofe to Men, viz. Faith, and Repentance, and a Gncere Obedience to the Pre= cepts of the Gofpel, manifefted in the Tenure of a Holy and Virtuous Life; ate not only perfealy agreeable to the plainand conftant Declaration of Holy Scrip- ate ; but do likewife naturally tend to engage Men moft effecdually to a good Life, end thereby to make them meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. And therefore every Body ought to be afraid of a Religion, which makes fuch lavifh Offers of Salvation, and to take heed how he ven= tures his Soul upon them. For if, .after all the Hopes that are given of Salvation upoti filch and fuch Terms, the Sinner do really mifcarry and mils of Heaven ; it is but very ill Comfort to him, to be put into a Fool's Paradife, for a Minute or two before he leaves the World, and the next Moment after to find Unfelt in theplace of Torments. I proceed to the 5th. And Lall Particula I mentioned, as implied in the Exhortation here in the Text, viz. That we hold fall the Prof.117on of our Faith without wavering, againft all the cunning Arts and Infinuations of buffe anddifputing Men, whofe De- fign it is to unhinge Men from their Religion, and to gain Profelytes to their Party and Fanion. To this purpofe there are feveral Cautions given by our Bleffëd Saviour and his Apoftles. Matto. 24. 4. Take heed that no man deceive you i for many (hall come in my Name, and (hall deceive many. Eph. 'q. 14. That ye henceforth be no more Children, tolled to and fro, and carried about with every Wind ofDogrins, by the flight of Men ; cn xF nvßcg ( the Word figni- fies the Cunning of Garnefters at Dice ;) by the flight of Men, and the cunning Craftinefe whereby they lye in wait to deceive. And Chap. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain Words. Col. 2. 8. Beware left any man fpoil you through' Philofophy and vain Deceit; that is, by Sophiftry and vain Reafoning, under a pretenceof Philofophy. Heb. s 3. 9. Be not carried about with, divers andfrange Do/trines. 2 Pet. 3. r 7. Beware le, ft you afa, being led away with the Error of thé Wicked, fall from your own /Iedfa/Inefs. And this Caution is enforc'd by an exprefs Predinion of a great Apoflafie which fhould happen in the Chrifiian. Church, by which many should be feduced, by pretence of Miracles, and by feveral Arts of Deceit and Falfhood. This Ape/lafle St. Paul exprefly foretells, 2 Thef. 2. z, 2; 3. We befeech you, Brethren, by the coming of our LordNile Chrill, that ye be not foon fhaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by Spirit (that is, by pretence to Infpiration) nor by Word (ór Meffage) nor by Letter as from Ws, as that the Day of Mill is at hand. Let no roan deceive you by any means ;. for that Day fhall not come, except there come, a falling away, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition. And after a particular Defcription of him, he adds, v. 9. Whofe coming is after the working of Satan, with all Power, andSigns, and lying Wonders, aid in all deceitfulnefs ofUnrighteosfrtefr in' them that perifh. From all which he concludes, v. 15. Therefore, Breihen, fang fäfl. The
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