was the glad Tidings he brought with him SERM. into the World, and the laft Legacy he VI. left behind him when he went out of it :

Muft it, after all, I fay, come to this at laft, that he came not to fend Peace but a Sword?

We know that our Saviour's Doctrine teaches People to live better Lives than they were taught to do by any Rules they had before; and, in particular, to fhew more Love and Benevolence to one another, than the Law of Nature, or that of Mofes requir'd them to do. And indeed if it does not teach us this, what does it teach us? Now, will it not be thought a furprizing Thing, after all this, to find, in the Words. immediately following the Text, that our Saviour fays, he came to Jet a Man against his Father, and the Daughter against the Mother? What? Did not People know how to fall out, and be at Variance with. one another, without any Directions for fo doing? They knew this too well of themfelves certainly to need any Inftructions a bout it: And therefore, if this is the Doc-, trine which the Gofpel teaches, it destroys all Religion in the World, even the Res ligion of Nature itself.

But

SERM. But how fhocking and inconfiftent foever VI. these Words may appear at firft Sight, yet

a little Confideration will give them another Countenance, and fhew that they contain as great a Truth as any in the Scripture, which our perverse Paffions will eafily tell us how to explain.

For tho' without all Difpute our Saviour came to fend Peace upon Earth, and good Will towards Men, yet, as the best Things are most liable to be abus'd, that peaceable and benevolent Spirit has, through the Wickednefs of Mankind, been abus'd into a turbulent evil Spirit of Hatred and Difcord. Not that this is, or can be, the Effect of a peaceable Spirit, but of fuch a Spirit abus'd, and misunderstood. So that, tho' it be never fo good of itself, it may by accident occafion a great deal of Evil. And as long as the Paffions of Men are fuffer'd to controul their Reafon and Religion, fo long will there be too much Truth in our Saviour's Words, that he came not to fend Peace, but a Sword, i. e. Tho' the Intent and Design of our Saviour's Coming into the World was not to promote Difcord, but Peace, yet, by means of the Perverseness of Mankind, it would be made an Occafion of Hatred and Discord, and fo would be the

fame

VI.

fame, in Effect, as if it had proceeded from SERM. quite contrary Spirit, and as if he had come not to fend Peace upon Earth, but a Sword. From the Words of the Text I fhall

I. Prove the Truth of our bleffed Saviour's Prediction, and fhew that Chriftianity, tho' it be the moft peaceable Religion in the World, has, by the Wickedness of Men, been made to propagate Hatred, Difcord, and all manner of Cruelty.

II. I fhall fhew the dangerous Confequence of abufing Chriftianity to fuch wicked Purposes.

III. That we ought all of us, who have any Value or Efteem for the Chriftian Religion, to ufe our beft Endeavours, in our feveral Stations, to reftore it to its primitive Beauty and Comelinefs, and make it appear to be, as it is in itfelf, a Religion of Peace and Love.

First, then, I am to prove the Truth of our bleffed Saviour's Prediction, and fhew that Christianity, tho' it be the moft peaceable Religion in the World, has, by the Wickedness of Men, been made to propaO gate

SERM. gate Hatred, Difcord, and all manner of VI. Cruelty.

Was there nothing meant here by the Sword, but only the Hatred and Perfecution that Chriftians were to expect from their Enemies, the Prediction might stop here, and there would be no great Wonder in it; for 'tis no more than what one might very well fuppofe would happen. But there is a further more astonishing Meaning in it than this, and that is, the Cruelty and Perfecution that Chriftians fhould exercise upon one another; of which we have too great a Proof from the History of all Ages, ever fince Christianity was advanced into an Eftablifhment.

'Tis no Wonder that Unbelievers fhould be offended at the Chriftian Religion, and evil entreat the Profeffors of it, fince it was not only contrary to their old Prejudices, but as it tended also to destroy and root out that Ill-nature they were willing to indulge, and to mortify and subdue those Vices they were loth to part with. But, could it ever be imagin'd that Chriftians themselves fhould be offended at it, who had profess'd to renounce all this? That they, whofe Religion taught them nothing but Peace and Love, fhould turn it into Contention and

Hatred?

Hatred ? Yet thus it was:

For when SERM.

Unbelievers had left off to perfecute Chriftians, and Christianity became the Religion of the Country, by an unaccountable fort of Madness, they fell to perfecuting one another. Thus the Chriftian Religion, that was at first a happy Cement to join People together in Love and Friendship, foon became a Name to fall out by, and at length, by the Help of a great deal of Malice and Hatred, it became a Refuge for Spite and Ill-nature; and fo the Gospel of Peace was turn'd into an open Proclamation of War.

Whoever looks into Ecclefiaftical History, will find that the Heathens never persecuted the Chriftians with more Rage and Fury than they perfecuted one another; fo much Pains did they take to fulfil the Words of the Text in a literal Senfe, and undo, for many Ages, all our Saviour had done be fore.

'Tis furprizing that any Body of Men, who call themselves Chriftians, fhould be guilty of fo much Barbarity: And yet I believe it is a Truth no one can deny, that the ten perfecuting Emperors of Rome, tho' they were Heathens, never maffacred fo many Chriftians as the Church of Rome has done fince, tho' profeffing Christianity, and O 2

pre

VI.

m