are ever, like Peter, turning aside from the point in hand, (which is what immediately concerns ourselves) and, by a curiosity much less justifiable than his, inquiring, what will become of this man? When such a question arises in thy mind, O my fellow-Christian, think thou hearest the voice of thy divine Master, checking thy impertinence in the words addressed to the apostle, What is that to thee? Follow thou me *?

IV. I proceed now, in the last place, to make some reflections on what has been advanced.

1. First, I observe, That though the spirit of true religion, and the spirit of false, be not only different, but opposite, there may nevertheless be a portion of each in the same disposition. Man has been said, not unjustly, to be a mass of contradictions. The union just now mentioned, however incongruous, is not more so, than that of vice and virtue, truth and error, which though equally opposite, are often blended in the same character. From the specimen we have seen of the false zeal in two of the disciples, it would be unjust to conclude, that they were then totally unacquainted with true religion. Instances may be supposed, and have actually happened, in which the genuine spirit of the gospel has powerfully rested in the mind, and happily overcome the motions of a misguided zeal, derived from a superstitious or fanatical education. Examples might no doubt be produced of a victory on the other side, when the influence of early prejudices deeply and firmly rooted, has, on a particular occasion, misled one to act a part extremely unsuitable to the real piety and benevolence which have uniformly shone in the rest of his conduct. How far the plea of a misinformed conscience will go in extenuation of the crimes it occasions, it belongs not to us, but to the great judge of all the earth, to de

termine.

If, then, there appear evident marks of superstition or enthusiasm in a character, let us not conclude, that all must be false, that there can be nothing there of true religion, or the spirit of the gospel.-If there be an evident mixture of both, let us not conclude, that there must be a natural affinity between true religion and false.

A due attention to what has been said,

* John xxi. 22.

will satisfy us, that both ways of arguing are absolutely untenable.

2. I observe, secondly, That, from the spirit of the party, we cannot always infer with justice what spirit predominates in an individual belonging to that party. In what sects that were not idolatrous did there ever appear more of superstition, rancour, and furious zeal, than among the Pharisees and the Samaritans? Yet in both, our Saviour, who knew what was in man*, found persons to whom he could give an honourable testimony; persons too who were not in every thing superior to popular opinions and party-prejudices. That the apostles themselves had not attained this superiority till about the time of their Lord's ascension, is manifest from the question they put to him after his resurrection, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel+? Both the above observations ought to teach us modesty in the opinions. we form of men's characters.

It has been remarked already, that some principles are in their nature and origin superstitious. Such is the opinion which a late eminent writer + remarks to prevail among the Indians, that the water of the Ganges has a sanctifying virtue; and that the dead whose ashes are thrown into it, are secured of an admission into Elysium. What matters it,' says he, whether one lives virtuously or not? He can order his body 'to be thrown into the Ganges.' Are absurdities of this kind peculiar to Paganism? Are there not some European countries in which men may say with equal reason, What matters it how one lives? He can on his death-bed obtain the viaticum.' And by their doctrine of sacraments, it is even of no consequence whether the dying man be sensible of what is done, or insensible. It is manifest, that these two dogmas are materially the same; they differ only in the form.

On the other hand, it must be acknowledged, that there are no religious institutions, how pure soever, which may not be superstitiously or fanatically used. A minister's conversing with the sick on the hope of the gospel, and joining with them in prayer, are duties which, when properly performed, have a na† Acts i. 6.

* John ii. 25.

De l'esprit des Loix, liv. 24. ch. 14.

N

tural tendency to prove solacing and instructive to the distressed, to the spectators, and to the minister himself. But if any person be absurd enough to consider the prayer of a minister, at the bedside of one in the agonies of death, as a passport to heaven, his sentiments do not differ essentially from theirs who rely on extreme unction, or the priest's absolution, as the grand security.

3. I observe, thirdly, That that set of opinions and practices is the most dangerous, which looks with the malignest aspect on love, and tends most to contract its circle. The sectarian spirit has inverted the rule laid down by our Lord, which was, to judge of teachers and their doctrines by their fruits *. The method now almost universally followed, is, to judge of their fruits by their doctrines. If these be not to our taste, the other cannot be good; if these receive our approbation, the other must be very bad ere they displease us. Every sect has its own Shibboleth. One inquires about opinions; another, about ceremonies; a third, about ecclesiastical polity and hierarchy, proposing, as the sole authentic evidence of our being Christians, the examination of certain endless genealogies; as if Christ had intended that all his disciples should be antiquaries; because otherwise they could not have the satisfaction to know whether they were his disciples or not. Unfortunately for these people, all such spiritual pedigrees are so miserably lame, that if their rule were to be admitted, we should be involved in darkness on this subject, from which no antiquary could extricate us; and there would not remain the slightest evidence that there were a single Christian on the earth. We shall however be satisfied with Paul's rule on this subject, who enjoins every man, in order to make this important discovery with regard to himself, carefully to examine his own heart †.

Strange indeed, that none of these curious tests have been recommended to us by Christ, in order to direct us in the choice of teachers. Still more strange, that all sects should, as it were by general consent, overlook the only rule he gave on this subject. He did not enjoin the examination of captious questions, disputes often about words and phrases. He knew how unfit the bulk of mankind are for discussions of this sort. His rule *Matth. vii. 15, &c. +2 Cor. xiii. 5.

is level to the capacity of all, and probably for this reason has been so little regarded. Teachers and doctrines are to be distinguished by their fruits. That doctrine is the soundest, which has the happiest influence on the temper and lives of those who receive it; which operates most powerfully by love to God, and love to man. That, on the contrary, is to be deemed the worst, which has the unhappiest influence on the tempe and life. We do not therefore send you to the inextricable mazes of disputation and logomachy, but to the only infallible test which Christ himself has given us. It will not, sure, be imagined, that we mean, like the too narrow-minded disciple, to forbid any man to cast out devils in the name of Christ, because he followeth not with us *. But we mean to warn every man against the influence of that teacher who would cast in devils in the name of Christ, whether he follow with us or not. For we know no worse devils than contention, bitterness, spiritual pride, uncharitable judgments, detraction, malevolence. We mean further, if possible, to abate the rancour of sects towards one another, and to make the interests of charity surmount that worst species of priestly policy which but too much abounds in them all.

4. I remark, fourthly, That some of the strongest objections of infidels do not properly affect the gospel; they affect only the corruptions which have been introduced by men into this divine religion. It may be added, that the same adventitious materials have been the foundation of the greater part of the controversies among Christians themselves.

To conclude: Let us, my Honoured Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry, think of the particular obligations we are brought under by the trust reposed in us, of recommending, both by doctrine and by example, the genuine spirit of the gospel. There is not a community, any more than an individual, that is absolutely perfect; but perfection ought ever to be the aim of both. It is not our having the advantage of a legal esta-, blishment that will secure us against the temper of sectaries, though I can say with truth, that in my judgment (I may indeed be partial) there will not easily be found a Christian society that has less of that temper. In a contagion so universal, it is

* Mark ix. 38.; Luke ix. 49.

hardly possible to escape entirely being infected. Let this consideration makes us the more on our guard, that we may purge out the old leaven, and be a new lump in the Lord. Let us never descend to the unchristian artifice of ingratiating ourselves by traducing others. Still less let us think of the antichristian arrogance of usurping the office of the supreme Judge, and pronouncing the eternal doom of those who differ from us. Nay, where we know we meet with this treatment from others, let us abhor the thought of retaliating; imitating rather the conduct of our Lord, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. Let our great policy, for influencing those of other communions, be, to show forth in every thing, the meekness, the gentleness, the moderation of Christ. If attracted by that spirit which the apostle styles, the spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, prevailing in the tempers and lives of our people, as the happy fruits of our teaching, candid and reasonable men shall be induced to give us the preference, the victory will be to our honour; and we are sure that the heart of the proselyte will not be corrupted by the change. We cannot say so much when men are gained to any party, by the too common arts of infusing bigotry and rancour. But still such an external connection is comparatively a small matter. Those who are not gained in this sense, may nevertheless be gained to love and purity, to more enlarged sentiments of the unbounded grace of Jesus, and thus may be improved by our example. Let us therefore invariably follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.