his Religion in holding the Pope to be Chrift's Vicar; another placing Religion in this, to hold no Papist can be faved: one holding all Religion to confift, in holding Epifcopacy to be jure divino; another by holding Prefbytery to be jure divino; another in crying up Congregational Government; another in Anabaptifm: one in placing all Religion in the ftrict obfervation of all Ceremonies; another in a strict refusal of all: one holding a great part of Religion in putting off the hat, and bowing at the Name of Jefus; another judging a man an idolater for it; and a third placing his Religion in putting off his hat to none: and fo like a company of boys that blow bubbles out of a wallnutfhell, every one runs after his bubble, and calls it Religion; and every one measures the Religion or irreligion of another, by their agreeing or diffenting with them in thefe or the like matters; and at beft, while we fcramble and wrangle about the pieces of the fhell, the kernel is either loft, or gotten by some that do not prize any of their contests.

Believe it, Religion is quite another thing from all thefe matters: he that fears the Lord of Heaven and Earth, walks humbly before him, thankfully lays hold of the Meffage of Redemption by Chrift Jefus, ftrives to exprefs his thankfulness by the fincerity of his obedience, is forry with all his foul when he comes fhort of his duty, walks watchfully in the denial of himself, and holds no confederacy with any luft or known fin; if he falls in the least measure, is restless till he hath made his peace by true repentance, is true to his promife, juft in his actions; charitable to the poor, fincere in his devotions, that will not deliberately dishonour God, though with the greatest security of impunity; that hath his hope in heaven, and his converfation in heaven; that dares not do an unjuft act, though ever fo much to his advantage, and all this because he fees him that is invifible, and fears him because he loves him, fears him as well for his goodness as his greatnefs; fuch a man, whether he be an Epifcopal,

or

or a Presbyterian, or an Independent, or an Anabaptift; whether he wears a Surplice, or wears none; whether he hears Organs, or hears none; whether he kneels at the Communion, or for confcience fake stands or fits; he hath the Life of Religion in him, and that life acts in him, and will conform his foul to the image of his Saviour, and walk along with him to eternity, notwithstanding his practice or non-practice of thefe indifferents.

On the other fide, if a man fears not the Eternal God, dares commit any fin with prefumption, can drink exceffively, fwear vainly or falfely, commit adultery, lie, cozen, cheat, break his promifes, live loosely, though he practise every ceremony ever fo curiously, or as ftubbornly oppose them; though he cry down Bishops, or cry down Prefbytery; though he be re-baptized every day, or though he difclaim against it as herefy; though he faft all the Lent, or feaft out of pretence of avoiding fuperftition; yet notwithstanding these, and a thousand more external conformities, or zealous oppofitions of them, he wants the Life of Religion.

PART

A DISCOURSE OF RELIGION.

PART III.

THE SUPERSTRUCTIONS UPON RELIGION,
AND ANIMOSITIES ABOUT THEM.

THE Christian Religion and Doctrine was, by the goodness and wisdom of God, defigned to be the common means and method to bring mankind to their chief end, namely, to know, and to ferve, and obey, and glorify and everlastingly to enjoy Almighty God, the chiefeft good.

And to that end it was given out with all the plainnefs and perfpicuity, with all evidence and certainty; a Doctrine and Religion containing precepts of all holiness and purity, of all righteousness and honefty, of all longanimity, benignity, and gentlenefs, fweetnefs, meeknefs, and charity; of all moderation and patience, of all fobriety and temperance; in brief, it is a religion that is admirably and fufficiently constituted to make a man, what indeed he should be, pious towards God, juft and beneficent towards men, and temperate in himself, fitted for a life of piety, honesty, justice, and goodness, and happiness hereafter. Such is the Chriftian Religion, and fuch the men must be that are truly conformable to it; and if any man profeffing christianity, be not fuch aman, it is because he comes fo much fhort of his due conformity to Chriftian Religion, and the most excellent doctrine and precepts thereof,

The profeffion of this Religion in that which is, and for many ages hath been, commonly made by a very confiderable part of the known world, as the only true Religion given to the world by Almighty God, through his Son Jefus Chrift, wherein and whereby they may expect everlasting falvation.

But

But yet together with this Chriftian Religion, the profeffors thereof have in feveral ages and places chofen to themselves various adventitious accidental fuperftructions, additions, opinions, modes, and practices, which they have as it were incorporated into the Christian Religion by them profeffed, or appendicated unto it.

And these fuperftructions or appendixes of Chriftian Religion have been introduced and entertained by various means, and by various defigns, and to various ends. Some by the authority of great names; fome by infenfible gradations or long customs; fome by a fuppofed congruity or incongruity; fome for order or decency; fome for discrimination of parties; fome for political ends, appearing in themselves, or fecretly carried on; fome upon emergent occafions, either continuing or now ceafing; fome by civil, fome by ecclefiaftical fanctions; fome by traditional obfervations, either continued, or interrupted and revived; fome for ornament; fome for ufe; fome as fuppofed neceffary confequents upon the Chriftian doctrine; fome to be, quafi fepta & munimenta doctrinæ & Religionis Evangelicæ 1, as the Jewish traditions were fupposed to be the Sepimenta Legis 2; fome for one end, and fome for another: And although thefe are not truly and effentially parts of the Chriftian Religion, yet as the humours in the body are fome good, fome noxious, fome innocent, though they are no part of the true vital blood, yet they mingle with it, and run along in it; fo thefe fuperftructions, and occafions, and additions, have in various ages, fucceffions, and places, mingled with the true radical vital doctrine and Religion of Christ, in men's opinions, and practices, and profeffions.

And yet it is vifible to any man that will but attentively observe the courses of men profeffing Chriftian Religion, that the greateft fervour and animofity of

As it were the fences and guards of the doctrines of the Gospel. 2 The fences of the Law.

the

the Profeffors of Christian Religion is not fo much with respect to the substantials of Christian Religion, either in things to be believed or practifed, as touching thefe additions and fuperftructions; fome as fervently contending for them, as if the life of Christianity confifted in them; fome as bitterly and feverely contefting against them, as if the life and foul of Chriftian Religion were not poffibly confifting with

them.

And by these means thefe unhappy confequences follow :

1. That whereas the main of Christian Religion confifts in the true belief of the Gospel of Christ Jefus, and the practice of those Chriftian virtues that he left unto his difciples and followers, both by his example and precept, namely, love of God, holiness and purity of life, humility, and lowlinefs of mind, patience, meeknefs, gentlenefs, charity, a low and eafy value of the world, contentation of mind, fubmiffion to the will of God, dependance upon him, refignation unto him, and other excellent evangelical virtues, that perfect and rectify the foul, and fit it for an humble communion with Almighty God in this life, and a bleffed fruition of his prefence in the life to come; the Christian Religion is not fo much placed in these, as in an entire conformity to modes and circumftances, or an extreme averfion from them. And according to the various interefts or inclinations of partiest thofe are made the magnalia of Chriftian Religion, and fuch as give the only character or difcriminative indication of the Chriftian Religion.

2. And confequently all the greatest part of that ftrefs and fervour of mind, which fhould be employed in thofe great weighty fubftantials of Chriftianity, runs out and fpends itself in thofe little collaterals, and fuperftructions, and additaments; fome placing the greatest earneftnefs and intention, of mind to have them, and fome placing the intension and fervour of their mind to be without them, not unlike thofe