when they are not able to examine a doctrine, or apprehend the reafoning upon which it is founded. The dictates of confcience are often immediate and clear, when the deductions of reafon are long and involved. To make intricate researches in theory, requires great natural abilities, which are the portion of very few: but to judge of a visible character requires only an impartial fenfe of right and wrong. Of this the plain man is as fufceptible as the most acute by nature, or the most enlightened by education. In God Almighty, infinite knowledge and infinite holiness are united, and, we have reason to think, that in their perfection they are infeparable. But we know, by experience, that they do not bear an exact proportion to one another in inferior natures, at least, among finful creatures. There may be, and there often is, great virtue and goodness in a mean capacity, and great depravity in perfons of eminent ability.

From these confiderations it is plain, that this rule of trying a doctrine by its effects, as a tree by its fruits, may be applied by the meaneft as well as the greateft, and with as little danger of mistake. Perhaps it might have been fafely affirmed with lefs danger of miftake. Great intellectual abilities, and great natural advantages of every kind, are very ready to fwell the mind with pride and felf-conceit, than which no dif

VOL. I.

H

pofition

pofition is, in itself more odious in the fight of God, or more unfavourable to the difcovery of truth. This feems to be confirmed by experience, and it is plainly the view given us of our present state in the holy Scriptures. Thus the apoftle Paul fays, "Ye fee your calling, brethren, "how that not many wife men after the flesh, "not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chofen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wife; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to "confound the things which are mighty, and

bafe things of the world, and things which 66 are defpifed hath God chofen, yea, and things "which are not, to bring to nought things that

are that no flesh should glory in his pre"fence." For the very fame thing we find our bleffed Redeemer adoring the depth and fovereignty of divine providence, in the following terms, In that hour Jefus rejoiced in fpirit,

and faid, I thank_thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haft hid thefe things from the wife and prudent, and haft " revealed them unto babes: even fo, Father, "for so it seemed good in thy fight +.”

Miftakes, however, after all there will be, and fome differences even among the beft; but, from this very circumftance, I derive another great exI Cor, i, 26-29. + Luke x. 21.

cellence

cellence of the above rule laid down, that, it is not only the teft of truth for a man's felf, but the measure of forbearance with regard to others. By carefully examining their fruits, men may not only be directed what to embrace, and what capital and fundamental errors wholly to reject, but also in what particulars to exercise mutual forbearance, and, tho' fmaller differences ftill fubfift, to receive one another to the glory of God. If in any person or perfons, of whatever party, you perceive the fpirit of true and undefiled religion, they are accepted of God, and should not be condemned by you. This ought not, in juftice, to induce you to approve or embrace every one of their principles, or every part of their practice, of which perhaps you have seen or felt the bad tendency; yet fhould it engage you to love them with unfeigned affection as fincere, though, in fome measure, mistaken fervants of our common Lord.

I hope it appears from the preceding obfervations, that this rule, of trying every principle or profeffion by its fruits, is the best that could have been given. It is certain and infallible in itself, and we are lefs liable to mistake in the use of it than of any other. There feems, indeed, to be an exact analogy between this rule in religious matters, and reason in our common and civil. concerns. Reafon is the beft guide and director

of human life. There is certainly an effential difference between wisdom and folly, in the nature of things. They are alfo fenfibly oppofite to one another in their extremes. Innumerable actions, however, there are, or modes of action, of a more doubtful and disputable nature, as to the wisdom or weakness of which, hardly any two men would be entirely of the fame opinion. Let the enemy of religion make the application, who denies its reality, because all good men are not of the fame mind; or because there are different parties and profeffions, who oppofe one another in fome opinions and practices. He acts just the fame part, as he, who feeing the differences of judgment among men, upon almost every fubject that falls under their deliberation, should renounce the use of reason, or deny that there is, in nature, any fuch thing.

We now proceed to the fecond thing propofed, to fhow, That the rule above explained and defended, is that by which, in fact, all ferious perfons, and indeed, mankind in general, fo far as they are fincere, do judge of religious principles and pretenfions.

By ferious perfons, I understand all thofe who are truly religious, in oppofition to those who have only a nominal and cuftomary profeffion. If we would fpeak with precifion, or reason in a juft and conclufive manner, we must keep this diftinction conftantly in view. Nothing does

more

more harm to any cause, than a treacherous friend, -or bofom enemy: and nothing does more hurt to the intereft of religion, than its being loaded with a great number, who, for many obvious reafons, affume the form, while they are strangers to the power of it. The fallacy of almost all the reafonings of infidels lies here. They confider religion as anfwerable for all the hypocrify of those who profefs it, and all the wickednefs of those who have not renounced the profeffion; as if in order to its being true, it must be impoffible for any to counterfeit it. If that were the cafe, no thanks would be due to impartial enquiry. All colour of objection being taken away, the affent would not be yielded, but compelled. This, doubtlefs, the prefumptuous wildom of man ordinarily dictates, but according to the fuperior wifdom of God "offences must "come" and "herefies alfo, that they that are approved may be made manifeft."

664

Suppofing, therefore, the important diftinction between real and nominal Chriftians, all of the first character, of every age, and of every party, are fo far from being under the influence of implicit faith, that they try the truth by its fruits, and adhere to it for its effects. There is fomething more in the cafe of every good man, than barely a rational perfuafion of the truth of religion in general, from the arguments adduced