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On the other hand, who does not know, that the most formidable and fuccefsful attacks made by the reformers on that mother of abominations,. were their expofing the corrupt and diffolute lives of her priefts and members. This they were at no small pains to do, both in a grave and in an ironical ftrain. As the covetousness and ambition of many, and the licentious debauchery of others of the clergy, firft brought the doctrines into fufpicion, fo thofe examples when held up to light, made a far greater number of converts, than any abfurdities in belief, how grofs and palpable foever. The truth is, we find all parties greedily lay hold of this weapon whenever it is prefented to them, and use it with great confidence against their adverfaries; and in fo doing they discover a conviction, that principles are never so powerfully fupported as by the good, nor fo effectually disparaged as by the bad characters of those who profefs them.

If we leave the hiftory of former ages, and examine the state of the prefent, the fame truth will ftill be the refult of our enquiry, and appear with increafing evidence. Different parties and dénominations prevail in different places: and whereever any party or denomination greatly prevails, the effect may easily be traced up to its caufe; and will appear, by no very diftant tradition, to have been owing to the eminent piety of fome

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one or more of that profeffion in a former period, or, which is much the fame, to the compa ratively odious and vicious characters of thofe who oppofed them *.

It is no juft objection to the account here given, that we find inftances, in which principles feem to give a fanction to characters, inftead of receiving fupport from them. There are, no doubt, cafes in which a man's being known to

Our own country will afford us fome fenfible and striking proofs of the justice of this obfervation. There had been a Aruggle, from the very first dawn of the reformation, between prefbytery and epifcopacy in Scotland. This conteft however came to its greatest height about 100 years ago, when the prefbyterians were ejected, and epifcopacy was established by a tyrannical civil government, and continued by a fevere and cruel perfecution. We had by this means a trial of both and it is very obfervable, that the odium which justly fell upon epifcopacy, from the rage and inhumanity of thofe who had the chief direction, was the circumftance that determined the body of the nation to endeavour its fubverfion. Yet, whereever there happened to be a few minifters of that perfuafion pious in their lives, and diligent in the duties of their office, there were many perfons and families who joined with them, in communion, and their pofterity adhere to that opinion even to this day. This was the cafe in fome places of the east and north country. But in the western parts of Scotland, where the epifcopal clergy were, almoft to a man, ignorant, flothful or vicious, they were univerfally deferted, and hardly a finge adherent to that perfuafion is now to be found.—I cannot omit mentioning here what was faid by a lady of quality' at that time to Dr. Burnet, when he came to vifit the west country. It was to the following purpcfe: We of the laity cannot judge upon controverfial points, but we see these men "whom you perfecute, grave in their deportment, ftrictly holy in their converfation, and very laborious in their functions, "while many of your clergy are ignorant, flothful and vici"ous." This is what determines the judgment of the people.

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embrace certain principles, will be alone fufficient to make him odious, however blameless, or even praife-worthy his conduct be, in every other refpect. At the fame time, perhaps, the failings of another fhall be either wholly pardoned, or greatly extenuated, if he espouse, but especially, if he is active in vindicating the principles which are held facred. But this is no more than the natural and neceffary confequence of any fet of principles being once firmly established. They acquire their credit at first, in the way I have already mentioned; but when that credit is high, it will bring a fufpicion upon every thing that oppofes it, however fpecious aud promifing in outward appearance. There is nothing surprifing here, nor, indeed, any thing but what is perfectly natural; for as one or a few instances commonly do not, so in reason they ought not to fhake the reputation of truths, which have been established by long experience of their worth and efficacy. Neither muft it be forgotten, that when examples feem to ftand in oppofition one to another, and to lead to different conclufions, it is not from one or two that a judgment can be paffed, but from many, and these compared and examined with great diligence and care.

I conclude the illuftration of this head with remarking, that the principle above laid down will explain, in a clear and fatisfying manner,

two appearances in the moral world, which feem directly to contradi&t one another. By what happens fometimes in religion, we shall be apt to conclude, that there is in human nature a pronenefs to change, or a love of novelty purely on its own account. Accordingly we find this laid to the charge of mankind by feveral authors. And it cannot be denied, that fome men, or fects, often introduce new practices which acquire great reputation, and almoft univerfal acceptance. By other examples, however, we are taught to afcribe to human nature a strong attachment to old opinions, and hatred of all innovation. What is remarkable is, that both thefe take place chiefly in little circumftances, and things of fmall moment; new inventions being fometimes gone into with a zeal, and old customs adhered to with an obftinacy, which the intrinfic value of the things contended for does not feem to merit on either fide. To afcribe this to the different difpofitions of individuals will not be a fatisfactory folution, for we fee fometimes examples of both in the fame perfons. But, by fearching a little deeper, we fhall unravel this difficulty, and difcover, that though the love of novelty, or a veneration for antiquity, may be fometimes the immediate principle of action, there is another ultimate principle which is the caufe of both, and in different circumstances,

cumstances, produces either the one or the other. This principle is no other than that admiration of real or fuppofed worth, which has been illuftrated above. Whoever hath acquired a great reputation for piety and holiness, may eafily in troduce any indifferent practice, though not com→ mon before, especially if it be confidered as an evidence or expreffion of his piety. On this fuppofition, his differing from, or doing more than others, will be taken notice of to his praise *. But he may much more easily introduce a new, than depart from an old cuftom. The reafon is plain; for ancient cuftoms having been eftablished on the ground already affigned, men are ufually very tenacious of them, and it requires no small degree of credit and character, either to change or to abolish them.

We now proceed to make fome practical improvement of what has been faid.

In the first place, from what has been faid upon this fubject we may, derive one of the plainest and most fatisfying proofs of the truth of the

There is great reafon to think that it was in this very way that many different rites were brought into the Chriftian church, which in a long course of time grew into a mass of abominable fuperftition. They were at first, perhaps, but the modes or circumftances of the worship, or practice of pious perfons, but from being voluntary and purely circumstantial, they came by degrees to be confidered as parts of religious worthip; and therefore finful in the performers, but much more inful in the impofers.

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