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ced by the Prophet against all such as call Evil Good,and Good Evil; Ifa. 5. 20. because Falfhood often wears the guife of Truth, and things feem otherwife than they are. Thus the Affability and free Converfation of our Saviour, which was really the effect of his great Humility and condefcending Goodnefs,and of his earneft defire to benefit Mankind, was hardly Cenfured by the Maligning Jews, and mifconftrued as a piece of Levity and Diffolutenefs; Behold fay they, a Man Gluttonous, and a Wine-bibber, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners: Mat. 11. 19. By this means we fhall mif-rate both Perfons and Things,and often deny those our good word, who it may be,if better known, deserve even our Reverence and Admiration. By this 2. means private Grudges will be entertain'd, and open Quarrels will be broach'd. Mens Affections will be groundlefly and unaccountably eftranged from one another, the Bands of Friendship will be untyed, and Men will be jealous and afraid of their dearest wellwifhers; good Conftitutions will fuffer for Perfonal Miscarriages, good Churches for unworthy Members, good Religions for ill Profeffors, good Counfels and good Caufes for their ill Succefs; and laftly, that good Reputation which all Men exceedingly value, and which fome Men have a fair Right to, and which the Wifeft of Men prefers before

6.

fore great Riches, Prov. 22. 4. will be wounded by the Roving Shot of every Goffiping Tongue.

To which I may add in the laft place,that when Men have once accuftomed themselves to hard Cenfures, upon fmall Appearances, they will be apt to enlarge their Court of Judicature; and from Cenfuring the Actions of Men, proceed to Question and Condemn the Dispensations of Providence,and fay with the Impious House of Ifrael, the way of the Lord is not equal.

It concerns us all therefore to ufe that Faculty with great Difcretion, upon the right or wrong ufe of which fo much depends; to Judge with Caution, and Circumfpection, and Mercy here,left we find Judgment without Mercy hereafter.

A

A Discourse concerning Religi
ous Singularity.

See Barrow, 3 lot. p. 340.
Christian Aud. p. 398,8366-

Rom. 12. 2. Be not Conformed to this
World.

Spects & bol. 40 576.
ON

NE of the greatest Supporters of Abfurdity in Speculation, and of Immorality in Practice, is Authority; that of Doctrine in the former,and that of Example in the latter.It mifguides and perverts the whole Man, puts a falfe Bias upon the whole motion of the Soul, imposes both upon our Understandings and upon our Wills, corrupts both our Sentiments and our Practices, and leads us out of the way both ofTruth and Vertue. But it has a greater and more prevailing influence upon our Actions,than upon our Sentiments; and our Lives fuffer more by it,than our Opinions. For befides, that there are more Examples of ill Living than of ill Thinking,and a well-moralized Converfation, is a greater Rarity, than an Orthodox Head; there being not fuch Temptations and Occafions to Error, as there are to Vice; there is alfo this further

difference,

difference, that in our Opinions we more ufually follow thofe Authorities which stand off at a great distance from us, and which Antiquity, by I know not what Artifice, recommend to us as Sacred and Venerable. But in our Actions, we take a quite contrary measure; and are rather apt to conform our felves to the Genius and Mode of the Age we live in; which being prefent, fhines upor us with a direct and perpendicular Ray, and more ftrongly influences and provokes our Imitation and Compliance.

And truly this is the greatest Mischief that is derived upon the Minds of Men from Authority, and the chiefeft Head of Com plaint that lies againft it; were it only a Stop to the Advancement of Learning, or a Misleader of our Understandings in Speculative Inquiries; were it only a Bar to Notio nal Improvements, or a Betrayer of our Or thodoxy, it might be thought to have done Penance enough,under the Chaftifement of a Satyr. or Declamation. For the greatest stock of Knowledge, which upon the beft Advantages we can attain to, is fo inconfiderable; that 'tis hardly worth while to be very angry and fall out with what ftands in our way, and hinders our little Progrefs. There is no great Mischief done; 'tis like fpoiling what was fpoil'd before, and which otherwife would come to little. But, fince 'tis the great E

Enemy

Enemy to all Righteoufnefs, as well as to all Truth; fince it debauches our Morals as well as our Understandings, and fpoils the Chriftian as well as the Philofopher;'tis fit it should be araigned before an higher Court, and be Condemned by the Cenfure of an Apoftle. And fo it is; and that upon great and weighty Reasons, in the Words of the Text,Be not Conformed to this World.

In the Words, we may confider a Suppofition, and a Caution. The Suppofition is Twofold.

First, That the general courfe of the World is very bad, and that Vice has by much the Majority of its fide.

Secondly, That we are naturally apt to imitate that which is moft prevailing,and to conform to the courfe and way of the World.

Laftly, the Caution is against this Inclina tion; that we should not be Conformed to the modes and ufages of this World; which I fhall firft ftate as to its Measure and Limits, and then Fuftifie as to its Equity and Reasonableness; and fo conclude with fome Practical Remarks upon the whole.

And in the First Place, 'tis here fuppofed, that the general course of the World is very bad, and that Vice has by much the Majori ty of its fide. This, though at firft fight it looks like a Common Place, a matter of frequent, obvious and familiar Confideration,

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