because 'tis fo Commonly found, both amongst the Ancients and Moderns, that a man hath been at One time fully perfuaded, that thofe things are False, which at Another time he verily thought to be True; For, though the Owning and Retracting of Errors be Neceffary, and highly Commendable alfo, when it proceeds from no Interested Views, but from a pure Ingenuous Temper, and regard to Truth; yet when a man hath given This proof of his Ingenuous Temper, neither He himself, nor any Other Confiderate perfon would for the future Depend upon his Judgment in Difficult points, at least, in Oppofition to the Church; because he can never be more firmly perfuaded, that he is in the Right, than he hath been already, when he proved to be in the Wrong, and therefore may as well hereafter Deny what he now Affirms, as he now Denies what he Affirm'd before: That it will be Difficult for any Particular perfon, to reconcile that profound Humility which the Gofpel requires, with the Oppofition of his Own judgment, to the Judgment of

the

*

the Chriftian Church, or, to prove, that he is fo far guided and governd by the Holy Spirit, as not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: That if Any Particular Perfon may take the liberty of Interpreting by his Own Judgment, in Oppofition to the Chriftian Church; Every other particular person, in the like circumftances, may take the fame Liberty, for the fame Reafon: That if All Particular persons may take that Liberty, they may Poffibly fix the Objects of Faith in a Direct Contradiction to one another: That if it be Lawful and Sufficient to fuch Particular perfons, to Affent to the Objects of Faith, fo fixed by their feveral Judgments, it may become Lawful and Sufficient, to Affent unto Things which are False; for fome of the Objects thus Affigned must be fo, if they are Contradictory to one another: And, That if it can become Lawful and Sufficient to Any one to Believe a Falfhood, 'tis Neceffary for None to believe the Truth.

*Rom. xii. 3.

It may also deserve our Confideration, That fince the Doctrines of the Trinity, and of a General Resurrection, and all the Other Objects of our Faith Neceffary unto Salvation, are in Some Texts of Scripture fo Plainly Revealed, that every man of Common Understanding, with an Honeft mind, may eafily perceive the Certainty of them; 'tis therefore incumbent upon Every man, who would be saved, to adhere to the Truth fo Plainly Reveal'd, notwithstanding that he cannot fo clearly apprehend the Full meaning of fome Other Difficult Texts, and notwithstanding the most Plaufible Fallacies which are built upon fuch Texts, by those who Pervert them. For Plain Texts are not to be Interpreted by those which are more Obfcure: When therefore the Obfcure ones do feem any way Repugnant to those which are Easy and Plain, 'tis highly Reasonable and Juft, as well as Modeft, in any man, to Imagine, that the Obfcure ones are not Truely and Perfectly Understood by him. And when the Truth of the Gospel Plainly and Clearly appears, let all Gloffes

and

and Interpretations, which ftand in Oppofition to it, be at once Rejected and Despised. But,

2ly, and to Conclude; Since the Sole Belief of the Scriptures, notwithstanding the Neceffity of it, is not of it Self Effectual to the Attainment of the Bleffings proposed to us, let our Faith be fruitful of Fervent Charity, that the Fruits of our Charity may lead us to a Lively Hope. Though we had all Faith, fo that we could remove Mountains, yet, without Charity, we fhould in vain call to the Mountains, to fall on us, and cover us from the Wrath of God; Or, though we should be, in our Hopes, Exalted as high as Heaven, yet, without Charity, we can never be Admitted There. And 'tis obvious, that as no Branch of Charity is more frequently and Earnestly inculcated in the Scriptures, than the Relief of the Indigent; fo there cannot eafily be found more proper Objects of it, than Those which now call for your Tender Concern; Nor can they hope that their Cries will ever be heard by Men, if not by Us, who are under Pe

culiar and most engaging Obligations to hear them.

Indeed the Arguments, which have been offer'd in favour of This Charity, are so Proper and fo Enlarged, that they do not easily Admit of any Addition, and have been fo Effectual, that they do not want it. Therefore it may be expected, that I fhould rather Acknowledge, than Excite Your Liberality. For Juftice may feem to require the One, as well as Charity the Other. And yet even Juftice, as well as Charity, feems to plead for your Perfeverance in your work and labour of love: If in Any case these words be Applicable to the fupply of our Neighbour's Wants, it must be in that of Thofe, who now Implore your Affiftance; Withhold not Good from them, to whom it is Due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Their Wants are very Affecting, and fo are their Defervings too; Wants and Defervings, which may in a special manner, claim a Favourable and Affectionate Regard at your hands. For if every man, who hath a Just sense of God and Divine

Worship,