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CONCLUSION.

Shall end this Difcourfe with a brief Admonition, relating to our Chriftian Practice.

And what is there more proper, or more feasonable than this? While we reject all fpurious Traditions, let us be fure to keep clofe to the genuine and true.. Let us hold them faft, and not let them go.

Let us not difpute our felves out of all Religion, while we condemn that which is false; nor break all Christian Difcipline and Order, because we cannot fubmit to all humane Impofitions.

In plain words, let us not throw off Epifcopacy, together with the Papal Tyranny..

We ought to be the more careful in obferving the Divine Tra dition delivered to us in the Scriptures and according to the Scripture, because we are not bound to other.

While we contend against the half Communion, let us make a Confcience to receive the whole frequently. It looks like Faction rather than Religion, to be earneft for that which we mean not to use.

In like manner, while we look upon additions to the Scripture as vain, let us not neglect to read and ponder those holy Writings.

When we reject Purgatory as a Fable; let us really dread Hellfire.

And while we do not tye our felves to all ufages that have been in the Church, let us be careful to obferve, firft, all the fubftantial Duties of Righteoufnefs, Charity, Sobriety, and Godlinefs, which are unquestionably delivered to us by our Lord himfelf and his holy Apoftles: and fecondly, all the Ordinances of the Church wherein we live, which are not contrary to the Word of God. For fo hath the fame Divine Authority delivered, that the people should obey thofe that are their Guides and Governours, fubmitting themselves to their authority, and avoiding all

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contention

contention with them, as most undecent in it felf, and pernicious to Religion; which fuffers extreamly, when neither Ecclefiaftical Authority, nor Ecclefiaftical Custom, can end Difputes about Rites and Ceremonies.

Read Theff. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 11. 16. and read fuch places, as you ought to do all the other Scriptures, till your hearts be deeply affected with them.

For be admonished, in the laft place, of this; which is of gencral use, and must never be forgotten, because we shall lose the benefit of that Coeleftial Doctrine which is delivered unto us, if we do not strictly obferve it. That as this Evangelical Doctrine is delivered down to us, so we must be delivered up to it. Thus St. Paul teaches us to speak, in 6 Rom. 17. where he thanks God that they who formerly had been fervants of fin, did now obey from the heart that form of Doctrine unto which they were delivered. So the words run in the Greek (as the Margin of our Bibles inform you) εἰς ὃν παρεδόθηκε.

This is the Tradition which we must be sure to retain, and hold faft above all other; as that without which, all our belief will be ineffectual.

This is the very end for which all Divine Truth is delivered unto us, that we may be delivered and make a furrender of our felves unto it...

Obferve the force of the Apoftles words; which tell us, first, that there was a certain form of Christian Doctrine which the Apoftles taught, compared here to a mould (fo the word nos, form, be tranflated) into which Metal or fuch-like matter is cast, that it may receive the figure and fhape of that mould.

may

2. Now he compares the Roman Chriftians to fuch ductile, pliable matters they being fo delivered or caft into this form or mould of Chriftian Doctrine, that they were intirely framed and fashioned according to it, and had all the lincaments, as I may fay, of it expreffed upon their fouls.

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3. And having fo received it, they were obedient to it for without this, all the impreffions, which by knowledge or faith were made upon their fouls, were but an imperfect draught of what was intended in the Chriftian Tradition.

4. And it was hearty obedience, fincere compliance with the Divine Will, fuch obedience as became those who understood their Religion to be a great deliverance and liberty from the

flavery

flavery of fin (before spoken of) into the happy freedom of the fervice of God.

5. All which, laftly, he afcribes to the grace of God, which had both delivered to them that Doctrine, and drawn them to deliver up themselves to it, made their hearts foft and ductile to be caft into that mould, and quickned them to Chriftian Obedience, and given them a willing mind to obey chearfully. All this was from God's grace, and not their merits; and therefore the thanks was to be ascribed to him, who fucceeds and bleffes all pious endeavours.

By

Now according to this Pattern, let us frame our felves; who, bleffed be God, have a form of Doctrine delivered to us in this Church, exactly agreeable to the holy Scriptures, which lie open before us; and we are exhorted not onely to look into them, but we feel that grace which hath brought them to us, clearly demonftrating that we ought to be formed according to the holy Doctrine therein delivered, by the delivery of our felves unto it. the delivery of our mind, that is, to think of God, and our felves, and of our duty in every point, juft as this inftructs us. And by the delivery of our wills and affections, to be governed and regulated, according to its directions. And when we have confented to this, we find the Divine grace reprefenting to us the neceffity of an hearty obedience, to what we know and believe, and have embraced as the very Truth of God. To this we are continually drawn and mightily moved; and if we would fhew our thankfulness for it, let us follow these godly motions, and conform our felves in all things to the heavenly prefcriptions of this Book; being confident that if we do, we need not trouble our selves about any other model of Religion, which we find not here delivered. For if you defire to know what form of Doctrine it is, to which the Apostle would have us delivered, it is certain it is a Doctrine directly oppofite to all vice and wickednefs. For herein the grace of God was manifefted, he tells the Romans, in that it had brought them from being flaves of fin, heartily to obey the Christian Do&trine; which taught, that is, Vertue and Piety.

Now to this the prefent Romanifts can pretend to adde nothing. All the parts of a godly life are fufficiently taught us in the holy Scriptures. And if we would feriously practife and follow this Doctrine from the very heart, we should easily see there is no other but what is there delivered. For whatfoever is pretended to be neceffary befides, is not a Doctrine according unto godliness (as

the

the Apostle calls Christianity) but the very defigne of it is to open an eatier way to Heaven than that laid before us in the holy Scriptures, by Masses for the dead, by Indulgences, by San&ifications, and the merits of the Saints, and several other such like inventions; which have no foundation in the Scriptures, nor in true Antiquity.

That is a word indeed which is very much pretended. Antiquity, they fay, is on their fide; but it is nothing different from what hath been faid about Tradition. And if we will run up to the true Antiquity, there is nothing fo ancient as the boly Scriptures. They are the oldest Records of Religion; and by them if we frame our lives, we are sure it is according to the most authentick and ancient directions of Piety, delivered in the holy Oracles of God. So both fides confefs them to be. And if the old Rule be safe, that is true which is first, we are safe enough: for there is nothing before this to be our Guide; and there can be nothing after this, but must be tried by it. According to another Rule, as old as Reason it felf; The first in every kind, is the measure of all the rest.. And, as fure as that there is a Gospel of God's grace, they that walk after this Rule (this Divine Canon) peace shall be upon them, and mercy; they being the true Ifrael, or Church, of God.

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