Page images
PDF
EPUB

of Men generally caufes Divifions. (20.) That the §. 39, c. Unity of God, or that there is but One Supreme God the Father of Chrift, is the grand foundation of Christianity. (21.) That the pretence of Se- §. 45. duction and Temptation will not excufe Men; but that exact Care and Caution are abfolutely necessary to Salvation. (22.) That traditionary §.55. L.L Explications are neceffary for the right under- §. 21. ftanding the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Teftament. (23.) That Faith is built up- §. 69. on Reason, and its Foundations must be thorowly examin'd. (24.) That the evil of Sin arifes L. III. §. from the freedom of Mens Will, and the fuggefti- 21, &c. ons of wicked Spirits, and not from God. (25.) That the Chriftian Religion is built upon the Paffim. certain Truth of Facts; and the Herefies on Metaphyfick reasoning,our unacquaintedness with the Reafons of the Divine Providence, and falfe Interpretations of Scripture. (26.) That the s. 37, &c. Juftice and Goodness of God, and the Immortality of Human Souls, are great Foundations of Religion. (27.) That officious Lyes are unlaw- §. 45. fal. (28.) That the acknowledgment of two s. 52, &c. Kingdoms; of the Meffiah on the one fide, and of the Devil on the other, are the grand foundation of Providence and Religion. (29.) That S. 56, &c. Divine Miracles are fuperior to Diabolical Signs; and are done for the good of Men, when the other are not. (30.) That the fame Bishops are Paffim. here named every where which are in the Conftitutions; as well as the fame Orders in the Church, as occafion offers. 31.) That wicked L. IV. §. Spirits are the Origin of Idolatry. (32.) That 13, &c. the Souls of the Wicked are Immortal, as well §. 16, 18. as of the Good; and must fuffer eternal Punishment. (33.) That Baptifm by Water is necef. L.VI. §. fary to Salvation. (34) That Thomas the Apof- &,

b 4

tle

c.

&c.

L. IX. S.

29.

tle preach'd the Gofpel to the Indians. (35) L. X. S. That while Men keep wholly to the Scriptures, 1s, Loc. as explained by Tradition, human Learning is not utterly unlawful among Chriftians. I now come in the laft place,

VIII. To recommend fome of the remarkable Paffages of this Book to the Reader's ferious confideration. But here I must be very fparing, otherwise I might felect no fmall part of the intire Work; it is every where fo full of excellent Inftructions, ferious Exhortations, prudent and ftrong Reafonings, and in general of folid Wifdom and Piety. However, take these few for LI. $.24. a Specimen: "There ever was, fays Clement from p. 22, 23. Peter, and is, and will be that Being from "which the first Will that was begotten derives "its Eternity; and from this firft Will a fecond "Will was deriv'd. Afterwards the World "came into Being; and from thence began "Time. Then arofe the Multitude of Men, " and the Election of the Friends of God from "that Multitude: by whofe unanimous Agree"ment is to be built up the peaceable King"dom of God. You intimated to us what "the determination of God was, which out of "his own good pleasure he promis'd in the "prefence of the Angels; and what was that "eternal Law which he had ordain'd for all "Men; as alfo that he appointed two King"doms, I mean the One of this, and the Other "of the future World; and determin'd the "times which fhould belong to each of them. "He did alfo decree that that Day of Judgment "fhould be waited for which he had appoint"ed, wherein the different nature of Things and "of Souls fhould appear; fo that the Wicked Thould certainly be deliver'd over to eternal

"Fire for their Sins; but that thofe who have "liv'd agreeably to the Will of God their Cre"ator fhould receive a Bleffing, on account of "their good Works, fhould fhine with the "brighteft Light,and be introduc'd into the eter"nal place of Reft; and continuing incorrup "tible, fhould be partakers of the everlasting "Rewards, and unfpeakable Happiness." And elfewhere Peter fays, "As to Abraham therefore, S. 33. P. "while he was defirous to understand the caufes 29. "of things, and was confidering them very earnestly with himself, the True Prophet ap "pear'd to him; who is alone conscious of the Hearts and Purposes of Men; and open'd to "him whatever he defir'd. He taught him the Knowledg of God, and fhew'd him the Origin "of the World; and alfo how it was to end; "declar'd to him the Immortality of the Soul, "and the Rules of Life; by the obfervance "whereof God would be pleas'd. He inform'd "him alfo that the Dead were to rife again, "and that there was to be a future Judgment, "a Reward for the Good, and Punishments for "the Bad; and that all would then be manag'd "with exact Juftice. And when he had truly "and fully taught him all things, he return'd "back into the invifible Regions again." And

"

in another place Peter fpeaks thus, "If we L.IIS.21. fpend this fhort time of Life in idle and un- p. 78, 79 profitable Questions, we fhall certainly go to

"

"God empty, and deftitute of good Works at "that time; I mean when the Judgment fhall "be appointed for our Works. For every thing "has its proper Time and Place. This is the "Place, this the Time for Works; the World "to come for Retribution. Left therefore we fhould change the order of Time and Place,

"and

5. 26. p. 82,83.

" and thereby be our own hindrance, let our "first Enquiry be, What is God's Righteouf "nefs? that like thofe that are going a Journey, "we may have a plentiful Provision for our "Journey, that is, good Works; that fo we "may be able to arrive at the Kingdom of God, " as at a very great City. For to those that "are well difpos'd God is manifested by those "Works of Nature which he has made, and is "attefted to by his own Creatures. Since there"fore there ought to be no doubt concerning "the Existence of God, we are only to enquire "about his Righteoufnefs and his Kingdom. "But if our Minds have an inclination to put

[ocr errors]

us on the Enquiry about fecret and hidden "matters, before we enquire after the Works "of Righteoufnefs, we ought to give an account "to our felves of this procedure. For if we "live well, and are thought worthy to obtain "Salvation, we fhall go to God chafte and pure, " and be fill'd with the Holy Ghoft; and fhall "know all fuch fecret and hidden things, with "out any cavilling or queftion, which at pre"fent, tho any one fhould fpend the intire time "of his Life in the Enquiry, he will be fo far "from finding them out, that he will bring "himself into greater Errors; because he aims "to arrive at the Haven of Life without walk"ing in the way of Life." And Peter adds foon after upon the fame Subject; "Tis, fays he, our δε defign to profit our Auditors, not to conquer "by unfair Methods; but to live good Lives in "order to propagate the knowledg of the Truth, "For if we difcourfe for the real discovery of "Truth, tho we fhould at any time fay fome things in an imperfect manner, which 'tis the Lot of humane Frailty to do, God out of

161.

"his unfpeakable goodness will fecretly fupply "that defect to the inward Senfe of the Hear "ers. For he is righteous, and according to "every one's true defign, makes the folution of "Enquiries very eafy to fome, while he renders "what is very plain in it felf to be obfcure to "others." And afterwards he fays to Simon, "Don't you fuppofe that we defire thefe Doc- §. 69. p. "trines fhould be receiv'd by an implicit Faith: 115. "for we can prove them by Evidence.-The "more ready any one is in requiring Evidence, "the firmer will he prove in the retaining his "Faith." In the following Book we have thefe words of Peter alfo, "'Tis the Duty of good L. III. "Men to love the Happiness of Heaven above $ 54. P. " all things; that is, above Riches, Glory, Eafe, Parents, Relations, Friends, and every thing "which is in this World. Now he that does " compleatly love this poffeffion of the King"dom of Heaven, will, without question, caft "L away all evil Customs, Negligence, Sloth, Malice, Anger, and all fuch Vices. For if you "prefer any one of these things thereto, you "will never attain to the poffeffion of the King"dom of Heaven; as having lov'd your own "Lufts and Vices, more than God: fince it is moft certainly a foolish thing to love any thing more than God. For whether they be Parents, they may die; whether they be Relations, they abide not; whether they be "Friends, they are mutable: For God alone is the eternal and immutable Father." And Peter, a few Sections lower fpeaks thus, "Now " who is he that loves God, but he that knows "his Wifdom? and how can any one know the "Wisdom of God, unless he be diligent in hearing his Word? whereby it comes to pass that

"

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

« PreviousContinue »