And they are these: —
1. Whereas our Saviour liath determined that our happiness con- sisteth not in the knowing the things of the gospel, but in doing of them; and seeing that no man can expect any benefit or advantage from or by Christ Jesus but only they that yield obedience unto him, to whom alone he is a " captain of salvation;" the first thing wherein all that profess Christianity ought to agree and consent together is, jointly to obey the commands of Christ, — " to live godly, righteously, and soberly in this present world," following after " holi- ness, without which no man shall see God." Until we all agree in this, and make it our business, and fix it as our end, in vain shall we attempt to agree in notional and speculative truths; nor would it be much to our advantage so to do. For as I remember I have told you before, so I now on this occasion tell you again, it will at the last day appear that it is all one to any man what party or way in Christian religion he hath beenl)f, if he have not personally been born again, and, upon mixing the jDromises of Christ with faith, have thereupon yielded obedience unto him unto the end. I confess men may have many advantages in one way, that they may not have in another, — they may have better means of instruction, and better ex- amples for imitation: but as to the event, it will be one and the same with all unbelievers, all unrighteous and ungodly persons; and men may be very zealous believers in a party who are in the sight of God unbelievers as to the whole design of the gospel. This is a principle wherein, as I take it, all Gltristians agree, — namely, that the profes- sion of Christianity will do no man the least good as to his eternal concernments that lives not up to the potuer^ of it ; yea, it will be an ao-oravation of his condemnation : and the want hereof is that which hath lost all the lustre and splendour of the religion taught by Jesus Christ in the world. Would Christians of all parties make it their business to retrieve its reputation, wherein also their own bliss and happiness is involved, by a universal obedience unto the precepts of it, it would insensibly sink a thousand of their differences under ground. Were this attended unto, the world would quickly say with admiration, —
" Magnus ab integro seclorum nascitur ordo: Jam noTa progeuies coclo demittitur alto." Virg. Eel. iv. 5, 7.
The old, glorious, beautiful face of Christianity would be restored unto it again; which many deform more and more every day by
G 1 2 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
painting a dead carcase instead of the living spouse of Christ. And if ever we intend to take one step towards any agreement or unity, it must be by fixing this principle in the minds of all men, — that it is of no advantage to any man whatever church or way in Christian re- ligion he be of, unless he personally believe the promises, and live in obedience unto all the precepts of Christ; and that for him who doth so, that it is a trampling of the whole gospel under foot to say that his salvation could be endangered by his not being of this or that church or way, especially considering how much of the world hatli immixed itself into all the known ways that are in it. Were this once well fixed on the minds of men, and did they practically believe that men shall not be dealt withal at the last day hy gross, as of this or that party or church, but that every individual person must stand upon his own bottom, live hy his oiun faith, or perish far want of it, as if there had been no other persons in the world but himself, we should quickly find their keenness in promoting and contending for their several parties taken off, their heat allayed, and they will begin to find their business and concernment in religion to be utterly another matter than they thought of For the present, some Protes- tants think that when the Roman power is by one means or other broken, which they expect, that then we shall agree and have peace; Romanists, on the other side, look for and desire the extirpation of all that they call heresy or heretics, by one way or other. Some, pre- tending highly to moderation on both sides, especially among the Protestants, hope that it may be attained by mutual condescension of the parties at variance, contemjDeration of opinions and practices unto the present distant apprehensions and interests of the chief leaders of either side: what issue and event their desires, hopes, and attempts will have, time will show to all the world. For my part, until, by a fresh pouring out of the Spirit of God from on high, I see Christians in profession agreeing in pursuing the end of Christianity, endeavouring to be followers of Jesus Christ in a conversation be- coming the gospel, without trusting to the parties wherein they are engaged, I sliall have very little hopes to see any unity amongst us that shall be one jot better than our present differences. To see this, if any thing, would make me say, —