3. But you may say, “Why do you talk of the _success_ of the gospel in _England_, which was a Christian country before you was born?” Was it indeed? Is it so at this day? I would explain myself a little on this head also.
And 1. None can deny, that the people of _England_, in general are _called_ Christians. They are _called_ so, a few only accepted, by others, as well as by themselves. But I presume no man will say, that the _name_ makes the _thing_; that men _are_ Christians, barely because they are _called_ so. It must be 2. allowed, that the people of _England_, generally speaking, have been _christened_ or baptized. But neither can we infer, these were once _baptized_; therefore they are _Christians_ now. It is 3. allowed, that many of those who were once _baptized_, and are _called Christians_ to this day, _hear_ the word of God, attend _public prayers_, and partake of the _Lord’s supper_. But neither does this prove, that they _are Christians_. For notwithstanding this, some of them live in open sin: and others (though not conscious to themselves of _hypocrisy_, yet) are utter strangers to the _religion of the heart_: are full of pride, vanity, covetousness, ambition; of hatred, anger, malice or envy; and consequently, are no more _scriptural Christians_, than the open drunkard or common swearer.
Now these being removed, where are the _Christians_, from whom we may properly term _England_ a _Christian country_? The men who have the mind which was in Christ, and who walk as he also walked? Whose inmost soul is renewed after the image of God; and who are outwardly holy, as he who hath called them is holy? There are doubtless a few such to be found. To deny this, would be _want of candor_. But how few? How thinly scattered up and down? And as for a Christian, visible church, or a body of Christians, visibly united together, where is this to be seen?
Ye different sects, who all declare, Lo! here is Christ, or Christ is there; Your stronger proofs _divinely_ give, And _shew_ me, where _the Christians_ live!
* And what use is it of, what good end does it serve, to term _England_ a _Christian country_? (although ’tis true, most of the natives are _called_ Christians, have been _baptized_, frequent the _ordinances_: and although a real Christian is here and there to be found, _as a light shining in a dark place_:) Does it do any honour to our great Master, among those who are not _called_ by his name? Does it recommend Christianity to the _Jews_, the _Mahometans_, or the avowed _Heathens_? Surely no one can conceive it does. It only makes Christianity stink in their nostrils. Does it answer any _good end_ with regard to those on whom this worthy name is called? I fear not; but rather an exceeding bad one. For does it not keep multitudes easy in their _Heathen practice_? Does it not make or keep still greater numbers, satisfied with their _Heathen tempers_? Does it not directly tend to make both the one and the other imagine, that they _are_ what indeed they _are not_? That they _are Christians_, while they are utterly without Christ and without God in the world?――――To close this point: if men are not _Christians_, till they are renewed after the image of Christ, and if the _people of England_ in general are not thus renewed, why do we term them so? _The God of this world hath_ long _blinded their hearts_. Let us do nothing to increase that blindness: but rather labour to recover them from that _strong delusion_, that they may no longer _believe a lie_.
4. Let us labour to convince all mankind, that to be a real Christian, is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and to serve him with all our strength; to love our neighbour as ourselves, and therefore do unto every man as we would he should do unto us. Nay, you say, _Had you confined yourselves to these great points, there would have been no objection against your doctrine. But the doctrines you have distinguished yourselves by――――are not the love of God and man, but many false and pernicious errors._ (page 104.)
I have again and again, with all the plainness I could, declared, what our constant doctrines are; whereby we are _distinguished_ only from Heathens, or nominal Christians; not from any that worship God in Spirit and in truth. Our main doctrines, which include all the rest, are three, that of repentance, of faith, and of holiness. The first of these we account, as it were, the porch of religion; the next, the door; the third religion itself.
That repentance, or conviction of sin, which is always previous to faith (either in a higher or lower degree, as it pleases God) we describe in words to this effect: