114, ;^ ■' .^ THE Bifliop of B A N G O R s LATE SERMON, AND HIS LETTER to Dr. Snap E in Defence of it, A N S W E R'D. And the Dangerous Nature of fome Doarines in his Prefervathey Set forth in a Letter to his Lordlhip. By WILLIAM LAW, M. A. The Ninth Edition. L O >J D O N: Printed for W. I n n v s and J.Richardson in Pakr-noftcr- Row. M d c c l ii i . ( s) •A. L.T- 'mPL My L o R D> THAT your Lordfhip may be pre- pared to receive what I here pre- fume to lay before you, with the greater Candor, I fincerely profefs, that it does not proceed from any Prejudice j but from certain Reafons, upon which I find niyfe] f invincibly obliged to differ from your Lordfhip in Opinion. To prevent all Sufpicion of my defigning any thing injurious to your Lordfliip's Chara- d:er in this Addrefs, I have prefixed, what other wife I fliould have chofen to conceal, mv Name to it. Your Lordfliip is rcprefented as at the Head of a Caufe, where every Adverfary is fure to be reproach'd, either as a furious Jacobite, or Popiili Bigot, or an Enemy to the Liberty of his Country, and the Proteftant Caufe. Thcfc hard Names are to be expecfted, my Lord, from a Set of Men who diflionour your Lord- fnip with their Panegyricks upon your Per- formances 3 ( 6 ) formances -, whofe Praifes defile the Charadei* they would adorn. When Dr. Sjiapc reprefents your Lordfliip as no Friend to the good Orders, and necef- fary Inllitutions of the Church, you complain of the ill Arts of an Adverfary, who fets you out in falfe Colours, perverts your Words on purpofe to increafe his own Imaginary 'Tri- umphs. But, my Lord, in this, Dr. Snape only thinks with thofe who would be counted your befl: Friends j and would no longer be your Friends, but that they conclude, you have declared againil the Authority of the Church. Does your Lordfhip fuppofe, that the T ds, the H ks, the B ts, would be at fo much Expence of Time and Labour, to juftify, commend and enlarge up- on your Lordihip's Notions, if they did not thiiik you engaged in their Caufe ? There is not a Libertine, or Loofe-Thinker in Eiig- land^ but he imagines you intend to diflblve the Church as a Society, and are ready to of- fer Incenfe to your Lordfliip for fo meritori- ous a Defign, It is not my Intention to re- proach your Lordihip with their Eflecm, or to involve you in the Guilt of their Schemes; but to Priew, that an Adveriary does not need any Malice to make him believe you no Friend to the CoHilitution of the Church, as a Re- gular Society, fince your greateft Admirers every Day publidi it by necellary Conflrudti- on to the World in Print. After ( 7 ) After a Word or two concerning a Paflligc in your Lordlhip's Prefervative, I fliall pro- ceed to conllder your Anfwer to Dr. Siiape. In che 98th Page you have thefe Words : But lehen you are fecure of your Integrity before Qod^ this will lead you [as it ought all of lis) not to be afraid of the Terrors of Men^ or the vain Words of Regular Uninterrupted Sue- ceffions^ Authoritative BenediBions , Excommu- 7iications^ Nullity^ or Validity of God's Ordinafices to the People upon Accoimt of Nice- ties and Trifles, or any other the like Dreams. My Lord, thus much mufl be implied here : Be not afraid of the Terrors of Men, who would perfuade you of the Danger of being in this, or that Communion, and fright you into particular Ways of worfhipping God, who would make you believe fuch Sacraments, and fuch Clergy, are ncceflary to recommend you to his Favour. For thefe, your Lord- fhip affirms, we may contemn, if we be but fecure of our Integrity. So that if a Man be not a H\pocritc, It mat- ters not what Religion he is of. This is a Propofition of an unfriendly Afped: to Chri- ftianity : But that it is entirely your Lord- ihip's, is plain from what you declare, p. 90. That every one may find it in his oivn ConduB to be triie^ that his Title to God's Favour can- net ( 8 ) not depend upon his adtiial being or continuing in any particular Method \ hut upon his real Sincerity in the ConduB of his Confcience. A- gain, p. 91. 'T'he Favour of God follows Sin- cerity^ confderd as fuch, and confequcntly equally follows every equal Degree of Sincerity, So that I hope I have not wrefted your Lord- fhip's Meaning, by faying, that, according to thefe Notions, if a Man be not a Hypocrite, it matters not what ReHgion he is of. Not only fincere fakers. Ranters, Muggletonians, and Fifth Monarchy-Men, are as much in the Favour of God, as any of the Apoftles ; but hkewife fincere Jews, Turks and Deijls, are upon as good a Bottom, and as fecure of the Favour of God, as the fincercfl Chriflian. For your Lordfhip faith, it \s Sincerity, as fuch, that procures the Favour of God. If it be Sincerity, as fuch, then it is Sincerity independent and exclufive of any particular Way of Worfliip : And if the Favour of God equally follows every equal Degree of Sincerity, then it is impofliblc there (liould be any Dif- ference, either as to Merit or Happinefs, be- tween a fincere Martyr and a fincere Perfccu- tor ; and he that burns the Chriftian, if he be but in earneiL, has the fame Title to a Re- ward for it, as he that is burnt for believing in Chrif):. Youi' (9 ) Your Lordflilp faith, you can't help It, if teople will charge you with * Evil Intenti- ons and Bad Views. I intend no fuch Charge : But I wonder, your Lordfhip iliould think it hard, that any one fhould infer from thefe Places, that you are againji the Inter eji of the Church of England. For, my Lord, cannot \}i\z§luakers^ Muggle- tonians, Deifts, Frefiyterians^ affert you as much in their Intereft as we can ? Have you faid any thing for us, or done any thing for us in this Prefervative, but what you have equally done for them ? Your Lordiliip is ours, as you fill a BiJIjoprick -, but we are at a lofs to difcover from this Difcourfe what other Intereft we have in your Lordfhip : For you openly expofe our Communion, and give up all the Advantages of it, by telling all forts of People, if they are but fincere in their own Way, they are as much in God's Favour as any body elfe. Is this fupporting our Inte- reft, my Lord ? Suppofe a Friend of King George fliould de- clare it to all hritains whatever, that though they were divided into Five thoiiland different Parties, to fet up different Pretenders ; yet if they were but fincere in their Defigns, they would be as much in the Favour of God, as B thofc * Anfvvcr, p, 46, ( lo ) thofe who arc mofl firmly attach 'd to his Ma- jefty. Does your Lordfhip think, fuch a one would be thought any great Friend to the Government ? And, my Lord, is not this the Declaration you made as to the Church of England ? Have you not told all Parties, that their Sincerity is enough ? Have you faid io much as one Word in Recommendation of our Communion : Or, if it v^as not for your Church-Charader in the Title- Page of this Difcourfe, could any one alive conceive what Communion you was of? Nay, a Reader, that was a Stranger, would imagine, that he who will allow no Difference between Com- munions, is himfelf of no Communion. Your Lordil:iip, for ought I know, may adl accord- ing to the flri^left Sincerity, and may think it your Duty to undermine the Foundations of the Church. I am only furprized, that you fliould refufe to own the Reafonablenefs of fuch a Charge. Your Lordfhip hath cancell'd all our Obli- gations to any particular Communion, upon pretence of Sincerity. I hope, my Lord, there is Mercy in flore for all forts of People, however erroneous in their Way of worfhipping God ; but cannot believe, that to be a lincere Chriflian, is to be no more in the Favour of God, than to be a fincere Dciji, or a fmcere Defiroyer of Chri- ftians. ( " ) fllans. It will be allowed, that Sincerity is a necelTary Principle of true Religion ; and that without it, all the moft fpecious Appearances of Virtue are nothing worih. But IHll, nei- ther common Senfe, nor plain Scripture, will fuffer me to think, that when our Saviour was on Earth, they were as much in the Favour of God, who fmcerely refufed to be his Dif- ciples, and fincerely called for his Crucifixion, as thofe who fincerely left all and followed him. If they were, my Lord, where is that Bleliednefs of Believing fo often mentioned in the Scripture ? Or, where is the Happinefs of the Gofpel Revelation, if they are as well, w^ho refufe it fincerely, as thofe who embrace it w^ith Integrity ? Our Saviour declared, that thofe who be- lieved fhould be faved ; but thofe who be- lieved' not, fliould be damned. Will your Lordfhip fay, that all Unbelievers were inlin- cere; or, that though they were damned, they 'were yet in the fime Favour with God, as thofe who were laved ? The Apoftle alTures us, that there is «o other Name under Heaven give7i unto Men, whereby they can be faved, but Jcfus Chrift. But your LordQiip hath found out an Atone- ment more univerfal than that of his Blood j and which will even make thofe bldfed and happy, who count it an unholy Thing. For = ^^^- ' B 3 ■ l^^i"S C 12 ) feeing it is Sincerity^ as fiich, that alone re-, commends us to the Favour of God, they v/ho fincerely perfecute this Name, are in as good a Way, as thofe that fincerely wor{l:iip it. Has God declared this to be the only Way to Salvation ? How can your Lordfliip tell the World, that Sincerity will fave them, be they in what Way they will ? Is this all the Ne- ceffity of Chrift's Satisfaction ? Is this all the Advantage of the Gofpel Covenant, that thofe who fincerely contemn it, are in as good a State without it, as thofe that embrace it ? My Lord, here is no Aggravation of your Meaning. If Sincerity, as fuch, be the only thing that recommends us to God, and every equal Degree of it procures an equal Degree of Favour ; it is a Demonftration, that Sin- cerity agamjl Chrift is as pleafing to God, as Sincerity for him. My Lord, this is a Do- (flrine which no Words can enough decry. So I fliall leave it, to conlider what Opinion St. Faiil had of this kind of Sincerity. He did not think, when he perfecuted the Church, though he did it ignorantly^ and in Unbelief, ^nd out of Zeal towards God, that he was as much in the Favour of God, as when he fuf- fer'd for Chrift. I a?n the Icajl^ faith he, of the ApqflleSj not Jit to be called an Apojlle 5 be- Caufe I perfecuted the Church of Chrijl. The Apoftle does not fcruple to charge himfelf with Guiltj notwithftanding his Sincerity. A little ( '3 ) A little Knowledge of human Nature will teach us, that our Sincerity may be often charged with Guilt ; not as if we were guilty becaufe we are lincere j but becaufe it may be our Fault that we are hearty and iincere in fuch or fuch ill-grounded Opinions. It may have been from fome ill Condud; of our own, fome Irregularities, or Abufe of our Faculties, that we conceive things as we do, and are fix- ed in fuch and fuch Tenets. And can we think fo much owing to a Sincerity in Opini- ons, contradled by ill Habits and guilty Beha- viour? There are feveral faulty Ways, by which People may cloud and prejudice their Underftandings, and throw themfelves into a very odd Way of thinking ; for fome Caufe or other God may Jend them afirong'Dcliifioji^ that they jhould believe a Lye. And will your Lord- fliip fay, that thofe who are. thus funk into Errors, it may be, through their own ill Con- duvhich is only to be coriditionally obeyed. Your (30 ) Your Lordfhip has written a great many Elaborate Pages to prove the Engltfh Govern- ment Limited ; and that no Obedience is due to it, but whilft it preferves our Fundamen- tals ; and, I fuppofe, the People are to judge for themfelves, v^hether thefe are fafe, or not. Glorious Authority of the Englifh Go- 'Vernmenf, which is to be obefd no longer than the People think it their Intereji to obey it ! Will your Lordflilp fay, There is 720 Au- thority in the Efiglijh Government, becaufe only a conditional Obedience is due to it, whilft we think it fupports our Fundamentals ? Why then muft the Church- Authority be reckoned nothing at all, becaufe only a Rational Con- ditional Obedience is to be paid, whilil: we think it not contrary to Scripture ? Is a Li- mited, Conditional Government in the State, fuch a Wife, Excellent, and Glorious ConiH- tution ? And is the fam.e Authority in the Church, fuch Abfurdity, Nonfcnfe, and no- thing at all, as to any actual Power P If there be fuch a thing as Obedience up- on Rational Motives, there muft be fuch a thing as Authority that is not Abfolute, or that docs not require a Bli?id, Implicit Obe- dience. Indeed, Rational Creatures can obey no other Authority ; they muft have Reafons for what they do. And yet becaufe the Church ( 3^ ) Church claims only this Rational Obedience your Lordfhip explodes y^rZ» Authority as none at all. Yet it muft be granted, that no other Obe- dience was due to the Prophets, or our SavU dur and his Apoftles : They were only to be obeyM by thofe who Thought their Do6trines worthy of God. So that if the Church has no Authority, becaufe we muft firft confult the Scriptures before we obey it ; neither our Sa- viour, nor his Apoftles, had any Authority^ becaufe the Jews were iirft to confult their Scriptures, and the Heathens their Reafon, before they obey'd 'em. And yet this is all that is faid againft Chur ch^ Authority -, That l3ecaufe they are to judge of the Laivfidnefs oi its Injundlions, therefore they owe it no Obe- dience : Which falfe Conclufion I hope is enough expofed. If we think it unlawful to do any thing that the Church requires of us, we muft not obey its Authority. So, if we think it un- lawful to fubmit to any Temporal Govern- ment, we are not to comply. But, I hope, it will not follow, that the Government has no Authority, becaufe fome think it unlawful to comply with it. If we are fo unhappy as to judge wrong in any Matter of Duty, we muft neverthelefs adl according to our Judg- ments ; and the Guilt of Difobedience either in ( 32 ) in Church or States is more or lefs, according as our Error is more or Itfs voluntary, and oc- calioned by our own Mifmanagement. 1 believe I have fliewn, Firft, That all your Lordfhip's Arguments againft Church- Authority^ conclude with the fame Force a- gainft all Degrees of Authority : Secondly, That though Church- Authority be not Abfo- lute in a certain Senje -, yet if our Saviour and his Apoftles had any Authority, the Church may have a Real Authority : For neither he, nor his Apoftles, hsid fuch an Abfolute Autho- rity, as excludes all Conjideration and Rxami- nation : Which is your Notion of Abfolute Authority. Before I leave this Head, I muft obferve, that in this very Anfwer to Dr. Stiape^ where you would be thought to have expofed thii Abfolute Authority alone, you exclude all Au- thority along with it. You afk the Do6tor *, Is this the whole you can make of it^ after all your boafted Zeal for Mere Authority ? You then fay, Why may not I be allowed to fay, Nt) Man on Earth hath an Abfolute Authority, as well as you ? My Lord, there can be no un- derftanding of this, unlefs Mere Authority and Abfolute Authority be taken for the fame thing by your Lordfhip. But, • Anfwer, p. 36. (33) But, my Lord, is not the fmalleft Particle of Matter, Mere Matter ? And is it there- fore the fame as the JVhole Mafs of Matter ? Is an Inch of Space, becaufe it is Mere Space^ the fame as Infinite Space ? How comes it then, that Mere Authority is the fame as Ab- folute Authority ? My Lord, Mere Authority implies ofily Authority, as a Mere Man im- plies only a Man : But your Lordlliip makes no Difference between this, and Abfolute Au- thority ; and therefore hath left ?jo Authority in the Church, unlefs there be Authority, that is not Mere Authority, i. e. Matter that is not Mere Matter; or Space 'that is not Mere Space. When the Church enjoins Matters of In- difference, is fhe obeyed for any Reafon, but for her Mere Authority ? But your Lordfhip allows no Obedience to Mere Authority ; and therefore no Obedience even in Indifferent Matters. Thus do thefe Arguments of yours lay all wafte in the Church : And I muft not omit 6?ie, my Lord, which falls as heavy upon the State, and maizes all Civil Goverfz?nent un- lawful. Your Words arc thefe : As the Church ofChrift is the Kingdom ofChrifi, He bimfelf is King j and in this it is imply' d^ that He is the fole Law-giver to his Subjeds, E and ( 34) and Hinifelf the fole Judge of their Behaviour in the yjffairs of Confcicnce and Salvation, If there be any l^nitb or Force in this Argu- ment, it ccnckides with the lame 'Truth and Force againll: all Authority in the Kingdoms of this World. In Scripture we are told, the Moft High rideth in the Kingdom of Men, (Dan. iv. 17.) that the Lord is our Liiw- ghcr^ the Lord is our King, (Ila. xxxiii. 22.) No\\', if becaufe Chrifl is King of the Church,, it mull be in this implfd, that he hfok Law- giver to Ills SuhjcBs ; it is plain to a Demon- liration, that becaufe God is King and Law-. giver to the whole Earth, that therefore Hg^ is /ble Laic-giver to his SubjeBs -, and confe- quently, that all Civil Authority, all Hufnan Laws, are m.ere Invafions and Ufurpatto?is upon God's Authority, as King of the whole Earth. Is no body to have any Jurifdi(5lion in Chrijl's Kingdom, becaufe He is King of it ? How then comes any one to have a?iy Autho- rity in the Kingdoms of this World, when God has declared himfelf the Law-giver, and King of the whole World ? Will your Lord- (liip''f\y, that Chrifl hath left us the Scfip- turcs, as the Statute-Laws of his Kingdom, to prevent the NecelTity oi After-Laws^ It may be anfwer'd. That God has given us Keafo7i for our conftant Guide ; which, if it were as duly attended to, would as certainly anfwer { 35 ) anfwer the Ends of Civil Life, as the Obfer- vance of the Scriptures would make us good Chriftians. But, my Lord, as human Nature, if left to itfelf, would neither anfwer the Ends of a Spiritual or Civil Society ; fo a coiiftant Vifihle Government in both, is eqiiallj neceffary : And, I believe, it appears to all unprejudiced Eyes, that in this Argument at leaji, your Lordfliip has declared both equally Vnlaw- Jul Your Lordfhip fiiith f , T^he Exclufion of the Papijlsfrom the 'Thro7ie, ims not upon the Account of their Religion. Three Lines after you fay, / have contended indeed elfeivhere, that it was their imhappy Religion which alone made them uncap able in them j elves, of govern- ing this Prcteftant Nation by the Laws of the Land. My Lord, I can't reconcile thefe two Paflages. Ropery alone, you fay, was their Incapacity. From which it may be inferred, they had 710 other Incapacity. Yet your Lord- fliip faith. They were not excluded upon the Account of their Religion. A little after you fay, The Ground of their Exclufion was 7iot their Religion, coJifiderd as fuch ; but the Fa- tal, Natural, Certain EffeBs of it upon them- felves to our DefruBion. E 2 ^s •J- Anfwer, p. 25, (36) As for Inftance, your Lordfliip may mean thus : If a Man of a great EJtate dies, he k)fes his Right to his Eftate j not upon the Account of Death, confider'd as fiich j but for the Certain^ Fatal, Natural EffeB of it> upon himfelf. Or, fuppofe a Perfon be ex- cluded for being an Idiot j it is not for his Idiocy, confider'd as fiich -, but for the Cer- tain, Fatal, Natural EffeB of it upon him- felf to our Deflrudtion. My Lord, this is prodigious deep : I wiili it be clear j or, that it be not too refined a Notion for common Ufe on this Subje(5l. Likewife I do not conceive, my Lord, what you can call the Fatal, Natural, Certain £/- feBs of any one's Religion. I am fure, a- mong Protr/iants there are no Natural, Cer-^ tain EffeB s of their Religion upon them ; that their Practices don't Fatally follow their Prin- ciples : Neither is there any demonftrative Certainty, that a Bijljop cannot be againfl: 'Epifcopacy. If the Papijls arc fo unalterably fJncere in their Religion, that we can prove their certain Obfervation of it, it's pity but they had our Principles, and we had their Pradice. I have not that good Opinion of the Papifls, which your Lordlhip hath : I believe feveral of them fit as loofc to their Religion, as other Folks. Does ( 37 ) Does your Lordfhip think, that all Papijls are alike ? That natural Temper, Ambition and Education, don't make as much Diffe- rence amongft them, as the fame things do amongft us ? Are all Protejiants loofe and li- bertine alike ? Why fliould all Papijls be the fame Zealots ? If not, my Lord, then thefe Effedis you call Fatal, Natural, and Certain, may be not to be depended upon. Your Lordfhip knows, that it was general- ly believed, that King Charles the Second was a Papijl : But I never heard of any Fatal, Natural, and Certain EffeBs of his Religion up- on him. All that one hears of it is, that he liv'd like a Proteflant, and dy'd like a Papift. I fuppofe your Lordfliip will allow, that feve- ral who were lately Papifs, are now true Proteftants. I defire therefore to know, what is become of the Fatal, Certain, and Natural Effedls of their Religion f My Lord, I beg of you to lay your Hand again upon your Heart, and afk, Whether this be ftrid: Reafoning ? Whether it is pofTible in the very Nature of the thing, that fuch Fatal, Natural, and Certain Effedlsfiould follow fuch a Giddy, Whimfical, Uncertain Thing, as Himian and Free Choice ? My Lord, is it neither pofTible for Papifts to change or conceal their Religion for Intereft, or ( 38 ) or leave It through a confcientious Conviclion ? If the former is impofTible, then, according to your Lordihip, it is the fafefi Religion in the World ; becaufe they are all furc of be- ing fmcere, and confequently, the Firll: Fa- vourites of God. If the latter is impoflible, then a great many fine Sermon^ and Difcour- fes have been written to as wife Purpofes, as if they had been direfted to the Wind. I come now to your Lordfhip's Definition of Prayer, a Calm and Undifiurhed Addrefs to God. It feems very flrange, that fo great a Mafter of Words as your Lordfliip, fhould pick out Two fo very exceptionable, that all your Lordfl:iip's Skill could not defend them, but by leaving their lirft and obvious Senfe. Who would not take Cahn and Undijiurbed to be very like §luiet and Unmoved'^- Yet your Lordlliip diflikes thole Expreffions. But if thefe do not give us a true Idea of Prayer, you have made a very narrow Efcape, and have given us a Definition of Prayer as near to a ivrofig one as poflible. Prayer chiefly confifteth of Confejjion and Petition, Now, to be Cahn, and free from all worldly Paffions, is a neccfiliry Temper to the right Difcharge of fuch Duties : But why our Confejjion mull: be fo Calm, and free from all Perturbation of Spirit ; why our Petitions may not have all that Fervour and Warmth, with ( 39 ) with which either Nature or Grace can fup- ply them, is very furprizing. My Lord, we are advifed to be Dead to the World y and I humbly fuppofe, no more is implied in it, than to keep our Affedions from being too much engaged in it ; and that a Cahn, TJjidifturbed, i. e. Difpajjionate Ufe of the World is very confiftent with our being dead to it. If fo, then this Calm^ Vndijlurb- ed Addrefs to Heaveji, is a kind of Prayer that is very confiftent v^ith our being dead to Heaven, We are forbid to love the World j and yet no greater Abftra5iion from it is required, than to ufe it Calm and TJndiJlurb'd, We are commanded to fet our AffeSlions on Things above j and yet, according to your Lordfliip, the fame Calm, Undijlurbed Temper is efiough. According to this therefore we are to be af- feBed, or rather unaffeBed alike, with this and the next World ; fince we are to be Calm and Undijiurb'd with refped: to both. The Reafon your Lordfliip offers for this Definition of Prayer, is this ; because you ^ look upon Calmnefs and JJndiJlurbednefs to be the Ornament and Defence of human XJiider- jlandiiig in all its ABions. My Lord, this plainly fuppofes, there is no fuch thing as the Right ? Anfwer, p. 1 1 , (40 ) Right TJfe of our Pajions : For if we could ever ufe them to any Advantage, then it could not be the Ornament of our Nature to be dif- pajfionate alike in all its Adions. It is as much the Ornament and Defence of our Nature, to be differently offeBed w^ith Things according to their refpeBive Differences, as 'tis to un- derftand or conceive different Things according to their real Difference. It would be no Or- nament or Credit to us, to conceive no Diffe- rence betwixt a Mountain and a Mole-Hill : And our Rational Nature is as much difgra- ced, when we are no more affeBed W\\h great Things than with fmall. It is the Effential Ornament of our Nature, to be as fenfibly af- feBed in a different Manner with the different Degrees of Goodnefs of Things, as 'tis to per- ceive exadlly the different Natures or Relati- ons of Things. PaJJion is no more a Crime, as fuch, than the Utiderjlanding is, as fuch, 'Tis nothing but miftaking the Value of Ob- jedls, that makes it criminal. An Infinite Good cannot be too pajjionately defir'd, nor a Keal Evil too vehemently abhorr'd. Mere Philofophy, my Lord, would teach us, that the Dignity of Human Nature is befl decla- red by a Pungent Uneafinefs for the Mifery of Sin, and 2. pajjionate warm Application to Hea- ven for Afliftance. Let us now confult the Scripture. St. Paul defcribes a godly So?tow fomething different from ( 41 ) from your Lordfliip's Calm and TJndijlurbed 'Temper J in thefe Words : When ye forrowed after a godly fort ^ what Carefulnefs it wrought in you I Tea, what Indignation, yea^ what Fear, yea, what Zeal, yea, what Revenge ! (2 Cor. vii. II.) My Lord, I fuppofe thefe ai*e not fo many Words for Calm and JJjidi- fiurbed. Yet, as different as they are, the Apoftle makes them the ^lalities of a godly Sorrow. And all this, at the Expence of that Calm?iefs which your Lordfhip terms the Or- nament of human Nature. Dr. Snape pleads for the Fervency and jirdour of our Devoti- ons, from our Saviour's praying more earnefily before his FaJJion. Your Lordihip replies, that this can give no Directions as to our daily Prayers ; be- caufe it was what our Saviour himfelf knew nothing of, but this once. The Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews knew nothing of this way of Reafoning. For, as an Argu- ment for daily Patience, he bids us look to Jefus, who endured the Crofs, becaufe he died for us, leaving us an Example, Oar Saviour, my Lord, fuffered and died but once ; yet is it made a Reaibn for our dai- ly Patience, and propofed as an Example for us to imitate. Jf ( 42 ) If therefore, my Lord, his Paffion, fo ex- traordinary in itfelf, and as much above the Power of human Nature to bear, as the 7;z- tenfenefs of his Devotions exceeded our Capa- cities for Prayer, be yet propofed as an Ex- ample to us in the ordinary Calamities of Life ; how comes it, that his Devotion at that time Ihould have no manner of Ufe or Direction in it as to our Devotions, efpecially in our Di- firefs ? How comes it, that his Suffering fhould have fo much of Example in it, fo much to be imitated ; but the Manner of his Devotion then have nothing of Inftruftion, nothing that need be imitated by us ? Ail the Reafon that is offer'd, is the Singularity and Ext raor dinar inefs of it, when the fame may be faid of his PaJJion j yet that is allowed to be an Example, Your Lord(hip is pleafed, for the Informa- tion of your Unwary Readers^ to reafon thus upon the Place : If this be the Example of our Saviour, to affurc us of his Will about the Temper neceffary to Prayer, // will follow, that our Blefj'ed Lord JTwifelf never truly pray^ ed before this time : And yet again, if he prayed more earncjlly, it will follow, that he had prayed before \ and confequently, that this Temper in which He now was, was not necef- fary to Prayer. My ( 43 ) My Lord, one would think this Elaborate Proof was againft fomething afTerted. Here you have indeed a thorough Conquelt j but it is over no body. For did any one ever aiTerr, that fuch Extraordmary Earncfinefi was iic- ceff'ary to Prayer ? Does Dr. Snape^ or any Divines, allow of no Prayers, except we fweat Drops of Bloods Will your Lordfhip fay, that the NeceJJity of this Temper is im- ply'd in the Quotation of this Text, as a Di- redion for Prayer ? I anfwer, juft as much as we are all obliged to die upon the Crofs, be- caufe his Sufferings there are propofed to us as an Example, The plain Truth of the Matter, my Lord, I take to be this : Our Saviour s Sufferings on the Crofs v/ere fuch as no Mortal can under- go ; yet they are juftly propofed as an Ex- ample to us to bear with Patience fuch Suffer- ings as are within the Compafs of human Na- ture. His earneft Devotion before this Pafli- on, far exceeded any Fervours which the De- vouteft of Mankind can attain to ; Yet it is juftly propofed to us as an Example^ co excite us to be as fervent as we can ; and may be juftly alledg'd in our Defence, when our isoarm and pajjionate Addrelles to God in our Calamities, are condemned as fiiperfiitious Folly. My Lord, muft nothing be an Ex- ample, but what we can exadly come up to ? F 2 How ( 44 ) How then can the Life of our Saviour^ which was entirely free from Sin^ be an Ex- ample to us ? How could it be faid in the Scripture, Be ye holy^ for I am holy ? Can any- one be Holy as God is ? My Lord, one might properly urge the Practice of the Primitive Chriilians, who parted with all they had for the Support of their Indigent Brethren^ as an Argument for Charity, without deligning to oblige People to part with all they have. And he that fhould, in anfwer to fuch an Argument, tell the World, that Charity is only a calm^ iin- difliirh'd Good Will to all Mankind^ would iuft as much fct forth the true T)o5lrine of Charity^ as He that defines Prayer to be a calm and imdijiurb'd Addrefs to Heaven, for no other Reafon, but becaufe no certain De- grees of Fervour or AfFedilon are necefTarily required to conftitute Devotion. My Lord, has Charity nothing to do with the Dijfribu- tion of Alms, becaufe no certain Allowance is fixed ? Why then mufl: Prayer have nothing to do with Heat and Fervency, becaufe nc fixed Degrees of it are neceflary ? Therefore, my Lord, as I would define Charity to be a pious Diftribution of fo much of our Goods to the Poor, as is fuitable to our Circumflances ; fo I vv^oiild define Prayer, ar jdddrcfs to Heaven, enlivened with fuch De- gree '( 45 ) gr-ees of Fervour ajid Intenfenefs, as our Na- tural Temper, injiuenc'd with a true Senfe of God, could beget in us. Your Lordfliip fays, you only defire to ftrike at the Root oi fuperjlitiou:^ Folly, and eJiabliJJj Prayer in its room ; and this is to be citeded by making our AddreiTes calm and undiflurh'd : By which we are to underftand, a F?'eedom from Heat and Pajjion, as your Lordfliip explains it, by an Application to yourfelf. If therefore any one fhould happen to be fo dijlurb'd at his Sins, as to offer a broken and contrite Heart to God, inftead of one calm and undifturb'd -, or, like holy David^ his Soul fhouid be athirfl for God, or p:mt af- ter him, as the Hart panteth after the Water- brooks, this would not be Prayer, but fuper- Jiitious Folly, My Loid, Cahnnefs of T^etnper, as it figni- fies a Power over our Paffions, is a happy Cir^ ctimjiance of a National Nature, but no far- ther : When the Objedl is well chofen, there is no Danger in the Purfuit. The Calmnefs your Lordfhip hath defcri- bed, is fit for a Philofopher in his Study, who is folving Mathematical Problems. But if he fliould come abroad into the World, thus en- tirely ( 46 ) tirely empty of all Paflion, he would live to as much Purpofe, as if he had left his Under- ftanding behind him. What a fine Subjed, my Lord, would fuch a one make, who, when he heard of PlotSy InvafioJis, and Rebellions, would con- tinue as calm and imdijiurb'd, as when he was comparing Lines and Figures^ Such a calm Subject would fcarce be taken for any Great Loyaliji, Your Loidfliip, in other Places, hath re- commended an open and undifguijed Zeal *, and told us fuch things as ought to alarm the coldeft Heart "f. Sure, my Lord, this is fomewhat more than Calm and Undifturb'a : And will your Lordfhip, who hath exprefled fo much Concern for this Omame?it and De- fence of human Vnderfianding^ perfuade us to part with the leaft Degree of it upon any Ac- count ? I am, my Lord, (with all Refpecft that is due to your Lordfliip's Station and Cha- radter) Your mofl Humble and > Obedient Servant, William Law. i * Sermon 5th Nov. p. 5. . ■\ Sermon, p. 14. LOS ANGELES ) 000 746 993