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- 
 du<ft, or as a Judgment of God upon them, 
 are as much in his Favour, as thofe that love 
 and adhere to the Truth ? This, my Lord, is 
 a fhocking Opinion, and has given Numbers 
 of Chriflians great Offence, as contradicfti ng 
 common Senfe and plain Scripture ; as fetting 
 all Religion upon the Level, as to the Favour 
 of God. 
 
 The next thing that, according to your 
 Lordfl:iip, isjc ought not to be concerned at^ is^ 
 
 ■the
 
 ('4) 
 
 the vain Words of Regular and JJninferrupted 
 SucceJJions, as Niceties^ Trifles^ and Dreams, 
 Thus much furely is implied in thefe Words, 
 that no kind of Ordination or Mijjion of the 
 Clergy is of any Confequence or Moment to 
 us. For if the Ordination need not be Regu- 
 lar^ or derived from thofe who had Authority 
 from Chrift to Ordain, it is plain, that no one 
 particular kind of Ordination can be of any 
 more Value than another. For no Ordination 
 whatever can have any worfe Defedts, than as 
 being Irregular^ and not derived by a Succef- 
 fion from Chrifl. So that if thefe Circum- 
 flances are to be looked on as "Trifles and 
 Dreams^ all the Difference that can be fuppo- 
 fed betvi^ixt any Ordinations, comes under the 
 fame Notion of Trifles and Dreams i and con- 
 fequently, are either Good alike, or Trifling 
 alike. So that ^akers^ Independents^ Prefl)y- 
 terians, according to your Lordlliip, have as 
 much Reafon to think their Teachers as ufe- 
 ful to them, and as True Minifters of Chrift, 
 as thofe of the Epifcopal Communion have to 
 think their Teachers. For if Regularity of 
 Ordination and JJniiiterrupted Siicceflion be 
 mere Trifles, and nothing ; then all the Dif- 
 ference betwixt us and other Teachers, muft 
 be nothing : for they can differ from us in no 
 other refpecfts. So that, my Lord, if Epif- 
 copal Ordination, derived from Chrift, hath 
 been contended for by the Church of Ejig^ 
 land^ your Lordfliip hath in this Point defert- 
 
 ed
 
 ( '5 ) 
 
 ed her : And you not only give up Epifcopal 
 Ordination, by ridiculing a Succeffion ; but 
 likewife by the fame Argument exclude any 
 Minijiers on Earth from having Chrift's Au- 
 thority. For if there be not a Succeffion of 
 Perfons authorized from Chrift to fend others 
 to a6t in his Name, then both Epifcopal and 
 Prefbyterian Teachers are equally Ufurpers^ 
 and as mere Lay-men as any at all. For there 
 can't be any other Difference between the 
 Clergy and Laity ; but as the one hath Autho- 
 rity derived from Chrift, to perform Offices 
 which the other hath not. But this Autho- 
 rity can be no otherwife had, than by an Un- 
 interrupted Succeffion of Men from Chrift, 
 empower'd to qualify others. For if the Suc- 
 ceffion be once broke. People muft either go 
 into the Miniftry of their own Accord, or be 
 fent by fuch as have no more Power to fend 
 others, than to go themfelves. And, my 
 Lord, can thefe be called Minifters of Chrift, 
 or received as his AmbafTadors ? Can they be 
 thought to adl in his Name, who have no 
 Authority from him ? If fo, your Lordfhip's 
 Servant might Ordain and Baptize to as much 
 purpofe as your Lordffiip : For it could only 
 be objeded to fuch Adions, that they had no 
 Authority from Chrift. And if thrre be no 
 Succeffion of Ordainers from him, every one 
 is equally qualified to Ordain. My Lord, I 
 {hould think it might be granted me, that the 
 Adminiftring of a Sacrament is an Adion we 
 
 have
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 have no Right to perform, confider'd either 
 as Men, Gentlemen, or Scholars, or Mem- 
 bers of a Civil Society. Who then can have 
 any Authority to interpofe, but he that has it 
 from Chrift ? And how that can be had from 
 him, without a Succeffion of Men from him, 
 is not eafily conceiv'd. Should a private Per- 
 fon chufe a Lord Chancellor, and declare his 
 Authority good 3 would there be any thing but 
 Abfurdity, Impudence and Prefijmption in it ? 
 But why he cannot as well commiilion a Per- 
 fon to act, fign and feal in the King's Name, 
 as in the Name of Chrift, is unaccountable. 
 
 My Lord, it is a plain and obvious Truth, 
 that no Man, or Number of Men, confider'd 
 as fuch, can any more make a Prieft, or com- 
 miftion a Perfon to officiate in Chrift's Name, 
 as fuch ^ than he can enlarge the Means of 
 Grace, or add a New Sacrament for the Con- 
 veyance of fpiritual Advantages. The Mini- 
 fters of Chrift are as much pofitive Ordifiances, 
 as the Sacraments ; and we might as well 
 think, that Sacraments not inftituted by him, 
 might be Means of Grace, as thofe pafs for 
 his Minifters, who have no Authority from 
 him. 
 
 Once more, all things are either in com- 
 mon in the Church of Chrift, or they are not. 
 If they are, then every one may Preach, Bap- 
 tize, Ordain, ^c. If all things are not thus 
 
 common.
 
 ( '7 ) 
 
 common, but the Adminiftring of the Sacra- 
 ment, and Ordination, (sc. are Ottices appro- 
 priated to particular Perfons ; then I delire to 
 know, how in this prelent Age, or any otlier 
 fince the Apoftles, Chrillians can know their 
 refped:ive Duties, or what they may, or may 
 not do, with relpect to the leveral Ads of 
 Church- Communion, if there be no Uniiiter^ 
 rupted Succejjion of Authorized Perfons from 
 Chrift : For 'till Authority from Chrift ap- 
 pears, to make a Difference between them, 
 we are all alike ; and any one may officiate as 
 well as anotlier. To make a Jeft therefore of 
 the Uninterrupted Succeffion^ is to make a Jeft 
 of Ordination j to deilroy the facred Chara- 
 cter, and make all Pretenders to it, as eood as 
 thofe that are fent by Chrift. 
 
 If there be no Uninterrupted Succefjion^ then 
 there are no Authoriz'd Minifters from Chrift ; 
 if no fuch Minifters, then no Chriftian Sacra- 
 ments; if no Chriftian Sacraments, then no 
 Chriftian Covenant, whereof the Sacraments 
 are the Stated and Vifible Seals. 
 
 My Lord, this is all your own. Here are 
 no Confequences palm'd upon you ; but the 
 firft, plain, and obvious Senfe of your Lord- 
 
 fliip's Words and yet, after all, your 
 
 Lordfliip alks Dr. Snape, Why all thefe Out- 
 cries againjl you * z Indeed, my Lord, vou 
 
 C have 
 
 • Anfwer, p. 4c.
 
 ( i8 ) 
 
 have only taken the main Supports of our 
 Rehgion away : You have neither left us 
 Priclls, nor Sacraments, nor Church: Or, 
 what is the lame thing, you have made them 
 all Trifles and Dreams. And what has your 
 Lordfliip given us in the room of all thefe 
 Advantages ? Why, only Sincerity : This is 
 the great Univerlal Atonement for all. This 
 is that, which, according to your Lordfliip, 
 will help us to the Communion of Saints here- 
 after, though we are in Communion with any 
 body, or no body here. 
 
 The next Thing we are not to be afraid of, 
 arc, TZy I'di?! Words of Nullity ami Validity 
 cf Gcd's Ordinances, i. e. whether they are 
 admlnifter'd by a Clergyman or a Layman. 
 This indeed I have fliewn was included in 
 what you faid about the Trifle oiJJninterriipted 
 Succeflion. But, for fear we fliould have 
 over-looked it there, you have given it us in 
 exprefs Words in the next Line. 
 
 Your Lordlhip tells Dr. Snaps, That yon 
 bioiv no Confu/ion, Glorious or Inglorious, 
 that you have endeavoured to introduce into the 
 Church f . 
 
 My Lord, If I may prefume to repeat your 
 own Words, Lav vour Hand on sour Heart. 
 and ajk yourfelf Whether the encouraging all 
 
 manner 
 
 -f- Anfwcr, p. 47.
 
 ( '9 ) 
 
 manner of Divifions, be not endeavouring to 
 introduce Confufion ? If there were in £/z?-- 
 latid Five thoufand diiferent Sedts, lias not 
 your Lordiliip perfuadcd thcni to be content 
 with themlelves j not to value what they are 
 told by other Communions ; That if they are 
 but fincere, they need not have regard to any 
 thiug elfe ? Is not this to introduce Confuii- 
 on ? What is Coafulion, but DifTerencc and 
 Divifion ? And does not your Lordlhip plain- 
 ly declare to the World, that there is no need 
 of uniting ? That there is no particular Way 
 or Method, that can recommend us more to 
 the Favour of God, than another r Has your 
 LordOiip fo much as given the Icufl; Hint, 
 that it is better to be in the Communion of 
 the Church of England^ than not ? Have you 
 not expofcd her Sacraments and Clergy ^ and, 
 as much as lay in you, broke down every 
 thing in her, that diftinguiflies her from Fa- 
 natical Conventicles ? What is there in her, as 
 a Church, that you have left untouch'd ? 
 What have you left in her, that can any way 
 invite others inro her Communion ? Are her 
 Clergy authorized more than others ? For fear 
 that fliould be thought, you make a Regular 
 Succellion from Chriil, a 'Trijle. Are her 
 Sacraments more regularly adminiiter'd ? Lell 
 that (liould recommend her, you flight the 
 Nullity or Vdlid'ity of Gcds Ordhia.'iccs. Is 
 there any Authority in her I-aws, which en- 
 join Communion with her ? Lell this {liouid 
 C 2 be
 
 ( 20 ) 
 
 be believed, you tell us, that our being or 
 continuing in any particular Method (or par- 
 ticular Communion) cannot recommend us 
 more to the Favour of God than another. 
 
 I muft obferve to your Lordfhip, that thefe 
 Opinions are very oddly put in a Prefervative 
 from ill Pri?jciples ; or, Afi Appeal to the 
 Confctences and common Senfe of the Laity, 
 Are they to be perfuaded not to join with the 
 Nonjurors, becaufe no particular Priefts, no 
 particular Sacram.ents, no particular Commu- 
 nion, is any thing but a Dream and Trifle ; 
 and fuch things as no v^^ay recommend us to 
 the Favour of God more than others ? Are 
 the Nonjurors only thus to be anfwcr'd ? Is 
 the Eftal3lifli'd Church only thus to be de- 
 fended ? Your Lordfhip indeed has not min- 
 ced the Matter : But, I hope, the Church of 
 England is to be fupported upon better Prin- 
 ciples, or not at all. 
 
 If I fliould tell a Perfon that put a Cafe of 
 Confcience to me, that all Cafes of Confci- 
 ence are Trifles, and fignify nothing ; it would 
 be plain, that I had given him a diredt An- 
 fwcr : But if he had either Confcience, or 
 common Senfe, he would feek out a better 
 ConfclTor. 
 
 Your Lorddilp tells Dr. Snape^ that he 
 iaith and unfaith, to the gi-eat Divcrfion of the 
 
 Roman
 
 ( 2' ) 
 
 Roman Catkalicks *. But if your Lordfhlp 
 would unfay fome things you have faid, it 
 would be a greater Mortihcation to them, 
 than all that ever you laid or writ in your 
 Life. 
 
 To deny the NccefTuy of any particular 
 Communion, to expofe the Validity of Sacra- 
 ments, and rally upon the Uninterrupted Suc- 
 ceffion of Priefts, and pull down every Pillar 
 in the Church of Chrift, is an Errand on 
 which Rome hath fent many Meflengers. 
 And the Papifts are no more provoked with 
 your Lordfhip for thefe Difcourfes, than they 
 were angry at William Fenn^ a reputed Je- 
 fuit, for preaching up ^akerijin. So long as 
 they rejoice in our Divifions, or are glad to 
 fee the City of God made a mere Babel^ they 
 can no more be angry at your LordHiip, than 
 at your Advocates. 
 
 Dr. S?2ape fays, you reprefent the Church 
 of Chrift as a Kingdom, in which Chrift nei- 
 ther acts himfelf, nor hath invefted any one 
 elfe with Authority to adl for him. At this 
 your Lordftiip cries, p. 22. Lay your Hand 
 upon your Heart, and ajk. Is this a Chrijlian, 
 Human, Honefi Reprejhitation of 'what your 
 own 'Eyes read in my Sermon ? 
 
 My 
 
 f Anfwer, p. ^6.
 
 ( 22 ) 
 
 My Lord, I have dealt as fincerely with 
 my Heart as it is poflible ; and I mufl con- 
 fers, I take the Do(flor's Reprefentation to be 
 Chriftian and Honeft. For though you fome- 
 times contend againft Abfolute and Indifpen- 
 fible Authority ; yet it is plain, that you ftrike 
 at all Authority, and ailert, as the Dodor 
 faith, that Chrift hath not inverted any one on 
 Earth with an Authority to ad: for him. 
 
 Page 1 1 . You exprefsly fay, That as to 
 the Affairs of ConJcie?ice and eternal Salvation^ 
 Chrift hath left no Vifible Human Authority 
 behind him. 
 
 Now, my Lord, is not this faying, that he 
 has left no Authority at all r For Chrift cime 
 with no other Authority Himfelf but as to 
 Confcience and Salvation, he ereded a King- 
 dom which related to nothing bat Confcience 
 and Salvation : And therefore they who have 
 no Authority as to Confcience and Salvation, 
 have no Authority at all in his Kingdom. 
 Confcience and Salvation are the only Affairs 
 of that Kin2[dom. 
 
 'ti 
 
 Your Lordfnip denies, that any one has 
 Authority in thefe Affairs ; and yet you take 
 it ill to be charged with affcrting, that Chrift 
 liath not inverted any one with Authority for 
 him. How can any one act for him, but in 
 
 hi$
 
 ( 23 ) 
 
 his Kingdom ? How can they adl in his King- 
 dom, if they have nothing to do with Con- 
 fcience and Salvation, when his Kingdom is 
 concerned wiih nothing elfe ? 
 
 Again, Page i6. your Lordfhip faith, that 
 no one of them (Chriftians) any more than 
 another^ hath Authority either to make new 
 Laws for Chrift's SubjeBs, or to impofe a 
 Senfe upon the old ones j or to 'Judge ^ Ccn/iire, 
 or Funijlo the Servants of ajiother Majler, in 
 Matters purely relati?ig to Confcihice. 
 
 I can meet with no Divine, my Lord, ei- 
 ther Juror or Non-Juror, High or Low, 
 Churchman or DifTenter, that does not think 
 your Lordfhip has plainly aiTerted in thefe 
 PafTages, what the Dodtor has laid to your 
 Charge, that no one is invejied with Authority 
 from Chrift to a6l for him. 
 
 Your Lordfhip thinks this is fufhciently an- 
 fwered, by faying, you contend againfl an 
 Abfolute Authority. You do indeed fome- 
 times join Abfolute with that Authority you 
 difclaim. But, my Lord, it is ftill true, that 
 you have taken all Authority from the 
 Church : For the Reafons you every- where 
 give againll; this Authority, conclude as ilrong- 
 ly againfl any Degrees of Authority, as that 
 which is truly Abfolute. 
 
 Firji,
 
 ( 24- ) 
 
 P/r/?, You difown the Authority of any 
 Chiiftians over other Chriftians, becaufe they 
 are the Servants of another Mafier^ p. i6. 
 Now this concludes as flrongly againft any 
 Authority, as that which is Abjolute : For no 
 one can have the leaft Authority over thofe 
 that are entirely under another's Jurifdidtion. 
 A fmall Authority over another's Servant, is 
 as inconfiftent as the greateft. 
 
 Secondly, Yoii reject this Authority, be- 
 caufe of the Objecfts it is exercifed upon, /. e. 
 Matters purely relating to Confcience and Sal- 
 vation. Here this Authority is rejefted, be- 
 caufe it relates to Confciejice and Salvation 5 
 which does as well exclude every Degree of 
 Authority, as that which is Abfolute. For 
 if Authority and Confcience cannot fuit toge- 
 ther, Confcience rejeds Authority, asfuch^ 
 and not becaufe there is this or that Degree 
 of it. So that this Argument baniflics all Au- 
 thority. 
 
 ''Thirdly , Your Lordlliip denies any Church 
 Authority, becaufe Chrift doth not interpofe 
 to convey Infallibility, to afj'ert the true Inter ~ 
 pretation of his own Laws *. Now, this Rea- 
 fon concludes as full againft all Authority, as 
 that which is Abfolute, For if Infallibility is 
 ncccifary to found an Obedience upon in 
 
 Chrift's 
 
 * Sermon, p. 15.
 
 ( 25 ) 
 
 Chrift's Kingdom, it is plain, that no body in 
 Chrift's Kingdom hath any Right to any 
 Obedience from others, nor confequently any 
 Authority to command it ; no Members, or 
 Number of Members of it, being infallible. 
 
 Fourthly^ Another Reafon your LordHiip 
 gives againfl Church- Authority, is this -, That 
 it is the faking Chriji's Kijjgdom out of his 
 Hands J and placi7ig it in their own^ p. 14. 
 Now this Reafon proves as much againfl Au- 
 thority in general, or any Degrees of it, as 
 that which is Abfohte. For if the Authority 
 of others is inconliftent with Chrift's beins: 
 King of his own Kingdom, then every De- 
 gree of Authority, fo far as it extends, is an 
 Invalion of fo much of Chrift's Authority, 
 and ufurping upon his Right. 
 
 The Reafon likewife which your Lordfliip 
 gives to prove the Apoftles not Ufurpers of 
 Chrift's Authority, plainly condemns every 
 Degree of Authority which any Church can 
 now pretend to. They were no Ufurpers^ be- 
 caufe he then interpcfed to convey InfaUibility , 
 a7id was in all that they ordai?ied : So that the 
 Authority was his in the JiriSlefi Senfe -f-. So 
 that where he does not interpofe to convey 
 Infallibility, there every Degree of Authority 
 is a Degree of Ufurpation j and confequently, 
 the prefent Church having no Infallibility, has 
 
 D ' no 
 
 f Anfwcr, p. 3S.
 
 { 26 ) 
 
 no Right to exercife the leajl Degree of Au- 
 thority, without robbing Chrift of his Prero- 
 gative. 
 
 Thus it plainly appears, that every Reafon 
 you have offered againft Church- Authority, 
 concludes with as much Strength againft all 
 Authority, as that w^hich is Abfolitte. And 
 therefore Dr. Snapc has done yon no Injury in 
 charging you with the Denial of All Autho- 
 rity. 
 
 There happens, my Lord, to be only this 
 Difference between your Sermon and the De- 
 fence of it, that That is fo many Pages againfl 
 Church- Authority, cis fiich^ and This is a 
 Confutation of the Pope's Infallibility. It is 
 very ftrange, that fo clear a Writer^ who has 
 been fo long enquiring into the Nature of 
 Government ^ Ihould not be able to make him- 
 felf be underflood upon it : That your Lord- 
 fhip fliould be only preaching againft the 
 Pope J and yet All the Lo^wer Houfe of Convo^ 
 cation fliould unanimoufly conceive, that your 
 Do6li"ine therein deliver'd, tended to yz^^-utr^ 
 all Government and Difcipline in the Church of 
 Chrijl, 
 
 And, my Lord, it will appear from what 
 follows, that your Lordfhip is even of the 
 fame Opinion yourfelf j and that you 
 imagin'd, you had baniih'd all Authority, as 
 
 fuchj
 
 ( 27 ) 
 
 fiich, out of the Cliurch, by thofc Arguments 
 you had offci 'd againft an Abfolute Authority, 
 This is plain from the following PafTage, 
 where you ridicule that which Dr. Snape 
 took to be an Authority^ though not Abfolute. 
 When Dr. Snape faid, That no Church-Au- 
 thority was to be obey'd in any thing contra- 
 ry to the Reveal'd Will of God, your Lord- 
 ihip triumphs thus : Glorious Abfolute Autho- 
 rity indeed^ in your cwn Account, to which 
 Chriji's SubjeSfs owe no Obedience, till they 
 have examined into his own Declarations ; and 
 then they obey not this Authority, but him *, 
 
 Here you make nothing of that Authority 
 which is not Abfolute -, and yet you think it 
 hard to be told, that you have taken away all 
 Church- Authority. That which is Abfolute, 
 you exprefsly deny ; and here you fay, that 
 which is not Abfolute, is nothing at all. 
 Where then is the Authority you have left ? 
 Or how is it that Chrift has impowcr'd any 
 one to ad: in his Name ? 
 
 Your Lordfliip fights fafe under the Pro- 
 tedion of the Word Abfolute j but your Aim 
 is at all Church-Power. And your Lordlhip 
 makes too hafty an Inference, that becaufe it 
 is not Abfolute, it is none at all. If you a£k. 
 Where you have made this Inference, it is on 
 occafion of the above-mentioned Triumph j 
 D 2 where 
 
 * Anfwer, p. 37.
 
 ( 28 ) 
 
 where your Lordfliip makes it an infignificant 
 Authority, which is only to be obey'd fo long 
 as it is not contrary to Scripture, 
 
 Your Lordfliip feems to think all is loft, as 
 to Church- Power ; becaufe the Dodor does 
 not claim an Abfolute one^ but allows it to be 
 fubjed: to Scripture : As if all Authority was 
 Abfolute^ or elfe nothing at all. I fliall there- 
 fore confider the Nature of this Church- 
 Power, and fliew, that though it is not Abfa- 
 lute, yet it is a Real Authority, and is not 
 fuch a mere Notion as your Lordfliip makes 
 it. 
 
 An Abfolute Authority, according to your 
 Lordfhip is, what is to be always obeyed by 
 every Individual that is fubjed: to it, in all 
 Circumftances. This is an Authority that we 
 utterly deny to the Church. But, I prefume, 
 there may be an Authority inferior to this, 
 which is nevcrthelefs a Real Authority, and is 
 to be efteemed as fuch, and that for thefp 
 Reafons : 
 
 Firjl, I hope it will be allowed me, that 
 cur Saviour came into the World with Autho- 
 rity. But it was not lawful for the "Jews to 
 'receive him, if they thought his Appearance 
 not agreeable to thofe Marks and Charaders 
 they had of him in their Scriptures. May 
 not I here fav, my Lord, Glorious Authority
 
 { 29 ) 
 
 of Chrifi indeed^ to ivhich the Jews owed no 
 Obedience^ till they had examtnd their Scrip- 
 tures ; and then they obey^ not Him^ but 
 Them ! 
 
 Again ; The Apoftles were fent into the 
 World with Authority : But yet, thoie who 
 thought their Dodlrines unworthy of God 
 and unfuitable to ihe Principles of Natural 
 Religion, were obHged not to obey them. 
 Glorious Authority indeed of the Apoftles^ to 
 whom Mankiiid owed no Obedience, till thev 
 had Jirfl examined their own Notions of God 
 and Religion ; and then they obeyed^ not the A- 
 pojlles, but Them, 
 
 I hope, my Lord, it may be allow'd, that 
 the Sacraments are Real Means of Grace: 
 But it is certain they are only conditionally io^ 
 if rhofe that partake of them are endowed 
 with fuicable Difpofitions of Piety and Virtue. 
 Glorious Means of Grace of the Sacraments, 
 which is only obtained by fuch pious Dijpo fit ions j 
 fijid then it is owing to the Difpofitions, and 
 not the Sacraments. Now, my Lord, if 
 there can be fuch a thing as inftituted Real 
 Means of Grace, which are only conditionally 
 apply d, I cannot fee, why there may noi be 
 an inftituted Real Authority in the Church, 
 >vhich 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