À Practical Treatife UPON Chriftian Perfection. The INTRODUCTION. HRISTIAN Perfection will perhaps feem to the common Reader to imply fome State of Life which every one need not afpire after; that it is made up of fuch Strictneffes, Retirements, and Particularities of Devotion, as are neither neceffary, nor practicable by the Generality of Chriftians. BUT I must answer for my felf, that I know of only one con.mon Christianity, which is to be the common Means of Salvation to all Men. IF the Writers upon Chriftian Perfection have fanfied to themfelves fome peculiar Degrees of Piety, or extraordinary Devotions which they call by that Name, they have not done Religion much Service, by making Chriftian Perfection to confift in any thing, but the right Performance of our necessary Duties. THIS is the Perfection which this Treatife endeavours to recommend; a Perfection that does not confift in any fingular State or Condition of Life, or in any particular Set of Duties, but in the holy and religious Conduct of our felves in every State of Life. Ir calls no one to a Cloyster, but to a right and full Performance of those Duties, which are neceffary for all Christians, and common to all States of Life. I CALL it Perfection, for two Reasons, firft, because I hope it contains a full Representation of that Height of Holiness and Purity, to which Christianity calls all its Members Secondly, that the Title may invite the Reader to peruse it with the more Diligence, as expecting to find not only a Difcourfe upon moral Virtues, but but a regular Draught of those holy Tem pers which are the perfect Measure and Standard of Christian Piety. Now as Perfection is here placed in the right Performance of our necessary Duties, in the Exercife of fuch holy Tempers as are equally neceffary and equally practicable in all States of Life, as this is the highest Degree of Chriftian Perfection, so it is to be obferv'd, that it is also the lowest Degree of Holinefs which the Gospel alloweth. So that tho' no Order of Men can pretend to go higher, yet none of us can have any Security in refting in any State of Piety that is lower. AND I hope this will be taken as á Sign that I have hit upon the true State of Christian Perfection, if I fhew it to be fuch, as Men in Cloysters and religious Retirements cannot add more, and at the fame time fuch, as Christians in all States of the World muft not be content with lefs. FOR Confider, what can Chriftian Perfection be, but fuch a right Performance of all the Duties of Life, as is according to the Laws of Chrift? What can it be, but a living in fuch holy Tempers, and acting with fuch Difpofitions as Christianity requires? Now if this be Perfection, who can exceed it? And yet what State, or Circum: B 2 Circumftances of Life, can allow any People to fall fhort of it? LET us take an Inftance in fome one particular Temper of Chriftianity. Let it be the Love of God, Chriftians are to love God with all their Heart and all their Strength. Now can any Order of Chriftians exceed in this Temper? Or is there any Order of Chriftians who may be allowed to be defective in it? Now what is thus true of the Love of God, is equally true of all other religious Duties; and confequently all thofe holy Tempers of Heart which constitute the Perfection of Chriftian Piety, are Tempers equally neceffary for all Chriftians. As there is but one Faith and one Baptism, fo there is but one Piety, and one Perfection, that is common to all Orders of Chriftians. IT will perhaps be here objected, that this fuppofes that all People may be equally good, which feems as impoffible in the Nature of Things, as to fuppofe that all People may be equally wife. To this it may be anfwer'd, that this is neither altogether true, nor altogether falfe. FOR to inftance in Charity, it is true that all People may be equally charitable, if we understand by Charity that Habit of the |