file the Font and the holy Table, and to do any extravagant Action, that tended, as they thought, to the Reformation of Religion, and the Pulling down (as their Phrafe was) of Dagon and Superftition.

But fuppofing thefe Things they were fo hot against to be as corrupt and fuperftitious as they would have them; fuppofing them to be great Abuses in the Worship of God; to be very rotten Rags of Popery; to be every whit as idolatrous, as they were really innocent, and decent, and convenient; yet this would not in the leaft justify fuch Actions; tho' their Design was good, and the Work they went about was good, the whole Action was very bad. Whoever makes a Riot, or difturbs the publick Peace, or Worship, or affronts Authority upon Account or Pretence of redreffing Abuses in, or reforming of Religion, unless he can give Evidence that he hath an immediate Commiffion from God (having none from Man) and fhew too the Seal of that Commiffion, namely, all manner of Signs and Wonders, and Miracles, however zealous he may be for Religion, yet he hath not a Zeal according to Knowledge; and God will be fo far from rewarding him for it, that he ftands juftly accountable both to God and Man for his Extravagancy.

But to leave this, and to give another Inftance or two in the Matter we are upon.

Y 4

Our

Our Saviour, we know, after he was baptized and entred upon his publick Ministry, left his former Employment and Habitation. For before that he lived at Nazareth, and, as is probable, exercised the Art of a Carpenter; for he is, in the 6th of St. Mark, ver. 3. called the Carpenter by the Jews. I fay, he left his Employment and Habitation, and from henceforward gave himself in a manner wholly to an Ambulatory Life, going from Place to Place to do Good to all Perfons, and to preach the Gofpel to all he met with. But now for any of us to imitate him in this, to leave our Callings, and our Employments, and our Relations, and our Way of Living, and to travel about from Town to Town, tho' we proposed to ourselves Ends of never so great Charity to Mankind in fo doing, yet it would be fo far in us from being a praife-worthy Action, that if all of us thought ourselves obliged to it, it would deftroy all Trade and Commerce, and fettled Way of Living in the World. This kind of Life was indeed neceffary to our Saviour, and to his Apoftles too, because the Discharge of the Office committed to them did require it. Our Saviour's Errand was to preach the Gospel of his Kingdom in all Places among the Jews (and this Office he entred upon at his Baptifm.) And the Apostles they were to preach the Gofpel, and to gather Churches through.

!

throughout all Nations. But now where the Gospel is already preached, and Churches planted, and the Government of them fettled, for any one to imitate this Practice, would probably be so far from doing Good, that it would do Hurt; at least those that undertake it are no ways obliged to it.

Thus again; Our Saviour chose a Life of great Meanness and Poverty: He had not a House to lay his Head in, but lived wholly on the Charity of others: Nay, he obliged his Apoftles likewife to quit all their Fortunes and follow him. This now in him and them was very reasonable, because it did very much tend to promote thofe Ends for which our Saviour came hither; did much conduce to the spreading of the Gospel, and gaining it Entertainment in the World. But now, when all Things are fettled, and the Gospel is become the Law of a Nation, and the Profeffion of it is not only freed from Danger and Perfecution, but is creditable and advantageous; for any Man, upon account of Conformity to our Saviour's Life, to vow a voluntary Poverty, or to give all that he hath to the Poor, and to go about feeking a Livelihood from the Charity of others, as he hath no Warrant for it, fo will it never procure him a greater Reward in the other World: Unless we fuppofe God will reward a Man for deferting his Station

which Providence has put him in, and rendring himself less useful to the World, and indeed (which is the Tendency of it) doing his Part toward the diffolving Civil Society.

You fee in the Circumftances our Saviour was placed in, the Perfon and Character he bore, and the Office he was to execute, ought thoroughly to be confidered, before we pass a Judgment what Actions of his are to be imitated by us. If we be in a different State and Condition, in a different Quality from what he was in, it will often fall out, that the fame Action will not become us, that was extremely proper and decent in him.

To give one Inftance more of this that is very confiderable.

I have already faid, that our Saviour acted in one respect as a publick Person; that is, he was fent by God with Authority to reform Religion in the World. But now this Office of his did only extend to Affairs of Religion. He did not pretend any Jurifdiction or Authority as to Civil Caufes and Concernments, as he that now calls himfelf his Vicar doth. Thofe he left in the fame Hands in which he found them; in that refpect he was only a private Perfon, and was as obedient to the Civil Government, and the Laws, as any in the Country where he lived. And hereupon it was,

that

that when a Man came to him to defire him to divide an Inheritance between him and his Brother, that it feems they could not agree about, he folemnly refufes to have any thing to do in the Matter, faying to him, Man, who made me a Fudge or a Divider over you? Luke 12. 14. ? Luke 12. 14. And again, when the Woman that was taken in Adultery was brought before him, (John 8.) and he was asked his Opinion, whether, there being fufficient Evidence of the Fact, fhe ought not to be ftoned, as the Law of Mofes had commanded, He, inftead of paffing Sentence upon her, endeavours to fhame the Accufers, bidding those of them that were without Sin, to caft the first Stone at her. And when, upon this unexpected Answer, they all fneaked away, and the Woman was left alone, all the Cenfure that he paffed upon her was this, That fince she was not already condemned, neither would he condemn her; only let her be careful that the finned no more. Now, I fay, this kind of Deportment and these Anfwers were very prudent and proper in our Saviour, who was no ways concerned in the Adminiftration of Juftice, or the deciding Controverfies between Man and Man about their Civil Rights and Titles. But if any of his Followers, who is a Judge or a Magistrate, and intrufted with the Execution of Laws, fhould take this Carriage of

our.