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I cannot pass this without deploring the dangerous Condition of those Multitudes of Chriftians, who grofly mistaking the Sense and Application of that Saying of St. Paul's Rom. iv. 15. and overlooking thefe Limitations of it, have no fufficient Regard to the Judgment of their Teachers. Upon this Prefumption they wholly lay afide all Dependance upon their Opinion or Direction; or upon the Determinations and Decifions of the Church in Matters of Faith and Practice: They abound in their own Sense, and judge for themselves, which neceffarily runs them into many Errors in Opinion and Practice; they Live and Die full of their own Enthufiaftick Notions, and fo perish for want of that common Prudence they never fail to use in all Things relating to their Bodies and Eftates; namely the paying a juft Deference to the Judgment and Direction of fuch whofe Profeffion and Study they allow it is to understand the Scriptures, and all Matters of Religion and Duty. This is what will render their Ignorance and Error inexcufable in the great Day, and it cannot in the mean Time be fufficiently lamented.

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Nother Grand Objection is from I Cor. 10. 29. Why is my Liberty judged of another Man's Confcience? The Turn given this Text by the Objectors is this, Why fhould any one elfe condemn me for doing what I think to be Lawful? Whereas the Context fhews it to mean quite the contrary, viz. Why should I do that which shall Subject me to the Condem nation of another Man's Confcience, tho' not of my own? But take it in the firft Sense, is not the very Inftance of Drinking excepted at the 22d Verf. which we are to do in fuch a Manner as fhall be for the Glory of God, and that it give no Occafion to the Sins of others. But you will fay, muft I leave off every Thing that others abufe to Sin? No, for then you must leave off Drinking, which is Neceffary; but 'tis that Manner of Drinking which others fo generally abuse to Sin, that you are to leave off; which is certainly no Matter of Duty or Neceffity; and at beft but a Thing in it felf Indifferent.

The Scripture Notion of Chriftian Liberty is our Freedom from Legal Ceremonies;

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and there cannot be a greater Abuse of thofe Texts which mention it, than to apply them to the Juftification of fuch Pratices, as are directly deftructive of Evangelical Holiness. The Ufe too often made of them, and the Confequence drawn from them on this and the like Occafions is, That because we are freed from Legal Observances, therefore now we need scruple Nothing that is not Peremptorily, and Exprefly forbidden. Whereas the true Confequence is quite the contrary, because we are Freed from fuch Obfervances as have no real inherent Holynefs in them,we are to aspire af ter those Things wherein the true Power of Godliness confifts; by avoiding every Thing which may in any Degree lessen or impair it, and by abftaining even from whatever hath any Semblance or Appearance of Evil. And accordingly the Rules laid down by Cafuifts for our Direction in the Exercise of what Men under this Mistake call their Chriftian Liberty, are these.

I. That in all Matters of Duty we should rather do too much than too little; because 'tis certain that Chriftian Liberty doth_not free a Man from the Practice of any Grace or Virtue, or from the Attainment of any

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the greatest Degrees of them. The Rule here is to do as much as we can, and be ever Preffing on forward towards the greateft Perfection in all Inftances of Virtue and Goodness, that is attainable by us. This is the true Teft of a Man's Sincerity in Religion in this World; and this is the great Foundation of that Distinction which will be made between good and bad in the Day of Judgment; at which time there will no Doubt be given great Allowances to the manifold Infirmities of Human Nature where there is Sincerity; but none where it is not found: And he who is folicitous to know how Much a Man may leave Un done and be Saved, will perform no more than he is abfolutely obliged to. When a Man divides fo Rigorously between GOD and Himfelf, that he will give him nothing more than his own; 'tis a certain Sign of Hypocrify at the Heart, whatever a Man's outward Performances are; and he who will not make it his Aim to be as good as he Can, is likely to come fhort of being as good as he Ought to be. So that the Inquiry in this Particular is as it should be in all Cafes of this Nature, Which is beft Drinking of Healths, or letting them alone? Which is most expedient? Which is moft

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for the Glory of GoD, and the Edification of Souls? And this will determine every Perfon who is truly Sincere, and who reaches after Christian Perfection.

Now the very Reason why the Gospel hath not described all the Degrees of Evangelical Holiness in exprefs pofitive Precepts; and fet out the Bounds of Virtue and Vice in all Inftances as open to Mens View as thofe of Land, fo that every Man that walks may know when he Steps over them is, that it might leave a Latitude and open Field of Exercise for Men ever to purfue what is moft excellent; the Design of it being not to make Men good in fuch a Degree, but as good and holy as they are capable of. And this holds out a good Light to us in the Interpretation of many Texts of Scripture which have great appearing Difficulty,as feeming impracticable and unreasonable Restrictions upon the Frailty of Human Nature. I fhall Instance but in one, Matth. xii. 36. Every idle Word that Men fball Speak, they shall give an Account thereof in the Day of Judgment. By the Context, Idle Words feem to be immediately apply'd to the Blafphemy of the Pharifees, who attributed our SAVIOUR'S cafting out of Devils to Belzebub; and yet

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