Having thus confidered the paffage of fcripture, I undertook to discourse on, and touched, though very flightly, a very important fubject-fo import ant, and so often neglected, that frequent hints upon it, can never be out of feafon - I shall just add a few remarks on the difference between holding an error, and teaching one.

Error is infeparable from the mind of man. Humanum eft errare, was the honest confeffion of nature; and a state of grace points out the melancholy truth with ftill greater force. We humbly hope, therefore, that as man and error are so closely united, God will pardon our innoI mean fuch errors, as have no con

cent errors

nection with guilt.

But yet our errors, though innocent as far as we ourselves are concerned, may to others be the fource of great mischief. While they, continue our own thoughts, they affect nobody: but when we fuffer them to get abroad, they become clothed in words and perhaps in fuch words, as the text calls the words of man's wisdom.

Thus, many excellent men, I doubt not, may have carried the doctrine of faith too high. Them it injured not; every Christian virtue

VOL. IV..

per

haps

haps flowing from it. In their minds therefore the opinion, however erroneous, may still be innocent. But they fall into a very egregious mistake, if they fuppofe, from their own pious feelings, that this doctrine has always the fame effect on others. It may create self-delusion, and I fhould fear might have a tendency to make men fatisfied with themfelves. Faith is an easy substitute for a good life. Faith, they are fure, they have; and as to works, they hear them always spoken of as of no value; which it is poffible they may be too apt to apply in their own way: fo all is well. It is certainly a very dangerous thing to fpeak flightly of works, left we thould give a handle to the natural pravity of human nature.

Thus again, with regard to the other important fubject, on which I touched, as there are many paffages of fcripture relating to the humanity of Chrift as well as his divinity, I cannot perfuade myfelf, (as fome pious people have done,) that an exact faith on this head is neceffary to falvation. Numbers, I have no doubt, will be faved though the merits of Chrift, who conceive him only as their lawgiver, and confcientiously obey his laws; though

they

they may not have thofe exalted ideas of his divine nature, to which our fcriptural rule, I think, fo directly leads. If their holy lives have attained the principal end of a better faith, they ought not furely to be branded with hard names, and confidered among thofe, who deny Chrift before men.

We are sometimes told they ought; because, without this exalted faith in the divine nature of a Saviour, the mind cannot attain thofe elevated heights of love, which the gofpel prefcribes.. One fhould think fo indeed: but before we pass these harsh cenfures on others, let any of us, who do hold that doctrine, afk our own carnal hearts, whether it purify them in this exalted manner?

At the fame time, I think, we have good ground to cenfure thofe, who publicly raise fcruples. Why cannot they be fatisfied with keeping their opinions at home? When a man holds a religious opinion with fuch confcientious firmness, that he gives up his temporal interest for its fake; though the opinion may be erroneous, the man is virtuous: his character respectable.But if, inftead of fuffering manfully for his opinion, he should fet it up as a banner, and

call people together under it; he fhould then, I think, look well not only to his opinions, but to his motives alfo. There may be a touch of latent vanity there may be an over-weening of himself the pride of being at the head of a fect an oblique view to felf-interest perhaps or fome other undue motive, which may infinuate itself into his religious views. To propagate any error, is dangerous-but on difputable motives, it is doubly fo. A man is in no way put upon it: of course, he is anfwerable for the confequence. On a question of philofophy indeed, where an air-pump, or a crucible, is concerned, it matters little: but where religion is the fubject, it becomes a point of moment. To be filent, is at least fafe. There can be no harm-and I think, no great fhare of modefty -in keeping an opinion to yourself, which has 'always been opposed by a great majority, and fome of the wifeft, and best men, both laymen, and churchmen, that ever lived.

But it is faid, the examination of truth cam do no harm.

None in the world to the truth itself.

to the candid, and able examiner.

None

But, to the

undiftinguishing many, it may often do great

5

harm.

harm. To answer a bold charge, feems neceffary. But to keep up the fpirit of a dispute by continually replying to an opponent, who is determined never to yield, feems more than is neceffary. It may unfettle the minds of wellmeaning people. It may lead them from things of more confequence. It may be offenfive to fee churchmen continually wrangling about points. of religion. And though these points may often be of little moment; yet they, who know lefs, may think effentials concerned; and the gospel itfelf of an unstable nature. - Befides, what was gained in argument, might perhaps be loft in piety in charity moft undoubtedly. Holy wars have ever been the worft of wars; and fcriptural debates, the most intemperáte. -And what end is gained? They rarely convince. People gene, rally hold their own opinions; and the matter ends, as it began.*

After all, the world hath had enough on thefe fubjects. There is not one of them, which

* Dr. Priestley very justly obferves, and is himself a notable example of the truth of the obfervation, that "there is but little reafon to expect, that any man, who "has given the public his opinion on any subject of importance, will ever retract it." See his Difquifitions,

page 206.