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diftinctly perceive, in thine own make, and SERM. in the whole conftitution of things, draw V. the just and natural inference, viz. that the great Author and Governour of the universe is poffeft of these perfections in the most abfolute and compleat manner; and, confequently, that all things are contrived and ordered with the fame wife and benevolent view; tho', in particulars, it does not appear equally, and in fome, perhaps, not at all to thy limited understanding.

The improving conftantly in our minds. worthy notions of God, as a being fupremely wife, and immutably just and good, will be attended with very great advantages.It will reftrain that impertinent humour of fcepticifm and cavilling, which makes men oppose their ignorance and prejudices to his infinite wifdom.-- We shall always confider the Deity, as the most amiable and delightful object of our contemplation; neither as a weak capricious being, whom we cannot reverence; nor as a rigid tyrannical being, whom we cannot love.-—And, I 2 finally,

SERM. finally, our religion, built on fuch prinV. ciples, will be wife and rational; and there can be no foundation for any of thofe fuperftitious and enthufiaftic mixtures, which expofe the most excellent and useful thing in the world to contempt and ridicule.

SER

SERMON VI.

Of the abuses of free-thinking.

GALAT. V. 13.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occafion to the flesh.--

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HERE is not a more valu-SERM. able bleffing in human life, VI. than liberty. Civil liberty is ~ the bafis of all focial happiness; and liberty of confcience the only foundation of a rational religion. When this latter is reftrain'd, we are treated rather like brutes than men, i. e. creatures endued

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V.

SERM. endued with moral powers, and accountable for their actions: And therefore 'tis one of the chief excellencies of the Christian religion, and very far from the air and fpirit of an impofture, that it preferves the rights of confcience facred and inviolable. But because the world is apt to run into extremes, the writers of the New Teftament, like perfons who had a thorough knowledge of human nature, have taken care in this respect, as well as in all others, to guard against excess and irregularity. Thus St. Paul, in the text, advises the Galatians not to mistake licentioufnefs for Chriftian liberty; or, in other words, not to imagine, that, because they were freed from the expenfive, and burthenfom obfervances of the Mofaic inftitution, which are elegantly described as a state of fervitude, they were difcharg'd, likewise, from moral obligations, which are an eternal and immutable law to all rational beings. I intend to confider the subject in a different light, fuited to the complection and genius of the prefent age;

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and shall enquire into fome of the chief SERM. abufes of free-thinking, by which, it hapVI. pens, that what is really the peculiar honour, and greatest advantage of our intelligent nature, becomes a reproach to it, and is attended with most injurious confequences. And,

ift. Embracing the principle of liberty has ended, with many, in infidelity, or a disbelief of all religion. 'Tis moft evident, that infidelity never more abounded than in this age of free-enquiry; and that those who are moft loofe in their fentiments with refpect to the obliga→ tions of religion in general, and of Christianity in particular, are, in profeffion at least, enemies to bigotry and implicit faith: Nay, it may be allowed farther, that 'tis likely they would never have gone fuch a length as to throw off all religion, if they had continued in a blind attachment to the principles of their education, and to established and pular opinions.---Whence now can this arife?We who believe that religion, in all the parts of it, is strictly I 4 rational,

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