enough for our prefent Confideration, without expofing the Artifices of any Others, how bufy foever they too may be to get an Advantage of us. And therefore it fhall fuffice to remark, with Reference to the Subject before us, That all which can reasonably be concluded from St. Paul's procefs with this Corinthian, is no more than what we readily allow of; viz. The Exercife of publick Difcipline for the Correction of Open and Scandalous Offenders; and whom the Church has certainly Powerboth for their Sins to feparate from her Society, as the Apoftle did this Incestuous Man; and upon a fincere Repentance to release the Cenfure, and receive them again into Communion, as in this Chapter he ordered them to do this Penitent Corinthian.

But now this is neither the Doctrine nor Practice of those who pretend to argue from this place. Their Satisfactions and Indulgencies are of another kind, than what Canonical Penances and the Relaxations of them will amount to. They fuppofe, that after Mens Sins by the Sacrament of Penance are Forgiven to them, fo that there is now no more Guilt remaining, nor by Confequence any more Obligation to an Eternal Punishment due to, it; there continues nevertheless an Obligation to Temporal Punishment, to be undergone as a true and Proper Satisfaction for Sin, either here, or in Purgatory and that this the Pope has Power. to difpenfe with, by Applying to them the Satisfactions not only of Chrift, but of all his Saints; who having lived fevere Lives, and fuffered a greater Temporal Punishment than was requifite to fatisfy for their own Sins, have left a Stock in Bank to the Treasure of the Church, for the Advantage of others; and the Remiffion of thefe Temporal Pains,

by

by fuch an Application, this is that which they properly call an Indulgence.

And now then we may beg leave to ask, In what part of this Hiftory do they find any Grounds for all this: Did St. Paul, in his former Epiftle, command the Church of Corinth to impofe a Penance on this Incestuous Man to fatisfy for his Sin? No; But he commanded them to Excommunicate him for his Offence, to cut him off from the Body of the Faithful, to whom he had given fo great a fcandal by his uncleanness.

Or here in this Chapter, does he fend him any kind Bull, with a plenary Indulgence for what he had done, to fet him free of what Temporal Pain might yet be due for his Offence; and to acquit him of any further Trouble now, and of the Danger of Purgatory hereafter? Not fo neither: But he orders the Governors of the Church to take off the Cenfure under which he lay, and to receive

him again into Communion with them, and to

confirm their Love towards him; Left he should be fwallow'd up of over much Grief, and fo Satan get an Advantage against Him.

In fhort, That there is here a plain Account of the Exercife of Publick Difcipline, both in the Excommunicating of this Incestuous Corinthian, and in the Receiving of him again into Communion; this we readily Confefs. But for the new Inventions of Human Satisfactions to be made for Sin, and of the Power of the Pope to apply one Man's Merits to the Forgiveness of another Man's Offences and all this after fuch a Manner, and upon fuch Terms as is now Practifed in the Church of Rome, of all this there is not one word either in any other paffage of Holy Scripture, but much to

the

the contrary, as might eafily be made appear, were I minded to enter on fuch a Debate.

But it fhall fuffice me to have remarked thus much, for the clearing of the prefent Place from thefe Abuses. As for thofe Devices which I am now to confider; viz. By what Means and Motives it is that the Devil after all our Cautions and Engagements to the contrary, nevertheless ftill continues to draw us into Sin; many there are, and I cannot pretend in this Difcourfe to comprehend more than a very fmall Proportion of them. I will take up thofe that feem most useful to be remarked under these two Confiderations:

If, Of thofe Devices whereby he makes it his Bufinefs to hinder us in the Discharge of our -Duty.

Ildly, Of thofe Devices whereby he leads us into the Commiffion of Sin.

I begin with the Former of thefe, the Confideration,

I, Of thofe Devices whereby the Devil is wont to hinder us in the difcharge of our Duty.

<

And here, I shall not infift on those common and obvious Methods which every one knows, tho few are fo careful as they ought to be to prevent them; fuch as Carelefnefs and Indifference in the Concern of our Salvation; The Love of this World and of the Honours, and Pleafures, and Interests of it! And which upon this Account, is St. Paul calls the root of all Evil, 1 Tim. vi. 1o. And St. James plainly tells, us is Enmity with God,

Fames

James iv. 4. The Devices I fhall now confider, are fuch as have more of Subtilty and Contrivance in them; and which by a fhew of fomewhat that feems to be Good, feduce Men many times into a neglect of that Duty, which alone really and truly is fo. Now Four Things efpecially there are by which the Devil is wont to difcourage, and hinder weaker Minds in the Discharge of their Duty: viz.

By throwing Prejudices in their way against

W I

it, 2dly, By inftilling into their Minds Falfe Prin ciples, whereby to corrupt the Practice of it. 3dly, By filling them with Doubts and Scruples to difcourage them in their Piety.

น

4thly, By engaging their Zeal in vain and fruitlefs Strifes and Disputes about Religion, which ought to be employed on the Practice of it.

ft, It is none of the leaft of the Devices of the Devil, to hinder Men's Piety, by throwing of falfe Prejudices in their way against the Practice of it.

I need not fay what a frightful thing many look upon a Chriftian Courfe of Life to be, and how difficult, and fometimes even impoffible they think it, to fulfil that Duty which God requires of us,

They regard him as a hard and fevere Task Mafter, that lays intolerable Burdens upon his Servants, and has prepared Eternal Punishments for the leaft Defailure under them. All their Thoughts

are

are taken up with thofe Strict Commands of Mortification and Self-denyal, of taking up the Crofs, of forgiving and loving Enemies; of defpifing any Loffes, Shame or other Difficulties they may at any Time be expofed to for the Sake of Chrift, and the Prefervation of a Good Confcience. Thus they look upon Chriflianity to be a Religion made up of nothing but Melancholy Fears, and amazing Dangers; that allows of no Pleasure, fuffers not the leaft Appetite to be gratified; but denies even the moft Innocent and Reasonable Enjoyments; nor promises any Happiness in another World, but upon the fevere Condition of being defpifed and Miferable in this.

And now when fuch are Mens Apprehenfions of Chriftianity, what wonder if we fee fo few care to enter on the Practice of it? But, Bleffed be God, who has not thus dealt with

us. Straight indeed is the gate, Mar. vii. 14. and narrow the way that leads to

Heaven, but by the Grace of God it is not Impaffable. From the very firft entring, it dilates its felf, and in a little while becomes no lefs pleafant, but much more fecure, than that High Road which fo many_prefer before it..

To be plain, I dare affirm, That a State of Religion is fo far from being that fowre difagreeable State Men commonly apprehend it to be; that on the contrary, 'tis the only State that is attended with a real Pleasure and Satisfaction. Godliness is its own Reward, even in the present

practice of it: It has the promise of 1 Tim. iv. 8.. the life that now is, as well as of that

which is to come. And whofoever will but ferioufly apply himself to the difcharge of it, will foon be convinced upon how good Grounds the