If some persons will, hypocritically, profess themselves believers of what in their hearts they think contrary to truth, the guilt of such person will lie at their own door in this case exactly as in all others, where men act insincerely for the sake of gain or convenience. The true state of this question is, whether an ecclesiastical establishment wisely constructed, has not in its nature a tendency to propagate the influence of christianity, that is, to make its doctrines known, and sincerely believed, and its precepts diligently practised among all ranks of people; and not, whether a sacred institution of this kind is capable of being, now and then, abused and perverted, or of becoming a snare and temptation to an unfair mind. I shall conclude this subject with briefly taking notice of an objection, which, on its first proposal, is apt to startle the best wishers to religion, and the warmest advocates of ecclesiastical establishments. Suppose the civil magistrate should happen to have formed an erroneous judgment concerning the true religion. Will he not, in that case, according to our own principle of general expediency, be justified in establishing a false one? I scruple not to give a decisive negative to this question, so far as it concerns those, who have had an opportunity of understanding and receiving the revealed will of God. For, the situation of such countries as have never heard of Jesus Christ and his gospel, I do not here consider. The evidences of the truth of christianity are so full and clear, that, as we have repeatedly said, they cannot be rejected without great wickedness of heart. Nothing, therefore, can justify the civil magistrate in establishing a false religion. Shall we restrain and punish by positive laws the individual who propagates atheism or infidelity, and at the same time shall we approve the conduct of the magistrate, who crects and supports a national establishment of false religion, and who, by his institutions, prolongs and extends the mischief, much more than any individual, unarmed with the authority of laws, could possibly do? Such a magistrate may indeed plead his VOL. II. 29 sincerity and scruple of conscience; but we have the authority of the word of God for ascribing his unbelief to gross negligence, or wilful blindness. There is then no difficulty on this head: governors of states, if they support a false religion, have reason to expect the heavy judgments of God. Let them consider the history of Jeroboam, and of his successors in the kingdom of Israel. They all SINNED, AND THEY ALL MADE ISRAEL TO SIN, IN PROVOKING THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL TO ANGER WITH THEIR VANITIES, that is, with their establishment of false religion ;* THE LORD REMOVED ISRAEL OUT OF HIS SIGHT. A real difficulty, however, respecting the OBEDIENCE of the subject may occur, whenever it pleases God, for the punishment of the sins of a nation, to permit a false religion to be established and supported by the ruling powers. It may then be asked, whether a true believer of christianity ought not to oppose the religious institutions of the country, in which he lives, and to propagate his own opinions; or whether he is to submit to the civil magistrate, "to boy down himself in the house of Rimmon," and to surrender that faith, upon which he depends for eternal salvation. The general solution of these questions must be derived from a due consideration of the meaning of that apostolical maxim, "We ought to obey God rather than men." If therefore, through the corruption of human nature, the state will not establish true christianity, but a false religion, I know no way to be pursued, but that of the apostles, namely, for believers to propagate and to practise divine truth, and to suffer patiently for the truth's sake, according to the will of "God. For, on the one hand, I find nothing in scripture to justify christians in resisting their governors by force, or in compelling them to make new ordinances; and on the other hand, to comply with anti-christian institutions, would be to "sin a great sin," as Jerobo * 1 Kings, xvi. 13. † 2 Kings, xvii. 23. + Acts v. 29 am's subjects did.* The middle line of conduct is pointed out by our Saviour in that sentence, "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another." Several valuable miscellaneous articles must now be attended to, before we dismiss the fourth century. IF CHAPTER XVIII. · The private Life and the Works of Ambrose. we had the real life of this bishop, written by Pau. linus of Nola, we might make a profitable use of it. But that which goes under his name, is so stuffed with fables, that I scarce know how to quote it. Ambrose died about the year 397, admired, regretted, and lamented by the whole christian world. His life not improbably had been shortened by the incessant activity of his mind, and by the multiplicity of his employments; for he was only fifty-seven years old, and had been appointed bishop of Milan at the age of thirty-four, His spirit was remarkably kind and sympathetic; his benevolence was extended to all, but especially those of the household of faith. His estate, real and personal, he bestowed on the poor, and for the support of the church, styling the poor his stewards and treasurers. His labours were immense: he administered the eucharist daily, and preached commonly every Lord's Day, frequently on extraordinary occasions, and spent much time in teaching catechumens. His temper was heroic and strong, and no dignity or authority could shelter offenders from his episcopal rebukes, where he deemed it his duty to reprehend. Augustine tells us, that he found it, in a manner, im † Matth. x. 23. * 2 Kings, xvii. 21, 1 possible to have access to him, because of the multiplicity of his employments. The time he could spare from pastoral and charitable engagements, was devoted to study and meditation. The moral writings of Ambrose contain various things of solid utility; his treatise on offices shines among these. It was evidently his wish to imitate Tully, and to show the superiority of christian over philosophical morals. A noble design, but considered as a whole feebly executed, because conducted without a plan. He modestly owns indeed, that he was called to teach, before he himself had learned. But he might have both preached and written better, had he always attended to the simple word of God, and exercised his own natural good sense in humble dependance on DIVINE GRACE, and paid less regard to the fanciful writings of Origen,which corrupted his understanding exceedingly. Less of this, however, appears in his moral, than in his theological pieces. He speaks strikingly of the excellent use of taciturnity, and the difficulty of acquiring it, in his usual manner, which is sententious, and full of quick turns of expression. "I know most speak, when they do not know how to be silent. Seldom do you see any one silent, when to speak is of no profit. He is wise who knows when to hold his peace. Must we then be dumb? no; for there is a time to speak, and a time to be silent. And if we must give an account of every idle word, take care, lest you have to answer also for idle silence. Tie your tongue, lest it be wanton and luxuriant keep it within the banks: a rapidly flowing river soon collects mud."* His ideas of decorum in behaviour and carriage, he illustrates by the account of two persons of his own diocese. The first was a friend of his own, who by sedulous offices recommended himself to Ambrose, in order to be admitted as a clergyman into his bishopric. The only reason why Ambrose refused, was because * 2d and 3d c. b. 1. de Officiis, his gestures were light and indecent. The other he found already a clergyman, and made this sole excep tion, namely, of indecent levity, to his conduct. His judgment was verified in both. The former during the Arian persecution at Milan, deserted the faith; the latter, through the love of gain, denied himself to be a priest of Ambrose's diocese, to avoid judicial penalties. His directions to his clergy would deserve to bę made a part of an episcopal charge in every age of the church. "I think," says he, "it becomes the prudence and gravity of clergymen, to avoid the public banquets frequently made for strangers: you may exercise hospitality to them at your own houses, and by this caution, there will be no room for reproach. Entertainments of this sort take up much time, and also evidence a fondness for feasting. Secular and voluptuary discourse is apt to creep in; to shut your ears, is impossible; to forbid, will be looked on as imperious. Why do not you employ the time which is free from clerical employments in reading? Why do you not revisit Christ, speak to Christ, hear Christ? We speak to him, when we pray; we hear him, when we read the divine oracles. What have we to do with other men's houses? let them rather come to us, who want us. What have we to do with idle chit-chat? We received the ministry to attend on the service of Christ, not to pay court to men."* In In his book of repentance, he remonstrates with great justice against the inexorable spirit of the Nova. tians in refusing to re-admit penitents into the church. "Learn of me, says Christ, for I am meek and lowly in heart. I am unmerciful, says the Novatian." the same chapter he bears testimony to the immaculate conception of Jesus, and to the native depravity of mankind. "He was not like the rest of us, born in the ordinary way of generation, but born from the Holy Ghost, and he received from the virgin a spotless body, with no taint of sin. For, all we are born in sin, aș † B. 1. c. 2. B. 1. de Officiis, |