'tis laborious? but will go on, in defiance of all that has been faid to convince him that he waftes himself in vain, and that there will be no fruits of all his labour, but to know he knows nothing? I call that nothing, which will

turn to no account.

But to fhew you I am difposed to make all poffible conceffions, I will grant that even this objection might be got over, were this the worst of it: But I have one argument still in referve, that I am perfuaded will be decifive. My

III. Third argument then is this; That a painful, exact, impartial study of the Scriptures, will by fome be thought not only to do no good, but also a great deal of hurt, both to the public and to yourself.

ift, It will do hurt to the public. It will disturb the peace of the church, and that cannot but have a malignant influence on the state.

'Tis certain that difputes in the church, difturb the peace of it. And 'tis as certain these difputes have been generally raised by men. pretending to a fuperiour knowledge of the Scriptures, and to discoveries that have escaped others. The Scriptures have always been made this use of by the heretics of old: And 'tis

the

the character of the great heretics of this and the last age; who have fet up for a free and impartial fearch into the literal sense of the Scriptures, above the reft of the chriftian world. But with what fuccefs? They have purchafed their pretended knowledge of the Scriptures at the expence of their reputation, and their study has destroyed their orthodoxy. And were not their books and opinions carefully fuppreft, and their perfons rendered odious to the people; who knows what disturbances they might have created to the church? On the other hand, the peace the church has enjoyed for many years among its own members, feems to be owing to no one thing more, than to a general neglect of this ftudy; and the dangers that at prefent threaten its tranquillity, come wholly from men, who have endeavoured to revive a ftudy, that has fo often proved pernicious to its peace.

Nor can it well be otherwife. For what fecurity has a man that fets out in this way; that attempts to study the Scriptures in a free and impartial manner, laying aside all prepoffeffions and previous notions, refolving to fee with his own eyes, and judge for himself, and to believe nothing that he is not upon his own fearch convinced is clearly contained in them; what fecurity has fuch a man, that he shall not

fall

fall into fome opinions that have been already condemned as erroneous and heretical, or which may interfere with those that are commonly received? Which, if they do not immediately ftrike at any fundamental point, yet will be thought to do fo; and may have a tendency to put fcruples into weak minds, and to disturb the peace of the church, by raising doubts about the meaning or truth of fome articles, or by afferting that an explicit belief of them is not neceffary? 'Tis fo natural for curious and inquifitive minds to deviate from the common road, and the examples are fo many, that 'tis odds but you do fo too, unless you had more lead in your conftitution, or a more refigned understanding, than any curious man ever had yet: Otherwife you cannot be fure, that you fhall not study your felf into doubts at least, if not into opposite opinions concerning some received notions. You will doubt perhaps of the authority or author of fome canonical book, and think perhaps that fome paffages are interpolated, or that fome celebrated texts are not genuine, or fhould be otherwife read, or have not been rightly underflood, or do not prove the paint. they are commonly brought for. You may fall into notions that will be thought tending to Arianifm or the like. You may reject arguments brought from the Old Teftament, to prove

the

the Trinity; as trifling, and proving nothing but the ignorance of thofe that make use of them. You may think a prophefie has a literal meaning, where commonly the myftical is thought the only one. You may think that many texts in the New Teftament, which are strong against the Socinians, do not prove against the Arian notion. That the title of fon of God, has not always one uniform meaning in the gospel ; and that that fingle expreffion, of itself, is no proof of any thing in God analagous to generation in men. That the identical confubftantiality of the fan, the eternal proceffion of the fpirit, and many other notions relating to the trinity, tho' they may be true in themselves, are not fo in virtue of the texts alledged for them. These notions, learned men have fallen into; and from thence 'tis to be prefumed, you will not easily keep clear of them. I chufe to inftance chiefly in matters relating to the Trinity, because 'tis the controverfie now on foot*: But the like may be faid on many other articles; in each of which the truth is but one, but the errors infinite: And there is hardly any notion with refpect to any of them, which fome learned man, by following his own private judgment, instead of taking the doctrine of the church for his guide, has not fallen into.

* See a late book, intitled, The true doctrine of the New Teftament concerning Jefus Chrift: printed 1767: wherein the Trinity is demolished for ever.

Now

2

Now if you should ftudy yourself into any new opinions, or into old ones that have been condemned, what will you do? Will you keep them to yourself, or publish them? Or fhall I rather fay, 'tis no queftion? The authors of new notions are apt to be very fond of them; they think it barbarous and cruel, to stifle the infant in its birth. There is a fecret pleasure in fingularity. To differ from the vulgar, is in appearance to be above them; and to be diftinguished from the herd, is too great a temptation to be easily refifted. But had you prudence enough to govern your ambition, confcience may come in here, and make you do what ambition could not. The truths you think you have difcovered, either are, or will

be thought by you of too much importance to the honour of God and the good of religion, to be concealed. You will look on them as the bleffings of God on your studies; and think it a capital crime to extinguish the light, and fupprefs the knowledge he has imparted to you. In short, you will think yourself under the highest obligation not to diffemble in religious matters, and conceal from the church of God, opinions which you are convinced are not only true but of great fervice to it. Let me then conclude, that the novel or revived opinions