SERM. the grounds of their religion, should not have the liberty to do it. Nor,

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2. That when upon due enquiry and examination, men are settled, as they think and verily believe, in the true faith and religion, they should obftinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offered against their prefent perfuafion. Both these I fhewed to be unreasonable, and arguments of a bad cause and religion and therefore neither of them can be intended by the apostle in this exhortation.

Secondly, I proceeded pofitively to explain the meaning of this exhortation. And to this purpose I propofed,

I. To confider what it is, that we are to hold fast, viz. the confeffion or "profeffion of our faith." The ancient christian faith, of which every Chriftian makes profeffion in his baptifm: for of that the apostle here speaks, as appears by the context; not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men, nor the impious dictates and doctrines of any church, not contained in the holy fcriptures, impofed upon the chriftian church; though with never fo confident a pretence of the antiquity of the doctrines propofed, or of the infallibility of the propofers of them. And then I proceeded in the

II. Place, to fhew how we are to hold faft the "profeffion of our faith without wavering." And I mentioned thefe following particulars, as probably implied in the apoftle's exhortation.

1. That we should hold faft the profeffion of our faith," against the confidence of men, without fcripture or reafon to fupport their confidence.

2. And much more against the confidence of men, againft fcripture and reafon, and the common fense of mankind.

3. Against

3. Against all the temptations and terrors of the SER M. world.

4. Against all vain promises of being put into a fafer condition, and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms, in another religion.

5. Against all the cunning arts and infinuations of bufy and difputing men, whofe defign it is to unhinge men from their religion, and to gain profelytes to their party and faction.

1. We are" to hold faft the profeffion of our "faith," against the confidence of men, without scripture or reason to fupport their confidence. And of this I gave several inftances. As in the As in the pretence of the church of Rome to infallibility, without any proof or evidence of it, either by fcripture or miracles: I mean fuch miracles, as are fufficiently attested. For as for their legends, fince the wifeft among themselves give no credit to them, I hope, they do not expect that we fhould believe them, or be moved by them. And then their pretence that the church' of Rome is the mother or miftrefs of all churches; which is now made an article of their creed. And that the bishop of Rome, as fucceffor of St. Peter there, is by divine appointment the fupreme and univerfal paftor of CHRIST's church. And that it is neceffary to falvation, for every human creature to be fubject to him. And laftly, their invocation and worship of the bleffed virgin, and faints departed; without any warrant or example of any fuch thing, either in fcripture, or in the practice of the first ages of the chriftian religion; and without fufficient ground to believe that they hear the prayers which are put up to them.

2. Much more are we " to hold faft the profef"fion of our faith," against the confidence of men,

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SERM. contrary to fcripture and reafon and the common LX. fense of mankind. And here I inftanced in the wor

ship of images; the locking up of the fcriptures from the people; and celebrating the publick prayers and fervice of GOD in an unknown tongue; in their doctrine of tranfubftantiation, their communion in one kind, and their daily repetition in the facrifice of the mafs, of the propitiatory facrifice of CHRIST; which was offered "once for all," and is of eternal virtue and efficacy, and therefore ought not, because it needs not, like Jewish facrifices under the law, to be repeated.

To these inftances, which I have already spoken to, I fhall add one or two more; as namely, that to the due administration of the facraments, an intention in the minifter at least to do what the church does, is requifite. This is exprefly defined, and under an anathema upon all that shall say otherwise, by the council of Trent, feff. the feventh, can. 11th; which is to make the validity and virtue of the facraments to depend upon the intention of the priest or minifter. So that if in the adminiftration of baptifm, he do not intend to baptize the party he pretends to baptize, then it is no baptifm, and confequently the perfon baptized is not made a member of CHRIST's church; nor is any grace or fpecial benefit conferred upon him; nor is he a Chriftian. So likewise in the facrament of the LORD's fupper, if the priest do not intend to confecrate the hoft, then is it no facrament; and they that receive it, receive no benefit by it; and (which according to their opinion is a dreadful confequence) by the words of confecration, there is no change made of the elements into the body and blood of CHRIST, and confequently they that give adoration to the facra

ment

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ment in such cases, worship bread and wine, for SERM. GOD; which is idolatry. And fo likewise in their facrament of penance, though the priest pronounce the words of absolution; yet if he do not intend to abfolve the penitent, though he be never fo truly penitent, and GoD on his part is ready to forgive him; yet if the priest do not intend to do fo, there is nothing done, and the man is ftill in his fin.. So likewise in ordination (which is another of their facraments) if the bishop do not intend to ordain the man; he is no priest, and all that he does as a priest afterwards, either in adminiftration of baptifm, or the LORD's fupper, or the abfolution of penitents, all is vain, and of no effect. Nay, in marriage (which they will needs have to be a facrament too) if the intention of the priest be wanting; there is nothing done, the contract is nulled, and they that are fo married do really live in adultery; though they do not know it, nor have any fufpicion of it.

Now this is contrary to fcripture and the whole tenour of the gofpel, which promifeth the benefit and efficacy of the facraments, to all thofe that perform the conditions of the covenant which are required on their parts, and declares forgiveness of fins to those who confefs them to Go D, and truly repent of them.

And there is not the leaft intimation given in the bible, that the virtue and efficacy of the facraments does depend upon the intention of him that administers them; or that the forgiveness of fins is fufpended upon the intention or abfolution of the prieft; but only upon the fincere refolution of the penitent. And furely nothing can be more abfurd, and contrary to reason, than that when men have performed all the conditions which the gofpel requires;

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SERM. quires; yet they fhould notwithstanding this be deprived of all the bleffings and benefits which GOD hath promised, and intends to confer upon them; because the priest hath not the fame intention. So that when a man hath done all that he can "to work out his own falvation," he fhall be never the nearer; only for want of that which is wholly out of his power; the right intention of the priest.

Befides, that after all their boasts of the fafe condition of men in their church, and the most certain and infallible means of falvation to be had in it, this one principle (that the intention of the priest is neceffary to the validity and virtue of the facraments) puts the falvation of men upon the greatest hazard and uncertainty; and fuch as it is impoffible for any man either to difcover or prevent, unless he had fome certain way to know the heart and intention of the priest. For upon thefe terms, who can know whether any man be a priest, and really ordained or not? Nay, whether he be a Christian, and have been truly baptized; or not? And confequently whether any of his administrations be valid, and we have any benefit and advantage by them? Because all this depends upon the knowledge of that, which we neither do nor can know.

So that when a man hath confcientiously done all that God requires of any man, to make him capable of falvation; yet without any fault of his, the want of intention in an idle-minded man may fruftrate all and though the man hath been baptized, and do truly believe the gofpel, and hath fincerely repented of his fins, and lived a most holy life; yet all this may fignify nothing, and after all he may be no Christian, because his baptism was invalid:

and