the profession of a Mussulman, till he have first renounced his enmity against Christ: yet will neither acknowledge his satisfaction, upon which our salvation is founded, nor his divinity by virtue whereof that satisfaction is meritorious. Whereas the true and pious Christian is by his religion taught to say with Paul, in direct opposition to all the three forementioned sects, "We know that an idol is nothing in the world; and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many and Lords many) yet to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."* § 5. Secondly, As religion, (a term which both Austine and Lactantius derive à religando because by the true religion improved men's souls are tied and fastened to the Supreme Being) it unites us to God and to Christ. The graces of union are especially faith and love. Christian Religion is made up of these two, "Kiss the Son," saith David, which implieth the affection of love; "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him," which holds forth an expression of faith. "Hold fast the form of sound words,' saith Paul," which thou hast heard of faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus." * 1 Cor. viii. 4, 5, 6. + Psalm ii. 12. me, in Love 2 Tim. i. 13. is the fulfilling of the law, faith the fulfilling of the gospel, both the fulfilling of Christian Religion. These two pipes being rightly laid from a Christian's soul to the fountain of living waters fetch in thence a daily supply of such grace as will certainly end in a fulness of glory: whereas worldlings (all the pipes of whose spirits are laid to cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water,) must needs continue empty still; and for want of Christ (who is not seen but by those two eyes, nor embraced but by those two arms) fall short of happiness, how eminent soever they may be in the pursuit of by-ways. Thus to discover and to unite are acts of prerogative not' communicable to other professions. For to maintain (as some do) that a man may be saved in an ordinary course (I meddle not with extraordinary dispensations, but leave the secrets of God to himself) by any religion whatsoever, provided he live according to the principles of it, is to turn the whole world into an Eden; and to find a tree of life in every garden, as well as in the paradise of God. EXERCITATION II. The insufficiency of other religions for bringing men to the enjoyment of God inferred from their inability to discover his true worship: John iv. 24. opened. God to be worshipped in and through Christ, a lesson not taught in Nature's School. Faults in Aristotle's Ethics. § 1. Ir hath appeared already in part by what hath been hitherto discoursed, that as the other patriarch's sheaves made obeisance to Joseph's, so other religions must bow down to Christianity, by name those three grand compe titors, Paganism, Judaism, and Mahometism: as also those other leading books, by name the Talmud, the Alcoran, and the much applauded writings of heathen philosophers, must all do homage to the Bible. Yet will it not, I suppose, be unworthy of my pains and the reader's patience further to clear the insufficiency of all exotic doctrines by an argument taken from divine worship, to which I proceed by certain steps. I. Religion is a thing which distinguisheth men from beasts more than reason itself doth. For some brute beasts have appearances of reason, none of religion. (Man is a creature ad dicted to religion) may perhaps. be found as true a definition, as that which is commonly received (man is a living creature endued with reason.) II. Some kind of deity is acknowledged every where throughout the world, and wherever a deity is acknowledged, some kind of worship is observed. Should a synod of mere philosophers be convened to consult about the matters of God, I make no question but in the issue of their debates they would pronounce an Anathema against Atheisin, and another against irreligion. Among the Romans to worship sparingly was accounted the next door to being an Atheist.* III. None but the true God can discover what the true worship of God is. As that glorious eye' heaven is not to be seen but by its own proper light: a million of torches cannot shew us the sunt so it is not all the natural reason in the world that can either discover what God is, or what worship he expects, without divine and supernatural revelation from himself. 2. IV. Before the settling of Christianity and spreading of the gospel throughout the world, many every where were unsatisfied concerning the worship they performed, and inquisitive after some teacher who might help them there * Parcus Deorum cultor et infrequens. Ode 34. J Horat. lib. 1. + Desine cur nemo videat sine Numine Numen Mirari ; Solem quis sine sole videt? in by his advice. This may be gathered not only from that which was said by the woman of Samaria in that dispute of hers with our Saviour about worship, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things."* But also by what Ficinus reporteth concerning Plato, to wit, that being asked by one of his scholars, how far forth, and how long his precepts were to be obeyed, he returned this answer, "Until there come a more holy one, by whom the fountain of truth shall be opened, and whom all may safely follow." + V. The precepts and practice of such as teach and profess other religions are inconsistent with those gospel rules which Christ and his apostles have given for the regulating of divine worship. Two whereof I shall instance in. The first is that which fell from our Saviour's own mouth," God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." Where Spirit in the latter clause seems to stand in opposition partly to the formality of the Jews, who did so wholly addict themselves to outward observances in a spiritless way, as to give our Saviour occasion of saying, * John iv. 25. Donec in terris apparuerit sacratior aliquis qui fontem veritatis aperiat, &c. Marsil. Ficinus in vita Platonis. Vid. Livium Galan. præfat page 8. ↑ John iv. 24, |