SERMON II.

I JOHN V. 4.

This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

THE fubject proposed for your confideration

is an investigation of religious truth, by means of the writings of the Chriftian Fathers, who lived during the first three centuries. In purfuing this plan, my meaning is to enter into a detailed account of their contents, to give a key, as it is often called, to the genuine compofitions of three apoftolical Fathers, and of fix their principal fucceffors. For the fake of preferving diftinctnefs and method in examining a wide range of various matter, I wish to select two points in particular for attentive obfervation; and thefe are the Divine Atonement, and the Evidences of the Inspiration of the Holy Ghoft. This arrangement will direct our inquiries to fundamentals of vital religion, effential articles of faith and

practice, without precluding fuch remarks as may seem pertinent upon the peculiar leading characteristics of each author. A fecondary benefit flowing from it will be, an opportunity of defending most important doctrines of our established Church against prevailing errors: and there can be no doubt that a defence of this kind was among the objects, which the Founder of this falutary and honourable appointment chiefly intended, and had most at heart. To fupport that vifible Society in which true religion is maintained in greatest purity, is the next thing to fupporting true religion.

The two cardinal doctrines above mentioned are fometimes denied, fometimes holden in a sense unauthorized, as we conceive, by Scripture. The Reformers separated from the Church of Rome chiefly because she ascribed to good works an efficacy and virtue, meritorious, and fatisfactory for fin: fo all-important did they esteem the doctrine which the Church of England maintains, from Scripture, that the blood of Chrift fhed on the Crofs is the one, only and complete ransom and fatisfaction for the fins of mankind. By Unitarians the divine atonement is altogether denied: and here it may be premised, that, in collecting the opinions of the Fathers, a testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ, or

a teftimony to the atonement which he offered for fin, will equally fupport both these articles of the Christian faith; for that they are infeparable from each other, I believe is not difputed. Again, with regard to the fubject of the evidences of the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, the Church of Rome has fuppofed that they are, by rightful inheritance, her exclufive poffeffion and property; and that a man can be fure of having the Holy Ghost only when he is a member of her communion. Some Chriftian focieties have maintained that the divine inspiration is diftributed by a predeftination, more or lefs defined and marked among God's elect: and others, that the proofs of its prefence confift in certain inward feelings and affurances, which are fo loosely described, that it is not easy to understand what is really meant by them. The doctrine of our Church on this head is plain and clear, namely, that a man can know he has the Holy Ghost, only by examining the purity of his life, hand the goodness of his actions performed according to the prescribed rule of God's word.

In fearching for the fentiments of the Fathers upon these fubjects, the bias of a man's judgment will naturally incline towards that

h See the Homilies for Whit-funday.

D

fociety of which he is a profeffed member: partiality and habit will perhaps caufe him to overlook thofe paffages which make against his private opinions, and to magnify into clear and decifive teftimonies in favour of his own Church, expreffions which are in reality of a dubious or unimportant tendency. Still the Fathers may be expected, as it has been already ftated, to fpeak plainly and unequivocally upon effential matters: and vigilant caution will prevent mistakes, caufing the examiner, who begins his task in honeft fincerity, to proceed in delivering the whole truth, as he finds it, with fobernefs and moderation of fpirit, and in the language of decency and candour; fo that, if it should be impoffible to "give no offence in any thing," he may at leaft hope to exercise a faithful miniftry, without reasonable cause of blame. And may God of his mercy grant that among us, and all who are gathered together in his name, both those who speak and those who hear, may have the fear of him, and the defire of his glory always before them; and by comfort and aid of his Holy Spirit, may embrace and ever hold faft the bleffed means of everlasting life, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

i 2 Cor. vi. 3.

The Gofpel-history, unlike all others, is clearest at the beginning. The first planting of the Church of Chrift is accurately described in the epiftles of the Apostles, and particularly in the incomparable narrative of their Acts: but when the facred volume clofes, obfcurity begins. We find the Gospel spread over the earth, but of the means and manner of its propagation there are no diftinct accounts; and the prophecy is fulfilled, "So " is the kingdom of God, as if a man should “cast seed into the ground, and should sleep, "and rise night and day, and the feed should fpring and grow up he knoweth not how." The writings that remain of this early period are few in number, and of no great length; and plainly fhew that the primitive Christians were more intent upon the excellence of their lives, than of their writings. Three compofitions are extant, which are ascribed to the fellow-labourers of the Apoftles, whofe names are recorded in the New Testament. But two of them, the Catholic Epiftle of Barnabas, and the Shepherd of Hermas, on account of many mistakes and injudicious obfervations which they contain, are, by competent judges', deemed fpurious and unwor

k Mark iv. 26.

Mr. Jeremiah Jones, and Mr. Milner. The testimonies of Barnabas and Hermas have however been adduced, to