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SERMON IV.

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY JANUARY 11, 1795.

THE object of these discourses being a defence

and vindication of our national Church, it was expedient to clear the way by a fhort deduction of the hiftory of Chriftianity, from it's first foundation by Chrift and his Apostles, to the period of it's reception by the Roman Empire, comprehending the whole civiliz'd world, under Conftantine; thence through the ages of darkness and ignorance that enfued upon the overthrow of that Empire by the Northern Barbarians, down to it's lamentable corruption under the ufurp'd Papal Tyranny with an account of the reformation from thofe corruptions, which enlighten'd no inconfiderable part of Europe, in the beginning of the fixteenth century; and a ftill more particular

detail

detail of the establishment and fettlement of the Church of England, on the bafis of that Reformation. But amidst all the fuperftitious and even idolatrous errors of Popery, however they may have violated the mediatorial dignity of Chrift, by admitting other Mediators in Saints and Angels; nay, however they may have depreciated his Divinity by addreffing religious worship to other objects, as Images and Relics, and by fuppofing him bound to pay obedience and fubmiffion to the commands of his Virgin-Mother; yet had they never the hardinefs to deny Christ's Divinity, or that of the Holy Ghoft; nor did they ever renounce the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity in Unity, or refufse the adoration of three Perfons in one God. And as I before obferv'd to you that our English Reformers determin'd to adhere fcrupulously to the fundamental maxim of departing from the religion of Rome no farther than the religion of Rome had deviated from the primitive religion of Chrift; so they confequently adopted this important doctrine of the Trinity, although a tenet of the Romish Church, from a full conviction of it's being a genuine doctrine of primitive Christianity, founded on the pure and unadulterated Scriptures of truth and infpiration.

It

It hath feemed good to the divine wisdom, for reasons best known to God, but which have a manifeft reference to our condition in this world, as free agents in a state of probation: it hath feemed good, I fay, to the divine wisdom, that Herefies should never ceafe in the Church: even as was fhadow'd by the Parable in the Gospel, where the Husbandman had no fooner fowed the good feed, than the Enemy follow'd clofe after with his tares. Thus no fooner had Jefus afcended to the bofom of his Father, and his faithful difciples, having received the completion of his promise by the defcent of the Holy Ghoft on the day of Pentecoft, had enter'd upon the execution of their Master's commiffion, going forth and preaching every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with figns following: no fooner had this infancy of the Gofpel commenc'd, than we read of the inftant appearance of the firft Arch-heretic in the perfon of Simon Magus. Dry and tedious would it be in the extreme, to detail to you his various errors, with those of his early followers, fuch as Ebion and Cerinthus, with the other founders of the Gnoftic Sect, as contain❜d in the most antient ecclefiaftical writers. Suffice it to fay, that the common ground-work of all was the denial of Chrift's Divinity. In oppofition to

this

this moft peftilent herefy, the beloved disciple of Christ, Saint John, judg'd it necessary to write a fourth Gospel, in addition to the three already publish'd by Matthew, Mark, and Luke; and that as it should feem, principally, if not solely, with a view to confirm and establish this important and effential doctrine. When the Gospel had attain'd to maturity by the ever-memorable converfion of the Roman Empire from Pagan Idolatry to the faith of Chrift, then did Satan take care to revive his darling herefy in the person of one Arius, a Prefbyter of Alexandria in Egypt: for the fuppreffion of which, a general council conven'd at Nice in Bithynia, compos'd and publifh'd that orthodox confeffion of Faith, which our Church retains in her fervice under the appellation of the Nicene Creed. Laftly, when in modern times Christianity was reform'd from thofe errors and corruptions which Papal Rome had accumulated during the long night of ignorance, then did the grand enemy again broach his long-exploded blafphemies in the perfon of one Socinus, a native of Italy. From the two laft mention'd revivers and propagators of this herefy of Simon Magus, their modern followers affume the names of Arians and Socinians. It is not worth while to point out to you the various divifions and fubdivifions of thefe

thefe Heretics, refting chiefly on nice metaphyfical diftinctions; feeing they all agree in the leading tenet of the denial of Christ's Divinity. The way of truth is but one: the wanderings of error are unlimited. However, as they are all unanimous in afferting the Unity of the Godhead, in oppofition to the Trinity of Persons in that Unity, they may all be compriz'd under that title of Unitarians, which of late they have pretty generally. affected.

Now of these two fimple, but diametrically oppofite propofitions, Chrift is God, and Chrift is not God; it is neceffary that one only can be true, and the other muft of course be falfe. The queftion then is, which is the true opinion, and which the false; in other words, is Chrift God, or is He not God. And the infinite importance of this question is easily demonftrable. We maintain that Chrift is God, and in confequence of that belief we addrefs to Him our prayers and praises, with all religious worship. If our opinion be wrong, we are guilty of the most damnable idolatry in attributing that glory to the creature which is due only to the Creator, God bleffed for ever; even that jealous God who will not give his glory to another. Our adverfaries maintain that Chrift is not God; and of

course