John iii. 2. SERM. of St. John, Beloved, now are we the fons XV. of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: But we know, that when he Shall appear, we shall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is. And every man who hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. SERMON SERMON XVI. The nature, folly, and danger of fcoffing at religion. 2 PET. iii. 3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days fcoffers, walking after their own lufts. A Difcourfe on this fubject can SERM. need no apology with any XVI. one that knows the world, and has obferved what open attempts have been made (and conducted fometimes with a great deal of art and fubtilty) not only to difgrace and undermine revelation, but natural religion itself CC 4 and SERM. and propagate fuch bafe, unworthy, and XVI. groveling fentiments of human nature, as have a direct tendency to root out of mens minds every principle of honour and ingenuity, and destroy the very foundation of all good morals. Some there are, even among ourfelves, who endeayour to palliate and soften the vilest enormities, refolve the whole obligation of morality into political contrivance, and, with the scoffers mention'd by St. Peter, deride the future judgment of mankind, a state of rewards and punishments after death,as an idle, romantic, vifionary scene, invented for the greater fecurity of civil government, and fupported by enthufiafm; and thus would fain banter us out of the two highest privileges of our reasonable nature, our virtue, and our immortality. I fpeak not these things for the fake of declaiming on the loofeness and degeneracy of the times, or with a view to represent the prefent as more corrupt than former ages, in almost all of which, there have been fome profefs'd advocates for vice and licentioufnefs; but only to fhew how neceffary it is, that we should each each of us, in our several stations, en- SERM. deavour to put a stop to the progress of XVI. this evil, which feems rather to be prevailing than loofing ground amongst us, and has been long complain'd of by all those who have had a juft concern for the honour of human nature, and the happiness of the world. To contribute my part towards it, and not to give hard names, or raise an abhorrence of any particular characters, farther than it is neceffary to serve the cause of truth, was my fincere intention in compofing this difcourfe In which I fhall I. Confider the nature, folly, and dan- text. II. Enquire into the causes of it. And, I. I am to confider the nature, folly, and danger of the crime mentioned in my text, fcoffing at religion, than which nothing can be more offenfive and fhocking to a confiderate mind. It must in deed SERM. deed be own'd, that religion has had the XVI. misfortune to be monftrously perverted and mifreprefented, and that the most abfurd and incredible doctrines, the wildest enthusiasm, and even such principles and practices as ftrike at the root of all morality, have been urg'd and impos'd under that facred and venerable name. And undoubtedly it must be a laudable defign, and of great fervice to mankind, to expose these grofs corruptions, by which the native excellency and beauty of religion is quite defac'd, and its usefulness entirely deftroy'd. However, even establish'd and popular fuperftitions are not to be treated with rudeness and scurrility, but calmly argued against. For there is a decent refpect due to the religion of a country, as well as to its laws and manners; and he, who instead of reasoning against particular errors, takes upon him to revile, and treat in a ludicrous way, what all round him have the highest value for, fhews himself to be an abfolute ftranger to the common rules of civility, to be defpis'd for his infolence. 1 and ought Befides, religious |