of Duty, and in being so, are groffly fuperftitious. The Pietifts abroad, if they are truly represented, and those refined Sectaries at Home, who have prefumed to call their Saviours facred Inftitutions carnal Ordinances, and to place their whole Hopes on internal, fpiritual Motions, are plainly within this Charge, by neglecting one Part of Duty which is really of Divine Authority, to lay more Stress on another than that Authority will

warrant.

The fame may be observed of the oppofite Error, when Men expect Salvation from the mere Obfervance of outward Ceremonies, without any Care for that Purification and Improvement of the Heart, which these Ceremonies were intended to represent and promote. This is a plain and important Neglect, and at the fame Time a plain and palpable Superftition; which even Those will be ready to acknowledge, who study to overlook it in the other Instance, though the Reason of the Thing is just the fame in both. If Men place the Whole of Religion, where Revelation has placed but Part of it, They are evidently guilty, not of adding to their Obligations, but of diminishing from them, and of setting afide one Half of their Duty. Which the Part is, that is thus abolished by Human Authority in Oppofition to Divine, is not material to the Nature of C 2

this

this Offence, fince the Obligation of all Duties refts upon the fame Foundation: and in this Light St. James's Obfervation is both true and pertinent, that Whosoever keepeth the whole Law, and yet offendeth in one Point, is guilty of all. Jam. 2. 10. Whether He depends on positive Institutions in Oppofition to Moral Duties, or on Moral Duties in Oppofition to pofitive Inftitutions, or on the external Obfervance of both, for the Sake of Interest or Reputation, without cultivating that inward Principle of dutiful Obedience to the Supreme Being, which alone can render them religious Acts; in all these fuppofed Cafes He reverses the Divine Appointment, frames a new Scheme of Salvation for Himself, refts his Hopes and Conduct on a false Notion, and is therefore guilty of fuperftitious Vanity.

So that upon the whole Fiction and Falfhood appear to be of the very Effence of this Sin, however exemplified; and whether any Addition to our real Obligations be introduced, or any Alteration or Diminution of them, ftill whatever is a real Error in Religion affecting Practice, is strictly on that Account an Act of Superftition. The different Inftances may admit of Aggravations and other additional Charges. They may be idolatrous or immoral as well as fuperftitious, but That which fixes the latter Charge on them is

their false Pretenfion in Opposition to or Want

of Authority.

We have farther in the Text a fignificant Epithet to ascertain more clearly the Point before us: Superftitious Vanities, or Vain Superftitions. For the Original, with a Strength and Force peculiar to itself conveys the Idea of Emptiness and Unprofitablenefs".

And this is a very distinct and proper Article to be confidered in the Notion and Charge of Superftition. For in some poffible Cases the Want of Use may be the Evidence of the Want of Authority, and the Falfhood may lie in perverting the End for which a competent Power was granted. To speak more clearly. There is a fubordinate Power in Human Magistrates both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, arifing from the Nature of all Societies, as well as from the exprefs Appointment of Providence; and this not to contradict or fuperfede the Laws of God, but to provide Means for the better Obfervance of them; And when fuch Means are prudently chosen as may answer that End, and are regularly appointed by Human Governors, they are then fo far from being fuperftitious Obfervances, that they are really a Part

a The LXX tranflate the Words, Toothies Alxevns. The Vulgate vanitates fupervacué. Tremellius vanitates vanissimas excellently.

of

of Duty, and become binding on Conscience by Virtue of that general Injunction, which directs us to fubmit to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake. There are several general Rules commanded by God, where the particular Inftances are as yet uncommanded, being referred to the Difcretion of those whom Providence has appointed to have Dominion over their FellowCreatures, and to provide for the Good and Order of Society. Some Particulars must be fixed on for this End, but all being as yet indifferent in themselves, it is the Duty of Those in Authority to make fuch Appointments, as that all Things may be done to Edification; and it is the Duty of Those under Authority to comply thankfully and regularly with fuch Appointments. In Things in themselves indifferent there is at leaft as much Error, and therefore as much Superfition in placing Piety in the Negative as in the Affirmative, in pretending that fuch Things are unlawful as are no where prohibited, as in charging those Things as necessary which are no where commanded. But an Obfervance may be virtually, which is not expressly commanded, and any Thing which is not abfolutely forbidden, may be properly appointed, if it be found ferviceable to that, which is in itself of Divine Appointment.

For

For Inftance, if Publick Worship itself had been a mere Human Invention, anfwering no religious or moral End, then whatever had contributed to it, or been employed in it, had been justly liable to the Charge of Superftition. But this Social Adoration of the Deity being confeffedly an Inftitution of the Deity Himself, and farther Directions being given, very fuitable to our own impartial Reafon, that it fhould be performed decently and in Order, Whatever therefore is not in its Nature unlawful, and is in its Tendency ferviceable to the Decency and Order of external Worship, is capable of being enjoined, and when enjoined becomes a circumftantial Part of Religion. It is not an Addition to our former Duty, but an Exemplification of it, where fome Circumftance or other, originally indifferent, was yet neceffary or proper in its Ufe to express or to promote true Devotion.

But Governors, it must be confeffed, as well as private Perfons, may be fuperftitious in the Appointment of ritual Forms of Worship, and therefore We must with the Pfalmift lay a Stress in that Cafe on these Forms being vain and unprofitable. Governors have Authority to institute Ceremonies for the Affiftance and Advantage of Religion, but not to the Prejudice and Dishonour of it. If therefore thefe are burdenSome