free. This is the Diftinction to be attended to in all voluntary uncommanded Obfervances. If in particular Circumstances they are inftrumental and helpful to Piety or Virtue, they are laudably applied; but if they are taught as in all Cafes of indifpenfable Obligation, they ceafe to be useful or indifferent, but are absolutely fuperftitious Vanities. They pretend to an Authority, which they have not, and to a Reason, which holds against them; and Whatever turns Mens Thoughts to any thing as Religion which is not fuch, always leffens their Regard, and fometimes totally deftroys it, to that which is fuch.

The fame Obfervation will recur in viewing the next Instance of Superftition, the Mischiefs of which are to be, mentioned, namely the Abstinence from things as unlawful, which are no where forbidden. This naturally takes Men off from a ftudious Application to the real Parts of Duty, difpofes them to rely on their own groundlefs Aufterities, fours their Temper, makes them cenforious towards Others, and diffatisfied in themselves. It denies them thofe Comforts, which should sweeten the neceffary Cares of Life; it involves them in tormenting Scruples, if an Indulgence in itself innocent, has been taken; it leads them not infrequently from imaginary to real Breaches of Duty; it fometimes ends in H 2 Melan

Melancholy and Defpair, fometimes in diffolute Licentiousness, occafioned at first merely by an erroneous Notion of fome fuppofed Guilt. It tempts them to think their Duty too difficult to be performed, or their Breach of it too heinous to be forgiven, and thus causes Tranfgreffion and prevents Repentance. It gives an ungracious Afpect to Religion itself, leads Some to queftion the Truth of its Doctrines, Others the Practicableness of its Precepts, and Many to neglect all ferious Enquiry into it. They who are unwilling to fubmit to any Restraints, find an Interest in favouring the Account of the Superftitious, tho' for a different End; They will join with them in blending fuch Things as are reasonable with thofe which are unreasonable, but for this Purpose, that They may fairly reject them all together. And even They who fee that the Reftraints of Religion are really favourable, are even neceffary to the focial and perfonal Interefts of Mankind, yet seeing many Restraints advanced under the fame venerable Name, which are much otherwise, if they have not the Difcernment to diftinguish that these latter want Authority as well as Reafon and Ufe, are apt to waver both in their Faith and Practice; to impute to Policy what is true Religion, or to facrifice their Judgment and the Comfort of their Life to that

which really is not fuch. The Confequences are obvious and fatal, and either Way ruinous to the Soul or to the Body.

The Last Instance of Superftition, which was specified, was That of an Over-Regard even for authoritative Appointments, or for Usages in themselves innocent, and in their proper Order and Degree useful. The Mischiefs of this depend again on the Nature of the Inftances included under it, and the Measure of the Zeal with which they are respectively supported.

The Divine Institutions can only be over-valued, by laying that Strefs on fome, which is due to all; by esteeming a Part, as if it was the Whole of our Duty, and by advancing fome to the Neglect of others. The Sacraments, for Inftance, ordained by Chrift Himself, were ordained to admit us to and confirm a covenanted Title to Favour and Acceptance from a Saviour, who has prescribed all moral Duties as the indifpenfable Conditions of his Covenant; and therefore if thefe Sacramental Inftitutions are refted in as in themselves fufficient, without any Care to lead an holy moral Life, they are perverted from their End, are made dishonourable to their gracious Inftitutor, and deftructive of all future Hopes. So on the other Hand, there may be a fatal Superftition even in the Pretence of an unlimited Regard

Regard for Morality. Virtue indeed could not be over-valued, if it were perfect, that is, if We were fo, and could fulfil all our Obligations uniformly and conftantly, without Interruption or Failure. But the Fact is otherwife. We are frail finful Creatures, often lapfing into Tranfgreffion, always falling short of strict Perfection. It is eafy therefore to magnify our own Performances and Attainments too much, though perfect Morality would deserve all the high Things that are faid of it. But Something is now wanting to fupply our Defects, and to atone for our Tranfgreffions; and to reject a Scheme of Redemption, which contains a Provision for both, when it is proposed to us, and supported by fufficient Evidence; and to infift on a supposed Sufficiency in our own Virtue, which daily Experience difproves, is to found the Rule of our religious Faith and Practice on a most important Error, and as fuch is a fundamental Superstition.

It is indeed one of the most criminal Kind, and destructive of the very Cause it is so zealous to promote. For whether We place Virtue in acting according to the Beauty and Order, or the Truth and Fitness of Things, or in its Serviceableness to the Happiness of Mankind, it is equally violated by rejecting a Revelation, which propofes

poses to Men a gracious Remedy for their Wants and Sins, and which encourages the future better Practice of Morality, by granting a secure Title of the Forgiveness of past Breaches of it upon the Condition of our fincere Endeavours to perfevere in Reformation and Holinefs. It is therefore a fuperftitious Excess in one Respect, though a material Defect in another, to found all our Hopes on Morality in Oppofition to the Authority that has directed Us to found them on the Paffion of our Saviour, and to plead that as the meritorious Caufe, which We are taught from Heaven to confider only as the indifpenfable Condition of our Salvation. This prefumptuous Scheme may perhaps prevent Terrors and Defpondency at present, but is certainly destructive of all Title to Felicity hereafter. Nor is it only thus ruinous to Ourselves in our most important future Hopes, but is injurious to the Honour of our fupreme Benefactor. For He that believeth not God, bath made him a Liar, becaufe He believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son. 1 John 5.10. The very Denial of Submiffion to the revealed Will of God is one Failure in the Morality fo much boasted of, befides that on this Scheme all other Breaches of it are unattoned, and remain to be accounted for.

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