The carnality of religious contention in two sermons preached at the merchant's lecture in…The carnality of religious contention in two sermons preach'd at the merchant's lecture in…

Who that understands this, would not with deepest Concern, and anxiety of Spirit, enquire into the Cause! And what Cause can be so obvious to our enquiry, as a luxurious, and a contentious Carnality; which both go together, and which have enfeebled, dispirited, and lost its self-diffusing life and strength? What we cannot remedy, let us at least see, and lament!

And let us supplicate more earnestly for the effusions of that Holy Spirit, which alone can give Remedy to our Distempers, and overcome the Lusts of the Flesh, of whatsoever kind, and restore Christian Religion to it self, and make the Christian Name great in the World.

For can it Content us that Christianity should appear, and be counted a mean, a weak, and even a ludicrous thing? that the Son of God should have descended, and come down into our World! have put on Man! have died upon a Cross! have ascended that he might fill all things! diffuse spirit, light and life thorough the World! have appointed Prophets, Apostles, Pastors and Teachers for the Publishing his Everlasting Gospel; ⟨p. xxx⟩and at length leave Men, even where the Christian Name and Profession doth obtain, no better Men generally than he found them! distinguished only from the rest of the World, by certain peculiar Notions, and by some different Rites of Worship; otherwise as flagitious, as sensual, as impious towards God, as full of wrath, hatred, malice and mischievous design towards one another, as any Pagans or Infidels ever were! and yet that they should expect to be saved, only because they are callest Christian! What a representation of Christian Religion is this?

For can it Content us that Christianity should appear, and be counted a mean, a weak, and even a ludicrous thing? that the Son of God should have descended, and come down into our World! have put on Man! have dy'd upon a Cross! have ascended that he might fill all things! diffuse spirit, light and life thorough the World! have appointed Prophets, Apostles, Pastors and Teachers for the Publishing his Everlasting Gospel;