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…

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; ⟨p. xxx⟩and at length leave Men, even where the Christian Name and Profession doth obtain, no better Men generally than he found them! distinguisht 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?

And thus it will be reckoned of, 'till it come to be understood more generally, and more openly avowed, that Christianity is not only a System of Doctrines (and those reducible within a little compass) but of Precepts also, not concerning the Modes of Worship only, but Men's ordinary Practice, and that not only respect their external Actions, but which are designed to regulate and reform their Minds and Spirits, and do lay their first Obligation there, must subdue their inordinate Appetites and Passions,