* wild afs's colt. Job xi. 12. His imagination will fet to work; and though he be affured that all fcripture is given by infpiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine therefore is to teach us; - for reproof (pos λeyxov)-for reproof or conviction of fin and error-and therefore to set them before us in their true light;-for correction—¿Tavoρws-for fetting right and amending that which is wrong;-for inftruc(Taidelav-inftitution-difcipline) in righteousness; and all this that the man of GOD may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and thus be made wife unto falvation (fee 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.)— yet, fuch is the pride, fuch the folly of man, he will not be fatisfied with what GOD hath revealed, but would fain make fome difcoveries of his own concerning GOD and religion, which, rather than part with, he will even make the criteria and

tion

* "How keenly is this comparison pointed!"Like the afs's-an animal remarkable for its ftupi"dity, even to a proverb ;-like the afs's colt-which "must be ftill more egregiously stupid than the dam; "like the wild afs's colt-which is not only blockish, "but ftubborn and intractable; neither poffeffes "valuable qualities by nature, nor will eafily re"ceive them by difcipline.-The image in the original is ftill more ftrongly touched. The compa

rative particle like is not in the Hebrew; it is"born a wild afs's colt-or, as we fhould fay in "English-a mere wild afs's colt." HERVEY, Ther. and Afpaf. vol. ii. p. 237. 5th edit. 1777, octavo.

ftandards

ftandards of truth; will endeavour to rez concile his own inventions with GoD's revelations; and if this be too hard, the next experiment is to accommodate the divine revelations to his own inventions. There are no popular systems of religion and worship, where this is not to be found. This was the plan of the Babel-builders of old time, and ever fince it has been, as they were, Scattered over the face of the whole earth. Gen. xi. 8. The Heathen, who had the volume of nature open to them for their inftruction (Rom. i. 19, 20.) became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened-profeffing them→ felves to be wife, they became fools, and changed the truth of GOD into a lye, &c. ver. 22, 25. The Jews, with the written volume of divine revelation before them, fet their imaginations to work, trying to find out fome holier and better way to walk and to please GoD than they found theretill they were as much loft to the teachings of GOD's word, as the Heathen were to the teachings of the outward creationtill, as Isaiah lx. 2. expreffeth it— darknefs covered the earth, and grofs darkness the people.-The Chriftian churches began very early to tread in the same steps, and

to

* When we contemplate Christianity, as revealed in the Old Testament, and as opened to us in the H 2

New

336310B

to invent schemes of holiness and purity with refpect to manners-of mortification and aufterity with regard to difcipline, and

not

New Teftament, we may truly call it a most noble, moft gracious, and moft glorious difplay of heavenly wifdom, an emanation from all the perfections and attributes of the DEITY; fuited, divinely fuited, to relieve the wants, and to heal the mifery, of fallen man-to ftamp once more the divine image on the human foul, and make it meet to partake of the inheritance of the faints in light. Col. i. 12.

But if it be confidered only as it appears when cauponized with the vain reafonings of men of corrupt minds-adulterated by human fophiftry-perverted to ferve the cause of earthly power and worldly dominion, or to quadrate with human fyftems-darkened by folly and fuperftition-difgraced by the uncommanded aufterities of vifionaries and enthufiafts--fcandalized by the monftrous vices of its profefforswrefted by difputants into palpable contradictions, and made fubverfive of the divine law-but above all, as preffed into the service of fraud, rapine, injuftice, and cruelty-it then appears, not only unworthy of the DEITY, but the most mischievous and horrid fuperftition that ever infested the earth. Little better than all this, are the views of it prefented to us by the most faithful hiftorians, in their accounts of the church, but more especially after the empire became Chriftian, when we read of little elfe, in general, than the intrigues of churchmen against one another, and the reft of mankind, in order to gratify their ambition and avarice-and to fatiate their pride, revenge, and cruelty. That the scriptures fhould be preferved to us entire, when coming through fuch hands, is as evident a miracle, as it would have been to have kept a fpark of fire alive in the heart of the fea. But here let me mention, with veneration and honour, the comparatively faithful few, who, in the face of difficulty, danger, and even death itself, maintained their

integrity,

not paring of the body (Col. ii. 23.)—of rites and ceremonies with regard to worfhip-of human wisdom and Science with refpect to doctrine-till they even (before two centuries were elapfed) vied with Babel itself; and whoever can read Dr. Mofheim's account of the early ages of Chrif tianity, without thinking it as great a miracle as any recorded in the gospels, that they should ever reach us at all, but more efpecially in the pure ftate in which they are among us, will appear to have a talent at accounting for things by fecond causes, beyond the capacity of any writer I yet have met with. Why Heathens, Jews, and Chriftians, fhould act so uniformly towards thole revelations which GOD at fundry times and in divers manners (Heb. i. 1.) hath vouchfafed them, is all accounted for on one fimple principle-Prov. xxvii. 19. As in water face anfwereth to face-fo doth the heart of man to man. Hence it is,

that through all ages of the church, those who have invented fyftems for others, have conftantly been mixing the peculiarities of fome or other which they have had invented for them :-there is therefore no fe

integrity, and fhone as lights in the world-fuch are well called-the falt of the earth (Matt. v. 13.) for it has been by the favour of their lives and doctrines, that the whole mafs has been preferved from total corruption.

curity to be found from error, until a man is really and truly

Nullius addictus jurare in verba magiftri.

HOR.

Friend to all fects—but blindly fworn to none.
FRANCIS.

The Apostle, 1 Theff. v. 21. fays, Try -prove-examine-donalεte-assay, as refiners do metals, all things; hold fast that which is good.-Beloved, faith 1 John iv. 1. Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of GOD, because many falfe prophets are gone out into the world.

But how is this trial to be made ?-Not

by the poor ineffectual fire of human wifdom-but by putting what we hear or read into the furnace of divine truth, by Searching the fcriptures, comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual, and whatsoeve will abide this, we may believe to be true; for GOD's truth, like His children that we read of Dan. iii. 27. the more it is tried, the more evidently will it appear to be his peculiar care, and the more glorious will it come forth,

His having raised up men from time to time, in all ages of the church, who dared thus to examine into the truth

for

*The author means, as far as christian love and charity call upon him to be fo.

+ There are few more beautiful images in any poet whatsoever, than that, by which Mr. Prior re

presents