DISCOURSE VII. ACTS 11. 42. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine, and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers. IT was the direction of St. Peter, that "we should be ready to give an answer "to every man, who asketh a reason of "the hope that is in us;" from the consideration that the man who has no reason to give for the hope which he entertains, or the faith which he professes, must, at best, be a very unstable Christian, should he be allowed to retain any title to that distinguished character. Steadiness. of conduct is generally found to be in proportion to certainty of conviction; whilst certainty of conviction never fails to correspond with fullness of persuasion relative to the point in question. Hence it follows, that in proportion as reason has been well employed on the subject of religion, must be our expectation with respect to the soundness of religious principle, and the steady consistency of Christian conduct. The preceding observations are not to be considered as confined to the essential doctrines of the Christian dispensation, but as equally extending to all those circumstantials which accompany it, regarded as so many parts of the same divine plan, designed to carry into more compleat. effect the ultimate end of that gracious, dispensation, the final accomplishment of human redemption. For the circumstantills of religion, however they may be depreciated by persons of more than commonly refmed and spiritualized feelings, whether real or real or imaginary, are in the pre sent state of human imperfection, necessary to embody religion, as it were, and by consolidating the substance of it by the help of outward forms and ceremonies, tơ give it that kind of sensible hold on the human mind, which may prevent the spi rit of devotion from evaporating into the airy regions of unintelligible mysticism, or visionary rapture. To co-operate then with that plan which the wisdom of God projected for the benefit of his fallen creatures, under the new Covenant; if we are to form our judgment from the language of Scripture, and the practice of the best informed Christians; it seems not to be sufficient that we should be able simply to give a reason for the hope that we possess under the Gospel Covenant; but that we should also be able to give a reason for our Church membership, in consequence of being acquainted with the principle, on which we hold communion with a Church built, as the Church of England is, on Apostolical foundation; in preference to connecting ourselves with any other society of Christians; consider ing at the same time the danger attendant on a wilful separation from that Church; together with the advantages, which, under grace are derivable from a conscientious continuance in it. These These then are the heads which are intended to constitute the subject of this, and the two following Discourses. Sorry am I to say, that there never perhaps was a time, since the establishment of Chris tianity in this country, that such Discourses were more necessary. That la mentable separation from the Church of England, now prevailing, particularly among the lower orders of the community, who, for want of competent knowledge, are imposed upon by bold, and self-sufficient pretensions, and thereby more easily drawn away from their stedfastness; renders it a duty of imperious obligation on the ministers of that Church to furnish, from time to time, such information to their respective hearers, as may be sufficient, under the divine blessing, to counteract this growing evil. Indeed, if we really think, that Christianity, in its purest form, both with respect to doctrine and discipline, is to be found in the established Church of this country, we must be satis fied, that in proportion as the doctrine of any sect departs from this standard, it must degenerate into error: and hence it necessarily follows, that in proportion as sectaries Sectaries multiply, the establishment of the Church cannot fail to be endangered by the increase of its enemies; and its endeavours in propagating the truth be pro portionally weakened by the growth and prevalence of error. In fact, such contradiction of opinion, and such irregularity of practice, in consequence of the loose language on religious subjects to which our ears are familiarized, are at this time to be found among us; that some allowance must be made for those, who, from station in life and defect in education, are unqualified to sit in judgment on these matters; and consequently unable to determine for themselves, in conformity with the divine. word, what spiritual guides, amid the numberless religious teachers with which this country abounds, they ought to follow, or with what society of professing Christians they ought to be connected. At the same time it must be remembered that the lower ranks in the community are generally speaking, incompetent to form an adequate judgment on those controverted points in divinity, which popu lar |