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A SHORT

DISSERTATION

ON

Matt. xix. 21. If thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the poor, and thou shalt bave treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Occafioned by Dr STEBBING's unjust and groundless reflexion on the author, with regard to this text, in his Vifitation Charge, delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Wilts.

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A SHORT

DISSERTATION

ON

Matt. xix. 21. If thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

I

N order to judge rightly of the fense and meaning of our Lord in these words, I think, three things muft be enquired in

to, as previous to it. viz. First, wherein human perfection confifts; if thou wilt be perfect. Secondly, who are the poor; give to the poor. Thirdly, whether, and how far chufing extream poverty, by divefting our felves of all property in worldly goods, in order to make those that are poor not fo, or lefs fo, be neceffary to human perfection; if thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the poor,, &c.

Firft, I am to enquire wherein human perfection confifts. The perfection of any intelligent being, I think, confifts in his being

perfectly

perfectly fubject in mind and action to the law of his nature; that is, to that law or rule "of affection and action which is fuitable to and refults from his make and conftitution, his circumftances and relations, and which that creature ought in reason to be subject to, and be governed by. And, as that intelligent being called man is a compound, confifting partly of understanding, of appetite, of af fection, &c: fo the perfection of man confists in a perfect fubmiffion of the whole compofition to the law of his nature, or to that law which in reafon he ought to be governed by. When the various appetites and paffions that take place in man are conftantly and uniformly directed to, and placed upon, their proper objects; when each and every of these are kept in due bounds, one not indulged to the fuppreffing of another; when the fprings of action in man, viz. felfishness and benevolence, hope and fear, and the like, are duly ballanced, fo as that one has not the afcendant over the others; and, when all these, together with the principle of activity or felf-motion, are wholly fubject to that principle of intelligence which is likewife a part of the human conftitution, and which was intended to guide and direct the whole; then, fuch a creature, may be faid to be perfect, according to the meafure and degree of his nature, as he as petfectly fubject to the law of it, or to fuch a law as in reafon fuch a compound creature ought to be fubject to, and be governed by

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This I call buman perfection, not in distinction from, but confidered to be the fame with Chri ftian perfection. The defign of Chriftianity was to engage us to act the part, and to fill up the juft and proper characters of men; and: not to enable us to fill up the characters of Angels, or any other fpecies of beings who are differently conftituted, circumftanced, and related, and as fuch have a different law, and a different kind of perfection to attain, or come up to. Or, in other words, the defign of Christianity was to make us good men; and not to make us more or better than men; and therefore, Chriftian perfection must be. the fame as human perfection. Again,

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Secondly, I am to enquire who are the poor. As the various good things which God hath provided for the ufe and comfortable fubfiftence of men, are variously poffeffed by them; fo he whose share of property in these is not) fufficient to procure the comforts, and supply: the neceffities of life, fuch a man is faid to be poor as he, on the other fide, whose share of property in thefe is much more than fufficient to anfwer the forementioned purposes, is faid to be rich. And men are more or lefs rich, or poor, as their fhare of property in worldly good things is more, or lefs abundant, or more, or lefs fcanty as aforefaid. And, as this world's good things were kindly intended, by the Creator of all, to fupply the wants, and to yield a comfortable fubfiftance to our whole species; and, as a comfortable paffage through

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