1 John 2. 24. former part. Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning.

&Aic;Mongst all those various broods of Sects that ignorance and wilfulness have spawned in the World, there is none but is covetous that Antiquity should Patronize it; never decrying its venerable Testimony, nor fearing its ora&rehy;culous Answers, but when they distrust its votes opposite to their present espousals; Gray hairs being as well the Glory of an Opinion, as the Crown of the Old man. Hence is it that both Nations and Families have had such severe Contests with each other, concerning the time of their first rise, that from thence their Pedegree may appear Ancient, and they might gain re&rehy;nown from the date of their Original. And as in Persons and Opinions, so in things too, quo antiquius eò melius, by how much the more Ancient a thing is, by so much the more is it prized and va&rehy;lued by those that covet a strict inspection into the Periods that did preceed their own, who measure the proportions of an infant World, and thus antedate their own Beings: How precious is a Script of Tris&rehy;megistus? Or the least Workmanship of an inspired Bezaleel? The smallest Leaf of Solomon's Herbal would be deemed a Pre&rehy;sent Noble enough for the greatest Mo&rehy;narch; How do we prize an old piece of Roman Coin? Or an antiquated Grecian Monument? Nor is this a Truth recei&rehy;ving a general impress and confirmation, in respect of Artificial and Philosophical Objects; but even Divinity too, having for its Author the Ancient of Days, values that which carries Age furrowed in its Face, and has Gravity and Years visible on its Brow: And nothing seems more to as&rehy;perse and disparage whatever wears the Title of Religion than to accuse it of No&rehy;vity, and to bear the date of a late Invention: Hence Haman endeavoured from this Topick to brand the Jews, in that they used other Customs different from the an&rehy;cient Laws of the Persians, that their No&rehy;velty might render them odious to the King, being a crime it seems sufficient to ruin them, when Mordecai could not bow to so insulting a Favorite: Esther 3. St. Paul when he Preached the Gospel at Athens, had pre&rehy;judice raised against the Truth of his Do&rehy;ctrine, by affirming him only to be a set&rehy;ter forth of strange Gods, and introdu&rehy;cing new propositions into the World; Acts 17. Celsus when he professedly wrote against the Truth and Divinity of the Christian Institutions, thought he had cast sufficient blemish and contempt upon its Authority, when he had satisfied the World that it was new and unheard of: Orig. contra Celsum. Lib. 1. And Eusebius assures us that it was a common stratagem, and usual contrivance for the Christian Re&rehy;ligion from its first entrance, to be reproa&rehy;ched with its strangeness and novelty; Euseb. Eccles. Hist. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. all mankind (as it seems) measuring the truth of things by their Antiquity, and general reception; and if we approach nearer to our own Confines we shall find the two great struglers for the Western Empire of Conscience and Religion, still endeavour to Crown their Opinions with old Age, and to gain both Strength and Honour to their Establishment from time and dura&rehy;tion. The Romans would have the World to understand that the Pillars of their Church were founded with Christianity, and that our Saviour himself once held those Keys which he afterwards delivered to the Papal Succession. But though they had a firm Foundation, they have built upon it a tottering Superstructure. The Pro&rehy;testant would willingly obliterate the odi&rehy;um of a late Reformation, and will an&rehy;tedate Luther and the German heats, search&rehy;ing in the midst of a bloody Inquisiti&rehy;on; some being willing to Travel to Bohemia to derive their Principles from John Hus, and Jerom of Prague, not on&rehy;ly sending us to our own Wiccliffe, but eating through the Mountains to find out the more Ancient (though obscure) Wal&rehy;denses: others (and that more justly too) as if all this will not yet evince their Principles Aged, will Travel farther to the Churches Cradle, and find out the Man&rehy;ger in which our Saviour himself was laid, and from his Mouth receive their Do&rehy;ctrine, reviving what might seem dead, having for some time been buryed in the dust and rubbish of mens Inventions; and freeing it from those Burdens and Cor&rehy;ruptions which a gainful Interest, and bold Presumption had loaded it withal, thus cause that to abide in them which Christians heard from the beginning.

Antiquity then being so powerful a mo&rehy;tive to persuade to Religion, that all strive to catch and grasp it; I shall easily prevail for a diligent attention since what I deliver shall be that which has been heard from the beginning.

In which Text we have an Exhortation both Grave and Seasonable; Grave it is, avoiding those levities and varnish which Novices use to wrap their late and uncouth Opinions in, that they may be snatched at with the more greedy Appetite: As Phy&rehy;sicians put their bitter Pills in sweet Con&rehy;serves that the Patient may swallow them with the greater delight: and seasonable was this advice too; since Simon, and the Gnosticks, did now attempt the murdering Christianity when it was just born; as He&rehy;rods cruelty, drinking in, with an insatia&rehy;ble thirst, the blood of Infants, would have Crucified our Saviour in his Cradle, before Age had given him Strength and Stature, not only to publish his Fathers Message, but even to bear his own Cross. Nay least this accursed, and Antichristian Sect, provoking their desires to unlawful Lusts, detracting from Christianity by an impious and incoherent intermixture of Jewish and Heathen Rites and Practices, with what was now Solemn in its pro&rehy;posal, and Sacred by its establishment, should not be able to impede, or retard, the most glorious flourish of Gospel Truth, and forbid the spreading of the Christian Church, that Noble Vine but newly Planted; Cerinthus also now ad&rehy;vanced, with all the wild Boars of the Forrest, if possibly, to undermine and root her up, denying the Divinity of its first Author: An Heretick so foul and polluted, that the blessed Pen-man of my present Text would not come into the same Bath in which the wicked Cerinthus washed, least he should be defiled with that water which had touched so filthy and loathsome a Carcass; and the Bath it self, sensible of its own pollution, should im&rehy;mediately fall to make a Grave for its self and possessours.

In the Exhortation then there are three Parts presented to our view (1.) A Duty, Let that therefore abide in you,(2.) Its Ob&rehy;ject, Which ye have heard;(Lastly) The Motive and Inducement to the Duty, Be&rehy;cause it was from the beginning.

I must crave leave to invert the Parts, though it shall make no alteration in the Sence; that first the Object being explain&rehy;ed, and the Motive proposed, the Duty may be with the greater facility pressed and embraced. (1.) Then, Let the Object in the Text exhibite it self; and this is no&rehy;thing but what ye have already heard. As Faith it self is generated by the Ear, so what you have heard is nothing else but the Object of your Faith; for thus does the Apostle conclude the inference; Faith cometh by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God, (Rom. 10.17.) But as Hearing is the Conduit to convey Faith, so some&rehy;times is it the decoy to infidelity; because there are many false Prophets gone forth into the World; and a seeming truth may make the same impression with truth it self. Nay, our blessed Saviour, that he might not leave us without due Caution, has informed all Ages and Generations, that there shall arise false Christs, and false Prophets; yea! and shall superadd Won&rehy;ders to their Oratory, not only to amuse the World, but to gain credit and repu&rehy;tation to their Doctrine; insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall prevail to the dismal shaking of the strongest Oakes, and the rooting up the tallest Cedars of Libanus; even to the putting a falacy upon the very Elect, (Matth. 24.24.) The Ear of Man, being the recepticle of all Sounds, no wonder that it admits the founding Brass and tinckling Cymbal, as well as the Trumpets of the Sanctuary. Simon Magus may be as welcome to the Samaritans, as Paul and Barnabas to the Disci&rehy;ples at Antioch. If a vain-glorious Herod has but Confidence enough to make an O&rehy;ration, though repugnant to the first Prin&rehy;ciples of Religion, nor wonder that it makes such an impress upon the Multi&rehy;tude, that they give shouts, with the lou&rehy;dest Acclamations, and attribute to him the Wisdom of a Deity, who is scarce en&rehy;dowed with the Prudence of a Man; (Acts 12.22.) If a mechanick Silversmith, prompted with no other motive than what Avarice and Interest can dictate, shall con&rehy;fidently plead for the Shrines of Diana; the clamorous Multitude shall soon cry out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, (Act. 19.28.) So easily captivated are vulgar Affections, and of so slender a value is po&rehy;pular Applause. The mutable Croud will change their Religion with their Garments, and is of that still which is of the newest fashion. As if novitas essendi were the Be&rehy;ing of Devotion, and Age were not the Measure of Divinity. As if the newest Stamp were to be deemed alwaies the tru&rehy;est Metal; and the last dictate of a fallacious Understanding were the best object for the Wills embracement: Then indeed our Saviours Argument would be nothing but a Sophism against Pharisaical Devor&rehy;ces; From the beginning 'twas not so, (Matth. 19.8.) nor would the Advice in the Text be solid; Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning.

But it is not every thing that pleases the Ear that must be closeted and lodged in the Heart, lest Tares being sowed amongst the Corn, they spread, and flourish, and o'er-shadow the Grain: Our Saviour there&rehy;fore knowing our promptitude to imbibe what might seem pleasant, and to swallow Poyson if wrap'd up in gilded Pills; leaves a grave and severe Caveat, Take heed what ye hear, (Mark. 4.24.) and lest our strict observation of the matter should make us regardless of the manner of performance; St. Luke delivers it, Take heed how you hear; (Luke 8.18.) Eccles. 5. As well knowing that too few look to their Feet when they ap&rehy;proach the Sanctuary of the Lord, but are more ready to offer the Sacrifice of Fools, then to hear their Vices redargued as they ought; not allowing themselves so much either of time, or seriousness, as to consi&rehy;der that they do evil. These are such Au&rehy;ditors as St. Austin reprehends, Audientes corporis sensu qui non audiunt cordis assensu; Aug. be bono persever. lib. 2. cap. 14. who use the Word and Doctrine of the Gospel only as an Ornament to deck the Head, not as a foundation to establish the Heart; that hang it only as a Jewel in the Ear, but reserve it not as a choice treasure to enrich the Soul; whose practice is just opposite to St. James's advice, they will not lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, that they may receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save their Souls; (James 1.21.) Too many sooner bow their Ears to what may irritate and provoke their lust; to the frothy discourses of deceitful Tongues; to bold Rants, and jovial Catches; to those lewd Sonnets that are the loose com&rehy;posures of looser brains, which being heated with vice, boil over in scum and filth: men are more attentive to new Oaths, and unheard of Blasphemies; to such as jest, and droll down Religion, that it may no longer interrupt the pleasant wickedness of a degenerated Age; to such as are so hardy as to Lampoon Heaven, and make Satyrs against the Quire above; that would, if either method might prevail, Flout, or Hector, God Almighty from his Throne; whose Language is more exalted than rayling Rabshekeh's. These, that are spots in our Feasts of Charity, become the only Persons worthy of Entertain&rehy;ment; their black Language is viewed, and gazed on, as the brightest Oracles; every shrug raises admiration, and a little smile is enough to authorize a great jest: as if these wandering Comets were of more so&rehy;lidity than the fixed Stars; and the Lan&rehy;guage of Hell to be more diligently at&rehy;tended than the Voice of Heaven. God at once pardon and remedy it. The Am&rehy;bassadours of the Most High may take up the Lamentation of him that first gave them their Commission. To whom shall we speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold their Ear is Uncir&rehy;cumcised, and they cannot hearken; Be&rehy;hold the word of the Lord is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it. (Jer. 6.10.)

Some indeed are much for the Ear; at&rehy;tending to those scandals and reproaches that the envious man will cast upon him whom his malice ruins, or his ambition undermines: others, even in Sacred things, reduce devotion all to the Ear; and when God, principally requires the Heart in Prayer, these will give little else but the Ear in Hearing; being as partial in their Sacrifices towards God, as they are in their Censures towards their Neighbours, as if the Decalogue were now abolished, and the only Command were, Hear O Israel. 'Twas the error of the Euchites to be al&rehy;ways Praying, and 'tis as great an error to be always Hearing: as if the School of our Saviour should not only be enjoyned Biennial silence, but be for ever mute. Porphyry indeed, (that great Blasphemer, big with malice against the Heavens) when checks of Conscience forced him to speak out something of the results of his own Reason, teacheth us to Sacrifice our Souls to God in silence with Chast thoughts; How Chast men are at those seasons that ought to be attended with Solemnity, and Devotion, it would be presumption in any to judg: but sure I am that they put in practice this sage advice of their Fa&rehy;ther Porphyry, who thus pretend to Wor&rehy;ship God in silence: As if he that made the Tongue as well as the Ear, did not re&rehy;quire the one to make Oblations of Prayer and Praise, as well as the other to Hear his Word; or he that Created the whole man would be contented with a partial Sacrifice. And now if any one has Ears to hear let him hear; and not only so, but retain also what he has heard; so will the Exhortation in my Text be embraced: Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning.

Having thus endeavoured to free man&rehy;kind from such diseases and distempers in Religion; I must now crave leave to at&rehy;tempt the recommendation of our duty; and persuade men to the diligent atten&rehy;tion to that Sacred Word, which is able to make us wise unto Salvation, and be greedy to receive it, when not extended in an adulterated hand: For as we cannot hear without a Preacher, so he cannot Preach that is not sent, (Rom. 10.15.) Tert. de præ. Scrip. Hæret. cap. 41. Some men are like those large tongued women in Tertullians time, who though a person of excellent Language, was yet forced to in&rehy;veigh against them that being so liberal of their Speech in Private, conjectured they had, if not Rhetorick, and Reason, yet words enough, to declame in Publick; whom the Father reprehends in this Pro&rehy;hibition: Tert. de virg. velandis. cap. 9Non permittitur mulieri in Eccle&rehy;siâ loqui, sed nec docere, nec tinguere; nec offerre; nec ullius virilis muneris, nedum sacerdotalis officii, fortem tibi vindicare: or like those that St. Austin complains of, in the second Chapter of his first Book of the Trinity, that are garruli ratiocinatores, e&rehy;latiores quam capaciores; that are pratling Disputants, more shrill than rational: How many dismal mourning souls, whose Education never advanced them to any degree above Mechanism, steal away the Priests Office, as Neanthus did Orpheus's Harps, who thinking to effect the same wonders Orpheus did, and make Woods and Trees dance after his melody, played so ill, that the very Dogs, being affrighted at his strange noise, tore him all in pieces. When we hear therefore, we must not throw away our attention upon usurping Schismaticks; whose very Preaching is their Crime, because without a Sacred and Divine Commission; and since giving them Audience is their encouragment, it can no less involve such easie Auditors in a snare and guilt.

And yet, since the Text exhibits some&rehy;thing that always has been heard, it does not only imply our duty of attention, but presents us with what we ought to hear; and thats the Gospel; what both the Apo&rehy;stles and Disciples were acquainted with from the beginning: And since, in that Sacred Testimony to our Saviour, there are various Truths which make up its Con&rehy;texture; those things are first to be heard and received that are in themselves most Fundamental; Primarium dogma de Christi divinitate, (says Justinian) the chief Doctrine of the Divinity of our Saviour, without which the Foundation being sunk, the whole fabrick must of necessity be demo&rehy;lished: For since his Divinity gives merit to his Passion, by which his temporal pu&rehy;nishment bears proportion to an infinite offence; detract from his Deity and you spot his sufferings; and then if he be a Lamb with blemish, though he be slain, he cannot satisfie; and so the series of our Sal&rehy;vation becomes disordered, and our eternal safety undermined.

And now perhaps some wise person might take advantage to exhibite, or ad&rehy;venture at a Catalogue of Fundamentals; and a clamorous Adversary might with as much confidence and triumph demand them; but when we receive a particular of Explicits, we may then attempt a Ca&rehy;talogue of Fundamentals. In the mean time, since Faith is the general condition of the Gospel; and, He that believeth, and and is baptised, shall be saved (Mark. 16.16.) Methinks we need disturb our selves no further for Fundamentals, than to de&rehy;fine what compleats that one thing, Faith. And though Interest and Opinion have rendered it as different from it self as one mans fancy from another, and we have created almost as many varieties of Faith, not only as there are Nations in the world, but men too; (multitudes dealing by it as Caligula did by the Image of Jupiter Olym&rehy;piacus when he took from it its head of Gold, and put upon it an head of Brass;) yet if we will admit the Father of the Faithful: to explain the difficulty, we shall find that the practice of the Patri&rehy;arch Abraham, (who is exhibited as a pat&rehy;tern for Gospel believers;) will give us a prospect of that Faith which had its being from the beginning. And though there are many acts of this ancient Faith pre&rehy;sented to our perusal in New Testament Pages, yet there are two comprehensive of all the rest, to wit Belief and Obedi&rehy;ence. For when he to whom all things are possible, had promised a branch should sprout forth from this dry Root; and that he would be his shield, and great reward (Gen. 15.1.) Abraham did not questi&rehy;on the word of a Deity, who, he knew, was able to controul the world, and alter the power of second Causes according to the pleasure of his own will: but stedfastly assented to the truth of what God had pro&rehy;mised; relying on it with Faith and Expe&rehy;ctation. And as this Action includes be&rehy;lief of the Promises, so the second pre&rehy;scribes obedience to the Commands; and it was that work which St. James says justi&rehy;fied him, even the offering up his Son Isaac upon the Altar (Jam. 2.21.) So that to sum up the whole Gospel in one word, that you may here have presented in an Epitome, what I humbly beg may abide in you: He that believes the Promises, so as to obey the Precepts; that accepts his Saviour as a King to rule, and a Prophet to teach, as well as a Priest to make at&rehy;tonement; and, consequently, submits to the authority of his Laws, and to the con&rehy;duct of his Ministry and Discipline; that relies upon the merits of his Cross, and persues the steps of his vertuous Life, in order to the securing his eternal Safety: He is the Person who retains what he has already heard; and he need not fear any deceiptfull Imposition, since he embraces that which was from the beginning. Which minds me of the Motive here proposed, to fortifie our resolutions, that what we have heard may abide in us, since it is no more than what was delivered from the begin&rehy;ning.

In Philosophical Propositions we usual&rehy;ly deem those most certain that later expe&rehy;riments prove, and evince: but, in Divine Truths, those are best that were from the beginning. Time, which is in a continu&rehy;ed flux, being in this like the swiftest Tor&rehy;rents, that carry down to us what is light and frothy; but sink that which is grave and ponderous: and indeed Reason, which is the result of our nobler part, if not disturbed by passion or interest, is the surest guide in the midst of perplexities; and this does, upon the first prospect of Religion, lead us to that which was from the beginning. And Christianity being that which pretends to be first begotten in Hea&rehy;ven, though brought forth here on Earth, owning not less than a God for its Author, whose great propositions are made up of Eternal Truths; and since the Apostles were inspired to a compleat delivery of what was at first Preached by our Savi&rehy;our, the same Doctrine, by a continued succession, having been derived and con&rehy;veyed to Posterity; it follows, by an ine&rehy;vitable conclusion, that the surest way, for us, to whom these Principles are exhibited, when any Objection, or different Opini&rehy;on, presents it self, to startle our appre&rehy;hensions; is to persue the first Rule, and follow that which was delivered from the beginning.

But since the various subdivisions of those that intitle themselves to the names of Christians, pretend to those infallible Maxims treasured up in the Sacred Book; there must be left a Judg of Controver&rehy;sies; or else there will remain no way of freedom from present disturbances, or certain method of reducing those who, being too fond of their own fancies, re&rehy;solutely adhere to their private Opinions, to the detriment of Christianity, and ruin of themselves, and the obstruction of Peace and Unity in the world. The Do&rehy;ctrine of the Gospel, although certain in it self, being conveyed to us in Words and Language which may admit of diffe&rehy;rent Constructions, suitable either to the use of words, or the apprehensions of men, cannot, (without such a judgment upon it as may oblige the various extravagancies of mankind to silence, and a passive sub&rehy;mission, whatever may be their internal belief;) be sufficient Clue to lead us out of these Labyrinths: Though had the multi&rehy;tude of its Followers justly measured and proportioned Understandings, rightly to discern the Fruits wrapped in those Leaves, it must appear to every man, the best, and only Conductor in the world. But, be&rehy;cause every person usurps Authority to interpret, and every Illiterate and Enthusi&rehy;astical head, if he has not reason to confirm his Gloss, has confidence however to pre&rehy;tend an Inspiration; necessity inforces us to seek some method to quiet our minds, and to allay the briskness of our own fan&rehy;cies, and those heats and fury, that our warmer contrivances introduce into the world: that so we may arrive at such cer&rehy;tainty as is possible to be obtained, of what was heard from the beginning.