of Repentance, that are taught in the Gospel, and moreover inculcate
to him, that as to Divine Worship the Ceremonial was abrogated; that
what was required of us, was the Sacrifice of the Heart and the
Conquest over our darling Lusts; and that in short the Religious
Duties of a Christian were summ'd up in loving God as his Neighbour;
this Doctrine being every Way agreeable to that of _Christ,_ a sincere
man, who had read the _New Testament_, would easily give Ear to a
Divine, who should preach it to him; and it is highly probable, that
in Matters of Conscience, and every Thing relating to his Deportment,
he should be glad of his Counsel. Suppose now, that there was another
Clergyman in the same city, who likewise pretending to preach the
Gospel, should, on the one Hand, represent the Doctrine of it as very
indulging to Human Nature, and the Practice of it easily comply'd
with, and, on the other, lay a great Stress on the Honour to be paid
to his own Person, and the Performances of a Set of Ceremonies, no
where mention'd in the Gospel; it is not likely, that our sincere Man
should approve of his Sermons; but if this Second Divine should
moreover call them Enemies to God, who should refuse to comply with
every Part of these Ceremonies, and give the Name of Hypocrite to
Every body, who should assert, that the Gospel required stricter
Morality than what he taught; if he should sollicite the Magistrate to
have all Persons punish'd, who were not of his Opinion; and if, by
his Instigation, our sincere Man should actually be persecuted and
plagued by his Fellow-Subjects; to judge from what we know of Human
Nature, such Usage would fill the sincere Man with Indignation, and
raise his Anger against all those, who were the Occasion of his
Sufferings. Let us suppose like-wise, that this Man, besides his
Sincerity, had Temper and Goodness enough to consider, that, tho' he
had been unjustly dealt with, and was highly provok'd, yet his
Religion taught and commanded him not to resent Injuries, but to