who will believe no divine revelation which does not exactly tally with their own imperfect ideas of truth, nor obey any precepts which are not conformable to their notions of justice and the fitness of things. By the "prudent," are meant thofe, who pay little attention to any religion, but are perpetually employed in worldly occupations, and the pursuits of intereft and ambition. Jefus, having experienced the obftinacy and perverfeness, with which perfons under both these descriptions rejected the revelation which he offered them, and at the fame time the readiness with which it was thankfully received by the meek, the humble, the teachable, and the innocent, returns thanks to his heavenly Father, (that is, in the form of an addrefs, adores and admires the wifdom and justice of God), for having so contrived the nature of the Gospel, that it was lefs acceptable, and lefs intelligible to those who, from their evil difpofitions, deserved not to partake of the benefits which it confers, than to those who are more worthy to receive

receive them and this feems to be nothing more than what we all do, or ought to do, which is, to thank, admire, and adore our gracious Creator, for having fo conftituted the effence of all human vices and virtues, that each are naturally productive of their own punishments and rewards.

MATT.

MATT. XVI. 18.

Και ἐπι ταυτῃ τῇ πετρα οικοδομησω με την

F

ἐκκλησίαν.

Upon this rock will I build

my church.

ROM this declaration of Chrift it plainly appears, that he intended to be the founder of a church, that is, a fociety of perfons believing his divine miffion, and openly profeffing the religion which he came to publish to mankind; which fociety fhould be vested with the powers and privileges of a corporate body, and exercise them under his protection to the end of the world; but we do not find that, by any precepts delivered during his life, or any inftructions left behind him at his death, he ever communicated to his difciples any plan of the formation of this church, or any rules for the government of it when formed. The reafon of which I take to be this:-He knew the adminiftration of this government must fall into

the

the hands of men, be blended with their worldly interefts, and in confequence be foon corrupted and abufed, and therefore unworthy of divine authority; and that, if he appointed any particular form, or specific regulations for the management of it, he must have given fome degree of fanction to thofe future corruptions and abuses. He knew, likewife, that it was unneceffary; because a community, once established, must naturally produce rule and fubordination, that is, a government, because it cannot fubfift without one. He inftituted a church, because, without fome inftitution of that kind, his religion must quickly have been banished from the world, and known no where but in the clofets of a few speculative philofophers, and therefore had little influence on the general conduct of mankind but he chofe rather to truft the form and regulations of it to the nature of man, and the nature of government, than to any positive command. He did not ordain that when his religion fhould have spread over every

quarter

quarter of the globe, this church should become equally extenfive, and be governed by one fupreme head, his fucceffor and reprefentative. He did not command, that in every respective country this church should be placed under the dominion of bishops or prefbyters, of councils, convocations, or fynods. He has prefcribed no forms of worship, except one fhort prayer; no particular habits for the minifters who officiate; no places fet apart for the performance of religious duties, or decorations for those places to excite reverence and devotion in the performers. All these he has left to the decifion of future ages, to be ordered by different communities, in different countries, in a manner that shall beft fuit the tempers of the people, the genius of their government, and the opinions of the times; provided nothing is introduced inconfiftent with the purity of his original inftitution. From hence evidently appears the ignorance and abfurdity of those who reject all ecclefiaftical authority as human impofitions, and deny the

very