eft pattern of inoffenfive meeknefs, Jefus SERM, L. Chrift himself, with all his gentleness of Temper and prudence of Conduct, could not live peaceably with all Men. His Fidelity to his Father's caufe, and the Interefts of Truth

and Righteoufnefs exposed him to a torrent of Envy, and brought upon him all the ma*lignity and malice of the Jewish Priests and Rulers, who took great Offence at the testimony he bore against the Iniquity of their Conduct.

1. Then, when peace with men ftands in competition with our duty to Gop, we should not be afraid of giving them Offence. This is an adjudged case, a plain determined point; that we ought to please God rather than Man, or chufe to offend Man rather than GoD, when we are so unhappy as to be in fuch a fituation, wherein the offending one of them is unavoidable. Thefe circumftances the Apostles were in when they were charged by the Sanhedrim never more to preach or teach in the Name of Jesus. To comply with this. command would be a great Offence to GOD; not to comply, a great Offence to Man. But they made no difficulty of the Alternative; being determined at once to obey GoD

rather

SERM. rather than Man; wherein they have laid I. down a rule for us to act by in all like cafes (b)....

Nay, in fuch a cafe, we fhould not only be conftant to rifk the Displeasure of men, but to fuffer the utmoft efforts of their malice, rather than deliberately offend the GOD that made us, as Jofeph was, who dared to disobey the wicked command of his Mistress; and the three children that of Nebuchad nezzar. And to this Principle the Martyrs constantly adhered, and chofe to endure the greatest fufferings rather than violate their Confcience, and to renounce their Lives before their Religion.

2. Not only the honour of GoD, but the rights of Confcience, must be maintained as facred, in oppofition to all that would invade them, however that oppofition may offend them. By the rights of Confcience I mean that power which GOD and Nature have given to every man, to act and think in all matters that concern Religion and his Soul, not according to the authoritative decrees and decifions of men, but according to the dictates and determinations of his own Con science

(b) Acts v. 29.

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science, Reason and Judgment. Confcience SERM. is not to be controuled by any human Authority. The very attempt to controul it is infolent and impious. It is flying in the face of the Almighty, and counteracting his own work; who hath given to Confcience this inviolable prerogative, to be uncontroulable by any thing but his own Almighty Power.

As nothing is more glorious than to fuffer Perfecution in the Caufe of God and Conscience, fo nothing is more wicked than to excite it. Nor is it lefs ridiculous than it is impious. Methods of violence are a very filly way of confuting an Error, as if cruelty were the Parent of Truth; corporeal Punishment the cure of mental Infirmities; and a man's mind could be enlightened by the flames that confume his Body. Where-ever we see then any marks of fuch a perfecuting fpirit (which is ever the off-fpring of Superstition and Bigotry, as they are of Pride and Ignorance) we should readily oppofe it; and dare to be advocates for the facred Rights of Conscience, where-ever we fee them arrogantly trampled upon, however we may incur the displeasure of men thereby. For herein we are Advocates for GoD, for his own

Wif

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SERM. Wifdom and Workmanfhip; and for that ·1. which is the very foundation of all fincere and acceptable Religion; which would be entirely at an end if the Confciences of Men were to be dictated to, domineered over, and trampled upon, by the Arrogance and Superftition of their fellow-creatures, as liable to mistake and error as other men.

3. Nor are the perverfe and unreafonable humours of men to be always fubmitted to for fear of giving Offence. Where Religion and Confcience are out of the cafe, there ought indeed to be great Condefcenfion and Compliance for the fake of Peace: nor would it be either wife or charitable to provoke a man of a perverfe fpirit by a ftiff oppofition in little things, even where fact and truth may be against him; which might probably kindle thofe flames of Contention which we fhould afterward find extremely difficult to extinguish. For Solomon's Obfervation is very juft, that the beginning of Strife is ds when one letteth out Water; and the Advice : he gives us thereupon is exceeding wife; therefore leave off Contention before it be med dled with (c). But ftill I fay, I fee no obligation

(c) Prov. xvii. 14.

gation a man is under to fuffer his reafon to SERM. be always controuled, and his understanding

to be infulted by a proud and petulant Humour. The Truth (especially if it be very plain and important) ought to be fometimes boldly afferted, aftrongly proved, and closely urged; and the Vanity and Ignorance of the conceited Humourift mortified and expofed. This we sometimes owe to the caufe of Truth and common Juftice.

Nor ought an uncharitable and superstitious fpirit to be always indulged, by our abstaining from things in their own nature innocent and indifferent, purely because some perfons of that caft are pleased to cenfure and take Offence at them: I mean provided those things give no real Offence, by becoming the occafion of Sin to others. There is no reason, and no end, in being very fou licitous to please those who are difpleafed without reason. If perfons will take Offence where none is really given, it is their own fault. It is they that violate the Precept in the Text. For to take Offence unreasonably is to give it.

4. It is lawful sometimes to give Offence to others for the fake of their good. That is,

when

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