disapprove of our approaching as near as we can to promoting the general good: In the case supposed, there is an appearance of falsehood to the eye of man, but there can be none to the all-seeing eye of Him, who judgeth righteous judgment: to scruple and decline chusing the least evil, on account of such appearance, would be running into mischief wilfully.

Amongst men, there seem none, who could be offended with our chusing the least evil, by complying with some things against our private opinion, except the Church in which we continue;-to the church all deceit might be avoided, by explanation of the real state of the case. And it is not likely, that any church would take offence at such an irregularity; or would wish to exclude any Person on its account. I suppose the person peaceable in his conduct, and not doing more to unsettle the minds of other members of the church than is necessary. If he was factious, offence might be taken at his factiousness, but that is not what we are speaking of.

b

9. Nevertheless, the Liberty here allowed may undoubtedly be carried too far: abuse of it would consist in continuing members of a Church, when that was the greater evil on public principles, though the less on private and interested ones. In early times of Christianity, all intercommunity of Pagan and Christian rites was utterly unlawful to Christians. And I cannot conceive, that I could conscientiously continue in any Church, where either Baptism or the Lord's Supper was wholly omitted. Calculations must be formed on particular circumstances in each case.

C

10. But

b Warb. Div. Leg. Index. Powell, p. 186. Disc. xi.

Instances will appear of such under Art. 27 and 28.—

Quakers might be just mentioned here.

10. But, though calculations must be formed. chiefly on public principles, yet private and temporal evil need not be wholly neglected in them. Religion is intended to oppose the things which are not seen to those which are seen, when men are hurried away by unlawful passions; but, in virtuous pursuits, it has the "promise of the Life that now is b as well as "of that which is to come:" and therefore may be conceived to aim at temporal good, as well as eternal. It is applauded and protected by civil governments, because it makes men just and charitable, that is, because it has a good effect on men's property and present convenience and whatever aims at present good, must be supposed to avoid present evil. If then you should inhabit a country, where you cannot have that worship which to you seems right, or if, having it in some way, you cannot have it in that perfection, in which you might have it where it is established, it does not seem necessary, that you should remove, and give up your temporal prosperity, or sacrifice the good of a Family, on that account. The general principles of religion being the same in most religions, if not in all, you may get some good to your sentiments, affections, motives, if you make the best possible use of any religion. If your property and connexions are in Pensylvania, or in Scotland, or even in a Popish country; it does not seem needful to remove from thence to that country, whose religion you most approve. It seems to be taken for granted, that, if you in any degree communicate with a Church, you must profess her errors, and partake in her sinful practices; but this is taken for granted without reason. (See Archbishop Sharp, Sermon 1.) There is indeed a difference between attending any church

church ocassionally, and being a Member of it; but what we have said of the former case will, in some degree, apply to the latter. For, wherein do Churches chiefly differ from each other? Not in those things, which we have mentioned as essentials, but in things above human comprehension or in things arbitrary; such are ceremonies, and such, I conceive, are modes of government. And really a man of an enlarged mind might bring himself to great compliances, either in one sort or the other. Dr. Powell maintains in his Thesis, with regard to government, that neither the English nor the Scotch Form contains any thing repugnant to either the Law of Nature or the Scriptures. And I should be inclined rather to extend than to confine his observation. Bingham observes, that, though French Protestants differ from English in some respects, yet they hold, that the Church of England is a safe and rational Church.--Now, whatever reduces churches nearer to an equality, gives temporal evil a greater weight in the scale, when a person is deliberating how, in quitting or adhering to a church, he shall fix upon the less evil.

11. After all, if you are still haunted with scruples and misgivings, pursue your own course; and see what will be the result. You are discontented with something in your own church; look out for another; supposing you found one perfectly to your mind, yet even then you ought not to join it, except the change will compensate for the mischief of Schism, and for any accidental inconveniences, such as increase of distance, &c. But the supposition of a Church perfectly unexceptionable

Chap. iv. Sect. 4. and Chap. v. Sect. 4.

is

End of vol. II. also p. 723. Col. 2. indeed the whole 1st Chap. of B. ii. of Apology.

is not to be admitted; such perfection is so improbable, that, guiding ourselves by experience, we must expect, that if you find any number of errors or faults in your own church, you will find some in other churches; perhaps as many as in your own, or more: you cannot be consistent, in that case, except you quit them all :-the question then would be, whether you may quit all religious societies, and worship God in solitude? We answer, every thing in the nature of the thing, every thing in the expressions of Scripture, is against such a measure. If you are alone, you lose most of the Benefits of Religion; instruction and sympathy wholly; and association in a great degree:-even reading and meditation grow either dead, or extravagant -And the pretence is trifling: nor are you at liberty to act upon it, except you determine also to retire from civil society, and to fix yourself in some desert, or on some uninhabited Island, because in Monarchies you have found some oppression, in Democracies some turbulence, and in every form of civil government something inconsistent with your ideas of perfection

a

In short, the prejudice, that we are not to chuse the least evil in spirituals as well as in temporals, is without foundation in reason: it is in effect saying, that we must voluntarily promote error and misery, instead of truth and happiness. Perfection is not to be had; but at the same time that we chuse a small evil in some respects, we may get great good in others. In conducting things in human life, we continually use expedients, in which we see some imperfection; because by them we avoid some great inconvenience, or attain some considerable

a Chap. iii.

See Dr. Balguy, p. 90. Then a man should act so that, if other men followed his example, the general good would be promoted.

considerable good. What is hereditary succession, especially in Kings, but an expedient of this sort?And, as to ecclesiastical matters, we have already instanced in adopting tacit reformations instead of express ones, and in using Homilies instead of Sermons, when good Sermons cannot be expected and, on the same principle, we should chuse the religious society to which we will belong.

The conclusion, which I once made in Lectures on Morality, may be adopted here: be of the established religion, when it is not intolerably at variance with your opinions; when it is, be of that, ceteris paribus, from which you differ least ;which you can join with the least disturbance to the minds of other men; with the least interruption of any thing that is useful: but be of any religion rather than noned.

< Chap. v. Sect 5. and 6. Chap. ix. Sect. 6. See also Rutherforth's Charges, p. 1.

Dr. Balguy, p. 258.

CHAP.