Jesus Christ, in regard to the true authentic history of his life.

To these facts several additions have been made by curious Christians in these latter ages; but it is the belief of the genuine facts recorded in the New Testament, and not a crediting of fanciful additions, that constitutes a Christian submission to that pure revelation of Jesus Christ, which he thought proper to make of himself. That he was born, is a fact; but that he was born in December, is an addition. If we be governed by Scripture evidence, we shall believe the first; but if we be dissatisfied with the simplicity of revelation, we must contend and come to some resolution about the last. The Christian, who enters into the spirit of our doctrine, will content himself with the sufficiency of revelation; and will believe that if the day of his master's birth had been necessary to any good purpose in religion, the New Testament would have marked it. will not pursue this thought any further, but we will leave you to meditate on this subject of facts and additions, hoping and praying that you may hold yourselves bound to believe nothing for religion but what is stamped with the authority of your Divine Teacher; for "One is your master, even Christ.”

We

Remark next the proofs of the truth of these facts. There are four sorts of proofs, which we have very often mentioned, and which we wish to have you so familiarly acquainted with, that it would be unnecessary to mention them any more. The first are taken from Prophecy, or rather from a comparison of the events which happen in the world, with what the prophets foretold should come to pass. The dispersion of the Jews is an event of this kind; the persecutions of Christians is another, and the corruption of Christianity is a third. The second sort of proofs are miracles, which Christ wrought, and which his bitterest enemies never denied, though they were wicked enough to attribute them to the devil. A third set of proofs is taken from the lives of the writers of the Bible; and the last from the goodness of the doctrine contained in it. The Christian who endeavours to support Christianity by tempo

ral rewards and punishments, affects to be wiser than his master; but he, who dares rest his holy religion on its own rock, enters into the spirit of the doctrine in our text, "One is your master, even Christ."

Observe the duties of the Christian religion. The Gospel is considered both as a revelation of mercy, and an obligation to duty; and if it be the first, gratitude will allow it must be the last. The duties of a Christian are of two sorts. The first are, what are called moral, or the duties which we owe to God, to ourselves, and to one another, both as creatures and as Christians. The other are called positive duties (forgive this technical term, I cannot think of another just now), and by positive duties we mean Baptism and the Lord's supper, which Christ expressly commanded his disciples to observe. The Christian who performs both these kinds of duties, acts like a Christian, by obeying his Divine master; while he, who incorporates superstitious practices into the Christian life, discovers either the arrogance of a master, or the servility of a slave. Either he himself hath introduced a performance without the authority of his master, or he hath submitted to some other person who hath done so.

Consider the motives of the Christian religion. Our heavenly director did something more than laying down a plan; he gave it effect, by including in his scheme of happiness such powerful and forcible considerations as were sufficient to give actual enjoyment. Had God given man a scheme or plan of the heavens, or of the sea, or of the earth, or of a single flower, and no more, man would have had a fine speculation; but he could neither have made a world nor a violet. Had Christ given us only a plan of virtue and happiness, we could never have obtained either; he did this, but he did more; he drew back the veil that hid futurity from our eyes, and brought forward to our sight the rising of the dead, the coming of the Judge, the happiness of heaven, the misery of inextinguishable fire or rather, he showed us in these facts the true character of Almignty God, and so conveyed that force into his doctrine, which renders it irresistible and glorious. The man, who, unacquainted

with these great moving powers, endeavours to keep Christianity alive by a few feeble, worldly maxims, doth not enter into the spirit of our text: on the contrary, the Christian, filled with these motives, resembles Mary, who enjoyed all the power of religion, by only "sitting at the master's feet."

Sum up these articles, and they amount to this. Christ, the founder of our holy religion, hath ordered as much of his history to be recorded, as it is necessary for us to know; and he hath established the truth of the facts on such proofs as he thought most likely to support it; he hath commanded and exemplified all the duties necessary to be performed by us; and he hath given us such weighty reasons for performing them, as in his judgment were equal to the establishment of knowledge, virtue, and happiness. To enter into his views, is to receive him for master; and to refuse every other director in matters of religion and conscience, to require no more to make a Christian than he required, is to admit the meaning of this declaration, "One is your mas、 ter, even Christ."

My fellow-citizens! I cannot sufficiently express the feelings of my heart on this occasion. When I survey this great company, assembled in this sequestered meadow, the sun smiling, the air fanning, the blossoms and. the flowers perfuming, the river running gurgling by, and all of us come with perfect ease, a part to be bap tized on their own profession of faith, and the rest to attend to the reasons of the practice; when I behold the decent inquisitiveness of many, and know the principles of most, I cannot help congratulating you in the borrowed language of the wise man, "Many daughters have done virtuously; but thou excellest them all." Allow me to explain myself.

The Catholic church at Rome "did virtuously," when she shook off the authority of heathen emperors in matters of religion. Before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the heathens united the character of high-priest with that of king; so that the religion of heathen countries was not directed by the reason of the inhabitants, but by the arbitrary orders of an unjust and cruel ty

rant. The Roman emperors were in possession of this prerogative, when Christ was born; and when the Gospel was first preached in the provinces of the empire, it was supposed to be an invasion of the imperial authority. The Gospel, however, was taught at Rome, and all over the empire, which is called in Scripture, "the whole world." The Apostles taught the heathens to think and act for themselves, and strongly inculcated this in their writings. The people did so, and renouncing the prejudices of their education and the superstitions of their country, became Christians on their own conviction of the truth and excellence of Christianity. Individuals thus converted, formed themselves into little societies, called churches. There was one at Philippi, another at Corinth, and another at Rome, to all which the Apostle wrote letters of instruction, not by authority of the Emperor, but by virtue of a commission received from Jesus Christ. The Christian church at Rome made no formal declaration of rights, but they practically claimed the liberty of renouncing the Emperor for a master in religion, and res ceiving Jesus Christ. In the reign of mild Emperors, they were permitted to live in quiet; and when cruel Emperors persecuted them, they wrote modest apologies, persevered in their profession, and sealed their profession with their blood. Would you think, my brethren, that a people, who had the virtuous courage to resist the first of mortals, a Roman Emperor, should have the meanness to resign their liberty to one of their own teachers, a creature of their own election, who was, only because they chose him to be? So it was, and for ages past, to this day, the whole church of Rome, consisting of many kingdoms, do not even pretend to think for themselves in religion, but, on the contrary, avow the infallibility of one single man. The clergyman at Rome, called Pope, that is, papa or father, is to them, instead of conviction, instead of conscience, instead of reason, instead of Scripture, instead of Christ himself; and this exchange is called the Holy Catholic and Apostolic religion of Jesus Christ.

The church of England "did virtuously" to shake off

the authority of the Bishop of Rome, in matters of religion. The history of our country is hardly worth attention till the reign of Henry the Seventh; and then it seems not to be the country which we now inhabit; so gross was the ignorance, and so very abject was the slavery of our ancestors. It was a glorious day, when the reformation took place, and when the title of the Bishop of Rome to dominion over conscience was fully and fairly examined. This was done under many disadvantages, with many imperfections, and at the expense of much treasure, and much human blood; but it was done, and it was well and thoroughly done; and Christians once more heard the joyful sound of the text, "Call no man your Father upon earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven, and one is your master, even Christ." To read the first writings of the reformers, you would suppose they were going directly into the spirit and practice of Christian liberty; but, certain it is, they fell short, and vindicated that liberty against a foreign Bishop, only to place it in the hands of civil governors; so that, though the Scriptures were restored to the people, yet the sense was retained by the crown, and expressed in certain articles of faith; and though Christ was reinstated in name, yet he was to be adored only as a printed ritual allowed. We grant, this revolution was a noble amendment; for the government of this country being partly in the hands of the people, partakes of popular freedom; and the prerogative of establishing religion is so justly softened with toleration in the letter of the law, and with liberality of sentiment in the spirit of government, that nobody has any thing to fear at present on a religious account in this country. You may, if you please, adopt the established faith, and you may, if you think proper, renounce it.

The Protestant dissenters in this country have “done virtuously" in not accepting the emoluments which are affixed to the established religion, and in following their own convictions, without fee or reward. There is nothing so unmanageable as a man's own understanding. He opens his ears to religious instruction, and before he is aware, truth seats itself in his mind, and will reigu