SERMON XII. The Excellency of an inquifitive Difpofition, and the Right, Duty, and Advantages of inquiring into Matters of Religion. Preached upon Occafion of receiving a ACTS XVII. 11, 12. These were more noble than thofe in Theffalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of Mind, and fearched the Scriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo. Therefore many of them believed. T HE Perfons of whom the facred Hiftorian gives this excellent Character, were certain Jews, Inhabitants of Berea, a Town of Macedonia, to which the Apostle Paul and his Fellow-La bourer bourer Silas came, in one of their Progreffes SER M. for propagating the Knowledge of Christiani- XII. ty. The Treatment which the Apostle received from his Countrymen here, was very different from that which he had received from them in most other Places, and particularly in Theffalonica, from whence he was just arrived; where fome of the unbelieving Jews, being full of that bitter and perfecuting Zeal which fo generally poffeffed them against the Christian Religion, had raised a Tumult or Infurrection, in which they would have destroyed St. Paul and his Companion Silas, unless they had with great privacy and expedition made their escape to the neighbouring Town of Berea. The Jews of Berea, to their everlasting honour, discovered a more generous and manly Difpofition. They would not condemn St. Paul upon mere Prejudice, but refolved to hear him fairly and patiently, to know what his Doctrine was, and what he could offer for the Support of it; and particularly to compare it with thofe Scriptures, to which he appealed for the Truth of it, and to fee whether it was agreeable to them, or no; and according as they found it well or ill fupported, either to receive or reject it. This they did; and in confequence of it, Y 4 many SERM.many of them became fincere Profelytes and XII. Converts to Christianity. What I propose to do, in difcourfing upon this Paffage, is to raise some useful Obfervations from it, and to illustrate and improve them in the Order in which they arise. 1. And the first Obfervation which I shall make is this; that a Difpofition to fearch for the Truth in Matters of Religion, and to receive it without Prejudice, wherever it appears, is an Argument of a generous and liberal Mind. This is the very thing, for which the Berean Jews are here commended as Perfons of more generous Principles and a more noble Spirit than thofe of Theffalonica, who blindly rejected and opposed the Truth without Examination. And certainly the Praise which is given them on this account, is very juft and well founded. A fincere difinterested Love of Truth, which makes a Man diligent as well as impartial in his Inquiries after it, is one of the most worthy Qualities which can be in the Mind, is a fure Foundation of valuable Improvements, and will always raise the Perfons in whom it prevails, above the common level, and fet them in an higher Order and Clafs of Mankind. It is the misfortune not only of thofe, who have but very little time to fpare from the neceffary and daily Occupations pations of a low Life, but of many others who SERM. may be supposed to have both Capacity and XII. Leifure, if they would but improve them, for thinking and reasoning, to neglect in a great measure all rational Inquiries, and to be governed almost entirely by Prejudices even in matters of the greatest moment; to be carried away with an enthufiaftick Zeal, which will bear no contradiction, for Opinions and Tenets in Religion, which, for any thing they know, may have no Foundation either in Reason or Revelation, but which have been only inculcated on them in the course of their Education, or which have been recommended to them by Authority, by the Tradition of their Party, or the Vogue and Fashion of their Country. This Submiffiveness of Understanding, this implicit Belief of whatever is obtruded with an appearance of great Authority and Solemnity in Religion, is one of those Weakneffes which are most incident to Mankind; it is a thing which they are easily brought to, and for which it is difficult to find a Remedy. When therefore we see any Perfon keeping clear of this Intanglement, and nobly afferting and ufing his Right of judging for himself in all matters of Religion and Morality, admitting no Principle, how facred and venerable foever it may be ac counted, SERM. counted, till he is firft fatisfied of the Truth XII. of it, and receiving every one that he fees is well fupported, however unpopular and unfashionable; we may very well conclude that he is poffeffed of a greater Strength of Mind, and a more generous Freedom and Inlargement of Heart, than is to be found in the greatest part of Men. Such an one has a just Senfe of the Dignity of the rational Nature, and displays it to great advantage in his own Conduct, and will certainly obtain a high Degree of Refpect and Honour from all the wiser and better fort of Mankind. Not only the facred Writers have approved and applauded this inquifitive unprejudiced Temper, this hearty and honeft Difpofition to fearch out and embrace the Truth, but the Philosophers likewife had a high Sense of its Excellency, some of* whom have spoken of the free ExCicero. ercife of Reason, and the polishing and improving of it, as one of the nobleft Employments, and most worthy of the Care of a wife Man ; and have, on the contrary, represented the Neglect of Reason, and the embracing and holding Opinions which have not been carefully examined, and which have no fufficient Evidence to support them, as a Rashness unworthy of the Wisdom and Gravity of the Human Nature. Marc. Anton. Before |