Had not the Poyson of these Immoral , and ( in reality ) Atheistical Principles been diffused more than 't is easie to imagine , ( at that time especially when Dr. Whichcot appear'd ) we should , perhaps , where Morality was concern'd , have heard less of Terror and Punishment ; and more , of Moral Rectitude and Good-nature . At least , it should not have grown customary to explode Good-nature , and detract from that Good which is ascrib'd to Natural Temper , and is accounted Natural Affection , as having Ground and Foundation in Meer NATURE : On the contrary ; it would have been the Business of those who had manag'd the Cause of Religion , to have contended for these better Dispositions ; and to have shewn , how deep a Root and Foundation they had in Human Nature ; and not , just contrary-wise , to have built on the Ruine of these . For , with some people , this was then become a Method to prove Christianity . Revelation was to owe its Establishment to the Depression and Lowering of such Principles as these , in the Nature of Man : And the Weakness of these was made the Strength of Religion . As if Good-nature , and Religion , were Enemies : A Thing , indeed , so unthought of , amongst the Heathens ; that PIETY ( which was their best Word to signifie Religion ) had more than half its Sence , in Natural and Good Affection ; and stood not only for the Adoration , and Worship of God ; but for the Natural Affections of Parents to their Children , and of Children to their Parents ; of Men to their Native Country ; and , indeed , of all Men in their several Relations one to another .

It must be confess'd , that it has been the Reproach of some Sects of Christians amongst us ; that their Religion appear'd to be , in a manner , opposite to Good-nature ; and founded in Moroseness , Selfishness , and Ill-will to Mankind ; Things , not easily reconcileable with a Christian Spirit . But , certainly , it may be said of the Church of England , if of any Church in the World , that this is not Her Spirit : But , it is by Characters and Features just contrary to these , that this Church shews Herself , above all others , most worthily and nobly Christian.

It is certain , that there is nothing more contended for , by those who would not willingly admit a Deity ; nor is there any thing of greater Use to them , in their Way of Reasoning ; than to have it pass as current , that there are in Man , no Natural Principles inclining him to Society ; nothing that moves him to what is Moral , Just and Honest ; except a Prospect of some different Good , some Advantage of a different Sort from what attends the Actions themselves . Nor is it strange , that they who have brought themselves off from so much as believing the Reality of any Ingenuous Action , perform'd by any of Mankind , meerly through Good Affection , and a Rectitude of Temper ; should be backward to apprehend any Goodness of that sort , in a Higher Nature than that of Man . But it is strange to conceive , how Men who pretend a Notion and Belief of a Supream Power acting with the greatest Goodness , and without any Inducement but that of Love and Good-will ; should think it unsuitable to a Rational Creature , derived from Him , to act after His Example ; and to find Pleasure and Contentment in Works of Goodness and Bounty , without other Prospect . But , what is yet more unaccountable , is , that Men who profess a Religion where Love is chiefly enjoyn'd ; where the Heart is expresly call'd for , and the outward Action without that , is disregarded ; where Charity ( or Kindness ) is made all in all ; that Men of this Perswasion , should combine , to degrade the Principle of Good-nature , and refer all to Reward ; which being made the only Motive in Mens Actions , must exclude all worthy and generous Disposition , all that Love , Charity , and Affection , which the Scripture enjoyns ; and without which , no Action is Lovely , in the Sight of God , or Man ; or in it self , deserving of Notice , or kind Reward .

But , perhaps , one Reason of this Misfortune has been ; that some Men , who have meant sincerely well to Religion and Vertue , have been afraid least by advancing the Principle of Good-nature , and laying too great a Stress upon it , the apparent Need of Sacred Revelation ( a Thing so highly Important to Mankind ) should be , in some Measure , taken away . So that they were forced , in a Manner , to wound VERTUE , and give way to the Imputation of being Mercenary , and of † † Expression of Dr. Whichcot's . Acting in a slavish Spirit , in Ways of Religion , rather than admit a sort of Rival ( in their Sense ) to the Faith of Divine Revelation : Seeing that Christianity ( they thought ) would , by this Means , be made less necessary to Mankind ; if it should be allow'd , that Men could find any Happiness in Vertue , but what is in Reversion .

Thus , one Party of Men , fearing the Consequences which may be drawn from the Acknowledgment of Moral and Social Principles in Human-kind , to the Proof a Deity 's Existence ; and , another Party fearing as much from thence , to the Prejudice of Revelation ; Each have in their turns , made War ( if I may say so ) even on Vertue it self : Having exploded the Principle of Good-nature ; all Enjoyment or Satisfaction in Acts of Kindness and Love ; all Notion of Happiness in temperate Courses and moderate Desires ; and , in short , all Vertue or Foundation of Vertue ; unless that , perhaps , be call'd Merit , or Vertue , which is left remaining , when all Generosity , free Inclination , Publick-spiritedness , and every thing else besides private Regard , is taken away .

If this may be said to be our Case , under this Dispute ; and , that true Religion it self ( which is Love ) be thus endanger'd ; and Morality so ill treated , between two such different and distant Parties ; if each of these , notwithstanding their vast Disagreement , do yet , in this Matter , so fatally agree ; to decry Human Nature , and destroy the Belief of any immediate Good or Happiness in Vertue , as a Thing any way suitable to our Make and Constitution ; there is , then , so much the more Need of some great and known Man to oppose this Current . And , here it is that our Author has appear'd so signally . Whatsoever ( says he ) some have said ; Man's Nature is not so untoward a Thing ( unless it be abused ) but that there is a secret Sympathy in Human Nature , with Vertue and Honesty ; which gives a Man an Interest even in bad Men. — God , in infinite Wisdom , has so contrived ; that , if an Intellectual Being sink it self into Sensuality , or any way defile , and pollute it self ; then , Miseries and Torments should befall it , in this State — VERTUE , and VICE ( says he ) are the Foundations of Peace and Happiness , or Sorrow and Misery . — There is inherent Punishment belonging to all Vice ; and no Power can divide or separate them . For , tho' God should not , in a positive Way , inflict Punishment ; or any Instrument of God punish a Sinner ; yet , he would punish Himself ; his Misery and Unhappiness would arise from Himself . — Thus speaks our excellent Divine , and truly Christian Philosopher ; whom , for his appearing thus in Defence of Natural Goodness , we may call the Preacher of Good-nature . This is what he insists on , every-where ; and , to make this evident , is , in a Manner , the Scope of all his Discourses . And , in conclusion of all this ; 't is hop'd that what has been here suggested , may be sufficient to justifie the Printing of these Sermons .

As for our Author himself ; what his Life was ; how great an Example of that happy Temper , and God-like Disposition , which he labour'd to inspire ; how much he was , for the Excellency of his Life , and admirable Temper , esteem'd and belov'd of all ; and even in the worst of Times , when Feuds , and Animosities , on the Account of Religion , were highest ( during the Time of the late great Troubles , ) how his Character and Behaviour drew to him the Respect of all Parties , so as to make him be remarkably distinguished ; how much in Esteem he was with the greatest Men ; and how many constant Hearers he had of the best Rank , and greatest Note , even of the most eminent Divines themselves ; this is sufficiently known . And the Testimony which the late Arch-bishop Tillotson has given of him , tho' it be in a Funeral Sermon , is known to be in nothing superiour to his Desert .

The Sermons which are here Printed , have been selected out of Numbers of others less perfect ; there being not any of our Author 's extant , but such as were written after him at Church : He having used no other than very short Notes , not very legible : Tho' these have been of great Use to the Publisher , in whose Hands they have been .

The unpolish'd Style , and Phrase of our Author , who drew more from a College , than a Court ; and who was more used to School-Learning , and the Language of an University , than to the Conversation of the fashionable World , may possibly but ill recommend his Sense to the Generality of Readers . And , since none of these Discourses were ever design'd for the World , in any other Manner than as he ( once for all ) pronounc'd them from the Pulpit ; they must of Necessity appear to have a Roughness in them , which is not found in other Sermons more accurately penn'd by their Authors . For , tho' the Publisher has sometimes supplied him out of himself , by transferring to a defective Place , that which he found in some other Discourse , where the same Subject was treated ; yet , so great a Regard was had to the very Text , and Letter of his Author ; that he would not offer to alter the least Word : And , wheresoever he has added any Thing , to correct the most apparent Omission , or Fault of the Pen-man ; he has taken Care to have it mark'd in different Characters : That nothing might appear as our Author 's own , which was not perfectly His. Tho' , some others in the World have been very far from this Caution : Since , of late , some things have been set out in our Author's Name , which his best Friends disown to be his ; and which any one who studies him in his Genuine Works , will easily know to be unworthy of him .

And , now , when these Disadvantages which have been mentioned , are considered ; since they are no more than what sensible People will easily make Allowance for ; 't is presum'd there may be in the World some Persons who will , notwithstanding , think these Sermons to be of Worth , and may perhaps discover in them some peculiar Beauties , such as are not to be despised for want of that Ornament which might have accompany'd them , I know that there are now growing up , in the World , too many who are prejudic'd against all Pulpit-Discourses ; and who , in this prophane Age , are led to think not only the Institution of Preaching , but even the Gospel it self , and our Holy Religion to be a Fraud . But , notwithstanding all the Prejudice of this kind ; 't is to be hop'd that even some of these Persons ( if they have any Candour left ) may be induced to applaud some Things that they may meet with , here : So as from hence , perhaps , to like Christianity the better . This we may with Assurance , say ; that were there besides ours , any Religion , Ancient ; or Modern , that had so Divine a Man as this , to shew ; these very Men would admire and reverence him ; and , tho' a Priest of that Religion , and bound to comply with establish'd Superstition , would praise his Vertue ; and , perhaps , be the forwardest to extol his Sentences and Works , in Opposition to our Sacred Religion . But this is hard , that even Heathen Religion , and Paganism can be more mildly treated , and cause less Aversion than Christianity . To such Men as these , I can say nothing further . But , if they who are thus set against Christianity , cannot be won over , by any Thing that they may find here ; yet we may assure our selves , at least , of this good Effect from hence ; that the excellent Spirit which is shewn here , and that Vein of Goodness , and Humanity , which appears throughout these Discourses , will make such as are already Christians , to prize and value Christianity the more : And , the Fairness , Ingenuity , and Impartiality , which they may learn from hence , will be a Security to them , against the contrary Temper of those other irreconcileable Enemies to our Holy Faith .