Another foundation
It is to be wished that they were better acquainted with this faith who employ much of their time and pains in laying another foundation; in grounding religion on the eternal fitness of things, on the intrinsic excellence of virtue, and the beauty of actions flowing from it; on the reasons, as they term them, of good and evil, and the relations of beings to each other. Either these accounts of the grounds of Christian duty coincide with the scriptural account, or they do not. If they do, why are well-meaning men perplexed, and drawn from the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23), by a cloud of terms, by which the easiest truths are explained into obscurity? If they do not, then it behooves them to consider who is the author of this new doctrine; whether he is likely to be an angel from heaven who preaches another gospel (Galatians 1:8) than that of Christ Jesus; though, if he were, God, not we, has pronounced his sentence: Let him be accursed.
1771 text
3. It were to be wished, that they were better acquainted with this faith, who employ much of their time and pains, in laying another foundation; in grounding religion, on “the eternal fitness of things,” on “the intrinsic excellence of virtue,” and the beauty of actions flowing from it: on the reasons, as they term them, of good and evil, and the relations of beings to each other. Either these accounts of the grounds of Christian duty, coincide with the scriptural, or not. If they do, why are well-meaning men perplext, and drawn from the weightier matters of the law, by a cloud of terms, whereby the easiest truths are explained into obscurity. If they are not, then it behoves them to consider, who is the author of this new doctrine: whether he is likely to be an angel from heaven, who preacheth another gospel than that of Christ Jesus: though, if he were, God, not we, hath pronounced his sentence, Let him be accursed.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 17 in the 1771 Works. Romans 2:29. Saint Mary's, Oxford, 1 January 1733.
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