fuch as might afford men reasonable ground to hope for fome fayour of this kind, to be conferred at fuch time, and in fuch manner, and upon fuch perfons, as fhould feem beft to fupreme infinite wifdom; at leaft, they might well difpofe and prepare men beforehand, whenever any doctrine fhould come accompanied with juft and good evidence of its being fuch a revelation, to believe and embrace it with all readiness. WANT OF UNIVERSALITY, NO SUFFICIENT OBJECTION AGAINST THE TRUTH OF A REVELATION, It has been made ufe of, by a modern author, as his principal and ftrongeft argument against the reafonablenefs of believing any revelation at all, that it is confeffed there has been no revelation univerfally owned and embraced as fuch, either in all ages, or by all nations in any age. He pretends to acknowlege, that if the doctrine of Chriftianity was univerfally entertained, he would not doubt of its being truly a revelation of the will of God to mankind; but fince, in fact, there is no inftituted religion univerfally received as a divine revelation; and there are feveral nations to whom the Christian doctrine in particular was never fo much as preached, nor ever came to their knowledge at all; he concludes, that what is not univerfal and equally made known to all men cannot be needful for any; and confequently, that there never was any real want of a revelation at all, nor any ground to think any further affistance neceffary, to enable men to, anfwer all the ends of their creation, than the bare light of nature. This is the fum and strength of this author's reafoning; and herein all the deniers of revelation agree with him. Now (not to take notice here, that it is by no means impoffible, but all men may be capable of receiving fome benefit from a revelation, which yet a great part of them may have never heard of), if thefe mens reafoning were true, it would follow by the fame argument, that neither was natural religion neceffary to enable men to anfwer the ends of their creation. For, though all the truths of natural religion are indeed certainly difcoverable by the due ufe of right reafon alone; yet it is evident all men are not endued with the fame faculties and capacities, nor have they all equally afforded to them the fame means of making that difcovery, as thefe gentlemen themselves upon fome occafions are willing enough to own, when they are defcribing the barbarous ignorance of fome poor Indian nations; and, confequently, the knowledge of natural religion being, in fact, by no means univerfal, it will follow that there is no great neceffity even of that, but that inen may do very well without it, in performing the funétions of the animal life, and directing themfelves wholly by the inclinations of fenfe; and thus thefe gentlemen muft at laft be forced to let go all moral obligations, and fo recur unavoidably to abfolute Atheism. The truth is; as God was not obliged to make all his creatures equa!; to make men, angels; or to endue all men with the fame faculties 1 *Oracles of Reafon, p. 197, &c. and and capacities as any; fo neither is he bound to make all men_capable of the fame degree or the fame kind of happiness, or to afford all men the very fame means and opportunities of obtaining it. There is ground enough, from the confideration of the manifeft corruption of human nature, to be fo far fenfible of the want of a divine revelation, as that right reafon and the light of nature itfelf will lead a wife and confiderate man to think it very probable, that the infinitely merciful and good God may actually vouchfafe to afford men fome fuch fupernatural affiftance; and confequently fuch a perfon will be very willing, ready, and prepared, to entertain a doctrine which fhall at any time come attended with juft and good evidence of its being truly a revelation of the will of God. But it does not at all from hence follow, either that God is abfolutely bound to make fuch a revelation, or that, if he makes it, it muft equally be made to all men; or that, fince in fact it is not made to all, therefore there is no reafon to believe that there is any need or any probability of its being made to any. VIII. There is no other religion now in the world, but the Chriftian, that has any juft pretence, or tolerable appearance of reafon, to be efteemed fuch a divine revelation; and therefore, if Chriftianity be not true, there is no revelation of the will of God at all made to mankind. This propofition will eafily be granted by all modern unbelievers; and therefore I need not be particular in the proof of it.. OF THE MAHOMETAN RELIGION. The Mahometan religion was founded by a vitious perfon, propofes ridiculous and trifling doctrines to be believed, was propagated merely by violence and force of arms, was confirmed by no public and unconteftable miracles, promifes vain and fenfual rewards to its profeffors, and is every way encompaffed with numberlefs fuch abfurdities and inconfiftencies (as thofe who have given us accounts of the life of Mahomet, and the nature of his religion, have abundantly made out, and is fufficiently evident even from the Alcoran itfelf), that there is no great danger of its impofing upon rational and confiderate men. OF THE JEWISH RELIGION. The Jewish religion was founded wholly upon the expectation of a Meffiah to come; and the time of his appearance was limited by fuch plain and determinate prophefies, that what difficulties foever there may be in computing the very nice and exact time of their completion; or what different periods foever may be fixed, from whence to begin feveral computations; yet the time of their being fulfilled is now, in all poffible ways of computing, fo very far elapfed, that, if the Chriftian doctrine be falfe, there is no fuppofition left, upon which the Jewifh religion can, with any colour of reafon, be believed to be true. It being evident, therefore, that either the Chriftian revelation is true, or elfe (how great want foever there may be of it) there is no fuch fuch thing as revelation at all; it remains that I proceed to confider what pofitive and direct evidence there is, to prove the actual truth of this divine revelation. IX. The Chriftian religion, confidered in its primitive fimplicity, and as taught in the holy fcriptures, has all the marks and proofs of being actually and truly a divine revelation, that any divine revelation, fuppofing it were true, could reafonably be imagined or defired to have. THE MAR RKS OF A RELIGION COMING FROM God. The neceffary marks and proofs of a religion coming from God, are thefe. Firft, that the duties it enjoins be all fuch as are agreeable to our natural notions of God; and perfective of the nature, and conducive to the happiness and well-being of men; and that the doctrines it teaches be all fuch, as, though not indeed difcoverable by the bare light of nature, yet, when difcovered by revelation, may be confiftent with, and agreeable to, found and unpreiudiced reafon. For, otherwife, no evidence whatfeever can be of fo great force to prove that any doctrine is true; as its being either contradictory in itfelf, or wicked in its tendency, is, to prove that it muft neceffarily be falfe. Secondly, for the fame reafon, the motives likewife, by which it is recommended to mens belief and practice, and all the peculiar circumftances with which it is attended, must be fuch as are fuitable to the excellent wifdom of God, and fitted to amend the manners and perfect the minds of men. Lastly, it muft moreover be pofitively and directly proved to come froin God, by fuch certain figns and matters of fact, as may be undeniable evidences of its author's having actually a divine commiffion. For otherwife, as no evidence can prove a doctrine to come from God, if it be either impoffible or wicked in itfelf; fo, on the other hand, neither can any degree of goodness or excellency in the doctrine itself, make it certain, but only highly probable, to have come from God, unless it has moreover fome pofitive and direct evidence of its being actually revealed. The entire proof, therefore, of this propofition must be made by an induction of particulars, as follows. X. First, the practical duties which the Chriftian religion enjoins, are all fuch, as are most agreeable to our natural notions of God, and most perfective of the nature, and conducive to the happinefs and well-being of men: that is, Chriftianity even in this fingle refpect, as containing alone and in one confiftent fyftem all the wife and good precepts (and thofe improved, augmented, and exalted to the highest degree of perfection) that ever were taught fingly and fcatteredly, and many times but very corruptly, by the feveral fchools of the philofophers; and this without any mixture of the fond, abfurd, and fuperftitious practices of any of thofe philofophers; ought to be embraced and practifed by all rational and confidering Deifts, who will act confiftently, and steadily purfue P 3 the the confequences of their own principles, as at leaft the beft fcheme and fect of philofophy that ever was fet up in the world, and highly probable, even though it had no external evidence, to be of divine original. THE PROPOSITION PROVED, IN THE SEVERAL INSTANCES OF DUTY. This propofition is fo very evident, that the greatest adverfaries of the Chriftian inftitution have never been able to deny it any otherwife, than by confounding the inventions of men, the fuperftitious practices of particular perfons, or the corrupt additions of certain particular churches or focieties of Chriftians, with the pure and fimple precepts of the gofpel of Chrift. In all thofe inftances of duty which pure and uncorrupt Chriftianity enjoins, the propofition is manifeft and altogether undeniable. The duties of love, fear, and adoration, which the Chriftian religion obliges us to render unto God, are fo plainly incumbent upon us from the confideration of the excellent attributes of the divine nature, and our relation to him as our creator and preferver, that no man who confiders can think himfelf free from the obligations which our religion lays upon him to practise these duties; without denying the very being of God, and acting contrary to the reafon and all the natural notions of his own mind. Its placing the true and acceptable worthip of God, not fo much in any pofitive and ritual obfervances, as in approaching him with pure hearts and undefiled bodies, with unfeigned repentance for all paft mifcarriages, and fincere refolutions of conftant obedience for the future; in praying to him for whatever, we want, and returning him our moft hearty thanks for whatever good things we receive, with fuch dependence and humility, fuch fubmifhon, trust, and reliance, as are the proper affections of dutiful children; all this is plainly moft agreeable to our natural notions and apprehenfions of God. And that the prayers of finful and depraved creatures, fincerely repenting, fhould be offered up to God, and become prevalent with him, through and by the interceffion of a mediator, is very confonant to right and unprejudiced reafon; as I fhall have occafion to fhew more particularly hereafter, when I come to confider the articles of our belief. Again the duties of juftice, equity, charity, and truth, which the Chriftian religion obliges us to exercife towards men, are fo apparently reafonable in themfelves, and fo directly conducive to the happiness of mankind; that their unalterable obligation is not only in great measure deducible from the bare light of nature and right reafon; but even thofe men alfo, who have broken through all the bonds of natural religion itfelf, and the original obligations of virtue, have yet thought it neceffary, for the prefervation of fociety and the well-being of mankind, that the obfervation of thefe duties to fome degree fhould be enforced by the penalties of human laws. And the additional improvements which our Saviour has made to thefe duties, by commanding his difciples to be as it were lights in the world, and examples of good works to all men, Matth. v. 16, &c.' to to be fo far from injuring others, that, on the contrary, they should not indulge themfelves in any degree of anger or paffion; to feek reconciliation immediately upon any difference or offence that may arife; to bear injuries patiently, rather than return evil for evil; to be always willing to forgive one another their trefpaffes, as they all expect forgiveness at the hands of God; to be kind and charitablę to all men; to affift readily, and be willing to do all good offices, not only to their friends, but even to their bitterest enemies also; in a word, to raise their virtue and goodness far above the common practice of men, extending their charity univerfally, in imitation of the goodness of God himself, who maketh the fun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fendeth rain on the juft and on the un just these precepts, I fay, are fuch, as no unprejudiced philofopher would have been unwilling to confefs were the utmoft improve, ments of morality, and to the highest degree perfective of human nature. In like manner; the duties of fobriety, temperance, pa tience, and contentment, which our religion enjoins us to practife in ourselves, are fo undeniably agreeable to the inward conftitution of human nature, and fo perfective of it, that the principal defign of all true philofophy has ever been to recommend and fet off these duties to the best advantage; though, as the philofophers themfelves have always confeffed, no philofophy was ever able to govern mens practice effectually in thefe refpects. But the additional precepts, and the new weight and authority, which our Saviour has added to his inftructions of this kind, Matt. v. 28. Matt. vi. 19. 24. &c. teaching his difciples to govern their very thoughts, defires, and inclinations; to contemn and get above all the defires of this prefent world, and to fet their affections principally upon that which is to come; these are the things, which, when the Chriftian religion was in its primitive and pureft state, worked men up actually to fuch a pitch of cheerful and generous obedience to the laws of God, and taught them to obtain fuch a complete victory over the world, and over all the defires and appetites of fenfe, as, the best philofophers have acknowledged, their inftructions were, never able to do. Laftly, even thofe pofitive and external obfervances (the two facraments) which are inftituted in the Chriftian religion, as means and affiftances to keep men ftedfaft in the practice of thofe great and moral duties which are the weightier matters of the law; even thofe pofitive inftitutions (I fay) are fo free from all appearance of fuperftition and vanity, and fo wifely fitted to the end for which they were defigned, that no adverfaries of Christianity have ever been able to object any thing at all against the things themfelves, but only against certain corruptions and fuperftitions, which fome, who call themfelves Chriftians, have, directly in oppofition to the true defign of Chriftianity, introduced and annexed to them. For, what reasonable man can pretend to fay, that it is any way unreafonable or fuperftitious, for every member of the fociety to be folemnly admitted into his profeffion by a plain and fignificant rite, intitling him to all the privileges, and charging him with all the obligations, P 4 |