Were genuous oppofition, from us; it is alfo to be confidered, what conduct wifdom prefcribes in fuch a cafe. there no guilt in treating revelation with contempt, or oppofition, yet no man of prudence would wilfully deprive himself of any probable advantage for information and improvement, from whatever quarter it might come. Nor will any wife man think lightly of a fcheme intended, as Divine Revelation is, for the important ends of republishing, with a set of authoritative fanctions, the religion of nature, and fixing beyond all difpute the duty of mankind, and the means for attaining their greatest happiness; and for communicating to them various important truths not known before, nor difcoverable by human reafon. That revelation has effectually done these things, will appear by the general view of it, that will be exhibited in the fecond section. A direct, explicit law, given by Divine Authority, is the very thing which such a short-fighted, and imperfect order of beings as mankind, were peculiarly in want of. Nor is any method fo it for governing a set of creatures generally unqualified for reafoning out, with proper clearness and certainty, the means of attaining happinefs, as a diftinct fyftem of rules of conduct guarded by proper fanctions. Is not all human government conftituted on that foundation? When a new ftate or colony is to be fettled, do the founders truft to the reason of a mixed multitude for the obfervance of equity, the fecurity of property, and happiness of the whole? And was it not a more effectual way to lead mankind to the love of God, and one another, to give them an exprefs law to that purpose, than to leave it to their own reafonings, to find out their duty to their Creator, and to one another, and whether they might trifle with it, or refolve faithfully to perform it? Therefore mankind have, probably, in no age been wholly left to their own reafon but a standing pofitive inftitution has all along been kept up in one part of the world, or other; and would in all probability have been more univerfally, as well as more confpicuously established; but for the wickedness of mankind, which rendered themunworthy of partaking univerfally of this bleffing, and occafioned įta its being imparted to them in a more obfcure and limited manner. We are at present in a ftate of difcipline; and every thing is intended as a part of our trial, and means of improvement. Revelation may be confidered in the fame light. A meffage from heaven is brought to our ears, attended with fuch evidences, as may be fufficient to convince the unprejudiced mind of its being genuine; but at the fame time not fo afcertained, but that pretences for cavilling at, and oppofing it, may, by difingenuous men, be found. If this gives an opportunity for the exercise of honest inquiry, and exhibits in the fairelt light the different characters of the fincere, but cautious, and inquifitive lover of truth; of the indolent, unthinking, and credulous, who believes with the multitude; and of the perverfe and difingenuous, who rejects whatever is not fuitable to his ways of thinking or living; if revelation does these things, is it not to be reckoned one of the nobleft trials of the prefent ftate? And is it not promulgated in the very manner it ought to have been. Standing oracles were probably some of the first methods which the Divine Wifdem made ufe of to communicate particular exprefs informations to mankind. There was an appointed place, to which worshippers reforted, and confulting, received answers, and directions. Spiritual beings were employed in revealing the Divine Will to mankind. And in vifions and dreams, communications were given to men of characters eminent for virtue and piety. A race of prophets, or perfons under Divine Influence, fucceeding to one another, fo as there fhould be no long period without one or more fuch inspired men, kept up an impreffion of the fuperintendency of God, and of the neceffity of obedience to Him. But we know of no method fo proper for communicating to mankind in general, a fet of useful informations; fo as to be of lafting, conftant, and extenfive advantage to them, as their being committed to writing, by which means they are easily acceffible to all, to be confulted at all times and in all places. The revelation, therefore, with which we are bleffed, has been, by the Divine Providence directed to be penned by by Mofes, the Prophets, and Apoftles; and has been wonderfully preferved for many ages, free, for any thing we know, or have reafon to fufpect, from material corruptions and alterations; and in it we have all informations neceffary for our conduct here, and happiness hereafter. Whoever chooses to enlarge the sphere of his inquiry as wide as poffible, may examine the several schemes of religion, which have pretended to a Divine Original, and by comparing them together, he will foon find which bears the characters of being truly from heaven. As to us, who live in thefe happy realms of knowledge and freedom of inquiry, the Religion contained in the Scripture of the Old and New Teftaments offers itself more immediately, and challenges our chief and moft attentive examination; it is therefore evident, that it lies immediately upon us to inquire into its pretenfions; and that we may more fafely neglect all the others; none of which the Divine Providence has given us fo fair an opportunity of examining, or made fo clearly our duty to inquire into. But to inquire into religion in an impartial manner, a man must begin with fhaking off all prejudice, from education and general opinion, and muft fuppofe himself a mere unprincipled Indian, not biaffed to any fpecies of religion in the world. He muft likewise refolve to go through the whole of what he is to examine; not contenting himself with a partial and imperfect view of things, which is the way to acquire imperfect and mistaken notions. He must also go directly to the fountain, if he would know the true virtues of the water of life; that is, he muft, to know the religion of the Scriptures, go directly to the Scriptures, and ftudy them more than all the Syftems or Bodies of Divinity in the world. There is no greater hindrance to the candid examination and ready reception of fo pure and ftrict a scheme of Religion as the Chriftian, than a fatal attachment to vice. This was the original obftacle, which retarded its establishment in the world, at its first appearance; has prevented its progress ever fince; has difguifed and deformed its native beauty; has almoft wholly de feated feated its genuine intention, in one church; and raised enemies againft it, even in this land of light, in an age immediately fucceeding to the times, in which it flood the examination of the ableft inquirers, and came out established upon a more rational foundation, than ever it stood upon, from the apoftolic age downwards. It will therefore be neceffary, above all things, for the inquirer into the truth of Christianity, to purge his mind from every corrupt affection, that may prompt him to wifh to find it fufpicious or falfe; to take no counsel with flesh and blood; but to labour to work himself up to that pitch of heavenly-mindedness, which it requires; that so he may not only be wholly unprejudiced against it, but may be disposed to liften to reafon in its favour, and may find within himself a witnefs to its truth. SECT. I. Previous Objections against a Revelation in general, and that of Scripture in particular, confidered. A Revelation had not been given to mankind, had there been no need of it, in fuch a fenfe as that it must prove wholly useless. But the question is, whether it is not an abfurdity to talk of a genuine revelation's being needlefs, or ufelefs, can any thing be faid to be needlefs or ufelefs that is calculated to improve mankind? If a fet of moral inftructions from one perfon will be of any fervice to me, can it be said, that more of the fame kind will be useless? If 1 had already digested all the knowledge, that is to be got in books, and by conversation with the wife and learned of my own species, would the converfation of a fuperior being be needlefs and ufelefs to me? Nay, if the archangel Gabriel had in his power to receive fome new informations by Revelation from God, would he neglect them, as needlefs and ufelefs, because his knowledge is already immenfely extenfive? Thofe objectors to Revelation, who talk of its being unneceffary, do not feem to have clear ideas to their words. For if they had, they never would think of limiting the Divine Goodnefs to his creatures, or of alleging, that their advantages for happiness were too great. Nor would one think that Re velation velation fhould ever have been looked on as fuperfluous, by any person who knew the world; but on the contrary, that all fuch would readily acknowledge, that if it were poffible to have yet another additional Revelation, or advantage for virtue, mankind would not then be at all too good. Nor can any one help seeing the real eventual advantage of Revelation, who knows any thing of the difference between the condition, as to knowledge and virtue, of thofe ages and nations, which have, and those which have not enjoyed the light of it, And here it is to be remembered, that in all probability it is a very small part of our knowledge that is the genuine acquifition of mere human reason, wholly unaffifted. The very ufe of letters feems to have pretenfions to a greater author than Cadmus, or than Moses. And probably the whole of the religious knowledge we poffefs, is originally owing to revelation. The deplorable darkness and ignorance, in which thofe of our fpecies are found involved, who have lived detached from the reft of mankind, and have never enjoyed, or have wholly loft, all traces of revealed knowledge (if that be really the cafe of any people, which is to be doubted) is a proof of the advantage of Revelation. And it is only from what we find to be the case of those newly discovered nations, who have undoubtedly few fupernatural advantages, that we can fairly judge, what the state of mankind in general would have been, if thẹ fpecies had been left wholly to themselves. For, as to this fide of the globe, it is to be queftioned, if there ever was any people upon it, who could be faid to be in a perfect ftate of nature, as will afterwards appear. The despisers of Revealed Religion, on account of the All-fufficiency of human reason, are defired to confider the following proofs of its boafted fufficiency in matters of both belief and practice. The only account we have of the Antediluvian manners, is that given by Mofes, viz. That all flesh corrupted their ways to fuch a degree, as to render it neceffary to purify the earth by a general deluge. Of the partriarchal times, the only accounts we have are likewife from the fame venerable writer; which fhew the |