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fophical fenfe; that is, none independent of our frame, our natures, and the author of them. May we not fay in reply, that in fuch fenfe) God himself has none? the difference be tween the freedom of our wills, and the freedom of God's will, feems to be, that his is abfolutely dependent on his own nature, which is invariably perfect. Whereas our freedom will only have its perfection, as we fix on what is final: i. e. as creatures intended for the fruition of his favour, who created us, we only have freedom, or asfert liberty in confulting the defign of our frame, our natures, and the pleasure of the author of them. This conftitutes the boundless liberty of man: and is contradiftinguished to thofe elections and determinations of the mind, which have only confulted the animal, or the fenfitive gratification. Moral-liberty and flavery in man, are thus estimated. And our ideas of them remain, diftinct and determinate. Not my will, but thine be done ; was the highest expreffion of free-will, in him who preferred the doing of the will of God to his neceffary food and was a liberty wholly independent on his fenfible, animal frame.

a A free inquiry, p. 101.

An

An eye will be farther had to Dr. Coward's interpretations of fcripture, and his arguments from fuperftition, in the furvey which fhall be taken of fome later performances. I have thought this method more eligible, fince the Doctor's Books are not very easily purchased, and may be confidered, as the originals of the materialifts later defence of the Soul's mechanism and mortality. His fearch after Souls, in two Volumes Quarto, was published, A. D. 1706.

CHA P.

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Obfervations, in Dr. J. R's. philofophical and fcriptural inquiries;

examined.

NOTHER medical writer has published his philofophical and scriptural inquiries into the nature and conftitution of mankind; and informs us, he has done it with much difficulty.

a

He is indeed, throughout that performance, full of complaint: yet furely, it would be matter of reproach to a proteftant nation, should he be expofed thereby to any, the least, inconvenience, difcouragement or damage:

a The Critical Reviewers for February, 1758. do recom. mend this book to the perufal of the curious; who, they say, will find it a frange medley of argument and fophiftry; of truth and error; of madness and ingenuity. But whether Dr. R.binfon has not affected to put on those maniacal airs, or rather, chofen to indulge such reveries, I am not so very certain..

mage: fince it is humane and worthy of praise, that any man does honeftly endeavour to rub off obfcurities, which inveterate prejudice had thrown, as a fable fhade over truth, or its evidence. He certainly deferves esteem, who has made any friendly efforts to remove the rubbish of superstition, and expofe to view the meanders of falsehood and errour. My compaffions, verily were greatly excited towards the Doctor, when I found him capable of enjoying himself, in that very occult and fanciful interpretation of the Gospel scheme; where he fais, This God of truth, who is the very fubftantial word of the Almighty Father, laid down his life, was dead, and buried, rofe again the third day, and gloriously afcended into heaven to redeem mankind from that death which was principally brought upon us by the inftigation of the devil.e

A mind, that can embrace and cherish fuch crude, abfurd, and fhocking ideas of the God of truth, may well be expected to indulge the flights of fancy, in all their extravagance, and to reason with some marks of wildness or infanity. But his imagina

See his philofophical and fcriptural inquiries, p. 27.

tion

tion did fo unhappily run away with him, because of the manifeft tendency of the opinion to folve the whole phenomenon of the mechanical and mortal fyftem; for it will be nothing strange or incredible, that the human foul should die, be buried, and lie infenfible for ages too, if the God of truth could die and be buried; or if it can be affirmed, with any fobriety or veracity, that the substantial word of the Almighty Father could poffibly undergo fuch a change of condition. The creative word, which gave being and life to the universe, is abfolutely incapable of any shadow of change, or of the leaft mechanical impreffion from the material fyftem. He who dwells in light, and only has immortality, must be the fame yesterday, to day, and for ever. And although this word did dwell with the man Chrift Jefus, it did no more than dwell with him, to the purpose of manifefting, by him, the father's glory. Joh. xii. 45. He that feeth me, feeth him that fent me. For, this word could neither constitute the perfonality of Jefus, nor fuffer with him. But during the dwelling and difplay, it continued as unconfined as infinity itself, and was

the

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