genuine Religion from the specious Pretences of Counterfeits and Impoftors. In order to this, we must confider, that there are fome Principles which in all Religions are allowed, and from the Confideration of which we may poffibly come to fome fixed Determination in this Matter: Such are these; That Life eternal can be had only from God, who is the Author and Fountain of all Being: That from him the only Way to obtain it, is, by living and converfing in this World agreeably to his holy Will: From whence it evidently follows, That, fince to do the Will of God is the only Way of obtaining eternal Life, the Words which inftruct us in the Knowledge of God's Will, must needs be the Words of eternal Life. Thus far we can go upon mere Principles of Reafon."

From hence the Way lies open and plain to another Confequence of fome Importance in the prefent Queftion: For, fince it is the Perfection of Religion, confidered as a Rule or Inftitution, to direct us in all Things to act according to the Will of God, when we inquire from what Principle we ought to derive our Religion, we do in truth inquire from what Principle we may best derive the Knowledge of God's Will; for the Knowledge of God's Will is univerfally acknow

ledged

ledged to be the true and proper Rule and Measure of our religious Obedience in all Things.

There are but two Ways by which we can poffibly arrive at this Knowledge: One is, by following the Dictates of Reason and Nature; when from that Knowledge of God and his Attributes, which Reason and Nature furnish us with, we infer his Right of governing, and our Duty of obeying; and when from the Holiness and Purity of God, and the neceffary Difference between Good and Evil, we infer wherein our Obedience must confist, namely, in ferving an holy God in holy Things, and in keeping ourselves pure and undefiled from Evil, even as he is pure: And this is called Natural Religion. The other Way by which we may poffibly arrive at the Knowledge of God's Will, is, by having it declared to us, either immediately by God himself, or by others fufficiently authorised and commiffioned by him to make fuch Declaration in his Name: And this is what we call Revelation. And, as Nature and Revelation are the only Ways by which we can come to the Understanding of God's Will; fo, for that Reason, they are the only Principles from which Religion can derive itself.

Between these two, confidered purely as Principles of religious Knowledge, it is no hard Matter to judge, which is the safest and fecureft for us to rely on; it being a Matter that will bear no Difpute, whether our own Reafon or God himfelf can beft inftruct us in the Knowledge of his Will; upon which fingle Point the whole Controverfy between Nature and Revelation turns, as long as they are confidered only as Principles of Religion, without drawing into the Question the Merits of any particular Revelation, or of any particular Scheme or System of Natural Religion: The Confequence of which is plainly this; That, as Nature is a better Guide than any pretended Revelation, fo every true Revelation, as far as it goes,

is a better Guide than Nature.

The laft Confequence, and for the fake of which I have made this Deduction hitherto, is, That, when any particular Revelation is to be examined, when it lies before us to be received, or to be rejected, it is abfurd, in the very nature of the Thing, to put the Determination upon a Comparison between Natural Religion and Revelation, confidered in themselves; fince, if the Revelation be falfe, there want no Arguments to make it

yield to Nature; and, if it be true, no Arguments can be fufficient.

And thus it appears, that the very Topic itself is excluded, from which the Deifts of the present Age fetch their main Support, and all the plausible Arguments by which they labour to explode the Gospel, and to render it useless and infignificant, and consequently vile and contemptible in the Opinion of the World.

.

Upon the fame Principle we may proceed to examine other general Objections made use of in oppofition to the Revelation of Chrift Jefus. The Gospel is a Difpenfation of Providence in regard to Mankind, which the Reason of Man cannot fathom, nor his utmost Sagacity search into; which the Angels themselves defire to look into, and, after all their Inquiries, are content to reverence and adore at an awful Distance. Thefe Methods of Salvation are Matter of great Complaint with Unbelievers: They think it highly unreasonable, that God should propose fuch Things as Objects of Faith; and from the Unreasonableness of the Impofition they argue, (which prefuppofed, they conclude not much amifs) that these Terms of Salvation were not of God's Contrivance, but are owing to the Guile and Deceit of cunning

D 4

+

cunning Impoftors, who took Pleasure in abufing Mankind.

Tho' this Objection is levelled against the Christian Revelation particularly; yet it must conclude equally against Revelation in general, confidered as a Principle of Religion, if it makes any Addition to the Things to be done or believed beyond what Reason teaches us. The Question then will be, Whether it can be reasonable for God to propose any Articles of Faith, or any Conditions of Salvation, the Reason and Propriety of which does not appear to Man? And this is a Question of great Importance, it being confeffedly the Cafe of the Gospel.

In the Sense of the Gospel, whatever is the Effect of God's fecret Counfels, in order to the Redemption of the World, is a Mystery. That Men ought to obey God in Truth and Holiness, that they may obtain his Bleffing, — That Sinners ought to be punished, —are not, nor ever were, Mysteries; because these Things were fufficiently published to the World, when Men were endued with Reafon. But all the Methods of Religion beyond these were, and still are, myfterious: The Intention of God to redeem the World from Sin by fending his own Son in the Likeness of Man, is a Mystery unknown.

2