cludes, "That, if Religion confifts in the practice of those Virtues, which refult from "the relation we stand in to God and Man,

our Religion must always be the fame; "that if God is unchangeable, our Duty to "him must be fo too; if human Nature con"tinues the fame, and Men, at all times, ftand "in the fame relation to one another, the Du"ties, which result from these Relations, must r always be the fame: and, confequently, our Duty to God and Man must, from the beginning of the World to the end, always be "the fame; nor can any Perfon, if he comes "from God, teach us any other Religion, or "give us any Precepts, but what are founded on thefe Relations."

2. To fhew the Perfection and Unchangeableness of the Law of Reafon, our Author takes his Topics from the Nature of God, the Nature of things, and the Sentiments of several of our own, as well as fome modern Divines; for as Reason in God, fays he, is the only Law that determines his Actions, fo Reason in Man, tho' of an inferior degree, must needs be his best Guide and Director; because, "fuppofing "ever so many Revelations made to Mankind, "fince it is impoffible, that in any Book, or "Books, a particular Rule cou'd be given for

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every Cafe, we must even then have re"course to the Light of Nature, to teach us "our Duty in moft Cafes; efpecially confi"dering the numerous Circumstances which

attend us, and which, perpetually varying, 66 may make the fame Actions, according as "Men are differently affected by them, either ❝ good or bad." THERE

;

THERE is one favourite Notion, which our Author pursues through the whole course of his Book, and that is,That God cannot act arbitrarily, nor impofe any Laws or Sanctions. upon us, merely out of his own Will and Pleafure; and thereupon he infers, in the 4th and 5th Chapters, "That not only the Matter of "all God's Laws, but the Penalties annex'd "to them, are for the Good of Mankind " and that God requires nothing for his own "fake, no not the Worship we are to render "him, nor the Faith we are to have in him; "for what worse Opinion can we have of the "Divine Goodnefs, than to imagine, a mean "Denial of our Reason, or a wretched Affec"tation of believing any Point too hard for "our Understanding, can entitle us to the "Favour of God ???

3. To prove further the Perfection of the Religion of Nature, and that the Defign of external Revelation was neither to add any thing to, or take any thing from it, but only to free Men from that Load of Superftition, which, in procefs of time, came to be mix'd with it, our Author, among several other Authorities, produces the Sentiments of the Celebrated Charron, in his Treatife of Wisdom, and, after a long Encomium upon this Religion, concludes at length in these words:" If the highest internal "Excellence, the greatest Plainness and Simplicity, Unanimity, Univerfality, Antiquity, nay Eternity, can recommend any Law, all thefe, in an eminent degree, belong to the "Law of Nature; a Law, which does not

''

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depend on the uncertain meaning of Words "and Phrafes in dead Languages, much lefs

on

"on Types, Metaphors, Allegories, Parables, ❝or on the Skill and Honefty of the weak and defigning Transcribers (not to mention Tranf

lators) for many Ages together; but on the "immutable Relation of Things, always vi"fible in the whole World."

THE truth is, the whole Defign of our Author is to extol immoderately the Perfection of Natural Religion, and to bring it to a parity with the Chriftian Revelation. To this purpose he endeavours to prove, by an enumeration of particulars, as well as a Quotation of feveral Authorities, that natural and revealed Religion, having the fame End, their Precepts must of neceffity be the fame. But, of all Authorities, what comes up nearest to the point, and seems to have given occafion to our Author's odd and affected Title, is a Paffage out of Dr. Sherlock (now Bishop of Bangor) in his Sermon before the Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel, where he tells us, "That the true "Religion of the Gospel is the true original Religion of Reafon and Nature.That the "Doctrine of Repentance, with which the Gofpel fet out in the World, had reference to the Law of Reafon and Nature, againft " which Men had every where offended; and "fince Repentance infers the neceffity of a * future Reformation, and a return to the "Duty and Obedience, from which by Tranf"greffion we are fallen; the confequence is manifeftly this,That the Gospel was a Re' publication of the Law of Nature, and its Precepts declarative of that original Religion, ❝ which was as old as the Creation." A paffage, which, if any ways perverted by our Author, ought, in all justice, to be fet right by

that

that Reverend Prelate, whofe Sense and whofe Diction he has abus'd.

To purfue his Encomium of Natural Religion, he endeavours to prove, by an Induction of Inftances, That the not adhering to fuch Notions, as Reafon dictates, concerning the Nature of God, has been the occafion of all the Superftition in the World, and of thofe innumerable Mischiefs which Mankind, on the account of Religion, have either done to themfelves, or to one another: But, here he advances a Propofition somewhat fingular, viz. That, according to the Conftitution of the Law of Mofes, human Sacrifices, upon fome occafions, were enjoin'd; which he labours to evince from Levit. xxvii. 28. as well as from the Cafe of Jeptha; but with what Success and Perfpicuity, the Reader is left to judge.

To prove the Identity of Natural and Reveal'd Religion, he fets himself farther to shew, that, as they have both the fame Precepts, fo they prescribe the fame Means; for he reckons it utterly inconfiftent with the Good of Mankind, as well as the Honour of God, to fuppose, that things purely pofitive can be made the Ingredients of Religion. But, whether all facramental Adminiftrations, Ordination of Minifters, ecclefiaftical Difcipline, Excommunication, and fuch other Rites and Ceremonies as are in use in the Chriftian Church, deserve the fevere Censure which he throws upon them, is what is again left to the Judgement of his Reader.

To continue the fame Argument, he endeavours, with fome vehemence, to fhew, that, as there cannot be two independent Rules for the Conduct of human Actions; fo thofe, who

magnify

magnify Revelation, in order to weaken the Force of the Religion of Nature, strike at all Religion in general. This he evinces from the conftant Appeals, which the Scripture makes to our Reafon in all Inftances of Duty, and from the numberless Mischiefs which too eafy a Credulity, or Adherence to the Authority of others, is known to bring upon Mankind; and thereupon he concludes, That the Bulk of Mankind muft, by their Reason, be capable of diftinguishing between Religion and Superstition, otherwise, they will never be able to extricate themselves from those Prejudices under which they were educated: For, "fince (as he "argues with Bishop Taylor) there are so many

Copies of the holy Scriptures, with fuch Va"rieties of Reading; fince a various Interpunction, a Parenthefis, a Letter, an Accent, "may much alter the Sense; fince fome places

have divers literal Senfes, many have fpiri"tual, myftical, and allegorical Meanings; "fince there are so many Tropes, Metonymies, "Ironies, Hyperboles, Proprieties and Improprieties of Language, whofe understanding

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depends upon fuch Circumftances, that it is "almost impoffible to know their proper In"terpretation, now that the Knowledge of

fuch Circumstances is loft; fince there are "fome Mysteries which, at the best advantage "of Expreffion, are not eafy to be appre"hended, and whofe Explication, by reafon "of our Imperfections, muft needs be dark, and "fometimes unintelligible; and, laftly, fince "those ordinary means of expounding Scrip"ture, fuch as searching the Originals, confe"rence of Places, parity of Reason, analogy of "Faith, &c. are all dubious and veryfallible."

Thefe