capacity to discover such motives to enforce the practise of these duties, as will be a balance to all those temptations which the present constitution of things unavoidably subjects him to. And by a sufficiency to guide and conduct a man in matters of religion, I understand such a capacity or power in man, when duly exercised, as is sufficient to answer these purposes without any thing superadded; and which will render him in justice and equity inexcusable if he miscarries." Give me leave to add this one thing, that by mentioning future blessedness in my state of the question, you see I intend to declare my profession of the immortality of the soul, and a state of rewards and punishments to be dispensed in the other world, by God the righteous Governor and the Judge of all, according to our behaviour in the present state. Well, Pithander, do you agree to this account of the terms we shall use in this dispute?

PITH. Yes, I think I do, sir; for I see nothing necessary to be objected against it at present.

LOG. Then, since we have settled the meaning of the question, I will now enter upon the argument, and endeavour to prove the sufficiency of human reason to guide and conduct men to happiness, in a way of religion, though they have no revelation.

PITU. I think, sir, it will be necessary for us still to enquire, and agree yet more particularly, how far this idea of religion reaches, what are the chief articles it comprehends: that is, what are those truths which are necessary to be known and believed, upon which these duties depend; and what are those duties which are necessary to be practised, to obtain the favour of God and happiness in another world?

LOG. I perfectly approve of your proposal, sir; and when we have settled these articles, let us see first, whether reason be not sufficient to guide or instruct us in the knowledge of them all; and afterward we will debate, whether the same reason cannot by them conduct us to heaven; that is, whether reason has not a sufficient natural power by proper motives to enforce the practice of the duties which it teaches us, and bring us thereby to happiness. These are the two things which I mean by guiding and conducting.

PITH. I consent to this method, sir; and since perhaps you and I shall hardly agree at once upon all the articles of this necessary religion, I dare venture to propose that Sophronius may be desired to reckon them up, as an impartial person between us. I hope he will not fail to do justice in this part of the argument.

LOG. Pray, Sophronius, please to take this trouble upon you: It will be no difficult matter for you, who are so well acquainted with these disputes, to tell us at so short a warning, what mere reason makes necessary for man to believe and practise, if ever he would hope to obtain the favour of God.

SOPH. Since you both request it, gentlemen, I comply, and venture to give my thoughts in this matter; and I hope I shall mention only such articles as you will both assent to the necessity of them, and such as I hope also you will both believe to be sufficient, where there is no divine revelation.-Doubtless man must know and believe, in the first place, that there is a God, and that this God is but one; for God is too jealous of his honour and his dignity, and too much concerned in this important point, to lavish out happiness and his heavenly favours on any person who makes other gods to become his rivals, or who exalts a creature, or a mere chimera, into the throne of God. He must believe also, that God is a being of perfect wisdom, power and goodness, and that he is the righteous Governor of the world.-Man must also know, that he himself is a creature of God, furnished with a faculty of understanding to perceive the general difference between good and evil, in the most important instances of it; and endowed with a will, which is a power to chuse or to refuse the evil or the good: That he is obliged to exert these powers or faculties in a right manner, both toward God and toward himself, as well as his neighbour. I do not insist upon it, that he must know those propositions explictly, and in a philosophical manner but he must have some sort of consciousness of his own natural powers, to know and distinguish, to chuse or to refuse good or evil, and must be sensible of his obligations to enquire and practise what is good, and to avoid what is evil.

As for the duties that relate to God, man is obliged to worship him with reverence, to honour him in his heart and life, on the account of his wisdom and power manifested in the world; to fear his majesty, to love him, and hope in his goodness, to give him thanks for what instances of it he partakes of, to seek to him for what blessings he wants, and to carry it toward him in all things as his Maker, his Lord, and his Governor.-He must knoW also, that since God is a righteous Governor, if he does not make good men happy in this world, and the wicked miserable, then there must be another world, wherein he will appoint some happiness for the good, and misery for the wicked; or in general, that he will some time or other distribute rewards and punishments to all persons, according to their behaviour: For this has a very considerable influence unto all holiness of life, and every part of morality, which will hardly be practised without these motives.

As for the duties which relate to other men, every man must know and believe, that as he is placed here amo..gst a multitude of fellow creatures of his own species or kind, he is bound to practise truth or veracity, justice and goodness toward them, according to the several relations in which he may stend, as a father, brother, son, husband, neighbour, subject, master, servant, buyer, selier, &c. And with regard to himself, he must

know that he is bound to exercise sobriety and temperance, and to maintain a due government over his appetites and passions, that they run not into excess and extravagance. And finally, since every man will frequently find himself coming short of his duty to God and man, and betrayed into sin by the strength of his temptations, his appetites and passions, in the various occurrences of life, he must repent of his sins, be sincerely sorry for what he has done amiss, humbly ask forgiveness of God, and endeavour to serve and please him in all things for the time to come, and he must exercise a hope or trust in the mercy of God, that upon repentance and new obedience, God will forgive sinners, and take them again into his favour.

PITH. I grant that these articles seem to be the sum and substance of natural religion, and the most important and necessary parts of it: And I thank you Sophronius, for so particular an enumeration of them: Though if I had a mind to dispute, I would enquire, whether there were not some more particulars necessary to complete true religion; I mean the religion of sinning creatures, in order to obtain the favour of God; and if I should strenuously insist upon these things, Logisto, perhaps you would find it hard to exclude them utterly from such a religion as shall be effectual to salvation.

LOG. And if I had a mind, Pithander, to dispute too, I would say, here are several more articles brought together than I thought of, and our friend Sophronius hath named rather toe many fundamentals for a heathen to believe and practise. But in the main, I confess, I know not well how to reject them with justice; and, to avoid contention, for the present I will submit to this enumeration, and we will argue upon them.

SOPH. Gentlemen, I would fain have this matter well adjusted and agreed between you in the very beginning of your debate, that there may be no altercation about it afterward. If you please therefore, I will very briefly give you my reasons, why I suppose these articles of belief and practice to be sufficient, where there is no revelation, to lead men into the favour of God, and also why I can allow of very little abatement of them; though I am satisfied, many persons, since the world began and even some of the christian faith, have been saved without any formal knowledge of them in a regular scheme of propositions. First then, I can hardly think that a God of holiness and justice will require less than what I have represented, in order to obtain his favour, and future happiness : For those persons must be very unfit inhabitants for heaven, where happiness consists in the knowledge and love of God, who have never learned on earth to know, and love, and honour the only true God, or who do not acknowledge him as Governor of the world, nor hope nor fear any rewards or punishments from his hands, or who bear no true love to their neigh

bour, nor govern themselves by any rules of sobriety, but allow and practise injustice and intemperance, or who never repent of former sins, nor ask God to forgive them. On the other hand, those who know and fear, who love and honour the only true God, and are desirous to know his will, and to obey it as far as they know it, who are sober with regard to their own conduct, and just and merciful with regard to their neighbours, who are sensible they often fail in their duty, and sincerely repent of sin, who implore forgiveness of God, and hope in his mercy; these persons, I say, must certainly be in the main approved of God, notwithstanding their many failings. And I think God is too merciful a being to condemn such persons to everlasting punishment, or finally to reject those who sincerely love and obey him, though in strict justice their many sins and failings may deserve it. Pithander will please to remember also, that God himself has told us by the apostle Peter; Acts x. 35. In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him, though it is not supposed that any man can do it full perfection.

LOG. Well, Pithander, what have you to say against these reasonings? For my part, I think they carry great force with them; and we may both readily give our assent. I will therefore begin my argument, if you please?

PITH. I am very unwilling to oppose what Sophronius has said: But I hope he will not take it ill, if I ask the favour of an answer to one question, before I give my complete assent to it, and before our debate begin.

Sorn. With utmost freedom, Sir, propose any objection, and I will either give a fair answer to the difficulty you propose, or submit to the force of it, and retract my opinion in this matter; for I am always ready to learn and receive instruction from any man, and particularly from gentlemen of your cloth: though I dare subject my understanding and conscience to no master but Christ.

PITH. Then, Sir, since you thus roundly profess yourself a christian, I would take the freedom to enquire, whether in every discovery of grace and mercy which God has made to sinful mankind, he hath not always enjoined some positive institution and duty, over and above the mere duties which the light of nature cr reason could dictate to innocent or sinful man? When he gave our first parents any hope of favour after their sin, did he not enjoin sacrifices, at least as a shadow or token of atonement? Did he not appoint some faith or hope in a Mediator or Saviour, viz. the seed of the woman, that should break the head of the serpent, or destroy the works of the devil? Was not this positive institution of sacrifices continued also to Noah and to Abraham, together with some clearer accounts of a Messiah given to Abraham, and a demand of hope or trust in him? Were not the same positive

institutions and requirements of sacrifice, and trust in a Messiah, a Saviour, given to Moses and the Jews, together with many other rites and ceremonies, in order to their acceptance with God? And when Jesus Christ came into the world, a faith or trust in this Messiah, or trust in the mercy of God through him, was made a necessary qualification of our acceptance with God, besides repentance and new obedience, and an humble desire of forgiveness of past offences. I grant indeed, that the ordinances which were given to Abraham, to the Jews, and to the gentiles to whom the gospel of Christ was preached, were not required of all the world. The special rules given to Abraham obliged the family of Abraham; those given to Moses obliged only the Jews; the particuliar and positive duties of christianity could oblige no families or nations but those to whom they were once made known; but the positive institution of sacrifices, and the hopes of some promised Saviour were appointed to Adam and Noah, and their families, and these appointments therefore belong to all nations of mankind, for they were given to them all in those two general fathers of the world. My query now is, whether or no any nations under heaven, who never heard of Christ, can have any comfortable hopes of acceptance with God if they practise not these positive duties of revelation, viz. sacrifices and trust in some Mediator or Saviour, over and above the natural duties of repentance, asking pardon of God, and new obedience, which the light of nature requires of every sinner ?

SOPH. Your query, Pithander, is of great importance in this controversy; and I am glad you started it, that I may clear the stage for your further dispute, and make your work the easier on both sides. I will not dispute with you about the divine institution of sacrifices after the sin of Adam, for this is very probable, though not expressly revealed And I will readily grant, that in every further discovery of divine mercy to sinful men, there hath been generally something of such positive institutions required, as well as the natural duties of repentance and future obedience, &c. But let us consider these few things, viz. First, That God is a being of infinite goodness and holiness in himself, and delights in it in his creatures, and therefore must delight to exercise some mercy toward those who are holy, who return sincerely to his fear, and love, and holiness, and are so far partakers of his likeness, even though they happen to be ignorant of all positive institutions. Let us consider, in the second place, that the duties of repentance, the fear and love of God, and new obedience, and a humble seeking of pardon at the hands of God, are much more proper and more important qualifications to fit a soul for the favour of his Maker, and for heavenly blessedness, than any positive rites or appointments whatsoever. And let us, in the third place, consider yet further, that God hath made