"the Nature and Reasons of things, or not.' Or in other Words, whether good and bad Actions are fo only by the Will of God, or antecedent to his Command, and by their own Nature: He maintains, that if the Laws of God are not grounded upon the nature of things, he might have commanded Blafphemy and all manner of Vices; this Question having been put in a strong light by the Author of the Answer to the Remarks upon Dr. Clarke's Catechism, in feveral Pamphlets, we need not enlarge upon it at prefent. Our Author next fhews, that the opposite Scheme is inconfiftent with the Satisfaction of Chrift: what he fays upon this Subject may be an Argumentum ad Hominem, against the Author of the Remarks; if moral Good or Evil depend only upon the Will and Pleasure of God, he may as well pardon Sin without punishing either the Sinner or his Pledge; fince in the nature of things, there is no Reason, not only why Sin fhould be punished, but also why an Action fhould be a Sin rather than a Virtue: it seems therefore, there is no occafion for the Satisfaction of Chrift, if that Scheme of Morality be admitted. After this, our Author fays, that if the Law of God depends only upon his Will, we cannot but hate fuch a Law, and we'll observe it only for fear of being punished, which is a fervile Obedience; whereas if we are perfuaded, that God requires nothing of us, but what is founded on the nature of things, and conducive to our Happiness, we fhall love our Duty, and obey chearfully the Commands of our Law-giver, which is a filial Obedience. Several Objections have been made against the Scheme our Author maintains; he folves them in the following part of this Chapter: The moft material Objections are these: If Morality be founded upon the Nature of things, there will be an Obligation without a Law; and God will be obliged as well as Men. These Objections having been made against Dr.Sykes", and our Author's Answers being much the fame with those of that eminent Divine, we think it enough to refer the Reader to the Pamphlets quoted in the Margin. It may be objected alfo, that if the Law of God must be founded upon the Nature of things, there can be no pofitive Laws, thefe depending only upon the Will of God. To this our Author anfwers, That indeed there cannot be a pofitive Law univerfal and obligatory for all Men; but there can be a pofitive Law obligatory for certain Perfons or Nations, because it is founded upon the particular Circumstances these Perfons or Nations are in. This the Author fhews by feveral Inftances of pofitive Commands given to Adam in Paradife, to the Patriarchs, and to the Jews: but how this is confiftent with the two pofitive Commands of the Christian Religion, I cannot fee; however, I don't doubt, but our ingenious and learned Author could easily find out fome way or another to reconcile thofe Commands with his Affertion, that no pofitive Law can be univerfal. IN the twelfth Chapter, he treats of the Ceremonial Law. A Ceremony, fays he, is a Sign or Token which calls fomething to our Memory: See the Nature, Oblig. &c. of Sacram.p.16. &c. and Supplem. to that Treatife, p. 6, c. Defence of the Anfwer to the Remarks, and the True Foundation of Natural and Revealed Religion afferted. All VOL. IV. : All Ceremonies must not then be condemned for they may be very ufeful, if they make u think of fome thing effential and neceffary; but they muft not be allowed, if they are infignificant, or if they fignify fomething that is fuperftitious of this fort, according to our Author, were the Ceremonies of Egypt; therefore, fays he, I cannot think, that God would have prefcrib'd them to the Jews, tho' it be the Opinion of fome learned Men, that all the Mofaick Rites were originally derived from the Egyptians. In the remaining part of this Chapter, the Author fhews what is the use of Ceremonies in Religion: he fays, that in them does not confift the Worship of God; they are useful only fo far as they call to our Mind the Ideas we must have of him, and the Duties we are to perform. Finally, as Ceremonies are not by themselves acceptable to God, but only with regard to the end for which they are established and obferved, they may be altered, or entirely omitted, when the Circumftances of particular Churches require it. This is what common Senfe teaches, and what I could wifh, fome of our over-zealous High-Church-Men would conconfider seriously. THE 13th Chapter treats of Converfion. Here two Extreams must be avoided; first, it muft not be fuppofed, that the converting Grace is abfolutely irrefiftible; fecondly, we ought not to maintain, that Man contributes the least thing towards his Converfion: Converfion, fays the Author, is entirely miraculous; for whatever happens in the Soul, and is out of the reach of its Power, nor can be effected by any natural Caufe, is properly a Miracle: or if this seems too ftrange, we may diftinguish between the Reign of Nature, and that of Grace; Regnum Natura & Gratie. Converfion will be a Miracle with regard to the firft, because out of the ordinary courfe of Nature; but not fo with regard to the fecond, because it is according to the Laws established by God for that purpose: and whatever Converfion is not wrought accor ding to thofe Laws, may be stil'd a Miracle in the Reign of Grace; fuch was the Converfion of St. Paul. The Author afterwards fhewsin a few words, that the converting Grace can be resisted. THE fourteenth and laft Chapter of this Volume is intitled, De Vita & Morte, of Life and Death. The Author having ftated the common Distinction of Life and Death into natural, Spiritual and eternal, makes a new Diftinction of Life and Death, as they relate either to the Body, or to the Soul, or to the Suppofitum or Perfon. The Life of the Body, fays he, con fifts in the Circulation of the Blood, or in general, in fuch a condition, in which all the Parts perform their Functions. The Life of the Soul is nothing else, but the Power it has to think and to defire, vis cogitandi & appetendis which being effential to the very Being of the Soul, it cannot die as long as it exifts. The Life of the Suppofitum or Perfon confists in the Harmony or Correfpondence there is between the Motions of the organized Body, and the Thoughts, or Ideas and Defires of the Soul: wherever there is fuch an Harmony, the whole Man is alive; where it ceafes, Man dies. After fome other Diftinctions, on which we think it needless to enlarge, the Author inquires whe ther Man's natural Functions and Appetites fhall be exercised in the next World: that fome will be difufed, cannot be doubted, fays he ; but R 2 with with regard to others, as for inftance, the Love for one's Children, Friends and Relations, it may be difputed: The Author thinks that we'll remember them, but whether we fhall know them or not, he does not determine. As to our Love towards them, it will be fanctify'd and improved in fuch a manner, that we shall love them only for the fake of God's Glory; but what will ftrike the Reader with Horror, the Author fays, that the glorified Saints, far from lamenting the miferable Condition of their damned Friends and Relations, fhall rather rejoice at their Torments; because the Glory of God is manifefted by their Damnation : Alterius Vita, Sancti gaudebunt potius de propinquis reprobis, fays he, quam contriftabuntur, Gloria Dei per pænam manifeftatâ, de pœnis lætandi motiva fentient. How this horrid and cruel Opinion is confiftent, not only with the divine Mercy,but also with that Charity or Love, which, according to St. Paul, never faileth, but abideth for ever, I own I cannot comprehend: We shall have an opportunity in another Journal to explain our Thoughts upon that Subject. The Author next explains what he calls the Spiritual Life; which is, according to him," a Restoration made by the Holy Ghost "of the Harmony between the Actions of the "Body, and thofe of the Soul, in the pursuit "of all Chriftian Virtues;" or else, "a determinating of the Power of acting of "the Body and Soul, to perform what is acceptable to God and to our Saviour." This is further illuftrated by several Inftances, of what the Author thinks fit to call the fpiritual 66 |