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might dispense his extraordinary Favours as he faw fit, and confequently, eminently diftinguish one Nation, and pafs by others without the leaft Injustice; and that to cenfure fuch a proceeding in the Proprietor and Sovereign Difpofer of all Things, was arrogant and prefumptuous. And from hence we learn, to what questions the words of the Text may be properly and justly applied, viz. to fuch as thefe;-Why God vouchfafes a Revelation of his Will to fome Nations,and not to others?-Why, for example, he has not made the Chriftian Revelation univerfal? Why does he permit moral and natural Evil? Why has he not made all intelligent Creatures of the highest Order, and communicated to all equal Degrees of Perfection and Happiness? Nothing of this can be fhewn to be contrary to Justice, because they are all Favours which his Creatures have no right to claim. And therefore in these, and all other Cafes of a like nature, where Justice is not concern'd, which have no Appearance of Malice or Cruelty, but are Confiderations of Wisdom only; 'tis very pertinent and rational to fay to an Objector, Nay, but O Man, who art thou, that repliest against God?

FROM what has been faid, the Author draws the two following Inferences. 1ft, How neceffary 'tis that we confider the Ufes to which Paffages of Scripture are applied, and don't argue generally from what is only adapted to a particular Cafe. "This is, fays Mr. Fofter, one Reason why Texts have been fo abominably perverted, and ftrained to fuch abfurd and unnatural Senfes, as are not only contrary to their true Defign, and the general Scope and Tenor of the Revelation, but

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ftrike at the Foundation of all Religion." adly, Let us cultivate in our Minds the highest Reverence of God, efpecially the most honourable Apprehenfions of his moral Character; and being perfuaded that all his Counfels are the Refult of infinite Wisdom, and that his Will is ever determin'd by the bigbeft Reafon, let us humbly acquiefce in all the Methods of his Providence.

THE Subject of the fixth Sermon is the Abufes of Freethinking, on Galat. v. 13. For, Brethren, ye bave been called unto Liberty, only ufe not Liberty for an occafion to the Flesh. The Author begins with obferving, that there is not a more valuable Bleffing in human Life, than Liberty. Civil Liberty is the Bafis of all focial Happiness, and Liberty of Confcience the only Foundation of a rational Religion. When this latter is reftrain'd, we are treated rather like Brute's than Men; i. e. Creatures indued with moral Powers, and accountable for their Actions. But because the World is apt to run into Extremes, St. Paul in the Text advifes the Galatians, not to mistake Licentioufnefs for Chriftian Liberty. Mr. Fofter confiders the Subject in a different Light, fuited to the Complexion and Genius of the prefent Age; and enquires into fome of the chief Abufes of Freethinking; by which it happens, that what is really the peculiar Honour, and greatest Advantage of our intelligent Nature, becomes a Reproach to it, and is attended with moft injurious Confequences.

And first, embracing the Principle of Liberty has ended, with many, in Infidelity, or a difbelief of all Religion. 'Tis moft evident, that Infidelity never more abounded than in this Age

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* of free Inquiry. Whence can this arife? Certainly, not from a thorough and impartial Examination, from a superior Underfanding, or more adequate and enlarged Views of Things; but oftentimes from Ignorance, fuperficial Enquiry, and even from that Prejudice and implicit Faith, which the Monopolizers of Reason and Freethinking fo loudly difclaim. But here the Author would not be thought, by any thing he is advancing upon that fubject, to difcourage the moft rational and free Examination of all religious Principles, be they ever fo facred and ve nerable, and tranfmitted down with ever fo much Awe and Solemnity by our Fore-fathers; nor would he be thought to affert, that any Man is oblig'd to receive a Revelation, which, upon mature Deliberation, appears to be unworthy of God, and repugnant to the Reafon and Nature of Things. For his only Defign is to point out fome falfe Principles, which are all an Abufe of the true Principle of Liberty, and by which 'tis highly probable many of the profelled Admirers, and zealous Espousers of it, have been led to a difregard both of reveal'd and natural Religion.

IT frequently happens, that Men finding in time, that fome Doctrines, which before they look'd upon as very important,nay effential Parts of Christianity, are abfurd and irrational; they prefently conclude that Chriftianity itself must be falfe, becaufe fuch Doctrines, which are erroneously reckon'd as parts of it, cannot be true. Thus, for inftance, a Man is convinc'd that God can't be an arbitrary Being, who has no regard to the moral Fitness of things; or an ill-natur'd Being, who, purely for the Oftentation of his uncontroulable Power and Sovereignty,

reignty, has abfolutely determin'd the final Mifery of great numbers of his reasonable Creatures. But these pass, among many, for important Principles of the Chriftian Religion, and therefore, Chriftianity is an Impofture.

But why, fays Mr. Fofter, may not Chriftians mifreprefent the Doctrines of the Religion which they profess? Or is it reasonable that any Religion fhould be condemn'd, before 'tis examin'd, merely from Hearfay? Is this Freedom of Thought, and rational Enquiry? Far from it? 'Tis rank Prejudice under the cover of that amiable Name; and a Prejudice, which if it was fuffer'd to prevail in all cafes, would render it impoffible for Men to diftinguish between true and falfe Religions. For there's nothing fo extravagant but may be charg'd upon the best and most unexceptionable Scheme in the World, as eafily as upon the worft. Befides, fuch a Conduct as this, I mean, concluding that becaufe one thing is falfe, another which has no relation or connection with it, is fo likewife; argues a very fhallow Judgment, and a greatConfufion of Thought.

THE fame may be faid in refpect of fome, who think, that because they have a Right to reject all pretended Principles of Religion, which are contrary to Reafon, they may likewife throw off the belief of every thing that they can't fully account for. They imagine themselves, for example, no more oblig'd to believe a Providence, because the vifible Courfe of Things is perplex'd and intricate, full of apparent Disorder and feeming Injustice; than they are to receive fuch Doctrines as affert that God is a rigorous, fevere, and inexorable Sovereign, that delights in the Mifery of his Creatures, &c. This is another too common Abufe of Liberty, leading

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to a Disbelief even of the firft Principles of natural Religion; an Abuse that argues great Narrowness of Mind, and what Perfons of any Compass and Freedom of Thought can't be guilty of. A free Enquiry neceffarily fuppofes, as the Foundation of it, a modest Temper of Mind, confcious of its own Weakness and Imperfection, which always restrains from paffing a Judgment, or determining concerning the Truth or Falfhood of Things, about which, we have no Ideas, and which are beyond the Reach of our prefent Faculties.

AGAIN, some seem to mistake Liberty for a Right to difpute every Thing, and cavil at all religious Principles, which are, commonly receiv'd. The great Delight of these People, who are often to be met with, is to puzzle a Controversy, and start Objections against some Point or other of reveal'd Religion; not from à Defire of having them confider'd or folv'd, but from Vanity, a Spirit of Contradiction, or an odd Affectation of Free-thinking. Be their private Sentiments concerning Chriftianity what they will, they can't take it amifs if they are rank'd on the fide of Infidelity, because they are always talking against Religion, but never defending it. Befides, fuppofing they have, at firft, no Defign to hurt Christianity by their cavilling at it; yet their Thoughts being continually turn'd against it, they come at laft to think that their Objections have fome weight, and by degrees to imagine that they are more and more important; and in the End, that they are of fufficient Strength to overthrow the Chriftian Religion, and prove it anImpofture: And thus, what was at firft only Vanity, Diverfion, or Contradiction, may by degrees be confirmed and fettled Infidelity.

Befides,

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