of faultlefs, inoffending nothing, infinite Myriads of Men, into a Condition from which unthinking they fhould unavoidably drop into eternal and unutterable Sorrows, be confiftent with Goodnefs; Contradictions may be true, and all rational Deductions but a Dream. It therefore feems neceffary to conclude, from the Benignity of the Divine Nature, that he would give, to all those whom his juft Severity had brought under the difadvantageous Effects of their Progenitors difobedience, a poffibility at leaft, of avoiding the more miferable Confequences, and of bettering their Condition.

Let us then next enquire, whether there hath not been, and may not be fome, out of the Pale of the Church and found of the Gospel, whofe Behaviour might in Reafon and Charity, incliné us to think them fit Objects for the divine Compaffion. And this fcarce needs proof among wife and difpaffionate Men; it fhall therefore fuffice to mention an Inftance or two, out of the great variety which ancient and modern accounts afford us.

If one was to enter into the Character of Socrates, it would be eafy to fet it in a very advanta geous Light. The usefulness of his Studies and labours in improving and recommending Morality, the inoffenfivenefs of his Behaviour, the admirable Simplicity and Patience which he every where manifefted, the occafion of his Death, and his meek Submiffion and magnanimous Carriage in undergoing it, would juftify very fhining Encomiums. And it is plain he acted upon worthy Principles; for it is impoffible that the human Mind fhould have had more juft and exalted thoughts than thofe of his preferv'd by Plato. I have good hope (faith he in one of his laft Conferences) that those who have ended this Life are not wholly extinct, and that it is far better with the Good than the Vicious. To pafs over many noble Sentiments which he uttered,

as

6

as he drew towards the harfh, or rather Glorious Catastrophe of an illuftrious Life; what an happy Confcioufnefs in his own Integrity, becoming diffidence in his performances, and truft in the divine Goodness, is there in what he faith to Crito? Whe

ther God will be pleafed to approve of my actions I know not, but I have this good affurance that I have not been wanting in my Endeavours, and I have not lefs good hopes, that he will favourably accept of them. The parts which he, and fome others, acted were indeed fo very fhining, that fome of the Antient * Fathers have not fcrupled to esteem and call them Chriftians; and a † Modern, of equally great Learning and good Nature, hath given them a kind of Canonization. Ariftides alfo, Phocion, Epictetus, and fome other great names, might defervedly be mentioned to their honour; Men who amidst palpable ignorance, and most flagrant iniquity, were able and dared to exert the moft Heroic and Confpicuous Virtues; but they must be altogether ftrangers in Hiftory who are unacquainted with their merit and juft Elogium.

But if these and fome others of the Heroes of Gentile Antiquity, fhould be thought to have been over exquifitely Painted; a Man can fcarce imagine that any fhould have the leaft Temptation to flatter the Character of the poor modern Heathen. And yet many, especially fuch as have travelled and converfed with them, in thofe Parts where they are not exafperated by the Extravagancies, nor corrupted by the Commerce of our Europeans, confirm

لال

* Χρισῷ δὲ τι καὶ ὑπὸ Σωκράτους γνωσθέντι, 7uft. Mart. Apol. 24. οἱ μετὰ λόγες βιώσαντες, Χριστιανοί εἰσι, κἂν ἄθεοι ονομίθησαν οίον εν Έλλησι μὲν Σωκράτης καὶ Ηράκλειτος, και οἱ ὅμοιοι αὐτοῖς. Idem Apol. 14.

+ Quum hujufmodi quedam lego de talibus viris, vix mihi tempero, quin dicam, Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis. Erafm. Conviv. Relig.

Dd 2

what

what the Bishop of Chiapa faith of fome of them; "The Natives of the weft Indies are endowed with the most innocent Simplicity, being Strangers to Diffimula

tion, Artifice and Fraud; they serve fuch as are "naturally their Superiors with an unbyaffed fidelity, 6 and are humble, patient and submissive towards their Conquerors, the Spaniards; they live peaceably, and

abhor Strife and Contention, and are even ignorant of "Malice and Revenge, &c. And a little after he adds, "they have a Genius fl:arp and full of Vivacity, very fufceptible of Learning and all the impreffions of found "doctrine, and very readily embrace the Catholic Re"ligion; nor are they indeed averse to any part of Morality, but have perhaps better difpofitions for it "than most of the rest of the World; because they live free from the hurry and care of business. When they had once received fome Ideas of our Religion,

they were fo inflamed with a defire to be Partakers of "the Sacraments, and fervice of the Church, and to "have fuller knowledge of it, that their inftructors had need of extraordinary Patience, to moderate their impetuofity, and to answer the numerous Questions which they propounded. Certainly thefe Nations would be the most happy in the World if they had but the knowledge of the true God. And thofe Spaniards, who treated them so very inhumanly are obliged to acknow ledge the natural Goodness of their Tempers, and hap"py difpofitions for all kind of Virtues.

ર

Befides, thefe and numberlefs, others, we see from an Inftance in Scripture, that a Gentile could be devout and fear God, could be conftant in Prayer, and 2. 3. 4 abundant in good Works; and that this was accepted

Acts. 10.

before God. And if others in the Heathen World have Grace fufficient to do the like, or fincerely do the best they can, (as from the accounts we have of them, we muft Reasonably and Charitably judge they do) who can doubt, but the common Father of Men looks upon them with the fame

Gracious

Gracious eye? And tho' the unfearchable Wisdom of his Providence thinks not good to carry the Gospel into the Countries where they are interfperfed, yet furely a memorial of them will be preferved before him, and when he thall come to take an account of his Servants, inasmuch as they did not bury, but improve the one Talent which they received, he thall admit them into their Mafter's Joy, with well done ye, &c.

If the adorable Goodness of God, and the innocent Simplicity, and laudable Efforts of many in the Heathen World, incline us to favourable thoughts of them; let us fee what Countenance the Sacred writings give us herein.

Rom. 2.

11.

1. There feems to be room for arguing from the many Declarations of the Justice and ftrict E- Ezek. 18. quity of God; it fcarce appearing to Human Ap- 25.29.&è prehenfion, if the fincere moral Heathen, (fuch, as probably the great Patriarch pleaded for) fhould perish with the wicked, that the Judge of all the Gen, 18. Earth would do right. For where wilfull ignorance, 25. or the rejecting of Revealed Religion on fecular views, is not chargeable, what is it that the moft juft God can Condemn, or Punish? Not believing or obeying the Gofpel it cannot be; for he can require no more of any than he gave them means of attaining to, and can punish only the having acted beneath the Abilities Men were poffeffed of: but it is impoffible for any to believe what they Rom. 10 never heard, or pradife what they have no Notion 14. of. If Men have done their utmoft towards improving their natural faculties, and acted fuitably to the deductions made according to the clearest Light of unaffifted Reafon, fhall he, whofe ways are moft equal, pafs by the due ufe of what he gave unrewarded, because he gave no more? Surely nothing is naturally Good or Evil, odious or acceptable to God, if Patience in afflictions, Meek.

nefs

34.

nefs in bearing Affronts and Injuries, univerfal Juftice and Charity are not approved of by him when confpicuous in an Heathen; for in all reafon, the having had lefs happy means for attaining to those Excellencies, fhould render them more amiable, and (to abuse a term,) meritorious than in a Chriftian. But yet fo low, imperfect, and debafed with fo many Alloys are the greateft of Human attainments, that however the Almighty be fuppofed to deal with the Heathen, we dare not, or at least are unwilling to pronounce it inconfiftent with Equity, incompatible with Juftice.

2. But the fuppofition we would willingly make, is certainly moft agreeable to that impartial Goodnefs and Philanthropy of God, which the Sacred writers fo much celebrate; in them we find, that Acts. 10. he who is Lord over all is no respecter of Perfons, but is loving unto every Man, and rich unto all that Pfal. 145 call upon him; that he is not that he is not willing that willing that any fould perish, Rom. 10. but that all Men fhould come to repentance and be faved. Which expreffions must be curbed with extraordi2. Pet. 3.nary Limitations, if they are at moft, only applicable to the vifible Church. And however fome Men ftudy Gloffes and Evafions, it is not eafy, clearly to reconcile, what the Apoftle faith of God, with their rigid Determinations; who is the Savi1. Tim. 4.our of all Men, especially of those that believe.

12.

9.

r. Tim. 2.

4.

10.

1.Tim. 2.

6.

For

how is he the Saviour of all Men, if he hath left the greater part without Poffibility of attaining Salvation? and how is he more especially the Saviour of fuch as believe, if he be in no degree fo to others?

3. All the Texts declaring the Extenfiveness of the Redemption by Chrift, if taken in their strict. eft and most obvious Sente, favour fuch a fuppofi1. Joh. 4. tion: as when he is faid to have given himself a Ransom for all, to be the Saviour of the World, to have died for all, to have tafted Death for every Man,

14.

15.

Heb. 2. 9.

to