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« of Religion, that are not plainly required "by the Law of Nature." To all which it is replied, That, fince, on the contrary, the Religion of Nature (how fufficient foever it may be fuppofed for the Conduct of our first Parents, in their State of Innocence) was not, even then, in itself abfolutely perfect; and is far from deferving that Character now: fince Mankind are confeffedly fallen from their original Rectitude, and labour under a manifeft Weak. nefs and Depravity; infomuch, that their boasted Knowledge is little more, at first, than the refult of their Education, and all their Lives long, a Principle as capable of Error, as it is of Truth, and as productive of Vice, as it is of Virtue in them: fince human Reason, in its highest point of Improvement, is perfectly unable to fettle a proper Rule of Religion and Morality; for as much as the greatest Philofophers were at a lofs how to devife an acceptable Form of divine Worship, and how to atattain a Reconciliation with God, whenever they had offended him by their Sins, and (confidering the Careleffness and Inattention, as well as the Paffions and Prejudices of moft Men) in no Condition to inftruct the World, either by Argument, or by their own Authority: and, laftly, fince it is true in fact, that the greatest Men in the Heathen World were certainly ig-./ norant of fome of the most fundamental Points, and very doubtful and uncertain in all the reft; were over-run with Wickedness themselves, and too eager Afferters of many vicious and corrupt Principles, which is enough to humble the Pride and arrogant Pretenfions of modern Unbelievers, (and all this our Author proves at large ;) it must needs follow, that natural ReliF4 gion,

gion, or the Light of Reason, was not fufficient for the Conduct of humane Life; and that therefore a more perfect Difcovery of the divine Will was a thing very defirable to Mankind, in their State of Ignorance and Defection. And, fince, again, it is not only agreeable to the State and Condition of Man, but highly confiftent with the Attributes of God, for him to vouchsafe a Revelation to his own Creatures, in order to lighten the Darkness of their Understanding, and reform the Irregularity of their Lives, for which the Chriftian Religion is peculiarly adapted, as containing a compleat Rule of Faith and Manners: fince, in this Religion; there are Doctrines of different kinds, fome that are mysterious, and paft Man's finding out, and others more obvious and difcoverable by the Light of Reason, the more obvious (as they have a natural Tendency to promote all Virtue and Godliness in us) upon their own account deferving our Reception; and the mysterious (as they are no more, than what might be expected in a fupernatural Revelation, and become fuch only by the fublimity of the Subject they treat on; and, when rightly confidered, imply no Abfurdity or Contradiction, but tend plainly to the Credit and Advantage of the whole Difpenfation) upon the Authority of God," and in acknowledgment of his Veracity, requiring our Affent: fince the pofitive Inftitutions of this holy Religion are not only requifite to our Initiation and Confirmation in it, but Pledges likewife of God's Love, and visible Affurances of fpiritual Bleffings to us, no ways liable to any fuperftitious Abufe from thofe, who attend to the Precepts of Scripture concerning them; and in fuch, as devoutly obferve them, capable of exciting all manner of good Affections and Difpo

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Difpofitions: And, laftly, fince the moral Part of this Religion contains many more Laws and Precepts, and these established by more powerful Motives and Sanctions, and enforced by more fublime Reasons and Confiderations, than ever, the World was acquainted with before, (all which our Author proves fully and unexceptionably) it will neceffarily follow, that, fince this Light is come into the World, the condition of Mankind is much bettered, if fo be that they love not Darkness rather than Light, becaufe their Works are evil.

THE 24th, and laft Section, treats of the Date and Efficacy of the Chriftian Difpenfation; and here it is objected, "That if Chriftiani

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ty be of fuch advantage to Mankind, how "came God, who is a God of Mercy and Com"paffion, to fuffer the World to lie in dark"nefs fo long, even to the Term of four "Thousand Years, and not inftantly, fupply "them with a Remedy? Or how comes he, "who has declared himself no Refpecter of "Perfons, to permit, even at this day, the far greater part of Mankind to live deftitute of this Remedy, if it be of fuch fovereign Ufe as is pretended? But that indeed is the "Queftion: For whoever compares the for"mer and prefent Condition of Mankind, "will find no great Alteration for the better, "fince the Time of Tiberius." To which, the Answer is, That fince a particular Revelation to fome more than others, is confonant to God's Proceedings in his Works of Creation and Providence, wherein he has made a vifible Difcrimination of Things; Creatures of different Orders, and Men of different Capacities and Means of Improvement: and fince a Revelation receives every thing that is peculiar in it,

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both as to Perfons and Times, not fo much from the Justice and Goodness, as from the Foreknowledge of God, which chiefly confiders what, in all Ages, will be moft beneficial to all Mankind; .no Imputation of Partiality can fall upon God, though, where this Favour extraordinary is imparted, there, all grateful Acknowledgments are due. And, in like manner, though the Duration of Time be, in God's account, of no avail; yet, fince in all Ages of the World, he has, one way or other, made Discoveries of himself and of the true Religion, both to Jews and Gentiles, and (upon a proper ufe of the Means, which he afforded them) received them all into Covenant, and a state of Salvation: Since, according to the wife appointment of God, it was requifite, that there fhould be a Subordination of Difpenfations, the Gospel be ufher'd in gradually, and not fully appear, till the World was fufficiently prepared for it: And laftly, fince, not long before it appeared, all extraordinary Means of Knowledge were ceafed, and both Jews and Gentiles funk into fo wretched a State of Degeneracy, as call'd loudly for a Reformation; then was there plainly no Cruelty, in God's delaying the Chriftian Revelation fo long, but a great deal of Wifdom and Goodnefs both, in timing it juft as he did. Once again, fince the Christian Religion, at its firft fetting out, by the force and influence of its Doctrine, made a wonderful Reformation in the World, in general; and, while the Zeal of its Profeffors was warm, difcover'd itself abundantly, not only in the common Virtues, but in all the difficult Duties, which were enjoin'd them; and fince, notwithstanding the prefent depra

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vity of the Age, and the wickedness and infidelity of too many nominal Chriftians, (which nevertheless is a Proof of the Truth of our Holy Religion, in that it foretells, that fuch a Defection, in the last Days, fhould come to pass) its good Effects are perceived in the general Order and Regularity, which are seen in most Chriftian Countries, and in the exemplary Piety and Holiness, which are found among many Chriftian Profeffors at this day. This will be enough to justify the Character, which the Apostle gives us of it: The Grace of God, which bringeth Salvation, bath appeared unto all Men, teaching us, that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent World, &c.

THIS, with a warm and pathetick Conclufion, expofing the folly and madness of fome modern Schemes of Infidelity, is the full Purport of the Book; wherein our Author (as we faid) has ftated the feveral Arguments of the Antifcripturists in a full Light; and generally, in their own Terms, has anfwered them with great compafs of Learning, and clearnefs of Argument: and, to enable him to do this, has not only made ufe of his own Sentiments, but of whatever elfe he could compile from other Authors, that treated of the fame Subject. So that the Book is like to prove not only a Monument of the Poison, which has been vended from the Prefs in this profane Age, but a Repofitory likewife of what the ableft Men among us have, at the fame time, done, to defend our common Chriftianity, from the rude Attacks of Infidelity; and, in this fenfe, may be a proper Record to confult, when many fmaller Tracts, that have

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