tion at all; whether in the religious and moral parts, they received their doctrines from a divine influence, or from the inftructions and converfation of their master; whether in their facts or fentiments there is always the most exact agreement, or whether in both they sometimes differ from each other ; whether they are in any case mistaken, or always infallible ; or even pretended to be fo, I shall not here difpute: let the Deist avail himself of all thefe doubts and difficulties, and decide them in conformity to his own opinions, I fhall not contend, because they affect not my argument all that I affert is a plain fact, which cannot be denied, that fuch writings do now exist."

ઃઃ

PROPOSITION II.

MY fecond propofition is not quite so

fimple, but I think, not lefs undeniable than the former, and is this: That from this

book may be extracted a fyftem of religion entirely new, both with regard to the object, and the doctrines; not only infinitely fuperior to, but totally unlike every thing which had ever before entered into the mind of man: I fay extracted, becaufe all the doctrines of this religion having been delivered at various times, and on various occafions, and here only hiftorically recorded, no uniform of regular fyftem of theology is here to be found; and better perhaps it had been, if lefs labour had been employed by the learned, to bend and twist these divine materials into the polished forms of human fyftems, to which they never will fubmit, and for which they were never intended by their great author. Why he chofe not to leave any fuch behind him we know not, but it might poffibly be, because he knew, that the imperfection of man was incapable of receiving fuch a fyftem, and that we are more properly, and more fafely conducted by the diftant and scattered rays, than by the too powerful funshine of divine illumination : 'If I have told you earthly things," says he, and ye believe not, how fhall ye believe

C

if I tell you of heavenly things ?" that is, if my inftructions concerning your behaviour in the prefent, as relative to a future life, are so difficult to be understood, that you can scarcely believe me, how shall you believe, if I endeavour to explain to you the nature of celestial beings, the designs of providence, and the mysteries of his dispenfations; fubjects which you have neither ideas to comprehend, nor language to exprefs?

"First then, the object of this religon is entirely new, and is this; to prepare us by a ftate of probation for the kingdom of heaven. This is every where profeffed by Chrift and his apostles to be the chief end of the Chrif tian's life; the crown for which he is to contend, the goal to which he is to run, the harvest which is to pay him for all his labours: Yet, previous to their preaching, no fuch prize was ever hung out to mankind, nor any means prescribed for the attainment of it.

"It is indeed true, that fome of the philo

(i) John iii. 12.

fophers of antiquity entertained notions of a future ftate, but mixed with much doubt and uncertainty their legiflators alfo endeavoured to infufe into the minds of the people a belief of rewards and punishments after death; but by this they only intended to give a fanction to their laws, and to enforce the practice of virtue for the benefit of mankind in the present life; this alone feems to have been their end, and a meritorious end it was: but christianity not only operates more effectually to this end, but has a nobler defign in view, which is, by a proper education here, to render us fit members of a celeftial fociety hereafter. In all former re ligions the good of the prefent life was the first object; in the chriftian it is but the fecond; in those, men were incited to promote that good by the hopes of a future reward; in this, the practice of virtue is injoined in order to qualify them for that reward. There is great difference, I apprehend, in these two plans, that is, in adhering to virtue from its prefent utility, in expectation of future happiness, and living in such a manner as to qualify us for the acceptance

and enjoyment of that happiness; and the conduct and difpofitions of thofe, who act on these different principles, must be no less different on the first, the conftant practice of justice, temperance, and fobriety, will be fufficient; but on the latter, we must add to these an habitual piety, faith, refignation, and contempt of the world: the first may make us very good citizens, but will never produce a tolerable christian. Hence it is that christianity infifts more strongly, than any preceding inftitution, religious or moral, on purity of heart and a benevolent difpofition; because these are abfolutely necessary to ito great end; but in thofe whofe recommendations of virtue, regard the present life only, and whofe promised rewards in another were low and fenfual, no preparatory qualifications were requifite to enable men to practise the one, or to enjoy the other; and therefore we fee this object is peculiar to this religion; and, with it, was entirely new.

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"But although this object, and the principle on which it is founded, were new, and perhaps undiscoverable by reafon, yet when