Our Conscience usually conforms it self to the Idea we have of the Deity we worship, and we never forbid our selves those Actions which we ascribe to the Objects of our Devotion. We may therefore very well imagin how irregular Mens Consciences must needs be, when they had such monstrous Ideas of the Deity, and how little scrupulous they were to commit Adultery and Rebellion, when they conceived Jupiter himself the greatest of the Gods, as an Adulterer and a Rebellious Son.

But Natural Religion is not only become inefficacious, but pernicious also through Mens abuses of it: For they had much better worship nothing at all, than worship the Creatures; and have no Conscience, rather than a Conscience that is Blind and Superftitious, which has occafion'd so many Nations to be guilty of repeating new Crimes, in order to the Expiation of their former, by obliging them to Sacrifice their Children to false Deities.

And this Disorder was general; for 'tis not only Three or Four Persons, or Three or Four Nations that were guilty of this prodigions Irregularity, but we find Paganism spread over the Face of the whole Universe.

Common Sense informs us, that if Means cease to be proper for the end we had designed it, then of these Two things we ought to do the one, either give it quite over, or else reform it by some Alteration to the better. Since therefore Men who were naturally designed to make a right use of their Reason, have put it to a pernicious use, and thereby thwarted the end they were naturally designed for, what could we think else of that Deity (whose Wisdom cannot be deceived,)

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strengthning them against the Irregularity of their Paffions, by a Second Revelation which might reveal greater Objects to us than those of our Paflions, and thereby diminish that Excess which occafions all our Illusions and Errors ?

But without ingaging in any farther Discus fion in this Controversy, you need but recollect all the Reasons which have convinced you of the necessity of Natural Religion, to be also perswaded of the neceffity of its re-establishment; because the same necessity there was for Men to have a Religion, does still remain, though that Religion is become inefficacious by their depravation.

It cannot be denied, but that these Reasons are very probable, for as much as all of them are derived from the nature of things, and bear an exact proportion with the Principles of common Senfe.

Fourthly, But what could we object, if Experience being fuperadded to Reafon, should yet more plainly difcover to us the truth of this grand Principle ? it being most certain that it can never deceive us. For fince we know what Natural Religion is, and since we have seen what Paganism, or the Corruption of this Religion was, we may very easily perceive wherein the re-establishment of it does confist, and not be mistaken in difcerning its true Characters,

It is necessary this Second Revelation superadded to the former, should banish out of Mens Minds, whatever filly and extravagant Ideas they had framed to themselves of the Deity; and instead of modelling their Idea of God by the corrupt Dispositions of their Hearts, teach them M 4

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how to regulate the Dispositions of their Hearts, by the true Idea of a God, whom consequently they must conceive to be Holy, Just and Perfect. It must oblige them to mortify those Defires in 'em by which they are seduced, and repress the Fury of those Passions which occasion their violating the most Sacred Rights; it must prescribe to them Equity and Justice for indifpensable Duties, not only extinguish all kinds of Vitious Passions, but pull them up by the very Roots, by prohibiting Concupifcence it self, and the bare defire after them. Lastly, It was needful it should unite and closely fasten Men both to one another, and to God.

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Doubtless we must have a strange aversion for Truth, if finding a Revelation qualified with all thefe Characters, we should not grant it was defigned to re-eftablish Natural Religion, and that it has the very fame principle with it. I am very well perfwaded, that the Two parts of our Nature, will not agree very well together in this respect, for our Reason with its purest Light, Maxims of Equity and Justice, Natural Knowledge of God, and its most equitable motions of Confcience in oppofition to the efforts of Concupifcence, will induce us to acknowledge this Revelation. But Concupifcence on the contrary seconded by its Paflions, will endeavour to give our Reafon the Lie; so that we are then oblixamine whether we had rather to refer to our Reafon, which never deceives t be seduced by Concupiscence, or cupifcence, which always deceives our it felf; to those Maxims of Equity and which never lead us in any Error whator to Self-interest which makes us every day day take false Steps; to the motions of Conscience, which would prevent us from committing Evil, if we would but give any credit to it, or to our Paffions, which for the most part occasion our daily falling into several Misfortunes even in the common Affairs of Life, &c. Laftly, We are obliged to resolve whether we had rather become Monsters, by submitting the lights of our Reason to our Paffions, or be Men, by submitting our Passions to the light of our Reason. But we shall in the subsequent part of this work, answer the Difficulties of the Deifts.

CHAP. VIII.

Wherein we prove that there is a neceffary and natural distinction betwixt Moral Good and Evil.

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Efore we come to answer the Objections of the Deists, it is necessary we should confute the Opinion of some who obstinately maintain there is no Natural Distinction betwixt Good and Evil, and affirm they are Fictitious Names, which make no further impression upon the Minds of Men, then they are Seconded by the strength of Education and Prejudi

ces.

Were this a certain rule, we must then confess there is no Duty incumbent upon us, and that the most profligate Men ought not to act other