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enquiries, and to facilitate that work; to prefent to their view that rule of action, which the reason of things requires they should govern their behaviour by; to awaken in men a juft fenfe of the trust that is repofed in them, and the obligations they are under both to God and to each other; to call those who live viciously, to repentance and reformation of their evil ways; and to represent to them the certain confequences of a good and a bad life, with regard to divine favour or displeasure; these and the like, are the gracious purposes which a divine revelation is intended to ferve; and these are the manifeft designs of the chriftian revelation. And when, fuch a divine revelation is given, it is a very great favour and advantage to thofe who enjoy it; But what has this to do with thofe who have it not? Are they to be confidered as accountable creatures, and yet deftitute of ability fufficient to render them pleafing to their maker? No, furely. The very fuppofition is monftrous, and carries with it a most horrid reflection upon the moral chaLacter of Almighty God.

Thirdly, When I fay reafon is a fufficient guide in matters of religion, I mean reason called into ufe and exercife, and not reafon neglected or fet afide in that refpect. Reafon, when it is rightly ufed, and duly ap

plied, and when men direct and govern their affections and actions according to it, must needs be a fufficient guide in matters of religion, as I have fhewn above. But, if a man does not carefully and duly exercife and apply his reafoning faculty to the fubject of religion, but on the contrary neglects it, or fets it afide, and takes upon him to follow other guides, viz. the tradition of his fathers, the custom of the age and country in which he lives, and the like; then, and in that cafe, I am so far from affirming that reafon is practically a fufficient guide in matters of religion, that on the contrary, I allow, that in fact, it may not be any guide at all. And, fuppofing this to be the cafe, with much the greater part, or even all our fpecies, what is it to the purpofe? Is reafon the less a guide, or is it lefs fufficient to answer the purpose of a guide to mankind; because much the greater part, or even all our fpecies does not, or will not make use of it, to answer that end? No, furely. A means, tho' never fo well adapted to attain its end, is yet not proximately and practically fufficient to obtain that end, except it be properly and carefully ufed to answer that purpose. Suppofe, for inftance, that the christian revelation, when carefully attended to and followed, be excellently a

dapted

dapted to guide men to happiness: yet, it is not in fact fufficient for this purpose, except men attend to it, and make it a rule of action to themfelves. And

Therefore, the diftinction * which has been of late invented to perplex the cafe, viz. that reafon is not proximately and practically a fufficient guide in matters of religion, to much the greater part of mankind; and the author's argument founded on this diftinction, which he is pleased to call an argument drawn from fact; and his reafoning upon the point, which he calls reafoning from fact; all this, is egregiously idle and trifling: becaufe, it only ferves to prove a point, which was never difputed; and because, it leaves the question or point in debate, juft as it found it. It is true, that reafon has not in fact guided all our fpecies to God's favour; and therefore, it has not been proximately and practically fufficient for that purpofe, to those who have not carefully ufed and followed it. But then, tho' this is true, yet it is befide the question; because, notwithstanding this, reafon may be practically fufficient, to those who carefully ufe and follow it, as aforefaid; which is the point contended for.

See a book entitled,, the ftrength and weakness of human reafon.

And,

And, as this author urges the neceflity of a divine revelation, from reafon's not being practically a fufficient guide in matters of religion, to the greatest part of those who are endowed with a reafoning faculty: fo, his own argument, as much fhews the neceffity of fome farther revelation to be given, which may be practically fufficient for this purpose, to thofe Chriftians, to whom the chriftian revelation has not been practically fo, and which is much the greater part of them.

To this I may add, that the author I here refer to, takes care to give up the point, which he feems to contend against; viz. the fufficiency of reafon. For, after he had racked his invention, to find out difficulties wherewith to perplex and distress the cafe, and after he had given a moft fad account of the Chinese, (taken from Jefuits and Popish Miffionaries, men of all others the leaft to be trufted,) he then obferves, that those Chinese, can do much better than they do; and their not doing this, renders them greatly criminal, and juftly condemnable in the fight of God. And from hence I argue, that if thofe Chinese, are greatly criminal, and juftly condemnable in the fight of God, for their not doing what they can do; then, if they did do what they can do, they would by pari

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ty of reafon, be greatly approvable, and justly rewardable in the fight of their maker. And confequently, reafon would be, even to a Chinese in his prefent circumstances, if he were not wanting to himself, a fufficient guide in matters of religion. And thus, this author becomes his own anfwerer.

God has been pleased to place in, and to make it a part of the human conftitution a reasoning faculty, to guide and direct our judgments, our affections, and actions, as well with refpect to our future intereft in another world, as to our present intereft in this. And this faculty, when carefully used and followed, is, as it must needs be, to every individual of our fpecies, under all circumftances, who are answerable to God for their actions, a fufficient guide in matters of religion. I fay, this muft needs be the cafe; because, this faculty was placed in us by our wife and kind Creator to answer this very purpofe; and because, much the greater part of our fpecies, have no other fafe guide but this to be directed by; and because, if this were not the cafe, then those who have no other guide, would be very unfairly and unequally dealt with; which is a supposition that is not to be admitted. Every accountable creature, ought in reason, to be

furnished

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