V. This reasonable truth is yet further manifest, from the weighty words of our Lord Jesus Christ: "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest bis deeds should be reproved." John iii. 20. To which I would add as before, that of the apostle, "Whatsoever is reproved is made manifest by the light." Eph. v. 13. Certainly then, unless men will be so unjust to God, as to think, contrary to scripture and reason, that he should let millions of men, and scores of generations live in sin, without a light to show it them, or a law to limit them, it must be yielded, that they had light and law in their hearts and consciences, by which they were convicted of sin, and that such as obeyed it, were helped and led to work righteousness; since their refusing to bring their deeds to the light, was not an act of ignorance, but design; because they knew their deeds would be condemned, and they for them, which loudly asserts, that they both had a light, and knew they had it, though they rebelled against it. And if I should grant that whatever was reprovable was not made manifest to them, yet this will no ways impeach the capacity of the light to do it. It is evident, that some things which the Gentiles did were reproved, therefore they had the light. And if they had it not in all the extent of its revelation, the light was no more to be blamed, than that guide was, whose passengers never came to their journey's end, because they never would begin, at least proceed by his direction. Had the heathens been faithful to the light that God had given them, and not been blinded by the vain idolatries and superstitious traditions of their fathers, they had more fully known and learned the mind and will of their Creator; which some of those Gentiles notwithstanding did, as will anon appear.

VI. Thus the apostle Paul teaches us to believe, in that remarkable passage of his in the first chapter to the Romans : "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and God-head, so that they are without excuse; because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. And even as they did not like to retain God in their

knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient."

These notable lines of that great apostle, give an apparent overthrow to all objections against either the universality or sufficiency of the Light within: which will further appear, if the reader be but pleased to observe these few particulars. 1. That in the gospel of Christ is the righteousness of God revealed, and that from faith to faith. 2. That this faith the just have ever lived by; for he quotes a time past, as it is written"-which writing was about seven hundred years before he wrote that epistle. 3. That many had degenerated from the righteousness of God, to wit, the Gentiles, into ungodliness, against which the wrath of God was revealed from heaven.

That they, however, once knew the truth. 5. That they came to the knowledge of this truth from the manifestation of God (who is Light) within, since the apostle says, what might be known of God was manifested in them, because God had showed it unto them." 6. That the cause of their after darkness, was their rebelling against that manifestation or light, not glorifying the God that showed it to them, when they both saw it, and knew it was he that showed them: consequently, that God had given them light sufficient, both to know and obey him. And since they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, the deficiency was theirs, and not the Light's. 7. If therefore their foolish hearts were darkened, that is, by disobedience, it follows, that darkness came by sin into their hearts; and that they had light in their hearts, or a light within, to know their duty and square their lives by. 8. Lastly, if the wrath was therefore revealed, because they held the truth in unrighteousness; and when they knew God by the manifestation of light within, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened; then certainly, had they kept to that enlightening principle, we call Truth, and the manifestation of God within, and so preserved their faith in God, as he had revealed himself to them, glorifying him as God, and delighting to retain him in their knowledge, not wrath, but mercy and peace had been revealed from heaven; as saith the same apostle in his following chapter, "to them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life." Chap. xxvii.

In short, this we may safely conclude, that the righteousness revealed in the gospel of Christ, (of which Paul was not ashamed,) from faith to faith, by which faith, he testifies, the just ancients lived, or were accepted, is one in nature, though not in degree, with that truth the Gentiles apostatized from, and therefore are said to have lived without faith, righteousness, or God in the world; for which the wrath was revealed.

Whereas, had they lived up to it, glorifying God as God, according to the manifestation of himself in their hearts and consciences, they would have had, not the revelation of wrath, but of the righteousness of faith, by which the just in all ages have lived acceptably with God. For without faith no man can please God, in any age; as without holiness, that flows from true faith, no man shall ever see the Lord.

VII. And lastly, I do earnestly entreat the unprejudiced reader, to observe these two notable passages, which, with my consideration of them, shall conclude the scripture proofs I have urged for the universality of the Light, and Spirit of God, antecedent to Christ's appearance in the flesh. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts x. 34, 35. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified: for when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts; their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." Rom. ii. 13, 14, 15, 16.

These scriptures are a severe check to all undervaluing apprehensions of the blessed light of God in man, and this appears in several particulars.

1. That God is no respecter of persons in any nation. From whence I conclude, that all persons and nations were and are lighted, as well Gentiles as Jews.

2. That here are men, not of the circumcision made with hands, who fear God, work righteousness, and are doers of the law, not from the obligation of an outward law, for they had none, but the inward work of the law written upon their hearts ; which is a demonstration, that they had not only the Light as a Reprover, but as a Teacher and Leader, whereby they came to fear God, and work righteousness: which is elsewhere said to be the conclusion of the matter, and whole duty of man. Eccles. xii. 13, 14. Since, then, no man that fears God and works righteousness, and keeps the pure law of God in the heart, which the scriptures testify some Gentiles did, can be said to do so, and yet be void of the true Light, that objection of the heathens' ignorance of the true God, and that none by the Light within was ever reproved for not believing Jesus to be Christ, vanisheth of course. For such as lived up most sincerely to the Light in their own consciences, acknowledged, most readily, that glorious appearance of Light when in the flesh.

They were the great pretenders to scriptures that would not come to Christ: the traditional, literal, and ordinance men, who also rejected and crucified him. On the other hand, had not Cornelius and the Centurion, with many others, been upright livers to the Light within, neither had Peter been so received by the one, nor Christ so followed by the other. But that measure of the Divine Light, which they had hitherto obeyed, as the "more sure word of prophecy," led them naturally to the rising of the day star," which, though a more glorious manifestation, yet not of another light, life, or spirit, for there are not two lights, lifes, natures, or spirits in God. He is one for ever in himself, and his light one in kind, however variously he may have declared himself, or manifested it at sundry times of the world. His truth is one, his way is one, and his rest one for ever.

But last of all, that which greatly rejoices good men is this, that the narrowness of some men's spirits in this world, will not be found able to exclude virtuous Gentiles from their reward in the other. But maugre all the heat, petulancy, conceitedness, and fleshly boasting of carnal christians, such as fear God, and work righteousness, and are doers of the law written in the heart," we are assured, shall be accepted and justified of God, in the day that he will judge the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ, according to Paul's gospel. And if any man bring another, let it be accursed. Amen.

I have here, on purpose, overlooked many very pregnant instances, both in the Old and New Testament writings, for brevity's sake, in which the righteousness of the Gentiles hath, in several cases, more evidently appeared, than that of some of the Jews, and which undeniably testifies to the sufficiency of the Light within, both to manifest that which was good, from that which was evil, and also to give ability to such as truly minded its illumination, whereby they were enabled to do the one, and to reject the other. Such were Abimelech, Cyrus, Darius, the ruler that came to Christ, and many others, which I shall omit to mention more particularly; the chief bent of my mind being to demonstrate the truth of my assertion from their own writings.*

* Gen. xx. 4, and 21, 22.—2 Chron. xxxvi. 23.—Ezra i. 2, 3, 4, 5. and vi. 3, 12. Dan.-vi. 26, 27.-Mat. ix. 18.

CHAPTER VII.

That the Gentiles believed in one God. That he enlightened all men with a saving light. That men ought to live piously.— That the soul is immortal. That there is an eternal recompense. The whole called Gentile divinity. The first point proved by sixteen testimonies.

Having proved briefly, though I hope fully and truly, from the scriptures, that the Gentiles in general were lighted with a Divine light, I shall now make it my business to evidence the truth thereof, by most undeniable instances, out of their own writings. And because I am willing my defence both of the light within, and those of them who obeyed it, should turn to the clearest and best account, I will endeavour to resolve the whole into as plain a method, as the matter, and their way of delivering it will allow me.

First, then, from their own authorities I am taught to affirm, that the Gentiles believe in One Holy, Infinite, and Eternal God. Secondly, that they did therefore so believe, because God had imprinted the knowledge of himself on their hearts; or, in our language, that he had lighted all mankind with a Divine Light whieh if obeyed, would lead to eternal happiness.

Thirdly, that they held and practised high sanctity of life. Fourthly, that they affirmed the immortality of the soul, and eternal rewards of felicity, or misery, according to man's obedience to, or rebellion against the Eternal God bis Creator.— Which excellent principles, true and clear, being the result of their discourse on those subjects, do worthily deserve, in my esteem, the style of divinity; which is the denomination I hope I may, without offence, bestow upon them in this discourse.

That the Gentiles did acknowledge and believe, there was but One Supreme Being, that made all things, who is infinite, almighty, omnipresent, holy and good for ever, I shall produce some of those many authorities that assert the same, and by divers scriptures underneath, of the like tendency, though of higher authority, show their agreeableness to divine revelation, in which I have the practice of very ancient fathers of the church to justify me.

I. ORPHEUS, one thousand two hundred years before Christ, thus expresses his belief of God:* His hand reaches to the end of the sea, his right hand is every where, and the earth is

"He stretched out his hand over the sea." Isa. xxiii. 11.-"For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and in the earth beneath." Josh. ii. 11. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

Rev. xxii. 13.