and Motives have upon them, to engage them to the Practice of Piety and Virtue, is to them a perfuafive Argument to convince them of its divine Original. But yet I think it can fcarce be denied, that a Man that takes pains to confider the Evidences for Chriftianity, and in confequence of this firmly believes it, and governs himself by its excellent Rules, acts a better Part, and approves himself a better Christian, than he that is not fo diligent to inform himself concerning it. But I fuppofe our Author would count those the best Part of Mankind, that never concern themselves about any Religion at all; which feems to be the Design, or at leaft the Tendency of feveral of his Arguments.

This Writer having done all in his power to prove that the Generality of Mankind are incapable of Faith or Religion if it be rational, fets himself next to fhew, that even Men of Learning, yea, the ableft and beft of Men, are difqualified for fair reafoning, or judging impartially of the Evidence of Christianity, by their natural Prejudices. That Prejudice, ever earlier than the firft Effays of Reafon, is as abfolute a Difqualification for fuch a Tafk, as the greatest natural Incapacity *. What he farther offers there concerning the Power of Prejudice, appears to me to have no other tendency than to introduce univerfal Scepticifm; as if no Man living was capable of reafoning fairly, or judging truly. But it is not true, that the Prejudices to which all Men are in fome degree fubjected, do as abfolutely disqualify a Man for forming a fair and equitable Judgment of Things, as the greatest K 2 natural

natural Incapacity. In the one cafe it is impoffible, in the other it is far from being fo. Where there is an honeft and an upright Mind, open to Conviction, and ready to receive the Evidence that is offered, a Man may overcome his Prejudices and judge fairly and impartially, as appears from thoufands of Inftances both in Religion and other Matters. And particularly there were at the first Promulgation of Chriftianity numerous Inftances of Perfons, that broke thro' the ftrongest Prejudices, natural Attachments to Customs, Perfons and Things, to borrow this Gentleman's Expreffions, overcome by the Evidence that attended it, and the Proofs of a divine Original. If we have not thofe Prejudices now in our way, it is an advantage we should be thankful for; and if by being educated in à regard to Chriflianity we rather have Prejudices in its favour, a just and fair Examination and Enquiry may be carried on notwithstanding this, as hath been already fhewn.

Our Author concludes this Part of his Attempt with obferving, that "It is to be remembred all along, and carried with us carefully thro' all "thefe Confiderations, that the great Command to believe is peremptory and abfolute. No Conditions in the cafe, that we shall believe if we have Time, if we have Abilities, or if preceding Prejudices have not first taken too faft hold to prevent us." It is true, there are no fuch Conditions expreffed, and it would be abfurd if there were fo. Suppofing that upon giving a Revelation of his Will to Mankind, attended with fuch Evidence

* P. 23.

Evidence as he faw and knew to be fufficient if it were not their own faults, God fhould command them to believe and to receive it, which I have shewn in fuch a cafe he might juftly do; it would not be very wife to exprefs it thus, Believe, and receive it, if you have Time; Believe, if you have Abilities; Believe, if Prejudices have not taken too fast hold to prevent you. This would have been regarded as giving an Allowance to Unbelief and Difobedience in the Law itfelf. People would foon have taken advantage of it. and it would have been the ready way to render them careless and negligent. about it. If fuch a Command were defigned to have any effect at all, it must be delivered in peremptory and abfolute Terms, the better to awaken the Attention of Mankind, and engage them to apply themselves to confider the Evidence without delay, and to take pains to divest themselves of culpable Prejudices. If it appears, that they really had not natural Abilities, or were under an invincible Incapacity, which may be often pretended where it is far from being the cafe, the fupreme Lawgiver will eafily be able to make the proper Allowances, when he comes to judge them for their Conduct.

Nor does it follow from the Command's being expreffed in general Terms, that an equal Degree of Faith is required of all Men in order to Salvation; or that all Men are required at the Peril of their Souls to be in the right; that is, to have a right Notion and Belief in all the Doctrines propofed to us to be believed. Thus our Author thinks fit to represent it in his Pamphlet. But nothing is

more

more evident, than that in Scripture it is all along fuppofed, that there are different Degrees of Faith and Knowledge; and that Perfons may be weak in Faith, who yet are fincere, and fhall be accepted. Some are represented as Babes in Chrift, fome as frong Men: Some as knowing only the firft Principles of the Oracles of God; others, as arrived to a higher Degree of Knowledge, and going on unto Perfection; a Faith that is true and acceptable in its first Commencement, is yet represented as capable of growing exceedingly, and of receiving great Increafe and continual Improvement. With regard to Truths of the highest Importance, even in natural Religion, fuch as the Being of a God, and a Providence, tho' fome Knowledge and Belief of this is neceffary, and lies at the Foundation of all Religion, yet it is not abfolutely required, that all Men fhould be equally right in their Notions concerning it, and in the Ideas they form of God and his Attributes. It is fufficient if there be fuch a Belief as engages them to love and reverence, ta worship and obey him in Sincerity. The fame may be faid with regard to Chriftianity. It is not abfolutely required as neceffary to Salvation, that Men fhould believe and think rightly of all the Doctrines of the Chriftian Religion, tho' in themfelves true and of great Importance; or that even in Points of the higheft Confequence they should exactly have the fame Ideas, and their Notions be alike clear and juft. They may, with regard to fome Things in thofe Doctrines, have mistaken Notions; but a merciful God will make Allowances for their Weakness, and gracioufly accept their

Faith as fufficient, if they know and believe fo much of thefe Things, as engages them to love Jefus Chrift in Sincerity, and to live foberly, righteoufly, and godly in this prefent World. Where this is the Cafe, Men fhall be accepted according to the Gospel-Covenant, tho' there be a great variety in their Attainments, and in the Degrees of their Faith and Knowledge.

Hitherto this Gentleman has labour'd hard to prove that a rational Faith is unattainable or impoffible; but from p. 24. to p. 35. he bends himfelf to fhew, that fuppofing a Man to have attained to the highest degree of a rational Faith, it would' be no way fufficient to answer the End, or to furnish out thofe Effects which are defcribed in the Gofpel to attend a juft Belief. It will never produce that active Zeal for Religion, or that Conftancy and Perfeverance that is there required, or that Complacency and Satisfaction of Mind, which is the bleed Effect of a true and genuine Faith. It will not be fufficient to engage a Man to mortify his depraved Appetites and Paffions, much less to fuffer Martyrdom, if called to it, for his Religion.

In what he offers to prove, that a rational Faith can never produce that Zeal which the Gospel requires, the Force of his Argument depends partly upon the wrong Account he gives of the Nature of a true Chriftian Zeal, as if it were a blind irrational Heat, a Zeal not according to Knowledge, and partly upon Sceptical Principles, as if no Man can ever in Reafon be certain of any thing, becaufe it is poffible he may be mistaken. But if by Zeal be meant what the Gofpel intends by it, a hearty

and