ment of Natural Reafon, as in Fact never fubfifted. And yet, even on this Suppofition, I fear not to pronounce it a Means of Virtue, and, by Confequence, a Means of Salvation. But to judge rightly of the mighty Efficacy of our Religion in bringing us to God, we fhould confider the actual State, both of the Jewish and Gentile World, before the Coming of Chrifl; and fet that in Oppofition to the new Scene of Things, which was introduced by the Gospel.

AND furely it will readily be granted, that, amidst the numberlefs Errors and Corruptions, both in Religion and Morality, which then prevailed over the whole Earth, great was the Danger of Men's neglecting their Duty.The Jews themselves had fallen into grofs Miftakes and Miftakes too which might eafily prove fatal. For even Miftakes may be fatal. Such I am fure are all thofe, which lead us to expect the Favour of God, on any other Terms than inward Righteoufnefs. When a Man is once brought to believe that Virtue is unneceffary; he will be strongly tempted to defert it on every Occafion. His Reafon indeed will still approve it; for otherwise he might defert it without Blame. But he will knowingly and frequently contradict his Reajon, when it is no longer connected with his Intereft.-Now we find it to have been a prevailing Opinion among the Jewish Nation,

That

That a Man is juftified by the Works of the Law: That outward and legal may supply the Place of inward Purity; and, That, in Confideration of an exact and punctual Performance of an infinite Variety of Rites and Ceremonies, the weightier Matters might be fafely omitted. This unhappy and unaccountable Prejudice had not only tainted the Manners of the People; had not only deformed the outward Face of Religion; but diffused it's Poyfon to the very Vitals. The whole Head was fick, and the whole Heart faint: and, indeed, the extreme Difficulty of the Cure was a strong Proof that the Malady had taken fast Hold, and funk deep into the Conftitution. This Cure, great as it was, was the genuine Effect of Chriftian Faith; which taught them the Vanity of feeking after God in any other Way, or by any other Means, than Repentance from dead Works, and a new Life unto Holiness. A Doctrine of fuch fignal Importance, and fuch powerful Influence; that had our Religion taught this, and this only, it might yet have deferved, with the utmoft Propriety, the glorious Title given it by the Apostle; who calls it the Power of God to Salvation unto every one that believeth.

I WOULD not fwell this Inquiry to an unneceffary Length, and therefore have selected one Inftance out of many, in order to shew that the Salvation of the Jews was rendered

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far more fecure by their embracing the Doctrines of Christianity.-Should I expatiate upon the Follies of the Gentile World, and point out the Dangers they were exposed to, with regard to their Everlasting Happiness, the Subject would be almoft infinite; at least, as copious as the Errors and Abfurdities of Human Kind. Some, we know, pretended to doubt of the natural Difference between Good and Evil; others difowned the moral Difference between Virtue and Vice: and no inconfider

able Sect, fprung too from the immortal Socrates, openly referred all their Actions to the Attainment of Bodily Pleasures. Some denied a God, others a Providence, others a Future State of Rewards and Punishments. Many Perfons who acknowleged the Truth of thefe Things, yet explained them in fuch a Manner, as to render them of no Ufe or Efficacy in the Conduct of their Lives: and many more divided Morality from Religion; leaving the former deftitute of Support, and the latter empty of all real Benefit, either to the Owner or to Mankind in general. Were I difpofed to crowd my Page with Quotations, I could not wish for a more favourable Opportunity.

*

I a am far from intending in this, or any other Place, to reprefent Morality and Religion as the fame Thing. I only plead for an Union, not a Coincidence. Authority and Reafon are furely diftinct Principles and therefore a Regard to the former fould by no means be confounded with a Regard to the latter.

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portunity. Since I fhould have little to do, but to transcribe the firft Places that occurred either in the Writings of the Antient Philofophers, or the Accounts of those, whose Writings have long fince perifhed. Whether we confult the one, or the other, we fhall find that Errors of the most enormous Size shoot up in every Page.-Even the Divine Plato, who was read with Rapture for many Ages; and whofe fingle Judgment appeared to Cicero to outweigh the united Verdict of all the Reft; this God, as he was then entitled, is found at laft to have been a mere Vifionary: a Man who concealed his Abfurdities under a falfe Elevation of Thought; and varnished over the Weakness of his Arguments, with all the Colours which a lively Imagination, and a beautiful Language were capable of affording. -Cicero himself, who had taken so much Pains in examining and explaining the various Systems of Philofophy then in the World; yet feems to have been ftrangely in the Dark, on fome of the clearest and most important Subjects. Though I mean not to defcend to Particulars, yet I cannot forbear obferving that the unnatural Separation, I just took Notice of between Religion and Morality appears no where more plainly, than in the most celebrated Writings of the Roman Orator. That great Man, the greatest perhaps that ever lived without the Light of RevelaE 4 tion,

tion, feems not to have known, or not to have regarded fo plain a Principle as this, That the Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom. The Errors I have already hinted at were Philofophical Errors. Was the Condition of the Populace much better? In fome Refpects perhaps it was: but in many others yet worse. A Multitude of Gods, weak, vicious, changeful Beings, was the great Article of the Popular Creed. And this Article alone must do inxpreffible Harm. But when to this are added the great Uncertainty and Confufion they were in, even on thofe Points where they had a Glimmering of Truth; the great Reliance they had, in common with the Jews, on outward Rites and fuperftitious Practifes; and all the other Abfurdities of their traditional Theology: I prefume, it is evident beyond Contradiction, that they were very imperfectly fecured against difobeying the Law of their Reafon.-That Religion therefore, which faved the Gentiles from the Influence of fuch pernicious and dangerous Errors, was to them a Means of Salvation. It made them virtuous, and therefore happy.

BUT let us now suppose an Unbeliever, whether a few or a Heathen, truly confcienticus in the Discharge of his Duty—yet how greatly would he fall fhort of Chriftian Perfection! We have before confidered how this Matter ftood, fuppofing Reafon improved

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