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eafily be reconciled with the Perfections of God. For may not a fair and candid Inquirer, defirous and refolved to do his Duty, unhappily determine, without his own Fault, on the wrong Side of the Question? May he not want Capacity to fee, or Leifure to examine as he ought the Evidences of Revealed Religion? May not his Mind have taken a wrong Tincture, from an early Infufion of erroneous Opinions? May not the Authority of Friends and Parents have thrown infurmountable Obstacles in his Way, to prevent him from coming at the Truth? And may not the whole Course of his Conversation have Jain among Enemies to the Faith? Concerning the Frequency of thefe Cafes I pretend not to determine. I fear the general Conduct of modern Deifts will not fuffer us to be very fanguine in Expectations or Affertions of that Nature. But furely the Thing is not impoffible. Not only at the first Appearance of Christianity, but even in our own Times, it is eafy to conceive fuch Circumstances, in which Infidelity would be no 'Crime.-This I doubt not will be denied, as it often has been denied, by thofe Men who have a Zeal for Chrift, but not according to Knowlege. Let fuch Perfons be pleased to confider the great Differences among Chriftians themselves, in regard to the Proofs of their Religion; what

Vari

Variety of Opinions fubfift among them concerning the Validity of every Kind of Argument, that of Miracles not accepted; and let them learn from thence that it is poffible at leaft for Good Men not to fee, what Good Chriftians have fought for in vain. If a Man may honeftly refufe Affent to one Kind of Proof; if different Men, without Sufpicion of Blame, may deny the Force of different Proofs; and no Proof feems conclufive to all: why may not an Infidel be fincere, who only happens to unite the various Opinions of Men confefedly honeft ?—I hope it will not be anfwered by any Christian, that no Man can poffibly be faved, unless he fees the Force of thofe very Arguments, which have proved fufficient to convince Him.

Ir then I may be allowed to fuppofe an boneft Infidel, I must suppose a Cafe to which this Damnatory Sentence cannot extend. For unavoidable Ignorance, wherever it exists, cannot be obnoxious to Blame or Punishment. It is to all Intents and Purposes the very fame Thing, whether Men have never heard of Chrift; or have received no Evidence of his Divine Miffion; or have received an Evidence, which, tho' conclufive to others, is to them of no Force. In all thefe Cafes their Plea is ftill the fame; it is impoffible that the fing le

fingle Circumftance of Ignorance or Unbelief, a Circumftance out of their own Power, and not depending on their Wills, fhould expofe them to Everlasting Punishment. And if not, I apprehend it has been already fhewn, that they have a Federal Right to Life Eternal.

BUT if these Interpretations are all to be rejected; how can we vindicate our former Affection, That Faith in Chrift is a neceffary Condition of the Gospel Covenant? or how is it poffible to explain our Saviour's Words confiftently with the Notions I have been maintaining ?—I answer by producing a

4th Interpretation; which, though I do not apprehend it to be the true Sense of the Words, will yet well deferve to be confidered; because it contains a Doctrine no way repugnant to Reason, and a fufficient Anfwer to the Queftion. The Interpretation I mean confines the latter Part of the Verfe to those who enjoy fufficient Evidence, and fufficient Capacity to difcern it; and in thefe Perfons Faith is ftrictly neceffary.The undoubted Terms of the Christian Covenant are Repentance and Amendment of Life: Amendment not in one or a few Inftances, but in all Points of Duty, where we have been deficient. So that this Condition evidently comprehends every Branch of Moral Virtue: and if Faith itfelf be a real Virtue, it is a real Condition of our Salvation.

-But

But what fhall we fay to thofe Men, by whom this Virtue is] unattainable? Do they therefore forfeit their Right to Salvation? By no Means. If there be firft a willing Mind; it is accepted according to what a Man bath, and not according to what he hath not. He who is fincerely defirous to know and perform his Duty, can never fail of Acceptance with God, on account of unavoidable Defects, of what Kind foever.

BUT does not our Saviour affirm univerfally, without giving the leaft Hint of fuch an Indulgence? He does fo: and would certainly have done the very fame, had he been fpeaking of any other Moral Virtue. But it is well known, and univerfall agreed, that the Extent of Men's Duty is greatly different, when confidered materially, and formally. And the very fame Diftinction is certainly to be applied to the Conditions of our Salvation. If we confider them, as they are in themselves; Faith is and ought to be a General Condition: but if relatively to the Capacities of particular Perfons; the Propofition then amounts only to this, That, proper Means and Opportunities fuppofed, a Defect of Faith is a Defect of Virtue, and therefore deftructive to our Salvation. In other Words, a wilful Neglect of examining Revealed Religion, or a corrupt and partial Examination, will be punished, because it de

ferves

ferves to be punished. It is our Duty, and our Interest, to obey the Divine Will. But we cannot obey it, unless we know it; and we cannot know it, if we neglect the Means, which God himself has put into our Power.In this Senfe therefore Faith in Chrift is a neceffary Condition of the Gofpel-Covenant and there is, I believe, no one Virtue, which can be faid to be neceffary in any other Sense. The formal Neceffity of any Condition whatever will always depend on the Abilities of the Agent.

AND yet this Senfe, however reasonable, cannot, I think, be the true Sense of the Paffage we have been fo long confidering. My Reason is, because, on this Suppofition, the two fimilar Claufes in this Verfe would not correfpond to each other; both of them would be understood with a Reftriction, but the Restrictions would be extremely different. For thus it would run-Believers fhall be faved, if they act up to their Principles; Unbelievers fhall be damned, if-what? if their Unbelief is owing to Negligence and Partiality. This appears to me quite unnatural. I fhall therefore propose a

5th Interpretation, to which I am led by this very Reflection. It is in fhort only this. They who believe not the Gofpel, are not likely to obey it's Laws; and they who obey

not

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