Prevalence of this Remedy, and to Reason for the Account of its Efficacy. Superftition has ever univerfally prevailed, where Divine Revelation has not been propofed, or being proposed has not been received. Whatever has in Speculation been offered concerning the clear Notions which Men naturally have of God and of their Duty to Him, or concerning the Sufficiency of Reafon to direct them all right in all Cases, yet this Pretence stands confuted by the irrefragable Argument of Experience. Men did not, could not argue in that happy Manner which fuch Speculations fuppofe, but fell deeply and univerfally into fuch fuperftitious Vanities, as were ruinous to their Peace and difgraceful to their Nature. And fome Kinds and Degrees of the fame are still found, are every where found, where revealed Light is not yet received. But when the Gospel was preached throughout the World, thefe Follies and Errors in Religious Worship fled before it. The People which fat in Darkness, faw great Light; and to them which fat in the Region and Shadow of Death, Light is fprung up. Mat.4. 16. Idolatry and Delufion, the Worship of false Deities, and improper Forms of addreffing the true One, were inftantly abolished, and a Devotion rational both in the Object and Method of it fucceeded and was established. The

Love of God and Man was taught and practiced, and Self-Government and Regularity of Manners teftified the fuperior Principles which guided and directed them. Religion and Morality were found to be, as they always are, when rightly understood, uniform and consistent, and they did Service and Credit to Each Other.

And the Reason of this happy Effect, this fudden Alteration in Worship and Morals, is eafy to be accounted for. For why was Superftition fo univerfal, but because, as before observed, Guilt and Ignorance were fo? Men were sensible that They had offended their Maker, and that Vengeance was due to fuch Offences, but had no clear and certain Knowlege that the Deity would be reconciled to them, or by what Method They might promote that Reconciliation. They were duly apprehensive that Justice was one of the Divine Attributes, but what Satisfaction it would require They knew not; yet hoping that God would punish them less, if they punished themselves for their Tranfgreffions, They had Recourfe under this Uncertainty, to Multitudes of unprofitable Austerities and extravagant Penances. But now all these Doubts were cleared and all these Errors prevented by the peculiar Doctrine of the Gofpel, which was peculiarly adapted to heal our Guilt and remove K 2

Our

our Ignorance. This has taken away the principal Foundation of Superftition by opening to us a new Covenant of Mercy, by affuring us that a propitiatory Atonement has been made and accepted for our Sins, and that on our Part Faith and Repentance expreffed in federal Rites and in real Reformation of Life will be accepted. By the plain Doctrine of one God and one Mediator between God and Men, it has prevented the Occafion of conjecturing, and of Course all those vain Conjectures that abounded, concerning the Object of Worship and the Method of applying to Him. By the Article of Satisfaction offered to the Divine Juftice for the Remiffion of Sins thro' the Blood of Chrift, it has put an End to those imaginary Expiations by Self-Tortures and cruel Aufterities. By the repeated Injunctions of Virtue and Enforcements of the Moral Law, it has cut off those Errors, which inclined Men to reft in outward Obfervances to the Neglect of the Improvement of the Mind, and to the Prejudice of focial and Personal Duties, and has left them without all Pretenfions or Hopes but on the Condition of a good Life. And by the plain Decifion on indifferent Matters, it has left to proper Authority the Determination of inftrumental Orders and Rules, directing private Perfons to fubmit to fuch Determinations as expedient, tho' not in therafelves neceffary.

But

But it will be faid, that even Christianity has not had this happy Effect, that Superftitions have appeared within the Church as well as out of it, and that Vanities of all Kinds have been admitted and practiced by the profeffed Disciples of Christ as much as by Others. It is a melancholy Confideration that We must account for the Fact inftead of denying it. It is but too true, that the Authority of our Lawgiver and the Excellency of his Laws have been disgraced by the Introduction of almost every Species of falfe WorShip, which they were intended to abolish; but the Revelation itself is not therefore to be charged with Infufficiency; but the wicked Arts of thofe are freely to be condemned, who have, as far as in them lay, reverfed the Work of Providence, concealed the Manifeftations of his Will, denied the People the Liberty of enquiring into them, and revived and increased that Guilt and Ignorance, which have in all Ages been the Caufes of Superftition. Indeed this Acknowledgment of the Continuance of fuperftitious Vanities amongst those who are called Chriftians, nay who call themselves the only true Chriftians, does but confirm the Efficacy of the Remedy propofed, namely, a faithful Adherence to the revealed Will of God as the only Prefervative from this dangerous Evil. By deviating from it the Mem

bers

bers of the Romish Communion have fallen into the groffest Errors both in Doctrine and Practice, have even revived many of the Paganish Superftitions, and brought them into the Church of Chrift. And by returning to this Rule, by appealing to the Law and to the Teftimony, the Reformers were enabled to abolish again these fuperftitious Vanities, to reftore the Church to its original Defign, and to reestablish it in its primitive Purity and Simplicity. To prevent the gradual Corruptions, Additions and Contradictions, which might thro' the Weakness of Some and the Guile of Others creep in by Oral Traditions, it has pleased Divine Providence that Some of the first Preachers of Chriftianity should, under the Direction of Inspiration, commit the fundamental Truths of it to Writing, that All, even to the latest Ages of the Church, might know what were the Doctrines and Practices of this Religion in the firft. Our Reafon illuftrates the Wisdom and Mercy of this Providential Difpenfation to prevent the Uncertainty of mere verbal Instruction, and oral Tradition; and Experience has fhewn the abfolute Neceffity of this Method of a written Rule to preserve the Purity both of our Faith and Practice. They who have denied the People the Ufe of the Scriptures, have led them into numberlefs erroneous No→