CHAP. lity, and that unchangeable Nature of Things, VI. has he confidently grounded his forry Reasonings, or rather paultry Declamations against the Revelation of the Gofpel; and built up the fallacious System, the Hay and Stubble of his tottering Book; which will remain juft as true, but can be no truer, than the Principle he has fo laboriously built it upon. How justly do those opprobrious Reflexions fall upon his own Work?" If God "requires nothing of his Creatures but what "tends to their good, whatever is of this Kind, "is a Superftructure that belongs to the Law of "Nature; or in other Words, what the Reason "and Nature of Things themfelves plainly point "out to us; and for all other Matters which "have no Tendency, you must feek another "Foundation, another Nature very different "from the Divine, to build your Hay and Stub"ble upon." Pag. 59.

WHAT he vilifies under thefe Names are no less than the distinguishing Glories of Chriftianity above the Light of Nature. But what feems to be the Foolishness of God in the Eftimate of these opiniative, prejudiced Men, will be found wifer than any of their Conceits; and what they defpife as his Weakness, will be found ftronger than any of their Arguments. That they have a Tendency to the good of Men, has been proved already, in Part; and it will be as apparent, that they are worthy to have God for their Author, not only upon that Account, but because they are a Copy of the Nature of our Almighty and moft merciful Father; and are exhibited unto Men for promoting the Honour and Glory of the Di vine Majefty.

WITH what admirable Economy and Wifdom this is confulted and illuftrated, and our Notions of the Goodness of God, and all his moral Perfections and Attributes, rectified, and perfected, will better appear, when I treat of the Mediator, who is the appointed Head of all the Means for accomplishing the Religion of the End, which glorifies our Father who is in Heaven. Mean time, it may fuffice to wipe off some of the Afperfions caft upon thefe pofitive Excellencies of Christianity by our Author; as if they were of no other Ufe in the World, but to difhonour God. But if his pretended Arguments abfolutely and entirely fail of proving any thing like it; then he will be found to have been the Difhonourer of God, a Blafphemer of Him, and his true Religion.

Now, though the Gospel forbids nothing that the Law of Nature commands, nor commands what that forbids; it is no Confequence, that the Gospel has made no advantageous Revelation, or neceffary Addition; or that the Addition it makes, muft therefore be a Superftition.. His Words are, pag. 57. "Nor can any Thing be a Part of "Religion by one Law, [the Gospel] which by "the other [the Law of Nature] is Superftition." And immediately follows, "Nor can Revela"tion make that the Will of God, which the Light "of Nature continually reprefents as unworthy "[on Account of that Superftition] of having "God for its Author.

HERE is a bold Charge indeed! The making reveal'd Religion the Commander of Superftition. Men indeed, for want of ufing the Reafon and Confideration that God has given them, may take

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VI.

VI.

CHAP. an Occafion that was never given them, to be guilty of Superftition, by mistaking the Means as more neceffary than the End of Religion; or by introducing Superftition, nay Idolatry into the Rites of it. But the Fault must be in the Perfons guilty, the Revelation is blameless, its Commands and Inftitutions have a plain Design and a direct Tendency to the contrary. So far from corrupting Religion in its Means, that it is the greatest Improvement of the fame, as I have made appear. So far from giving wrong Notions of God as a Ruler and Governor; that it illuftrates all the Perfections of him who is the moft wife and perfect Governor over our moral World. Here are no Hieroglyphicks, nor are there any Charms; nor are these any mechanical Ways of Salvation; nor is there any outward Shew capable of amufing or engroffing the Senfes, to the diverting and difturbing the Mind.

WHAT then can he mean by the following Paragraph, but to confound and impose upon his Readers? "If Men have been at all Times oblig'd to avoid Superftition, and embrace

true Religion, there must have been at all "Times fufficient Marks of Diftin&ion; which "could not arise from their having different Ob"jects, fince God is the Object of both; but "from the having different Notions of him and "his Conduct: Nay, allowing that the Light "of Nature was fufficient to teach Men, that "true Religion confifts in entertaining fuch No"tions of God, as are worthy of him; and Su

perftition in fuch as are unworthy of him; yet "that alone would not enable Men, when they came to Particulars, to diftinguish one from "the other: And, therefore, the fame Light of "Nature

"Nature muft teach them what Notions are wor- CHAP. VI. "thy, and what unworthy of having God for "their Author. But how can there be fuch "Marks flowing from the Nature of Religion "and Superftition, if what is Superftition by "the Light of Nature, can, notwithstanding thefe Marks, be made a Part of Religion by "Revelation?" Pag. 119.

SUPPOSING the Light of Nature was fufficient to teach Men what Notions are worthy, and what are unworthy of having God for their Author; and fo to diftinguish between true Religion and Superftition: Why has not he by the Help of that Light of Nature, produced fome Inftances of Notions unworthy to have God for their Author, as applicable to thefe Pofitives of Chriftianity under prefent Confideration? He has very often, and as falfly as often, affirm'd fuch Calumnies against them; yet never once offer'd a fingle Argument, or the leaft Shadow of one to prove it. But if bold fenfelefs Affirmations, are inftead of Arguments with him; I hope they wont fo pafs upon his Readers, who deserve better Treatment from fuch a pretending Reasoner, whatever thefe good and great Inftances of Christ's Religion have met with from him.

THEY are indeed, as fet forth in Scripture, intended as an effectual Cure of all Superftition and Idolatry, which had mix'd, or can mix, with the natural Means of Religion in the Worship of God, through the Heathen, or the corrupted Christian World. That Baptifm was defign'd for wholly putting off, and throwing Idolatry afide, is evident, because the idolatrous Nations,

VI.

CHAP. Eph. xi. 3. are called Children of Wrath in the Apoftle's inoffenfive Way of joining himself in the Expreffion; but are hereby made Children of the Covenant, and by Adoption Sons of God, and of Grace. That the Lord's-Supper is intended as a Prefervative of our Communion with the one true Mediator of Worship, against Idolatry, and the Superftition of falfe Worship of God, from a Communion with falfe Mediators (fuch are all Dæmons) is plain from that of the Apostle, ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord, and the Cup of Devils, ye cannot be Partakers of the Lord's Table, and the Table of Devils. It is very hard that the fovereign Medicine fhould be called the Disease, and by those who feldom, or never try it.

BUT how comes it to pafs, that his Light of Nature, fo fufficient as he fays it is, never yet in all the past, nor in the prefent, (nor perhaps in all the future) Generations of the Heathen World, has been, or fhall be able to fupply Men with fuch worthy Notions of God, as to abolish, or fo much as leffen the infinite Superftitions and Idolatries which have reign'd, to the Scandal of human Reafon, and the Pity of the Light of Nature? What pitiful Arguments then must his be for deriving, generally, worthy Notions of God from the Light of Nature, when they run counter to Matter of Fact; and all the World can contradict him, with a safe Confcience?

NAY, I will add further, that thefe Pofitives, grounded as they are in the Faith of our Mediator dying a Propitiation for our Sins, were intended (and perhaps that is the Foundation of all his Spleen and Diflike) to have cured him, and all others of his way of thinking, of a Superfti