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8&

43, &c.

His Second grand Impeachment against Christianity,
is level'd at the Pofitives! O

46, &c.

63, &c.

4 proper Expoftulation with this strange Writer

65, &c.

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CHAP. XV.

Of the INWARD AIDS of the
Chriftian Religion.

T

HE Author of Chriftianity as CHAP. old, &c. has given fo imper- XV. fect an Account both of Na

tural Religion, and of Christianity, as in a manner to be totally filent as to the internal Aids, external Motives, and the Helps and Inftruments that appertain to Religion; neceffarily arifing out of the Nature of Things, as Man is a religious, fociable Creature, and of a weak impotent Nature, ftrong Paffions and unruly Affections, great Hindrances of Religion. The first is a new Advocate to the Regent Power of Man's Actions; the fecond is a Balance to the Paffions; and the third mightily promotes Religion as he is a fociable Creature. I fhall endeavour to fupply his Defects, and treat of each of them.

FIRST, of INTERNAL AIDS: It does not comport with our Author's vain-glorious Principle, the All-fufficiency of human Reafon to attain the Favour of God in all Circumstances of Opportunity, as well in Heathen as Chriftian Regions, to admit of this. For, as they fcorn exVOL. II. fernal

B

CHAP. ternal Affiftance of a Revelation from God; or, XV. which is the fame thing, every part of it, but what is a Republication of the Law of Nature, which they call their internal Revelation; they are above being beholden to this, the Promife and Affurance whereof is only derivable from that Revelation they reject. Befides, this Author denies it to be confiftent with the Goodnefs of God, to permit fuch a fubtle evil Spirit as the Devil to tempt Mankind; which not only fruftrates the Ufe of fuch a Counter Aid of the good Spirit against him, but seems to deny the Being of the Devil, or God's Governance over him, and us.

YET the Heathen Philofophers were perfectly fenfible of their want of this Affiftance, which they thought neceffary as well for knowing the Truth, as for enabling them to do good, as might be made appear from variety of Inftances + and in their Senfe of the want of it, they likewife panted after a Revelation of the Will of Heaven; infomuch that in reference to fuch fenfible Wants the Language of Scripture imputes that to be a Defire in them, which they explicitly knew nothing of. Thus the Metab is called the Defire of all Nations, and the Expectation of the Gentiles and the Creature, general Mankind, to be in earnest Expectation to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, the Redemption of the Body from the Grave: Both which Defire and Expectation, fo good and advantageous to the Human Creature, the modern Deifts unnaturally

Page 351, 352.

1

+ Which are well collected in Hifloire de la Philofophie Payenne, Tome Premier 8vo, 1724, P 374 to 389. Vid. Alnetan Quaft. Lib. XI. c. 10. Hag.

ii.. 7.

21, 23.

Gen. xlix. 10.

+ Rom. viii. 19,

difclaim.

difclaim. So loft, and fo much worfe is the CHAP. Condition of thofe who contemn, than of thofe XV. who never had the use of Revelation.

If they would reconcile themselves to the Sentiments of the wifeft and moft fenfible ancient Philofophers in this matter, they might, by an eafy Transition, be brought to the Acknowledgment of Revelation by the fame Spirit; the written Word of which, in the Opinion of fome Christians, affords fuch effectual Affiftance, as to fuperfede the occafion of inward Aid. The firft may be called the ftill fmall external Voice wherein God is prefent, and more certainly fo than in Earthquakes, and Whirlwinds; yet it is moft certain, he is moreover inwardly prefent by his Holy Spirit. But as long as they reject both, they evidently make it appear, that they have a Perverseness in Principle, and Degeneracy of Reason beyond common Mortals.

I SHALL here take an occafion to quote fome Paffages from Dr. Samuel Clark. "În Experi ❝ence and Practice it hath appeared to be alto"gether impoffible, for Philofophy and bare "Reason to reform Mankind effectually without "the Affiftance of fome higher Principle. -So "that without fome greater Help and Affiftance "Mankind is plainly left in a very bad State. "Indeed in the original uncorrupted State of "human Nature, before the Mind of Man was "depraved with prejudiced Opinions, corrupt "Affections, and vicious Inclinations, Cuftoms "and Habits, right Reafon may juftly be fup

posed to have been a fufficient Guide, and a "Principle powerful enough to preserve Men in "the conftant Practice of their Duty: But in "the prefent Circumftances and Condition of "Mankind, the wifeft and moft fenfible of the

B 2 "Philofophers

66

CHAP." Philofophers themselves have not been backXV. "ward to complain, that they found the Underftanding of Men fo dark and cloudy, their Wills "fo bias'd and inclined to Evil, their Paffions fo "outrageous and rebelling against Reason, that they "look'd upon the Rules and Laws of right "Reason, as very hardly practicable, and which "they had very little Hope of ever being able "to perfuade the World to fubmit to: In a "Word, they confeffed that human Nature was

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ftrangely corrupted, and acknowledged this Corruption to be a Disease, whereof they knew "not the true Caufe, and could not find out a f fufficient Remedy: So that the great Duties "of Religion were laid down by them as Matters of Speculation and Difpute, rather than as "the Rules of Action; and not fo much urged upon the Hearts and Lives of Men, as propofed to the Admiration of thofe, who thought them "fcarce poffible to be effectually practifed by "the generality of Men. To remedy all these "Disorders, and conquer all thefe Corruptions, "there was plainly wanting fome extraordinary "and fupernatural Affiftance, which was above bare Reason and Philofophy to procure, and yet without which the Philofophers themselves "were fenfible there could never be any truly great and good Men: Nemo unquam vir magnus fine Diving Afflatu fuit *" Cicero.

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He had before given a beautiful Defcription of the Corruption of Nature from Tully as the Ground of this Affiftance. If we had come into the World in fuch Circumstances, as that we could have clearly and diftinctly difcerned Nature berfelf,

Evid. of Nat. Rel. &c. p. 238, 239, 240.
Pag. 196, 197...

and

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