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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http: //books .google .com/I r fke i^nlb » •■■ bENtLEMAN\ religion: in T H R E E Pa R T S. The First contains the Pnnc'tples of Natural Religion ; The Second and Thikd, the' Dodrines of Chriftianity, Both as to Faith and Practice. WITH An APPENDIX, Whctein it is proved, It hat nothing contrary to our Reafon can poflibly be the Ohjetl of ouf Belief: But that it is no ]uft Exception againfl iTome of the i)o5lrtnes of Chriftianity^ that they are above our Reafon. p The Sixth Edition. ■ ■■ ■ ■ I .i S L o N j> o n;^ Printed for Thomas Trye near Gciiy's -Iff » G^/e in H^hnrn, mdccxxxvii/ B.\: Ij-bOC ^CAeVT ■ i ■■■» * . A SHORT PRE FACE To the W H O L E. SOme Menjlight Religion^ whilji others corrupt and perplex it with things either falje or un^ necejfary-y the latter of which I look upon to be much the f^^Ji of the former. Many will not take the Pains to read much\ and many do not through^ ly conjidery nor well digejl, what they read*, which renders their Notions confus'dy and themfehes uncertain wijjat to conclude. I have therefore endeavoured to make fuch a jhort and eafy Draught A 2 of ( o Gentleman's Religion »W I T H THE Part I. I I I. C^ INCE almoft all Men (how- ^^ ever different in other Opi- \^^_y nionsandlnterefts) have ever agreed in this, That there is a God to whofe Power all Things are fubjedlj that the true Service and Worftiip of God { which is calVd Religion) (hall be rewarded with fu- ture Happinefs; and, that the Neg- left and Contempt of Religion fliall punilh'd with future Miferyj fevery Man furely has Reafon to be- A 4 llevc ture Happ ■ left and C ^^ftbe punilh ^^■tvery Mai t Part I. EeWfff Om 3 why, IS more likely to do himfclf Hurt than Good; becaufe there are more Ways to the former than to the fetter. Since therefore Religion is a thing of the greateft Moment and Im- portance that can be, I conclude. That no Man ought to cbufe his Religion blindly y and by chance ; but that every Man ought to have fome Reafon for what he profejjes. Whatever Reli^ gion-y therefore, a Man is bred up in from his Youths it certainly is very jit for hiniy when he comes to Tears of Difcretion^ to enquire into the Grounds and Reafons of it. For otherwife it is not poffiblc for him to know whether he be in the Right or the Wrong, in the Way to Hea- vea or Hell. IIL If there be a God, and if he requires any Service or Worfhip (/'. e. any Religion) from us, it is undoubt- edly for this End, That it may be a Trial of our Faithfulnefs and Obe- dience to him. Now, whofoever has* a Mind to prove his Servant, whether* • : A 5 he 4 a^entleman^js Parti he will be faithful and obedient , he will not give him fuch dark and in- tricate Commands as fhall puzzle him to find out the Meaning of them; (for, how can a Servant approvfc himfelf faithful and obedient, if he be uncertain what it is that his Ma- iler requires from him ? ) but he will Jfurely give him fuch Commands and Dire<5tions as are eafy enough to be underftood, however difficult they may be to be enterpriz'd, or accom- plifh'd. I conclude therefore. That all the Duties of Religion y which God requires of any Mariy mujl needi he eafy enough for him to under fiand^ however hard they may be to be pra-» Bis'd. For otherwife. Religion would be a Tryal rather of a Man's Wit and Cunning than of his Faithfulnefs and Obedience, And therefore alfo I can- not but conclude, That moji, if not ail the Controverfes about Religion y which at this Day diftradt the World, do not proceed from any Difficulty in or about the Determination of all Tubings Parti Eettff(Ott^ 5 Things necejfary in Religion it felj^ but partly from the Pride of Jo me Learned Men^ who have lov'd to ftart new and difficult Queftions, and to impofe their private Sentiments upon the World, that they might be admir'd for their Wit and Subtilty; partly from the Covetoufnef and Am- bition of fome, whether Learned or Unlearned, who have found that their Worldly Intereft will be better ferv'd by fome Doftrines (no Matter how falfe and precarious) than by others; and partly from the Prejudice ofmofi Meny who are apt with great Zeal and Eagernefs, to contend for all thoic Things which, from their Childhood^ they have been taught to have a Re- verence for. And I farther conclude^ That whofoever has a fncere Defre to embrace true ReligioUy muji lay ajide Pridey Ambition^ Covetoufnefsy andPrejudicey which would mifguide him ; aTtd follow his fober and impre- judicate Reafony which will ever lead him in the right Way. A 6 IV. There 6 a ©entlematt'0 Parti m IVi There are different Sorts,. c«r rather Degrees of Aflurance, which Men have concerning Things. Some Things are evident of themfelves , without any Proof; fome Things we are afliir'd of by the Tcftimony of Qur Senfes; fome. Things we receive as Truths, becaufe we find them, to follow from other Truths already re^ ceiv'd; and fome Things we believe only upon the Teflimony of othery.. Moreover, fome Thinga we are perf fuaded Qf, Ayi.t-ljOu.tany Doubt or Dif* fidence; *v(^.KeifeiV -mother Things do feem, at beu, ^o he but likely or probable, and that too in a different Degree, according as their Evidence is ftronger or weaker> Now every, fo-r her Man, where he has* certain . Evi- dence of a Thing, there be afts with AlTurance; where the Matter is but probable, there he proceeds with Caution ; but where a Man is under a Neceflity of doing one way or other, and where the Matter appears doubt- ful on both fides, there it becomes him . r" Part I. Eeifgfon. 7 him to weigh the Reafons on both Parts with due Conlideration ; and according as he finds the greater Pro- bability -to be on the one Hand, ra- ther than the^'other,. fo. tb-fquare his Adljops accordin^y) : Since therefore every, Min muft rieccflkrily either live religioufly, or not live religioufly, I conclude, That if upon aferious Con- ^deration of the Mattel'; there ap- pear 1 6 be more probable Khafons amis Arguments for. Religicn^thM ogaiH^' ity every wife and fab^r Min Wi^' embrace Religion. This I fey, not but that I think there are even de- monftratiye Arguments- for Religion, and not fo much as one probable one againft it: But becaufe that which to- me feems demonftrative, to another may appear but probable, I thought' it fit to note, that every Man, in points of common Prudence, is obliged to- follojvjr Religion , if it does but ap- pear more, likely and probabkr to him than IrrcUgion. . • r . Y. Whe- 8 a iSentlemmi'js Pafti. V. Whether it is poffible for any Agent to prodifcc a new Being purely out of nothing, may, with much fhew of Reafon be doubted: As alfo, Whe- ther mere Matter alone, without any other Agent or efficient Caufe, can ever be able to work it felf into any different Species or Forms. But this appears as certain as any Thing can be, that where there is neither any A- gent or efficient Caufe to work, nor any Matter or Subjeft to be wrought upon, there it is utterly impoffiblc for any thing ever to be produced in- to Being, Since therefore I find that there are many Things which aftual- ly have a Being and Exiftehce, I con- clude, Thztofahfolute Necejfity there- mufi be fometbing or other which has been from all Eternity^ and never had a Beginning. For otherwife, if we fuppofe that ever there was a Time when nothing at all did exift, it fol- lows, from what has been faid, that it would be utterly impoffible that any Thing ever fliould be produced in- to ExHlence, VI. Since Parti. Eettgion^ 9 Vi. Since of neceffity we muft ac- knowledge fome thing to have been eternal, I cannot but conclude^ That the Eternity offucb a Being as God is defcriVd to be^ is much more probable and Jit to be believdthan the Eternity offuch a Being as I fee this fForld to be. For when I go about to conceive a-Notion of the Eternity of the World (I mean in the like Pofture that now it is in) there do occur to my Mind fiich Difficulties, or rather Impoffibi- lities, as I tliink no Man can digcft^ For he that affirms the World, as now it ftands , to have been eternal, muft of Neceffity gr$nv That there has been an eternal &icceffion of Men, Beafts and Vegetables, and that to a Number actually infinite : For if the Number be not infinite, how can the Succeffion have been eternal? And yet a Number aftually infinite, to me appears to be a plain Contradi- ction: For that which is infinite can- not be made bigger , whereas there is no Number but may be made bigger , i vv by 1 2 a aetttleman'js Parr i it were produced out of nothing by the Almighty Power of God, is a Queftion which Reafon alone, I think> can never determine. But when I .contemplate and confider the great Variety, Order, Beauty, and Ufeful- nefs, which do Evidently appear in all the Parts of the World, as they are plac'd together, and anfwer one ano- ther; I cannot but conclude, That the whole World and all its Parts^ are contriv'dy framed ^ andfajhioridy by a wife and ptywerful Being, whom we call God. As whai I fee a cu-. rious Clock or Engine, I prefently conclude, that it was made and con- trived by fome Artift; and (hould laugh at that Man who would offer to fay, that it was forni'd and fa- (hion'd only by Chanqe. VIII. That Miracles (/. e. wonder- full Works, furpafling the ordinary courfe of Nature and Power of Art) have been wrought for confirmation ol the Truth of Religion, is a Thing that r fhall take for granted at prefent, be- caufe Vmi. EeWgion* 13 caufe it will appear to be prov'd be- yond any juft Exception in the Se- quel of this DifcQurre: And from thence, I think, I niaymoftieafona- bly conclude, That there is a Being fUperior to Nature^ who can command and control it as he pleafes, i. e. in other Terms, That there is a God, IX. The Hiftories of all Ages, and Travellers into all Countries, do univerfally concur in this Teftiraony, That there is no Nation or People, whether learned or unlearned, but what do own tlie Being of a God. And thofe few Perfons, who have prefum'd to deny it, have ever been look'd on as Prodigies and Monfters of Mankind. Farthermore, even thofe few who have deny'd the Being of God, have ever been Men of fuch debauch'd and profligate Lives, that we have great Reafon to believe, that they firit have wifli'd that there might be no God to puniih them; and then, witliout any other Ground or Reafon, have believ'd, or rather pre- 1 \ 14 a ^erttleman'0 Part l pretended to believe, what they have wifh'd. For it is almoft ever ob- ferv'd, that when debauch'd and a- •theiftical Perfons do draw near to Death, they do either renounce their Atheiftn, own the Being of a God,r and make Supplication to* him; or, at leaft, have their Minds poflefs'd with fuch Doubts and Fears, as plain- . ly flie w that they have- ftill a ftrong Sufpicion that ttere likely may be a God, for ou^t they know, who will call thcm-to an Account for all their Wickednefe. Since tHen^all Sotts of Men, both learned and unearned, .?ind all Nations of Men, both civil and barbarous, have always own*d- the Being of a God; fince his Being has never been deny'd but by very few indefed; fince that Denial has ra- ther proceeded from their Wilhcs and Defires, than froni their Reafon and Underftanding; andlaftly, fin-ce they have not been able wholly to extin- guifli the Belief of a G^d out of their Minds> altho'-they haveerffneftly en- deavoui'd.. Part. I. Keliirfort. 1 5 deavour'd it; I conclude, That the Belief of a God in Man, is neither the tffcti of Chance^ becaule 'tis uni- verfal; nor of Ignorance, becaufe it poiTeffes the molt Learned; nor of State-Policy, becaufe 'tis recciv'd a- mong the rnoft barbarous and uncivi- liz'd People; but that there is a God, who has made all Men, and has (as a Token of his Work) jlamp'd and ejigra'u'd this his Mark and Cbara- £ler upon them. X. There is no Man of common , Senfe, who builds a convenient and goodly Stn.iilure, but he takes Care Ukewlfe to keep it in good Order and Repair after it is built. And there is no Fabrick but, in Traft of Time, ; will vifibly decay, if conftant Care be not taken of it. Since therefore God has eredted and framed this goodly Stru(5lure of the World ; and fince in fo long a Time there is no Manner of Decay to be found in it (as is ;ibun- dantly prov'd by HakewJll, in his Apology on this Subjec^l) I conclude, That 1 i6 9 (^entieman'si Part i. That God, not only made this World by his Power, but alfo gcverm it by his Providence. And for the only Objedtion, which feems to be of a- ny Force againft God's Providence^ namely, That wicked Men do often thrive and profper, whilft good and virtuous Men are opprefs'd with Mi- fery; it is moft eafily and naturally folv'd, byfuppofing(what (hall anon be prov'd) That there are abundant Rewards for good Men, and fuffici- ent Puniihments for the Wicked, to be diftributed in a Life which is to come; which will bring all Things to be equal at the laft. XI, Every Parent who begets and brings up a Child; every Mafter, who feeds and pays a Servant; every Prince, who governs and protects his Subjedis; and every Benefactor, who does any A(ft of Kindnefs for another, may very reaibnably, and do always, expetfl a Return of Love, Obedience, and Gratitude in due Proportion to the Benefits receiv'd from them. Since then 1 Parti. Eelffifom 17 then God is more than a Parent to us, for he made us and our Parents too; fince he is fo kind a Mafter, who gives us our Food, and all the Con- veniencies of Life; fince he governs and proceite us by his over-ruling Providence more effetSually than any earthly Prince does his Subjeds; and laflly, fince he is our greateft and fupreme Benefaiftor, who has given us all the Good which we poflefs and enjoy ; 1 cannot but conclude , That he expels a Return of Love, Obe- dience ^ atid Gratitude from us, (J. will not fay proportionable to the Benefits receiv'd from him, for that, perhaps, may exceed our Ability j but ) proportionable unto our Ability and Capacity. XII. That GW is wife and power- ful I gather from his Work, which I contemplate in the vifible World. And from thence 1 conclude, That be 'will fufficiently puni/h thofe Per- fans Tifho defpife bim , fo far as not to love^ tbank^ and obey bim^ accord- 1 I i8 a aetttleman'0 Part i. ing as he expeSls and requires froni them. That he is alfo good and graf cious , I gather from thofe Good Things which he has beftow'd up- on us, relating both to our Bodies and Minds. And from thence I cwi*-- elude, That he will abundantly te^- ward all thofe Perfons who fake care to pay him that Love^ Gratitude^ and Ohediencewhich he expeSis. XIII. That'thefe Rewards and Pu- nithments are not finfllly diflributed hi this Life is very evident; bec^ufe \ve often fee Men that are notOEioufly wicked, enjoy all the Pleafur^s^- and others that are corifpicuoufly virtu- ous* undergo atmoft all the Cala^ nciities of this World, even unto their Tery Graves. I conclude therefore,- That there is another Life after this in which thefe Rewards and Punijh^ mentsfhall be duly dijiributed. XIV. When a Man is once con- vinc'd that there is a God, to whorti there is a Service due; and that there are Rewards and Punifl^tnenta to be- diftri- Vtxrtf. ISLOiem^ i9 difpens*d to all Men, according as they have performed or negledled that -Service; the grand Enquiry that every Man is conccrn'd to make, is, Whathe muft do to avoid tbefe Pu- TiHhmeiitSy and to be made Partaker of thefe Rewards. . And here, I think, i may moil eafily and naturally make thefe , following Conclufions, viz^ I. He who Joes ^bat God requires from hifOy jhall not bepunifi'd but re^ '^marded. 2. God requires from every Man thai bejhould ufe his honeji En-^ deavour by all means^ toknow and underjiand his Will as perfectly as he can. For this is but Ileafon for 'every Maftcr to expe<ft from his Ser- vant; much more for fuch aMafter as God, .^'Ifa Man does his hear-^ •tiefiandh^ Endeavour^ firft to knoii\ ^ndtbentxi perform J theWillofGod\ Xjod will require no more from him. For to me it feems utterly inconfiftent : with the WiiHom of God to expeft, and with his Goodneis to require, ^aay more from a Man than Avhat he B i5 r2o a (Sentleman'iaf Part I. is able to perform ; /. e. any more than his beft and moft heirty Endeavours. XV. There are, in the general, but two ways of finding out and knowing the Will of God- The one is by the Ufe of our natural Reaibn and Underftanding : The other is by attending to that Revelation which <5od has made of his Will to the World. Here then, I conclude, //w/^ make it my Bufinefs.^ fir ft ^ to enquire Jnto the T'ruth and Reality of this Re^ ^elatii^n\ and then^ to make ufe -of that^ and my Reafon together y in or^ d^r to find out what is God*s WilL XVI. That there was fuch a Per- fon as Jefusoi Nazareth^ in Galilee^ in the time of T^iberius Ccefar^ the Roman Emperor; That he had a Company of poor Men for his Difci^ pies ; That He and his Difciples went about the Country .of Judea^ Teach- ing and Preaching ; That he was put to Death upon the Crofe, after the Roman manner , under Pontius Pi-^ i/ite, the Roman Governour oijudea \ That That after his Death, his Difciples went about into all, or moft Parts of the then known World, Teaching and Preaching that this ^efm wa« the -Chriji^ the Son of God, and Saviour of the World, and that he was rifen from the Dead, and gone into Hea- ven ; That in a few Years they con- verted a very great Number of Peo- -pie, in all Places, to this Belief; That the ProfeSffors of this Belief were •call'd Chriftians*; That they were moft cruelly perfecuted, and many Thoufands of them put to Death, and that with moft exquifite Torments, for no other Reafon, but becaufc they were Chriftians; That thefe Perfe- cutions were feveral Times rcncAved againft them , for the Space of about three hundred Years; and yet, for all this, that the Number of Chrifti- ans daily cncreas'd, and that not only Ideots and unlearned Men, but great Scholars and Philofophers, were con- verted to Chriftianity, even in the Times of Perfeoution ; All this, be- B 2 >sv^ 2.2 a fiJentlemntf^ Parti. ing merely Matter of Faft, was never yet deny'd by the greateft Enemies of the Chriftian Religion. And, indeed, thefe things are fo aT^undantly tefti- fy'd by the Hiftorics, and other Wri- tings of thofe Times; and have been fo generally r-eceiv'd for Truth; as well by the Oppofers as Believers of Chriiiianity^ by a conftant , univer- fal, and unintermpted Tradition, from thofe Days even unto this Time; that a Man may as well deny the Truth of any, or of all the Hiftorics of the World, as of this. Now, fincfc all Men generally have a ftrong Incli- nation to retain a^d Hick to that Re- Jig ion (whatever it be) in which both they and their Fathers have beea ^brought up, and no lefs an Averfioa to all caufelefe Innovations in Matters of Religion: Moreover, finceallMen, without exception, who are in their Wits, have naturally a moft earneft ilefire to preferve their Lives as long as they can, and to keep themfelves iicefrom Pain and Trouble; I think I may Parti. Eeligfdm 2jr Imay reafonably ccwiclude,.That/^^r«r' mnji have been fome extraordinary Jirong^ and even irrejifiible Motivh which could prevail upon fuch Multi-* tildes of People to forfake theirs and, their Ancejlors old Religion^ and to embrace Chrijlianity^ which then had* but newly appeared in the World, and' which in thofe Days, did feldom fait to involve its Profelytesin moft griev-. ©us Troubles and Perfecutions. XVII. That this Motive could not be the Hopes of any Profit or Ad- vantage in this Life, is moft evident ; becaufc Ghriftianity was,^ in thofe ' Days nxoft commonly perfecuted, e- veh unto Death. It muft therefore of ncceffity,^ be the Hopes of fome- Benefit or Happinefs which fliould accrue to them after this Life was at an end. And this Benefit or Happi*. ncfs could not fecm fmall and incon- fiderable to them; nor could the Hope whicl\ they conceiv'd of it be weak, or doubtful : For there is fcarce any Man, or ever was, in the World, B 3 -^ wl^o -4 a Gentleman's Part I. \v :\o would run himfelf into certain Mttcry and Perfecution, even to the lofing of bis Life, . only upon a w^ak and aoubtful Hope offomeJhiaHznd inconjiderable Beneftt or Happinefs to be enjoyed in a Life to come. I con- clude therefore, That the Primitive Cbrijiians were undoubtedly pojfefsld with a Jlrong jS^/z^/i and moji firm Perfuafionj Tihat whofoever Jhould truly embrace^ profefs and live ac-- cording to the Chrtftian Religion in this Lifey was certainly to be made Partaker offome great and inejlima^ hie Happinefs in the Life to come. XVIIL That this Belief and Per- fuafion did not proceed from any Frenzy or Madnefs; (which fomC'- times poffefles Men with very ftrong Imaginations) is very evident j both becaufe there was fuch a Multitude of them, who exadly agreed in the fame Sentiments 3 and alfo, becaufe it appears, both from the Writings and AiSbions of the Primitive Chri- ftians, that they were Men of Rea- fon Part I. Eeffffton; t's; fon and Sobriety, and fome of them Perfons of great Learning. As evi*- dent alfo it is, that it could not pro- ceed from the Force of any Argu- ment drawn from the Principles of bare natural Reafon, without Reve- lation. For what Man in his Wits,. without pretending fome Revelation from Heaven, could ever be perfua- ded, that the embracing of the Reli- gion taught by fuch a particular Per- fon, more than another, w.ould make him happy in the Life to come ? I conclude therefore, That the Difci^ pies ^Jefus, who preached ChriJIi^ anity abroad in the Worlds did con^ vince and Jatisfy their ProfelyteSy that it was revealed by God from Heaven, that whofoever would be^ lieve on Jefus, and receive, and live according to his Religion, JJjould be made very happy in the next Life. XIX. The main Argument which the firft Preachers of Chriftianity made ufe of to convince the World that this was a divine Revelation , ' B 4 was a6 a (SeittlemanlS Part L WAS this, viz. Becaufe that Jefus in his Life-time, did perform fuch, and lb many Miracles , and wonderful Works as fufficiently fliew'd, that he had his Commiffion and Power from God ; and becaufe his Difciples (whom he had appointed to teach his Religion to the World ) for niany Years after his Death, did likewife continue to work many Miracles in the Name of Jefiis-y which fhew'd that God was with them in what they did and taught. The things by them alledg'd to have been performed by ye/us were fuch as thefe ; That he neal'd all manner of Difeafes and Di- ftempers with a Touch, or barely with a Word fpeaking; That he gave Sight to the Blind, Hearing to the Deaf, Speech to the Dumb, and Strength and Agility to the Lame and Maimed 5 That he rais'd feveral Perfons from the Dead; and that he himfelf arofe from the Dead after he had been Crucify 'd, and a Spear thruft into his Vitals , and had Iain dead Part L EelffffOlt* 27 dead in a Sepulchre unto the Third Day; And laftly, That, after his^ Rcfurredtion having feveral times ap- peared to his Difciples, and conversed with them, for the fpace of Forty Days, he was, at laft, openly, and in their Sight taken up alive into Heaven, The things alledged to have been done by his Difciples, were. The healing the Sick, the Lame ^ the Maimed, (Sc and, in a particu- lar mannerp their Speaking air Lan- guages, ^ altho' they never had learn' d them. That all thefe things were pretended by the firft Preacher^ of Chriftianity, isconfefs'd on all Hands. And, undoubtedly, they muft needs, at leaft, pretend fome thing tKat was very * extraordinary, or clfe they ne- ver could have converted fuch vaft Multitudes, under fo many Difadvan- tages as they and their Religion la- boured. That thefe things wei;e not only pretended, but really and adlual- ly performed, is, to my Opinion, un- controllably evinced from the Tcfti- B 5 niony 28 a <^etttlgman'0 Parti. T mony of the Difciples themfel ves who declared thefe things for Truth unto the World; who could not them- felves be dcceiv'd in thofe Matters of Fad, of which they pretended to have been Eye-Witnefles ; who never would go about to impofe a Lye up- on the World, by which they could propofe to themfel ves no manner of Advantage in this Life, nor (if it were a Lye) in the Life to come; who never would have expos'd themfelves to Poverty, to Racks, to Gibbets, to Fire and Faggot, in a word, to all forts of Torments and Deaths, only for the fake of a fruitlefs and unpro- iitablei Fable; who being Men of unblamable Lives, for their Mora- lity, had, doubtlefs, more Honefty and Integrity, than to affirm thofe things for certain Truths, which they muft needs know to be mere Inven- tions ; who were too many in Num- ber, and too void of Craft and Guile to combine together in framing a falfc Stpry, and none of th<^m ever to be- tray Part I. Eeligfolt* 29 tray or difcover the Cheat ; wha could never hope to impofe the Be- lief of fuch a Story upon a curious and inquifitive Age (fuch as tliat was wherein they liv'd) if it had been falfe; and therefore would certainly never have attempted it, if they had not known it to have been true; And, laftly, who, inftead of convincing fuch Multitudes as they did, muft needs have been palpably difpovered, and ex- posed to the World for a Company of lewd Cheats and Impoftors, in pre- tending that fuch and fuch things were done in the Land oijudea and Jerufalem (and done openly too, in the r ace of the World,) when it was fo eafy a matter to go or fend to the Place, to make Enquiry, and fo to find out the CJieat, if a Cheat it had been. But that thefe fame Miracles and wonderful Works did far furpafs both the Courfe of Nature, and the Power of Art, i^very evident; That they were not performed by the Al- fiftancc of any wicked Spirit, does B 6 fufli- ;o a ^etttJematt*^ Part i. lulTiciently appear; becaufe the very Intent andD.efign of them was to pro- pagate a Dodtrine in the World, which, by all, muft be allowed to teach the pureft and moft ftridtMo- rality; to which it cannot be ima- gin'd, that any Impure and Evil Spi- rit would contribute any Help. It remains therefore that thefe things muft needs have been performed, ei- ther by the immediate rower and Af*- fiftance of God, (who is both the Framer and Controller of Nature) or (which is the fame thing in effeft) by the Mediation and Miniftry of good Spirits, wjio always aft obe- diently to his Will. So that (whe- ther mediately or immediately ) it is God who is to be look'd upon as the Original and Author of all thofe wonderful Things, which were done by Jefus and his Difciples. Now then, fince God did interpofe his Pow- er to work fuch fti'ange and ftupen- dous Things, for the Propagation, and Confirmation of that Dodtrine which Part I. UeWgfOttt 31^ which was taught by Jefu$ and his- Difciples; this, I think, is a fuf- ficicnt Demonft ration, that their Do- ctrine was certainly true. For, Who can imagine that God fhould make ufe of his extraordinary Power, only to cheat and deceive the World into the Belief of a Lye? I conclude therefore. That the primitive Chrir^ fit am had fufficient Re af on to believe^^ that it was reveai'd by God from Heaven^ that whofoever would be- li eve on Jcfus^ and receive^ and live- according to his Religion^ jhould be made very happy in. the next Life-,, this very thing being the grand Point of Dod:rine, which Jrfus and his Dif- ciples taught and preach'd to the World. And if we are fure that the Primitive Chriilians had Reafon fuf- ficient to believe this 5 from hence it follows, Th^t we have fufficient Rea- fqn^to believe it aljb. XX* But Jefus himfelf being long lyice afcended into Heaven ,^ and his Difciples who firft preached the Gof- 32 a 6etttlemait'tf Parti. pel departed out of the World; here / thinky it is necejjary to enquire y to ivhoniy or to ivhaty I muji apply my felfy that (amidft the feveral Parties in the World, who all call them- felves true and orthodox Chriftians, each condemning all others but them- fel ves ) I may he truly andfurely irir form d what is the true and genuine Religion or Dolfrine of ]tinSy which I ought tc receive y and live according tOy in order to my future Happinefs. For, if I do not this, I muft either rejedt the Doftrine of 3^^i^ J , and fo lofe my future Happinefs; or elfe take it altogether upon Truft , and by Chance, and then it's odds but I light upon the wron^, and muft need^ run a very great hazard. And tho' he who is in a Miftake, and cannot tell how to help it, will, doubtlcfs, find an eafy Pardon from God; yet he who falls into Error, for want of moderate Care and Diligence to find put the Truth, has, I think, no pre- tence either to Pardon, or fo much as to Pity. ^ XXI. The PartL EelffffOlt^ 33 XXL Tht Roman Catholicks da tell me, that I muft apply my felf to the Church. This Church they define to be, that Society of Perfons who profefs Faith in Jefus Chrtji^ and live in Subjedion to, and Com- munion with, the Pope, or Bifliop of Rome. This Church, they fay, is infallible ; and not only does nor , * but cannot err in any Dodrine of Religion. Cjo then, fay they, to this Church, and receive the Dodlrine which fhe teaches; and there you have certainly and infallibly, the true and pure Dodtrine of "Jefus Chrijt. But I cannot give my AfTent to follow this their Direftion, becaufc I find fuch great Difficulties in my way as I think are infuperable; at leaft, I am fure, fuch as I am not able to overcome. For, Firfi^ Altho' it may be a certain Truth, that there (haM always be a Church, that is to fay, a Company of People, fomewhere or other, . profefling the true Chriftian Religion, as long as the World fhall lafti 34 Z^miemmi'ff Parti: laft; yet what folid Proof can be brought, that this particular Society of Men, who live in Communion with the "Pope, or Bilhop oi RomCy are alone the true Church, and fhall always keep and maintain, amongft them, the true and uncorrupt Do- etvinc of JefusCbriJ}? This Matter •being a Queftion of Revelation, and pofitive Inilitution, is uncapable of being prov'd by any Argument drawn from Natural Reafon.. And, as for the Texts of Scripmre which they alledge, it is even ridiculous to think, that any fober and unprejudiced Per- fon fhould be convinced by them; (as will evidently appear to any one who impartially reads what the Ro^ mijh andProteftantDivineshave writ- ten on this Controverfy:) For there are none of thofe Texts, but are fair- ly and naturally capable of another Interpretation; and muft be very much ftrain'd and wrefted to make them countenance the Romijh Doc- trine. Befides that, the Divines of the Church Part I. IBizUstaru 35 Church of Rome do generally teach^ That no Man can be fure of the Au- thority or Sence of any Texts of Scri- pture, (efpecially if ir appear to be any way doubtful) except he receives the Propofal and Interpretation there- of from this their Church, which •they fay is infallible. So that a Man muQ: of neceility believe the Infalli* bility of their Church, before he cait any way be fere of the Credit , or even of the Sence, of thofe Texts of Scripture which they bring to prove it. Arid then, what need is there of : Scripture- Arguments,to prove a thing' which muft be acknowledged before the Argunients can have any force, or even bea$ nuich as certainly un- dcrftoodj ^and if they tell me, That ' theFathers and ancient Chriftian Wri- ters do teftify thus much of the- Church of Rome ; I can only fay, ' that the Proteftant Divines (whofeem to me to be Men of as much Learning and Integrity as the Romijh) do de- clare that it is &r ptherwifer Hot- haVQ: 36 3 iSentlcman'g Part I. have I Skill enough in Language and Antiquity, to take upon me to judge ofthis Difpute. Neither do I under- stand, by what Authority the Wri- tings of thole Perlbns, who are ac- knowledg'd to have been ilibjedl to Errors, Ihould be obtruded on me as a Rule of my Faith, or as fufficient Argument to determine my Aflent in fo weighty a Matter. Secondh, Sup- pofing, but not granting, that in the Church of Rome the true and pure Doctrine of Jejus Chriji was pre- ferv'd^ yet itill it is granted, that particular and private Men, who live in the vifible Communion of that Church, may teach falfe and corrupt DocSrine. Here then I demand. How fliall I certainly diftinguifh the Do- ftrine of the Church from the Opi- nions of private Men? Andhowfhall I certainly know what is the true Meaning of the Church's Dodlrine? They of the Church oi Rome arenot agreed who it is that has Authority lo declare and expound the Dodrine of Part I. HelffftOIt. J7 of their Church; whether it be the Pope, or a General Council, or nei- ther alone, but both together. Or If they were unanimous in this Point, yet how (hall I know whether fuch a particular Perfon, who pofTeffes the Chair, be a true and lawful Pope, or fuch a particular Afiembly, a true and lawful General Council? Or, Suppofe they could fatisfy me in this Demand, yet there is no Council now fitting, nor, if there were, could I go to them, or to the Pope, to re- ceive Inftruiflion; nor can the Pope, or a Council, be at leilbre to iatisfy the Demands of every private Enqui- rer. How tiien can I be fure that this or that particular Perfon docs both rightly underftand, and faith- fully propofe the Doctrine of the Church to me? Efpeciallyfince there have been , and ftitl are , eminent Members of the Cliurch of Rome, who have accus'd each other of cor- rupt Do£trine, and even of Herefy it felf. But, I'birdly and Laftly, There do 1 33 a Gentleman's! Parti. do appear to me to be much ftronger Arguments to prove that the Church of Rome has aftually err'd, and cor- rupted the DoArine of Jefus Chrijiy ( in the cafe of Tranfubftantiation , and fome other her Tenents) than any that can be brought to prove, her to be infallibk. And, until I can be otherwifeconvinc'd, Icannotbut con- chidcj That to follow the Guidance^ of the RcMiian Churchy is not the nva^ to embrace the true and pure Doc-^ trine ^ Jefus. XXII. Some there are who tell me, that, to find out the true arid. genuine Dodlrine of Jejus^ I rauft have recourfe to the Tradition of the Church: And thus they fet forth the Matter. Firjt^ They fuppofe that the triie and genuine DoiStrine of jfe-^ Jus was undoubtedly taught by his' Apoftles and firft Difciples. Secondly^, That if any one did, or (hould have gone about to fpread any falfe or fpu- rious Doftrine, whilft thefe Apoftles- and Difciples were yet alive, ^ They who- Parti. iJtCttBtOlL 39 who were fcnt on purporfe, by y^fus^ to preach his Ho&iinCy and werp own'd, 2gnA fabmitted to accordingly by all Cbriftian Churches, both could and would immediately convince all Churches of the Falienefs and Spu- riottfiiefs of fuch- pretended Doftrine. thirdly. That the Dodrine of Jefm being in all Churches publickly and *conftantly taught and preach'd, every iiicceeding Age and Generation muft needs know, and could not poffibly be ignorant, what their Fathers and immediate Predeceflbrs own'd and taught as (uch. F(?i/r/^/y, That there- fore, if, at any time whatfoever, any new or fpurious Dodtrine was, or £boaJd be vented, by any Perfon or Perfons, as the Dodlrine oijefus^ all Chriftians mull prefently know, that this was none of his Dodtrine, be- caufe it was not taught them as fuch by their immediate Predeceflbrs. Fifthly^ That therefore it is impofli- bie that any new and fpurious Doc- trine could ever be broached in the* World, 40 Qi CmiemarC0 Parti. "World, as a part of the Doftrine of jfefuSj but it muft needs meet with great Oppofition: For all Chriftians <lo maintain, That it is a Sin to teach, or knowingly to own , any thing as the DoiSrine of JeJuSj which is not really fo. SixtbJyj That however fome Men, out of Pride or Intercft, may own and contend for any fuch novel Doftrines, yet it is impoffiblc that any fuch Dodrine fhould ever come to be univerfally received -by the whole Church, except we could fuppofe, either that the whole Church fhould join together to involve them- felves and their Pofterity for ever in a Sin; or elfe that a few Men, who firft Ihould vent an Opinion, could fo impofe upon the whole World, as to make them believe, that what they all may know to be a new and up- ftart thing (becaufe they received it not from their Fathers and Predccet- fors ) was a part of the ancient Do- ftrine oijefus^ which was all along, . from Hand to Hand delivered down to Parti. 3ReIf0fon; 41 to them : Both which things arc ab- furd to conceive or imagine. And Lafilyy That no part ofthe Doftrine of y ejus once delivered, could ever be obliterated, or wholly forgot in the World; becaufe every Age of Chrirtians, from the very firft, who undoubtedly receiv'd the whole and entire Doctrine of y?/«j, knew them- selves to be indifpenfably oblig'd , both by God's Command, and alfo by that Love and Charity which they owed to their Pofterity, to teach the fame full and entire Do<5lrine which they receiv'd, unto their Children, and thofe who were to come after them. Go therefore to the Church ( that is to the Church of Rome, fay the Papifts, to rheUniverfal Church, /. e. to all ChrJftians, fay fome Pro- teftants) and fee what are the Do- i^lrines which are, and have been uni- veifally maintain'dj of whofe Begin- ning no other Account can be given, bat th-^tj ejus and hisApoftles taught them to the World: And there you have J I ■ have the entire and xme&crvkpt&A Do- ctrine ofy^/us. But to this I ar^wer. That, indeed, whore there is anuni- verfal^ or a very large and general Tradition concerning any thing; and wh«?e, from the nature of the thing itfelf ^ it appears to be highly latic^ nal and probable, that tibere is not, or could not be, any Error ox Mi- ilake in the Matter; in fuch a cafe as this no Man, I think, but an ob- ilinate Sceptick, wiU effer to with- ftand the Evidence of fuch a Tradi- tion, But, let a Tradition t>e ever fo general, orevenuaiverfal; yet, if It can be fliewn, that there is not on- ly a poffibility,. but alio a feir likeli- hood and probability, that therem^ be a Miftake in the bujfinefs: rhcp, I think no Mancanjuftly bcblam'd, ' if he reftifes or fufpends his Aflent, until the Teftimony of fuch a Tra- dition be cjear'd, and vindicated from tbofe rational jRrcjudices and Excep- tions-which may lie againll it. !N5>w, . if it were fc^ thatiaUErcocs^d.Mi- flakcs Parti. Ueliffion. 43 ihikes did ever immediately appear in their perfed Form, ai^d full Growth, at their very Beginning; then it were nioft rational to conclude, that all Men miift needs take notice of their firil Appearance; and confequently, that, in all likelihood, any fuch Er- ror muft needs meet with many more Opponents than Abettors. But, on the contrary) it may well be fuppos'd that Errors may have fprung up in the World, from iuch fmall Beghi- nings, and by fuch How and unper- ceivable Degrees, that, after fome Ages, itmay beimpofliblefor aMan to difcover them to be Errors, except he has fome other Rule, befides Tra- dition, to tiy them by, viz. either the Rule of common Rcafon, or fome ancient and unaltei'd Writing. As for Example; Is it not rational to conceive, that, in the firll Ages of Chriftianity, they who preach'd and writ popular Difcourfes, might very innocen dy, and to good puipofe, make ufeof Rhetorical Flights, and Figu- C rativc 1 44 3 iSentleman'0 Part i. rative Expreffions, to ftrike the Fan- cies, and move the Affedtions, of the People to Virtue and Piety ? And is it not likely enough, that thofe who came after them, might not only ftrive to imitate, but alfo to out-do them in bolder Flights, and more ftrain*d Schemes of Expreflion ? And is it not alfo probable enough, that, in long Procefs of time. Ignorance, generally over-fprcading the face of the World, and being joined with a profound Veneration for thofe ancient Preachers and Writers, might begin to interpret fome of thefe Fuietorical and Figurative Expreffions in a Lite- ral and Logical Seni'c ; and then con- ceive, that fuch their Interpretations were really and truly the ancient Do- d:rines delivered down to them r Efpe- cially if we confider, that there may have been fome Men of great Power and Repute in the World, who might have taken a Pride and Delight, or whofe intereft it might have been to amufe the People with myfterious No- tions Part f. EeHffimn 45 tions and Fancies, and to ke^p them ignorant of the Truth. And thu^. it appears -to be, not only poffrble, but alfo probable enough, That Errors and Miftakes as to the ancient Do- drine oijefus^ might come to be ge- nerally recciv'd, without any con- fiderable or notorious Oppofition gi- ven to them ; or that fiich Oppofition might foon be fupprefs*d and over- rul'd by the Power and Reputation of fuch prevailing Men. From all which I cannot but conclude, That tho the general T'radition or 7V- ftimony of the Church may be a good Help^ yet it may not alnvays be a cer-- tain Rule, to lead me into the e?itire and unaltered DoSlrine (p/* Jefiis. XXIII. Others there are, who tell me. That, to find out the true and entire Dodlrine oijejus^ I muft apply my felf to the Holy Scripture j that is to fay , to the Books commonly caird the Old and New T'ejiament. And becaufe I look upon this to be the rigl>t Way, I fhall briefly and C 2 plainly r 46 9 ©entUman's Pani. plainly deliver my Thoughts, Id re- lation to thefe Books. And firft, of the Neiij I'ejiament-^ That the New "Tefiament, as it was extant in the Grcf/i Tongue, hasbeeneverunlver- fally own'd by all Chriftians, as con- taining a true (tho' fome deny it to be a full ) Accountof the [^ifeand Dodrine oi'Jefus, is a thing fo notorious, and fo univerfally acknowledg'd, that I cannot find the leafl Ground or Rea- fon to queftion it. Now, the Hi- ftory and Dodtrine ofjefus being fo well known unto the firft Chriftians, by the Preaching of the Apoftles and Difciplesj and they being fo ready, upon all Occafions, to lay down their Lives for the Truth of Chriftianity ; it cannot be imagin'd, that ever they would (o readily and univerfally re- ceive and own fuch a Book, if it had contain'd any thing in it which was diflbnant from that Dodtrine which they had receiv'd. It is confefs'd in- deed, that fome of thofe Books which make up the Volume of the New Te- Jiameni, , RJar 'art I. Rta'0fOIT. 47 ftamenf, {that is to fay, the Epiftle to the Hehreivs^ that o? St, James ^ the Second of St. Peter, that of St. Jnde, the Second and Third of St. John, and the Revelations) were notfofoon, and fo unverfally rcceiv'd rhronghout the Chriftian Churcli, as the reft of the Books were. The rea- fon of which, apparently, was not. That thefe Books contain'd any thing in them contrary to what was deli- ver'd in the other Books of the New 7'eftament , (for he that reads the whole, will plainly find, that there Fs a very compleat Agreementbetween them; the only feeming Difcord, of St. Paul's Juftification by Faith, and St. James's Juftification by Works, being exaftiy and fully reconcil'dby confidering, That St. Paul means no other Faith, but fuch as worketh by Love, Gal. 5. 6. and St. James no other Works but fuch as proceed from Faith, Jam. 2. 22.) but becaufc it was not at firft univerfally known, who were the Authors of them. C 3 Which 1 i 48 Z ^etttleman'0 PartL Which abundantly (hews the Care . and Caution of theChriftian Church, in not being hafty to receive and ad- mit any Books, as authentick Records of their Dodlrine, without very good ► Warrant for fo doing. And there- fore, fince thefe fame Books were, in a very little time after, received, and own'd to be of equal Authority with the reft of the New T'eftament^, I can- not but from thence conclude. That thofe Churches, which, at the firft, doubted concerning thofe Books, did foon receive moft full and ample Sa-n tisfadlion in that Matter, froqri thofe. who had before receiv'd them.* IcoH'^ elude therefore, That the Book oftbt New Teftament, as it was extant in the Primitive I'imes^ in the Greek. T^onguey did contain a true uiQCpunt ^ oftbeDoffrineofJtfus. XXIV, That innumerable Copies of the New I'ejlament were, in a ve- ry little time , difpers'd through all Places where Chriftianity was plant- ed 5 That it has been, at different Times, B^ut I. Eeltffion* 49 Times, and in very diftant Places, traiidated into all (or almoft all) Languages; and that Copies, both of the Original, and many of the fe- veral Tran Ilations, have been preferv'd with much Care, in a great many di- ftant parts of the World, is allow'd by all, and deny'd bv none. From whence I think we may gather, fir/?. That where the, generality of the Greek Copies of the New Teftamenc do agree in the very fame fVords, there ws hai}e undoubtedly, the true and autbentick Words of the New Teilament. For, altho' feme Mi- ftakes might creep into fome Copies, either thro' the Wickednefs or Negli- gence of fome particular Men ; yet, where fo many Copies of a Book have been fo carefully preferv'd, and in fuch diftant Parts of the World, it is not to be imagin'd, that the felf- fame Error, in any Expreffion, ihould ever be propagated thro' the generali- ty of them. Secondly, That ivhcn the Words or Bxprejfons of divers C 4 Greek 1 I I J 50 a ©entteman'js Part i. Greek Copies do differ one from ano- ther -y yet if the Senfe and Meaning be exaSlly the fame in all^ or almofl all\ there we have certainly the true Senfe and Meaning of the New Te- ftament. For it is eafy to apprehend, that a Trafifcriber might, by a fmall Miftake, put one Word or Expreflion of the fame Signification, inftead of another: But that the fame Senfe fhould be punftuaily preferv'd in all, or almoft all Copies, is not to be imagined, except it were the true Senfe delivered from the Beginning. thirdly ^ That if there may be found any different Readings in divers Co-- fies of the NewTeftament, which dif agree in Senfe as well as in Words ^ . ( which fcarce ever happens in any- thing which is accounted a material Point of Religion) then it feems to be mojifit and proper to admit of that Reading and Senfe which beji agrees with the Tenour of the whole \ with the ancient efi and beji ejieem'd T^ranJ^ lationsr, and with the evident Prin-- Part I. EeK0!Olt* 5 1 ciples of found Reafon. ^nti if any Place be fo obfcure^ as that none of • thefe Ways ivtll afford any Light in- to its Meaning, then I think that no firefs ought to be laid upon it in any neceffary part of Religion. XXV. Butfome will demand, How we are fure of the Senfe and Mean- ing, evenofthofe Places of the A^fw 1'e/iament, where there is no diffe-. rence about the Words? In Anfwer to this, I have already lliewn (§2r.) that we are not to follow the Gui- dance of the Church of Rome, to know the true Doftriiieof yc/i/j ; nor ~- therefore, confequently, to know the true Meaning of the New ^cjiament, in which his Doftrine is own'd tube contain'd. Ihavefliewnalfo, (§22.) That tho' general Tradition may be a good Help, yet may it not alwayfi be a certain Rule to lead one to the unakcr'd Dodtrine of fefus\ nor therefore, confequently, to the true and genuine Interpretation of thcA'pTy T'efiiment. Since thertfore there is C 5 ncJ 5^ a ®ettttettiatf0 Parti. no other way to be found, I condadey That the New Teftament is to be in-^ Urf^reted the fame way that other Btoks are j that is , by confidering the Senfe and Propriety of the Worck^ and Sentences, and the ordinary Fi- guil^ of Speech, as they are commoa- ly us*d in the fame Book, and in o* thers written in the lame Language, and about the fame time; together with the Scope, Drift, Coherence, and Occafion of the Difcourfe. ^q lohich end J every Man that isjearn^ edy being bound to ufe his beft Endea- vour to know the Will of God (as I have {hewn, § i4») is obligdy accord^ ing to the Meafure of his Learningy to confult Lexicons^ Commentators^ and ancient Writers^ and to ufe all other IlelpSy that he may both fa- tisfy himfelf, and alfo be able to in- form others. XXVI. But perhaps I (hall be told. That when a Man has done all this, to the beft of his Power, yet, after all, he may be miftaken; as it ap- pears Part I. RfUgtes. 55 pears that many Learned Men irc; fince they oppofe and contradiS one another abcMit the Meaning of the New J'ejiament. To this I anlwer^ That fincc I have ibewn (§ 3. ) that all neceflary things (whether as to Be- lief or PraSice) in Religion^ are eafy to he anderftood ; 1 muft from hence conclude, Thzt a fober and bonejl En^ quiver cannot eajily be mijiaken in the Interpretation of tbcfe Places of the New Teftament icbich do ccntain any neceJTary part of Religicn. And as for other Parts and Pallages of it;. ifMen would be but peaceable, (which is plainly enough commanded in the New Tejiament) their Miftakes about them could do no harm. And, again;. Since I have fhewn, (S 14.) That God requires no more from a Man, but his beft Endeavours to know and perform his Will ; I do hence con- clude, That ^ a Man be mijiaken hi his Interpretation^ even cf any fucb place as 'contains fome necejfary part of .Religion 'j yet^^ if this mijiake be ■ ' ■ C 6 pureJy 54 SI ©entlemau*jJ Parti, purely an Error of the Underjiand- iigt and does not proceed from any NegkSi or wilful Fault of the Per- fon fo mi flaking; God will never be offended -with him for it. And then, What Hurt can there be in fuch a Miftake as this? XXVII. But it may be demanded. What fliall they do to find out the Meaning of the A>w T^efiament, who do not untkrftand any thing of the Greeks which is the only authentick Language of this. Book ? Which is evidently the Cafe of much the great- efl part of Mankind. 1 anfwer, That he who is ignorant of the Greek Tongue, being yet obhg'd to ufe his befl Endeavour, (§ 14.) rnujl do the hefl he can by reading fome Tranfla^ tion or Tranflatiom of it \ (or, if he cannot read himfelf by hearing them read;) and by ajking and enquiring from fuch of his Acquaintance as be hclievei to be Perfcns of Sincerity and Knowledge, to know what is the Senfe and DoBrine of the New Teftament, and Part I. Eelitjioit. 55 and the Will of God therein contain' d. And, fince God requires no more from any Man, but his beft Endea- vour, (§ 14.) it follows, That if fuch a Man he mijiaken, and cattnot help if, God will not be oferided with him neither for it. XXVIII. And one thing more let me add, for the fake of thofe who are not Ikill'd in the Greek Tongue, •viz. That fince there have many Tranflations been made of the New I'ejf anient, moil of thcin by Perfons well Ikill'd ill Languages, of good Repute for their Honefty and Inte- grity, and who could not but know before-hand, that their Tranflations would be narrowly fifted and exa- min'dby Learned Men; {which muft needs make them careful to commit as few faults as they could;) and fince all thole things which God re- quires from Men mull: needs be eafv enough to be underflood ( § 3.) and therefore eafy 10 be tran Gated and ex- prefs'd in any Language; I cannot 1 but 1 56 9 ©inmcman*0 Pan i. but conclude, That a fober and im- partial Knquirer may be very •wellaf- fitr'd of the DoBrine a/'Jefus, even Jrom the T^ranJlaUom oj the New Teftament, tho' he does not imder- jiand the Greek Original. And, for as much as 1 can underltand of the Matter, if Men did (land only upon the honeft and downright Senfe and Meaning of plain Places, (which on- ly can give us good Affurance in Re- ligion,) and would not quarrel about critical Niceties in fuch Texts as are eoiifefi'edly obfcure, I" believe there is Icrace any Tranflation of the New Te* /lament fo defedive, but might be a fufficient Guide to any fober Man, to lead him to the Dodlrine of J ejus. -XXIX. Having thus fpoken what 1 defign'd of the New T'e/lernenf,, I come to fay fomething of the Old. And here, that the yeit's in the Days of Jefus had among them- ;i Book written in Hebrew, and fome fmall part of it in the Chaldee Tongue, which, we now call the Old Tejiar- Ji Parti. Eettfffon. 57 menf, which they call'd the Ho/y Scripture, and efteem'd as the Word of^ God, is a thing beyond Difpute. That this Book was own'd and ac- knowledg'd, quoted and referr'd to, and all People exhorted and encou- rag'd to iearch and ftudy it, as the Word of God, both by JeJ'us him- felf, and alfobyhisDifciples, ismoft evident to any one who reads the New Tejiament. Froni whence I muft conclude, That the DoBrine of that Book, (It it was then extant^ is to be efteem'd as part of the DoSirtne ©/"Jefus; and that thofe Laws and Commands which are there to he found, are to he kept and obfervd by ail Chrijiians the Followers of Jc- fus; except where it can be Jhewn that Jefus has freed us from the Oh- ligation of them. XXX. Moreover, fin ce this Book, has been tranflated jnio as many Lan- guages, and as many Copies of the Original have been carefully kept,, in diltant parts of the World,, as ot' 1 the 1 I I i^ 58 a ©entunian'0 Panr. the Nfw Tefiament ; I do conclude. That the very fame things which juji 710'w iverefaid cQncerning the Words, the Meaning and Way of interpret- ing the New Teftament , will hold good concerning the Old Teftament alfo, as far as they can be accommo- dated to it. XXXI. There are fome certain Books and Fragments, which among the Proteftants are well known by the" Name o? Apocryphal, to which the Papifts give the Title of Deutcro- canonical. Thefc Pieces the Papifts contend to be a real Part of the Old teftament, and of equal Authority with the other Books of it : But the Protectants will not allow their Ai> thority to be facred, altho' they grant that there are many ufeful and profi- table things contain 'd in them. Now, he that is not able to fearch into An- tiquity, for the RefoK ing of this Con- troverfyj may by another way befa- tisfy'd about it. For, (mccihtjews (from whom the Chriftians originally receiv'd. Part I. UcdffiOII. .W receiv'd the Scriptures of the Old Te- fiament) doallofthem, andeverdid, unanimoufly rejetH: thefe fame Apo- cryphal Book^ and Fragments, as be- ing no Part of their Holy Scripture; 1 think it may from hence be fuffici-, cntly concluded, That, asto theCon- troverfy about the Apocryphal Scrip- ture, the Protejiants are in the right , and the Papifts in the wrong. And yet, if the Authority of thofe Pieces were as great as the Papifts would have it, I fee not how it could make any Alteration in my Religion: For I do not find any thing in them, but what is eafily reconcilable with the l"cft ot the Holy Scripture. XXXII. But there are fome Diffi- culties which feem to arife concerning what I have difcourfed, to which it will be neceflary to give a full and fatisfadtory Anfwer. And, Firft, If all be granted that has hitherto been faid; yet, how fhall I be fure that the Book of the Holy Scriptures con- tains, not only truly, but alfo fully and I 6o a ^tntUmm'0 Part I. and entirely the Dodtrine of yefusi fo that nothing is to be efteem'd as a part of his Religion, but what is con- tained in the Scriptures. To this I might anfwer, That there are fcveral Paflages in the Scripture it felf, which do give us to underftand that the whole Law and Will of God, as far as it is needful for Man to know them^ are contained in thofeHoly Writings j (as the Proteftant Divines do fuffici- ently make appear in the Manage- ment of this Controverfy againft the Papifts.) But waving this, I think it is enough to fay, That it is noty indeed y imtoffible in it felf y but that Jeius might have made known other Particulars of DoSlriney and of the Will of God J befdes what is confgn* ed to us by the Scripture. And if any Man can effeSlually prove y that any fuch DoBrine or Precept was deh- vered by him -, I tbinky that whofoever is convinced of the Proof ought to believe that DoBriney and obey that Pruept^ which appear to befo deli- Parti. JRcIfffion, 6 1 'uer'J. But he that does bis hearty and fincere Endeavour to find out the DoSiriiie and IVill of God, delivered to Man h JeJus, and is not able, with all bis Diligence, to dijcover any more tff ttf than what is recorded in the Scripture i if he faithfully keeps and ohferves as much of it as lie is able there to difcover, it is plain that God requires no more from him, (§ 14.) and therefore certainly will not pu- nilh him for Want of any thing far- ther. XXXIII. Secondly, It may be ob- jetS-edj That in Reading thefe Books, there do appear to be feme PafTages which are in themfelves abfurd, and contrary to the plain Dictates of eve- ry Man's Reafon and Underftanding ■ and fome which are irreconcilable with one another. Now, that the boitrlnc of Jefus is certainly true, mui\ he allow'd becaufe it is con- firmed by God. That both parts of Contradiaion cajinot be true, isac- 'wledg'dby all Men: And no Man, I think. i \ I nen to hi ^ ofC H be ■ And ^H dam I: 62 a ^cntlentan'is Parti, I think, can own that for a Truth, which is contrary to the plain Didates of his Reafon and Undertlanding ; which to every Man is, and miifl be the Standard of all Truth whatfoever. For there can be no reafon why any Man receives and owns any thing for a Truth, but only becaufe he appre- hends it to be conformable unto the plain and felf-evident Notions which are already planted in his Mind. Here then it may be demanded, how it can be poiiible that thefe Scriptures fhould contain the true ^i\A uncor rapt edTyo-^ <5trine and Religion o^yefus? To this 1 anfwer: Firfi, ThsX. I cannot Jind any appearance of a ContradiBion^ throughout the Holy Scriptures, in any Point of DoSfrine, or litjle of Man- ners, but what is fo eafy and obvious to be reconciled, that no Man, I think, ofCandour and Ingenuity, but would be afliamed to objedl it. Secondly, And, as for the few Jieming Difcor- dances, which do occur in the Cir- cumjiances ofjbmc Hijiorical Narra- tions^ Parti. Eeliffton. 63 iiom; though I, perhaps, am net able to reconcile them, yet it may be that the things themfelves may not be abjb- lutely irreconcilable. But fuppofe they were, yet it is no derogation to the truth of the Hijlory, (as to the main Subjiance of it) or of the Doc~ trine contain'^ in the Holy Scrip- tures, that fome of the facred Writers have been miftaken in the Relation of fomcfmall and inconfderable Circum- jiances. Thereare feveral Hiftorians and Chroniclers, which give an Ac- count of the Life and Reign of many of oxxtVan^soi Efigland , andaltho" they differ in manyCircumllances of things, yet this was never made an Argument to doubt of the Truth of the main Hi- ftory, wherein they all agree. And why may not the Scripture Hiftori- ans be as favourably cenfured as all other Hiftorians in the World are? 'thirdly, There are many things which are above my Reafon and Underflan- ding, which 1 cannot comprehend in my Mind, nor frame a clear and di- itina 1 I i 64 a tSfentlemmi'jS Part i. ftinft Notion of; which yet I cannot fay, are contrary to my Reafonr Bc- caufe (though they are .above my reach, yet) 1 do not find that they do coritradidl any of thofe plain, and felf-evidci.t Principles which are im- planted ill my Underflanding. For Examrlt, I am not able diftindly to apprehend how the fmalleft Particleof Matter, which can be aflign'd, is yet in it felf capable of being for ever di- vided; fo diat no part of Matter, though, ever fo fmall, can ever be fo much as conceived to be abfolutely indiviiibk. And yet this is fo far from being contrary to my Ren Ion, that my Jleafbn it felf docs fully fatisfy me that the thing is fo, tho' I am not a- ble to comprehend tlie manner of it. The fame thing alfo may be faid con- cerning the neceffity of fomething be- ing without any Beginning (of which fee § 56.) Now, If I meet ivitbany thing in Scripture^ which is thus tf- bove my Reajbn, but not contrary to ity I cannot refuje my AJfent unto it. (1 mean Part I. EeI(0fOlt* 65 (I mean always, upon a Suppofition that the Words do appear evidently to carry fuch a Senfe.) For I cannot conclude fuch a thing to be impofli- ble, becaufe I do not find it contrary to my Reafon, though above it. And if it be a thing in my Apprehenfion poffible, I muft believe it to be true, when I find that God has declared it ib to be. Other things, again, there are, which are direidlly contrary unto thofe felf-evident Notions and Princi- ples, which my Reafon finds to be connatural with it felf. For Exam- jple; That a Part is equal to the Whole:, and fuch like Abfurdities. Now, if any fuch Fropojitions as thefe, which are contrary to my Reafon^ Jhould occur to me in Scripture^ I cannot pojjibly believe them to be true in a literal Senfe ; (for that were to renounce the clear Dictates of my Rea- fon and Underftanding, upon which the Certainty of all things which 1 be- lieve or know, is ultimately built; ' an4 without which, I could have no Certainty 1 L 66 a <^entumanv Partl^ Certainty of the Being of God, or the Truth of any Religion;) and there- fore I mujl needs underjland them to be meant Jiguratively. And that Fi- gure which beft agrees to fuchWords, according to the moft common Cu- flom of Speech, and is moft confor- mable to common Senfe and Reafon, I think is always to be)^p refer red. I never read any Book, to my know- ledge, but in it I found many Exprcf- fions which, taken literally and ftrift- ly, were abfurd and ridiculous; but, taken figuratively, as 'tis evident they were intended, did contain very good Senfe and Meaning. Since then the Holy Scriptures were written in fuch Words and Expreifions as were com- monly us'd among Men in Speaking and Writing, why iliould we think that Ilrange in them, which is fo ufual all other Books ? XXXIV. rhirdh. It may be ob- jeded, That this Doftrine which I have taught, leaves every Man entire- ly to his own Reafon and Underlland- ing. IPpart I. Keftgion. 67 ^ ing, tofindoutthetrueReligion, and the Way to Heaven. Now, lince there is lb great a difference betweea the Notions and Sentiments of diffe- rent Men, it muft needs follow, that, all Men being left wholly to them- felves, there muft necelfarily be great Variety, and even Contrariety of Opi- nions among them concerning Religi- on, And if God requires no more from any Man, but to do his beft Endeavour, and to chufe that way which he thinks to be the tnieft; from hence it will follow, That two Men, who are contrary one to another in the Point of Religion , may yet both be in the right Way to Heaven ; and a 7'urk, or a Heathe?i, may be faved, as well as a Chriilian, if they are but itrongly perfuadcd that they are in the right. I anfweri Firji, That if the Objed:ion means, that I leave every Man to his own Reafon and Under- flanding, without any other help, to "findouttheTruthofRellgion, it is a Miftake. For I have aflerted, That D every I *8 9 ^eittleman'^ Part i. -every Man, according to the Meafiire of liis Learning, ought to make ufe of all the Means and Helps he can, to underftand the Scriptures, and the Will of God. (See § 14. and §25.) But if the Meaning be , That Heave every Man to chufe that Religion which, after a fer'ious Enquiry, ap- pears to him to be the bejl; (which is all that I contend for:) In this I fay nomorethan whatallMenmuft, and do fay as well as I. For, either a Man muft never enquire into the Truth of his Religion at all, (and then he chufes his Religion by mere chance; and iince there are many falfe Religions, and but one true, 'tis great odds but he lights upon a wrong 'Onej) Or, ifhe does enquire, either he muft chufe that vi'hich he thinks not to be the beft; (and then he adts againft hisConfcience,) or that which he thinks is the beft; Which is what I aflert, and what every Man of Senfc profefleshimfelftodo. Secondly , As there are many Diflferences in the No- Part I. Ecliffion. 69 tions and Sentiments ofMen,concern- ing thofe things which are, in Ibme meafure, abftrufe and obl'cure; fo, on the otiier fide there are many things fo apparent, and evident, that Menwhoareiincereand unbialTed, if they have but common Senie, can never differ about them: Amongft whichj 1 think, I may reckon all thofe things which God requires of necefli- tyto anyMan'sSalvation (§ 3.) And whereas the World has for thefe ma- ny Years, found, that compelling Men to this or that Religion, contrary to their own Sentiments, has been fo far from begetting Unity of any fort, that, on the contrary, it has even diftrafted Mankind, not only with variety of Opinions, (each Party taking a de- light to thwart other,) but alio with War and Confufion: If every Maa were left to himfelf to follow what Religion he pleafes, (as he fhall an- fwer to God for his Sincerity,) it is very probable chat moft Men, having no worldly intereft to ferve by this or D 2 that 70 a ^Eiitleraan'gi Pani. that Religion, would, in time, be brought to agree in all tlie great and neceitary Trutlis of Religion; which are plain and evident to every fober and inquifitive Perfon. And as for things not abfolutely neceffary, and of an inferior fort, (as I have faid, § 26.) if Men would be but peaceable, their Miftakes, andconfequemly their Dif- ferences about them, coulddo no great harm. But if Men will ftill diifer even about the efiential and neceffary Parts of Religion, I know no Remedy for it upon Earth; but mufl: refer the Matter wholly to the Judgment of God in Heaven. 'Thirdly , I do not maintain. That he who is in an Er- ror, that is, a Turk^ or an Heathen, {whatfoever the flrength and fincerity of his Perfuafion may be,) is in as fure a Way to Heaven and Salvation, as he who is an Orthodox-Man, and aChriftian. How God will deal with thofe that are miftiiken, and cannot help it, I do not determine. AH that I would infinuate (§ 1 4.) is, That he will Parti. EeligtOtt* 7f will not punifh any Man for any Error or Miftake, which he falls into thro' a pure Defeat of his Underftanding , and not through any Fault or Negledt of his Will. But how far he will reward fuch a Perfon for his good Meaning, is more than I can telL XXXV. Fourthly, It may be ob- je<fted, That this Doftrine does, in efFedl, undermine and enervate the Force and Power of all Civil Govern- ment, by opening a way for all Ma- lefactors to efcape Punifliment, how great fcever their Crimes may be. If fiich a Perfon fhould plead thus for himfelf, That he was fully perfuaded in his Mind and Confcience, that it was the Will of God that he fhould commit fuch a Theft, or Murther, of which he is accufed ; and that there- fore, according to this Doftrine, it was his Duty, in the fight of God, to adt according to this Perfuafion; The Magiftrate who knows not the Hearts of Men can never be able certainly to difcover, but that this is a real D 3 Truth, 1 72 3 ^eiitlcniait's Part Truth, ihathewasfoperluaded. And if every Man, in all the Duties of Religion is bound to a£t according to his own Senfe and Perfuafion of Things; with whatCoufciencecan a Magiftrate punifli fuch a Perfon foj, that Fadt, which, for ought he knc it was his Duty to commit? I will iky, but that it may fo fall out, that" a Man may think it to be his Duty to commit the mofl: horrid Villanies.fince ye/us Cbri/i himCelf affures his Difct- ples. That thcTinie would come,that whofo killed them, would think he did God Service, John j6. 2. And how far God Almighty will be mer- ciful unto fuch Perfons who commit fuch Fa(5ts out of pure Ignorance, and not out of Malice, I had rather St. Paul fliould determine than 1. (See 1 7V/n. I. 13.} But to the Objedlion, ! I think it fufficicnt to aufwer, That I the Civil Magiftrate, as well as other Men, is bound toaftaccordingtothc cleareftConvidion, and ftrongefl Per- fuafion of his own Mind. If there- fore. I Psrt L EcHfflOIt. 73 lore, upon the Examination ofallCir- cumflanccs, he be well fatisfied, and really believes that fuch a Plea from a Maleiadtor is no real Truth; but only amere Trlck,and Pretence,in hopes to efcapePiinifhment; he ought to take- no notice of it, but to pronounce his- Sentence according to the Law. But- that which comes up clofe to the Ob- ie^ion, and which, I think, is the ful- left and truefl: Anfwer, is this, I'lz. TJiat the Civil Magifirate has no- thing to do to enquire or regard how the Matter jiands between God and^ the Confcience of the Tranfgrejjbr of the Law of the Land, Jo as to be there^ by any way influenced in the Faffing bis fudgment. It is enough to him,, if he be well and thoroughly convinced^, that the Laws by which he ads are no way contrary to the known Law of God, There are many Cafes where- in a Man offends highly againft the Law of God, in which the Civil Ma- gifirate has no Power to infiid any Pu- Diihment on the Offender; becaufe D 4 the. 74 3 ©EhHcmatt'S Partl.'^ the Fault which he may have com- mitted, does not, it may be, any way tend to the damage or difturbance of the Civil Society ; which, and which only, is committed to the Care of the Magiflrate. Such, for Example, are many Afts of Covetoufnefs, or of Pro- digality, and other Sins; againfl which it is not poffible to provide by any Human Laws. And, on the other fide. There are fome Cafes, wherein a Man may ftand abfolved before the Tribunal of God, and yet be very juftly condemned by the Magiftrate. Thus, for inftance,'if a Man has com- mitted Theft or Murtber, and, upon a finccre and hearty Repentance, has obtained the Pardon of his Sins from God ; yet, neverthelefs, if fuch a Per- fon be accufed, and legally conviiSfai of fuch Crimes before the Civil Ma- giflrate, he not only may, but ought to put the Law of the Land in exe- cution againft him, though he believes him to be ever fo penitent; that it may be a Terror unto others. For, if this ought Parti K'efi'Bfon; 75 ought not to be dene, every Male- faiflor, by a Pretence of Repentance, (which cannot certainly be difcover- ed by any but God,) might efcape the Lafli of the Law : By which Means all wicked Men would be encouraged to commit all Sorts of Crimes. Thus alfo, when the Children of IJ'rae/ were commanded by God to conquer the Land of Canaan-, we read how they fent Spies to make a Difcovery of the Land, that they might the more eafi- ly invade it. Now it is moft certain, that thefe Spies did notliing but what theyhadGod Almighty'sWarrant for; and yet, if they had been taken by any of the CanaanitifJ} Magiftrates,, and legally convidled of their Delign;, who doubts but that it had been law'- fulfor them to have puniflied thenij, accordingtotheLawofWar, andthe Law of Nations? For it is none of the Magiftrate'sBulinefs, to enquire who keeps or tranfgrclies the Laws of God j (fbr the Law of God extends to ma- lty Cafes, where theMagiftrate'sAu- D 5 thority 1 1 76 9 (SentUman'is Partr,« thority has notliing to do;) but they who tranigrefs the Laws or the Land, and thereby difturb the Peace of the Common- weahh,are,uponadue Con- vidlion, to be puniflied by the Magi- Urate, (without any farther Enquiry ;)^ it being his Bufinefs to do everything which appears to be neceflhryforthe Prefervation of the Weal-Publick, pro- vided that he does nothing which is contrary to the known Laws of God, who is the fupreme King and Lord of all. XXXVL But Fifthly, it will be objetSed, That whatever becomes of the Civil Magiftraie's Power, yet this Dodrine which here is taughr, muft certainly defeat and cancel all that Au- thority with which tlie Church is en- dowed and invefted. For though the Civil Magiftrate has no more to look L after but only the Peace and Prefer- vatiou of the Common-wealth ; yet furely it is the Duty of the Church to take cognizance of thofe things which are committed merely againft the Law of I Part I. Ee«0ion* 77 of God. But how can the Church' call any Man to an Account for any Sin or Tranfgreffion, when a Man' maypleadforhimfelf,Thathethought it was his Duty? which Plea, if real- ly true (and who but God can dif-- prove it?) is fufficient, according to- this Doctrine, to juftifie him be- fore God; and confequently to in- demnifie him from all Cenfures of the Church. To this I anfwcr, That the Authority of the Church {;. e. of a Chriftian Society) is twofold, mz. Either that Authority wherewith it is invefted immediately by God, or that which is conferred on it by the Civil Laws and Conftitations of the King- dom or Commonwealrh. The latter of thefe is a Civil Authority, though exercifed by Ecclefiaftical Perfons, be- cauie it is derived altogether from the Civil Power; and therefore, theCon- fideration of it muft be referred to what is but now faid touching tlie Ci- vil" Magiftratc; But as-for that Au— thcarity which is^iven to tlieChoichri U 6. immcr- I \ 78 9 (Seiitteman'fS Part immediately by God; it is evidently no more than this, viz. An Authori- ty to preach the Gofpel, and to per- fuade Men every where to receive itj and an Authority to exclude thofe Men out of the Society, {that is, out of the vifible Communion of it) who do not profefs the true Chriftian Faith, and live according to the Chriftian Law. Other Authority than this does not appear to be given to the Church by God. And nothingthat I have faid, does in the leall tend to abridge them any way as to the Esercife of this Power. T/je Church may and ought to preach the Gofpel, and perfuade Men to embrace it. And however any Man may be excufed before Gody by invincible Ignorance, yet be is not i» be fuffered in the vifible Communu of the Church, if he does not belli and live as a Chriftian. XXXVII. Sixthly, It may be ol iedted, that I have feveral times in thi Difcourfe made ufe of a Diftinftioj which DirtintSion isneverthelefsren) der!d I Part I. EEltfff on, jt^ der'd altogether ufeleis and imperti- nent by ihe main DtTign of the Dil^ courfeitlelf. The Diftin6tion is be- tween Tieceffary Matters of Rehgion and fuch as are mt tieceffarv^ (which is referred to § 26. and elfewhere.) But if no Man can be obhged in any Matter of Religion, any farther than to do his heft Endeavour, from thence it muft follow, That all Things arc alike neceflitry in Religion. Forwhat- foever is within a Man's Power, ac- cording to this Doftrine, is neceflary for him; and whatt'oever is not with- in his Power is not necelTary; fo that. the very fame thing may be neceflary in refpetfl of one Man, and not ne- ceflary in refpedl of another; which confounds the DiiHndtion and renders. itufelefs. Tothislanfwer, That^/ things nccefj'ar-^ I mean all fuch as it- w a Sin for a Man to be ignorant ofy, if the Knowledge of thevi be within bis Power, Such as are, That JeJ'us is the Son of God^ That God is to be worjhipped^ &c. By things not nccef- My, 1 I fary^ I mea?i^ fuch as a Man is n^V obliged fo much as to fearcb after^M I the Ignorance whereof jh all not be ac- counted Jinful before God^ although it might have been in a Man's Power to have known them. Such are a great many curious Speculations, which Di- vines do trouble themfelves and the World with ; which they themfelves do yet confefs, are iiot neceflary to a- ny Man's Salvation; andconfequent- Iv, which a Mnn is no more obliged to trouble his Head with, than with any Problems, either In Geometry, o] Natural Philofophy. XXXVHI. Seventhly^ It may obiedted, That this Doftrine mufb needs encourage Men to continue in their Ignorance, and not to take any Gare or Pains to inform themfelves- concerning the Truth of Religion, or any of the Duties of it. For, Why fhould a Man take any Pains to get more Knowledge, (which will, tt may be, bring Trouble in the Praftice of k,) whea Ignorance is-no manner o^ Bar, °3 Fart I. EeWfffOM. 8r .Bar to his Salvation; For, let himr but live according to the Knowledge which he already has, and God, it feems, requires no more from him. To this I anlwer, That for a Man ta- il^ according to the beft of his Know- ledge^ icill not fer'ue bis turn; ex* cept he has ufed his beft Endeavour^ by all Means-, to know and underjiand- the Will of God as perfeWy as he can^ . (as I have {hewn all Men are bound to do, §14-} Which, though it JG a Comfort to thofe who are ignorant, and cannot help it, yet is no manner of Encouragement or Excufe for thofe whofe Ignorance is their own Faula or Neglect. XXXIX. My Reafon having thus brought me to embrace the Chriftian Religion, and direfted me where and how to feek for the particular Do- ftrines of it; it follows now that I ihould put this Speculation into Pra- flice; that I fliould fearch the Scrip- tures with allthediligencelcan, and ietmy Mind with all its Faculties on > work. 1 §2^ a ^mtumm's Han n. work, to find out,, as? much as I am able of the Will of God, that I; may! the better conform my felf unto II This, with God's help, Idefignfpee- dily to do: And the refult of mf Thoughts (hall be publiihed to the World, if what I here write prove ac- ceptable.. But, in the mean time, I think it not improper here to addfome general Conjiderations y which maf Jerve as Rules and Guides to me^ or to any other Per/on^ who fhall' fct himfelf upon fuch an Enquiry; to di-* reSt our "Judgeme^its aright ^ to the true DoStrine of Chrijiianity^ and to keep us from all Mijiakes about it. XL. Kr/?,, Then, I take it for granted, That the Chriftian Religion, is calculated for Men of Reafon and- Underftanding, that is. That it is fit- to fatisfie and convince every fober* Man, who ferioufly confiders the Ar- guments on which it relies j and is not led aftray by Paflion, by Preju* dice, or v/orldly Intereft. That this is fo appears very evidently from hence; becaufe Part I. EcHgfOlU 83 becaufe both "Jefus and his Apoftles do appeal to the common Reafon and Underftandiugs of Men, to judge of what they taught. Tea, and why, even of your Jehes , judge ye not what is right ? fays y^'fuSy Luke 1 2. 57. Prove all things, hold fafl that which is goodj fays St. Paitl, 1 1'heff'. 5. 2 1. Be ready alicays to give an Anjwer to e- very one that ajketh you, a Reafon of the Hope that is in you, fays St. Pe- ter, I pet. 3. 15. Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether' they are of Cod, fays St. John, i Job. 4. I. Hence then I concludcj Ths^tthere can be nothing in the Cbrifiian Reli- gion, which co?itradi£is the clear and evident prittciples of Natural Rea- fon. For othcrwife, a rational Man couldnot beaGhrillian. (See §33-) XLi; Secondly, It appears plain tome, that the Chriftian Religion was calculated, not only, nor chiefly, for Men of great and deep Learning; but alfo for thofe of ordinary, plain, and mean Capacities ; that w Vo ^■s.-^ ., 1 I I J ^H Lear ^4 9 Gentleman's Part That there is nothing necdTary ii Chriftianity, but what may be as well underftaod by every ordinary illite- rate Man, as by the greateft Scholars^ If this were not fo, it would not be poflible for an unlearned Man to be as good a Chriftian as one that is learned: Whereas the contrary is moft apparently declared in the New 'Tefta- ment. J thank thee, O Father, be^ caufe thou baft hid thefe things from the Wife ani^ Prudent , and haji re- vealed them unto Babes, fays ^efus , ili'i7//,6. II. 25. Towhieh, the Words ofSt. Prta/ do exatSly agree, i.Cor. r. 19. to Verfe 7. of the fecond Chap- ter, And the fame St. Paul gives us a Caution, That Philofophy (hould not corrupt our Chriflianity, Co/. 2. 8. And warns Timothy againfl: Science, faljely fo called, 2 Tim. .6. 20. But there is nothing fo much as intimated throughout the whole Bible, that Philofophy, or any other Humane Learning will qualify a Man ever the better, to become a Chriftian,. I con-s. 1 Part I. tension. «5 I confefs, indeed, That, as things ftand at this time in the World, it is highly convenient that the Teachers and Preachers of Chriftianity (hould be conpetently fkill'd in Humane Learning; that they may be the bet- ter able to defend their Religion, and the Purity of it, againfl thofe who ufe fo much Art and Skill either to corrupt or oppofe it. But where a Man fets up, not for a Teacher, but only for a true Believer, it is evident, from what has been faid, that he has no need of Scholarfhip; but only of a plain and fober Underflanding , to make him capable of all neceflary Jn- ilrudion for a good Chriftian. Or elfe, Why (hould the Gofpel be preach'd fo particularly ta the Poor^ Matth. n. 5. who are commonly il- literate ? And how ihould the Poor in this fVorld become Co rich in faith, as St^awa tells us. Jam. 2.^. From, whence I think I may conclude, That all J'ucb Do£iri)ies, the Underjiand- isg and Proof wberecf depend either- 1 I ^6 a ©ElttlCman-Ei Parti. on tbefubtile Speculations of humane Philojhphy , or the Niceties and Cri- ticifms of Grammatical Learnings or the curious Knowledge ofHtftory and Antiquity , are not to be ejieemed as neceffary Parts ofChriJliainty. XLII. thirdly. It is no lefs evi- tlent to me, that the main Defign of Jefus, and of his Dilciples, whom he lent to preach the Gofpel , was, to make Men not wifer, as to Matters of Speculation, but better, andmorevir- tuous as to their Lives and Anions. Knowledge puffetb up; hut Charity edijieth, faith St. Paul, i Cor. 8. i. Thus alfo. Chap. 1 3 . of the fame E- piftle, hegivesustounderftand, that the Gift oiTongues and of Prophecy, the Underftanding of all Myjieries, and all Knowledge, and Faith, are of no value before God, without Chari- ty, And that by Charity he means, a Life led in the Pradlicc of Virtue and Piety, fufficiently appears by the fequel of that Chapter. The fame St. P^k/ tells us. Tit. 2. 13. that the Grace i. Grace of God that bringeth Salvati- on, hath appeared unto all Men \ (Eor what end? To make them more wife, more learned, or more lofty in their Speculations? No fuch thing: But,) teaching us, That, denying Ungodli- nej's, and worldly Lujls, we Jhotild livefoberly, righteoiijly, and godly in this prejent World; and to omit a multitude of Texts, which might be alledged in fo plain a Matter, I ihali only add what we are told, Kom. 2. 6, &c. That God will render unto eve~ ry Man according to his Deeds, &c. Which is a plain Demon ftiat ion, that it\s OUT Deeds, that is, our Praftices, our Lives and Converfations, that we are chiefly oblig'd to take care of. I grant, indeed, that God may, if he pleafes,commandthings that are pure- ly Ceremonial, and (uch as have no manner of Influence upon Virtue and Morality, as undoubtedly he did un- to the Children of Ifrael : And if he does command any fuch things, 'tis certain that we owe Obedience to them r I L 88 a tScitHeman'sf Part i. n them by virtue of that Authority which God has over us. He may alfo reveal fuch Truths as are merelv ipe- culative, and have nothing praiftical in them: And whofoever is convinc- ed of any llich Revelation, is undoubt- edly bound to give his Aflent to the things fo revealed, altho' they arc be- yond the reach of his Und^rftanding; (as I have faid, §33.) But from what I have here faid I think I may con- clude, That fince Virtue and Morality are undoubtedly the chief Tiejign of Chrifianity, they ought to ba chiefly regarded and attended to by all Chri- fiians. Nor ought any thing which is purely Ceremonial, or Speculative, to be reckon'd as a neceffary Part of Cbrijlian Religion; except it appears very evidently that God has revealed, or commanded it. Very evidently, I fay: For, when a thing is conceived in dark and doubtful Expreflions, it is very liable to be miftaken j and he that is guilty of fuch a Miftake, ,can very hardly be charged with a Fault. XLIII. Fourthh Parti. UEligiou. 89 XLIII. Fourthly, That the Know- ledge of God Almighty, Iiis Attri- butes, and his Law, may, in part, be gathered from the Light of Nature ( antecedent to any Rtvchi tlon ) is evi- dentfrom Rcafon; and acknowledged by St. Vaul. For the irwifible things of him from the Creation of the World ere dearly f ecu, being underjiood by the things that are made; even his eternal Fewer and Godheady Kom. i, 20. (SeePCa], 19, i.) And -when the Gentiles, ivhkh have 7iot the Law , do by Nature the things contained in the Law, thefe having not the Law, are a Law unto themfelves; which Jhew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, their Confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their I'houghts the mean while accufng or elfe excu- ^ngone another,Rom.2.j^,j^. Now, although all things relating to Religi- on, which may be known by the Light of Nature, are, I think, again repeated, and farther explained by the Holy Scripture: Yet becaufe it may be r I 'ar^lB 90 9 (SctttlemanV P: be that this will not appear fo plainly to every one, I think it necefTary here to note , That we are obliged to give our jiffent to thofe Truths, and our Obedience to thofe Laws of Religion •which ive are able to dlfiover by our Natural Reafon, although the fame Jhould not appear to us to be again re- peated in Scripture. For, for this ve- ry reafoii St. Paul pronounces the an- cient Gentiles to be "without Excufe, becaufe that ivhen they Anew GOD^ that is, had forae Knowledge of him by their natural Underflanding , they glorijied him not as GODy by owning and obeying him, Rom. 1.20, 21. &c. •And what is it elfe, but an Appeal to the natural Notions of Mankind, when he exhorts us, That whatjbever things are true, 'whatfoever things are honefl, lohatjbcver things arejuji, whatfoever things are pure, whatfo- ever -things are lovely ^ whatfoever things are of good report, if there be anyVirtue^ and if there be any Praife, ive Jhould think on thefe things, Phi- lip. 4. 8. XLIV. Part r. 3Reliffioit, 9 1 XLIV. Fifthly, He that writes a Treatife upon any Subject, whatfoe- ver he has a Mind that his Reader fliould particularly obferve, and be convinced of, he will be fure to lay it down plainly, as a main Conclufi- oni nor will he fail (if he be dif- creei) as often as occafion requires, to repeat and refer to it, that the more Notice may be taken of his Meaning and Defign. Such things as are men- tioned only occafionally and collate- rally, and not as any part of the mqin Subjea of the Difcourfe, are not al- ways expfeffed with fo much Care and Exaftnefs, but that often even the meaning of them may be mifunder- ilood. Nor can we be always cer- tain what is the true Senfe and Opi- nion of a writer, from fuch acciden- tal Expreflions; (which fometimes may be ufed figuratively, fometimes by way of Allufion or Accommodati- on, fometimes with Reference to the Capacity of People, without any Re- gard to the literal Truth of them) ex- E cept ^ \ I 92 3 ^sctttioiwm'sf Part r. cept hegivesiislbme farther Explica- tion of his Mind. From whence I think I may conclude. That the ne- ceffary DoBrines and Precepts of the Chrijiian Religion, are not to be ga~ ther\i from thofe collateral and oc- cafional Exprejftotis which are Jcat- terd up and down in the Scriptures, but from the main Scope and Dejign cf the whole Bible in general, and of each Book of it in particular. XL V. I have thus briefly and plain- ly^iven, I hope, a rational Account of Religion;, and of Chniftianity in general. If I find that what I have liere writ is likely to do any good in the World, I Ihall proceed with God's Afi'iftance, todrawoutandpub'ifha particular Account of the Do(9:rines to be believed, and Duties to be pra- -dlifcd, by aChriftian. FINIS. @@@@@©@@@©@©©@» m GENTLEMJ N's religion: Part II. and III. IN WHICH rhe Nature of the Chriftian Reli- gion is particularly enquir'd in- ' )fo, and explam'd. E 2 J (95) n ONTINUATION Gentleman's Religion. Part II. I P I tHE Holy Scriptures be- I ing the only authentick 1 Record that I am able to find of the Chriftian Rel^ion, I take it for granted, that they do ex- prefs divine Matters really and tru- ly as the things are in them/elves: And therefore I cannot but believe, that all the Dodtrine therein deliver'd is moft certainly true, altho' many times I am notable tounderftandthe Dcfign and Meaning of fome Expref- E 3 fioos g6 a ®etttItw»n'S Partir. lions and Paflages which do occur therein. I think it indeed to be very proper, that Men of any reafonable Learning and Prudence fhould mo- deftly offer their Thoughts to the World in order to the explaining of fuch Places of the Scriptures as ap- pear to be abftrufc and difficult: But he who fpeaks his own Words ( and not tfiofe of Scripture), ^an'fbefeiii only offer his own Apprehenjions \ to which no Man can be oblig'd to ful>- fcribe, any farther than as he is in his own Rcafon conviftc'd of the" Truth of them, and their Cofifpaan- , cy widi the Scriptures. II. I do not apprehend that arty im- plicit Faith is dtie to the Church of Romey which challenges it, (Part I. § 21.) much lefs fure to ainy other' Church, which does not require it. When^ therefore, any Churchy much more when any private Men do offer me any DoSlrine of Religion in their own Wordsy I think I ought to confi^ dery Firft, Whether what they fay is Part n. Eeftffffltt* 97 is intelligible : For tho' we may be oblig'd to believe fuch things as are above our Underftanding to compre- hend, (Part I § 33,) yet it is impof- fible for any Man to give an explicit Aflent to any Eorm of Words, if he. does not know the meaning of them. Secondly, whether it is agreeable to the j elf -evi dent Principles ofRea^' jpn ; for, if I apprehend it to be o- therwife, . it is im poflible for me to be- Heve it, (Part I. § 33.) Nor muft any Text of Scripture be interpreted above the level of plain and felf- evident Reafon, whatever the literal Senfe may feem to be. Andy Third- ly, whether the T'ruth of it can be provd by any folid Argument^ ei- ther from Reafon or Scripture; for tho' a Do<a:rine be both intelligiblfe and poffible, yet ftill it may be falfe ; and therefore is not to be bcliev'd ex- cept it can be prov'd. Thefe Rules I have endeavour'd ftri€lly to obferve in the Trial of thofe Dodrines which I. am now about to propofe; and I E 4 defire 98 a iSeiitlfman's PartH/^ defire my Reader carefully to make ufe of the fame, in the Examination of all that 1 fliall offer unto him. But here I mail defire him to take notice, that 1 do fuppofe him to be well ac- quainted with the Holy Scriptures, and alfo with the common Arj^u- ments, upon which the feveral Par- ties of Chriftians do ground and main- tain their Opinions: And therefore, for his Eafe, as well as my own, I ihall fave my felf the labour of men- tioning fuch Arguments and Places of Scripture, as are ufually brought to prove thofe Points, which are general- ly acknowledg'd by all Chriftians; and even in thofe Points which are controverted between different Par- ties, I {hall ordinarily think it enough to hint at ibme of thofe Texts and A r- guments which are us'd on either iide ; of which I can fcarce fuppofe any Man to be ignorant that is but moderately acquainted with the Prin- ciples of Chriftianity, and the fevei-al Parties that profefs it. III. ro Part 11. Eeft'fi;iott> 99 III. 7*0 believe -what God make! kfjowfiy and to do what he covimands, is what all Men call Religion : But things that are impofllble, 'tis cer- tain that God requires from no Man. C Part 1. § 14. ) PFhen therefore Damnation is denounc'd in Scripture againji thofe who receive not the Gofpel, it tnuft needs be underjiood. only of them in whofe Power it was to have receivd it; and not of fuch who are invincibly ignorant; either for want of Capacity, John 9, 41. oc ofthe means of Knowledge, John 15^ 22. But for a Man who has both the Capacity and Means of Know- ledge, thro' Negligence to continue in Ignorance of God's Will, myRea- fon tells me is a very great Sin; be- fides all thofe Places of Scripture which do require us diligently to.feek. after Knowledge. IV. That there is a God, is fuffi^ ciently to be prov'd' from our own, Reafon and Obfervntion : But- 'fi^lfy & com^o/jend his Nature, or declare; 1 J r I 90 a tSentleman'si Parti. be that this will not appear fo plainly to every one, I think it necefliii'y here to note , That we are obliged to give our Affent to thoj'e 'truths, and our Obedience to thoj'e Laws of Religion •which we are able to dijcover by our Natural Reafon, although the fame Jhould not appear to us to be again re- peated in Scripture. For, for this ve- ry reafon St. Paul pronounces the an- cient Gentiles to be ivithout Excufe, hecauje that ijohen they knew GOD^ that is, had fome Knowledge of him by their natural Underftandiiig , they glorified him not as GOD, by owning and obeying him, Rom. i.zOy 21. &c. •And what is it elfe, but an Appeal to the natural Notions of Mankind, when he exhorts us. That ivbatfoever things are true, whatfoever things are honefi, whatjbever things arejuji, wbatfoever things are pure, wbatfo- ever things are lovely , wbatfoever things are of good report, if there be any Virtue, andif there be any Praife, ivefhould think on thefe things, Phi- . lip. 4. 8. XLIV. Parti. IReHgtoit. gr XLIV. Fifthly, He that writes a Treatife upon any Subjaft, whatfoe- ver he has a Mind that his Reader ihould particularly obferve, and be convinced of, he will be fure to lay ic down plainly, as a main Conclufi- onj nor will he fail (if he be dif- creet) as often as occafion requires, to repeat and refer to it, that the more Notice may be taken of his Meaning and Defign. Such things as are men- tioned only occafionally and collate- rally, and not as any part of the m^in Subject of the Difcourfe, are not al- ways expfeflcd with fo much Care and Exadnefs, but that often even the meaning of them may be mifunder- rtood. Nor can we be always cer- tain what is the true Senfe and Opi- nion of a writer, from fuch acciden- tal Expreflions; (which fometimes may be ufed figuratively, fometimes by wayof AUuiion or Accommodati- on, fometimes with Reference to the Capacity of People, without any Re- gard to the literal Truth of them) ex- E cept ^ I 9^ a SCUtlCmau'^ Part jcept lie gives us ibme farther Explica- f'tion of his Mind. From whence I l^lhink. I may conclude, That the ne- \-ceJfary Doeirlnes and Precepts of the V^brijiian Religion, are not to be ga- yjher'd from thofe collateral and oc- cafional ExpreJ/ims which are fcat- fer'd up and down tn the Scriptures^ \ hut from the main Scope and De^gn I «*/" the "whole Bible in general, and of each Book of it in particular. XL V. I h;we thus brielly and plain- Jyiglven, I hope, a rational Account of Religion;, and of Chriftianity in general. Ijf I find that what I have here writ is likely to do any good in the World, I fliall proceed with God's Afllftance , todrawoutandpublifiia particular Account of the Do^rines to be believed, and Duties to be pra- ^ifed, byaChriftian. F i:n I S, S ^religion: Part II. and III. IN WHICH The Nature of the Chriftian Reli- gion is particularly enquired in- , and explain'd. £ z \ 1 . THE CONTINUATION OF A Gentleman's Religion. Part II. I. ^ I ^HE Holy Scriptures be- I ing the only authentick , 1 Record that I am able to find of the Chriftian Rel%ion, I take it for granted, that they do ex- Prefs divine Matters really and tru- ly as the thingi are in themfehes: And therefore I cannot but believe, that all the Dodrine therein deliver'd is moft certainly true, altho' many times I am not able to underftand the Defign and Meaning of fome Expref- E 3 fions g6 a ®entTtttt«tt^8 Rirtir. lions and Paflages which do occur therein. I think it indeed to be very proper, that Men of ajiy reasonable Learning and Prudence fhould mo- deftly offer their Thoughts to the World in order to the explaining of fuch Places of the Scriptures as ap- pear to be abftrufe and difficult: But he who /peaks his own Words (and not tfiofe of Scripture) .^tf^'/iNfmV only offer his own ApprehenJions\ to which no Man can be oblig'd to fub^ fcribe, any farther than as he is in his own Rcafon conviflc'd of the" Truth of them, and their, Confpuan- cy wi A the Safiptures. II. I do not apprehend that arty im- plicit Faith IS dtie to the Church of Rome^ which challenges it, (Part I. § 21.) much lefs fiire to any other Church, which does'not require it. Wheny therefore, any Churchy much more when any private Men do offer vie any DoSlrine of Religion in their own Words, I think I ought to con/i^ dery Firft, Whether what they fay IS Part n. Eeftffffltt* ()7 is intelligible: For tho' we maybe oblig'd to believe fuch things as are above our Underftanding to compre- hend, (Part r § 33,) yet it is impof- fible for any Man to give an explicit Aflent to any Eorm of Words, if he. does not know the meaning of them. Secondly, whether it is agreeable to the f elf -evident Principles ofRea^' fpn ; for, if I apprehend it to be o- therwife, . it is im poflible for me to be- Heve it, (Part I. § 33.) Nor muft any Text of Scripture be interpreted above the level of plain and felf- evident Reafon, whatever the literal Senfe may feem to be. Andy Third- ly, whether the T'ruth of it can be provd by any folid Argument^ ei- ther from Reafon or Scripture; for tho' a Doftrine be both intelligible and poffible, yet ftill it may be falfe ; and therefore is not to be bcliev'd ex- cept it can be prov'd. Thefe Rules I have endeavour'd ftri€lly to obferve in the Trial of thofe Dodfines which I- am now about to propofe; and I E 4 defire 9^ 9 <©eutlfmau'0 Partll. defirc my Reader carefully to make ufe of the fame, in the Examination of all that I fliall offer unto him. But here I mull defire him to take notice, that I do fuppofe him to be well ac- quainted with the Holy Scriptures, and alfo with the common Argu- ments, upon which the feveral Par- ties of Chriflians do ground and main- tain their Opinions: And therefore, for his Eafe, as well as my own, I fhall fave my felf the labour of men- tioning fuch Arguments and Places of Scripture, as are ufually brought to prove thofe Points, which are general- ly acknowledg'd by all Chriftiansj and even in thofe Points which are controverted between different Par- ties, I Ihall ordinarily think it enough to hint at fbme of thofe Texts and Ar- guments which are us'd on either fide; of which I can fcarce fuppofe any Man to be ignorant that is but moderately acquainted with the Prin- kciples of Chriftianity, and the feve^a^ parties that profeis it, le leverar m Part II. Ecligioir. 99 III. T'o believe what God makef known, and to do what he commands; is what all Men call Religion : But things that are impoflible, 'tis cer- tain that God requires from no Man, ( Part I. § 14. ) When therefore Damnation is denounc'd in Scripture iigainji thofe who receive not the Gojpel, it mufi needs be underjiood only of them in ivhofe Power it was to have receivd it-, and not of fuch who are invincibly ignorantj either for want of Capacity, "John 9. 4 1. or of the means ofKnowledge, 'John 15,. 22. But for a Man who has both the Capacity and Means of Know- ledge, thro' Negligence to continue. in Ignorance of God's Will, my Rea- fon tells me is a very great Sin; he- fides all thofe Places of Scripture which do require us diligently to-feek. after Knowledge.. IV. That there is a God, is fuffi;. ciently to be prov'd' from our own Reafon and' Obfervation: Buu'fully- te comJ»-e}jend his Nature, or declare^ L in all Points what he is, is l>y all J allow' d to be impojjible to us. {, I V. That God never had a Begln^ ning I think I have fufficiently con- cluded (Parti. §6.) And if the Holy Scripture had not told inc, that he is from Everlafting to Evsr- lalting, yet my own Reaion would have inferred that be is fuhjecf to no t)ecay y nor ever fjall have an End- ing, VI. The Nature of every material Being fecms neceiliirily to imply a Poflibllityofhavlng its Parts disioin'd, and feparated one from another; and confequenily, of being diHolv'd and dcftroy'd: And therefore I conclude, that the eternal God does not cotifji of Matter; and that Being which is intelligent, and does not conhft of any material Parts, I call a Spirit; And this is what I mean, when I fay that God is a Spirit. As for thofe Expreflions, the Eyes of the Lord, the Arm of the Lord^ and fuch like, which do occur foraetiraes in Scri- pture, Part II. Rcrfirfon^ TOr pture, and feem to imply Bodily rarts, it is manifeflly obvious, that they muft be purely metaphorical. VII. Our Experience does fufiki- ently teftify, that whatfoever is vi- fible to us is ever Material. Since therefore God docs not confift of Mat- ter, I conclude, that he is invifible to mortal Eyes , as the Scripture po- iitively declares him to be. And all thofe Texts which feem to fay, that he has been (ttn by Man, I think muft of neccflity be interpreted fome otJier way, viz. either, i. Of an Angel appearing in a glorious and majeftick manner: Or, 2. Of the eternal Son of God afluming a Bo- dily Appearance, as after he took cur Nature upon him: Or, 3. Of fome vifible and extraordinary Signs and Tokens, that the invifible God was there prefent in an extraordinary man- ner: Or, 4. Of thofe myftical.and hie- roglyphical Reprefentations which God has fometimes been pleas'd to make of himfelf , not to the Senfes , E 6 but L 1 02 a fSentlcman'sf Part ii but to the Imagination and Under- Itanding of his Prophets, in their ex- tatick Dreams and Vifions. VIII. Amongft all thofe things which I can conceive poflible to be done, /. f.to imply no Contradiction, I can find nothing which to me appears moredifficult, than whatGodhasal- ready done in the Scruifture of the Univerfe; And therefore I conclude,, that God can do whatfoever in its felf is poffible to be done, which is what 1 mean when I fay , that he is Almighty : Nor is there any one, fure, who will venture to fay, that God can do fuch things as imply a Contra- diaion, either in themfelves, or ta his own Nature and Attributes. IX. That God, who made all things, fhould be ignorant of any thing, appears to me moll abfurd to imagine. But when X fay, that God 7> Omnifciefit; if there is any thing, the Knowledge of which would man i- feftly imply a Contradiction, it could furely be no greater Irreverence to Part H. EeKfffon, loj lay, that God could not know, than that he could not do fuch a thing. But whether the Knowledge of a fu- ture Contingent would imply a Coa- tradidtion or not , is a very abitrule and metaphyCcal Difputej and ex- cept the contrary can very clearly be made appear^ I know not how to imagine, that God is, or can be, ig- norant of any thing paft, prelent, or to come, however Contingent. X. If God were or could be con- fin'dto, orcircumfcrib'din , any de- terminate Space or Place, it would be hard to conceive that his Knowledge and Power fliould be inijnlte, and ex- tend to all Places. But I cannot fup- pofe God to be prefent in all Places, after the iame manner as the Air is ewcry where prefent throughout its Region, or the L^ht throughout its Hemifphere, for that would imply local Extenfion; and confequently, that he were a material Being, con-- Irary to what I have faid, § 6. IButthatGod ciin in an inftant exert his i 104 a ^ntlCnWX^S Part IL his Power in any, or all Places, when- ever he pleafes, {as the Soul can on a fudden move the extremeft Joint of the Body) 19, I think, an evident Coniequence of his Omnipotence; and that .manner of ExiJflcnce where- by he is aHc to do this, I call Omni- prefencer, and this is all that'! am able to conceive, when I fay, that God is every where prefenf. XL That God is moji wife^ that is to fay, moft perfeftly knows what i& always iitteft and beft to be done, and which is the propereft way to bring what he pleafes to pafs, is an evident Confequence from his Om- nifcience," or rather indeed a Branch of it. XII. From Gk)d's Wifdom it ne- cefTarily follows, that his Coiinjel is micbang^able. For he who alters or repents of any thing, which he has once pofitively determined, plainly fliews his Forefight to be imperfeft, and his Wifdom defedive. When therefore we meet with fomc Paflages in in Scripture, which feem to fuggeft that God has decreed one thing, and yet afterwards done another; wc inufl of nece(?ity underftand . fuch Decrees to halv€ been ftot abfolute, but merely . condition&l (a Condition being in ma- ny Cafes^imply^d and fnppcs'd, where it isVnOt in Words txprefs'd.) And when he is faid to have repented of fome things which he has-done, or to have been gricv'd thereat, we mufl needs interpret fuch places in anieta- ~ phorical Senfe , with an Allufion to thofe Motions and Paflions in Man- kind; juft as Hands, Arms, Eyes, &c, are on the fame account fometimes afcrib'd unto him, tho' really he has no* fuch Members, no more than he has the Paflions which belong to. Men. XIII. I do mojt evidently find in my felf a Power to chufeat all times what I pleafe, and to determine my own Adtions as I will my felf: And this I look upon to be a greater Per- fedtion in me than if I were abfo- lutely 1 06 a ©eittlctnati'tf Part ir. ■ folutely necefTitated and determin'd by fomewhat without my felf, in every thing which I iliould do. Since therefore I derive this Perfeftion ori- ginally from God, who is the Con- ' triver and Author ofmy Being ('P^ar? I. § 7.) I cannot but afcribe the fame in the higheft degree to him, who niuft be the Fountain of all Perfec- tion. And therefore I moft readily believe, that God is a free Agent; and worketh all things after the Counfel of his own Will. XIV. How Jurtice, in a ftrift Senfe, is to be afcrib'd unto God, who owes nothing to any one , and has a fupreme and moft: ablblute Dominion over all things, as having made them purely at the Motion of his own Will, I look upon to be a nice and ufelefsDifquifition : Biitthecommon Rules of JulUce, which Men are obliged to obferve one to another, to me do appear to be fo very reafona- ble, that I cannot apprehend why any one of Knowledge and Undei fl:anding fliould. Part II. EcUfffOlt* 107 fhould ever vary from them, except thereby he might propofe either to advancehis Intereft, compafs his Plea- fure, or wreak hisMalice; neitherof which I can imagine to have any Place i n God. I therefore conclude , that God is "J lift i even according to the common Ru les of Juftice and Equity, as far as they can be applied to him. XV. Veracity to me appears to be no lefs agreeable to Reafon than Ju- ftice, if it be not rather a Part of it: And fince I am able to imagine no Jha- dow of a Reafon why God fhould de- clare any thing which were falfe; I cannot but believe that he is moft true in all that he fays. XVI. That God fliould hate thofe Creatures whicli he has made (except they by their evil Actions and Difobe- dience do deferve it ) is not to be con- ceived: And as he who loves another is always ready to pardon his Faults (efpecially if they have any way pro- ceeded only from Frailty and Infirmi- ty) upon his true and fincere Repen- tance}^ 1 tX58 a ^tttfemmt'g Part ir. tancej' fo if the Perfon beloved con- tinues obftinate or incorrigible in his TranfgrefSons, he, with all the Rea- fon that can be, forfeits that Love which he once enjoyed, and juftly incurs fuch Penalty as may be fuitable unto the Obligations which he has broken, and the Quality of the Per- fon he has oiFended. I therefore con- clode, That God has originally a Love for all Mankind^ and that he ivill be always merciful untofucb Sinners as are truly penitent -, but firiBand fe* vere in the Punijhment of thofe who go on in the Breach of bis Laws witb'^ - out J^epentance. XVII. Nor are thofe Calamities:' <chich Jo often follow us in this Lifc^ or God\s vifiting the Sins of the Fa^ thers upon the Children (which can be underftood only of temporal Af-^ flidlions,) or his piinijhing the Wicked ivitb extream and everlajiing Mife," ■ rv, any manner of Derogation y either' to bis ytifticCy or bis Love and Mercy t<nvards.Mankindy fince temporal Af:^ flitftions Fart IT. JSitU^On: rag ilidlions may well be looked on as* the EfFecSs of his Love, as being dcfign-- ed .to wean and purge us from the^ Love and Filth of ti^is World, and to make us more fit for Heaven; and' eternal Damnation (of which we have fair waraing given us, and may there- fore avoid it i£ we pleafe) is as little as can be threatened (and often is but too little) to keep us back from all manner of Sin and Wickednefsv XVIIL That fome fort of Adrons are eternally and eflentially good, that is to fay, to be approved of by every impartial rational Being (e.g. to love him from whom we derive our Ex- iftence, to perform our Promife, and fuch like) and that the contrary A6ti- ons hereunto arc therefore eflentially and eternally evil, is to me from hence fufficiently evinced, becaufc that if all Beings, which are endowed with Rca- fon and Underftanding , fhould uni- verfally fet themfclves to do thofe things which now are accounted evil, and to omit thofe things which now are. i ' ^■are efteemed good; the ConfequenC* H of this muft neceffarily be univerfaf H'Confuiion and Mifery. Now, tha^ H God loves and approves of all Adtion* y that are good, does evidently appear/ becaufe fuch Actions do tend to the general Happinefs of his Creatures, whom he loves, (§ i6.) and for the contrary Reafon it will follow, tha^ he hates and abhors all Anions thai? are evil. And this is what I meai^f when I fay. That Goii is moft Holy. ' XIX. AUp offible Excellency of^i Perfedtion that I can conceive, is reJ ducible unto thefe five Heads, viz.^ I. Perfedtion of Being , which con-' fifls in perpetual Duration, without any decay or Infirmity. 2. Perfecti- on of Underftanding, which confifts in fiich Knowledge and Wifdom as t! free from all Miftake or Ignoran< 3. Perfeftionof the Will, whichconJ fifts in a free liberty to chufe or 1 fiife without any Conftraint, or fai Necefiity. 4. Perfedlion of Power, which confilis in an Ability to do eve- ry ReliBffatt. Ill ry thing. And 5. Moral Pcrfeilion, which confifts in an inflexible Refo- lution always to do and encourage that which is morally good, and to avoid and difcourage whatfoever is morallyevil. Now, fince all thefe Pcr- feftions are in God in the moftabfo- lute manner; as I think I have (hewn in the foregoing Paragraphs, from hence it will follow, That God is moft abfolutely perfeB. XX. And fince he who is abfo- lutely perfefl can ftand in need of nothing; it muftalfo follow, that God ismoJiperfe6ily happy in Himjelf. XXI. As my Reafon does evident- ly demonftrate unto me the Being of a God, fo does it not in the leaft I'ug- geft to me any Argument to conclude, that there is any more but One God: And it is abfurd and unreafonabic to multiply Beings without any Ground or Reafon for it. XXII. That there Is a real, and not only a nominal Diftindtion between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft I j,i2 9<$ataemair0 Part%^ Ghoft or- Spirit; that they are fre- quently fpoke^a of In tlie Holy Scrip- tures in luch Terms as we ordinarily ufe when we fpeak of Three Perfons (aliho'fo(iietimestliisExpreflion,Ho^ )y Ghqft, |0r Holy Spirit, may be put to fignifie not To much the Perfon, as the Power, EffeiS, or Energy of God's Spirit;) that altho' the Son be often fpoken of as really and truly a Man, yet many things are faid of bim, wliich cannot agree to a mere Man, or to any created Being what-* foever J and that there are fuch things alfo fpoken of the Holy Ghoft, as can- ;iot be accommodated unto a Crea- ture: Moreover, that the Son derives his Being from, and always depends upon the Father, as the Holy Ghoft does, from, and upon the Father and the Son: All thefe things, I fay, in my Opinion, are not to be denied by any one who will but interpret the Holy Scriptures according to the ordi- nary Senfe and Signification of the Words thereof, and not according to his ^m nary S ■ Words Partll. RcIfgiOtT, 113 his own Prejudices or preconceived Opinions. Andaltho' the Socimaus do clearly enough expound fome of thofe Texts of Scripture, which, >vith more Zeal than Reafqn, are fometiraes ur- ged againft them.; yer, as to the prini- cipal Paflages, \vhich are alledged to prove what I have now aflerted, I think their interpretation of them not only to be harfti and ftrained (whick in a manner is ackncnji'ledged even by their own acute and brief Hiftoriai\, in the laft Paragraph .of his fecond Letter) but alfo, many times, to be utterly irreconcileableuntothe.Words and Context. And now (to explain thofe Conceptions whidh arife in tny Mind upon the Confideration of the 'Texts here hinted at, as Well as, in a Matter fo abftruJe and remote frbiji my Senfes, I am able) fince I cannot ■find a more proper Term to exprefs theDiftinftionoftbei^iaMer, 5(S«,and Holy Ghojihy, 1 call them three Per- fons; and, not knowing what other Title to give a Divine Perfon who is 1 \ ^B < H a eentumtin'& Part ii. ^^P no Creature, / call each Per/on God: ^H SuXl givetbe'T'itleQf Godinamore ^^ft tmpiMtical manner unto the Father ^^B iitfir v;r/0 the Son or Holy Gbojl^ be* ^^K caulc the Father depends on none, but ^^* Aey do depend on him: And, fince bodi my Reafon and the Holy Scrip- tures do teach me to own no more flianOneGod, I am of neceflity com- pelled to fay, that thefe Three are fa united together , (tho' in fuch a maii- |. jier as is above my UnderflandJng) as to be but One God. And altho' itar- I gues a great deal of Imperfeftion in humane Speecli, that, for want of other fit and proper Terras, we are forced to give the fame Appellation to each Perfon fingly, and to the Thre^ conjointly ; yet this does not imply- any manner of Contradiilion, asfome do objeift; becaufe, when we apply the Word God to one fingle Perfon, it has not the fame exa£i and adequate Signification, aswhen we afcribe it un- to the Three Perfons conjointly ( for that would imply that each fingle Per- fon I PartIL Eelf Blotto 115 fon were, at the fame time, the Three Perfons; and fo confound that Di- ftinftion which the Holy Scriptures do fo often and apparently make be- tween them:) And this analogical Difference, in the lignification of the Word God, will eafily folve moft of thofe Objedions which the Socinians do bring againft the Doftrine of the Trinity. And becaufe I know no better Word to exprefs that Unity which I apprehend to be between the ^hree Perfons -, I therefore fay, that they are One in EJfence or Subftance* por Unity of Concord or Confent a- lone does not feem enough to me to denominate them to be One God. And becaufe I find that the Son is /aid to be begotten, . and the Holy Ghoji to pro- ceed, or be fent or emitted ^ I there- fore make ufe of thefe Terms, with- out pretending to affign the difference between Generation and Proceflion : And altho' the Son and f he Holy Ghoji, being each of them God, are, and muft needs be, of the fame Nature, F and w 1 16 a®entlenwn'0 Panw^ and, upon that account, equa/ with the Father ; yet it is manifeft that this Equality muft be underftood with an Allowance for the abfolute Inde- pendence of the Father, and the De- pendence of the Son and Holy Ghoil upon Him. XXIIL All the Objedlions that I can remember to be made againft tbe Dodrine of the Trinity thus dated, I think, are eafie enough to be folved by what 1 have now faid, excepting Two, which muft be particularly an- fwered. The firft is taken from John 10. 33, Cr. Buttho'our Saviour did not here aflert his Divinity, when there feemed to be occalion for it, yet it will not follow, that therefore he is not God; Efpecially if we con- fider, tliat it was not always hisCu- liom to give fiill and compleat An- fwers unto fuch captious Queftions and Objections as were put to him: But fometim'es he contented himfelf only with (hewing the Ujireafonable- nefs of thofe that propofed them j (rf whi ch ^ ffPa ders 'art II. Ueft'cffom "7 which we have one Inftance Mat. 2 r. 23, iiff. and another yo/j« 8. 3, &c, and, as fome think, another, Mat. 22. 17, 6fc. And we may as well con- clude, that he had no Authority for what he did, bccaufe he did not de- clare it when the Chief Prielts and El- ders qtifftioned it, Mat. 21. 23. as ly his Divinity, becaufe he did not relly maintain it, when on that account he was charged with Blafplie- my. The other Objedion is drawn from Mar. 13. 32, But to it I anfwer. That our Saviour's Defign, in that Place, beingonly to reprefent the Day tlicre fpoken of, as a Secret not to be made known unto Men until it fhould come upon them ; that they might al- . ways ftand upon their Guard, watch " prepare for it: Let but the Word mvw be taken to fignifie maAe known (which fully anfwers the Delign of the Place, and, as it is evident, St, Paui ufes the lame Word, 1 Cor. 2. z. I determined, fays he, not to kno'a^ that is, not to make known or teach, F 2 any I 1 1 8 a Sentient an'sf Pan ii. any thing among yoUyfave]t{us Chrift, and him crucified: And then the moft natural Paraphrafe of thatPlace will be this, But that Day and Hour there is no one who Jhall or can make known unto you \ no not the Angeh which art in lieaven ; (who may be fuppofed to be ignorant of it themfclves) nor even the Son himfelf (who altho' he know^ eth all things, John. 21. 17. yet can do nothing of himfelf y but what be feeth the Father do, John 5. 19. And who fpeaketh not of himfelf, but the Father which fent him gave him com- mandment what he jhould fay, John 12. 49.) But the Father only fh all in his own time, make it known by brings ing it to pafs. And this Expofition of this Place of Scripture (which is the only Text that feems to prefs very hard upon us in this Controverfy) I am fure is much more eafy and na- tural, than many of thofe Interpreta- tions which the Socinians do advance, of the^ principal Paflages which we urge aganift them. But if any one fhall Part 11. Eeliffton^ ii9 fhall tell me, that this whole Matter concerning the Trinity, is very ob- fcure and difficult to be apprehended; and therefore that it is unreafonable to require the explicit Belief of fuch Doflrine, as neceflary either to Salva- tion or Church-communion : As to the Obfcurity, it is not to be expedled that it fliould be otherwife, fince, in this Life, we know^ but in party and prophejie in part ^ andy^^ but through a Glafs darkly^ or in a Riddlt\ as the Margin has it Word for Word from the Original, i Cor. 13. 9, 12. As to Church-communion, I fhall fpeak of it hereafter in its proper Place: And as touching Solvation, I refer my Reader to what 1 have faid, § 3. and Parti. § 14, and § 26. XXIV. Either "the Matter of this vifible World did from all Eternity co-exift together with God, or elfe it was produced from Nothing by him^ there being no Third Way to be af- figned: Now, both thefe Ways be- ing above, tho* neithgr of them coi>- ' F 3 \x^x^ 120 a ©entJeman'tf Partii. trary to my Reafon ; my Reaibn a- lone can never folidly determine which of them is the right. But the latter of thefe making moft, in my O- pinion, for the Honour of Gk)d (of whon>,as being the moft perfeiS Being, I think I ought to entertain the moft glorious Thoughts that poflibly I can^ and the Holy Scriptures fo often af- fcribing Eternity without Beginning unto God, in an emphatical manner, as his alone peculiar Attribute, I am thereby brought to believe, that the Matter of this World is not eternal, but was at jirji created by God from Nothing \ and confequently , that God can again annihilate it^ or any Fart of ity if it Ihould fo pleafe him. XXV. That God did contrive^ frame^ and fajbion this World and every Part of it, and alfo that he Jlill preferves and governs it by bis Pro-- videncCj I have formerly concluded. Part I. § 7. and § 10. And tho' every ignorant Perfon is not able to dive in- to, and fathom the Counfels of a great and Partn. Eeiiffiom 121 and Sovereign Prince ; yet this is no Argument that he does not manage and rule his Dominions with due Care andWifdom: Nor could the Making, nor can the Government of the World be any manner of Trouble to God (as the Epicureans objected) finCe he is • abfolutely Omnipotent, and needs no more but to fpeak the Word and the thing is done. XX VI. It is very evident, that the Heathen World it felf was generally and ftrongly addifted to the Belief of certain Beings (fome good and fome evil) fuperiour in Nature to Man, but fiibjefl: to, and Minifters of the Will and Pleafure of the fupreme God. But the Holy Scriptures do give us a more foil and perfed: Account of this Mat- ter, viz. that God created certain Spi^ ritual Beings^ called Angeh'y that is to fay, Meflengexs, as being fent forth by him to execute his Will upon all Occafions that he thinks fit, and par- ticularly to minifter for them who fhall be Heirs of Salvation (not that F 4 God 122 3 ©etttlcman'jS Part ii God bias any need of their Affiftance or Miniftry, any more than he has of the Worfhip and Service of Man ; but only thought fit to create them of his own good Will and Pleafure; and probably that they, as well as Man, might te Objefts for him to exercife - his Goodnefs and Beneficence upon.) But whether every particular Perfon, State, and Kingdom have their pro- per Guardian Angels appointed them by God, is not, as I can find upon any fure Grounds to be determined. But we are farther informed, that of- thefe Angels fomejinnedy and therefore kept not their firji Eftate^ but were caft down into Hell, and delivered into Chains of Darknefs, to be refcr- ved unto Judgment, the Chiefs or Prince of whom is called the Devily die great Dragon, the old Serpent, and Satan, and is, together with his An- gels, permitted by God to range to and fro in the Earthy to tempt even the Godly y but to prevail and work in the Children of Difobedience. XXVII. That Part II. Eeliffiom 123 XXVII. That an eternal Succeflioa of Men, or any other Beings, without a Beginning, is abfolutcly impoffible, I have, I think, with Reafon, alrea- dy laid. Part. I. § 6. That Man at firft was not fafhioned by any blind and undefign'd Chance, is to me very evident, as well from the wonderful Frame of his Mind, as from the great Variety, Regularity, and Ufefuhieis of all the Parts of his Body, and par- ticularly his Organs of Senfation : And that he did not at firft fpring up out of the Earth by any Force of Nature, diftindt from the Power of God, I think, needs no Proof, becauie the contrary Suppofition is not only without any Ground of Evidence, but aifo liable to fo many monftrous Im- probabilities as do render it highly ex- travagant to imagine. I therefore muft conclude, That (at the leaft) the firft Male and Female of Mankind were immediately framed and faftncned by God: and that all the refl of them %'ere and are derived from thofe two F 5 by 124 ^etmmm^^ p»tiL By the loay af natural Geruration (Cbrijl Jijus excepted, who, tho* born of a Woman, was not begotten of a Man) is the plain Voice of the Holy Scripture. XXVIIL That Man, tho* madea little lower than the Angels^ is yet by Nature far more excellent than any other living Creature, is fuffidendy apparent. The Holy Scripture tdls us, that God made Man after his own Image: But this Expreflion cannot be underftood with refpc<ft to the Shape and Structure of the Human Body (God being both incorporeal and in- vifible) but is, as I apprehend it, to be interpreted altogether with relati(Mi to thofe Faculties which are implanted in the Mind of Man, and that inter- nal Uprightnefs in which he was at firft created; which do carry in them an evident Similitude and Analogy un- to fome of thofe Attributes and Per- fcdions which are in God himfelf. That the Body of Man is made origin naliy of the Earthy by which it is nourifhed^ Part II. Eeliffion* 125 nourifhed, anil into which it is again rcfolved, is obvious to be colledted from Reafon: And if I had never been told, that God breathed into his Noftrili the Breath of Life, whereby he became a H-ving Soul, yet thofe Powers and Faculties which I find in my felf, of Thinking, Judging, Draw- ing Confequences (and thofe fome- times in a very long Train) rcflcfting back upon my own Thoughts, and determining my own Atflions as I pleafe, together with that inward Sa- tisfa<flion which I reap from doing what is morally good, tho' naturally, and to my Body painful anduneaiie; and the Trouble which I find npon the doing of any thing whicli is mo- rally evil, tho' otherwife never fo pleafantanddclighcful,wouId I think, have fufficiently taughc and afiured me,lhat there is aPrinciple within me, which, tho' united to ray Body (;ind thereby affedted with its Delights or Pains) yet is really diftindt from ic, and. of a difierent Nature and more E 6 noble I I I 1 26 a ^entleman'js Part ii. ^oble Original, which I call my SouL XXIX. That God, who has origi- nally a Love for all Mankind, § 1 6. Ihould have created any Man with an Intent to make him eternally and una- voidably miferable, is to me a Con- tradidtion : And fince, on the contra- ry, he has naturally implanted in eve- ry Man a vehement and unextin- guifhable defire of being Happy> and of always remaining fo, I cannot but conclude, that God intended Man at hisjirji Creation unto eternal Happi^ nefs. For that he fliould implant the Seed and Principle of fucha Defire in us all, whichj never fails to ipring forth and fhew it felf in every Man who comes to Years of Knowledge; and this to be only a Torment to us, without any poflibility either of fup- pfefling or fatisfying it ; is, I think, not to be conceived, except we fliould fuppofe that at the firfl he made us to be Objects, not of hi& Love, but Ha- tred. XXX. As Part II. RcIfetfOtt^ 117 XXX. As even by the Ruins of a noble Structure we may be able to give a Guefshow goodly the Building was at its firft Ereftion \ fo when I at prefentconfider how diftorted the Na- ture of Man is (his Lofts and Paflions always ftriigling with, and often get- ting the Vidory over his Realbn, which evidently was defigned for the fuperiour Faculty) my own Under- ftanding alone methinks fuggefts to me, that Man was atjirji created in a more perfeB and upright State and Condition than what he is in at pre-- fent : But how our Nature was fo far pervertedy as that all our Realbn and Endeavours cannot again reduce it to that firm and perfed: Regularity, in which we are fenfible it ought to be, and therefore have caufe to believe, that it was at firft framed by God, is what of our felves we never could have cpllefted from any Suggeftions of our own Underftanding. XXXI. Whether the fecond and third Chapters of the Book of Gemjis are I2S 9 iSenHeman*^ Partii. are all to be underftood literally, or whether an allegorical Interpretation is in fomepartstobeadmitted,! think my felf not much concerned to debate. But, which way foever we take, the plain Refult will be, that whereas God placed our firft Parents at their Crea- tion, in a State both of Innocency and Happinefs; they, by tranfgreffing his Law, and thereby incurring his Dif- pleafure fell both from the one and the other. Now, that they by their Sin, might deprave their own Na- tures, and vitiate their Conftitutions, is no way irrational to fuppofe : Aad that from the depraved Nature andvi- tiated Conftitution of Parents, divers inconveniencies may be entailed upcMi their Pofterity (who derive not only their bodilyTemper and Complexion, but frequently a)fo their Paffions and Inclinations from thofe of their Pa- rents) is what common Experience does daily teflifie. When therefore the Holy Scripture ajigns the Sin of ou/r^ ^r/i Parents^ as the Caufe of the Cefj^ rupti^ ^ Holy Sc ^^r/Pa Partll. ECIf0iom 129- ruption of the Nature of Mankind^ I fee nothing therein which is not very reafonable to be allowed. XXXII. He who grants a Favour to another, barely, and only of his own free Will and Pleafure, may, without any violation of Juftice, whenever he pleafes, withdraw that, which he is under no Obligation to continue any longer than he thinks fit, Nor is it any way to be reckoned as unmerci- ful or cruel, to ceafe the Continuance of a purely voluntary Kindnefs, if the floppingof it doesnot render the Per- fon adtually miferable, without any Fault committed by him. If there- fore God had thought fit, even for no other Reafon but his own Pleafure, to divert the ftream of hisKindnefsfrom ^Jiian; and that aliho he had continu- ^Bjd in a State of Innocency, provided ^He had not put him into a ilate of ^Unavoidable Mifery, wlio could have any juft reafon to complain, or find fault with him for doing what he fliould pleafe with his own? Much mors i^o a ^eittleman'iaf Part ii. more then will it follow that. If upon the occafion of our firft Parents Tran- greffion, and tlie Corruption of our Nature, which thereupon enfucd, God had refolved to cut us all for ever off from the inheritance of thofe Bleflings to which Man was defigned at his firft Creation, but now rendred naturally unfit for, by this original pollution; even in this there had l)een nothing contrary to the flridt Rules of Juftice or Mercy, efpecially if we confider, that all the World have ever thought it reafonable that in fome cafes, Chil- dren fliould, on account of their Pa- rents Faults, lofe fome Benefits andAd- vantages which otherwife they would have enjoyed. But adually to inflift a pofitive Punifhment upon any one ^ for a Fault which he never commit- ted, nor any way voluntarily concur- red to, nor was at all capable of hin- dering in him who committed it, be- ing fo diredtly contrary, not only un- to Mercy, but alfo to the common Rules of Juftice; I cannot but con- clude, Part II. EellfffOtt^ 131 elude; that tho the original Corrupti^ on of our Nature may be reckoned as a jujl Occajiony why God mighty if he had pleafed, ha^e excluded us all for ever from the foys of Heaven \ yet that alone is not to be a/figned as a Caufe why he will doom any Man to the T'orments of Hell^ who does not otherwife deferve it by his own adu* al Sins and Tranfgreflions. XXXIIL That by the Corraption of our Nature we are all of us mightily inclined to things that are evil and immoral is moft evident from our conftant Experience : But that we have not thereby loft all Knowledge and Power of doing that which is good, I think is no lefs apparent from the Writings and Examples of fo ma- ny brave Heathens;' who having no other divine Law but that which was written in their Hearts by the Sug- geftions of their natural Underftand- ing, yet both taught and did fo many of the things contained in the written Li^yv of God. But curioufly to di- ftinguiih 1 L IVO 1 3* 3 0t\\Xltmm'§ Part ftinguifh and affign the Bounds bc- tiveen Nature and Grace (which are both the Gifts of God ; the one in an ordinary, the other in an extraordina- ry way) and to pretend to ihew how farwemay goby the bareStrength of Nature, and where it i^: that we jurt ftand in need of fupernatural Affi- ilance, I loolc upon to be a work of very little Ufe or Benefit; but of ex- traordinary Difficulty, and perhaps impoflible for any but God himfelf, to perform. Moreover how God will deal with thofe who have no other Guide to foUowbuttheLight of Na- ture; how far he will punifh their Sins, be merciful to their Ignorance or Infirmities, or reward their Endea- vours to do good, is a Secret of which we are no way able to give any parti- cular account. Bur it may fuffice us to know that the Generation of Man- kind, by reafon of the Corruption of their Nature^ being apparently in a •worfe condition in refpeSl of eternal Salvation, than what they other-wife voul4^ flfct: n. ISitiieion* 133 loouU have been : God was pleafed to determine that he •would not dealivitb them according to that abfolute Sove~ reignty which he had over tbem^ nor according to the firiB and rigorous Rules e/'Juftice which might have juilified the greateft Severities ; but ac- cording to the Inclinations of his Mer- cy and Loving kindnefs. Of which way of GOD's proceeding with us, I come now to give an Account. XXXIV. That God might, if he had pleafed, without the Violation of any of his Attributes , have freely forgiven all the Sins of Mankind, and even reftored our Nature again to its primitive Integrity and Uprightnefs» ieems naturally to follow, both from the Abfolutencfs of his Authotity, and the Almightinefs of his Power: And even the ftrldeft Juftice, tho' it ftiUy allows, yet does not compel any one to exadt a Debt where he is the (Hily Creditor, or a Puniihment where he is the only Parry injured or offen- ded. But if God has thought p to deal 134 3 ®cntlemait'0 PartiL deal after another manner with us; and rather offers to help our Infirmi- ties y as Occajion requires^ than wholly to repair our perverted Nature ; and chufes to have an Expiation made for our SinSy rather than to remit them without any fuch Confiderati-^ on-, altho' his Will and Pleafure is enough to filence all our Exceptions, and juftify his Proceedings, yet may there fome probable Confiderations be urg'd in order to make us clearly apprehend the Wifdom of God, in the Fitnefs and Reafonablencfs of this his Difpenfation : As namely, that hereby we are or ought to be made- more continually fenfible of our con- ftand Dependence upon him, of his great Mercy and Compaflion for us, and his perfedt Hatred and Abhor- rence of Sin. XXXV. It cannot , I think , be doubted, but that at the very time of the Fall of Man, God, who is infi- nitely Wife and Knowing, and there- fore, ftands in need of no time to de- liberate, Part II. ' Eelifffom 13 s liberate, had fully determin'd what he would do in order to the Expiati- on of our Sins, and the helping of our corrupted Nature, fo as that we might be again in fome Capacity of recovering that Happinefs to which we were at firft defign'd, § 29. And that this Work of our Redemption was to be performed by the Means and Mediation of an extraordinary Perfon, who was to be fent into the World under the title of the Mef- fiah, or the Chriji y is abundantly evident both from the Old and New Teftament5 efpecially if we com- pare them and expound them one by another. But it is certain that Cbriji did not immediately come into the World; nor was there any one for fome Thoufands of Years after the Fall, who fo much as pre- tended to that Title or Office; whe- ther it were that God thought it fit, by fome previous Difpenfations, to prepare the Minds of Men for the Reception of fo extraordinary a Per- fon, 136 9 i^EtttlCman'Si Partlffl fon, or for what other reafon, I pre- tend not to determine; bnt think my felf oblig'd intirely to lubmit to the Wifdom of God, who though' jit fo to order it, that the Melliali fliould notappearuntil thatFulnefs of Time which he had appointed for it. In the mean while , although the great Light was not yet to come into the World, yet God fuffer'd it not to be wholly overfpread with Darknefs: But befides the Light of the vifible Creation , which declares the Glory and eternal Power of God ; and be- lides the natural Light which arifes in every Man's Underftanding, where- by they who have no other Law, are a Law unto themfelves, unto which their own Confcience is a Witnefs beyond exception ; God was pleas'd in a fupernatural way to re- veal himfelf unto divers Perfons (to the intent that they might teach the Knowledge of him to others) as to Enoch, Noahy Melcbizedeck, Job, and probably to many more than we read of. Partn. JEUMffiaru 137 of, (amongfl whom, why Balaam ihould not be reckon'd, I can fee no reafon ; altho' Covetoufnefs and the Hopes of worldly Advancement tem- pted him to make but an ill ufe of the good Gifts of God) and alfo to chufe out unto himfelf a peculiar People, namely, that oilfrael^ and to vonch- fafe unto them a more than ordinary Knowledge of Himfelf and his Laws, by his Servants Mofes and the Pro- phets: And laftly, by his Providence to order the Matter fo, that the Wri- tings of Mofes and the Prophets Ihould many Years before Cbnji's coming, be tranflated into the Greek Tongue, which was then the moft univcrfal Language, that by them all Nations might have the more Inftrudion, and fo be the better prepared to receiix die Meffiah, whenever he fliould be made known unto them. And for this reafun alfo it feems to be, that God fo long bt-fore the Mofaick Law, ordain'd and appointed the facrificing of Beaftsi whereby it became the common ir J 1 w J 3 8 a ®eittlCmail'£f Part n™ common Practice of the Gentiles, as well as Jews: Not that he had any Efteem or Value for the Blood of Bulls or of Goats; but only that by tliis Praftice the Minds of Men might be the more eaiily and readily difpos'd to owe and rely upon that great Sa- crifice which Chriji was one Day to make of Himfelf for them. XXX VI. There are feveral Pro- phecies difpers'd up and down thro' the Old Teflameut, , plainly dcfign'd to foretel the .Coming of the Cbriji or Mefliah, what fort of .Pcrfon he fhoiild be,, and what he ihould do and iiiffer: As that he {hould be the Seed of the Woman, of the Progeny oi Ab7-aha7t!, of the Family and Li- neage of Dai'ld, born in Bethlehem, and born of a Virgin : That he Ihould come into the World about the time that the Sceptre and the Law-giver, that is to fiiy, the Force and Power of civil Authority, fliould ceafe from the Tribe of Judah, and lliould finiih his Work in the Compafsbf the laft feven Part 11. KeHgiott. 139 feven Years of thofe four hundred and ninety, which are pointed out by the Prophet Daniel; that by many he fhould be defpis'd and rejedled, Ihould be a Man of Sorrows, and ac- quainted with Griefs, be opprefs'd and afflidled, yet bear it raoft: patient- ly, and at laft be wounded and cut off, not for himfelf, but for our Tranfgreflions. And yet for all this he is foretold to be a Perfon wonder- ful, a Counfellor, the mighty God, the Prince of peace, of the Increafe of whofe Government there Should - be no end, and unto whom the ga- thering of the Nations fliould he. Now, altho" there mayfome Diffi- culties be ftarted, as to the Interpre- tation of fome of thofe, and fuch like Prophecies, which do occur in the Old Tellament (which is no great wonder, confidering how the Jews, who are Enemies to Chriil:ianity,have endeavour'd to obtcure and perplex them) yet if we do confider tha* there is evidently a fair, confonant G . and 1 I HP 3 tSeutleman's Part ii. and reafonabic Application of all theJe Fredidlions to be made unto "Jefm of Nazarethj and that there is not, nor ever was any other Peribn to whom they could be apply'd, befides him- felf; and fmce it is not polTible for any one, but God, to foretel a tiling with (o many Circumftances fo long before it comes to pafs, I think I may very well from hence conclude, not only againil the y^^'j, who acknow- ledge, but alfoagainfl all others, who may perhaps at firft deny, the Au- thority of the Old Teftament, that Jefus of Nazareth is the Chrijl or MeJJiab, whom God had promis'd to lend into the World: And if to this we add the Greatnefsof his Miracles, and the tranfcendent Goodnefs of his Dodtrine (of which fee Part I. § 19.) I think the Argument will have Uic force of a Demonftration. XXXVII. In the holy Scriptures I find fuch things fpoken of Chrifl as do plainly (hew him to have been a fue and real Manj in all things like Partn, EeHBfoit. lit unto us, Sin only excepted: Other Expreflions alfo I find frequently ap- ply 'd to him, which cannot poflibly agree to any Man or created Being whatfoever, but only unto God; as I have already faJd, § 22. And altho' there is a plain Diilin«5tion made be- tween his divine and human Na- ture, yet is he always fpoken of but as one Perfon. Here then I know not better how to exprefs my Senti- ments, than by faying, that in the one and fingle Perfon of Chrift, there is a Conjundtion of botli the divine and humane Nature, and confcquent- ly, that Chriji is really and truly hoth God and Man. And if the fame Objeftion be made againfl this Do- (Etrine as is againft that of the Tri- nity» 'viz. that it is very obfcure and difficult to be apprehended; I fhall alio return the fame Anfwer, as I have already done to that in tlie hit- ter end of § 23 . to which 1 refer my Reader. G 2 XXXVIII. 1 J r I J42 9 ^entleman'si Paniin - XXXVIII. He who acknowledges Cbrift to be God, to be lure will al- low of his eternal Exigence , as to his Divine Nature: And, as to what toncerns his humane Nature; that he was cQnceii}ed by the Power of the Holy Ghoji, born of the Virgin Mary; and that, after fome Years ipent in preaching and doing Good, he was, thro' the Mn I ice of the Jews, and at their vehement Defire, con- demn'd by Pilate the Roman Go- vernour to be Crucified; which was accordingly done, and a Spear thruft into his Side; That being dead he was buried-, and lay in the Sepulchre unto the third Day-, upon which A^ rofefrom the Dead^ ««(^ after feveral times converfing with his Difciples for the Space of forty Days, that he was vifibly taken up from them, and received into Heaven unto infinite and eternal Glory, where he is our per- petual Mediator and Interceffor at the T'hrone of God: All this,' I fay, is fo evidently, and without Confro- verl^_ Part II. Kcliffion. < 143 verfy teftify'd by his Difciples (whofc Veracity I have aflerted. Part I. § j 9.) and recorded in the Scriptures of the New Teftainent (whofe Authority I Imve proved, Pari I. § 23, &c.) that no realbnable Man, I think, can now deny, or fo much as doubt of any Part of it: And altho' there are one r. or two Paflages of Scripture, from ^ \^ence it is infer'd, that Chriji be- -■ fond his Refurredtion A\AdeJcemiinto Hfil, yet will I not venture, nor do Iffiink it neceffary to determine whe- ther by the Woi'd Hell is meant the State of the Dead only, or the Place of the Damned; or (if the latter Sig- nification be to be chofeii) for what End and Purpofe it was that he de- fccnded thither. Only I conclude certainly, that it was not to fuffer any thing there; becaufe I do not find the leaft Intimation throughout the Scripture, of any Suffering of Chriji, which he did or was to endure, beyond the ihedding of his Blood, and yielding up his Life upon the Crofs. „ G 3 XKXVX.. I 344 3 Gentleman's Partil." XXXIX. What God might have done (had he fo pleas'd) without any other Confideration, but only by vir- tue of his own abfolute Authorityj if he has rather chofen to do it for the fake of 'Jffiti Chriji^ and in con- fideration of that Obedience, which he perform'd, and thofe Sufferings which he underwent, who fhall dare to find fault with him, or pretend to be wifer than he ? Now that it i^ for the fake o/'Chrift, and of his Obedi- ence and Suff'eringi, that God vouch- fafa to us {be Pardon of our Si>is, and makes us the Offer ofeverlajling Hap- pinejs, is fo plainly declared in many Places of the Holy Scriptures, that nothing can be more. And fince I find God's fending of Chrijl to be fet forth as an Inflance of his Love, not to fume few particular Perfons only, but even to the whole Worldi,^- and fince Chrifi is faid to have dy'dkM for all, and to have been a Propitia«»B tion for the Sins of the World, with- ' out any Exception ; I cannot but con- clude. Partn. UfHfffOli; 145 elude, that all Men who ever were, orare, orlliallbe, might have been, or may be, the better for Chriji and his Sufferings, if thro' their own dcr fault they have not, or fhall not, forfeit that Benefit which was defign'd them. And as it is not difputed, but that the ancient Patriarchs, who by Faith forefaw the Coming of Cir//?, had a Share in that Redemption which he wrought, altho' they dy'd before he came into the World; fo to me it feems to iland with a great deal of Reafon, that even thofe Perfons who never heard any thing of Chrift, ma^ yet for his fake find Mercy from God; becaufe God, who perfectly knows the moft fccret Inclinations of all Hearts, may clearly forefee that if the Knowledge oi Chriji had been propos'd and offer'd unto them, they ■would have own'd him, andXubmit- ted unto his Gofpel; which, our Sa- viour tells us was the very Cafe of Tyre and Sidon ; and for which Rea- fon he declares, that they fliould re- - ' G 4 ceive 146 a iSeiitieman'fi Part it ■ ceive a milder Doom than Chorazin and BethJ'aida in the Day of Judg- ment, Mat. II. 21, 22. And how far this may extend to all fuch as la- bour under very ftrong Prejudices, altho' not ftridtly invincible, I think that God is the only proper Judge. XL. Bat however God jnay think fit do deal with thole, who are either ignorant of, and flrongly prejudiced againft, the Chrlftlan Religion; yet the Manner of his proceeding with true Believers is plainly enough de- clar'd. All thofe who' receive and own the Chriftian Faith, are not to be look'd upon as fo many feparate Perfonsjeach of them believing fuch and fuch Dodlriness but are always reprefented in Scripture as join'd to- gether in one Society or Body, which is call'd the Church, of which Chrifi yefui is the Chief or Head ; and un- der an Obligation to live in Commu- nion and Fellow(hip one with another, under thofe Laws and Conftitutions which C6rj/? has given thcmj but Part II. aRelifffoit. 147 not, that I can find in Scripture, blig'd to join with, or fubmit to, any one Perfon, as the Vicar of Chrift^ and the vifible Head of the Church upon Earth. For if Chriji had ap- pointed any fuch Perfon as his De- puty upon Earth, he muft either have declar'd a Matter of fuch Confequence with great Plainnefs and Evidence, or elfe it would be very hard to find fault with any Man for being mtfta- ken in it: Whereas the Arguments which thofe of the Church of Rome bring to prove, either that fuch a Vicar there muft be, or that St. Pe- ter the Apnftlewas the Man, or that the Pope orBidiop oi Rome (and not the Biihop of Antioch) is tlie Sue- celfor of St. Peter, both 'in his Bi- (hoprick and Authority, are all fo weak and precarious, fo forc'd and perplex'd, and fo fully confuted by tlie Proteilant Divines, that nothing in my Opinion, but Blindnefs of Un- derftandiiig, or worldly Intereft, c'aA prevail with the Members of tlijlt G 5 Church, 1 I L ■J48 a ^eutlcman'si Pactii. ^ Church, ftill to infifl upon them. Now, that Cbriji injlituted but one Churchy in which all true Believers and good Livers, are for ever to be compriz'd is very plain. And al- tho' thro' the Miftakes and Perverfe- nefs of Man, this Church is rent and divided into oppofite and contending Parts and Parties; yet this doth not hinder but that according to its true and primitive Conftitution, it is, or ought to be one, (as a Kingdom or Commonwealth, by iis Laws and Confutations, is but one Society, al- tho' there may ariie Faiftions and dif- ferent Interefts in it) nor fhall any Man be efteem'd as a Member of the Church before God, who is not ready ^nd willing according to the beft of his Power and Knowledge, to main- tain the Unity of it, and that upon thofe very Terms, and none other, which Chriji has appointed, as near as poflibly he can find and apprehend them. Moreover, that all the Laws and Conftitutions on which Chriji has founded Part 11. RCligfOt!* 149 founded the Church, and by which he would have it regulated, are exact- ly agreeable unto the Rules of found Morality, and the Will of God, can- not be fo much as doubted; and therefore it is truly faid, that the Church is holy, altho' every particular Member thereof has both his Frail- ties and his Sins ; which yet he muft repent of, and fo become Holy as the Church is Holy, or elfe he violates one of the main and fundamental Laws, and fo becomes as it were an Out-law of the Church, and forfeits , his part in all the Privileges that be- long unto that Society. And where- as, before the Coming of Chrift, the People of Jfrael did enjoy more of the Favour of God, and had greater Privileges and Advantages, on the 'icore of their being God's chofen and Peculiar People, than any, or all other Nations of the Weld; the Gofpel of Chrift, on the contrary, now looks 'titiori all as equally entitled unto 'Cod^S Favour (and the Advantages G 6 v)nswi^ I n^o a (Seiitleman's Part ii. 'hereon depending) who take care du- ly to qualify themfelves for it. So that whereas formerly the Church (that is, the diofen People of God) might have been faid to be particu- lar, as being in a manner limited to one Nation or People ; now, on the contrary, it is Catholick, that is to fiy, univerfal, as being no way con- fin'd to one Place or Nation; all Peo- ple being equally chofen by God in Cbriji, who will receive and liveac- J cording to the Gofpel, J XLT. In thofe feveral Revelations v/hich God was pleafed to make of himfelf after the Fall of Man, unto Afiam, to Abraham, and to the Peo- ■jjle of IJ'rael, there was fliU a plain Animation given them, that in the ''time to come there rtiould an ex- %"aordinary Perfon arife in the World, who ftiould yet more clearly make known the Will of God to Mankind. But when Chrifl, who was That Per- fon, did accordingly come, and fenji his Apoftles to preach the Gofpel't^ Partll. EcIfeiOU. 15 X ver all the Earth; he neither fuggeft- ed to them, nor they unto the World, that any other Revelation was ever af- ter to be expected ; but always gave them to underfland, tkat God had in the Gofpelcompleated and finiflied all that declaration which he intended to make of Himfelf, or his Will, unto Mankind, untilthegeneral Judgment and Diflblution of the World. If therefore the holy Scripture had given me no manner of aflurance of the per- petuity of the Church; my GwnRea- fon would have been enough to make me conclude, that God in his Provi- dence will fo order the matter, as that theChriJiian Religion, being the only known and ordinary means of eternal Salvation, fiall never be wholly extin- guified while the World lafts, fo as .10 ftand in need of any new Revela- tion to revive and reftore it. ^ut that there fliall always be a certain Com- pany of Men, evidently confpicuous to the World, teaching and profefling ■the true Chriftian Jlehgion, without any ^ 152 9 ^emicman'0 PartiiP any Error or Corruption in Dodlrjne or Worfhip, is what I can no where find promiled or foretold, cither by Chriji or any of his Apoftles. On the contrary, there are feveral Paffa- ges in the NewTeftament, which do plainly feem to foretel, that, in pro- cefs of time, moft pernicious Do- dtrines and Praftices Ihould prevail and take place, even amongft the ge- nerality of thofe who (hould profefs themfelves to be Difciples of Chrift. And whofoever fhall but lightly com- pare the ftare of Chriftianity for feve- ral Centuries before the Reformation, with that Draught of it which is left us by Chcift and his Apoftles in the Holy Scriptures, muft, if he be im- partial, 1 think, be fully convinced of the truth of thofe Prediftions. XLII. Whether orno Goj^has, or docs a^ any time communicate or be- ftow any extraordinary Grace or Af- fiftance upon thofe, who are no vifi- ble Members of the Church, but alto- .gether Strangers unto that Revelation which Partll. Sclffffon. 153 which he has made of himielf, is a Queflion which the virtuousLIves and heroick Anions of fome brave Hea- thens make it hard pofitively to deter- mine in the negative. But that he will give (o much Grace and Strength to every one who fiall become a Member of Chrift'i Church, as that thereby they may (if the Fault be not their own) fufficiently qualifie themfelves for eternal Happinefs, by the Perfor- mance of thofe things which he re- quires on their Part to be doncj is what I think no Man can doubt of, who does but in general confider the Mer- cy and Love which God defigned, e- ven unto all Men, but more efpecial- iy unto the Church, in fendingour Sa- viour Chriji yejiii into the Worldj altho' there were not any particular Promifes of this Nature in theGofpel: And that this Grace andJbHity to do good is in Scripture afcribed unto the Minijlry and Influence of the Holy Ghoji upon the Hearts and Minds of true Believers^ is plain and general- 1 I 1J4 9 (Sf/it/cmairs Partii. lyownedby all Chriftians. But thai this influence of God's Spirit docs not work lb uncontrollably, but that it may be refifted, and even wholly rejedted and loft, is, I think, lliffici- cently obvious, as well from Reafon and Experience, as from thofe Paffa- ges of the Holy Scripture, wherein we are exhorted not to quench the Spirit, but to walk in, and be led by the Spirit, and the like ;■ which were apparently needlefs, and to no purpofe, if the operations of the Holy Spirit upon our Hearts were fo flrong, as that we could not chufe but comply wilhthem. Now, the thingi which God requires to be performed on !jz/rj&£7r/, in order to Life everlafting, are apparent, and can be no more but to believe thofe Truths which he has made known, which is called Failhi and to obferve thofe Precepts which he has commanded, which is called Obedience. And as I have already ftiewn, that thefe things are required froiji no Man beyond the meafures o£ poffi- Tart u. Kc[i0iom 155 poffibility, Parti. § 14. So does the Scripture moll: fully affure us, that Godwin in them, make a very fuffici- ent Allowance for the Ignorance and Frailty, and even for the Perverfeneis of our Nature, and will not only be merciful unto our Weakneflls and or- dinary Failings, but will pardon and forgive eien our grcaieji and mofi wilful SinSf upon our true and hearty Repentance, which is a Part of our Obedience : And as for the Sin againft the Holy Ghoft, which is faid to be abfolutely unpardonable, 1 do not think it needful to enquire here into the Nature and Confequence of it, but lliall refer my Reader to that ex- cellent Sermon of Dr. T'illotfon, the late Archbifliop oi Canterbury, upon tliat Subjetft. But here it is highly necelTary that we fliould all take that Caution, which both Reafon and the Holy Scriptures do give us, viz. That we fliould not prefume fo much upon God's Mercy and Lenity, as from hence to take Occafion of going oixei ■ our J r I 156 a iSeittlcman's Panir. our Wickednefs : For Kindnefs thus abufed will certainly turn into the higheft Wrath, and much increafe the Damnation of a Sinner, XLIII. I am inclined to think, that thofe Arguments which are drawn from the Nature of the humane Soul it {elf are not bythemfelves fufficient to prove that it is immortal; but, on the contrary, that the eternal Durati- on of any created Being depends not fo much upon its own Nature, as upon the Will of God who created it. But as Reafon alone fuggefts unto us, that there is a Life to come after this, Part I. § 1 3. And thui Man was at firft de- fignedbyGod unto Life eternal, (^P<7r/ II. § 29.) fo does the holy Scripture moft clearly afllire us, that they ivbo 'perform ichat God requires, Jkall be ■happy to all Eternity-, and tpey li'h do not fo, fiall be mijerabk 'without end. The Reconcilablt-nefs of which with God's Juftice and Mercy I have accounted for § 17. But wherein this Happinefs of the Righteous ihall con- part 11. iacH0fDIU 157 fift, we can but very imperfedly tell -, and whether the Punifhment of the Wickedfhall literally be in everlafting Fire, or whether that Expreflion be only made ufe of Metaphorically, to iignifie the greatnefs of the Torment, I think it not ncceflary to determine. But both my own Reafon, and feme Places of Scripture do feem ftrongly to fuggeft, that neither the Reward of good Men, nor the Punifhment of the evil, fhall be equal unto all; but greater or lefs according as they have exceeded one another in the Holinefs or Wickednefs of their Lives. XLIV. That all Men are mortal, is fufEciently teAify'd by our daily Experience: But that the Souls of Men immediately upon their Separa- tion from their Bodies, are not in a State of Infcnfibility; but are ftrait- way conveyed into a State, either of Joy or Mifery, feems very apparent to me from €r. Paul's Defire to be dif- folved that he might be with C/jn'/I ; from our Saviour's Promife unto the ■T is8 a Gentleman's Partii. Thief upon the Crofs; and from the Story or Parable of the rich Man and Lazarus; as alfo from {oitk; other Intimations which the Holy Scripture gives us. But fince ihere is, one day, tobe a generaiyiidgment of all Mankind before the Tribunal of Chrift, where every Man muft re- ceive his Sentence for eternal, either Hiippinefs or Mifery (as the Holy Scripture docs affure us) it feems not irrational tp judge, that neither the Righteous nor the Wicked do receive their full and final Portion uri^l that Judgment be pafs'd upon them. I know not dierefore how to condemn thofe who anciently took up the Cu- ftom of praying for their deceas'd Friends who had liv'd holily, and dy'dpioufly, that they might find Fa- vour and Acceptance at the general ^_ Judgment, and have their Portion of ^V Glory augmented: But I cs^n by no ^H IV^ans approve of thofe, -Avho upon ^H fuchpitifulSuggellionshaveprefum'd ^H to determine, that there is fuch a ■ ^ Place PartU. EeliBimt. 159 Place as Purgatory, where the Souls of Men are to be purg'd and fufftr a temporary Punifliment before their Admiffion into Heaven. Andaltho, I look upon their Praying for the Dead to be a Miftake, rather than a Sin, yet their taking of Money for fo doing, and raifmg fuch a Revenue upon that fund, I look upon to be a moft ungodly Cheat and Impofition upon the People. XLV, Alrho* I do not apprehend, that there is any natural Decay in the general Frame and Strutfture of this World, yet it is certain, that by the Power of God, who made it, it may, whenever he pleafes, he deftroyed and 'diffolv'd; and the Scripture af- fures us that it Ihall be fo at the time of the general Judgment ; at which time alfo there J})all be an timvcrj'al Refurre£f Ion of the Bodies of all thofe who have died, and a Change of riiofe who rtiall be then alive, ^ut whether all the fame individual Par- ticles of each Man's Body which have 1 \ i6o 3 ©entunian'0 Part ii. been laid down in the Earth, fliall be rals'd and re-uniied again to their Souls, I look upon to be a needlefs Enquiry. What St. Paul fays upon this Argument, i Cor. 15. 35. does abundantly fatisfy me; the purport of whole words I take to be this, "viz. That God, who being the Author of Nature, has given fuch a vegetative Power to a Grain of Corn, that when it is thrown into the Ground, and there macerated and diffolv'd , it fprings up again, and brings forth a Body fuitable and proper to itfelfj that that lame God, I fay, both can and will, at the laft Day, from the dead and diffolv'd Bodies of Men, raife up fuch Bodies as ihall pleafe himfelf. And as there is a continual and great Change of Particles in the humane Body between the Birth and the Grave; (o I fee not what Abfur- dity would follow, if we Ihould allow alfo that there is a like Change be- tween the Grave and the Refur- redtion. XLVI, Part II. Eeligtom 16 1 XLVI. And thus I have endea- vour'd to give a brief and plain Ac- count of that Part of Chriftianity which is purely or chiefly dodlrinal; which upon the moft ftiitS Search that I have been able to make, I think is exadly agiceable to the Tenour and main Defign of tlie Holy Scri- ptures, and no W.iy contradiftory to the Principles of plain Lind found Rea- fon. And if in many ntl)er Points of Speculation, which by iome are ado- pted into Religion, I am either whol- ly ignorant, or, perhaps, doubtful andundetermin'd, or, it may be, mi- ftaken; yet, if to the Belief which I have here profefs'd, I do fuperadd a virtuous and Chriftian Courfe of Life, I hope there is no moderate Chriftian, who does not in efFed make it a Part of his Religion to be uncharitable, but will allow that I may be faved. But wherein this virtuous and Chri- ftian Life confifts, and what are the Duties which the Gofpel obliges us all to perform (whether they are the Duties w ^ 162 a Gentleman's G?<r. Partir. Duties of pure Morality, as to love God and oar Neighbour; or thofe of pofitive Inftitution, as to be bap- tizM, to receive the Holy Commu- nion, (^c. ) is to be the Subjedt of the Third and laft Part of this fmall Work; to which, thetefore I now proceed, r (163) n Gentleman's Reliafofiftr Part IH. I. A LL the Commands of God, /\ and confequently ail the _/. i^ Duties of a Chriftian, are reducible to thefe two, •niz. Tp ab- jlain from that ivhich is fj?V, a!2ii to do that ivhich is good, according to his Ability. Thofe Attions I call good, which either are eternally agree- able unto the Nature, Circumftances, and mutual Relations of Perlbns and Things, and therefore for ever to be approv'd of by every impartial ratio- nal Being (as I have faid Part IF. § 18.) for which we muft appeal to every Man's Reafan (as we do tohis H Eves, i 164 a ^tntlt\mn'0 Part III. Eyes, without any other Demonftra- tiorr,' tcr p rove t hat tlie Suu ftiiney^or elfe are exprelly commanded by God, of his own pofitive Will and Plea- fure (to whom, as being his Crea- tures,' we all qwe an entire Oh^ediea4e) for which we muft have our recourfe to the Holy Scriptures of ttie Isfew Tefiament only;, all the pofitive In- ftitutions and Ordinances of the Mo^ Jaick Law, which were given by God to the People. of IJrae/j [being ^bro* gated, and the. Obligation of^^f them aimuil'd by our ^avioun Chnjiy al- tho' the moral Part.of it, which con- tains the Precepts and Rules of eternal pood and Evil, and wherein the yery Life and Soul of that Law confifted, , e not only abetted and confirmed, but alfo very much imprpv'd by him. And fuch Actions as are contrary to .Good, that is to fay, cither difagree- able to the Nature ^nd Circumftances of Things' and Perfons^ or elfe pofi- tively forbidden, by God, I call Evil. I am indeed of Opinion, that in the Holy FarrUI. SlfH'Bton. . 165: Holy Scriptures we have not onlytha politive Commands of God, whereby ■ ibme things which otherwife would have been indifferent, are enjoin'd or forbidden; but alfo, either in piuti- cular, or at leail in general, afuffi-- cient Account of all thofe Anions which are eternally GoodorEvil, and therefore to be done or avoided by i US} and this dcfign'd by Almighty * God for the Direction and Inftrutftion of tjiofe Men who liave ^not Ability to dive into, and difcover thofe things by the. Strength of thtirReafon. And therefore, in order to defcribe the whole Duty of a CHriilian, it might be enqugh for nie to.coljed- the Pre-' cepts and Prohibitions \^hich God has - given us in his Word, and to vouch no other Authority or .Reafan, 'bot his Will for them. But becaufe eve- ry Man's Duty will probably 'make the greater Imprefiion upon his M ind, when he is fatisfy'd as to tiic Rea-' fonablenefsof it, as well as convinc'A' of its Obligation; I fhall ends^Voulr, H 2 IS 1 i r L i66 3 Gentleman's Pan iiiT asl proceed, firft, to infer as much of our Duty as I can, from the Nature ahdCircumftancesofThingsand Per- fons; and then to fuperadd, where there b Occalion, what God has pofi- tivelv ordiun'd and commanded as to any Point; and this with the fame Concifenefs that I have obferv'd in my Second Part, neither enlarging upon thofe Arguments, nor reciting thofe Texts of Scripture, which, I fuppofe my Reader to be able to call to Mind upon the leaft Hint of them. II. To begin then : Since God is the moft perfe(fl and excellent Being in himfelf ; and fo loving and bene- ficent to Us, it follows, that lue ought to love him in the higkcji De- gree that pojjibh "we can. And true and compleat Love, as it is an Aft of one Perfon exerted towards another, as its Objeifl confifts in an uiifcign'd Defire, Firrt, Of always doing what may be truly grateful and accepta- ble to the Perfon belov'd \ and,' Se- Djndly, Of ejijo)ing and being w.ih him J Part III. EeHijiOIt. 167 him as much as may be ; the more ardent and zealoire we are in our Love ro God, the better undoubtedly it is, and we lliould flrive to engage our Affedlions as well as our Reafon and our Will unto him from whom we havereceiv'd all things: But yet this Love is not to be meafur'd, or judg'd of, by the Earneftnefs of thofe fudden Motions, which fometimes may arife within us, upon the Contemplation of God's Excellency and Goodnefs; becaufe to be thus pafjlonately af- fefted is not wholly in our Power; and fometimes leail: fo, when we moft earneflly defire it. But the true and certain Way of judging whether we love God or not, is by examining whether we are fledfail: in our Refolu- tions, and accordingly dihgcnt in our Endeavours, conftantly to obey him, and keep all his Commandments} which is the only way to ple-afe, and eonfequcntly to enjoy, and for ever be with him: And where the Love of God is thus firmly rooted in the H 3 W\K\^ ilk ----- . 1 68 a ,^entlEman'£i .Part iil . Willy and brings forth Plenty of Fruit in the Life and Adions, it. is certain- ly neverthelefs acceptable, to him, al- tho' it does potfo.paffionately move our AfFed:ions as we. could' wi(h or defire : And as all the Duties which we owe unto Almighty God, are de- rived from, and do depend upon that of loving of him, or rather indeed are contained in it; fo it. is very evi- dent, that they are allta be judjg'd of by the fame forementioa.d Rule ; that is to fay, not fo much" by jdie Strength of an inward Impulfe.upon the Mind (which is a thinjg notluyer our Corixmand) as by- the fteddy A*- greeablenefs of our Will and Anions; unto all fuch Principles as are right and good. i ; / • III, Since God Js. the moft exceU lent andperfe<3:,;and coniequently the moft worthy C(f all Beings that are or can be J from hence it will follow; that ifie ohght to honour him with the^ greateji Honour that may he^ Now^ to honour. any. Pcrfoni- is in other Part III. EeKgioit* 169 other Words, inwardly to efteem, and oiitwardly . to . fljev/ qur Refpedl to hittit Our . mwai:d- Efleem of Go J cotififls in a due Acknowledgment of his Being and Attributes; and our outward Refpe<5l to him, is to be fhewnj as weHby abftaining from all A<3:ion's which rnay favour of any TSTegled or Irreverence towards him^ as by performing all fuch as may ap- pear to be fuitable, both to his own Excellency, and our Dependance up- on him. . , . , ^ IV. Sniqe God is prefent in all Places, aud'Jc!nows]all, even the moft fccret things; and therefore cannot poffibly be deceived or impos'd on; weJhouUy on this Confideration, 6e 'very watchful and careful j upon all jOccaJionSy how we behave our felves ^n his Prefence : And, methinks, it is a moft fhameful and deplorable thing, . that Men co^nmonly fcruple^ ^ot tQ do thofe. things In the Sight of Gody which they would be afraid or afliam*d ftiduld be known, or even ' - " ' H 4 &i^"^^5jl^^ r khis Dd 170 a^cntuman'fj PaniK.^ fufpededof them,by Men like them- felves. V. Since God is moft true; fronj, ^ hence it will follow, that -we oughi to believe ivhatfoever he Jays or makfi known, how improbable foevcrother|| wife it might feem to us. But thi true Eftimate, or ilich Belief is nq to be made by the Clearnefs Strength of ourfpeculativeAflentun^ to thofe Truths, which he has prcvl pos'd to our Underjflanding {for to receive a Truth without any Doubts or Scruples, which fometimesdo un- accountably force themfelves upon lis, even in the cleared Ciifes, is not always in our Power) but rather by the conftant fiiitablenefs of our Lives unto theProfeffion of fuch Doftrines 6s we receive and own. And he who has but a weak Faith, and yet leads a good Life, altho' he is not quali- fy 'd for doubtful Difputations, is ne- verthclefs a true Believer; becaufe his Belief anfwers the main End and Delign of the Gofpcl; which I have (hewn E It III. Heli'ffiart. 17' {hewn ig be Virtue and Morality, Part I. § 42. Nor can there (for Example) be a better Evidence, that a Man does really and llitficiently be- lieve the Truth of a Life to come, than when he isinduftriousand dili- gent in preparing for it ; whatever Doubts or Scruples he may have in Point of Speculation about it. VI. Since God's Power is infinite, and his Authority uncontrolablej it follows, that li'e ought to fear him^ (and fo much the more, becaufe of our natural Propenlity toSin) becaufe he has it always in his Power to make us miferable here, and eternally fO hereafter. But he cannot be faid to fear God moil (that is, moft truly^ who is poffefs'd with the greateft Dread and Terror at the Thoughts of his W^rath or Judgments; for then the Devils, who tremble, or wicked Wretches, who defpair of God's Mer- cy, would be the heft Performers of this Duty: But he is the trueft Fearer of God, who always takes the greateft ^^^. H 5 Care 1 I I J 3172 ^ a ^entlemdn'js Partiii^ Oare not to offend him ; the Fear of hin> being never originally defign'd to torment and difquiet our Minds,. but 6nly be liich a Check upon u*i ^s to keep us indue Awe arid Obe- diebidcc .: ^ '•'*•'' ■" • •' ^'' • Vll/Since every Sill i&^nOfFenccj both againft a gracious' a'nS a powerful God, and of very dangerous Confe- cjuence to the Perfon whd commits it;* and fince nothing can poffiblybe conceaVd from Qdd, it follows, that we ought to be deeply concerned, arid truly forrowful for e'verf Sin which we commit^ and by no Means to paU liate or frame Excufes for them, but freely to own and- cmfefs T^em to Him^ But the Truth of thW Sorrow is not to be meafur'd by the Paf^ fionatenefs of "it, or tlie-Tfelrs l^v'bifcb* it produces (which thd'^ ibrte^tfnei ^ood Si'gns, yet, too bfteh produce but littie .EfFe<9:) but byi 'the -fie^ Reformation' . o£ Life that • IfetHbws i Andhe only cart be faidj^tofifvy^Ppf- j^ofe, cither to bt fbrry fbr ■ his^ Siiis; or Part III. Eelfffion^ 173 or to confefs them to God , who is careful fo^ the time to come to for- fake them. VIIL Since God is Almighty, he is certainly able; and fince he loves us, he cannot btit be willing, to do every thing that is beft and fitted for us, if we, by our own Faults, do not provoke him to the contrary : From whence it follows, that, as long as we ierve him faithfully, ive ought ^ in all our Wants and Exige?2cics to irufi -and rely upon him. And if he docs not relieve or help us in fuch a Man- ncr as we defire ; we ought to oear whatever A^idtiom we lie t-nder patiently a?id contentedly \ as well Krwwing tHat God takes no Delight IB: grieving us; but only cor i*edls and keeps us under, in order to our eter- nal Good. And to demonftrate our Truft in God, and Submiffion to his chaftifiiTg Hand; we muft never at- tcmpti by any unlawful Means, to fupply any of our Wants, or free our ifclvci from any, even the moV\ ^x\^- H6, ^^>asi r 174 90crttlsman's( Part lit . vous Preflures; Altho' at the fame time, honell: Labour and Induftry(yet ftill with Submiffion to God's Will) for the compafling of iiny thing which is lawful and good, is not only allow- ed, but commended and required. IX. But fince God is a free Agent, and fince all the Good which we have or are capable of, comes from him, and depends altogether on his Power and over-ruling Providence; we or/ji-A/ to pray to him for wbaijhcver ive Jiand in need of; and that He would blefs all our honeft Labours with Succefs. But becaufe, often, if we had the very things which we defire, they would, at the laft tend to our Hurt; and becaufe he knows what is fit for us much better than we our felves^ therefore -we ought al- ways to pray, that his Will Jliould ever take Place rather than our owrr. And fince we can have no Reafon to doubt of his Love, we ought to afllire our felves that we Ihall receive either the very things we pray for, or elfe thaL Part in. Eeliffioit. 175 that which is altogether as good for us, ifour Sinsobftrudl it not. X. And the very fame Conlide- rations which prompt us to make our Prayers to God in all our Wants, do fufKciently demonftrate that lue ought to return Thanks unto him for all the BleJJiJigs which we have received: Amcngfl which thofeAf- fii(Sions which have at any time re- claimed us from Sin, and broughtus to a Senfe of our Duty, ought, I think, to be placed in the chiefeft Rank: And the only Demonftration of a truly thankful Heart to God, is the making a pious and honeft Ufe, to his Glory, of all thofe Bleflings which we daily receive from him: Nor can there be any thing more ab- furd than for a Man to pretend to giveGodthanks with his Lips, who does not alfo do it, more to the pur- pofe, inhisLife. XI. As God's Juftice and Veracity are a Reafon beyond Exception, why ijoe JJiOuld without Anxiety depend r 76 g ^mt\tmm\*& Part iii. v» all ■ hit Promijh; ib the great Promife Which he has made us, be- ing that of everlafting Happinefs; for our more effeftual attaining unto which he has fent his Son, our Sa- viour Chri/l Je/us to fuffer for us. // is therefore accordingly our Duty to hope for eternal Salvation; that is to fay, to expedt the Performance of ■what God has promifed, and the En- ioyment of what Chrift has pnrchafed for us. But this Hope is to he flu. wh not by the Strength of our Confi- dence that we (hall be faved ( in which it is very poffib!e that a Man may deceive himlelf) but by our con- iiant Care in duly performing what ■God requires on our Parts, in order to Salvation; for he only who is diligent in doing the Work, docF, with any Reafon , expfft, or hope for the promifed Reward. ' ' XII. As TC'c arc nbli^ed' to 'praj ■untoGod for all tbatwe'wa-nt^j and to hope for eternal SalVflioh; from himj fo the holy' Scripture dlredts Partiil. Eelffffom '177 us, to ground all our Hopes ofHappi^ nejs' upon' the Sufferings of Jefus Chrift, and to offer up all our Prayers in his Namey as hoping only for his fake to be acceptjed, who is f epre* fented as our only Mediator and Inter- cefibr with God. ' Whofoever "there- Fore offers to join the Merits, Medi- ation or Interceflion of any Sainf, to- gether with Chriji J ejus ^ either to iftrcngthen his Hopes of Salvation, or to make his* Devotions more fiirely to be accepted by God; as he feems to diftruft the Mediation of Chrtjl^ as if alone it were imperfect and in- fuSipient,, fo he adls not only with- out any Warrant frorn, but' even cpn- trar)Pto, the plain Terioiir of the H(>- fy Scriptures. . ■' XllL T'hatit is abfurd toattempt,, aiid. impoffible to make any bodily . or vifible Pifture or Inaage to repre-^ febt 'God;' whii/ls. both incorporeal and invilible,' is'irioft evident beyond I>otl6t or J>eriiaf ': And when. ^y fuchs Rfepfetfeirtkddn'^ iirfe tnade 'With that r I 178 a t0ciitleman";6 Partii Defign, and expofed to the View of ihe People, the natural Confequence of them mud needs be, to beget wrong Notions of God in the Minds at leaft, of the more ignorant fort: For fuch as any thing is reprefented to them, fuch they will be apt to conceive it in all Points to be. My Reafon therefore alone would fuffi- ently conclude, that // is unlawful to make any fort of PiSiure or Image to reprefent God^ altho' he had not fo pofitively forbid it in the Holy Scripture; nor fo expreily decl; himfelf a jealous God in that p; cular. XIV. In all Cafes where one Man may deceive another » to his great damage; it is reafonable that he, who apprehends fuch Danger, ftiould not depend upon another Man, ex- cept he firft has good Security given him of his Truth and Fidelity. Now, many times the beft, or indeed the only Security which can be given in fuch Cafes, is a folemn Appeal to Almighty 1 uiy % Fart III. KellgtOIU 179 Almighty God (who is the Searcher of all Hearts, and the Punifher of all Wickednefs) as expeding and freely offering one's felf to his Wrath and Vengeance, in Cafe he prevaricates in what he afferts or promifes: And this is what we call by the Name of an Oath. And fince he who takes an Oath ( I mean with due Serioufnefs and Confide ration) does therein make an evident Acknowledgement of fome of the principal Attributes of God, •viz. his Omnifcience, Juftice, Truth, and Power, ic follows, that an Oath duly taken, is an Adl of Honour and Reverence towards God; and cortfe- quently, is not^ in its felf, unlaivfult or evil: But if an Oath Be taken rajhly, or unadvifedly, or unneceffarily, or in tri-uial Cafes ; it is a leflening and undervaluing of the Divine Majefty (which ought always to be treated with the profoundefl Reverence) and, coniequently, _/;«/};/ and unlawful. And this is all that I can conceive to be forbidden by our blefled Saviour, Mat. 1 i8o a ^entlcman'0 PartiiL 5. 34. Nor can I apprehend, that, that Place contains an univcrfal Pro- hibition of all Swearing whatfoevef: For, hefides that the very Context in the preceding Verfc does moft evi- dently limit the Difcourfe to fuch Oaths as are purely voluntary, and therefore altogether unneceflary ; there is neither Reafon nor Pi^ece- dent to induce any one to believe, that our SavidUr would univerfally forbid any thing which has nothing of Evil or Malignity in its Nature: •And fome even of the beft of Men, not only before, but fince the Coming ofChri/ly and even the bleffed Angels themfelves, we are afluredin Scrip- ture, have fworn upon fom6 Occiafions with great Solemnity. Nor do the ho- ly Scriptures, in other Places, where Mention is made of the taking of an Oath, fpeakof it as a thing unlawful, or forbidden, or any way univerfally Evil in. its felf, but altogether the .con- trary : Nor did iur blefled Say i6Ur,that we can find; d^fign to deprive Princes or Part III. EelffffOW/ i8i or Magift rates of an^ Part of that law- ful Power which they had over their Subjedtsbdfore his Coming; who eve- ry where were inverted with a Right of exafting an Oath from them, when it ihould be neccflary, either for the Peace and Security of the Common- wealth, or for the ending of Diffe- rences between private Parties. And as for that Paflkge of St. James 5. 12, which is;by fome urged againft Swear- ing in any Cafe whatfoever; it being nd more but a Rwapittilatron- of our Savioiir'^s 'Words, which were juft «ers^ nSeritibried i needs no other An- f>Vftr than wTiat I have already given. But fince the very Nature and Defign oPflTtf'Oath is to invoke God, that thirebyi'aMaTi may give A fTu ranee to ftriotR'ii^cf his Truth and Fidelity, it fdllows; that-?^ affirm any thing upon Oath^ beyond what the Man^ who 'fivedi^'Sy knows to be true-, or -not to ^perform what he has upon his Oath prornijed^yis a Sin. "And fince he who impofesAipon afiother by doubt- I 182 3©eiittematt'0 Partiir;* ful and equivocal Words does as much deceive him, as he who fpeaks a downright Falfity; from hence it will follow, thai fuch a deceit jul Oath is altogether as contrary to the Nature and Defign of an Oath, and confe- quently as unlaivfid as a falfe one. But altho' an Oatb lays an Obligation upon a Man to do whatever be has jhjoorn, yet if a Man ["wears to do any thing which is a Sin, and contrary to fome former Obligation, under which he indifpenfably lies to God or Man, he cannot in this Cafe be obliged to keep his Cathy but is bound to repent of it. For, bcfides that it is not rea- fonable, that any Man's own A&. iliould free him from any Obligation under which he lies to another; it is plain, that an Oath can neither alter theNatureof a Sin, nor make it law- ful to commit it. And fince the De- iignofan Oath In its own Nature is to oblige hjm to Performance that takes it ; and fince the Name of God oughtncver unnecelllirily to be invok- Part III. Religion* 183 ed, it follows that where a Man ought not to keep an Oath, be ought not on any Account to take it. XV. According to the Cuftoms of different Places, there have divers Ce- remonies and Forms of Words been introduced in the taking of an Oath; fome of them grounded upon Reafon and others taken up through Miftake in Imitation. Thus, probably, whereas it may have been a Cuftom in fome Places in an Oath, to invoke the Ven- geance of God upon one's head; from hence, likely, might arife that Form of fwearing by the Head; and, in Imitation thereof, by the Hand, or other Parrs of the Body. And whereas it was ufual to take folemn Oaths, in extraordinary Cafes in the Temple, or at the Altar, and, with us at this time, laying the Hand upon the Holy Scri- ptures ; from hence might arife the Forms of fwearing by the Temple, the Altar, the Bible, &c. But here it muft be noted, that the Nature of an Oath being for Allurance, and con- 1 184 a <^l;tttletWaR'0 Part in. fifting therefore altogether in the In- tention of the Parties, viz. as well of him who i^equires it, as of him who gives it, He may be /aid really and truly to jhjoear^ not only who makes ufe of foch a form and Ceremony as is accuftomed or prefcribed in any certain Place, but lie who any loays Jignifies to another an Intmtion to 0- blige bimfelf under the Pefialty of God's Wrath and Vengeance: And for the fame Reafon the joint Inten^ tign of both Parties y as it appears, fairly to be fignified ( without any ■ Place for fraud or Collufion) mujl needs be the true Meojurc of the O- bligation of every Oath. ,-. XVI. When a Man proniifes a- thing, and obliges himfelf thereto, not to any other Man,^ but only to God . alone; this is what is commonly called a VoWy and comes fo exadlly under the fame Rules ^i^ith a^promijfory . Oath (as will prefently appear to whor: ; foever reads the foregoing- ^edtionsj)- that I need not again particularly rcr; peat them. But it is a very neceflary Caution to tjtjobftrved in all OatHsvancf more efpeaally to Ip^ .taken Care of m Vows; that a'ManJhou/d never v(h Itintarily oblige him/elf to any thing but what be ts w?ll ajfured is within hisPower to peyforf}t\ Imeap^ with- the Help of that cQmmon Affiftance and Grace which God has promifed ta all that^ feek it: For if a Man goes beyond this,, and ties iiich Burdens upon himfelf as he is not fufEciently fure of Strength to bear; belTdes the Prefumption of the thing/ it miift needs involve his Confcience in ma- ny Difficulties and Perplexities. XVIL Since there is no other Be- ing whatfoever, which fpr* Power, Gobdnefs, or Excellency of Nature can any way beequalled to, or compa- red with Almighty God ; ftom hence \% will follow, that all thefe fore- going Duties y which we owe unto God on the Account and Suppofition of the Tranfcendency of his Nature ami Attributes, are not any of them -•;.-'•■ to r i86 a ®eittiemaii*s( PartiiX; to be paid unto any T/jing or Per/on bsfides himfelf. For that would be in efFeft to let up fomewhat elleas a God, orinthe|Placeof GodjUntoour felves. Let them then who fcem cither to love, or fear, or truft in any Thing or Perfon as much or more than God; and who offer up their Prayers and Devotions unto any Saints or Angels j which fecms to fup- pofe their Omnifcience, and that they know the Secrets of Mens Hearts; and to argue fome Diflrufl: of God's Goodnefs and Readinefs to hearus; Let them, I fay, and fuch liJte Per- fons, confiderwell with themfelves, how they can anfwer thefe things to God, who is a jealous God. But fince every Man, who is fincere in Re- ligion, muji necejfarily fiiit hh Wor~ Jhipand Duty to God according to the Apprehenfions which be has of the Deity; He who is convinced of tbe Diftinftion of Perfons in the Unity of the Godhead (of which I have endea- voured to give my Thoughts, Part 1 1. Ji Part III. KcIifftOd, 187 § 22.) cannot, I think, but make the Father, the Son, and the Holy GhoJ}^ the joint QbjeSii of hii Service and Devotion. And why it fliould not be both lawful and proper to invoke the Son and Holy Giioft, together with the Father, in our Prayers, as well as to be baptized, and to bids, in their Names, together with him (which are both, I think, Afls of Divine Worfliip) I confefs I can fee no found Reufon that can be given. But if any Man (hall tell me, that, in tlie Worfliip of God he dares pro- ceed no farther than the Holy Scrip- tures will exprefly warrant, and there7 fore that he cannot invoke the Holy Choll in his Prayers, becaufe he there finds neither Precept for, nor Example of it : Judging no Man, but leaving every Man to iland or fall to his own Mafler, for my felf I anfwer. That fince God has made us reafona- ble Creatures, I cannot but think, that a clear and rational Confeqjence from Scripture, is as good a Warrant for any I tcU- 1 I 3 t88 a iSEntieman'sJ Partii religious Adion, and lays as great an Obligation upon him that is convinc'd of it as the moft exprefs Text: And if the Perfonality and Divinity of the Holy Ghoft be admitted {as I here fuppofe) to me no Confequenccfeems to be clearer, than that he is to be in- voked and worfhipped, together with the Father and the Son. XVIII. Since the End to which God defigns all Men is eternal Hap- pinefs in another Life, Part II. § 29. to a Capacity for which we are a- gain, after our Fall, reftored by yefut Chriji, Part II. § 33, &c. it follows, that ive ought not to do any thing •whereby we may mife of this end, cr be diverted from the Prefccution tfii; but, on the contrary, that the •whole Cotirfe of our ASiiom and En~ deavours Jhould ever be bent on the Purfuit of it. XIX. No Man will ever be diligent in the Purfuit of any thing of which he feldom thinks, and rarely con- ijders the Bene£t of obtaining, and th= Wrt HI. KeUgtoiu 189 the Evil of miffing it. If therefore we are obliged to be diligent in our En- deavours after eternal Happinefs; we ought to make the yoys of Heaven and 'the Torments of Hell the SubjeB of our frequent Thought: and Medi" tations. XX. He who places his Happine/S or any Part of it upon a wrong Ob- Jedt, will never be fo diligent as he ought in ihe Piirfuit of that true Hap^ pir^fs, to which he isdefign'dbyGodi tecaufe the Stream of his Thoughts and Endeavours muft needs, in the ■whole, or in part, be diverted, accord- ing as he apprehends his Happinefs to lie another way. Now, that there is nothing in this World (except a ■goodConfcience, and the Hope of c- temal Life, which, tho' they may be had/n this World, yet are not o/the World) that can any way make up a part of our real Happinefs,is abundant- ly demonftrabie from the Vanity, Un- certainty, andShortnefsof all worldly Joys. He therefore who places ai^y I 2 ^-axx. I 190 9 ©0nncman*i3 Part in. Part of his Happinefs upon any thing belonging to tliis World, moft cer- tainly places it upon a wrong Objed. But whatfoever a Man propofes to himfelf as the ultimate End of any of his Adlions, it is certain, that therein he places fome Part, at leaft, of his Happinefs ; for that which is the ultimate End of any Action of a Man, muft be propofed as the final Satisfadion of fome of his Defires (for as far as any one's Defire extends, fo far ofFmuftbetheEndheaimsatJandno Defire of any Man can ever be finally fatisfied, till it meets with that where- in he fuppofes his Happinefs (in whole or in part) to confift. From hence then it will follow, that altho' there are fome Pleafures andSatisfadlions in this World, which may innocently be en- joyed, yet No Man ought to propcj'e any worldly Enjoyment as the uUi~ mate End and Dejign of any of his Ac- tions. For this would be a placing his Happinefs, or fome Part of it, upon a wrong Objeil, and thereby a Hin- drance Part in. HeU'ffiott. 19' dranceofhisPurfuit of the trueHap- pinefs for which God deiignshim. To illuilrate this, which otherwife may feem obfcureby an Example or two: A Man may lawfully, without doubt reliih t!ie Meat he eats (for to what other end did God give us tlie Senfe of Tafting?)but theReafon ofhiseating, at all times, ought to be to preferve his Life and Health, that he may be the better able to do all thofe things which God requires from him in or- der to his Salvation ; thisbeing the'End for whichGoddefigns him, and which he therefore ought always to purfae. But he who in eating defigns no more than to gratify his fenfual Appetite, or to pamper his Body that he may have the greater Enjoyment of the reft of the Pleafures of this World, afts below, or rather contrary to the End he is defigned for; and may juftly be compared to the Beafts that perifh. Thus alfo a Man may inno- cently be pleafed to have the Garment he wears decent and comely, becaufe I 3 the I r t 192 a ^entlcmiiii^u Pan 11; the Eye is naturiilly gratified with the Beauty of an Objei5t : But if a Man wears Cloaths which arc more fine and coftly than fome others, bis Reafon ought to be, that he may not (accord- ing to thehumouroftheWorId)be con- temned for theMeannefs or Sordidnefs of his Apparel; but endeavour, by all fair ways, to preferve fuch aRefpedt a- mong Men {who are very apt to judge by the outward Appearance) as may enablehim todo themoregood in the World: Bat he who cloathes himfelf Iik,etheLtliesoftheField,oriVcmMin allhisGlory, only that he mayadmlre himfelf, or be taken notice of by others forhis remarkable Finery,is a vainPer- fon, and a£ts as fooliflily as the Crov? in the Fable, who clad himfelf in the Peacock's Feathers. And what I have here faid concerning Food and Rai- ment, may alfo be applied to Riches and Honour, and to all Pleafures which are not abfolutely unlawful; and to every thing whidi Men aim or value in this World; which m imat.— 2 Part III. UeliBioit. 195 may lawfully leek after and take de- light in, as far as they may be Inftru- mcntsof doingGood, orareconfiftenc with their Chriftian Duty; but they muftnot place their Happinefs, or any part of it,inthem,for that would make them forgetful of Heaven and neceilil- rily involve them in the fins of Ambiti- on) CovetouihefSjVoluptuourncfs, &c, XXI. As v/e are obliged todowhat- foever God commands, and patiently to fuffer whatfoever he, in his Provi- dence, fliall think fit to lay or inflidt upon u6; fo, for the fame Reafons, are ■we certainly bound to continue in thie, both doing and patiently fufFering, until fuch time as he fhali be pleafed, of hie own Will, to free and difmili us from it. From whence it follows, that fio Man ought, upon any Account, i9 lay liiolent Hands upon himfelf, 0^ •uoluntartly contribute to the JhorleV' ing of his own Life; becaufe he knows not but that God might be willing ro exercifehimyet farther, with Suffer- ings or other Trials to his Glory, 1 4 and rjg^ a ©cntlcmait'si Pan lics| and the Good of his own Soul. Nor ought any Servant without Leave or LicencCjto withdraw himfelf from the Service of his Mafter. And the fame Reafon which forbids us to deftroy our Lives, fliou!d alfo keep us from putting them to any unreasonable or unneceflary Hazard. XXII. He who ill Duty 'S obliged to any thing, lies alfo, of neceffity, under an Obligation to qualifie him- felf as well as he can, and to feek after, and make ufe of all fuch Means and Inllrumcnts as are neceflary for the better executing and compaiBng that fame thing to which he is fo obliged. Since then Health of Body, Kii'^ialedge, and Vndcrjianding, and a Competency of Riches, Power, and . Authority, are neceflrary Qualificati- ons and Inftruments for the better Per- formance of many of thofe Duties to^ which we ftand obliged by God'^ Law; it follows, that thefe are thitif sjohich every Man, according to , Capacity ought to Jeek and endeav' Part III. JReHcrioit* 195 after. But we muft not ftrive nor ieek for any of ihefe things by Ways or Means that are unlawful and wiclc- ed ; for that would be, beforehand, to^ deflroy and fruftrate the very End and Delign, for which alone they are to be fought and defired; namely, Virtue, Pkty, and the Service of God. XXIII. On the other fide; MTiat- foever is an Impediment or Obftacle to. the Performance of any neceflary Du- ty, we are bound, as far as we are able,, to fupprefs or remove it out of the: way. Now, our Reafon being that- which firfl: leads us to the Knowledge of Religion, and always enables us- tightly to underftand and judge of our Duty; and fince all violent Faflions,. and over-eager Affeftions do difturb our Reafon, and very much hinder the free ufe and esercife of it; it follows that 'zct' ought always jb to govern our PaJJlons, and- rejlrai}i all ow AfeBi- ons, as that they may be wholly fub- fervlent to, and never over- rule ov-: millead our Reafon.. . L 5,. XXLT- r^g6 a^tttiCWaiV^ Partlll. ■ . XXIV. Since God is the Creator, 1 ^d therefore alfo the abfoluie Lord | .of all things, every thing certainly ought by us to be always put and ap- pUed to that very fame End and Ufe ^and no other) for which it was in- tended by hira, as far as we have any Intimation of his Defign, either from Reafon or Revelation. Hence then it will follow , that thofe Creatures which God has given us to feed, fuftain, and keep us in Health, that we may be the better able to do our Duty, and labour in our feveralCal- hngp, ought not at any time (much lefs ordinarily) to be ufed to Excefs, fo as to impair our Health, or difcom- pofe our Reafon, or any way hinder us in the Performance of any Duty ;• And that Faculty of Generation which God has endowed us with, in order to the Propagation of Mankind, ought not to beabufed for the fake of filthy fcnfual Pleafure. Nor ought that plen- ty of CreatureSj which God lias be- ftowed upon us for the Service of all Men, Part in. Keiiffioit. 197 Men, vrithout Exception, to be engrof- fed into the Hands of any certain Men, (o as that others (hould want the NeceiUries of Life, whilfl they abound in Superfluity. By which it appears that Gluttony and Drunkennefs, Lujl and Cvuetoufnefs are Sins, and al- way$ to be avoided; and therefore, on the contrary, that T'emperance^ Cbaftityy Charity, and Liberality are Duties, and always to be pradtifed. XXV- Experience afliires us, that the Spirit of Man is of an active Na- ture; and, rather than be altogether idle, will be apt to employ it felf in that which is evil. Nor does a Man ever lie more open to Temptation, than when he has nothing at all to do. He, tlierefore, that -would keep him- .^f innocent, muji be careful always 'to avoid Idlenefi. For, befides that Idlenefs would prove a Snare to us, rttis a Sha,me and a Sin, when there .i»ib much of God's Work to be done tindie Worjd (for the promoting of his 3-Gjtory and tjje publick Good of Mai>- -., 16 kind) H'i9^ aeeittleman'si Parting ^m kind) that any Man who pretends to ^K fcc his Servant, iliould ftaiid ftill, and ^■l ^ot put his helping hand to the carry- ^H 5ng of it on. But as we cannot fay,, ^f 'thata Man is idle, when he lies down to fleep, that, being thereby refrefhed, he may be the better able again to labour, fo mull we 1^ no means pafs that Cenfure on liim who now and then fpends feme finall Portion of his Time in feme pleafant and innocent "Reel cation; that, having hisThoughts hereby a little relaxed and diverted, he maybe the fitter to return to Bufi- nefs of Moment and Confequencc. But asforthofe Perfons, whofe whole Life almoft is nothing elfe but Diver- lion; and who fcarce ever fet them- felves to any Employment, whereby either God is glorified, or others bene- fited; what can they expeifl but the fame Sentence which is pronounced upon the idle and unprofitableServant, Mat. 25. 26. And if to be altoge- -ther idle and unemployed is not to be -fexcufed or iuftified, how much more Part III. Ktelfgion. 199 are they to be condemned, who are (o frequently employed in fuch things as are evil and fcandalous? XXVI. Since the right Knowledge of our Duty arifes chiefly from a true Judgment concerning the Circum- Itances and Qu^alificatlons of Things and Perfons, it follows, that every Man Jliould endeavour at far as he isable, fo inform himfelf rightly^ and' to frame true Notions in all Points, of and con~ cerning God, Himfelf, and otherMeny to whom there are Duties owing ; and aljb of all thofe things which are the J'ubjeBs of any 0/ thofe Duties^ and in, the .true Management whereof fuch- Duties do confilt. For if he be miftaken in his Judgment concerning either of thefe, he muft of necefllty take wrong Meafures in his Aftions. Thus, for Example, if a Man Ihouldnotbelieve God to he eternal, moft good, wife, and powerful, Gff. itwould not be pof- fible for him to love, honour, and fear him in that Degree that he ought to do: And if we do not always remem- ber 1 I («oo a j^entiemnn'Ef Part iii. Jjer our felves to be frail Creatures, ^ubjeft to Paffions and Infirmities, of fliort Continuance in this World, and that whatever Excellency we may feem to have, we derive it wholly from God and his Providence, and not from .our felves; we fliall never be able, So efFcdlually as we ought, to govern our Paflions and reftrainour Atfe^- ons from the things of this World, and purfue that End for which God has defigned us. And if we do not confider that other Men (whatever accidentil Differences there may be between us) are equal to us in nature, that their Souls are as precious in God's Sight as ours, that Cfjrijl died for them, as much as for us, &c. we Ihall not be inclined to behave our felves to them with that Jullice, Cha- rity, and Humility which do evident- ly appear to be our Duty. And laft- ly, if we do not frame a true Noti- on of the Vanity of the things of this World, and the Excellency of the Joys of Heaven j we fliall never be able to prefer PartUI. R<ff5(6n» 201 prefer the iatter before the former, in lUch a Meafure as we ought to do. XX VII. Altho' the chief Happinefs of Mankind is referved by God to be enjoyed in another Life, by ihofc who heartily ftrive for it whilft they are in this ; yet caJi 1 find no reafon to think, that he has decreed us all, or any of us, to be abfolutely mifera- ble whilft we remain in this World. On the contrary, fince God has origi- nally a Love for all Mankind in gene- ral, ParfU.^ i6. I cannot but con- clude that he always(even in thisLife) defigns at leaft fome Share or Begin- ning of Happinefs for every Man; and never afliidts, or differs any Man to be afflifted, but only in order to his greater Happinefs hereafter; until fuch time as he thinks it proper to pour out his Vengeance and final Deftrudion upon fuch as have by their Wicked- nefs altogether forfeited his Love and Favour. Since then God originally defigns fome Meafure or Commence- ment of Happinefs to all Men, even 1 en ■ IB02 a Sentlematt'0 Partiii. in this Life as well as eternal Happi- nefs hereafter; it follows, that we ^who ought as much as we can to be jfubfervient to all God'sDefigns) Ihould endeavour as much as in us lies, to promote the Happinefs of every Man, poth in relation to this World, and of that which is to come. Or in other terms, that en)ery Man pould endea- vour to do as much good to all othen as he caUi and to hurt no Man what' Jbever^ if he can avoid it. XXVin. But if every Man always kept fingly by himfelf, without any Society or Intercourfe with others, it would be impoflible to do any good one to another: And therefore I con- clude, that it is the Will of God, that I Mankind J}:ould live each with other ill a jiate cj Society. And to make us . all the more fenfible of the Necetlity and Obligation that lies upon us thus tv. live with and do good to others, God I has lb ordered the flate and condition of all Mankind, that ic is not polTible foe any Man long to fubiift, much lefs Part III. jacIlfffOlt. 203 to enjoy any fort of Comfort or Satis- fa<5lion of this Life, without the Good- will and AlTiftance of others j which he has no Reafon to expc£t, except he be ready upon all occafions to retali- ate what he himfelf fo continually ftands in needs of. And fmceGod'sori- ginal Love to Mankind is not confined to fome certain Perfons, but univerial- \y extended to all : I muft needs con- clude that he defigns not only the Comfort and Happircfs of fome Parti- culars, but univt rfally of all Men whatfocver. And fince the more iini- verfal the Society between Men is, the more univerfal tlic Happinefs which thence refults will be; it will evident- ly follow that it is God's Will that every Man fhould behave himfelf af- ter a fociable and friendly manner, to ' ftvery other Man, without exceptiwi. And fince there is no Man in the World, however weak and poor, or at never fo great a diftance from me, but it is poifible that things may feU out fo as that, one time or other, I may^ J idl 2 04 3 ©entiemmi'0 P^n may, in my Diftrcfs, ftand in need of his Help and Friendfhip, my Reafon tells me, that it is my Intereft, as well as Duty, as much as I am able, be- fore hand to oblige every Man, who comes in my way, by doing Offices of Civility and Kindnefs to him, as Occaiion offers. XXIX. That God has given to Mankind in general, the free Liberty to make ufe of all other Creatures for their Support and Suftenance, my Reafon, as well as the holy Scripture, does alTure me; becaufe, without ibme of them, we could not preferve our felves in being; and if we had not Liberty to deftroy others of them for our uie, they would in time fo over-fpread the Face of the Earth, as that we could not have any fafe or convenient Habitation upon it. But if all thefe Creatures were always to remain in common, lb that no Man ihould have a Right to take Poifetrion of any Part of them to his own parti- cular UfeandDiipoIalj and to exclude others Part III. JRctifffDII. 205 others there from; the Confequence muft needs be perpetual Difcord and Confufion. For when I had prepared Food to fuftain my Hunger, or Ray- ment to defend me from the Cold; if every other Man fljould have ilill as good a Right thereto as I, any one might lawfully take it away from me; and if my Right were as good as any others; I might alfo lawfully defend my PofiefTion; from which State of things, Contention and Strife mufte- lernally and unavoidably arife. I there- fore conclude, that there muft be fomc LawsofPropertyand Right; and that eiiery Man mufi field to others that wbich is their own, or elfe there can be no fuch thing as Society and Bene- ficence preferved and kept up amongft Mankind. Now, in order to difcover thefe fame Laws of Right and Proper- ty, whereby every Man is to know what is truly his own, 1 lay down this general Rule, as a thing moft reafona- We, That, wliercas originally every Man's Right and Title to every thing may r [il L tend 206 3 Gentleman')? Part U may be efteenied equal (God having given us all the Creatures in common, and not by any A£t of his, divided to each Man his feveral Property,) if there be any apparent, or but pro- bable Ground, why luch or fuch a particular thing fliould be the Pro- perty of one Man rarher than of ano- ther, that ought {n to determine the Matter as to ob'ige all other Men quietly to yield aii.l fufFer him to en- joy and ufe that fime thing, whate- ver it be, as his own: For where the Balance ftands exaftly even, a fmall matter is enough to turn the Scale to one fide. Now, in thefe following Cafes there feems to be great Reafon for determining a Property in a thing to particular Perfons, viz. i. When a Man is the firft that takes aflual Poflelfion of a thing, and converts it to his own Ufe. For fuch a Pof- feflion is an Addition to his genera! Right, beyond what any other Man, whenever was in PofTeflion, can pre- tend. And why fliould I part with Part III. Eert'fftOlt. 207 my Poffeffion to any other, or he demand it from me, except he were able to make out a better Title than I to the thing in difpute ? 2. When a Man takes Pofieflion of a thing which is aiSually rejedled and deferted by him, who laft had theRight to.and PoC- . feJfion of it. For his Cafe feems to be much the fame with his who firft .takes Pofieflion of a thing. 3. When a thing is given, or in Exchange made over to another by him who had be- fore a juft Right thereto ; for it is high- ly reafonabie that every Man fliould have Liberty to difpofe of his own. 4. When a Company of Peopledoby an Agreement make a Partition of whac was before in Common amongft them all, it is reafonabie that every Man {hould acquiefce in that Share, which upon fuch a Divifion, fhallfall to his Lot. 5. When a Man takes care and painstoproduceand rear any thing for his own ufe Ur profit,it is reafonabie Aat he (and not another Man againft Jus Confent) tlxould enjoy the Benefit of 2o8 9 i^«ntt£man*s( Pan in. of hisown Labour. And laftly, Where a Society of People do fubmit their Properties unto a legiflative Power, which iseretSed amongft them, it is reafonable that herein they ihouJd always be concluded and determined ■by the Laws of that Community, of which they are Members. And if there be any other Rules for deter- mining the Rights of Men to parti- cular things, it is mod evident, that due Care muft be taken to keep and obfervethem, or elfe farewel all Or- der arid Society. XXX. Where Fidelity is wanting, Society cannot be truly kept and pre- ferved. I therefore conclude, that every Man is obliged faithfully to perform whatever he promifes; ex- cept the Perfon to whom the Pro- mife is made, do freely acquit and difcharge him from it. But if a Man promifes to do a thing which is lin- ful, he ought not to keep fuch a Pro- mifeasthat; as I have already {hewn in the Cafe of an Oath. XXXI. And^ Partni. laelfgiON* 209 XXXI. And the fame Rcafons which oblige us to hurt no Man, to yield to every Man his Right, and to keep our Promifes, do plainly fliew, that be who wrongfully hurts another, or deprives him of his Righf^ or breaks his Promife made to him, ■ought, as far as he is able, to make full Rejlitution and SatisfaQion t9 the ^erfon whom he has thus injured. For he that makes a Breach in hu- mane Society, is doubtlefs oblig'd, as far as he can to repair it. XXXII. Where a Propofition is literally falfe, and yet fpoken with no manner of Intention to deceive ano- ther, it is not to be called a Lye: But he who alTerts any thing for a Truth, with an Intent to make another believe it, which is, or for ought he knows may be, falfe, he only is to be efteem- ed a Lyar. Now, fome have doubt- ed whether the Sin of a Lye confills in the bare Untruth, or only in the Injuftice of it; and from thence have been inclined to believe, that fuch a Lye 1 I 210 9 ©enttemati'^ PartidT Lye as does no hurt to any one, nor draws any manner of evil Confe- quence attei' it, is not to be looked on as a Sin; and ib muf h the lefs, if it be told with a real Defign only to do Good, or prevent Mifchief. The Niceties of tliis Coiitroverfy I leave to be difcuffed by others. But fince human Society cannot be upheld without, in many Cafes, a Depcn- dance upon one anothers Veracity, I may furely venture thus far to con- clude, viz. That not only fuch a Lye as tends to the Damage of anot'ier; but a.\{oJucb a Lye^ however other- wile innocent, as gives Occafion to render a Mans I'rutb fulpeB-d in o- ther Cafes., is to be reputed unlawful, if for no other Reafbn, yet at leaft for this, becaufe it is injurious to hu- mane Society. And the fame Keafon •will hold asftrongly againfi all men- tal Refervations^ and equivocal Ex- brejions: For what is humane So- ciety at any time the better for the literal Truth of what a Man fays, if otliers Partiir. Kciiffimi* 211 others who are therein concerned, do not underftand his true Meaning by the Words which he fpeaks to them? XXXIII. It is highly reafonabie, that every Man ihould have fuch an Efteem and Refpefft (hewed him, as may be proportionable to his Virtues and good Qualities: And as it is pro- per enough for a Man, by lawful ways, to aiTert his own Reputation, when it is unjullly afperfed ; fo he ought to take efpecial Care in the Management of all his Words and Aftions, that he may not feem to exalt or magnifie himfelf, or to defpife or undervalue others beyond what is not onlyjuft and true, but alio necelTary, either for the bringing about Ibmething that is good, or the preventing fomething that is evil. For there is fcarce any thing that gives greater Difguli, or helps to render a Man more odious to the World than an overforwardnefs topraifeand magnilie himfelf", and to undervalue others, if he be not necel- K fitatcd r 212 3 <Semieman'0 Pan in. fuated thereto by fome ^ery juft Rea- son: And on the contrary, there is fcarce any thing which reconciles a. Man more to the Favour and Good- will of People than when he is not over apt to afcrjbe much to himfelf, but is ready to give the utmoll Ho- noui: andRefpedt to all others that in Reafon can be thought due. I conclude therefore, that PrUe is a Sifi, and HufniUty a Duty, becauie the former tends to difturb, but the latter Jlrength- ens and confirms humane Society. XXXIV". What is incumbent upon him to do, who has done wrong to ano- thei', I have juft now fliewniBut if ano- ther Man wrongs, or any way endea- vours to injure me ; as it is lawful iot me (fo for every Man) to ftand upaft my Defence, and ufe my utmoll En- deavours to fave my felf from Wrong, or recover that which is my Right; (for otherwife all the good and honeft Men in iheWorld would continually iie expofed to the Wrongsandlnfulls <>* any evil Man, who might have a Mind Partin. Reifjfflort^ 213 Mind to deftroy them) fo I, and every Man ought to be ready at any time to ie reconciled to an Adverfary or Ene^ my-, provided it may be upon fucli Terms as are confiftent with our own Safety: Nor ought any Afo»,iipon any Occafion, to do any greater Harm to his keeneji Enemy , than what he ap-- frehends to be abfolutely necejfary to his own Prefervation. For fincc So- <:icty and Peace among Mankind is the Will and Defign of Almighty God ; if a Breach be made therein l^y another, I ought for my Part to do nothing which may make it wider; but ever to be ready to give a helping Hand to the clofing and making of it up. ' XXXV. Hitherto I have endea- voured to lay down the main and fun^ ^amental Rules of that Duty, which every Man is obliged to pay and per- form to God, to Himfelf, and to all other Men. Now, to deduce all the particular Branches of Virtue and Pie- ty from thefemain Principles; and to ftiew how Morality is improved and K 2 x^^\\^vJ^ t ^14 a ©cntlemaii'iJ Part iii. refinedbytheGofpel, to the higheft de- gree of Perfeilion, is a thing not diffi- cult to be done, but yet inconfiftent withmy deiign'd Brevity: For which therefore I muft refer my Reader to fome of thofe Books of Chriftian Pie- ty, wherein each Particular of our Du- ty is, at large, defcribed and prelled. But in the mean time, if we would have a Ihorter Abflradt of our Duty ihanwhatlhavenow been giving, the HolyScripturefurnifliesus with three Rules (two expreft and one implied) from which every thing that we can be oblig'd to do, is eafily deduced; and they are, i. That we fiould love God with all our Hearty Soul, and Strength. 2. That wefiould truly love our Selves, that is to fay, lb as always to aim at and purfue our true and chief Happinefs. And 3. That we fiould love others as we do our felves; not with the fame Degree of Love j for that is not only unreafonable, but impoflible, but with the fame Reality andSincerityj or in other terms, that Part III. EeliffiOtt. 215 we Jhould ever do unto all other Men what we would think reafonable that they Jhould do unto iis^ if we were in their Circumftances, and they in ours* But befides thefe general Duties > which are indifcriminately incum- bent vipon all Men , there are divers particular ones, which do arife from thofe feveral Relations which Men may contract and bear to others, of which.it is fit that I give fome brief Account. XXXVI. That God would have the Generation of Men continued and increafed upon the Earth, is very e- vident; as well from the natural In- clination which he has implanted in them (as in all other living Creatures) to propagate their Kind, as from that Love and AfFeftion which is common to them with otjaer Creatures) to- wards thofe who fpring from them. But if Mankind were propagated on- ly by the Exercife of wild and wan- dering Luft, without Confinement to any fettled Rules or Laws ; this vrowld K 3 Wvtv^ A 2 1 6 a ^entteman^sf Part m. bring in fuch a Deluge of Confufioa andDifturbance as would unavoidably deprive them of the grcateft Part of thofe Satisfadlions which at the pre- fent they do, or may enjoy. For if there were no fuch thing as fettled Marri- ages, we can hardly fuppofe that ever there would be any fort of fetded Fa- milies, which are the fir ft beginnings of Society and Regularity amongft Men: Fathers would not know which were their own Children, and confequently would take no Care to bring them up, or provide for them ; and not only the Pain of bearing, but the whole Trou- ble of nouriihing, rearing, and provi-* ding for Children, would lie wholly upon the female Sex, who by them- felves could but very imperfedtiy per- form that Work as it ihould be done. Since therefore God intends the Com-^ fort and Satisfa<3:ion of Men, even whilft they are here upon Earth, I conclude that it is his Will, that Man^ kind Jhould be propagated no other "way but by fettled. Marria^es^ that is. Part III. ReHgfan>' ^r/ by a Compact and Agreement be- tween the Male and Female, and that under fuch Rules as are fit and proper to promote the general Happinefs of Mankind, which being his great De^ fign, ought ever alfo to be ours. XXXVII. That a Woman fhould, have more than one Hufband at a time, is notorioully contrary to the I)efign of Marriage, and therefore di- * redtly unlawful : And that a Man ffiould have more than one Wife at a time, the Experience of many, in former Ages, and at this time in the Eaftern Countries, does fufficiently teftifie to be contrary to that Peace and Quietnefs which is neceflary to -the Comfort and Happinefs of every Family, and therefore not fo agreea- ble to that univerfal Friendfliip which ought ever to be preferved amongfl Men ; but efpecially among thofe who are fo nearly allyed together. More- over, if Men and their Wives fhould Jiave liberty to part one from the o- thcr whenever they pleafe (befides the K 4 CowCvx- 1 L 218 a ^erttieman's Part 11 Confufion and Difliirbance which this alfo muil breed in Families, efpecially wliere there are Children in the Cafe) Marriage would hardly differ from that wild and wandring Luil, againft which I havefpoken in the preceding Paragrapli. I conclude, therefore, that altho' before the Coming of Chriji', if a Man took more Wives than one, not for Lufl (which is unlawful, § 24.) but merely for Propagation, it might in fonie Cafes be difpenfed witli ; yet it ever was moft pleafing to God, that a Man (hould have but one Wife at a time; and that nothing bud Death fhould ever part a Man and his Wife; except the evil Behaviour of one Par- ty flioiild make the Continuance of the Marriage Compadt and Cohabitation, not only fomething uneafy {for that for Peace andQuietnefs fake (hould be born patiently) but downright intole- rable. But thefe things which Reafon may perhaps but imperfedlly fuggeft, the Gofpel has pafled and eftabliihed into Laws, w's. that as every JVomaii Part III. JSleliffioii. 219 is to have but one HuJbandyfonoMaJi. muft have more than one Wife at a time ; nor muft any thing part Man and Wife but Death, except it be the Cafe of Adultery; And better muchtt is, that particular Perfonsfhould fome- tjmes be forced to labour under foma Inconvenience, than that any fuch Liberty fliould be allow'd as rends to diilurb and diHradt the World.. XXXVIII. Wegenerally find, that all Men, even Heathens, as well as Jews and Chriilians, have conceived, a more than ordinary Abhorrence againil: the Marriage of fuch Perfons as were very nearly allyed together,, within fome certain Degrees of Rela- tion. And fince the World i^ wido enough for a Man to chufe a Wife, or a; Woman a Huiband; thofc general. Rules which are given to us in Scrip* ture, of providing for things honell, not only in the Sight of God, biitof. Men.alfo j and of taking care not only aboutfuchas arejuftand honell, butaU. fo about fuch as arclovely and.of.goodi 1 J 31 ^H^2o a ^enttematv^ Fartui. ^^m ieport, fhould teach us, that no Per- ^H^» fhouid eiigage infuch a Marriage ^^ft iis is by wij'e Men commonly reputed- ^H to be incefimus and unlawful, ^g XXXiX, Since the Relation Halband aud Wife is wholly owing to the mutual Compadt and Agree- ment which is made betWeeen them at their Marriage, the Duties which reliilt from that Relation, can be no I other but the faithful keeping and ob- fv:rvirig of that fame Compadl and Agreement, tlie Conditions of which may be more or fewer, according as the Parties fliall think convenienL But thefe are always neceffary, and mull; never be wanting, viz. That the Hiijhand ajid Wife mvfi Jincerely ^_ /ov'f each other; ninft be Jiricfly faith- ^H fid to each other's Bed (withoiif ^H which mutual Love can never be ^" preferv'd entire) and Chriftianity ex- prelly adds, what Reafon perliaps u does alio obfcurelyfuggeft, that the I^B Wife mujl be fuhjeEl and obedient tt> ^^B her Hzijband, ^1 XL.Whg ^ Part HI. EeWeioir. sat XL. When Qhildren are l^gottert and brought forth into the World, it is not reafonable, nor agreeable to" God's Defign, that they fhould pe- rifti and die for want of Care to be taken of them. Nor are there any Perfons upon whom a greater Obli- gation can lie to bring up Children, than upon thofe who begat them, and were the Caufe of their Being; And fince God intends not the Mife- ry and AfHidtion, but generally the Comfor: and Satisfaction of Man^ kind upon Earth, as well as their Hap- pinefs hereafter in Heaven, I con- clude, that it is ever the Duty of Parenti to take the heft Care they can to bring up their Children^ and to promote their true Happinep:, both in this World, and that which is to come. For which Reafon we muft needs fuppofe them to bevefted with a lawful Power of governing and chaftifing them, as far as is neccfla- FV to keep them in good and regu- lar Order. J S122 a®ciit!emnn's Part in. XLI. And on thf; other fide, fince Cliildren are beholding to their Pa- rents, even for their very Being, whereby they are capacitated not on- ly for the Enjoyment of the Satif- faitions of tliisLife, but alfo for eter'- nal Happinefs in the World to come, it is highly reafonable, that they Jhould love their Parents with a very high Degree of AffeBion; and fhould always be ready to make them the beft Returns of Duty and Service that ihey can. And according as Parents have been careful in bringing up and ' making Provifion for their Children^ fo the Childrens Love and AffedtioQ ought ftill more and more to be re- turn'd and exprefs'd towards them, XLII. Where Parents, by Death or otherwife, are render'd uncapable of nourifliing and breeding up a Child; or where they utterly foriake andexpofe him to the wide World, before he is able to provide for, or take care of himfelf ^ if another Per- fon takes him, and maintains and puts Part in. EeligiaiT^ 223 puts him in a Way of living, fuch a Child is in all Reafon obliged to pay a proportionable Share of filial Love and Duty to him who has performed the Part of a Parent to him. XLIII. It is not pretended, that ever any Perfon, or Family, by Name, were ever by God's particular and revealed Appointment, inverted with the Power of governing over fiich or fuch a certain People, except- ing only the Cafe of the People of, IJrael; I therefore conclude, that how- ever the Magijlracy which is lawful- ly ejiablified throughout the World '^, is ordained of God; it is not by imme- diate Revelation from Heaven. XLIV. Whether a Parent, by the Law of Nature has the Power of a fupremeMagiftrate over his own Chil^- dren, is not neceffary here to enquire. ButI fee no Ground in Reafon or Na- ture, to judge that the eldeft Son of any Kindred lucceffively fliouM have the fame Power over his Brothers and Sifters {who are no way behold- 1 \ 1 ^H ^ ^tmmm\^0 Pact jng to hiin for tbeir Being, nor. may be, for their Well-being) and ■ much lefs over his Father's Brothers and Sifters ; as the common Parent ' of a whole Family may have over all J that Ipring from him. I conclude therefore, that lawful Magijiracy is not to be derived by the Law of Na- \^ure from the alon erigbt ofPrivioge- 1 niture. Nor do we ever meet witha- I ry Prince inHiftory, who derived his Authority from this only Fountain; and if this were the true Right and . Title of Magiftracy, it would follow, I that all the World ought to be but 1 one Monarchy; and Adam's Heir Male the Emperor thereof ; and all the Kings and Emperours that ever were, whofe Titles were originally bottom'd upon another Foundation, were no better than mere Ufurpers. XLV. Where one Man conquers another, that is to fiiy, by force of Arms, or by Stratagem, gets him fei into his Povirer, as tliat he can dcftroy or kill him at his PleaXure; the con^ quered quercd Perfon, indeed being obliged to do all that honeftly be can for the Prefervation of his own Life, ought, on that account to ufe his beft en- deavours, by an obiequious Demea- nour to affwage and pacific the Fury of the Conquerour. But farther than he finds neceffary to his own Prefer- vation, he is not oblig'd to obey the Conquerour, except he binds himfelf thereto by fome Ailof hisown 1 there being no Law of God or Nature which lays any farther Obligation on him in that Cafe, but only to preferve himfelf, without doing wrong to ano- ther. Since then all the World does allow, that a Subjeifl is bound to , obey the Magiftrate who is lawfully fet over him, even In thofe Cafes where no Danger in this World, would attend his Difobedience, or, as the Apoflle exprefles it, mt only for Wrath, but alJhforConJ'dence J'akt; it will follow that Conqiiejl ahney with- out any Compadl or Agreement, does not ejiabiijh the Conquerour a law- ful 1 \ ^26 a ®«ittIemim'iEi Paniu. \£ul Magijlrate over the Conquered people. For if it did, there could be no difference between a Liege Subjed, [•and aPrifoner of War. XLVI. If any Man unjuftly invades » the Property , or attempts the Life L of another, it is lawfiil for him, to whom the Wrong is offered, to de- fend himfelf the beft he can ; and if Be has no other way of feciiring him- felf, nor can prevail with his Enemy to defifl from his evil Defign, the Neceffity of preferving himfelf irom Death, or (which may be as bad, or worfe) from Ruin, will certainly jufU- fie the Killing of him. For otherwife tiie Lives and Fortunes of all hon< ~ Men muft for ever be expofed the arbitrary Pkafure of every lai lefs and wicked Pcrfon, which is con-; trary to that Comfort and fatisfadory State, which we fupofe God geneml- ly to defign for Men, even in this Life;j and that which is allowable for every lingle Man to do for is furely no lefs lawful for me I Pai-t ui. Eeli'Biflm 227 of^ Men combining togetherj to do for their joint and mutual Safety. More- over, If in fuch a Society any Pcrfon be taken in, or after, fuch an unlawful Attempt, it is lawful for them to pu- ni{h him in fuch a Manner (whether by Death or otherwile) as may be neceffary to terrify others from doing the like for the time to come: For without this there could be no Se- , curity againft evil doers; who might contrive to adl their Mifchief fo fecret- ly, as not to be killed, or even refifted in the very Fa£t it felf. But if iudi z Society have not certain Laws and Rules to proceed hy in all fuch Gafes, and fome certain Perfons to put thofe Laws in execution, every Man would take upon him to be his own Judge ; and what might feem fit and reafona- ble to one, might appear otherwife to another of a contrary Intereft, from whence perpetual Fa<fiions and Con^- fuiions muft needs follow. But there is no Reafon that any one, or more, of fuch a Society, without the confent of 1 I I I r 228 a ^cittfeman'sf Part iir. the reft> Ihould take upon them to make Laws for, or excrcile Authority over, the whole Community. For if it were in every Man's Power to make himfelf a Magifhate, all might fel up to be Rulers, and few or none would be Subjefts ; which would bring in Confuiion, and ddftroy the Society. But when the whole Society do agree and confent, that fuch certain Perfons. ftiall have the exerciiing of fuch certain Powers (which originally are in the Body of the Society it felf ) it is then lawful for thofe Perfons to aft accordingly; and they who have confented to their Authority, are by virtue of that Con»« ient, obliged to pay Obedience osfl them, I conclude therefore, that fbf ' Original of Magijirates is Jrom the Ccnj'ent of the People^ fince there is no other folid Ground, that I can find upon which to eftablllli them. And wheft once a legiflative and executive Power is thus fettled and ejlablijhed by the Coufcnt of a People, who ac- Part HI. WitliQiOlU 229 quiefce in it, and upon all Occafions take Shelter under its Protedlion , it is to be looked upon as ratified and confirmed by God's own Appoint- ment; and SubjeSfion and Obedience is accordingly to be paid to it by every particular Perfon who abides within the Precindts of its Jurifdidion, For ' this was the very Cafe of the Roman Government, which was in St. PaiiN. time; and there is cxaftly the fame Reafon for it in all other Kingdoms' and Commonwealths whatfocver. XLVII. Since then Magiftracy de- rives it felf wholly from the Confent of the People; from hence it will fol- low, that the original Rule of the • Magiftrate's Poii-er, and the SubJeSIs Obedience^ 13 that Confent which the People have given ; or, in oiherTerms, thoje L^ws and Conliitutiofii of the Place, in which the Body of the Nati~ on have acquiefced: Beyond which neither any Magiftrate ought to com- mand, nor is any Subje^ bound to obey. For where there is no Law » 230 a © cittlcmait'ff Part iirfi therecan be no Tranfgreffion, norany Obligation to Obedience ; nor con- lequentljr any Right to command. XLVIII. But r/t&e legijlative Pow- er of any Nation do ena6l any thing which is contrary to the exfrej} Law of God, or the eternal Laws oj Good and Evil; no particular Man can bi bound to obeyfuch a Con/iitution. For the Authority of God ought to weigh more with us, than that of any Com- munity whatfoever ; and it isexprcfly ruled in Scripture, that we ought ta obey God rather than Man. . XLIX. And the fame Reafon (War, Self-prefer vat ion) which allows a So- ciety thus fettled intoa Government, to punilh Malefaftors within them- felves: muft aHbjnftifie them, if by- force of Arms they defend themfelves againft any foreign Enemy, which would wrongor opprefsthem ; or en- deavour to recover their Right from thofe who have taken it from them, and refufe to reftore it. For otherwife were in vain for a Community to Part III. EeliffiOtt, 23 1 hope to fubfift by maintaining good Order and Difcipline at home, if all the while they mull, withoutRemedy, lie continually expoled to the Wrongs and Infults of every Enemy which may affault them from abroad ; I con- clude therefore, that War^ -whether de- J'enjive or offenfcue, rnay, in many cafeSy be very juji and lawful: Nor is there the leaft Word throughout the Holy Scriptures which may reprefent (the Profeflion of a Soldier, who fights under a lawful Authority, as any way contrary to Religion and a good Con- fcience: Tho' fuch a Man certainly ought not only to exercife his Calling with as much Mildnefs and Humanity as can be conjijient with the Service of his Country : but alfo ever tofatif- fie bimfelffrji of the lawfulnefs of the Caufe in which he engages before he draws Sword in the ^larrel: For as we are obliged to do no Hurt to any Man whatfoever, if we can avoid it; fo, for the very fame Reafon, ought we not to become inftrumental in any Wron^ I J ^2 a (SoiHcman'gi Part in. "Wrong or Injuftice which another JVIan (let him be who he will) in- tends to do. " L. That an humble Demeanour^ together with a reajlnable Diligence, -end an honejl Fidelity to his Majier, is the Duty of every Semant, is moft apparent ; becaufe if a Servant be ei- ther haughty, negligent, orunfaithful, he ceafes in effedl to be a Servant. And on the other fide, that "Jujiice and Humility are no lefs the Duty of a Mafier towards his Servant is alto- gether as clear, becaufe where thefe are not obl'erved, the Condition of a Servant muftbe intolerable, and con- trary to that comfortable State which we fuppofeGod to delign for all Men and therefore for Servants, who area*, much Men, and as much valued God, and for whom Chriji died, well as for their Mafters. LI. That all Chriftians are, (according to Chriji'% Inftjtutioi ought to be combined together int9 97te Society f which ea&_ I m in. aiKff(«u 233 Church, I have already faid, Part II. § 4a Nowj in all fuch incorporated Societies, thefe three things are ever to be confidered, i. What is the De- iign of the Perfon or Perfons, wha ijrft gather and inftitute them? 2, What Advantage accrues to thofe who become Members of them ? And 3. What are the Laws and Rules to be obferved by the whole Body, and every Member of it ? The Defign of our Saviour Je/us Chriji, who at the Will of his heavenly Father, infti- tuted and embodied the Chriftian Church, was to purifie unto himfclf a peculiar People zealous of good Works, or in other Terms, by this Incorporation fo made, more effe(fhi- ally to promote the Praftice of Virtue and Godlinefs in the World. The Be- nefit and Avdantage which eveiy true Member of this Church may propofc to himfelf,is the Participation of God's <5race and Alliftance here for the bet- ter Performance of his Duty, and the ^joyment of everlafting Happinefs lol-f r hereafter; 234 9 ^eittumanV Part in. hereafter; both which are promifed to us by God, in and through Cbrtji yefus our Saviour. And lailly, the Laws of the Chriftian Church arc cither, i . The general Laws of Piety and Morality, of which I have hither- to been giving an Account; or, 2. Such particular Conilitutions as'are proper to it, confidercd as a congre- gated and incorporated Body of Men, which I have referved to be treated of in the laft Place of all. LII. Thejirji thing which is z'ncum*- bent on every Man, as (or rather, in order to become) a Member o^'the Chri" fiian Vhurch, is to be baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoflj which Ceremony is intended to put us in mind of that Purity and Cleannefs from Sin, to which we ought to bring our Souls by a virtuous and lioly Life. And altho' to wet or wafli the Body with Water, mayfeembut a flight and in- confiderable thing, yet fince our Savi- our Chriji has exprelly appointed and commanded Part in. Keliffiom 235 commanded it, and I'mce his Apoftles were always mod careful to perform itj infomuch, that even they who hadreceived the extraordinary Gift of the Holy Ghoft from Heaven, were yet required .to be baptiz'd, in order to become vifible Members of the Church: This Ceremony, I think, ought not to be left off, or difconti- nued, Altho' whether it be perform'd by dipping the Body under the Water, or by Iprinkling the Water upon it, to me feems to be altogether Indiffe- rent; and [obe regulated only byPru- dence or the Cuflom of particular Pkces. For neither does the Word Ba- ptize fignifie any more than' to waft:; which may be done either way; nor does it appear that the Apoflles dipped all thofe whom they baptized. More- over fince fprinkling as well as dip- ping, may fufficientlydenote the wafli- ing, and cleanfing of the Soul from Sin ; and fince Baptifm is nor cxprefiy, in the holy Scripture, determined to either of thefe ways , to the excly.- r i «36 a i^entlemarf *J Part iii. fion of the otherj I conclude, that God has left the matter (fo far) indif- ferent to lis ; and to be order'd accord- ing to Prudence as the Circumftances ofThingsandPerfonsihallatanytime direct: And as long as theSubflance and Deiign -of his Command is care- fully retained, I fee no neceifity of being fo very folicitous about a Cir- cumftance of it ; except it could evi- dently be made appear, that he had appointed and determined it. LIII. Since then Baptifin is as the Entrance or Door of Admittance into the Church of Chriji, it will foUovr, that all they and they only who are duly quaiified to be Members of his Church are fit to have Baptifm ad- miniftred to them. If any Perfon has been brought up out of the Church, until he comes to Years of Under- ftanding and Knowledge, he is then, and only then, qualified to be a Mem- ber of the Church, when, having re- pented of all his former Sins, he be- iieves and owns, that Jefus is the Pan in. Ecliffioit. 237 •CJmJi^ the Son of God, and confe- quenlly receives and profefles thac FaithandDoflrinewhichhe has taught and authorized, and obliges himfelf to live according to all thofe Laws and Rules which he has prefcribed to UG : this being the very Condition whidh our Saviour indifpenfably requSrtS from his Church, and every Member -of it according as they are capable of Herforming it. But if a Child be born ■of Chriftian Parents, or is fo in the -Hands of Chriftian Guardians, as that it is in their Power to bring him up in the true Religion; and they do pro- mife and engage fo to educate him; fuch a Child as this, even before he comes to any Knowledge of things, is yet qualified to be a Member of the Church of C/'W// (upon the Prefump- tion that he will perform what God requires from him whenhe comes to be capable of it) and fo to continue, if by Apoftafy or Wickednefs he does not, inProcefs of time, feparatehim- felf again from it. For this, beyond L 2 \5\\->$\iXa 1 » 238 g t^entlemau'is Part in. difpute was the Cafe of Infants before the Coming of ChriJ}, who at eight Days old (if Males) were to be cir- cumcifed, and thereby admitted into the Church of God, and within his Covenant, if they were either the Sons, or Servants born in the Houfe, of believing Perfons, and who, as well as their Parents, are expredy faid to enter into Covenant with God, which is but another Expreilion for becoming of his Church. And no one furely will offer to fay, that the Cafe of Infants is made worfc than it was, by our Saviour's coming into the World; efpecialjy, iince he has expreflly commanded, that little Children fliouldcome unto him, and not be forbidden; for that of fuchis the Kingdom, that is, the Church of God. I conclude therefore, that not only Adult Perfons, tvho make a diu ProfeJJion of their Faith and Repen- tance ; but alio fuch Infants as are in a 'way of being brought up in the Chrijiian Religion, are^ without any ^ PartllL Eeliffibiu 239 Obftacle, to be admitted to Baptifm, LTV. There are fome Paflages 111 the New Teftament, which feem plainly to fuggeft to us , that it was a conftant Cuftom with the Apoftlcs of Chrifi, to lay their Hands upo7i all fuch as has been baptized (which liying on of Hands was undoubtedly accompany'd with Prayer to God) in order to their receiving the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit of God : But that this was a thing pofitively prefcrib'd and commanded, I do not find clearly prov'd : And therefore , ' altho' I dare hot haftily condemn thofe particular Churches where this fame Cuftom is difus'd or intermitted; yet fince the Grace and Alliftance of the Holy Ghoft, in order to the lead- ing of a good Life, and obtaining eter- nal Happinefs, is for ever continued unto the Church, as I have laid Part II. § 42. and therefore ought ever to be fought for (altho' the working of Miracles, and fpeaking of .all Languages, withoutJearningthem, \ • L 3 be 240 a ^£ntlcma»*£t Part ni. ^ be ceas'd from amongft us) I cannot but conclude that the laying on of Hands upon Perfons that have been baptiz'd together with Prayer ro God for their Growth and Continu- ance in Grace, which is common- only czWd Cofijirmatiorj, is aprutUnt and godly Cujlom, and ever Jit to ie continued in the Church. LV. As every particular Man whatibcvcr- is obliged, in his own pri- vate Pcrfon, to honour and worfliip- God; iot he Churchy beiitg a Society incorporated j or the better ferving of God, is under an Obligation to do the fjme in her afTociated Capacity, that is to fiiy, to aU'emble together for his Worjhip, And becaule the whole Nimiber of Chriftians, which are dif- pers'd over the Face of the Earth , are not capable of meeting togedier in one Place; tlie univerfil Church therefore Ues under a Ncceffity of fubdividing it fclf into particular » Churches; and thofe again into par- k titular CongregatioaSj according as P diey Part III, EcUfftOW. 24 J^ they- find to be moft convenient for the purfuing that fame End for which they are fo incorporated. Moreover^ fince all thefe particular Churches and Congregations, areftill, or ought to be, but Parts and Members of that One Catholick Church which our Saviour Chrift has appointed and founded, it follows, that none of them? ought to conftitute or a<fl any thing among thcmfelves, which may give a juft Occafion for the breaking of that Union and Concord which he de- fign'd, and has commanded always to be maintain d amongft them. Bur,, on the contrary, Matters ought every where fo to be order'd , as that if a- Menaberof any one particular Church fhould travel into any other Part of the World, he may meet with no- thing in any Chriftian Congregation^ where b€ comes, which juftly fliould be a Hindrance to him from aflen>- bling or communicating with it. • INl.l'he particular ASls to be per^ ^vm^d in tkeje Cbrijian AJemblieSy L 4 are tion nefs 242 a0cntleman'0 Partinj are allfuch as lend to the Edification of the People in Viruie and Godlinefs (which is the Dcfign of their IncorT^, poration) and confequently to promoting of each Man's eternal Sal vation (wliich is the End tliat every" Chriftian is fuppos'd to pnrfue.) All which are reducible to thefe two Heads, ■"j/s;. Devotion towards God, which includes ConfelTion of Sins, Prayer for all things neceflary, both for themfelves and others, and Praifing of God, as well for his own Excel- lency and Perfedlion, as for his Love and Beneficence to all Mankind: And 2. The InArudion of the People which are afiTembled, which is to be done by reading and explaining the Holy Scriptures, catechizing, preach- ing, &c. But there is one Aft of Devotion towards God to be per- form'd in fuch publick Aflemblies, which is commonly known by the Name of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or the Holy Communion; of \yhich it will be fit to fay fome- thing III. Etlijiott; " 243 thing more particularly, becaufe it is an Ordinance altogether of pofitive Inftitution, as well as Baptifm, of which I have already fpoken. LVIL As our Saviour's Death and Paffion, which he underwent for the Sins ofthe whole World, fhouldever put of Gratitude be remember 'd by. us in the moft emphatical and affedt-. ing manner; fo, except we have, every one of us, a Share and Intereft in tnat Attqnement which he thereby made to God for us, we cannot, by the Therms of the Gofpel, hope for eternal Salvation. In order then to both thefe Ends he hUnfelf\ before his Death, appointed it^ as a perpe^ tual Ordinance for ever to be con- tinued in his Church, that Bread Jkould be blejfed , broien^ and eaten^ and a^ Cup aljo bhjjid^ difiributed^ and drank^ tJifuch AJfembliesasJhould meet together in his Namey not only as a Remembrance of his Sufferings fcr us, whidi .arc thpteby ihewn fotdi ajid reprdontj^di bm Alfo as - L 5 the K^ 4 3 Seutltmaii's Pan in. i the Communion, that is to fay, the- 1 Exhibition of his Body and Blood' I unto, and the Participation of them, by all faithful and good Chriftians. To fay with the Roman Church, that the Siibftance of Bread and Wine, be- ing blelTed or confecrated in this Op* j dinance, are tranfubftantiated, or turn- ed into the very real Subftancc of the Body and Blood of Cbrifl, (o as that I that very fame Body of his which fcvas crucify'd, and that Blood whicHj f was Ihed, are wholly and cntirctj^ received Into the bodily Mouth, aiOT[ fwallow'd down by every Communw cant, does not only draw after fuch monftrous Abfurdltics, Man, I think, without renouncin; his Reafon, can digeft, nor can be in*^ ferr'd from any Paflagc of Scripture interpreted according to the Rules which I have laid down, Pari 1 § 25. and 33, But is alfo diredly contrary even to the Letter, as well as Mean- ing of the New Teftament; in which the Bread, in this Holy Inftitution, Part nr. fSitUsion* h$ is plainly called Bread (and by the feme Rule the Wine muft lUlIreraaio Wine, as toits natural Subftance) ever* after theBleflingorConfccration of It. As therefore I mufl needs conclude, that the Body and Blood of Chri/i are not received by the Members of his Church after that manner which they of i^owf do define; fomuftital- fo follow, that their worfhipping of the Hoft and pretended Sacrifice of Cbriji in the Mafs, together with their depriving the Laity of the Cup (which, befides other Abfurdities, do wholly depend upon the Dodrine of Tranfubftantiation) are none other than mere humane and unlawful In- ventions and Pradticcs. But fince a Man may then be faid truly to receive and partake of any thing though at never fo great a Diftance from him when he has a real Intereft in it, and enjoys the Benefit and Advantage of it (as a Man may have an Eftate, and reap the Profits of it, tho' it lies in a far diftant Country) I do tlierefore L 6 covvlVm-Ar, J I 246 aiScntlcman'si Partiu. Conclude, that the way whereby we do receive or communicate in, the Body and Blood of Chriji, by this Ordinance, is by being made Parta- kers of thofe Benefits, which, by the crucifying of his Body, andthefhed- ing of his Blood, do accrue to us; and that whofoever eats of this Bread, and drinks of this Cup in fuch a manner as Chriji has appointed, has thereby affuredly a Share of thofe Be- nefits held forth and convey'd unl him. LVIII. How often this Ordinance is to be praf}ifed and repented in every Congregation, is not exprefly determin'd, either by Chrifl, or his Apofiles ; and therefore can only be regulated by the Prudence of the Church it felf: But common Reafon ■will tell us, that it fliould h^fo often at leajl, as may befufficient to preferve afrefi and lively Remembrance ofthA Sujf'erings of our Saviour in the Minds of the People; this being main End of its firft Inflitutlon.. A: !e« J Part III. Reltiyton. 247 fo often therefore ought every CKri- flian, who is arriv'd to Years of Un- derftanding (for fuch only are capable of doing any thing in remembrance of another) to come and be Partakers of it. For to contemn or negleft this Ordinance which Cbriji has appoint- ed for fuch a peculiar End, argues a great Slight and Difregard of his Death and Paffion (befides the Difo- bedience to his Command) and there- fore is juftly to be looked on as a ve- ry great and heinous Sin. LIX. As it is a great Affront, and even a Mocking of God, for a Man to draw near to him in any of his Or- dinances, without a fincere and well- meaning Heart (for which Reafon Hypocrify in Scripture is reprefented as moit odious, and the Prayer and Sacrifice of a wicked Man, whilft he continues fuch, is faid to be an Abo- mination unto God) fo does- he feem to refent fuch a Practice in no 1 ftance more than this of the Holy Communion; of which he who eats W «48 9 fientieman'tf Part im and drinks unworthily, is expreflj( iaid by the Apoftle to be guilty qf thiff kBody and Blood of Chriji, and te fat and drink. Damnation to himfelf» Which Expreflions, altho' they asa differendy interpreted by divers Pew fons, yet in whatever Senfe we tak< them, they do abundantly fhew, thai God is in a particular Manner offen4< ed with thofe, who any way profan* thisfacred Inftitution. // therefore rj the Duty, and ought very much to hi the Concern of e^jery Chriflian, Jirfl, to examine himj'df, and to make tl^ bed trial and enquiry that he can) whether he be truly fincere in hil Refolutions of ferving and obeyii God faithfully all his Life-long (fa any Perfon who is thus difpos'd, aaJ none other, is ever acceptable to God^ ^nd then, with Devotion and Revi rence fuitable unto fuch Sincerity, j come and eat of this Bread, anJdrit of this Cup: That as, on the or kiide, he may not negleit what Cirgl has commanded and reqiiir'd ; fo. Partlll. UeKcfon. 349 tbe other, he may not incur the Pe-- nalty wjiicli is threatned to an unwor- thy Receiver, LX. He that worfliips or prays to God by himfelf alone, may do it as well by oiFering up only the inward Thoughts and Defires of his Mind, which are clearly iccn and known unto God as by exprefling himfelf outwardly by Words; which, tho' even in our private Devotions they may be very proper to keep our Minds intent upon what we are about, yet are no way necefiary to inform God of what we think or wifh for. But when a Society of Men do meet to join together in God's Worfliip, their Devotion muft of neceflity be. outwardly exprefled in Words; be- caufe there is no other way of keep- ing their Thoughts (wherein their Worfliipdoesconfill) united and join- ed together. And fince Words not underrtood, arc in effedl the fame with' no Words at all ; I conclude, that tbe LnngHc'^e '■jL'hcrdn the WorJJ:'ip of any Cfjurc6 I I ■ 250 9 *^ciit!ettiaii'js Part ni.| Church or Congregation is offered aftl to God, muji always be fuch as is weugk underjiood by the Affembly of the Pe<hM pie who meet together. Nor does-'W even the Doiflriiie ofTranfubftantlatiJ^ on amaze me more, than that thft' r Church of i^owc fhould own the i4/£3 ' Chapter of St. P,ia/'s firft Epiftle tOt"^ the Corinthians to be the Word of God, .ind yet have all their publick Services every where performed in I the hatin Tongue only, which is no^ I now underftood by the Generality c " • any Nation in the World. LXI. As Peace and Unity, miitutm Love and good Agreement amongf the Members of every Society, toge^ fher iDith Order and Decency, in that is tranfafted amongft them, abfolutely neceflary to the being ani continuance, or at leafl to the wetlj being of the Society it felf: fo they carefully prefcribed and inculc ted by Chrijl and his Apoftles, things, to be always prcjerved - mabitained in life Cbrijlian ChurcB Tart HI. Eeligtom 251 And as he who firft: occafions the vi- olation of any of them, Js plainly guilty of a very great Sin ; fo in all Matters that are not particularly and clearly determined by God's Law, wc cannot propofe a better and lafer Rule to our ielves, than always to do that which tends nioft to the Advancement and Prefervation of them. LXn. If fome certain time be not determined forChriftians to meet to- gether for God's Worfhip, which e- very Man may know. of before it comes, and accordingly prepare him- felf for it by laying afide, for that time, his worldly Bufinefs: Diforder and Confufion, (which is the natural Confequence of Uncertainty) muft needs follow. That one Day, at leaft, in fcva^ was expreflly required by God, under the Mo/hick Law, to be fandified and fet apart for his Ser- vice, is beyond Difpute, That the Obfervation of the Jewifh Sabbath, or the»laft Day of the Week, required from the Chriftian C IS not ■ hurcb, I li H 252 a Gentleman's Part m." ^m to me feems very evident from St, ^V Paul's reckoning it ainongft the tranrj ■ illory Shadows of the old Law , Coln^ 2. 17. Birt that weChriftians ought not to be behind hand with the Jews^j in fetting apart a Proportion of omS Time for God's Service, I think wiUi follow, as well from the great Merv cies which we have received from him; for which we, no lefs than they, ought to ftiew and exprefs our Thankfidnefe; as alfo from that go-(: Deral Rule which our Saviour has gwi ven us, that our Righteoufnds Chould even exceed the Righteoufaefsof the Scribes and Pharifees. And that ac- cordingly one Day in feven, namely, the firft Day of the Week (which in Scripture is therefore called the Lord'l Day, Rev. i. 10.) has ever been fil fct apart for the Service ofGodinaHj Chriflian Churches, I preiume wiH be denied by none; as alfo that the Reafon of the Apoflles making dioke U of this particular Day, was in rnnenw K trance of our Saviour's glorious R&i Ll _."" Part III. EleliBfOfT. 253 furreflion, which on that Day was performed^ and whereby their Faith, in him, which began to waver, was confirmed and raifed above all doubt or diffidence. Now fince no Reafon can be given, or fo much as imagined*,. why this Day fhouldbe changed foe any other Day of the Week; I do, from what has been faid, conclude, that the Lord's Day, or firft Day of tlie Week, ought for ever to be kept Holy in the Chrijiian Church; and particularly dedicated to the Service of Gcd. And where either the Church univerfal, or any particular Church, has fet afide any other Days to be kept Holy, in remembrance either of any of God's Mercies to us, or of the Martyrdom of any of his chofea Saints, who fealed the Truth of the Goipel vfiih their Lives, and tranf- mitted it fo confirmed down unto us v er, as Days of Fafling or Abftinence, in order to humble our felves before God for our Sins; fmce in all thia there is nothing contrary to God's Lawi 1 I i 254 a ©entleinan'st Partiilf Law; nor any thing but what may be well confident with, and fervice- able to true Piety; it will follow from what I have faid, § 6i. that every Member of fiich a Church is obliged to keep and obfervethefefame other Holy Days, lb far as no way to give Scandal, difturb the Order, or break the Peace of theChurch, whi( ' has eftablifhed them, LXIII. Order and Decency neceffa- rily require that all the outward 0r- cuntjlances ofWorJhip^ which God himfelf has not determined by his own Law, Jhould be fo fettled by the Church, as that all Confufion and Unfeenilinefs therein may, as much as is poffible, be avoided. But Care on the other fide, ought ever to be ta- ken, that Modes and Ceremonies be not fo multiplied asto become uneafie and burthenfome, or diftradl the De- votion of the People. Now, there being no fuch fixed and demonflrable Rules of Decency and Order, but what will have a different Relifli with: different or Partlll. EcWgiait. 255 different Men, according to their fevc- ral Educations, and Cuftomsto which they may have been ufed, it will be very difficult, if not impoffible, for any Church fo to regulate thefe ex- ternal Matters as to pleafe every Man's Fancy, and give Difguft to none : For what fomemaythinkto be but decent, others may take to be too formal or pompous; andwhat thefe may appre- hend to be fuitable to the Simplicity of Chriftianity, another fort may look on as mean and jejune. As therefore the Church in this Cafe can do no more, but ad: according to the beft of her Prudence ; fo fince every Man cannot expeft to have his particular Fancy in thefe things pleafed and gra- tified, /'/ will evidently appear to be the Duty of each prmate Cbrijiian, fo far to comply with every fuch Conjii- tiition of the Church where he dwells (provided there be nothing in it which is finful) as not to break the Peace and .Unity, or diflurb the Order of the Church on that account. But if any ChuccK J inS .256 9iScnHtmai»'si Part Church ftiall offer to impofe any Ce- remonies or PratSices whatfoever ( which God has not prefcribed, and which therefore are in themfeives in- different) not for Decency and Order, but as things in thennfelves Holy, or ^folutely neceffary to Salvation (as feme of old would have done by the Jewifli Ceremonies,) with fnch Im- pofitions as thefe no Chriffian ought at all to comply ; nor fuffer his Reli- gion or Confcience to be thus bnr- .thened; But every Man muji ftand faji in that Liberty itiher^with Chrift Sas made us free ; tho' at the fame time he muft be very careful not pretend, or ufe this Liberty as a Cli of Malicioufnels. LXIV. Since different Opinions itt' Matters of Religion, are generally apt to beget Diffenlions and Animofjties between thofe who entertain them, as our daily Experience does abundantly teftifie ; it ought to be the Church's and every private Chriftian's Endea- vour, that all Men may become of Ji Part III. jaeHgiom Z57 one and the fame Judgment, or at leaft that there may be as few Dif- ferences among them, as is poffible. When therefore any religious Dijpute arijhy whereby the Church's Peace and Unity is like tol^e endangered, // is free and proper for (noT is thert any thing which ihould hinder) c^VAer the Church univerfa!, or any parti- cular Churchy or even any prudent Men whatfoever, io declare andpub- lifi their Senfe of the Matter m de- bate. But as no Man can be obliged to believe the Determination of any Church or Party whatfoever, any far- ther than he is convinced and fatisfied of its Agreement with Reafon and the Holy Scriptures, Part II. § i. and 2. fo is not any JWan bound to oppofe or difpute even againft an Error it felf except there be fomething in it which is injurious to Chriftian Faith or Pra- ctice; and confequently which may prove pernicious to Mens Salvation. And therefore if fuch a Miftake which may have prevailed in any Church, 1 I t J 25** a iffient!emnft'0 Partiii. Church, cannot well be redified with- out endangering the Breach of Peace and Charity) becaufe they who hold it, it may be, are obflinately wedded to it) I think // is the Duty of us all , to be very tender in fuch a Cafe, and to permit every Man freely to abound in his own Senfe, until fuch time as God fliall think 6t to bring them to a clearer Sight of the Truth. And by no means to renounce the Communion of any Church on the Account of any Error that is not damnable , and much lefs on account only of fuch Terms or ExpreiTions as are but abftmie, or of doubtful Signification. For otherwife fmce the Apprehenfions of Men are fo very different, (efpecially in fuch things as, being remote from ourSen- fes, are matter only of rational Specu- lation) if difference of Opinion upon fuch theological Queftions, as do not immediately cojicern our Salvation, were a fufticient ground of Separation in Point of Communion, there would fooa be probably almoft as many Churchc rchCL Part III. Eeft'fllOIK 259 Churches as Men in the World. But if any Church fhall require from a Man, eitherto comply with, or pra- aife, any thing which is not only a- gainft his Fancy in Point of Decency or Convenience, but alfo againft his Gonfcience in Point of Lawfulnefs; or that he fhould not only be filent and not oppofe, but alfo explicitly profefs the Belief of any fuch Do- dlrines as he judges to be falfe (howe- ver innocent the Belief of them may be to them who think them true) and if fuch a Church fhall refufe and deny her Communion to all thofe who will not join with her upon thefe Terms ; • we muft rather be contented to be excluded from fuch a Church's Communion, ihan to purchafe it by folemnly telling a downright Lye be- fore God and the World, or by the Violation of any other of God's Com- mands: For if we offer to do Evil that Good may come of it, St. Paul has declared us to be in a State of Damnation. M . LXV. 26o a(^Cllttemaif0 PartllL LXV. For the due Regulation of every Society, it is neeeflary , that it have a Power fomewhere or other vefted in it over its own Members^ either to compel them to live orderly, , according to its Laws and Conftitu- tions, or, if any of them are dilcJbedi- ent and refractory, ^ and will not, up- on due Adnaonition, be reclaimed, wholly to exclude them from the Bo- dy of the Community. For, other- wife, if the Members of any Socie- ty may, at their Pleafure, break. its. Conftitutions, and violate its Laws without control, this would be whol- ly to puU down the Enclofure, and lay all open and common, as before; and confequently in effed:, to dif- folve the Society it fel£ And accor- dingly our Saviour has given the Church a Power to admomjh and. re^ buke thofe who give any fcandal by their ungodly and unruly Behaviour '^ and {/'upon this, tjoey da not repent and reform^ of rejecting and cutting thim offfro?n her Communion. Which Autho* Pa«IlI. Mgtort^ 261 Authority mufi ever be excrcifed with due Mildjiefe and Caution, for the Edification , and not with Heat and I^uty, which in the End would niore pfobably tend tothe Deftruftion of the Church, But if any Church fhaM go beyond this, to puniih or per- fccute Men with Fire and Sword, or with Fines and Imprifonment, only for' being of a different Perfuafion^ frotti and refufing to communicate withhef i in my Opinion {he hercia ad^ contrary to that Mildnefs and GeAtfetiefs, which the Gofpel, upon' all Occafions prefcribes, and particu- larly in the Cafe of dealing with thofc who oppofe themfelves to it^ 2 Tim. 2^ 24. Altho^ at the fame Time it cannot be denied, but that if any Man, under the Pretence of Confcience, or Religion,fhall advance fuch Doftrines, or do fuch Adls as are deflrucftive to the Peace or Safety of the civil State or Commonwealth; the civil Magi- ^ ftrate may, and ought to punifh fuch a Perfon according to the Laws of the M 2 \.-^vA^ 262 a €^ent!etttatt'0 Part IIL Land, notwithftanding all his Pre- tences. For if the Plea of Confcience ( the Truth of which can only be known to Almighty God) be fufficient to fave any Malefactor from Punifli- ment, no civil Society can ever be fafe, and all humane Laws and Magiftrates would be wholly ufelefs. See Part I. LXVI. And as Almighty God, in his Mercy, is pleafed not to cut the greateft Sinners off from all Hopes of Pardon; but is ready at any time, upon their true and fincere Repen- tance, to receive them again into his Favour, fo has he committed unto /i6^ Church the Miniftry of Reconciliati- on; which Church therefore accord- ingly ought not only to eftdeavour to bring Sinners to Repentance by Preachings Admonition^ aJtdExhor^ tation ; but alfo wherever foe fees evi- dent Marks a?id Tokens oj it in any Per/on (of which yet there ought to be good afllirance) for his greater comfort and eafe of Confcience, to remit or ab- folve Part III. EeUfflom 26j folve him from his SinSy and reftore him agaiji to the Benefit and Privilege oiChriJlian Communion^ of which I fuppofo that he has, or ought to have been deprived: And whatever Sen- tence of thus binding or loofing, re- mitting or retainbig of Mens Sins, is duly and regularly pronounced by the Church upon Earth, our Saviour af- fures us it fliall be ratified and con- firmed by God in Heaven. But that a Man is obliged to make a particular Confeilion of all his Sins unto any o- ther Perfon, except God, in order to obtain the Pardon of, or Abfolution from them; as I no where find it af- ferted in the Holy Scripture; fo the Reafon which the Roman Divines do alledge for it, is very weak and uncon- ' eluding: For it is not the particular Confeflion of a Man's Sins (which may be performed by the moft har- dened Impenitent) but his Contriti- on, and the vifible Reformation of his Life (which may fufficiently appear without a particular Cofeflion) that M 3 ^^^Y 264 a «*eitaemim'0 Partiu. only can enable the Church , pr her Minifters, to judge whether he traly repents of his Sins, or not, and con- fequently, whether he be a proper Obje<a of God's Mercy , and the Church's Favour. Altho' I deny not but that in fome Cafes it may be very proper for a Man to make known the Difeales of his Soul, to a prudent Spi- ritual Phyfician, that he may have his Advice far the Cureof them. And his Duty alfo to make an open Con- fcflion of his Sins whenever it is ne- cellary for God's Glory, or to repair any publick Scandal which has been given by him. LXVII. That Almighty Godeye^"' where he has pardoned a Man « Siqs upon his trpe RepenPtancc, m^y yet, on the Score of thofe very Sins whicji he has fb pardoned, lay for^^e ifhftfp and fevere temporal Afflidlioojs upon the Penitent, either to keep him more effedtually from finning for the tirxie to come, or that it may be a Terror to others, or for many other Reafpus beft Partlll Relffffom 265 bcft known to himfelf, is a thing that cannot be difputcd. But from hence TO infer that thefe temporal Afflidli- ons, if not laid on us in this World, are to be undergone in Purgatory, and that therefore, for the preventing 'them, it is fit and neceflary that Pe^ nance Jhould be impofed by way of fa- tisfaStioriy or Indulgences gra?ited by way of RemiJJkn : And all this w ith- out any Warrant from the Holy Scrip- ture, fave only a faint and forced Confequence from fome few perverted Texts J is a thing fo groundlefs and precarious^ that it amazes me to think now Men can fufFer themfelves to be fo grofly impofed upon. And who- focver fliall duly confider upon what weak Grounds the Pope and his Pre- lates do pretend to a Power of difpcn- fing and diftributing the Merits of Chriji unto the People, by way of Indulgence (as if they alone had the keeping of that Treafure under Lock and Key; and to \vhich, tho* infinite, they have yet added the Me- M 4 rits { 266 a <5entlcman'0 Part ui rits of the Saints, to make their Trea- fure more abundant) will, I think, very much wonder that their People ihould be fo free to part with their earthly Treafure in purchafing thefe Indulgences upon no better Secu- rity. ^ LXVIII. That the Apoftles of Chrijiy when they were firft fent a- broad to preach the glad Tidings of the Gofpel, did anoint many lick Perfons with Oyl, and thereby mira- culoufly heal them, we are plainly told by St. Mark ch. 6. j^ 13. And that in this they do no more than what Chriji himfelf had expreflly commanded them, is moft reafona- ble and probable to fuppofe. More- over, that the anointing with Oyl, which is mentioned by St.yameSy ch.5. 3^ 14. was intended for the very fame Purpofe, viz. the raifing up the lick Perfon and relloring him to Health , is as apparent as any thing can be from the very Context. But as we do not Jin d that this anointing of thejick was PkitilL Eertglom.' 267- was appointed either by Cbrift or his' Apoftles, as ajianding and perpetual^ Ordinance for ever to be ufed in the' Church \ fo fince Experience (hews, that the miraculous efFedl of healing* thereby is now wholly ceafed^ I can^ fee no Reafon why the Practice it felf fhould be any longer continued. Bur what juft Ground the Church o^Rome - can have from either of thefe, or any other Place of Scripture for the Di- vine Inftitution of their extreme Un- dion, which they makic ufe of for a far different end, namely, theprepa- ^ ring thereby of Perfons who are paft* Hopes of Recovery, for their Paf- fage into the next Life, is more than< I am able to find out. LXIX. Asthe Body-Natural would? be but a confufed and. ufelels Lump, if it were not diftinguiflied into the^ feveral Members which are necef- fary for its own Service and Prefer^ vation: And as the Body-Politicb would be a diforderly Rabble, if there were not Magift rates fettled to • w M 5 riile: 268 ^a^ntimiitC^ Part Hi. rule and govern, and Mini^riai Of- f^ierf appointed to periprm all necefifi^ ry Fund:ions in and about it > fb the Holy Scripture, as weii aa Rjeafi>Qy aflures U3 (and the Pra<^ce of the >|LppftoUcal Church, which is there rqcorded, confirms it j that the iike Api^ointment and Qimndiion^fOSi* cesa re no lefs neceflary in the C^usch; in order to the regular and ordedy Government of it, and the due Execu* tion of all its Laws and ConfUtuti- ons. But how far theie Offices are limited and appointed by the Law of God, or how far left to be fettled and determined by the Prudence of the Qhurch, according as Ciraimftancps may render it convenient, is what I ij|::^all not take upon me to pronounce rpy Sentence in. But whatever PolU ty or Ecf:lejiajiical Conjiitution isfet^ tkd end acquiefced in^ either by the 'whole Church in gefieraly or by that of any Nation or Cowiiry in parti-* cular^ Ithviky ought- quietly to be fub-* mitled to by every one who would b4 a Mem6€r l^tt HI. Rtlffff Ott^ 269 41 Member offucb refpe^ive Cburcbi except there spears to him to be ei- dier fomethii^ therein, wliich is not only uBCommanded, but even con- trary to the Law of God ; or elfe ibmething wanting, which Grod re- quires, and therefore is abfolutely ne- ceflary to be matntain^d and kei)t n; in all Churches. Nor can I appu hcnd that any lefs Warrant can be fufficient for breaking or endangering the Peace or Unity ofthe Ghurch (the Prefervatbn of which is fo often and fo earneftly recommended to us in the . Holy Scripture) befides the abfolute Neceflity of obeying the pofitive Command of God himfelf. And therefore, lince the Government of the Church by Bifhops, that is to iay^ by certain Perfons, having in theic fcveral Diftrids a Priority among, and in fome Refpeds a Superiority over the Prelbyters, has for fo many Ages been univerfally fettled amongft, and acquiefced in by all Chriilians in all Parts ofthe World; 1 cannot find M 6 VvQw w 270 9 ©entUman*^ Partiii. how cbey can be excufed, who (with- out any neceffity for fo doing ) have fo earneftly fet themfelves, not only to retrench the Excefles, and redtifie the Abufes of the Epifcopal Power; but aUb to pull down, and wholly l"abo!illi the very Order itfelf; to the no fmall Scandal of thofe who think that fo univerfal a Conllitution, every where taking Pkce even in the Pri- mitive Church, could be grounded on no lefs than an Apoflolick Ordi- nance (of which there feem to be fome, not oblcure, Footfteps in the Scriptures of the New Teilament) and that moft probable In Conformi- ty to that Imparity which Cbrtjl himfelf eftablilbed betwen the Apo- ftlesand the Seventy Difciplesj who, were yet both commilTioned l^hi: ' to preach the Gofpel. LXX. How far aCafc of Neceffii _ may, upon fome Occafions, excufeor juftlfie a Man for taking on him an ^^^Office which regularly does not be- ^^■Ipng to him, efpecially if hisDeiign ^^B^ therein ■k^ J Part III. ISktUision^ ^71 therein be truly honeft and fincere, I know not. But in a fettled Churchy * where nofuch NeceJJity can fairly and jufily be pleaded^ no Man certainly ought ta intrude into any Ecclefafii^ cal FundHon\ or exercife any fuch Office y who is not called and admitted thereunto by the lawful Authority^ and according to the efablifhed Confti^ tutiom of tpe Society. For if this be not carefully obferved, the Diftinclion of Offices and Fund;ions in the Church is in efFedt wholly taken away ; and a wide Door opened for Confufion and Anarchy. But then on the other *fide, good Care, ought ever to be ta^ ken by the Church, that no Perfons be entrujfted with any facred Officcy butf uch as are duly qualified for it; and that fuch a Maintenance be pro- vided and fettled for every fuch Per- fon, as that he may not be neceffita- ted to negledt the publick Service of 6od, and the due Exercife of his Fun- iftion, by being conftrained to bellow and fpend overmuch of his Time and Labour 272 a ^citflcman'iS Part ni. | Labour m getting a Living for himfelf and his Family. LXXI. I have now gone thro' what I at firft deiign'd ; and have not, that I know of, omitted any one thing which I could judge to be a material or neceflary part of Religion ; altho* I have on purpofe endeavoured to avoid the IJfe of fome Words which do frequently occur in all or moft Syftems of Divinity that I have met with; and the Reafon why I have fo done, is not that I find fault with the Words themfetves; but becaufe I would have my Reader take notice^ that Religion docs not confiji in Terms of Art t or Forms of Exprcjion; but in the Belief and Practice of fuch things as God has made known, and requires from us: and it is too com- mon among IVlen to wrangle about Words, before they have clearly fixed and ;igreed upon the Meaning of them. J have not, for Example, made nle of this Term 'Juflificati- *«; bat yet I have endeavoured to Part III. ReHglWt. 273 fliew upon what Conditions a Sin- ner obtains the Pardon of his Sins, and Mercy, at the Hand of God; which is the fame thing ; Nor have J faid any thing of the Nature or Num- ber oi Sacraments y but I have fpo^ ' ken what I thought might be necef^- fary concerning Baptifm, the Holy Communion, and thofe other things which the Church of Rome calls by that Name. And if once I am fa- lisfied touching any thing, how far God requires ]t from us, and whe- ther or no it be neceffary to Salvati- on; I cannot fee why I fhould trou- ble my felf much in enquiring, whe- ther iuch a thing may properly be called a Sacrament or not, which to me feems no more but a difpute about the Meaning of a Word. True indeed it is, that in theDoi!lrine of the Tri- nity, which I have delivered Pizr/ II. § 22. 1 have exprefly made ufe of the Terms Per/on, Subjlance, &c. be- cuufe I could find none others fo fit and proper to exprcfs my Thoughts; , _ . nor 1 I I 274 a Gentleman's G?*:. Paniu.. nor duril I venture in fo fiiblimea. Matter to apply new Words tothofe things of which I can have but very imperfeft and obfcure Conceptions. And having thus faid all that I intend upon this Occafion, I freely fubmrt the Whole to the Judgment and Cen- fure of every Reader; leaving to him that Liberty which I my felf always defire to enjoy; and being ready to- rctrad: any thing that I have laid^ whenfoever I am convinced that t have been therein miftaken.. AN ( ^7S ) A N APPENDIX TO A Gentleman's Religion: In which it is prov'd, That nothwg contrary to our Rea-^ ^ fon can pojfibly be the ObjeSi of our Beliefs butthatitisnojuji Exception a^ahiji fome of the DoBrines ofChri/iiantty^ that they are above our Reafon. H 1.1^ ^OW thofe Perfons, who take unto themfelves the ^iftinguifhing Name of 17- nit art am, do diflent from the main Body of ChriJlianSy of whatfoever Church "276 an appenafiCj &c. Church or Perluafion, touching t! Doftrines of the Tiiniijr, and the In* carnation of cur Saviour Chrijl, is " well known, that I need not here offer to open or explain the Terms of the Controvcrfy which is manag'd between them. Now when in tiiis Difpule the Vnltaricm are prefs'd with fomc PaffagesofScripture, which feem very evidently to make againft fhcm, befides other ways which they have to avoid the Force of them, they commonly have recourfe to tlie Na- ttire of the thing controverted; and prefs their Adverfaries back again with lliis Demand, How fuchathinga pofiiblybe? And when to this it; reply'd, That there is evidently Contradidlion to found Reafon in thi Doclrines themfelves, and that the Truth of them ought to be believ'd upon the Authority of God , who htith reveal'd them : But that the Manner of them is utterly above, and altogether incomprehenfible to our iinite and narrow UnderftandingR, and then th? : 3tt appen^Ur, &c. 277 thereFore not to be enquired after. In return to this, there are fome who maintain, that ifthefeDoftrines were not contrary to Reafon, yet this alone is a fiifficient Caufe to rejei^ them, that they are confefledly above it. For of that which is above our Rea- fon (fay they) we can form no true Conception or Ijlea; and it is ab- furd, oiffather impoffible for a Man to believe that which he cannot clear- ly and plainly fo much as conceive or apprdiend. . Jf0FoT the right ftatlng and clear- .C, Hii]^df this whole Controverfy, I have given fuch hints in the Gentleman's elijMiiy Part !• § 33. and Part.H. 2, 22:, 23, 37- as I tlaought to be ' rnoft fit for Men of ordinary Capaci- '*Vt ty> ^ P^^ft fuitable to that Brevity /which I gU along defign'd. But in this Jppe7tdi^ I iball addffcfs my felf unto thofe who are of a more refined UnderfttpUiding, and accuftom'd to a. mory cxa<^ way of thinking; and try if fcan givel;h6m any Satisfaftion in la^as ^7^ an aptJettHfjc, &c. in a Matter which feems to be not a little perplexed, perhaps by the Qver- much Curiofity of feme of both the contending Parties. III. That our Knowledge of things is but fhort and imperfeft, isconfefs'd on all fides. It is alfo very evident, that no Language whatfoever will af-- ford us varie.y of Words fufficient to exprefs all the Diverfitics and Pecu- liarities of our Thougi'.L?, fo as to (e- cure them from the Mifiikes of Ig- norance or Mifapprebci/: ., and the Cavils of Perverfenefs : huv .*:hat afu^r all our Care our moft cautious Ex- preflions will fometimes be liable to be mif-interprc:ed to a contrary, or at leaft wrcfled to a different Mean- ing from what we intended. And therefore the moft acute and judicious Writer will probably find himfelf much miftaken, if he at any time hopes fo to handle any Controverfy as tb fatisfy every Man. But fince, upon the ftridteft Examination which I have been able to make, I am, my 3tt appenair, &c. 27^ felf fuUy convinced of the Truth of what I have concluded in this Dif- pute, I will now, ( with God's Af- fiftance ) try, whether I can exprefs my Thoughts with fo much Clear- nefs, and prove them with fuch fuf- ficient Arguments, and pertinent In- ftances, as may give feme Satisfaiflion to others alfo: And that I may the more effeftually do this, I (hall en- deavour to proceed, as near as I can, in fucha Method as is always us'd in Mathematical Demonftrations. IV". This Word DoBrine is but another Term for z Propofition ; and what a Vropofition is, or when it is faid to be true or falfe, certain, pro- bable, or doubtful, I need not fpend Time to explain. V. Reafon is that Faculty in Man (for I meddle not with the Know- ledge of Angels) whereby he appre- hends things, and their Attributes or Properties, and frames a judgment concerning what he apprehends. And alfo from thofe Judgments which he makes, 1 1 f 280 an appciMj, &c. makes, draws fometinies more imme- diate, or more remote and diftant Confequences. VI. The Truth of fomePropofi- tions is fo very plain, that as no Man in his Senfes can deny them, fo f it is impoflible to find out any thing which is more plain wheFeby to prove them. And fuch Propofuions as tliefe I q%\\ J elf-evident : Such for Example are. That all the Parts of a thing taken together, are equal to to the whole. That both Parti of a CoittradiSiion cannot be true at ti Jame 'Time-, and the like, VII. V^hen tlie Truth of a Pi ^ fition does not immediately appear by- itS own Light, but yet the Propofition can, beyond Quelliion, beprov'dfrom other Propofitions which are felf- evident; fuch a Propoficion as this I term to be built upon Reafon alone. Such, for inftance, are, That fw^ triangles having equal Bafis, and being contain d between the fame pa- r^illel Lines, are equal; and all other Froi J a pfm ^ anapietaKt, &c. 281 Propofitions which are capable of be- ing demonftrated, or clearly proved from the bare Principles of Reafon. VIII. Wliere the Poffibility of a Propofition (i. e. that it implies no Contradidlion) can be evidently prov- ed fom the Principles of Reafon a- lone, but yet the aifhial Truth and Reality of it cannot the fame way be made appear; iuch a Proportion as this I call reconcilable to Reafm. Thus for Example, Tliat an Oak JJiould grow up to its full and ufual Stature in an Hour, is aspoflible (that is to fay, as free from Contradiftion) as that it fbould do the fame in an hundred Years ; (for all Growth is Motion, and the Swiftnefs of tlie Motion may be for ever encreas'd) but that ever this was aiftually fo, cannot be prov'd by any Arguanents drawn from Reafon. IX. Where any Propofition (either immediately in it felf, or mediately in its Confequences) does plainly con- tradid any other Propofition, which is either 1 I I a82 an appeiiWjc^ &c. either felf-evident, or built upon Rea- fbn, fuch a Propofition as this I term to be contrary to Reafoni liich for Example is this Propofition , That the three Angles of a T*ri angle are equal to three right Angles ', and fuch like. X. Where a Propofition is in it felf true, but we are unable clearly to apprehend or frame a Notion or Conception of the things contained under the Terms of it, fuch a Propo- fition I term to be above Reafon. And a Propofition may be either wholly and altogether above our Reafon, when we can frame no manner of Conception of the things fpoken of; or elfe but partly above it, when we have fome Notions of the things, but thofe very obfcure and imperfed:. Thus the Dodlrine of Light and Co- lours, is wholly above the Reafon of a Man born blind, who can frame no manner of Notion of thefe things, from the Defcription which others make of them, becaufe he is altoge- ther deflitute of proper Organs, to re- ceive ait appcntrft, &c. 383 ■receive any Imprcjrion from the things' tlWinl'elves. IJut the iame Dodrine would not be fo much above the Rea- fon of a Man, who had fome faint and confus'd Gliinmering of Sight, tho' ftill much more above his Rea- fon, as it would be if he were en- dow'dwith the Faculty of clear and diftinft Sight, another Men common- ly- are. ■ XI. To knoiix, is to give Aflent to a 'Propofition, when it evidently ap- pears to be built upon Rcafon. But when the Truth of a Propfition is rfflented to, not upon Arguments drawn from the Reafon, or the Na- ture of the thing, but upon Account of the Veracity' and Authority of the PerfonorPerfonswho affirm it; fuch vg Propofition as thit is {aid to be Mieved, Farthermore, if a Man un- ■ derftands not the Meaning of a Pro- pofition, and yet believes that it con- rains a Truth in it, becaufe of the de- ference he pays to the Perfon who fpeaks it; this"! call an Implicit Be- 1-- N iief:.^ 1 I 284 9n appetov, &C. lief: And, properly fpeaking, the Ot^ed of fuch a Belief is not the Truth of the Proportion it felf, hvX only the Veradty of the Spoiker. But where a Man onderftands the Meaning of the Propc^tion, which he believes, this I caSl an Mxplicit Belief. XII. No Man can poffihlj believe crgi'-je bis Affent to any HoBrine or Prcpofiticn lebicb appears to Sim to be contrary to Reafon{ fee § -9, ) For to own a Propofition tO'beielf^evident, or built upon Reafoi}, a^d yet at the fame time to believe xmbtha-, which mediately or iinmediately is contra- didlory to it, is abfblutely impoilible. X3II. If a Fropojition ie recon- cilable to Reafon^ . (§^0 ^^^ ^ ^ruth of it aljo tejlified by fucb Ptr- fons wb9fe Veracity is bey md all Doidt or ' Excepiony fucb 41 Prepth ftiori cannot hut he believed by ^any one unto nvbom it ames.fo/ttjtif^^ For if 'it be recoij^labla to-rilwis^n^ t&cn it way .fQffi>fy,^,;#e^^ and » » 3ii appfittitjc, &c. 285 and if I am aS:ua!ly convinc'd of the Veracity of the Perfon or Perfons who relate it, I cannot chiife but be- lieve that it is true. Froni whence I think it evidently follows, that Reve- lation, or the Teltimony of another, niay juftly be looked upon, not only 2.% a Means of Information, butalfoas a Motive of Perfuafon, whatever a late Author fays to the contrary. XIV. But that which is mojt ma- terial in this prefent Controverfy, is' what I am now going 10 make ap- pear, 'viz. That a Man may have moji f'ufficient and cogent Arguments^ to give his Ajfent tofuch Propofitions as are not only in part, but wholly and altogether above bis Reafon^ (§ 10.) For the clear and plain evincing of which, I fhall crave leave to make a Relation of a Conference which once I had with a blind Manj to whom, when I understood that he had been quite blind from his In- fancy, and never could remember to have fecn die leaft glimmering of I N 2 L^Kt^ 1 { \ aSis ail iippeifflti:, &c Light, I had the Curiofity to put fe-2| veral Queft'ions. I aflc'd him, firit 1 of all, Whether ever he had endea-^ vour'd to frame any Notion or Con-' ccption of Light or Colours, of which, I fiippofe, he had often hea rd mentien to be made in common Dif- oourfe? To which he anfwcr'd me, That he had often endeavour'd it with the greateft Application of his Mind ^hat poflibly he could. And to that End and Purpofe he had made it his Bufinefs to aik all the Quefbinns he could think of, whereby to get Lnfonnation, but all to no purpufc; for that lie \vas ihll altogether as ig- norant of tlie Natare of Light and Colours, and as unable to frame any Conception of them, as if he had ne- ver before heard the Names of them. He told me moreover, that he was a long time before he would or could believe, that other Men had any Fa- culty at all which he wanted. For, fiiys he, I was fenfible of no Defed or Imperfeftion in my felf, -but be- ^ >an appeaWr, &c. 2^7 'jev'd my felf to be altogether as per- iedl as all other Men with whom I convers'd; and therefore- when ■ they told mc that I was blind^ and talk'd to me of Light and Colours,- I'appre- hendedj for a great while, that they did it only to irapofeupon me. But are you now convinced;- fald 1=, that youare blind)' and' that other Men have the B^aculty of Sight, which you want? Yes, reply'd^ he, I am fully fatisfy'd and convinc'd of it. How can that be, faid I, when yoii axn frame no; manner of Notion of Liglit or Colours, which are tli;; Ob- jeifts of Sight? Thus, anfwer'd lie, I was convinc'd of it: They would put me ata Diftancefrom them, and yet would tell me every thing tliat I did; as whether I ftood or fate, or held up my Hand or let it down, or the like; Whereas I could not difco- ver any thing which they did, ex- cept I were clofe to them, and felt themcarefuUywithmy Hands. Now by thisj .continu'd he, I am fiilly N 3 convinc'd 1 Ca88 an appentito &c. convine'd, that other Men have a Faculty which I want, whereby (hey jean difcover and diftinguifli things at idiftance, which they call Sight: %nd I am told by all Men, that there , fomething catl'd Light, which is 1-diffus'd thro' the Air, and is the In- ftrument whereby they are enabled Lto exerciie this Faculty; and alfo that he Colour and Shape ot* things aiie he ObjeiSs upon which the lame i& nploy'd. But altho' I can by my Touch dillinguiOi between the dil- uent iliapes of fome things, and (o " amc a Notion of Shape: Yet what Light is or what Cokurs are, [ have not the leail Conception; aU jtho' 1 am, us I have told you, fuf. ficiently convine'd, that Ibme fuch ^things there are. Now, this Reli^ i^ion being ( for the Subftance of it') '.true, to my own Knowledge; or iK I .kiiit (as every Man will own it tO ^ be ) pollible and rational, it will evi^ f dcntly follow, without any farthe* Proof, that this Man had very goofi 9n appetiWc, fee. 2S9 and unqueftionable Grounds to be- lieve fome things that were altogether above his Reafon; for what Sight, Light or Colours were, he was ut- terly uncapiible of framing, or re- ceiving any Idea. Bur yet that there were fuch things, and that all, he heard Men difcourfe about them was not mere Fiftlon, (as he for forne time apprehended) was plainly prov'd to him by fuch Arguments as every reafonable Man muft allow to have been abundantly fufficicnt to move bis AiTent. • Nor was this Aflent of his, which he gave unto thefe things, a bare implicit Belief, § 1 1. 'as if he had been told that fomething did cxift, which was aiUed BliSiri; but was altogether ignorant of what was fignify'd by that ^ord, (as Mr. 'Ta- land fpeaks.) Fbr ahho* it was abfii- lutcly impoflible for him to frame any direi^t Notion, or Conception, of the things themfelves, yet by thole ana- logous Reprefentations which were made to him of ihemj he well might be, N 4 and 1 I liga at aiJpeUCtjE, &c. and was accordingly, not only hi\ly .convinced that what wr-s fpokcn con- cerning then), was not infignificant Nonfeiife; but alfo enabled to fra fomefort ofreprefentative Conceptloi of them, which is more than a Man can do oi' B/i^/rii of which he hear .only the Sound, but knows not the, Signification, For, fuppoGngalVL at the very Time of his Birth, to ! utterly dcpriv'd of his Organs oP Sight; yec by the ufe of his other four Senfes, he may well conceive - what a Faculty of Seniation is how a fenfible Quality, or the fm; Particles of Matter flowing or bounding from a Body, and flriking upon the proper Organ of Senfe, do make fuch a peculiar Impreflion upon it, astoafFeftourUaderftandingwith feme particular Knowledge of the Bo- dy it felf, whereby we are enabled, difl:inguifh It from other Bodies. A: as he can direiftly apply all this the Senfes of Hearing, Smelling, Ta- iling, and Touching, «f which be may_ 1 FiilLy LTon- icantj anieS 'tion^ Vlan ears the, AattM ther sivc a n^a naH i ^ may be as good, or a better Mafter than other Men; fo, by way of Ann- logy from thele Senfes he will be able 10 make fome imperfe^ fort of Reprefentation to himfelf, what fort of thing Sight is, and what Light and Colours arej tho' dircftly, and particularly, he knows no more of them, than if he had never heard of' them. Sir Kene/m DJghy inhisTrea- tife of Bodies, Chap. 28. tells us of a' Spani/h Nobleman who was born fo abfolutely Deaf, that if a Gun were" fliot oft', clofe by hts Ear, he could ^ not hear it; and yet was taught to fpeak very diitimitly; and,* by the' Motion of any Man's Mouth, fo p?r-- fedlly to underiiand what he faid^ as* that he would not lofe-a Word in a- ; whole Day's Converdition; Now,' the Dodlrine of Sounds and Mufick ■ muft of neceflity have been as much above this Man's Reafon", as that oFi Light and -Colours was above the blind Man's, of whom I but now (poke; and yet there might ^ery N 5 good 1 1 ^f 292 ait Sppentiij:, ^c good AfTurance have been given to tl One, that there was fuch a Senfe ^^ Hearing, and Tuch a thing as a Souni ^K as well as there was unto the oth^t ^H in the Cafe of Light and Colours, ^* XV. And now to apply what ha?' bctn faid to the Controverfy concern- ing the Trinity and Incarnation of our Saviour. And here the IflUe which I am now trying, prefuppofes thefe three Things: Pirjl, that the Ttxts of Scripture which are brought to prove the Truth of thefe Doftrines, ace fufficient for thePurpofe for which they are alledgcd, if we interpret tiiem according to the natural Order, and ufual Signification of the Words and Expreflions of tliem. Secomi/y, That ilie Dodrines themfelves ate not contrary to Reafon, as not implying any Contradiillon; kc Partll. ^ 22. ^^ But Thirdly, That they are altoge- ^K thcr above our Reafon, becaufe wb ^H cannot frame any Notion or Id^a of ^F that particiilar Ujiion, and DiiliiH^f-' F on which is between did three Per- K fous ait appttiwt, &c. 293 fons of the blefled Trinity, or be- tween the two Natures which are in our Lord J ejus Cbrifi. Which three things being taken for granted, the Queftion that is to be determined, is. Whether orno itbeafutiicientground for a Man to deny his AITcnt to the Dodlrines of the Trinity, and Incar- nation oi Chrifi, tKcaufe they are a- bove his Realon? XVI. And here in the firft place, it is very plain, that although we cannot by any Means comprehend the things themielves, yet wc do fo far underftand the Meaning of the Terms in which thcfe Dotlrines are exprei^ fed, as clearly to perceive, that they are not a Company of infignificant Words puttogether, to make a Sound, and fignihe nothing. What a Perfon is we know, though we cannot tell what fort of Pcrfons the Fatlier, the Son, and the Holy Gholl are; and hfjvi their perfonal Diftimftion be- tween therafcK-es, particularly anil fully diiicrt froni that of Men, one N 6 from 1 . from another. What it is to be 0«f, I J we well underftand, although wfti I -cannot frame an Idea ot" that fpecial Union which is between thofe Divine Perlons. What it is for one Being to \generate another, and what to pro- ceed from another, we are not -igno- rant; although the peculiar Manner of the Generation of the Sonof God, , and the Proceifion of the Holy Ghoft, be beyond our Capacity to conceive, Andlaftly, What it is for two Beinj to be united together, we can vei well apprehend) although we pri tend not to know the Manner of thi Union which is between the two Nj tures in the Perfon of J^ftis Chrij From whence it plainly follows, That t hefe Doi^trires, -thp' aboi}e our Reafon, do yet fo far (land upon equal Terini with thofe Doftrines which I havfli| lerrned,- reconcilable ta Reafon^ § Si* That as our lUafon may be plainly and pofitively convinced from -its own- I Principles alone, of the PoffibUity [ tbe OQC; fo is there no Principle snt a^penMi!, &c. ^95 our^Reafon which can reach fo far as t© prove or demonftrate any Impojfi- iAlity in the other.' And whbre there is no Contradiftibn or ImpolVibility in a Dodlrine, it wiil undeniably fol- low, that that fame Dddtrine may poflibly be true. And wherevef a Man is convinced of the PofTibrirhy of, a Doftrine, if the Truth of that fame Doiftrine appears to hi[n to be teftified ' By any Perfen, of whofe Veracity he cannot entertain-any manner of doub^' he cannot refufe to give-his Affeht to it-;.aslhave/;iidi §'13; Siricethenthe Veracity of God admits of no manner of doubtj and the Holy Scriptures are by both Parties iri this Difpute allowed of, as nioft anthentick Records ofthe Doftrinesof Faith; and Rules of Life; which God has made knoVvn and re-^ vealedto the World. And lafHy, Since we here fuppofe, that the Do- iStrine of the Trinity, and that of the lj]Carnation of Chr'iJ}, do neither of them contain, or imply, any Impof- fibjlity , oji, Contradiclibfl y although' • ■ they 1 1 1 296 9n appEtaiir, &c. they are both of them above our Rm fbn, it will follow, that if all, or a of the Texts of Scripture, which a brought to prove thefe Dodxines, ing expounded according to the coij .mon way of interpreting all Boofai (of which fee Part I. § 25.) do failj ly (and without being wrefled) < tain (either in themfelves, or their e- vldent Confequences) thofe fame Do- ctrines which they are allcdged to e- ftabliih, there can be no juft Caufe why any Man ftiould deny bis Aflent to them. But if, notwithftanding all this, it be ftiU urged, that it is not polTible for a Man explicitly to believe a thing of which he can frame no Con- ception or Idea: I muft refer him to the Story of the blind Man, § 14. which feems to nie abundantly to e- vince the contrary. And why we fhould not believe the Dodtrincs of the Trinity, and Incarnation, upon the Tertimony of the Holy Scriptures, as well as the blind Man did the Exi- gence of Light and Colours, upoa the ■ art jappenWr, &c. 297 the Teftimony of other Men; join- ed with that collateral Experiment which I have mentioned, I profefs I can fee no manner of reafon, XVII. And 33 in my Book, Parf III, §71-1 have advertifed my Rea- der that I have purpofely avoided the ufeof certain Words and Terms, for the Reafon there given; fo muft I defire him to take notice that for the likeRetfon, I have both in my Book, and in this Appendix^ omited fo much astomentionthe Word, Myjiery, a- bout which fo great a Noife has of late been made. Whether this fame Term Myjiet-y, be always ufed in the New Teftament, in the very fame (and no other) Signification as it is underftood by Heathen Authors: Or, whetherother fortsof things, by a Very allowable Analogy, are not al- fo there calleti Myfteries, upon ac- count of their Obfcurity; bccaufe -w? know them but in part: and fee them but rfi in a Glajs darkly: Or, laft- ly, Whether there be any thing in Chrifti- [ Chriftiauity, which ma.y pro/>eHy \f^ called a MyjUry according to the ge^ Buine Meaning of that Term, to ina feems to be no more but a Contentioii aiout a IVord, which the Apoftleex- preflly forbids, 2 'Tim. 2. 14, Bal r whatever may be determined cpn-J cerning the Propriety of the Wordj the thing it felf leems to me to b^ very evident, th^t there are fome-Do £lrines in Chriflianity, which are a bove our Reafon, and yet that this i no fufhcient Ground for the Denial (^ our Ailent to them. XVIII. And if I am told, thataf, ter all this there is no greater Obfcit rity in any of the Doftrines of Chcj ftianity, than what there isin^alljiai turalBeings, with which we moftf%] millarlyconverfe; vjhofe real E^hic^ we cannot penetrate, but mail con-j tent our felves with a fortcffitperficij alKnowledgeof them, which Is caii fed by thoie Impreffions which ih q make upon our outward . Organjj whichj at moft, can be termed but \ nom/ia. 9n appeiitiir, &c. 299' mminal Ejj'ena; io that cytnafpire of Grafs, a Stick, a Stone, orany'o- ther natural Being, may, upon thip Account as truly be termed Myfteri>- oui^ as theinort fublime Dodrines of Religion: I rtiali only anfwer, that it mightily raifes my Wonder, to hear Men lb freely acknowledge, that in every other thingwhatibever^ there is fomething which is above their Rea- fon, and to which their Underiland- ing cannot reachj and yet, that they will not allow the fame hi Reli- gion. XIX. But I knovv it will be objea- ed, that the firft of thofe three Sup- politions, which I have laid down, § 15, will, by no Means be granted by the Unitarians; for they are ib far from allowing the Texts of Scrip- ture, which are brought.to prove tlie Dodtrines of the Trinity and Incar- nation, to be any way fufficicnt to that purpofe; that on the contrary, they, do, with the greateif Allhrancp, undertake to bring other and contrary Liter- 1 ^ 300 ail appEitirtr, &c. Interpretations of thofe very PaffageS which they pretend tobe far moren' tional and natural. Towhich I (halla ly anfwer, that this is all that I aim 4 in this Appendix, that the Iffue (' thefe Controverfies may be placed u^ On that which is the only true Founf ■dation for it; I mean the Authori ■ofthe Holy Scriptures; and that bliJ "Men would not take upon them, ■the Strength of their Reafon to dil^" cufs Problems, and frame Conclufions xoncerning Light and Colours, of which they can have no true or fuf- ■ficient Idea. I am very fenfible that Learned Men, whohave their Minds ftrongly prepoflefled with any Opi- nion, may by their Criticifms and Pa- raphrafes, and fuch like Engines, tor- ture and fcrew almoft any Text of Scripture, till they make it look with another Afpeft from what is truly its own, and fcem to confefs what really it never thought or meanr,* But if we would always take thofe Interpreta- tions which flow of themfelvcs, and 3n appcnWir, &c. 301 not thofc which are violently prefled from the Scripture, (which I think is the faireft way of expouudiug all Speeches and Dlfcourfes whatfoever) 1 cannot for my Part, fee how we can otherwife conclude, concerning tlieDodtrinesof the Trinity, and In- carnation, than as I have done, Part II- § 22, 37. FINIS. 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