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all, even in natural religion or morality; fince there are none, not even those relating to the existence and perfections of God, a Providence, a future ftate, the natural differences of good and evil, but what have been controverted, and that by perfons who have pretended to learning, to wisdom and philosophy. But the abfurdity of this way of arguing is very evident. The principle is fallacious, that whatever hath been controverted is uncertain. As well might it be faid, that whatever is capable of being abufed is not good or ufeful. It doth not follow, that the Scriptures are not fufficiently clear and determinate to be a rule of faith and practice in all that is effential or neceffary to falvation, because there have been men in every age that have interpreted them in different fenfes. The plainest pasfages in any writings whatsoever may be perverted; nor is men's differing about the meaning of the facred text any argument against its certainty or perfpicuity, Laws may be of great use, though they do not abfolutely exclude chicanery and evasion. That can never be a good argument to prove, that the Scriptures are not a rule to be depended upon, which would equally prove, that no revelation that God could give could poffibly be a rule of faith and practice, or of any ufe to guide men to truth and happiness. If God fhould make a revelation of his will for inftructing mankind in what it moft nearly concerneth them to know, and for directing them in the way of falvation (the poffibility of which cannot be denied by any Theift) and fhould for this purpofe appoint a code to be published, containing doctrines and laws; it may be justly queftioned, whether it could poffibly be made fo clear and explicit, as that all men in all ages fhould agree in their sense of it, could hardly be expected, except God fhould miraculously interpofe with an irrefiftible influence to caufe them all to think the fame way, and give them all the fame precife ideas of things, the fame measures of natural abilities, and exactly the fame means and opportunities for acquired improvement, the fame fagacity, the fame leifure, the fame diligence; and except he fhould exert his divine power in an extraordinary manner for fubduing or removing all their prejudices, and over-ruling their different paffions, humours, inclinations, and interefts; and fhould place them all exactly in the fame fituation and circumftances. And this would be by no means confiftent with the wisdom of the divine government, or with the nature of man, and his freedom as a moral-agent, and with the methods and orders of Providence. Nor is there any neceffity for fo extraordinary a procedure. For it would be

This

abfurd

abfurd to the laft degree to pretend, that the Scripture can be of no ufe to any man, except all men were to agree about it; or that it is not fufficiently clear to answer the end, if there be any perfons that pervert or abuse it.

Yet, after all the clamour that has been raised about differences among Christians, as to the fenfe of Scripture, there are many things of great importance, about which there hath been in all ages a very general agreement among profeffed Chriftians: 'They are agreed, that there is one God, who made heaven and earth, and all things which are therein: That he preferveth all things by the word of his Power, and governeth all things by his Providence: That he is infinitely powerful, wife, and good, and is to be loved, feared, adored, obeyed, above all: That as there is one God, fo there is one Mediator between God and man, Jefus Chrift the righteous, whom he in his infinite love and mercy fent into the world to fave and to redeem us: That he came to inftruct us by his doctrine, and bring a clear revelation of the divine will, and to fet before us a bright and most perfect example for our imitation: That he submitted to the most grievous fufferings, and to death itself, for our fakes, that he might obtain eternal redemption for us: That he rofe again from the dead, and afcended into heaven, and is now crowned with glory and honour, and ever liveth to make interceffion for us: That through him, and in his name, we are to offer up our prayers, and hope for the acceptance of our perfons and fervices, and for gracious affistances in the performance of our duty: That in him there is a new covenant established, and publifhed to the world, in which there is a free and universal offer of pardon and mercy to all the truly penitent, and a most express promise of eternal life, as the reward of our fincere, though imperfect, obedience: That it is not enough to have a bare fpeculative faith, but we must be formed into an holy and godlike temper; and, in order to be prepared for that future happiness, must live foberly, righteoufly, and godly, in this prefent world: That there fhall be a refurrection both of the juft and the unjust, and a future judgment, when Chrift fhall judge the world in the Father's name, and give to every man according to his deeds; that the wicked shall be doomed to the most grievous punishments, and the righteous fhall be unfpeakably happy to all eternity. Thefe are things of great confequence, and which have been generally acknowleged by Chriftians in all ages. And if there have been feveral things advanced by thofe that call themselves Chriftians, which are not well confiftent with thefe generally

acknow.

acknowleged principles; if there have been controverfies among them about points of confiderable importance, as well as many contentions about things of little or no moment, this is no argu ment against the divine authority or usefulness of the facred writ Ings. Those that wreft the Scriptures must be accountable to him that gave them, for that perverfion and abuse; as men must be accountable for the abuse of their reafon : But this is far from proving, that therefore the Scriptures answer no valuable purpose, and could not be of a divine original. Still it is true, that whofoever will, with a teachable and attentive mind, and an upright intention to know and do the will of God, apply himself to read and confider the holy Scriptures, in an humble dependence on God's gracious affiftances, will find vaft advantage for inftructing him in the knowlege of religion, and engaging him to the practice of it, and for guiding him in the way of falvation.

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It appears then, that the foundation, on which this formidable dilemma is built, will not bear. There is at this time a Standard for Christianity; even the doctrines and laws of our Saviour and his Apostles, as contained in the holy Scriptures. It must be and is acknowleged by all that profefs themselves Chriftians, that whatever is revealed in thofe facred books is true and certain, and whatever can be fhewn to be contrary to what is there revealed is falfe. The Romanifts as well as Proteftants own the divinity and authenticity of the facred text, though for particular views they would join unwritten traditions with it; and are for giving the Church alone the authority to interpret the Scriptures. The reafon of their conduct is evident. It is not because they look upon the facred text to be fo obfcure and ambiguous, that it cannot be understood by the people; but because they think the people, if left to themselves, will understand "it fo far as to fee the inconfiftency there is between true primitive Chriftianity, as laid down in the New Teftament, and the Papal fyftem, and because their corrupt additions to Christianity cannot be proved by Scriptureauthority.

I have already taken notice of what he faith concerning the fatal blow that Christianity received by the refurrection of let ters. I fuppofe we are to take his word as a decifive proof of this; for no other proof of it is offered. But it may be affirmed on the contrary, that true primitive Chriftianity, that is, Chriftianity as laid down in the New Teftament, had then a glorious revival. Many corrupt additions that had been made

to it were thrown off. It hath never been better understood, nor its evidences fet in a clearer light, than fince that time. Some of the most admired names in the republic of letters have thought themselves worthily employed in endeavouring to illuftrate the beauties of Scripture, and to clear its difficulties. It were eafy to fhew, if it were not a thing fo well known as to render it needlefs, that those who have done most for the revival and spreading of learning and knowlege in all its branches, and who were most celebrated for their genius, judgment, various reading, and probity, have been perfons that expreffed a great admiration for the holy Scriptures, and an hearty zeal for Christianity.

Thus I have confidered what the late Lord Bolingbroke hath offered in these Letters against the authority of the holy Scripture, and the Chriftian religion, as far as may be neceffary to take off the force of the objections he hath raised against it, and which feem to have nothing in them proportioned to the unusual confidence with which they are advanced. It is hard to fee what good end could be proposed by fuch an attempt. But perhaps it may be thought an advantrge, that by——“ dis"covering error in first principles founded upon facts, and "breaking the charm, the inchanted caftle, the steepy rock, "the burning lake will disappeark."-And there are perfons, no doubt, that would be well pleased to see it proved, that Christianity is no better than delufion and inchantment; and particularly, that the wicked have nothing to fear from the burning lake, fome apprehenfions of which may probably tend to make them uneafy in their vicious courses. But I should think, that a true lover of virtue, and of mankind, who impartially confiders the purity of the Gofpel-morals, the excellent tendency of its doctrines and precepts, and the power of its motives for engaging men to the practice of piety and virtue, and deterring them from vice and wickednefs, will be apt to look upon it as a very ill employment to endeavour to expofe this, religion to contempt, and to fet bad men free from the wholesome terrors it infpires, and deprive good men of the fublime hopes and facred joys it yields. But Chriftianity hath withstood much more formidable attacks; and will, I doubt not, continue to approve itself to those that examine it, and the evidences by which it is eftablished, with minds free from vicious prejudices, and

* See his Letter on the Ufe of Study and Retirement, vol. ii. p. 221.

with that fincerity and fimplicity of heart, that seriousness and attention, which becomes them in an affair of such vast import

ance.

LETTER

XXXV.

The Account of the Deiftical Writers clofed. General reflections on thofe Writers. The high encomiums they bestow upon themselves, and their own performances, and the contempt they exprefs for others. They differ among themfelves about the most important principles of natural religion. The unfair methods they take with regard to Christianity. No writers difcover ftronger marks of prejudice. The guilt and danger of rejecting the Chriftian Revelation. An averfion to the laws of the Gofpel, one of the principal causes of Infidelity. Terms propofed by the Deifts for making up the differences between them and the Chriftians. Their pretence of placing religion wholly in practice, and not in useless Speculations, confidered.

I

SIR,

SHALL now close the account of the Deistical Writers who have appeared among us for above a century past, and fhall take this occafion to fubjoin fome reffections which feem naturally to arife upon this fubject.

If we were to judge of the merit of thefe Writers, by the encomiums they have bestowed upon their own performances, and the account they have given of their defigns and views, we fhould be apt to entertain a very favourable opinion of them as perfons to whom the world is under great obligations. Dr. Tindal begins and ends his book with declaring, that his scheme tends to the honour of God, and the happiness of human focieties; that there is none who wish well to mankind, but must also wish his hypothefis to be true; and that it most effectually prevents the growth both of scepticism and enthufiafm. The Moral Phi

lofopher

16

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