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 ESSAY 
 
 NECESSITY 
 
 REVEALED RELIGION. 
 
 OXFORD: 
 SOLD BY J. COOKE ; 
 
 AND BY F. AND C. RIVINGTON, LONDON. 
 MDCCXCIV.
 
 Staclj 
 
 Annex 
 
 P 5" 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 JL H I S EfTay was written in confe- 
 quence of perilling the following 
 Extract from the proceedings of the 
 French Convention, dated Nov. 7, 
 J 793- 
 
 A letter was read, figned Parent, 
 Rector of Boffie la Bertraude, Nov. 
 4th. In this letter the writer owns, 
 that revealed Religion is a mere 
 Jmpofture, and that, renouncing its 
 tenets, he only means to preach, 
 A henceforth, 
 
 2007955
 
 t ] 
 
 henceforth, the principles of re- 
 publican morality. The Conven- 
 tion, after a Ihort debate, decreed 
 honourable mention of this letter. 
 Gobet Archbifhop of Paris, attend- 
 ed by his Vicar, alfo abjured his 
 epifcopal functions and revealed 
 religion (loud cries of vive la re- 
 publique refounded at this mo- 
 ment through the hall). The Arch- 
 bifhop was followed by the Rector 
 Tangiard, and feveral others, who 
 imitated the apofiafy of the Arch- 
 bifhop of Paris, were received with 
 no lefs applaufe, and with the civic 
 kifsofthePrefident. 
 
 When Revelation is attacked, in 
 
 fo
 
 [ iii ] 
 
 fo daring and unexampled a man- 
 ner, by men grown grey in their 
 former profcmons of attachment 
 to it, it is hardly poflible not to 
 notice, and endeavour to check, 
 fuch impious falfehood, and fuch 
 Judas-like apoftafy. 
 
 Treatifes on theological fubjects 
 are fometimes fo prolix, that the 
 avocations of men will not allow 
 fufficient time for their perufal. 
 To avoid this objection, inflead of 
 detaining the reader by a minute 
 and particular hiflory of Paganifm, 
 fuch an outline of it has only been 
 taken, as was neceflary to form a 
 contraft between the morality and 
 theology
 
 theology of mankind, before, and 
 fmce revelation ; and from that 
 contrail to deduce the neceffity, 
 the ufe, and beneficial tendency, of 
 revealed Religion.
 
 AN 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 ON THE 
 
 NECESSITY 
 
 OP 
 
 REVEALED RELIGION. 
 
 IN this Efiay, an attempt will be 
 made to prove, that a revela- 
 tion of the Will and Attributes of 
 the Deity to mankind was abfolutely 
 ncceflary, to vindicate the honour 
 B of
 
 of God's Name on earth, and to 
 promote the temporal and eternal 
 happinefs of man j and that, by 
 the doftrines of Revelation, thefe 
 important objects have been eflen- 
 tially accomplimed. It has been 
 ufually and juftly remarked, that 
 revealed religion was necefTary from 
 man's theological ignorance: in the 
 following propofition, an endeavour 
 will be made to prove that it was 
 no lefs requifite from the depravity 
 of his paffions. 
 
 PROPOSITION I. 
 
 An idolatrous worlhip was fo 
 favourable to the temporal in- 
 tcrefts of man, and to the indul- 
 gence
 
 t 3 ] 
 
 gence of his criminal paflions, that, 
 however offenfive to God, or how- 
 ever human reafon might detect 
 and defpife its errors, it would 
 neverthelefs have continued for 
 ever the public and external wor- 
 fhip of the world, unlefs it had been 
 interdicted, and its folly and impi- 
 ety expofed, by an exprcfs com- 
 munication of the will of God to 
 man. 
 
 The revelation of the will and 
 attributes of the Deity, promul- 
 gated to the world by Mofes 
 and our blefTcd Saviour, having 
 been made by the exprefs appoint- 
 ment of God, it is neceflarily 
 B 2 immutable
 
 [ 4 ] 
 
 immutable and everlafting. It is 
 founded on a rock, and remains 
 impregnable, however affaulted. It 
 defpifes equally, the malevolence 
 of Hobbes, the infidious arguments 
 of Bolingbroke, the fneer of Gib- 
 bon, the vanity of French writers, the 
 apoftacy of French priefts, and the 
 blafphemy of French conventionifts. 
 It wants no foil or collateral fupport. 
 It mines, like the fun, from its 
 own original, and not from any bor- 
 rowed light. Its fplendour is not in 
 the lead augmented by reflection, 
 or by the practice of thofe, who en- 
 deavour to enhance and appreciate 
 its value, by an unfair reprefenta- 
 tion of paganifm. Thofe who are at 
 
 all
 
 [ s 1 
 
 all converfant with the theological 
 opinions of the ancient philofophers, 
 and eipecially with thofe of Plato 
 and Cicero (which were diffemi- 
 nated through Greece and the Ro- 
 man Empire), are fo far fom confi- 
 dering the literate pagans as wholly 
 ignorant of the nature of God, that 
 they are aftonilhed to oblerve how 
 high a flight human reafon was per- 
 mitted to foar, in the difcovery of 
 His attributes (a). And though 
 there was much theological know- 
 ledge efTential to the glory of God, 
 and the welfare of man, which the 
 wifeft pagan philofophers did not, 
 nor ever could, know, for want of 
 an exprefs revelation - y yer they 
 B 3 knew
 
 [ 6 ] 
 
 knew enough to incur this fevere 
 cenfure of St. Paul : (b) When 
 " they knew God, they glorified 
 " Him not as God, but changed the 
 " glory OF the uncorruptible God 
 " into an image made like to cor- 
 " ruptible man, and to birds and 
 " beads and creeping things." Their 
 knowledge was their crime; for 
 whilft all the literate men of Egypt, 
 Greece, and Rome, knew in their 
 hearts that there was only one fu- 
 preme God, they concealed this 
 knowledge from the illiterate, from 
 Secular and worldly motives j and 
 fufferedHis glory to be profaned in 
 the moil fhocking manner, by an 
 idolatrous worihip equally blafphe- 
 
 mous
 
 [ 7 ] 
 
 mous and abfurd ; encouraging 
 this worfhip by externally joining 
 in it, though they internally defpifed 
 it. The learned Dr. Cud worth, in 
 his Intellectual Syftem, has taken 
 the pains to make extracts from 
 the writings of every Poet and 
 Philofopher of character both Greek 
 and Roman j in which he proves 
 that, Epicurus alone excepted, they 
 uniformly aflat the Unity and Su- 
 premacy of the ( c) Deity j and 
 though they all (Socrates and Plato 
 equally with other Philofophers) ad- 
 mit a plurality of Gods, (d) they 
 univerfally fuppofe thefe Gods to 
 be in fubjection to the fupreme 
 Deity. This important point is , 
 B 4 rendered
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 rendered indifputably clear from 
 the information communicated by 
 the Hierophant, or high Prieft of 
 the Eleufmian myfleries. Whoever 
 was initiated into thefe myfleries, 
 (and all literate people were) was 
 exprefsly informed of the unity 
 and omnipotence of the Deity ; 
 and that all other nominal Gods 
 were only dead men deified. But 
 though the literate pagans pofiefled 
 this knowledge of God, the illi- 
 terate (the bulk of mankind) did 
 not, but were at all times, till the 
 eftablifhment of Chriftianity, in a 
 ftate of grofs idolatry. The Canaan- 
 ites paid divine homage to De- 
 vils, and facrificed their children 
 
 in
 
 [ 9 ] 
 
 in a brazen image to their idol 
 Moloch. They were guilty of fuch 
 horrid, fuch unnatural vices, as at 
 laft attracted the exemplary ven- 
 geance of God, and caufed their ex- 
 tirpation. The Egyptian priefts in- 
 deed had all the knowledge of God 
 communicated by the Eleufmian 
 myfteries, thefe myfteries being of 
 Egyptian origin : but the people of 
 Egypt in general profaned the wor- 
 fhip of God, in a manner fcarcely 
 credible. They worfhipped all forts 
 of animals as God. Thefe animals 
 were placed in temples, and main- 
 tained, as Diodorus informs us, at 
 an extravagant expence. The bull 
 Apis, he affirms, had magnificent 
 Temples
 
 [ 10 ] 
 
 Temples erected to him ; at hi5 
 death all Egypt went into mourn- 
 ing, and he was buried with funeral 
 pomp at an immenfe charge. Such 
 was the fenfelefs idolatry of the 
 Egyptians. 
 
 The theology of the Greeks was 
 neither fo horrid as that of the 
 Canaanites, nor fo abfurd as the 
 Egyptian, though it partook of 
 both ; for in the latter ages of 
 Greece, they offered human facri- 
 fices, (e) and worfhipped men and 
 women as Gods and GoddefTes. 
 With refpect to the Romans, they 
 were never guilty of immolating 
 the human fpecies; but, in common 
 with the Egyptians and Grecians, 
 
 they
 
 they paid divine worfhip to men 
 and women, to fuch monfters even 
 as the emperors Caracalla (f) and 
 Commodus, and the emprefs Fau- 
 ftina. Both profane and facred hif- 
 tory defcribe the Romans, in their 
 mod enlightened age, to have been 
 plunged into every fpecies of 
 wickednefs that can be imagined. 
 And though Horace and Juvenal 
 may be fuppofed to exaggerate in 
 the defcription of their immoralities, 
 it cannot be imagined St. Paul 
 mould do fo. In his firft chapter to 
 thele people, he tells us of their 
 idolatry and abominable excefles ; 
 that they changed the truth of 
 God into a lie, and worfhipped and 
 
 ferved
 
 ferved the creature more than the 
 Creator , that their very women 
 did change the natural ufe into that 
 which is againft nature , and the 
 men, leaving the natural ufe of the 
 woman, burned in their luft one to- 
 ward another, men with men work- 
 ing that which is unfeemly : that 
 they were filled with all unright- 
 eoufnefs, fornication, wickednefs, 
 covetoufnefs, malicioufnefs, full of 
 envy, murder, debate, deceit, ma- 
 lignity, &c. &c. 
 
 In this miferable and depraved 
 ftate was the firft and greateft nation 
 upon earth ; the lower clafs wholly 
 ignorant of the nature and attributes 
 of God, and the higher clafs wal- 
 lowing
 
 [ 13 ] 
 
 lowing in the grofTeft fenfuality, 
 like brute beafts. Surely the honour 
 of God's moral government of the 
 world was concerned in a reforma- 
 tion of this (hocking and deplorable 
 ftate of morality and religion : for 
 if the worfhip of God was always 
 to have continued in this degrad- 
 ed ftate, a ftate that difhonoured, 
 nay infulted God, inftead of glo- 
 rifying him, it feems as if it 
 would have been much better that 
 man, like the brutes, Ihould not 
 have been endued with the privi- 
 lege and faculty of wor fhipping Him. 
 And fince, by a trial of the reafon 
 of man, during a period of four 
 thoufand years, it was evidently in- 
 competent
 
 [ '4 ] 
 
 competent to the difcovery of a 
 mode of worfhipping God in fpirit 
 and truth, which God requires to 
 be done, it appears no lefs neceflary 
 for His own honour, than it does 
 for the welfare of man, that God 
 fhould be pleafed to reveal His will 
 to the world, and that He fhould in- 
 form, not a few Philofophers o"nly, 
 but all His creatures, of the particu- 
 lar way in which He chofe to be 
 worfhipped. God in His mercy to 
 mankind was pleafed to do this; 
 otherwife there can be no doubt that 
 the human race, till thisprefent time 
 and for ever, would have continued 
 in an idolatrous ftate. For though 
 the Egyptian prieils were fuffi- 
 ciently
 
 ciently informed of the glorious 
 eflence, the omnifcience, and omni- 
 potence of God, to have inftrudted 
 the lower claffes of mankind, at 
 leaft fo far as to have prevented 
 their affronting God, by worfhip- 
 ping dogs and crocodiles ; and 
 though the Greeks and Romans 
 were likewife fufficiently informed, 
 to have prevented the horrid, ob- 
 fcene, and blafphemous wormip 
 that was paid to thofe fenfual and 
 lafcivious deities, Bacchus, Venus, 
 and Cotys ; yet, without the pecu- 
 liar interpofition and intervention 
 of God, it cannot be juftly imagined 
 that an attempt even would have 
 been made to abolifh idolatry. Th 
 
 reafon
 
 reafon on which this idea is parti- 
 cularly founded is, becaufe the abo- 
 lition of it militated againft three of 
 the moft powerful paffions of the 
 human heart. It militated againft 
 the pleafures, the ambition, and 
 the political intereft of the kings, 
 princes, and great men of the 
 world. As to their lafcivious and 
 fenfual pleafures, they were rather 
 encouraged than prohibited by the 
 pagan theology; and the practice of 
 them was juftified by the example 
 of the Gods ; it being a proverbial 
 expreffion among the Romans, when 
 blamed for the commifilon of any 
 flagrant crime, "Why do you cenfure 
 <f me, when you acknowledge that 
 
 "the
 
 w the Gods do the fame ?" And in 
 one of the comedies of Arifto- 
 phanes, the fame execrable and 
 abominable expreffion is uttered on 
 the ftage. With refpedt to the 
 ambition of their kings and princes, 
 pagan theology was favourable to it 
 in the higheft degree, as they were 
 flattered with divine honours being 
 paid to them, fometimes whilft 
 alive, and, afcer their death, with 
 being ranked in the number of the 
 Gods. In regard to their power 
 and political intereft, it was equally 
 fupported by pagan theology, from 
 the fuperftitious fubje&ion, and 
 fhameful impofition, which they 
 continually exerted, and pra&ifed 
 c on
 
 [ rt 3 
 
 on the minds and underftandings 
 of the vulgar, by their oracles, di- 
 vinations, and auguries. There is 
 great reafon to believe that thefe were 
 only fo many ftate engines to in- 
 fluence and fubdue the minds of the 
 lower clafies of the people to what- 
 ever purpofes they pleafed : (g) for 
 the great pontifical office in Egypt, 
 Greece, and Rome, was always exe- 
 cuted by the firft perfon in thefe 
 refpective empires : and in every 
 ftate, there is, and always muftbe, fo 
 clofe a connection between its fecu- 
 lar and religious government, that, 
 it is fairly to be prefumed, whenever 
 Julius Csefar (whowashimfelfPon- 
 tifex Maximus) or any other empe- 
 ror,
 
 t 9 ] 
 
 ror, had determined on fome war- 
 like exploit, care was taken that 
 the foldiery fhould be informed the 
 pullets had pecked their grain, and 
 the bull had wagged his tail, in fuch 
 a manner as prognofticated fuccefs 
 to the undertaking (b}. 
 
 The intereft of the men of rank 
 was likewife materially concerned 
 in fupporting paganifm, from the 
 vaft patronage it gave them, and 
 from the power they confequemly 
 had, to provide for their friends 
 and dependents. Hefiod tells us 
 there were thirty thoufand Gods in- 
 habiting the earth, who are fubjects 
 of Jupiter and guardians of men , 
 and one of the Roman Poets far- 
 c 2 caftically
 
 [ 20 ] 
 
 caftically obferved, there were more 
 Gods than men in Rome. The pa- 
 gan worihip was likewife extremely 
 coftly and fplendid. Without 
 reckoning the lucrative inftitution 
 of the Eleufmian myfleries, for 
 initiation into which money was 
 paid, every God had a fet of priefts. 
 Their number therefore muft have 
 been exceedingly great; and the 
 patronage in proportion. For the 
 abovementioned reafons, men of 
 power and rank would have been 
 averfe to the abolition of idolatry ; 
 and the lower clafies of the people, 
 though from different motives, 
 would have been equally fo. We 
 may obferve from the A6h of the 
 Apoftles
 
 T i ] 
 
 Apoftles how much Demetrius the 
 lilverfmith oppofcd the doctrines 
 of St. Paul, and how much he was 
 alarmed, left, by the extinction of 
 idolatry, he mould be prevented 
 from making his filver fhrines for 
 the Temple of Diana : and we may 
 be confident that there were not 
 only Demetrius's but ftatuaries, and 
 a great variety of artificers, in every 
 other city as well as Ephefus ; whofe 
 livelihood depended on a worfhip 
 which was fo coftly and magnifi- 
 cent; every one of whom would 
 equally have oppofed its fuppref- 
 fion. 
 
 But the pagan worlhip was not 
 
 only in the highell degree coftly and 
 
 c 3 magnifi-
 
 [ 2* J 
 
 magnificent; it was likewife ex- 
 tremely joyous and flattering to the 
 fenfes. The number of feafts and 
 holydays they were perpetually 
 making to their numerous Gods and 
 Goddefles was aftonifhingly great. 
 Thefe were celebrated in a manner 
 very much calculated to captivate 
 and delight mankind. The choicefl 
 of their meats, fruits, and wines were 
 offered in their facrifices, and what- 
 ever was not immediately ufed in 
 facrifke was afterwards partaken of 
 by the worfhippers, after the man- 
 ner of a modern feaft. For this 
 purpofe, a large table was always 
 placed in the middle of their ( i) 
 temples ; and this feaft was fre- 
 quently
 
 quently attended with mufick and 
 dancing. When they facrificed to 
 Bacchus, it was a part of their religion 
 to drink till they were intoxicated ; 
 and Plato in his Book of Laws juf- 
 tifies this fenfual practice. Suppof- 
 ing it therefore pofiible for the ru- 
 lers of the pagan world to have known 
 a religion as pure as the religion of 
 Chrift, they would neither have had 
 power nor inclination of themfelves 
 to have difclofed it to the vulgar, 
 or to have introduced it into gene- 
 ral ufe, without an entire alteration 
 in their own hearts, and affections, 
 and likewife in thofe of the lower 
 clafles of the people. 
 
 It is very remarkable, and an 
 c 4 argument
 
 I 24 ] 
 
 argument ftrongly in favour of reve- 
 lation and of the peculiar interpofi- 
 tion of God, that Plato fhould di- 
 redly affert, " It is very difficult to 
 " know God, but abfolutely impof- 
 " fible to reveal him to the vulgar." 
 Neither could the priefts have ef- 
 fected any material change in pagan 
 worfhip, had they had it in their 
 power, or been fo inclined. Before 
 they could have attempted the in- 
 troduction of a pure religion, they 
 muft at leaft have preached a pure 
 morality, which they could never 
 do, whilft the populace believed 
 that their Gods had fenfual paffions 
 like men, and indulged them in 
 the fame way. (k) If they preached 
 temperance,
 
 t *5 ] 
 
 temperance, how were they to cele- 
 brate the feaft of Bacchus? ifchaf- 
 tity, they infulted Venus and Cotys. 
 The pagan priefts, however, were 
 very unlikely to attempt any thing 
 of this kind, if we may credit the 
 character Juvenal gives of them in 
 his fecond Satire : neither would 
 the accumulated knowledge of 
 mankind, difleminated through the 
 medium of commerce, and lince 
 by the art of printing, have been 
 able to diffufe fuch information as 
 would have extirpated idolatry. As 
 to commerce, it exifted from th ear- 
 lieft times, and prevailed in a very 
 high degree in the remoteft ages. 
 .(I) And though the art of printing 
 
 was
 
 was not invented, all the theologi- 
 cal and moral knowledge of which 
 the world was in pofleffion, was well 
 known and univerfally divulged. 
 There were great libraries, fuch 
 as the Alexandrian, &c. for general 
 and public refort. (m) Exclufive of 
 which, hiftory acquaints us, that 
 every man of rank, both in Greece 
 and Rome, kept feveral flaves, for 
 the exprefs purpofe of copying fuch 
 books as were worthy of perufal. 
 Thefe flaves, after they had taken 
 copies for their mailers, had per- 
 mifTion to take other copies for 
 themfelves, which they fold at a 
 moderate price : fo that if the 
 truths of theology could have been 
 difcovered
 
 difcovered by man, they would have 
 been generally known, at lead by 
 learned men. The fact is, the hu- 
 man mind has an intelle6r.ua! power 
 given it only to a certain degree : but 
 that this power is naturally very un- 
 equal eve"n to the inveftigation, and 
 ftill lefs equal to the difcovery, of 
 things of a celeflial nature, we 
 may gather from our Saviour's con- 
 verfation with Nicodemus : " If," 
 fays our blefied Lord, " I have 
 " told you earthly things and you 
 " believe not, how fhall ye believe 
 " if I tell you of heavenly things ?" 
 The truths of the Chriftian religion 
 are of a nature much too perfect, 
 too pure, and too fublime, to be 
 difcovered
 
 difcovered by fuch a fallen animal as 
 man. Can the united wit of all man- 
 kind tell us what the feelings of the 
 foul will be, or in what (late it will 
 be, on its immediate difunion from 
 the body ? As revelation does not 
 inform us, the reafon of man can 
 tell us nothing on this fubjeft j nor 
 could it any more have told us, that 
 we were created in the image of 
 God , that this life is a ftate of pro- 
 bation j that God hath appointed a 
 day in which he will judge the 
 world ; and thofe other great truths 
 which He has been pleafed by re- 
 velation to communicate to the race 
 of men. 
 
 If the premifes intended to be 
 eftablilhed
 
 eftablifhed in this Proposition arc 
 admitted, this conclufion will fol- 
 low, that the impure and idolatrous 
 worfhip of the heathen world, 
 though in the higheft degree dii- 
 graceful to G.od, inglorious to man, 
 and inimical to his real welfare, yet 
 was fo agreeable, in a variety of 
 particulars, to the intereft and fen- 
 fual pafiions of the higheft and 
 lowed clafies of mankind, that 
 even if man had had the power, as 
 he would have confidered it contrary 
 to his intereft, he never would have 
 attempted its abolition. Confe- 
 quently there never would have 
 been a reformation of idolatrous 
 worfhip, unlefs it had been effected 
 
 by
 
 [ 30 ] 
 
 by the immediate interpofition of 
 God, and an exprefs revelation of 
 His will; therefore revelation was 
 .neceffary. That there was this in- 
 terpofition a candid and reafonable 
 mind would be convinced even from 
 this fingle fact, were there no other, 
 that the doctrines of Chrift, which 
 were promulgated to the world by 
 twelve illiterate men, prevailed in 
 fuch a manner as to become the na- 
 tional religion of the moll enlight- 
 ened part of the globe, when the 
 emperor Julian could not eftablifh 
 the ceconomy of Plato's republick 
 even in a village, though he em- 
 ployed philofophers, and men of 
 the greateft eloquence, to influence 
 
 the
 
 I 3' ] 
 
 the inhabitants to conform to it. 
 Further, that thefe illiterate men in- 
 culcated a religion, whofe doctrines 
 required a renunciation of the reli- 
 gion in which the pagan had been 
 educated from his infancy ; and like- 
 wife required his relinquifhing al- 
 moft every thing that was flattering 
 and agreeable to his worldly intereft, 
 his ambition, and his fenfes, with- 
 out offering him any thing in this 
 world for fo very great a facrifice. 
 In reality a greater abfurdity never 
 yet entered the human mind than 
 the fuppofition, that the religion of 
 Chrift fhould eftablifh itfelf, with- 
 out fupernatural means, when its 
 founders were without wealth, pow- 
 er,
 
 [ 32 ] 
 
 er, education or party , and its op- 
 ponents pofTefTed all thefe advan- 
 tages. There is fo manifeft a dif- 
 proportion between the caufe and 
 the effecTt, that it is impoffible to 
 accede to fo extravagant, fo roman- 
 tick, a conclufion, entirely contrary 
 to reafon, to experience, to proba- 
 bility, and to the natural courfe of 
 human affairs. 
 
 PROPOSITION II. 
 Revelation was neceifary from 
 man's previous ignorance of God's 
 attribute of goodnefs, and of thofe 
 perfonal obligations he is under to 
 God fo diftinclily revealed in the 
 Scriptures. It was neceflary from 
 
 man's
 
 [ 33 3 
 
 man's prior ignorance of his origin, 
 probationary (late, and deftiny ; 
 from his ignorance of the true na- 
 ture of humanity and of ambition ; 
 and from his inability to worfhip 
 God in fpirit and in truth. Its ne- 
 cefiity is inferred likewife from the 
 juftice of God ; for man being an 
 accountable agent, it is juft and 
 necefiary he mould be furnilhed 
 with fome rule or ftandard of con- 
 duct, as a criterion for his prefent 
 actions and his future judgment. 
 
 The literate pagans had very fub- 
 lime ideas of the omnifcience, om- 
 nipotence, and ubiquity of the fu- 
 preme Deity; yet they knew him 
 only partially, as a man would the 
 D fun
 
 [ 34 ] 
 
 fun who had never feen its meridian 
 glory, but only its rays through a 
 grove of trees : they were ignorant 
 of one of his moft important attri- 
 butes, and which it was impoffible 
 mere human reafon ever could dif- 
 cover I mean God's attribute of 
 goodnefs ; His affection to the hu- 
 man race ; without which know- 
 ledge all religion is at beft merely 
 ceremonial, and without any vital 
 effect j for without a firm belief in 
 the goodnefs of God, it is impoflible 
 either to love Him, or to worflhip 
 Him in fpirit and in truth. Defti- 
 tute of this knowledge, the pagans 
 muft have been in a moft comfort- 
 lefs fituation ; they found them- 
 
 felves
 
 C 35 ] 
 
 felves placed in a world without 
 their confent, and without any 
 knowledge of their origin. This 
 world they were confcious they muft 
 quit, without any knowledge of 
 their deftiny. They found them- 
 felves liable to numberlefs difeafes 
 of body, and various afflictions of 
 mind. They faw fortune inconftant, 
 virtue degraded, and vice triumph- 
 ant j which induced one of their 
 philofophers to remark, that the un- 
 interrupted good fortune of the rob- 
 ber Harpalus was a direct teftimony 
 againft the juftice of the Gods. 
 Indeed they had real reafon to con- 
 fider life as mere vanity j and one of 
 the beft Roman Emperors, Severus, 
 D 2 pa{Ted
 
 [ 36 ] 
 
 pafTecl that cenfure on it, " I have 
 " been all things, and found them 
 " all without value." Having no 
 aflurance of future happinefs to 
 counterpoife their prefent evils, they 
 had little or no reafon to imagine 
 that their comfort was at all con- 
 fulted in their creation - t and indeed 
 they carried this idea to fo criminal 
 a length, that it was their common 
 cuflom in great infbances of ill for- 
 tune to curfe their Gods. Love of 
 God is the nobleft affedtion in the 
 heart of man. But the reafon of 
 man muft firft be convinced that 
 there are adequate caufes for this 
 love, or it will not exift at all : his 
 reafon muft likewife ferioufly reflect 
 1 on
 
 . t 37 -] 
 
 on thofe caufes, or it will have no 
 
 radical depth, or produce any effect 
 
 on his heart. Thus revelation was 
 
 abfolutely neccffary, becaufe that 
 
 alone could inform man of thofe 
 
 perfonal obligations to God, which 
 
 are the chief caufes, I may fay the 
 
 only natural foundation, of love to 
 
 Him j the beft ftimulus, and moft 
 
 rational motive of fervent worlhip, 
 
 and indeed the very effence of true 
 
 religion. Accordingly it is fo con- 
 
 fidered by St. John, who obferves, 
 
 " We love God becaufe He firft 
 
 " loved us." May I be permitted 
 
 to illuftrate, by the following fimile, 
 
 the different manner in which the 
 
 mind of a Pagan and a Chriftian 
 
 D 3 may
 
 may be rationally imagined to be 
 affected towards God ? Suppofe an 
 officer in the army of a powerful 
 king, who ihould every day be wit- 
 nefs of his grandeur, power, and 
 political fagacity : the proper effects 
 of thefe being only admiration or 
 fear, he might ferve this prince for 
 years without feeling the leaft love 
 for him. But let him take partku- 
 lar notice of him, promote him, 
 and at all times exprefs an anxious 
 and an affectionate concern for his 
 intereft, and, in addition to his ad- 
 miration of the power and grandeur 
 of his king, a new paflion is created 
 in his mind. Confcious of his per- 
 fonal obligations, and of the proofs 
 
 of
 
 [ 39 1 
 
 of affection he has received, he loves 
 his monarch, and is ready to facri- 
 fice his life to prove his attach- 
 ment. 
 
 The be ft informed pagans were 
 ignorant of the anxious and affec- 
 tionate concern which the Scrip- 
 tures every where defcribe God to 
 have for the human fpecies. They 
 knew not that amiable attribute 
 which He was pleafed to proclaim 
 of himfelf when Mofes was per- 
 mitted to fee His glory. " And the 
 " Lord defcended in the cloud, and 
 " flood with him there, and pro- 
 " claimed the name of the Lord, 
 " and the Lord patted by before 
 " him, and proclaimed the Lord 
 04 " God,
 
 [ 40 ] 
 
 " God, merciful, and gracious, long 
 <f fuffering, and abundant in good- 
 <c nefs and truth ; keeping mercy 
 " for thoufands, forgiving iniquity, 
 " and tranfgreflion, and fin." They 
 knew not, that God fo loved the 
 world that He gave His only be- 
 gotten Son, to the end that all that 
 believe in Him fhould not perifh, 
 but have everlafting life. They 
 knew not, that God is a rewarder 
 of fuch as diligently feek Him, that 
 He remembereth we are but duft, 
 and that He pitieth us as a Father 
 doth his children. They knew not 
 that, for fuch as acquire an ardent 
 love for Him, from a proper appre- 
 henfion and confideration of His 
 mercy,
 
 [ 4' ] 
 
 mercy, difplayed in their crea- 
 tion, prefervation, and redemption, 
 there is referred for them (through 
 their Saviour's merits) an eternity 
 of happinefs, fuch as eye hath not 
 feen, nor ear heard, nor hath it en- 
 tered into the heart of man to con- 
 ceive. They knew not that, though 
 we may frequently offend Him, 
 and though our fins may be as red 
 as fcarlet, on repentance, amend- 
 ment, and faith in His Son, He will 
 make them as white as wool. They 
 knew not that, to fuch as humbly 
 folicit it, He will grant his grace, 
 and fend His comforter to take up 
 his abode with them. They knew 
 not, when the mind is torn with af- 
 fliction,
 
 [ 42 ] 
 
 fliction, that charming confolation 
 which arifes from the reflection that 
 the world is governed by an all- 
 merciful and gracious, as well as 
 an almighty God, who can and will, 
 in a future life, abundantly recom- 
 penfe its prefent forrows , neither 
 did they know the quiet and peace, 
 the mind receives in its diftrefs, 
 from that confoling addrefs of our 
 biefled Saviour, fo full of benignity 
 and condcfcenfion, " Come unto 
 " me all ye that travail and are 
 " heavy laden, and I will give you 
 " reft." Of thefe important points 
 of knowledge they were entirely 
 ignorant. Their wifeft Philofo- 
 phers knew not any one of them j 
 
 yet
 
 [ 43 ] 
 
 yet is there not a peafant in Eu- 
 rope, unlefs it be his own fault, but 
 may know them (n) all. Hiftory 
 finely elucidates the difference be- 
 tween the love and attachment 
 fhewn to God by pagans, and thofe 
 who have been favoured with a di- 
 vine revelation. How many thou- 
 fand Jews and Chriftians have evin- 
 ced their love and zeal for God by 
 fuffering death, rather than difho- 
 nour Him by profane and idola- 
 trous worfhip ! But what pagan ever 
 did fo ? (Socrates alone excepted). 
 The Emperor Caligula ordered his 
 ftatue to be placed in the temple 
 at Jerufalem : but the Jews refitted 
 the order in fo determined and in- 
 trepid
 
 [ 44 ] 
 
 trepid a manner, as obliged that 
 ferocious prince to abandon his at- 
 tempt. Yet how tamely did the 
 Emperor Julian, in his own pre- 
 fence, fuffer his general Valeminian 
 (a converted pagan, and afterwards 
 Emperor) to ftrike the High Prieft, 
 even at the altar, becaufe he iprin- 
 kled Valentinian with unholy wa- 
 ter, as Julian was worfhipping! 
 And when it was publickly debated 
 in the fenate of Rome, whether the 
 Pagan or Chriftian Religion fhould 
 prevail, and become the eftablifhed 
 and national religion, all the fena- 
 tors acquiefced in the will of Theo- 
 dofius, and abandoned their gods 
 and that religion in which they had 
 
 been
 
 [ 45 ] 
 
 been educated, without any material 
 effort or ftruggle. 
 
 In this place it may not be im- 
 proper to pay due homage to the 
 good and brave, as well as wife, 
 Socrates ; who, perhaps, ' was the 
 only pagan that rifked, and really 
 loft, his life, for his attachment to 
 God; and becaufe he would not 
 fuffer His name to be profaned. 
 Dr. Cudworth, in his Intellectual 
 Syftem, has proved, that the idea 
 of Socrates' fuffering death for de- 
 nying a plurality of Gods is a vul- 
 gar error. Like the reft of the li- 
 terate pagans, he believed in a mul- 
 tiplicity of Deities; at the fame 
 time, that he believed all thefe 
 Deities,
 
 Deities, as well as men, to be under 
 the abfolute controul of one fu- 
 preme God. Socrates himfelf in- 
 forms us, in Plato's Euthyphron, 
 that the reafon of his accufation was 
 the free and open manner in which 
 he condemned thofe traditions con- 
 cerning the Gods, wherein difho- 
 neft and unjuft actions were imput- 
 ed to them. For when Euthyphron 
 accufed his own father of murder 
 (in committing an homicide to pri- 
 fon, who happened to die there), 
 and would have juftified himfelf by 
 the example of the Gods, becaufe 
 Jupiter committed his father Saturn 
 to prifon for devouring his fons; 
 Socrates thus addrefles him : " Is 
 
 c< not
 
 [ 47 ] 
 
 " not (o) this the very thing, Eu- 
 " thyphron, for which I am ac- 
 t( cufed ? namely, becaufe when I 
 " hear any one affirming fuch mat- 
 " ters as thefe concerning the Gods, 
 <f I am very loth to believe them ; 
 " and hefitate not publickly to de- 
 " clare my diflike of them." The 
 zeal of Socrates, and the fublime 
 ideas he entertained of God, would 
 not fuffer him to bear patiently the 
 profanation of His name; he there- 
 fore ridiculed and publickly ex- 
 prefled his difapprobation of thofe 
 poetick traditions (believed at that 
 time by the vulgar) in which all 
 manner of unjuft and immoral ac- 
 tions were imputed to the Godhead. 
 
 Thus
 
 [ 43 ] 
 
 Thus to his zeal and attachment to 
 God (combined with the envy o 
 the fophifts) may be afcribed his 
 perfecution, and the lofs of his life. 
 The unjuft death he fuffered feems 
 to have been avenged by a parti- 
 cular interference of providence; 
 for very foon after he was poifoned, 
 the Athenians repented their having 
 put to death fo innocent and good 
 a character. Their lamentation for 
 his lofs was as general, as their con- 
 demnation of him had been pub- 
 lick. The fchools, and places of 
 exercife, were ordered to be fhut ; 
 a ftatue was erected to his memory ; 
 his accufers were profecuted ; Me- 
 litus was torn in pieces j Anytus 
 
 was
 
 t 49 ] 
 
 was expelled from the Heraclea, 
 where he had flickered himfelf ; all 
 the abettors of the confpiracy againft 
 him were looked upon as accurfed ; 
 and they were reduced to fuch de- 
 fpair, that many of them were guilty 
 of fuicide. 
 
 With refped to a future ftate, 
 when it is confidered that the only 
 data on which the pagans could be- 
 lieve in it, were furnifhed merely by 
 the reafon of man, it is not at all 
 furprifmg that they fhould have 
 had fuch confufed ideas concerning 
 it as we know they had. In a mat- 
 ter of fo abftract and metaphyfical 
 a nature, arbitrary and uncertain 
 conclufions only could be drawn 
 E from
 
 [ SO ] 
 
 from fuch incorrecl: premifes. The 
 reafon of man, from obferving the 
 mind to be independent of matter, 
 and from other conjectures, afiert- 
 ed this opinion, and afiigned fome 
 plaufible arguments for a belief in 
 it : but the evidence that was, or 
 could be, adduced for the truth was 
 fo little, that Bifhop Warburton, 
 who collated the opinions of moft 
 of the ancient philofophers on this 
 fubject, confidered Socrates as the 
 only one of them that really believ- 
 ed the immortality of the foul. He 
 was fausfied, that, notwithftanding 
 the legiflators of all ftates promul- 
 gated the doctrine of immortality 
 from a conviction of its utility, none 
 
 of
 
 [ 5 ] 
 
 of them believed it. A modern 
 writer obferves on this fubject, 
 4< We are fufficiently acquainted 
 " with the eminent perfons who 
 <{ flourifhed in the age of Cicero 
 '* and the firft Caefars, with their 
 " actions, their characters, and their 
 <c motives, to be afiured that their 
 " conduct in this life was never re- 
 ** gulated by any ferious convictions 
 " of the rewards or puni foments of 
 " a future ftate." And we are in- 
 formed by Salluft, that Julius CE- 
 far, in an addrefs to the Roman fe- 
 nate, publickly affirmed, that no 
 man of a liberal way of thinking 
 believed in it. Now the hiftory of 
 Our own country, as well as that of 
 E 2 moft
 
 [ 5 ] 
 
 mod others, inconteftably proves, 
 that men have regulated the moft 
 important actions of their lives by 
 the confideration of a future (late. 
 Sir Thomas More, in the reign of 
 Henry VIII. ; Latimer and Ridley, 
 in that of Queen Mary; and the 
 protefting Bifhops in the reign of 
 James II. unqueftionably did fo : 
 and we are to account for the dif- 
 ferent ideas men have had on this 
 important fubjeft, from there, hav- 
 ing been no fufficient evidence of 
 its truth before the promulgation 
 of the Gofpel, and quite fufficient 
 fince, to convince all candid ra- 
 tional enquirers. 
 
 A very remarkable and ftriking 
 proof
 
 [53 ] 
 
 proof of the force and ftrength of 
 Chriftian evidence on this awful 
 point, and of the wonderful effect 
 it is capable of producing on the 
 human mind, was fignally in- 
 (lanced in the perfon of Felix, when 
 St. Paul was brought before him. 
 No one acquainted with the cha- 
 racter of Felix can believe that fuch 
 a man would have trembled, if the 
 orator Tertullus had addrefled him 
 on the fubjecls St. Paul did, and 
 could have united in himfelf the 
 knowledge of all the heathen poets 
 and philofophers ; and could have 
 added to his own the eloquence of 
 all the heathen orators. Felix, I 
 am convinced, would have been 
 E 3 perfectly
 
 [ 54 ] 
 
 perfectly at his cafe ; and there 
 would have been no vibration of 
 his nerves, in fpite of this confoli- 
 dated knowledge and blaze of elo- 
 cution. It was the awful, fublimc, 
 and afFedting truths, imparted by 
 revelation, that made him tremble , 
 and nothing elfe. Cicero alleges, 
 as the chief reafon why the pagan 
 philofophers difbelieved a future 
 ftate, their utter incapacity to form 
 any dift5n6t idea of incorporeity. 
 They faw the body expire, and 
 could not imagine how the foul 
 could exift without it - 3 this was a 
 difficulty mere reafon never could 
 unravel : it was an infurmountable 
 Humbling- block to the heathens. 
 
 Now
 
 [ 55 ] 
 
 Now revelation, by teaching that 
 the body (hall rife again with the 
 foul (of which the pagans had not, 
 nor could have, the lead concep- 
 tion), folves,~with eafe and fimpli- 
 city, this difficult matter : and our 
 Saviour, by a publick exhibition of 
 his own body, thus raifed from the 
 dead, and fo united, fettled this im- 
 portant point in a manner that 
 overthrows all doubt and cavil 
 againft it. An elegant writer ob- 
 ferves on this fubject as follows : 
 " Before the world was enlightened 
 " by the beams of revelation, phi- 
 " lofophers endeavoured to carry 
 " their views beyond this fhort 
 " vale of life ; they flood upon 
 E 4 " the
 
 " the fhore, and eyed the immenfe 
 " ocean of eternity that lay before 
 " them : but clouds and darknefs 
 " foon terminated the profpect. The 
 " light of the Gofpel happily dif- 
 " pelled thofe clouds and that dark- 
 " nefs, extricated mankind from 
 <c the perplexity in which it was 
 " involved, and opened a clear and 
 " luminous view of eternity." A 
 difcovery of this inftance of the 
 great goodnefs of the Deity to the 
 human race, in a full, clear, and am- 
 ple manner, was referved for the 
 Son of God. The patriarchs and 
 prophets were highly favoured and 
 highly infpired j and we have rea- 
 ibns to believe they themfelves 
 
 were
 
 [ 57 ] 
 
 were well a (lured of a future ftate : 
 but probably, in the eftimation of 
 God, it was too great an honour for 
 any mere human being to commu- 
 nicate this important knowledge, 
 generally, to the world ; it was be- 
 yond any degree of infpiration ever 
 conferred on man, even that of the 
 gradus Mofaicus. To inform man 
 that God will allow him, in a future 
 life, the exalted and inconceivable 
 privilege of feeing him face to face, 
 of being continually in his prefcnce, 
 and of living for ever, was intelli- 
 gence of fuch heavenly extraction, 
 and of fo fublime a nature, as was 
 worthy the Son of God, and of 
 Him only, to whom the Father gave 
 
 His
 
 C 58 ] 
 
 His fpirit without meafure, to di- 
 vulge to the world ; and for which 
 communication, thofe men are of 
 opinion they can never be fuffici- 
 ently thankful, who think on the 
 merciful dealings of God to man ; 
 who know the ignorance of the pa- 
 gan world as to this momentous 
 point, and the increafed ratio of 
 their own happinefs derived from a 
 knowledge of it. 
 
 There are a clafs of men who af- 
 fert that a written law, declarative of 
 God's will, is unnecefiary j becaufe 
 the intimations of reafon and con- 
 fcience are fufficient to impel men 
 to virtuous, and to reflrain them 
 from vicious actions. But the ab- 
 furdity
 
 [ 59 J 
 
 furdity of this idea is proved by the 
 practice of all legiflators, who have 
 ever confidered the licentious paf- 
 fions of men as too ftrong to be 
 controlled by either reafon or con- 
 fcience j and that nothing but the 
 fear of punifhment, or the hope of 
 reward, temporal or eternal, is ftrong 
 enough to curb them. If mere rea- 
 fon and confcience could have made 
 men in general virtuous, it is natu- 
 ral to fuppofe the ancient philofo- 
 phers would have been fo : Socrates, 
 Plato, Zeno, and a very few others 
 were ; but Ariftotle, in his zd book 
 of Ethics, exprefsly fays, their fcho- 
 lars were not. The major part of 
 thefe philofophers led the moil 
 fcandalous
 
 [ 60 ] 
 
 fcandalous lives imaginable ; and 
 fome of them inculcated the moft 
 vicious doctrines : Diogenes, for 
 example, taught that chaftity and 
 modefty were weaknels of mind ; 
 and himfelf acted openly in viola- 
 tion of both, with an impudence, 
 that fet decency at defiance : and 
 Chryfippus, who was confidered as 
 (he founder, and moft folid fupporc 
 of the Stoicks, allowed of the com- 
 miflion of inceft, and compofed 
 feveral works filled with the moft 
 fliameful obfcenities. Without par- 
 ticularizing any more, whoever 
 reads Diogenes Laertius will there 
 find an ample relation of the lewd- 
 nefs and unnatural vices of thefe 
 philofo-
 
 [ 6' ] 
 
 philofophers : and Cicero, in his 
 Tufculan Queftions 3 obferves as fol- 
 lows : " Do you think that thefe 
 " things (meaning the precepts of 
 morality) had any influence on 
 " thofe men (excepting only a very 
 " few of them) who taught, and 
 " wrote, and difputed about them ? 
 " No. Who is there of all the phi- 
 " lofophers, whofe mind, and life, 
 " and manners were conformable 
 " to right reafon ? Who ever made 
 " his philofophy to be the law and 
 " rule of his life, and not a mere 
 " boaft and mew of his wit and 
 "parts? Who of them hath ob- 
 cc ferved his own inftructions, and 
 " lived in obedience to his own pre- 
 " cepts ?
 
 [ * ] 
 
 ** cepts ? On the contrary, many 
 ' of them were fiaves to filthy lufts, 
 4f many to pride, many to covet- 
 " oufnefs, &c." But even allow- 
 ing every advantage to this idea, 
 that the fuggeftions of reafon and 
 confcience are fufficient in great 
 and itrong cafes of moral conduct, 
 they are certainly in many very im- 
 portant ones infufficient j and may 
 be fo over-ruled by education, and 
 other caufes, as to fuggeft a crimi- 
 nal, inftead of a laudable, career of 
 action. For example, God requires 
 nothing more peremptorily from 
 man, than that he mould love mer- 
 cy; that he mould feed the hun- 
 gry, clothe the naked, and relieve 
 
 his
 
 his neighbour's diftrefs. And from 
 the letter, as well as from the fpirit 
 of our Saviour's doctrine, we are 
 informed, that every man's conduct 
 in thefe particulars will be enquired 
 into at the day of judgment 5 and 
 that the beft defence he will be able 
 at that time to make, will be 
 grounded on his having exercifed, 
 whilft on earth, this godlike attri- 
 bute of mercy. For this refine- 
 ment of our nature, we are wholly 
 indebted to revealed religion. The 
 dictates of nature, the laws of mora- 
 lity, or the beft fyftems of moral 
 philofophy, give but grofs and im- 
 perfect definitions of mercy, and 
 as imperfect directions concerning 
 
 the
 
 the exercife of it. They may be 
 compared to a coarfe medicine, 
 which affects only the larger or- 
 gans ; whilft the doctrines of re- 
 vealed religion operate in a very 
 different manner. Their influence 
 extends not only to our actions, but 
 likewife to our words j and they 
 require us to preferve purity in our 
 molt fecret and retired thoughts. 
 They not only act on the larger or- 
 gans, but they penetrate the nerves, 
 affect the fmeft fibres of the heart, 
 and fulfil God's promife of putting 
 His law in the mind of man. The 
 moft enlightened pagans, in the 
 moft enlightened age, inftead of 
 confidering the heavenly attribute 
 
 of
 
 of companion as a perfection of 
 the mind, confidered it as a great 
 weaknefs. Cicero and Seneca will, 
 I prefume, be allowed to have had 
 confciences as well informed, as 
 much refined, and as fufceptible, as 
 any of the heathens : yet the former 
 exprefsly affirms, that pity is a 
 weaknefs of the mind, arifing from 
 the view of another perfon's mifery 
 Mifericordia eit a^gritudo animi ex 
 alienis rebus adverfis. Tuf. Dif. lib. 
 iv. And that by asgritudo he meant 
 a diforder, a wrong (late of the 
 mind, is plain from another paf- 
 fage, where he fays, aegritudo eft 
 animi adverfante ratione contrac- 
 tio": ff) and fpeaking in his Tuf- 
 F culan
 
 [ 66 ] 
 
 culan Queftions of the gladiatorial 
 fhews, he is at a lofs to determine 
 whether they were, or were not, 
 cruel. Seneca expreffes himfelf 
 {till ftronger, affirming that none 
 but bafe tempers are fufceptible of 
 pity, and that it is the vice of a 
 pufillanimous fpirit j Mifericordiam 
 omnes boni vitabunt, eft enirn 
 vitium pufilli animi. Sen. de Clem. 
 lib. ii. In the Grecian and Ro- 
 man hiftories, we find numerous 
 publick inftances of cruelty, but 
 none of mercy that did not pro- 
 ceed from the interefted views of 
 individuals. And as the civil ceco- 
 nomy of thefe people is more par- 
 ticularly detailed than that of any 
 
 other
 
 [ 6; ] 
 
 other that ever lived, we fhould 
 have been informed of any of their 
 humane eftablifhments, had any ever 
 exifted. None of their hiftorians 
 tell us that there ever was an hof- 
 pital or an alms-houfe in Rome, 
 or Athens : but they inform us of 
 gladiatorial fliews, exhibited, not 
 only on great, but on the moft tri- 
 vial occafions ; in which on an ave- 
 rage thirty thoufand men were 
 annually fuppofed to be flain, for 
 die fport and amufement of the 
 moft enlightened people then living. 
 In thefe exhibitions, it is remarked, 
 that theRoman ladies took more de- 
 light than even the men. They in- 
 form us, that multitudes of chil- 
 F 2 dren
 
 t 68 ] 
 
 dien were annually expofed by the 
 Romans to perifh by hunger and 
 the inclemency of the weather. 
 They inform us, that Roman no- 
 bles made no fcruple, when their 
 flaves were old and paft fervice, to 
 order their being- left to flarve on 
 an ifland in the Tiber. A reyela- 
 tion of the will of God, exprefllve 
 of Hfs abhorrence of inhumanity, 
 was neeeffary to correct fuch fla- 
 gitious inftances of cruelty ; and 
 it did correct them : for when the 
 Roman Emperors became Chrif- 
 tians, they prohibited all thefe 
 favage enormities, which doubtlefs 
 would otherwife have continued to 
 this time-, as the exposition' of 
 childrea
 
 children ftill does in the empire 
 of China, where the Chriftian re- 
 ligion does not prevail. The 
 French nation is at this moment an 
 aftonifhing witnefs, as well as a 
 ftrong confirmation, of the reaibn- 
 
 11 r c i *"* 4f*-*sr*C*s _ 
 
 ablenefs of this mEusncc. For 
 having fet God at defiance, and re- 
 jected the religion of Chrift, do 
 we not fee the ftandard of cruelty 
 erected in every part of that wretch- 
 ed and devoted kingdom 1 Are 
 there not the fame bloody profcrip- 
 tions, and is there not the fame or 
 worfe tyranny than ever difgraced 
 the fanguinary reigns of Nero or 
 Caracalla ? 
 
 In a former argument it 'Was en- 
 F 3 deavoured
 
 [ 70 ] 
 
 deavoured to prove, from the igno- 
 rance of the pagans with refpeft to 
 God's attribute of goodnefs, and of 
 their perfonal obligations to Him, 
 that they had no love to God. In 
 this a fimilar attempt is made to 
 prove they had no charity to man, 
 at leaft that they did not confider 
 it as an obligatory duty. Thus to 
 the various other advantages of a 
 revealed religion, is to be wholly 
 attributed that benevolence, or 
 good will, to the human fpecies, 
 which throws an angelick luftre 
 over fhe character of every human 
 being, that will admit its amiable 
 and benign influence. 
 
 The next argument I have to 
 advance,
 
 [ 7* ] 
 
 advance, for the necefiity of Reve- 
 lation, is, the entire ignorance of 
 the heathen world as to the nature 
 of true ambition, or of the utmoft 
 poffible excellency to which the 
 human fpecies is permitted to af- 
 pire. Before the promulgation of 
 the Gofpel, the object of human 
 ambition was almoft univerfally 
 agreed by kings and princes to 
 confift in worldly fplendour, in con- 
 queft, and martial glory, the pur- 
 fuit of which, if it did not militate 
 againft the honour and mercy of 
 God, it certainly did againft the 
 happinefs of man. Revelation cor- 
 refts this grand and fundamental 
 error, by informing mankind of 
 F 4 the
 
 t V ] 
 
 the nature of true glory. <c Thus 
 " faith the Lord, let not the wife 
 " man glory in his wifdom, neither 
 <f let the mighty man glory in his 
 * f might ; let not the rich man 
 " glory in his riches : but let him 
 " that glorieth, glory in this, that 
 w he underftandeth and knoweth 
 * c m, that I am the Lord, which ex- 
 <r ercife loving kindnefs, judgment, 
 <f and righteoufnefs in the earth, for 
 u in thefe things I delight." Reve- 
 lation evinces its heavenly nature and 
 extraction by its fublime intelligence, 
 and by the way in which it defines 
 ambition. It informs us that its pro- 
 per object is indeed a fuperior fta- 
 tion, but a fuperior ftation not in 
 
 this
 
 [ 73 ] 
 
 this life, but in the nextj that it 
 confifls in the promotion, not in 
 the definition, of the welfare of 
 mankind. Inftead of affigning the 
 poft of honour to that warlike 
 ambition, whofe deftructive agents 
 are the raging fire and unrelenting 
 fword, the mild doctrines of the 
 religion of Chrift affign it to thofe 
 who promote peace, who avoid 
 every fpecies of opprefiion, who 
 vifit the fatherlefs and widows in 
 their affliction, who relieve the 
 diftrefled, who feed the hungry, 
 clothe the naked, and cultivate in 
 their breads an univerfal love to 
 mankind. Nor is it at all wonder- 
 ful, that a good and gracious God 
 
 (hould
 
 r 74 ] 
 
 Ihould affign this amiable and in- 
 offenfive career to man, as it di- 
 rectly and immediately feconds the 
 views of His providence, which 
 has ever for its object the promo- 
 tion of man's efiential happinefs. 
 However this definition of the na- 
 ture of ambition may create a 
 fmile in the features of a warrior 
 or a ftatefman, when coolly and 
 difpaffionately examined, either by 
 the page of hiftory, the practice of 
 real life, the dictates of humanity 
 and virtue, or the uninfluenced rea- 
 fbn of man, it will be found as 
 agreeable to all thefe as it is to the 
 word of God. Thus as God was 
 pleafed by the Mofaick difpenfa- 
 
 tion
 
 [ 75 3 
 
 tion to correcl the falfe ideas of 
 man refpecting theology, by the 
 Gofpel He has been pleafed to cor- 
 rect his falfe ideas of true glory j 
 and as by the Mofaick revelation 
 he was informed of the excellency 
 of his nature, by the intelligence 
 that he was created in the image of 
 God, by the Gofpel he is gra- 
 cioufly informed to what end and 
 object that excellency may afpire ; 
 no lefs than to eternal life, to glory, 
 honour, and immortality. As fuch 
 a glorious deftiny is offered to the 
 ambition of man, it feems perfectly 
 inconfiftent with, and abfolutely 
 contrary to, the very nature of this 
 fearing paffion, to be content with 
 
 a little
 
 [ 76 ] 
 
 a little prize, when it may obtain a 
 great one j to be content with 
 that which is mundane and tem- 
 porary, when it is allowed the pri- 
 vilege of afpiring to that which is 
 ccleftial and immortal. More ef- 
 pecially, when, from the authority 
 of Scripture, it may be affirmed, that 
 there will be a diftinction of fta- 
 tion, in a future life, as well as in 
 this. Indeed it feems impoflible 
 to imagine that there will be a per- 
 fect equality of ftation in heaven. 
 Such an idea is neither agreeable 
 to reafon, nor to the word of God : 
 for the former fuggefts that what- 
 ever motives induce God to reward 
 man at all, the fame motives will 
 induce
 
 [ 77 ] 
 
 induce Him to decree that reward 
 in proportion to his virtue and 
 holinefs; and the latter precilely 
 and particularly confirms this, our 
 Saviour declaring, that in his Fa- 
 ther's houfe there are many man- 
 fions ; that he that receiveth a 
 prophet in the name of a prophet, 
 lhall receive a prophet's reward j 
 and he that receiveth a righteous 
 man in the name of a righteous 
 man, fhall receive a righteous 
 man's reward : Likewife " I fay unto 
 " you, among them that are born 
 " of women, there hath not rifen a 
 ' greater than John the Baptiftj 
 <f notwithftanding, he that is leaft 
 ' in the kingdom of heaven is 
 " greater
 
 t 78 ] 
 
 * c greater than he." There are 
 feveral other texts to the fame pur- 
 port, which exprefsly afiert a dif- 
 parity of rank in heaven. Our 
 ftation therefore in a future life will 
 be precifely in proportion to our 
 degree of excellence in the dif- 
 charge of our duty in this ; a def- 
 tiny equally agreeable to reafon, 
 juftice, and revelation : the con- 
 lideration of which ought to encir- 
 cle and fink deep into the heart 
 of every rational being. 
 
 This fcriptural idea of ambition 
 is heavenly and fublime. It hath 
 for its object the afpiring to the 
 favour of God, by promoting the 
 welfare of man. It accordingly 
 propofes
 
 [ 79 ] 
 
 propofes the nobleft end, to be pur- 
 fued by the nobleft means. In it 
 there is neither vanity, vexation, 
 nor difappointment j which can- 
 not juftly be faid of any other. 
 Indeed, it may be truly affirmed, 
 that all other ambition, when com- 
 pared with this, is vain and frivo- 
 lous, temporary and perifhable ; 
 and is neither the proper object, 
 nor worthy the dignity of man's 
 nature, to fet his heart on. From 
 the obfcure and imperfect know- 
 ledge of the pagans, both of the 
 will of God and of a future ftate, 
 they could not poflibly have enter- 
 tained juft notions of true ambition ; 
 nor could it ever have been known 
 
 by
 
 [ 80 ] 
 
 by man, unlefs it had been revealed 
 to him: accordingly it is among 
 the ftrong reafons for the expe- 
 diency and neceflity of Revelation. 
 Though the prefent race of kings 
 may be acquainted with the na- 
 ture of true ambition, in their 
 practice and puriilit of it, moft of 
 them act on pagan, rather than on 
 Chriftian principles, and, as Dr. 
 Clarke obferves, in one of his Ser- 
 mons, do not feem fo anxious to 
 imitate God in His attribute of 
 goodnefs, which they might do 
 to a- great degree, as to imitate 
 that of His power, which they can- 
 not do in any degree. Our Sove- 
 reign however is wholly exempt 
 
 from
 
 from any imputation of this kind ; 
 as he gives every poflible proof of 
 acting on real Chriftian principles. 
 Indeed he is a fplendid example to 
 other monarchs, of the manner in 
 which they ought to reign, to pro- 
 mote and preferve the happinefs of 
 mankind. The univerfal love of 
 his fubjects fo frequently and fo 
 ftrongly difplayed, at the fame 
 time that it marks the goodnefs of 
 his heart, and the wifdom of his 
 conduct, is a juft criterion, and a 
 national appeal, to prove that what 
 is advanced is not adulation, but 
 drier, and impartial, truth. As to 
 mere human ambition, by which I 
 particularly and exclufively mean, 
 c felf-
 
 [ 82 ] 
 
 felf-aggrandizement at all hazards 
 and events, it is in every refpect 
 direclly the reverfe of that before 
 defcribed : inftead of being hea- 
 venly and fublime, it is always 
 bafe, and frequently diabolical ; it 
 has for its object the promotion of 
 its own felfifh and nefarious views, 
 at theexpenfe of every duty, moral 
 and religious; there being no af- 
 fedion fo tender, no promife fo fo- 
 lemn, no engagement fo obligatory, 
 no duty fo facred, that it will not 
 violate, nor any crime fo black, 
 that it will not perpetrate, to ac- 
 complifh its purpofe. Accordingly, 
 it meditates the bafefl and mod 
 felfifh ends, which it is prepared to 
 purfue
 
 [ 8 3 ] 
 
 purfue by the moft criminal means. 
 In it there is ufualiy vexation, dif- 
 grace, and remorfe. And of all 
 the depraved paffions of the human 
 heart, there is none productive of 
 more mifery to the individual, or 
 more extenfive mifchief to fociety ; 
 nor is there any character fo dan- 
 gerous in a ftate, as a man of poli- 
 tical confequence, whofe ruling 
 paffion is that of feif aggrandize- 
 ment at all events, (q) 
 
 The lad argument I have to 
 urge under this proportion, is, 
 that the juftice of God is evidently 
 concerned in an explicit revelation 
 of His will to mankind. Man be- 
 ing endued with a faculty of wcr- 
 G 2 (hipping
 
 C 8 4 ] 
 
 fhipping his Creator, nothing feems 
 more agreeable to his reafon, or to 
 the majefty and dignity of God, 
 than that this awful and fublime 
 fervice fhould be performed in 
 fpirit and in truth. It has been 
 already endeavoured to affign rea- 
 fons why the pagans never did, 
 nor could worlhip God in this 
 manner. The finite reafon of man 
 neither could difcover fuch a mode 
 of worlhip as was confonant to the 
 pure, holy, and infinite nature of 
 God; nor could it difcover many 
 of the perfonal obligations he is 
 under to that gracious and almighty 
 Being, which form the true bafis 
 of man's love and attachment to 
 
 Him.
 
 Him. Both thefe he only learns 
 from revelation; confequently, if 
 God requires man to worfhip Him 
 in fpiric and in truth, which He 
 does, and man can neither difcover 
 the manner nor the motives of fuch 
 worfhip fufficiently from his own 
 reafon, the juftice of God is con- 
 cerned in furnifhing him with 
 means to accompli fh the end He 
 expecls him to perform. Another 
 reafon, which fhews that the juftice 
 of God is implicated in a revelation 
 of His will, is His having been 
 pleafed to place man in this world 
 in a probationary (late, and de- 
 creed that he (hall hereafter be 
 brought to trial at God's tribunal, 
 G 3 and
 
 t 86 ] 
 
 and there made to give account of 
 his words and actions. God has 
 been pleafed to furnifh the brute 
 creation with an unerring inftinct 
 for the performance of fuch actions 
 as He requires from them : this 
 inftincl: being incompatible with 
 man's free agency, the juftice of 
 God is concerned in providing him 
 with a knowledge of His will 
 equally infallible, which He has 
 gracioufly condescended to do by 
 His Scriptures. This inftance of 
 God's juftice and mercy to man was 
 abiblutely neceffary; but the dif- 
 play of it, though in the higheft 
 degree gracious, is not at all won- 
 derful. We are informed that the 
 
 pure
 
 [ 8? 1 
 
 pure and holy doctrines of the Gof- 
 pel are ultimately to prevail in the 
 uttermoft parts of the earth, and 
 that the Chriftian religion is finally 
 to become that of the whole human 
 race. Upon this principle, a reve- 
 lation and a religion proceeding 
 from God appear indifpenfably ne- 
 cefiary ; b^caufe the pufTions of 
 men would never have permitted 
 them to form a pure and holy re- 
 ligion, even if their reafon had 
 been capable of doing fo. And 
 were it poftible to fuppofe that a 
 pure religion cculd be formed in 
 one quarter of the globe, fuch 
 are the pride of man, the influence 
 of education, and the force of habit 
 G 4 and
 
 [ 88 ] 
 
 and cuftom, that it. is not poffiblc 
 to fuppofe the inhabitants of the 
 other three quarters would agree or 
 conform to it. It was therefore 
 necefiary that a fyftem of religion, 
 fuited to all ages, countries, and 
 degrees of men, fhould be dictated 
 by, and proceed from God ; for 
 otherwife it is inconceivable that 
 one and the fame religion mould 
 ever prevail univerfally. By the 
 Scriptures of God, man is amply in- 
 formed of every thing neceflary to 
 fecure his falvation, and of all thofe 
 points of duty, on the performance 
 or neglect of which he will here- 
 after be tried. In this view of 
 man's deftiny, an csprefs and par- 
 ticular
 
 ticular revelation of the will of 
 God appears fo indifpenfably, fo. 
 unavoidably necefTary, that, con- 
 fiftently with our ideas of God's at- 
 tribute of juilice, it is impoffible to 
 conceive that without it there can 
 be a day of judgment, the very na- 
 ture of all judgment prefuppofing 
 a previous definition of duty, agree- 
 ably to the obfervation of St. Paul, 
 " I had not known fin, but by the 
 11 law ; for I had not known luft, 
 " except the law had faid, Thou 
 " lhalt not covet." The written 
 law of the Gofpel is the flandard 
 by which all men, to whom it has 
 been revealed, will doubtlefs here- 
 after be tried. By which mode, 
 
 at
 
 [ 9 1 
 
 at the fame time that man will be 
 precluded from pleading ignorance 
 of his duty, he will be conftrained 
 to acknowledge the juftice of God's 
 conduit in having been gracioufly 
 pleafed to define what He expects 
 man to perform, in characters fo 
 clear, perfpicuous and unequivocal, 
 that, unlefs wilfully, it is impoffible 
 he fhould miftake them. 
 
 PROPOSITION III. 
 It is attempted in this propo- 
 fition to prove, that, notwithftand- 
 ing the imperfect practice of its 
 doctrines, revelation has been the 
 direct and immediate caufe of giv- 
 ing glory to God in the higheft, 
 
 and
 
 and of communicating peace and 
 good-will to man. 
 
 Though the incredulity of fome 
 men, and the vanity, ignorance, and 
 immorality of others, may induce 
 them to deny the truth of the 
 Scriptures, it is however fully af- 
 certained by the nature of the in- 
 formation they communicate, which 
 it is quite beyond the utmoft 
 ftretch of man's underftanding to 
 have reached, though his eflential 
 happinefs depended on his pof- 
 feffing it. 'Revelation is proved 
 to be true by prophecies and mi- 
 racles ; by the refurreclion of Chrift, 
 by the peculiarity of its doclrines, 
 
 and
 
 and by the great effect of thofe 
 doctrines on the human mind; 
 which have this mark in common 
 with all the works ofGod, in contra- 
 diftinction to thofe of man, that the 
 more they are ftudied, and the more 
 intenfely they are investigated, the 
 more perfect they appear, and the 
 more they become the juft object 
 of our admiration. Grotius ob- 
 ferves very fagacioufly, that, it 
 was not the intention of God that 
 the principles of revealed religion 
 mould have the higheft degree of 
 evidence of which a thing is fuf- 
 ceptible, an evidence fo ftrong as 
 to overthrow or filence every fpe- 
 cious objection j but only enough to 
 
 fatisfy
 
 [ 93 ] 
 
 fatisfy and convince a wife and 
 honeft man, who, without pre- 
 judice or pride, in the integrity 
 of his heart, feeks the truth, and 
 has no other object, when it is 
 found, than to follow and obey its 
 dictates. If the evidence of reli- 
 gion had been as clear as the fun 
 at noon day, where would have 
 been the value or excellency of 
 faith, which is an affection God 
 requires to exift in the heart of 
 man ? and fo much does He re- 
 quire it, that, without it, He has' 
 exprefsly declared it impoflible to 
 pleafe Him. In this refpect God 
 demands no more from mankind 
 than they do from each other, in 
 
 all
 
 [ 94 ] 
 
 all the Ibcial relations oflife. Even 
 a fervant is juitly offended with 
 unreafonable diftruft, and, without 
 mentioning the clofer connections 
 of life, fuch as thofe of huflband 
 and wife, father and fon, what is fo 
 offenfive to a man of any honour 
 as to doubt his word ? And 
 fince God gives fo many vifible 
 proofs of His power, wifdom, and 
 goodnefs, and ail thefe are difplayed 
 in the revelation of His will to man, 
 fince God is a God of truth, to 
 doubt His word is to offer Him a 
 great and unpardonable infult. As 
 the Scriptures proceed from God> 
 they proceed from an infinite na- 
 ture, and therefore they muft par- 
 take
 
 [ 95 ] 
 
 take of that nature, and, like all other 
 things which proceed from Him, be 
 in fome parts incomprehenfible to 
 man, there being no one thing 
 proceeding from God in the whole 
 creation which the reafon of man 
 perfectly comprehends. The ableft 
 natural philofopher may be puzzled 
 in the fecond queftion by the moft 
 illiterate perfon. So unhappily in- 
 deed do the minds of fome men 
 appear to be biafied, that, whilft 
 they afcribe their difbelief of the 
 Chriftian religion to its myfteries, 
 thofe very men, if there were no- 
 thing myfterious in it, would be 
 the firft to afiign that as an equal 
 realbn for their unbelief. They 
 
 would
 
 would then affirm that there was 
 nothing in the Scriptures which 
 bore the ft amp of God, or that was 
 at all fuperior to the compofition 
 of man. It mould, however, al- 
 ways be remembered by them, 
 that there is no myflery in revela- 
 tion for which God has not conde- 
 fcended to affign ibme reafon to 
 man. God the Father is denomi- 
 nated in the Scriptures his Creator, 
 God the Son his Redeemer, and 
 God the Holy Ghoft his Sanftifler 
 and Comforter. Thus man is in- 
 formed of his perfonal obligations 
 to each Perfon in the Trinity. As 
 to the union of the two natures of 
 God and man, it is a my fiery fupe- 
 rior
 
 [ 97 1 
 
 rior to the comprehenfion of hu- 
 man understanding : but dill a rea- 
 fon is afiigned for it, namely, that 
 otherwife mankind could never have 
 received God's pardon, or have 
 partaken of everlafting happinefs. 
 Now when it is confidered how 
 many millions of human beings 
 will enjoy an eternity of happinefs 
 in confequence of this union, who 
 mail prefume to fet bounds to the 
 infinite mercy of either the Father 
 or the Son, or fay, thefe things 
 cannot be true, when the Word of 
 God affirms they are fo ? Further, 
 fmce it was the pleafure of God to 
 reveal His will to man, certainly His 
 doing fo by His Son was the mod 
 H powerful
 
 r 98 i 
 
 powerful and irrefiftible way, and 
 the one that fuited bed with His 
 own dignity. Man is declared to 
 be an accountable being ; and, 
 upon that principle, as I have be- 
 fore obferved, there mud be a 
 ftandard by which judgment is to 
 proceed, and by which it is to be 
 afcertained. The Scriptures are 
 that ftandard. If it be alledged 
 that reafon is fufficient to teach 
 man a proper manner of worfhip- 
 ping God, or to difcover fpiritual 
 truth, hiftory proves that it is not, 
 by the idolatrous worfhip and by 
 the fpiritual ignorance of all ranks 
 of men previous to revelation. It 
 may with propriety be contended, 
 
 that
 
 [ 99 ] 
 
 that the reafon of man is fufficient 
 for his conducl in temporal mat- 
 ters : but no one, whofe opinion is 
 worth attending to, can poffibly 
 maintain, that it is in fpiritual ones. 
 Socrates, whofe reafon was pro- 
 bably as ftrong as that of moft 
 modern fceptics, particularly and 
 exprefsly declares it is not fufficient. 
 In his fecond Dialogue with Alci- 
 biades, Socrates obferves to him, 
 that Minerva is reprefented in 
 Homer as fcattering the mift that 
 covered the eyes of Diomede, 
 and prevented him from diftin- 
 guifhing God from man. Thus 
 fays he, " It is neceflfary that God 
 " Ihould, in the firft place, difperfe 
 H 2 " the
 
 " the darknefs which at prefent 
 " covers your foul, and afterwards 
 Cf apply the means by which you 
 " may be able to diftinguifti what 
 " is evil and what is good j for at 
 " prefent you are incapable of 
 doing fo." Plato Alcib. II. 
 
 It is objecled againft the Chriftian 
 Religion, that its truths are only 
 known in a fmall part of the globe. 
 The arts and fciences are equally 
 confined to that fmall part of the 
 globe ; but no one, I believe, ob- 
 jeds to their truth on that account. 
 It is fufficient that the Scriptures 
 have been read, and fludied, and 
 their truth rigidly examined, by 
 the mod enlightened men in the 
 
 mod
 
 [ '01 ] 
 
 mod enlightened part of the world ; 
 not only by the clergy, but by 
 Grotius, Pafcal, Locke, Newton, 
 Addifon, Milton, Boyle, Bacon, 
 and Selden, all laymen; each of 
 them diitinguifhed for learning 
 and genius, and in acutenefs of 
 intellect not yet furpafied by any 
 men that have been born i and 
 that thefe have refpectively by their 
 writings borne teftimony to their 
 truth. Confidering the characters 
 of thefe men, their fuperior degree 
 of natural intellect, and the high 
 improvement of that intellect, their 
 firm and unfhaken belief in the 
 religion of Chrift, after their ftrict 
 and fevere examination of it, is 
 H 3 fuch
 
 fuch a proof of its truth, that if all 
 the inhabitants of Afia, Africa, 
 and South America were to difbe- 
 lieve it, ftill it would remain un- 
 diminifhed; for in the invefti- 
 gation and determination of truth, 
 the authority of fuch competent 
 judges is of infinitely greater weight 
 and confequence, than that of all 
 the collective unlettered men in 
 thofe regions. It is fufficient to 
 fatisfy a candid mind, that the 
 truth of the Scriptures has been 
 proved by thofe great luminaries 
 in theological literature, Sdlling- 
 fleet, Cud worth, Hoadley, Sher- 
 lock, Butler, Jenkin , Clarke, 
 Doddridge, and many other emi- 
 nent
 
 nent men of the laft and prefent 
 century, whofe evidence in favour 
 of Chriftianity, however it may be 
 difputed, will, I am convinced, 
 never be vanquifhed. Further, it 
 is a practical proof of the truth of 
 Chriftianity, that it is admitted 
 and its doctrines practifed by moil 
 men of worth in this country, and 
 in Switzerland ; where, I am per- 
 fuaded, the moral and religious 
 character of man is exhibited in 
 higher perfection , liberty better 
 afcertained, underftood, and prac- 
 tifed, and the intellectual powers of 
 the mind more improved, than elfe 
 where. 
 
 To the truth of Chriftianity it is 
 H 4 oppofed,
 
 oppofed, that the Mahometan relU 
 gion prevails in a much greater 
 ratio, and is much more generally 
 pra<lifed. This object io'n has vir- 
 tually been anfwered already j for 
 probably, out of thofe numerous 
 tribes of men who profefs Maho- 
 metanifm, not one in ten thouiand 
 can read; printing being prohi- 
 bited by the Koran : and if they 
 could, their ignorance and the 
 unimproved ftate 'of their minds 
 is fuch, that either their affent or 
 diflent is not of the leaft confe- 
 quence to the credibility of the 
 Gofpel. Befides, whatever there 
 is of worth in the Koran, it is well 
 known, is extracted either from. the 
 Mofaick
 
 Mofaick or Chriftian difpenfations. 
 Further, the Mahometan religion 
 may be permitted to prevail for 
 fome time among fo ignorant and 
 rude a people, as their minds may 
 not be fufficiently improved to re- 
 ceive the truths of the Gofpel -, ef- 
 pecially, as wherever the Maho- 
 metan religion is admitted, it abo- 
 lifhes idolatry, which is one great 
 preparatory ftep to the future in- 
 troduction of the Gofpel. Among 
 other frivolous objections againft 
 revelation, it has been remarked, 
 that Mofes inculcates falfe notions 
 of aftronomy. As to all fuch ob- 
 jections, they are completely an- 
 fwered by Mr. Pafcal, who ob- 
 
 ferves,
 
 ferves, that in the revelation of His 
 will to mankind, God's intentions 
 were not fo much to improve the 
 underftanding of man, that being 
 already fufficiently perfect, as to 
 fway and influence his will r and to 
 correct and amend his heart , and 
 that when it effects this, its pur- 
 pofe is accomplilhed : that therefore 
 the Scriptures are not to be confi- 
 dered as intermeddling or interfering 
 at all with human fcience. The 
 aftronomy of Mofes was adapted 
 to the comprehenfion and grofs 
 ideas of his hearers. If he had 
 given them a philofophical account 
 of the folar fyftem, he would kave 
 afted abfurdly, and probably would 
 
 not
 
 [ '07 ] 
 
 not have been believed : but moft 
 likely he himfclf knew nothing of 
 this fyftem ; for though he was in- 
 fpired as to fpiritual matters, it 
 does not follow, nor was it at all 
 neceflary, that he (hould have been 
 fo with refpeft to human fcience. 
 
 Another objection, but of no 
 more real weight than the laft, is, 
 that before the promulgation of 
 the Gofpel, the Roman Empire 
 arrived at the higheft fummit of 
 glory, power, and fplendour, and 
 produced men of the moft exalted 
 characters, who feem to have en- 
 joyed as much happinefs as any 
 people have fmce done, who have 
 been favoured with the advantages 
 
 of
 
 [ io8 ] 
 
 of revelation. No one can deny 
 that the power of the Romans 
 was enormous : but ancient hiftory 
 and modern times inconteftibly 
 prove, that the happinefs of any 
 people depends no further on their 
 power, than, as that power exifts in 
 a fufficient degree to repel infult 
 or invafion ; all beyond this is 
 perhaps only a fnare to any ftate. 
 Indeed, fo far is the cxiftence or 
 welfare of a ftate from depending 
 on inordinate power, that fuch 
 inordinate power has ever been 
 the fundamental caufe of the de- 
 ftruction of all the great monarchies 
 that ever yet exifted; and it is 
 univerfally agreed to have been fo 
 
 of
 
 [ 10 9 ] 
 
 of the Roman. The fplendour of 
 the Romans in their publick build- 
 ings, their facrifices, their temples, 
 their triumphs, feafts, &c. it muft 
 be allowed, was very great : but 
 the real welfare of a people is not 
 in the leaft concerned or connected 
 with thefe things. As a. ftriking 
 proof that it is not, no people, I 
 believe it will be admitted, ever 
 enjoyed more happinefs in former 
 times, than the inhabitants of the 
 little commonwealths of Greece ; 
 nor do any in modern ones than 
 the inhabitants of the Swifs can- 
 tons. This fuperior happinefs is not 
 to be afcribed to power or fplen- 
 dour, for they cannot pretend to 
 
 either ;
 
 either; it is to be attributed, to 
 what will make any nation or any 
 people happy and refpected at all 
 times ; it is to be imputed to the 
 rulers in each ftate acting faith- 
 fully by each other, and in their 
 refpe6live engagements with fo- 
 reign powers j in the higher clafTes 
 men {pending their time in the im- 
 provement of their minds, and in 
 endeavouring to promote the pub- 
 lick good and their own eternal in- 
 tereits j and in the lower claffes 
 being honeft, frugal, and induf- 
 trious j in fhort, by a general de- 
 termination of the whole people to 
 ftudy to be quiet and to mind their 
 own bufinefs. (r) The happinefs of 
 
 the
 
 the Romans does not fecm to have 
 been fo great when Rome was 
 confidered miftrefs of the world, as 
 in the virtuous period of the com- 
 monwealth, when, it is readily ac- 
 knowledged, there appeared many 
 very noble and exalted characters. 
 Therefore their happinefs was not 
 caufed by their fplendour or power, 
 but was in proportion to their 
 virtue-, which will ever be the 
 cafe : for, in fpite of all the fubtle 
 political maxims of Machiavel, the 
 throne is eftablifhed by righteouf- 
 nefs. The French nation, better 
 than all the books in the world, 
 practically prove the folly and 
 futility of his theory, and that it is 
 
 not
 
 [ I" ] 
 
 not to be eftablifhedby wickednefs, 
 as he in many places directly, and 
 every where indirectly, inculcates^. 
 Hiftory proves how little connec- 
 tion there is between greatnefs 
 and happinefs : and as to the Ro- 
 mans, how was it poflible that 
 people could be happy, who were 
 addicted to all manner of fenfual 
 vices j who were of 16 reftlefs and 
 ambitious a difpofition, that they 
 were at war for the aftonifhing pe- 
 riod of feven hundred y?ars, with 
 only three intervals of peace ; 
 whofe emperors were ufually flain 
 or poifoned, reigning fo infecurely, 
 that, out of fifty- feven fuccefllve 
 ones from Julius Casfar to Auguf- 
 
 tulus,
 
 [ "3 1 
 
 tulus, thirty- eight were murdered, 
 only nineteen dying naturally j in a 
 ftate where it was commonly 'the 
 cuftom, upon the elevation of a new 
 emperor, to kill all the friends and 
 relations of his predeceflbr ; where 
 their minds were Ib ill regulated, 
 that mothers could defert and ex- 
 pofe to death their helplefs off- 
 fpring, noblemen could inhumanly 
 ftarve their old faithful fervants ; 
 and where both men and women 
 were of fo cruel a temper, that they 
 confidered men's flaying each other 
 on a publick theatre, as the firft 
 and greateft amufement they could 
 partake of. Not to mention how 
 much their happinefs muft have 
 i been
 
 [ H4 ] 
 
 been narrowed by their ignorance of 
 aftronomy, geography, and expe- 
 rimental philofophy, the ufe of the 
 compafs, optical glafles, and the 
 art of printing, how comfortlefs 
 muft even a good man have been, 
 in extreme adverficy, or on a fick 
 bed, deprived of the hope or con- 
 folation arifing from the expecta- 
 tion of a future life ? Therefore 
 neither during life, nor at the hour 
 of death, was their happinefs in any 
 fort of proportion equal to that 
 mankind have enjoyed fince the 
 promulgation of the Gofpel. 
 
 Perhaps the greateft obftacle to 
 
 the progrefs of genuine Chriftianiry 
 
 has been the idolatry of the Romiih 
 
 church i
 
 [ "5 ] 
 
 church ; which in fome inftances 
 is of a ranker fort than any that 
 ever prevailed in Greece or Rome : 
 for no Roman or Grecian prefumed 
 to intrude into the feat of their God 
 omnipotent, and to call himfelf in- 
 fallible, or was guilty of fuch abo- 
 minable blafphemy as to pretend to 
 remit fin for a pecuniary confi- 
 deration. Its faint worfhipf/J, pur- 
 gatory, confeflion, and prohibition 
 to the laity to read the fcriptures, 
 have likewife greatly prevented the 
 progrefs of real Chriftianity in 
 that part of the world, where other- 
 wife it would probably have flou- 
 rilhed in a high degree. But, not- 
 withftanding th? hypocrify and vi- 
 i 2 cious
 
 [ "6 ] 
 
 cious pafiions of men, and the va- 
 rious other impediments that have 
 obftru&ed the real genuine pro- 
 fefiion and progrefs of the religion 
 of Chrift, it fhall now be my endea- 
 vour to prove, that it has been the 
 efficient caufe of giving glory to 
 God, and of communicating peace 
 and good will to man. On the 
 birth of Chrift the heavenly Hoft 
 declared it fhould do this ; and 
 where its doctrines have been re- 
 ceived and practifed, this it hath 
 done. 
 
 To have a proper idea of the 
 manner in which the Gofpel has 
 promoted the glory of God, the 
 former worfhip of the Heathens 
 
 muft
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 muft be contrafted with that of 
 a Chriftian. Figure to yourfelf 
 fuch ads of adoration as the Ca- 
 naanite facrificing to Devils, and 
 cafting his child into the fiery image 
 of his idol Moloch ; the Egyptian 
 worshipping the bull Apis j the 
 ungrateful and infenfible Jew danc- 
 ing round the golden Calf; the 
 fanguinary altar of the Greek 
 fmoaking with human gore j the 
 impious and profane Roman ador- 
 ing as God that bloody and impure 
 monfter Caracalla j and then fee 
 Latimer, Ridley, Tillotfon, Dod- 
 dridge, Seeker, and thoufands of 
 the clergy and laity of this country, 
 who kneel before the altar of God, 
 i 3 and,
 
 [ "8 1 
 
 and, with genuine piety and hu- 
 mility, acknowledge they pofiefs 
 no faculty of body or mind, which 
 they did not receive from His gra- 
 cious and bountiful hand, and con- 
 feffing they would have been as 
 the duft on which they walk, if it 
 had not pleafed Him to call them 
 into being ; that it is entirely to His 
 fpontaneous goodnefs they are in- 
 debted for happinefs temporal or 
 eternal, for health of body or peace 
 of mind in this life, and for all hope 
 or expectation of felicity- in the 
 next. Confcioufnefs, not only of 
 their imbecility and infignificancy, 
 but of their natural depravity, cor- 
 rects and prevents on one hand all 
 
 pride
 
 [ "9 J 
 
 pride of heart, and prepares their 
 mind for humble prayer : on the 
 other, it is prepared for the praife 
 cf God by confideration, and re- 
 flection on His tranfcendent mercy, 
 fhewn in their creation, preferva- 
 tion, and redemption, in the pro- 
 mifes He has been pleafed to make 
 of favouring them with his grace, 
 of comforting them under afflidlion, 
 of not fuffering them to be tempted 
 beyond a power of efcaping the 
 temptation, and finally of allotting 
 an immortal and ever enduring 
 happinefs, through Chrift's merits, 
 to fuch as diligently feek him. 
 The humble and fincere worfhip of 
 i 4 a being,
 
 [ 120 ] 
 
 a being, whofe mind is thus illu- 
 mined by the truths of revelation, 
 is as much fuperior to any heathen 
 worfhip, as probably that of an 
 angel may be to his worHiip. In a 
 proper and abftnict fenfe it is not 
 pofiible to fuppofe that the glory of 
 God can receive addition by the 
 worlhip of man : but in a relative 
 fenfe it may ; and in this lad fenfe 
 it muft furely be allowed, that the 
 Gofpel, freeing men's minds from 
 the fetters of polytheifm, idolatry, 
 and fuperftition, and enabling them 
 to worfhip God in ipirit and in 
 truth, has been actually and imme- 
 diately the caufe of giving glory to 
 
 God
 
 God in the higheft, as far as it is 
 poffible for a human creature to 
 do fo. 
 
 The doctrines of the Gofpel have 
 been equally effective in communi- 
 cating peace to the mind of man ; 
 of the truth of which, I am con- 
 vinced, all thofe are fufficiently 
 fenfible, who believe in them, and 
 have tried their influence. So ex- 
 tremely powerful are they in calm- 
 ing anguifli and diftrefs of mind, 
 that there is juft reafon, from hiftory 
 and the practical experience of 
 man, to aver, that they are capable 
 of difarming the point and blunting 
 the edge of the acuteft and moft 
 agonizing affliction that can pof- 
 
 fibly
 
 [ 122 ] 
 
 fibly befal a human being. Nor 
 is it at all wonderful they fhould 
 poflefs this power; for, do they 
 not inform us, that this world is 
 governed by an all-merciful as well 
 as an all-wife Being, whofe ways, 
 indeed, are not as our ways, and 
 whofe thoughts are not as our 
 thoughts, but who has the happinefs 
 of His creatures in view, muft 
 know the beft way to promote it, 
 and, though He has declared that 
 whom He loveth He chafteneth, 
 He has equally been pleafed to de- 
 clare, that all things fhall ulti- 
 mately work together for good to 
 thofe that love Him , and who has 
 promifed to be a rewarder of thofe 
 
 that
 
 [ "3 ] 
 
 that will diligently feek Him. Can 
 any one pofiibly doubt whether He 
 that made the eye can fee , or He 
 that made the ear can hear ? or 
 can any one queftion His power 
 either to lave, deftroy, or relieve as 
 He pleafes ? From the confidera- 
 tion therefore of the mort-fighted- 
 nefs of man, and his ignorance, 
 whether what He deplores as an 
 affliction may not ultimately be for 
 his benefit, and from the confidera- 
 tion of the great love and mercy 
 which God has declared He bears 
 to the human race, and His irre- 
 fiftible power to accomplim what- 
 ever He purpoies from thefe con- 
 fiderations, which are fuggefted to 
 
 the
 
 [ "4 ] 
 
 the reaibn of man by revealed reli- 
 gion, the mind is relieved, calmed, 
 and becomes refigned and tranquil, 
 under any and every misfortune 
 that can affault it. 
 
 As to the fuppofition that it is 
 derogatory to the majefty and om- 
 nipotence of God to attend to, or 
 to interfere with, the low concerns 
 and conduct of man, the idea is of 
 heathenim extraction. It is againft 
 both the letter and fpirit of revela- 
 tion ; and, if admitted, at the fame 
 time that it would diminifh our 
 ideas of God's mercy and goodnefs, 
 it would not at all increafe our ideas 
 of his power j it being a greater act 
 of omnipotence to govern and to 
 
 attend
 
 attend to all things in the univerfe, 
 than only to certain things in it. 
 In the enumeration of the advan- 
 tages man derives from revelation, 
 it is impoftible not to remark the 
 fuperiority in the terms of peace 
 and happinefs held out to man by 
 revealed religion over thofe offered 
 to Him by any worldly fyftem 
 whatever. This latter may propofe 
 many fchemes of fenfuality and dif- 
 fipation to thofe who are in high 
 health and profperity : but what 
 does it propofe to its votaries, when 
 fick and in adverfity ? Like a falfe 
 friend, it then deferts him. At 
 the critical hour of diftrefs, and 
 when affiftance is moft required, it 
 
 affords
 
 C 1*6 ] 
 
 affords him no confolation ; the 
 companions of his profperity then 
 forfakehim, the world triun.phs over 
 him, heaven frowns upon him, and 
 his own heart condemns him. In 
 experimental philofophy, when the 
 end is not produced by the means, 
 we always fufpecl: there is an error 
 fomewhere; and fince all mere 
 worldly fyftems of happinefs, by 
 the confeffion of thofe who have 
 tried them, do not accomplifh their 
 purpofe, if we will acl: rationally, 
 we ought on that account to difqard 
 them, and try fome other plan. 
 Revelation offers another and a 
 better, profeffing that its ways are 
 ways of pleafantnefs, and that all 
 
 its
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 its paths are peace. It fets before 
 us a fyftem extremely favourable to 
 the purfuits of all rational men, fa- 
 vourable to all pleafures of an in- 
 tellectual nature, and which allows 
 of thofe off.rnfe within the reafona- 
 ble bounds of moderation and inno- 
 cence; a fyftem by which we may 
 obtain peace of mind, and acquire 
 the efteem and good-will of the 
 worthy part of our fpecies, fccure 
 the favour of God, and obtain im- 
 mortal happinefs. If we confine 
 our views merely to this life, what 
 is it, as the pious Burnet obferves, 
 in his Theory of the Earth, " but a 
 " circulation of little mean actions ? 
 " Welie down, and rife again, drcfs, 
 
 " and
 
 <c and imdrefs, feed and wax hungry, 
 " work, or play, and are weary ; 
 " and then we lie down, and the 
 < c circle returns. We fpend the day 
 ** in trifles; and when the night 
 e< comes, we throw ourfelves into 
 " the bed of folly, amongft dreams, 
 " and broken thoughts, and wild 
 '* imaginations : our reafon lies 
 " afleep by us, and we are for the 
 " time as arrant brutes as thole 
 " that deep in the flails or in the 
 " field. Are not the capacities of 
 " man higher than thefe ? and 
 " ought not his ambition and ex- 
 " peclations to be greater ? Let us 
 " be adventurers for another world ; 
 " 'tis at leaft a fair, and noble 
 " chance j
 
 cc chance ; and there is nothing in 
 " this worth our thoughts, or our 
 " pafTions : if we mould be difap- 
 " pointed, we are (till no worfe than 
 " the reft of our fellow mortals : 
 " and if we fucceed in our expec- 
 " tations, we are eternally happy." 
 Another eminent fuperiority in 
 the fyftem of human happinefs fug- 
 gefted by revelation over every 
 worldly fyftem, is, that (as far as ic 
 is yet pofilble to be proved) it ac- 
 complimes its pretenfions, becaufe 
 its end and its means always cor- 
 refpond, and are never at variance; 
 and as this hath not been accom- 
 plifhed by any fyftem devifed by 
 the reafon of man, revelation was 
 K neceflary
 
 [ '30 ] 
 
 necefiary to point out the means of 
 peace and happinefs to each indi- 
 vidual, by informing him of their 
 conftituent parts, and of the courfe 
 of life in which they were to be ob- 
 tained. The religion of Chrifl has 
 been equally fuccefsful in promot- 
 ing the publick peace of mankind. 
 Before its mild and inoffenfive doc- 
 trines prevailed, the human fpecies 
 were chiefly either warriors, or wan- 
 derers, like the prefent Arabs and 
 Tartars. Thefe new doctrines of 
 peace, fo evidently connected with 
 the happinefs of man, being equal- 
 ly received by the barbarous Goth 
 or Scythian, by Attila and Odoacer, 
 as well as by the polifhed Roman, 
 detached
 
 detached the inhabitants of Europe 
 from their eternal purfuit of war, 
 and inclined them to a fettled refi- 
 dence. Its gentle and benevolent in- 
 fluenceftill increafing, and itsufeful 
 and beneficial effect to fociety being 
 more and more felt, by degrees the 
 princes of the modern world were 
 led by it to the idea of eflabli filing 
 that famous balance of power, which 
 keeps themfelves in awe, and the 
 world in order (u). So that though, 
 fmce that eftablifiiment, there have 
 been wars enough, and more than 
 enough ; yet there have likewife been 
 long intervals of peace in every nation 
 in Europe -, which has allowed that 
 leifure and quiet (formerly denied) 
 
 K 2 tO
 
 [ '3* ] 
 
 to philofophers, to inveftigate and 
 improve thofe arts and faiences, 
 which contribute to the welfare, 
 and do fo much honour to the intel- 
 lect, of man. As an obvious proof 
 how much more peaceable mankind 
 have been, in confequence of the 
 eftablimment of Chriftianity, there 
 have been few wars fince that pe- 
 riod, that have laded between any 
 of the contending powers longer 
 than from ten to twenty years, a 
 peace fucceeding which continued 
 probably nearly as long : whereas, 
 from the foundation of Rome to 
 the battle of A6Uum, a period of 
 rather more than feven hundred 
 years, the Romans were perpetually 
 
 at
 
 [ 133 ] 
 
 at war, with only three intermif- 
 fions j the temple of Janus having 
 been only three times fhut in fb 
 many centuries. 
 
 It is now incumbent on me to 
 prove, that the Chriftian Religion 
 has been productive of good will, as 
 well as of peace, to man. And here 
 it may juftty give every native of 
 this favoured ifle pleafure to re- 
 flect that the ftrongeft mark of it, 
 that has been ever given by man to 
 man, fmce the creation, may with 
 truth be felected from this king- 
 dom. The natives of other coun- 
 tries have excelled as well as our- 
 felves in fcience and in war : but 
 what country but this encircles in 
 K3 its
 
 [ 134 ] 
 
 its benevolent and charitable arms, 
 every poor, naked, and hungry 
 perfon within its confines ? What 
 nation but England has, or, fince 
 the earth's circuit round the fun, 
 ever had, an eftablifhment by law 
 for a conftant and permanent relief of 
 its poor ? This may be termed the 
 triumph of Chriftianity, the moil 
 glorious and fplendid effect of it 
 ever yet difplayed on earth, and is 
 beyond all comparifon the brighteft 
 emanation of human perfection that 
 was ever exhibited to the world. 
 It accomplices, in fo bold and 
 mafterly a manner, the exprefs will 
 of God, and carries human excel- 
 lence to fo very high a pitch, that, 
 without
 
 [ '35 ] 
 
 without the lead hyperbole, it is a 
 fit object for the obfervation and ad- 
 miration of angels, that fo fallen, 
 fo felfifh an animal as man fhould 
 ever have meditated, eftablifhed, 
 and never difcontinued for above 
 two hundred years, fo difmterefted, 
 fo godlike an inftitution ; one, 
 that, having for its object the con- 
 ftant feeding, clothing, and reliev- 
 ing, millions from want and diftrefs, 
 is a direct and immediate draught 
 from the providence of God Him- 
 fclf ; and, without all doubt, is the 
 clofefl and exafteft copy of if, the 
 world ever yet beheld (w). Thus 
 the religion of Chrift has been the 
 actual and pofitive caufe of giving 
 K 4 glory
 
 glory to God in the higheft, and of 
 communicating peace and good-will 
 to man. 
 
 In this efTay it was intended to 
 prove that a difcovery of the will of 
 God to man was effentially ne- 
 cefiTary for the vindication of the 
 honour of God's name, and for the 
 promotion of man's happinefs. The 
 following is a recapitulation of the 
 arguments employed for that pur- 
 pofe. By revelation, a fenfelefs, 
 impious idolatry has been abo- 
 lilhed, and a fublime mode of ado- 
 ration prefcribed, by which man is 
 admitted to an awful intercourfe 
 with God, and is empowered to 
 worfhip Him in fpirit and in truth; 
 motives
 
 [ '37 ] 
 
 motives are fuggefted to the mind 
 of man fufficiently ftrong to engen- 
 der a real truft and confidence in 
 God, and perfonal obligations are 
 pointed out, of a nature to create in 
 his mind a real genuine love for 
 Him. Man is thereby informed of 
 his origin and probationary ftate, 
 and of that glorious deftiny, which, 
 if it is not his own fault, will, 
 through his Saviour's merits, be 
 hereafter awarded him. By revela- 
 tion he is furniflied with folid mo- 
 tives and reafons to love mercy, 
 and to (hew it on all proper occa- 
 fions to his fellow creature; every 
 intemperate and impure, every 
 barbarous and cruel paflion is re- 
 probated,
 
 probated, every generous one en- 
 joined. By its doctrine of a future 
 ftate, and of the rewards and punifh- 
 ments of that ftate, revelation has 
 placed in the mind of man, a coun- 
 terpoife fufficiently powerful to curb 
 and deprefs his bad pafiions, and 
 has fuggefted motives ftrong enough 
 to impel into action his good ones j 
 thofe finer virtues of the human 
 foul connected with love to God, 
 and benevolence to man, which 
 previous to revelation lay there dor- 
 mant and inactive (x). Thus all 
 effential knowledge, and all eflential 
 excellence in man's character, is de- 
 rived from revelation, and may be 
 fairly and truly afcribed to its in- 
 fluence,
 
 [ *39 1 
 
 fluence, doctrines and injunctions. 
 However fome may cavil at the 
 Scriptures, they cannot deny that 
 we are indebted to them for all the 
 fublime and important data I have 
 mentioned ; and as all thefe re- 
 dound to the honour of God, and 
 to the welfare of man, no one who 
 confiders God as gracious and mer- 
 ciful, as well as omnipotent, can 
 rationally maintain that the revela- 
 tion of His will, which we pofiefs, 
 is unworthy the majefty of God, or 
 that it is any imputation on the 
 moft improved reafon of man to 
 believe in it. Indeed, how wonder- 
 fully has the orbit of man's reafon 
 been enlarged and extended by 
 revelation !
 
 [ I 4 ] 
 
 revelation! Inftead of its being 
 confined to the narrow revolution of 
 this little planet, the fublime intelli- 
 gence Ihe derives from the religion 
 of Chrift enables her to foar a 
 celeftial flight, to afcend to heaven 
 itfelf. She is even invited by it to 
 approach the throne of God, and 
 is fuffered to contemplate at pre- 
 fent that exquifite happinefs, -which, 
 through Chrift's merits, fhe will 
 hereafter for ever enjoy from a 
 vifion of God's prefence, and from 
 being permitted to \vitnefs the 
 manifeftation and difplay of his 
 goodnefs, wifdom, and greatnefs, in 
 the government of the univerfe. 
 In this manner is the reafon of man 
 improved
 
 improved and exalted by revela- 
 tion; and in what nobler employ- 
 ment can her faculties pofiibly be 
 engaged, than in that which revealed 
 religion fuggefts and recommends 
 an employment, which has for its 
 SUBJECT the investigation and con- 
 templation of the mercies and at- 
 tributes of Almighty God ; for its 
 OBJECT, the attainment of God's 
 favour, by obeying His will and 
 worfliipping Him in fpirit and in 
 trut^j and for its END, the im- 
 provement of man's nature in this 
 world, fo as to qualify him for the 
 vifion of God and the enjoyment of 
 eternal happinefs in the world to 
 come. 
 
 NOTES.
 
 NOTES. 
 
 PAGE 5, note (a). From the inter- 
 courfe that fubfifted between the Jews and 
 the Egyptians, after the departure of the 
 former from Egypt, it is not unreafona- 
 ble to fuppofe, that the latter procured 
 copies of the writings of Mofes. This 
 intercourfe was very great, being both 
 political and commercial. The Jews 
 traded with the Egyptians, fometimes 
 defired their affiftance againft their ene- 
 mies, and often entered into treaties 
 and alliances with them. The captivity 
 of King Jehoahaz, whom Pharaoh Necho 
 carried away with him into Egypt, where 
 he ended his days aboul the beginning of 
 the forty-fecond Olympiad, and the refi- 
 
 dence
 
 C 144 ] 
 
 dence of the prophet Jeremiah in Egypt, 
 and likewife that of the remainder of the 
 Jews, whom the King of Babylon had 
 left in Judea, could not leave the Egyp- 
 tians ignorant of the Jewifh concerns in 
 general. There can, I think, be no 
 doubt but the Egyptian Priefts (who 
 were by far the moft learned men then in 
 the world, and inquifitive in all theo- 
 logical matters) would obtain copies of 
 the writings of Mofes. About this pe- 
 riod Pythagoras travelled into Egypt, 
 from whence he is fuppofed to have 
 brought thefe traditions into Greece. 
 By his difciples they were, it is imagined, 
 communicated to Socrates, who commu- 
 nicated them to Plato. Plato, that he might 
 be more perfectly inftru&ed in them, 
 went himfelf into Egypt ; and from this 
 fource, it is very reafonable to fuppofe, he 
 acquired
 
 [ 145 J 
 
 acquired the knowledge of that tradition 
 he calls facred. 
 
 Page 6, note (b). It is neceflary in 
 this place to reconcile the apparent difa- 
 greement in the language St. Paul held 
 to the Athenians and Romans on the fub- 
 jeft of their ignorance and knowledge of 
 God. When he obferved at Athens the 
 altar on which was the infcription, " To 
 " the unknown God," ; he tells them, 
 " Whom ye ignorandy worfhip, Him 
 u declare I unto you." This infcription 
 is fomewhat fimilar to that on the temple 
 of Sais in Egypt ; " I am whatever hath 
 " been, and is, and fliall be ; and no mor- 
 " tal hath yet pierced through the veil 
 " that (hrouds me.'* Under this de- 
 fcription, the literate Egyptians worfhip- 
 ped the fupreme God, ' Creator and abfo- 
 L lute
 
 [ 146 ] 
 
 lute Lord of all things in heaven and 
 earth, by the title of Ammon or Hatn- 
 mon ; and under the title of the " Un- 
 ** known God," the literate Greeks wor- 
 fhipped their Jupiter, Zeus or Upatos; as 
 the literate Romans wodhipped Him 
 under the title of Deus Optimus Maxi- 
 mus ; each of thefe nations confidering 
 Him as fupreme Lord of all things in 
 heaven and earth, the Creator of gods 
 and men. Now that St. Paul knew 
 that the literate Athenians had a know- 
 ledge of God's eflence to a certain degree, 
 is inconteftibly proved by his referring 
 them to their own poets ; Ct for in Him we 
 *' live, and move, and have our being ; as 
 " certain alfo of your own poets havefaid." 
 The knowledge therefore that St. Paul at 
 this time meant to communicate to them, 
 was not the knowledge of God's omni- 
 
 fcience
 
 [ 147 J 
 
 fcfence or omnipotence, for this they 
 knew already; but it was the knowledge 
 peculiarly revealed by the Gofpel of Chrift, 
 which may be inferred from his fubfe- 
 quent addrefs to them ; " He hath appoint- 
 u ed a day, in the which he will judge 
 " the world in righteoufnefs, by that 
 " Man whom he hath ordained; whereof 
 " He hath given affurance unto all men, 
 u in that He hath railed Him from the 
 " dead." When they heard of the re- 
 farreclion of the dead, fome mocked, and 
 others fakl, " We will hear thee again on 
 "this matter." ThusSt. Paul's oration \vas 
 chiefly to inform them of what indeed 
 they were entirely ignorant, namely, tbat 
 this life was a Itate of probation, and 
 that they were, after this life, to rife 
 again, and on a day appointed by God to 
 b* brought to judgment. St. Paul after-* 
 i. 2 wards
 
 [ 4 3 
 
 wards communicated to the Romans th? 
 fame Gofpel information, though he ex- 
 prefsly tells them they knew God. There 
 is therefore in the Apoftle's language only 
 an apparent, but no real difagrecment j 
 for both the literate Greeks and Romans 
 knew fufficiently the nature of God, to be 
 fenfible that His worftiip was profaned by 
 the idolatrous worfnip of the vulgar, 
 though they were equally ignorant with 
 the vulgar of the invaluable truths com- 
 municated by revelation. 
 
 Page 7, note (c). See Cudworth, p. 357. 
 
 Page 7, note (d). It is very clear from 
 the writings of Plato, that both himfelf 
 and Socrates admitted a plurality of 
 Gods. In his Timaeus, he actually 
 aiTerts that plurality, declaring, not only 
 
 the
 
 [ 149 J 
 
 the fun and moon, but likewife the earth 
 itfelf to be animated, and to be a God or 
 Goddefs: moreover in his book of Laws, 
 and his Epinomis, which is faid to have 
 been written in his old age, he much in- 
 iifts upon the divinity of the fun, moon, 
 and ftars ; and complains of the young 
 ftudents of Athens, for being fo much 
 infected with the Anaxagorean doctrine, 
 as to entertain a contrary opinion. That 
 Socrates was likewife conformable to the 
 Pagan religion and worfhip, not only ap- 
 pears from his requefting his friends, 
 with his laft dying word?, and after he 
 had drank poifon, to offer a votive coclc 
 for him to /Efculapius, and from his 
 having facrificed to the Pythian Apollo, 
 but likewife from his Apology, in which 
 he profefies to acknowledge the fun, 
 moon, and ftars, for Gods, condemning 
 L 3 the
 
 [ 150 ] 
 
 the contrary do&rine of Anaxagoras as 
 irrational andabfurd. Cud worth, p. 400, 
 
 Page 10, note (e). Ariftomenes offered 
 three hundred men in facrifice to Ju- 
 piter of Ithome, among whom was The- 
 opompus King of Sparta. And Piu- 
 tarch informs us, that Themiilocles of- 
 fered men in facrifice to propitiate the 
 Gods in his war with the Perfians. Plu- 
 tarch in Themift. and Potter's Antiqui- 
 ties of Greece, vol. i. p. 218. 
 
 Page 1 1, note (f). Caracalla was fuch a 
 wretch, that he intended to have put his 
 own father to death, as he actually did 
 his brother Geta, in his mother's arms, 
 killing the friends and dependants of 
 his father and brother, to the comput- 
 ed amount of twenty thoufand perfons. 
 Commodus
 
 [ 'Si J 
 
 Commodus debauched his own fitters, 
 and kept three hundred boys for his un- 
 natural luft. And the Emprefs Fauftina, 
 though confort to the Emperor Marcus 
 Antoninus, proftituted herfelf in the moft 
 publick and notorious manner to a com- 
 mon gladiator. 
 
 Page 1 8, note (g). Plutarch, in his 
 life of Ariftides, mentions indeed a fat, 
 which feems to contradict this opinion : 
 he relates that, when Mardonius the 
 Perfian aflaulted the Grecian army, Pau- 
 fanias the Lacedaemonian general offered 
 facrifice, and finding it not acceptable to 
 the Gods, he commanded the Lacedae- 
 monians to lay down their (hields, and 
 make no refinance, but attend to his 
 directions. They obeyed, and, though 
 the Perfian horfe charged, fuffered them-, 
 L 4 felves
 
 [ 152 J 
 
 felves to be flain in their ranks, till, ano- 
 ther facrifice being offered, which proved 
 propitious, the augur foretold victory. 
 Notwithftanding Plutarch's credit as an 
 hiftorian is very great, this relation feems 
 incredible upon any other principle 
 than that of Paufanias having a fet of 
 mutinous foldiers in his army, whom he 
 wifhed to get rid of, by placing them in 
 the foremoft ranks. 
 
 Page 19, note (b). There is fomething 
 fo extremely puerile and ridiculous in 
 thefe marks of Pagan fuperftition, that 
 they would be incredible, unlefs hiftory 
 acquainted us with the whole oeconomy 
 of them, and that a particular augur 
 (Pullarius) early in the morning, firft 
 commanding a general filence, ordered 
 the coop, or penn, where thefe chickens
 
 [ 153 1 
 
 were kept, to be opened, and threw down 
 a handful of crumbs or corn. If the 
 chickens did not immediately run flut- 
 tering to the meat, if they fcattered it 
 with their wings, if they went by without 
 taking notice of it, or if they flew away, 
 the omen was reckoned unfortunate : 
 but if they leaped immediately from the 
 penn, and eat fo greedily as to let fome of 
 the meat drop from their mouths on the 
 pavement, every thing fuccefsful and for- 
 tunate was to be expected. It was 
 equally among others a fortunate prognof- 
 tick, if the bull, when facrificed, wagged 
 his tail. Kennet's Roman Antiquities. 
 
 Page 22, note (i). Potter's Grecian 
 Antiquities. 
 
 Page 24, note (k). That the Pagans 
 afcribed
 
 [154 ] 
 
 afcribed Tmman paflions, affections, and 
 frailties to their Gods, is abundantly clear 
 from Homer, and likewife from Hefiod, 
 who informs us, that when Jtipiter decreed 
 the great and folemn oath of the Gods 
 fliould be that by the Stygian Lake, he 
 ordained, that if any God fwore falfely, he 
 fhould be debarred the ufe of netar, 
 and be deprived of his divinity for one 
 hundred years. Potter's Antiquities, 
 vol. i. p. 248. 
 
 Page 25, note (I). Solomon traded to 
 the Eaft Indies. The Egyptians, Phoe- 
 nicians, Carthaginians, and Tyrians car- 
 ried on a great commerce, and efpecially 
 Ptolemaeus Philadelphia, of whom Athe- 
 naeus fays, (lib. v. p. 203) that, befides 
 fix fcore galleys of an extraordinary fize, 
 he had more than four thoufand fhips, 
 
 kept
 
 [ 155 J 
 
 kept for the fervice of the ftate and the 
 improvement of trade. 
 
 Page 26, note (m). The library at 
 -Alexandria, originally founded by Ptolemy 
 Soter, was increafed by the princes of 
 his race, till at laft it contained feven 
 hundred thoufand volumes, four hundred 
 thoufand of which were in that quarter of 
 the city called Bruchion, and three hun- 
 dred thoufand in a library called Serapion. 
 In the war between Caefar and the Alex- 
 andrians, the library of Bruchion was 
 confumed, but that of Serapion was not 
 damaged. And to this library Cleo- 
 patra added two hundred thoufand vo- 
 lumes, prefented to her by Mark Anthony. 
 This valuable library fubfifted till the 
 year of our Lord 642, continually unfold- 
 ing its treafures to the learned: when 
 Alexandria 5
 
 r 156 ] 
 
 Alexandria, in that year, was taken by 
 the Saracens. John furnamed the Gram- 
 marian was much efteemed by Amri- 
 Ebuol-as, the Saracen general, and requeft- 
 ed him to beftow on him this library. 
 Amri faid he muft firft obtain leave of his 
 mafter Omar, to whom he accordingly 
 wrote. Omar's anfwer was, that, if thofe 
 books contained the fame doctrine with 
 the Koran, they could not be of any ufe, 
 as the Koran was fufficient, and com- 
 prehended all neceflary truths : but if 
 they contained any particulars contrary 
 to that book, they ought to be deftroyed. 
 In confequence of this anfwer they were 
 all condemned to the flames, without 
 farther examination, and for that purpofe 
 were diftributed to the keepers of the 
 publick bagnios, where for the fpace of 
 fix months they were ufed for fuel, in- 
 
 ftead
 
 [ 157 ] 
 
 {lead of vvood.-r-RolIin's Ancient Hift. 
 vol. vii. p. 209. 
 
 Page 43, note (?i). If this inference be 
 jufr, how Angularly does it prove the ac- 
 complifnment of the following prophecy 
 of Jeremiah : " They {hall teach no 
 " more every man his neighbour, and 
 " every man his brother, faying, Know 
 " the Lord ; for they ftiall all know me, 
 " from the leaft of them unto the greateft 
 " of them, faith the Lord." This pro- 
 phecy was delivered more than fix hun- 
 dred years before the promulgation of 
 the Gofpel, which, by its general diffu- 
 fion of the knowledge of God to the poor, 
 and the loweft clafies of mankind, com- 
 pletely fulfils it : but it is impoflible to 
 apprehend its force or beauty, without 
 fome knowledge of heathen mythology. 
 
 The
 
 The priefts and literate men of Egypt, 
 Greece, and Rome, took all imaginable 
 care to conceal the knowledge of the 
 true God from the vulgar; and at the 
 fame time that they boaftcd of this know- 
 ledge themfelves, they defpifed others for 
 their ignorance of it. Reafons have 
 been already affigned why the poor never 
 would have known religious truth with- 
 out the interpofition of God ; and our 
 Saviour himfelf makes its general com- 
 munication a proof of His divine miflion : 
 for when John's difciples carre to afk Him 
 who He was, among other criterions 
 by which He proves himfelf the Meffiah, 
 He fays to the difciples of John, " Tell 
 cl him, the poor have the Gofpel preached 
 tf to them." Origen, who was himfelf an 
 Egyptian by birth, informs us that the 
 Egyptians had two fpecies of theology, 
 
 the
 
 [ 159 J 
 
 the one arcane and recondite, which was 
 concealed from the vulgar, and communi- 
 cated only to kings, priefts, and learned 
 men ; the other adapted to the under- 
 ftandings of the lower claffes of the peo- 
 ple, confuting of mere external fymbols 
 and ceremonies. And, in his theological 
 conteft with Celfus, he further obferves, 
 what we have now affirmed concerning 
 the difference betwixt the wife and ig- 
 norant men of Egypt may be equally faid 
 of the Perfians, amongft whom, as well as 
 the Syrians and Indians, religious rites are 
 performed rationally by thofe who are in- 
 genious, whilft the fuperficial vulgar look 
 no further in the obfervation of them, 
 than to the external fymbcl or ceremony. 
 
 Page 47, note (o). See Plato's Eu- 
 thyphron. 
 
 Page
 
 Page 65, note (p). See a very elegant 
 Efiay on Delicacy, by Dr. Lancafter, in 
 the firft volume of Fugitive Pieces, 
 publifhed by Dodfley, 1765. 
 
 Page 83, note (q). The character of 
 Catiline in former, that of the late 
 Duke of Orleans in modern times, and 
 the conduft of the French Convention at 
 this moment, are expofitions of the truth 
 of this remark. It would be happy if no 
 other kingdom than France exhibited 
 fuch examples. In this country, we 
 have feen, and do fee, a great deal too 
 much of this vicious ambition ; we fee if, 
 at this hour, convening affemblies of the 
 people for the exprefs purpofe of diflemU 
 nating difloyalty, difaffe&ion, and fe- 
 dition, throughout the nation, plunging 
 its traitorous dagger into the very heart 
 ' of
 
 [ 161 ] 
 
 of England, by revealing ftate informa- 
 tion, correfponding with her enemies, 
 and concerting plans for her deftruc~Hon 
 as an empire. Can there be a man in 
 the ifland fo infatuated as not to fee 
 through the felfifh ambition of thefe men, 
 that their views are folcly and exclufively 
 their own felf-aggrandizement, and that, 
 to accomplifh this, they are ready and 
 willing to facrifice King, Lords, and 
 Commons, the constitution of the realm, 
 and the welfare and property of every 
 honeft man and loyal fubject in the 
 kingdom ? Lord Bacon obferves, that 
 there are men in the world capable of 
 fetting another man's houfe on fire, to 
 roaft their own eggs. Thefe are the 
 men, more abandoned than the inebriated 
 Thais, who fired, or caufed to be fired, 
 the fplendid palace of Perfepolis. Thefe 
 M ambitious
 
 [ 1 62 ] 
 
 ambitious men, without her excufe, would 
 fire a much nobler palace, the auguft and 
 venerable fabrick of the Englifh confti- 
 tution; that palace, where civil and reli- 
 gious liberty, where humanity, mercy, 
 juftice, and the fine arts refide : all thefe, 
 and the palace itfelf they would burn, 
 from the mere principle of felf-aggran- 
 dizement, with as little remorfe as Nero 
 did Rome ; and then, adding the hypocrify 
 of Cromwell to the wickednefs of Catiline, 
 they would impute the conflagration to 
 his majefty's minifters, with exactly the 
 fame truth as Nero imputed that of 
 Rome to the Chriftians. 
 
 Page no, note (r). A maxim not to 
 be found in the politics of Machiavel, 
 but perhaps of more real ufe to a ftate 
 than any one he has written ; and if the 
 
 French
 
 [ 1 63 J 
 
 French nation had paid proper attention to 
 it, their own happinefs, and that of Europe, 
 would not have been diminifhed ; neither 
 would they be confidered, as they now 
 are, a fet of atheiftical monfters, and 
 favage men, that, like fo many wild beafts, 
 require to be chained down for the re- 
 pofe and iecurity of mankind. 
 
 Page 112, note (s). Machiavel par- 
 ticularly recommends that his Prince 
 ihould not be inftruded in religion, the 
 principles of which, he pretends, enervate 
 the mind, and difqualify it for all noble 
 enterprifes ; in other words, it prevents 
 his being a tyrant and a murderer, which 
 the fort of great men in the eflimation of 
 Machiavel (who was himfeif put to the 
 torture as a confpirator, ufually are. It 
 is to be hoped the rsafon of man, improved 
 M 2 by
 
 [ i64 r 
 
 by religion, will, fome time or other, rife 
 fuperior to that barbarous Gothic preju- 
 dice (which ftill very much enflaves it) of 
 annexing as much or more efteem to the 
 deftroyers, than they do to the benefactors 
 of mankind. 
 
 Page 115, note (t). The faint wor- 
 fliipin the Romifti church is juft as ido- 
 latrous as Pagan worfhip ; for Plutarch 
 informs us of the creed of the literate 1 
 Pagans in this particular, in his treatife on 
 Ifis and Ofiris; in which he remarks, that 
 philofophers honoured the image of God 
 in inanimate things, by which means 
 they afcended to the Deity ; but did not 
 confider thefe inanimate things as God ; 
 as there is but one God and one Provi- 
 dence. But all worfhip in which man 
 kneels before any image or faint, is idola- 
 trous,
 
 [ i6 5 J 
 
 trous, and eftranges the heart from God, 
 and is fo reprefented in the Scriptures by 
 the prophet Ezekiel : " their heart is 
 " eftranged from me through their idols." 
 As a remarkable proof that the lower 
 clafs of people in the Romifh church 
 pay even more honour to their faints 
 than to God, a man in Ireland was 
 brought before a magiftrate on a charge 
 of theft; and being fworn on the Bible, he 
 declared himfelf innocent. But when the 
 perfon who accufed him, defired he might 
 be fworn by the faint whom he adored, 
 the man pofitively refufed; nor could he 
 by any means be induced to do fo, but 
 confefled himfelf guilty of the fa&. 
 
 Page 131, note (u). Here it may be 
 afked, what poffible connexion can there 
 be between the doctrines of a revealed re- 
 ligion,
 
 [ i66 ] 
 
 ligicn, and the balance of power ? I an- 
 fwer, juft the fame as between the tea 
 thrown overboard at Bofton in America, 
 and the French revolution. In both 
 cafes they may be confidered as feeds, 
 which gradually produced their refpective 
 fruits of peace and war. 
 
 Page 135, note (iv). I have heard it 
 obferved, that the provifion made for the 
 poor of this kingdom is not, upon the 
 whole, beneficial either to the poor them- 
 felves, or the irate. Thofe who make 
 this remark, I apprehend, have never fuf- 
 ficiently confidered the fubjec"t, and, I 
 am perfuaded, have never feen the poor of 
 great ftates, fuch as France or Germany, 
 or even of Ireland. Probably the extreme 
 mifery of the poor in the former countries, 
 and the frequent infurreclions in the lat- 
 ter,
 
 [ 167 ] 
 
 ter, are, in great meafure, to be afcribed 
 to the want of fuch an inftitution; and 
 the fuperior quantum of honefty and in- 
 tegrity in the poor of England (though 
 that will very well admit of increafe) 
 over the poor on the continent, well 
 known to thofe who have made the com- 
 parifon, is to be attributed, in no incon- 
 f.derable degree, to our humane provifion 
 for the poor ; and by which the kingdom 
 is not in the leaft injured : for every 
 (hilling, thus charitably advanced, being 
 fpent in England, it circulates and difle- 
 minates every where, in the moft bene- 
 ficial way poflible, pervading every county, 
 city, and village, and may be compared to 
 a thoufand fmall rivulets, watering the 
 profitable field of internal commerce, a 
 fpecies of traffick, of all others, the moft 
 beneficial to a ftate. It is impoflible to 
 
 prevent
 
 prevent occafional abufes in the moft per* 
 fet human inftitutions ; and there are 
 doubtlefs frequent abufes of this in the 
 metropolis, in cities, and in the great 
 towns in this nation. But the reverfe is 
 the cafe in the country. There the aflefT- 
 ment for the relief of the poor is chiefly 
 made by the farmers, and diftributed by 
 them; and, as they are intimately ac- 
 quainted with each perfon in their parifh, 
 they are not liable to any other impo- 
 fition but what may arife from the fufcep- 
 tibility and tendernefs of their feelings : 
 therefore whatever abufes there may be 
 of the poor-laws in cities or great towns, 
 the country is free from them. 
 
 Page 138, note (x). It is an obfer- 
 vation of Cicero's, that virtue is not 
 natural to man, and though the feeds 
 
 of
 
 C 169 ] 
 
 of virtue are in his mind, that they 
 continue in a dormant ftate, unlefs ma- 
 tured and brought to perfe&ion by edu- 
 cation. 
 
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