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 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
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 'CyUi 
 
 SOL * ! 
 
 Division , 
 
 Section 
 
 Number ..y.».../fe^. 
 
 
THE 
 
 POSTHUMOUS WORKS 
 
 O F 
 
 JEREMIAH SEED,M.h. 
 
 Late Rector of Enham in Hampjhire. 
 And Fellow of keen's College, Oxford. 
 
 Confifting of 
 
 SERMONS,LETTERS,ESSAYS,G?^. 
 
 Publiflied from the Author's original Manufcripts. 
 
 By JOSEPH HALL, M. A. 
 
 Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for M. Seed, and fold by R. Man by 
 
 and H. S. Cox, on Ludgate-HilL 
 
 M DCC L. 
 
 '.'^^fes^'-^'IS'!-' 
 
 .'.v^'.i^.jlr. 
 
THE 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 The Duty of Charity ftated and enforced. 
 
 P R O V. III. 27. 
 
 With'hold not Good from them to whom it 
 is due, when it is in the Power of thine 
 Hands to do it. pag. i 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 The Chriftian Life a progreflive State. 
 
 Pr o V. IV. 18. 
 
 ^e Path of the Juji is as the Jhining 
 Light ; Jhining more and more unto the 
 perfeSi Day. P« 3 2 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 National Wicked nefs in Danger of pro- 
 voking National Judgments. 
 
 Isaiah V. 4, 5. 
 
 What could have been done more for my 
 Vineyard, that I have not done in it ? 
 Wherefore when I looked for Grapes, 
 brought it forth wild Grapes f 
 
 And 
 
 REC. NO''!"'" 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 And noWy go to \ I will tell you what 1 
 will do to my Vineyard: I will take a- 
 way the Hedge thereof , and it Poall be 
 eaten up ; and break down the Wall 
 thereof^ and it fJmll be troden down, 
 
 p. 69 
 
 THREE LETTERS to a Friend on the 
 Satisfaction of Chrift : Wherein are oc- 
 cafionally confidered^ The Infinity oj the 
 Deity, his Eternity, Prefcience, &c. 
 
 T^he firjl Letter, 5cc. p. 3 
 
 T^he fecond LETTER. p. 42 
 
 "The third LETTER. p. loi 
 
 The fourth LETTER, to the Reverend 
 T. H. relating to a Pafage in one of 
 the Author's Sermons, p. 169 
 
 The fifth LETTER, wrote, under a feign- 
 ed Name^ to a Friend in a dangerous Fit 
 of Sicknefs. p. i 77 
 
 An ESSAY on refined and friendly 
 Converfation, written in the twenty- 
 fee ond Tear of the Author's Age. 
 
 p. 186 
 
 SER. 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 The Duty of Charity ftated and 
 enforced. jT^^u^ 
 
 REC. NOV 1881 
 
 prov. III. 27. '^^^imf^^ji^ 
 
 JVith'hold not Good fro?n them to whom it 
 is duCy when it is in the Power of thine 
 Hands to do it, 
 
 TO difcourfe upon any Duty in Gc-Serm. I. 
 neral, without applying to Parti- 
 ticulars ; is little more than idle 
 Declamation and empty Flourifli : it is to 
 let our Arrows fly at Random, when wc 
 fhould diredl them to a certain Mark. That 
 Charity in general is a Duty, No-body will 
 deny : but there are Many, who, on the 
 Account of particular Circumftances, think 
 themfelves entirely dlfcharged from the 
 Performance of it : Many, who, though 
 they own the Obligation, yet difown it in 
 it's due Degrees. Suffer me then to con- 
 fider. 
 
 Vol. II. B L Who 
 
7^^ Duty of Charity 
 
 Ifl, Who are the Perfons obliged to 
 Ghe to charitable Ufes, and in what Pro- 
 portion. 
 
 Wdl)\ Who are the Perfons qualified to 
 Receive our Charity. 
 
 llld/y, The Manner in which we ought 
 to beftow our Charity. And, 
 
 Laftly^ To lay before you the Motives 
 to this Duty. 
 
 Charity, in the moft comprehenfive Senfe 
 of the Word, takes in a large Compafs : it 
 extends itfelf to a hearty Defire and En- 
 deavour to do all poffible Good by our 
 Heads as well as our Hands ; by our Words 
 as well as Works : by intruding the Igno- 
 rant, advifing the Miftaken, reclaiming the 
 Wicked, comforting the AiHidled, encou- 
 raging the Virtuous and Worthy, ^c. Cha- 
 rity even takes in Piety. For, not to men- 
 tion that Piety, or a Regard to the Deity, 
 is the Foundation of Charity, or Love to 
 our Fellow-Creatures j exemplary Piety is 
 one confiderable Inftance of doing Good : 
 It is letting our Light Jhine out before Men, 
 
 in 
 
Jlated and enforced, 3 
 
 in order to promote that Reverence to the -r.R\i^. 
 Deity which is the Bafis of all Virtue. 
 
 No Man, of whatever Order or Condi- 
 tion in Life, can think himfelf unconcern- 
 ed in the Duty of Charity confidered in this 
 View ; and though this be not the princi- 
 pal Point under our prefent Confideratioti, 
 yet it may help to diredt us in that which 
 is fo, and is our firft: Enquiry ; namely, 
 
 I/?, Who are the Perfons within the Ob- 
 ligations of this Duty, as reftrained to the 
 Relief of the HelplefSy the Sick and the 
 Needy, &c. 
 
 One would think we fliould need few 
 Arguments to perfuade the Great, the Opu- 
 lent, and the Able, to prefent themfelves the 
 foremoft in this Rank, and to undertake 
 the principal Share in this Duty. They 
 are Stewards, it is true, and mufl: give an 
 Account : but happy fure is the Steward 
 when his Truft is of fuch a Nature, that 
 the more freely he difpenfes, the more faith- 
 ful he fliall be accounted : When the Me- 
 rit of his Liberality fhall be placed, not to 
 hisM^t'r's, but to his ow^ Account : When 
 tjie Prayers of the Poor (hall draw down 
 upon him thePraife and Reward o( his Lor J, 
 
 B 2 This 
 
The Duty of Charity 
 
 This too is a Virtue whereof one would 
 hope They would be inclined to fliewthem- 
 jfelves more eminent Patterns; becaufe as 
 their Station fits them peculiarly for it, fo 
 it denies them the Occafions of pradifing 
 many Virtues of another Sort. They meet 
 with few Affronts, or Injuries, or Oppref- 
 fibns to employ the Virtues of Meeknefs, 
 Forgivenefs and Patience : They experience 
 but little of hard Fortune, lefs of hard La- 
 bour, and nothing at all of the DiftrefTes 
 of Poverty, Hunger, and Cold and Naked- 
 nefs, to call forth the Virtues of Patience 
 and Refignation and an humble Reliance on 
 Providence. 
 
 Now what more proper Method of fup- 
 plying the Ahfence of thefe Virtues in them- 
 felves than by extending their Charity to 
 thofe very Perfons who do pradlife them, 
 — by letting '^heir Bounty render the 
 Pradice of them fomewhat more eafy — by 
 allowing themfelves to become, in fome 
 Meafure, the Inftrum&nts in God's Hand 
 of rewarding them ? 
 
 Their Good Deeds then ought to bear 
 Proportion to their Abilities. GOD, who 
 is the Fountain-Head of every good Gift, 
 has made Them the Channels whereby H« 
 
 intends 
 
Jlated and enforced- 5 
 
 intends to convey His Bleffings to Mankind. ^^^^'^- '• 
 Their Charity may begin at Home ; but 
 after the Stream of it has watered their 
 own Garden, they ought not to confine it 
 there j but let it flow abroad to enrich the 
 neighbouring Soil, and to difpenfe Plenty 
 and Fruitfulnefs all around. 
 
 This is fo agreeable to the common No- 
 tions of Mankind, that Every- Body con- 
 demns the mean and fordid Spirit of that 
 Wretch ; who, though God has blefled 
 Him with Abundance, and confequently 
 with a Power of bleffing others, is yet re- 
 lentlefs to the Cries of thofe who have 
 nothing to plead for them but, what is the 
 moft powerful Pleader with every generous 
 Mind, extreme Mifery : and have nothing 
 to return but their Prayers ^ Prayers, poured 
 forth from the Fulnefs of a grateful Heart. 
 They look with Abhorrence upon a Man, 
 who is ever amaffing Riches without lay- 
 ing any Thing out in Charitable Ufes ; as 
 greedy as the Sea, and as barren as the 
 Shore. 
 
 Numbers, it is true, think they have 
 
 done enough in declaiming againfl: the 
 
 Prattice of fuch Perfons : for upon the 
 
 Great and Opulent they think the whole 
 
 B 3 Burdea 
 
T'he Duty of Charity 
 
 ^i^'li^ Burden of this Duty ought to reft : but for 
 ThemfeheSy they being of fomewhat a 
 lower Cla/Sy they defire to be excufed. 
 Their Circumftances, they fay, are but juft 
 eafy 5 juft fufficient to anfwer the Demands 
 of their FamiUes, and their own neceflary 
 Expences ; and therefore they plead utter 
 Inability, and exped: to be totally exempted 
 from the Performance of this Duty. But, 
 before this Excufe will be of any Avail, it 
 behoves them to confider ; whether they do 
 not indulge themfelves in Expences unfuit- 
 able to their Rank and Condition ; fuch as 
 Luxury, Gaming, or other prodigal Di- 
 verfions. If this be the Cafe, it is no flight 
 Matter to wafte that Fortune in Idlenefs 
 and Riot, which ftiould make them Feet to 
 the Lame, and Eyes to the Blifid -, as a 
 Father to the Orpha?2, and as a Hujhand to 
 the Widow. It is no flight Matter to fquan- 
 der away T^hat which, if rightly ufed, 
 would purchafe for them the moft valuable 
 Treafures; Treafures in Heaven : but, if 
 abufed in unnecefl'ary Expences or finful 
 Intemperance, lays a Weight upon the Soul, 
 which will make them as dead to all Senti- 
 ments of Piety, as they are to thofe of Cha- 
 rity. 
 
 Compe- 
 
Jlated and enforced. 7 
 
 Competency will be a Word of much too^^!^"- '• 
 large a Signification, if we are to under- ^ 
 fland by it Supplies for coftly Eating and 
 Drinking ; Supplies for high Enjoyment of 
 Life; for Retinue and Equipage. Imagi- 
 nary Wants are boundlefs, and Charity muft 
 never begin if it is poilponed till thefe have 
 an End. 
 
 He, it is true, is worfe than an Infidel^ 
 who does not provide for his Family : but 
 it is as true, that our Family ought not to 
 engrofs all our Subftance exclufively of the 
 Poor, who have a Right ; even God's 
 Right. For feme Part of what we have 
 is due to God as an Acknowledgment that 
 we derive from Him the Whole : and 
 God has made the Poor His Subflitutes. 
 
 I know not whether feveral of the inferior 
 Sort may not have taken up a Notion, that 
 They have nothing to do in the Works of 
 Charity : a Notion very falfe, and withal 
 very dangerous. Rich and Poor are equal- 
 ly concerned in the Duty, but in Proportion 
 to their Circumftances. And he that has 
 Little is as flridlly bound to give fome- 
 thing out of that Little^ as he that has 
 more is obliged to give more. According 
 to that of Jobit : If thou hafi Abundance, 
 B 4 give 
 
'The Duty of Charity 
 
 give Alms accordingly j if thou hajl butLiftky 
 be not afraid to give according to tbatLittk; 
 for thou lay eft up a good T'reafure for thyfelf 
 againji the Day of Necejpty, As the Rich 
 are obliged to relieve the Poor, fo even the 
 poor are alfo bound, in Proportion to their 
 Circumftances, to help one another. What 
 an Advantage was it to the poor Widow, 
 that She, by bringing her Mite only into 
 the Treafury^ could thereby cxercife a no- 
 bler Charity than the greateft of all there 
 had done ! Have the Poor Little to give ? 
 Charity does not conlift in Much or Lit- 
 tle, but in doing the beft we can, and do- 
 ing it with a willing Mind. The fmalleft 
 Prefent imaginable may be the greateft 
 Bounty. And if by the Smallnefs of it, it 
 prove but of little Benefit to the Receiver, 
 yet it may be of ineftimable Ufe and Bene- 
 fit to the Giver. And if a Day-Labourer, 
 for Inflance, contributes a Day's Work, 
 fuch a Charity may weigh more, than large 
 Sums from others, and be in the Sight of 
 God of great Price. Even the inferior 
 Sort fometimcs give into Expences that are 
 not ftridlly necefTary, from which there- 
 fore they may and ought to retrench fome- 
 
 what 
 
Jlated and enforced, 9 
 
 what to beftow on thofe who want evcnSERM.I. 
 NecefTaries. 
 
 The only Perfons then that feem to 
 have a fair Right of pleading an entire Ex- 
 emption from this Duty are Thofe whofc 
 Circumftances are deeply involved : for till 
 w6 can fatisfy our Creditors we ought not 
 to relieve the Poor. We mull: htjuft be- 
 fore we can be charitable. It would be 
 unjuft to give away what is not our own ; 
 and nothing is properly our own but what 
 remains after our juft Debts are cancelled. 
 Owe no Mafz any 'Things fays St. Paul^ hut 
 to love one another ; when we owe no Man 
 any Thing in the legal Senfe but what we 
 can pay, then we muft anfwer the other great 
 Debt, as much a Debt in the Eye of Rea- 
 
 fon the Loving one another^ expreffed 
 
 in proper Inftances of Kindnefs and Bene- 
 volence. 
 
 What has been the greateft Bar to the 
 Exercife of this Virtue is, the Difficulty of 
 pitching upon any fixed and ftated Propor- 
 tion, (l"iort of which our Charity ought not 
 to fall : and where the determinate Meafure 
 of Duty is not or cannot be affigned, there 
 Men's Interefl: or Covetoufnefs will be ever 
 fuggeftingExtufes for the Non-Performance 
 
 of 
 
I'he Duty of Charity 
 
 of it. We ought to adjuft our Bounty to 
 our Abilities j but, as there is no fixed Stand- 
 ard, we feem willing to take Advantage of 
 that Circumflance, and to meafure our Abi- 
 lities by our Inclination. 
 
 In Order to remove this Impediment, if 
 we are not more difpofed to deceive than 
 to dired: our Confciences^ we ought to fol- 
 lov/ the Rule laid down in all doubtful 
 Cafes, i. e. to chufe the Part which is leaft 
 dangerous. As in the Gratifications then 
 of Eating and Drinking, we fhould rather 
 take too little than too much of our Liber- 
 ty, for Fear of being betrayed into Intem- 
 perance ; fo in the Exercife of Charity, 
 we {hould rather exceed than fall fhort, for 
 Fear of incurring the Guilt of Uncharita- 
 blenefs. 
 
 Again, the Apoflle, giving the Corin- 
 thians Diredions, orders ; That every 
 Man fJiould lay by in Store as God had 
 profpered him : that is, according to his 
 Income, Increafe or Revenue. Here 
 then it may be of Ufe to fhew, that the 
 yews were, by the exprefs Command of 
 God, obliged to appropriate the tenth 
 Part of their Revenue every three Years 
 to Charitable Ufes. Thus we read in 
 
 Detiter- 
 
Jiated and e?tforced. 1 1 
 
 Deuteronomy xiv. 28. ^^ the End of three^^^^ 
 Tears thou fialt bring forth all the Tithe 
 (or Tenth) of thine Increafe that fame Tear^ 
 and (halt lay it up within thy Gates : And 
 the Stranger^ the Fatherlefs and the Widow 
 which are within thy Gates, Jhall come and 
 eat, and be fatisfed ; that the Lord thy God 
 may blefs "fhee in all the Work of thine 
 Hand which thou doeft. 
 
 Now the tenth Part of their Income 
 every three Years is the thirtieth Part of 
 their Yearly Revenue : If then the "fews^ 
 under a Difpenfation which laid lefs Strefs 
 upon Charity, were bound, befides their ordi- 
 nary and occafional Charities, to fet afide the 
 thirtieth Part of their Increale for the Poor: 
 certainly we, who are blefTed with a Reli- 
 gion where Charity (hines with the mod 
 diftinguidied Luftre ; we, whofe Righteouf- 
 nefs ought to exceed the Righteoufnefs of the 
 Scribes and Pharifees, fnould not at any 
 Time fall (hort of this Meafure, how 
 much foever our Generofity may prompt us 
 fometimes to go beyond it. 
 
 But farther, it ought to be remembered 
 that one or two occafional Adts of Charity 
 are not fufficient to denominate a Man 
 Charitable, He alone is a Charitable Man 
 
 2 whofe 
 
12 T^he Duty of Charity 
 
 Serm. I. whofc Difpofition is always inclined to 
 Chanty : who is at all Times glad to relieve 
 Diftrefs when he can, and forry when he 
 cannot : whofe Bounty reaches as far as his 
 Power extends, whofe Benevolence takes 
 in all the Objects of Charity, and whofe 
 Difcretlon fingles out the moji proper : 
 which brings me, 
 
 II. In the Second Place, to confider Who 
 are the Perfons qualified to Receive our 
 Charity. And, 
 
 17?, We ought rather to fuccour the 
 Dijireffedy than increafe the Happinefs of 
 the Eafy : becaufe we are to do the moft 
 Good that we can. In the latter Cafe, it 
 is like giving Wine to a Man that hath 
 already quenched his Third , in the former, 
 it is like giving a Cordial to a Perfon faint- 
 ing. According to that of Ecclejiafticus 5 
 Mercy is feafonable in Time of AfliBioriy 
 like Clouds of Rain in T^ime of Drought, 
 It is fending a gracious Rain, and lefrefliing 
 what is weary and parched up. Even the 
 Bad^ much more the Good, are to be re- 
 lieved in Cafes of extreme NecefTity. It is 
 a Miftake to imagine that Hatred to Sin 
 fhould make us uncompafHonate to Sinners 
 
 in 
 
Jlated and enforced. 13 
 
 in Extremity. To convince us of this we s^rm.^!.^ 
 need only reflect, that if the Son of God 
 had regarded Sinners with the fame unpi- 
 tying Eye, Mankind had never been re- 
 deemed. Had God hated Sinners after this 
 Manner the World itfelf had long ago been 
 annihilated. No : if fufFering Innocence 
 only gave a Title to CompafTion, the Sun 
 fead never rofe on the Unjufl: j no, never 
 perhaps on Thee, whodenieft that Mercy to 
 fufFering Vice, which Thou doft expedt from 
 God. Our Pity, the univerfal Language of 
 Nature, calls loudly upon us to relieve both 
 the Good and the Bad, who are juft ready 
 to perifh. Thofe then are the4noft proper 
 Obje(fts of Relief, who are incapable of re- 
 lieving themfelves. But, 
 
 2dl)\ The beft Charity we can give to 
 the Poor that have Ability and Strength, is 
 to employ them in TFork that They may 
 not contrad: an Habit of Idlenefs ; and (b 
 the Public not only lofe the Advantage of 
 their Service, but likewife become chargeable 
 with an ufelefs Incumbrance. 
 
 But yet, if ficch be not able to earn a 
 
 competent Livelihood j if the Produce of 
 
 their Labour be not proportionable to the 
 
 Demands of a numerous Family j then ftill 
 
 2 tliey 
 
14. TT^e Duty of Charity 
 Serm. r. they are proper Objedsof our Charity. Nor 
 ""^"^ can there well be a more pitiable Cafe than 
 that of thofe whole daily Drudgery, after 
 the utmoft they can do, will not procure 
 daily Bread for themfelves and their Houfe- 
 hold. To confider a Parent, who has toiled 
 out the live-long Day in Hardfhip, who yet 
 at Night, inftead of finding Reft, fliall find a 
 Pain more infupportable than all his Fa- 
 tigues abroad the Cravings of a fmall 
 
 helplefs Family which He cannot fatisfy ; 
 this is enough to give the mofl: lively Touches 
 of Compafiion to every Heart that is not 
 paft Feeling. Certainly when the Poor 
 have done all they can for a Supply of their 
 Neceffities j the Rich do not do all they 
 ought, if they do not make up, what is 
 wanting, out of Their Abundance. If there 
 be any Cafe more deplorable it is, 
 
 'i^dly. That of T'heirs^ who, after hav- 
 ing been accuftomed to Eafe and Plenty, 
 are, by fome unavoidable Reverfe of For- 
 tune, by no Folly or Fault of their own, 
 condemned to bear, what they are the leaft 
 able to bear, the galling Load of Poverty : 
 who, after having been perhaps Fathers to 
 the Fathej'lefs in the Day of their Profpe- 
 rity, are now become the OhjeBs of that 
 
 Charity 
 
Jlated and enforced, 15 
 
 Charity they were wont fo liberally to dir-^^f^^*' f- 
 pcnfe. Thcfe Objeds plead the more 
 ftrongly for our Relief, becaufe they are 
 the leaft able to reveal their Mifery, and 
 make their Wants known. But, 
 
 4^i'/y, Fatherlefs Children particularly 
 demand our Care, to fence their tender 
 Bloom of Years againft the early Blafts of 
 Vice ; to condudl them with a fafe but 
 gentle Hand through the dangerous Stages 
 of Infancy, Childhood, and Youth. To 
 give them at an Age, when their Minds are 
 mofl fttfceptible of good Impreflions, and 
 their Memories the mod tenacious of any 
 Impreflions ; to give them early Notices of 
 Piety, to enable them to become ufeful 
 Members of Society j who if turned a- drift 
 and left defencelefs would, without the ex- 
 traordinary Grace of God, become fo ma- 
 ny Pefts and Nuifances to it. 
 
 And is it not much more difcreet and ra- 
 tional to apply our Charity to fuch Objedls, 
 where there can be no Danger of Mifappli- 
 cation, than to run the Rifque of mifplacing 
 it upon Vagrants and common Beggars ? 
 who, for ought we know, may be Coun- 
 terfeits ; whofe greateft Want may be 
 that of Virtue. 
 
 Vol, II. C I would 
 
TX^ Duty of Chanty. 
 I would not however be mirunderftood : 
 When there are ftrong Appearances and 
 Symptoms, that ikefe lafi are in extreme 
 Neceffity, the good-natured and charitable 
 Part is to be preferred. If it happen to be 
 an Error, it is at the worfl an Error on the 
 right Side. ■ V .^ii^ ^-• 
 
 ^thl}\ Another Sort of Perfons that 
 have a PJght to our Charity are the SicJz. 
 Solomon hath obferved long ago, that when 
 Heavinefs in the Heart of a Man maketh it 
 ftoop, then a good Word maketh it pecu- 
 liarly glad. Reflect therefore ferioufly and 
 tenderly on the Condition of fuch Perfons ; 
 for they fometimes fufFer a good deal from 
 the mere Inattention of thofe about them, 
 who yet could not be brought on any Terms 
 to do deliberately^ what they apprehended 
 to be cruel or unkind. Let us, in the Lan- 
 guage of afflidted fob^ (for afSided Per- 
 fons know beft how to fpeak of Afflidlion) 
 let us put our Soul into their Soul's Stead : 
 let us patiently bear thofe Inflances of 
 Peeviflmefs and Fretfulnefs into which, un- 
 der fuch a PrefTure, they may be apt to 
 fall ; imputing them to their Diflemper, 
 and not to themlelves. In a Word, let 
 us endeavour to eafe their Sufferings as 
 
 heartily 
 
Jlated and enforced, ij 
 
 heartily as if they were our own; and to^^'^"- ^• 
 bear our own as patiently and refignedly as 
 we generally do thofe of others. 
 
 Some indeed of the tender and compaf- 
 iionate Make feem to feel fo much for 
 and with others, that one cannot help 
 wifhing they might feel as little as poflible 
 for themfelves. They are fure at lead 
 of fuffering nothing alone. Every one 
 that hath the leaft Tindture of Humani- 
 ty muft fufFer with them in Diftrefs; with 
 them, from whom they are fure to fufFer 
 nothing j nothing by an unkind Word or 
 Deed. 
 
 This Point, though well deferving our 
 Attention, is but feldom touched upon j 
 for which Reafon I have dwelt the longer 
 upon it. 
 
 III. I now proceed to my third ge- 
 neral Head, which was to confider the 
 Manner in which we are to difpenfe our 
 Charity. 
 
 Adls of Mercy, public and private, have 
 both their peculiar and diftinguifhing Ex- 
 cellencies : neither are to be omitted. To 
 fay that becaufe our Saviour has command- 
 ed us to give our Alms prhately^ therefore 
 C 2 we 
 
7^^ Duty of Charity 
 we are not to exercife any Adls of public 
 Charity j would be as ridiculous as to argue, 
 that becaufe private Prayer is commanded, 
 public Worfliip is forbidden. To put our 
 Virtue to the Teft ; to try whether it be 
 genuine (as founded upon a pure unmixed 
 Principle of pleafing God without any fini- 
 fter Views of worldly Applaufe) our Sa- 
 viour has ordered us to give Alms fecretly ; 
 and our Father v^\\\Q}ci feeth in Heaven will 
 reward us openly. That Virtue, on the 
 other Hand, might not lofe the Benefit of 
 public Example, He has commanded that, 
 at other Times, v/e let our Light fo Jhine 
 before Men^ that they may fee our good 
 Works ^ a7id glorify our Father which is in 
 Heaven. If all our Charity was to be in- 
 tirely fecrer, removed from the Eye of the 
 World ; it would decay and dwindle into 
 nothing. Juft as Religion itfeif would, for 
 Want of a confpicuous, exemplary, avowed 
 Piety : Both the one and the other then ftand 
 in great Need of a public Countenance and 
 Encouragement, which ftamp a Credit up- 
 on them in the m.idft of a crooked and de- 
 generate Age. If Charity, on the other 
 Hand, was to be done always publicly and 
 openly : with Religion again it would de- 
 generate 
 
fiated and enforced, lo 
 
 generate into mere Hypocrify, Formality, ^^"m. r. 
 and outfide Shew. Wifely therefore, very 
 wifely, has our Saviour (who has given us 
 the moft perfed: Model of Religion) en- 
 joined both the public and the private 
 Pradlice of this one great and effential Duty 
 of it. 
 
 In the Exercife of public Charity great 
 Care is indeed to be taken that we fufFer not 
 ourfelves to be influenced by Oftentation, or 
 any finifter Motive. Even the Senfe of 
 fhewing a good Example, and the inward 
 Riiings of Pity, ought to be backed, if 
 they be not introduced, by the moft noble 
 and generous Motive of all, the difcharging 
 our Duty to God. 
 
 By the Way ; what an exalted Turn of 
 Mind mufl: He have, who can be content 
 to fufpend all Thoughts of Praife, till he 
 receives it in that Place where his Actions 
 cannot be milinterpreted j who can put off 
 the Defire of Applaufe till he receives that 
 Applaufe of infinitely more Value, than the 
 united Commendation of all Beings in the 
 whole World befides, that moO: invaluable 
 
 Applaufe of his Creator Well done thou 
 
 good and faithful Servant^ enter thou into 
 the "Joy of thy Lord ? 
 
 C 3 But 
 
*The Duty of Charity 
 But befides the Circumftance of Place^: 
 there is the Manner in the Perfon to be ob- 
 ferved, which is fometimes as engaging as 
 the Bounty he beflows. It is the leaft 
 Glory in a Perfon of Worth to be fuperior , 
 to others in Point of Station and Fortune : . 
 his greateft Honour is to make that Supe- 
 riority fit gracefully upon him, without any 
 forbidding Appearances j and to make his 
 Inferior as little fenfible of it as poflible by 
 an eafy Dignity, and by an affable Compla- 
 cency of Behaviour. An A6tion good in 
 itfelf is greatly recommended by an agree- 
 able Manner of doing it : an agreeable 
 Manner being to Adlions, what a lively 
 Manner of Expreffion is to our Senfe ; it 
 beautifies and adorns it, and gives it all the 
 Advantage whereof it is capable. There 
 is the fame Difference between'a beneficial 
 Deed, when endeared by an eafy, affable 
 Deportment, and when deftitute of that 
 Circumftance, as between a beautiful Ob- 
 jedl when enlivened by the chearful Light 
 of the Sun, and when exhibited in a dim, 
 fickly Light. In a Word, it is our Duty 
 in general not only to have Virtue, but to 
 make our Virtue truly amiable. A Gift 
 may be great in itfelf, but if it is difpen- 
 
 2 fed 
 
Jldted and enforced. 21 
 
 fed with feveral ungracious Circumftances,^^^^^^ 
 in an over-bearing Way, or without the 
 Appearance of a willing Mind, it is like an 
 ungainly Building, admirable only for it's 
 Magnitude ; which does not affed or ftrikc 
 us half fo much as one of fmaller Dimen- 
 fions adjufled with Symmetry and Harmo- 
 ny of Parts, and fet off with the additional 
 Beauty of decent Ornaments. 
 
 A Delicacy of this Kind is moft chiefly 
 to be obferved with thofe who have not 
 been tifed to receive Charity: where ive 
 (hould endeavour as much to conceal our 
 Benevolence, as they do to hide their Mi- 
 fery: imitating herein the Behaviour of an 
 Heathen Philofopher, who contrived his 
 Bounty to be conveyed in fo indired a Man- 
 ner, that Cl^ance rather than Defign feemed 
 to have had the Dilpofal of it. But this 
 leads me, 
 
 VJthly, and Laftly, To lay before you 
 the Motives to Charity ; and, 
 
 I . The firll may be drawn from Com- 
 fajjion. 
 
 Compaffion is the Call of our Father 
 
 which is in Heaven, to us His Children who 
 
 are in Profperity, to put us upon Relieving 
 
 C 4 our 
 
2 2 The Duty of Charity 
 
 Serm. I. Qyj, Bfethren who are in Diftrefs* This is 
 an AfFedion wifely interwoven in our 
 Frame and Nature by the Author of all 
 Nature : that whereas dry and abflradted 
 Reafon is too fedentary and remifs a Coun- 
 fellor, we might have a more inftant and 
 vigorous Pleader in our Breafls to excite us 
 to atls of Charity. As far indeed as it is 
 ingrafted in us, it is mere JnfiinB ; but 
 when we cultivate and cherifh it till we 
 love Mercy; when we dwell upon each 
 tender Sentiment that opens our Mind, and 
 enlarges our Heart; then it becomes a 
 Virtue, Every one, who has not erafed all 
 Sentiments of Humanity, muft be intimate- 
 ly confcious (the very highefl Degree of 
 Certainty) that he has juch a Principle : 
 And it is a material Obfervation, which 
 may flilt give us a deeper Senfe of the 
 Goodnefs and Wifdom of God in framing 
 our Nature, that we are more paffionately 
 and feelingly affected to behold the extreme 
 Angnijh of a Perfon that is even a Stranger 
 to us, than we are to fee the Happinejs of 
 one that is indifferent to us. We are more 
 apt in this Cafe to iveep with them that 
 weepj than we are in the other to rejoice 
 with them that do rejoice. Now the Reafon, 
 
 why 
 
ftattd and enforced, 2% 
 
 why God has given us more quick and ^^'";/ -' 
 vigorous Touches of Compaflion in the one 
 Cafe, than of Joy in the other, is plainly 
 this ; it is more in our Power to relieve 
 Diftrcfs, than it is to promote Happinefs. 
 When a Perfon has had fome confiderablc 
 Succefs, our hearty Congratulation is in a 
 great meafure, if not altogether, ufelefs and 
 unavailing; he has already gained his Point, 
 and our Joy will add little or nothing to 
 hii. But when we fee a Perfon in Diftrefs, 
 a quick and pungent Senfe of his Pains is of 
 great Ufe to him : it prompts us imme- 
 diately to relieve him, or to foUicit his Re- 
 lief ; and, in relieving him, we in fome 
 Senfe relieve ourfelves. Rcafon, however 
 noble a Principle, is like Old-Agc ; too 
 flow, languid and unrefolving : But the 
 Paffions, like Youth, when they are hear- 
 tily interefted, fet every Engine at Work ; 
 and leave nothing unattempted to compafs 
 their End. Whoever then thou art, whofe 
 Heart is hardened and waxed grofs, put 
 thyfelf in the Room of fome poor unfriend- 
 ed Wretch, be fet perhaps with a large Fa- 
 mily ; broken with Miferie?, and pining 
 with Poverty ; his Mind as it were bleed- 
 ing inwards, while (ilcnt Grief, like a Worm 
 
 2 at 
 
24 ^^ Duty of Charity 
 
 Serm. r. at the Core, preys upon his Vitals : in fuch 
 a Cafe what wouldeft Thou think it rea** 
 fonable thy rich Neighbours fhould do ? 
 — that they, Hke the Frieft and Levite m 
 the Gofpel, (hould look on Thee with an 
 Eye of Indifference, and then pafs by on the 
 
 other Side regardlefs ? or that, like 
 
 the good Samaritan^ they Ihould pour Balm 
 
 into thy wounded Spirit ? Be thyfelf 
 
 the Judge, and whatever thou fhalt think 
 reafonable thy Neighbours fhould do unto 
 Thee, in fuch a Situation ; go now, and 
 do likewije unto them. , Make the Cafe of 
 the Poor your own, and then confider how 
 much you would, or might with Reafon, 
 expeB from the Rich and Eafy, and then 
 give accordingly. 
 
 2 . The fecond Motive is the Pleafure of 
 Benevolence. 
 
 The Reafon and Foundation of Charity, 
 the principal End and Defign of Alms- 
 giving, looks not more at the Relief of the 
 Indigent, than at the training Men up to 
 mutual Love and Good-will, in order to 
 qualify them for Heaven. Mean and illi- 
 beral is the Man, whofe Soul the Good of 
 himfelf can intirely fill and ingrofs. True 
 Benevolence, extenfive as the Light of the 
 
 Sun, 
 
Jiated and enforced. 25 
 
 Sun, takes in all Mankind. It is not in-^^"^- '• 
 deed in your Power to fupport all the Incu- 
 rable and Aged ; it is not in your Power 
 to train up in the Paths of Virtue feveral 
 helplefs, friendlefs, fatherlefs Children. But 
 if, as far as the Compafs of your Power 
 reaches, nothing is hid from the Heat of 
 your Bounty, and, where your Power falls 
 fhort, you are cordially affedted to fee the 
 Work done by others, or heartily forry to 
 fee it is not done : thofe Charities which 
 you could not do, nay which were never 
 done, will be placed to your Account. To 
 grafp thus the whole Syftem of Reafonable 
 Beings with an overflowing Love is to be — 
 
 what (liall I call it? it is to be almoft 
 
 infinitely good it is at leaft to make as 
 
 near Approaches as poffible to infinite Good- 
 nefs. And can there be any Thing more 
 tranfporting than to poflefs this humane, this 
 God-like Quality ? Yes, the Pleafure rifes 
 higher, if our Abilities be great, as well as 
 our Inclination. What can affe(fl a gene- 
 rous Soul more, than to make Mlfery and 
 Woe vanifli before him, like Darknefs be- 
 fore the Light ; to raife a Heart that was 
 finking beneath the Weight of Grief? To 
 brighten up that Countenance, which was 
 
 over- 
 
2 6 7^5 Duty of Charity 
 
 J^j^overcaft with Sorrow, into Joy and Glad- 
 ncfs ? To revive with refrefliing Showers 
 of Love and Kindnefs that barren and dry 
 Land where no Water was? How muft his 
 Heart burn within him while his Hands are 
 thus ftretched out ! Believe me, it is but a 
 well-judged, more refined, and better Tafte 
 for Pleafure, to lay out, in undoifig the 
 heavy Burden of our Fellow- Creatures, that 
 Money which all of us, more or lefs, ex- 
 pend in innocent but ufelefs Gratifications ; 
 and too many of us, it may be, in criminal 
 Pleafurcs. And who would not deny him- 
 felf the fhort-lived Indulgence of fome Ap- 
 petite, fome trifling and gay Diverfion, ra- 
 ther than fee his Brother pinched with Ne- 
 ceffity, and ftarving with Want ? Deny 
 himfelf, did I fay ? No ; He denies him- 
 felf the moft, who refufes to purchafe fo 
 many lafiing and unallayed Pleafures at (o 
 cafy a Rate. 
 
 We are afi"ed:ed with delightful Senfa- 
 tions when we fee even the inanimate Parts 
 of the Creation, thofe Meadows, thofe 
 Trees and thofe Flowers in a flourifliing 
 State. There muft be fome deep and 
 rooted Melancholy at the Heart, when all 
 Nature appears fmiiing and chearful about 
 
 us 
 
jiated and enforced. %j 
 
 us in its moft advantageous Drefs, if we^^^*"^:^-. 
 are not inclined to correfpond with the Reft 
 of the Creation, and join in the univerfal 
 Chorus of Joy. But if Meadows and 
 Trees in their Verdure, if Flowers in 
 their Bloom, and all the vegetable Parts of 
 Nature in Chearfulnefs at this Seafotty can 
 infpire Gladnefs into the Heart, and drive 
 away all Sadnefs and Defpair ; to fee the rj- 
 tionalPaiVts of the Creation flourifhing, ought 
 to give us aPleafure as much fuperior, as the 
 latter are above the former in the Scale of 
 Beings. But ftill the Pleafurc is greater, if 
 we have been inftrumental in contributing 
 to their Happinefs ; if we have watered 
 thefe Plants with our Bounty, and fenced 
 them from the Inclemencies of the Sea- 
 fons. 
 
 He that centers all his Regard upon 
 himfelf, exclufively of others, has placed 
 his Affedlions very odly ; he has placed 
 them on the moft worthlefs Obje(ft in the 
 World — himfelf. He that has (liut his 
 Hands, and fteeled his Heart, againft all 
 Impreflions of Compaffion, is a mofl infig- 
 nificant Blank in the Creation. He may 
 have Scnfe enough to get and keej> his For-. 
 
 tune; 
 
28 T^e Duty of Charity 
 
 Serm. I. ^une J but he has too little Spirit truly to 
 relifi and enjoy it, by communicating it to 
 others. For Joy like Light grows greater 
 by being communicated : and that Happi- 
 nefs, which is folitary, is but Happinefs 
 by Halves. And if, as our Saviour fays, 
 it is more ble£ed to give than to receive^ 
 then you are to look upon him who aflcs, 
 and deferves your Charity, as your greateft 
 Benefactor. He that brings you an Oppor- 
 tunity of doing Good, fubftantial Good, 
 in Effect obliges you j he brings you what 
 is far more valuable, and more valued by 
 every good Man, than the Gold and Silver 
 which you part with to him. To be rich 
 in good Works is the moft lafting Riches. 
 
 But this brings me to the . laft Motive 
 which at prefent I fhall fuggefl for our 
 Charity, which is, 
 
 3. Thirdly, The Recompence of the 
 Reward. 
 
 We are all, Rich and Poor, travelling to 
 one Country ; and we fliould not fcruple to 
 accommodate our indigent Fellow-Travel- 
 lers with Neceflaries on the Road, when 
 we are fure of being repaid at our Journey's 
 End with an immenfe Reward. And re- 
 member that at the laft Day, the great 
 
 Queftion 
 
Jiated and enforced. 2g 
 
 Queftion will not be, whether you haveSERM.I. 
 been negatively good, whether you have' 
 done no Harm? but, what Good you have 
 done ? What Hungry ye have fed? What 
 Sick ye have vifitedf The Rich-Man in 
 the Gofpel is not charged with injuring any 
 Perfon, or defrauding his Neighbour. The 
 only Fault recorded is, that he fared fum^ 
 ptuoiijly every Day, while Lazarus lay at 
 his Gate perifhing for Want of common 
 Neceflaries. He was One of that Set of 
 Men, a numerous Set, who are very hofpi- 
 table to thofe that do not want, and very 
 unfriendly to thofe that do. 
 
 This then was his Crime ; and yet the 
 next Report that we have of him is; that in 
 Hell he lift up his Eyes^ being in Torments', 
 A melancholy and fliocking Confideration 
 to thofe who have this World's Goods, and 
 yetjhut up their Bowels of CompaJJion2igd\n{i 
 their Brethren in Diftrefs. 
 
 Our Saviour has made the Poor his Re- 
 prefentatives : — Inafmuch as ye have dene 
 it to the Icajl of my Brethren, ye have done 
 it unto me. And Solomon fays. He that 
 giveth unto the Poor, lendeth unto the Lord. 
 Charity is then a Treafure transferred to 
 Heaven, It beftows on the Receiver the 
 
 Comforts 
 
30 TTo^ Duty of Charity 
 
 Serm. I. Comforts of this Life ; and on the Giver 
 the Glories of another. 
 
 It is the laft Thing I /liould believe, 
 that the Man who adted by a Principle of 
 Obedience to his Maker, has cheriflied each 
 generous and liberal Movement of the Soul, 
 with a Head ever-ftudious to contrive, a 
 Heart ever-willing to promote, and Hands 
 cver-adtive to diftribute to, the Good of his 
 Fellow-Creatures, ihould notwithftanding 
 be doomed to be an AfTociate for ever of 
 thofe accurfed Spirits, in a Place where 
 Benevolence never iheds it's kindly Beams : 
 But Malice and Anguifh, and Blacknefs of 
 Darknefs reign for evermore. 
 
 No : the Riches that we have given a- 
 way will remain with us for ever. Charity 
 
 never faileth the fame Habit of Love 
 
 which we have begot and confirmed by 
 many repeated Ads of Kindnefs will ac- 
 company us into another World. When 
 we have Jhewn Mercy to our Fellow-Crea- 
 tures we may fafely expedt it from our 
 Creator, 
 
 SERMON 
 
3S 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 The Chriftian Life a progreflive 
 State. 
 
 Prov. IV. i8. 
 
 The Path of the Jujl is as the finning ^ 
 Light ; fiining more afid more unto the 
 perfect Day, 
 
 A Great many, and fome too who call Serm^h. 
 themfelves Philofophers (who, by 
 the Way, never undcrftood the 
 true End of Living) have reprefented hu- 
 man Life, as a dull Bufinefs not worth a 
 Man's Care ; where the fame Things come 
 over and over again, like a T'ale that is 
 told: Which, however entertaining it 
 may appear while it is new ; yet, by 
 frequent Rcpetinons^ at lail: becomes per- 
 fectly tedious and infipid. The Confe- 
 quence of which has been, that many, 
 viewing the Pidture in this difagrecablc 
 D 2 Light, 
 
T'he Chrijlian Life 
 
 Light, have been inclined to throw off all 
 Concern about it ; any farther than to ar- 
 rive at a fecLire Indolence of Body, and a' 
 peaceful Tranquillity, or rather Infenfibility 
 of Mind ; to fliut out all Reflexion any 
 farther than juft to remedy or remove fuch 
 Inconveniences, as the common Accidents 
 of Life may occafionally produce: And 
 others, loathing the fame Viands fo often 
 ferved up, or fretted and foured by the 
 many CrolTes and Calamities intailed upon 
 this imperfe(fl State, have, as ridiculoufly 
 as rafhly, put an End to their Being. 
 
 And true it is, that the Lives of too ma- 
 ny have been but one barren Circle, to 
 which they have been as it w^ere inchanted, 
 going round and round continually -, ever 
 in Motion, but never ridding any Ground. 
 But though many may have made Life a 
 dull Round of infignificant Adions, yet no 
 Man had ever Occafion to make it fo. It 
 is fo indeed to Brutes, which foon •''ar- 
 rive at that Pitch of Perfection which is al- 
 lotted to their Nature : where they muft 
 flop (hort, without a Poffibility of going a- 
 ny farther. Senfe^ which is the higheft 
 natural Power they have, moves in a nar- 
 row Sphere j i:'s Objeds in Comparifon 
 
 2 few; 
 
a progrejfive State, . 3 7 
 
 few; and moreover dull and grofs : And^^"^-^^- 
 therefore not only come more quickly 
 round, but become more languid and dull 
 in every Revolution. But Man is endued 
 with nobler Faculties, and prefented with 
 nobler Obje(fts whereon to cxercife and em- 
 ploy them. The Contemplation of all mo- 
 ral and divine Truths to engage his Under- 
 flanding : The Love of the Creator, and 
 all the Beauties of the natural and moral 
 World to attra(5t and captivate his Affec- 
 tions : The Power, Wifdom, and Good- 
 nefs of God manifeft in the whole Extent 
 of the Creation, to exalt his Admiration, 
 and call forth all his Praife. The Oppor- 
 tunities of all good Adlions to produce the 
 Pleafures of Virtue and a good Confcience. 
 Nothing can bound the noble Range of 
 Rcafon, ever improving, and ever improv- 
 able ; nothing can abate the Ardor of the 
 Affedlions, which are placed upon the 
 Fountain and Foundation of all Love, of 
 all Beauty and Harmony : Nothing can 
 diminifli the Admiration of a Univerfe, 
 where the very minuteil Pai'ts are above 
 the highefl human Comprehenfion : No- 
 thing can deaden the Pleal'ures of Virtue 
 D 3 and 
 
38 'The Chrijlia?t Life 
 
 Ser. II. and a good Confcience, which, the more 
 they are tafted, the more they are defira- 
 ble. Here is a noble Path for a rational 
 Creature to travel in : His continued Ad- 
 vancement in it, his daily Improvement in 
 Knowledge, Virtue and Goodnefs will con- 
 ftitute his higheft Perfedion here, and ter- 
 minate in a perfect Confummation of end- 
 lefs Blifs and Glory : The Path of the Juji 
 is as the fiining Light-, jldining more and 
 more unto the perfeSi Day, From v/hich 
 Words I Hiall take Occalion to fhew, 
 
 I/?, That it Is in every Man's Power to 
 make his Life a progreffive State. 
 
 \ldl)\ Offer fome Reafons and Confide- 
 rations to engage us in fuch a Pradice j and, 
 
 Laftly\ Conclude with fome Reflexions 
 relative to the Subjed. 
 
 And, Firft^ it Is in every Man's Power 
 to make his Life a progreffive State. If 
 we trace the Progrefs of the human Mind 
 from the firft Dawnings of Senfe and Rea- 
 fon, we may fee from what fmall Begin- 
 2 ning5 
 
a progrejftve State. 39 
 
 nings It acquires a prodigious Store of in-^^*^- ^^• 
 telledual Knowledge. The View fills us 
 with Admiration, and we arc naturally led 
 to wifh, nay, to make it the Sum of our 
 Wishes, that we could be able to traverfe 
 thofe Regions of Science, whereof fome 
 noble Genius's have maie themfelves Maf- 
 ters : But though we admire, we need not 
 complain. It has indeed pleafed the All- 
 wife Governor of the World to make a 
 great Diftindtion in the original Frame of 
 human Souls, with Refpedl to the intdlcc- 
 tual Powers : A Provifion abfolutely necef- 
 fary for anfwering the Purpofes of civil 
 Government, where a Subordination is ne- 
 cefTarily implied ; for fo much Wifdom 
 will always produce fo much Power. But 
 whether we may always obferve it or no, 
 our Saviour*s Command to his Difciples is 
 virtually fulfilled in every Community : He 
 that is the greateft among you^ let him be 
 your Servant. If the Men who are blcfied 
 with diftinguiflied Abilities, make a proper 
 Ufe of them (and otherwife they need not 
 be envied) they are really increafing the 
 Meafure of the publick Good ; and, in 
 that, doing Service to the meaneft Indivi- 
 D 4 dual : 
 
'The Chriftian Life 
 
 dual : And therefore Reputation and Ev 
 ileem are but a due Acknowledgment for 
 their good Offices. But to expert or defire 
 Honour from Men is but a low Ambition. 
 Let us try to recommend ourfelves to the 
 Approbation of him, whofe 'Judgment is 
 not as Man's "Judgment, The very beft 
 Part of Knowledge is knowing how to dif- 
 charge rightly our Duty to God; and 
 therefore the Performance of that Duty 
 inuft flill be of higher Eflimation. And 
 in this Mankind are more upon an equal 
 footing. The moral Powers, like the na- 
 tural Perfedions of the Body, are more e- 
 qually diftributed j and in them there is as 
 large a Field laid open for our Advancement 
 towards Perfed:ion_, as there is in the Intel- 
 lec^tual. 
 
 It is true, we may have unhappily 
 ftruck into a wrong Path, and be wander- 
 ing in the Ways of Wickednefs : But, by 
 a ferious Recolledion, and Application to 
 Divine Mercy, we may yet find a Lantern 
 to our Feet^ and a Light unto our Paths. 
 Our evil Habits, thofe Cords that hold us 
 in Captivity to Sin, though we may not be 
 able at once to caft them away from us, yet 
 
 we 
 
a progrejftve State, 41 
 
 wc may infenfibly weaken, and at laft break ^'^'^- ^^• 
 afunder, by gradually unravelling the fmaller 
 Lines of their Contexture. Our Inclina- 
 tions, that may have taken a wrong Bent, 
 we may counterad", and by Degrees reco- 
 ver to their original Re«5titude. "Where 
 our Nature favours a particular Virtue, 
 there we may fecond it, and graft upon it; 
 under the Branches whereof other hopeful 
 Seeds may take Root, fpring up, and pro(- 
 per. After this we may flill be looking 
 into the Culture of the Soul, and ftudying 
 daily Improvements, by calling forth Vir- 
 tues, or feveral Degrees of Virtue, that 
 have not yet made their Appearance, by 
 cherifhing and bringing to Perfedion thofe 
 that have. Thus will our Minds refemble 
 thofe Fruit-Trees, in which, while feveral 
 of the Produdlions are come to Maturity, 
 others are blolToming, and giving Pro- 
 mifes of reaching the fame Degrees of Ex- 
 cellence. 
 
 No Man knows what he can do, till he 
 is firmly refolved to do whatever he can. 
 When Men have thought themfelvcs ob- 
 liged to fet about any Bufinefs in good Ear- 
 neft, they have done that which their In- 
 dolence 
 
72^ Chrtjiia7z Life 
 
 dolence made them fuppofe impoffible. 
 There are feveral Abilities unknown to the 
 PofTeirors, which lie hid in the Mind for 
 Want of an Occafion to call them forth. 
 
 Inftead of arming themfelves with holy 
 Refolutions, inftead of fummoning all the 
 Courage that ought to infpire every faith- 
 ful Soldier of Chriftj how apt are Men 
 to frighten and intimidate themfelves by 
 imaginary Difficulties and Dangers ? In 
 their View of the heavenly Canaan they adt 
 as ihofe who went to fpy out the earthly : 
 They look upon themlelves to be no more 
 than Gralhoppcrs, in Comparifon of the 
 Enemies they are to encounter ; and there- 
 by check and controul thi^t honeft Ambi- 
 tion, which it is their fpecial IntereH to che- 
 riih, to animate and incite : The Ambition 
 of ftanding foremoft in the Rank of good 
 Men. 
 
 One can fcarce have too high an Opi- 
 nion of the Powers of the human Soul, e- 
 fpecially in the Affair of our Salvation ; 
 and fcarce too low an Opinion of Men's 
 Inclinations to exert thofe Powers in that 
 mofl: important Cafe. 
 
 But 
 
a progrejfwe State, 43 
 
 But farther, though God docs not dif-StR- H- 
 penfe a Meafure of Grace equal in itfelf to 
 every Individual, becaufe fame Men may 
 have greater Ditiiculties from the Force of 
 Conftitution to ftruggle with than others, or 
 for other Reafons unknou^n to us ; yet he has 
 difpenfed to every one a Meafure of Grace 
 equal to the Duty he demands from him, 
 equal to the Reward he intends for him. 
 God hath given to no Man irre/iftible Grace i 
 for when he had done all that could be , 
 done to his Vineyard^yet it brought forth wild 
 Grapes : But he has given to every Man 
 eJfeBual Grace ; fuch Grace, I mean, as in 
 Reafon may, and in Fa6l will, produce the 
 intended Effect, if the Receiver ufes his 
 utmofl: Endeavours j that is, if he takes all 
 the Care that Men cuftomarily and ordina- 
 rily do in all other Points, though of lefs 
 Concern, when they fet their Hearts upon 
 them. For God hath promifed in Scrip- 
 ture, that he will deal with us in beftowing 
 Grace as an afFedionate Parent does in giv- 
 ing his Child a Suftenance. He will not 
 give him fo fparing a Provifion as may 
 barely keep him alive; but fuch a Suffi- 
 ciency as may make Life eafy and comfort- 
 able 
 
Tthe Chrijlian Life 
 
 able to him : Even fo will our heavenly 
 Father beftow the Riches of his Grace to 
 facilitate the Eledion of thofe, whofe 
 Hearts are fet upon their eternal Intereft, 
 with as much Earneftnefs as they fometimes 
 are upon their temporal ; and who ufe the 
 fame Induftry and Application in the At- 
 tainment of the former, as they do in the 
 latter. 
 
 To this let it be added, that although in 
 other Cafes the Will and the Power are 
 very diftind: Things, yet here they are in 
 many Inftances the fame, and perfedly co- 
 incide J for, as all Virtue is feated in the 
 Will, the very fixed and determined Will 
 to be virtuous, is Virtue itfelf. He who is 
 refolved, with the whole Energy of his 
 Mind, to be a better Man, is, in Fad:, the 
 better for being fo refolved; as, on the o- 
 ther fide, he that is refolved to be wicked, 
 is really fo, though he may not have an 
 Opportunity of perpetrating the outward 
 
 Aa. 
 
 We fee then, that we have the fame na- 
 tural Power, the fame gracious Aid and 
 Afliflance, for perfevering and improving 
 in every Virtue and Grace, as we had ori- 
 ginally 
 
a progrejjlve State, 45 
 
 G^inally for attaining them. What thenSE*ii- 
 ihould reftrain or hinder our continual Pro- 
 grefs ? Does the Difficulty lie in the Thing 
 itfelf ? Is it a harder Tafk to continue and 
 grow more perfedl in a Habit of Virtue, 
 than it is at firft to acquire fuch Habit ? On 
 the contrary, it has always been prefumed, 
 and always allowed, that whatever Diffi- 
 culties and Difcouragements may attend our 
 firfl: Entrance on the Paths of Virtue, yet 
 on purfuing our Journey we find the Pro- 
 fpedl more chearful and inviting every Step 
 we take : Whatever Mixtures of Vice may 
 debafe the firft Compofitions of Virtue, yet 
 each Repetition of good Adions, like the 
 repeated EfTays of the Refiner, feparates the 
 Drofs, and leaves the Subflance more pure. 
 However the Soul, at it's firfi: Rifing from 
 the Ground, may flutter and mount hea- 
 vily ; yet, when once it is thoroughly upon 
 the Wing, it flies along with an eafy, vi- 
 gorous, and continued Motion; and, in Al- 
 lufion to the Words of the Text, though 
 the firfl: Dawn of Religion upon the Souls 
 of Men may be but as the Wings af the 
 Morning, fpreading themfelves upon the 
 Mountains, yet it gradually attains to a 
 meridian Altitude. La- 
 
'The Chrijlian "Life 
 
 Labour and Exercife may be profecuted 
 to fuch Degrees of Excefs as to render the 
 Body weary, weak, and languid ^ the Pur- 
 fuits of Knowledge may be carried fo far as 
 to impair the intellediual Powers j fo that 
 an immoderate Application to Study may 
 not only create a Wearinefs in the^ FleJJj^ 
 but may endanger the whole Conftitu- 
 tion of the Mind : and in endeavouring 
 to make ourfelves ivife, by lifting into fub- 
 tile Speculations, we may, literally fpeak- 
 ing, become Fools : Nay, our very Will, 
 when opprefled and overborn by irregular 
 and tumultuous Paffions, Is forced fre- 
 quently to yield and give Way ; whereby 
 we are delivered over to the Extremes either 
 of Rage or Melancholy. But none of the 
 Faculties of our Minds, or Organs of our 
 Bodies, are the leaft endangered by the 
 Meditations on, and the Pradices of Vir- 
 tue and Religion. On the contrary, Vir- 
 tue has the fame Effed: on the Eye of the 
 Underftanding, as Light has on the corpo- 
 real Eye, it refre{l:ies and enlivens our Spi- 
 rits, and fpreads a Chearfulnefs over every 
 Thing around us. 
 
 The 
 
a frogrejfwe State. 47 
 
 The Finger of the Almighty feems vi- Ser. H. 
 fible in this, pointing out unto us the Em- 
 ployment whereunto we ought principally 
 to devote ourfelves : Inafmuch as he who 
 hath created all Things with fuch a Difpo- 
 lition and Fitnefs to certain Ufes and Ends, 
 that, in following this natural Bent, they 
 arrive at the greateft Perfedion in them- 
 felves, and at the fame Time are produc- 
 tive of the greateft Good to the Univcrfe ; 
 but by any other Appropriation, become 
 either ufelefs, as incompetent to attain the 
 ill-defigned Effedt, or produce fomething 
 monftrous and injurious : He, I fay, hath 
 ordained our Frame with fuch an Aptitude 
 to moral and religious Exercifes, that where- 
 as every other continued Application is at- 
 tended always with fomething that is irk- 
 fome and diftafteful, often with fomething 
 that is pernicious and deftrudtive ; yet fo far 
 are we from feeling any Wearinefs in well- 
 doing, that moral and religious Meditations 
 are the very Food of the Soul. Adding 
 Virtue to Virtue is adding Strength to 
 Strength ; the greater Acquifitions we make 
 of this Sort, as in the Cafe of worldly 
 Riches, we are enabled thereby to make 
 flill the greater. One 
 
I'he Chriftian "Life 
 
 One great Reafon why Men do not 
 quicken their Pace more in the Ways of 
 Goodnefs, is owing to a very great Miftake 
 in the Judgmeats they are apt to form of 
 themfelves by ufing a deceitful Standard. 
 They are not at any Trouble to get cxaifl 
 Notices of Perfedtion and Goodnefs, and 
 to examine their Lives by fuch truly imi- 
 table Patterns : They never confider Virtue 
 in her native and divine Image, they only 
 confider it as brought down to their Senfes 
 in the Lives of other People ; and, through 
 Self-partiality, are apt to imagine them- 
 felves full as good as, if not better than, they; 
 and therefore fit down with a thorough 
 Self-Complacency, prcfuming their Work 
 is already done. Whereas Men of Senfe, 
 be they ever fo good, are not vain and elate 
 with Goodnefs, but rather diffident of it 
 and themfelves j and therefore they are 
 ftill preffing on to higher Degrees of Piety, 
 becaufe they form in their Minds an Idea 
 of Perfedion. And this being the Tefl 
 whereby they judge of themfelves and their 
 Adions, and finding how far the Copy 
 falls fhort of the Original, they are far from 
 being fatisfied with themfelves ; They ne- 
 ver 
 
a progrejjive State, 49 
 
 vcr think themfelves good enough, but en-^^^^_^ 
 dcavour to make themfelves as good as they 
 can be. 
 
 It is true, feveral in the lower Rank and 
 Condition of Life have neither Leifure nor 
 Capacity to attain to any competent Degrees 
 of Knowledge or Learning j and therefore 
 are not qualified to fill fuch Stations as al- 
 low of the Exercife of fublime, heroic, and 
 extenfive Virtues ; but ftill a large Field is 
 open for their Progrefs and Improvement. 
 They may grow more regular in their At- 
 tendance on the facred Ordinances ; more 
 difpofed to receive Inftrud:ion from their 
 Teachers, more induflrious in their Call- 
 ings, more friendly to their Neighbours, 
 more patient under Provocations, more re- 
 iigned to the Difpenfations of Providence. 
 If Men's Hearts be truly dedicated to God's 
 Service, he will meafure their Work, not 
 by the Value it may have in itfelf, but by 
 the Proportion it bears to their Abilities. 
 In the Kingdom of Chrift there is neither 
 Barbarian nor Scythian^ neither bond nor 
 free I all the Diflindion there is founded 
 on the i?iward Condition of the Mind : True 
 Liberty there is a Freedom from the Slavery 
 
 Vol. n. E of 
 
The Chrijlian Life 
 
 of Sin } true Nobility is to excel in Vir- 
 tue. 
 
 So far then ought we to be from con- 
 fidering this Life as a dull, confined Round 
 of the fame infignificant Trifles, that we 
 ought to look upon it as an indefinite Line ; 
 wherein every Step we take is, or ought to 
 be, an important and valuable Advance in 
 Goodnefs : An Addition to that Number 
 of good Adions, whofe Sum will render 
 our Happinefs the more exalted and com- 
 plete. It will carry us on till we become 
 here on Earth a little lower than the An- 
 gels J and, by a natural and eafy Tranfi- 
 tion, fhall be made equal to them in 
 Heaven : Which leads me, 
 
 Wdly^ To offer fome Reafons and Con- 
 fideratibns to engage us in fuch a Pratftice. 
 And, 
 
 ly?, Let it be confidered, that diis pro- 
 greflive State is our Duty. And in this 
 View we may obferve, that the Scriptures 
 have not determined what precife Quantity 
 of Goodnefs, neither more nor lefs, will 
 intitle us to the Favour of God ; and, by 
 that, to the Inheritance that fadeth not 
 
 away : 
 
a progrejftve State. 51 
 
 ifdoay : It being their Defign to make MciiSerm. if. 
 not juft fo far virtuous, and no farther j but 
 to make them as virtuous and pious as pofli- 
 ble. Accordingly we are commanded to 
 grow in Grace ^ to go on to PerfeBioJt^ to 
 be perfe£l, even as our Father which is in 
 Heaven is perfedl^ to be holy^ as He is 
 holy ; merciful^ as He is f?ierciful, Tlie 
 Degrees indeed of thefe Perfections we (hall 
 never be able fully to reach, nor is it the 
 Intention of the Command that we (hould : 
 But it is in our Power to make a conftant 
 and continued Progrefs in the Ki?ids of thefe 
 Perfe(flions ; and thence arifes our Obliga- 
 tion to advance in the Degrees as far as 
 the Sum of our Faculties, exercifed and im- 
 proved to the utmoft, can carry us. For 
 ridiculous and intolerable would be the 
 Pretence, that, becaufe the Diftance of a- 
 ny Point is infinite, therefore it is not in 
 our Power to make any Approaches to- 
 wards it. Truth, Juftice, Mercy, Good- 
 nefs, and Holinefs are efientially and eter- 
 nally the fame in their own Nature^ And 
 fince God hath been pleafed to create us in 
 his own Image, by enduing us with Rea- 
 fon, and thereby making us capable of ex- 
 E 2 ercifing 
 
l*he Chrifiiaii Life 
 
 ercifing thefe his own Attributes, which, 
 in a lower Degree, he hath gracioufly com- 
 municated to us ; fo by our diligent Im- 
 provement in them, by beholding, as in a 
 Glafs, the Glory of the Lord, we are re- 
 newed more intimately into that Image ; 
 we attain to a nearer Refemblance of his 
 Divine Nature. The Rule is perfedl, that 
 Scope might be given to the mod exalted 
 Virtue ; but the abfolute Perfedlion of it 
 unattainable, that he that glorieth may glory 
 m the Lord. Our Condemnation will not 
 lie in this, that we did not exactly tran- 
 fcribe the Original ; but that we did not 
 make the Copy fo complete as was in our 
 Power. The beft Convidion and AlTurance 
 then, that we can have of truly difcharging 
 our Duty, is the Evidence of this Progrefs 
 in our Chriftian Courfe. 
 
 It is not uncommon indeed to hear fome 
 Men exprefs themfelves in fuch Terms of 
 Indifference about their religious Condud:, 
 as if it were the leaft Concern they had in 
 the World ; to hear them make a Jeft of 
 the high Strains of Piety and Goodnefs 
 which they obferve in others, and ludi- 
 croufly, or rather profanely declare, they 
 
 do 
 
a progrejjtve State, 
 do not pretend to be fuch Saints ; they (hculd ^ 
 be content with the loweft Place in Heaven. 
 Happy, no Doubt, will he be, who, by a 
 faithful Difcharge of his Duty to the ut- 
 moft of his Power, (hall obtain a Place in 
 the loweft of the heavenly Manfions : But 
 for Men, with an Air of Prefumption, to 
 pretend to cut out for themfelves juft fuch 
 a Portion of Duty as they think will intitle 
 them to an ineftimable Reward ; and, like 
 wary Dealers, put themfelves to no more 
 Expence than what they judge will be 
 barely neceffary to purchafe that Pearl to 
 which the Kingdom of Heaven is com- 
 pared : This is a Covetoufnefs which is Ido- 
 latry : It is facrificing the Riches of God's 
 Goodnefs, their natural and fpiritual Pow- 
 ers, to their own Indolence and Wanton- 
 nefs : It is doing a Defpight to that Spirit 
 of Grace, which otherwife might have be- 
 come a reigning Principle in their Hearts, 
 and productive of many generous and wor- 
 thy Adions. Had he, to whom were 
 committed jive Talents in the Parable, 
 gained no more than him to whom two 
 only were committed,, can we think he 
 \vould have merited the Title of a good an4 
 E 3 faiths 
 
54. 5^^ Chriftian Life 
 
 Ser. II. faithful Servant ? No, of a wicked and 
 flothful Servant ; flothful^ in not making 
 the moft of them j wicked^ in refolving 
 not to make the moft of them. In fhort, 
 they who are blefTed with the higheft Pow- 
 ers, whether intelledual, moral, or fpiri- 
 tual, are under a flrid Obligation to em- 
 ploy them in all the Offices of Good- 
 nefs, and in Degrees proportionable to 
 thofe Powers. The Command given by 
 St. Paul to T^imoth)\ concerning thofe who 
 have worldly Riches, virtually extends to 
 them-, and under the fame Penalty, the 
 
 Forfeiture of their Salvation, Charge 
 
 them, that they be rich in good Works. 
 
 If any Man thinks himfelf already as 
 virtuous and good as he needs to be ; it is 
 a certain Sign, he has not yet arrived at a- 
 ny Eminence in Virtue. For from thence, 
 as from a rifing Ground, the Profpedt 
 would enlarge upon him, and enable him 
 to defcry vailly-diftant Trads, to which 
 the fmall Space that he had already mea- 
 fured bore no Proportion. Few Men will 
 pretend to have made equal Advances with 
 St. Paul towards Perfedion ; he being one 
 of thofe Perfons, that, whatever they do. 
 
a progrejfive State. 55 
 
 do it njoith all their Soiil^ and with all their^^^^ ^* 
 Strength: yet he was far from thinking 
 that he had finifhed his Work, or that he 
 might remit any Thing of his Endeavours. 
 On the contrary, we find him imitating 
 the Alacrity of thofe who run in a Race ; 
 who do not fo much confider what Quan- 
 tity of Ground they have already cleared, 
 as how much ftill remains, to call forth 
 their Strength and Agility. Not, fays he, 
 as though 1 had already attained^ either were 
 already perjeB : But I follow after, if 
 that I may apprehend 'That for which I alfo 
 am apprehended of Chrift fefus. Brethren, 
 I count not myfelfto have apprehended : But 
 this one Thing I do -, forgetting thofe Things 
 which are behind, and reaching forth unto 
 thofe Things which are bejore, I prefs tO' 
 wards the Mark, (or Goal) for the Prize 
 cf the High Calling of God in Chrift fefus. 
 And it is remarkable, that he urges the 
 Imitation of this his Example, not only 
 to thofe of the Philippians, who were 
 newly entered into the Chriftian ProfeiTion, 
 and confequently can be fuppofed to have 
 made but flender Improvements in itj but. 
 Let us, fays he, as many as are perfect, be 
 thus minded, 
 
 E 4 We 
 
T^he Chrijlian Life 
 
 We fee then how much it is the Duty 
 of the very beft of us to be always improv- 
 ing in Goodnefs, and growing in Grace ; 
 to be endeavouring after the Fidttefs of the 
 Meafure of our Stature in fefus Chrift ^ 
 the only Stature to which we can add fe- 
 veral Cubits by taking Thought : And we 
 may venture to pronounce the State of that. 
 Man to be dangerous, and that he will 
 never arrive at Heaven, who fits down, ei- 
 ther under a lazy and affedled. Defpondency 
 of being able to proceed no farther j or un- 
 der a vain and impious Prefumption of hav- 
 ing already gone far enough. 
 
 2. A fecond Confideration arifes from 
 the Advantages we (ball reap from the 
 progreflive State, The Firft whereof is, 
 that it will fuperfede the Truft and Con- 
 fidence which too many are apt to repofe 
 in Repentance : whereon, it is to be fear- 
 ed, a much greater Strefs is laid than it 
 will be able to bear. Indeed Repentance^ 
 at the firft Publication of the Gofpel, was 
 required as a necefTary Qualification for 
 fuch of the Gentiles as embraced Chriftia- 
 nity; but after they became Chriftians, 
 higher Terms of Duty were prefied upon 
 
 them. 
 
a progrejjive State. 57 
 
 them. They were to leave Repentance as^^^^ 
 a firft Principle, like as Men do the Ru- 
 diments of any Science, and enjoined to 
 go on'^to Perfedion. The Heathen World 
 was funk in fuch Degrees of Wickednefs, 
 that the Change to Chriftianity was a 
 Kind of moral KefurreBion. Tou who 
 were dead in I'refpajjes and Si?is — hath 
 he quickned. The Powers of the Mind 
 at this fpiritual Birth, bore a Refemblance 
 to the Powers of the Body at their natural 
 Birth ; and had they advanced no farther, 
 they had ftill continued Babes in Chriji, 
 Leaving Vice is one Thing, and Improve- 
 ment in Virtue, another j and nothing is 
 more clear from the whole Tenour of the 
 ISIew T'ejiament^ than that the Lives of Chri- 
 ftians were to be as different from the 
 Lives of Heathens, as Light is from 
 Darknefs : And therefore we may con- 
 clude, that if never could be the Delign 
 of the Gofpel, that Men {hould live in that 
 ambiguous, divided, and diftradled State of 
 finning and repenting ; of being Heathens 
 and Chriftians by Turns. No Doubt can 
 be made but Chriflians, by the Help of a 
 good Education, and early Impreffions of 
 
 Reli- 
 
The Chrijlian Life 
 
 Religion upon their Minds, may live free 
 from the Habits of all Sin, and from every 
 fuch fingle A6t of it as is grofs and enor- 
 mous. And after Men have indulged them- 
 felves in vicious Liberties, with a View of 
 making Repentance their Refuge ; it may 
 be queftioned, whether the mofl fincere 
 Repentance will not be fuch as they may 
 have Reafon to repent of. The Wound in 
 their Confcience may be healed in fome 
 Sort, bu't it will always refemble the Cafe 
 of other Wounds i where there is never 
 fuch an Union and Incorporation as there 
 was in the original Compofition. 
 
 Now nothing will more efFedlually pre- 
 vent any Danger of this Kind (and this is 
 the leaft Danger that attends a Reliance on 
 Repentance) than being aduated by thofe 
 more generous Principles which accompany 
 the progreffive State. If Men form fuch faint 
 Refolutions of Perfeverance in their Duty, 
 as to leave fome fecret Referve for the 
 Admiffion of Sin, it is more than probable 
 they will foon have Occafion for fuch an 
 Expedient j when our Adtions fpring from 
 mean Motives, it is no Wonder if they are 
 confined within narrow Limits, and con- 
 clude 
 
a progrejffivc State. 59 
 
 elude in inglorious Atchievements. But S"^"^- ^^■ 
 when the Fear of Punifliment becomes but 
 a fubordinate Incentive to moral Attain- 
 ments, and the Love of Virtue takes the 
 Lead in our Inclinations ; when our Duty 
 is not performed with the heartlefs Thought 
 of it's being our Duty, but when it be- 
 comes a free-will Offering, and prefents it- 
 felf as a Kind of Temptation to our De- 
 fircs ; when the Pleafure we have expe- 
 rienced from the Progrefs we have made, 
 adds Life and Vigour to our farther Pur- 
 fuits ; when we arc not driven forwards by 
 the Rebukes of an evil Confcience, but 
 led on by the Acclamation and Applaufe 
 of a good one j then will the Soul be con- 
 fcious of her innate Greatnefs and Dignity, 
 and we (hall be fo far from finking into 
 the Dregs of Vice, that, as a Philofopher 
 faid of his Mafter, we fhall almofl blufli 
 to find ourfelves in the Body. 
 
 And as the progrefllve State is the beft 
 Means for bringing us to a uniform and 
 unreferved Obedience; fo, which is a y^'- 
 cond Advantage, it is the befl, if not tlie 
 only Security for our Perfeverance in it. 
 Jt is not allowed us, in this unliable Con- 
 dition 
 
'The Chrijiian Life 
 
 ditlon of Things, to arrive at fuch a Situa- 
 tion as we may expedt to enjoy without a- 
 ny farther Care or Concern. Like an Ar- 
 row fhot up into the Air, if we do not 
 continue to afcend higher in the Scale of 
 moral and religious Duties, we fhall foon 
 defcend to fomething below them. The 
 Mind then is to be kept continually upon 
 the Siretch, our Attention excited, and our 
 AfFedtions enlivened by divine Contempla- 
 tions ; our Refolutions enforced by the 
 View of higher Advantages, our good Ha- 
 bits farther ftrengthened and confirmed by 
 the frequent Exercife of good Adions. We 
 are, as it were, failing againfl the Wind 5 
 and if we remit any Thing of our Strength 
 or Activity, fo as not to proceed, we muft 
 of Colirfe be driven back. The Faculties of 
 the Mind, as well as the Members of the 
 Body, by frequent Ufe, gain a Kind of 
 mechanick Eafe and Readinefs j and, by 
 Remiffion and Difufe, abate of that Skill 
 and Aptnefs in the Performance. By in-^ 
 termitting our Converfe with Things of a 
 fpiritual Nature, we lofe our Tafle and 
 Relifh for them ; a Sort of Indifpofition is 
 bred in the Soul, the Parent of a vitiated 
 
 and 
 
a progrejffive State, 6i 
 
 and depraved Appetite. And hence it comes ^^^' ^• 
 to pafs, that the Lives of mofl; Men take 
 their Turns, Hkc the Sea, of an alternate 
 Ebbing and Flowing ; whereas they ought 
 to refemble the Courfe of a River, which 
 is receiving perpetual Supplies : which, at 
 the fame Time that they augment it's 
 Streams, add Weight to it's Flow, till it 
 finally terminates in the Ocean. 
 
 But, farther, what is confequent upon, and 
 crowneth all other Advantages, the progref- 
 live State is the beft Teftimony we can 
 have of our being in a falvable Condition. 
 There are fome who would perfuade us, 
 that our Converfion to a regenerate State is 
 performed in a Moment, in the Twinkling 
 of an Eye ; and manifefted by fome extra- 
 ordinary Feeli?ig^ 'Experience^ or Impulfe, 
 This indeed is a fliort Way, but the Secu- 
 rity of it may be much queftioned. High 
 and extraordinary Pretenfions, where we 
 fee no competent Foundation for them, juft- 
 ly alarm us with a Sufpicion, that the Per- 
 fons who lay Claim to them, are either 
 themfelves deceived, or defign to deceive 
 others. And as we are fatisfied, the Boaft 
 of Infallibility in the RomiJJ} Church has 
 
 been 
 
The Chrijlian Life 
 
 been the Source of the grofTeft Errors j fo 
 it is not lefs to be feared, that thefe pre- 
 tended infallible Signs of Converjion may 
 tend to the Perverfion of many weak, 
 though iincere Chriftians. For as it is not 
 poffible to communicate the Manner of 
 thefe fenfible, internal Operations, any more 
 than it is to make one Man feel for ano- 
 ther ; a Criterion will be wanted, whereby 
 to judge whether they are Impreffions of 
 the Spirit of God, or are occafioned by the 
 Workings of a warm and difturbed Ima- 
 gination. Here then we are befet with a 
 double Danger; on one Hand we may 
 fancy ourfelves to have thofe Symptoms of 
 a falvable State when we have them not, 
 and fo may be eafily betrayed into a fatal 
 Security j on the other, though our Condi- 
 tion might in itfelf be full of Hope, yet, 
 for Want of thefe fignificant Emotions, we 
 might be thrown into the utmoft Defpair. 
 But a Man can never be miftaken in the 
 Survey of fuch Actions as being laid in the 
 Principles of found Reafon, are conducted 
 by the Rule, and fupported by the Faith 
 of the Gofpel : whofe Number are mea- 
 fured by all the Opportunities we have or 
 I can 
 
a progrejfive State. 63 
 
 can find, and whofe intrinfick Excellency ^^^- ^^• 
 means to imitate the Perfedlion of the Di- 
 vine Adions themfelves. But it is Time 
 to proceed to the 
 
 III. T^hird Thing I propofed,. which 
 was to make a Refledion or two relating to 
 the Sub}e<5t And, 
 
 \Ji, From what has been faid it appears 
 how groundlefs and unreafonable all thofe 
 Complaints are, which we hear fo often 
 repeated concerning human Life ; that it 
 is an infignificant, capricious, and way- 
 ward State ; by fome looked upon as a Co- 
 medy, by others as a Tragedy, and by ma- 
 ny as an odd Mixture of both. For, in 
 Truth, all this proceeds from the falfe 
 Judgrtient of thofe who confiderit not as a 
 Means to an End, but as an End itfelf ; 
 and fo exped to reap that Satisfaction 
 from it, which it was never defigned 
 to give. Let us but once corred this 
 Miftake, and dired the Scope of all our 
 Adions to the Attainment of Happinefs 
 hereafter, and a great Share of Happinefs 
 will, of Courfe, fall in our Way, with- 
 out our looking for it. But, by this ftrange 
 
 Per- 
 
64 The Chrtjlian Life 
 
 Ser. ir. Perverfioli of the Order of Things, we 
 take a fure Method of being difappointcd 
 in our Expectations of Happinefs both here 
 and hereafter. The Means not being em- 
 ployed to their proper End, become ufe- 
 lefs in that Refped: : and by being confi- 
 dered as an End, we ad: according to that 
 prepofterous Conclufion, and thereby in- 
 volve and embarrafs ourfelves in inextri- 
 cable Difficulties. And hence it comes to 
 pafs, that fo many are lick of themfelves, 
 and look upon Life as tedious, diftafteful, 
 aiid naufeous ; and are inclined to quarrel 
 with the Difpenfations of Providence for 
 not making them more perfed than they 
 are. Whereas were their Nature by ma- 
 ny Degrees more perfect, by thus mifap- 
 plying the Powers of it, their Unhappinefs 
 would be flill the greater : for the nobler 
 we fuppofe the Faculties of the Soul, the 
 lefs fatisfying would every Thing in this 
 World be found. In fhort, take away 
 the Notion of a future State, and you 
 leave nothing fubftantial in the prefcnt, ex- 
 cept Mifery: Allow a future State it's due 
 Weight, and nothing in this Life will feem 
 ufelefs or impertinent: You add many 
 
 I fub- • 
 
a progrejfive State. 65 
 
 fubflantial BleffingSj the Afflicftions of LifeS^^;_^ 
 will point out their own Remedy; and you 
 will remove what is moft miferable in Mi- 
 fery it felf : And the lefs perfedl you are, 
 the more inclined will you be to adore the 
 Goodnefs of God, who hath appointed fuch 
 an ineftimable Reward for fuch imperfect 
 Services as your's are, or can be. 
 
 2dly^ If we are perfuaded of the Truth 
 of the Dodrine that has been advanced, 
 what fhall we think of the State of thofe 
 Men, who are purfuing a Courfe of Life 
 in diredt Oppofition to it ; who inftead of 
 daily proceeding in all Virtue and Godlinefs 
 are daily adding to the Number and Malig- 
 nity of their Sins? What can we think 
 indeed, but that it had been better for them 
 not to hai'e known the way of Right eotifnefs^ 
 than after they have known it, to turn 
 from the holy Commandment delivered unto 
 them. Let their Danger fuggeft to us the 
 Means of our own Security : And let us 
 not entertain a mean Opinion of the Power 
 which Chriftianity has to reform the World, 
 from the fmall Effects that we find it has 
 on the Minds of but too many. The bed 
 Religion that God can give unto Man is 
 not dciigned, nor can it be defigned, to 
 
 VaL. II. F over- 
 
^e Chrijlian Life 
 over-rule his Will ; but to impower him 
 to give it a right Diredion. Let us confider 
 what our Religion can do by what we 
 know in Fad: it has done. It was the 
 high Commendation of an exemplary Ro' 
 man, that while he lived in the very Dregs 
 and Corruption of his own Republick, he 
 formed his Manners by the Model of one 
 that was accounted the moft perfedt : Let 
 it be our's to keep continually in our Eye 
 the Pattern which the primitive Chriftians 
 have left us ; and, by copying after it, ap- 
 prove ourfelves blamelefs and harmlefs, the 
 Sons of God without Rebuke in the midft of 
 a perverfe Nation ^ among whom let nsjhine 
 as Lights in the World. 
 
 Lajily, We may obferve, it has pleafed 
 our Creator to conftitute our Frame in 
 fuch a Manner, that we advance gradually 
 to the perfed Ufe of Reafon: A Faculty 
 whofe Increafe we are for a long Time as 
 infenfible of, as we are of the Increafe of our 
 Stature. We have likewife very good Argu- 
 ments to perfuade uf, that the Soul in a fu- 
 ture State will not flop fhort at any certain 
 Period of Happinefs j but that {he will con- 
 tinually enlarge her intelledual Powers, and 
 augment her Capacities -, purify her De- 
 
 fircs 
 
a progrejfive State. 67 
 
 fires, and inflame her Affedlons; receive ^erm. ii. 
 new Acceffions of Blifs and Glory, and 
 thereby make perpetual Approaches to- 
 wards the Fountain of all Perfedion. In 
 this, we may well prefume, will confifl 
 the Happinefs of thofe faithful Servant?, 
 who fliall be found to have done their 
 Mafler's Will here on Earth. And a 
 more pleafing Confideration cannot offer it- 
 felf to the Mind of Man. Ought we not 
 therefore to conclude, that during the in- 
 termediate Interval, in order to render the 
 Whole of our Exiftence of a piece, the Soul, 
 by Parity of Reafon, (liould preferve the 
 fame Tenor of Improvement ? Let us then 
 confider how far we are advanced in the 
 Path of Life, and how far we have made 
 it the Fath of the Juji. Let us cultivate 
 all our moral Faculties to fuch Degrees as, 
 to render them worthy to be accompariied 
 by divine Grace. Let us endea.vour to pre- 
 ferve fuch an uniform Obedience in our 
 Lives, that they may know no Variety but 
 in their Increafe towards Perfedion : And, 
 as we are daily growing nearer to Eternity, 
 God grant that we may be more and more 
 prepared 'for a blefled Eternity! 
 
 F 2 SERMON 
 
69 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 National Wickednefs in Danger of 
 provoking National Judgments. 
 
 Preached in the I'ime of the late Rebellion, 
 
 Isaiah V. 4, 5. 
 
 What could have been done more for my 
 Vineyard^ that I have not done in it f 
 Wherefore when 1 looked for Grapes^ 
 brought it forth wild Grapes f 
 
 And now, go to -y I will tell you what 1 
 will do to my Vineyard: I will take a- 
 way the Hedge thereof and it floall be 
 eaten up \ and break down the Wall 
 thereof, and it Jhull be fro den down, 
 
 IN this beautiful Parable God, under SER.Iir. 
 the Image of a Vineyard, fets before' 
 the fews, his chofen People, the ma- 
 ny and great fpiritual Bleffings he had 
 conferred upon them j as great a M-ea- 
 F 3 fut-e 
 
National Wichdnefs in Danger of 
 
 fure of Grace as the Divine Goodnefs itfelf 
 (in Concert and Harmony with eternal Redti- 
 tude and Juftice) could beftowj could be- 
 ftow, I mean, for the Probation of fuch ra- 
 tional Beings as fhould be in their Circum- 
 flances — What could have been done more to 
 my Vineyard that I have not done in it f 
 He goes on to reprefent their ungrateful 
 Returns, in the Abufe of thofe Bleflings -, 
 and afks, in the Way of human AftoniQi- 
 
 ment Wherefore when I looked^ that 
 
 it (hould bring forth Grapes^ brought it 
 forth wild Grapes ? But, in Proportion to 
 the Greatnefs of the Mercy flighted, will the 
 Severity of Juftice be inflided : In Confe- 
 quence therefore of their negleding and 
 defpifing God's gracious Overtures of mak- 
 ing them a peculiar T^reafure to himfelf 
 above all People^ in Confequence of their 
 Impiety heightened by every Circumftancc 
 of Ingratitude, he threatens them with an 
 utter Extirpation — 1 will take away the 
 Hedge of my Vineyard, and it Jl^allbe eaten 
 up ; and break down the Wall thereof and 
 it Jhall be troden down. 
 
 The Occafion of the prefent Solemnity 
 will fuggefl to you my Defign of applying 
 
 this 
 
provoking National Judgments. 7 1 
 
 this Parable to the Circumftances cf our ^"jJJ.^ 
 own Nation ; and, agreeably thereto, I 
 fhall confider, 
 
 I/?, What God hath done for us, and 
 what Returns we have made. 
 
 Wdly, What we may exped: as the Con* 
 fequence of our Ingratitude and Impiety. 
 
 IWdly, The proper Means to avert and 
 remove God's Difpleafure. 
 
 ly?, I am to confider what God hath 
 done for us, and what Returns v/e have 
 
 made. 
 
 In early Ages, when we were over-run 
 with Heathenifm and Idolatry, it pleafed 
 God to plant the Chriftian Religion among 
 us : A Religion every Way worthy of the 
 Divine Difpsnfation, and fuited to the Exi- 
 gencies of Mankind. A Religion the moft 
 heavenly the World was ever bleffed with ; 
 and bleffing all the Kingdoms wherein it 
 {hould be received with. the greateft Hap- 
 pinefs, national, focial, and perfonal : 
 F 4 CoQ- 
 
National Wkhdnefs in Danger of 
 
 Containing every Motive to Goodnefs 
 which can be fuggefled : Our Sins are for- 
 given upon a fincere and unfeigned Re- 
 pentance ; and our Pardon fealed with the 
 Blood of a gracious Redeemer. To a 
 Perfeverance in the Paths of Virtue we 
 are allured by Precepts of the purefl Mo- 
 rality, exhorted by the Promife of divine 
 ^race, and encouraged by the Reward of 
 an eternal Crown of Glory. 
 
 When this Religion had flourifhed many 
 Centuries in it's native and unallayed Pu- 
 rity, in a very dark and unlearned Age it 
 became adulterated with impure Dodtrines, 
 and quite over-grown with a Heap of 
 monftrous Abfurdities : But it pleafed God, 
 by the Miniftry of his faithful Servants, to 
 re-enlighten this Land with the Beams of 
 Truth ; to reftore Chriftianity to it's origi- 
 ginal Simplicity and Sincerity. 
 
 Then was the Key of Knowledge, which 
 had been long taken away, again recovered 
 into our Hands ; which, at the fame Time 
 that it unlocked the facred Truths of the 
 Scripture, laid open the myfterious Ini- 
 quity of Popery ; and helped us to difco- 
 ver, that the Boall of Infallibility tended 
 
 to 
 
provoking National yudgments* 7 
 
 to nothing better than to introduce the^^^^^^ 
 grofleft Ignorance, and to make Error in- 
 curable. At the breaking in of this 
 Light, the evil Spirit of Popvry departed ; 
 and we were fisecd from thofe Chains in 
 which we had been faft bound for many 
 Generations. Then had we the Happinefs 
 to fee the Church, which, by Romijlj Ar- 
 tifices, had been made to encroach upon 
 the juft Rights of the civil Government, 
 become the mofl friendly and favourable 
 to it. Our Reformation from Popery was 
 condu6ted by fuch peaceable, difcreet, and 
 dehberate Steps, and in fo ftridt a Confor- 
 mity to primitive Ufages, that the Plan of 
 it was the Envy of foreign Nations ; un- 
 happy only in this, that it was not copied 
 by every Part of our own. This, how- 
 ever, ferved to convince us, that the mu- 
 tual Interefts of our Church and State are 
 laid fo truly upon the fame Foundation, 
 that Both muft rife and fall together. This 
 we found in the Courfe of a few fuccecd- 
 ing Years, by an Experience, but too dearly- 
 bought j when the Evil Spirit of Rebellion 
 could not compleat it's Cooquefts without 
 lifting Enthuiiafm into -it's Train 5 and 
 
 when. 
 
National Wiclednefs in Danger of 
 
 when, by their combined Forces, they 
 compafled the Deftrudtion of both the Ec- 
 clefiaftical and Civil Polity. But this gave 
 Occafion for a frefh Inftance of God's Lov- 
 ing- kindnefs towards us j when fo wonder- 
 ful was the Deliverance that he wrought 
 for us, fo much beyond all human Fore- 
 iight, Expectation, or Hope, that in the 
 Accomplifliment of it we ijsere like unto 
 thoje that dream. Good Reafon had we to 
 rejoice ; good Reafon have we ftill to re- 
 joice for the great Things that the Lord 
 then did for us. 
 
 Again were reftlefs and repeated At- 
 tempts made to re-eftabli(h Popery ; again 
 the Hand of the Almighty feafonably in- 
 terpofed, and defeated the almoft-accom- 
 pliihed Defigns of the Romijh Emiflaries. 
 This laft Deliverance was wrought for us 
 at the memorable iEra of the Revolution-, 
 an iEra never to be forgotten by any 
 Member of the Church of England that 
 thinks and adls confiftently. 
 
 And now we have a Religion which 
 difplays itfelf in all the Beauty of Holinefs. 
 The Worfhip of God, in Conformity to 
 the Spirit of Chriftianity, is manly, folemn, 
 
 • anal 
 
provoking National yuJgments. 75 
 
 and majeftick, without any Thing of thea- ^^^"^ 
 trical Pomp and Pageantry : Plain and 
 fimple, without any Thing mean, inde- 
 cent, or irreverent : Prayers level to the 
 loweft Underftanding, yet fit to warm and 
 inlpirit the Devotions of the higheft : Af- 
 fectionate and fervent, without any over- 
 ftrained Flights : Con:ipofed and rational, 
 without any Thing flat, dead, or low. 
 Chriftianity, as eftablifhed in the Church of 
 England, I fpeak the Sentiments of my 
 Heart, is the bed fitted in the World to 
 make it's Profeflbrs rationally, foberly, and 
 fubftantially religious : free from the wild 
 Ravings of Enthufiafm, on the one Hand ; 
 and the Worfhip of dumb Idols, on the 
 other : On this Side, from the Crudities of 
 unpremeditated, extemporary Effufions ; on 
 that, from the fenfelefs and abfurd Pradice 
 of praying in an unknown Tongue. In 
 (hort, every Thing is reformed among us, 
 but, what wants very much to be reformed, 
 our Manners. A Truth we (hould be a- 
 (liamed to own 5 yet cannot deny, if we 
 confider what Returns we have made for 
 the many fignal Blefiings we have receiv- 
 ed. For what indeed arc thofe Returns ? 
 i A 
 
76 National Wkhdmfs in Danger of 
 Ser. III. ^ thorough Difrcgard to Chriftianity has 
 prevailed, not only among the Great (for 
 fo Men in high Stations, however little ia 
 themfelves, will be called) but, by the 
 Prevalence of their Example, it has defcend- 
 ed even to the lower Sort : among whom 
 there are many who pretend to be flaunch 
 Unbelievers, and really are fo, if we may 
 judge by their Lives and Converfatlon. It 
 is true, Chriftianity is not now under fuch a 
 State of Perfecution as it was under the 
 Roman Emperors j yet it ftill undergoes 
 one Kind of Perfecution, very grievous to 
 ingenuous Minds, that of petulant Tongues 
 and Pens as petulant 5 which fpeak and 
 write againft it with fo much Rudenefs 
 and Infolence, as if Infidelity were efta- 
 blifhed by Law, and Chriftianity barely 
 tolerated. And to that Degree have they 
 fucceeded, that feveral, who have a Regard 
 for the BiMe at their Heart, dare not openly 
 avow their facred Efleem of it, for fear of 
 being made the ftanding Mark of ill-bred 
 Ridicule: forgetful of our Saviour*s dread 
 Sentence: Whoever fiall be ajhamed of me 
 and of my Words^ of him Jhall the Son of 
 Man be ajhamed^ when hefiall appear with 
 I his 
 
- n; 
 
 provohng NtHional yudgfnenttl 77 
 
 hh holy Angels in the Glory of his Fa- ^^:]^ 
 ther. 
 
 One would think, that a Religion a- 
 gainft which fo many Reproaches have 
 been levelled, could have little or no Evi- 
 dence for the Truth of it j yet fo ftrong is 
 that Evidence, that one cannot rejed: it, 
 without embracing monftrous Abfurdities. 
 For, to mention but one Circumftance, 
 how incredible is it, that a fmall Number 
 of poor, unlearned, and unfriended Meri 
 fhould go upon fuch an unparalleled and 
 defperate Undertaking, as to attempt the 
 introducing a new Inftitution of Religion, 
 in Oppofition to the ftrong Faith of their 
 own Countrymen, whofe Religion had 
 been inftituted by God himfelf, in Oppo- 
 fition to the Powers in high Places, in Op- 
 pofition to all the Prejudices of the Greeks 
 and Romans, whofe Schools flouriflied with 
 the moft refined Philofophy and Oratory : 
 In Spite of all worldly Intereft, nay, at the 
 Hazard of the Lives of both themfelves 
 and their Converts 3 how incredible, I fay, 
 is it that all this fhould be attempted with- 
 out a thorough Convidlion of Truth in 
 themfelves J how incredible it fhould be 
 
 effected 
 
7 8 National Wkhdnefs in Danger of 
 S*R. Ill, cffeded without the Power of Miracles to 
 convince others ? In fhort, whatever Ob- 
 jedtions are raifed againft Chriftianity, I 
 will venture to fay, that as ftrong and 
 formidable ones may be raifed againft thofe 
 Branches of Knowledge, which admit of the 
 greateft Certainty. 
 
 And though a Difbelief of the Gofpel 
 be deftitute of all Evidence, Reafon, or 
 Proof, whence it is a Matter of Surprize, 
 that any thoughtful Man can be an Unbe^ 
 liever ; yet fo far has Deifm fpread through 
 every Rank and Order of Men, as if all 
 the Evidence in the World were on that 
 Side, and none at all on the other. And, 
 by the Prefumption of their Strength, to 
 fuch a Height of Impiety have the Enemies 
 of our holy Religion dared to proceed, as 
 to ridicule the hiftorical Narrations of the 
 Scriptures, our Greeds, and other devotional 
 Parts of our publick Service by the moft 
 profane Parodies ; nay, to blafpheme that 
 holy Name by which they are called. Thofe 
 who dare not, nor is fit they fhould, vent 
 their Reproaches againft a crowned Head, 
 have yet dared to fioot out their ArrowSy 
 even bitter Words againft him, who is far 
 I fupe- 
 
** provoking Nat i 07ml yudgments, 79 
 
 fuperior to all Kings, to Angels and Arch- ^^r. m. 
 
 angels King of Kings^ and Lord of 
 
 Lords. Have any of the Nations among 
 the Heathen vilified their Gods, which were 
 yet no Gods, as fome among us have that 
 great Name, which is above every Name in 
 Heaven and Earth ? 
 
 And now we may well apply, with a 
 little Variation, that Allegory of the Pfalmift, 
 which we cannot too much admire for it's 
 inimitable Beauty, nor at the fame Time 
 too much lament, that the Application of 
 it can be made with fo great Propriety to 
 our own Cafe : ** O God, thou haft 
 ** brought a Vine (the Chriftian Religion) 
 " out of Judaa. Thou madeft Room 
 ** for it, and when it had taken Root, it 
 ** filled the Land : The Hills were co- 
 " vered with the Shadows, and the Boughs 
 *' thereof were hke the goodly Cedars. It 
 *' continued in a flourifhing State 5 fhe 
 *' ftretched out her Branches unto the 
 " Sea, and her Boughs unto the River's 
 " End. Why haft thou then broken 
 *' down her Hedges, that they that go by 
 '* pluck off her Grapes ? The wild Boar 
 ** out of the Wood doth root it up, and 
 
 " the 
 
So National Wkiednefs in Danger of 
 Ser. III. " the wild Beads of the Foreft deftroy it. 
 " Turn thee, O God, look down, behold, 
 ** and vifit this Vine, and the Branch that 
 " thou nnadeft fo ftrong for thyfelf ; but 
 ** it is noAv ready to be cut down." In 
 plain and unfigurative Words, the Light of 
 Chpiftianity feems to ftand quivering on a 
 Point, ready to be extinguifhed, and to 
 leave us, as it firfl: found us, bewildered in 
 Paganifm, in Darknefs^ and in the Shadow 
 of Death. 
 
 We are not to expeO, if the Chriftian 
 Religion, and it's divine Author, be thus 
 contemned and vilified, that the Servants 
 of that Lord, and the Minifters of that 
 Religion, fhould meet with better Treat- 
 ment. If they have called the Majier of 
 the Houfe Beelzebub ; how much more fldall 
 they call thofe oj his Hon (hold? While we 
 were in imminent Danger of Popery, what 
 a ferious Senfe of Religion overfpread the 
 Nation ? At that great Crifis how were 
 our Churches crowded, and their Altars 
 frequented ? How were they who officiated 
 at thofe Altars refpeded for their immortal 
 Services againft Popery, by their unanfwer- 
 aWe Confutations of it, by making the firft 
 
 and 
 
provoking National Judgments. 8 1 
 
 and firmed Stand againft it? But noTooncr'^'^'^'^ ^^^• 
 was the Danger over, by the late happy 
 Revolution, than we relapfed, like Pharaoh, 
 who hardened his Heart as foon as the 
 Storm of Hail was over, into Irreligion, 
 Profanenefs, and an avowed Dilregard to 
 all fixed Principles ; and bafely atiacked 
 that Order of Men, who, undifmayed and 
 unterrified, had ftood in the Front of the 
 Battle, and vanquiilied all their Adverfaries. 
 Then thofc very Perfons, fomc of whom 
 had put on the Diiguifc of Popery, and o- 
 thers fkulked in Corners, and continued (i- 
 lent (without one Word of their favourite 
 Topicks, Perfeciition and Frieftcraft) 
 threw off the Mafk, and came forth from 
 their Coverts, where they had lain hid, and 
 raifed loud Outcries againft the Clerf^y ; 
 though they, of all Men, have the leaft Rea- 
 fon to exclaim againft the Reformed Prieil- 
 hood. For to whom do they more owe 
 that Liberty of Speech and Writing, which 
 they have abufed to fo great Licentioufnefs, 
 than to that very Body of Men, Tome of 
 whom purchaled it for them at the Hazard 
 of their Lives ; who refcued us from the 
 Yoke of Popery by difputing, writing, and 
 Vol. IL G dying 
 
8 2 National V/ichdnefs in Danger of 
 Ser. III. (lying for Froteftantifm ; who gave their 
 ^'^"^ Bodies to be burnt for beautiful Liberty ? 
 And is this their Gratitude, to be continu- 
 ally levelling their Invedives againfl: thofe 
 of that very Fundion to whom they are in- 
 debted, that they dare freely write or fpeak 
 at all ? For, had it not been for Them, 
 they might have been groaning underneath 
 the Tyranny of Popery, and perhaps under 
 the Tortures of the Inquifition. 
 
 Now though the Propagators of thefe 
 Principles pretend, that the goodly End they 
 have in View is to root out, from the Minds 
 of Men, inveterate Prejudices, Bigotry, and 
 Superfcition j and thereby to favour the 
 Caufe, and promote the Growth, of moral 
 Virtue ; yet we do not hear that they 
 have boafled of any Reformation which 
 their Tenets have produced in the Lives 
 of their Profclytcs : that either pubhck or 
 private Virtues have flouriilied more in the 
 Nation lince their Interpofal in religious 
 Infirudion : that the Love of our Country 
 has more eminently diftinguifhed itfelf in 
 projeding miOre benevolent and difinterefted 
 Schemes for the Good of the Publick j that 
 we fee more of Juftice, Temperance, and 
 2 Chaftitv j 
 
provoking National ytirigments, ^'T^ 
 Chaftlty; and lefs of Luxury, Venality, ^ermJIL 
 Corruption, and Perjury. The Truth is, 
 we are not left to guefs whether the con* 
 trary Effects may not have been wrought ; 
 they are, I doubt, too clearly feen, too fen- 
 fibly felt. Many Vices that ufed to be 
 looked upon with Horror and Amazement, 
 are now become fo common, that they are 
 not regarded ; or, if regarded, ferve only 
 to promote Jeft, or Sport, or Laughter. 
 Gravity, Serioufnefs, and Authority no 
 more appear in the Demeanour of Parents j 
 nor Modefty, Reverence, and dutiful Re- 
 gard in the Behaviour of Children. In- 
 flead of aflembling in the Houfe of God 
 to fandtify the Sabbath by Prayer and 
 Thankfgiving, we hear of the Profanation 
 of that holy Day in Ajemblies of another 
 Sort. In fhort, fo degenerate and diffjlute 
 are our Manners become, that all the Reli- 
 gion that is left among us is little more 
 than a juft Abhorrence of Popery ; and we 
 but too much verify the Obfeivation which 
 Foreigners have made of us, that we are a 
 Nation of Proteftants, but not of Chriitians. 
 And this brings me to confider, 
 
 G 2 Wdly, 
 
84 National Wiched?tefs in Danger of 
 
 Ser III. 
 
 Wdi)\ What we may exped as the Con- 
 fequence of our Ingratitude and Impiety. 
 
 There needs no formal nor laboured 
 Proof to dcmonftrate, that Vice, when 
 difFuIed through a Kingdom, and in it's 
 highefc Degrees of Malignancy, mud have 
 a fatal Influence over the whole Commu- 
 nity, and at lail accompUrh the Deftruc- 
 tion of it : We need but obferve the Sym- 
 ptoms of it, as they difcover themfelves in 
 the Affairs of private Perfons and Families, 
 and the Refult of that Obfervation will de- 
 termine the Point. Vice, in it's univerfal 
 Progrefs, muft be attended with Idlenefs 
 and immoderate Expence j the fure Fore- 
 runners, or rather the natural Parents, of 
 Poverty. Poverty indeed, honeft Poverty, 
 would cafl about for honeft and unthought- 
 of Expedients for fupporting it's felf, and 
 bettering it's Condition ; but Poverty, con- 
 trad:ed by the profligate Courfes of Drun- 
 kennnefs, Lewdnefs, and Debauchery, 
 takes quite another Turn, and preys upon 
 the little Induftry that is left in the Nation, 
 and thereby gives a Check to that very In- 
 duftry : for the lefs fecure Men grow in 
 
 their 
 
provokwg Natio?tal yudg7Jients. 85 
 
 their Properties, the lefs will they labour Si^i- ni- 
 to improve them. Hence will it come to 
 pafs, that, among thofe of higher Condi- 
 tion, Self-intereil will be made the ruling 
 Principle ; which will be ready on all Oc- 
 cafions to facrifice the Good of the Com* 
 munity to it's own fordid Gratifications. 
 And, among the mcaneft of the People, 
 what Power, can we fuppofe, will the 
 Voice of human Laws have again ft the 
 louder Calls of Poverty, fet free from the 
 Barrier of Confcience ; and thereby at Li- 
 berty to relieve itfelf by all the Methods 
 that VVickednefs can fuggeft ? What arc 
 the Terrors of Death (an Expedient too 
 that every wife Nation would, if polTible, 
 prevent) to thoie who have no farther Ap- 
 prehenfions of it, but that it puts an End 
 to all their Miferiei ? And is it not true 
 in Fad, that Rapine, Theft, and Murder 
 have, in fome Parts of ,the Land, been fo 
 fupported by their feveral Bands, that the 
 Arm of the civil Magiftrate has been 
 thought too weak, to curb and refuain 
 them ; and that our military Force (no very 
 defirable Support of an Englifi Conftitu- 
 tion) has been called in to reprefs their Infb- 
 G x lence 
 
National Wkhdnefs in Danger of 
 
 lence and Audacioufnefs ? In Proportion, as 
 the Hands of the Government grow weak, 
 will the Hearts of it's Enemies be ftrength- 
 ened, and greater Force muft ftill be 
 provided for it's Support ; and the Main- 
 tenance of that muft again fall on the Pub- 
 lick : and general Burthens of that Kind, 
 fhould they ever be felt, would be follow- 
 ed by a general Difcontent. The Spirit of 
 Difcord, at any Time the greateft Plague 
 of a Community, will rage higher j more 
 bold Steps muft be taken to fupport a 
 finking Government, which will, on the o- 
 ther Hand, be more boldly controverted 
 and controlled. And this will give a great 
 Temptation to our foreign Enemies to take 
 the Advantage of fuch fatal Opportunities, 
 and try to make us no more a Nation. 
 And what fairer Opportunity can they ex- 
 pert or defire, than to find the Nation, 
 whofe Conqueft they are meditating, divid- 
 ed in it's Counfels, deprefled in it's Cou- 
 rage by Idlenefs and Debauchery, and di- 
 flreffed by Poverty ? 
 
 Nor will the Ecclefiaftical Part of our 
 Conftitution be iefs in Danger from un- 
 fettled Principles, and from a general DifTo- 
 
 lution 
 
provoking National yudgments. 8 7 
 
 lution of Manners : For Scepticifni and In- ^"- ^^'■ 
 fallibility approach clofe to one another, 
 Uke the extreme Points of Eaft and Weft : 
 And however the thougluful Part of the 
 Nation may abhor Popery for it's nume- 
 rous Abfurditie?, the humane and good- 
 natured for it's numerous Cruelties and 
 Maflacres ; yet the profligate and debauch- 
 ed will be inclined to think more favoura- 
 bly of it for it's large Indulgences to, and 
 Encouragements of, Immorality. 
 
 In the ordinary Coarfe of Things then 
 we fee, that Vice, when it becomes epide- 
 mical, is not only the Reproach, but bids 
 fair for the Ruin of any People. 
 
 But this is not all when God's or- 
 dinary Methods of Reforming are loft upon 
 us, he will have Recourfe to fome extra- 
 ordinary Means ; to fome more awakening 
 Notices of his Difpleafure. National Wick- 
 ednefs never failed, fooner or later, to pro- 
 voke the Almighty to a national Vengeance j 
 and this is deferred, fometimes, for no other 
 Reafon but that terrible one, of makine 
 the Execution more fevere. Indeed we 
 may have Reafon to fear God's Judgments 
 are already gone out. One half of this 
 G 4 united 
 
88 National Wkhdnefs in Danger of 
 Se^^- uniied Kingdom is, at this Jundure, by 
 the bold Invaders of our Liberties, made a 
 Scene of Devaftation, Rapine, and Slaugh- 
 ter ; and fo likewile is a confiderable Part 
 of the other ; The Land before them be- 
 ing, in the Words of the Prophet, like the 
 Garden of Eden, and behind them a dejolate 
 Wildeniefs. But lliould it pleafe the Al- 
 mighty to defeat the Defigns of a defperate 
 Set of Men, engaged in a defperate, as well 
 as unrighteous Caufe ; fl^ould he fend this 
 Punifhment in his Mercy, yet perhaps it 
 may be the laft Trial of his Mercy, and if 
 we are not taught by it to learn Righteouf- 
 nefs,our Iniquity will draw down Riiin up- 
 on us in fome other Shape, or from fome other 
 Quarter. For national Impiety is an Affront 
 that ftrikes more dircdly at Heaven, and 
 which Heaven therefore is more nearly con- 
 cerned topunifli in a national Way: Such an 
 Impiety, efpecially, as this Nation is guilty 
 of, the only one of all Nations upon Earth, 
 where Religion is eilablidied in the greateft 
 Purity, and yet treated with tlie greateft 
 Contempt. While Religion maintains but 
 fo much Ground as to command an out- 
 ward Reverence and Rcfpcd:, fome Hopes 
 
 would 
 
provoking National Judgments, 89 
 
 would be left, that it mii^ht in Time reco- ^^'^- ^^^• 
 ver it's Authority, and recommend itfelf 
 to our inward Elleem : But when it has 
 loft all Hold upon us, when we do not on- 
 ly negledl it in Pradtice, but deride it in 
 Principle, nothing is left but that God 
 fhould awaken us to a Senfe of his Being 
 and Providence, by fome fuch extraordinary 
 Judgment as ivHl make his Power to be 
 
 known, Which brings me to con- 
 
 fider, 
 
 Wldly, The proper Means whereby we 
 may hope to avert God's Dlfpleafure. 
 
 And wherewithal fhall a People laden 
 with Iniquity appear before the Lord to 
 turn away his Wrath, and to arreft the 
 Hand of Vengeance lifted up for their De- 
 ftrudion ? Hear the Almighty's own gracious 
 Declaration ' — At what Injlant Ifpeak csn- 
 cerning a Nation and conerning a Kingdom 
 to pluck lip and to pull down^ and deftroy 
 it J if that Nation againfi who?n I have 
 pronounced turn from their Evil^ 1 will re- 
 pent oj the E'vil that I thought to do unto 
 thetn. God's Mercy is 'over ail his Works -, 
 but Nations and Kingdoms are the more 
 
 pecu- 
 
go National JVickednefs in Danger of 
 Ser. hi. peculiar Objects of his providential Care. 
 This is not lefs agreeable to the Relearches 
 of Reafon, than it is to the more lure Re- 
 ports of the Spirit of Truth fpeaking in our 
 holy Religion : If not a Sparrow Jails to 
 the Ground without the Will of our heavenly 
 Father^ how much more does his Provi- 
 dence watch over Man, who is of more 
 Value than many Sparrows ^ How much 
 more ftill over thofe larger Communities, 
 in whofe Calamities the moft faithful and 
 beft of his Servants muft be involved ? But 
 how much farther can we exped: his Mer- 
 cy fhould extend than this, that even 
 when their Reformation is fo far defpaired 
 of, that he has denounced Judgment a- 
 gainft them ; yet he is willing to reverfe 
 the Sentence, on the eafy Condition of 
 their turning from the Evil ? Now Natio- 
 nal Evil is the common Stock of Evil to 
 which every Individual contributes his 
 Share. As we then make a Part of the 
 Nation, our Sins muft make a Part of 
 the National Guilt ; and confequently nor\e 
 of us can think ourfelves unconcerned in 
 the important Work of a National Re- 
 formation, In vain would we endeavour 
 
 to 
 
provoking National Judgments, 9 1 
 
 to remove the Burthen from ourfelves by ^er. m. 
 pretending, our Betters are as bad or 
 worfe than we are ; fince we do not know 
 how far the Confequences of any one 
 Vice may increafe the Meafure of that 
 Iniquity from which, when it is filled up, 
 we can expert nothing lefs than a final 
 Deftrudion. ^ 
 
 We have, I truft, not more out of a 
 proper Regard to publick Authority, than 
 in Compliance with our own pious Incli- 
 nations, proftrated ourfelves before the 
 Throne of Grace, to call down, by our 
 Prayers, the Mercies of God upon this 
 finful Nation j to befeech him, that though 
 he Jhoiild be plcafed to chajlen and corre5i 
 us ; yet that he would not finally give us 
 over unto Death : But let us remember, 
 that thofe very Prayers, without Amend- 
 ment of Life, would be an Abomination 
 to the Lord : For what do we pray for, 
 but that God would be plcafed to accept 
 our fincere Repentance ? And how can 
 that Repentance be accounted fincere, that 
 does not produce a Reformation of our 
 Manners ? 
 
 Our 
 
National Wkkednefs in Danger of 
 
 Our Sins are the greateft Enemies that 
 we have to fear j even Rebellion, unlefs the 
 Sv^^ord {hould receive a judicial Commiffion 
 from God, is not fo much to be dreaded. 
 Rebellion is like a Hurricane ^ v^^hich, 
 however big with formidable Evils, is often 
 of no long Duration, but Things fettle a- 
 gain into Order and Regularity : It alarms 
 the Nation, and puts every well-afFeded 
 Perfon upon making a refolute Stand againft 
 it. But Irreligion paves the Way for fuch 
 a Train of Vices as by Degrees fap and 
 undermine the whole Conftitution. Though 
 it works our Ruin in a flower, yet it is in 
 a furer Way. If the one be like a raging 
 Fever in the Body, the other is like a flow, 
 lingering Confumption -, a flattering but a 
 fatal Dirtemper, making us think all is well, 
 when we are every Day making nearer Ap- 
 proaches to our DiiTolution. 
 
 Let us then return to thofe Principles 
 from which there has been a moft dread- 
 ful Falling-off. Let us hold fa (I the Pro- 
 fejjlon of our Faith^ and in it the isoell- 
 groundcd Hope of a blefj'ed Immortality 
 through Jefus Chrift, Chriflian Principles 
 - are the furefl, I may (liy the fole Founda- 
 tion 
 
provoking Natioi^al yudgme7its. 93 
 tion on which a true Reverence to God Serm. Ill- 
 can be laid. Thefe will therefore make 
 us the beft Men, and thereby the mofl 
 faithful Subjeds of the King, and the 
 trueft Lovers of our Country, by fpeak- 
 ing moft home to our Confcience. 
 
 And for our Encouragement in the 
 Exercife of true Piety, and an unfpotted 
 Innocence of Life, let us remember, that 
 hereby we (hall not only fecure our 6wn 
 Salvation, and by our good Example fet 
 forward the Salvation of others, but may 
 likewife be found of the Number of thofe 
 few Perfons, for whofe Sake it may pleafe 
 the Almighty to fpare the whole Nation. 
 Virtue does not receive a Value from, but 
 gives a true Value to Greatnefs : x'\nd 
 however it may be placed more commo- 
 dioufly for Obfervation among thofe of 
 Diftindlion -, yet in the Sight of God it is 
 of as great Value among thofe of lower 
 Condition. God is no RefpeBer of Per- 
 fo?is. 
 
 It was faid by a monarch, who was a 
 Papift in Difguife, that he owned the Re- 
 formed Religion was much better than the 
 Popifli ; but thofe of that Communion 
 
 2 feemed 
 
4 National Wtckednefs^ &c. 
 
 Ser. Ill- feemed to be in earncft about their Reli- 
 gion ; but we feemed to be in jefl about 
 cur's. How far they may be in earneft 
 about their's, I know not : but that we 
 too many of us feem to be in jeft about 
 cur's is, I doubt, too true. Let us re- 
 move this Reproach by a conftant Attend- 
 ance on each religious Duty in the publick 
 AlTembly, in our Families, and in our Clo- 
 fets : And let the Purity of our Church's 
 Do(5lrines appear in the Purity of our Lives : 
 And God grant that the holy Scriptures 
 may recover their deferved Efteem among 
 us, that we may fo attend to the Voice of 
 God fpeaking to us by his Prophets, the 
 Apoftles, and his Son Jefus Chrift, that all 
 the People may hear, and fear^ and do no 
 more prefumptuoujly I 
 
 neEnd of the SERMONS. 
 
THREE LETTERS 
 
 T O A 
 
 FRIEND 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 SatisfaBion (p/^ C h R i s T : 
 
 Wherein are occajionally confidered 
 
 Tht Infinity of the DEITY, 
 
 His Eternity y Prefcience^ ^c. 
 
 A 
 
The Firft LETTER, e^f. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 YOU fum up the Force of your 
 firft Objedion again ft the 
 SatisfaBion thus : " What- 
 '' ever DiJiinBion there is in the Z)/- 
 " vine Nature^ yet it is a DiJlinEiion 
 '' which enters not into the EJfence 
 '' of that Nature. If then God the 
 " Son be truly God, and God the 
 '* Son fuffered in our ftead for the 
 " Sin of Man committed ag-ainft 
 *' God ; then the Confequence muft 
 ^' be, that God fuffered iov a Crime 
 " committed againft God." In An- 
 fwer to this, 
 
 F/r/?, Let it be obferved, that God 
 
 did not, could not fuffer at all. The 
 
 only Thing, that the fecond Perfon 
 
 A 2 in 
 
4 'T'he Ftrfi Letter. 
 
 in the Bleffed Trinity did, was this ; 
 by affuming our Nature, and by a^^r- 
 fonal Union with it, he ennobled and 
 exalted it fo far, as to make it a me- 
 ritorious Sacrifice. The Godhead 
 then did XioX.fattsfy^ It only empow- 
 ered and enabled the Human Na- 
 ture to fatisfy the Divine^ by {lamp- 
 ing a Value upon it. And pray 
 where is the Abfurdity of this Pro- 
 cedure ? If you fay, that the Satif- 
 faBion in the laft Refort terminates 
 in God \ I anfwer, fo all our Suffi- 
 ciency and Power does too. He is 
 the Party pleajing^ and the Party 
 pleafed ; fince He gave and upholds 
 every Power and Faculty that we 
 have. It is not fufficient to reply, 
 that we co-operate with God : be- 
 caufe, the Hmnan Nature did ad in 
 Concert with the Divine in the Cafe 
 
 now 
 
n^e Firfl Letter. 
 
 now under Confideration. In fhort, 
 God as well enables every One to 
 pleaje him, as he enabled Chrift's 
 Hu?nan Nature X.o fatisfy Him, 
 
 Secondly^ Let it be fuppofed that 
 the Divine Nature^ as perfonalized 
 in Chrift, fatisiied the Divine Na- 
 ture as perfonalized in the Father. 
 You teil me, '' That my Cafe of 
 two Kings jointly- reigning, One 
 of which foregoing his Right 
 makes Satisfaction to the Other for 
 an Offence committed againft 
 Both, doth not come up to the 
 Point : becaufe They are two fe- 
 par ate Beings " (f t that is your 
 Meaning) " though their Authority 
 " be xh^fame'^ 
 
 Now, Sir, when we confider the 
 
 Divine Nature I know of no Cafe^ 
 
 that can be exadly parallel to what 
 
 A 3 con- 
 
I'he Firft Letter. 
 
 concerns it. Whatever Cafe you can 
 imagine, it will have no Property of 
 an exadl Parallel, except it be this ; 
 that the two Cafes, like Parallel 
 Lines, will never meet. 
 
 But then, either Arguments from 
 Human to Divine are inconclujive^ 
 or they are not. If they are incon-- 
 clujive^ then you cannot infer a Con- 
 tradiction in one Nature from what 
 is a Contradidion in another^ and 
 quite different Nature. No more 
 than a Blind Man ought to conclude, 
 that what is a Contradidion as to 
 'Touchy muft be a Contradidion as to 
 Sight. You muft not infer that, 
 lince it is an Abfurdity for a Man 
 to fatisfy Himfelf^ therefore it is an 
 Abfurdity for the Godhead^ branch- 
 ed out into Three Perfons, to fatisfy 
 Itfelf: This being to argue a party 
 
 where 
 
I'he Firft Letter. 
 
 where there is an infinite Difparity : 
 It is the Fallacy called Tranfitio a 
 Genere ad Genus. 
 
 But if you will contend, that Ar- 
 guments ab Hiunanis ad Divina are 
 conclujive^ notwithftanding there 
 mufi: be a boundlefs Difproportion in 
 all Debates concerning the Subjlance 
 and Perjonaltty of the Divine Na- 
 ture infinitely furpafiing Human 
 Comprehenfion ; then I hope my 
 Parallel may be intitled to the fame 
 Degree of Favour, to which others 
 are, though not exa&Iy correfpond- 
 ing. 
 
 Your Exception againft the Paral- 
 lel does not ferve your Purpofe. For 
 though the Subjlance of the two 
 Kings is different^ that of the Tri- 
 nity one and the fame \ yet I chal- 
 lenge you to prove, that the AEiions 
 A 4 of 
 
8 The Firjl Letter. 
 
 of the Three Perfons in the Bleffed 
 Trinity may not be as truly diflinEi^ 
 as the ASiions of One King are from 
 thofe of the Other. 
 
 If then the Three Perfons of the 
 Bleffed Trinity are invefted with a 
 Power of aElijig diJiinSily ; if re- 
 ced'mg from perfojml Right to Pu- 
 nifhment and snaking Satisfaction, 
 are diftind: Adions from infijiing 
 upon Right and receivhig Satisfac- 
 tion ; then the Son might have as tru- 
 ly a Power to forego his Right, and 
 to fatisfyy and the Father to accept 
 of the Compenfation, as in the Cafe 
 «f the two Kings jointly-reigning. 
 
 Either you muft fay, that the 
 three Perfons are not empowered to 
 a6l difUnBljy or you will never be 
 able to prove from the Unity of the 
 Divine Subftance, that the One Per- 
 
 fon 
 
Ithe Firfl Letter. 
 
 fon might not make^ and the other 
 receive^ Satisfadion ; which are dif- 
 tinEi AEiions. To ufe your own 
 Words with a Httle Variation ; the 
 Party offended^ namely One of the 
 T*wo Perfons, forgives, out of pure 
 Mercy^ His Share of the Offence, 
 and fatisfies only for that Share of it 
 which belongs to the Others who is 
 Ukewife a diftinEi Per fon, offended* 
 To view the Matter in a true Light 
 therefore, you muft ftrike off One 
 of the Perfons from any Share of 
 Right to the PuniJJjment^ viz. 'That 
 Perfon whom you fuppofe to have 
 forgiven, &^c. Thus though xh^fame 
 Nature to which the Offence is 
 given^ as exifting in the Son, is fup- 
 pofed to make Satisfadion to the 
 fa7ne Nature^ as exifting in the Fa- 
 ther ; yet the Perfon fatisfying, and 
 
 the 
 3 
 
T o I'he Firft Letter. 
 
 the Perfo7ifatisjied^ are flill kept dif. 
 
 What feems to have led you in- 
 to your Miftake is this; that you 
 fuppofe, whatever Dijiin&ion there 
 is in the Divine Nature, yet it is a 
 DiJiinEIio?z which enters not into 
 the Ejfence of that Nature. But 
 this, I doubt, is not found Divinity ; 
 for the Ejfence is diJiinSi^ or dijiin- 
 guijloed^ though not divided^ by the 
 perfonal Properties. Each Perfon is 
 an intelhgent ading Subftance in- 
 vefted with the dijiin&ive Chara- 
 cters of /, 7*13011^ He ; and with per- 
 fonal Properties and Relations, not 
 diftinguifliable into more intellio;ent 
 Agents. This Perfon is diftind: Sub? 
 fiance, that Perfon diftind Subftance, 
 but yet not Siibflances but one Sub- 
 Jiance : becaufe Subjlance and Sub- 
 4 Jiance 
 
I'he Firfl Letter. ii 
 
 fiance in Unwi does not make Sub- 
 fiances : Otherwife, upon a Suppof i- 
 tion that every Being which exifts is 
 extended^ there would be no fuch 
 Thing as a Being ftridlly 07ie in the 
 whole Univerfe: Becaufe every Be- 
 ing which is extended confifts of 
 Subfiance and Subfiance. The 
 Subftance of God is in Heaven^ 
 on the Earthy pervades the Sun^ 
 Moo7^ &'C' becaufe it aBs in all 
 thofe Places. Nothing can aB where 
 it is nQt\ neither can there be any 
 Power where there is no Subfiance : 
 for that would be a powerful No- 
 thing. Now the Divine Subftance 
 pervading the Sun.^ Moon and Earth, 
 is but one Subftance ; juft as the 
 three Perfons conftitute one Divine 
 Nature ; and yet the Subfiance which 
 pervades the Sun muft be diftinEl^ 
 
 though 
 
12 "The Firft Letter, 
 
 though not divided^ from that which 
 pervades the Earth ; and that which 
 pervades the Moon diftii^dl from 
 Both ; fo diftind, that the One is 
 not the Other \ fo diflinB as it may 
 be faid, Subftance here^ and Subftance 
 there. 
 
 You fee then, that the Unity of 
 the Divine Subftance does not necef- 
 farily exclude all Dijlintlion. And, 
 even upon a Suppofition of Non- 
 Ex tenjion^ if you allow the Deity to 
 B E where He ads ; the fame Me- 
 thod of Rcafoning will take Place, 
 and the fame Confequence will fol- 
 low. 
 
 To make the Deitv one Per/on^ 
 the Divine Subftance mufl: be lup- 
 pofed to be undiftinguifTied into 
 more intelligent Agents than one^ 
 having the diftindive Charaders, <^c. 
 
 and 
 
^he Firfl Letter. 13 
 
 and that it is thus undiftinguifhed 
 can never be proved : But to make 
 the Deity oneSiibJlaitce it is fufficient, 
 that though there be this Subftance 
 and that Subftance, yet there is no 
 Difunion of this from that ; becaufe 
 we never call any Thing Subjlances^ 
 e)ccept where the Parts are disjointed 
 ox feparable. Each Perfon then is 
 Effence or Subftance diftinguiflied 
 with appropriate Charaders ; and 
 7nore Perfons are more Suhjlances^ 
 where the Subftance is divided^ and 
 not otherwife. 
 
 Now to apply this: Try the 
 whole Force of your Metaphyjicksy 
 you will never, by any neceftary 
 Connexion of Ideas, make out ; that 
 this Subftance invefted with diftin£t 
 Properties, Relations, &c. may not 
 (waving his Right to Puniftiment) 
 
 make 
 
14 7^^ Firft Letter. 
 
 make Satisfadion to that Subftance 
 however-clofely united. 
 
 If we fliould fuppofe one pure im- 
 material created Subftance with fmo 
 diftind: Confcmif7uJfeSy which, ac- 
 cording to Mr. Locke, would make 
 two Perfo?tSy and whatever elfe is 
 neceflary (if any thing elfe be necef- 
 fary) to make two Subfiftences ; I 
 do not fee that it would, in that 
 Cafe, be any Contradidion for the 
 One to make Compenfation to the 
 Other for an Offence againft Both. 
 
 I am fenfiible that I have gone 
 beyond my Line, as well as you. But 
 I think I have a very good Apology 
 to make. If I fhould fee a Perfon, 
 for whom I had as great a Regard 
 as one Man can have for another, 
 wading beyond his Depth, and in 
 imminent Danger of finking and 
 
 being 
 
T/6^ Firjl Letter. j ^ 
 
 being loft ; I am excufeable if I ven- 
 ture after him with a Dcfign to ref- 
 cue him and bring him fafe to Land ; 
 though my Attempt fliould be at- 
 tende with fome Danger to niy~ 
 felf. 
 
 After all, I think the Dodrine of 
 the SatisfaBioHy in the main, eafy 
 enough ; except it be to Thofe who 
 dejire to know more than they ca7t ; 
 or pretend to know more than they 
 do : viz. as I faid before, that the Ja^ 
 cond Perfon in the Trinity as truly 
 
 fatisfied xh^jirjl Perfon (though af- 
 ter a quite differ etit Manner) as the 
 Son of a King reigning jointly with 
 his Father, may fatisfy his Father 
 for Difloyalty to Both. It is eafy e- 
 nough, I fay, if we will reft in Ge- 
 nerals. But if we will come to Par- 
 ticulars, if we muft anter into the 
 
 Mi' 
 
i6 "The Firft Letter. 
 
 Minutice of it ; as, how there can be 
 a triph DiJlinBion of Subftance in 
 the Deity, and yet not three Sub- 
 fiances, but one? and, how this di- 
 ftind perfonalized Subftance made 
 an expiatory Sacrifice to that Sub- 
 ftance ? What Wonder is it, if here 
 we are as much loft in endlefs Ma- 
 zes, as we are whenever the Divine 
 EJfence is the Subject of our Enqui- 
 ries. In Matters of fo high a Sphere, 
 fufiicient to turn the Edge of the 
 acuteft Wit, and to baffle the Force 
 of the ftrongeft Underftanding, all 
 our Knowledge is but acquired Igno- 
 ranee. We learn to know, that we 
 know little or nothing about the 
 Matter. The 
 
 Faciunt nee intelligendo^ ut nihil in- 
 telligant ; 
 
 is 
 
^he Firjl Letter. 17 
 
 is never more applicable than here ; 
 when we are making Excurfions as 
 it were into Terra Incognita. 
 
 But perhaps we have raifed a Duft, 
 and then complain we cannot fee. 
 The Queftion may be wrong ftated : 
 Let us try it thus. Vengeance does 
 not belong to God as the Party of- 
 fended'^ becaufe Punifhment does 
 not belong to any Party as the Par- 
 ty offended. For if it did, then every 
 Perfon as offended would have a 
 Right to punifli ; and no Perfon that 
 was not offended has any Right to 
 punifli. But the Right of avenging is 
 vefted in God as the fupreme Law^ 
 giver ; and particularly in the Father, 
 as he is the Fountain-head of the 
 Deity, and fupreme in Office. The 
 Deity then is not to be confidered, 
 in this Cafe, as the Party offended^ and 
 
 B ^t 
 
1 8 ^he Firft Letter. 
 
 at the fame Time the Party appeafmg 
 and fatisfying itfelf, in a JiriB-^ lite- 
 ral Senfe : But the Jirjl Perfon of 
 the Deity is to be confidered as ap- 
 pointings and the fecond Perfon as 
 executing^ 2i fatisfaBory Scheme of 
 making his Hatred of Sin confiftent 
 with the Forgivenefs of the Sinner ; 
 and confulting the Summa Rerum^ 
 at the fame Time that he fhewed his 
 particular Regard to this Speck of the 
 Creation. 
 
 We know not how far our State 
 might affed the State of other ratio- 
 nal Beings in other Parts of the Cre- 
 ation, how far it might countenance 
 a Rebellion, and give Intelledual 
 Beings of a higher Rank difadvan- 
 tageous Notions of their fovereign 
 Legijlator^ if a Set of infignificant 
 Creatures fhould, after oft- repeated 
 
 Breaches 
 
"The Firfl Letter. 19 
 
 Breaches of his Laws, be admitted to 
 a State of eternal H appinefs without 
 any Punifhment, perfo?tal or vica- 
 rious. A Law without a Sandion is no 
 binding Law ; that is, it is no Law at 
 all. Sanations without One to put 
 them in Execution are no Sandions. 
 If then God has made Laws, has 
 enforced them with Sanations, he 
 muft put thofe Sandlions in Force; 
 at leaft, they muft not be fuch piti- 
 ful and {lender Fences, that any-one 
 may over leap them as often as he 
 pleafes, and yet efcape, upon his Re- 
 pentance, with Impunity. 
 
 We view the Deity then in a 
 wrong Point of Light, when we re- 
 fledt upon Him as the Party fatisfy- 
 ing himfelf. We perhaps fhould ra- 
 ther regard him as the great Legif- 
 lator of the whole, himfelf laying 
 B 2 and 
 
ao The Firjl Letter. 
 
 and executing a flupendous Plan to 
 fecure the Honour of his Laws, and 
 the Authority of his Government : 
 a Plan fo extraordinary and amaz- 
 ing, that no Set oi Spiritual Beings 
 fhould, upon any Temptation to a 
 Revolt, have any Reafon to expert 
 the like Favour ; and fo fufficient 
 as to leave no Room for Cavil ; at 
 leaft to thofe enlightened Beings, who 
 fee farther than the mere Shell and 
 Surface of it. 
 
 If, becaufe we do not fee the 
 whole Compages of Divine Provi- 
 dence, but only fome Parts of it de- 
 tached from the reft, we are unable 
 to judge of the ordinary Steps of the 
 Divine Condud:, we muft be far 
 more incompetent Judges of the ex- 
 traordinary Meafures which he takes. 
 But I need not dwell upon this. 
 
 You 
 
I'he Firft Letter. 
 
 You will readily own, that we no 
 more are able to know what God 
 fliould do with Regard to the whole 
 Creation, than we are able to hiow 
 the whole Creation. I fhall only 
 obferve farther, that fome Men have 
 dealt with Providence^ as others do 
 with the Scriptures ; who pick out 
 fome loofe, disjointed Sentences, 
 which, by themf elves and indepen- 
 dently of the reft, look unpromifing 
 and unaccountable ; but yet are very 
 proper and beautiful when we con- 
 fider the whole Thread, Contexture 
 and Dependence of one Thing upon 
 another. But this is foreign to the 
 Queftion. 
 
 I proceed to your next Objedionj 
 viz. '' that if the Godhead did not 
 " fuffer, then Chrift is dead in vain/' 
 I have not put down your Dilem- 
 
 
%z ^e Firji L E T T E R. 
 
 ma ; becaufe I have already granted 
 the firft Part of it. And as to the 
 fecond Part of it, I dare not deter- 
 mine, till I have had more Leifure to 
 examine, whether our Saviour's Sa- 
 crifice w^as infinitely meritorious. It 
 is enough at prefent to fay, that it 
 was fo far meritorious, as to anfwer 
 the Ends of God's All-wife Govern- 
 ment ; and to fulfil the Terms which 
 the Almighty's manifold Wifdom, 
 
 unalterable Juftice, and eflentialHo- 
 linefs required. That our Saviour 
 could not tntxiX-fo far^ by an inimi- 
 table Original of difinterefted Love 
 and unconceivable Goodnefs, in af- 
 fuming human Nature; in letting 
 that Nature, thus endeared to him 
 by a moft intimate Conjundion, be 
 expofed to Variety of Infults and 
 Outrages ; in dignifying that Nature 
 
T'he Firft Letter. 23 
 
 by a ftrid and vital Union ; in ad- 
 vancing it to a finlefs Perfedlion, 
 and then offering it up without Spot 
 or Blemifh ; That he could not me- 
 rit /^//j-y^r, I fay, it is incumbent 
 upon you to deduce a priori from 
 intrinjick Evidence. We imagine, 
 that fince God muft make a Dijiin- 
 Bio7t^ where there is a Difference ; 
 fince there is a Difference between 
 the Angels that finned not, and 
 Men who all have finned, ^iud fallen 
 Jljort of the Glory of God \ We 
 could not have been entitled to the 
 Happinefs of the Angels, or made 
 LJufysXci (equal to the Angels that 
 kept their firft Station) unlefs the 
 Merits of our Saviour had been placed 
 to our Account. 
 
 Be that as it will, this is certain ; 
 
 that Repentance in itfelf, intrinfi- 
 
 B 4 cally 
 
24 "^he Firfl Let t e r. 
 
 cally confidered, cannot be fo accep- 
 table to God as unjlnning Obedience ; 
 and therefore there mujl be fome- 
 thing extrinjick to make it fo. 
 Here then you fee the NeceJJity of a 
 Satisfaction, which in one Place, I 
 thinkj you queftion. 
 
 But you can no more demonftrate, 
 that the Fulnefs of the Godhead^ which 
 
 dwelt in our Saviour bodily (the Hu- 
 man Nature being affumed into a 
 ftrid: Perfonality with the Divine) 
 could not dignify and exalt his Hu- 
 man Nature, as to finlefs Perfedion, 
 fo to fuch an uncommon Degree of 
 Merit, as to make it fufficient to 
 atone for Us ; this, I fay, you can 
 no more demonftrate, than you can 
 demonftrate the utmoft Extent of the 
 Divine Power, which was vefted in 
 God^ ma?iifejled in the Flejh j or fhew 
 
 the 
 
'T'he Firfl Letter. 25 
 
 the Manner of the Perfonal Union. 
 It is allowed by you, and it is 
 very eafy to make it out, that no 
 created Being can merit : lince if 
 fuch a Being undertook this Province 
 without appointment, it muft have 
 been the Height of Prefumption, to 
 have imagined that any Thing He 
 could have done, (which muft, as 
 you well exprefs it, /jave been dif- 
 froportionate to the Favours receiv- 
 ed,) could have been an Equivalent 
 for the Sins of a whole World ; if 
 fuch a Being was appointed, it would 
 have been made His flrid: and indif- 
 penfable Duty. Every Creature 
 fhines with borrowed Light, with 
 Merit not his own ; that is, with 
 no Merit at all. Creatures have 
 nothing independent of their Cre- 
 ator. 
 
 3 But 
 
26 "The Firft Le t T e r. 
 
 But this was not the Cafe as to 
 our Saviour. He being not a mere 
 Creature could, out of his own pe- 
 culiar Ftmdy difcharge our Debt. 
 He had an independent Power over 
 his Hmnan Nature. He had Power 
 to lay it downy and Power to take it 
 up. You fee then the Procefs. Some 
 Merit was required to render our 
 Repentance, what it could not be in 
 itfelf , as acceptable to God as unjin- 
 ntng Obedience. — No mere Crea- 
 ture could merit, as having nothing 
 
 of its own The Word made 
 
 Flejh might merit — - 
 
 The Dodrine of the Satisfa&ion 
 and Merits of our Saviour is clogged 
 indeed with Difficulties ; but it does 
 
 not imply a ContradiSiion fince 
 
 it can never be difproved, but that 
 there is as much Confiftence between 
 
 the 
 
7he Firfl Letter. 27 
 
 the Unity of the Subjiance^ and a 
 threefold DiJlinEiion of Perfons ; as 
 there is (upon the Suppofition oi Ex- 
 tenfion of the Godhead j between 
 the Unity of Subjlai^ce^ and yet a 
 Subftance here^ as in the Earth ; and 
 a Subftance there^ as in the Sun. — • 
 There is therefore as real and fub- 
 ftantial a DiJiinBion of the three 
 Perfons in the Divinity^ as there is 
 of three Perfons among Men^ though 
 
 after a quite different Manner 
 
 And therefore one Perfon in the Dei- 
 ty might as truly atone to another^ 
 though after a quite different Man- 
 ner, as one Man may fatisfy another 
 for a third I'he General No- 
 tion then of this Dodlrine is eafy 
 and plain; but the Particularities 
 and Minutice of it are, perhaps, as 
 perplexing, as thofe of the Modus of 
 
 the 
 
28 I'he Firfl Letter.' 
 
 the Divine OmniprefencBy Eternity^ 
 Prefciencey &^c, Juft as a blind Man 
 may have a general confufed Idea of 
 Colour; namely, that it is a Senfa- 
 tion occafioned by fome fubtle Mat- 
 ter, which, ading on the Eye, com- 
 municates it's Motion to the Op- 
 tick Nerves: and from thence is 
 propagated to the Brain ; where it 
 caufes different Impreffions. And 
 he may believe there is fuch a Senfa- 
 tion upon 'Tejlimony : But he cannot 
 frame any diJlinEl particular Idea 
 about it that is not big with Abfur- 
 dities. 
 
 I have over-looked fome Things 
 in your fecond Objedion ; and no- 
 thing, but a Regard for whatever 
 comes from yoii^ could induce me to 
 coniider your third, which is as fol- 
 lows : " That if God the Son offer- 
 
 " fered 
 
l^he Firjl Letter. 29 
 
 " fered to make the Atonement, and 
 " the Sacrifice of himfelf was a Sa- 
 " tisfadion commenfurate to the De- 
 " merit committed, then it was not 
 " Mercy but yuflice in God to ac- 
 " cept of this adequate Satisfadion." 
 If both your Premifes were true 
 (which is not the Cafe) yet your In- 
 ference is wrong. Becaufe God 
 needed not to have accepted any Sa- 
 tisfaction, adequate or inadequate, 
 except upon a Suppojltion oi His own 
 appointment. For the Guilt being 
 ours^ he might have infifted, that 
 the Punijhment fhould be ours 
 too. But how do you reconcile your 
 firft Propofition with this Text ? 
 God fo loved the World, that he gave 
 his only begotten Son^ &^c» God's 
 Mercy (the Riches of his Mercy) 
 was then fufficiently fhewn in ap- 
 pointing 
 
30 I'he Firfl Letter. 
 
 pointing the SatisfaBion ; His Wif- 
 dom in contrivmg it, and His yuf- 
 tice in not accepting Mankind with- 
 out it. Thus all his Attributes adt 
 in Concert. 
 
 Your lafl: Objedion runs thus-^ 
 " That \{ Eternal Mijery be the ap- 
 " pointed Punijhment of Faults, 
 " committed under the Influence of 
 " an imperfed Nature ; you do not 
 " fee but Eternal Happinefs may, 
 " as jujllyy be the appointed Reward 
 *' of a general Tenour of Compli- 
 " ance with Duty, in Oppofition to 
 '' the Tendency of an imperfedt Na- 
 *' ture biafling to the other Side." 
 
 Now in Anfwer to this ; not to 
 tire you and myfelf with the Doc- 
 trine of Merit and Demerit-^ as, 
 that our beft Adions are but what 
 we ought to do, and confequently 
 I have 
 
Ihe Firfl Letter. 
 
 have no Merit ; but our bad Ac- 
 tions, being what we ought ?wt to 
 do, deferve Vengeance ; that, though 
 we ought to be punijhed for not pay- 
 ing our Dues^ it does not follow, 
 that we have a Claim to a Reward 
 for payiftg them ; not to mention, 
 that the Grace of God has a great 
 Share in enabling us to live well : 
 To pafs all this over, I beg Leave to 
 obferve, that you have miftaken the 
 Point. I do not know that the Scrip- 
 ture afferts, or that any one affirms, 
 that Eternal Punifhment ( I lay the 
 Strefs upon Eternal) is the Punifli- 
 ment merely for our Faults^ but for 
 our hnpenitency under them. You 
 will not fay, that htcdiuk Impenitency 
 incurs Eternal Damnation^ therefore 
 our Repe?2ta?ice^ in all Cafes, entitles 
 us to Eter?jal Salvation: yet this 
 
 you 
 
3 2 "The Firft Letter. 
 
 you fhould make out, in order to 
 prove a Satisfa&ion needlefs. This 
 would be to affert, that becaufe an 
 obftinate, wtrelenting Rebel deferves 
 Capital Punifhment, therefore his 
 repenting Affociate, who has deferv- 
 ed all he has from the Bounty of his 
 Prince, (but yet has been feduced 
 through Weaknefs) fhould, after re- 
 peated Breaches of his Allegiance, be 
 advanced to fome diftinguifhed Pofl: 
 of Honour. Farther ; I know not 
 what you mean by the general Te- 
 nour of Compliance with our Duty^ 
 if you take all our 'Thoughts into the 
 Account, and all our Sins of Omif- 
 lion. 
 
 I believe there are few or none, 
 but who would rather die, than have 
 their PoJ{fce?tia Vitce (what is done 
 behind the Scenes within their own 
 
 Breafts 
 
The Firjl Letter. 33 
 
 Breafts,) their vain wicked Thoughts, 
 laid open and expofed to the View 
 of the whole World. I do not know 
 fo worthy a Gentleman as yourfelf, 
 of your Age; fo very virtuous as well 
 as ingenious ; (I fpeak without Flat- 
 tery) and yet, turn your Thoughts in- 
 wards, and tell me, whether you are 
 confcious to yourfelf of fuch an ex- 
 alted Worth, as might qualify you to 
 dwell with God, and converfe with 
 Angels ; though I have fome in my 
 Eye, who feem not intirely unqua- 
 lified to be the worthy Affociates of 
 evil Spirits. 
 
 I have declined entering into the 
 Merits of this Caufe, becaufe the 
 Subjed: of Repe?2tance has, I think, 
 been exhaufted of late ; and I have 
 nothing to fay, but what you muft. 
 have feen fet forth in a more for** 
 C cible, 
 
34 'I'he Firfl Letter. 
 
 cible, and at the fame Time in a 
 more agreeable Manner, than I can 
 pretend to. 
 
 Your Preface, with which you 
 uflber in your Objedions, feems to 
 contain fome latent Poifon, though 
 conveyed in an artful and agreeable 
 Vehicle. I beg your Pardon if I mif- 
 take you : but by the Conclulion 
 of it one would think, you were go- 
 ing to fet afide what you do dearly 
 underftand, viz. the Arguments from 
 Miracles^ Do&rines^ Prophecies^ (the 
 main Contexture and Defign of Chri- 
 ftianity) on the Account of fomc- 
 thing which you cannot fully under- 
 fland, viz. the Do&rine of the Sa- 
 tisfaBion. " It is impoffible," you 
 fay, " that Chriilianity fhould be 
 " true, if what relates to this 1 oint 
 " in the Scriptures^' (-^j-S. thefe 
 
 are 
 
I'he Firjl Letter. ^^ 
 
 are your WordsJ " appears to be ab- 
 " furd." 
 
 To this I anfwer ; that it is 7no- 
 rally impojfthh we fhould err in 
 judging Chriftianity to be true, fince 
 the Proofs are fo numerous, ftrong 
 and decifive ; and lye level to our 
 Apprehenfions and Capacities : but 
 we may very probably be mif- 
 taken in fancying That to be abfurd, 
 which relates to the EJfence and Na- 
 ture of the Deity ; a Myftery which 
 even the Angels dejire to look into ; 
 and where there is an infinite Dif- 
 proportion between the Objed and 
 the Faculty. If there be any Crite-- 
 rion of Truth, if we are not necefla- 
 rily liable to be deceived in judging 
 of Matters confeJedly within the 
 Sphere of our Reafon, we may fafe- 
 ly conclude, that what has all the 
 C 2 diftin- 
 
36 The Firfl Letter. 
 
 diftindlive Characters of Truth (all 
 that aay ancient Records and Mat- 
 ters of Fad: can have) cannot be a 
 Forgery or an Impofture. But we 
 can never be fure but that, in Matters 
 of fo high and elevated a Nature, 
 what appears to us to be contradic- 
 tory to Reafon, may not be a Con- 
 tradiction in it/elf^ but only the Ef- 
 fecSt of human Ignorance. One Proof 
 from a Matter of Fa6l weighs more 
 with me to confirm a myfterious 
 Do6l:rine, than all the ideal and me- 
 taphyfical Arguments (though dig- 
 nified with the pompous Name of 
 Demonftration) do to difprove it: 
 Becaufe I take myfelf to be a com- 
 petent Judge of the Truth of FaEl. 
 
 But there are, no Doubt, feveral 
 intermediate Ideas, and more en- 
 larged Views (necefilirily wanting to 
 
 me) 
 
^he Firfl Letter. 37 
 
 me) which yet ought to be taken 
 into the Account to reconcile feem- 
 ing Repugnances, and to make our 
 Reafoning exaEi concerning myfte- 
 rious Dodrines. This I take to be 
 the Reafon why the Divine Pre- 
 fcience and our Free-will are irrecon- 
 cileable ; I fhould fay, appear to us 
 to be irreconcileable ; for, no Doubt, 
 they are perfedly confident in them- 
 felves. 
 
 I beg your Pardon for trefpafting 
 upon your Patience with a long, te- 
 dious Letter ; where you muft ex- 
 ped: many Repetitions and great 
 Confufion of Thought. In a Situ- 
 ation where a Perfon meets with 
 many Interruptions and Avoca- 
 tions, it is impoffible he fhould pur- 
 fue one continued Chain of Reafon- 
 ing. I need not make any Apo- 
 C 3 logy 
 
58 Ihe Firft Letter. 
 
 logy for my S yle. For, though this 
 . Letter, if it were to appear abroad, 
 ought to have been dre'Ted out to Ad- 
 vantage, yet it nnay be permitted to 
 vi^ait upon a Friend in an Uncrefs 
 and Dejljabille of Thought. If I 
 have faid any Thing that may con- 
 tribute to fatisfy you, I (hall be glad 
 of it. But if not, I had rather you 
 fhould call in Qiieftion my Abilities 
 to ferve,you, than my hearty and 
 fincere Inclination to (hew you how 
 much I am, at all Times, 
 
 Your intirely-affeSiionate Friend-^ 
 
 From the School 
 ac Richmond. 
 
 JER. SEED. 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 In the Body of my Letter I have 
 faidj *' that the Right of punifhing 
 
 ^* was 
 
C( 
 
 iToe Firft Letter. 39 
 
 *' was vefted in God as the fovereign 
 " Lawgiver of the whole, who 
 could not conliftently with the 
 " common Good of the whole, for 
 " ought we can prove, have remit- 
 *' ted the Punijhment without a Sa- 
 " tisfaSiionr This you will fcarce 
 be able to difprove. Why might 
 not then our Saviour fatisfy to God 
 the Father, confidered in this Capa* 
 cityf You will anfwer ; that if God 
 was the fupreme Lawgiver^ and 
 our Saviour God, then the fupreme 
 Lawgiver faiisjied to the fupreme 
 Lawgiver, But what if our Saviour 
 might be truly God, [i, e. ennobled 
 with all the EJfential Perfections of 
 the Godhead) at the fame Time 
 that he divefted himfelf of the Ca- 
 pacity of a Lawgiver j I mean, dur- 
 ing the Time that he was tranfading 
 C 4 the 
 
40 T'he Firji Letter, 
 
 the gracious Scheme of our Redemp- 
 tion ? For to be the fovereign Law- 
 giver is no ejjential Perftdion of 
 
 the Deity If it were^ He could 
 
 never have been without it. He 
 muft have been Lawgiver ab (Bter- 
 no : that is, he muft have been Law- 
 giver w^hen there were no Beings to 
 give Laws to. It is plain then, that 
 to be fovereign Lawgiver is no ef- 
 fential Perfedlion of the Deity, but 
 only a relative Property. 
 
 This feems to overturn your main 
 Argument, that the Divine Nature 
 fatisfied itfelf. For if God did not 
 require Satisfaction, as vejled with 
 the Divine Nature^ or, as God^ 
 but as the fupreme Lawgiver ; then 
 your Argument, to have been valid, 
 ought to have run thus: that the fu- 
 freme Lawgiver fatisfied the fupreme, 
 3 Law- 
 
Hoe Firfl Letter. 41 
 
 Lawgiver : which, I have fhewn, 
 was not the Cafe. 
 
 To be Lawgiver^ then, is no Per- 
 fedlion ajfential to the Nature of the 
 
 Deity Confequently our Saviour, 
 
 ftill retaining the effential Properties 
 of the Godhead, might put off the 
 Characfler of Lawgiver — — confe- 
 quently needed no Satisfadtion him- 
 felf and fo might fatisfy the Fa- 
 ther, in whom that Charader was 
 lodged. The reft your own Thoughts 
 will fupply. 
 
 The 
 
42, 
 
 The Second LETTER. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 AFTER having attempted to 
 flievv, that you had proved 
 no abfolute Impojftbility in 
 the Do(5trine of tue Satisfa&iony my 
 Intention was to caution you againft 
 miftaking Difficulties for Impoffibili- 
 tiesy and letting your Thoughts fally 
 out into Matters where you could 
 have no Sure Footing. My Caution 
 was well meant I was afraid the 
 Difputer of this World would get 
 the better of the Chrijlian, If my 
 Fears were ill grounded, pardon my 
 Miftake, and accept of my good De- 
 fign. Though No-body can have 
 an higher Opinion of your diftin- 
 suiflied Abilities and difinterefted 
 
 Love 
 
The Second Letter. 43 
 
 Love of Truth; yet I confidcred, 
 that an Affedation of bei77g wife 
 above what was written in the deep 
 Things of God, and of pufhing our 
 Inquiries beyond our Capacities, had 
 mifled the ablefl: Writers, down from 
 Cartesius and Malebranche 
 to Newton, Clarke, ^<:. into 
 almoft as great Abfurdities, as an 
 impHcIt Acquiefcence in the com- 
 mon received Notions of their Coun- 
 try has betrayed the unthinking 
 Vulgar. There is 2i fpeculative Fool- 
 hardinefs, a metaphylical ^ixotifm 
 in Men of very great but enterprizing 
 Geniufes, which prompts them to 
 grapple with Objeds, to which every 
 judicious By-ftander fees their 
 Strength to be vaftly unequal. 
 
 Notwithflanding all your Art and 
 Fineffe^ your Propofition, which I 
 
 ex- 
 3 
 
44 ^^^ Second Letter. 
 
 excepted to, will not, I doubt, ad- 
 mit of thofe Softenings, with which 
 you would qualify it's Harfhnefs. 
 I muft own it," you fay, " to be 
 my firm Perfuafion, that it is im- 
 poffible Chriftianity fhould be 
 true, if what relates to this Point 
 in the Scripture appears to be ab- 
 furd." Relates to what Point, I 
 befeech you, Sir ? Why ? To a Point 
 to which our Faculties are not fuit* 
 ed, viz. How the Divine Nature 
 could fatisfy itfelf. Your Senfe is 
 confined, by your own Words, to 
 Points too fublime for human Com- 
 prehenfion, and refolves into this 
 Propofition : "■ In Matters wherein 
 " (becaufe they bear no Proportion 
 '' to our Faculties) we cannot di- 
 ^' flindtly perceive a Dodrine to be 
 ■' abfurd, we ought to difcard that 
 
 " Doc- 
 
T'he Second Letter. 45 
 
 «' Dodlrine, if it have but the Ap- 
 
 " fearance of an Abfurdity." By 
 
 what appears to be ahfurd^ muft be 
 
 underftood, either what we evidently 
 
 perceive to be a Falfhood, or what 
 
 we only conceive to be fo. If the 
 
 former ; it is true, that evident Per- 
 
 cepti on neceffanly extorts ourAfTent; 
 
 but this is foreign to your Purpofe 
 
 here» Indeed you explain yourfelf 
 
 in that Senfe, but the Subjed: we 
 
 are upon mufi: exclude that Mean-''' 
 
 ing. For, fince our Ideas of the 
 
 intrinjick Nature of God, the Unity 
 
 and Dijlin&ion of that Nature, are 
 
 very obfcure, fhort, and indiftind; 
 
 fince our Knowledge can rife no 
 
 higher than our Ideas ; we never can 
 
 have any certain^ clear^ and diJlinSi 
 
 Knowledge, where all our Ideas are 
 
 obfcure and indijiijitf. 
 
 The 
 
46 ^he Second Letter. 
 
 The latter Senfe of your Expref- 
 fion, viz- what appears to be abfurd, 
 you will not contend for : it is plain 
 from numerous Inftances, that we 
 may conceive^ or (if you will give 
 me Leave to ufe an Expreffion fo 
 highly obnoxious to you) fancy 3, 
 thoufand Things to be abfurd which 
 are not fo. We may form precipi- 
 tate Judgments (the main Source of 
 Error) without diftindl Perception. 
 We may go before the Light, inftead 
 of following it. If then you have 
 clear and diftind Ideas of the unfa- 
 thomable Depths of the Divine Na- 
 ture, which produce diftind: Know- 
 ledge in you ; though they muft be 
 your own peculiar Property, yet be 
 fo generous as to impart them to a 
 Friend. But if you have not ; do 
 not complain that I took Adva?2tage 
 
 of 
 
^he Second Letter. a^ 
 
 of the hiaccuracy of your Exprejfton ; 
 but fairly confefs, that your Words 
 either meant nothing at all, or mufi: 
 mean your conceiving a Thing to be 
 abfurd from your very indiftinSi No- 
 tices. 
 
 That you may not think my 
 Scheme of Arguing would overturn 
 all Science at once^ and end in uni- 
 verfal Scepticifm\ I grant, that 
 though two Ideas are in the main 
 obfcure, yet they may bey^ far di- 
 ftindt, as that we may difcern the 
 one not to be the other ; either by 
 immediate Intuition, (as I may know 
 a Pine- apple not to be a Pomegra- 
 nate^ though I have a very faint I- 
 dea of Both) or by the Intervention 
 of one Idea or more which are clear 
 and diftindl. 
 
 Let 
 
48 7he Second Letter. 
 
 Let us examine thefe two Propo- 
 fitions, the one La&antius\ ; the 
 other, in Subftance, your's. The Di- 
 vine Nature created itfelf, Hoe Di- 
 vine Nature^ conftfling of three Per- 
 fons^ could not fatisfy itfelf. As to 
 the former, if it be taken in a flri<St 
 Philofophical Senfe, there is a glaring 
 -^ ContradiEiion in it. " The Divine 
 
 " Nature not exifting could not 
 
 " a6t before it was could not 
 
 therefore create itfelf." Here though 
 the two Ideas, the Divine Nature and 
 Creation^ are very obfcfure and indi- 
 ftindt ; yet we perceive a manifeft 
 Repugnancy in the Afiertion of Lac- 
 tantius^ by the Intermediation of a 
 third Proportion, which refolves it- 
 felf into an Identical one — > ^' No- 
 
 '' thing can ad before it is No- 
 
 " thing can have no Properties, 
 
 " other- 
 
The Second Letter. 49 
 
 " othervvife it muft bg fomething — 
 '' /. e. Nothing is Nothing." Thus, 
 
 though our Ideas of the Deity 
 
 Eternity of the Deity Omni- 
 
 prefence, &^c. be very confufed, yet 
 we prove the Exijlence of the Deity, 
 and the Exijlence of thefe his Attri- 
 butes by the Help of intermediate I- 
 deas that are diftindl, and lye level 
 to our Capacities : Nay, wo. find 
 them neceffarily connedled with A- 
 xioms that cannot be controverted. 
 
 Here then all appears in broad 
 Day-light. But if we turn to your 
 Propofition : '^ No Light, but rather 
 " Darknefs vifible." Take it thus : 
 
 ^hree intelligent Agents T*heir 
 
 Nature one and the Jafjie '- One 
 cannot fatisfy the other Here, 
 your middle Term, viz, the Divi^te 
 Nature is one and the fame^ which 
 D fhould 
 
50 "^he Second Letter. 
 
 fliould give Light to the two Ex- 
 tremes, and make them amicably 
 correfpond, calls for the friendly 
 Efforts of fome metaphylical Heroe, 
 to refpue it from that impenetrable 
 Obfcurity in which it is at prefent 
 involved. And if that Term which 
 fliould be the Litght in your Argu- 
 ment, is Darknejsy how great miijl 
 that Darknefs be f You fhould prove, 
 that the Unity of the Divine Nature 
 mud be either too clofe to admit of 
 dijitnB Adions, fuch as giving and 
 receiving Satisfadlion ; or elfe too 
 loofe to make three Perfons 07te God. 
 You fliould demonflrate; that, ei- 
 ther the DiJiinSiion of the Divine 
 Nature cannot be wide enough to an- 
 fwer the diJlinB Offices before men- 
 tioned ; or that it will not be JlriSi 
 enough to make the three intelligent 
 I y^ge?7ts 
 
l^he Second Letter. 51 
 
 Agents one Deity: And then it 
 would follow ; that, becaufe the Di- 
 vine Nature \% one and th^fame^ one 
 intelligent Agent cannot fatisfy the 
 other. The Manner of the Divine 
 Unity is as incomprehenfible as His 
 Rffence ; and the Ideas we endeavour 
 to frame of it are too lame, inade- 
 quate and confufed to beget any cer^ 
 tain and full Knowledge ; which 
 muft always keep pace with our 
 Ideas. 
 
 In your fecond Page, having an 
 inexhauftible Magazine of Thoughts, 
 and Plenty of Ammunition, you are 
 difcharging your Artillery into the 
 Air, without levelling diredtly at me, 
 or defending yourfelf Pleafe to re- 
 member, that your Senfe is af- 
 certained by the Subjed: you are 
 upon. 
 
 D 2 To 
 
5 2, ^he Second Letter. 
 
 To appear^ and to he reafonable, 
 are the fame Thing to Us, where we 
 evidently perceive a Iruth. But 
 where we only conceive a Thing to 
 be true, we may fufpend our Judg- 
 ment. 
 
 After having explained your 
 Words in a Senfe which they will 
 not bear, you make an Attempt to 
 difprovefome inofFenflveExpreffions 
 at the Clofe of my Letter. I need 
 not repfeat them ; your Anfwer is as 
 follows : 
 
 If^ fay you, a Man of Senfe and 
 Impartiality can bring himfelf to 
 fancy That to he ah fur d^ which in it- 
 felf is not fo^ (viz. what relates to 
 the Nature and Effence of the Deity, 
 where there is an infinite Difpropor- 
 tion between the Objedt and the Fa- 
 culty) he may as well fancy Truths 
 
 where 
 
"The Second Letter. 53 
 
 whre there is none — upon the fame 
 
 infinite Objed 
 
 When I firft confidered this Sen- 
 tence, I was at a Lofs for a confider- 
 able Time to know, why you in- 
 ferted the Words, a Man of Senje and 
 Impartiality, I looked upon them 
 as idle TermSy which had no Bufinefs 
 here ; and was going to difmifs them, 
 as impertinent Intruders. But con- 
 fidering, that my Letter was direct- 
 ed to yoUy I find that you had a 
 Mind to bring me under a Dile?n7nay 
 either of giving you up as a Man of 
 Senfe and Impartiality ; or, own- 
 ing that Men of Senfe and Impartia- 
 lity may fancy Abfurdities and Truth 
 where there are none. What muft 
 I do to extricate myfelf ? Giv^you 
 up as a Man of Senfe and Impar- 
 tiality f No, by no Means ; if my 
 D 3 Cafe 
 
54 
 
 . I'he Second Letter. 
 
 Cafe were defperate : becaufe I have 
 repeated, numerous, decifive Proofs 
 of your Senfe and Impartiality. No 
 other Refource is then left : I muft 
 be fo fanguine as to affirm, that 
 Men of impartial Senfe may vent 
 feveral Crudities. For a Proof of 
 vi^hich I refer you to Moor, Raph- 
 soN, Dodlor Clarke, cum mult is 
 aliis ; the two former maintaining, 
 that GOD was Infinite Space ; the 
 laft, that H E was the Subjlratum of 
 Infinite Space^ or an Infinite Va- 
 cuum. Nay, the DoSior conceived 
 {ox fancied) that he had intuitive 
 Certainty of it. For He fays, it 
 was as plain to him^ as that two and 
 two make four. But you proceed — 
 He 7nay fancy the Proofs of Chrifiia- 
 nity to be firong^ numerous a7td de- 
 cifivey and a little lower, to lye level 
 
 to 
 
I'he Second Letter. 55 
 
 to his Capacity^ when they in Reality 
 are not fo (I fuppofe you mean) to 
 him. He v^^l-^ fancy fo., if he pleafes : 
 But, if he will attend to the Proofs, 
 he may do more than fancy. He 
 may have a Certainty .^ that he muft 
 either dijhelieve every Thing he does 
 not fee ; or, believe Chriflianity to 
 be true : Chriftianity having all the 
 Proofs that a?2y Matter of Fa(£l has, 
 and feveral additional diftinguifhinor 
 Proofs which ?2o other has. 
 
 The Truth of the Cafe is this : 
 Our Profpedl is bounded by a very 
 narrow Horizon ; our Faculties are 
 limited within a very confined Sphere 
 of Adivity. Within That Sphere 
 the Proof of Matters of Fa6t, if any 
 Thing, lies ; and within that Sphere 
 Things in the main are eafy and ob- 
 vious. Beyond it all, except fome 
 D 4 few 
 
56 7he Secondhi E T T E R. 
 
 few negative, undeterminate Ideas, 
 is an immenfe Blank to us ; and be- 
 yond it, if any Thing, the internal 
 Manner of the Divine Exiftence, and 
 the Kind of the Unity and Difiinc- 
 tion in the tremendous Deity, upon 
 which the Do61:rine of the Satisfac- 
 tion depends, is infinitely removed. 
 Here our Ignorance may occajion us 
 to conceive (for Ignorance does not 
 ' leget Perception) imaginary Abfur- 
 dities and appearing Inconfiftencies : 
 either becaufe we have no direEi^ 
 proper^ original Ideas ; Ideas imme- 
 diately derived from the Things 
 themfelves, (which fingle Confide- 
 ration will be an infuperable Bar to 
 all Pretenfions of a Demonjiration 
 againjl this Dodrine) or becaufe our 
 Capacities are not able to take in the 
 whole Extent of this Subjedl. 
 
 De- 
 
^he Secondhi e t t e r. 57 
 
 Demonftration being excluded, 
 you know our Conclufions muft be 
 the Sum total of our Reafoning, 
 And as a Sum can never be exadly 
 ftated, when any Particulars, which 
 fliould be taken into the Account, 
 are dropt ; no more can the Sum 
 total of our Reafoning bejuft, when 
 any intermediate Ideas are wanting. 
 And what other intermediate Ideas 
 fuperior Intelligences may have, 
 which have other Inlets of Know- 
 ledge, we cannot tell. You tell me, 
 you think you perceive an Abfurdity 
 in it : fo did Dodtor Clarke think 
 he had demonflratedy that Infinite 
 Space (or Emptinefs) was a Property 
 of the Deity. The Maitner of the 
 Divine Subjifience being placed be- 
 yond the Boundaries of clear and 
 difiinB Perception- and the Doc- 
 trine 
 
58 The Second Letter. 
 
 trine of the SatisfaSiion having an 
 immediate Connexion with it, you 
 cannot perceive an Abfurdity in the 
 latter without perceiving the former. 
 If we will not flop, where it becomes 
 us, both you and I may imagine 
 we perceive Abfurdities : and I know 
 no Remedy for it. But,. — is not 
 'THIS to plunge us into Scepticijm f 
 No: becaufe we fee a plain Reafon 
 a priori^ why Creatures, who can 
 hardly guefs a-right at Things before 
 them, fhould not irreverently, from 
 the abJlraB Nature and Reafon of 
 the Thing (of which they know little 
 or nothing) pafs a decifive Judg- 
 ment upon the deep Things of God ; 
 humbly content to fee through a 
 Glafs darkly^ till the Time comes 
 when they can fee Face to Face : and 
 judging, that in fuch Points Human 
 
 Reafon 
 
The Second Letter. to 
 
 Reafon is but human Conje&ure, But 
 we cannot fee a Reafon either a pri- 
 ori^ or a pojieriori^ why we ought 
 not to judge of plain Matter of Fad, 
 and the Proofs of God's Exiftence. 
 
 This is the chief Stand we can 
 make againft Atheifm. The Parti- 
 tions, you know, between Deijm 
 and Atheifm are very thin, and the 
 Tranfition from the one to the other 
 eafy and infenfible. A Perfon, that 
 is an Half- Thinker, may flop at 
 Half-way. But he who will be at 
 any Expence of Thought, muft fee, 
 that for the very fame Reafons, for 
 which he dijbelieves the Three Per- 
 fons in the Godhead, and the Re- 
 de?nption ; he fhould, if confiftent 
 with himfelf, difbelieve the One God 
 and the Creation, There is fuch a 
 mutual Harmony and Correfpond- 
 
 ence 
 
6o I'he Second Letter. 
 
 ence in the Compages of Truths, 
 that, if one Member fuffers^ all the 
 Members fuffer with it; and, if one 
 Member be honoured^ all the Mem- 
 bers rejoice with it. 
 
 Pray, Sir, what do you think of 
 the Divine Omniprefe?7cef If the 
 Deity is unex tended^ He cannot be 
 fuhjlantially prefent here^ there^ every- 
 where ; (except you will fay, that He 
 is in ubi^ biit not in loco ; every- 
 where^ but in no Place) and where 
 there is no Suhjlance^ there can be 
 no Virtue^ or Power of aSiing. Well 
 then ; is He extended? But can you 
 confider a Being of infinite Wifdom, 
 ^c. under the grofs Idea of Lengthy 
 Breadth and Height f At that Rate 
 we might properly fay, a Foot, or 
 Yard of the Deity ; and if ejfential hX- 
 tributes are co-extended with an ex- 
 tended 
 
The Second Letter. 6i 
 
 tended Subjed:, a Foot or Yard of 
 Wifdom, &"€, 
 
 If efTential Attributes are not co- 
 extended with the Subjed, then the 
 whole Divine Wifdom will be in that 
 Subftance, which fills Heaven, and 
 yet the whole in that which fills 
 Earth, and fo on : the whole in the 
 whole, and whole in every Part. 
 Do not you think you fee a Contra- 
 didion here ? Again, the Notion of 
 Eternity., whether you admit the 
 eternal Succejfton^ or the eternal 
 Now^ labours under a Complication 
 of appearing (I vi^as going to fay, 
 for it is all one with you, real) Ab- 
 furdities. The latter is a Contradic- 
 tion in Terms ; and for the former, 
 fee the Eighth Vol. of SpeSiators^ 
 Bentley's Boy lean Ledures, and 
 Collider's Enquiry, To clear 
 
 up 
 
62 I'he Second Letter. 
 
 up my Notions about apparent and 
 real Contradidions, I mentioned, in 
 my former Letter, the feeming Re- 
 pugnancy between Prefcience in God 
 and Free-will in Man ; of which 
 you take no Notice. You Hke not 
 my Diftindion between real and ap- 
 parent ; and you dare not be fo ir- 
 reverent as to affert, there is a real 
 Contradidion between that Power in 
 God and that Faculty in Man ; and 
 yet you cannot prove but there is a 
 feeming one between them. Does 
 it not feem to imply a Contradidion, 
 that God fhould infallibly foreknow 
 Contingents ; that He fhould cer- 
 tainly fore-fee uncertain Events ? 
 Be pleafed then to put the Dodrine 
 of the "Trinity and Satisfa&ion (two 
 Dodrines near-allied) upon the fame 
 Foot of Favour with 0??iniprefe?tcey 
 
 Eter- 
 
l^he Second Letter. 63 
 
 Eternity^ Pf^efcience, &^c. or, to be 
 of a piece, rejedl them all alike. 
 
 All that I can fay is, as before. 
 That though we cannot punctually 
 adjuft the Boundaries between Know- 
 ledge and Ignorance, and precifely 
 determine where the one ends, and 
 the other begins ; yet we fee in ge- 
 neral, that there is a determinate 
 Province for our Reafon to expatiate 
 in : Within the Verge of which the 
 Proofs of the Attributes^ Revelatio?z 
 and Redemptiofi confift. But when 
 we would enlarge the Scene of our 
 Knowledge beyond That, we take a 
 mighty and defperate Leap into the 
 Dark : where numerous^ unfubftan- 
 tial Phantoms and Apparitions of 
 Abfurdities (which we think ftand 
 confefi and manifeji to our View) 
 difturb our Brain, and unhinge our 
 labouring Faculties. But 
 
64 7'/6(? Second Letter. 
 
 But enough of this. 1 beg 
 
 Leave to wave the Conlideration of 
 your next Topick till I have dif- 
 patched what feems to me more ma- 
 terial. I will not knowingly leave 
 any Part of your Letter that affeds 
 me unanfwered, except the hand- 
 fome Things you are pleafed to in- 
 terfperfe, which are indeed unan- 
 fwerable by me. Let who will get 
 the better in Point of Argument, 
 you will gain the Conqueft (a much 
 nobler Conqueft!) in Good- Breed- 
 ing, Civility, and your endearing 
 Manner of treating me. The weak- 
 eft Things you fay in your Letter 
 are, when (an amiable Weaknefs!) 
 your Friend (hip bialTes your Judg- 
 ment in Favour of me. 
 
 You fay ; that if the Divine Na- 
 ture be JlriEily One^ a SatisfaBion 
 
 made 
 
^he Second Letter. 65 
 
 made by the Divi?ie Nature to the 
 Divme Nature^ mufl be a Satisfac- 
 tion made by the Deity to Himfelf. 
 
 You either mean, that where there 
 are three i?itelligent Agents in the fame 
 Nature, yet one cannot fatisfy the o- 
 ther, becaufe their Nature \% JlriBly^ 
 wixhout DiJlinBion^ one 'y or I do not 
 underftand you. For it is no more 
 proper to fay the Divine Nature fatif- 
 fied the Divine Nature, than it is to 
 fay, that the Human Nature in fuch a 
 Sufferer^ fatisfied the Human Nature 
 of the Lawgiver. And I do not 
 know but fome acute Perfons may 
 think it as much a Contradidlion for 
 the fame fpecijical Nature to fatisfy, 
 as it is for the fame numerical Na- 
 ture to fatisfy, itfelf And fome, a- 
 cuter ftill, may imagine it no Con- 
 tradidion for the fame Perfon to fa- 
 
 E tisfy 
 
■*■ I'he Second Letter. 
 
 tisfy himfelfy and exemplify what they 
 lay down by the Cafe of Zaleucus 
 King of the Locrians ; who parted 
 with one of his own Eyes to fave 
 one of his Son's. Here, this abfo- 
 lute Monarch, to fecure the Honour 
 of his own Laws, and to fliew his 
 Deteftation of Adultery, as the Party 
 fuffering gave^ and at the fame Time 
 as the fupreme Lawgiver received 
 Satisfadion ; and exemplified at once 
 the affectionate Tendcrnefs of the 
 Father^ and the inflexible Juflice of 
 the Legijlator in difcouraging Vice. 
 You fay, *' T'his P erf on cannot fa- 
 tisfy l*haty becauje the Nature or 
 Ejfence is one and the fameJ' I 
 have anfwered this already in the for- 
 mer Part of my Letter, and I lay forae 
 Strefs on what I have there laid dow^n. 
 I add here, — — That, for ought you 
 
 can 
 
 
755^ Second Letter. 67 
 
 can prove, the E[fence may be one 
 and the fame^ becaufe it is indifcer- 
 pible or indivifible — Indifcerpibility 
 is no Bar to DiJlinSiion — What is 
 no Bar to Diftindlion, can be none to 
 dijiinEi Adions — Therefore the Fa- 
 ther and the Son may a6l diJlinSily in 
 refpe^lively giving and receiving Sa* 
 tisfadion. I own I am fo dull of 
 Apprehenfion, that I cannot difcern 
 any Flaw in the Argument, or where 
 the Chain breaks. That Indifcerpi- 
 bility of PartS; or indijjoluble Union^ 
 may conftitute Unity is plain to me ; 
 or elfe, upon the Suppofition that 
 every Being is extended, there will 
 be no fuch Thing as one Being in 
 
 the World The Divine Subftance 
 
 infinitely expanded This Part 
 
 Being, that Part Being, or elfe it will 
 
 be nothing, (There being no Me- 
 
 E 2 dium 
 
^8 The Second Letter. 
 
 dium between Being and not Being:) 
 and yet in the Whole One Being ; be- 
 caufe the Parts are infeparably united* 
 That Confcioufnefs does not conftitute 
 Unity, (hall be proved by and by — > 
 That Indijcerpibility^ or indiffo- 
 luble Union of Parts (which either 
 conftitutes Unity, or we do not know 
 what does) is no Bar to Diftindion 
 .and diftind Adtions, is evident from 
 hence ; that this Subftance or Being, 
 which invigorates and actuates the 
 Earth, ads diflindly from that 
 which pervades the fixed Stars : in- 
 vigorating the Earth, being a diftind 
 Adion from pervading the fixed 
 Stars. But more of this, when I 
 come to anfwer your Objedlions 
 againft the CathoHc Dodrine ; after 
 having confuted the novel Scheme 
 which you would build upon the 
 
 Ruins 
 
The Second L e t t e r. 69 
 
 Ruins of it, viz, that there are three 
 diJlinB intelligent Subjlances or Di- 
 vine Beings^ each infinite in all Re- 
 fpeds ; but their Sub fiance and Man- 
 ner of Exifience rather limilar on 
 uniform, than united. Before I 
 proceed, give me Leave to afk you ■ 
 why you would fend abroad an Hy- 
 pothefis, a forlorn, unfriended Infant, 
 without any Thing to f upper t ox 
 maintain it, either from Scripture, or 
 Reafon ? 
 
 To make fome Stridures upon it — 
 
 Firfi^ It is contrary to Scripture : 
 
 Hear^ Ifrael^ the Lord (Jehovah). 
 
 your God is one Lord: one Jehovah^ 
 
 or neceffarily exifting Subftance ; one 
 
 TO W for that, you know, is the 
 
 Import of the Word Jehovah 
 
 It is likewife, Secondly^ contrary to 
 
 Reafon to multiply Beings without 
 
 E 3 Necef- 
 
70 ^he Second 1j e t t e r, 
 
 Neceflity. You have no Ground 
 to fuppofe three infinite Subftances ; 
 and confequently it is a groundlefs 
 Suppofition. Thirdly^ Either thefe 
 three infinite Beings are divided ivovsx 
 one another, or not ; If they be di- 
 videdy they cannot all be infinite. 
 For where-ever one is feparated fi*om 
 the other, there the one muft ceafe 
 to be^ (which is contrary to the Sup- 
 pofition of Infinity) and the other 
 continue to be expanded. There can 
 be no Separation where there is no 
 Chafm^ and where there is a Chafm 
 there can be no Infinity, 
 
 If they be undivided^ your Scheme 
 (like a Comet making fo near Ap- 
 proaches to the Sun, that at laft it 
 is loft and abforpt in it) muft co- 
 incide with our's; which is, neither 
 to confound the PerfonSy nor to divide^ 
 
 the 
 
"The Second Letter. 71 
 
 he Subjlance. For tell me any Rea- 
 fon, why any one of your three infi- 
 nite Subftances fliould be, ftridily 
 fpeaking, one ; and I will tell you, 
 why all three^ each infeparate and 
 infeparable, become one. The fame 
 indifcerpible Continuity, that makes 
 an infinite Variety of Parts (each 
 Part a Being) one Being in the whole, 
 will make your fuppofed three Be- 
 ings to become fo too. There is the 
 fame Caufe, confequently the fame 
 Effect. Either ?iot any of your three 
 Beings will be one^ becaufe each con- 
 fifts of diJiinSi and dijlant Parts ; or, 
 upon the fame Grounds, by an inti- 
 mate Mixture and In-dwelHng, with- 
 out any poflible Detachment of this 
 from that^ they all three will coalefce 
 into one. Either not any of them will 
 be more than uniformly and jimilarly 
 E 4 one^ 
 
7^ ^he Second Letter. 
 
 one^ or all three will be united. You 
 will here retreat to your impregnable 
 Fortrefs Confcioufnefs : You will fay, 
 that two difii7tEi Co?2fcioufneJjes will 
 make two diftinct Beings ; that 
 Egottyy or Unity, or Ide?ttity depends 
 upon your Conjcioufnefs^ which makes 
 you (mirabile didu!) one Beings 
 though you are not one Suhjiance, 
 The fame you fay immediately after 
 concerning the Deity. That is, you 
 have invefted Confcioufnefs with a 
 Power of working Contradictions. 
 For Subftance muft be^ or not bey it 
 muft be a Beings or Nothing ; unlefs 
 Confcioufufs can make a Thing ta 
 he^ and not to be at the fame Time. 
 Confequently, two diftind Subftances, 
 in Defiance of Self- Confcioufnefs ^ and 
 all it's wonder-working Magick, muft 
 remain two diftindl Beings. You need-. 
 
 ed 
 
'The Second Letter. 73 
 
 ed not then to have found Fault with 
 me for changing the Terms, where I 
 retained the fame Idea : Being and 
 Being in Union (infeparable Union) 
 do not make Beings, or elfe there 
 will be no fuch Thing in the 
 World as one Being, of which we 
 have any Notion. Becaufe every 
 Being, of which we have any Notion 
 is Being and Being in Union : This 
 Part Being, that Part Being, and 
 yet one Being in the whole. 
 
 To come more clofely to the Point : 
 You are one Being, it feems, becaufe 
 you have one Confcioufnefs ; and your 
 three diftind Subftances, you will 
 fay, are three diftind: Beings, becaufe 
 they have three diftindl Confcioufnef- 
 fes ; the Egoity^ Identity ^ a?2d U^tity 
 depending upon Confcioufiufs, Con- 
 fcioufnefs then, in your Opinion, is 
 I the 
 
74 ^^ Second Letter. 
 
 the Ground of Unity, but what is 
 the Ground of Confcioujnefs ? The 
 Tortoife fupported the Elephant; 
 but what fupported the Tortoife ? — • 
 Nothing can be the Ground or 
 Reafon of any Thing, which, in the 
 Order of our Ideas and of Nature, is 
 fuhfequent to the Thing of which it 
 is fuppofed the Ground, M'c, But 
 Confciotifnefs^ in the Order of our 
 Ideas and of Nature, is fuhfequent 
 
 to Unity Confequently, Con- 
 
 fcioufnefs cannot be the Ground of 
 Unity. The Major Propofition is 
 evident : The Minor I prove thus : 
 Confcioufnefs is that reflex Ad: by 
 which I know what I am^ &'c. If 
 then I muft be what I am, (one or 
 more) before I know what I am, then 
 Confcioufnefs muft be fuhfequent to 
 Unity : But I muft he what I am 
 (viz. one or more) ^c. The 
 
I'he Second\j e t t e r. 75 
 
 The Being what I am, is the 
 Foundation of my knowing what I 
 am; and not vice versa. The 
 Truth of confcious Knowledge de- 
 pends upon the Truth of Things ^ and 
 not the Truth of Things upon that 
 of our Knowledge. Confcioufnefsy 
 being a perfonal Adl, does not conjli- 
 tute^ but fre-fuppofe^ the Perfona- 
 Hty ; from which the Perfonal A6t 
 refults. I might further add, that 
 if YOU are only one compound 
 Beings (you fhould have faid Per- 
 fon) becaufe you are confcious^ then 
 you put off Unity and Perfonal ity, 
 like your Cloaths, when you fall 
 afleep ; and refume it again, when 
 you awake. In fhort, Subftance is 
 what it is; one or more, whether 
 co?tfcious or unconfcious ; and Co7i- 
 fcioufnefs^ which is nothing but 
 
 Know- 
 
j6 The Second Letter. 
 
 Knowledge, cannot alter the Nature 
 of Things. Your Scheme bears a 
 Refemblance to Dodor C l a r k e's : 
 He made Necejftty^ in the Order of 
 our Ideas, the Ground of the Sub- 
 ftance, whofe Aw ihute it was ; and 
 you imagine Self-Confcioufnefs to be 
 the Ground of Self-Subjijience^ 
 though the Self muft be prior to the 
 Confcioufnefs, 
 
 Having fhewn your new Scheme 
 to be unfatisfadory ; I proceed in 
 the next Place to remove the Objec- 
 tions againft the orthodox Scheme; 
 which you call (not very confiftently 
 with a certain Quality, which is a 
 confeffed Part of your Charader) 
 unintelligible Jargon. 
 
 I hope you will not tax me, for 
 the future, with any Injuftice for 
 faying, Tou were quitting what jou 
 
 did 
 
The Second Letter. 77 
 
 did underfiand for "what you did not 
 
 (fully) underj}a?id 
 
 But what is unintelligible y ar- 
 gon .^ Is our Notion of P erf on fuch ? 
 It is at leaft as intelligible as that of 
 Suhfiance^ which is an undetermined 
 Something.^ an imknown Support of 
 certain Modes. It is as much above 
 your Comprehenfion to conceive how 
 one Perfon (fuppofing only one) be- 
 ing infinitely-extended, confifting 
 of an infinite Diverfity of Parts, 
 fhould be yet one Subftance ; as how 
 the three Perfons fhould be one God. 
 The Trinity is one Subftance^ becaufe 
 undivided ; not o?ie Perfon^ becaufe 
 diflinguifhed into more intelligent 
 Agents than one, ^c. Each of the 
 intelligent Agents is Bei?2g^ becaufe 
 exifti?tg y but not Beings^ becaufe 
 they do not ^xx^feparately. Diftindl 
 
 Perfo- 
 
78 The Second Letter. 
 
 Perfonal Properties no more difunitd 
 (though they difiinguijh) the Sub- 
 ftance ; than diftindl circumfcriptive 
 Properties, determining the Parts of 
 Subftance to fuch or fuch a Part of 
 Space and Diftance, difunite it, or 
 make it ceafe to be one. 
 
 You charge me with ringing 
 Changes upon the Diftindion of di- 
 vided Subftance and diJlinSi Sub- 
 ftance. But, are diJiinB and divid- 
 ed fynonymous Terms ? or, is Indi- 
 vifibility any Obftrudlion to DiJlin- 
 Si ion f 
 
 Confider once more, That inex- 
 hauftible Power which weilds fo ma- 
 ny mafly Bodies as the Planets in 
 our folar Syftem (and beyond it, if 
 the fixed Stars are each of them at- 
 tended with their refpedive Retinue 
 of revolving Orbs) and that unfa- 
 I thomable 
 
'Jhe Second Letter. 79 
 
 thomable Wijdom^ which adjufts 
 fuch Variety of Movements without 
 any Confufion. Now where there 
 is infinite Power and JVifdo?n, there 
 muft be a wife and powerful Sub- 
 Jta?7ce. That Subftance which regu- 
 lates the Revolution of the Planets in 
 the fixed Stars^ muft be dijlin&y 
 in Place^ Situatio7t and ASiion^ from 
 the particular Subftance, which bids 
 our Planets here go their inceflant 
 Round : and yet it is not divided ; 
 becaufe there is one uninterrupted 
 Chain of Being without any Chafm, 
 Gap, or Difcontinuity. Juft as we 
 call an Argument oney where each 
 Link of the Chain adheres neceflarily 
 to the other by an unbroken Con- 
 nexion of the Parts. 
 
 When therefore you fay, that 
 Subjlance united to Siibjlaiice confijis 
 
 of 
 
8o "The Second Letter. 
 
 of different Subjla?tces^ you run 
 counter to your own Scheme (where 
 each of your three diftindt Beings 
 will, according to this Way of ar- 
 guing, be Subjiances infinite in Num- 
 ber) and to the common Senfe of 
 - Mankind ; which never gives the 
 Name of Subflances^ but where the 
 Parts are diibanded, or capable of 
 difbanding and taking different Routs. 
 Matter indeed is not Subftance, but 
 an Heap of Subftances ; becaufe it 
 confifts of un-united, independent 
 Parts. But when the Parts are fo 
 inviolably wedded^ that there is no 
 divorcing this from that ; fuch a Be- 
 ing we call truly One : the Parts 
 being effentially united. View then 
 each Link of the Chain together. — 
 The three Perfons are Subftance and 
 Subftance effentially united, having 
 
 each 
 
^he Second Letter. St 
 
 each of them the difkindlive Chara- 
 ders of /, Thou^ He^ not diftinguifh- 
 
 ed into more intelhgent Agents ^ 
 
 Subftance in Union with Subftance 
 doth not make Subftances, therefore 
 not three Gods Doth not pre- 
 vent diJlinEi A6tion Therefore 
 
 the Father and the Son might adt 
 diflinBly ; the one in admitting^ the 
 
 other in giving an Atonement 
 
 If you anfwer, that the Hypothe- 
 fis of the Divine Extenjion may be 
 ill-grounded ; I will grant it : but it 
 does not affedl what I contend for: 
 that Subftance and Subftance in U- 
 nion do not make Subftances, which 
 deftroys your Scheme. For, fince the 
 EJfence muft be where the Eflential 
 Attributes are ; fmce the Eflential 
 Attributes^ Wifdom^ Power^ &c. dif- 
 play themfelves every-where ; the 
 F whole 
 
82 The Second Letter. 
 
 whole Effence, upon the Scheme af 
 Non-Ex tenfion, mufl: ad: here ; the 
 whole Effence muft a£l there ; and 
 the whole Effence e^ery -where \ 
 whole in the whole, and whole in 
 every Part : which amounts to the 
 fame Thing in the laft Refort. As 
 long as the Propodtion before- men- 
 tioned ftands its Ground (which will 
 be as long as there is any found, un- 
 biaffed Senfe to difcern that what is 
 necejfarily united muft be One) the 
 main Objedions, which bear the 
 hardeft upon the Dodrine of the 
 T'rinity and SatisfaEiion from Aria- 
 nifm and Tritheifmy will fall impo- 
 tently to the Ground. 
 
 It even compels You to come (no* 
 lens volens) into the fame Scheme, 
 and prejfesYon into the fame Service. 
 For, what You call three diftind-, 
 
 infi- 
 
'Jhe Second Letter. ^'^ 
 
 infinite Beings, muft be Subftance 
 united to Subftance by an unalienable 
 Attachment, and confequently make 
 not three diftincSl Subftances, nor 
 therefore three diftindl Beinors. 
 
 If you will be content to reft in 
 Ge?2erals^ without inquiring into the 
 minute Circumftances, or embracing 
 any particular Explication of the 
 Ubiquity ; this is what I advife you 
 to concerning the Trinity » And in- 
 deed in thefe high Points we are like 
 People upon marjloy Ground. We 
 may fkim lightly over the Surface. 
 But if we fix our Foot ; if we dwell 
 too long upon any particular Spot ; 
 we fink irretrievably, and the more 
 we ftruggle to get free, the more we 
 are gravelled. 
 
 What you objed, in Anfwer to 
 
 my Pojifcriptj is fo very ingenious 
 
 F 2 and 
 
84 '^he Second Letter. 
 
 and diverting, that I can fcarce find 
 iia my Heart to examine it. I had 
 faid, that to be fovereign Lawgiver^ 
 was no EJfential Perfedion of the 
 Deity : If it were, he muft have been 
 Lawgiver ab ceterno^ when, there 
 were no Beings to give Laws to. 
 Upon which you comment thus: 
 Take a Specimen of your Reafoning^ 
 fay you, Goodnefs is no EJfential 
 PerfeBio?t of the Deity \ for then 
 , muft He have been good ab ceterno ; 
 good before there were any created 
 Beings to be good to. The fame may 
 be faid of God' syuflice. — Do you call 
 this a Specimen of my Reafoning? 
 Sure you do not think me fo fenfelefs. 
 The Attributes of God are to be 
 confidered either ad intra^ or ad ex- 
 tra ; either as inherent in God, or, 
 as manifejied by Him. God then 
 
 was 
 
I'he Second Ij E t t e r. 85 
 
 was internally Goody JVife^ ^c, ab 
 ceternOy before he exerted thofe At- 
 tributes : But to be an internal Law- 
 giver is a Contradiction in Terms. 
 God \^Good\yj an abfolute Necefiity 
 of Nature. But then the Exertion 
 of his own infinite and unerring Per- 
 feSlion in the Capacity of a Law- 
 giver is perfedlly free. He might ^ 
 have created no Beings, or none that 
 there would have been any Occafion 
 to give Laws to ; or he may annihi- 
 late them. His Goodness and Wif- 
 dom are Effential to Him : But his 
 Ma7iifefiation of that Goodnefs or 
 Wifdom, in this or that particular 
 Manner of Ading, is voluntary. If 
 you will fay, that it is neceffary to 
 us that he fhould be Lawgiver ^ ft ante 
 rerum Hypothep : I anfwer, this is 
 only a conditional Neceffity; and 
 F 3 farther; 
 
86 The Second Letter. 
 
 farther ; that, upon a Suppofition of 
 three Perfons in the Deity, it is no 
 more neceffary that the Son fliould 
 ht fupreme Lawgiver^ than that the 
 Father Ihould be Judge at the laft 
 pay. Though the fame Attributes 
 are veiled in Both, yet Both need 
 not difplay them in this or that par- 
 ticular Scheme of Adion. Till then 
 more forcible Objedions are brought, 
 I muft ftill conclude ; that what I 
 have advanced in my Pojifcript is a 
 good Solution of your main Diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 Upon comparing the fcattered 
 Paffages in my Letter, which you 
 bring together concerning the Merits 
 of our Saviour, I find a plain Con- 
 trad idlion. I need not point it out 
 to you ; who had, I am fure. Saga- 
 city enough to perceive it, and Can- 
 dour enough to pafs it by. If 
 
The Second Letter. 87 
 
 If the T>Wm\X.y -irrefiftibly over- 
 ruled the Humanity, and made it 
 intirely pajffive^ then it did not exalt 
 and perfed, but deftroy the human 
 Nature, it made it a mere Machine ; 
 but if it did not irrefiftibly controul 
 it, then our Saviour's human Na- 
 ture is as much intitled to the Glory 
 of finlefs Perfedion, as Angels and 
 Archangels. 
 
 The human Nature of Christ, 
 by its Obedience to the Will of QOT>^ 
 did no 7nore than what^ as a Crea- 
 ture^ was it s Duty to do : Confe- 
 quentlyy by your own Way of argu- 
 ingy it could not merit. The Merit 
 then of his Suffer ingSy if they could 
 have any Merit ^ mufl arife from the 
 Sufferings of a Divine P erf on. 
 
 Anfwer. Though the Sufferings 
 
 were the Sufferings of a Man ; yet 
 
 F 4 the 
 
88 The Secondly e t t E R. 
 
 the Oblatiofi was the Oblation of a 
 God. Ty^e are redeemed^ not with 
 any corruptible 'Things but with the 
 precious Blood of Chrijl^ who^ by his 
 eternal Spirit^ or Deity, offered him- 
 felf without Spot to God. 
 ' And this Ad of the Deity ^ thus 
 offering up his human Nature, is, I 
 think, fufficient, all Circumftances 
 being taken into the Account, to con- 
 ftitute Merit, Becaufe, as I obferved 
 in my former, all Creatures fhine 
 with borrowed Light, v/ith Merit 
 not their own : that is, with no Me- 
 rit at all. They have nothing inde- 
 pendent of their Creator. But our 
 Saviour, who was God as well as 
 Man, could, out of his own peculiar 
 Fund^ difcharge our Debt, He, as 
 God, had an independe?it Power over 
 his human Nature. And to offer up 
 
 vi^hat 
 
l^he Secondly E t t e R. 89 
 
 what was his own Independently, 
 what was endeared to him by a per- 
 fonal Union, by 2. free and voluntary 
 Ad:, may be, I hope, allowed to be 
 meritorious ; or elfe I have no No- 
 tion of Merit. Either then you are 
 to prove, that no fupernatural Means 
 were neceffary for our Atonement — 
 or, that God would not, or could 
 
 not, find out any fuch Means or, 
 
 that he could have contrived a better 
 Expedient. For the firft, fee Law, 
 and my former Letter. The fecond 
 is too derogatory to God's Power and 
 Goodnefs for you to affert. The laft 
 feems impoffible. Becaufe, fingle out 
 what Angel or Archangel you pleafe 
 for your Purpofe, this expiatory Sa- 
 crifice will have all the Excellency 
 [viz. a perfedl Model of Virtue, with- 
 out any Alloy of Vice) that a iy 
 
 other 
 
90 7he Second Letter. 
 
 other can have ; and will befides be 
 ennobled with diftinguifhing Excel- 
 lencies of it's own. For the perfonal 
 Union will caft a more diftinguiftied 
 Glory on whatever is fo nearly and 
 infeparably allied to the Deity, than 
 any Creature befides can have. To 
 confirm which we may obferve, that 
 the Son of Man is placed above the 
 Angels, where they are faid to be 
 ignorant of the Day of Judgment, 
 And whatever was deficient in this 
 Sacrifice, if there was any Deficiency, 
 was, or might be, made up by the 
 infinite Merits of the OSqvqv fuper- 
 added to it, and placed to our Account, 
 Thus, God was in the World reconcil- 
 ing the World to himfelf. He became 
 the Author of eternal Salvation^ ^c*^ 
 What thofe Merits particular- 
 ly were, we need not inquire. A 
 •^ Man 
 
The Second Letter. 91 
 
 Man may know he is ranfo7?ied 
 by another from Captivity, without 
 knowino" the particular Kind^ Man- 
 ner and Falue of the Ranfom. It 
 is enough we know, that a Divine 
 Perfon interefted himfelf in this Af- 
 fair. We muft diftinguifh between 
 the Equivalency of the Atonement 
 and the Merit of it. The Equiva- 
 lency confifted in this, that as one 
 intelligent Being is more valuable 
 than the whole Mafs of infenfate 
 Matter ; fo one faultlefs Pattern of 
 Perfection is of more Worth than a 
 whole World of finful Creatures. 
 The Merit of it, as far as our gene- 
 ral confufed Notions reach, confifted 
 in this, not exclufiuely of any other 
 Means of meriting unknown to us ; 
 that the Oblation was the free, un- 
 cpnftrained Ad of One, more wor- 
 thy 
 
92 ^he Secondl^'E t t e r. 
 
 thy than any Creature, offering up 
 what was his own^ and tranfad:ing 
 the Scheme of Man's Salvation. 
 
 To enliven this dry Subjed with 
 an occafional Refledion. I wonder 
 v/hy thofe Writers, who fancy the 
 Scale of Being to rife gradually from 
 Matter, in a regular Gradation, by an 
 eafy Tranfition from one Species to 
 another, till they make near Ap- 
 proaches to 1 infinity, do not fuppofe 
 our Saviour, partaking of both Na- 
 turesj to be the mtermediate Link 
 between an uncreated Being and 
 Creatures; as they imagine Man to 
 be the Nexus utriufque mundi^ and 
 to fill up the Gap between the intel- 
 leSiual and the animal Creation. 
 This, you will fay, is a wild Thought. 
 But we fanciful Vl'^riters, when once 
 we fly outj pennis ?io?t ho mini datis^ 
 
 into 
 
l[he Second Letter. 93 
 
 into that mighty Void, where Know- 
 ledge fails, will people the Vacancy 
 with Ideal Phantoms and Creatures 
 of our own Brain. 
 
 But this puts me in Mind of the 
 Conclufion of your Letter. I am no 
 more for digejiing 7na7tifejl yibfurdi- 
 ties than you are. But I fee no Ab- 
 furdity here, except this be one ; that 
 Creatures of Yefterday fhould pre- 
 tend to go to the Bottom of an infi- 
 nite Subjed: with a very f canty Line. 
 The moft fubftantial Proof we can 
 give of our Knowledge and Judg- 
 7nent is, to have a deep Senfe, and 
 to make an humble Acknowledg- 
 ment, of our Ignorance and Incapa- 
 city to judge about thefe high Things. 
 An Atheijl or Manichcean would ar- 
 gue thus : Such a Thing appears to 
 
 me manifejlly evil therefore, 
 
 Creation 
 
54 ^^ Second L E T T e R. 
 
 Creation not the Work of a good 
 
 God therefore, no over-ruHng 
 
 Providence at the Helm. Juft fo 
 you argue ; fuch a Dodlrine appears 
 to me manifeftly abfurd — therefore 
 Scripture not the Word of God. 
 Whereas Both begin at the wrong 
 End. Superior and uncontrouled 
 Miracles, fuch as raijing the Deady 
 creating Breads &^c, do as much 
 prove the Scripture to be the Word 
 of Godj as the common flated Courfe 
 of Things prove an over- ruling Pro- 
 vidence. That being once granted ; 
 you are no more at Liberty to rejed: 
 a DoEirine^ becaufe it may appear to 
 you abfurd, than a Manichcean or 
 Atheifi is to rejedl a good Provi- 
 dence, becaufe fuch a Phcenomeijon 
 may appear to him evil. And Both 
 fhould conlider, whether it be not 
 I more 
 
T'he Second Letter. 9^ 
 
 more eafy to conceive that this Phce- 
 noine7ion^ or that DoSlrine^ may pof- 
 Jibly admit of a ratio?ial Solution ; 
 than that what is attefted hy fuch Mi- 
 racles fhould be falfe ; or that there 
 fliould be no Providence. It is Tou. 
 then that are going to take away 
 the Criterion of Certainty, by fup- 
 pofing, that what is damped with the 
 Seal of God is ^nanifejlly ahfurd* 
 What you fay above, that God may 
 permit veryjlrong and forcible Proofs 
 from Miracles without being faid to 
 tempt us^ does not come up to the 
 
 Point. For our Procefs is this 
 
 Nothing can unjettle the Courfe of 
 Nature in fuch a Train of fuperior 
 Miracles, as raifng the Dead^ &^c, 
 but He who fettled the Courfe of it, 
 viz, God : God will not lend his 
 Power, or a& himfelf (which is 
 
 widely 
 
96 The Second Letter. 
 
 widely different from permitting a 
 Thing to be done) to authorize a 
 
 Falfhood Confequently, there is 
 
 no Falfhood : Unlefs a Thing naay 
 be at once true as attefted by God, 
 and falfe as contradictory to Reafon. 
 You may fay, that we have only 
 a moral Certainty that the Miracles 
 were wrought \ but an abfolute Cer- 
 tainty that the Dodtrine is falfe 
 
 A Manichcean would undoubted- 
 ly reafon in the fame Manner up- 
 on his Principles \ but neither of 
 you can prove your feveral Conclu- 
 fions. I anfwer farther ; that though 
 the Kinds of Evidence, viz. abfolute 
 Certainty^ moral Certainty^ Froba- 
 bility^ are very dijlin&y when we 
 conlider the loweft Degree of the one 
 (asj for Inftance, of Probability or a 
 Likenefs to be true) and the highejl 
 3 Degree 
 
l^he Second Letter. ()'j 
 
 Degree of another (as moralQziX.dxvi'' 
 ty) ; yet where they make near Ap- 
 proaches, they are undiftinguifhable. 
 Jufl: as in the Rainbow, one Colour 
 falls away fo gradually, and another 
 rifes fo infenfibly, that we fee the 
 Variety without being able to diftin- 
 guifli exadly where the one begins, 
 and the other ends : 
 
 Ufque adeo quod tangity idem eji 3 ta-- 
 men ulmna dijlant. 
 
 Thus ahfolute and moral Certainty 
 are, in fome Cafes, parted as it were 
 by an invifible Line. And though 
 Proofs of Matter of Fa6l fall under 
 the Head of ;w^r^/Certainty ; yet we 
 may be as abfolutely fure that King 
 Charles the Firft loft his Head, and 
 xh^iX. Julius C(zfarw2L% ftabbed in the 
 G Senate- 
 
98 Ti'he Second Letter. 
 
 Senate-Houfe, as we can of fome Af^- 
 theffiatical Demonftrations. 
 
 I need not apply this to Chriftla- 
 nity. I do not put the Iffue of my 
 Caufe fokly upon Proofs from Mat- 
 ter of Fad : Several others are to be 
 taken into the Account, particularly 
 
 the intrinjick Excelle?2cy of the Scrip- 
 tures. For I cannot conceive how a 
 Set of obfcure Men could more fully 
 unfold, and more ftrongly enforce, 
 every Branch of Religion without the 
 Affiftance of God, than all the Law. 
 givers and Philofophers from the Be- 
 ginning of the World to that Time : 
 carrying it to fuch an Height, that 
 whatever attempts to go beyond it, is 
 vifionary and Romantick ; and what- 
 ever i^iXsJhort of it is jejune and de- 
 fedlive. 
 
 If 
 
^he Second Letter. 99 
 
 If I have dropt any Expreflion 
 that bears hard upon you, or feeras 
 to fhew the leaft Difregard for you, 
 I will retrad it, and beg your Par- 
 don ; fincerely defiring the Conti- 
 nuance of that Friendfhip, which I 
 take to be an Happinefs, as well as 
 an Honour, to me. If there be any 
 Thing that you may think a mere 
 Compliment ; it is, I affure you, not 
 half fo much as what I have faid of 
 you in your Abfence. Here I could 
 
 expatiate. But when the Heart 
 
 is full of Efteem, affcdionate Senti- 
 ments, and undiffembled Love, there 
 is no confining the Pen within cer- 
 tain Bounds. I therefore forbear — 
 Only do me the Juftice to believe^ 
 that I never wrote any Thing with 
 more Sincerity than what follows : 
 That you may live long and happily, 
 G 2 that 
 
I oo The Second Letter. 
 
 that you may defend the moft valu- 
 able Thing in the World, Chriftia- 
 nity (and I believe you will) with 
 your Pen, and adorn it with your 
 Life, is the afFedionate Wifli of, 
 
 Worthy 
 
 Sir, 
 
 
 Tour 5 
 
 fmcerelyy 
 
 
 Richmond, June loth, 
 i73r. 
 
 
 
 
 JER. 
 
 SEED. 
 
 The 
 
The Third LETTER. 
 
 WorthySir, 
 
 WERE I to copy after the 
 Model of your laft Letter, 
 the Conteft between us 
 would confift of thefe three Things: 
 Firfly Who could fay the handfomejl 
 Things of one another : Secondly ^ 
 Who could fay the bitter eft Things a- 
 gainft one another ; and, haftly^ho 
 could produce the ftrongeft Argu- 
 ments to fupport his own Notions. 
 
 I muft chiefly keep to the laft of 
 thefe : declining the firfiy becaufe 
 it is too copious \ and the fecond^ 
 becaufe too barren. I might in- 
 deed be very fevere, but then it 
 would be upon myfelf. The Ar- 
 row might be drawn to the Head, 
 and levelled with a dexterous Aim ; 
 G 3 but 
 
but could not reach a Merit which 
 towers to fo uncommon an Height 
 as your's. It is with fome Reluct- 
 ance I tell you, that it was unmanly 
 and ungenerous to point your Hofti- 
 lities againft me, when you knew 
 it was not in my Power to make 
 Reprizals upon you. Do but be- 
 come like me^ pofitive and confdent ; 
 combating your own Shadow, beat- 
 ing the Air \ in fhort, labouring un- 
 der a deplorable Want of common 
 Senfe: Give me but one Inch of 
 Ground to fet my Foot upon, and 
 you will find that I can fhake even 
 the Weight of your Charader. But 
 while I confider You as a Gentleman 
 of uncommon Senfe and Merit, 
 
 ^^ With Wit well-natur'd, and with 
 
 ! 
 
 '' Books well bred s " 
 
7/&<? Third Letter. 103 
 
 I cannot fatyrize what is no Subjed: of 
 Satyr. For YO U then to provoke me 
 to enter the Lifts with you, by point- 
 ing your Raillery againft me for 
 Pages together, was (I will repeat 
 the Charge) as cowardly, as if a Man, 
 who was invulnerable from Head to 
 Foot, fhould challenge a weak, de- 
 fencelefs Creature to lingle Com- 
 bat But enough of This. 
 
 In the following Letter you will 
 find fome Things pafled lightly by, 
 either becaufe I thought they had 
 not much Weight, or becaufe I 
 thought them anfwered already. I 
 would willingly lay down this as a 
 Rule to go by (though it is ten to one 
 but that I myfelf deviate from it) 
 viz, to take Notice of nothing but 
 what is really a Difficulty ; and to 
 omit nothing that is really fo; to 
 G 4 keep 
 
1 04 The Third L E T T E R7 
 
 keep clofe to the Merits of the Caufe, 
 and to pare off Luxuriancles. 
 
 With this View I will not defend 
 tny Inftance about a Fine-Apple^ and 
 a Pomegranate ; not becaufe I think 
 it indefenjible^ but becaufe I think 
 it impertinent^ or unneceffary to de- 
 termine the Point in Debate 
 
 I iind, a little lower, you will 
 difagree with me, where we do not 
 really differ. The middle 7*erm^ you 
 fay, is not the Divine Nature ; but, 
 the Unity of the Divine Nature, 
 Very well : and do not I fay the 
 very fame ? I having faid, that " the 
 *' Manner o{ the Divine Unity was in- 
 ^* comprehenftble\^ you thence would 
 conclude, that it is unintelligible \ 
 as if Incomprehenjible and Unintelli- 
 gible muft have the fame Significa- 
 tion. Notwithftanding you, both 
 
 here 
 
TJoe Third Letter. 105 
 
 here and elfewhere, confound them ; 
 it would be an Affront to your Un- 
 derftanding to point out the Diftinc- 
 tion between them. My Account 
 of Unity is, it feems, to you very 
 loofe and indeterminate \ and you 
 cannot dif cover how a wide Unita- 
 rian differs from a Tritheijl, If you 
 confult Bifhop Bull'j Catholick 
 Do&rine of the Trinity^ you will 
 find, that the Imputation of 7ri- 
 theifm is never to be faftened but on 
 thofe who divide the Subfla72ce, Sup- 
 pofe then a Perfon, who was invefted 
 with a Power of working fuperior 
 Miracles, fhould tell me; that in 
 the Divine Subftance there was a 
 triple Diftind:ion : greater than that 
 of three mere Modes and Relations ; 
 and yet lefs than that of three di- 
 ftind Men or A?tgels. My Ideas 
 
 here 
 
io6 The T'hird Letter. 
 
 here are merely negative " A 
 
 <' Diftindion in the Divine Nature 
 
 « „ not that of three Modesy 
 
 " not that of three diftind Suhfian- 
 *' c^j .• " yet I may give a rational 
 Affent to this Dodrine ^ becaufe I 
 cannot prove it to be impojjible. Not 
 diJlinSily perceiving the Divine Na- 
 ture^ I cannot diJlinEily perceive a 
 Contradiction in the Nature of the 
 Thing ; and nothing, but a Contra- 
 didtion and Impoffibility can be a 
 Bar to the Belief of a Do6trine at- 
 tefted by Miracles. But fhould the 
 fame Perfon affert, that the Divine 
 Subilance u^as one^ ^zX. fevered by a 
 \xsyci 'xpidi^u (a great Gulph or Dif- 
 continuity;) this Propofition I could 
 not admit ; becaufe I clearly perceive, 
 that what is difunited cannot be one. 
 The fliort of the Matter is this. 
 
 What- 
 
^e "Third Letter. 107 
 
 Whatever is one^ mufl: be indivifum 
 in fe. But Tritheifm fuppofes the 
 Dkifion or Divifibility of the Sub- 
 fiance. 
 
 Thus my Notion of the Divine 
 Unityy however lame and inade- 
 quate, is too firiSi to admit of 
 the Name of 'Tf^itheiffn^ and yet 
 wide enough to take in three undi- 
 vided intelligent Agents into the fame 
 Divine Effence. And whoever pre- 
 tends, from the negative Ideas of In- 
 divifihility^ and Simplicity (or, a Ne- 
 gation of heterogeneous Mixtures) to 
 prove, that no Kind of Union what- 
 ever is fufficient to make more Per- 
 fons one Being ; will foon find, that 
 He is to work up a Demon ftration, 
 where he has not fufficient Data to 
 build upon. 
 This would be, 
 
 I " Parva 
 
lo8 The Th'rd Le r r E R. 
 
 " Parva perltyrrhenum j^quor -"—^ 
 '' Vela dare* " 
 
 where our Reafon will be foon over- 
 fetj or carried away with eiMry Wind 
 of DoBrine, 
 
 For my Part, I flill own, I want 
 your difcerning Faculty to find out 
 the neceffary Connexion between 
 indiviftble and undijiiitguijhable. Di- 
 fiinBio7i and Divijion feem, to my 
 dull Apprehenfion, two different I- 
 deas. You will afk me, no Doubt, 
 what DiJiijiSiion That is, which is 
 neither a Diftindlion of three ModeSy 
 nor yet a Diftindion of three Sub-- 
 Jlances. To which I anfwer, that 
 Subftance and Subftance united is 
 more than three Modes, and yet not 
 three Subftances : becaufe whatever 
 is effentially united, is one Subftance. 
 
 You 
 
Iloe ^hird Letter. 109 
 
 You afk, '' Is the Subftance of the 
 '' fecond Perfon the fame numerical 
 " Subftance with that of the jirfi f 
 
 " &cr 
 
 I wifh your enterprizing Genius 
 would obHge me with fixing fome 
 certain Principle of Individuation^ 
 that I might know what makes one 
 numerical Subftance, according to 
 your Philofophy. 
 
 Let me prevail upon you, to add 
 this Favour to your former. In your 
 fecond Letter you were pleafed to 
 honour me with a new Trithei/lical 
 Hypothefis, which was highly divert- 
 ing ; though, I muft confefs, not 
 very edifying. In your laft, as there 
 is no End of your Favours, You 
 advance (folely with a View to my 
 Entertainment) a new Scheme, viz. 
 the limited Extenjion of the Divine 
 3 Sub- 
 
1 00 The Third Letter. 
 
 Subftance, making the Deity to be 
 no more than commenfurate to his 
 Works ; that is (for it is the only 
 Senfe the Word commenfurate bears ) 
 no more than co- extended with them 
 as far as they reach. Proceed, Great 
 Sir, to crown your repeated Kind- 
 neffes with this laft Mafter-piece of 
 an adventurous Fancy : namely, an 
 Attempt to fix the Principle of In- 
 dividtcation. 'Till you have done 
 that, give me Leave to ufe the Word 
 Numerical with due Latitude ; 
 and to think, that it may admit of a 
 larger or a flriEier Senfe, 
 
 For Inflance ; according to your 
 new Scheme of the limited Exten- 
 Jion of the Deity, ( I know you will 
 be pleafed that I take fo much No- 
 tice of a Stranger-Hypothefs^ which 
 is endeared to me by no Circum- 
 
 fiance 
 
7>6^ Unrd Letter. hi 
 
 fiance but it's Relation X.oTou:) I 
 would afk, whether this Subftance, 
 which is commenfurate to the Earth, 
 be numerical^ or no ? In the ftri&ejl 
 Senfe of the Word it muft, except 
 
 there can be a Medium between 
 
 Being and No- Being : It muft be 
 o?te numerical Part^ and that is one 
 Being, And yet, except you will 
 admit as many Subjiances as there 
 are Parts in your finitely- extended 
 Deity^ it muft be in a larger Senfe 
 one numerical Subftance with That 
 which is commenfurate to the Sun^ 
 to the fixed Stars, Mc. 
 
 But, whether you will rejed, or 
 no, your new Hypothefis, I will 
 leave you to difprove, that Tins Sub- 
 ftance can a6t dijlmSlly from That 
 when it is indivifthly united to it; 
 and confequently (in my Senfe of 
 
 the 
 
11% T^e 7 bird Letter. 
 
 the Word Numerical) one Subftance 
 with it. 
 
 I am fenfible you would be un- 
 eafy, if I fliould difmifs your Hypo- 
 thefis thus, without being more par- 
 ticular in my Regard to it. That 
 you may not therefore complain of 
 my Coldnefs and Indifference to any 
 Thing of your's, I fliall fpend a little 
 more of my Time upon it, and pay 
 my Compliments in an ampler Man- 
 ner. 
 
 If the Deity be only commenf urate 
 to his Works ; then. He either can 
 ad: beyond the Confines of this 
 World, or He cannot. If he can ; 
 then His Exiftence, according to you, 
 reaches beyond it's Verge. For no- 
 thing can a6l where it is not; any 
 more than it can ad: when it is not. 
 If He cannot adt beyond this deter- 
 minate 
 
l^he Second Letter. 113 
 
 minate Sphere, then there muft be 
 fomething to obftrud Him. For a 
 mere Nothing cannot be a Bar to his 
 Adion. And the extra-mundane 
 Void is a mere Nothing. I know 
 that the Tranjlator of Archbiftiop 
 King quotes Episcopius to prove 
 it an Abfurdity, that the Deity 
 £hould be in an extra-mundane Void. 
 " Becaufe to be in a Place, fuppofes 
 *' the Deity to take a De?iomination 
 ** or real Habitude from the Place 
 *' in which he is. But he cannot 
 *' derive a real Habitude from No- 
 *' tbifig^ But notwithftanding this^ 
 
 I would aik ; Was the Deity 
 
 in the Void, where the World now 
 is, before He produced it ? Jf He 
 was, then He may exift in the ex- 
 tra-mundane Negation of Matter be- 
 yond the Scene of his Operations, 
 H ' as 
 
1 14 The "Third Letter. 
 
 as well as He did in this Void, be- 
 fore the mundane Syftem was in Be- 
 ing. If he was not, then how could 
 Fie exert his Power, where his Sub- 
 ftance was not ? This would be to 
 hang Power in a literal Senfe, as yob 
 does the Earth in 2i figurative^ upon 
 Nothing. It would be to build Ca- 
 files in the Air, without any Foun- 
 dation. 
 
 You are apt^ it feems, to fuhfcribe 
 in the Negative to the Imrnenjity or 
 
 htfinity of the Deity But can 
 
 you really fet Bounds to that Being 
 whom the Heaven, and the Heaven 
 of Heavens cannot contain f Can 
 you fay to him. Hitherto fhalt thou 
 come^ aiid 720 farther ; and here 
 /hall thy Exiftence be flayed ? This 
 is all we mean by Infinite^ v'yl. A 
 Negation of Bounds. If the Deity 
 3 be 
 
The Third Il.'E T Tl^ K. 115 
 
 be not Infinite or immenfe^ then He 
 muft either be bounded by Hbnfelf^ 
 
 or by fome Other -^ or hyfome Im- 
 
 pojjibility in the Nature of the Thing. 
 
 Not by Himfelf For he necef- 
 
 farily is, what He is. He cannot 
 therefore admit of any Diminution 
 or Increafe even from Himfelf 
 much lefs can He admit of thefe 
 from any Other, both for the fame 
 Reafon, and becaufe whatever limits^ 
 muft ht fuperior to what is limited 
 — ^— Not, by any Impoffibility in 
 the Nature of the Thing ; for it is 
 no more impoflible for the Deity to 
 be infinite in his Exijlence than in 
 his Duration. He who is infinite in 
 one Perfedion, may be infinite in alL 
 There can be no Limitation^ where 
 there is no Limiter. For Limitation 
 being an EffeB muft fuppofe a 
 H 2 Caufe* 
 
1 1 6 "l^he Second Letter. 
 
 Catife, But Exteiifion^ you fay, in- 
 fers Parts ; and Parts^ Number ; 
 and Number^ Limitation. I am not 
 obliged to defend Exte7tfi07t any 
 more than you ; and confequently 
 am not folicitous whether this be a 
 juft Anfwer : That, by Number you 
 either mean aElual Number -^ or the 
 Power of Numberi77g. It is true, 
 that aSlual Number can never be in- 
 finite, becaufe what we adlually num- 
 ber cannot be numberlefs : But ftill 
 our Power of Numbering can have 
 no Bounds, which is too plain to 
 dwell upon. As far as we do aStu- 
 ally number, it cannot be infinite. 
 But ftill we muft conceive an infinite 
 Surplus behind. 
 
 Though you triumph over me in 
 an unmerciful Manner, 1 no more 
 grant i?tfmte ExtenJio7i than you 
 
 do. 
 
The Third Letter. 117 
 
 do. And yet you fuppofe it, as well 
 as I do, in your former Letter. I 
 can fliew you the Paflage : "I 
 " would not willingly fuppofe the 
 ** Deity to be meafurable by Yards, 
 " Ells, and Poles ; but then I can- 
 ^^ not help conceiving fomething A- 
 *' nalogous to Extenfion. For uni- 
 " verfal Action fuppofes the univer- 
 *' fal fubftantial Prefence of the Dei- 
 " ty, and univerfal fubftantial Pre- 
 " fence infers fomething analogous 
 «^ to Exteniion. Where aitd Place 
 '' are T'erms relative to the fpacious 
 " extended Exijience'' Be it fo ; 
 then I doubt the Deity will be ex- 
 tended. For can we live^ a7td movey 
 and have our Bei?tg in God, and 
 yet that very Being in whom we live^ 
 &c, not be prefent, where we live^ 
 and move, and have our Being ? 
 
 H 3 From 
 
1 1 8 The Third Letter. 
 
 From thofe manifeft Traces of 
 the Divine Wifdom, which appear 
 through the whole Oeconbmy of 
 Nature, we infer that there is every- 
 where a wife Caufe fubfifting. The 
 whole World is, in this Refpedl, as 
 it were one great Temple ; where, 
 as in the yewijhy the Shechinahy or 
 Divine Prefence, fhines confeft in a 
 vifible Glory. Give me Leave to 
 cite, for this Purpofe, an admirable 
 Paffage in Cicero, pro Milone^ 
 which I do not remember to have feen 
 quoted : "Eft, eft profcdo ilia Vis 
 (coslejtis) " neque in his Corporibus, 
 " atque in hac Imbecillitate ineji 
 '' quiddam quod vigeat ac fentiat ; 
 *' & 7ton ineJi in hoc tan to Naturae, 
 " tarn praeclaro Motu : ni forte id- 
 ^* circo effe non putant, quia non 
 " apparet, nee cerrlitur : proinde 
 
 " quad 
 
The Third Letter. 119 
 
 " quad noftram ipfam mentem, qua 
 " fapimus, qua providemus, qua 
 " haec ipfa agimus ac dicimus, vade- 
 " re, aut plane qualis, aut ubi fit 
 " fentire poflimus." You might as 
 well fancy, that the Soul can per- 
 ceive the Images of Things, and ac- 
 tuate the Body, without being pre- 
 fent in the Brain ; as that the Deity 
 can invigorate all Nature without 
 being prefent every-where. The 
 only Queftion at prefent is ; not 
 whether the Deity be every-where, 
 or in every Place ; but, whether ex- 
 tended or non- ex tended? 
 
 If the Deity be unextended^ this 
 Subftance which adls in this Point of 
 Space, muft be either all the Divine 
 Subftance, or not all There can be 
 no more a Medium (upon a Suppo- 
 lition of the Deity's ading in this 
 H 4 Place) 
 
1 20 ^he "Third Letter. 
 
 Place) between either the whole Sub- 
 fiance being here, or not the whole j 
 than there can between Being or not 
 Being ; between material or not ma- 
 terial And you might as well af- 
 firm, that the Deity is neither ex- 
 tended nor un-extended\ as affirm, 
 that he is neither totus in toto^ nor 
 yet Part here^ and Part there. If you 
 fay, it is the whole Subftance that 
 ads here^ then the Divine Subftance 
 is exhaiijled kere^ and there can be 
 no Remainder left to fill the Heaven^ 
 &c. For there cannot be more than 
 ^IL The Fulnefs of the Deity, this 
 Scheme fuppofes, is engroiTed by this 
 Part \ And yet it is not engrofTed ei- 
 ther. For it fubfifts whole in another 
 Part ; and fo on in infinitum. If 
 you fay, it is not the whole^ then 
 you admit of Parts^ and confequent- 
 
I'he Third Letter. 121 
 
 ]y of the Exte7tfion of the Deity : 
 and indeed I would embrace this 
 Scheme readily, if the Difiicnlty of 
 totus in toto did not haunt it too. 
 For upon the Hypothecs of Exten- 
 fion, either the effential Attributes 
 are co-extended with the Effence, or 
 they are not. If they are co-extend- 
 ed, then there will be Ells, and Yards^ 
 and Miles of the divine Confciouf- 
 nefs. But if they are not^ then, as 
 the Effence cannot be without the 
 Effential Attributes, they mufi: be 
 either Part here and Part there, 
 which would be to make as many 
 diftindl Confcioufneffes as there are 
 Parts ; or they muft be tot a in toto. 
 I know not how to get over thefe 
 Difficulties without havino- Recourfc 
 to the Scheme of Analogy, which 
 the Cambridge-WitSy for whom I 
 
 have 
 
1 22 ^he Third Letter. 
 
 have a very great Regard, generally 
 declare againft. The Deity muft 
 be a Being whom no Place can ex- 
 clude, and none include or circum- 
 fcribe. And if w^e may argue from 
 our imperfe6l Ideas ; Either his im- 
 material Subftance muft be all and 
 intire vi^ith every Part of the corpo- 
 real Subftance it has an immediate 
 
 Communication with or it muft 
 
 be united to it Part by Part ; fo that 
 they fhall be co-extended. 
 
 If then you can believe the Deity 
 to be Omniprefent, though you can- 
 not conceive the Manner of his Om- 
 nipreftnce, why cannot you believe 
 the Trinity in Unity ^ though you 
 cannot conceive how three^ in one 
 Refpedl, fhould be one in another ? 
 You believe the Former, becaufe you 
 can prove the Reality of the Thing 
 
 from 
 
"The "Third Letter. 123 
 
 from Reafon ; why do )rou not then 
 affent to the Latter, becaufe you 
 can prove it from Scripture^ The 
 Scripture was no more written to ex- 
 plain the DoEirtne of the Trinity, 
 than Reafon was given you to ex- 
 plai7t the Modus of the Divine Ubi- 
 qtiity. But you have a fingular 
 Fancy, '^ That the Scripture aflerts 
 " three diftindl Divine Beings." If 
 you can make out, that it aflerts 
 three Jeparate or feparable Beings, 
 the Proof will be as valuable a 
 Curioflty as your Principle of In- 
 dividuation^ for which I am to be 
 indebted to you. If you cannot ; 
 whatever falls fhort of this, will be, 
 give me Leave to fay, impertinent. 
 
 The next Article is that of Eter- 
 nity \ which you define by an unal- 
 terable Permanency^ and an infinite 
 
 Ability 
 
1 24 7he Third Letter. 
 
 Ability to exift — two different 
 
 Ideas. For infinite Ability to exift 
 is no more infinite Permanency or 
 Duration ; than your Ability to an- 
 fwer this Letter is an adual Anfwer 
 to it. You deny both the eternal 
 Succejfton and eternal Now : that is, 
 according to your Scheme, the Deity 
 neither exifts all at once ; nor yet 
 not all at once^ or fucceffively ; and 
 if you can believe this, great is your 
 Faith, For my Part, I find it im- 
 pojflible to doubt, that the Deity 
 has not exifted longer To-day, than 
 he had done Yefterday : and confe- 
 quently that he exifts Successively: 
 And V. hat neceftarily extorts my Af- 
 fent, I muft believe to be true. I 
 argue farther, that a Succejfton of 
 Operation neceffarily fuppofes a Sue- 
 cejjion of Duration, He who a6ls 
 1 not 
 
I'he Third Letter. 125 
 
 not all at once, exifts not all at once. 
 But the Deity ads not all at once. 
 He, who created the World in fiy 
 Days, redeemed Mankind fome 
 Thoufand Years after ; who will de- 
 ftroy it in Time to come, and then 
 judge it ; He, I fay, operates fuc- 
 ceffively : and what operates fuccef- 
 fively, endures fucceflively. \i pajiy 
 frefent^ and future may be applied 
 to the Operatmts of the Deity, then 
 they muft be applied to the Deity 
 operating. 
 
 This is little lefs than a Demon- 
 fliration of the fuccejfwe Exiftence : 
 And yet I will not deny that it is 
 clogged with inextricable Difficul- 
 ties ; far greater than any the Trinity 
 is embarrafled with. If I had a mind 
 to particularize them, I could pour 
 upon you an Inundation of Meta- 
 
 phyfics. 
 
1 26 The I'hird Letter. 
 
 phyfics. But I chufe rather to re- 
 fer you to the Writers mentioned in 
 my laft. 
 
 The next Article that falls under 
 your Confideration is the Divine 
 Prefcience. 
 
 To convince you of the Danger of 
 w^ading beyond your Depth ; and 
 that there may be an apparent Con- 
 tradidion, w^here there is not a real 
 one, I afked you, *' Does it not feem 
 *^ to imply a Contradidion, that 
 '' God fliould infallibly foreknov^ 
 <' Contingencies ? that he fhould cer- 
 " tainly forefee uncertain Events ? " 
 To this you reply, that Events may 
 be certain^ but not necejfary. But 
 can that be certain, which may be, 
 or may not be, v^^hich I fuppofe is 
 the Meaning of not necejfary P And 
 is not what depends upon the Will 
 
 of 
 
l^he Third Letter. 127 
 
 of a free Agent, what may, or may 
 not be? Whatever certain and ne- 
 cejfary may be in other Cafes ; yet 
 they feem here, which is all I con- 
 tend for, to be equivalent Terms. 
 Either the Deity's Foreknowledge is 
 abfolutely certain and infallible, or 
 it is not. If it is not, the Deity's 
 Knowledge would be imperfedt ; and 
 all Imperfection is to be removed 
 from the Deity. 
 
 If it be faid, that it is abfolute, 
 how can there be an abfolutely cer- 
 tain and determinate Knowledge of 
 what is undetermined — what is 
 floating in Sufpence, — what I have 
 in my Power to ad, or not to 
 a6t ? As to w^hat you fay below, I 
 anfwer, that God does not necejfttate 
 A6lions by his infallibly forefeeing 
 them j but he could not, if we may 
 
 argue 
 
1 28 l^he "7 bird Letter. 
 
 argue from our imperfed: Views, in- 
 fallibly forefee them, if they were 
 not-neceflary, or contingent. His 
 Infallibility is not the Caufe^ but it 
 is the Refiilt^ of the Certainty of the 
 Objed-. As to your Argument 
 (which is very ingenioufly expreffed, 
 as ev^ery Thing of yours is) drawn 
 from the Deity's intimate Knowledge 
 of the Workings of human Nature ; 
 it's Paffions and Reafonings : I an- 
 fwer, either thefe necefiarily deter- 
 mine the Soul, or not. If they do 
 not, then fuch muft the Knowledge 
 necefiarily be as the Adion (the Ob- 
 jed: of that Knowledge) is ; fixed 
 and determined, if that is fixed and 
 determined ; if not fixed, it can on- 
 ly amount to an high Degree of Pro- 
 bability, or, at beft, moral Certainty: 
 And it muft be more or lefs to be 
 
 depend- 
 
7be ^hird Letter. i 29 
 
 depended upon, in Proportion as the 
 Perfon ading by an habitual Attach- 
 ment to fuch particular Methods of 
 Adion, ads more or lefs mechani- 
 cally, or makes nearer Approaches 
 to Necejftty^ or an Impoffibility to 
 turn his Thoughts into another Chan- 
 nel. In fhort, Knowledge muft 
 keep Pace with the Nature of the 
 Thing. Befides, the Soul often ex- 
 erts a mere arbitrary Ad of her in. 
 vifible Empire in chuiing this rather 
 than that^ where there is an abfo- 
 lute Indifference, without any In- 
 fluence from any affignable Motives, 
 Reafonings, or Paffions. 
 
 But to take this Matter a little 
 
 higher A future Determination 
 
 of my Will, before it has determined 
 itfelf, is no Determination, is a mere 
 Non-Entity. And of a mere Non- 
 
 I Entity, 
 
1 30 ^he Third Letter. 
 
 Entity, or Nothings there can be 
 no Knowledge. Confequently, God 
 cannot read or forefee in my Soul, 
 what is not there at all. ^£. D. 
 
 But he may know what he will 
 do Himjelfy his Will being invari- 
 able ; and confequently there is no 
 Difficulty in conceiving that he 
 might fore-know your Exiftence, 
 looking through the whole Plan of 
 his Creation, and having a compre- 
 henfive View of all the Beings that 
 have, or are to a6t their Part upon 
 the Theatre of the World. 
 
 The fame may be faid of the 
 Laws by which he governs the Ma- 
 terial World, which are nothing 
 more than the Deity's knowing that 
 he will adt uniformly and confiftent- 
 ly, nothing but the Knowledge of 
 his own Determinations. Whereas 
 
 you 
 
The Third Letter. 131 
 
 you intimate, that " what is certain* 
 '' ly paft was certainly future ; and 
 " what was certainly future, might 
 ^' be certainly {oTtknown : " Not to 
 examine, whether there be not a 
 Flaw, which I think there is, in the 
 Argument; it is fufEcient to fay, 
 that my Argument is at leafl: a Match 
 for it ; that nothing can be certain^ 
 which 7nay^ or 7nay not be ; as de- 
 pending upon the undetermined Will 
 of a free Agent. 
 
 But you may afk, Do you not 
 then believe the Divine Prefcience ? 
 Yes, I do fmccrely. Not becaufe I 
 think the Objedions againft it are 
 eafily anfwered; but becaufe the 
 Proofs for it preponderate, and fuf- 
 fer me not to fufpend my Aflent. 
 Were the "Trinity in Unity embar- 
 raffed with fo great Difficulties, you 
 I 2 would 
 
132 I'he Third Letter. 
 
 would have much more Reafon to 
 rejed the BeHef of it than you have 
 at prefent. 
 
 But, Maiiiim de Tabula That 
 
 Being who dwells in u7mpproachable 
 Glory ^ is too bright an Obje6t to 
 contemplate, Ocido irretorto^ with 
 undazzled Eyes ; without being 
 blinded by the Excefs of his Efful- 
 gence. I was going to enlarge, but 
 have the Pleafure to find myfelf 
 prevented by your Sentiments on 
 that Head, which in a Letter, where 
 every Thing is bright and ingenious, 
 fhine with difiinguijijed Brightnefs. 
 Your Thoughts are the fame in Sub- 
 fiance, as mine in my former, and 
 only differ from them, as your's al- 
 ways will, in Vivacity, and your 
 fprightly Happinefs of Didion. There 
 is as much Difference between the 
 
 fame 
 
^he Third Letter. 133 
 
 fame Sentiment cloathed by you, 
 " qiiejn Mufce qimtd parte jui Nec- 
 '' tar is imbuerunt^^ and expreffed 
 in my homely Manner, as there is 
 between the Adions of an accom- 
 pHflied Gentleman and of a Man of 
 the common Rank. A plai7i Man 
 may do an Adion of the fame in- 
 trinfick Worth as the Gei2tle7na7t ; 
 But then the Ge?itleman never fails 
 to ftamp an additional Value upon 
 what he does by a peculiar Grace, 
 a Manner and Decorum ; and dou- 
 bles an Obligation by beftowing it 
 with the Air of a Perfon that is ob- 
 liged. Thus I may hit upon a 
 Thought the fame materially as 
 your's ; But you can give a particu- 
 lar Charm and Beauty to it, and in- 
 fufe, as it were, a Soul and Spirit in- 
 to that Sentiment, which was a dull 
 I 3 and 
 
134 T^e Third hETTER. 
 
 and uninformed Mafs before. Free 
 from that obfcure Diligence which 
 unhappily diftinguifhes the Writings 
 of fome great Scholars, a native Eafi- 
 nefs makes Learning {it gracefully 
 Upon you without any forbidding 
 Appearances. 
 
 I muft not pafs by an occafional 
 Remark of your's upon the Ortho- 
 dox in general ; who, it feems, have 
 Strength of Reafon enough to fee 
 the Weaknefs of their Reafon in the 
 deep 'Things of God : and therefore 
 will believe what has the Stamp of 
 Myjlery upon it. Creation and Re- 
 demption — from the one we derive 
 a temporary Beings from the other 
 
 an eternal Well-being Both of 
 
 them invironed with Myftery 
 
 Both, notwithftanding this Reafon 
 
 to be admitted or both^ for that 
 
 Reafon, 
 
I'he "Third Letter. 135 
 
 Reafon, to be difcarded. You men- 
 tion fome, who love to magnify 
 Difficulties^ and ca7Z digejl nothing 
 till they have made it indigejlible. 
 I am not ignorant at whom this no- 
 table Piece of Satyr is levelled, and 
 had I not refolved to keep in the 
 Overflowings of my Gall, I fliould 
 be tempted to make an impotent 
 Reply. But I forbear — only indulge 
 my Impertinence in making an un- 
 meaning Reflexion, which every 
 Body muft fee is unappli cable to 
 You. 
 
 Though Human Folly, like Mat- 
 ter, is much the fame at all Times ; 
 yet it admits of an infinite Variety 
 of Modifications : it is continually 
 fhifting the Scene, and is no fooner 
 fubdued in one Form, than it ftarts 
 up in another. And had Cervan- 
 
 I 4 TES, 
 
156 ^he Ithirdl^ E T T E R. 
 
 TEs, who laughed out of Counte-s 
 nance, by an inimitable Vein of Rail- 
 lery, amorous and military Romances^ 
 the reigning Folly of that Age ; had 
 he, I fay, lived now, he would have 
 turned the Edge of his Ridicule a- 
 gainft Metaphyjical Romances^ which 
 are at prefent fo much in Vogue. 
 Nothing more common now- a- days 
 than to ered: new Schemes, which 
 are for a while the Wonder of the 
 Unthinking. And when xh^Jirong 
 Man^ well-armed with Learning and 
 Abilities, keepeth his new-ereded 
 Building, his intelledual Goods are 
 
 in Peace till 2i Jiro7iger than he 
 
 arifeth^ a?idjirippeth him of his Ar- 
 mour in which he trujled. How 
 many fine Hypothefes have you and I 
 feen in Morality and Metaphyfecks^ 
 which after having fourijhed for a 
 I iittk 
 
I'he "Third Letter. 137 
 
 little 'Timey ^ ^withered away^ hecaufa 
 they had no Depth? Whereas the 
 Scriptures have flood the Teft of 
 Ages : they continue, Hke their great 
 Author, the fame Yejlerday^ 'To- day^ 
 and for ever ; ever attacked, and 
 ever triumphant. And when once 
 Men, enamoured of their own Meta- 
 phyfcal Reveries^ relinquifh them; 
 (juft as the Ifraelites forfook the 
 Kving God) they fet up fome vain 
 and fenfelefs Idol of the Imagination ; 
 and then wonder that all Mankind 
 do not fall dow?t and adore it. I 
 add farther, that whoever has at- 
 tempted to explain away the vene- 
 rable Myjleries of Chriftianity, has 
 made the Dodrines far more myjle- 
 rious than they were before. This 
 is exemplified by Dodor C l a r k e's 
 Scripture-DoBrine^ &^c. who has 
 
 attempt- 
 
138 T'he Third Ij-ettek. ; 
 
 attempted to get rid of the Difficul- 
 ties of the Orthodox Scheme at the 
 Expence of much greater. " Gra- 
 *' viorem plagam recepit^ ut levio- 
 ** rem repelleretr 
 
 You fee, that this Refledion is, 
 according to Promife, undefigning. 
 I will add another that does concern 
 you. 
 
 Men of the common Level may 
 with Reafon be afraid of being loft 
 in a Crowd. To pafs themfelvcs 
 upon the World for Men of Pene- 
 tration, they muft ftrike into new 
 Tracks. But You will always be di- 
 ftinguiflied from the Many by the 
 fuperior Height and Elevation of 
 your Genius. When you do not dif- 
 fer from them, 
 
 — Humero fupereminet omnes^ 
 will be applicable to You, 
 
 I pro- 
 
I'he Ithird Letter. 139 
 
 I proceed now to the fecond Part 
 of your Letter, where I find nothing 
 very material, till You attack the 
 Indifcerpibk Bottofn^ as You call it. 
 In Anfwer to the Objedion, that 
 This Per/on could not fatisfy Thaty 
 hecaufe the Effence was one and the 
 fame\ I obferved, that Eflence 
 might be one and the fame, becaufe 
 
 indivifibky or indifcerpibk Indi- 
 
 fcerpibility was no Bar to Dlflinc- 
 tion and diftind Adions There- 
 fore the Father and the So7t might 
 ad diJlinBly in giving and receiving 
 Satisfa&ion, 
 
 Here I played my Cannon fo 
 brifkly, that you were going to raife 
 the Siege inglorioufly; and to quit 
 the Field in Precipitation and Dif- 
 order. But, like other Heroes, then 
 exerting their Courage moft, when 
 
 in 
 
140 T^he ^hird Letter. 
 
 in the deepeft Diftrefs ; You at laft, 
 colledted in yourfelf, bid me Defi- 
 ance. I am forry to find your 
 Strength bears no Proportion to your 
 Heroifm. For, wanting better Wea- 
 pons, you begin the Onfet yNixhfmall 
 Shot ; alidsj Indifcerpible Atoms, 
 Your Metaphyseal Forces muft be 
 very poor and languid, when you 
 were forced to call in Natural Phi- 
 lojophy to your Aid. 
 
 Thefe Indifcerpible Atoms^ by 
 your own Confeffion, are not ahfo- 
 lutely indifcerpible. But the Deity, 
 if he does confift of Parts, confifts 
 of Parts effentially umnoveahle from 
 each other, and unpartible^ without 
 an exprefs Contradidion in 'Terms, 
 For all Divifion implies Limitation, 
 and Limitation is contrary to our 
 Ideas of the Deity. He cannot be 
 
 divided 
 
^he Third Letter. 141 
 
 divided without ceafing to be infinite; 
 becaufe where there is a Chafm (and 
 JDiviJiofi makes a Chafm) there can 
 be no Infinity ; and He cannot ceafe 
 to be infinite, without ceafing to 
 be God. He is neceffarily what he 
 is, confequently if he be undivided, 
 he muft be neceffarily tmdividedj 
 and neceffarily indiviftble. By Farts 
 then in the Deity, if the Scheme of 
 Extenjion be granted, we muft not 
 underftand what is partible ( for 
 that is only true of corporeal Parts ) 
 but Metaphyjical Parts; ov fo much 
 of the Divine Subftance, as is com- 
 menfurate to fuch an aflignable Por- 
 tion of Matter. And to argue, that 
 becaufe Phyfical Parts are feparable, 
 therefore Metaphyjical Parts muft 
 be fo too, is a very inconclufive Way 
 of Arguing ; it is Tranjitio a Genere 
 
 ad 
 
142 The Third Letter. 
 
 ad Genus, Thus the happy Beam of 
 Lights which you had Jlruck upon^ 
 proves to be nothing elfe but an Ig- 
 nis Fatuus, 
 
 You tell me, that Indifcerpibility 
 infers Parts ; and I am fure Dif- 
 cerpihility does. Hard Fate for thofe 
 who would prove the Deity Impar- 
 tible! for he muftj it feems, have 
 Parts, if he be either difcerpihle^ 
 or indifcerpible , either divijible^ or 
 indivifible. 
 
 The Sum and Subftance of what I 
 would fay is this — ■ That your indif- 
 cerpible Atoms confift of above and 
 under \ of this and that Side ; and 
 it can be no ImpofTibility for the 
 Deity, whatever it may be to the 
 Powers of Nature, to feparate the 
 Upper from the U7ider^ and this Side 
 from that. But what can feparate 
 
 the 
 
l^he l^hird Letter. 143 
 
 the Deity ? — not Himfelf ; no more 
 than He would limit Himfelf: not 
 any created Being ; for can a created 
 Being limit and disjoin That by 
 which he is created ? You refer to 
 what you have faid before to dif- 
 prove, that htdijfolubk Union may 
 conftitute Unity, &^c. and I take, 
 the fame Privilege to refer to what I 
 have faid above in Proof of it. I never 
 adopted the extended Sche?ne ; but, 
 becaufe Tou fuppofed it ; in Com- 
 plaifance to you I argued from it ; 
 not ignorant, in the mean Time, 
 that the Trinity would ftand it's 
 Ground upon the Scheme of Non- 
 Extenjiony perhaps with greater, I 
 am fure with equal Advantage. 
 Why you call the Scheme an un- 
 friended Infanty I want to be in- 
 formed. Can that be unfriended 
 
 I which 
 
144 ^^^ Third Letter. 
 
 which is countenanced by the great 
 Names of Limborch, Locke, 
 Ti L L o T s o N, Clarke, and New- 
 ton? to which I add, with Plea- 
 fure, my ingenious Correfpondent in 
 the former Part of his Letter. 
 
 What you fay below in this Page 
 about a Contradiction, I have an- 
 fwered towards the Beginning of this 
 Letter. Indifcerpibility is a negative 
 Idea. I am glad, that Indifcerpibi- 
 lity is no Bar to Diftindion, and 
 diftind: Adions. You allow that it 
 is not, and I heartily thank you : 
 For, that being allowed, each Link 
 of the Chain is made firm in my 
 Argument, whether the extended or 
 unex tended Scheme takes place. But 
 alas ! alas ! how fhort-lived and fleet- 
 ing are human Joys! Cafting my 
 Eyes upon another Page, I find you 
 
 deny 
 
"Jhe Third Letter. 145 
 
 deny what you before allowed ; and 
 tell me, that Indivijibility is an Ob. 
 ftruSlion to DifiinBion. I will not 
 anticipate here what will be more 
 proper to be faid hereafter, when I 
 come to that Page. 
 
 I wifh I could draw a Veil over 
 what is to follow. It will be a me- 
 lancholy Scene. Nothing but your 
 Requeft, which fhall have alway the 
 Force of an authoritative Command 
 with me, could prevail upon me to 
 proceed to re-conilder with great 
 Reludlance your poor unfortunate 
 Tritheiflkal Hypothefis. 
 
 The firft Argument I produced 
 again ft it was drawn from MofeSy 
 and our Saviour, who quotes the 
 Text. Hear^ Ifrael^ the Lord 
 (Jehovah J your God is one Lord'y 
 one neceflarily-exifting Subftance. 
 
 K It 
 
146 ^he Thirdly E T T E R. 
 
 Jt is very obfervable that, after our 
 Saviour had quoted thefe Words, 
 when the Scribe faid, 'There is one 
 God^ and there is none other hut He^ 
 Chrift commends the Scribe for hav- 
 ing anfwered difcreetly : which he 
 could not have done, if, befides that 
 only God, fnone other but He) there 
 had been a Trinity of Gods (accord- 
 ing to Your Scheme) to be worfhip- 
 ped. Our Saviour's Commendation 
 / of the Scribe is, confequently, a 
 ftrong Reinforcement of the genuine 
 Meaning of the Text. 
 
 By neceffarily-exifting Subftance 
 Mofes means, you fay, the Manner 
 of the Divine Exijlence : No other 
 Beings hut your Three do exijl in 
 that Mamter, The Senfe then is 
 this. Hear^ I/rael, the Lord 
 (viz. fuch a Manner of Exiftence) 
 3 your 
 
The Third Letter, 147 
 
 your God^ is one fuch Manner of 
 Exiftence. And if he had meant 
 this, the Ifraelites would have been 
 no wifer for this Affertion of Mofes 
 than You are. According to this In- 
 terpretation when the Scriptures tell 
 us, that God made at firft one Man^ 
 from whom the reft defcended ; we 
 need not underftand that he made 
 one Beings but one fuch Manner of 
 Exiflence^ which was originally com- 
 municated to a confiderable Number 
 of Men. For though Jehovah fig- 
 nifies one Being neceffarily-exifting, 
 one TO cv, yet it may fignify three 
 feparate Beings ; provided their 
 Manner of Exiftence be of the fame 
 Kind. Jehovah implies Being that 
 exifts by Neceflity : and ccnfequent- 
 ly, if the Scripture afferts one ne- 
 ceflfarily-exiftent Being, what Right 
 K 2 have 
 
148 "The Third Letter. 
 
 have you to fuppofe three diviftbh 
 Beings ? What feems to have led you 
 
 into your Miftake v^as this ye- 
 
 hovah^ neceffarily-exifting Subftance, 
 impUes two Ideas ; Necejfary Exiji- 
 encBy and the Suhjlaitce or Subjlra- 
 tum of that neceffary Exiftence. In 
 your Expofition you retain the for- 
 mer of thefe Ideas; and drop the lat- 
 ter, that of the Suhjlratum. And 
 whereas your Comment fliould have 
 run thus ; the Subftance vefted with 
 fuch a Mode of Exiftence as is there 
 fpecified, is one Subftance vefted with 
 that Mode ; by letting the Idea of 
 Subftance flip out of the Account, 
 you expound it thus : The Mode of 
 Exiftence is one Mode of Exiftence- 
 Is this, to turn your own Artil- 
 lery upon you, to interpret Scripture 
 according to the common Rules of 
 
 Criti- 
 
The Third Letter. 149 
 
 Criticifm ? or is it not rather to put 
 a forced and unintelligible Se?ife when 
 it admits of a plaiti and intelligible 
 ConJlruBion f I fay, plain and in- 
 telligible ; viz that Being and Being 
 may be fo clofely and infeparably 
 united as to make one Being, be- 
 caufe they have an indivifible ns^i- 
 yufVi^ic and 'EvJ/rfi^f^/^, a clofe In-ex- 
 ijience and Permeation of one ano- 
 ther, without any Poflibility of be- 
 ing fundered the one from the other* 
 According to that of our Saviour — 
 I am in the Father^ and the Father 
 in Me : and, the Father that dwelL 
 eth in me^ &^c. And is not this a 
 much more rational Solution of the 
 Difficulty, as well as more agreeable 
 to Scripture, than your's ; who 
 fuppofe a forlorn Mode of neceffary 
 Exiftence to be meant in the Text 
 K 3 with- 
 
150 TZ?£r I'hird Letter. 
 
 without any Suhfiratumf Befides, 
 what think you of that celebrated 
 Text, T'here are 'Three that bear Re- 
 cord in Heaven^ the Father^ the 
 JVordy and the Holy Ghoji^ and thefe 
 Three are One^ to h sio-i, are one Be- 
 ing ; one Nature ; in Oppodtion to 
 the Words in the next Verfe, where 
 the three Agents are faid to agree in 
 one^ siq TO sv kai^ have an Uniformi- 
 ty^ but are not united f If you dif- 
 pute the Genuinenefs of the Text, I 
 refer you to Mill, Martin, 
 TwELLs, Bl ACKWALL on the y^- 
 cred ClaJJtch^ and Tr a p p's Moyers 
 Ledures ; If you admit the Text, 
 you muft admit that they are One, 
 not merely uniform in Effence. 
 
 The fecond Argument againft it 
 was, that it was to multiply Beings 
 without Neceffity. You had no 
 
 Grounds 
 
I'he Third Letter. 151 
 
 Grounds to fuppofe three feparable 
 Divine Beings, confequently the Sup- 
 pofition of three fuch Beings was 
 groundlefs. Scripture, as I have 
 proved above, is again ft you ; and 
 you cannot bring one Shadow of a 
 Proof from Reafon. As much as 
 you deal in wonder-working Magic, 
 you cannot conjure up one thin, airy, 
 unfubftantial Phantom of an Argu- 
 ment from the abJiraSi Nature of 
 the I'hing. You may prove from 
 Effeds one firft Caufe, but not 7nore 
 than one ^ one being fufficient to pro- 
 duce all the Phaenomena in Na- 
 ture. 
 
 It is contrary to the Laws of Dif- 
 putation only to affert what you 
 fhould prove : viz. That you have 
 Grounds for fuch a Suppoftion. He 
 that afferts a Thing fhould prove it. 
 K 4 Thus 
 
152 ^he Tfjird Letter. 
 
 Thus defencelefs is your Hypothejisj 
 oppofed by plain Texts of Scripture, 
 and unfriended by Reafon. And 
 what has been hitherto by you ad- 
 vanced, appears to be nothing but 
 the uneafy Efforts of an Hypothefis 
 expiring unavoidably, yet ftruggHng 
 hard for Life. Let us fee whether 
 you have better Succefs in what fol- 
 lows. 
 
 The third Argument againfl: it 
 you tranfcribe; which is, that if 
 your fuppofed three infinite Sub- 
 ftances be divided^ or ( for it is the 
 fame Thing here) divijible^ they 
 cannot all be infinite. The Reafon, 
 which you have not tranfcribed, is 
 there fubjoined : but if they be un- 
 divided or indivijibky then your 
 Scheme coincides with that of the 
 Orthodoxy which is, " neither to 
 
 " con- 
 
'The T'hird Letter. 153 
 
 " confound the Perfons, nor to di- 
 '' vide the Subftance." 
 
 To this you reply; "Though you 
 do not admit of three divided Sub- 
 Jlances, yet you grant they are divi- 
 fible. You granted too, what I proved, 
 that if they be divided^ they cannot 
 be infinite. If then (as you grant, 
 and I have proved) hifinity excludes 
 Divifion ; it follows, that what is ne- 
 cejjfarily ijifinite, mufi: be 7ieceffarily 
 undivided. But your three infinite 
 Beings are neceflarily infinite^ as they 
 are neceflarily exifient ; they do not 
 admit of any Diminution or Addi- 
 tion ; confequently, they muft be 
 neceflarily undivided-^ and what is 
 neceflarily undivided is i?idivifihle. 
 Or thus ; If (as you allow) what is 
 divided cannot be infinite, then a 
 Poflibility of Divifion fuppofes a 
 
 Pofll- 
 
^54 ^'^^^ "Third Letter. 
 
 Poffibility of their ceafmg to be in- 
 finite ; and a Poffibility of their ceaf- 
 ing to be infinite, fuppofes a Poffi- 
 bility of their ceafing to be what 
 they neceffarily are ; which is a Con- 
 tradition in Terms. 
 
 Again ; if nothing can a6l where 
 it is not, then either each of your 
 three Beings muft neceffarily co-exift 
 every-where with an uninterruptible 
 Fulnefs of Being without any Sepa- 
 rability of the one from the other ; 
 or where there is a Separability of any 
 one of them from the other, there is 
 a Poffibility for that Being not to exift 
 
 there Confequently, there is a 
 
 Poffibility of his not being able to a6l 
 
 there Confequently there is a 
 
 Poffibility of his becoming an impo- 
 tent or imperfed Being Confe- 
 quently, he will not be neceffarily 
 
 God 
 
^he T'hird Letter. irr 
 
 God Confequently he is no God 
 
 at all. 
 
 You retreat again to your impreg- 
 nable Fortrefs, Confciouffiefs. Con- 
 fcioi^fnefs^ you fay, ca?J7wt be fup- 
 pofed without: any p?'evious Dijlinc- 
 tio7i of Being to fuppo7't it. I grant 
 it. But if the 7ri?2ity is Subftance 
 
 and Subftance effeiitially united 
 
 If what is ejfe?2tially united, is one ; 
 or, if i7tdiJJoluble Union conftitute 
 
 Unity then Confcioufnefs or 
 
 Confcioufnejfes^ whatever Dijiin&ion 
 of Being they may prove, cannot 
 difprove the Unity. What is fo ne- 
 ceffarily rivetted and united, let not 
 that Inchanter Confcioufnefs put a- 
 funder or difunite. This may ferve 
 for an Anfwer to all you have faid 
 concerning Cojfcioujnefs.^ which does 
 not injure our Scheme^ nor beneiit 
 
 your's. 
 
1^6 The "Third Letter. 
 
 your's. For Confcioufnefs cannot 
 divide the Subftance. I have already 
 proved your fuppofed three Sub- 
 ilances to be indivifihk : And you 
 unfortunately grant, that divijible 
 and diftingutjhable are the fame ; 
 and fo it cannot dtjlinguijh them 
 either without dividing them, which 
 is impoffible. Thus you have got a 
 Trinity of Gods, which are neither 
 divijible nor di/linguijhable, Di- 
 JlinB without being divided is, you 
 are pleafed to fay, unintelligible y ar- 
 gon. 
 
 And now having difpatched your 
 Scheme, what hinders but I might 
 indulge my fatyrical Vein after your 
 Example, which I fhould be proud 
 
 to follow in every Thing elfe ? 
 
 But I fcorn to infult the Dead- 
 
 Peace, everlafting Peace be to the 
 
 Shade 
 
I'he Ithtrd Letter. 157 
 
 Shade of your mofi: lamented, and 
 indeed moft lamentable Hypothecs ! 
 
 darling Offfpring of a worthy 
 Sire ! Could either my generous Pity 
 (For thou waft, vel Priamo m'lfe- 
 rajtda) or thy Father's Prowefs in 
 War have faved thee, thou hadft not 
 died. But when there arc mala Sta- 
 77iina VitcB ; when the Vitals are 
 unfound, all Human Endeavours are 
 vain and inefFedual ; 
 
 " Evandroj qualem mertiity Pallanta 
 remitto 3 " 
 
 1 fend you back the dead Corpfe to 
 be buried in eternal Oblivion. I 
 allow you, as you have an inex- 
 hauftible Fund of Wit, to fay a 
 World of fine Things upon it ; to 
 ftrew the Flowers of your Oratory 
 upon it's lifelefs Carcafe, and to pay 
 
 I the 
 
158 "The Third Letter. 
 
 the laft fad unavailing Office to it's 
 Manes 
 
 " Manibus date lilt a plenis *' 
 
 *' His faltem acctimulem Do?2is ^ 
 
 fungar inani 
 " Munere'' 
 
 Let not your paternal Tendernefs 
 carry you any farther. Have no 
 Recourfe to magic Arts to call up 
 it's fleeting Shade ; or, if You do, 
 do not exped that I fliould wage 
 War with an unbodied Phantom. 
 
 " Irrult ac ferro frujira diver ber at 
 Umbras*^ 
 
 It would undoubtedly have been 
 barbarous to rob you of your unfor- 
 tunate Infant, if your Imagination 
 had been barren. But you may well 
 bear the Lofs. Your happy and in- 
 ventive 
 
I'he "Third Letter. 159 
 
 ventive Fancy, which is married to 
 fo mafculine and regular a Judg- 
 ment, will foon repair the Damage 
 with a numerous Race of beautiful 
 and lafting Productions, 
 
 — " Pulchrd faciat 7^ Prole Pa- 
 rent ein^^ 
 
 To return ; I never affirmed, that 
 ^' Perfon and Subjlance were unin- 
 " telligible." All this whole Para- . 
 graph turns upon that Miftake ; and 
 upon confounding Unintelligible with 
 Incomprehenftble, 
 
 In the next Paragraph you will 
 not admit the Notion of an infinitely- 
 extended Deity ^ for Fear it lliould 
 draw along with it fome Confe- 
 quences, which would be injurious to 
 your late dear departed Hypothefis. 
 Well ; will you admit the Words of 
 
 the 
 
1 6o The Third Letter. 
 
 the Pfalmijl f Whither pall I go 
 then from thy Spirit^ or whither 
 Jljall I go the7t from thy Prefence ? 
 If I climb up i?tto Heaven^ thou art 
 there: If I go down to Hell^ thou 
 art there alfo. If I take the Wings 
 of the Mornings and remain in the 
 Mttermofl Parts of the Sea ; even 
 there alfo fhall thy Hand lead ^ne^ 
 aftd thy Right-Hand foall hold me. 
 Is not ading in Heaven diftant and 
 diflinEi from ading in Hell^ or in 
 the Sea ? And does not diflinSlj 
 diflant Atlion prove diflanty diflinEi 
 Subflance ; or a local Difl:in6tion of 
 Subftance ? " Can a Thing," fay 
 you, ^' be diftind from itfelf?" 
 No ; if by Self you mean Perfona- 
 lityj and the whole of that Perfona- 
 lity. For then the Queftion would 
 be ^ Can the whole^ as whole^ be 
 
 difliitEi 
 
l^he Third Letter. i6i 
 
 diftinB from the whole f But Sub- 
 ftance ejjentially united to Subftance, 
 and therefore one^ may admit of 
 DiJlinBion. Anfwer me this Que- 
 ftion : Is the Subftance, which is in 
 Heaven, one individual Subftance 
 v^ith that which filleth all Things ? 
 and it will be an eafy Matter to an- 
 fwer your's. God exifts wholly in 
 Heaven; or elfe there is only Part 
 of God there. Well then ; accord- 
 ing to the Scheme of Non-Exten- 
 Jio7ty to which you are a late Con- 
 vert, can the fame numerical Being 
 be confined ^^ and yet unconfinedf 
 " Can there be a DiiFufion of it," 
 to ufe Dr. W a t e r l a n d's Words, 
 " every-where, and yet nothing be 
 " diffuled ? " For it is fuppofed that 
 the whole Eflence is diffufed all over 
 the Univerfe, and yet remains whole 
 L and 
 
l62 The Third h-E T T e r. 
 
 and undtffufed in Heaven. Accord- 
 ing to the Scheme of Non-Ext en- 
 Ron we have fo many diftindt, nu- 
 merical Wholes^ which make one 
 numerical, diJltnB Whole ^ becaufe 
 effentially united. According to the 
 Scheme of Extenjion , we have fo 
 many diflinSi numerical Parts ^ which 
 have the whole Attributes refiding in 
 them, and yet make one numerical 
 Subftance, for the fame Reafon. Both 
 agree, that the Divine Nature is di- 
 JlinB^ though undivided, 
 
 SuppoUng my Soul had exactly 
 the fame Perfedions as^ your's, (by 
 the Way, I wifh mine had) and 
 were, by the Power of God, unalien- 
 ably united ; fo that you became, in 
 a literal Senfe, Dimidium Anim(^ 
 7ne(jey which you are now in ^figu^ 
 rative one j it is plain they would 
 X be 
 
T'he Third l^}LTrER. 163 
 
 be one^ as far as we underftand any 
 Thing of Unity. For when we per- 
 ceive any Objed: in a continued Poji- 
 tion^ fenced cut from other Things^ 
 we never fcruple to give it the Name 
 of One ; and being incapable of Se- 
 paration, and being of the fame 
 Kind and Degree, they might not 
 only be called^ but would really be 
 ftridlly One, But it is not fo plain, 
 that this Unity between us would be 
 a Bar to all DiftinSiion : You might 
 exert yourfelf in a diJlinB Manner ; 
 You might be adorning Morality^ 
 while I was employed in dry Meta- 
 phyjicks. 
 
 " If three intelligent Ading Suif^ 
 '' JlmKes can be made out to be 
 " one intelligent Ading St^bfta77cey 
 " then, &^cy Anfwer : This fup- 
 pofes Unity of Perfon and Unity of 
 L 2 Sub- 
 
164 ^ke Third Letter. 
 
 Subftance to be equivalent. Whereas 
 Plurality of Perfons implies the Sub- 
 ftance, though united^ to be dijlin- 
 guiped after fuch a Manner. Plura- 
 lity of Subftances implies the Sub- 
 ftance to be divided. So many fe- 
 parable Perfons are fo many Sub- 
 ftances; but Perfons having no pof- 
 fible Detachment the one from the 
 other, are one Subftance. The Per- 
 fons then are each Suhflancey but 
 not A Suhjiance ; becaufe we never 
 give the Name of A Suhjiance but 
 where the Subftance is aliene^^ and in- 
 dependent of another. Perfon then, 
 each Divine Perfon, as I faid before, 
 is Beings becaufe it exifts ; but not 
 y^ 5^/;^^, .becaufe the Perfons do not 
 exift feparate. 
 
 In Anfwer to this, you oblige me 
 with another Specimen of my Rea- 
 
 foning : 
 
T'he Third Letter. 165 
 
 foning: " God and my Soul are," 
 according to my Way of Arguing, 
 " each Being ; but not Beings^ be- 
 " caufe they do not exift feparately.'' 
 And is this a Specimen of my Rea- 
 foning ? Surely you could not think 
 me fo fenfelefs. My Soul is aElually 
 divided from God as He exifts in 
 Heaven ; and as to that particular 
 ( I was going to fay numerical) Sub- 
 ftance, in which I live^ and movCj 
 and have my Beings I am capable 
 of being removed from That, confi- 
 dered as particular^ to any Other (call 
 it Portion or Whole) of the Deity. 
 Wherever I go the Deity is ftill. 
 But then it is the Deity as locally 
 diJlinEi ; and by Annihilation I am 
 entirely caft out of his Prefence. 
 
 But this is not all. Another Ingre- 
 dient of Unity is, that the Subftance 
 L 3 be 
 
1 66 "The I'hird Letter. 
 
 be of thefojm Kind^ or homogeneous* 
 Now though God is a Spirit, and 
 my Soul a Spirit; yet Spirit does 
 not fignify one dttervntiate Kind of 
 . Being; but is one of yo\xx negative 
 Ideas, And though we call every 
 Thing Spirit that is not Mattery 
 yet it is as improper a Divifion to 
 range Beings into Spirit and not-Spi- 
 rit, as it would be into Horfe and 
 t\ot-Horfe, As my Soul is of a 
 quite different Effence from the Ta- 
 ble on which I write, though they 
 are both' Subftance ; fo God tranf- 
 cends my Soul infinitely more 
 (though they are both Spirit) than 
 my Soul can this Table. Homoge- 
 neity therefore, or a Negation of 
 Mixture, being to be taken into the 
 Account of Unity, as well as Indi- 
 vifibility ; it is plain my Soul, how- 
 ever 
 
T'he Third Letter. 167 
 
 ever clofely tmited^ cannot be ftridly 
 one with God. 
 
 To conclude, Whatever Being ho- 
 7nogeneous, is eflentially united, is 
 one, whether the Scheme of Exten- 
 fion, or Non-Extenfion takes Place ; 
 nay, if you fhould rejed: them both, 
 it will ftand colleded in itfelf upon 
 the fure Bottom of common Senfe. 
 The Trinity is Subjia?2ce and S^^b- 
 Jlance eflentially united There- 
 fore the Trinity is One, 
 
 You will find this Letter very 
 confufed : But having had fo many 
 Proofs of your Candour, I am un- 
 der no Apprehenfion upon that Ac- 
 count. 
 
 I fhould be dead to all Sentiments 
 
 of Friendfhip, if unafFeded with 
 
 your lafl: very affedionate Para- 
 
 L 4 graph. 
 
i68 The Third Letter. 
 
 graph. I cannot equal it ; and there- 
 fore will not attempt it. 
 
 That you may long continue hap- 
 py in the Pofleffion of an eafy For- 
 tune, a clear Head, and a generous 
 Heart, is the fincere Wifla oi^ 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your moji affeElionate Friend^ 
 
 And humble Servant 'i 
 
 JER. SEED. 
 
 ,^. 
 
 
 The 
 
The Fourth LETTER. 
 
 7J the Rev. T. H. relating to a Paf- 
 fage in one of the Author's Sermons. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I A M obliged to any Perfon, who 
 will point out to me what he 
 apprehends to be a Fault in any 
 of my Writings. As to the Paflage 
 which you mention, FoL 11. p. 95, 
 my only Fault is, which is a great 
 One, that I have not expreffed my- 
 felf as I (hould have done. My 
 Meaning was, that '' the Number 
 '^ of the Damned will bear no more 
 " Proportion to that of the Blefied 
 '' throughout the whole Univerje^ 
 " than^ &^c,'^ not confining myfelf 
 to the Inhabitants of the Earth : 
 
 Accord- 
 
1 70 l^he Fourth Letter. 
 
 Accordingly, in this very fermon, 
 Page 125, Lifie 19th, I expreffly 
 call the Damned a few i?tcurable 
 Members of the whole flupendous Bo- 
 dy of the Uiiiverfe ; not meaning 
 that they were abfolutely few, but 
 comparatively with the whole Body 
 of intelligent Beings. If the worthy 
 Gentleman, whofe Name you do 
 not mention, had thought my Words 
 capable of this Conftrudion, I dare 
 venture to fay, he would not have 
 made any Objedion againft them. 
 
 But fuppofing my Words will not 
 bear thisSenfe; give me Leave to ob- 
 ferve, that they are not a pofitive 
 Affertion^ as you feem to think ; they 
 are only a charitable Prefumption, 
 If I had had fuiEcicnt Authority 
 from Scripture, I would not have 
 faid, it may be prefu7?ied 'y but, it is 
 
 cer- 
 
I'he Fourth Letter. 171 
 
 certain. The Reafons for fuch a 
 Prefumptio7i (for they are not flrong 
 enough to found any DoBri72e up- 
 on) are as follow. Firji^ If I am 
 not miftaken, one half of Mankind 
 are cut off before they come to the 
 full Ufe of their Reafon, or have 
 their Senfes fufficiently exercifed to 
 difcern betwee?i moral Good and 
 Evil, Thefe, if baptized, are un- 
 doubtedly in a State of Salvation ; 
 if unbaptizedj they may be faved by 
 the uncovenanted Mercies of God • 
 at leaft, they w^ill not be made mi- 
 ferable in a future State. Secondly^ 
 If you add to thefe all thofe who 
 live and die in a State of invincible 
 Ignorance, or a State that makes ve- 
 ry near Approaches to it, (furprizing 
 Inftances of which you may meet, 
 with even in our own Country) the 
 
 Num- 
 
1 72 I'he Fourth Letter. 
 
 Number rifes greatly abov^e one half 
 of Mankind. T^hirdly^ Among A- 
 dults^ (who have, or may have clear 
 Ideas of their Duty) for one that 
 lives and dies a hardened Criminal, 
 there are Numbers who do not allow 
 themfelves in the habitual Praclice 
 of any deliberate, known Sm. In- 
 ftances of Bafenefs, ViHainy, and 
 malicious Wickednefs are ftill fur- 
 frizing ; which they would not be, 
 unlefs they were rare and uncom- 
 mon. But enough of this, that I 
 may not enter on a beaten Topick. 
 
 It has been proved at large, that 
 there is far more moral Good, than 
 Evil even in this Earth ; and confe- 
 quently, one would think, far more 
 good Men, in a qualified Senfe of 
 the Word, than bad: confequently^ 
 there will be more happy than mi- 
 
 ferable 
 
^he Fourth Letter. 173 
 
 ferable even among Adults^ who 
 have, or may have juft Apprehen- 
 fions of their Duty. And for thofe 
 who have not, and perhaps cannot 
 have, God will accept them accord- 
 ing to what they have and not ac- 
 cording to what they have not. Thefe 
 Lafl, however, I take to make up 
 the Bulk of Mankind in all Ages. 
 For the Prevalency of moral Good, 
 fee Archbifhop King on the Origin 
 of Evil, efpecially Note (A A), 
 
 Laying all thefe Things together, 
 viz. the Cafe of Infancy and Child- 
 hood, the Cafe of invincible Ignorance, 
 the much greater Number of good 
 Adions than bad, I think there are 
 fufficient Grounds for a charitable 
 Prefumption, and I meant nothing 
 more. A great many other Things 
 might be taken into the Account, as 
 
 the 
 
1 74 ^he Fourth Letter* 
 
 the Strength of fome Men's Paflions, 
 which I have hinted at in the fame Pa- 
 ragraph. As for the Scripture Texts 
 which feem to fay, that the Number 
 of they^'i;^^ will be few^ I beg Leave 
 to refer the Gentleman to Sermon 
 Xlltk Vol IV, of Dr. Clarke':? 
 Pojlhumous Sennons ; to which I 
 may add the pious and judicious 
 Archbiflhop S H a R p, in his Vlth Serm, 
 of VoL III 
 
 But if the Gentleman fhould 
 think the Pafiage indefenfible, as 
 perhaps it is, I fhall either ftrike it 
 out, if ever the Book has a fecond 
 Edition, or qualify it as above ^: and 
 any other obnoxious Paffage, which 
 he or you will be fo kind as to fhew 
 
 * A^. B. The Author has qualified the PafTage re- 
 ferred to, by adding the Words, throughout the whole 
 Creation, Vid. Seed's Sermons, Fol.ll.p.gy. Second 
 Edition. 
 
 me, 
 
T^he Fourth Letter. 175 
 
 me, iliall have the fame Fate. Pray 
 my humble Service to him. 
 
 I write this with a violent Fit of 
 the Head-ach upon me, which hin- 
 ders me from expreffing myfelf fo 
 well as I could wilTi. 
 
 I am afhamed^ that I have not 
 anfwered a former Letter of your's 
 before this. The Truth of the Mat- 
 ter is, it is unanfwerable : Though 
 I always read your Letters with Plea- 
 fure, yet it is a Mortification to me 
 to anfwer them : becaufe I cannot 
 write with that Life and Spirit with 
 which you do. I thank you for 
 the many ingenious Things you fay 
 in your laft. I (hall keep it by me 
 as an Inftance how far you could be 
 miftaken, in your younger Years, in 
 your favourable Judgment on me 
 and my Sermons. I hope this Let- 
 ter 
 
1 76 ^he Fourth Letter. 
 
 ter will find you well. It is fome 
 Pleafure to me, that you do not 
 complain of your bad State of Health, 
 as you did in the Letter before. What 
 Succefs do your Propofals meet with ? 
 I am afraid you find, what I al- 
 ways obferved, that the World does 
 not encourage modeft Worth. Pray 
 let me hear from you, and believe 
 me to be, 
 
 D E A R S I R, 
 
 Your affeEitonate Friend^ 
 
 J. SEE D. 
 
 Enham, July 1 2th 
 1743- 
 
 The 
 
177 
 
 The Fifth LETTER. 
 
 Wrote^ under a feigned Name^ to a 
 FRIEND in a da?2gerous Fit 
 of Sicknefs. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 A Sincere Defire to do you 
 Good, which is my only 
 Motive to write, muft be 
 likewife my only Apology for trou- 
 bling you with this Letter. 
 
 If I am not mifinformed, your 
 Cafe is not without fome Danger ; 
 You may, for ought you know, 
 ftand juft upon the Brink of Eter- 
 nity ; an Eternity of Happinefs or 
 Mifery. And will you, Sir, auda- 
 cioufly rufh into the facred Prefence 
 of the great Judge of Heaven and 
 Earth, as the Horfe rufheth into the 
 M Battle^ 
 
1 78 I'he Fifth Letter. 
 
 Battle^ without any Fore-thought or 
 Confideration what may become of 
 you hereafter ? No, Sir, / hope bet- 
 ter Things from you^ who cannot 
 be unapprifed of the great Value of 
 an immortal Soul. Can Man, fooHQi 
 Man, that cannot often gain the 
 leaft Preferment here without confi- 
 derable Application, think, that an 
 exceeding and eternal Weight of 
 Glory will be proftituted to his lazy 
 Wifhes and fpiritlefs Endeavours, or 
 perhaps to his No- Endeavours at 
 all? ' 
 
 GOD, Sir, has bleffed you with 
 very good Senfe ; be pleafed then 
 to exert it, in confidering — Whe- 
 ther you have fully anfwered the 
 End, for which an infinitely- wife 
 
 Being fent you into the World 
 
 Whether you have endeavoured to 
 3 keep 
 
The Fifth Letter. i 79 
 
 keep up a Senfe of the Regard due 
 to the Deity, by an exemplary Pie- 
 ty ; and to promote the Good of 
 your Fellow-Creatures by an adlive 
 Benevolence. Do not you think 
 thefe Ends worthy of a reafonable 
 Being ? And do not you think that 
 God created you to anfwer thefe 
 Ends? Your Illnefs, Sir, is perhaps 
 a lingring Illnefs, and you may yet 
 perhaps, in fome Meafure, anfwer 
 the End of your Creation, by join- 
 ing, as far as your Flealth will per- 
 mit, with your Family in Morning 
 and Evening Prayers ; by exprefling 
 an undiffembled Love and Gratitude 
 to that Being, v/ho died to procure 
 Pardon and eternal Happinefs for 
 you, for me, nay, even for the great- 
 eft of Sinners, upon their fincere 
 Repentance \ by forgiving every 
 M 2 one. 
 
i8o The Fifth Le r E r K. 
 
 one, that has wronged you, and by 
 making ample Reftitution, if you 
 have wronged any ; by bearing your 
 Sicknefs with Patience, and an hum- 
 ble Refignation to God. Your Suny 
 though probably near its f^ttingy 
 may yet jloine out, and thofe, who 
 are near you, may fee, and be in- 
 fluenced by your good Works, to go^ 
 a?2d do likewife. 
 
 Pardon me, Sir, if I take the Li- 
 berty to tell you, that I am forry to 
 hear you have generally negle6i:ed to 
 receive the Sacrament. If this is true, 
 you have lived in a State of wilful 
 Difobedience to one of God's exprefs 
 Commands. And wilful Difobedience 
 to that Being, from whom every 
 Thing that you have is received, and 
 to whom every Thing that you can do 
 is but your bounden Tribute, is no 
 
 flight, 
 
The Fifth l^E T r E K. i8i 
 
 flight, no inconfiderable Crime. 
 You, who, perhaps, may think it 
 not immoral to difobey the great 
 Majefty of Heaven in pofitive In- 
 flances ; yet would judge it highly 
 criminal for a Son to difobey his Pa- 
 rent, or a Servant his Mafter in in- 
 different Matters. To eat Bread, 
 and drink Wine^ is indeed /;; itfelf 
 of no Signification. But to eat 
 Bread and drink Wine out of a Prin- 
 ciple of fincere Obedience to Him 
 who made You, and of Love and 
 Gratitude to Him who redeemed 
 you, with an affectionate Defire 
 that you may be a Partaker of the 
 
 Benefits of his Paflion this is 
 
 Virtue, fubftantial Virtue. What- 
 ever crude and undigefted Notions 
 fome may form of God's Mercy, it 
 is as certain, as it is that there is a 
 M 3 Deity ; 
 
1 82 The Fifth Letter. 
 
 Deity ; that he will make fome Di- 
 jflindtion between thofe who have o- 
 bey^d him ; and thofe who have wil- 
 fully difobeyed him. And what that 
 Diftindion will be, I leave you to 
 confider. Thofe cannot be entitled 
 to the Divine Favour, that are re- 
 gardlefs of the Divine Will and 
 Pleafure. 
 
 But, before you receive the Sacra- 
 ment^ it will be neceflary for you to 
 take a Review of your paft Life. 
 Your Sicknefs having confined you 
 to your Room, you mufl: have a 
 great many vacant Hours upon your 
 Hands; and a Chriflian ought to be 
 then moft bufy, when, in the Lan- 
 guage of the World, he has nothing 
 to do : but, in the Language of 
 Reafon and Chriftianity, has his 
 eternal Salvation to work out with 
 
 Fear 
 
The Fifth Letter. 183 
 
 Fear and T'rembli?ig, Judge your- 
 felf, and then you will 7iot be judged 
 of the Lord. But if you negled: 
 to do this, then think what a fliock- 
 ing Thing it muft be to give an Ac- 
 count before the greateft Being in 
 the World, of a Life, that you per- 
 haps cannot refledl on ferioufly in 
 private, and by yourfelf, without 
 Shame and Confufion. Look up to 
 that Being whom you have offend- 
 ed, with all the Humility of a con- 
 trite Spirit, and look upon this 
 World as (what it may foon per- 
 haps in Reality be) Nothing to you. 
 Soon, very foon (oh, may it not 
 prove too foon for you ! I mean be- 
 fore a thorough Repentance) may th3.t 
 Being, whom none can Jee^ and live^ 
 fit in Judgment, on your Soul : 
 And then you muft either be, what 
 M 4 I 
 
1 84 I'he Fifth Letter. 
 
 I fincerely wifh, eternoUy happy ; 
 or, what I tren ibl^ 10 think cf) eter- 
 nally miferable. If the las^-er, which 
 God forbid ! fhould be your Cafe : 
 How dreadful mufl it be to lift up 
 thofe Eyes, which you had wilfully 
 fhut before, juft as you are linking, 
 irrecoverably linking, in endlefs Mi- 
 fery ? Behold^ now is the accepted 
 VCime^ now is the Day of Salvation ! 
 On your prefent Behaviour, on this 
 great Crifis, your ALL depends! 
 God, who will not defpife a troubled 
 and a contrite Hearty will have 
 Compafiion on you, provided you 
 have firft Compaffion on yourfelf. 
 But if you do not return to him with 
 a whole Heart ; nothing is more fit, 
 than that they, who are incorrigibly 
 Bad, fliould be irretrievably Wretch^ 
 ed. 
 
 I 
 
I'he Fifth Letter. 185 
 
 I fay no more. May God grant 
 Xhztyou may know the Tubings belong- 
 ing to your Peace ^ before they be for 
 ever hid fro?n your Eyes I 
 
 Thus I have v^rote, what I ara 
 fure is a very affeSiionate^ and 
 what I wifli may prove a very af- 
 feSiing Letter. It is not material to 
 inform you, from what Hand this 
 Epiftle comes : It is enough to afiure 
 you, that it proceeds from an Heart 
 fincerely your's, 
 
 May g. 
 
 An 
 
t86 An Essay on refined 
 
 An ESSAY on refined and 
 friendly Converfation. 
 
 Written in the Twenty fecond Year 
 of the A u T H o r'j" Age, 
 
 IT has-been obferved that fome, 
 who have been juftly efteemed 
 Writers of the firft Rank in the 
 Learned Worldj have not been fa- 
 voured with a very happy Turn for 
 Converfation; and that others, on 
 the contrary, could never make their 
 Appearance to Advantage in Print, 
 who were yet looked upon as the 
 very Life and Genius of every private 
 Company they came into. 
 
 Thus Mr. Anthony Wo o d in- 
 forms us, " That, whenever Sir Wi l- 
 *' LiAM KiLLiGREW took Pen in 
 
 " Hand, 
 
and friendly Converfation. 187 
 
 " Hand, he did not come up to the 
 " never- faihng Smartnefs, which he 
 *' fhewed in Converfation ; whereas 
 *' Mr. Cowley was the Reverfe 
 " of this Charader, as Sir John 
 " Denham gives us to underftand 
 '' in the following Lines : 
 
 " Had Cowley 7ieer fpoke, Killi- 
 
 GREW neer writ ; 
 " Comhind in one theyd Jhewd a 
 
 mat chiefs Wit!^ 
 
 This may be accounted for after 
 the following Manner : Some Men 
 are of an airy, volatile Temper ; the 
 Edge of their Wit is very Jine^ but 
 foon turn'd : They have Brifknefs 
 and Vivacity of Spirit enough for a 
 fharp, furprizing Repartee, or any 
 other extempore Sally of Fancy ; but 
 they have not that Strength and Stea- 
 
 dinefs 
 
i88 ^^ Essay on refined 
 
 dinefs of Spirit, which is neceffary 
 to keep up an uninterrupted Tenour 
 of good Writing, and to convey 
 their Thoughts with Chaftity and 
 Propriety of Style. And indeed even 
 in Converfation I have obferved fome 
 Gentlemen of this Stamp, when they 
 have fallen foul on Men of fuperior 
 Senfe, to have been very brifk and 
 vigorous in their firft Attack ; but 
 fainter and weaker in their laft ef- 
 forts. Their Spirits evaporated, and, 
 if their Antagonift bravely flood his 
 Ground, he was convinced, that their 
 Forces were rather for a fliort Skir- 
 mifh of Wit, than for a fet and laft- 
 ing Battle. They put me in Mind 
 of what fome ancient Hiftorians re- 
 late of the Gauls,, viz. That in the 
 Beginning of the Fight, they ufed to 
 perform more than Men-^^ but to- 
 wards 
 
and friendly Converfation. 189 
 
 wards the Concludon of it lefs than 
 Women, Some on the other Hand, 
 are of a more phlegmatick Confti- 
 tution ; their Parts are flow, but fure ; 
 and, what is wanting in Sprightli- 
 nefs, is made up in what we call 
 ftrong, mafcuHne Senfe. 
 
 I would therefore obferve, that there 
 are two Kinds of Wit ; the one I call 
 'Tinfel'Wity which confifls of glitter- 
 ing Points, little Flouriflies, and lu- 
 dicrous Conceits: the other may be 
 ftyled true Sterling- Wit ; which is 
 made up of a rich Vein of good 
 Thinking, exalted Sentiments, and 
 curious Obfervations. The former 
 is more glaring and dazzling; the 
 Touches of the latter are very ma- 
 fterly, but too delicate and nice for 
 vulgar Obfervers. The former pleafes 
 more upon a fuperficial, tranfient 
 
 View y 
 
ipo An Essay on refined 
 
 View ; the latter upon a mature De- 
 liberation ; the one therefore more 
 taking in common Converfation j the 
 other in Writing. 
 
 That I may not lofemyfelfin too 
 large a Field, I fliall reduce my 
 Thoughts to the three following 
 Heads, vi%> 
 
 yiy The Advantages of refined and 
 friendly Converfation. 
 . lldly^ The Subjed: Matter of it ; 
 and, 
 
 llldly^ The Manner of handling 
 the Topicks of fuch Converfation. 
 
 ly?, On the Advantages of refin- 
 ed and friendly Converfation. 
 
 One of the greateft Pleafures a Man 
 can propofe to himfelf in this World 
 is to live with a fmall, feled Company 
 
 of 
 
and friendly Converfation. 191 
 
 of learned and virtuous Friends, in 
 an uninterrupted Intercourfe of mu- 
 tual Civilities and Endearments. A 
 refined and mafterly Converfation 
 with Men of this Turn, brightens 
 the Imagination, and ripens the 
 Judgment, and convinceth us, how 
 much the Friend improves the Scho- 
 lar. As by reading we take in a 
 vaft many Ideas ; fo, by Converfa- 
 tion, we learn to marfhal them in 
 their proper Order. The Style of 
 feveral Learned Men has been em- 
 barraffed and perplexed; for no o- 
 ther Reafon, I believe, but becaufe 
 they had too much led the Lives of 
 Reclufes. Their Heads, inftead of 
 a regular Train of Thinking, have 
 been crammed with a confufed 
 Groupe of Ideas. 
 
 The 
 
192 An Essay on refined 
 
 The Earl of Clarendon, in 
 his Survey of the Leviathan^ informs 
 us, that Mr. H o b b e s fpent too 
 much Time in Thinkings and too 
 little in Exercijing thofe Thoughts 
 in the Company of other Men of 
 the fame, or as good Faculties : for 
 Want whereof he contracted fuch a 
 Morofity, that he was at the fame 
 Time poffeffed with a Spirit of Con- 
 tradiction, and yet impatient of Con- 
 tradidion from others. Converfa- 
 tion therefore is very neceffary to 
 beat down that over-bearing Tem- 
 per, and Self-fufficiency of Mind 
 which is fo very difagreeable to the 
 World. Men of the moft enlarged 
 Views cannot take in the whole 
 Compafs and Extent of Truth : al- 
 moft every-one, by a peculiar Caft 
 of Mind, fees Things in a different 
 
 Light* 
 
and friendly Converfation. 193 
 Light. Wherefore Perfons of lower 
 Attainments very often make fome 
 Difcoveries, which have efcaped the 
 Obfervation of Men of much greater 
 Depth and Penetration : as poorer 
 Countries can boaft of fome diftin- 
 guifliing Products, which the richer 
 are deftitute of. Whether Provi- 
 dence did not wifely ordain this, 
 that the latter might not entertain 
 an overweening Conceit of their own 
 Abilities, and the former have too 
 great a Diffidence of their own Parts, 
 I {hall not prefume to determine. 
 However, the Thing itfelf is too ob- 
 vious to admit of any Difpute ; and 
 from hence we may gather the Ne- 
 ceffity of interchanging our Thoughts , 
 
 in Difcourfe, if we would improve 
 them to the utmoft. 
 
 There are fome Men, who have 
 N excel- 
 
194 ^^ Essay on refined 
 
 excellent good Senfe, and yet are ve- 
 ry diftruftful of it. A little Modefty 
 indeed is a thin tranfparent Veil, that 
 fhews thofe Graces, which it would 
 feem to cover. One of this Make 
 is like a new-blown Rofe, which is 
 more fweet and beautiful, when it*s 
 Leaves are a little folded ; than when 
 it's Glories are fully difplayed. But, 
 on the contrary, an excejjlve Modefty 
 lays a Perfon under fuch Apprehen- 
 iions of offendmg^ that it makes him 
 lefs capable of pleafing. To remedy 
 this Inconvenience, a Club of fincere 
 learned Friends may be of admirable 
 Ufe. Here he may give the full Play 
 ^ to his Genius, and defcant upon any 
 
 Topick with Freedom, where he is 
 fure nothing will be difcovered to 
 his Difadvantage; and, in fhort, bring 
 every Thought to the Teft and Exa- 
 2 mination 
 
and fricnrlly Converfation, ip^ 
 minatioii of thofe Gentlemen ; who 
 have that ingenuous Frame of Mind, 
 that generous Sincerity of Heart, as 
 to be very ready and willing^ that 
 diftinguiihing Judgment, and Clear- 
 nefs of Head, as to be very able^ to 
 point out his Beauties and Faults ; to 
 redtify his Miftakes, and applaud his 
 Excellencies. 
 
 The laft and greateft Advantage 
 I (hall mention, is that of 7nutual 
 Advice : " It may be reafonably 
 « believed," (fays the Noble Hijlo- 
 rian) of the Duke of Bucking- 
 ham, " that if he had been bleft 
 " u^ith one faithful Friend, who 
 " had been qualified with Wif- 
 *' dom and Integrity, that great 
 *' Per/on would have committed as 
 *' few Faults, and done as tranfcen- 
 " dent worthy Adlions, as any Man 
 N 2 " who 
 
196 An Essay on refined 
 
 <* who fhined in fuch a Sphere in 
 *' that Age in all Europe^ But for 
 Want of this Happinefs, '' he was 
 " carried away by the Current, or 
 *' rather Torrent of his impetuous 
 " Paflions.'* A remarkable and 
 pregnant Inftance of the Advantages 
 of Friendfhip ! When an intimate 
 Friend feems to be actuated with a 
 Spirit of Sincerity ; and gives us to 
 underftand, he has our Intereft much 
 at Heart : This opens all the Ave- 
 nues to our Mind, ftrengthens and 
 enforces his Admonitions, fo that 
 they never fail to make a much 
 deeper Impreffion, than the moft 
 maflerly Strokes of a Book of 
 Morality. We confider the Author 
 as influenced by a Motive of doing 
 Good in general ; whereas the Friend 
 is aded by a Concern for us in par- 
 3 ticular ; 
 
and friendly Converfation. 197 
 ticular ; and this Confideration 
 makes us lay his Advice more to 
 Heart. A Society of Friends will 
 not think it fufficient to reprove a 
 Man for flagrant, enormous Faults ; 
 but will make it their Bufinefs to 
 animadvert upon any little Indecency 
 or Flaw in his Condudt. Dr. Ham- 
 mond ufed to fay, it was a poor De- 
 fign in Friendfhip to keep the Man 
 we admitted to our Bofom only from 
 h^\v\g fcandalous y as if thePhyfician 
 fhould only fecure his Patient from 
 the Plague. 
 
 Wdly^ Upon the Subjed Matter of 
 Converfation. 
 
 If I were to propofe any Model 
 
 for Converfation ; I fhould chufe 
 
 that of Xenophon's SympoJiwHy 
 
 where the Difcourfe was divert- 
 
 N 3 ing 
 
ipS An^^^kx on refined 
 
 ing without any Levity or Imperti- 
 nence, and inflruBive without any 
 StifFnefs or Aufterity. We are told 
 in the Bibliotheqiie Choijie^ that Mr. 
 LocKEj Mr. Le Clerc, and Mr. 
 L I M B o R c H ufed to meet conftantly 
 once a Week, and dilcufs fome very 
 important Queftion. which they had 
 pitched upon before. This Method 
 thefe famous Authors took, to enlarge 
 the Sphere of their Knowledge by 
 communicating their Thoughts. If 
 Difcourfe were altogether confined 
 to ftated Subjeds, it might perhaps 
 be too formal ; if intirely occafional, 
 it might evaporate in light Trifles. 
 The beft Way therefore would be to 
 obfer -e a Medium, and to fet apart 
 about t7. o Hours for fome flated Sub- 
 jedt, and to give up the reft to any 
 incidental Converfation. 
 
 I 
 
and friendly Converfation, ipp 
 I have known fome Companies, 
 in which, if a Man talked virtuoufly 
 he incurred the Imputation of Hypo- 
 crify ; if learnedly, that of Pedant- 
 ry. Surely no Man of Merit will 
 ever proftitute his good Senfe to low 
 Ribaldry and Obfcenity, when Learn- 
 ing opens to him the nobleft Fields 
 of Speculation. Wit muft run ve- 
 ry low^ if nothing but the Dregs 
 and Sediments of Impurity appear ; 
 and it is a Maxim with me, that no 
 one, that had wherewithal to enter- 
 tain a found and unbiaffed Reafon, 
 would ever addrefs himfelf with lewd 
 Talk to the corrupt Paflions and In- 
 clinations of Mankind. 
 
 To return from this Digreffion ; 
 I would by all Means, next to Vir- 
 tue and Religion in general, recom- 
 mend Polemical Divinity, It would 
 N 4 be 
 
200 An Essay on refined 
 
 be too flriocking to attack Chriftiani-' 
 ty diredly and immediately : There- 
 fore thofe, who are no Friends to 
 it, fap it's Foundations by Degrees, 
 and begin with it's fundamental Ar- 
 ticles. One Error is to pave the 
 Way for another, that they may 
 bring their Defigns to bear : And the 
 Mafk is to be worn till all Things are 
 ripe for Execution. They look upon 
 all the reft of the World as Men of 
 narrow Views, and therefore deal 
 with them as with ftrait-mouthed 
 Veflels : If they fliould go raflily to 
 work, and attempt to throw in too 
 much at once, their Labour would 
 be loft, and their Dodrine fall to the 
 ^ Ground ; they, for this Reafon, ftrive 
 to carry their Point by pouring in 
 their Tenets gently and by Degrees. 
 To prevent this ftale Artifice of the 
 
 Deijlsy 
 
and friendly Converfatwn. 201 
 
 Deijfs^ and to check the gradual 
 Advances of Error ; it is a Duty in- 
 cumbent upon all Men of good A- 
 bilities to lay in a competent Stock 
 of Divinity, And, in Order to this, it 
 is neceflary to impart their Thougths 
 for their mutual Advantage ; which 
 will make them talk as pertinently 
 upon thefe Topicks as if the Bent of 
 their Studies had been almoft entire- 
 ly applied this Way. A Spirit of 
 Emulation will quicken their Endea- 
 vours ; and it will be pleafant as well 
 as ufeful, to point out to one ano- 
 ther the Sophiftry to which Hereticks 
 have Recourfe, to fupport a finking 
 Caufe. 
 
 When a Man knows he muft 
 fliortly deliver his Thoughts in Con- 
 verfation upon any important Article 
 or material Queftion ; he reads with 
 
 more 
 
202 An Essay on refined 
 
 more Attention ; endeavours to draw 
 off the Flower and Spirit of many 
 Authors upon the fame Subjed:; 
 thoroughly digefts his Notions, and 
 treafures them up in his Memory. 
 Befides, his Studies ceriter in one 
 Point ; whereas, at other Times, he 
 may be apt to flioot at Rovers, with- 
 out aiming at any certain Mark. 
 
 If any fhould objed, that what I 
 have recommended would too much 
 pall and flatten the Spirit of Conver- 
 fation ; I beg Leave to obferve, that 
 ludicrous Wit and facetious Difcourfes 
 may beget in us a lliort, unfatisfadto- 
 ry Gleam of Joy ; whereas folid 
 Senfe and virtuous Refledions imprefs 
 upon the Mind a calm, lafting Sere- 
 nity of Temper : The former, if too 
 much indulged, flnk, weaken, and 
 debafe the Majefty of a rational Soul ; 
 
 whereas 
 
and friendly Converfatton. 203 
 whereas the latter raife, elevate, and 
 ennoble it's Difpofitiorf: When a 
 Man has been laying out that Time 
 in improving Difcourfe which is ge- 
 nerally loft in Triflfes ; the Mind is 
 confcious of having adled fuitably to 
 the Dignity of it's Nature, and for 
 this Reafon feels that refined Deli- 
 cacy of Pleafure, and that agreeable 
 Complacency, which is infinitely 
 preferable to any fhort-lived Blaze of 
 Mirth and Laughter. 
 
 I would not be thought an Enemy 
 to the Graces and Embellifhments 
 of Wit^ though I think Religion and 
 learning ought to take Place of 
 them. The Imagination does indeed 
 fometimes get the Afcendant of Rea- 
 fon ; and a furprizing Brightnefs of 
 Thought has been obferved in fome, 
 where a fteady Judgment and ner- 
 vous 
 
104 -^^^ Essay on refined 
 
 vous Senfc have been wanting : As 
 Diamond- ]\4ines are faid to be often 
 found in loofe, fandy Ground. But 
 TVit^ under due Regulations, and in 
 it's proper Sphere, may be of no 
 fmall Service ; and I have known 
 fome Men, who would have embit- 
 ( tered the Converfation by a Singula- 
 
 rity of Carriage, and a morofe Re- 
 fervednefs of Temper, dextroufly ral- 
 lied into good Humour and Com- 
 plaifance, and forced to facrijice to 
 the Graces, The Waters of Marab 
 ( if I may ufe a Scripture- Simile) were 
 very bitter^ and difagreeable to the 
 Tafte, till the Prophet, by throw- 
 ing in fome Salt^ rendered them 
 fweet and palatable. If Wit^ inftead 
 of keeping within it's proper Pro- 
 vince, be mifemployed to keep Vice 
 in Countenance, and decry Men of 
 
 Me- 
 
and friendly Converfation. 205 
 
 Merit ; nothing can be of a more 
 dangerous and deftrudive Tendency, 
 If I (liould exprefs myfelf with more 
 Warmth againft this Abufe of it, I 
 fliould be very excufable, lince to this 
 was, in a great Meafure, owing the 
 Difgrace of the greateft Man Eng- 
 land could boaft of \ in whom were 
 happily reconciled the difinterefted 
 Spirit and Sincerity of the Patriot, 
 and the deep Penetration and con- 
 fummate Abilities of the Statefman : 
 When that faithful Counfellor re- 
 prefented to King Charles II. the 
 Blacknefs of his darling Vices, which 
 the Wits of the Age had palliated 
 under the fofter Name of Gallant- 
 ries ; the Duke of Buckingham, 
 and other Courtiers of the fame 
 Stamp, took Occafion to ridicule, 
 expofe, and mimick him before his 
 
 Ma* 
 
2o6 An Essay on refined 
 
 Majefty ; and, with an Air of Con- 
 tempt, u fed to call him the Kings 
 School'MaJler. In the Apology for 
 himfiJf, which he left behind him 
 when he fled beyond Sea, he com- 
 plains heavily of fome, who had re- 
 viled all Counfels and Counfel- 
 lors; who had turned Things fe- 
 rious and facrcd into Ridicule, and 
 taken all Means to render him un- 
 grateful both to the King and 
 People. 
 
 Is a Man pofTefled with a great 
 many fliining Qualities ? li he have 
 but one remarkable Foible, if, like 
 Achilles, he be only vulnerable in 
 one Part, thefe Gentlemen, like Pa- 
 ris^ (fo dextrous Archers are they) 
 will be fure to hit that Place, and 
 too fuccefsfully wound his Reputa- 
 tion. Let then all Topicks of De- 
 
 famationy 
 
and friendly Converfation, 2,07 
 
 famation^ and let all Abufe of Wit 
 be exploded. I hav^e always been 
 mightily pleafed with that amiable, 
 and, I hope, jufi: Charadkr, which a 
 celebrated Writer gives Mr. Con- 
 or e v e ; namely, that, after a joy- . 
 ful Evening fpent in his Company, 
 no Man could ever refled: upon any 
 Expreffion of Mr. Conor eve's 
 that dwelt upon him with Pain and 
 Uneafinefs. A good-natured Wit 
 will never think, that nothing but 
 the Poignancy of Raillery and Scan- 
 dal can give Life and Spirit to Con- 
 verfation: whereas unhappy Tem- 
 pers, that are eaten up with Spleen 
 and Melancholy, take a fullen Sa- 
 tisfadion in blafting Reputations, 
 And it muft be owned, that they 
 have very often an unlucky Turn 
 this Way ; malignant Glances of 
 
 Satyr, 
 
2o8 An E s s A Y ^>^ refined 
 
 Satyr, like Flaflies of Lightning, 
 coming generally from a dark, gloo- 
 my Sky. 
 
 \Wdlyy Upon the Manner of 
 handling the Subjed- Matter of Con- 
 verfation. 
 
 The great Secret of Converfation 
 is, to aim rather at being agreeable^ 
 than to appear yj//^/;^^, in Difcourfe. 
 If we fhould trace the Faults and 
 Defeds of Converfation up to their 
 original Source, I believe moft of 
 them might be refolved into the 
 Negled: of this Rule. Some are ftill 
 endeavouring to raife the Admiration 
 of the Company, inftead of gaining 
 their Love. This kindles a Spirit of 
 Contention and Strife for the Superi- 
 ority ; and the Affectation of the Wit 
 and Scholar deftroys the Complai- 
 
 fancc 
 
and friendly ConverfatiGn, 209 
 fance and Benevolence of the Gen- 
 ilema?i and Friend. If a Man fliould 
 happen to be of fuperior AbiHtics to 
 the reft of the Society ; he ftiould^ 
 for that Reafon, put himfelf upon a 
 Foot of Equality with them ; con- 
 defcend to the Level of their Capa- 
 cities, and {hould not fet his (hining 
 Qualities in a full, glaring Light, but 
 rather modeftly caft them in Shades. 
 To the Neglea of the Rule which 
 I have mentioned, it is ovi^ing, that 
 fome are fo very oftentatious of their 
 Reading. This is a certain Sign, 
 that their Learning fits but loofely 
 about them ; and, if I may ufe fo 
 homely an Allufion, I would fay, 
 they have not digefted thofe Notions 
 very well, which they are fo apt to 
 throw up again upon every, or ra- 
 ther upon no Occafion at all. To 
 
 O the 
 
I o An Essay on refined 
 
 the fame Principle it is owing, that 
 fome are continually putting their 
 Inventions upon the Rack, to lay 
 fomething furprizing and uncom- 
 mon : Whereas, it Wit carries an 
 Air of much Study and Premedita- 
 tion \ if, inftead of being a Volun- 
 teer^ it be vifibly prejfed into the 
 Service, nothing can be more nau- 
 feating and diftaflful. It is with 
 Wit, as with Mercury : That which 
 is called Virgtn-^lukhfilver^ which 
 ftreams out freely of itfelf in great 
 Drops (which is readily difcovered 
 without the Help of Fire) is, upon 
 feveral Accounts, far more valuable 
 than that which is extorted and forced 
 out by the Furnace. To the fame Prin- 
 ciple may be afcribed that fiery Spi- 
 rit of Oppofition, v/hich is fo pre- 
 dominant in fome Men, that, rather 
 
 than 
 
and friendly Converfhtion, 2,11 
 
 than confefs one Abfurdity, they 
 will be reduced to a Neceffity of 
 
 committing ten. 
 
 They are too far embarked in a 
 bad Caufe to make a Retreat with a 
 good Grace ; and therefore if they 
 have added to their natural Parts the 
 Superftrudures of Learning, they 
 will entrench themfelves within a 
 vaft many artful Diftindions and 
 fubtile Evafions. 
 
 They are very prolix in invali- 
 dating thofe Arguments, which No- 
 body lays any Strefs upon ; but 
 when they arc really ftrong and im- 
 pregnable, they would fain flip them 
 over as haftily as they can, and 
 take a flight, curfory Notice of them. 
 Very material Objedions are to them 
 like marfhy Ground : A Man may 
 make a Shift to run lightly and 
 O 2 nim- 
 
212 An Essay on refined 
 
 nimbly over it ; but if he ever tread 
 leifurely, and dwell long upon one 
 Place, he infallibly finks. 
 
 If ever a Vein of Ridicule be ne- 
 ceflary, I think it is here, w^here a 
 Vein of juft Arguing can have no 
 \ Effed. When a Man is fteeled and 
 
 hardened againft all Convidlion, v»^e 
 may, like Hannibal^ after other Ex- 
 pedients have been tried in vain, 
 cut through the Rock with Vinegar. 
 Some Jefuits once in Company with 
 Monfieur Boileau, afferted, ac- 
 cording to the Principles of that So- 
 ciety, that Attrition was only necef- 
 fary ; and that we were not obliged 
 to love God, It was to no Purpofe 
 to unravel their Fallacies: They 
 fhewed themfelves inviolably attach- 
 ed to their Error; when Mr. Boi- 
 leau, ftarting up, cried : " Oh ! 
 
 " how 
 
and friendly Converfation, 213 
 *' how prettily will it found in the 
 *' Dayof Judgment, when our Lord 
 " fhall fay to his Eled : Co7ne yotiy 
 " ye well-beloved of my Father ; for 
 *' you never loved me in your Life, 
 " but always forbad that I fliould be 
 " beloved, and conftantly oppofed 
 *' thofe Hereticks, who were for ob- 
 *' liging Chridians to love me \ and 
 " vou, on the contrary ,G(? to theDevil^ 
 '' and his Angels^ you the accurfed of 
 ^' my Father \ for you have loved me 
 '' with your whole Hearty and have fo- 
 " licited and urged every Body elfe to 
 ^' love me^ This Raillery ftruck the 
 Opponents dumb ; and bore down that 
 Oppofition, which the moft cogent 
 Arguments before could not quell. 
 
 — — Ridiculum acri 
 Fortius &^ melius magnas plerumque 
 fee at res, 
 
 03 If 
 
:ii4 -^^ Essay on refined 
 
 If a handfome Opportunity pre- 
 fents itfelf, it may not be amifs to 
 deal with an opinionative Fellow, 
 as Bifliop Bramhall did with 
 the Popijh Mtjjionary. When his 
 Antagonift would obftinately main- 
 tain whatever he had rafhly ad- 
 vanced, the Bifhop drove the Dif- 
 putant up into fo narrow a Cor- 
 ner, that he was forced to affirm, 
 that Rating was Drinking^ and 
 Drinking was Ratings in a material 
 or bodily Senfe. This Aflertion was 
 fo big with palpable Abfurdities, that 
 he needed no greater Trophy, if he 
 could get under the Jefuit\ Hand 
 what he declared with his Tongue; 
 which, being defired, was by the o- 
 ther, in his Heat and Shame to feem 
 to retreat, as readily granted. But 
 upon cooler Thoughts (fays my Au- 
 thor) 
 
and friendly Converfation. 
 
 thor) finding perhaps, after the Con- 
 teft was over, that he could not 
 quench his Thirft with a Piece of 
 Bread ; he reflected fo fadly on the 
 Diflionour he had fufFered, that, not 
 being able to digefl: it in ten Days 
 Time, he died. 
 
 Why are fo many fo very foli- 
 citous to fkreen themfelves under am- 
 biguous Terms, and to give a plau- 
 fible Turn to the moft dangerous 
 Errors ? Is it to impofe upon the 
 Bulk of Mankind, as Pirates do up- 
 on unwary Sailors, by hanging out 
 falfe Colours ? Does it not befpeak 
 a much greater Turn of Mind to re- 
 trad; an untenable Notion, than 
 even to carry one's Point on the 
 Side of Truth ? The latter may be 
 often owing merely to the Strength 
 of a good Caufe ; whereas the for- 
 O 4 mer 
 
 ^^5 
 
2.i6 An Essay on refined 
 
 mer is the Refult of that ingenuous 
 Temper, and that Largenefs of Soul, 
 which animates a Man with the 
 nobleft Views, and makes him wil- 
 ling to facrifice the Vanity of beirig 
 thought an able Difputant to 
 the difinterefted Purfuit of Truth. 
 His Opponent only conquers him ; 
 whilft he triumphs over two very 
 powerful Enemies, Error and him- 
 felf : By the latter, I mean thofe 
 Prejudices and Paffions, which hang 
 a wrong Biafs upon the MiLd. 
 
 Good-Nature is undoubtedly the 
 firil Ingredient in good Conyerfa- 
 tion. The Man that is always pleaf- 
 ed, and in good Flumour, never fails 
 of pleaiing the Company. Learn- 
 ing fliould be grafted upon this Qua- 
 lity ; and the V/orld has too great 
 Reafon to lament, that ill-natured 
 
 Men, 
 
afid friendly Converfation. 217 
 Men, efpecially if they be ingenious^ 
 fliould ever have the Advantage of 
 a refined Education, For though it 
 be a common Obfervation, that 
 Learning fours a Man's Temper; 
 yet I am apt to think it is a much 
 truer Obfervation, that his Temper 
 fours his Learning. The Mind is 
 the Cafk, and if that be four and 
 impure, the moft generous Wine will 
 lofe its ov/n Tafte, and receive a 
 Tindure from the Veffel. When 
 therefore the Bent of a Man's Incli- 
 nations is naturally perverfe. Learn- 
 ing falls in with it ; and teaches iim^ 
 whofe Wit and Malice made him 
 but too fatyrical before, to give a 
 keener Edge to his Raillery, and 
 wound with more Succefs. So that 
 the Super ftrudure of Education to a 
 Man of this Complexion, is like ad- 
 
 ding 
 
21 8 -An Essay on refined 
 
 ding Poifon to that Arrow, which 
 before was too apt to kill. 
 
 Humility is another endearing 
 Quality. Nothmg can be more o- 
 dious than Self-fufficiency in Men of 
 fuperior Attainments, or more ridi- 
 culous in Men of inferior Abilities. 
 The World is generally Even with 
 thefe Men ; and, as they dcfpife all, 
 they are in Return defpifed by all 
 Mankind. How contrary is that 
 Charader which is given of Dr. H a m- 
 M o N D in his Epitaph : 
 
 Nihil eo exceljius erat aut humilius : 
 Scriptis fuis FaBifquBy 
 Sibi uni non placuit^ 
 iiuiy tarn Calamo quam VitUy 
 Humano Generi complacuerat. 
 
 None 
 
and friendly Converfation. 
 
 None bid fairer for being Great 
 Men, than thofe, in whom a modeft 
 Opinion of themfelves is interwoven 
 with a laudable Ambition : the lat- 
 ter is an Incentive to thofe Acftions 
 which may make them glorious ; 
 and the former is a Bar to all thofe 
 Attempts, which, being beyond their 
 Strength, may make them ridiculous. 
 The one prompts them to difplay 
 themfelves; and the other prevents 
 them from expofing themfelves. A 
 Defire of Glory, tempered with a 
 Tincture of Humility, is (to ufe the 
 Simile of an ingenious Writer upon 
 a different Occafion) like a Flame, 
 that trembles as it afpires. A Perfon 
 of this excellent Frame of Mind 
 knows how to condefcend without 
 {looping too low, and how to rife 
 without towering too high. 
 
 Good- 
 
 21 
 
220 An Essay on refined 
 
 Good-Breeding is little elfe than 
 Good-Nature poliflried and beautified 
 by Art, An ill-natured Man may, 
 it is true, obferve the little Pundi- 
 lio's and Forms of Civility ; but he 
 will be deficient in the very Effen- 
 tials. To conftitute a finifh'd Cha- 
 radler, the inflexible Integrity of the 
 Man of Honour mufi: be fweetned 
 and qualified by the u^inning Con- 
 defcenfion of the Courtier^ and re- 
 gulated by the Piety and Erudition 
 of the Divifte, How gracefully does 
 Learning fit upon a Man, how vene- 
 rably amiable does Religion appear 
 to the Eye of the World, when at- 
 tended with Good-Breeding? And 
 how does Good Ereedi?ig plead a 
 more folid Title to our Value and 
 Refpedl, when accompanied with 
 Religion and Learning ? 
 
 3 The 
 
and friendly Converfation. 221 
 
 The Gentleman makes the Chri- 
 Jlian and Scholar beloved ; and the 
 Chriflian and Scholar make the 
 Gentleman efteemed. All thefe Ac- 
 complifhments muft enter into the 
 Compolition of refined Converfation, 
 which is then carried to its greatefl: 
 Height of Perfedion, when what is 
 faid upon Matters of Moment, is at 
 once endeared to us by a graceful 
 Manner, and an agreeable Com- 
 placency of Behaviour ; is enforced 
 by the Weight and nervous Energy 
 of found Reafon, is enlivened by the 
 cxquifite Beauties of fine Senfe and 
 elegant Refledions. 
 
 An affable Deportment, and 
 Meeknefs of Temper, will difarm the 
 moft violent Antagonift of his Ob- 
 ftinacy, and we need never fear by 
 the Cogency of our Arguments to 
 
 con- 
 
222 jin E s s ^ Y on refined 
 
 convince the Under/landing of our 
 Opponent ; if we take Care, by the 
 Candour of our Behaviour, to make 
 an ImprefHon on his WilL Thofe 
 who advance the wildeft Paradoxes, 
 often dafli them with fome material 
 Truths, and ju ft Thoughts: It would 
 be therefore worth our while to try> 
 whether by commending them for 
 the latter, we might not dextroufly 
 reclaim them from the former : But 
 if, inftead of calmly entering into 
 the Merits of the Caufe, we fhould 
 break out into any indecent Sallies 
 of Pairion, it will be a very difficult 
 Matter to bring others over to our 
 Notions. For Men, like Load- 
 ftones, when they are once too much 
 heated by the Fire, lofe that attrac- 
 tive Power which they had before. 
 . It is prettily faid by Bilhop Ti l- 
 
 L o T s o N, 
 
and friendly Converfation, 223 
 LOT SON, *' that thofe who were 
 ** tranfported by PafTion, by their 
 '' ill Management of a good Caufe, 
 '' and by their ungracious Way of 
 '' maintaining the Truth, had found 
 " out a cunning Way to be in the 
 *' wrong, even when they are in 
 «' the right.'' 
 
 None can be more prejudicial to 
 the Interefts of Truth, than thofe 
 who obtrude their Sentiments upon 
 the Company v/ith the magifterial, 
 fupercilious Air of the Pedant^ in- 
 ftead of offering them with the mo- 
 deft, courtly Addrefs of the Gentle- 
 man. Nothing conveys Inftrudlion 
 more artfully, than a feeming Diffi- 
 dence ; of which we have a preg- 
 nant Inftance in my Lord Claren- 
 don : " Mr. Hambden ( fays he ) 
 ^' was of that rare Affability and 
 
 " Tern- 
 
224 ^'^ Essay on refined^ Sec. 
 
 *^ Temper in Debate, and of that 
 " feeming Humility and Submiffion 
 i^ of Judgment, as if he brought 
 <' no Opinion of his own with him, 
 *' but a Defire of Information and 
 " Inftruction ; yet he had fo fubtil 
 " a Way of interrogating, and, un- 
 '' der the Notion of Doubts, infi- 
 " nuating his Objections, that he 
 " infufed his own Opinions into 
 *' thofe, from whom he pretended 
 *' to learn and receive them." If 
 thefe Meafures were fo powerful in a 
 bad Caufe, we may conclude they 
 will be irrefiftible in a good one. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
Date Due 
 
 
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