^ ■^^\ ,^;n.^iy%^^^^ -^s ?/, PRINCETON, N. J sec .w^^.. Division . Section ... Number Vf.t.!*l.... stfT L 0 •4 DISCOURSES Tracts and Poems, O N T H E Following Subjects, VIZ. Wifdom the firfl: Spring of \ A6lion in the Deity. A Charge delivered at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Hajkoll, A Charge delivered at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Harfon. Queries propofed to the confideration of all fuch as think it an Injury to Religion to {hew the Reafonablenefs of it. A Letter to the Rer. Mr. John Ball, of Ho- nitofi. Four Eflays, on Benefi- cence, Benevolence, No- velty, and the Human Soul. Five Letters to the Author of the St. James's Jour- nal. Poems on feveral Occa- fions. By the Reverend Mr. H E N R Y " G R O V E, of Taunton. VOL. IV. LONDON: Printed and Sold by James Waugh, at the Turk's Head in Gracechurch-ftreet, MDCCXLVII. THE CONTENTS O F T H E Fourth Volume. Wifdom the firft Spring of Adion in the Deity. Page i A Charge delivered at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Farnham Hajkoll^ at Taunton, Nov, 8. 1733. 143 A Charge delivered at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Daniel Harjon, at Moreton- Hampfteady Devon, July 27, 1737. 191 Queries propofed to the confideration of all fuch as think it an Injury to Religion to fhew the Reafonablenels of it. 22^ A Letter to the Rev. Mr. John Ball, of Honiton, 253 Four EiTays, on Beneficence, Benevolence, Novelty, and the Human Soul. 301 Five Letters to the Author of the St. James ^ Journal, concerning the Prelbyterians, Civil Povi'er, Liberty of the Will, and the Im- mortality of the Soul. 333 Vol. IV. Poems The CONTENTS. POEMS. To Mr. WATTS, on his Divine Poems. 391 To Mrs.ROWE, on her excellent Poems. 393 A Thought on Death. 395 A Hymn on Sight. 396 On the Death of a Youth* 398 To a Young Friend. 399 Pride and Difcontent filenced. 401 A Thought at wakeing. 403 Life made agreeable. 404 To Mrs. SINGER, occafioned by a Copy of her Verfes on Death. 405 Hymn for the Morning. 409 — — for the Evening. 410 God the Creator. 411 God the Preferver. 413 The Soul's Afcent. 414 The Divine Immenfity, an Ode. 416 An Ode on the Author's Recovery from Sicknefs. 419 A Hymn. 424 A Hymn. 426 An Epitaph on a Young Lady v^^ho died in her a I ft Year. 427 THE Wisdom the firft fpring of Adion in the DEITY. DISCOURSE, IN WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE Abfurdity of G o d's being a(fled by Natural Inclinations, and of an . Unbounded Liberty, is fhewn. The Moral Attributes of GOD are explained. The Origin of Evil is confidered. The Fundamental Duties of Natu- ral Religion are {hewn to be reafon- able ; and feveral things, advanced by fome late Authors, and others, relating to thefe Subjedls, are freely examined. 1734. Vol. IV. B THE INTHODUCTION. ^' Find, both from converfation, and feveral writings lately publifhed, that it is growing more and more into fartiion to run down all proofs a ^ prion, of the moral attributes of God, as well as of his exiftence. Whether the Being of God is capable of this fort of proof, I (hall not at prefent inquire. I will fuppofe that it is not, and that the only way of coming to the knowledge of a firfi caiife is from effeBs. But then, I take leave to fay, that we are not under the fame neceffity of proving the good- nefs^ and other moral perfedlions of God in this way, exclulive of every other kind of argument. That there exifts fome unoriginated Being, we are certain from the evident abfurdity of an infinite feries of Beings, every one depend- ing upon a former, yet all of them together independent of any firfi caufe. That this firfl Being is pofiTcfifed of all wifdom and power^ we gather from the frame of the univerfe in which are fuch numberlefs and mofl wonder- ful difplays of both thefe attributes, ai at once fatisfy the underltanding, and exceed its utmoft B 2 com- 4 Introduction. comprchenfion. So far we reafon merely from efft'Bs. But here we fliall be obliged to change our method of reafoning, if we intend to have any plain and invariable rule by which to guide our conceptions of God,^ as a moral agent, and our expectations from him. For how fhall we know whether God bejufi and good? The fober and confidering part of man- kind, and indeed all whofe minds have not been corrupted by vice, or prepofleffed by eftablilhed opinions, have univerfally agreed in 2L[cnbingjuJIice2Lndgoodf2eJs to the fupreme Governor of the world. And by what have they been led into this uniformity in their fentiments ? Hath it been intirely by obferv- ing the traces of thefe perfections in the works of Creation and Providence ? Or rather hath it not been becaufe they judged the things themfelves to be highly worthy of God, and fuch as the moft perfedt nature cannot want? Have they not apprehended an inherent, unchangeable excellence in thefe qualities, which hath been the ground of their concluding, that God can never be unjii/l or malevolent, becaufe then he would not be himfelf J and that, therefore, whatever feem- ing contradidion there may be between fome appearances in Providence, and the idea of perje^ goodfiefs, the contradiction is not in the things themfelves, but wholly owing to our imperfect views of the ways and works of God ? That this, which is the common notion of mankind, and that which moft naturally offers Introduction. 5 offers itfclf to the mind, concerning the iii- trinfick lovelincfs and excellence of thofe, which we call the moral perfections of the Deity, or their being neceflarily and everlaft- ingly fit, and becoming that Being whofe underjianding is infinite, and his majejiy above all compariibn ; that this notion, I fay, is abfolutely right, and that, confequently, we need not fearch for any other principle of adtion in the divine Being but that boundkfs intelligence or wifdom^ to which all the fit- nefies and reafons of things, in all their varie- ties and degrees, are ever naked and open, this is what I have attempted to (hew in the Firft Chapter of this Difcourfe ; I hope, not without all fuccefs. I have only this fingle lemma .to premife, viz. that there is a negative reBitude in the divine nature 3 by which I mean, that God hath no wrong biafs upon him, no inclination to any thing, which to his wijdom^ that is never deceived, appears unbecoming him to do. I might content myfelf with referring to what I have afterwards, I think, proved, that there are in God no i?iclijiations or affec- tio?2S of any kind, properly fo called ; and to be fure then none that interfere with his im- mutable ideas oi juft and right. Bat I add this further confideration, that the exiflence of God being necefiary, his nvifdom infinite, his po'xer equal to his ivijdom, and his effence fimple and uncompounded, there can be no B 3 room 6 Introduction. room for an inteftine war between wifdom and inclination. We can account for all the irregular defires of mankind, condemned by their own Reafon, either from bodily temper and complexion, or miftakcn and narrow notions of perfons or things, or their having been crofTed and bafBed in their defigns, or from the influence of cuftom and example; nothing of which, or a like nature, having place with regard to God, it is evident that he cannot be tempted with eviiy nor by the fame neceffity of nature (which is a fimple uniform idea) both difcern that which is good, and be inclined to the contrary. From whence I conclude, that God hath no fuch inclinations or affeBiom as oppofe the didates of his infinite wifdom. The Author defigns not by any thing he hath faid, to make innovations in our common language, when we are fpeaking of the Deity, He is very well contented that certain expref- fions, confecrated by long ufe {{uch 2i^ decrees and purpojes, kind affections and inclinations ^ compajfion^ &c.) (hould flill keep polleffion. Only, he thinks that the old rule ought to be applied here, that what is fpoken in com- pliance with human weaknefs, mud be under- flood in a manner worthy of God. That fuch language is popular, not philofophical ; fitted to flrike the imagination and paffions, gnd therefore ufed 3 not fuch as mere Reafon iA'ouId make choice of. CHAP, [?] CHAP. I. Sect. I. f^C^^Ck*^. H E N I examine 'w^(^^ my notion of the W^%^^£m perfea Being, I te^J^jj^Gvi find, among others, #^c.;^<^5^^i2^4© thefe two ideas, of infinite knowledge^ and a correfpondent ener- gy^ or acfive force included in it. The know- ledge which this Being hath, of what is fit or unfit, to be chofen,or done in every fuppofable cirjumftance, is what we mean by the wifdom of God. Thefe fitnefies and unfitnefles, are diftinguifhed into natural and nioToX. Natural fitnefs is (chiefly at leaft) the fitnefs or fubfer- viency of things and anions in their own nature, to fome good end. Moral fitnefs is the fitnefs or congruity, that intelligent and free agents fhould make choice of certain ends preferably to others, and of certain actions, as means fuited and adapted to thefe ends. That there are different moral kinds of ^dtion, fome B 4 fit, 8 Wifdom the firjl fpring of kOixon fit, others unfit to be done, fome becoming, others unbecoming the fupreme Being, and this independently of his chufing or wilUng them, is as evident, as that there are moral pertedions and excellencies belonging to the divine nature. Sect. II. The will of God conftantly to adt after this or that manner, cannot be eflecmed an excellence, if, on fuppofition, he had willed to a(5l in a difi*erent and con- trary way, the former manner w^ould have had nothing great and excellent in it. The excellence or dignity, muft be firfl in one way and method of ading above another, and from thence be transfered to the wilU which, being fleddily and complacentially determined that way, is therefore faid to have a reBltude iri it, or to be holy and jufi and good. Other- wife the meaning and proof of God's moral perfections would be no more than this, that he wills what he wills^ and doth every thing he doth\ becaufe his willing or doing it, makes that a perfedion or excellence, which in its own nature is abfolutely indifferent. Sect. III. The wifdom of God is pri- marily converfant about ends, and fecondarily only about the means. All ends are not morally indifferent, till God, by his arbitrary choice, eftablifhes a difference between them. t,^. It is i^ot a thing indifferent, whether the pp4 in the Vf-EITY. 9 end propofed by God in creating intelligent Beings, fiall be the difplay of his fbvereign and uncontroulable power in their €verlafti?ig mifery^ tvithout the leaji thing done by them to deferve it ; raijing their expedfations by exprefs and folemn promifes^ and then difappointing them ; whether God (hall propofe this as his end in their creation, or fomewhat elfe, is not, I fay, a thing morally indifferent. The fun in the heavens is not more vifible by its own light, than the truth of this maxim, that whoever knowingly and nvilfully hurts another 'without caufe, is guilty of injuftice ; and the greater the hurt, the greater the injuftice. What is without caufe, or reafon is without right, and what is without right in the prefent cafe, is contrary to it, even to that right which every Being hath, not to fuffer thofe evils which no other Being hath a right to inflid. Now can any thing be more dreadful to thefufferer than eterttal mijery? Or more without a caufe or reafon, when he is able to plead his innocence ? Such a proceeding would be a^ an infinite diftance from all right, and there- fore infinitely unworthy of the moft excellent nature. To be taken out of a ftate of non- exiftence, and immediately condemn'd to a ftate of everlafting torment, much more after a life of the moft exad obedience and fub- miffion to its Maker, is what the creature might juftly complain of; and ftill more, if \\itXQ was the fecurity of a promife on God's part lo Wifdom thejirfi fpring of k(X\on part of a contrary treatment. -Let any one, for argument's fake, make this his own cafe, and then fay, whether he fhould not think himfelf tohave juft matter of complaint ; and then let him confider further, whether the complaint being juft, the thing complain'd of can be juft too. So far then we are got, that there is an efenfial everlajlmgjitnefs in jtifticey and faithfulnefi, — Let us now fee whether we cannot advance further. Sect. IV. Nothing whatfoever is of value but happinefs, either the agent's own, or the happinefs of other Beings; or that which hath fome relation to happinefs ; either more immediate or remote, neceftary or vo- luntary, to happinefs itfelf, or to the capaci- ties of it. A univerfe of unintelligent matter falling (if you pleafe) by chance, into the moft confummate order and regularity, but without any mind to difcern and enjoy its beauties, is in effedt nothing, becaufe good for nothing. Nor is the cafe mended by add- ing intelligence and perception, if that intelli- gence and perception, be not attended with pleafure; perception without all pleafure, is no better than figure and magnitude without perception, as thefe are juft equal in value to nothing. To perception add mifery, and nothing will deferve the preference. From hence 1 proceed to argue thus — That which immediately and properly caufes mifery and not in the DEITY. ii not happlnefs, or lefs happinefs than mlfery, is upon the whole evil or worfe than nothing; that which caufes neither happinefs nor mi- fery, either immediately or upon refledion, is neither good nor evil, and fo will ferve for no more, than to weigh again ft nothing. Beauty and order are, in their own nature, fitted to communicate pleafure to percipient Beings, that are proper judges of them ; in the natural world as they are arguments of defign and fkill in the framer, and lead the thoughts to beau- ties of a higher kind ; in the moral world, as they are the efFeds of the nobleft faculties applied to their right ufe. When I fay that thefe things are in their nature fitted to pro- duce pleafure, my meaning is, that nothing is required to this pleafure, but a clearnefs of perception, without any biafs or inclination, one way or the other. But now, on the contrary, were it fuppofeable (which it is not) that beauty and order had no more aptitude to give pleafure, than deformity and confujion, there would be nothing to chufe between them. Sect. V. Let us apply this to the two accomplifliments, fo univerfally coveted, of knowledge and power; they can no otherwife be perfedions, or things rather to be defired than the want of them, than as the Being who poflefles them is the happier for ther^ J^imfelf, or more capable of promoting the happinefs 12 Wifdom the Jirjl fpring of k€i\Qn happinefs of others. We muft therefore grant that end to be beft for a knowing and power- ful Being, in the purfuit of which, his knowledge and power will contribute to actual happinefs, or to the capacities and opportu* nities of it. Why I add this reftridion, will be feen prefently. After this manner are we obliged to reafon concerning the knowledge and power of God himfelf, the fupreme and beft of all Beings. Is the original defign of God in exerciling thefe attributes, the t7iifery or happinefs of his creatures ? It cannot be their mifery, for the reafon before given ; and be- caufe, if this be their intended efFedt, they are direded to no valuable end, and arc, therefore, fo far confidered, at beft of no ufe either in themfelves, or to the poffeflbr, unlefs his happinefs be conceived to grow out of their mifery 5 an imagination fo contradiftory to the notion of a perfe(ft Being, that I pre- fame no one who believes God to be fuch a Being, did ever exprefly and direcftly entertain it. There is indeed a contradi6lion in the very fuppofition, that the mifery of the crea- ture makes the happinefs of the Creator. As his own works he cannot hate them without hating himfelf; he muft therefore hate them, if at all, for works done by them ; therefore could not hate them before they were created ; therefore could not create them to be inifera- hie. Befides, what are the works for which pod can hate his creatures ? If for rj//, thefe they in //6^ DE IT Y. 13 they might have avoided, and then would not have been mijerable ; if for good, or be- caufe they have done no evil, this v^^ould be injujlicey which would caufe as much pain by clashing with his clear and adequate ideas of right and wrong, as it could be fuppofed to afford pleafure, by feeding a malicious tem- per ; not to add, that the fame neceffity cannot be the original of malice, and of that right judgment which difcovers and condemns the evil of it. Sect. VI. It is a very ingenious com- parifon of Biftiop Cumberland^, " the greateft ** power that can be imagined, without wif- " dom and juftice (add goodnefs too) implies ** no more of bkffednefs or of majefty^ than " what may be found in a mafsof lead, fup- ** pofed to be of an infinite weight j for, as ** thofe who underftand Mechanicks know " very well, there may be a weight equivalent " to any power." We might otherwife re- femble power, feparate from moral attributes, to a refiftlefs tempefl, that carries all before it j which agrees with the notion the famous Earl ofRochefier owned himfelf to have had of the Deity -f-, as a vaft power, that wrought every thing, by the necejjity of its nature. J From all * De Legib. Nat, p. 226. 4". f See His Life by Bifhop Burnet. X The Divinity excels in three things j immortality, power, and virtue i of tliefe the moft venerable and divine 14 Wifdom the Jirft fpring of kdiion all this I infer, that the end or defign of God in the Creation, muft be happinefs; as to the degree, and manner of attaining it, fuited to the faculties, and dependence, and the freedom of his reafonable creatures ; or to fpeak more flridlly, a capacity ofhappinefs^ which muft be valuable, for the fame reafon that happinefs itfelf is fo. It is fit that reafonable creatures fhould be made free, that they may freely acknowledge their dependence on the Firft Caufe, and ad: according to it. And it is fit that the happinefs of a creature, whofeadions are free, (hould be the effedl of the right ufe of his own freedom. With this only limita- tion, the happinefs of his creatures muft al- ways be defigned by the Creator. The fitnefs of punifiment is deducible from what hath been now faid of happinefs^ and is not to be explained in any other way. For, becaufe happinefs hath enough in its idea, to awaken the active powers of an intelligent Being j be- caufe it is very plain, wherein the happinefs of fuch a Being muft principally confift, even in the fatisfa(5tion of its largeft and moft exalted faculties, and that the only means conducing to fuch a happinefs^ is the love and pradice of univerfal goodnels, which is the immediate divine Is virtue. For the elements and vacuum have, immortality ; earthquakes, thunders, ftorms and tor- rents have great power ; but as for jultice and equity, nothine; participates thereof, except what is divine. Plutarch'^ Life of Arijiides. vid. loc. in the DEITY. 15 immediate foarce of very great pleafure to a well-dlfpofcd mind : and becaufe further, it is in the power of this Being, to ufe theJc means with fuccefs, therefore it is fit, that this Being fhould exert his facukies in an agreeable courfe of actions, and that, if he does not, he fhould be punifhed with the lofs of that happhiefi which he negleds and defpifes. Sect. VII. The fum is — T^hat a rea^ finable creature fiould not be made miferable, before he hath deferred it, is 'the firfl and mofl: apparent fitnefs ; that he Jhoidd be made for happinefs is the next j the next to which is, that every reafbnable Bei?ig fhouldbe obliged to choofe Reafon for his guide in the fearch of happinefs; which is followed with a fourth, that he who will not be perfiiaded to take the right way to be happy, fiould be left to the confequences of his own wrong choice. But then the fitnefs that this or that particular per- fon (hould be punifhed with the lofs oi hap- pinefs, is only accidental, and befide the pri- mary defign of God, and therefore wholly to be afcribed to the creature's own perverfneis. Sect. VIII. Another argument for fitnefs, in the choice of the end, is, that if there were no fitneffes but with relation to the means, after God had firil: fixed his end, then what we call the moral perfeBions of God, (e. g. jtijlice, goodnefs, and truth) are only fo many i 6 Wifdom th firflfprhg of A(£lion inany inclinations^ propenfiom, or affeEiiom in the Divine Nature, to certain ways of acting, (or, if you pleafe, one inclination branching itfelf into feveral ftreams) not flowing from his wifdom^ but immediately from the fame ori- ginal proper necejjity as that of his being eternal and immenfe. Now ihould we grant affeBioni in God anfwering to inclinations of injlindl in mankind, yet it cannot be known what they are, unlefs anfwerable fitneffes of action, ari- fing from the natures and efTences of things, be prefuppofed, and it be further determined what thofe fitneffes are. Then, indeed, ne- cejjity being a uniform felf-confiftent thing, the i\<^ctQ2iXy propenfio?2S and affeSlionsoi the Divine Being, if there are any fuch, muft fall in with the natures of things, which are founded in the fame necejjity. On the contrary ^ deny any fuch antecedent fitneffes, and you leave no poffible way of knowing, with any cer- tainty, what tht propenftons oi the felf-exiftent nature are; the mere agreement oi aBions to his inclinations^ whatever thefe inclinations ^ or thofe aBions be, making them to be good and eligible. It muft therefore, after all the affu- rances which God hath given, or can give us, whether from the frame of the world, or by a fupervening revelation, that he is fo and fo difpofed towards us, and intends to do, or obliges himfelf to do this and that for us ; it muft, I fay, after all this, remain uncertain, whether he is fo kindly affeBioned as he de- clares. in the DEITY. 17 clares, and will do as he promiles i if fo be a falfe declaration of his affeBion and inteniicn^ or a manifefl breach oi profnife have nothing in them unworthy of the Deity ; or only as they would be contradidlory to his inclination-, for how do I, how fhall I know that he is fo inclined? Or, that if he be fo at prefent, the ftream will not change its courfe, and his inclination turn to another point? In which cafe, what was before unworthy of him, will become highly worthy. The refult is, ad- miting fuch antecedent afe&ions, yet the moral fitnefs, or unfitnefs of actions cannot be the effeift of their agreement or difagree- ment with thefe affeBions, but is an infepara- ble adjund: to the nature of things; between which and the fuppofed affeBions thene will be a harmony and confpiration, as being both rcfolvable into the fame abfolute neceflity. Sect. IX. We have had attempts to prove the goodnefs of God, as it fignifies (in fome mens idea of it) a kind inclination or principle of benevolence in the Deity ^ ivithtut any reafon for it ; but I think, much fhort of the mark. A certain Writer *, to the queftion, IVhy do youfuppofe God to be good rather than otherwije? Anfwers, " Becaufe I can prove ** him fo a pojleriori^ or by afcending from " effe6i to caufe. That this is an attribute of Vol. IV. C " thp * An Eflay on moral obligation, p. 16, Cs^f. 1 8i JVifdom the firjl fpring of Adion " the Deity, appears from the works of the *' Creation, which is evidently contrived for " the good of the whole, or fo as to mani- ** feft, that the defign of the Creator therein " muft be to communicate happinefs." Not to put this Gentleman in mind of the m/,: both natural and morale that is in the world, which hath driven fome into the abfurd fup- pofition of two firft principles of things, one good, the other evil, and which muft, at beft, exceedingly weaken this argument for the goodnejl of God a pofteriori, when it refts upon this foot, and there is fuppofed to be nothing in the idea of goodnefs itfelf, which implies it to be a perfedion: not to dwell upon this, I (hall only obferve, that no con- clufioa can be drawn from effe&s in the pre- ient cafe, becaufe the phaenomena which we have already feen are only a part, and it may be a very Imall part of the univerfal plan, which God hath laid in his own thoughts ; fo that the ultimate defign, for aught we know, may be the Jinal mifery of all percep- tive Beings, to be introduced by contrary appearances, that it may be the more furpri- 1im<^^ and the more fenfiblyfelt when it comes $ or the predominant offeBion in God, may be the love of variety, which, in the courfe of ages, will produce a thoufand alterations in the univerfe, happinefs being fometimes pre- polleiu, at other times mifery. If from our filks 'of truth and goodnefe, we cannot he fure in the "D-EITY. 19 fure that there is any thing in the nature of thefe attributes, that (hould give them the preheminence to falfiood and cruelty^ then we cannot be fure but this or any other may be the fcheme projected, forafmuch as we have feen fo little of it, to be able to argue from effeSls^ if we b;ive nothing to affift and guide our reafonings in the abfolute nature and fitnefs of things. Sect. X. " But " (fays another Au- thor *, who efpoufes the fame notion, tho* to a very different purpofe) " fome things are ** necetlarily pleafing or difpleafing, and that ** which makes them fo, is the relation there " is in the nature of the thing between the ** objed: and the mind perceiving ; what is " the refult of this relation in mofl cafes, we " know not but by experience; yet this I " think we may be fure of, that certain ** things are in their nature incapable of being " the foundation of pleafure ; of which kind " I take malevolence to be." If by the relation in the nature of the things between the obje(5t and the mind perceiving, this Author meant the relation between the ohjeB and judging factdty, I intirely agree with him in his account of mental pleafure and pain. But this he could not mean confiftently with his own hypothecs ; becaufe when an obje(5t gives pleafure or pain, not by immediate and fimple C 2 per- • Two Letters from a Deijl to his^ Friend, p. 33. 2 o TVifdom the Jirjt fpring of hdC\o\\ perception, but after reafoning or making a judgment about it, it is for feme apprehended fitnefs or unfitnefs in the objed:, to which we have, or have not, had regard in our con- dud. And as to any other relation between an objed and fuch a mind as the fupreme, it is abfolutely unconceivable; and, were it granted, would prove that malevolence might be natural and neccffary, as well as any other afFcdion, and afford as much pleafure in the gratification. The gratifying of any inclina- tion is pleafant, and that the pleafure is fome- times over-paid for, isbecaufe it is condemned by Reafon 3 as its being condemned by Rea- fon is, becaufe Reafon judges it to be criminal or foolifli. A beaft of rapacious kind tears its prey in pieces, and feels no remorfe after it hath done ; and the chief of intelligent Be- ings might in like manner delight in facrific- in^ millions of innocent creatures to a cruel temper, without having the pleafure in the lead abated, by the knowledge of whatthefe wretched Beings undefervedly fufFered, could it be fuppofed that one reafonable Being hath no concern in the happinefs or mif&ry of an- other, but as it afteds his own j and fetting a fide that connexion, cannot be blamed for refilling to do the mod: ealy adion, in order 10 remove an unfupportable load of mifery, from a great number of innocent and virtuous Beings, or even for doing all in its power, to lay hicli a load of mifery upon them. Sect. m the DE\TY. 21 m Sect. XI. Upon the whole, were it fo, as thefe two Writers, one of them a Chrifiian, the other a Dei ft, fay, that in point of moral excellence, there is no difference between goodnefi and malice^ fo that all the alTu ranee we have that God is good, or hath an hicli- fiat ion to do good, is from the eff'e&s. Were this a true account of things, I (hould think we were upon a very precarious bottom, and had nothing at all to truft to, whether in the phajiomena of nature, or the promifes of the Gofpel, fince the defign in both might only be to deceive us. Would not this be a natural progreflion ? There are no fuch things as moral fttnelTcs, therefore no evidence for any fuch attributes as goodnefs, truth and Jaithfiil- nefi, therefore no way of proving the Chriftian Rrjelation : or, fuppofing the revelation of the truth of the things revealed, or a Provi- dence that regards the acStions of mankind, or a future ftate, therefore no difference between virtue and vice, but only as they happen to affed: our prefent interefl. My mind would be unavoidably led, one ftep after another, to this fad conclufion of the whole matter. And how then are men to blame for thinking God to be delighted in thofe lewd, fuperflitious, and inhuman ceremonies, which they have introduced into their religious wordiip ? Why might not the character of Be/ial or Moloch have agreed to the true God ? It WdS ufual for C -. the 22 JVifdom the Jirjl fpring of kiMxon the Carthagmiam to offer children in facrificc to their Gods. The Hiftorian * tells us, *' they at one time facrificed two hundred *' children of the beft families to Saturn^ " putting them into the hands of a brazen " ftatue of that God, out of which they ** dropped into a burning furnace beneath." And how could they know the impiety of this, if they had only effeBs to argue from, which according to their interpretation of them, fignified that their fullen God was angry, and not to be appeafed on any other terms ? Sect. XII. There is one thing T cannot forbear remarking now I am upon this head, and that is, how far a man may be blinded by his attachment to a favourite hypothelis. How ehe could one of the Gentlemen now mentioned (whofe zeal for Chrijliafiity I do not queftion, tho' he be altogether unknown to me, as his book is proof fufficient of his reafoning abilities) have made an invidious re- fle<5lion upon his adverfary, which returns with double force on himfelf ? " It is eafy, " faith he, to fee what a pernicious tendency " the fcheme of independent fitneffes is of, " from the ufe that hath been made of it, by *' a late advocate for Deifm, whofe whole *' book is built upon this principle, that duty f' and obligatio?2 arifeth from the nature and " relations * piodor, Sicul. 1. 20. i7i the DEITY. 23 «* relations of things." Lo! here is another Deijl who agrees with this Author, in faying that wijdom hath nothing to do but with the means, and that therefore the goodnejl of God is a pure natural inclination, which he follows without all confideration of a fuppofed reafon and fitnefs in things, which thefe Writers treat as an abfurdity. Shall I now, to bring an odium upon this principle, expofe it as the rejuge of Deifts, when they are fleeing from the fear of future punifliment ? He who firft fet me the example, could not juftly complain of me on this account. But the truth is, I have always had fuch a diflike to the argiimen- tum ah hruidia diiBum, that I hope I (hall never meddle with it. The only inquiry here ought to be, which of thefe two Deifts hath argued right from his principles ? That the Author of Chrijiiajiity as old as the Creation, muft have quite miftaken the dodrine of moral fitneffes before he could think to prefs it into his fervice againft Chriftianity, is evi- dent from hence, that one of thefe fitncifes is, that the creature foould obey his Creator, with- out taking the liberty to qiiejlion, whether the command is from God, merely becaufe he does not Jee the fitnefs of the thing commanded ; un- lefs it be a queftion, whether God is wifer than man \ I might have f\id, whether one man may not be fo much wifer, or better cir- cumftanced than another, as to difcern an expediency vyhere that other cannot ? But now C 4 *^ 2 4 Wifdom the Jirft fpring of Adion f^hc plain tendency of the aflertion, that there ^s no fitnefs in the divine aBions but what is founded in natural inclination^ is that we fhall be left under the utmoft uncertainty, for want of knowing what thefe inclinations are ; or, if we determine for benevolence^ we fhall be juftified to believe, that however men behave, they (hall certainly be happy, as happy as they are capable of being made, at laft. Hap- pinefs, whether men take care to fit them- felves for it or no, being the only thing that can fatisfy that benevolence which is a mere inclination of nature; and therefore, where there is not a moral difpofition for happinefs, God, for his own fake, will beftow it. What hath now been faid of the wijdom of God, will prepare the way for that which follows concerning his wilL CHAP. II. Sect. I. '"T^HE infinite energy , or aBive -^ jorce^ which, when I am con- templating the nature of the ever-blelTed God, is the other thing that offers itfelf to my thoughts, as comprehended in his idea, may be conceived to exert itfelf, in willing to do fomething which he fees fit to be done, or in doing what he wilU, They, who make will and f.Qwer to be in God the fame, will excufe in the Ti'ElTY. 25 me for fpeaking of them as diftliKfli fincc, whatever my fentiments are, I do not pretend to decide any thing in that con troverfy by this manner of fpeaking, but only follow the order of my ideas. The former of thefe I would call volitive^ the latter executive power. I have not mentioned a third branch of the aBive force ^ diftin<^ from the other two, be- caufe, to me it appears very queftionable, whether there be any fuch, I had almoft faid, next to certain that there is not. Were there indeed any fuch thing as inclination in God, that did not come up to exprefs and full W/- tion^ nor follow the condud: of his unerring ixiifdom; as volition does, but was in order of nature coexiftent and independent, this I own would be a third way of confidering the aBive force^ and require another, and peculiar name, being as eafily feparable in our ideas from the other two, "2^% gravitation, (fuppofing fuch a property were really inherent in mat- ter, which I am well perfuaded it is not) would be from aBual motion. Sect. II. But, in the firft place, the pojjibility of this fort of inclinations in the Deity •is hardly conceivable ; for they will have the fame kind of neceflity as his exigence itfelf ; and .tho' they lie, if I may be allowed the expreffion, in a parallel diredion with the path that is marked out by his infinite under- ftandingj fp ^s tg run on with it, and to termi- nate i6 Wifdom the firft fpring of k€t\on nate in the fame end, yet they will not in the leafi be influenced hf it. But now, how can the aBive force be imagined to tend one way rather than another, antecedent to the know^ ledge of God that one of thefe ways is prefer- able to the other? And, were this poffible, would it really be aperfedion? The inclina- tion will be neverthelefs mechanical for being feated in an intelled:ual nature, if it is abfo- lutcly, phyfically, and immediately necefl^ary ; nor ever the lefs blind and unintelligent, for being united with wifdom and intelligeitce, if that wifdom and intelligence have no part in guiding the inclination^ but are only fubfer- vient to it in bringing about the end, which inclination excites to the purfuit of. And is a blind mechanical inclination to be num- bered among real abfolute perfedions j or a proper foundation for all the moral attributes of God ? Yet thus it is we are taught to con- ceive of God by fome Writers. The firft idea in order (as they range them) is goodnefs^ or a kind and benevolent, but undifcerning i'nclination ', then comes in wifdom^ which is inftead of eyes to inclination, not to. guide it in the choice of its end (for to this it is deter- mined by a blind neceffity) but of the moft* proper means of arriving at the end propofed. Sect. III. That there can be no place for fuch inclinations in a perfect nature, I fur- ther prove after this manner. Inclination is founded tn the DE IT Y. 27 founded in fome prior perception, /. e. there muft be fome perception, pleafant or painful, that precedes inclinatio?iy or proper adtual in- clination will never exift. It is (Oy even as to the appetites of hunger and thirft, which, if any one would think, (hould immediately arife out of nature placed in proper circum- ftances for it. And yet it is certain, all that nccelTarily follows the want of meat and drink, is only a painful fenfation, not the de- fire of meat and drink. Imagine the firft man, the inftant he was created, to have only felt the fame uneafinefs we do, when we arc hungry and thirfty, and that, while he was in this condition, a chryftal ftream had run at his feet, and fruit of the fineil: tafle and colour had hung jufl before him, yet as long as he did not know the property of water to lay thirft, and of the fruit to fubdue hunger, and moreover, was not fecretly admonifhed by any effluvia of the agreeablenefs of thefe things to his animal nature, he would have had no more defire to the water, than to the channel it flowed in ; nor to the fruit, than to the timber of the tree which it grew on. So that even hunger and thirft, as far as they fignify an appetite, or ad:ual inclination to meat and drink, are not the immediate growth of nature, but prefuppofe a painful fenfa- tion, from which the appetite appears to be intirely diftind:, by this confideration that phere is no connexion between them, but by the 28 Wifdom thejifjl fpring of Adion the intervention of another perception. Iij like manner the inclination to relieve a mife- rable objeE\TY, 29 foch rational inclinations in God as well as the other fort, will be explained in their proper place. To proceed therefore, Sect. IV. Will any one fay there muft be natural inclinations in God, becaufe there can be no exciting reafon * to adion without them ; (o that for want of this internal weight, the Deity muft remain in an eveflafting fuf- penfe, or indifference to all a(5tion ? But to a Being of the moft confummate wifdom, and unbounded poiver^ not drawn afide by counter inclinations^ what more perfuafive reafon can there be, than the eternal unchangeable rea- fon, or fitnefs of things? — It is Jit to be done^ therefore God does it.. — Is not this way of fpeaking more refpedful to the Deity, than if it fhould be faid, he does this^ not becaufe it is better than the cofitrary would have been^ but becaufe it better fuits his inclination ? And yet this would be the plain fadt, if God could ivill nothing that he was not previoufly in- clined to, and was inclined to nothing but by a neceffity of nature j fince this would be to make incli?iation the fole moving fpring of volition. The reafon of things apprehended bv the divine mind, would not at all contri- bute * All exciting reafons prcfuppofe inftind^s and affec- tions. Hutchefon of the PaJJionSy p. 216. 'Tis plain if the Deity had nothing effential to his nature, corre- fponding to our fweeteft and moft kind affeftiors, we can fcarce fuppofe he could have any reafon exciting him to any thing he hath done. Id. />. 239. 30 Wtfdom the firji fprtng o/'Adion bute towards it ; for if it hath any degree of influence, fo as to bear but a third or fourth part in determining the mll^ it may as well determine it wholly, there being no more contradiction, that the two or three remain- ing parts which go to complete the volition, fhould proceed from a regard to the reafon of things, than the one or two that are fuppofed todofo. Whatever hath any, though never fo inconfiderable, weight, may have its mo- mentum increafed, till it is fufficient to break the ballance. Sect. V. It is poflible then, for God to adt without any other reafon or motive, than the intrinfick beauty and goodnefs of the adtion. And if this be poflible, then thus it is we ought to think he adts, as well on fup- pofltion of diprevening inclination^ as of none. He will, indeed, on the former fuppofition, adl with inclination^ but not from it, as the proper ultimate reafon oi volition, any more than on the latter. Did he adt from inclina- tion^ in the ftnfe now explained, or fo as that to fuch like queftions as thefe, Why does God favour the righteous more than the wicked? Why is he faithful to his promi/es f &c. no further anfwer was to be returned, than be- caufe he was inclined to it, or becaufe it was neceflary for fome end (as for inftance, the bringing about the publick happinefs of the rational fyrtem) which he was inclined to ^ promote in the DEITY. 31 promote without any reafon j in this cafe the wifdom, equity, and goodnefs of divine Pro- vidence being only occafioned by the neceffary co-incidence of the dilpoiitions of a pcrfedt nature with the nature o^ things, the difpen- fations of God's Providence would be no otherwife wife, and juft, and good, than they, would be without his confcioufnefs, or know^ ledge, of this co-incidence, which is not the ground, or reafon of his proceedings. As certainly therefore, as all the ways of God are wife, and righteous, and good, they are the refult o^wijdom, and not oi utigutded inclifja" tion. The fame wifdom that difcovers the pre- ferablenefs of one end, one fcheme, one me- thod to another, is inducement enough to a Being, in whom there is the moft perfedt rectitude of nature, to perfer that end, that fcheme, that method in all his works. Sect. VI. I defire never to forget the weaknefs and narrownefs of my mind, efpe- cially when treating on matters of fo fublimc a nature, in which I would carefully avoid being hafty and pofitive ; but, after all my care, if I follow the chain of my prefent reafonings, I am led further to think, that as there are no propenfiom or inclinations in God, antecedent to, or rather independent of, his knowledge of the eternal and immutable re- lations of things, fo nor confequent and de- pendent upon this knowledge. The progrefs is 3^ Wifdom the jirjl fpring o/'Adlion is not from a clear view of what is beft to an inclination towards it, and from thence, by another and diftin^l ftep to 'volition ; but, if it be of fomething which God fees fit to be immediately done, the view of it imme- diately ifTues in mlition^ without any inter- vening inclination ; if of fomething fit to be done, but not prefently, the view of it is neither followed with inclination or 'volition^ but only with a purpofe of doing it when it ftiall be proper ; or, to fpeak more ftridtly, is attended with a complacential thought^ that when the fulnefs of time is come for doing it, fuch is the unchangeable perfed:ion of his na* ture, he (hall certainly will to do it. I freely own for myfelf, that I am not able to feparate an inclination to adions, that are not to be done till numberlefs ages are part, from fome- thing of uneafinefs. And, were it otherwife, yet to what purpofe ihould we fuppofe an inclination fo long before it pafles into volition ? And I will ad J, why a moment before, if not from eternity .^ That is, why at all ? Sect. VII. It may be proper to take notice, that in reprefenting the view of what is fit to be immediately done as immediately conneded in God with the a(!t of volition, my defign was only to exclude inclination from being a fort of medium between thefe two, not every thing elfe whatfoever. Inclination^ I think, is evidently fhut out, but not fuch a joy in the DEITY. 33 joy ov plea fur e as is worthy of God, and eflential to his happinefs. The fupreme Being is, in Scripture^ ftiled the blejfed God\ //axap»^, happy \ with which agrees the common fenfe of mankind, that he is as much happier as he is greater than all other Beings. And what is the happinefs of the Deity, but the pleafure or fatisfadtion he injoys ? And of what nature and kind is this pleafure j and where (hall we find the fource of it ? Is it a mere con- fufed fenfation of delight, that hath its foun- dation in inftindt and temper only, being without any proper motive to it, or objedl about which it isexercifed? The mind recoils at the bare mention of fuch an abfurd fuppo- fition ; and yet as abfurd as the notion of blind fenfation in the Deity may appear, it is not more fo, than that of blind inclinatiom ; they are fit company one for the other. Shall we fay then, -that the happinefs of the Deity hath its original from knowledge ^n6, reJleBion? So our nobleft pleafures have; and furely then, much more the exalted pleafures of the fupreme mind j particularly, from the furvey of his own ideas, and the relations ex- ifting between them. Thefe relations are infinite, whence refults an infinite number of truths, the contemplation of which, in the vaft variety of their combinations and depen- dences, muft give infinite delight. Truths merely fpeculative are fruitful of pleafure; how much more practical truths, or thof^ Vol. IV, D that 34. tVifdomtheJirflfpnngofA€(\on that concern a right conduBy whether in God himlelf, or in his reafonable creatures. The fiLnefies of adion as they lie before him in one boundlefs profpecl, cannot but be attend- ed with unconceivable pleafure, which plea- lure muft be heightened by the knowledge he hath, that there is nothing, and can be no- thing, to draw him afide into actions con- tra; y to the fitnefs of things, and that there- fore he ihall ever aft as becomes a Being of infinite perfedion. This he knows with the lame certainty as he knows the fitnefs of things J and from his knowledge of thefe fimefTes, and the pleafure he receives from his knowledge, we may be afTured, that God in every inftance will aft: after this manner. The very fuppofition that God hath plea- 6ire in beholding thefe moral fitnefTes, (hews that he can need no other motive to do what is fit, than his knowledge that it is fo. The pleafure he takes in any truth mufl be agree- able to the nature of that truth ; that is, the truth being f?wral or pradlical (a propofition rightly affirming an aftion to be better than its contrary, or than the omifiion of it) the pleaiure muft arife from the confideration of it under this notion. And if God takes a pleafure in beholding what is fit to be done as fuch, when he further fees that this or that is fit to be done by him, he cannot, when it comes to be thus fit, but iioill to do it, and take a pleafure in doing it. We have here then in //j^ D E I T Y. 3 5 then a double pleafure, one refulting from the contemplation of moral fitnefles, the other from ading according to them, which, per- haps, is no more than a continuation of that pleafure which God receives from the know- ledge that he fliall always fo adl. A wife Being hath great pleafure in ading wifely, and in the aflurance that he fhall a(fl thus on all occafions, and the more wifely he ads, and the greater his aflurance of his continuing to do fo, the greater that pleafure; and therefore greatefl: of all, where the wifdom is infinite and unchangeable. But then this pleafure is not properly the caufe of God's ading wifely, becaufe the very ground of that pleafure which accompanies the divine adions, is his adting in the manner he does, becaufe it is adling wifely, or according to the reafon and nature of things as the conftant motive of his adions. Sect. VIII. Upon the whole, I would diftinguifli what is lefs evident from what is more fo. That there are no inclinations in God at aU^ diJlinSI from his aSfuat volitions is to me fo evident, as hardly to leave any doubt about it in my mind. That there are nofuch inclination?, as depend not upon any previous gBs of the underftandijig^ is ftill more evident, and the proof of it more eafily apprehended! But what is moft evident of all, and ought in my judgment to be out of queftion among E) 2 * thole. 36 Wifdom the firji fprijig of KCtion thofe, who would think in the leaft honour- al)ly of God, and not give up all his moral perfedions, is, That there are ejfential and rcerlafitng jitnejjes in things and aBions^ 'which being perfecily knoum to God^ are the true and invariable reafons of his conduM. — From this Principle the following Corollaries are natu- rally deduced. CHAP. in. Fir ft COROLLART. Se c T. I. '"T^HE R E can be nofuch unbound- -*- ed liberty in the will of God as fome have advanced^ who (for what end was heft known to themfelves) have talked deceit- fully of God, and complimented him with an abfolute empire over truth and falfhood, over good and evil. '' It is repugnant to Reafon " (faith a celebrated * Philofopher) " that the " will of God fhould not from eternity have *' been indifferent to all things, which are or *' ever (liall be, becaufe there is nothing good *' or true, nothing to be believed, or done, " or omitted, the idea of which was in the *' divine intellect, before his le'/// tletermined *' to efFed it fuch as it is. Neither do I here ** fpeak of priority of time, fince it was not •' there by a priority of order or nature, i.e. *' fo * Defcartes Refpon. ad Sext. Objed. Sed. 6. in the T>E\TY. 37 fo as that the idea of goodnels moved God to choofe one thing rather than another. e. g. He did not therefore will to create the world in time, becaufe he faw this to be better, than if he had created it from eternity ; nor did he will that the three angles of a triangle Ihould be equal to two right, becaufe he knew that it could not be otherwife j but on the contrary, becaufe he wi/Ied to create the world in time, therefore this is better than if he had crea- ted it from eternity, and becaufe he ivillcd that the three angles of a triangle, fhould be neccfTarily equal to two right, therefore this is now true, and cannot be otherwife; and fo of the reft. And thus this perfect indifference in God, is a moft complete argument of his omnipotence. But as to man, finding the nature of all that is good or true already determined by God, and unchangeably fo, it is manifeft that he does the more readily, and confequently, the more freely embrace any good or truth, the more clearly he apprehends it, and that he is never indifferent, but when he is igno- rant which is the truer or better, or at lead doth not fee it fo clearly but that there is fome room for doubting. And thus the indifference belonging to human liberty is quite another thing from that which agrees to the divine." D 3 Sect, 38 Wifdom the Jirfl fpring of kd^xovi Sect. II. In this palTage we find all truth, whether fpeculative or praBical^ (or truth and goodnefs) is intirely fubjeded to the free determination of God. The particular inftance of a thing fit to be done is not very well chofen, it being a difputable point, whe- ther it was poflible, in the nature of the thing, for the world to have been created from eternity, and the creating of it fooneror later in time being, perhaps, a matter of arbi- trary choice. But fince the affertion is univer- fal that there is nothing good or true, to be believed, or done, or omitted, but the will of God was from eternity indifferent to it, we have a right to fuppofe, that if it had come into the Author's head, he would not have fcrupled to fay, that fidelity would have been no better than perfidioufnefs, mercy than cruelty, univerfal benevolence than univerfal malice, if God, of his own free-will, had not made them better. I am pleafed, however, to fee thefe two forts of truth placed upon the fame foot ; it rejoices me to hear that the truth of this Propofition, the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right, is not more necelTary and unchangeable than the goodnefs of fome acflions ; and that nothing could have hin- dered the one from being what it is, but a power that had the lame abfolute dominion over the other. Only grant me that moral fitnefs is as eflential to fome adions, as the property in the T>^\TY, 39 property now mentioned is to a triangle, and I dcfire no more. That there are eternal and necejjary. truths^ which always were^ and al- ways will be the fame^ and could not poffibh have been othcrwife^ is as plain as that there is any fuch thing as truth ; fince nothing could be proved, if fomething were not felf-evident, and what is felf-evident could not be made fo, becaufe then we could not know whether it is fo or no, till we had firft proved, that it was the will of God, that the truth of it (liould be felf-evident. And fome Propo- rtions being felf-evident, the evidence of others is demonftrative, and fo refolycs into ft-lf-evidence i a dcmonftration being a chain of ideas, in which the connexion between every particular link, and the next following is evident of itfelf, or without any proof. That there are likewife ??joral truths which have the fame immutable neceffity, was at- tempted to be proved in the two firft Chapters^ and appears to me in the fame full light, as that there are mathematical truths of this kind. The nature of juftice and inju/lice^ gratitude and ingratitude, goodfiefs and malice^ Jincerity and fraud, being no more liable to change, than thofe of a tria?igle, a fquare^ and a circle j and having the fame invariable rela- tion of agreement or difagreement with a Being pofl'effed of freedom and intelligence, as thefe feveral figures have one with another. I^or is it a real lefTening to the true liberty of D 4 the 40 Wifdom the Jir/i fpring o/" Adiort the will of God, that he cannot arbitrarily make good to be m/, and evil to be goody any more than it is to the power of God that he cannot make truth andfal/hood to be the fame thing. Sect. III. Hobh is not quite fo liberal to the Creator and Governor of the world as De/cartes, yet he too talks in a ftrain that is fure high enough. ^ right to do all things ^ does effentially and necejjarily adhere to the power of doing them * j that is, in plain englidi, God hath power to damn his innocent creatures everlaf^ngly, therefore he hath a right to do it ; his mere power to deceive his creatures, by acting diredtly contrary to all the aiTurances and revelations of his mind that he hath given, or can poiTibly give them, is n6t to be queftioned, therefore his right to deceive them is alfo unqueftionable. And if there be no difference bQiween phy/ical d.nd moral power, or between mere power and right (as we have Mr. //oM'sword for it there is not) we have then no abfolute fecurity that God will not thus ad ; and how much better, I pray, is the fovereignty afcribed by fome to the moft ex- cellent of all Beings than this monftrous, this boundlefs right of Hobbs f For my part, I cannot fee wherein they differ j fince each, like a vaft abyfs, fwallows up, without dif- tindtion, every thing that is thrown into it. In all * De Give, /. i. cap. i. § 14. in /^^ D E I T Y. 41 all likelihood,. HoMi had never thought of that abfurd notion, or would have been aftiamed to broach it, if the then reigning Syftems in Divinity, had not given authority to that and feveral other parts of his wild fcheme of Reli- gion, Morality, and Politicks. Sect. IV. Some of late, who are far from believing Cartes'^ omnipotence^ or Hobb^s right, and would entertain the fuppofition of God's devoting a world of innocent creatures to cverlafting mifery and torments with the utmoft abhorrence, will not, however, allow that one thing is in itjelf fitter than another 5 fo that, if they abhor the fuppofition juft now put, it is not an abhorence of reafon (accord- ing to their own account of it) but of mecha^ nifm, like thofe which we call natural anti^ pathies. The will of God they will tell you, is not guided by any fuch rule, as fit and unfit *. " What is the reafon " (faith an in- genious perfonin this way of thinking) " why ** God (hould communicate happinels to the " good and innocent? Will you fay, that the ** reafon for it is, that fuch a procedure is " agreeable, and the contrary oppofite to the *' nature of things? If fo, I fliould then afk, " to what things is fuch a procedure agreeable " to the nature of ? Is it to that of the crea- " tures? Is it agreeable to their nature as " fenfible Beings ? It is certainly pleating to " thcra * Divine Benevolence, p. 21. ,^ 42 JVifdom the fi^ft fpring of Adion " them as fuch j but this is intirely befides ** the queftion, and abn:ra(Sing from this ** fenfe of the word, I don't fee but that ** pain and mifery is as agreeable to the nature " of a fenfible Being, as pleafure and happi- ** nefe." But, with this Gentleman's leave, I would afk, how long 2i fenfible^ and an in- nocent Being, have been equivalent terms ? The queftion was concerning communicating happinefs to a good and innocefit Being ; and certainly, in the nature of the things, there is a greater agreement between innocence and happinefs^ than between imiocence and mifery^ were it for no other reafon but this, that the happinefs of an imwcent Being, muft, in part, arife out of his imiocence or goodnefs itfelf, while his mifery mud be wholly external^ and fo (if not grounded in a miftake) not only fuit but ill with his innocence^ but, like a negative quality^ help to deftroy the fatisfadion that flowed from the confcioufnefs of it ; for inward fatisfadtion may be fo equally ballanced with outward pain, as taken with that, to have no more value than non-exiftence, or fo over-ballanced as to be unfpeakably wori'e than that. If any one faith, that he cannot fee how happinefs agrees better with innocence than mifery does, I can only wilh him a better eye- fight. Should this Author, upon fecond thought?, fay, that tho* there is no reafon why God rtiould communicate happi- nefs to the good and innocort^ yet there are plain in the Ti^lTY, 43 plain reafons, why he (hould not inflid: mi- fery, I (hall think it a confiderable gain to have this one moral fitnefs granted me, and laying this for a foundation, make no doubt of raifing a fuperftrudture of many other moral fitnefles upon it. Sect. V. The fame Author adds, a few- lines after this, " I do not find (I am forry " to fay it) any neceflary connexion between " mere intelligence, tho' ever fo great, and ** the love or approbation of kind and bene- ** ficent actions." And I, in my turn, am heartily glad to hear him fay, that he \% forry not to find this connexion not only as his^W «6Z/ar^ breaks out in this expreffion, but as it is a confeflion, of which he himfelf was not aware, of the intri?ifick excellence of beneficent a(Sions. He is forry not to difcern a con- nexion between the higheft degree of intelli- gence, and the approbation of kind and bene- ficent adions ? Why fo ? But becaufe he is inwardly confcious (as indeed every man muft be who hath not debauched his reafon, and much more one of our Author's virtue and good fenfe) that, fuch actions greatly deferve approbation. For if they do not deferve ap- probation, there is no caufe for forrow, that mere intelligence or reafon would not Jead any one to approve them. But, if they de- ferve love and approbation, as this Author doth in a manner confefs, certainly the fame intclli. 44 IVifdom the firjl Jpriug of k^\TY. 43 be the objeds of it) which feems to be the opinion of fome, will it not be unaccount- able that the fame motive did not induce him to confine his goodnefs to 2i Jingle obje£f, that being the way to exalt it to the higheft pitch of all? Sect. IX. The other notion in that Treatife, which I cannot come in with, is, 7hat where one thing is no better than another before a choice is made of it, that choice makes it be-tter to the choofer ; fo that God himfelf by <:hoofmg any J'cheme or mediums, though antece- dently no way preferable to other Jchemes and mediums^ which he does not choofe, renders that fcheme and thofe mediums Jit, and good, and agreeable *. Here I am apt to think, the ingenious Author deceived himfelf, or rather was deceived by Bifhop King^ for want of attending to an obvious diftindtion, between the abfolute and refpeBive goodnefs or fitnefs of two or more fchemes or mediums, which lie before the view of an intelligent agent. The abfolute goodnefs of any fcheme is that which makes it fit to be chofen, if there be no fuperior reafon againft it. The refpeBive goodnefs is its eligiblenefs above other fchemes, that is, the excefs of its abfolute goodnefs above theirs. Confequently, where the abfolute goodnefs of two fchemes is equal, neither of them is rejpe^ively good and fitj nor can E 3 poffibly * p. 86. 44 Wtfdom the firjl Jpring o/*A6lIon poffibly become fo by being chofen. And what then (hould make it good and agreeable to the choofer ? Upon the account of its abfo- lute goodnefs it may be agreeable j but then, forafmuch as this does not exceed the abfolute goodnefs of the fcheme unchoCen, the plain and intire reafon of its being agreeable is its abfolute fitnefs to be chofen, not its being chofen rather than another equally fit. But the agent hath chofen it, and is therefore pleafed with it. What, is he pleafed that he hath chofen that and not the other"? That cannot be, if he knows that one is no better than the other, and is not influenced in his choice, by a particular and unaccountable fancy for one above the other j which, though it may be frequently facft, in refped of fuch compounded and imperfect Beings as we are, cannot, without detrading from the fimpli- city and perfedion of his rfature, be fuppofed of God J not to add, that where there is fuch a partial fancy ^ the agreeablenefs of the thing does not arife from our having actually chofen it, but frorn the fancy we have for it, which i? the true reafoji of our choice. Second CQ^OLLART. THE dhine reSlitiide is a complex term^ including fe-vcral ideas under it ; as, for inftance, a negative reBitude^ in oppofitiqn p every wrong inclination 5 reBitiide ofjudg-- men^.^ in /i;^ D E I T Y. 45 inent^ in oppofition to all ignorance and mil- take about right and ivrcng, whether in refped: of the adions and operations of the Deity himfelf, or the actions and operations of his free creatures; a r&Bitiide of willy denoting an invariable determination of the ilhU by a right judgment, in oppofition to a will that is capable of being determined without, or con- trary to fuch 2i judgment ; and finally, a redli- tude of delight y fignifying that as fome things are fit to be delighted in, others not, fo God is delighted in that, and nothing elfe, which is a proper foundation and objed: of delight, and that his delight is always proportionable to the occafion, and the value of the objed:, in oppofition to a fatisfadion or delight that *is unreafonable, becaufe mifplaced as to the objed, or exceflive as to the degree. All thefe are comprehended in the rediitude of the divine nature ; the infeparable effed of which is a reBitude in the divine conduSl and govern- ment J by which reSiitude^ befides his never doing any thing that had better not be done, is further meant his doing every thing that is fit and becoming him to do. The afTurance we have of this (the reBitude of the divine nature being prefuppofed) is the infinite/>o'Z£;^r, or all-fuficiency of God. He cannot be con-^ trouled or over-ruled in any of his defigns; to him it can never be difficult and painful to do any thing that is poffible -, he wants nor thing, and he fears nothing, and therefore E 4 can 46 Wifdom the firjl fprlng o/'A£lIon can have no inducement to do what he other- wife would not, or to leave undone what he ihould elfe have chofen to do, only for the fake of his eafe, and to fecure his own private intereft and happinefs. rhird COROLLART. Sect. I. '^T^TIE moral attributes of God -■" are only divers ways of con^ fidering the will of God^ as invariably and de- light fully determined by his wifdom, to that which is befl in all poffble circumflances. The attri- butes that go under this name of moral, are goodnefs, jufiice, truth and jaithfuhiejs. Good- nefs is the will of God invariably and delight- fully determined by his wifdom to the com- munication o^ being and happinefs^ becaufe it is fit, and as far as is fit. — fufiice is the will of God invariably and delightfully determined by his wijdom to maintain right and order, and, for this end and purpofe, to do all that is ne- ccfTary to convince his reafonable creatures of the regard he hath to the prefervation of his own rights, and of theirs. — Truth, ox fincerity^ is the will of God invariably and delightfully determined by his wifdom to avoid uiing all iigns, in his intercourfes with his intelligent creatures, from which they may not only take occafion, without neceffity, to deceive them- felves, but would have jufl: ground to charge him, with being their deceiver, having a meaning in the T>^ITY. 47 meaning to himfelf quite different from that which the words, or other figns, he made ufe of, naturally fuggefted, and were intended to fugged *. Faithfulnefs is the will of God invariably and delightfully determined by his wiJdo?n to make good all his promijes and engagements. — The holinefs of God feems to ftand for all thefe perfections in conjun6lion, he being by thefe perfedions feparated from all fociety and friendfhip with falfe gods, as his people were to be from the wor(hip and worlhippers of thefe falfe deities, and from all imitation of them in their wicked lives, their fuperditious rights and cuftoms, and impious devotion, and upon that account called a holy people. Sect. II. From this general account of God's moral attributes^ it follows that we have clear, diftinCt and proper ideas of the moral attributes of the divine nature ; that, notvi^ith- ftanding the diverfity of the objeds, the prin- ciple of all thefe attributes is, ftridtly fpeak- ing, one and the fame, viz. God's knowledge of. * Can the Deity lie by objedting to the mind a falfe image, either by words or things?- Of what ufe can a lie be to him ? Can he be driven to it by the fear of enemies ? Or need it to ferve his friends ? There being no reafon why God fliould lie, we ought to con- clude the nature of the Gods is free of this imputation. God is true in words and actions, is neither changed himfelf, nor deceives others, whether by vifions, or voices, or figns, whether fleeping or waking. Plat.de ^epub. Dial, ^, 48 Wifdom the firft fpring c/'Adlion of, and delight in that which is good and fit : in a word, that infinity may be predicated of the morale as well as of the other attributes of God, as we further learn in what {q]\{^ it may be fo. Sect. III. i. We have clear ^ diftinci^ and proper^ thd not adequate ideas of the moral attributes of God. I am fenfible, this is very difagreeable dodrine to the difciples of a cer- tain Reformer^ who will not allow that our notions oijuftice and goodnefs, do at all agree to thefe attributes as they are in the Deity ; in whom they fignify fomething, of which we have only a confufed, or rather no appre- henfion, and exceeding different from what they do when afcribed to men. And, the truth is, as long as they refolve to give fucU reprefentations of the decrees of God, of his works ^ and of, what they call, his glory ^ as they univerfally do, they are perfeftly in the right of it, to take it for a thing granted, that we have no proper idea of thefe moral perfcc^ tions (tho*, they would do ftill better to prove it too, if they could) fince they mud be con- fcious of its being a defperate undertaking to reconcile the divine proceedings, according to their fcheme of them, with the conceptions which all mankind, not excepting thofe who have improved their Reafon to the higheffc degree, have oijujlice and goodnejs. And not only thefe men, but others too, who know ho^v in the DEITY. 49 how to reafon admirably well upon the attri^ butes of God when they pleafe, have, as often as a different purpofe was to be ferved, talked in the fame flrain. Sect. IV". Bifhop King is the man who hath moft diftinguiflied himfelf on this head. It is true, his difcourfe does particularly con- cern xht fore-knowledge of God j but then, he lays down fuch unlimited affertions, that no reader can forbear concluding from them, that his opinion was the fame of the tnoral attri- kites as of the reft j notwithftanding his not particularly infifting upon them. " Thofc powers, properties, and operations, the names of which we transfer to God, are (faith he) but faint fhadows and refem- blances, or rather indeed emblems and pa- rabolical figures of the divine attributes which they are defigned to fignify. — A map is only paper and ink diverfilied with feveral ftrokes and lines which in them- felves have very little likenefs to earth, mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers. Yet none can deny but by proportion and ana- logy, they are very inftrudtive j and if any ihould imagine that thefe countries are really paper, becaufe the maps that repre- fent them are made of it, and fliould ferioufly draw conclufions from that fup- pofition, he would expofe his understand- ing, and make himfelf ridiculous. And *' ye| 50 Wijdom the Jirji Jfring (j/'Adion ** yet fuch as argue from the faint refem- «* blances that either Scripture of Reafon *' give us of the divine attributes and opera- " tions, and proceed in their reafonings, as ** if thefe muft, in all refpeclls, anfwer one *' another, fall into the fame abfurdities that ** thofe would be guilty of, who (hould think ** that countries muft be of paper, becaufe ** the maps that reprefent them are fo." And, in the next paragraph, applying this general obfervation to the particular cafe of God*s decrees and predefiination^ he fiith, " We " afcribe thefe to God, becaufe the things ** fignified by thefe words bear fome refem- ** blance to certain perfcE\rY. s^ fitnefs of it, and thereupon to refolve with ourfelves that it is unworthy of God, and cannot have him for its author, altho''there be very good reafons to demonftrate that it is of God and not of men. The thing may be very fit, and yet the fitnefs of it not appear to us J unlefs our underflandings are com- menfurate to the natures and relations of things, and God can have no reafons for any particular aB or (economy of Providence which lie concealed from our fearches. Nay, fup- pofing we are not only ignorant of any rea- fons for God's ading after this or that man- ner, but can aflign plaufible reafons, why he (hould not fo adt, yet we ought to be very fure that thefe reafons are at lead a counter- poife to the evidence we have of God's hav- ing really adled, or revealed his defign to a(ft fo, before we determine againfl it. If inftead of ufing this modefl caution, we perempto- rily decree, that fuch a thing cannot be, not- withftanding the evidence for the truth of the fadt is vaftly iuperior to the pretended reafons againfl the expediency of it, we are guilty of inexcufable rafhnefs and prefumption. Whe- ther this is not the cafe (to make the beft of it) when men argue againft the truth of the yewijh Revelation from the numerous pofitive injiitutions which it contained, and againft the truth of the Chriftian^ from its imperfeSl pro- mulgation^ may be left to every ferious and impartial perfon to judge. Vol. IV. F Sect, ^6 Wifdom the Jirft fpring o/Adion $ECT. VIII. Let me add this further,* that no man can be juftified to treat the Go/pel as an impoflure, only for the fake of certain reprefentations of the Deity, that pafs for dotirinei of the Go/pel^ but, after the moft heedful examination, appear manifeftly unfit, and therefore falfe. Be we never fo pofitive, and upon never fo good grounds, of the falfity of the dodrine, that v^^ill be no proof at all, that the Religion of Chrift is falfe, if it can- not be (hewn to be a dodtrine of Chriftianity. Is there no finding out any other meaning of the words and exprefiions of fcripture but this, which we cannot help thinking abfurd ? And is this abfurd fenfe evidently their true one ? Nothing lefs than a kind of abfolute certainty of thefe things is fit to be oppofed to the numerous and moft convincing arguments of the truth of the Chriftian Religion, which will come in the way of any one that feeks for them. iBetter fuppofe the greater part of the chriftian world to have been in an error, one age after another, eipecially if the error hath not been of dangerous confequence to moralsy (though one would not be forward to do this) than that Chriftianity itfelf is a mere fable and delufion. Sect. IX. 2 . Notwithftanding the diver- fity of the obje5ii, the principle of God's moral perfeSliom is one and the fame j viz. his know- ledge w the DEir Y. ^y ledge of^ and delight in^ that which is right and good. What the School-Divines talk of the identity of the ejjence and attributes, one with another, is true enough of the moral attributes^ in the fenfe now affigned. The identity they meant, (if indeed they had pro- perly any meaning) was a metaphyfical abJiraC" tion, quite out of the reach of plain under- ftandings, and holds alike of all the attributes and operations of the divine mind, which ac- cording to them, have no real diftindion among themfelves ; the underjlanding is the fame thing as the will of God ; and \\\^power as his holinefs. And yet, which is a little odd, the fame men who with fo much zeal con- tend for this unintelligible Jimplicity in the divine nature, at other times forget themfelves fo far as to make fome of the attributes not only feemingly, but really, clafh and inter- fere with each other ; while mercy is not to be fatisfied without the pardon of Jin, uovjujiice and holinefs without exafting the full punijh- ment of it. On one fide is tender compajjion, on the other an unrelentijig rigour. It can- not, indeed, be denied, that they have found a way, as they think, to reconcile this diffe- rence, by fuch an exchange oiperfons between X\\t /inner and \{\ifurety^ that thQ Jurety hath all the guilt of the /inner properly transfered on him, and properly bears all the punijhment due to ih^iX. guilt 'y and on the other hand, the [inner, united by faith to \i\^furety, hath not F 2 only 5 8 Wijdom the fir ji fpring of Adion only the effeBs of his righteoufnefs, but bis righteoufnels itfelf imputed to him. But, I fear, if it be eflential to the notion oi jujlice to infill: on the intire payment of the linner's debt, the method of reconciliation here pro- pofcd falls Ihort of the end aimed at by it, and fo muft be looked upon as of maris devi- fing^ not as i\\t cowifel of God. For (not to urge the abfurdity of making the fufferingsof an innocent perfon for a feijo hours in any pro- per fenfe equal to the puniJJmtent of millions of guilty creatures, whofe fufferings being the cffedl of guilt muft be of a quite different kind, throughout innumerable ages, which is much fuch another whim, as that of crowd- ing eternity into an injiant -, without urging of this) let it only be conlidered, that to ap- peafe th^ juftice of God, as they defcribe it, (not as thtjifiice of a Creator and Governor, but analogous to the paffion of revenge in a weak man, when he hath received a perfonal injury; to appeafe, I fay, fuch ^ jujiice as this) the punijhment muft not only be adequate to the guilt of the fin, but muft light on the finner himfelf Vicarious fufferings will never fatisfy fuch ^jujlice as is rather a phyfical affec- tion than a moral attribute under the direction oiiioifdom. What pleafes the offended perfon, is to fee the offender himfelf fmart for his fault. Or, if they will needs have it to be othervvife, will not the confequence be, that, for the fame reafon that jujiice excufes the linner in the DEITY. 59 firmer from fufFering in his own ferfon^ it might, in fuch a degree as uifdom (hould judge proper, abate of \[-\q punifijncfit ^ Sect. X. But now, as the «7?/Vy of God's moral per feBions is an eafy intelligible notion, as before explained, fignifying nothing elfe, but their being connected together by one general idea, and relolved into one commcn principle, viz. the will of God dircdted by his wifdom, or a wife love of all that is good, according to the degree of its goodijefs, and of nothing elfe j in which refpe(^ it differs widely from the inexplicable divinity of the Schools} fo this plain and fimple way of con- ceiving of thefe attributes does at once fhut out that unyielding juftice which fome have taught, and that eafy flexible goodnefs that hath been dreamt of by others. Divine juftice will take that way, and obferve that de- gree and meafure in pimijhing which wijdom prefcribes, going no further than is fit ; and therefore we have reafon to think, unlefs in cafe oi final objlinacy^ not to the extremity of things; fince the original dlfign of God, re- garded only the ^^/»/»z;2d'/jf of his creatures, not their grief and pimipment^ which becomes fit only thro' their voluntary abufe of thofe capacities of happinefs, and opportunities and advantages for obtaining it, which God hath given them. Happinefs (either adually in- jpyed, or capable of being injoyed] is the re- F 3 niot? 6o Wifdom the Jirft fpring of k(X\on. mote foundation of all moral fittiefs \ abftraded from the connexion it hath with happinefs^ nothing in the world is of the leaft value. Any further therefore, than the obligations of the reafonable creature to his Maker, for the capacities and means of happinefs, which he hath violated, render it fit and neceffary, God will not be fevere to mark iniquity. And who will pretend to fay that this muft always be to the extent of its demerit? One would rather think, that forafmuch as the only conceivable motive to God's communicating Being was, that he might beftow the capacities of happi- nefs, if the creature hath not made that ufe of thefe capacities which he ought to have done, it (hould not be morally fit and ne, cefTary for God immediately to put the guilty creature out of all poffibility of recovering that happinefs, for which it was originally intend- ed ; efpecially, when the natural weaknefiTes of the creature are fuch, and the temptations in the midft of which he is placed, are fo numerous and ftrong, as in a manner to en- title him to compaffion j one would not think, I fay, if we only confidered the rea- fons of things, that this fliould be fit ; as we certainly know from Revelation that God hath not proceeded with this fe verity. Sect. XL Nor may we therefore regard the goodnefs of God, as fuch an eafy flexible jhing as others have imagined it. God can- not h the DEITY, 6i not but difapprove every adion, and much more every charadter, that is moral/y evil-, and the queftion is, whether as it is fit that he fliould difapprove it, it be not likew^ife fit and congruous, that he (hew his difapprobation ? The difapprobation being perfedly juft, and relating to the creature, is it not reafonable that the creature (hould be made fenfible of it, that he may be the more afFeded with the fenfe of his own ill condud ? And how can this be if fin go altogether unpunifhed ? Or if tlTe puni{hment be next to none ? Or be not diftributed by fome rules of proportion, fo as that the moft guilty (hall be the moft miferable ? Which yet we know is not always done in this life, there muft therefore be a future ftate. Nor do I fee any necefllty of fuppofing that all puni(hment hath the nature of an admonition, either to the fufferer him- felf, whofe amendment is defigned by it, or by way of example to others. Did the incor- rigiblenefs of the offender take away all pro- fped of his profiting by his punifhment, and we (hould fet afide the confideration of any other being concerned in the example, it feems highly fit that the finner (hould be made to know the evil of his ways, and his having incurred the difpleafure of his Maker j and that in order to his knowing this, he (liould feel it. And here it is that I (hould place the expediency of puni(hment as far as it relates folely to the impenitent Jinner \ not in the F 4 bare 6 2 iP'ifdom the fir ft fpring of Adl'ion bare congruity between guilt and punifliment, but in the finner's knowledge of his guilt, and the defign of his puni{hment to work in him a ftronger convidion of it, and to ex- prefs the difpleafure of his offended Sovereign again fl: him upon that account ; that he may be Jelf'Ccndemned, and, tho' unwillingly, do homage, in his own thoughts, to the holi- nefs of God, giving him alfo the glory of that goodnefs which he hath abufed. So that, fhould we fuppofe the finner to have lofl all confcioufnefs of his deferving what he fufFers, and to efteem his fufferings the pure effect of arbitrary will and pleafurey not a proof of God's abhorrence of fin -, as, on the one hand, there would be no injuflice in the fufFerings of fuch a finner, becaufe they were deierved,. fo neither, on the other, would there be any fitnefs in them if the notion I have here offered be right. Sect. XII. As to vicarious pumihment, or ^umihmtnihy fubft it lit ion ^ the wifdom and fitnefs of it is not difHcult to be fhewn in the only example we have of that kind j for there being in the fufferings and obedience of Chriftj taken in connexion with the glory that followed, a peculiar fitnefs to fhew God's difapprobation and abhorrence of fin, and his approbation and love of holinefs, Chrift, by his fufferings, may very properly be faid to have made JdtisjaSiion jor fin \ that phrafe not neceffarily in //&^ D E I T Y. 63 necefTarily implying that Chrijl hath paid an equivalent ; but only that he hath done and fufFered what God was pleafed, in his infinite wifdom, to accept in lieu of the punifliment due to the finner himfelf ; fo as to require no- thing further of him, in order to his obtain- ing a happy and glorious immortality, but his compliance with certain neceflary terms, which the Grace of God will render poffible to him. God, the wife and righteous Go- vernor of the world, was fatisfied with the death of Chrift, as a fufficient foundation for a new covenant, a covenant of life and im- mortality upon the condition of fincere, tho* impcrfedt, obedience j becaufe he knew this death, with all its concomitants, was fitted to declare both his love to finners, and his hatred of fin in the moft confpicuous manner that could have been chofen for the illuftration of both ; and thereby moft efFedually to an- fwer, at the fame time, all the ends and de- figns of the divine government. This I ap- prehend to be the fcripture dodrine o{ fatif- jaSiion, in which I fee nothing but what, inftead of offering violence to the acknow- ledged principles of Reafon, is perfedly con- fonant to them. Sect. XIII. We learn from hence in what fenfe infinity may be predicated of the moral attributes of God ; not abjolutely and feparately as of the reft, but relatively to the wifdom 64 Wifdom thejirfl fpring ^'Adlon wifdom of God, and the internal energy of his nature; both which together produce a love of adherence to that which is good, that requires (if I may fo fay) a more than infinite contrary attraction to overcome it. It is with relation to thefe, not to the a^ual difplay of the moral attributes ad extra^ that we are to eftimate the degree of thefe attributes. The attributes exid in the divine nature before they are exercifed ; nor, when they are exercifed, muft we imagine the effeBs to be an adequate meafure of the perfections themfelves ; any more than from the power of God, which is infinite, we can infer that the things produced by it are hkewife infinite. All the fitnelles of things, and adlions, in all poffible circum- ftances and combinations, are clearly feen by the divine underftanding, moral good in all its excellency and beauty, and moral evil in all its turpitude and deformity, the intire and unchangeable difference between them ; fo that as no reafon is to be offered again ft the one and for the other, none can be offered by means of any change that can happen out in the courfe of everlafting ages. This profpeCt of the divine mind is boundlefs. And foraf- much as God's love of that which is good, his adherence to it (if I may fo exprefs myfelf ) and delight in it, muft correfpond to the knowledge he has of it, and the adtive force of his moft bleffed nature ; no bounds can be fet to this lovCy this adherence, this delight j nor can in the DEITY. 65 can the will of God be otherwife than right in all its determinations. In this fenfe prin- cipally iht fcripture is to be underftood, when it affirms there is none holy as the Lord ^ none good but one^ that is God. As all other Beings are holy and good only by derivation from God, not originally and independently as he is, fo they come infinitely (hort of him in thefe perfcdions, and therefore are not, by the perfection of their natures, abfolutely im- mutable like him. If we confider only the negative part of holinefs, confifting in an adtual freedom from all moral evil, or the mere abftradl redtitude of the willj there is a kind of equality between one innocent crea- ture and another, of a fuperior order, and between the innocent creature and the Crea- tor. But when we fpeak of po/itivehoVmeCs, or the force with which the will is carried to that which is good, and the approbation of, and delight the mind hath in it, the equality vanifhes ; this, where other things are equal, being always in proportion to the "ze-'Z/^/o;;; and adiive force of each nature. Take feveral bodies of unequal quantities of matter, tho* all gravitate the fame way, yet their gravities are as their quantities of matter, which is the reafon that a force fufficient to (top one, will not hinder the defcent of another. We may u(e this inftead of a better illuftration of the difproportion in point of moral excellence, be- tween an angelical and human mind, and between 66 Wifdom thefirjifprhig o/Adion between the fupreme Being and the highefl angel. The underflanding of an angel will be owned to be much larger than the under- flanding of a man, and the determination for the will to virtue in a good angel, to be as much flronger and more unconquerable than in an innocent man, as his underflanding is more capacious, and the activity of his nature greater. But what is the higheft angel in this regard to the mod high God ? The moral im- poffibility that God (hould be unjuft, unmer- ciful, unfaithful, in a fingle inftance, is as much greater than the fecurity which any of his creatures have in themfelves, againfl their being fo, as thecompafs of his underflanding, and the energy of his ever blefTed nature ex- ceed theirs. The temptation had need to be infinitely flrong, to be a ballance to infinite perfedtion ; and more than infinite (which is a contradidlion) to prevail over it j whereas, fuch is the redtitude of the divine nature, and fuch the extent of the divine power, that God cannot be tempted with evil in the leaft con- ceivable degree j fo far is he from being liable to be tempted to fuch a degree, as would en- danger his ading contrary to the dictates of his all-perfe^\TY. 77 circumftanced that the agent eventually may, and fometimes does, aB wrong. Now either there is no occafion for fuch a liberty as this, that a Being may pafs for a proper agent, or God himfeif is no more than an intelligent machine. The truth is, the only liberty re- quired to the notion of agency is that of /«?//^ determination ; and fuch a liberty there might have been in men and angels, without the lead hazard of their ever deviating from the rule of righteoufnefs. Sect. IV". *' But it is further argued, ** that liberty is requifite, as in refpedt of ** order, (o in refpedl of happinefs, to which " it not only conduces, but is effential, fo " far that no happinefs can be perfe(5l, or *' raifed to any confiderable height, without " it *." Here again, the diftindion of liberty juft now mentioned is overlooked. Were there not a I elf- determining power ^ the happi- nefs of the beft and greateft of all Beings, and fo in proportion of his intelligent creatures, would not be fo great as it is. But where there \s,i\\\s felf- determining power ^ what need of any further liberty ? Is it necelTary to the complete happinefs of any Being that he hath G 4 a power ^ to nSl rights attended with a power to aSl tvrong from ths iniperfedtion of the agent, and the circumftanccs of Being which he is placed in. * Divine Recfti tude, p. 26. 78 Wifdom the fr/i Jpring of kd\on a power J or once had a power ^ of making hin:ifelf miferable ; a power ^ properly fo called, or that may, without the leaft abfurdity and contradiadeyr^^, it is fit they (hould be treated and governed according to that cha- racter. And were it otherwife (that the fit- pefs of God's making free agents could not be 8 o Wifdom the fir ft fpring 0/ Aftion be proved) yet the thing being fadt, we have no reafon to doubt of the fitoefs of it. Sect. VI. This account of the origin of evil from the freedom of intelligent creatures is, I believe, the firft that offers itfelf to every man's thoughts, who is not prepolTelTed when he is upon this inquiry. And I will venture to add, that it is the only true one. No hypothecs, that hath yet been ftarted, will ferve the purpofe. That of two independent and contrary principles dividing the world be- tween them, one inclining and prompting us to virtuous deeds, the other folliciting us to vicious ones, one throwing fweet, the other bitter, ingredients into the fame cup, from whence comes the mixture of good and evil in every man's condition, one building, the other deftroying, one doing, the other un- doing; this notion, I fay, hath been long fince given up as indefenfible. The whole frame of nature, and the laws of motion by which it is governed, proclaim the unity of xht firft caufe ; I mean not here a unity of Being, in oppofition to 2i plurality of Gods of the fame kind, tho' this be a moft evident truth, but a unity of Per feBion in oppofition to two or more Gods of different jnoral cha- raSlen. Such a vaft and complicated machine as this of the world is, in which amidft the greatefl variety there reigns a moft admirable unity. in the T^EITY. 8i unity, could not be contrived by any wifdorn lefs than infinite ; nor adually framed and put in motion, fo as to go on from age to age, and anfwer a thoufand moft valuable ends and ufes, but by in finite /'oi£;fr. Tht wi fdom ihdit is difplayed in this great work could belong to none but a good principle^ fince a perfectly wife Being can never judge any thing to be good that is evil ; or that evil can ever be a proper objedt of a free and deliberate choice, or good of averfion and refufal j and, always making this judgment, muft always be determined to thsit which is good. He knows his own happinefs to depend upon it, and therefore may as foon confent to be lefs happy, or even to be miferable, as be tempted with evil, or tempt any one to it. And if all the ivijdom belongs to the good principle, fo doth all the po%ver. Power without wifdom can never be a match for power and wifdom confederated. The creation therefore, is intirely the work of an infinitely wife and good Being. Sect. VII. Shall we lay all the fault, as others have done, on ihtjiubborn nature, and malignant influence oi matter ? They who be- lieved matter to be co-eternal with mind, (as moft, if not all, the Pagan Philofophers did) might do this with a better colour, tlwn thofe who believe the matter 2.^ well z.%form of the world, to be the offspring of creative power. But in whatfoever way matter be imagined to have 8 2 Wifdom the firjl fprtng of Adion have come by its exiftence, it is plainly inno- cent of the things laid to its charge. Matter cannot operate but by motion ; between which and an inclination or perception of the mind, whether virtuous or vicious, agreeable or pain- ful, we can difcern no natural connexion. Nor is motion the growth of matter^ or at any time, as to the vis motrix^ reliding in it, but fomething altogether foreign and external. And when all the motions of matter are derived from immaterial principle^ can the happinefs or mifery, the good or bad difpofitions of im- material Beings be necelTarily tied to certain motions ? Or cannot the Jirjl mover imprefs only fuch motions on the feveral portions of matter, as will have a friendly influence on percipient Beings ? Were the body the una- voidable fource of evil, why do not all fouls fuffer alike by their union with matter? How comes one man to have a happier conftitution: than another ? Might not that eafe and health and vigour, that calm and chearful ferenity of the fpirits, that fmooth and regular flow of the paflions, which is injoyed by a few, have been the portion of all ? If a terreflrial body does not necefjarily hinder one man's virtue or happinefs, neither can it hinder thofe of an- other. It is not therefore a necefjary confe- quence of the nature of matter^ that the foul fhould be fubjed: to irregular inclinations, to violent paflions, and to painful and grievous fenfations by its union with the body. All this in the DEITY. 8^ this is not to be afcribed to matter ^ but to the laws of union ^ fieely eftabliftied by the Crea- tor. Nor, even now, that thefe laws are eftabllflied, is any one necejfarily vicious or miferable. Sect. VIII. Dr. More * hath a notion that angels themfelves are cloathed with bo- dies of a more fubtile kind. And his reafon for it is, " that fome of them became evil " by their own voluntary adt. But now a *' fpirit purely and perfedly immaterial, " cannot, he thinks, be obnoxious to any ** ftain or lapfe; for, being of a nature fo " fimple, whence fliould it be tempted to " defert its ftation ?" — Not to examine the ground of this conjedture, I {hall, at prefent, only remark that tho' matter be by the T>r, fuppofed the caufa fine qua non of evil^ yet not the proper efficient , much lefs neceffaryy caufe of it. A fpirit by its commerce with body, becomes liable to fall, and by that to fuffer, but is under no necefjity of falling, in which the JDr's opinion differs widely from that which makes matter the immediate ne- ceffary original of all the that is evil in the world. Sect. IX. What way then (hall we try next in order to get out of this labyrinth ? Can we find any other befides that of moral fitnefi^ * Refponf. ad fragment. Cartefti. 84 Wifdom the firji fpring of Acflion Jitnefs? Or God's having fixed upon the preient fcheme, becaufe his wifdom approved and pronounced it beft ? This I (hould think to be the right way. But all are not of this^ mind. Rather than admit of any original fitnefles in things, by the idea of which God determined himfelf, there are thofe who have recourfe to a natural benevolence^ prompted by which the Deity exerts his almighty power in producing the greateft fum of happinefs that can poffibly be. This greateft happinefs of the whole fyftem of rational Beings taken toge- ther God abjolutely ivills^ not becaufe it is fit, but becaufe his inclinations oblige him to it ; and accordingly, the fum total of happinefs, let men and other free Beings a6t how they pleafe, will, in the event, be the greateft that infinite power and wifdom could poftibly pro- duce J or (in the words of a late Author *) " the greateft of which the univerfe of crea- " tures which God hath made, is capable; " ftill fuppofing that their original capacities " for happinefs were fixed by his will and " pleafure." I (hall not take advantage of this Author's manner of exprefiing himfelf, when he faith, that the original capacities for happinefs were fixed by the will and pleafiire of Gody which, according to the propriety of lan- guage, fliould fignify that the very fame Be- ings might have been created with greater or lefLr capacities than thofe which God hath adually * Divine Benevolence, p. 71. in the TiEl T Y. %s actually afllgned them ; from which, if true, it follows, that they were capable of greater or lelTer capacities of happinefs^ that is, were originally capable of greater or lefl'er ^^^r^^i of happinefs ; a capacity to receive a greater ca- pacity of happinefs, being, in effedt, the fame as a capacity of greater happinefs j and, con- fcquently, God beftows upon no Being the utmoft happinefs of which he is capable. Leting this pafs, I fhall confine myfelf to the general notion, which, if fome men arc not miftaken, is fuch a glorious difcovery as does at once difpel the darknefs, wipe ofFevery afperfion, and fhew us the face of Providence in its full beauty. Let us fee whether it does fo or no. Sect. X. I imagine that in the preced- ing Difcourfe I have overturned the very foun- dation of the theory, viz. the notion of ^^«f- volent inclinations in the Deity, of which his wifdom is not the exciting caufe or reafon, but merely the fervant or minifter to execute what they order. At prefent, without infifling upon that, I fhall endeavour to demonflrate, that granting the exiflence of fuch a natural benevoIe?2ce^ it will by no means account for the origin of evil. For if all the works of Creation and Providence owe their birth to 7nere benevolence^ without all regard to moral fit7iefsj why is not every creature of God, that is capable of happinefs, as happy as it is capa- ble 86 Wifdom the Jirfl fpring of K&!\oTi ble of being made ? Why is there any fuch thing as mifery in the world ? Particularly, in the world of mankind ? The anfwer, I appre- hend, muft be, that m/, or rather a liablenefi to evily is the unavoidable confequence of fomething which the greateft happinefs of man, or the intire fyftem of rational Beings, made necefTary. But I very much doubt this is not fo eafily proved as faid. Let them tell us what that is which, while man, or other Beings of a higher order than man, cannot be happy without it, is yet the unhappy oc- cafion of mifery. Sect. XI. It cannot be any thing in the frame of the world without us, and the con- nexion between that and the portion oi matter to which the foul is united, fince thefe exter- nal things might be fo ordered and directed by the continual agency of the fupreme caufe, as to produce nothing but good, and all the good they can poiTibly produce. I confefs, fuppofing the world to be governed by thofe ic\N general laws that now obtain, and the courfe of nature always left to proceed accord- ing to thefe laws, it is hardly conceivable but fome inconveniences muft arife to particular members of the fyftem. But forafmuch as the fupreme agent is not determined hy fit nefs^ but natural betievokncey what ftiould hinder him, being omnipotent and almighty^ from in- terpofing to prevent any ill efteds that might attend in the DEITY. 87 attend 'the natural working oi fecond caufes f Would it be inconfiftent with the wifdom of Providence, having fettled general laws, to be perpetually breaking in upon them ? It might be fo, had the wifdom of God any other aim befides the happinefs of his creatures, as the only way of gratifying his natural benevolence. But wifdom being wholly imployed about the means to this end (according to the fcheme I am now confidering) the wijdom of God is then moft of all difplayed, when this end is moft effedually anfwered, in*whatever way it be, whether by more, or fewer, laws of na* ture, or by none at all that are fo fixed as not to be fet afide every time the creature may fuifer by them. Sect. XII. We chrijiiam believe (nor are we lingular in our notion) that there will be a more advantageous ftate of things than the prefent, in which the happinefs of intelli- gent Beings as far as it depends upon the material world, fhall have nothing wanting to it, nothing to difturb and interrupt it. Now what will at any time hereafter be, might be immediately. Why then is it not \ Why is not every thing fitted to give pleafure ? And why are we not better formed to receive it ? Why (hould there be any thing injurious tQ health, or difagreeable to any of the fenfes? " It would by no means be a fatisfadtory " anfwer, that God may make Beings with Vol. IV. H . " diffe- 8 8 Wifdom the jirft fpring of Aftion ** different degrees of perfedtion. That it is ** an imperfedlion in us men, that we want " a perfect knowledge of our own frame and ** conftitution, to fupply which want of know- ** ledge in us, God hath affixed the idea of ** pain to our nature, which is defigned to *• give us warning of any thing that might *' hurt us. Pain is a real evil, and yet if we " were not admonifhed by it, we (hould " never know when our frame was out of ** order till it was too late *," Such an an- fwer, from the* perfons I am now debating with, would either prove nothing or too much ; viz. that in ajiate of innocence we fhould have been as liable to pains and diforders of body as we are now ; and that the jufljhall not be free from them after the refurreSiion. Should it be fa id, that then we (hall be other wife framed, the queftion returns, why are we not fo framed at fir ft ^ if mere goodnefs, or goodnefs as a natural, not a moral, attribute, as leading wifdom, not led by it, is the fpring of all divine adlions ? Muft a more imperfecfl ilate take place firfl:, that we may know to value a flate of perfedlion ? Is it neceflary that we {hould drink of the cup of adverfity, to fet our tafte right for the joys of immortality ? Will thefe be infipid if not heightened by the remembrance of the other ? If fo, what can we think of thofe Beings who know good, but never knew evil 5 there is at leaft one fuch * Gordon at Boyle's Len, wi.h- H 3 out 92 Wifdom the firft fpring of Pi.di\on out any motive or inducement whatfocvcr. And why is there any temptation to evil? Why have we inclinations that are not di- rectly fubf:Tvient to virtue? Why do not indinction and reafon always go hand in hand, as we chriftians beheve they will in the blefled ftate that follows next ? Thefe queftions are afked of thofe who refolve the divine adtions into iinguided benevolence^ not m\.ojitnefi^ as the original reafon of them. Sect. XVI. Will they fay that liberty is given (not becaufe it cannot be with-held where Reafon is firft beftowed, but) becaufe liberty is necefiary to happinefs ? It will then be alked, whether liberty is a univerfal thing, fo that in the whole fyftem of reafonable agents there are none, who, that they may be compleatly happy, are not made free ? And the happieft of created Beings would not be fo happy, were their happinefs the efFedl of neceffity, and not of their own free choice ? But why fo, when the blejjed God is neceffa- rily and Unchangeably blefled ? They may reply, that the happinefs of God, and the happinefs of his creatures are of different kinds ; that the happinefs of the one is there- fore the higheft poffible, becaufe it isneceffdry^ while that of the others is the higheft they are capable of, becauie it is free. Should a rea- fon of this difference be demanded, I fancy the patrons of blind benevolence would be hard put in the DEITY. 93 put to it to find one. It can be no addition to my prefent happinefs to reflect, that I might not have been happy, unlefs it was premoujly fit that I (hould be left to my own choice, whether I would be happy or not. Fitnefs^ I own, is a reafonable ground of pleafure. It is a pleafure to think that God has done what was fit in making me free, and that I, as was fit and becoming, have made a good ufe of my liberty. But, without this antecedent fitnefs, which is a thing thefe Gen- tlemen will laugh at, I fee not why I fhould be better pleafcd with the happinefs of my condition, for being the iflue and reward of a courfc of virtue freely chofen and continued in by me. Is it any trouble to me, when arrived to my journey's end, that there was but one road to it which I could not poflibly mifs ? To bd able to go aftray is not a thing of itfelf defireable j nor is the confideration that we were once fo, though now fo no more, any way neceflary to recommend our prefent felicity, if it was never fuitable to our nature, as created, dependent Beings, and therefore fit, that we fliould, for fome time, be left in the hands of our own choice. This, I fay, is not at all neceflary to give an accent to our happinefs, provided we take our efti- mate of the happinefs we injoy, not from fancy, but from reafon, as all the happy fpirits of heaven will do. And therefore, I cannot but think tho Jew was quite out in his reafon- H 4 ing. 94 Wifdom tkejirjl fpring of A<^ion ing, who told Mr. Boyle *, " that he thought * men owed more to God's goodnefs than the ' very angels do. For, faid he, whereas God * without any good works of theirs, purely * out of his goodnefs, conferred on them * that blefl condition they injoy j by giving * man a free ivill, by the good ufe of which * he may glorify his Maker, when by abufing ^ it it is in his power to diflionour him, he ' allows man that higheft fatisfa(5lion and privilege of co-operating to his own feli- ■ city." Not to obferve the great improba- bility of the fuppofifion, that the good angels were confirmed in blifs without any trial ^xt-r ceding (fince the fall of the evil angels is a proof of their having been tried) the very fuppofition feems to imply, that aflate of pro^ bation is not antecedently Jit ^ which takes away the foundation of that fatisfadlion, which the few fancied a man mufl have from co-opCr rating to his own felicity. This by the way. Sect. XVII. This hold failing, will It be faid, that all intelligent Beings are not created /r^^, but only fome of them, for the fake of variety, which variety is for the fakg of happinefsy rendering the whole ^ more entertaining fpedacle ? More entertaining to whom ? To them who, by the abufe of tbeir liberty, are capable of making themfe}ves un- jiappy ? Or to thpfe, who have no freedor^ ' which , f geraphick Lpve, p. ii7. in the DEITY. 95. which they can abufe ? The former will be apt to think, that any fuch variety might very- well be fpared. Nor can the latter need it, unlefs that they may be able to triumph upon the comparifon. A worthy fatisfadion truly ; like that of a man who lolls at eafe in his gilt chariot, and laughs to fee the crowd trudging along by him on foot. It is the pleafure of a Dcmitian, who loved to exhibit his naval Jighfs in rainy weather, often {hifting hiscloke to keep himfelf dry, which he would not permit any one clfe to do ; at the fame time compelling them to ftay out the (hew *. All variety dots not pleafe thefen/e, much lefs the /w/W, which had much rather have one um- jorm proJpeB, than a profped: diverfified by the abfence of fomething, of much greater importance than a fanciful variety. All bappy minds muft needs be benevolent^ and, becaufe they are fo, muft delight more to fee the happinefs of their fellow-creatures fixed like their own, where there is no reafon for the contrary, than to fee any of them in danger of having their whole fortune fhipwrecked, The Poet -f-, indeed, hath obferved, Mave mari magna turhantihus cequora veniis, E terra magnum alterius fpe£iare labarem. " It is fweet to behold, from fhore, the »' weather-beaten veffel toft on a tempeftuons J- (ea, and ready to perifh in a ftorm." Non * Vid. Suetpn. f Lucret, 96 Wifdom thefrjlfpring o/' Ad ion Non quia vexari quenquam ejl jucunda voluptas, Sed quibus ipfe malis careas quia cernere fuave ejl. " Not, faith he, that we are pleafed with " other people's calamities, but to be fpeda- " tors of thofe dangers which we ourfelves " are out of the reach of." But even this indirect pleafure proceeds from a refledion the mind makes, that their cafe might have been ours, or at leaft that our condition is not abfolutely fenced againft the flrokes of fortune. Nor would a generous foul be ever the lefs happy, if he had no fuch examples of wretchednefs before him j but more fo, the pain he hath from a fympathe- tick fenfe of another's evils, being more than equal to the pleafure of congratulating him- felf upon his own exemption from them. Hath God made fome Beings mortal, that others may have a quicker fenfe of their im- mortality? Or is the contraft^ between the imperfedlions of created Beings, and the ab- folute perfedion of the Creator, that which completes his fatisfadion in the infinite fulnefs of his eflence ? Sect. XVIII. Befides the infuperable difficulties which I find myfelf encountered with on the two former queftions, JVhy is liberty given? And ii this gift univerfal? There is this inquiry flill behind j Might there not in the "D ^ IT Y. 97 not be liberty y and yet all men be happy ^ though not in the fame degree ? They who have made the befi: ufe of their liberty, we will fay, are happicft ; they who have made the worft ufe, the leaft happy. But why may not even thefe be tried again and again, till they have learned to be wifer ? Why muft one trial de- cide their fate ? Or if there muft be but one trial, and that trial hath iflbed unhappily, what forbids their being put into a ftate of inferior but certain happinefs^ in which their faculties being reftored to their foundnefs, and their broken fortunes repaired, they have all the other pleafures of which they were ori- ginally made capable, befides thofe which flow from a confcioufnefs of having a6ted well in a ftate of trial ; which, by the way, can- not be very confiderable, if he that ad:s beft does not what is morally more Jit than he who a(fts worft ? What room can there be for a ftate oi final punijhment, though only negative, or fuch as confifts in the everlafting abfence of any good of which they are capable ? Why any puniftiment at all, when no paft evil con- dud: of the fuffercr can render it morally fit, if there be no fuch thing as moral Jitnefs? As for its ufefulnefs to inftrud: and warn others, furely a Being of infinite knowledge might think of fome other way as efFedual to pre- ferve his creatures in their duty as this, without making one part of the creation happy at the ^xpence of the other. Or fuppofing he could 9 S Wijdom the fir ji fpring of Adion not, yet why muft fome be niiferable, that others may be more happy, without any rea- fon for it in the thing itlelf ? Sect. XIX. Where moral fit nefs is out of the queftion, a lefTer fum of happinefs di- vided among a fyftcm of percipient Beings, without a fingle inftance of vice and mifery, muft carry it before a greater quantity of good, where evil is not excluded ; even though, after the fubftradion of fo much good as is equal to the evil, the good that remains (hould exceed that in the other cafe. The firft thing that felf'love prompts us to, is to flee from pain-y the next to purfue/>/^^i/rEl T Y. loi tute of all power to emerge out of that mife- rable condition into which they are fallen through no fault of their own. Is there not too much reafon to fay, that this notion of the love of God to man is utterly unworthy of him ? What does the Deity difcover by fuch a love (if it muft be called by that name) but uncontrolable power ^ an attribute in which the beji of all Beings differs not from the worjl^ but only with regard to the degree of it ? Yes, it may be faid, be fliews \n&goodneJ] too to his eleB. Tell me how, if in all that he does for them he hath no dired: regard to their happinefs, but determines their happinefs ra- ther than mifery, juft to (hew his arbitrary. will and pleafure, not from any pleafure he hath in beneficent anions as fuch ? And that fo it muft be is plain, fince, were it goodnefs that wrought fo ftrongly towards fome, as to decree their falvation by an irreftjiible grace^ without refped: to any meetnefs and concur- rence of theirs, the fame goodnefs, to fay the leafi^ could not but make the attainment of happinefs, or, if not that, yet the avoiding of mifery, everlafting mifery and damnation, poj/ibk to ally who can never deferve that mifery which it was never poflible for them to avoid. Sect. II. And as this notion of divine hve is unworthy of God, fo it is big with terror and affrightment to the creature, unlefs a man iOi Wifdom the firfl fpring of Adtlon a man hath the good luck to be of a temper to believe every thing, with reafon or ivithout it, that he is willing to believe. For fay that this love proceeds by a decimation, tak- ing one out of ten, there will then be nine to one again ft every fingle perfon, that he is not of the happy number. Nor, to fpeak truth, can I perceive any great ground of rejoicing that the favourites themfelves have, provided they ufe their Reafon, or have any fpark of generofity in them, for when they think of the principle on which they imagine the Deity to ad:, in feleding them from the common mafs of mankind, and ufing fo much feverity towards others, how can they have any dependence on the favour of fuch a Being? He that hath na other reafon for all that he does but mere will and pleafure, may alter his will with- out reafon. What is. there more difhonour* able to God in deceiving his creatures with fair promifes, which he never intends to fulfil, than in putting them under ar^ inevi- table neceffity of being for ever miferable? This being fuppofed no difparagement to the Deity, is there any thing elfe that can be fo ? Could a perfon who aimed to conform all his own adtions to Reafon, and efteemed it the greateft glory of a Being to do good to all according to his ability, have much fatisfadtion in the friendlhip of a prince, who, while he carefled a few of bis fub- jeds, in the DEITY. 103 jedls, had formed a defign of ruining all the reft, and making them feel the weight of his power, for no other reafon, but that it fo pleafed him ? To thofe whom fuch a Prince fhould call near him, and load with honours, one might apply the words of the Roman Satyriji. In quorum facie miferce, magna^que fedehat Pallor amicitice. — Juv. Sat. 4. Sect. III. It muft be confeffed, the love of God to his creatures, as others defcribe it, in the manner dT an immediate emanation from the very ejjence of the Deity, dlffafing itfelf on all fides, is more agreeable to Rea- fon than this, and infinitely more amiable. God abfolutely wills the greateft happinefs of the fyftem he hath made. But though this muft be owned to be an amiable affeBion, it hath not all the beauty of a moral excellence, A wife love is that alone which becomes the Deity. And there are three periods in which this love may be confidered. F/r/?, as de- lighting to beflow, in various degrees, the capacities and opportunities of happinefs upon a world of intelligent creatures j then^ as having a peculiar complacency in thofe of his creatures who improve the capacities and opportunities they have received j and,yi'«rt//y, as delighting to crown perfevering virtue with the higheft adtual felicity that his wifdom Vol. IV". I judges I Q4 Wifdom the firft fprbig of A6lion judges fit and proper. This is fuch an ac- count of the love of God, as gives the greateft encoun gement to all fincere and honeft fouls, and to none but fuch. To know whether I am beloved of God I have nothing elfe to do but to inquire, whether I have a prevail- ing love to that which is good. The righte- ous hord loveth righteouf?jefs^ his count efiance beholds the upright. The love of God termi- nates firft on things, and then on perfons. He loves the righteous^ becaufe he loveth righ- teoufnefs \ fo far is that notion from being true which reprefentsGod as firft abfolutely determining to make a certain number of his creatures happy, and, after that, by arT irrefiftible operation of his Gr^^r^", making them holy, as the indifpenfible means of their being happy ; not to add, that it is pretty hard to conceive, what can be meant by ho- linefs, and by necefTity of holinefs in the crea- ture, when the holinefs of God, as by them delineated, is nothing: elfe but fovereio;n will and pleafure. — A^. B. Though Reafon will difcover, that in the fame degree as any man loves that which is good, he himfelf is be- loved by the beft of all Beings, yet the only certainty of God's fo loving creatures whofe virtues are fo imperfedl, as to defign them for complete and everLilling felicity, is from Rt'veldiio7i. Sevejith in the DEITY. 105 Seventh COROLLART. Sect. I. 'T^ H E truth of the prefent fcheme -■- being fuppofed, the fundamental duties of Religion^ (fuch as thefe following, obedience, rejignation, love, gratitude, imita- tion, prayer, and glorifying Gcd) appear plain and obvious in the theory, and highly reafon^ able in the praBice. Here is one ground of obedience j I do not fay the only one, but fuch a one, that, if there were no other, we fhould 3iet be indifpenfibly obliged to obey God 3 and now that there are other reafons of obedience, this is a reafon of that ufe and importance, that it ought not to be overlook- ed. For having the utmoft alTurance that God can never do nor command what is not fit, we from hence know the fitnels of any thing commanded, that God hath command- ed it; when, perhaps, it is not knowable in any other way, and being fure that it is^^, upon fome account or other, to be command- ed, we cannot reafonably refufe to do it. If it be faid, that, in this cafe, we only confider the command of God as the medium by which we difcover the fitnefs of the adtion, not as the formal reafon or motive by which we are influ- enced in performing it ; and fo, notwithftand- ing we do what is commanded, yet not doing it becaufe commanded, we do it not inobedi- 1 0 6 Wifdom the firjl fpring of Adion ence to God, I anfwer, that this would be very true, if this were our only inducement to the adionj but when there is another rea- fonable inducement, it is inipoffible that he, who hath a due regard to the one, ihould be regardlefs of the other. The inducement, I mean, is authority founded on the feveral relations of Creator, Preferver and Redeemer, which God ftands in to us, and the benefits communicated in confequence of thefe relati- ons', which authority no one can choofe but reve- rence, who does an adion, becaufe, from God's commanding it, he believes it to be fit ; for as it is fit that he (hould have an eye to the divine authority^ fo the confideration of this fitnefs, will have its fhare of influence, as well as of the fitnefs of the adlion to be command- ed, which he infers from God's commanding it. Whoever habitually and prevailingly loves what is fit, as fit, for the fame reafon that he pays a conllant regard to one fort of fitnefs, will do the fame to another, and to that mofl, which is moft fit ; as nothing can be more fit than that we (hould do whatever God hath commanded, becaule he hath commanded it, and not meer- ly becaufe, he having commanded it, we are fatisfied of its being fit, that is, conducive to feme valuable end : and, much lef^, meer- ly becaufe of the promife or threateniiig an- nexed to the command. If I have refpecft mcerly to thefe, or fo much more to thefe thaft to any other motive, that no other mo- tive. in the DEITY. 107 tive, without thefe, would be effedual, every body fees that it is not the authority of God that fways me, or not principally, but hope^ or jear of being made happier or miferable by \\\% -power -J and fo what I do, is not really out of obedience to God, and for confcience fake. So litde reafon have they to triumph in the piety of their fentiments, who refolve all obligations into the will of God, and, when they come to explain themfelves, give us to know they mean not the will of God, as fignifying what he would have us do^ but what he intends to do by way of reward and punijhnent ; to which we may add, that there is no fuch immediate connexion between a refpcdt to Jelj-interefi, and to the authority of God, in the performance of one and the fame action, as there is between a refpcd to the ftnefs of an adtion to be commanded (however we come to be informed of that fitnefs) and a refped: to the authority of God commanding that adion ; the latter of which is asapparently fit as any thing can be, and as likely to influence a perfon who hath made it a rule to himfelf always to follow that which is right. One thing that proves this connexion between a regard to fitnefs, and to the authority of God, is, that the chiefs if not ofily, ground of the Jit?ie/s of an adtion commanded may fometimes be its being a fit, or proper trial of our obedience. After all it deferves to be remarked, that of thefe 1 3 two 168 Wijaom the firjl fpring of Adtion two forts of obedience, or rather tniDO ways of confidering the fame obedience {^'uiz. obe- dience from a fenfe of God's anthority^ and obedience from a perfuafion of thtfitnefs of whatever God commands to be, for feme good reafon or other, done) the latter feems direBly and immediately to do moft honour .to God, as it implies an apprehenfion of his always a(fting in the mofl perfedl manner, the moft honourable apprehenfion that a creature can have of his Creator \ while the former con- fidered as a practical acknowledga:ient of God's authority^ or rightful power to command, immediately fignifies the regard which the creature in obeying God, becauf6 of his right to command, hath to what is /?/, rather than his belief of God's regard to it in command- ing it. And therefore whichfoevt-i of thefe is fuppofed to be moft acceptable to God, (which muft depend upon the diipofition of the heart from whence they flovv) the former^ as I faid, arguing the higheft efteem and veneration of God himfclf, is plainly moft honourable to him. Sect. II. Let a man have this notion of Divine Providence as in every part and ftep of it conduced by the higheft Reafon, and duely attend to it, and he can have no doubt concerning that refignation which is his duty always to pradtife towards the great Governor of the world. What more juft and in the X^E\TY. 1 09 and reafonablc than that 2i finite 2::\^ fallible XJnderfianding (liould fubmit to an Vndcrfland- ins: that 7ic"jcr errs-, and a JVill liable 10 bq mifled and over-ruled by irregular incltna- tions, to a JVill that is always /j^/)', ^ndju/l, and ^W J and that Pajfion (hould not be per- mitted to cavil at that which Reafon cannot but approve ? To fit down eafy and con- tented, becaufe we can get nothing by com- plaining, is not enough. Did chance and neceffity, or humour, govern all, a wife man for the fake of his own quiet, would not ftruggle with his chain, but endeavour to make the bi-ft of a bad matter. This is not bur Cafe ; the world is the care of an infi- nitely wife and good Being. Our part, there- fore, is to behave as thofe whofe refignation is voluntary and chearful, not forced j or, if forced, is the efFedl of no other compulfion, but that which proceeds from a full convidlion of mind, that every thing is ordered for the befl:. This refignation, ceteris paribus^ will be moft eafy to that man who, as he believes fb, frequendy confiders and refieds, that whatever is done was fitted to be done, and that the meafure of this fitnefs is the ten- dency of God's providential difpenfations to promote the final happinefs of all the finccre lovers of truth and goodnefs. Sect. III. Keeping the fame rule in our hand, we (Ivall be led diredlly into the true no- tion of the love of God j be able to prove the 1 4 obliga- no Wifdom the firft ffring of kOCxovi obligation to it, and furni{hed with the moft certain mark and token of it. Love to God may be confidered as a love to the charadier^ or to the perfon. The love of God in the former fenfe, or as charaBeriJlical^ is the de- light we take in the thought of an all-perfc(fl Being ; in contemplating the idea of fuch a Being, and believing that this idea is not a crea- ture of the brain, but a copy taken from an original really exilling, and poflefled of greater perfection than the mod: exadl copy can pof- fibly exprefs. Moral excellence is that part of the idea, which is the principal attractive of love, that which is loved for its own fake, and communicates a lovelinefs to the other perfedions, giving them their beauty and laftre. The contemplation of an eternal^ feJf-exiftent^ all-knowings all-powerjuly and omniprefent Being, immediately excites ad- miration, with a fentiment of the profoundefl awe and reverence. But that this reverence, this awe, and admiration, may have plea- fure mingled with it, fuch a pleafure in the theory of thefe perfcdions, as makes us fin- cerely exult and tiiurnph in the abundant proofs we have of their real exijlence^ we muft have reafons to believe, that the moft abjolute perfcElion in every other kind, is conjoined with the moft perfect re6litude of *will\ for then our notion of an eternal al- mighty^ inunenfe and omnifcient Deity, is that of a Being in whom all thefe perfedions have m the DEITY. in have the ntmoft value and excellence they can derive from the trueft and noblefl: direc^ tion of them. Eternity and immenfity^ with- out knowledge and power^ affedt the mind no othcrwife, than an infinite eternal Chaos might be fuppofed todoj together with fome kfi(m)ledge and power fuperadded, without moral perjeBiom^ they caufe much the fame terror, as clouds big with thunders, and lightenings, and ftorms, when it is not known where they will fall. But now, only add moral re£liiude^ and the whole fcene is changed, and what before was wonderful only, or dreadful, becomes amiable ; amiable in the fublimeft and mod extenfive fenfe, or fo as to challenge a love attended with ap- probation and efleem, and fupported by it ; which the mofl diffufive benevolence^ not founded mfitncfs^ would not do. We (hould approve fuch a benevolence^ with almighty power in its retinue, much after the fame manner as we fhould the beneficial opera- tions of nature^ were nature imagined ta have had no other parent but necejjity. Sect. IV. Thtperfonal Xovzoi the Deity (if I may be allowed the expreflion) is the pleafure we have in believing, that the beft and the moft beneficent of all Beings is the happieft ; that his beatitude as much tranfcends that of all other Beings, as his moral per- Je^ions do theirs. There is no room for us Co i i i Wifdom the Jir/l Jpring ^ Ay which he may be mifguided in his judg- ment or choice, we conclude without heft- tation, that he always fees what is beft and moft becoming him to do, and as he always lees this, fo is ever determined to do it. Would we then be like God in this refpeft, we in /;&f DEITY. 119 we have but this one general rule to mind, that as God, without the leaft variablenefs or (hadow of turning, purfues that which his infinite wifdom dictates to be beft, fo we, according to the meafure of our abilities, diligently enquire after, and conftantly pre- fer, throughout the whole courfe of our adlions, that which appears befl: to that im- perfed underftanding, and in that dimmer light, which our Maker hath given us. The more enlarged and accurate our judging faculty, and the more fagacious to difcern between good and evil, the greater is the refemblance it bears to the divine underftand- ing. The more careful we are to preferve the fubordination of Paffion to Reafon, the nearer approaches do we make to the Deity, who hath no Paffions at all to millead him. And finally^ that which completes our imita- tion of the divine Being, as to the general principle of our conduB^ is when, having fixed our aim right, i. e. our general purpofe or intention to do nothing unreafonable, nor to leave any thing undone that is reafonable and fit, we keep as clofe as we can to this our aim and purpofe, not knowingly and wilfully declining from it. We follow the Deity in making^/wi?/} our rule, as he does, and alfo becaufe he does j without which it would not be complete imitation, fince that word does not fimply denote a refemblance, but a defignedf Jludied refemblance ; or, at Vol. IV. K leaft, 120 Wifdom the Jirjl fpring of Adion leaft, a refemblance occafioned by a familiar convcrfe with theobjedtof it, and fo likewife in the contimon meafure of thisjitnefs^ we con- form to the Deity. To him the meafure of this Jitnefs is his own perfedl nature, the feveral na- tures of his creatures, and the relations he ftands in to them. In Hke manner, the meafure or rule o( Jitnefs to the creature is the nature he partakes of, and the relations fubfifting between him and his Maker, and between him and his fellow-creatures. Is it not un- deniable that every one who makes this Jit- nefs the meafure of his adtions, imitates the Deity ^ endeavouring to he holy as he is holy^ and perJeSl^ as he is perJeB j perfed: in his little fphere, as God is in his, which is boundlefs ? I am willing to believe that in all this I talk very intelligibly. But whether they talk thus, or indeed can do it, who are in a quite different way of thinking, deferves to be coniidered. Sect. IX. In the Jirft place, what can they mean by the imitation oj God who be- lieve God to have no other reafon of his condu6t towards his creatures, but arbitrary Will and Pleaftire f To abjolute Will in the Creator, there feems to be nothing to anfwer on. the fide of the creature, but abjolute fub^ mijjion. V/hat room can there be for imita* tion unlefs men of the moft obftinate and im- perious temper, whofe /F/// is their law, are reckoned among the imitators of God-, which I do in the DEITY. 121 do not find they have yet been even by them- felvesPThey have more reverence for their Ma- ker, than to pretend their having learnt this temper from him ; though this temper, it is to be feared, makes them have the better hking to thofe high and riged notions, which repre- fent God much fuch a one as therafelves. Should it be faid in favour of this fcheme, that in never acfting without a reafon, we adt according to our nature, as created, depen- dent Beings, and in adling according to our nature, wc imitate God, who adls according to his, when he fubftitutes his Will in the room of all other reafon s ; my anfwer would be, that I (hould own this to be very much to the purpofe, if our eftimate of the na- ture of God was to be taken from' the abfo^ lutenefs of his JVill^ and not from the perfec- tion of it. The independence of God upon all other Beings expreffes his greatnefs and perfection. Not fo the imaginary indepen- dence of his Will on the reafon and fitnefs of things : at leafl, it does not feem fo to me. Sect. X. Let us now try whether thofe in the benevolent fcheme can come off any better. After what manner will they explain the imitation of God, fo as to give a rational and confident account of it? The fupremc Being, they may fay, is an example of be- nevolence to all other intelligent Beings. True, K 2 if 122 Wlfdom the Jtrfl fpring of Adlon if his benevolence be any thing more than a natural inclination. But if this is the heft . can be faid of it, then, in giving the fum to- tal of the divine anions, we muft put it down thus, the Deity always and only follows inclination. And may not the fenjual^ the injurious^ the revengejul man plead that he follows his ? Notwithftanding which, no one will prefume to fay that fuch men 2Xt follow- ers oj God. But their inclinations are not like thofe of the Deity. And can they help that, as far as they are purely natural , or even as acquired or ftrengthened by cuftom, if in every adtion of which this cuftom is m:ide up, they were prompted by fome in- clination or other, which they could not re- fufe to obey ? But they ought to have over- ruled inclination by the force and autho- rity of Reafon. I would gladly know how; fuppofing inclination in every the leaft move- ment, be the only exciting reafon to a<5tion. And if Reafon could have done this, and had done it, Reafon would then have been the frijtciple of their conduct, and not inclinati- on J and in following Reafon they would have departed from the pattern fet them by God, of all whofe acflions, the firft and mafter- fpring (if fome men fay right) is inclination. Yes ; but his inclination is to do good j in doing good, thorefore, we imitate God, tho' it be only in obedience to Reafon, not in com- pliance with inclination : in the effeSfs we do, not in //^^ DE I T Y. 1^3 not in the original caufe or principle j this in us, being of a higher order than in the Deity, if while we are governed by Reajbn, he is whol- ly led by inclination. Which fingle reflexion fliould, methinks, be enough to difgrace this opinion. Sect. XI. Proceed wc next to confider the imitation of God, as it refpeds particular attributes. God isy«/?, Siud true , ^ndjaith- Jul, and good, and in all thefe characters we are to fet him before us as the great exemplar and original of moral perfection ; keeping him continually in our eye, fo as not only to be juft and good upon other grounds and motives, but to ftrive to be fo with a view of bearing the image of God, and being followers of him as dear children. In this divine image the ruling feature is univerfal be?2evolence, the lineament that is moft ob- vious and lovely, and in which the likenefs chiefly confifts. The firft view of the De- ity is univerfal good, to the production of which, in a way agreeable to the nature of intelligent and free Beings, he imploys his infinite power. Our power is confined with- in narrow limits ; but our wills and ofieBi- ons are more boundlefs. We can wijh hap- pinefs to every Being that is capable of it, rejoice in every in fiance of happinefs that comes to our knowledge ; and, the lefs we arc able to do for the benefit of njankind, K 3 (hould 124 Wifdom the Jirfl fpring of h^\o^ fhould think ourfelves more obliged not to omit doing any part of that little. Here a thought comes in my way — What title the feijijh generation can have -to be called imita^ tors of God', they who frankly declare that they have no afFedtion but for themfelves, no concern for the intereft of other men, further than their own is interwoven. with it, {o that in their motl beneficent ^^ionsjelj- love only verifies the old Proverb, that the jartheji way about is the neareft way home. If nature and praBice^ in this fed: of Philofo- phers, be not better than principle^ they will be hard put to it, to make out their relation to God fi-om likenefs. While God in creat- ing and governing the world, hath no hap- pinefs of his ov^^n in view, but only that of other Beings, chiefly of thofe that are intel- ligent, they for their parts, though capable of propofing, with their own, the happinefs of their fellow creatures, and of concuring to it, would never be at the expence of a wi/h for the happinefs of others, were it not as a means of their private good. In any other view, the happinefs of the whole worlds of their country^ of their bep: friends is nothing to them. Say, ye idolizers of y^^, wherein the mean while is your imitation of the true God ? Sect. XII. It may be of ufe to obferve, that the infinite dijiance between Gcd and his in /i&tf D E I T Y. 125 his creatures is no bar at all to their imitati' on of him. And therefore, when Pttffen- dorf* fays, " that he does not fee how the " fovereign right which God exercifes to- " wards his creatures, can be the model of *f that right which, ought to take place be- ** tween Beings naturally equal ; or how a ** law that impofes on men mutual obligati- " ons can pals for an image of the divine " authority, effentially independent of all " law and of all obligation." If hereby he would infinuate that there is, and can be, no proper fimilitude between divine'yiiiict^ good- nefs, truth, and faithfulnefs, and human, I fhink the confiderations that have been laid before the reader in the progrefs of this Dif^ courfe prove this to be a miftake. Nor does the inequality of the Beings^ or' of their Jiations in the univerfe, or the reflexi- on added by Fuffendorf^ Annotator, at all af- fed this queftion. Are not fuperiours, when they behave worthily in their ftations, ex- aniples to their inferiours, teaching them, in like manner, to fulfil the duties of their's ? And whatever difference there may be in the injiances and occafions of exercifing any virtue, where the general foundation oj aXi^ m is the fame, the fame virtue exemplified in any one cafe, is juft ground of imitation in every other, how widely diilant foever K 4 it * Of the ]jaw of Nature and Nations, J5. 2. *,* 3. § 5. Barbeyrac'% tranflation. 126 Wtfdom the fir fi fpring of A6lion it may be, as long as thefe diffimilar cafes are objedls of the fame virtue. Mr. Bar- beyrac may therefore, if he pleafes, call it an important reflection, but to me it appears iriflhig, " that there are many ads of hu- *' man juftice which cannot agree to God, ** becaufe of the excellence of his nature. " Such are a great number of adts of uni- ** verfal jufiice^ and thofe of particular juf- " tice, which regulate contracts invented for ** a fupply to the wants and neceflities of ** life. Who would dare, for example, to *' reafon thus, pay your debts becaufe God *' pays his; be grateful, becaufe God is to " thole who have done him good j obey *- your fevereign, becaufe God obeys his fu- " periors; honour your parents, becaufe " God honours his. Are not thefe reafon- " ings manifeftly abfurd }" They are fo ; and the more manifeft the abfurdity of fuch reafon ings, the more needlefs was the remark. But what then, becaufe in iht particular in- fiances there is no refemblance, does it follow there is none in the virtue that governed the adion ? A fteddy purpofe to make the rea^ Jon of things our rule, agreeably to the ex- ample of the Creator of all things, and fountain of all perfedion, and on no ac- count whatfoever, to break in upon right and order^ will have that influence upon a man as to ingage him to pay his creditors what he owes them, if he is able ; to be grateful tQ in the DEIT Y. 127 to his bencfadors, obedient to his parents and civil governors, Gf^. And, in that vir- tue which difcovers itfelf in an uninterrupted courfe of thefe and all other virtuous adtions, he will truly, though imperfectly , imitate the great author of his exiftence. Sect. XIII. As to Blfliop Cumberland's* obfervation, " that we muft firft know what ** jufticc is, before we can diftindlly know ** that juftice is to be afcribed to God, and " that his juftice is to be kept in view by us ** as our example 5 becaufe, we cannot know " God by an immediate intuition of his per- ** fedions, but by the effeSfs firft known from ** fenfe and experience}" I grant the truth of it fo far as this, that we muft have fome knowledge of effeSls before we can have any knowledge of a frji caufe ; but that our whole knowledge of the perfed:ions of the Jirji caufe is immediately deduced from eJleBs I deny, having, I think, proved the contra- ry in this Ejfay j viz. that being informed, from a furvey of the works of nature, • of the power and wifdom of their author, we are able from his wifdom, to demonftrate his moral perfeSliom, from which we are fup- plied with an additional proof of the law of nature, and the moft perfed pattern for our imitation* Sect. * Proleg. to his Difcourfe of the Law of Nature, $6. 128 Wifdom the firji fpring of Adion Sect. XIV. A learned Divine -f is plcaf- ed to exprefs himfelf on this fubjed: in the following manner. *' There is fomething ** previous to imitating of God, and more ** acceptable to him, which is obeying him. ** Otherwife, the duties of the firft table ** would be fet behind the fecond. We " may endeavour faintly to imitate God in " our benevolence towards men ; but the " love of God, and all the duties which a " creature owes immediately to his Creator, ** are the prior duties, and they are more " ftrid:ly and properly the bufinefs of every ** creature, than imitating God. To imi- " tate his example, is paying him a dutiful " refped ; but fubmitting to his authority in ** all things, is moft highly honouring him,- " and (hews the profoundeft reverence, re- Vr fignation and humility." My general re- mark here is, that the compari/bn isnotjiiji" ly Jiated'j which, when fairly made, is not between benevolence toman (which is but one particular injiance of imitation, and a duty of the fecond table) and obedience to God in generalj but between a proper thorough imi- tation of God, and a fincere univerfal obe- dience. When the matter is thus propofed,- there are two or three things about which, I fancy, there will be no controverfy, viz. that imitation and obedience^ are both alike necefTary, f Dr. Watefland^ OhWgzt. and Efficacy of the Chriflian Sacraments, />. 42. in the Ty^lTY. 129 neceffary, being indifpenfibly required by the law of Reafon, and inleperable from the character of a good man; that one of thefe cannot exift without the other, imitation without obedience, or obedience without imitation, and that, in both thefe, we ho- nour God and are accepted by him. Thefe things, I imagine, will not be difputed. The queftion, therefore, that remains muft be, which of thefe is prior to the other, moft acceptable to God, and docs moft highly honour him? I think imitation. Imitation is prior to obedience. My reafon for afferting this is, that to obey God pre- fuppofes our having made a right ufeof our intelledual powers and faculties, the refult of which is aconvidtion that God hath gi- ven us a Law which we are bound to obey, and a refolution to obey it. Now in this right ufe of our faculties, we evidently imi- tate the fupreme of all Beings, who con- ftantly exerts his mofl perfed: knowledge and power after the moft perfedt manner. Sect. XV. I hope too, one may ven- ture to fay, that imitation is more acceptable than obedience, if all that is acceptable in this latter be, when traced to its original^ borrowed from the former-, which is really the cafe. That which gives an adl of obe- dience its whole worth and fignificancy, is the temper and pofture of the mind in per- forming 1 30 Wifdom the firji fpring of Adlion forming it, a right afFedion towards truth and goodnefs. And what is there fo like God, in the imitable part of his nature, as fuch a temper of foul ? And, for what this Author faith, that the love of God is a prior duty to imitation, if he means to all imita- ' tion of him, it is certainly falfe. The love of God which is charaderiftical (/. e, a love of goodnefs, efpecially as exifting af- ter the moft tranfcendent manner in God) i)eing the nobleft imitation of him, and that which either includes, or draws after it, eve- ry thing that comes under the name of imi- tation. If he means that it 'n prior to fome particular and outward adts of imitation ; though this be true, it makes nothing to his purpofe, proving no more than this, that one imitation of God is prior to another j inward to outward^ a fimilitude of Jpirit to a fimilitude of conduB. Nothing can be plainer than that love, as the principle of obedience, muft be prior to that obedience, which flows from it. Sect. XVI. That imitation more high- ly honours God than obedience, is, if poffi- ble, ftill more evident. For only confider the diredt and immediate language of one and of the other. Obedience diredly and properly refpeds the authority and power of God ; imitation his wijdom and goodnefs. And which is moft honourable to God, the ac- know- h the V>E\rY. 131 knowledgment of his having the command o( all other Beings, or that he is infintte/y more excellent than they^ Would it not be much more for the honour of a prince to have it faid that his fubjedts, in every part of his dominions, made it their higheft ambition to be and do like him, as far as the difpari- ty of circumftances would admit, believing that in the fame proportion as they advanced in the imitation of their fovereign, they {hould advance in perfedion and happinefs, than that they obeyed him in an implicit refignation, never prefuming to controul or difpute any of his commands? The inftruc- tion to be drawn from hence is, that though every way of confidering the Divine Being yields great advantage, which is a very good reafon why we fhould not forget him under any charader and relation, as particularly that of our rightful and almighty Sovereign, yet our thoughts (hould be moft frequently con- verfant about the moral attributes of God, whether as the rule to which every part of his government of the world is conformed, or the pattern which we are to follow j and to come as near as we can, that we may have more of the light of it derived into our converfation to make it (hine before men. By repeated contemplation we may grow more intimately acquainted with thefe per- fedions, be more fenfible of their beauty, and feel their attradtive influence j the con- fequcnce 132 Wifdom the firfl fpring of h^ion fequence of which will be, that knowing God better, in thofe things which are his very nature as a moral agent, we (hall love and refemble him more ; upon the fame ac- count as we (hall be transformed into his perfedl image, when, in the fublime lan- guage of in/piratioHy we (hall fee him as he iSy Sind face to face. The more we place our religion in the love and imitation of God, the lefs will the danger be of our omitting the weightier matters of the law, judgment^ mercy, and truth, and (huffling into their room, a feigned fandlity of behaviour, and punclluality in fome outward forms of devo- tion, which will never atone for the want of a good and honeji heart, and the fubftan- tial virtues of a chriftian life. Sect. XVII. Prayer, by this rule of fitnefs, may feem to be excluded from being a ncceiTary part of Religion. *' For he " that afks is worthy to receive what he " afks, or he is not worthy. If worthy, ** he will receive It, though he doth not afk -, " if not worthy, though he afk, he will ** not receive * ." The fallacy of which argument lies in fuppoftng what ought to have been proved, that there is no antece- de fit fitnefs in Prayer. For if there are feve- ral confiderations which fhew it fit that crea- tures, circumftanced as we are, fliould pray to * Maxim. Tyr. DifT. 30. in the DEITY, 133 to God, then it cannot be Jit that God (hould make no difference between thofe who wholly negledt Prayer, and thofe that are conftant and devout in the difcharge of their duty j nor can the former be worthy of the favours of heaven in the fame fenfc that the latter are fo, not being in a right difpofition to receive them. Prayer, regu- larly performed, and with attention of mind fuppofes and promotes the true knowledge of ourfelves, an habitual regard to the Pre- fcnce and Providence of God ; a fincere en- deavour after thofe things which we make the fubjed: of our Prayer; of thofe chiefly which in our Prayers we acknowledge to be of the greatefi importance ; and, finally^ a kind and friendly difpofition towards our fellow-creatures. The knowledge of our- felves, among other things, includes the knowledge of our unworthinefs, and of our weaknefs, and indigence ; of all which Pray- er is a plain acknowledgment ; the more ne- ceffary, becaufe without putting ourfelves in mind of thefe humbling t^^uths, we might be apt in the pride of our hearts to forget them ; and, for want of refledling upon them, to behave unfuitably to our real cha- radter of infirm, neceflitous, and finful crea,- tures, who have nothing they can challenge in the way of exchange from the hand o^ God, and neither injoy', not can do, any thing without him. Sect. 134- ti^'ifdom the firjl fpring of kOXovi Sect. XVIII. By the fame means the mind is rendered more attentive to the Pre- fence of an invifible God, and to his Pro- vidence, both univerfal and fpecial, direding and ordering all things without us, and ope- rating upon our minds. Who have the moft fledfaft belief of a fuper-intending Provi- dence, and reliance upon it, they who live without Prayer, or they who would as foon choofe to be without their neceflary food? Were the petitionary part of divine worfliip to be laid afide, thank/giving would not con- tinue long after ; for what more natural than not to refle(ft on our having received every thing from the bountiful hand of God when we afk nothing of him ; to be unafFe<5ted with the efFufions of God's paternal good- nefs on the creation, and look upon all that happens in the common train of events, with the fame indifference as if the whole pro- ceeded from an undefigning caufe.? The unavoidable effcdl of all which will be, that we fhall neither injoy the fatisfadlion in what we have that we Ihould otherwife do, nor trouble ourfelves about the ufe we make of it. Prayer is fo far from fuperfeding our own care and induftry, as to be one of the moft powerful arguments and incentives to them. For, I hope, we are none of us fo unreafonable, to pray that God would do all while we fit ftill and do nothing j that is, that in the T^EITY. 13^ that he would do both his own part, and ours too, and put us in pofTeffion of all the bleffings we need, without our making ufe of the moft likely means to obtain them. The only conftrudion that a reafonable Prayer will bear, is, that God would fucceed our beji endeavours ; which (hews that in eve- ry Prayer, there is a virtual promife of vi- gilance and activity on our part, according to the nature and importance of the things delired. A man would be afliamed to pray every day, deliberately and ferioufly, for his daily bread^ who by idlenefs and extrava- gance took the certain way to make or keep himfelf poor -, to pray that God would give him his grace to lead a virtuous and ufeful life, who Would not be at the leaft pains to pradife any one virtue, to deny any one vicious inclination, or to obferve any one rule, though never fo neceffary, for the eradicating of evil habits, or planting of good. And for the tendency which mens praying with and for one another, hath to beget and cherifh focial affeSiions^ they need only con- fult their own Reafon and Experience. Does not joint and mutual interceffion to the Com- mon Parent of mankind, and in a peculiar fenfe the Father of juft: and good men, dif- pofe, as well as teach them, to look upon one another as brethren^ and at the fame time widen both their views and their af-, feftions? How could any one, without be- VoL. IV. L in? 136 Wifdo?n the firft fp7^ing of Adtion ing challenged for it by his own mind, re- commend others to the favour and compaf- fion of the Deity, and himfelf refufe to give them any affiflence, or perform the leaft office of humanity for them, how much fo ever needed ? For fhould all be thus back- ward to lend their helping hand (as all may with as much reafon as any one perlon can) how fliall they be fuccoured, in many ca- fes, without a miracle? Which, according to the true intent of our Praytrs one for another, we do not beg; the meaning of our Prayers for others being no more than this, " that God, in the ordinary courfe of ** his Providence, would diredt things in ** their favour, and fo influence the minds ** of men, that as far as they can be mu- " tually helpful to one another, they may ** be excited, each according to his feveral ** ability, to contribute to the publick good.'* Thefe confiderations, with others that might be mentioned, (hewing the jitnefi of Prayer (at leaft in the prefent ftate of things) do at the fame time prove the necejjity of it, if we would pleafe that fovereign Being who does what is fit himfelf, and cannot but re- quire it from his reafonable creatures. Sect. XIX. To demonftrate iht Jitnefs of glorifying God, and apprehend the defjgn of God in exa(5ting this tribute from us, nothing more is neceffary than to explain the in /^^ DEITY. 137 the terms. It is the glory of God that he is, and hatb^ and does, every thing that can 'enter into the notion of an infinitely great , and perfeB, and happy Bei?ig, that he gives all, and receives nothing. His majefty is not like that of earthly princes, which, for the mofl part, arifes from things iDithout them fuch 2i% fumptuous palaces, a crowd of cour- tiers^ attendants, and guards, a great deal of ftate and ceremony, and other like things, which make a feemtng dijiinSiion between the prince and the fubjed, where, very of- ten, there is not the leaft real one -, and have their chief ufe from fupplying the place of true grandeur and majefty. To glorify God is to think of him as he is, and to love him in proportion to our capacities, as he de- ferves. Of our going beyond the truth there is no danger, but only of our falling vaftly fhort of it. Were there but one reafonable creature, this would be his duty and happi- nefs, to turn his eyes towards this glorious fun, and gaze for ever on his beauty and brightnefs. This is the firft part of the idea of glorifying God, or rather the firft ftep to it. The next, and that which moft properly and formally conftitutes the duty, is when in telligent Beings take the moft effedual courfe, to teftify their own juft fenfe of a Deity one to another, and to excite, and cherilh, and im- prove, one in another, the fame worth v apprehenfions of God, and predcmihant af- I- 2 fe(^ions 138 Wifdom the jirfl fpring of Adion fedions towards him. He glorifiei God moft, whole words and adlions are btrfl calculated to propagate right and honourable notions* of the Deity, and correfpondent difpofitions of mind towards him. From whence, bv the way, let me obferve, that an adlive life appears to be ordinarily preferable to a life of lazy retirement y and barren contemplation ; and to be really more perfeSf. Confeffion of the truth, and zeal to promote it, folemn and publick adls of worfhip, a reverent ufe of the name of God in our common difcourfe, and (may I not fay) above all the reft, a regular, ufeful, and holy Hfe, are all comprehended under the general expreffion of glorifying God, being apparently necellary to maintain and fpread the knowledge and love of God in this part of his reafonable creation. Among thefe means, it is not without reafon, that I have given the pre- heminence to a ufeful and good life. The greateft perfon that ever lived upon earth has told us, herein is God glorified that we bear much fruit ; fo (faith he) flmllye be my dif- ciples. Glorious charader of a difciple of Chrift, that he is one that abounds in the fruits of righteoufnefs and poodnefs! Can any- thing be more for the glory of the Mafter, than to make this a mark of his difciples, leaving them an example that they (hould follow his fleps : Or of the difciple, than to follow, obey, and imitate fuch a Mafter ? Sect. in the DEITY. 139 Sect. XX. Whoever attends to what has been now faid to explain the duty of glori' fying Gody cannot miftake the defign of God in requiring it. It is a moft certain truth thcit God made all things^ even the whole frame of heaven and earth, jor his O'vcn glory ; that is, fo as that they might be vifibly adapted to lead up the intelligent ob- ferver to the Jirji Cai^Je-, to excite in the mind, the moft elevated thoughts of God, and to imprefs thofe fentiments of awe, and reverence, and delight, which are fuitable to his infinite perfedions. He made intel- ligent Beings to glorify him in an aBive manner. Not that he needed or propofcd the glory refulting from the works of creation, or from the praifes and adorations of the in-' telligent part of it, to compleat his own hap^ pinefs. He was not moved by the defire of fame as the children of men many times are, in their greateft and moft fliining adions ; who, without confidering that in fuch an adion, they fliall difcharge their own duty, and be ufcful to mankind, and being urged by this reflection, think of nothing but the renown it will procure them, and how their names will be mentioned with honour, by thofe that are ftrangers to their perfons, and, as they flatter themfelves, by remote pof- terity. Such a defire of fame, Jor its own fake^ may be the imfirmity of great minds, L 3 but 1 40 Wiflom the firfi fpring of Adion but ftill it is an infirmity^ and therefore not confiftent with a perfed: nature. Alas, what are the applaufes of a world, of ten thoufand worlds, to him whofe greatnefs and glory is all inherent in himfelf, and inde- pendent of any other Being ! What are their united praifes to the fingle approbation of his own eternal mind ! He hath a more folid and divine fatisfadtion in himfelf than to be capable of delighting in a found or a Sha- dow. All that God does, and all that he would have his creatures do, is fit, and he does it, and would have them do it, becaufe it is fit ; and forafmuch as this is for the glory of God that he does that, and nothing elfe but that which is fit for a Being of infinite pow- er, wildom, and goodnefs, to do, and be- caufe it is highly fit that reafonable crea- tures (hould think, and fpeak, and adt in that manner which is moft for the glory of God ; in this fenfe God may be faid to de- fign his own glory, materially confidered^ or what declares and (hews forth his ejjential glory y but not any glory without himfelf that terminates his view. It is very true, that a great deal of glory will redound from the works of God to their Creator; yea, and further, that he expeds fuch of his crea- tures, as can do it, fhould ferve and glorify him ; but as for the glory that redounds from his works, it is a neceflary appendage of in /i*^ D E I T Y. 141 of their Being, much after the fame man- ner as a noble produdion in any art is an honour to the artificer. The work of the Lord is glorious^ and it is glorious becaufe expreflive of the idea or platform of it in his own mind j and as thus agreeing with his defign, he cannot but approve it, it is really lovely and beautiful. And if God challenges the fervice and praifes of his crea- tures, it is not that he reaps any advantage from them, or delights in them for their own fake, but becaufe it is fit and reafona- ble, and for the benefit and happinefs of the creature, that he fhould ferve and wor- fhip the Creator ; and becaufe what is fit, and becoming, and produdive of pleafure and happinefs, God who is a lover of truth, and order, and of mankind, cannot but ap- prove, and, as the wife Governor of the world, cammand under pain of his difpleafure. Upon the whole ; fince we can have no reafon to doubt of the truth of that notion which bed confults the honour of the di- vine perfedlions, beft agrees with the uni- verfal fenfe of mankind, and is befl adapt- ed to promote the caufe of Virtue and Re- ligion, and to anfwer the moft difficult queftions on the fubjedt of Creation and Providence, I take leave to conclude, that Wisdom (and not arbitrary Will or blind Inclination) is the First Spring of Action in the Deity. L4 A poor t and eafy Rule of ConduEl for Minijiers of the Gofpel^ ex- plained J applied tofome particular cafeSy and recommended in A CHARGE Delivered at the ORDINATION Of the Reverend Mr. Farnham Haskoll A T T A U N T 0 N, Nov. 8. 1733. H5 Short and eafy Rule of ConduB for Miniflers of the Gofpel^ 6cc. IT is of very great ufe, as in the ge- neral conduA of life, (o likewife, in difcharging the duties of any particular func- tion or imployment, to have fome firjl Principle^ fome one certain important and comprehenfive Rule, by carefully attending to which we may be able to judge more eafily of the coiirfe we have to take, of the very beft manner of doing things, and the ijjue we may reafonably expedt from the whole. I am ready to believe that I have thought of fuch a Rule as this with regard to the work of the Minijlry^ to whidi you, Sir, have been now folemnly feparated ; I make no doubt, with an upright and a ready mind on your part, and with the uni- verfal approbation of thofe that know you, and have at heart the true intereft of Chrif- tianity^ 146 A Rule of ConduB tianity. The Rule I have an eye to is that contained in thole words of the Apoftle Faul to Timothyy his dearly beloved Son, 2 Tim, ii. 15. Study to shew thyself approv- ed UNTO God. The feveral branches of the Minifierial Office have been fo often, and fo largely treated on, and you, iS/r, are fo well ac- quainted with them, that I need not f;y any thing upon this fubjcd:. And, indeed, had I a mind to do it, I fhoiild find it hard to fay any thing but what was com- mon, and had been better faid before. But, as I am fenfible you are not a little folicitous about the method in which you (hall purfue the great end of all your la- bours {viz. the promoting of triith^ and peace^ and holinefs) fo as moft effectually to anfwer this moft defireable end, to have moft prefcnt fatisfadion, and moft comfort and pleafure in the review, at the finifliing of your courfe : and as, upon this occafion, you have been pleafed to make choice of me to be your Remembrancer (for I pretend to no more) you will give me leave to of- fer to your confideration a few thoughts and reflections (with which I pray God I may always have my own mind deepl)»impreffjd) on that excellent advice of the Apoftl;:; which hath for Ministers recommended. 147 liath been now mentioned. Study to shew THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GoD. " Be this " thy conftant aim, thy moft ambitious and " diligent endeavour, from which thou art " not to be diverted by any temptations *' whatfoever. In every debate that may *' arife within thyfelf, which thou fhalt " chufe among the feveral and contrary " ways that are taken by thofe who pro- " fefs to intend the fame thing, let both " thy firfl: and lall: inquiry be, which will " appear beft after I have laid afide, as ** much as poffible, all human views and " paffions, and have afked counlel, not " only of my own calm and retired thoughts, '' but of the Lord? Which will beft Hand " his awful trial, and may moft juftly *' hope to have his final fandion added to *' it?" In this 'Exhortation^ it is by no means fuppoicd a thing unlawful to defire and en- deavour our being approved, both of God and man, or a thing impojjible in any degree to be attained. The Apoftle Paul faith of himfelf, ^ that to the Jews (not yet convert- ed to Chriftianity) he became as a Jew, that be might gain the Jews ; to them that were under the Law, (obliged as they thought, by the Law of Mofes, though they had im- braced the Gofpel) as under the Law, that he might gain them that were under the Law j to ' I Cor. ix. 20, — 22. 148 A Rule of ConduSi to them that were without Law^ (the Gen- tiles) as without Law, that he might gain them that were without Law j to the weak^ as weak, that he might gain the weak j in ihort, that he was made all things to all men, that be might by all means fave fome : which however (notwithftanding the indefinitenefs of the expreflion) mufl be reftrained to things lawful and expedient, fuch things as did not injure the truth of the Gofpel, for the fake of which, he fays he did all this, ver, 23. His defign in yielding to all be- ing this, that he might fave fome, i. e, fave them from their errors and vices, which could never have been done, if he had com- plied with them, in profeffing the fame opinions, and doing the fame adtions. The truth was what St. Paul would ne- ver give up, well knowing that if he fo pleafed men, he could not be ^ the fer^ *oant of Chrift. It is therefore only in in- different matters, that we muft imagine the Apoftle to have ufed this complaifance. What Principles were in common between him, and others, whom he endeavoured to bring to a more thorough knowledge of the truth, he took the advantage of, and, by approaching as near them as his peculiar Principles would permit, (hewed it was not out of perfonal difrefpe(5l, or ill-will, that he differed from them. We fliould willingly » Gal. i. 10. for Ministers recommended, 149 willingly offend noney and be glad to pleafe ally could it be done by fair and honourable means. If they are to be reafoned into an ef- teem for Religion, and of us, as no ill ad- vocates for it J if we can overcome them by dint of good nature^ and by the force of mceknefiy gentlenefs^ condefcention^ and a readi- nefs to do them all kinds of good oJiceSf can oblige them to lay afide their prejudices againft us ; if we can compel all to come in, by fuch methods, we are very happy. But this, I doubt, is a thing rather to be defined than hoped. Yet ftill, it is encou- ragement enough, to do our utmoft this way, and to perfevere in it, that we ihall not wholly lofe our labour, that we (hall at leaft win thofe who are more open to convicfli- on, who for number, as well as weight, may be fometimes worth regarding. For we (hould have too bad an opinion of man- kind, and be too much disheartened in our endeavours to ferve them, did we believe that truth, and fincerity, and moderation, and benevolence had loft all their influence upon any, or that they did not fway con- fiderably with feme. We read concerning our divine Mafter in his early years, that *^ he increafed in wif- dom^ and in favour 'with God and man ; and the Apoftle Paul hath told us how we may be acceptable to God, and approved of men, viz, « Luke ii. 52. I if o A Rule of Condudi viz. by rtmtxnh&nngxhzt^ the kingdom of God is not meat aiid drink., but righteoujnefs^ and peace^ and joy in the Holy Ghojiy that the Go/pel had fet men free from thofe reftraints in things of their own nature indifferent, which the Law of Mofes laid them under, and yel that this freedom, as to the ufe of meats and drinks, was nothing in compari- fon of the other privileges of the Gofpel ; that univerfal righteoufnefs, and mutual peace, and charity, are fome of the princi- pal duties enjoined by the Chriflian Law ; and a holy Ipiritual joy, the prefent, as well as future reward annexed to it ; by calling this to remembrance, and then in tbej'e things fervi?tg Chrift^ the intereft and credit of whofe Religion cannot be promot- ed in any other way, fo effedually, as in this. And if the Apoftle Paul himfelf, and the other Apoftles of our Lord, and firfl Preachers of Chriftianity, were not ap- proved of great numbers of men, what (hall we fay of the marvellous fuccefs of the Gofpel, with the difpenfation of which they were intruded ? They who embraced a Religion which could propofe none of this world's encouragements to its follow- ers, muft do it upon the good opinion they had both of the Chriftian Dodrine itfelf, and of the Perfons who taught it. And, per- haps, * Rom. xiv. 17, 18. jor Mi n 1ST E R s recommended, 1 5 1 haps, fometimes the favourable notion which they had of the Perfom^ from the fimpli- city and purity of their manners, and their kind, benevolent, patient, and forgiving tem- per, prepared a way for the eafier recep" tion of their DoBrine. But then it muft be confeft the greatefl: numbers were ftill on the other fide ; and in this fenfe, the Chriftians continued for a long time, ' a ScB every where fpoken agatnfi. And fo it will t>e, in a greater or lelTer degree, with the caufe and lovers of truth at ail times, even where Chriftianity is the eftablifhed Religion. Confiderate and impartial perfons, thofe who think and judge for themfelves, who are above being led away by vulgar preju- dices, and have a prevailing love for truth and goodnefs, to God and man ; thefe will approve a man of upright heart, like them- felves, who is concerned for nothing more, than to find the truth himfelf, to afliffc others in difcovering it, and to ingage both himfelf and them, to walk fuitably to it. But can it be faid, that this is the charac- ter of all mankind^ or of the greater part of them ? I {hould be glad to have more reafon to believe fo. But though neither the unlawfulnefs of all defire to pleafe men, nor the impofibillty of fucceeding in this aim, in fome degree, be Vol. IV. M here « A(fts xxviii. 22, 1^2 A Rule oj ConduSi here fuppofed, yet I much doubt whether it was not defigned to be imitated, that all who are approved of men, are not fo of God. It is no ftrange thing, if this happens frequently to be the cafe, where any love the praife of men, more than the praife of God. For, provided they have but cunning enough to know how to manage matters, (and it is not a great deal that is required) they may eafily captivate the minds of the fimple, and by fair fpeeches, and other, arts, more obvious than they are honourable^ be- come the idols of all thofe, whofe charac- ter it is, that they had rather have their fancies pleafed, than their judgments inform- ed ; would rather be confirmed in their miftakes, than convinced of them j and have always the beft opinion of fuch Preachers, as indulge them in the good opinion they have of themfelves; fuch as inftead of en- deavouring to fhew them the unreafonable- nefs of their prejudices, and paffions, and perfonal and party quarrels, fall in with them, or fecretly flatter them, as in the right; perhaps connive at their vices, and are more concerned to dazzle weak minds, with an oftentatious and enthufiaftical piety, than to edify the world, with the folid, the rational, the ufeful, and divine virtues of a uniform- ly holy and good life. By fuch methods as thefe, we may conceive the Pharifees to have gotten a much greater fliare of repu- tatioDj for Ministers recommended. 153 tation than they dcferved among the com- mon people of the "jews^ and the Falje Apofiks among the more ignorant, injudici- ous, and wavering part of the firft Chrif- tians. * It is enough to cure a man, who hath generous ftntiments, of all fondnefs for fuch kind of inccnfe, to reflect from whom it comes, and by what low and dirty ways^ generally fpeaking, it muft be obtained. Not that perfom oj integrity, upon the whole, are out of all danger from the temp- tation, and are never at all warped, and influenced by it. Indeed, men of this cha- radter will not, in order to gain the favour of the multitude, deliberately do any thing which they know to be unlawful -, but from 'vanity, or avarice, or love of power, or fome other ill quality, which hath not loft all hold in them, they may have their judgments of things, in fome meafure, in- fenfibly perverted, and, by that means, be drawn to do things not approved of God, while they themfelves are fo, for the gene- ral retftitude of their hearts and lives j or by an excefs of good nature, or want of refolution, they may go, or rather be car- ried, too far. M 2 A re- * Among the Corinthians, there feems to have been One, who headed a FacStion againft St. Paul, by whom the Inceltuous Perfon was countenanced^i if not openly defended. 154 -^ -^^^^ of Cotidu5i A remarkable inftance of v/hlch we have in no lefs a perfon than the Apoftle Peter y who before that certain came from 'James did eat with the Gentiles, but, when they were come, withdrew, and feparated him- felf, fearing them that were of the circum- cifion J the confequence of which was, that the other Jews diflembled with him, (/. e. difguifed their real fentiments, in refpedt of the liberty of the Gojpel) infomuch that Bar^ nabas alfo was carried away with their dif- fimulation. As what was done by St. Peter, and others in this cafe, proceeded from iveaknefsy and was not apprehended to afFe6t the general caufe of Chrijiianity^ it was a very pardonable fault, but ftill it was a fault, which was the reafon that the Apof- tle Paul ^ witbftood him to the face, as thinking him worthy of blame. He that is wife, will be made ftill wifer by fuch examples, and particularly from this, will learn to take care, that his converfation and management in religious differences, as well as his profejjion of love, be without dijjimu- lation. You will not think it improper if I more particularly, but briefly, confider the cha- racter of one that fiiidles to Jhew himfelf approved unto God-, then illuftrate this cha- rader by a few inftances j and finally, men- tioa Gal. iu II for Ministers recommended. 155 tion fome things which confpire to recom- mend it. I. If we confider the charadter of one who ftudies to Jhew himfelf approved unto God-, he that would be perfect makes it his firft care, to fettle right and worthy nottom of that Sovereign Beijig whofe approbation he feeks» We all think alike method abfolutely ne- ceffary, when we would cultivate the ef* teem and frienddiip of our fellow-creatures ; we fludy their tempers, their notions, and manner of life, and fuit ourfelves to them as far as allowably we can, not giving them any unnecefTary difturbance upon thefe heads, bccaufe we know that the art of pleafing is, in general, the fame in all cafes, and w^ith all perfons. This obfervation may be transfered to the prefent cafe, which is of the higheil nature that can be fuppofed. To pleafe God, there is an indifpenfable neceffity of our acquainting ourfelves with him, and in all things conforming to his commands, and to the ftandard of perfec- tion he hath fet before us in his nature and works. This conformity is neceffary, be- caufe he is in one mind, and who can turn him ? He is a law to himfelf, and this law is immutable ; there being an effential and everlaftinsr difference in the nature of things, between the moral PerfeSlions of the Dei- ty, and their contraries. In following God M 3 we 156 A Rule of CondiiB we follow wifdom and goodnefs, and are therefore fure never to go wrong, which is a very great fatisfadion. Jufl apprehenfi- ons of the divine nature and government are at the foundation of all true Religion ; and a man might as well think of hitting a mark he does not fee, as of pleafing and imitating a God of whom he is grofly ig- norant ; for which reafon no good man can be fuppofed fo labour under fuch an igno- rance of the Deity. There are additional confiderations which demonftrate the neceffity of this know- ledge, even of the higher degrees of it, in the Min'ifters of the Gofpd^ whofe bufi- nefs is to guide others into the knowledge of God, and of the feveral important truths of Religion depending upon this Jirji Frin- ciple, and derived from it. And, by the way, it is for want of laying this foundation well, that they who lliould be inftruftors of the ignorant, infiead of being fo, are fometimes the unhappy means of leading them into, or confirming them in, the moft abfurd and dangerous notions of the Deity; notions, v/hich though they may be funda- mental to fome particular Syftems of Divini- ty^ are, in their natural conjequence, fubver- five of the true foundations of the Chrijii- an Faith ; and, while they fet Chriftiani- ty in as bad a light, in fome refped:s, as it could appear in if it was a falfe Religion, for Ministers recommended. 157 undefignedly give the enemies of it a handle to treat it as fuch. The beft that can be faid for them is, that Jo they have been taught', and they feem to reafon concern- ing what they have been taught in rela- tion to the true God^ as the Heathens did about fome things reported to have been done by their Jalfe God. * SanBius ac re- verentius vijum de aSfis Deorum .credere quam jcire. And becaufe it may be thought that there is no need of fo much care and pains where perfons are, from their very child- hood, inflruded to fay and believe, that God is a Spirit^ Infinite, Eternal, and Un- changeable in his Being, Wifdom, Power, Holinefs, Jufiice, Goodjiefs^ and I'ruth, I fliall take the liberty to obferve, that though this be a very good definition of the term God, yet this definition is no more than nominal (a bare account of the name) with regard to all thofe who are not intruded in the meaning of it. For what fignifies our afcribing all poffible perfection to God, if we have no idea at all of the perfections we afcribe to him, or a confufed, or mif- taken one, which, upon fome accounts, is worfe than none ? While we honour God by giving him the titles of ivife, holy^ ju/i^ good and true, we may difhonour him by believing fuch things of him as are utterly M 4 incon- * Tacit, de Mor. Garm. 158 J Rule of tonduB inconfiftent with thefe perfections, and would forfeit all pretence to them in a man like ourfelves. Now an indiftindl and inconfif- tent belief, though it may not do all the hurt of one totally err onions^ where there is a good and honeft heart, yet, to fay the leaft, is not likely to prove fuch a fource of fincere and rational pleafiire to the mind, nor fuch a fteady inflexible rttle of condud:, as one that, being cleared of all difagreeing mixtures, is thorcughout juft and true. Having fettled fuch notions of God as he can fecurely build on, the next thing which the man who ftudies to JIjCw himjelf ap- proved unto God is concerned for is, to know the mmd and will of God-y what God ex- perts from him in his perfonal or relative^ his private or publick capacity, as a Chrif- tian, or a Chrijiian Minifter. Without defpiling the light of Reafon, he blefles God, from his heart, for a fapernatural Revelation, and is of opinion that as Re- velation is a vaft improvement upon Reafon, fp Reafon is of great ufe in proving, and eftimating the value of Revelation, towards the right underflanding of it, in pointing out and clearing the connexion of revealed Religion with natural, and the true grounds of both in the eternal and unchangeable difference of things. From the Scripture he draws the fcheme of Chrifiiaji DoBri?iey and the model of a Chriflian Life^ with all the for Ministers rcccmmendcd. 159 the exad:nefs and fidelity he is capable of, and from thence traces out his duty as a Minifter of the Gofpel. But forafmuch as the general duties of t Chrijiian and a Minijler are as plain as they are important, and agreed on all bands, I content myfelf with juft puting you in mind of them, becaufe you know them, and are eftablillied in the things which be- come found DoBrine. What I have more particularly in my view here, is the care taken by the perfon I am fpeaking of to know the will of God in points of conduB, about which the world is divided ; and in cafes which, though they may be plain enough of themfelves, are yet rendered doubtful and perplexed by notions and cuf- toms that have gained authority by efta- blifhment and length of time. And here he continually finds the advantage of thofe clear and rational conceptions which he hath entertained, and well digefted, concerning the nature of the works of God ; which open and enlarge his mind, render it more quick and fagacious in other queftions that have any connexion with thefe, rectify and condud the judging faculty, put the right clue into his hand, and fet him above thofe fervile fuperftitious fears, thofe weak and groundlefs jealoufies and fcruples, and thofe vulgar prejudices to which perfons who are afraid i6o A Rule of Conduci afraid to think freely (in the bed fenfe of that word) are perpetually Hable. To thefe jufl: notiom of the Divine Be- ing he forgets not to add humble and fre- quent addrejjh to him for diredion, illu- mination and affiftancc, not at all doubting of the truth of that promife, that the meek he will guide in judgfjient, the meek he will teach his way ; that God hath an immediate accefs to the mind ; and, where his influ- ences are pioufly acknowledged and earneft- ly befought, does frequently give that light, and throw in thofe hints, which free a man from the perplexity of thought he was be- fore under, and make his way plain and eafy before him.^ Nor does he fooliihly make iiis truft in the divine guidance a pretence for negledling the rules of common Pru- dejice-, but confiders T/'i^z^j and SeafonSy Per- fons and T'hings, and makes proper allow- ances for every circumftance ; in which he hath the authority of St. Pauh example, who at one time circumcifed Timothy ^ be- caufe of the f'uncon verted) fews that were in thofe quarters^ who all knew that his. Fa- ther was a Greek : at another time, would not fuffer that '' Titus who was a Greek (hould be compelled to be circumcifed, and that becaufe of falfe brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to fpy out the liberty which the profefTors of the Gof- pel s Ads xvi. 3. ^ Gal. ii. 3—5. for Ministers recomtnended, 1 6 1 pel had In Chrift Jefus, that they might bring them into bondage ; for which reafon the Apoftlegave place to them by fubjedion, not fo much as for an hour, that the truth of the Gofpel might continue with the Churches. There was, indeed, this material diffe- rence in the two cafes, that Timothy was a Jew by the Mothers fide, Titus entirely a Greek, or Gentile. Yet ftill, in reprefent- ing the Apoftle's conduct on thefe two oc^ cafions, the defign feems to have been to intimate his being more yielding in one cafe than in the other, together with the reafon of it. It is probable that, barely to gratify thefe faJfe brethren, he would not have circumcifed Timothy any more than Titus^ iince he would not give place to them (or fubmit to any of their demands) fo much as for an hour: and, on the other hand, that, to avoid offending the tmbelieving Jews^ he would not have taken Titus with him as he did Timothy; the circumcifion of Ti- tus being what he would not have confent- ed to upon any terms ; without which, the Jews would have had an infuperable preju- dice againfl him, if he had chofen Titus for his Affiflant, he would therefore have followed the middle way, and left him be- hind. . At firft St. Paul did not communicate with any concerning the Gofpel which he preached ]62 A Rule of ConduB preached to the Gentiles j afterwards he did, as we learn from the beginning of the Chapter juft quoted, where it is faid, that fourteen years after he luent up again to ferufalem by revelation^ and communica- ted to them the Gofpel which he preached to the Gentiles, but privately to them that were of reputation^ (that is, to the Apofiles^ to whom he fir (I and more particularly im- parted the affair) Icfl by any means (faith he) / fijould run, or had run in vain ; i. e. left he fhould be lefs fuccesful in his future labours, or give his enemies an opportunity to deftroy what he had already built, if it fliould be believed that he taught the cir- cumcifion of the cojruerted Gentiles^ or that he and his Gofpel were not owned and ap- proved by the other Apojlles^ both which ibggeftions were at once confuted by the friendly reception he had from the Apofiles^ and their not compelling 'Jitus to be cir- cumcifed. The inftrud:ion from whence is, that circumfla?ices being different, a prudent man will not think that his conduB ought always to be exadly the fame. Finally -, being fatisfied, after mature ex- amination, what is the will of God, in re- lation to any debated point, he is fo intent upon approving himfelf to his great Lord and Mafter, that he will follow that which appears to be his duty, whatever contradiBio?i, reproachy or inconvenience ^ he may happen to fujer for Ministers recommended. 163 fuffer by it. He Is thus refolved not only in the efTential and uncontroverted duties of his Chriftian and MInifterial Profeflion, gi- ving all diligence to be regular and holy in his converiaiion, and faithful in the' truft committed to him, but further, in things too often overlooked by perfons, in the main, fincere, through hafte, or prepoffef- (ion, or a fecret biafs to fomething or other, that lies out of the flrait and narrow way: the queftion with him who ftrives to be perfeB in all incidental matters, as well as others, not being- Will this fuit with my worldly intereft ? Is it agreeable to my in- clinations ? Or can I hope by doing this to pleafe men ? No; but (hall I be approved of God ? In this alfo like St. '^aul, who, when it pleafed God to reveal his Son to him, that he (hould preach him among the heathen, immediately fet about the work he was called to, ^ 7iot conferring with Jiejh and bloody i. e. with any man whatfoever to know his opinion upon it : and who, by be- ing lefs forward in afferting the liberty and privileges of the Gentile Converts^ might have eafily avoided a good part of the ilorm that fell upon him, for fo he afks (in an- fw«r to fome v/ho fuggefted that he was guilty of temporizings by feeming to allow the neceffity of circumcifion, which was a favourite notion of the Jews) ^ if I yet preach \ Gal. i. IS, 16. I Gal. v; 11, 1 64 *v^ Rule of ConduB preach circumcijion, ivJjy do I yet fiffer per^ fecutton f T/je?2 is the offence of the crofi ceaf- ed. As much as if he, had faid, the perfe- cutions which I undergo from the Jews, are a clear proof of the falfity of this charge of my preaching circumcifion, fince the great offence which they have taken up againft the dodtrine of a crucified Jefus, is the apprehenlion of its biing intended to fet afide the rites and cufloms of the Mofaic Law» Would I fpare them in this one point, for all the refl, they would more eafily forgive me. Let this fufiice for the charadter. II. I fhall now produce a few inflances which ferve to illuftrate this charadter, and in which the man, vjhoftudies to Jhew htm- felj approved unto God, in the manner be- fore explained, makes it vifible that he does fo. 1. Is he perfuaded of its being not only his undoubted right, but his plain duty, to fearch and judge for himfelf ? In this cafe, that he may be approved of God, he lays afide all undue regard to human authority, to great names, and great bodies of men ; and leaving the flreams which, for ought he knows, may have been poifoned, or at befl defiled and muddied, he goes immediately to the fountain-head of truth. And it would be for Ministers recommended. 165 be exceeding ftrange, if, being fo impartial, and having fuch juft notions of God as I have fuppofed, he (hould not diicern this to be his daty ; as it is to me amazing hovr any of tolerable fenfe and honefty can make it 2iferious difpute, whether it be his right. It is, indeed, the right of every man to ufe the faculties which God hath given him, and, as far as he is capable, and has op- portunity for it, to fee with his own eyes, to fearch the Scriptures, to try notions and fpirits, and having proved all things, then to hold faft that which is good, which fometimes cannot be known to be good be- fore trial. This is every man's birthright, as a man, and much more every Chriftian's ; and being their right, muft in a greater or lelTer degree, according to the diverfity of their capacities and circumftances, be their duty too. But was the matter doubtful in refpeft of Private Chrijiians (which it is not) yet, as to Mi?iijiers, the moft palpable abfurdi- ties, and fome of the worft of confequen- ces, muft attend the denial of this liberty. Are they not the Miniftersof Chrift? And is it not the Gofpel of Chrift that they arc to preach ? Granted ; may it be replied by fome ; but then they muft not look into the bundle that is delivered them, but let things pafs juft as they have received them, either from the Church of Rome (as they of that J 66 A Rule of ConduB that Church fay) or from ^eti of Articles^ Catechifms^ and ConfeJJionSy as too many Pro- teftants would fay, did not their principles, as Proteftants, make them a(hamed to fpeak oat. But I would be glad to know why we muft not receive the DoBrine of Chrijl from Chrift himfelf fince we may have it immediately from him ? Or why it is thought a neceflary qualification in a Minifter of the Gofpel to underftand (at leaft) the Original Language^ in which the writings of the New Tejlament were pened, if, in fludying thefe writings, he is tied up to one particular Syftem of Notions, which he muft make his rule of inter- pretation, under the fpecious title of the Analogy of Faith, without regarding the de- fign of the author, the coherence of the difcourfe, or the force and propriety of words ? Study toJJjew thyfelf approved unto God, (faith the Apoftle) a workman that needeth not to be afiamedy righly dividing the word of truths i. e. (as the Context makes probable^ fepa- rating among the things that are taught by men, things important from things trivial^ truth from error and fable, that nothing but the pure uncorrupted word of God may remain. One inference from hence (which lies too plain to be overlooked^ is, that a man who fets up for a teacher of others, and yet takes indifterently all doftrines that he hath been taught, for Ministers recommended. 167 taught by the Majiers of his Faith (^notto fay of his Confcieiice) without knowing how to part the good from the bad, or being any way concerned to do it, is a workman that hath too much caufc to be afliamed. A Hke diredtion is given by the fame Apof- tle in his Epiille to Titus^ where fpeaking of a Go/pel Bijhop, he fays, ^ He mufi be one who holds faji the faithful word^ as he hath been taught y oti^h Koya, the word worthy of credit^ which may be known by this mark, that it is Ka.T(x. rw ^tS'a.xw, according to the do6irine of Chrifiy and his Apojlles^ not of defigning, or of weak and fallible men. But may we venture to go off from the principles of fuch and fuch, whofe praife is in the Churches for their exemplary pie- ty, and ftri(5tnefs of converfation ? The an- fwer is eafy. If ihQ piety was all,' or al- moft all, on one fide, there might be fome temptation to fufpecft the truth was fo too, but, when in order to follow one fet of good men in their opinions, we mufl aban- don others of equal piety, and, as it may happen, fuperior learning 5 or, if we will hold with all fides, mufl: believe contra- didlions, we mufl leave this rule to thofe who have vanity enough to think that the power of Religion is confined to their own party. Vol. IV. N But 1 Tit. i. Q. i6§ A Rule of ConduB But fhall private Minifters prefume to re- move thofe boundaries and landmarks, which have been fettled in Synods, and other ve- nerable AfTemblies? This queftion may be anfwered by another. Did thefe Aflemblies pretend Authority to decree Articles of Faitb, or did they not? If they did, it will be time enough to fubmit to their decrees, when they have fatisfied the world, who gave them this authority. If they did not affume any fuch authority, as they could not do it confiftently, without challenging infallibi- lity too, why fhould we be fo forward to compliment them with that authority and infallibility, which they themfelves profef- fedly difclaim ? Or why appeal to their De- crees as the laft refort, when they them- felves fend us for the poof of all they have decreed and taught to the Holy Scriptures ? In vain are we referred to the Scriptures^ if after all we mull not fearch the Scriptures^ to fee whether thefe things are fo, but be o- bliged to receive the Scripture with their in- terpretation of it. A power in any men to interpret Scripture, without being liable to have their interpretations called in quef- tion, is, in efFed:, the fame as a power to add to it 5 for hov/ fhall it be known whe- ther any thing be added or no, when barely their faying that this, or that, is only the true fenfe of Scripture, (though to us it hath all the appearance of an addition^ is a fuf- for Ministers recommended. 169 a fufficient rcafon to believe, that it is no more ? It further deferves to be confidered, that it doth not follow a man is lingular in his opinions, bccaufe they are not to be found in a harmony of Confefjions. On the contra- ry, of thofe that have taken up their opi- nions, and continue in them, becaufe, after fair trial, they judge them to be right, not going juft as they were led, the greateft number may be on his fide of the queflion. Or taking an equal number of men, of equal probity, learning, and abilities, will we fay they are more likely to find the truth in a Synod, than out of it ? One would think the contrary ; becaufe when alone by themfelves, they have their thoughts more about them, are capable of canvafling things with great- er care and difpaflionatenefs, and (which is no fmall matter) are not fo much under the management of a few leading men^ who govern things more by art, or authority, than by Reafon, And as for the want of humility, which is fo often charged on a Minifler's, exercifing a right of private judg- ment, one would rather imagine the fuf- picion of pride would lie on their fide who take upon them to judge, not only for them- felves, or for all others of the fame age, but for the Church of God, in all following ages. If this be not inconfiftent with hu- mility, I do not fee how every man's judging N 2 for 170 A Rule of ConduB for himfelf, leaving to every other man the fame liberty, can be fo, efpecially when eve- ry man mull: give an account of himfelf to God. Why {hould they judge for me, who are not to anfwer for me ? But is this all the refpedt we have for the memory of our firfl Reformers and Mar^ tyrs, to depart fo lightly from the faith, in which they died ? My reply is, if by their Faith be meant the Rrotejlant Faith ^ or the pure undefiled Religion of Chrift, as oppof- ed to the corruptions of Popery^ the more diligently we ftudy the Scriptures^ and the more we ufe our underftandings in Religion, the lefs danger there is of our forfaking this Faith, But if by their Faith be underflood certain Tenets, which, as they do not enter into the charad:er of a Protejiant^ fo were never yet proved to belong to Primitive Chriftianity, there is no great harm done, if in thefe things we do not think as our Fathers of the Reformation did ; nor is it any refieBion at all upon them who, having their thoughts and time fo much imployed in deted:ing and reforming the abufes of Popery, had not that leifure (I niight have added, nor thofe advantages) for reviling and clearing all the parts of the Chriftian fcheme, by a more thorough knowledge of the fcriptures, that their fuccefTors have had ; and, befides that, were naturally prejudiced in favour of fome notions, for their ap- pre- for Ministers recommended. 171 prehended oppofition to certain errors of the Runiifli Church, not duly confidering, that this oppofition might be of the fame nature with that, which two extremes have one to the other. And whereas it is efteemed fuch an ho- nour to fome opinions, that they were the opinions of our EtigUJh, and other Protef- tant Martyrs^ (not to obferve that they were not fo properly the opinions of the men, as of the times) what if it (hall be found that the Chriftian Fathers and Mar- tyrs (indeed, the Chriftian Church in gene- ral) of the three firfl ages, held different notions ? I hope this prejudice in favour of one fide, may at leaft be fufficient to ba- lance that now mentioned on the other ; and that this is ad:ually the cafe, in refpedt of fome notions which have borrowed their name from an eminent Reformer (fuch as that of mens being good or bad in confequence" of an abfoliite decree^ which is the fame as by necej/ity^ not by the ufe or abufe of their freedom of choice, &c.) will hardly be difputed. After all, the perfon I am fpeaking of is far from fetting up his private fenfe as fu- perior to that of the reft of mankind, is ready to miftruft bis judgment when he hath the concurrence of few or no thinking and ferious perfons in it; is not fond of dif- fering from others for dlffering's take j on N 3 the 172 A Rule of Condu6i the contrary, he would be much better pleafed to have no occafion to leave the beat- en track J he is thankful for all the affiftan- ces he receives from others, be they who they will, in finding out the true fenfe of Scripture, neither vainly conceiting himfelf about thefe helps, nor afliamed to confefs his obligation for them j and many times where he fees reafon (or thinks he fees it) to depart from the judgment of worthy men, as he does it with all ?nodeJly, fo, perhaps, fomething or other d roped in their Writings hath ftruck the light which leads him to dif- cern their miftakes, or by fome common principles upon which they very much in- iift as well as others {e. g. the infinite good- nefs of God, the fincerity of his promifes and declarations, the preheminence of the love of God beyond all the pofitive parts of Religion, and the necefllty of practical ho- linefs) he is able to prove the erroneoufnefs of fome notions which they grafF upon thefe noble principles, by fhewing that they cannot poffibly grow upon fuch a flock, to which they are likely to do more hurt than they can receive advantage from it. Yet notwithftanding this liberty of judg- ing is fo very evident from Reafon and Scripture, and it be managed with all the Inbmiffion confiflent with a due regard to truth, and the authority of the only Head gnd Lawgiver of the Church, whoever does . mt for Ministers recommended. ly^ not exprefsa like reverence for human Creeds as for the Word of God, is fure to be cen- fured by almofl every party, though there is no party but v^^ould give him leave to have as little refpecft as he pleafed for every other Creed and Cafechifm, as far as it dif- fered from their own. Be it fo, (fince fuch is the prevailing humour of mankind) he that ftudies in all things to (hew himfelf opproved unto God, will not be much moved by this. He is fure that it is not for the fake of his eafe, or worldly inter- eft, that he challenges a right to think and examine ; fince he fhould confult thefe much better by believing every thing, and difpiiting nothing j and he is confcious to himfelf that he does not adt out of pride, and a fpirit of contradiction ; and therefore whatever be the prefent temporal difad vantage to him- felf, he is determined to perfevere, content- ed to go through good report, and through evil report, and to receive bad ufage toge- ther with good. II. Is the fame perfon fatisfied in his own mind, that having found the truth by diligent and impartial enquiry, and duly weighed all the circumftances of the cafe, he is obliged to fpeak his thoughts with an honeft freedom, and to fet himfelf to de- tect and confute received errors, as he hopes to have this part of his condudl approved by him who hath put him into the Mi- N 4 niftry? 174 A Rule of Condudi niftry ? Being thus perfuaded, he does not hefitate what he (hall do, but is ready to hazard every thing of his own rather than napkin up the truth when it ought to be brought into light. It is here fuppofed, that he hath calmly confidered both the truth and importance of his opinions be- fore he troubles others with them, not chufing to rifque his own reputation, or the peace of any part of the Chriftian Church, upon points more doubtful and difficult, than neceffary to be known 3 and, in ftat- jng the reafons/or and againjl fpeaking out the whole truth^ hath been very careful to caft up the account right. He will not indifferently, in all' places and companies, and upon all occafions, in feafon, or cut of feafon, utter all his noind j which would be ading too much like Solomons fool, vvhofe "" wijdom faileth him, when he ixjalk- eth by the way fide, infomuch that h^ faith to every one he meets, that he is ajool. He hath alfo that regard to the weak fide of human nature, always tenacious of old opinions, as to make trial firft of what can be done in a lefs open manner, and being crafty he endeavours to catch his hearers with an innocent guile ; ftealing away their notions from them while he leaves them their phrafes, and then afterwards, when he hath prepoffeffed them with other no- tions, !" Ecclef. X. 3. for Ministers recommended, 175 tions, prevailing with them to refign their phrafes too, as no way proper to exprefs the notions they have now entertained. Or he fees ground to think that an unreferved de- claration of his fentiments, either becaufe of his age which would not add any autho- rity to what he faith, or for fome other reafon, would do more hurt than good, and therefore he hath his faith to himfelf till a more favourable opportunity offers for making it publick. But if, after long waiting, fuch an op- portunity as he wiihes is never likely to hap- pen, but falfe opinions are induftrioufly propagated, and with more zeal and bitter- nefs than ufual, and handed down from fathers to children as the Faith once deli- 'uered to the Sahtts, from which they mufi: not deviate an hair's-breath -, if he hath in- flance.s before him of the ill effeds of cer- tain religious principles upon the lives of any, whom he is not able to recover out of the fnare of the Devil any other way than by fhewing them that though they reafon right, yet it is from ivrong principles ; arid upon the tempers of a great many more, rendering them either morofe, con- ceited, cenforious, or melancholy and dif- pirited in Religion : and if, moreover, his not faying any thing againft fuch principles, is deemed an argument of his being a friend to them, or the effect of a mean and coward- 176 A Rule of ConduSl ly fpirit ; when the honour of Religion, the fafety of fouls, and his own ufefulnefs are thus at flake, he dares be valiant for the truth, and can, with pleafure, facrifice every thing for the fake of it, when he knows it will not be the facrifice of fools. Not that he will render railing for railing; but contrariwife, Rea/bn for Invediivc^ and Blefjing for Curfing. He will, for prudence- fake, fpeak his mind in a manner the leaji off'enfive that is poflible, and forbear giving fome things as bad names as they deferve ; chufing rather to expofe the deformity of error, by fetting the truth in all its amia" hlenefs and evidence over againfl: it, tlvin in flrong and direct terms. It is not improbable that he will be thought an enemy by many (efpecially when fome who have their private ends to ferve by it, fuggeft that he is fo) hecaufe he tells them the truth ; even though he tells it them with the mod infinuating foftnefs and gen- tlenefs, and cannot keep filence with a good confcience. When this happens out, he is forry for it, more for their fakes than his own-, but ftill holds to his refolution, not to be kept by the Jear of fnan from openly afj'erting the truth when it is neceffa- ry, any more than to be awed and check- ed by the authority of man in fettling the important queftion. What is truth? III. Af- for Ministers recommended. 177 III. After revolving the matter in his* moft unprejudiced and deliberate thoughts, is it his judgment that by fuch a particular way of preaching he (hall do moft good,' promote the knowledge and pradlice of true Chriftianity more than by another, which, it may be, is more agreeable to his own inclination, or will better ftrike the tafte of his hearers ? If thefe are his thoughts, he is not for pleafing himfelf and others at the expence of what is of much greater im- . portance than any thing merely entertaining can be. Was a Minifter to confult nothing elfe but the exercife and improvement of his own genius, and to ufe the method and flyle which pleafed him moft in the wri- tings or preaching of other men, and which would give moft fcope to his imagination (it may be naturally lively and fruitful) pof- libly his Subjects would be too often of a fpeculative nature, and more curious than profitable ; his way of thinking would be too far removed from that which is common j his reafoning be too clofe and abftradl, and his language too laboured, or abound too much with ornaments for the meaning to be eafily come at by ordi- nary people. Which now fhall he do, pleafe himfelf, or profit his hearers? The queftion does not require much time to be anfwered by one who conftantly ftudles to (hew himfelf approved unto God. He will not, in conpliment to a few, overlook the reft 178 A Rule of Condu^ reft of his audience who are the greater number ; nor, barely to make his court to the greater number, go into a manner of preaching which he himfelf is convinced to be wrong, and will be difliked by the more judicious few. He knows a way in which he could, with very little pains, procure to himfelf the applaufe of fome fort of people, and at the fame time make them believe they were greatly edified too. When he was to prove a thing he could make ufe of ar- guments, which, though really inconclufive, fhould do more to perfuade a great many of the truth of what he aimed to eftabliQi than the mod folid proofs could do. And without enquiring after the true fenfe of Scripture, which is not found without fome trouble and pains, he could by only follow- ing the found of words, and idly playing with metaphors, get himfelf the reputa- tion of a profound Dhinc. What more eafy than for a man (if his confcience will permit him) to appropriate to himfelf and his Brethren the name of 'Experimental Preachers^ and to the people of the fame way that of Experienced Chrif- tians .? To have the Name of Chrifl often in his mouth, taking no care to reprefent the Chriftian Religion fo as that it may be an honour to that name ; a name dear to all true Chriftians, becaufe they love their Saviour in fincerityj and pleafing to a great many for Ministers recommended. 179 many others, becaufe they ftrongly conceit themfelves to be loved by him ? What more eafy than to talk much of Faith^ yuftifi' cation, the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, free Grace^ and the hke, not from the Scriptures (dili- gently ftudied and compared one part with another, fo as to make the whole a confiC* tent fcheme of dod:rine) but from certain Writers, whofe works are of fuch authori- ty with fome, that they may be called Deiitero-canonical? To fay the very fame things that have been faid a thoufand times over, and in the fame fet of phrafes and expreflions, without giving the leaft new light to any fubje(5t, or making people a jot wifer than they were before ? In fine, what more eafy than to fay little of the precepts of the Gofpel, and no- thing in proof of the reafonahlenefs of them ? To infufe fufpicions and jealoufies of "Rea- fin as no friend to Religion ? And to make general declamations about the weaknefs and corruption of human nature^ and the infuf- ficiency of natural light, which compara- tively undcrfoody and with proper limita- tiom added, would be true enough, but are far from being fo when fpoken abfolutely^ and tend to give the hearers very wrong no- tions in Religion ? What more eaiy than all thefe things? And yet what more certain way among fome perfons to fecure the name of a Gofpel Preacher? Explaining in a ra- tional i8o A Rule of ConduB tional intelligible manner the grounds of our obligations to the Redeemer of the world, together with the nature, the defign, and the intrin^ck excellence of the Gofpel Difpenfation ; fetting before men the terms of acceptance; telling them their duty plainly and fully, the encouragements they have to perform it, (from the promife of Dhine Ajjiftance, the tranquility and hap- pinefs of a religious life at prefent, and the hope of eternal glory) and the extreme pe- ril oi neglecting it; without adding fuch exceptions and limitations (as to the perjom intended) as tend to enervate the force of the moft powerful motives and earneft exhor- tations; this way of preaching is cold, and legal, and unedifying, and not to be compa- red with the former. But though the for- mer way would be eaficr to himfelf as well as more agreeable to the major part of his audience, till their judgments were more im* proved, yet he cannot allow himfelf thus to play the cheat with his hearers, amufing their fancies, and working up their affedli- ons, without any thing to fupport them, inftead of enlightening their underftandlngs, infpiring them with the love of a holy as well as a crucified Jefus, and bringing them to efteem and pradlife the fubftantial virtues of the chriftian life. IV. Is he perfuaded that zeal for the truth is no way inconfiftent with charity for for Ministers, yecommended. 1 8 1 for thofe that are apprehended to be in er- ror? He does not think his charify (pro- ceeding from that very temper of mind on which the Gofpel lays fo much ftrefs) a thing to be alhamed of. What though by this means he himfelf forfeits the charity of perfons of more zeal th^n knowledge, and more conceit than either, and they have a worfe opinion of him only for having a fa- vourable opinion of fome that think not as they do, or as he himfelf does ; fcarce al- lowing that he can be a good Chrijlian, who is not a good party-man ? He pities thofe that are of fuch a narrow fpirit, but is too honeft, with his prefent view of things, to do as they do ; joining to hunt down a man as foon as the common cry is againft hin\ when he profefTes the greateft regard to the honour and authority of Chrift, and hath nothing but what is chriftian in his beha- viour. He is not hafty to believe another man is in opinions which feem to him evi- dently to contradidt the Chriftian Revelati- on ; does not make the difference wider than it really is, nor lay more ftrefs upon it than it will bear y takes not up every flying report of a perfon's having /aid this and dotie thati does not love to fix names which he knows will hurt the reputation and lefTen the ufe- fulnefs of another Minifter, nor efleem it good evidence of the truth of any flory told to his difadvantage, that he is one who does 1 82 A Rule of ConduB does not vote and fubfcribe as he could wifli him to do. Can I, in my heart, believe, O moft righteous and merciful God, that this is fuch dealing as thou wilt approve? Or is this doing to others as I think it e- quitable they (hould do to me ? Or as I actually do to thofe for whom I have a tender afFedion, or on whom I have a de- pendance, when they go aftray ? He ftudioufly avoids entering into party- quarrels, is very fenfible of his being him- felf frail and fallible, takes not upon him to judge the hearts of men, and confiders that it is not fo much the knoivledge as the love of the truth -, not fo much faith as the good difpofition of mind from whence it Hows, that renders a man acceptable to God-, that one man may believe the truth he hates (as the Devil we are told, believes and trembles) another in things not eflential to Religion mifs the truth he loves, and is con^ tinually enquiring after. He never yet heard it fuggefled that that paffage of St. Paul is corrupted in our prefent Bibles, and now abide faith ^ hope^ charity^ thefe three^ but the greate/i of thefe is charity j nor did he ever know any one pretend to affert in words of that noble defcription of charity, by the fame infpired Writer, that, when filled up as it ought to be, it would run thus; cha^ rity fujeretb long (the faults of thofe that are of the right party) and is ki?id (to them.) cha^ for Ministers recommended. 183 Charity envieth not (thofe who humbly take their leflbns from us, and never prefume to rivals much lefs, out Jhine us.) Charity 'vaunteth not itfelf (where there is no temp- tation to do it.) Is not puffed up (unlefs it be, when we have got an enemy at an advan- tage, and can trample him under our feet.) Does not behave itfelf unfeemly (except when a good caufe requires it.) Seeketh not her own (when ihe hath nothing of her own to feek.) Is not eafily provoked (where no- thing is done to provoke it.) Thinketh no evil (of a few chofen favourites.) Rejoicetb not in iniquity {received ^ but, done.) But rejoicetb in the truth (when it is apprehend- ed not to favour the oppofite-fide.) Bear^ eth all things (that need little or no pati- ence to bear them.) Believeth all things (to the advantage of its own, and difad- vantage of the adverfe party.) Hopeth all things (good to the one, and evil to the other.) ^fid endureth all things [all things, where only the precepts of the Gofpel are broken, but nothing where the truth of certain opinions, or expediency of certain injundiions purely human, is called in quefti- on.) What a deformed pidure would thefe inconfiftent additions make of one of the moft beautiful in the world, as it is drawn by the pen of an infpired Apoftle 1 I fliall (hut up this head with a remarka- ble Story, which I have read — '' That when Vol. IV. O " Goma- 184 -^ -K"^^ of CondtiB <* Gomarus, accufing Arminius before the ** States^ faid, that the opinions of his Col- *' legue were fuch in the articles controvert- " ed between them, that he, for his part, *' would not appear with them before God ; <* fome perfons, a little moved with fuch *' an inftance of cenforious zeal, could not " forbear declaring that they had rather ap- *' pear before the divine tribunal with the *' Faith of Arminius than with the Chari' «* ty oi Gomarus^ I muft entreat your patience, while I little more than mention a few Confiderati- ons, among many, that recommend this ex- cellent and amiable charadrer. You will agree with me. Sir, that. It is a confideration which muft afford great peace and fupport to an honeft mind, that whoever ftudies to fhew himfelf ap- proved unto God, is fure to be approved of him 'j for he is not a hard mafter, who reaps where he hath not fown, or a reipcc- tor of perfons in judgment. It is true, he requires fincerity of all, but fince that does not flgnify any particular degrees of ftrength and capacity of fervice, given to fome, and not to others, or particular heights of per- fedion, not attainable by all, but only a faithful improvement of the abilities and opportunities we have, it muft be every one's inexcufable fault, if he be not fincere. Befides, that this want of iincerity can ne- ver- for Ministers i-ecommejtded. 185 ver be charged upon the perfon I have been defcribing, who is able to fay (proper al- lowances being made for the imperfedlions of human nature, and for the great dif- tance between the two charad:ers) as his bleffed Mafter did, that he feeketh not his own will, or his own glory, but the will, and the glory of his Father in heaven. Confider further, that having approved yourfelf unto God, you will not fail of being felf approved. And this is no fmall matter, for a man to ftand v/ell with him- felf. As far as you are afiiired of the ap- probation of the great Judge of heaven and earth (and you are afTured of this in the fame degree, as you are confcious of an unfeigned active delire to pleafe him) you cannot but have rejoicing in yourfelf, and your joy no man taketh from you. It is a reafonable joy, becaufe founded in truth j and it is a joy in fome fort divine, becaufe arifing from thofe things which render a man like God, fince God approves none but thofe in whom he fees fome traces of this likenefs. A diligent endeavour to fliew our- feives approved unto God befpeaks the par- ticipation of a divine nature, that is, a right temper of mind, and a holy and heavenly life, with a care to perform the duties of our particular profeffion as becometh the fervants of the all-knowing, and all-perfedt God J a charad:er as honourable in itfelf as any can be. O 2 You 1 86 A Rule of ConduB You may add, that the man whofe cha- racfter this is, will, ordinarily^ fecure the approbation of thofe whofe good opinion and good word is mod valuable. And, as to others, he may hope to gain upon them by little and little j provided, he purfues a fteady inflexible courfe of piety, charity, and moderation. Nay his very enemies (if after all he .hath any) will not be fo forward to open their mouths againft him, unlefs their prejudices are great indeed, and their tempers more than ordinarily bad, or there be fomewhat elfe very fingular in the cafe. " /« all things Jhewing thyfelf a pattern of good works -y in doSlrine fiewing uncorruptnejsy gravity y fmcerityy found fpeech which cannot be condemned j that he who is of the contrary part may be more afJmmedy having no evil thing to fay of you. But fuppoling the worft, yet, Confider the fervice that is done to Re- ligion by examples of a tried integrity, and univerfal goodnefs. Religion does, upon the whole, gain by fuch charaders as to the reputation it bears in the world. And, in truth, wxre not its credit a little kept up by fuch, they who were ftrangers to it, or bore it no good will, would be ready to fay that Chriftianity was not a Religion calculated to promote the freedom of the mind, " Tit. ii. ;> for Ministers recommended, 187 mind, to enlarge the heart, to fweeten the paflions, and to unite mankind in tlie bonds of love; but, on the contrary, to fplit them into parties and fadions, and both to height- en and juftify their rage one again ft another ; to make a narrow, angry, unconverfable temper, ftill more fo, and to eftablifti every where a fpirit of fuperftition. Thus would fome be apt to fpeak evil of things which they did not know, judging of them from the general behaviour of thofe who talked moft about them. Thanks be to God, that, as our holy Religion itfelf, view- ed in the writings of the Apoftles, does not give the leaft countenance to fuch a charge, fo there are examples, (to be found I truft, in all parties,) which prove it to be unjuft. Would to God they were more ! It is worth any one's while, that wirties well to Religion, to be among them, whatever it cofts him. Once more, Confider, that if, during the courfe of this mortal life, and of your Minifterial Labours, you ftudy to (hew yourfelf ap- proved unto God, great will be your re- ward in heaven. And how much better is it to have our reward laid up there, than to enjoy it here upon earth ? This is our anchor fure and ftedfaft, which keeps the mind from fluduating in this unquiet ftor- my world. You fhall have praife of God for your diligence, and faithfulnefs, and fin- O 3 cere 1,88 A Rule of Condu5i cere endeavours to know and do his will, whether you have praife of men, or no. It is a fmall matter for you, or me, or any other pcrfon, to be judged of man's judgment ; he that judgeth us is the Lord. And when God juftifieth, who is he that condemncth? Thofe very things that were the great articles upon which men accufed, reviled, and condemned us, (if for confci- ence towards God, we fuffer wrongfully) will be mentioned to our honour at laft; not without a filent reproach to thofe, otherwife good men, who hearkening too much to their paffions, were not fo juft, much lefs fo kind, to their fellow-fervants as they ought to have been. Did ever Maf- ter pay his fervants as our great Lord will do his, with honour in the prefence of all his angels, with reft from all their labours, with an inheritance incorruptible, and a crown of righteoufnefs and glory that fad- eth not away ? Wherefore, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he (hall ftrengthen your heart. You have the prayers of your Bre- thren in the Miniftry, and of the Church of God that you may obtain mercy of the Lord to be faithful ; and have your faith- ful nefs rewarded with a great deal of com- fort and fuccefs. Stir up the gifts of God that are in you. Cherifh in yourfelf thofe noble principles of love to God, to Jefus, and for Ministers recommended. 189 and to the fouls of men. Perfuaded of the excellency of a beneficent temper, of the worth of fouls, which are immortal, and the worthlefnefs of a dying world, efteem it the greateft happinefs of your life, and moil acceptable way of glorifying, imitat- ing, and ferving God, to do good to men, elpecially in their higheft interefis. Be kind to the unkind, have charity for the un- charitable, comfort the feeble minded, fup- port the weak, be patient towards all men 3 and by manifeftation of the truth, let it b^ your aim to commend yourfelf to every man's confcience in the fight of God. Ir^ a word, take heed to the Miniftry which you have received of the Lord to fulfill it j and, that you may not be too much af- feded with the difficulties and difcourage- ments you meet with, frequently think of the fuperior goodnefs of the work to which you have devoted yourfelf, the aflifience and pleafure you will have in it, if you are fincere, and the infinite greatnefs of the promifed reward. O 7Z^ End fuppofed to he aimed at by a faithful Minifier of the Gofpel^ explained^ and recommended in A CHARGE Delivered at the ORDINATION Of the Reverend Mr. Daniel Harfon, A T Moreton-Hampftead, Devon. July 27, 1737. 193 The End fuppofed to be aimed at by a faithful Minifler of the Gof- pel^ &:c. AS the truth of the Chrijiian Religion appears in the fuperior excellence of its dodrines and precepts, and the excellence of thefe in their manifeft tendency to pro- mote the glory of God, and the happinefs of mankind ; fo the great ufefulnefs of the Chrijiian Minijlry is alike obvious to all con- fidering perfons, from the original defign of it, to inflrudt men in this excellent, this di- vine. Religion, and to perfuade them to live agreeably to it, in certain hope of the re- ward of eternal life through '^efus Chrifl our Lord: the ferious thought of which muft yield very great fatisfadlion to all fin- cere, intelligent, Chriftians. And I parti- cularly mention it for your encouragement. Sir, who have been now feparated to this facred office, as well as theirs who have cal- led you to labour among them in the word and dodtrine, and of any others that are prefent. ip4 ^^^ End aimed at prefent, and witneffes on this folemn oc- cafion. When, with the dignity and importance of the paftoral care, there is a happy con- currence of the quahfications of the perfons devoting themfelves to it (which we have good reafon to think is the cafe here) no profpedt can be more agreeable, no jufter ground of rejoicing, to the Church of Chrift. In the few things of which I would briefly put you in remembrance at this time, I (hall take my rife from the Apodle Pauh ex- hortation to his Son Timothy^ i Eph. iv. i6. TAKE HEED TOTHYSELF, AND TO THY DOCTRINE ; CONTINUE IN THEM; FOR IN DOING THIS, THOU SHALT BOTH SAVE THYSELF, AND THEM THAT HEAR THEE. You fee. Sir, here is the end fuppofed to be aimed at by a faithful Minifter of the Gofpel, viz, his own falvationy and the fal- vation of thofe that hear him ; together with the means prefcribed for the attainment of it, taking heed to himfelf and to his doBrine j in doing which, and fo continuing, he hath the profped: of fuccefs to excite and infpi- rit him. Can there be a nobler end, and of nearer concernment to us all, than that here pro- pofed ? by a faithful Minister. jp^ pofed ? For by fahation, in the Gofpel fcnfc of the word, every one knows the higheft happinefs to be underftood of which man is capable ; the utmoft perfedion of all his faculties, and affluence of the moft fatisfying delights, in the prefcnce and injoyment of God to eternity: for he is both the fole author and the fupreme objeSf of this fe- licity, to whom, as the eternal fountain of all good, be glory forever. It is * to the praife of the glory of his grace, that be hatb made us accepted in the Beloved. The glo- ry of his attributes is the final refult of all his works, of Creation^ Providence, and Redemption; in which therefore we are to terminate our regard. And when we confider the neceffity of nlaking each of thefe a part of our chief end, with the infeparable connedtion, and natural fubordination, there is betwixt them^ it muft appear ftrange, that in a cafe fo plain, and where all fides appeal to Reafon and Scripture as the common rule of deci- iion, there fhould be fuch a diverfity (I was going to have faid contrariety) in the fen- timents of men about thefe things : or, if not in their fentiments themfelves, yet in their manner of explaining them -, one re- prefenting felj-love, another benevolence, a third a zeal for the glory of God, as in ef- fcd tht fole principle which over-rules and fwal- Eph. i. 6. 196 The End aimed at fwallows up the other two. Which, per- haps, may in part be owing to their not attending to the following plain diftindion, viz. that, if we fpeak of their refpedive dignity and importance^ it muft be acknow- ledged, that the firft in order is the glory of God., next to that the general good, and in the third and laft place private felicity. But if we confider the natural progrefs af the mind in its operations, we begin with feek- ing our own happinefs, then, together with our ideas, enlarge our defires too, to the happinefs of others ; and from thence rife to the glory of God, as the furthefl limit of our view j while, from an inward convidi- on of the neceffary relation between them, and the mutual happy influence they have upon one another, we jointly purfue all three. Nor is there any need of our being folicitous about the refpedive degree of ftrength with which they ad upon us j this being an inquiry more curious than ufeful, and, generally fpeaking, not fo very eafy to be refolved. It is enough, that each of them powerfully determines us, and in per- fed concert with the other two. Thou jhalt fave thyfelf This is one part of the motive made ufe of by the Apoftle in order to engage Timothy to the vigorous difcharge of his duty ; not barely fignifying what would be the effed of his taking the courfe here direded to (of which afterwards) but by a faithful Minister. 197 but what he might and ought to propoje to himfelf and what the Apoftle takes it for granted he did propofe, for his encourage- ment in well-doing. Self-love is an original affe<5lion of our nature ; and the proper obje<5t of felflove is felf 'inter efi^ or happinefs, truly fo called. Nor does Religion aim to extinguifli this natural principle in us, or oblige us to en- deavour it, but only teach us how to make a right ufe of it, by the knowledge it gives us of our chief good, and final felicity. Regard that as your higheft intereft, which is really fuch; afpire to the happi- nefs fet before you in the Gofpel ; and then, that you zxt felf inter ejied^ in this fenfe of the word, will be not your crime, but your virtue, a commendation, not a re- proach ; not in the leaft interfering with the defire of pleafing and glorifying God, and contributing to the happinefs of your fellow-creatures, but adding frefli fife and ftrength to it. Unlefs you are concerned for your own real happinefs, you will never be fo for that of others 5 nor for the honour of the Supreme Being, of whom you can have no very exalted apprehenfions, while you reprefent him not to yourfelf as the original fountain of perfedion and happinefs to his intelligent creatures. Nothing will awaken the mind of man, naturally indo- lent and fluggifli, like the profpeiS of an eternal 198 The End aimed at eternal heaven, the abode of holy and hap- py Ipirits, of facredjoys, and everl^fting reft; the hope of arriving at thefe blefled man- fions, on the one hand, and the fear of coming (hort of them, on the other. Know- ing the mercies and the terrors of the Lord^ you will be the more earneft to perfuade men iojlee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold on eternal life. Begin therefore with the care of your own foul. Confider well its nature and dignity, forget not its danger 5 labour after the af- furance of your own intereft in the favour of God, and title to the promifed reward ; and the peace and fatisfadion hence refult- ing will infufe a ftrange vigour into youE faculties, quicken your zeal and alacrity in the fervice of your heavenly Mafter, and render every part of your work much more eafy and delightful. Nor is there any fear of your over-doing it 5 or occafion for your diftinguifhing fo nicely, as fome have done, betwixt being influenced by the confideration of your own happinefs, as your own, and as apart of the happinefs of the whoky or a means of ad- vancing the glory of God; the latter of which they contend for, without allowing of the former : this is refining upon things till the very fubftance of them is quite gone, and can anfwer no end, that I fee, but making fome perfons conceited, with an ima- gination by a faithful Minister." 199 gination of their having foared fo much above the common pitch, and others fad, that ought not to be made fo- When we are enjoined to love our neighbour as ^ our- felvcs (not more than ourfelves) and have the example oi Mofes^ and of a much great- er than Mofes^ our bleffed Lord, recorded for our imitation, one of whom chofe to fufFer affliction with the people of God, becaufe he had •= refpeB to the recompence of reward^ the other for the ^ joy Jet before hiniy willingly endured the crofs^ defpifng the jhame-y in thefe, and fo in other places, we have our duty fmiply propofed to us, without the leaft hint of any danger we are in of loving ourfelves too well, and fetting too high a value upon our own happinefs, fo as to pafs over the love of God, and our neighbour. You need not be told, that as a Chriftian^ and much more as a Chrijiian Minijler, you (hould extend your good wifhes and endeavours yet further, and feek to fave others as well as yourfelf. 7'te fjalt Jave thyfelf, and them that hear thee. Provided you are really folicitous about your own falvation, any fuch admonition as this will be little wanted. You will not, you can- not, in that cafe have refpedl to your own things only, but will alfo mind the things of others-, the very nature of thefe fplritual Vol. IV. P and * Mat. xxii, 39. « Heb. xi. 26, ^ Hcb, xii, 2, 200 T^he End aimed at and eternal things being fuch, that the great- er the number of the communicants is, the greater in fome fenfi is the (hare of every one, at leaft as to the fatisfadlion he hath in them. And, there being one heart and one foul, no one faith that ought of the things he pofTefTes is his own, but the joy of one is the joy of all. Which, by the way, is a thought that does not much favour the narrow fcheme, which contradls the bounds of the divine mercy, and fup- pofes the grace to be the greater for the fewnefs of thofe to whom it is (hewn j as if the happinefs of heaven was not a fecial thing iand the command * to rejoice with them that rejoice, did not imply that our joy, and confequently our obligation to the great author of it, is not the lefs, but the greater for the extenlivenefs of the divine bounty and goodnefs. I cannot forbear thinking, that had men a greater largenefs of heart, their notions of the love of God would ordi- narily be larger too ; the defe(5t never lying on God's part. Let me add, while you are earneflly con- tending to Jave yourfelf, and them that hear you, and todo all the good you can to all, what you feel in your own breafl will be a fufRcient convidion of the falfity of their notion, who aflert all benevolence to be no- thing elfe hut felf'Iove in difguife, differing from ! Rom. xii. 15. by a faithjul Minister. 201 from what is commonly ib called, only in this, that in one cafe felf-love goes more di- reSily to its end, in the other more round about, by the way of common good, which it confiders and values merely as a means of private happinefs. Only obferve the workings of your own mind, and you will find this to be a grofs mifreprefentation of human nature, and exceeding unjufl ; for though felf-love be in nature prior to every other affedtion, and a man fuppofed not to love himfelf, could not love any perfon or thing befides ; becaufe having no happinefs of his own, he could have no notion what the happinefs of another meant, nor indeed any fuch principle as love and defire in his nature j yet the idea of benevolence ^ or the good-will we bear to others, is plainly dif- tind: from that of felf-love^ and may be proved to be fo by the pleafure immediately arifing from the happineis of our fellow- creatures, efpecially when in a great degree owing to us J for which pleafure there would be no room, fuppofing every man were con- fcious to himfelf, that the happinefs or mi- fery of all other perfons were alike indif- ferent to him, any further than his own happened to be connedled with theirs ; like thofe who, being embarked in the fame veffel, and joint (harers in the profits of the voyage, fhould heartily wi(h the piefervati- on of the fliip, and help towards it, but P 2 ea<^ 202 The End aimed at each with a view only to himfelf, other- wife not in the leaft concerned whether it arrived fafe to the intended haven, or funk to the bottom of the ocean. Social affeBions are a credit to human na- ture. There is a pleafure in the exercife of them, where only fome inferior good is to be procured ; but the divineft fatisfadion is when we befriend others in refpe(5t of their higheft, their eternal, interefts. The fahation of fouls is a glorious end indeed, the vaft importance of the minifterial of- fice is never more confpicuous than in this way of confidering it ; as in this view of it, every one who ingages in it with right aims, and hath generous affedions beating in his breaft, muft be difpofed^ as well as reckon himfelf obligedy to do his utmoft to prevent the mifery and ruin of his fellow- chriflians ; thofe especially of whom he hath a more particular charge, and to dired, and quicken, and aflift them in their pur- fuit after everlafting happinefs. If the gain of the whole world cannot countervail the lofs of a fmgle foul, what more worthy the ambition of a truly great mind, than not to fave one foul only (though that would richly reward the pains taken to this cndi) but many fouls from death, and to condu(ft them in the paths of righteoufnefs and immortality ? Think of this, and you will hardly need any other motive to the faithful by a jaithful Minister. 203 faithful difcharge of your duty. ■ And yet I cannot forbear mentioning this further confideration, that in labouring for the falva- tion of immortal fouls, you will have the nobleft of all examples, that of the Son of God, the great friend and lover of fouls, to animate you, v^ho for the redemption of the world, lapfed into a ftate of extreme ignorance and corruption, and to recover that immortality which was loft by the fin of man, became incarnate and died. This was the travel of his foul, to ranfom the fouls of men ; the effedt of which when he fees he is fatisfied , ^ finding the pleafure of the Lord to profper in his hand, and bleffed with a numerous feed of righteous perfons like himfelf, prepared to injoy thofe glorious rewards which he procures for, and will finally beftovv upon them. Though this fingle inftance of love to the fouls of men exceeds all others taken together, and fliould, and will, have more weight with every one truly devoted to the fervice of his great Lord, yet it may not be amifs, nay it may be of great ufe, to recolledl any other examples of this kind in a lower fpherej efpecially that of the Apoftle Pj«/, who writing to the Philippians appeals to God as his record, how earnefily ^ he longed after them all in the bow eh of Chrijl j tells the Corinthians^ that ^ they were in his heart ta P 3 die ' Ifaiah Jiii. lo, ii. e Phil. i. 8. ^2 Cor. vii. 3, 204 ^^^ -Ew^ aimed at die and to live with them ; and the Thejfalo- nians^ that he reckoned himfelf to live^ when they flood faft in the Lord j whofe ' heart's defire and prayer to God for Ifrael was, that they might be faved; ready were it proper, ^ to wijh himfelf accurfed from Chrtji (cut off from all the privileges of external com- munion with his church) for their fakes, and by a violent death ^to be offered up to God on the facrifice and fervice of their faith, whom he had converted to the profeflion of the Gofpel. In a word then, the end I fuppofe you to have in view, viz, everlafting happinels or falvation, both your own and that of others, with the glory of God as the fu- . preme author, condudter, and finilher of this vaft defign, mufl:, duly.confidered, prove a mighty incentive to diligence and reiblu- tion in the ufe of all thofe means by which it is accompliflied. And what the principal of thefe means ' are, in refpedt of the part which the Mi- nifters of the Gofpel have in the converfi- on and falvation of fouls, the Apoftle hath informed us in thefe words, ^lake heed ta thyfelf and to thy doSfrine. For once, fup- pofe this exhortation direded to you j as in effed it is in the perfon of "Timothy, and to all others who have taken the pafloral charge upon them. Take I 1 Thcf. iii. 8. " Rom, x. i. ix. 3. ? Phil. i». ?7. by a faithjul Minister. 205 T^ake heed unto yourfelf. In general, that your charadter, as a fincerely good man, a difciple of Chrift indeed, be unexceptiona- ble; and, more particularly, that you do not come behind in certain virtues which are likely to have a peculiarly good influ- ence in this matter. In general, you are to take heed that your characfler, as a perfon of true chrifti- ■m integrity, be unblemifhed. Every Mi- tt ifter of the Gofpel ought to be a good man-, this qualification is indifpenfable. It was formally, by the Heathens themfelves, thought a neceflary qualification for their accom- plifhed Orator, that he fhould be fo ; much more then muft this be neceflary for the Chrijiian Orator ^ whofe fole bufinefs aU mofl: lies in perfuading men to be good, that they may be happy. I mufl: be fure not to want that myfelf, of the abfolute ne- cefllty of which I am continually endeavour- ing to convince others; and, while I warn them againfl: being deceived with a wrong notion of genuine vital Religion, or of their own fl:ate and condition, not to be mifl:ak- (En myfelf in thefe things, lefl: by any means, when I have preached to others, I myfelf fhould be a caft-away. Nay, Amply to be good fhould not con- tent you, but you (hould endeavour to ex- cel ; to have the evidence of your fincerity as bright and flrong, and the objediions P 4 againft 2o6 *The End aimed at againfl it as few as may be. This is the more needful, not only that you may be an example to the flock, which every Minif- ter ought to be, and teach men their duty with the greater force and authority, but to put to filence the enemies of Religion, {hall I fay, only, or likewife add fome of the friends of it too ? I fear this latter is too often the cafe, in the prefent divided flate of the Chriftian Church ; that which would otherwife be a fufficient proof of a man's goodnefs in the judgment of common charity, not pafling for fuch among thofe who do not fo well like him on fome other accounts. To bear down fuch prejudices, a perfon muH: not have many failings and ble- milhes ; little lefs than demonflration being admitted, fometimes, by good men one of another, when they do not ferve in the fame party. Why, fince they are thus un- reafonable, demon ftration let them have, as far as you are capable of giving it, that what they will not grant out of charity and equity, they may be obliged to do from the irreiiftible force of convidlion. There are certain virtues which you fhould more peculiarly cultivate, as they are likely to have a particularly good influ- ence in this matter. Such, among others, are humility and meeknefs, temperance, fincerity, a contempt of every thing mean and ibrdid, a peaceable temper, charity, courage hy a faithful Minister. 207 courage in a good caufe, and, to add no more, prudence. The more humble and meek you are, fo as to keep your felf-efteem, and your an- ger, within due bounds, the more you will refemblc your great Lord and Mafter, in whom thefe amiable qualities were fo dif- tinguifhing, that he invites his followers to learn them from his example "". Maintain a wife fobriety of mind, and (hew it in your outward behaviour, neither affuming honours and preeminences which do not belong to you, nor unfeafonably and importunately challenging thofe that do ; but rather leaving others to find out, and freely acknowledge what is valuable in you, than pointing it out to them, and thereby making them think you are too fenfible of it yourfelf. Thus you will injoy a reft and tranquil- lity of foul, which you muft not otherwife hope for, and rife higher in favour both with God and man, according to our Sa- viour's obfervation, that " he that humbleth himjelf Jhall be exalted. Defpife none, and you will not bedefpifed by any. Command your own paflions, and you will have the greater afcendant over the paflions of other men. A well-regulated temperance in reffecfl of the pleafures of fenfe, alike remote from a fuperftitious aufterity on the one hand, and what- • Mat. xi. 29. ^ Luke xiv. Ji. lo8 ^e End aimed at whatever borders on too great delicacy or in- dulgence on the other, will be of life to preferve your faculties in their clear nefs and vigour, to guard the freedom of your mind, to convince the w^orld that the pleafures of knowledge, of virtue, and devotion, are the proper happinefs of the man, and fo efteemed by you, and to give you the higher relifh of thefe purer and more fubiime delights. 'By fimpliciiy and godly fiitcerity, a frank open behaviour, void of all guile and artifice, you will at once gain the efteem and love of thofe you converfe with, and be let into their very fouls, when they can fee into yours ; having no reafon to fufped: you of any defign upon them, but what you avow, they will give the greater heed to all you fay, as fincerely intended for their good. Efpecially, as i\n% Jincerity is ufualiy, if not always, joined with an elevation and greatnefs of foul, that makes a man fcorn every thing mean and fordid. One of this charader never loves money fo well as, for the fake of it, to aft a niggardly, unfriendly, difhonourable, not to fay an unjuft part; and, if he take the overfight of the flock of God, does it not for filthy lucre , but of a ready mind. He values riches only for their ufe, not for themfelves, and believes that as God knows what portion of thefe things is fafeft and beil for him upon the whole, he will give it him \ confidering which, he can hy a faithful Minister. 209 can be contented without them, and, as the confequence of that, will defcend to no bafe arts to get them, and of what he hath (if he hath more than neceffariesj will rather be over liberal than too fparing. Nothing makes a man look fo truly great in the eyes of the world as this noble difpofition, while corvetoufnefs finks the charader of any man, and moft of all of a Minifter. Love, follow, and make peace. It is the happieft temper, the moft divine imploy- ment. Befides the reward immediately at- tending a ftate of tranquillity, you will have an opportunity of doing more good, the fruit of righteoufnefs being, in thisfenfe,yoi£'« in peace, in a calm halcyon feafon, by them that make peace. There are few things, truth and honefty excepted, which a man fhould not be willing to facrifice for peace- fake. And bleffed are all they who are fo difpofed, ° for they fiall be called the chil- dren of God. Let your charity never fail. Let not a diverfity of fentiments (but, becaufe this a- lone is a fmall thing, I therefore add) or unfair infinuations and reflexions, manifeft mifreprefentations, or even defpiteful and in- jurious ufage, be able to cool, much lefs to extinguifh, this facred lire in your breaft. Do good to all'y think well of as many, and as long as you can j and fpeak evil of none. What- I Mat. V. 9. 2 10 I'he End aimed at Whatever fuccefs a blind intemperate zeal may have for a time, charity mull: get the victory in the end. Nor will your purfuing peace and charity at all interfere with boldfiefs and courage^ and an i?ijlexible conjiancy, in» a good caufe. While you allow others a fort of latitude in thinking and adting, according to the dif- ferent light and manner in which the fame things may appear to the minds of fincere Ghriftians themfelves, you are not to vary a hair's breadth in your own profeflion and pradlice from what you apprehend to be right and true. Be zealous, refolved, and ftedfaft, though always with a fpirit of meek- i^efs, and a mind open to convicflion, from whomfoever or from whence foever it comes. Thus you will beft anfwer the common ob- jedion againft the advocates for peace and liberty y and charity j that it is not a zeal for thefe things, but an indifference to the prin* ciplcs of Religion, that is the true fpring and reafon of their condudl. Finally ; By no means think prudence^ as long as it is fuch, and does not degene- rate into crajty a thing to be afhamed of; but get as much of it as you can, and make as much ufe of it (always coupling it with Jincerity) fince all you can get will be fure litde enough as times and men now are. I will not fay, that part of our Saviour's advice to hy a jaithful Minister. 211 to his Apoftles, p be wife as ferpents^ is as much in feafon now at it was at the time of its being firft given j but this I will ven- ture to fay, that the prefent is a feafon in which it can very ill be fpared. A man hath occafion for a great deal of prudence^ that his very good be not evil Jpoken oj. So many notions, tempers, paffions, interefts, prejudices, as a Minifter hath to deal with ; fo many proud, bufy, officious, ill-defign- ing men as there are, on the one hand, and fo many weak, how well-meaning foever, on the other; in order to keep clear of all offence, he muft fleer with uncommon cau- tion, and, if poffible, make himfelf a tho- rough mafter of the art of prudence ; the art I fay, which hath no other bounds but thofe which the virtue of prudence prefcribes to it. 1 pray God to quicken you in the purfuit, and affift you in the attainment of this, and every other good gift ; as you have no reafon to doubt he will, on condition that, humbly fenfible of your dependance upon him, you entreat the illumination and aids of his Spirit, and do not receive them in vain. The other head of advice is, Take heed to your doBrine ; that you teach truth, and nothing but truth, if you can help it, at leaft nothing apparently inconfiftent with the fundamental principles of Religion, natural, or revealed ; and when I fay apparently^ I mean p Mat. X. 16. 212 The End aimed at mean to every honejl mind, of tolerable capa- city ^ and not clouded with prejudice ; which too often happens. But what is truth ? And where fhall we find it ? As our Saviour foretold, the time would come when they fhould fay, Lo here is Chrift, or Lo he is there j fo fares it with truth, amid ft the feveral contending parties in the chriftian world, each pretending to have the fole pofleflion of the true dodlrine of Chrift, and the fole right of difpenfing it. If you would know the truth, come to us. But I fliall venture to fay in this, as our bleffed Lord did in the other cafe, believe it not^ go not after them-, which I intend of following them with an implicit faith, and imitating their party-fpirit ; not againft hearing what they have to fay for themfelves. To feek after truth in this way, laying afide the Scriptures, or underftanding them by the comments of the feveral parties, would be a defperate undertaking. Nay, I do not fee how a man could come to any determination at all, unlefs he was able to reconcile contradi(5lions, or refolved right or wrong to ftick to the fide he was bred up in, or which fome fecular view led him to efpoufe. Truth is beft fought, and eafieft found in the Scriptures themfelves-, here therefore you fhould feek for it, yet fo as not to negledl any affiftance that offers to- wards your advancement in this fort of know- ledge, ^ by a faiihful Minister. 213 leiJge, which is the method you take in the other parts of learning, flill referving a right of judging for yourfelf upon the whole. Give your attendance to reading, meditate on thefe things, give yourfelf in a manner whol- ly to them ; and, as the reward of your thus diligently fearching the Scriptures with a pure, an upright, and a humble mind, you may reafonably expedt to fucceed bet- ter, and to have greater degrees of the di- vine acceptance and illumination, than in any other method. Honeft men that think for themfelves, will value you the more for doing what they themfelves have done, though the confequence fhould be your diifering from them in fome opinions; and as for the cenfures of others, who want honefty, or whofe notions are not properly their own, but their party's from whom they have ta- ken them, they are not worth regarding, Befides more dire^ evidence, truth hath very often the advantage of fome marks by which it is characfterifed and diftinguifhed from falfhood. Errors are apt to clafli and contradict one another, but there is a conftant harmony in truth ; and therefore the more connected the feveral parts of your fcheme are, and the more fupport they lend one to the other, and derive from thofe general principles which are common to every fyftem, fo much the better. Where there is a manifeft inconfiftency between the 2^4 '^^^^ ^^^ aimed at the principles of Religion univerfally ac- knowledged amongft Chnftians, and fome other notions which men endeavour to faft- en on to them, fo that they cohere no bet- ter than the iron and clay in the feet of Nebuchadnezzar's vifionary image, or rather deftroy one another, like Jire and water (and it were eafy to name fome dodrines in which this happens *) you may be fure of the * That God is a Being of the moft perfeft re. 4. of that Preface — ** As to what we have of his dying words annexed *' to the memoirs of his life, it is but a little we affure *' you of what he fpoke the lad five days before his «' death ; fome of the fweeteft and moft favoury dif- *' courfos he had are wholly loft, beirg fo marigled by ,*' the Writer that we were forced to drop them; for "great care was taken not to infert any thing but what " he Postscript. 295 Sir, though the Do6tor was but ^ little man, a perfon of whofe weight and authority j^ou had no great apprehenfion, when you pub- Hfhed your Pamphlet, you will now allow him to be fomebody, fmce the Magijlates and Town Council of Edinburgh, agreeable to the inclinatiom (as it is thought) of mofi of -^ the ** he fpoke. The occafion of this was. The Writer *' was forced tojiand at a d'ljiance^ and out of his fight ^ *' becaufe when he obferved him writing he was difpleafed, " and would not alloiv it. Likewife the noife that fome- ■** times was in the room, with People's fpeaking to ** him, their coming in or going out, and ordering ** things about him, made the Writer oft lofe half a fen- ** tence ; neither was it poffible for thofe that revifed his *' dying words to help this." Now if we compare this account with the oddnefs of the epithet rational applied to a Religion that conftfis in a bare attendance^ &c. it is highly probable (as my Correfpondent juftly obferves) that the expreflion ufed by the good man was a notional fort of Religion ; and this, perhaps, is not the only inftance in which a wrong hearing in the Colledlor of thefe dying words may have occafioned a wrong rehear fmg of them. And it may be left to the judgment of every underftanding perfon, whether, in the circumftances above recited, it was poffible for thofe who revifed thefe dying words, with all their care, to make us fure of their having tranf- mitted them to us exatlly as they were fpoken. But al- lowing the t pithet rational^ as it ftands, to be genuine, though certainly exceeding improper to denote a mere formal outfide Religion, I may appeal to the confcience of Mr. Ball) or, if he never read the Book quoted, ifZ'tff of the Perfon who furnifhed him with this paflage, whe- ther he really believes either Dr. lllfmrt or myfelf to be an advocate for a Religion that confifts in a bare at- tendance on outward duties without the power of godli- nefs J and, if not, what name this v/ay of citing authors, ia 294 Postscript. the Members of the TJniverfity^ as it was with the advice of the Minifiers of the Towiiy who are by the Foundation to be advifed with in that matter, have chofen him their Principal, and the Town of Edinburgh have made choice of him to be one of their Miniflers there. If I congratulate him upon this advancement, it is not To much from the perfonal and pri- vate regard which I have for the Dodor, though very great, as on the account of the Publicky to which he will have opportuni- ties of being more extenfively ferviceable in this higher flation of life j and becaufe I am well in which they are made to fay what they are known not to mean, deferves to be called by. I make no doubt, the very Reverend Principal will join with me in dread- ing mightily that fuch a fort of Religion is coming in among us ; and in thinking that whenever it prevails it will in a great meafure be owing to mens difcarding the ufe of Reafon and common fenfe in Religion ; fince no man who confiders things as he ought, and reafons upon them, will imagine that, when the means, as means, have no value but with regard to their ^«^, a bare formal attendance on the external fervices of Religion, can be acceptable to God, or profitable to man, not anfwering the great defign of all fuch duties, viz. to promote that temper of mind, and courfe of life, which is the very foul and vital power of all true Religion. For my own part, I fee no other way of guarding againft the two ex- tremes of formality on the one hand, and enthufiafm on the other, but a fober ufe of our reafoning faculty, with- out which true Religion and falfe, the appearance and the reality are all upon a level. My Correfpondent adds, I am well afTured that none of Mr. Ha ly bur ton''?, Writings which have been printed fince his death were by him intended for the Publick, ©r finiflied with that view. Postscript^ zg^. well fatisfied, if he accepts the fervice, he will not deceive the expeftations the world hath from his abilities and integrity. Before I clofe the Portfcript I would re- commend to your confideration, in your calmer minutes, the following places of Scrip- ture, among many others, Mat. vii. 12. yobnxv, 12. Phil. iv. 8. i G?r. xiii. containing a defcription of Chanty y which, I am forry, when it is fo particular and elevated, (hould warm and imprefs the hearts of Chriftians no more; James nu 17. iv. 11, 12. Next to thefe, when you have leifure, you will do well to perufe foilie paflages of the excellent Mr. Baxter y that Rational Diviney to whofe judg- ment, I take it, you formerly payed fome regard, whatever you do now. Mr. Baxters End of DoBrinal Controver- JieSy Chap. 1 6. of the State of HeathenSy and others, that have not the Gofpel ; particularly, §. 6. " They think {viz. thofe that believe " the Heathens may be faved, of whom Mr. ** Baxter himfelf was one) that the contrary " minded, by over-doing, are the greateft ** hinderers of the Chriftian Faithy and pro- ** moters of infidelity (mark that) while they ** make it feem fo contrary to God's own " attributes, and to human intereft, and to " be a dodrine not of glad but of J'ade/l " tidings to mankind, viz. That none (hall ** be faved that hear not the Gofpel, when Vol. IV. X ** it 2q6 PostScript. <« it is few comparatively that ever heard it, « or can hear it." And again, §. 37. " Having delivered " that in this great queftion, which feemeth ** to me agreeable to God's word, I advife « thofe that ufe to aflault fuch things with " reproach, which they find reproached by " their party, to remember that God is love, •* and Chrift is the Saviour of the world, " and the pharifaical appropriators of mercj " and falvation feldom know what fpirit " they are o£" Samts Everlafling Reft, Pref. to the Second Tart, §• 5» ** Another great exception of *' the fame man is, that, I feek to fatisfy •« Reafon fo much of the Scriptures authority. *« —It is too near the Socman way. — Is it *' not a (hame that learned men (hould •* charge this very opinion in Cbillingworth^ ** Dr. Hammond, and others, as guilty of So^ ** cinianifm ? — How could all the wits in the *^ world do more to advance Socinianifm *' than thefe men do, by making men be- *' lieve that only the Socinia?is have Reafon ** for their Religion ? Which, if it were true «' (as nothing lefs) who would not turn tO •** them ? And what more can be done to the ** difgrace and ruin of Chriftianity, than to " make the world believe we have no Rea- « fonfor it?" .And again, §.8. ** If Reafon were of 5? no more ufe here then fome make it, as " it Postscript. 297 ** it were in vain to preach or write in this " point (for Chnflianity) (o it would follow, " that he that is drunk or mad, or an in- ** fant (if not a brute) were the fitteifi: to " make a Chriftian ; which is fo vile an " imagination, that I dare fay, he that hath *' the bejl and right eft Reafon, and by confi- " deration makes the moji iife of it is the bejl " ChrifiiaHj and doth God bejl fervice ; and " that all fin is on the contrary, for want " of right Reafon^ and the ufing it by con- ** iideration. But, methinks 1 fhould not need " to plead for Reafon^ till beafls can [peak and ** plead againfl me. But yet I muft tell you " if you heard the accufation, you would *' excufe my apology. If none but the ig- norant be an enemy to knowledge^ fure " none but the unreafonable is an enemy to " Reafonr Reafons of the Chriflian Religion ^ p. 491.' ** I perceive not that any confidcrablc number " are troubled with doublings of the truth " of the Chriftiun Faith, in a prevalent de- " gree, who are well convinced of thefe an- *' tecedent verities of the Deity ^ and of the *' natural obligation and necejfity of holinefs, " and of the immortality of the Soul^ or of " a future life of rewards and punifhment, *' and that live in any reafonable conformity " to thofe natural principles which they " prqfefs; for when natural evidence hath *' fufficiently convinced a man that he is X 2 ■ [[ obliged