advanced upon the Authority of Scripture? Who has not heard that good Works are not necessary to Justification? and heard St. Paul quoted for a Voucher! not where he is delivering the general Doctrines of Christianity, but where he is beating down the particular Mistakes of his Countrymen. As to these Parts of Scripture, happy is he who underftands them, for he fhall discover much of the Wisdom and Justice of God in his Dealings with his ancient People, the People of the Jews: But he that understands them not, has this Comfort, That his Salvation, his Religion, depends not upon any Controversy that concerned the Jews only, but upon the plain Declarations of God made to all Mankind.

Thus much may ferve to fhew, how far the Difficulties and Obfcurities, which really are found in the holy Scripture, do affect the common Cause of Religion: And I think it is evident, that our common Religion stands clear even of thefe Difficulties.

Other Difficulties there are, which more properly belong to religious Men, than Religion Such are the Difputes and nice Inquiries of the Schools, which often enter into the Debates of learned Writers.

But

But it is ftrange to find thefe urged as Objections against the Gospel, by any foberminded Man. For what are these Disputes to the Gospel? God has promised his Affistance to all who endeavour to ferve him: Is there any Difficulty in understanding this? Let the Schools confider the Nature of Grace, and how it influences the Mind, and divide it into an hundred Sorts, what is that to the Gospel? or what is it to a Man who is affured that God will affift him, and who knows that God cannot want Means to make good his Promife?

In like Manner there are many Doubts about the Sacraments of the Gospel, and how and what Grace they confer: But, difpute as you will, this one Point is clear, He that believes and is baptized fhall be faved.

Suppose this, you will fay, to be true, and that these Doubts and Difficulties do not affect the Authority or Truth of the Gospel ; yet they are fo blended with the Caufe of Religion, that they are not easily separated from it by unlearned and unfkilful Men: And this at least renders the Gospel of little Use, since it is a Rule, the Straightness of which cannot be discerned by the Generality of Mankind. And this brings me to my fecond Head,

VOL. II.

C

Το

To confider these Difficulties with respect to Ourselves.

From what has been already faid it is evident, That the Scriptures contain a plain and intelligible Syftem of Religion: And would Men follow the Directions of what they do and may understand, and not think themselves under Direction of what they do not understand, there would be no great Difficulty in this Cafe. But the Misfortune is, that Men often fancy they understand what they do not, and raise Rules and Principles of Religion to themselves out of Places of which they are perfectly ignorant: And how can this be avoided? In the first place, it is at every Man's Peril, if he makes any Rule to himself, contrary to the plain express Commands of God, which he does or may eafily understand. In human Laws, the Main of the Subject's Duty is plain; and if he mistakes any dark Paffages, yet so as to keep ftrictly to his known Duty, the Confequence perhaps may be tolerable, and he excufable: But if a Man from any dark Statute should infer a Right to rob and murder his Neighbour, and act accordingly (which Acts of Violence are plainly forbid in the Law) he ought to fuffer, not for mifunderstanding the obfcure Law, but for tranfgreffing the plain

4

plain one. The fame Reason holds as to the Divine Law: If a Man takes care to obferve what he does understand, his Mistakes may not be dangerous: But if he forms to himself a Liberty from the obfcure Places, inconfiftent with the plain intelligible Laws of the Gospel, and acts accordingly; thofe plain Laws, which fhould have been his Rule, will be his Condemnation.

But plain Places are not equally plain to all Capacities; and therefore even in this there may be a Latitude; a Latitude which we cannot determine, but which God, who is to be the Judge, both can and will: And the great Difficulty which Men make to themfelves in this Cafe, feems to me to arise from a Misapprehenfion of the Judgment of God. Among Men all are judged by the fame Rule, one Law comprehends all, and is of the fame Interpretation and Extent in all Cafes. That it is fo, is the Effect of human Weakness; for in Truth and Equity, if we could come at them, no two Cafes are perhaps exactly alike, or equally fubject to the fame Rule: But Men cannot allow for the different Capacities and Circumstances of Men, which they cannot judge of; and therefore all who are esteemed to have Reason enough to

govern themselves, are concluded under one Law; and only Children, Ideots, and Madmen are excepted Cafes. Though in truth the Degrees by which Men approach to Madness, or Folly, could they be limited, which they cannot, would deferve a distinct Confideration.

Now, if you conceive the Judgment of God to be like the Judgment of Man, and that all fhall be tried by one and the fame Rule; no Wonder you afk, how ignorant Men fhall come to the Knowledge of their Duty under the prefent Doubts and Difficulties which cloud Religion.

But the Truth is this; God, who gave all Men one Law, gave every Man that Share of Reason which he enjoys: Fools are capable of receiving no Law; and no Man is farther capable than in Proportion to the Degree of Reason which God has given him: And confequently, in Truth and Equity, the Law is no farther a Law to him, than his Reason is capable of receiving it. And fince Reason comes as much from God, as the Law itself; it is wrong to imagine that the true Senfe of the Law is the only and the fingle Rule by which God will judge: Since it is evident in Equity and Justice, That the Sentence on every Man muft arise from the complex