the Light of Nature as much as either of them have had, and no certain Help by Revelation, though there were always fome Footsteps or blind Tradition of those things, even in the darkest Ages of the World, could ever give, what if they had in themselves, they might have given to others of like Capacity, any demonstrative Evidence, that there was a Being or Perfons which were felf-existent, and who or which produced all fenfible things, and confequently ruled all fenfible things; much less that he or they were beyond this Syftem; or that they were not of, or in this material Syftem, which would have been a Contradiction in Terms.

'Tis begging two previous Questions, that Man has an immortal Part, and that the mortal Part muft rife again, before they have proved by Reason, or the Light of Nature, that there must be a God; to prove from the Juftice of God, by Reafon, that there must be a future State of Men, fo Rewards and Punishments. No Man, when and where Revelation was defaced, and in fome measure loft, could ever prove that he had a Soul, or immor. tal part; the higheft they went was, that it was a Particle of the Air, and, when out of the Body, was to be mixed with

their fuppofed Gods, the Air. And the Immortality or Refurrection of the Body, when preached to them, was mocked

at.

Suppofing Man has a Soul, and fuppofing a God must be intelligent and benign, is not finding where he is, or what he is, much less proving that the Manner of his Intelligence is like the Manner of the Intelligence, or Reasoning of Man's Soul, but infinitely different; ftill much lefs, that his Inclinations or Affections are like thofe of one of our Free-thinkers, who would fink the whole Race of Men to Hell upon Condition that he might be looked upon as the fitteft to lead them, much more all thofe who will not let him lead them.

I must take in the first Crime, and the Engraftments upon it. The Free-talkers, who having no Evidence for what they talk of, can neither be Thinkers nor Reafoners, fay the Deity hath given Man fuch Faculties, as that each might certainly know what the Effence of the Deity must be, how many Persons there must be in it, whether Man had a Soul, an immortal Part, what Faculties were fit for him, or them to give to Men, in order to understand what was fit for them

te

to have and do here, and know that Men are to have a future State, and what they are to have and do hereafter, and how to come at it; and that they could not forfeit this Knowledge, nor this Right; or if they could, that they could know the Terms how to recover their Knowledge and their Right without help. That it was not fit for the Deity to reveal any Terms to Men, or if the Deity did reveal any thing, and give fuch Evidence as he thought fit or proper, that it came from him, and was his Pleasure, Men were proper Judges what was fit for them to obey; whether the Evidence the Deity thought fit and proper to give, were proper to determine thefe Men. And if it were given at diftance of time, from the time at which any of them lived, or in any ancient Manner used before Writing, or in an ancient Language, whether they were bound to spend any, and what Time, in confidering it; and if they of any time. could not agree among themselves, or make one another understand it at first fight, without confidering the Manner or the Language in which it was delivered, the Time, all Circumftances and Accidents, the then State of Man, &c. whe ther it was fit for them to give it any farVOL. VIII. C. ther

ther Confideration, or finally to reject it? and have now determined, because each Man could not understand it at first fight, that it ought to be rejected. That is, in fhort, God hath given Man Faculties to follow his Directions, therefore he shall follow none.

Reasoning is not only comparing things of the fame Nature together, by meafuring, weighing, or eftimating each of them, and difcovering their Difference, which many Brutes feem in fome Degrees to do infallibly; but comparing things of different Natures, one vifible, another only fo by Ideas, fo eftimating those things unfeen, by another fort of Measure, Weight, or Eftimation. The ufe of Reafon is for another State, by taking Ideas given by Revelation from things below, and carrying them to things above. Brutes have what they want for this Life, provide for their Young, for the Seafon, till a new Crop come, or &c.

These Men talk of eternal Reason ; that which they aim at, prefuppofes Faculties in an Effence, or Perfons, infinite Power, Knowledge, Wifdom, &c. and Objects in Effe or Poffe, to be known, or &c. If there was nothing in Effe, but that Effence, or thofe Perfons; and

if the three were equal, there were then no fuch Objects of Comparison. The Deity has no occafion for what is called Reafon; he perfectly fees and knows every thing in Poffe or in Effe, the Vafue, &c. fo has no occafion for comparing Things or Actions, either really or in Idea: He knew what was fitteft for him to do, if he knew it to be fitteft to create or make, and that active Perfons or Things were made, or in Efe, he knew them not only as the Effect of his Actions, but knew what was fit to do to them in regard of their Actions.

The Faculties of Knowledge in the Rubbim, differ from and exceed the Faculties in Man, as far as their Power, or any other Perfection. Whatever they have, or could have conferred to their Image in Men, must have been to answer their Stations here and hereafter. Their Station here is not to create, make Laws for, judge, reward, and punish other Beings; but a State of Trial whether they will obey the Laws of their Creators. If any one could prove there were no Laws given, then it would feem reafonable to Man, that he fhould have known what was neceflary; and if he rebelled, to direct him how to know, to reconcile himC 2 felf