Reafon fufficient for all the Purposes of Religion: Be it fo; yet, in fact, it is certain they were never able to make this Ufe of it for Ages together. Since the Coming of Chrift the World has been able to make this Use of their Reason: And now, at laft, it is become a great Question, whether a Cure has been wrought, or no.

But confider farther, when we talk of Reason abstractedly as a Principle of human Actions, it is right to say that Reason can do whatever we fee any Man perform by the Help of his Reafon; and therefore it is true that Reason can measure the Magnitude and Distances of the heavenly Bodies: But is it also true that every Man's Reason can do this? by no means; and therefore to confider all Men as capable of doing what we see some great Geniuses able to do, is absolutely abfurd. Now, the few whom you. suppose to have attained to a just Notion of God and of Religion in the Heathen World, what were they? Men brought up in Retirement and Study, of great Industry and Application, who spent their Lives in fearching into the Causes of Things: And, even of thofe many who followed this Method of Life and Study, there are but few who can with any Pretence be faid to have discovered

the

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the Truth: The Croud of Philofophers talked much more, but knew as little as the People. But the People themselves, what must become of them? They have no Time for Study, and they must have true Notions of Religion at a cheaper Rate, or not at all. As Religion is a Thing in which all Men are concerned, it must be conveyed in a Manner that fuits Men of all Conditions. Suppofing therefore that you have found a Way by which fome few thoughtful Men obtained true Notions of Religion, you are far from having found a Way of propagating true Religion in the World. Reasoning will not do the Bufinefs: And therefore the Gospel fet out in another Manner, by propofing the great Truths of Religion in the plainest and fimpleft Manner in an authoritative Way, but by an Authority supported by the plainest and the ftrongeft Proof, the Proof of Miracles; an Argument that was adapted to Men of all Conditions, and made its Way to every Understanding.

It is become a Fafhion to drefs up the great Doctrines and Proofs of Religion in Axioms and Theorems and Demonstrations; and those who have taken Pains in this Way may have done great Service to Men of Thought and Contemplation: But, had the Gofpel

Gospel fet out at firft with this Air of Mathematics, it had loft one strong Proof of its divine Original, arifing from the Plainness of its Doctrine, and the Simplicity of the Evidence which was offered in its behalf; which made the Gospel to be a proper Tender to all Mankind. All Mankind are concerned in the great Truths of Religion; and nothing can be more abfurd, and contradictory to the Notion of God's Wisdom and Goodness, than to fuppofe God to intend to eftablish true Religion in the World, and yet to offer it in a Method which could poffibly have an Influence but on very few. Whoever will reflect seriously on the Nature and Condition of Mankind in general, will be able to give himself a clear Reason why God did not call in the Affiftance of the Wisdom of the World to propagate the Gospel, but chose rather to establish it by the Foolishness of Preaching, as it is called, and by the Demonftration of the Spirit, manifested in Signs and Wonders and mighty Works.

I have hitherto confidered this Plea, drawn from the Cafe of fome great Men in the Heathen World, upon fuppofition that what is faid of them is true, and that they had indeed extricated themselves from the Superftitions of their Country, and attained just M Notions

Notions of true Religion: But this Thing, which has been often faid, has never been proved, and I am afraid never will.

I do not wonder that those who have been converfant in the Writings of the Antients, and have been entertained with the juft and fine Reflections to be met with on the Attributes of God, confidered as Maker and Governor of the World, and of Mankind in particular, fhould conclude that those who thought and talked fo clearly of the great Attributes of the Deity, and of his Providence over the World, had also as clear. Notions of the religious Service due to him, and to him only. What has led to this Conclufion I conceive to be this: There is fo plain a Connection between the Relation we bear to God, and the religious Duty owing to him, and the Argument is fo familiar to us, that we almost naturally suppose that every Man, who maintains the Principle, cannot fail of feeing the Conclufion.

The Conclufion indeed is fo natural, that, if it were overlooked, nothing can more fenfibly prove the Weakness of human Reason in oppofition to inveterate Errors and Superftition ; and nothing can more effectually fhew us how unable thefe wife Men were to reform the World, fince with all their Wisdom

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Wisdom they were not able to reform themfelves. Yet this was the Truth of the Cafe; and it was not at random, and without Knowledge of the Fact, that St. Paul lays this to the Charge of the wife Men of the World, That, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their Imaginations, and their foolish Heart was darkened. Profeffing themselves to be wife, they became Fools; and changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four-footed Beafts, and creeping Things.

To prove the Truth of the Apostle's Affertion, that even the wife Men, who knew God, did not glorify him as God, by an Induction of Particulars, would be undertaking a Work which could hardly be well discharged in this Place. But yet the Point is too material to be paffed over in Silence. Let us then confider the Cafe of one only, but of One, who among the good Men was the best, and among the wife ones the wifeft. I fhall eafily be understood to mean Socrates, the great Philofopher of Athens: And, were the wife Men of Antiquity to plead their Cause in common, they could not put their Defence into better Hands.