jection, and then to examine what Weight of Reason there is in it.

First then, The Question must relate to Revelation confidered only as the Rule and Measure of Religion: For the Dispute between Nature and Revelation is confined to this one Point, Which is the best and safest Guide in Religion? "Tis abfurd therefore to bring Inftances of any Revelations in this Cafe, which do not pretend to this Property, that were never given, or pretended to be given, as a Rule of Religion: For, when Men talk of the various Revelations that have been in the World, and the Difficulty of determining which they ought to obey, they cannot take into their Confideration the Answer of the Oracle to Crafus, or the several other Answers on particular Occasions recorded in the Greek and Roman Hiftories, nor yet the particular Meffages which God sent by the Hands of different Prophets to the People of Ifrael; for thefe Revelations, whether true or false, being confined to particular Occafions, are out of the present Question, and have no Relation to the Inquiry concerning a Rule or Measure of Religion. This Obfervation will in a great measure overthrow the Truth of the Fact upon which

the Objection is built; for upon this View there are not many Revelations that can come into Competition: In the Heathen World I know of none; for, though there were fundry Pretences to Revelation, yet none was fet up as a common Standard for the Religion of Mankind. The Religion of Rome was chiefly introduced by Numa, who pretended a Revelation for the Foundation of his Authority: But 'tis plain he aimed at nothing farther than modelling the Religion of his City, and had no Thought of the rest of the World in what he did. Nor had the Romans any Senfe that their Religion concerned any but themfelves: And therefore, when they extended their Conquefts, Religion was their leaft Concern; they left the World in that Respect as they found it, and Men were not so much as invited to take their Religion. Now 'tis evident, that no Law, either human or divine, extends farther than the Lawgiver intends. Suppofe then, if you please, Numa's Religion to be a Revelation; yet, fince it was given and declared only to the People of Rome, the reft of the World can have no Concern in it. That no Syftem of Religion in the Heathen World claimed, as a general Law, is evident Fert from the Answer returned by the Oracle,

when

when the Inquiry was, Which Religion was beft? The Anfwer was, That every Man fhould worship according to the Custom of the Country where he was.. So that all Religions were esteemed equally good, and the most any Religion pretended to was a local Authority, which reached no farther than the Laws of the Country did: And, unless Men are for giving more to the pretended Heathen Revelations, than ever they claimed for themselves, or was claimed for them by those who introduced them and lived under them, they cannot be brought into this Question, fince they have no Relation to us, any more than the many civil Laws and Conftitutions of the fame Countries had: And Men may as reasonably complain of the great Variety of civil and municipal Laws that distract their Obedience, and then inftance in the Laws of the Medes and Perfans, as they now complain of the Variety of Revelations, inftancing in fuch as, if they were true, concern them as little as the Laws of Perfia do.

But perhaps it will be faid, That, though thefe Religions do not oblige us, yet nevertheless, if any of them were true, they effectually overthrow all others; for God

cannot contradict himself, whether he speaks to one Nation, or to all the World: And upon this Foot these several Pretences come within our Inquiry. This Reasoning may be good; but then it does moft effectually exclude all these Pretences: For the Voice of Nature is the Voice of God, and therefore cannot be contradicted by God. No Revelation therefore can intitle itself to be confidered, if it contradicts any one plain, Principle of Natural Religion: And there is not any one Form of Religion within the Period mentioned that does not split upon this Rock; and therefore there is no Danger of your being oppreffed with Labour and Study in examining their several Claims.

But farther; Which of them all fo much as pretends to the Effentials neceffary to conftitute a Law, either human or divine? Where was it published and declared? by whom, and how qualified? Can you name the Perfons, or produce the Gospel of fuch Religion? Take the Inftance of Rome: What was Numa? a King, and therefore fubmitted to in the Innovations of Religion: But what one Mark of a divine Commiffion. can you produce? and yet without fuch. Marks even a true Revelation could be of

no

no Authority. Try all other Instances, and you will still see how weakly the Objection against Revelation is fupported by any Pretences of the Heathen World.

But still it will be urged, That the many Pretences to Inspiration, which have been received and admitted, are fo many Inftances of the Weakness of Men, and their Inability to diftinguish between true and falfe in the present Cafe. And how can we ever trust ourselves in examining Revelation, and be fecure in our Judgment, when we see all the World has erred before us, and Men wife as ourselves, who thought too, it may be, that they acted as rationally as we do, mistaken in every Inftance of this kind? Is it not easily supposed, that the World is mifled now, as formerly it has been? Why then should we expofe ourselves to almost certain Error by following the fame Steps,. and pursue those Principles which have never yet produced ought but Deceit and Falshood? Whatever Force there is in this Argument, it must recoil upon the Cause of Natural Religion; for certain it is from the History of all Ages, both past and present, that Men have erred grofly and univerfally in many principal Points of Natural Religion. How $ 4

then