then shall we ever truft ourselves in examining the Dictates of Nature, fince the Attempt has in all Ages produced Folly, Ignorance, and Superftition? What Security have we that we shall not follow our Forefathers in all their Errors and Mistakes, if we guide ourselves by the fame Clue of Thread which directed them? Nay, in truth, the Errors and Superftitions of the Heathen World, even those which pretended to derive themselves from Oracles and Revelations of the Gods, are chargeable upon this Blindness and Ignorance of Nature. Had Nature but done her Part, Men could not have been imposed on by fuch grofs and palpable Superftition: Had the natural Notion of the Deity been preferved entire and uncorrupted, no one Form of the Heathen Worship could have stood before it; but they must have all difperfed, as the Clouds fleet away before the Sun.

What is it now that discovers to you thefe Impostures, which were not feen by those before you? Is it not manifeftly that true Senfes of Reason and Nature, which hath as been new kindled and lighted up in the Mind of Man by the Gofpel of Chrift? Was it not then the Want of this Senfe that mel 8-11 darkened

darkened the Old World? But, be the Cause
what it will, if you judge rightly in fuppofing
yourself able now to difcern the Dictates of
Reafon and Nature, without which
you ought
not to pretend even to Natural Religion, 'tis
abfurd to pretend that you are in the fame
Danger of being deceived by pretended Re-
velations as the Old World was, fince you
have, and claim to have, that Light, the
Want of which was the very Thing that
exposed them to all their Errors and Super-
ftitions. And, to fhew that this'Objection is
a mere Feint, afk any one who makes it,
whether he thinks any Man could impofe
one of the Heathen Forms of Worship, or
any thing like it, on him? No Man, I
believe, but would be angry to be fufpected
of fo much Weakness. Yet these very Forms
were impofed on your Forefathers; and you
are confident, and with good Reason, that
they cannot be impofed on you. "Tis evident
then, that you are not in the fame Cafe with
them, that their Danger is not your Danger;
and, confequently, their Errors about Reve-
lation is no Objection against hearkening to
Revelation now, when we know ourselves
effectually fecured against their Errors.

4

From thefe Pretences let us turn to view the true Revelations belonging to the same Period,

Period, and fee how far they relate to the present Cafe. Those given to particular Men upon particular Occafions are out of the Queftion, for Reasons already mentioned.

The Law of Mofes was published and declared with great Solemnity, and by Perfons every way qualified: It contains a Rule or Syftem of Religion, and is ftill maintained by its Difciples in oppofition to the Gospel. Here then perhaps may feem to be fome Difficulty, when two Revelations, that have equal Pleas to Truth, are fet in competition one against the other. This Question must be argued upon different Principles with Jews, and with other Men: For the Law: was given and declared to the Jews, and they were under the Obligations of it: They therefore are concerned to inquire, not only of the Truth of a fubfequent Revelation, but alfo whether it does fufficiently abrogate their Law, or whether it is to fubfift with it; as likewife whether their Law has any-where precluded them from admitting any farther Revelations. But to us the Question is, how we are concerned with the Law, and whether there can be any Competition with respect to us between the Law and the Gofpel. From the Principles already mentioned we may determine this Queftion: For 'tis plain, that

foon

no

very

no Revelation can oblige thofe to whom it is not given; that Promulgation is fo far of the Effence of the Law, that no Man in Reason or Equity owes any Obligation to a Law till 'tis made known to him; that the Obligations. therefore of a Law are limited by the Terms of the Promulgation. Apply this to the Law of Mofes; you will find that Law in the Promulgation of it confined to the People of Ifrael: Hear, O Ifrael! is the Introduction to the Promulgation; which it could not have been, had the Law been designed for the whole World. And this was known to be the Cafe under the Law. Mofes, who best understood the Extent of his own. Commiffion, fays thus to the People of Ifrael: What Nation is there fo great, that hath Statutes and Judgments fo righteous, as all this Law which I fet before you this Day? Deut. iv. 8. The holy Pfalmift expreffes the fame Senfe in these Words: He fheweth bis Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgments unto Ifrael. He hath not dealt fo with any Nation: And, as for his Judgments, they have not known them. Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20.1 From all which 'tis evident, that the Law of Mofes has no Claim to our Obedience. The moral Part of the Law, when understood,

will oblige every rational Creature; but this is not the Obligation we are now speaking of. The Law of Moses then cannot add to the Number of Revelations which create us any Difficulty in determining ourselves: For, let the Cafe happen as it will, we are free from the Law. But the Law affords even to us abundant Evidence for the Truth of the Gofpel. The Proofs from Prophecy are as convincing to us as to the Jews: For it matters not whether we are under the Law, or not under the Law, fince Conviction in this Cafe arifes from another and different Principle. But I haften to a Conclufion.

Let us then confider briefly, what Alteration has happened fince the Coming of Christ to disturb and unfettle our Judgments in this great Affair. A Man perhaps, who is a great Reader, may be able to produce many Inftances of Impoftors fince that Time, and imagine that they are all fo many dead Weights upon the Caufe of Revelation: But

what is become of them, and their Doctrine? they are vanished, and their Place is not to be found. What Pretence is there then to fet up thefe Revelations? Is God grown fo weak and impotent, that we may suppose thefe to be his Revelations, and intended for

the