ceafed afterwards. They were neceffary till Truth had Poffeffion of the World; but Truth, throughly eftablished, was left to be propagated by the natural Means of Inftruction and Education.

Every body fees what Mifchief and Wickedness are often produced by false and corrupt Opinions and Principles; which owe not their Strength to Reafon, for with Reafon they have no Alliance, but to the Poffeffion they have of the Mind. Good Principles, with the fame Advantage of Poffeffion, will be as powerful to good Purposes, though the Mind difcerns not the Reason from whence they flow. There are but few Workmen, perhaps, who know the Reason, and can demonftrate the mechanic Powers of the Instruments they use; but, being perfect in the Ufe and Application of these Powers, they are able Workmen and Master-builders; which is all that is required of them. In like manner, if true Religion is so introduced into the Mind, as to work in the Heart of Man, and make him upright and honeft, the End and Purpose of Religion is answered.

To answer this End of Religion were the Preachers of the Gospel fent into the World: The Errand was worthy of Him who fent them; whose Goodness and Mercy inclined

him to teach Men the Way to Happiness, but not to flatter their Vanity and Pride of Knowledge. The Doctrines of the Gospel are not the worse for being Foolishness to the Greeks, and a Stumbling-block to the Jews; fince they are, and on Experience appear to be, the Power of God to Salvation to all who believe.

DISCOURSE

**

DISCOURSE IV.

PART II.

N treating on this Subject, I have already obferved to you, that there are two Propofitions or Affertions contained in the Words of the Text: First, That the World by Wisdom knew not God.

Secondly, That it pleafed God by the Foolishness of Preaching to fave Believers.

It being allowed in general, that the World was grofly ignorant and fuperftitious, and unacquainted with the true Notion of God, and the Religion that was to be paid him; yet it will still be faid, that there were fome, fome few at least, who had extricated themselves from these popular Errors; who

faw

faw and acknowledged one supreme Being, the Cause of all Things; who had clear and distinct Notions of Morality, and of the Duties owing from Man to Man. The Writings of fome of these great Men are ftill extant; and, if we confult only Plato, Ariftotle, and the Roman Philofopher Tully, we may fee how far Reafon and Philofophy could and did carry these Men in Matters of Religion and Morality.

From thefe and fuch-like Inftances we are apt to form a general Notion of the Powers of human Reafon; and the Argument appears undeniable: Thus far human Reason did go without the Help of the Gospel, thus far therefore it certainly can go.

It may be worth our while to confider this Cafe, not with an Intent to depreciate the Worth of these, the best and greatest Men of Antiquity, but to state it clearly and fairly, as far as it does, or may be fuppofed to affect the Argument for the Neceffity of Revelation.

Suppofing then, in the first Place, all that is faid of thefe wife Men to be true, and that they did arrive at a clear and distinct Knowledge of God, and of the Religion that was due to him; yet it will weigh but little in the prefent Confideration, for this

plain Reafon; because Religion, if it is of any use at all, is equally of use to all Men : For, fince all Men live under the Impreffion of natural Conscience, and the Sense of being accountable for their Actions, they all equally want Direction; and, as the Experience of the World fhews, all Men will have some Religion, either good or bad. To fay therefore that Reafon was fufficient for the Purposes of Religion before the Publication of the Gospel, and to prove it by fhewing that it ferved this Purpose in four or five Inftances in an Age, whilst Millions and Millions had no Help from it, is quite mistaking the Point: We want something to be of use to all Men, and which all Men ftand in need of to their Well-being: You have found something that will ferve perhaps one in a Million, and think that you have discovered an adequate Supply for the general Want. But what must become of the many Thousands who are incapable of being the better for your Method? If the whole Nation were infected with the Plague, it would be worth while to fend even to the Indies for a Man who could cure them; but, if his Remedy could cure only two or three in the Kingdom, it would be of no great Confequence whether he came, or ftaid away.

But