But it may be faid, that what Reason did for a few, it was capable of doing for all, if it had been duly attended to; and, confequently, that Reason was a fufficient Foundation for true Religion, notwithstanding that true Religion was loft in the World; which was not through a Defect in Reason, but through the Abuse and Misapplication of it by the generality of Mankind.

I agree the Cafe to be fo; but we are ftill where we were before: For this general Abuse of Reason, or Inattention to the Voice of it, which had spread over the whole World, had certainly a Root in some general Evil and Corruption that had infected Mankind: And, whatever Reafon was in itself, yet it stood in great Want of a Remedy for this Evil, that had fo univerfally darkened and obfcured it. Suppofe I should say fuch a Man was blind; will it be a proper Reply to fay, No, his Eyes are found and good, excepting only that there is a very thick Film over them, which intercepts all Sight? or would it be proper to infift that the Man wanted no Cure, because he had found Eyes? What shall we do with this Film then? for, till it is removed, the Man might as well be without Eyes. This was the very Cafe of the Heathen World. You fay they had

Reason

Reason fufficient for all the Purposes of Religion: Be it fo; yet, in fact, it is certain they were never able to make this Use 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 last, 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 see any Man perform by the Help of his Reason; 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 fee some great Geniuses able to do, is absolutely abfurd. Now, the few whom you suppose to have attained to a juft 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 searching into the Causes of Things: And, even of those many who followed this Method of Life and Study, there are but few who can with any Pretence be faid to have discovered

the

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 Notionsof 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. Reafoning will not do the Business: And therefore the Gospel fet out in another Manner, by propofing the great Truths of Religion in the plaineft and fimpleft Manner in an authoritative Way, but by an Authority supported by the plaineft and the strongest 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 Fashion 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

2

Gospel

Gospel fet out at first with this Air of Mathematics, it had lost one strong Proof of its divine Original, arifing from the Plainnefs 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 establish 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, manifefted 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 VOL, I. Notions

M

Notions of true Religion: But this Thing, which has been often said, 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 just 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 fuppofe 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 Reafon in oppofition to inveterate Errors and Superstition; and nothing can more effectually fhew us how unable these wife Men were to reform the World, fince with all their Wisdom