under the odd title of natural religion: then books could be wrote on the Christian plan, called The whole duty of man, without stating the doctrine of faith in Christ, the prime duty of a Christian. It must be observed, that at the same time that natural religion was talked of, to the neglect of the doctrines of revelation, a deluge of Atheism, irreligion, and immorality flowed in on those of the national establishment; and whether, since we of the separation have heard so much noise about it, there has not been a declension as to justice and common honesty, a contempt of the sabbath, and a neglect of public worship, is what every one is able to judge of, who has looked a little into the world.

I. I shall enquire what we ought to understand by natural religion; or in what sense the light of nature is to be taken.

Since so many fine things have been said of natural religion, it may be well worth while to consider what the thing is, which is dressed up in such fair colours and which every one is so much at a loss to find out. In one sense it may be taken for the light with which Adam and Eve, our first parents, were blessed, whilst they were clad with innocence. If taken in this sense, it must be granted, that reason was much more perfect then, than now. Our great progenitor, and our general mother, as long as they ranged the fragrant bowers of paradise, and strayed about the pleasant mazes of that wilderness of sweets, in which the kind hand of their Creator had placed them, were very happy creatures: Their understandings were clear and strong, their judgments unbiassed, and no disorderly passion raged in their unruffled breasts; they were created in the image of God, and the likeness of their mighty Maker shone forth in wisdom, truth, and severe and pure sanctity; their obedience to the law of their God was not forced, neither was it from fear; but they fulfilled the command of him who placed them in happiness with delight and alacrity: they knew all that was necessary for them to be acquainted with, and they

yielded universal obedience to the various commands of the heavenly Potentate, who created them out of the dust.

Though it is to be allowed that reason was much more complete and perfect, in our first parents, before the fall, than it is in us their miserable posterity, since we have been plunged into ruin and misery by their a postacy; yet it is not to be granted, that the light of nature was every way a complete and perfect rule, even in the state of innocency and integrity. Though man was free from sinful imperfections, yet he was not an absolutely perfect being, for no creature is such; and as he was not absolutely perfect, so his natural light was not an absolutely complete rule to go by. If it had been so, he would not have needed any directions, as to what he was to do, but would, without any supernatural assistance, have known his duty in every part and circumstance of it: but this was far from being the case; he needed to be instucted by God, Gen. i. 29. ii. 16. 17., as to his circumstances of life, and as to some parts of his duty. It was by supernatural light, or by revelation from God, that he came to know that he had dominion over all the creatures in the lower world; it was by Divine direction that he was to take fruits and herbs for his food; it was by a command from above that he was to refrain from eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death; and it was by instruction from his Creator that he performed instituted worship, or kept the seventh-day as a day of sacred rest. These revelations would never have been made to our first father, whilst he continued peacefully to enjoy the spicy groves of paradise, if natural light had been to him a perfect rule. If he had not needed supernatural light, God would not have afforded it, for the all-wise Creator does nothing in vain, whatever foolish men may think; therefore as he had light by revelation, it is plain he needed it; and if so, reason was not every way a perfect rule. If any urge, in answer to this, that the account Moses gives of the primitive state of man, is an allegory, they are to be

pitied for their profaneness and pride; and they are not to be envied for not having reverence for scripture, and humility sufficient to make them submit their wisdom to revelation, and to induce them, when they are graveled with an unsurmountable difficulty, frankly to own it.

However, if we were to suppose reason in man, in a state of innocence, to be a perfect rule, of what avail is all this to us? who may find, by sad experience, that it is not with us as it was with man, when he reposed himself in the peaceful shades of Eden, and roved about the verdurous walks of paradise. Our understandings are now darkened, so that we are often at a loss about the nature of our duty; and when we cannot say we are entirely ignorant of our duty, and are, in judgment convinced that we ought to comply with it, how are our understandings blinded, and our judgments corrupted by our unruly passions, and our irregular appetites? If reason was our only rule, we should bribe it to silence, by the pleasure of following our own inclinations, and then we should be swayed by unruly lusts, without the least opportunity of knowing that the things in which we delight, if persued throughout, would entail endless disquietments upon us.

The common notion persons now seem to have of natural religion, is, that it is a body of principles and duties, which men gather from reason and scripture, receiving into their systems whatsoever they like in revelation, and leaving out all such doctrines as they do not approve of. That there is one God, and that he is invested with infinite perfections, is the voice of reason and revelation; this therefore must needs be put down as the prime doctrine of natural religion; that this one God rules and guides the universe, by his wise providence, is what reason and observation may assure us of; this therefore is not left out of the systems of the religion of nature; that the soul is immortal, and that there is a final state of happiness and misery, is what few are hardy enough to deny; that men, as creatures, are obliged to worship and serve the God to whom

they owe their being; and that, as creatures fitted for society, they are obliged to consult the good and happiness of others, is what all have not the front to call in question.

but

These principles, which have met with the general assent of mankind, are the great principles of reason and scripture any one who will not omit any of these, if he will take the pains to see what dress could be made up for them, out of the writings of mere Pagans, will soon be convinced, that they must wear no other than a mean and contemptible garb, such as would not set them off, or recommend them to the high esteem of men: they might be compared to a picture not coloured, where the lines may be drawn with art and regularity, but have not a striking force upon the eye: if these principles of reason are set off with the strong, lively, and glowing colours, in which they are painted in the scriptures, they command admiration. What account can be gathered from the writings of Pagans, of the being and perfections of God? Though they owned one Supreme, yet they introduced a rabble of inferior gods, and so worshipped creatures besides the Creator: How low and lame were their notions of the spiritual nature, and the immortality of the soul? And what mean figments did they take up with about a future state? How uncertain were they about God's governing the world? And though they had among them some who were great proficients in several social duties, what can we gather from them of love to God, resignation to his wise disposal, as to the concerns of life, self-denial, and universal charity and benevolence? These are duties which are agreeable to right reason; but let any one say where they are well stated, by such as were entire strangers to revelation. Therefore in our day, natural religion is decked in plumes borrowed from scripture, and then is set up in opposition to it, as a perfect rule, and as such not needing the assistance of a revelation. This is scandalously base and unfair. For instance: No one mere rational writer ever gave a tolerable account of a future state; and

none of the delineators of the religion of nature, since the promulgation of Christianity, ever did it, without leaving the plainest traces of his having aid from Scripture; and yet these sketches, which are drawn by the help of Scripture, must be palmed upon the world, as the doctrines of mere reason, unassisted by the light of revelation.

Thus Scripture is pillaged, in order to its being represented as a needless useless thing; for if a man can be so silly, as to be brought to think, that those points which artful men pick out from Scripture, which has nothing inconsistent with reason, though it contains much above mere human reason, are things to be known without the help of it, they will easily give it up as unnecessary; and the more, because it reveals matters too high for their low understandings, and so thwarts their pride. It is not fair then to call that natural religion, the defects of which are supplied by truths taken from the oracles of God; neither is it just to recommend it as a perfect scheme, when it cannot be put in any tolerable dress, without the necessary help of that very thing, to make which seem unnecessary, so much pains are taken to deck it. All this must be understood of natural religion, when it is set off in the best manner; but it must be owned, that some of its recommenders are so infatuated, as not to borrow that help they might, in order to make it agreeable; and are so ignorant, as to shew its imperfection, by making it resemble Atheism. We are told, that the distinction of right and wrong, virtue and vice, is entirely independent of the will of God, and that it arises from the nature of things, by which senseless jargon, may be meant fate, chance, the animating soul of the world, or any other unmeaning thing, or hard word, without an idea annexed to it. It is pretended, that men are not made by God for himself, and that he has no motive, on his own account, to give them laws, or to punish the breach of them, and that consequently they are not accountable to him; but that such fully answer the end of their creation, as con