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dearing notions of one another, and a true ftate of ourselves both in regard to the grandeur and vilenefs of our na

tures.

Fourthly, By fhewing us the blackness and deformity of vice, which in the Christian fyftem is fo very great, that he who is poffeffed of all perfection and the Sovereign Judge of it, is represented by feveral of our Divines as hating fin to the fame degree that he loves the Sacred Perfon who was made the propitiation of it.

Fifthly, In being the ordinary and prefcribed method of making morality effectual to falvation.

I have only touched on these several heads, which every one who is converfant in difcourfes of this nature will eafily enlarge upon in his own thoughts, and draw conclufions from them which may be useful to him in the conduct of his life. One I am fure is fo obvious, that he cannot miss it, namely, that a man cannot be perfect in his scheme of morality, who does not ftrengthen and fupport it with that of the Chriftian faith.

Befides

Befides this, I fhall lay down two or three other maxims which I think we may deduce from what has been said.

First, That we should be particularly cautious of making any thing an article of faith, which does not contribute to the confirmation or improvement of morality.

Secondly, That no article of faith can be true and authentic, which weakens or fubverts the practical part of religion, or what I have hitherto called morality.

Thirdly, That the greatest friend of morality, or natural religion, cannot poffibly apprehend any danger from embracing Christianity, as it is preferved pure and uncorrupt in the doctrines of our national Church.

There is likewife another maxim which I think may be, drawn from the foregoing confiderations, which is this, that we fhould, in all dubious points, confider any ill confequences that may arise from them, fuppofing they fhould be erroneous, before we give up our affent to them.

For example, in that disputable point of perfecuting men for confcience fake,

befides

besides the imbittering their minds with hatred, indignation, and all the vehemence of refentment, and infnaring them to profess what they do not believe; we cut them off from the pleasures and advantages of fociety, afflict their bodies, diftrefs their fortunes, hurt their reputations, ruin their families, make their lives painful or put an end to them. Sure when I fee fuch dreadful confequences rifing from a principle, I would be as fully convinced of the truth of it, as of a mathemetical demonftration, before I would venture to act upon it, or make it a part of my religion.

In this cafe the injury done our neighbour is plain and evident, the principle that puts us upon doing it, of a dubious and difputable nature. Morality feems highly violated by the one, and whether or no a zeal for what a man thinks the true fyftem of faith may justify it, is very uncertain. I cannot but think, if our religion produce charity as well as zeal, it will not be for fhewing itself by fuch cruel inftances. But, to conclude with the words of an excellent author, We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

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'O

Ὁ ἐλαχίσων δεόμλνΘ έγιςα θεῶν.

Socrates apud Xen.

T was the common boaft of the Hea

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then Philofophers, that by the efficacy of their feveral doctrines, they made human nature resemble the divine. How much mistaken foever they might be in the several means they propofed for this end, it must be owned that the defign was great and glorious. The fineft works of invention and imagination, are of very little weight, when put in the balance with what refines and exalts the rational mind. Longinus excufes Homer very handfomly, when he fays the Poet made his Gods like men, that he might make his men appear like the Gods: But it must be allowed that feveral of the ancient Philofophers acted, as Cicero wifhes Homer had done; they endeavoured rather to make men like Gods, than Gods like men.

According to this general maxim in philofophy, fome of them have endeavoured to place men in fuch a state of pleasure, or indolence at least, as they

vainly

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vainly imagined the happiness of the Supreme Being to confist in. On the other hand, the most virtuous fect of Philofophers have created a chimerical wife man, whom they made exempt from passion and pain, and thought it enough to pronounce him All-fufficient.

This laft character, when divested of the glare of human philofophy that furrounds it, fignifies no more, than that a good and wife man should fo arm himself with patience, as not to yield tamely to the violence of paffion and pain; that he should learn fo to fupprefs and contract his defires as to have few wants; and that he fhould cherish fo many virtues in his foul, as to have a perpetual fource of pleasure in himself.

The Chriftian religion requires, that, after having framed the best Idea, we are able, of the Divine Nature, it fhould be our next care to conform ourselves to it, as far as our imperfections will permit. I might mention feveral paffages in the Sacred Writings on this head, to which I might add many maxims and wife fayings of moral Authors among the Greeks and Romans.

I fhall

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