To thefe, in its proper Seafon, fucceeds Chriftianity; of which there fcarcely is Occafion to remark, that it furpafs'd them all, as much as the Times of its Promulgation were fuperior, in all kinds of Knowledge, to the paft; and which was evidently as great an Improvement upon Natural Religion, properly fo call'd, as it was upon any of the former Difpenfations; and might, I think, with juft the fame Propriety, be term'd a bare Revival, or Republication of the one, as of the other. Though perhaps there may be fome room to doubt whether even thofe Ages, enlighten'd as they were above the former, were capable of receiving all the Improvement which it was fitted and defign'd to give; whether the World was yet able to admit it, in its utmoft Purity and Perfection. On the contrary, there feem to have been fo many Dregs of Jewish Superftition, and Gentile Philofophy, as required a long time to purge away; and from one of which it had no fooner got well clear, than it became immers'd, and clouded in the other *. Even in its early Days, we find it loaded with the Refufe of each Syftem, which was brought in to explain Myfteries, or rather make them, in the Gofpel: till by Degrees, itself is made a Matter of high Speculation, and Refinement; and fuch nice Difputes raised about the Natures of its Author, and the Modus of their Union; alfo concerning the abftract Nature, and Separate Subfiftence of the Human Soul, as ferv'd,

Part 2. p. 147

+ See Conftantine's excellent Letter on this Subject in Eufeb. de Vit. Conft. c. 66, 67, &c. add Mr. Bower's Hift. of the Popes V. 2. pass.

one

one of them to fill the Eaftern Church with Blood and Defolation, and at length fubject it to the Mahometan Yoke; for which alone it feem'd at that time fitted; the other, to introduce the Doctrine of Purgatory, and with it a long Train of Popif Errors; which ended in a western Tyranny, no. lefs fevere, over both Soul and Body.

Both these have indeed a long while opprefs'd the Chriftian World; and if they be altogether fo bad as we have been used to esteem them, are not at prefent easily accounted for: but we hope they may be found really not fuch'; and that the fame wife and good Ends will appear to be accom

* Part 2. p. 162. Not. .

a Popery itfelf (fays Mr. Worthington, Eff. p.156.) begins to be afhamed of fome of its groffer Errors, and its Divines ⚫ of late have been forced to explain them in a manner more ⚫ agreeable to Truth and Scripture.' [and the fame Thing may be obferv'd of the Mahometan Doctors in their Comments upon the Koran, as appears remarkably all through Sale's Notes.] Moreover, that perfecuting Spirit, which was the Reproach and Scandal of Chriftians, is, God be praif⚫ed, in a good measure abated among all Sorts and Denomi"nations of them; and we do not now hear so much of • Chriftians being burnt and tortured by Chriftians. Nor do Papifts at prefent feem to thirst fo much after Proteftant Blood; though there is reason to fufpect that they still re'tain too much of the old Leaven, durft they fuffer it to work out. It is obferved likewife, that there is not that Ignorance and Immorality to be objected against the Papists now as formerly; Learning being no lefs propagated among them than Proteftants: many good and pious Books are published by their Clergy; nor are they fo fcandalous ' in their Lives, as in the Ages preceding the Reformation; but they in general are exemplary in their Behaviour, and afford us Patterns in fome things which we might profit by.' The like has been obferv'd of the Mahometans above.

plish'd

plish'd by them, in due Time, either before or at their Expiration, as have been evident in moft other Difpenfations".

ap

However, at the next great Æra, which is, we think, juftly ftiled the Reformation, there pear'd fufficient Tokens of this Progress in Knowledge, we have been maintaining; and these fucceeding fo faft one upon another, that they cannot escape the slightest Observation. Here the abovemention'd Branches of it are again united, and affording mutual Affiftance, and Support to one another. Science of all kinds, Human and Divine, revives, and with it come new Methods of Communication; (or rather it rifes as much above the past, as these exceed all others before them ;) and fince has been continuing to improve, and to draw with it all collateral Advantages, down to the fent Times.

pre

The more we still know of Human Nature, and become better vers'd in the Art of Living, (and who doubts but we do fo daily?) the more enlarged and adequate Notions must we have of natural Religion; and thereby be better able to

b of which fee more in Part 2. p, 162, and 168. N. 2.

See fome of the Particulars in Part 2. p. 170. and Worthington's Account of the Progrefs of Learning after its Revival. Effay, p. 200, &c. To which we may add, that the Avenues to Learning of all kinds have been plan'd out and open'd by Ld. Bacon; the Nature and moft intimate Receffes of the Human Mind unfolded and explain'd by Locke; the Frame and Conftitution of the Univerfe by Newton; (to name no other Writers of our own) in a more perfect Manner, than ever was done or attempted, fince the Foundation of the World.

judge

judge of, and apply revealed: the more acquainted we are with the Faculties of our own Soul, the better qualified muft we be to regulate and improve them; to direct the reafoning Power, affift the Memory, refine the Imagination; in each of which Points very confiderable Discoveries have been made of late: the more we know of the Body, the more able we are to prescribe a Regimen, and remedy the feveral Disorders of it: and (though it feems to be the Intent of Providence, for Reasons obvious enought, that Phyfic in particular, should not receive the fame Degrees of Improvement with fome other Arts, yet) perhaps it would not be hard to prove, were this a place for it, that we are actually able to effect this, in a more perfect manner now than formerly ; that 'tis rather our Obfervations on the Disorders, and Defects in each of these that multiply, than the Disorders and Defects themselves; excepting fome fuch as probably arife, and propagate themfelves, from fome particular, reigning Vices.

* Vid. Walchii Orat. de Incrementis quæ noftra ætate Stud. Theol. cepit; recitat. MDCCxxv.

+ Some of the many ill Confequences of its being in the power of Phyficians to prolong the Life of a Tyrant, Oppreffor, &c. beyond the common Date may be feen in Sherlock on Death, C. 3. S. 2, 3. and the laft Difcourse here annex'd. p.

This Art is wonderfully fimplified of late years, has • receiv'd great Additions, and is improving every day, both in Simplicity and Efficacy.' Dr. Hartley, V.2. p. 378.

a If fome new Diftempers have arifen of late, 'tis likely others of an older date have ceafed; as is obferv'd by D. Le Clerc. Fuerunt ergo Morbi, nonnullorum Siderum in⚫ftar, orti certo tempore, poftea extincti funt; funtque alii, * quos ortos quidem non ita pridem novimus, fed quorum

The more we know of the World, the more we view its Order, Beauty, Symmetry; the uniform Laws which it is govern'd by; the juft Arrangement, and mutual Subferviency of all its Parts; (and I need not obferve how much this kind of Learning has of late increased';) the more we see the Glory, and Perfection of its Architect; and are more fully fatisfied that he defign'd its several Inhabitants for Happiness in general, and muft approve of every regular, confiftent Method which they take to promote it.

Such Obfervations on this World, enable us likewife to argue from it to another; and conclude that that will probably go on in the like way, as confifting of the like Inhabitants, and conducted by the fame Hand. As the prefent World has generally improved hitherto, we may expect that, for the fame reafons, (be they what they will) it fhall continue to do fo; and that the next will likewife be ftill more and more improving and by the fame Rule, perhaps each Part and Member of it, in its refpective Order, and Proportion; every diftinct Clafs, as it rifes above others, through all that Scale of Beings which

finem nondum videmus.' Differt. de Lepra Mofaica, p. 9. Several Inftances occur in Barchufen, de Medic. Orig. et Progr. Diff. 5. S. 6.

b Of this, and the Benefit the World receives from it, fee Worthington, Eff. p. 94, &c. And if Natural Philofophy in all its parts, by purfuing this Method, fhall at length be perfected, the bounds of Moral Philofophy will alfo be enlarged.' Newt. Opt. B. 3. And that fupernatural Light or Knowledge will be increafed in the fame way, its Hindrances being of the very fame kind, See Bp. Butler's Analogy, p. 262, &c. 2d Ed.