The first fenfe in which natural religion may be used, is that of this propofition; in which it is put for that love and reverence towards GOD, and obedience to his will, which the light of nature, or the confideration of the works of GOD, enjoins. In this fense it is most properly opposed to, and contradiftinguished from, revealed religion, or thofe affections and actions towards GOD, which the scripture, or the word of God, enjoins.

Secondly, Natural religion may be defined fuch a regulation of the affections and actions as the mora fense requires: for the moral fenfe is part of the light of nature, and of our natural faculties, whether it be confidered as an instinct, or as the generated refult of external impreffions and our natural frame taken together, according to what is delivered in the first part of these observations; and this moral fenfe approves and commands, or difapproves and forbids, certain difpofitions of mind, and bodily actions flowing therefrom. It is alfo called the law of first infcription by many perfons, and under that term distinguished from the law of revelation, which is fuppofed pofterior to it in order of time. Hence the fame perfons confider the moral fenfe, or law of first infcription, as the foundation of natural religion: and, indeed, most perfons either exprefsly adopt, or im plicitly refer to,t his definition of natural religion in their writings and difcourfes. The heathen world, not having the immediate light of revelation, are supposed to have had nothing more than the mere light of nature, and mere natural religion; and they seem to have been chiefly directed by the fenfe of what was fit, right, and proper, upon the occafion, i. e. by the moral fenfe. Natural religion may therefore, according to this way of confidering it, be properly defined by the moral fense.

Thirdly, Natural religion may be defined by rational felf-intereft; i. e. it may be called fuch a regu lation of our affections and actions, as will procure for us our fummum bonum, or greatest possible happiness. If we fuppofe the inquiries of the ancients concerning the fummum bonum to have been of a religious and moral nature, then will this definition be fuitable to their notions. However, it has a very important use, viz. that of compelling us to be attentive, impartial, and earnest in the inquiry.

I will now proceed, first, to prove the propofition, or to deduce love and reverence to GOD, and obedience to his will, from the preceding method of reasoning concerning the courfe and conftitution of nature; and, fecondaly, to fhew the perfect agreement of all these three definitions of natural religion with each other.

Now it is at once evident, that the confideration of the infinite power, knowledge, and goodness of GOD, of his holiness, juftice, veracity, and mercy, and of his being our creator, governor, judge, and father, must inspire us with the highest love and reverence for him, and beget in us that tendency to comply with his will, which, according to the proper ufe of language, is called a sense of duty, obligation, of what we ought to do. It is evident alfo, that the will of GOD must be determined by his attributes and appellations. He must therefore will, that we fhould apply to him, as we do to earthly fuperiors of the fame character, purifying, however, and exalting our affections to the utmoft; that we fhould be merciful, holy, juft, &c. in imitation of him, and because this is to concur with him in his great defign of making all his creatures happy; and lastly, that we should fo ufe the pleasures of fenfe, and the enjoyments of this world, as not to hurt ourselves or others. There is therefore a courfe of action regarding GoD, our

neighbour, and ourselves, plainly enjoined by the light of nature; or, in the words of the propofition, there is a religion of nature properly fo called.

I come, in the next place, to fhew the agreement of the fecond and third definitions of natural religion with the first, or with that of the propofition.

Now, that compliance with the moral fenfe coincides with obedience to the will of God, needs no proof, it being the first and immediate d'Etate of the moral fenfe, that it is fit, right, and our neceffary duty, to obey GOD, as foon as he is difcovered with the amiable and awful attributes and appellations above ascribed to him. There is, therefore, an entire agreement between the fi ft and fecond definitions. It may appear alfo, that the first rule of duty is neceffary to perfect the fecond. For the moral fenfe, as will appear from the preceding history of ts rife and growth, must be vague and uncertain, and vary according to the various circunftances of life. But the moral character of God, as delivered in the foregoing propofitions, affords a plain rule of life, appli cable and precife in the various circumstances of t. When, therefore, obedience to the will of God is established by the moral fenfe, it does, in return, become a regulator to this, determine its uncertainties, and reconcile its inconfiftencies. And, agreeably to this, we may observe, that the perfection of the moral fenfe is, in general, proportional to the perfection of our notions of the d vine nature; and that the idolatry of the heathens, and their ignorance of the true GOD, must have produced an utter perverfion and corruption of their moral fenfe, agreeably to the declarations of the fcriptures; which is a remarkable coincidence of reafon with revelation.

In like manner, it needs no proof, that rational felf-intereft, and obedience to the will of God, are the fame thing. Our only hope and fecurity, here

and hereafter, must be in our obedience to him, who has all power and all knowledge. And thus the first and third definitions are found to be perfectly coincident. The fecond and third, therefore, i. c. the whole three, are coincident also.

This coincidence might be confirmed by numberlefs inftances, were we to confider and compare together the dictates of the moral character of GOD, of our own moral fenfe properly directed, and of rational felf-intereft in the feveral particular circumstances of life. But this would be to anticipate what I have to fay in the third chapter of this fecond part concerning the rule of life.

PROP. XIII.

Natural Religion receives great Light and Confirmation, from Revealed.

IT feems to be the opinion of fome perfons, that revealed religion is intirely founded upon natural; fo that unless natural religion be first established upon its own proper evidences, we cannot proceed at all to the proof of revealed. If this were fo, revealed religion could not caft any light or evidence upon natural, but what it had before received from it; and confequently, this propofition would be built upon that falle way of reafoning which is called arguing in a circle. But there are certainly independent evidences for revealed religion, as well as for natural; they both receive light and confirmation from each other; and this mutual confirmation is a ftill farther evidence for both. I will give a fhort account of all these particulars, that the propofition may the more fully appear.

First, Natural religion has independent evidences. This has been the bufinefs of the foregoing propofitions, and particularly of the laft, to fhew. And indeed, it is acknowleged by all, unless they be atheists or fceptics. We are certainly able to infer the existence and attributes of GOD, with our relation and duty to him, from the mere confideration of natural phænomena, in the fame manner as we do any conclufions in natural philofophy. And though our evidence here may not perhaps be demonftrative, it is certainly probable in the highest degree.

Secondly, Revealed religion has also independent evidences. For, if we allow the miracles mentioned in the Old and New Teftaments, the genuineness and accomplishment of the prophecies contained therein, and themoral characters of CHRIST, the Prophets and Apoftles, it will be impoffible not to pay the greateft regard to the doctrines and precepts which they deliver, i. e. to revealed religion. We do, and we must always, give credit to perfons much fuperior to ourfelves in natural and moral endowments. Thefe endowments ftrike us with awe and reverence, engage our attention, humble us, and put us into a teachable, flexible difpofition. And I appeal to all thofe, who do really believe the miracles and moral characters of CHRIST, the Prophets and Apoftles, and the accomplishment of the prophecies delivered by them, whether they do not immediately find themfelves in this humble, teachable difpofition of mind, upon confidering these credentials of a divine miflion, and that exclufively of all other confiderations. As to those who do not fuppofe CHRIST, the Prophets and Apostles, to have had thefe credentials, they can fcarce be proper judges, what would be the genuine confequence of a itate of mind, of a belief, which they have not. However, one may appeal even to them, provided they will only suppose these credentials true for a moment, in order