How's this? Not wag my finger, he replies? This is the great leffon, that virtue alone is true honour, true freedom, and folid, durable happiness. It is indeed its own reward. There are no fatisfactions equal to, or comparable with virtuous, rational exercises; nor can virtuous difpofitions, and well improved moral powers be rewarded, or receive happiness fuited to their nature, but from their exercises and employments about proper objects. And as virtue gives pleasure here in proportion to the improvements it makes, far beyond all that mere fense can yield, in the moft advantageous circumftances of outward enjoyment; fo in a state to come, it fhall be fo placed as its improvements require, that is, be placed in circumstances that fhall afford it bufinefs or employment proportioned to its capacity, and by means thereof the highest fatisfaction. -Such a basis for building moral inftructions upon we find in hiftory. - We are warned in fome pages to avoid the miferies and wretchedness which many have fallen into by departing from reafon or virtue :And in others, we meet with fuch virtuous characters and actions, as fet forth the charms A Reflection on Go gion. of integrity in their full luftre, and prove that virtue is the fupreme beauty, the fupreme charm; that in keeping the precepts of moral rectitude, we fecure a present felicity and reward; and have a prefage of thofe higher rewards which await a steady. course of right conduct in another world.Glorious, natural virtue! Would mankind but hearken to its voice, and obey its dictates, there would be no fuch Beings as Invaders, Delinquents, and Traitors, in this lower world. The focial inclinations and difpofitions would for ever prevail over the felfish appetites and paffions. The law of benevolence would be the rule of life. The advancement of the common good would be the work of every man. go 12. The cafe however is; that the genevernment rality of mankind are too corrupt, to be and Reli- verned by the great univerfal law of focial nature, and to gratify ambition, avarice, and the like, employ a cunning or power, to seize the natural rights and properties of others: and therefore, to natural virtue grounded on the reaJon and fitness of things, in themselves, the first and principal mean of fecuring the peace and happiness of fociety, it was neceffary to add two other grand principles, civil government and Religion, and fo have three conducible means to focial happiness. These three are neceffary to the being of a public, and of them, them, religion, as I take it, is of the first confequence; for the choice few only mind a natural Virtue, or benevolence flowing from the reafon, nature, and fitness of things; and civil government cannot always fecure the happiness of mankind in particular cafes: but Religion, rightly understood, and fixed upon its true and proper foundation, might do the work, in conjunction with the other two principles, and fecure the happinefs of Society. If mankind were brought to the belief and worship of one only true God, and to a fincere obedience to his Will, as we have it discovered in Revelation, I think appetite and paffion would cease to invade by violence or fraud, or fet up for private intereft in oppofition to the public ftock or common good. But, alas! Religion is fo far from being rightly undertood, that it is rendered by fome explainers the most doubtful and difputable thing in the world. They have given it more phases than the moon, and made it every thing, and nothing, while they are fcreaming or forcing the people into their several factions. This deftroys the moment of Religion, and the multitude are thereby wandered into endless mazes and perplexities, and rendered a haring, staring, wrathful rabble; inftead of being transformed into fuch chriftians as filled the first church at rufalem; chriftians who acknowledged and worthipped God the Father Almighty, in the name of Chrift, that is, under a belief of that authority and power which the Father of, the Universe has, for the good of mankind, conferred upon him; and in humility and meekness, in mortification and felf-denial, in a renunciation of the fpirit, wisdom, and honours of this world, in a love of God, and defire of doing God's will, and feeking only his honour, were by the Gofpel made like unto Chrift. Golden Religion! Golden Age! The Doctrine of Christianity was then a Refloration of true Religion: the Practice of Chriftianity, a Refloration of human Nature. But now, alas! too many explainers are employed in darkening and making doubtful the revealed Will of God, and by paraphrafes, expofitions, commentaries, notes, and gloffes, have almoft rendered revelation ufelefs. What do we see in the vast territories of Popery, but a perfect Diabolifm in the place of the religion of our Lord; doctrines the moft impious and abfurd, the most inconfiftent and contradictory in themfelves, the most hurtful and mischievous in their confequences; the whole fupported by perfecution, by the fophiftry of learned knaves, and the tricks of juggling pricfts? And if we turn our eyes from thefe regions of impofture and cruelty, to the realms of proteftants, do we not find fome learned chriftian critics and ex pofitors pofitors reducing the infpired writings to a dark fcience? without regard to the nature and intrinfic character of their doctrines, do they not advance notions as true and divine, which have not one appearance of divine authority; but, on the contrary, militate with the reafon of things, and the moral fitness of actions; and are fo far from being plain and clear, free from all doubtfulnefs, or ambiguity, and fuited to the understandings and capacity of men, that the darknefs of them renders fuch pretended revelations of little fervice; and impeaches the veracity, wisdom, and goodness of God? Alas! too many explainers are clamorous, under the infallible ftrength of their own perfuafions, and exert every power to unman us into believers. How the apostles argued for the great excellency and dignity of Christianity, is not with them the queftion; fo far as I am able to judge from their learned writings; but the fathers, and our fpiritual fuperiors, have put upon the facred writings the proper explications; and we must receive the truth as they difpenfe it to us. This is not right, in my conception. I own it does not feem to answer the end of the Meffiah's coming, which was to restore Reafon and Religion to their rightful authority over mankind and to make all virtue, and true goodness, flourish in the earth; the most perfect bleffing to ; be |