CHAP. I.

The Religion of the EN D.

HE Existence of God being grant- CHAP. ed, the first Question is, What is, I. Religion? The Force and Power of Religo, whence it derives, imports a ftrong Obligation, which the Author of our Being has bound upon us; and which we tie and bind the fafter upon our own Obfervance, by taking it upon ourselves, as we grow up to years of Difcretion; and growing more and more fenfible of its obliging Power, and of the Reasonableness of our Compliance, it becomes a mutual kind of Covenant. To know the Original of the Religion of the End, or what Ends we were made to anfwer, in being made rational, fociable, accountable Creatures, confcious of Obligation and Duty, we muft have recourse to the Frame and Conftitution of Things: There we find, from the first Creation, the three great Originals and Objects of duty and obedieace. VOL. I.

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THE

* Religionis nomen a religando, & a vinculo pietatis effe dedulum; quod hominem fibi Deus religaverit, & pietate conftrinxerit: quia fervire nos ei ut Domino; et obfequi ut patri necesse eft, Lact. &c. Lib. IV. cap. 28. Cicero derives it from Relego,

CHAP.

I.

THE Religion of the End is infallibly true and certain, and as old, indeed, as the Creation; because the God of our Nature presents us with nothing but what really exifts; and the mutual Relation between Him, the reft of Mankind, and Ourselves, will as infallibly fhew itself to our reflecting Reason, as the Things themselves; and the mutual Respect and Care of, Engagement to, and Alliance general with each other, thence refulting, cannot be hid t. That which preferves this Relation, is Order, or Law, to last as long, and be as invariable, as the Relation itself. The Authority which enforces the Law, is his who

Qui autem omnia, quæ ad cultum Deorum pertinerent, diligenter pertradarent, & tanquam relegerent, funt dici religiofi ex relegendo. Lib. II. de nat, deor, viz. To read over and over, ftudy, ponder much, and confider attentively the Grounds and Reasons of Piety and Virtue, and fo effectually, to the Purpose, as to apply all the Means, Motives, and Helps in our Power for acquitting ourselves of the Duty owing both to the End and the Means, of Religion. To neglect both the End and the Means, is a State of Irreligion; to intend the End, and defpife the Means, a State of Deiftical Sufficiency and Contumacy; to prefer the Means to the Neglect of the End, a State of Superfition and Enthufiafm: each of them offend against the true State of Things, not confidering them as they really are. Whilft true Religion, which is therefore true, because it regards Things in their true Nature, and intended Ufe and Application, as made known unto us, confifts in the Oppofite of the firft, and obviously distinguishes itself to be, and act in a Medium between the other two. Or, in other Words, in the fincere Application of the Means in order only to the End, and in the confcientious Attainment of the End, by and through the Ufe of the Means.

*In this Refpect, nunquam aliud natura, aliud fapientia dicit. Which may be thus paraphras'd: If we follow Nature, we are in the Road to the Wisdom that Nature teaches: the Reason of Things is the Voice of Nature; and that Voice is the Will of the Creator of Nature.

+ Lex Deo orta, fuo jure nata, Or in the Scripture language everlafting Righteousness.

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fafhioned

I.

fashioned them as they are; his Will and Wif- CHAP. dom in enacting, and our Homage in obeying, are as apparent, as that he is our Creator, and we his Creatures. To follow or refift the Reason and Relation of Things, is therefore the fame thing as to follow, or refift God. In fhort, the Relations we were made to fulfil, or the Religion of the End, which was in the Beginning, is now, and ever shall be, are contained in thefe three noted Branches; our Duty and Care towards GOD; our NEIGHBOUR; OURSELVES.

To obferve and keep thefe in the Perfection of our original Nature, acording to its Law and Order, and to conform our Will to the Divine Will, behaving as becomes us in these Respects, is to will and chufe like God, and fo imitating his moral Attributes, partake of the Divine Nature, and exhibit that moral Image of him to the World, bomo bomini Deus. If we were made in the Image of God, as his Revelation affirms, the glory, beauty, and perfection of an Image confifts in the nearest Refemblance to its Original; and the feveral Lights of those Beauties and Perfections fhining in Man's Converfation, is the glorifying our Father, our Original in Heaven. The feveral Commands for intending and acting every thing to his Glory, are fo many Directions for the imitating Nature of Man to be found copying after him; the Precepts and Recommendations for Prefection, are fo many Injunctions for improving in Attitude of action, and Similitude of difpofition. And for us, who ought to make fome fimilar Return of the Benefit we fo largely enjoy, to be perfect in our Conduct to our Enemies, as he is perfect towards us, bis Enemies, is, perhaps, the finishing Stroke of that moral Image. God is Love to all Men in this World, therefore Hatred

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CHAP. Hatred to any Man can be no right Image of him I. in any Person. The glorifying the Juft, yet Merciful exercife of his Authority, belongs to a particular Image of him, Governors and Magi ftrates. This is the Law of Nature written in the Heart of Man, i. e. as plain to be read and learned of GOD, as if written there. For what is faid 1 Thef. iv. 9. of that Relation, which is the Ground of brotherly Love, that Men fubmitting to him in fuch Things, are taught of GOD BEOSidanto, and elsewhere, the Neglector of fuch Relation to be worse than an Infidel, may, in a leffer degree, be affirmed of the Obfervance of the other Relations; the Confcience bearing witness to them, accufing the tranfgreffion, as Sin; and approving the performance, as Duty. And for every one to find out whether his actions, refpecting his Neighbour, are conformable to this Law of Nature, upon any Doubt arifing, the ready Rule to decide it, is to put ourselves in his Stead and Circumftances; and fincerely ask our Heart what we expect to be done, or omitted by him to us then we clearly and immediately fee without Paffion or Self-love, the Law of action, or Forbearnce of action due towards our Neighbour, confpicuously and fenfibly written in our own Heart, and confequently in every other Heart of Man. This is a Rule of Confcience that never fails, and is always ready at hand.

I. DUTY to GOD, comprehends our Obe-. dience to all his known Commands, as our Ruler and Governor. Adoration of his natural Perfections, freed from all degrading Opinions, what he certainly is not; Efteem and Reverence of his Name and Excellencies; Imitation of his moral Attributes; Love of him as the Fountain of all

Good;

I.

Good; Truft, as all Powerful, and True, Thanks- CHAP. giving, as our Preferver and Benefactor; Fear, as the Infpector and Judge of our Behaviour; all which are a collective Honour and Worship arifing out of the aforefaid Relation, and due unto him of Right*.

II. DUTY to our NEIGHBOUR, is obferved in focial Justice; univerfal Benevolence; and particular Relative Duties, as we happen to be placed in the World.

III. DUTY to, or Care of OURSELVES, confifts in the due Government of our Appetites and Paffions; in the Knowledge of ourselves, our Faculties, and Opportunities; that we are rational, fociable, and accountable Creatures; wherein our Happiness confifts; what is our Good, and what is our Evil; on whom we depend; for what we were made; what Care we ought to take of our Mind, and of our Body, not only for our own Sake, but with Refpect to those who have an Intereft in us, God, our Neighbour, our Pofterity; Diligence, Prudence, guard against Tem ptations, &c.

ALL these are the Religion of the End, obligatory upon Man as he came out of the hands of his Maker, Rational, Sociable, Accountable. Had all human Race been in Paradife, they were bound by a Law that altereth no otherwise, than as the Reason and Relation of Things alter, to all these Observances; and to have been faithful in the Discharge would have been Innocence, Happinefs, Paradife; the performance of that natural Law was fure of meeting with God's Appro

*

Quid aliud eft pietas quam juftitia adverfus Deos. Cic.