XVI.

ness and Virtue for its own Sake, and as amiable CHAP. in itfelf. The Truth forces itfelf upon him a little after, and he finds himself under a Neceffity to own 'tis certain on the other Side, that the Principle of "Fear of future Punishment and Hope of future Reward, how mercenary "and fervile foever it may be accounted, is yet, " in many Circumstances, a great Advantage and "Support to Virtue t." What is this but advancing a notional Principle, for fubverting the Virtue of Christendom, under a whimsical Distinction ?

Now according to the Obfervation of the Author of Christianity as old, &c. That every Exception to a general Rule is founded upon a general Rule itself; the above Exception, which he allows of, muft certainly be acknowledg'd the trueft, first, fuperior general Rule; being fo evidently founded in Nature and the Truth of Things; confequently, that his Doctrine of Virtue muft be excepted out of it, as an Extravagance and a Rant of Enthufiafm, being grounded in an unnatural Endeavour to put afunder what God and Nature have join'd together. Had he first made a due Inquiry into Nature, he had made a better Inquiry concerning Virtue. For that which makes Virtue impracticable to the Generality, according to the Measures of Man in his prefent State, can never be the Way to serve Virtue, or recommend it, in good earnest, to Practice.

WHAT truer, and yet what worse Character can be given of the Deifts Religion, who reject Christianity, than that it is apparently bottom'd Ibid. Vol. I. pag. 1Q. upon

Chara&. Vol. II. pag. 66.

CHAP. upon Ignorance, or Mistakes, both of the Nature. XVI. of Man, and God? And that they fight against true Religion (the invincible Gospel) in the War of Ignorance as it is elegantly exprefs'd, Wifd. xiv. 22. Their Blunders about the Goodness of God have been fhewn before, and fhewn to be their Sheet Anchor. And as to the Nature of Man, is it not abfurd to go about to fifle, fo inhumanly ftifle thofe Springs of Action in human Nature; and fo unnaturally baffle thofe Defires of Reward, which natural Religion infpires; God is, and is also a Rewarder of those that diligently feek him.

AND out of Spite to the Christian Revelation, which has made thofe Rewards fo bright and glorious, and attainable upon the moft reafonable Eafinefs, is it not monftrous in their Leaders to fet up an unnatural Dominion of Irreligion over their wretched Votaries, by dif couraging the most effectual Principles and Motives to Virtue? Does not Christianity cherish, cultivate, water thofe natural Seeds of Virtue, and push them to Growth and Increase by the Prospect of the moft glorious Harveft? Does it not hold out a Crown of Reward, more precious and ponderous than all the Crowns of this World, to the Faith of the true Followers of Nature and of God? For every one who truly and diligently does fo, embraces and fuper-adds Chrift; who came to reveal God, and Nature, The Sources of the divine Goodness, and Perfections, no otherwife discoverable, yet, being discovered, are found perfectly fuitable, and engaging to our rational Faculties. Nor is there any true System, either of the Nature of God, or Man, in his prefent degenerate State, but in

his moft wife and merciful Government over us, CHA P. by the Mediator Chrift Jefus. And does not XVI. this judicious Obfervance of Nature demonftrate the Author of Chriftianity to be the undoubted Author of Nature? Whereas they muft make Converts to the Ignorance of God, and Man, and Nature, before they can make Profelytes to their Deifm.

In fhort, as at the Beginning, Jefus, and the Refurrection, and his Judging the World in Righteousness, thofe fundamental Reafons for Repentance, were receiv'd as babbling by the Epicureans, and Stoicks, who of all the Sects of Philofophers were most contrary to Christianity; fo a modern Deift feems to be an unhappy Compofition of both of them, and therefore nourishes a double Spite against that Religion. In contradiction to the better Sentiments of Socrates, he maintains with the Stoick, the Self-fufficiency of Man to all Virtue; and that Virtue is its own Self-fufficient Reward; he flights the Revivifcence of his Body, as a Return to Prison, rather than to an original conftituent Part of himself; and therefore with the Epicurean indulges its Gratification, and makes the most of its fhort Continuance, as an effential Ingredient of his Happinefs * And both Sects join in him, in laying afide the principal Care of divine Providence, by difannulling his fpecial Concern, to reward the Righteous, and punish the Wicked (the best Thing worth the Concern of fuperintending Pro

* See Chriftianity as old, pag. 14. where the Author makes one End of regulating the Appetites, the conducing the more to the Pleasure of the Senfes, as one Conftituent of Man's Happiness, which very well agrees with the Hiftory of Epi

curus.

vidence)

CHA P. vidence) by the Hands of an appointed Judge, in XVI. the most distinguishing, diftributive, confpicuous,

and everlasting Manner before all moral Agents. And confequently, his Ill-will to Christianity carries a double Oppofition and Resistance to a Jefus or Saviour; to a Refurrection; and to his Judging and Diftributing future Rewards and Punishments. Yet, bating the Refurrection of the Body, and the Perfon to judge, Socrates could have inform'd him, all their Sentiments are contrary to the Truth and Nature of Things, tho' he fhould not condefcend to be perfuaded by Chrift and his Apoftles. I am afraid he believes with the Stoick, that all Sins are equal, because he makes fo light of difbelieving the Gospel.

WHO would imagine, yet fo it is, that fo fine a Genius, at ridiculing Chriftianity under the Name of Enthufiafm, fhould run into real Enthufiafm and Knight-Errantry himself, in order to explode it? For the fame dazzling Ideal Notion of Virtue, which led him to contradict, and be very polite in Bombaft †, overshooting the Powers

+ By Bombaft I mean, that Excefs in Language, or Difcord in Sentiment oppofite to the true Sublime; which owes its Beauty and Grandeur to the expreffing Things in Conformity to the Nature of Things. Confequently there may be a falfe Sublime in Words of the pureft Diction, agreeable and charming enough to those who don't understand the Truth and Harmony of Things, whilst they are affected with the fuperficial Harmony of Sounds and Fiddles, Words and Periods. Cujufcunque orationem videris follicitam et politam, fcito animum quoque non minus effe pufillis occupatum. Magnus ille remiffus loquitur et fecurius: quæcunque dicit, plus habent fiduciæ quam cura-Oratio vultus animi eft: fi circumtonfa eft, et fucata et manufacta, oftendit illum quoque non effe fincerum, & habere aliquid fracti. Sen. Ep. 115. The jejunenefs of his Reasoning withers the Verdure of his Expreffions,

Powers of Nature and Practice, has alfo led CHAP many Quietifts, Myfticks, and pretended Saints XVI. of the Romish Church, which fets up its Throne upon the plain Abufe of Nature and Chriftianity, into the like Enthufiaftick Extravagancies, Flight and Fancy, and Tokens of Want of Judgment. They would not touch, no not they, any of God's Rewards, no not with a Pair of Tongs; they would willingly, great Souls! annihilate themselves, and their Happiness, before the Image of Virtue they have fet up in their own Fancy; and be contented to damn themselves eternally for the fake of the paffionate Love they have for God.-But when you hear fuch Extravagancies, always beware of Cheats, Im

Expreffions, and his Departure from Truth and Nature turns every Shew of Sublime into real Bombaft. For as Truth duly reprefented according to the Nature of Things is the most fplendid, magnificent, and affecting of all Things, fo polished Words in rounded Periods deviating from the Nature of Things, are no better than a genteel Impofture with respect to right good Senfe, an artful Quackifh Deception as to Truth, and a Whorish Paint laid upon Nature by a good Hand. A falfe irreligious Thought cover'd over with pretty fweet Words, is Poifon in a Sugar-Plumb: But I hope Religion is not like Italian Songs, where the worst Meaning of Words tuned with fine Sounds makes the best Musick.

"Contemplative Perfons ought to divest themselves of all "Affections to all things: They ought to reject and defpife all "God's Gifts and Favours, and to ftrip themselves of all Incli"nations even for Virtue itself." Letter from Rome concern"ing the Quietifts, pag. 85.

on

Another of their Tenets is, " True Contemplation must keep itfelf fix'd only to the Effence of God, without reflecting either bis Perfons or his Attributes. And an Act of Faith thus conceiv'd, is more perfect and meritorious, than that which ་་ confiders God with the Divine Attributes, or with the Per"fons of the Trinity in it," pag. 74. Behold a manifeft Strain of refined fecret Deifm, harmonizing in their high Flight, with open modern Deifm!

poftors,